$3,000 - $5,000

Apricot, pastry, chamomile, mint and light tropical notes are all signatures of a hot vintage with a very fast final phase of ripening that trails only 2002 and 2003 in terms of sugars. Of course, the year had plenty of challenges. The first part of the year was marked by cold and very dry weather during the winter and spring. June saw heat and some stress in the vines. July and August were quite warm, with heavy rains on August 15 and 16 that caused a widespread outbreak of botrytis that accelerated rapidly in the days leading up to harvest. Chef de Caves Vincent Chaperon explained that Chardonnay was favored over Pinot because better aeration within the clusters helped fend off rot, while parcels that had been less stressed by the June heat also suffered less from the effects of botrytis. Perhaps because of the unevenness in the season, there is also something disjointed about the 2010. While sugars were high, so were acidities, just behind 2008 in the decade of the 2000s. It will be interesting to see where the 2010 goes over time. It is the first vintage made under the direction of Vincent Chaperon, who worked alongside outgoing Chef de Caves Richard Geoffroy for many years. Drink 2021-2035. Antonio Galloni

{***}{region}Champagne{region}
{color}White{color}                                                                                                {maturity}ready-keep{maturity}
{maturity-text}Ready, but will keep{maturity-text}
{vintage}2010{vintage}
{ratings}
[]Antonio Galloni:: 93/100

[]James Suckling:: 98/100

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Ch. Angélus’s 2009 is an extremely elegant wine with a lifted, floral hint to the nose and dense, pure, concentrated liquid raspberry fruit on the palate. Very fine, silky tannins add to the smooth, round mouthfeel, all completed by a long, sweet finish.

There are two suppliers for this wine, one each located in Charmes and Mazoyères-Chambertin. The nose for this Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru is plump and open, but attractively fresh. The stems show a bit, more structure than usual, improving the overall structure of the wine. Another impressively long finish.

{***}{region} Gevrey-Chambertin {region}
{color}Red{color}                                                              

{maturity}laying-down{maturity} {maturity-text}For laying down{maturity-text}
{vintage}2010{vintage}

{ratings} []Burghound:: 91-94/100

[]Jancis Robinson:: 17/20

{ratings}

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Very much a young wine in its primary stage, this is silky and powerful and tasted excellent during this vertical, despite 2010 being an extremely difficult vintage for winemaker Michael Silacci.

The year got off to a cool start, followed by a heatwave - the grapes at Opus escaped the shrivelling that much of Napa saw because of leaf cover. There are still plenty of signposts towards a hot summer - olive paste, rosemary, garrigue and liquorice notes, gorgeous ground coffee bean edging, and an excellent layer of freshness that picks things up on the finish and stops it being overly powerful.

I like years in Napa that have a little fault in them - too much perfection with the natural generosity of Napa can make for an overly powerful wine, and I celebrate the nuances here.

1% Malbec and 4% Petit Verdot complete the blend. 19 days skin contact.

Drink 2021 - 2040

Jane Anson, Decanter.com (September 2019)

Selectively picked from the oldest vines of Clos des Corvées (the name “Clos des Corvées Eis reserved exclusively for the first selective pick of “millerandés Egrapes), a wine of enormous body and depth.

{***}{region} Nuits-St Georges{region}
{color}Red{color}        {maturity}laying-down{maturity} {maturity-text}For laying down{maturity-text}
{vintage}2018{vintage}{***}

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The 2006 Barolo Pira Riserva Black Label is a tiny selection of about 2,400 bottles that spent five years in cask and then a decade in cement. Dense, exotic and beautifully layered, the Riserva captures that sense of timelessness that is often a signature of the Roagna wines - a place in time in which wines are both aged and young at the same time. 

The co-existence of two different worlds defines many of the best wines here. Spice, orange zest, chocolate, spice, star anise and sweet pipe tobacco lend nuance to a wine just entering its first plateau of maturity.

