10/20/2023 - MattTM wrote:

Really aromatic upon first pour, concentrated boysenberry fruit with a red cherry undertone. A bit darker than other vintages but well restrained in typical Lafarge fashion. This was quite open and soft for the first couple hours but clamped down towards the end of the night. Drinking well already but plenty of upside ahead.

9/21/2023 - MattTM wrote:

Beautifully transparent and bursting with energy aromatically. Clean and precise on the nose with a slight herbal undertone. Less generous on the palate displaying delicate darker fruit and tart berries. Slightly grainy in texture. This was really pleasant already and starting to enter the zone but a couple more years should do this well. Hopefully some time will help soften some of the rough edges. The village and lower level 2013’s seem to be just starting to hit their window. No shame in trying one now especially if you’ve got a few.

7/12/2021 - MattTM wrote:

JR Group of Six Dinner (Vancouver, BC): Tasted blind next to the 1990 Château Lynch-Bages, 1990 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron, and 1990 Château Angélus. The ripest wine of the flight yet still holding onto its old world roots. Dark fruits explode out of the glass coupled with black pepper spice, cedar, and a touch of oak. There was an underlying sweetness that showed on the palate yet it was well controlled, along with black currants, blueberries, clove, and a touch of menthol. This was texturally softer and showing more maturity than the Angélus, yet these will live for a long time yet.

7/12/2021 - MattTM wrote:

JR Group of Six Dinner (Vancouver, BC): Tasted blind next to the 1990 Château Lynch-Bages, 1990 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron, and 1990 Château Beausejour. Still quite fresh and oyouthful, this took a bit of time to open up despite being decanted earlier in the evening. Darker in profile than the previous two wines, displaying black cherries, lead pencil, mossy forest floor, and mushrooms. On the palate this was rounder and riper than the two left bank wines, with a touch of wild stank and plenty of peppery spice. Great silky mouthfeel, this definitely appeared more youthful visually than the other wines yet was still an absolute pleasure to drink at this age. Based on the freshness of this bottle there’s no rush at all on these.

7/12/2021 - MattTM wrote:

JR Group of Six Dinner (Vancouver, BC): Tasted blind next to the 1990 Château Lynch-Bages, 1990 Château Angélus, and 1990 Château Beausejour. This took a while to open up aromatically but with some time in the glass showed a beautiful nose of classic left bank pencil shavings and leather along with some plummy fruit and floral notes. Darker in profile on the palate with purple fruits, a touch of green mint, and a spicy finish. Texturally this was a touch chalky but it wasn’t distracting in any way. Fantastic, this would have been tops for me if it wasn’t for the LB which shined just a tad brighter on this evening.

7/12/2021 - MattTM wrote:

JR Group of Six Dinner (Vancouver, BC): Tasted blind next to the 1990 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron, 1990 Château Angélus, and 1990 Château Beausejour. Outstanding nose displaying bright red cherries, classic left bank pencil/cigar box/leather with an underlying sweetness lurking in the background. This is starting to flaunt its maturity meanwhile still hanging onto its youthful power. Cassis, a touch of mint, and plenty of spice become evident on the palate as this continues to open up. Lynch-Bages seems to always deliver exactly what I’m looking for (especially in this era) and this bottle was no different. Absolutely killer tonight and my favorite of the flight.

7/12/2021 - MattTM wrote:

JR Group of Six Dinner (Vancouver, BC): Tasted blind next to the 2010 Château Lynch-Bages Blanc de Lynch-Bages. This was quite reserved at first but opened up and filled out over the evening. Plenty of lime zest citrus and underlying papaya/lean tropical fruits fill this out with a spicy peppery undertone. This was much lighter in colour than the LB tasted along side...very lean and focused on the palate with a wonderful salinity that really came to the forefront. Crisp and focused with mouth puckering acidity, this was showing really well on this evening and fortunately wasn't plagued by any oxidation as some bottles have noted below. A fabulous wine tonight and certainly my favorite of the flight.

