4/17/2024 - Xavier94 wrote:

On the dry side for sure with yellow and green orchard fruits thrown in with some leesy toastiness. Long, tangy finish with evident acid extends the length of this wine. Salted-type mineral texture throughout. I have enjoyed this bottling more in the past from other disgorgements, maybe?

4/17/2024 - Xavier94 Likes this wine:

There is real class and fineness to the higher-toned nose of orange zest, autumn leaf, smoke and incense that come through with terrific delineation for this level- I would have guessed wrong if I would have tasted this blind. Juicy acidity with resolved tannin today- none of the remaining firmness on some ‘78s. There is no reason to believe this won’t hold. Extraordinary showing for a half bottle, too! 93.

4/17/2024 - Xavier94 Likes this wine:

This is perhaps the best bottle yet (black importing label from Lastella). Not sure when this was released but everything came together for a true Grand Cru experience when this opened in the glass- Tons of soil/sous bois inflected complexity with leather, beet root and beef stew aromas with smokey wood scents. Delicious creamy midpalate with tannins that have resolved alongside the obvious extract. The ‘64 CV has always been a bigger wine but this bottle is resolved and should continue to hold just fine. 95 (+?).

4/15/2024 - Xavier94 Likes this wine:

Still retains a clean, pure dark fruit base with licorice, clove, smoke, dried cinnamon stick and gives way to a bit of beet root and faint damp woodland scents. Mineral palate with appropriate acidity and resolving tannins- This may be one of the '05s that ages well and on it's balance as the fruit and structure are integrating nicely today. 92+. I would not check in again for another 5 years +. Elegant with solid fruit.

4/7/2024 - Xavier94 Likes this wine:

A fresh feel for sure with salted lemon ball, peach and subtle greenish orchard fruits. Decent complexity for SLB with good ripe fruit coupled with heightened minerality in this vintage and drags across the palate with great length today. I suspect the midpalate will round out even a little more on this with just a bit of air time. Nice. 90=91.

4/5/2024 - Xavier94 Likes this wine:

94-95. Tasted only on second day, too! Marvelous, very pretty wine.

4/5/2024 - Xavier94 Likes this wine:

94.

4/5/2024 - Xavier94 Likes this wine:

92-93

3/31/2024 - Xavier94 wrote:

Ugh- the material is so elegant so but this bottle showed obvious signs of oxidation/advancement from the opening of the bottle going forward- too much for me. Would love to try another bottle that came from better storage…

3/31/2024 - Xavier94 Likes this wine:

93+ with upside potential! This has slid into a marvelous drinking window at present with an array of sous bois complexity, incense, autumn spices and definitive beef broth/root vegetable stew character- almost soupy Beef Bourguignon! Dense without any loss of detail and while structured, this has really shown tannins that are resolving and should continue to do so in the coming years. Really compelling stuff.

3/31/2024 - Xavier94 Likes this wine:

The score here doesn’t mean much as Joe brought this over on day two but I would say that this wine remains a true. “Vin de garde” with obvious material for the long haul…

Dark appearance with glimpses of fresh beets/ dill type of vegetal tinge to the very dark, somber black cherry and berry fruit. Almost cassis-like. Powerful tannic structure. Should hold for quite some time!

3/31/2024 - Xavier94 Likes this wine:

Tasted blind- would never have guessed this to be a Ramey wine but I suppose it does open out more with warmth in the glass. The wine is great subtle flinty aromas, greenish orchard fruits with honey dew and with air time, gentle pain grille scents. The density on the midpalate vs. the freshness throughout make this a very complete well-made wine. Great stuff.

3/27/2024 - Xavier94 Likes this wine:

Lovely strawberry and red cherries with whiffs of thorny rose bush, violets, a strong graphite-type mineral backbone. Fine tannins, juicy acidity. Very lilting and typical Bertheau but a bit tight and clenched down today. Try again in 3-4 years...probably more like 5+ to check in again.

3/26/2024 - Xavier94 Likes this wine:

Tasted from Magnum- great dimension with more "give" than so many '02s have showed lately. Upside potential, too.

