4/20/2024 - etyc wrote:

Decanted (Voss) for ~3+hrs before serving. Somewhat subdued, in my opinion, though this wasn't as clamped up as the 2014 Clape. Very dark-purplish (almost black), there was just a slight/faint nose of pepper, spices with blackberries. Balanced on the palate, with more notes of blackberries, meat & earth, it seemed to be just plain proper (with balanced freshness) with not much excitement to shout about unlike the '08 Allemand Reynard which was definitely more showy/showing...

4/20/2024 - etyc wrote:

Decanted (Voss) for ~3hrs before serving, alongside the 2011 SQN 11th Confession Grenache. Both high-octane blockbusters, this came across even "bigger" than the SQN. At 17-yrs (of age), this still seemed to be evolving (if at all) at a glacier pace. Nosed of blackberries, figs and some herbs, this was big, lush, concentrated, jammy (w/ hints of stewed fruits) but yet showed good freshness/acidity on the palate. Hopefully the extraction/lushness will temper down with more age, and coupled with the acidity/freshness, it'll develop into a more attractive wine... For now, quite a bruiser...

4/5/2024 - etyc Likes this wine:

Brought this as a starter to our RSV/Richebourg dinner. Drank side-by-side the Egly VP. I don't have much experience with Henin's champs, but with air/time in the glass, it gained amplitude/weight over the course of the evening. Biscuits/brioche, red-apples dominated the bouquet. It also exhibited some roundness on the palate, possibly aided by the high % of Pinot in the blend. Certainly a very delicious drop!

4/5/2024 - etyc Likes this wine:

What a nice champ to start off the RSV/Richebourg theme'd dinner. Had thought this was a Grand Marque/House - rich/weighty with some roundness to the mouthfeel, coupled with that bit of oxidative, toasty styling. This was at the same time bright (very nice freshness/acidity) with notes of lemons/citrus & green-apples. Long mineral finish. This is definitely the more value-4-$ champ as opposed to its vintage sibling.

4/3/2024 - etyc Likes this wine:

Tasted/drank... As nice/beautiful as I recalled this to be. Mesmerizing florals of Japanese muskmelons!

4/3/2024 - etyc Likes this wine:

Tasted/drank... A great sake! Held steadfastly against the Katsuyama Ren! Not that I was ever in doubt of the quality of this...

4/3/2024 - etyc wrote:

Tasted/drank...

4/3/2024 - etyc wrote:

Tasted/drank...

4/3/2024 - etyc Likes this wine:

Tasted/drank... "sunshine" fruit... A very nice Chard - would count this as one of Oz's best...

4/3/2024 - etyc Likes this wine:

Tasted/drank... This started off spewing quite a bit of "sweaty" notes, but got increasingly better (and better) through the evening with air/time... Very good towards the end...

4/3/2024 - etyc Likes this wine:

Tasted/drank...

4/3/2024 - etyc Likes this wine:

Brought this... one of the best '09 GGs I've ever tried...

4/3/2024 - etyc Likes this wine:

Tasted/drank... the fruit-sweetness has dialed down a notch, likely due to age. Didn't expect this to be 30-yr old, though... Nice!

4/3/2024 - etyc wrote:

Tasted/drank... Quaffable, bit "short" on the fruit/weight...

4/3/2024 - etyc Likes this wine:

Tasted/drank... really paired very very well with Pun Im's Thai cuisine.

4/3/2024 - etyc Likes this wine:

Tasted/drank... This was nice; Most thought it was a house champagne.

4/3/2024 - etyc Likes this wine:

Tasted/drank...

3/30/2024 - etyc Likes this wine:

Had this over lunch with the family, with Peking-duck. An intoxicating nose that showed (not too overwhelmingly) some "natural" notes - stems, smoke, incense, with roses & cherries in tow... Weighty yet silky on the palate with more red/dark-red fruits. Expressive & impressive!

3/28/2024 - etyc Likes this wine:

PnP'ed. Very youthful obviously but this certainly had the fruit/weight/concentration that belied its village hierarchy. Some spice/sandalwood came through after time in the glass. Almost full-bodied, with enough freshness to carry it through. A tasty wine that should improve further with age...

3/28/2024 - etyc Likes this wine:

Another wine that tasted so youthful, like it's hardly evolved. Still had primary dark fruits (black-berries), but with tannins well resolved/concealed. Some leafy notes came through that added a bit to the complexity. Nice, but could certainly use more cellar age!

3/28/2024 - etyc Likes this wine:

Pre Good-Friday catch-up.

Wow, this was in pristine condition... some more from a 375ml half-btl. Singing right out of the gates, with a potpourri of white-florals, cream, pop-corn, chalk. Tasted so youthful, with a creamy texture of lemons, honeysuckle. Darn delicious!

3/28/2024 - etyc wrote:

Pre Good-Friday catch-up.

Lots of green-apples notes, but thought the acid profile was a tad overly elevated with perhaps not enough fruit-weight beneath to hold up the acidity profile...

3/22/2024 - etyc Likes this wine:

Round-2 after dinner

The host must've been still feeling thirsty after blinding us on the '20 Janthial Meix Cadot, and despite nearing mid-night, still felt we should've a finale... and what a finale this was - the overall WOTN (by drinking-window) by most consensus. Boy, what a wine, and it sure brought back memories - that roses, "bandung", spices bouquet. Fruit-sweetness on the palate, but very controlled, with red-cherries/berries enveloped in a silky texture the culminated in a fresh long finish. Just so delicious!

