Baron Aime Cremant de Bourgogne Brut Rose NV is made from  85% Pinot Noir & 15% Chardonnay.

Light pink color with coppery shades. The citrus notes blend subtly with aromas of strawberry, forming a fresh and delicate bouquet. The palate is lively, with notes of grapefruit and fresh bread. Together they form a rich, fresh and vibrant wine.

Review:

"Steely amber color. Aromas and flavors of strawberry, green apple, toasted oats, and creme fraiche with a satiny, lively, finely carbonated, dry light-to-medium body and a tingling, intricate, medium-length finish that presents overtones of slightly under ripe wild strawberries, apricot, warm bread dough, and lemon zest. Lively and bright for a perfect apéritif yet with just enough richness and body to carry you in seamlessly to the first course."

- Beverage Testing Institute (November 2022), 94 pts - GOLD MEDAL - BEST BUY

Cave Carod Clairette de Die is made from 75% Muscat Petits Grains and 25% Clairette. Clairette de Die is produced with the ancestral dioise method. 
The grapes are rapidly pressed after the harvest and then placed in vats at low temperatures (replicating the process used by the Voconces in ancient times who kept the jars in the icy waters of their local rivers). The half-fermented must is bottled and fermentation continues in the bottle, giving a naturally sparkling wine. Disgorging occurs at least six months after bottling, while the wine still contains sugar and has reached an alcohol content of 7 to 9 %.

This is a sparkling wine with very fine bubbles, light in alcohol (8°), and containing residual sugar (incomplete fermentation). Clairette de Die has been known since ancient times (dates back to 77 A.D.). Clairette brings delicacy and lightness to the wine whereas Muscat gives its typical sweet flavor. The wine displays intense aromas, a refreshing balance of fruit and acidity with peach, orange and white flowers flavors.
This is an ideal wine for all desserts and ice creams, and is very interesting with foie gras. It is especially suitable for daytime meetings and cocktail parties.  A great breakfast wine!
Wine to be consumed young, to conserve the full fruity and floral flavors.  To be stored flat in a cool room away from light.

GOLD MEDAL - Effervescents du Monde 2010


GOLD MEDAL - Concours General Agricole de Paris 2012

SILVER MEDAL - Concours General Agricole de Paris 2011

Colmant Brut Chardonnay is made from 100 percent Chardonnay (Franschhoek and Robertson). 
15% of the base wine has been barrel fermented.
Ageing: This wine spends a minimum of 45 months on the lees at a consistent temperature of 14C before degorgement.
Tasting: Delicate light gold color with a lime-green hue. The nose is fresh, lemony and floral with notes of green apple, followed by yeasty and biscuity aromas brought by the lengthy maturation on the lees. Very fine bead of bubbles with a persistent mousse. Opulent on the palate, this wine shows a harmonious balance between fresh zestiness, mineral complexity and a warm breadth of leesy creaminess. It promises to develop great texture over time. 
Drinking tips: Ideal with pan fried scallops or line fish "au beurre blanc", it is also the oyster's best friend and will enhance the flavors of parmesan, asparagus, artichokes, parma ham,… 

Reviews:

"The core of this wine, which subsequently spent 52 months on lees, comes from the 2015 vintage and shows the ageing potential for which Colmant bubblies are famous. Savoury, fresh and intense, with plenty of colour, added complexity from reserve material, notes of aniseed and citrus peel and a fine, refreshing finish. 2021-25"

- Tim Atkin (South Africa 2020 Report), 93 pts

There are many alternatives to Champagne, and South Africa is no exception with some fine “Method Cap Classique.” Jean-Philippe Colmant hired winemaker Nicolas Follet to create a small range of impressive sparkling wines; they eschew malolactic fermentation and practice extended lees aging.- NM" 

