4/20/2024 - burgconvert wrote:

Another one from Acker Retail bites the dust. It wasn’t oxidized or a cork taint, rather fully stunted aromatically. Very similar to what happens when you leave a bottle in the food fridge for too long - kills any primary or otherwise wafty aromas (was expecting honey, butter popcorn, and hazelnut here). Left a tart and acidic body as well. Will just say that I’m not convinced this bottle wasn’t fake - there were bits of cork in the bottle despite a fully intact cork and I had a nasty inflammatory reaction the next morning…

4/14/2024 - burgconvert Does not like this wine:

Not it. Should be sub $50, not $100. Currently uninspiring, flat, and hot. Not much acid either. Sure this could open up over the near term to add a point, but I don't see the point nor long term potential

Nose: 88
Palate: 87

4/12/2024 - burgconvert Likes this wine:

Good weight, malolactic roundness that i come to expect from the best of chablis. The nose was a bit bleh but think it'll get more precise with time and hopefully develop nuance. Crowd pleaser, although these are starting to get expensive...1-2 points of upside in 5+ years

Nose: 89
Palate: 90-91

4/12/2024 - burgconvert Does not like this wine:

Serviceable. Weird off gas rubber on open and spritely palate that never really resolved. Not terrible for $50 retail, but i think a poor vintage showing vs the 2020. There is a decent floral undertone

Nose: 88
Palate: 87

4/5/2024 - burgconvert Likes this wine:

Wasn't really sure what to expect, but this was fire (with an asterisk). Nose opened up after 15-30 minutes but started a bit reductive a la mini-comte belair, opening to pungent cherry and finally pure fresh rose, not dissimilar to the village msd dujac I had last year. Tires out after a few hours, but no complaints on that. Palate starts with what someone described in a Yann Durieux note wine as gueuze-esque, though I thought that bottle was overdone, whereas here it's just enough to keep things interesting, blows off with time, and doesn't fully assault and dry out my mouth. All this while staying fairly light and could only tell its gamay from the palate. The asterisk is that this is such a complex, fun, and nerd-friendly wine if you can get it for under ~$150. Unfortunately, when you start getting above that price, you are trading stuffing you can get in some higher class stuff for flair that only stem and reduction loving drinkers may be willing to pay for.

Nose: 92-93
Palate: 91

3/29/2024 - burgconvert Likes this wine:

Pretty good performance for the vintage. While there is some stuffing, it's not an aggressive oak punch and there's actually some tropical notes. Showed quite a bit of range in evolution over the course of a few hours and is both approachable now and storable. Folks at the table thought it was a dauvissat ringer...which I guess pricing wise, this is where dauvissat used to be 3 years ago for a 1er cru so not a steal, but not bad value

Nose: 90
Palate: 90

3/29/2024 - burgconvert Likes this wine:

Still a baby. The first pour is not too far off his village bottling. Though that changes with air. Over the course of several hours, continued to put on weight and was in a good spot say 3-4 hours in. Pure red fruit in a non-ripe package. 14’s really do show a freshness of fruit profile that I quite enjoy. Finish does not overpower and stays well mannered. Would give this at least another 2 years in the cellar - 1-2 points of upside

Nose: 92
Palate: 92

3/29/2024 - burgconvert Likes this wine:

This was a well kept bottle judging by some of the previous notes here. Lovely nose with spicy blood tomato and cherry with the perfect amount of reduction still kicking. Seriously incredible for a village. The palate was nice and well integrated but not quite the level of the nose. Would say it did not disappoint for the price tag

Nose: 94
Palate: 91

3/29/2024 - burgconvert Likes this wine:

Popped and left in bottle for about an hour. Earlier pours were magical - pure butter toffee caramel nose with heavy sweet butter and oil nuts. Palate was a little hot however. Decanted the rest and the nose was progressively less and less impactful. If you have this, I would enjoy straight bottle pours and probably not wait much longer

Nose: 94-95 (at peak early on but faded fast)
Palate: 90

3/22/2024 - burgconvert Likes this wine:

This was excellent and the first few glasses made me question why I don't stock up on them. Nose is open and just chiseled enough with lemon cream, nougat, and bread wafting up. Palate has the zing to it but is not quite as stern as a DP. Really one of the best house champagnes I've had in a while. After revisiting later in the night, the sugar did show itself a bit more, perhaps a reminder of why I typically don't stock up on house bruts. That said, I would happily have 1-2 glasses anytime of this and this is much better value compared to the peer group. I do think it will continue to get better with time.

