Vinous (98)

The 2014 Ruchottes-Chambertin is a wondrous wine. Two recent tastings in Burgundy reconfirmed its strong performance when poured blind at the Burgfest tasting. It has an intense pomegranate and raspberry scented bouquet that seems to switch up through the gears with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied and lithe, laden with succulent black fruit and insistent grip, perhaps just beginning to close up for a while. Outstanding. Tasted in Burgundy.

Wine Advocate (97)

The 2014 Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru has a fragrant, floral bouquet with touches of blueberry, violet, wet limestone and effervescent blood orange. There is simply wonderful delineation here. The palate is very well structured, linear and strict in accordance with the vintage, driving acidity here maintaining the freshness with superb minerality on the finish. Oh yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.

Wine Advocate (91)

The 2014 Chambolle Musigny Villages has a refined bouquet with touches of hints of rose petal infusing the red berry fruit, fine minerality coming through. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin and nicely structured. This displays good backbone for a village cru with fine precision on the slightly curtailed finish. Very fine.

The Glenglassaugh distillery is one of the great success stories of the 21st century in Scotch Whisky though the roots of the distillery’s success go back much further than its current period of operation.

Founded in 1875 by James Moir, a local grocer in the nearby town of Portsoy, the idea was to supplement his burgeoning business with proprietary whisky that met the highest quality standards of the day. Situated on a site to the west of town to take advantage of a superb water source; the pure Glassaugh Springs, the distillery lies just out with the boundaries of Speyside, making this a Highland malt, though one very much in the Speyside style.

The operation was a tremendous success heading into the whisky boom of the Victorian era and within twenty years the distillery was snapped up by Highland Distillers, the forerunner of the Edrington Group (Macallan & Highland Park). The 1900s saw the expansion and reconstruction of the distillery as it began to supply malt for the likes of Cutty Sark and Famous Grouse.

After the complicated problems of the 1980s and a 23-year stretch mothballed, Glenglassaugh was purchased by new owners, reopened and began releasing pre-1986 stock as limited edition single malts, winning numerous awards in the process and placing the distillery firmly in the spotlight as a high-quality, craft producer. Since the distillery’s acquisition by Brown-Forman it has benefitted from the same treatment as legendary stablemates BenRiach and GlenDronach.

Cask Note
This 2014 Refill Hogshead is an excellent long term proposition with excellent upside given the increasingly prominent reputation of the distillery. Glenglassaugh has made a name for itself in recent years with distinctive cask finishes; including wine and sherry, so this relatively understated wood type will do well to see it through the initial, most lengthy period of ageing but will easily lend itself to re-racking into more active wood further down the line.

A connoisseur's delight, Guiberteau Saumur Clos de Guichaux Blanc 2014 2014 represents the zenith of planetary winegrowing. Hailing from the Loire Valley of France, renown vintner Romain Guiberteau precisely crafts this offering from fruits of ancient vines grown in organic soils. Rooted into limestone bedrock, these vines lend complex mineral nuances to the wine.

The Guiberteau Saumur Clos de Guichaux Blanc 2014 displays the Chenin Blanc varietal’s depth, mastering its full-bodied richness and bright, vibrant acidity. This wine showcases ethereal aromatics including honey, pear, and acacia, enveloped by a delicate overlay of wet stone. It also excels in its concentrated yet masterfully balanced flavour, the hallmark of Guiberteau's elegant and sustainable winemaking.

From a vineyard shaped by centuries and lovingly tended, the Guiberteau Saumur Clos de Guichaux Blanc 2014 is truly a testament to the agelessness of great wine and the mastery of its maker. A splendid addition to any fine wine collection.

Wine Advocate (97)

Floral aromas accent sturdy notes of grilled meat and almost delicate notes of red berries in the open, approachable 2014 Cote Rotie La Mouline. Medium to full-bodied, it shows great purity and a supple, silky, classic feel. It's built more on elegance and complexity than power, with those floral, herbal notes leaving a long, silky impression on the finish.

