Per Bacco Cellars
Alessandro e Gian Natale Fantino
Laboro Disubbidiente Per Terra Madre Vino Rosso Barolo Nebbiolo 2011
Black Hills Estate Winery
Per Se Red wine 2014
Beautiful example of the longevity that BC Syrah has. Still fruit and balanced at 10 years — 9 months ago
Long Shadows Vintners
Poet's Leap Columbia Valley Riesling 2021
The 2021 Riesling Poet's Leap is decidedly green in character, wafting up with notes of lychee, lime zest and crushed green apple. This flows across the palate with grace, displaying a pleasant inner sweetness, as tropical citrus and saline-minerals add a lovely tension throughout. This tapers off with young mango notes accentuated by a salty flourish through the long and crisply refreshing finale. The 2021 is so balanced and refined, just 12.5% alcohol, and at just under one gram of residual sugar per liter. (Eric Guido, Vinous, March 2023) — 2 years ago
Fattoria Coroncino
Il Bacco Classico Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi
Very floral. Flowers and great minerality. None of the almond associated with verdicchio. Some spice I can’t place. Allspice? Nutmeg? Requires further research so I can give an accurate review. Had this with Pollo in Potacchio- a Marchegiani recipe. — a month ago
Philipponnat
Royale Réserve Brut Champagne Blend
The NV Brut Royale Réserve (base 2018) is a very pretty, entry-level offering from Philipponnat. Crushed flowers, green pear, spice and a touch of chamomile all grace this soft, open-knit NV Champagne. The blend is 69% Pinot Noir, 28% Chardonnay and 3% Meunier, with 26% reserve wines. Dosage is 8 grams per liter. Disgorged: November 2022. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, May 2023) — 2 years ago
Billecart-Salmon
Cuvée Nicolas François Billecart Brut Champagne Blend 2002
Today we began with a visit to Billecart-Salmon, which has been family owned since 1818. They are 7 generations strong, producing between 2 and 2.5 million bottles per year. We received our informative tour from Jérôme Lafouge. 👏
He explained how Billecart-Salmon grows and manages many of the vines used to produce their wines; they also source grapes 🍇 from other growers, but otherwise own the production process from the pressing of the grapes on… the facilities are pristine and processes are executed meticulously.
Each wine is vinified by vineyard plot. A unique feature of Billecart-Salmon is its decision to have a slow, cool fermentation process for all of its wine - both those vinified in barrels and those in stainless steel tanks - a process that takes 6 weeks to complete.
Each winemaking decision is customized based upon the type and condition of the grapes, e.g., some undergo a malolactic fermentation (where tart malic acid is converted to soft, lactic acid) while others may not, some have a first fermentation in oak where as some are stainless steel, etc.
At the end of our tour we had the pleasure to taste a few beautiful wines (pictured here).
Our favorite was the 2002 Vintage Cuvée Nicolas François comprised of 60% Pinot Noir from Mareuil-Sur-Aÿ, Aÿ, Ambonnay, and Verzenay and 40% Chardonnay from Chouilly, Cramant, and Avize.
This wine was clearly developing lovely tertiary aromas. It also had great complexity retaining its primary and secondary notes. It was disgorged January of 2016, resting over a decade on the lees.
The aromas and palate had caramel, toffee, brioche, pie crust, toast, hazelnut, cream, melted butter, honey, ginger, candied lemon peel, quince, fig, and chamomile notes.
What an enjoyable experience and we loved meeting some new friends on the tour from Savannah, Georgia and Canada.
Santé mes amis 🥂🥂🥂 — 3 years ago
Symington Family Estates
Quinta do Vesuvio Porto 2017
Deep Ruby with aromas of fresh, ripe dark fruit and notes of sweet cacao and spice, blend of Touriga Nacional 60%, Touriga Franca 30% and Sousão 10%, and at 113 grams per liter of residual sugar. On the palate pronounced flavors of blackberry, ripe plum and currants with notes of cacao and espresso. Well balanced, fine tannins, still tight, long finish ending with ripe juicy fruit, spice and earthy character. Very Nice! I would wait another 5 years! — an hour ago
Agrapart & Fils (Pascal Agrapart)
7 Crus Brut Champagne Chardonnay
The NV Brut 7 Crus is a very pretty, entry-level wine in this range. Bright, mineral and intensely vibrant, the 7 Crus is all energy. All the elements are so well proportioned. A blend of 90% Chardonnay and 10% Pinot Noir, this captures all the house signatures with tons of energy and better overall balance than in some previous editions. White flowers, chalk and citrus linger. Dosage is 6 grams per liter. Disgorged: June, 2023. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, November 2023)
— a year ago
Guffens-Heynen
Le Chavigne Mâcon-Pierreclos Chardonnay 2004
A day opened from another dinner, and shared during our cheese course. Honestly didn't focus much on this wine after the insane Comté and 13' Les Chalasses Marnes Bleues pairing. Plus, let's not forget about the battering of Rieslings that came before. One taste and I knew this just didn't have a fighting chance during the night. Too rich and creamy to match the energy of the Rieslings, yet not quite rich enough to match the 09' Lafon Perrieres. Nothing wrong per say, but it was just so average among the other wines of the night. Another one to look into again on better circumstances. — 2 years ago
Tree Kilpatrick
Funny label. Aromas are epic. Orange and berry sauce. Hint of apple pumice. A lot of rosehip too. Flavors are lovely and true to type. Citrus meets red zinger. Flowers, stone fruits, and Rainer cherries are in spades. — a month ago