Champagne
NV Valentin Leflaive Champagne Grand Cru Le Mesnil 15 50 Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut: This had a really beautiful, lifted, oxidative nose of lemons, sea spray, chalk, brioche, and hazelnuts. The palate reminded me of a sous voile Jura Chardonnay, with nutty, caramelly, oxidative flavors, salinity, and citrus with some volatile acidity providing liveliness and tension to the palate. Quite vinous, the bead is understated and not overly effervescent. Very good.
2008 Paul Bara Champagne Grand Cru Comtesse Marie de France: Definitely getting very tertiary at this point. A friend who was with me thought this was pretty advanced from other bottles he had. The acid is there, but doesn't quite have the brightness and liveliness I would like. Not bad, but not super exciting either.
2009 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut: Pronounced aromas of buttery popcorn that just dominate the nose. The acidity is quite pronounced; a touch too angular and disjointed at this point in its evolution. Midpalate is quite dense, with assertive flavors of green apples and citrus with a chalky minerality. Nice salinity on the finish. A big, powerful champagne that needs more time to let the acidity settle. From magnum.
2008 Charlier & Fils Champagne Special Club Brut: Nice balance, good acidity, and relatively restrained mousse. In a fuller-bodied style, but everything feels and tastes harmonious and integrated on the palate. Quite fresh and mineral.
2015 Vilmart & Cie Champagne Premier Cru Coeur de Cuvée: No formal note. This didn't really make it to me, but I had a drop at the end of dinner, and it was enjoyable, though I didn't get enough to make much of an assessment of it.
NV J.L. Vergnon Champagne Grand Cru Conversation Blanc de Blancs: No formal note, but this was really fresh, crisp, linear, and delicious. Quite racy and structured. Very refreshing on the palate. A very nice, chalky Blanc de Blancs.
Beaujolais and Southern France
2017 Daniel Bouland Côte de Brouilly Cuvée Mélanie: I'm not normally the biggest Daniel Bouland fan, but this tasted pretty correct and lively. Fruit was a bit dark, but nicely crunchy with just a hint of green and sous bois to lend some complexity to the palate. Pretty good. From Jeroboam.
2020 Domaine Thillardon Chénas Chassignol: Had nice pretty red fruit, but marred by an excessive amount of volatile acidity and noticeable brett on the nose. Basically, tasted like a generically natty red wine without a strong sense of place or terroir.
2020 Clotaire Michal Songe d'une nuit d'automne: A very extracted, dark-fruited style of Beaujolais. Definitely semi-carbonic, but somehow bigger, riper, and more fruit forward with fewer floral, whole-cluster notes to it. Decent acidity, juicy, sappy quality to the fruit, and certainly drinkable. Not bad, though it does become more volatile with air.
1999 Domaine de la Grange des Pères Pays d'Hérault: Very expressive aromas of sour dark cherry on the nose. The acidity is lively and the wine is quite tart, with dark red fruit and a hit of licorice and anise that is particularly pronounced on the finish. The resolved tannins are velvety, there's a viscous texture on the palate, but still lightweight and elegant on the palate. Really excellent.
1993 Domaine Tempier Bandol Cuvée Spéciale Cabassaou: A bit funky on the nose, but the dark fruit and charcoal on the palate has quite a bit of depth, the acidity is tart and refreshing, and the tannins are more or less resolved right now. Good stuff.
Burgundy (Red)
2020 Domaine Nicolas Faure Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Herbues: Nice nose of dark fruit, herbs, a just a hint of green stems. The palate is a bit plummy, but the texture is so sleek and silky, which finishes with just a hint of charcoal. Nice acidity and lift, and well-judged use of whole clusters. Really well done and enjoyable.
2020 Jean-Claude Ramonet Bourgogne Passetoutgrains: This was lovely and red-fruited on the palate with just a enough crunch to the fruit and lift to the palate to provide some energy and tautness to the wine. Quite sappy, the tannins are already pretty silky and approachable, and there is an interesting hint of spice on the finish. The Gamay really does come through quite clearly on the palate. Nice.
2005 Domaine Marquis d'Angerville Volnay 1er Cru Taillepieds: A basket of red cherry on the nose and the palate is similarly red fruited. It is quite tart and crunchy on the palate, with pronounced drying tannins. Nice spice on the finish. Right now, though, this still needs time in the cellar to soften the tannins and tame the acidity. Comes across as a bit four-square at this moment.
2009 Domaine Michel Lafarge Volnay 1er Cru Les Mitans: There's a bit of barnyard funk on the nose, but it thankfully blows off with a little time. Really elegant and pretty from the get go, with a silky, transparent palate that finishes with a grippy, tannic bite. Decent acidity to support the ripe red fruit. At the end of the evening, we revisited and it really found a second gear: it became deeper in the midpalate, meatier, and just more expressive. A really excellent wine that could use some more time, but given enough air, was plenty enjoyable.
1999 Domaine de Montille Volnay 1er Cru Les Mitans: A mature wine with an open, expressive palate of ripe red fruit, earthy forest floor, and hints of bitter herbs. Tannins are basically resolved at this point, and texturally, this is quite silky and elegant. There's enough acidity here to convey some brightness, though the palate comes across as a little candied with air. Some people at the table thought this was slightly on the downslope, but I think this is still in a good place and that there is no rush. Not as backwards as I feared considering this is an Hubert de Montilles era wine, and the '99s I've had recently have been a little dense and unapproachable. This is drinking quite nicely.