James Suckling (98)

The pure fruit is incredible with a dark-fruit and blackberry character. Some sous bois but also shows clarity and finesse. Full body and super fine tannins. Tight and so pretty. A classy and fine Harlan. Needs four to five years to open up.

Wine Advocate (88+)

Tasted blind at the annual Burgfest tasting, the 2014 St Aubin 1er Cru Clos de la Chateniere from Domaine Hubert & Olivier Lamy was not as clean on the nose as its peers, slightly cheesy at first and then light mothball scents. The palate is fresh on the entry with a pretty kiwi fruit and Cornice pear opening; but it never achieves the same level of tension and focus as other premier crus from the appellation, and it seems to drift on the finish. This may well be entering a dumb phase, and it may well re-find the promise it demonstrated from barrel, hence my plus sign.

Vinous (96+)

Bright medium red. More expressive on the nose today than the Amoureuses, offering ineffable scents of black raspberry, lavender and flinty, smoky minerality. By far the plushest and deepest of these 2014s but still with outstanding definition and verve. This wonderfully fine-grained, classically dry Musigny boasts bulletproof fruit and finishes with impressive medicinal reserve. Beginning with the 2013 Musigny, Mugnier will be delaying the release of his top bottling for a minimum of two years--and possibly several years more than that--as he finds this wine especially hard to read in its extreme youth.

Burghound (96)

A gorgeously spiced and perfumed nose is intensely floral in character while offering up notes of both red and dark currant, sandalwood, exotic Asian-style tea and discreet dried rose petal nuances. The muscular yet refined big-bodied flavors exude ample minerality onto the powerful, focused and once again compact, focused and explosively long finish. This too is indisputably built-to-age and I wouldn't be surprised if it required fully 20 years before it is fully ready. In sum this Richebourg is one of the finest wines of the 2014 vintage.

Wine Advocate (88-90)

The 2014 Meursault la Barre has a powerful bouquet with hints of white chocolate and brioche infusing the citrus fruit, all nicely defined. The palate is well balanced with veins of tropical fruit that ensure that this a very flattering Meursault, approachable and probably more early drinking than others, with an easy-going white tea-tinged finish.

Indulge in a captivating glass of La Grange des Peres Vin de Pays de l'Herault Blanc 2014, an illustrious French white wine that whispers of age-old sophistication. Harvested from vineyards in the renowned Languedoc region, this divine compilation seamlessly blends Chardonnay, Roussanne, and Marsanne in its symphony of tantalising flavours. Each grape is pressed gently, ensuring the retention of their innate flavours and qualities, a testament to meticulous vinification that underlines La Grange des Peres' prestige.

With its radiant golden hue, enchanting aroma of white fruits, hint of almonds, and a characteristically vivid finish, this wine truly sets an unrivalled benchmark for Vin de Pays wines. The subtle caress of oak ageing bestows an added depth and complexity to the flavour, simultaneously upholding the fruit's natural vivacity.

The La Grange des Peres estate, led by visionary winemaker Laurent Vaillé, consistently delivers wines that epitomise fine French viticulture, making the La Grange des Peres Vin de Pays de l'Herault Blanc 2014 an unmissable indulgence for the discerning oenophile.

Vinous (93-95)

Bright ruby. Intensely perfumed aromas of fresh red and blue fruits, potpourri and incense gain vivacity from a smoky mineral nuance. Offers deeply concentrated blueberry, black raspberry, spicecake and floral pastille flavors, while suggestions of candied licorice and white pepper emerge on the back half. Finishes on a suave, alluringly sweet note of red fruit liqueur, featuring slowly emerging tannins and outstanding vivacity and focus.

James Suckling (98)

A ravishing red that pours out aromas of crushed raspberries, blueberries and dried flowers. Black truffle skins and undertones of violets. Full-bodied yet so tight and refined with incredible finesse and polish. The beauty and chic runs on for minutes on the finish. A truly endless and breathtakingly harmonious wine. It just rolls off the palate. Drink in 2022.

