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1985 Dujac CDR is an absolutely legendary wine. That price doesn’t surprise me whatsoever. What caused me to raise my eyebrows is one magnum of 2018 Duroche Griotte Chambertin hammering in the same auction for $6200 with premium. I guess that cat is now well out of the bag. An astonishing price for ...

I know I am contributing to the thread drift, but my understanding is that Rosenthal has operated like Grand Cru, Wilson Daniels, Kermit Lynch, Rare Wine, Weygandt, and many other importers/distributors for many years now. I.e., they maintain a hefty private client list that accounts for a substanti...

I agree with Mark that performance of the ‘86 first growths is variable. Some of it due to storage. Some of it due to the nature of the vintage. The wines are kind of moody, and even from the same case can vary between being open, silky, and full-fruited, versus very hard and unyielding. I have had ...

Jason, happy to buy these in Boston or trade you Mugneret Gibourg or Allemand for them. Just send me a PM if interested.

Penfolds does not publish production figures for Yattarna or its other wines, at least not the majority of the wines. This website claims “around 1000 cases,” but that seems way off to me for current production. https://www.escapementmagazine.com/penfolds-yattarna.html My guess would be around 8000 ...

Also I have seen no issues with ageability of Yattarna. I had the 97 a few years ago (can’t remember if it was under cork or screw cap), and it was very good. Given the balance of recent vintages, they may have an even longer aging curve than the early vintages.

I’m with Kent. Go with the Yattarna. I have tasted the 2012 Yattarna and various recent vintages of Bouchard MP. To my taste, the Yattarna is the better wine, though the 2014 Bouchard might keep it close. I own a lot of white burgundy and very, very little Aussie Chardonnay. But objectively, the Yat...

Haven’t had the Prelude recently, but have gone through a couple of bottles of 2015 and 2016 Art Series. Recent vintage Leeuwin Art is phenomenally good. Has to be near the top of global Chardonnay value rankings.

I just opened my first bottle of the 2017 Zacharie during the first presidential debate. Maybe the sour ambiance affected my perception of the wine. I found it to be deep and well balanced, but completely shut down on both the nose and the palate. Based on my experience, at least another 3 years of ...

I should caveat my statement about Beychevelle. I think the closest comp for Beychevelle in terms of quality in the appellation is Leoville Poyferre. Though they are very different stylisticallly. Looking back, I see that 2019 futures for Beychevelle are priced at $71 versus $68 for LP. On that bas...

I should caveat my statement about Beychevelle. I think the closest comp for Beychevelle in terms of quality in the appellation is Leoville Poyferre. Though they are very different stylisticallly. Looking back, I see that 2019 futures for Beychevelle are priced at $71 versus $68 for LP. On that basi...

I’m a big fan of Lagrange and Branaire Ducru for relative value in recent vintages. Tasting through a wide range of Lagrange vintages two years ago made it clear to me that they are making better wine than at any point in the past. Also, they are a good example of how size can be leveraged to improv...

FYI that all 2018 Leflaive was subject to the tariffs. Domaine held pricing steady from 2017, so the price increase in the US market is purely tariff-driven.

Top-level wines again since about 2016/2017. DIAM adds a level of assurance that wasn't previously there. After that, it's only a question of whether you're comfortable with the prices or not... Agree with this 100 percent. The wines are back in top form, though it is clear that 2018 is at least a ...

I for one am bummed that Sandrone's Barolos' prices have shot up. At this rate '13 will be my last vintage. While my cellar is predominantly made up of Berserker certified traditionalists, I also very much enjoy middle of the road makers like Sandrone and Gaja. At tastings of recent vintages ('12 a...

Anyone have insight into the 2010 or 2012 vintages of this wine? I drank my 2007’s too early. It was still young when I last had it in 2015 or 2016. I am sitting on 24 bottles of the 2010 and 18 bottles of the 2012, but have yet to open one. There are two recent notes in CT on the 2010 saying it is...

