Willie Carter

9.8

Well, here we are. Selosse Initial. What is there really to say? Is it good? Is it great? Is it delicious? Does it live up to the hype? Did it change my life?

Yes.

A beautiful golden hue in the glass with profuse perlage. There’s no need for traditional notes here, we already know. Wonderfully electric, saline, and textured. Depth, personality, and romance.

Nothing I say here matters. Go get as many Selosse champagnes as you can. Then get a few more. And enjoy life. — 2 months ago

Shay A

9.3

I compared this 2016 BdB to the 2017 Haliotide Late Disgorged BdB to get a feel for styles. Followed over two days with no change.

One of the better Ultramarine wines I’ve had, and definitely pre-funk. I feel like the last few vintages have shown a lot of bottle variation and sometimes a green/herbal profile, mostly in the BdN and BdB (never in the rosé, that’s my favorite wine in the portfolio).

The older vintages always had a distinct cream-soda aromatic to them that I loved, and this has it in spades alongside truffle Honeycomb and spiced apple. Oxidative flair but not an overly oxidative sparkler. Great depth and richness here…almonds, lemon cream, caramel-green apple. Wears the low dosage so well. Broad on the palate (in a good way). I’d be fine drinking this without food. Tasty. — 2 years ago

Kate

9.6

After decanting this was amazing. Needed a change from California wine. This was bold with a softness. Good price compared to the crazy mark ups of California wine. Was at a chain steakhouse. — 3 years ago

Mark S.

9.1

Gentle aroma. Black currant. 1 hour decanting is not enough. Drinkable but 2 hours is better. But we can enjoy change over time. Black currant. Inky. Robust structure. I don’t know why it is 8.9. It is ok to keep it for more years. Château Saint-Pierre 2006 @2500, Ruth Chris, 220113 — 4 years ago

Ian Hamel

9.1

2021/4 with roast pheasant breast with pheasant fond, truffle butter and cabbage. As seems to happen with reds from my (overly cold?) cellar, this still seemed to be emerging from adolescence - not quite what most would expect from a 14+ year Chalonnaise wine. Then again, I’ve always found the 2006 reds from Burgundy to be a little blocky, and little blowsy. Still, this was tasty and had hints of emerging complexity. It also still had the price tag on it, and I marveled again that de Villaine has barely raised prices in well over a decade (the recent, pricier line of 1er crus being new additions to the lineup). Please, please, never change. — 5 years ago

Conner Massey

9.0

😙 sour sour sour, but delicious 🤤 — 6 years ago

Charles York

9.3

Huge. Cocktail big. Giant. Tons of oak on the nose, dark cherries, currant. Napa silky. Drink now. Not my favorite style, but I appreciated the change as a finisher to the night. Don’t drink with food, likely to destroy both. :) — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

I have enjoyed this producers vineyard over many vintage and this might be the best.

The 22 vintage is stunning and as good as it is, 23 might be better based on a somewhat limited exposure at this point.

The entry is glorious…such balance and wire to wire it doesn’t change much.

Green apple, perfect lemon & lime pulp into subtle candy, grapefruit, white stone fruit, kiwi, tropical melons, pineapple, cream reduction, saline, perfect sea fossils, fine powdery taut chalkiness, crisp volcanics, white spice, grey volcanic minerals, limestone marl, mix of fresh & dry stubble herbs, honeysuckle, light caramel, warm lightly done toast, yellow florals, spring flowers with greens, grand waterfall acidity, beautiful structure-tension, incredible balance with an elegant finish that lasts two-minutes and long sets on volcanic minerals and spice.

Decanted 1 hour.

When I first started buying this bottling, it was $50-$60, now $150. Might be my last bought. My white spend has a more limited range than my red. Don’t think I’m alone.

