Wine List

The 2016 Angélus has a very well defined bouquet featuring blackberry, melted tar, pencil box and floral notes, though they are less pronounced than they were from barrel. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins. This is well balanced with plenty of freshness and fine grip, and quite dense in the mouth compared to its peers. Notes of blackberry laced with sea salt and a touch of licorice govern the finish to this substantial Angélus, which will benefit from several years in bottle. Patience will be undoubtedly rewarded. Drink 2025-2048.

Score: 96 Neal Martin, vinous.com (Jan 2019), January 2019

The 2016 Angelus is a blend of 40% Cabernet Franc and 60% Merlot with much of the production zoning in on the more clayey soils that are ideal in a dry growing season like this. Picked from 4 to 21 October and matured entirely in new oak, it has a very intense bouquet with multilayered blackcurrant, blueberry and floral notes, very refined and precise, not unlike the 2010 in some ways, but I would argue this is more sophisticated. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, crisp acidity, symmetrical in terms of focus with just the right amount of sappiness on the saline finish. It is a superb Angelus from the de Boüard family, destined to give pleasure over many, many years. Once in bottle, I expect it to land towards the top of my banded scale.
Drink Date 2026 - 2060

Score: 96/98 Neal Martin, Wine Advocate (230), April 2017

The 2016 Angélus is composed of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc, aged 18 to 22 months in new barrels and foudres. Deep garnet-purple colored, it drifts effortlessly out of the glass with sensuous notes of lavender, candied violets, garrigue, Ceylon tea and iron ore with a core of warm black cherries, mulberries, ripe plums and aniseed plus wafts of cedar chest and cloves. Medium to full-bodied, the perfumed fruit whispers of great intensity and depth, with the vivacious fruit well knit into the plush, seductive frame of velvety tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and mineral laced. Still very tightly wound with amazing tension at this stage, it truly needs a good 6-8 more years in bottle to deliver the fully expressed layers that this soft-spoken, profound beauty promises.

Score: 98+ Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate, March 2019

Subtle and profound aromas of blackberries, wet earth and sweet tobacco. Hints of spice, too. Full-bodied and so deep. It’s incredibly vertical and long. Just like looking down a well. Firm and powerful tannins, yet polished and balanced. Goes on for minutes. One of the greatest ever. Try after 2025.

Score: 99 James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, February 2019

Incredible depth of fruit. Dense yet agile and energetic. It has so much dynamic fruit and tannin structure. Makes you want to taste and taste. What a young wine! We will see if 2016 is better than 2015. Both are great.

Score: 99/100 James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, March 2017

The 2016 Angélus is a total stunner. Despite its late bottling in September 2018, the 2016 is simply magnificent. Soaring aromatics and layers of bright, vibrant fruit are two of the main signatures in the 2016. The tannins, so often hard in young Angélus, are almost impossibly refined. Pomegranate, blood orange, raspberry jam, wild flowers and mocha are some of the many notes that race through the 2016. All the elements fall into place in a memorable, exquisite Saint-Émilion that is clearly one of the wines of the year. Don't miss it!

Score: 98 Antonio Galloni, vinous.com, January 2019

Rating

(94 - 96)

Release Price

NA

Drink Date

NA

Reviewed by

 Lisa Perrotti-Brown

Issue Date

27th Apr 2018

Source

236, The Wine Advocate

A blend of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc, the deep purple-black colored 2017 Angélus is a little closed to begin, opening out beautifully to notes of baked plums, fresh blackberries and chocolate-covered cherries with hints of mocha, bay leaves, beef drippings and wood smoke plus a touch of roses. Medium to full-bodied with a great density of mid-palate fruit and firm, fine-grained tannins, it finishes long and earthy with a compelling lift.

Parker Score - 97 The finest effort since the 1989 and 1990, this dense purple-colored wine has an extravagantly ripe, concentrated style. The 2000 (in a new engraved bottle) offers up aromas of blackberry liqueur and vintage port. As the wine sits in the glass, graphite, wet stones, smoke, barbecue spices, and olives also make an appearance. It unfolds on the palate in layers, is full-bodied, big and rich yet incredibly poised, well-balanced, and pure. Quite backward, this is one of the greatest Angelus made to date. Yields were a modest 35 hectoliters per hectare. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2030. Bravo!

