Hard to believe it’s a 2003
We were lucky enough to have some of our very best friends over from Montreal this weekend. We went through some various wines without anything planned. I just asked what they felt like and pulled the cork on those wines. It was all about reuniting with this lovely couple we don’t see often enough anymore so wine was taking the back seat but some still left an impression. Sorry for the short and undetailed tasting notes.
Philippe Lancelot Les Hauts d’Epernay 2018
Disclaimer: we sell this wine
Lovely, balanced and harmonious. Pretty on the nose with lots of florals and plenty of fruit on the palate.
Néret-Vély “Ôde à la vie”
This was given to me as a gift a few months ago. It is a producer I had never heard of. Mostly Meunier on this and it shows with the apple-y character. Rather simple with a short finish. I didn’t care for it very much.
Éléonore Ambigramme
Disclaimer: we sell this wine
Always enjoyable.
Ployez-Jacquemart Extra-Brut 2008
Wonderful champagne. This was complex and satisfying with a long finish. I hope I have another bottle of this since popping the cork at 1:00AM didn’t give it the attention it deserved.
Jarry Héritage Alliance
Disclaimer: we sell this wine
Tasty and fun to drink.
Joseph Colin Chassagne-Montrachet 2020
Another fine Joseph Colin 2020. But once again, there’s soooo much reduction on the nose and palate when first opened. After a first sip of this, I decided to decant it and revisit a couple of hours later. At that point, it had opened up a lot more and was showing very well. Precise, white flower on the nose, bright citrus and pear on the palate with a long mineral and saline finish.
Dugat-Py Bourgogne Rouge 2012
Good and enjoyable. Red berries, earthy with balanced acidity and good depth of flavour.
Les Quatre Piliers Bel Air 2020
The ladies asked for Sauvignon and this was staring me right in the face on the top row of my wine cellar. I’m supposed to bring one at a tasting in a couple of weeks so I might be able to provide a better TN then!
@Robert.A.Jr It’s a very good wine. So if you’re looking to expand your Sauvignon selection, there’s no shame in adding this to the stable.
Deep, rich and complex nose on tropical fruits, spices and kumquat / ripe orange. Beautiful texture on the palate with plenty of extract, nice underlying acidity and a very long finish. The best glass was the last glass. Can’t wait to see what this will be like in 7 to 10 years but already wonderful to drink now.
Château Magdelaine 2002
Good but missing a little something. Red-fruited, some damp earth, a little smoke, leather and some florals. Elegant and enjoyable but lacking a little character.
Château Magdelaine 2011
Very nice! A lot of structure still on this one and a long life ahead. Red and black berries, tobacco leaf, dry earth and a cool root/herbal note that gives it a lot of freshness (licorice maybe?). Balanced without lacking in fruit concentration and a nice complex finish. There’s a lot to like on the 2011.
Les Songes de Magdelaine 2011
Where the Château is playing on red and black fruits, this is all cassis (fruit and leaves). It’s more fruit forward as well and the palate is “smoother”. Some spices come out to play as well and it finishes with a nice mineral (slate) note. Enjoyable.
Château Belgrave 2015
Ripe blackberries, cassis, plums, spices, cedar, blond tobacco and some coffee on the nose. A little plush, ripe and smooth. This still feels very young and primary. Not what I’m looking for in a Bordeaux but others liked it.
Antoine Sanzay Saumur-Champigny 2014
Totally ready-to-go. Very good with all the classic Saumur-Champigny markers. This was banging.
Theulot Juillot Bourgogne Rouge 2022
Totally okay. Red fruited, ça pinotte.
Château Leydet-Valentin 2006
Old, flat and pretty much dead. I used a bit of it for tonight’s marinade.
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Dugat=Py very pricey in Quebec …seldom buy it.
Thanks for posting…
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Another fabulous Clos de Mosny, my first of the 2022 vintage. Relative to the ‘21, the fruit is more ripe and the oak is barely noticeable, adding only a slightly buttery, custard like texture which is simply beautiful. Massive concentration, though it feels almost weightless in the mouth. There is a salty and herbal complexity with intense mint leaf flavors which leave the mouth feeling cool. Mouth ripping acidity keeps the opulence in check and drives the long finish. Needs, ideally, another year or two of bottle age to deepen and come together.
