Chavy-Chouet Bourgogne Rouge La Taupe is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
Chavy-Chouet's Pinot Noir is classified as humble Bourgogne Rouge, but the fruit for it comes from an excellent single-vineyard site near Pommard. La Taupe's parcel was once part of the Pommard AOC.
The wine is juicy with a great mouthfeel. It has classic Bourgogne Rouge aromas, with a candied cherry character as well as strawberry, raspberry and spice, yet the structure and length of finish reminds one of a Pommard - ripe & rich with a bigger body.
Average age of the vines: 70 years old.
Density of planting: 10,000 vines per hectare.
Soil: clay
100% distemmed.
Very little intervention. Less pigeage (punch down of the cap) but some remontage (pump-over)
Chavy-Chouet Maranges Blanc Les Meurees is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
Chavy-Chouet Meursault Les Casse Tetes is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
A "casse tête" in French is a conundrum or puzzle and the name of this plot refers to the hardness of the soil and the challenge it was for our ancestors to plant vines on this pebbly limestone ground.
Surface Area : 1.5 acres (0.6 hectares)
Age of the vines: 45 years old
Planting density : 10,000 vines per hectares
Soil Type : Limestone
Tasting notes: Concentrated, powerful, and lively, Les Casse-Têtes is the very quintessence of the Meursault appellation. Its sophistication, structure, and assured elegance reflect the character of the soil.
Chavy-Chouet Meursault Clos des Corvees de Citeaux is 100 percent Chardonnay
Aged in new oak barrels (Allier).
The Clos des Corvees de Citeau is a .96 hectare vineyard located in Meursault. It was part of the appellation of l'Ormeau; an old property of the Cistercian monks who made a two meter wall around the vines. The tall walls create a micro-climate that encourages early growth and ripening.
Thanks to its clay rich soil, the vineyard produces a rich, opulent and luscious wine that can be enjoyed young. This is a powerful and elegant white Burgundy; expressive, fresh and fruity with intense and strong flavors.
This fine and sensual wine, with hints of blossom and roasted hazelnut, has a concentration that makes it discreet in its youth but powerful over time. Located right next to Puligny-Montrachet, the plot of Les Charmes was planted in 1943 on a sandy clay-limestone soil that produces small, concentrated berries for an intense wine that is perfect for ageing.
Chavy-Chouet Meursault Les Vireuils is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
The "Les Vireuils" parcel is located on the top of the hill above Meursault, right below the forest.
It is slightly cooler parcel with a limestone soils with a higher presence of rocks. The wines coming from this parcel are always sharp with a vibrant acidity and a lot of freshness.
Tasting notes: Concentrated, powerful, and lively, Les Vireuils has all the classic characteristics of the Meursault appellation. Its sophistication, structure, and assured elegance reflect the character of the soil.
It is a great match with fish in creamy sauce, cheese, white meats.
G.D. Vajra Bricco Delle Viole Barolo is made from 100 percent Nebbiolo.
The Barolo Bricco delle Viole shows the signature verticality of its vineyard. The wine is beautifully layered and - while restrained as it’s always the case in the youth of Bricco delle Viole - it also shows a complexity of layers with purple flowers, sweet spices and mineral tones. The palate is noble, with a refined acid spine and profound tannins that promise a long aging potential.
Among the historical vineyards of Barolo, Bricco delle Viole is the highest and the closest to the Alps. It rises from 400 to 480 meters above sea level, on the Western ridge of the village. Its name, “Hill of Violets”, originates from the flowers that blossom early here due to the perfect south exposure. Up above the fogs, Bricco delle Viole enjoys the earliest sunrise and the last sunset every day. Thanks to its vines dating back to 1949 and -now- 1931, a dramatic diuturnal temperature range and this pure light, Bricco delle Viole generates a sophisticated and profound Barolo DOCG of bright aromatics, chiseled tannins and subtle minerality. 2018 is a vintage that shows many nuances of Bricco delle Viole: beyond the signature verticality of this site, the wine offers high tones laced with mineral nuances and plenty of energy and youth.
Review:
The 2018 Barolo Bricco delle Viole is not super intense, but it is balanced in its own way. The wine is subdued but complete with softly yielding tannins to support an elegantly streamlined mouthfeel. Bricco delle Viole is a high and cool growing site in Barolo at 400 to 480 meters in elevation with characteristic Sant'Agata marl soils with fossils. The wine represents a selection of fruit from over seven hectares. With fermentation in steel tank and aging in large Slavonian oak, you are invited to a silky, lifted and beautifully delicate experience with an accessible personality.
-Wine Advocate 95 Points
An elegant version, this red features rose, black currant, cherry, mineral and a hint of eucalyptus aromas and flavors. Linear in profile, this is solidly built on a graceful frame, with finely woven tannins and vibrant acidity.
- Wine Spectator 95 Points
Named after Joe Donelan’s mother, the Nancie Chardonnay is our take on cool-climate, timeless Chardonnay. We love the way Nancie captures the classic qualities of Chardonnay while also exhibiting the unique traits of the unusual sites we source from. This Chardonnay is an emphasis on Old Vines, dry farming, and California heritage clones and selections. Every vintage embodies elegance and class, but no vintage is the same. The assemblage changes every year, so Nancie does not have a recipe. This wine lets us sit shotgun while the cool climate and the terroir do all the navigating, and they never steer us wrong. It is truly an inimitable wine made from a blend of incredible fruit we farm throughout Sonoma County, from the Coast to the Sonoma/Napa border.
On the nose, the Nancie Chardonnay opens with nutmeg, ginger snap, and chai spice leading to high-tone fruit like red apple skin, orange blossom, orchard fruit, and green pineapple. Judicious acidity makes this a great candidate for pairing with food. It’s very fresh on the palate, engaging, and invigorating, and it has quite a finish for Chardonnay. This is a stand-out wine among its peers, with one foot in California, and one foot in the old world.
Nutmeg, ginger snap, chai spice, orange blossom, and red apple skin on the nose. Salinity, minerality, and wonderful acidity on the palate.
Review:
"Named after proprietor Joe Donelan’s mother, the Nancie Chardonnay is crafted from a blend of exceptional vineyard sites across Sonoma. Key sources include Farina Vineyard on Sonoma Mountain, the 45-year-old vines at Lazy W Ranch in the Russian River Valley, along with fruit from Allen Family Ranch and Dehlinger–Garbro Ranch. Winemaker David Milner notes that sites offering mineral tension and naturally high acidity are essential to shaping the blend. The wine is aged for 10 months in 24% new oak. In 2023, the aromatics are superb, with a freshness factor that feels almost unparalleled. Citrus notes and hints of underripe pineapple mingle with ginger spice, flinty minerality and a distinct sea-salt character. Medium-bodied and beautifully precise, the palate is driven by crystalline acidity and candied citrus peel fruit dusted with saline nuance. Citrus, orchard and stone fruit notes build toward an incredibly long, lingering finish, touched by subtle toffee spice. Distinctly saline, complex and expressive, this is a Chardonnay of clarity, energy and sheer deliciousness. - Jonathan CRISTALDI"
Decanter, 96 points