A great Angélus and one of the two or three best wines of the vintage made under the talented young Hubert de Bouard, this wine still has a youthful, saturated ruby/purple color and a sweet nose of melted licorice intermixed with crème de cassis, tapenade, cedar, spice box, and vanilla. Very full-bodied, opulent, and rich, it is one of the 1989s that justifies the lofty reputation of the vintage. Extremely thick, this wine can be drunk now or cellared for at least another 10-15 years.

Score: 96 Robert Parker, Bordeaux Book (4), December 2003

The 1989 possesses a huge finish, with more noticeable tannin than in the 1990. Picking a favorite between these two fabulous examples of their respective vintages is - for me - presently impossible. I will probably end up drinking the 1990 before the 1989, but both are 25-30 year wines, with the 1989 possibly reaching full maturity in 5-6 years and the 1990 needing several more years of cellaring. Last tasted, 11/96.

Score: 96 Robert Parker, Bordeaux Book (3), November 1998

Tasted at Farr Vintners’ vertical from ex-chateau magnum. One of the finest vintages made at the estate, the Chateau Angelus 1989 has a very intense, powerful bouquet with blackberry, cedar, cooked meat and a little Christmas cake. Whereas the 1990 gives you everything up front, the 1989 is far more coquettish and takes time to unfold. The palate is very smooth on the entry, beautifully balanced with filigree tannins. There is an edginess to the 1989, much more feminine with a touch of truffle, coca and pepper on the finish. Wonderful, a wine at its peak, although it shows no signs of flagging. Tasted October 2011. Drink 2015-2035.

Score: 97
 

The finest d'Armailhac I have tasted to date, the 2009 is largely Cabernet Sauvignon (60%) blended with a big wallop of Merlot (25%) and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Its dense purple color is followed by a big, sweet kiss of asphalt, black currants, mocha, barbecue smoke, cedar and spice. This medium to full-bodied, well-made, impressively endowed Pauillac should drink well for 20+ years. Drink: 2012 - 2032

Score: 92 Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (199), March 2012

This may be the finest d'Armailhac I have ever tasted. Made in a textured, full-bodied, sumptuous style, it is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, and the balance primarily Cabernet Franc with a tiny dosage of Petit Verdot. It exhibits a deep ruby/purple hue along with floral, red and black currant, cedar, and spice characteristics. Deep, medium to full-bodied, and impressively pure as well as long, it should drink well for 25 years. (Tasted three times.) Drink 2010-2035. Robert Parker added an asterisk to this wine score to signify that it is a wine he considers has the finest potential of all the offerings he has ever tasted from this estate in nearly 32 years of barrel tasting samples in Bordeaux.

Score: 90/93 Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (188), April 2010

The deep garnet-purple colored 2017 Ausone is a blend of 55% Cabernet Franc and 45% Merlot. It sashays out of the glass with gregarious scents of baked red and black plums, wild blueberries and boysenberries plus touches of violets, espresso, licorice and melted chocolate with wafts of iron ore and tilled soil. Medium-bodied, the palate is an exercise in poise, featuring beautifully ripe, silken tannins and bold freshness to support the fragrant multi-layers, finishing very long and very minerally. 2024 - 2057

Score: 98 Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate (March 2020), March 2020

The 2017 Ausone was bottled in June 2019. It is blessed with one of the most cerebral bouquets that you will find in this vintage. Nuanced scents of violet and wild heather percolate through the blueberry and cassis fruit. Like the aromatics, the palate is almost pixelated in terms of detail. Cashmere tannins, perfectly integrated new oak and layers of pure fruit. The limestone terroir still shines through this Ausone with intense _mineralité _ towards the seductive finish that lingers in the mouth. Alain and Pauline Vauthier have crafted one of the wines of the vintage. 2024 - 2050

Score: 96 Neal Martin, vinous.com, February 2020

The 2017 Ausone was cropped at 35hl/ha between 23 and 25 September with respect to the Merlot and 28 and 29 September for the Cabernet Franc. It is aged in 100% new oak as usual for 20 months. It has a crisp, precise, mineral-driven bouquet with slightly more red fruit than black this year: crushed strawberry, hints of cassis, blueberry and traits of freshly tilled loamy soil. The palate is medium-bodied with cashmere tannin and a fine line of acidity. It is very harmonious and already quite seductive. I admire the depth of this Ausone, the sensuality that is conveyed towards the sustained, glycerin-tinged, peacock’s tail finish that lingers for more than 45 seconds. What a great Ausone this is destined to be. Drink 2024-2050.

