3/28/2020 - latimer Does not like this wine:

Funny how people's palates differ. This is a 95 from Parker and most of the tasters below. But not our style at all. I discovered Clos M years ago in Barcelona, but stopped buying it when the alcohol topped 15% and the price rose too much. The colour already worried me - almost bright purple. The nose reminded me of over the top California zinfandel - ton of vanilla oak and over-ripe fruit. Then you got the finish which was hot and spirity and well beyond the 14.5% on the label. I don't think this was an off bottle and wont open another one to test, I think this is just an unbalanced wine that is ageing badly. If you like you wines in the Parker style of super ripe, big blockbusters, and you drink it with curry, fine, but if you want a more nuanced, elegant vin de terroir I don't think this is for you...

1/2/2020 - latimer Likes this wine:

lovely bright red, a little deeper than the 2009 Rupestre (from 60 year old vines). Here we have a similar red fruit, floral nose, a little deeper, more curranty ripe fruit, a deft touch of oak, almost no Nebbiolo tannins - this is like Nebbiolo meets Chambolle-Musigny in Burgundy but at half the price. they are not big wines, but beautifully made.

12/30/2019 - latimer Likes this wine:

One last bottle found in bottom of the cellar which I must admit I thought we'd already drunk. Decanted gently for half an hour or so. Colour is still a goodish medium deep red. Nose is soft mulberry type ripe fruit and that distinct 'walnut' Latour flavor. It's completely softened out, tannins gone, getting earthy-cedary towards the finish. All in all classic classy Bordeaux, though the finish is now fading and I suspect it's starting a slow decline. What is great is the 12.5% alcohol - an elegant, refined and lovely top Bordeaux from a so-so vintage and aged 25, just reminds one of what Bordeaux used to be...

12/26/2019 - latimer Does not like this wine:

Getting somewhat bricky colour. Nose is pretty awful and palate worse, in fact we all found it undrinkable. 16% is way too much. Very odd as before it we drank the Beaucastel 2004 which was 14% and quite good. the Chapoutier is totally out of balance and we'll use it to make a sauce. What a waste. Biodynamic selection parcellaire? what went wrong..??

11/25/2019 - latimer wrote:

Have had 3 of these, luckily none oxidized. the latest, drunk Nov 2019, showed a good colour (still youngish) and had a ripe yellow orchard fruit nose and ripe palate. It's big and rich, shows some extract, but the finish is a bit short and flabby - it you are looking for quite a big rich wine this is for you, if you want a tighter more mineral style, it's not. we were 6 to taste and everyone preferred a Dauvissat 2010 Forest 1e and PY Colin-Morey St Aubin1e 2008...

5/6/2019 - latimer Does not like this wine:

Odd, looking at the notes here must be a problem bottle. First had Grivot's NSG1e Roncieres 05, bright deepish red, nice ripe rich fruit, but finish had a nasty green streak that reminded me too much of 2004 pyrazines. Disappointing. The Boudots should be a step up, but the bitter green streak went right through the wine so much so that we tipped it down the sink, and expensive failure these days. Both these wines tasted like 2004s, something I've not suffered in any 2005 as generally I love the vintage. Had a N.Potel Vosne 1 Les Petits Monts afterwards which was a good 91-92 and lovely.
I don't think these wines were 'shut down' or to young, there was a bitter green finish that dominated the fruit and in the BOudots the fruit was hardly there at all. No problem with the cork either and wasn't corked.
2nd bottle of Boudots sadly the same - rotten green chemical finish, down the sink, awful considering how good all other 2005s are

1/21/2019 - latimer Likes this wine:

Bright yellow, lovely nose of yellow fruit and some green, backed by citrus. It's nicely ripe and the acidity seems to be mellowing, with some extract and minerality on the finish. All in all pretty classic Puligny and at 11 years old, ageing beautifully (hurrah!). Very good.

1/21/2019 - latimer Does not like this wine:

Rather light red, almost pinky edge. Light nose of crushed strawberries which is quite nice, if lightish, but then at first quite 'funky' which made me wonder about a bit of brett in there. Unfortunately after a few minutes this got worse and took over and reminded me of 2004 pyrazines (the green meanies) sort of green, hard chemical taste. this unpleasant finish dominated so I opened something nicer to drink. Very disappointing. Doubt it will get better either.