As an aside, CT says the value of the 2010 is only $30. If anyone knows where I can get it at that price, send me a link! I think current vintage is around $55-60 on release in the US market, maybe more.

Anyone have insight into the 2010 or 2012 vintages of this wine? I drank my 2007’s too early. It was still young when I last had it in 2015 or 2016. I am sitting on 24 bottles of the 2010 and 18 bottles of the 2012, but have yet to open one. There are two recent notes in CT on the 2010 saying it is ...

Broadly agree these wines are underrated. They fall into the category of “famous”, certainly for the region, but underappreciated. I like the Caillottes a lot for its openness. Can be enjoyed pretty much anytime post release, whereas the cru bottlings can go through grumpy stages.

I have been slowly making my way through my copy, and agree with your positive review Alex. I think her judgments on individual wines are almost always correct, and she appears not to exhibit much favoritism. For example, she accurately notes the recent quality at Phelan Segur, and praises the value...

I visited Bordeaux in late spring 2011, and thanks to the immense generosity of Maison Sichel, I was able to spend 30 minutes or so at Margaux with Paul Pontallier, during what I’m sure was a typically busy day for him. We tried the 2007 Margaux, and quickly hit on a variety of topics. I mentioned t...

I opened two bottles of the 98 late last year and it was amazing. Decanted maybe 1.5-2 hours before serving. The wine was in a great place and I wouldn’t hesitate to open it now. Will surely last at least another 20 years under proper storage. It has not fully integrated the oak, but the oak is not ...

That looks phenomenal. Did you weld that? Or are those shelves held by pins or screws?

I am looking for advice on metal racking for long-term storage of OWC's. I am setting up a conditioned space in my basement for case storage, with a separate room for double-deep bottle racking. The case storage area will be for OWC's and cardboard boxes, mostly wine that needs a lot of time, e.g. r...

Rare Wine Co expecting it late fall/early winter. Would assume the same for east coast importers.

At their best, these are some of the greatest wines ever made in the U.S. The people who bought them on release must feel the same, because there is limited trade in them on the auction market or after-market retail. Probably the one CA producer I wished I had in my cellar, but don’t.

The issue with Lafleur is not quality. I have zero doubt quality is off the charts. The issue is time. More than almost any other Bordeaux wine, Lafleur demands time. There is no other right bank wine, IMO, including Petrus and Cheval Blanc, that is so much in need of time to show what it has. A rea...

Discovery wines, which is a solid retailer in NYC, has the 2017 available for $100. Based on my experiences with prior vintages, the wine fully justifies the price tag, as it is equivalent in quality to a good premier cru burg. I purchased the 2015 Athanor for around $90 or $95. The days of sourcing...

The Defaix is so good right now. I would decant to get full impact. It is made in a traditional style and will age another 20 years under optimal storage. But don’t see any particular upside from here.

In the last five years, the best American Chardonnay I’ve had was a bottle of Ceritas “Porter Bass.” Second best, Radio Coteau “Wingtine.” Third best, 2008 Marcassin.

These are very good wines. Meadows is much closer to the mark than Coates. They are made in a ripe but light style, if that makes sense. They have fine and plush tannins, with a lot of upfront fruit. They have a strawberries with cream vibe. I would not compare them to Bertheau. They remind me more ...

Couple candidates to add to Ryan’s list: 1999 Dunn Howell Mountain 2006 Dujac grand crus 2013 VCC (hard to find, as production was cut by 75 percent, but it is amazingly good for the vintage) 2011 Lafleur 2002 Latour 2004 Angelus 1981 Pichon Lalande 2013 FX Pichler (this vintage gets a variety of ra...

Thank you. Very helpful. Especially with the inclusion of the technical data. I wonder how the volatile acidity compares to prior vintages? Also the reference to “clean cooperage” suggests less brett, albeit that is not a complete solution to excess brett.

