Reviews

Jean-Paul & Benoit Droin Chablis Grand Cru Vaudésir

Fresh and satisfying, with a lovely density that provides both Grand Cru weight and breadth, this 2019 Droin Vaudesir takes the best of the 2018 and 2017 vintages and combines them to make a 2019…

Patrick Piuze Chablis 1er Cru Vaulorent "QC"

Lemon juice, chalk, wet white travertine, and lemon pith are pleasantly zingy but also primary and linear. Here there is enough 1er Cru intensity to keep the breadth of delivery at requisite levels,…

Patrick Piuze Chablis Grand Cru Bougros Côte de Bouqueyreaux

As polished as most any wine I've had from Bougros, this Piuze version is a hyper clean and airy expression of the site, with the extra chalky minerality whipping the yellow citrus elements into…

Marie-Courtin Champagne Éloquence Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut

Binary is an apt descriptor indeed for this wine. Lean and linear, with a simplistic and exacting delivery that polarizes the palate with strict execution. It's truly a wine of two parts. Lemon and…

Paul Pillot Chardonnay Bourgogne

A fairly unimpressive showing here. The first of two bottles I had was flawed. This second and last bottle I had showed basic...and I mean BASIC... yellow citrus flavors. It was more like ONE yellow…

Paul Pillot Chardonnay Bourgogne

Totally flavorless, with an odd aftertaste reminiscent of licking a stamp. I popped a second bottle just to make sure this wasn't some weird profile Pillot was kissing off for his Bourgogne Blanc.…

Domaine du Château de Meursault Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières

A total dud. Wet cardboard and fur on the nose. The palate is flat and near-tasteless, with an astringent mouthfeel. Almost no discernible fruit aromas or flavors. Alkaline and bitter on the finish.

Henri Germain et Fils Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Morgeot Les Fairendes

Lemon creamsicle, clementine, meringue, vanilla, citrus juice, limestone, and lemon curd flavors cascade effortlessly, with a comparatively smoother and more undulating delivery than the spritely…

Henri Germain et Fils Meursault 1er Cru Les Poruzots

Similar to the '18 Charmes but with the lime juice and chalk flavors turned up an extra notch. Yuzu and faint kiwi notes add additional interest. This Poruzots is medium+ bodied and finishes a little…

Jerome Blin Champagne Cuvée Octave Zero Dosage

Less of a tense and nervy showing as was seven months ago, this clean and precise Champagne also offers a nice degree of gravitas and flavor to accompany its higher register execution. A worthy…

Fairchild Estate Chardonnay Stones Russian River Perrarus Block A3

Another solid performance, with an all-around sophisticated mouthfeel and texture that defines high-end Chardonnay out of California. Stylistically, this has both its Burgundian moments and its…

Jean-Paul & Benoit Droin Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos

Shy and primary on the initial hit of lemon curd and meringue cookie, but gradually over the course of a few hours, citrus juice and white rock enter the equation. Luscious and slightly rich on the…

Henri Germain et Fils Meursault 1er Cru Charmes

An initial reductive posture steps aside with air to reveal lemon and lime juice and zest, white chalk, lemon oil, and unripe white peach notes. Good zip for the warmer vintage, with a medium…

Domaine François Mikulski Meursault 1er Cru Charmes

Strike two with this wine. For lack of a better term, this wine was a bit of a snoozer. It was "fine" in the technical sense, but it really was just a flat affective display of fruit and minerality.…

Domaine du Château de Meursault Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières

A powerful showing, with a decent amount of oomph and raw authority on the front end, asserting lemon and lime juice, sea foam, wet limestone, quince, and orange bitters flavors with full-frontal…

Vice Versa Chardonnay Platt Vineyard

Similar to the 2018 Vice Versa Platt Chardonnay, this 2019 is a crisp lemon squeeze of a wine that spits white minerality and bitter citrus pith to great length. A floral elemnt tries to push…

Ultramarine Blanc de Blancs Heintz Vineyard Sonoma Coast

Lemon, sea foam, and salt rock flavors are speedy on the front end and rounded on the back. A little Ultramarine funk typicity adds interest. Compared to other vintages, the 2016 seems to be a…

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

A beautiful unfolding of lemon and lime juice, citrus zest, white and green melon rind, orange oil (NOT the termite-killing kind), quince, and wet travertine notes. A broad-shouldered P-M that is…

Hubert Lamy Saint-Aubin 1er Cru Derrière Chez Edouard Blanc

Nearly identical to the 2017, this current installment of Edouard is clean, crisp, and a straight-laced square. White melon rind, unripe yellow citrus, sea salt, and fossilized rock lay the path for…

Hubert Lamy Saint-Aubin 1er Cru Clos de la Chateniere Blanc Vieilles Vignes

Lemon, lime, and grapefruit juice, lemon zest, crunchy yellow pear and peach, sea salt, white pumice, tonic, and clam shell notes all make for beautifully layered waves of flavor, expanding with a…

Laherte Frères Champagne Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut Les Grandes Crayères

An instant crowdpleaser type of Champagne, with a rounded mouthful experience that is front-loaded with flavor and fun. Lemon confit, yellow pear, and almond sliver notes welcome the palate with open…

Jean-Paul & Benoit Droin Chablis Grand Cru Valmur

There is certainly Grand Cru intensity and power here, with lemon everything exploding in the mouth; limeade, lemon juice, lemontini, honeydew, and crunchy pear notes parade across the palate with…

Jean-Paul & Benoit Droin Chablis 1er Cru Montmains

2019 Droin 1er Crus side-by-side: Fourchaume, Montmains, Montée de Tonnerre.

Jean-Paul & Benoit Droin Chablis 1er Cru Fourchaume

2019 Droin 1er Crus side-by-side: Fourchaume, Montmains, Montée de Tonnerre.

Jean-Paul & Benoit Droin Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre

2019 Droin 1er Crus side-by-side: Fourchaume, Montmains, Montée de Tonnerre.