10/18/2018 - latimer Does not like this wine:

Afraid I am with 1 taster below. I guess it's a wine that divides - the US wine critics love it and it's very much a wine for New World type afficonados...if you like Barossa shiraz you'll love it, if you are more Chambolle-Musigny, you'll use it for your boeuf bourguignon.

It's like kirsch and raspberry liquer plus a lot of raw Grenache - sweet, alcoholic, unsubtle and pretty hard. at 13 years old you'd hope for some softening but it's just supercharged high octane (over) ripe fruit...

10/12/2018 - latimer Likes this wine:

Tasted after a 2005 Les Petits Monts 1e (Vosne, above Richebourg) from Potel which was good. The Beaune is much darker, deeper in colour and the wine more powerful and, I suspect, very Leroy in style - lots of soft ripe fruit, almost a crunchy, chewy texture, touch of coffee and very creamy. Lovely acidity and balance and will easily age another 5 years. Well into grand cru class (but sadly so is the price, plus some). A remarkable 1e from Beaune, ageing effortlessly

8/1/2018 - latimer Likes this wine:

In restaurant in Paris where the sommelier warned there were some bottles that were ageing (which probably reflects some of the tasting notes below).
this bottle was a brilliant yellow, lots of fruit on the nose, slightly reductive, a lot of chalky mineral extract, citrus and tooth-coating finish. For sure this bottle is easily 1e cru quality and has years of life left.
(the day after I had the Tessons Clos de Mon Plaisir 07 from Roulot) which was similar, extremely mineral and slightly austere and dry - have to say Morey on this occasion showed better.

1/29/2018 - latimer wrote:

A remarkable wine in many ways. The colour is odd - cloudy, quite pale and very bricky/orangey, looks 30 years old not 14. The weight is on the light side (12.5%) and of course the content is unique - Pommard villages, Savigny1e, Clos Vgt, Clos de la Roche all mixed in one. But the nose is pure floral perfume, some torrefaction, the palate ripe, sour creamy and extremely elegant. it is quite delicious and beautifully Burgundian and gives more mortals at least a glimpse of what Mme Bize-Leroy's saintly grand crus can do in the worst vintage of the century so far. There are no green meanies here, no pyrazines, no ladybird taint, just pure, elegant pinot fruit and supreme balance. Yes, remarkable on all counts.

12/27/2017 - latimer wrote:

Afraid I am going to go against the flow here. Guess it depends what you are looking for. If you want valpolicella, forget it. If you want a super dense, over-extracted mega wine for the US market, sign up...

It is dense, opaque almost black, odd for a 16 year old valpolicella. The nose is dense, cherry, earthy and loads of dark chocolate (again odd...). It still has a lot of tannin there at the end and is basically a blockbuster extracted wine.

You either love or hate the style, afraid I fall into the latter camp. it you want Italian tipicita or any subtlety this is not for you. If you want big heavy, impressive red wine with gobs of power, get the corkscrew...

10/31/2017 - latimer Likes this wine:

Served by a real trifolau (truffle hunter) with local tajarin pasta and tartufi. Amazing. His last bottle and the original Bartolo painted label.
The colour is quite pale, the nose haunting, a flower garden of roses and cherries. In the middle there's some ripe, almost pruney fruit, a hint of tar and quite creamy. Soft, delicate, some unresolved tannins but finishes long and almost sweet. For Barolo and for 2004 this is the most elegant wine I have tasted. If you like Chambolle-Musigny this is for you. I just wish I had a lot of it in the cellar...

8/21/2017 - latimer wrote:

Deep red. Dense and a bit tight. Brambly ripe fruit, and quite a lot of fleshy oak. ripe though not sure would guess was syrah. finish is still a bit tannic - it's nice, but it's trying very hard and not sure it's the most elegant syrah. Certainly not worth the price tag today compared to other top St Joseph at half the price...

8/20/2017 - latimer Likes this wine:

bright red, lovely classic Chambolle nose, gently caramelly red fruit, floral, raspberry-cherry. Soft, elegant, ripe and balanced though finish is a bit short and rough now. Ageing well and, mercifully, no 2004 green/pyrazine etc. A lovely 2004 and very Chambolle as you'd hope fromw hat is after all young vine Musigny grand cru!

