les Heritiers du Comte Lafon Macon Milly-Lamartine Clos du Four 2013

Date of Tasting: 15 March 2016

Wine Type: White

Grape Varieties: 100% Chardonnay

Alcohol: 13%

Origin: Burgundy, France

Appellation: Macon-Villages Controlee

Expect to Pay: ~ EUR25

Web: http://www.comtes-lafon.fr/
Chubby Appreciation: 92/100
Critics' Opinion: WE - 92/100, WA - 91/100, JR - 17/20, CT - 89/100

Appearance: Light yellow straw.

Aroma: Mild citrus. Stony, rocky and smoky. 

Palate: Fresh and clean on the palate with lovely minerally stony touch. Lingering notes of citrus and apple. Vibrant acidity. Structured and depth as well. Wonderful complexity and length.

Love the stony touch of this wine. Great concentration with fruits too. Easily a great wine for everyday either with food or as aperitif. It would surely worth waiting for some development. But why wait. It is already delicious. Salute!!!

Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou 2007

Date of Tasting: 16 April 2016

Wine Type: Red

Grape Varieties: 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot

Alcohol: 13%

Origin: Bordeaux, France

Appellation: Saint-Julien, Deuxieme Grand Cru Classe 1855

Expect to Pay: ~ EUR100

Web: http://www.chateau-ducru-beaucaillou.com/
Chubby Appreciation: 91/100
Critics' Opinion: WA - 90/100, WS - 90/100, WE - 93/100, FS - 92/100, ST - 91/100, JR - 16.5/20, DC - 91/100, CT - 92/100

Appearance: Dark brick red.

Aroma: Fresh but ripe black fruits. Chocolate and spices.

Palate: Medium-full on the palate with firm but smooth tannins. Dark fruits and cherries seemed to nominate with secondary notes of earth. Fresh character. Rather short on the finish.

This is more on the elegant side in my view. A nice experience but not a wow one for me. It was fresh, it was smooth, and it was seductive. But it was not attractive. There are some missing elements and structure. Impressive effort and charm though. Accessible now and at least in the short term future.

Patrick Javillier Puligny-Montrachet Les Levrons 2012

Date of Tasting: 23 December 2015

Wine Type: White

Grape Varieties: 100% Chardonnay

Alcohol: 13%

Origin: Burgundy, France

Appellation: Puligny-Montrachet AOC

Expect to Pay: ~ EUR70

Web: http://www.patrickjavillier.com/
Chubby Appreciation: 93/100
Critics' Opinion: ST - 92/100, CT - 90/100

Appearance: Yellow straw.

Aroma: Nutty and citrusy. Granny Smith and peach. Limestone.

Palate: Creamy mouth-feel. Ripe white fruits and lemon. Fine acidity and minerality. Persistent.

Excellent concentration of Village white wine at Premier quality. Aromatic one with early consumption. A tat expensive but lovely. So fine as aperitif or pairing with white fish. Fresh and elegant are the keys here. Like it.

Domaine Leroy Bourgogne Aligote 2011

Date of Tasting: 8 January 2016

Wine Type: White

Grape Varieties: 100% Aligote

Alcohol: 12.5%

Origin: Burgundy, France

Appellation: Bourgogne Aligote AOC

Expect to Pay: ~ EUR60

Web: http://www.domaine-leroy.com/
Chubby Appreciation: 93/100
Critics' Opinion: CT - 89/100

Appearance: Light yellow straw.

Aroma: Saline, lime curd, crushed rock, and orchard.

Palate: Rich and creamy. Lingering acidity. Dry with density. Citrus and spice notes. Not at all austere.

Such a unique personality and expression from the woman behind Domaine Leroy, Lalou Bize-Leroy, this with Bourgogne is. This is no ordinary flat Aligote. On the other hand, vibrant and fresh with complexity. Initially, it seemed to hold its nerve backward. Only after a few hours of opening, the true characters revealed. Such an enjoyable Aligote.

