5/12/2024 - mattyboy_ Likes this wine:

Very accessible right now. A little bit on the fleshier side for Chablis. Waxy texture, ripe citrus, lemon oil, seaweed, crushed rock, chalk. With air, the ripe citrus fruit develops an intense saline character. Really delicious, good stuff!

5/6/2024 - mattyboy_ Likes this wine:

100% old vine syrah from Cote Brune and Cote Blonde. Starts out really wild - game, blood, olive, smoke, violets. With air, it gets really pretty with smoky black fruit - black cherry and plums. Very well integrated at this stage - wonderful mineral structure, perfectly balanced. Quite powerful but very restrained. Very serious wine.

5/5/2024 - mattyboy_ Likes this wine:

Fantastic young Barolo. Really fun to drink now. Beautiful nose of cherries and strawberry with a very mild touch of VA. Wonderful texture with near silky tannins. Exceptional balance given the 15.5% alc - as others have mentioned, you really can't tell as it's so well integrated.
At 15.5% I'm inclined to drink these on the younger side.

4/17/2024 - mattyboy_ Likes this wine:

Utterly delicious. Plenty of tension with richness - toast, brioche, hazelnuts, lemon confit. Fun to drink now.

4/19/2024 - mattyboy_ Likes this wine:

Liked this a lot. Red berries, floral, hint of iron & spice. Quite thrilling and complex for the level.

4/18/2024 - mattyboy_ wrote:

Good weight, soft plush texture with a touch of minerality. Buttery, lemon cream, apple. There's some noticeable bruised apple so I'm inclined to drink my remaining bottles up this year.

3/23/2024 - mattyboy_ wrote:

Gorgeous nose - cherry, plum, rose petal. A bit of a bruiser though - unfortunately, far from the elegance you would expect from Bartolo Mascarello - here, the alcohol was just too much, almost unbearable. Very unbalanced- you get some of the sweet cherry flavors but the heat from the alcohol masks a lot of the other nuanced flavors. From memory, perhaps my least favorite Bartolo I've ever had.

3/17/2024 - mattyboy_ Likes this wine:

Classic, cooler style. Tobacco, leather, plum, cacao. Fruit still there but mostly dominated by the earthier flavors. Tannins fully resolved but plenty of structure from the acid spine. Very good length.

3/8/2024 - mattyboy_ Likes this wine:

Olive, spice, game, with sappy black fruit. Doesn't have the precision and depth of a sublime 2013 I had a year ago. It leaves a lot to be desired - good, not great.

3/10/2024 - mattyboy_ Likes this wine:

Disgorged Dec 2022. Phenomenal. Elite tier. The flavors are in harmony - notes of lemon cream, white peach, nectarine with a touch of spice (fenugreek?). Great inner mouth aromatics. Fine bead, seamless entry, excellent length. Perfect balance with precision.

3/4/2024 - mattyboy_ Likes this wine:

Delicious. Rich and creamy with tension. Wonderful flavors of lemon cream, salted butter and crushed rock. In a nice spot to enjoy now.

3/3/2024 - mattyboy_ Likes this wine:

R21, disgorged 2023. Just wonderful. Elite tier winemaking. Fresh and perfectly balanced. Poised. Soft and silky texture. On the nose and palate, delicate flavors of macerated red orchard fruit, ripe pink grapefruit, rose petal. Beautiful inner mouth aromatics with each sip. I think this is best to be enjoyed in youth, it's so good now, really not necessary to age these.

3/2/2024 - mattyboy_ Likes this wine:

From mag. Bright, juicy, lifted. Very pretty with lilac, rose petal, wild strawberry. Sensuous texture, excellent length.

2/26/2024 - mattyboy_ Likes this wine:

Very red fruited - flavors dominated by dusty dried cherry, baked cherry, berry leaf, earth, smoke, leather. Soft tannins, medium+ acidity, Fairly light and very elegant. I paired this with braised short ribs which I think was a mistake, this would be much better with some grilled steaks or a roast.

2/26/2024 - mattyboy_ wrote:

Alas, this is flirting with premox. Flavors already dominated by advanced bruised apple. Color doesn't look healthy either, it already has the ominous brown tinge to it.

2/26/2024 - mattyboy_ wrote:

Quite a lackluster showing for this 12. I've had stellar bottles of VVL with the 08 in mind. But this, there's a betrayal of the nose and palate. The nose sets you up with brioche, almond paste, caramel, poached pear. The palate was completely thin, austere and tart. Diminished amplitude of flavor. You hoped to taste any of the things that you smelled.