8/20/2017 - latimer Likes this wine:

Bright red. Caramelly red fruit on the nose, lovely ripe cherries, like red fruit cordial, silky, rich, balanced, nice acidity. Some minerality-earth on finish, lovely wine and glorious fruit. Yes there is some 2004 green / pyrazine in the background, which seemed to grow abit, but better with food and never dominated. In the context of 2004 this is a lovely wine and ageing well.

Tasted again in Nov 2019 - palish colour, nose a bit closed but opens to be sour cherry and creamy after an hour. Simply fabulous macerated cherry almost sweet fruit centre, delicious. Lovely orangey acidity and something slightly minty. It's not a big wine, medium to lightish, but very elegant and with only a hint of green clove 2004 on the finish. All in all a lovely bottle, 93.

8/15/2017 - latimer Does not like this wine:

Deep bright gold, looks more like mature sauternes than white Hermitage, but not oxidized. Nose? Difficult to say what the cepage or location was. A lot of caramel and butterscotch, in fact all it tastes of is very heavily toasted oak. Yes it's big and yes it's sweet and imposing, but it could be any over the top, over oaked wine. Considering its price nowadays, a travesty - I preferred the standard negoce Guigal Hermitage which at least tasted of marsanne-rousanne.

Everyone here seems to like it but we (including a Rhone expert) preferred to use it to make a delicious langoustine sauce, all be it very sad to tip such expensive wine into a saucepan.

maybe it was an off bottle but there was obvious fault, it was just ludicrously over-oaked...the fruit was obliterated by caramelly oak...

1/14/2017 - latimer Likes this wine:

Bought en primeur. Quite deep red, lovely plummy, cassis nose. Quite nice use of oak and a classic weight (12.5%) and good acidity. The finish is a bit tannic still, but this is really pretty good and ageing nicely - plenty of life left. Compared with modern Bordeaux grand cru, good value and nice balance...

10/17/2016 - latimer Likes this wine:

Decanted and tasted with the 1995 - 1996 is softer, more fruit and a bit less tough, but the last 2 bottles of 96 drunk have been disappointing - classic St Julien stuff (curranty red fruit, some 'bovrily' mature merlot, earthy-cedary etc) but soft and light, a bit like listening to a retired, famed singer - you can recognize the voice, but the top notes are gone. the palate was more faded than the nose, a sure sign that the wine is beginning to decline. For a serious 2e grand cru from a serious vintage which should be at its peak, this is oddly disappointing. Had a 96 Montrose recently which was far better and was lucky enough to have 97 Mouton (awful vintage) which likewise was much more interesting. So from the showing of the last 2 bottles, I'd get it into a decanter and drink it sooner rather than later...

10/17/2016 - latimer wrote:

Decanted and tasted with the 1996, 10th bottle of a case of 12 and the last 2 have been disappointing. All very classic, but the hard tannins and edges of 1995 are still there and I suspect the fruit is beginning to lose the battle. the 1996 was softer with more fruit and classic cedary maturity. I have had other 95s that are also losing fruit but holding tannin structure, so my bet would be drink sooner rather than later as I cant see it improving from here. Needs food.

7/3/2016 - latimer wrote:

first bottle good, this one dead. Premature oxidation.
Given the stupid prices now charged for this wine, caveat emptor!

7/3/2016 - latimer Does not like this wine:

normal lightish red colour. no nose - flat. on the palate it is just structure or texture - acidity and tannin. not fruit, dried out, yet this has been well cellared.
Given how much premature oxidation the Comtes Lafon Meursaults suffer, I'd say this is the red version of premox. I have also had several 1995 Volnay Santenots with the same issue - tough and without fruit.

4/30/2016 - latimer Likes this wine:

Tasted after a very flat, acidic Dauvisat Les Clos 2008 which I guess suffered from early premox. Here, lovely greeny-yellow and nose of oyster shells, the sea and white flowers. Quite richly tooth coating, nice acidity, long mineral finish. Perfect age to drink now, and balance and very refined, delicious!

3/27/2016 - latimer wrote:

2 bottles, both had impressive, powerful cherry fruit and then a very unpleasant mushroomy, mould aftertaste, Corked, 2 out of 2!

12/29/2015 - latimer Likes this wine:

exactly the same as last year, a 16 year old half bottle of what you might call powerful delicacy, rich yet perfectly balanced, gently butterscotch as it matures, soft and rounded, ageing beautifully.

