Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

Tried this again, 1st bottle was a dud! Made by Michele d'Aprix, an American woman who studied organic chemistry in college and ended up in Bordeaux. Chemical equation on the label is the equation for calcareous clay soil in the right bank of Bordeaux giving a unique character. Deep Ruby with aromas of dark berry fruits and notes of cedar and spice. Palate shows flavors of blackberry & cherry with tobacco and pepper spice. Drying tannins, medium+ finish, nice balance ending with earthy herbs & black pepper notes. — 5 years ago

Dr. Owen Bargreen

9.4

The 'Que Bonito Cacareaba’ by Bodega Contador is a stunning effort in this vintage. The wine is a compelling blend of 50% Garnacha Blanca, 35% Malvasía, 15% Viura all sourced from head-trained vines gown in a mix of alluvial and calcareous soil from the districts of San Vicente de la Sonsierra and Briones with Rioja Alta. Showing off a golden hue, this exudes a wide range of aromatics, from unripe nectarine to lychee to tangerine zest. The texture is polished and downright unctuous, yeilding flavors of bright pear, pink grapefruit zest, starfruit and lychee that all beautifully connect. This is bright yet highly rich and satisfying. A sensational effort by Benjamin Romeo. Drink 2019-2035- 94 — 6 years ago

Saman Hosseini

Writer Maison Abattoir

9.1

Chenin from high altitude vineyards on calcareous soils in Catalunya. Pours a hazy copper, with vivid energy apparent from the nose. Structured and mineral, with clear varietal definition, complimented, not obscured by microbial character, all with baffling stamina after 7+ years of bottle age. — 7 years ago

Lori Mike

9.2

Pours deep magenta in color. ON THE NOSE: black pepper, chocolate earth. ON THE PALATE: chocolate, black pepper and lavender. Medium (+) body and finish. — 8 years ago

Jonas Johansson

9.4

My favorite Cali Grenache — 9 years ago

Randall Peters

9.0

Smooths out nicely. Full and dark — 9 years ago

Larry Damore

9.0

Solid zin. Well worth the money-$18. Calcareous makes some excellent stuff. — 5 years ago

Michael Herzog

9.0

Birthday wine. Nicely aged. Not over. Crowd pleaser. — 6 years ago

Kristina Malnar

9.0

“Not at all bitter”- Tony — 6 years ago

Luke V

9.9

From Dunn with love — 8 years ago

Rich Reader

9.0

The '12 was a marvelous vintage for El Coro, on the upper EASTERN edge of this Wind Gap AVA, getting wild on aroma from the diurnal temperature variations and calcareous soils. Get it if you can find it. — 8 years ago

with Guadalupe

Sanford Peisner

9.1

Big first taste . Very good. Will buy more. — 9 years ago

Leslie Sherlin

9.0

Well balanced with a full flavor and modest finish. — 9 years ago

Stefan Dolhain

9.2

2017 vintage. Always a pleasure to drink these wines from this top producer who vinifies all his vineyards seperately. Les Grands Champs is made from 30 - 45 years old vines, mainly calcareous soils. Very attractive nose with ripe white peach, lemon confit and a hint of fresh mint. Concentrated, with an exemplary purity of ripe white fruit, rich and fresh at the same time, profound and long. Biodynamically farmed. Another excellent wine from this producer! — 5 years ago

Carson

9.0

Nice light wine. Dark fruit nose. Blackberry flavor with slight pepper finish. — 6 years ago

Jonathan McCarthy

8.9

Unctuous nose with ripe, bruised fruits. Peachy and macerated. Floral qualities and an alluring dash of freshly ground white pepper. Good rich texture with a calcareous finish and a little suggestion of light nectar or thistle honey. — 6 years ago

Eric

9.1

Syrah and PV. Simple and smooth — 7 years ago

Marc Kolodziejczyk

8.9

Full rich blackberry, currant with subtle vanilla and spice on the nose. Layers of deep silky plum mid palette. Dry tart finish. The more air the more it opens. — 8 years ago

e

9.0

Varietal: Sauvignon
Vineyard age: 25 years in average
Terroir: Calcareous clay soil, known as "terres blanches"
Tasting notes: Delicious as an aperitif! The white Sancerre goes beautifully with seafood and shellfish. (the best match is with the local goat cheese) — 9 years ago

j.

9.3

Excellent with hints of coffee bean/earthy flavor — 9 years ago