Matthew Cohen

9.1

N: savory. A bit of meat.

P: dark fruit. A bit grippy tannins a hint of vinegar.

Alluvial 47.50 — 4 months ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

Haven’t had a Conn Creek in quite awhile. Good follow up to the Jones.

It’s ripe, juicy fruits of, dry blackberries, black raspberries, dry plum w/ skin, purple fruit hues, some stewed, dark cherries & half poached/baked strawberries. Dark/mid berry cola, dark spices, dark chocolate, cinnamon stick, nutmeg, clove, vanilla, steeped tea, dark tarry notes, anise to black licorice, dry tobacco, alluvial volcanics, used leather, some grahite, dry river stone, dry, crushed, rocks, dark, rich, earth with dry leaves, dry herbs, dry to withering flowers that are dark, red with violets, rainfall acidity and a finish with nice evolution, well balanced & structured with still good presence and polish/elegance that lasts two-minutes.

Very recently purchased at Last Bottle for $69 that will last another 5-8 years. — 2 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

Lovely. Spent sometime in neutral oak. Apple cider-green & dominate red, bruised pear, overripe pineapple juice, tropical melons, ginger ale, white cream, some overripe white peach, saline, sea fossils/spray, limestone alluvial minerals, bread dough, yeastiness, moist/wet chalkiness, yellow, white flowers, excellent, round, acidity, well; knitted, structured, nicely tensioned, balanced & evenly polished finished that lasts two-minutes. — 3 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

Happy Anniversary Sofia. I miss you honey and will forever! Cortona calling. Cheers! 🍾🥂

I had this a few years ago and thought this needed another 3-4…apparently wasn’t wrong. Not as stellar as the 07. Starting come into its own. Golden apple, green apple, lime pulp, tropical melon, just ripe pineapple, ripe pear, vanillin, caramel, cream, sea spray, alluvial limestone minerals, beautiful mid grain chalkiness, brioche, baguette crust, nice, soft yeastiness, jasmine, yellow lilies, really nice acidity, well structured, balanced, delicious finish that lasts two-minutes. 🌹 — 3 years ago

Delectable Wine

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9.2

The 2020 Chinon Rosé is a very pure, dry, mid-weight that offers delicate raspberry notes, but this is as much about structure as it is about fruit. The flint soils contribute a slight phenolic texture and length to the finish. A serious food rosé, made with a blend of 50% flint and 50% alluvial soils, and hand-harvested and gently pressed. (Rebecca Gibb MW, Vinous, October 2021)
— 5 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.1

Deep Ruby with aromas of dark fruits, blossom and sweet spice, spending 20 months in new French oak, grapes grown mostly in alluvial sandy souls. On the palate flavors of blackberry and currants with notes of licorice, cacao and spice, savory. Full fine tannins, long finish ending with fruit, spice and mineral character, slight alcohol presence. Tried about a year ago, aging well! — 5 years ago

Shengli Hu

9.0

Schist, loess, alluvial. Tart red cherry, steeped tea leaves, finished slightly sweet. Med acid, med fine grained tannins. Med+ intensity/finish. Citrusy, native yeast, fermented in vineyard. Blend of Abel, MV6, Dijon clones. 23% whole cluster, 24% new oak. Citrus - blood orange!! — 6 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

Dairyman Vineyard sits in the southern alluvial plains of the Russian River Valley near the ocean, a region where cooling fog comes in through the Petaluma Gap in the morning and once again in the evening. Medium Ruby color, with aromas of berries, tea and spices. On the palate flavors of raspberry and tart black cherry with herb, cedar and cinnamon. Fine tannins, medium+ finish with lively acidity, good structure, ending with fruit and cedar spice. — 6 months ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

Nice soft mousse body, yellow peach, tropical melons, pineapple, some lemon meringue, lime zest, slightly bitter apple cider, whipped cream, hard chalkiness, alluvial limestone, saline, sea fossils, bread crust, yeastiness, yellow florals, racey acidity, nicely balanced & structured with a finish that lasts 90 seconds.

Needs a few more years in bottle. — 2 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

This is their 2002 Vintage Brut but the top of the bottle reads 250 ANS? Maybe, an anniversary bottling. I do seek out Veuve Clicquot as much of what I’ve tried from them hasn’t to my liking. There are simply producers I enjoy more at or under their price points. But, this was quite good & the best offering I've had from them. Enjoyed it. Better than all the vintages of Grande Dame I've had. Having said that, it is not on the same par as the 02 Rare and 02 Billecart.

