This is slightly riper and notably more complex than the straight Puligny villages but the aromatic composition is similar save for the trace of mineral reduction that is present here. The racy, intense and strikingly well-delineated flavors possess that really lovely sense of underlying tension that adds lift to the stony, linear and bone dry finish. This is a knockout. Jun 01, 2012, Allen Meadow's (Burghound.com)
This is also reduced but very mildly so and the funk is sufficiently slight to allow glimpses of hazelnut and ripe yellow orchard fruit aromas to be appreciated. There is a suave mouth feel to the very rich and round flavors that manage to retain enough detail on the mineral-inflected finish to be interesting. I like both the intensity and the sense of energy of this classically styled effort that should be lovely with a few years of bottle age. Jun 01, 2012, Allen Meadows' (Burghound.com)
An elegant and extremely pure nose of citrus, stone and sea breeze where the latter two elements also characterize the rich, full-bodied and solidly well-concentrated flavors that are blessed with an abundance of dry extract that confers a textured quality to the seductive and saline-infused finish that displays impeccable balance. Despite the impressive size and weight this is actually quite fine; indeed I would even go so far as to call this a wine of finesse. Sep 10, 2012, Allen Meadows (Burghound.com)
A very deft touch of wood frames ripe and strikingly elegant white flower aromas that are somewhat higher-toned and airier than those of the Genevrières while introducing rich and full yet finely detailed medium-bodied flavors that also positively exude an almost pungent minerality on the gorgeously persistent finish. This is built on a base of minerality and it lends a completely different textural impact to the wine, particularly on the finale. Jul 01, 2007, Allen Meadows (Burghound.com)
Rich and very powerful fruit framed by obvious pain grillé aromas explodes from the glass with rich, almost unctuous flavors offering ripe and very fresh peach notes plus a nice touch of finishing complexity and great persistence. Curiously, this is sweet and delicious with a bit more density but ultimately, the flavors are less precise and not quite as classy. Jul 01, 2004, Allen Meadows' (Burghound.com)
There is the barest trace of tertiary nuance along with the typical (for the vintage) exoticism on the now fully secondary nose that leads to rich, rich and bold large-scaled flavors that possess excellent mid-palate concentration as well as a touch of minerality on the sappy and mouth coating finish. This cannot be faulted for its sheer size and weight but the expected refinement that this wine typically exhibits is missing. In sum, while perfectly good, this isn't for me and I would advise drinking up over the next few years as this has no where to go but down. Jul 05, 2012, Allen Meadow's (Burghound.com)
Clean and bright, mineral-laden fruit aromas that are now displaying a trace of secondary aromas followed by medium, pure and intense medium weight flavors supported by solid acidity and fine length. This is still firm but no longer really tight with good Corton-Charlemagne typicity though the finish remains linear and a bit narrow just now. I would be inclined to wait another few years though it could be drunk now with pleasure. Oct 01, 2006, Allen Meadows (Burghound.com)
(opened from personal storage). There is a distinct petrol characcter to the fully mature nose of brioche and ripe white and yellow orchard fruit scents. This is not super concentrated yet despite the absence of the typical Leroy concentration, this is really quite lovely with outstanding balance and real finesse. While completely ready this is showing absolutely no signs of decline and should continue to hold for years to come. Multiple notes since release. Sep 15, 2014, Allen Meadows (Burghound.com)
This hadn't come my way since 2005 and given that it was opened by the domaine, the more recent bottle was in better condition. Notes of secondary fruit, sous-bois, and citrus introduce impressively intense and rich flavors that brim with minerality that continues onto the bone dry, impressively long and mildly austere finish. This beauty should continue to hold if well-stored. The 2005 was by comparison less fresh and not nearly as persistent and I rated it 89 points. Nov 20, 2017, Allen Meadows (Burghound.com)
The newly released 2008 Dom Pérignon Rosé is a dramatic, perfumed wine, bursting with aromas of blood orange, iodine, sweet citrus fruit, peach and pear mingled with hints of buttered toast, smoke and spices. Full-bodied, textural and enveloping, with terrific concentration, racy acids and a pillowy mousse, it concludes with a long, penetrating finish. It derives its intense hue from red wine produced from Pinot Noir grown in lieux-dits Chants de Linottes in Hautvillers and Vauzelles in Aÿ. Wine Advocate, Aug 2022, William Kelley
