Peter van den Besselaar

9.0

Vintage 2010 / Tasted my last bottle of this Chenin Blanc four years ago... no signs of aging, amazingly fresh, vivid and charming. This ‘tendre’ has some wood-ripening. Beautiful smell of jasmin and vanilla. Perfect harmony and many many years to go. I love it. / Paired with a ‘Brabants worstenbroodje’ a regional specialty, a saucage bun. — 6 days ago

Severn Goodwin

9.2

Nose has white pepper, spruce needles, cedar shavings, fresh cherry and mashed black currant.

Palate has pepper dusted mashed cherry, tart blueberry, black cherry, (light) limestone dust and (light) new oak. Medium levels of acidity/tannin help this wine to be very soft and enjoyable.

100% Pineau d’Aunis from 125 year old vines; maceration in barrels and amphoras, then barrel aged for one year. — 4 days ago

Meredith Hu

9.0

Juicy plush red plum. 12.5% abv. Elevated concentration, game, leather, cranberry, blueberry, white pepper, sour cherry, dill, pickle, sanguine. Low acid, elevated tannin, medium+ length. — 11 days ago

Paul Jakubowski

9.3

Happy Thanksgiving!! Didn’t drink very much of this, but what I did have was very unique and tasty. Extremely rich and not much in the way of acidity. Really coats the palate with butter and cream. — 6 days ago

with Brooke

Josh Morgenthau

9.1

Jasmine and orange blossom and green welches grape juice, pear juice and good acid and slight pleasant bitterness in finish. — 2 days ago

Ely Cohn

9.3

Le Mont is easily my favorite Chenin vineyard anywhere and 2017 I thought was particularly awesome so I bought it twice. It’s so expressive and so honest, unshowy. On second visit this wine is again a medley of zippy baked citrus, mango, ginger, passion fruit, and baking spice. Underneath it’s rich, but acidic enough to float. — 19 days ago

Joe Christenson

8.9

Quite sweet, but I’m enjoying it. Almost to Riesling sweetness territory, but there’s enough interesting petrol notes and acidity to balance it out. Golden Apple, tart pear, stone fruit. Fantastic with the Chicken Thigh + caramelized onion/cinnamon/cardamom basmati rice recipe from Ottolenghi and Tamimi’s Jerusalem cookbook. — 12 days ago

with Alicia

Michelle OwensMartin

9.2

White peach, lemon rind, orange blossom on the nose. Steely minerality, tangerine, lime zest finishing with notes of golden apple on the palate. Medium bodied white with a touch of oily viscosity that lingers nicely. Lovely white for drinking alone or with a fish dish, salad, or brothy soup. — 5 days ago

Kristen Mantei

10

Subtle red fruits and earthiness on the nose, tart cranberries on the palate first but quickly balanced out by deep earth notes and some cutting acidity that lingers. Delicious! Ready for Thanksgiving!! — 11 days ago

Alex Gualino

9.0

TOURAINE CHENONCEAUX
Appellation Touraine Protégé
La Bruyère - Récolte 2016

The vineyards of AOC Touraine-Chenonceaux, which include 27 municipalities, extend over a reduced area on both banks of the Cher River and are an integral part of the Loire Valley, one of the 7 European vineyards listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It is also one of the Loire's most recently established appellations in the large AOC Touraine family.

Established in 2016, the AOC Touraine-Chenonceaux is named after the famous Château de Chenonceau spanning the Cher RIver. Domaine La Bruyère's 20 hectares are located on the secondary valleys of Loir-et-Cher; an array of hillside plots grounded on clay-limestone-siliceous soils mixed with a layer of flint (known as Perruches), which take advantage of the micro-climate of the Cher Valley by showing good complexity and stylistically sitting between Sancerre and Brouilly.

Pierre Chainier source classic Loire varietal wines, as well as owning some excellent properties throughout the region. For both elements of their wine business, they look to principles of agriculture raisonné alongside the most modern wine-making techniques. Within Touraine, they have significant vineyard holdings and 7 domaines, including Domaine de La Bruyère in this newly established appellation of Touraine-Chenonceaux. Conversely, Clos de Nouys, their 25 acre estate, is one of the oldest in the AOC Vouvray. Here vines average 35 years of age and Clos de Nouys' parcels of vines were already listed among the best sites on geological maps dating from 1907.

Made from 100% Sauvignon Blanc grapes (they also grow Sauvignon Rose), their Touraine-Chenonceaux Blanc is the result of a rigorous selection process, both of parcels at harvest and of particular cuvées. Vines are cultivated following the principles of sustainable agriculture. The final wine rests on lees for six months before bottling. With its clear robe of golden hues, fresh and round on the palate, this white wine reveals aromas of citrus with notes of white, buttery flowers. An intense citrus nose: candied lemon and orange, developing into apricot and lime, about to turn into brioches. Beautifully fresh and vibrant, once chilled, it will perfectly partner with white meat dishes, fish and seafood (including Sushi) or goat cheese. Or depart from traditional Sauvignon pairings and try with exotic and intense flavors, such as Tagines or Indian Curries. — 3 months ago

with Mark