Reviews

Allbaer Sangiovese Le Retour

A penetrating and pungent candied red cherry fruit flavor dominates the profile in a frank delivery that pushes pronounced ripeness and alcohol to the forefront of the attack. It's a cocktail-driven…

Fulldraw Vineyard M.E.M.

Blackberries and cracked black peppercorns kick off a spicy profile that is laced with dark cassis and violet notes. Muscular but focused, and less of a bruiser than the initial unabashed hit of…

Fulldraw Vineyard Syrah Honey Bunny Fulldraw Vineyard

Big boned and beefy, with a bit of a grapey mid-palate that is luckily saved by some extra intensity and frame, the Honey Bunny is a predictable but pretty tasty Paso purple bumpkin. It's a bit…

Domaine des Malandes Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos

Currently, this is in a more straight-laced mood than the much more expressive and powerful 2019 Malandes Vaudesir. Still, this Les Clos carries decent weight and push to hold true to the site and…

Rudolf Fürst Chardonnay R

I could have easily called this out as a Grand Cru Chablis, Grenouilles perhaps, with its lime-spiked profile, complete with zipping yellow and green citrus, wet limestone, yuzu, lemon drop, and…

Domaine des Malandes Chablis Grand Cru Vaudésir

Of course now that I taste this I am slapping myself for not loading up on it. A much more intense and layered animal than its year-older 2018 sibling, this 2019 Malandes Vaudesir has everything…

Blain-Gagnard Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Morgeot

A notable amount of power makes for a slightly angular showing on the initial rollout of this wine, with some perceptible alcohol biting the finish. Linear and simple at the moment, with lemon-ish…

Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée Edition 169eme

Jazzy and brisk, with a front end that hurriedly sprints to the attack with crunchy and crisp green apple and yellow pear skin flavors that surge energy. The initial electricity is complimented by…

Nicolas Maillart Champagne Premier Cru Franc de Pied Les Coupés

This particular bottle took some time to open up. After an hour or two of slow O2 and then allowing it to open up in the glass without getting too warm, the color and palate became deeper and…

Domaine Servin Chablis Grand Cru Blanchot

A very primary and intense showing, yet one that flaunts impressive bones for future development, the Servin Blanchots is a proud papa indeed. Appropriate Cru concentration and weight, this Blanchot…

Domaine des Malandes Chablis 1er Cru Fourchaume Vieilles Vignes

Fresh and lively flavors of lemon juice, lime zest, white travertine, and white peach push through with medium-to-full intensity on the front end, holding a solid streak of acidity throughout that…

Arrow & Branch Cabernet Sauvignon Vine Hill Ranch

A singular detonation of primary berry fruit and alcohol arrives hastily and without any sense of timidity, signaling a fledgling Cabernet Sauvignon that is all flexed-up and quite brawny on its…

Domaine Henri Boillot Volnay 1er Cru Les Chevrets

This took about an hour before it opened up and needed to be at a very cool cellar temperature to be enjoyed optimally. At first, it was served at more room temperature (65+ degrees) and the fruit…

Jean Vesselle Champagne Brut Oil de Perdrix

This was a decent little number (from a split), with orange rind and lemon-strawberry water notes skipping along the palate with a dry and slightly steely entry. Stays superficial through the…

Domaine Fontaine-Gagnard Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Caillerets

Another revisit on this wine. Last sampled in April 2021. Similar to the previous bottle except that this had a certain sense of creaminess and polish on the finish that smoothed out the otherwise…

Roland Lavantureux Chablis Grand Cru Vaudésir

Limey and spritely, with an extra kick of sea breeze to culminate the flavors into an overall billowing of freshness and put-a-smile-on-your-face acidity. The Chablis typicity is evident and true,…

Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon CCS Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

A slight funk on the nose gives way to more pronounced fruit aromas of wild berries and plum. On the palate, dark berry compote is intermixed with leather, cedar, and currant notes, signaling the…

Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon "Old Sparky" Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

Oh this is a shag-a-licious mojo-kickin' beast that's all about velour robes, cigars, and a crackling fireplace at midnight. Plush, silky, velvety, and a textural kitten purr of a wine, the 2012…

Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

This is listed as either the Schrader Cabernet Sauvignon (no TK designation) or with the To Kalon reference. It seems to have been a one-bottle part of the "Super Pack" back when it was released, but…

Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon RBS Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

Much improved since my last sampling of this wine back in 2018, this vintage of RBS certainly has shown its willingness to develop in terms of breaking past the prickly barriers it was struggling to…

Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Heritage Clone To-Kalon Vineyard

A stellar performance and unquestionably the best wine in the lineup, the 2018 Heritage Clone To Kalon forces you to stop in your tracks before you even try to take a sip, with a nose that blossoms…

Louis Roederer Champagne Blanc de Blancs

Yellow citrus and white stone fruit are complimented by white travertine, fresh pizza dough, honeycomb, salt rock, quince, lime pith, clementine albedo, and white floral notes to offer up a gourmand…

Laherte Frères Champagne Extra Brut Les Vignes d'Autrefois

Prickly and slightly rustic on its initial entry, this vintage of Vignes d'Autrefois hucks a few prongs on the attack, pricking the palate with steely and acidic shots that almost numb the senses…

Opus One

No one likes to be told what to do or how to experience something as personal as wine, so I'll couch this by way of some soft metaphors and in a way that is hopefully a bit more palatable…

Wren Hop Pinot Noir Killing Moon

It's been three years, and a revisit of this wine since 2018 reminds me of why there is so much appeal to be had here, what with the powerfully modern style doing its best to meet halfway with a…