7/12/2021 - MattTM wrote:

JR Group of Six Dinner (Vancouver, BC): Tasted blind next to the 2010 Château Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc. Super grassy on the nose entwined with plenty of floral orange blossom and papaya. Some solid richness here on the palate but it's well restrained by the acidity and actually finished quite crisp. This was a fair bit darker in colour than the SHL tasted along side but that was somewhat deceiving as it drank fresher than I was expecting. My first Lynch-Bages blanc...this was quite interesting to try but overall I preferred the leaner and more focused style of the SHL.

6/21/2021 - MattTM wrote:

TO Zoom Tasting (Vancouver, BC): Drank blind next to the 2003 Tardieu-Laurent Hermitage. Seems Chave did not handle the heat well in 03. A bit wild when first poured but settled down into stewed cherries and vitamin B. Rich, jammy, spicy...none of us guessed this as Northern Rhone never mind Chave. There was that classic saline finish on the palate but...I dunno. We all much preferred the TL this evening especially when you look at the price that these are going for. Hopefully these settle down with some time

6/21/2021 - MattTM wrote:

TO Zoom Tasting (Vancouver, BC): Tasted blind next to the 2003 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage. Ripe and showy but much more restrained than the Chave. Sweet dark cherry, tons of spice, and plenty of saline on the finish. I couldn't get celery salt out of my head while drinking this. It shows the vintage for sure but this is definitely one of the best 03 Hermitage's I can remember. Very well balanced with plenty of acidity to keep everything in check. Drinking great now especially if you prefer riper vintages but will surely improve with a few more yrs

6/21/2021 - MattTM wrote:

TO Zoom Tasting (Vancouver, BC): Tasted blind next to the 1986 Château Léoville Barton. Outstanding on the nose with sweet dark berries, saddle leather, pencil shavings, and forest floor. Rich yet balanced, with the hard backbone of the vintage lurking in the background. Gamey and a bit wild on the palate, however I adore that about this era of Gruaud Larose. Really tightens up on the finish with tart fruit and a tongue numbing menthol note. Our discussion lead to how affordable Gruaud Larose used to be which always makes me regret not buying more when I started getting into wine. Fantastic showing and my favorite bottle of the evening for sure

6/21/2021 - MattTM wrote:

TO Zoom Tasting (Vancouver, BC): Tasted blind next to the 1986 Château Gruaud Larose. Restrained at first, leather and red berries with a bell pepper undertone. This opened up a bit over the evening but still quite lean like a lot of 86's. Crunchy tart red fruit and really drying. Classicly styled to say the least. This was good tonight but didn't reach the heights of the Gruaud Larose

6/21/2021 - MattTM wrote:

TO Zoom Tasting (Vancouver, BC): Tasted blind next to the 2006 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne. Loved the nose on this. Big but balanced, with tons of lemon zest, dusty crushed slate, along with a flinty blast I always enjoy. Generous on the palate and definitely richer than the BdM tasted along side with lemon, a touch of pineapple, and mouth numbing spice on the finish. Again some heat on the finish which was my biggest knock on this. Showing the 05 ripeness of the vintage for sure, and to be honest I was a bit surprised when this was revealed. Delicious for the style, but not what I would usually expect from an Henri Boillot CC

6/21/2021 - MattTM wrote:

TO Zoom Tasting (Vancouver, BC): Tasted blind next to the 2005 Henri Boillot Corton-Charlemagne. Tighter and more focused on the nose than the Henri Boillot, but overall quite similar in profile. Some oak is evident, with classic CC lemon zest and flinty crushed slate. A bit of spice on the finish and ended a bit warm. A nice showing considering the vintage coupled with good acidity to keep it in check. If I had to nitpick the heat on the finish was a bit distracting to me, but overall this was very enjoyable.

5/11/2021 - MattTM wrote:

Drank blind next to the 1989 Château Magdelaine. Much more welcoming and richer than the 1989 tasted along side...cedar, raspberries, and mint coupled with cassis. Smooth and silky on the palate which makes this so easy to drink. Rich yet tart with wonderful balance. Drinking well right now with many years ahead

5/11/2021 - MattTM wrote:

Drank blind next to the 1990 Château Magdelaine. A bit shy on the nose with hints of anise and bright red cherries. Still quite tight and structured like a lot of 89's however this was more welcoming on the palate. Layered tart plummy fruit with leather, black pepper, coupled with the greeness of the Cab Franc hiding in behind. This was really enjoyable and while not as showy as the 1990 tasted along side it's the bottle I'd rather have in the cellar if I had to choose.

