Cellar Raids: Day Three

The 2009 Tondonia is the product of a warm vintage in Rioja, yet this remains just as finessed an pure as ever. Notes of plum and exotic spices swirl from the glass, and the palate is beautifully structured and wonderfully long. López de Heredia do it again: bravo.

This is the vineyard up the Spitzergraben, the coolest site, on the corner of the valley, where the cool air comes down from the plateau. Very precise and quite savoury on the nose. There’s notes of mint and plenty of stone fruit, and then an orange blossom character, too. So much vibrancy here: this has so much acidity, but nothing sticks out. This has everything dialled up.

From 100% Loess Soil, near the church. This borders where Honivogl comes from (which could also be called Axpoint). Creamier on the nose, lots of pineapple. Lots of palate weight here, there’s tons of ripe and intense fruit, and an amazing weight and length. This is supple and lots of spice: an almost christmassy feel to the finish.

Schreck means fright in German, and takes its name from the watchmen who would scare away potential grape thieves. It’s an incredibly steep site, and in 2019 has crafted a layered, complex, and enduring Riesling. There’s a ripeness to the fruit, with notes of candied pineapple, and exotic spices. Quite a hedonistic wine, glorious in 2019.

Planted in the early 1980s, Alexander Stodden has cared for this vineyard since 2001. From Greywacke soils, with some clay, this is a powerful and spectacularly long wine. Notes of dark berries and some spice, and then a mineral finish. Bravo.

Sebastien’s Chardonnays get better and better every year. This is from the limestone soils of the village of Astheim, far from the estate's cellar in Burgstadt. It’s pure and focussed, but with just a little fat on the bones. Lovely.

This is a highlight of the range this year. The wine has an energy and focus, yet is still accessible and so delicious to be drinking now.

Coming from vineyards surrounding Oberhausen, expect lime blossom and peach as well as hints of verbena and fresh herbs. There’s a fresh juicy character which persists for sometime on the finish.

So many white flowers and so much ripe pear and white peach in the nose! But also a pronounced tarragon note. This is an extremely charming riesling Kabinett. Zesty long finish with so much positive energy. From organically grown grapes with Fair'n Green certification. Drink or hold. Screw cap.

The grey slate and loam from the vineyard always gives the Leistenberg complexity. Very mineral and luminescent, expect notes of yellow plum and some citrus, as well as wild flowers. The finish is so bright and balanced and there’s mouth watering salinity on the finish. Very attractive.

The first single estate sparkling wine to be produced at Everflyht, the Rosé de Saignée 2019 is a blend of hand-picked Pinot Noir and Meunier. The Saignée method of rosé production is more complicated than adding red wine into the blend. Instead it extracts colour from a short period of skin contact, in this instance, just 12 hours was enough to get the colour and richness of fruit. It is packed full of summer fruits and a wonderful creamy and fresh brioche note on the nose. The palate is fruit driven with notes of ripe red cherry, sweet wild strawberry and a soft backbone of cream. A light acidity is balanced with a rounded mouthfeel that gives the wine weight and an elegant finish. Fantastic food wine, that you shouldn't be afraid to decant.

The 30 months ageing on lees gives this wine added weight and complexity, providing notes of coffee, toasted hazelnuts and honey. There are hints of dried herbs and flinty notes and the core has breadth as well as an umami profile that lingers on the palate.

Rathfinny Estate Blanc de Noirs 2018 is a blend of 85% Pinot Noir and 15% Pinot Meunier grapes, hand-harvested from their beautiful estate in East Sussex. This is the fourth vintage of this premium blend and has aged on the lees for 36 months. Floral peony notes on the nose marry with wild strawberries followed by a palate raspberry, red apple and toasted almonds. Wonderfully balanced, and very long: not to be missed.

Blanc de Blancs was the first style that Nyetimber made, and was a huge success upon its release in 1996. The 2015 has been aged for between 5 and 6 years on the lees, and the result is a deliciously fresh, balanced wine with Chardonnay’s trademark lemony, elegant, toasty character and a richer, fresh pastry note from the ageing. Vineyards for this wine are in both Sussex and Hampshire. This 2015 is decadent, textured and rich with a long, moreish finish. A benchmark Chardonnay from England.

This combines, in dazzling complexity, the flamboyance of the Dom Pérignon style with the taut austerity of the 2008 vintage, culminating in an impeccably balanced and fascinating rosé. Vibrant, textured, long and sophisticated. This will go down as one of the great DP Rosé releases. 5 g/l dosage.

Cuvée 745 is concentrated and powerful, while retaining great freshness and acidity. More open and immediately accessible versus the tighter 744, this new cuvée continues Jacquesson’s groundbreaking series in expressive, dynamic style. In 2017 most of the grapes came from Ay, Dizy, Hautvillers (66%) and the rest from Avize and Oiry (34%).

