5/30/2021 - Max_K Likes this wine:

Bloody, briny, and beautiful. Softly enveloping dark fruit on the palate, tannins fully resolved with good but not fantastic length. Not quite as crisp edged and focused as my last bottle, but a lovely example of the singular character of Cote Rotie.

4/21/2020 - Max_K Likes this wine:

This was slow out of the blocks but after three hours (in the bottle, not decanted) it blossomed into what it should be. Silky red berry fruit framed by earth and Vosne spice. Distinctly velvety medium long finish. Not absolute top shelf, but very good and fully resolved.

12/23/2019 - Max_K Likes this wine:

First night full and fleshy dark fruit accented by a subtle streak of minerals and earth. Second day it tightens up, showing a remarkable tannic structure for a 'basic' Bourgogne. Third day it unfurls again, showing a more elegant, refined expression of the dark Morey fruit from day one, with stronger earth, minerals, and herbs. Superb for its level.

4/26/2019 - Max_K Likes this wine:

Lovely wine. Long and rich and focused. Evolved considerably over the course of the dinner, showing many different facets.

8/20/2019 - Max_K Likes this wine:

Delicious with all the right olive, game, violet/floral, dark berry and garrigue elements, but didn't bring the fireworks attributed to the best bottles.

4/1/2019 - Max_K Likes this wine:

Great wine - extraordinary for the money.

11/4/2018 - Max_K wrote:

Very young, showing a lot of vintage typical red fruited baby fat, but also a lot of unintegrated oak. Surprisingly modern in character. The 2001 Suchots I drank earlier this year had wonderful Vosne spice, great texture, and didn't show any overt oak signature, so I'm hoping this just needs another 5-10 years to eat the oak and let the terroir show through.

10/16/2018 - Max_K Likes this wine:

Beautiful deep, herb-inflected velvety red fruited Langhe goodness. Not the most complex wine, but delicious and satisfying with excellent length for its level. Astounding value.

9/8/2018 - Max_K Likes this wine:

Rich, fresh, with great length. Bruised white stone-fruit, some brioche and mild oxidative notes. Just outstanding. Drunk alongside '09 DP and Krug MV 164, and the best of the three to drink today.

4/28/2018 - Max_K Likes this wine:

Beautiful wine just starting to show its stuff. Dark savory fruit with some herbal, floral, and hung meat notes. Just beginning to move from primary to secondary, but already showing great class, balance, and length. Would hold for 5-10 more years for it to really sing.

11/24/2017 - Max_K Likes this wine:

Lovely champagne, although not nearly as good as the '04.

3/9/2018 - Max_K Likes this wine:

Superb, lean, pure, mineral. There is tightly coiled richness and complexity that will fan out with time, but right now this is a wine of laser focus.

2/24/2018 - Max_K Likes this wine:

Consistently terrific wine. Rich, toasty, oxidative style with great poise and a long, luxurious finish.

4/9/2017 - Max_K Likes this wine:

Quite dark fruited and concentrated, but elegant and quite Chambolle nonetheless. Worth cellaring if you have some.

11/19/2017 - Max_K Likes this wine:

Superb richness, volume, and precision. Refined stony white fruit with a minty accent. Astounding length. Simply great wine.

11/19/2017 - Max_K Likes this wine:

Great depth, velvety texture, very Richebourg. WOTN against stop stiff competition.

10/28/2017 - Max_K Likes this wine:

Dense dark fruit with a slight smoky and roasted character. Rich and mouth filling, with plenty of acidity to balance out the fruit. Delicious and remarkably fresh, although perhaps showing more of the vintage than the vineyard.

10/12/2017 - Max_K Likes this wine:

Same as the last bottle, if not quite as vibrant and fresh. Still delicious.

7/15/2017 - Max_K Likes this wine:

Terrific, pure mineral goodness. Great attack, a little sweetness on the finish, and lots of stony citrus fruit and flowers in the middle. Terrific value.

