Andre

9.2

This paired magnificently with a porc filet. A great alternative to a pinot noire — 8 months ago

Charles Garrison

9.2

Lush, succulent Pinot…dark ruby on pour, dark fruits rise out of the glass setting the stage for an enjoyable first sip…no noticeable tannins…lingering finish…this vintage is in a really good place today — 4 years ago

Al Doyle

9.1

Very fine mousse almost no bubbles once it settles, maybe just a little short right now… — 4 years ago

Aaron Rankin

9.2

Lemon kissed butterscotch. Rich butterscotch on the round palette. A drinker’s cali chard. — 5 years ago

Fred Han

9.5

2009 vintage. Been waiting to try this one for awhile.... Fine bubbles with yellow gold color. Nose of ripe apples. Palate of ripe apple preserves with suave luxurious texture that carries through to a crisp and refreshing finish. Can’t get enough of this.... — 5 years ago

Evan Griffith

9.1

A bit more on the cherry cola rather than just cherry end of the spectrum than I prefer, but nonetheless nice — 6 years ago

Al Shikoh

9.5

opaque purple, prominent glass staining tears; aromatic, blackberry jam, fig, lavender, kiss of vanilla; dense, intense, sweet black fruit, slightly minty finish; full bodied, medium+ acidity, nice tannin/texture, 14.5% ABV; sourced from a single choice block of Larkmead Vineyard in Calistoga, 100% Olmo clone; drinking beautifully now — 6 years ago

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.3

Dusted one of these off. Nose is a bit funky to start. Reduced. But that blows off. Then gorgeous red berry fruit. So vivid and pure. Spice, mineral and earth. Juicy and so pure with wonderful deep and very pure red fruit and beautiful tannin. Long finish. Very mineral. This has really impressed me. Years to go as well. Still structured and so deep. — 7 years ago

Gilbert Van Hassel

9.1

Strikingly acid which is to be expected for a 2021 — 8 months ago

Brad Jensen

9.0

Surprisingly deep red to purple coloration, with a prominent nose of blueberry, Concorde grape, with hints of fresh cut orange and almost vegetable like notes, and rose petal deeep in the background. The palate is very dark fruit forward and jammy, with subtle Sandy tannin, and a vegetal-like, slightly bitter finish, with a swallow of like… black olives maybe? Very complex and interesting. Heck of a value for 18 bucks. — 2 years ago

Sam T

9.3

Delicious. Perfect wine for a Happy Thanksgiving! — 5 years ago

Andy Watson

9.0

No doubt drinking this way too soon. Tried the next day with a bit more generous results but quite a bit more time is what this needs. Big berry fruit with orange zest and sandalwood on the nose. Dark and rich flavors, but pretty monolithic at this point. Follows on the medium-long finish. — 5 years ago

Dave Schneider

9.3

A real gem. Lots of fruit but well balanced and harmonious! Definitely not too old and drinking quite well — 6 years ago

Joel Brunk

9.1

Bought at place by gym in SF. Quickly after open, was very dusty and dry with black fruit. But, after a while red fruit and juicy fruit developed. Medium/light color of ruby. Leather, red currant and raspberry and sharp notes on nose. Minerality, red fruit and med/juice on palate. — 6 years ago

Ed Lehrman

9.1

A little heavier than I remember but fully mature and fun to drink with friends. — 7 years ago

Vanessa

9.3

Marie-Courtin was established in 2005 by Dominique Moreau, who named her winery after her grandmother – a “woman of the earth” – surely an inspiration behind Dominique’s unwavering commitment to organic & biodynamic viticulture. She’s among the few (but growing # of) producers pursuing organic / biodynamic practices in Champagne, a notoriously challenging climate for mildew & rot.

Champagne Marie-Courtin is a Grower producer located in the village of Polisot in the Barséquannais, specializing in compelling terroir expressions, using a low intervention approach in the winery, with wild ferments and minimal (if any) dosage…

This wine fermented and aged in used (neutral) French barriques, allowing delicate oxygen influences w/out the oaky flavors. It spent 36 months aging sur lie (on the lees).

The result is a precise and chiseled wine with toasty notes next to layers of blossom, lemon peel, bright raspberry, strawberry, peach skin, kumquat, ripe pear, oyster shell, saline, blanched almond, bread dough, pastry, and baked red apple.

This wine represents a singular expression of a particular year, vineyard, and variety – it offers a sensory glimpse into a specific place and time. A magical & lovely wine. Cheers! — 10 months ago

with Deked1

Vanessa

9.4

**If interested, I’ve posted more pics of this visit and trip on my Instagram account - check me out @sips_ensemble**

We also had the pleasure to visit Champagne Paul Bara, another family-owned and -managed winery with only 8 employees! 💪 💪

It is a small but high-quality operation, producing approximately 100,000 bottles per year made exclusively from the free run juice. ✨✨✨ Thanks to the likes of @kermitlynchwine , the U.S. is a major exporting market for this wine. 🙌🙌

Paul Bara’s wines are sustainably farmed on numerous vineyard plots located throughout Bouzy, a Grand Cru village within the Montagne de Reims region of Champagne. 🏔 🏔

Bouzy is known especially for its Pinot Noir-driven Champagnes and also for its still red wines, a specialty of the region, called Coteaux Champenois. 🍇🍇

Paul Bara uses mostly stainless steel vessels for its vinification, designed to accentuate the purity of the fruit. They also use subterranean concrete vessels for the Pinot Noir used in rosé blends and for the Coteaux Champenois (still reds). 🥂

On our tour it was fascinating to see bottles being disgorged, dosaged, corked, capped, and caged on a machine in seconds — these are some of the last stages of the Méthode Champenoise. 🤓

We also learned that Paul Bara is a member of the ‘Club Trésors de Champagne’ an association of 28 vignerons formed to promote quality wine growing and winemaking practices and to highlight the beauty of terroir, demonstrating the excellence achievable outside of the major houses whose names are globally renown such as Veuve Cliquot and Moët & Chandon. 👏

Our favorite wine of the tasting was the 2010 Brut Comtesse Marie de France 🇫🇷 made exclusively from Pinot Noir grapes 🍇 It had a richness and abundance of orchard fruit, including baked yellow apple, also toast, bread dough, yeast, and dried white blossom notes, still offering finesse and precision, retaining incredible vibrancy.

We are grateful for our visit to Paul Bara and we look forward to visiting again the future! 🙏❤️ — 4 years ago

with Deked1

Aaron Rankin

9.1

Nose is spicy and complex. Palette is taught and vibrant. A beautiful wine but I expected a rounder showing. — 6 years ago

Severn G

9.2

Nose has maraschino cherry, sliced pear, wet chalk, mashed raspberry and dry minerals.

Palate has chalky ripe cherry, granite pebbles, fresh blood orange pith, fresh raspberry and light strawberry-raspberry jam. Wow, long finish, we're both smiling a lot on this bottle.

More cherry fruit than most Crémant de Bourgogne rosés we have enjoyed, just amazed! At $32, it's hard to find a better saignee of Pinot Noir brut rosé than what is in this glass, QPR delivered! — 6 years ago

Laura Barnes

9.0

Very light with a slight tartness and nice fruity flavor (cranberry + strawberry?). — 7 years ago