Doug Powers

9.2

Lemon citrus, mineral, very effusive salinity as well, crisp, clean, refreshing, complex and long, lingering finish, terrific young Chablis!! — 12 days ago

with Jim

Jeremy Shanker

Sommelier at RN74

8.9

Good everyday roussanne. Apricot, quince, and almond flour. — 2 years ago

Nichole Bosson

9.3

Les Pierres Sèches — 3 years ago

E Hutch

9.0

Slightly acidic, fruity finish, dry — 4 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

8.9

I don’t remember buying this or if it was a gift. However, I have ignored it for sometime. Hazards of loving Champange...especially, Rosé.

This is not really our style as it falls into more oxidation than we like. But, still enjoyable.

The nose reveals, bruised green-golden apple & Bosc pear, some apple cider, sour pineapple, lemon chiffon, white citrus blend, bread dough, baguette crust, nougat, sea spray, crumbled chalkiness, grey volcanic minerals, withering, yellow lilies and spring flowers.

The body & mouthfeel are nice. Bruised green-golden apple & Bosc pear, some apple cider, sour pineapple, lemon chiffon & poppy cake, cream, butter notes, white citrus blend, bread dough, warm toast, nougat with nuts, brown sugar spice w/ a little palate heat, vanillin notes, touch of butterscotch & caramel, sea spray, crumbled chalkiness, grey volcanic minerals, withering, yellow lilies and spring flowers. The acidity is good just not as lively as I like. The finish is rich, polished, well balanced and quite nice, just not outstanding.

Photos of; Domaine Simonnet-Febvre, street sign, stainless steel tank room and Burgundian vineyard.

Producer notes; In 1840, Jean Febvre, a barrel cooper from Montbard, founded the winery that is now Maison Simonnet-Febvre. It was exclusively specialized in the making of sparkling wines using the so-called “Traditional Method”.

Maison Simonnet-Febvre owns vineyards in Chablis, Chablis Premier Cru “Mont de Milieu” and Chablis Grand Cru “Les Preuses”. It produces and vinifies a large range of different wines from the diverse “terroirs” of the Chablis region.

Maison Simonnet-Febvre was purchased by Maison Louis Latour in 2003. — 7 years ago

Emily P

9.3

Tastes like cheese but in a good way. — 8 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.1