12/29/2015 - latimer Likes this wine:

Still a remarkably youthful colour. Some berry fruit plus that hallmark Latour minerality (what Hugh Johnson called walnuts I think). Touch of cedar, but again dense and pretty closed, not giving much up. Now quite soft and I am sure at peak and will not get better. An austere 1988. Big and ageing at a glacial pace, but not a lot of pleasure.

12/27/2015 - latimer Likes this wine:

Surprising bright yellow (given all the premox these days, worrying). But no oxidation here! On the contrary, very reductive style (bit like Leflaive/Leroy), big nose, big wine, some green fruit skins, very citrus, only slightly mineral on finish. Would not guess at all as Chablis as it is so big, rich, reductive - more like very serious Chassagne 1e cru. Does not have the tight minerality of most top Chablis and perhaps the winemaking style rather overpowers the terroir, but as a glass of wine its impressive and delicious.

12/27/2015 - latimer Likes this wine:

Deep bright red. Dense plummy fruit nose & dark chocolate, somewhat monolithic - dense, quite a lot of tannin left, not giving much and gets a bit heavy the more you drink of it. Soft, but must admit would not guess this blind as merlot/Pomerol.

9/28/2015 - latimer wrote:

Quite pale red. Nose is rather simple and red fruited. Afraid we could not find the smorgasbord of flavours of reviewers below. It is not too 2003 over-ripe though quite sweet. The finish is very Loire cab franc, slightly green and mushroomy.
It's a pleasant wine, but no more. I have had a lot of lesser grand cru 2003 Bordeuax (not my favourite wine or vintage) that is better and good Chinon 2003 also.
Sadly, Loire reds used to be good value, but Clos R has now become as bad value as much of Burgundy and Bordeaux.
This was a ncie wine worth about a quarter of its current retail price...

9/8/2015 - latimer Likes this wine:

Ageing red. Nice mature nose - red, curranty old fruit, some cedar. Quite light in weight, some ripeness at the centre, nice balance though for a 1990 this is quite subdued. Elegant.

9/8/2015 - latimer Likes this wine:

Ageing red. At first smell seemed well past it, but after decanting, gently floral and a little fruit appearing. very much an elderly lady, but still elegant and hanging in there. soft red fruit, bit of cedar, but needs drinking pretty soon.

9/8/2015 - latimer Likes this wine:

Quite deep and dark in colour still for a 33 year old. Big nose, very cabernet, cassis, cedar etc, long and still a powerful wine, but quite rustic and you'd guess the barrels were not so clean. But an impressively scaled and enjoyable old Bordeaux, though not a wine of finesse.

9/8/2015 - latimer Likes this wine:

Lovely bright yellow, big toasty, roasted nut nose, mature, citrus (Lemon fruit) long mineral finsih, almost salty like a Ravenneau Chablis. Fairly light in weight, perfect balance and at 19 years old a truly remarkable village Meursault in no hurry to drink...

7/9/2015 - latimer Likes this wine:

Deep red. Typical tarry syrah nose, ripe slightly confit fruit, earthy and quite meaty. Soft, quite mature now, very nice though not the minerality or power of a top Cornas. Surprisingly approachable now.

6/26/2015 - latimer Likes this wine:

Beginningto show touch of age, garnet colour on edge. Lots of ripe red fruit, sauvage/sous bois, finish creamy with lovely acidity. at a perfect stage of maturity now and ageing very well, the power, complexity and longevity of a top grand cru (and price alas!). delicious.

6/21/2015 - latimer Does not like this wine:

Light gold - looks more like sauternes than savennieres. The nose is vaguely familiar, but then the wine gets over-ripe and sweet and the finish is alcoholic (15%). again I think the winemaking is all over the place. what a waste... unbalanced, touch oxidised, tastes like a heavy wine from the south, not a top terroir from the Loire. No freshness, and very clumsy. tried it the next day (Joly says you should decant his wines) and any hint of freshness was gone. 2nd bottle I've had, similar.

cannot understand how people rave about these wines. The odd vintage from the 80's, 90's was indeed special, but these are, frankly, a disgrace, bad winemaking gone wrong...

6/21/2015 - latimer Does not like this wine:

Golden colour, oxidised, another weird bottle from Nicolas Joly, lacking in balance and frankly a bit of a disgrace given the great terroir from which it comes. very strange wine making and this is nothing to do with biodynamics...and certainly does not improve with air.