Nose: 93
Palate: 90

3/22/2024 - burgconvert wrote:

A backfilled bottle from a well known retailer and upon cutting the capsule, found a thin layer of mold / mildew on top of the cork. Nothing wrong once pulled, however. A bit of rubber funk at first and the wine seemed quite shut. Took 60-90 minutes to coax some fruit out and it was a pleasant nose. Fleeting exotic strawberry and roses. Palate however, was thin and mineral in the way that village level chambolle can be. The nose also felt like I was getting a free trial to what mugnier can actually pull off. Overall this was just really bad QPR hence why on my scale, it's a won't repurchase. Wouldn't be surprised if it's a vintage thing that's holding it back

Nose: 89-91 (it hit a high for about 5 seconds)
Palate: 89

3/16/2024 - burgconvert wrote:

Decently perfumed nose that makes me think more stem inclusion was used. The nose also shows more than a typical bourgogne. The tepidity of ‘21 is evident here as it leans to be more acid driven with a cooler and slightly sour fruit profile. Mellow enough already and I think a different vintage of this parcel would punch well above its weight class. This is still readily enjoyable if I needed something in a pinch

Nose: 89
Palate: 88

3/13/2024 - burgconvert Does not like this wine:

High acid, stern oak. Very unplayful gamay right now, with red to blue fruit and scent of dry snacking pretzels. Leans more Pinot in style than gamay but has less structure on the palate. Will recheck tomorrow but this needs a long slumber at best.

Day two, nose is a bit more delicate but palate is still all oak. This sadly will be a cooking bottle

3/9/2024 - burgconvert Does not like this wine:

Probably way too young from the comments below, but still. Creamsicle nose that was a bit syrupy. Thought it was a young Zinfandel.

3/9/2024 - burgconvert Likes this wine:

Thought this was a 1er cru in a blind. Had a bit of everything from gevrey, vosne, and fixin. Quite expressive nose and decent palate, though palate felt like a cooler vintage. Very well done for the classification and price.

Nose: 90-91
Palate: 89-90

3/2/2024 - burgconvert Likes this wine:

This parcel always does a good job. A great cross if you're looking for some entry level sour cherry and sous bois in a form that isn't too fresh and outwardly "young" in presentation. This definitely needs an hour or two of decanting to fully show its bouquet. Would be super happy drinking this over the next 5 years. Not really sure if it will last the better part of decade. Pretty good value

Nose: 89-90
Palate: 88-89

2/29/2024 - burgconvert wrote:

INTENSE. The nose was like extracted beluga caviar then amplified through a megaphone. Briny, salty, and stronger than any real caviar I’ve had myself. Didn’t pay too close attention after that as not really my jam. Unique and just a lot to take in thats for sure

2/15/2024 - burgconvert Likes this wine:

Guess I’ll start the bidding here. Firstly surprised it’s 2014 as it drinks much younger, with verve and tension upon open. Nose had hints of pear and apple, palate much sterner. Took a while (1~2) hours to start opening a bit - ginger then some of the pine and hazelnut that is often sought after. You won’t be disappointed trying now, but if not for science still best to wait. Compared to Bouchard RDJ ‘21 (just because that’s the last memorable champ I had), this is way more serious, grown up in a way, and not immediately impressionable. RDJ was much better now, but I’m excited about where this could go. Think there’s potential for 2-3 points of upside

Nose: 91
Palate: 90

2/11/2024 - burgconvert Likes this wine:

In a pretty good spot, on the barn side of things with some manure, tobacco, and cigar. Tannins almost fully integrated. Personally liked the ‘97 Napa a bit more but this was pretty good

Nose: 90
Palate: 89-90

2/10/2024 - burgconvert Likes this wine:

Quite the nice surprise. Wonder if Napa cabs were just built different back then. A bit stewed in the beginning - like plum. Got a lot better after an hour of air. Plenty of primary red fruit still, crisp cherry with good structure to support. Plenty of acidity here as well. Not sure if it’ll get better much much, but should be enjoyable

Nose: 90-91
Palate: 90-91

2/7/2024 - burgconvert wrote:

This is really well made, but it ultimately does not transcend the grape. It's got good oak, lemon oil, texture, and depth, but this straw/grassy finish seems to faintly linger and with air, it starts to frame the nose entry. In a blind, wouldn't be surprised if it gets confused for a chenin blanc, but the way the acidity hits is a tell. Better served chilled, which I think is always telling. I've yet to try Vatan's Clos la Neore, which I understand to be the pinnacle of Sauv-Blanc and so cannot judge relative to that. However, regarding hype, no one in their right mind is giving up good neighboring chardonnay for this.

