Tasted over 3 hrs -nearly semi-translucent med red mild clearing -some reduction funk sits on top of pretty red fruits wet stone -med acidity, med/med- weight with a slightly creamy texture that nicely buffers the acidity, maturing red fruit resembles maraschino cherry, med/med- tannins -reduction doesn't totally blow off preventing this from reaching its full potential
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Well, well, well. Bought this at the time of the big Maison Ilan 2012 flap, just to see. Didn't expect much, but in fact it's really good--this bottle at least. C: Very pale red with a distinct brownish tinge. N: Not much P: Opened a bit too acid and slightly disjointed. After 20 min or so it came together. Very light, lively, cheery and eminently drinkable. Reaches out to you as you raise the glass. Notes of red fruits, predominantly cherries. Very good length and excellent fruit/acid balance. Burgundy as I like it!
Finished this off after a night on the counter under N2 (Cork Pops Wine Preserver). Again, took a few minutes to come in focus. And it had developed a bit. Deeper, darker and not quite so cheery. But still very interesting, pulled you right in. Although, thinking about it, this much change seems a sign of instability.
Typically light in colour, but so vibrant and pretty. Floaty, very floral bright nose, a touch of autumnal interest starting to develop; good acidity giving a bright and knife-like line to the silky red berry fruit. Previous bottle at the Medlar offline was somewhat vegetal but this one is clean and pure, very much like a brighter, slightly tighter fruited version of the 2010, with a far less evolved sous-bois character. ***1/2. Overnight this loosens slightly and softens a little with the fruit taking on a sweater, less sour character, pushing ****
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I have drunk 6 bottles of the 2010 vintage of this wine with enormous pleasure. This is a slightly herbaceous, slightly more dilute version of that. Very gentle extraction, no tannin at all, ready to drink now but no rush. The style is so gentle it will not be for everyone but I think the lack of "winemaking" accentuates the vintage variation in a desirable way. Slightly more persistent than a bottle a couple of years ago. Worth the approx 30 quid I paid for it. ***
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Tasted over 2 hrs -semi-translucent mild bricking -heavy reduction mingles with some berry and faint mature elements -med- acidity, med/med- weight with hollowed out mid-palate followed by a nicely sappy berry cherry residue on the finish with med- tannins -a bit flabby for the vintage, probably as good as it will be
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Dark ruby/garnet color of very light saturation with a wide rim, no sediment or haze. Profound nose shows a little bit of sulphur to start but it gives way to big notes of smoky oak and toasted walnut, brambles, and some zippy spice and berries with a lot of complexity. The bouquet almost fully translates to the palate but it feels just a touch flat and lazy compared to the energy I sensed on the nose. I would like just a tiny bit more acidity. Seems like there is still some tannic effect, too, which might smooth out with more time. Not bad at all... I guess I got a good bottle. 5+12+14+8= 89
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Maison Ilan @ Medlar: Paper. A touch of garnet. Lighter, quite lifted nose. A touch vegetal. Relatively light on the palate and again, a touch vegetal. Good acidity. Perfectly pleasant(ish) but not in the same class as the 10. **1/2
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Heavily reduced. There is a prettiness to the nose of this wine, red fruits, smidge of spice, some iron. Not a pyrazine to be found, a good thing. The palate is again pretty, gentle red fruits some iron and mineral notes but it does feel almost a little dialled down rather than attractive finesse. There is a nice balance to the component parts but it falls away a little on the finish again leaving a sense of just not enough inner energy.
Interesting things to note:
I wish I had opened this wine much earlier than the 1 hour and Fourrier shake I gave it as it noticeably filled out and developed in the last couple of pours.
It doesn't feel like a wine for the long haul but neither was it mature in my opinion.
I think most people drinking these wines know the story but this bottle had an impeccable, high quality cork, not one but two (!) high quality capsules and a very smart label to boot.
If you are going to open one give it time for the reduction to clear - open in the morning!
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Enticing aromas upon opening of forest underbrush & cranberries. The palate is very light, i would have guessed 2013 vintage, rather neutral and a sour finish. Unripe grapes? Sorting issues? I prefer light elegant wines like this but the sour finish is difficult to ignore.