Decanter (98)

My (SB) wine of the vintage. It has a huge, intense nose of lime, pears and apricot with aromatic tension and complexity. A fine, assertive and extremely youthful attack: concentrated yet racy and very mineral from start to finish. A racehorse of a wine with amazing length and detail, and that classic, stony minerality.

Vinous (93)

Distinct soil and mineral inflections give the Nuits-Saint-Georges Aux Lavières much of its distinctive personality. A touch austere and compact today, the Lavières possesses superb energy that drives the red stone fruit, graphite, smoke and scorched earth flavors. There is more than enough freshness and verve to support many years of fine drinking.

Vinous (93)

The 2014 Pommard Les Vignots is powerful, sinewy and intense, with notable structure and tannin presently enshrouding the fruit. Although the Vignots is often quite approachable - and frankly delicious young - the 2014 is very tightly wound and likely to require at least a few years to come into its own.

Vinous (95)

One of the highlights in this lineup, the 2014 Volnay Santenots du Milieu is a total knock-out. Soaring aromatics lead into a core of dark-toned fruit in a powerful, brooding Volnay. The Santenots is endowed with serious palate intensity and gravitas from start to finish. Scents of smoke, licorice and exotic spices round things out in style. The 2014 Santenots is a big wine within the context of Volnay, and yet all the elements are deftly balanced. Lalou Bize-Leroy reports that there was quite a bit of hail in 2014. And the wine? It is superb. It's as simple as that.

Wine Advocate (94-96)

The 2014 Vosne Romanée 1er Cru Cros Parantoux has a really quite wondrous nose that really shows its class. Beautifully defined, very pure, very intense dark berry fruit with a seam of mineralité underneath. The palate is medium-bodied with filigree tannin, a fine seam of acidity, great depth and intensity on the finish that lingers long in the mouth. This is a classy Cros Parantoux, maybe the standout from the domaine this year.

Vinous (92)

Good full red. Reticent aromas of redcurrant, tobacco, dried rose and musky minerality complemented by a touch of smoky, spicy oak. The oak element builds in the mouth, which is less sweet and filled in today than the Feusselottes. Hints of dried flowers and menthol currently dominate the wine's red berry flavors. A touch tart-edged on the finish, with the tannins showing a slightly granular quality. I don't find the same consistent ripeness here that the estate's two other grand crus display.

James Suckling (98)

A wine evincing true enlightenment. It’s floral on the nose and also shows blackberries, stones, minerals and cedar. Full-bodied, yet its so fine-grained and tight. So, so long. It builds like a waterfall on the finish. The tannins are powerful yet superbly integrated and harmonious. Needs four to five years in bottle. Drink in 2023.

Vinous (93)

Opaque ruby. Highly expressive aromas of candied red and blue fruit, along with suggestions of exotic flowers, olive paste and smoky minerals. Sweet, penetrating and seamless on the palate, offering intense black raspberry, blueberry and floral pastille flavors that become deeper and fleshier with air. Pure and sharply focused, finishing with outstanding clarity, sneaky, well-knit tannins and a lingering violet quality.

Vinous (93+)

Bright yellow. Aromas of crushed rock and cold steel dominate the nose. A pure mineral bath in the mouth, with penetrating acidity intensifying and lifting the pineapple and stone flavors. This very sharply chiseled, extremely young Caillerets finishes with a suggestion of chicken-soup reduction that reminded me of a Chablis from Vincent Dauvissat. Lay this one down.

Vinous (92+)

(4.3 grams per liter acidity): Bright, pale yellow. Restrained aromas of lemon and vanilla. At once dense and penetrating, showing an urgent Riesling-like quality and noteworthy energy to its citrus and mineral flavors. Densely packed, plush and long but youthfully backward. This seriously concentrated wine has the stuffing and structure to age but is not particularly austere today.

Vinous (90+)

Pale yellow. Deeply pitched aromas of yellow peach and apricot. Musky, leesy and quite dry, conveying an impression of power to its stone fruit and mineral flavors. Really spreads out to saturate the mouth without leaving any impression of undue weight.