5/23/2024 - Rabun Likes this wine:

From Champs Perrières in Brochon. Classic Gevrey nose!! Wine is ready as the fruit is minimal. A great example of a terroir giving all that she can give, yet this is a village wine. That being said what I admire most about this wine is the fact that although this is a 2009 (hot vintage), there is a distinct coolness to this wine that is only found in Burgundy. Special village wine. This wine has another decade of life.

5/4/2024 - Rabun Likes this wine:

1990 vintage of this wine is magnificent. Holding beautifully yet fully resolved the wine has not gone tertiary. It's not a Vosne wine but at 34 years old it drinks very similar to Malconsorts. Beautiful nose and Vosne floral profile, Boudots gets better and better with bottle age. Balance was perfect and a great wine from Meo. This Boudots would give any Malconsorts a run for the money. For my taste, this wine is at its peak. Wow wine!

5/1/2024 - Rabun Likes this wine:

A village wine that "boxes" WAY above its classification. Allen Meadows told me this terroir is in an ideal location. It's not far from Mazi Chambertin and coupled with the great 2015 vintage this wine drinks at the 1st Cru level. Beautiful wine that's drinking very well at 9 years old. An insiders wine for sure. Beautiful Gevrey!

4/30/2024 - Rabun Likes this wine:

From 750. Bought on release and never moved. Perfect provenance. 2008 is a cool, low fruit vintage and now after 16 years, this wine is at its peak and far beyond what I ever imagined it would develop into. Perfect balance with a hint of the 2008 acidity much like 2002 and 1996, but not too much. This is a welcome experience after tasting 1999, 2009, 2015, 2018, 2019, and 2020. All ripe vintages with fruit. What this shows me is Burgundy has an uncanny ability to improve in bottle with age. 2008 has turned out to be a beautiful vintage where all facets of this wine are in perfect harmony, and I would say the wine will drink well for another decade if cellared at 55 degrees. A real joy to drink. The 2008 vintage was down played by most wine critics. They were wrong. Beautiful harmonious vintage now.

4/29/2024 - Rabun Likes this wine:

Second bottle out of a 12 bottle case. I cannot believe how resilient this Premier Cru is to time. Stunningly beautiful for a 1993 Beaune 1st Cru full well acknowledging this is the best terroir in Beaune, this wine is stunningly profound and completely resolved. As great Burgundy terroirs frequently do, "Baby Jesus" has long peaked yet is holding beyond my wildest dreams. A real shocker. Sensational for what it is.

4/25/2024 - Rabun Likes this wine:

After tasting the 2006 Dujac Clos St Denis in 750 the night before in NYC, I decided to open a magnum of Ponsot's Clos St Denis. Both wines were in almost an identical place which is at their apex and absolutely beautiful. Wonderful CSD nose and mid-weight beauty that is amazingly open for being a Grand Cru in magnum format. Really beautiful in every facet and wonderful to share with special friends. A great representation of a great producer and terroir!

4/25/2024 - Rabun Likes this wine:

Fully mature in 750, I would be inclined to drink this wine sooner rather than later. The first bottle I opened was premoxed and undrinkable. The second fully mature, and I don't see this wine improving with additional cellaring. I have 10 more bottles to enjoy, and it's clearly time to drink up. Ready and will not improve in 750 format.

Tertiary notes appearing after an hour of air.

4/21/2024 - Rabun Likes this wine:

No signs of weakness/fatigue. Great wine and an incredible value that will shock you at how well it ages. Delicious and ready with another 5+ years in a cold cellar. Enjoy!!

4/18/2024 - Rabun Likes this wine:

Shockingly good for a 30 year old Beaune 1st Cru. 100% ready and the 1993 vintage has helped this wine hold at an amazing level. A Wow wine now and testament to this great terroir- Beaune Greves. Outstanding.

4/12/2024 - Rabun Likes this wine:

Wine has an incredible ability to age. The 1988 vintage at 28 years old was absolutely singing. As such, this vintage in 750 is young and demands another 5+ years to open up and express this wonderful terroir. Nose is somewhat closed and with an hour of air begins to open. No rush here and time will reward additional bottle age. Will be great in a decade.

