The 2019 Sancerre Les Chasseignes has a ripe and open expression. It fills the mouth with a sense of effortlessness, which Stephane Riffault puts down to both the caillottes soil and the ripeness of the vintage. It is in the riper spectrum of Sauvignon aromatics. This wine leaves the variety's green flavors far behind and focuses instead on orchard fruit and almost heads into the realms of tropical fruit, which isn't something you normally associate with Sancerre. Gently refreshing with the caillottes providing a line of chalkiness on the finish. One for the short to medium term due to the vintage's ripe profile. (Rebecca Gibb MW, Vinous, August 2021)
— 4 years ago
Orchard fruit, canned pineapple, ginger, zippy acidity, kinda funky and minerally. Delicious! — 4 years ago
Golden color. Delicate white flower, apple, and other orchard fruit aromatics. Nicely textured, and crisp, fresh, citrus, apple, almond flavors. Drinking great tonight — 5 years ago
Light yellow-gold. Fresh orchard and pit fruits on the deeply scented nose, with notes of musky rhubarb and smoky minerals emerging with air. Deeply pitched poached pear and nectarine flavors show impressive power and are lifted by notes of chalk and ginger. Packs a serious punch but manages to come off as elegant. Finishes very long, with a strong jolt of minerality and slow-building leesiness. (Josh Raynolds, Vinous, December 2013) — 6 years ago
The 1990 Cristal is remarkable. Polished, nuanced and light on its feet, the 1990 is all class. Citrus, orchard fruit and floral notes are wonderfully lifted throughout. A slight reductive note adds character on the finely knit finish. I can’t think of a better way to start this tasting. Simply put, the 1990 is a total rock star. Moreover, it is much more delicate than most wines from this ripe vintage. Amazingly, the 1990 tastes like it is still not ready! “Nineteen ninety was my second vintage here,” says Chef de Caves Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon. “It was ideal. The fruit was just perfect. We blocked the malolactic fermentation completely and only fermented 6-7% of our lots in oak, as opposed to the more typical 20%, in order to preserve as much freshness as possible. The wine was made by my predecessor, Michel Pansu, but I was learning. This was the first year I started working with oxygen by reducing sulfites in vinification to pre-oxidize the Chardonnay musts, as I do know, which allows me to get rid of all the unstable, oxidative compounds. With Pinot, on the other hand, you need a little bit of sulfur at crush or you lose the brilliant fruit. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, December 2018) — 6 years ago
Yeast, honey, walnuts and orchard fruit. — 3 years ago
Hazelnuts, orchard fruits.
Spices, complex. — 4 years ago
Light chartreuse. Expressive, mineral-accented citrus and orchard fruit aromas are complemented by subtle floral and herb notes. Penetrating Meyer lemon, pear, honeysuckle and ginger flavors take a turn to deeper peach and melon with air. Conveys depth but comes off lithe, finishing with sharp definition and resonating floral and mineral flourishes. (Josh Raynolds, Vinous, June 2021)
— 4 years ago
The 2017 Chablis Montmains 1er Cru is clean, racy and super precise. Chalk, white flowers, mint and white pepper all confer brightness to this energetic, brisk taut Chablis. In the glass, the Montmains is so attractive and translucent. Orchard fruit and sweet floral notes linger on the close. Readers who want to see the elegance of 2017 will find plenty of that here. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, January 2020)
— 5 years ago
(raised in stainless steel tanks and made with no malo) Limpid straw-yellow. Assertive, mineral-accented orchard fruit, melon and fennel aromas are sharpened by hints of ginger and lemon zest. Intense pear skin, Meyer lemon and violet pastille flavors show a suave blend of richness and delicacy thanks to a spine of juicy acidity. Closes minerally, taut and impressively long, leaving a powerful floral note behind. (Josh Raynolds, Vinous, February 2018) — 7 years ago
This captivating Pecorino shows a bouquet of candied ginger with dusty florals, wild herbs, incense and crushed green apple. Silky and rich, yet balanced by stimulating acids and mineral-tinged orchard fruits, it tapers off spicy with a hint of sour melon that keeps the palate wanting more. $22.00 (Eric Guido, Vinous, April 2021) — 4 years ago
Nice clean and prcise nose of orchard fruit, apple and peach. A very delicious and balanced wine with minerality, some richness in terms of texture and with this white peach and precise clean fruit. Decent length too, very nice. 90-91
Nez agréable et fin de fruits blancs et jaunes. Un vin équilibré, minéral mais aussi avec une belle richesse et précision avec du beau fruit avec un peu de pêches blanches en bouche, très bien. 90-91 — 5 years ago
Bright lemon zest, golden apple, pineapple, with secondary shortbread and guava fruit notes. Fruit forward with hints of toast and yeast. Palate hits with soft tropical citrus and orchard fruit, developing into a round mid-palate and driving acidity to finish. Length is above par and evolves. Minerality tingles on the palate. Excellent QPR from #winetext. Happy New Year!! — 5 years ago
Bright, juicy. An orchard of just-underripe peaches, nectarines. Hints of strawberry. Stone foundation. Pleasing acidity. Balanced, interesting, a crowd pleaser. — 7 years ago
Winton Sweum
Straw with green hints; orchard fruit and mineral from a somewhat quiet nose; the mouth is lush, silky and saline, this is intense and delicious. Some spiciness came with time. Expecting still more to follow from this excellent bottle. — 3 years ago