garry post

9.0

Love these Pinot Noir blancs. The wild tropical fruit flavors- so unlike the red wines. — 9 days ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

On a Charles Hendricks wines run here. An early finish at our rental property to attend our friends Christmas party.

Thought we’d check in on the 13. It’s still early on the Santa Lucia...needs another 3-5years in bottle.

The nose is; brooding, dark, rich, ripe, cassis. Well extracted blackberries, black cherries, black plum, plum, haunt blue fruits, black raspberries and poached strawberries. Notes of soft & elegantly, layered baking spices; cinnamon, clove & nutmeg. Dark chocolate, light caramel, understated dark spice, limestone, crushed, dry rocks, dark, moist, turned earth, just a whiff of dry herbs, dry top soil, wet clay, dark fruit cola, some black licorice with fresh & withering dark, red & blue florals framed in violets & lavender.

The body is, rich, ripe, ruby & full. There is sandy/dusty tannin presence. The structure & tension are still quite pronounced. The length & balance are good but, still require some evolution. It is round, elegant and slides nicely across the palate. Dark, rich, ripe, cassis. Well extracted blackberries, black cherries, black plum, plum, haunt blue fruits, black raspberries, dry cranberries, poached strawberries & in and out raspberries qualities. Notes of soft & elegantly, layered baking spices; cinnamon, clove & nutmeg. Dark chocolate, light caramel, understated dark spice, limestone, crushed, dry rocks, dark, moist, turned earth, dry herbs-bay leaf, a touch mint & eucalyptus, dry top soil, wet clay, dark fruit cola, some black licorice with fresh & withering dark, red & blue florals framed in violets & lavender. The acidity is round and holds the slightly higher alcohol in check. The nice, fruit finish is; plush, elegant, persistent, polished and then drifts into drier earthiness & dark spice. Better things ahead for this Charles Hendricks Cuvée in 3-5 years...picks up two score points.

Photos of, the exterior of the Hope & Grace tasting room in Yountville, their tasting salon, one of my favorite paintings that used to sit behind their tasting room bar but, now resides in Charles house and the vineyard that the fruit for this wine is sourced in Santa Lucia. — 3 days ago

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.5

Soaring nose. Gorgeous. Wow. Super high toned macerated cherries, glorious spice and minerality, amazing cotton candy, just an outrageous nose. Stoney and spicey and so so mineral. Just exuberant and insane pungent. Some smoke, game and leather as well. So transparent. Cherry flower, ripe midseason cherries. A 9.5 nose. Palate is incredible and sweet. Such thunderous and elegant fruit. Such flavor intensity. Wow. Just explodes on the palate with tiny berry fruit intensity. So so well made. This is incredible. Intensely sweet and concentrated but remains so so fine and so so elegant. This is so good. It has that sense of nobility that only the top Burg 1er Crus give. Such wonderful ripe tannins and exquisite energy and freshness. Top class. — 4 days ago

Jeff Ball

9.0

A pleasant juxtaposition of chocolate, mint, forest floor and berries. I thought this would pair better with my veal Milanese, but a syrupy Chardonnay or a crisp Chenin Blanc might’ve been a better choice. Nevertheless I very much enjoyed this Louis Jadot new world, Willamette foray. — 2 days ago

Vasanth Balakrishnan

9.1

#blancdenoir that’s really best an hour after opening but well chilled. Biscuit, faded green apple, whipped cream - great sips by the fireplace in Sonoma County. — 17 days ago

Daniel Maquin

9.0

Les vignes nobles de Sophie Bertin. Menetou Salon blanc. Sauvignon blanc 2018

Herbal nose with lemon and a bit of chalk. Very nice. The palate is well balanced, matter, a chalky touch too, a great acid frame, some grip on the sides and the end of the palate hits kind of wall, where the grip transforms into a slightly bitter, herbal touch which leads to a lemony finish. This is very good — 4 days ago

Brendan Baker

9.2

Red apple skin, raspberry, mineral, soft mousse 🔥 — 18 days ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

I have been staring down this bottle for awhile...guess tonight is the night.

Bright, candied red florals leap out of the glass followed quickly by sweet & sour cherries. Smooth, medium spice, cinnamon stick, cola, ripe, elegant, blackberries, poached to candied strawberries, stewy black plum, creamed black raspberries, pomegranate, haunting blueberries fruits, steeped fruit tea, truffle dark chocolate, tobacco notes with ash, dark, rich, moist earth, understated incense, beautifully layered, dark spices, almost black pepper, limestone alluvial earthiness, dry stems & stones with the most amazingly, bright, fragrant; dark, red, blue, purple floral wrapped in violets.

The body is round, gorgeously sexy and elegantly full. It sings on the palate. This is a good time to try a bottle if you have others as this wine will continue to improve over the next 15 years. If you love a well textured wine, this is one for you. The structure, tension, length and balance have just started down the yellow brick road to the Emerald City. Candied red florals leap out of the glass followed quickly by sweet & sour cherries. Smooth, medium spice, big cinnamon stick, cola, ripe, elegant, blackberries, poached to candied strawberries, stewy black plum, creamed black raspberries, raspberries, cranberries, pomegranate, haunting blueberries fruits, steeped fruit tea, tobacco notes with ash, dark, rich, moist earth, understated incense, beautifully layered, deep penetrating dark spices with pronounced palate heat, lightly grilled meats, hints of smokiness, almost black pepper, limestone alluvial earthiness, dry stems & stones with the most amazingly, bright, fragrant; dark, red, blue, purple floral wrapped in violets & understated lavender. The acidity is spot on. The finish is complex, well balanced, ruby polished that falls into spice, florals for days and persists endlessly on your palate and in your head long after the night is over. Gorgeous wine!!!

I am all about pairing food & wine & confident there are foods that would enhance this wine; Duck, Pork Loin w/ fruit or lightly seasoned roasted chicken etc. but, I would be a purest with this bottling. It’s simply that beautiful & gorgeous on its own.

Photos of; Domaine Faiveley, their barrel aging room, Erwan Faiveley and immaculately manicured Nuits St. Georges vineyard.

Producer notes: Domaine Faiveley is one of the biggest Domaines at 115 hectares in Burgundy and some would say, one of the best. Domaine Faiveley grapes are destemmed and fermented in new wooden vats for the finer wines and in conical stainless steel tanks for the lesser cuvées
— 3 days ago

Andrew Rasse

9.2

Killer. Super light, lazer focused, green chili, acid and rocks. Smashed multiple bottles. Guys whole lineup is fire, drank his pinot noir so fast I didn’t get a photo of the bottle — 14 days ago

Aaron Tan

9.4

Quite a number of friends have been saying that Lignier's back on form with V15 onwards, and I gotta say this wine concurs with the claim. Started off kinda blocky and oakey but with a little air, the disjointness melds, leaving behind an incredibly pure and mineralic wine. Highly perfumed - dark red fruits, floral, stoney, with a touch of animale. The palate's juicy and intense. Immense structure. Pure red berries interwoven with lovely spice, citrus oil, and meatiness. The finish is aromatic and long, driven by minerality. There's a certain brawniness and ripeness to this wine, but it still manages to maintain such a graceful presence. Superb! A real master act. — 3 days ago