Clos Fourtet
Saint-Émilion Red Bordeaux Blend 2010
This wine still needs time in the bottle... perhaps another two years. But nonetheless it is a compelling, classy Clos Fourtet with a great future ahead of it (but to be clear it's not an infanticide to drink it now). For comparison purposes, I had the 2003 early this year (a wine from a very warm vintage) and it was singing in full harmony, clearly a 97+ wine. The 2010 is not there yet, but it certainly has the structure to get there, even perhaps surpass the 2003. You just need to be patient, if you can... — 6 years ago
Château Canon-la-Gaffelière
Saint-Émilion Red Bordeaux Blend 2009
A syrupy, oaky wine that overpowered the food... not to my taste. — 7 years ago
Domaine de L'Arlot
Clos des Forêts St. Georges Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Pinot Noir 2008
A wine that is drinking superbly at the moment, the 2008 Nuits St Georges Clos des Forets, 1er Cru, from Domaine l'arlot has a complex nose of violets, mushrooms and forest floor. In the mouth, the wine is round and savoury. Differences respected, it gave the Leoville las Cases 2003, that we drank afterwards, a run for its money. — 6 years ago
Domaine de L'Arlot
Clos des Forêts St. Georges Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Pinot Noir 2008
A full on Nuits Saint Georges, this wine is drinking beautifully at the moment. The wine has a good body, it's rounded in the mouth, with a gamey nose, also redolent of forest floor. A very fine burgundy indeed. — 6 years ago
Château Feytit Clinet
Pomerol Red Bordeaux Blend 2009
A lush, sexy Pomerol that's already drinking beautifully. Black fruits, chocolate on the nose, the wine has good volume, an impressive mid-palate and a long finish. Very nice indeed. — 6 years ago
Produttori del Barbaresco
Riserva Ovello Barbaresco Nebbiolo 2013
A beautiful, powerful yet elegant barbaresco and a joy to drink it now even though it's young. — 7 years ago
Paolo Bea
Pagliaro Secco Montefalco Sagrantino 2009
Wow, excellent wine from Paolo Bea. 15% alcohol but all hidden behind the wealth of fruit. The wine has a beautiful, complex nose, a velvety mouthfeel, a long finish and no sense of heaviness whatsoever. Drinking superbly at the moment. Outstanding. Ps: we drank this wine alongside a Percarlo 2007, which is no doubt a wine with structure, but it's still a bit heavy... and, in my view, needs time in the bottle. Both wines weren't decanted, which wasn't ideal... But on this occasion il Pagliaro outshone il Percarlo. — 6 years ago
Château de Saint-Cosme
Le Claux Gigondas Grenache 2015
What an authoritative Gigondas! This wine is all about sheer power and bold flavours, not elegance. But outstanding nonetheless. Drinking very well already. A treat. — 6 years ago
San Giusto a Rentennano
Percarlo Toscana Sangiovese 2007
What a beautifully sculpted, profound Percarlo. The wine has incredible purity of fruit and a wonderful perfume of cherries, essence of cherry liqueur. I've had the fortune of enjoying my fair share of outstanding bottles of this wine from different vintages, including a magnum of the 1997 with my brother at San Pietro di Positano and a bottle of the 1999 with my parents at All'olivo in Lucca. This wine brings up the best of Tuscany and it's usually a thrill to drink. — 7 years ago
Antonio Claudio Tarre
An interesting contrast to other 2003s, the Leoville las Cases has an impressive bouquet of blueberries and graphite, however, unlike other St Julien (Leoville Poyferre, for example), it is quite restrained in the mouth and not as sweet, but it is an elegant, compelling wine nonetheless. — 6 years ago