2/25/2024 - mattyboy_ Likes this wine:

Exquisite. Top tier Corton-Charlie! In a great spot right now. Thank you, Mr. Chave :)

2/15/2024 - mattyboy_ wrote:

Lots of dusty bright cherry. Quite tannic and earthy at this stage and needs a good decant. There's also a touch of heat as well (15% abv). Needs more time. Come back in another 3 years.

2/12/2024 - mattyboy_ wrote:

A bit more sweeter, tropical than my last bottle opened a year ago. Ripe citrus, Honeysuckle, white peach, vanillin with moderate tension. Much more rounder shape in the mouth with plushier texture. Not much complexity here, not seeing much upside in aging these, a simple afternoon sipper.

2/11/2024 - mattyboy_ wrote:

I've held this bottle since release. Opened with a group of friends and fellow tasters. Not particularly my cup of tea. Not a wine that I find to be particularly delicious but it is definitely interesting. Oxidized flavors of cantaloupe, honey and dried apricots. Another taster remarked notes of sherry and marc/brandy. 15% abv but it hid it well. The palate does have a glycerol, weighty texture to it and surprisingly bright acidity that carries the flavors through a long finish.

2/5/2024 - mattyboy_ Likes this wine:

Needs a long decant at this stage but you can check in if you have a few bottles otherwise this needs 5 more years. Would recommend at least 3-4hrs decant. Started out fairly hard and tannic but midway through with even more air, it started opening up - bright red cherry, rose petal dominates the flavors and aromas. Excellent length and structure. Last few sips were the best - with more depth to the cherry fruit.

2/5/2024 - mattyboy_ Likes this wine:

In a nice spot, cool black fruit with plenty of pepper, wild herbs and spice along with some meaty/animale flavors. Fresh and crunchy black fruit with a nice mineral streak. There is a slight green note/pyrazine to the fruit due to the cooler vintage but overall still enjoyable.

2/5/2024 - mattyboy_ Likes this wine:

Ready to drink on PnP, at peak maturity. Baked plum and cherry with wonderful Gevrey spice and meaty/beefy flavors. The fruit has a nice iron streak to it as well. Drank over 2 days, tasted better on day 1 - recommend to drink in one sitting.

1/26/2024 - mattyboy_ Likes this wine:

Top tier St. Aubin or top tier producer? You can taste the pedigree. First time with this vineyard and I have to admit have never heard of this obscure site in St. Aubin. Lots of smoky green apple, ripe citrus, iodine, kombu. Open knit, waxy texture underpinned by chalky minerality. Fun to try now.

1/29/2024 - mattyboy_ Likes this wine:

Just incredible. Went in with somewhat low expectations. The color was extremely light and transparent. On pop on pour, this had a fairly muted nose and flavor profile but within minutes it transformed into a truly magical bottle of red burgundy. The most ethereal NSG I've ever drank, I will borrow from a TN below, it glides on the palate like 2-ply silk. The palate - impressively, also picks up weight after a few glasses. The palate and nose is to die for - perfumed, sweet strawberry and baked cherry nose, a touch of dried peony. One of those wines where you don't want the bottle to end. Drink now.

1/27/2024 - mattyboy_ Likes this wine:

Bright, sappy red fruit, earthy with warm spices. Flavors are well delineated. A fair amount of fine tannins present. Still a bit youngish, needs a few more years.

1/15/2024 - mattyboy_ Does not like this wine:

Very unappealing and disappointing. Some earth and spice but completely lacking in fruit or complexity. Very meager, midpalate was thin and hollow. I would barely pass this for table wine, should've been declassified into a Bourgogne rouge by the Domaine.

1/15/2024 - mattyboy_ Likes this wine:

April 2020 disgorgement (based on 2017 vintage)
So delicious. Beautiful chardonnay fruit - all Grand Cru fruit. Lovely toast, baked pastry, ripe citrus, yellow fruit. Seamless entry, extremely fine bead. Wonderful length. Consistently, one of my favorite wines in the Agrapart lineup.

1/15/2024 - mattyboy_ Likes this wine:

Thoroughly enjoyed this. PYCM taking things in a different direction? Much less reductive than what I was expecting. This was immediately drinkable right after opening the bottle. Ripe citrus and orchard fruit, salted butter, a touch of the signature PYCM reduction. On the palate, creamy and open knit with medium acid lift.

