Index:
1992 Lafon, Meursault Charmes
1995 Verget Corton-Charlemagne 92/100
1996 Francois Jobard Meursault “Genevrieres” 96/100
1997 Coche Dury Puligny Montrachet “Les Enseigneres” 96/100
1998 Coche Dury, Meursault 91/100
1999 Domaine Leflaive Chevalier Montrachet 97/100
2000 Domaine de la Louvetrie Muscadet “Le Fief du Breil” 91/100
2004 Ente Meursault 90/100
2004 Ente Puligny Montrachet “Les Referts” 92/100
2005 George Vernon, Condrieu “Coteau du Vernon” 92/100
2006 Pascal Cotat Chavignol Rose 93/100
2009 Didier Dagueneau Pouilly-Fume “Pur Sang” 95/100
2009 Domaine de la Pepiere, Chateau Thebaud, “Clos des Morins” 94+/100
2009 Domaine de la Vougeraie, Clos de Prieure Monopole 93/100
2009 Edmond Vatan Sancerre “Clos la Neore” 88+/100
2010 Chateau de Fosse Seche, Saumur 93/100
2010 Domaine de la Pepiere, Chateau Thebaud Muscadet “Cos des Morines” 91/100
2010 Domaine Huet Vouvray Sec “Le Mont” 91/100
2010 Francois Chidaine Montluis sur Loire “Les Tuffeaux” 93/100
2010 Francois Chidaine, Vouvray Brut Petillant 90/100
2011 Domaine Roulot Meursault “Luchets” 90/100
2011 Melaric Saumur “Clos de la Cerisaie” 91+/100
2012 Chateau de Saint Louans Chinon 86/100
2012 Domaine Jamet Cote du Rhone Blanc 90/100
2012 Domaine Leflaive Macon-Verze 93/100
2012 Dominique Belluard, Savoy “Les Alpes,” Gringet
2013 Bailly-Reverdy Sancerre Rose 90/100
2013 Brunier Chateauneuf Blanc “La Roquette” 91/100
2013 Domaine Ilarria Iroleguy Rose 90/100
2013 Domaine Tempier Bandol Rose 91/100
2013 Emile Balland Sancerre “Croq’Caillotte” 92/100
2004 ENTE MEURSAULT
Good example of Meursault at optimum drinking point. Toasty oak has not been fully integrated but does not cover the fruit. Crème brulee, butterscotch nose and creamy texture. Classic pear and apple is not overripe and underlaid by adequate acidity. Optimum drinking point. 90/100
2004 ENTE PULIGNY MONTRACHET “LES REFERTS”
Touch oxidative, polished charred oak nose. Suave and smooth on the palate with adequate acidity. The fruit became more complex and developed tangerine notes on top of classic ripe pear and apple. There is no minerality. The texture is especially fine, there is premier cru depth and weight but it is not heavy. 92/100
2006 PASCAL COTAT CHAVIGNOL ROSE
Really excellent rose from Pinot which has some complexity. Zesty strawberry, good acid and earth in an elegant overall package. 12.5% alcohol. Rose does not get better than this. 93/100
2013 DOMAINE ILARRIA IROLEGUY ROSE
Intriguing with character. Quite charming with spicy red berries backed by acidity and retains good balance with higher than standard residual sugar. It went well with prawns in a tomato-garlic sauce. 13.5% alcohol. 90/100
2013 BAILLY-REVERDY SANCERRE ROSE
Pale salmon color. Fruity and elegant with good acidity. Light on its feet with a hint of earthiness in the finish. 90/100
1995 VERGET CORTON-CHARLEMAGNE
Still young and fresh. Well integrated oak. Clean and persistent and fruit driven but not sweet soda-pop. A good (and rare) example of Verget. Nice accompaniment to fish with beurre blanc. 13% alcohol. 92/100
2013 EMILE BALLAND SANCERRE “CROQ’CAILLOTTE”
Citrus and floral aroma also follows on the palette and with aeration it reveals peach and agrumes notes. It has good grip and chalky minerality in the medium-long finish. It held up well the second day and developed some melon nuances. We “discovered” this producer at Yam’Tcha. 92/100
1996 FRANCOIS JOBARD MEURSAULT “GENEVRIERES”
