July 16, 2021 - really light delicate.
September 12, 2019 - Herbaceous bouquet with veggies and creamy notes. Initially feels fresh on palate but with time and temperature, alcohol is too noticiable (15 avb), plus quite heavy, perhaps woody and a bitter, disturbing note on finish. Certainly well made, seems a Sauvignon in white burgundy style. Third time drinking this wine, and just not my cup of tea.
August 22, 2019 - Tasted blind side by side with 2010 Didier Dagueneau Silex and the 2009 Edmond et Anne Vatan Sancerre was much more powerful and intense on ripe stone fruits, glossy wax and rich butter. A whopping 15% alcohol Sancerre but perfectly balanced. (92/100)
May 27, 2018 - Singular producer. 09 proves the last of the ripe Vatan era. High octane, saline toned white pit fruit. Root vegetable undertones. Some lactic quality in the finish. Nothing to compare this to. Had some cotat Sancerre last night. Probably closest thing to this experience but still a few steps behind. This wine is a wild ride. Open a few hours before you want to make your assessment.
January 21, 2018 - Vatan Vertical (TDS): A rich and ripe nose with delicious white fruits and steaks of mineral and hay - but this is mostly about that flamboyant fruit. Ripe and round, more so than any of the other wines. Still in balance but not quite as electric as the best bottles tonight.
January 21, 2018 - Vatan-a-thon at TDS (Chicago, IL): Woof, 15% alcohol on the nose and it shows before I've even taken a sip. The flavours are excellent - again classic Vatan, perhaps a bit riper and more perfumed in intensity than the other vintages, but the alcohol adds a light spirity sensation to the nose and a much heavier, almost glyceral mouthfeel that shows some heat on the finish. Not my thing.
January 21, 2018 - Vatan (2002 rouge, 2004-12) (Chicago, IL): This was one of the heaviest and ripest wines of the evening, with some really high-toned qualities about it. It's definitely heady, and you can almost pick out some alcohol on the nose as well. Lots of white fruit, but despite the heightened ripeness and fatness here, there is still the necessary muscle under it to keep this from being a shapeless mass. A good wine, but a bit of a laggard in terms of my own personal preference.
September 12, 2016 - Sushi Taro Dinner: The nose is like mixing finely grind rose pedal and limestone, beautiful mineral and floral note, white pepper and a hint of saline. The fruit expression in this bottle is mostly white and fresh. Very precise palate, incredibly amount of mineral, airy, medium acidity and medium long clean finish with a hint of alcohol at the end. I find the wine pure and very floral. Adding a hint of alcohol makes me to think a high end sake.
July 19, 2016 - My second go around with a Vatan...the first was the 11, and I was an instant fan! Just had a 14 Cotat that blew my socks off...now I'm really hooked here! Well, this 09 is a big one! The 15% alc is showing....cocktail and riper fruit than I would like. Yellow pitted fruits...tropical mango/papaya as well.....smoked herbs, toast with honeycomb, crushed chalk, blossom flowers......does have plenty of freshness with the lemon/lime citrus acidity...great salinity with the tons of minerals...but that daggone alcohol burn just distracts! Not a failure here...still very unique and tasty...but not as good as it should be. Will forget about my other bottle for at least a decade! Hopefully +pts
February 16, 2015 - February Rotating Wine Dinner (Mon Ami Gabi - Chicago, IL): Decanted for 2 hours before dinner. Much like the 2009 Foillard drank later in the night, this was an absolute brute. Very high alcohol in this vintage definitely comes into play on the palate and made it hot and gummy. I have 2 more bottles in my cellar and I probably won't open another one for 15+ years. Not overly enjoyable to drink right now. No score from me.