Willie Carter

10

I really don’t do a top ten wines of year thing but if I did, we have a clear winner. Deep and oh so sexy. Pale gold with few bubbles but a lovely nose. Roasted hazelnuts and slivered almonds. White floral accents along with pure chalk and oyster shells. Plenty of citrus goodness and green apples. It just keeps going and going.

This champagne soars and it takes you along for the ride. Pure Chardonnay from Mesnil and pure is the word of the day. Purity of fruit and terroir. It’s a thrilling pour, one that demands your full attention. Vibrant and exceedingly expressive at this stage and it has miles and miles to go. Uber refined, this is just such a pleasure.

Explosive joy in the mouth. So much salinity and minerality. With age, it’s become rich and complex. It’s very Chablis like in parts. An initial burst of citrus in the mouth followed by smoke and chalk. More nuts and apples and just plain gloriousness. Long finish and yes you will absolutely want more. An excellent wine. A v sexy wine. Make sure to drink it with the right company. — 2 years ago

Gilbert Van Hassel

9.2

Medium weight, red fruit, disappears after an echexeaux of the same year and same producer in the same vintage. Excellent Chambolle, red fruit, quite heady. Great company for binge Netflix Fauda. — 4 years ago

Maurice Meyer

9.3

Fantastic wine. Second bottle. First was oxidised sadly. Took it back to the merchant Imperial Wine Company in Bungay uk who replaced it for free! Had it with scallops with chilli dressing followed by hake with garlic butter. Heaven! Deep yellow. Honeyed complex with hint of mineralogy. Long and rounded. Very very good. Will buy some more.? — 4 years ago

Dan Michael

9.2

What an interesting Meursault, luscious on the palate with a lean, citrus finish, but the nose was like nothing I have experienced in white Burgundy, minty. I was perplexed and kept going back to the glass for another smell, I would have rated this wine higher but the aroma was not typical. Was it the glass? Or am I nuts? Anyway, the company and the ambiance were outstanding. — 2 years ago

Willie Carter

9.0

Enjoying the always lovely Hebrart rosé. It’s unfair to say this is perfect for the summer because really, it’s always the right time to open this.

Sleek, sensual, and sexy. Just like the sophisticated older lady you met in college while visiting the city that taught all the things you should know. Summer berries and fresh herbs. Spice takes over and guides you on an aromatic journey. Toasty with a just a hint of yeast. Mint and vanilla.

Unmistakably Chardonnay dominant though the Pinot Noir shows well. Wonderful tension and balance with pleasing acidity. The trademark Hebrart harmony and finesse really shine through. Charming and lovely from the first sip to the last. Very pure, very focused. Beautiful rosé. Drink with good company. — 3 years ago

David Kaplan

9.7

In the glass, the wine has a glistening, dark royal purple color, almost black in the center, with flashes of magenta just at the edge. The classic Right Bank nose unfurls gradually with aromas of sun-warmed black raspberries, griotte cherries, and sweet white tobacco moving in and out of the foreground, sometimes alternating with Dutch cocoa, eucalyptus, and vanilla as the wine evolves in the glass.

On entry, the wine is luscious and succulent, building to a rich, juicy mid-palate, with a cornucopia of black and red fruit flavors that echo the nose, all lightly seasoned with toasted coconut, baker’s chocolate, and red berry acidity, and the long, elegant finish is punctuated with sinuous, fine-grained, dusty tannins. Drink now – 2027. — Moore Brothers Wine Company — 4 years ago

Ming L

9.0

Ripe plum, black currant, cedar, black pepper, a hint of rusted iron on the nose. Dense palate. Bright acidity. Firm tannins leads to an slightly astringent finish.
Not quite ready yet. Need at least another 5 years.
Clos Labarde is a 4.5ha estate a stone throw from Pavie. 16’ is the last vintage before it’s sold to an insurance company for a cool $3.5m/ha. — 2 years ago

Sally Neal

9.3

Maybe it was the company, the weather, the food or my mood but boy did I really enjoy this wine! Beautifully dark cherry color. Perfect level of fruit so the wine is hugely versatile. The manager of crush wines in nyc ( one of my favorite wine stores) recommended it - and boy was he right! Really love it. To my taste exactly at this time and pace (NY). Oh and I know I should have cellared or a bit more but I went for it. — 3 years ago

Paul K

9.1

Great champagne for last minute company. — 4 years ago

Bloody Amateur

8.9

Shockingly tasty Gamay from Oregon (?!). I am now learning this is a thing. The winemakers say they’re inspired by friends in Fleurie. Cru B it’s not, but it IS a delicious if slightly too-acidic (an acidity that seems to build minutes and hours after opening) expression of a grape that just seems so crazily stalwart. — 5 years ago