Alvaro Bustillos

9.3

Omakase lalo — 25 days ago

"Odedi"

8.9

Domaine La Bastide Blanche Cuvée Estagnol Bandol Blanc 2019, Provence, France

Dark golden in color.

Complex nose with Indian spices, and sweet notes of honey and citrus.

Full bodied and soft with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with ripe citrus fruits, lemons, spices, earth, herbs and white pepper.

Tangy finish with limes.

This is a tangy and interesting white Bandol with some age. Rich and fruit forward.

This 6 year old feels much older than it is. Spicy with an oxidized feel. Complex, nicely balanced and entertaining.

A blend of 55% Clairette and 45% Ugni Blanc from 80 year old vines. Aged for 5 months on the lees in egg shaped concrete vats.

13.5% alcohol by volume.

89 points.

$30. — 8 months ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

⚡️⚡️⚡️I ordered more before starting my notes.

I would normally wait on a PGSC for 5 plus years, but wanted to know if I wanted more.

2019 was a challenging growing year in early & mid season but favorable August-September conditions created a quality vintage that should prove to be cellar worthy.

The Champagne Special Club, initially called Club de Viticulteurs Champenois, was founded in 1971 with 12 members. Three of those founding members, Pierre Gimonnet, Gaston Chiquet, and Paul Bara, are still active within the club of now 24 members today. The number of members changes yr to yr.

Beautiful nose of; green apple, lime zest, Meyer lemons to meringue pie, tropicals, stone fruits, kiwi, some heather honey, white spice-ginger, sea fossils/foam, yeasty bread dough, whipped cream, subtle caramel notes, limestone/volcanic minerals, white spring flowers, yellow lilies and whiffs of jasmine.

The palate is dazzling & has everything one would want. Incredible mousse & mouthfeel. It has a slight creamy texture. Simply beautiful in every way. Ripe & rich; green apple, lime zest, Meyer lemons to meringue pie, tropicals, stone fruits-yellow & white peach-nectarines, apricots & kiwi. Heather honey, nougat, some toffee/butterscotch, white spice-ginger limestone/volcanics burro their way into the center tongue/palate, subtle herbaceous quality, sea fossils/foam, yeasty bread dough, cream to whipped cream, caramel, vanillin, crumbled chalkiness for days, white spring flowers, yellow lilies, jasmine, perfect acidity, well; knitted, balanced, tension, structured, polished finish that lasts minutes starting fruit and landing on mineral-spice. So balanced.

This at $112 for Champagne is a good value today.

Bottle data: 4,020 bottles produced. 100% Chardonnay-90% from Croix-Blanche and 10% from Les Roualles. 4g dosage & my personal sweet spot. Disgorgement 9/2024.

Photos; long view of House of Gimonnet & vines, their very old rootstock, Olivier & Didier Gimmonet and their beautiful Chardonnay grapes. — a year ago

Doug Powers

9.3

Lovely older Bandol, tree bark, redfruits, still some solid structure in this one, long, lingering finish. — 6 years ago

Peter Sultan

8.9

Pronounced edge and oomph-a bit hot? Still, balanced but not grandmas rose. Heavy hitter. — 8 years ago

with Paul and Owen

"Odedi"

9.0

Dark ruby/ purple in color with a short reddish rim.

Fruit nose and medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with nice complexity.

Showing red cherries, currants, plums, chocolates, spices, tobacco leaf, dark coffee, peppercorn and licorice.

Short finish with grippy tannins and tart cranberries.

This is a very young Single Vineyard Mourvedre from Bandol. Rich, complex and powerful.

In your face kind of wine, and not very approachable right now, but showing good potential.

Needs a long time to open up, and will continue to age nicely in the next 10 to 15 years. Would be nice to revisit it in 5 years.

Better with food at this point.

A blend of 92% Mourvedre and 8% Grenache. Aged in large French oak barrels.

13.5% alcohol by volume.

90 points.

$40. — 4 months ago

Måns Nilback

9.7

Bra till fin middag. — 9 months ago

"Odedi"

9.1

Domaine La Bastide Blanche Contrechamps Bandol Blanc 2017, France

Dark gold in color, showing it's age.

Light nose and medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with nice complexity.

Showing citrus, apples, pears, light earth, spices, herbs and white pepper.

Nice length on the finish with lemons and light herbs.

This 8 year old white blend from Bandol is complex and interesting. Elegant and rich. Fruit forward and nicely balanced.

Would be nice to revisit it in 3 years, and see how it evolved.

Good by itself as a sipping wine or with food.

A blend of 53% Clairette and 47% Ugni Blanc from 50 year old vines. Aged in egg concrete vats for 5 months on its lees. A tiny production of only 1,130 bottles.

13.5% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$30. — a year ago

John Howard

Harvest production at Hirsch and Cobb Wineries

9.1

Killer value!!! — 2 years ago

Byron Hewett

9.0

Tart, cherry, cranberry. Drink ASAP. — 6 years ago

hiro

9.0

枯れかけ？二日目は今一 — 7 years ago

Chris Grimm

9.2

Wet leaves, earth, beautiful fruit. — 9 years ago

with Brooke and Thomas

Matthew Davis

8.9

Really floral on the nose- rose bushes? Maybe some saltiness too. Minerality on the palate but also cherries, floral, a bit more savory than fruity. Some acidity and medium body. — 6 months ago

Elle Cantrell

9.3

Crisp, sweet without being overpowering. Notes of strawberry — 8 months ago

Jay Kline

9.2

Hebrart: Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of an hour. No formal notes. As the name suggests, this is a selection of Jean-Paul’s favorite sites. In this case, old vine sélection massale from: Faubourg d’Enfer, Pruches, Haut Varille, Croix Blanche, Maladrie, Beauregard, Ramonette, Bisson St-Loup, Côtes, and Sente des demoiselles. All 1er cru sites, obviously and roughly 3/4 Pinot Noir with the balance Chardonnay. It’s delicious. In the Hebrart style, this is fresh with loads of bright raspberry fruit, citrus and minerals along with great acid and good bubbles. Drink now through 2037. Disgorged April of 2021 and based off the 2017 vintage. — a year ago

James Burge

8.9

black currant plum tobacco, levity and elegance on the finish, almost orchard like — 2 years ago

NataPi

8.9

Kinda like a beaune village wine. Floral with medium body. A bit lean as an 14 — 5 years ago

Kevin Simek

9.1

Very floral and honey forward. Delicious — 6 years ago

Claude Wyle

9.0

In a French restaurant Convivial tried this Bordeaux and I really liked it. Strongish but smooth finish. Good fruit. Dark color. Highlight but the meal was excellent. — 8 years ago

Alexander Wallace

9.1

Excellent, out of magnum — 10 years ago