2014 Domaine Joseph Voillot Pommard 1er Cru Les Pèzerolles: This is still little tight on both the nose and the palate. There are red cherry aromas with a hint of wet soil. The palate is quite delicate and transparent, with bright red fruit tinged with an herbal, medicinal streak. Supported by decent acidity and freshness, it is still quite bitter on the finish from the tannins. A nice wine that still seems a little awkward at its stage of its development. Considering how light and delicate this is, it reminds me more of Volnay than Pommard.
2003 Simon Bize Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru Aux Vergelesses: This is quite overripe and voluptuous, with a thick, velvety texture. Heavier bodied than any of the other red Burgundies at the table. The red fruit is almost too sweet and a little roasted. Basically a bit too port-like for my tastes.
2011 Louis Jadot Chambertin: Lithe, willowy, and elegant on the palate, with pretty red fruit colored with subtle green notes and adorned with a mineral edge and a slight tinge of smoke. This is quite juicy and easy to drink, and the tannins are barely perceptible. Quite a nice wine, especially for a non-domaine bottling. A nice (near) swan song for Jacques Lardiere, who retired at the end of 2012.
2013 Domaine Bruno Clair Chambertin-Clos de Bèze: This was an incredibly fragrant wine that exuded aromas of violet and red cherry that just explode out of the glass. The whole table was in stunned silence for a couple of seconds, just inhaling the perfumed nose. Really magnificent. The palate, on the other hand, while excellent, was initially not quite as good. There was darker red fruit on the palate that had quite a bit of lively acidity to provide tension and freshness. This was quite light on its feet, super silky and elegant, despite the somewhat drying and biting tannins tasted on the finish. While this is a clearly a Grand Cru quality Burgundy, the flavors were not quite as delineated as I was expecting; this was much closer in quality to the 2011 Jadot Chambertin we had paired with this than I was expecting, considering how powerful and complex the nose was. This was a little muddled, and could have been more focused and precise. However, with time in the glass, the midpalate deepens and intensifies, the dark red fruit becomes somewhat sweeter and more expressive, and it hits its second gear where you get more of that "peacock's tail" that fans out on the finish. A very impressive wine that probably needs a bit more time in the cellar to reach its full potential, based on this showing.
2006 Domaine d'Ardhuy Corton-Hautes Mourottes: No formal note. I basically was able to get a quick sip of this at the end of the evening. Quite ripe and juicy, with lush dark red fruit and decent acidity. Very dense in a Corton sort of way.
Burgundy (White)
2024 Domaine Sylvain Langoureau Saint-Aubin 1er Cru En Remilly Blanc: I haven't been a huge fan of this producers wines in the past, but this was very strong showing. The nose here is quite nice while the palate has really nice acidity with ripe white and yellow fruit with girded with a mineral presence. Quite lively and dynamic on the palate. Very good and great value.
2024 Château de la Charrière Chassagne-Montrachet Les Champs de Morjot: Very mineral and a little stern, but the acidity is on point and the palate is otherwise mouthwatering. Definitely not for people looking for pronounced fruit flavors in their wines, but this was not too bad.
2023 Domaine Nicolas Faure Bourgogne-Aligoté La Corvée de Bully: What a taut, nervous, intense wine this is. Beautiful nose of lemons, flowers, and wet stones, but the palate is wild, slightly feral, with intense salinity, citrus, and stony minerality. Impressive depth and concentration, with some well-judged texture to the palate (apparently, Faure only uses older oak barrels for his aligotes). Long finish, racy and electric acidity. Reminds me of Ganevat in terms of liveliness and energy. Yum.
2019 Domaine Bernard-Bonin Bourgogne Blanc Initiales B.B.: Incredibly fresh, crisp and saline on the palate that is slightly textured, but carried primarily by a razor sharp acidity. There's tart green apple and some bitter citrus supported by a firm mineral spine. Very precise with great clarity and delineation on the palate. Long finish. Extremely impressive for a Bourgogne Blanc. I now understand the hype for this producer.
2012 Domaine Billaud-Simon Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre: A little advanced on the nose, with some oxidative aroma, which becomes more prominent with air, but there's also green apple, crush salt, and a bit of sea breeze as well. The palate still has some freshness and lift, with citrus notes and hints of bitter herbs on the palate, though the caramel flavors also intensify with time in the glass. Luckily, the acidity saves the palate and this is still enjoyable, but definitely surprisingly tertiary for a 13-year old wine.
2019 Domaine Henri Boillot Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Pucelles: There's a lot of new oak aromas on the nose, and it is basically slathered over the ripe, dense yellow fruit on the palate. There is a lot of stuffing in this wine, and the acidity is quite nice, but this is going to need a lot of time to integrate the oak into the palate, and it basically just tastes like a vanilla Creamsicle at this point. Basically, over-the-top and quite typique for an Henri Boillot wine. You have to like the style in order to enjoy this.
