Producer: Dehours et Fils
The Dehours Champagne Brut Grande Reserve is the result of an assemblage of Meunier, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, with a great percentage of vin de rèserve, fermented according to Solera methods, embraced by Jerome in 1998.
Producer: Gerard Perseval
Gérard Perseval combines his extensive knowledge of biodynamic viticulture and his profound respect for nature to create structured and complex wines, treasures in bottles capable of exciting the senses.
Producer: Jacquesson
The NV Extra-Brut Cuvée No. 744 is soft, open-knit and caressing. The natural radiance of the vintage comes through in the wine's ample, creamy feel. Apricot, spice, dried flowers, hazelnut and lightly honeyed notes are all beautifully laced together.
Producer: Jacquesson
For the 2018 harvest in Aÿ, Dizy, Hautvillers (68%), Avize and Oiry (32%), the previous winter was exceptionally rainy, this was followed by a mild, stormy spring. The weather changed from June onwards, becoming fine and dry, resulting in a particularly early harvest: we started picking on 30 August and finished on 11 September. The vines were in perfect...
Producer: Jacquesson
NV Extra-Brut Cuvée No. 743 (2015 base) is soft, open-knit and caressing. The natural radiance of 2015 comes through in the wine's ample, creamy feel. Apricot, spice, dried flowers, hazelnut and lightly honeyed notes are all beautifully laced together.
Producer: Bouquin Dupont Fils
A wonderful champagne, 100% Chardonnay of Avize from vineyards more than 60 years old. A base of citrus fruit melted with the scent, and taste, of a custard where there are also two drops of lemon juice. Delicious and enjoyable.
Producer: Jacquesson
2017, the harvest from Ay, Dizy, Hautvillers (66%) Avize and Oiry (34%). Winter and Spring were exceptionally dry; the beginning of Spring was mild but, in April, destructive frosts ravaged the vineyards, especially in the Côte des Blancs. Temperatures then rose and the weather was good until July. The end of the growing season was hot but very wet. The...
Producer: Jacquesson
2019. Winter was mild and dry. Spring frost struck three times and mainly caused damage to our Chardonnay vines, hence the predominance of the Pinots in this cuvee. Summer was dry with heatwaves that caused sunburn. We harvested a very high-quality crop with moderate yields from 12th to 22nd September. The wines are structured, balanced, long and complex....
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The 1990 Barbaresco Riserva Santo Stefano (magnum) is a last-minute addition to the lineup and also one of the most breathtaking wines of the night. Of course, the magnum format helps, but the 1990 is captivating from the moment I taste it. Crushed flowers, sweet red berry fruit, spice and mint are some of the many nuances that develop in the glass, but it is the wine's mind-blowing balance that steals the day.
Producer: Ferdinando Principiano
Principiano Langhe Nebbiolo comes predominately from a small 40 year-old hectare of Nebbiolo vines in the Le Coste di Monforte vineyard and a small portion from the Boscareto plot of Serralunga. The depth, richness and detail Principiano is able to coax from these vines is impressive.
Producer: Ferdinando Principiano
The 2019 Barolo Ravera di Monforte is a wild, exotic wine. Iron, game, chalk, white pepper, incense, dried herbs and macerated cherry give the Ravera tons of aromatic and flavour complexity.
Producer: Giuseppe Rinaldi
The 2022 Langhe Nebbiolo is a gracious, mid-weight wine to drink now and over the next few years. Attractive spice and floral notes add shades of nuance to the Nebbiolo fruit. Short-ish fermentations keep the flavors bright.
Producer: Bartolo Mascarello
The 2010 Barolo is one of the most striking, hauntingly beautiful wines I have ever tasted here. Mysterious and slow to show its cards, the 2010 impresses for its inner perfume, sweetness and exceptional overall balance. Today the striking fruit and classic, austere elements of the vintage take turns in dominating the wine's balance.
