This is pretty much the way Champagne ought to be. Though it doesn't have the extra kick, the 2008 Cristal is as good as it gets (and still relatively affordable by modern standards). The way it blends the creaminess of the house style with the bracing acidity of 2008 is masterful. Plenty of chewy minerality on the palate as well -- just the right amount of everything. One of the few Champagnes outside of Krug that I would love to drink regularly.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
Drinks a little more reserved than the 2015 alongside. This definitely shows the weight of the vintage, but feels a bit closed at this stage -- I would expect further improvement with time here. Of course, our dinner tonight was meant to get a sense of the wine, so a few less-expressive bottles wasn't unreasonable. Despite the relatively closedness, there's still plenty of wonderful mineral notes here, hidden under the relative broadness of the palate. The fruit is a bit sedate right now, and it feels like it's in hibernation. That said, the sheer amount of material here is staggering and I expect great things from this wine decades from now.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
This is cut from the same cloth as the 2018, but this bottle is much more intense and potent. It's almost like they concentrated the 2018 25% more and then added more sweet fruit to it. This doesn't have the zen-like calmness that the 2018 had -- it's more exuberant and expressive already, with predominantly white fruit. It's not immediately clear to me that the 2018 will evolve into something similar given that it's only three years behind. One of the winners in the lineup.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
Shows far more age than it should. A fair bit of browning here, and despite the pleasant minerality and density on the palate, the freshness is simply lacking. Might chalk it up to a very weak vintage though -- this just comes off flabbier than it should.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
Another standout tonight. This is exactly what you expect from this wine, though I feel there's a bit more maturity in this bottle than the one I tasted two years ago. Plenty of chewy intensity on the palate, with a luscious, slightly oily texture that feels right for this wine. This bottle wasn't as vibrant and electric as I remember but would be a magnificent chardonnay in isolation. As good as this bottle was, I feel it was eclipsed tonight by the flashier 2015, the same-but-better 2008, and the fully mature 2001.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
This, if I remember correctly, was the first bottle of this wine I ever had, over a decade ago. This is in a perfect spot right now and shows an impeccable balance between maturity and freshness. The brilliant, shining acidity is a star here, but there is also some nascent browning of the fruit here, in the sense it's maturing rather than oxidizing (well, what is maturation but slow oxidation), that gives this a complexity that is exceptionally compelling. In a fantastic spot right now, but if this matures along the lines of the 2001, it would be no shame to give this another seven years.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
Quite mature, but still drinking very, very well. The oxidation here is one of proper maturity, not premox. I think I liked this a fair bit more than others at the table, but this is a throwback sort of old white Burgundy that they really don't make anymore. Opulent and broad on the palate. There's an oiliness that evokes the grands crus of old: Louis Carillon was of course one of the last gasps of classicism there of course, so that may well be expected. A silky smooth, almost caramel-like texture.
Textbook Allemand -- the way it's meant to be. Silky texture, the way Allemand should have, and a big step up from the relatively weak showings in the 2010-15 vintages that I had last night. There's a slight touch of volatility on the nose, but it's more of a flavour accent than a flaw. Black fruit, and proper old syrah notes here, with the black fruit still on full-throttled display.
This definitely suffered a bit next to the brilliant 1999 alongside -- it's a bit denser and the tannic structure is fairly grainy, causing some of the silkiness to disappear. That said, there is still so much lovely material in this wine, with its plentiful black fruit, peppercorn, and smoked meat notes. I've always thought of 2000 as a relatively softer vintage, but this wine seems to buck that trend.
Yet another spectacular bottle. Is this one of the best rieslings ever made? Yes, 100 times yes. There's really not much to add here, it's pretty much exactly what you would imagine this wine to be. It's not as sweet as one might expect from a riesling of such high stature, but you can tell that in the past there was a very generous amount of sugar here, which has long since faded into a luscious burnt sugar backdrop, but with the plentiful botrytis spice notes, there's an almost jaggery-like quality here. Coupled with acidity that gives this wonderful lightness despite that palate presence, you have a recipe for perfection. As I am wont to say, "they don't make 'em like they used to."
2008 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut 98 Points
France, Champagne
This is pretty much the way Champagne ought to be. Though it doesn't have the extra kick, the 2008 Cristal is as good as it gets (and still relatively affordable by modern standards). The way it blends the creaminess of the house style with the bracing acidity of 2008 is masterful. Plenty of chewy minerality on the palate as well -- just the right amount of everything. One of the few Champagnes outside of Krug that I would love to drink regularly.