Pale yellow. Lemon, grilled nuts, toasted bread nose. Pronounced acidity and minerality. Lime and tart apple. Long finish. No trace of oak. Fresh and intense without being heavy. Elegant. Should easily hold for 5 more years. Excellent Meursault which flourished. 96/100
2000 DOMAINE DE LA LOUVETRIE MUSCADET “LE FIEF DU BREIL”
Floral, white peach aroma. Soft texture. Between filigreed and watery. Slighty oxidative with saline minerality in the finish. Clean and pure. Developed grapefruit skin like bitterness in the finish. Not bone dry and pairs well with shellfish in tomato sauce. 12% alcohol. 91/100
2010 DOMAINE DE LA PEPIERE, CHATEAU THEBAUD MUSCADET “CLOS DES MORINES”
Pale yellow. Whiff of citrus and sea-shell aroma. Not fruity. Almost no residual sugar. Good grip. Crushed sea shells like salinity. Really perfect with briny oysters and raw clams. 91/100
2010 CHATEAU DE FOSSE SECHE, SAUMUR
A good Loire Chenin. Ripe peach, apricot, alternates between sweet and tart on the palette. Feels fresh and acid/sugar balance is noteworthy. Rich mouthful of stone fruit which is ripe but refreshing. Round but no oak. Really nice with lobster, scallops, etc. 93/100
2010 FRANCOIS CHIDAINE MONTLUIS SUR LOIRE “LES TUFFEAUX”
First thing one notices is the honeyed texture and how well the acidity balances the residual sugar. Quite complex in fruit and different agrumes unfold on the palette and the finish is long and leaves a nutty and touch earthy aftertaste. Works so well with seafood in beurre blanc. Excellent Chenin. 93/100
2012 CHATEAU DE SAINT LOUANS CHINON
Too much batonnage compromised the varietal character and tastes more like a generic polished Chardonnay than Sauvignon.
Round. 86/100
2010 DOMAINE HUET VOUVRAY SEC “LE MONT”
A nice clean nose with a whiff of quince and licorice and some metal (copper?) Pipenapple, quince, lime flavors backed by good acidity. The finish is steely,-earthy. Restrained and precise Chenin from a consistently reliable producer. 91/100
2011 MELARIC SAUMUR “CLOS DE LA CERISAIE”
Quite puzzling Chenin. The nose was a bit off at first but it corrected itself to reveal a wine with character which had a thick texture (old vines?), lovely sweet pear and apples cut by bright acidity and a long finish with notes of minerality. It has not all been perfectly integrated yet but it should get better. 13.5% alcohol. 91+/100
2012 DOMAINE JAMET COTE DU RHONE BLANC
Touch floral, lemon curd and herbal aroma. Lovely, fine acidity and quite fresh and lively on the palette. Viscous texture. A very good Marsanne for low price from a great producer. 90/100
2011 DOMAINE ROULOT MEURSAULT “LUCHETS”
The oak is not perfectly integrated yet. It has classic vanilla, grilled bread and crème brulee nose, followed by well delineated citrusy and precise flavors. It reveals some mineral notes in the finish. 90/100
1999 DOMAINE LEFLAIVE CHEVALIER MONTRACHET
This wine is at its peak and all the elements came together in a thick, velvety, very elegant texture. Not a trace of oxidation. Like a quintessence of French grand cru chardonnay. Rich and opulent which retains its inner core minerality and lushness throughout the long meal. Special thanks to Monsieur Pierre Lemoullac for bringing this wine to Table d’Aki. 97/100
2013 BRUNIER CHATEAUNEUF BLANC “LA ROQUETTE”
A whiff of petroleum and touch butterscotch nose. Not too fruity (pear notes?), with a steely backbone, good acidity and good body which is not fat or broad. Nice precision A very good Roussanne from southern France. 91/100
2009 DIDIER DAGUENEAU POUILLY-FUME “PUR SANG”
