5/19/2016 - Gargantua Does not like this wine:

Here was a quick whatever purchase by Jane who needed something to drink while I was finishing antibiotics, and she couldn't drink jewels from our cellar. Leftover since I've gotten better. Wow, neither of us like this Riesling at all. It's got a heat-damaged/acetyldehyde/band-aid thing going on with the finish, and is straight up unpleasant. Perhaps this bottle was indeed damaged at some point in the cold chain from GER to the wine shop; I honestly can't see anyone enjoying this. Sure, it's just $12, but that doesn't mean this needs to taste so bad. It should just be insipid at worst.

2/2/2014 - Onthelees wrote:

Sweet and Lambrusco-like with a melange of fruity flavors and some balancing traits. Not my thing but my daughter will love it.

7/21/2017 - HitAnyKey Likes this wine:

Quite wonderful and still boasting a good amount of fruit. Pouring through a filter into decanter helped with any sediment (plus, the cork broke). Well balanced, dark fruits, earthy components, and more. Really love Jeff's wines when aged.

11/16/2014 - Papies wrote:

By the glass at the Cathay lounge in CDG.
Quite a grassy, fresh nose, light waxy feel. Well round on the palate, decent acidity and drinks just fine. Could use some more depth but still better than the White all things being equal. 88

9/10/2013 - drwine2001 wrote:

Kermit Lynch Dinner-Recently Aquired Producers (Range, San Francisco): A fascinating wine which by turn had some florality and herbs, the lemony brine of Muscadet, the quinine, cyanic bitterness of some Chablis, and an additional layer of glossy sheen (like a Chenin Blanc) to boot. Very dynamic in the glass.

8/7/2014 - Thirsty1 Likes this wine:

I really like this. Super tasty. Brioche, toasty, toffee, it just got so much going on it's like a NY night club. This is a big bottle of bubbles that spacious with a lot of texture and movement. Great finish. Yummy.

3/15/2014 - EndreS wrote:

Fresh and tingling. Gives off smell of green apples, lime and some stoney minerals. Very smooth and light, piercing acidity. Very easy-drinking and the balance is there but for the acid which sticks out slightly. Seems a bit raw.

9/23/2013 - fingers wrote:

Medium straw color. Fine, vibrant mousse. Buttermilk biscuit, apple, and citrus on the nose. A little out of balance until an hour or so open and then it smooths out to give a nice, off-dry texture with a light bite of acidity. Simple fruit and waffle notes on the palate. Short to average length on the finish. Pedestrian, but sometimes it's okay to walk ;) 4+9+14+7 = 84

10/15/2013 - pifcho wrote:

I changed my mind about a dozen times on this wine over the course of three nights. But I think that's just how I feel about white rhones. While I find their richness and nuttiness intriguing and appealing, most of the times they are just too big and alcoholic for me. This wine did get lighter on its feet with time and certainly worked well with richer autumn fare, but just sipping it - not my thing.

4/8/2013 - ob2s wrote:

Didn't wait 5 years, but drinking well still.

2/23/2013 - Frank Murray III wrote:

Opened about a 1/2 hour ago, dropped into the freezer to put some chill on it. Aromatics seem a little shy, but there is some faint marine notes here and lemon, but again subtle. The palate shows sea shell, orchard fruit--yellow apple, nectarine--then in the finish is where the citrus pith comes in, along with a saline/mineral water quality and some bright acid. $30 for these.....while I often wonder if I'd simply put the Michel dollars aside and pool them for a few Dauvissat or Raveneau, I seem to end up buying Michel yet again and enjoying the pleasure of having more of his cuvees, versus a couple single bottles of really GC chablis.

8/5/2012 - DaveZack wrote:

We got this bottle from the winery's wine club in September 2011 for $16.67.

Bouquet: This wine exhibits white flowers, herbs, tropical fruits, oak, and suggestions of cream on the nose.

Tasting notes: This is a very nice white that makes for a fantastic alternative to the Usual White Suspects (Chardonnay, Riesling, and Sauvignon Blanc). And thanks to the inclusion of Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, and Vermentino, this Viognier is much more interesting than most.

How does Fess Parker get away with calling this wine Viognier when only 83% of it consists of Viognier? In America (and other parts of the world), if a bottle of wine consists of 75% or more of one varietal, it is legal to label the wine whichever varietal dominates the blend (i.e. a wine with 75% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% consisting of, literally, 50 other varietals, can legally be called/labeled “Cabernet Sauvignon”).

If you like rich, creamy, interesting Chardonnays but need something a bit more interesting, this wine should be on your VERY short list.

Viognier tends to share a lot of the qualities that are common with Chardonnay. This Viognier is likewise rich and creamy, exhibiting tropical fruit (pineapple and mango, along with mango’s spicy pepperyness (is that a word?!?!)), along with a basket of herbs like white pepper and an assortment of garden herbs. As rich and creamy as this wine is, it was (I’m presuming) aged at least partially in oak, which likewise adds additional cream, vanilla, and spice notes. Thanks to those other Rhone Valley French (Grenache Blanc and Marsanne) and Italian (Vermentino) varietals, this wine also shows wonderful mineral elements that add a touch more of a crisp, clean, brisk, vibrancy that your typical white wine doesn’t possess.

Pairing suggestions: We drank this wine with wild Alaskan Sockeye salmon filets marinated in white miso paste. I thought the wine went very well with the salmon (though Arthur didn’t). Thanks to the other minerally, crisp varietals that are in this Viognier-based blend, I believe this wine would also pair well with just about any other seafood (especially scallops, linguini and clams, shrimp tempura, and just about any fish filet dish).

