Reviews

Morlet Family Vineyards Chardonnay Coup de Coeur

Pushing three years since I last had this wine. For me, it is still one of the benchmarks for California Chardonnay. This particular bottle delivered all of the goods. Alcohol and heat were in total…

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

Continuing to perform like a champ. This HB has next-level complexity that judiciously blossoms even further with additional air, making for a deliberate and succulent flavor expansion. Excellent cut…

Henri Germain et Fils Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Morgeot Les Fairendes

Bottle #1 - PREMOX - Poured a dark yellow. Inside of cork showed black. Smelled of sherry and roasted nuts. Taste was similar to the nose, with a brassy and WAY over-oxidized drying effect on the…

Hubert Lamy Saint-Aubin 1er Cru Clos de la Chateniere Blanc Vieilles Vignes

A great combination of zip and lively concentration. Lemon juice and pith, yuzu, white peach, unripe pear, and white rock. The VV aspect seems to help with the experience of depth. Refreshing and…

Maxem Chardonnay UV Vineyard

Similar to my notes from last year. Excellent purity of fruit and clarity. A clean and fresh texture and frontal delivery makes its way into a balanced push of yellow citrus fruit that effortlessly…

Domaine Vincent and Sophie Morey Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Caillerets

Of course as fate would have it, this bottle was damp newspaper flawed and totally defunct. Smelled of wet dog fur and blue cheese mold. Oxidized and flat on the palate. My note last month from…

Aubert Chardonnay UV-SL Vineyard

MUCH better than my last bottle over a year ago. Succulent lemon curd, ripe white and yellow peach, pear, and honeyed yellow citrus. If you know Aubert, this profile will be no surprise. Not overly…

Fait-Main Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras

Almost two years since my last note on this wine. Unlike a number of 2013s out of Napa that are still a bit prickly and in need of further unfurling, this Fait Main was singing from the first pull of…

Château Smith Haut Lafitte

Similar to my tasting note almost a year ago. This had a very nice delivery of flavor that slowly evolved over a few hours with decanted air. Kept this at cellar temperature most of the time. Black…

Domaine Fontaine-Gagnard Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Caillerets

Still performing well and evolving as expected from my previous tasting note last year. An inviting citrus punch that makes itself especially present mid-way through its execution adds instant…

Domaine Christian Moreau Père et Fils Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos Clos des Hospices dans Les Clos

Man this thing continues to be such a rock star. The intensity here is so on-point, with all the yellow citrus and white limestone you could ever want in a Chablis. Over-delivers on all fronts.…

Next of Kyn No~9 Cumulus Vineyard

Why on earth I don't listen to my own advice time and time again on SQN and NoK drinking windows is beyond me. So here it is: Wait 10+ years from vintage. Just do it. Trust me. Do not open. Nothing…

Maybach Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Amoenus

Well, I know I'm gonna get some static for this, but here-goes nuthin'.

Lutum Chardonnay Sanford & Benedict Vineyard

Predictable California Chardonnay flavors of lemon curd and vanilla. Not a bad execution of flavor necessarily in that it doesn't come across overly gummy or nauseatingly cloying, but it really…

Domaine Thomas Morey Chassagne-Montrachet Clos St. Jean

Second bottle this month. Even better than the first. Slightly more evolved and even more complex. Interesting hints of almond paste and succulent lemon tart flavors work perfectly with the honeyed…

Morlet Family Vineyards La Proportion Dorée

This bottle certainly showed this wine's inclination toward flaunting its dominant dry Semillon core, with ripely bruised pineapple, red apple flesh, and banana leaf notes elbowing in front of the…

Domaine Fontaine-Gagnard Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru La Boudriotte

Similar to my note in February. This has perhaps gained an extra tick of heft since my last bottle. Medium intensity and energy, but with a lemon citrus and stone fruit complexity that beckons…

La Pelle Sauvignon Blanc

Similar to my previous note. Agreeable and quasi-punchy light tropical fruit and grassy lemon flavors that are balanced and complete. Drink now and over the next year or so.

Argiano Solengo Toscana IGT

Progressing nicely since my having this wine last year, with extended air being a definite friend to this wine. Comes off notably dry during the initial moments of consumption, but finds a nice…

Domaine Michel Niellon Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Chaumées Clos de la Truffière

Bright, fresh, clean, and lemony, with floral and white stone elements adding to the vibrant profile. Finished a bit linear, but still carried the flavors forward through the back end. Previous note…

Sine Qua Non Grenache Testa dei Cherubini Eleven Confessions Vineyard

A black and red raspberry core is sophisticatedly flanked by subtle notes of kirsch, leather, wet bark, underbrush, and spice. Finishes with a faint push of heat on the back end but still…

Domaine des Malandes Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos

Much improved from last year, with additional depth of flavor and extra fleshy layers of concentration that make for a beautifully weighted Les Clos. Finishes with a subtle succulence that offers…

Domaine Taupenot-Merme Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru La Riotte

Wild and fresh strawberry-orange sorbet and stemmy brush notes compete with darker black cherry and plum skin flavors. Unresolved and raw indeed, but loaded with awesome stuffing and energy just…

Hubert Lamy Saint-Aubin 1er Cru Derrière Chez Edouard Blanc

Much in similar line with the Frionnes, the Chez Edouard offering is fairly strait-laced and direct at the moment. A steady vibrancy throughout delivery makes for an appealing white melon rind and…

Domaine Louis Michel Chablis Grand Cru Vaudésir

Not sure I'm able to sanction or echo some of the other comments regarding concentration and complexity with this wine at the moment. It is unquestionably on the "whiter" and taut spectrum of Chablis…