2014 Lucien Le Moine Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru
(I tasted samples from white soil on the north side of the appellation and from redder soil on the Chambolle side, then an approximation of the final blend): From white soil: Bright, dark red. Musky aromas of raspberry and crushed stone. Penetrating, sharply delineated flavors of red cherry, red raspberry and mint enlivened by pungent calcaire. The firm tannin of this extremely mineral wine reach the front teeth. From red soil: Good full red. Higher-toned aromas of limestone and clove oil. Leaner and tighter today than the sample from white soil, with strong acidity and thrust from the active limestone. Most impressive for its penetration and cut. An approximation of the final blend: Deep red. Sexy aromas of red cherry, spices and pepper show a faint medicinal quality. A real high-wire act in the mouth, delivering a rare combination of density and energy to its powerful raspberry, spice and mineral flavors. This taut, brilliantly delineated Bonnes-Mares stains the mouth with perfume on the very long, nobly tannic finish. A real essence of Burgundy.
— Stephen Tanzer (95-98)
2014 Lucien Le Moine Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru
Medium red. Noble, cool aromas of black raspberry, blood orange, rose petal and crushed rock. Pristine, penetrating and youthfully imploded, conveying great urgency and a high pitch to its bracing flavors of red cherry, red berries, flowers and spices. Communicates a strong impression of dry extract but comes across as virtually weightless. Finishing with outstanding rising length and finesse, this aristocratic wine should evolve in bottle for a long time. Stunning and classic.
— Stephen Tanzer (94-97)
2014 Lucien Le Moine Griottes-Chambertin Grand Cru
(from 50-year-old vines on pure limestone; vinified with 50% whole clusters): Pale, bright red. Alluring aromas of musky raspberry and crushed rock. Pure silk on the palate, conveying an ineffable light touch to the flavors of raspberry and saline minerality. A wine of great class and energy, finishing with noble tannins and mouthfilling perfume. It’s hard to find Gevrey dirt here; in fact, Saouma referred to this stunning wine as « Les Amoureuses-Chambertin. »
— Stephen Tanzer (93-96)
2014 Lucien Le Moine Musigny Grand Cru
Deep red. Superripe aromas of black cherry, passion fruit and licorice are lifted by a floral topnote. Wonderfully plush and seamless in the mouth but quite backward today and not showing any easy sweetness. The superripe red fruit flavors are perfectly countered by a high-altitude chalky, rocky quality. This powerful, very dense young Musigny finishes with outstanding persistence and an almost weightless impression.
— Stephen Tanzer (93-96)
2014 Lucien Le Moine Vosne-Romanée Les Gaudichots 1er Cru
(vinified entirely with whole clusters): Healthy dark red. The nose shows liqueur-like high tones and a balsamic element; this is technically the highest in volatile acidity of these 2014s, according to Saouma. Superconcentrated and wild on the palate, with uncanny sweetness of fruit cut by strong acidity and complemented by soil-driven salinity. This infant possesses huge baby fat over a solid spine. Finishes remarkably long, with the fruit blowing past the tannins. Grand cru quality: this combines the power of La Tâche with the purity of Romanée-Conti. Saouma plans to bottle this elixir entirely in jeroboams.
— Stephen Tanzer (93-96)
2014 Lucien Le Moine Chambolle-Musigny Les Amoureuses 1er Cru
Full, deep red. Superripe aromas of cassis, raspberry and crushed stone. Boasts compelling penetration and energy to its bracing flavors of blueberry, blackberry and violet. A wine with almost painful cut, finishing with superb sappy energy and lift. A stunning Amoureuses in the making: Saouma suggested that a few years from now, Chambolle-Musigny may be viewed as « the village of the vintage. »
— Stephen Tanzer (93-95)
2014 Lucien Le Moine Gevrey-Chambertin Lavaux Saint-Jacques 1er Cru
Healthy medium red. Lovely rose petal lift to the aromas of raspberry and red licorice. At once dense and weightless, offering outstanding energy and a high pitch to the very pure red berry and floral flavors. Wonderfully tactile, palate-staining wine with very suave tannins. One feels the grape skins here.
— Stephen Tanzer (93-95)
2014 Lucien Le Moine Clos Vougeot Grand Cru
(Saouma has three barrels of this juice, one each from the lower, middle and upper sections of the clos): Full red. Very ripe aromas of red cherry, coffee and wild herbs accented by a note of licorice; one can smell the weight of the wine. Tactile, spicy and powerful on the palate, communicating a chewy impression to the flavors of red fruits, rare steak and coffee. An earthy Châteauneuf du Pape element accentuates this wine’s southern character. The wine’s big, mouthfilling tannins are fully supported by its rich mid-palate material. Finishes very long and saline. I would not be surprised if this wine ultimately merited a rating at the top end of my projected range.
