Andrew Cullimore

9.6

Medium lemon colour . Persistent and fine perlage. This is quite restrained at first with lemon oil , toasty baked pastry and oyster shell hints . On the palate this is really quite intense , honied lemon , ginger, toasty yellow fruits , toasted nuts and quite mineral, oyster shell hints. Long and complex on the finish , fresh acidity , intense and complete . Needs a little more time, will show even better in 5 -10 years or so and over the next 10-15 years . — a month ago

Scott E. Becker

9.0

[Tasted on April 6, 2024 at Home with Linda and Joel]

Blend of 55% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay and 15% Pinot Meunier. Mandarin orange, apricot, pear and red fruits, with honey, ginger, vanilla and toast. — a year ago

Delectable Wine

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9.2

Good luck pulling your attention away from the 2017 Catarratto Praruar. All it takes is one tilt of the golden-amber-colored nectar in your glass, and its exotic bouquet of sugar-dusted ginger, dried nectarines, crushed green apple, geranium and mint creates a unique yet captivating display. This is powerful and deeply textural, with a pretty inner sweetness balanced by brisk acids and tart orchard fruits, complemented by savory brown spice and a mind-bending addition of cocoa toward the close. For all of its density, the Praruar turns squeaky-clean through the finale, yet still full of lively energy, resonating on floral-tinged peaches and pears. Frankly, this is probably the most interesting interpretation of Catarratto that I’ve ever experienced; but be aware that it is unabashedly an orange-style wine, which won’t appeal to all palates. (Eric Guido, Vinous, June 2021)
— 4 years ago

Jeroen Koenen

9.1

Grilled lemons, ginger, freshly cut green herbs, pinch of that peppery candyshop sponti-nase. Beautiful.
Powdery mouthfeel, quite concentrated.
Great to drink now.
— 4 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

They are the King’s of Champagne for a reason.

Beautiful mousse. Both yellow & white stone fruits, tropicals, lime & lemon zest/pulp, green & red apple, cream to whipped cream, ginger skin, grey volcanics-limestone minerals, white spice, taunt chalk, baguette crust, sea fossils/foam, white spring flowers, yellow lilies, excellent acidity, balance, structure, tension & elegance for days with a finish that ends balanced on fruit & minerality.

@Delmonico Steakhouse Las Vegas — a month ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.4

Light straw , very young looking . Constant very fine perlage . Quite closed at first then crushed rocks , lemon peel , ginger , white flowers , brioche . On the palate good richness and intensity , lemon , orange rind , buttered bread , touch of roast nuts . Very fine mineral tinged , intense finish . This needs time and will improve over the next 10 years or so and last well a further 5-10 . A good follow up to the 2014 , this shows more backward and will take even longer to reach its peak. Perhaps a little less detailed and precise than the very mineral 2014 but that might just be a question of needing more time in bottle. — 9 months ago

Meg Herring

9.2

Peach ginger pineapple lime orange. Very pretty now but will certainly get even better. — 4 years ago

Aravind A

9.3

Pop and pour. Notes from 4 hrs open. On the nose: freshly cut honeysuckle, then loads of flowers, mint, soft honey and wet stone. On the palate: excellent acidity, wet stone, ginger, medicinal herbs, fantastic density. Better than my last btl...definitely one of my condrieu standards. Yum! — 4 years ago

with Florent

Vanessa

9.2

“Nothing added, nothing removed” is a phrase some use to describe the philosophy of low-intervention (or “natural”) winemaking. 🌱

The winemaker is like a vessel, carrying Mother Nature’s gifts from the land (and vintage) to your glass, where each sip can transport you to a particular place and time.

Nicolas Joly is an illustrious vigneron revered for his deep commitment to biodynamics and minimal intervention winemaking. 👏 He leads his family’s estate – Famille Joly – located in the prestigious appellation of Savennières in the Anjou-Saumur region of Loire Valley and specializes in top quality, cerebral, age-worthy dry whites made from the Chenin Blanc grape.

This takes patience, strength, and resilience for which the seahorse is a spiritual symbol (among other things). 🌊 It’s no wonder the Famille Joly features this beautiful, gentle creature on its bottle and labels.

This wine comes from ‘Les Vieux Clos’ where vines are harvested at 25 hL/ha which is HALF of the appellation’s allowance of 50 hL/ha.  👀

As a result of favorable growing conditions and these low yields, the grapes were allowed to become ripe, which explains the high alcohol at 14% ABV and round but balanced fruit expression.

This wine underwent a wild fermentation, followed by a natural malolactic conversion (MLC), and then it aged 12 months in large neutral oak with no fining or filtering before bottling.

The color is pale gold. On the nose and palate are harmonious notes of yellow apple, quince, papaya, dried orange peel, citrus blossom, chamomile, ginger, saffron, cinnamon, cream, white pepper, lanolin, wet slate …

It has power and elegance, nuance and vibrancy, with a persistent finish.  We think it pairs nicely with the baked herb & lemon salmon, asparagus and couscous.

Cheers to winemakers who share a piece of their land and heritage with the world one glass at a time! 🥂🥂🥂
— 6 months ago

with Deked1

Ming L

9.0

Nose of ripe peach, pear, longan, white flower, and hint of ginger. Mousses are quite snappy for a Moscato yet gentle on the palate. Fresh acidity is a good match to the sweetness.

I don’t drink much Moscato, but this is simply lovey. — 4 years ago