- eRobertParker.com (Issue #196, August 2011), 92 pts

A blanc de blanc with the heart of Chardonnay, the NV Brut Chardonnay has focused citrus tones on the nose with notes of yellow pear and green apple. The oak is subtle here, with a solid beam of acidity through the mid-palate. The wine is thoughtful and focused, and the finish leaves my mouth watering; there is serious acidity here, and they are doing it right. Colmant is the little guy doing some really great things— quietly focused wines, with serious aging potential. Keep this small producer on your radar. I expect nothing but great things in years to come from JP Colmant and his new winemaker, Paul Gerber, formerly of Le Lude. - Anthony Mueller"

- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (Issue #245, October 2019), 91+ pts

"Our favorite Colmant sparkler by far, this blanc de blancs would easily pass for good quality Champagne. It’s pale straw with a fine bead with biscuit and lemon aromas. Very flavorful and complex on a rich palate with a persistent finish, it’s 100% Chardonnay, 15% barrel fermented, and spends 4 years on the lees. RS 5 g/L"
- I-WineReview  92 pts

IMPORTER SALE!

Blend: Colmant Brut Reserve NV is a blend of Pinot Noir 52%, Chardonnay 48% (Franschhoek, Robertson, Elgin, Somerset-West and Stellenbosch). 10% of the blend is made of reserve wine from the previous vintage and 12% of the base wine is barrel fermented.
Ageing: 28 months minimum on the lees at steady 13°C temperature.
Tasting: A subtle pale gold color with a very clean and elegant nose. The aroma has a gentle spicy toastiness with a lemon / yeasty perfume followed by more mature fruit. Plenty of freshness on the palate, with a good acidity which perfectly balances the yeasty depth, bready flavors and ample structure. Long smooth finish. Will develop nicely over the years.
Drinking tips: Divine as an aperitif and loyal as a party buddy, it also goes perfectly with oysters, sushis or any delicate seafood.

Reviews:

"The Brut Reserve (disgorged April 2018) was 10% fermented in French oak barrel and includes 20% reserve vintages. It spent 30 months on the lees. The well-defined, focused nose features bright citrus lemon and hints of baked bread. The palate is well balanced with a taut, crisp, citric entry. This is vivacious, very pretty and graced with lovely apricot hints on the finish. A superb MCC from Colmant. - Neal Martin"

- Vinous (August 28th 2018), 91 pts

"Fresh with leesy notes, a fine mousse and delicate palate of minerals and green citrus zest, this is a first class New World sparkler. It’s rich enough to enjoy on its own or with white meats. It’s a 50/50 blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay aged on the lees for 30 months and 25% reserve wines from earlier vintages."
-International Wine Review, 91 pts

"Disgorged February 2011, the Non-vintage Brut Reserve is a blend of 52% Pinot Noir and 48% Chardonnay based on the 2008 vintages blended with reserve wines from 2007 and 2006 (25% of the blend), aged for 30 months on the lees. It has a very fine pettillance in the glass. The nose is very well defined with crushed stone, oyster shell and the subtle perfume of fine lees coming through with aeration. The palate is very crisp and lively on the entry with vibrant acidity, a citrus thread from start to finish, and though it is not a powerful Cap Classique, it is wonderfully poised with great persistence on the fresh lime and Granny Smith-tinged finish.
There are many alternatives to Champagne, and South Africa is no exception with some fine “Method Cap Classique.” Jean-Philippe Colmant hired winemaker Nicolas Follet to create a small range of impressive sparkling wines; they eschew malolactic fermentation and practice extended lees aging."
- eRobertParker.com  , 92 pts

Our Hunt for Colmant:

 It was day 6 in South Africa and we find ourselves outside of beautiful Cape Town, in the country near the Riebeek Kasteel area in Swartland.  Let's talk a little about my accommodations before I tell you about this amazing bubbly. We arrive at the one and only hotel in Riebeek to find out that there were not enough rooms open for all. 

We reached out to our contact at Riebeek cellars, who we will refer to as "Point Break" from now on. For those of you that have not seen the movie Point Break, this guy looked and sounded like a blonde Keanu Reeves with a Dutch accent. Anyway, Point Break tells me that they have secured a small bed and breakfast that we could use for the overflow. Sounded nice...so I opted for it. 

