Vanessa

9.3

Weingut Wittmann is a longstanding member of the VDP – an association of quality-minded producers in Germany who impose upon themselves more rigorous rules than are imposed under German wine law, in pursuit of excellence, authenticity, & a purity of terroir expression.

This is the “GG” 2021 Wittmann Morstein Riesling, made with fruit from a Große Lage-designated vineyard site (i.e., Morestein) pursuant to the VDP classification system, which means it’s a top quality site, akin to a “grand cru” vineyard in Burgundy, capable of producing fruit for age-worthy wines of distinction.

We’re drinking it in a youthful (and still delicious!) state now – stored in the right conditions, it could age for a decade+…

In appearance, this wine has a medium lemon hue with medium (+) intensity of precise and lifted aromas and flavors including white peach, apricot, mango, kumquat, green apple, lemon peel, lime zest, blossom, honeysuckle, wet slate, flint, oystershell, saline, and petrol notes.

The palate is bone dry with medium alcohol (12.5% ABV), a medium body, and racy acidity.

It’s elegant, angular, & nuanced.

We’re pairing it with grilled, spice-rubbed pork tenderloin and roasted brussels sprouts. — 18 days ago

with Deked1

Mike Lev

9.0

At $14.99 New Jersey retail, what a QPR steal. Med/med+acidity, red and black fruit, pepper, subtle tannins, absent any overloaded oak notes. 12.5% abv. (This is Bouchon Winery, healdsburg, CA) — a year ago

Jay Kline

9.4

Popped and poured; no formal notes. As a long-time admirer of Laurence's Cuvée Réservée Rouge, this was my first time trying her Blanc. Admittedly, I have often struggled with white wines from the Rhône as they too often lack the acid I want. This is partly why I haven't made it a priority. However, I've had some very impressionable moments with well-aged Hermitage Blanc so I have remained open minded. Which leads me to this bottle of 2021 Cuvée Reservée Blanc; a blend of mostly Clairette with some Grenache blanc, Bourboulenc and a touch of Roussanne. From the very first smell, I was convinced that I had been clearly missing out. Beautifully perfumed with white flowers, cantaloupe, apricot and just a little citrus. This was so fresh, so sexy. It was equally sexy on the palate where all the notes were packaged in the most delightfully silky texture. The finish was long. It should be noted that we paired with rainbow trout, zucchini, summer squash topped with yuzu tobiko. This pairing slapped. Based off this experience, I would drink these now. That's not to say that they will be undrinkable with a few more years of age but I guess, why wait? The freshness is awesome and super compelling right now. — 2 years ago

Ron from VA

9.2

What a delicious $15, 10 year old baby CdP!! Wonderful mix of fresh herbs and dried read fruit. Wish I had a case for all the lamb and Mediterranean minded food. Thank you Mike the golf pro for the tip so long ago — 4 years ago

Daniel Ciolek

9.0

Delightful rosso! Pleasant elegant nose of cherry strawberry and rose. Light bodied with many layers fresh strawberries dark cherries leather earth tobacco and mineral with fruit dominant on the front end and earthy and tannic notes on the finish. Softened on the finish after a couple hours of air. Many characteristics of a Brunello absent some of the body density and oak influences. — a month ago

Vanessa

9.3

This is a stunning Garnatxa blend from Priorat (Catalonia), Spain!!

It’s comprised of mostly Garnatxa (Grenache), along with Syrah, and, to a lesser extent, Cabernet Sauvignon, sourced from three parcels in the sun-soaked village of Gratallops, where Daphne Glorian purchased her first vineyard – Clos Escales – back in 1989 when she founded Clos i Terraces. 🍇

In making this move, she joined equally passionate and pioneering winemakers Álvaro Palacios (L’Ermita) and René Barbier (Clos Mogador) in a rebirth of production practices in the region; as a group (with other similar-minded producers) they altered the trajectory of Priorat’s profile as a source of tip top quality wines rivaling the best on the world stage. 👏🏻

Priorat is one of only two regions carrying the “DOCa” / “DOQ” quality designation (the other is Rioja), subject to various stipulations including regular auditing by a tasting panel. ✅

This particular wine is “Laurel” which is Clos i Terraces’s second wine, next to Clos Erasmus, one of Priorat’s finest and most sought-after wines. Yet it tastes like a flagship wine in and of itself.🫶🏻🫶🏻

It is absolutely beautiful, with a medium ruby hue, medium (+) intensity of ripe and fresh strawberry, red cherry, red plum, violet, black licorice, fennel, clove, baking spice aromas and flavors. It’s dry, with medium(+) acidity, a medium(+) body, high alcohol (14% ABV), and medium tannins that are fine-grained. 😆

This wine vinified and aged in a combination of vessels, including, large oak vats, concrete tanks, second and third fill French oak barrels, and clay amphorae, lending to its texture and complexity.👌🏻👌🏻
— a year ago

Chris Koupal

9.1

Uniquely ripe and fruit forward for a Brunello. Tannins noticeably absent. — 3 years ago

DCH

9.3

Excellent Pinot Noir. Balance, structure and character could be mistaken for Côte d’Or. An incredibly well rounded wine absent the site particularities of some other great examples. The equivalent of a highly satisfying Village level wine. — 7 months ago

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.

— 8 months ago

with Deked1

Owen Mazon

9.0

Single minded but complex. Berries and acid in a nice balance. A straight line with a zag. — 4 years ago