Driven Cellars

Enderle & Moll

Liaison Pinot Noir 2016

Shay A
9.1

Yesterday’s Wednesday Wine Committee, hosted by @Jeff Meyer , was so educational with fantastic German & Austrian wines. 1 sparkler, 5 whites, 5 reds, 1 dessert wine. All served blind as usual.

This was more mineral driven than the first red in every way. Not necessarily savory, but very herbal. Almost grassy. Sour and underripe cherry, bitter dark cocoa, medium acidity, and surprisingly tannic on the finish with too many herbs to differentiate against! Complex. I called this Spätburgunder.
— 7 years ago

Dan FitzgeraldJeff MeyerWeston Eidson
with Dan, Jeff and 1 other
Ryan, Robert and 31 others liked this
Shay A

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@Severn Goodwin : Makes total sense. I’m aiming to source some of these for my own enjoyment and I plan to let this one sleep for a bit.
Severn G

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@Shay A Sleep it must, heck the rosés need about 4 years...
Severn G

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After they hit the market, generally about two years past the current year.

Domaine Belluard

Les Perles du Mont Blanc Brut Ayze Gringet

Rootstock description: "tiny ribbons of bubbles and an intensely mineral driven core balanced by layered flavors of stone fruit, croissant and chamomile." — 8 years ago

Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe

La Crau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Red Rhone Blend 1990

Subdued, earth driven wine. Noticeable brett that seems to be hiding everything else. — 9 years ago

Tom liked this

Tenuta delle Terre Nere

Etna Bianco Carricante Blend 2014

Mark Cochard
9.1

Richly textured. layered compexity, mineral driven. Really nice wine. 2014 vintage — 10 years ago

Chris liked this

Giuseppe Quintarelli

Primofiore Veneto Corvina Blend 2008

Primofiore is the entry door to the wonderful world of Giuseppe Quintarelli. Cherries, sweet spices and hint of green bell peppery notes dominated on the nose. Fruit driven but also pervading presence of dark chocolate on the palate. Delicious wine that delivers over its price point, well worth a try! — 11 years ago

Château Montrose

Saint-Estèphe Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2005

Impossibly dense. Generous, mouth-filling tannins. With air, the ripe black fruit emerges, but this is equally driven by graphite, smoke, black pepper, and some savory development. Obviously built for the long haul, but starting to strut its stuff. 375 mL — 11 years ago

Anthony, Ryan and 1 other liked this

La Bastide Blanche

Bandol Mourvèdre Blend Rosé 2014

Salmon color with lifted red berry, melon, blood orange, wet stone, ocean breeze and a hint of damp dusty earth aromas. On the palate it's medium-bodied, layered and fresh with fine concentration and mixed melon, stone fruit, red berry, flavors with and herbal note and a very giving mineral driven dry finish. Great value at $22! — 11 years ago

Justin, Jason and 8 others liked this

Domaine François Raveneau

Butteaux Chablis 1er Cru Chardonnay 2011

Way young...but delicious nonetheless. Mineral driven and staunch. — 12 years ago

Brett Evje
with Brett
Sasha and Keith liked this
Brett Evje

Brett Evje

With time this will blow minds
9.5

Domaine Vacheron

Sancerre Sauvignon Blanc 2012

Excellent! Beautiful floral aromatics backed up with a long, mineral driven finish. Wet cement, hay, and good acidity, but balanced. — 13 years ago

Domaine Auguste Clape

Cornas Syrah 2006

I’m a sucker for Clape. Rich, ripe and mineral driven. Lots of power but marked beauty and lush tannins. Licorice infused soil and sweet, sappy red fruit. — 8 years ago

Bill, Sylvain and 43 others liked this
Bill Bender

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Hahaha @Ron R no no sir that’s why I have an IV tetracycline drip next to my bed
Jason and Jennie

Jason and Jennie Premium Badge

Lol. Awesome wine

Weingut Keller

Kirchspiel Riesling 2016

Incredible complex, this wine is developing in the glass, so mineral, layered and aristocratic. High end terroir driven riesling👍 — 8 years ago

Marc, Peter and 8 others liked this
Thijs Hendriks

Thijs Hendriks

This bottle was opened 24 hours before serving.

Château Lafon-Rochet

Saint-Estèphe Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 1995

A fab £56 St Estephe showing how well they can age but boy this is an oak dominatrix in an oak bondage orgy 😁 only for oak lovers 😉 I still enjoyed it 👍

🏵 92 points

🍇 40% Cab S & 60% Merlot

🍷 Opaque ruby

👃 Rich oak driven smothered dark fruits that drown out any other nuance aromas but some sooty smoke creeps through

👄 Med silky smooth body of oaky dark berries w/ a liquorice & mocha touch

🎯 Med+ liquorice & mocha dark fruits w/ dry oak dominating
— 8 years ago

Chris, Eric and 33 others liked this

Domaine Armand Rousseau

Chambertin Grand Cru Pinot Noir 1993

Elegant vineyard driven with excellent minerality, red and blue fruit wild flowers complex and long really opened up with aeration superb! — 8 years ago

Ron, Steve and 6 others liked this

Marcel Lapierre

Morgon Gamay

A pure wine. The fruit is dazzling, so subtle and perfectly ripe. With air it gains some stem driven aromatics, as well as dried violets. High pleasure, high pound-ability. — 10 years ago

