4/25/2024 - GDa202 wrote:

Umm. Have to report, sadly, that I haven’t greatly enjoyed these wines. Perhaps the vintage, maybe I have opened them in a poor period, but they are quite disappointing. They lack the chambolle perfume and elegance. Have a very generic taste and no length. Quite sad.

4/19/2024 - GDa202 Does not like this wine:

My second bottle and again extremely reductive. Which is not a “feature” I have ever associated with Graillot Crozes. Odd. Fruit is hidden. The other notes on this are are exactly what I would expect. But this disappoints again.

4/16/2024 - GDa202 wrote:

Severe promox. Like a bottle of vin jaune

4/14/2024 - GDa202 wrote:

Absolutely delightful Northern Rhone Viognier. Floral, perfumed but with a delicate touch. Clean and precise- not at all cloying. Astonishing Q/P.

3/30/2024 - GDa202 wrote:

2008/09 assemblage.

One of the classiest champagnes I have had for a long while. Ever changing in the glass, goes through citrus, to Meursault-esque Burgundian (this is very much a wine), through cream soda and yeast / brioche / touch of sherry some tobacco. With fantastic length. Tremendous.

3/17/2024 - GDa202 wrote:

Well this is an odd bottle. Very reductive. Made me double check it wasn’t white burgundy. The flavours are very muted compared to normal. I'll say “flawed” simple because it doesn’t taste like any bottle of this I have ever had.

3/16/2024 - GDa202 wrote:

Absolutely gorgeous NSG. Pure “Pinosity”. Still
Quite young and dominated by the fruit (red), but evolving those more complex secondary flavours. Very very long.

3/16/2024 - GDa202 wrote:

Umm. The first Bereche NV I have had that wasn’t brilliant. 6/2022 disgorgement 6gl dosage.
Just felt a bit rich without any complexity. Yeasty, honey, ripe apples. Pleasant enough but without the supreme joy and evolving complexity of most bottles

3/4/2024 - GDa202 wrote:

I don’t know what phase this 2016 is going though, but this wasn’t pleasant. Very strange taste profile, immensely reductive. Sad because this was a joyous wine. Maybe it will come out of this phase, I assume it will, but no signs of that yet.

2/17/2024 - GDa202 wrote:

Glorious. Precise elegant wine making. A medley of dark fruits but deftly extracted. All about the grapes.

2/4/2024 - GDa202 Likes this wine:

Quite joyful. Chablis as Chablis should be. Still on the very young side, great now but suspect it needs more time to gain complexity

2/2/2024 - GDa202 wrote:

Too late after consumption for useful note but the bottle was an absolute joy. Complex citrus, maybe even some green strawberry, with some richer, more exotic, notes: pineapple, subtle oak. Great depth of flavours.

1/20/2024 - GDa202 wrote:

Delightful. Beautiful nose. White flowery and citrus flavours. Lots of tension and minerality. Slight phenolic herbal bitterness at the finish which is delightful. Great success.

12/18/2023 - GDa202 Likes this wine:

Lovely expressive nose. Apples, some citrus / agrume character. Good acidity. quiet joyful. Delightful, but maybe got a bit flabby when it warmed up.

12/4/2023 - GDa202 wrote:

Another very good bottle (see previous note). A touch reductive at first but then it is is beautifully fruity; lemon, green plums, and a little grapefruit maybe. Some of that (lovely) phenolic bitterness. Very long.

12/2/2023 - GDa202 wrote:

Felt a little grainy tannic on day 1. Perhaps I shook the bottle ? But on day 2 this blossomed gloriously. Pure and clean. Deep rich dark fruit with wonderful aromas and tastes of chocolate, rosemary and mint. Good length. Truly delightful wine from the delightful Yves-Jean

10/13/2023 - GDa202 wrote:

Lovely underlying structure and fruit. Complexity. But currently going through a very reductive phase. Sulfury aromas take a very long time to dissipate

5/26/2023 - GDa202 wrote:

Well. I wanted to dive into this to see if one could reconcile the opposite tasting notes by two great tasters - Jasper Morris (5*, best BB?, fruit driven and long) vs Xavier Auerbach (no fruit, pithy, "not a good buy"). Upon opening, there is little nose and whilst the almost absent fruit is clearly chassagne-derived, the taste is predominantly wood. Indeed, so muted it is, that I wondered if it was subtly corked. Much more in the "Xavier Auerbach" camp. After 2-3 hours, however, the rich lemony- (slight green apple) fruit is much more to the fore, a la Jasper, the length is great and the finish has a certain (rousanne/marsanne like - lovely to my mind) phenolic bitterness. Is that "pithy" ? Maybe. So I have learned nothing. They are both opposite but both spot on.
Me, indecisive?

