first bottle in 2 years and age has treated this wine well. Beautiful expression of roussanne, deep gold in colour, viscous oily texture with beeswax and lanolin. Tropical fruits and a balancing acidity. Seems to be coming around well, still a bit of heat on the back end though. Will wait at least a year before opening the next.
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Consumed several months ago so from memory. Rhone white from California that showed a nice level of complexity with some brioche notes. Went great with Vietnamese seafood.
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Made from 100% Roussanne. This wine is as reliable as it was when first opened. Too bad this is my last bottle. Flavors of orange rind, orange blossom, lychee nuts, some sort of lanolin-like taste and feel for the wine as it slides across the palate. The finish is refined with baking spice, lanolin, lemon oil and cream. And yet, the wine still delivers a distinct minerality. The nose may not be as ripe as it was a year ago, but it is every bit as rich. 14.1% alc. With shrimp stew under puff pastry; sort of a shrimp potpie. The pairing could not have been better. Recommended.
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Very lush, very tropical and very good. Better than previous bottles, but with a similar profile. All of the big tropical notes were really well integrated, while the viscosity and silky mouthfeel give the wine a great polish. Among the best domestic Roussanne that doesn't come from Sine Qua Non.
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Seine Farbe verriet mir was ich schon auf dem Rückenetikett gelesen habe: weder gefiltert noch geschönt. Ein sattes reifes Gelb mit einer Vielzahl von Schwebeteilchen, welches schon fast ein wenig in Richtung eines hyper-hellen Orange ging, ergoss sich im meinem Glas. Die Nase des L'Avion war sehr ausdrucksstark und leicht protzig. Schon fast ein wenig wie ein verführerischer Schlag ins Gesicht, wenn ich das so leicht übertrieben formulieren darf. Sie war geprägt von überaus intensiven, aber nicht obstruktiven, Aromen von Limonenschalenabrieb, dazu etwas Orange und ein Hauch von Quitten. Auch weißer Tee, etwas Lavendel, nicht wenig Salbei, auch Bienenwachs und ein Hauch Wermut durften nicht fehlen. Am zeigten Tag zeigten sich die Aromen ein wenig zurückhaltender und die Zitrusgewächse vielleicht ein wenig floraler. Die Prägung vom 100%ig neuem französischem Holz (500 l Fässer) zeigte sich überaus gut balanciert. Abgesehen der sehr leichten Noten von Karamell(milch) konnte ich keine nennenswerten Beeinflussungen ausmachen. Am Gaumen zeigte sich die gleiche sehr gute und harmonische Holzintegration. Des weiteren zeigte sich auch hier auf der Zunge ein durchaus komplexes Bild von unterschiedlichen Aromen. Doch die gezügelte, und wiederum etwas anschlagende, Intensität des Weines, zeigte seine für mich entscheidenden Qualitäten. Neben den schon erwähnten Fruchtaromen, hier auch ein paar Anzeichen von sehr reifen Mirabellen und später einigen Mandarinen, konnte mich die Prägung durch den Salbei, ein fein nuanciertes Marzipan und ausdrucksstarkes Bienenwachs (später immer mehr zum Honig übergehend) sehr überzeugen. Die keineswegs nervende, aber dennoch sicher recht barocke Cremigkeit, passte sich aufs vor-trefflichste ins Gesamtgeschmacksbild ein. Am zweiten Tag zeigte der Wein etwas reifer und gefühlt tropischere Fruchtaromen. Seine Würzigkeit und der begeisternd umhauende Druck nahm ein wenig ab. Ebenso zeigten sich das erste mal während der gesamten Verkostung einige schüchterne Spuren seiner 14,1 % Alkohol. Für mich insgesamt ein fantastischer Wein der mich mit seinem speziellen Wesen und seiner gewaltigen Überraschungskraft einfach nur niederstreckte! Wunderbar!
