Russ W

9.3

Bought at the winery, cracked open for anniversary dinner. A rich wine, have decanted it for 7 hours and it’s still somewhat shy. Plenty of life left here, primary fruit and secondaries poking through the veil. Black fruit, cassis, olive perfume, sweet and woodsy nose. Texturally weighty, w/decent acid (14.8%abv), and muy picante on the finish. Spicy. — a year ago

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Delectable Wine

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9.4

The 2020 Les Mémoires is a round and elegant Cabernet Franc. It's a not-trying-hard wine that exudes a sense of calm and ease as it rolls around your mouth seamlessly. Maybe it's the 100-year-old vines doing their thing. There's no oak getting in the way, allowing the purity of fruit to shine. It remains true to its variety and place, while its light spice meets dark fruits. Forget the fruit flavors, this is all about refined texture and its fine, chalky, powdery veil of tannins lightly coating the palate. Long and textural, this is not a wine you'll regret... (Rebecca Gibb MW, Vinous, August 2022)
— 2 years ago

Martinez

9.2

Clean, precise Vin Jaune (100% Savagnin wine, aged under a veil of flor for 6 years and 3 months), from a plot in the village of Menétru-Le-Vignoble, on clay soils. Farmed biodynamically, like all other plots. Pale yellow. Complex nose, reminiscent of a Fino, with aromas of yeast and some subtle spicy notes. Elegant, saline, easy to drink — 3 years ago

Nicolas Greinacher

9.3

Tasted at the winery with winemaker César Deriaux, the 2018 L‘Étoile Savagnin is delicious. It has aged for 3 years under a veil of flor in a dedicated part of their cellar which is a bit warmer and drier than the rest. It wafts from the glass with a wide array of nutty aromas, bread dough, bruised apple, dried ginger and a pinch of curry. The powerful mouthfeel is driven by excellent flavor concentration and balanced by lively acids. A lingering saltiness marks the complex finish and calls for a refill. — 2 years ago

Aaron Tan

9.0

Not typically a producer I like, but this was solid. Although the 17’ Il Poggione BdM was certainly more tannic and robust than the 18’ Biondi Rosso, I thought it was still quite elegant with its zesty acidity, floral aromas, and a chewy palate fruit. Needed some 3 hours in the decanter to peep through the veil and calm the tannins. Dark-fruited, with tobacco, spice, wood, dried roses, and herbs. Tasty. — 2 years ago

web bond

9.4

Veil of brett, but not suffocating personality of wine. Exotic, wild, Verset character. — 3 years ago

Martinez

9.2

Exceptional Vin Jaune 💛

Savagnin aged in oak under a veil of flor for 6 years and 3 months as required, plus a few extra years in bottle. Elegant, complex nose with aromas of hazelnuts, spices, sourdough and a hint of caramel. Dry, mineral, balanced. Green apple, loads of hazelnuts and a very long finish. Should have bought more. — 3 years ago

John Tan

8.9

Gout de Jaune. Intense, petrol bomb nose. A little austere.

The textbook 2013 L'Étoile Vin Jaune has a deep golden color and a captivating nose with aromas of exotic spices, iodine, forest floor, green nuts and a touch of volatility that added freshness. 2013 was a cooler year in the region, and despite the 14.5% alcohol, the wine feels quite fresh and balanced, with clean, focused flavors, pungent and long, very tasty, with a bitter and salty touch on the finish. It's very long and has a nice combination of power and elegance. This matured for the mandatory six-plus years in barrels under a thin veil of yeasts and was bottled in the 62-centiliter Vin Jaune bottle, clavelin. 2,500 bottles produced. RP93+, 2013; issue date Apr 2021 — 2 years ago

Maryam

8.9

Cherry pepper! — 2 years ago

Vanessa

8.9

Domaine Jean Bourdy has been a family-owned and -managed operation since 1579. It’s both heart-warming and inspiring to imagine how each generation has carefully carried forward the family tradition and passion for producing wines expressive of the terroir of Jura, France, located between Burgundy and Switzerland.

We’re new to Savagnin, an ancient, subalpine variety indigenous to eastern France. All we can say is “wow” we were floored (no pun intended) by the aromatics of this pale gold wine.

From the outset, it offered a bouquet of dried herbs, anise, licorice, white pepper, Comté cheese rind, bruised apple, toffee, nutmeg, and nuttiness.  We gave it some time to decant and open up. Overall, it had a salty, briny, savory character with excellent food-pairing potential. We paired it with sauteed shrimp and it was lovely.  

This wine was aged four years in old, neutral oak barrels under a veil of yeast – sous voile – contributing to the secondary and tertiary aromatics.

If you’re a lover of Manzanilla or Fino Sherry, and haven’t experienced this wine yet, you must try it!  I hate to even compare, because it offers its own, distinct personality and history, but it shares characteristics associated with maturation below a layer of lees - the flor.   

Domain Bourdy, Savagnin, Cotes du Jura AOC. Vintage 2012. ABV 12.5%. — 3 years ago

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