As stated I was in Paris in May, and the second tasting I had on the trip was at the offices of Les Vin IDS. I was hoping for a blind tasting like we had in May 2022, sadly, it was not in the cards for me. Hopefully, the next trip will include an IDS blind tasting! I am looking at you Ben my man!!! This post, like so many of the other Parisian posts, that are NOT yet posted, is horribly behind. My sincere apologies to Ben and the IDS team. So, without further ado – the tasting!

Oh, and yes, Avi Davidowitz, from Kosher Wine Unfiltered finally made a trip to Paris in May! Congrats my man!

Le Vin IDS Wines

Thankfully, many of the supply and wine bottling issues of 2022/2023 are gone and all the wines were available and ready to taste in May of 2024! As stated there were many wines and they would have been perfect for a blind tasting but extenuating circumstances did not allow for that on this trip.

As is customary, I ask Ben to open the windows to air out the room, as soon as I enter, as the smell of tobacco ash is always insufferable. I understand France is one of the last few advanced nations in the world where smoking is still a thing. I have never tolerated it, the smell makes me retch, so Ben is always so kind to air out the room before we begin tasting his wonderful wines.

Once that was done I took in the room and I realized this was going to be an awesome tasting. There were tons of new wines and wines I had never seen yet. Though, at this time, none of these wines are in the USA, yet!

Two new Champagne and a white wine

Sadly, none of the new 2023 wines are out yet, so I will have to wait for those to come here before tasting them.

What we tasted were two new Champagne from Maison Jeeper and a lovely 2021 Domaine de Chevalier L’Esprit de Chevalier. The 2022 Paul Aegerter (yes they changed the name again) white wine had not yet been bottled, so we did not get the chance to taste that.

If you are wondering where the name Maison Jeeper comes from:

The house was founded by Armand Gourtobe, a winemaker whose legs were injured while rescuing American soldiers. To thank him and reward him for his courage, the U.S. army gave Gourtobe a Jeep which he then used to tour his vineyard, thus gaining the nickname ‘Jeeper’ which he naturally used for his Champagne bottles. (From Sommeliers International).

I thought they were both exceptional and Champagne that most people will love, though they are expensive!

Finally, the 2021 Domaine de Chevalier L’Esprit de Chevalier is a stunning white wine. The 2021 vintage has blessed us with many a great white wine and thankfully this one will not break the bank! Bravo!

Red Wines

The next 13 red wines, mostly from the 2021 vintage, outside of the 6 2022 Paul Aegerter Burgundies (yeah as stated before, yet another new name).

We started with a run of the 2022 Burgundy wines. They were all nice to lovely! The last one was the closest Burgundy that Aegerter has made which reminded me of the 2019s. We started with a Domaine Aegerter Bourgogne Hautes-Cotes de Nuits. That was followed by a 2022 Domaine Aegerter Volnay. Then came the bigger/riper Burgundies and the Premier Cru. The 2022 Domaine Aegerter Beaune Premier Cru, the 2022 Domaine Aegerter Nuits-Saint-Georges, followed by the 2022 Domaine Aegerter Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru, and finally the 2022 Domaine Aegerter Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru. That is two QPR WInner and four QPR WINNER, quite a good run.

Then came the 2021 Bordeaux wines. These are all new wines – with some new wineries and the return of Chateau La Gaffeliere, with its second wine as well, the Clos La Gaffeliere. There are new wineries like the Chateau Lespault-Martillac, Chateau Puyblanquet, and Chateau Edmus. Quite a bunch of new wineries that IDS has made kosher in 2021. The last time a Chateau La Gaffeliere was made in Kosher was 1993! Some 28 years ago!

The shockers here are the 2021 Chateau Puyblanquet, Saint-Emilion, 2021 Chateau Marquis d’Alesme Becker, Margaux, and the 2021 Chateau La Gaffeliere. The Gaffeliere and the Puyblanquet are made from a majority of Merlot, which helps in the 2021 vintage. However, the Marquis d’Alesme Becker is a majority Cabernet Sauvignon and it shined bright in the 2021 vintage. Impressive!

