Johanna Peterson

9.8

Perfect cabernet. Earthy and perfectly balanced. Haven't had a wine this nice since Europe — 4 years ago

"Odedi"

9.2

It's time for my #FridayCabernetfix. Here is a delicious Cabernet Franc.

Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish /brick rim. Wonderful color.

Nice nose of blueberries, black currants, vanilla, cedar, bell pepper, spices, tobacco, coffee, chocolates, vegetables, herbs and black pepper.

Full bodied and smooth with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with blackberries, black currants, cooked plums, cedar, vanilla, leather, earth, spices, vegetables, bell pepper, licorice, dark chocolates, black coffee, light celery and peppercorn.

Long tangy finish with soft tannins and raspberries.

This is a very tasty Cabernet Franc from San Diego County. What a great surprise. Showing nice complexity and mouthfeel with nice balance.

Tasty and enjoyable by itself as a sipping wine.

Needs 90 minutes to open up properly and remove the acidity.

I paired it with cheeses and crackers.

Aged in French oak barrels for 27 months. A small production of only 72 cases.

Tasty and delicious.

13.4% alcohol by volume. Yay. Nice to see that from California.

92 points.

$44. — 6 years ago

UWS

9.1

28.02.19 with Ramona & Jean Sassin, Beirut Leb. Restaurant Seray — 6 years ago

Rob Morin

9.4

Fantastic wine. Bright finish, great structure and very enjoyable. Definitely recommend! My wife also gives a big thumbs up. — 7 years ago

Michael Piaker

9.1

1 November 2017. Pasta Flyer, New York, NY. — 8 years ago

Brodie

9.3

John singer said it best. Perfect wine for a summer day!!! — 9 years ago

with Carla

Christian Doll

9.2

Great Dinner with a great White in London! #ilmc Sticks and Sushi Coventgarden mit Florian & Ramona — 9 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

Well...this was one hell of a week. There is only one way to wind it down. Reach for an excellent bottle of vintage Champagne.

My first thoughts are how delicate this is on the palate. Further, how unbelievable it will be with another 8-10 years in bottle.

The nose shows; slightly sour lemon, the good parts of lemon Pledge, lemon meringue, white stone fruits, pineapple fresh with lots of juice, grapefruit, lime pulp, honeysuckle, soft, haunting caramel, brioche, limestone & slightly, dirty, grey volcanics, saline, sea fossils, sea spray, bread dough, vanilla, white spices-light ginger with spring flowers, mixed floral greens & lilies.

The body is light on its feet and dances on the palate. Delicacy abounds. Its soft, gorgeous mousse right there with the best money can buy. Slightly sour lemon, lemon meringue, green & with more bruised golden apple, white stone fruits, pineapple fresh with lots of juice, grapefruit, lime pulp, touch of apple cider, honeysuckle, soft, haunting caramel, ginger ale into cream soda, brioche, nougat, toffee notes, lighter nuts without skin, limestone & slightly, dirty, grey volcanics, saline, sea fossils, sea spray, bread dough, vanillin, marzipan, white spices-light ginger with spring flowers, mixed floral greens & lilies. The acidity is mellow yet lively, gorgeous and as good as it gets. The finish is all luxury. So well knitted & balanced, elegant, rich but not overpowering and gently persisting several minutes.

Photos of; The House of Taittinger, their caves so chalky white and built on the famous Crayères Cellars of Reims: 2.5 miles of tunnels (they own 1/4 to 1/3 of it) cut out of chalk by the Romans, the portrait of Thibaud IV who was a king, lord, manager, singer, conqueror, explorer & 11th century Crusader all rolled into one from which, this Cuvée was the catalyst creation and part of the 600 plus hectares they own in Champange.

Some producer notes; Taittinger's history can be traced back to 1734, when it was originally known as Forest-Fourneaux, founded by Jacques Fourneaux who worked closely with local Benedictine monks to learn how to produce wine. They were just the 3rd Champange house.

The estate was bought by the Taittingers – a family of wine merchants – in 1932, and thanks to the great depression and subsequent low land prices, the family also picked up huge swathes of vineyard. From 1945-1960, Francois Taittinger established the cellars in the Abbey of Saint-Nicaise, and after his death in 1960 his brother Claude took over, pushing the estate into a Champagne house of world renown. Such was the status of the label that the Taittinger family soon expanded its business into other luxury goods. However, this eventually led to financial difficulties, and in 2005 the Taittinger brand – including the Champagne house – was sold to the American owned Starwood Hotel Group. The sale was badly received by the Champagne industry, with many fearing the new owners – unfamiliar with the culture of Champagne – would put profit ahead of quality.

Just one year later, Claude’s nephew, Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger, who had always been opposed to the sale, negotiated a €660m deal with the Starwood Group, and the Taittinger family resumed ownership of the company.

In 2017, Taittinger planted its first vines in England, near a village in Kent, for its venture into English sparkling wine. The first bottle will be ready in 2023.

1/8/21 — 5 years ago

Laura Pursley

9.0

Yeasty, weird, not “proper”. But it’s interesting and enjoyable! — 7 years ago

Panagis Vagenas

8.9

Very good San Diego County red! — 8 years ago

Ted Holland

8.9

Big wine with very nice fruit up front along with pepper and black current. Solid tannins that will let this wine mature nicely! Beautiful little winery outside of San Diego!! — 9 years ago

Sophie Beraznik

9.6

Sara brought over this awesome wine. — 9 years ago

Anthony Kluska

9.2

Frappato really shows through. Rather than Neto being the base with some complexity from The frappato. The frappato plays the lead singer and the Nero privdes structure. — 5 years ago

Jennifer Sloan

10

Yummy! With Ramona at home — 6 years ago

Josh Claxton

9.4

Won my heart right away. This wine is the band you listen to in high school because you’re convinced the singer is writing about your life. — 6 years ago

Alexis Komor

9.2

Very smooth, unfiltered so lots of sediment — 7 years ago

Trump2020

9.0

What a Chardonnay should be! 2016 on 9-21-18... Happy Birthday Sista! @Ramona Austen — 7 years ago

James Forsyth

9.1

Date night in Paris at the Harvard Club in New York. The grandiose main dining room was transformed into Paris for a night where the would-be Edith Piaf singer covered all the hits. The menu was earnest in its reproduction of French classics, and as lethal as steak tartare followed by steak frites might be, "non je ne regrette rien". A Bordeaux was a must. With some age and from a brilliant year, this straightforwardly delicious wine was a nod to some of the classics from the vintage. Une belle soirée. — 8 years ago

with Cara

Thomas Monroe

Winemaker Division Winemaking Company, Owner/Winemaker SE Wine Collective

9.5

Drinking well ahead of its early time (2012 vintage)! It's a singer! — 9 years ago

with Andrea

Lee Lightfoot

9.5

Explosive West Coast shit. Extreme aromatics, vibrant grassy mineraL with body. Ramona and kick ranch vineyard. — 9 years ago