2/10/2024 - jrh82 Likes this wine:

This one needed a lot of time in the glass, and honestly was way better day 2. Was quite overwhelming initially. I love the size and opulence of Lassaigne's wine in general, and on the Vignes de Mongueux it strikes the right balance from the first whiff - whereas on the Le Cotet it was initially a bit much. Making it slightly difficult to love immediately. BUT, with time in the glass - woah - what a wine! The wine found its feel, kept the amazing opulence but countered with with freshness and elegance. I can see why Mr. Lassaigne recommends to drink his wines from Burgundy glasses. They really do need the space to unfold. Top wine!

3/4/2024 - jrh82 Likes this wine:

Another amazing bottle from this great producer. I have yet to had a bad bottle from Cedric Bouchard. While not quite up there with 2015 Boloree, it still delivered the goods. Plenty of stuffing from the 100% Pinot Noir, but balanced with the elegance that this producer always seems to deliver. This has got to be the new grand daddy of Grower Champagne movement - taking over from a certain Selosse.

2/10/2024 - jrh82 Likes this wine:

I loved this wine, great balance of fruit and acidity. Also had the x-factor from great wines.

3/4/2024 - jrh82 Likes this wine:

As always, simply amazing. Intensity of fruit combined with elegance and grace.

11/25/2023 - jrh82 wrote:

Plenty of synthetic notes. For me, didn't seem like a correct bottle.

3/4/2024 - jrh82 wrote:

Phew, this wine is not ready. Decanted for let breathe for 5-6 hours and still it wasn't open for business. Very dark and dense fruit, chocolatey, you could certainly feel the alcohol. Nowhere near ready. But underneath it all you could feel the quality. This will be a great wine one day - but keep it for another 5-10 years.

3/4/2024 - jrh82 Likes this wine:

93-94 pts. Very nice, red apples, fairly full bodied, lots of fruit. Only drawback was that already on day 2 it was starting to gently decline. Some more oxidative notes, was nicer on day 1 with more freshness. But overall another great showing by Bereche. Their Mailly GC in 2016 was breathtaking.

11/11/2023 - jrh82 Likes this wine:

Still 5-10 years to early. Took 1,5 hours in the glass to come around, but a great wine is sitting there ready to come out one day.

12/31/2022 - jrh82 Likes this wine:

Spectacular wine, has got it all, great acidity, structue, complexity. Just a hair behind Mev Kirsten.

4/15/2023 - jrh82 Likes this wine:

I really like this wine, though lacks some of the complexity found in the old vine series wines.

7/22/2023 - jrh82 Likes this wine:

Great wine, what a gem. The king of single vineyard South Africa Chenin Blanc in my eyes.

5/26/2023 - jrh82 Likes this wine:

Finally, this is starting to open up and show some brightness. The first 2 bottles were to dark for me, but now things are happening.

2/4/2022 - jrh82 Likes this wine:

Stole the show a bit from Ruchottes on the night - even better acidity, becoming a big fan of this vineyard. Bernard Moreau also makes a strong Vergers.

2/4/2022 - jrh82 Likes this wine:

Verg good, fairly big, but much fresher than 2017

4/14/2023 - jrh82 Likes this wine:

Even better than expected, touch of natural wine, a joy to drink. Maybe some upside here too?

2/4/2022 - jrh82 Likes this wine:

Laser sharp, nice use of oak. These wines keep getting better and better it seems.

2/4/2022 - jrh82 Likes this wine:

Love this cuvee

8/7/2023 - jrh82 Likes this wine:

Pretty epic one it got going, started a bit big and slightly clunky, however with air and time it became amazing, kept improving day-by-day in the week following.

7/14/2023 - jrh82 Likes this wine:

Good wine, but was expecting more, very tighly wound.

8/7/2023 - jrh82 Likes this wine:

Amazing qpr.

2/4/2022 - jrh82 Likes this wine:

Fantastic!

2/4/2022 - jrh82 Likes this wine:

Stunnnig, and kept going the whole week without falling apart.

8/7/2023 - jrh82 Likes this wine:

Great Chablis. I'm going to settle for 92 pt as 2 of 3 bottles were 93+ however one slighly disappointing bottles also at 90-91. Some bottle variantion in other words.

6/2/2023 - jrh82 Likes this wine:

Absolutely brilliant, deep and complex, rich without being heavy. One of my Champagne highlights in 2023.

7/28/2023 - jrh82 Likes this wine:

This is a fantastic wine, rich but elegant, very Meursault. Keep evolving in the glass. Brillantly integrated oak, medium acidity, long and deep aftertaste. Probably my best experience with California Chardonnay. And amazing qpr of course.

5/9/2023 - jrh82 Likes this wine:

Just love these wines - could drink them every day. Crisp, mineral, complex, great fruit profile. Anything you could want from a Champagne really.

4/7/2023 - jrh82 Does not like this wine:

I really wanted to like this - but ultimately didn't. The quality in the wine is there for sure. But flavour wise it's just not for me. There is a vegative factor there which is just too large to ignore. Not a bad wine, but not a match for me.