On the nose; bright cherries, ripe strawberry & cranberry reduction, black raspberries, raspberries, watermelon near the rhine, mixed orange citrus, oyster shells, baguette crust, understated volcanic minerals, chalk, saline, fresh pink roses and florals. The body is full and a shade gluey. The fruits are ripe, rich and candied/gummy in style. Bright cherries, black cherries ripe strawberry & cranberry reduction, black raspberries, raspberries, watermelon near the rhine, mixed orange citrus spray, saline, seashells, soft grey volcanic minerals, lots of grippy powdery razor sharp chalkiness, baguette crust, fresh pink roses & florals, acidity that is round and well done, understated delicate micro bubbles and a long, well balanced, rich finish. The reason why I prefer the Billecart Salmon, Ruinart & Laurent Perrier over the Bollinger is it’s a little too sweet for me. Photos of; the House of Bollinger, cellar, headstone that marks one of their vineyards and their harvest staff picking perfectly manicured rows. Producer notes and history...Bollinger has roots dating back to 1585 when the Hennequins, one of the Bollinger founding families, owned land in Cramant. Before the Bollinger house was founded in the 18th century, the Villermont family practised wine making, though not under their family name. In 1750, Villermont settled at 16 rue Jules Lobet, which would eventually become the head office for Bollinger. In 1803 Jacques Joseph Placide Bollinger was born in Ellwangen, in the kingdom of Württemberg. In 1822, he moved to Champagne and found work at the house of Muller Ruinart, which no longer exists. Many other Germans came to settle in the Champagne region, including Johann-Josef Krug and the Heidsiecks, who founded a house that would become; Charles Heidsieck, Piper Heidsieck, Veuve Clicquot and others. The Champagne house Renaudin Bollinger was founded in 1829 in Aÿ by Hennequin de Villermont, Paul Levieux Renaudin and Jacques Bollinger. The partners agreed that the Villermont name would not be used on the labels, hence the house name Renaudin Bollinger. Starting when Jacques Bollinger married Charlotte de Villermont, the house has been managed by the Bollinger family. Even though Paul Renaudin passed without an heir to his name, the label did not become solely Bollinger until the 1960s. Founder Jacques Joseph Bollinger married Charlotte de Villermont. The had a daughter, who had two sons Joseph and Georges. These sons took over the company in 1885 and began expanding the family estate by purchasing vineyards in nearby villages. The sons also developed the image of the brand, such as when Bollinger became the official supplier to the British court and received a Royal Warrant in 1884 from Queen Victoria. In 1918, Jacques Bollinger, the son of Georges, took over the company and married Emily Law de Lauriston Boubers, known as "Lily". Jacques expanded the facilities by building new cellars, purchasing the Tauxières vineyards, and acquiring the assets of another Champagne house on Boulevard du Maréchal de Lattre de Tassign, where Bollinger's offices are presently located. When Jacques Bollinger died in 1941, Lily Bollinger took over. Lilly expanded production with the purchase of even more vineyards, but is best known for traveling the world to market the brand. Bollinger was modernized under the Claude d'Hautefeuille, who acquired additional vineyards and further developed the brand internationally. Following Claude, his cousin Christian Bizot took over the Bollinger house and expanded world distribution. Their Winemaker also used several James Bond film movies to market the brand. Bollinger is fermented in oak barrels. At harvest, only the first pressing is used in the cuvée, unless the vintage is of particularly high quality, when a second pressing of Chardonnay will be used. Bollinger sells the second pressing, the tailles. Bollinger utilizes two pressing houses (Louvois and Mareuil sur Aÿ) to ensure a short distance between harvest location and pressing. When possible, grapes purchased from growers are pressed by the house. When the pressed wine arrives, the Bollinger cellar master analyzes the musts for quality, discarding and selling off those that do not meet the house standards. The first fermentation is done cru by cru, variety by variety, preserving many of the unique characteristics of the vines location. Bollinger is one of the few Champagne houses to do some first fermentation in oak barrels. Wines that will not hold up to first fermentation in wood are vinified in vats. Bollinger Champagnes usually undergo malolactic fermentation. The Grande Année 1995 did not undergo malolactic fermentation. Bollinger uses only traditional yeast. They’ve decided that new generations of yeasts (agglomerated yeasts and encapsulated yeasts) do not produce satisfactory Champagne. Vintage wine, including all wine to be used in a Grande Année, is fermented in small oak barrels, sorted according to origin and variety. Both oak and stainless steel are used for non-vintage wine. Bollinger also has the last Cooperage in Champagne. The oak barrels are all at least four years old, avoiding the transfer of tannins to the wine. The wines are only lightly filtered. All Bollinger Champagne spends a long time on its lees, contributing to the complex flavour of the wine. Though appellation d'origine contrôlée rules only require 12 months on lees for non-vintage Champagne and for vintage (NV wines, 15 months from tirage to release and vintage wines must be kept for 36 months from tirage to release), Bollinger ages their non-vintage wines three years, and the vintage wines from five to eight years. The Grande Année and R.D. Champagnes are riddled by hand. At disgorgement, Bollinger wines are given a low dosage, to maintain the balance and flavor of the wine. The company uses 6-9 grams of sugar per liter for the Special Cuvée and La Grande Année. The extra-brut R.D. is dosed between 4 and 5 grams. After dosage, the wines are aged an additional several months, resting for a minimum of three months before shipping. Bollinger owns nearly 160 hectares of vines, producing more than 60% of its supply. The vines are largely Pinot Noir, specifically clone 386. Bollinger believes this clone ensures good quality as well as highlighting characteristics of the various terroirs. The vineyards also include some rare ungrafted French vines from before the phylloxera. Bollinger owns vines all over Champagne, including the crus of Aÿ, Bouzy and Verzenay. — 8 years ago

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.5

What a nose. Meyer lemon turned up to impossible levels, simultaneously sweet, savory, fleshy, and vibrant, with that beautiful Chablis combination of generosity and restraint. A little gras, a little oyster shell, a little sea breeze, and a deep mineral undercurrent that never stops humming beneath the fruit. High-toned and expressive, filling the upper register of the nose while remaining unmistakably Chablis.

