David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

I have been staring down this bottle for awhile...guess tonight is the night.

Bright, candied red florals leap out of the glass followed quickly by sweet & sour cherries. Smooth, medium spice, cinnamon stick, cola, ripe, elegant, blackberries, poached to candied strawberries, stewy black plum, creamed black raspberries, pomegranate, haunting blueberries fruits, steeped fruit tea, truffle dark chocolate, tobacco notes with ash, dark, rich, moist earth, understated incense, beautifully layered, dark spices, almost black pepper, limestone alluvial earthiness, dry stems & stones with the most amazingly, bright, fragrant; dark, red, blue, purple floral wrapped in violets.

The body is round, gorgeously sexy and elegantly full. It sings on the palate. This is a good time to try a bottle if you have others as this wine will continue to improve over the next 15 years. If you love a well textured wine, this is one for you. The structure, tension, length and balance have just started down the yellow brick road to the Emerald City. Candied red florals leap out of the glass followed quickly by sweet & sour cherries. Smooth, medium spice, big cinnamon stick, cola, ripe, elegant, blackberries, poached to candied strawberries, stewy black plum, creamed black raspberries, raspberries, cranberries, pomegranate, haunting blueberries fruits, steeped fruit tea, tobacco notes with ash, dark, rich, moist earth, understated incense, beautifully layered, deep penetrating dark spices with pronounced palate heat, lightly grilled meats, hints of smokiness, almost black pepper, limestone alluvial earthiness, dry stems & stones with the most amazingly, bright, fragrant; dark, red, blue, purple floral wrapped in violets & understated lavender. The acidity is spot on. The finish is complex, well balanced, ruby polished that falls into spice, florals for days and persists endlessly on your palate and in your head long after the night is over. Gorgeous wine!!!

I am all about pairing food & wine & confident there are foods that would enhance this wine; Duck, Pork Loin w/ fruit or lightly seasoned roasted chicken etc. but, I would be a purest with this bottling. It’s simply that beautiful & gorgeous on its own.

Photos of; Domaine Faiveley, their barrel aging room, Erwan Faiveley and immaculately manicured Nuits St. Georges vineyard.

Producer notes: Domaine Faiveley is one of the biggest Domaines at 115 hectares in Burgundy and some would say, one of the best. Domaine Faiveley grapes are destemmed and fermented in new wooden vats for the finer wines and in conical stainless steel tanks for the lesser cuvées
— 4 years ago

Chris England

9.2

A top year mature white Bordeaux Graves that always hits the spot but @ £50-£70 it’s not cheap 😎 it’s a love/hate depending if you like the gravelly aged white heavy mineral driven blend 😉

📍 Ch. Malartic-Lagravière Blanc Pessac-Léognan 2010

🏵 92-93 points

🍇 85% Sauvignon Blanc & 15% Sémillon

🍷 Golden yellow

👃 Tropical fruits mashed through stone crushed mineral rocks & gravel w/ light oak, caramelised lime, lemon & orange citrus zests, diesel, smoke & grapefruit splatters

👄 Full bodied creamy caramel melon, singed tropical fruits, char-baked lemon flesh, peach, dry minerals, fallen cooking apple compote & honey baked oil

🎯 A long oily rich creamy burnt tropical, citrus & apple coating w/ drying rock mineral & burnt crime brûlée lingers
— 6 years ago

ESF

9.2

So much bang for the buck here! Really silky & sexy - just a touch of RS which should not be confused with all the gorgeous yellow fruit on the nose. Great mouthfeel playing with juicy acidity and a long finish. Just spot on — 6 years ago

Severn Goodwin

9.2

Green bannana, tangerine and lemongrass on the nose; yellow grapefruit, peach, dried apricot and almond on the palate, nice bottle. At five years of age, this bottle is in a good spot tonight.
Night two has all these flavors appearing even more complete and complex, along with a light honey note starting to sneak in on the nose, this garners an extra point today, awesome bottle.
Last bottle 😾 — 6 years ago

Chris England

9.2

The 11 @ £38 is much better than the 10 - beautifully balanced & hits the spot in the ☀️ Time to kick of 🇬🇧 🎾 Wimbledon 😎

93-94 but at this price stays @ 92

🍷 Golden yellow

👃 Toasted brioche covered in fresh cut green apple compote & citrus zest w/ light honey caramel hints

