Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

This was good. There were some well made 22’s.

This is a different wine every yr, different cooks & vineyards.

2022 Napa Cabernet’s more than less boil down to when did you harvest, before or after the 10 days of intense heat during the harvest window.

Sold by the Oakville Growers.

2026 Taste of Oakvile — 7 days ago

KRISTIE

9.2

Winemaker Loris Delvai met with winegrowers in all of the wine producing regions of Italy to understand their relationship with their vineyards and terroir. The very best grapes from each region were selected to produce this highly rated wine. This rich, full bodied red blend shows flavors of cherry and blackberry with hints of raisin. — 3 years ago

John Tan

9.2

Xmas eve 2022 at Changwen’s. Held its own next to the Cristal. Earthy, complex, fresh. Qianni liked it a lot.

Champagne Blanc de Chardonnay by Chavost is the result of 100% Chardonnay from grapes grown on the Domaine's 5 hectares of vineyards in Chavot-Courcourt, a commune of south of Epernay in the Vallée de la Marne, which have been officially converted to organic farming.

The cuvée is made only from the juice of the first pressing (tête de cuvée) and among its special features is the use of concentrated grape must during the vinification process.
Vinified 100% in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats, this Champagne has no added sulphites, and it is characterised by spontaneous alcoholic fermentation and malolactic fermentation through the use of indigenous yeasts and bacteria. Final dosage within the parameters of Extra-Brut with no added sugar.

The Champagne Blanc de Chardonnay, opens on the nose with creamy notes of yeast; then it is enriched with more mineral notes, toast and yellow fruit. The palate is round and fresh, slightly chalky with a fluid and light finish that encourages tasting. It pairs perfectly with fish-based main courses.

All Chavost Champagne in the "sans sulfites ajoutés" range are Champagne with a strong personality, and their identity is also conveyed by the labels that pay tribute to the winegrowers who founded the Cooperative and from whom everything began. — 4 years ago

Ron from VA

9.3

***RESERVE*** aged 30months in Fr & Am Oak. This was the first vintage of 3 yr fruit. Dave Collins is a freaking master - one of the East Coasts most prolific winegrowers/vintners! This bottle is DIFFERENT from standard Malbec, and produced from one barrel, IIRC. Hyper concentration with remarkable balance for its Pedigree/Vintage. Meanwhile remaining varietally correct. Opening a special bottle today with charcuterie board and later Mongolian beef over rice. Liquored Black cherries and Anise dance romantical from start to finish. A touch of Smokey Tar on the long finish wrapped in dark Colombian cocoa (75%) — 5 years ago

Romain Fitoussi

9.1

A very natural Syrah, by Burgundian winegrowers. Aging for one year in old casks. Crunchy and spicy, with peppery and liquorice flavors. Blindly we think of a high-quality Croze-Hermitage. As is often the case with low-sulfur wines, there is good volume and freshness. An accessible and refined wine. A beautiful domaine whom I discover the different vintages, each more successful than the last.

Une Syrah tres nature, par des vignerons Bourguignons. Élevage d’un an en fût ancien. Croquant et épicé, avec des saveurs poivrées et réglisse. À l’aveugle on pense à un Croze-Hermitage de haute facture. Comme souvent avec les vins peu soufrés, on a beau volume et de la fraîcheur. Un vin accessible et raffiné. Un beau domaine dont je découvre les différentes cuvées, toutes plus réussies les unes que les autres. — 5 years ago

Frank B

9.3

Light body. Nice nose. Good finish. — 6 years ago

carmen

9.5

Bright, effervescent pet nat ~ crisp notes of apple, pear and slightly almond with a zesty lemon finish — 3 months ago

Kliff

9.3

Farm Stand — 7 months ago

with Gail

Ron from VA

9.1

Wow - I can’t believe it tasted so good at 10 years plus. Two vineyard sites - grown by two separate winegrowers… Such harmony and rustic balance. — 3 years ago

Peter van den Besselaar

9.2

Vintage 2015 | 60 % Cabernet Franc 40 % Cot from vignes that are 30 to 50 years old. 18 months barrel aging, 8 months in bottle. 35 hl/ha. I decanted the wine 2 hours in advance. Medium transparency, cardinal red rim. Red currant and blackberries, full bodied with character, fine acidity. Drinks supple with a bitter touch. This is really good. Certainly for its modest origin. But you can’t say that - it seems - these days because dedicated winegrowers can be found everywhere. | Paired with ostrich stew. — 4 years ago

Joe Weinberger

9.0

Texas weirdness but still has that texture that I enjoy in Chenin. — 5 years ago

Yi-Fen Li

9.8

Commis bev pairing, aged mineraly oily delicious grüner veltliner (St. Urban, patron saint of winegrowers, on label) paired with hokkaido scallop, sunchoke potage, crab xo sauce, french sorrel — 5 years ago

David Kaplan

9.1

This isn’t a Malbec. But if you’ve ever tasted a blockbuster Fabre-Montmayou Malbec, another great review and 95 points from Decanter, lobbed onto such a modestly priced wine shouldn’t be a big surprise.

