Chain Of Ponds

Produttori del Barbaresco

Riserva Montefico Barbaresco Nebbiolo 2011

From tasting of Produttori wines at Chain Bridge Cellars. Second of the more Barolo-like crus. Structured and rather tannic. But core of dark fruit comes through. Should be great in a few years. — 8 years ago

Alessandro NardiEli Barton
with Alessandro and Eli
Alessandro, Anthony and 1 other liked this

Trefethen Family Vineyards

Oak Knoll District Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

Bottle 1 of 8 in our 2012 Napa cab tasting at Chain Bridge Cellars. One of my favorites of the night. Lean, fresh, angular. 14.1% alcohol. — 9 years ago

Gabrielle PerretAlessandro NardiDoug Hengel
with Gabrielle, Alessandro and 1 other
Alessandro, Alicia and 7 others liked this

The Supper Club

Cabernet Sauvignon 2011

Sultry. Kinda like a chain-smoking flapper girl ordering prime rib and two fingers of whiskey at a roadhouse in Moline, Illinois. Fruity, oaky, medium-bodied and nicely balanced. The wine was good, too. — 9 years ago

Realm Cellars

Beckstoffer To-Kalon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2011

Scott Barber
9.2

At the top of the food chain in Napa — 9 years ago

Charles, David and 17 others liked this

Domaine Sigalas

Santorini Mavrotragano 2003

Off the chain good. First vintage I believe of this Mavrotragno. Just a few rows of vines. Reminds me of old Piemonte wine and aged way better than most 03' Barolo... — 10 years ago

Daniel and Vadim liked this

Cornerstone Cellars

Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2010

Paul Mabray
10

Great to see our local grocery chain, Vallergas, carrying one of my favorite wines. — 11 years ago

Angelica de Vere-MabrayAlex CrownCornerstone Cellars
with Angelica, Alex and 2 others
Craig, James and 2 others liked this

Produttori del Barbaresco

Riserva Montestefano Barbaresco Nebbiolo 2011

From tasting of Produttori wines at Chain Bridge Cellars. Barolo-like, needs time. Deep, forest floor notes. — 8 years ago

Alessandro NardiEli Barton
with Alessandro and Eli
Alessandro, Anthony and 1 other liked this

Chain of Ponds

The Ledge Shiraz 2008

Well rounded and easy to drink. — 8 years ago

Chain of Ponds

The Cachet Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2006

2006 vintage. Good hearty earthy blend of Shiraz, cab and Merlot. — 9 years ago

Chain of Ponds

Sorrells Road Cabernet-Shiraz Blend 2009

John T
9.1

A great little wine for 12 bucks — 10 years ago

Château de L'Oiseliniere

Le Clos Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Melon de Bourgogne 2004

Off the chain good. One of the best Muscadets ever. — 10 years ago

Domaine Vincent Prunier

Meursault Chardonnay 2008

Located in Cote de Beaune, south of Volnay and north of Puligny Montrachet. Meursault ("Murr-so") has historically been Burgundy's center for white wine production. In fact, nearly all of the 2.5 million bottles produced from 440 ha (1,090 acres) are whites. The soil is a mixture of marl and chalk and is perfectly suited to the production of chardonnay. Meursault wines are known for aromas of hazelnuts, honey and vanilla for its aromas and creamy, almost olive oilllike texture. There are no grand crus in Meursault, though Les Perrières, Les Genevrières and Les Charmes produce remarkable wines. Further, some of the most well-known vineyards of Meursault such as Narvaux and Limozin are not premier cru but Villages-classified vineyards. Recent top vintages include 2008, 2007, 2005, 2002, 1999, 1996, 1993, 1990.