A little off putting appearance, with purple hues in a very light core, and then orange bricking hues around the rim. Very thin, this has a ripe raspberry juicy palate and is somewhat simple, with light forest floor woodsiness in the backdrop. Finish is short and turns a bit sour. Drinkable and more interesting than typical entry level, but not worth anywhere near the price.
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No formal notes take but has advanced pretty significantly since the previous bottle. Not as advanced as some other CT reviewers recent tastings but was a little shocked given the last time I tried this was ~6 months ago.
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First Maison Ilan: Bought from winery. Cork broke in half upon opening, but appeared to be of good quality, very little saturation. Definite bricking, similar to a much older wine. Dusty old dark cherry aroma. Medium light weight. Soft and drinkable. Aside from the aroma and appearance of a much, much older wine, it isn't so bad. Served blind, my guess would be an '05 Morgon from Beaujolais.
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Boy, this has changed, and not for the better. First, even pouring the first glass, you could see that not only was it very pale, it also had significant bricking. Second, the nose has picked up a distinctively green note. Short finish. Going downhill fast.
Some very nice aromatics, with soft florals and light red fruit. Fairly pale color. Although it could use a bit more structure, the palate is enjoyable, fairly lush, cherry-like fruit, no complexity to speak of. A good wine, and certainly far better than the Chaffots of the same vintage, which was simply awful.
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Pretty good for a 2011. Ripe rapsberry fruit with high acidity that makes it juicy and tart, with airy, gliding tannins. Not especially concentrated or structured, but with surprising persistence on the finish. Held up well, maybe even better, on night 2. Lacks complexity, and not particularly Morey-ish, but it's tasty and it avoids the downsides of the 2011 vintage. Doesn't seem especially concentrated or structured, so I don't see much reason to cellar this for the long term. Miles better than the Volnay Robardelles.
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Red fruit nose, not very expressive. Some sous-bois. Taste also red fruit, minerality and acidity in good balance, good mouthfeel at the start. Mid-palate a bit light, short finish. Pleasant drink, not very complex.
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Decanted at 3, served around 7. Decent nose, but sour and acidic on the palate with a short finish. Not enjoyable. Tried again after 24 hours in the decanter with no improvement.
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Nose of tart cherry, raspberry and slight sous bois. Light garnet colour. Light weight palate that picks up a bit of weight with air. Flavours of tart cherry, little sappy raspberry core, minerals and a small green 2011 vintage herbal streak. Good acidity, decent balance. Not overly complex but could increase with age. Medium finish that seems to get a bit watery before ending with lingering raspberry. Overall quite open for drinking now but expect will improve with further time.
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(from memory) Medium ruby, big primary nose of candied cherries, raspberry, smokey black fruits and allspice, complex palate with red and black fruits, spice, earth and mineral undertones, hauntingly long finish with complex berry fruit, rhubarb, earth and integrated tannins
Second bottle (10/19) much less interesting, started out simple and fruit forward and after opening up showed a lot of reduction, would score more like 90
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Barrel sample. This wine was very shy today and a bit reduced. With some swirling you get some nice red pinot fruit and minerals. Well balanced but just needs a bit of time to come around.
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Bright, lithe and charged. Round, subtle red fruit, searing acidity which drives the fruit, spice and dry florals. Rich lees impact or noble reduction...
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11/22/2022 - Cote d'Or wrote:
Tasted over 3 hrs
-nearly semi-translucent med red mild clearing
-some reduction funk sits on top of pretty red fruits wet stone
-med acidity, med/med- weight with a slightly creamy texture that nicely buffers the acidity, maturing red fruit resembles maraschino cherry, med/med- tannins
-reduction doesn't totally blow off preventing this from reaching its full potential
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12/29/2021 - Charlie Carnes wrote:
Never received... never will!
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4/19/2021 - Peter Kleban Likes this wine:
***
Well, well, well. Bought this at the time of the big Maison Ilan 2012 flap, just to see. Didn't expect much, but in fact it's really good--this bottle at least.
C: Very pale red with a distinct brownish tinge.
N: Not much
P: Opened a bit too acid and slightly disjointed. After 20 min or so it came together. Very light, lively, cheery and eminently drinkable. Reaches out to you as you raise the glass. Notes of red fruits, predominantly cherries. Very good length and excellent fruit/acid balance. Burgundy as I like it!