Chateau Leoville Barton 2003

Date of Tasting: 26 March 2016

Wine Type: Red

Grape Varieties: 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc

Alcohol: 13%

Origin: Bordeaux, France

Appellation: Saint-Julien, Deuxieme Grand Cru Classe 1855

Expect to Pay: ~ EUR100

Web: http://www.leoville-barton.com/
Chubby Appreciation: 97/100
Critics' Opinion: WA - 96/100, WS - 98/100, WE - 95/100, ST - 93/100, DC - 19.5/20, JR - 17/20, CT - 94/100

Appearance: Opaque and inky purple.

Aroma: Forest floor, mushroom, mild truffle, dark fruits, earth.

Palate: Rich, big, and powerful. Fine and smooth tannins. Wonderfully long in the mouth with black fruits and oak characters. 

Stunning is the only word for me with this red Bordeaux. It was Chateau Leoville Barton which brought me into the world of "God Blood" and it is still as fabulous. My kind of Bordeaux really. For this Leoville Barton 2003, it was just spectacular for a hot year. It at first stroke me hard with powerful bouquet of earth and spring which followed by concentrated fruits, and signed of mature Bordeaux. The spectacular lovely nose of truffle was what I admire. Silky on the palate too. Though it was big, elegance was as well another shining character. Entering its drinking period now but long life is ahead. Wish I had cases of this Saint Julien. Raise many more glasses, Bravo!!!

Francois Mikulski Meursalt 1er Cru les Charmes 2007

Date of Tasting: 30 October 2015

Wine Type: White

Grape Varieties: 100% Chardonnay

Alcohol: 13%

Origin: Burgundy, France

Appellation: Meursault 1er Cru Controlee

Expect to Pay: ~ EUR70

Web: http://www.domainemikulski.fr/
Chubby Appreciation: 92/100
Critics' Opinion: WA - 92/100, WS - 89/100, BH - 92/100, CT - 88/100

Appearance: Pale yellow straw.

Aroma: White fruits, zest, honey, elderflower, mild spices and mineral.

Palate: Rich enough but accessible. Ripe citrus an white fruits. Tangy acidity. Mineral notes. Dry.

Not so rich as expected but structure was there. Dry notes with mineral surely. Accessible now but would indeed be fascinating to age further. Definitely a fine Meursault but in my humble opinion, something was missing there: sexiness or charm perhaps?

Champagne Jacquesson Dizy Terres Rouges Extra Brut 2008

Date of Tasting: 16 September 2015

Wine Type: Sparkling Rose

Grape Varieties: 71% Pinot Meunier, 29% Pinot Noir

Alcohol: 12%

Origin: Dizy, France

Appellation: Champagne

Expect to Pay: ~ EUR90

Web: http://www.champagnejacquesson.com/
Chubby Appreciation: 91/100
Critics' Opinion: AG - 93/100, WE - 90/100, CT - 90/100

Appearance: Dark rose pink.

Aroma: Exotic dried rose. Red currant. Spices.

Palate: Certainly dry. Concentrate with rich ripe red fruits. Bright acidity. Fine effervescence. 

Very unusual rose Champagne. Very dry, yes, it is Extra Brut. I would say it was big on the structure rather than aromatic lingering rose. Would I say it was nice? Yes, it was enjoyable. But I did not find this one so appealing nor sexy. At least it was a good experience. Enjoy it now. Perhaps you may need food to go with this Champagne.

Clos du Caillou Chateauneuf-du-Pape Reserve 2006

Date of Tasting: 4 September 2015

Wine Type: Red

Grape Varieties: 60% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 20% Mourvedre

Alcohol: 14.5%

Origin: Rhone, France

Appellation: Chateauneuf-du-Pape AOC

Expect to Pay: ~ EUR90

Web: http://www.closducaillou.com/
Chubby Appreciation: 94/100
Critics' Opinion: WA - 95/100, WS - 95/100, ST - 94/100, JR - 18/20, CT - 94/100

Appearance: Ruby.

Aroma: Black fruits, spice aroma, earthy, and dark tea.

Palate: Plenty of length and depth. Rich but round. Rather full on the texture. Sweet berries and chocolate.

Powerful but delicious full bodied. Such an impressive big boy. Stunning now but it shall be interesting to see how it develops. Grab a piece or pieces of delicious steak to go along and it shall be wonderful.