Upon arrival, the home was beautiful on the outside with a catchy French name, "Shades of Provence". After Point Break fiddled with the skeleton key and lock for a good 35 minutes in the rain, we finally get to see the inside of our new home. The door opened straight into the kitchen where the first thing I noticed was the mouse sh*t all over the place. It was winter there and the mice were trying to stay warm, I'm sure. Little did they know this damn place had no heat.

Besides myself and my fiancee Sylvia, there were 3 other people and a total of four rooms. At this point I knew I better drag both our suitcases up those steps and get to the best room before everyone else. At stroke-causing speed, I skipped up the steps nearly knocking Point Break on his back and went through the rooms. I settled for a nice corner room with the least amount of dirt on the concrete floor and with only one or two spider webs on the wrought iron bed post.

For dinner that night, we returned to the hotel restaurant to join the rest of our group. The 5 of us forced to stay in the bed and breakfast were in a far worse mood than everyone around us. Arriving late, we sat at the end of the dinning table and hoarded as much wine as possible to try and drink ourselves to a point where we could sleep in that disgrace of a French country side home that Point Break secured for us.

 That night, I slept with the lights on, all my clothes on, and on top of the sheets hoping to avoid spider bites. I awoke that morning to Sylvia standing over me holding what looked like a hot water knob off of the shower. "It wasn't even attached.", she said. Sylvia proceeds to take a "whore-bath" in the sink using her own packed sock as a wash cloth. It was the only thing she deemed clean. To top it off, in a brief moment of happiness she finds a hair dryer in a cabinet. She pulled it out in triumph only to realize that there was a used condom stuck to the side of it. Obviously, this is her last trip to South Africa.

Cortenova Prosecco Spumante NV is 100 percent Prosecco

This Prosecco comes from the highly esteemed area of Valdobbiadene. There are two recognized quality zones for Prosecco, Conegliano and Valdobbiadene. Of the two, Valdobbiaden has always been recognized a having the superior quality due to its naturally higher acidity and its more northern location.
The vineyards lie at 350 meters above sea level. The vines are an average of 25 years old.

The grapes are soft pressed and the free run juice is placed in stainless steel. There is a brief maceration period of 4 hours. Specially selected yeast are added and fermentation is controlled at 20° C. There is no malolactic fermentation and the wine is transferred to autoclaves and a second fermentation is induced following the Charmat tradition. When the desired atmospheric pressure is reached (usually 1 month) the wine is bottled.

Light straw colored with greenish reflections. The perlage is fine and continuous. Fragrant bouquet full of flowers and almonds. In the palate it is fresh and clean with a soft body and a pleasing sparkle. The fruit is subtle and reminiscent of apples and pears with a hint of almond in the background. The finish is inviting.
Can be drunk by itself as an aperitif or with seafood and fish, pastas with cream sauces, chicken and fresh cheeses.

Review:

"Pale straw color. Bright, attractive aromas and flavors of roasted lemons and kiwis, green nectarine, nougat, and grass with a soft, vibrant, spritzy, dry-yet-fruity medium body and a tingling, complex, medium-length spiced clementine and delicate herbal honey finish with silky, crunchy, fruit tannins and no oak. A delicious, nicely layered Prosecco with an elegant style." - Beverage Testing Institute (November 23rd 2015), 91 pts, Best Buy

Georges Cartier Champagne Brut Tradition NV is made from 65% Pinot Meunier, 25% Pinot Noir, and 10% Chardonnay.

This champagne was made to reflect the potential of each grape growing areas of the Champagne region.

The grapes for Georges Cartier Brut Tradition have been carefully selected from the 3 emblematic areas of Champagne. Chardonnay is sourced from the Côte des Blancs, Pinot Noir from Montagne de Reims and Pinot Meunier from the Marne Valley.

Each grape variety brings its own character and specific quality to the wine: Pinot Meunier brings fruit and roundness, Pinot Noir brings character, power, structure and balance, while Chardonnay contributes to the finesse, minerality and elegance of the result wine.