Score: 94/96 Neal Martin, vinous.com, May 2018

Blended of 55% Cabernet Franc and 45% Merlot, the deep garnet-purple colored 2017 Ausone offers up slowly emerging notes of crushed black plums, blackberries and mulberries with nuances of anise, violets, new leather and unsmoked cigars plus suggestions of black olives and truffles and a touch of cast iron pan. Medium to full-bodied with firm, very finely grained, super ripe tannins and an uplifting backbone of freshness perfectly supporting the profoundly layered, tightly wound yet incredibly intense fruit, it finishes very long with mineral accents and compelling tension.

Score: 97/99 Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate (236), April 2018

Love the perfume and pretty, transparent fruit. Purity. Raspberries. Full-bodied, extremely focused and bright with clarity and beauty. Juicy and savory. Chalk and light chocolate at the finish. Try after 2024, but gorgeous to taste already.

Score: 97 James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, January 2020

This is a centered and deep red with blueberry, raspberry, mineral, stone and lemon aromas. Full-bodied, focused and polished. Lovely length. Gentle yet structured. Supple.

Score: 96/97 James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, April 2018

The 2017 Ausone is incredibly precise and sculpted, but also tightly wound in the early going - not that that will be a problem for readers who own it and will cellar it. Wild flowers, mint, blood orange and crushed rocks are some of the nuances that open up in the glass, but the 2017 is not in any mood to show all of its cards. Vertical, rich and explosive with tons of inner energy, the 2017 is a truly regal wine, but it also needs a number of years to be at its very finest. Here, too, the Franc (55% of the blend) really shines. This is a stellar showing from the Vauthier family. 2027 - 2057

Score: 97 Antonio Galloni, vinous.com, March 2020

The 2017 Ausone is without question one of the wines of the vintage. Stunning in its grandeur and presence, the 2017 possesses marvelous depth and remarkable aromatic intensity from the very first taste. Dark red and blue stone fruit, licorice, menthol, lavender and sweet spice build into the rich, flamboyant finish. The 2017 is 55% Cabernet Franc and 45% Merlot with the Franc very expressive today. The fruit saw about 30 days on the skins, including a week of cold soak. But those are mere details. The 2017 Ausone is a total stunner. That's all there is to it.

Score: 95/98 Antonio Galloni, vinous.com, May 2018

Darkest purple crimson. Smoky, lightly charry aroma from the oak and an inviting mineral/dusty quality and fresh, pure cassis fruit shines out. Succulent, the oak swallowed by the fruit on the palate. Concentrated and so full of fine, pure dark fruit. The tannins are compact but also somehow sweet, giving a firm but very smooth framework for the fruit. Long and fresh. Very good, and impressive harmony already. 
Drink 2027-2040

Score: 18 Julia Harding MW, JancisRobinson.com, April 2018

In 2017 picking took place between September 23rd and 29th with a normal yield of 35 hl/ha - there was no frost damage here high on the best slopes of St Emilion. The assemblage in 2017 is 55% Cabernet Franc, 45% Merlot. A deep, saturated colour here with sweet, dark chocolate and liquorice on this exotic nose of impressively ripe black fruits. This is exuberant and enticing. The palate is chock full of black fruits, offering one of the best, densest mid-palates of the vintage without sacrificing the tannic structure, which remains defiantly polished, ripe and harmonious. The bright acidity of the vintage lends itself to this wine, turning the lightly roasted black fruits to notes of cherry blossom and freshly-picked blackberries on the finish. The oak is noticeable but adds to the complexity rather than fighting the fruit. Smoky incense and baked vanilla lingers in tandem with the fruit on a long finish.