Domaine Huet Vouvray Moelleux Clos du Bourg Premiere Trie 2006

Date of Tasting: 19 August 2015

Wine Type: Sweet White

Grape Varieties: 100% Chenin Blanc

Alcohol: 12.5%

Origin: Vouvray, France

Appellation: Vouvray AOC

Expect to Pay: ~ EUR40

Web: http://www.domainehuet.com/
Chubby Appreciation: 95/100
Critics' Opinion: WA - 93/100, WE - 95/100, CT - 91/100

Appearance: Golden yellow.

Aroma: Fresh exotic ripe fruits, mango, pineapple, pear. Blossom and honeysuckle. Toasty.

Palate: Creme brulee perhaps as ones may say. Spices like ginger. Rich on the palate. Sweet but fresh and bright with vibrant acidity. Long on the finish.

It boomed with marvelous expression. Everything so far during the meal was wiped out of mind at the very first sip of this luscious beauty. When I was thinking about just a small to go along with dessert, this moelleux completely changed my mind: this whole bottle must be done among us. The beauty came power and class. Yes, the deep mouth-feel and the structure were there but freshness balanced out well. Did not feel that heavy despite 12.5% alcohol at all. In fact, a small plate of foie gras will be nice, otherwise, aperitif will do just fine. Sadly, it was the only bottle I had. Wish I could grab much more back to stock up. It should be at its drinking window now. Just grab them if you like sweet wine.

Champagne Bollinger La Grand Annee 2004

Date of Tasting: 24 July 2015

Wine Type: Sparkling White

Grape Varieties: Pinot Noir 70%, Chardonnay 30%

Alcohol: 12%

Origin: Ay, France

Appellation: Champagne

Expect to Pay: ~ EUR70

Web: http://www.champagne-bollinger.com/
Chubby Appreciation: 93/100
Critics' Opinion: WA - 93/100, AG - 95/100, WS - 94/100, WE - 96/100, ST - 94/100, JR - 18.5/20, CT - 93/100

Appearance: Yellow straw.

Aroma: Toasty nose. Yeasty too. Fruity as well.

Palate: Nice cut of acidity and honey citrus. Orange peel. Hazelnut. Fine mousse. Powerful but yet it was refreshing. Minerally and elegant.

Fine bottle of Champagne to be savoured now. However, there are all means to support development over the decade. It is the matter of strong gut in keeping your hands off to see how it matures in the near future. Had it along with Chinese food and they played along with each other nicely though, especially those not so strong dishes like fish maw soup. If having as aperitif, remind yourself to keep hands off before you don't get a chance to drink other wine.

Domaine de la Pousse d'Or Volnay 1er Cru Clos des 60 Ouvrees 2011

Date of Tasting: 18 June 2015

Wine Type: Red

Grape Varieties: 100% Pinot Noir

Alcohol: 13%

Origin: Burgundy, France

Appellation: Volnay 1er Cru AOC

Expect to Pay: ~ EUR70

Web: http://www.lapoussedor.fr/
Chubby Appreciation: 92/100
Critics' Opinion: ST - 92/100, BH - 93/100, JR - 16.5/20, CT - 92/100

Appearance: Dark and red.

Aroma: Seem complex but reduced at the moment. Dark fruits, spices, oak, and field of Provence.

Palate: Rather rich and structured. Fine and silky. Leaded by cassis and black fruits flavour. Minerality in the background. Quite long haul on the finish.

It was mid 2015 and this bottle of Volnay seemed to be closed and mute still. Dark fruit and subtle, yes. But its potential character and finesse are still sleeping. Structure and acidity were there though to support development. To savour its lingering pleasure, patience is required. Forget it for another 5 years, I guess.

Domaine Jean Tardy et Fils Vosne-Romanee Vigneux 2012

Date of Tasting: 9 June 2015

Wine Type: Red

Grape Varieties: 100% Pinot Noir

Alcohol: 13%

Origin: Burgundy, France

Appellation: Vosne-Romanee AOC

Expect to Pay: ~ EUR60

Web: http://domainejeantardy.canalblog.com/
Chubby Appreciation: 89/100
Critics' Opinion: WA - 93/100, JR - 16/20, BH - 91/100, CT - 89/100

Appearance: Bright ruby.

