Somm David T 
J. Lassalle
Special Club Brut 1er Cru Champagne Blend 2012
The 2012 J. Lassalle Special Club is made from 60% Pinot Noir & 40% Chardonnay. The vines average 50 yrs old. Hails from Chigny-Les-Roses. Winemakers Chantal Decelle-Lassalle and Angéline Templier farm using the practice of Lutte Raisonnée, which means they fall just short of organic. Sustainable but use minimal chemicals. Rain during and at the end of the season when Mother Nature doesn’t dry the grape clusters, chemicals are often necessary to prevent mold. This isn’t Sauternes!
Texturally, it is quite nice. Beautiful fine mousse and micro oxygenation. Lively but not aggressive acidity.
Green & golden apples, pear, pineapple, lime/lemon with zest, orange citrus blend, green melon & kiwi. White spice, bread dough, nougat, limestone bits, thick chalky powder, graham cracker crust, melted caramel, vanillin, saline, sea fossils, understated herbaceous notes, fruit blossoms, spring flowers with an elegant, smartly polished, well balanced, nicely structured-crafted finish that lasts 90 seconds & lands on volcanics & spice on the long set.
You could make case for 94 here. Perhaps fully with a few more yrs of bottle age.
Pairs well with the Jasper Hill Farms Limited Edition of their Champagne washed Harbison soft white. — 9 days ago
Covert Estate
Sage Hill Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2023
Julien Fayard makes the Covert. He worked with Philippe Melka for yrs before going out on his own. Julien also makes the Nicholson Jones wines.
I went to taste’s the Nicolson Jones wines but they set up the coverts for me. My host said they upgraded me.
The Covert wines are spendy. North of $225 at the winery. This is my first experience having them.
Having said that, most of the 23 Napa reds show amazingly beautiful fruit. This had that. These are really soft and nicely layered but they just didn’t stand up-out at their price point. For me, just not compelling.
This was slightly better & showed a bit more but rounding up to 94. Definitely, shows the herbal sage on the nose. — 10 days ago
Etienne Sauzet
Puligny-Montrachet Chardonnay 2022
Beautiful, round & waxy.
Somewhat sour Meyer lemons w/ a slightly syrupy quality, green apple, honeycomb, citrus blend framed in lime pulp & zest, slightly dry stone fruits w/ apricots in the lead, marmalade bits, tropical melons, pineapple lightly baked in brown sugar, caramel, white spice, notes of dry herbs, dry limestone powder w/ bits, mixed in volcanic minerals, saline, sea fossils, dry stone, hints of flint, yellow lilies & flowers, beautiful, round acidity, well crafted-balanced-tensioned, layered elegant finish that lasts minutes landing on spice w/ a little heat on its long set. — 2 days ago
Regusci
Patriarch Stags Leap District Red Blend 2013
I have posted on a number of occasions that Charles Hendricks is the most underrated Napa Winemaker. It happens in every world region. He made Regusci’s wines through 2013. The relationship ended midway through the 2014 vintage. Patriarch & Angelo’s are their best cuvées when he made them. 2013 an amazing vintage.
I scour the secondary markets for his James Cole and Regusci vintages. Recently, there were many and I bought them all. They are harder and harder to find. Becoming very rare.
This 2013 in fine shape. The cork perfect as is the state of the wine.
Charles’s magic is he makes wines that are elegant young and will age effortlessly & get better.
This 2013 is still in its ascending phrase and will drink well for another 5-10 yrs.
The entry is lush-juicy-ripe; blackberries, black raspberries, black cherries, black plum skin, plum, poached-baked strawberries w/ hues of raspberries-blueberries-pomegranate. Dark chocolate to cake, mocha powder, caramel, mid berry cola, softly layered baking spices-clove, nutmeg-cinnamon-vanillin, dark, mid tensioned spices, dry twig, limestone powder, dry stone, grilled meats, moist volcanic clays, mostly sandalwood to soft cedar notes, dry tobacco, old leather, hues of graphite, dark rich earth topped with dry earth & leaves, notes of mint-eucalyptus, dry to withering dark, red, blue flowers framed in fading red roses, excellent acidity with a finish that shows firmness, balance, beautiful structure-tension with elegance, lasts minutes and falls on spice & earthiness on the long set.
This will work its way towards 96-97 in the next few yrs. — 9 days ago
Cellar Arts
Nicholson Jones Selection Napa Valley Proprietary Cabernet Franc Cabernet Sauvignon 2022
This was a nice Cabernet Franc. I enjoyed the style of the Nicholson Jones slightly better than the coverts. Although the overall style is similar. It was smooth, elegant and consistent wire to wire. But again, just never popped like I felt it should. — 10 days ago
Covert Estate
Clone 341 Coombsville Cabernet Sauvignon 2023
Julien Fayard makes the Covert. He worked with Philippe Melka for yrs before going out on his own. Julien also makes the Nicholson Jones wines.