Score: 17.5 Farr Vintners, April 2018

Rich and ripe the nose has depth a mix of sweet fruits the palate starts with fleshy richness the tannins are silky creamy on the mid palate the black fruits rich ripe and sweet. There is balance freshness towards the back fragrant with the rich fruit coming through giving a rich finish. 2027-42

Score: 92/95 Derek Smedley MW, DerekSmedleyMW.co.uk, April 2018

This is totally stunning, demonstrating depth, texture, salinity and flesh. It manages to be both austere and generous at the same time, pushing and pulling. It's a totally different conversation to many others wines this year. There was no frost effect here, although some of their other estates were fully wiped out. Harvested 23-29 September from 7.25ha planted at densities ranging between 6,500-12,600 vines per hectare. 100% new oak.
Drinking Window 2027 - 2043

Score: 97 Jane Anson, Decanter.com, April 2018

There was no frost damage here. This is the finest nose of the vintage and the seduction and complexity of the fruit, oak and minerality here is staggering. I spent a full five minutes smelling this wine before I tasted it. Nothing is out of place and nothing is hurried. The nose is like a perfect wave of sensory pleasure, tempered and held by the exact conditions of the vintage. The palate is bold and all-enveloping, but it is not heavy or muscular. There is a Burgundian resonance here and there are even griotte notes in among the more traditional Bordeaux descriptors. The texture is mesmerising, as is the calmness and coolness with which this wine hands out its bounteous flavours. Epically long and desperately enticing already, goodness knows what will happen to it when it softens and builds further. It is already close to perfection, but in this unpredictable vintage it is a serious triumph and my wine of the year.

Score: 19.5+ Matthew Jukes, Matthew Jukes' Blog, April 2018

The 2001 vintage in Piedmont has long been a favorite of mine. Bruno Giacosa’s 2001 Barolo Riserva Le Rocche del Falletto is explosive and decadently rich from the very first taste. The 2001 is arguably the last truly classic vintage for the Rocche Red Label. To be sure, the 2004, 2005 and 2007 are all compelling, but the 2001 has more in common stylistically with vintages like 1996 and 1999. Dense, perfumed and wonderfully intense, the 2001 is phenomenally great. Wow.

Score: 98 Antonio Galloni, vinous.com, March 2018

The 2001 Barolo Riserva Le Rocche del Falletto is unbelievably reticent, which is hardly surprising considering how massive the wine was when it was relased. Readers will have to be especially patient here. The 2001 is best forgotten about for a number of years. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2026.

Score: 97 Antonio Galloni, Wine Advocate (200), April 2012

Darker and more backward than the Falletto in both its aromas and flavors, Giacosa’s staggering 2001 Barolo Riserva Le Rocche del Falletto offers an explosive nose of spices, menthol, minerals, smoke and scorched earth followed by waves of sweet fruit that coat the palate in a potent mix of finesse and sheer power, with fine tannins, and a lingering balsamic note on the finish. This complex, multi-dimensional wine will require considerable patience and will age gracefully for several decades. Made from the oldest vines at Falletto, the 2001 Barolo Riserva Le Rocche del Falletto is another towering achievement from Bruno Giacosa. An Azienda Agricola Falletto di Bruno Giacosa bottling. To be released in 2007.

Score: 97 Antonio Galloni, Wine Advocate (167), October 2006

Strong reduction masks the fruit at present. On the plus side there is lovely verve and freshness to the rich and full-bodied yet, curiously, even finer flavors that are very tightly wound thanks to the firm core of citrus-tinged acidity shaping the serious, classy and hugely impressively persistent finish. This too is definitely going to require extended cellaring before it reaches its peak. Drink 2028+

Score: 91/94 Allen Meadows, Burghound.com (71), June 2018

Cask sample. Oak more evident here than on the Corton-Charlemagne. More spice and cedar on the nose and palate. Has a definite sour/citrus creamy freshness but seems less subtle than the Corton. Just a touch sour on the aftertaste; big and long. Drink between 2024-2030.

Score: 17.5 Julia Harding MW, JancisRobinson.com, November 2017

Cask sample. Very rich and concentrated on the nose. Big and muscular at first but actually with real tautness and acidity on the end – almost unexpectedly! Not the most thrilling example from this appellation I have been lucky enough to taste but it’s certainly an attempt to give it tension. Almost too much so!

Drink 
2023
 – 
2032

17.5/20

2019 Domaine Joseph Drouhin Beaune Cras 1er Cru

The 2019 Beaune Cras 1er Cru has a very distinctive bouquet ,with granite, almost flinty aromas infusing the red berry fruit. A strong marine influence emerges with time. The palate is beautifully balanced, displaying fine delineation, good firm structure and a solid, quite edgy finish that feels crunchy in texture. Abundant freshness here. This Beaune should give 12–15 years’ drinking pleasure. Excellent. 