It was showing the right spot to starting drinking it. More reductive than oxidative. Lively, fresh acidity. Citrus blend, some of both apples, a little white stone fruit, nice brioche, soft playful yeastiness, excellent fine chalkiness, alluvial limestone, spring flowers and well done, balanced, structured, tensioned, elegant and not overly polished finish that lasted 90 seconds.

Pour at the Saturday Pebble Beach Food & Wine walk around “From the Cellar” dinner — 2 years ago

Martinez

9.4

One of Usseglio’s top cuvées, Mon Aïeul (“my granddad”) is 100% Grenache from some of the estate’s oldest vines (about 85 years of age) in La Crau, La Guigasse and Les Grandes Serres lieux-dits – each with a different type of soil.

Situated on an elevated plateau to the east of the village, La Crau is perhaps Châteauneuf’s most famous cru, known for its distinctive “galets roulés”, large, rounded river stones deposited here by the Rhône millions of years ago. To the south of the village, Les Grandes Serres is a very warm site on gravelly alluvial soils (and the source of the estate’s biggest wine, the 18% ABV “Not for You”). La Guigasse, on the other hand, is a cooler, sandier site with hardly any galets located on the northeastern part of the appellation, near the famous Pignan and Rayas lieux-dits (Chateau Rayas)

Mostly unoaked, it was brought up in concrete vats, with 15-20% in demi-muids. Ruby red color. Intensely perfumed, with notes of red and dark fruit (strawberry, raspberry), licorice and herbs. Full-bodied, rich, opulent and concentrated. Ripe fruit (cherry) and white pepper, smooth and creamy on the palate. Long, velvety, quite tannic finish. Hedonistic wine. — 3 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.1

Located on the terrace of alluvial gravel bordering the river. The "Village de La Lagune" was a tenant farm in its place and gradually transformed into a wine-growing estate. Dark purple with red fruits spice, cedar and flinty aromas. On the palate blackberry and cherry flavors with cedar, cacao, tobacco and leather notes. Fine sweet tannins, well balanced on long finish ending with fruit, spice and earthy mineral notes. Nice! — 5 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

The nose reveals; golden raisins, green & golden apple, candied, sour lemons, lemon meringue, dry apricots, yellow peach, lime candy, cream, vanillin, warm caramel, candle wax, honeycomb, melted white butter, shade of herbaceousness, chalk, saline with white spring flowers, greens & withering yellow florals.

Big, beautiful, rich mouthfeel with excellent viscosity. Beautiful & well polished. Golden raisins, green & golden apple, candied, sour lemons, lemon meringue, dry apricots, yellow peach, lime candy, cream, vanillin, warm caramel, candle wax, honeycomb, melted white butter, shade of herbaceousness, chalk, saline with white spring flowers, greens & withering yellow florals. Cool shower acidity. The balance is excellent as is the consistent, persistent finish. You get some white spice with understated heat with great alluvial limestone minerality on the long set.

Photos of; Domaine Pierre-Yves, library cellar I like to raid, 35-50 year old rootstock and Pierre in one of their Cru Vineyards.
— 6 years ago

with James and Christina

Kike Sola

9.3

Made of 38% Syrah, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Garnacha and 16% Merlot, and aged for 13 months in French oak barrels. It comes from different vineyards of limestone and plaster soils, alluvial and gravel, and clay.
Very fruity and elegant on the nose, aromas of ripe red fruit, spices, toasted, balanced, with body and volume, dense, soft and delicate tannin, it is long, persistent, greedy and long. Wonderful wine! — 2 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

Delicious. Happy 248th birthday America & all Delectable users.

Nice, soft mousse, slightly rich, gentle co2, green apple, lemon meringue, lime zest, tropical melons, both white stone fruits, kiwi, underripe pineapple juice, vanillin, some minty & dry herbs notes, semi-moist chalk power, alluvial limestone, sea spray, soft white spice, bread dough, light yeastiness, yellow florals & lilies, jasmine with fairly heavy greens, nice, round, soft acidity and a well balanced, structured, tensioned and smartly polished finish that last ninety seconds.

Photos of; Olivier and Didier Gimonnet, great grape squeeze, cellar with riddling racks and one of their sun golden vineyards. — 2 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

It’s Miller time. Well…actually Billecart time. I like this more than I buy it. One of good cuvées easily found in 375ml.

The body creamy, layered, nice c02, bruised golden & green apple, ripe Bosc pear, pineapple flesh, tropical melons-mango driven, lime & lemon zest, cream soda, cream, white spice-ginger, bread, yeast, brioche, soft but grainy moist chalkiness, sea spray/fossils, slightly chard sourdough toast, wet/softened alluvial, limestone, wet river stone, notes of flintiness, yellow lilies, white orchids, fruit blossoms, jasmine, rainfall acidity, excellent balanced fruit & earth, tension, structure with a juicy two-minute polished finish that falls onto beautiful minerality.