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Viscous golden yellow wine. The strength of this wine is all about lush texture and mouthfeel. It almost feels oily, but just broaches the edge of where it might be a liability. The palate is appropriately tropical, with a very slight nuttiness, that leads to crushed rock and a slight bit of alcohol on the finish. Despite the age, this shows no signs of slowing down.
This was the second glass Coravined out of this bottle (over maybe 6 weeks) and, similar to a previous white drank under similar circumstances, it had a bit of an out of place wild garlic aroma. I'm thinking that keeping the Coravin needle extremely clean is a necessity. I'm sure this lowered the score a bit, but it wasn't bad enough that I would call it capital "F" flawed... just a little off.
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- Yellow gold color. It's in total harmony with a medium/full body. Round texture with a medium finish - Still going strong. Was a favorite in wine group. At Lure restaurant
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- Yellow gold color with slow forming legs. It's in total harmony with a full body. Smooth texture with a long finish - Wonderful, full bodied. Very smooth
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Made from 100% Roussanne. Almost a year ago was our last bottle when I wrote, “it delivers orange blossom, lychee fruits, baking spice, lanolin, lemon oil and heavy cream. A heady nose. All that on the palate and more with a long finish of fruit and minerality.” It’s still spot on. It’s simply wonderful. 14.1% alc. Happy (early) birthday, Sashi. With roasted chicken breast, mushroom sauce and grits. Recommended.
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Yellow color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of ash, kumquat, apricot and camphor. Flavors of pear, creme, a little lemon and some minerals. Medium acidity, medium to full bodied. Drink over the short term.
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Great wine! Get's better with some air, so I highly recommend decanting. A bit vegatal upon first opening. Decanting allows this to go away and the complex fruit to shine. Great aromas of Asian pear, with peach and pear flavors and a feel of butter on the tongue.
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Excellent Rhone white. Thick almost unctuous body with very nice peach and pear fruit nose and palate. Very enjoyable and matches well with a wide variety of foods.
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Happy birthday, Sashi! Heading out for restaurant week, I just had to pull one of your wines. Made from 100% Rousanne, it delivers orange blossom, lychee fruits, baking spice, lanolin, lemon oil and heavy cream. A heady nose. All that on the palate and more with a long finish of fruit and minerality. The acidity may not carry this as long as other Rousannes on the market, but it will be interesting to see what the life of this wine is. 14.1% alc. With striped bass/rockfish with steamed spinach and roasted potatoes and divers scallops with dried tomato risotto at Mockingbird for Staunton Restaurant Week benefit MST Fund. Recommended.
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Very interesting, and huge (Not sure I believe the 14.1 alc), really liked this however - Deep gold, full bodied with a nose of peach, extreme honey, apple, caramel and vanilla, excellent structure, good acidity with a touch of 'fat', complex, sweet, silky smooth with excellent length, awesome (91 Points).
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Not a subtle white by any means. Rich, concentrated, and viscous. All sorts of fruit notes, with some flowers and a bit of sharp, bitter, minerality on the finish. Not much acidity, so probably not a lot of ageing potential, but very tasty right now.
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Stolpman Dinner in the Vineyard: Tasted at dinner in the vineyards event at Stolpman. One of the better whites I have tried from West Coast. Pear, melon, tropical fruit, nice and thick. Beautiful stuff.
From Winery: "100% Roussanne picked when golden-brown in late November. Fermented in 100% New French Ermitage 500L Puncheons and aged in New Oak for 15 months."
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Yellow color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of yellow pears, yellow apples and brown spices. Flavors of yellow pears, yellow apples and a bit of apricot on the finish. Medium acidity, medium to full bodied. Drink or hold.
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First time trying L'Avion. Rich looking light gold color. Lots of pineapple, apricot and a smell that reminds me of the canned mandarin oranges I had growing up, floral aromatics as well. Flavors of honey, freshlime juice, and nutty honey roasted almonds. I like it and I like it better than I did about two hours ago. Not to compare but if i do.....the Qupe(of which I am a massive fan of) from last week topped it and for around the same price I'd choose it every time. Gotta say, they are doing some fine stuff with Roussanne in the Central Coast!