Update: tried a Vatan and it was so…not great. So I guess this is pretty good for what it is

Nose: 90-91
Palate: 88 (if you like Sauv Blanc, this will be higher)

1/31/2024 - burgconvert Likes this wine:

A bit delayed on this note and so committing from memory and the scratch pad. Tasted '08 and '95 side by side and first Vogue run in. '95 obviously in a very different state of development to the '08, but provides some hope for younger vintages. The nose on the '95 was quite big and attractive with a good mix of primary and secondary characteristics, but falls off rather quickly. The palate didn't really have staying power I would expect from a top parcel. I would suspect this is most enjoyable as small bottle pours vs. large glasses that sit and aerate for a while. Similar to the '08, not the best QPR

Nose: 91-92
Palate: 90

1/31/2024 - burgconvert wrote:

A bit delayed on this note and so committing from memory and the scratch pad. Tasted '08 and '95 side by side and first Vogue run in. To me the '08 screamed out as needing more time. There was a decent amount of stuff going on, but it was searching for clarity and calm. The nose reminded me of a ketchup heavy hamburger. The '95 by far a better drink, but looking at market prices for Vogue; I'm unimpressed.

1/24/2024 - burgconvert Does not like this wine:

Leans more Napa than Bordeaux. Ripe red fruit, with a tiny hint of earth in the background. Not much nuance and hot. Triggers my acid reflux before I could down a glass. To me it didn’t seem like it’ll be great in two decades, but who knows

Nose: 88
Palate: 85-86

1/23/2024 - burgconvert wrote:

Left with few options on the decently lengthy yet massively uninspiring list at Cafe Chelsea in NY, this was the pick.

A bit ripe, but it is 2018 after all. Smells like Burgundy and tastes like Pinot, was drinkable (but better served chilled) and served its civic duty. No aspect was off putting (a surprise when you venture off and try basic bottlings from 3rd or 4th tier producers). Would I buy it? No, and would probably have a cocktail instead if given the choice, but by a narrow margin

1/22/2024 - burgconvert Likes this wine:

Even better than the last time I tried this. The anise has softened a bit, morphing to be more ginger-like. The nose is distinctively sweeter and more open. Getting autolytic whiffs of sweet butter in fleeting moments. Effervescence is very much on the light side, but holds up if you consider the package without carbonation. Think this is in a peak drinking window for the next year before it'll change quite a bit (to what I am unsure and have no more bottles to find out). Enjoyed by all who participated.

Nose: 92-93
Palate: 90-91

1/19/2024 - burgconvert Likes this wine:

Thought this was a touch leaning towards gevrey in character - definitely not a bad thing as it was still very pretty. Nose evolved over time, at times showing whiffs of seaweed before reverting back to pure red fruit and mellowing out by night's end

Nose: 92-93
Palate: 91

1/19/2024 - burgconvert wrote:

Spearmint and menthol. Some dry leaves and umami, but then back to spearmint. The palate was decent. Not really my jam if I'm honest.

Nose: 87
Palate: 90

1/19/2024 - burgconvert wrote:

A step up in clarity and elegance from the '17 VV tasted together but not enough to get me excited.

Nose: 89-90
Palate: 89

1/19/2024 - burgconvert wrote:

As is the case with most village chambolle I've tried, too much mineral, not enough fruit, driving a faint cinnamon-esque aura. Like a screen door between you and the grand show. Not bad, but at this level I prefer Gevrey

Nose: 88
Palate: 88

1/19/2024 - burgconvert Likes this wine:

Was originally confused by this. Tasted next to Fourrier's '13 Sentiers, both en mag. As someone noted, this definitely lacks the minerally structure of Chambolle and definitely has a signature imparted on the juice. Perhaps the most overtly perfumed and floral (slightly unnatural) wine tasted of the night and wasn't particularly deep, but I found myself coming back as the perfume was quite alluring and elegantly sweet, despite being unconventional. I did get some surfactant on the tail end of the nose that eventually blew off. Palate was good enough. Ended up liking this over the Fourrier ever so slightly.