The palate is ripe, juicy, and wonderfully opulent for Chablis, carrying all the sunshine of the vintage, but the finish is where the magic happens. Just when the wine seems ready to settle into richness, the Chablis razors arrive. Electricity. Salt. Stone. Precision. The acidity slices clean through the fruit and leaves behind wave after wave of mineral complexity. Generous yet focused, hedonistic yet disciplined, with remarkable energy and persistence. A beautiful expression of 2023 and another reminder of how brilliantly Fabien Dauvissat handles warm vintages.

Retasted the following morning, the wine gained precision and focus. The generous texture remained, but the fruit stepped back and the mineral structure moved forward. Crystalline purity, remarkable concentration, and a gripping finish revealed themselves more clearly with air. The palate retains an almost icing-like texture that clings to the gums, but now sits within a fresher, more tightly wound frame. The overnight evolution pushed this from 9.4 to 9.5 territory. — a month ago

ayako

9.0

クレマンド　サヴォア
初めて購入。品種はジャケールとシャルドネ
瓶内二次発酵ということもあり、意外としっかりとした泡が感じられた。
酸味もバランス良く、好きな味わい。すっきりとすいすい飲めちゃう！ — 2 years ago

Whitney Lachance

9.5

Enjoyed this at Les Marmottes in Les Halles en Paris with wine wonderful fondue. Memorable night! — 4 years ago

Ian Hamel

9.2

2020/5/5 with grilled lamb leg heart from a Lulu Peyraud / Richard Olney recipe and grilled zucchini. This certainly had the inimitable Northern Rhone bottle bouquet going, though it’s also quite lithe and red fruited, as opposed to deep and dark, with prominent acidity. It reminds you of the diversity in Northern Rhone terroirs - and that (if I recall) the Chance estate St. Jospeh is from relatively young vines — 6 years ago

Eric Aliot

9.5

Lovely wine, very powerful and spicy, still only 12% ideal with meat — 7 years ago

Hetty Forsyth

9.1

Fantastique avec steak tartare. — 8 years ago

KA

9.3

Jean Georges @ Connought Hotel — 3 months ago

Gregory Spock

9.0

Grassy, slight buttered risotto on the nose. Honeyed with a nice dry herbaceous finish. Great on its own or with food. — 5 months ago

Ray Vanderhoff

9.0

100% Jacquere. Pale silvery/gold color with green highlights. Aromas and flavors of pear, melon, unripe peach, apricot and white flowers. Touches of mineral and saline on the finish. A bit low on acidity. Quite crisp, light bodied and ultra refreshing. A bright, unique and interesting wine. Good starter. — 2 years ago

Mel

9.0

Smells bright and fruity with a bit of floral. Taste is tart but with nice flavors, maybe apricot? Complex and good alone — 6 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

Located in Maillet, on good terroirs of Pomerol appellation, purchased around 1920 by Hermine and Joseph Dupuy. Since 1978 the two grandsons of the estate's founders, Jean-Daniel and Michel Rolland, run the estate. Ruby with garnet edges. A blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Dark berry aromas and spice. On the palate blackberry and cherry flavors with toasty herb spice, fine tannins, full body on long finish ending with developing fruit, oak and spice. Great now. — 7 years ago

Neil Valenzuela

9.1

Golden hue color. Aromas of mango, pineapple and orange blossom. Mellow citrus flavors, loads of tropical fruit. 🇫🇷 in San Diego. — 8 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.1

On the nose, bright, ripe, ruby; blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, blue fruit mix, strawberries, creamy raspberries, plums, cranberries, black tea, loamy soils, dry clay, dry stones, limestone minerals, saddlewood, crush dry rocks, dark moist soils, dark chocolate, vanilla, field of violets, lavender and fresh red florals.
The palate is medium-full yet a little lean. The fruits are elegant, ruby, ripe; blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, blue fruit mix, strawberries, creamy raspberries, plums, cranberries, black tea, loamy soils, dry clay, dry stones, limestone minerals, used leather, cedar, crush dry rocks, dark moist soils, dark chocolate, vanilla, field of violets, lavender and fresh red florals. The acidity is very good. The length, balance and length are nice. The structure a little lean. It a well polished rich fruit finish, but is a little short.

