This is the fourth vintage of this offering enjoyed starting with the 2011 vintage. Always consistent and extremely high quality. Starting to show some signs of maturity in the flavor profile; lingering acidity provides balance; white and yellow fruits, salty minerality, and a vein of herbaceousness provide complexity; lengthy and satisfying finish. The sea salt and vinegar pistachios really worked well with this wine. Outstanding. Drink through 2027.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Pale yellow with glints of gold. Moderate aroma of ripe golden apples, tangerine, fennel, lemongrass, crisp minerality, and a slight leesy note. On the palate the fruit is intense and rich with a medium plus body, medium plus acid, medium alcohol (13.5%), a nice bite of citrus rind at the back, very long finish. Beautifully balanced, good complexity.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Pale yellow. Rich honeyed fruit on the palate, grapefruit marmalade with strong lemon acids, medium to full bodied, low to medium alcohol. Also unfortunately slightly corked, not enough to make it undrinkable but definitely there. Lemon and rind aromas, white pepper, fields of new mown hay. Beautiful age and balance, very long mellifluous finish. Setting aside the flaw, this would be a 95.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Delicious. Top notch sancerre. Almost clear color in glass. Great minerality and energy at start, with some time it broadens a bit and shows more fruit. Very nice with roast fish and spring vegetables.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Mineral bomb here. I've liked Boulay's wines a lot in the past, but this one has another gear to it. The nose has a blast of chalky minerality and mintiness with an intensity and freshness that brings Vatan to mind, and there's tremendous cut and vibrancy on the palate that makes it incredibly easy to drink. I love the overall balance and sense of focus here, and given the trends in price and ability for Vatan, I think I need to get a lot more of these in my cellar.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Consistent with prior note. Seems to have developed a little with some more noticeable waxiness and slight grassiness. Smells just beautiful. Crisp green apple, stonefruit, lemon curd, vivid stony minerality. Dry. High in acid, almost sour but with huge length. So delicious.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
So fresh and packed with fruit and mineral, it doesn't seem at all affected by the three years I have had it aging. I would have great confidence keeping this for several more years If I had any more bottles. As it is it drank really well, especially with air and a temperature of about 10-12 celsius.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
It's Greek to Me & A Bunch of Whites (It's Greek to Me, Mpls): Pale straw color. Drank 1 glass over 40 minutes. Really nice, crisp and quite lively on the nose and palate, great acid, vibrant, tart, very dry, lime, lime extract, lemon, tart apple, tons of flinty minerality, citrus peel, apple peel, medium plus finish. In a great spot, but with plenty of life.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This may have been the least distinguished wine of the quartet - fine if drink on its own, but nothing really stood out here in comparison to the other wines.
Reticent nose, and just "ho-hum" compared to the other wines.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Light straw color with a bright and clear shine. Profound aroma of lime/citrus, grass, burnt orange rind, and some earth. Very tangy acid and slippery minerals push a shopping basket through the fruit department, collecting all kinds of tropical elements. Medium-full bodied and seems to have enough structure to go several more years. One of my all time favorite SB, for sure. 4+13+18+9= 94
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Almost colorless, slightest of yellow, with a bit of skunk and cut grass in the nose. Shards of glass, almost uncomfortably acidic, with hay, lemon and molasses on the palate. Not great right now.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
So good. Been saving this up to enjoy with some goat's cheese, olives and cornishons. Such has been my experience with Sancerre, great on it's own... but borders on transcendent with the right food.
The aroma delivers a palpable expression of wet stones and chalk, like wet leaves and damp earth after rain. Lemon peel, jasmine, vanilla and stone fruit layered underneath. Strong, bracing acidity at first, that mellows with time to reveal an almost viscous palate of watery passionfruit, figs, and lemon curd... Lovely tension between the tight, linear acid and soft, mellow fruit. Length is largely driven by the acidity. This is really crying out for food.
This might just be the wankiest tasting note I've ever done.