5/29/2015 - latimer Likes this wine:

A nice traditional sangiovese colour, bright palish red, some age on edge. Lots of bitter cherries (almost Burgundian) and sour creamy, plus earthy. nice balance and lovely juicy acidity - very nice now and will no doubt last well for a good while. The antithesis of modern style, dark, opaque high alcohol chocolatey brunelli... subtle and refined, leaves you wanting another glass.

5/18/2015 - latimer Likes this wine:

Unlike previous bottles which were outstanding. this showed definite age (colour) on the rim, and after a bit of minty red fruit an overwhelming taste of very old merlot - really meat-stock, bovril.

If you like very mature merlot, this is still very good, but the cabernet is now taking back seat and this bottle is way more aged than previous ones. I hope its just an unlucky one as I have more bottles left and this is definitely borderline too old...

5/11/2015 - latimer wrote:

Yet another Lafon oxidised, yet more money down the drain for nothing...

5/9/2015 - latimer Likes this wine:

nice bright colour, big ripe 2009 nose - lots of apricots and ripe fruit, then good cut of grapefruity, citrus acidity, long with good extract. this is more like a good Meursault than a humble HCdeN..! and I suspect it may still be on the young side and improve as the fruit and acidity soften together. 90+

5/9/2015 - latimer Likes this wine:

Bright, lightish. Lovely nose of ripe red fruit - cherries and bitter almonds. Gently earthy, nice balance, ready now. As a great fan of Burgundy, this is like good Chambolle made in Italy. Delicious. Costs as much as many brunelli, but is more elegant and refined. impressed! would say 90+.

5/1/2015 - latimer wrote:

Quite deep red for an 11 year old Barbaresco, no garnet colour. Sour cherry and tar on the nose, earthy, but bitter (over extracted?) and the finish is rustic, green and pretty rough. Basically not enough fruit to carry, and if this is grown on teh finest slopes of Treiso & B'sco as the label proclaims, well, for a 2004 this is pretty shoddy winemaking... suspect it will only get rougher with age.

4/4/2015 - latimer Likes this wine:

Lovely bright greeny-yellow. Huge nose - can only be Leroy or Dom Leflaive, roast nutty, salty, reductive - smells like Batard not a village wine. Medium weight, nice acidity, mineral, perfect balance. An astonishing wine for a village.
Tasted after the top 2004 1e Cru Puligny and Chassagne from Ramonet, and 2004 Corton-Charlemagne from Bonneau du Martray. Not one oxidised!! But this wine frankly tops the lot....
Sadly nowadays so does the price, by a multiple of about 3, but what a superb bottle...

4/3/2015 - latimer Likes this wine:

Quite pale. Reductive nose (maybe should have decanted it), some nice grassy and ripe fruit on the palate, pure and linear with long citrus acidity. Could easily be a good chardonnay from the south (maconnais etc). impressive for aligote and lots of life left. the only thing is the price I paid (which was not cheap for aligote!) has now tripled and this wine is nowhere near that level of quality...ridiculous! it remains aligote after all, not meursault - even madame cannot change that!

4/3/2015 - latimer wrote:

some brambly merlot fruit, very soft but tired and drying out somewhat. Boring and nowhere near 1e cru standard...

3/31/2015 - latimer wrote:

At least not oxidised, but oddly bright yellow, very ripe almost tropical fruit and hard 14.5% finish - not in balance, heavy on ripeness and alcohol, more like a 2003. Napa meets Puligny? Serious wine tasting guests thought it must be from the south, certainly not from Burgundy.

150 euros spent for one bottle that was undrinkable and one that is frankly very unimpressive for Leflaive...

3/30/2015 - latimer wrote:

Heart sank when poured - much too golden in colour. Premox.
Also had the 06 village wine which was not oxidised by bland and flabby and for Domaine Leflaive very very poor...

12/25/2014 - latimer Likes this wine:

Litle yellow, impressively young for a 15 year old half bottle. Lovely nose, coconutty oak, lush apricot/pineapple fruit, botrytis, and just beautiful balance - every time I am lucky enough to drink Yquem I am amazed by its balance - rich but not cloying, delicate but powerful. for a pretty unexciting vintage this is a wonderful wine. delicious and will last years...