2017 Domaine Henri Boillot Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Pucelles: This has much more finesse and balance on the palate than the 2019. While it is still big and powerful with its huge yellow fruit, the oak is better integrated and the vanilla and oaky tannins do not dominate the palate, though you can still taste it. Acidity is lively and bright, and everything just seems more harmonious. Still not my type of wine, but I can respect the (relatively) lighter touch in the winemaking here.
1989 Domaine Guy Robin et Fils Chablis Grand Cru Valmur Vieilles Vignes: Surprisingly fresh on the palate, with very gentle tertiary notes over a palate infused with lemony citrus, salt, and chalky minerality. Acidity is still lively, but well-integrated, and texturally, this is quite round and silky. Nice length to the finish and still a fair amount of density on the palate. Classic Chablis. Very old school. Demonstrates how age can reveal the potential of terroir.
2022 Domaine Roulot Bourgogne Blanc: To be honest, this was a little flabby and uninteresting on the palate. Pretty innocuous and bland. I have had great Roulot and blah Roulot, and this fits squarely in the latter category.
2022 Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons: I had this ice cold straight out of the ice bucket, so I couldn't get a great read on this. It seemed a little more closed and less expressive than I had the bottle last year, but probably a lot of that had to do with the cold temperature. It did seem less round and soft though. It also had that Dauvissat lightness and finesse on the palate.
Jura (Red)
2018 Jean-François Ganevat Trousseau Plein Sud: Bright, but almost pinkish robe in the glass. Beautifully floral on the nose with aromas of crushed wild strawberries. The palate is also joyous crunchy red fruit girded with just enough VA and acidity to provide liveliness to the palate, but not over-the-top funk. Really a peak natty, glou-glou red in all the best ways.
2023 Cellier Saint Benoit Trousseau Arbois Pupillin Fonteinelle: Nice crunchy red fruit, some green notes from the whole cluster that adds complexity. Quite delicate and fine on the palate, though perhaps there could be more mid-palate density. Very spicy, cracked black pepper finish on this wine which is surprisingly long and intense. Finish really makes this wine; very interesting and unique rendition of Trousseau.
2023 Michel Gahier Trousseau Arbois Les Grands Vergers: A little funky on the nose, but you can also smell the florals and red cherry. Very structured, with the tannins quite drying. Nice acidity. The stems from the whole cluster provide some pleasing green notes to the red fruit and there is an interesting earthiness on the palate. Not exactly exuberant or juicy, but well made and interesting.
2023 Domaine de Saint Pierre (Fabrice Dodane) Arbois Petit Curoulet: This was pretty boring. Light, crunchy red fruit, but not a lot of definition or complexity beyond that. Simple beyond words.
2019 Domaine du Pélican Arbois Savagnin Ouillé: To be honest, this was rather non-descript and boring. There was almost no Jura character to this wine at all. Kind of crisp, but basically, generic white wine.
Jura (White)
2019 Michel Gahier Chardonnay Arbois Les Crêts: A little bit of that Jura funk on the nose, but the palate is long, with bracing acidity swaddling sharp lemony citrus, salt, and stony flavors. Really quite good. I revisited later and the funk became more prominent and the palate turned a little cidery, but still held up ok. But, the palate on opening was delicious and intense. Everything I look for in a Jura Chardonnay.
2019 Domaine Labet Chardonnay Les Juveniles Lias: This was really nice. Very focused and linear palate with intense and finely delineated flavors of lemon and salt. Quite stony on the palate as well. Really drinkable and very clean. Not a hint of funk.
2012 Domaine des Bodines Savagnin Arbois: The acidity has become gentler, creating this very silky texture that caresses the palate. Nice flavors: hint of oxidation (from bottle age, I think, rather than vinification) and has the classic citrus and salt that you get from Jura. Tasty.
2016 Jean Rijckaert Chardonnay Arbois Vieilles Vignes En Paradis: Made in a more oxidative style. Pronounced tertiary nuttiness on the palate, acidity is gentle, texture is silky, with citrus and salt. Very well made in that oxidative style, and still quite fresh. Interesting and tasty.
1985 Château d'Arlay Côtes du Jura Vin Jaune: Considering how old this is and that it was made in an oxidative sous voile style, this is incredibly fresh and saline. Fruit tastes a little yellow, but there are strong flavors of almonds and warm baking spices on the palate. Also, very elegant, delicately flavored, and silky. Really nice.
2020 Michel Gahier Melon La Fauquette: Very tropical on the nose, filled with esters (redolent of bananas). A distinct note of VA on the palate, which is quite lifted, but there's also a roundness to the texture. Equally tropical and ripe on the palate. A schizophrenic wine (in some ways natty, in other ways not), but it is interesting.
2022 Cellier Saint Benoit Savagnin Arbois Pupillin Naturé Les Plantées: Thin and non-descript. You get a faint hint of citrus and salt, but the flavors evaporate after a few seconds on the palate. Linear to a fault, it implodes into nothingness.
German, Austrian, Alsace
2001 Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel: What a beautiful nose of lemon-lime, stonefruit, florals, and a hint of butter cream. It just leaps out of the bottle and the glass. The palate is incredibly airy and light, with the delicacy of rainwater, but paired with intense white fruit, salinity and herbal notes, and incisive, but ripe, acidity that carries the initial attack into a long, tart, subtly sweet finish. A showcase of vintage conditions intersecting so well with a producer's house style, producing a high-wire act of elevated acidity tamed by ripe fruit, yet encased in an elegant, weightless package. A triumph.
