Henri Clerc

Henri Goutorbe

Special Club Grand Cru Brut Champagne Blend 2015

Cheers to a sparkling weekend!

We’re launching into it with this beautiful bottle of grower bubbly produced by H. Goutorbe with 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay hailing from estate vineyards of Aÿ, a coveted terroir in the Grande Vallée de la Marne.

This “Special Club” cuvée comes exclusively from the warm 2015 vintage, which faced hydric stress and drought conditions.

For producers like H. Goutorbe, the vintage yielded fabulously ripe grapes lending supple, plush qualities to their expression in the glass.

The concentration of fleshy fruit character matches well with Goutorbe’s extensive lees aging over the course of 60 months, finally disgorged in October, 2024 with a Brut level of dosage.

The mousse and mouthfeel are creamy and fine with layers of honeycrisp apple, ripe white peach, mango peel, kumquat, lemon curd, oyster shell, piece crust, brioche, toasted almond, nougat, and chalk.
— 15 hours ago

Deked1
with Deked1
Deked1, Jay and 5 others liked this

Domaine Henri Gouges

Les Pruliers Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Pinot Noir 2005

Very pure and old school. Delicious if austere. Dark plum and garrigue. Inky edges. Excellent but young — 2 months ago

Peter NelsonGregg G
with Peter and Gregg
Jay, Mark and 2 others liked this

Domaine Henri Gouges

Nuits St. Georges Pinot Noir 2019

Dark fruit forest floor and sassafras. Intense deep still you w some unresolved tannins — 4 months ago

Ira liked this

Château Bel-Air (Domaines Henri Martin)

Haut-Médoc Red Bordeaux Blend 1988

Had zero expectations for this wine at a party featuring lost bottles from your cellar. It was like a raspberry preserve that you canned 10 years ago and still has the essence of that years growing season. An unexpected joy. — 6 months ago

Domaine Henri Gouges

Les Chênes Carteaux Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Pinot Noir 2014

Called savigny-les-beaune. Poopy, menthol, dog ear, beet salad. — 8 months ago

Tom, Scott@Mister and 2 others liked this
Tom Casagrande

Tom Casagrande Influencer Badge

Dog ear . . . I guess it depends whether it s a dog you like or don’t like!

Château Clerc Milon

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2005

Somm David T
9.4

This is well beyond critical reviews young.

Sofia & I became friends with Jean D’Anjoy (photo to right). Winemaker who now runs all the Rothschild properties. He was the Assistant Winemaker at Opus One for 10 yrs. He had many offers to be a Napa Winemaker but refused. Had he, he would have been demeeded a Napa Winemaker when he wanted to always go back to Bordeaux as a Winemaker. Opus was fine as it is 1/2 French owed. He later became the the Clerc Milon Winemaker in 09. What a first vintage. He simultaneously built the new facilities at Clerc Milon. He is also perhaps the best & kindest human being I’ve ever met.

He arranged for Sofia & I to pick the Mouton Merlot and work all phases of the 2012 Clark Milon vintage. So, you might wanna not buy the 2012 vintage of Mouton & Clerc. 😂 He also arranged for us to sit at the Baroness’s table for the harvest luncheon where they poured the last of the filtered bottom of the barrels of 82 Mouton. I asked Sofia to pinch me. The Baroness sadly died two years later.

The nose is sweet and a touch sour; blackberries & black raspberries. Floral & slightly candied; dark and light cherries, juicy strawberries, raspberries and some circling baked rhubarb. Understated new oak barrel powder, beautiful baking spices-clove, nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla, dry leaves and twig, baking powder, fresh and dry herbs, lead pencil shavings, limestone, dark soils, dry pebbles, red, and dark florals set in liquid violets.

The palate shows medium plus well rounded, softened, resolved tannins. The fruit is ripe and juicy. Blackberries & black raspberries. Floral & slightly candied; dark and light cherries, juicy strawberries, raspberries and some circling baked rhubarb. Understated new oak barrel powder, beautiful baking spices-clove, nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla, dry leaves and twig, baking powder, mid, dark spices with a shade of heat, fresh and dry herbs, lead pencil shavings, moist to dry tobacco, used leather, limestone, dark soils, dry pebbles, red, and dark florals set in liquid violets, perfect acidity and a grand elegant, well balanced, integrated finish that lasts 90 seconds and lands on spice & earth.

An elegant beauty if I ever had one. Has another 5-7 yr ahead depending on storage.

Photos of; the new facilities at Clerc Milon, Jean D’Anjoy and their vineyards, barrel room and tasting/entertaining lounge.