Aroma: Mild floral aroma. A bit of cherry and spices.

Palate: Medium-bodied structure. Fine and smooth on the touch. Ripe pinot fruits. A bit of oak. 

Good village Vosne-Romanee but rather pricey. Both bouquet and palate taste do not seem to reveal its potential much at the moment. Perhaps a couple of years more of sleeping shall awake its form up. Expect to see more of complexity, minerality, and aroma from this one. 

Chateau Batailley 2007

Date of Tasting: 29 June 2015

Wine Type: Red

Grape Varieties: 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot

Alcohol: 13%

Origin: Bordeaux, France

Appellation: Pauillac AOC, Cinquieme Grand Cru Classe 1855

Expect to Pay: ~ EUR40

Web: http://www.batailley.com/
Chubby Appreciation: 88/100
Critics' Opinion: AG - 86/100, WS - 83/100, WE - 90/100, FS - 88/100, JR - 16/20, DC - 16/20, CT - 87/100

Appearance: Garnet.

Aroma: Touches of earth, cedar, and herbs with blackcurrant.

Palate: Medium-bodied on the structure with just sufficient fine tannins. Tend towards silky and soft. Extraction of sweet fruits. Lack of concentration and complexity perhaps.

Drank it from a half-bottle and it seemed to be on it declining phase already. Not the kind of classic full and rich as expected but more of purity. Good for experience. Drink now until the end of decade probably.

Patrick Piuze Chablis 1er Cru Butteaux 2013

Date of Tasting: 16 May 2015

Wine Type: White

Grape Varieties: 100% Chardonnay

Alcohol: 13.5%

Origin: Burgundy, France

Appellation: Chablis 1er Cru AOC

Expect to Pay: ~ EUR40

Web: http://www.patrickpiuze.com/
Chubby Appreciation: 92/100
Critics' Opinion: AG - 92/100, WE - 94/100, ST - 93/100, BH - 92/100, CT - 94/100

Appearance: Soft yellow.

Aroma: Stony and lime perfume. White floral bouquet.

Palate: Vibrant and chalky with tanginess. Pear and citrus notes. Quite intense on the body and structure. Classic minerality. 

Pretty nice Chablis, this is. It is beautiful at its youth and should prolong its life nicely. Impressive energy lies within. I love the part that it shows both energy and sleekness. Rather value for money. I would not mind taking it as table wine in compliment. Cheers!!!

Domaine de la Grange des Peres 2005

Date of Tasting: 30 April 2015

Wine Type: Red

Grape Varieties: ~ 40% Syrah, 40% Mourvedre, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon

Alcohol: 15%

Origin: Languedoc-Roussillon, France

Appellation: IGP Pays de l'Herault

Expect to Pay: ~ EUR120

Web: n.a.
Chubby Appreciation: 93/100
Critics' Opinion: RP - 95/100, CT - 93/100

Appearance: Elegant ruby

Aroma: Wild forest, dark plum red berries, and spices

Palate: Sweet ripe fruit coupling with dark chocolate and tobacco. Herbs, pepper, and minerality then followed. Medium-full for the structure but came in silkily fine touch. 

It possesses power but yet exhibit fine elegant. I experienced this bottle first time a few years back and this was my last bottle, sadly (T_T). It is such a fine red blend from a fine producer from Languedoc-Roussillon. I wish I could have many more bottles in stock. If you are lucky to find ones, do not hesitate to pack them back.

Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Pucelles 2004

Date of Tasting: 4 May 2015

Wine Type: White

Grape Varieties: 100% Chardonnay

Alcohol: 13.5%

Origin: Burgundy, France

Appellation: Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru AOC

Expect to Pay: ~ EUR200

Web: http://www.leflaive.fr/
Chubby Appreciation: 93/100
Critics' Opinion: ST - 92/100, DC - 18/20, BH - 93/100, CT - 93/100

Appearance: Yellow straw.

Aroma: Reduced nose of white flower, stony fruits, nutty mineral, herbs, honey and lime.

Palate: Clean and pure with beautiful complexity and vibrancy. Soft citrus flavour and tropical fruits. Yet it also possesses feminine power and structure. Lovely acidity minerality.