This was much better than its big sister at this point. More resolved, more balanced, flavors of lemon, ginger, rock. Just a hint of grass, but not enough to be off-putting. Nicely balanced. I like my sauvi-blancs with plenty of citrus, acid and bit of rock, and this fit the bill nicely. I think Didier would have liked this if he was still with us.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very very enjoyable. Opened it on a nice summer evening. Not too many detailed notes (the paper notes are somewhat faded now). Lime orange on the nose and palate, great goldish color. On the dry side. @92-93
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Sancerre and Pouilly Fume Blind Tasting: This is on the mineral, fine-boned end of the Sancerre spectrum. The most striking aspects of the wine are its salinity and stone. Some of the classic grass is there and those little white French stone fruits - I don't recall the name but I've drunk the liqueur a couple times in Alsace and at the Taillevent. I like the personality here; there's a lot of nervosity - it's not laid back. Still a little young, may get better.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nose: Lime, orange blossom, flint, wet stone, quinine. Palate: fuller than above, more mouth coating but still intense acidity, finishes on tropical fruit acidity.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Found this in the fridge on day 3...nose is pretty subdued by now. Faint bit of citrus, maybe. In the mouth, very big flavors of tart citrus and tons of acidity on the attack, a bit of fruitiness in the middle and then finishing bracing and tart. I like it a lot.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Light yellow-white in the glass; nose is not quite as pronounced as the Clos de Beaujeu, but still displays a briny accent.
Crisp & bright on the palate - less intense than the CdB, although the acidity is still pretty sharp here. I think this will be ready to drink first, but this is another wine that will benefit from some time in the bottle.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
5/25/2024 - wmccone54 Likes this wine: 93 Points
This is the fourth vintage of this offering enjoyed starting with the 2011 vintage. Always consistent and extremely high quality. Starting to show some signs of maturity in the flavor profile; lingering acidity provides balance; white and yellow fruits, salty minerality, and a vein of herbaceousness provide complexity; lengthy and satisfying finish. The sea salt and vinegar pistachios really worked well with this wine. Outstanding. Drink through 2027.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/14/2024 - wgmccallum Likes this wine: 94 Points
Pale yellow with glints of gold. Moderate aroma of ripe golden apples, tangerine, fennel, lemongrass, crisp minerality, and a slight leesy note. On the palate the fruit is intense and rich with a medium plus body, medium plus acid, medium alcohol (13.5%), a nice bite of citrus rind at the back, very long finish. Beautifully balanced, good complexity.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/14/2023 - RichD2 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Holding up really well. Both primary and tertiary aromas and flavors. Well-balanced acidity.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/25/2022 - wgmccallum Likes this wine: 95 Points
Pale yellow. Rich honeyed fruit on the palate, grapefruit marmalade with strong lemon acids, medium to full bodied, low to medium alcohol. Also unfortunately slightly corked, not enough to make it undrinkable but definitely there. Lemon and rind aromas, white pepper, fields of new mown hay. Beautiful age and balance, very long mellifluous finish. Setting aside the flaw, this would be a 95.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/7/2020 - LW31 Likes this wine:
Delicious. Top notch sancerre. Almost clear color in glass. Great minerality and energy at start, with some time it broadens a bit and shows more fruit. Very nice with roast fish and spring vegetables.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/1/2019 - prof b wrote: 93 Points
Another night with Salil: chalky minerality dominates this one with laser focus. Plenty of acid and a long finish results in an outstanding wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/1/2019 - salil wrote: 93 Points
Mineral bomb here. I've liked Boulay's wines a lot in the past, but this one has another gear to it. The nose has a blast of chalky minerality and mintiness with an intensity and freshness that brings Vatan to mind, and there's tremendous cut and vibrancy on the palate that makes it incredibly easy to drink. I love the overall balance and sense of focus here, and given the trends in price and ability for Vatan, I think I need to get a lot more of these in my cellar.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/9/2019 - Milliontown wrote: 94 Points
Consistent with prior note.
