Light golden hue. Aromas of almond, apple, citrus, peach, pear, yeast. Medium body with high acidity. Lengthy finish. Balanced and beautiful expression of Champagne-style sparkler from California. 100% Chardonnay. — 17 days ago
Tasting group meet up with many of the regulars not able to attend . I knew the organizer invited someone whom we had not tasted with in about 15 years . He certainly made an entrance bringing this, in magnum no less. When poured it showed a fine mousse but it faded quickly. A very broad nose that hinted of some age. In the mouth it was like a sports car traveling a highway. Almond , brioche and some oxidative notes sped thru my mouth. The flavors accelerated only to linger similar to when you take your foot off the accelerator. Coasted effortlessly with no need to step on the brakes — 20 days ago
Annual birthday WWC hosting. As normal, 1 sparkler, 3 whites, 4 reds, 1 dessert, all presented blind.
As part of my white wine flight theme, I wanted to compare Hyde and Hudson side by side, then finish with Kongsgaard, since it is a blend of both.
Similar to the Hudson before it, I normally like to drink Kongsgaard on the young side, and also similar to the Hudson, on this day…it didn’t seem to have the typical opulent/massive profile. White peach and apricot upfront as well as sweet cotton candy on the nose. Ripe yellow and tropical fruits dominate the palate with sea salt, ginger and lemon cream. Faint note of butterscotch, but not near the amount I’ve found previous vintages to show. What Kongsgaard does well is have a wine of this profile but somehow find a way to have elegant qualities about it. Decant or hold a few years. — 4 days ago
Creamy, mine — 10 days ago
Popped and poured to celebrate a pretty cool personal and professional achievement; enjoyed over a two hour period. This particular bottle has been stored in my cellar since release. The 2004 “La Grande Dame” pours a brilliant yellow color with medium+ viscosity and a persistent mousse of fine bubbles. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of golden raspberry, Meyer lemon, some apple, some brioche and nuts; just a touch oxidative. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. However, I feel compelled to share that this gave me the overall impression of a sort of liquid lemon-raspberry custard croissant with shaved almonds on top. It was awesome. The finish was long and there is some palpable density in this wine. So much so that I think these easily have another 10-15 years in them. That being said, this was yummy and I wouldn’t hesitate to enjoy now. — 14 days ago
Man Coche just puts everyone else to shame. 2015 is just incredible, belying the warmth of the vintage with electric energy, racy acids and a texture that sets it apart, wrapping around the palate with tremendous density and depth to its layers. I want to smell its struck match-lemon custard bouquet all day. Still my favorite white wines along with Raveneau. — 18 days ago
Delectable Wine
Follow to learn about our favorite wines & people.
The 2013 Comtes de Champagne is a towering Champagne, as it was last year. Rich, sumptuous and explosive, the 2013 soars out of the glass with a captivating mix of tropical fruit, apricot, passion fruit, baked apple tart, mint and yellow flowers. It is one of the most explosive, extroverted Comtes I have ever tasted. Impressive. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, March 2024)
— 20 days ago