-- Neal Martin (91-93) Neal Martin 2023 - 2038 Not Available Dec 2020

Tasting note: A very subtle reductive character knocks down the expressiveness of the lemon and pretty white flower aromas so I would strongly suggest decanting this for 20 to 30 minutes first. The detailed, pure and lightly mineral-driven flavors possess really lovely balance and fine length. If there is a nit it is that this doesn't possess the complexity of the best 1ers here though the track record of this wine is such that I wouldn't bet against it developing materially more complexity in the bottle.

Blanc Beaune Clos des Mouches 1er Cru

The 2019 Beaune Clos des Mouches Blanc 1er Cru, which is a selection from six different tries through the vineyard, has an intense nose, slightly Alsace-like in style thanks to a hint of linseed oil intermingling with yellow plum and orange blossom. The palate is well balanced with a tensile opening. Lovely orange pith and nectarine notes here. Not a voluminous wine, but very focused on the finish. Excellent. 

-- Neal Martin (91-93) Neal Martin 2022 - 2036 Not Available Dec 2020

Rating 94+

Reviewed by Robert M. Parker, Jr.

Issue Date 28th Dec 2007

Source 174, The Wine Advocate

Again, orange blossoms, hazelnuts, brioche, smoke, and honeysuckle along with some peach notes are present in the full-bodied, beautifully well-delineated, pure, zesty 2005 Chardonnay Ma Belle-Fille. There are only 1,600 cases of this wine, which has superb uplift and vibrancy. This 121-acre estate with 114 producing acres of vineyard all located in Knight’s Valley continues to be at the top of their game and I can’t recommend the wines highly enough. I was surprised when I showed up at Peter Michael to find both Nicolas Morlet, who replaced his brother Luc, and Luc Morlet himself, were at my tasting. It seems that Luc is still doing consulting work with his brother firmly entrenched at the winery. This is still one of the best-run wineries in the world, and one might quibble over the fact that there are so many different cuvees of Chardonnay, but they are all subtly different in style/personality. The Morlets proclaimed to me that essentially there is very little difference in the character of the Chardonnays in 2005 and 2006, except they thought the acid levels were slightly higher in 2005 and the 2006s were riper. In any event, these are sensational Chardonnays, and readers couldn’t go wrong no matter which one they buy. Previously recommended: 2005 Sauvignon Blanc l’Apres Midi (93), 2004 Chardonnay Point Rouge (95+), 2004 Chardonnay Mon Plaisir (94), 2004 Chardonnay Ma Belle-Fille (94), 2004 Chardonnay Cuvee Indigene (97), 2004 Chardonnay La Carriere (95), 2004 Chardonnay Belle Cote (95). Tel. (707) 942-3200; Fax (707) 942-0209

Rating

84

Release Price

NA

Drink Date

NA

Reviewed by

Robert M. Parker, Jr.

Issue Date

30th Jun 2009

Source

183, The Wine Advocate

Although better than I initially rated it, the 1990 Beychevelle remains an insipid wine, exhibiting a certain dilution and shallow character. It offers herbal, earthy, raspberry, and red currant fruit followed by elevated tannins in the austere finish. It is an atypical effort for the 1990 vintage. Release price: ($215.00/case)

Tasting note: This is also quite elegant with its equally spicy nose of honeysuckle, yellow and white orchard fruit and citrus elements. There is a lovely vibrancy to the concentrated and relatively large-scaled flavors that possess good power on the markedly dry and somewhat compact edgy finish. As with the Combettes my predicted range offers the benefit of the doubt that the finish will flesh out and the dryness will dissipate with time.
 

