Vasanth Balakrishnan

9.2

Once this warms gently from too cold to just cool, nose: soft cherry cream, touch of vanilla and yeast rolls, toasted coconut. Fine bubbles mouthfeel, dosage is dialed-in, feels like an elegant rosé extension of their BdB house #champagne style. #reims — 6 months ago

Matthew Cohen

9.5

Wow. Great wine.

Nose is gorgeous. Cherry flower. Deep red roses. Pink roses. Incredibly sensual. A hint of lilac. A nose you can smell all day. Truly amazing. Just this rose, lilac, cherry flower amalgem. As it opens more a pure pink rose perfume. $1,000 an ounce perfume. Nose approaches a 10.

Palate is delicious. The house style silky texture. Elegant red cherries. Elegant spice. … it’s elegant. But delicious. Gorgeous and fun cherry licorice internal aromatics. Lacks the perfection of the nose else this would be higher.

Bought from fass selections — 4 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

Charles strikes again.

I said weeks ago, I’d rather drink Charles Hendricks Pinot in futures @ $75 vs. the 09 Marcassin we had two weeks back @ $150+ winery or $225+ on the secondary market. This 14, while still young, proves that point and will only continue to get better.

It’s about as luxurious as Ca Pinot gets. Just supple, soft & elegant as body gets. Candied, floral fruits of ripe; blackberries, dark cherries, blue fruits, lean purple fruits, dry cranberries, strawberries, plums, delicate but darks spices, cinnamon stick, vanillin, nutmeg & touch clove, salted caramel, mocha powder, limestone & grey volcanics, dry crushed rocks hints of peppered grilled meats, fresh & dry tobacco, dry stems/twigs, sage dominated dry Provence herbs, splash of mint/eucalyptus, tree sap with bright candied, fresh & slightly withering florals of; dark, red, purple, blue set in a field of violets & some lavender. The acidity is perfect. The long finish is; extremely well balanced & polished, elegant, fresh, just the right amount of candied with a long, dark spice finish in the long set.

The 14 really started to excel after an hour plus in the decanter.

Photos of; the outside of the Hope & Grace tasting room in downtown Yountville where you will find Charles Hendricks wines. He makes Hope & Grace wines as well. One of my favorite paintings that used to sit behind their tasting bar but, is now in Charles house. It is very Pollock like! Winemaker/Co-owner Charles Hendricks and a vineyard in region of the Santa Lucia Highlands. — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

What a really nice Rosé Champange from Drappier and an extraordinary value at Costco at $39.99. I’m not giving up my Billecart Salmon Rosé but, this is pretty close to Ruinart. At this price point, it’s being well added to rotation.

The nose reveals, ripe; black cherries, strawberries, raspberries, cherries, watermelon and orange rind citrus. Fruit blossoms, pink rose petals, nice, soft chalkiness, sea spray, sea shells, volcanic minerals and a touch of white spice.

The palate is fresh & lively. Nice micro bubbles. It’s thick and rich. The fruits are ripe and deeply concentrated. Ripe; black cherries, strawberries, raspberries, cherries, watermelon, orange rind citrus, nice, soft chalkiness, sea spray, sea shells, strong presence of gritty volcanic minerals that press deeply into the palate, a fair amount of dark spice on the palate with fruit blossoms, pink & red rose petals. The acidity is really good...lively. The long, rich, beautiful, well balanced finish persists several minutes.

Photos of, the Champagne House of Drappier, wide & really chalky caves, different oak vats they use for fermentation and one of Drapper’s Grand Cru vineyards. — 7 years ago

Severn G

9.1

So, not sure how to follow up on a night that included an incredible wine dinner featuring Ridge Vineyards... The jammy Zin's have left me looking for something a little sweeter (I have no Ridge in the house as alternative). So off to the wonderful land of pomegranate liqueur over ice. This is a dangerous bottle, hence it hasn't been cracked until tonight, I had to clean the dust off, but now it'll never make it back to the shelf...Seek and be rewarded! — 9 years ago

Matthew Cohen

9.5

Nose: lovely. Intense. Pink roses. Cherry flower.

Palate: some savoriness. Mid season cherry. Great texture. Sweet fruit. — a year ago

Carmen

9.9

Pretty much a perfect pet nat.
Light salmon pink hue
Aromas of dried roses, strawberries, and watermelon that also come through in the palate — with yeasty, earthy effervescence.
I drank this 2 years ago and still think about it… — 2 years ago

Stephen Redenbaugh

9.2

Ok...80 degrees first week of May... Hanging at the MI lake house... sounds like rose time to me. Beautiful full blown dark red rose... no wimpy French limp pink rose here. Real weight, dark notes of Cherry and BlackBerry...plenty of fruit plenty of acidity. Wine has a touch of bitter stem on the long, viscous finish. Great food wine, superb patio sipper, bring on the summer! — 5 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

The White Burgundy was excellent but, still have to have my BSR 375ml. It’s been awhile for us.

It is a little better tonight following the Burgundy & soft white cheese.

The nose on this bottle really flows out of the glass tonight. Beautiful lean fruits of; blackberries, black cherries, cherries, strawberries, watermelon near the rind, blood orange, orange & tangerine & some pomegranate. Crisp volcanic minerals, saline, sea fossils, baguette crust, vanillin, whiff of caramel, soft white spice, pink flowers and rose pedals.

