3/10/2024 - Seb Frefranc wrote:

corked

2/10/2024 - Seb Frefranc wrote:

Fine Vosne Romanée. On spot now. Rather subtle and elegant than expressive. Good balance of fruit, spicy and earth notes. Impressively fresh.

1/9/2024 - Seb Frefranc wrote:

Needs a lot of air right now to open up. You feel the power. A fresh Gigondas from a wonderful vintage in the Rhone valley. Keep and wait a few more years.

8/12/2023 - Seb Frefranc Likes this wine:

Decent Médoc. Goes very well right now.

5/18/2023 - Seb Frefranc Likes this wine:

Already yery good. As usual. Great balance of fruit and minerality. Great balance of acidity and creaminess. What a lovely texture. Love this stuff. Be patient and this will even be better! 93+

5/1/2023 - Seb Frefranc wrote:

Drinks well now. Has the characteristics of the 2010 vintage, but lacks a bit of depth.

1/14/2023 - Seb Frefranc Likes this wine:

Showing surprisingly well. A cocktail of spices and herbs. Drink now!

1/7/2023 - Seb Frefranc wrote:

Very consistent with my last experience in 2019. Still surprisingly fresh. Garrigue. Smoke. Excellent QPR.

12/31/2022 - Seb Frefranc wrote:

Totally agree with Bandreas' TN.

7/19/2022 - Seb Frefranc wrote:

Drinks very well now. Truly Chateuneuf du Pape. At 16°C it is so much in balance. Still young. Lots of fruits and herbs. But also coming with an impressive minerality. Years to go. But already sexy now.

5/20/2022 - Seb Frefranc Likes this wine:

This Ribera del Duero drinks perfectly now. Still has some fruit and power of its youth but has gained complexity with some initial tertiary aromas. An amating acidity keeps pushing this wine alive through the journey over your palate. Exciting stuff with leathrr, tobacco, marzipan and dark fruit.

5/20/2022 - Seb Frefranc Likes this wine:

A game changer. Obviously just entering its drinking window but very impressive in its youth. The nose is a tremendous expression of Burgundy-styled Chardonnay paired with lovely brioche tones. Fine bubbles, long vibrant finish. A great effort as usual for this wine. Drink now and over the next 20 years.

5/15/2022 - Seb Frefranc Likes this wine:

Decent Pomerol. Needs some time to open up. Rather a lighter style. Quite a nice nose with fresh red fruit and lots of minerality. Good texture with grainy tannins, which will integrate more softly over the next years. The dominant mineral elements show up again. I do not think that this is a true long-distance runner. I guess that this will peak between 2027-2032. 91-93+

5/14/2022 - Seb Frefranc wrote:

The wine shows very mature. Nose is marked by cooked fruit, some coffee, chocolate. A bit liqueur-like with oxidized notes. Still quite fresh on the palate with a well integrated acidity. Lots of licorice. Nice structure with fine tannins. Matured Grenache dominates. Good example of mature Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Drink definitely now.

5/14/2022 - Seb Frefranc wrote:

Very consistent with my notes from January 2020. Still drinks perfectly now. This bottle showed some barnyard initially, which blew off after 30 min.
Drink now (but no need for rush).

5/7/2022 - Seb Frefranc Likes this wine:

Great stuff. Truly rather big and modernly styled. Intense nose of spices, dark fruit and elements of barrel oak. On the palate the wine is polished and pretty fresh. Good harmony. Impressive.

4/30/2022 - Seb Frefranc wrote:

The wine is now beginning to enter its decline phase. Still quite a nice nose with typical Burgundy Chardonnay notes. The well balanced feeling, however, starts to desintegrate and shows quite a sharp acidity. Still a good fellow with food which needs some freshness.

4/30/2022 - Seb Frefranc wrote:

Interesting (mature) nose with notes of dark fruit, some herbs and leather. Light to medium volume. Bright acidity. Still quite a bit tannic. Goes well with food but rather already past peak.

