Andrew Cullimore

9.1

No formal notes . Medium deep lemon yellow . Quite deep rich fruited nose , with citrus peel , yellow plum and brioche . Quite round and rich on the palate , again the brioche , yellow fruits and orange peel . Good length and balance , but probably needs a bit of food. At Vinous Icons NY, Pier 60, Feb 2025 — 14 days ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.3

Blend of 80% Grenache, 15% Syrah and 5% Mourvèdre, deep inky red color with aromas of ripe berry fruits and earthy spice. On the palate flavors of black raspberry, ripe cherry and blackberry with black pepper, cacao and earth notes, vivid acidity nice structure. Fine tannins, long finish ending with fruit and spice character. Good now will still cellar. — 3 months ago

Shay A

9.3

I’ve enjoyed Henri Giraud’s champagnes for a while, and was able to visit last Nov. This ratafia champenois was quite fun and worthy of a few bottles being brought home. From a solera of 1990-2016 vintages.

Followed over a few months (love that the wine comes with its own dedicated stopper to help preserve).

First whiff reminds me of some Cognacs I’ve had with a combo of sweet concentrated fruit (raisins) and heat, before showing a honeyed profile. There’s no nutty Sauternes like profile, but the palate is texturally similar without being cloying. Orange marmalade and golden raspberries dominate the flavors. Little bright herbal-flair, but this still shows some Cognac type flavors without the ABV punch. The oxidation is balanced and not detracting. Really enjoyable. — 8 months ago

Her Mir Tage

9.2

Is the Parker 99-point 2009 VCC Worth Its Price?

From a scoring perspective, you might feel slightly disappointed upon opening it, but in terms of price, it likely aligns with expectations.

Having previously tasted a Parker 95-100-point Côte-Rôtie La Landonne, I found its complexity and aromatic depth more impressive than this wine—though the 99-point VCC is the highest score this estate has ever received from Parker.

After 30 minutes of decanting:
The wine showed dark fruit aromas (blackberry), along with primary, secondary, and tertiary notes—cigar box, leather, and truffle-but the tannins were still tight, indicating it wasn’t fully open.

After 2 hours of decanting:
The wine began to unfold, not with explosive aromas but with a refined, lingering profile.Beyond the initial notes, ripe plum, vanilla, and graphite emerged. However, compared to an older vintage of VCC I’ve tried (which had a rich dark chocolate character), this bottle lacked that particular depth.

The tannins turned silky and smooth, making it very approachable, while a savory umami note complemented the medium acidity. The body was beautifully clean and well-structured. — 21 days ago

Mark S.

9.1

Citrus, fruity, plum, sour, chalk. Pinot Noir 80% Chardonnay 20% Slight salty. It has structure. Henri Giraud Esprit Nature G AY Blend @13200, Dmar, 250424 — 4 months ago

Tayler Walters

10

Grand wine — 8 months ago

Bob McDonald

9.5

Mid Lemon Yellow in colour. Barb thought aromatics of lemon flower and dusty citrus generally. A little flint and quince. On the palate more citrus featuring lemon, lime and ripe grapefruit. A thirst quenching white wine - balanced with just sufficient acid. Thoroughly enjoyable from a good vintage for white burgundy. With air this wine put on weight and became more luscious. The following night still superb. — 2 months ago

Loren Gesinsky

9.0

Still pretty alive, albeit more into tertiary notes with some fruit still evident, at 47 years old. — 3 months ago

Mike Evans

9.0

A little natty funk, it didn’t really resonate with me. — 7 months ago

Mike Evans

9.2

Nutty oxidation but not overwhelmingly so, with good acidity, probably past peak but not too far over. — 8 months ago