Producer: Bartolo Mascarello
The 2017 Barolo is gracious, perfumed and very nicely lifted. An effusive, floral bouquet opens first, followed by a rush of red berry fruit. Nervous, a bit wiry at this stage, the 2017 is going to need at least a few years to fully open, but all the elements are in place to allow that to happen.
Producer: Elio Grasso
The 2020 Barolo Ginestra Casa Matè is gorgeous. Aromatically captivating and nuanced, the 2020 impresses right out of the gate. All the classic Ginestra signatures are present. Today the tannins are pretty imposing in the positive sense, as they are present, but also impeccably balanced within the wine's frame. This is impressive stuff.
Producer: Angelo Gaja
The 1998 Sorì San Lorenzo is one of the most pleasant surprises in this tasting. Fresher than the 1997 - even if not as voluptuous - the 1998 captures the best qualities of the year. Smoke, tobacco, menthol, plums and black cherries are all laced together in a silky, perfumed wine that is stunning today. This is a terrific showing from the 1998.
Producer: Giuseppe Rinaldi
The 2018 Barolo Tre Tine is a super-classic wine. It reminds so much of a wine Beppe Rinaldi might have made, austere, tuat Barolo built on energy and tension more than prmiary fruit.
Producer: Giacomo Conterno
A wine of breadth and grandeur, the 2010 boasts tremendous depth in every dimension. Time in the glass brings out kirsch, rose petal, menthol, leather and mocha nuances, but the 2010 is ultimately a wine to adore for its complete and profound beauty. From magnum it is truly mesmerizing. 100 points Antonio Galloni
Producer: Ferdinando Principiano
Ferdinando Principiano is an authentic, passionate and courageous winemaker, in love with his land and guided in his work by an uncommon poetic vein. He took over the reins of the family winery in 1993, full of enthusiasm and fresh from his diploma in oenology, ready to conquer international markets. Since 2003 he converted to a production philosophy...
Producer: Ferdinando Principiano
The 2020 Barolo Ravera di Monforte is a powerful, beguiling wine. Black cherry, lavender, spice, menthol, licorice and scorched earth confer somber intensity that is matched by the wine's depth and tannic heft. This wild, savory Barolo is going to need a few years to come into its own.
Producer: Giacomo Conterno
The 2017 Barbera d'Alba Francia is ravishingly beautiful. Silky, sensual and impeccably polished, with tremendous palate presence. The richness of the warm, dry year is very much in evidence, and yet the wine is superb.
Producer: Bartolo Mascarello
The 2010 Barolo is one of the most striking, hauntingly beautiful wines I have ever tasted here. Mysterious and slow to show its cards, the 2010 impresses for its inner perfume, sweetness and exceptional overall balance. Today the striking fruit and classic, austere elements of the vintage take turns in dominating the wine's balance.
Producer: Giacomo Conterno
The 1996 Barolo Cascina Francia is a prototypical wine for the vintage. Hard as nails and completely forbidding when it was first released, the 1996 has developed into a stellar wine. Well-stored bottles will drink well for 20-30 years, perhaps more.
Producer: Elio Grasso
The 2019 Barolo Ginestra Casa Matè is rich, dark and explosive. Dark-fleshed fruit, cloves menthol, liquorice, scorched earth, leather and dried flowers are some of the notes that infuse the 2019 with character.
Producer: Produttori del Barbaresco
The 2017 Barbaresco Rabaja is a potent, searingly tannic wine that will need a few years to come together. Brooding and backward, even for young Rabaja, the 2017 is painfully young today. Today, the 2017 is a real powerhouse, black fruit, menthol, licorice, melted road tar develp in the glass.
The 1990 Barbaresco Riserva Santo Stefano (magnum) is a last-minute addition to the lineup and also one of the most breathtaking wines of the night. Of course, the magnum format helps, but the 1990 is captivating from the moment I taste it. Crushed flowers, sweet red berry fruit, spice and mint are some of the many nuances that develop in the glass, but it is the wine's mind-blowing balance that steals the day.
