u/starvinggigolo

[Warning: this post is verbose and protracted, with a myriad of superfluous remarks and expressions that would make Tolkien jealous. If this is not your cup of tea, or is a source of some imagined offenses, please "move on" to another post or visit CellarTracker or Dr. Seuss.]

Adventures at wine bars, coravin, byobs, and pops. Not sure if readers know this, but swipe to see more detailed pictures. On recommendation from an "exhausted" reader, I have removed the templated "Vernacular/Vernacular (satire)" tidbits for now. If we remember, such a thing was requested many moons ago and my opinion is that wines end up with the same description using that system, perhaps now is a good time to fluctuate on formalities, like American tech jobs.

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Beau Rocher, Vin Mousseux, Brut, NV, 11% abv.

Nose: initially the effervescence interferes with the raisins and prunes, intense honey. Impressed.

Palate: medium body, sweet, raisins, prunes, some fermented fruit, sprite and caramel, hard to explain but showing some complexity for some reason, linear but entertaining.

Finish: short, dry, like a coat of green grapes and sprite.

Bartender said this is a drink to start off. Said they have boxes of this stuff and its inexpensive. Actually impressive imho, "precise" as they say.

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Domaine Dubreuil-Fontaine, Pernand Vergelesses, 1er Cru, Clos Berthet, Chardonnay, 2022, 13% abv.

Nose: a savory nose, thick simple syrup,  loquat juice, all this initially in a matrix of light chalk in the background but ends up dominating the aromas. Is this because of the coravin?

Palate: medium body, drying, entry is light leaf juice, hints of generic metal, mid palate gets more tart showing the acidity, then it's white sugar glaze and chalk, flavored milk, hints of salt on subsequent sips, back palate shows an attenuating light caramel and vanilla from the oak, chalk, dessert pastry breads, a bitter cupric lemon zest shows up on subsequent sips. For some reason, "boring" comes to mind.

Finish: short, very dry for some reason, spiced cream, dried vanilla syrup, hint of lemon skin bitterness.

Pretty basic stuff. I wouldn't say mineral driven, but mineral-like elements constitute a majority of the experience.

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Domaine Jean Chartron, Puligny-Montrachet, Chardonnay, 2022, 13.0% abv.

Nose: dried popcorn, hints of grain, bit of cotton candy too or some sort of light candied fruit, which evolves to a sweet apple aroma.

Palate: medium body, entry is sweet, plain, but the mid palate is mainly cupric sweetness, not a fruity sweetness, with time a light maritime apple flavor emerges, something akin to granite but a little more dull, bits of apples here and there, back palate reveals a sugar glaze oil which temporarily coats the mouth, again spiced cupric apples. Flavors intensify on subsequent sips.

Finish: short, warm apple sauce without cinnamon, bit of that white glaze they usually put on Krispy Kreme doughnuts, bits of copper and rubber.

Loads better than the previous PV. But still nothing special.

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Chateau Fuisse, Pouilly-Fuisse, 1er Cru, Les Clos Monopole, Chardonnay, 2023, 13.5% abv.

Nose: initially a cross between tropical melons and pastry glazes, it's hard to explain but there is a subtle pleasantry to this somewhat singular aroma.... which after warming ends up adding apples and raisins.

Palate: medium body, entry is light fruit leaves, mid palate is showing wax, spiced cream, fried saltine crackers, no vanilla...

back palate has metallic vanilla, metals become more prevalent with time. A bit shocked as several wine shops have been pitching this to me for its vanilla-ness.

Finish: medium, dry, copper, tin, brass, and their ilk, mint, the metallic element in a green apple.

Nose was quite enjoyable, but thats about it.

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Pont Neuf, Russian River Valley, Le Pont Neuf, Chardonnay, 2021, 14.5% abv.

From the former Screaming Eagle winemaker and recommended for potential super vanilla stuff. Please let this be a beacon for real vanilla!

Nose: cooked corn, with time popcorn and reductive sulphur elements joins the mix.

Palate: medium body, entry is sweet dessert glazes with a bit of bitterness, like a pinch of angoustra bitters in a pool of sugar glaze, mid and back palate is sweet burnt vanilla and caramel, bits of honey glazed popcorn, quite sweet. After some time there are bits of paper and chalk, which greatly affects the mouthfeel.

Finish: short, dry, spices, alcohol is still partying in the back of the mouth.

Sigh, quite one dimensional.

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Gaspard Brochet, Champagne, Tome 1: Le Coq, NV, 12.5% abv.

Visibly not many bubbles. On recommendation from a wine friend.

Nose: hint of apples, chloride crystals, the aromas are not the strong point of this pour.

Palate: medium to full body, a sweet and supple apple cider, hints of chalk, palate shows baked apples, pretty basic stuff.

Finish: short, dry, bubbly.

This is quite a popular brand at some wine bars, and the markup is quite impressive. I might have gotten a bad pour as I don't think the coravin for bubblies is that effective. Still, I prefer their 333.f.

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Domaine Jerome Galeyrand, Marsannay, Clos du Roy, Pinot Noir, 2022, 13% abv.

Nose: initially a plastic-y rubber, glue-like aroma overshadows the underlying red fruit, which mostly consists of cranberries, wild mountain raspberries, and old red currants. This rubber aroma transitions into salted ham, burnt pepperoni. Hmmm... what happened?

Palate: medium body, entry is showing tart cherries, palate has some spiced meats, spiced red fruits, hint of salt, that rubber-ized cherry skin dipped in black peppercorn. Bewilderment ablaze.

Finish: short, dry, dehydrated red fruits, spiced rubber, black peppercorn.

For a Clos du Roy this is an underperformer. 1445/2160 bottles.

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Lucien le Moine, Chambolle-Musigny, 1er Cru, Les Sentiers, Pinot Noir, 2022, 13.5% abv.

Nose: strongly perfumed red fruit, vanilla, good amounts of spiced bark/wood, dare I say mizunara flavored bark?, hint of white and black peppercorn. A lot going on.

Palate: medium body, entry is a bit sour, unripe cherries, unripe cranberries, mid palate evolves to sour cherries, spiced cranberries, spiced bark, a dull vanilla which intensifies but also plateaus out on subsequent sips, back palate introduces a bit of blacktop and similar rocks to the red berry flavor profile. Wow has a bit of everything, fruit, vanilla, tannins.

Finish: medium, dry, vanilla and chocolate pop out, chewey tannins make their appearance here.

Damn, I expected more with that purported barrel usage.

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Emmanuel Rouget, Nuits-St-Georges, Pinot Noir, 2021, 13% abv.

Nose: red fruit skins, cranberry jello, raspberries, a bit of gas in the back, smells like a "natural" wine with consistent intensity.

Palate: medium body, entry is red fruit and grape skins, mid and back palate has spiced red and purple fruits, smoked ham, needless to say a pinch of salt, light tannins, quite gamey and... thats about it. Wow, what happened? I guess on the tail end.

Finish: short, dry, red fruit skins, a sort of gasey gaminess permeates the palate, soured or fermented black peppercorn. Impressively light tannins.

I can appreciate the gaminess, but it detracts from everything else. Seems like time was not kind to this one. Good flavor but it's just gamey red fruit. Bartender mentioned this was opened a few moons ago. Must not have been that impressive if they left so much in the bottle.

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Dominique Laurent, Echezeaux, Pinot Noir, 2020, 13.5% abv.

Nose: thick red fruit soup, warm red fruit rollups which is essentially red fruit jam with the typical strawberries and raspberries.

Palate: full body, entry is chalky strawberries dipped in maggi/worchester sauce, mid palate is surprisingly still tart, bit of cherry skin but mostly mature fruit jam, the vanilla wood is in the background, significantly spiced red fruit and wood, some game in the background, back palate is much simpler, reduces to drying red and purple fruit with hints of smoked meats or salted game. Good synergistic complexity.

Finish: short to medium, dry, dried red and purple fruit, hints of chocolate.

Impressive, especially for a 2020. My WOTN. Interesting to compare to the Lucien le Moine, both of which use more new oak I believe.

Another wine bar in Seoul, majority coravin, a few BYOB, overall an interesting night. Part 3/4.

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Benjamin Leroux, Meursault, 1er cru, Les Genevrieres, Chardonnay 2022, 14% abv.

Nose: chalk, bacon fat, milk, hints of reductive elements show up. Damn.

Palate: medium body, entry is sweet oak elements, mid palate is a bit sweet, with smoked vanilla, long boiled fish bones, back palate shows some diluted and stale caramel, light vanilla, sweet cream, getting a hint of reduction but it could be the spices. On the fence with this one, but I feel there is some above average quality here.

Finish: medium, light sweet red apples, hint of vanilla cream, good amount of manganese carbonate and the sweeter chalky rocks.

Vernacular (satire): nose shows both oak and reductive elements. Medium body, medium acidity, medium to strong oak influence, medium minerality, no alcohol. Medium finish and reflects the palate.

This was nice. Balanced attack with a good amount of sweet milk, but I wish it was more intense. Might be liberal here.

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Pierre Girardin, Meursault, 1er Cru, Les Charmes, 2018, 13% abv.

Nose: herbal, tofu, hint of chalk, but milk becomes prevalent, and a slight sweetness lurks in the background, but overall a simple aroma set.

Palate: medium body, entry is frozen pineapples, mid palate shows more unripe pineapples, some frozen pineapple cherimoyas, hint of stale passionfruit, back palate has light tropical fruits, light milk, light vanilla, but the frozen pineapples seem to be more prevalent.

Finish: short to medium but closer on the short side, a bit dry, pineapple paste similar to the filing in taiwanese pineapple cakes, some pineapple ice cream, gets slightly spicey and I am not sure if its the pineapple seeds and pulps or the alcohol.

Vernacular (satire): nose is light, milk, chalk. Medium body, good acidity, good minerality, moderate oak influence, minimal alcohol. Finish is short,

Although I frequently used pineapple as a descriptor, it's doesn't have a strong influence (as compared to the JDF Boucheres and Philippe Pacalet Charmes).

