Vanessa

9.2

“Nothing added, nothing removed” is a phrase some use to describe the philosophy of low-intervention (or “natural”) winemaking. 🌱

The winemaker is like a vessel, carrying Mother Nature’s gifts from the land (and vintage) to your glass, where each sip can transport you to a particular place and time.

Nicolas Joly is an illustrious vigneron revered for his deep commitment to biodynamics and minimal intervention winemaking. 👏 He leads his family’s estate – Famille Joly – located in the prestigious appellation of Savennières in the Anjou-Saumur region of Loire Valley and specializes in top quality, cerebral, age-worthy dry whites made from the Chenin Blanc grape.

This takes patience, strength, and resilience for which the seahorse is a spiritual symbol (among other things). 🌊 It’s no wonder the Famille Joly features this beautiful, gentle creature on its bottle and labels.

This wine comes from ‘Les Vieux Clos’ where vines are harvested at 25 hL/ha which is HALF of the appellation’s allowance of 50 hL/ha.  👀

As a result of favorable growing conditions and these low yields, the grapes were allowed to become ripe, which explains the high alcohol at 14% ABV and round but balanced fruit expression.

This wine underwent a wild fermentation, followed by a natural malolactic conversion (MLC), and then it aged 12 months in large neutral oak with no fining or filtering before bottling.

The color is pale gold. On the nose and palate are harmonious notes of yellow apple, quince, papaya, dried orange peel, citrus blossom, chamomile, ginger, saffron, cinnamon, cream, white pepper, lanolin, wet slate …

It has power and elegance, nuance and vibrancy, with a persistent finish.  We think it pairs nicely with the baked herb & lemon salmon, asparagus and couscous.

Cheers to winemakers who share a piece of their land and heritage with the world one glass at a time! 🥂🥂🥂
— 9 hours ago

with Deked1

Emanuel Reitano

8.9

Would buy again under $35. Good mouth feel. Oxidative character on the nose, smells like the crust of an apple galette that’s been brushed with egg wash, or an undercooked challah french toast. Delicate bluish and greenish purples pop from the pale gold backdrop. Pretty tight bubbles but could be tighter. Could be dryer. Could be more acidic. If this had more minerality I’d love it. — a month ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.2

No formal notes . Medium garnet Ruby. Quite floral still , light red fruits, cherry . Sweet fruits on the palate but quite tannic still , with refreshing and bright acidity . Quite a big wine on the palate , with darker fruits. Intense with good length . Starting to drink well from now , and over the next 10 years I would imagine — 7 days ago

Alvaro Bustillos

9.1

Tito yuca aaron wero andrian dany gtz — 2 days ago

Karyn Fricke

9.0

Aromas of soft citrus and peach with hints of minerals. Crisp acidity, good with roasted carrots, potatoes and chicken. Clean refreshing finish and a good value. — 16 days ago

Matthew Cohen

9.3

Nose: pink roses.

Palate: so fresh. Pink rose juice. Elegant blackberries. Still young. Silky tanins. — 2 months ago

Jay Kline

9.6

Chilled and opened about an hour before dinner and allowed to gently come to temp. Served alongside charcoal grilled Thai sausage, sticky rice, coconut Thai curry, herb salad, shallot, lime, garlic, chiles. Tonight, this bottle was nothing short of remarkable. A deep golden color with gorgeous notes of squishy tropical fruit, white flowers, and turmeric. Wooly and waxy with acid for dayzzz. Stunning now but this bottle would show well through 2029 without breaking a sweat. — 22 days ago

Ted

9.2

Awesome wine. Juicy with mouthwatering acidity. — a month ago

with Jeni

Ted

9.1

Delicious to the last drop. Better the colder it gets. — a month ago

with Jeni

Byron Hewett

9.2

Paulee. The style here is now less burly than it used to be. I like the newer lighter style. — 2 months ago