Broke out one of my cellared Raffaults for my homeboy who graced me with a home cooked Tuscan styled flank steak w rosemary & arugula, as well as Israeli cous cous w chickpeas, charred tomatoes, feta, & herbs. Light Cadmium red hued & strong color though ( good cork- not a guarantee w Raffault!); dense Hibiscus, fresh raspberry & some bramble on nose; on palate very clean & smooth mouthfeel, with the initial flavors repeated but a deeper blend of red fruits & a stronger presence of under brush. Super fresh & integrated. Elegant, & the Burgundy echo was hard to ignore. Not Uber complex but not monolithic either, which this line of Raffault can be in its youth ( or as it ages). Very impressive, & accessible now. Curious how my ‘02 & 07s will fare… — a month ago
So fresh. Peppery. Great length. Delicious — 19 days ago
Medium lemon yellow , persistent fine perlage . At first quite shy , needs a bit of time to get going . Then buttered pastry , confit lemon and roast nuts , quite bold and rich , just a hint of chalky minerality . On the palate the richer , deeper theme continues , those pastry and buttery notes , confit lemon and a creamy mouthfeel . Long balanced finish , the chalky acidity really helping to cut through richer , mouth filling profile . Coming back to this at the end of the meal , having sat 6 hours in the glass , this still shows remarkable freshness and life. This seems young to me still , certainly has everything for a long life ahead , better in 5 years perhaps and will show well a further 10-15 perhaps . — 17 days ago
Deep and quite opaque , narrow ruby rim . Quite a lot of wood spice though with time in the glass there is a lot underneath that oak , dark cassis , ripe blackberry and a mineral undertone . Quite round and ripe on the palate , almost ‘new world’ in style compared to some of the preceding vintages , rounded but gritty tannin , balanced acidity . Generous and round, but with balanced alcohol , good length. Dark cassis , blackberry dark cherry notes. A strong oyster shell , saline component after a while in the glass . Needs time obviously , even though this is quite round and ripe. Intense with great potential. Better in 10-15 years will last well a further 10-15. — 5 days ago
Amazing w/ the Allen Brothers A-5 wagyu.
This is another Bordeaux producer that makes wines for the ages. I’ve waited & waited on 2000, this shows some readiness. Yet, will go another 20 plus years.
Tonight this is well balanced earth & candied fruit. In 10 years, this is candied fruit & florals.
Still medium plus tannins. Blackberries, black raspberries, black plum with ample skin, juicy dark cherries, poached strawberries, raspberries, dry limestone grains with powder, dark, forest floor with dry leaves, some dry herbaceousiness-bay leaf, mint, dark spice, clove, nutmeg, some cinnamon, hints of vanillin, mid berry cola, sandalwood to cedar shavings, used leather, pipe tobacco, anise, some mocha, sun tea, dark, red, purple flowers with a touch of blue, excellent acidity and a well knitted structure, balanced, nicely tensioned with a ripe, elegant finish that lasts two-minutes.
Photos of; Chateau Calon Segur, tasting room, barrel cellar and estate vineyard. — 3 days ago
Lee Pitofsky
Not sure there are better 13 whites than Raveneau. Lafon also comes to mind. It’s an early drinking vintage (by Raveneau standards) while you wait for 12 and 14. Also, no Chapelot this year so it’s blended in here. A multi hour advance decant has it rocking, stunningly aromatic, soaring with layers of créme fraîche, baking spice, crushed stones and a whisper of botrytis influenced saffron. The palate shows immense power, concentration and depth of waxy yellow fruit chiseled with Chablisen minerality. Brilliant tension and racy lemony acids provide a seamless balance to its power and richness. MDT always hits 🫰🏻 — 10 days ago