Chateau La Croix des Pins
Les Trois Villages Ventoux Rosé. 2019.
This is a blend of Grenache, Shiraz, Vermentino and Marselan.
The colour is only slightly tinted, more of a blush than a pink rosé. The nose is fresh with a hint of white flowers and violets and the palate is elegant yet full of refreshing flavour due to it's lovely balance of fruit sweetness and acidity.
Les Trois Villages Ventoux Rouge 2019.
Made from a blend of Grenache, Shiraz, Marselan and Carignan.
The colour is a youthful crimson red and the nose has lovely aromas of red berries and fresh plum. The palate is inviting and generous with loads of fruit and a lovely savoury finish.
This wine was the sleeper, sold out with a late rush, great value for money (JC).
Le Parpaillon 2015 Gigondas Again a blend of Grenache 60%, Shiraz 20% and Mouvedre 20%. The nose has the lifted spicy aromas of pepper and thyme that you would expect from Shiraz grown in a cool climate such as this. The Grenache adds roundness and hints of raspberry. The palate is rich and full with slight pencil shaving flavours that come from the subtle use of lovely French oak. The lovely savoury finish leaves wanting another glass.
Les Dessous des Dentelles Gigondas 2015. This is a blend of Grenache 65%, Shiraz 25% and Mouvedre 10%. The winemaker’s notes say that this wine releases the aromas of black cherries and raspberry jam. In the mouth it is supple yet persistent, fresh and elegant with a hint of liquorice.
Other
(Vanraken-Pommery) Domaine Royal de Jarras Rose 2016
Champagne
Ruinart Blanc de Blancs Non Vintage.
The Blanc de Blancs NV is Ruinart's emblematic wine. Chef de Cave, Frederic Panaiotis, unashamedly strives for a refreshing mouth filling aperitif style of champagne and he has certainly succeeded. The blend is 100% Chardonnay from various years (20 to 25% of which are reserve wines from the 2 previous years).
La Grande Dame 2008.
A remarkable champagne from another great year. The 2008 Grande Dame is a blend of 92% Pinot Noir and only 8% C22hardonnay remarkable because it is so elegant and refreshing for a wine with such a large percentage of Pinot. This is an absolute wine-making triumph.
The Pinot Noir comes from the vllages of AŸ, Ambonnay, Bouzy, Verzy and Verzennay and the Chardonnay comes from Le Mesnil sur Oger. All vineyards are Grand Cru level
Krug Grande Cuvée. Krug is quite simply one of the most prestigious champagne .houses. Small by comparison to the other houses already mentioned, demand is such that it's champagnes are now on allocation around the world. Krug refers to the Grande Cuvée as a Multi Vintage champagne rather than a Non Vintage. Regardless of how you describe it, it is certainly one of the most complete non vintage champagnes on the market as it spends seven to eight years on lees in the cellar before release compared to the three years that most other non vintage champagnes experience on lees.
Pol Cochet Grande Reserve NV.
60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay.
Luminous pale yellow with greenish glints and a fine effervescence. Delicate aromas of white flowers (acacia, hawthorn) and summer fruits (white peach and apricots) evolve towards richer notes of black cherry. Fresh and elegant in the mouth with notes of brioche, and a touch of lemon completing this champagne of great refinement. Best served at 10°C
Pol Cochet Brut Nature.
65% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay.
Beautiful light yellow colour, fine bubbles.
The nose has a great complexity dominated by candied lemon and white flowers.
The palate, of great minerality, reveals notes of vanilla and toasty, which give this harmonious wine a whole intensity. The end of mouth is elegant and has a great precision.Tasting temperature: 8 to 10 ° C.
Burgundies - White
Les Parcellaires de Saulx, Narvaux, Meursault 90 Points This good quality Meursault is from one of the most complex village plots, located on one of the higher, cooler spots just above the Genevrières and Bouchères premiers crus. The richness to the texture is not immediately clear and it’s a little closed, but sit with it and things begin to open through the palate, finishing with an enjoyable kick
Les Parcellaires de Saulx, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Clos St-Jean 95 Points A stunning, textually rich Chassagne that elongates and expands in the mouth - a great sign of the potential for Les Parcellaires de Saulx (and this is from a premier cru better known for its reds). We don’t know which grower of Clos St Jean this comes from, but I love the balance of salinity and rich, fleshy stone fruits. A great quality wine, only the second vintage to be produced.
