Reviews

David Leclapart Champagne Premier Cru L'Apôtre Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut

The sherry and oxidative elements are even stronger with this bottle. Yet, despite carrying a heavier and more aged profile, it holds up nicely with a frame that keeps it from collapsing. Like an…

Leclerc Briant Champagne Premier Cru Brut Zéro Les Monts Ferrés

A beautiful showing again, with iron, chalk, sea salt, and mineral elements jumpy-housing it out with olive oil, grilled lemon, white lemon rind, ginger, and white pear notes. I'm loving that iron…

Krug Champagne Vintage Brut

This begins to hit a stride after a couple hours of air. After a vigorous start out the gate, there is a nice mid-palate pause on the final sips that peacock beautiful green and yellow pear,…

Leclerc Briant Champagne Abyss

I've reviewed the 2018 Abyss a couple of times now and though I'm not convinced the underwater thing is really a thing, I am fortunately able (I think) to separate myself from whatever mechanisms…

Marguet Champagne Grand Cru Les Beurys

These Marguet wines are a trip, bouncing around in their flavor profiles on initial opening and taking a decent amount of time to settle into themselves. I'm torn, because the final sips of this…

Philip Togni Cabernet Sauvignon

From Magnum.

MacDonald Cabernet Sauvignon

Full and flowing, the 2016 MacDonald cascades with flavor and intensity. Black and redder-black fruits dominate, with less black olive ruling the roost this go-around. Soil and spice accompany the…

MacDonald Cabernet Sauvignon

Similar in design mostly to the 2013, the 2015 has tension and structure that mirrors its older sibling in all the best ways. The 2015 does relax a bit more after some air, and begins to evolve into…

MacDonald Cabernet Sauvignon

Lush and approachable, the 2014 is in a very giving mood. Though the 2012 showed enhanced depth and breadth by comparison, the 2014 is certainly a friendly and affable sipper that, of all the…

MacDonald Cabernet Sauvignon

This wine is. No. Joke. (Reminds me of when Ngawâ Sherpa told us as we were crossing Khumbu's Cho La Pass, "Cho La.No Joking. No talk. Rocks fall die.") A story for another time perhaps. But this…

MacDonald Cabernet Sauvignon

Perhaps the most decadent MacDonald I've ever had (though the 2020 was doing all sorts of look-at-me backflips in the 'I'm rich and fancy' department as well), the 2012 is just soooo darn delicious.…

Leclerc Briant Champagne Grand Cru Château d'Avize, Blanc de Blancs, Brut Zéro

Lemony lemonness with a side order of lemons. Succulent and even a bit chewy, but with a beautiful bead of acidity and white elements (melon rind, chalk, white pear) to keep it honest. Previous notes…

Marguet Champagne Grand Cru Le Parc

This bottle was sharper and more angular than the one I had back in December. Man I really hope we aren't gonna go through the same inconsistent nonsense we went through with the 2018s. Come on…

Kinsman Eades Cabernet Sauvignon Rhadamanthus

You want a hot body? You want a Bugatti? You want a Maserati? You better work b*. You want a Lamborghini? Sippin' Rhad-tinis? You better work b*.

Kinsman Eades Cabernet Sauvignon Kodo M-Bar Ranch

The 2022 Kodo hops-skips-and-jumps right over the front end of its execution and immediately settles cozily into a mid-palate density that melts like Ingrid Bergman in the arms of Humphrey Bogart…

Kinsman Eades Cabernet Sauvignon Käännös Vine Hill Ranch

Cuz it's great. That's why.

Kinsman Eades Cabernet Sauvignon Aphex Ecotone Vineyard

Within the sphere of Aphex's Cabernet Sauvignon, the blended Petit Verdot and Cab Franc really offer an additional supple layer of alluring flavors that both enrich and lift the chocolatey chocolate…

Kinsman Eades Cabernet Sauvignon Anjea Sleeping Lady Vineyard

The 2022 version of Anjea presents as a beautifully contoured outpouring of red and black fruit (and even a little purple), with deep and rounded cherry flavors cradled by softly gripping tannins. It…

Chartogne-Taillet Champagne Hors Serie

One thing I can say with a high degree of certainty is that these Hors Serie wines from Chartogne-Taillet are built for the long haul and are generally spun up, locked up, balled up, torqued up, and…

MacDonald Cabernet Sauvignon

Freshy Fresh McFreshalot, the 2022 MacDonald dials the fresh-o-meter up to 11, revealing exceptionally clean and driven fruit with a polish that is unmatched. I gotta say, the last two vintages of…

MacDonald Cabernet Sauvignon

Whaaaaat?! If this was blind (and in retrospect I wish it would have been just to put a double period of confidence on the end of this sentence), I would've called this out as not just a stronger…

Bérêche et Fils Champagne Grand Cru Mailly

This bottle was solid and sound. Poached pear, grilled lemon, limestone, Mirabelle plum, orange rind, red apple flesh, and olive oil notes work in unison with more lifted elements of chalk, white…

Pertois-Lebrun Champagne Grand Cru L'ambitieuse

Fresh and straightforward in execution, with the perpetual reserve rescuing it from becoming too foursquare. Deeper lemon, red apple flesh, honeyed pear, almond, and melon notes accompany the…

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

Starting out a little sleepy-eyed, this took an hour or so to open up and express itself with adequate speed and flavor expansion, intently pushing out ripe lemon, yellow pear, limestone, and fresh…

David Leclapart Champagne Premier Cru L'Apôtre Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut

Poached pear, grilled lemon, sherry, brown butter, limestone, river rocks, almond skin, salt rock, prickly yellow and green pear, and baking spices (cardamom and coriander). The front end pushes a…