2005 Fritz Haag Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel: Definitely a richer, less acid-forward rendition of this cuvee. Plenty of sweetness, and a thicker, more syrupy mouth, but there is enough acidity to prevent this from coming across as cloying. However, not quite as lively and fresh as I would like. A good wine, but definitely squarely a dessert wine, and not nearly as racy or electric as the 2001 version of this wine.
2022 Heidi Schröck Gelber Muskateller: Lots of peach and melon on the nose with a hint of white flower. Bone dry and mineral on the white-fruited palate. Taut acidity that is quite refreshing. Not overly complex, but an easy-drinking, crisp white wine.
2015 Peter Lauer Schönfels Riesling Faß 11 Großes Gewächs: Lemon lime and wet gravel on the nose. On the palate, it is quite mineral and infused with sharp, tart citrus flavors. Featherlight and racy with ripe acidity. Getting some herb and green notes as well. Good tension throughout. Nice finish.
1997 Weingut Knoll Riesling Smaragd Loibenberg: Honeyed nose infused with some ginger. The palate is nicely tertiary, with interesting mushroom notes combined with herbs and yellow fruit. However, this is predominantly mineral, with a light nuttiness from the tertiary characteristics. Structurally taut with good tension throughout the wine. Perhaps the alcohol is a bit ponderous, but there's still plenty of energy and lift.
1990 Trimbach Riesling Cuvée Frédéric Emile: Quite floral on the nose. Fresh and lively, quite youthful, and not that tertiary on the palate. Concentrated, with lots of stony minerality and a hint of nuttiness, but plenty of yellow fruit as well. Taut acidity; really nice balance and tension. Bone dry and not a whiff of premox.
2010 Weingut Knoll Riesling Smaragd Vinothekfüllung Loibner: Really surprisingly vital with mouthwatering acidity. While clearly ripe and dense with yellow and tropical fruit, its also silky and light on its feet. Really contains the alcohol well. Eminently drinkable and fun. This is terrific.
2022 Weiser-Künstler Enkircher Ellergrub Riesling Kabinett: Nice acidity, interesting creamy texture with a mineral-forward palate graced with ripe white fruit. Very persistent finish. I'm guessing the ripeness of the vintage works well with this producers acid-forward, leaner style. Really nice balance here.
2006 Erben von Beulwitz Kaseler Nies'chen Riesling Spätlese Alte Reben: Surprisingly bracing acidity and taut structure to this wine. Almost no botrytis, just tertiary development of almonds, herbs, and spice. Ripe yellow fruit buffeted by the tension of the acids. Really good showing, especially considering the vintage.
2019 Weingut Dreissigacker Riesling Wunderwerk: Very intense nose of lime and wet rocks. Lots of crushed rock, sharp citrus, and white fruit on the palate. Quite ripe and dense, but balanced by mouthwatering acidity that isn't shrill despite the dearth of residual sugar. Very, very good, and still approachable.
Italian
2016 Bruno Giacosa Nebbiolo d'Alba: A bit tannic, a bit on the darker red side of the fruit spectrum, nose wasn't that impressive or expressive. Palate was better. It was fine.
2016 Romano Dal Forno Amarone della Valpolicella Vigneto di Monte Lodoletta: This was big, brash, oaky, heavily-extracted, and over-the-top, but, hate to say it, surprisingly balanced considering it was 16% alcohol (I guessed 14% and had no clue it was that alcoholic). Lots of stuffing, very red-fruited, with sufficient acidity to keep this wine from coming across as cloying, and a huge wall of drying, astringent tannins to provide structure. Not close to being ready, but there was still enough there to provide some interest. Much better than what I was expecting. Not something I would turn to often, but, hey, sometimes fruit-driven oak bombs can work if the producer goes all in, I suppose.
2018 Giuseppe Quintarelli Cà del Merlo Veneto IGT: Definitely more restrained and balanced than the 2016 Dal Forno Amarone, but still a little too big and extracted for my tastes. Interesting flavors of green pyrazine with the dark fruit on the palate. Also, much less tannic than the Dal Forno. A lot readier to drink.
2021 Comm. G.B. Burlotto Verduno Pelaverga: Beautiful nose loaded with ripe strawberries and red cherries, spices, and rose and violet aromas. The wine itself is quite elegant and light on its feet with its racy acidity. There's delicate red fruit and herbs, which may be a little too fragile as there's a bit of a doughnut hole in the mid-palate, but the wine does have a nice white pepper kick to its tart finish. A really nice, light-bodied wine that pairs well with the salt and umami of Cantabrian anchovies.
New World
2016 Rhys Pinot Noir Alpine Hillside: Rich, ripe, full-bodied (and full-throttled) California Pinot that is cloaked in glossy sheen of new oak. A bit syrupy texturally and you can taste a touch of cola inflecting the sweet dark fruit on the palate. Not my favorite style, to be honest (and seems kind of unlike most other Rhys I've had in the past).
1985 Joseph Swan Vineyards Chardonnay: Oxidized and maderized on the nose; not quite as shot on the palate. But, pretty much dead.