The heart of this multi-vintage blend from Aÿ is the 2017 vintage, which is combined with one third perpetual reserve, dating back to 1990. The wine is a gorgeous golden colour, with a chalky, vinous precision on the nose, leading to a luxurious, ample palate with great depth of flavour. This is a very serious Champagne: sumptuous and detailed, and the best recent iteration we’ve tasted.

The heart of this multi-vintage blend from Aÿ is the 2017 vintage, which is combined with one third perpetual reserve, dating back to 1990. The wine is a gorgeous golden colour, with a chalky, vinous precision on the nose, leading to a luxurious, ample palate with great depth of flavour. This is a very serious Champagne: sumptuous and detailed, and the best recent iteration we’ve tasted.

Memoire is one of the most exciting wines in the Huré cellar, drawing on the perpetual reserve started in 1982. You can feel the depth of the older wine herein this vinous and structured wine that is crying out to be drunk with food. Its deep, plush flavour get better every time you return to the glass. Brothers François and Pierre Huré have brought a wealth of experience gained from winemaking stints all over the world, from Burgundy to New Zealand, to their family domaine in the village of Ludes on the Montagne de Reims. The domaine picked up its 'Frères' in the previous generation, when three brothers ran the show. Family collaboration, hard work, and dedication across the generations has ensured the success of this 10 hectare domaine, whose wines are discreet and elegant, sometimes a little shy at first, but show a profound depth of flavour as they open up in the glass.

Ruinart's iconic Blanc de Blancs is a benchmark among the grandes marques. It has a gorgeous golden colour with a smoky, mineral aroma and a palate rich in crisp orchard fruit. In a class of its own.

Tempier has stood as a preeminent domaine of Provence for decades, putting Bandol on the fine wine map. Under the direction of Daniel Ravier, the wines are getting better than ever. This classic blend of Mourvèdre, with Syrah, Grenache, Carignan and Cinsault captures the wild garrigue scrub of the Provencal coast. It shows the sultry character of Mourvèdre with finesse and balance.

Didier Dagueneau is a legendary name in the Loire, and his Sauvignon Blancs of Pouilly Fumé and Sancerre are some of the most sought-after in the region. Before his untimely death he ventured into South-West France, making these delectable sweet wines from the Petit Mensang grape in Jurançon. His son, Benjamin, has continue these with great success, and as well as delicious ripeness and pineapple freshness, this has electric acidity, making for a hugely refreshing dessert wine.

This vineyard is actually within Vouvray, but cannot use the AOC name since it is vinified in Montlouis. But that takes nothing away from the quality. This is powered by ripe fruit and floral intensity, and has a distinctive smoky character. The palate is full of tender nectarine with an impressive minerality.

The Clos du Bourg has produced Huet’s broadest and most powerful Moelleux, which will age superbly. Verve and freshness from the acidity keep this wine lively on the palate in spite of the sweetness.

Grown on iron rich red soils with very low yields. Apple and pear fruit, delicate and restrained, with a seam of bright acidity, and not overly perfumed. Juicy on the mid palate with a drier finish. This is from a north west facing site facing the Vosges mountains and avoids too much direct sunshine, leaving it tight and zingy in style. There’s a tanginess to the acidity and lots of texture.

Boxler's Pinot Gris Brand is, in our opinion, the greatest expression of the grape in the world. In 2018 it is rich and powerful, with a little residual sugar and a full bodied structure. The golden colour indicates a ripe style, and the aromas are bursting with sweet peaches, almonds and spiced ginger. This is a wine that demands food, just so as to have something to match its staggering power and length. Certainly not a wine for the faint hearted, but for those who are willing to wait, this might just end up being the most rewarding wine in your cellar.

Sometimes there is a marked difference between this and the Grand Vallon and Deponcins cuvées from Villard. But in a vintage like 2021 where the quality is so high, it sits side by side with its cellar siblings: all three fabulous in their different characters. The grapes come from various parcels around Chavany and Vérin. It displays wonderful tropical citrus notes: yuzu and kumquat. Nice mineral length.

2021 is the greatest vintage for northern Rhône whites since 2014, and this is the best Rocules we can remember tasting. Unlike recent warmer vintages that have lent into the honeyed, nutty, tropical richness of Marsanne, this is fresh, precise, and has its old vine concentration on full display not in high alcohol, but in profound length.

This was first bottled separately in 2009, which continues to prove a popular decision. The vines lie in the heart of the Saint-Joseph appellation just above Tournon and Mauves, on steep granitic slopes. Black-fruited and peppery, with a silky structure and full, energetic length.

80% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 5% Mourvedre from 50-80 year old vines on a mix of terroirs. Floral and elegant, and fine, intense and dynamic. Very juicy, with wonderful purity and energy, and there’s a liquorice character, too, with hints of roasted fennel.

Nice sweetness of fruit. Touch balsamic and tapenade, nice salinity but also dark core of, lovely texture and finesse, fragrant and good purity. Long and fine; a touch of bitterness on the finish keeps it all together.

