David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

The 2008 Launois Special Club might be the best they’ve made in the 2000’s that’s been released. Pronounced (loon wah). My palate tells me part of this was aged in tank and some of it in wood.

It’s made from two plots of 65 year old vines, one in the Grand Cru of Oger called 'Chenys' and one in Mesnil called 'Derriere Maison’. The plots in Mesnil are their oldest.

The nose reveals, bruised green & golden apples, apple cider, bosc pear without skin, overripe pineapple, meyer lemon, lime zest, spice, touch of nutmeg, cream soda, baguette crust, walnuts, volcanic minerals, sea shells, nice chalkiness, yellow lilies, acacia blossoms and spring flowers.

The body is full, rich, soft & creamy. Micro bubbles. The palate shows nice backbone of minerals and excellent chalkiness. Bruised green & golden apples, apple cider, bosc pear without skin, white nectarines, overripe pineapple, meyer lemon, lime zest, spice, coriander, touch of nutmeg, graham crackers, cream soda, baguette crust, walnuts, volcanic minerals, sea shells, nice chalkiness, yellow lilies, acacia blossom and spring flowers. The acidity is magnificent. The long, rich, well balanced, elegant finish astonishes. It’s very good tonight but will wait another 3-4 years before I open another.

Photos of, the House of Launois, two different areas that make up their champagne museum that encompass Champagne’s history and then some, as well as, some of their Grand Cru Vineyards.

This 08 Special Club was/is a steal at $59. — 6 years ago

Bassel Sommelier

9.2

Massive just delicious — 7 years ago

Edmond Bordelon

9.4

Black as midnight. So dark that you are afraid to spill any of it because it will stain more than grape Kool-Aid! As you swirl it in your glass, the high viscosity makes it seem like it is actually staining the glass. This is powerful stuff! Mending Wall is a great collaboration with Outpost owners (Frank and Kathy Dotzler), vineyard owners (Mark Pulido and Donna Walker) and bringing in spectacular winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown. This petite sirah comes from the Palisades Vineyard in Calistoga (considered one of the best). In just two sips, your tongue will be as purple as a Chow puppy's. Deep dark currant flavors and a long lingering finish. Come to the dark side and get your hands on this soon. They sell out very quickly. — 7 years ago

with Katherine and Lauren

Collin Moody

9.4

Celebrating four years of marriage. Bottled the week of our wedding. Perhaps we have held up better that the cider, but it's tasty. Heavy oak has integrated, sharp edges from a year or two ago have simmered. Nearly uncarbonated, tasty. — 8 years ago

with Andie

Chip Hughes

9.2

Lemon oil, cider, autolyzed yeast, Alpine minerals. Oily texture, riveting and long. Better on day two. — 8 years ago

Claire Eliza

9.0

One of two things, this new farmgate is super spicy ginger or this is really Gingeroot in the wrong bottle. Either way I love, thick, mead-like, spicy. — 9 years ago

Brian McMahon

Sales Polaner Selections

9.3

Region: Normandy
Appellation: Normandie
Wine type: Sparkling
Varietals: Pear
Biodynamic: Certified
Vineyard: Orchards are comprised of trees upto 50+ years old containing 40-50 varieties of heirloom pears.
Orientation: Multiple sites, varied exposure
Soil: Granit based soils
Viticulture: Hand harvested and farmed biodynamically
Vinification: Fruit is dehydrated for 4-5 weeks and simply ground, pressed then settled for clarification before fermenting naturally.
Aging: One continuous fermentation originating in tank and finishing in bottle. Bubbles develop within two weeks of bottling.
Notes: Done in a traditionally off-dry, sparkling style that works brilliantly with goat cheese. Very expressive aromatics, gentle mousse and beautiful balance. — 9 years ago

Brad Emms

9.6

Great bottle of wine — 10 years ago

Ed Matthews

9.4

Rich and ripe with flavors of ripe pears and layers and layers of other fruit coupled with enough bracing acid to balance. The finish is long and I tasted apple cider a full two minutes after sipping. — 10 years ago

Edmond Bordelon

9.6

Thomas Rivers Brown making some great Howell Mountain wines! While he currently makes 40+ wines throughout Napa Sonoma, Outpost was his first winemaking client. This one is one of my favorites. I’ve been on a Zinfandel trip for two years now, and can honestly say that this is in the top 3 against any of the hundreds I have tried. — 6 years ago

with Ryan and Katherine

David Quammen

10

Rockapulco 8/22/17 - Jamie, Kate, Kenz, this is a super baller Syrah! — 7 years ago