Question for those following the Cerbaiona situation more closely than I am. I have gotten an offer for a recent release of the 2015 Rosso for $60/bottle, at normal mark-up. This appears to be a recent bottling, not to be confused with the January and June 2018 bottlings that were released as NV VDT...

Leflaive is back in a big way. Their recent releases are phenomenal, and while time will tell, I have much greater confidence that they will age appropriately. The prices are rich, but finally the wines are at least arguably worth the premium. Among their 1er crus, the Pucelles and Combettes in both...

Not sure exactly why, as I didn’t follow the vintage conditions closely, but Radio Coteau made particularly good wines in 2013. The syrahs and the Lemorel zin are outstanding. I think the 2013 zin may be the best Eric has ever made.

Thank you for checking back in on this thread William. I believe I pulled your score from a retailer site, so it must have been a goof on their end. Glad to hear all is well with the 2017 Corton Charlemagne. It has been one of the highlights of the range for awhile now.

Someone needs to buy HDH out of the 2013 Sorrel Le Greal at $106 per bottle. A great price on a great wine. Currently shows 16 bottles in inventory.

Probably a sign of the almost total collapse of TWA that this news has been out for a couple days but hasn’t generated a thread yet. Broadly, would think it’s a good thing for ownership of TWA to change, in light of the current ownership’s failure to really do anything with the platform and maintain...

The 2015 Brovia base Barolo is available at the The Wine Cellarage for $37/bottle, with the possibility of additional discounts. That is a lot of wine for the money. Currently 104 bottles in stock.

FWIW, I opened the 2017 PYCM Saint Aubin 1er “Hommage a Marguerite” last night. This is a smoking good wine, highly reminiscent of the 2014 En Remilly CNM, but not quite as reductive as that wine. Same cut, structure, and lemony goodness. So that would suggest the 2017 Nicholas et Mathis is well wor...

I will dissent and say I love the Code 38. The most important question is, will you lose it? If you think you can hang onto it, it is money reasonably well spent. It is by a wide margin the best screw pull in the market. And yes, I own and use a Durand as well. But a Durand takes longer to use and i...

Thanks for these notes. The VVF is a fascinating champagne and can occasionally be spectacular (the 1996 being the example that comes to mind). The problem is that it does not even come close to warranting it’s price, IMO. I’m sure Bollinger has little difficulty selling it, but it is odd to me that...

The 2010 Chidaine Clos Baudoin performed better than Roger Federer tonight. Admittedly not a high bar. Let’s hope Roger shakes off the rust in his next match. As for the Baudoin, no sign of oxidation, quite fresh actually. Low to medium acidity, some noticeable but not intrusive residual sugar, sort...

Interesting notes. I don’t have a lot of experience with Chidaine, but I did stop at their wine tasting counter/retail outlet in either Montlouis or Vouvray many years ago when I was visiting Jacky Blot. I remember thinking the wines were a little “fat” and not likely to age particularly well. I hav...

I have a question for William Kelley and others who have tracked the PYCM wines for several vintages, particularly the Corton Charlemagne. This was an amazing wine five years ago, particularly when you could get it for $80-90 per bottle. Those days are gone. My question is whether quality has slippe...

I agree with Kevin that the waxed Dauvissat bottles with the green French tax stamp glued to the top seem to show fresher. Don’t know why. Maybe it’s just some sort of perception or placebo effect. What I find crazy about Dauvissat is that, as John says, in the last 15 years or so there are some bad...

What's the context of the purchase - is it for immediate consumption? There's a few defining features of each wine. Dom's production is gargantuan. Far outweighs the other two combined. It is typically around a 50/50 blend with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir but it's never formally disclosed. It is majo...

Thanks for the quick response. I did not realize Wine Searcher segregated the “Comtesse de Cherisey” label from the “Martelet de Cherisey” label.

Perhaps underrated in the US because unavailable? Do they have a US importer? I see a single retail listing for any of the wines in the US, for the 2016 vintage.

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