12/13/2023 - Rabun wrote:

1993 in magnum! Fantastic. Ready and will not improve.
Clos de Chenes takes time & at 30 years in magnum this wine is sensational! Drink up. In magnum this wine is at its peak and will not improve. Great!!! Bravo.

12/7/2023 - Rabun wrote:

Great acidity helped this wine display the spherical perfection that is Romanee Conti. Everything is in perfect balance and although this wine is now delicate it did improve after 45 minutes of air. Drink up because the acidity is noticeable but not intrusive. A real beauty at 59 years old. Wow wine!!

10/26/2023 - Rabun wrote:

From magnum format. After thirty minutes of air, this wine transformed into the magnificent Grand Cru that it is. Wow! A perfect balance of acidity, ripeness, and remaining fruit that made this magnum of Corton Charlemagne one of the best in my life. Only age, 27 years, can create such a homogeneous expression of controlled power without weight. Drink up because white Burgundy does not get any better. In the era of pre-mox, it's wonderful to see bottles/magnums that show no signs and express their greatness. This magnum was simply sensational.

8/31/2023 - Rabun Likes this wine:

From magnum. After being opened for three hours, the wine finally revealed why it is such a great Grand Cru terroir. Perfect balance and poise with Grand Cru punch. Sensational wine. Freightening to think this wine from the tannic 1993 vintage in magnum format has still not peaked. My guess is from 35 to 50 years this wine will be something truely profound. Great tonight but took a long time to reveal itself. Worth the wait!

4/21/2023 - Rabun wrote:

Having enjoyed two 750s of this wine, I have to say both bottles of the 2009 were fully resolved and absolutely beautiful!! Allen Meadows called out the fact that Pavelot makes great wines, and I can attest. This wine is beautiful and that's saying a lot for this terroir. Fully resolved and in my opinion this wine has peaked and should hold for the next 10+ years. A real beauty & for the money a real stunner!! One to buy annually. Great value that drinks well YOUNG.

4/20/2023 - Rabun Likes this wine:

Built from a style Faiveley no longer makes their wines in, this wine amazingly at 24 years old is still not ready to drink. 1999 is a wonderful vintage and coupled with this old school style of wine making this wine is going to demand 25 to 30 years to peak.

Fortunately, I get this intel from having enjoyed the 1990 a year ago which was singing at 30+ years old. Best Faiveley Les Cazetiers I've ever had. Amazing wine.

Faiveley stopped producing this type of wine after 2007 and made their style much more approachable younger.

Revisit the 1999 Les Cazetiers at 30 years old, and I'm sure this wine will be sensational!

4/8/2023 - Rabun Likes this wine:

Utterly shocking in the best way. Her wines simply age better than any other producer besides DRC. 1986 was not a great vintage, yet this wine was absolutely perfect regarding balance, nose, and tannic resolve. Wine is secondary but showing no signs of fatigue!! Everyone went silent when the wine was tasted. No one could believe this Volnay was 37 years old. Reference standard Volnay Santenots. Amazing experience!! :)

3/16/2023 - Rabun Likes this wine:

Bouchard is the largest owner of this elegant vineyard, and it shows. This beauty is on the front end of its drinking window and after 30 minutes of air it's absolutely beautiful and a wonderful representation of the Genevrieres terrior. A real beauty and for the money, an incredible value that boxes at the very top of the Premier Cru hierarchy. A real beauty!

3/6/2023 - Rabun Likes this wine:

Another sensational bottle. At its absolute peak. Delicious.

2/19/2023 - Rabun wrote:

Another sensational bottle. Fully resolved and holding beautifully well. Amazing to think this is a 20.5 year old Red Meursault. Absolutely lovely with not a single hard tannin. At its peak!!

