Reviews

Sphaerics Chardonnay if and only if

Another stab at this gem yields similar results as when I last sampled it back in July, the 2024 “if and only if” is a banger of a wine. Service was a bit cold at first, making for a more muted…

Sphaerics Chardonnay overline

A lot of lemon to go around with this one, flanked by salt rock, yellow pear, and yuzu elements, the overline flaunts a pleasant array of citrus and stone fruit flavors that also offer a sense of…

Sphaerics Chardonnay on days and nights

The oak elements are more prominent on the front end here, with the attack led by juicy lemon curd and riper yellow pear flavors, lovingly kissed with oak and subtle tropical notes. There is…

Sphaerics Pinot Noir superset

What a brilliant combination of red cherry, pomegranate, and strawberry fruit, as well as more earthy notes of bark, dry tea leaf, and stem. There is a brambly characteristic that has Dujac written…

Dhondt-Grellet Champagne Premier Cru Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut Les Nogers

I continue to appreciate the freshness of the overall delivery combined with the diligently placed oxidative and honey notes here with this vintage of Nogers. Lemon, pear, and wet granite make for a…

Adrien Renoir Champagne Grand Cru Les Montants

To try and crush this bottle with a quick pop and guzzle would certainly do it a disservice. The initial blast of foamy chalk, lemon juice, lime pith, and herbs is a speedway of hyper strung-up…

Bérêche et Fils Champagne Premier Cru Le Cran

I’ve been drilling through these 10+ year old Le Crans lately as I’ve unfortunately started to see a fairly steep declination in this particular bottling’s evolution in terms of desired freshness and…

Jean-Paul & Benoit Droin Chablis Grand Cru Hommage à Louis

This is coming along swimmingly, with salty yellow and green citrus notes complimenting white travertine, lemon curd and juice, tangerine oil, yuzu, and crème fraiche. The lactic aspects of the oak…

Domaine des Malandes Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos

Having evolved notably well since my last bottle two years ago, the 2022 Malandes Les Clos is a pretty version that is slowly blossoming into a worthy specimen. Lemon upon lemon, with hints of…

Jérôme Prévost Champagne La Closerie Extra Brut Les Beguines

Perhaps one of the best mature expressions of Pinot Meunier I’ve had in recent memory, this bottle of 2013 Beguines is much improved from the slightly more baked and oxidized bottle I had last year.…

Paul Lato Syrah Il Padrino Bien Nacido Vineyard

I decided to Coravin another sample over the past few months and I gotta say this is a compelling bottle of wine, especially once some slow O2 gets ahold of it and methodically injects a lovely sense…

Bérêche et Fils Champagne Premier Cru Le Cran

This bottle was slightly more sluggish out of the gate compared to the bottle I had six months ago. A bead of minerality saves it from becoming too heavy, but the prominent ripe apple core is full…

Künstler Riesling Hochheim Kirchenstück Großes Gewächs

Quite a little powerhouse at first pull (actually, “at first unscrew”), the 2019 Kunstler Hochheim Kirchenstuck Großes Gewächs presents as a little spitfire. Boxy and slightly abrasive initially,…

Peter Lauer Kupp Riesling Faß 18 Großes Gewächs

Quite the smooth little operator, this shows lovely balance and cadence of flavor, especially next to a Künstler GG that was a bit spunkier and more angular. The Peter Lauer Kupp Faß 18 GG rolls…

Ultramarine Sparkling Rosé Heintz Vineyard

This is a much meatier and advanced version than what I’ve experienced from the 2018 Rose. In fairness to the producer, it was an auction bottle (with a disgorgement date a week later than the ones I…

Huré Frères Champagne L'Insouciance

Another go at this wine yields a bit more of a weightier result than my previous bottle. Fresh and focused, the 2021 base has been more boney than the 2020, but its lift and verve are undeniable. As…

Jean-Paul & Benoit Droin Chablis Grand Cru Vaudésir

Lemon juice, lemon confit, lemon zest, lemon lemon lemon… with lime zest and pith, yellow pear flesh and skin, and quince, the 2019 Vaudesir has formed into a balanced and focused animal, and one…

Pol Roger Champagne Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill

Mirabelle plum, honey, brioche, white cherry, grilled citrus, and limestone flavors present a medium-bodied experience (at least as Churchills go). There is ample frame and energy to keep the flavor…

Jean-Paul & Benoit Droin Chablis Grand Cru Grenouilles

Lime, lemon, yuzu, quince, limestone, and yellow pear flesh; hints of honey and travertine. This is in a pretty prime spot right now. There is noteworthy equilibrium, with solid acidity and speed,…