4/1/2024 - Vstalam wrote:

Still drinking quite young with nice red and blue fruit. Starting to pick up a touch of graphite/green pepper as secondary notes. Medium + body with somewhat chalky tannins. I think this will continue to improve over time and will check in again next year.

3/25/2024 - Vstalam wrote:

Good red/blue fruit. Nice minerality and hint of acidity. Bit early for secondary notes to have developed but enjoyable.

2/29/2024 - Vstalam wrote:

Perfectly fine, unassuming wine. Polished red and black fruit with medium/full body but none of the rusticity or interesting secondary notes I’m looking for in northern Rhone wines. Maybe that will come with more time, but unclear. For those who like a more modern style/new world Reds.

2/23/2024 - Vstalam wrote:

Drinking well now, nice mid weight texture and good fruit and acidity.

2/19/2024 - Vstalam wrote:

Just a great bottle of wine if you can find one stored well. Wonderful yellow fruit, acidity and medium weight that has a wonderful texture and long finish. In a really enjoyable early drinking window where the tension, fruit and texture blend seamlessly. Fingers crossed the rest of the case drinks as well as this bottle.

2/19/2024 - Vstalam wrote:

This is really, really good. Good red fruit on the raspberry/cranberry range with nice acidity to keep it from being cloying. Good structure, medium body and medium length finish. Would be a fun ringer in a NSG village tasting.

2/16/2024 - Vstalam wrote:

This was delicious. Deep yellow color, medium/full bodied with the weight to standup to a wonderful Asian trout preparation. Apple, yellow stone fruit and a touch of honey but the sweetness very well balanced with acidity and still fresh. Entering a nice drinking window.

1/28/2024 - Vstalam wrote:

Over the hill. High acidity, but limited fruit or secondary notes and hollow on the midpalate. Was passable paired with lamb, but disappointing for the producer.

1/23/2024 - Vstalam wrote:

Entering a nice drinking window, still maintaining primary red/black fruit but starting to add an element of secondary flavors. Good acidity, but slightly grainy tannins as mentioned in prior note below.

1/7/2024 - Vstalam wrote:

Good fruit and structure. An early drinking vintage and a producer I generally find approachable young but I’d give this 1-2 more years to let some of the tannin integrate a bit more.

1/2/2024 - Vstalam wrote:

Feels like this wine has finally come around. Red fruit, and a hint of chocolate on the nose and good fruit/body on palate and good acidity on finish. No VA in this bottle and better integrated structure than bottles opened 2-3 yrs ago.

12/31/2023 - Vstalam wrote:

Didn’t live up to my high expectations. Sherry/oxidative note overpowered everything else so wasn’t particularly complex on nose/palate as I would expect. Typical LdH acidity and long finish, but my guess is that these may be hitting the back end of their peak drinkability (not something I’d normally assert with this producer).

12/30/2023 - Vstalam wrote:

Drinking well now but would consume sooner rather than later. Hints of graphite/green pepper on nose and a bit of red fruit hanging on. Benefitted from 30m-1hr of air, at initial open didn’t get much fruit so was a bit angular given tertiary notes. A very nice texture throughout with more cashmere than most old Bordeaux I’ve had (maybe the merlot?).

12/17/2023 - Vstalam wrote:

One of the best wines I’ve had all year. In a perfect window blending graphite/lead secondary notes on the nose with vibrant fruit and acidity on the palate and long velvety tannins on the finish. Feels like it’s in a perfect window now. Great with or without food.

12/17/2023 - Vstalam wrote:

In a great window now. Iodine/seashell and lemon oil on the nose and good richness and acidity. Much better than 2-3 yrs ago.

12/7/2023 - Vstalam wrote:

Pretty good standin for blue-chip Beaujolais. Whole cluster adds a nice vegetal note with good acidity on finish. Pairs well with food, but maybe a touch thin/astringent on its own. Slightly chalky tannins. Striking similarity to a 2017 Foillard Morgon enjoyed a night earlier.