Between the Marquis, Puyblanquet, and the Chateau Gaffeliere – it proves that there exist Kosher 2021 Bordeaux wines worthy of being bought. Bravo!

Sweet Wine

Finally, we cannot end this post without discussing the 6 Puttonyos Tokaji! Look this is a sweet wine, it is ripe, it is candied, and yet it is seductive, enveloping, and bracing in its acidity. It lacks the funk of Sauternes, but it surpasses it with its approachability, seduction, and rich mouthfeel. In ways, the funk of Sauternes can get in the way of the sheer enjoyment of botrytized wines, and this wine is proof. We have had a few 5 Puttonyos Tokaji made Kosher but this is the first and only 6 Puttonyos Tokaji! The next level is Aszú Eszencia, which is really close to the 6 Puttonyos (150 (grams per liter vs 180 grams per liter), and then there is the granddaddy of them all the Eszencia (at 450 gpL).

This wine is a baby. Look around and the market is selling the 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2013 vintages. It is crazy to even think this wine is accessible and showing its best at this point. Still, it is a wine that is fun now, but one that will evolve richly over the next 30 years.

The wine, like almost all Six Puttonyos Tokaj, is 500 ml and it is not cheap but it is a lovely wine that deserves your attention!

Closing

My many thanks to Ben Uzan for setting up the meeting, sharing his wines with us, and taking time out of his busy schedule to meet with us. The wine notes follow below in the order they were tasted – the explanation of my “scores” can be found here and the explanation for QPR scores can be found here:

N.V. Maison Jeeper Brut, Champagne – Score: 92.5 (QPR: GREAT)
This Champagne is a blend of the 2020 and 2022 vintages.
The nose of this wine is lovely! with rich yeasty notes, lovely peach, quince, red apple, creamy notes, brioche, citrus curd, and rich salinity.
The mouth of this medium-bodied sparkling Chardonnay wine is rich, with a creamy texture, and notes of ripe Asian pear, apple, lemon, and grapefruit, with small mousse bubbles.
The attack is creamy, rich, and persistent, with the fruit and mousse playing well together.
The finish is long, and yeasty, with brioche, citrus, and brioche lingering long. Nice! Drink until 2028. (tasted May 2024) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 12%)

N.V. Maison Jeeper Brut, Grand Rose, Champagne – Score: 92.5 (QPR: GREAT)
Like the Brut, this wine is a blend of 2020 and 2022 vintages.
The nose of this wine is ripe with strawberry and creme, rich salinity, but also ripe with raspberry, brioche, and lovely minerality. Fresh, ripe, and refreshing!
The mouth of this medium-plus bodied wine is richer than the Brut, riper, and more layered, with ripe strawberry, raspberry, and rich peach, highlighted by its peak note of strawberries and creme, the mousse bubbles are persistent, and the acidity is intense and the mouthfeel is plush and creamy with some orange peel, orange notes, and the orange blossom notes that interplay with the strawberries and small bubble mousse. Bravo!
The finish is a bit muted but the attack and mouthfeel make up for that and it may come with time. Drink until 2028. (tasted May 2024) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 12%)

2021 Domaine de Chevalier L’Esprit de Chevalier Blanc, Pessac-Leognan – Score: 93 (QPR: WINNER)
This wine is a blend of 80% Sauvignon Blanc & 20% Semillon.
The nose of this wine is lovely, ripe, extracted, and funky with intense funk, straw, hay, smoke, rich toast, sweet oak, Asian pear, smoked duck, citrus, gooseberry, wet grass, green notes, and sweet herbs. Bravo! The mouth of this medium-plus-bodied wine has richness, precision, and an impressive verve, the funky minerality follows through from the nose with ripe Asian pear, lovely gooseberry, lemon curd, and lemon Fraiche, followed by ribbons of minerality, saline, graphite, all wrapped in a toasty, funky mouthfeel, lovely! The finish is long, tart, ripe, balanced, and refreshing with great acidity, smoked duck, smoked pear, gooseberry, and tart lemon, lovely! Drink by 2030. (tasted May 2024) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 13%)

