Sipping Fine Wine

8.9

Saw an ‘08, so I grabbed it and wanted to see how it tasted. Founded by Alexandra Marnier Lapostolle and her husband Cyril de Bournet in 1994. The Marnier Lapostolle family are founders and owners of the world-renowned liqueur Grand Marnier. A blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Carmenere, dark red almost purple with berry fruit and lively citrus notes. Raspberry and blackberry flavors with cacao and cedar tones, well balanced, full ripe tannins. Lingering finish ending with oak and fruit notes. Still tasting well! — 8 years ago

Annie Hil

9.3

We loved this one. Find and buy again. — 9 years ago

Robert May

9.5

Impeccable example of the Year of the Century 2012 Burgundy. Didn't know the House or district (Fleys) but love the wine. — 9 years ago

Justin McGlothin

9.2

Paired with ground turkey and vegetables. Wine was great but didn't pair well. — 9 years ago

Jaci Hodges

9.5

More full bodied than a typical cider. Funky and dry. — 10 years ago

Joakim Andersson

9.3

Animalic with notes of violet. Presents itself as very mature and elegant with integrated tannins, sweet herbs and a dryish texture. — 10 years ago

Juan Luis García Ruiz

10

#maridajenatural #anjou #loire #cabernetfranc when a person put this wine and turns around and says ... this wine is q good !!!!! Q ... he gives you uploaded is tremendous !!!!! #winelover #vinosnaturales #wineandfood #wineporn — 11 years ago

Michael Delacruz

9.8

Drinking this and remembering my friend Sean, with gratitude. An excellent Barbaresco on a Sunday afternoon lunch with my friends Virginie and Olivier. Violets, licorice, incense and leather. Velvety tannins. Goes great with ahi tuna. — 12 years ago

with Sean

Ferran Escrivà

9.4

The big one! Vielles Vignes. Deep, powerful, seductive. Need time in the glass. We couldn't taste the "Ubac" (rare and more limited). — 12 years ago

Chad Hinds

9.9

2011...bringing the Gamay funkadelics...smells like fruity angel farts — 13 years ago

Konrad Michels

10

Several notches past flipping phenomenal — 13 years ago

Jonathan Patch

8.9

Cyril Zang Cider! Taking me back to my Mormon Martinelli drinking youth. — 14 years ago

Sebastian Koncurat

9.4

Cyril Gautheron was named best new winemaker in Chablis in 2016. This was not given in a lottery..His wines are sourced from vineyards sitting on kimmeridgian soils with good sun exposure and protected from the cool winds of the north. Picture a slice of green apple on top of a brie cheese. This is how Alain Gautheron Chablis wines taste. All of them from the Bougros to his plain outstanding AC Chablis — 9 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.1

On the nose, perfumed, candied fruits of strawberries, watermelon, cherries & Rainer cherries. Ballpark chewing gum, soft, powdery chalkiness and pink rose petals. The mouthfeel is round, ripe and fresh. Fruits are; ripe strawberries, watermelon, cherries & Rainer cherries. Ballpark chewing gum, roses petals and really like the soft, delicate, powdery chalkiness and minerality. Acidity is round, soft and mouthwatering. The long finish is round, fresh and delicious. The 2016 yield was about 1/2 of normal. Photos of; the Marasanny vineyard being harvested, outside shot of the Domaine & their stainless tanks in the the cellar as well as Cyril. Producer history and notes...Domaine Charles Audoin lies in the village of Marsannay-la-Côte. Descended from a long line of wine growers passing down from father to son, Charles Audoin took over the family property in 1972 with his wife Marie-Françoise, an oenologist by training. Located within the commune of Marsannay-la-Côte. Domaine Charles Audoin began with only three hectares but the estate has grown to nearly 35 acres with a diversity of soils. After taking over his father’s five acres of vineyards, Charles Audoin and wife Marie-Françoise developed the estate through the restoration and the purchase of new lots. Their vines are over 45 years of age on average and have a south-eastern orientation. Cyril prefers lower yields and has less intensive extraction for softer and more elegant wines. Happy Bastille everyone!

— 9 years ago

Jake

9.2

My second wine by Cyril Fahl and the first red. Cool stuff. — 9 years ago

Alessandro Merlo

9.3

Even in London, even if you are Italian... you can find an excellent cider. — 9 years ago

with Domitille

Chris Durall

9.1

Celebrating 5 years with my sweetie!!! — 10 years ago

Martha Walden

9.0

Reasonably priced, easy to drink Chablis. — 11 years ago

Ksenia Popova

9.3

Light, refreshing, perfect balance of acid. — 11 years ago

Todd Brill

9.2

Thanks Cyril! Great density and purity reflecting that unique place you call your garden, and your family's undeniable stamp of quality. Blue and spicy fruits and super acidity. Alive and kicking. — 12 years ago

Christina White

9.7

Great for cured meats! — 13 years ago

tim losch

9.2

just right. — 13 years ago

Richard Groves

10

Pinot noir 2010-smooth finish -Maison Virginie-French — 14 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