Nose: 91-92
Palate: 90

1/19/2024 - burgconvert Likes this wine:

Apparently a bottle en mag exclusively for the US market...that's neat! I actually didn't get too much of that whole cluster crunch from this. The wine is accessible and decently pretty, but not particularly memorable. I would liken this to a good reference point introduction to the Fourrier style and to quality Chambolle (despite Fourrier being in Gevrey and making Chambolle-like Gevrey's lol). Doesn't have the special sour cherry sauce that Fourrier's can provide, likely partially to do with the vintage. Good, not great, pleasant drink.

Nose: 91
Palate: 90

1/19/2024 - burgconvert Likes this wine:

Heard a lot about the legend that is '90 Jadot and lucky to have experienced a bottle in good condition. At first I wasn't sure if I liked it - got notes of coffee and tobacco that was almost bordeaux like, but the difference was an undertone of freshness and zip of fruit beneath the tertiary notes. The palate was stellar, everything well integrated with a long finish. After a while got some barnyard funk and so I set it aside. After another bit the funk blew away, profile lifted a bit and palate finished on the sweeter side. This was my WOTN among equally old Vogue's, Drouhins, and some young Roumier BM. If you have this in good shape I really don't see why you shouldn't enjoy it now

Nose: 94
Palate: 94

1/19/2024 - burgconvert wrote:

Tasted the 2015 and 2013 together. Both had about 3 hours of air. Apparently the '15 was more expressive at open, but by the time it came around in the meal it had shut back down. The '13 on the other hand was much more expressive; not fully open but much more accessible than the 2015. Seeing notes here that it came around after a longer decant, but sadly did not have the same experience. The '15 did feel denser than the '13; if I had this, I would cellar it for a good while

'15 (rating on the basis that it was closed; potential is far higher)
Nose: 89
Palate: 90

1/19/2024 - burgconvert Likes this wine:

Tasted the 2015 and 2013 together. Both had about 3 hours of air. Apparently the '15 was more expressive at open, but by the time it came around in the meal it had shut back down. The '13 on the other hand was much more expressive; not fully open but accessible and pure. Continued to put on density as the time went on with hints of blood tomato to become quite deep and brooding. Can definitely use more time, but you won't be disappointed now either if you like stuff on the younger as it was great. The '15 struggled to open back up but it felt denser than the '13, perhaps signs of what's to come after a long slumber?

'13
Nose: 93
Palate: 92

1/15/2024 - burgconvert wrote:

Coessens' most expressive of his trio that I've tried (brut nature and sens boises), but still the overall hand is too blunt and the package comes together disjointed. Nose was warm and toasty but was also borderline cheese like. Palate super minerally and calling out for some sweetness. Overall fine, but out of balance.

The nose was similar to the Rodez ambonnay a few months back

Nose: 89
Palate: 87-88

1/15/2024 - burgconvert Does not like this wine:

Such a tale of two cities. Originally tried the producer given recommendations of similarity to Prieure Roch. I can see that on the nose - more blue fruited and sour cherry hits; almost leaning towards gamay territory. Natural but not offensively so, and I liked that. The palate though, completely different story. At first I thought the wine was cooked, but given the fruit on the nose, that couldn't be. What I originally thought was soy turned into more of a smokey reduction. after a few hours in the decanter, it turned more chalky and drying of a tannin. I still thought it was totally disjointed for a pinot (it's a pinot right?) and I will not be coming back for more.

Btw I couldn't find a way to tell which vintage this was as the only identification was the cork under the foil (for those who care)

Nose: 91
Palate: 84 (it was not good...)

12/30/2023 - burgconvert wrote:

Felt like branching out and so picked this up randomly to try. It's big but still tight at this stage. Drinkable if you must, but ideally needs a long rest.

Super packed and brick like upon opening and after a 6 hour decant, the nose shows some floral notes. Could never really shake a feint green or metallic finish. Seeing this is ~90/10 merlot / cab franc, I guess I could've done without the franc, but perhaps the wine doesn't stand without some of the structure or is it stylistic? idk.

Did not transform on day 2 either. There is stuffing here and I can see this being good for those who enjoy the style, but not one for me.

