River School Auction Tasting (Washington DC): I expected this to best the White Burg but it was a different animal, with a hint of sweetness on the nose (not the palate) and a roundness that put it in a different class from the Chassagne-Montrachets, which were a bit more incisive. A great wine on its own, but gave a riper feeling than anticipated.
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On the nose, hints of apricot, pear, and green apple. On the palate, the acidity in this wine balances out some of the honey that may be showing with the slight age of this wine. I personally dislike oaky Chardonnay’s but there is a hint of oak that compliments the acidity nicely. Great to pair or on its own. Could probably sit for more time. This wine still has legs and will only get better.
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Pours golden with a caramel edge, the age is apparent. Scents of golden apple, sea air, caramel, bakers spice and lemon balm. Orchard fruits and tart lemon curd lead, with vanilla, spring flowers and white pepper spice through the finish. Subtle acidity, perfect weight - just excellent. Held up great on night two.
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Color: dark gold. Nose/palate: initial funk from age that dissipated after a minute. lemon curd, lemon rind, honey, hazelnut, salty finish Structure: medium+ acidity, medium body, long finish. alcohol: 13.7%
Good complexity. Went from funky, to bitter, to full and lush but with no richness. amazing with age (consumed at 8 years). Hate to use buzz words, but this is truly Burgundian in style.
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Just incredible out of the gate. It's concentrated and long with great freshness. There's copious pineapple, honey, lemon, torrone and tea with a steely spine playing perfect counterpoint. Elegant and beautiful.
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N pineapple, minerals, honey, white tea P apples, leam cream, honey, tea, florals F long in length, nice acidity, should continue to gain a little more complexity with time
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Cameron Wine Dinner with John Paul (Estadio - DC): Gorgeous stuff, this bottle seemed a bit further along than I had expected, but absolutely awesome still. No real detailed notes but it lots of richness, freshness, depth, minerals, complex fruit and nougat/spice elements.
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Darker color and this is more advanced than I would expect it to be. It’s not gone, and actually drank quite well, but based on this bottle and the one I had in 2016 I wonder if this wine has had some issues. This is my last bottle, but if it weren’t I’d be drinking up any others.
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Absolutely the best domestic chardonnay available, HANDS DOWN. The interplay of fruit and verve is quite intoxicating (no pun intended, well maybe a little). Not sure why I don't own more of this wine, in any vintage really. 95pts.
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Yellow-gold in the glass; to be honest, the nose has a light sherried note to it - if I were drinking a white Burg, I would say this wine was starting to begin a journey to pre-mox city.
Palate is consistent with that - bummer. I guess I'm just "lucky" or this is a randomly flawed bottle. Either way, considering the price, not the best way to start a Friday afternoon.
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Champagne & Cameron (Etto - DC): Rich but exciting and lively aromatics: lemon curd, floral perfume, chalky-minerals, orange peel, almond – a ton of complexity in here. On the palate, rich texture on a medium-bodied wine combines with laser-like acidity, and the balance is on point. Gorgeous apple, lemon curd, fruit, laced with almonds and chalky minerals, saline, complex floral dynamics. I can’t wait to see what this vintage does in three to five years from now, because it has a long life ahead I think.
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Perhaps the American wine that consistently comes closest to Grand Cru quality fruit. The 2012 is a little less intense and a bit more approachable than the 2010. Otherwise, this has the classic Clos Electrique profile of lemon and restrained tropical fruit. Drinking very well, but seems to have years to go.
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Just, and entirely, gorgeous wine. The nose has high toned honeysuckle, bruised apples and pears, dried apricots, Starfruit, vanilla and petrol. The body is in perfect balance. It is medium bodied with super bright, but not hurtful, acid. It offers reams of slate, mint, lime and funky goodness. There is a good dose of Mandarin orange that offers nice sweetness, and from the oak influence there emerges a nice amount of cantaloupe, Golden Raisin and yellow plum, while parsley and saline provide stabilizing undercurrents. This is all good, all the time, now and over the next five to ten years.