My perfunctory research suggests this vineyard was essentially abandoned before Jacky Blot purchased it 10 years ago. Manifesting a grand cru vineyard from nothing is quite a feat.
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Thnx for the Magdelaine notes. Need more of the 2011 !
Brodie
They had plenty of cut most vintages 10+ years ago. I used to buy them a lot until one bad vintage when everything oxidized early. I think it was 2014.
If you want enamel peeling acidity in a good way, try Foreau’s Clos Naudin Sec. An acidophile’s dream Chenin Blanc.
Cheers!
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Yeah, kind of like it.
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Tasting at my buddy’s tonight.
I brought the Latour 2013 and the Magdelaine 2002.
Magdelaine 2002
It showed so much better than the one we had 3 days ago. Plenty of red berries, spices, red flowers and leather. Elegant, delicate texture, fine acidity and a nice longish finish. Good one.
Latour Vosne-Romanée Les Petits Monts 2013
It shows the vintage? Overly evolved, little fruit and harsh tanins upon opening. Air did bring out some spices and mellowed the tanins but the nose is still evolved and it’s lacking fruit. Not a winner.
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2020 Les Horees Gevrey-Chambertin En Reniard. Unlike the Aligote this one lives up to the hype. 169 euros off a restaurant list, sadly their last bottle. Absolutely pure fruit, very seamless and just glides on the palate. Reminds me of Nicolas Faure but with less natural wine notes, just very delicious pure fruit. Nose was also very perfume like, quite intoxicating with notes of sandalwood and spices. Worth the restaurant price but maybe not secondary market.
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Paired with Flannery hangers. Slow ox’d for a couple hours then decanted for an hour. This 13’ has definitely shed the big tannins and is transitioning. I haven’t popped an estate bottling yet and likely won’t for several more years.
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I haven’t enjoyed the Pi as much as I apparently should. At first I thought it was a St. Joseph … Hopefully one day in the decanter will help.
The Chardonnay was excellent, spearmint and white things.
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Samuel Billaud, Chablis 2019
Green apples, light straw color, good acidity. I think it’s what my wife wife said at first. I agree, but I also believe there’s quite some white yellow orchard fruits appearing. Not really enough intensity to convince me that it’s worth cellaring for long, but enough intensity to remind me of the higher cuvees that i’ve tried. At 26€, I think it’s a fine wine for the price. At the 60.000₩ I paid, not so much. 87/100
Domaine des Tours, Merlot, 2009
First thoughts, the wine pours lightly bricked in color, so I was worried that it was slightly oxidised, but now a good glass in, it’s quite alive but just a wine that wants to be assumed older than it is, and much my feeling with most the des Tours wines I’ve had. The acidity is in check, the sweetness too, the fruits are there as well. Very dominated by prunes and plums, playing against an elegant layer of acidity. A great and serious wine. I’m not sure I’d lay it down terribly long. At the 24€ paid, i think it’s a bargain. 90/100
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What I did open but didn’t drink - I don’t think 2017 Burgundy Grand Cru’s are supposed to look like that.
Well, most Burg Grand Crus are haloed in light but I agree the color and clarity are a “little” off… 
What is the wine?
This was a Taupenot Merme Mazoyeres Chambertin - actually I mistyped it was a 2012, but even 5 years of again shouldn’t do that. It was also a bit fizzy which kind of confirmed it 
I did get it on special offer for less than CHF1000 (so about $1000) for a case of 6, but its from a wine merchant I use regularly and have bought other discounted stock before with no problems. Am just waiting now to see what they do - by terms no refunds for spoiled bottles, but I only bought it 3 weeks ago and we opened a second bottle that was identical so the entire case is clearly spoiled so I would expect some good faith response.
Didn’t open it myself but a rep opened
It was the flintiest wine I’ve ever had. Pretty rich style of Sancerre with a good amount of fruit but jeebus. The minerality of this wine is like rolling around in river rocks.
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Still young and seemed to some power hiding in the background. Great red berries and earth and elegant on the palate medium tannin and acid. This was very good with a lot more pleasure to come. I will hold my remaining bottles for 5 or more years.