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 | In his excellent “The New French Wine” published last year, Jon Bonné writes, “Jacqueline… More (+) In his excellent “The New French Wine” published last year, Jon Bonné writes, “Jacqueline André has quietly been upholding the extraordinary quality of her family’s domaine in a manner that legitimately earns the word 'artisan.'”The 2021 vintage was anything but smooth across France, and the Rhône Valley was no exception. But truly great winemakers show their greatness mostly clearly in difficult vintages, and Jacqueline André’s 2021 results put her in that class. Her 2021 Châteauneuf-du-Pape rouge is elegant and absolutely delicious wine. Grenache always dominates the fruit in her wine, but in 2021 the distinct aromas of dried rose petals join the usual sweet wild strawberries to produce a refined and elegant glass of wine that is strikingly good. Less (-) | |
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| | Vinous’s Nicholas Greinacher puts it well: “Seldom does Syrah produce wines of such elegance… More (+) Vinous’s Nicholas Greinacher puts it well: “Seldom does Syrah produce wines of such elegance and detail as it does in Côte-Rôtie, evoking characteristics often associated with Pinot Noir. Usually medium-bodied at most and often red-fruited and hauntingly floral, these wines can dazzle with refinement and finesse.” For more than 20 years we have watched winemaker Christophe Bonnefond's style evolve to emphasize more and more these special characteristics, and the term “dazzling” is often an apt description for his results.Bonnefond's regular cuvée Côte Rôtie Cuvée “Colline de Couzou” is particularly impressive for its balance. There is plenty of freshness, but it supports beautifully ripe fruit with a fine mouthfeel with papery tannins and a silky finish. A mineral line joins in, adding slightly earthy notes like black olives; and the nose adds spice, black pepper, and floral overtones of violets. Less (-) | |
 | Patrick and Christophe Bonnefond’s wines somehow keep getting better. They’ve enjoyed a string of… More (+) Patrick and Christophe Bonnefond’s wines somehow keep getting better. They’ve enjoyed a string of excellent recent vintages in the vines, but they also seem to be hitting their stride in the cellar. Once firmly in the ripe, oaky, “extroverted” camp that made them a darling of Robert Parker, the domaine has shifted towards subtler expression in recent years: less time in oak, larger barrels, and earlier harvests. The Bonnefonds now achieve an extraordinary subtlety in their wines -- it’s still bold, brooding, inky-dark Northern Rhône Syrah, but somehow also with subtlety, grace, and lift.Condrieu is round and pleasant in the mouth, but really this wine is all about the aromatics. It is best enjoyed in a balloon glass like those for serving red Burgundy — and swirling in such a vessel produces gorgeous notes of ripe fruit: apricot, pineapple, white peach, and more. We think it’s best enjoyed as an apéritif. Less (-) | |
| | Grown elsewhere, Viognier can be heavy and flat -- in Condrieu, it reaches magnificence… More (+) Grown elsewhere, Viognier can be heavy and flat -- in Condrieu, it reaches magnificence. Condrieu is a tiny appellation -- just over half a square mile of vines. But it produces one of the world’s great white wines, as complex aromatically as it is elegant and mouthfilling on the palate. Bonnefond’s is a masterpiece, achieving soaring balance between minerals, fruit, freshness, aromas and texture. Notes range from gardenia, herb honey, apricot, green tea, and dried mango. The mouth is smooth and rich with notes of peach and pear, and a beautiful grape-skin briskness that balances the mouthcoating texture. Less (-) | |
 | Santenay 1er cru Beauregard blanc is simply delicious in 2023, with all the attributes… More (+) Santenay 1er cru Beauregard blanc is simply delicious in 2023, with all the attributes that make Burgundy a mecca for the world’s white wine lovers. The nose offers ripe yellow fruit and wood in good proportion, along with a hint of freshness. The mouth confirms this, where very good volume joins with just the right amount of energy to provide lift and cut, adding mouth-watering freshness to the ripe fruit and the accompanying touch of vanilla. This wine will be an excellent candidate for pairing with food, and should drink well from the outset. An awfully good impression of Chassagne-Montrachet, at half the cost. Less (-) | |
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 | The Domaine Guillemot-Michel from the hamlet of Quintaine in the Viré-Clessé appellation has been… More (+) The Domaine Guillemot-Michel from the hamlet of Quintaine in the Viré-Clessé appellation has been the project of Pierette and Marc Guillemot-Michel since the 1980’s, now joined by their daughter Sophie and their son-in-law Gautier Roussille. These are honeyed, concentrated wines imbued with remarkable concentration and energy, and they develop beautifully in the cellar.Retour a la Terre 2023 comes from a parcel situated on clay soils, and the elevage is 100% in amphoras, clay vessels, hence the name Return to the Earth. Amphoras deliver micro-oxygenation at about the same rate as Burgundy-size barrels, but without oak flavors, and so this wine is a little more generous at this stage than the Quintaine 2023, which is raised entirely in vats and will develop more slowly. It’s a difference of degree rather than nature, and getting a little of each will help to understand the subtle impact of different elevage. Less (-) |