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3/18/2017 - jackaroo Likes this wine: 92 Points
Let breath for thirty minutes. In a very nice drinking window, but should last another another five plus years.
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9/14/2016 - Vinoevelo Likes this wine:
keeps getting better with age. very good oily, waxy, floral, tropical roussanne. not quite beaucastel levels, but not that far back.
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5/28/2015 - ddsolomon2000 wrote: 92 Points
Still going strong
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1/4/2015 - Vinoevelo wrote: 93 Points
first bottle in 2 years and age has treated this wine well. Beautiful expression of roussanne, deep gold in colour, viscous oily texture with beeswax and lanolin. Tropical fruits and a balancing acidity. Seems to be coming around well, still a bit of heat on the back end though. Will wait at least a year before opening the next.
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10/15/2014 - Uncle John wrote: 91 Points
Consumed several months ago so from memory. Rhone white from California that showed a nice level of complexity with some brioche notes. Went great with Vietnamese seafood.
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10/2/2014 - timewithwine wrote:
Made from 100% Roussanne. This wine is as reliable as it was when first opened. Too bad this is my last bottle. Flavors of orange rind, orange blossom, lychee nuts, some sort of lanolin-like taste and feel for the wine as it slides across the palate. The finish is refined with baking spice, lanolin, lemon oil and cream. And yet, the wine still delivers a distinct minerality. The nose may not be as ripe as it was a year ago, but it is every bit as rich. 14.1% alc. With shrimp stew under puff pastry; sort of a shrimp potpie. The pairing could not have been better. Recommended.
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9/28/2014 - Seafoam Manor wrote: 92 Points
Very lush, very tropical and very good. Better than previous bottles, but with a similar profile. All of the big tropical notes were really well integrated, while the viscosity and silky mouthfeel give the wine a great polish. Among the best domestic Roussanne that doesn't come from Sine Qua Non.
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8/23/2014 - Oh Dae-su wrote: 92 Points
Seine Farbe verriet mir was ich schon auf dem Rückenetikett gelesen habe: weder gefiltert noch geschönt. Ein sattes reifes Gelb mit einer Vielzahl von Schwebeteilchen, welches schon fast ein wenig in Richtung eines hyper-hellen Orange ging, ergoss sich im meinem Glas. Die Nase des L'Avion war sehr ausdrucksstark und leicht protzig. Schon fast ein wenig wie ein verführerischer Schlag ins Gesicht, wenn ich das so leicht übertrieben formulieren darf. Sie war geprägt von überaus intensiven, aber nicht obstruktiven, Aromen von Limonenschalenabrieb, dazu etwas Orange und ein Hauch von Quitten. Auch weißer Tee, etwas Lavendel, nicht wenig Salbei, auch Bienenwachs und ein Hauch Wermut durften nicht fehlen. Am zeigten Tag zeigten sich die Aromen ein wenig zurückhaltender und die Zitrusgewächse vielleicht ein wenig floraler. Die Prägung vom 100%ig neuem französischem Holz (500 l Fässer) zeigte sich überaus gut balanciert. Abgesehen der sehr leichten Noten von Karamell(milch) konnte ich keine nennenswerten Beeinflussungen ausmachen. Am Gaumen zeigte sich die gleiche sehr gute und harmonische Holzintegration. Des weiteren zeigte sich auch hier auf der Zunge ein durchaus komplexes Bild von unterschiedlichen Aromen. Doch die gezügelte, und wiederum etwas anschlagende, Intensität des Weines, zeigte seine für mich entscheidenden Qualitäten. Neben den schon erwähnten Fruchtaromen, hier auch ein paar Anzeichen von sehr reifen Mirabellen und später einigen Mandarinen, konnte mich die Prägung durch den Salbei, ein fein nuanciertes Marzipan und ausdrucksstarkes Bienenwachs (später immer mehr zum Honig übergehend) sehr überzeugen. Die keineswegs nervende, aber dennoch sicher recht barocke Cremigkeit, passte sich aufs vor-trefflichste ins Gesamtgeschmacksbild ein. Am zweiten Tag zeigte der Wein etwas reifer und gefühlt tropischere Fruchtaromen. Seine Würzigkeit und der begeisternd umhauende Druck nahm ein wenig ab. Ebenso zeigten sich das erste mal während der gesamten Verkostung einige schüchterne Spuren seiner 14,1 % Alkohol. Für mich insgesamt ein fantastischer Wein der mich mit seinem speziellen Wesen und seiner gewaltigen Überraschungskraft einfach nur niederstreckte! Wunderbar!