— Stephen Tanzer (92-95)
2014 Lucien Le Moine Clos de la Roche Grand Cru
Bright, deep red. Exotic spices, sappy red berries and coffee on the slightly reduced nose. Dense and sweet but youthfully imploded, with the exotic spice character following through in the mouth. Offers a compelling combination of sweet and savory elements and finishes with superb spicy persistence. I might easily have mistaken this wine for the Clos Saint-Denis–and vice-versa.
— Stephen Tanzer (92-95)
2014 Lucien Le Moine Echézeaux Grand Cru
(from en Orveaux): Healthy dark red. Reticent, rather cool aromas of blueberry, cassis and flowers, complicated by smoky and floral nuances. Highly concentrated and cool on the palate, with penetrating acidity and a slight medicinal quality giving the dark berry and mint flavors a decidedly imploded character. Finishes sappy, gripping and very long, with excellent lift. This is still an infant today.
— Stephen Tanzer (92-95)
2014 Lucien Le Moine Volnay Caillerets 1er Cru
Healthy deep red. Compelling, nuanced nose combines redcurrant, cherry, spices, leather and a whiff of purple flowers. Plush and sweet but with perfectly integrated rocky minerality energizing the middle palate. The deepest of these 2014s to this point. Finishes with noble tannins and superb persistence. Near-grand cru class and complexity here. Saouma has long referred to Caillerets as « the best red wine terroir of the Côte de Beaune_ » and he can support that claim with this stunner.
— Stephen Tanzer (92-95)
2014 Lucien Le Moine Vosne-Romanée Les Petits Monts 1er Cru
(aging in a new 500-liter barrel): Bright medium red. Knockout nose melds raspberry, rose petal and minty high tones. Very pure and intense but tightly wound, showing terrific viscosity of texture cut by penetrating minerality and accented by fresh herbs. I was reminded of a high-mountain tea. This very long, bracing wine left my salivary glands quivering.
— Stephen Tanzer (92-95)
2014 Lucien Le Moine Chambolle-Musigny Haut-Doix 1er Cru
Bright red. Deep raspberry aroma complicated by spice oils and mint. Energetic and precise but youthfully imploded, offering extremely youthful flavors of crème de cassis, minerals and mint. This has the touch and class of a Musigny. Finishes very long and suave, with nuances of smoke and flowers.
— Stephen Tanzer (92-94)
2014 Lucien Le Moine Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru
Very ripe aromas of cherry, red berries and smoked meat. Concentrated, sappy and dense but light on its feet, displaying terrific cut and depth to its flavors of raspberry and salty minerality. Boasts terrific balance and a firm spine of tannins and acidity. The very fresh, long finish displays captivating floral lift.
— Stephen Tanzer (92-94)
Lucien Le Moine Corton Renardes Grand Cru
Healthy medium red. Medicinal red cherry, smoke and minerals on the nose. Deep red fruit flavors offer lovely precision and verve. Fat, fresh and light on its feet. The juicy finish features firm tannins but no dryness. At once riper and classier than the Bressandes, not to mention much more accessible today.
— Stephen Tanzer (92-94)
2014 Lucien Le Moine Gevrey-Chambertin Cazetiers 1er Cru
Bright red. Subdued nose hints at cherry syrup. Densely packed and wonderfully pure but in a rather cool, high-altitude style, offering flavors of blueberry, red cherry, minerals and earth. Finishes with suave tannins and lingering notes of red fruits and crushed stone.
— Stephen Tanzer (92-94)
2014 Lucien Le Moine Mazis-Chambertin Grand Cru
Dark red. Aromas of medicinal cherry, menthol, smoke and crushed rock, plus a suggestion of red fruits macerated in alcohol. Superconcentrated but youthfully tight, showing a slightly medicinal character to its penetrating flavors of blackberry and blueberry. This tactile but very backward wine could hardly be more different from the Griottes. Finishes very long and firmly tannic but not a bit dry.
— Stephen Tanzer (92-94)
2014 Lucien Le Moine Morey-Saint-Denis Les Genavrières 1er Cru
Healthy bright red. Sappy, perfumed aromas of redcurrant liqueur, spices and flowers lifted by a spicy topnote. Boasts outstanding penetration and lift in the mouth, with brisk acidity and mint and mineral notes contributing to the impression of vivacity. With its ineffable spicy character, this is a stunning Morey premier cru. Finishes with strong saline minerality and terrific rising length. Part of this vineyard is essentially in Clos de la Roche.