Drink 2021 - 2036

Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com (October 2021)

From five plots the vineyard, this is a wine for which Arnaud never includes any whole bunches. It has a wonderful, floral, red berry lift to the nose, while the palate is defined by the acidity and ethereal energy. Still discreet and hidden, this needs time to open. The new oak (70 percent) is so well-integrated as to be barely noticeable. Drink 2022-2032.
Adam Bruntlett, Wine Buyer

The domaine was founded by Charles Mortet, but rose to fame with the exceptional 1993 vintage crafted by his son Denis who tragically died at the age of 51 in January 2006. Denis believed with a deep passion that the work in the vineyard was everything. He has been succeeded by his equally, indeed exceptionally, talented son Arnaud, now also with the assistance of his sister Clémence. At the domaine everything starts in the vineyard, where every measure is taken to produce the finest, ripest fruit possible, creating a style of wine which, as Denis used to say is “a pleasure to drink young or old”. Arnaud Mortet is very happy with the quality of the 2016 vintage, explaining that its balanced profile with a mixture of ripeness and elegance will please everyone. Yields are very variable across the range, with anything from 30 to 70 percent of the crop having been lost to frost. Fortunately, mildew was not an issue as he acted swiftly to treat the vineyard when conditions began to deteriorate. He has generally used fewer whole bunches this year than in 2015.

Fully mature (yet I'd say in the early stages of its drink window), the 2000 Château Gruaud Larose offers a ripe, powerful, medium to full-bodied style as well as lots of currant and darker fruits followed by cedarwood, tobacco, iron, and assorted meaty, spicy nuances. It's a rich, almost chunky effort with a great mid-palate, still present yet ripe tannins, and an excellent finish. It lacks some of the purity and precision of today's wines yet is a satisfying, rich, impressively textured Saint-Julien to drink over the coming 15-20 years.

Drink 2021 - 2041

Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com (April 2021)

This is a legendary wine from the best plot in Chevalier. Theres an extraordinarily sexy nose and according to winemaker Jacques Lardire, the flavour you get when you crunch a hazelnut straight from the tree. The palate absolutely sings with a dancing minerality on the finish. A wonderful wine to be enjoyed over the next 30 years.

The 2013 Opus One offers splendid aromas of blueberry, cassis, and blackberries with highlights of rose, anise and baking spices. A creamy entry gives way to layers of complexity which unfold in the mid-palate with velvety tannins enrobing a center of concentrated black-fruit with juicy freshness. Elegantly balanced, the acidity and core structure deliver a persistent finish with hints of dark chocolate. The 2013 Opus One promises enjoyment for decades to come.

Component lots received an average of 18 days of skin contact during fermentation and maceration before aging in 100% new French oak barrels for 17? months. The 2013 Opus One is composed of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc, 6% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot, and 2% Malbec.

A part of Riedel's Black Tie Wine Decanter range that features the faces of Maximillian and Laetizia Riedel, the eleventh generation of the Riedel family. Handmade in lead crystal, it features an elegant exaggerated neck and angled lip for an easy, dripless pour.

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The outstanding wine in 2007 is equally brilliant in 2008. Deep purple in colour with exceptional power on the nose. Some fresh mulberry fruit at the start leads to more complex flavours and even a touch of bacon on the palate. Stems used in the vinification. Brilliantly put together. Very long finish, suffused with energy.
(Jasper Moris MW, BBR Buyer)

Soft contours, silky tannins and sweet, perfumed fruit are some of the signatures in the 2014 Costa Russi. As always, Costa Russi is the most polished and open-knit of these wines in its youth. Succulent fruit, hard candy and lifted, perfumed aromatics give the 2014 considerable early appeal, but I expect time in bottle will work its usual magic. Today, the 2014 is showing only the barest hint of its potential. Even in the early going, though, the Costa Russi is a totally sexy wine.

The Gaja family's 2014 Barbarescos are more than worthy follow ups to the stellar 2013s. The 2014s also show a bit more stylistic cohesion throughout the range than was the case with the 2013s. Overall, the 2014s are defined by their energy, tension and brilliant personalities. As good as Gaja's cru wines are, the straight Barbaresco - which is a blend of many top sites - is as good or nearly as good as those wines. It is also much more accessibly priced, even if none of these wines can be defined as inexpensive. Sadly, yields are down 35% across the board for the 2014s.

Drink 2024 - 2044

Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com (October 2017)

This is a re-release of a wine that first hit the market some seven years ago. The 2006 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is being reintroduced to the market, with only 2,500 bottles. This is a stunning wine that absolutely merits this considerable score increase. Made when dottore Franco Biondi Santi was alive and very present in the winery, this wine shows spectacular elegance and finesse, articulated with fine aromas of forest berry, blue flower, eucalyptus and lightly barbecued smoke. The wine shows extreme Sangiovese elegance and purity, and while the wine is almost fragile in approach, it ultimately reveals more brawn, volume and staying-power than anticipated.  - Wine Advocate 98/100

Disgorged March 2019.