Had at a cameron tasting N pineapple, minerals, honey, white tea P apples, leam cream, honey, tea, florals F long in length, nice acidity, should continue to gain a little more complexity with time
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Crazy Cameron Tasting: Young, a bit compact, but so full of flavor and intrigue. Juicier aromas than the 2011, I get more plush tropical fruits with the classic lemon curd note, along with honeycomb, crushed chalk and white flowers. Bright and crunchy acidity keeps the lips smacking while the creaminess rolls across the palate. Lemon curd and yellow apples are doused in dried flowers, white tea, nougat and sea salt. Long and mineral-laden on the finish. Another stunning showing of this vintage, which has a long time in the cellar ahead of it.
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Popped and poured. Such a kick ass wine. Right from the get go it reminded me of a 2006 Dauvissat Preuses that I drank a few months back. Very much Grand Cru Chablis quality and character. Light honey in color, it possessed a brilliant backbone of unripe pineapple and minerality layered on top with D'Anjou pear and lemon zest. Domestic chardonnay at its best! 95pts.
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I was quite excited to learn that this was going to be opened last night as my only other experience with the CEB was so fantastic. This did not disappoint. Light gold in color, there is a suggestion of textural richness that is felt in the side of the mouth that makes the wine very open and easy to drink. At its core, it conveys slightly unripe tropical fruits that are both exotic but with sound acidity. Also, a presence of rich nuts and since this is OR, let’s just calls them hazelnuts. A steady and increasingly minerality seems to gather momentum on the finish, sealing the deal. From my perspective and experience, this is one of the best domestic chardonnays out there.
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Yum, lovely young aromas of fresh cut apple, pear with citrus peel and wet rock notes. Palate is medium-to-full bodied with a round plush mouthfeel and tons of energy and verve. Get some toast, but not at all obtrusive. Really enjoy the acid and fruit interplay. An impressive wine.
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Sunday Dinner at Formento's (Chicago, IL): There's something about this that kind of makes me think of a Jura chardonnay... not exactly sure why. Maybe it's the freshness coupled with just a very slight bit of funk. There's a honeyed pineapple quality about this wine that makes it a bit weird, but it's got good acidity and is pretty fun to drink. I'd be interested to see if it gains further complexity with aging, though I'm pretty certain it will.
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Had a dinner. Really tight initially but improved very nicely with air, but will hold additional bottles for a while. Nose minerals, peaches, honey, white team, minerals. Palate apples, lemoncream, little honey, tea, and florals. Went very nicely with the cheeses.
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Urban Butcher (Urban Butcher - Silver Spring, Maryland): So young but beautiful. Per usual, an aromatic opus: golden apples, white peaches, honeycomb, white tea, chalk, crushed rocks, opens up a lot with air. Bright, singing acid matches the creamy texture. White peach, lemons, all sorts of apple slices, laced with nougat, honeycomb and green tea, exotic flower notes. Complex and intriguing but delicious and so easy to drink, despite its youth. I’d love to revisit this in five years.
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5/8/2023 - doctornoah Likes this wine: 92 Points
River School Auction Tasting (Washington DC): I expected this to best the White Burg but it was a different animal, with a hint of sweetness on the nose (not the palate) and a roundness that put it in a different class from the Chassagne-Montrachets, which were a bit more incisive. A great wine on its own, but gave a riper feeling than anticipated.
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6/18/2021 - ACFarias Likes this wine: 94 Points
On the nose, hints of apricot, pear, and green apple. On the palate, the acidity in this wine balances out some of the honey that may be showing with the slight age of this wine. I personally dislike oaky Chardonnay’s but there is a hint of oak that compliments the acidity nicely. Great to pair or on its own. Could probably sit for more time. This wine still has legs and will only get better.
