Country: | France |
Region: | Burgundy |
Winery: | Courtault-Michelet |
Grape Type: | Chardonnay |
Organic: | Yes |
Vintage: | 2019 |
Bottle Size: | 750 ml |
Michelet Petit Chablis is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
Golden color. White flowers, fresh, lime and citrus aromas. Pleasant mouthfeel, supple, crisp, fruity flavors.
Machine harvested at full maturity (around Sep. 25th - lasts 12-18 days); pneumatic press; fermentation in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks for 8-10 days; M.L (2 months after the harvest); aging on the lees until February; racking; fining if necessary; cold stabilization; filtration right before bottling in April.
Ideal as an aperitif, the wine is an excellent companion to seafood.
Michelet Courtaullt Chablis AOC is made from 100% Chardonnay.
Golden colored and very aromatic with white flowers, fresh fruit, lime, citrus aromas as well as a bergamot. Pleasant mouthfeel, supple, crisp, fruity flavors. There is a touch of acidity, revealing a deliciously integrated minerality.This Chablis is produced from vineyards located on slopes benefiting from a mainly south, southwest sun exposure in villages of the Northwestern part of the Chablis area (Lignorelles, Beine, Villy and Chablis).
Ideal as an aperitif, the wine is an excellent companion to seafood, smoked salmon for example.
Cellier du Chateau de la Chaume Petit Chablis is made from 100 percent Chablis.
Color: Pale yellow
Bouquet: White flowers, honeysuckle, linden tree and dried fruits.
Palate: Very pleasant, balanced with tension and nice minerality
Drink as an Aperitif or pair with fish, shellfish.
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:
A juicy Barolo, with vibrant acidity and a fluid profile that exudes cherry, raspberry, mown hay, mineral and eucalyptus aromas and flavors. Tight yet long, with excellent potential.
#26 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2023
The last wine poured at my tasting at the winery is the G.D. Vajra 2019 Barolo Bricco delle Viole. With its high vantage point in the hills west of Barolo, Bricco delle Viole is a world apart in terms of soils (with Sant'Agata marl and fossils) and even harvest times. Slow and careful ripening like the kind that characterizes fruit in 2019 renders a very delicate and ethereal expression with floral tones, wild mint and licorice. This organic wine is solid in build and structure. Indeed, Isidoro Vaira remarks that Nebbiolo tannins have changed since the 1970s and 1980s.
-Wine Advocate 97+ Points
Jeweled in appearance, the 2019 Barolo Bricco Delle Viole may be the best wine I have tried yet from Vajra. Its gorgeous and alluring perfume of fresh roses is followed by a Burgundian, elegant red with incredible length and no harsh edges, fine and present tannins, and beautiful, graceful concentration. It is drinking well now, and I will be trying to get my hands on as much of this as possible. Drink 2025-2045.
-Jeb Dunnuck 97 Points
Pearmund Cellars Petit Verdotis made from 100 percent Petit Verdot.
Blackberry aromas with rich plum flavors. Well-rounded tannins and a smooth finish. Earthy, rustic, and warm. Limited production.
Siegel Single Vineyard Los Lingues Petit Verdot is made from 100 percent Petit Verdot.
The grapes were grown on the Los Linques "Reserve" hillside, blocks 23, 24 & 25. The wine offers elegant notes of tobacco, mocha and roasted coffee beans. It presents soft tannins, wine of great balance with a persistent and long finish.
Pairs with red meat, particularly lamb.
Golden color. White flowers, fresh, lime and citrus aromas. Pleasant mouthfeel, supple, crisp, fruity flavors.
Machine harvested at full maturity (around Sep. 25th - lasts 12-18 days); pneumatic press; fermentation in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks for 8-10 days; M.L (2 months after the harvest); aging on the lees until February; racking; fining if necessary; cold stabilization; filtration right before bottling in April.
Ideal as an aperitif, the wine is an excellent companion to seafood.
Review:
"The ammonite on the label gives a pretty clear direction as to the style of this fine Petit Chablis, crisp and pure on the palate ... - Andy Howard MW"
- Decanter (Top Scoring Petit Chablis, December 2020), 90 pts
Domaine Courtault-Michelet Estate
This is a new Estate, founded by Stephanie Courtault and her husband Vincent Michelet.
Stephany is the daughter of Jean Claude Courtault, who runs a family winery founded in 1984. Jean Claude arrived in Lignorelles in 1974 to work as a vineyard manager for one of the village's wine estates. In 1984, JC Courtault purchased 1.5 hectare of 4 year old vines in the Chablis area. Then, he rented a piece of land in the Chablis appellation area that he planted with the help of his wife, Marie-Chantal. This dynamic estate aims to fuse tradition with modernity.
Date Founded: 1984
A native of Touraine, Jean-Claude Courtault arrived at Lignorelles in 1974 to work as Vineyard Manager for one of the village's wine estates.
In 1984, JC Courtault seized the chance to buy 1.5 hectares of 4 year old vines in the Chablis area. Next, he rented a plot of land in the Chablis appellation area, which he then planted up with the help of his wife, Marie-Chantal. And so the Estate Jean-Claude Courtault came into being.