4/8/2017 - Max_K wrote:

Better on the nose than the palate. Typical Rhone blanc notes but lacking the density and cut of better examples (e.g. Jamet CdR blanc). A little flabby and finish fades away quickly.

6/10/2017 - Max_K Likes this wine:

Interesting wine, combining that rich, white Rhone oily fruit and florally with admirable cut. Not super complex, but a good drink.

6/10/2017 - Max_K Likes this wine:

Dense, balanced, minerally, and promising, but way too young. Hold for a decade or so.

10/6/2017 - Max_K Likes this wine:

Hard to rate, as this was still closed and a bit reduced, even after considerable air. Refined mineral on the nose and attack, but a touch flabby and short on the palate. In the end, I'm not sure whether this was closed or fading. I'm giving it the benefit of the doubt based on prior experience with the producer.

7/1/2017 - Max_K Likes this wine:

Juicy dark cherry and smoky plum flavors. Framed by fresh acidity and some pleasant herbal notes with a lingering finish. This is medium bodied, drinking well now but room to improve over the midterm. Terrific QPR.

8/5/2017 - Max_K Likes this wine:

Smokey dark fruit. Some herbal inflections. Still a little young and tannic, but delicious.

6/11/2017 - Max_K Likes this wine:

Delicious but so young. Serious richness balanced by good structure, with hints of all the hung-meat/scorched earth/grilled herb complexity that will emerge with time. Distinct meaty umami goodness on the finish - reminded me really good ramen broth. Great length, and very promising. Chave for the win.

6/10/2017 - Max_K Likes this wine:

Lovely showing of classic Chablis lemon and marine character, with additional smoky hazelnut richness emerging with time and a little warmth. The richness is nicely leavened with the kind of zingy acidity I look for in Chablis. Good intensity on the mid-palate and moderate length. This won't rock your world, but it's very solid for the price, and a great compliment to the right food.

6/9/2017 - Max_K Likes this wine:

Terrific village Chambolle. Opened with typical lacy red fruit that shaded darker with air. Some mineral, earth, and herbal notes. Excellent density and length, well-balanced, with the structure to benefit from a few years of aging but showing very well now. Definitely on the hunt for more Barthod village wines.

5/24/2017 - Max_K Likes this wine:

Fascinating wine. Intense and perfumed, but very light on its feet. Brambly, leafy, dark fruit with smoked meat accents - like a blackberry cobbler with smoked bacon strewn overtop. Silky texture with a medium finish - I'm left wondering how this will evolve with the time it so clearly needs.

5/9/2017 - Max_K Likes this wine:

This isn't the most complex wine, but delicious for the (modest) money. A little closed on day one, but over the ensuring couple of days it gained texture, length, and complexity, showing the density and ripeness of the vintage. By day three, velvety black fruit with herbal, olive, and mineral notes. Terrific for $22.

5/2/2017 - Max_K Likes this wine:

Closed and inexpressive on day 1, an overnight in the fridge (and warming to around 60F) saw this really blossom on day 2. Penetrating lime, flowers, and pulverized stone on the nose. Mouth-coating texture coupled with excellent acidity on the palate. A reprise of the lime/floral/stony elements on the medium length finish, with a distinct impression of extract held in reserve. Unmistakably Puligny, and outstanding for a village wine, outclassing some premier crus.

4/14/2017 - Max_K wrote:

Surprisingly simple for a premier cru from a solid producer, with a noticeably clipped finish. Not sure if this is closed down, or just not very good.

3/25/2017 - Max_K wrote:

Nothing wrong with it, but disappointingly simple and sweet. Not even much GV character.

4/4/2017 - Max_K Likes this wine:

A little hard on day 1, with chewy tannins on the finish. Better on day 2, with velvety dark fruit, a hint of leafiness, and decent balance. The finish was moderate, and it doesn't have the acid or structure to age too much longer. Good now with lots of air, if a little simple.

