A night/day contrast from the bottle I had back in 2020. I treated this recent bottle like a Napa Cab, with a decent amount of air and a not-rushed service which gave it the opportunity to expand its…
This is a bristly showing at first pass, with notable tension and energy spitting prickly pear, red apple skin and flesh, copper, bitter lemon rind, lemon zest, black cherry water, and ginger flavors…
After digging into my recent arrivals of Maillart Champagne, I decided to try the 2017 Jolivettes, 2017 Mont Martin, and 2014 Chaillots Gillis. Punchline: Anyone who is holding these bottles should…
It's been a year since sampling this wine, which I had previous high accolades to throw out back in 2020. I was similarly impressed with this bottle, with just enough rusticity to make it interesting…
Prickly and slightly rustic on its initial entry, this vintage of Vignes d'Autrefois hucks a few prongs on the attack, pricking the palate with steely and acidic shots that almost numb the senses…
Red apple flesh, olive oil, and ginger roll along the palate with the assistance of yellow citrus (grilled lemon) and limestone notes, making for a broad and balanced delivery. A pleasant bead keeps…
Similar to my notes from last year. There is a profile here that reminds me a bit of Krug in that it contains a beautiful richness that is compelling and flavorful without being heavy or overly…
A broader-shouldered performance from last year, this bottle pushes red apple flesh, cherry water, bruised lemon, and salt rock flavors with a bit more might and flex. The front end is full but…
A steelier showing this time around. It either didn't like the stemware it was crowded in, which disabled it from spreading its wings and offering up the depth I've come accustomed to enjoying from…
Two years since my last tasting note on this wine. In a perfect place right now, with an enveloping mouthfeel coupled with just the right amount of vivacity to keep everything moving right along…
Coming into a nice drinking window now. Starts out with some decent oomph and gains more finesse with air. Drink or hold. I'll likely be doing more of the former with my remaining bottles.
From premier cru vines planted in 1972, the Nicolas Maillart 2016 Mont Martin is an extraordinary 100% Pinot Meunier Extra Brut that immediately impresses for its classy and harmonious flavor-display…
So this Champagne is SERIOUS business. If ever there was a wine crafted for the uber-geek of wine geeks, this one gets the magna cum laude distinction in oenophile nerddum arithmetic. Hyper-vigilant…
This continues to develop nicely since last year. More body and depth, with a good delivery of flavor and expansion on the palate. Starting into a good window now. Previous notes apply otherwise.
A fleshy and fuller-bodied Rose (which I appreciated for its heft and push), with healthy dollops of strawberry, ripe red raspberry, citrus rind, and subtle flint. A little sweeter and rounder on the…
More fleshy and enveloping than many other Pur Meunier in its class. Perfectly balanced, with a rolling push of grilled lemon rind, quince, white cherry water, limestone, and slight bark. Finishes…
A straightforward display of brassy lemon and black cherry water flavors. Satisfying in some respects, but a little more on the serious side... almost to the point of being too much of a…
Less prickly than when I had it last summer. Brassy yellow citrus, red apple flesh and skin, black cherry water, marzipan, limestone, and bark flavors deliver a focused attack that relaxes over time…
Red apple, candied citrus peel, preserved Meyer lemon, raw ginger, honeycomb, wet limestone, olive oil, and Rainier cherry water. Slight lamp oil in texture, with a peripheral oxidized dynamic that…
Black cherry water, white stone, white fig, lemon pulp, and yellow apple skin. The 100% PM makes for a pretty serious and chiseled delivery, with a direct execution that provides limited, though…