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Millemann Wines, Corton-Charlemagne, Grand cru, 2022, 13.5% abv.

Nose: hints of sour cedar, light milk, cotton candy crayons, mostly stewed yellow and white fruits, cotton candy, not really eucalyptus but a similar leaf.

Palate: medium body, entry is light sweet and sour milk, spiced leaves, mid palate shows more savory sauces and spices, spiced lemon-y clay, hint of butter at least in texture, sauce made in veal piccata, difficult to describe other than dinner dishes, back palate is savory, has spiced cake, bubblegum, cotton candy, hints of smoke, rocks, and some steamed spiced yellow squash. My expectations were too high.

Finish: long, oily butter-based emulsion, reminds me of the sauce used in making veal piccata, capers, lighter stewed yellow and white fruits.

Vernacular (satire): nose shows candy, wood elements, and stewed yellow and white fruits. Medium body, good acidity, medium oak influence, light minerality, no alcohol.

An interesting CC, obviously needs age to integrate everything. Like all CC, difficult to describe, but I would say a combination of oak elements, exotic leaves, and spices make a good representation. Not an easy one. Rumors abound that this is DRC or Coche and some secret Ramonet. In any case... no. Might be conservative in my evaluation.

Another wine bar in Seoul, majority coravin, a few BYOB, overall an interesting night. Part 1/4.

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Domaine de Villaine, Bouzeron, Aligote, 2022, 13% abv.

Nose: perfumed lemon curd, mostly cotton candy, sweet chalk, a bit of candied kumquats and oranges, bit of dessert dressing, with some air time some minerals appear but mostly wet cobblestones, light fishiness like preserved anchovies. More savory with time.

Palate: medium body, entry is light, salted dried lemons, mid palate develops some chalky and candy flavors, back palate is chalky candied lemons, light herbalness, sour with a bit of bitterness which acts as a good contrast. Palate seems least developed relative to the nose and finish, and different from other aligotes.

Finish: medium, curd, chalk, salted lemonade, transitions to diluted apple juice.

Vernacular (satire): nose shows candy aromas and wet cobblestone. Medium body, medium acidity, medium to high minerality, little oak influence (mlf), no alcohol. Medium finish with more acidity than the palate, decent minerality, no alcohol.

Bartender said this is from the owners of DRC? Online says Domaine de Villaine is founded by Aubert de Villaine, co-director of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. Not sure what else they have in common, but good marketing. Some maloactic fermentation, but that's about it? Partial stems? Average at best.

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Raymond Dupont-Fahn, Bourgoge, Chaumes des Perrières, Chardonnay, 2022, 13% abv.

Nose: exotic spices, cardamon, nutmeg, tumeric, orange ice cream, perfume, a variety of minerals. Wow.

Palate: medium body, entry is diluted pickled tartness, mid palate shows a smokey citrus flavor set, pieces of cardamon and nutmeg, with time the milk and creamy body develop, back palate shows the oak with sweet cream, sour vanilla, feels like it gets spicey with time. After some time there is salty flint. An exotic, abnormally structured Chardonnay.

Finish: medium, sour, warm citrus slices especially lemons, the tartness might be initiating and equivalent spice response.

Vernacular (satire): nose shows spices and minerality. Medium body with high acidity, high minerality, light maloactic fermentation (mlf), no alcohol. Medium finish showing high acidity, good minerality.

Famous bottling for being "Meursault". The notes on CT are all over, inconsistent, and different from the pour I just had. Impressive. Nose, palate, and finish were quite different from each other, which I imagine is another representation of complexity. Even so, lacks synergy and without a good main element it's hard for me to direct my senses. Side by side this is a slight stronger version of the Les Tillets. Enjoyable nonetheless, especially considering the typical price.

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Raymond Dupont-Fahn, Meursault, Les Tillets Chardonnay, 2022, 13.5% abv.

Nose: some herbalness, smelly cheese but not to the level of blue cheese, light corn, but interestingly enough there is some microwavable/frozen mac and cheese.

Palate: medium body, entry is sweet pickle juice, mid palate shows pickled oranges, light lemonade, sour honey, back palate shows the sweeter oaky elements, fried corn, sweet milk but not to the level of condensed milk, light slate, spiced celery, I am guessing the "spices" are what sophisticated people would call stones, rocks, or minerality.

Finish: medium, salty, spiced celery, spicey flint, closer to slate, the reduction intensifies but never hits a significant level.

Vernacular (satire): nose shows herbalness and oak elements. Medium body, medium to high acidity, medium oak influence, medium minerality, no alcohol. Medium finish, higher acidity and minerality.

Well done. Does seem like a meursault, similar in presentation to the Chaumes des Perrières, but suffers different drawbacks, in this case, not enough non-acidic elements. Side by side this is a slightly stronger version of the Chaumes des Perrières.

[Part 2/2] In Seoul and dropped by several wine bars. Tried 8 wines, 7 coravin-ed, and 1 popped as there wasn't much left after coravin-ing-ed. Really enjoyed the JF Meursault Boucheres. The last 4 of the night:

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Domaine Dujac, Morey Saint Denis, Premier Cru, Pinot Noir, 2022, 14% abv.

Nose: red fruit bouquet which is much softer than the village version, lighter cherries, lighter cranberries, unripe strawberries and pickled strawberries, freshly cut watermelon rind, diluted milk chocolate, burnt sesame with time, clay, light wet earth, hint of "brown" bread. With time the red fruit bouquet gains some age but still expressive.

Palate: medium body, entry is mature strawberry, milk chocolate, diluted cinnamon, mid palate shows some of the nicer dessert dressings, vanilla, diluted chocolate, on top of the mature red fruit, baked strawberries, mature cherries, some black fruits with black cherries and blackberries, light vanilla, balsa, cloves, artichoke hearts, dry wood and tannins amplify later on, back palate accentuates the maturity of the red fruit. Nice.

Finish: short, bit dry, like the palate was painted with a thin layer of red and black fruit, suffering the effects of tannins.

Vernacular (satire): nose is red fruit, dessert, with light reduction. Medium bodied, medium acidity, well-integrated and somewhat chewy tannins, little oak influence, little to no alcohol. Finish is short and dry, red and black fruit.

These Dujac sure have short finishes, but better than their 2021s.

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Jospeh Pascal, Bourgogne Cote D'or, Chardonnay, 2022, 13% abv.

Nose: lemons and chalk but a noticeable hint of corn, some cheddar cheese, light lemon pledge and chlorine on deeper inhalations. Argh.

Palate: light to medium body but closer to medium, entry is sprite and lemons, mid palate is sweet, lemons dipped in sugar but this transitions to some dried meats, back palate has more chalk, bit of the leftover blood from boiled beef parts, some retroactive olfaction of gaseous lemon, still mostly sweetened lemon juice.

Finish: short, lemons, lemon curd. Simple stuff.

Vernacular (satire): nose of lemons and minerals, bit of cheese. Medium body, medium acidity, medium minerality, no oak influence, no alcohol. Finish is short  and reflects similar acidity.

This is better than the Benoit Ente Bourgogne Blanc. I don't remember why I was drinking this after the Dujac. But time to try a heavy hitter.

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Domaine A.-F. Gros, Nuits Saint Georges, Premier Cru, Les Saints-Georges, Pinot Noir, 2020, 14% abv.

Nose: red fruit bouquet, strawberry jam, very musty strawberries, intense cherries, hints of soy sauce and earth. Wow, so sweet and fragrant. Wow.

Palate: medium body, entry is strawberry syrup, a thick red fruit compote, mid palate is full of red fruit, strawberries, cherries, vanilla oil, wow intense, back palate showing some oil, sour strawberry jam, good amount of citrus. For a 2020 this is delish.

Finish: short, a bit dry, red fruits, bit of strawberry cake, bit of raspberries, berry sorbet, hint of cumin. Actually works well after a well made palate.

Vernacular (satire): nose is intense red fruit, supported by passive minerals and earth. Medium bodied, medium acidity, low minerality, little to no oak influence, no alcohol. Finish is is short and full of red fruits.

Like a good Chardonnay overlain with strong mature red fruit. Other than VRs, I've always had a soft spot for Les Saints-Georges. Wow. WOTN.

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Vieux Chateau Saint Andre, Bordeaux Red Blend, 2019, 14.5% abv.

Nose: corn, background of red fruit, blackberries, hints of vanilla, clear and distinctive. Somewhat CS-ish, but not getting the iron and cedar from young Bordeaux.

Palate: medium body, dry, entry is grape and blackberry juice with vanilla, mid palate really shows dryness... sucking out the moisture from my mouth like an octopus, grapes, cherries, oranges, vanilla, balsa, the tannins take over with each sip, iron, chalk, back palate shows dried shrimp shells, tart blackberries, oranges, iron and chalk on later sips. Is this Merlot? Bar owner told me its CS... Will look it up later.

Finish: medium, really dry like a young cabernet sauvignon, spicey red fruit.

Vernacular (satire): primary nose. Medium body with medium to high acidity, strong tannins, little oak, strong minerality, little alcohol.

Super young!!! Tannins were dominating, manifesting in not only dry elements, but also as spices all over the palate. Rough yet tasty. A quick google search says this producer typcially blends majority Merlot, Petrus related... ahhh... Thanks to the bar owner for your generous offer (free)!

[Part 1/2] In Seoul and dropped by several wine bars. Tried 8 wines, 7 coravin-ed, and 1 popped as there wasn't much left after coravin-ing-ed. Coravin really opened up the industry, even though there were similar/simpler devices before, but from my limited experience the tasting experience from coravin and from popping a bottle are different, theory be damned. Still, not too far from each other, unless its a new bottle or an old bottle. I suspect the bar owner is a rich model. The first 4 of the night:

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Benoit Ente, Bourgogne Blanc, Chardonnay, 2022, 13.5% abv.