2022 Domaine Aegerter Bourgogne Hautes-Cotes de Nuits, Les Petites Corvees, Bourgogne Hautes-Cotes de Nuits – Score: 91 (QPR: GREAT)
The nose of this wine is really alive, ripe, toasty, smoky, and gamey, with smoked venison, ripe cherry, smoked raspberry, dirty, earthy, with waxy notes, lovely! The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is nice, not as concentrated or complex as I always hoped, with candied cherry, raspberry, and tart plum, with intense acidity, lovely dirt, loam, green notes, and sweet oak, lovely! The finish is long, green, herbal, smoky, dirty, and fruity, with more smoked meat. Nice! Drink until 2029. (tasted May 2024) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 12%)

2022 Domaine Aegerter Volnay, “Les Grands Poisots”, Volnay – Score: 92 (QPR: WINNER)
The nose of this wine shows lovely tart and funky notes with tart cranberry, raspberry, toast, roasted animal, dark cherry, violet and rose petals, graphite/metal, loam, and roasted animal. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is ripe, and tart, very much in line with the weight of Volnay, with the complexity that I expect, with great acidity, lovely mouth coating tannin, rich saline, dark cherry, plum, dark raspberry, ripe red berry, tart cranberry, awesome fruit structure, and rich loam. The finish is long, with menthol, green tobacco, sweet cedar, nice tannin, lovely espresso, nice dirt, lovely floral notes, and toasted notes. Nice!!! Drink by 2030. (tasted May 2024) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 13%)

2022 Domaine Aegerter Beaune Premier Cru “Les Reversees”, Beaune Premier Cru – Score: 92+ (QPR: WINNER)
The nose of this wine is ripe, toasty, earthy, and smokey, with floral notes, violet, dark cherry, raspberry, rhubarb, and smoked meat. The mouth of this medium-plus-bodied wine shows lovely acidity, with lovely pomegranate, dark cherry, ripe raspberry, plum, good extraction, sweet spices, and roasted herbs, wrapped in a lovely plush mouthfeel and sweet oak. The finish is long, and ripe, with rich acidity, and toasty notes, and the finish lingers very long with acidity, smoked animal, and ripe fruit. Bravo! Drink until 2032. (tasted May 2024) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 12.5%)

2022 Domaine Aegerter Nuits-Saint-Georges, Nuits-Saint-Georges – Score: 93 (QPR: GREAT)
The nose of this wine is really floral, ripe, smoky, and dirty, with lovely loam, rich rosehip, and violet, with rich salinity, sweet spices, and roasted herbs, very nice! The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is the most balanced of the list so far with great acidity, good weight, mouth-coating tannin, dark plum, raspberry, sweet plum, rich loam, lovely dirt, green notes, and sweet spices. The mouth is focused, rich, layered, and precise, Nice! The finish is long, dark, tannic, structured, and layered, with incredible acidity, verve, toast, sweet tobacco, and coffee, with sweet spices. Bravo! Drink by 2032. (tasted May 2024) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 13%)

2022 Domaine Aegerter Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru “Les Vallerots”, Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru – Score: 93 (QPR: GREAT)
The nose of this wine is further elevated, with more sweet oak, more smoke, richly focused with bright fruit, ripe plum, dark cherry, smoke, roasted animal, intense floral notes, violet and rose hip, funk, and earth. The mouth of this medium to full-bodied wine is now black and red with black plum, black cherry, and sour red cherry, with intense acidity, intense fruit focus, balanced, and mouth-drying tannin, extracted and rich, mouth-draping tannin, elegance, and dense floral notes, dense red and black fruit that lingers forever. WOW! The finish is long, tart, dense, and layered, with elegance, mushroom, smoke, extraction, and bright/ripe fruit, Bravo!! Drink until 2033. (tasted May 2024) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 13%)

