Little lighter body than I expected but quite pleasant… — 8 months ago
2018 vintage. Second wine of Cru Classé Malescot Saint-Exupéry. Charming nose with ripe black cherries, raspberry jam and some floral hints. This medium-bodied, fruit-driven Margaux is drinking well already with silky tannin and good length. Not very complex, but a very charming wine indeed. Abv. 14%. Good value at less than half the price of the Grand Vin, even if I would rate the less expensive La Tour de Bessan (tasted alongside) higher. — 2 years ago
Opaque blood red, slightly burgundy colour, a lot of (American?) Oak on the nose, leather, chewy tannins — 3 years ago
Our first visit today was to Champagne Larmandier-Bernier. ✨
@larmandier.bernier
This is a family-owned and managed winery, responsible for growing all of the grapes used to produce their champagne. 🍇
All of their vineyards are located in Premier Cru and Grand Cru villages within the Côte des Blancs. The Côtes des Blancs appellation is known especially for Chardonnay grapes, which tend to have a lighter, more delicate style of wine. Larmandier-Bernier’s blends are made predominantly from Chardonnay with Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier playing supporting roles. 🌸🌸
We had a tour of the cellar and winemaking facilities. Most of Larmandier-Bernier’s wines are vinified in Austrian (delicately toasted) oak vessels of various sizes. 🪵
These vessels allow a little oxygen to interact with the wine, which can enhance richness, development of aromas/ flavors, and complexity. The wines also undergo malolactic fermentation for some of the same reasons, but also to soften the acidity, given Chardonnay is a neutral grape and can have higher acidity in a cool climate like Champagne. 👍👍
Our favorite wine of the tasting was the 2015, non-dosage, Terre de Vertus - it was so unique; a beautiful wine with a lot toasty, brioche, almond, marzipan, and round orchard fruit notes. 👏👏👏
We are grateful for our visit and hope to return soon. Santé 🥂🙏
P.S. If you’d like to see more pics documenting the tour and trip, check me out on Instagram @sips_ensemble !! — 3 years ago
You can age this for another 15 years and it’ll be great. We’re drinking it after a wine tour. — a year ago
Last vintage from Chateau de la Tour's 1910 vines in Clos Vougeat. Plenty of stuffing here, but gosh was it hard to drink. Thick, rich and dark fruited, with hints of spice in the sustained finish. Even matches the 11' Bordeaux on the table in intensity. At this stage, it's not a wine for me as there's little to no relief to all that muscle. I'm in no doubt it'll last the test of time and probably needs another decade to hit it's stride. — 2 years ago
Josh Graham
Still plenty of fruit. Tannins softening nicely. Fabulous with the A4 Hokkaido wagyu ribeye. — 16 days ago