Nose: initially lemon and chalk, hint of lemon curd, hint of sugar, background shows sweet fruit, subsequent sniffs are noticeably sweeter and more fruity sweet than honey sweet.

Palate: medium body, entry is lemon powder, mid palate calms down, lemon pith juice, interestinfly enough a light and fleeting dessert vanilla dressing, back palate shows more body, hints of vanilla, bitter 7up, quite powdery/chalky in texture for some reason but this rounds out to a fuller body several sips in, pinch of salt, dry, dried wood, grapeskin.

Finish: medium, very dry, dehydrated lemons, hint of supporting citrus. Straightforward.

Vernacular (satire): nose is sweet primary with some minerality. Medium body that thickens through tasting, medium acidity, surprisingly some noticeable tannins, little oak influence, no alcohol. Finish is medium and drying with lemons.

Interestingly, this producer has been, or was heavily marketed in South Korea, some story, some keywords, but I've noticed its popularity has definitely waned. More experienced drinkers (who also happen to be importers/distributors), say these need age with the higher end cuvees being amazing. I wouldn't know. Even though the aromas are sweeter than other chardonnays, I wish there was more overall. 7,350 bottles, not small, but fortunately not as huge as others.

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Domaine Jean Fery, Meursault, 1er Cru, Les Boucheres, 2022, 13.3% abv.

Nose: pineapple candy, pineapple perfume. So nice!

Palate: medium body, entry is citrus zest and semi-toasted bread, mid palate shows some green tea vanilla, hint of butter, grapefruit zest, back palate has some nickel-ized vanilla, citrus peels, bread, wet croutons, do I detect a bit of peanut oil?

Finish: short, dry, semi-tart citrus peels, wow nothing much going on here.

Vernacular (satire): nose is PINEAPPLES. Medium body of medium acidity, medium plus oak influence, medium on minerals, low tannins, no alcohol. Finish is short and dry.

Only 1,048 bottles! Not too shabby. There are vanilla elements on the palate, but it acts more like a supporting element than something on display. I like the nose the best. Unfortunately, the more I sip, the less the utility. I am beginning to noticed I like the Boucheres from a few producers for their... pineapples!

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Domaine Hubert Lamy, Saint-Aubin, 1er Cru, En Remilly, Chardonnay, 2015, 13% abv.

Nose: intially lemon cream, some sweet tropical fruit, some light pineapples, hint of iron, some of the sweeter herbs, hint of rubber, leather, expressive comes to mind.

Palate: medium body, entry is tart lemon cake, salt, hint of slate or some sort of reductive element?, mid palate shows more lemons, golden apples, some dry cake, the not so flavorful fried fish skin, getting some burnt sesame and slate here, back palate showing some really diluted vanilla on top of grapefruit juice, light wet flint.

Finish: short, graprefruit peel, hint of diluted grapefruit and blood oranges.

Vernacular (satire): nose is diverse with tropical fruits, leather, herbs, and minerals. This is counteracted by a medium body of light to medium acidity, light minerality, no oak influence, no to minimal alcohol, some reduction. Finish is short and summarized with grapefruit.

Had high hopes for this one. Might be a new bottle + coravin issue. Aromas were good, not great, and just downhill from there. Needs more ageing in my opinion. This producer was soooo hot when they first hit the wine bars in South Korea... or at least in a widespread distribution sense. Prices have not been friendly, but they generally disappear once they hit the shelves. Cheaper to buy them abroad and ship them to South Korea. Lucky I tried. Thank you bar owner.

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Domaine Dujac, Morey Saint Denis, Pinot Noir, 2022, 13.5% abv.

Nose: strong red fruit, raspberry jam, spices cherries, dried cranberries, blackberries, hint of black cherries, some spices in there, hint of soil, clay, spiced taco meat (beef), vanilla, eucalyptus, aromas from the Australian gum tree, hint of wood potpourri. Savory spices in here acting as a good complement to the intense red fruit.

Palate: medium body, entry is earthy red fruit, hint of clay, black cherries, mid palate is dry and tart, red and black fruit, mostly black cherries and cranberries, some vanilla husks which transitions to vanilla on subsequent sips with good air time, hint of graphite, tannins show up on subsequent sips but the intensity also seems to subside, back palate has some stale fried fishskin, a bit citrus peel bitterness, vanilla locker wafers. Got some complexity here.

Finish: short, quite dry, sour cherries, bit of freshly pressed pomegranate juice, cranberry juice, gets a bit fishy, but every element seems light.

Vernacular (satire): nose is full of mature red fruits and savory spices. Medium body with good acidity, polished tannins, light minerality, no alcohol. Finish is short, dry, red fruit, some saltiness.

Great aromas, some complexity, intense for village.

Domaine Jean-Michel Guillon & Fils, Bourgogne Cote d'Or, Chardonnay, 2022, 12.5% abv.

It's frigging hot over here. Hitting 41°C midday and sweat is dripping down my testicles just so that they won't evaporate to the sun. Hopefully this 200% new oak Guillon Chard will do the trick.

Nose: initially syrup with slight lemon accents, hint of petroleum jelly, but these aromas attenuate out revealing hints of vanilla ice cream which turns to milk, sometimes supported by a light toasted brioche. Amorphous. Delectable.

Palate: medium body, bit dry, entry shows a bit of honey, but overall a bit sour, closer to lemons than anything else. Interestingly, after 10 minutes the mid palate does a 180 and attempts to balance the medium to strong oak influence with relatively light acidity in terms of dull citrus, but the oak elements (although not well-defined) win out. Notable elements such as warm vanilla cream, sweet whipped cream, milky caramel, and condensed milk. The back palate has some burnt vanilla, fresh lemon peel, bit of flint and burnt sesame, somewhat bringing it all together. Quite good.

Finish: medium, dry, maple butter, hint of toasted pecans on glazed pies, drying whipped cream, but later on these elements are accompanied with a medium lemon and alcohol. Some retroactive olfaction scenes show burnt sesame.

Vernacular (satire): nose shows moderate oak influence, no telltale fruits or minerals. Medium bodied, dry, light to medium acidity, medium to strong oak influence, medium minerality, little to no alcohol. Medium length finish, similar with the palate but alcohol is noticeable.

These Guillon whites tend to do it for me. At the very least this is an entertaining pour, many amorphous oak-derived elements but difficult to assign a name to them. One of the few times the oxygen-deprived flint meshes well with the oak. Paid KRW₩65K, or about USD$45, in Busan, South Korea.

Robert Mondavi, Napa Valley, Chardonnay, 2018, 13.5% abv.

Nose: corn, supported with a medium sweet honey jam, pretty straightforward. After a few days left in the fridge, the aromas are less intense but still a circus of corn.

Palate: medium body, entry is salty, light sweet corn juice, mid palate is is salty corn juice, bit of bread, at best a hint of white flowers, back palate reveals some dessert dressing to accompany the corn elements, light sweet squash, bit of alcohol. Wow, just sweet corn. Interestingly, after a few days in the fridge, the corn is still on the palate, but the mid palate also shows some young Meursault and the back palate is distinctively unripe white peach! Unfortunately, that's about it.

Finish: medium, overcooked corn, light cream of corn, alcohol dominates at the end. After a few days left in the fridge, the white peach I got on the back palate remains on the tongue.

Vernacular: nose is singular with corn/oak. Medium bodied, strong oak with moderate acidity, low to moderate minerality, minimal alcohol. Finish is medium and reflects a lighter version of the palate.

Simple, corn, light on everything else. How is this famous? Mondavi tended to not be my style. Bought for KRW₩87K, or about USD$60, in Busan, South Korea.

Grade: C

After the Ornellaia themed tasting, a few of us were invited to continue libations in a backroom wine festival. A few of us were permitted to select a bottle to try for the sudden gathering. I went last and picked Pataille's Longeroies... more because I noticed a few in the crowd looked like they were about to join a Diddy party without the baby lotion... dreading the final bill. But I was also curious at "older" Pataille. Not gonna lie, I should have left the meek to fend for themselves and selected a Rayas or Rinaldi.

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Domaine Sylvain Pataille, Les Longeroies, Marsannay, Pinot Noir, 2020, 12.5% abv.

Depending on which sheets you're looking at, the Bas des Longeroies vines are supposedly 60-80 years old, or 2/3 planted in the early 2000s and 1/3 planted in the mid-1950s. Looks like the portion of the eastern portion next to Clos du Roy is where Pataille gets his stuff. Whole clusters and indigenous yeasts. Aged for 18 months in barrel (15% new).

Nose: mostly strawberries, bbq beef, some rose petals, hint of earth which dominates with time. Needs to be chilled to let out the aromas.

Palate: medium body, entry is beefy/savory, mid palate shows some salty and savory elements, red fruit juice (diluted cranberry and raspberry) poured through paper, high acidity though, good amount of citrus, back palate is a bit plain, lacks intensity.

Finish: medium, dry, showing some wood and vanilla elements for some reason hint of sour mushrooms,

Vernacular (satire): nose of red fruit, florals, bit tertiary. Medium body, high acidity, medium to high minerality, resolved tannins, no wood, no alcohol. Medium finish, secondary and tertiary come out.

Acidic and that's about it. Yeah, it was unfair to have this after some intense aged Ornellaias. Should have gone with the Rayas.

Grade: C+

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Domaine Morey-Coffinet, Chassagne-Montrachet, Premier Cru, La Romanee, 2022, 13% abv.

Nose: reductive, shredded beef, hint of flint, the reductive aromas strengthen with time, light citrus, AND THEN the vanilla and caramel aromas catch up to balance out the flint. Gets quite strong with time. YES!

Palate: medium body, entry is light syrup, mid palate is light agave syrup, but these elements turn to citrus and then in progression to more savory tropical fruits like guava, then cooked yellow squash, diluted caramel, light vanilla syrup, AND these vanilla desert-oriented flavors/aromas dominate after a good amount of time, back palate has more vanilla, hints of diluted caramel, and then with melon rind given time. LOVE IT!