Aging potential: This wine is drinking beautifully right now, but thanks to those previously-mentioned “other” varietals, this wine should continue to age well for another three to five years. If you have this bottle in your collection right now, I think this wine is as good as it’s going to get (i.e. it’s at peak maturity). Put your bottle in the fridge and drink it while the weather is warm and the food is fresh.

3/27/2010 - The Drunken Cyclist wrote:

Must have a rather high dosage. Good, but there are much better NV Bruts out there.

2/5/2012 - alexandersford wrote:

Very solid pinot particularly for the price. It's on the bigger side, but had a nice level of complexity.

1/22/2012 - andtheodor wrote:

The color and weight of iodine, this literally stains the glass orange. Heavy, rich, luscious and lithe, this is undoubtedly one of the greatest dessert wines I've ever tasted and competes with Dal Forno et al. A neverending finish of espresso, sorghum, chocolate, caramel. Otherwordly.

10/3/2008 - VinAmante wrote:

Disappointing and overpriced..

10/1/2011 - Highmountain Does not like this wine:

I got suspicious when opening the bottle. The cork was quite easy to remove and was totally soaked all the way up to the waist. Hay color but a hint of Madeira to the nose. All the good stuff was there, bread, apples and some yeast but the light oxidation was like a wet blanket over the bouquet. Drinkable but not my kind of Champagne.

10/16/2011 - PolarBear22 wrote:

Rating may be that this is still too young. This was extremely tannic still, but after about three hours it opened up and was smoother. I have more to try tonight and may make an adjustment. I plan to keep the second bottle for several years before opening.

11/28/2010 - jimkay21 wrote:

A blend of 47% Zinfandel, 29% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Petite Sirah. Dark black/purple. Zinfandel is obvious in the nose. There's also a slight tinge of something like varnish or plastic. Fleeting, but it's there. Palate has black fruit but is short with a hollow finish where the flavors seems to turn to water. No finish. It is plush, i.e. low acid, and drinks like juice. Not unpleasant and probably has more umph than other wines in this price/category. Would make a good reception wine as long as you don't spill any on your clothes. I'm pretty sure the stains wouldn't come out.

10/18/2010 - Wamrod Does not like this wine:

I rarely have such a bad reaction to a well-rated wine. Tremendously disappointing from the start, not remotely what I expected from a Spanish wine in this category. Drank with company last night and did not take detailed notes.

Color looked wrong, and the nose was horrible. Funky and very little fruit. Rotten eggs and grass, yet over ripe fruit as well. I can't decribe properly. VERY off-putting. I do not believe the bottle was corked, as there was no evidence of leakage of any other damage.

About the only redeeming quality was that the taste was very tame and had no rough edges, which also meant it tasted flat and had no finish. It also tasted stemmy and green, while overipe and rotten at the same time. I've never experienced this combination before.

After an hour, a little fruit appeared on the palate but the nose was still horrible.

Very disappointing - WHERE did these scores come from? Sorry Jay Miller, but I don't see it. Maybe these bottles were cooked before delivery, but there is no evidence of that. I will NOT be trying any of the other 5 bottles I bought - I'll be getting back some cellar space where the other bottles are...

1/22/2011 - sonofabacchus wrote:

I did not take detailed notes but was very impressed with this wine. Fruit, honey, and aromatic spices. Superb balance and length. Really a well presented ollafactory experience.

My experience with this appellation is not strong. So when I saw 5 bottles in the supermarket clearance cart marked for ten bucks, I just figured it was some knock off or high production mixed juice bottling. Stuck it in the fridge instead of the cellar for the next white wine dinner opportunity, with a bottle of Torrontes along side in case it was not palatable. I was impressed from the taster's first sip and decided to return to buy the rest. This morning I decided to check it out online and found the high scores as well as the $100 price tags. Well, there was a single bottle left, thankfully, when I returned and it is now inthe cellar for the right time.

12/27/2010 - mikeaukenbals wrote:

Took a day to open up. Great on 2nd day, tasted oxidized and no nose in 1st day, even with 2 hr decant

9/19/2010 - jcsf420 wrote:

Nice $10 Napa Cab, great QPR.

2/9/2011 - SonomaWilliam wrote:

LOVE this Roussanne, Grenache blanc blend. Brought to dinner.

10/8/2009 - amphorisc wrote:

If you read the back label, you will learn that this is not NV; my bottle contains wine from the 2008 vintage. Simple but very satisfying sparkling wine, with a dry, creamy finish. Nose and mouth dominated by apple and honey.

2/8/2010 - alexrad wrote:

Dark fruit complemented by wonderfully smooth tannins. This is a middle-aged tough wine with a velvet glove.

8/30/2010 - Wino from Michigan wrote:

Kalyn and Nana with fajita's.

7/5/2010 - Chomsky wrote:

This is about as good as a young Madiran gets. So classy and polished, superbly balanced and savory with smooth tannins, and a beguiling and ever-shifting nose of spicy and fruity scents along with a panoply of other elusive high-toned aromas. The nose is simply brilliant. A masterwork.

11/4/2009 - Ben Christiansen wrote:

This is the Menfri which is Nero, Tannat and Cabernet. Soy, tomato leaf and massive fruit. Tomato is a fruit ya know. Smells of working in the garden. Light palate for all of that international variety stuff showing in there. Seemless through the crazy varietials. Funky (in the good way) finish that lasts. What an unsual, yet crazy wine.