Domaine William Fevre ChabliS 2018
Very fresh bouquet with notes of citrus and white fleshed-fruit. Fresh and supple, the wine is marked by mineral notes that are typical of the appellation.
Olivier Leflaive Bourgogne Blanc 2016
100% Chardonnay this is an elegant wine with a zesty apple driven fruit flavours and lemon tones coming to the fore. It is supple and round on the palate. This wine is a beautiful example of the elegance that Burgundian Chardonnay personifies. An excellent introduction to white
Les Parcellaires de Saulx, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Fonteny 95 Points Biodynamic growers supply the fruit for this wine, sourced from powerful soils with serious limestone and very little topsoil. It has clear black and white pepper notes, with rosemary touches and tight, dark fruits. It’s extremely elegant, if a little closed, and lifts beautifully through the palate. Oak charring is noticeable, but not overpowering, leading to a mouth-watering finish. Good personality.
Bordeaux
Chateau Lascombes 2016
Dark blackish purple. I'd hate to be given this blind. It's pure Napa Valley! So sweet! So concentrated! JR. 16.5/20 Bordeaux tour members will remember Chateau Lascombes for it’s fabulous wines and hospitality. Ian L.
Chateau Grand Puy Lacoste. 2016. 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot. Harvested 28 September to 13 October. 45 hl/ha. Very dark crimson. Very ripe and fresh. Pretty glorious expression of the vintage on the nose. Slightly dry finish but really very energetic. R. 17/20
This is a 5th growth Chateau that challenges the First growths year after year. Ian L.
Chevalier de Lascombes 2016.
Not Reviewed
Lacoste Borie 2016, (2nd wine of Chateau Grand Puy Lacoste) Not reviewed.
Chateau D’Issan 2016
Mid crimson. Vigorous nose. Round texture and really rather admirably relaxed. Certainly not sweet. Quite long. JR 17+/20 I tried this Chateau for the first time this year and it was an absolute stunner. Ian L.
Blason D’Issan 2016.
Fresh and penetrating aroma. Luscious texture. Doesn’t taste like a second wine! JR 16.5/20
Sauternes
Duo de la Tour Blanche 2016.
Dry white wines grown and made in the Sauternes region cannot be called Sauternes and so this wine is regarded simply as, Appellation Bordeaux. That is where the simplicity end though as this is a beautiful dry white wine, full of flavour and elegance. It is a blend of 65% Semillon and 35% Sauvignon Blanc. The Semillon is fermented in French oak and the Sauvignon Blanc component is fermented in Stainless Steel.
The Duo takes it’s name from the harmonious blend of the two varieties and it is a beautiful accompaniment to seafood. Cellar for up to five years or enjoy now. Ian Leamon.
Les Charmilles de la Tour Blanche. 2016. (2nd Label) Les Charmilles is a lighter version of the Grand Vin. It has a lower level of Botrytis infection and it is made to be drunk young. It is as much an aperitif as it is a dessert wine. Ian Leamon
Chateau La Tour Blanche. 2016 (Grand Vin) RS 135 g/l, TA 3.73 g/l.
Broad, massive in scale with exuberant botrytis and then masses of acidity. Pure grapefruit syrup for the moment! JR 17/20
New Zealand
Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2019.
Cloudy Bay Sav Blanc is one of the few wines that made the world sit up and take notice when it arrived on the scene 35 years ago. It has not lost any of that kudos in the years since as it is still a benchmark wine for the variety
The palate is vibrant and mouth-watering, with concentrated juicy tropical notes, underpinned by a lively grapefruit acidity, carrying the intense fruit characters through to an impressively long finish.
Of course Cloudy Bay is not just about Sauvignon Blanc it is also the home of beautiful Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
Cloudy Bay Chardonnay 2018.