Based on the 2003 vintage, Krug's NV Grande Cuvée 159ème Édition offers up generous aromas of toasted bread, yellow orchard fruit, mandarin oil, almond paste and candied citrus peel. Medium to full-bodied, rich and open-knit, it's elegantly fleshy, with ripe acids and a pretty pinpoint mousse, concluding with a sapid finish. Readers habituated to Krug's calling-card cut and intensity may find it a little soft and one-dimensional, but it's a creditable effort in a challenging year. September 2021 Week 4, The Wine Advocate, 23 Sep 2021, William Kelley
Disgorged with five grams per liter dosage, the 2015 Brut Blanc de Blancs Cuvée Spéciale Les Chétillons has turned out well, unwinding in the glass with aromas of freshly baked bread, crisp orchard fruit, clear honey, warm biscuits and dried white flowers. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and muscular, it's a deep, compact wine structured around racy acids and chalky extract. It's a strong effort, but it will demand a bit of patience to reveal all its potential. Péters was careful not to pick too soon, classifying 2015 along with 2011 and 2007 as years defined by an early harvest where it was nonetheless critical to avoid picking too early. Issue 262 End of August 2022, The Wine Advocate, 31 Aug 2022, William Kelley
Like its Les Chétillons counterpart, the 2014 Brut Blanc de Blancs Cuvée Spéciale Les Montjolys is also showing beautifully. Wafting from the glass with aromas of crisp green orchard fruit, freshly baked bread, Meyer lemon, bee pollen and white flowers, it's full-bodied, fleshy and layered, with an ample core of fleshy, vibrant fruit that's girdled by bright acids and complemented by a pretty pinpoint mousse. Textural and expansive, it's a touch richer and more giving than the more chiseled Chétillons. End of January 2022, The Wine Advocate, 1 Feb 2022, William Kelley
The 2008 Vintage is a nervy, electrifying Champagne, the likes of which has not emerged from Krug's cellars since the magical 1996. Bright and sculpted, with tremendous precision, the 2008 dazzles from start to finish. Stylistically, the 2008 doesn't have the toastiness or explosive breadth often found in young Krug, but that in no way detracts from its magnificent beauty. Antonio Galloni, 2028 - 2058, Mar 2021
The 2007 Brut Millésime Grand Cru is soft, open-knit and quite expressive. Although a touch slender, the 2007 offers terrific persistence and also has the balance to drink well for at least a handful of years. Apricot, red plum, dried flowers, lemon confit and dried flowers add layers of nuance to a mid-weight Champagne that is more about understated class and power. The 2007 spent a whopping 102 months on its lees prior to being disgorged in January 2017. Vinous Media, Dec 2017, Antonio Galloni
The 1995 Dom Perignon OEenotheque is the second release of this wine, and was disgorged in 2005. This silky-textured Champagne reveals breathtaking finesse, elegance and clarity in its perfumed bouquet, with delicate notes of pears and roasted nuts that add further complexity. The finish goes on and on. This mind-bending, kaleidoscopic Champagne possesses all of the qualities of profoundness, most importantly the ability to develop beautifully in the glass and the potential to acquire even more depth in bottle over the coming years. 1995 was a hot vintage, but this wine remains remarkably fresh. Simply put, the 1995 OEenotheque is a stunner. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2029. In the Cellar, Mar 2009, Antonio Galloni
Krug's 1988 Brut has long numbered among my very favorite vintages for this house, with the best bottles flirting with a three-digit score. Offering up complex aromas of apricot, citrus oil, candied peal, toasted brioche and honeycomb, it's full-bodied, concentrated and incisive, with a deep, layered and tightly wound core, racy acids and a searingly chalky finish. If on release the 1988 got less attention than the more immediate, head-turning 1990 and 1989 vintages, with time it is proving itself the most serious of those three consecutive releases. July 2020 Week 2, The Wine Advocate, 17 Jul 2020, William Kelley