The blend in 2022 will be 70% 2018 vintage and 30% of reserve wines (consisting of 2014, 2015 and 2016 vintages).

It will be RD (meaning "Recently Disgorged") to keep freshness, fruitiness, minerality and elegance. 

Review:

"A blend of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay. Lemon drop and buttercup combine with lime sorbet. Bubbles burst with ease and the wine’s mineral tone keeps the palate cleansed."

- The Tasting Panel (May/June 20022), 93 pts

SALE!

Hugl Zweigelt Secco Rose  is made from 100% Zweigelt

Despite its relative youth, Zweigelt is actually an Austrian classic. This variety was created in 1922, when Dr. Fritz Zweigelt crossed two grapes - St Laurent and Blaufränkisch. Originally, it was intended for the new variety to be called Rotburger, referring to the place where it was born, Klosterneuburg. But this name never took hold, and instead, Zweigelt was named after the man who was the key in its development.
Today, Zweigelt is the most widely planted red variety in Austria, growing in nearly 9% of this country's vineyards. It is a robust grape, highly resistant to dryness, frost and various diseases.

Lively, fruity bouquet of strawberry, cherry and floral aromas. Refreshing and beautifully balanced, this is a great wine to enjoy as an aperitif. This is a Secco for the whole day and the whole night

The wine is made of 100% Zweigelt grapes of 15-35 years old (25 years old in avarage). 
The soil is mainly loam and loess. 
It is made using the Charmat method and the wine is aged for 3 months on the lees in stainless steel tanks. 
The wine is slightly filtered before bottling. 

Drink by itself as an aperitif, it is also a great picnic or brunch wine and will be a good pick to celebrate any occasion.

Laurent-Perrier Cuvee Rose NV is made Pinot Noir from 10 crus in the Montagne de Reims

The Cuvée Rosé from Laurent-Perrier is the most recognized rosé champagne in the world. The house uses its proprietary maceration technique and the wine is crafted for a fragrance and not mixed for a color. Held in an elegant bottle inspired by King Henri IV, it has been widely acknowledged for its consistent high quality for more than 40 years, and it is the benchmark for rosé champagne around the world. 

Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé is truly remarkable for its highly expressive bouquet, stemming from very careful preservation of fresh fruit aromas during the wine making. Made with 100% Pinot Noir from 10 different "crus " (or villages), from the North and South areas of the Montagne de Reims, as well as the famous village of Bouzy. Grapes from carefully selected plots are meticulously sorted and de-stemmed before going into the vats, and the controlled maceration helps with the color extraction and the development of the full aromatic richness of the Pinot Noir. 

Intensely fruity flavors, clean and slightly sharp, the wine opens to the sensation of freshly picked red berries: strawberries, Morello cherries, black currants and raspberries. The finish is supple and rounded. 

Its aromatic depth makes it ideal for pairing with marinated raw fish, grilled prawns, exotic dishes, Parma ham and red fruit desserts. Those who are more daring will try it with Asian or Indian cuisine.

Review:

Ethereal floral and raspberry nose. A vinous palate with a mild mousse, the soft texture all wrapped in spice, nuts, smoke and a superior berry tincture. Very long and easy to enjoy.

-Decanter 95 Points

Intense mahogany. Deep aroma of dried fruits (raisins, figs) bouquet subtle notes of chocolate and coffee. Smooth and velvety in the mouth with a long after taste.

To be served with desserts, at room temperature or slightly chilled, delicious poured over ice cream.

Review:

"Violet color. Aromas and flavors of mashed raisins and prunes and chocolate nuts with a bright, sweet medium-full body and a subtle, long fig paste, mincemeat pie, and baklava finish with no oak. A rich and toothsome PX Sherry with great length and depth."
- Tastings, 2018 World Wine Championships, 93 pts - "EXCEPTIONAL"

Mordoree La Remise Rouge Sulfite Free is made from 40% Marselan (Marselan is a cross between Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache), 40% Merlot, 20% Grenache

Color : deep red
Aromas : red fruits and black fruits (blueberry, blackcurrant) and flowers (violet, peony).
Palate : nice mouth feel, nice freshness
Drink within 3 to 5 years.
With its exceptional resistance to oxidation (due to Marselan) this wine will remain pleasant for a long time after opening the bottle.

