If you have just one, wait! I haven’t even picked up my 2017s yet, I’m not in a hurry.
the 16 Pierre Boisson BB is spectacular for the level, a very complete drink. Tasted alongside the 14 and 17 and it was far more open currently, though all were very good.
Ah Jeremy , you discovered Lamy Caiilat wines . I also think they are awsome . William made me go there and now I have a nice allocation…
Have fun
Debating whether to buy a few bottles of Benoit Ente’s BB.
Anyone have any experience? It’s a bit pricy, but if it’s good, I’m in.
Pot Bois that’s really been expanded for replanting - but not for Sébastian.
My first notes were in 2016, just - 2013 vintage - maybe you just pipped me 
But, of-course, a regular every year since then…
It’s very good, and ages nicely: 2011 drinking well today. The Aligoté is also very good and now that Arnaud has ripped up his Aligoté, it will be the only Ente Aligoté out there.
I think so, but not by as long as I thought!
Yes, this is the beginning of a new hype. The wines are now hardly to get and exploding in price. Again and again the same story. I watched this trend for 20 years now and I have no clue when it will stop if ever. The internet is ok. But this is only a fraction of the entire story. Critics, wine writers and Domains are sitting in the same boat. Its a win win situation. The losers are the wine lovers. Time to look elsewhere before someone of the industry discovers the next XYZ.
i feel like you have only 1 or 2 vintages now to load up on a new producer before it becomes “allocated” and the price rises dramatically. luckily, there will always be someone out there making wonderful wines that are simply not fashionable…yet.
Well, in fact, Sebastien Caillat had vinified more than ten vintages of his own label (and many more for Lamy-Pillot, with a different philosophy of course) before the wines became hard to find; and with only just over two hectares, that was always bound to happen, good press or not. Nor is the work that he is doing “hype”: consumers are the better for it, rather than being in any sense “losers”.
From yesterday’s lunch.
2017 Lamy-Caillat Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Caillerets: This is a compact, deep and tight wine, with so much potential. There’s some Pine Lime Splice notes from the wood and pristine white peach fruit. It is spicy, layered and intense, with great drive and length. Should be something special.
Indeed, for the longest time production was tiny, there was more Romanée-Conti per year than Sébastian produced for his entire exploitation. But now he’s up to about 14k bottles per year with new parcels in Grand Montagne and a villages St.Aubin - though 18 is the first vintage for those, and they are not yet bottled. The fact is that he’s always chosen the harder, longer path for making his wines - so William is spot on, consumers are the better for it, but hence, they have never been cheap for their labels - though as usual the secondary market does with them what they can…
William,
the German retailer who sell the wines writes on his homepage: Robert Parker (in fact William Kelly) did discover the wines from Lamy-Caillat and scored them high. They are now listed as “limited” and way more expensive. You see the influence? An advantage for consumers?
This is an old issue I did discuss several times even with Robert Parker on the old Squires Board. He defended his company (what else) and said the wine advocate is a consumer advocate.This is certainly not the entire story. Robert Parkers wine advocate also a marketing tool for producers and merchants. Tons of wines I had been able to buy to reasonable prices are now priced in the stratosphere and a lot of them are tools for speculators. This is the dark side of your profession.
I was never the denying the existence of the phenomenon whereby high scores result in increased prices. What I question is your contention that “Critics, wine writers and Domains are sitting in the same boat”. When I have given Lamy-Caillat high scores, it is because I loved the wines, not because I wanted to give merchants a reason to elevate prices. And if prices go up, doesn’t that mean that real consumers find the reviews credible and are interested to try the wines? If not, the wines would remain unsold at those higher prices. Sure, it’s a pity if the wines become harder to find or beyond some consumers’ means. But on the other hand, speaking more generally, it’s also a validation of producers’ hard work and an encouragement to do more. Sometimes it means a producer will get a new importer or two and open up new markets. Maybe then they can invest in better equipment, or purchase a new vineyard parcel, or do longer élevage, or (for example, in Champagne) keep more reserve wines. Or just worry less about debts to the bank. Even if we can all lament that desirable commodities—in wine as in everything—are expensive, there is also a positive side to the story.
Did you start a waitlist? It could be full by now from the people in this thread
Thank you! $46 USD (always expensive up here, but tariffs have evened the financial playing field a bit) is more than I usually spend for Bourgogne-level wine but if it’s good, it’s good.
William,
only to be sure: I never said or meant that you are dishonest. When I say you are sitting in the same boat with producers and merchants it is because I see no internet wine shop or printed wine list without scores from a critic. If it is Parker (they still use Parker although he is not active any more), Suckling, Galloni, Decanter and so forth. I have a merchant in my own family and he said several times that wines without scores, medals or whatever are hard to sell these days. Therefore scores from critics are part of the marketing strategy of producers and merchants.
And btw: Many very interested wine lovers did and do travel and taste(d) in wine areas themselves and were and are able to find out which producers do produce fine wine. That was effort and work. And the benefit was to get bottles to a fair price. Today with the internet and the scores of critics all you need is a very deep pocket. Knowledge, real love for the subject and passion is not necessary any more. Not to forget that many of the top wines do not end on the palate of wine lovers for tons of money but are a tool for speculators. That is a big part of the wine world today. As long as we speak about fine and not mass wine.
Jeremy,
sorry for the thread drift. I will stop here because I will not be able to change anything anyway.
This made me dig up a bottle. Lamy-Caillat chassagne-montrachet 2017 - Touch of vanilla, grapefruit on the nose, so slightly more on citrus spectrum. Not exuberant. Quite delicate. On the palate, very fine acidity, not pronounced. Citrus fruit showing through as well. Good example of a wine picked at optimum maturity for my taste. Feels like it will age very well, but as always the proof of the pudding…
The Chassagnes are most impossible to get in the US for the last year. The price is now very high. I drank my 2014 Champs Gains and couldn’t get more. I have one bottle from the domaine left, an ‘11 Romanee I’ll age (an auction purchase), and I don’t expect to be able to find more of the Chassagnes easily at a price I’m willing to pay.
Just knocked off a bottle of the 2017 Village Chassagne. The first sniff is smoky mineral reduction. Then you get some aniseed spice and perfectly ripe orchard fruits. The fruit in the mouth has a crystalline quality. There’s so much chalky dry extract that one’s tongue continues to click against one’s roof of the mouth involuntarily. I love it. Great depth and build with tangy citrus punctuating the long finish.