A friend of mine represents Mark Haisma’s wines here in Finland and had a bunch of his recent wines in a lasting we had last summer.
To those who don’t know who Mark Haisma is: he is an Australian winemaker who cut his teeth as the winemaker at Yarra Yering but has lived in Burgundy since 2009. Haisma works as a micro-négociant who buys fruit from all around Burgundy (and also a tiny amount from Northern Rhône) and makes wine in a rather hands-off approach in his own cellar, Le Shed. The annual production is around 12,000-15,000 bottles.
Prior to this tasting, I haven’t been particularly thrilled by Haisma wines. Most of the wines have been definitely good, but still nothing I’d look for myself. However, in this tasting the wines performed just wonderfully - even if many were showing quite a bit of ripeness, the quality was still nothing short of excellent and several wines performed exceptionally well. Some of these wines were some of the finest young Burgundies I’ve tasted in a while! Unfortunately, many of those are also priced as such…
And, as almost always in our tastings, we had some interesting blind wines before and after the Haisma wines.
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2018 Caparone Aglianico Paso Robles - USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles (13.6.2022)
100% estate-grown Aglianico from vineyards planted in 1988. Fermented and macerated using submerged cap method in stainless steel tanks, aged in oak barrels. Bottled unfined and unfiltered. 13% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Youthful, luminous dark ruby-red color. Somewhat dusty yet enjoyably clean and fruity nose with aromas of ripe red cherries, some black raspberries, a little bit of licorice and a hint of sun-baked earth. The wine is dry, firm and quite savory on the palate with a medium body and bright flavors of sour cherries, some crunchy cranberry tones, a little bit of tobacco, light sweeter nuances of strawberry, a lifted hint of acetic tang and a touch of gravelly minerality. The wine is high in acidity with balanced, firm yet friendly medium tannins. The finish is dry, long and somewhat grippy with flavors of sour cherries and wild strawberries, some crunchy cranberries, a little bit of tobacco, light woody notes of savory oak spice and a lifted hint of acetic tang.
A very nice, classically built wine that might feel a bit light and easy for an Aglianico, but is still styled very much like a proper Italian red wine - I actually guessed this was a Chianti Classico, based on its sonewhat sour cherry-driven flavors, dry overall feel and quite noticeable yet still balanced bitterness. I guess a proper Taurasi or Aglianico del Vulture might've shown more weight, body and especially tannic structure than this wine did, but I guess the style is still appropriate for the grape variety, if the first thing that came into my mind was Italy, not California! A solid purchase at $20, this is a nice and balanced food wine.
(90 points) -
2020 Mark Haisma St. Péray - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, St. Péray (13.6.2022)
A 50/50 blend of Marsanne and Roussanne. 13,5% alcohol.
Youthful, luminous yellow-green color. The nose feels very rich and fruity with vibrant aromas of ripe white fruits, some leesy tones, a little bit of chopped aromatic herbs, a little bit of lemon-scented soap, a floral hint of chamomile and a touch of juicy red apple. The wine feels ripe and somewhat oily but also enjoyably balanced on the palate, coming across as relatively light and fresh for a Marsanne-Roussanne white with its medium-to-moderately full body. There are layered flavors of juicy white fruits, some creamy oak tones, a little bit of ripe nectarine, light herby and floral nuances with chamomile overtones, a hint of vanilla custard and a touch of stony minerality. The moderately high acidity keeps the wine quite nicely structured. The finish is ripe and somewhat round but also fresh and juicy with pretty lengthy flavors of ripe golden apples, some vanilla custard tones, a little bit of white peach, light creamy nuances and a hint of sweet oak spice.
A nice, balanced and juicy white Rhône that certainly has some of that oily gras and sweet fruit typical of Marsannes and Roussannes, but the overall feel doesn't feel too ripe, soft or sweet at any point and there is enough balanced acidity to keep the wine pretty structured and harmonious. At the moment the wine might be a bit too young, making it come across as a bit monolithic with its fruit-driven overall character, but it's possible the wine will settle down and pick up some finesse with a few years of additional aging. Nice stuff, priced somewhat according to its quality at 29€.