Surface : 2 Ha.
Yield : 50 Hl./Ha.
Vineyard age: 15 Years
Terroir : clay and sandy
Harvest : by hand
Vinification : 100% destemmed, 20 days maceration with a maximum of 28°C temperature. Estate bottled.
No Sulfites.

Red meats with sauce, grilled meats, charcuterie, and cheeses.

Pommeau de Normandie a mistel type of beverage. Same process as Floc de Gascogne, Pineau des Charentes and Ratafia de Champagne.

It is made with 2/3 Unfermented sweet fruit juice (apple and pear) with 1/3 distilled alcohol at 51% ABV (Calvados).

Excellent with desert, such as French crepes (very thin pancakes).

In 2019, Chris Pearmund worked with sixteen Virginia wineries to create a blended wine with grapes from each participating vineyard to commemorate the 400th Anniversary of Winemaking in Virginia. A portion of the wine’s proceeds were donated to museums and events that would contribute to tourism in the Commonwealth and foster a broader understanding of Virginia’s cultures and cuisines. This idea sparked another movement to celebrate through wine, and Cameo seemed a perfect way to commemorate the milestone moment in history.

Cameo Wine Collection was created to highlight women in Virginia, and the memorable events that have unfolded in the Commonwealth that lead to the movement to secure women’s right to vote. Raise a glass and toast the 100th Anniversary of the 19th Amendment. Cameo Rosé honors 12 of Virginia’s most influential women. Each bottle has a label depicting one of the chosen women, who’s contributions range from historic, business, entertainment, politics, and wine. The story of the suffrage movement in Virginia is an important part of the collective history. A variety of cultures and eras have been curated to share recollections of the fearless, passionate ways each woman lived so that a case of wine will contain twelve different individuals to celebrate. Women like Martha Washington, Pearl Bailey, and Ella Fitzgerald.

Cameo Rosé offers aromas of raspberry, strawberry, and peach. Dry on the palate, silky tannins and minerality are balanced by strawberry and orange zest flavors.

Pierre Olivier Sparkling Rose NV is a value sparkling rosé, made with Tempranillo grapes from around the French/Spanish border (next to the Pyrenees). This is a new Kysela Project.
This wine is aromatized with a very little amount of Raspberry flavor, giving a nice mouthfeel, with an extra aromatic boost.

The bubbles are obtained using the Charmat method, named after Eugene Charmat, where the second fermentation takes places in a large, closed pressurized tank. It is different from the Methode Champanoise as the secondary fermentation doesn't take place in the bottle.

"Pale pink salmon. Just a touch off-dry, this is a very pleasant sparkler that reveals aromas of spicy red apple with a hint of cinnamon that carry through to the palate. Well made and exceedingly pleasant to drink."
- International Wine Review (Annual Rosé Report / April 2013), 89 pts

• 100% pure Sauvignon Blanc, crafted from grapes grown in the most notable and warmer regions of California’s coastal hills. Each block contributes a distinct element to the blend, resulting in a layered and complex style.

• The harvest dates were determined by physiological maturity, which varied widely in the 2023 vintage due to the wet winter leading to a cool summer. Nevertheless, the extended hang time reduced grapes with low sugar, firm acid, minimal pyrazines, and intense flavor expressions.

• Upon arrival at the winery, the whole clusters underwent a gentle pressing, and the juice underwent a cold settling process for two days. Subsequently, it was racked off the heavy lees into stainless steel tanks, where it underwent a chill fermentation with native yeast – which contributed to the balanced mouthfeel, set against a backdrop of minerality and acidity.

• Following fermentation, the wines remained in tank, with the lees being stirred weekly for nearly four months before the final blend was assembled. No malolactic fermentation was allowed, preserving the vibrant fruit and floral notes, alongside the natural tension characteristics of this blend.

