Jay Kline

9.3

Until Caroline Frey took over wine making responsibilities, “La Chapelle” was sort of known to me as a perennial underachiever with very few vintages in the last 40 years really meeting their potential. The late 90’s was perhaps the deepest point of the malaise. That being said, this bottle proves that the underpinnings were always there and I found it to be very enjoyable, if not quite on the level of the other examples of late-90’s Hermitage we enjoyed on the night. There is still quite a bit of life left. — 9 days ago

Jay Kline

9.6

Tasted alongside the 2013 and this was absolutely extraordinary. Tremendous depth. This is what I’ve always wanted out of white Rhône wines and of course, it took a well aged Chave to deliver. — 9 days ago

Jay Kline

9.5

Easily the classiest of the three late-90’s Hermitage selections in this flight and there really isn’t much more to say. The Chave just hits different. Plenty of life and enjoyment left in these. — 9 days ago

Ira Schwartz

9.6

I must have sniffed the glass 4-5x before I put the wine in my mouth. Funk , in the best sense of the word , leather , cured meat and old furniture . When I finally tasted , the complexity of flavors were head spinning. A melange of flowers , spices , game, red fruit and some dark fruit . Reminds me of some aged Burgundy and Barolo that I have consumed. What I imagine being on LSD would be like, hopefully there are flashbacks. An amazing trip ! — 8 days ago

with Richard

Jay Kline

9.3

I’ve got a soft spot for the wines of August Clape and this was a great showing but, and I’m really splitting hairs here, it just didn’t have the character that the ’09 Allemand had on this night. I found this bottle to be more about the 2009 vintage than anything else; enormous waves of sweet, ripe fruit with a soft, plush, luxurious texture. It was just a bit one dimensional tonight. — 9 days ago

Daniel M

9.1

Blackberry, black pepper, meat juice... This is textbook Syrah from Northern Rhône. The palate is a model of balance. Sheer acid and great matter. Good width and a lively mouthfeel. Pointy tannins a bit of a grain in mid palate. Very long finish with blackberry and those meat juice notes that are consistent with the nose. This is probably much too early to open it and I think it'd be better with food, but this is one of the best crozes I've had so far along with some cuvées from Combier. Great stuff! — 2 days ago

Nicolas Greinacher

9.8

Lunch in Alsace. The 2009 Château Rayas reminds me of the legendary 1990. Although the high alcohol is apparent, the wine is in complete harmony. Medium garnet colored, the nose exhibits a wide array of dried herbs, ripe, almost jammy strawberries and raspberries, red currant, red cherries, iodine, savory notes and earth. On the palate, the high level of concentration is head spinning, but there is just enough acidity to keep everything balanced. The 2009 Château Rayas will evolve gracefully for two or more decades and ranks among the finest vintages of this estate. — 10 days ago

Jay Kline

9.5

of the Cornas flight, this was the standout and again, the lineup was significant. It was a wonderfully wild expression of Syrah in the way that Cornas provides and yet, there was some real sophistication to it as well. Mostly primary with deep, delicious dark berries leading the way with fabulous structure. Long way to go for this one. Simply in a different class tonight. — 9 days ago

Jay Kline

9.4

I’ve enjoyed the wines of Chateauneuf-du-Pape for almost 20 years and, along with a few DOCG’s in Italy, it’s one of the regions I have the most experience with. That being said, I’ve become very judicious with my buying over the last 5 years or so, concentrating on a small handful of producers that I’ve naturally gravitated towards. Domaine Charvin is one of those. No destemming, aged in concrete, no luxury cuvée, modest pricing. They’re just so old school and I just love it. The 2017 Charvin Rouge pours a deep garnet color with a near opaque core; medium+ viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, it’s initially a bit reticent but changes dramatically with about 15min of air at which point it begins to really strut. First with bruised strawberries and whole fields of garrigue. With a little more coaxing, ripe brambles, spiced meat, and lavender join the party. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannins (which seem to build with air), medium acid and fairly high alcohol though it never felt like a hot mess. In fact, the wine is beautifully balanced with ample structure providing a foundation for the abundance of fruit: red and black brambly fruit, with Herb de Provence, espresso and a touch of leather and dark olive. The finish is long and satisfying. A lovely Charvin that should deliver in style well past 2030 — 15 days ago

Nicolas Greinacher

9.4

Medium ruby with pronouned aromas of violets, fresh, slightly cooked strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, red plum, cedar wood, christmas cake, and earth. On the palate, medium but oh so ripe, deliciously smooth tannins and high fruit concentration paint a full bodied wine with a long, lingering finish. I can easily imagine my score increasing as it matures, gaining even more finesse and complexity. The 2016 Vieux Donjon is a head turner. Drink from 2026 to 2041 — 4 days ago