— Stephen Tanzer (92-94)
2014 Lucien Le Moine Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Vaucrains 1er Cru
Medium red. Perfumed aromas of red berries and cinnamon. Sappy, saline and deep, communicating a strong impression of vivacity to its fruit and spice flavors; not a particularly black-fruit style of Vaucrains. The broad, palate-staining finish displays very fine-grained tannins and outstanding energy and lift. An elegant style of Vaucrains with a real light touch.
— Stephen Tanzer (92-94)
2014 Lucien Le Moine Vosne-Romanée Les Malconsorts 1er Cru
Deep, bright red. Very ripe, high-toned aromas of raspberry, spices and pepper. Creamy, thick and liqueur-like on the palate, with an impression of sweetness leavened by harmonious acidity. This fleshy, powerful wine boasts outstanding palate coverage, finishing with fully ripe tannins, a distinct chocolatey ripeness and plenty of verve.
— Stephen Tanzer (92-94)
2014 Lucien Le Moine Clos Saint-Denis Grand Cru
Deep red. A note of musky reduction dissipated to reveal exuberant scents of clementine, Asian spices, smoked meat and iron; conveys a strong orange skin character. Pungent and energetic, offering sexy flavors of red plum, redcurrant, smoke and earth. Still a bit tricky to taste owing to the bound-up CO2 (this wine went through a very slow, long alcoholic fermentation), but the supple finish shows fine-grained tannins and superb lift.
— Stephen Tanzer (91-94)
2014 Lucien Le Moine Gevrey-Chambertin Estournelles Saint-Jacques 1er Cru
Bright, dark red. Subdued but pristine nose hints at raspberry syrup and rose petal. Juicy and tactile in the mouth, showing more body and a darker fruit character than the Lavaux but not quite the silkiness of that wine. In a more powerfully structured style, finishing with firm tannic spine.
— Stephen Tanzer (91-94)
2014 Lucien Le Moine Grands-Echezéaux Grand Cru
Bright red. Serious but closed nose hints at smoked meat. Thick and superconcentrated but a bit youthfully brutal and wild today, showing more saline and coffee character than primary fruits. All in reserve right now, this very savory wine will need a long time in bottle to reveal itself. The tannins are a bit aggressive in the early going. Stephen Tanzer (91-94)
2014 Lucien Le Moine Volnay Santenots 1er Cru
(from active limestone soil, like the Pommard Rugiens and Volnay Caillerets): Medium red. Pungent aromas of cherry, rust and leather. Densely packed and sweet, with a firm spine of minerality framing the cherry and leather flavors. Finishes firmly tannic but not at all dry, with excellent lift and length. A superb showing. — Stephen Tanzer (91-94)
2014 Lucien Le Moine Latricières-Chambertin Grand Cru
Medium red. Aromas of coffee and smoke, plus a suggestion of marc de Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Supple and thick but withdrawn in the early going, offering mocha, mint and earth flavors and a strong salty element. Very tactile, soil-inflected wine but not sweet or fruity today. The tannins are smooth and nicely integrated but this grand cru comes across as a bit disjointed today.– Stephen Tanzer (91-93)
2014 Lucien Le Moine Pommard Les Grands Epenots 1er Cru
Palish medium red. Delicate, high-pitched aromas of dried rose, cinnamon and smoke convey a limestone pungency. The palate offers a lovely combination of sucrosité and saline minerality, with complicating notes of crushed stone, cappuccino and milk chocolate. Shows more soil character than simple primary fruit. Finishes fine-grained, pure and long, spreading out to saturate the palate without leaving any impression of weight.
— Stephen Tanzer (91-93)
2014 Lucien Le Moine Pommard Rugiens 1er Cru
Bright red. Ineffable aromas of red cherry, raspberry, smoke and minerals. Juicy and sharply delineated but tight and imploded in the early going. A very firmly structured 2014 with a serious tannic spine, but hard to taste today.
— Stephen Tanzer (91-93?)
2014 Lucien Le Moine Volnay Clos des Chênes 1er Cru
Bright medium red. Slightly high-toned aromas of cherry liqueur and underbrush. At once firmly structured and charming, showing captivating floral lift to the flavors of wild berries and earth. Finishes with very fine-grained tannins and lovely lingering perfume.
— Stephen Tanzer (91-93)
2014 Lucien Le Moine Corton Bressandes Grand Cru
Bright red. Musky aromas of raspberry, mocha, minerals and earth accented by a whiff of cinnamon. Concentrated, structured and tight; in fact, one of the most backward of these 2014s today. With its firm tannic spine, this wine shows classic Corton toughness. — Stephen Tanzer (90-93)
2014 Lucien Le Moine Gevrey-Chambertin Les Combottes 1er Cru
Bright, deep red. Complex but reticent soil-driven aromas of black raspberry, licorice, leather and game. Tight and backward in the mouth, with black fruit and licorice flavors supported by a firm mineral spine. The tannins are ripe but youthfully clenched.
