Tasted and Approved - May June 2024

Champagne 

R. Faivre - Reflet Naturel 

Wow, a very lovely 100% Meunier cuvée signed by R. Faivre! Even better in magnum…

Located in Belval-Sous-Châtillon in the Marne, not far from Reims, the estate is a true terroir revealer, committed to organic conversion and showcasing Meunier, the star of the estate! 

This 100% Meunier cuvée is outstanding: yellow fruits, white flowers, a light oxidative character from the Meunier, a beautiful liveliness and structure… Excellent!
Let us also add that it offers very good value for money: €30 per bottle (tiered pricing available on our website!!) 

Véritable Champagne de vigneron à découvrir ! 

Rare Millésimé 2013

Wow! A very lovely Champagne de grande maison! 

Almost entirely Chardonnay (with a touch of Pinot Noir) for this very beautiful floral and spiced Champagne, scattered with white flowers, citrus fruits, white fruits, honey and marzipan. On the palate, the bubble is fine, there is tension, a certain minerality and a saline touch, with indulgent and pastry-like notes! 

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White Wines 

Alta Mora - Etna Bianco 2019 

A very lovely wine tasted blind. 

It wins unanimous approval: delicious! A golden straw-yellow color with green highlights, a nose with aromas of white flowers, peach, smoke, ash, there is alcohol and a beautiful acidity, with richness. 

We were given a clue (rather a nice one) during the tasting: the wine is not French. 

On reflection: where else can one find so much alcohol yet a beautiful acidity? 

One thinks of high-altitude vines; certain flavors are reminiscent of Italian white wines, notably with notes of peach, ripe citrus fruits, a lovely salinity and a well-present acidity to balance everything with freshness. 

And then: illumination! Sicily, Etna, BINGO! 

It is therefore the Cuvée Alta Mora Etna Bianco 2019! The vines are located in Castiglione di Sicilia, at 600 metres of altitude, 100% Carricante. 

Thanks to the volcano and its location at altitude, this is a wine that draws energy and structure from its terroir, and salinity from the sea!

Awesome! As an aperitif, at the table (starters, salads, poultry, white meats…): perfect for summer! Discover our Italian wines! 

Henri Germain - Bourgogne 2014

A superb white Burgundy! The 2014 vintage being renowned for white Burgundies, we can only confirm it! 

There is lovely fruit, a nice acidity and one can clearly sense the secondary flavors of butter and yeast. A very beautiful wine for a generic Bourgogne appellation wine that is 10 years old! 

Simone - Palette 2019 

Château Simone (Provence) is known for its reds and rosés, but the whites are not to be overlooked! 

80% Clairette, 10% Grenache Blanc, 5% Bourboulenc, 3% Ugni Blanc and 2% Muscat Blanc! A beautiful Provençal blend! This wine is considered one of the greatest whites of the south-east, with a very evolving color, as well as a nose with a very broad aromatic palette: linden, honey, flowers, hazelnuts. Power and liveliness on the palate, the balance between richness and freshness is perfect! 

During our opening evening, we also tasted several white wines, which are as follows:  

Domaine de l'Aitonnement - Vesta 2021 Chignin Bergeron 

This very beautiful Savoie estate is located on the Massif de la Maurienne: the terroir is characterized by south-facing slopes, grey and schistose marl soils, to the great delight of the many grape varieties cultivated there. Maxime Dancoine heads this estate and offers several cuvées to discover! 

This Vesta cuvée is a 100% Roussanne Chignin Bergeron. A lovely pale gold color, an already very expressive nose! White flowers, citrus fruits, but above all, exotic fruits and apricot! 

Some of us are not always fond of exotic notes in wines, but the whole is lifted by a lovely acidity: so we are quite surprised! Very pleasant, surprising and well-balanced between fruit, roundness and acidity!

A wonderful estate to discover, both in white and red. 

Simon Bize - Savigny Les Beaune Blanc 2020

AWE-SOME! 

A revelation for all! Savigny Les Beaune, a beautiful appellation, but not necessarily among the most prestigious: as soon as a winemaker has talent, anything is possible. One could almost think oneself in Meursault. 

Everything is beautifully crafted: the aromas are complex with tension, a beautiful purity and a typical minerality, between richness and freshness, yellow fruits, white flowers, flint and yeast. Flawless for such a precise white wine. 

