Reviews

Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Beaune En Creuzilly

I thought this was "ok," but basically a pass-around-the-table kind of experience; nothing that I wanted to clutch in my paws and hide from the rest of the group. It's solid and all, but presents as…

Joseph Drouhin Beaune 1er Cru Clos des Mouches Rouge

Continue to hold on these. The first half of consumption was tight and linear, with puckering unripe strawberry and cedar notes dominating. The finish was incredibly tight and strict. After a few…

Weingut Keller Kirchspiel Riesling Großes Gewächs

Compared to the more apple-lemon profile of the 2021, this 2020 leans more toward the lime/Sprite spectrum, with petrol and grapefruit elements bringing up the rear of the delivery. Finishes with…

Jerome Blin Champagne Cuvée Octave Zero Dosage

Not flawed, so that's an automatic bonus. Medium intensity, with lemon, travertine, and yellow pear (pulp and skin). It's relatively simple, but fresh and clean all the way around. With air, its…

Bollinger Champagne Special Cuvée Brut

Liquid dough.

Bollinger Champagne Brut Rosé

Superficial and high riding watermelon and white rock notes. Depth is missing here, though it does provide some satisfactory pick-me-up freshness that would at least compliment certain fare (for…

Laurent-Perrier Champagne Ultra Brut

I didn't catch the disgorgement date, but it was very recent, perhaps painfully so. This is steely and pretty angular. It carries nice zip and is a refreshing enough aperitif type of sipper, but it…

Olivier Leflaive Montagny 1er Cru Blanc

S'ok. Lemony lemon with some crema and. lemons. Expect the expected.

La Pelle Sauvignon Blanc

Still solid, though this bottle turned a little sherried and woody the more it was exposed to air. A great food wine, but signaling a more narrow drinking window as time goes on. Summer is here. So.…

Arkenstone Sauvignon Blanc

Drink these sooner than later. I hadn't opened a bottle in a few years and the texture has become heavier and slightly sluggish. It tastes like a grapefruit gummy bear, which isn't necessarily a bad…

Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier Musigny

Tight and linear upon first pass, with a higher-riding and superficial (tannic) red fruit and mineral presentation that signals eye-rubbing sleepiness and a stern, "What do you actually want from me…

Tenuta Guado al Tasso (Antinori) Bolgheri Matarocchio

Tobacco and dusty dark red berries dominate, with a fine(ish) grained texture that provides body and movement on the palate. There is a rusticity here, but it doesn't distract too much from the…

Ultramarine Sparkling Rosé Heintz Vineyard

A consistently solid Rose from Ultramarine that I've reviewed a number of times now, it spits out red raspberry, Aperol, watermelon, strawberry, and river rock notes that offer waves of fruit flavor,…

Jerome Blin Champagne Cuvée Apogée Extra Brut

This 2013 has held up quite nicely. Admittedly, I've had hit/miss with reliability on some of Blin's wines. Flawed bottles have been an issue more than a handful of times. This seems to be more true…

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

This bottle was less giving in the fruit department and, instead, spun up and hyper chiseled in its initial delivery. It quickly relaxes its grip (a bit) to unveil white and unripe yellow stone…

Domaine de la Vougeraie Charmes-Chambertin Les Mazoyeres

This thing was instantly boring for about three hours. With open air and more swirling than an Olympic synchronized swimmer, the seal started to barely crack, unveiling some unripe red raspberry,…

Impensata Sauvignon Blanc Ciminelli Vineyard

Similar profile as before, with lemon, lime, grass, pumice, and a hint of the exotic to round out the delivery of clean and snappy flavors. It mellows out relatively fast and becomes more medium…

MacDonald Cabernet Sauvignon

With a few hours of double-decanting, this vintage of MacDonald is surely more approachable than some of its more intense siblings. There is a liquid velvet thing with 2014 that skirts rusticity and…

Domaine Roulot Meursault

Green apple skin, lemon-lime juice, and limestone are bundled up in a somewhat superficial and slender shot of linear and primary flavors. The cut here is worthy of mention, but the mid-palate drop…

Dom Pérignon Champagne P2

I'm a huge fan of this P2's ability to energize the palate with a singular and focused thrust of fruit and mineral elements with such precision. The freshness and exactitude of its flavor expansion…

Jacques Lassaigne Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut Nature Clos Sainte Sophie

A singular and ultra-unique Champagne that I've been lucky enough to hold in the cellar and have opened a couple over the years, the 2013 Sainte Sophie really is a standout. It carries both oxidative…

Maxem Pinot Noir UV Vineyard

Decidedly richer and rounder than the Cowboy Caviar Silver Eagle served beside it, this UV is hanging in Reno for the weekend with a lushness and brightness that is almost neon-pulsing. The richness…

Maxem Pinot Noir Silver Eagle

The nose is almost feral and wild, like it's gonna blast you with a fistful of Stemmy-McStemminess. Then the palate front-loads the tastebuds with rich berry fruit. There are some rocks and bark that…

Maxem Chardonnay UV Vineyard

California Chardonnay richness catches you first on the front end, but then the acidity rushes to the party and envelops the inside of the cheeks. Amazingly buttery without being buttery or popcorny;…

Dana Estates Cabernet Sauvignon Onda

Compared to the 2019 Vaso served in the same lineup, this Onda shows elevated concentration and precision. Some licorice emerges, along with black cherry and plum. There exists some notable…