2014 Marguet Champagne Blanc de Noirs Brut Nature Les Saints Remys
bright young champagne color, immediately on opening a rich nose of baked bread, white flowers and orchard fruits, on the palate full bodied with great depth- where Blanc de Noir champagnes sometimes have a good assertive and persistent flavor but are a bit lean, this has a rich full body to complement the flavor profile, with time on the palate a light raspberry note develops along with rich layers of pastry and fruit, fine mousse starting to emerge, long lemony acid driven finish, debut vintage for this cuvee, sensationally good and with great potential.
(****)+, 2025-2045
2015 Château Montrose
moderately deep red/purple color, lovely nose of cassis and crushed blackberries with hints of raspberry, on the darker side of the fruit spectrum, on the palate a bit light when first opened and slippery across the palate, cassis, berries, chalk streaks, great tension, fine long finish, about 5 hours after opening the wine is showing greater depth and fullness but also substantial tannins, a more generous flowing sensation of fruit across the palate, sandwiched in between two massive and very self-evident vintages I can see how the 2015 is easily overlooked- but I think it an unfortunate mistake to do so, while this will likely be leaner than the 2014 and 2016 in time- everything is here for this to be a ripe and more charming Montrose, as well as one that will be more harmonious with food than the bigger vintages.
(****), 2030-2055
2015 Les Fillottes Pomerol
bright young purple color, immediately on opening an exotic nose with substantial spicy oak, plums, dark cherries, blackberries and white mineral tones, on the palate a good rich medium body with an admirable depth of ripe sweet fruits mirroring the nose, the oak a strong presence throughout but already nicely integrating and well countered by lush waves of ripe fruit through to the good long finish, there are some tannins here and a good structure- but it is all covered by the fruit, with time the wine opened further showing fruitcake notes, exotic spices, delectable plums and succulent cherry notes, it is rare I take to a wine with so much oak in it- but in this case it feels appropriately significant and will I think be well absorbed by the fruit, after 5 hours still decadent but with slight hints of the Cabernet Franc adding some chalk and mineral tones, chocolate notes as well, as forward and fun as this is- I really do think it could evolve in the mid-term into a great beauty.
The first vintage for this wine and a very promising start. It remains to be seen if it will flesh out further and develop great complexity with age, but for now it is a fine drink and truly unique. As this is the debut vintage and people may want comparatives just as I searched my brain for them- I have two to offer. Chateau Mouton-Rothschild and Chateau L’Evangile. Definitely more like the latter overall, but the fruitcake and dark spice notes remind one of the former. An exciting new addition to the Bordeaux world- fingers crossed.
(****)+, 2025-2040+?