Wine List

Rating

97

Release Price

$150 - 200

Drink Date

2003 - 2020

Reviewed by

Robert M. Parker, Jr.

Issue Date

30th Apr 1998

Source

116, The Wine Advocate

For L'Ermita, the 1994 is the current vintage in the marketplace; quantities are absurdly small. The color is a saturated inky/purple, and the soaring nose provides thrilling levels of sweet blackberry and cherry liqueur-like fruit. In spite of being full-bodied, massive, and huge, it manages to not taste heavy despite its gargantuan proportions of fruit, glycerin, tannin, and extract. This chewy, glycerin-imbued, phenomenally intense wines possesses all the component parts necessary to become a modern-day legend. Anticipated maturity: 2003-2020.   

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
 

Rating

93

Release Price

NA

Drink Date

2021 - 2040

Reviewed by

 Lisa Perrotti-Brown

Issue Date

30th Nov 2018

Source

Interim End of November 2018, The Wine Advocate

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 D'Armailhac opens with gregarious crème de cassis, blackberry pie and mulberries scents with hints of chocolate box, roses and charcoal with a waft of dried sage. Medium-bodied, the palate has a rock-solid frame of firm, grainy tannins and wonderful freshness, finishing long and earthy.

Rating

100

Release Price

NA

Drink Date

2028 - 2068

Reviewed by

 Lisa Perrotti-Brown

Issue Date

31st Mar 2021

Source

End of March 2021, The Wine Advocate

The 2018 Ausone is a blend of 60% Cabernet Franc and 40% Merlot. Deep garnet-purple in color, rather predictably, the nose is almost completely shut-down on first sniff, taking considerable aeration to begin to reveal its jaw-dropping perfume of ripe black cherries, wild blueberries and plum preserves, leading to suggestions of candied violets, molten chocolate, licorice and crushed rocks with subtle cedar and pencil lead hints. The medium to full-bodied palate (14.5% alcohol) is so tightly wound and nuanced at this stage, it requires a lot of focus unravel all that is going on here. In short: a lot. The ripe, rich, black and blue fruit layers eventually give way to the beautifully cerebral earthy/minerally subtext, carried by fantastically well-knit tension, delivering an incredibly long, foundation-shaking finish. If the earth doesn't move when you drink this, you're probably not doing it right.

Rating

96+

Release Price

NA

Drink Date

2017 - 2038

Reviewed by

 Monica Larner

Issue Date

26th Jun 2014

Source

213, The Wine Advocate

The 2010 Barolo is a singularly elegant expression that benefits from extremely long maceration time (up to 54 days) and a non-interventionists’ winemaking philosophy. The wine is superb in its elegance and finesse that caresses the palate in the most delicate and ethereal manner imaginable. Small fruit tones are enhanced by ash, crushed mineral, licorice and dried mint. Because of changes in how Barolo can be labeled, the wine no longer carries the names of the four single-vineyards that make up the traditional blend for this wine (Canubbi, San Lorenzo, Rue and Rocche di La Morra). Instead, this historic wine is now labeled straightforward “Barolo.” Drink: 2017-2038.

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

Tasting note: Notes of honey, petrol, white orchard fruit and various floral scents serve as an elegant introduction to the caressing and wonderfully seductive big-bodied flavors that display both excellent volume and power on the muscular, dense and superbly persistent finale. This is not an especially refined vintage for this wine but should mature into a real beauty if given a chance.
 

Full-bodied, rich and concentrated, the 2018 Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru is a textural, elegantly muscular wine evocative of pear, toasted almonds, white flowers, peach and vanilla pod. Layered and powerful, it concludes with a long, saline finish. It's more dramatic and broader-shouldered than the suave, seamless Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet this year.

Score: 95 William Kelley, RobertParker.com, January 2021

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

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.
 

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. 

One of my most exciting wine experiences was when I first tasted 1975 Bollinger RD with my parents at their home. During yesterday's Sunday afternoon, I served them the latest edition of 2004 blindly. The 82-year-old's reaction did not allow for a wait. Mom immediately exclaimed "the same wonderful scent of chocolate and apricot like when we drank Bollinger RD in the 80's". So right she was. When Bollinger decides to launch the newest vintage of RD, the wine must have its distinctive autolytic character of freshly baked bread, chocolate, hazelnut and mushroom. That is at least the thought. I would like to say that the last vintage in 2002 did not have these features at the launch at all, but instead relied on an almost grassy elegance and refined acid structure in an remaining youthful attire. With 2004 it is different. It's precisely like this Bollinger RD should taste from the beginning. Nobody can be disappointed here. Perhaps, 2004, is not one of the most heroic vintages but on the other hand one of the most classic. The very essence of the RD concept is to try to capture a wine's optimal maturity along with maximum freshness. Unfortunately, I do not think life expectancy is as good as in the La Grande Année version, but I may be wrong. The intensity of the mature layers of dark chocolate, tobacco, black truffles from Vaucluse and a melancholy hiking in the moist autumn forest is, at least, impressive. The mousse may struggle to reach the surface of the glycerol rich essence of wine. Nevertheless, it tingles of lust on the tongue when stringency, chalk and jingling pure acids dance over the finish line.

