Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

This Right Bank Bordeaux is bright Ruby red, from a blend of Merlot (80%), rest Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Fresh red fruit with cedar spice aromas. On the palate flavors of blackberry and cherry with some cacao and licorice notes, adding oak and mineral tones. Fine tannins, medium finish, good balance with fruit, ending with smoky oak character, drink now on the younger side, no real benefit from long-term aging. — 17 days ago

Jay Kline

9.0

Presented double-blind at Tasting Group. In the glass the wine is a pale straw color with a silver rim. Medium viscosity with no signs of particles or gas. On the nose, the wine is very expressive or grapefruit, lime, and lemons withs some grassy, herbal qualities, yellow flowers and flint minerals. On the palate, the wine is dry with acidity that I perceive as high. Confirming the notes from the nose. Finish is medium+. I don’t get any obvious use of oak…it would have to be extremely judicious if at all. Initial conclusion: this could be Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Chenin Blanc, Albariño or maybe even Chardonnay from France, California, Germany or Spain. But I don’t get the petrol thing I associate with Riesling and it’s missing the white flowers and lanolin for Chenin. Not enough salinity for Albariño and the acid just seems too high for Chardonnay, even from Chablis. I think the structure is the key here. Final conclusion, this is a Sauvignon Blanc, from France, from the Loire, from Sancerre, 2020 vintage. Welp…at least I was in the right ballpark! This was a wine full of energy and one I would be happy to drink again. Drink now to enjoy its lovely fruit and acid. As a side note, it’s becoming harder and harder to find distinction from Old World and New World (which is probably why the CMS has stopped using the terms altogether), particularly with Sauvignon Blanc. A combination of climate change and winemaking has certainly blurred the lines.
— a year ago

Brian Kostreba

8.9

Pretty good brut, not sweet but with the right amount of fruit. More on the dry side than sweet. Good substitute for a French Crémant wine. I’m sure it cost less. $10.99 at Costco. — 2 years ago

Will Stanley

9.6

My first time here in Chablis! I chose to have with dinner (Wine Not, a fantastic wine bar & restaurant in Chablis) a bottle from a winemaker who doesn’t need a great deal of introduction nowadays. Samuel Billaud has fast become one of the region’s most exciting winemakers, so I was eager to try something of his. This was on the list for the veritable bargain of €65. Mont de Milieu is a premier cru from the right bank of the Sereine, a vineyard which shares a very similar aspect, and soils, to Les Clos. The 2020 here is a wine of immense presence, structure, classicism, with a slight hedonistic character. The flavours lean toward the fuller side of the spectrum, with flavours of marzipan, orange peel and fresh cut marmalade, with a hint of honey. But there is terrific zip on entry, incredible minerality; any weight to this wine is lean, muscular and structured, possessing deft acidity, a lovely herbaceous quality (think tomato vine) and a finish to die for. I’ve immediately bought four bottles of this back home and can’t wait to enjoy it again. — a month ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.3

2019 vintage. Huge Chambord and kirschy aromas and flavors. Medium body. More acidity than tannins currently but that could flip in 5-7 years. Drinking closer to Russian River Valley Pinot Noir instead of CDP currently. On the “artsy” CDP side as it were right here right now. Definitely missing the late 80’s-early 90’s cigar/tobacco/smoke counter-argument from this particular producer, place and offering. 4.17.23. — 2 years ago

Will Stanley

9.2

The 2012 Chateau Fonplégade is a lush, textured wine with bags of charm from a poor vintage, unmistakably right bank Bordeaux but with more than a nod, somehow, to the ripe and succulent wines of the southern Rhône.

Tasted immediately on opening, it was rather large on all fronts - really quite a ‘wow’ moment in fairness, and a splendid nose, but asking for time in the decanter (side note: actually preferred it after this pop’n’pour!)

Classical aromas of cigar box, cassis and kirsch dominate the nose; the palate is then quite concentrated with fruit that leans toward the riper side of freshness but carries through to a long and generous finish.

