The superb 2007 Brut Blanc de Blancs Le Mesnil wafts from the glass with a beautiful bouquet of crushed chalk, lemon oil, crisp green apple, white flowers and brioche. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, taut and incisive, with bright acids, a tight-knit core and a brisk mousse, concluding with a long, chalky and bone-dry finish. After the comparatively broad and fleshy 2002, 2004 and 2006 vintages, the 2007 Salon seems to mark a return to a racier, more precise style—though admittedly that's in keeping with the style of the vintage—that makes me anticipate the release of the 2008 all the more eagerly.

Full-bodied, round and rich on the palate, this is a stunningly pure, fresh and salty 2009 that is driven by its chalky terroir and the lingering salinity. Is it really 2009? It is ripe, yes, but driven by the strength of chalk. The finish is pure, clean, fresh, very complex and long yet delicate and endlessly salty.

The finest wine ever made by proprietors Daniel and Florence Cathiard, the 2009 Smith-Haut-Lafitte exhibits an opaque blue/purple color in addition to a glorious nose of acacia flowers, licorice, charcoal, blueberries, black raspberries, lead pencil shavings and incense. This massive, extraordinarily rich, unctuously textured wine may be the most concentrated effort produced to date, although the 2000, 2005 and 2010 are nearly as prodigious. A gorgeous expression of Pessac-Leognan with sweet tannin, emerging charm and delicacy, and considerable power, depth, richness and authority, it should age effortlessly for 30-40+ years. Bravo!

Aromas of clear honey, crisp green orchard fruit, white peach, pastry cream and dried white flowers introduce the 2012 Cristal, a full-bodied, concentrated and powerful wine that's built for the cellar. Broader, more textural and more muscular than the 2008 Cristal, with seemingly even greater reserves of structuring dry extract, the 2012 is incisive and searingly chalky. This is the first Cristal produced exclusively from organically farmed fruit, and it marks the opening of a new chapter for Louis Roderer. The blend is 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay, vinified without malolactic fermentation and disgorged with 7.5 grams per liter dosage. Chef de Caves Jean-Baptiste Lecaillon has once again excelled himself.

A vintage that yielded classics and several 100 point scores within the set.

All Bottlings within are highly rated and rare to source, This 6 pack makes it easy to enjoy for decades to come.

The nose is redolent of bright fruit and blackberry. Spice, tar and leather appear subtly at the back. The wine took on considerable weight each year I came back to taste it and this vintage was bottled earlier than average, precisely to give it more time to unwind and relax in the small confines of the bottle. This is a solid effort for sure and the wine is a stunning example of what it takes to make great wine, even when weather conditions are not in your favor.

The Consortium Cabernet exhibits a dark crimson core with purple and garnet reflections on the rim. Classic Napa Cabernet aromas of blackcurrant, blackberry liqueur, fresh boysenberry, and black cherry are infused with notes of wet violets, coffee, fresh leather, tobacco, and the ideal touch of high-quality vanilla bean and baking spices. The oak aromas impart just the right nuances and are perfectly integrated and balanced without being overbearing as many Napa examples often are. On the palate, the wine is medium-plus in body and captures pitch-perfect balance with the ideal freshness, soft, silky texture, and integrated, polished tannins that are wrapped around layered flavors of soft black fruit, leather, tobacco, cedar, cocoa, and subtle exotic spices. 

V Wine Cellar has the first bottle out for show ( we just tasted with Justin Harmon ~ owner winemaker ) and this wine will leave you in a sense of delirium with its quality. A full-bodied, concentrated, powerful wine that has a graceful mid-palate depth and pure concentration, an utter seamlessness, elegance, and balance that’s hard to describe, awesome purity of fruit, and an endless finishing sensation. 

A blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, the deep garnet-purple colored 2016 MMXVI Cabernet Sauvignon gives up gregarious notions of warm red and black currants, black raspberries and warm plums with hints of chocolate mint, pencil shavings and tilled loam plus a waft of lilacs. Full-bodied, firm and grainy, the palate is built like a brick house with super ripe, super firm tannins and bags of bold, expressive, multifaceted fruit, finishing very long and mineral-laced.