Nose: 89-90
Palate: 86-87

1/1/2024 - burgconvert Likes this wine:

Great way to ring in the new year and this was electric. Probably the most tropical fruit I’ve experienced in a champagne ever. Guava, passionfruit, and pineapple with just enough toastiness. Plently of acid for this to go for years but enjoyable now. Way more open and memorable vs my last rdj experience

Nose: 93
Palate: 91-92

12/7/2023 - burgconvert wrote:

This is fine, but there is better out there for the price. Thinner with a more wooded finish than what I consider to be top quartile reference. Missing a bit of the oomph, but drinkable nonetheless and at sub-$100, not the biggest robbery out there, but you should really pay the extra $50-75 at this point for something else

Nose: 90
Palate: 88-89

12/3/2023 - burgconvert Likes this wine:

Jvphoto’s note was very accurate to what I experienced. Maybe a bit more caramelized pear came through for me if anything. Really quite lovely and exciting to see the autolytic style is present through out the generations and there’s nuance behind the grapes. Nitpicking, but if anything a bit on the prickly spritely side for me. Lovely overall though

Nose: 90
Palate: 89-90

11/23/2023 - burgconvert Likes this wine:

Wonderful. Have not had a better wine at this price…period. Even got some wild sour cherry that is, dare I say, ever so slightly reminiscent of a Roch (not similar palate wise though as this is a different grape)

Nose: 91
Palate: 89

11/17/2023 - burgconvert Likes this wine:

Generous gift of the vintage or bargain producer find? I'm leaning more towards the former. Not super vosne like as in not much vosne spice. Enjoyable and on the rich and velvety side of things. The nose of salami and ritz crackers blows off to get nice hit of rose.

Nose: 90-91
Palate: 90

11/13/2023 - burgconvert wrote:

Way too young. I think it's got plenty of acidity for a nice slumber because it's not that zesty acidity that is the hallmark style of say a Bereche. Lack of dosage really does hit you and this is definitely on the leaner side of things. The nose is quite complex but sharp and chiseled while retaining some toastiness and capping off with the slightest hint of black licorice. Will wait at least 5 years, but unsure if there's enough sugar to take this from austere to extraordinary.

Nose: 91-92
Palate: 88-89 (for now)

11/8/2023 - burgconvert Likes this wine:

Not as lifted and perfumed as when I tasted this 1-2 years ago on site (though this parcel was never the most ethereal of the bunch). It has however put on a bit of weight and continues to do so as you give it air. This has more room yet to go as didn't really hit a stride until 1-2 hours in. Shedding what's left of the floral component leaves a bit more heat than I would've liked, and the nose is just a touch on the cedar-y and cinnamon-y side, but I'm really nitpicking. A solid drink now though I personally will set these aside hoping that they mellow a bit.

Nose: 89-90
Palate: 90

11/10/2023 - burgconvert Likes this wine:

pure class in a glass. Banana, popcorn, straw, stone fruit.

Nose: 90-91
Palate: 91

11/3/2023 - burgconvert wrote:

This leans more Sonoma than it does burgundy for me. Warmer, riper, and denser than the Old Vines bottling. There’s a lot here and it’s pretty gulpable, just not what I seek out. On open you get cherry and then strong graphite and beefsteak tomato that blows off to reveal slightly vanilla and sappy fruit. Well made and will have at least 5 years of keeping potential.

If you like riper, you’ll score this higher

Nose: 88-89
Palate: 89

10/27/2023 - burgconvert Likes this wine:

This has really come around in the last two years. The acidity has integrated well. The level is really that of a table wine that punches at the top of its class. With a little bit of air, you get a light sprinkle of lifted and airy red fruit that makes this an enjoyable drink. I don't think there's reason to hold this much longer as I don't think there's enough depth and detail at the secondary level to add much to the experience.

Nose: 88-89
Palate: 87-88

10/22/2023 - burgconvert Likes this wine:

I expect big things in 5ish years from now. It’s still approachable now - similar to some of the bigger hitting Walter Scott parcels but more energetic and zippy with toned down and cleaned up reduction. Would figure fans of St. Aubin would find great pleasure in this. For me it’s still developing and I won’t be drinking another for a while.

Nose: 90-92 (now vs. potential)
Palate: 91

10/20/2023 - burgconvert Likes this wine:

Very well done, manageable reductiveness that allows this to open up quite quickly. Behind the lemon and matchstick I was getting a little bit of green - not vegetable but fruity herbal. Think that’s more attributable to the vintage but surprisingly doesn’t detract much from the package as you have to really look for it. Great value and I think is near peak / will peak in the next few years - not one for the long haul

Nose: 90-91
Palate: 90