Reviews

Marc Colin et Fils Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Champs-Gain

Fresh squeezed lemon juice, yellow apple skin, and quince notes are buttressed by more subtly succulent flavors of apricot, yuzu, and lightly honeyed white peach. Pure, clean, and vibrant, while also…

Famille Moussé Champagne Terre d'Illite

95% Meunier / 5% Pinot Noir. Disgorged July 31, 2019. 2g/L. 12%ABV.

Manincor Tannenberg

More silky than punchy, this smooth operator Sauvignon Blanc brings seamlessness and fun vanilla-laced yellow citrus and yellow/green stone fruit flavors to the forefront, with some white stone and…

Weingut Clemens Busch Pundericher Marienburg Fahrlay Riesling Trocken Reserve

A strikingly complex array of quince, green pear, yuzu, lemon and lime zest, white peach, grass, sea foam, green grape skin, wet herbs (Italian parsley and oregano), and subtle smoky sea salt notes…

Manincor Sophie

Peach, lemon curd, green and yellow apple, white stone, and wisps of cut grass and sea salt. Front-loaded initially with alluring flavor and intensity, moving into a more mineral-driven delivery on…

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,…

Domaine Vincent Paris Cornas Granit 60

Olive brine, black raspberry, and plum are flanked by subtle game and earth notes. Finishes with a strong saline note. This needed a decent amount of air to ultimately perform, but it started to fill…

Paul Lato Syrah Il Padrino Bien Nacido Vineyard

Deep purple plum, black raspberry, blueberry, olive brine, roast beef, and licorice make for a compelling example of the varietal. There is a concentration here that is so balanced and subtle that it…

Andremily EABA

A county fair carny's confection cart of churro, funnel cake, cotton candy, and kettle corn overwhelm the otherwise throbbing, syrupy blackberry smoothie core. Making for a glycerin-jolted coconut…

Rocca di Montegrossi Geremia Toscana IGT

Red and black cherry, wild raspberry, dusty earth, cinnamon stick, and faint burnt orange rind. Super arid and fuzzy on the initial pull of the cork, but with two-three hours of open air (decanted at…

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.

Jerome Blin Champagne La Pluchotte Extra Brut Rosé

One of the best Rose Champagnes I've had in a long time...perhaps ever. Perfectly balanced flavors and just the faintest kiss of dry sweetness to keep it from being too tart or arid. Wild…

Morlet Family Vineyards Cabernet Franc Force de la Nature

Somewhat similar to my experience with this wine from 2.5 years ago (June 2, 2018), though perhaps more relaxed and accessible at this juncture in terms of front-end approachability. Earth, spice,…

Jean-Paul & Benoit Droin Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos

A complex and harmonious menagerie of succulent guava, white and yellow peach, ripe honeyed lemon, pineapple, hints of firm cantaloupe and honeydew, sea salt, and travertine flavors all working…

Henri Germain et Fils Meursault 1er Cru Charmes

First bottle sucked from premox. Second bottle sucked a little less, but still showed sherry notes that flattened freshness. This producer is continually unreliable. I love his wines when they are…

Château Troplong Mondot

I have previously voiced my esteem for this wine in this vintage on a couple of occassions, so I'll keep my comments relatively abridged (at least by my usual grossly loquacious propensities).…

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

Initially reductive elements make for dodgy fruit delivery, with flavors of matchstick and leek jam overriding the yellow citrus, white melon, kumquat, and chalk notes itching to push through. Broad…

Domaine des Malandes Chablis Cuvée Tour du Roy Vieilles Vignes

Succulent peach and honeyed lemon dominate, with a ripe and sweet core that comes off just a tad gummy at times. Just enough acid to hold it together and give it the energy it needs to finish out the…

Sine Qua Non Grenache The Gorgeous Victim

A big blast of kirsch, black cherry liqueur, black raspberry, and a hefty amount of rocket fuel on the finish. This needs a martini glass. My nose hairs... Where have my precious nose hairs gone...?…

Domaine Saint Préfert Châteauneuf-du-Pape Collection Charles Giraud

Ya, so this is pretty rockin' juice. It needs a decent decant to blow off the slightest bit of booze (which is surprising how low the perceptible alcohol here is overall considering how its built and…

Nicolas Maillart Champagne Premier Cru Platine

A medium-full and fairly fruity front end gives way to a round and inviting mid-palate; tails-off in a somewhat nutty-meets-earthy profile that encompasses the core fruit flavors. Yellow plum, red…

Château Beau-Séjour Bécot

As great as it was last year. Chocolatey blackberry and earthy, spicebox notes make for a sultry St. Emilion; drinking this puppy early is all too easy. Drink now or hold for a few years to shed some…

Castellare di Castellina I Sodi di S. Niccolò Toscana IGT

Deep purple plum, black and red cherry, subtle leather, smoke, and earth. There is a nuanced meatiness here that adds a considerable amount of depth and body to the profile. I was half expecting a…

Simon Colin Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru La Garenne

Very similar to the Morgeot from the day before. Clean and pure citrus zest and some stone, with fleeting hits of exotic pineapple and lime zest, which made for additional interest. This had a tad…

Domaine Gourt de Mautens (Jérôme Bressy) Vaucluse Blanc

Certainly quaffable, with almond, marzipan, sherry, and fondant encircling the core lemon and pear fruit. Coats the palate nicely on the front end but stammers slightly as it passes the mid and…