Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

I’ve started to enjoy Marc Herbrart Champagne’s in the last six months. There are just over 20,000 grower producers in Champagne…hard to try them all in many lifetimes. Basically, impossible. I picked up some of his 2019 Blanc de Noirs today on Last Bubbles for $79…used a coupon and got the free ship. I bought two of these at Costco last weekend for $56.99. Had a glass at the end of last Friday night w/ friends. Enjoyed it, but wanted to taste it and write notes with a clean palate.

This lives up to that price point and slightly exceeds it. 91.5 rounding up to 92.

The nose has a sour Lemonhead candy quality (that’s a 1st time wine descriptor for me), white stone fruits-peach, nectarine, lime zest, cream, honeydew, brioche, saline, chalk, sea fossils, ginger, hues of ginger ale, white Spring flowers with greens.

The palate shows nice mousse…crisp. It leans into reductive but flashes some oxidative quality. White stone fruits-peach, nectarine, Meyer lemon, lime zest, lychees, Rainer cherries, some apple cider, bruised Bosc pear, cream, honeydew, pineapple juice, brioche, some caramel saline, gritty chalk-limestone-volcanics minerals, sea fossils, white spice-ginger with some palate punch, ginger ale notes, jasmine, white Spring flowers with greens with a well balanced, knitted, polished and elegant finish that lands dead smack on minerality and lasts two-minutes.

One thing I have been meaning to bring into the light with a post on Champagnes in general but haven’t yet is, I studied the hell out of French Wine Winemaking Laws. Perhaps, the strictest or at least one of the most restrictive in the world…growing, labeling, certain varietals for certain wines. Basically 3 grapes are primarily used in Champagne but 7 are allowed; Pinot Noir, Chardonnay & Pinot Meunier are the primary ones and Arbane, Petit Meslier, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris are the ancillary ones. 5 grapes only in Bordeaux blends and you cannot irrigate there either. You get what the season gives you. Having said all that, there seems to be some allowed leeway in Champagne labeling…Extra Brut, Brut and Demi-Sec etc.. Nature is 0 to 3g, Extra Brut is 3 to 6g and Brut is 6-9g etc. This Marc Herbrart is 5.5g, which technically makes it Extra Brut. Yet it’s labeled Brut. I see this all the time. I regularly see champagnes labeled Brut that are 10-11g or more. So, if you care about the sweetness level of your Champagne, you should probably read up on the champagne you’re about to buy. Given how strict French Wine Laws are, I find this a little baffling.

This Marc Hebrart received its cork March 2, 2023 and as I mentioned, its dosage is 5.5g.

Photos of; Champagne House-Marc Herbrart, the man himself-Marc Herbrart, perfect vineyard Chardonnay grapes & vista of their vineyard(s). What rows!!! — 9 days ago

Aaron Rankin

9.1

Richer and more austere than expected of Sandhi. Vanilla lemon curd. Clear, though moderate oak. Med- acid, a touch too low to balance the oak. Sandhi’s house style evokes Chablis, and this is more white burg. It’s nice, but not what I was expecting and I prefer other Cali producers for this style. — 5 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

With BBQ Chicken & Roasted, Rosemary Potatoes on opening night of the D&S Lounge.

John Alban’s wines remind me most of all the California producers/versions of North Rhone or Côte-Rôtie wines. Côte-Rôtie translates into for us as “Roasted Slope.” I assume that’s why his craft was dubbed as the “Original Rhône Ranger.”

Although this has the roasted characterizations of those wines, this certainly has more ripe, ruby style fruits. Also, more purple & blue fruits.

John’s higher end wines, Reva & Pondora remind me of the a French producer, Rostaing. Those two vineyard productions more closely mimic the Rostaing style.

The Patrina is a good intro into Alban wines. You can tell it is a direct descendant but, for far less money. The others are better but, this carries the best wine value in their line up.

The nose reveals; roasted & candied fruits of; blackberries, dark cherries, poached strawberries, black raspberries, black plum, black cherries, creamy raspberries & blue fruits. Used, French expresso roast grounds, anise to black licorice, purple fruit cola, coarse, ground, black pepper, dark spices, fresh tobacco leaf, cigar smoke, dry stems, dry crushed rocks, limestone & volcanic minerals, bay leaf, some sage, black tea, black olives, bandaid notes, saddle-wood to cedar, graphite notes with dark, fresh & withering, red, blue & purple candied florals, violets framed in a field of candied lavender.

