Shay A

9.5

I think I have two more bottles and I’m desperately hoping that’s the case. Bought during a fabulous visit in ‘24 and a worthy replacement to Aubert (I love Aubert, but pricing is getting tough).

This was one of the wines I served for my annual WWC hosting. All wines served blind.

One of Hudson’s single block offerings from their famous vineyard. Everything you love about Hudson Chardonnays is here (rich, opulent, herb crusted yellow fruits) is here but the complexity is dialed up a touch. Yellow-gold in the glass. Initially a reductive funk aromatic but it dissipated and reversed a toasted marshmallow note I commonly get with Marcassin. Yellow fruits galore on the palate with wave after wave of flavor. Lemon cream, baking spices, salted croissant, all dance with good acidity and a lengthy finish. I’m always of the belief that Hudson fruit is at its prime when fresh, so don’t miss this window over the next few years. So good. — a month ago

Aaron Tan

9.1

There was just a suggestion of Selosse that comes to mind when tasting this; and when I say this, I'm thinking about that complex interplay of ripeness, oxidation, and oak in these wines. In typical Selosse fashion, I believe this cuvée will roll some eyes too in a blind, for better or worse. Rich autolytic and oxidative notes, gentle oak, along with ripe savory Pinot fruit, balanced by searing acidity and flinty minerality - what we have here is a deliciously intriguing wine. Notably, no ladybug in sight despite the vintage. — 6 years ago

Nick Frigo

9.2

Ladybug wine..
No pesticides but #smellslikecitronella Tastes like an aged brown wine — 8 years ago

BurgundyFan

8.9

Ladybug year — 11 years ago

Diane Dixon

Co-Founder Keep Collection, #Sommchat

9.0

Lafon #volnay 04 vintage -no ladybug effect in this beauty ! #sommchat #burgundy #wine — 12 years ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.3

2022 vintage. A heady mix of opulent and juicy overseen by recalcitrant acidity. Heavy body. Vineyards: Little Bit, Seashell, Ladybug and Good Hand. Heritage Shot Wente clone. 1.574 cases made. 11.15.24. — 2 years ago

Turd Ferguson

9.1

The perfect Thanksgiving wine. — 4 years ago

Mike Obley

9.1

Very good after 30-45 minutes. Wonderful juice and a surprise from the “ladybug” year — 5 years ago

David Kline

9.2

Hazy look of grapefruit with a few grenadine drops, and thick white crown that sits the throne like foam. Ladybug lacing. Sweet grapefruit, tangerine and lemon marmalade smells laced in leek, and green onion filaments; a healthy navel orange and persimmon. Buttered rum creaminess, turns pale with pith of grapefruit and Meyer lemon, then twists in a hint of pepper, lime peel and nutmeg pudding. The central theme is creamy orange, but porcupines with darts of intense citrus. Dangerously poised and hard to wrap your arms around. #topplinggoliath #fieldmuseum #topplinggoliathbrewingco #kingsue #kingsuedipa #ipa #doubleipa #dipa #beer #bier #biere #birra #iabeer #iowabeer #decorahia # — 7 years ago

with Courtney

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.1

This wine seriously has more bacon fat and pork than I've experienced in a bottle. The fruit is one of the last things I will have in this description. It's why there is a pig in the picture collage! I had to do it because right now that is the dominating flavor of the wine. I am going to come back to this in a bit. Let's see what happens after some time in the decanter. This starting to calm down a bit. On the nose, bacon fat, pork, grilled meats, BBQ sauce, olive, loads of milk chocolate, brine, brown sugar, dried blood, pepper, black plum, dark cherries, blackberries, faint strawberries, dry stones, loamy clay soil, scorched earth, soy sauce and decayed dark florals. The mouthfeel is thick and brooding. Everything on the nose is on the palate. The acidity is round. The finish is thick, rich with intense flavors that stick to the palate and linger endlessly. If I had more bottles of the 06 En Chamberlin, I'd wait another 8-10 years to open them. It's still a monster. Photos of; the front of their tasting room in downtown Walla Walla that is generally always closed, the stone vineyard of Cayuse that needs to be horse plowed, Christophe Baron (owner), ready to pick grapes and a field pig...just because their is so much pork in this wine. Producer notes and history...while visiting the Walla Walla Valley in 1996, Christophe Baron spotted a plot of land that had been plowed up to reveal acres of softball-sized stones. He became ridiculously excited. This stony soil, this terroir, reminded him of vineyards he had visited in France (Rhone Valley) and Spain. The difficult ground would stress the grapevines, making them produce more mature, concentrated fruit. Christophe Baron had found a new home. He named his vineyard after the Cayuse, a Native American tribe whose name was taken from the French cailloux–which means, of course, rocks. Hours of back-breaking work later, Cayuse Vineyards has become five vineyards encompassing 50 acres: Armada, Cailloux, Coccinelle (Ladybug), En Cerise (Cherry), and En Chamberlin. The majority of the vineyards are planted with Syrah, and the rest dedicated to Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Merlot, Tempranillo and Viognier. All of the vineyards are planted in rocky earth within the Walla Walla Valley appellation. Cayuse was also the first winery in Walla Walla to farm using biodynamic methods. These highly stressed vineyards average a yield of only two tons or less per acre (30 hectolitres per hectare), resulting in wines true to each vineyard’s unique terroir. Cayuse specializes in four estate-vineyard Syrahs, along with Bionic Frog Syrah, Impulsivo Tempranillo, Widowmaker Cabernet-Sauvignon, two Bordeaux blends named Camaspelo & Flying Pig and Viognier. Look for their other partnership wines; Horsepower & No Girls if you haven't already. Nearly 100% all mailing list, restaurants and secondary markets. — 9 years ago

Ron R

9.4

The Ladybug from Hudson pipped this tonight… — 2 years ago

with James and Anne-marie

David L

9.4

14’ HDV Ygacia Pinot Noir. 18’ Hudson Ladybug Chardonnay ( needs a year/ decanting) both are two of my favorites. Cheers. — 5 years ago

Matt Perlman

9.2

Wow. Fresh and bursting with purple flowers, dark cherries, ripe strawberry, soil. Portugal delivers on the value front once again. And they put a ladybug on the cork! It’s the details — 6 years ago

Aaron Tan

9.4

There's so much going on here. The contrast between oxidation and freshness, the oakiness, hint of ladybug, tension between ripe rich Chardonnay fruit and chalky minerally elements, grippy structure, and long airy finish - love it or hate it, there's just no denying the wine's complexity. Disgorged Oct 17'. — 7 years ago

Luis Arguero (@winefromAtoZ)

9.0

Dark Fruits. Vanilla. Spice. Smooth taste. — 10 years ago

Vinny Eng

9.5

Prévost. Ain't not ladybug taint here. As always, impeccable and gracious service by Josh Thomas. — 11 years ago

with Julia and Pax