11/14/2021 - esh44 wrote:

Absolutely smoking bottle. Plenty of runway but depicts the best of this vintage.

3/9/2021 - esh44 wrote:

"Laid in cellar in 2016, disgorged in 2019". Rich and a touch austere. I think it's better to give this some more bottle age as it could use some more time.

9/7/2020 - esh44 wrote:

Mildly corked, unfortunately.

6/25/2020 - esh44 wrote:

Bright, juicy ripe fruit and pretty floral notes, with some aged development just emerging. Texture is terrific. For my palate, would hold these a while longer. While some folks I know think this cuvee often has too much of a candied sweetness to it, I tend to think this develops into something quite nice with sufficient age (or in leaner vintages).

2/21/2020 - esh44 wrote:

More rich botrytis notes than other bottles. Still quite enjoyable, but certainly not as incisive and clean as others.

3/4/2020 - esh44 wrote:

Terrific bottle w/ classic Chablis typicity and tension. Have had this bottle a number of times w/ a fair bit of bottle variation, though.

3/4/2020 - esh44 wrote:

Despite solid provenance/fill/color, this wine was sadly marred by buckets of VA.

3/2/2020 - esh44 wrote:

Clean, ripping fruit. Not sure how much Pinot is here vs. how much Algerian/Rhone/other kicker that was added. Whatever this is, have to admit still pretty good drinking. These old adulterated wines do have some staying power and can be tasty, even if it's not what a purist is looking for...

3/2/2020 - esh44 wrote:

Terrific bang for the buck. Nice Chablis typicity, acid a little lower than I would have expected, good density and vibrancy.

3/2/2020 - esh44 wrote:

From a sound bottle sourced from the UK. Rich, slightly sweet wine. Still spritzy although could use some more cut/acidity.

2/24/2020 - esh44 wrote:

A touch saccharine and austere at the same time. Not bad at all, but would rather drink other Champagne at this price point.

2/24/2020 - esh44 wrote:

This bottle is an older disgorgment that had some nice age. Developed notes of caramel and nuts on the nose, although the palate was crisp and pretty austere. Enjoyable, although a bit of a strange mix.

7/27/2019 - esh44 wrote:

Some fine sediment but still kicking. Toffee, hazelnuts and a dose of VA, long on the palate with lingering plums/biscuits. Not merely interesting, very much enjoyable. Blue wartime glass bottle... 50 PN / 50 Chard.

9/14/2019 - esh44 wrote:

I really like older Gratien, very solid Champagne in a traditional style. This particular bottle of ‘52 Brut was rough/raw when opened, but with air actually turned more balanced and savory w/ lively acidity. Has seen better days, but still held up surprisingly well throughout dinner.

11/28/2019 - esh44 wrote:

What it would taste like to put an eclectic dessert buffet through a blender (caramel/citrus/gingerbread/nuts/chocolate/etc etc etc). Reflects the rich d’Oliveiras signature. The VA was borderline in the piercing acetone area, and I went back and forth if it was too pronounced for me. Either way, no question on the intensity and complexity.

11/28/2019 - esh44 wrote:

Out of magnum. Jouan makes such understated and soulful wines. This is all about finesse, purity and svelte texture. The fruit profile and aromatics are gorgeous. So approachable now, even this young and out of mag.

11/29/2019 - esh44 wrote:

Out of magnum. Still quite a bit of dill from the oak present, along with a fair bit of tangy acidity. More leather and earth than fruit, which was surprising. The various components here weren't as balanced as I would have thought, but this was still good to drink with food.

11/28/2019 - esh44 wrote:

Out of magnum, this was shimmering. Perfect balance of minerals, flowers, and fruit, with some herbal and minty kickers in the background. Love what Alzinger does here.

12/10/2019 - esh44 wrote:

This particular bottle was past the peak maturity plateau, but still had a lot to say. No spritz, but good acid and nutty, layered complexity.

11/16/2019 - esh44 wrote:

After a corked first bottle, this one was sound and drinking well. Still plenty of ripe fruit, fresh and well balanced, although lacking the detail and complexity that I had hoped for here.

12/7/2019 - esh44 wrote:

Sound wine but a bit muddied. The (bolstered/kicked-up) fruit is there along w/ loads of sois bois, cocoa, and a subtle twang of VA. Clearly tastes of old adulterated Burgundy rather than any clues of Volnay or a great old vintage like 1934. Still, pretty interesting to drink…

12/7/2019 - esh44 wrote:

Rich but sharply precise w/ prominent almond notes and good acidity. Even though on the downward maturity slope, quite enjoyed this. 80 PN / 20 Chard.