— Stephen Tanzer (90-93)
2014 Lucien Le Moine Chambolle-Musigny Les Baudes 1er Cru
Medium red. Musky aromas of spices, minerals, coffee, smoke and tobacco, plus a hint of rare steak; reminded me a bit of Bonnes-Mares. Dusts the palate with flavors of red berries, licorice and smoked meat; still a bit reduced. Finishes with good medicinal reserve and a touch of dryness. Will this show more fruit with additional time in barrel?
— Stephen Tanzer (90-92)
2014 Lucien Le Moine Chambolle-Musigny Les Charmes 1er Cru
Good dark red. Very closed nose hints at black raspberry and sour cherry candy. Juicy and spicy in the mouth but quite firm in the early going, even a bit rigid. The cool flavors of red cherry and minerals come across as a bit lean today. Finishes juicy and long but a tad dry. Saouma noted that wines from humid clay soil begin very compact, if not reduced
— Stephen Tanzer (90-92)
2014 Lucien Le Moine Morey-Saint-Denis Clos des Ormes 1er Cru
Medium red. Sweet, wild nose offers scents of red licorice, iron, herbs and flowers, plus a faintly vegetal quality that adds interest. Supple, silky and exotic in the mouth, displaying a fine-grained texture to the exuberant flavors of medicinal cherry, iron and smoke. Finishes with ripe tannins and excellent saline persistence. Very Morey.
— Stephen Tanzer (90-92)
2014 Lucien Le Moine Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Cailles 1er Cru
Healthy deep red. Reduced nose offers a note of red licorice. Dense and juicy in the mouth, showing lovely energy and lift to the flavors of red cherry, licorice and red rose. A bit youthfully imploded today but sharply delineated and long. (Incidentally, the Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Saint-Georges was too reduced to taste with confidence. )
— Stephen Tanzer (90-92)
2014 Lucien Le Moine Pommard Les Epenots 1er Cru
(vinified with one-third whole clusters): Deep red with ruby highlights. Very reduced on the nose, hinting at dark raspberry; the compact, dark, humid clay always results in early reduction, says Saouma. Chewy and dense on the palate, with fresh, deep blackberry and licorice flavors complemented by a distinct bitter chocolate component. Finishes with serious but ripe tannins.
— Stephen Tanzer (90-92)
2014 Lucien Le Moine Volnay Chanlins 1er Cru
Good deep red. Cherry and smoke aromas are enlivened by an alluring floral component. Sweeter and suppler than the Pommards, offering noteworthy purity to the red cherry and licorice flavors. This tactile, juicy wine finishes with excellent echoing length and a youthfully medicinal quality. Like the Pommard Grands Epenots, it saturates the palate without any leaving any impression of undue weight.
— Stephen Tanzer (90-92)
2014 Lucien Le Moine Pommard La Chanière 1er Cru
Moderately saturated medium red. Musky aromas of redcurrant, coffee and pepper. Red berry and spice flavors are complemented by subtle earthy nuances, with harmonious acidity giving the wine a juicy quality. Finishes with lovely lift and sneaky thrust.
— Stephen Tanzer (89-91)
2014 Lucien Le Moine Vosne-Romanée Les Suchots 1er Cru
Bright, dark red. Aromas of licorice, violet, black olive and cocoa powder reminded me a bit of Côte-Rôtie. Powerful, solidly built and dry but a bit warm in the early going, showing more minerals and menthol than primary fruits. Finishes with substantial broad, dusty tannins and little obvious fruit. An awkward showing today: I wanted more sweetness of fruit.
— Stephen Tanzer (89-91)
2014 Lucien Le Moine Chassagne-Montrachet Morgeot Rouge 1er Cru
Medium red. Musky aromas of raspberry, coffee and animal fur. Juicy and firmly built, showing good cut and enticing sweetness to its medicinal red cherry and red berry flavors. Finishes firmly tannic but not dusty or dry.
— Stephen Tanzer (88-91)
2014 Lucien Le Moine Beaune Clos des Mouches 1er Cru
(85% of the crop was lost to hail): Medium red. Lovely floral perfume lifts aromas of red berries, smoke, coffee, minerals and iron. Supple and nicely concentrated, showing good spicy lift as well as a slightly decadent quality to the flavors of strawberry, raspberry and cherry. The dusty tannins are just a touch dry on the smoky, cherry-tinged finish.
— Stephen Tanzer (88-90)