3/8/2024 - Xavier94 wrote:

Very similiar profile to the last bottle tasted, here but with more aromatic definition and all-around elegance. Lovely high-pitched Chambolle with lots of "Charmes" intact, indeed. Baking spice, orange top note, sous bois, leafy aromas with wood smoke. 92+

2/11/2024 - Xavier94 wrote:

Oxidized. Unfortunate.

2/10/2024 - Xavier94 Likes this wine:

(90-91) Best showing so far- much more expression with air time, speaking of cured meats, Beaune earth and beetroot impressions throughout. Very nicely layered aromas from this bottle. NO RUSH.

2/8/2024 - Xavier94 Likes this wine:

Strawberry fruit preserves, red cherry mixed with anise, truffle, dried wood scents and some sous bois wanting to take form but never quite makes it. Gentle, supple tannins that help create a very pure, elegant style. Upside potential for sure. I would hold another 5 years to check in again. 91.

2/1/2024 - Xavier94 Likes this wine:

Repeat performance- enchanting nose of orange zest, autumn smoke, Asian spice, etc. Ethereal. Totally resolved and on-point!

1/26/2024 - Xavier94 Likes this wine:

91+ Second time with this elegant CDNV- a bit more depth tonight with deep raspberry, forest herbs, rose garden/hedgerow. very Vosne-like with fine tannins and spicy midpalate. Plenty ripe but with great mineral cut/clarity. Delicious stuff and more terroir-oriented than the first bottle popped a bit ago.

1/22/2024 - Xavier94 Likes this wine:

Very elegant in this vintage, needs air right now. Beautiful.

1/20/2024 - Xavier94 Likes this wine:

Delicious- great showing and this wine has had a chance to resolve (structurally) from the last few times I have tasted it. Rich, effusive and yet delicate and stylish. Lots of Chambolle charm on the nose and palate with integrated tannins, elegant acidity and tons of sous bois complexity presented in an attractive, complete fashion. 93(+?)

1/14/2024 - Xavier94 Likes this wine:

92-93- lots of hickory smoke, brown sugar-laden spices, licorice/anise that gives way to some substantial dark fruit with about 30 minutes of air time. Baking spice character works well with the typical Pommard game/bloody profile with some delicate sous bois threads interwoven throughout the evening. Juicy acidity with a firm but not aggressive tannic backbone. Really unique and stylist and wish I had more bottles but isn’t that always the case? A bigger Drouhin wine for sure. I suspect this will always have an edge to the finish though.

1/11/2024 - Xavier94 Likes this wine:

Evolving nose of rose garden scents, iodine/blood, game with a background of beet root, pale red fruits and an orange top note beginning to take form. This is just starting to show some sous bois character but like the other bottle of '08 CDNV tasted a while ago, this needs a bit of time yet. Acidity is prominent today. Juicy to drink but need more evolution on the nose to show some more definitive "dampness" and undergrowth character. Very secondary. 91.

1/2/2024 - Xavier94 Likes this wine:

Delicious sweet and simultaneously “damp” nose of Gevrey complexity with tree moss, sous bois, leather, a fleck of bacon fat, truffle/mushroom with a deep sweetness in the form of caramel and red fruit remnants. This has a sultry/ripe character to it that really charms the nose and palate. Boxes above the Gevrey Villages quality with good pampering richness on the initial attack. From G. Vachet.

12/26/2023 - Xavier94 Likes this wine:

95-96. Big, generous Krug, tons of dimension, aging beautifully. Second time tasting the 168th.

11/20/2023 - Xavier94 Likes this wine:

Ridiculously good, secondary with hitting just a bit of tertiary magic. Classic Burgundian in style with obvious extract and gobs of great material- sous bois, beef stock/meat juices, etc. Slightly chewy tannins. Hitting a sweet spot, for sure and no rush.

11/18/2023 - Xavier94 Likes this wine:

Great cross section between secondary and tertiary flavors with nougat, brown sugar and leather with hallmark sous bois aromatics to the spicy orange-inflected top note to the remaining fruit. This is certainly dense as you’d expect for Clos Vougeot but there is a spicy character that keeps this fine and away from the rustic stuff. Beet Bourguignon and Worcestershire come about with the root vegetable undertones of this wine. Delicious!