👄 Refreshing med bodied fine bubbled persistent mouse of zingy sour green apple, lemon curd & sweet shortbread biscuit all nicely balanced 👍

🎯 Med+ sweet & sour lovely tart green apple & sugared citrus shortbread & caramel — 7 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

8.9

Founded in 1934, Chateau Ste. Michelle is the oldest winery in Washington with some of the most mature vineyards in the Columbia Valley. With deep soil, Miller Ranch is also in a climate sweet spot, cool in the morning and warm in the afternoon. Straw yellow with aromas of stone and tropical fruit with floral notes. On the palate crisp style with orange and grapefruit flavors, soft acidity with juicy sweetness, not overwhelming with a smooth ending. Good value. Tasting Sample. — 7 years ago

Bill Bender

9.3

Mountain stream freshness on entry, brioche, petrol, flint and yellow waxy fruits. A perfect finish to a very cool evening of burg over looking the blue Pacific at Chez Romo. Spot on with the paleo peach cobbler. — 8 years ago

with romo

J Levenson

9.1

A quick 30 minute decant will definitely enhance your experience. Enjoyed the 2014 on 2/28/16. Terrific minerality. Ian Cauble is spot on with pointing out the "yellow apple and unripe white peach". — 8 years ago

Melissa M. Sutherland

Importer Winebow Wines

9.9

Good acids, telltale deep yellow, dark fruit tones, some brown spice. Spot on. — 10 years ago

Severn Goodwin

9.2

Nose of cold/wet limestone, neutral oak, grapefruit pith and wet yellow cherry.

Palate has lightly oaked limestone soup, almond paste, faint tropical fruit and white flowers to finish.

A very nice bottle, enjoyed with to much youth. Should hit a great spot in about 2021+, yet still drinking ahead of the usual Burgundy age curve. Yes, 2016 IS great! — 5 years ago

William Hughes

9.1

Delicious and spot on. Bruised pear, yellow apple, anise, a touch of honey liqueur and above average acidity. Pairs well and cleanses the palate. This can be a very solid go-to house white. — 6 years ago

Chris England

9.3

The Wiston Pink 2011 remains my top 🇬🇧 Rose & this BdB is a top one for that spot to 👍 Another winner from Wiston 😍

@ £37 it’s rather good now & great age potential 👍 it's a proper thirst quencher 😎🌞

🏵 93-94 points

🍷 Light straw yellow

👃 Toasted brioche in butter covered in caramelised apple & pear w/ a citrus & cracked mineral wash

👄 Lively fine bubbled persistent med bodied mousse of refreshing tart sour green apple in mouthwatering acidity w/ citrus & mineral smack

🎯 Med+ dry mineral toasty apple & citrus zingy linger — 6 years ago

Kelli

9.5

First leaf. Smooth. Hint of melon. Creamy. Would buy again — 6 years ago

Chris England

9.3

Similar to previous notes - My favourite BdB NV @ £45-50 always hits the spot 👍

🍷 Glistening golden straw yellow

👃 Biscuity shortbread & mineral driven citrus with green apple & buttery toast

👄 Creamy buttery smooth zesty citrus in medium body soft mousse pushing through green apples with med tart dry acidity

🎯 Med+ apple & citrus dry finish & hint sweet shortbread biscuit undertone — 6 years ago

Raj Harb

9.0

Decanted...medium yellow. The air helped a lot...still heavily influenced by baby fat/oak but the acidity built with time/air/temp. I found the suggestion of dried pineapple on the palate to be spot on. Altogether good but not exciting. At nick and Toni's — 7 years ago

Emily Kresie-Harrington

9.2

2015 vintage. Juicy yellow apple, white nectarine, pear, white rocks, honeysuckle, white tea, pineapple. Tasty with good concentration and zesty acidity. As always, Richter hits the spot, especially for a birthday wine after a long, hard week at work :) — 7 years ago

Bill Bender

9.5

This wine is such a perfect compliment to my ribeye and mushrooms. I recall buying some of these '04s at the winery and we opened one in their picnic area surrounded by huge boulders. We brought some burgers from Taylor's Refresher (now Gott's) and enjoyed them on a perfect day. The winery family dog joined us. A big white/yellow lab. A memorable day. Ridiculously delicious burger. That bottle was tight as fu%* but now it's in an absolutely outstanding spot. Very typical ripe Pritchard Hill style but not over-ripe at all. No heat. Leather, dark chocolate and youthful but polished tannins. A little oak on the finish but not distracting in any way. I have to say the '04s and '06s I've had in the last year are distinctly superior to the more vaunted '05 and '07 Napa vintages....at least to my taste. — 7 years ago