5/11/2021 - MattTM wrote:

Drank blind next to the 1983 Faiveley Mazis-Chambertin. Corked

5/11/2021 - MattTM wrote:

Drank blind next to the 1983 Faiveley Latricières-Chambertin(which was sadly corked). This was showing it's age on the nose...bloody, stewed black cherries, tart red berries, and spice. Fresher and structured on the plate, just as you would expect from this era of Faiveley. Black cherry, rose water, tons of spice, with a hint of old wood. This got better as it sat in the glass. Too bad the Latricières-Chambertin was corked as it would have been a fantastic side-by-side. Going off this bottle alone this isn't going to improve with more time in the cellar but it's not steps from death by any means.

5/11/2021 - MattTM wrote:

Drank blind next to the 2010 Christian Moreau Les Clos. DIAM 10. Strong showing tonight...salty, tons of tart lemon zest, crushed slate...this had everything you look for in a good Chablis. Much more focused than the 2010 yet still retaining plenty of complexity. It's worth noting that this was still showing a kiss of oak on the finish and could use some more time to settle down...but when it's this good already, why wait?

5/11/2021 - MattTM wrote:

Drank blind next to the 2014 Christian Moreau Les Clos. DIAM 5. Riper than the 2014 but plenty of citrus and lifted floral notes on the nose. Chablis typicity with a hint of tropical fruits however this really clamps down on the finish with a punch of gritty acidity. I thought this was a 2009 as it was riper than I was expecting for a 2010. Drinking well now already, but you have to wonder...why only DIAM 5?

4/28/2021 - MattTM wrote:

Drank blind next to the 2005 Canon. Riper and denser than the Canon tasted along side, with a burst of Vit B on the nose which I often find in R Bank wines. Dark berries, tons of spice, and chocolate smothers the palate. Softer tannins and more integrated, this is definitely drinking better today than the Canon however stylistically I prefer the former. With that said, this still needs at least 5 years to start showing it's best. Nice today with surely more to come

4/28/2021 - MattTM wrote:

Drank blind next to the 2005 Canon-la-Gaffelière. Fresher and more restrained leaning towards blue fruits and tons of violet florals. Quite big on the palate yet this finds a balance as it opens up. Dense black cherry and licorice with plenty of spice. This was quite tight when first poured but after a few hours it really started to show its potential. I definetely preferred this stylistically compared to the Canon-la-Gaffelière, which leans more modern in recent years. I haven't tried many 05's recently, and while they seem to be better than they were a couple years ago I'm going to continue to hold mine for another 5 years or so before sampling more. Plenty of potential on this for those who are patient, but no shame to check in on these today if you have a bunch

4/28/2021 - MattTM wrote:

Drank blind next to the 2016 Fevre Les Preuses. DIAM 10. Outstanding nose, crisp, salty, mouth watering lemon acidity with white floral notes hiding behind. Plenty of stuffing on the palate, but balanced well with with tart lemon zest and a punch of acid on the finish. Focused and tight while barely showing it's age. I'm so happy Fevre has switched to DIAM, these can finally be cellared with confidence. Plenty more to come for those who are patient. Delicious

4/28/2021 - MattTM wrote:

Drank blind next to the 2010 Fevre Les Preuses. DIAM 10. This was quite tropical and sweet on the nose at first which steered us away from Chablis, however with some time it really settled down and tightened up. Plenty of stuffing here, lemon zest, floral notes with gripping acidity and a touch of heat on the finish. Quite tasty but next to the 2010 this had some tough competition. With the security of these being bottled under DIAM I'd bury these for at least another few years before trying another

4/20/2021 - MattTM wrote:

MM Zoom Tasting (Vancouver, BC): Drank next to the 2000 Château Pontet-Canet. This clearly needs more time. Tightly coiled and much tighter than the PC. It's really showing the Merlot and vintage..chocolate, spicy, and rich with great acidity. I'll hold another 5 yrs before trying another.

