EYE^ Perfect clarity to look at. This is one increment lighter in color than a Chablis 2018 Bel Air et Clardy immediately preceding it. NOSE^ The smell is a suggestively savage instrument. I gather a brew of almonds and roots, roiled with mint and twine. Cinnamon/chili; mussels; steaming southern biscuits; gravel. MOUTH^ The first liquid drink is confrontational. Properly vitigenic and searing acidity triggers a saline response. Muscular white fruit of pristine clarity reverberates fossil bone structure. The event aims deliberately toward a finish of bitterly appetizing vegetal scar—iodine, marble grit, mentholated lemon smash. It's big, yet grippy and austere in texture. TIME^ Development: clarity and sweetness gather as the bottle yields. The bouquet digs its heels in, to offer blanched resins, birch bark, greengage, and Champagne. STANCE (Cressbeckler style)^ I opened this bottle, vintage 2018, in 2024, well before it obtained its most accomplished expression. The wildness it exemplified four years ago is *almost* modulated enough now to appeal to an unmotivated, broad-minded, and discriminating observer. Naive bliss, stomping baby goat energy: 92-100. Appointed manners and precision: 90. Weighted avg. 91.
A little bit natty on the nose on open - give it time to blow off if that is not your thing.
After a good amount of air, this wine really pops. Fresh acidity with a core of orchard fruit, spice and herbs. A thick, creamy texture leads into a long finish.
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Saline notes, citrus, herbs, and just a hint of more tropical fruit (coconut?) on the nose. Lovely acidity with more citrus/lemon notes and minerals on the palate. Good finish. Feels lean and fresh and quite delicious!
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On opening this had a very strong apple component as well as some oxidative notes. In fact, if blind, I might have guessed something from the Jura. With air it did shape up a good bit with the acidity/minerality becoming more pronounced. Somewhat of a unique wine - I look forward to trying some of the Chablis bottlings.
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Strong green apples in front palate changing to ripe yellow apples and then finishing with strong clean acidity. Very mouth watering. If you like green apple wine you’ll love this but I’ll take a pass.
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Fantastic. Fantastically balanced wine. Tropical notes, medium body, great acidity and minerality. Finish lingers for minutes. Phenomenal. Age will only improve this.
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A naturalist Chardonnay from Chitry. Fermented spontaneously with indigenous yeasts, aged for 11 months in old, neutral oak barrels. Vinified and bottled without SO2. 13,5% alcohol.
Medium-deep lemon yellow color with youthful greenish highlights. Juicy and sweet-toned yet still somewhat cool and precise nose that exudes ripeness without compromising any freshness. Aromas of sweet golden apples, some cantaloupe, a little bit of creaminess, light herbal notes of birch leaves and a mineral hint of chalk dust. The overall impression is that of a warmer-vintage Chablis. The wine is fresh and firm on the palate with a medium body and slightly wild flavors of ripe golden apples, cantaloupe, some herbal spice, a little bit of waxy funk, light mineral notes of chalk dust, a hint of pineapple and a touch of creamy richness. The acidity feels firm and pretty high, but not sharp or incisive, making the wine feel balanced but not lean or tightly-knit. Fresh and mouth-cleansing finish with quite long and enjoyably bright flavors of crisp green apples, some sweeter notes of cantaloupe, a little bit of creamy richness, light leafy notes of birch leaves, a hint of waxy funk and a touch of chalky bitterness.
A very nice, fresh and clean Chardonnay that manages to combine very Chablis-like freshness and minerality to somewhat ripe, juicy and more concentrated, yellow-toned fruit. Harmonious and very enjoyable stuff. It's hard to assess for how long this kind of wine will keep in a cellar, since it feels like it is made for early-drinking purposes. A nice naturalist, priced according to its quality at 26€.
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4/13/2024 - Putnam Weekley Likes this wine: 91 Points
EYE^ Perfect clarity to look at. This is one increment lighter in color than a Chablis 2018 Bel Air et Clardy immediately preceding it.
NOSE^ The smell is a suggestively savage instrument. I gather a brew of almonds and roots, roiled with mint and twine. Cinnamon/chili; mussels; steaming southern biscuits; gravel.
MOUTH^ The first liquid drink is confrontational. Properly vitigenic and searing acidity triggers a saline response. Muscular white fruit of pristine clarity reverberates fossil bone structure. The event aims deliberately toward a finish of bitterly appetizing vegetal scar—iodine, marble grit, mentholated lemon smash. It's big, yet grippy and austere in texture.
TIME^ Development: clarity and sweetness gather as the bottle yields. The bouquet digs its heels in, to offer blanched resins, birch bark, greengage, and Champagne.