Finish: medium, light vanilla elements seem to coat the mouth.

Vernacular (satire): nose shows balanced reduction against oak. Medium body, moderate acidity, strong oak influence (precise vanilla), good minerality, no alcohol. Medium finish, oak elements remain.

This is what the QUEST is all about. Got much better with air time. Quite good. Moreover, these types of releases really demonstrate how good Leflaive PMs and Ramonet Batards are, that extra complexity and comfort. I've been trying to find more real information on this release and bottles, but it doesn't seem to be well distributed in Korea... is it allocated? Borrowed juice? Or did the bar owner do some magic on this pour?

Grade: B

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Le Macchiole, Paleo, Cabernet Franc, 2020, 14.5% abv.

Since 2001, Paleo Rosso has been 100% Cabernet Franc. The bar owner wanted to show us this bottle, looking forward to it.

Nose: starts off with vines, clay but not much minerality, some generic red fruit, a lot of new oak. Wow.

Palate: medium body, entry is vanilla syrup, mid palate has a good amount of vanilla and intensifies with time, the usual accompanying toast, and surprisingly hints of generic red fruit after some air time, back palate continues the major vanilla, tannins show up and are quite drying, chalky. Over-oaked. I like it. I can handle it, but a few others in the group were quite perplexed.

Finish: short, dry, salty and vanilla, but not like salted caramel desserts.

Vernacular (satire): nose has primary, secondary, and tertiary elements, but secondary really stands out. Medium body, strong oak influence, minimal acidity, minimal minerality, fine grained and somewhat angular tannins, no alcohol.

Major vanilla oak, perhaps not the best matured and a bit overwhelming, but then again my tolerance seems higher than median. I liked it. Wine Enthusiast gave this a 98, Wine Advocate gave this a 96, Wine Spectator gave this a 94, and James Suckling gave this a 95 in 2023. Jancis Robinson gave this a 17/20 in 2024. The professional reviews suggest we drank this early.

Grade: B-

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Chateau Troplong Mondot, Saint Emilion, 2001, 13.5% abv.

Ah, haven't had a food Bordeaux in awhile. Supposedly 85% Merlot and 7.5% Cabernet Franc, and 7.5% Cabernet Sauvignon in 100% new oak. I should like this.

Nose: wow a good balance between primary, secondary, and tertiary elements, getting the sour red fruits (mature cherries, strawberries, fig), vanilla, hint of clay. There's more, but gonna try to enjoy my old friend. This is wonderful.

Palate: medium body, entry is light white and button mushrooms, mid palate shows more raspberry residuals and soy sauce than anything else, back palate getting more soy sauce, vanilla, clove than anything else. Moderate savory flavors after the finish but in the palate. Quite good.

Finish: medium, still too tannic, dry, getting hints of vanilla cask, light bramble fruit, hints of earth and mushrooms. Other than the tannic influence, a good balance.

Vernacular (satire): nose is a good balance of primary, secondary, and tertiary components. Medium body, again balanced primary, secondary, and tertiary components, emphasis on minerality, light to medium acidity and oak influence, and surprisingly the medium finish shows unresolved tannins.

Good balance between primary, secondary, and tertiary elements. Delicious. Not as good at 2016 Ornellaia, which might be an unfair comparison. Wine Spectator gave this a 91 and Wine Advocate gave this a 93 in 2004. Jancis Robinson gave this a 15/20 in 2022.

Grade: B

An Ornellaia based tasting curated by a licensed sommelier. He attempts to showcase Ornellaia through the years. Very enjoyable and eye/palate opening tasting, dispelling some myths while creating others. I for one was a bit surprised at how similar the aged reds were, with a very soy and oyster sauce specific profile. Was not impressed with the 2011 Masseto though.

===============

Ornellaia, Poggio alle Gazze dell'Ornellaia, Toscana, Sauvignon Blanc, 2021, 13.5% abv.

Apparently Ornellaia's second label for white. Blend of 72% Sauvignon Blanc, 16% Vermentino, 6% Viognier, 6% Verdicchio. Aged in barriques, 25% new, 25% used, and the remaining 50% in steel vats and concrete eggs. Did not undergo maloactic fermentation. Matured on the fine lees for 6 months, with regular bâtonnage, a light fining, then 12 months in bottle. Chilled an hour or two and popped 10 minutes before serving.

Nose: dichotomy of tropical citrus, pineapples, guava, ripe white peach "soup" and some boiled pork/herbaceousness. Backdrop of grapefruit, lemons. Very rich nose like some good Meursaults. However, as the glass warms, the fruity-oriented aromas attenuate a bit and soy sauce beef with a hint of diluted gasoline seems to pop up on deeper inhalations.

Palate: medium to full body, entry is lightly flavored soda, surprisingly very light flavored on entry, mid palate shows more oils, mature florals, light old grass and hay, pressed dried tropical fruits, bitter cherimoya, dehydrated pineapples, grapefruit rind, hint of salt, but overall a fight between the sweet and bitter components. Back palate is more herbal and dried grass/hay, stale soy sauce, but surprisingly gets significantly sweeter with subsequent sips while the herbal and hay elements attenuate out. Much of the dried grass and hay elements seem to attenuate with time but apparently is replaced by boiled pork/herbs. Again, similar to the nose, a dichotomy of tropical sweetness and bitter citrus rinds.

Finish: medium, a bit dry, interestingly reminds me of grass bbq-ed meats, the fruity aspects seemed to have dissipated significantly from the palate.

Vernacular (satire): nose of tropical fruits, citrus, hint of minerality. Medium bodied, viscous, low to medium acidity, low minerality, strong oak influence, minimal alcohol. Medium finish showing both acidity and floral components.

The matured palate did not match the primary nose. Oaked SB is always interesting. Monica Larner from Wine Advocate gave this a 92 in 2023, James Suckling gave this a 92+ in 2023, Bruce Sanderson from Wine Spectator gave this a 92 in 2023, Danielle Callegari from Wine Enthusiast gave this a 94 in 2023.

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Tenuta dell'Ornellaia, Ornellaia, Bolgheri, Red Bordeaux Blend, 2005, 14.5% abv.

Blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Petit Verdot aged for 18 months in French oak barriques at 70% new, 30% 2nd use. After the first 12 months, wine was assembled and then put back for the remaining 6 months, and then 12 months in bottle. Winemaker was Axel Heinz. Funny thing is some posts talk about the Cabernet Franc portion. Was opened 1 hour before.

Nose: dried mussels, dried shrimp, salty, soy sauce, which intensifies with time, sweetened black tea leaves (not black tea), hints of raisins on deeper inhalations, prunes. Wow.

Palate: full body, entry is a light savory soy sauce, but it gets stronger with time, and wood elements creep up from later palates, still salty black tea, tannins seem to be creeping up on much later sips, mid palate makes me focus on the sweet and savory soy sauce, many dried maritime mollusks, gets quite savory, salty and sweet, light cheese, more vanilla and balsa show up on subsequent sips, can feel the dryness with time, back palate really returns to dried mussels, dried octopus, dried clams, lots of soy sauce, sweeter herbs. Intense juice.

Finish: short, soy sauce and oil mix, a bit of sesame oil, still savory.

Vernacular (satire): nose shows strong minerality, medium secondary, and light primary. Full bodied, medium acidity, strong oak influence, fine grained plush tannins, no alcohol. Medium finish, continues the minerality.

Wow. Quite maritime oriented and intense. James Suckling gave this a 95 in 2013, Antonio Galloni from Wine Advocate gave this a 93 in 2008, Wine Spectator gave this a 95 in 2008, Jancis Robinson gave this 18.5/20 in 2010.

===============

Tenuta dell'Ornellaia, Ornellaia, Bolgheri, Red Bordeaux Blend, 2016, 14.5% abv.

Blend of 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Petit Verdot that was aged for approximately 20 months in 70% new French oak, the remaining 30% being once-used. After the first 12 months, the wines were assembled and then returned to the barriques for the remaining 8 months, and aged in bottle for another 12 months. Olga Fusari was the winemaker and I believe this was her first vintage? Was opened 1.5 hours before.

Nose: great oak influence, balsa supported by red wood, mature vanilla, diluted butterscotch, some coffee in there too, light marshmallows which get stronger with time. Not getting any fruity/primary elements, hints of floral elements. With time and as the glass warms there are some oats and cereal grains, roasted peanut shells, hint of chestnuts, macadamia nut white chocolate chip cookie. Wow. The strongest aromas from the whole flight.

Palate: medium body, entry is silky, but already a bit mouth drying, which on subsequent sips smooths out. Mid palate is a bit light on primary flavors, but secondary shines through with savory perfumed wood, perfumed vanilla, some dark chocolate, hints of cloves and velvet, back palate emphasizes the wood even more. Intense stuff.

Finish: medium, dry, leftover vanilla beans, bit of sweet coffee.

Vernacular (satire): nose is intense, diverse, and showing all secondary elements and good minerality. Medium bodied, medium acidity, strong oak influence, fine grained velvety tannins that are somewhat well integrated, no alcohol. Medium finish.

Quite intense. James Suckling gave this a 98 in 2019, Monica Larner from Wine Advocate gave this a 98 in 2019, Kerin O’Keefe from Wine Enthusiast gave this a 95 in 2020, Bruce Sanderson from Wine Spectator gave this a 96 in 2019, and Jancis Robinson gave this 18++/20.

===============

Tenuta dell'Ornellaia, Ornellaia, Bolgheri, Red Bordeaux Blend, 2010, 14.5% abv.

Blend of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Petit Verdot, aged for 18 months in oak, 70% new, 30% 2nd use. After the first 12 months, wine was assembled and then put back for the remaining 6 months, and then 12 months in bottle. Supposedly 11,500 cases. Afficionados still talk about the late merlot content for this vintage. Winemaker was Axel Heinz. Was opened 1 hour before.