4/20/2021 - MattTM wrote:

MM Zoom Tasting (Vancouver, BC): Drank next to the 2000 Château La Conseillante. Pure Pauillac right from the start. Cedar, graphite, cassis...with an underlying crisp red berry frame. This is just entering it's drinking window. There's a nice sweetness on the finish that represents the vintage well. No rush on these at all but no shame in popping one now either

4/20/2021 - MattTM wrote:

MM Zoom Tasting (Vancouver, BC): Drank next to the 2010 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc. Quite green and grassy...tighter and more focused yet fairly simple compared to the wine tasted along side. Plenty of acidity however stylistically I much preferred the 2010.

4/20/2021 - MattTM wrote:

MM Zoom Tasting (Vancouver, BC): Drank next to the 2011 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc. There's 10% more Sauvignon in this compared to the 2011 yet it sure didn't show it. Hint of Rhone with the waxiness and honey, plenty of floral notes and light bruised green apple. Really nice acidity on the finish. Very different in style compared to the 2011 and overall I enjoyed this much more.

4/20/2021 - MattTM wrote:

MM Zoom Tasting (Vancouver, BC): Drank next to the 2013 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Meursault Désirée. DIAM 30. Some reduction at first but that dissipated with time. Quite a bit fuller and richer than the Désirée yet maintains a nice acidic backbone and plenty of focus. Lemon rinds all over the palate and finished very dry. This could use some more time but certainly is enjoyable now. Fantastic

4/20/2021 - MattTM wrote:

MM Zoom Tasting (Vancouver, BC): Drank next to the 2013 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Meursault Clos de la Barre. DIAM 30. Intense yet more airy and focused than the CdlB. Light matchstick notes, tons of saline, with a piercing lemon dry finish. Crisp and delicious

7/23/2020 - MattTM wrote:

DM Thursday Night Zoom Tasting: Tasted blind next to the 1995 Barge Côte-Rôtie Côte Brune and 1995 Jamet Côte-Rôtie. Lovely lifted floral nose of sweet black fruit and a blast of olive tapenade. A touch heavier on the palate with plenty of spice along side. Salty meats, a touch of wood, and rich dark berries. A touch rustic on the palate and even somewhat youthful yet drank so well this evening. Well integrated, classic Côte-Rôtie. I really enjoyed this

7/23/2020 - MattTM wrote:

DM Thursday Night Zoom Tasting: Tasted blind next to the 1995 Barge Côte-Rôtie Côte Brune and 1995 Ogier Côte-Rôtie Cuvée la Belle Hélène. Tightly would and wasn't giving much at first. Darker profile that the other wines in this flight and wasn't showing the floral notes I typically get from Jamet. Dark cherry, a touch of bacon, and plenty of spice on the palate. Rustic and curled up, not sure where this is going but I'd leave this for a few years to see what happens.

7/23/2020 - MattTM wrote:

DM Thursday Night Zoom Tasting: Tasted blind next to the 1995 Jamet Côte-Rôtie and 1995 Ogier Côte-Rôtie Cuvée la Belle Hélène. Super fresh on the nose with tons of bacon fat and purple floral notes. Intense palate of crisp dark fruits, salty meats, and earthy tar. Plenty of power and vibrancy, this is still showing quite youthful but is so delicious now. This was one of the Fass-ex domaine bottles from a few years ago. Singing from the get-go and didn't slow down right till the last sip. Fantastic, my favorite of the flight.

7/23/2020 - MattTM wrote:

DM Thursday Night Zoom Tasting: Tasted blind next to the 2008 and 2010 PYCM Corton-Charlemagne. This was singing right out of the gate. Really fresh and bright on the nose with plenty of lemon, minerals, and a bit of flinty-match stick. Great intensity on the palate and really floral with a solid lemon core. A touch of wood at the end but it couples well with the salty-briny finish that just caps this off. This is a powerful beast and was hitting on all cylinders tonight. The best of the flight for sure. Outstanding

7/23/2020 - MattTM wrote:

DM Thursday Night Zoom Tasting: Tasted blind next to the 2007 and 2010 PYCM Corton-Charlemagne. Quite floral and bright on the nose with a touch of flint yet had a slight cheezy funky note hanging around. It wasn't TCA but something was there. Clean on the palate, showing a linear lemon juice core with a touch of toast and spice. This was more restrained and softer than the 07. Really nice profile on this and very balanced, yet seemed a touch light in style for a CC. Overall though this was delicious and drinking well

