Reviews

Henri Boillot Meursault 1er Cru Gouttes d'Or

Heavy reduction and a bit of heat kick off flavors of sour lemon and lime, lemon pith, clementine, honeydew, white melon rind, and lemon verbena. After a two hour decant, this was less reduced and…

Lail Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Mole Hill

Blackberry, dark wet soil, black licorice, and anise make for a heavy showing. A bit of a sandbaggy bruiser, but with overly rounded and soft contours hidden under its mass of fruit; indicative of a…

Larkmead Vineyards The Lark

It's been eight years since I've had this wine and it appears to be showing its age in anti-Benjamin Button fashion. It feels like another flashy 2007 that is tanking faster than it should (looking…

Arrow & Branch Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

This is a super hot fruit goober. I mean, it's a Crane, so fruit is kinda its thing, but I would leave these alone for a while. It's on total flash and overtly cocktaily in its current fraternity…

Vérité

More black fruited than I would have expected given its age, but the leather and soil elements waltz in and provide a layer or two of complexity that holds interest. It's a little Plain Jane in…

Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Bella Oaks

Plum, cherry, leather, dust, and some sherry notes. Classical in form all the way around. Past its prime in terms of freshness and tannic structure, presenting with a softness that is pleasant but…

Jean-Paul & Benoit Droin Chablis Grand Cru Grenouilles

Fresh lemon/lime juice, iodine, chlorophyll, and sea salt carry a nice punch of flavor, all wrapped around a beautiful beam of acidity. The wood treatment is deftly judicious and almost…

Domaine Nowack Champagne La Tuilerie Extra Brut

Notably better than the 2018, this vintage carries an extra level of intensity and focus. Melon and pear notes dominate on first pass. With air and a few hours to open up, it evolves into a riper and…

Chartogne-Taillet Champagne Chemin de Reims

Best bottle of this so far. A nice bead of minerality to counterbalance the spiced apple, lemon, limestone, olive oil, and salty yuzu flavors. After an hour or two it really opens up beautifully.

Jacques Lassaigne Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut Nature Clos Sainte Sophie

Previous notes apply, though I will say this particular bottle shows the wood quite a bit more than previous samples; it makes me wonder if, as this ages, the barrel influence will continue to take…

Geoffroy Champagne Premier Cru Expression Brut

From Magnum. 2017 base. Doughy and chewy on entry, with a dosage-driven attack that is rich and lactic. Some wet chalk and white/yellow stone fruit claw their ways through the bread, but this is…

DuMOL Chardonnay Chloe Ritchie Vineyard

A little gummy and sluggish on entry. Margarine, lemon curd, pineapple, olive oil, and overripe yellow pear flesh. Not undrinkable, but brassy and heavy; viscous in a way that makes for a chewy…

Revana Cabernet Sauvignon

At peak, at least in terms of its components continuing to harmonize in a synchronized outpouring of freshness, fruit flavor and expansion, and focus. It has become a bit of a one hit wonder, but the…

Sine Qua Non Syrah ♂

A very well preserved bottle here. Purple berries, blackberry, pine resin, and hints of leather. Still a decent chunk of primary fruit present, but I appreciate the restraint and control on the…

Sine Qua Non Grenache ♀

Dark and deeply pitched black raspberry and spice. Bits of leather and garrigue add interest. Still a bit of a bruiser on the initial attack, but gains some elegance on the back end. Drink now for…

Walter Scott Chardonnay Justice Vineyard

Hallmark reduction that eventually gives way to lime and lemon juice zing. Not terribly complex, but surely a bright and fresh hit of citrus verve. Drink or hold.

Kinsman Eades Cabernet Sauvignon La Voleuse Du Chagrin Geeslin Vineyard

2019 Napa blind of Promontory, Colgin Tychson, and Kinsman La Voleuse.

Colgin Cabernet Sauvignon Tychson Hill Vineyard

2019 Napa blind of Promontory, Colgin Tychson, and Kinsman La Voleuse.

Promontory

2019 Napa blind of Promontory, Colgin Tychson, and Kinsman La Voleuse.

Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée Edition 171eme

Amalgamated power, finesse, texture, breadth, and focus all come together in an alluring package of nutty oxidative flavors intermingled with poached pear, grilled lemon, salty yuzu, limestone, and…

Chartogne-Taillet Champagne Chemin de Reims

An upfront yeastier showing this go-around. Time in the glass shows more evolved white melon, yellow pear, lemon, and travertine flavors. Drink or hold, though I would recommend the latter. On day…

Jacques Selosse Initial

The best combination of unctuous/umami and vibrancy. Oxidative orangey notes combine with yellow lemon, pear, yuzu, apricot, and limestone flavors. Beautiful execution, with a full and lifted finish.

Dhondt-Grellet Champagne Grand Cru Extra Brut Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Cramant

I prefer this on the colder side, where the lemon and melon flavors are better focused and honed. When it warms in the glass, they tend to flatten out a bit. Crunchy pear, white melon rind, lemon…

David Leclapart Champagne Premier Cru L'Artiste Blanc de Blancs Pas Dosé Trépail

Similar display as before, with the honeydew note leading the charge, accompanied by yellow pear, quince, citrus pith, white melon rind, and stone. Repeats with the white melon rind flavor on the…

David Leclapart Champagne Premier Cru L'Artiste Blanc de Blancs Pas Dosé Trépail

Similar display as before, with the honeydew note leading the charge, accompanied by yellow pear, quince, citrus pith, white melon rind, and stone. Repeats with the white melon rind flavor on the…