Vanessa

9.1

Burgundy 🇫🇷 is renowned for its Chardonnay, but did you know that Aligoté is the second most planted white grape in the region? 👀

Some of the finest Aligoté comes from ‘Bouzeron,’ an appellation in the Côte Chalonnaise region (north of Mâconnais, south of Côte d’Or).

In a land of Pinot Noir & Chardonnay, Bouzeron AOC is 100% dedicated to producing Aligoté 🙌🏻. In fact, it first became a legally-recognized AOC in 1998 thanks in part to the efforts of Aubert de Villaine, the winemaker behind this beautiful bottle. 👏🏻

Interestingly, Aubert is also a co-owner & co-Director of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (DRC) (and, as an aside, was on the tasting panel for the 1976 Judgement of Paris 😆)…

Yet, instead of devoting himself exclusively to DRC — one of the world’s most famous and prestigious estates — he and his wife, Pamela (a California native), were enchanted by the possibilities of Aligoté, and terroir of Bouzeron, where they put down roots through “Domaine de Villaine”.

This wine is Domaine de Villaine Bouzeron AOC (2019). It has a shimmering lemon robe and bouquet of white blossom, just-ripe white peach, yellow apple, pear, citrus, fennel, and wet slate notes. It’s remarkably fresh on the palate with mouth-watering acidity balancing the warm (14% ABV) and fruit-driven profile. It’s positively delicious!

We’re pairing it w/ pan-seared sea scallops, roasted asparagus, & lemon-herbed farro…

Cheers to nurturing the diversity of Burgundy in all of its splendor! 🥂
💙🤍♥️ — 8 months ago

with Deked1

Jim Maynard

9.2

Very good and well balanced at 5 years old. Generous fruit, some earth, and plenty of spine. Tannins not noticeable. I’d buy this. — 3 years ago

Stephen Redenbaugh

9.2

Co-fermented Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris...8 day’s of skin contact. Lovely medium rose color... bright cherry/ berry nose... dry and well-balanced. Lovely food wine at a winemaker dinner in Chicago. Positively sang with trout tartare, cucumber and creme fraische. — 5 years ago

Gavin Baum

9.1

Absolutely sublime young north coast Syrah. Elegant, transparent, and positively dripping with blueberry, plum, and lavender character. Smoky at first but quickly giving way to waves of fruit. The delicacy and finesse here are really exceptional for a syrah at this price point, and the fresh, almost red-fruited acidity assures that this would be exquisite with food. Drink now for sheer, unadulterated pleasure or sock it away for 3-4 years for added spicy complexity. You genuinely can't lose. — 5 years ago

Will Stanley

9.6

My word, what a disarming wine! Ready from the get-go, you can spend a long time with just your nose in the glass before wanting to take a sip of this. It has the freshest, coolest of dark brambly blue fruits, with smoked meat, graphite, lavender (garrigue, almost), a herbal note and myriad spices adding complexity. The palate is gorgeous, absolutely radiant and chock full of flavour without being over-extracted - and only medium weight, really, at 14 degrees. The finish is positively smoky. Wonderful stuff. This is a generous, sensuous and pure Syrah that exceeded my expectations. My first wine from Boekenhoutskloof - and certainly not my last. — a year ago

Willie Carter

9.1

Outstanding right out of the gate. A pretty yellow robe with intense perlage initially. An abundance of fine bubbles and innate creaminess. The nose positively explodes with dainty white flowers and salinity. A pinch of cherry and fresh herbs. There’s enough oak to say hello along with lemon peel and almond slivers. Mirabelle plums and warm yeast.

Pure Pinot Noir from one of my favorite areas, Bouzy. Benoit Marguet has long been one of the standard bearers in Champagne of terroir driven, naturals wines with bare minimum dosage and minimal use of sulfites. And that makes a difference. Terroir driven indeed, the essence of Bouzy. Bone dry and full bodied, I love how vinous of a champagne this is. Elegance is not sacrificed in any way with a premium mouthfeel. Almost four years on lees and disgorged in March of 2019.

On the palate you’ll find pure bliss. Intense minerality and toasted brioche. Rich and generous with orchard fruits and just the right amount of oak. Plenty of citrus and high acidity with a touch of really nice red fruit. Long courtly finish. This is special stuff. — 2 years ago

Tom Elliot

Founder Northwest Wines

9.1

The first Alchemist vintage, here at age 10, an exploded brett bomb in the Burgundy mold, displaying beaucoup detractive attractions. A wine with an honest soul intertwined with corrupt flesh and blood. One feels one shouldn’t hang out with it but then there’s it’s unabashedly flawed, yet honest and generous company deserving of respect. — 5 years ago

Delectable Wine

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9.2

The Madeira New York Malmsey Special Reserve is a rich, heady wine. It offers gorgeous depth and layers that open beautifully in the glass. Dried flowers, cloves, fruitcake, leather, chocolate, cedar and tobacco are nicely amplified in this generous, inviting Madeira. All the elements are so well balanced. This is a stand-out. L22209. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, December 2022)
— a year ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.2

Blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Malbec and 5% Cabernet Franc, co-fermented and sourced from vineyards in Vista Flores and Altamira in the Valle de Uco, deep Ruby with aromas of dark berry fruit, floral and spicy notes. On the palate flavors of blackberry and blueberry with herb and generous spice. Fine tannins, long finish ending with fruit, spice and mineral character. Nice! — 2 years ago

Dr. Owen Bargreen

9.6

The 2016 ‘The Funk Estate’ is a stunning new wine by superstar winemaker Richard Funk of Saviah Cellars. Chosen to co-ferment 4% Viognier with Syrah, this immediately entices with bright citrus blossom aromatics that combine with the deep dark fruits, green olive, bacon fat and horse manure aromatics that all shine brightly in unison. Soft, round and generous, there is a seamless quality to this wine that is apparent. Black tea, clove, cigar ash, Umami, red cherry puree and suggestions of wild blackberry cordial all marvelously combine in this utterly thrilling palate. I really enjoy this sensational Syrah at this stage in its development, and my feeling is there is no reason to cellar it for more than another seven years. Drink 2019-2026- 96 — 4 years ago