The 2008 Champagne La Grande Dame is forward, with a luxurious perfume of honeysuckle, tropical fruit of papaya, and buttered citrus. The mousse is rounded, with an opulent texture, and it does finish dry, with orange marmalade, ripe melon, and chestnut. Its driving and impressive acidity will make this worthy to cellar and enjoy over the coming 20 years.

Drink 2022 - 2042

Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com (November 2022)

By contrast with the expressiveness of the Goutte d'Or, this is much more reserved and with a different aromatic profile more given to seductive and slightly exotic spices, citrus blossom and orange peel that leads to classy, rich, full and naturally sweet palate coating flavors as the dry extract is every bit as impressive.

Like all of the Lafon '07s, it is the impeccable balance that really sets these wines apart and the Genevrières is a wine of perfect harmony, particularly on the linear and explosive finish.
(Allen Meadows, burghound.com - Jun 2010)

Initially this just delivers a huge amount of sensual ripeness. Hedonistic, yes, but there is also more grip and structure than the first impression suggest. As on his Clos de Vougeot, Étienne has been working hard here to deliver more finesse, with evident success.  Drink 2025-2032.

Jean Grivot, whose name continues to appear on the labels, took over from his father Gaston in 1955 and handed the estate on to his son Étienne in the early 1980s. Étienne, married to Marielle Bize from Savigny, has been through a number of incarnations as winemaker here. When he took over, his father’s style was for gentle, graceful wines which perhaps were a little weak in the lesser vintages. Since then Étienne has found his own voice and made a range of increasingly fine wines. The drive to reduce yields and fine-tune his work in the vineyards and cellar since the mid-2000s continues to enhance quality. The succession to the next generation is now well underway, with Mathilde and Hubert increasingly influential, under their father’s experienced and wise guidance.

Here the decision was to wait for a bit of rain, to get the skins and berries fully ripe. The rain did the trick and the resulting wines are among the best of the Côte this year. Adjectives tumbled from Étienne during the tasting: seductive and precise, glamorous, graphite and saline, luminous and suave. We both agreed we rather liked “resonant”. Volumes are up 50 percent but Étienne warned us that the run of short vintages has depleted their reserves, and  as such allocations this year will not  move up in line.

In contrast to the mildly odd nose of the Chapelle, this is perfumed, elegant and cool with its ultra-pure aromas of all but fully mature red berry fruit, underbrush and soft earth tones. There is really lovely detail and plenty of minerality on the strikingly intense medium weight flavors that terminate in a slightly austere finish that is less generous than that of the Chapelle. 

I like the balance and punch though some may find this to be a bit more austere than they prefer. Note that for my taste this could easily be drunk now but I would be inclined to hold this for another 2 to 3 years in the hopes that the finale will flesh out just a bit more.

Drink from 2016 onward

Allen Meadows, Burghound.com (January 2015)

The 2020 Meursault Luchets shows the more extroverted style of the year nicely. Creamy and beautifully layered, the Luchets is redolent of pear, apricot, dried flowers, chamomile and mint that envelop the palate effortlessly. The Luchets is so inviting, even in the very early going. A burst of mineral and stony notes lend freshness on the close. The 2020 is impressive and so promising.

“Two thousand-twenty was an easy growing season for the vines, despite the lockdown,” Jean-Marc Roulot explained when I saw him in early December. “It was an early year, without any real sanitary issues. We were a bit fearful towards the end, as ripening picked up quickly, but we were prepared for an August harvest. All the fruit came in between August 20 through 29, the earliest ever,” he added. Yields were a generous 40 to 45 hectoliters, a stark difference from 2021, when yields were less than 10 hectoliters per hectare. I tasted all the wines from tank prior to bottling, which is scheduled to start with the Bourgogne Blanc in January 2022.

Drink 2024 - 2038

Neal Martin, Vinous.com (December 2021)

An intensely spicy nose features notes of ripe black pinot fruit and plenty of floral influence in the form of violet and lavender scents. As would be expected this possesses plenty of size and weight with excellent mid-palate concentration, all wrapped in a powerful, palate coating and wonderfully long finish. This is a serious wine that will need at least 10 to 12 years to be approachable.
Allen Meadows - burghound.com - Jan 2014

The Clos Cazals Vielles Vignes is a wonderful expression of Oger. The wine was sourced from 50-year-old Grand Cru vines, and was fermented mainly in steel to preserve purity of character and freshness. Some barrique ageing, and extended time on the lees, added layers of richness and a beautiful complexity. Despite its age, the wine retains a wonderful chalky energy.

