Reviews

00 Wines Chardonnay Freya Hermann Cuvee

Grilled lemon, hazelnut, dried apricot, poached pear, and toffee notes make for a profile that is more contemplative and gastronomic than immediately punchy or bright. Freshness and acidity are…

Aubert Chardonnay Lauren Estate Vineyard

Lemon curd, creme fraiche, lemonade, lemon juice, vanilla, marzipan, and yellow pear. A ripe offering, but one that is controlled and texturally inviting (as Lauren often is). There is sophistication…

Walter Scott Chardonnay Freedom Hill Vineyard

Fresh lime and lemon juice, melon rind, green and yellow apple, white rock, and unripe green and yellow pear. Chiseled and acidic, but in proper form throughout consumption. The reductive hit plays…

Morgen Long Chardonnay X Omni Vineyard

This juice grenade is even better than last year, with a reductive pop that you 'must be this tall to ride,' followed by a lemon-lime-Squirt (you kids remember Squirt, right?) euphoria thing, and…

Domaine Henri Boillot Bâtard-Montrachet

At Single Thread.

Aubert Chardonnay Powder House Vineyard

At Single Thread.

Yves Boyer-Martenot Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Le Cailleret

From magnum. Fairly angular and foursquare, especially on the finish. Shows moments of imbalance, lacking an overall sense of seamlessness. Grilled lemon, melon, and olive oil. Less vibrant and fresh…

Paul Pernot et ses Fils Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet

Pure and clean on entry, fanning out with pear, fresh lemon juice, chalk, white melon, yellow apple, and additional hits of lemon juice and lemon pith, this Pernot is a beautiful balance between…

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

Drinking nicely now, and held up over two days with solid persistence. Some riper and deeper yellow pear and lemon flavors show a little aging and the roundness of the vintage, but the acidity is…

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…

Sine Qua Non Deux Grenouilles

This has aged nicely. My last go with this wine was back in 2018. Today, there are more pronounced toffee and hazelnut notes to compliment the grilled lemon, burnt orange, olive oil, lamp oil, and…

Domaine Christian Moreau Père et Fils Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos

Deep lemon and honey flavors, with touches of toffee and lamp oil. Fairly sherried in profile, with the oxidized notes becoming more pronounced on the finish, this still retains a decent amount of…

Etienne Sauzet Bâtard-Montrachet

Linear and focused, and in typical Sauzet fashion, initially quasi-sanitized in its chiseled and clean delivery overall. The purity of fruit and acidity are off the charts awesome, which is where it…

Jean-Paul & Benoit Droin Chablis Grand Cru Valmur

Solid as before (a few years ago). A bit more advanced and ripe with this bottle, but equally as fresh and powerful. As is the case with Valmur, it carries brawn and flex, but no hard edges; drinks…

Sphaerics Chardonnay overline

Imma make this real easy for you all and, perhaps for the first-ish time in my life, I'll cut to the chase and save you a bunch of verbal acrobatics you have to sift through for me to get to the…

Sphaerics Chardonnay on days and nights

While the "if and only if" is busy in beast training mode for the 2028 Summer Olympics in L.A., the "on days and nights" is bouncing around and scouting Juilliard and Groundlings, hoping Will Ferrell…

Sphaerics Chardonnay if and only if

So, "if" you told me that I was going to get fervently missile-locked on a Chardonnay from a new producer out of Alexander Valley, who's the next-best hip and fresh thing to come to the wine scene…

Domaine Darviot-Perrin Meursault 1er Cru Les Genevrières

A strong petrol note kicks off a reductive and slightly brassy entry, with medium-minus freshness and limited perception of acidic drive. Currently, this seems to be in hibernation in terms of fruit…

Jean-Paul & Benoit Droin Chablis Grand Cru Grenouilles

I popped another one of these because I recently saw a batch available at a reasonable price and was considering acquiring more. Normally I'd be all over this, but the 2022 vintage definitely has a…

Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons

Grilled pineapple and iodine. With more air, this becomes brassy and tart. Completely lacks freshness and acidity.

Turtle Rock Willow White

I last had this two years ago. I feel like I should have last had this two years ago. Meaning.. Now, it's just.. two years less vibrant than it was before. Meaning.. Meh.

Jean-Paul & Benoit Droin Chablis Grand Cru Hommage à Louis

Initially there is a shyness here that is marked by a thin veil of reduction and crème fraîche. It doesn't take long, however, for wonderful waves of salty oyster shell and iodine notes to take hold…

von Winning Forster Pechstein Riesling Großes Gewächs

Pours a neon green-yellow. A phenomenal showing, with exquisitely balanced notes of lychee, black salt rock, grilled lemon peel, lemon and lime zest, limestone, honeydew, and hints of petrol, flint,…

Henri Boillot Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatières

Holy potent panther of ripe and ready profundity! All you Aubert and Kongsgaard cronies take note, as the 2019 Henri Boillot Folatieres is a double-barreled doozy of such volume and intensity that it…

Jean-Paul & Benoit Droin Chablis Grand Cru Grenouilles

Love this wine. My previous tasting note covers most everything, but I figured I'd put a note in here to accentuate my absolute appeal for the 2019 vintage with this producer. It is perhaps the best…