3/22/2024 - etyc Likes this wine:

Round-2 after dinner

Nearing mid-night when our host pulled this out. Da bomb! Yes, I must've felt a bit intoxicated, but this was certainly top 1er if not GC Burg! Wow, such an powerful & intoxicating (I must've overused the descriptor) nose, with white-florals, honeycomb, lemons. This was most energetic on the palate with tension, concentration/weight, fruits (lemons/citrus, nuts, peaches) and oak that was extremely well-balanced, with an electric finish. Impressive!

3/22/2024 - etyc Likes this wine:

Round-2 after dinner

Brought this as the 3rd-btl for the evening. Last of my case. My experience with this (for some reasons) gets better & better with each subsequent bottle that I opened. This was no different. Extremely floral, with nice weight & a layered palate carrying waves of minerality forth. Fresh, mid-length finish that would've been a lot better with food. Nice!

3/22/2024 - etyc Likes this wine:

Round-2 after dinner

Blinded. Served in a pair side-by-side its sibling MdT. Again, none of us guessed Chablis (we must've been intoxicated 😂) if I recall correctly. Didn't have the concentration/weight of the MdT, but certainly still a tasty drop...

3/22/2024 - etyc Likes this wine:

Round-2 after dinner

Blinded. None of us guessed Chablis if I recall correctly. This was actually good - nice concentration, roundness. It's actually wonderful for the price-point...

3/22/2024 - etyc Likes this wine:

Coming after the '06 Guyon VR, this was alot nicer - bouquet, palate both showing more...

3/22/2024 - etyc wrote:

Not really a standout... These old Guyons are somewhat different from the newer post-2016 ones which are more exciting characteristically...

3/22/2024 - etyc Likes this wine:

Guessed this as a Rhone-varietal wine, but didn't get CdP as this came across as a bit light-footed... but I did like the elegance...

3/22/2024 - etyc Likes this wine:

4-yrs since I last I had. From memory, I'd placed this somewhere between the 1st (most impressive) & 2nd (which had a lot less of that floral bouquet component) btl which I had. Violets, sandalwood, spices on the nose, with similar dark-red/black fruit driven palate with power/concentration encased in a satiny robe. Most didn't get this as a CdP, though. In a rather nice spot now!

3/22/2024 - etyc Likes this wine:

This was definitely interesting - kinda fruity (red/black cherries), yet has the structure/complexity to hold it up. Started off pretty simply, but became more "intellectual" with air/time in the glass. Hope (as Coteaux is not what I buy/collect) to have the chance to re-visit this again with more cellar-age.

3/22/2024 - etyc Likes this wine:

Again, in a nice spot to drink, that is... Bouquet of spice, roses, with a tad of rusticity on the palate. This could potentially still improve with more cellar time.

3/22/2024 - etyc Likes this wine:

Tasted like a wine with some age... In a nice place now... I do prefer M. Gaunoux's wines more, though...

3/22/2024 - etyc wrote:

Interesting...

3/22/2024 - etyc Likes this wine:

Sunny, rich fruit... with tinge of discernable sweetness, but well balanced with freshness. Very nice!

3/22/2024 - etyc Likes this wine:

Interesting. Bit of reduction/matchstick on the bouquet, then bits of white-florals. A bit light-bodied, but nice minerality & tension. Should be better with more cellar time.

3/22/2024 - etyc Likes this wine:

Quite distinctively white-Burg - white flowers after air/time in glass. Good level of extract/concentration on the palate. Nice!

3/22/2024 - etyc Likes this wine:

Similar kerosene/petrol notes on the nose. This was a tad rounder than the Springvale. Less "electricity"...

3/22/2024 - etyc Likes this wine:

Served side-by-side the '09 Polish Hill, I had thought this was showing better - petrol, flint, then lemon/lime on the palate. Nicely lifted (and fresh)!

3/22/2024 - etyc wrote:

A tad more full-bodied, weighty than the Rogerie Heroine. Overall nicer balance too.

3/22/2024 - etyc wrote:

Chalky, somewhat creamy... acidity on the high-side though, making this felt a tad lean...

3/16/2024 - etyc Likes this wine:

My last btl of the case/12... Have enjoyed every btl - a very nice unpretentious wine that is most delicious!

3/13/2024 - etyc Likes this wine:

Again, this was very good. In fact, it got better in the glass with more air/warmth. Equally as enjoyable as the Krug 167!

3/13/2024 - etyc Likes this wine:

Blinded... Wow, this was impressive. Reduction/matchstick, flinty, nice "sunny fruit" (should've guessed New World). Good concentration/fruit-weight & fresh long finish!

3/13/2024 - etyc Likes this wine:

Showing well... Biscuits, brioche/toast. Great bubbly to start the dinner!

3/13/2024 - etyc Likes this wine:

Not a bad showing... but on this night/evening, I'd placed this behind the '10 Ferme du Mont...

3/13/2024 - etyc Likes this wine:

A sensual wine, with certainly very good concentration/weight. The only snag (to me) - its (a bit too) sweet. This will be a great wow wine with more cellar age, when the wine loses its "fat" and sweetness, and develop more of that "roses" bouquet. Too young to show its greatness, for now...

3/13/2024 - etyc Likes this wine:

Nice... more floral & elegant than the Robert Michel... just found it a bit "straightforward"...

3/13/2024 - etyc Likes this wine:

Nice... but with a touch of bitterness at tail-end...