Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

No detailed notes as we were at dinner with friends. Three Somm’s present for dinner and all thought this was wine of the night. I was one of them.

I believe their 15 is even better than their fantastic 2010.

If you are not familiar with this producer & terroir, I highly recommend you do. It remains under most consumers radar. I should probably stay silent on it as it will only drive up demand and price. But, good wine is meant to be shared with people who know how to appreciate it. This is around $55 on pre-arrival and $70ish if not bought on pre-arrival.

Olivier Lamy left the family Domaine to learn from other producers before returning to his family Domaine. He made Méo-Camuzet for few years just before his return.

The body was thick and slightly waxy. Nice green apple, pineapple, lime, honeysuckle, fruit blossoms with excellent round acidity, texture, elegant and well polished finish.

Recommend you slightly over chill it and decant it for an hour if you drink it this young. After it hour, it really blossoms.

Photos of, the Domaine property, Saint-Aubin Vineyard, amazing Saint-Aubin Chardonnay grapes and Domaine building sign — 6 years ago

Ely Cohn

9.2

This is a natural wine I love. An OG natural wine from a very talented winemaker. A baby orange with the right amount of skin contact which complements the finished wine and doesn’t become the focus. I wouldn’t call this an orange wine. It’s a white wine enhanced with slight oxidation. Flavors of lemon custard and fermented apple cider. Splendid. — 7 years ago

Josh Morgenthau

9.3

Really excellent orange wine... all the kaleidoscopic flavor and aromatic progression that make good skin contact wines enjoyable. Though would have liked more acid. — 7 years ago

Todd M Honderd

9.7

Had with Dog 5/18/17 @ Hondo Condo. Rich, blackberry, thick legs, delicious — 8 years ago

Daniel McGeough

9.2

Turmeric, quince and melon. Savory goodness with nice minerals and skin tannin structure! — 8 years ago

Bo Hemian

9.6

So beautiful... a little skin contact, lovely citrus, so nice — 8 years ago

Marc Stubblefield

Wine Sales at Vino Carta and Kogod Wine Merchant

9.1

Once I stopped wanting this to be Muscadet (much lower acidity) or Ramato Pinot Gris (not nearly the tannin/phenolic structure) I really enjoyed this. It's a much quieter and more nuanced 'orange' wine, rewarding close attention and time taken. Lots of development over 3 days, and I'm curious where this is in another year or two. Thanks @Hardy Wallace ! — 9 years ago

Chris Bensick

9.2

Ryan's wine. Skin contact is very evident, but the balance is good. Nice acidity. Good salmon wine tonight. — 10 years ago

Dave Gorton

9.7

Loads of fruit. A note of dried apple skin. Close to perfection but there is still plenty of time left in this bottle. — 10 years ago

Chris Killoran

8.9

Bea skin contact, less funky and tannic mouthfeel than the 2007 but still a joy! — 11 years ago

Shengli Hu

9.3

Orange peel, powder sugar, apricot jam, apple sauce, savory minerality. Full malo, 30-day skin contact, 2 years in barrel, rich and delicious. Elevated acidity and drying tannins. — 6 years ago

Michael Duffy

9.0

Unctuous Salome elderflower honetsuckle peach with skin contact and linearity. Definitely a gewurtz baby. Lush but with refreshing acidity. Could’ve sat on it... — 7 years ago

Daniel McGeough

9.2

Aussie Skin Contact Savagnin! — 7 years ago

Sarah Milsow-Guenther

9.3

Surprising wine. Very thick mouth feel, almost like a syrup. Tastes like a cross between a ruby & and tawny Port. Really long finish with chocolate at the end. Nice. — 7 years ago

Marc Stubblefield

Wine Sales at Vino Carta and Kogod Wine Merchant

9.2

In a world where skin contact whites seem to be vying for the title of orangest, haziest, apricottyest, the elegance and grace in this wine are a reminder of the possibilities. Aged on the skins in amphora, the result is a bright, orchard and citrus mountain stream with an amazing texture that never once makes you think orange wine. From magnum, which seems to me to be the right serving size for two. — 7 years ago

Oliver Seaman

9.8

It's wine 🍇 — 8 years ago

Ryan Thomas

9.0

Starting off with some brosé. — 9 years ago

Nick Ferrall

9.3

Amazing orange! Smells like an ice wine, but drinks like the skin contact Pinot Gris that it is. Great glass to finish dinner with. — 9 years ago

Michelle Gnyra

9.0

Dark and thick, syrupy but not too sweet. Tastes like blackberry, oak, tobacco, coffee, dark cherry. Very rich colour, smooth. — 10 years ago

Javier Gómez-Lavin

9.5

Super dark inky red, with magenta streaks. Thick chunky notes of creme de cassis, tobacco and spice on the nose, with just the slightest touch of VA. Velvety smooth and thick with strong presence of ripe plum, integrated and nuanced tannins and a zing of limoncello based acidity that enters by mid palate. The finish is warmed by some boozy laced spiciness, and ends with smoldering vanilla and bourbon tones. A touch sweet overall, but still a stellar example of how to do Napa cab, especially for the price. — 10 years ago

Caleb Schiff

9.0

Showing some skin — 7 years ago

Keesha Shepherd

9.3

Keesha had this 7 years ago

Loren Gesinsky

9.3

Very interesting natural, skin/contact wine with a bit of effervescence from Emilia-Romagna — 7 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

This is a sample of the 16 Insignia still in barrel.

On the nose, the dark fresh florals exploded. The fruits are very dark currants and well extracted. Blackberries, black raspberries, dark cherries and blue fruits hues on the edges of the glass. Sweet tarry presence, loads of baking spices; vanilla, cinnamon, clove & nutmeg. Dark spice, black tea, pipe tobacco, dark rich soil, core of anise and fields of violets.

The body is thick and full. The wine still very fresh. The tannins big, meaty and chewy. The dark fruits are quite floral. Blackberries, black raspberries, dark cherries with blue fruits. Sweet tarry presence, loads of baking spices; vanilla, cinnamon, clove & nutmeg. Dark spice, black tea, pipe tobacco, dark rich soil, crushed dry rocks, river stones, tough leather, cedar, core of anise with red flowers and fields of violets. Very good round acidity. The long, big, ruby, lush, well balanced finish is beautiful.

The fruit, tannins and acidity all speak to it being 95+ and a long cellar.
— 7 years ago

Ben Christen

9.4

Skin contact, great fragrant nose, then crisp and clear drinkability. Yum! — 8 years ago

with Ellen

Brian

9.6

Vanilla, melon, great acidity. Really really like this wine. — 8 years ago

Jeff Verellen

8.9

A bit too dry almost. Pretty rich and very clear, i expected a bit more funk. — 9 years ago

Peter Giles

8.9

Crispy goodness. Well done — 9 years ago

Brandon Boesch

9.5

This is awesome. How often do you get a blend of vermentino, marsanne, Grenache blanc, picpoul from the U.S. With 50% skin fermentation. Almost looks like Sauternes in the glass. But the mouthfeel and balance are amazing. — 10 years ago

Jennifer Lakari

9.8

Natural Orange Wine with skin maceration this wine is lively and beautiful. A " white " for red drinkers... — 11 years ago