With 437ha. of vineyards dedicated to Villages wine or Premier Cru, Meursault has the largest area permitted to be planted in white wine in the Cote-d'Or. Furthermore, despite the fact that the village lacks even one grand cru, Meursault has historically been Burgundy's center for white wine production, in the past even more so than Puligny-Montrachet or Chassagne-Montrachet. While much of those two villages had in the past been planted to red grapes, Meursault has always been white wine territory. In fact, the modern day vineyard of Les Combettes in Puligny-Montrachet, which forms a continuous chain with the premier crus of Meursault, was once considered part of Meursault and not Puligny, where the many nearby vineyards produced red wine. There are several important factors that determine the reputation of Meursault. Primarily, the soil throughout most of Meursault is perfectly suited to the production of chardonnay; it is a mixture of marl and chalk, that when combined with a largely east or southeast exposure creates healthy grapes that are full of character. Another factor correlates to geology, though in a very different way. Meursault's high water table allows its residents to carve deep, cold cellars "perfect for the production of wine" into the chalky, stony soil. So, while large negociants from Beaune dominated the production and marketing of Burgundy throughout time, Meursault remained a wine of its own citizens. Contributing to this, since red wine has been more prized throughout time, these same negociants looked elsewhere for sources because the wine of Meursault has always been white.

What makes the wine so special? The most common descriptors attached to Meursault are hazelnuts, honey and vanilla for its aromas and creamy for its texture. However, this simplifies things quite a bit. In most cases, Meursault despite an almost olive-oil texture is countered by a precise mineral character, stoniness and a more refined overall palate than, for instance, Chassagne-Montrachet. It's the unique stony/mineral character that often gets lost when tasting Meursault, as many concentrate on the ripe, hedonistic primary flavors and aromas. It's the bipolarity of the wine, the interplay of both factors, that makes Meursault one of the most sought after white wines in the world. As mentioned above, there are no grand crus in Meursault, though many would argue that Perrieres, Genevrieres and Charmes can attain these lofty heights in the hands of the best producers. Further, some of the most well-known vineyards of Meursault such as Narvaux and Limozin are not premier cru but Villages-classified vineyards, though again, the best examples are clearly of higher quality. source: http://www.burgundywinecompany.com/wines/display.php?subregion=Meursault
— 11 years ago

Quinta de la Rosa

Reserva Quinta De La Rosa Douro Red Blend 2012

Blend of 3 traditional Portuguese varieties. Big bold tannic smokey cigar box. Leave it to breath otherwise the short chain tannins will bite you — 8 years ago

Copain

Kiser "En Haut" Anderson Valley Pinot Noir 2010

Top of the food chain as far as Copain Pinots go. Impressive, as are most of Wells Pinots. — 8 years ago

Anthony, Eddy and 1 other liked this

Pertinace

Barolo Nebbiolo 2009

Bright, nay, brilliant fruit- tar and roses are soaring out of the glass upon opening. Rich with black licorice, menthol, and almost a truffle-bomb. $65 on a highly marked up chain restaurant wine list--and worth it! Magical with eggplant parm and gnocchi w/ meat sauce. — 9 years ago

Scott, Jim and 3 others liked this

Amuse Bouche

Napa Valley Red Blend 2012

Steven Foster
9.2

Merlot from Heidi Barrett's own winery. This is a serious Merlot with an artistic label changing each year. Love the fruit and tannin chain on this one. So light with some serious flavors of cherry and raspberry and cedar wood. Will age for some time. Bring it on. #pnv15 — 9 years ago

Chain Gang Vineyards

First Timer Red Blend 2012

Nice and easy. Bold finish with a hint of spice but otherwise pretty melow. Pretty damn good for $9. Not sure but I think it's a blend. — 10 years ago

Reichsrat Von Buhl

Kirchenstück Grosses Gewachs Riesling 2008

Off the chain Riesling. £46.50 mind. Super long sexy finish of honeyed apple and luscious grass. — 11 years ago

Benjamin liked this

Umani Ronchi

Bianchi Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2011

I love this wine. So smooth and sophisticated. Beautiful. One of my favourites and its in a chain of restaurants. — 11 years ago