5/29/2011 - bbrantley wrote:

Really like this last fall, but this bottle was awful. Disjointed, stewed and very hot. One more left hopefully its more like the first than the second.

4/30/2011 - bbrantley wrote:

After crumbled cork this started out slightly musty, but that blew away quickly (no decant). Got more expansive and rounded out as we drank the bottle. Beautiful aromas of spicy fruit and tea. Smooth on the palate with freshness but no noticeable tannic grip. Very pretty.

3/13/2011 - bbrantley wrote:

Liked this a lot. Lots of primary dark fruit, mixed with some tobacco/smokiness and a little spice. Tannins were there but not overpowering. Nice long finish.

3/10/2011 - bbrantley wrote:

Disappointing. Didn't find the minerality or acidic tension that I think of when I think of Chablis. Round and citrusy without much of a backbone.

3/10/2011 - bbrantley wrote:

Oak has calmed down from the last time, but it certainly still there. Integrates nicely with the fruit. Solid.

2/26/2011 - bbrantley wrote:

Drank this over two nights. It was in the decanter the whole time and just got better and better. Pretty nose that combined floral notes and chocolate. Nicely textured on the palate, with good dark fruit, chewy tannins and a long finish. Definitely one where the last glass leaves you wanting more.

2/26/2011 - bbrantley wrote:

Delicious. Lots and lots of fruit and good acidity.

2/25/2011 - bbrantley wrote:

Light nose...lemon peel and apple. Slight effervescence on the palate, which is a little hollow, showing the same fruit as the nose. Finish suggests just a hint of acidity, but not really enough to hold this together and make it interesting. Nothing unpleasant about this, but nothing to get excited about either.

2/21/2011 - bbrantley wrote:

Thought this was nice. Tight, earthy nose, showing hints of chocolate, tobacco and a little cherry. Good fruit on the palate, with slight tannins, not much acidity but good fruit. Good food fine...simple and straightforward with no real flaws.

2/19/2011 - bbrantley wrote:

Delicious. Sweet floral notes on the nose, smooth and seamless on the palate...light but by no means hollow. Sweet plums on a very long finish.

2/17/2011 - bbrantley wrote:

Beautiful nose...dark cherries, a little spice, a hint of cola. Dark red fruit on the palate. Nice mouthfeel with soft acidity and (just a) touch of drying tannins. Very pretty.

2/17/2011 - bbrantley wrote:

Pretty nose but a little tight. Hints of toast and berries and a little green apple. To me the this was all red fruit on the palate, with a little sour apple on the finish. Nice mousse and good mouthfeel. Long finish. Liked it but like the yeasty profile of other champagnes better than this.

2/11/2011 - bbrantley wrote:

Showed very well. Pretty, serious nose showing dark fruit, coffee and smoke. Very good concentration and a lush mouthfeel, with sweet tannins and a good balance between the fruit and acidity. Long finish. Drinking well right now.

2/3/2011 - bbrantley wrote:

Didn't show as well as the previous bottles, but improved over the night so maybe lots air is the key. Biggest complaint is a bell pepper note that I don't recall from the previous bottles. This obscured the rest of the aromatics for me. Nice texture in the mouth and the tannins are definitely resolved.

2/3/2011 - bbrantley wrote:

Drank this over two days. Just could not get over the bell pepper aromas and flavors in this one. Really didn't seem at all to me like the other notes here. The pepper aromas did not fade by day 2, but by the end of the night, the nose had taken on a medicinal quality that was no more appealing than the pepper.

1/22/2011 - bbrantley wrote:

Drank over two nights. After 24 hours in the decanter, this was really good. Good plum-like fruit, smooth tannins and excellent concentration.

1/17/2011 - bbrantley wrote:

First 08 Bordeaux...Nice fruit on the nose and on the palate. Nice soft mouthfeel with just a hint of structure. Good concentration and a long finish. This was straightforward with lots of fruit, but very pleasant. Promising.

1/16/2011 - bbrantley wrote:

Delicious again. Citrus, crushed rocks and yeast on the nose. The best part of this wine is always the mouthfeel...just a caressing mousse. Long citrusy finish. Still a favorite.

1/16/2011 - bbrantley wrote:

Nice Beaujolais nose with a hint of spicy oak. Big and slightly tannic on the palate. This was delicious.

1/16/2011 - bbrantley wrote:

A little tight on the nose with some grapey gamay aromas lurking around. Nicely concentrated and tannic. Might have used a decant, actually. Very nice.

1/16/2011 - bbrantley wrote:

Gobs of straightforward, clean gamay fruit. In the very clean Jadot style. Simple but definitely enjoyable.

1/13/2011 - bbrantley wrote:

A little leafy on the nose...with some nice dark cherry aromas and touch of menthol (?). A bit rustic and sour on the palate with low acidity but good concentration. Surprisingly long. Nice, but maybe under-performing for a 1er.