(89 points) -
2020 Mark Haisma Chassagne-Montrachet - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chassagne-Montrachet (13.6.2022)
100% Chardonnay from two vineyards in Chassagne-Montrachet. Total production a bit under 2000 bottles. 13% alcohol.
Luminous, youthful yellow-green color. The nose feels young yet dry and subtly reductive with aromas of mealy apple, some zesty citrus notes, a little bit of chalky minerality, light gunpowder notes of reduction, a hint of fresh pineapple and a youthful touch of almost grapey fruit. The wine is dry, brisk and quite racy on the palate with a medium body and focused, young flavors of tart Granny Smith apple and lemony citrus fruits, some steely and chalky mineral tones, a little bit of smoky reduction, light woody notes of gently toasted oak spice, a hint of tangy salinity and a touch of fresh pineapple. The zippy acidity lends great sense of freshness and focus to the wine while granting great sense of electric energy to the dry fruit flavors. The lengthy finish feels firm, clean and quite brisk with lively flavors of lemony citrus fruits, some creamy oak tones, a little bit of steely minerality, light sharp nuances of Granny Smith apple, a smoky hint of reduction and a savory touch of toasty wood spice.
A very attractive, harmonious and classically built white Burgundy with all the pieces in the right places - well, perhaps apart from the age. The wine is still very youthful, quite nervous and a bit linear as well. While drinking really well now, I'd let the wine age some more and pick up some developed complexity it really calls for. Good stuff with lots of upside. Perhaps still slightly pricey for the quality at 61€, but things will turn around if the wine continues to age gracefully and pick up some additional complexity.
(92 points) -
2020 Mark Haisma Pinot Noir Bourgogne - France, Burgundy, Bourgogne (13.6.2022)
Made with purchased fruit sourced from around villages of Gevrey-Chambertin and Brochon. Fully destemmed. Total production around 3000 bottles. 13% alcohol.
Luminous and rather translucent ruby-red color with a youthful blueish hue. The nose feels very fragrant and perfumed yet at the same time showing a tiniest bit of skunky reduction. Aromas of violets and crushed spring flowers, ripe black raspberry, some earthy notes, a little bit of orange rind, light juicy notes of sweet red cherry, a reductive hint of hard-boiled eggs and a touch of dusty wood. The wine is dry, fresh and crunchy on the palate with a medium body and bright flavors of cranberries and brambles, some gravelly mineral tones, a little bit of something metallic - like rusty nails, light crowberry nuances, a tart hint of lingonberry and a touch of dusty earth. The wine is beautifully high in acidity, but the gentle medium tannins also bring in some nice sense of firmness. The finish is dry, light and somewhat grippy with flavors of crunchy cranberries, some tart notes of lingonberries and redcurrants, a little bit of gravelly minerality, light sweeter notes of ripe black raspberries, a metallic hint of iron or copper and a touch of dusty earth.
A very nice, fresh and quite structured entry-level Bourgogne with good sense of youthful Pinosity and wonderful acidic zip. The only thing that bothered me here was that tiniest hint of something vaguely metallic. Not badly though, the wine was perfectly enjoyable and quite lovely actually, but still it was there. Just based on one bottle, I can't say if it was just the bottle we had or something else. My score applies to a wine with that metallic note - without it, the wine is definitely at least a couple of points better. Solid stuff with some sense of aging potential.
(86 points) -
2020 Mark Haisma Fixin - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Fixin (13.6.2022)
The debut vintage of this label. Made with purchased fruit sourced from several village-level lieu-dits. Total production a bit under 1000 bottles. 13,5% alcohol.
Deep, dark ruby red with relatively little translucency. The nose feels ripe, somewhat brooding and a bit on the sweet side with dark-toned aromas of juicy black raspberries, some tobacco, a little bit of fresh cherry, light blueberry tones, a floral hint of violets and a touch of inky character. The wine is surprisingly ripe, juicy and dense for a Burgundy on the palate with a moderately full body and quite bold flavors of ripe black raspberries and sweet red cherries, some tart cranberry tones, a little bit of tobacco, light juicy notes of dark forest fruits and a tiniest hint of something vaguely metallic. The overall feel is rather stern with its quite high acidity and surprisingly assertive and rather grippy yet still very balanced tannins. The finish is ripe, juicy and somewhat sweet-toned with a long, balanced aftertaste of brambly black raspberries and tart cranberries, some sweeter cherry notes, a little bit of crunchy crowberry, light earthy nuances, a hint of savory wood spice and again a touch of something metallic.