Overall, this is a big, showy Saint Emilion - perhaps a little over-extracted but a terrific wine nonetheless considering the vintage. I prefer the 2011 by comparison, but look forward to trying this again in a few years’ time.
— 2 years ago

Willie Carter

9.6

I absolutely adore this wine. Probably one of the best Premier Cru Chablis bottles I can remember tasting. A lovely medium straw color in the glass with faint tinges of green flecks. The bouquet is a tour de force of chalk, salinity, and citrus. Herbs and honey with just the right amount of oak.

It’s always fun when producers offer late releases which helps with potential cellaring. Developed but still on the young side, this is ready to drink now. The acid is just now beginning to develop into something beautiful. Emotional and thrilling on the tongue honey roasted nuts, lemons and limes, and seashells. A long persistent finish leaves you hoping you have a few more left. — 8 months ago

Jakub Kalinowski

9.2

Nice, rich, enticing aroma of blackberries & fresh black plumsc with spicy cedar and a fresh whiff of lavender. Ther’s a tiny hint of freshly cracked black pepper and allspice. Warm & rich yet nicely fresh & juicy.
On the palate this is medium bodied with beautiful, velvety, plush, juicy tannins. So finely polished. Nicely balanced with the acidity still fresh and while the fruit is slowly starting to show some age, it’s still juicy - I like the savoury, earthy side. Good depth and length, too.
This has to be peaking right now and is drinking very nicely. — a year ago

John Bratincevic

9.0

NOSE: plum…cherry…yeast…and — I’m not joking — DEAD MOUSE. Like, right out of the mousetrap. Also some kind of wild brambly berry cordial. Also, raspberry tea.

TASTE: silky cherry - you can really taste the cherry pits. Light-medium weight. A little almond extract. Some herbs I can’t quite peg - like a really mild clove. Weak drip coffee on the finish. Mild mannered (you’ll notice all my adjectives connoting watered-down), but good. No dead animal tastes that I notice. 🤣

To me, this is an 89 or a 90 … I usually err on the lower side of my instincts, but I think a 90 is warranted. — 2 years ago

Jay Kline

9.2

This was presented to me double-blind at Tasting Group. The wine appeared deep ruby with a nearly opaque core. There’s slight staining of the tears and the viscosity appears medium+. On the nose the wine is intense. It’s slightly funky with an almost cheese rind sort of thing going on. There’s a combination of red and dark fruits with some purple flowers, dried tobacco leaf, something that sort of resembled pyrazines and a little bit of baking spices which suggests there’s some French barrique being used. On the palate, the wine is bone dry and fiercely tannic. Acid is medium ++. It’s definitely on the darker fruit side with some black berries and blue berries, black pepper and baking spices which all but confirms French barrique at this point. Long finish. I’m scratching my head with this one. It’s wild. Clean and fresh…but wild.

I could see this in a few places: Moulin-à-Vent is one possibility considering all the darker fruit and firm structure. However, I find some real Italian sensibilities to this wine. Despite the monumental structure, I cannot place this in northern Italy. Given the presence of French barrique, I could see this being a Cabernet Sauvignon-based Super Tuscan with a little Syrah and Sangiovese for good measure. So that was my call: 2015 Super Tuscan.

Wow…what a lovely surprise. I mistook the Rotundone for pyrazines (a recurring issue for me) which had me thinking Bordeaux varieties instead of Syrah. And to be fair, we don’t see a lot of Côte Rôtie at Tasting Group. This was my first time tasting the 2016 “La Chavaroche” and while it was a real treat (big thanks to the generous member of the group), it was also a reminder as to why I cellar my bottles of “La Chavaroche” for so long. This is a wee babe and frankly, pretty tough for me to love right now. That being said, the quality and character is unquestionable. I say give it until 2030+ and these will light up your right prefrontal cortex like a supernova.
— 3 years ago