Seems to have developed a little with some more noticeable waxiness and slight grassiness. Smells just beautiful. Crisp green apple, stonefruit, lemon curd, vivid stony minerality. Dry. High in acid, almost sour but with huge length. So delicious.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/15/2018 - jrick Likes this wine: 92 Points
So fresh and packed with fruit and mineral, it doesn't seem at all affected by the three years I have had it aging. I would have great confidence keeping this for several more years If I had any more bottles. As it is it drank really well, especially with air and a temperature of about 10-12 celsius.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/27/2018 - rocknroller wrote: 92 Points
It's Greek to Me & A Bunch of Whites (It's Greek to Me, Mpls): Pale straw color. Drank 1 glass over 40 minutes. Really nice, crisp and quite lively on the nose and palate, great acid, vibrant, tart, very dry, lime, lime extract, lemon, tart apple, tons of flinty minerality, citrus peel, apple peel, medium plus finish. In a great spot, but with plenty of life.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/23/2018 - Bob H wrote:
This may have been the least distinguished wine of the quartet - fine if drink on its own, but nothing really stood out here in comparison to the other wines.
Reticent nose, and just "ho-hum" compared to the other wines.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/17/2017 - fingers Likes this wine: 94 Points
Light straw color with a bright and clear shine. Profound aroma of lime/citrus, grass, burnt orange rind, and some earth. Very tangy acid and slippery minerals push a shopping basket through the fruit department, collecting all kinds of tropical elements. Medium-full bodied and seems to have enough structure to go several more years. One of my all time favorite SB, for sure. 4+13+18+9= 94
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/6/2017 - guitarguy wrote: 91 Points
Smoky, dirt and lime in the nose. Flavors include juicy lime, chalk and a really nice, lengthy finish. Drinks better around 45-50*F
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/5/2016 - guitarguy wrote: 86 Points
Almost colorless, slightest of yellow, with a bit of skunk and cut grass in the nose. Shards of glass, almost uncomfortably acidic, with hay, lemon and molasses on the palate. Not great right now.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/27/2015 - Milliontown wrote: 93 Points
So good. Been saving this up to enjoy with some goat's cheese, olives and cornishons. Such has been my experience with Sancerre, great on it's own... but borders on transcendent with the right food.
The aroma delivers a palpable expression of wet stones and chalk, like wet leaves and damp earth after rain. Lemon peel, jasmine, vanilla and stone fruit layered underneath.
Strong, bracing acidity at first, that mellows with time to reveal an almost viscous palate of watery passionfruit, figs, and lemon curd...
Lovely tension between the tight, linear acid and soft, mellow fruit. Length is largely driven by the acidity. This is really crying out for food.
This might just be the wankiest tasting note I've ever done.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (2)
10/12/2015 - guitarguy Likes this wine: 92 Points
This was much better than its big sister at this point. More resolved, more balanced, flavors of lemon, ginger, rock. Just a hint of grass, but not enough to be off-putting. Nicely balanced. I like my sauvi-blancs with plenty of citrus, acid and bit of rock, and this fit the bill nicely. I think Didier would have liked this if he was still with us.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/25/2015 - odds Likes this wine:
Very very enjoyable. Opened it on a nice summer evening. Not too many detailed notes (the paper notes are somewhat faded now). Lime orange on the nose and palate, great goldish color. On the dry side. @92-93
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/30/2015 - englishman's claret wrote: 92 Points
Sancerre and Pouilly Fume Blind Tasting: This is on the mineral, fine-boned end of the Sancerre spectrum. The most striking aspects of the wine are its salinity and stone. Some of the classic grass is there and those little white French stone fruits - I don't recall the name but I've drunk the liqueur a couple times in Alsace and at the Taillevent. I like the personality here; there's a lot of nervosity - it's not laid back. Still a little young, may get better.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/11/2015 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Nose: Lime, orange blossom, flint, wet stone, quinine. Palate: fuller than above, more mouth coating but still intense acidity, finishes on tropical fruit acidity.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/28/2015 - Chrisinroch Likes this wine:
Found this in the fridge on day 3...nose is pretty subdued by now. Faint bit of citrus, maybe. In the mouth, very big flavors of tart citrus and tons of acidity on the attack, a bit of fruitiness in the middle and then finishing bracing and tart. I like it a lot.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/21/2014 - Bob H wrote:
Light yellow-white in the glass; nose is not quite as pronounced as the Clos de Beaujeu, but still displays a briny accent.
Crisp & bright on the palate - less intense than the CdB, although the acidity is still pretty sharp here. I think this will be ready to drink first, but this is another wine that will benefit from some time in the bottle.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment