Vasanth Balakrishnan

9.2

The famed #lopezdeheredia - Their 2008 release year matched the year we got married so we ordered this at a nice restaurant on our 13th anniversary. I asked the sommelier to cool it in an ice bucket a bit and so it took some time to open up in the glass. One of the best old school #rioja - subtle dark fruit, forest floor and distinct mushroom and truffle aromas on the nose. The biggest surprise for me on the palate was the incredible freshness and bracing acidity. Forest floor, leather and dark fruit as the backup chorus. This is still such a young wine. Delicious and versatile pairing wine - worked so well with a brined chicken breast with a puff pastry side stuffed with morel mushroom and lobster. — 4 years ago

Shawn Thompson

9.1

Bright, smoooth, medium bodied and elegant, generously forward but not over the top. Yummy, tasty, canned pear, freshness and light minerals. Loved it. — 6 years ago

Severn G

9.2

It's been over a year since my last bottle of this Brut Rosé, still consistent notes.

There is a chorus of chalky Pinot fruits, but a slight herbal aspect to the end of the finish on this bottle. — 6 years ago

Severn G

9.2

On the Lawn at Tanglewood this final afternoon with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Our guest conductor Giancarlo Guerrero (Nashville Symphony director) is leading SCHOENBERG (Friede auf Erde, Opus 13 (Peace on Earth), for unaccompanied chorus) and BEETHOVEN (Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Opus 125).

The 9th by Beethoven is always bittersweet for us, as it marks the end of the official Symphony and Pops season for the BSO at their Summer home. It is a wonderful and singularly emotive moving piece, with the full force of the Tanglewood Festival Chorus at 250+ singers, conveying the message of a divine spark of joy that makes all people one.
'Freude, schöner Götterfunken!' / 'Joy, beauteous, godly spark!'

Nose of warmed pear, light toasted brioche and wet limestone.

Palate has warmed lemon curd spread on lightly toasted bread, chalky-saline mousse and honey over yellow apple. Finish is med-long, a beautiful effort.

Disgorged 7/2017, blend of '13/'14 with a 50/50 blend of Chardonnay & Pinot Noir. Noted improvement with some additional bottle age since our prior experience (same disgorgement). — 6 years ago

Severn G

9.3

Decanted ~5hr.

Color is brown ruby, unfiltered.

Nose has cedar infused cherry-red raspberry, rose-violet florals, touch of alcohol, bright potpourri and wet soil. Nose is quite tight!

Palate has strawberry juice, orange peel, under-ripe cherry, dried herbs, blackberry jam and great (high) acidity. Finish is medium at this point in a young life.

Soo young, but very elegant! Future bottles should be 2023+

Lightly cloudy on the double decant for service this afternoon. Part of an epic E&M based afternoon plan as we sit by the chimnea on a beautiful early Spring day. The Cardinal's and Chickadee's are now singing the background chorus. — 7 years ago

Severn G

9.5

On the Lawn at Tanglewood this evening with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Our conductor Andris Nelsons is leading just one wonderful piece, MAHLER (Symphony No. 3), accompanied with the Tanglewood Festival Chorus.

We're revisiting some producer bottles from our late Spring France vacation earlier this year.

Stunning nose of pineapple core, wildflower honey and wet stones, I'm not sure I can actually describe all the magic happening in this glass. Palate is evolving with each sip, under-ripe pineapple, over-ripe pear, watery honey, light oak touch and wet slate dust. Just amazing!

Photos of beautiful late Spring (2018) biodynamic vineyard rows in Saint Aubin, my winemaker crush Jean Jacques Morel giving us the low down inside his living cellar and our bottle of the evening.

We only enjoyed about 1/3 of the bottle, saving for a day or so to see where this goes, notes will be updated. — 7 years ago

Ely Cohn

9.3

From my favorite Austrian organic and biodynamic happy farm, Meinklang, Tag is complex and nuanced, from old vines - stands out without the need to shout. At only 10.5% ABV, she has dark honeyed notes and a silver skinned green pepper lining. Chorus of candied orange peel, jasmine buds, and lychee syrup.

Gloriously Gru-V. — 4 years ago

MICHAEL COOPER DipWSET

Owner TomeVinos wine shops, WSET Level 3, Blogger www.spanishwinesandmore.com, blog.tomevinos.com

9.4

Amazing. Such a concentrated fruit completely balanced by the acidity that is just right, not puckering not sour just balancing the fruit and then there are lovely hints of vainilla and cream in the chorus. Love it. #chardonnay #newzealand #martinborough — 5 years ago

with Rosario

Garett Savage

10

One of those wines that you sip, taste, feel... And immediately go "Wow, this is a great wine!" Fleshy, with bright cherry singing a pure solo backed by a chorus of savory spices, wonderfully palatable acid, and pleasantly light tannins. The finish defies expectation by lingering longer than many wines much heavier, but also with a much happier expression of flavors. Drink this and smile! — 6 years ago

