Reviews

At first this is a tumble of forest scents, from mushrooms to conifer and eucalyptus. Then is shades toward eggplant purple in its fruit, with wood spice lasting. As it settles down in the glass, the fruit becomes bosky and dusky while holding that spice. Decant if for braised rabbit. *Best Buy

A fine Marin Pinot Noir, showing the dryness, zesty acidity and rich, deep red fruit that mark this cool, coastal county. Bigtime in raspberries, strawberries and cherries, it's complexed with subtle minerals, mushrooms and Indian spices. So elegant, with 13.5% alcohol, you can give it a chill in the fridge. -S.H.

Brisk acidity is the best feature of this wine. it reflects the long hangtime of the cool vintage. Lots of new French oak brings vanilla and buttered toast to the equation, but it's in keeping with the power of the underlying pineapple and lemon jam, pear and honey flavors. A decadent, flashy Chardonnay for drinking now with rich dishes, such as lobster and scallops -S.H.

This finest selection Chardonnay is a blend of the winery's various vineyards. It's pretty oaky, with vanilla, buttered toast and honey dominating, yet there are enough tropical fruit, orange, pear, and apricot flavors, and brisk acidity, to counterbalance the wood. -S.H.

Displays the winery's house style of flashy, delicious fruit and early drinkability. Shows the brisk acidity of this cool coastal county, with a light, silky texture and penetrating flavors of raspberries, cherries, persimmons and the sweet, smoky oak of French barrels. -S.H.

Go elsewhere if you’re looking for a big, oaky Chardonnay fruit bomb. This one is controlled and elegant, offering tantalizing hints of pineapples, minerals, sweet cream, buttered toast and spices. The acidity is mouthwatering. An elegant, food-friendly wine at a good price. — S.H. (7/1/2011)

A fresh and notably more elegant nose features mostly earth and soft floral notes where the earthiness also characterizes the concentrated, textured and utterly delicious middle weight flavors that possess good if not sensational depth on the dry, clean and linear finish. I like the sense of poise here. (89-91)/2013+

The 2009 Le Musigny is dazzling. Sweet roses, cherries and spices are some of the notes that emerge from this impossibly elegant, haunting wine. The layers of fruit and complexity are beyond eternal, while the tannins feel like cashmere on the finish. I can’t wait to taste this once it is in bottle. Sadly, there will only be 900 bottles to go around, so I am not sure how likely that is. The Musigny was made with 80% whole bunches and was aged in 100% new oak. Tasted from barrel. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2039. Biodynamic farming and non-interventionalist winemaking are at the heart of the approach at Domaine de la Vougeraie. The 2009s saw roughly a 25 days of maceration (including a week of cold soak) with one punch down a day. Once in barrel racking was kept to a bare minimum. A number of wines were bottled in late 2010 and early 2011. I tasted these wines with winemaker Pierre Vincent in March 2011.

The 2009 Charmes-Chambertin Les Mazoyeres is stunningly beautiful. It presents great richness and power in its energetic fruit. The aromatics weave through the fruit with notable beauty. This is an exceptionally harmonious wine with great intensity and fabulous overall balance. These 80 year old vines are the estate’s oldest and are used to propagate a selection massale of Pinot fin. The estate used 50% whole clusters and 80% new oak. Tasted from barrel. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2039. Biodynamic farming and non-interventionalist winemaking are at the heart of the approach at Domaine de la Vougeraie. The 2009s saw roughly a 25 days of maceration (including a week of cold soak) with one punch down a day. Once in barrel racking was kept to a bare minimum. A number of wines were bottled in late 2010 and early 2011. I tasted these wines with winemaker Pierre Vincent in March 2011.

The 2009 Gevrey-Chambertin Bel Air shows off a striking bouquet and layers of intense yet refined fruit. Silky and persistent on the palate, the Bel Air impresses for its remarkable class and superb overall harmony. The Bel Air (from a parcel above Clos de Beze) has 50% whole clusters and saw 50% new oak. It is a terrific effort. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2029. Biodynamic farming and non-interventionalist winemaking are at the heart of the approach at Domaine de la Vougeraie. The 2009s saw roughly a 25 days of maceration (including a week of cold soak) with one punch down a day. Once in barrel racking was kept to a bare minimum. A number of wines were bottled in late 2010 and early 2011. I tasted these wines with winemaker Pierre Vincent in March 2011.