Shell & Shale

Frog's Leap

Shale and Stone Napa Valley Chardonnay 2023

2023 vintage. Mineral and floral aroma on the nose, crisp citrus (apricot and pear) on the palate with a subtle oak and yeast flavor. Light yellow in color, not as golden as some Napa Chardonnays. Decent finish with medium acidity. Great find for under $40. — a month ago

Bob and Daniel liked this

Salon

'S' Blanc de Blancs Le Mesnil Brut Chardonnay 1997

Medium lemon colour . Very little perlage . This is quite mature on the nose with some orange rind , touch of honied brioche , dried chanterelles and some oyster shell . Some roasted almond , really quite intense on the palate , high refreshing mineral tinged acidity , orange peel , nutty , slightly honied long and quite electric finish. This holds up pretty well in the glass becoming more chalky and mineral. Drink now and over the next few years, at least on this showing . — 2 years ago

Vino, Ira and 6 others liked this

Domaine Servin

Montée de Tonnerre Chablis 1er Cru Chardonnay 2017

enough gasoline, oyster shell, and cream to pull me back online for a memory storage toggle. salt for miles at the end. — 3 years ago

Jess Paley
with Jess

Forlorn Hope

Sogni della Speccia Shale Peak Vineyard Sangiovese Blend 2015

Drinking at its peak right now. Very good. — 4 years ago

Ely and Brent liked this

Trius

Red Shale Four Mile Creek Cabernet Franc 2017

Has a roasted red color to it. The nose is velvety, nutty, and tart. On first sip, I get deep red fruit flavors with some smoke and pepper. Some mulling spices almost. I'm getting black currant, cherry, hint of honey. Has like a cedar taste on the back of it it. It's complex but smooth. Very little tannins. — 5 years ago

Miranda H
with Miranda
Miranda H

Miranda H

Rich dark mahogany colour. Smells of dark chocolate and coffee. Flavours of dark red fruits - blackberries. Subtle smoke flavour. Complex but without the pungy tannins.
8.7

Tolpuddle Vineyard

Tasmania Chardonnay 2014

Pale Lemon in colour. Nutty and yeasty aromas. Quite lean on the palate - some would say Chablisesque but no oyster shell. Strong citric acid - some leesy notes. Ideally I would like to see riper mid palate fruit. — 6 years ago

Scott, Iwan and 20 others liked this

Domaine Sebastien Dampt

Chablis Chardonnay 2025

Lyle Fass
9.3

Classic Chablis turned up several notches. The nose is pure and expressive, showing lemon, green apple, sea air, crushed stone, and a distinctly maritime character, but with more flesh and ripeness than expected. There is real fruit here, not just minerality, and it gives the wine an inviting generosity without sacrificing tension.

The palate is where 2025 announces itself. Huge energy, huge acidity, and remarkable concentration. This is electric Chablis. The fruit is bright and mouthwatering, but the acidity drives everything forward, carrying waves of limestone, oyster shell, and mineral intensity across an exceptionally long finish. There is real depth and persistence here, flirting with Premier Cru quality at times, while remaining unmistakably village Chablis in character. A textbook expression of the appellation, full of nerve, precision, and classic Dampt tension. One of the strongest examples of this bottling I can remember tasting.
— 4 months ago

Jay, Scott@Mister and 5 others liked this

Ceritas

Peter Martin Ray Vineyard Chardonnay 2018

Lemon oil, salinity, oyster shell and orchard fruit. — 3 years ago

Severn, Ira and 1 other liked this

Daniel-Etienne Defaix

Côte de Léchet Chablis 1er Cru Chardonnay 2007

Wet stone, oyster shell, lemon, spice, laser sharp and lively. — 3 years ago

Pattes Loup (Thomas Pico)

Vent d'Ange Chablis Chardonnay

Thomas Pico is one of my favorite Chablis producers. Chalk, oyster shell, under ripe green apple. Acid High. Delicious. — 4 years ago

Romain liked this

Field Recordings

Shell Creek Chenin Blanc

Perfect for drinking on a warm, sunny day — 5 years ago

Jean et Sébastien Dauvissat

Heritage Chablis Chardonnay 2018

Pale gold hue. Oyster shell nose. Crisp, crunchy, with green apples, and a clean mineral finish. Sadly, the bottle was gone in a flash, the sure sign of a good wine in our household! — 6 years ago

Lyle liked this
Lyle Fass

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Fabian Dauvissat is a terrific winemaker.

Vincent Dauvissat

Les Clos Chablis Grand Cru Chardonnay 2012

Stunning. Dauvissat perfection. 2012 Clos is perfect tonight, with more fruit definition than Preuses as expected from the site. It’s textural, chiseled and powerful with Chablisen oyster shell minerality layered in a tidal wave of spiced orchard fruit and white flowers. It’s incredibly silky on the palate showing killer volume and density with racy citrusy acids and a sea spray-like salinity to round it out. When Dauvissat is on it’s hard to beat. And this is still young. — 8 months ago

Jan, Paul and 4 others liked this

Domaine de la Pépière

Clos des Briords Cuvée Vieilles Vignes Muscadet Sèvre & Maine Sur Lie Melon de Bourgogne 2020

Lovely nose of fresh see breeze, shell fish and blossom. Palate of intense lemon, crème fraiche, hay and again oysters. Very mineral driven finish. Wine improves with air and slightly higher temps. — 3 years ago

Peter, Ira and 1 other liked this

Gilbert Picq et Ses Fils

Chablis Chardonnay 2021

Outrageous village-level Chablis. Everything I could want and more. Cheese rind, oyster shell, green apple. Wow. — 3 years ago

Vino, Ira and 2 others liked this

Domaines Brocard

Sainte Céline Chablis Chardonnay 2021

Merely good #chablis - still delicious with dried lemon, crushed oyster shell nose, distinctive precise Chablisienne acidity, atypically smells like some neutral oak and resultant spice on the finish versus my QPR benchmark Kirkland Signature Premier Cru but solid #bourgogneblanc nonetheless. — 4 years ago

Shale Oak Winery

Cabernet Sauvignon

Lovely, one of the few Cabs that can be consumed alone. — 6 years ago

Imagery Estate Winery

Shell Creek Vineyard Petite Sirah 2015

Cherry 🍒 lollipop on first taste! Mellowed a bit after getting some air. Smooth tannins. — 6 years ago

Domaine Henri Perrusset

Mâcon-Villages Chardonnay 2017

Oyster shell, tarragon, unripe peach. Beautiful stuff, perfect for eating shellfish. — 6 years ago