Aravind A

9.3

Pop and pour. Notes from 4 hrs open. On the nose: freshly cut honeysuckle, then loads of flowers, mint, soft honey and wet stone. On the palate: excellent acidity, wet stone, ginger, medicinal herbs, fantastic density. Better than my last btl...definitely one of my condrieu standards. Yum! — 4 years ago

with Florent

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.1

Love half bottles of good Blanc Champagne at Costco for $18. Sure makes it feel like Christmas come early.

I’m dreaming of a wine Christmas. What’s on your list?

Really nice cuvée from Laurent-Perrier and even better price point.

Bruised apple & Bosc pear, pineapple juice, nougat with nuts, ginger ale, vanillin, white spice, sea spray, soft volcanics, easy, powdery chalkiness, bread dough to baguette, withering lilies and spring flowers. Lively acidity and well balanced, rich, elegant finish that persists minutes landing on minerals & spice.

Happy Holiday Season! 🎄🎅❄️⛄️🎁 🌟 — 5 years ago

Severn G

9.5

Nose has beautiful saline mousse of lemon curd, slightly oxidized tart green apple peel, freshly baked sourdough bread and cold limestone slab.

Palate has day old bread, dried-shaved ginger, dried lemon pith, squeeze of lemon juice, touch of sweet caramel notes with great acidity, and forever finish. Opulent!

Wow, just wow, enthralled by the aromas coming out of the Gabriel Glas! The palate is just dancing like a Ginger Rogers, matching Fred Astaire doing everything ‘backwards and in high heels’. Hands down the finest version of this California sparkling wine ever passing my lips.

As this warms in the glass it's just even more amazing, moving from 9.4 to 9.5! — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.1

Champagne is for celebrating, not that I need a celebratory reason to open a bottle as I am hooked on champagne. 💉

However, after installing 27 solar panels and waiting an additional seven weeks for my Tesla, I/we have almost erased our carbon footprint. Finally picked it up today. I believe we all need to do our part to save the glorious vines that bring so much happiness to our lives. 🍷🥂👍

As for the Baron Fuentes, the is a very good Champange and is perhaps the best QPR out of Champagne at $24.99.

Bright lemon, lime, grapefruit w/ sugar, bruised red apple & pear, touch of ginger & cider, bread dough, baguette crust, sea spray, white spice with some palate heat, sea fossils, grey volcanic minerals, spring flowers, lilacs and yellow lilies. The acidity is bright, crisp and lively. The finish is smartly polished, well balanced and persistent for minutes.

Whoo hoo! So close to carbon free! 🍾🥂 — 6 years ago

Kees van der Griendt

9.0

Interesting — 7 years ago

with Dolores

Mike Saviage

9.3

Straw gold. Distinct and vibrant in the glass. Notes of sweet lemon, stone, white flowers, clay dust and a little ginger spice. Rich in the mouth. Long finish coats the palate. Very nice. Needs more time on its side to gain some complexity. — 7 years ago

Jeroen Koenen

9.1

Grilled lemons, ginger, freshly cut green herbs, pinch of that peppery candyshop sponti-nase. Beautiful.
Powdery mouthfeel, quite concentrated.
Great to drink now.
— 5 years ago

Adam Beasley

9.1

Textbook Chenin nose of pear, lemon oil, ripe red delicious apple, ginger, and hay. Big round body with an oily texture. Could have stood to have a little more acid, but very good regardless. — 5 years ago

Darby Mae

9.4

Dazzling 70s lampshade orange hue, with a pronounced nose of peach and ginger, jasmine and spice. Each sip tickles the palate echoing its perfumed nose, and yet maintains an impressive level of couth complexity, revealing evermore as it sashays towards the back of my throat. This is a sexxxy wine. A sophisticated wine. Acidity, minerality and tannin come together in a waxy state of bliss. Have with lemon and herb roasted chicken, carrot purée and Django Rheinhardt. — 5 years ago

JeremyC

9.2

2015 in 3/20. Glorious!!!! Soooooo wish I bought more of this. Skin contact Zibibbo from AUSTRALIA!!! 13%. 70 yr old Bush vines. 150 days in clay. Stone fruit, cooked citrus marmalade, ginger-esque something. So aromatic, delicious and fun!! Need more stuff like this around the Orl area. This was from the Winebarn tstg in WP and from Mary Elizabeth table. — 6 years ago

Matt

9.5

This wine is just as delicious as the first time I tried it, aging glacially too 😋 Powerful, complex, balanced, texturally expansive and detailed, savory and singular. Love the clarity that binds it all together. Golden pear, pineapple, citron, salted lemon, citrus blossom, candied ginger, crushed leaves, white tea, spring honey, kiss of something vanilla, of a mouthful of wet stones. — 6 years ago

Brandon Boesch

9.1

This did not age well for me. A 2016 opened in 2019. Insanely sour. Definitely ginger but it became a little much on both fronts for me. I’d be interested to try again at the brewery if when they have vintage pours. — 6 years ago

Shengli Hu

9.1

Petrol, honey, ginger, bruised apple and pear. Canned apricot and nectarine. Minerals. Great structure. GG - dry with some RS. Abv 13%. — 7 years ago

Jordan Wardlaw

9.0

Beautiful wine. Off-dry. Great floral aromatics- and bursting with honey, lemons and ginger. Sweetness and acidity feel very balanced in this vintage. Slightly rounded mouthfeel. Hints of petrol on the 2nd night. This has a lot going on for entry-level Vouvray. Simply a very good, inexpensive Chenin that I would recommend easily and would love to pair with sushi. — 8 years ago

Matt

9.2

Loved this over several nights, exuberant and exotic with zip and phenolics to hold everything up. Apricot, pineapple, racing citrus notes, mushrooms, candied ginger, saffron, white tea, herbs. — 5 years ago

Sean Smith

9.4

Great balance of richness and minerality here. Almonds, lemon and ginger. Happy new year! — 5 years ago

Dr. Owen Bargreen

9.4

Initially reticent and needing 30 minutes of air to fully express itself aromatically, the 2006 Chateau Rieussec opens with a lighter bouquet of butterscotch, buttered popcorn, mango and ginger undertones. The palate shows really good freshness and intensity with a good sense of minerality. Pineapple creme brulee, poached pear, bananas foster and nutmeg flavors complete this beautiful wine. The exceedingly long, finish lingers and rounds out this complete wine. What this doesn’t possess on the nose, exceeds expectations on the palate and finish, as this elegant wine is one of the great wines of this vintage. Enjoy this wonderful wine over the next two decades. Drink 2020-2035- 94 — 6 years ago

Stephen Pierron

10

Funky barnyard and earth on the nose with notes of botrytis (Noble Rot) of Chenin Blanc. Incredibly smooth with notes of pear, honeysuckle,pineapple, ginger (gingerbread cookies), lemon peel, and chamomile tea.... amazing how this wine continues to change as it opens up.... very different and interesting. 😀🇨🇵🍷Santè — 6 years ago

with Jen, Lewis and 2 others

Natalie Stassen

9.4

Excellent with red meat. We loved it — 6 years ago

Kyle Groombridge

9.3

Uhhhhhh if this is what pet-nats are all about, what the f@!? have I been doing?! This is delish. Super bready, yeasty, and almost like honey-nut Cheerios on the nose. Don’t laugh, it’s true. Has some ginger and soy-like notes on the nose as well.. super intriguing. Palate is alive with mango, baked apple, and yeast.. though it’s dry, there’s a resounding note of hard caramel candy on the back end. Superfine bubbles. Forget the bubbles - this bottle is superfine. Hells yeah. — 7 years ago