2022 Domaine Aegerter Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru, Fonteny, Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru – Score: 93+ (QPR: GREAT)
The nose of this wine is ripe, dense, and layered, with rich saline, rich black fruit, black plum, dark cherry, rich smoke, intense bacon, rich mushroom, graphite, mineral, earth, rosehip, and dense smoke. Lovely! The mouth of this full-bodied wine is incredible, with good floral notes, rich earth, mushroom, black and red plum, rhubarb, raspberry, strawberry, and pomegranate, rich and dense, toasty, earthy, with rich layers of toast, extraction, concentration, and complexity is really impressive. The finish is long, tart, ripe, and floral, with more loam, mushroom, and nice smoke. Bravo! Drink until 2033. (tasted May 2024) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 13%)

2021 Domaine de Chevalier L’Esprit de Chevalier, Pessac-Legonan – Score: 91+ (QPR: GOOD)
This wine is a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, & 5% Petit Verdot.
The nose of this 2021 Bordeaux is classic with bell pepper, green notes, roasted herbs, dark cherry, raspberry, and smoke. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is nice, sure it has green notes, but that calms with time, the mouth is plush, with red fruit, lush tannin, smoky, earthy, and toasted, with green notes, raspberry, plum, and sweet oak. The finish is long, ripe, green, smoky, dirty, and earthy, with mushrooms, long lingering tannin, smoke, and roasted vegetables. Very nice for a 2021! Drink by 2028. (tasted May 2024) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 13%)

2021 Chateau Lespault-Martillac, Pessac-Legonan – Score: 91.5 (QPR: GOOD)
This wine is a blend of 65% Merlot & 35% Cabernet Sauvignon.
The nose of this wine has no green notes, rich minerality, rich red fruit, smoke, earth, cacoa, rosehip, garrigue, and rich smoke.
The mouth of this medium-plus-bodied wine is really nice, dense, and earthy, smoky, with rich minerality, raspberry, dark cherry, plum, mouth-draping tannin, good salinity, lovely graphite, some green notes, roasted herb, and mushroom.
The finish is long, mouth-drying tannin, smoke, green notes, menthol/spearmint, cacoa, and sweet oak. Drink by 2030. (tasted May 2024) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 13%)

2021 Clos La Gaffeliere, Saint-Emilion, Grand Cru – Score: 91.5 (QPR: GOOD)
This wine is a blend of 85% Merlot & 15% Cabernet Franc.
The nose of this wine is dirty, earthy, smoky, and sweet herbs, menthol, dark cherry, plum, garrigue, mushroom, and smoke.
The mouth of this medium-plus-bodied is nice, layered, and extracted, with great minerality, nice smoke, sweet herbs, black cherry, raspberry, mushroom, and mouth-coating tannin.
The minerality and green notes, with bracing acidity make up this wine. The finish is long, extracted, smoky, dirty, and green, with a minerality that lingers forever, nice! Drink until 2030. (tasted May 2024) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 13%)

2021 Chateau Puyblanquet, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru – Score: 93 (QPR: WINNER)
This is a blend of 75% Merlot & 25% Cabernet Franc.
The nose of this wine is ripe, there are no green notes to be found, and rich smoke, minerality, dark rhubarb, plum, raspberry, dark red fruit, and loam.
The mouth of this full-bodied wine tastes like a 2020 wine, this is ripe, how a 2021 got to this maturation is incredible and for a 13% ABV, I am shocked. Cool!
The mouth of this full-bodied wine fully encompasses what I want from a Bordeaux, dirty, earthy, smoky, fruity, balanced, great structure, not overly extracted, yet complex, with rich minerality, dense fruit, dense mouth-draping tannin, refreshing, with an unctuous approach, showing black plum, black cherry, and berries. The finish is long, dirty, earthy, and smoky, with a mouth-draping tannin that lingers forever, minerality that lasts forever, with scraping graphite, and smoke, really fun!! Drink by 2033. (tasted May 2024) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 13%)

