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. This post, like many of the other Parisian posts that are not yet posted, is horribly behind. My sincere apologies to Ben Uzan 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

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 excellent wines.

Before entering, I knew there were at least two wines we were tasting, but thankfully, there were five, four of them from Bordeaux. I am not sure if these wines are in the USA yet, but I am sure they will be very soon!

Two “White Wine” and a blind red wine

This is the second vintage of the 2024 Tokaj-Hetszolo Sarga Muskotaly. To me, this one was less ripe, more balanced, and had lovely acidity to make it all work. The price in France is a no-brainer, while here in the USA, it is a solid choice.

The next White wine was the 2022 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc, a lovely wine, layered and expressive, still, a slight step behind the 2021. That said, it is a wine for holding, and I think the acidity I crave will come out after the fruit and oak calm down.

It was followed by a blind tasting of a red wine, and I was unimpressed with it – the first time I had it, and I continue to be unimpressed by it at this time, as well. It was the 2017 Le Petit Trianon. It feels as hollow and empty as the first time I had it.

Red Wines

After that, we tasted three of the most highly anticipated wines of the 2022 vintage. The 2022 Chateau Lafon-Rochet, followed by the 2022 Domaine de Chevalier, and then the 2022 Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte.

These wines all met and matched the elevated expectations we had for them. They showed the ripeness that the 2022 Bordeaux vintage is now famous for, but they also showed incredible balance and acidity. The Chevalier, like the Blanc, didn’t quite show the acidic pop I hoped for, but I am sure that will come with time. The Lafon Rochet and Smith Haut Lafitte both showed incredible balance and pop.

Now, if there was one wine I was asked to share the notes for early, for all the wines we tasted in Paris, on this trip, it would have to be the 2022 Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte. I must admit that when tasting the Lafon Rochet, we knew, essentially, what we were going to get: a crazy good wine for the price, with loads of potential. However, when the 2022 Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte was poured, it reminded me of when I tasted the 2019 Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte, blind, with a bunch of other people. The room went absolutely silent; you could hear yourself thinking. It was intense. This was a wine that showed everything to you at once, and yet did it in elegance and control. Notwithstanding, it could have used a dollop more control, but in the end, it may well be the best Kosher wine I have ever tasted.

In comparison, the 2009 Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte is a wine I haven’t had in a few years, but it is a beast without the restraint and acidity of the 2022. That wine came in at 14% ABV, and that was insane back then. The 2022 comes in at 15% and while it is more balanced, it still has to contend with all that fruit. The 2022 does not come across as hedonistic as the 2009 did. The 2009 felt fat and heavy and yet almost balanced. The 2022 is balanced, but the pop I crave, at that level, demands more. So, when you look at the 2022 price and say, “How can that be so expensive?” look at the 2009 price, even back in 2010, when Kosherwine.com was run by a very different outfit. They brought the wine in and charged an ungodly amount of money, back then, all on the back of the 100-point score Parker gave it in his heyday!

Back then, the 2009 Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte would have set you back 180 dollars. According to inflation numbers, $180 in 2010 is now worth approximately $270, and there were cheaper options, still. Well, that will get you most of the way there if you buy the wine in France. At this point, due to various issues, the wines we tasted in May have not yet arrived; time will tell when they will reach these shores.

Closing

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 of QPR scores can be found here:

2024 Tokaj-Hetszolo Sarga Muskotaly, Takaji – Score: 91.5 (QPR: WINNER (In France), GREAT (USA))
The nose of this wine is not as ripe as that of the previous vintage, with notes of lychee, melon, guava, orange blossom, gooseberry, and passion fruit, which is quite unique. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is nice with great acidity, off-dry with lychee, very floral with orange blossom, violet, intense tension, nice honeyed orange, and fresh notes. The finish is long, fresh, tart, and tense, with great acidity, featuring notes of lychee, guava, and wax. Drink by 2027. (tasted May 2025) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 12.5%)

