Reviews

Ultramarine Sparkling Rosé Heintz Vineyard

A taut and refreshing Rose, with higher and lighter expressions of cranberry water, lemon pith, citrus spray, chalk, and Himalayan salt rock notes popping from the glass and nipping at the palate.…

Domaine Henri Boillot Volnay 1er Cru Les Fremiets

Boy was thing this spun up. A high rider that refused to come down off the ledge. This particular bottle was screaming, "Get bent and piss off." Vanilla booze, bright red cherry water, and raw…

Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Richebourg

Earthy and funky black cherry flavors dolphin their way in and out of waves of furry tannins, further warming the palate with plum, allspice, and faint burnt orange rind notes. Finishes slightly…

Maxem Pinot Noir Silver Eagle

An intensely scented nose foreshadows a correspondingly floral entry on the palate, with penetrating notes of violets, deep cranberry, crunchy black cherry, and slight citrus and mineral notes. There…

Maxem Pinot Noir UV Vineyard

Deep black cherry dominates, with a broad push of full berry fruit flavors washing over the palate. Finishes with a plush feel on the back end, with a "hug me like a teddy bear" demeanor enticing for…

Domaine Henri Boillot Volnay 1er Cru Les Chevrets

This is coming into a nice drinking window now, especially with a bit of swirling in the glass to coax out its deeper tones. Black cherry, loam, and a kiss of spice kick off the medium gourmand…

Roses de Jeanne / Cédric Bouchard Champagne Blanc de Noirs Côte de Val Vilaine

A nicely blended hybrid between the 2015 and the 2016 vintages in terms of the delivery of flavor complexity and speed, with a savory-meets-tense red apple flesh/skin element I found compelling in…

Marie-Courtin Champagne Efflorescence Extra Brut

100% Pinot Noir. 0g D/L. (unfortunately disgorgement date was unreadable).

Nicolas Maillart Champagne Premier Cru Franc de Pied Les Coupés

This bottle was even better than the previous one from last year. Perfect delineation of flavor and precise focus. A straight-line bead of effervescence lets the beautifully layered and exacting…

Domaine Taupenot-Merme Auxey-Duresses 1er Cru Rouge

NEECIES' note inspired me to pop another one of these; indeed, it shows as brilliant as ever. I bumped this up a point because it undeniably over-delivers for the price (which now seems to be in the…

Domaine Daniel Rion et Fils Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Beaux Monts

Similar to last year. This needs about 15-20 minutes in the glass to open up its flavors and deepen its overall profile. It is operating at what I'd consider its peak drinking window, with a gentle…

Nicolas Maillart Champagne Premier Cru Villers-Allerand Montchenot

2016 base with 20% reserve. 85% Pinot Noir, 15% Pinot Meunier. Disgorged 09/2020. 4g/L dosage.

Patiné Cellars Pinot Noir Sun Chase Vineyard

Sappy black cherry and boysenberry notes are flanked by muddled strawberry and earthy rhubarb flavors that intertwine to fashion a decidedly dark and mouth-filling profile, especially on the initial…

Nicolas Maillart Champagne Premier Cru Villers-Allerand Les Loges

Disgorged 11/2020. 2018 base. 100% Pinot Noir. 0g/L dosage.

Paul Pillot Chassagne-Montrachet Rouge Vieilles Vignes

A great showing tonight with a 1er Cru-level performance. The initial pull was especially full of cranberry and red berry flavors. Slightly thin for the first few minutes until it has a chance to…

Jean-Jacques Confuron Bourgogne Cuvée Jeunesse

Strawberry, rhubarb, red raspberry, soil, pine resin, and a little hint of funk. Light on its feet and stylistically a cross between old and new worlds; certainly a more lithe and airy delivery…

Nicolas Maillart Champagne Grand Cru Jolivettes

Pouring a translucent light salmon color (akin to a light colored Rosé), Maillart's 2016 Jolivettes quickly goes from spritely and radiant on the initial attack to a deeper-pitched down shift at the…

Domaine Launay-Horiot Pommard 1er Cru Les Chaponnières

Nowhere near as accessible as the awesome 2016 Chaponnieres. This 2017 is ultra-linear and lithe right now. Barely showing some dark berry and spice notes. Next-to-no depth currently. Simple and…

Domaine Henri Boillot Volnay 1er Cru Les Fremiets

I could not keep myself from tapping into another one of these bottles. Similar showing as in May 2020. Perfectly balanced and just the right amount of sappy and spice to make for a beautiful earthy…

P. Dubreuil-Fontaine Père & Fils Pommard 1er Cru Les Épenots

An initial straight-laced and flat delivery eventually inches into tasty sour red cherry, spice, and earth territory that provides smile-on-your-face satisfaction from start to finish. Earth and…

P. Dubreuil-Fontaine Père & Fils Corton-Clos du Roi

At first pass, the 2016 Dubreuil-Fontaine exhibits a decidedly attenuated and tempered conveyance of lightly spiced cranberry and black and red cherry flavors. It first fools its host into the belief…

Nicolas Maillart Champagne Premier Cru Franc de Pied Les Coupés

Disgorged 04/2018. 100% Pinot Noir. 0g/L dosage. From 1er Cru vines planted in 1973.

Domaine Bruno Clair Vosne-Romanée Les Champs Perdrix

Similar to my previous note in April, with subtle earthy black cherry and licorice flavors delicately sliding across the palate. A more diluted and lighter-weighted execution this time around,…

Paul Pillot Bourgogne

Purple crimson color. Deep and brooding at first, with a bit of a stiff upper lip. Air helps to relax and deepen the dark red and black berry, limestone, licorice and evergreen notes.

Domaine Anne et Hervé Sigaut Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Sentiers Vieilles Vignes

Boy this puppy is locked and loaded at the moment, with so much surging energy it's gonna take a bit for it to totally unfurl. A primary power-pusher of fuzzy purple and red fruit flavors that hit…