Vanessa

9.2

Cheers to this historic bubbly from Merfy!

Chartogne-Taillet is the only grower-producer located in this tiny village, nestled into the southern slopes of the Massif de Saint-Thierry—the northernmost region of Champagne, & one of its oldest winemaking zones, with roots stretching back to Roman times.

Despite its early popularity, and historical significance, Massif de Saint-Thierry is less widely known today—It’s a hidden gem offering diverse microclimates & subsoils ranging from clay to sand over chalk.

We’re grateful Alexandre Chartogne is giving this region, and Merfy, in particular, a sensory voice, by crafting a range of terroir-driven champagnes that honor centuries of family farming and his formative mentorship working under Anselme Selosse.

Featured here is the “Cuvée Saint Anne”— a broader regional expression which blends vintages, villages, and varieties—60% Chardonnay, 35% Pinot Noir, 5% Meunier—from parcels in both Merfy and the grand cru village of Avize (Côte des Blancs).

In appearance, this wine is radiant gold, revealing the delicate influence of oxygen over a period of aging in neutral oak. It has a fine & persistent perlage.

On the nose are harmonious notes of poached pear, fresh apricot, apple salt water taffy, white blossom, gardenia, crusty croissant, apple crisp, cider, brioche, cinnamon sugar lefse, graham cracker pie crust, wet stones, chalk, & toasted almond.

This wine shows vitality & energy on the palate that is bone dry with lively acidity, a creamy mousse, flavors consistent with the nose, & a lingering finish.

Here’s to Chartogne-Taillet’s elegant & expressive champagnes that are deeply rooted in place. — 8 months ago

with Deked1

Dominic O'Mahony

8.9

Plenty of red cherry, stewed plum, maybe some violet aromas; but also buscuit and a hint of cumin(?) — 6 years ago

Barb Anderson

9.2

Blueberry& spice aromas layer in with ripe cherry, chocolate and a hint of mint. Long, supple finish. — 7 years ago

Michael Goldstein

9.0

I was told that only young people like beaujolais as it is tasteless to those wit developed palates. Well bravo to me and my unrefined tastebuds because this delicious lolly-water is a show stopper. Soft leather like a luxury shoe lined with velvet, subtle pepper and fermented sour strap flavors. Massif! I has this with a multi-meat rabbit pie — 8 years ago

Ondine Bocchetti

9.3

Belle complexité plus massif . Restaurant Benaton à Beaune — 8 years ago

Fredybeans

9.0

Vin jaune très clair
Ouvert 20h
Rond plein et moi avec un sucre résiduel curieux après 20h d ouverture plus en place note d anis miele fruit blanc terpène
Bouche ample plus fraîche et délicate que la veille
Note de craie touche gourmand et massif
Finale dense avec un equilibre amer frais superbe mais simple
Un bon vin mais tarif surcote — 9 years ago

with El

Tom Casagrande

9.1

The ‘22 of this wine is a worthy successor to the surprisingly excellent ‘21. Deep, bright iodine-laced mountain berries on the nose, with dark florals and spice. In the mouth it’s a little more angular and as-yet disjointed than the ‘21, but I think a year or so will pull it together. Acids, tannin, extract, moderate alcohol (14.5%) are all there, but they haven’t made friends yet. They will. Very nice. — a year ago

TheElder Pinot

9.5

Absolutely delicious, it sits well above it’s humble CDR village’s classification. Refined garrigue character, silky dusty tannins, concentrated dark fruit and balanced acidity. Looking forward to the 2010 waiting in the cellar! — 6 years ago

Fredybeans

9.4

Robe jaune claire
Nez réduit puis s ouvre lentement sur des note d agrumes confits d iode
Bouche à l attaque dense et pleine de sève et de fraîcheur
Vin très massif et carré qui en est qu à ses débuts — 7 years ago

with Pico and El

Fredybeans

9.2

Robe noire
Nez fruit noir frais pierre chaude
Bouche fraîche de mûre note de goudron de fruit noir et fleurs rouges lourdes
Très belle sans bois massif
👍👍 — 7 years ago

J Levenson

9.0

Wow! $16!!! Decant for 30 minutes. Serve at 60°. — 8 years ago

Olivier Huguenin

9.1

C’est massif!!! Voire un poil austère. Sur les fruits noirs, le cuir, léger sous bois — 9 years ago

with Stephane and JB

Antonio Gianola

9.5

Fresh lemon zest and spearmint — 9 years ago

bharat

8.9

Nice Cotes de Rhone that I picked up at Costco. I taste more earth then fruit which for me is typical of this type of wine. Low acidity and tannins. Overall a good wine that I would pick up again! — 9 years ago

Tree Kilpatrick

9.2

Classic, delicious. Smoke and wild herbs (sage, coyote-bush, chamois) after a rainstorm. Has a lovely fruit, rose-hip and hibiscus blend of flavors. This is excellent Côtes du Rhône. ‘On point’, as they say. — 2 years ago

Vanessa

9.0

Here’s a biodynamically-produced Syrah blend from Minervois La Livinière AOC, a subregion within Minervois, which is located on the slopes of the Massif Central (highlands) in the Languedoc region of France (Southern).  🇫🇷 It has 95% Syrah and 5% Grenache. 🍇

This wine comes from grapes grown on the terraced vineyards of Les Planels, where grapes have been grown for 35 years.  

👁 The color is beautifully deep and rich purple.  I see noteworthy staining and tearing on the glass.

👃 The nose is youthful with an immediate bouquet of ripe and jammy black fruit such as black plum, black cherry, cassis, and blackberry preserves. There are also dried herb notes, such as lavender, sage, thyme, also black peppercorn, anise, pencil lead, cedar, cinnamon, clove, earth, and cured meat.

This wine was fermented in an open concrete vat and aged for 12 months in French Oak barrels, 1/3 of which were new oak, lending some of the baking-spice notes to the nose. 🪵

👄 On the palate this wine is dry. It has medium acidity, a full body, high alcohol, grippy tannins, flavors largely consistent with the nose, but less juicy and more earthy on the palate, and a lingering finish.

This wine is juicy and bold and has potential for further aging. 👌👌👌

We’re pairing it tonight with leftovers from last night’s bbq 🍖 🥩 and it is a lovely pairing!

Château Maris, Les Planels, Cru La Livinières. Syrah and Grenache. Vintage 2017. ABV 14.5%. — 5 years ago

with Deked1

Fredybeans

9.0

Jaune soutenue
Nez cire fruit jaune pointe d alcool
Bouche attaque sèche et corps massif gras finale retrouvant de la fraîcheur
Un calligramme bien sec — 7 years ago

olivier goncalves

8.9

Chouette ça. De l'évolution qui fait que ce n'est pas un bon trop massif en bouche. Côté velouté. — 8 years ago

with Olivier

Buzz Archer

9.3

Smells like caramelized pears. Medium body. Tastes like raspberries and black cherries. — 9 years ago

Fredybeans

9.1

Noir profond nez réduit qui s ouvre Avec l air note de fruit noir terreuse voir un peu animal et sanguine
Bouche pleine XXL et juteuse milieu tres massif mais plein et rond
Finale suave avec des tanins présents mais qui s effacent face au fruit tres tres jeune — 9 years ago

with El