Reviews

September 2023 91 Points View From the Cellar

“The new release of Roederer Estate non-vintage Brut is composed from a blend of sixty percent chardonnay and forty percent pinot noir, with ten to fifteen percent of the vins clairs barrelfermented. The wine spent a minimum of two years aging sur lattes and offers up a fine nose of lemon, apple, bread dough, a touch of almond, dried flowers and a lovely base of soil. On the palate the wine is crisp, full-bodied, focused and complex, with a good core, frothy mousse, lovely balance and a long, classy finish. This is really quite lovely for the entry level bottling from the estate and a fine value. 2023-2035.”

September 2023 91+ Points View From the Cellar

“The Roederer Estate Rosé non-vintage Brut is a similar pale salmon color to the Rosés made at the mothership estate back in Reims. The wine this year is crafted from a blend of fiftysix percent pinot noir and forty-four percent chardonnay and was aged two years on its fine lees. Unlike the Rosés made by Louis Roederer, who use an infusion method to give the wine its lovely color, here in Anderson Valley the wine is made with a small addition of still pinot noir. The wine delivers a quite refined nose of peach, tangerine, a touch of melon, dried flowers, a fine base of soil and a wisp of dried rose petals in the upper register. On the palate the wine is bright, fullbodied and beautifully balanced, with a fine core of fruit, good soil undertow, refined mousse and an impressively long and complex finish. Fine juice. 2023-2035.”

September 2023 94 Points View From the Cellar

“The 2015 Roederer Estate “l’Ermitage” Rosé is the new release of this lovely bottling. The wine is crafted from a cépages of fifty percent each of chardonnay and pinot noir. Four percent of the cuvée is composed of reserve wines from the harvests of 2010, 2012 and 2014. The wine includes a small percentage of still pinot noir to give the wine its lovely salmon color. It was finished with a dosage of eight grams per liter and offers up a very refined bouquet of peach, tangerine, wheat bread, a lovely base of soil tones, dried flowers, a touch of citrus peel and a topnote of gentle smokiness. On the palate the wine is crisp, complex and full-bodied, with an elegant profile, superb depth at the core, refined mousse, a lovely spine of acidity and excellent balance on the long and very classy finish. American sparkling wines do not get any better than this excellent vintage of l’Ermitage Rosé! 2023-2045+.”

September 2023 93 Points View From the Cellar

“The Illivio Bianco bottling from Livio Felluga is made from a rather unique blend of pinot bianco, chardonnay and picolit. It is barrel-fermented and raised in barriques for ten months prior to bottling. The 2020 Illivio offers up a deep and complex bouquet of tart orange, green olive, a beautifully complex base of minerality, lime peel, gently musky floral tones and a deft touch of oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, focused and complex, with lovely depth at the core, refined mineral undertow, zesty acids and impeccable balance on the long, vibrant and very classy finish. First rate juice. 2023-2035+.”

September 2023 93 Points View From the Cellar

“Terre Alte is one of the finest vineyards in the township of Rosazzo, where Livio Felluga first settled down and started making wine once World War II hostilities came to a close. The wine is made from a blend of Friulano, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Bianco, with the Friulano portion of the blend barrel-fermented and aged in casks prior to blending. The 2020 Terre Alte is superb on both the nose and palate, with the bouquet wafting from the glass in an exotic blend of passion fruit, casaba melon, beeswax, lemon zest, a touch of green olive, wild fennel, salty minerality and just a touch of oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and still a touch youthfully reductive, with a rock solid core of fruit, superb mineral drive, bright acids and lovely length and 40 grip on the complex and well balanced finish. This is still a youthful wine and will be even a better drink with a bit of cellaring time. Fine, fine juice. 2023-2035.”

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