Reviews

Drew Family Cellars Pinot Noir Fog Eater

Cranberry water, twigs, green peppercorns, and faint citrus rind. Fairly diluted and also a bit bitter. Lacks depth and complexity. Wait for a few years if you are holding bottles in hopes it fattens…

Drew Family Cellars Chardonnay Bahl Briney

Yellow and green apple notes are complimented with lemon water and faint unripe white peach notes. Medium intensity, with a straightforward band of flavoring. Misses in the depth and complexity…

Saxum White James Berry Vineyard

A blend of 46% Grenache Blanc, 31% Roussanne, 23% Chenin Blanc, the 2019 Saxum White displays quite a beautiful core of deeply pitched yellow melon and peach notes counterbalanced with judiciously…

Turtle Rock G2

If you've been on a quest for an awesomesauce inoculation of huckleberry Hubba Bubba mainlined into your flavor muzzle, the Turtle Rock G2 may very well be the Forever 27 yurple drank syzzurp that'll…

Dönnhoff Hermannshöhle Riesling Großes Gewächs

This thing needs a decent tick of time before it (hopefully) starts showing what it's all about. It has crystalline purity and the typical lemon/lime spritz thing going on, but it doesn't necessarily…

Domaine Louis Michel Chablis 1er Cru Butteaux Vieilles Vignes

This has come along nicely since last year. More depth and yellow fruit flavor to be had to match the white fruit and acid. Less of a grippy animal, settling nicely into quite the affable spirit.…

Domaine des Malandes Chablis Cuvée Tour du Roy Vieilles Vignes

Performs exceptionally well on both succulent and energetic levels given its class. Peachy and lemon juicy, with a saturating mouthfeel that begs to be drank now. It's not going to MIT or anything,…

Etienne Sauzet Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Combettes

Seriously good juice. A few years ago when I was first tapping a number of Etienne Sauzet wines, they were showing undeniable purity and verve. Additionally, now they appear to be spreading their…

Château Beausejour (Duffau Lagarrosse)

Checking in on this wine after a couple of years, I was somewhat surprised how agreeable it was showing. There is a gentle firmness encapsulating the steeped plum and black cherry flavors, but the…

Carlisle Syrah Radiant Ridge

Primary and fairly straight forward right now, with a linear expression of the varietal. Unripe crunchy plum, pomegranate seed, Concord grape, and raspberry seed dominate the profile. Next-to-no…

Hubert Lamy Saint-Aubin 1er Cru En Remilly Blanc

Bright and electric, with searing and near teeth-clattering acidity, the En Remilly is so vibrant and shining that it almost hurts to take it down now. Yet, with flavors so pure and distinct, you…

Marie-Courtin Champagne Présence

70% Chardonnay. 30% Pinot Blanc. 2018 vintage. Zero dosage. Bottle stamped "LP18D0121ND". No other markings on the label or the bottle. I'm going to guess that 18 is the vintage reference (though I'm…

Nicolas Maillart Champagne Premier Cru Franc de Pied Les Coupés

At The Shota SF. A perfect pairing for the 15+ courses of sashimi, nigiri, and other modern creative/hybrid omakase menu dishes. The cut and acidity are allowed to show in tandem with the food due to…

Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Petit Chablis

A bit of a waxy/dry extract feel to the glossy yellow citrus and stone fruit, with a balanced acidity that keeps the succulence in proper focus, this 2019 Petit Chablis is silimar to its 2018…

Doyard Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut

What a difference a vintage makes. The 2012 was beautifully creamy and silky, while this 2013 is electrifying and superbly nervy. Like biting into a fresh green apple coated with sea salt and lemon…

Hubert Lamy Saint-Aubin 1er Cru Clos de la Chateniere Blanc Vieilles Vignes

Continue to hold for a few years. A two hour decant expanded the flavors and allowed the salty and chalky white and higher-riding yellow fruit to deepen. Excellent energy and intensity. Try to hold…

Tusk Estates L'Orange

PnP, which was a mistake. A good amount of heat right out of the gate. This bottle was reluctant to let the fruit loose from its youthfully angular frame. A lot of power here that currently overrides…

Cliff Lede Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

Serious business here, with a dark and gravelly profile that strikes both chiseled and black sappy chords. This could use another year or three to fully resolve and unwind, but with a decent decant,…

Case Paolín Asolo Prosecco Col Fondo

Much less interesting and memorable than a fun and fascinating Masot fiabe di vino Col Fondo I had last summer, this Case Paolin Asolo carries a fairly standard flavor profile akin to your…

Robert Moncuit Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut Les Chetillons

Quite elegant and sophisticated, with a silky-smooth texture that glides across the palate effortlessly, the 2013 Les Chetillons carries a magnificence in posture and stride that is at first…

Château de la Dauphine Fronsac

Seemingly shut down and strikingly less exuberant than its flashier showing back in 2019. Best advice is to leave this alone for a few years. It's a $20 buck chuck (or 'Charles' I suppose, since we…

Künstler Hochheimer Hölle Riesling Großes Gewächs

Lime pith, green apple skin, and quince dominate, with a spritzy and linear posture that comes off primary and juvenile, this Kunstler is a bit of a straight shot cough drop at the moment. Flint and…

Perchance Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard

Had a chance to quick-like thieve a sample of this from tank the other day...

Castellare di Castellina I Sodi di S. Niccolò Toscana IGT

A pleasant but fairly restrained and primary showing, this 2016 presents a lighter mid-palate concentration that, though showing light on its feet and airy, holds its cards back with limited fruit…

Joseph Drouhin Beaune 1er Cru Clos des Mouches Rouge

Day 1 was a solid showing once it crawled out of its shell after a few hours of air. The nose was pretty skunky initially and the fruit slightly reserved, but the budding complexity was notable. Cork…