Simon Field | Lighter in color, soiled pewter in search of a purpose; a pungent whisky nose of peat and iodine. A strand of Speyside seaweed enjoins the ensemble; thereafter, the palate is a little sour, bitterness (citric or otherwise) informing the finale, yet somehow managing to invigorate it at the same time. | 90

Andrew Jefford | A much paler Château-Chalon than its 2011 peer. Slightly more aromatically costive than its peer, too. You have to hunt about to find much of an allusive repertoire, but it does have nuttiness, a sappy freshness, and a basmati richness. Let’s give it some time. Later, there is more breadiness apparent, and more may emerge with more bottle age, but for the time being this has none of the aromatic exuberance of some others. On the palate, it is rather lean and craggy—like the landscape itself at Château- Chalon, even down to the rocky outcrops. Dramatic, sheer, lemon-tamarind acidity dominates fallingly, in ripe style; there is some bread and soft nut, and some dessert-apple and windfall-pear complexity of fruit. But not much, at least not yet. Another wine that may merit an even higher score with longer aging. It is already, nonetheless, a true fine wine and a very good example of Vin Jaune that I would love to be able to own, to store, and to open way down the road. | 92

Roy Richards | Deep gold. A rather uncouth nose, with some volatility. High acid but does not kick on: monotone. | 84