NV Valentin Leflaive Champagne Grand Cru Le Mesnil 15 50 Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut: This had a really beautiful, lifted, oxidative nose of lemons, sea spray, chalk, brioche, and hazelnuts. The palate reminded me of a sous voile Jura Chardonnay, with nutty, caramelly, oxidative flavors, salinity, and citrus with some volatile acidity providing liveliness and tension to the palate. Quite vinous, the bead is understated and not overly effervescent. Very good.
2008 Paul Bara Champagne Grand Cru Comtesse Marie de France: Definitely getting very tertiary at this point. A friend who was with me thought this was pretty advanced from other bottles he had. The acid is there, but doesn't quite have the brightness and liveliness I would like. Not bad, but not super exciting either.
2009 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut: Pronounced aromas of buttery popcorn that just dominate the nose. The acidity is quite pronounced; a touch too angular and disjointed at this point in its evolution. Midpalate is quite dense, with assertive flavors of green apples and citrus with a chalky minerality. Nice salinity on the finish. A big, powerful champagne that needs more time to let the acidity settle. From magnum.
2008 Charlier & Fils Champagne Special Club Brut: Nice balance, good acidity, and relatively restrained mousse. In a fuller-bodied style, but everything feels and tastes harmonious and integrated on the palate. Quite fresh and mineral.
2015 Vilmart & Cie Champagne Premier Cru Coeur de Cuvée: No formal note. This didn't really make it to me, but I had a drop at the end of dinner, and it was enjoyable, though I didn't get enough to make much of an assessment of it.
NV J.L. Vergnon Champagne Grand Cru Conversation Blanc de Blancs: No formal note, but this was really fresh, crisp, linear, and delicious. Quite racy and structured. Very refreshing on the palate. A very nice, chalky Blanc de Blancs.
Beaujolais and Southern France
2017 Daniel Bouland Côte de Brouilly Cuvée Mélanie: I'm not normally the biggest Daniel Bouland fan, but this tasted pretty correct and lively. Fruit was a bit dark, but nicely crunchy with just a hint of green and sous bois to lend some complexity to the palate. Pretty good. From Jeroboam.
2020 Domaine Thillardon Chénas Chassignol: Had nice pretty red fruit, but marred by an excessive amount of volatile acidity and noticeable brett on the nose. Basically, tasted like a generically natty red wine without a strong sense of place or terroir.
2020 Clotaire Michal Songe d'une nuit d'automne: A very extracted, dark-fruited style of Beaujolais. Definitely semi-carbonic, but somehow bigger, riper, and more fruit forward with fewer floral, whole-cluster notes to it. Decent acidity, juicy, sappy quality to the fruit, and certainly drinkable. Not bad, though it does become more volatile with air.
1999 Domaine de la Grange des Pères Pays d'Hérault: Very expressive aromas of sour dark cherry on the nose. The acidity is lively and the wine is quite tart, with dark red fruit and a hit of licorice and anise that is particularly pronounced on the finish. The resolved tannins are velvety, there's a viscous texture on the palate, but still lightweight and elegant on the palate. Really excellent.
1993 Domaine Tempier Bandol Cuvée Spéciale Cabassaou: A bit funky on the nose, but the dark fruit and charcoal on the palate has quite a bit of depth, the acidity is tart and refreshing, and the tannins are more or less resolved right now. Good stuff.
Burgundy (Red)
2020 Domaine Nicolas Faure Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Herbues: Nice nose of dark fruit, herbs, a just a hint of green stems. The palate is a bit plummy, but the texture is so sleek and silky, which finishes with just a hint of charcoal. Nice acidity and lift, and well-judged use of whole clusters. Really well done and enjoyable.
2020 Jean-Claude Ramonet Bourgogne Passetoutgrains: This was lovely and red-fruited on the palate with just a enough crunch to the fruit and lift to the palate to provide some energy and tautness to the wine. Quite sappy, the tannins are already pretty silky and approachable, and there is an interesting hint of spice on the finish. The Gamay really does come through quite clearly on the palate. Nice.
2005 Domaine Marquis d'Angerville Volnay 1er Cru Taillepieds: A basket of red cherry on the nose and the palate is similarly red fruited. It is quite tart and crunchy on the palate, with pronounced drying tannins. Nice spice on the finish. Right now, though, this still needs time in the cellar to soften the tannins and tame the acidity. Comes across as a bit four-square at this moment.
2009 Domaine Michel Lafarge Volnay 1er Cru Les Mitans: There's a bit of barnyard funk on the nose, but it thankfully blows off with a little time. Really elegant and pretty from the get go, with a silky, transparent palate that finishes with a grippy, tannic bite. Decent acidity to support the ripe red fruit. At the end of the evening, we revisited and it really found a second gear: it became deeper in the midpalate, meatier, and just more expressive. A really excellent wine that could use some more time, but given enough air, was plenty enjoyable.
1999 Domaine de Montille Volnay 1er Cru Les Mitans: A mature wine with an open, expressive palate of ripe red fruit, earthy forest floor, and hints of bitter herbs. Tannins are basically resolved at this point, and texturally, this is quite silky and elegant. There's enough acidity here to convey some brightness, though the palate comes across as a little candied with air. Some people at the table thought this was slightly on the downslope, but I think this is still in a good place and that there is no rush. Not as backwards as I feared considering this is an Hubert de Montilles era wine, and the '99s I've had recently have been a little dense and unapproachable. This is drinking quite nicely.