Nose: initially oats, grains, wood, lighter on the vanilla and marshmallows, floral, then a somewhat lasting light salt, and evolves to major maritime soy sauce, with the vanilla getting stronger, hint of plastic, aged black cherry juice, hints of savory promegranate juice, light basil, light green olives, and then dried seaweed and dried leafy vegetables like spinach, lettuce, and escarole.

Palate: light to medium body, smooth, entry is light grape oil, and interestingly enough the mid palate starts the token tannic drying session quite early, shows some dried mussels which attenuate out, oyster sauce, initially light wood elements with the vanilla and perhaps clove in here but these intensify with time, sweetened green olives, back palate is drying, dominant tannins which with time slightly soften, a sort of old vanilla cream mixed with diluted butterscotch. Afterwards it is quite silky, but the flavors maintain a sort of neutral intensity.

Finish: short to medium, dry, tannins take over, diluted vanilla, very diluted butterscotch, doughnut dough.

Vernacular (satire): nose shows secondary elements and strong minerality. Medium bodied, medium acidity, strong oak influence, fine grained plush tannins, no alcohol. Medium finish, secondary elements.

The least of the reds in the flight, but savory and complex. James Suckling gave this a 95, Bruce Sanderson from Wine Spectator gave this a 94, Monica Larner from Wine Advocate gave this a 97, and Jancis Robinson gave this 18/20 in 2013. Kerin O’Keefe from Wine Enthusiast gave this a 97 in 2014.

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Masseto, Merlot, 2011, 14.5% abv

From what was presented at thjs tasting, Masseto was made using the same facilities as the original Ornellaia portfolio. However, in 2019, Masseto moved to a new facility, separate from Tenuta dell'Ornellaia. Merlot aged for 12 months in 100% new oak, then married and aged another 12 months, bottled and rested for 12 months before release. Massive average production of about 30,000 bottles per year. I believe the winemaker for Masseto was Alex Heinz around 2011. I find it interesting that unlike many Burgundy domaines, Ornellaia people are from all over Europe.

Nose: light mushrooms, a bit tertiary, with a frame of heavy Cantonese oyster sauce supported by savory soy sauce. It's like a meal by itself. Hints of savory oak with vanilla and cloves. Quite salty. Not much in terms of primary components.

Palate: medium to full body but closer to medium, entry is light floral elements with violets, dried wood, mid palate is showing spices, savory oyster and soy sauce, mushroom sauce with a slight cream element to it, back palate has the wood elements come out with mature vanilla, fried doughnut.

Finish: medium, dry, salty, salted maritime mollusks, surprisingly bread, and a mix of salt and sesame seeds.

Vernacular (satire): nose shows tertiary elements and strong minerality. Medium body, strong minerality, well integrated tannins, light acidity, no alcohol. Medium finish, dry, showing more minerality.

Wow. The most direct of the Ornellaia lineup. Interestingly on back-to-backs with all the Ornellaias, Masseto flavors kept persevering, but admittedly were not the best combination. Only bested the 2010 Ornellaia and 2021 Ornellaia bianco. James Suckling gave this a 100 (perfect?!), Monica Larner from Wine Advocate gave this a 95, and Bruce Sanderson from Wine Spectator gave this a 97 in 2014. Kerin O’Keefe from Wine Enthusiast gave this a 94 in 2015, while Jancis Robinson gave this 17.5/20 in 2016.

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Azienda Agricola Inama, Vulcaia, Fume Sauvignon, 2021, 15% abv.

French oak barrel "fermented" Sauvignon Blanc from 30 year vines. 10 month maturation in 30% "heavy toasted" new, 50% second use, and 20% third use, stirring of the lees every 6 weeks.

Nose: medium peach jelly, candied stone fruits, hint of guava, light candied pineapple, quite sweet.

Palate: medium body, entry is a diluted or creamy peach juice, light salt, mid palate gets sweeter with agave simple syrup, still many peaches, supported by the other stone fruits, green grapes, a bit of cough medicine, back palate strengthens the peach jelly and the hints of medicine.

Finish: short, peaches seasoned with green herbs, sesame leaf, I guess the "mature" side of this SB.

Vernacular (satire): nose of primary stone and tropical fruit, medium body, good acidity, medium to high minerality, no wood, minimal alcohol, short finish, accentuated palate.

A bit refreshing after some heavy hitters, but yeah could not compare.

Leflaive & Associés, Bourgogne Blanc, Chardonnay, 2018, 13% abv.

I actually thought I bought a Domaine Leflaive bottle, not a Leflaive & Associes bottle. Apparently Leflaive & Associes is juice from "carefully selected partners", whatever that means. I really do wonder about these bottlings... if they are just experimental, if its some nepotistic or political arrangement, or if its just mercy in helping a younger winery offtake their ruined batches. Please god... stop the stupidity in wine.

Nose: light flint/struck matchstick, floral, light cream of corn, with some air time the flint is more precise/separate from the creamy aromas. Interestingly, the dry wine glass has medium vanilla aromas, no flint. When cold, there is an additional corn aroma. With significantly air time, i.e. 1 day after from the wine fridge, the nose is medium vanilla, with a dry glass being slightly stronger vanilla, no other aromas. Guess it needed a... day?

Palate: medium body, good mouthfeel, entry is slightly herbal juice, with the salinity creeping up from the mid palate with each subsequent sip, mid palate shows salinity slowly developing but it does dominate after a few sips, citrus rinds, some plastic, fishy flavors, these transition to light petrol but the salinity is very strong, back palate is light flint, chalk, nickel or zinc, burnt caramel popcorn, burnt grass, light alcohol. Interestingly, when cold, the juice showcases more salt, corn, and green grapeskin with an additional emphasis on alcohol. With significantly more air time, i.e. 1 day after from the wine fridge, the stuff simplifies to a salty juice, although less salty than a day before, and no other significant elements, no vanilla, no popcorn.

Finish: medium, dry, mostly lemon pith, some lemon pulp, pear, peach, and grapefruit rinds, a bit similar to the light aftertaste from eating a cooked taro root, light vanilla cream at the end. With significantly more air time, i.e. 1 day after from the wine fridge, the finish is short leaving a salty mouth, but not very dry.

Vernacular: nose is mostly reductive with minerals and oak. Medium bodied, good mouthfeel, strong minerality, synergistically accompanied by moderare (to strong) acidity, light oak tannins, minimal alcohol. Finish is medium, showing more balanced minerality and acidity, again with oak arriving late.

Good balance between citrus elements and saltiness, but extremely boring stuff. Would not buy again. Got this for about KRW₩320K, or about USD$245. Definitely would not buy again.

Rounding out the tasting were these last few pours. A mish mash of single bottles perhaps because the distributor couldn't get more stock to the shops? All in all, interesting experience, got to see many bottlers across Burgundy, California, and Southern Australia.

===============

Thomas George, Russian River Valley, Sons and Daughters Ranch, Chardonnay, 2016, 13.8% abv.

Nose: fresh apples, pears, but these dull out to general orchard fruit skins, supported by a hint of chalk, with a feint herbal background.

Palate: light body and surprisingly very oily, entry is a strange chemical (liquefied natural gas? Butane?), with a hint of bitterness, salt, mid palate is salty water, old lemon zest, cheese, slightly ferric, back palate is like ferric brie. Pour-ers warned me I wouldn't like this one, but still had to try. Seems more like a technical bottle, as in juice used to help drinkers hone their salad-backed pseudo-sommelier skills.

Finish: medium, dry, young apples, young pears, but there is a reverberating lemon zest soda in the mouth.

Vernacular (satire): nose is orchard fruits and minerals. Light bodied, medium acidity, chemicals related to petroleum, medium amount of minerals, no real oak presence as the producer doesn't use oak, no alcohol. Finish is of medium length, reflecting the acidity on the palate with little minerality or alcohol.

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Thomas George, Russian River Valley, Baker Ridge, Pinot Noir, 2017, 13.7% abv.

Nose: red fruit and floral, potpourri, raspberries, strawberries, cherries, classic pinot noir, feint metallic aromas come out after some air time.

Palate: light to medium body, dry, entry is salty juice, hint of petroleum, mid palate has salty and slightly ferric berry juice although it's hard to distinguish which berries dominate, showing some age in my opinion with the "primary" flavors mostly gone, back palate shows the metallic side of the juice, tannins creeping out, berry juice is more sour at this point with hints of earth. No mushrooms or forest floor. Overall quite a diverse showing... so... balanced?!

Finish: long, dry, tannins reveal themselves like the iron in boiled American spinach, residual berry juice but more tart than on the palate, light dried/salted meats.

Vernacular (satire): nose is primary and secondary. Medium body, light to medium acidity, showing tertiary, angular tannins. Long finish.

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Chateau Teyssier, Saint-Emiliom, Grand Cru, 2022, 13.5% abv.

Nose: intially yeasty bread and then slowly developing red fruits but closer to jammy types (sans tartness), cherries, plums, dull boysenberries,

Palate: light body, entry is mostly texture, like airy pinot, fragile and delicate, few if any real flavors, mid palate shows diluted red fruit, cherries, plums, can taste the chalky tannins though, some vanilla and oak elements which amplifiy with subsequent sips, back palate shows hints of citrus berries with vanilla and dull cocoa not doubt from the barrels.

Finish: short, dry, like aftermath of eating American spinach, grippy tannins, diluted red fruit jam, plums and cherries, hint of fragrant dried orange peel.

Vernacular (satire): nose of yeasty bread and red fruits. Light bodied, delicate, low acidity, plush tannins, strong oak influence, no alcohol. Finish is short, dry, tannins are more grippy, but similar to the palate.

===============

Domaine Lucien Muzard et fils, Santenay, Champs Claude, Vieilles Vignes, Pinot Noir, 2020, 13% abv.

Nose: not getting obvious fruit, burnt crust on toast, some wheat bread aromas, light cherries, wax.

