Vanessa

9.3

This is the 2018 Marc Hébrart Brut ‘Special Club’ – a beautiful bottle of vintage bubbles hailing from a collection of premier and grand cru sites in the Marne and Montagne de Reims regions of Champagne, France.

When you see “Special Club” on the label of a bottle with this distinctive shape, you’re dealing with essentially a prestige cuvée of a grower-producer who’s a member of the “Club Trésors.”

Marc Hébrart joined the Club Trésors in 1985, which is an association of quality-minded grower-producers. Grower-producers operate differently than the big champagne houses (e.g., Veuve-Clicquot) in that they are smaller-scale vignerons who own the entire production process from the vineyard to the winery and cellar.

They have helped raise awareness and appreciation of artisanal champagne wines that speak to a sense of place and personality, unobscured by extensive, widespread blending.

To achieve the status of “Special Club” a wine must undergo a rigorous application process and meet minimum quality metrics culminating with in two blind tasting panels – the first tasting evaluates the base wine after the first fermentation; the second and final tasting occurs after a minimum of three years aging sur lie.

From our studies we’ve learned the 2018 vintage bore above-average fruit; the warm and dry summer paved the way for a riper expression in an otherwise marginal climate. This wine is made with 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay.

The bouquet has a medium (+) intensity of yellow and green apple, lemon zest, white peach, gardenia, almond biscotti, nougat, pastry, biscuit, and toast notes. The palate is creamy with vibrant acidity, adding lift, a fine-beaded, persistent mousse and long, elegant finish.

— 4 months ago

with Deked1

Chris Zitzman

8.9

Hints of stone fruit, pear, and a bit of minerality lead to a smooth and juicy mouthfeel. While somewhat refined, the effervescence of the Francois Seconde is a Grand Cru by name due to its origin and is notably muted- though the mouthfeel is delightful and juicy in its own way. Sillery, as noted on the label refers to the village where the fruit is sourced from multiple vineyards, and blended over several vintages. In sum, this is an affordable champagne that will not blow the doors off- but is a simple delight both in its personality and its uniqueness. — 4 years ago

with Beth

Nik Kannan

9.3

Tag isn’t exact. Very very good.. got on auction 1 of 1 during sale.. so I like canine too so.. ya lol.. hoopla hoopes and the vintner vineyard is on point.. solid drink on its own.. really darn good compliment def a 9+ .. + a dog jumping through a hoop on label.. sign me up a crate if there was 1.. 😁 — 5 years ago

Randy Fuller

9.5

This wine has a burnished look, deep brown. The nose is a treat all on its own. There are aromas of brown sugar, coffee and orange zest which combine for an amazing olfactory experience. The palate is just as joyful, with caramel, raisin and mocha notes. The acidity is fresh and exhilarating. Although the wine is described on the label as “cream,” it does not strike me as creamy. The viscosity is nice, though. It will pair well with dessert, or serve as one by itself. — a year ago

Bob McDonald

9.4

Mid Ruby red in colour with a tawny edge. Sour cherry with touches of pepper and cloves. Not as raspberry as I was expecting from old vine Mataro. With a couple of hours of aeration the raspberry notes started coming through finishing with Sandy tannins. This wine is made by the multi talented Andrew Caillard who is the supremo of Fine Wine retailer and auctioneer Langtons who allowed Andrew to make his superb range of wines under his own label using old vine Mataro and Shiraz; painted the exquisite labels himself and who achieved a Master of Wine in his spare time. I am lucky to have 5 of these beauties left. 96 points from James Halliday. — 3 years ago

Jim McCusker

9.2

From Gerhard Reisacher’s now defunct Delectus winery (actually, the winery might still be active, but he’s long gone and has his own excellent eponymous label out of Knight’s Valley), this is drinking quite well! — 4 years ago

with Vanessa

Mic Naranjo

9.1

Held on to this bottle for a couple of years. Couldn't find the actual vintage on the label but I believe it was a 2017 (maybe 2016?). I remember it being mineral, funky, lean and mean early on, but left to its own devices, it has turned rich and complex. I think we caught it just before it was a too late, but still so delicious! — 5 years ago

Tom Penney

9.3

For the money it does not get much better! Full fruit, full body. I cannot say enough about this wine. Had it St a lunch with my daughters, both loved it. A few weeks later again at dinner with friends, all took pictures of the label so they could get it on their own. Friends and daughters like say more than I could write — 2 years ago

M F

8.9

Nice Provence rose.
From the label:
COTES DE PROVENCE ROSE

Owned by the Quiot family from Châteauneuf-du-Pape, the 200 acre estate lies at the foot of Mont Sainte Victoire near Aix-en-Provence. Its winemaking facilities have been completely renewed over the past 3 years.
This is a blend of Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault, Cabernet Sauvignon, Mourvèdre.
Special efforts are made to preserve freshness and fruit by the use of CO2 gas to exclude oxygen during the harvest. This is a fresh rosé with a pretty salmon-pink color, elegant flavors of red berries, mineral notes and a clean finish. Serve this wine lightly chilled. Very nice on its own, it goes well with most dishes, specially sushi, salads, pizza and mild cheeses. — 2 years ago

Paul T HB

9.5

If Sassicia is 💯 points for 2016 you had to figure their other wine was good as well, give it another 5-10 years without any issues. 2016 was a great year over-there. This at $45 or 2016 Sassicaia at $400.00 if you didn’t buy at $175.00 early
Wine Advocate 94+ review as follows,

This wine is showing exceptionally well in this classic vintage. The 2016 Guidalberto (Cabernet Sauvignon and a smaller percentage of Merlot) opens to a full and generous bouquet and a beautifully rich and velvety appearance. This edition of Tenuta San Guido's mid-level wine offers a bigger aromatic profile, more texture and more volume as well. Dark cherry and blackberry segue to spice, tar, leather and sweet fruit at the end. The mouthfeel is elegantly shaped, silky and nuanced. This may well be the best vintage of Guidalberto I have yet to taste—and you can get this wine at a great price too.
Just south of Livorno, Tuscany, lies the Bolgheri Sassicaia DOC, and the Tenuta San Guido estate, where Sassicia is produced. The estate was originally owned by Marchesi Incisa della Rocchetta, and has been managed since WWII by his son, Niccolo. A true pioneer in the Italian wine industry, his experimenting with the introduction of non-native varieties to Italy, resulted in the world-famous Sassicaia. In Italian, Sassicaia means "the place of many stones" and is used as the proprietary name for the estate's Bordeaux-style blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. The vines of the Sassicaia vineyard were originally planted with cuttings from the prestigious Chateau Lafite-Rothschild. The wines of Sassicaia were so instrumental in creating the "Super-Tuscan" sensation that 1994, the Italian government granted Sassicaia its own DOC status in a sub-zone of the Bolgheri DOC. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel vats, and the wines are then aged in French oak barrique for 18 to 24 months prior to release. Sassicaia produces a second label called Guidalberto and recently released a third wine, Le Difese, that is virtually unavailable in the U.S.
— 3 years ago