The nose is fresh with notes of candied citrus and stonefruit and subtle hints of spice from the subtle use of excellent French oak. The palate is rounded in the mouth, with gentle citrus and white peach characters, enfolded in layers of crème patissière and hazelnut.
Portugal
Warre’s 2017 Vintage Port.
2017 has been hailed as one of the truly great vintage years for Port. After a dry and warm summer the oldest vines rallied to produce grapes of perfect ripeness. This has translated into wines of great generosity and opulence that will age for many years to come.
Tasting Notes.
“Ripe and pure black fruit, smells fresher than the Dow’s. Sweet blackcurrant tea and a touch of dark chocolate, like chocolate-covered fresh black cherries and blackcurrants. Becomes more floral as it opens, wilder, more exuberant. Chewy, chalky rather than grainy tannins. Deep and rounded and long with a dry-tasting finish. A generous, full-bodied whole. “(JH) www.jancisrobinson.com
Les Trois Villages Ventoux Rosé. 2019.
This is a blend of Grenache, Shiraz, Vermentino and Marselan.
The colour is only slightly tinted, more of a blush than a pink rosé. The nose is fresh with a hint of white flowers and violets and the palate is elegant yet full of refreshing flavour due to it's lovely balance of fruit sweetness and acidity.
Perfect summer drinking, a favourite (JC).
Les Trois Villages Ventoux Rouge 2019.
Made from a blend of Grenache, Shiraz, Marselan and Carignan.
The colour is a youthful crimson red and the nose has lovely aromas of red berries and fresh plum. The palate is inviting and generous with loads of fruit and a lovely savoury finish.
This wine was the sleeper, sold out with a late rush, great value for money (JC).
Les Trois Villages Ventoux Rouge 2018.
Made from a blend of Grenache, Shiraz, Marselan and Carignan.
The colour is a youthful crimson red and the nose has lovely aromas of red berries and fresh plum. The palate is inviting and generous with loads of fruit and a lovely savoury finish.
This wine was the sleeper, sold out with a late rush, great value for money (JC).
Made from a blend of Grenache, Shiraz, Marselan and Carignan.
The colour is a youthful crimson red and the nose has lovely aromas of red berries and fresh plum. The palate is inviting and generous with loads of fruit and a lovely savoury finish.
This wine was the sleeper, sold out with a late rush, great value for money (JC).
Le Parpaillon 2015 Gigondas Again a blend of Grenache 60%, Shiraz 20% and Mouvedre 20%. The nose has the lifted spicy aromas of pepper and thyme that you would expect from Shiraz grown in a cool climate such as this. The Grenache adds roundness and hints of raspberry. The palate is rich and full with slight pencil shaving flavours that come from the subtle use of lovely French oak. The lovely savoury finish leaves wanting another glass.
Les Dessous des Dentelles Gigondas 2015. This is a blend of Grenache 65%, Shiraz 25% and Mouvedre 10%. The winemaker’s notes say that this wine releases the aromas of black cherries and raspberry jam. In the mouth it is supple yet persistent, fresh and elegant with a hint of liquorice.
Other
(Vanraken-Pommery) Domaine Royal de Jarras Rose 2016
Champagne
Ruinart Blanc de Blancs Non Vintage.
The Blanc de Blancs NV is Ruinart's emblematic wine. Chef de Cave, Frederic Panaiotis, unashamedly strives for a refreshing mouth filling aperitif style of champagne and he has certainly succeeded. The blend is 100% Chardonnay from various years (20 to 25% of which are reserve wines from the 2 previous years).
La Grande Dame 2008.
A remarkable champagne from another great year. The 2008 Grande Dame is a blend of 92% Pinot Noir and only 8% C22hardonnay remarkable because it is so elegant and refreshing for a wine with such a large percentage of Pinot. This is an absolute wine-making triumph.
