Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

Nice meeting Paul Lato and talking about his wines.

This Zotovich Vineyard offering is delicious young but, will evolve into even greater pleasure in 5-6 years.

The body is full, round with beautiful texture. There is nice mix of perfectly ripe red & dark fruits with excellent blue fruits that hover around the plate. Gentle, soft wood use and subtle baking spices. This bottling walks the tightrope of Burgundy with its perfect waterfall acidity and round, soft structure and has Californian well ripen fruits.

He is one of few Southern California producers that doesn’t over extract and brings out those wonderful blue fruits I love in good Pinot Noirs.

Paul’s cousin was also nice to pour us a glass of one of their 2011 Chardonnays that was really beautiful and drinking at its peak. I didn’t get the vineyard designation as it was at the end of the event and security was being aggressive about clearing the hall. But, again, a beautifully textured Chardonnay that was round with beautiful fruit, great acidity and just the right amount of heather-honey notes. 9.5 on the Chardonnay. — 6 years ago

Kyle Groombridge

9.0

Cousin of the late Didier. Classic Loire. Fresh, floral, clean as all get-out. Palate is zingy, vibrant, but balanced. Lemony, touch of gunflint on the blowback actually, but not much on the nose. Leaves a very steely finish. Definite sense of place here. Well done. — 8 years ago

Mali Mali

10

Niko's cousin Angella — 8 years ago

Sarah J Baker

9.5

💜💜💜💜💜💜💜bandaids diapers dirt sex 💜💜💜💜 — 9 years ago

CS

Sales Amy Atwood Imports

9.0

She's temperamental. And expressive. It ain't no a Billy Joel Song; it's a Soings en Sologne, sung by the son of a son of a viticulture (well maybe only the cousin). Very fucking cool wine. Unique for this region. Kind of Sebastian Riffault-like in his rule breaking to Sancerre, but perhaps more... tame. Oxidative for this vintage, maybe that's consistent? Tastes like there's some skin contact on the romorantin, a roller coaster of acidity and sapidity across the tongue, and Menu Pineau, I can find it if I look. If you don't like oxidative wine, you probably won't appreciate this. But I judge a wine whether it's empty or not, and this one didn't stand a chance. Tastes better when it's warmed up and breathed for an hour. vintage is technically 2012 -not on label. Wife (New Zealander) Heidi Kuka makes the eye-catchingly, ornate almost Maori-like tribal tattoos for the labels. Julien Courtois is able to knock it out of the park on occasion, but mostly, he makes very good, expressive and interesting, but most importantly drinkable wine from the western Loire. — 9 years ago

Tatjana Chernyshina

9.0

ОЖ Дегустация игристых 4/4/5/4
Очень даже — 9 years ago

Paco Suro

9.0

SBs Austrian cousin. — 7 years ago

j a

8.9

bone dry. full-on french without the snootiness of its champagne cousin. — 7 years ago

Michael Piaker

9.1

4 November 2017. Discovery Wines, New York, NY. — 8 years ago

Hordé

9.2

Nous l'avons bu avec mon beau-père, mon grand cousin issu de germain à Buxy avec un rôti de bœuf dans la poire : magnifique ! — 8 years ago

Lesa Gough

8.9

Yum - dirty in a great way, nice complexity and balance. — 9 years ago

Anthony Lombardi

9.1

It was my intent to drink this back to back with the Bouchard Beaune du Chateau earlier this week, but cuisine dictated a couple days' split. I feel like they are distant cousin wines blending multiple sites together to form a mysterious cohesion. This is initially a blast of powerful fruit, but with integral acidity that controls that power with a bright freshness. This is a favorite bottling for me, slightly tart, but eminently ripe blackberries and hints of spicy aromatics. — 9 years ago

Türküler Oltulu

9.5

Yeasty, cheese — 10 years ago

Paul B.

9.0

Smooth and velvety.Outstanding feel and long finish. Fruit and earthy flavors. Great stuff. — 7 years ago

Joshua Levish

8.9

Good acidity , a hint of sweetness that barely shows through. Lemon, pear, medium body.
Very delicious — 8 years ago

LM Segal

9.3

I don't usually do digestifs, but John C insisted and it looked too interesting to pass up. Concentrated Barolo essence with a spicy herbal - even slightly medicinal - thing going. If you've ever tried the Italian cola "Brio", this is its alcoholic cousin. Cool end to great meal. — 8 years ago

Steve Conrad

10

With cousin Cheryl and Leo — 9 years ago

with Cathie

Thomas Brenner

9.2

Smells a little like cotton candy and exhibits notes of cedar, clove, prune, cherry, red rose, eucalyptus with perceivable mint-traits. In another dimension this may be a cousin of Heitz's Martha's Vineyard. Awesome to have with bbq'd steak, garlic bread and knowing this is the only winery for this AVA ( just 20 miles south of where I got to imbibe this 400 case production of local goodness. ) — 9 years ago

Travis White

8.9

A very friendly Gruner Veltliner. Not too sweet, very refreshing. Good summer wine. We liked it better than it's more expensive cousin from the same label. — 9 years ago

Zachary Sheldon

9.0

An earthy cousin of Malbec. Very distinct taste. — 10 years ago