A surprisingly stern, serious and structure-driven Fixin with quite a bit of volume and power. This is a quite impressive and promising wine, although there's that tiny bit of something metallic (a similar note I found in the Bourgogne 2020 as well) that slightly distracts from pleasure. I wonder if this is something that's in the wine or just in our bottle? If it's just some bottle variation, my notes regarding the metallic notes can be disregarded but everything else rings true. The wine is definitely quite ripe and dark-toned in character, but it never once feels heavy or clumsy - on the contrary, the wine is surprisingly firm and tightly-knit for such a ripe Burgundy. If something, the wine is maybe a bit too serious! However, I think there's a good amount of upside to this wine. LLit it wait - it might be lacking some grace and finesse now, but nobody's saying these qualities wouldn't be able emerge with enough cellaring once the wine starts to unwind a bit. Perhaps a bit on the pricey side at 48€, though - at least for now.
(90 points) -
2020 Mark Haisma Gevrey-Chambertin - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin (13.6.2022)
Made with purchased fruit sourced from three Gevrey-Chambertin lieu-dits: Croix des Champs, La Justice and Billard. 50% destemmed, 50% in whole bunches. Total production eight barrels. 13% alcohol.
Relatively dark ruby-red color with some translucency. Sweetish nose full of ripe yet classic Pinosity: aromas of ripe black raspberries, some juicy cherries, a little bit of fresh red plum, light nuances of tobacco, hints of blood and raw meat, a floral touch of violets and a whiff of damp earth. The wine is quite ripe yet firm and rather dry on the palate with a medium body and focused flavors of ripe black raspberries, some sweeter notes of black cherries, a little bit of gravelly minerality, light nuances of tobacco, a hint of floral lift and a faint, candied touch of red-toned primary fruit. The wine feels balanced with its bright, high acidity and ripe, quite gentle tannins. The finish is dry-ish, harmonious and gently grippy with a savory aftertaste of ripe black raspberries, some black cherry tones, a little bit of meaty umami, light gravelly minerality, a hint of pipe tobacco and a touch of tart cranberry.
A fine, sophisticated and thoroughly delicious Gevrey-Chambertin with wonderful sense of harmony and elegance. I wished the wine would show a bit more firmness and grip as the tannins came across as surprisingly soft and delicate - especially after tasting the quite seriously structured 2020 Haisma Fixin - but apart from that, this wine was a few strides more impressive in comparison. The wine does show some ripeness, but the overall feel is fresh, savory and wonderfully high in acidity with terrific varietal typicity and that perfumed Gevrey complexity. Very enjoyable already now, but will benefit from further aging greatly. Priced somewhat according to its quality at 59€.
(92 points) -
2019 Mark Haisma Volnay - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay (13.6.2022)
13,5% alcohol.
Moderately translucent, youthful ruby-red color. Youthful, fruit-driven and quite open nose with aromas of fresh raspberries, some cooked beet notes, a little bit of ripe cherry, light meaty tones, a fragrant hint of wild strawberry and a sweeter touch of ripe dark berries. The wine feels fresh, silky and quite gentle on the palate with a light-to-medium body and rather ripe, moderately sweet-toned flavors of black cherries and juicy raspberries, some licorice tones, a little bit of meaty umami, light wild strawberry nuances, a hint of baked beetroot and a touch of ripe dark berries. The structure relies mostly on the moderately high acidity, as the tannins come across as very ripe, mellow and gentle. The finish is juicy, very gently grippy and rather long with a quite ripe aftertaste of sweet black raspberries, some meaty umami, a little bit of cherry-driven red fruit, light stony mineral nuances, a hint of tobacco and a balancing touch of sour cherry bitterness.