11/27/2023 - Vstalam wrote:

A wow wine. The ultimate food pairing wine (drunk over two days w/delicata squash on night 1 and pork chop w/quince on night 2) and paired beautifully with both. Honey, stone fruit, orange blossom, with classic waxy/rich texture and strong acidity and tannins that finish forever and limited oxidative notes. I think this is the wine that the best whites from Rhone and Bordeaux want to be but have never reached for me. Drink now or over the next 20 yrs depending on how much fruit you want.

10/15/2023 - Vstalam wrote:

A nice rose, but behind benchmarks like Lopez de Heredia and Cotat in the richer style. Good acidity and body but a touch sweet and red fruit driven for my taste.

9/23/2023 - Vstalam wrote:

In a great window now with primary fruit mingling with secondary notes of pepper, meat and undergrowth. Wonderful light texture allowed it to pair quite well with a classical duck preparation in Paris.

9/23/2023 - Vstalam wrote:

A treat for anyone who has this in their cellar. Wonderful texture with an incredibly long finish with honey, yellow fruit, and wonderful salinity. Generously shared by a fellow diner at a restaurant in Paris.

9/16/2023 - Vstalam wrote:

This really tastes like a high quality Bourgogne blanc or chassagne village to me, would be brutal blind. Would give it a few more years to integrate, reduction on the nose and oak tones balanced by a long acidic finish. Fruit in the mid palate is a bit lacking but time should make all of the components a bit more harmonious given good structure.

7/29/2023 - Vstalam wrote:

Decanted for 45 minutes prior to drinking and served at cellar temperature. Drinking well now, but definitely on the richer style of white burgundy, but good oak integration with everything in the right place. Good yellow fruit and a long finish. Think this will age nicely for another 10-15 years and would wait 3-4 before approaching if in cellar.

7/29/2023 - Vstalam wrote:

2019 disgorgement. Well rounded champagne with good richness, acidity and depth. Drinking well with a few yrs of age but would be interested to see if it puts on additional weight and autolytic notes with a few more years. Paired well with seafood dishes/canapés.

3/11/2023 - Vstalam wrote:

Delicious, but primary window with red fruit balanced by good acidity and early signs of secondary notes.

12/27/2022 - Vstalam wrote:

Still in a great drinking window if we’ll stored. 15m of air to blow off some funk; great core of red fruit still with nice pepper, sous bois and acidity on the finish.

1/1/2023 - Vstalam wrote:

2017 disgorgement, likely 2010 base. Out of burgundy glasses paired with oysters and turbot. Incredible richness paired better with the fish. If you like the richer, oxidative style of bdb this is about as good as it gets, honey blossom, honey, autolytic/toast notes (but not bruised apple which I often get from Selosse) with a long finish and wonderfully balanced texture with air.

12/20/2022 - Vstalam wrote:

More primary dark fruit than expected. Recommend slow ox for 2 hrs to get to a more integrated texture given the heavy fruit. Or can let it age for another 3-5 yrs. Paired well with ribeye.

9/19/2022 - Vstalam wrote:

2010 disgorgement, firing on all cylinders if you like rich yellow fruit, honey, hint of acidity/tension, bit of autolytic notes but not the tertiary mushroom/funk notes yet.

9/5/2022 - Vstalam wrote:

Really enjoyed this wine, tons of red fruit from the warm vintage but great balance with the acidity and pepper on the finish. Plenty of life but drinking well now.

8/17/2022 - Vstalam wrote:

Excellent richness, density and a long finish. 45m decant was likely helpful.

8/6/2022 - Vstalam wrote:

Well balanced, in a good window now. Notes of honey, yellow stone fruit but a touch of autolytic notes on the nose and good acidity and tension on the finish.

8/6/2022 - Vstalam wrote:

Still holding up well. Pop and pour, touch musty at the beginnng but still holding onto a bit of fruit and an enjoyable green pepper acidity along with a wonderfully soft texture mouthfeel. As always with wines this age, all about getting lucky with a well stored bottle.

6/25/2022 - Vstalam Likes this wine:

Just a great CA Pinot noir firing on all cylinders. Nice red fruit on the attack with a wonderful texture throughout and just starting to pick up some eucalyptus secondary notes on the finish. Developed well over 2hrs over dinner.