The Pinot Noir comes from the vllages of AŸ, Ambonnay, Bouzy, Verzy and Verzennay and the Chardonnay comes from Le Mesnil sur Oger. All vineyards are Grand Cru level
Krug Grande Cuvée. Krug is quite simply one of the most prestigious champagne .houses. Small by comparison to the other houses already mentioned, demand is such that it's champagnes are now on allocation around the world. Krug refers to the Grande Cuvée as a Multi Vintage champagne rather than a Non Vintage. Regardless of how you describe it, it is certainly one of the most complete non vintage champagnes on the market as it spends seven to eight years on lees in the cellar before release compared to the three years that most other non vintage champagnes experience on lees.
This current release is a blend of 198 wines from 11 different years, the youngest is from the year 2012, while the oldest dates back to 1996. Its final composition is 52% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay and 13% Meunier.
Pol Cochet Blanc de Blancs 2014.
100% Chardonnay.
A magnificent pale yellow colour, enhanced by a fine effervescence. The nose offers great complexity with dominant notes of brioche and lemon butter evolving towards candied orange and honey aromas. The vivacious palate reveals biscuity and spicy notes with a touch of honey and an extremely elegant finish.
This wine was very well received in our last shipment and sold out quickly (JC)
Pol Cochet Blanc de Blancs 2014.
100% Chardonnay.
A magnificent pale yellow colour, enhanced by a fine effervescence. The nose offers great complexity with dominant notes of brioche and lemon butter evolving towards candied orange and honey aromas. The vivacious palate reveals biscuity and spicy notes with a touch of honey and an extremely elegant finish.
This wine was very well received in our last shipment and sold out quickly (JC)
Pol Cochet Grande Reserve NV.
60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay.
Luminous pale yellow with greenish glints and a fine effervescence. Delicate aromas of white flowers (acacia, hawthorn) and summer fruits (white peach and apricots) evolve towards richer notes of black cherry. Fresh and elegant in the mouth with notes of brioche, and a touch of lemon completing this champagne of great refinement. Best served at 10°C
Pol Cochet Brut Nature.
65% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay.
Beautiful light yellow colour, fine bubbles.
The nose has a great complexity dominated by candied lemon and white flowers.
The palate, of great minerality, reveals notes of vanilla and toasty, which give this harmonious wine a whole intensity. The end of mouth is elegant and has a great precision.Tasting temperature: 8 to 10 ° C.
Burgundies - White
Les Parcellaires de Saulx, Narvaux, Meursault 90 Points This good quality Meursault is from one of the most complex village plots, located on one of the higher, cooler spots just above the Genevrières and Bouchères premiers crus. The richness to the texture is not immediately clear and it’s a little closed, but sit with it and things begin to open through the palate, finishing with an enjoyable kick
Les Parcellaires de Saulx, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Clos St-Jean 95 Points A stunning, textually rich Chassagne that elongates and expands in the mouth - a great sign of the potential for Les Parcellaires de Saulx (and this is from a premier cru better known for its reds). We don’t know which grower of Clos St Jean this comes from, but I love the balance of salinity and rich, fleshy stone fruits. A great quality wine, only the second vintage to be produced.
Domaine William Fevre ChabliS 2018
Very fresh bouquet with notes of citrus and white fleshed-fruit. Fresh and supple, the wine is marked by mineral notes that are typical of the appellation.
Olivier Leflaive Bourgogne Blanc 2016
100% Chardonnay this is an elegant wine with a zesty apple driven fruit flavours and lemon tones coming to the fore. It is supple and round on the palate. This wine is a beautiful example of the elegance that Burgundian Chardonnay personifies. An excellent introduction to white
Burgundies - Red
Les Parcellaires de Saulx, Volnay, 1er Cru Mitans 94 Points From east-facing slopes, the flavours here are significantly more profound than in the village Volnay, with the liquorice edge of a great Burgundy. It’s light in colour but intense and drawn out in flavour, evolving and unwinding in the glass. Excellent quality.
Les Parcellaires de Saulx, Volnay, 1er Cru Mitans 94 Points From east-facing slopes, the flavours here are significantly more profound than in the village Volnay, with the liquorice edge of a great Burgundy. It’s light in colour but intense and drawn out in flavour, evolving and unwinding in the glass. Excellent quality.