The body is; lush, ruby, big and like velvet. The tannins are round but, still pack, chewy, tarry, meaty tannins that are 45-50% resolved. The structure, tension, length and balance are in a good place but, will hit a peak in five to seven years. The 2010 Patrina still has room for improvement and will last another 10-15 years. It is simply wine candy. Roasted & candied fruits of; blackberries, dark cherries, poached strawberries, black raspberries, black plum, black cherries, creamy raspberries & blue fruits. Used, French expresso roast grounds, anise to black licorice, purple fruit cola, coarse, ground, black pepper, dark spices with just the right amount of palate heat, grilled meats, chestnuts, fresh tobacco leaf, cigar smoke, dry stems, dry crushed rocks, moist clay, limestone & gritty volcanic minerals, dry stone, bay leaf, some sage, black tea, black olives, Steeped black tea, bandaid notes, saddle-wood to cedar, graphite notes with dark, fresh & withering, red, blue & purple candied florals, violets framed in a field of candied lavender. The acidity is phat & round. It holds the slightly elevated alcohol level nicely. The finish is excellent & consistent wire to wire. It’s long, ruby, candied fruits with just the right balance of earth that persists endlessly.

Just misses 9.4.

Photos of; the best room in our house for 6+ months of the year, our backyard. Aka, the D&S Lounge on Memorial Day Weekend 2020. — 5 years ago

Vanessa

9.7

A special BIRTHDAY treat for this Champagne lover and my #1 guy!!  

Krug is a Champagne House specializing in producing “prestige cuvees,” which are the product of strict and meticulous practices in the vineyard and winery, designed to promote utmost quality even at the possible detriment of a lower yield and lengthier (more costly) production process.

In Champagne, a “prestige cuvée,” or “tête de cuvée,” signifies the producer’s top, most exclusive wine, which could be vintage-dated (fruit from a single year) or non-vintage (blend of fruit from multiple years).  

This particular cuvée is called “Ode to Nature,” like liquid poetry paying tribute to the 2002 vintage, which was notably generous with its warm, relatively dry conditions (in an otherwise marginal climate), supporting a healthy grape ripening process.  

It’s a blend of 40% Pinot Noir, 39% Chardonnay, and 21% Meunier – all harvested in 2002 - and was aged in the cellar for 13 years before release.

Julie Cavil has served in the important role of Cellar Master (Chef de Cave) at Krug since 2020, after an early career in public relations and business, followed by years of education in oenology, positions with other producers in Champagne, and 14 years in the cellar of Krug leading up to her current role. Her story is inspiring to say the least!

Now on to our (abbreviated) tasting note… This wine has a gorgeous golden hue with a fine, persistent mousse. Aromas and flavors show depth and complexity with notes of lemon curd, baked yellow apple, desiccated white rose petals, cream, toast, brioche, marzipan, pie crust, and almond. It has a creamy texture on the palate and long, elegant finish. It’s drinking so well right now.

Cheers to sharing wines you love with the people you love!
— 2 years ago

Shay A

9.4

Not the greatest champagne year, but a wonderful example of a standout champagne that just needed a little bit of age to it. Charles Heidsieck has always been one of my favorite large house producers.

Right away, this showed a strawberry shortcake cookie profile. In the glass, copper color with plenty of bubbles. Sweet cranberry scone, orange zest, black cherries and black cranberries on the nose. Excellent mousse, creamy and absolutely open for business. I believe there is a decent percentage of still red wine here which shows in the vinous character. Ripping acidity. Similar to the aromatics this is mostly bright red/black fruit driven alongside a sweet/salty balance of yeast. Compared to the 2006, the finish is maybe not as complex/lengthy, but that’s a serious nitpick. This 2005 is a total home run for the vintage and will drink in this profile for at least 5+yrs. — 3 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.6

A good follow up to the 2008 Forts de Latour.

Great bottle that shows beauty of the 2012 Napa Valley vintage managed by the right hands.

Charles Hendricks is maybe one of the most under the radar producers in the Napa Valley and certainly shouldn’t.

This wine is $125 in futures. I can think of other Napa Cabernets that cost much more that are not nearly as good.

Charles does not make this bottling every year...only when he has the right quality of fruit.

His wines always drink well young and will improve with the right bottle evolution depending on varietal and vintage.

This 12 is a gorgeous, sexy wine immediately upon entry. Beautiful round, supple tannins. Perfectly ripe; blackberries, black raspberries, dark cherries, plum and blueberries. Black licorice, sweet tarriness, Asian & Indian spices, just the right amount of barrel selection/toast that bring out soft baking spices of; cinnamon, nutmeg, clove & vanillin, soft earthiness of; dry crushed rocks, loamy soils, limestone & volcanics. Suede leather, some fresh tobacco & shades of graphite with fresh; dark, red, blue & purple florals. The acidity is round and near perfect. The finish is; elegant, well knitted & balanced in fruit in earth, polished and excellent wire to wire settling onto mid dark spice on the long set.

Photos of; the Hope & Grace tasting room in downtown Yountville (Charles makes H&G as well), Charles doing the heavy lifting of winemaking and my favorite Pollock like painting that used to be behind their tasting bar and now hangs in Charles house. — 5 years ago

Shay A

9.4

My last bottle. When it comes to big house producers, Charles Heidsieck may very well be my favorite. This 2006 rosé has 8-10% still red wine in it, and spent about seven years before disgorgement.

