Au Bon Climat
Santa Barbara Historic Vineyards Collection Sanford & Benedict Vineyard Chardonnay 2020
One of the best example of ripe style California Chardonnay I have ever had. It hits with a savory character of grilled pineapple, then gives away to a variety of ripe stone fruit, a roux of spiced oak and even further back, a crushed rock minerality that keeps the ensemble lifted and enticing. The pallet is even more surprising as it confirms the stone fruit, adds a touch of citrus and slaps you with tingling stony acidity that keeps going and going. The juxtaposition of opulence and lean elegance is outstanding. After drinking through some flabby 2018s recently, this is a smacking reminder of why I fell in love with Jim’s wines to begin with. Wow!!!! — 6 months ago
Domaine Tempier
Bandol Rosé Blend
Salmon color with copper reflexes. Nose of grapefruit, and Mandarin peel, lemon juice, pink flowers, and petrichor. Faint Aperol on the back. Palate is explosive but not effusive. More grapefruit oil, lemon pith, garrigue, waves of saline minerality and a bright acidity that makes it go on and on. Pretty serious argument on why it deserves its reputation is the best rosé in the world  — a month ago
Domaine de Chevalier
Pessac-Léognan Sémillon-Sauvignon Blanc Blend 2021
Everything a white Bordeaux should be.  extremely intense nose, feels oily before you taste it, spiced apples, vanilla, candied cedar, orange oil, lanolin. A tingling spicing sensation hits on the palate, followed by waves of citrus oil in a long finish, combining citrus both, bergamot and woodsy notes. It will balance out further with time, but it’s quite the experience already  — a month ago
Château de Fosse-Seche
Gondwana
Wow, two wines in one. Nose is a dark, stemmy cab franc, Saumur style, lots of green pyrazines and a bit of soft berries in the background. Palate is totally different, smooth, crunchy, very soft on the tannins. One of the most clever uses of carbonic I’ve seen — 5 months ago
Roberto Carli
Great wine even though it didn’t hold up to my memories of former vintages, maybe because it’s a rare wine in its class that’s both excellent but drinks better young. It shed its primary character and left behind some ginger, vegetal tomato leaf and a silky texture with a long finish, driven by very prominent phenolic bitterness. Drinks like an austere high-quality white Bordeaux without the oak, but I miss the vibrant fruitiness and stronger Italian quality I get in its youth  — 5 days ago