STANCE (Cressbeckler style)^ I opened this bottle, vintage 2018, in 2024, well before it obtained its most accomplished expression. The wildness it exemplified four years ago is *almost* modulated enough now to appeal to an unmotivated, broad-minded, and discriminating observer. Naive bliss, stomping baby goat energy: 92-100. Appointed manners and precision: 90. Weighted avg. 91.
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3/31/2024 - YagerWine Does not like this wine: 80 Points
Even worse than the last bottle. 1 left. This wine really stinks.
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2/5/2024 - SH Wu wrote: 89 Points
A little bit natty on the nose on open - give it time to blow off if that is not your thing.
After a good amount of air, this wine really pops. Fresh acidity with a core of orchard fruit, spice and herbs. A thick, creamy texture leads into a long finish.
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11/27/2023 - YagerWine Does not like this wine: 85 Points
Overripe and flabby. Distinct apple note. Not my things. Anybody want to buy the other 2 mags I have?
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7/18/2022 - Vas19 wrote: 89 Points
Not a good vintage of this wine. Too ripe.
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4/13/2022 - Twowinechicks wrote: 88 Points
Bright light gold, lemony nose, lively and a tad short on mid palate.
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3/6/2022 - glou.sf Likes this wine: 92 Points
Saline notes, citrus, herbs, and just a hint of more tropical fruit (coconut?) on the nose. Lovely acidity with more citrus/lemon notes and minerals on the palate. Good finish. Feels lean and fresh and quite delicious!
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8/28/2021 - JM_MadTown Does not like this wine: 85 Points
I find that this wine has some odd flavors and I just not enjoying it.
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7/12/2021 - B Paul wrote:
On opening this had a very strong apple component as well as some oxidative notes. In fact, if blind, I might have guessed something from the Jura. With air it did shape up a good bit with the acidity/minerality becoming more pronounced. Somewhat of a unique wine - I look forward to trying some of the Chablis bottlings.
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5/31/2021 - batstongue Does not like this wine: 85 Points
Strong green apples in front palate changing to ripe yellow apples and then finishing with strong clean acidity. Very mouth watering. If you like green apple wine you’ll love this but I’ll take a pass.
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4/9/2021 - geoffreychambertin Likes this wine: 89 Points
This was nice. A little tropical, high acid. Good food wine.
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3/14/2021 - VegaSicilia1970 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Fantastic. Fantastically balanced wine. Tropical notes, medium body, great acidity and minerality. Finish lingers for minutes. Phenomenal. Age will only improve this.
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2/7/2021 - the godfather wrote:
Favorite borgougne blanc
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12/13/2020 - Barry Rothof wrote: 89 Points
nice, fresh, mineral, high toned citrus
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10/1/2020 - the godfather wrote:
rockstar
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9/25/2020 - JOsgood wrote:
Soooo terrific. I just adore these wines.
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9/8/2020 - the godfather wrote:
killer
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9/6/2020 - isaacjamesbaker wrote: 90 Points
Social distancing blind tasting: Ooh this was nice. No detailed notes but lovely.
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7/22/2020 - the godfather wrote:
absolutely off the charts good for the level. LOVE
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7/7/2020 - Barry Rothof wrote: 89 Points
Firm, quite powerful and hard, wet stones, tangy acidity and very young!!!
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5/29/2020 - forceberry wrote: 90 Points
A naturalist Chardonnay from Chitry. Fermented spontaneously with indigenous yeasts, aged for 11 months in old, neutral oak barrels. Vinified and bottled without SO2. 13,5% alcohol.
Medium-deep lemon yellow color with youthful greenish highlights. Juicy and sweet-toned yet still somewhat cool and precise nose that exudes ripeness without compromising any freshness. Aromas of sweet golden apples, some cantaloupe, a little bit of creaminess, light herbal notes of birch leaves and a mineral hint of chalk dust. The overall impression is that of a warmer-vintage Chablis. The wine is fresh and firm on the palate with a medium body and slightly wild flavors of ripe golden apples, cantaloupe, some herbal spice, a little bit of waxy funk, light mineral notes of chalk dust, a hint of pineapple and a touch of creamy richness. The acidity feels firm and pretty high, but not sharp or incisive, making the wine feel balanced but not lean or tightly-knit. Fresh and mouth-cleansing finish with quite long and enjoyably bright flavors of crisp green apples, some sweeter notes of cantaloupe, a little bit of creamy richness, light leafy notes of birch leaves, a hint of waxy funk and a touch of chalky bitterness.
A very nice, fresh and clean Chardonnay that manages to combine very Chablis-like freshness and minerality to somewhat ripe, juicy and more concentrated, yellow-toned fruit. Harmonious and very enjoyable stuff. It's hard to assess for how long this kind of wine will keep in a cellar, since it feels like it is made for early-drinking purposes. A nice naturalist, priced according to its quality at 26€.
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