Donald Williams

9.4

Ran out of the wine we ordered, and the bartender recommended this one. Good call. With the pork shank, it was delicious. — 4 months ago

with Bonnie

Mike R

9.4

First time trying and wow - nicely woven integrated wine but my friend and fellow wine nerd @Shay A says it best so borrowing his comments from 2018 and I quote

“Jarvis winery is one of my all time favorite winery visits in Napa. Their caves are the most impressive I've seen, along with their natural springs running through the tunnels. Their merlot is my favorite out of Napa, and their
Cab Franc is a close second. This is 95% CF, 5% merlot. It balances ripe Napa CF and Loire Valley CF. Streak of green bell pepper down the middle with herbal spice, ripe
blackberry and stemmy dark fruits. There is plum, and spice cake on the finish. This needed an hour+ for the mid palate to beefen up and match the entry and finish”

Bravo and well said Shay - glad I found my patience with this wine bud — 3 years ago

Stas Medvedev

8.9

🏅 Rating 89/100 (3,9⭐)

Juicy fruity natural wine seasoned with pepper. Savoury and floral (violets).
Tannins are ripe and sandy by texture, attacking the front of your mouth. Gluglu easy drinking wine, despite 14% Alc. Drink when thirsty while wine is young.

Blend of 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 10% Cinsault. Younger wines (15-30 years old) from Clay-limestone soils in Montbrison Sur Lez and Valréas of Côtes-du-Rhône.

Winemaking of this negoce project of Maxime François Laurent is identical to the one of his mother's (Michèle Aubèry-Laurent) famous biodynamic Domaine Gramenon. Maxime buys organically grown grapes from his friend. As in Gramenon, fruit is partially de-stemmed keeping the rest in whole bunches. Maceration lasts for 15 days in cement tanks o extract flavours and intense colours. Fermentation is done with native yeasts. Wine is then agied in oak barriques for 6 months and preserves its fruity freshness.

These natural wines rarely see sulfites, only up to 2g/hl when needed after malolactic fermentation. No fining, no filtration.

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Read my wine writing at http://stasmedvedev.lv/wine
and follow me on Instagram: @wine_talks_club — 3 years ago

Jeffrey Montesano

9.1

Had the 2016, it’s one of the biggest Pinot’s I’ve ever had. Plush, spiced finish. — 6 years ago

Aaron Tan

9.9

One of the best evenings of wine I’ve had this year, and it was just focused on this duo. Opened as inspiration for this year’s red pick at Miao Lu (a name to remember for those reading. I’ll say it here first - some of the best Pinot’s and Chard’s in the world will be coming out of this project high up in Yunnan!), and they both gave great context to the task.

When I harvested with Klaus-Peter in 2017, the vineyards bore the scars of hail, every last one of them. The damage was manifest in what we came to call "hail berries" (misshapen berries). To my untrained palate, they tasted perfectly fine. Naturally, I asked KP why we were discarding them, and his response, while not entirely unexpected, was still astonishing (paraphrasing of course): "I don't need to know precisely what they do," he said, "but if there's even a chance they might diminish the wine by 1%, they're gone. And these? They look capable of much worse."

That unyielding spirit of his was, I must admit, my torment at Abtserde, the vineyard hit hardest by the hail. We spent an entire day sorting and picking a single row - granted, the rows were long, but the pace was glacial. The true enemy, though, wasn’t the relentless sorting, but the wasps. Those little demons made an already grueling task even more daunting, dodging their stings as we plucked berries one by one, like selecting pearls from a troubled sea. What we ended up with were, quite literally, tiny gems - "caviar" berries of purity. By day’s end, the sight was something to behold. Despite the torment, the hard work was unquestionably worth it. The 17’ Abtserde is my wine of the vintage.

I’ve had the 17’ Abtserde on numerous occasions but this takes the cake as the best (note to self: best to decant a young Abtserde hard). It is a marvel of purity and depth, with its nose evoking Meyer lemon, iodine, chalk, and flint. These aromas reappear on the palate with a nearly overwhelming intensity, blending piquant brightness and mineral-rich concentration. With more air, a floral, bittersweet herbal note very typical of the vineyard appears (smells like the place even). As the evening unfolded, the wine seemed to grow younger, each glass more lively than the last. The final sip was almost painfully austere, like drinking pure limestone, its explosive palate held together by sharp acidity and a palpable, phenolic grip. The finish seemed endless. One of my best Keller experiences this year. — 5 months ago

Stefan Dolhain

9.1

2015 vintage. A project started in 2011 by Olivier Bernard (of Domaine de Chevalier fame) in Sauternes from vineyards in 3 different terroirs (Sauternes, Barsac and Bommes). Contrary to classic white Bordeaux, Sémillon is king here, reflecting in this 70% Sémillon and 30% Sauvignon blanc blend, aged in French oak. Lune d'Argent is the middle range of the estate and the heart of the production. It stands for amazing value. Drinking beautifully now, but I suspect this will age gracefully for at least another 5 years. Light brilliant yellow. Very attractive nose combining exotic fruit with minerality, flowers and brioche. Juicy fresh pineapple and grapefruit, balanced mouth-watering acidity and perfectly integrated oak. This shows the potential of great dry white wines in the Sauternes region, where the famous sweet wines are sadly suffering from low demand in lethal combination with high production costs. Grab this one by the case at only 17,90 euros. Abv. 13%. — 5 years ago

Caitlin Lise-Anne

9.3

I will definitely buy this one again. Nice and crisp and not to sweet — 10 months ago

with Marilyn and Renita

Willie Carter

9.2

A striking transparent medium gold in the glass. Really nice effervescence and intensity. Fine, consistent bubbles. Pronounced notes of mushrooms and herbs here fresh out of the gate. Really nice honeysuckle aromas and a little light yeast. A whiff of chalky minerality but it’s only momentary. Pretty floral notes with lemon peel and plenty of apples.

This is so Bollinger like, for a good reason. Fabrice Gass worked at Bollinger before starting his own project in Damery. This has all the characteristic Bollinger power and finesse. This is one of the most exquisitely balanced champagnes that I can remember, everything exactly where it should be at all times. Stately and baronial, this is quite vinous. Pinot Noir dominant with almost equal parts Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier.

Fresh, almost cutting acidity for a Brut and very lively. A lovely bit of caramel glides on the tongue with vanilla behind it. More mushroom magic and apricots. Ripe apple and limes with melon. Performed excellently in the Lehmann Grand Blanc. One of the more precise and laser focused champagnes that I have had the pleasure to try. Highly impressive. — 3 years ago

Jeremy Shanker

Sommelier at RN74

9.2

One of the best domestic Syrahs I’ve ever had. Wow. Super baconey. For lovers of the Rhône— — 5 years ago

Larry Damore

9.1

Got this one off last bottle. Very reasonably priced. Enjoyed it. It was well worth it. — 5 years ago