*Tasted from Magnum

11/18/2023 - Xavier94 Likes this wine:

This has to be the most mesmerizing village wine since the 1971 Faiveley Gevrey-Chambertin with kaleidoscopic depth that almost makes one laugh. The interesting part is that this wine, initially poured was a bit quiet and somber with antique furniture, leather and even a whiff of shoe polish. Within 5-8 minutes everything changes abruptly and a world of aromatics come into focus with ethereal, yet vital and lively aromas of brown sugar, caramel, dried autumn leaves, smoked wood and a unique red vermouth spiciness. The palate is soft and shows a delicate sweetness that is in no way feeble but persistent and penetrating. People have commented on the very competent wine-making at Moillard-Grivot but holy cow, they hit this one out of the park. Truly representative of the golden age of Burgundy.

*Note that bottle shows a slight blue-tinge to the glass, hardening to left over wartime materials? What a beautiful treat!

11/18/2023 - Xavier94 Likes this wine:

Picture perfect Burgundy with sous bois complexity, bacon fat, smoke and leather scents with classic beetroot and beef stew aromas and flavors. Fresh acidity to the medium bodied flavors should continue to make this age in an effortless fashion for many years to come. Very complete wine that ticks all the boxes right now. For many this would show a perfect drinking window right now, however.

11/18/2023 - Xavier94 Likes this wine:

This shows age at this point but starts off somber and borderline muted, though it opens like a flower with shoe polish and soy sauce, then revealing onion compote, autumn wood, beef stock and olive. Perfectly integrated tannins revealing an almost soupy, creamy palate impression. Chinese five spice, too.

11/18/2023 - Xavier94 Likes this wine:

Very dense red and black cherry fruit but with simultaneously fine tannins. Bits of beetroot, incense and licorice come through with a dried rose petal note amongst the darker fruit. Very suave and polished but very primary today. Opens up nicely and was a great start to the red collection of reds that followed! Classy stuff that is going nowhere in a hurry.

11/18/2023 - Xavier94 Likes this wine:

One of the best bottles of this, and most likely the last. Very mature color had everyone concerned. Boytritis nose of marmalade, oranges and very ripe Summer peaches on the nose with whisks of spearmint and caramel/butterscotch notes. Very ripe palate impression with the alcohol coming across as a bit high, though I must say it seemed more integrated in this particular bottle (ya never know). A wonderful mature white burg treat with more harmony and obvious gravitas than others tasted over the last few years. We all liked this.

11/18/2023 - Xavier94 Likes this wine:

A riper Les Clos, for sure but everyone remarked on how Chablis the nose was after initial sniffing. Petrichor, wet stone aromas of yeast, pale orchard fruits and fresh lemon citrus with subtle inner mouth perfume, elegant florality on the supple midpalate. Pliant and rounded without undue weight. Comes across as very primary and attractive but needs more bottle age to reveal more authoritative flavors. More creamy than in other vintages, for sure.

11/18/2023 - Xavier94 Likes this wine:

94-95 points- This was a stark contrast to the ethereal 2010 Dom Ruinart but this is hitting a sweet spot with yellow apple, baking spice, butterscotch and vanilla. Ample and notably “wide” in the mouth, great length and vinous character. The bubbles are still holding up on this particular bottle, too. A real treat. More of a baritone Champagne today.

11/18/2023 - Xavier94 Likes this wine:

Great nose upon opening with tons of smoke, flint and pain grille/baked bread scents, pungent minerality that develops in the glass quite quickly with a certain cool reserve to the green orchard fruits both on the nose and palate. Racy palate with evident acidity poking through a bit today but yielding that ultra clean character everyone is expecting. Still a bit pinched. 94 points nose with a 92 point palate. Still great stuff in this early stage.

11/14/2023 - Xavier94 Likes this wine:

Powerful dark cherry nose of hedegrow/rose garden, beet root, cabinet spice and iron/bloody underpin this wine. Classically Burgundian and generous midpalate sap. Slightly chewy finish but much more transparent and integrated than other Gouges I have tasted lately. Really good stuff with only upside potential.