Domaine Jean-Claude Bachelet
2015
Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet
Grand Cru White barrel
Score: 92-94
Tasted: Jun 11, 2017
Drink: 2023+
Issue: 67
Note: from a tiny .09 ha parcel
Producer note: Brothers Benoit and Jean-Baptiste Bachelet called 2015 an "easy and relatively straight forward vintage that gave us good yields in white but very small volumes in red. Overall, we had about the same volume as we did in 2013 and 2014 but the proportions are not at all the same. This is to say that the pinot came in between 20 and 25 hl/ha and the chardonnay between 40 and 45 hl/ha. We picked from the 2nd to the 8th of September and brought in ripe and beautifully healthy grapes that averaged between 12.8 and 13.5% potential alcohols in white with slightly lower amounts in red. The reds are really quite lovely and we picked early enough to have a good compromise between ripeness levels and freshness. They should age reasonably well yet be satisfying young." I found the quality of the Bachelet 2015 whites to definitely rise above what I found elsewhere in the Côte d'Or. (David Bowler Wine, www.bowlerwine.com, NY, Wine Warehouse, CA, www.winewarehouse.com, Classified Wine & Spirits, LLC, www.classifiedwine.net, TX and Elite Wines Imports, 703.339.8150, VA, all USA; Berry Brothers & Rudd, www.bbr.com, UK; Berry Brothers & Rudd, www.bbr.com/hk, Hong Kong).
Tasting note: Once again the backward nose is largely dominated by reductive notes. Otherwise there is a lovely sense of refinement to the sleek, intense and concentrated medium weight flavors that possess outstanding depth and persistence on the citrus-tinged finale. This too should reward up to a decade of cellaring yet it's not so tightly wound that it could not be approached after only a few years of cellaring.
 

Tasting note: Notes of smoky reduction mask the fruit though the nose does seem ripe. Otherwise the mouth feel of the slightly bigger and richer flavors is similar to that of the Pucelles while the impeccably well-balanced finish displays just a bit more length.
 

Rating

96

Release Price

$175

Drink Date

2008 - 2010

Reviewed by

Antonio Galloni

Issue Date

22nd Dec 2008

Source

180, The Wine Advocate

The estate’s 1996 Clos Saint-Hilaire emerges from a one hectare plot that was planted with 100% Pinot Noir in 1964. This golden-hued wine flows from the glass with extraordinary elegance. Delicate notes of biscuit, honey, acacia and roasted nuts are woven into a mousse of sublime refinement. Notes of white pepper, honey, pear and minerals appear on a finish that frames the wine with superb harmony. In 1998 the fermentations were extremely slow, and this wine saw no malolactic fermentation. This is an exceptionally fine, seamless Champagne that is a must-have wine for those lucky enough to find it . Anticipated maturity: 2008-2010. Billecart-Salmon, based in Mareuil-sur-Ay, makes wines in a style that is all about timeless elegance. These Champagnes are characterized by their supreme balance. All of the 2008 vins claires I tasted showed remarkable harmony and transparency of site. Much of the aromatic complexity of the wines can be attributed to a preference towards cold temperatures in fermentation, which keeps the wines fresh. The domaine uses Burgundian oak barrels for a portion of the wines. The exact amount of batonnage and malolactic fermentation depend on the vintage. Prior to being bottled the wines are blended in a large steel tank to insure consistency, something the estate takes very seriously. In general the non-vintage wines receive 7-9 grams of dosage, while the vintage wines have 5-7 grams, depending on the year. Among current releases, I found the 1998s to be brilliant, while the 2000s, from a much more challenging growing season, come across as less refined. The estate does not disclose disgorgement dates, but a code on the foil wrapping can be traced back to a date. 

Biserno

Fully saturated ruby. Dark red and black fruits, smoke, grilled herbs and tar on the nose and in the mouth. Richer and more concentrated than the Pino but not necessarily better, this larger-scaled wine clearly reflects the heat of 2011 via its youthfully chewy tannins. Will need time in the cellar.

-- Ian D'Agata 91+? Ian D'Agata Not Available Dec 2014

I love when Bollinger leaves the Pinot Noir in the driving seat like this. The sweet flirty vintage that I so often criticise is here turned into an advantage. The classic hazelnuttyness becomes Sicilian pistachio. The dark cocoa notes become heavenly milk chocolate. Despite this obvious nirvana of pleasure there is a seriousness and sleeping animalistic power. A very great vintage Bollinger indeed!

Score: 95 Richard Juhlin, Champagne Club, February 2015

Rating

91

Release Price

$50

Drink Date

2001 - 2016

Reviewed by

 Robert M. Parker, Jr.

Issue Date

23rd Apr 2001

Source

134, The Wine Advocate

The dense purple-colored 1998 boasts a beautifully rich, complex perfume of blackberries, plums, lead pencil, cherries, mocha, and caramel. Powerful and rich, with a multilayered texture, and an opulent, viscous finish revealing enough sweet tannin for definition, this is a terrific, full-bodied, seamless effort from one of the world's greatest winemakers. Anticipated maturity: now-2016.