Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

If you see my posts, you know all too well that I am addicted to Rosé Champange. Also, I love to pair food & wine.

Everyone has a passion and or gift(s). One of the other things I do well is make the best fruit tart I’ve had anywhere. I’m not bragging, just relaying something that has played out through my experiences. I make it twice a summer season and have been waiting to pair with the Ruinart Rosé this season. I simply knew these two would be perfect together and it didn’t disappoint. Even over the Billecart Rosé which, on its own, I enjoy more over the Ruinart Rosé.

The fruits in each marry perfectly. The crust of the tart picked up and extenuated the dough/baguette crust in the Champagne. There is a perfectly even tug of war between the dessert and the Champagne which, is the primary essential building block of any good food & wine pairing. The wine and dish should not dominate one over the other. The flavors of each should complement each other in some fashion and there are normally many paths to choose from in getting there. This happened perfectly tonight with this Cuvée and my tart.

The Ruinart shows rich, deep and ripe fruits. Black cherry, strawberries, citrus blend, raspberries, soft, delicate chalkiness, mid intensity volcanic minerals, bread dough/Baguette crust, excellent acidity and beautifully, delicious, rich, elegant polished finish that persists minutes. 9.2 on its own and 9.4 with the fruit tart.

Photos of; the House of Ruinart, famous painting of Ruinart’s founder-Dom Thierry Ruinart, my fruit tart and the walk down to their chalky caves. So chalky, its seeped through the bricks they laid to support the ceiling and walls. — 6 years ago

B

10

2011 Clos St. Jacques Gevrey-Chambertin. Dinner w A&S. Didn’t decant and it was great, but next time, definitely note to decant. — 7 years ago

Cody Short

9.4

Wow, what a great surprise! From magnum and this was firing. The 99’s seem to be drinking so well right now. — 7 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