7/24/2010 - bbrantley wrote:

From memory, so nothing detailed, but this was delicious. Certainly ready to drink.

1/11/2011 - bbrantley wrote:

Delicious. Definite vintage port character with plum/raisin fruit, a little heat and noticeable but not overbearing tannins. Finished long and pure. Tremendous value for less than $20.

1/6/2011 - bbrantley wrote:

Drank over two nights. This has nice depth on the nose...strong aromas of red fruit, cherries and a (very) little vanilla. Not super-complex, but very pleasant. Nice mouthfeel on this with better than expected concentration of red cherry flavors. Pretty round until the end when a bit of acidity kicks in. Finishes pretty long. Much better than I expected.

12/26/2010 - bbrantley wrote:

Corked.

1/3/2011 - bbrantley wrote:

Second bottle. Also full of VA. Also down the drain. Great.

1/3/2011 - bbrantley wrote:

Full of VA. Down the drain.

12/10/2010 - bbrantley wrote:

This was totally shut down. After about 24 hours in the decanter it was drinkable, but still really tight. Seems like there is good fruit there, but right now its hiding behind a wall of tannins. Let it sleep some more.

12/10/2010 - bbrantley wrote:

Consistent with previous notes.

12/4/2010 - bbrantley wrote:

Delicious...has shed some acidity over the past year, but is still holding together nicely. Creaminess is overtaking the citrus, but both are still there.

10/4/2010 - bbrantley wrote:

Good concentration, pretty aromatics and resolved tannins. Feels like it could resolve more, but drinking well right now.

9/15/2010 - bbrantley wrote:

Definite improvement again. More weight and more character, with a little spciiness on the nose. Good concentration and a long finish.

9/14/2010 - bbrantley wrote:

This was nice, if a bit rustic. Had great concentrated fruit and smooth, if not elegant, tannins. Obviously very young, will be interesting to see if the remaining bottles improve.

9/9/2010 - bbrantley wrote:

This was nice. Had some Graves character on the nose. Soft on the palate, perhaps a touch overripe. Not serious depth, but pleasant.

9/6/2010 - bbrantley wrote:

Great minerally, spicy nose. Smooth and elegant on the palate, with no obtrusive tannins and a silk mouthfeel. Good length. This is drinking very well right now.

9/2/2010 - bbrantley wrote:

Dull and slightly sour. Seemed tired.

8/25/2010 - bbrantley wrote:

Much better than the first two bottles of the 1/2 case (one in December 09, another in January 10). Those seemed overly tart and perhaps a little thin. This bottle was lovely, with more weight less tartness. Savory/iron aromas on the nose. The palate has rounded a bit, but there are still noticeable tannins. Hopefully this will continue to improve.

8/9/2010 - bbrantley wrote:

Same impression as before. Perfectly fine wine, but not at all worth the price.

8/3/2010 - bbrantley wrote:

Consistent with previous note.

7/24/2010 - bbrantley wrote:

Fairly simple...well made, but without much character or depth. Apricot and peach, but not enough botrytis spice to make it interesting.

7/19/2010 - bbrantley wrote:

Consistent with previous note. Very pretty aromatics on this one.

7/10/2010 - bbrantley wrote:

Consistent with previous notes. Delicious

7/10/2010 - bbrantley wrote:

Note from memory...delicious lemon citrus fruit with a little oaky richness, but the wine held its richness lightly and finished very clean. Delicous

6/26/2010 - bbrantley wrote:

Consistent with previous notes. A little funkier, perhaps.

6/25/2010 - bbrantley wrote:

I had good memories of this from a year or so ago, but this one 50/50 chardonnay/PN blend. Pinot seemed much more evident and the darker berries present on the nose. Very nice mouthfeel, though. The acidity is there, but soft. Nice long finish.

6/25/2010 - bbrantley wrote:

A little closed on the nose (even with a few hours in the decanter), but showed some cherries, plums and maybe a little bit coffee. Definitely a lot of structure on the palate, as others have noted, but there is plenty of fruit as well. Finish is long and pure with plums and cherries. Definite potential here.

6/16/2010 - bbrantley wrote:

Last of the batch and as good as the previous ones. Has definitely gained a little richness and dropped a little acidity, but this is still pure, citrusy, piercing Chablis.

6/12/2010 - bbrantley wrote:

Interestingly floral on the nose, with some sappiness and meatier savory notes. On the palate the texture is wonderful and the fruit is pure, dark and red falling into the finish without any hard edges. Tannins are completely resolved. This finishes long with lingering dark fruit. Have had several bottles of this this year and they have been consistently delicious.

6/12/2010 - bbrantley wrote:

Great nose...toast, nuts and a hint of lemon. Delicious on the palate, sweet and bready with a caressing texture and no hard edges. Really delicious.