Elegant and floral, pure and juicy, silky red fruit, violet. Wonderful soaring aromatics and lovely silky purity. Nice density and long pure tannins on the finish, with amazing finesse.

These vines are planted directly onto granite in the sweet spot of the slope. This is a St-Joseph with a difference. Floral, with notes of anis and dark cherry, it’s a stunning Syrah.

This is Guy Breton’s top cuvée, and is given his nickname, P’tit Max, which he has been called since childhood after his father. Indeed, his friends still call him P’tit Max rather than Guy. The wine comes from a parcel of low yielding 130-year-old vines. He says that rather than being bigger or oakier than the rest of his wines, it instead has a level of finesse that sets it apart. It is concentrated and effortlessly long, but also refined and elegant, with nothing heavy or too powerful getting in the way of the expressive Morgon fruit. Crunchy and juicy at the same time, with a smoky lift.

This is one of few prestigious whites of the Côte de Nuits, and comes from one of the estate’s two monopole vineyards. Clos de l’Arlot is the steep, walled, amphitheatre vineyard just next to the cellars. The 2020 shows an intensity of fruit, wrapped around by some gorgeous toasty notes. It is rich, but with zingy freshness. I can’t think of a better Clos de l’Arlot Blanc from any previous vintage.

Their Corton Blanc is a blend of grapes from Bressandes and Chaumes. One third in Stockinger barrels. This is long with notes of toast and vanilla, but also wonderful white fruit and soaring floral aromatics. The volume builds. This is outstanding - an affordable Grand Cru.

This is made in the old fashioned method, with 12 hours in a vertical whole bunch press, once the skins have been split open. When we tasted it still hadn’t seen sulphur. Very fresh pears and energetic.

Sumptous and expressive, the 2021 Beaune 1er Cru Les Champs-Pimont delivers generous aromas of raspberries, smoky notes, spices and plums. Elegant and charming, its refined tannins are entirely cloaked in succulent fruit.

If you are looking for good value in Vosne-Romanée, you’re on the right track here. It comes from three well-placed parcels, including Aux Réas which extends on from the premier cru, along with La Colombière, and Au Dessus de la Rivière. A more serious, slightly reductive nose makes way for beautiful spicy, black cherry concentration on the palate, silky tannins and a good, firm length.

This prized Nuits vineyard borders the sought-after Vosne Malconsorts. Intense and charming, with volume and nervy depth that fills the palate. Very mineral with lots of ripe fruit, too. This shows Vosne spice and Nuits minerality.

A cuvée that comes from two vineyards, Les Duresses and Grands Champs. From vines planted just after the war. This is juicy and fresh, but with a bit more intensity and concentration than usual: a really charming premier cru.

This plot of just over half a hectare is planted with 60+ year old vines. Complex with notes of baked earth and violets, and tons of lifted dark fruit. This is beautifully balanced, and very long indeed.

Incredibly charming in 2018, this has juicy fruits, with cherries and also a hint of wild herbs. Very finely balanced, with a juiciness, and a very long finish.

From a plot close to the celebrated Clos de Cortons Faiveley. Love the dark fruit, energy and purity. So much tension here, really silky and fine on the palate. A benchmark Corton.

Wilder, more stony, and excellent spice and silky fruit, Les poireaux, Les Crais, and En Sevrey are the three plots in this. Energy and lovely purity, saline and long with delicacy on the finish.

From 50 year old vines. Nice nose, slightly herby and garrigue, ⅔ whole bunch. There’s depth here, so much volume, too. Also violets, with really nice finesse, and mineral, too with great energy. Very fine and complex.

Vinified without sulphur, using as little on bottling as possible. This is a remarkably pure wine, which shows the very best of Pinot Noir. Juicy, long and textured.

Historically known as a village for reds, Chassagne can still be home to some of the Côte de Beaune’s Pinot Noir gems. This has lovely juicy dark fruit and cooked raspberry. There’s great depth and complexity with some real tension.

Incredible value from this celebrated vintage. The 2019 Le Petit Smith Haut Lafitte is bright and expressive with aromas of blackcurrants, blackberry, dark coffee and a smokiness from oak. The palate is moreish and juicy with more cassis and plum flavours, fine tannins and a balanced and elegant freshness. There are developing flavours of fresh coffee, dried herbs and liquorice in the background that will only build and add to the volume of this seriously impressive second wine.

Ségla, the second wine of 2nd classed growth Rauzan-Ségla, is always a great buy, and never more so than in this excellent vintage. Dark blackcurrant and black cherry flavours combine with charming Margaux elegance and a lifted, herbal quality. This is a rich and concentrated wine that’s drinking well now but has the potential to age a good 15-20 years.

The 2010 Potensac is a smoky, refined claret, with plenty of complexity, supple tannins, and lovely lift on the finish. This is just so delicious - a wine that shows off Bordeaux’s 2010s beautifully.