Jo Anne B

9.5

Like cozying up to a good man for an intimate evening. 💋 — 7 years ago

with Buffy

lon nuttelman

9.0

7.28.16
Two rivers house
Susie really like it. — 8 years ago

Isaac Pirolo

9.7

Just starting to unfold after a couple hours. Staining purple. Ethereal and huge, graphite and underbrush, charcoal and blackberry, creme de cassis and licorice, grilled meat and cedar, pen ink and pencil shavings, and two of my favorite protagonists in wine, Napa mountain fruit and Thomas Rivers Brown. — 8 years ago

Alder Yarrow

Wine Blogger Vinography

9.2

Even better on day two. Delicious balance between richness and nerve - lemon curd, white flowers and a touch of pineapple welded to wet stones. — 8 years ago

Andrew Cebulka

8.9

Sip one, not so much my style. Sip two, wait hold on. Sip three, oh hell yes! Bready, plum, cider-y and strong yeast, quite happy now at sip four! — 9 years ago

Justin Smith

10

Like a fresh fruit basket of delicious. Also, a two day old baby. Hooray. — 9 years ago

Lauren Rebecca

9.1

Crisp for a hot summer day — 10 years ago

Donna Smith

9.6

My favorite winery from vacation to Colorado. It was in Fruita just below Colorado National Monument. — 11 years ago

Rob Marini

9.4

Fairly restrained nose (briefly showed some pear cider like notes in a big burgundy glass). Dried pears and lemon rind, brioche and white pepper. Incredible acid. After being open for about two hours started to demonstrate some flowery notes. Fairly reminiscent of a well made Chablis. — 6 years ago

with Jim, Brandon and 3 others

Adam Shaylor

9.8

2014 is a solid vintage. We could stand to learn a thing or two about keeving cider varietals of pears here in the Pacific Northwest as Eric Bordelet does so expertly in Normandy. — 6 years ago

Erik Longabardi

9.5

One of two. Good cider can age well. One benchmark producer for me. This is pulsating and roaring. Always a treat both new and old vintages. Seek out. #cideriswine — 7 years ago

Lucy

9.2

Smooth tannins, ripe and juicy fruit with a meaty kick. Delicious. — 8 years ago

Berg

9.0

Decanted for at least 8 hours. Big primary blackberry, graphite, still tastes so young, the tannins have smoothed with the decant, and I enjoyed this. I just don't know where these are going to go from here. Im not sure if they're really supposed to go anywhere beyond where they are now honestly; i think these are meant to be drunk in their first decade, with two pushing it. — 8 years ago

with Theresa

Anne Richardson

9.0

Crisp and fruity with a medium finish. Enjoyed it with a sesame soy tilapia dish. — 8 years ago

Nien-Chi WU

10

Get relaxed after taking care of two little hyper active 😂😂 — 8 years ago

Grant Everett

9.4

2013. Just a baby. Needs about two hours of air, then it's just showing off. Lovely. — 9 years ago

Loula Dacolias

9.0

Medium body, smooth, sweet start, tart dry finish. Lovely — 9 years ago

Sumi Smiles

9.6

Pretty awesome. Never really had port before. This was an excellent dessert wine. 2014 Colorado Urban Wine Fest. — 10 years ago

with Sean

Alessandro Lunardi

10

Two beautiful wines ., as we poured them in the glasses Sammarco was very expressive while Ornellaia showed quite austere, compact and monolithic. Sammarco opened quickly with delicate scents of white flowers, rose petals, tobacco, minerals, olives, and a fresh vibrant mouth feel. Ornellaia stayed austere for at least 30 min, but then it started to wake up with timid notes of oriental spices, cider box, saddle leather, graphite, wild cherries, cassis and licorice. Suddenly Ornellaia intensity increases exponentially, with broader complexity, sweet tobacco, chocolate powder, mint, clove. Sammarco stayed stable with a lighter structure in a very pretty, elegant expressive state. After one hour Sammarco started to lose intensity, flattens a bit it's freshness and turns to a slight simplicity. At the end of the dinner, with just a little wine in the glass Ornellaia was still growing and increasing complexity. We should have had a magnum! — 11 years ago