Finished this off after a night on the counter under N2 (Cork Pops Wine Preserver). Again, took a few minutes to come in focus. And it had developed a bit. Deeper, darker and not quite so cheery. But still very interesting, pulled you right in.
Although, thinking about it, this much change seems a sign of instability.
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3/6/2021 - SimonG wrote: 90 Points
Typically light in colour, but so vibrant and pretty. Floaty, very floral bright nose, a touch of autumnal interest starting to develop; good acidity giving a bright and knife-like line to the silky red berry fruit. Previous bottle at the Medlar offline was somewhat vegetal but this one is clean and pure, very much like a brighter, slightly tighter fruited version of the 2010, with a far less evolved sous-bois character. ***1/2. Overnight this loosens slightly and softens a little with the fruit taking on a sweater, less sour character, pushing ****
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12/10/2020 - benhalton wrote:
I have drunk 6 bottles of the 2010 vintage of this wine with enormous pleasure. This is a slightly herbaceous, slightly more dilute version of that. Very gentle extraction, no tannin at all, ready to drink now but no rush. The style is so gentle it will not be for everyone but I think the lack of "winemaking" accentuates the vintage variation in a desirable way. Slightly more persistent than a bottle a couple of years ago. Worth the approx 30 quid I paid for it. ***
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6/22/2020 - Cote d'Or wrote:
Tasted over 2 hrs
-semi-translucent mild bricking
-heavy reduction mingles with some berry and faint mature elements
-med- acidity, med/med- weight with hollowed out mid-palate followed by a nicely sappy berry cherry residue on the finish with med- tannins
-a bit flabby for the vintage, probably as good as it will be
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8/7/2019 - fingers wrote: 89 Points
Dark ruby/garnet color of very light saturation with a wide rim, no sediment or haze. Profound nose shows a little bit of sulphur to start but it gives way to big notes of smoky oak and toasted walnut, brambles, and some zippy spice and berries with a lot of complexity.
The bouquet almost fully translates to the palate but it feels just a touch flat and lazy compared to the energy I sensed on the nose. I would like just a tiny bit more acidity. Seems like there is still some tannic effect, too, which might smooth out with more time. Not bad at all... I guess I got a good bottle. 5+12+14+8= 89
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8/6/2019 - xwine wrote:
Pretty simple. Thin, with a sour note.
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4/5/2019 - Burgaddict wrote:
Leiden in Voorhout: Red fruit nose and taste, has matured very well, soft tannins, maybe already a bit past its peak.
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7/5/2018 - SimonG wrote: 85 Points
Maison Ilan @ Medlar: Paper. A touch of garnet. Lighter, quite lifted nose. A touch vegetal. Relatively light on the palate and again, a touch vegetal. Good acidity. Perfectly pleasant(ish) but not in the same class as the 10. **1/2
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11/17/2017 - mhauser wrote: flawed
Something is clearly wrong with this wine. Smelled very funky, with little flavor at all. Poured down the sink. What a huge disappointment.
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9/15/2017 - jaggeral1 wrote: 89 Points
Heavily reduced. There is a prettiness to the nose of this wine, red fruits, smidge of spice, some iron. Not a pyrazine to be found, a good thing. The palate is again pretty, gentle red fruits some iron and mineral notes but it does feel almost a little dialled down rather than attractive finesse. There is a nice balance to the component parts but it falls away a little on the finish again leaving a sense of just not enough inner energy.
Interesting things to note:
I wish I had opened this wine much earlier than the 1 hour and Fourrier shake I gave it as it noticeably filled out and developed in the last couple of pours.
It doesn't feel like a wine for the long haul but neither was it mature in my opinion.
I think most people drinking these wines know the story but this bottle had an impeccable, high quality cork, not one but two (!) high quality capsules and a very smart label to boot.
If you are going to open one give it time for the reduction to clear - open in the morning!
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7/8/2017 - khmark7 wrote: 86 Points
Enticing aromas upon opening of forest underbrush & cranberries. The palate is very light, i would have guessed 2013 vintage, rather neutral and a sour finish. Unripe grapes? Sorting issues? I prefer light elegant wines like this but the sour finish is difficult to ignore.
