95
Josh Raynolds - Vinous Media
"Brilliant violet. An explosively perfumed bouquet displays intense black and blue fruit liqueur, incense, olive and floral pastille scents underscored by a smoky mineral quality. Broad, weighty and surprisingly lithe on the palate; sweet, palate-coating blueberry, cherry cola and candied violet flavors show superb concentration and energy thanks to a spine of juicy acidity and repeating minerality. Strikingly vibrant, seamless and persistent on the finish, where the mineral and floral notes emphatically repeat.
While I'm a long-time fan of the Levet family's traditionally made wines, there's no doubt in my mind that with the arrival of Nicole and Bernard Levet's daughter, Agnes, the wines are now among the very best being made in the appellation. The wild character and concentration that has always marked the wines is still there, but there's a degree of elegance and, I daresay, polish to them that one didn't find in decades past. The wines are still raised in large oak foudres as well as demi-muids, with only about 10% of them new, and the flagship Chavaroche bottling only sees foudres, which is often the case with the Journaries as well. Agnes told me that while she thinks the 2014s will drink well on the relatively young side because "they have a very nice balance of richness and freshness," the concentration and power of the 2013s makes cellaring them "an obligation." They'll be shutting down soon, she thinks, and after that, "you should really wait at least ten years, maybe fifteen" before revisiting them."