3/16/2017 - Max_K Likes this wine:

Huge intensity, stunning crystalline, grippy acidity on the back end. Needs time to integrate the attack and finish, but already a beautiful and compelling wine, especially for the price. The only things missing are greater complexity and harmony which may emerge with time.

3/19/2017 - Max_K Likes this wine:

Day 1: Graceful lacy, floral accented red fruit on the nose and palate. Lithe but palate staining, with notable mineral inflections. Medium long more-ish finish. Day 2: It traded a bit of its grace for darker, more intense fruit, spice, and minerals. A terrific village wine.

3/12/2017 - Max_K Does not like this wine:

Allegedly made by Jadot. Not a bad wine, but drinking more like a very good village level wine than a grand cru. Muted nose of dark cherry fruit framed with cinnamon spice and brown sugar sweetness. Much the same on the palate, with moderate depth, intensity, and a rather short finish. Occasional flashes of greater depth and plusher texture, but lacking the structure to suggest that this has a cocoon from which something great will emerge. Disappointing for the vineyard and vintage.

2/3/2017 - Max_K Likes this wine:

Spectacular. Initially higher-toned and red-fruited, showing the (in)famous '96 acidity. But with air, it blossomed and deepened into a stupendous wine. Sweet, dark (although still red), earthy fruit. Hints of black tea and orange peel. Texture is mostly silk, but velvet peeking through here and there. Spectacular aroma, great length, and a glorious wine. I admit to being a bit dismayed by how damn good this is, because now I'll seriously consider spending the tariff to taste it again some day.

2/3/2017 - Max_K Likes this wine:

Lovely bourgogne. A touch soft at the outset, the density, energy, and length grew with a bit of air. Amazing quality for the price. Proving again that '14 is a great year in the right hands.

1/15/2017 - Max_K Likes this wine:

Good basic BDX for the price.

12/3/2016 - Max_K Likes this wine:

Beautiful slate and petrol richness. Might have been a bit fresher a few years ago, and could have used a little bit more length, but seriously good stuff.

11/12/2016 - Max_K Likes this wine:

Good VR, if still very young. Asian spice, dark fruit, and silky tannins. Elegant but with plenty of punch. Very savory and more-ish. Lots of upside here.

10/16/2016 - Max_K Likes this wine:

Concentrated with good texture, but needs at least 3-5 years to show the nuances that are just peeking through now.

11/13/2016 - Max_K Likes this wine:

Very closed right now. Dense but not showing much. Hard to know how this will evolve, although the pedigree and vintage imply promise.

10/23/2016 - Max_K Likes this wine:

This delivers what is normally a contradiction in terms: great value white burgundy. Not a ton of complexity, but all the basic element: pure white fruits, flowers, and a little stoniness. Good balance and length. A great everyday wine.

10/13/2016 - Max_K wrote:

Lovely Bourgogne fruit and texture, but where's the Chambolle character? Perhaps with more time.

10/7/2016 - Max_K Likes this wine:

This was delicious right out of the gate. Tons of balsamic infused cherries and plums, herbs, rose petal, and tar on the nose and palate. Lots of grip at first, settling down into a silky texture with a few hours air. The relatively short finish is the only evidence this comes from a lesser vintage. Delicious now, with enough structure to develop positively over the medium term. If you can keep your hands off it!

10/2/2016 - Max_K wrote:

Totally closed for business...I hope. Apple aromas and flavors on opening made me worry it was premoxed, but over the following days it showed density, texture, and length that was more promising. Fingers crossed it will show its stuff in a few years.

9/10/2016 - Max_K wrote:

Delicious wine that drank well now despite being obviously way too young. Textbook northern Rhone characteristics, although not as expressive as a Jamet CdR from the same vintage opened a few weeks back. Tons of potential, but terrific today.

8/6/2016 - Max_K Likes this wine:

Classic Chassagne with good purity, drive, density and length.