This was opened alongside a Ulysse Collin Les Maillons (which is one of my favorite grower champagnes, yet I’m out at their increasing price point). The inherit sweetness here is so divine. More balanced than the bottle I opened 2-3yrs ago, yet more compact than the 2007 I opened a few months ago. Required about an hour to come in to its own. Salmon-colored in the glass with an intoxicating nose…strawberry shortbread, toasted pastries (cranberry scone), faint limestone. Typical CHeidsieck palate with richness but great focus…turns a bit darker red fruit driven but already possesses a mature-profile with nougat and spiced red fruits at the finish. Definitely some flair of orange zest too. Benchmark vintage rosé! — 3 years ago

Tom Casagrande

9.3

So good, this is time-travel Zinfandel, just like the better producers made it in the 70s. (I don’t know how the trend got to the point where 15%+ jam monsters are the norm, but it did.) This has a nice youthful saturated color. Nose is very pure, spicy blackberry, with nose-tingly acids showing, spice, and loads of crushed stone minerality. At once lively and rich in the mouth, it’s got great, focused brambly Zin fruit and crisp—yes, crisp—acids. Bone dry. A bit of tannic structure and a nice rocky, gravelly note. So damn good. Go Bruins! — 3 years ago

Jay Kline

9.0

A smaller, independent house located in the Côte des Bar, the majority of Gallimard’s vineyard holdings are planted to Pinot Noir with a little but of Chardonnay. This particular designation, their Blanc de Noir presents as a light copper, salmon color; it’s actually quite striking. I had to wonder if there was some skin contact and come to find out, they slightly macerate the grapes in the press…so there you have it. The nose is quite pretty with strawberry and white peach. The palate is quite round and well endowed with white peach; typical of wines from this most southern part of Champagne. That being said, there is a freshness here that I found rather compelling thanks to a lovely spine of acid. The finish provides saline minerals which I found rather endearing. No disgorgment data was obvious on the bottle, which, anymore these days is sort of a bummer. I think all producers should state at least some basic info on the labels of their NV wines. But I digress. This was an easy Champagne to like and definitely something I would drink again — 4 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

This is Alfred Tesseron’s (Owner of Pontet Canet) Napa Valley’s project on Mount Veeder. You can also clearly see Sugar Loaf from the property.

The previous owner of the property was the late comedian Robin Williams. Robin never made wine and the fruit was sold to other producers.

The name Pym-Rae is an homage to Robin Willams two children.

The Winemaker for Pym-Rae is the son of Jean-Michel (Winemaker of Pontet Canet), Thomas Comme. Thomas has taken out all the drip irrigation and dry farms all the fruit. He has some progressive ideas on farming fruit. Pym-Rae is also certified biodynamic and organic.

This 2016 inaugural vintage is just now about to be released.

The nose reveals; big and brooding dark currants, deep; blackberries, black raspberries, big black plum, purple fruit mix, blueberries, black cherries with poached strawberries. Grilled meats, anise to black licorice, sweet tarriness, touch of incense, burnt ambers, crushed dry rocks, dark, rich earth, cinnamon, clove, vanilla, limestone minerals, alluvial soils with nice, purple, dark flowers with violets and hints of lavender.

The body is huge, brooding and thick. Big, dark, meaty, tarry rounded tannins with dusty edges. The structure & tension say it’s big and meant to be well cellared. The length is nice and the balance sets in as it opens up but, will be much better with 5-10 years plus of cellaring. Dark currants, deep, ripe, lush & ruby; blackberries, black raspberries, big black plum, purple fruit mix, blueberries, black cherries with poached strawberries. Grilled meats, cracked pepper, anise to black licorice, sweet tarriness, black olive, touch of incense, burnt ambers, dark spice with palate heat, lots of crushed dry rocks, dark, rich earth, dry stones, dark chocolate, caramel, cinnamon, clove, vanilla, good presence of dry herbs, cigar box, lots of graphite, limestone minerals, dusty top soil, alluvial soils with nice, dry, withering purple, dark flowers with violets and hints of lavender. beautiful round acidity. The finish starts with ripe, lush fruit and slides into pronounced dry, powdery, tannins and earthiness. It persists until you put something else in your mouth. This is not a pop & pour wine. It needs a very long decant if you drink it young and really should be cellared 8-10 plus years.

Patience will increase my rating by 2-4 points. It is just too young and massive for me to give it a higher score. However, it has all the stuffing for greatness.

Photos of; the yard and estate vines above the main house, 2019 Cabernet grapes that will start harvesting in the next week, a look inside the house Robin built and the infinity pool and view from the terrace. — 6 years ago