Aaron Tan

9.0

After reading all the rave reviews on Bessin’s Valmur recently (baby Rav according to some netizens), I was really excited to try this bottle. Sadly, it fell below expectations which was likely no one’s fault other than your’s truly - a little less care during transport left the wine with a nagging honey note that I abhor in young Chards. A touch of premox I believe, which stands in contradiction with another element I found lacklustre - the bottle was so stubbornly primary. Ripe-fruited even, with face-smacking stone fruits that masked the more Chablis-esque characters I so love. This point I can forgive considering the wine’s youth. I just wished it was more mineral and taut. It’s not all grim though as this sample was certainly concentrated, with plush textures that filled every corner of the palate. Definitely a wine to revisit.

NB: I believe WK gave this his highest score for 20’ Chablis. Great value at sub AUD150 in most markets. — a year ago

Mark Turner

9.2

Zoom event with Drew Bledsoe and Josh McDaniels. Vertical from ‘07, ‘14, ‘15, ‘16, ‘17, ‘17 estate, and ‘18. All were exceptionally smooth and silky with good depth of fruit. Notes on the ‘18: 90% CS, 5% Malbec, 5% Merlot. Least favorite of the night. Still a good wine but perhaps a bit too young, or just different enough from the others that I liked ones with a bit more age. This wine had a little more density than the others and perhaps a little more earth and graphite coming through that masked the fruit. It still had the classic doubleback elegance of the others but I felt we were not seeing this wine’s true expression. It only had about 1 hour in the glass and perhaps I need to pull another bottle, decant for a few hours and see what it does. — 3 years ago

with Jared, Aaron and 1 other

Alex Taylor

9.3

Black Lamb Ghost Rider 2009 picked up in Woodstock. Delicious amber wine. — a year ago

Scott Kahn

9.0

The structure of this wine is masked IMO by its acidity. Fine with food but not up to par without food. — a year ago

Severn Goodwin

9.1

Confrérie Des Chevaliers du Tastevin Sous-Commanderie d'Albany; 20 September 2020 at New World Bistro, Albany, NY

Physically Distanced 🚧 but Socially Close 🤗 dinner, our first in +8mo. Following the reasonable NY State dining regulations, seated and masked. While a new experience, it was well worth it to see our core group again. — 4 years ago

Joan Hood

9.5

From Plaza - robust and smooth — 4 years ago

Nathan Renfro

9.3

Lovely nose of black fruit, fig, plum, tobacco. Unique flavor profile, figs prominent, straight chewing tobacco, blackberry, black licorice, leather. Fruit flavors somewhat masked by the tobacco, licorice and leather. Different but still enjoyable. — a year ago

Bob McDonald

8.9

Pale gold in colour. First of 2 bottles. I should have drunk these earlier but had lost them in my cellar. Oxidative notes with apricot and some liqueur like notes. With time it lost some of the oxidative and liqueur characters and gave a saline note. In a masked tasting I would never pick this as as Sauvignon Blanc. I guess I need to taste more oaked Sancerre. The following day still that oxidative note. Still apricot notes on that medium weight mouth filling palate with low acid and a grassy note. Had my last bottle on 11th September 2021 with consistent notes. As mentioned above I wish I had consumed these a few years earlier. Still that oxidative note which lessened after about 30 minutes. Apricot and quince. You would never pick this as Sauvignon Blanc as mentioned before. — 3 years ago

Kyle Zeman

9.2

Vanilla, light, sage — 4 years ago

Daniel Steilen

9.0

Velvety and somewhat voluptuous for a barbaresco. Tannins are starting to be well integrated and masked by the fruit, with only a little noticeable tannin on the finish. Nice and drinking well now, but I’d wait a couple years. — 5 years ago