Not that I know of but I just might check it out this side of the pond!
nice pair young x mature
some time since I last had Macon from Leflaive - this is better than I remember, very Leflaive in style, high salvation score.
La Serre 1990 was in a perfect spot, dark color, but elegant in the mouth, red fruited, lovely length and presence.
No 
This is new. But which ants: green, fire, brown âŚ
If you Google âGrange Hermitage Crushed Antsâ you will get the whole back story.
VA was a part of the Grange style. The crushing of ants releases formic acid which can be reminicent of VA
Received an offer for some Bilancia Hawkes Bay wines. Their reds are very highly regarded. Bought a mixed case. This Kaikora single vineyard is quite chiseled and fine yet has a certain volume. Some lemon rind and almond meal on the finish. Improves with air. Itâs still 35c at 8pm and the Bilancia is working well with some tunes wafting through the summer air. Lou Reedâs Dirty Boulevard echoes as the sun lowers in the sky.
Interesting. I lived in Australia for a while and I actually know how crushed ants smell ⌠At least the green ones, they like to invade homes. (You donât want to bitten by those!) Last thing I want in my wine.
But this is something for the wildlife threadâŚ
Nice lineup @Mike_Evans How was the Niellon Chevalier (and what year was it?)
Great note! I remember this being my parentsâ house white a few years ago and it always punched above its weight. Used to be had for under 10âŹ; Itâs now around 12⏠but still a stupid value IMO.
Cellar organization: It donât pay much, but its honest workâŚ
The Vision: Every producer in lift-friendly 6-bottle boxes organized by shelf location and wine region: Burgs, Bubbles, Riesling and small-quantity Outliers (Bordeaux, Italians, Rhone, Oregon [Walter Scott])
The Reality: Hours later Iâd have settled for just getting those PIA long Riesling bottles in approximately the same zip code at one end of the unit. Which did not happenâŚthe struggle continues.
16â Hudelot Noellat NSG Murgers was a welcome winter warmer- Ripe black fruit balanced by a nice acid backbone and low-medium tannic grip and a touch of graphite/pencil lead. Delicious and easy, yet it speaks of itsâ place and the hand of the winemaker. A 15â Meo NSG Murgers I had in 24â was likewise a tasty glass.
Iâve mostly thought of NSG as the rustic Southern country cousin in the Cote de Or, but Murgers on the north end of NSG practically borders Vosne. Apparently murgers means a pile of stones and se murger means, âto get drunkâ.
In contrast to the HN, an 18 Le Moine Cazetiers I tapped later was a big softy; oaky-vanilla on fat fruit. It would play well with lovers of plush California Pinot, but you get the sense that âthere is no there thereâ.
Absolutely worth it at the price point mentioned by TomĂĄs but I think the beauty of this bottle was exactly when I caught it in its evolution window. Maybe some would have said itâs too evolved for its age but for me thatâs what made it so complex and interesting.
Iâll drink the last one soon and compare against my April experience and last nightâs experience.
The Niellon was the 2020 and it was a little tight but still very enjoyable. It paired well with the 2020 Moreau CC which was in a similar spot. The 2016 Comtes Lafon was the most open and luxurious of the whites, loads of wood that complemented loads of fruit. To illustrate with a canine metaphor, the Comtes Lafon was a golden retriever while the Chevalier and CC were Dobermans majestically standing at attention. The Batard was opened later so I couldnât do a direct comparison, but I was impressed and enjoyed its lemon curd-y and mineral goodness.
Iâve been on a bit of a tear recently going through some nice bottles but thought I should highlight these three.
2021 Leonetti Cab
2019 Vice Versa To Kalon
2018 SQN Zieharmonika Syrah
I couldnât keep my hands off the Leonetti and had to try it. Young, too young, but already beautiful. Dark fruits dominate and there is plenty of that fruit yet it is restrained well and balanced. Nose is lovely with rose petal perfume. Enough complexity to keep things interesting through the finish. Quite tight and I should leave the rest alone for five years but I probably wonât. (94+)
This got a âWow!â out of me. The Vice Versa is everything the Leonetti is but simply offers far more. It clearly outclasses the younger Leonetti and if I did not know better I would think the Leonetti was the older wine here. It is wound even tighter and the color slightly more inky. Nose is very muted in comparison. The taste however? Somewhat similar in approach but with more red fruits so it is not dominated by darker flavors. It just offers more of everything from fruit, to complexity, to finish. Spectacular stuff! (98)
The SQN is my wine of the year. I donât know how Manfred does the voodoo that he does. I mean, if such a thing as a perfect wine exists this could be it. You have to try it to understand. If you know, you know. (99+)
Three fantastic wines. Between the SQN and Vice Versa the better wine may be the one you simply are in the mood for that day.
Is the Vice Versa worth almost 3x the Leonetti? Well, I will just say I am glad I have both in the cellar and do not have to make that choice.
Just saw this, at Flor right? I actually brought the 1995 BAMA, it was showing really well - glad you enjoyed!
Christian Moreau Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons 2018
This does not exhibit any overtly ripe fruit. Classic Chablisien profile with citrus, oyster shell and salinity. Medium everything on the palate. I probably wonât remember it tomorrow but I enjoyed it tonight.
A friend of mine showed up with 3 remains of a UCGB tasting. The volume varied from 1 glass to 3 glasses left. Since they are tasting remains, I redirect that they were open anywhere from 1 to 3 hours, in full light and ambient temperature. So take whatever followed for what itâs worth:
Château PhÊlan-SÊgur 2022, with some nice aromatics (blackberry and some florals) and a pretty balanced palate ending on peppery spices. Good.
2022 Château Ferrande showed some young Graves tannins but the mid-palate was hollow. Average.
2022 Château Soutard showed a soft nose and a polished palate. Some bright red-berried acidity showed up and gave me pause. Iâd need to try a normal bottle of this, not just leftovers.
A couple of Margaux 2017s:
Château dâIssan
Plum and red cherry on the nose at first, then some blackberry and herbs. On the palate, very closed and reticent until the third evening, when it finally consented to reveal the plum and red cherry, along with some sweet blackberry and blackcurrant. The texture is creamy and soft, with typical Issan elegance and charm, but the fruit needs time to re-emerge. Not at all like the sample I enjoyed when visiting in 2022, but Iâm not unduly worried - just a grumpy adolescent phase. Ultimately quite enjoyable but not at its best.
Château Durfort-Vivens
Lovely nose - very expressive notes of violet, loganberries and peonies, which fill the room with their scent. In the mouth, the fruit is a little bitter at first, so after the nose rather disappointing, but with a bit of time the loganberries and violets came out of their shell, plus some creamy blackcurrant. Great elegance to the mouthfeel. Still a work in progress, but with definite promise. At the moment, it tastes like a slightly better version of the 2008.
Neither one was totally convincing - the Durfort was the more promising but they both just need time, which surprised me - the RĂŠserve de la Comtesse Iâve had twice recently was a lot more open and ready to enjoy.