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6/14/2014 - D.Callahan Likes this wine: 87 Points
Not nearly as nice as the first bottle I tried. It seems to be in a bad phase with a lot of hard edges showing.
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6/11/2014 - EvanJB wrote: 92 Points
Wonderful wine, still has life in it
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5/2/2014 - Seafoam Manor wrote: 89 Points
Viscous golden yellow wine. The strength of this wine is all about lush texture and mouthfeel. It almost feels oily, but just broaches the edge of where it might be a liability. The palate is appropriately tropical, with a very slight nuttiness, that leads to crushed rock and a slight bit of alcohol on the finish. Despite the age, this shows no signs of slowing down.
This was the second glass Coravined out of this bottle (over maybe 6 weeks) and, similar to a previous white drank under similar circumstances, it had a bit of an out of place wild garlic aroma. I'm thinking that keeping the Coravin needle extremely clean is a necessity. I'm sure this lowered the score a bit, but it wasn't bad enough that I would call it capital "F" flawed... just a little off.
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3/17/2014 - EvanJB wrote: 92 Points
- Yellow gold color. It's in total harmony with a medium/full body. Round texture with a medium finish - Still going strong. Was a favorite in wine group. At Lure restaurant
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12/31/2013 - EvanJB wrote:
Still going strong
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8/22/2013 - timewithwine wrote:
Just as it always is: spectacular! With baked cod with a peach hot sauce.
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4/25/2013 - EvanJB wrote: 92 Points
- Yellow gold color with slow forming legs. It's in total harmony with a full body. Smooth texture with a long finish - Wonderful, full bodied. Very smooth
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3/13/2013 - timewithwine wrote:
Made from 100% Roussanne. Almost a year ago was our last bottle when I wrote, “it delivers orange blossom, lychee fruits, baking spice, lanolin, lemon oil and heavy cream. A heady nose. All that on the palate and more with a long finish of fruit and minerality.” It’s still spot on. It’s simply wonderful. 14.1% alc. Happy (early) birthday, Sashi. With roasted chicken breast, mushroom sauce and grits. Recommended.
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11/25/2012 - wineismylife Likes this wine: 91 Points
Saturdays at One - First Chinese BBQ Post Thanksgiving Gluttony Festival! (First Chinese BBQ Arlington, TX): WIML91
Tasted non blind. Opened and served immediately.
Yellow color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of ash, kumquat, apricot and camphor. Flavors of pear, creme, a little lemon and some minerals. Medium acidity, medium to full bodied. Drink over the short term.
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11/22/2012 - TheFoodieTraveler wrote: 93 Points
Perfect right now - paired really well with sushi and japanese izakaya dishes
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9/26/2012 - timewithwine wrote:
Not sure what happened here, but lost the note somehow. Wine was consumed on this date. Recommended.
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9/5/2012 - klanham wrote: 82 Points
Muted apple and pear flavors. Resembled a Chardonnay but overall not interesting. Seems flat. Fell way short of expectations.
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7/21/2012 - jlaws7lh wrote: 92 Points
Great wine! Get's better with some air, so I highly recommend decanting. A bit vegatal upon first opening. Decanting allows this to go away and the complex fruit to shine. Great aromas of Asian pear, with peach and pear flavors and a feel of butter on the tongue.
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7/5/2012 - Fishboy wrote: 90 Points
Great bottle on a hot day in Dallas.