11/22/2019 - esh44 wrote:

Mag was in great shape -- high fill/light color/spritz. Drinking in a beautiful place now out of this format. Nose was pleasant enough but really shined on the palate, with great depth.

11/22/2019 - esh44 wrote:

Bottle sourced in Europe w/ great fill, color, and spritz. Loved this. Lively, complex, and it continued to gain even richer honeyed notes and layers after a couple hours. Last glass was singing.

11/20/2019 - esh44 wrote:

A mirror image of other '97 Verset bottles have had over the years-- terrific, drinking beautifully but w/ lots of runway.

11/13/2019 - esh44 wrote:

Recent bottles opened have been consistently great, including this one.

11/13/2019 - esh44 wrote:

Drinking in a great place now. Beautiful mature notes but still retains a bright liveliness.

10/25/2019 - esh44 wrote:

Out of mag — what one might expect from a well-aged NSG from a vintage like ‘76. The years have whittled away the burliness, and left a robust, earthy, expressive wine with good fruit remaining. Really nice.

10/25/2019 - esh44 wrote:

Absolutely singing. No code on the cork so presumably an early release. Nice balance of acid, dried fruit, all sorts of developed caramel-y stuff, and a tiny trace of oxidative notes. Soft spritz. Really impressive power and complexity.

9/30/2019 - esh44 wrote:

DOA.

9/13/2019 - esh44 wrote:

This particular bottle was pretty tight and closed off. Didn't show a whole lot.

9/8/2019 - esh44 wrote:

Needed some air to blow off a bit of mustiness, but this resolutely transcends the vintage. Nutty and delicious if you like mature Chablis as I do.

9/8/2019 - esh44 wrote:

Lots of savory notes, bordering on some soy. Extremely ripe fruit. Nice drinking but a little blocky -- need to try another bottle.

9/8/2019 - esh44 wrote:

Sadly oxidized.

9/8/2019 - esh44 wrote:

Really great stuff. Not as sweet as I had expected -- a serious wine that's really well balanced.

9/8/2019 - esh44 wrote:

Another really great bottle. Still fresh, vibrant and complex.

9/8/2019 - esh44 wrote:

Bold, pure and tight, terrific material but needs time.

9/8/2019 - esh44 wrote:

Bright and savory with buckets of red fruit. Touch of VA gives it a nice, high-toned lift. Delicious.

8/25/2019 - esh44 wrote:

Still tight with some youthful bitterness. But beautiful fruit and musky tones are poking through already.

8/25/2019 - esh44 wrote:

Drank alongside '45 Bourdy Chateau-Chalon (which was flat-out terrific). Hard for me to comprehend how these wines can be so vibrant, deep, nuanced, and cerebral at the same time. Lots of life left in this wine.

8/25/2019 - esh44 wrote:

Drank alongside '45 Bourdy Cotes du Jura Rouge. Hard for me to comprehend how these wines can be so vibrant, deep, nuanced, and cerebral at the same time. This Chateau-Chalon is one of the more memorable bottles I’ve had in a while.

8/21/2019 - esh44 wrote:

Very nice fruit and wonderful/elegant texture, but an overwhelming amount of VA. It did get a little better after many hours, but was still too much for my palate.

7/24/2019 - esh44 wrote:

Beautiful aromas, with high toned red fruits. Drinking so well right now.

7/24/2019 - esh44 wrote:

Still hanging in there. The pieces were meshed together well (acid, what fruit is remaining, and earthy/tarry tones). More interesting than pleasurable, but still very nice drinking.

7/24/2019 - esh44 wrote:

Very likely adulterated w/ something Syrah-like, but this was still interesting and delicious. A little awkward given the tertiary notes meshed w/ rich fruit. Doesn't matter though, it was enjoyed by all.

7/24/2019 - esh44 wrote:

Fantastic bottle.

7/24/2019 - esh44 wrote:

This has been consistently great. Nothing like Verset...

7/24/2019 - esh44 wrote:

Light color and not ox'd but prickly and disjointed. Odd bottle -- lots of underlying material here but somewhat muted and awkward. It didn't budge six hours later.

7/24/2019 - esh44 wrote:

Ox'd.

7/24/2019 - esh44 wrote:

Ox'd.