Some wines are made for casual occasions that convey not a single place and time, but an ethos unto itself. This is where the idea of THREADCOUNT was born. Throughout California's most noteworthy coastal growing regions, vines from young to old, we were able to select from a broad array of terroirs giving us the luxury of blending a red that defies the norms.

As THREADCOUNT is commonly known, it is the sum of the threads and weft of a fabric, denoting its texture. With this red wine, we have taken an approach that takes the sum of the phenols against the natural acidity to create the most balanced and enjoyable red wine. This inaugural blend is handcrafted by Joe Wagner, a fifth-generation Napa Valley winemaker with a dedicated passion for farming grapes and making luxury wine.

Joe began in the wine business in 2001 at age nineteen. His passion and natural talent for winemaking quickly became apparent after he started his own award-winning single vineyard Pinot Noir label, Belle Glos. Joe went on to create Napa Valley Quilt which quickly became a top 10 luxury wine in just five vintages. THREADCOUNT is an extension of the Quilt winemaking style translated for more casual occasions.

WINEMAKER NOTES The grapes were harvested early in the morning so the fruit would arrive at the winery while still cool to preserve the vineyard-fresh flavors. Within this wine, we blend a combination of Zinfandel, Syrah, Petit Sirah and Merlot from Mendocino, Sonoma and Lodi. After de-stemming the berries, the fruit was cryo-extracted and then cold-soaked to soften the skins and allow for ideal extraction. During fermentation, punch-downs and pump-overs were performed in a combination of closed and open-top stainless steel fermenters in order to extract color and tannins; during this process, temperatures were kept low to build mouthfeel and maximize flavors. Finally, the wines are aged in 50% new French oak for between 12-16 months. After the wine underwent malolactic fermentation, it was racked every 6 months before the final blend was complete.

TASTING NOTES

COLOR: Dark cherry with scarlet red highlights.

AROMA: Complex aromas of black raspberry, milk chocolate, and soft hints of sweet cedar. PALATE: Bold flavors of boysenberry pie, sugar cookie, and toffee lead to subtle notes of strawberry jam and baking spice. The balanced and complex tannin structure creates a long-lasting enjoyable finish. FOOD PAIRING: Tri-tip crostini, pork ribs with mashed potatoes, or pasta with a bolognese sauce.

Roland Champion Champagne Non Vintage Brut Rose Carat (magnum) is made from 33% Chardonnay, 33% Pinot Meunier and 33% Pinot Noir

The Champagne rose shows an orange salmon color coming from the red wine base. The pinot meunier brings red fruit aromas of strawberry and raspberry with hints of spices. The palate is juicy and harmonious with good depth and minerality. A delicate balance between Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir.
It is a blend of 93% White juice (made from 33% Chardonnay, 33% Pinot Meunier and 33% Pinot Noir) and 7% Pinot Noir red wine. The grapes used to produce the Coteaux Champenois red wine are coming from their vineyards near the Village of Verneuil.

Review:

"Eye of the partridge color. With a bouquet that evokes leesy hints of red cherry and berry with a touch of stone fruit, this is a finely sculpted wine, beautifully balanced with rich flavors of cherry, shortbread,and a hint of honeyed apricot. A rosé Champagne that’s complex and dry with good palate depth and length. A blend of 20% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir, and 40% Pinot Meunier; 7-85% of the juice is red wine (Pinot Noir) from 2013 vintage of Coteaux Champenois Rouge from the village of Verneuil. 3+ years on the lees." - I-WineReview (Champagne: Diversity and Change, January 2020), 92 pts 

"A delicate, subtle Champagne, delivering aromatic notes of mulling spices and yeast that accent the flavors of kirsch, bread dough, candied lemon zest and rose petal. This is finely tuned, with lively acidity and a minerally finish. 330 cases made. –AN"
- Wine Spectator , 91 pts