2014 Domaine Joseph Voillot Pommard 1er Cru Les Pèzerolles: This is still little tight on both the nose and the palate. There are red cherry aromas with a hint of wet soil. The palate is quite delicate and transparent, with bright red fruit tinged with an herbal, medicinal streak. Supported by decent acidity and freshness, it is still quite bitter on the finish from the tannins. A nice wine that still seems a little awkward at its stage of its development. Considering how light and delicate this is, it reminds me more of Volnay than Pommard.
2003 Simon Bize Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru Aux Vergelesses: This is quite overripe and voluptuous, with a thick, velvety texture. Heavier bodied than any of the other red Burgundies at the table. The red fruit is almost too sweet and a little roasted. Basically a bit too port-like for my tastes.
2011 Louis Jadot Chambertin: Lithe, willowy, and elegant on the palate, with pretty red fruit colored with subtle green notes and adorned with a mineral edge and a slight tinge of smoke. This is quite juicy and easy to drink, and the tannins are barely perceptible. Quite a nice wine, especially for a non-domaine bottling. A nice (near) swan song for Jacques Lardiere, who retired at the end of 2012.
2013 Domaine Bruno Clair Chambertin-Clos de Bèze: This was an incredibly fragrant wine that exuded aromas of violet and red cherry that just explode out of the glass. The whole table was in stunned silence for a couple of seconds, just inhaling the perfumed nose. Really magnificent. The palate, on the other hand, while excellent, was initially not quite as good. There was darker red fruit on the palate that had quite a bit of lively acidity to provide tension and freshness. This was quite light on its feet, super silky and elegant, despite the somewhat drying and biting tannins tasted on the finish. While this is a clearly a Grand Cru quality Burgundy, the flavors were not quite as delineated as I was expecting; this was much closer in quality to the 2011 Jadot Chambertin we had paired with this than I was expecting, considering how powerful and complex the nose was. This was a little muddled, and could have been more focused and precise. However, with time in the glass, the midpalate deepens and intensifies, the dark red fruit becomes somewhat sweeter and more expressive, and it hits its second gear where you get more of that "peacock's tail" that fans out on the finish. A very impressive wine that probably needs a bit more time in the cellar to reach its full potential, based on this showing.
2006 Domaine d'Ardhuy Corton-Hautes Mourottes: No formal note. I basically was able to get a quick sip of this at the end of the evening. Quite ripe and juicy, with lush dark red fruit and decent acidity. Very dense in a Corton sort of way.
Burgundy (White)
2024 Domaine Sylvain Langoureau Saint-Aubin 1er Cru En Remilly Blanc: I haven't been a huge fan of this producers wines in the past, but this was very strong showing. The nose here is quite nice while the palate has really nice acidity with ripe white and yellow fruit with girded with a mineral presence. Quite lively and dynamic on the palate. Very good and great value.
2024 Château de la Charrière Chassagne-Montrachet Les Champs de Morjot: Very mineral and a little stern, but the acidity is on point and the palate is otherwise mouthwatering. Definitely not for people looking for pronounced fruit flavors in their wines, but this was not too bad.
2023 Domaine Nicolas Faure Bourgogne-Aligoté La Corvée de Bully: What a taut, nervous, intense wine this is. Beautiful nose of lemons, flowers, and wet stones, but the palate is wild, slightly feral, with intense salinity, citrus, and stony minerality. Impressive depth and concentration, with some well-judged texture to the palate (apparently, Faure only uses older oak barrels for his aligotes). Long finish, racy and electric acidity. Reminds me of Ganevat in terms of liveliness and energy. Yum.
2019 Domaine Bernard-Bonin Bourgogne Blanc Initiales B.B.: Incredibly fresh, crisp and saline on the palate that is slightly textured, but carried primarily by a razor sharp acidity. There's tart green apple and some bitter citrus supported by a firm mineral spine. Very precise with great clarity and delineation on the palate. Long finish. Extremely impressive for a Bourgogne Blanc. I now understand the hype for this producer.
2012 Domaine Billaud-Simon Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre: A little advanced on the nose, with some oxidative aroma, which becomes more prominent with air, but there's also green apple, crush salt, and a bit of sea breeze as well. The palate still has some freshness and lift, with citrus notes and hints of bitter herbs on the palate, though the caramel flavors also intensify with time in the glass. Luckily, the acidity saves the palate and this is still enjoyable, but definitely surprisingly tertiary for a 13-year old wine.
2019 Domaine Henri Boillot Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Pucelles: There's a lot of new oak aromas on the nose, and it is basically slathered over the ripe, dense yellow fruit on the palate. There is a lot of stuffing in this wine, and the acidity is quite nice, but this is going to need a lot of time to integrate the oak into the palate, and it basically just tastes like a vanilla Creamsicle at this point. Basically, over-the-top and quite typique for an Henri Boillot wine. You have to like the style in order to enjoy this.
