I have sat on this one for a while, letting the Burgundian volatility settle and hopefully get some tertiary flavors, a little funk all the while maintaining fruit composition and freshness.

In the glass it is somewhat darker than expected for a Pinot Noir.  On the nose- cherry, funky forest floor, mushrooms and game.  The palate is definitely on track- Garrigue, cherry, balsamic reduction and rooibos tea all come to mind.  The mid palate has an unripe cherry note, or is it sour pomegranate? And dare I say- cork taste (as in chewing on the edge of a dry crumbly cork).  Very peculiar but interesting nonetheless.  The tannins are hitting my lower gums at this point, with a hint of acidity.  The finish is full on cherry, with a pucker from some tea as the tannins are astringent, but nice.  This wine is young.  It will evolve further and the tannins will meld better.  I see some more development with the secondary flavors but hope the unripe cherry component doesn’t remain.  Overall a tasty wine that will do well with the charcoal grilled Strips and mashed potatoes I’m pairing it with.  91 points and 4 stars for this $50 effort.  Drink till 2027.  Salut….

The wine is see-through, medium purple with nice legs. On the nose it lacks immediate scents- I am swirling like crazy to finally get strawberry and capsicum. On the palate I taste kirsch, strawberry and rhubarb.  A nice crunchy acidity accompanied the fruit from the get go.  On the mid palate it is more red currants with some berry hints.  The tannins kick in on the very end where the finish is red fruits and a touch of oak. 89 points and 4 stars for this entry level Burgundy that ran $23.  Drink till 2024 with skirt steak, Cornish hen or cheese and crackers.  Salut….

Very light and see through, just as I would expect from Burgundian Pinot Noir.  The nose shows off bright renditions of strawberry and rhubarb compote.  The palate is somewhat different, cherry being the dominant player with backing from strawberry and ginger snap.  Crisp acidity forms a defined backbone and the wine has ever so slight tannins.The finish offers more rhubarb with a tangy sourness that I am enjoying.  This wine strikes me as young, needing some time to develop tertiary, earthy flavors that I love in aged Burgundy.  Thankfully it only sports 13% alcohol.  For now it gets 90 points from me.  Serving it with grilled chicken, blue cheese laced salad and sautéed onions.  $35 and 4 stars.  Salut….

I have been sitting on this for a while, waiting for the right time to re-taste.  Tonight just happened to be it!  I noticed a little bricking when I was pouring the glass, which seems a little premature for a 12 year old Burgundy.  It’s quite opaque considering the varietal though.  Swirling like mad to get something on the nose I finally notice an earthy note, some cherries, but not much else really- I’m intrigued.  The palate is where it’s at folks- strawberry puree, cherry, barnyard, straw and some really edgy tannins.  I have a hard time discerning them in Pinot Noir, but they are most definitely present in this bottle.  I get a grippy dryness to the gums, the mouth is puckering and they meld very well with the acidity.  This wine is not bad!  I just re-read my review of it from 2012, It really did what I expected, and then some!  The funkiness is not as much as I had hoped for but it does exist, somewhat muted.  I am going with 91 points and 4 stars for the $50 bottle.  Drink till 2025 at the least.  Salut….

I wrote about the 2008 Louis Boillot Volnay back in 2012 and promised to re-taste.  It was not a year later, but several.  Anyway, here goes.

Almost an orange purple see-through complexion.  Signs of middle age perhaps?  The nose has an earthiness to it alongside cranberries, strawberries and some wheat kernels.  You probably never saw that one as a descriptor!  The wine tastes much better than I remember, with a nice intro to some strawberry, barnyard and green peppers. It is very smooth with barely perceptible tannins until they reach a crescendo on the finish.  The wine’s acidity is on pointe with a nice cut to it.  The mid palate is all about secondary flavors.  The development is a treat.  This wine has evolved very nicely from what I thought was atypical Burgundy, into the quintessential Pinot Noir that defines Old World charm and character.  I am loving it!  I paid $40 per bottle back in the day and it looks like I ordered 6 bottles, I am hoping to cellar dive and come up with the other 4!  92 points and 5 stars.  Salut….

I don’t think I have seen a lighter opacity in a wine before.  It is see-through and barely purple, more of a red. After a swirl in the BAG (Big Assed Glass), shaped like a tulip and made specially for Burgundy wines- I get an amazing cherry meets forest floor and mushrooms kinda scent.  Strawberries feature, but only just.  On the palate, super smooth offerings of violet, bing cherry, some acidity and a touch of dryness.  The mid palate has an earthier component to it and the mushrooms pop up again.  The acidity is prevalent here and continues to makes its presence known throughout the rather long finish.  This is an elegant wine that is still too young at 7 years of age.  It will mellow more and develop some nice secondary flavors IMHO.  I would drink until 2025 at the least if not more.  I’m grilling up some bourbon/honey marinated skirt steaks and sauteed creamy Kale.  I think the combo will work.  I reckon this is a 91 point effort that gets 4 stars for its $40 quality to price ratio.  Salut….

Merry Christmas!  I have family over for the holidays and we opened this bottle for a Christmas Eve potluck dinner.  I know it is extravagant for this type of Cru Burgundy to be opened with a pasta casserole and spiral baked ham, but it works!

Very pale in the glass with some orange hues of bricking appearing- maybe pre-mature for a Burgundy wine, we shall see.  On the nose a revelation, this wine is young, fresh and full of fruit yet tertiary notes are starting to appear.  Cherry, strawberry and wildflowers dominate with barnyard and a touch of oak also appears.  On the initial attack I’m getting super smooth cherry notes with cinnamon and grille backing it up.    The meatiness is slight but present along with super sleek tannins that are perceptible yet unobtrusive- this wine glides.  The mid palate is a seamless transition from the front with the addition of some barnyard funk- my kinda Burgundy.  The finish is decent in length and gives off leather and some pale berry notes.  This is a very complex wine that is shockingly smooth and very pleasing.  I am hoping it will evolve into a behemoth old school Burgundy in the next few years.  92 points from me which coincides with WS.  Drink now, but sparingly until it fully matures.  4 stars for the $50 price point.  2019-2027 is a good window for maximum effect.  Salut….