Index:
1992 Lafon, Meursault Charmes 50/100
1995 Domaine Leflaive, Bienvenue Batard Montrachet 95/100
1997 Coche-Dury Corton Charlemagne 100/100
1998 Coche Dury Meursault 91/100
2000 Coche Dury Meursault Rougeots 96/100
2004 Lafon Meursault “Charmes” 95/100
2006 Francois Cotat, La Grande Cote, Sancerre 80/100
2007 Jacques Puffeney, Arbois, Cuvee Saena 90/100
2008 Muscadet, La Louveterie, “Fief de Breil” 92/100
2009 Chateau Thebaut Clos des Morines Muscadet 94.5/100
2009 Clos Rougeard, Breze, Saumur 94.5+/100
2009 Coche Dury Meursault “Perrieres” 95+/100
2009 Dauvissat, Chablis, Premier Cru Vaillons 91/100
2010 Buisson-Battault, Meursault, “Goutte d’Or” 93.5/100
2010 Clos Rougeard, Breze, Saumur 94.5+/100
2010 Francois Chidaine, Montlouis sur Loire, Les Choisilles 93/100
2011 Antoine Petitprez, Saint Romain 88/100
2011 Domaine du Collier, Saumur 92/100
2011 Louis Magnin, Roussette de Savoie 93/100
2011 Philippe l’Heritier, Roussette de Savoie, Orchis 88/100
2012 Guiberteau, Saumur, Clos des Guichets 93+/100
2012 Moreau-Naudet, Chablis 88/100
2013 Domaine Belluard, Gringet, “Les Alpes” 91/100
2013 Yves Leccia d’y Croce 92/100
2013 Yves Leccia, YL 91/100
2014 Abbatucci, Faustine 91.5/100
2014 Abbatucci, Gris Imperial 91.5/100
2014 Domaine Pieretti, Cap Corse 92/100
2014 Domaine Pietri, Malvasia, Cap Corse 92/100
2014 Domaine Pieretti Rose, Cap Corse 92/100
2009 Chateau Thebaut Clos des Morines Muscadet
Whiff of seaweed, seashells with pineapple aroma. Rich mouth feel, concentration, fruit is in the background. Perfect acidity. Lingering salty minerality comes in spades in the long finish with wild fennel and garrigue. Sharply delineated. Nice mix of sea shells, fruit and minerals. You can have it with rich seafood dishes. Should be perfect with bouillabaisse too. 94-5/100
2000 Coche Dury Meursault Rougeots
Intense, leesy, truffled butter pain grille, roasted hazelnut and pineapple aroma. Intense on palette with a beautiful cut and acidity. Concentrated but not heavy. Long finish with baked apple/pear and earthy flavors. 12.5%. 96/100
2004 Lafon Meursault “Charmes”
This is excellent, all you expect from it. Not too much extraction or sweetness like Lafons in the 90s. Leesy, concentrated classical fruit, it is layered and has depth and elegance. Perfect integration of oak. Ready to drink. 95/100
2009 Coche Dury Meursault “Perrieres”
Aroma has not developed yet but the integration of the fruit to the overall structure and the intensity is impressive. It has ripe pears, leesy and layered. The finish is noteworthy with roasted hazelnut and pecan. It lingers very long and it has explosive intensity. Just beginning to show its complexity. Wait at least 5+ years. 95+ (potentially a 97-98/100)
1998 Coche Dury Meursault
Slightly charred grilled nut nose. Good blending of fruit, oak, nutty notes and fine acidity. Textbook Meursault. 91/100
1992 Lafon, Meursault Charmes
Unfortunately maderized. 50/100
2009 Dauvissat, Chablis, Premier Cru Vaillons
Citrus, pipenapple and creamy aroma. Different elements are in harmony. Not too complex but delivers.
Steely, metallic and citrusy finish. Should improve. 91/100
2009 Clos Rougeard, Breze, Saumur.
Intense, penetrating, persistent, tightly knit and complex. Right now it is almost too intense but you don’t taste the wood at all and it is multi-layered. Extremely rich, almost too rich. Potentially extraordinary Chenin in the making. 94-5+/100
2010 Clos Rougeard, Breze, Saumur.
Very rich in minerality and a touch oxidative. The nose is quite tropical. The intensity of fruit is almost painful but balanced by great acidity. The fruit is a little less ripe than 2009. Opulent. Touch oxidative finish adds complexity. The finish lasts very long and it is like licking honey and then tasting agrumes’ skin. Clearly old vines and unique style expressive of terroir. 94-5+/100
2010 Buisson-Battault, Meursault, “Goutte d’Or”.
Excellent Meursault with nutty and crème brulee nose, pear and very well integrated charred wood (30% new oak). Nice acidity, optimum balance, steely backbone. The rich apple and citrus fruit is neither tart and nor overripe. A new producer to watch. 93-4/100