4/30/2022 - Vstalam wrote:

On point for a young, appellation Chablis with good yellow fruit and mineralogy that paired wonderfully with seafood.

5/1/2022 - Vstalam wrote:

Red fruit led (cherry, hint of pomegranate), still in its primary window with hints of spice and smokiness coming out with a few hours of air. Given vintage/vineyard, don’t think the fruit will drop off anytime soon but would give it a few more years to pick up some secondary notes.

3/19/2022 - Vstalam wrote:

Drinking beautifully now. Cellar temp, over a long dinner. Paired perfectly with smoked mackerel and trout.

Very rich texture, long glycerine finish. Touch of mint/spice on initial taste, with strong acidity to balance richness.

2/1/2022 - Vstalam wrote:

Entering a nice drinking window with a decant, with fruit balancing out the still firm tannins. Still too young to be showing and tertiary notes but a promising nose.

12/29/2021 - Vstalam wrote:

In a good window now. Red fruit on the nose with a touch of white pepper, but notable for the soft cashmere texture found on aged gsm wines and burgundy. Long we’ll balanced finish with supple fruit and a touch of acidity.

7/6/2021 - Vstalam wrote:

35 years young, touch of green pepper herbs on the nose but still black fruit. Lithe on the palate with fruit hanging on well and in balance with tertiary notes of cedar, sandalwood, and cinnamon. Long finish with good acid and just slightly gritty tannins. Will probably continue to last for another 10-20 yrs but drinking well now.

5/20/2021 - Vstalam wrote:

Shockingly good given age. On the nose red and black fruit, wonderfully smooth / lithe texture halfway towards Pinot noir but nice tannin/structure on the finish. Paired perfectly with some brisket. Mike Smith is the man and his syrahs are great value.

5/19/2021 - Vstalam wrote:

This is in a great window now, full bodied (for Chablis at least), with good yellow fruit but nice acidity and tension on the finish. Need to buy some more of this wine.

5/16/2021 - Vstalam wrote:

A hint of chocolate/mocha up front, otherwise mainly stewed red fruit. Better paired with chocolate as a port, otherwise over the hill.

5/13/2021 - Vstalam wrote:

Significant butter on the nose, but oak well integrated on palate adding some roundness to the texture, good fruit remaining with nice acidity and mineralogy on the finish. Drinking v well now.

2/5/2021 - Vstalam wrote:

Well structured with good acidity and tannins on the finish. On the nose mainly secondary notes of leather, tobacco with a hint of red fruits. Medium bodied, no rush to drink given freshness.

1/24/2021 - Vstalam wrote:

Drinking beautifully. Initial nose of green pepper and red fruit, with a decant and paired with lamb, pepper mellowed out leaving fruit, velvet texture and cool menthol finish.

1/13/2021 - Vstalam wrote:

This was in a perfect window for those that enjoy aged Bordeaux with a bit of fruit hanging on. On the nose red frying, but somewhat faint with some pleasant green notes (bay leaf?). Velvety mouthfeel with a hint of chocolate and eucalyptus balancing the fruit before finishing with good acidity and medium tannins. Worth seeking out for near term drinking.

12/25/2020 - Vstalam wrote:

Jan 2018 disgorgement paired with Christmas goose dinner. Beautiful pale copper color. Clearly get the trademark oxidative, slightly bruised apple scent, but backed with richness, acidic red fruit, and a touch of honeyed richness with a long finish. Paired beautifully with the goose, one of my favorite wines and it did not disappoint.

12/16/2020 - Vstalam wrote:

Great value, reminds me of a village Burgundy. Fruit forward with cherries, good medium weight/tension, and medium length finish. A nice weekday wine which will do well with a variety of foods.

12/14/2020 - Vstalam wrote:

Drunk over 2 days with 1 hr decant on day 1. Feels like in a good early drinking window, good balance of red/blue fruit, with initial signs of secondary/earthy notes. Wonderful mid weight texture.

10/15/2020 - Vstalam wrote:

A great champagne. Yellow fruit (lemon and green apple) on the palate with a wonderful smokiness and richness on the mouthfeel with early stages of secondary notes (honey, bread) with high acidity to lend freshness and balance. I’m sad I only have 5 bottles left.