Palate: light body, dry, entry is a diluted red fruit vinegar, mid palate shows some aged red fruit, light tannins, beef jerky, warmed leafy vegetables, salt, light cheese, definitely more savory than fruity although there are both elements with a hint of earth but that could be the tannins talking, back palate shows more dry tannins, aged cherries, no real berries talking. Seems like some minor ageing hit the bottle, but there wasn't much to support the juice.

Finish: medium, dry, tannins are present and sucking out the moisture, ripe cherry skins, hint of old apple juice.

Vernacular (satire): nose of burnt crust on toast, no obvious fruit, no obvious vanilla, no obvious tertiary elements. Light bodied, dry, low to medium acidity, dried meats, fine but chewey tannins, no real oak elements, no alcohol. Finish is medium, grippy tannic effects, some acidity.

Another set of offerings at the local tasting, simultaneously with the previously posted chablis (amongst others). As usual, I suspect they are trying to get rid of stock. Textbook does seem to be quite common around these parts, although I don't know why as it doesn't fit the Korean idea on wine... Not gonna lie, I gotta stop giving SRW chances...

===============

Scenic Root Winegrowers, Textbook, The Pey Family Reserve, Napa Valley, Chardonnay, 2023, 14.1% abv.

Nose: tropical fruits, unripe guava, unripe melons, nutty too with cocktail peanuts, roasted peanut shells, stale walnut shells (hard interior one), hint of macadamia, light sweet wood.

Palate: medium to full body but closer to full, entry is sweet wood, stale black peppercorn, mid palate has more of that tropical fruit and nut elements I got on the nose, pears, guava flower, back palate is sweet wood, same tropical fruit like unripe guava and more guava shell/skin/peel(?), slightly bitter anjou pears, golden apples.

Finish: short, dry, bit of alcohol, guava, anjou pears, golden apples.

Vernacular: nose is semi-savory tropical fruit, nutty, hint of wood. Full bodied, savory, good acidity, good oak, medium minerality, leading to a short finish more reflective of the nose.

Interesting one. Reminds me of a 2023 Paolo Scavino Sorriso Langhe Bianco, guava oriented.

===============

Scenic Root Winegrowers, Textbook, Sonoma County, Pinot Noir, 2023, 14.1% abv.

Nose: red fruit, raspberry peanut butter, berry jam, sour cherries, overall light but not closed.

Palate: light body, entry and mid palate is light red fruit juice without the sweetness, simple, back palate is red fruit juice, mature, bit of cherry stem, dried cherry skins, bark and twig elements.

Finish: short, dry, cherries, raspberries, gets a little tart but nothing uncomfortable.

Vernacular: nose is light showing red fruit. Light bodied, light acidity, polished tannins, light oak, minimal minerality, leading to a short finish with red fruit. Simple and plain.

Wow, very simple stuff. Yep, the servers actually recommended this after the Reserve chardonnay... not sure why now.

===============

Scenic Root Winegrowers, Textbook, The Pey Family Reserve, Napa Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2022, 14.1% abv.

Nose: initially caramel and milk chocolate, but these sweet aromas give way to strong iron shavings, sour blackberries, sour boysenberries, yeasty bread, ... why is this open?

Palate: medium body, dry, entry is ferric bramble fruit, mid palate continues the ferric berries but now some savory vanilla which attenuates on subsequent sips, the graphite maintains a strong presence, back palate shows bread with a mixed berry spread that you get from International House of Pancakes, bit of earth and vine on subsequent sips, salt, graphite. As expected, a demonstration in iron (drying tannins).

Finish: long, dry, mostly rusty nails/iron, bit of red fruit rinds and blueberries which strengthen with subsequent sips.

Vernacular: nose is graphite with primary red fruit support. Medium body, medium to high acidity, good minerality, low to medium oak influence, medium grained tannins, light alcohol. Does not seem to show much potential for ageing. Finish is long, dry, more graphite than the preceding primary components.

Too young, but that's the tasting.

I actually went back to try the Reserve Chardonnay as some in the crowd hinted that there was some "nutty vanilla" in it when discussing with the servers... but since I don't know Korean, I am not 100% sure. Notes for a second, larger pour from a different bottle ended up being...

Nose: crispy stone fruits, freshly cut bosc pears, apple skin, hints to chalk, guava skins, young legume shells.

Palate: medium body, entry is surprisingly salty, hint of a fruity bitterness, mid palate showing yellow fruits, lemons and grapefruits, with an interesting red fruit rollup in the background, the salt is quite strong, back palate gets a bit savory and bitter, feint butter, showing more salted fruit, showing some complexity. Feels more like a barrel aged Sauvignon Blanc than Chardonnay.

Finish: medium to long, quite salty, hint of white pepper too, stale cinnamon, bitter fruit skins permeate.

Very different from the previous pour. Similar to a barrel aged Sauvignon Blanc. I must have heard wrong.

Local tasting. Had these after the Chablis and Textbooks I posted previously. These are some of the Aussie options I tried. They only had Mollydooker products available for tasting, no Velvet Glove though. The Mollydooker Miss Molly Sparkling Shiraz was the most popular and sold out, along with Enchanted Path. The Verdelhos are a bit rare around here... ended up buying the sparkling verdelho just because. Didn't witness any left-handed shaking of bottles or pours.

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Mollydooker, The Violinist, South Australia, Verdelho, 2024, 16% abv.

Nose: raw brown beans, candied beans used in refried beans or those really sweet ones... not sure what they are called, supported by legumes, blue clay, wet earth, wet resin, overall herbal and vegetative. Strange aroma set.

Palate: medium body, entry is strange but both initial and mid palate show a dichotomy of pungently flavored herbal medicine with bitter and acidic melon-like juice, a sour medicinal profile, strong on Chinese medicine herbs, a bit dry, gets saltier with each sip, hints of plastic and wax, back palate is tropical melon rinds, closer to a salty Pinot Gris and Gewurtztraminer, has the body thicken up on swallowing. Is this Verdelho? Verdejo? Aussie version of it? Strange stuff.

Finish: short, skins from exotic melons I've had from Mexico and SE Asia, a woody bitterness, so distracting I don't even know if I can sense the 16% abv! 16%! California is jealous.

Not much information on this bottling with another version in circulation? Not even sure if this is from the McLaren Vale. California distributor? The servers said not many are distributed in South Korea... and no one recommended it, hahahaha. Totally DISAGREE with all TN on CT. This was horrible... and quite reminiscent of the Spanish Verdejos (Ossian) I had a few weeks/months ago. I guess Verdelho/Verdejo is just not for me.

===============

Mollydooker, Blue Eyed Boy, McLaren Vale, Shiraz, 2022, 16.5% abv.

Marketing materials state, "The grapes were grown on the Coppermine Road, Gateway, Long Gully Road and Mollydooker Home vineyards in McLaren Vale, and Joppich vineyard in Langhorne Creek. Barrel fermented and matured in 100% American oak, using 54% new and 46% one year old barrels. The required Marquis Fruit Weight for the Family Series is 75% – 85%. The Actual Fruit Weight for 2022 Blue Eyed Boy is 79%."

Nose: red fruit, a bit dusty,  but becomes quite sweet with the addition of vanilla and diluted caramel, virtually the same as 2022 Carnival of Love (side-by-side).

Palate: medium body, entry is sweet dessert dressing tempered with stale wood juice, mid palate shows a sweet dessert like juice with some bitter medicine and again that stale wood juice, but its quite dichotomous, gets spicey with black peppercorn, back palate is like raspberry and chocolate dressing on dessert cake, but again this bitterness pops up that I didn't get with previous Blue Eyed Boys. Surprisingly minimal alcohol. More hints of astringent oak in this vintage, might have left the juice in the barrel too long... for celllaring?

Finish: short, dry, but a bitter bready flavor remains on the back of the tongue approaching the throat, hints of eraser shavings, hints of bitter oak. Feeling the sweetness is offsetting that 16.5% abv.

Vernacular: nose is mostly secondary sweetness with red fruit in the background. Medium body, light acidity, low minerality, moderate secondary, minimal alcohol. Finish is short, dry, bitter secondary by-products.

Better than the 2022 Carnival of Love, and obviously better than the 2024 Verdelho. Wine Spectator gave this a 92 in 2024.

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Mollydooker, Carnival of Love, Shiraz, 2022, 16.5% abv.

Marketing materials say, "The grapes were grown on the Gateway vineyard in McLaren Vale. Barrel fermented and matured in 100% American oak, using 100% new barrels. The required Marquis Fruit Weight for the Love Series is 85% – 95%. The Actual Fruit Weight for 2021 Carnival of Love 89%."... so no mention of the 2022 vintage.

Nose: red fruit, a bit dusty,  but becomes quite sweet with the addition of vanilla and diluted caramel, virtually the same as the 2022 Blue Eyed Boy (side-by-side).

Palate: medium body, entry is mostly dry raspberry powder, light wood juice, chalky clay, mid palate is surprisingly not as sweet, chocolate powder, chalk, hints of wooddust, bitter oak, back palate is like old fruit-bread, chalky, bready. Surprisingly minimal alcohol. Similar to the 2022 Blue Eyed Boy, more hints of astringent oak in this vintage. I think they might have left the juice in the barrel too long... for celllaring?

Finish: medium, dry, old vines, dehydrated red fruit, but mostly wood products and tannins. I feel the sweetness is really offsetting that 16.5% abv.

Vernacular: nose is mostly secondary sweetness with red fruit in the background. Medium body, light acidity, low minerality, moderate secondary, minimal alcohol. Finish is medium, dry, wood products.

Worse than Blue Eyed Boy. Could have been bottle variation... did not revisit as Textbook kept showing up in my face. Wine Spectator gave this a 93 in 2024. Noticing descriptors of "vanilla" on CT... I suspect many people don't know what vanilla actually tastes/smells like.

At a tasting of several different products. Starting off with some Chablis from Servin.