The 2013 Barolo Monvigliero is indeed a special wine that excels in terms of elegance and ethereal momentum. It's impossible to ignore its charm and seductive powers. This wine was released one year ago, but the folks at Comm. G.B. Burlotto preferred not to send samples for review at that time. I was able to taste this beautiful wine during my visit to the estate this year. This vintage of Monvigliero glides smooth and high over the senses, imparting fine notes of cassis, wild berry and anise seed. There is a lasting note of white truffle with tangy ginger and rhubarb. The wine offers volume and largess in the mouth with substantial textural fiber. The bright acidity adds energy and zest to the finish. This wine dances with the grace and muscle of a centerstage ballerina. 237, The Wine Advocate, 30 Jun 2018, Monica Larner
From a vineyard site measuring only half a hectare in size, the 2013 Barbaresco Pajè Vecchie Viti is marked by the strongest structural fiber when compared to Roagna's other old-vine wines from Barbaresco. This wine emerges from the glass with great aromatic precision, showing notes of cola, balsam and medicinal herb followed by plummy dark fruit. The effect is elegant and refined. The wine's tannic threshold measures right up there with Nebbiolo from Barolo, and this point is made at a tasting such as this by a producer who makes so many single-vineyard expressions from both appellations. In terms of its cellar aging potential, I'd put my money on Pajè for the slowest evolution and longest aging future. Issue 243 End of June 2019, The Wine Advocate, 29 Jun 2019, Monica Larner
The 2010 Orcia Petrucci is a pure expression of Sangiovese. This is a pleasurable and rich red wine with bright berry intensity and loads of spice, balsam herb and tobacco at the back. You'd hardly peg this dark and thickly extracted style to the Sangiovese grape. But you do get a touch of bright acidity on the close that keeps the palate refreshed and underlines the wine's varietal typicity. The Wine Advocate, Sep 30, 2015, Monica Larner
The 2005 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva emerges from the glass with soft red cherries, licorice, tobacco and sweet herbs. It is a pretty wine with gorgeous inner perfume and fine overall balance, but I don't see much of the trademark Soldera structure. Take it from someone who has had the privilege of tasting virtually every wine that has ever been made here, the 2005 - while good - is miles away from Soldera's recent masterpieces. 200, The Wine Advocate, 26 Apr 2012, Antonio Galloni
The 2005 Pegasos is not a new wine, per se, but rather a barrel of 2005 Brunello-designated juice that Soldera thought was ready to bottle and drink sooner rather than later, but not up to the qualitative standards of his top Brunello labels. It is a beautiful, silky wine graced with perfumed dried cherries, flowers and minerals, all of which come together in a delicate, feminine expression of Sangiovese. Ideally the wine is best opened an hour or so in advance to allow for some of the small imperfections in the bouquet to blow off. The 2005 Pegasos has come together quite nicely over the last few months and it will be interesting to see where it goes from here. After several hours, the delicate, spiced bouquet and ethereal fruit is at times reminiscent of Pinot Noir. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2020. 188, The Wine Advocate, 27 Apr 2010, Antonio Galloni
I was lucky to taste some older wines, like the 2014 Entre Deux Bleus Savagnin, which is fresh and varietal, very elegant and nicely textured, with a velvety mouthfeel. It feels very young and alive, with the precise and chiseled character that seems to be the house style here. It finishes dry. Issue 243 End of June 2019, The Wine Advocate, 29 Jun 2019, Luis Gutiérrez
Compared to the Sancerre La Grande Cotte the lemon-colored 2012 Sancerre Monts Damnés seems more shy and subtle on the nose, but in fact is more complex on the palate. Whereas the bouquet reveals walnut and citrus flavors (of Neapolitan citrus plantations––or of Limoncello, if you will), the palate is dominated by the complex minerality of this well-known classic. The wine starts dense and very elegant, develops an intense citrus aroma, as well as an austere and persistent salinity, leaving the palate still slightly dried but with herbal flavors of majoram. This is not an easily accessible, indeed somewhat robust wine, when opened young, but it is worth waiting for it. The wine developed much more finesse, balance and expression after three days in the fridge so you can easily keep it for almost a decade. The Wine Advocate, Oct 31, 2014, Stephan Reinhardt
The 2004 Languedoc Syrah Leone is a stunner that gives up lots of classy black currants, smoked meats, pepper, spice and bouquet garni characteristics. Beautifully balanced, with the more medium to full-bodied character of the vintage, it has integrated acidity, a silky, polished texture and terrific length. This is a character filled beauty to drink over the coming 5-6 years. The Wine Advocate, Apr 30, 2015, Jeb Dunnuck