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Cristal – The 1980s…A Decade of Change (Dec 2018)

The 1985 Cristal is powerful and resonant on the palate, with just the earliest hints of oxidative notes starting to appear. The 1985 may not have quite the layers, focus or pedigree of the very best years, but it more than makes up for that with its inviting, generous personality. There is so much to…

Cristal in Magnum: It’s Another World (Dec 2019)

An explosion of aromas, flavors and textures emerges from the 1989 Cristal Rosé (magnum). In this warm vintage the Pinot is especially evident in the wine’s intensity, color and sheer breadth. A Champagne of striking inner perfume and sweetness, the 1989 caresses the palate with stunning depth and seemingly endless resonance. Sweet floral and spice…

2017 Bordeaux – Mirror, Mirror on The Wall… (Mar 2020)

A gorgeous, alluring Pauillac, the 2017 Pontet-Canet is racy and exceptionally polished, with floral top notes that bring out the natural brightness of the red-toned fruit. Super-silky tannins add to the wine's immediacy and sheer allure. The 2017 was the first wine made with the new sorting table. About half the fruit was destemmed by…

Vintage Seeks Home: Bordeaux 2017 In Bottle (Jan 2020)

The 2017 Pontet-Canet offers attractive red berry fruit mixed with cedar and potpourri, underneath which lies subtle aromas of graphite that I would like to see a little more of as it matures in bottle. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins that render this one of the more approachable vintages in recent years. The…

La Lumière Noire: 2019 Burgundy – Côte de Nuits (Dec 2020)

The 2019 Gevrey-Chambertin Clos Saint-Jacques 1er Cru was a little reduced on the nose when I tasted it from barrel. The palate is quite dense with good grip and darker fruit than the Ruchottes, leading to a lightly peppered finish. I will reserve judgment for later.

2014 Red Burgundies: Delicious Terroir-Driven Midweights (Mar 2017)

Bright red. Knockout nose offers scents of black raspberry, cherry, rose petal, smoky minerality and sexy sweet oak. Tactile, ripe and spicy, with pepper and spice high notes accentuating the wine’s sharp definition. Redder its in fruit character than the Clos des Ruchottes, and even finer-grained in the middle palate, but also more tannic on…