A nice, pleasant and harmonious Volnay. No surprises here, nor any thrills or frills. This is a quite typical village-level Volnay, maybe a bit on the ripe end of the spectrum, but not overtly so, as the wine shows good sense of balance and some freshness. There has been marked improvement from the barrel sample I tasted a bit over a year ago, when the wine was still somewhat muted and a bit all over the place. Now it has picked up its game together and is nicely open up for business. The wine is drinking now really well and most likely will improve for some years more, but ultimately this seems like a pleasant everyday drinker, not something that will necessarily call for additional aging. Nice stuff, albeit still a bit pricey for the quality at 49€.
(88 points) -
2020 Mark Haisma Volnay La Cave - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay (13.6.2022)
A single-vineyard Volnay from lieu-dit La Cave, higher up in the hill compared to the vineyards from which most of the fruit sourced for the regular Volnay come from. 12,5% alcohol.
Brooding, dark and somewhat translucent blood-red color - lacking that slightly blue hue of the other 2020's - with a pale rim. The nose feels wonderfully fragrant and perfumed with attractive aromas of raspberries and juicy dark berries, some meaty tones, a little bit of something smoky - perhaps a tiniest hint of reduction, light floral nuances of violets, a hint of cracked peppercorns and a touch of boysenberry. The wine is lively, clean and crunchy on the palate with dry, open flavors of ripe black raspberries and tart redcurrants, some ferrous notes of blood, a little bit of stony minerality, light floral nuances of violets and a hint of peppery spice. The wine is relatively light on its feet, yet with some nice volume. The high acidity contributes to the freshness and the moderately grippy medium tannins to the sense of firmness and structure. The finish is juicy, lively and somewhat grippy with a long, dry aftertaste of crunchy redcurrants and brambly raspberries, some floral violet tones, a little bit of blood, light stony mineral notes, a hint of smoky reduction and a meaty touch of pepper steak.
A very beautiful, harmonious and wonderfully structured single-vineyard Volnay that is a great leap from the 2019 Volnay that we tasted next to this wine. This shows so much energy, focus and purity of fruit with a firm, balanced structure. Unlike many other 2020 Haismas we tasted, this doesn't really come at all primary, despite its young age - just very fresh, youthful and perhaps a bit nervous (probably partly due to the tiniest bit of reduction here, lifting nicely those peppery tones). Overall this feels so much more like a cool-climate Pinot Noir compared to many other 2020 Haismas which are definitely fresh and dry, but also showing more ripeness and solar qualities. This wine is magnificent right now, but most likely it will grow into something even better with some age. A superb effort and one of my favorite 2020 Haisma reds. Solid value even at 54€.
(93 points) -
2020 Mark Haisma Volnay 1er Cru Les Fremiets - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay 1er Cru (13.6.2022)
Made with purchased fruit sourced from 1er Cru Les Fremiets. 20% destemmed. Total production six barrels (one of which was new). 14% alcohol.
Deep, luminous and moderately translucent deep cherry red color with a faint youthful blueish hue. The nose feels ripe, sweet and subtly reductive with quite lush aromas of boysenberries and candied primary notes of raspberry jellies, a little bit of cherry marmalade, light meaty tones, a hint of peppery spice and a touch of sweet bilberry. The wine is round, ripe and quite broad on the palate with a rather full body and somewhat sweet-toned flavors of boysenberries and bilberries, some sweetish toasty oak tones, a little bit of vanilla, light plummy notes, reductive hints of smoke and crushed peppercorns and a touch of cherry marmalade. The structure seems to be suffering a bit from the ripeness as the wine is only medium-to-moderately high in acidity with very gentle and light tannins that contribute only very little to the texture and not at all to the structure. The finish is round, ripe and silky smooth with a somewhat sweet-toned and slightly warm aftertaste of boysenberries and candied raspberry tones, some vanilla, a little bit of sweet bilberry, light creamy notes of diacetyl, a hint of toasty oak spice and a touch of dark plummy fruit.
A surprisingly big, ripe and soft Volnay with quite a bit of breadth and volume. The wine is still slightly reductive, yet nevertheless quite open for business, thanks to the lush - at times even a bit in-your-face - primary fruit tones that make the wine quite expressive expressive, but also feel like a somewhat clumsy and way too sweet crowdpleaser. All in all, this doesn't feel like a classic Volnay to me, lacking the freshness and playful elegance of the appellation. Instead this feels like a sweet, soft and lush new world Pinot with its noticeably ripe fruit and somewhat noticeable new oak influence. The difference between this wine and the poised, dry 2020 Volnay La Cave is staggering.