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5/27/2017 - ews3 wrote: 86 Points
A little off putting appearance, with purple hues in a very light core, and then orange bricking hues around the rim. Very thin, this has a ripe raspberry juicy palate and is somewhat simple, with light forest floor woodsiness in the backdrop. Finish is short and turns a bit sour. Drinkable and more interesting than typical entry level, but not worth anywhere near the price.
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3/19/2017 - rc@ughey wrote: 87 Points
Nice red-fruited feminine nose. Palate is inviting but a bit hollow.
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3/10/2016 - Burgaddict wrote: 91 Points
Last Ilan vintage I bought. This is really a lovely wine, sweet red fruit nose with sous-bois, taste also red fruit, complex tones, long finish.
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12/26/2015 - kultcha wrote:
No formal notes take but has advanced pretty significantly since the previous bottle. Not as advanced as some other CT reviewers recent tastings but was a little shocked given the last time I tried this was ~6 months ago.
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12/18/2015 - Tpety wrote:
First Maison Ilan: Bought from winery. Cork broke in half upon opening, but appeared to be of good quality, very little saturation. Definite bricking, similar to a much older wine. Dusty old dark cherry aroma. Medium light weight. Soft and drinkable. Aside from the aroma and appearance of a much, much older wine, it isn't so bad. Served blind, my guess would be an '05 Morgon from Beaujolais.
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12/15/2015 - Chuck Miller wrote: 78 Points
Boy, this has changed, and not for the better. First, even pouring the first glass, you could see that not only was it very pale, it also had significant bricking. Second, the nose has picked up a distinctively green note. Short finish. Going downhill fast.
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10/13/2015 - xwine wrote:
Some very nice aromatics, with soft florals and light red fruit. Fairly pale color. Although it could use a bit more structure, the palate is enjoyable, fairly lush, cherry-like fruit, no complexity to speak of. A good wine, and certainly far better than the Chaffots of the same vintage, which was simply awful.
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10/12/2015 - coremill wrote: 88 Points
Pretty good for a 2011. Ripe rapsberry fruit with high acidity that makes it juicy and tart, with airy, gliding tannins. Not especially concentrated or structured, but with surprising persistence on the finish. Held up well, maybe even better, on night 2. Lacks complexity, and not particularly Morey-ish, but it's tasty and it avoids the downsides of the 2011 vintage. Doesn't seem especially concentrated or structured, so I don't see much reason to cellar this for the long term. Miles better than the Volnay Robardelles.
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11/26/2014 - Burgaddict wrote: 89 Points
Red fruit nose, not very expressive. Some sous-bois. Taste also red fruit, minerality and acidity in good balance, good mouthfeel at the start. Mid-palate a bit light, short finish. Pleasant drink, not very complex.
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11/5/2014 - Chuck Miller wrote: 82 Points
Decanted at 3, served around 7. Decent nose, but sour and acidic on the palate with a short finish. Not enjoyable. Tried again after 24 hours in the decanter with no improvement.
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11/1/2014 - kultcha wrote:
Nose of tart cherry, raspberry and slight sous bois. Light garnet colour. Light weight palate that picks up a bit of weight with air. Flavours of tart cherry, little sappy raspberry core, minerals and a small green 2011 vintage herbal streak. Good acidity, decent balance. Not overly complex but could increase with age. Medium finish that seems to get a bit watery before ending with lingering raspberry. Overall quite open for drinking now but expect will improve with further time.
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6/28/2014 - duchamp wrote: 94 Points
(from memory) Medium ruby, big primary nose of candied cherries, raspberry, smokey black fruits and allspice, complex palate with red and black fruits, spice, earth and mineral undertones, hauntingly long finish with complex berry fruit, rhubarb, earth and integrated tannins
Second bottle (10/19) much less interesting, started out simple and fruit forward and after opening up showed a lot of reduction, would score more like 90
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9/17/2012 - tthomas wrote:
Barrel sample. This wine was very shy today and a bit reduced. With some swirling you get some nice red pinot fruit and minerals. Well balanced but just needs a bit of time to come around.
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9/8/2012 - sethmorgenlong wrote:
Barrel sample:
Bright, lithe and charged. Round, subtle red fruit, searing acidity which drives the fruit, spice and dry florals. Rich lees impact or noble reduction...
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