Sipping Fine Wine

9.3

1 of CA's oldest wineries, Far Niente, founded 1885 by John Benson. Winery flourished until Prohibition, when it was abandoned & fell into complete disrepair. Stately stone shell of a winery purchased in 1979 by Gil Nickel. A big wine! Tropical and stone fruit aromas with complex spice and oak notes. On the palate apple, peach and citrus flavors, creamy, with buttery toasty oak, fig/honey tones. Long finish ending with vibrant acidity & mineral character. Consistent. — 6 days ago

Ivor

9.1

Lovely nose of fresh see breeze, shell fish and blossom. Palate of intense lemon, crème fraiche, hay and again oysters. Very mineral driven finish. Wine improves with air and slightly higher temps. — a year ago

Carter White

9.2

Wet stone, oyster shell, lemon, spice, laser sharp and lively. — 2 years ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.4

Medium lemon colour . Very fine quite persistent perlage . Quite strict and mineral on the nose , with chalk dust , oyster shell then lemon pith , honeysuckle, toasted brioche. Quite taut and focused on the palate , but with good intensity with mineral , lemon peel , brioche and lightly nutty hints . Good freshness and really good length . This is showing quite young but enjoyable now , will probably improve further over the next few years and hold well over the following 5-10 years . — 2 months ago

Charlie Tapp

9.5

Lemon oil, salinity, oyster shell and orchard fruit. — a year ago

William Paley

9.3

enough gasoline, oyster shell, and cream to pull me back online for a memory storage toggle. salt for miles at the end. — 2 years ago

with Jess

Andrew Cullimore

9.5

Quite light straw , persistent and fine mousse. Slightly toasty nutty notes , citrus peel and an oyster shell like , mineral note . On the palate very elegant but intense , citrus peel , tangerine and the saline , mineral , oyster shell notes . Long on the palate , very well balanced , with the rich creaminess balanced by vibrant , bright acidity and salinity . With more time in the glass the minerality and salinity become even more apparent, great energy. Surprisingly enjoyable now though is at the very beginning of a long life , will improve over the next 10-15 years and will hold at least a further 10-15 — 2 years ago

Lee Pitofsky

9.6

Dauvissat perfection. 2012 Preuses is in an amazing spot, riveting, chiseled, textural and pure with classic Chablisen oyster shell minerality in a tidal wave of spiced orchard fruit, lilies and the slightest nutty edge. It’s incredibly silky on the palate showing killer density without weight. Lasers of racy citrusy acids and a long saline finish round it out. Fabulous showing. — 2 months ago

Bob McDonald

9.3

Again I had this at a friends tasting last Sunday afternoon. No notes taken but I recall more honeyed and mature than Chablis oyster shell characteristics. I should add that Penfolds 1990 707 in the image to the right was exceptional. Drinking at its peak from a good vintage with still some years to go. 97 points for the 707. — 7 months ago

Jakub Kalinowski

9.2

I’m a bit of a sucker for this wine - love the baroque rich yellow fruit with the touch of white nougat contrasted by zippy lemony acidity and crushed shell minerality.
Starts broad & rich, finishes off linear & liberally taut, with just a hint of tannin.
Such lovely sipping!
— 2 years ago