Javier Gómez-Lavin

8.4

Light with a bright red cherry streak. Rose and light blueberry on the nose. Wet and very light, but with some rhône style plump fruit undergriding palate. Ends quickly, but makes a great non-cru/village beau for the weekday. Opens up after an hour or so. — 10 years ago

Javier Gómez-Lavin

9.3

Light crayola yellow with a medium consistency. Smells like a cross between an aged mezcal and a sweet Virginia whiskey: smokey, funkey and boozy. Hits with a mix of vanilla ice cream and limoncello - out of its league. Mid crashes down with edgy apple-cider tartness, which then alternates in ever fainter syncopated waves with the first strong vanilla note towards the finish. A stellar jura white for the price. Could be more bacony. — 10 years ago

Javier Gómez-Lavin

8.6

Light gold with raging streams of fine bubbles. Strong yeast and wet river rock on the nose. Doesn't carry over to palate which is characterised by lemon peel, grapefruit, piquant peppery effervescence and a burst of alkali by mid. Finish is cliff like and much too swift, leaving me with a one-punch and unlayered, undertextured, impression. Not a bad champ, but not quite what one expects with a millésime - may give the other bottles a few years to develop. — 10 years ago

Javier Gómez-Lavin

9.5

Vin jaune! Deep orange amber in color. On the nose it hits like a raisney sherry with a touch of green walnuts and - grahamcracker! Starts with sour apple acidity that blossoms into thick caramel and raw honey, fig and other dry fruits come out for mid, which coasts slowly on waves of vanilla and bourbony laced heat through the dry and long finish. A great young biodynamic yellow wine. — 10 years ago

Javier Gómez-Lavin

8.8

Takes a few hours to open up. Lighter bodied and dark garnet in color. Funky savory notes on the nose: damp earth, rotten pine, and some nuanced sharpie. Starts wet, with earth and balanced acidity that meets juniper and tart cranberry by mid. Ends with dry astringency that keeps you coming back for more. A bit paysan and unlayered--almost thought it was off or even a touch corked at first--but also a great underproducded alternative to Bourg. — 10 years ago

Javier Gómez-Lavin

9.2

Happy turkey day with a
great Loire pinot noir! Clear ruby and light bodied. Smells of cherry and earth. Starts zippy, reminiscent of pomegranate and mineral water. Moves toward steel and granite notes in mid, ends with some funky mushroom and topsoil. Easily a crowd favorite and a go to replacement for a baseline $40 burgundy cru. — 11 years ago

Javier Gómez-Lavin

9.0

Lemon, with a touch of cola, meets streams of slightly larger bubbles settling into a thick mousse. Slightly piquant at first with a bright flash of acidity (think warheads sour candy) that ebbs and joins a nutty, caramel coated, rum tinted mid. Finish is quick exiting with a touch of volatile acidity. A good wine from not the best year - I'd prefer a 2002 at the same price. — 10 years ago

Javier Gómez-Lavin

9.3

2002 is the year to beat this century! Rampant miniscule bubbles in a hay gold wine. Almond croissant and stewed pear on the nose. Starts piquant with an alkali touch, moves into a nutty and dark treacol mid, ending with buttery brioche and a whiskey-lemon laced touch of acid. I. Love. 2002. — 10 years ago

Javier Gómez-Lavin

8.3

Inky black wine. Blueberry, blackberry liquor, and a touch of sharpie on the nose. Starts loose with lemon and sweet ripened blue and black fruits. Touch of astringency and charcoal by mid and ends with a tart blueberry pie. Very food friendly and approachable Loire Malbec. A bit young and two dimensional but a great fruity weekday red. — 10 years ago

Javier Gómez-Lavin

8.5

100% cab franc rose cremant. What a great combination! Low acidity, cherries and strawberries on the nose with a whiff of white flowers. Bubbles are fewer than I tend to like, but do make a sharp impression on the palate. Starts yeasty and zippy (like a B de B), with a tart cherry and red fruit overtone (akin to a B de N), through a collected mid and a quick -- too quick, cliff like -- finish. All in all a nice surprise, there should be more bubbly cab francs out there! — 11 years ago