Maison Valette - Pouilly Fuissé 2018

A very lovely organic and natural Chardonnay, quite powerful (hence its position as last in the white wine tasting) for a Pouilly Fuissé!

Complex from the very first nose, it nonetheless requires a little aeration to release notes of citrus fruits, spices and saline touches. A very beautiful saline and complex finish, the texture is voluptuous! Whether one loves or is less fond of the natural style, it remains nonetheless very pleasant and refreshing! 

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Rosé Wines 

It is (finally) the return of sunny days! A perfect occasion to taste rosé wines of all styles! 

Arretxea - Irouléguy 2023

A gastronomy rosé! We are glad not to be tasting from black glasses, otherwise we would have been lost! 

A very lovely nose of fresh lemon, rhubarb and strawberry for this rosé with an intense color. The palate is enveloping and taut, with a very lovely fresh persistence. It would be perfect with smoked fish, a salmon tartare or a piperade. 

Domaine d'Arretxea, established in the heart of the Basque Country, produces several wines in the Irouléguy appellation (South-West). The Irouléguy vineyard is situated at an altitude of between 200 and 400 metres around Saint Etienne de Baïgorry and Saint Jean Pied de Port, across around fifteen communes. It is one of the smallest mountain vineyards in France, with steep slopes and terraced vines: a lovely exposure but great physical hardship! 

To be discovered! 

Maxime Magnon Métisse 2021 - Corbières 

Yet another very lovely wine from Maxime Magnon! After tasting the Bégou in white, then Roseta in red, we are delighted to taste the rosé from this winemaker in the AOC Corbières. 

Maxime Magnon, a young winemaker, trained with Philippe Valette in Mâcon and Thierry Allemand in Cornas! He then distinguished himself with a very precise wine style that combines fruitiness, freshness, finesse, precision and balance! 

Upon seeing this lovely color, close to a very light and limpid red, and finally being out in the sunshine, we were very eager to taste… A beautiful introduction with a powerful, very open nose, notes of garrigue, orange blossom, potpourri and fresh thyme. The mouthfeel is suave and consistent with perfectly integrated tannins. This is a wine-like and spirited rosé as we love it: a blend of Grenache Noir (40%), Cinsault (40%), Carignan (10%) and Syrah (10%) where each grape variety contributes its best! To be discovered! 

Domaines Ott: Château de Selle 2023

A very lovely Provence rosé, a blend of Grenache, Cinsault and Syrah, with vines located on high, sunny limestone hills not far from Draguignan! 

Beautiful pale pink color tinged with golden highlights, the nose is very expressive with plenty of fruit (citrus), flowers and spices. On the palate, it is a precise attack that gives way to a beautiful liveliness through to the finish, all with a lovely aromatic character. 

Mas Jullien Rosé 2019 

Served very chilled, one delights in the pure and intense aromas of this wine! As an aperitif but also at the table, it can accompany an entire summer meal! 

Aromas of red fruits, griotte cherries and flowers on the nose, then a generous and thirst-quenching palate with a flavorful and tangy fruit: it is indulgent and very lively! 

Mas Jullien is a great estate from Languedoc Roussillon, so one must not overlook the rosés! 

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Red Wines 

Domaine des Tours - Merlot Syrah 2008

Wow! What a pleasure to taste this Merlot Syrah 2008 cuvée! Another success for Emmanuel Reynaud and this wine in VDP Pays de Vaucluse. This is a cuvée just as carefully tended as the others, even with a certain degree of risk-taking since Emmanuel Reynaud harvests only at optimal ripeness. The vinification allows the berries to express the extraordinary terroir of limestone, sandstone, marl and rounded pebbles, cradled by a Mediterranean climate. 

One can sense very beautiful fruits, slightly aged over 16 years in the bottle (red fruits such as raspberry in its youth) and notes of olive, as well as gentle spices! 

Superb, as always with Reynaud!

Billes de Grenache 2020 - Clos de la Barthassade 

Explosion of juicy fruits: cherry, orange peel, cocoa touch 

Generous and expressive palate, beautiful freshness, fine tannins 

Clos de la Barthassade practices organic farming and some cuvées are crafted according to biodynamic principles. Discover this estate and its lovely cuvées in IGP Pays d'Hérault, Terrasses du Larzac or Languedoc, run by young parents who trained at Trévallon and Sylvain Pataille. Between freshness and indulgence, a very beautiful estate to enjoy with friends, from aperitif to the dinner table. 