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4/15/2021 - Ewhite30 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Pours golden with a caramel edge, the age is apparent. Scents of golden apple, sea air, caramel, bakers spice and lemon balm. Orchard fruits and tart lemon curd lead, with vanilla, spring flowers and white pepper spice through the finish. Subtle acidity, perfect weight - just excellent. Held up great on night two.
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12/27/2020 - sttorres28 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Color: dark gold.
Nose/palate: initial funk from age that dissipated after a minute. lemon curd, lemon rind, honey, hazelnut, salty finish
Structure: medium+ acidity, medium body, long finish.
alcohol: 13.7%
Good complexity. Went from funky, to bitter, to full and lush but with no richness. amazing with age (consumed at 8 years). Hate to use buzz words, but this is truly Burgundian in style.
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1/11/2020 - gotfunk Likes this wine:
Just incredible out of the gate. It's concentrated and long with great freshness. There's copious pineapple, honey, lemon, torrone and tea with a steely spine playing perfect counterpoint. Elegant and beautiful.
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5/22/2018 - manonthemoon wrote: 92 Points
N pineapple, minerals, honey, white tea
P apples, leam cream, honey, tea, florals
F long in length, nice acidity, should continue to gain a little more complexity with time
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5/22/2018 - isaacjamesbaker wrote: 94 Points
Cameron Wine Dinner with John Paul (Estadio - DC): Gorgeous stuff, this bottle seemed a bit further along than I had expected, but absolutely awesome still. No real detailed notes but it lots of richness, freshness, depth, minerals, complex fruit and nougat/spice elements.
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3/10/2018 - B Paul wrote:
Darker color and this is more advanced than I would expect it to be. It’s not gone, and actually drank quite well, but based on this bottle and the one I had in 2016 I wonder if this wine has had some issues. This is my last bottle, but if it weren’t I’d be drinking up any others.
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2/15/2018 - Jimywags wrote: 95 Points
Absolutely the best domestic chardonnay available, HANDS DOWN. The interplay of fruit and verve is quite intoxicating (no pun intended, well maybe a little). Not sure why I don't own more of this wine, in any vintage really. 95pts.
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12/22/2017 - Bob H wrote:
Yellow-gold in the glass; to be honest, the nose has a light sherried note to it - if I were drinking a white Burg, I would say this wine was starting to begin a journey to pre-mox city.
Palate is consistent with that - bummer. I guess I'm just "lucky" or this is a randomly flawed bottle. Either way, considering the price, not the best way to start a Friday afternoon.
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11/13/2017 - isaacjamesbaker wrote: 95 Points
Champagne & Cameron (Etto - DC): Rich but exciting and lively aromatics: lemon curd, floral perfume, chalky-minerals, orange peel, almond – a ton of complexity in here. On the palate, rich texture on a medium-bodied wine combines with laser-like acidity, and the balance is on point. Gorgeous apple, lemon curd, fruit, laced with almonds and chalky minerals, saline, complex floral dynamics. I can’t wait to see what this vintage does in three to five years from now, because it has a long life ahead I think.
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7/24/2017 - JamesSanders Likes this wine: 93 Points
Perhaps the American wine that consistently comes closest to Grand Cru quality fruit. The 2012 is a little less intense and a bit more approachable than the 2010. Otherwise, this has the classic Clos Electrique profile of lemon and restrained tropical fruit. Drinking very well, but seems to have years to go.
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7/23/2017 - goodvitis.com Likes this wine: 95 Points
Just, and entirely, gorgeous wine. The nose has high toned honeysuckle, bruised apples and pears, dried apricots, Starfruit, vanilla and petrol. The body is in perfect balance. It is medium bodied with super bright, but not hurtful, acid. It offers reams of slate, mint, lime and funky goodness. There is a good dose of Mandarin orange that offers nice sweetness, and from the oak influence there emerges a nice amount of cantaloupe, Golden Raisin and yellow plum, while parsley and saline provide stabilizing undercurrents. This is all good, all the time, now and over the next five to ten years.
