3/25/2023 - GL Rhone Likes this wine:

Really hitting a great spot here. Striking purity of fruit, on the riper side of the spectrum showing peach, lime and honey, but super vibrant and brimming with a stones minerals and tingling acidity on the finish. Was a lovely drink as is, but the bottle open for a few days this evolved to show more of the citrus and minerals and I feel this shows this can ride a long way yet… Sehr gut wein!

6/27/2022 - GL Rhone Likes this wine:

This has moved along to a delightful place: oak is nicely integrated and just adds a touch of spice to the red fruit and roses that this wine offers. Fresh, hint of structure, very nice drinking

8/30/2022 - GL Rhone Likes this wine:

Brimming with notes of green apple, lemon and stones. This really tightened and gained precision and focus with air, providing a fresh and direct expression of kabinett, only very lightly sweet with the acidity doing the legwork here. Really quite good to my palate

5/16/2022 - GL Rhone Likes this wine:

Earth, tar, red fruit, leather, floral tones, all rather classical. Palate has robust structure, the tannins are fine and seriously present but nothing that a food accompaniment can’t handle. Fresh and good purity of fruit. Yes this can be held to let the structure come together but I found this fine to drink now. But only if you ain’t scared of a bit of tannin...

5/15/2022 - GL Rhone Likes this wine:

Wow, super good! Sponti nose to begin with, this mellows our into a delightfully layered expression: pear, spice, lime, honey. The palate is playfully sweet, bursting with zingy acidity and a long finish of green apple and lime. Wonderful kabinett drinking great.

5/13/2022 - GL Rhone Likes this wine:

Mmm, really very good! Dark fruit with bags of bacon fat. This is muscular and some of the polish seems to have come off, revealing black olive tapenade and black pepper on the long, fresh, mineral inflected finish. This was great!

5/10/2022 - GL Rhone Likes this wine:

This has come together nicely since last bottle. Oak is better integrated with red fruits, leather and green pepper tones. Elegant on the palate, the tannins are harmonious with the structural elements all playing together. Blind would have easily passed for a quality left bank Bordeaux, slightly modern styled. Very good

5/10/2022 - GL Rhone wrote:

Good, but a little richer than I was expecting. Ripe orchard fruit, tropical tones, honey but without the bracing acidity I prefer.

2/4/2022 - GL Rhone Likes this wine:

Earthy, dark fruited and with a pronounced espresso grounds note on the palate that was quite distinguished! Was tight as hell on day 1 but really showed much better after some air.

3/1/2022 - GL Rhone wrote:

Pitch black core, purple rim. On the nose this is rather shy, offering occasional glimpses of dark berries with notes of garden herbs. Palate is quite strict tonight, striking acidity and puckering tannins, with a faint line of red berries behind it all. This needs time (and food!) as it feels coiled up tightly right now

3/3/2022 - GL Rhone Likes this wine:

Straw yellow with gold highlights. Nose offers shy notes of citrus and green apple along with the beginning of more dimensions of complexity touching the spectrum of honey, hazelnut, and caramel. Palate is medium plus sweetness but with terrific racy acidity and again that note of hazelnut and whipped cream rounding out the citrus fruit. Long, salt inflected finish. Very fine, especially on day 2 as acidity seemed to have more ‘pop’ and verve. Long life ahead

4/3/2022 - GL Rhone Likes this wine:

Northern Rhone-lovers take on Beaujolais! Red fruit, hint of strawberry esters and pepper and herb garden notes. Palate reeks granite. Very good despite the hot vintage

1/15/2022 - GL Rhone Likes this wine:

Popped and poured, followed over a long evening. Pale garnet colour. Nose starts off quite reductive, with hints of funk and old dusty oak, popcorn before giving way to spiced red fruit and floral, rose petal tones. Palate is really bright and focused, a basket full of fresh strawberries steeped in rose water, with licorice and sweet spices joining the party. This is barely medium bodied but there are some sneaky ultra fine tannins in the background and yet even without food they never get obtrusive, with tangy acidity, and hints of orange peel. This is wide open tonight and a pleasure to drink. Molto bello!
On day 2, second half of the bottle was gorgeous! Nose is compelling with leather, roses, deep and layered. Palate has turned more savory with dried cranberry and cherry. This never seemed to shut down so I say don’t be afraid to give this some air.

12/25/2021 - GL Rhone Likes this wine:

Brief note from memory. Served at Christmas lunch with roast capon.
Really tight on opening, but as this aired loosened up to deliver a delightful, earthy and red fruited expression of Pinot. Great accompaniment to the food, this was juicy and generous with plenty of sous bois notes to support the umami in the food. Hit the spot!