2/19/2023 - Rabun Likes this wine:

From magnum. A cloudy wine as stated by other tasters but after 2+ hours the wine opened into the beautiful expression of the Grand Cru that it is. Ponsot reminds me of older vintages of Faiveley and Henri Gouges. These wines are built to last for decades, and they cannot be rushed. Matter of fact, the most recent bottle of 1983 Ponsot Clos de la Roche was singing showing no signs of fatigue. In short, this Grand Cru ages magnificently well and in magnum format needs a full 30 years in my opinion to peak. I will open my next magnum in a decade. Great, great terroir!

2001 is a good not great Burgundy vintage where growing conditions were challenging. Shocking how young this Ponsot magnum was because other Grand Cru wines such as Vogue Musigny & Bonnes Mares are far more approachable in 750 format.

1/27/2023 - Rabun wrote:

From magnum format. Took 30 minutes to open. Once open, a young and enjoyable village Meursault. It's good but not gifted, and for the price I paid for this magnum an incredible value that has another decade of great drinking ahead. Recommended for enjoyment.

A magnum I had two years ago was completely closed.

12/26/2022 - Rabun Likes this wine:

In 750. At its peak and an absolutely beautiful wine. Should hold for at least another decade if cellared well.

Collectors do not realize how well this "red Meausault" ages and how beautiful and refined Santenots becomes with appropriate bottle age.

A real stunner!

12/24/2022 - Rabun Likes this wine:

From magnum. Holding beautifully well, this Tesson improved with 30 minutes of air. At 20 years old, this wine has softened and harmonized into a glorious Tesson. Wine has another ten years of life in magnum format and my children were shocked to discover that this beautiful wine was as old as they are yet showing no signs of decline. A real beauty and pleasure to drink!

10/15/2022 - Rabun wrote:

Wine is fully mature and after an hour is starting to display signs of decline. For my taste, this wine after 12 years is at its peak and will not improve. Enjoy an American beauty.

2/5/2022 - Rabun Likes this wine:

For Malconsorts in 750 format this wine was shockingly approachable. Decanted for 30 minutes prior and the tannins are already barely noticeable. Beautiful wine with primary fruit displaying Malconsorts classic rose petal on the nose. Wine improved as it opened for an hour and then slowly started to fade. As other tasters note in prior CellarTracker reviews with Le Moine's Malconsorts if you have multiple bottles, I would be inclined to try one at 10 years to see where your collection is. I think this wine has a maximum 20 year run way. Very different schedule than Cathiard's Malconsorts. Not the highly structured Malconsorts I'm used to. Nice change to be able to enjoy this terroir on the younger side.

1/20/2022 - Rabun Likes this wine:

I've had 36 bottles of this wine over the past five years and if you are ever looking for a textbook example of what fully mature Santenots is supposed to taste like this is it! Fully resolved yet holding beautifully, we are at the peak. Wine is moving from fully secondary into tertiary but due to the structure of the 1993 vintage there is no rush to drink up. Sensational for a wine that has little following and is extremely affordable. Bravo!!!

11/14/2021 - Rabun Likes this wine:

From magnum. Wonderful baby Montrachet that is fully secondary and displaying the "golden honey" that Montrachet reveals when mature. At its peak and a true wine of breed. Sensational and why giving whites time to fully express their terroir reveals the intrinsic genius of white Burgundy which is unmatched. In one word, great!!!

11/14/2021 - Rabun Likes this wine:

From magnum. Sensational, fully resolved and ready. Will last another 20 years in this format. Great complexity in this format and truly a wine of harmony. I don't see this wine improving as it slowly softened over our two hour dinner. As good as this terroir can get? Yes, is my vote.

8/10/2021 - Rabun Likes this wine:

One of the best American pinots I've ever enjoyed. Drank the wine over three hours. It's at its peak and slowly faded after the second hour. Fully resolved with fading bright red cherry fruit. If you blindfolded me, I would guess a young Griotte Chambertin from Fourrier. Regardless, a beautiful wine that's fully ready. Delicious!!!

Drink up because I don't see this wine improving with additional cellaring. She's 100% ready.

5/7/2021 - Rabun Likes this wine:

First 2005 that I have noticed ullage. In addition, I can see through the wine which tells me she's ready.