2017 Domaine Henri Boillot Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Pucelles: This has much more finesse and balance on the palate than the 2019. While it is still big and powerful with its huge yellow fruit, the oak is better integrated and the vanilla and oaky tannins do not dominate the palate, though you can still taste it. Acidity is lively and bright, and everything just seems more harmonious. Still not my type of wine, but I can respect the (relatively) lighter touch in the winemaking here.
1989 Domaine Guy Robin et Fils Chablis Grand Cru Valmur Vieilles Vignes: Surprisingly fresh on the palate, with very gentle tertiary notes over a palate infused with lemony citrus, salt, and chalky minerality. Acidity is still lively, but well-integrated, and texturally, this is quite round and silky. Nice length to the finish and still a fair amount of density on the palate. Classic Chablis. Very old school. Demonstrates how age can reveal the potential of terroir.
2022 Domaine Roulot Bourgogne Blanc: To be honest, this was a little flabby and uninteresting on the palate. Pretty innocuous and bland. I have had great Roulot and blah Roulot, and this fits squarely in the latter category.
2022 Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons: I had this ice cold straight out of the ice bucket, so I couldn't get a great read on this. It seemed a little more closed and less expressive than I had the bottle last year, but probably a lot of that had to do with the cold temperature. It did seem less round and soft though. It also had that Dauvissat lightness and finesse on the palate.
Jura (Red)
2018 Jean-François Ganevat Trousseau Plein Sud: Bright, but almost pinkish robe in the glass. Beautifully floral on the nose with aromas of crushed wild strawberries. The palate is also joyous crunchy red fruit girded with just enough VA and acidity to provide liveliness to the palate, but not over-the-top funk. Really a peak natty, glou-glou red in all the best ways.
2023 Cellier Saint Benoit Trousseau Arbois Pupillin Fonteinelle: Nice crunchy red fruit, some green notes from the whole cluster that adds complexity. Quite delicate and fine on the palate, though perhaps there could be more mid-palate density. Very spicy, cracked black pepper finish on this wine which is surprisingly long and intense. Finish really makes this wine; very interesting and unique rendition of Trousseau.
2023 Michel Gahier Trousseau Arbois Les Grands Vergers: A little funky on the nose, but you can also smell the florals and red cherry. Very structured, with the tannins quite drying. Nice acidity. The stems from the whole cluster provide some pleasing green notes to the red fruit and there is an interesting earthiness on the palate. Not exactly exuberant or juicy, but well made and interesting.
2023 Domaine de Saint Pierre (Fabrice Dodane) Arbois Petit Curoulet: This was pretty boring. Light, crunchy red fruit, but not a lot of definition or complexity beyond that. Simple beyond words.
2019 Domaine du Pélican Arbois Savagnin Ouillé: To be honest, this was rather non-descript and boring. There was almost no Jura character to this wine at all. Kind of crisp, but basically, generic white wine.
Jura (White)
2019 Michel Gahier Chardonnay Arbois Les Crêts: A little bit of that Jura funk on the nose, but the palate is long, with bracing acidity swaddling sharp lemony citrus, salt, and stony flavors. Really quite good. I revisited later and the funk became more prominent and the palate turned a little cidery, but still held up ok. But, the palate on opening was delicious and intense. Everything I look for in a Jura Chardonnay.
2019 Domaine Labet Chardonnay Les Juveniles Lias: This was really nice. Very focused and linear palate with intense and finely delineated flavors of lemon and salt. Quite stony on the palate as well. Really drinkable and very clean. Not a hint of funk.
2012 Domaine des Bodines Savagnin Arbois: The acidity has become gentler, creating this very silky texture that caresses the palate. Nice flavors: hint of oxidation (from bottle age, I think, rather than vinification) and has the classic citrus and salt that you get from Jura. Tasty.
2016 Jean Rijckaert Chardonnay Arbois Vieilles Vignes En Paradis: Made in a more oxidative style. Pronounced tertiary nuttiness on the palate, acidity is gentle, texture is silky, with citrus and salt. Very well made in that oxidative style, and still quite fresh. Interesting and tasty.
1985 Château d'Arlay Côtes du Jura Vin Jaune: Considering how old this is and that it was made in an oxidative sous voile style, this is incredibly fresh and saline. Fruit tastes a little yellow, but there are strong flavors of almonds and warm baking spices on the palate. Also, very elegant, delicately flavored, and silky. Really nice.
2020 Michel Gahier Melon La Fauquette: Very tropical on the nose, filled with esters (redolent of bananas). A distinct note of VA on the palate, which is quite lifted, but there's also a roundness to the texture. Equally tropical and ripe on the palate. A schizophrenic wine (in some ways natty, in other ways not), but it is interesting.
2022 Cellier Saint Benoit Savagnin Arbois Pupillin Naturé Les Plantées: Thin and non-descript. You get a faint hint of citrus and salt, but the flavors evaporate after a few seconds on the palate. Linear to a fault, it implodes into nothingness.
German, Austrian, Alsace
2001 Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel: What a beautiful nose of lemon-lime, stonefruit, florals, and a hint of butter cream. It just leaps out of the bottle and the glass. The palate is incredibly airy and light, with the delicacy of rainwater, but paired with intense white fruit, salinity and herbal notes, and incisive, but ripe, acidity that carries the initial attack into a long, tart, subtly sweet finish. A showcase of vintage conditions intersecting so well with a producer's house style, producing a high-wire act of elevated acidity tamed by ripe fruit, yet encased in an elegant, weightless package. A triumph.