And for everyone who hasn’t yet tasted an Hervé Fabre wine, let this dark purple, sun-warmed sweet raspberries and black cherries-infused Cabernet Franc be your introduction to one of the greatest winegrowers in Argentina.

Praised by the judges at the 2020 Decanter World Wine Awards for its “ripe nose with fresh red fruits and lively notes of green vegetables and capsicum,” this is the Fabre wine that walked off with a Gold Medal, and was recently featured by Eric Asimov of the New York Times as one of “20 Wines under $20 That Revive and Restore.” — Moore Brothers Wine Co.
— 5 years ago

Romain Fitoussi

9.0

After the Chiroubles, I taste this second Cuvée from the Domaine; confirming the admirable know-how of these winegrowers who love a job well done. Biodynamic Fleurie which does justice to the appellation: nose of red fruits and cherries accompanied by rocky floral nuances and something that resembles peppermint. (Vintage effect?). The palate confirms this generosity, with a carbonic maceration that suits the Gamay grape so well, without being prominent here. The finish unfolds on roasted and typical sour cherry notes. It’s very greedy. Immediate pleasure at a very affordable price.

Après le Chiroubles, je goûte cette deuxième cuvée du Domaine; confirmant l’admirable savoir faire de ces vignerons amoureux du travail bien fait. Fleurie biodynamique qui fait honneur à l’appellation: nez sur les fruits rouges et griottes accompagné de roches nuances florales et quelque chose qui ressemblerait à la menthe poivrée. (Effet millésime?). La bouche confirme cette générosité, avec une macération carbonique qui sied si bien au cépage gamay, sans pour autant être proéminente ici. La finale se déploie sur des notes torréfiées et griottes typique. C’est très gourmand. plaisir immédiat à prix très abordable. — 6 years ago

Peter van den Besselaar

9.2

vintage 2017 | There are some magician winegrowers in Franken and Weltner is one of them | amazing feinherb riesling paired with dim sum — 3 months ago

Kyra Williams

9.6

Good wine, love the story/ wine maker the most.
(From the beginning she was best to use the mechanisms of biodaynamic viticulture, since 2007 she has been certified and part of the famous winegrowers' association "Renaissance des Appellations" by Nicolas Joly with very strict access criteria. Although it mostly produces single vintage champagnes, these are not shown as vintage champagne, because in isolated cases it can combine two vintages. The champagnes are usually produced without a dosage.) — 3 years ago

Shay A

9.5

One of the bottles I provided for a co-hosting with Mark at the City Club wine group. Poured alongside Mark’s 2012 Oakville Winegrowers mag.

En mag. I was curious to see how this showed upon opening, and it unsurprisingly needed a quick decant to blow off some funk. As a blind pour, it’s tough to get to Mourvèdre heavy in profile, but it absolutely is what makes older CdP so magical. Beautiful faint ruby in the glass. A bit leathery and maybe even a small hint of brett, but then it evolved to show potpourri, spiced red and black fruits and garrique. In the glass, the expected savory notes come out with smoked meat, gaminess, black pepper baked-rhubarb, little bit of truffle. Elegant. Good acidity. Delicious finish! — 3 years ago

Peter van den Besselaar

8.9

NV In one generation we saw a major change in how organic vintners are perceived. The techniques and knowledge also made leaps forward. Organic vintners were seen as weirdo’s in the past - nowadays winegrowers have to justify why they do nót work biodynamic. It has become more common. I do not know why the big producer Codorniu puts ‘ecologica’ on the label? It is not a unique selling point, is it? The cava is very pleasant: lively with pretty fruitiness. Impressions of lime. From Xarel-lo and Parellada. Perfect with the Sunday scrambled eggs for breakfast. — 4 years ago

Erik Longabardi

9.1

Long Island fruit, and it shows. Lovely sea breeze aroma and tropical notes on nose and pallet. Structured. One of their best wines they made. — 5 years ago

Courteny Morehouse

9.2

Date drank: November 2019
Year: 2017
Producer: Oyster River Winegrowers
Grape(s): unknown
Region: Maine/East Coast 
Purchased from: Producer 
Distributor/Importer: NA
Natty: yes! No to low sulfites, native yeasts, no interventions. Unfiltered
Notes: Solid table wine, would go great with pizza. Lots of fruit and bright notes, but heft and body as well to stand up to bigger dishes. Grapey american wine taste.  — 5 years ago