Reviews

Marguet Champagne Grand Cru Le Parc

3 bottles in a row flawed. Unacceptable.

Jerome Blin Champagne Cuvée Octave Zero Dosage

Flawed again. Won't buy Blin anymore.

Marguet Champagne Grand Cru Le Parc

Seems like I got the donkey's end of a bad batch of Marguets recently ordered. This bottle of Le Parc marks yet another busted monkey. Nothing on the nose, but the palate is aggressive bitterness,…

Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Petit Chablis

Pineapple, peaches and cream, cantaloupe, and ripe lemon flavors make for an overly exotic profile that is tasty and all, but without the requisite tension and speed. Finishes round and kinda…

Jacques Selosse V.O. Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut

Oxidative apricot, tangerine, and funky mushroom. Lacking a bit of freshness. Tasty and unique as always from this producer, but lacking that dollop of verve and focus overall. Bubbles were light,…

Nicolas Maillart Champagne Premier Cru Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut Les Chaillots Gillis

Give this air. It is a billion times more elevated when it can stretch its legs a bit. Perhaps even a decant if you can keep it cold. The 2012 is still the one to beat, but this 2014 isn't anything…

Aubert Chardonnay Eastside Vineyard

A solid rendition of Eastside, if not understandably juvenile and a bit unresolved. Air broadened the spectrum and expansion of flavors, but had a tendency to flatten the focus as it warmed in the…

Marguet Champagne Grand Cru Les Crayères

Tons of suds and a strong bitter alkaline flavor. No fruit at all. Sharp and biting. Bottom of cork covered with black specks.

Jean-Paul & Benoit Droin Chablis 1er Cru Fourchaume

The vanillin wood influence presents as fairly strong against the backdrop of the ripe lemon curd core. Simple and a little sluggish in its current state. Finishes a bit fat, but certainly succulent.…

Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Clavoillon

Beautiful lemon confit and white travertine notes unfold in a deliberate but mindfully generous undulation of yellow fruit and mineral flavors. There is a serious side here, but not so strict it…

Domaine Henri Boillot Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Clos de la Mouchère

Lemon, chalk, and limestone lead the charge of this notable bottle. Fires off with excellent intensity and persistence, swiftly managing to completely invigorate and envelop the palate with yellow…

Kongsgaard Chardonnay The Judge

Sardines and wet newspaper. Super bummer.

Faiveley Bâtard-Montrachet

Super young and primary, with pithy lemon-lime, chalk, white fruit, and unripe honeydew notes making for a vibrant and acidic delivery. The finish was slightly flatter than expected, with the tension…

Henri Boillot Corton-Charlemagne

A solid bottle, with a rich and lively performance that offers both lemon succulence and superb acidic tension. Air was a friend to this wine, as it was displaying a bit of a blocky front end until…

Walter Scott Chardonnay X-Novo Vineyard

Reductive and flinty on the nose, with a kick of lemon and lime juice, white travertine, quince, white melon rind, and crunchy white pear notes making for a linear entry that finds the means to relax…

Marcassin Chardonnay Marcassin Vineyard

Blind. Notes of butterscotch, lamp polish, grilled pineapple, grilled lemon, burnt vanilla bean, roasted marshmallow, aaaand .grilled pineapple and grilled pineapple. and grilled pineapple in…

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

Solid stuff, with vibrancy and keen energy that demand attention. The crystalline yellow citrus, lime zest, travertine, and quince notes are hyper focused while delivering an expansion of direct but…

Walter Scott Chardonnay Sojeau Vineyard

Strung up and young to be sure, with reductive elements battling against lemon pith, white fruit, and lemon seed elements. Finishes surprisingly contoured, which made for a less angular back end but…

Doyard Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut

Continues to impress. Knocking out a Henri Giraud Fut de Chene in the first round, the Doyard maintained a heightened freshness and brightness that the Giraud lacked. Lemon and chalk highlight the…

Domaine des Malandes Chablis Grand Cru Vaudésir

Somewhat surprisingly, the 2021 Vaudesir displays more personality than this 2020. This bottle was served at cellar temperature (56F) and could have used to be slightly cooler (50/52F). The flavors…

Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis Grand Cru Les Preuses

It's great. It's even better with food, highlighting the awesome seafood fare at Angler (SF). Is it $450-500+ great? (current Wine Searcher). No. Not for me. I bought this years ago for about half…

Marguet Champagne Grand Cru Le Parc

One of my new favorite QPR BdBs. My previous note from earlier in the year still applies, but this bottle had extra layers of lime and green pear that really added complexity. I dunno.get crazy and…

Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut

I just love this Champagne. It is super solid every time I have the opportunity to hang out with it. It may not have a 30-year-old Taittinger tiger lifespan necessarily (as is the case with a number…

Domaine des Malandes Chablis Grand Cru Vaudésir

The 2021 Malandes Vaudesir pours a vibrant and shimmering neon yellow color, muted on the nose, with just the slightest bit of reduction. On the palate, it's a lemony-lemon juice drop of super pure…

Jean-Paul & Benoit Droin Chablis Grand Cru Vaudésir

It's not the 2019, but it's set up to get close, the 2022 has more personality than the 2022 Grenouille and Valmur at this stage. With a nice acidic zip and a slightly creamy finish that creates a…