James Suckling
93 ~
A fancy and complex chardonnay with apples, peaches and hints of stone. Full-bodied, fresh and bright with plenty of pie crust and intensity. Crazy chardonnay for the money.
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
94 ~
Composed of 83% Sauvignon Blanc, 10% Sauvignon Gris and 7% Sémillon fermented 17% in new oak, 48% in neutral oak and 35% in concrete, the 2016 Sauvignon Blanc Mt. Veeder has quite an earthy/mineral nose to begin, featuring notes of wet pebbles, chalk dust and damp moss over a core of ripe peaches, lemon curd and dried herbs. The medium to full-bodied palate has great vivacity and depth, sporting a beautifully chewy phenolic texture and rasping backbone of acidity to support the intense citrus and herbal flavors, finishing on a lingering chalky note. Still very youthful, forget it for a year or two and drink it over the next 10-12 years+.
Tasting Notes ~
This wine has a refined taste reminiscent of much fancier Burgundy, while there is still something that tells you it is Beaujolais. There is a savory backbone to this wine and it strikes the palate with real force, with a finish that stretches on and on.
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
91 ~
The 2019 Gavi del Comune di Gavi Grifo del Quartaro is a beautifully fragrant wine that shows the floral and tropical fruit intensity that comes with the Cortese grape. The vines are planted in a six-hectare site in Monterotondo di Gavi that boasts white calcareous clay soils. These conditions reduce the vigor of the vines, resulting in more character and concentration. You'll also notice a drying touch of chalky minerality that gives linearity and focus to the wine. An ample 50,000 bottles were released at a terrific value price.