I have a six-pack of this 05. I thought after 10 years in bottle, it would be interesting to check in on its evolution. While tasty, I’ll wait another 8-10 to open another. Even after 2-3 hours in the decanter, it’s still a very young adolescent. On the nose, slightly sour blackberries & dark cherries, dark currants, baked black plum, haunting blue fruits, anise, whiff of spice, steeped tea, dry stones, dry crushed rocks with dry top soil, caramel, vanilla with fresh & dry red florals. The body is thick & full. Tannins are starting to round out. It’s velvety on the palate. The fruits are; bright, fresh & ripe and really show the greatness of the 05 vintage. Dark currants, blackberries, dark cherries, baked black plum, haunting blue fruits, baked strawberries, cherries, raspberries on the long set, dark spice, clay & loamy dry top soil with crushed rocks, dry stones, cigar with ash, graphite, dry stems, slight herbaceous character, mint, used leather, clove, caramel, vanilla, fresh & dry red florals with violets. The round acidity is about perfect. The structure and length are still strong. The balance is in harmony. As for the long finish, it’s lush, ruby, rich and well polished. Photos of; Chateau Brane Cantenac, large wood vats, Henri Lurton and Estate vines. Producer notes and history...Chateau Brane Cantenac began in the early 17th century. At the time, the estate was known as Domaine Guilhem Hosten. Even that far back, wine was produced from the property. In fact, the wine was so highly regarded it was one of the more expensive wines in Bordeaux. It sold for almost as much money as Brane Mouton. This is interesting because of who went on to buy the vineyard in the 1800’s. The Baron of Brane, also known as “Napoleon of the Vineyards”, purchased the Chateau in 1833. At the time of the sale, the estate was called Chateau Gorce-Guy. To get the funds needed to purchase the Margaux vineyard, the Baron sold what is now called Mouton Rothschild, which was at the time of the sale, known as Chateau Brane-Mouton. Not such a good move with hundreds of years in hindsight! In 1838, the Baron renamed property taking his name and the name of the sector where the vineyards were located and called it Chateau Brane Cantenac. The Chateau later passed to the Roy family, who were well-known in the Margaux appellation in those days, as they owned Chateau d’issan. Moving ahead to 1920, the Societe des Grands Crus de France, a group of merchants and growers that owned several chateaux located in the Medoc including; Chateau Margaux, Chateau Giscours, and Chateau Lagrange in St. Julien, purchased Chateau Brane Cantenac. Five years later, M. Recapet and his son-in-law, François Lurton, took over Brane Cantenac along with Chateau Margaux. Lucien Lurton (the son of François Lurton) inherited Brane Cantenac in 1956. Today, the estate is still in the hands of the Lurton family. Brane Cantenac is owned and run by Henri Lurton. After being given the responsibility of managing Brane Cantenac, it was under the direction of Henri Lurton that large portions of the vineyard were replanted. Vine densities were increased, the drainage systems were improved and the plantings were also, slowly changed. The vineyard of Brane Cantenac is planted to 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 4.5% Cabernet Franc and .5% Carmenere. Carmenere was used for the first time in the 2011 vintage. The only other Chateau I know that still uses Carmenere is Clerc Milon. The 75 hectare Left Bank vineyard of Brane Cantenac is essentially unchanged since it earned Second Growth status in the 1855 Classification. At least that is the case with the 45 hectares used to produce the Grand Vin of Brane Cantenac. Those 45 hectares are planted surrounding the Chateau. Those vines are located just in front of the Cantenac plateau and are the best terroir that Brane Cantenac owns. They have other parcels, which are further inland and much of those grapes are placed into their second wine, Le Baron de Brane. Those additional hectares can be divided into 3 main sections. Behind the Chateau, they have 15 hectares of vines on gravel and sand, 10 hectares across the road with sand, gravel and iron and a 13 hectare parcel with gravel called Notton, which is used for their second wine. The vineyard is planted to a vine density that ranges from 6,666 vines per hectare on the plateau and up to 8,000 vines per hectare for the vines located behind chateau, in their sandier soils. The higher levels of vine density are always found in the newer plantings. The terroir of Brane Cantenac consists of deep gravel, sand and clay soil. Experiments in the vineyards are currently looking at becoming more organic in their vineyard management. Today, more than 25% of Brane Cantenac is farmed using organic farming techniques. It is expected that over time, the amount of hectares farmed with organic methods will be increased. Brane Cantenac has gone through 2 relatively recent modernization’s in 1999, when they added began adding the first of their smaller vats to allow for parcel by parcel vinification and then again in 2015 when they completed a much more complete renovation of their cellars and vat rooms. While Brane Cantenac is a traditional producer, they are no stranger to technology as they were one of the first estates to embrace optical grape sorting machines. In very wet vintages, they can also use reverse osmosis. To produce the wine of Chateau Brane Cantenac, the wine is vinified in a combination of temperature controlled, traditional, 22 oak vats, 18 concrete tanks and 20 stainless steel vats that vary in size from 40 hectoliters all the way up to 200 hectoliters, which allows for parcel by parcel vinification. 40% of the fermentation takes place in the oak vats. The oldest vines are vinified in vats that are selected to allow for separate parcel by parcel vinification. The younger vines are vinified more often together in the same vats. However, the Carmenere is entirely micro-vinified, meaning that those grapes were completely vinified in barrel, using micro-vinification techniques. This can also happen because the amount of grapes produced is so small. Some vats can be co-inoculated, meaning they go through alcoholic fermentation and malolactic fermentation simultaneously. At Chateau Brane Cantenac, malolactic fermentation takes place in a combination of French oak tanks and barrels. The wine of Brane Cantenac is aged in an average of 60% new, French oak barrels for 18 months before bottling. The initial 2 months of aging is done with the wine on its lees, which adds more depth to the wine. There second wine is Le Baron de Brane. Le Baron de Brane is not new. In fact, previously, the second wine went under the name of Chateau Notton, which took its name from one of the main parcels where the grapes were planted. During the late 1950’s and into the 1960’s, having a second wine was important as the estate declassified 3 vintages, due to extremely poor, weather conditions in 1956, 1960 and 1963. Production of Chateau Brane Cantenac is about 11,000 cases per year. — 7 years ago

Conrad Green

9.5

Sappy, exuberant cherry fruit with underlying forest notes. Still bright and young with spice, and gorgeous clarity. This is all kinds of approachable but really classy and exciting. What a wine. Obviously this could do with time, but like many 07’s, it’s great now. — 6 years ago

with Tony and David

Chris England

9.7

A review of 9️⃣’s for fun 😁

The 2009 was made 9 years ago @ £39 & 19 years after the 1990 @ €90 😁 so I thought it would be fun to compare how my favourite Pomerol has evolved 😁

💵 Oh & Petrus next door to this Chateau is 90 times more expensive 🤣

🥊 So 90 vs 09

🏵 90 - 97-98 points
🏵 09 - 94-95 points

🍷 90 - Garnet opaque ruby w/ bricking
🍷 09 - Opaque ruby

⏩ scroll for colour pics on Instagram ⏩

👃 90 - Bordeaux nasal sex of soggy earth, sooty underground 🚇, char-smoked oak, old leather, damp musty cellar, mushroom, mirabelle plums, damson compote, obliterated blackcurrant, herbs, toasted fig, bitter mocha & liquorice
👃 09 - Dark jammy plum & blackcurrant through smokey oak, choc mocha, flint, pencil lead, soggy earthy leaves & wet rock minerals