11/14/2023 - Xavier94 Likes this wine:

This was almost up to the quality of the ‘62 MG Vosne-romanee with a very pretty, airy nose of orange zest, herbal tea scents, a whiff of brown sugar and coffee with bits of mushroom and autumn leaf and wood. Delicate but vital but super fine tannins and long, zesty finish. Beautiful stuff!

11/14/2023 - Xavier94 Likes this wine:

93-94. Another great ‘83 Drouhin with beautiful sous bois, peat, leather and bonfire smoke with antique wood and subtle sous bois today but more comes out later. Guessed this to be. Gevrey based on the gamey qualities on the palate. Good but integrated tannins and characteristic acidity have been well to this- aging very slowly but now showing some really aromatic depth and style. Awesome showing!!

11/14/2023 - Xavier94 Likes this wine:

Tastevin label- lots of baking/Vosne spice present with good amount of sous bois, light red fruits remaining with cinnamon and incense and juicy palate impression. Great aromatic depth for this level. My first time with this producer- have always had a soft spot for the vintage so I wanted to try it!

11/14/2023 - Xavier94 Likes this wine:

Tasted blind out of the Jamesse Synergie glasses- lovely stuff done in a hefty, powerful style. Shows some maturity. Thought this cuvée was known for more elegance and freshness. The vintage maybe?

11/6/2023 - Xavier94 Likes this wine:

Lots of minerality coming through today with vine smoke, dried twigs, raspberry, dark cherry and rose garden scents. Spicy nose and palate, fine tannins. Delicious today.

11/4/2023 - Xavier94 Likes this wine:

Repeat performance- a beautiful wine in the making with pliancy/softness to the midpalate already. Will it ever be the best? Who knows but the quality is top-notch even today. A world in a glass with beautiful leesy and mineral complexity.

11/4/2023 - Xavier94 Likes this wine:

Repeat knock-out performance. This second bottle was even more impressive. Wow.

11/4/2023 - Xavier94 Likes this wine:

Great material that slowly wants to come out and play- sage/menthol notes with baking spice, raspberry and black cherry with hints of autumn leaf, truffle and thorny rose bush/hedgerow type stuff. Solid effort and will age for quite a long time!

10/22/2023 - Xavier94 Likes this wine:

Consistent experience with the previous bottle- tons of Vosne-style Asian spice box aromas, sous bois, a whiff of orange zest that makes this delicious. A bit lean on the midpalate to take you to that next level but shows some really nice delicacy to the aged fruit.

10/22/2023 - Xavier94 Likes this wine:

Spherical today with perfectly integrated structure and aromatic delineation- a wine of arrival, indeed! Elegant and rich nose of orange pekoe/black tea spice with subtle soil notes, a cabinet full of dried herbs and spice with quintessential root vegetable/onion compote backdrop to the aromas and flavors. Supple and spicy palate with everything in the right place! Makes you curious about more ‘66 Drouhin bottlings.

10/22/2023 - Xavier94 Likes this wine:

Showing some sous bois now with meat juices, game, hedgerow, with bits of leather, black cherry and beetroot. Licorice-tinge to the dark, evolving fruit, too. Celery salted palate with just a bit of pinched acidity make this refreshing to drink. In the zone! Maybe a bit tannic for a typical Echzeaux but good color and extract for vintage known to be a bit shrill. 93

10/22/2023 - Xavier94 Likes this wine:

This must have been a late release because the fruit showed quite young with some mostly secondary development. Lovely, somewhat-quiet nose of smoke, graphite beetroot, autumn bonfire, incense and clove come through in an almost whispy fashion with dark cherries and dried rose petal. Utterly classic in its delivery with a special pliant midpalate impression to the fruit. Great stuff! A treat.

10/22/2023 - Xavier94 Likes this wine:

93-94- this has shown consistent with great backbone of acidity amongst the peach type fruit with marmalade, orange rind, honey and flowers. Beautiful stuff and opens to those classic acacia flowers that scream Puligny elegance and florality. This definitely drinks two rings above its weight class. Great stuff.