Photos of; the Chateau, Owner Patrick Maroteaux (may he RIP), Estate grapes and their barrel room.

Producer notes & history...Branaire Ducru has a long history has a long history that dates back to 1680. In those days, Branaire Ducru was a part of a larger Beychevelle. When the owner of Beychevelle passed away, he left behind a huge Bordeaux vineyard that was seriously in debt. To pay off the debt, the vineyard was broken up and sold. Several new estates were created in Saint Julien, which include Chateau Branaire Ducru. Jean-Baptiste Braneyre created the estate in 1680. As was was tradition in Bordeaux, the owner gave the estate his name, which is where the first part of the properties name came was given. Braneyre was later altered to Branaire. Braneyre bought the land we know as Branaire Ducru because of the terroir. He understood that Cabernet Sauvignon grew best on the deep gravel soils found in the Medoc. With that, we have the birth of Branaire Ducru. Or, at least the Branaire part. The middle name was gained through marriage. Marie Braneyre married Pierre de Luc which as you can guess, gave us the Branaire Duluc (the name of their 2nd wine). Almost 100 years later, the first winery at the property was constructed in 1824. It took almost 200 years for the Ducru portion of the wines name to make its way to the label. In 1875, with no direct descendants, Gustave Ducru, a more distant relative took over the property and added his name to the label making it, Chateau Branaire Ducru.

Patrick Maroteaux bought Branaire Ducru in 1988 from the Tapie family who had owned It since 1919. Prior to his ownership of Branaire Ducru, Patrick Maroteaux had no prior experience in the wine business. His background was in banking and then a president of the massive sugar company, Eurosucre. Patrick Maroteaux also served as the President of the UGCB, Union of Grand Crus Bordeaux, and as the President of the Saint Julien appellation.
Since his purchase, Patrick Maroteaux has focused much of his efforts on performing extensive work in the vineyards and in the cellars. He also began reducing the yields. Additionally, he increased the size of their vineyards by 10 hectares. Patrick was also modernized their winemaking techniques.
In fact, Patrick Maroteaux was one of the first producers in the Left Bank to being filling his tanks entirely by gravity. He did this beginning with the 91 vintage. This was done with the help of Philippe Dhalluin.

Philippe Dhalluin left Branaire Ducru in 2004 and took the same position as the director for wine making at Chateau Mouton Rothschild. Philippe Dhalluin was replaced by Jean Dominique Videau.

Chateau Branaire Ducru is a family business. The son of Patrick Maroteaux, François Xavier Maroteaux has carried the family business and joined the estate. Sadly, on November 19, 2017, Patrick Maroteaux passed away at the age of 67. His son, François Xavier Maroteaux took over the full time responsibilities of managing the property.

All the new technical improvements at Branaire Ducru quickly paid off for Patrick Maroteaux. Beginning with the 2000 vintage, Branaire Ducru became one of the top Saint Julien wines. It’s also one of the better values for high quality Bordeaux.

The 60 hectare vineyard of Branaire Ducru is planted to 65% Cabernet-Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. The vineyard is very close to the size it was during the time of the 1855 Classification.

The terroir is deep gravel with clay soils. The best terroir is located near the chateau, closest to the Gironde river. They also have blocks further inland, with a small section of vines placed close to Chateau Lagrange and Chateau Talbot. The vineyard can be divided into 15 different blocks with 70 different parcels of vines. On average, the vines are close to 35 years of age. However, the estate has older vines as well. The oldest vines date back close to 90 years of age. The vineyard is planted to a vine density that ranges from 6,700 to 10,000 vines per hectare. The higher levels of vine density are for the newer plantings. The goal of the property is to continue increasing the vine density in all of their better terroirs.

Branaire Ducru, fermentation takes place in 28 temperature controlled, stainless steel tanks. The 28 vats vary in size. The vats range in size from as small as 30 hectoliters and up to 210 hectoliters. Each vat is sized for the needs of each specific vineyard parcel. Each vat is filled using the gravity based system.
Branaire Ducru is aged in 60 to 65% new, French oak barrels for between 16-20 months. The amount of new oak varies depending on the quality, character and style of each vintage. On average, the annual production is about 25,000 cases depending on the vintage. — 8 years ago