Ellen Clifford

9.0

Chardonnay is for finishers. Closers? Something like that. This is a winner. Steely but with a hint of warmth on the nose. Like one of those people who is curt but you catch their eyes just right and they are kind. Oak lilts behind a citrus apple wet rock chorus and it rocks. Very much a fan — 6 years ago

Donald Patz

Owner/Winemaker Patz & Hall

9.1

It’s a lovely Oregon Chardonnay. I liked the smokey, toasty reduced character which seemed a voice in a chorus of preserved lemon, tangerine and green apple. Nice acidity - refreshing and complex — 6 years ago

Michelle

9.0

Easy drinking, $17 Dan Murphy — 7 years ago

Severn G

9.0

Our first Ft. Ross! Over ripe rasberry and oak chips, delicious! Enjoyed along side wonderful the wonderful company of Carla and husband Jamie this afternoon at the Tanglewood season finale, Beethoven's 9th, a stunning work of strings and chorus, makes the hair on my arms stand up, so amazing! — 7 years ago

with Carla

Ron from VA

9.0

This was a delightful chorus of midweight emotion and balanced verve. The Chambourcin indeed adds a front/mid palate variation to the routine Bordeaux blending recipe. A touch of Rhône is revealed! — 7 years ago

Nick Damiano

9.2

Rich dark fruits, blackberry and clack cherry, tannins. Nice after 13 years — 4 years ago

Dawn E.

9.4

Celebration wine! Looking back at this past year so many things to be grateful for given the atmosphere of...well let's say a lot!
I chose this wine because both of my kids are musical! Son...viola; daughter chorus (soprano one). Love classical music.

Celebrating my daughter's marriage, reduced as it was..Pandemic woes. Two days later we moved my son to start a 6 month. Contract position in the Biomedical field which landed him a permanent position that he loves!
I retired! No regrets.
Celebrating my daughter in her 3rd yr..Master's program at Iowa for Audiology ( AuD). Getting ready to start her 4rth entire yr. Externship at Yale New Haven Connecticut Hospital. Grateful that her husband is able to take his job with him!
So proud of them!

This wine despite the musical notations for its selection is absolutely amazing! Fruit..earth..acidity..structure is gorgeous and is drinking really well now! Huge smile stuck on my face! 😁😁
Peeps 🐣 to date! For my exposure to wine! This IS the best that I have had! — 5 years ago

Pat Taylor

9.1

Decanted for three hours. This wine has evolved to a place where the fruit is no longer at centre stage, but instead puts forth a slight baseline of sour cherry to accompany the main chorus of cinnamon, leather and graphite. Medium body, medium acidity, medium alcohol. Solid, if not my preference. — 6 years ago

Severn G

9.2

On the Lawn at Tanglewood this final afternoon with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Our guest conductor Giancarlo Guerrero (Nashville Symphony director) is leading SCHOENBERG (Friede auf Erde, Opus 13 (Peace on Earth), for unaccompanied chorus) and BEETHOVEN (Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Opus 125).

The 9th by Beethoven is always bittersweet for us, as it marks the end of the official Symphony and Pops season for the BSO at their Summer home. It is a wonderful and singularly emotive moving piece, with the full force of the Tanglewood Festival Chorus at 250+ singers, conveying the message of a divine spark of joy that makes all people one.
'Freude, schöner Götterfunken!' / 'Joy, beauteous, godly spark!'

Nose has ripe yellow apple, lightly oxidized green apple peel, baked phyllo dough, partially aromatic white flowers and damp rocks. I always get a natural wine vibe here, without the vinegar-like profile, but it seems alive!

Palate has baked green and yellow apple pastry, crisp acidity yet dense, candle wax begins on the finish and ends with dry granite. Great balance, very lengthy finish, clean and not cumbersome, superb vintage, long life ahead. We love you Jean-Jacques. — 6 years ago

Kristin the Wine Girl

9.0

Ripe red raspberries and blooming hibiscus nose. But there’s so much more crescendoing below the surface. With this many varietals kitchen-sinked into one bottle, the aroma tornadoes through fifty flavors of red. An orchestra of bright, bright, brilliant red fruit chorus across the entire palate. So many grapes harmonizing in the fruit forward melody, with a gracefully succinct and soft finish. Packs perfectly spiced panache to pair with robust acidic Italian red tomato sauces across your favorite starch! — 7 years ago

Severn G

9.2

On the Lawn at Tanglewood this evening with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Our conductor Andris Nelsons is leading just one wonderful piece, MAHLER (Symphony No. 3), accompanied with the Tanglewood Festival Chorus.

We're revisiting some producer bottles from our late Spring France vacation earlier this year.

Pinot Noir biased on the nose and palate. Chalky limestone notes persist on the nose, followed by red fruits grated into the same mineral. Palate has bright red fruits with mineral dust, medium finish. Not as good as getting to enjoy it in the private tasting room at the Taittinger cellar, but close tonight.

Photos of one of the Comtes cellar areas, Methuselah's of Brut Reserve where some enthusiast has expressed their love of that wine and our bottle of the evening. — 7 years ago