2021 Chateau Edmus, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru (M) – Score: 90+ (QPR: EVEN)
This is one of those rare 100% Merlot wines out there in Saint-Emilion, sure Pomerol is all Merlot, but not so common in Saint-Emilion.
The nose of this wine is green with bell pepper, smoke, plum, earth, minerality, and loam.
The mouth of this medium to full-bodied is nice with bell pepper, plum, smoke, earth, good minerality, mouth-draping tannin, and loam.
The finish is super long, mineral-driven, smoky, and earthy, with graphite and loam lingering long. Drink until 2030. (tasted May 2024) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 13%)

2021 Chateau Marquis d’Alesme Becker, Margaux – Score: 94 (QPR: WINNER)
This wine is a blend of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, and 8% Petit Verdot.
The nose of this wine is nice, showing ripe fruit, and no notes of 2021, It is, the best 2021 Bordeaux we have had so far, with smashed plums, and hints of blackberry, it is crazy to use that word with a 2021 wine. It’s impressive with its fruit and minerality.
The mouth of this full-bodied wine is layered, extracted, rich, and also fully open, with smoke, blackberry, dark plum, hints of green notes, rich extraction, complexity, intense and layered minerality, with loam, smoke, and earth, really fun.
The finish is long, herbal, smoky, dirty, and fun! Drink from 2026 until 2034. (tasted May 2024) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 13%)

2021 Chateau La Gaffeliere, Saint-Emilion, 1er Grand Cru Classe – Score: 94 (QPR: EVEN)
This wine is a blend of 80% Merlot & 20% Cabernet Franc. They added more Franc in this vintage than in previous vintages. Interesting side note, they pulled out of the classification of Saint-Emilion in 2022, so the label will be different next year, though the front already has no mention of classe.
The nose of this wine has zero green notes, with intense minerality, lovely red fruit, nice red and yellow flower blossom, rosehip, and rich smoke, Nice. This wine is rich and dense but the profile is still clean.
The mouth of this full-bodied wine is lovely, is 100% red fruit, with waxy notes, and rich meaty notes as well, much more approachable than others, with rich minerality, intense acidity, mouth-draping tannin, lovely dense raspberry, plum, cherry, and loam galore. This wine will coat the mouth with red fruit minerality and intense tannin, but one you will find approachable, with floral notes of red and yellow flowers. The things that stick out are the acidity, saline, ripe red fruit, and the minerality, wow!
The finish is long, dirty, smoky, rich, and layered with minerality, tannin, sweet tobacco, dark chocolate, and scraping graphite, wow!! Bravo! Drink from 2026 until 2034. (tasted May 2024) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 13.5%)

2021 Tokaj-Hetszolo Tokaji Aszu 6 Puttonyos, Tokaj – Score: 94 (QPR: WINNER (France))
The RS on this is 160 g/liter. Rich!
The nose of this crazy wine is rich, dense, and sweet, with bright fruit, lychee, guava, mango, candied sugar, honeyed peach, orange marmalade, beeswax, Asian five spice, YUM!
The mouth of this full-bodied wine is dense and viscous, layered, and rich, incredible. Still, the acidity is amazing, maybe the most acid I have ever had in a dessert wine, other than the 2014 TDB, with lychee, guava, mango, candied and sugar-coated apples, peach, and orange marmalade, with sweet spices. The sweet citrus with lemon curd, orange, and grapefruit make this wine shine!
The funk of Sauternes is not there but the fruitiness and the acidity are incredible. The finish is long, dense, coating, and yet very approachable, it will age well, but it is so fun right now! Drink until 2050. (tasted May 2024) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 11.5%)