Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.0

2023 vintage. Resto cost $14.50 or so per bottle. Excellent value for a step above entry-level red Bordeaux. Structure, fruit and purpose. 3.27.26. — 2 months ago

Scott Kahn

9.2

What a fantastic representation of the Roght Bank! Deep garnet in color with vibrant fruit on the nose and palette. Highly structured but with well aged and softened tannins to support notes of leather, oak, and the typical sous bois of Bordeaux. Still much life left in this bottle - surprising for this vintage. — 2 years ago

Delectable Wine

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9.2

The 2020 Beauséjour Héritiers Duffau-Lagarrosse is aged in around 60% new oak and made by Nicolas Thienpont and Stéphane Derenoncourt; Joséphine Duffau tweaked the blend when she took over in April of the following year. This was bottled at the end of May 2022. It has a perfumed nose, predominantly red fruit, sous-bois and a subtle Japanese nori scent. Quite "contained" at the moment, I can see this shutting down. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grain tannins, dark cherries, bilberry and hints of black pepper and black olive (the latter is accentuated in the chateau bottle). Nicely balanced and persistent, this Saint-Émilion should age with class. Tasted twice with consistent notes. (Neal Martin, Vinous, February 2023) — 3 years ago

Mario Vaillancourt

9.0

Comme toujours très beau, du fruit blanc, des notes très légèrement beurrées et une petite touche de bois perceptible compte tenu surement de la jeunesse du vin, bel équilibre entre une acidité bien dosée et une certaine rondeur, sans être riche, très bien mais à attendre selon moi. 90-91

As usual gorgeous wine, white fruit,a very slight buttery and oaky touch, mothing too much, nice balance between acidity and roundness, nothing too heavy, very nice but needs some time in the cellar in my humble opinion. — 4 years ago

Michael Walker

9.7

This is the Couterier St Veran Cour de Bois…..an eminently quaffable white, a real thirst quencher - does that make it good? Pretty simple, sparkly, bright nose, not much structure or body, but tasty. None of that acidic finish I dislike — 7 months ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.2

Medium ruby , quite wide garnet rim, clear and bright . Cassis , blackberry , sous bois , mint , cedar , grafite , good clarity and surprisingly fruit driven still . Good volume on the palate , dark fruits , mint , good acidity and still quite gritty tannins. Saline and grafite tinged finish . Good length . Drinking very well now and over the next 5 years . For 2002 this is showing very well, classic and surprisingly elegant, a really nice surprise! — 2 years ago

Delectable Wine

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9.3

The 2020 Beychevelle was perplexing from barrel. Re-tasting it three or four times, I discerned a faint but nagging vegetal note on the finish, though it was not evident on a bottle subsequently tasted at the property, which governed my banded score. Returning to Bordeaux to taste the wines that had been bottled in June 2022, I certainly appreciate the bouquet that is clean and pure with blackberry, bilberry, cedar and background sous-bois aromas. The oak is beautifully integrated. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins and well-judged acidity. Quite intense black fruit laced with graphite, perhaps a tad more peppery than usual. On the first bottle encountered at a merchant, I picked up on the green note that sent alarm bells ringing. A second bottle at the château unequivocally showed no signs at all, very sleek and poised with a residual tingle of black pepper. Based on this sample, I am cautiously optimistic about this Beychevelle, though I will always keep a lookout for that trait. (Neal Martin, Vinous, February 2023) — 3 years ago

Andrew Cullimore

8.9

Medium deep garnet , medium terracotta rim . A very healthy looking colour. Quite mature and venerable on the nose , sous bois , iodine, plum, old wood , earthy with herbal touches and fresh tobacco . Reasonable volume on the palate with light sous bois and nori notes , quite fresh acidity and slightly gritty tannins still. Tobacco , grafite slightly short finish. Quite a good showing for a wine of almost 80 years old, enough interest and volume on the palate . Probably better a few decades ago , but certainly more than a curiosity as the wine stayed with us well for over 2 hours . Drink now . This was an ex chateau bottle that had been reconditioned at some point , I would imagine by the looks of the cork , about 20-25 years ago. No mention of this on the bottle however . Into neck fill. — 10 months ago

Jay Kline

9.3

Clos des Forêts is a monopole of Domaine de l’Arlot in the commune of Premeaux-Prissey. It’s located south of Les Saint Georges with Les Didiers directly in between and planted exclusively to Pinot Noir.

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of a couple of hours. The 2021 “Clos des Forêts” pours a bright ruby with a transparent core; medium viscosity with light staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with tart forest strawberries, tart brambles, cranberries, orange rind, charming old-world notes of horse blanket, mushrooms, sous bois, and soft warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+ and deliciously savory. I realize the 2021 vintage isn’t for everyone but I find the wines to be charming and this was a lovely example. Drink now through 2036. — 2 years ago

John Tan

9.0

Ovenbird w M and Ritchie. Mineral. Textured. Fresh. Paired well w ankimo.

The 2012 Condrieu Coteaux du Chery, which comes from one of the most heralded sites in the appellation, is also brilliant (as is his 2011!). The most rich and textured of the lineup, it offers thrilling notes of white peach, crushed rock, buttered grapefruit, flowers and tangerine to go with a medium to full-bodied, layered, yet brilliantly fresh and detailed texture that keeps you coming back to the glass. It too will drink nicely for 4-5 years. I had a fabulous visit with proprietor Andre Perret at his cellar located just north of Chavanay. Soft spoken, charming and generous, he runs an immaculate cellar and releases up to three Condrieus in a vintage. In addition to his whites, he fashions elegant, almost Burgundian-styled reds from Saint Joseph that warrant more attention. RP95 — 3 years ago