2012 Moreau-Naudet, Chablis.
Well made but a little simple. It has good acidity and citrus though. 88/100
2012 Guiberteau, Saumur, Clos des Guichets.
An excellent Chenin. Complex aroma with a whiff of green almonds, grapefruit, stony minerality. It has weight and intensity on the palette but not heavy. Intriguing tension on the palette with multi layers of citrus and agrumes nuances. Should develop well and become more elegant over time. 93+/100
2013 Domaine Belluard, Gringet, “Les Alpes”
This is my second tasting of the Savoie cepage Gringet and I was impressed. It has citrus and orange blossom aroma with herbal nuances. It is a little more fruity than a sauvignon but a little less fruity and more lean than a roussanne. This wine has been aged in concrete vats. 91/100
2011 Louis Magnin, Roussette de Savoie
Melted stone, smoke, root vegetables, celery root and earthy aroma with fruit in the background. On the palette it is complex with sweet summer fruit, ripe peaches, nice acidity, neither lean nor fat. It has presence and a long, smoky finish and the fruit shows itself as it opens up and sweet summer fruits lingers on the palette. 93/100
2011 Philippe l’Heritier, Roussette de Savoie, Orchis
It is creamy and imbued with tropical fruit but too much batonnage detracts from its character. Not a terroir wine but quite versatile with seafood. 88/100
2011 Domaine du Collier, Saumur.
Very good Chenin which is pure, clean and harmonious. The strong acidity is balanced by fruit and the finish has peach and apricot skin notes. It is more restrained in style than Clos Rougeard. 13%. 92/100
2011 Antoine Petitprez, Saint Romain
This is a clean wine with adequate acidity, not oaked and moderate intensity and complexity. 88/100
1997 Coche-Dury Corton Charlemagne
Intense, classic nose with toasty charcoal ash aroma and intense fruit with an earthy, mineral component. Palette follows with depth. Intense with pineapple and grapefruit nuances.Very powerful but not heavy. No sign of aging. Very complex. Finish lasts more than a minute and leaves ripe summer pit fruit notes backed by polished and steely minerality. Great structure and mid palette. A complete wine, quintessence of grand cru Bourgogne. 100/100
2007 Jacques Puffeney, Arbois, Cuvee Saena
A blend of Savignin and Chardonnay. The aroma is quite fruity and oxidative with small red berries. On the palette it is zippy and energetic with red berries, kiwi, mango. Nice balance and neither lean nor fat. More intellectual than merely pleasurable. We tried it with shitakes with dried fruits, olives and walnuts and also kale with onions, pine nuts, paprika, tomato paste and various spices and black pepper. Ideally should be paired with aged Cantal and Comte. 90/100
2010 Francois Chidaine, Montlouis sur Loire, Les Choisilles
Tropical fruit, honey wax, floral, crème brulee nose. On the palette it is creamy and pure, apply and nice acidity. Multidimensional. 93/100
1995 Domaine Leflaive, Bienvenue Batard Montrachet.
Light yellow. Matchstick, hay and ripe peach aroma. Citrus fruit, ripe pear underlaid by perfect acidity. Creamy texture (old vines?), interesting feel of salted caramel on the palette. Oak is well integrated. Very structured with good mid palette yet retains its elegance. 13.5%. 95/100
2006 Francois Cotat, La Grande Cote, Sancerre
Too ripe fruit, acetone. Volatile acidity? Over maceration. Layered and long on the palette with stewed pineapple and pear. Low acidity. Botyrtis? 80/100
2014 Abbatucci, Gris Imperial
Pale pink. Captivating and not overpowering aroma. It is like licking the skin of summer pit fruits, lime and lemon. Very fresh and dry. Impeccable balance. A great Corsican Rose which went very well with real fish soup. 91-2/100
2013 Yves Leccia, YL
Good Vermentino from Patrimonio, Corsica. Clean and full bodied with agrumes and minerals. Intense rather than elegant. 13%. 91/100
2008 Muscadet, La Louveterie, “Fief de Breil”.
Crushed sea shells, lime and tart apple aroma. Palette follows. The acidity is very nice and washes well the best of intense Corsican charcuterie. 92/100
2014 Domaine Pieretti, Cap Corse.
Whiff of rocky sea shore and pit fruit skin aroma. Clean, precise, straight, no trace of oak. Developed more agrumes like flavors on the palette. Lean body. Quite saline finish. Very honest Vermentino. 13%. 92/100
2014 Abbatucci, Faustine.
His Vermentino. The aroma is pure, crushed seashells, saline and citrus. Round but not oaked and nor overly fruity. Slight bitterness of agrumes in the medium-long finish. 13%. 91-2/100
2014 Domaine Pietri, Malvasia, Cap Corse
Saline minerality, leaner than Vermentino, clean mouthfeel. It has grip, remarkable fruitiness, intensity and medium-long finish. Great value. Worked with lobster. 92/100
2014 Domaine Pieretti Rose, Cap Corse
It is like diving in the Mediterranean sea. So light and fresh and enchanting. Vin de character. Great match with fresh clam pasta. Whiff of tart strawberry fruit. 12%. 92/100
2013 Yves Leccia d’y Croce
Apple, pear and vanilla (French barrique) nose. Apple and citrus fruit on the nose but as you air it, remarkable salinity develops. Quite lush Vermentino which should be better in a year or two as the oak gets better integrated into the fruit. 92/100