2022 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc, Pessac-Leognan – Score: 93 (QPR: GOOD)
This wine is a blend of 70% Sauvignon Blanc & 30% Semillon.
The nose of this wine is unique, clean, slightly ripe, smoky, earthy, and mineral-driven, with lovely depth and complexity, featuring notes of apple blossom, funk, smoke, toast, yellow plum, mushroom, and minerality. Bravo!
The mouth of this full-bodied white wine is lovely, with intense acidity that is perfectly balanced. It features notes of white peach, melon, orange notes, acidity, long ribbons of graphite, mushroom funk, flint, intense spice, nutmeg, cloves, and lovely grapefruit and lime, along with intense butterscotch and minerality.
The finish is long, clean, balanced, and funky, with an impressive minerality, complemented by acidity, sweet oak, butterscotch, and floral notes that linger for a long time. Drink until 2035. (tasted May 2025) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 14%)

2022 Chateau Lafon-Rochet, Saint-Estephe – Score: 94 (QPR: WINNER (In France), GREAT (USA))
The nose of this wine is intense, ripe, and balanced, with rich, waxy notes, intense mushroom, lovely pop, smoke, tar, graphite, and iron shavings, along with ripe black and blue fruit.
The mouth of this full-bodied wine is incredible, with mouth-draping tannin, lovely acidity, graphite-scraping minerality, tense and bold, layered and extracted, with blackberry, dark plum, and raspberry. The mouth is rich, extracted, layered, with intense minerality, fruit, sweet spices, and lovely graphite. Impressive. The finish is long, tannic, lovely, with rich tar, graphite, rock, loam, dirt, and dark tobacco. A totally impressive wine for the price. Bravo! Drink from 2030 until 2037 (probably longer). (tasted May 2025) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 14.5%)

2022 Domaine de Chevalier, Pessac-Leognan – Score: 93 (QPR: GREAT)
This wine is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot. The nose of this wine is ripe, black and blue fruit, smoky, with waxy notes, intense oak, tar, graphite, and rich loam. The dirt and minerality once again save these ripe 2022 wines. The mouth of this full-bodied wine is perfectly balanced, with intense acidity, mouth-draping tannin, and almost refreshing, while it punches you with layers of fruit, acid, mouth-draping tannin, smoke, and graphite. The ripe blackberry, blueberry, jammy raspberry, plum, and cassis flavors are complemented by minerality, acidity, and a hint of dirt, balancing the intense fruit. The finish is long, scarping, and dirty, with lovely precision, fruit focus, iron shavings, graphite, pencil shavings, intense acidity, and dense fruit, wow!!! Drink from 2031 until 2036. (tasted May 2025) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 14.5%)

2022 Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte, Pessac-Léognan, Grand Cru Classe – Score: 97+ (QPR: GREAT)
This wine is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon & 40% Merlot. The nose of this wine is incredible, probably the best wine I have tasted in my life. I am not entirely happy about writing what I am tasting. The fact that it exists makes me extremely happy, but the score I am about to give based on the nose I smell shocks me. In the end, it is what I have in the glass, and it is an improvement over 2019, even if just by a nose.
The nose of this wine is incredible, with its style, approach, precision, pop, intense brightness, and great minerality, all of which combine to create an off-the-charts elegance. The nose is truly special. The dark fruit has incredible control. It is ripe, yet it feels elegant and precise, with minerality, dirt, fruit, smoke, and tar that all come together into something extremely special.
The mouth of this full-bodied wine is incredible, layered, extracted, elegant, tart, and juicy, yet rich, opulent, not hedonistic like the ’09, not even like the ’19, which was extremely impressive but leaner; this is the best of both worlds and really takes your breath away. The blackberry, cassis, blueberry, plum, and raspberry all come together to bring opulence and elegance to a level I have never had in Kosher before. The finish is incredible; it lingers forever, with graphite, smoke, tar, minerality, rock, loam, dirt, all so elegantly constructed, with precision, elegance, fruit, minerality, and tar. Bravo! Drink from 2036 until 2045. (tasted May 2025) (in Paris, France) (ABV = 15%)