Bob McDonald

9.4

From the 2018 vintage entirely. Fraser seems to do less blended vintages these days - perhaps in this case because 2018 was very good and bountiful. Red fruited and muscular, vital and fresh, and in perfect balance. In oak for 78 weeks. A plummy palate finishing with savoury charry and always silky fine grained tannins. This is my first of 3 bottles in the cellar. Wonderful wine from ancient vines some of which date back to 1888. — 2 months ago

Her Mir Tage

9.6

Charles Noellat 1976 Richebourg

Each bottle opened is one less in existence; without it, there would be no subsequent legends of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti or Henri Jayer.

Aged yet remarkably robust—it’s surprising how well this bottle has been preserved.

· After opening for half an hour: notes of honey, dried rose petals, and dried preserved fruits.
· After an hour: aromas of red dates, cinnamon, and a hint of spices.
· Overall impression: The fruit profile still dominates, with no woody notes emerging. The structure of Richebourg remains present, showing a rounded, ripe fruit character.

The year 1976 was renowned for its "hot, dry summer." The growing season offered ideal conditions—plenty of sunshine, high temperatures, and almost no damage from hail or other severe weather. These conditions led to perfect grape ripening. The wine is full-bodied and lush, with mature, soft tannins and very ripe, almost jam-like red fruit flavors (such as ripe cherry and strawberry jam). It still has aging potential, and this bottle retains well-balanced acidity.

What’s more, 1976 saw the famous "Judgment of Paris"—a tasting that broke the myth of the Old World’s invincibility, reshaped the hierarchy of the wine world, and established New World regions (especially California) on the international stage. It truly shows how fascinating blind tastings can be!

Next time, I’d love to try a 1976 California wine and compare the experience. — a year ago

Ross Chernin

9.2

On the nose; Marzipan, slight reduction, honey, asian pear, overripe cantaloupe, toasted oats, strange fresh jalepeño thing going on and port salut. — 5 years ago

with Jazmina

Steven Lee

9.1

Learned from henri jayer. First time volnay. Very light. Raspberry, bitter, rocks, savoury, still abit grippy tannin. Some spice. — 8 years ago

Jordan Fisher

9.0

Light but full at the same time, love it! Could drink this nonstop.... — 8 years ago

Nicole Hakli

Sommelier The NoMad Restaurant

10

Cuvée J made with Henri Jayer yeast. — 9 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.7

The Hoffman was nearly the wine of the tasting. Warm fruits; of blue & blackberries slowly lift out of the glass with supple soft spices. It was a hard call to say, was it warm fruit pie or was it more like pudding? I'd say both. The spices in this wine lifted off your palate like warm sun on ground water creating rising steam. You cannot only sense it, you can see them as you sip it. Blackberries, blueberries, black plum, rhubarb, baked cranberries & strawberries follow, black licorice, used leather, dry stems, underbrush, crushed rocks, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla, Christmas cake and used coffee grounds. Perfect harmony in body, texture. length, balance, acidity and finish. 5 years in oak. — 9 years ago

Her Mir Tage

9.4

Emmanuel Rouget 2014 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Cros Parantoux

A wine from the nephew of the Wine God (Henri Jayer). This is my first time trying this domaine. In my view, Méo-Camuzet’s Cros Parantoux leans more feminine and delicate, while Emmanuel Rouget’s style is more like “a sea of stars and a sky of galaxies”—more structural, more spirited, with an air of chivalrous boldness.

2014 should be a relatively approachable vintage, but indeed the first glass showed very tight tannins, vibrant and layered acidity, a pronounced herbaceous/green note, earthy minerality, very fresh and natural, with a bright and clean quality. The structure wasn’t broad or massive, but rather deeply intricate, precise, and penetrating.

After 1 hour of aeration, wild strawberry emerged, along with a mineral sense of wet earth after rain in the forest. Floral notes were not yet obvious; I looked forward to its further evolution.

After 2 hours open, the nose was no longer about thick jammy fruit, but a mix of different spices—like scattered starlight in a river of stars: cool, shimmering, accompanied by rose petals, wild strawberries, and the cool limestone minerality. The aromas don’t hit you head‑on but slowly unfold in the nasal cavity like the Milky Way. Once fully opened, I experienced its signature “silver bead of acidity.” The tannins are incredibly fine, like velvet, and the wine floats on the tip of the tongue—not heavy, but like silk gliding across the night sky. That concentrated mineral energy strikes the palate instantly, then dissolves into a long, lingering finish. The aftertaste lasts for tens of seconds, carrying notes of sandalwood, dried tangerine peel, and damp earth.

Half‑drunk, I felt as if I were drifting into a dream beneath the starry river. — 7 days ago

Mark S.

9.0

Plum, violet, blueberry etc. comfortable sourness. Hoffmann-Jayer Bourgogne Hautes Cotes de Nuits Pinot Noir 2017 @1850, xuaduo, 220623-22062- — 4 years ago

Alex Westphal

9.2

Passt als Aperitif — 6 years ago

Steven Lee

9.2

Always a very good value burgundy. Light, silky and elegant. Wondering whether henri jayer would be similar to this — 7 years ago

Isaiah Estell

8.9

Monument of dust when open. Came around quickly, showing the requisite dry spice and earthy elegance expected. Very subtle on palate, not a lot of concentration, still with great harmony between fine tannin and fading acidity. Nicely mature, much more developed on day 2. — 8 years ago

Larry Frierson

9.4

Shockingly good. Great aromatics. Of 1er CRU quality. These Rouget wines were reputedly made by Henry Jayer, after he took his French pension. His skill shows. — 9 years ago

Alvaro Bustillos

10

Cata winegeeks cdjrz @ ardeo WOTN — 4 months ago

Greg Koslosky

9.3

Served blind very elegant with perfect balance and the lovely fruit of the vintage . A very nice example that should go for a few more years not incredible though — 3 years ago

Ron Siegel

10

Epic Jayer dinner where all the wines showed well. The 85 Richebourg was the groups favorite followed closely by the 93 Cros Parantoux. Jayer made great wines in off vintages & his 86 Richebourg was the greatest 86 I have ever tasted. — a year ago

Conrad Green

9.3

A beautiful nose of soft red fruits, some spice, soulful plummy stuff. Very burgundinian but the plushness of US Pinot. On the palate this has great poise. Light but intense this has lovely fresh fruit and some gnarly wild herbs with underlying acidity and good length. Apparently the ‘j’ refers to Jayer cuttings being the source of the Pinot. If so, that would go some way toward explaining why this is so aromatic and balanced. Excellent — 7 years ago

with Naoko and Larry

Chip Hughes

9.6

Is this the best Umathum Zweigelt ever? Smells and tastes the way young Henri Jayer wines used to. Perfectly ripe, weightless, low alcohol (12.5%). Seems like it was cold soaked. Cranberry, umeboshi plum, cherries. Extraordinary! #zweigelt #umathum #burgenland #austria — 8 years ago

Alexander Reshetilov

9.1

Яблоко, зефир, крыжовник, апельсин, желтый грейпфрут, настойка прополиса, мастика, мел. — 9 years ago

Nniccolò Contenta

9.1

Nice texture and drinking well in beginning but wasnt showing as well I as I wanted it to. — 9 years ago