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2008 Sauternes and Barsacs (May 2010)

Bright golden yellow. Fresh apricot, orange oil, hazelnut and racy spices on the tangy nose. Silky, lush and deep, with superb balancing acidity keeping this utterly seamless wine light on its feet. Showing more spice than apricot fruit now but this refined, very long wine is dusty with material and very long and subtle on…

Magic and Madness: Climens 1912-2020 (Aug 2022)

The 2004 Climens has a strict bouquet that is overshadowed by the superior 2005, a little drier and more timid, candle wax and lanolin permeating the light honeyed fruit. The palate is better with quince, saffron, white pepper and a touch of chlorine. A little bitterness towards the finish lends freshness. Somewhat awkward, yet fascinating….

2004 and 2003 Sauternes and Barsacs (Jul 2006)

Pale color. Intriguing, complex, slightly reduced nose hints at mirabelle, smoke, truffle, minerals and menthol. Fat and full in the mouth, but currently a bit low-toned, with a complicating fusel nuance. Today the element of vanillin oak is quite apparent. Rather unctuous for the property and for the vintage.

Bordeaux 2018: Not Back in Black (Mar 2021)

My feeling about the 2018 Réserve de la Comtesse is pretty much the same as it was when I first tasted it en primeur. It is an attractive, gracious wine with plenty of immediacy and appeal, but not the depth of some previous editions. I imagine that mostly reflects the significant presence of young vine…

The Future’s Definitely Not What It Was: Bordeaux 2018 (Mar 2021)

The 2018 Réserve de Pichon Comtesse has undergone a discreet change of name since the 2017 vintage. What has not changed is that it’s a knockout Second Label. It ladles out gorgeous scents of blackberry mixed with iodine and violets, just as it did from barrel. The palate is quite rich and generous, with saturated,…

Bordeaux 2018: Not Back in Black (Mar 2021)

The 2018 Le Dôme is rich, deep and yet also translucent, with striking depth and tons of character. Sweet black cherry, lavender, spice and menthol lend tons of nuance. As always, Cabernet Franc drives Le Dôme, and that comes through loud and clear in the wine's lifted aromatic profile and pulsing energy. The 2018 is…