Andrew Cullimore

9.5

Medium lemon yellow , persistent fine perlage . At first quite shy , needs a bit of time to get going . Then buttered pastry , confit lemon and roast nuts , quite bold and rich , just a hint of chalky minerality . On the palate the richer , deeper theme continues , those pastry and buttery notes , confit lemon and a creamy mouthfeel . Long balanced finish , the chalky acidity really helping to cut through richer , mouth filling profile . Coming back to this at the end of the meal , having sat 6 hours in the glass , this still shows remarkable freshness and life. This seems young to me still , certainly has everything for a long life ahead , better in 5 years perhaps and will show well a further 10-15 perhaps . — 6 days ago

Conrad Green

9.5

Beautiful and bright and punchy. Sulfur and bright lemon. So Coche… gorgeous — 8 days ago

with Chris, Tony and 2 others

Jay Kline

9.3

Popped and poured to celebrate a pretty cool personal and professional achievement; enjoyed over a two hour period. This particular bottle has been stored in my cellar since release. The 2004 “La Grande Dame” pours a brilliant yellow color with medium+ viscosity and a persistent mousse of fine bubbles. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of golden raspberry, Meyer lemon, some apple, some brioche and nuts; just a touch oxidative. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. However, I feel compelled to share that this gave me the overall impression of a sort of liquid lemon-raspberry custard croissant with shaved almonds on top. It was awesome. The finish was long and there is some palpable density in this wine. So much so that I think these easily have another 10-15 years in them. That being said, this was yummy and I wouldn’t hesitate to enjoy now. — 22 days ago

Randy Fuller

9.2

This wine has barely any color at all, just a very faint yellow-green tint. The nose is nice. There is a slight trace of petrol, which I always love to find in a Riesling. More dominant is a lanolin note which joins a light floral aroma. The palate straddles the fence between dry and sweet, offering up some tasty stone fruit and a savory side marked by gentle spices and a workable acidity. I would like a drier wine better, but I drank this quaff gladly and poured another. — 10 days ago

Jay Kline

9.2

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of two days. Significantly better on Day 2 as the wine completely opened up. The 2021 Amador County pours a pale yellow color with medium+ viscosity and no signs of particles or gas. On the nose, the wine is clean; developing with notes of golden apples, quince, lemon verbena, white tree flower, lanolin, and wet stone. On the palate, the wine is dry with super sneaky, high acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+ with a woolly texture. Lovely stuff. Drink now with patience and a lot of air otherwise better after 2026 and should be great through 2035. — 19 days ago

Conrad Green

9.4

Lovely bright tart mineral fruit. Great structure and balance — 8 days ago

with Jean-Francois, Tony and 2 others

Jeroen Koenen

9.8

OMG…!
This wine is already so unbelievably tasty and juicy and creamy and harmonious…. Breathtaking.
Destined for a perfect score in a few years’ time. — a day ago

Conrad Green

9.5

Bright fruit. Almost tropical with hints of mango and bright bold flavors. Minerality and purity with great poise. Delicious — 8 days ago

with Jean-Francois, Tony and 2 others

Tree Kilpatrick

8.9

Classic NZ label. Smells funky. Lawn just cut or a piece of fresh grass in the teeth. And lemon citrus peels. Flavors are complex and very audacious. Bombastic even. Plenty of citrus, but something else as well. Shells? Like the calcium carbonate in those. Also big gooseberries. This is a good example of how NZ Sauv Blanc differs from the other styles out there. This wine packs a punch. — a day ago

RJ Stefanski

9.4

I’ve now had 3 consecutive vintages (‘20-‘22) of this iconic Chardonnay, and even with the hefty price tag, it has always delivered. Big and bold but I wouldn’t say buttery, tropical fruit salad, exceptional balance with great acidity and a long, high end finish. One of those rare times when the hype is deserved. $70-$75 — 13 days ago