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2018 Domaine Jacques Carillon Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet 95 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
Drinks a little more reserved than the 2015 alongside. This definitely shows the weight of the vintage, but feels a bit closed at this stage -- I would expect further improvement with time here. Of course, our dinner tonight was meant to get a sense of the wine, so a few less-expressive bottles wasn't unreasonable. Despite the relatively closedness, there's still plenty of wonderful mineral notes here, hidden under the relative broadness of the palate. The fruit is a bit sedate right now, and it feels like it's in hibernation. That said, the sheer amount of material here is staggering and I expect great things from this wine decades from now.
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2015 Domaine Jacques Carillon Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet 98 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
This is cut from the same cloth as the 2018, but this bottle is much more intense and potent. It's almost like they concentrated the 2018 25% more and then added more sweet fruit to it. This doesn't have the zen-like calmness that the 2018 had -- it's more exuberant and expressive already, with predominantly white fruit. It's not immediately clear to me that the 2018 will evolve into something similar given that it's only three years behind. One of the winners in the lineup.
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2012 Domaine Jacques Carillon Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
Shows far more age than it should. A fair bit of browning here, and despite the pleasant minerality and density on the palate, the freshness is simply lacking. Might chalk it up to a very weak vintage though -- this just comes off flabbier than it should.
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2010 Domaine Jacques Carillon Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet 95 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
Another standout tonight. This is exactly what you expect from this wine, though I feel there's a bit more maturity in this bottle than the one I tasted two years ago. Plenty of chewy intensity on the palate, with a luscious, slightly oily texture that feels right for this wine. This bottle wasn't as vibrant and electric as I remember but would be a magnificent chardonnay in isolation. As good as this bottle was, I feel it was eclipsed tonight by the flashier 2015, the same-but-better 2008, and the fully mature 2001.
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2008 Louis Carillon Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet 98 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
This, if I remember correctly, was the first bottle of this wine I ever had, over a decade ago. This is in a perfect spot right now and shows an impeccable balance between maturity and freshness. The brilliant, shining acidity is a star here, but there is also some nascent browning of the fruit here, in the sense it's maturing rather than oxidizing (well, what is maturation but slow oxidation), that gives this a complexity that is exceptionally compelling. In a fantastic spot right now, but if this matures along the lines of the 2001, it would be no shame to give this another seven years.
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2001 Louis Carillon Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet 98 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
Quite mature, but still drinking very, very well. The oxidation here is one of proper maturity, not premox. I think I liked this a fair bit more than others at the table, but this is a throwback sort of old white Burgundy that they really don't make anymore. Opulent and broad on the palate. There's an oiliness that evokes the grands crus of old: Louis Carillon was of course one of the last gasps of classicism there of course, so that may well be expected. A silky smooth, almost caramel-like texture.
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1998 Louis Carillon Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Flawed
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
There's corked, and then there's this bottle corked.
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1999 Thierry Allemand Cornas Chaillot 95 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas
Textbook Allemand -- the way it's meant to be. Silky texture, the way Allemand should have, and a big step up from the relatively weak showings in the 2010-15 vintages that I had last night. There's a slight touch of volatility on the nose, but it's more of a flavour accent than a flaw. Black fruit, and proper old syrah notes here, with the black fruit still on full-throttled display.
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2000 Thierry Allemand Cornas Chaillot 93 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas
This definitely suffered a bit next to the brilliant 1999 alongside -- it's a bit denser and the tannic structure is fairly grainy, causing some of the silkiness to disappear. That said, there is still so much lovely material in this wine, with its plentiful black fruit, peppercorn, and smoked meat notes. I've always thought of 2000 as a relatively softer vintage, but this wine seems to buck that trend.
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1989 Trimbach Riesling Clos Ste. Hune Vendanges Tardives "Hors Choix" 100 Points
France, Alsace
Yet another spectacular bottle. Is this one of the best rieslings ever made? Yes, 100 times yes. There's really not much to add here, it's pretty much exactly what you would imagine this wine to be. It's not as sweet as one might expect from a riesling of such high stature, but you can tell that in the past there was a very generous amount of sugar here, which has long since faded into a luscious burnt sugar backdrop, but with the plentiful botrytis spice notes, there's an almost jaggery-like quality here. Coupled with acidity that gives this wonderful lightness despite that palate presence, you have a recipe for perfection. As I am wont to say, "they don't make 'em like they used to."
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