30+years as a wine professional. Artist and art lover
2016 vintage. Floral nose.Textbook refined Margaux with succulent, concentrated fruit, fresh balancing acidity, well-integrated oak, depth, and length. Cru Classé quality. Abv. 13%. — 3 days ago
2020 vintage. A blend of 57,5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot, and 4,5% Petit Verdot. Medium-bodied, with fresh cassis fruit and a tannic structure with some rough edges. Will probably benefit from a bit more bottle age. Decent value at 15 euro. Abv. 13,5%. — 10 days ago
2005 vintage. Deep gold, almost orange. Intense nose with dried apricots, lemon confit, beewax, and walnut. More evolved than expected, with clear oxidative notes, but still a very nice drink, if not a great Batard. — 18 days ago
2022 vintage. A blend of 90% Savagnin (aka Traminer) and 10% Chardonnay from the " Grandes Vignes" vineyard ( Eric Thill also produces a 100% Chardonnay from this plot). Indigenous yeasts. Aged 10 months in stainless steel. Very low in alcohol (12,5%, whereas the 2018 was 15%!). Nose needs some air, decanting recommended. Clean, fresh, with subtle spices enhancing the fruit. Very good length too. Paired with black Camargue rice, fennel, and duck. This wine works really well with fennel ( not the easiest vegetable to combine with wine). Another great effort from this excellent estate. — 2 days ago
2020 vintage. This estate was sold in 2023 to the owners of Chasse-Spleen. Good value, in promotion in a local supermarket at 9.95 euro(!), normal price 13,95. Abv. 13,5%. — 10 days ago
2020 vintage. 75% Merlot, 24% Cabernet Franc and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon. Owned by the Despagne family since 1812, and the current 7th generation (François Despagne) seems to be serious about quality. This 2020 displays impressive aromatics, concentration, depth, and precision, with fresh acidity balancing the 15% abv. — 16 days ago
2020 vintage. 100% Melon de Bourgogne. An old vine selection from 2 different vineyards with soils composed of shale and green rocks. Vinified and aged in "dolia" ( egg-shaped terracotta vats). Intriguing nose with exotic fruits, flowers, and a strong minerality, like a salty Condrieu if that makes any sense. Lots of flavour and intensity for such a low-alcohol wine ( 12,5 abv), with crisp white fruit, mouthwatering acidity, a subtle bitterness, and a long, saline finish. Gorgeous. Biodynamically farmed. — 2 days ago
2019 vintage. A relatively new estate, composed by buying 3 estates(Vieux Bourgneuf, Prieurs de la Commanderie, and Commanderie de Mazeyres), and renamed after the owner Clement Fayat (who also owns La Dominique and Clement Pichon). Looks a bit older than expected. Very floral nose. Medium-bodied, with red fruit, fresh acidity, slightly rustic tannin, and good length. Gets better with air. Very cheap for Pomerol in a local supermarket ( 29,90 euro),a nice bottle of wine, but nothing really special for Pomerol. — 9 days ago
2009 vintage. Patience! This needs a few hours to open up and show its true potential. Cassis, cedar wood, and flowers. Better the next day. — 16 days ago
Stefan Dolhain
2022 vintage. Produced from 35-55 years old biodynamically farmed Pinot Noir vines. Indigenous yeasts. Aged in barrels for about 12 months. Bottled unfined and unfiltered. Less extracted than the 2020, which is a good idea. Raspberry and violets. Smooth and elegant, with bright raspberry fruit and velvety tannin. Abv. 13%. — 2 days ago