Luis Pato - Vinha Pan 1997 Bairrada

A very lovely 27-year-old Portuguese wine! 

Drinks very well today: still fruity, a lovely acidity, smooth tannins, leather and a chocolatey touch

The grape variety used is Baga; it is reminiscent of an old Grenache on the nose, but in the Portuguese style, which is close to the Spanish style, yet without the oak (aging). 

Here are also the red wines that were tasted during our opening evening! 

Bruno Clavelier - Vosne Romanée Combe Brûlée 2018 

A magnificent Pinot Noir that was a great success! 

The Bruno Clavelier estate, located in Vosne Romanée, is a great Burgundian domaine. Bruno Clavelier produces around fifteen parcel-specific cuvées of excellent quality! 

Old vines of around 85 years are used for this cuvée, which won over our guests. A nose of flowers (roses, peonies) and wild berries, endowed with a beautiful minerality, graphite, smoke, salinity. On the palate, small red fruits dominate, with a certain minerality typical of the climate, all wrapped up in a very elegant manner! 

Vieux Télégraphe - Châteauneuf du Pape 2021

Already drinking well, this is a wine that can obviously wait a few years in the cellar without any problem, as with all Châteauneuf-du-Pape; Vieux Télégraphe is no exception to the rule! 

A blend of the typical grape varieties of the appellation to capture the best qualities of each: Grenache (65%), Mourvèdre (15%), Syrah (15%), then Cinsault, Clairette and others (5%)! 

One can already clearly sense the dark fruits, the peppery character of the Syrah and the finesse! Looking forward to tasting it again in a few years!  

Domaine Montcalmès - Terrasses du Larzac 2021

60% Syrah, 20% Mourvèdre and 20% Grenache, this wine already drinks very well! A benchmark in Terrasses du Larzac and one of the most talked-about estates in the area, wow! Of course, it can wait with complete confidence in the cellar. 

On the nose, there are complex notes of nutmeg, spices, dark fruits and ash, even already a hint of leather; it is a fairly firm and spiced palate that will evolve very well, but all things considered, already very pleasant! 

Crunchy suavity, fine and precise tannins, lovely concentration and remarkable freshness! 

Yet another excellent value for money. 

Simon Bize - Savigny Les Beaune Les Grands Liards 2020

We also wanted to have our guests taste a Savigny Les Beaune from Simon Bize, but in red! 

This wine was the last red wine tasted: we placed it in this position because of its very full-bodied character! 

Indeed, this wine has a beautiful tannic structure and concentrated flavors: everything a wine needs to be built for aging. It does indeed need to mellow and soften over several years. 

One nonetheless finds beautiful red fruits on the nose, notably blackcurrant, as well as flowers and spices, with a certain chocolatey note completing the whole on the palate. 

This will be a great wine in several years' time, still too young at present. 

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Sweet Wines 

Domaine de Souch - Marie Kattalin 2002, Jurançon

The first sweet wine of our opening evening: a very beautiful discovery! The pairing being perfect with bitter orange tartlets on a lovely shortcrust pastry, or small crêpes flambéed with orange zest. 

The nose is intense and complex: exotic fruits, mango, pineapple, papaya, yellow fruits, peach, apricot and honey! On the palate, it is an avalanche of sensations: great richness, fruit, a suave texture, and a quite impressive freshness to balance everything! A true delight. 

One can even swirl it for several minutes, which is quite delightful! 

We were delighted to appreciate a Jurançon so much; it truly blew us away. 

Yquem 2008

Ending this tasting evening in style with a true star that attracted everyone's attention. 

Yquem 2008 to continue with desserts and sweet wines: a real bomb. 

Similarly, this is a wine one can appreciate for hours on the nose alone. White fruits, peach, pineapple, honey, crème brûlée, orange marmalade… Magnificent aromas for a 16-year-old Yquem! On the palate, the opulence, power, richness and unctuousness are balanced by a beautiful freshness. The intensity of flavors is of course pronounced, and the finish is infinite. 

A true delight. 

Even when one does not particularly enjoy sweet wines or any form of sugar in wine, a very small tasting portion with a dessert is enough to delight everyone. 

Ending in style with this internationally renowned nectar is a little pleasure! 

Discover the full history of Château Yquem as well as numerous vintages available for purchase on our website!