Tuesday, July 31, 2018

Domaine Gérard JULIEN & Fils (Comblanchien) -- 2015 Tasted from Bottle


I have no previous experience with this estate, although I have seen the wines in some Paris stores that generally have very good Burgundy selections.

My understanding is that this estate comprises 10 hectares, mostly in Nuits and Côtes de Nuits-Villages, cared for in lutte raisonnée (i.e., organic except as a last resort). Son Étienne has recently taken control and is perceived as upgrading the quality. The cellars are located in Comblanchien.

My response on tasting through this set of wines is that they were good, not great, and this is an estate I would want to see more of. (Continue reading here.)

posted by Claude Kolm has been writing The Fine Wine Review since 1986. At the end of 2014, it switched to a blog in order to allow more timely and in depth information about estates. @ 6:13 PM  

Monday, July 30, 2018

Wines from Provence -- Peyrassol, Pradeaux/Portalis, Saint-Andrée de Figuière/Figuière, Saint-Andrieu


All wines below are red, except as otherwise noted. (Continue reading here.)

posted by Claude Kolm has been writing The Fine Wine Review since 1986. At the end of 2014, it switched to a blog in order to allow more timely and in depth information about estates. @ 3:31 PM  

Friday, July 27, 2018

Domaine Jean-Marc MILLOT (Nuits-Saint-Georges) -- 2105 Tasted from Bottle

This is a very good collection, worth seriously considering should you come across the wines. (Continue reading here.)

posted by Claude Kolm has been writing The Fine Wine Review since 1986. At the end of 2014, it switched to a blog in order to allow more timely and in depth information about estates. @ 10:31 PM  

Thursday, July 26, 2018

Domaine Anne et Hervé SIGAUT (Chambolle-Musigny) -- 2015 Tasted from Bottle

This estate practices lutte raisonnée in the vineyards (i.e., only use non-organic ingredients as a last resort). All grapes are destemmed, and use of new oak is modest: 10 - 33%. The estate produces two village Chambolles, six Chambolle premiers crus, two Morey premiers crus, and in white, a well-sited village Puligny (Enseignières). 

The prices of top Chambolle (and Morey) producers such as Roumier and Mugnier has skyrocketed, creating an opening for less well-known producers to bring their wines to the fore. Sigaut is one of them; there are others in that category that I would more willingly search out, as I find some rusticity here and terroir expression is not strong. But still, there are good vineyards here, so this is an estate worth watching. (Continue reading here.)

posted by Claude Kolm has been writing The Fine Wine Review since 1986. At the end of 2014, it switched to a blog in order to allow more timely and in depth information about estates. @ 3:26 PM  

Monday, July 23, 2018

Miscellaneous Southern Rhône and Provence Wines: La Bargemone, La Bastide Blanche, Fondrèche, Fouques, Le Galantin, l'Oratoire St-Martin

All wines below are red except as otherwise indicated. (Continue reading here.)

posted by Claude Kolm has been writing The Fine Wine Review since 1986. At the end of 2014, it switched to a blog in order to allow more timely and in depth information about estates. @ 8:45 PM  

Thursday, July 19, 2018

Domaine Nicolas ROSSIGNOL (Volnay) -- 2015 Tasted from Bottle


Some years ago, I found Rossignol’s wines to be grotesquely over-extracted and over-oaked. They’ve improved since then, but still have further to go, in my opinion. Some others are more positive about these wines than I. (Continue reading here.)

posted by Claude Kolm has been writing The Fine Wine Review since 1986. At the end of 2014, it switched to a blog in order to allow more timely and in depth information about estates. @ 12:10 PM  

Tuesday, July 17, 2018

Domaine HEITZ-LOCHARDET (Chassagne-Montrachet) -- 2015 Tasted from Bottle

The wines from this estate have only appeared on the market beginning with the 2013 vintage; prior to that, Joseph Drouhin was fortunate enough to take the harvest; as you can see below, there are some very choice appellations.

Production is now biodynamic.


The wines I’ve tasted have been good to very good, but there is a lot of promise here, and this is an estate worth watching. (Continue reading here.)

posted by Claude Kolm has been writing The Fine Wine Review since 1986. At the end of 2014, it switched to a blog in order to allow more timely and in depth information about estates. @ 7:28 PM  

Monday, July 16, 2018

Étienne SAUZET (Puligny-Montrachet) -- 2015 Tasted from Bottle

For the most part, this selection of wines seems more about the vintage than the respective terroirs. There’s a touch of tropical fruit to several of them and except for the Combettes, terroir is not a strong element. Perhaps with time they will shape up? (Continue reading here.)

posted by Claude Kolm has been writing The Fine Wine Review since 1986. At the end of 2014, it switched to a blog in order to allow more timely and in depth information about estates. @ 11:42 AM  

Saturday, July 14, 2018

Domaine Y. CLERGET (Volnay) -- 2015s from Bottle

My experience with wines from this producer is not broad, but this quartet confirms my previous views: not at the top of the (very competitive) heap, but wines that I am more than happy to drink. (Continue reading here.)

posted by Claude Kolm has been writing The Fine Wine Review since 1986. At the end of 2014, it switched to a blog in order to allow more timely and in depth information about estates. @ 6:51 PM  

Thursday, July 12, 2018

Northern Rhônes Recently Tasted: Coursodon; Ferraton; Gonon; Jamet/Corine, Jean-Paul & Loïc Jamet; Perret

(Originally published 12 July 2018.)

