Patricia Raquin Nuits St. Georges les Vaucrains is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
"Vaucrains" comes from old French word meaning place with very little fertility (which is very good terroir for grape production)
Nuits-Saint-Georges AOC: AOC wines since 1936, 757 acres of grapes, 97 % red wine, 3 % white wine. Nuits refers to “walnuts in the area, not night”….41 Premier Cru vineyards
Tasting Notes: Powerfull aromas with lots red wild fruits, full bodied wine with great aging potential.
VINEYARD: Gravel and Silt
HARVEST: Harvest by hand.
VINIFICATION: Harvest by hand. Traditional vinification in thermoregulated stainless steel. Pre-fermentation – temperature controlled cold maceration during 10 days. Long fermentation during which pigeages and pumping over are performed. Post-fermentation - maceration at 30°C for 5 days.
AGEING: Aged in new French oak barrels for 16 months.
Roast lamb - Rib steaks - duck
Patricia Raquin Nuits St. Georges les Vaucrains is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
"Vaucrains" comes from old French word meaning place with very little fertility (which is very good terroir for grape production)
Nuits-Saint-Georges AOC: AOC wines since 1936, 757 acres of grapes, 97 % red wine, 3 % white wine. Nuits refers to “walnuts in the area, not night”….41 Premier Cru vineyards
Tasting Notes: Powerfull aromas with lots red wild fruits, full bodied wine with great aging potential.
VINEYARD: Gravel and Silt
HARVEST: Harvest by hand.
VINIFICATION: Harvest by hand. Traditional vinification in thermoregulated stainless steel. Pre-fermentation – temperature controlled cold maceration during 10 days. Long fermentation during which pigeages and pumping over are performed. Post-fermentation - maceration at 30°C for 5 days.
AGEING: Aged in new French oak barrels for 16 months.
Roast lamb - Rib steaks - duck
Patricia Raquin Santenay 1er Cru Beaurepaire is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
The animals shown on the label are dogs. The breed is called Borzoi, also called "Russian Wolfhound", which means "fast" in Russian. Patricia and Alain are proud owners of 2 Borzois and they designed this label so that the dogs will be guardian of the vaulted ageing cellar inside their house.
The Santenay Santenay is coming from the Premier Cru called Beaurepaire.
The wine is showing a great pale yellow color with gold highlights. The nose is very delicate displaying aromas of white blossoms with just a hint of oak. In the mouth, the wine is very soft with a great deal of minerality, superb length and a tangy finish.
The nose here is brilliantly red fruited, with layer upon layer of subtle spice, bright floral notes, herbs, and stone. Its not all poetry and pageantry, though, and the first impression of the wine was simply, “oh that’s goooood.” A fair assessment, and sometimes that it all one requires. Further tastes show fine tannin throughout, a juicy, vibrant mouthfeel that is very likeable, and deft, long-developing layers of fruit that reveal themselves severally.
Patton Valley's flagship wine, The Estate is the most comprehensive expression of their vineyard site, and the wine that truly defines their place in a given vintage.
Review:
"Glistening red. Vibrant red fruit, floral and spice scents show very good clarity that picks up subtle hints of succulent herbs and smoky minerals with air. Juicy and energetic in the mouth, the 2017 offers gently sweet cherry raspberry and rose pastille flavors and a touch of spicecake. Smooth, well-integrated tannins make a late appearance on a long, floral-tinged finish that shows no rough edges.
- Josh Raynolds" - Antonio Galloni's Vinous (August 2020), 92 pts
Paul Hobbs Edward James Estate Chardonnay Russian River Valley is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
This small five-acre estate named after Paul's great-grandfather, Edward James, rewards us with a chardonnay that is pale straw in color with inviting aromas of lemon zest, red apple skin, gardenia, and honeysuckle. A creamy mouthfeel on the palate evolves into poached pear, ginger spice, and brioche that come together with a crunchy acidity and lively finish.
Review:
The 2022 Chardonnay Edward James Estate was named after Paul’s grandparents on his father’s side and originates in a vineyard planted entirely to Hyde Wente clone of Chardonnay. It was raised in French oak for 18 months on the lees. In the glass, it’s highly expressive and layered with aromas of toasted spice, incense, honeysuckle, quince, and preserved citrus. Medium to full-bodied, it has a fantastic, long, supple texture with a linear, crystalline feel, great, evenly fresh acidity, and a salty, mouthwatering finish. This is my favorite of the white wines at this tasting. Drink 2025-2037.
-Jeb Dunnuck 97 Points
Paul Hobbs George Menini Estate Chardonnay is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
Located on the southwestern edge of the Russian River Valley appellation in an area known as the Sebastopol Hills, this Chardonnay from George Menini Estate displays pale straw in color and boasts an elixir of white and yellow florals, tart yellow apple, bartlett pear, and baking spice. A precise yet supple wine with notes of juicy Gravenstein apple, vibrant sea salt, and crushed rock, complemented by a cool-climate zing of acidity. An impressive level of complexity for a young vineyard.
Review:
Lots of pears and pear blossom with lemon rind undertones. Medium body with plenty of fruit and energetic acidity with a pumice undertone. Some terra-cotta, too. Flavorful finish. Salty, too. Complex. Lots going on here. Drink or hold.
-James Suckling 97 Points
Guillemot-Michel Vire Clesse is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
Beautifully expressive, with yellow fruits, orange blossom, smoke & flint. Thick and saline on entry, then seriously deep in the mid-palate, with suggestions of exotic fruits perfectly countered by strong minerality. This wine strikes a perfect balance between sweet and salty elements, and it shows vibrant acidity. It boasts a thickness that few other northern Mâconnais can match.
Enjoy with fish (such as sole meuniere), seafood, roasted chicken, goat cheese.
Review:
"The 2018 Viré-Clessé Quintaine is showing beautifully, wafting from the glass with a lovely bouquet of honeyed citrus fruit, fresh pastry and orange blossom. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and supple, it's elegantly textural and refined, with a fragrant core of fruit and a long, penetrating finish. Even though it will reward a bit of bottle age, it's slightly finer-boned than the more concentrated, muscular 2017, so I would opt to drink this immensely charming wine before its older sibling. – William Kelley"
- The Wine Advocate (Issue 249, June 30th 2020), 93 pts
Montes Alpha M 2019 is made from 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot.
Montes Alpha M is the result of an extremely limited production and a rigorous selection of the grapes, one by one, led by Aurelio Montes. Coming from the Colchagua Valley, it is one of the best and most awarded wines of Chile. The vineyards that give rise to Montes Alpha M are located in the Apalta zone of the Colchagua Valley. The soils are of granitic origin and are shallow in the upper, mountainous sectors. They vary in the clay content, depth, amount of organic matter, and especially the types of rocks and stones they are made up of. The soils origin can also range from fluvial to glacial, which shows the great diversity of soils in our vineyards. Some zones are influenced by the Tinguiririca River and others by mudslides and the detachment of material from high above in the mountain chain that delimits the valley.
Review:
Deep nose, but really fresh at the same time. Currants, blackberries and chili-pepper chocolate with cedary and meaty undertones. This is really juicy, with a tight, tensely framed palate, underscored by lots of creamy, dusty tannins. A lengthy, refined and elegant expression of cabernet sauvignon, but a strong statement from Colchagua. Drink or hold.
-James Suckling 97 Points