Wow! Not familiar with this vineyard “les Faconnieres” but this bottle is drinking like a grand cru. Beautiful nose, still structured (despite age and only being 1er cru) but also very well integrated tannins. Violets and red fruits on the nose - very pretty and very alive for 22 year old. Palette is cherry with a delicious mix of raspberry and blood/iron - much like Hubert Lignier clos de la Roche. This is an amazing bottle which is drinking absolutely on point right now and for possibly a few more years to come. Outstanding!
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This wine has entered its drinking window well integrated and in perfect balance of fruit, acidity and nicely fine-grained tannins. There was a bit of funk on the nose and in glass upon first splash, but this all resolved with air and really started to sing. Classic Margaux nose and on the palette a mix of black fruits and blue with touch of graphite/pencil lead. I recently drank and reviewed the 2010 Rauzan-Segla and made inference to how it was polished and not a lush fruit bomb like perhaps an Issan or Brane-Cantenac, but I was wrong. This wine is not at all modern in style and has a real sense of class and sophistication to it. Again, like the Rauzan-Segla, I would recommend bringing it up to temperature but not too much above cellar temperature. A 60-90 minute slow-ox in bottle and it should be singing. It’s in a nice drinking window now but doesn’t feel like it’s going away anywhere for probably another decade. Great quality/price ratio too. Enjoy!
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All of the prior tasting notes are accurate. This wine started off with a very closed nose, quite differently than what I was expecting - especially from a very warm, ripe vintage in 2010. It is not a modern, plush fruit-first 2010 Margaux like perhaps a Brane-Cantenac or Issan. But the wine is in perfect balance right now and doesn’t feel like it’s going anywhere for a very long time. Garnet colour with red brick at the rims, very well integrated tannins and lovely pure fruit which is not in your face. This is a very sophisticated Margaux for the vintage. Would recommend a 90min to 2 hour slow-ox and bringing up just a touch from cellar temperature. I don’t like to decant wines unless very old and laiden with sediment or else very young and needing violent and quick oxidation. The French very rarely decent, especially with burgundy, as they feel that this “breaks” the wine and I agree with them here. This “super second” growth could very easily pass in blind tasting for Château Margaux or other of the 2010 first growth offerings. It’s lovely, will remain so for another 20-30 years, and makes me very grateful that I have a half case of 2015 waiting in my cellar.
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2002 Domaine Lignier-Michelot Morey St. Denis 1er Cru Les Faconnières
3/19/2024 - Robbie O Likes this wine: 95 Points
Wow! Not familiar with this vineyard “les Faconnieres” but this bottle is drinking like a grand cru. Beautiful nose, still structured (despite age and only being 1er cru) but also very well integrated tannins. Violets and red fruits on the nose - very pretty and very alive for 22 year old. Palette is cherry with a delicious mix of raspberry and blood/iron - much like Hubert Lignier clos de la Roche. This is an amazing bottle which is drinking absolutely on point right now and for possibly a few more years to come. Outstanding!
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2010 Château Brane-Cantenac
3/6/2024 - Robbie O Likes this wine: 93 Points
This wine has entered its drinking window well integrated and in perfect balance of fruit, acidity and nicely fine-grained tannins. There was a bit of funk on the nose and in glass upon first splash, but this all resolved with air and really started to sing. Classic Margaux nose and on the palette a mix of black fruits and blue with touch of graphite/pencil lead. I recently drank and reviewed the 2010 Rauzan-Segla and made inference to how it was polished and not a lush fruit bomb like perhaps an Issan or Brane-Cantenac, but I was wrong. This wine is not at all modern in style and has a real sense of class and sophistication to it. Again, like the Rauzan-Segla, I would recommend bringing it up to temperature but not too much above cellar temperature. A 60-90 minute slow-ox in bottle and it should be singing. It’s in a nice drinking window now but doesn’t feel like it’s going away anywhere for probably another decade. Great quality/price ratio too. Enjoy!
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2010 Château Rauzan-Ségla
2/28/2024 - Robbie O Likes this wine: 96 Points
All of the prior tasting notes are accurate. This wine started off with a very closed nose, quite differently than what I was expecting - especially from a very warm, ripe vintage in 2010. It is not a modern, plush fruit-first 2010 Margaux like perhaps a Brane-Cantenac or Issan. But the wine is in perfect balance right now and doesn’t feel like it’s going anywhere for a very long time. Garnet colour with red brick at the rims, very well integrated tannins and lovely pure fruit which is not in your face. This is a very sophisticated Margaux for the vintage. Would recommend a 90min to 2 hour slow-ox and bringing up just a touch from cellar temperature. I don’t like to decant wines unless very old and laiden with sediment or else very young and needing violent and quick oxidation. The French very rarely decent, especially with burgundy, as they feel that this “breaks” the wine and I agree with them here. This “super second” growth could very easily pass in blind tasting for Château Margaux or other of the 2010 first growth offerings. It’s lovely, will remain so for another 20-30 years, and makes me very grateful that I have a half case of 2015 waiting in my cellar.
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