This is a tightly wound beautiful wines where different elements of minerality, fruitiness and acidity are well integrated to a solid core. The aroma is just opening up with spring flowers, citrus and fresh herbs (did not detect grassiness). Quite full and lovely on the palette with quince, pipen apple and kiwi notes. It developed orange and grapefruit rind in glass and became quite elegant. Will continue to give pleasure for at least another 5 years but drinking beautifully. Great sauvignon. 95/100
2009 EDMOND VATAN SANCERRE “CLOS LA NEORE”
Too big at 15% alcohol and there is some heat in this very broad shouldered, fat sauvignon. The fruit is now in the backbone and the grassiness/herbalness is not showing. A bit reductive. But it may have potential given chalky minerality and the grapefruit like pleasant bitternenss it developed in glass. 88+/100
2005 GEORGE VERNON, CONDRIEU “COTEAU DU VERNON”
This is a broad shouldered concentrated Condrieu which is drinking very well now. It shed the woody smell, the nose is tropical and crème brulee, the palette is full and fruity, and it has a nice creamy texture. Higher acidity than typical Condrieu helped to age this very good wine. 92/100
2009 DOMAINE DE LA VOUGERAIE, CLOS DE PRIEURE MONOPOLE
Pear and apple nose reminiscent of Puligny. Good structure, nice acidity, not fat but has weight. Probably old vines. Oak is well integrated. Long, touch earthy finish. 93/100
1997 COCHE DURY PULIGNY MONTRACHET “LES ENSEIGNERES”
Dark yellow color. Rubber, tar, wood spice, ripe pear and apple nose. Very concentrated and leesy, explosive but also velvety texture. Layers of flavors unfold in the palette with citrus and agrumes undertones. Oak is perfectly integrated and the acidity gives a boost to the rich fruitiness. It retains an elegance which distinguishes it from New World’s best chardonnays. Long finish. 96/100
2010 FRANCOIS CHIDAINE, VOUVRAY BRUT PETILLANT
Uplifting with touch sweet citrus, green apple, nice acidity, chalky mineral finish. Perfect with oysters or as an aperitif. 90/100
2013 DOMAINE TEMPIER BANDOL ROSE
Pale salmon color. Not too fruity, subdued strawberry and saline minerality on the palette. Quite“filigreed” texture in a good sense. Impressive balance. Provence rose does not get better than this. 91/100
2012 DOMINIQUE BELLUARD, SAVOY “LES ALPES,” GRINGET
My first taste of Gringet is very positive. Fresh and sharp herbs, anise and pit fruit aroma. It is clean and pure (not a trace of oak) with good body weight, good acidity and agrumes. Very good fit for spot prawns grilled in the shell with mint and chervil.
2012 DOMAINE LEFLAIVE MACON-VERZE
Dried hay and citrus in the leesy nose. Macerated at optimum with a lean and pure mouth feel dominated by citrus notes. So clean and flirts with complexity. I would have guessed Premier Cru Chablis. 93/100
2009 DOMAINE DE LA PEPIERE, CHATEAU THEBAUD, “CLOS DES MORINS”
A vow Muscadet. A whiff of seashells, sea weeds and pineapple aroma. The palette is among the richest I have seen in Muscadet and saline minerality unfolds in waves in the medium-long finish along with wild fennel and salicorne. Bright acidity and great purity along with complexity. This wine goes well not only with oysters but also with richer seafood dishes. 94+/100
1998 COCHE DURY, MEURSAULT
Sligtly charred grilled nuts and crème brulee aroma with pear notes. The palette follows with a fine blending of nutty, baked apples and pear notes underlaid by good acidity. 91/100
1992 LAFON, MEURSAULT CHARMES
Unfortunately oxidized. Past its prime.