Pichon Lalande is my favorite 2nd growth with a steak. Yup...it's #SteakandClaret night to quote my buddy Gary Westby. Further, it's certainly one of my favorite producers period. I've waited for this wine to be in the bottle for 10 years before finding out definitely how good it was or wasn't. You see, the 05 Bordeaux vintage was exceptional. It's drinking right now better than 00. 00 may turn out to be better, but not for some time. The real issue was the division of scores between RP & NM. Parker had this as low as an 86 and now has it at 89. Neil Martin has been consistently at 95-96. I found it simply inexplicable that Pichon Lalande could have bombed in such a great vintage. Tonight, I know they didn't. This wine is beautiful. Although, I don't believe it will cellar as long as their some of their very best vintages and many others I've enjoyed. On the nose, bramble, ripe blackberries, dark cherries, notes of blueberries, poached strawberries, graphite, baking spices, cedar, lightly perfumed violets and dark, fresh & dry red flowers. The body is medium-medium plus, tannins nicely resolved with 10 years to be completely resolved. Fruits of; ripe blackberries, dark cherries, notes of blueberries, poached strawberries and pomegranate with a whiff of spice. There's notes of dry bramble, soft leather, fresh violets, graphite, cedar, dry stones, dark rich earth, limestone, tobacco, spice-box, vanilla, very light cinnamon & nutmeg. The finish is very long, elegant, ripe, round, smooth, good acidity and beautifully elegant...50-50 earth & fruit. I bought more bottles of this at $85 after it's was first released in futures and I do not regret it. $85 is proving to be a steal for this wine when it normally sells for between $100-$150 a bottle and higher. Might heavy up further after tonight if I find more around the same price. Oh yes...I'm with NM on the scoring. Photos of the Chateau, estate vines, newer tasting room & the Virginie de Pichon-Longueville, Comtesse de Lalande. Forgive my long post, but my passion and love for this producer is profound. Producer history and notes...as I wrote in an earlier post for Pichon Baron, Pichon Baron and Lalande started as one entity. The first mention of what is now called Chateau Pichon Lalande was the creation of Pierre de Mazure de Rauzan. Pierre de Mazure de Rauzan is responsible for forming many of the top Bordeaux estates today. Pichon Lalande was given its name when Therse, the daughter of the founder received the estate as a dowry when she married Jacques de Pichon Longueville. Pichon Lalande was essentially managed by three women, Therese de Rauzan, Germaine de Lajus and Marie Branda de Terrefort. On the eve of his death in 1850, Baron Joseph de Pichon Longueville divided the property between his five children. His three daughters received Pichon Lalande and his sons Pichon Baron. What happened next was Virginie, the wife of the Count of Lalande took over the management of the estate under the name of Comtesse de Lalande. In 1850 she commissioned the popular, architect Duphot to build a residence inspired by the Hotel de Lalande, located in Bordeaux. Without heirs, Pichon Lalande passed down from aunts to nieces. Following World War I, the Miailhe brothers, bought Pichon Lalande in 1925. They were the ones who planted even more Merlot. May-Eliane de Lencquesaing, the daughter of Edouard Miailhe became the new owner and general manager of Chateau Pichon Lalande in 1978. She expand the size of Chateau Pichon Lalande from 40 hectares to it's current 89 hectares. Chateau Pichon Lalande remained in the same family for more than 250 years! In fact, over three centuries, only two families have owned Pichon Lalande. May-Eliane de Lencquesaing sold Pichon Lalande to the owners of Roederer Champagnein in January 2007. This family-run company is managed by Frederic Rouzaud who owned several other wine estates in Bordeaux; Chateau Bernadotte, Chateau de Pez, Haut Beausejour and Chateau Reaut la Graviere. He sold Chateau Bernadotte in December 2012. In February, 2011, Sylvie Cazes was named the director of Chateau Pichon Lalande. She replaced Gildas d’Ollone. Sylvie Cazes was replaced in 2012 by current Director Nicolas Glumineau, who was previously at Chateau Montrose. In 2012, Pichon Lalande renovated the estate with a budget estimated at over 15 Million Euros. The new facilities included; building of a new underground barrel aging cellar and several new buildings...one that houses their new tasting room as shown. This renovation provided numerous improvements in their wine making. Most importantly, in the vinification. They created a new, triple tiered, cellar where everything moves by gravity. They also added numerous new, stainless steel, temperature controlled, double skinned vats. These new vats allow Pichon Lalande to vinify on a parcel by parcel basis as well as get much softer & gentle extractions. The 89 hectare vineyard of Chateau Pichon Lalande is located adjacent to Chateau Latour and and across the road from Pichon Baron. The terroir of Chateau Pichon Lalande is deep gravel with clay and limestone soil and is planted to; 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. — 9 years ago

David Lincoln

9.0

Flowers, grass, melon, clean. — 10 years ago

Robert Schofield

9.1

Really nice opening red at a beautiful wine dinner with Cyril Chappellet — 11 years ago

with Rebecca

Aran Healy

Partner Ruby WIne, Carlotta Cellars, Thistle Cellars

9.8

Magnum of cider for lunch! — 12 years ago

Jennifer Wolffert

9.0

Cyril and brigette — 12 years ago

Nicolas Bazinet

9.1

Cyril Alonzo — 13 years ago

Richard Keith

9.0

Funky and earthy and not available yet. — 13 years ago

with Sarah