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 2021 Il Carbonaione is a regal, elegant wine. Silky, beautifully perfumed and persistent, the 2021 is everything I want from Il Carbonaione. All the purity of Sangiovese caresses the senses in a wine that is both textually intense and also light on its feet. Dark red-toned fruit, rose petals, cinnamon, new leather and cedar are some of the many nuances that open in the glass. Silky, polished tannins wrap it all together in style. I would give this a few years in bottle, or a healthy decant if that is not possible.
Producer: Tenuta San Guido
The 2019 Guidalberto is a stellar wine. Rich, ample and resonant, the 2019 possesses superb depth and textural richness, both signatures of this warm, dry vintage. The 2019 Guidalberto hits it out of the park on that level.
Producer: Tenuta Antinori
Much the same can be said about the 2000 Solaia, another wine with plenty of near and medium-term appeal, but less potential for aging.
Producer: Fontodi
The 2018 Flaccianello della Pieve is another stellar wine from Fontodi. It is the richest Flaccianello ever made (in terms of dry extract), with elevated acidity that trails the 2016 by just a touch, but it does not taste like that at all. Dark cherry, violet, lavender, spice, mocha and graphite build with a bit of time in the glass.
Producer: Podere Poggio Scalette
The 2019 Il Carbonaione is silky and racy in the glass. Scents of new oak are a clear sign the 2019 doesn't quite have the density of the very best years, but Il Carbonaione has a brilliant track record of aging.
Producer: Jurij Fiore & Figlie
The 2022 Lassù a Lamole offers lemon oil, mint, jasmine and crushed rocks. A wild, eccentric white, the Lassù a Lamole is certainly compelling.
Producer: Podere Poggio Scalette
The 2019 Il Carbonaione is silky and racy in the glass. Scents of new oak are a clear sign the 2019 doesn't quite have the density of the very best years, but Il Carbonaione has a brilliant track record of aging.
Producer: Podere le Boncie
The 2020 Le Trame is fabulous. It's the sort of wine that can be deceptive at first given its mid-weight structure and understated personality. But the intensity of the flavors and the wine's persistence reveal themselves pretty quickly. Cedar, pipe tobacco, dried leaves, mint and blood orange play off a core of red-toned fruit. There's plenty of depth...
Producer: Montevertine
The 2021 Pian del Ciampolo is racy, supple and textured, with lovely up front and plenty of charm. In this vintage, the Pian del Ciampolo is quite generous and forward.
Producer: Jurij Fiore & Figlie
The 2016 Chianti Classico Lamole PuntodiVista is dense, pliant and super-expressive. A rush of sweet red cherry, pomegranate, mint and blood orange give the 2016 a decidedly exotic flair.
Producer: Podere Poggio Scalette
The 2019 Il Carbonaione is silky and racy in the glass. Scents of new oak are a clear sign the 2019 doesn't quite have the density of the very best years, but Il Carbonaione has a brilliant track record of aging.
Producer: Montevertine
Montevertine is situated in the heart of the Chianti district. The Montevertine is a firm, classically built wine that is likely to require quite a few years to unwind. Bright acidity and beams of tannin provide the structural backbone.
Producer: Montevertine
The 2021 Montevertine is a huge, potent wine. Dark, rich and explosive, the 2021 possesses tremendous depth, maybe too much. Readers will have to be patient. The inclusion of new vineyards in the Docciole sector have altered Montevertine; it's now a darker, more virile wine from mostly younger vines, in relative terms. In bottle, I find it a bit...
Producer: Tenuta San Guido
Intense dark ruby. Dark berry fruit and exotic spice scents fill the high-toned, penetrating nose. Offers a deep core of beautifully delineated blackberry and blackcurrant flavours layered with bell pepper and minerals.
Producer: Montevertine
The 2019 Le Pergole Torte is all class and refinement. At the same time, the 2019 is quite reticent at this stage. In this tasting, the Pergole Torte comes across as more refined and aromatically expressive than the Montevertine, with lovely brightness driving the red berry fruit. Elegant and sophisticated, the 2019 is a wine to treasure for the next...
Producer: Podere le Boncie
The 2018 Le Trame is a wine of striking translucent energy and nuance. Lifted aromatics and silky tannins let the purity of the Sangiovese fruit come through beautifully. Bright acids and a sense of energy add to the wine's many virtues.
Producer: Biondi Santi Tenuta Il Greppo
The 2004 Brunello di Montalcino Annata is bright, finely sculpted and capable of drinking well for another 20+ years. Sweet red cherry, chalk, mint, rose petal and cedar add shades of nuance on the finish. The 2004 is a gorgeous, vivid wine that still needs time.
The 2021 Il Carbonaione is a regal, elegant wine. Silky, beautifully perfumed and persistent, the 2021 is everything I want from Il Carbonaione. All the purity of Sangiovese caresses the senses in a wine that is both textually intense and also light on its feet. Dark red-toned fruit, rose petals, cinnamon, new leather and cedar are some of the many nuances that open in the glass. Silky, polished tannins wrap it all together in style. I would give this a few years in bottle, or a healthy decant if that is not possible.