2005 Fritz Haag Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel: Definitely a richer, less acid-forward rendition of this cuvee. Plenty of sweetness, and a thicker, more syrupy mouth, but there is enough acidity to prevent this from coming across as cloying. However, not quite as lively and fresh as I would like. A good wine, but definitely squarely a dessert wine, and not nearly as racy or electric as the 2001 version of this wine.
2022 Heidi Schröck Gelber Muskateller: Lots of peach and melon on the nose with a hint of white flower. Bone dry and mineral on the white-fruited palate. Taut acidity that is quite refreshing. Not overly complex, but an easy-drinking, crisp white wine.
2015 Peter Lauer Schönfels Riesling Faß 11 Großes Gewächs: Lemon lime and wet gravel on the nose. On the palate, it is quite mineral and infused with sharp, tart citrus flavors. Featherlight and racy with ripe acidity. Getting some herb and green notes as well. Good tension throughout. Nice finish.
1997 Weingut Knoll Riesling Smaragd Loibenberg: Honeyed nose infused with some ginger. The palate is nicely tertiary, with interesting mushroom notes combined with herbs and yellow fruit. However, this is predominantly mineral, with a light nuttiness from the tertiary characteristics. Structurally taut with good tension throughout the wine. Perhaps the alcohol is a bit ponderous, but there's still plenty of energy and lift.
1990 Trimbach Riesling Cuvée Frédéric Emile: Quite floral on the nose. Fresh and lively, quite youthful, and not that tertiary on the palate. Concentrated, with lots of stony minerality and a hint of nuttiness, but plenty of yellow fruit as well. Taut acidity; really nice balance and tension. Bone dry and not a whiff of premox.
2010 Weingut Knoll Riesling Smaragd Vinothekfüllung Loibner: Really surprisingly vital with mouthwatering acidity. While clearly ripe and dense with yellow and tropical fruit, its also silky and light on its feet. Really contains the alcohol well. Eminently drinkable and fun. This is terrific.
2022 Weiser-Künstler Enkircher Ellergrub Riesling Kabinett: Nice acidity, interesting creamy texture with a mineral-forward palate graced with ripe white fruit. Very persistent finish. I'm guessing the ripeness of the vintage works well with this producers acid-forward, leaner style. Really nice balance here.
2006 Erben von Beulwitz Kaseler Nies'chen Riesling Spätlese Alte Reben: Surprisingly bracing acidity and taut structure to this wine. Almost no botrytis, just tertiary development of almonds, herbs, and spice. Ripe yellow fruit buffeted by the tension of the acids. Really good showing, especially considering the vintage.
2019 Weingut Dreissigacker Riesling Wunderwerk: Very intense nose of lime and wet rocks. Lots of crushed rock, sharp citrus, and white fruit on the palate. Quite ripe and dense, but balanced by mouthwatering acidity that isn't shrill despite the dearth of residual sugar. Very, very good, and still approachable.
Italian
2016 Bruno Giacosa Nebbiolo d'Alba: A bit tannic, a bit on the darker red side of the fruit spectrum, nose wasn't that impressive or expressive. Palate was better. It was fine.
2016 Romano Dal Forno Amarone della Valpolicella Vigneto di Monte Lodoletta: This was big, brash, oaky, heavily-extracted, and over-the-top, but, hate to say it, surprisingly balanced considering it was 16% alcohol (I guessed 14% and had no clue it was that alcoholic). Lots of stuffing, very red-fruited, with sufficient acidity to keep this wine from coming across as cloying, and a huge wall of drying, astringent tannins to provide structure. Not close to being ready, but there was still enough there to provide some interest. Much better than what I was expecting. Not something I would turn to often, but, hey, sometimes fruit-driven oak bombs can work if the producer goes all in, I suppose.
2018 Giuseppe Quintarelli Cà del Merlo Veneto IGT: Definitely more restrained and balanced than the 2016 Dal Forno Amarone, but still a little too big and extracted for my tastes. Interesting flavors of green pyrazine with the dark fruit on the palate. Also, much less tannic than the Dal Forno. A lot readier to drink.
2021 Comm. G.B. Burlotto Verduno Pelaverga: Beautiful nose loaded with ripe strawberries and red cherries, spices, and rose and violet aromas. The wine itself is quite elegant and light on its feet with its racy acidity. There's delicate red fruit and herbs, which may be a little too fragile as there's a bit of a doughnut hole in the mid-palate, but the wine does have a nice white pepper kick to its tart finish. A really nice, light-bodied wine that pairs well with the salt and umami of Cantabrian anchovies.
New World
2016 Rhys Pinot Noir Alpine Hillside: Rich, ripe, full-bodied (and full-throttled) California Pinot that is cloaked in glossy sheen of new oak. A bit syrupy texturally and you can taste a touch of cola inflecting the sweet dark fruit on the palate. Not my favorite style, to be honest (and seems kind of unlike most other Rhys I've had in the past).
1985 Joseph Swan Vineyards Chardonnay: Oxidized and maderized on the nose; not quite as shot on the palate. But, pretty much dead.