7/23/2020 - MattTM wrote:

DM Thursday Night Zoom Tasting: Tasted blind next to the 2007 and 2008 PYCM Corton-Charlemagne. This was unfortunately showing signs of oxidation. Bruised apple and lemon zest on the nose. Shows fresher on the palate but not quite what you would hope for considering the vintage and producer. Has a nutty profile, spicy lemon peel and saline with good intensity and mouth numbing acidity. Not completely p'oxed but was disappointing when the vintage and producer were revealed. Judging on the notes below this doesn't seem to be a common occurrence with these. I'd love to try a fresher bottle

6/28/2020 - MattTM wrote:

SIMONG nailed this one. Tart cherry fruit with plenty of floral and underlying spice. Tons of energy on the palate with vibrant crunchy berries. Great mouthfeel...my first Duroche and I'm very impressed. The 2017's are drinking so well at this point and this was no different. Delicious

6/26/2020 - MattTM Likes this wine:

Fantastic nose of violet florals and cool purple fruits. Typical Liger Belair, silky and smooth as it dances across the tongue with effortless persistence. Classic Vosne spice with a touch of oak yet it doesn't detract at all. As with most 2011's there was a hint of green peppercorn on the back-end of the palate yet it was not distracting and much better than most. Overall this was an outstanding experience. I have not touched many of my 2011's but When they are drinking like this already (as I've noticed with a lot of Louis Michel's wines), why wait to try one?

6/23/2020 - MattTM wrote:

JR Zoom Tasting - Faustino Vertical ('55, '64, '70, '94, '01, '05) (Vancouver, BC): Generous nose showing lots of floral and oak, with sweet fruit lurking behind. Ripe on the palate, with plenty of rich black cherry, leather, with an underlying spice backbone. As expected this was showing its oak and youth, but there is plenty of structure lurking behind. More polished than the other wines tasted tonight, especially next to the '01 that was tasted just prior. It makes you stop and think what this will become in another 50 years. What was the '55 like in it's youth? Is this similar in profile? I guess that's impossible to answer yet an interesting question to ponder.

6/23/2020 - MattTM wrote:

JR Zoom Tasting - Faustino Vertical ('55, '64, '70, '94, '01, '05) (Vancouver, BC): A hint of VA on the nose along with tart red berries, orange zest, and some underlying caramel sweetness. The overall profile is slightly reminiscent to the '55 tasted earlier. Bigger in profile on the palate, with rich dark fruit, mushroom, and cigar box. Rustic in style finishing with plenty of spice. Quite primary with tons of power lurking behind, this needs time to rest in the cellar yet it was a treat to try along side the other bottles tonight. Let these sleep and I'm sure you'll be rewarded.

6/23/2020 - MattTM wrote:

JR Zoom Tasting - Faustino Vertical ('55, '64, '70, '94, '01, '05) (Vancouver, BC): There's some slight brett on this bottle as well but not nearly as much as the one tasted last month. This was showing much fresher and cleaner overall but tons of underlying power and complexity. Rich black cherry, leather, and a nice blast of silky floral notes. Long finish ending with a firm bite of spice. Similar BDX like profile of the 1964 tasted earlier. Based on this bottle there's no rush to drink these up, however this was still very enjoyable tonight. If I were to choose one to stock up on and cellar this would be the choice. Delicious

6/23/2020 - MattTM wrote:

JR Zoom Tasting - Faustino Vertical ('55, '64, '70, '94, '01, '05) (Vancouver, BC): This bottle had a ton of VA on the nose and wasn't giving much beyond that however was much more complex on the palate. Fresh with spicy black pepper and tar along with plenty of leather, dried figs, and black cherry. This was quite rustic in style with tons of underlying spice compared to the previous 2 wines. Delicious but it's hard to get past the VA on the nose to really merit a higher impression overall. The gentleman who supplied the bottles was slightly disappointed in this showing and from reading the notes below it seems it was slightly off, yet overall it was still really enjoyable.

