Comte De Saint Emmanuel
Château du Coing de Saint Fiacre
Comte de Saint-Hubert Vieilles Vignes Muscadet Sèvre Et Maine Sur Lie Melon de Bourgogne 1999
Comte de Saint Venant
Vouvray Chenin Blanc
N: peaches, pears, honeysuckle, river stones and chalk
P: “” off-dry, good acidity and brightness, creamy texture up front with light minerality on the finish — a year ago
Taittinger
Comtes de Champagne Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne Chardonnay 2007
Well...this was one hell of a week. There is only one way to wind it down. Reach for an excellent bottle of vintage Champagne.
My first thoughts are how delicate this is on the palate. Further, how unbelievable it will be with another 8-10 years in bottle.
The nose shows; slightly sour lemon, the good parts of lemon Pledge, lemon meringue, white stone fruits, pineapple fresh with lots of juice, grapefruit, lime pulp, honeysuckle, soft, haunting caramel, brioche, limestone & slightly, dirty, grey volcanics, saline, sea fossils, sea spray, bread dough, vanilla, white spices-light ginger with spring flowers, mixed floral greens & lilies.
The body is light on its feet and dances on the palate. Delicacy abounds. Its soft, gorgeous mousse right there with the best money can buy. Slightly sour lemon, lemon meringue, green & with more bruised golden apple, white stone fruits, pineapple fresh with lots of juice, grapefruit, lime pulp, touch of apple cider, honeysuckle, soft, haunting caramel, ginger ale into cream soda, brioche, nougat, toffee notes, lighter nuts without skin, limestone & slightly, dirty, grey volcanics, saline, sea fossils, sea spray, bread dough, vanillin, marzipan, white spices-light ginger with spring flowers, mixed floral greens & lilies. The acidity is mellow yet lively, gorgeous and as good as it gets. The finish is all luxury. So well knitted & balanced, elegant, rich but not overpowering and gently persisting several minutes.
Photos of; The House of Taittinger, their caves so chalky white and built on the famous Crayères Cellars of Reims: 2.5 miles of tunnels (they own 1/4 to 1/3 of it) cut out of chalk by the Romans, the portrait of Thibaud IV who was a king, lord, manager, singer, conqueror, explorer & 11th century Crusader all rolled into one from which, this Cuvée was the catalyst creation and part of the 600 plus hectares they own in Champange.
Some producer notes; Taittinger's history can be traced back to 1734, when it was originally known as Forest-Fourneaux, founded by Jacques Fourneaux who worked closely with local Benedictine monks to learn how to produce wine. They were just the 3rd Champange house.
The estate was bought by the Taittingers – a family of wine merchants – in 1932, and thanks to the great depression and subsequent low land prices, the family also picked up huge swathes of vineyard. From 1945-1960, Francois Taittinger established the cellars in the Abbey of Saint-Nicaise, and after his death in 1960 his brother Claude took over, pushing the estate into a Champagne house of world renown. Such was the status of the label that the Taittinger family soon expanded its business into other luxury goods. However, this eventually led to financial difficulties, and in 2005 the Taittinger brand – including the Champagne house – was sold to the American owned Starwood Hotel Group. The sale was badly received by the Champagne industry, with many fearing the new owners – unfamiliar with the culture of Champagne – would put profit ahead of quality.
Just one year later, Claude’s nephew, Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger, who had always been opposed to the sale, negotiated a €660m deal with the Starwood Group, and the Taittinger family resumed ownership of the company.
In 2017, Taittinger planted its first vines in England, near a village in Kent, for its venture into English sparkling wine. The first bottle will be ready in 2023.
1/8/21 — 3 years ago
Emmanuel Darnaud
Lieu dit La Dardouille Saint-Joseph Syrah 2021
Popped and poured; enjoyed over two days and consistent throughout. The 2021 “La Dardouille” pours a bright purple color with a near transparent core. Medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, youthful with a bucket of fresh, darker fruits: blackberries, dark cherry, plum, and blue berries with purple flowers, black pepper, dried earth, minerals and some light baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium(+?) tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose with the black pepper really showing more prominently. Long, mineral finish. All of that being said, the elegance of this wine is arguably its most distinctive characteristic. This is a very light-handed Saint-Joseph and its transparency is a gift. Very pretty stuff. Drink now to enjoy its youthful beauty but some patience will likely reward as I expect this will flesh out. Drink through 2036. Thanks for the assist @Lyle Fass — 3 months ago
Château de Pibarnon (Comte de Saint Victor)
Les Restanques de Pibarnon Bandol Mourvedre Grenache 2015
In a dumb phase. Delicious and feminine turned earthy and funky. Best of both worlds! — 5 years ago
Emmanuel Darnaud
Saint-Joseph Marsanne Roussanne 2018
I love this wine. One of the best St. Jo Blancs. Nose is expansive and ripe with exotic tropical fruits and lots of gras. Also granite and lime jelly and liquified lemon jelly. Sea air as well. So clean. Palate is so finesse driven with awesome texture and depth. Energy from granite but definetly not for acid heads. Rich, long finish with tropical fruits and granite. Needs air. — 6 months ago
Château Tertre Daugay
St. Émilion Red Bordeaux Blend 2005
Nice bottle for $50.00, decant an hour so & you’re set
Info I found on the dark web as follows,
This property possesses 16 hectares of vines (60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc) and was purchased in 1978 by Comte Léo de Malet Roquefort, the owner of Château La Gaffelière. In June 2011 it was acquired by the Clarence Dillon group, which also owns Haut-Brion and La Mission Haut-Brion. Its new owner decided to rename the property, starting with the 2011 vintage. Château Tertre Daugay, the fifth cru classé to be acquired by the Clarence Dillon group, became Château Quintus.The property is located on a high promontory that forms the edge of the Saint Emilion plateau. It commands a panoramic view far into the distance of the surrounding villages and the Dordogne Valley. It is here that, since time immemorial, a watchtower has stood to guard the village of Saint Emilion. The exceptional microclimate is due to the area's diversity in terms of soil, slopes and orientation. Consequently, it comes as no surprise that in 1844 and 1848 the wine was among the 14 most sought-after and expensive in Saint Emilion. For nearly a century, Bordeaux et ses Vins, the standard reference work produced by Cocks and Féret, listed the property as a Saint Emilion Premier Cru. The property was also one of the prestigious vineyards in Saint Emilion to win a gold medal at the Paris Universal Exhibition of 1867. — a year ago
Doug Powers
Surprisingly so youthful so as to wonder whether this will last more than 50 years (it’s 25 years old now and barely evolved), absolutely lovely!! — a month ago