I've had very few 2005s but this wine is in a great place. There are not any noticeable tannins or structure. A beautiful, ripe Volnay Santenots that is always enjoyable. Santenots is not the most elegant Volnay, but it makes up for it with longevity. I've enjoyed many from 1978 and 1993 that are magnificent and holding beautifully.

Great nose, dark color, yet completely resolved. Very enjoyable. This wine will easily hold for another decade.

If you have not enjoyed Volnay Santenots, please do. Prices for this wine are extremely favorable in every vintage!!!

3/21/2021 - Rabun Likes this wine:

From magnum. Reduction present. This wine needs another 5+ years before it's ready in magnum format. After an hour of air the wine opened, and it was beautiful. This wine is constructed to age, so be aware that in magnum format this wine will in my opinion last for 30 years. In short, Lafon makes sensation white Burgundy that will age for decades especially in magnum format.

This magnum was less than $200 on release! A far cry from the price a magnum would cost today. Sensational value.

1/12/2021 - Rabun Likes this wine:

This pinot is at least 5 years away from peaking which is surprising. We had the 2013 last night which was better balanced and more approachable now. 2010 is an extremely ripe vintage and as a result this wine is structured. After 2 hours the wine harmonizes and is delicious. Patience required but worth the wait. It's not Burgundy, but for a California wine (which are constructed differently) is delicious in a ripe fashion.

If I didn't know better, I would think I was drinking a young Griotte Chambertin.

7/23/2020 - Rabun Likes this wine:

Simply outstanding! Fully resolved and 100% secondary yet holding magnificently well. A harmonious Perrieres that delivers an emotionally moving experience that only the best white Burgundy can deliver. Best I have had along with the 1996 Pierre Morey. This bottle was perfect. Wow wine from a vintage that was extremely challenging.

7/18/2020 - Rabun Likes this wine:

Fully resolved with slight cherry notes this wine was in a perfect place to enjoy with friends. 1995 produced “hard” Burgundies that are structured wines but none of those vintage characteristic now remain after 25 years. A beautiful delicate Clos de la Roche. Liquid silk...

Always a treat to enjoy Grand Cru Burgs that are ready and this bottle was just that.

2/12/2020 - Rabun Likes this wine:

Outstanding!!! A fellow Burgundy collector and I enjoyed this wine together and were in awe how sensational it was. Absolutely no signs of premox. Fully integrated, harmonious, and beautiful with no one dominating characteristic. A wine of extreme elegance, fully mature, that delivered an emotionally moving experience. Wow wine!

2/8/2020 - Rabun wrote:

I’ve had Latour all my life. This is without question the wine of the vintage, and in magnum format it’s the best fully mature vintage of Latour that I have had in magnum format. I’ve had both the 750 and magnum format. They are both sensational with the magnum being noticeably younger and more powerful. Incredible drinking experience. Wow wine!!!

This shows you in great vintages how Latour separates itself from almost all other Bordeaux wines. Unreal!

12/18/2019 - Rabun Likes this wine:

Fully mature, ready and beautiful. She’s not white Burgundy, but she is quite the beauty. Nothing quite like this wine. Uniquely Riesling. Delicious.

12/14/2019 - Rabun Likes this wine:

Wine is simply in a magnificent place. Fully resolved with the perfect blend of terroir and mature fruit. We drank 4 bottles of this wine at dinner, and they were all perfect. The best representation of Volnay Santenots that I have ever had. We drank several bottles of the 1993 as well. It is beautiful, but the fruit has faded with the terroir shining through. Both were sensational wines just different wines based on their evolution.

Volnay Santenots is a great wine that needs at least a decade to express itself and will last for 40 years in a great vintage.

12/5/2019 - Rabun Likes this wine:

From magnum in NYC. Wonderful Chambolle nose! This wine is already approachable and although it’s technically a village wine it’s as beautiful as they come. Does not have the power or complexity of Bonnes Mares or Roumiers’ Les Cras, but the benefit is a wine that is approachable now at a price point that is incredibly affordable. An off the charts value from a tough vintage that is not showing any of the green nature that early tasters described the 2011 vintage as possessing.