BTW, home grown tomatoes with Companion Bakery wheat sourdough, lightly toasted w/ olive oil, burrata, Tondo balsamic (stunning), olive oil & fresh basil never gets old. — 3 years ago

David Kline

9.3

32 years and going strong. Chanterelle and porcini with earth notes and crushed cherries and baked plum. Palate of dried blackberries and alluvial strolls, black currant and smoke. Cedar-cinnamon-tobacco triumvirate. Gloriously strong and hearty.



#chateauleovillebarton #leovillebarton #saintjulien #bordeaux #leftbankbordeaux #cruclasséen1855 #cruclassé #deuxiemecru #1990 — 4 years ago

Delectable Wine

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9.3

Sourced from a single vineyard located at the bottom of Chinon's slope on alluvial/clay soils, the 2019 Chinon Les Grézeaux is currently a bit shy in terms of revealing its fruit flavors. It’s also a hint reductive with its smoky bacon characters, but that's unimportant. What matters is the core of fruit and excellent focus. It's very relaxed and fluid with mouthwatering acidity. The tannins are more serious than the front and midpalate would have suggested and betray a little grittiness. Aged 15 months in cement, this could be opened in one to two years, but the concentration and structure offer drinking over a decade. (Rebecca Gibb MW, Vinous, October 2021)
— 5 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

The Old Vine is where their line up starts to get more interesting.

The Old Vine is thicker, richer & more brooding. The fruits are more; ruby, lush and dark. Blackberries, black raspberries, dark plum, dark cherries and strawberries overlay the top. Nicely layered baking spices-cinnamon, nutmeg, soft clove and vanilla, crushed rocks, alluvial limestone & volcanics, graphite, tobacco, used leather, dark spices, saddle-wood, cocoa, mocha, caramel with fresh & withering red, dark & purple florals. Excellent acidity and a nicely balanced, knitted & elegant finish. — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.6

Happy Valentines Day!

If you have not looked for this wine on WineSearcher.com or other, you should. Dan Standish has no American Importer. However, you can mail order off his list. Good luck with the Australian/United States import costs. Very prohibited.

Most quality Barossa wines take 15 years in bottle to show their ultimate beauty. Dan’s wines are no different. His Estate vines are 100 years old and produce 500 pounds of fruit per acre...very concentrated. Contrast that to extremely expensive & high quality Napa fruit, those Napa producers are at 2,000-2,500 pounds per acre.

We visited Standish in April 2017. We found Dan to be extremely talented & definitely marches to his own drum. He is salt of the earth and has traveled & worked in many of the world wine regions honing his craft and landing as Torbreck’s Winemaker in Barossa before starting, “The Standish Wine Company.”

As good as the 04 is tonight, it has 15 years of good life ahead...properly stored of course.

The nose is very intoxicating. It is a nice blend of purple, black & blue fruits. Mulberries, olallieberries, boysenberries, black plums, plums, blackberries, dark cherries, deeply extracted raspberries, some baked strawberries, black licorice to anise, dark fruit cola, black olive skin, medium dark spice, black pepper, charcoal, graphite, dry tobacco & underbrush, some bay leaf, alluvial soils, grey volcanic minerals/limestone with fresh & only slightly withering, purple, dark, blue florals framed in violets & lavender.

The body is full, rich, ripe, lush and creamy on the palate after a two-hour plus decant. The structure, tension, length and balance are a little short of its peak and will hold there for 5-8 years. It’s a glorious glide on the palate. The fruits are ripe & lightly baked. Mulberries, olallieberries, boysenberries, black plums, plums, blackberries, dark cherries, deeply extracted raspberries, some baked strawberries, cherry kirsch, red & black licorice to anise, dark fruit cola, black olive skin, the dark spices are heavier on the palate & bring just the right amount of heat, sweet, dark tarriness, black pepper, used, dark expresso roast grounds, charcoal, graphite, dry tobacco & underbrush, some bay leaf, alluvial soils, grey volcanic minerals/limestone, moist clay, with fresh & only slightly withering, purple, dark, blue florals framed in violets & lavender. The acidity is round, flush & perfect. The long finish is a unique even balance of; lush fruits, spice, herbs and earth that persists on the palate for minutes.

Photo on the left of Sofia’s 2 dozen long stems. Love you so much!

@Oswald — 6 years ago