Steve Willey

9.5

First timer with the yellow spot. I'm going to have to add it to the bar. — 8 years ago

Andrew Holod

National Sales Grapes of Spain

9.4

Restores my faith compared to the last bottle I opened. Spot on nose of crushed stone, honey, lanolin, sapid green and yellow fruits. On entry it seems dry but had a sneaky ripeness to it that could be a touch of residual sugar. Perfect foil to a homemade pate champagne. — 9 years ago

George Doolan

9.5

From half bottle. Birth year wine. Excellent surprise, this wine is quite precise on the nose with a saline minerality, yellow flowers, orange marmalade, some wax although the wine is quote fresh and not really tasting tired or oxidized in any way. Palette is unfortunately defined by an alcoholic weight (10% on the label) which detracts from the wine’s otherwise great elegance and ethereal nature. Not overly sweet with sufficient though not especially racy acidity. Overall very fun to drink and in a great spot from 375.
— 5 years ago

Kirsten Christiansen

9.6

Tasting notes said clam shells and wet pebbles with lemon pith and a hint of yellow apple, and that’s spot on really. — 5 years ago

Andy Tam

9.0

Beautiful fragrance caramel like from intense Merlot and 2003 tannins mellow out and I mostly drank all of it. Paired with 4 day stewed Hokkaido abalone and 5kg yellow spot tiger garoupa. This is still the best Cantonese restaurant in HK — 6 years ago

Chris England

9.5

Belle Époque always hits the spot & this 08 @ £94 is no different 😍 a beauty in the 🌞 that paired lovely with Bruschetta tomato, spring onion, basil, balsamic, olive oil & mozzarella 👍

🏵 94-95 points

📍 Perrier Joint Belle Époque 2008

🍇 50% Chardonnay, 45% Pinot Noir & 5% Pinot Meunier

🍷 Light straw yellow

👃 Baked brioche covered in apple compete in chalky minerals w/ sweet citrus smoked shortbread biscuit & white blossom

👄 Refreshing med bodied fine bubbled persistent mousse of tart yet creamy green apple, citrus zing, dry mineral & shortbread in soft melted light caramel honey & med acidity

🎯 Long dry mineral infused citrus apple toasty biscuit bubbletastic chalky lime coating 😍 — 6 years ago

Scott Taddeo

9.0

Chamomile plant, green apple, wet wool, yellow beach, slight honey and quince. Acid is spot on. Savennieres to a tee — 6 years ago

Josh Thorpe

9.4

Go get it!!!!!! — 7 years ago

with Andrew, Mark and 2 others

Chris England

9.3

Excellent, but pricy, Riesling @ £34 that's matured to a lovely harmoniously balanced spot right now. Best I've found this year 😁

🍷 Straw yellow

👃 Crushed minerals, mandarin, gooseberry, pear & light tropics through soft fuel tones w/ touch of citrus - fab aromas 😍

👄 Med body of creamy refreshing silky pure green & citrus fruit, touch sweet & dry w/ a light tropical backbone - very stoney fruits 😁

🎯 Long saline dry & light sweet green & citrus fruits w/ peach driven light tropics — 7 years ago

Chris England

9.1

Drinking just lovely now this £50 Pol Roger hits the spot in ☀️

🍷 Golden straw yellow

👃 Caramel smoke through crushed digestive biscuit in citrus peel with apple infused butter brioche

👄 Persistent fine bubbled med+ body mousse of rich bold caramelised creamy honeyed apple pie, peach & citrus in med balanced acidity

🎯 Long creamy sweet biscuit apple linger — 7 years ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

Green & golden apple, ripe pineapple, lemon/lime zest, bruised pear, honey, yellow florals, there's a thick/chewy taffy flavor on the roof of my mouth I remember from my youth (I want to say Now & Later but that's not quite right), creme soda, ginger ale, a slight nutty toffee quality, chalk is spot on as is the acidly and long finish. Round and balanced. Hard to find cultish Champagne. — 8 years ago

Sarah O'Kelley

9.5

Yellow Apple, pear, warm straw, creme fraiche, rocks. Spot on! — 8 years ago

Will Atkinson

9.2

Man. Love this stuff. Can't wait for yellow spot to hit U.S. Shores. — 9 years ago