I went to taste’s the Nicolson Jones wines but they set up the coverts for me. My host said they upgraded me.
The Covert wines are spendy. North of $250 at the winery. This is my first experience having them.
Having said that, most of the 23 Napa reds show amazingly beautiful fruit. This had that. These are really soft and nicely layered but they just didn’t stand up-out at their price point. For me, just not compelling. — 10 days ago
Pierre Gimonnet & Fils
Cuis 1er Cru Brut Blanc de Blancs Chardonnay
Gimonnet is one of the true quality producers in Champagne with good QPR. You could make a case for rounding up here to 92 but I don’t think it is quite there, yet.
100% Chardonnay. 100% Cuis 1er Cru in the Côte des Blancs. The vintage blending:
6 vintages.
70% 2021.
30% 2014-2020.
Disgorgement 1/25
Dosage 6g
The palate shows nice mousse. Red & golden apple, pear, white peach, lemon but more lime pulp w/ some zest, pineapple hues, bread dough, ginger-ale, gentle white spice, melted caramel, slivered almond, graham crackers, cream, vanillin notes, crumbled limestone bits, grey volcanic minerals, saline, oyster shells, white spring flowers set in greens, gentle but lively acidity, well crafted-balanced, nicely toned with an elegant, smartly polished finish that lasts nearly two-minutes and lands on somewhat punchy minerals.
Excellent finishing up the other 1/2 wheel of the Jasper Hills Limited Edition Champagne Washed Harbison creamy, white cheese. — 2 days ago
Cobb
Emmaline Ann Vineyard Pinot Noir 2014
Something to help the transition from Champagne to Cabernet.
Cobb & Hirsh Pinot Noirs are quite similar to me. Both well made, are good but have never astounded.
This 2014 is near its precipice.
The body is round & inviting. I sense a touch of tannins. Black cherries, blackberries, poached strawberries, pomegranate, just a hint of rhubarb, hovering raspberries, plum, haunting blueberries and black raspberries. Tree sap, hints of eucalyptus, dry crushed rocks, dry twig, light clove, some nutmeg, cinnamon, and feathery vanillin, lightly grilled meats, mix of fresh and used tobacco with soft ash, old used leather, soft, black pepper, mid dark spice, sandalwood, sandstone, red, purple and dark flowers, nice acidity with a softly tensioned, nicely balanced, elegantly, soft finish that lasts 90 seconds and lands softly on mid toned spices on the long set. — 9 days ago
Nicholson Jones
Sleeping Lady Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
I went to Covert to taste the Nicholas Jones Sleeping Lady. I have two vintages (14 & 16) in my collection but have never had one. I bought on recommendation from @Paul T HB.
I had hoped to try their 2023 but they are still tasting their 2019. Per my host, they hold back their Sleeping Lady awhile longer to age further in bottle.
This 2019 was the best in the tasting. It demonstrated to me that I could open my 14 or 16 or continue to hold awhile longer.
I would say that the Nicholas Jones demonstrate more depth & character over the Covert. — 10 days ago
Somm David T
Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator
There is an origins story for me w/ this producer. You can read about it by clicking my post from 55 weeks ago.
This bottle fazed between 92-94 while enjoying. I opened it and let it breathe in bottle for 45 minutes and then decanted it in stages…a 1/3, 1/3 & 1/3. I believe that was the right decision.
This 97 still has not ridden off into the sunset, it is just the other side of its peak. 28 yrs from creation & 26 yrs in bottle. I look at a Cabernet/reds from when it went into bottle vs its birth yr. All my opening decisions are made from that point. Humans don’t count their time in womb, I see wine similarly.
The fruits are still beautiful & its evolution is amazing. There is a core of dark currants surrounded by cassis. Ripe; blackberries, black raspberries, black plum with heavy skin, black cherries, secondary; raspberries, dark cherries & strawberries. Cherry cola/licorice. Dark spices w/ a touch of heat-hard to find better, moist clays, soft, layered baking spices-clove, nutmeg, cinnamon & vanillin, dark chocolate baking bar, mocha powder, caramel, anise to black licorice, dryish tobacco with ash, used leather, dry crushed rocks, limestone powder, volcanic ash, fire ambers, saline, some black pepper, tumbleweed, dry river stone, black tea, very lightly grilled pork, florals for days that are; dark, red, blue, lavender framed in violets, perfect acidity with a great balance, well structured/tensioned, elegant finish that lasts minutes and falls on dry earth & spice as it long sets. Wonderful style!
To quote Robert Lewis Stevenson, “Wine is Bottled Poetry!” — 2 days ago