Reviews

Bosquet des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape Chante Le Merle Vieilles Vignes

Pours clear and clean, with red and black raspberry, spice, garrigue, and some rainbow peppercorn. Medium weighted, with a moderate concentration and a notable balance overall. Finishes with some…

Domaine Michel Mallard & Fils Corton-Les Renardes

A succulent black cherry and wild berry core is flanked by a gorgeous array of spices and subtle forest floor notes. Youthfully driven but surprisingly accessible and unctuous, with a flavor…

Domaine des Malandes Chablis 1er Cru Montmains Vieilles Vignes

I'm continuing to love this wine. Some tropical fruit notes, with stone fruit, melon rind, and a well placed delivery of minerality to accompany the yellow citrus core. Such a sense of completeness…

Nicolas Rossignol Pommard 1er Cru Les Épenots

Black and red currant, black and red cherry, rhubarb, and some earthy spice. Linear and reserved, with a muted flavor expansion. Finishes simple. Not a ton of stuffing, with even less intensity, but…

Roc de Cambes

Rich, lush, and plump blackberry, ripe blueberry, black cherry, chocolate, and some earthy spice. A heightened plushness makes for a round delivery that is certainly flavorful (and luckily still…

Aubert Chardonnay CIX Estate Vineyard

Not too dissimilar from my experience back in November 2018. Glycol-laced vanilla, honey, and lemon curd surrounded by spritzy lemonade and white and yellow peach flavors. Alcohol on the finish took…

Fait-Main St Emilion Todeschini Asteria

Still needs time people. Signs of life here (especially since having it 2 years ago), but.........

Domaine Launay-Horiot Pommard 1er Cru Les Chaponnières

Dark and earthy plum, deep black cherry, muddled ripe black raspberry, forest floor, pine, and faint passings of crimini mushroom, black tea, and bark. The core fruit is carried wonderfully along the…

La Bastide Saint-Dominique Châteauneuf-du-Pape Les Hesperides

Plum, black cherry, huckleberry, earth, creosote, and subtle porcini mushroom notes pump from this full but controlled CdP. Faint dried flowers and garrigue flavors play peek-a-boo with the purple…

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

The yellow citrus core executes its flavors precisely with the white mineral notes, making for a subtly tense and nervy, but decadently focused expansion on the palate. Intent and deliberate, but…

Pierre Gerbais Champagne L'Originale

I suppose I'll continue to be in somewhat of the minority here in my appreciation for this wine. A giving and texturally beautiful core of yellow citrus and subtle tropical fruit is surrounded by…

Château Labégorce

Primary red fruit dominates here for now. Some red and black cherry, cranberry, unripe plum, limestone, dried flowers, and spice. Linear overall, but notable purity and mouthwatering acid keeps you…

Tenuta Guado al Tasso (Antinori) Bolgheri Superiore

A stunning wine. Even more depth and body than the 2015, with a darker profile and fuller mouthfeel overall. Earthy blackberry, black cherry, black and red raspberry, black currant, deep black soil,…

Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon The O.G. Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

It's been about 3 years since I've had the 2013 OG. I actually pulled this by mistake (I thought I grabbed a 2015), because I was reading some of the most recent CT reviews on the 2013 and planned on…

Domaine Bruno Clair Vosne-Romanée Les Champs Perdrix

Subtle earth-inflected mineral elements dart in and out of the dominant black cherry and black raspberry core. Flavorful and a bit darker in profile overall (which I was especially drawn to) with a…

Domaine François Mikulski Meursault 1er Cru Les Poruzots

Lemon verbena, lemon and lime zest, and wet limestone. Primary and pure, with a clean but linear delivery at this juncture. Much more straight-laced than the 2015. Tasty but in need of 3+ years to…

Tusk Estates Cabernet Sauvignon

Deep black cherry, black raspberry, chocolate chunk, black warm soil, deep cassis, anise, subtle cinnamon stick, and iron. Broad shouldered, but gorgeously textured, with a seamlessness that seems to…

Chartogne-Taillet Champagne Les Barres

Bruised lemon rind, ginger, red apple flesh, dough/yeast, olive oil, yellow pear skin, almond paste, oyster shell, dried apricot, over-ripe grapefruit, and some white travertine/chalk rock.…

Domaine Anne et Hervé Sigaut Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru Les Millandes

Beautiful black cherry, limestone, black raspberry, tilled earth, dark sorbet, subtle spice. Deeply pitched mid-palate, but offers minerality and finessed soil notes that add lift and frame. Nicely…

Domaine Michel Niellon Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Vergers

Lemon and limestone, with some unripe pear and ripe green apple flesh. Medium all the way around, with a decent grip and speed to harness the flavors and provide focus. Hold this for a few years.…

Domaine Y. Clerget Volnay

Ripe black cherry and plump black raspberry, with some spice and stone. Plush and simple right now. Finishes round and semi-full. A decent sipper, but not exhibiting much complexity at this juncture.…

Domaine Louis Michel Chablis 1er Cru Séchets

White stone fruit, lemon juice, lemon rind, white travertine, and unripe pear. More on the white end of the fruit spectrum, with the yellow citrus following closely behind. Direct and fairly linear…

Pierre Paillard Champagne Grand Cru Extra Brut Les Parcelles

Red apple flesh, golden raisin, quince, brassy yellow citrus, pluot, bark, and almond. Gorgeously weighted, with a cadence of delivery that allows for a mouthwatering flavor expansion. Finishes with…

Château de la Maltroye Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Grandes Ruchottes

Ripe and ready yellow citrus, petrol, olive oil, clementine, travertine, and some vanilla. Delicious now (I can't figure out if I'm concerned or happy about that). Lacks a little speed from what I'd…

Joseph Drouhin Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru

Black cherry, red and black raspberry, ripe strawberry, earth, faint citrus rind, and spice. Round and a bit plump mid-palate, making for an accessible delivery of flavor. Medium drive and verve.…