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Domaine Servin, Chablis, Chardonnay, 2021, 12.5% abv.

Nose: white fruit, unripe green grapes, bit of egg whites, gets sweeter with time, simple syrup, honeyed stone fruit, but the sweeter aromas attenuate giving way to chalk, magnesium compounds, and a bit of coppery green grapeskin.

Palate: light to medium body, entry is lemon zest, white vinegar in ginger, some chalk, mid palate shows some grapefruit juice, lemon juice, lemon pith, sour cheese and rind, back palate is powdery, sour limestone, develops some body, dull passionfruit, sour cheese, some vanilla, hint of white raisins.

Finish: short, slightly sour, unripe white peach juice, mostly lemon and grape juice, a bit like sprite with a hint of industrial alcohol which gets stronger after each sip.

Vernacular (satire): nose is a bit reserved, showcasing unripe fruit and a good amount of minerality. Light to medium bodied palate that shows minerality first, tight acidity second, little wood, and some alcohol to round it out. Not structured or balanced. Finish is short with yellow fruit acidity and alcohol.

Classic Chablis with minerality at the fore. For me, the acidity and wood didn't mix well with the levels of minerality and I admit I got confused on some elements. Overall, average.

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Domaine Servin, Chablis, Chardonnay, 2022, 12.5% abv.

Nose: initially a balance between citrus and herbal aromas; limes, tangerines, citrus, herbal/boiled pork; then after some air time there is a sweetness that thickens the fruit, akin to candied peaches, candied milky grapefruit, creamy honey dew, creamy peach, and dry cheeses. Intriguing.

Palate: medium body, entry is diluted and unsweetened lemonade, hint of powdery chalk on the texture (imagined?), mid palate has citrus zest, chalk, light cheese elements, a general sour and bitterness on the tongue, back palate is young unripe citrus like pomelo and grapefruits and their skins, sour and slight dry bitterness.

Finish: medium, dry, grapefruit and pomelo skins, pithy rinds, the leftover pulp from squeezing the juice out of these grapefruits and pomelos, light peach skin, and somewhat like the aftertaste of drinking ruby grapefruit juice and afterwards like eating a dry cheese such as cheddar or gouda.

Vernacular (satire): nose of citrus, cream, candied peaches. Medium bodied, medium to high acidity, minimal minerality, no alcohol. Finish is medium, dry, reflecting the nose more than the palate.

Nose was interesting. Flavors were interesting. Not much minerality which shocked me. Wish it was more complex but this is delicious juice. I personally liked this one the most, as did the serving staff.

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Domaine Servin, Chablis, Premier Cru Vaillons, Chardonnay, 2022, 12.5% abv.

Nose: reserved nose, chalk, magnesium compounds, bit of talc, white fruit, after some air time there is honey, waffle mix, sweet dough, brown sugar mix, very reserved.

Palate: medium body, entry is dull pear juice, hint of lemons, lemon pith, high acidity, mid and back palate has diluted pear juice, hint of aluminum, light chalk, more magnesium compounds, some feldspar, sour limestone, vanilla sweetness from wood is minimal but seems to interfere with the notable minerality.

Finish: short, pear juice mixed with waffle mix.

Vernacular (satire): nose is initially reserved and showing good minerality, with good amounts of sweet dough after some time. Medium bodied palate showing good and tight acidity, some minerality, light vanilla, and little alcohol.

Wow this seemed on the same level as their village offering. No significant difference, both showing good minerality, tight acidity, short finishes with alcohol.

I like that this bar has interesting tastings from time to time, and I suspect at the expense of the owner. I was first introduced to Sylvain Pataille by a tasting at this bar after hearing about a "new" producer that is putting Marsannay and natural wines on the map several years ago. Been trying to attend the tastings ever since. This S. Patty tasting was a day 2 tasting. I do wonder how many more S. Patty tastings, as well as other producers, we can have as the Korean won has been getting hammered with no relief in sight. That and the government's insistence on tariff and non-tariff barriers continue to make it difficult for real consumers. The actual economy sucks too. Let me drown my sorrows in natural marsannay.

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Sylvain Pataille, Bourgogne Aligote, La Charme aux Pretres, 2022, 12.5% abv.

Nose: a little closed, light syrup, green grapes, chalk, develops only slightly with time.

Palate: light to medium body, entry is light grape juice, light stale lemonade, mid palate is more meaty grape juice, green grape skins, some fishiness like boiled clam guts, hint of bitter honey, hint of sweet cream, back palate has the acidity toned down and introduces more dull metallic elements, lots of green grapeskins. Mineral-driven is what I think the wine pros say. Actually, to be honest, this tastes like a very mineral-oriented Chardonnay. I can see why this is the first pour of the tasting, but this vineyard is touted amongst the patty aligotes.

Finish: medium, green grapeskins, a metallic bitterness remains... closer to alumnium and tin. Somewhat like old frozen green grapes on aluminum foil.

Vernacular: nose is slightly closed with hints of primary and minerality. Light to medium bodied, moderate acidity, surprisingly medium tannins, mineral-driven, no alcohol. Medium finish, dry, reflects palate. Owner says these are 93 year old vines.

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Sylvain Pataille, Bourgogne Aligote, Clos du Roy, 2022, 13.5% abv.

Nose: fat, hints of vanilla, cream, honey, sweeter cheeses like brie, with time the aromas become more rich, thick, savory. Like a well oaked Meursault, LOVING IT, but these aromas attentuate later on.

Palate: medium body, entry is typical Chardonnay and wood juice, mid palate is actually more Chardonnay like, light green grape juice with hints of lemonade, hint of cream, a hint of creamy bitterness everywhere, back palate is yeasty, bread-y, gets a bit bitter at the end. Light bitter minerals overall. What happened?!

Finish: short, green grapeskins, bitter 7-up.

Vernacular: opulent nose with a diverse set of oak. Very oaked Meursault-like. Medium bidy, moderate acidity, light minerality, no alcohol. Short finish, dry, reflects palate. Owner says these are 76 year old vines and it costed about KRW₩250K to get back then.

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Sylvain Pataille, Marsannay, Chardonnay Rose, 2022, 13% abv.

Don't see this one that often, actually I have never seen this bottling before. Bartender says 70+ years old vines. According to the bartender, this mission a Chardonnay, but since Sylvain saw that the grapeskins were pink-ish, he decided to call it a "Rose". Supposedly 15 months in barrel.

Nose: slightly fat, oak elements of sweet cream, feint vanilla, like a light Meursault. Aromatically not as impressive as the 2022 Clos du Roy, but still very enjoyable.

Palate: medium body, entry is medium sweet dessert dressings, sweet cream, diluted vanilla, the oak is there but not strong, mid palate shows a better blend of Chardonnay and oak, is this new oaked? a blend of sugar cream and grape juice, back palate has some wood, more diluted cream juice. Straightforward, lightly oaked Chardonnay.

Finish: short, diluted cream, hint of dull metal, flower petals.

Vernacular: rich nose with a variety of oak elements, also slightly reminds me of oaked Meursaults.

This reminds me of a Far Niente or Chateau Montelena with lesser acidity.

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Sylvain Pataille, Marsannay, 2022, 13% abv.

Nose: metallic rose petals, red and black fruits, some potpourri, hints of chalk, some vinegar in there, but these transition into a rich, fermented rose potpourri, hint of maple syurp, some meat in there like HK roasted duck meat, diverse cooking herbs. Great PN nose.

Palate: medium body, entry is sweet floral juice, vanilla-ed red and black fruit, mid palate initially shows hints of bitter flower sap, red and black fruits but not much as it seems somewhat aged for some reason, sweet and sour flowers, bitter prunes, retroactive olfaction shows Chinese medicine, moldy wood, hint of milk chocolate but there is a hint of vanilla throughout the palate, back palate has a typical PN set, a bit of vines, bitter flower petals, then some minerals-metals in the form cold smoke. A bit salty at the end.

Finish: medium, dry, red and black fruit, iron, rice paper, raspberry syrup, sweet wood sap.

Vernacular: nose is great, primary, secondary, and Hong Kong roasted duck. Medium bodied, moderate to high acidity, well integrated polished tannins, medium and well integrated oak, covert minerality, no alcohol. Finish is medium, dry, reflecting the sweeter elements on palate as well as the floral and light gamey elements.

The nose was great, the flavors were mediocre; I just wish there was more synergy. Nose is better than the 2022 le chapitre (tried after), while the palate is lighter. Heard this is locally 3× to 5× retail relative to other modern countries.

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Sylvain Pataille, Marsannay, Le Chapitre, 2022, 12% abv.

Nose: metallic rose petals, red and black fruits, some potpourri, hints of chalk, some vinegar in there. Surprisingly more closed relative to the 2022 village, noticeable dried rubber, cooked beef blood but without the overbearing iron, very confused... but I guess that is Chapitre.

Palate: medium body, entry is sweet, grape juice blended with dessert dressing, mid palate shows good sweetness throughout, red and black fruits, bit of citrus fruit rinds/piths, sweet dried leaves, a bit of fishiness on later sips, back palate has dull tobacco with black fruit, rubber smoke, later on Chinese roast duck meat, boiled cow blood. A bit salty at the end. Why do I keep getting HK roasted duck on these reds?!?! Am I hungry?

Finish: medium, dry, iron, tannic, mostly black fruit with some red fruit in the back, blackberries and fresh pomegranates.

Vernacular: nose shows primary and secondary. Medium body, well integrated polished tannins, moderate to high acidity, medium and well integrated oak, covert minerality, no alcohol. Finish is medium, dry, reflecting the sweeter elements on palate as well as the floral and light gamey elements.

Quite good. Where it lacks on the nose, it makes up for on the palate. Bartender says this one is quite expensive. Which Chapitre isn't?

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Sylvain Pataille, Marsannay, Les Grasses Tetes, 2022, 12% abv.