4/30/2022 - Seb Frefranc wrote:

Cork

4/25/2022 - Seb Frefranc Likes this wine:

Incredible stuff. The vintage was really tough and challenging. Mouton found the right balance despite all the difficulties. 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc. According to Hervé Gouin, this Mouton ranges some where between the 2014 and the 2015.
The balance is just amazing. Great structure with already ultrafine tannins. Exciting Mouton nose. Fruit and graphite. Extra long finish. Great. Ahead of Lafite.
99-100

4/12/2022 - Seb Frefranc Likes this wine:

First try was shortly after botteling. Now almost 4 years Kater second try (drank completely blind).
The wine has made quite some development. It presents pretty open directly after pulling the cork. Unmistakably, this is big Southern Rhone. Almost unmistakably, this is Clos des Papes. The nose shows a compott of cooked fruit, coffee and the typical "Avril herbs" . On the palate, this beauty is well structured. The acidity is amazing and brings a wonderful freshness to this beast featuring heavy 15.5% alc. I am very curious about the further development. Currently 95 points.

4/9/2022 - Seb Frefranc Likes this wine:

I am very thankful to have had the honor to drink this elixir from a great bottle. Top shoulder. Cork soaked but complete. Right from the start powerful and rich. This is incredible stuff. Everything is dense and so balanced. The tannins are ultrafine and give this 40 year old wine the backbone. This is why Bordeaux is Bordeaux... This is why 82 is 82... This particular bottle was at prime. I could also give the 100 points but just want to save it for one little more notch (whatever that might be) ...

3/27/2022 - Seb Frefranc Likes this wine:

Bottle and cork in perfect condition. Wine fully tertiary. But not oxidized. Still quite fresh with some minerality. Drinks very well. Not a GREAT wine (but that was not the expectation) but really a FUN wine for those who love mature Bordeaux.

3/26/2022 - Seb Frefranc Likes this wine:

Stunner. Starting to get approachable. A true success for the vintage. Decent Pauillac. Needs lots of air. Will forget the next bottles for years.
94+

1/21/2022 - Seb Frefranc Likes this wine:

Amazing 100% Pinot Blanc. Deep. Colourful. Alice. Sexy. Chapeau Famille Buecher.

12/30/2021 - Seb Frefranc Likes this wine:

Perfect bottle, perfect cork. Initially a bit compact. With air getting open. Lots of pencil shavings and dark (very dark) chocolate. Good intensity. Currently maybe lacks a bit of complexity. Some missing fruit (given its youth appearance) would round it up and make it even more approachable. Still years ahead to develop further. 94+

11/6/2021 - Seb Frefranc Likes this wine:

Excellent bottle. So young, so fresh, so deep. Great emotional elixir.

10/31/2021 - Seb Frefranc Likes this wine:

Perfect example how great Cabernet Franc can grow in the Loire Valley. Probably at peak now. But at a stable level.

10/31/2021 - Seb Frefranc Likes this wine:

Consistently great with still upward potential. High complexity. Very typical Simone Blanc.

10/29/2021 - Seb Frefranc wrote:

Simply structured. Rather one dimensional. Some pretty Chenin fruit. Bubbles rather big.

10/1/2021 - Seb Frefranc Likes this wine:

Typcial Cab Franc expression. Very much on the spicy site. Really a nice wine to enjoy. Drink now and over the next 5 to 10 years.

9/30/2021 - Seb Frefranc Likes this wine:

Fabulous stuff! Great Pinot, very Burgundian style. Simply enjoy now and over the next 5 to 10 years.

9/24/2021 - Seb Frefranc Likes this wine:

Surprisingly great Rosé. Pretty close to Tempier. The 2019 US the first vintage for which I dare this comparison. But it is true. Lots of spices and this wonderful minerality. Let's see how consistent La Suffrene can deliver in future.