(87 points) -
2020 Mark Haisma Pommard 1er Cru Clos des Arvelets - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Pommard 1er Cru (13.6.2022)
Made with purchased fruit sourced from 1er Cru Clos des Arvelets. 10% destemmed. Aged for 12 months in oak barrels (10% new). Total production approx. 1000 bottles. 13,5% alcohol.
Luminous, moderately translucent and quite youthful garnet red color. Dark-toned and slightly sweetish nose with ripe and rather fruit-forward aromas of boysenberries and cherry marmalade, some blueberry juice tones, a little bit of ripe plummy fruit, light woody notes of savory oak spice and a hint of sweet strawberry. The wine feels ripe, supple and juicy on the palate with a quite full body and sweetly-fruited, almost primary flavors of boysenberries and cherry marmalade, some rich plummy tones, a little bit of licorice, light strawberry notes, a hint of toasty oak spice and a touch of candied primary fruit. The overall feel is very rich and fruit-driven, but also quite structured, thanks to the rather high acidity and quite ample, moderately grippy tannins. The finish is juicy, rich and quite long with some tannic grip and supple flavors of sweet boysenberries and ripe black cherries, some licorice tones, a little bit of soft dark plum, light primary notes of raspberry candies and a hint of savory oak spice.
Typical of Pommard, this wine is quite firm and tannic, but if the appellation is normally thought to produce some grumpy, rustic and rather foursquare wines, this is anything but - despite the firm tannins, the wine is very rich, expressive fruit-driven! And if you ask me, quite a bit too much so. The very ripe fruit here gives the wine a very sunny and sweet overall character, making it seem more like a new world crowdpleaser instead of an elegant, complex red Burgundy. I think the wine has a great backbone of tannins and acidity, but the overall fruit department isn't up my alley. However, even if the wine isn't in my wheelhouse at the moment, I think it still shows good potential for future development; it might be a bit too rich and plush for a Pommard now, but there's a good chance the wine will gain some finesse and complexity with age once it drops its baby fat. However, at 91€ this feels just way too expensive.
(86 points) -
2020 Mark Haisma Morey St. Denis 1er Cru Les Chaffots - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Morey St. Denis 1er Cru (13.6.2022)
Made with purchased fruit sourced from 1er Cru Les Chaffots. partially destemmed, aged for 12 months in oak barrels (a small portion of which were new). 13% alcohol.
Somewhat translucent, quite deep and dark cherry red color with a tiniest bit of haze. The nose feels ripe but also enjoyably fragrant and savory with seductive aromas of juicy black raspberries, some peppery spicy notes, a little bit of fresh black cherry, light woody notes of savory oak spice, a hint of game and a faint lifted touch of something vaguely savage. The wine is ripe, suave and silky smooth on the palate with a medium body and fine-tuned flavors of juicy raspberries and sweet black cherries, some meaty umami notes, a little bit of boysenberry, light gamey tones, a hint of coniferous character and a crunchy touch of lingonberry bitterness. The moderately high acidity keeps the wine enjoyably in balance, while the ripe, gentle tannins bring in some welcome texture and firmness to the mouthfeel. The finish is quite long, juicy and silky with fine-tuned flavors of ripe black raspberries and fresh black cherries, some stewed herb tones, a little bit of meaty umami, light peppery tones, a hint of savory wood and a touch of crunchy cranberry.
A wonderfully fine-tuned, perfumed and sophisticated 1er Cru MSD. Although the wine definitely shows some obvious ripeness, it still manages to come across as fresh and dry, unlike some 2020 Mark Haisma reds, which have been softer and/or sweeter in fruit, some even coming across as a bit candied. This wine does have some understated sweetly-fruited notes, but there's still wonderful freshness, purity of fruit and sense of complexity here as well. I imagine the wine will only get better as it ages and gains some tertiary complexity. It doesn't feel like a wine built for the very long haul, so I'd say this'll show its best within 10 years from the vintage. Pretty lovely stuff.