6/23/2020 - MattTM wrote:

JR Zoom Tasting - Faustino Vertical ('55, '64, '70, '94, '01, '05) (Vancouver, BC): Beautiful nose and very reminiscent of left-bank Bordeaux. A touch of brett with underlying tobacco, red cherry, and gamey meats coming through. Very fresh especially considering it's age. Great acidity and a powerful punch of clove spice on the palate, with tart red cherry and finishing with a hint of sweetness. I was surprised how much fresher this was than the '55 since they're only 9 years apart. Quite a different profile than the '55 as well, with the aforementioned showing more like an old Nebbiolo and this showing more like an older BDX blend. This was really good and was a close second to the '55 for my favorite of the evening.

6/23/2020 - MattTM wrote:

JR Zoom Tasting - Faustino Vertical ('55, '64, '70, '94, '01, '05) (Vancouver, BC): Soft and delicate with some beautiful orange Grand Marnier and underlying caramel notes singing through. Plenty of spice still remain on both the nose and palate. Quite harmonious and well balanced, with dried figs and red cherry coming through. Gentle overall, yet a nice spice attack and good burst of acidity on the finish. Drinking really well right now, maybe towards the end of it's drinking window but I love old wines and this was right in my wheelhouse tonight. Fantastic and my wine of the evening.

6/17/2020 - MattTM wrote:

TO T̶u̶e̶s̶d̶a̶y Wednesday Night Zoom Tasting (Vancouver, BC): Tasted blind next to the 2001 Antinori Solaia. Clearly California/new world, with some ripe dark berries, graphite, a touch of herbal green, and a hint of VA. A bit more inviting on the palate yet this had some heat on the finish. There was an interesting caramel note to this as well, with plums and that still-evident green tobacco note lurking in the background. Not sure when Dominus shifted stylistically however this was quite different than the older vintages of Dominus I have enjoyed in the past.

6/17/2020 - MattTM wrote:

TO T̶u̶e̶s̶d̶a̶y Wednesday Night Zoom Tasting (Vancouver, BC): Tested blind next to the 2001 Dominus. Bordeaux-like, yet ripe and forward, with plenty of leather, green tobacco, rich black cherry, and dried fruits. More intense on the palate and showing its richness, with a generous amount of tar and clove spice. Lots of structure here - almost mouth numbing. Definitely showing it's Super-Tuscan typicity. Drinking well but if I had any bottles I'd love to see where they go in 5-10+ years. I preferred this to the Dominus

6/17/2020 - MattTM wrote:

TO T̶u̶e̶s̶d̶a̶y Wednesday Night Zoom Tasting (Vancouver, BC): Tested blind next to the 1997 Dominique Laurent Charmes-Chambertin Cuvée Spéciale. Showing older and more rustic on the nose, with dark fruit, tar, and rust. More youthful on the palate yet still in a similar profile, with a touch of mint and plenty of acidity. Shows very 1995, slightly rustic and a bit tough around the edges. Delicious yet didn't show the charm and freshness of the 1997 Charmes-Chambertin tasted along side.

6/17/2020 - MattTM wrote:

TO T̶u̶e̶s̶d̶a̶y Wednesday Night Zoom Tasting (Vancouver, BC): Tested blind next to the 1995 Dominique Laurent Chambertin. Super bright upfront with plenty of floral perfume notes, clove spice, tart cranberry, and crunchy purple fruit. Well balanced with good acidity and overall really fresh. One of the better 1997's I've had in a while, albeit I haven'd tasted many recently. I really enjoyed this tonight and this was clearly my wine of the evening.

6/17/2020 - MattTM wrote:

TO T̶u̶e̶s̶d̶a̶y Wednesday Night Zoom Tasting (Vancouver, BC): Tested blind next to the 2014 Ballot-Millot Les Perrières. Clearly from a riper vintage. Rounder and spicier yet still retains a firm lime character overall. More generous on the palate while still retaining a nice crisp hit of citrus. Some oak shows through as well yet it isn't out of line. These are both flirting with the modern/new world style. I preferred the 2014.

6/17/2020 - MattTM wrote:

TO T̶u̶e̶s̶d̶a̶y Wednesday Night Zoom Tasting (Vancouver, BC): Tested blind next to the 2015 Ballot-Millot Les Perrières. More focused than the 2015 with tart lemon peel and some chalkiness. The oak is evident but is not overtly so. Crisp and lean on the palate with firm grip on the finish. Nice acidity, I preferred this to the 2015 but that's usually the case with these two vintages.