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6/3/2012 - D.Callahan Likes this wine: 91 Points
Excellent Rhone white. Thick almost unctuous body with very nice peach and pear fruit nose and palate. Very enjoyable and matches well with a wide variety of foods.
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4/21/2012 - TheFoodieTraveler wrote: 90 Points
Nice, complex, glycerin mouth feel. I bit sweeter than I expected
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4/15/2012 - Fishboy wrote: 90 Points
Very enjoyable white rhone that pared well with crab cakes.
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3/21/2012 - timewithwine wrote:
Happy birthday, Sashi! Heading out for restaurant week, I just had to pull one of your wines. Made from 100% Rousanne, it delivers orange blossom, lychee fruits, baking spice, lanolin, lemon oil and heavy cream. A heady nose. All that on the palate and more with a long finish of fruit and minerality. The acidity may not carry this as long as other Rousannes on the market, but it will be interesting to see what the life of this wine is. 14.1% alc. With striped bass/rockfish with steamed spinach and roasted potatoes and divers scallops with dried tomato risotto at Mockingbird for Staunton Restaurant Week benefit MST Fund. Recommended.
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10/12/2011 - EvanJB wrote: 92 Points
We love bold reds, but really enjoy this wonderful white
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10/4/2011 - stevenjstein Likes this wine: 93 Points
This one drank even a bit better than the previous bottle. Complex, with floral and spice notes and a creamy, viscous, body.
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9/4/2011 - Tarrant wrote: 91 Points
Very interesting, and huge (Not sure I believe the 14.1 alc), really liked this however - Deep gold, full bodied with a nose of peach, extreme honey, apple, caramel and vanilla, excellent structure, good acidity with a touch of 'fat', complex, sweet, silky smooth with excellent length, awesome (91 Points).
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8/19/2011 - stevenjstein Likes this wine: 92 Points
Not a subtle white by any means. Rich, concentrated, and viscous. All sorts of fruit notes, with some flowers and a bit of sharp, bitter, minerality on the finish. Not much acidity, so probably not a lot of ageing potential, but very tasty right now.
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8/7/2011 - cpsmith33 wrote: 91 Points
Stolpman Dinner in the Vineyard: Tasted at dinner in the vineyards event at Stolpman. One of the better whites I have tried from West Coast. Pear, melon, tropical fruit, nice and thick. Beautiful stuff.
From Winery: "100% Roussanne picked when golden-brown in late November. Fermented in 100% New French Ermitage 500L Puncheons and aged in New Oak for 15 months."
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6/21/2011 - Jeff.browning wrote: 93 Points
This stuff is terrific. Smuggle sweet with great minerality.
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4/1/2011 - stevenjstein Likes this wine: 92 Points
Supple and well balanced, with complex vegetal, fruit, and mineral notes.
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3/23/2011 - EvanJB wrote:
As Tom and Peter Stolpman say " a white wine for red wine lovers"
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3/19/2011 - brigcampbell wrote:
Super light color. Heavy mouthfeel with minerality. very nice.
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2/26/2011 - wineismylife Likes this wine: 92 Points
DAWGS February 2011 - Rhone Rangers (bstumps house in McKinney, Texas): WIML92
Tasted non blind. Opened and served immediately.
Yellow color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of yellow pears, yellow apples and brown spices. Flavors of yellow pears, yellow apples and a bit of apricot on the finish. Medium acidity, medium to full bodied. Drink or hold.
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2/21/2011 - 2loyal wrote: 92 Points
No time for notes tonight, but YUMMM!
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2/19/2011 - Lanny21 wrote:
First time trying L'Avion. Rich looking light gold color. Lots of pineapple, apricot and a smell that reminds me of the canned mandarin oranges I had growing up, floral aromatics as well. Flavors of honey, freshlime juice, and nutty honey roasted almonds. I like it and I like it better than I did about two hours ago. Not to compare but if i do.....the Qupe(of which I am a massive fan of) from last week topped it and for around the same price I'd choose it every time. Gotta say, they are doing some fine stuff with Roussanne in the Central Coast!
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