12/24/2021 - GL Rhone wrote:

Glorious stuff! Warm slate, lemon, pastry and a green note of sorrel and herbs combine in an extravagant and delightful package. Palate is ripe and full of cut and delineation, really top stuff!

12/24/2021 - GL Rhone Likes this wine:

Bottle opened late morning and slow-ox until service around 9pm.
Pale, slightly cloudy garnet colour. Crushed wild strawberries, kirsch, eau de vie and white pepper. Palate is really very elegant, so much lighter than I was expecting for a CDP, kinda weightless, but with sandpaper fine tannins and a touch of extract that sneak up on the finish. A bit of heat appears on the end but seems to offer a comforting sensation more than anything else, like a warm hug!

12/26/2021 - GL Rhone Likes this wine:

Half bottle poured into decanter, rest re-corked for next day.
Translucent garnet, watery rim. Red fruits, some cedar wood notes, but not intrusive. Intially, there was a big whack of stinky reduction that i found quite attractive but this blew off. Palate was detailed, light to medium body, fine, chiseled frame, savory fruits and tingling sour acid driven finish. I struggled to find many markers of N Rhone Syrah on day 1, but by day 2 there started to emerge a peak of bacon fat.
Very elegant, precise, not overly oaked but blind not obvious to call as côte Rôtie: might I guess as non-spoofy right bank Bordeaux?

12/17/2021 - GL Rhone Likes this wine:

Dark purple core, watery rim. Classic Bordeaux nose, really juicy full of cassis, blackberry jam and engaging oak that is delightfully integrated and supports the whole. Palate is really elegant, there are dark fruits in abundance, medium weight body with filigree tannins arriving on the finish to pull it along. Very good, drinking very nicely only would want more complexity for a higher score. 92 points of balance and elegance!

12/20/2021 - GL Rhone Likes this wine:

Colour of burnished gold. Nose is immediately oxidative, but offers little waves of complexity in over time: butter, walnut, cheese rind, mushrooms; fruity this definitely is not, at a stretch a hint of lemon peel. Palate is a dry, savory, bracing attack, light to medium bodied, lots of acidity but balanced by the sense of saltiness and oily-ness. Obviously, reminds me of fino sherry, but perhaps with more savour and a little extra richness. Goes well with cheese.

4/28/2021 - GL Rhone Likes this wine:

Palest straw yellow with green highlights, a bit spritz. Nose is restrained and yet rather inviting: lemon, biscuit and hints of green apple. Great presence and precision on palate. Ripe green apple, touch of lime, zinging acidity and playfully sweet, with a cracking salty finish. This is a delightful Kabinett and trumps the 2019 Klamm kabi due to the extra energy and tension.

12/6/2021 - GL Rhone Likes this wine:

Deep ruby core, watery rim. Opulent nose, mingling dark cherry, floral tones and a hint of cacao. Palate is lively and full of energy to lift the ripe, sensuous cherry fruit. Sandy, fine grained tannins provide some welcome structure and hint at an underlying stoney quality beneath the ripeness of the fruit. Very enjoyable

12/12/2021 - GL Rhone Likes this wine:

Green apple, lime on nose, maybe a hint of petrol lurking behind. Palate is tingling with electric acidity, juicy fruit forward sweetness and a finish that is bursting with green lime, grapefruit and tropical fruits, with a hint of mint joining the fruity party! So salivating!

12/14/2021 - GL Rhone wrote:

Sealed under diam 5. Pale straw yellow. Nose delivers a sensation of ripeness with flirts of peach, maybe a hint of tropical fruit and a certain rubbery, reductive character, redolent of a new rental car! Palate is definitely rich, with sweet citrus tones, alongside pineapple. There is just enough chalkiness here and a hint of acidity but I do feel this comes across a bit like Chablis meets the Mâconnais... seemed to settle a bit and show less fruit forward after being a couple of days

12/4/2021 - GL Rhone wrote:

Brief note from memory. Little bit disappointed by how this showed. Some shy dark fruit, a little oak polish but all rather reserved on nose and palate. Seemed that only the last glass on day 2 the wine relaxed and let a purity of blackberry fruit properly emerge. In a closed phase, perhaps?

11/4/2021 - GL Rhone Likes this wine:

Brief note from memory: bright red fruit, hints of earth and plenty of herb notes: thyme, sage. Palate is really elegant, super fine tannins, bright acidity and sappy fruit, this was drinking very well indeed

11/21/2021 - GL Rhone Likes this wine:

Juicy, tart red fruits: red currants and strawberries a-go-go! Palate is lively and as crunchy as you like, plenty of acidity providing a thirst-quenching freshness and there is a faint line of fine tannin and an earthy streak brimming below the surface. Very nice stuff!