(92 points) -
2020 Mark Haisma Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Fonteny - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru (13.6.2022)
100% organically farmed Pinot Noir from an estate-owned parcel in 1er Cru Fonteny, where Haisma owns 0,3 hectares of low-yielding old vines in the upper parts of the vineyard. Only a small portion (approx. 30%) was destemmed, most (approx. 70%) was vinified in whole bunches. The total production was just two barrels: only one old 228-liter pièce and one new 350-liter cask. 13% alcohol.
Deep and relatively dark black cherry color that permits quite little light through. The nose feels fragrant, quite dry and very nuanced with intense aromas of fresh black raspberries and peppery Pinosity, some meaty tones, a little bit of earth, light perfumed notes of violets, a reductive hint of gunpowder smoke, a touch of salty liquorice powder and a sweet whiff of ethery VA. The wine feels delicate and silky yet surprisingly firm and sinewy on the palate with a sleek medium body and remarkably intense flavors of earthy spices and salty liquorice, some ripe plummy tones, a little bit of brambly raspberry, light gravelly mineral notes, a meaty hint of umami and a sweeter touch of juicy black cherries. The overall feel is quite structured and even a bit tightly-knit with the high acidity and very ample yet ripe tannins that contribute much to the textural feel of the wine, less to the quite gentle tannic grip. The finish is dry, long and juicy with some tannic grip and intense flavors of ripe black cherries and gamey meat, some savory umami tones, a little bit of salty liquorice, light brambly notes of black raspberries, a reductive hint of smoke and a touch of stony minerality.
A beautiful, harmonious and classically built Gevrey-Chambertin that shows exceptional sense of finesse, nuance and depth of flavor. I was struck quite speechless how this wine was not only standing head and shoulders taller than any other Haisma 1er Cru we tasted at the same time, but also how it was (and still is at the time of writing) the best Haisma wine I had tasted. The only thing I was not particularly enthusiastic about the wine was its price - even though the wine is outstanding even now, at a very young age, it is not particularly affordable at 169€, even for its quality. I'm now pretty convinced that Haisma can really produce some outrageously good Burgundies as well, but unfortunately the wines seem to be also priced as such.
(94 points) -
2020 Mark Haisma Cornas - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas (13.6.2022)
The wine is vinified at the Vincent Paris winery and made with purchased fruit. The fruit is sourced mainly from the 60-yo vines from lieu-dit Les Combes (75%) with some fruit from younger vines and other vineyards. The fruit is only partially destemmed. Aged for 12 months in 2-3 yo oak casks. 14% alcohol.
Dense, concentrated and fully opaque black cherry color with a deep inky-purple hue. The nose feels dense, youthful and somewhat inky with quite fruit-driven aromas of ripe blackberries and bilberries, some peppery spice, light gamey tones, a little bit of crunchy chokeberry, a reductive hint of flint smoke and a subtle touch of savory wood spice. The wine is clean, juicy and youthful - even slightly primary - on the palate with a full body and intense flavors of boysenberries and ripe bilberries, some cherry marmalade tones, a little bit of peppery spice, light creamy notes of vanilla custard and perhaps even a tad of diacetyl, a lifted hint of Sichuan pepper and a touch of toasty oak spice. The overall feel is round and perhaps a bit on the soft side - although the moderately high acidity lends good balance to the wine, the sweet, sunny flavors could use a bit more firmness than what the acidity and the silky, ripe medium tannins give. The finish is rich, ripe and sweet-toned with a long aftertaste of juicy blackberries and peppery spice, some sweet cherry marmalade tones, a little bit of vanilla oak, light primary notes of raspberry jellies, a hint of sweet oak spice and a reductive touch of something vaguely smoky.
A quite attractive but also a bit plush and all too youthful Cornas. The wine isn't as tough, lean and muscular as people might think a young Cornas would be, coming across as more fruity and accessible than what has been traditional for the appellation. However, the wine is definitely on the somewhat ripe and solar side of things - maybe not too much, as the wine still retains good sense of balance and never once comes across as too heavy or aromatically overripe, but I still could use a bit more acidity and tannic grip and the taste gets a bit too sweetly-fruited at times. But then again, the wine is still very young and almost primary in character, so it's certainly very possible it will drop some of that sweetness and soft baby fat as it ages. The jury is still out whether the wine will become truly great with age, but just like the 2018 vintage, this is still a pretty lovely Syrah with good potential for future development. Priced somewhat according to its quality at 49€.