JC Courtault enlarged and worked his vineyard over time, whilst still fulfilling his duties as Vineyard Manager. He began producing wine, and in 1987, the process of bottling and marketing started. That year's wine was rewarded with a gold medal at the "Concours Général des Vins de Paris" competition. This medal was just the first of many awards and prizes that have punctuated JC Courtault's career, a mark of the quality and consistency of his wines.
The 1994 edition of the Guide Hachette gave something of a commercial boost to the Estate Jean-Claude Courtault, after it awarded the 1992 Chablis a favourite buy distinction.
In 1995, with the estate boasting a dozen hectares of Chablis and Petit Chablis, Jean-Claude Courtault decided to devote himself to wine-growing on a full-time basis. He built a wine storehouse that included all the features necessary for optimal operating efficiency.
The estate has continued to develop its vineyard and now boasts a total of 17.60 hectares in production. This development drive is due to continue, with the arrival of Stéphanie, daughter of JC and MC Courtault, and her husband, Vincent Michelet. From now on it will be up to them to take up the challenge of producing Chablis wines.
The estate produces three of the four appellations found in the Chablis wine-growing region : Petit Chablis, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru and Chablis Grand Cru Valmur
Some 50,000 bottles are sold in France and abroad.
Domaine Courtault-Michelet Vineyards
The wines of the Estate Jean-Claude Courtault are particularly renowned for their strong fruit character, the wine-grower's signature, if you like. These wines are regularly singled out for their quality, as can be seen in the Guide Hachette and various competitions - concours de Paris, Mâcon, Vignerons Indépendants. The Estate Jean-Claude Courtault sells and produces wines that have come from the estate's own vines.
The estate's vines are planted in accordance with the tradition of the Lignorelles area, in other words, every 5 rows, sufficient space is left for a tractor to pass. Planting density is on average around 6000 to 7000 vines per hectare, roughly equivalent to the mean for the Chablis wine-growing region.
This vineyard is sited on relatively hilly ground. Some plots have required considerable work on them before planting, with gradients of up to 1 in 2.5 (40%) possible. The oldest plots have 35 year-old vines.
Grape Harvest generally begins at the end of September and lasts between 12 to 18 days, depending on the year. Our main aim is to harvest the grapes at their optimal ripeness. This allows us to obtain a higher sugar content in the grapes whilst still maintaining pH and acidity at the levels needed to make a well-balanced wine.
The Grade Napa Cabernet Sauvignon Winfield Vineyard is made from Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.
“This wine expresses a focused balancing act of dark, rich black fruit, and a fine tannin structure, illuminated through the core with a laser-like acidity. The wine displays a deep purple-red hue with a cranberry halo. Aromas of cassis, cinnamon, citrus oil, roasted meat, and lilac swell from the glass.
“The palate is marked by a wave of jet-black brambly fruit up front, followed by an exotic spice mid-palate and a long, complex finish that lasts and lasts expressing notes of flowering jasmine, and oolong tea. The silky tannins hold everything together and will certainly allow this wine to evolve in the cellar for at least 7-10 years.” - Thomas River Brown
Review:
Coming from the Winfield Vineyard in Calistoga, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon is another brilliant wine from the hands of winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown. This deep purple-colored effort boasts tons of blueberry and jammy blackberry fruits as well a medium to full-bodied, concentrated, yet elegant style on the palate. It has the purity of fruit that’s the hallmark of the vintage, ripe, sweet tannins, and no hard edges, and is already hard to resist.
-Jeb Dunnuck 94 Points
In 1992 the Hill-Smith family counted themselves amongst those fortunate enough to own a vineyard upon the famous Coonawarra terra rossa soil over limestone. Experimentation, innovation, minimalist intervention and small batch winemaking has resulted in The Menzies’ reputation as a wine of longevity, elegance and structure.
Situated in the heart of Coonawarra’s terra rossa strip, The Menzies Estate vineyard lies on a flat plain, approximately 70km from the coast. Given the terrain and influence of the cooling Bonney upwelling, Coonawarra is an ideal location to grow premium Cabernet Sauvignon. Our soil is red sandy loam over limestone, which is classic Cabernet Sauvignon country. The grapes for The Menzies 2017 are from vines planted in 1994 and 1996. Bunches are usually small with small berries, giving concentration via an ideal skin to juice ratio favouring the making of fullbodied reds.
Experimentation, innovation, minimalist intervention, and small batch winemaking has resulted in The Menzies' reputation as a wine of longevity, elegance, and structure.
Aromas of fresh rosemary, mulberry, violets and exotic spices. Take a sip and you will feel the poise and tension for which great Cabernet is renowned. A wine of great complexity with flavors of blackcurrant, bitter chocolate, and mulberries, wrapped in divine tannins and a lovely sweet, dark fruit finish. With decanting in its youth, it is enjoyable as an elegant full-bodied red wine.
Review:
The 2017 The Menzies Cabernet Sauvignon is looking good next to the 2016 tasted beside it. It is fresh and vibrant, with layers of complexing dark earth characters, with cigar box, black olive brine, cassis, bramble, milk chocolate and cracked black pepper. This is very good, and it has what I am coming to recognize as a "Yalumba red character": dried herbs, particularly oregano. The juicy splay of fruit through the finish is a highlight.
-Wine Advocate 95 Points