Score: 96

Richard Juhlin, Champagne Club 01 January 2018

Tasting note: A notably ripe red and blue berry fruit nose is nuanced by chalk, minerals and abundant spice notes that continue onto the toasty, rich, full and massively powerful flavors that are suave and superbly concentrated, all wrapped in a very Bonnes Mares style finish as this is chewy but not rustic. An impressive wine where the finish doesn't seem to ever end.

The 2012 Bonnes Mares presents an intriguing push and pull between some of the more delicate notes that appear initially and its underlying, restrained power. This is another wine where so much is implied rather than overt. As always, the Mugnier Bonnes Mares is above all else a wine of restraint, although in this vintage, there is plenty of depth as well.

-- Antonio Galloni 93 Antonio Galloni 2022 - 2042 $455.00 Apr 2015

The 2019 Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru has a floral bouquet of black and blueberry fruit infused with crushed violet and iris petal. This is completely destemmed, so it does not convey the same amplitude. The palate is medium-bodied, with light Earl Grey and ash notes tincturing the black fruit. Fine structure and focus here. Light on its feet toward the long, sustained finish. This is a superb Bonnes-Mares. 

-- Neal Martin (94-96) Neal Martin 2024 - 2045 Not Available Dec 2020

Tasting note: Deep ruby. Once again there is an exuberant freshness to the nose of plum, violet, peony, spice and earth aromas where a top note of kirsch is present. There is outstanding density and power to the big-bodied and overtly muscular flavors that deliver fine complexity on the caressing, sappy and harmonious finish. This too is lovely and should drink well a bit earlier than it normally does if that's your preference.
 

The 2018 Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru is blessed with one of my favorite aromatics from Dujac this year, featuring black cherries, raspberry, crushed stone and pressed iris flower, all quite restrained for a Bonnes-Mares but showing outstanding focus. The palate is medium-bodied with chalky tannins, a fine line of acidity and a strict and quite linear finish that lingers long in the mouth. Outstanding.

-- Neal Martin (95-97) Neal Martin 2022 - 2050 Not Available Jan 2020

Domaine Dujac
2010
Bonnes Mares
Grand Cru Red 750 ml
Score: 96
Tasted: Jan 14, 2013
Drink: 2027+
Issue: 49
Producer note: Jeremy Seysses described the 2010 vintage as a "vintage of very small production. We had a poor fruit set that was complicated by the winter frost. We had some parcels that were especially hard hit, in particular in our Morey villages parcels where we lost 50% in red and fully 90% in white. There was a very high incidence of shot berries which of course further reduced yields. On the plus side, the small crop definitely saved the harvest in my view because without it we would almost certainly have had other problems and not just an absence of phenolic maturity but also a higher frequency of rot due to the more tightly packed bunches. As it was we had moderate sorting for botrytis and for under ripe berries. What remained though was of excellent quality and as such we vinified with a very high proportion of stems, which I would estimate at about 90% overall but that of course means that a number of wines had fully 100%. As to the wines, I very much like them as they have real freshness and a highly appealing sense of energy. They're ripe, transparent, balanced and there really isn't anything to complain about! For me, 2008 resembles 1993 and 2010 is similar to 2002." As to the now in-bottle 2009s, they have fully justified the considerable confidence I placed in them at this time last year and as the scores and commentaries suggest, they are in fact brilliant wines. (The Sorting Table, www.thesortingtable.com, Napa, CA (excludes CA and HI) and Chambers & Chambers Wine Merchants, www.chamberswines.com, San Francisco, CA (CA and HI); O.W. Loeb, www.owloeb.com, UK, Berry Bros & Rudd, www.bbr.com, UK, Flint Wines, www.flintwines.com, UK and Lay & Wheeler, www.laywheeler.com , UK).
Tasting note: A perfumed and ultra-elegant nose that is discreet, pure and very cool gives rise to restrained notes of essence of red pinot fruit, rose petals, lavender, violet, stone and earth. There is outstanding richness and drive to the powerful and seriously intense broad-shouldered flavors that possess superb mid-palate density as there is an impressive abundance of dry extract, all wrapped in a linear and massively persistent and wonderfully refined finish. Despite all the size, weight and taut muscularity, the supporting tannins are actually on the refined side and the 2010 Bonnes Mares will very likely go down as one of the more distinguished vintages for this highly storied wine. Note though that like all of the Dujac 2010s, this will require significant cellar time.
 

Burghound Tasting note: An agreeably fresh nose combines primarily pear and apple notes with soft floral and citrus nuances. There is lovely detail to the attractively textured flavors that culminate in a dry, saline and chiseled finish. This is a quality Bourgogne plus it has the stuffing to age too.