5/12/2023 - GDa202 wrote:

Delightful dark salmon pink rosado. Savoury, strawberry, sour red fruit notes. A little oxidised edge. Complex and long. If this weren’t marketed as being “the new Tondonia” you would think it excellent. Can’t it just be it’s own delightful self ?

5/5/2023 - GDa202 Likes this wine:

Wow, dipped into one too early. Fantastic Chablis. Indeed tastes like what (I imagine) Chablis should taste like, but so rarely does. Mineral and tense. Oyster shell nose, lovely lemony fruit, quite floral, and really great length.

1/30/2023 - GDa202 Likes this wine:

Well. The match of this wine to Thai salmon fish cakes is extraordinarily good. The wine, so long and complex, is defying my powers of description.

1/27/2023 - GDa202 wrote:

I dearly love Yves Jean but this is a flawed bottle with the ozone smell of a burnt-out Hornby train from your childhood. Great for reminiscing, less good for drinking

1/26/2023 - GDa202 Likes this wine:

Hard to assess as the nose is very closed. In the mouth it displays a lovely light Pinot character, some stones (it is quite "mineral" and there is a lovely strawberry / slightly unripe wild strawberry underlying taste. Tannins are noticeably there, but well integrated and soft-ish.
Really very delicious. 2014 but feels extremely youthful.

Update: day 2.
Amazing development. Now is more tannic, predominantly black fruit character, some forest and blackcurrants.

11/11/2022 - GDa202 wrote:

Well. I can’t “compete” with the amazing note by Forceberry…but… I found this a beguiling Pinot. So well crafted. Still young and fruit driven, the nose is SO seductive (blind I would have guessed Oregon) and in the mouth red fruits - gentle stewing raspberries - , cranberries, a lovely bracing acidity and lovely integrated tannins. Great length. For me, a superb Bourgogne rouge.
(I didn’t get (served by Coravin) the reduction or metallic elements).

8/20/2022 - GDa202 Does not like this wine:

Very disjointed, alcohol to the fore and unresolvedly tannic. Quite a surprise. Flavour profile is great, cherries, dark fruits and some oak, but for me not so pleasant to drink at this stage. Could be bottle variation as I have enjoyed previous bottles.

6/28/2022 - GDa202 wrote:

Amazing. Light coloured joy. Freshly pressed strawberries, hedgerow and herbs.

6/24/2022 - GDa202 wrote:

Wonderful white vacqueryas. All the joys of white Grenache and Rousanne with a delightful - almost malt whisky like - sour edge. Yum

6/24/2022 - GDa202 wrote:

In a glorious phase. Tannins now smooth expressive nose of cherries, wood garrigue. Just lovely

5/13/2022 - GDa202 Does not like this wine:

So much Brett - animal aromas. Home made beer from the 80s. Really not pleasant. There are natural wines and natural wines, sadly this is the latter.

3/31/2022 - GDa202 Likes this wine:

Purity of fresh Swiss stream. Joyous. The fruit is subtle - Lemon, unripe nectarine, some oaky undertones. But the overall pleasure isn’t from picking out fruity notes it is the overall “clean” linear charm. The joy of getting into freshly ironed bedsheets.

2/22/2022 - GDa202 wrote:

Initial opening slams you in the face with redcurrants, cherry, cooked raspberries and hibiscus - a fruit explosion. After that it becomes more floral and gains a pink grapefruit character. The tannins are softer,
but still there, and the characteristic acidity is present but more in balance and less rasping than when young. Very characteristic style. Fun.

2/20/2022 - GDa202 wrote:

Utterly imperious example of white vacqueryas. White flowers, herbs, garrigue - a slight bitter note which cuts through the richness. Great acidity (rare for many southern Rhône whites).

2/6/2022 - GDa202 wrote:

Lovely fruit driven wine. Mure and strawberries, a little fraise des bois even. Despite the vintage it manages a lovely “dryness” without any hint of over ripeness or over extraction. Delightful.

9/29/2021 - GDa202 Likes this wine:

Much better than previous. Beautiful example of a not too rich, more “mineral” and lemony Meursault. A joy.