"Bright orange. Aromas of blood orange, dried rose, allspice and minerals, with a subtle note of anise. Juicy and precise, with very good depth to its spicy red berry and citrus pith flavors. Finishes smooth and long, with excellent clarity and lingering spiciness."
- Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar , 91 pts


"Champion is a small grower in Chouilly, in the Cotes des Blancs, an area known for fantastic chardonnay. This rosé — of which he makes only about 330 cases — includes 10 percent red wines (pinot noir, pinot meunier) to give it a pale, salmonlike color and a beguiling palate of cranberries, strawberries and currants. Wow. And yum."
-  Washington Post, ***

Roland Champion Champagne Blanc de Blancs NV is aged for minimum 30 months (the minimum for NV is 15 months). This cuvee is made from 100% Chardonnay and is produced from the free run juice only. The current release is the result of the blend of the 2005, the 2006 and the 2007 vintage.
Fresh and delicate, its fine bubbles and wide range of aromas will be perfect as an aperitif. This Champagne will also match very well with seafood and shellfish.

dosage : 8 grams per liter
ageing : 30 months on laths
Even if it doesn't say on the label, 100% of the production is RD (Recently Disgorged)
Total Production for this Cuvée : 1,500 cases (9 liter equivalent) per year
 

Reviews:

"(L40): Light yellow-gold. Musky pear and peach pit aromas are enlivened by notes of lemon zest and chalk. Weighty but energetic, offering powerful orchard fruit flavors and hints of candied fig and lemon curd. The pear skin quality comes back strong on the clinging finish. This powerful Champagne is definitely better suited for duty at the table than for serving by itself. - Josh Raynolds" - Antonio Galloni's Vinous (Dec 2012), 91 pts

- Roger VOSS"

Wine Enthusiast (December 1st 2019), 92 pts

"Golden yellow color. Lively, fruity, toasty leesy aromas of honeyed brioche and apple tart with a satiny, tangy, dry-yet-fruity medium body and a sleek, interesting, snappy lemon curd, nougat, and chalk finish with silky, soft, fruit tannins. A classic example of blanc de blanc champagne, delicious."
- Beverage Testing institute , 93 pts

"Spiced with ground anise and ginger accents, this offers notes of poached pear, lemon meringue pie, hazelnut and stony mineral. Very elegant and well-meshed throughout, with a silky finish.  Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 1,500 cases made. –AN"
- Wine Spectator  92 pts

"This cuvée made from 100% Chardonnay offers a fresh aromatic nose of light toast, dried yellow fruit and nuances of yeast. On the palate it has a creamy mouth feel of toasted nuts and rich autolytic notes. This is a beautiful wine, rich and complex."
International Wine review  92+ pts

"Small grower. Autumn fruits dominate the aromas of this wine, which is blatantly more like a wine than we normally expect a champagne to be. Some may find that unexpected and even off-putting, while others will find it intriguingly delicious."
- Washington Post  - EXCELLENT

"Roland Champion is a small family-owned producer, now with the fourth generation, in the village of Chouilly (”shoo-ee”), which has only Grand Cru vineyards. Made from 100 percent chardonnay grapes, this Champagne offers ethereal grace and poise and harmony; if I were fighting a duel tonight, I would ask for this Champagne as my last beverage. The nose here is about the richness of warm biscuits and hazelnuts, dried fruit and spice, like a Platonic, ineffably light fruitcake; in the mouth, however, it’s about a structure that encompasses an incredible marriage of power and elegance, like the delicacy and strength of the finest bone china. And there’s something porcelain-like about this Champagne, in its notable crisp, lively character, its transparency and its slightly chalky, shale-like mineral elements. Forget the Champagnes that come on with heavy toasty, caramel qualities; here, instead, is a wealth of subtlety and nuance touched with a racy, dynamic edge. Exceptional."
Biggerthanyourhead.net 

This Junmai Daiginjo has a beautiful nose full of banana, melon and star anise. The all natural brewing process gives this sake a bright fresh palate of plum, lime and minerality with a clean dry finish. A very food friendly sake, and is thought to be best after the meal with a light, smooth, rich cow's milk cheese.