11/23/2021 - GL Rhone Likes this wine:

Elegant nose, with an inherent juiciness to it: cassis, roasted spices, linseed oil, and a bit of green pepper and végétal character. Palate is medium bodied, the tannins are integrated and unobtrusive, but there is an underlying hardness to the texture and feel: the fruit is shy and in hiding and there is a prominent green note to the finish, though without bitterness. Seems like the Chateau really did their best to make do in a challenging year but can’t escape what was delivered by the vintage.

11/29/2021 - GL Rhone Likes this wine:

Decanted half bottle for 1hr for night 1 and rest of the bottle finished the next day.
Juicy blackberries on nose, complicated with reductive bacon and meat, seasoned with hints of thyme and a floral edge. Palate a little strict, fruit seems to be on a savory spectrum and there is a big crunch of black pepper on the mid palate. Tannins are fine grained yet very present, with good acidity lifting the dry black pepper infused finish. Day 1 really shone with food, the remainder in the bottle seemed to be more austere in the palate.

11/21/2021 - GL Rhone Likes this wine:

This is straight up delicious! Elegant and subtle nose, with layers of hay, spiced orchard fruit, caramel. Palate is detailed, with plenty of acidity, a sort of savory fruitiness that gives way to an intense sensation of stones and gravelly minerality with a touch of bitterness adding gravitas to the finish. If finish was a bit longer would merit a higher score. Very good

10/11/2021 - GL Rhone Likes this wine:

Well, this needed a whole lot of air! Light golden colour, hint of copper. First glass poured was stern and oxidative on palate, so half the bottle went into the decanter, rest corked for day 2. Over the course of the evening this transformed delightfully. Nose had a delicious sweetness, marrying caramel, apricot tart and lily flowers. From the nose expectations are set for richness, and yet what you get is a salty, mineral infused, weightless expression, with lemon rind, oyster shell and borage flower on the long acid driven finish. Upright and singular

10/3/2021 - GL Rhone Likes this wine:

Bottle drank over a period of at least 3 weeks, didn’t notice much change in this time. Dark garnet core, copper highlights at rim. Fig jam, baking spice and flowers on nose, some volatile acidity. Medium bodied palate, mildly sweet, savory spices, roasted figs, espresso and a warming heat on the finish. Accessible banyuls, not overtly oxidative in style.

9/24/2021 - GL Rhone Likes this wine:

Wow, this was so good tonight! Dark purple core, garnet rim. Nose is funky and layered, with blackberry, cassis, green pepper, tobacco leaf and a little hint of barnyard. Really rather Loire like, but oh so elegant. Palate delivers a juicy slick of tar-like tannin, smothered in blackberry jam with a green pepper topping! Great focus and a long refined finish, if just a hint of green on the end when drunk without food. Top stuff though.

9/8/2021 - GL Rhone Likes this wine:

Straw yellow colour. Great poise on the nose: grapefruit, white flowers, lemon peel and chalk. Palate has zip and minerality, all citrus peel and stone, bone dry but with just a hint of honey at the back end. Top notch dry Riesling and drinking very nicely

9/17/2021 - GL Rhone Likes this wine:

Opened late morning, poured to shoulder and slow-ox until dinner. Very nice concentration, dark berries, truffle and copious yet integrated oak. Solid structure on palate, yet tannins are approachable, caressing and supported by an abundance of dark fruit and notes of cacao. No formal notes only r memory. This was a terrific partner to apéro-dinner on the terrace.

9/1/2021 - GL Rhone Likes this wine:

Translucent garnet colour. Really open for business here, giving bright red fruit, Forest floor and hints of dark spices on the nose. Palate is really acid driven and built around a core of sour cherry fruit, with a subtle hint of structure hidden from view. Elegant and refreshing, good to go and no need to wait on this.

8/28/2021 - GL Rhone Likes this wine:

Waxy lemon, white pepper on nose. Palate is savory rather than fruit driven, with lemon rind, vine peach, ginger in a medium to full bodied package, quite textured and concentrated, acidity is there but less than some muscadet. Paired well with rotisserie chicken, this best suited to more robust fare than shellfish and oysters...