👄 90 - Med body of creamy earthy smooth silk dark plum & berry bathed in ground mocha & liquorice
👄 09 - Med+ creamy smooth ripe dark plum & blackcurrant body w/ a mocha infusion & mineral tone

🎯 90 - Long mocha liquorice dark fruits mouth filling linger w/ a big happy smile 😃
🎯 09 - Long smooth ripe dark fruit, minerals & rich mocha linger - oh & still big happy smile 😀

⏰ 09 I can’t wait to revisit you in 19 years 😘

👏 @josephjanoueix @jeanphilippejanoueix 😍
— 7 years ago

Chris England

9.2

A fab £56 St Estephe showing how well they can age but boy this is an oak dominatrix in an oak bondage orgy 😁 only for oak lovers 😉 I still enjoyed it 👍

🏵 92 points

🍇 40% Cab S & 60% Merlot

🍷 Opaque ruby

👃 Rich oak driven smothered dark fruits that drown out any other nuance aromas but some sooty smoke creeps through

👄 Med silky smooth body of oaky dark berries w/ a liquorice & mocha touch

🎯 Med+ liquorice & mocha dark fruits w/ dry oak dominating — 7 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

I bought my first vintage from this producer & terroir beginning with the 2010 vintage and what a vintage to start. I bought four bottles for right around $50 or a little less. They were so amazing, I drank through them in no time at all. For those of you that read my posts, that’s not normally what I do. I like to drink one & age the rest. Since then, I have looked & looked for more. I’d finally given up hopes of finding more until recently I struck gold. I should have bought all nine bottles but a calmer head prevailed. It’s definitely changed since having it fresh. On the nose, the fruits are slightly macerated. Heather honey, beeswax, golden & green apple, pineapple upside down cake, slight orange citrus blend, mango, glazed nuts, soft, delicate, chalky minerals, a touch of jasmine & yellow lilies. The body is much rounder & thicker than when it was young. Waxy. So, beautifully layered across the palate. Much of the palate matches the nose. Heather honey, beeswax, golden & green apple, apricots, peach, pineapple upside down cake, slight orange citrus blend, mango, slight molasses character & glazed nuts with citrus blossoms, yellow lilies & jasmine. The minerals are much more grippy & bold as they cut across and set on the palate. The acidity round & phat. The texture is amazing as is the length, balance & beautiful, rich, long finish that lasts two-minutes plus. So glad I found more of this wine! Hubert Lamy seriously over deliver the terroir & the price point by a country mile. If you are not buying this wine on pre-arrival, you are missing great wine and excellent value. Can’t say enough good things about it. Especially, the 2010. I expect the 15 to hold similar quality. Photos of; Olivier Lamy, Olivier working in this vineyard, barrel room and their Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet Vineyard. Producer notes and history...There have been Lamy’ s growing vines in St-Aubin since 1640, today it is run by Olivier Lamy. Olivier is a new breed of Burgundian grower keen to progress. He trained Méo-Camuzet & made a number of vintages before taking over in 1996 from his father Hubert. Hubert Lamy used to sell fruit to négociants, but that stopped in 1997. He grubbed up and sold off peripheral vines, keeping only the best and oldest sites. Currently he is experimenting with different planting densities in a quest to capture even greater expression of terroir. The Domaine produces both reds and whites and now has 16.5 hectares of vineyards, mostly in St-Aubin but also own a few parcels in Chassagne-Montrachet and a tiny plot in the Grand Cru Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet. Yields are kept low and recent innovations have been introduced with selection tables in the cuverie to ensure that only the healthiest and ripest grapes are used. His more recent move to reduce the amount of new oak with the introduction of demi-muids 300-600 liter barrels have also helped to improve the wines. Vinification is traditional and the wines are matured with only 20-30% new oak for 12 months before minimal filtration and then bottling. The quality is very high and is often superior to many wines from much more prominent villages that sell at twice the price or more. — 7 years ago

Pat Taylor

8.9

Decent vintage but this one was possibly over the hill. Or, it is in the awkward pubescent stage. Acidity was a little flat and the fruit was subdued. The nose, on the other hand, was all of that and more. I look forward to see how the 06’s compare in my cellar. — 8 years ago

with Chris and Jeff

Niels Busschots

9.3

Always a little bit risky to open a 90's but this one is right on top!! — 8 years ago

Hugh O'Riordan

9.3

A delicious cab with years of age ahead. I like Del Dotto wines in general. — 8 years ago

Ron Siegel

9.4

Still youthful with beautiful aromatics showing a nose of red berry, cassis, earth, barnyard, leather, lead pencil, leather & tobacco. One of the better 94’s — 6 years ago

Megan Werling

9.0

Excellent rich, deep, robust red wine. Have on a cold night with some steak or pot roast. — 6 years ago

Matt Trader

9.2

Beautiful example of top class grand cru St. Emilion - 2014 was a decent year with a good spring, but fairly humid and grey in the summer with more rainfall than normal, and more than the left bank areas saw. Given clay isn't very free draining, the areas that had more sand and gravel drained a little better resulting in great Cabernet Franc, and decent Merlot. That being said, the wine from this estate is beautiful, fleshy, and supple, with acidity and slightly grippy tannins that will help this wine to continue aging. Black plummy fruits, cherry reduction, bell pepper, tobacco, purple flower florals. 90% Merlot, and 10% Cabernet Franc, aged in new oak barrels 50% on lees for 17 months, and no fining. This is a great value to have in the cellar, especially if you secured any 2015's that absolutely will need time, these can be opened now but aged for several more years. — 7 years ago

Chris England

9.2

Drinking easy now but should be epic in 10+ yrs - amazing value for money @ £24

🍇 60% Cab S & 40% Mer

🍷 Opaque ruby

👃 Crushed gravel mineral through fresh blackberry, chocolate mint & soggy earth w/ dark plums & light smoked oak

👄 Med body of very fruity dark berries & damson w/ a touch of raspberry liquorice & creamy milky chocky mocha w/ touch dry minerals

🎯 Med dry earthy mocha dark berry blackcurrant driven purple plummy fruit burst w/ morello choc dipped cherry — 7 years ago

Paul T HB

9.0

My 2nd 2002, I just don’t think they were meant to last this long, cork was a little soft. But looked good, had sediment marks at neck so it was stored on its side. But a little brickish & funk on it.
2007’s were quite a bit better. — 7 years ago

David L

9.9

12’ Realm Beckstoffer Dr Crane. Color- Inky dark purple. This wine jumps out of the glass ( Holy S%#t ) Blueberry pie, blackberries, smokiness, dare I say a bit of earthiness to it. Sexy,complexed & incredibly delicious. WOW! Drinking now with 15 great years in it. — 8 years ago

Chris England

9.2

🎅 Advent 📆 Day 0️⃣9️⃣

Santa’s on a roll with another top year in one of my favourite St Estephes @ £37 for a halfy 👍 this is a great 91-92 now but will age to 94-95 easy 😉

🍇 51% Cab S & 49% Mer

🍷 Opaque deep ruby

👃 Dark morello cherry, damson, spiced blackcurrant & blackberry through light smoked oak w/ violet, earth, mineral & cocoa tones

👄 Med creamy silky body of plump blackcurrant & dark plum in chocolate w/ a hint of liquorice

🎯 Long dark fruit & mocha linger — 8 years ago

Bret Barker

9.1

Very fine, silky with a little more on the cedar herbal side as the fruit is diminished a bit. Again can't help but think I should have opened this 5-7 years ago like most 2003's. — 8 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

8.9

On the nose; flint/sulfur, cut dry grass, green apple, lemon, lime, notes of overripe pineapple, honeysuckle, green herbs Jasmine and yellow lilies. On the palate; green apple, lemon, lime, overripe pineapple, green dry herbs, flint/sulfur, honeysuckle, Jasmine & yellow lilies, grainy minerals, good chalkiness, saline, nice round acidity and round, rich, long finish. Photos of; Domaine Guy Amoit et Fils, their barrel cellar and Guy & Thierry Amiot and a picturesque shot in Chassagne-Montrachet. Producer notes and history...Domaine Amiot was founded in Chassagne-Montrachet in 1920 by Arsene Amiot when he acquired select parcels of vines or “climats” in Chassagne including Vergers, Caillerets, Clos St. Jean and in what is today Le Montrachet. Under Arsene, Domaine Amiot became one of the first Domaines in Burgundy to bottle their own production. In the 1930’s, the domaine passed to Aresene’s son, Pierre, who continued to add top sites such as Champsgains, Macherelles, Maltroie and their tiny parcel in Puligny, Les Demoiselles. Pierre’s son, Guy, took the reins in 1985 and solidified the reputation of the Domaine for producing wines of exceptional quality from an impressive array of top vineyard sites. Guy’s son Thierry took over the winemaking in 2003 and continues the tradition of expressing the unique character of each vineyard site while constantly seeking to improve the quality of the wines. Les Macherelles is located on the farest side of Chassagne-Montrachet close to Puligny-Montrachet. — 8 years ago