Everything on the palate sings just a little louder tonight as well. Fruits are even a little richer than normal. Ripe & slightly gummy not as normal leaner fruits of; blackberries, black cherries, cherries, strawberries, watermelon near the rind, blood orange, orange & tangerine & some pomegranate. Crisp and grippy, volcanic minerals, beautiful softer, powdery chalkiness w/o quite the sharper edge it normally has, soft, hints of Provence herbs, saline, sea fossils, baguette crust, vanillin, whiff of caramel, soft white spice, pink flowers and rose pedals. The acidity is crisp, lively and dead on as alway. The long, rich, well balanced finish is deliciously refreshing and persists minutes.

Photos of; one of their Grand Cru Vineyards at sunset & inside and the Estate grounds of the House of Billecart, — 6 years ago

Matt Perlman

9.0

This was really fun—went great with shrimp and grits and roasted oysters at Husk. Grapefruit, fresh strawberries and pink peppercorns — 8 years ago

Brad Cruse

10

My go to bottle for around the house. Amazing for the price. — 8 years ago

Isaac Pirolo

9.3

Should have grabbed more of this at the time, but who knew it would be #12 on Wine Spectator’s Top 100 of 2017? No question they deserved it... Turley-esque, but more vivid. If zinfandel was fresh squeezed pink lemonade. — 9 years ago

Andrew Cullimore

8.9

Light salmon pink . Small persistent perlage . Light strawberry , cranberry and red currant on the nose . On the palate strawberries and cream with touches of raspberry , cranberry , quite light and delicate , ok balance , a little simple perhaps but very honest and well made. Drink now — 2 years ago

Ellen Clifford

8.9

Union does solid Oregon pink bubbles. Year after year for a canned wine they do the work. — 4 years ago

Shannon Hruza

9.3

In a can you say? Yes and it's delightful. Cider-like funk. Yum — 6 years ago

Bri Booth

9.6

A great white for any occasion. The blend is a perfect mix. — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

Four day weekend. Gotta get it off to a good start. Been awhile since we had our 375ml of Ruinart.

The nose shows, ripe, slightly candied; black cherries, strawberries, kirsch cherries, rich, summertime watermelon, touch of orange citrus family blend, pomegranate juice, hints of fruit roll up & haunting apricots. Sea fossils & spray, a little bread dough, grey volcanics, chalky powder, orange, spring flowers with fresh & withering, red & pink rose pedals.

The palate is full & touch gummy/candied. Fruits are well extracted, deep, ruby; black cherries, blackberries, strawberries, kirsch cherries, rich, summertime watermelon, touch of orange citrus family blend, pomegranate juice, hints of fruit roll up & haunting apricots. Ghostly, not quite fruit brandy or fruit liqueur character, sea fossils & spray, a little bread dough, not quite medium, white spice with hints of palate heat, grainy, grey volcanics, chalky powder, orange, spring flowers with fresh & withering, red & pink rose pedals. The acidity lively and crisp. The round, well balanced & polish finish is always consistently satisfying and lingers for minutes.

Photos of; the House of Ruinart, Dom Thierry Ruinart, nicely light caves and rolling, hillside, Grand Cru Vineyard.

Not quite sure where “D” gets $83 when you can buy this all day at just under $65. — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

This wine was corked in the winter of 2014. There are 45 wines in the blend ranging from 2002-2007.

The color is near blood orange. The nose shows, orange citrus, blood orange, apricots, overripe strawberries, marmalade, papaya, sea spray, sea shells, soft, powdery chalkiness, hint of volcanic minerals with withering pink & red roses and spring flowers.

The body is round, rich and full. The flavors are similar to the nose, Orange citrus, blood orange, apricots, overripe strawberries, marmalade, papaya, sea spray, sea shells, soft, powdery chalkiness, light spice, more pronounced & grippy volcanic minerals with withering pink & red roses and spring flowers.

Photos of, the house of Krug, their Salon Lounge, Krug dinning room and Krug’s wildly famous Clos du Mesnil Vineyard. — 8 years ago

Ginna

9.4

Lychee and fresh! Takes like "pink"! — 9 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

On the nose, strawberries, cherries, black cherries, blood oranges, soft, unstated chalkiness, volcanic minerals and fresh red & pink roses. On the palate, its delicate, fruit driven. More fruit concentration that the Billecart-Salmon but less than the Ruinart Rosés. Strawberries, cherries, black cherries, blood oranges, tangerines, nice chalkiness, round acidity, brioche & pink roses. It's much more floral than the Billecart or the Ruinart. However, the finish is not quite as long as the other two as well. But, it's still very nice. A little history on the house. Laurent-Perrier was founded in 1812 and is the main company of the Laurent-Perrier Group, whose other properties include; Salon, De Castellane and Delamotte & Chateau Malakoff. Laurent-Perrier was founded in 1812 when a former cooper and bottler, Alphonse Pierlot purchased two parcels of land named "Plaisances" and "La Tour Glorieux" in Tours-sur-Marne. When Pierlot passed he willed the company to his cellar master, Eugene Laurent, who ran it with his wife, Mathilde Emilie Perrier. In 1925 Veuve Mathilde died, and left the company to Eugenie Hortense Laurent. Eugenie sold the company to Mary-Louise Lanson de Nonancourt in 1939. In 1949 Bernard de Nonancourt became the owner of the company and saw it become one of the largest family-owned Champagne houses. The de Nonancourt family still retains majority ownership today. Check out those old moldy bottles in the small photo on the left. They've remained untouched for a very long time. — 9 years ago