Jay Kline

9.1

Closerie du Pelan was a recent acquisition by the Amoreau family (Chateau Le Puy). This particular example from the 2001 vintage was made by the previous owner; some leftover stock from the cellars.

Popped and poured. The 2001 pours a rudy color with a near opaque core. Medium viscosity with light staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is vinous with nose of cassis, dark plum, tobacco, cigar box, damp earth and gentle baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannins (mostly integrated) and medium acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium. This was a lovely surprise and I’m super curious how the Amoreau-effect will play a role at Closerie du Pelan from 2022, onward. Drink now through 2031+ — 3 months ago

Brecht Spileers

9.7

Soldera ‘16 vs Marroneto MDG ‘16. 5 miles and worlds apart. The Soldera is an almost delicate, feminine wine with sweet spices, ripe fruits and has extreme longevity. At this point it lacks tertiary elements yet the wine feels ready. It will evolve but it seems a matter of preference whether one wants to wait for that. If you prefer to wait, don’t try it today, this wine will haunt you from the first sniff onward. Absolutely fantastic and a fantastic contrast to the Marroneto. Extremely grateful for the opportunity. — 3 years ago

with Charlotte

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.4

Preposterous. Only word for this wine. Stunning nose. Pungent red and black fruits, lovely dusting of earth, floral, lipstick like intensity, so sappy and so pure. Wow what a nose. Just so so expansive. Really detailed, clear and pure. Really is a step up over the 18. Wow what a palate. Froooooooot! I am Froot. I am Froot. I am Froot. Anyway. Gorgeous, clearly defined red cherry fruit with a dash of blackberry and so so pure. Gorgeous earthy minerality. But the purity, decadence and also gamey (Gevrey?) quality of the fruit really are compelling. Wow, inner mouth florals and aromas. Beautiful, elegant and taught structure as well. So so pretty. Sappy, long and dissipating finish. This is an unreal wine. I can’t figure out if it’s a 9.3 or 9.4. The day will decide. Onward! I am Froot!

Palate is getting rounded and this has the elite fruit of Pierre’s higher end wines but doesn’t have the complexity or length. But man that froot and texture.

After 4 hours this has gotten silkier, sweeter and sexier. 9.3 to 9.4. Insane acids. Huge minerals. It dances in the palate. — 3 years ago

Ian Hamel

9.1

2024/2/14. It’s hard to give a wine like this a meaningful numerical score. While it’s not a “perfect” Champagne (whatever that means), I’m extremely happy that producers and wines like this exist. While it would be wonderful to have deep verticals of Salon, Clos de Mesnil, etc. to dip into whenever the craving for a mature blanc de blancs strikes, it recedes further into the realm of ridiculous fantasy with every vintage. How many options are there to buy mature blanc de blancs at reasonable prices? Sure, this is a bit lean from the mid palate onward, with rather prominent acidity, but the nose is what it’s about, and it fleshes out a bit with air too. — 4 months ago

Jenn Ingle

9.0

Wet stone and Play Doh on the nose. Delicate cherry character with a clean finish. Some acidity and some astringency. Medium bodied. Very drinkable. Maybe too drinkable ;) — 2 years ago

John Mascarenhas

9.2

Very pleasant surprise from the first sip onward. This will be much had this year. — 3 years ago

Katharine Bodan

10

Lots of cherry. Beautiful, easy drinking right out of the bottle. — 3 years ago

with Mike

Amy

9.0

nice juicy — a year ago

Ely Cohn

9.3

Molitor has intensions for crazy tension. Vibrations 1000 beats a second, floats in place like a hummingbird. Auteur in that you really can't imagine this could happen by accident.

There's an elegant element from first nasal prick onward. Finger limes, clementine, lemon confections, gasoline, and flint reaching way up back. Level 8 acid hides a dose of sweet. Flavors that remind me of sugar coated grapefruit halves drizzled in honey - they go on and on and on. — 2 years ago

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9.3

The 1975 La Mission Haut-Brion has been hailed in some quarters as a high point for the estate in the Seventies. My own experience has been one of inconsistency, especially compared to the reliable and, in my mind, superior 1978. According to a half-dozen or so tasting notes from 2000 onward, the 1975 was always robust, dense and nearly impenetrable. One bottle at the vertical in 2008 finally lived up to high expectations, but a follow-up two years later felt charmless. This bottle is conspicuously deep in hue. The nose is backward at first, eventually revealing blackberry, iodine and light licorice scents; later, a touch of gaminess creeps in. The palate is full-bodied and full of sinew, with thick tannins framing the multilayered, ferrous black fruit. This is huge in terms of grip, and almost brutish toward the finish. It’s impressive in stature, but the 1978 possesses greater nuance and more panache. Tasted at a private dinner in Hong Kong. Neal Martin, Vinous, September 2021)
— 3 years ago