9/28/2021 - GDa202 Likes this wine:

A slightly hazy evening prevents a proper analysis. But this was a truly majestic bottle of Barolo. Aged, complex, lovely mushroom tertiary flavours complementing the fruit and herbs. Everything in balance, just brilliant.

6/16/2021 - GDa202 wrote:

Gosh. Soft approachable Cornas. Tannins so integrated. Still young and fruit to the fore. Very quaffable. Yummy

6/5/2021 - GDa202 Likes this wine:

Honey, apricot, white nectarine, (spear)mint (menthol), a little bitter almond, lavender, tobacco aftertaste (in a good way). Good, indeed very good, length. I think it is far better than the other reviews suggest. Classic example of Beaumes de Venise.

5/30/2021 - GDa202 wrote:

Well. A couple of years on and I realise I drank these too soon. This bottle absolutely singing. Delightful.

5/23/2021 - GDa202 Likes this wine:

Lovely sour cherry and a little strawberry, mint. Leather and forest floor, somewhat BDX like. Quite "modern" (wrt oak). Tannins currently slightly drying, but overall a lovely wine.

5/21/2021 - GDa202 Likes this wine:

Had the 2013 at Christmas 2020. A stunning wine. Too late to write notes but undoubtedly one of the wines of the year.

5/19/2021 - GDa202 wrote:

2nd bottle after 2 year hiatus. This one was well past its prime. Dark brown rim, somewhat oxidised and lost a lot of its fruitful joy.

5/11/2021 - GDa202 wrote:

No detailed notes. But this Chaume Arnaud Vinsobres is such a a perfect well-made wine. Everything in harmony, no shape edges and minimal intervention by the wine maker. Joyful.

5/7/2021 - GDa202 Likes this wine:

Wow. Beautiful red fruit. Strawberries, cooked raspberry, sour cherry. All overlaid with Provençal garrigue spice. Great length, Good acidity and integrated tannins. Has an Etna Rosso feel about it. Feels a touch sweet, a slight effervescence on opening but these are not detrimental to the overall wonderful enjoyment. Brilliant.

5/7/2021 - GDa202 wrote:

Tricky. Fresh and lively. lemon and pear aromas. But...I have had other vintages of this wine and they have been brilliant. This bottle at the moment was very closed. Cant really score. Casses tetes is a more restrained lieu dit ...people dont like the word these days but quite a "mineral" wine. Will wait a while before trying another.

5/7/2021 - GDa202 wrote:

Dark Fruit, some plums and cherry. A lovely floral nose, plenty of spice and pepper. But the dominant flavour I get at this stage is from the oak. This is a very "modern" wine. Soft and joyful, but the oak needs more time to integrate for my tastes.

4/27/2021 - GDa202 wrote:

Wonderful example of white Crozes. Still very fruit forward. Starts with white peach and a bitter orange marmalade finish, but then evolves to a pineapple flavour with a lovely bitter spicy herbal edge. Yes please.

4/16/2021 - GDa202 Likes this wine:

This skin contact white Garnacha is very hard to describe. Gorgeous orange colour. Shiny clear. Skin contact give good tannic mouthfeel, aromas of orange zest, pomegranate and something herby, eucalyptus maybe. Orange persists with some length. Delightful, if orange wines are your thing. If they aren’t, go try this.

3/13/2021 - GDa202 Likes this wine:

Milan’s 100% Roussanne is so hard to describe and do justice to in a note. Gorgeous golden colour. Tropical fruits, nuts, and garrigue. A certain vin jaune character without feeling oxidised (if that is possible). Think Beaucastel VV with added herbs. Astonishing.

2/23/2021 - GDa202 wrote:

Pale yellow. Beautiful balanced lemon aromas. Subtle notes of pineapple and mango. Opens with a touch of reduction. Intense joyous flavours, pretty good length. Could easily mistake for a more “mineral” Chassagne villages. Still fresh. An absolute joy, especially at the U.K. price point.

2/7/2021 - GDa202 Likes this wine:

Glorious wine. Dark yellow hints at oxidation, but taste is bright and fresh. Slight Xarel.Lo petroleum nose leads to a wonderful complex wine with lemon, lemon oil, some apricot, a little nuttiness and a wonderful Burgundian richness. Blind I might have guessed burgundy, wasn’t expecting that. But then it changes in the glass and has elements of southern Rhône white. Fascinating, ever changing and complex. “Worth a detour” .