With 2015 and 2016, we have two excellent vintages, with, in general, more freshness in 2016 and more power in 2015. (Continue reading here.)

posted by Claude Kolm has been writing The Fine Wine Review since 1986. At the end of 2014, it switched to a blog in order to allow more timely and in depth information about estates. @ 5:37 PM  

Tuesday, July 10, 2018

Domaine de la POUSSE D'OR (Volnay) -- 2015 Côte de Beaune Wines Tasted from Bottle

Background on the 2015 vintage at Pousse d’Or and my tasting of these and other wines is located here. (Continue reading here.)

posted by Claude Kolm has been writing The Fine Wine Review since 1986. At the end of 2014, it switched to a blog in order to allow more timely and in depth information about estates. @ 9:18 PM  

Monday, July 9, 2018

Domaine du CROIX (Beaune) -- 2015 Tasted from Bottle

David Croix has made very good wines whenever I have tasted them. That's certainly the case here, too, although one the whole, these wines were a little below what I had expected; perhaps they'd already begun to shut down. (Continue reading here.)

posted by Claude Kolm has been writing The Fine Wine Review since 1986. At the end of 2014, it switched to a blog in order to allow more timely and in depth information about estates. @ 7:56 PM  

Sunday, July 8, 2018

Domaine ARNOUX-LACHAUX (Vosne-Romanée) -- 2015 Tasted from Bottle

My explanation of the 2015 vintage at Arnoux-Lachaux and review of the wines (mostly) from barrel is here.https://the-fine-wine-review.blogspot.com/p/originally-published-10-march-2017.html

As I’ve written before, Jean-Charles Lachaux has taken the domaine in a new stylistic direction and is doing an excellent job with it. (Continue reading here.)

posted by Claude Kolm has been writing The Fine Wine Review since 1986. At the end of 2014, it switched to a blog in order to allow more timely and in depth information about estates. @ 7:21 PM  

Saturday, July 7, 2018

Domaine FOURRIER (Gevrey-Chambertin) -- 2015 Tasted from Bottle

As one would expect, another very successful vintage from Jean-Marie Fourrier. These wines and others are reviewed from tank and barrel here.

The compression of quality in the 2015 is quite evident with these wines, with not all that much difference in quality showing between the village wine and the premiers crus. (Continue reading here.)

posted by Claude Kolm has been writing The Fine Wine Review since 1986. At the end of 2014, it switched to a blog in order to allow more timely and in depth information about estates. @ 5:53 PM  

Friday, July 6, 2018

Domaine Georges NOËLLAT (Vosne-Romanée) -- 2015s Tasted from Bottle

These are the domaine wines; two of the 2015 négociant wines Maxime Cheurlin made under his own name are reviewed from bottle here. Notes on both the domaine and negociant tasted from barrel are here.

posted by Claude Kolm has been writing The Fine Wine Review since 1986. At the end of 2014, it switched to a blog in order to allow more timely and in depth information about estates. @ 5:28 PM  

Thursday, July 5, 2018

Domaine HUDELOT-NOËLLAT (Chambolle-Musigny) -- 2015 Tasted from Bottle

My review of these and other wines tasted from barrel is here.

The outstanding quality that this estate has attained in recent years is amply reflected in these wines. (Continue reading here.)

posted by Claude Kolm has been writing The Fine Wine Review since 1986. At the end of 2014, it switched to a blog in order to allow more timely and in depth information about estates. @ 7:36 PM  

Monday, July 2, 2018

Miscellaneous 2016 Southern Burgundy Whites: Joseph Drouhin, Paul Janin, Héritiers du Comte Lafon, Marchand-Tawse, Robert-Denogent, Soeur Cadette/Montanet, Thévenet/Domaine des 7 Terroirs

(Continue reading here.)

posted by Claude Kolm has been writing The Fine Wine Review since 1986. At the end of 2014, it switched to a blog in order to allow more timely and in depth information about estates. @ 6:22 PM  

Sunday, July 1, 2018

Paul et Marie JACQUESON (Rully) -- 2016s Tasted from Bottle

This is one of my favorite estates in the Côte Chalonnaise. Should you be lucky enough to come across the wines, don’t pass them up. (Continue reading here.)

posted by Claude Kolm has been writing The Fine Wine Review since 1986. At the end of 2014, it switched to a blog in order to allow more timely and in depth information about estates. @ 3:17 PM