POLISHING RATIO: 40%
ALCOHOL: 16-17%
SMV +/-: +1.0
ACIDITY: 1.2
RICE KOJI: HATTANISHIKI
RICE KAKE: HATTANISHIKI
YEAST STRAIN: PROPRIETARY YEAST

FOOD PAIRINGS: Poached Lobster, Seared Scallops, Tofu, Steamed Dumplings
CHEESE PAIRINGS: Brillat Savarin, Cambozola, Dulce Latte Gorgonzola, Mimolette

Dry and lean in the nose with hints of celery, pear puree and anise. On the palate this junmai is soft and creamy on the palate with rich, savory flavors of mocha, hazelnut, spicy vanilla, ending with crisp acidity.

POLISHING RATIO: 80%
ALCOHOL: 16-17%
SMV +/-: +2.0%
ACIDITY: 2.10%
RICE KOJI: Yamadanishiki
RICE KAKE: Yamadanishiki
YEAST STRAIN: Koshi Ibuki

FOOD PAIRINGS: Ideal with rustic Italian food, cheese and tomato centric or creamy pasta dishes

CHEESE PAIRINGS: Italian Raschera, Pecoria Reggiano

Tanzanite Brut Method Cap Classique is made from 80% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Noir.

Fruity, flinty, nutty, honey and creamy notes and beautiful brioche tones are coming through on the nose. It’s dry, lingering and well structured. The Pinot noir gives the wine good backbone, structure and longevity and the Chardonnay gives flintiness which develops in creamy, elegant notes in the wine with ageing. Beautiful creamy mousse.

Tanzanite Wines Yearly source their grapes from Robertson in the Western Cape, famous for its specific areas with chalk in the soil. After sourcing these spots winemaker Melanie van der Merwe asked farmer Ernst Bruwer, from the Farm Mont Blois, to plant Chardonnay and Pinot noir grapes on these spots. After years of trials she realized that year after year the base wines made from these plots compared to base wines made from any other areas tends to mature much slower and gives beautiful complexity in the end product. At around 18.5 to 19 degrees balm hand picking of the grapes are done in small 18kg baskets. This is transported to a press house, which she rents during harvest time. She does whole bunch pressing on every 5 Ton of grapes. Yields are around 480- 500 liters of juice per ton of grapes. Juice is inoculated with Prise de Mousse yeast a specific French yeast strain she uses. Fermentation at cool temperatures for 8-10 days takes place and this is followed by Malolactic fermentation on all base wines. After MLF wines are blended. Secondary fermentation takes place in the bottle and wines are left on the lees to mature and tasted every few months to monitor the ageing on the lees. Minimum time spent on the lees will be 24 months.

It’s the only area in the Western Cape where you will find Chalk in our soil.
Age of the vines is around 8-15 years old.

Enjoy as an aperitif or with fresh seafood, oysters, smoked venison Carpaccio, creamy chicken, apple crumble and even Cape Malay curry.

Review:

"This is a richly flavored sparkler showing complex notes of brioche, apple, and a hint of clementine. It’s bone dry on the finish with lingering toasty lees notes. A blend of 80% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Noir aged 24+ months on the lees. The winemaker is Stellenbosch enology grad Melanie van der Merwe who made sparkling wine for 11 years at Distell before starting her own brand."
- International Wine Review (Champagnes & Sparkling Wines for the Holidays: The Best of 2018), 90 pts

"A blend of 80% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Noir, the NV Brut begins with biscuity aromas followed by green apple, citrus blossoms and lees. The palate is focused with precision and finesse and shows that the winemaker has taken a lot of time and effort to create this wine. Bright, energetic acidity livens up the mid-palate, and the mousse is firm with a soft nuttiness from the autolytic characteristic. The finish is long and subtly spicy with and lingers with notes of sweet brioche and cashew butter, as the wine spent two years on the lees. - Anthony Mueller" - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (March 2020), 90 pts