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9/21/2016 - B Paul wrote: 94 Points
Fantastic. Glad to see how good this is when not flawed. Drinking well from the get go, but should age nicely too.
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8/28/2016 - manonthemoon wrote: 93 Points
Had at a cameron tasting
N pineapple, minerals, honey, white tea
P apples, leam cream, honey, tea, florals
F long in length, nice acidity, should continue to gain a little more complexity with time
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8/28/2016 - isaacjamesbaker wrote: 94 Points
Crazy Cameron Tasting: Young, a bit compact, but so full of flavor and intrigue. Juicier aromas than the 2011, I get more plush tropical fruits with the classic lemon curd note, along with honeycomb, crushed chalk and white flowers. Bright and crunchy acidity keeps the lips smacking while the creaminess rolls across the palate. Lemon curd and yellow apples are doused in dried flowers, white tea, nougat and sea salt. Long and mineral-laden on the finish. Another stunning showing of this vintage, which has a long time in the cellar ahead of it.
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6/29/2016 - B Paul wrote: flawed
Off bottle, perhaps slightly oxidized.
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3/24/2016 - ciesel wrote: 93 Points
Very good, wish I'd been more patient. This can evolve like a good Chablis. Tart lemon but a soft wine.
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11/17/2015 - Jimywags wrote: 95 Points
Popped and poured. Such a kick ass wine. Right from the get go it reminded me of a 2006 Dauvissat Preuses that I drank a few months back. Very much Grand Cru Chablis quality and character. Light honey in color, it possessed a brilliant backbone of unripe pineapple and minerality layered on top with D'Anjou pear and lemon zest. Domestic chardonnay at its best! 95pts.
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11/14/2015 - Dale M wrote: 94 Points
I was quite excited to learn that this was going to be opened last night as my only other experience with the CEB was so fantastic. This did not disappoint. Light gold in color, there is a suggestion of textural richness that is felt in the side of the mouth that makes the wine very open and easy to drink. At its core, it conveys slightly unripe tropical fruits that are both exotic but with sound acidity. Also, a presence of rich nuts and since this is OR, let’s just calls them hazelnuts. A steady and increasingly minerality seems to gather momentum on the finish, sealing the deal. From my perspective and experience, this is one of the best domestic chardonnays out there.
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5/17/2015 - Nanda wrote: 93 Points
Yum, lovely young aromas of fresh cut apple, pear with citrus peel and wet rock notes. Palate is medium-to-full bodied with a round plush mouthfeel and tons of energy and verve. Get some toast, but not at all obtrusive. Really enjoy the acid and fruit interplay. An impressive wine.
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5/17/2015 - acyso wrote: 90 Points
Sunday Dinner at Formento's (Chicago, IL): There's something about this that kind of makes me think of a Jura chardonnay... not exactly sure why. Maybe it's the freshness coupled with just a very slight bit of funk. There's a honeyed pineapple quality about this wine that makes it a bit weird, but it's got good acidity and is pretty fun to drink. I'd be interested to see if it gains further complexity with aging, though I'm pretty certain it will.
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4/2/2015 - manonthemoon wrote: 94 Points
Had a dinner.
Really tight initially but improved very nicely with air, but will hold additional bottles for a while.
Nose minerals, peaches, honey, white team, minerals.
Palate apples, lemoncream, little honey, tea, and florals.
Went very nicely with the cheeses.
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4/2/2015 - isaacjamesbaker wrote: 94 Points
Urban Butcher (Urban Butcher - Silver Spring, Maryland): So young but beautiful. Per usual, an aromatic opus: golden apples, white peaches, honeycomb, white tea, chalk, crushed rocks, opens up a lot with air. Bright, singing acid matches the creamy texture. White peach, lemons, all sorts of apple slices, laced with nougat, honeycomb and green tea, exotic flower notes. Complex and intriguing but delicious and so easy to drink, despite its youth. I’d love to revisit this in five years.
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