(89 points) -
2019 Bernard Rion Volnay 1er Cru Vieilles Vignes - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay 1er Cru (13.6.2022)
The sophomore vintage of this village-level Volnay made with fruit sourced from two 50 yo parcels located in 1er Cru-level vineyards. Vinified at the Domaine Arnelle et Bernard Rion winery. Fully destemmed, fermented and macerated in open-top concrete vats and aged for a year in 228-liter oak pièces. 13,5% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Luminous, youthful and quite translucent ruby-red color. Youthful, ripe and quite fruit-driven nose with aromas of fresh black raspberries and some peppery spice, a little bit of sweet black cherry, light floral notes of violets and elderflowers, a ferrous hint of blood and a reductive tough of gunpowder smoke. The wine is ripe, seductive and silky on the palate with suave, fruit-forward flavors of juicy boysenberries and red cherries, some sweet spicy notes, a little bit of savory wood spice, light plum-driven dark fruit nuances, a hint of vanilla oak and a vague touch of smoke. The wine feels very elegant and it has a sort of crowdpleaser air to it with its sweetly-fruited notes and silky texture, yet it manages to stay on this side of sophistication. Balanced, rather high acidity and ripe, quite gentle and only slightly grippy medium-minus tannins. The finish is rich, juicy and quite complex with flavors of blueberries and fresh bilberries, some meaty notes, a little bit of licorice, light oaky tones of toasty oak spice and vanilla, a sweet hint of black cherry and a floral touch of violets.
An attractive, suave and quite fruit-forward 1er Cru Volnay that is very smooth and supple, but despite its almost crowdpleaser quality, it never comes across as banal. Furthermore, the wine is still so young that it's very much possible the fruit is just very upfront because of this - further accentuated by the subtle toasty oak and vanilla nuances. Most likely this promising wine will gain more finesse and complexity and it ages, but it's quite enjoyable already now. However, I'd let the wine wait and gain some additional depth and elegance for at least a few more years.
(90 points) -
1998 Château Queyron Pindefleurs - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru (13.6.2022)
Typically a blend of Merlot (75-90%) with some Cabernet Franc (9-20%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (1-5%). Aged for 12-18 months in oak barriques. 12,5% alcohol.
Evolved and somewhat translucent rusty maroon color. The nose feels rustic and moderately funky with rather tertiary aromas of wizened dark fruits and prunes, some classic Bordelais notes of old leather, a little bit of burnt hair, light balsamic nuances, a hint of earth and a touch of barnyard. Very proper claret feel here. The wine is dry, evolved and textural on the palate with a medium body and layered flavors of old leather and licorice root, some wizened blackcurrant tones, light sweeter nuances of prunes, a little bit of balsamic richness, bretty hints of Band-Aid and barnyard and a touch of earth. The structure relies mostly on the moderately high acidity as the resolved, silky tannins mainly contribute to the texture. The finish is long, silky and textural with a complex, savory aftertaste of leather and prunes, some balsamic richness, a little bit of ripe red plums, light licorice root tones, a hint of savory old wood and a touch of wizened blackcurrants.
A pleasant, sophisticated and very harmonious proper claret at its peak. The wine is getting quite tertiary and while it might have been a bit more vibrant and fruity some years ago, it is still yet to go downhill. However, I really don't see any upside to aging this wine any further; it has gone as long as it should and in all likelihood is more likely to decline rather than develop anything more interesting with further aging. I served this wine blind and everybody recognized it instantly as a Bordeaux and most guesses ranged from mid-to-early 2000's with some guesses from the mid-1990's. Most people went for Left Bank, based on the blackcurrant nuances making the aroma profile seem more Cab-driven than it actually was - only one guessed correctly Saint Émilion. A solid purchase at 28€.
(91 points)
Posted from CellarTracker