August 3, 2021 - This bottle of Boillot Volnay Chevrets was a stunner. Some varied previous reviews but i can tell you this bottle from my cellar was still very dark, rich, a little raw and with years to go. But it was laden both on the nose and palate with dark berries, plums and a oriental perfumed spicy lift with a lovely wad of balanced acid and tannin encircling the massive core of fruit to give it a long life ahead. Still a deep crimson. A bit new world in style if anything. And no shrinking violet
This was consumed at another La Luna Boys dinner with Grandpa Greg, Jezza, Brodie, Timmy L, Fatsie and Kim jong il and Yodamark - yours truly. Cliffy away but Timmy Bird and Lady Frenulum showing very high levels of weakness and being under the thumb
As grandpa Greg and I are in a pinot war, when we starting drinking this wine I knew i would blow him out of the water against the 2011 Yarra Yering Pinot he bought along. I had a quiet snigger to myself. i thought finally a win for Yodamark on best pinot on the night. Hmmmm. Well its now 0-3 in this pinot war for Yodamark. The YY PN was amazing and from a lesser vintage. ( 97 pts). A completely different animal of course but sublime. if you looked at both the wines in the glass and smelt them and asked to pick which one was Burgundy and which one was Australian, you would have got it wrong. ( Yodamark would have got it right of course)
Heres the rest of the list so proteges, junior palates, avid followers and disciples can read my reviews on the wine frivolities and gastric beauties consumed last night.
2011 Yarra Yering Pinot Noir 97
1996 Orlando Steingarten Riesling - 93
2009 Grosset Polish Hill - 95
1990 Wantirna estate Cabernet blend - 98
2004 Domaine A Cabernet - 96
2001 Rockford SVS pressings - 97
2003 Lafaurie Peyreguey Sauternes - 94
2009 Farr Rising CHardonnay - unsure on this wine on the night so not scoring it
March 14, 2021 - I was skeptical at this point based on prior reviews but couldn’t be more pleasantly surprised after decanting for an hour! Still sipping it 2 hours later. Berries are coming out beautifully - amazing with my Tomohalk steak!
February 28, 2018 - Corked
January 5, 2015 - Beautiful ruby color. Nose is surprisingly reminiscent of central coast pinot - ripe berry fruit and oak - maybe even a hint of cola. Velvety texture is full bodied and smooth. There is a lot of extract and layers of flavor. A bit untamed and certainly not a transparent, elegant burgundy. Good and ready to go, but not what I was looking for stylistically tonight. Big boy. Certainly not the finesse and mineral expression this vineyard's reputation promises but did come together nicely with air. (90)
March 3, 2013 - Medium to light bodied with berries, dirt and spices both in nose and mouth. Great balance. The wine seems to be on a downhill slope. Drink now.
November 1, 2012 - Just starting to show signs of aging. Lovely fruit. Beautiful aged Burgundy aromas begining to develop. A delight to drink.
March 30, 2012 - Much better than last time. Great mouthfeel. Berries dirt and spices in taste and smell. Superb!
January 16, 2011 - Cork and signs of blead through and some leakage so I will not rate it. Despite this the wine showed great notes of strawberries and rasperries with some darker fruit hiding in the back together with earth. Will be exciting to see if other bottles are better.
November 29, 2008 - Beautiful red fruits and forest floor nose. Ruby red color with some signs of bricking on the rim. On the palate, sweet red fruits, almost candied but stops short, just great fruit. Modest depth. Some spice on the palate-gunflint. Not the density/intensity/complexity as truely great red burgundys, but still very enjoyable and well made.
Long finish with ripe tannin. Drinking well now and over the next 5+ years. Tannins could resolve a bit more, but I would be afraid to lose the fruit intensity. Excellent red burgundy.
January 6, 2006 - Day one: very nice pinot nose, cherry, cassis. Medium to long finish. 90 pts.
Left a small amount in the bottle, and came back two days later. WOW, this wine was smokin'!
Nose of saddle leather, tea leaves, firm and multilayered on the tongue. Cranberries, more leather, a sweetness and a roundness to it. This is just really sexy. This went from an excellent wine to an outstanding experience. I only have one bottle left of this, but the one thing that I learned tonight is that this must age, and it ages gracefully. Do not open again until 2010!