Gaudrelle Monmousseau Clos le Vigneau Vouvray is made from 100% Chenin Blanc

Clos Le Vigneau is a single vineyard from an area known as "les Gués d'Amant" or "Lover's Gap". Most of the vines were planted in 1929. 

Off dry in style with honey, earth and apricot notes. Wines from the town of Vouvray have been known to age well for 40 years. This particular bottling should hold for at least 5-7 years. 

Clos des Cazaux Gigondas Le Souiras is 100% Grenache.

“Le Souiras” is the terroir located at the very South end of the Gigondas appellation. Here, in the midst of the Dentelles de Montmirail, an extraordinary calcareous massif, we planted grapevines on slopes surrounded by Mediterranean vegetation.

We are situated at an altitude of 250 meters, where the nights are cooler. The terroir is stony with a layer of grey and blue clay under the topsoil. The slopes face West and are protected from the strong summer sun by the Montmirail hill. Due to this ideal microclimate, our old Grenache grapevines contain all the complexity and balance of this sunny terroir.

Color : Dark intense ruby color.
Bouquet : Notes of little red fruits, white pepper, caramel and juniper.
Palate : The first impression is arresting and generally qualified as round, complex and dense.
The aromas of black cherry, mocha and white pepper are very intense. The palate is powerful, elegant and velvety.
The finish is long, with very silky tannins and a very slight bitterness that gives this exceptional Grenache an impression of freshness.

Review:

"A brilliant wine that has so much to love, the 2022 Gigondas Le Souiras is all Grenache that was brought up in barrels. It exhibits a vivid ruby hue as well as classic kirsch and blackberry fruit intermixed with peppery garrigue, spice, and ample Provençal nuances. This medium-bodied, fresh, focused 2022 has a beautiful sense of elegance, fine tannins, and the balance to evolve gracefully over the coming 10-12 years."

- Jeb Dunnuck (December 5th 2024), 94 pts

-Jeb Dunnuck 92 Points

-Nicolas Greinacher (Vinous) 92 Points

Merryvale Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 2022 is made from Pinot Noir.

From the cool, fog-swept vineyards of the Sonoma Coast — including fruit from the celebrated Durell and Sunchase sites — this is Merryvale's elegant, Burgundian-minded take on California Pinot Noir. A mix of Dijon and heritage clones (667, Pommard, 777 and 828) was largely destemmed, fermented with native yeasts, and aged about ten months in roughly 40% new French oak — restraint that lets the fruit lead. Expect a perfumed, silky glass: black cherry, raspberry and dark berry lifted by forest floor, cola spice and a whisper of graham cracker, with bright acidity and fine, polished tannins carrying a long finish. Lovely now and over the next decade.

Winery Info: Merryvale Vineyards was founded in 1983 and makes its home in the historic Sunny St. Helena winery on Main Street — a stone landmark built in 1933 as the first winery raised in the Napa Valley after Prohibition, and the cellar where Robert and Peter Mondavi first made wine with their father, Cesare. The Schlatter family has owned and run Merryvale since the 1990s, today led by René Schlatter. At its heart lies the Historic Cask Room, where two stories of century-old 2,000-gallon oak casks line the walls. Four decades on, Merryvale remains a quintessential St. Helena house.

Review:

A wonderful interplay of brightness and savoriness captures the elegance of wines from the Sonoma Coast. Aromas of crushed red raspberries, sauteed mushrooms and wild blackberries. On the palate there’s red fruit and black pepper, with bright, crunchy acidity and taut tannins. The finish is long, with umami flavors. Medium-bodied. Drink or hold.

-James Suckling 94 Points

Alexandre Monmousseau Gaudrelle Vouvray Reserve Personelle is made from 100 percent Chenin Blanc

Fine Chenin Blanc typicity, with aromas of ripe apples and honeyed notes. Rich, smooth, rounded palate with great structure and weight. Has the acidity to support ageing for 10 years.

Chateau Gaudrelle Vouvray Reserve Personelle 2009 is 100 percent Chenin Blanc

Fine Chenin Blanc typicity, with aromas of ripe apples and honeyed notes. Rich, smooth, rounded palate with great structure and weight. Has the acidity to support ageing for 10 years.

Review:

-Wine Enthusiast 91 Points

Produced from 100% Chenin Blanc planted on clay and flint stones based soils.
Vinification: aged in stainless steel tanks with temperature controlled fermentation. Aged on the lees for 4 months. 
Kieselguhr filtration.
This sparking wine is fresh and fruity. Rich and easy to drink, which makes it a wonderful aperitif. For the aficionados this is an excellent food friendly wine. Its quality makes it a great alternative to Champagne.

"The two sparkling wines should not be missed. They’re both terrific examples of how good sparkling Vouvray can be. Both are 100% Chenin Blanc cuvees, with the non-vintage Chateau Gaudrelle Vouvray Brut showing lots of effervescence and plenty of flowery brioche, buttered citrus, melon and dried apricot notes. It is crisp, fresh, and ideal for drinking over the next several years."
-Wine Advocate 90 pts

"Just off-dry, this almond- and apple-flavored wine achieves a fine balance of crispness and richness. There is just a touch of honey, intertwined with delicious citrusy acidity."
- Wine Enthusiast , 90 pts