The 2016 Cos d'Estournel is blended of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc aged in 65% new and 35% two-year-old French oak for 15 months. Bottled in July 2018, it is deep garnet-purple colored and starts off a little closed and reticent, opening out slowly and seductively to reveal beautiful lilacs, rose hip tea, crushed stones and camphor nuances over a core of crème de cassis, kirsch, wild blueberries and mocha plus wafts of incense and wood smoke. The palate is simply electric, charged with an energy and depth of flavors that seem to defy the elegance and ethereal nature of its medium-bodied weight, featuring super ripe, densely pixelated tannins that firmly frame the myriad of fruit and floral sparks, finishing with epic length. Just. Magic.

Composed roughly of two-thirds Merlot with 5% Cabernet Franc and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon, the medium to deep colored 2016 The Flight opens with bold, expressive notions of wild blueberries, warm plums and boysenberries with touches of black raspberries, spice cake, violets, dark chocolate and potpourri with a hint of menthol. Full-bodied, rich, spicy and jam-packed with energy, it has beautifully plush tannins texturing the multilayered blue and black fruits, delivering a very long, perfumed finish.

The 2017 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru is showing superbly from bottle, wafting from the glass with a complex and beautifully integrated bouquet of pear, citrus oil, toasted sesame, warm bread, oyster shell and white flowers. On the palate, it's full-bodied, layered and multidimensional, with a racy spine of acidity and superb concentration without weight, followed by a long, defined finish. Surpassing the high expectations I formed a year ago, this would appear to be the finest wine produced at Bonneau du Martray for over a decade.

The recipe of success continues to simmer with the 2017 Bastard Tongue Pinot Noir from Justin Harmon. Smoking notes of black raspberries, dried flowers, incense, and forest floor notes all emerge from this deep, rich, layered effort that has fabulous complexity, a hedonistic texture, and impeccable balance. It's a rock star of a Sonoma County Pinot Noir that delivers the goods. 

A luscious, multi-layered explosion of mouthwatering blood orange, fresh mineral, baked apple and juicy stone fruit; creamy, opulent and textured with a smoky, nutty, toasty oak core, fine fresh acidity and a luxurious, complex finish.

The 2017 Sauvignon Blanc Russian River Valley is also solid, with classic bright citrus as well as a kiss of tropical fruit. It's medium-bodied, has a rounded, supple texture, nicely integrated acidity, and solid overall balance. It has good freshness as well as texture, and ideal for drinking over the coming year or three.

Powerful aromatics escape the glass with rich notes of ripe blackcurrant, blackberry, peppercorn and a touch of chaparral supported by a frame of sweet oak. Intensely layered and decadent on entry, the wine exudes characteristics of black plum, boysenberry, kirsch and dark chocolate with a silky soft yet weighty texture. A prolonged finish of Provençal lavender, fig leaf and ripe currants close out the wine.

More earth, baking spices, flowers, and dried soil notes emerge from the 2017 Pinot Noir Ma Danseuse, and it too has a beautiful core of strawberry and assorted red fruits. Showing more structure with time in the glass, plenty of acidity, and again, this incredible complexity, drink this savory, elegant, layered wine over the coming 10-12 years.

Chocolates

Red Wine Infused Chocolate Ganache Truffles Made By Artisan Chocolatier Kollar

The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon is made up of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Malbec, 7% Cabernet Franc and 7% Merlot aged 22 months in 75% new French oak. Deep purple-black in color, it gives up expressive notes of baked blackcurrants, blackberry pie and spice cake with hints of licorice, tobacco and forest floor. Medium to full-bodied, rich and spicy in the mouth, it has a solid backbone of ripe, grainy tannins and background freshness, finishing on a compelling black tea note. 

Angels Will Sing!