Vanessa

9.5

Let’s talk about SAVENNIÈRES!!!! 📣📣

Savennières is a small but mighty appellation (AOC), located in the Anjou subregion of the Loire Valley, France and specializes in still, dry Chenin Blanc wines. 🇫🇷

Its growing environment is apt for producing concentrated and ripe fruit, translating into wines with strong aromatic and flavor intensity and higher alcohol potential. 💪🏻 It’s no wonder this appellation is all about Chenin Blanc; Chenin has naturally higher acidity, which can help lend structure and balance to the final wine. ⚖️ 🙌🏻🙌🏻

The combination of these factors sets the stage for winemakers to produce some truly powerful and age-worthy whites that can improve, gaining complexity (and softening) with some time in the bottle. 🤔 🧐 Savennières has a reputation as a more serious, cerebral wine that is meant to be savored, especially when paired with a creamy seafood dish like Coquilles Saint-Jacques! 😋 🥘

🌿This particular wine is the Nicolas Joly, Clos de la Coulée de Serrant AOC (2019) hailing from the prized enclave of Coulée de Serrant AOC (within Savennières AOC), owned exclusively and farmed biodynamically by the renowned Nicolas Joly.

This wine is surely capable of aging for decades but tonight we opted to sip this golden wine during the golden hour with unseasonably warm, summery temperatures here in Minnesota.

🐝 🍯 In the glass, we found concentrated, layered notes of honey, beeswax, yellow apple, ripe apricot, quince, chamomile, dried & crushed white rose petals, toasted almond, hazelnut, cinnamon stick, nutmeg, acrylic paint, wet stones, salted caramel, & butterscotch.

It has texture (and finish) for days and a coating mouthfeel.

🫣 Its alcohol by volume clocks in at 15%!!! But it’s well-integrated and balanced by a crisp acidity and robust aromas and flavors. 👌 — 3 days ago

with Deked1

Brian Hearty

9.1

2022. Our sommelier knew that we have enjoyed several different Chenin Blanc wines with the food at The Oven and poured me a taste of this wine from an opened bottle. Beautiful aromas of apple/apple cider/blossoms. High acidity and medium body. — 5 months ago

Todd Anderson

9.1

Drinking quite nicely at 8+ years — 8 months ago

President Obama

9.3

Looking for my new wine store in MD. — 9 months ago

Alvaro Bustillos

9.5

Diego tad milo @halcon — 9 months ago

Antra Stabler

9.9

Really bold off the hop, then leans into black cherry and aged cheese. Slightly purple tongue. Consistent throughout the bottle - really great. — 3 years ago

Edward vinken

9.2

Zacht, smaakvol, subtiel.. mooie wijn voor goede tafelgesprekken.. — a month ago

Freek Welter

9.7

From half bottle, respect!! — 2 months ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.1

2023 vintage. 8.5.26. — 2 months ago

Peter van den Besselaar

9.1

Vintage 2023 | Minerality, beautiful bitters. Chenin blanc beauty. | Paired with tartare de salmon in restaurant B Chartre sur Loir. — 4 months ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.0

Nicolas Feuillatte “Réserve Exclusive” Brut
Champagne AOC – Champagne – France 🇫🇷

Overview
A classic non-vintage Champagne blend typically composed of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay, crafted in a vibrant and approachable house style. Nicolas Feuillatte continues to deliver a fresher, fruit-forward expression of Champagne that balances energy, accessibility, and refinement exceptionally well.

Aromas & Flavors
Bright orchard fruits, candid citrus, green apple, pear, and subtle stone fruit notes layered with hints of brioche, white flowers, and delicate toasted almonds.

Mouthfeel
Lively mousse with lovely tension and balanced acidity. Refreshing, energetic, and clean while maintaining enough texture to feel complete and satisfying through the finish.

Food Pairings
Excellent with smoked trout, oysters, sushi, fried appetizers, soft cheeses, or light seafood dishes. The pairing with fatty smoked trout submerged in garlic olive oil sounds absolutely spot on, the acidity and freshness would cut beautifully through the richness.

Verdict
A surprisingly well-balanced and highly approachable Champagne that overdelivers in freshness and drinkability. Vibrant, refreshing, and dangerously easy to enjoy glass after glass.

🍷 Did You Know?
Nicolas Feuillatte became one of the largest Champagne brands in the world by working with an enormous cooperative network of growers across Champagne, allowing the house to source fruit from a remarkable diversity of villages and terroirs. — 5 months ago

Adam Baker

9.2

Drank with Stallings at Christmas happy hour. Very good light burgundy. Great with charcuterie plate or by itself. — 9 months ago

with Elissa

Alvaro Bustillos

9.1

Tito yuca aaron wero andrian dany gtz — 2 years ago

Robert Swart

9.0

Had at Balvenara’s. — 2 months ago

romo

9.3

It’s alive! Carbonic concrete confluence. She’s my cherry pie. - at Franklin PT — 2 months ago

Brian S

9.2

Excellent entry level champagne from Maillart. — 3 months ago

"Odedi"

9.3

#AgedWineTuesday

Inky in color with a short reddish rim.

Beautiful nose of black currants, plums, tobacco, licorice, light vanilla, chocolates, light cedar, espresso, herbs, earth and light vinaigrette.

Full-bodied with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with blackberries, black currants, cooked cherries, cedar, herbs, toast, light vanilla, dark chocolates, tobacco leaf, coffee, peppercorn, earth and mediterranean spices.

Long finish with round tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a gorgeous Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley. Fruit forward, rich and elegant. Very complex and engaging.

This 12 year old Cabernet Sauvignon is staring to drink at its peak now, and will continue to do so in the next 7 to 10 years.

A great sipping wine that will also pair nicely with a nice piece of steak.

100% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes from the slopes of Spring Mountain were aged in French oak barrels. A small production of less than 8,200 bottles.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$120. — 4 months ago

Tooty Frooty

9.2

Har druckit bättre cheniner från Loire, men detta var absolut inte kattkiss. #caves — 8 months ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

Merry Christmas 2025! 🎅🎄🎁 🍷 ❄️ ⛄️

As I have said, Charles Hendricks is my favorite new world winemaker for Malbec. This 12 is perfect with chocolate truffles.

Many would not get this blind. They would call Napa Cabernet or Napa Bordeaux blend.

It is around its precipice. Ripe, juicy, lush fruits; blackberries, black raspberries, black cherries, strawberries, blueberries, mocha powder, dark chocolate to chocolate mousse, nutmeg, cinnamon, clove, vanilla, dry top soil, moist to dry clays, tumbleweed, some light dry herbs, chard barrel shavings, dark spices, black tea, black licorice, dark cola, dry, crushed limestone/rocks, leather, dry tobacco, dark, withering flowers, liquid violets-lavender, grand, round, acidity, well; balanced, structured, tensioned with a polished/elegant finish that lasts minutes and long sets on spice & dry earthiness. — 9 months ago

Angelo Casagrande

8.9

Nice wine for $20. Cherry fruit and some healthy tannins, but relatively light. Nice with turkey; would be good with a lot of foods — 3 years ago