Nose: red and black fruit, rubber, steak, fruit-based sauce, hint of plastic, hint of gaminess. I guess all the reds tonight are a bit gamey.

Palate: medium body, entry is sweet black fruits, hint of rubber, mid palate shows white sugar, more red and black fruit, dried leaves, potpourri, floral, back palate shows iron, tangerines, perfume, wow such an eclectic mix. Not synergistic, but well developed, flavorful, and interesting.

Finish: medium, dry, salty cheese, dried oranges, potpourri, no alcohol.

Vernacular: nose showing primary and secondary components with a consistent gamey aromatic (across all reds?!). Medium body, medium acidity, light minerality, well integrated fine grained tannins. Medium finish, dry.

Wow not that much different from the other Marsannay I had tonight. A bit more subtle stuff going on, but within the confidence band for tonights reds. Bartender says this was about KRW₩280K, which seems quite expensive.

I wanted to share in my Rontets PF pain so I called the Butter bunch again. Went to a local wine shop, did the Q&A, got 2021 3sticks Gaps with a 2021 Kistler Sonoma Mountain. I know I will like 3sticks (actually not this bottling), but am looking forward to the Kistler (sigh...).

Chateau des Rontets, Pouilly-Fuisse, Les Birbettes, Chardonnay, 2020, 13.5% abv.

Apparently 60 year old vines. Please let this PF be better! Someone at the wineshop suggested these Rontets PFs because he thinks all PF have vanilla. Not much information and the store provided, hand-written tasting notes mention "oak-like flavor", "tropical fruits", and "pineapple". Sounds like some good CC to me (note TNs use the same descriptors).

Nose: initially at first pop it was grassy and hay-like, then the aromas transform to bread, perhaps light butter, residual hay, some burnt plastic on deeper inhalations. After several hours there is light corn. Curious. I have a feeling I'm not gonna appreciate this.

Palate: medium body although on the lighter side, entry is light lemon and diluted orange juice, hints of plastic that build up with each sip, mid palate shows some sweeter bread elements, bit of chalk, slate, stones, hints of plastic, gets herbal/boiled pork, light stale black and white peppercorn, hints of apple juice creeping up from the finish, back palate is more liquid bread, but gets close to vinegar, flint, slate. Sigh. Is this expressing Tewah?

Finish: medium, acidic bread juice, like the aftertaste of eating American white bread, light apple juice, citrus rinds and piths coat the mouth. At least the shops TNs were not too far off, but this isn't what I imagined.

Vernacular: Aromas are bread-like with some minerality. Medium body, medium acidity, medium minerality, partial maloactic fermentation. Medium finish, dry, reflects palate.

Noticed several online tasting notes mention hay, which I also got on the initial aroma set, but this is definitely more rinds and pith with minerality than anything else. I didn't do my research before buying, thought there would be MLF in new wood for PF, but boy was I wrong. Weaker than both the 2021 Kistler Sonoma Mountain and 2021 Three Sticks Gaps Crown in all aspects. All disappointing. Got this for ₩X in Busan, South Korea.

Three Sticks, Gap's Crown Vineyard, Chardonnay, 2021, 14.1% abv.

Made using Dijon clones, 11 months in barrel, 23% new oak. Full malolactic fermentation. Historically, I should like this.

Nose: initially closed, tortillas, then metallic caramel but closer to metallic butterscotch, iron and copper, then noticeable bread with hints of dull diluted grapefruit juice. Bit of alochol. Light aromas overall.

Palate: medium body, entry is initially flint flakes, then more mineral and metal-driven, diluted lemonade and grapefruit, mid palate has sour oak, a bit salty, continues the lemonade and grapefruit, buttermilk, diluted caramel, back palate initially shows a vegetative profile, citrus returns, more alcohol with each sip. So different from the 2018 and 2019. What happened?

Finish: medium, dry, a dry grapefruit-based cocktail, hint of dessert pastry glazes, alcohol is noticeable.

Vernacular: nose is more secondary than primary. Medium bodied, mineral-driven, moderate acidity, light oak elements, medium to strong alcohol. Medium finish continues the acidity, minerality, and alcohol. "Leaner" compared to previous vintages.

Disappointing, I expected more from Three Sticks. Might be a storage issue? Like metallic caramel. Stronger in all aspects relative to the 2020 Chateau des Rontets, Pouilly-Fuisse, Les Birbettes, we just tasted, but weaker in all aspects relative to the 2021 Kistler Sonoma Mountain. All disappointing. Jim Gordon from Wine Enthusiast gave this a 97 in 2023, Wine Spectator gave this a 93 in 2023.

Kistler, Sonoma Mountain, Chardonnay, 2021, 14.5% abv.

Apparently 109 barrels produced. One of two bottlings recommended by the management of a local wine store when asked about "buttery chardonnay". The other was the 2022 Kistler Les Noisetiers. A bit skeptical as management also said 2022 Walter Hansel (but some of management only tasted 2014) was buttery.

Nose: initially a powdery corn, chalk, powdered sugar, pastry glaze, mineral-driven caramel and butterscotch glaze.

Palate: medium body, entry is mineral and citrus juice, mid palate has slight smoke, a bit like Chinese medicine soups, very herbal and tea-like, a lot of boiled bark, has a bitter-sweetness overall, back palate shows sour wood, good amount of alcohol. I think I should have gone for the Noisetiers.

Finish: medium, Chinese medicine soup, boiled bark, alcohol.

Vernacular: nose is sweet, dessert glazes, and mineral-oriented. More secondary than primary. Medium bodied, mineral-driven, moderate acidity, light oak elements, medium to strong alcohol. Finish continues the minerality and alcohol.

Stronger in all aspects relative to the 2021 Three Sticks Gaps Crown and 2020 Chateau des Rontets, Pouilly-Fuisse, Les Birbettes, we tasted. All disappointing.

Chateau des Rontets, Pouilly-Fuisse, Clos Varambon, 2020, 13.5% abv.

Someone at the wineshop suggested these Rontets PFs because he thinks all PF have vanilla. Not much information and the store provided, hand-written tasting notes mention "tropical fruits" and "toast". From online sources, which vary, describe Clos Varambon at about 4.5 HA, of which 1 HA is less than 20 years or planted in 2011, and the majority planted after 1945 (supposedly a majority were planted in the 1950s), leading to 15 to 50 year old vines. Planted at 8,500 to 9,000 vines per HA. Note the whole property is 6.5 HA and produces at least 3 wines, where Clos Varambon is the largest bottling. Vinification in 30 HL oak vats, then aged in 400 L (foudres) and 228L (pièces) oak barrels (0% new oak, yep not a typo... too late) for 12 to 18 months where at least 2 months are sur lie, generally unstirred. Light Kieselguhr filtration, no idea what that means. Cork was protruding a little bit, 2mm?

Nose: initially plastic which transforms to white peppercorn, the white pepper develops and plays a bigger role with time, more cooking spices and herbs come out with time, a bit of boiled pork/herbalness, no fruit or vanillin. Already not a good start for a PF.

Palate: medium body but a bit on the lighter side, entry is diluted grape juice, hint of lemon curd, mid palate shows more green grapeskin, a bit of lemon and lime syrup, general citrus, white peppercorn develops in the mouth and continues to the finish, young balsa, perhaps a tiny bit of vanillin extract from the used barrels, but overall little to no oak influence and slightly reductive than anything, back palate displays more lemon participation to the diluted green grape and citrus juice body, nickel, hint of chalk, light flint, retroactive oflaction shows a tint of vanilla oak.

Finish: medium, drying, a green grape-lemon-lime soda, a bit salty, green grapeskins last a while.

Vernacular: secondary nose with slight reduction. Medium bodied, reductive elements, medium acidity, noticeable yet integrated polished tannins, minimal oak, light minerality little alcohol. Finish is of medium length, showing green grapes and fine tannins.

Initially the aromas were worrying... and after a few sips disappointment. Its just green grape derivates and white peppercorn with hidden flint. MLF? Super-used pity donation barrels? Misleading advertisement... Tim Atkin gave this a 94 in 2021. Supposedly one of the better vintages for this bottling. Should have known since most online notes mention price. Got this for KRW₩64K, or about USD$45, in Busan, South Korea.

Soumah, Yarra Valley, Hexham Vineyard, Chardonnay, 2023, 13.3% abv.

Screwcap. Label says it's 95, 76, Mendosa clones, harvested March 2nd and 9th, 2023, wild yeast, aged in 20% new oak, baume 12.7, pH 3.4, TA 6.5, Parish Gruyere, bottled November 2023. No idea what "Baume" is. Supposedly this bottling undergoes some maloactic fermentation. Heard there was some vanilla on these Soumah whites, but perhaps not at their entry level. Got this bottle to compare.

Nose: right after popping (or twisting) it's herbal/boiled pork as usual, quickly opens up to medium melons with light citrus, but these quickly attenuate with air time. Not much going on on the nose to be honest.

Palate: medium body which gains weight with air time, smooth mouthfeel, entry is light diluted citrus, bit of floral honey, mid palate shows more graprefruit, sweeter citrus, hint of brioche, bitter grapefruit rinds which play a more active role on later sips, getting a bit of chalky chlorine in the retroactive olfaction, back palate is candied grapefruit, bit of lychee jelly. Not getting any noticeable vanillin-oriented elements.

Finish: medium, surprisingly dry, distinct grapefruit jelly, bit of lychee for support as well as candied longan, some of that bitter grapefruit rind, bit of a sparkling wine mouthfeel leftover.

Vernacular (satire): nose is primary. Medium body, moderate acidity, little minerality, minimal alcohol. Medium finish, dry, reflects palate.

Surprisingly sweet with distinct grapefruit and lychee jelly flavors, as well as bitter components of a grapefruit. Seems more sauvignon blanc than anything. This bottling was awarded silver at the 2024 International Wine & Spirit Competition and bronze at the 2024 Melbourne Royal Show. Just another modern white to be honest.