Delectable & IOS 27 isn’t a good fit today.
— 7 days ago

Tom, Jeroen and 9 others liked this

Domaine Henri Boillot

Bourgogne Chardonnay 2019

Wow. This is serious stuff.
Candied lemon, reductive hints of matchstick, smooth and spicy mouthfeel, creamy vanillin, beautiful veins of acidity. This might be the best Bourgogne Blanc in my cellar. We’ll see, as I plan to evaluate them in the months to come.
— 3 months ago

Thijs, Peter and 9 others liked this
Tom Casagrande

Tom Casagrande Influencer Badge

This producer is stellar
Jan A

Jan A

Nice, I have some '24 in the pipeline

Henri Bourgeois

La Côte des Monts Damnés Sancerre Sauvignon Blanc 2018

Last had this 10 months ago. I think it's on the decline since then. Grapefruit, melon, citrus. Lacking acidity, it's a bit flabby. That's not what I remember in the last bottle. Anyway, it's nice with some fresh caught walleye.
Watching Spinal Tap 2
— 5 months ago

Tom, Sagee and 16 others liked this
Tom Casagrande

Tom Casagrande Influencer Badge

Seems logical. Haven’t had this one unfortunately but 18s there were mostly too ripe and fleshy to age. But many were fun in their youth! Walleye! Think I’ve had that only once (had to give a presentation in Sturgeon Bay) a few years ago.

Henri Jayer

Échezéaux Grand Cru Pinot Noir 1999

Cata winegeeks cdjrz @ ardeo WOTN — 5 months ago

Henri Bonneau

Cuvée Marie Beurrier Châteauneuf-du-Pape Red Rhone Blend 2000

I’ve said before that the wines of Chateau Rayas are almost singular in the AOC; certainly one of the purest expressions of Grenache in the world. However, there is another producer that for me, might be an even more archetypal expression of the character of Chateauneuf-du-Pape: Henri Bonneau. Henri’s wines were also predominately Grenache however, they are denser and darker, particularly the Cuvée Marie Beurrier. This is probably more to do with the small addition of other local varieties along with terroir for Mrie Beurrier (Courthézon). Henri had strong feelings about varieties, vine age and cellar practices. He didn’t really like Syrah in CdP (though he had a little of it). He didn’t like ancient vines (most were 30-50 years old and would be torn out and replanted if they were getting up there in the age range) and he believed in extended aging in wood, a collection of very old barrels and foudres. Regardless of whether one agrees or disagrees with his approach, the results were undeniably special.

Opened prior to dinner; enjoyed over the course of several hours. The 2000 “Cuvée Marie Beurrier” pours a deep garnet color with a near opaque core; medium+ viscosity with light staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing (still!). Layered notes of dark brambles, black cherry, garrigue, dried red flowers, beef stew with all the veggies and mixed inorganic earth. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is forever long. This is tremendously well balanced and a wine that I just wanted to keep coming back to…and I did. Drink now through 2040.
— 7 months ago

Zach, Brian and 12 others liked this

Henri Goutorbe

Cuvée Prestige 1er Cru Brut Champagne Blend

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of lunch. The Cuvée Prestige pours a straw color with a persistent mousse. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of apple, raspberry, fresh brioche, lemon curd and minerals. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+. Most of my experience with this producer has been focused on its Special Club bottling (I know, poor me), but I gotta say, this is a great representative of the family’s style! Super easy to enjoy. Drink now. Disgorged November of 2021. — a month ago

Brian, Tom and 5 others liked this

Domaine Henri Boillot

Clos de la Mouchère Monopole Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Chardonnay 2023

Solid Puligny Montrachet. Mr Boillot knows what he’s doing. Perfect accompaniment to a perfect lunch 👌
Tasting notes: hint of citrus, peach and vanilla.
— 25 days ago

Marta Jackowska
with Marta

Domaine Henri Boillot

Les Fremiets Volnay 1er Cru Pinot Noir 2005

Cellar Selection. Profound pedigree with length and little of the 05 fighting tannin. Wow. - at Raft Island — 2 months ago

Peter, ESF and 7 others liked this

Domaine Henri Perrusset

Mâcon-Villages Chardonnay 2024

Ed
9.1

Loved this one. Would drink it again and again. Great value for $24 — 4 months ago

Henri Bourgeois

Les Baronnes Sancerre Sauvignon Blanc

Not called Baroness anymore this mid level HB 2025 vintage is exploding out of the glass. Took a minute to get my bearings instead of restraint and editing it’s a full out cabaret of a wine with lively melon gooseberries and passion fruit on an edgy substrate of salinity and limestone. Went incredibly well with prosciutto and honeydew. Once I adjusted I found it magnificent. — 5 months ago

Domaine Henri Gouges

Clos des Porrets St. Georges Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Pinot Noir 2023

A baby. Will wait at least 5 yrs to open the next. — 6 months ago

Dave, Juan and 4 others liked this

Domaine Henri Boillot

Meursault Chardonnay 2018

Initially strong sulphidic aromas of the struck match variety. A mineral chalky streak on the palate with grilled nuts, citrus and a little white peach. Medium plus palate length and another great effort, particularly for a Village wine, from the “enfant terrible” of Burgundy, Henri Boillot. As an aside, from a retired printer, I love the graphics and typefaces used in this label. — 8 months ago

David, Somm and 21 others liked this