5/9/2023 - jrh82 wrote:

To be honest, I was expecting more from this producer. This was my first bottle and the producer is pretty hyped so was expecting big things. But it was only perfectly fine. No faults, but not much exciting going on either. Could very well be that the wine is way too young to show anything. Next bottle in 5 years.

2/4/2023 - jrh82 wrote:

To be honest, I was expecting more from this producer. This was my first bottle and the producer is pretty hyped so was expecting big things. But it was only perfectly fine. No faults, but not much exciting going on either. Could very well be that the wine is way too young to show anything. Next bottle in 5 years.

5/9/2023 - jrh82 wrote:

Not a lot has happened in 1 year. This is very straight Chablis for me - lacking personality and depth.

5/9/2023 - jrh82 Likes this wine:

I'm not a big fan of Bojo. But if I am to drink it - it has to be Yvon Metras. There is a seriousness to the wines which I don't get in other wines from this area. This though is a good wine for summer and bbq's.

5/9/2023 - jrh82 Likes this wine:

Just love these wines, so rich but was crackling acidity to go along. A bit different, not for everyones liking, a far cry from Taittinger or Roederer's sleek and perfect style. A saw a reference to sour beer which is pretty accurate. Doesn't sounds so good in a Champagne - but with thsi producer it is.

5/9/2023 - jrh82 Likes this wine:

Great Village in a challenging year. Still, Lafon brings the goods with all the characteristics you expect from one of his wine; perfectly ripe fruit, beautifully integrated oak, nice freshness. Very "Lafon" wine.

11/6/2021 - jrh82 wrote:

This is the closest I've come to a disappointing wine from my favourite producer of red Burgundy. This wine should have been epic, but was only "good". Didn't have the smooth lush fruit, combined with silky tannins and freshness - rather a good wine but lacking the x factor and overall a bit square in the structure of the wine. Can't win them all.

5/9/2023 - jrh82 Likes this wine:

Cracking wine, nowhere near mature with lots more development to go, but drinking beautifully already today. Amazing harmony between the fruit and acidity, kept developing in the glass, quite a bit of fresh peach along with ripe lemon on the nose. There is an upside to this wine - buy this producer before it's too late.

2/4/2023 - jrh82 wrote:

Good wine, but was perhaps expecting a bit more. Fairly massive, quite ripe (overly so?) fruite. Drank like a mature DP. Lacked some freshness. But if big poweful Champagne is what you're after then this wine ticks that box no doubt.

5/9/2023 - jrh82 Likes this wine:

Excellent wine and great qpr. Great introduction to Alheit style of purity and elegance.

2/13/2021 - jrh82 Likes this wine:

Great wine, nowhere near its peak, but drinking beautifully, flamboyant fruit, spice, great intensity to the fruit, great ripe tannins.

10/28/2022 - jrh82 Likes this wine:

Super wine, love the intensity to the fruit, better acidity than Maltroie 19. Such a great house-style, not flashy but such elegance and intensity.

10/29/2022 - jrh82 Likes this wine:

Elegant as always, very young, not quite as approachable and detailed as 17's have been for a while. But this wine has such potential, great length, won't be opening the next bottle until 5-10 years from now.

12/7/2022 - jrh82 wrote:

Drunk during a big Krug vertical from 06 - 88. This 90 was showing its maturity, a bit tired, not as energetic as obviously 06, but neither as 96, 02, 04 etc. But there were some nice features there, nice fruit, suspect better bottles out there.

12/3/2022 - jrh82 wrote:

Brilliant crowd pleaser. Impossible not to like. Abundance of fruit, mostly cherry, some strawberry too. Not the most complex of wines, nor the most "Chambolle-esque" either. But so approachable and charming.

6/11/2022 - jrh82 wrote:

Damn, I may have bought a less than optimal batcb of BdB 13. Had this back in 2021 and it was amazing, but with the subsequent 3 bottles has felt a bit off, lacking the crisp acidity and overall fruit. What a shame. A friend popped one of his bottles and it was stunning.

9/24/2022 - jrh82 Likes this wine:

Very freshing, sleek, clean and elegant wine. Recommended.

8/22/2022 - jrh82 Likes this wine:

Great wine, lots of potential, I drank mine too soon to be honest

8/22/2022 - jrh82 Likes this wine:

Very close to perfection. 3rd bottle and it just keeps getting better and better. This is the essence of elegance. Clean as a whistle, long, perfect balance of fruit, minerality. A bit like time stops when you drink it. This is a 100-pointer no doubt in a decade or so.

6/25/2022 - jrh82 wrote:

Bit too dark for me at the moment, missing the effortless elegance as I have come to expect from Rinaldi's LN. At the moment, to be kept in the cellar for a few more years.

6/11/2022 - jrh82 wrote:

Meh, hope this builds a bit more body / flesh with age.

7/30/2022 - jrh82 Likes this wine:

Woah, what a great classic Barolo. Rose petals, tare, you name it, and tannins were silky smooth and had melted into the wine perfectly. This is what Barolo is all about.

8/22/2022 - jrh82 Likes this wine:

Great stuff, nice nose of ripe apples and rhubarb, nice juicy mouthfeel. This is going to get even better with time. Will wait 5-10 years until I open the next bottle though.