8/5/2021 - GL Rhone Likes this wine:

Pale garnet to terra-cotta with copper highlights. Leather, red fruit and an almost oxidative quality on nose, reminiscent of port. Prune like fruit on a light to medium bodied palate, this is more savory than fruit driven, tannins are integrated and it’s the driving acidity that provides structure. Elegant, composed and entering maturity

6/25/2021 - GL Rhone Likes this wine:

Bouland strikes again! Rather than a wine of layers, to me this evokes a sense of facets on a gemstone, showing a different nature as you turn it through the light... red currant, pomegranate, violet, wet stone, cinnamon... great freshness and detail on the palate, light bodied and crunchy, this showed terrific once again. Got to be one of the top QPRs on planet wine!

6/11/2021 - GL Rhone Likes this wine:

Great showing here: colour is a pitch dark violet with slight garnet rim. A really juicy, inviting nose, with blackberry jam, licorice and hints of cacao and beef blood. Elegant and poised on the palate, medium bodied, ultra-fine tannins and ripping acidity wrapped around more juicy dark berries, with a stony and herb-inflected finish. Just a touch of heat, but so what? This is delicious!

6/20/2021 - GL Rhone Likes this wine:

Savory red fruit, dried cranberry, cherry, with an earth and leather undertow, light touches of oak. Palate has terrific acidity, more savory red fruit and firm yet filigree tannins. The whole is very elegant and wholesome. Really rather fine

4/15/2021 - GL Rhone Likes this wine:

Mmm, delish! This has settled down nicely, all dark berries, hints of meat and pepper, suave and velvety on palate with plenty of vin nature sap on the palate. Good stuff!

5/25/2021 - GL Rhone wrote:

Pitch black core, with bricking at rim. Dark cherry fruit, clove and bay leaf on nose. Palate has a slick of chalky, grainy tannin, buttresssed by loads of vibrant acidity around a core of dark fruit, with black pepper and bay leaf appearing on the finish

4/24/2021 - GL Rhone Likes this wine:

Light gold colour. Nose is savory and quite shy. I am getting wax, hay, notes of fermentation, yet with a sweetness somehow behind it all. Took 2 days for the palate to relax and reveal fruity lemon flavors to accompany the abundant mineral and acid driven body. Quite a long finish. Very Teutonic!

5/2/2021 - GL Rhone Likes this wine:

Cherries, and a certain sour quality on nose, even if rather shy. Palate is fresh and supple: light to medium bodied, little to no tannin, dark cherry fruit, high acidity, some spritz and finishes with a certain vin nature flourish. Juicy and glou glou. I liked this, but the wife hated it, 😂!

5/10/2021 - GL Rhone Likes this wine:

Pale chestnut brown colour, with garnet highlights. Nose of raisins, allspice and a hint of vanilla, rather sweet-toned aromatics. Full bodied with a creamy texture, spiced raisins, light to medium sweetness, a bit of a spike of heat but finishes quite long, with a note of orange rind or quinine bitterness.

5/21/2021 - GL Rhone Likes this wine:

Punchy, vibrant nose of ripe peaches, honey and tropical fruits, with an underlying note of biscuit. Super engaging. On the palate we are treated to a medium+ body, quite a creamy texture but a deft streak of lemon and plenty of acidity lifting this along a mineral-lined finish. Very nice indeed

6/6/2021 - GL Rhone Likes this wine:

Quite a dramatic nose on this: nectarines, sweet grapefruit, a touch of honey. Palate is medium to full bodied but with admirable acidity covering the ripe yellow fruits. Quite stony, with just a faintest hint of bitterness in the back end. Finishes with a note of menthol and caraway. Great effort to steer this right in such a hot vintage. By day 2 this seemed to lose a bit of intensity. Perhaps won’t be longest lived.

4/12/2021 - GL Rhone Likes this wine:

Not a super expressive nose, with lemon peel, stones and a whiff of petrol. Palate has remarkable chew, almost gras with loads of mineral character, just the faintest hint of sweetness manifested by ripe yellow fruit. Acidity is medium+, and there is a long grapefruit and lemon pith driven finish. Quite serious stuff
On day 2, this has both softened up on palate to better express ripe orchard fruit and seemingly gained in acidity.

4/3/2021 - GL Rhone wrote:

Shy yet rather lovely nose, all petrol, white flowers and lemon peel. Ripping acidity on palate wonderfully balanced the mild and playful sweetness, with delicate agrumes, some lemon sherbet and a pleasantly long finish. Blind I would have felt more Kabinett than Spatlese. Very nice

4/9/2021 - GL Rhone Likes this wine:

Lots of funk on the nose, followed by floral tones and red fruit. Palate is tangy, with candied red cherry, medium bodied but with a surprising charge of tannin [why surprising? It’s Nebbiolo after all! Ed.] making an appearance on the slightly drying finish.