9/20/2021 - Seb Frefranc Likes this wine:

That will become fantastic stuff after years of cellaring. If you open a bottle now, the wine appears initially a bit muted and dusty. With some time, first aromas of Cabernet shine through, however, still all in all a bit "dirty" and unbalanced. Tannic structure. After more than 6 hours with lots of aeration, the wine starts to show its beauty. More red fruity notes from the syrah appear. The "dirty" aromas become become tame and metamorphose to provencal herbs. Everything starts to get rounder. There is a compelling minerality in the background. I assume the wine will get muted completely in a few month and will do its beauty rest. Give it 10 years minimum in the cellar, better 15 years... 93+++

8/30/2021 - Seb Frefranc Likes this wine:

Highly interesting and experimental stuff. Deeply ripe Riesling nose. On the palate incredible fresh. Great stuff!

8/28/2021 - Seb Frefranc Likes this wine:

Very impressive show in 2021. Explosive nose. Oak fully integrated. On the palate very balanced with lots of power. Lovely to drink now.

8/1/2021 - Seb Frefranc Likes this wine:

Lovely stuff. Made from Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir, while parts of the Pinot Noir are made as Real red wine.

Exciting fresh and mineral nose. Lovely texture with fine bubbles and long finish. For my taste, a bit more "brut" would even refine this beauty.

7/24/2021 - Seb Frefranc Likes this wine:

I love Tempier Rosé. Maybe their Rosé is the most consistently good one if you look over the vintages. The 2020 displays all the traces of becoming another success. Obviously, still in its youth with lots of primary fruit. The minerality already shines through but will probably become more dominant over the upcoming years. On the palate, you find a well structured wine. Fresh acidity but also oily elements. Loads of power and a good finish. Give this beauty a few years in the cellar for more minerality or drink it now if you like the fruit style.

7/23/2021 - Seb Frefranc wrote:

Nice pop and pour wine. Ready for business. Some red fruit paired with sous bois. Already quite evolved. Starts to develop some oxidation notes after a few hours. Drink now. No need to wait.

7/21/2021 - Seb Frefranc Likes this wine:

Good effort of this estate. Starts showing to be approachable in its very youth right now. Typical Saint Estephe. Right after opening big, oaky and a bit unpolished. With some time over the day, the minerality comes through. The oak integrates. Everything gets balanced and settled. Will improves over the next 10 to 15 years. Probably a great bargain if bought ~50 Euro.

7/5/2021 - Seb Frefranc Likes this wine:

Fantastically open right now. Shows the typical Trévallon signature. Deeply black fruit, spicy, iron. Great texture. Long finish.

6/5/2021 - Seb Frefranc wrote:

Initially a bit hubba bubba cinnamon paired with some roasty aromas. With air getting better. Spicy Pinot noir styled then. Smooth but fresh. Really nice after 2 hours.

5/13/2021 - Seb Frefranc Likes this wine:

This is wonderfully drinking now. Still so much in balance. Really great stuff if opened from a perfectly stored bottle. That is Bordeaux.

4/9/2021 - Seb Frefranc Likes this wine:

Fantastic. Lots of tension with good lively acidity. Fruit and spices. Still time left to drink this up slowly... Great effort by Ludwig Kreuzberg and Frank Josten!

3/9/2021 - Seb Frefranc wrote:

Still alive. Lots of cassis. To be enjoyed with food.

3/6/2021 - Seb Frefranc wrote:

Agree with the review by PHILLYVINE2112. Really nicely drinking now with a good mixture of fruit and notes from bottle age.

3/6/2021 - Seb Frefranc wrote:

Amazingly open nose of typical Sauvignon Blanc and some well integrated wood in the background. Creamy texture but enough acidity to hold balance. Drink now and over the next few years.

2/23/2021 - Seb Frefranc wrote:

Typical Pauillac style. But not outstanding. Nose already quite evolved with some tertiary aromas. On the palate fresh, fine and long. Tannins still a bit grainy.

2/23/2021 - Seb Frefranc wrote:

Easy drinking.

2/20/2021 - Seb Frefranc wrote:

Very typical expression. This Saint Aubin comes close to the Puligny style. Lots of minerality. Great fun!