Tom Casagrande

9.1

This is the Lot #75. Should go really well with pasta con broccoli rabe and garlic. Vigorous nose has pungent berry fruit and iodiney minerality. Rustic and fruity and zingy. Nice depth and acids. Tannins aren’t the softest but are under control. — a month ago

Loren Loftesnes

9.6

Happy Birthday Dominic! Welcome to the world! — 2 years ago

with Rosita

William Feinstein

9.3

Just pure Spring Mountain fruit. I remember sitting in folding chairs outside of their garage drinking. Great people and great wine. — 3 years ago

with Maryalice

Bruce Leboff

9.0

A beauty from the father of Garageist wine in israel. Fresh and approachable. Probably not one to age - but drinking nicely — 4 months ago

with David

Shefali Upton

9.5

Bold and smooth. Just how I like em. — 3 years ago

Krupal bhatt

9.2

Beautiful on the nose but initially closed and tannic. Day 2 and it really opened up. Will try and hold off on drinking my other 2 bottles soon- great aging potential — 3 years ago

Bob Yoon

8.9

A fun mileraly wine. Just past its prime but it certainly has my attention. — 4 years ago

Glen Shikunov

10

2014, best Rioja ever, top 10 wine of all time. Chocolate blueberries and Barcelona memories abound! — 6 months ago

Tom Garland

9.3

Annual Cliff Lede valentine's dinner in their tank room.  Always a great time with wine, food, live music (plenty of pours on the wine)

WINES:
2015 FEL Brut sparkling
2021 Cliff Lede Marla Blanc(semillon)
2020 FEL Pinot Noir
2019 Cliff Lede High Fidelity cab
2009 Cliff Lede Songbook cab
2019 Cliff Lede Songbook cab

DINNER:
Appetizers of Kumamoto oysters, Maine lobster arancini, goat cheese coquette.
Beet Salad
Potato gnocchi with truffle
Prime beef tenderloin with truffles
Chocolate framboise and red velvet cake — 9 months ago

with Karin and Brenda

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

@Delectable this is 2014 Jean-Paul & Benoît Droin, “Blanchot”

The nose reveals; candle wax, lemons, green apple, overripe pineapple, kiwi, lime pulp, pear, white peach, apricots, peach, topical melons, beeswax, honeysuckle, vanillin, creamy butter, fresh herbs, caramel, subtle chalkiness, sea fossils, limestone, grey volcanics, the lemon in Lemon Pledge, green grass, dry straw, glazed, brown butter, with fruit blossoms, yellow lilies, jasmine & spring flowers.

The palate is; rich, lush, round, waxy and elegantly smooth. Excellent viscosity. Glorious as it slips over the beautiful mouthfeel. Sour lemons, green apple, overripe pineapple, kiwi, lime pulp & candy, pear, white peach, apricots, peach, guava, topical melons, beeswax, candle wax, honeysuckle, vanillin, creamy butter, fresh herbs, caramel, subtle chalkiness, sea fossils, saline, limestone, grey volcanics, the lemon in Lemon Pledge, green grass, dry straw, glazed, brown butter with fruit blossoms, yellow lilies, jasmine & spring flowers. The acidity is; round, phat & lively. The finish is; polish, rich, lush, balance fruit & earth and has no hiccups. Great wire to wire.

Photos of; one of their Vineyards, Benoît Droin tasting through his wines & Domaine Jean-Paul & Benoît Droin,

Producer notes; The Droins have been producing wines in Chablis for nearly 400 years (their history as vignerons goes back at least to 1620). Benoît is the 14th generation guardian.

The Domaine has 13 hectares of vineyards and produces 14 different wines, including Petit Chablis, Chablis, 7 Premiers Crus and 5 Grand Crus. They prune specific to each vineyard. The wines are fermented differently by vineyard.

All their wines are fermented in mature oak. The Blanchots are all fermented and matured in tank. Vaillons, Mont de Milieu and Montée de Tonnerre receive 25 per cent of barrel fermentation and maturation, 35 per cent for Vosgros and Vaudésir, 40 per cent for Montmains and Valmur, peaking at 50 per cent for Fourchaume, Grenouilles and Les Clos. However the age of the oak and the choice of tonnelier may vary according to the cuvée. The maximum new oak is ten per cent in the Grand Crus. — 4 years ago