Louis Martin

9.1

Lemon and grapefruit accents, medium body, nice acidity, enjoyed as our “pre-lunch” morning aperitif (since Alba is Latin for Dawn, seemed appropriate to drink as a morning wine). — 7 months ago

Jay Kline

9.7

Real talk: I’m a little embarrassed to admit that this is my first experience with the wines of Domaine Champet. When I consider that their approach to winemaking is philosophically aligned with my own preferences, how did this meeting not happen before now? Maybe it’s because they only make 1000 cases of wine a year? Maybe it’s because I live in Nebraska. Whatever the reason, it no longer matters because I have now experienced what cannot be undone. For a bit of reference, the family has a rather rich, (Romain and Maxime are 4th generation), history working with vines in the “La Viallière” lieu-dit in the Côte Brune. “La Viallière” was made famous thanks to Dervieux (yes, as in Gentaz-Dervieux). The land is…improbable to farm…with some slopes close to 60°. Everything is performed by hand. This bottling, “Les Fils à Jo” focuses on the old vines from their holdings in “La Viallière”.

Popped and poured; consumed over 5 days, best on days 3-5 and the following notes reflect such. The wine pours a deep ruby with a near opaque core and pretty significant staining of the tears. Medium+ viscosity and every so slightly turbid. On the nose, blue and black fruits with bacon fat, lavender, kalamata olive, a whisper of baking spices…some white pepper, some tobacco…wild and beguiling. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium++ tannin and medium+ acid. Incredible texture. Confirming the fruit set and other aforementioned characteristics. There’s blueberry scone and an iron-ore kind of thing going "On and on and on, on and on and on; Checka checka it out, to the breaka breaka dawn". The finish is long…as in forever…and absolutely, positively divine. If tonight is any indication, this wine will drink well past 2040. Between the Levet’s and Champet’s, there are very few in Côte Rôtie making wines like this anymore. What is certain, is that this was one of those experiences where there was a time before, and a time after Champet. Certainly one of those I won’t ever forget. — 2 years ago

Daniel P. Drake

8.9

This very nice wine the 2020 Dawn Chorus Sauvignon Blanc I opened on Thursday. From Hawkes Bay, New Zealand.

On the nose the is lime, grapefruit, white peach, melon, passionfruit, saline and minerality.

On the palate there is grapefruit, lime, melon, white peach, a bit of saline and minerality.

This wine is medium bodied with medium ti medium+ acidity that leaves you with a long fresh citrus minerality finish. Looks like a beautiful weekend so please enjoy ot to the fullest. Stay safe and healthy. Nostrovia! 🥂🥂🥂🥂 — 8 months ago

Sam Lee

9.1

7seven時🌆
This is so good, so I’m going to rate twice, it’s lemon creamy buttery is amazing and it’s stoned fruit flower and summery apricot so nice so soft and easy citrusy plays nice acidity overall, finishings soft and lemony buttery 🍋

Color is brilliant, gold yellow, pure gold yellow shine and deliciously elegantly dawn 🌆 — 2 years ago

Ron from VA

9.0

Yes, this a chamboursin fortified build….nevertheless it may be one of the best I’ve had to date! The key, I think, was that 202 was a classic vintage - avg temps and rain….so more exaggerated sugar levels, rather balance in the red hybrid fruit. This actually took on a classic ruby port profile. A rare accomplishment…well done Nate! — 3 years ago

Fredrik Finn

9.2

They have done it again, another home run from Alheit, amped up to eleven but in a fresh casing. A stunning Chenin that is all about texture
Pronoucned intense, somewhat reductive at first, but soon blooms out to expose an amazing array of aromas of fresh but ripe fruit, ripe lemons, bruised apples, honeydew melon, orange blossom followed by beeswax, cashew nuts and a very present savoury complexity with a salty breeze and dusty rock minerality.
Rich palate with a focused and tactile, high acidity that penetrates the medium full body with a pronounced fruit profile of juicy but fresh fruit, lemon juice, melon, honey, expansive complexity with a rocky and salty base note that evolves into a toffee and milky like texture through a long finish. Brilliant
— 3 years ago

Sally Wilde

9.8

Wily and coy, leading me down a dusk-lit walkway of cobblestones and cascading ivy, whispering and beckoning through the shadows to a well hidden speakeasy entrance where it knows the doorperson. Must let it open for some minutes before tasting, let the demons out and then the softness reveals itself….
sallywilde.bandcamp.com — 2 years ago

MK

8.9

Had this at Pepperoncini’s Havorford. Very smooth and easy to drink — 2 years ago

Jay Kline

9.3

Popped and poured, enjoyed over two days. Best on Day 2. In the glass, the 2019 Sandlands “Lodi” is deep ruby with a translucent core. Medium+ viscosity. On the nose, high intensity with dark cherry, ripe bramble fruit, freshly cracked Tellicherry pepper, black licorice, stone, and baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the mixed fruit set, black pepper and licorice with bergamot and baking spices. The wine is so fresh with one of the sexiest textures you’ll ever encounter in a Zinfandel. The finish is savory and the black pepper note goes "on and on and on, on and on and on, checka check it out to the break of break of dawn" (to quote Naughty by Nature). This is a truly remarkable Zinfandel from Lodi. — 2 years ago

Ericsson

9.5

This Rioja has been tamed by time. The color on this wine is medium ruby with a colorless to brownish rim. The nose is a rustic bouquet of old dry cedar, leather, and tobacco, with scents of dry dark stone fruits and dark berries. Some tertiary wet earth and damp forest floor scents as well.

The mouthfeel is captivating with oak, smoke and vanilla followed by black cherry, prune, and raisins. This is full bodied, dry, and complex with smoothed out but lingering tannings and soft acidity. Low alcohol with a finish that goes on, and on, and on till the break of dawn. You literally keep tasting everything: the dry fruit, the tannings and the acidity.

Decanted and tasted over a two hour period. Handsdown one of the best Riojas I’ve ever tasted; many thanks to Somm Rodrigo Mares at Roothouse in Guadalajara for the exceptional gift. My only wonder is how this would have tasted in twenty thirty per say. I purchase all the wines I review but do keep in mind wine always tastes best when it's gifted. Cheers to more gifts like this one.
— 3 years ago