Excellent white Burgundy with class. This premier cru by Anne Claude produced in biodynamic way. Upon popping up, it was still mute. But after almost an hour, beautiful perfume started showing up and revealing its class. Love the aroma of white flower and stony mineral there. This is superior and should age pretty nicely. 

Champagne Philipponnat Grand Blanc 2006

Date of Tasting: 10 April 2015

Wine Type: Sparkling White

Grape Varieties: 100% Chardonnay

Alcohol: 12%

Origin: Mareuil-Sur-Ay, France

Appellation: Champagne

Expect to Pay: ~ EUR50

Web: http://www.philipponnat.com/
Chubby Appreciation: 92/100
Critics' Opinion: WA - 88/100, WS - 92/100, ST - 93/100

Appearance: Light golden yellow

Aroma: Toasty nutty chalky with scent of orchid 

Palate: Flavour of fresh apple and pear. Mild chalky creamy touch. Fine citrus and minerality. Full and complex with fairly minerality but yet velvety.

This is a Blanc de Blancs version of Philipponnat aka 100% chardonnay. Personally, Blanc de Blancs is my kind of champagne, though some might not like it. This Champagne Philipponnat Grand Blanc 2006 is a fine one. So much joy exhibits out of each glass. What I love about this champagne is the concentration that bursts out and elegant personality. Highly recommended now and especially on a hot Summer day. Keep raising the glass!!!!

Benjamin Leroux Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru Les Baudines 2012

Date of Tasting: 5 March 2015

Wine Type: White

Grape Varieties: 100% Chardonnay

Alcohol: 13%

Origin: Burgundy, France

Appellation: Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru AOC

Expect to Pay: ~ EUR80

Web: http://www.benjamin-leroux.com/
Chubby Appreciation: 92/100
Professional Rating: WA - 93/100, BH - 92/100

Appearance: Bright yellow

Aroma: Pure and fresh pear with floral floor and limestone

Palate: Rich structure with primary minerality. Vibrant acidity and tanginess. Citrus and peach notes. Dry and clean.

It is a fine and elegant Chassagne-Montrachet for me. However, at the moment its bouquet is still understated and tightly knitted. It would need a few years of good sleep before the real show of complexity will reveal. Keep it safe for the mean while.

Chateau Rauzan Despagne Le Grand Vin Rouge 2010

Date of Tasting: 11 March 2015

Wine Type: Red

Grape Varieties: 82% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc

Alcohol: 13.5%

Origin: Bordeaux, France

Appellation: Bordeaux

Expect to Pay: ~ EUR30

Web: http://despagne.fr/
Chubby Appreciation: 90/100
Professional Rating: WE - 90/100, JS - 90/100

Appearance: Deep garnet

Aroma: Cherry, black currant, vanilla, and toasty spicy aroma

Palate: Deep and big with dry but supple tannins. Structured character. Black fruits note. Grippy and decent finish of complexity.

A pretty nice bordeaux of merlot base at decent price, it is. The charm of this Rauzan Despagne is fruity notes that play along with big and dry structure. Lovely integration between power and fruit. Nice table wine for drinking now. It should be gorgeous with lamb and beef steaks.

Domaine Nicolas Rossignol Volnay 1er Cru Fremiets 2005

Date of Tasting: 19 March 2015

Wine Type: Red

Grape Varieties: 100% Pinot

Alcohol: 13%

Origin: Burgundy, France

Appellation: Volnay 1er Cru AOC

Expect to Pay: ~ EUR90

Web: http://www.nicolas-rossignol.com/
Chubby Appreciation: 91/100
Professional Rating: WA - 92/100, BH - 91/100, CT - 92/100

Appearance: Dark red

Aroma: Blue and red berries on the nose with earthiness

Palate: Rather full and concentrate with tannins. Meaty and sweety red fruits. Acid and mineral elements seemed to be diminished.

Not my kind of volnay just yet, this bottle was. However, I feel like it is not quite at its potential level just yet. Things are shut and muted at the moment: it was broad and confusing. Revisiting in a few years should be interesting to see how it reveals. Good night for now for this volnay by Nicolas Rossignol.