5/6/2023 - dbkitc wrote:

Still youthful. There is some sweet fruit hiding behind a pretty thick wall of acidity. A bit of raw oak as well. The nose promises more than palate delivers today. The nose is floral with some lovely fruit. Maybe this wine just needs time. I don’t have enough experience with middle aged versions of Rioja to know. I have liked other vintages of this wine more. Wait a while to drink another bottle. (91+?)

10/17/2021 - Mrbuzz Does not like this wine:

Not Servin up the goods here! Wasn't a fan of this bottle. Drinkable, but more like a Viognier than Chablis to me(wife agrees)...citrus martini burn...sweet and floral to the ripe side...missing the chalky limestone and sea air that I love in Chablis. Not discouraged, as this was my first wine from Servin, bought a 6 pack...heard good things, so will see what a couple years will do. The 19 La Chablisienne Montmains just had a couple days ago, and in same price point, blows this out of the water! But, judgment reserved until further tries from Servin.

3/26/2017 - Eric Guido Likes this wine:

The nose was enticing as sweet spices gave way to crushed raspberry, and dried roses, with hints of slate and new leather. On the palate, I found a stunningly textural wine, like pour silk, ushering in notes of savory cherry sauce, cranberry and mulling spice, which all seemed to coat the senses as a zing of acidity neatened up the back palate. It's youthful tannin only made an appearance through the dry finish, as tart red fruits and mineral-tinged spice lingered on a structural framework.

I don't usually note color, yet this threw me for a loop, as it appeared light, like a more transparent ruby with hints of orange, leading me to expect a feminine and lighter-styled wine. Even the bouquet hints of beauty over power. However, there's so much texture and undeveloped depth on the palate. This is a wine to follow for decades.

10/12/2013 - Chet wrote:

Crisp with good acidity, nice structure with mild citrus notes on the nose. Less fruity than the typical New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. Delicious, went well with our Dijon encrusted Salmon.

1/8/2013 - BradKNYC wrote:

Chave night with the Gelbs. (Christine & Marty's.): Marshall brought a bottle of this for our dinner last year on 1/1/12 and though that was my first wine dinner of the year, that ended up being my wine of the year. That bottle was perhaps the best bottle of it that I've had. It was explosive on the palate, with tremendous fruit, so much complexity and depth and was just belting out opera tunes. The bottle he brought this year, however, from the same case he brought on release, was extremely tight and unyielding. Unfortunately, it was not decanted, which probably would've helped if done earlier in the day. After taking an initial sip, I left mine in the glass untouched for most of the rest of the evening in the hopes that it would open up and it only did just enough to show you that it was chock full of red fruit, meat and spice goodness. Call this showing an A- only because the wine refused to budge. The goods were there, though.

7/20/2013 - BradE wrote:

A trio of Chave - 90, 99, 03. I was looking forward to this flight, but it was a bit of hit and miss. The 90, as expected, was a rock star. Beautiful from the get-go, and the fastest empty class by a wide margin. Perfect bottle, perfect juice. The 99 started with a little edge, which aired healed for the most part, but in the end didn't live up to previous bottles. I still maintain it will ultimately be one of the greatest Chaves of all time. The 03, which I hadn't had for years, was a mess. Over ripe, unappealing, a real shame. Don't think it was the bottle, but will revisit with a different source and verify. Had expected this to be a killer flight, it wasn't.

7/20/2013 - BradE wrote:

Showed brilliantly. Lovely with Colorado lamb grilled for an afternoon snack.

5/30/2011 - Buyer and cellar wrote:

Came out of the gate acidic and hot and really never came around. It threw off lots of strong aromas that ranged from black fruit and rhubarb to dark cherries but even the cherries smelled tart. On the palate, it was a weird mix of the fruit with a bit of bell pepper, and a definite herbaceousness. After about 3 hours, I picked up on v/a which really has to be pronounced for me to key in on the flaw. At this point in the wine's arc, there was also a tar/burnt rubber hint as well as an earthy tapanade. I really wanted to love this wine as I haven't had a realm in a while. Unfortunately, my experience with this bottle was underwhelming as it never really came together and seemed to become more disjointed and flawed with more time in the glass. I will open another bottle in the near future to see if this was an off bottle given some of the other notes I have seen on this wine.