Les Parcellaires de Saulx, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Fonteny 95 Points Biodynamic growers supply the fruit for this wine, sourced from powerful soils with serious limestone and very little topsoil. It has clear black and white pepper notes, with rosemary touches and tight, dark fruits. It’s extremely elegant, if a little closed, and lifts beautifully through the palate. Oak charring is noticeable, but not overpowering, leading to a mouth-watering finish. Good personality.
Bordeaux
Chateau Lascombes 2016
Dark blackish purple. I'd hate to be given this blind. It's pure Napa Valley! So sweet! So concentrated! JR. 16.5/20 Bordeaux tour members will remember Chateau Lascombes for it’s fabulous wines and hospitality. Ian L.
Chateau Grand Puy Lacoste. 2016. 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot. Harvested 28 September to 13 October. 45 hl/ha. Very dark crimson. Very ripe and fresh. Pretty glorious expression of the vintage on the nose. Slightly dry finish but really very energetic. R. 17/20
This is a 5th growth Chateau that challenges the First growths year after year. Ian L.
Chevalier de Lascombes 2016.
Not Reviewed
Lacoste Borie 2016, (2nd wine of Chateau Grand Puy Lacoste) Not reviewed.
Chateau D’Issan 2016
Mid crimson. Vigorous nose. Round texture and really rather admirably relaxed. Certainly not sweet. Quite long. JR 17+/20 I tried this Chateau for the first time this year and it was an absolute stunner. Ian L.
Blason D’Issan 2016.
Fresh and penetrating aroma. Luscious texture. Doesn’t taste like a second wine! JR 16.5/20
Sauternes
Duo de la Tour Blanche 2016.
Dry white wines grown and made in the Sauternes region cannot be called Sauternes and so this wine is regarded simply as, Appellation Bordeaux. That is where the simplicity end though as this is a beautiful dry white wine, full of flavour and elegance. It is a blend of 65% Semillon and 35% Sauvignon Blanc. The Semillon is fermented in French oak and the Sauvignon Blanc component is fermented in Stainless Steel.
The Duo takes it’s name from the harmonious blend of the two varieties and it is a beautiful accompaniment to seafood. Cellar for up to five years or enjoy now. Ian Leamon.
Les Charmilles de la Tour Blanche. 2016. (2nd Label) Les Charmilles is a lighter version of the Grand Vin. It has a lower level of Botrytis infection and it is made to be drunk young. It is as much an aperitif as it is a dessert wine. Ian Leamon
Chateau La Tour Blanche. 2016 (Grand Vin) RS 135 g/l, TA 3.73 g/l.
Broad, massive in scale with exuberant botrytis and then masses of acidity. Pure grapefruit syrup for the moment! JR 17/20
New Zealand
Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2019.
Cloudy Bay Sav Blanc is one of the few wines that made the world sit up and take notice when it arrived on the scene 35 years ago. It has not lost any of that kudos in the years since as it is still a benchmark wine for the variety
The palate is vibrant and mouth-watering, with concentrated juicy tropical notes, underpinned by a lively grapefruit acidity, carrying the intense fruit characters through to an impressively long finish.
Of course Cloudy Bay is not just about Sauvignon Blanc it is also the home of beautiful Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
Cloudy Bay Chardonnay 2018.
The nose is fresh with notes of candied citrus and stonefruit and subtle hints of spice from the subtle use of excellent French oak. The palate is rounded in the mouth, with gentle citrus and white peach characters, enfolded in layers of crème patissière and hazelnut.
Portugal
Warre’s 2017 Vintage Port.
2017 has been hailed as one of the truly great vintage years for Port. After a dry and warm summer the oldest vines rallied to produce grapes of perfect ripeness. This has translated into wines of great generosity and opulence that will age for many years to come.
Tasting Notes.
“Ripe and pure black fruit, smells fresher than the Dow’s. Sweet blackcurrant tea and a touch of dark chocolate, like chocolate-covered fresh black cherries and blackcurrants. Becomes more floral as it opens, wilder, more exuberant. Chewy, chalky rather than grainy tannins. Deep and rounded and long with a dry-tasting finish. A generous, full-bodied whole. “(JH) www.jancisrobinson.com
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