A property Sofia & I have visited in 2015. — 7 months ago

Doug Powers

9.9

Redfruit aromas and flavors, this is still hopelessly young, though the tannins have softened a bit and it seems to be inching towards maturity, impeccable balance and great depth of flavors, super long, lingering finish, just an absolutely fantastic, old school California mountain Cabernet. I have always believed this to be the best Dunn Howell Mountain ever made (I’ve tasted 1981-1992, with a distinct style change towards riper and higher ABV starting around 1992, after which I stopped buying the wine). $15 full retail when I bought it in late 1984. — 3 years ago

with Jim

Seiji Takeuchi

8.9

I normally don't buy Bordeau wines, but for a change. Deep dark wine red. Oaky with tannin, and dark fruit note. Decanting should make it better (I just don't care much...). Cericiers means cherry trees, according to google. Should have noticed the cherry. — 4 years ago

Colleen

9.0

Semi-sweet juicy juice with some sulfur — 5 years ago

Matthew Cohen

9.5

Nose is so supple. Warming (not in an alcoholic sense) and comforting. Dried roses. Spices. As this opens, intense hand crushed rose petals. With some more time intense lilacs. I mean really intense like elite volnay intense. Wtf!?!

Palate is still so fresh. Moderately dense fruit. Bright cherries. So juicy. Terrific spice. Rose petal juice. Wow. Nice elegance. Only 13.5% alcohol. Not one of these ponderous post climate change monsters. As it opens very good deliciousness. A lovely Roundness. Spice. Wow.

Great fresh finish.

This is exactly why you want in an entry level Barolo. Not Uber dense and overly weighty. Stunningly drinkable. Wow.

I’m having it with cassouela. Yes I know I should have had valtellina wine to stay in Lombardy... bite me. All the ballers in Milan drink barolo.

Bought from fass selections. — 5 years ago

John Howard

Harvest production at Hirsch and Cobb Wineries

8.9

Funky in a good way. — 6 years ago

edward Simpson

9.1

Getting ahead with some research off to Saumur/Loire Vallée, this little Saumur Champigny punches above it's weight, up there with mid level burgundy, climate change has done well for Cab Francs, Pinot Noir from Loire Vallée. Well structured, light but with a bit of depth, berries galore, bio organic too! — a year ago

Shay A

9.2

92-93 for me.

Consumed half bottle at pop, then corked for another 4hrs before consuming the rest. No change.

What a beautifully elegant and refined ‘09. The highest compliment I can give this is that it was a simplistic joy. Some wines make it easy to get nerdy and command your attention…some wines are underwhelming and not worth your time. This was squarely in the middle. It was a joy to not feel the need to overthink…it’s exactly what it should be. No bricking at almost 15yrs. Decidedly black fruit heavy (black currant, cassis, underripe blackberries) with a sprinkling of raspberries and black cherries. Aromas of sweet pipe tobacco, dark florals. Integrated on the palate with good structure and acidity…not a massive wine, but it put on a bit of weight/length the longer it was open. Still sporting a fair bit of tannin at the finish, but it’s balanced. Drink or hold. — 2 years ago

Bobby Gilbane

9.9

Whatever day was today, that’s the day to open this wine. That’s my main take away. You could squirrel this away like some sort of miserly bastard waiting for the winter king to slay your enemies but who the F has time for that shit. Get on with your life, share this divine juice with as many people as possible so long as it’s no more than 3 and change the whole trajectory of your month. — 4 years ago

Jerry Raphael

9.2

What a wine and did not show it’s 43 year age at all. The color was very dark with no brick edge. The nose was a bit subdued but had the typical berries, herbs and meat notes that carried over to a very tasty wine. The finish was okay not super long but long enough.

I started buying Beaucastel maybe a few years before this 1978 vintage and in Parker’s reviews of the 1978 vintage was a consistent hold but he did change his mind years down the road and said it was over the hill; well not by a long shot. I constantly purchased 2 or 3 bottle of every vintage till the price was out on my reach in 2001. I also had visited the winery in about 1990. The real kicker with this vintage is the current price estimates of $150 to about $250, current vintages run $80+ and I purchased this bottle for $11.99.
— 4 years ago

with Matt and Barbara

lindsay Hall

10

As good as amzacco and pezzi king. Vanilla whiskey oak up front, then a stark change to very ripe berries, sweet. Hard to put down. — 5 years ago

Will

9.1

🍋 juice. V good. — 6 years ago

Paco Suro

8.9

Fun tasting. What an easy drinking skin contact white. Love the blend. All my favorites: Viognier, Marsanne, Roussanne. #doloresoutpost — 6 years ago