12/31/2023 - mattyboy_ wrote:

Not a sound bottle. Flavors were cooked and pruney.

12/30/2023 - mattyboy_ Likes this wine:

As others have stated below, the quality is at the 1er Cru level. Intense aromas of spice laden wild red cherry and smoky wild strawberry waft from the glass. Impressive weight and texture for a Village level - wonderful Gevrey spice dominates each sip with precise iron and mineral laden red fruit.

12/29/2023 - mattyboy_ Likes this wine:

Needs plenty of air at this point. Starts out with under-developed flavors - a little natty and raw. Came back to this after some time (4hrs+)
It picked up some weight to it with developed aromas of ginger, cereal, red orchard fruit. Tastes fresh and lively. Wonderful clarity of juicy meunier fruit with fine chalky finish.

12/26/2023 - mattyboy_ Likes this wine:

Lot 15/2; March 2019 disgorgement.

Started out sharp and austere. Had a few sips and decided to come back to it after a few hrs which was a good decision. Around the 2hr mark - plenty of red orchard fruit, grapefuit, almond paste, toast. Palate fleshes out a bit with more roundness to the wine. Long clean zesty finish. Not the best Maillon I've had but this is delicious.

12/24/2023 - mattyboy_ wrote:

Had this in a restaurant setting with friends, started a touch muted but was gorgeous around the 30min mark when the wine fully opened up. Classic Raveneau savory/smoky yellow fruit, with seaweed, Iodine, crushed Oyster shells. Nice open knit, plush texture with medium acidity.
I drank the 2011 Vaillons recently - compared to the 2011 which I had last week, the 13 is more plush and creamier where the 11 is more powerful and chiseld - more archetypal Chablis. 11 will need more time but the 13 is drinking very well at the moment.

12/25/2023 - mattyboy_ Likes this wine:

Exquisite! The nose is to die for. Lots of DRC stems/whole cluster goodness and spice, fruit still in tact - lots of cool red fruit - I would say 08 is on the classic side. Powerful and sensual at the same time. Ethereal - glides on the palate and just lights up every square nanometer of your mouth with hits of flavor. The inner mouth aromatics are astonishing. The flavor persistence is most impressive - I had a few sips while cooking and the finish just kept going, like you can taste the wines after many minutes between sips, heady aromatics, just gorgeous. Perfect Christmas dinner wine.

12/20/2023 - mattyboy_ Likes this wine:

Pretty and elegant. Violets, layered cranberry and cherry, fig with a touch spearmint/ menthol. Easy drinking, very elegant and balanced with fine tannin.

12/20/2023 - mattyboy_ Likes this wine:

This was good but couldn't even keep up with the Raveneau 1er cru flight - as we all know Raveneau is in a different league.

This was a bit too much in the honeyed citrus fruit spectrum for me bordering on flabby. Seems like its best days are behind. There are some signature Chablis elements, saline laden citrus and a bit of chalky minerality but didn't seem to hold up well esp against the stiff competition.

12/20/2023 - mattyboy_ Likes this wine:

Built like a tank. Extraordinary power and tension with a lithe body. A good preview at this stage. The color has developed somewhat - deeper yellow at this stage. Started out very reductive, after 2 hours with air - lemon verbena, lemon cream, acacia blossoms, judicious barrel spice emerges. This has a very broad and zesty mid-palate - there is an explosion of flavor along with intense chalky dry extract and powdery minerals that at times overwhelms the palate and the senses. At this age, there is also a lot of nervous energy and tension. It will be a treat to follow this/re-taste at the 10 yr mark (2026 or after).

12/20/2023 - mattyboy_ Likes this wine:

July 2022 disgorgement. Egly is in a league of their own. First time with this cuvee. Beautiful Chardonnay fruit - concentrated lemon curd and toasted brioche. Very concentrated mid palate. The lemon cream just dominates. Exquisite texture, very fine bead - you can taste the pedigree.

12/20/2023 - mattyboy_ Likes this wine:

A lighter vintage for Chave. Opened for about 4 hrs in bottle before serving. No decant. In a nice phase to drink now. Smoky black plum and cherry, with olive and smoky bacon. Very elegant and balanced. Palate is fresh and juicy with long mineral streak finish. With time in the bottle, the wine actually puts on a little weight.

