Big Sur Vineyards

Salon

'S' Blanc de Blancs Le Mesnil Brut Chardonnay 1999

From mag. Fresh and clear. Lemon and limestone and fine light floral notes. Precise and pretty — a month ago

Matt LichtenbergAmanda Crawford
with Matt and Amanda
Bob, Shay and 9 others liked this

François Chidaine

Les Tuffeaux Montlouis-sur-Loire Chenin Blanc 2020

Demi-sec. Pineapple, honey, lemon rind. Not what I usually look for in Chenin, but this is undeniably a good wine. Elegant, full, and with a finish that just won’t quit. — 2 months ago

Marc Hébrart

Special Club Brut 1er Cru Champagne Blend 2018

This is the 2018 Marc Hébrart Brut ‘Special Club’ – a beautiful bottle of vintage bubbles hailing from a collection of premier and grand cru sites in the Marne and Montagne de Reims regions of Champagne, France.

When you see “Special Club” on the label of a bottle with this distinctive shape, you’re dealing with essentially a prestige cuvée of a grower-producer who’s a member of the “Club Trésors.”

Marc Hébrart joined the Club Trésors in 1985, which is an association of quality-minded grower-producers. Grower-producers operate differently than the big champagne houses (e.g., Veuve-Clicquot) in that they are smaller-scale vignerons who own the entire production process from the vineyard to the winery and cellar.

They have helped raise awareness and appreciation of artisanal champagne wines that speak to a sense of place and personality, unobscured by extensive, widespread blending.

To achieve the status of “Special Club” a wine must undergo a rigorous application process and meet minimum quality metrics culminating with in two blind tasting panels – the first tasting evaluates the base wine after the first fermentation; the second and final tasting occurs after a minimum of three years aging sur lie.

From our studies we’ve learned the 2018 vintage bore above-average fruit; the warm and dry summer paved the way for a riper expression in an otherwise marginal climate. This wine is made with 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay.

The bouquet has a medium (+) intensity of yellow and green apple, lemon zest, white peach, gardenia, almond biscotti, nougat, pastry, biscuit, and toast notes. The palate is creamy with vibrant acidity, adding lift, a fine-beaded, persistent mousse and long, elegant finish.

— 2 months ago

Deked1
with Deked1
Deked1, Vin and 16 others liked this
Vanessa

Vanessa

@David T Isn’t that interesting considering it has more than doubled in membership since then and seems to be a successful venture. Do you why the other founders left?
David T

David T Influencer Badge

In no way did I mean to lessen SC bottling’s if it was interpreted that way. There are producer ego driven personalities intermixing here and that accounts for the fair amount of change. I believe there are still 29 SC producers.
Vanessa

Vanessa

@David T Oh I was truly just curious! It is an interesting fact. 😆 🥂 Thank you for sharing it.

Launois Père et Fils

Veuve Clémence Grand Cru Champagne Chardonnay

Another beautiful champagne from the Launois family. A pale old gold color with nice perlage and intensity. Freshly baked bread and green apple aromas for days. Melons and white peaches with herbs for good measure. There’s an innate sense of lemon zest in the air that’s just magnificent.

Pure Grand Cru Chardonnay from Mesnil-sur-Oger. Four years of aging on lees gives this a resplendent and stately nature. Nice acidity and a superb mouthfeel, especially on the second day. Apples and chalk on the palate alongside vibrant citrus fruits. I struggle to think of a better value in Champagne than this. Stock up.
— 2 months ago

Neil, ESF and 1 other liked this

Domaine de la Taille aux Loups

Triple Zero Montlouis Petillant Chenin Blanc

Drinking crazy good now. Rich, layered, early season crisp pear, white peach, floral. This is better than the last bottle a year ago, and is pushing 9.4 — 2 months ago

Paul, Peter and 22 others liked this

Favia

Cerro Sur Napa Valley Red Blend 2014

Lovely floral nose. Fresh black and blue fruit, semi sweet chocolate, great minerality, very nicely integrated plush tannins. Great mouthfeel and long finish. — a month ago

Joe and Paul liked this

Delamotte

Blanc de Blancs Champagne Chardonnay

From Charleston Food and Wine Classic…Biscuit and Bubbles tasting. — 2 months ago

Tom liked this

Domaine Michel Bregeon

Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Sur Lie Melon de Bourgogne 2018

Called Alsace Pinot Gris. Lush and zippy. — 2 months ago

Austin, Tom and 4 others liked this

Joseph Phelps Vineyards

Insignia Estate Grown Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2016

Not super big but really well structured and so ready to drink . Opened up nicely with 30-45 mins of decanting . — 2 months ago

Andrew, Billy and 7 others liked this