Drink now – 2030

Davy Zyw, Wine Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd (Sep 2022)

Seed-inflected Meyer lemon, iodine, chalk, fusel oil and struck flint feature on the nose. That same cast of characters reprises with almost painfully concentrated piquancy, brightness and medicinal-mineral saturation on a palpably extract-rich palate. Only after some aeration does a hint of site-typical florality emerge, in the form of bittersweet perfume backed by hothouse greenery. In keeping with a vintage 2017 trend at this address – but a trend accentuated in this instance – the finish is detonative in its vibrant conveyance of energy as well as striking in its impression of chalk and stone suffusion. But beyond that, it offers mouthwatering salinity and a virtually kaleidoscopic cycle of further, ineffable mineral impressions. Drink: 2019-2037. - Vinous

The 2015 Charmes Chambertin Grand Cru, which included 50% whole bunch fruit, has a refined and elegant nose, quite backward and quite Mazi-Chambertin in style. This is not as outgoing as many other Charmes-Chambertin 2015s, yet I find it more cerebral. The palate is medium-bodied with a succulent, fleshy and charming texture that seduces the senses. It does not quite deliver the depth of other grand crus on the finish, but it is endowed with presence and persistence, the whole bunch component lending another earthier, perhaps even rustic dimension compared to previous vintages. This is a very well-crafted Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru. - Wine Advocate

After a long day of tasting young Barolo, I craved Champagne. There is a sort of symbiotic relationship between Champagne and Piedmont that I can’t really explain except to say I enjoy it tremendously. The growers really seem to be on the same wavelength in so many ways, so when I saw Jérôme Prévost’s NV Les Béguines, I grabbed it. 

The Béguines (2019 disgorgement) is wonderfully fresh and open-knit and so expressive. Sometimes I think we open these wines too soon after release; I know I do. But with a few years on the cork, the Les Béguines offers up pear, spice, ginger and dried flowers, all with notable freshness and verve. Drink 2022 - 2028

Antonio Galloni, Decanter.com (December 2022)

{***}{region} Champagne{region}
{color}White{color}                                                               {maturity}ready-keep{maturity} {maturity-text}Ready, but will keep{maturity-text}
{vintage}NV{vintage}

{ratings} 

{ratings}

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The 2017 Chambolle-Musigny Les Amoureuses 1er Cru was picked on September 8 and includes 40% whole cluster fruit. What I love about this Amoureuses is that it could not come from anywhere except this prestigious vineyard. The refined floral bouquet is sensual and nicely defined. The harmonious, feminine palate is beautifully balanced, displaying filigreed tannin and a precise, transparent finish that is intellectual as well as seductive. This is a beautifully crafted wine and vies with the Clos-de-Bèze as one of Drouhin’s finest 2017s. - Vinous

The NV Extra Brut Les Beguines is spicy, savoury and full of Meunier character. All it needs is time to soften and fully come together, as it has just been disgorged. Today, it is the raw energy that impresses me most. Dried pear, ginger, spice, dried herbs, anise and chamomile open gradually. 

Time in the glass fills out the mid-palate and finishes nicely, giving a good idea of what is to come. This looks to be a medium-bodied, distinctly savoury, vintage for Les Beguines. This release is based on 2020, with 20% reserve wines from 2019. The dosage is 2.5 grams per litre.

Disgorged: October 2022.

Drink 2024 - 2032

Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com (November 2022)

As usual, 2019 Meursault Villages comes from several parcels including Clos de la Baronne, Sous la Velle and Crotot. It has a well-defined bouquet, a little spicier than previous vintages. Timid at first, but finds its voice with aeration. Hints of lemongrass and chai complement the citrus fruit. The palate is well balanced with good concentration and slightly waxy in texture. Fine depth with that spicy leitmotif return on the finish. Give this 18-24 months in bottle. - Vinous 89/100

An even spicier nose flashes a dark aromatic profile that gives way to supple, round and easy-going flavors that possess very good mid-palate density, all wrapped in a dusty, firm and youthfully austere finish that exhibits just a bit more energy. *Outstanding, Top Value* - Burghound