Boxes well above it’s weight. Delicious!!!

7/10/2019 - Rabun Likes this wine:

A baby Griotte? Very nice now & will only improve out to 20 years due to the great 2015 vintage. Bottle 1 of 12.

A wine to buy in hot, ripe vintages like 2015 & 2018.

Great value!!!

6/26/2019 - Rabun Likes this wine:

Best 2000 vintage Burgundy I have tasted. At 19, she is gorgeous and transitioning into full maturity. Tasted in London, so this bottle has never left Europe. If not at her peak, the wine is so good now it’s hard to resist. The classic elegance of this terroir sings from the bottle we tasted. Not a heavy weight Grand Cru, but the most gorgeous expression of Morey. A real treat to enjoy with great friends in London. She should drink well for at least another decade. Delicious!

6/26/2019 - Rabun Likes this wine:

A monumental La Mission that will see it’s 100th birthday in magnum format. Tasted in London so the wine has never left Europe. A massive La Mission that manages its power with controlled elegance of this great terroir. The wine has peaked yet will remain outstanding for another 25 years in magnum. An emotionally moving La Mission. Wow wine!!! One of the greatest vintages of this wine and the last from the Delmas family.

6/26/2019 - Rabun Likes this wine:

Opened in London in magnum format. Incredibly young and concentrated. Outstanding for a 23 year old village wine. No signs of age here as the wine held beautifully for two hours in my glass. Clearly not a Grand Cru, but this showing is a tribute to what perfect provenance can do for a wine. Excellent nose, color, body, and concentration. A beauty!

6/26/2019 - Rabun Likes this wine:

Tasted in London in magnum format. 1st Cru in everything but name. In magnum, this wine has peaked but is not showing any signs of fatigue and will easy last another decade. A beautiful Tessons that evolved in my glass for over three hours becoming more lovely (honey element) every hour. Truly great for what she is. Enhanced in every way by the magnum format. Delicious.

6/24/2019 - Rabun Likes this wine:

From magnum in London. As classic of a Palmer nose as any vintage of this wine. Absolutely beautiful!
Resolved tannins and although this wine will last another 20 years in magnum format, it is in a beautiful transition from primary to secondary nuisances. 2001 produced wines of finesse over power, and this is an absolute beauty. If you prefer wines with secondary characteristics, give this wine another five plus years.

6/12/2019 - Rabun Likes this wine:

Absolutely sensational!!! A 2 minute flash decant to get the wine open with the wine then returned to bottle and what followed was a one hour crescendo of transformation/elegance/and beauty that only La Tâche can deliver!!! Fully resolved and holding beautifully at 53 years old. A nose of perfect flowers, and the balance of this bottle was perfect. A gift from God that an old friend and I were privileged to share. An emotionally moving experience!

3/7/2019 - Rabun Likes this wine:

Young wine at 8.5 years old. Strong menthol nose that slightly disapaited after decanting and 30 minutes of air. This wine will be at its peak from 15 to 25 years old. A good, not great wine that is worthy of its 1st Cru status in the Burgundian hierarchy. Fun to drink after the 1995 Henri Gouge Les St Georges which is fully ready. Another 5 years will only help this wine reveal its terroir.

3/7/2019 - Rabun Likes this wine:

Typical 1995 with huge structure. Wine was completely closed aromatically when opened. After 30 minutes, the beauty of this terroir started to reveal itself. I would say this wine is just entering its prime drinking window at 24 years old and will drink at its peak for the next decade. I worry a little that the structure of the 1995 vintage will outlast the fruit. A great bottle of wine that has aged magnificantly well. A Gouge wine that is finally ready. ��

2/13/2019 - Rabun Likes this wine:

Finally a Bonnes Mares that is ready! Simply incredible. Complex, fully resolved and basically perfect. The acidity is still NOT a factor at 33.5 years old! And they said the 1985 vintage would not age well. This wine needs to be consumed in the next 5 years if this bottle is indicative of the case. It started to slowly fade after 30 minutes in my glass. Delicious & stunning wine.