12/20/2023 - mattyboy_ Likes this wine:

Amazing how well this drinks now. Perfumed nose. Layered cherry, wild strawberry, sweet baking spices, burnt sugar. Precise, layered and focus mid palate with fine tannin. Just fabulous to drink now, but with room for more improvement.

12/20/2023 - mattyboy_ Likes this wine:

White burg of yesteryear - they don't make them like this anymore. I'm aware of Robert Ampeau but this was my first time with one of his wines. This is old school Burgundy where white burg can age alongside the reds. What can I say - easily one of the best white burgundies I've ever drank.
Deep golden brown with secondary and tertiary evolution. The pedigree of the vineyard/terroir shines through. Started out a touch reductive then transformed into haunting smoky dried yellow plum, exotic ripe lemon notes, baked pear, acacia, chestnut, barrel spice. On the palate very much alive - it has the density and tension and structure all there. The fruit is mature but not premox'd or oxidized. Just wonderful.

12/20/2023 - mattyboy_ Likes this wine:

Much more mature and evolved than the 05 Butteaux drank next to this. Deep golden color. This started out with lots of botrytis - honeyed/tropical fruits with fairly muted nose. Thick, viscous, waxy midpalate.
With air, this transformed into more exotic fruit notes on the nose - persimmon, lemon cream, lemon merengue, pineapple with a saline streak. Palate became more balanced and structured.
Quite a few folks liked this at the tasting but personally think it would've been much better to drink this 3-5 years ago.
Drink up if you have any.

12/20/2023 - mattyboy_ Likes this wine:

Absolutely incredible on pop and pour. Pure Raveneau white burg heaven - haunting smoky yellow plum, green apple, seaspray, iodine, oyster shell. On the palate - waxy smoky salty yellow fruit. Incredible creamy/waxy texture yet buttressed by intense chalk and minerals. Finish goes on for days. Flirting with perfection.

12/20/2023 - mattyboy_ Likes this wine:

At this stage, needs a lot of air - perhaps no harm in decanting. Had this open in bottle about 3hrs before the first pour/taste. This is archetypal Chablis in a classic vintage - it has incredible cut and length. Flavors and aromas of seaspray, oyster shell, crushed wet rocks, seaweed, green apple, citrus peel, citrus oil. Linear and focused, chalky midpalate. With more air the midpalate starts to flesh out and gain weight. It's a nice preview but will need another 5+ years to really hit it's stride.

12/3/2023 - mattyboy_ Likes this wine:

This got going after about 30 mins in the glass. Pear, white peach, honeysuckle, jasmine, with a touch of citrus and wood on nose and palate. Open knit texture and creamy mid-palate, well balanced with medium acidity. This will be pure hedonism in another 2-3 years.

12/3/2023 - mattyboy_ Likes this wine:

Fantastic on pop and pour. The nose started out with menthol and medicinal herbs on the first pour which quickly transitioned to intense perfume of violets, Asian spices - 5-spice, hoisin, aniseed. On the palate, surprisingly generous amplitude of fruit given the vintage - black plum, baked cherry, fig, red licorice, of course beautifully balanced. This is drinking really well now, given the vintage I'm not sure I would hang on to this much longer.

11/25/2023 - mattyboy_ Likes this wine:

Lifted ripe cherry and red berry fruit, with a hint of rose petal on nose. On the palate, fresh and pure raspberry and bright red cherry fruit with sweet tannins and faint spices, very well balanced. There is something almost Fourrier-like about the style.

12/2/2023 - mattyboy_ Likes this wine:

Just entering peak drinking phase. On opening, musky nose - you get a big whiff of petrol followed by ripe yellow orchard and tropical fruit - starfruit, apricot, nectarines, mangosteen, yellow plum, lemon cream. Very perfumed with inner mouth aromatics on each sip. Beautifully balanced. Creamy midpalate with medium acidity and long mineral slate finish.

11/30/2023 - mattyboy_ Likes this wine:

What a nice little red burg bought for a song these days! My first intro to the wines of Vincent Legou. Aromas burst right out of the glass. Burnt sugar, Ripe red raspberry, ripe strawberry, spices, forest floor, sous bois (some whole cluster evident?). Beautiful raspberry and fresh strawberry fruit with a savory streak. Silky and delicious, fresh, just glides on the palate.