Inner Sanctum Cellars
Domaine François Buffet
Taillepieds Volnay 1er Cru 2023
Wow. This is one hell of a Taillepieds. Nose is deep, dark black cherry fruit with twizzler, mid season cherry with pitch perfect clarity. Taillepieds always brings the drama and this goes to 11. Dark roses, Dried and fresh. So complex and so darn dramatic, Gorgeous roundness to the nose. Just insane. 9.8 nose. Some wood spice, but more like shavings from 7th grade woodshop. Wow. That palate is just insane. It’s got the cherry fruit, sour, dark, mid season, dark red all on a chord progression and all at the same time. Cherry fruit, everything, everywhere, all at once. Unreal internal aromatic and it has a decadence but outlined by this tart cherry fruit that circles opulent black cherry fruit. Just stunning. More open than the Clos des Chenes. A genius wine. Equal to CDC in 2023. Wow this nose goes hard as air gets into it. My god this is hedonistic but also fresh and energetic like 2008 or 1996 but with the fruit of 2019. This is absolutely a showstopper. Gorgeous tannins. So well crafted. The purity is the star here as is the transparency. The nose goes hard after an hour. It’s hard to describe as it’s got a lot of “non wine” aroma. 9.8 nose. Heavenly. Super sweet and silky now. Gorgeous fruit and opulence. What a finish. Unreal blackberry and black cherry inner mouth aromas an hour in. So structured and young but just incredible. After a day this is just stunning. Deep, dramatic and juicy. Wonderful structure and sexy black cherry fruit. Silky as silky can be. — 21 days ago
Penfolds
Bin 389 South Australia Cabernet Shiraz 2010
Dense dark crimson - almost black in colour. Red and black fruits, choc/mocha; and wild mint. An inner core of strength, concentration and intensity. The following night - Blackberry, rich, ripe fruits. A powerful 389 which will live for decades. My first of 11. Destined for greatness. 100% American Oak. 51% Cabernet Sauvignon; 49% Shiraz. — 3 months ago
Domaine François Buffet
Clos de la Rougeotte Volnay 1er Cru Pinot Noir 2023
The great Monopole from Buffet. In some years this is neck and neck with Clos des Chenes and Taillpieds. Gorgeous nose of dried and wet leaves, deep cherry, some oolong tea, Really compelling fruit on the nose. Such clear cherry, cherry bubblegum which is so typical of Rougeotte and stunning florals. Nose is so layered and complex. Gorgeous. What a palate. That classic chord progression again if sour/mid-season and late season cherry along with unreal sweetness. The sour-sweet cherry combo in 23 is the Buffet signature. Really well worked velvety tannins and exceptional freshness and acidity. Terrific inner mouth aromas and such purity. Extremely complex already and such suave texture despite there being girth and structure as is par for the course of Rougeotte. This needs to open but I think once it does it will be equal to or surpass the Champans. Let’s see. The nose now is more feral, but sweet feral. Big cherry but the chord effect and a bit of a maceration effect. Then that Rougeotte Hubba Bubba thing. Wow this is so good. So shockingly intense like you stuck a fork in an outlet. This is better than the Champans. This has gotten so suave and explosive now. Unreal texture and sweetness plus the finish and attack just explode onto onto the palate. Nose is feral today in the best way possible. Gorgeous, sensual minerals and earth .Wow the fruit is insane. So sweet, still explosive and such insane acidity and length. Just stunning. — 17 days ago
Domaine François Buffet
Carelles sous la Chapelle Volnay 1er Cru Pinot Noir 2022
So good. 22’s rounding into the form I had from barrel in June 23. Unreal cherry clarity on the nose and super floral. Pungent. Palate is so good. Opulent sweet fruit but all so chiseled. Juicy and just gorgeous clarity of fruit here. Sick inner mouth aromas. Such finesse and softness but structured softness. Unreal velvet texture. Let’s see what air does. Supple and sweeter with air. — 3 months ago
Domaine François Buffet
Clos des Chênes Volnay 1er Cru Pinot Noir 2023
Glory is this wine. Just one of the best wines in Burgundy now. After the 22 I had large expectations and this surpassed them. Nose is just bananas. Not literal bananas. The other type of bananas. The most complex cherry diaspora. Sour, mid season, late season and black. Spice galore and florals up the wazoo. Earth, limestone, dead leaves, living leaves and wet leaves. The nose is a 9.8 on the pop and pour. Just insane. Wild mint. What stands out the most is the layering and the clarity. Also the breadth. Wow that inner mouth perfume and endless, boundless energy that has the same fruit energy as La Tache. What I mean by that is this wine, yes can be about minerals as CDC is rocky, but man the fruit in 22 and now 23 is just in another register. Sappy, poised and clear as the sky is blue on a cloudless day. Yes the tannins are firm but you know with air they will melt into the fruit. The nobility of this site never fails to blow me away. Unreal concentration and density and just insane length. The tannins are velvety, sweet and intense but so so high class. Nose has so much florality, spice and red cherry fruit one cannot believe it. This is just insane. It’s almost a perfect wine. The balance is just beyond and the structure is incredible. This is a 50 year CDC. What a finish. Let’s see where this goes. After an hour the nose is remarkable. So deep, so nuanced, so spicy, so floral. Provocative. Palate is silky, sweet and so dense. Pumps the fruit out like an old set of Wilson Puppies. Unreal balance and purity. But this is built like a brick house. Let’s see where this goes. Will unfurl more but it’s a slow one! The concentration and tiny berry fruit intensity is off the charts. Now after 17 hours open its nose is full blown complex and flat out stunning. The cherry trifecta of sour/mid season and black. Mint and bramble plus wonderful and gorgeous sous bois. Stoney as well. All velvety bramble and such elegant and ripe tannin. A wave. Stunning inner mouth aromas, tiny berry fruit intensity and stunning purity. This seems like it’s more classic than the 22. Even on day 3 this is stunning. Lost nothing. — 22 days ago
Domaine Jean-Jacques Girard
Les Fichots Pernand-Vergelesses 1er Cru Pinot Noir 2023
I love this vineyard and Girard’s interpretation of it. Generous and enveloping nose with gorgeous mid season cherry, spice, seaweed paper, tweed jacket and macerated mid to late season cherries. Really provocative and deep aromas. Palate is classic young Fichots. A wall of tannin and gorgeous dark fruits that echoe but are currently 90% covered by tannins. So dense and chewy with just awesome inner mouth aromas and dark black and blue fruits and. sinewy, foresty vibe that is so intriguing. This wine needs air but is shaping up to be a classic Fichots. Nose opening up with dark cranberry, spice, forest floor and more. The Fichots aromatic complexity is really here in spades. I love this wine. Loosening up and getting so juicy. So pure. Really nice inner mouth aromas and terrific energy and freshness. Awesome on day 2. Nose is brambly and nuanced. Palate is out of this world. Dense and opulent fruit. So fresh. Bursting. Sweet and tart. 9.4 to 9.5 overnight. — 2 months ago
Lyle Fass
Founder Fass Selections
Out of this world. Andi is so slept on. This is just so vibrant, rich, nimble and full of amazingly pure fruit. Just shimmers. Gorgeous length and real elite purity to the fruit. Fantastic inner mouth aromas that are confectionary and that confection echoes on the finish and then ends with pitted stone fruits and mineral. Outrageous. Nose is all mineral, red plum, rainer cherry and apricot. Just so pure. — 13 days ago