Rob liked this

Veuve A. Devaux

Grande Réserve Brut Champagne Blend

Awesome for the price. Autolytic and tree fruit driven. Fairly high acid and good length. Ripe red pears and yellow apples with cream and bread dough heavy on the nose and palate. Weighty and complex. — 11 years ago

Velma, "Odedi" and 4 others liked this

Henriot

Brut Souverain Champagne Blend

Holly Orchard
9.1

Lovely! There is a golden apple ripeness balanced by refreshing acidity and a silky chalky texture. A hint of buttery lees, and just enough minerality to make this a great compromise between an austere, mineral driven style, and a rich, round, brioche style (the hubby's style). — 11 years ago

Paul and Mardelle liked this

Dönnhoff

Oberhäuser Leistenberg Kabinett Riesling 2013

quite frankly it's not an insider tip to present helmut / cornelius dönnhoff's jewels, but this (in austria) quite underrated wine may be one of the best of the kabinett vintage 2013! the acidity vibrantly merges with the 40g plus residual sugar (43,9 to be very precise); presenting stone fruit, touch of exotic fruits as melon and mango, citrus cest, white blossoms and salty finish - easy going and for contemplation at the same time. you wanna DRINK it - touché!

the recommendation for asian / fruit and herb driven cuisine is obvious...
— 11 years ago

Kendra, Cynthia and 10 others liked this

Domaine Coche-Dury (J.F. Coche Dury)

Meursault Chardonnay

Showing well, after sulphur burned off, beautiful fruit for an acid driven vintage. Bright and such a lengthy finish on the wine. It's like drinking in High Definition. — 12 years ago

Anthony, Rory and 2 others liked this

Domaine Jean-Louis Chave

Hermitage Syrah 2000

Helen Keplinger
9.8

Much more terroir driven, intellectual, beautiful — 13 years ago

Seth, Douglas and 1 other liked this
Mitch Cahoon

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Intellectual?

Domaine Jean-Louis Chave

Saint-Joseph Syrah 2005

This is just lovely with hints of black cherry and plum with creosote, black pepper and soy accents. Palate is full of spicy Syrah flavors with lots of white pepper, plum and black raspberry. Tannins are present but sauve with lifting acidity. Just a great level of balance on the earth driven finish. — 8 years ago

Antica Terra

Ceras Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2015

Soft and terroir driven brown and elegant. Well balanced sour cherries truffles and barnyard. Perfect acidity and balance — 8 years ago

Natalie Caruso
with Natalie
Natalie, Dawn and 11 others liked this

R. López de Heredia

Viña Tondonia Reserva Rioja Tempranillo Blend 1991

Fab 27yr Old Rioja @ £62 drinking like a Burgundy & perfect in a Zalto Burg glass

🏵 92 points

🍷 Garnet cherry w/ brown hue

👃 Leather & balsamic infused mulched spiced cherry w/ soft smoked oak, sherry, wet earth, cocoa, red berry, herbs & gooey date jam

👄 Med smooth, touch tart, red cherry & berry bathed in balsamic w/ a mocha touch

🎯 Med+ touch dry oaky driven red cherry & berry fruits w/ an earthy balsamic caramel figgy linger
— 8 years ago

Chris, Ted and 30 others liked this
Severn G

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Great $ for that bottle.
Severn G

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...Or great £ rather.

Liquid Farm

White Hill Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay 2015

Sweet kettle corn and buttery croissant blanketing floral and lemon nuances. Piercing powerful acidity. Baked lemon and white pepper flavors. Amazing wine. All terroir driven without a hint of malo. — 8 years ago

Dick, Dawn and 8 others liked this

Louis Latour

Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru Chardonnay 2011

Hum
9.7

This is wonderful. Smoky and earth driven. — 9 years ago

Ridge Vineyards

Monte Bello Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Blend

Showing a surprising richness given its age. Blackberry, coffee grinds, oregano. Great aroma driven by coconut husk. Moderate length with potential to extend in coming years. — 10 years ago

François Crochet

Sancerre Sauvignon Blanc 2012

Marc Stubblefield
9.0

I suppose with climate change, we're going to start seeing more of these Loire SBs without the grassy, pyrazine qualities of years past. Delicious, mineral and citrus driven wine - but it doesn't line up with what I think of as Sancerre. Time to reframe expectations! — 11 years ago

Chris, LM and 2 others liked this

Joseph Phelps Vineyards

Insignia Estate Grown Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 1997

Dried tamarind preserved red fruit medium body find tannins good length on the back end still holding up pretty well for a fruit driven 1997 — 11 years ago

Joseph and Yianni liked this

Jean Foillard

"Cuvée Corcelette" Morgon Gamay 2013

Red cherries, white pepper, barnyard, vitamins, game, crushed red roses. Acid driven, slight smooth tannins, beautiful silky texture. Long mineral finish. — 11 years ago

Ben, Michael and 1 other liked this

Ruinart

Dom Ruinart Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne 2004

Aristotelis Protopapas
9.9

Dom Ruinart is what I call Le Montracet of Champagne. I found that Dom R's unique signature is the wine driven character it has. The sparkling influence just adding the last touch to make one of the best champagnes I ever tried. 2004 still fresh. Can take another decade resting!! — 12 years ago