Products

Winemaker Description 

It is not known for certain how long Gelber Muskateller has been in the Rust vineyards. We do know that this grape variety used to be called Weirer. This name comes from Weihrauch (frankincense) because the nutmeg scent is so prevalent. Winemaker Description. 

Green apple, papaya, pineapple, white flowers, peppermint and flint dominate this rich, extracted and exotic delight from Heidi Schröck.

Winemaker Description

2018 is a spectacular vintage that started off beautifully with abundant spring rains. The generous summer sun and cooler marine influences from San Pablo Bay created the ideal conditions for Cabernet Sauvignon. Lot C-91 continues to embody the legacy of Heitz Cellar and the vision for this wine that began in 1969. The fruit comes only from their prized single vineyards and is blended after each parcel has had the opportunity to show its true potential, allowing their winemaker, Brittany Sherwood to select only the most expressive barrels to make the final Cuvee. Always made in the classical style that Joe Heitz pioneered in the early 1960s.

Expert Reviews

Wine Spectator 93 Points | Expressive, with a bold menthol note followed quickly by boysenberry and blackberry compote flavors wrapped in black licorice. The long finish has a tug of earth amid a generally velvety feel, while the menthol note curls around the fruit. Distinctive. (2018).

Wine Spectator 93 Points | Expressive, with a bold menthol note followed quickly by boysenberry and blackberry compote flavors wrapped in black licorice. The long finish has a tug of earth amid a generally velvety feel, while the menthol note curls around the fruit. Distinctive. (2018).

Robert Parker 92 Points | There's a gentle herbaceousness to the cherry fruit in Heitz's 2018 Lot C-91, making it a bit more like redcurrant than true cherry. A blend of fruit from Oakville, Rutherford, St. Helena and Howell Mountain, it's medium-bodied but more expansive and generous than the regular bottling, with a nice touch of velvet layered in on the mid-palate and a long, fruit-driven finish.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2018 

Antonio Galloni of Vinous writes 93 Points | The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley) is bright, focused and nuanced, with lovely energy and tons of glass. Perfumed floral and spice accents lift the red-toned fruit nicely. This exquisitely beautiful, vivid Cabernet is all class. Like the Chardonnay, the Cabernet Sauvignon is on the lighter side, even for this style. It will be interesting to see if Heitz also pursues a bit more richness for this wine in future vintages.  Drinking 2025 - 2035.

Joe Czerwinski of the Wine Advocate writes 91 Points |  Heitz's regular 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon features a slightly minty-eucalyptus edge, cherries and a hint of leather. Medium-bodied and concentrated, this is silky and fine, finishing a bit tart. Personally, I'd prefer to see more mid-palate richness, but that's not the style being pursued here.  Drinking 2024 - 2035  - Robert Parker Wine Advocate 91

James Suckling writes 94 Points | A pure, balanced and fresh Napa cabernet that is not just showing heady concentration and dark fruit. Here you get some violets, nimble flowers, redcurrants, graphite and fine spices. Some oranges, too. Fragrant and nuanced. Medium to full body with tight yet refined tannins. Rather linear, tense and elegant, but lacking neither power nor definition. Better to give it a few years to deliver more complexity. 

Jeb Dunnuck writes 91 Points | Lots of ripe blue fruits, sappy herbs, and some background minerality as well as a touch of oak emerge from the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, a medium-bodied, beautifully balanced, elegant Cabernet from this estate that's drinkable today yet will evolve for 15-20 years in cold cellars. It's one for the old school Cabernet lovers out there.  Drinking 2023 - 2043.

Winemaker Notes

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2016

Wine Spectator 95 Points | This throws off an overt and alluring mint aroma, while sweet bay leaf, violet, damson plum, red tea and steeped griotte notes all glide through together, carried by remarkably fine-grained tannins. Ends with a gentle echo of mint on the finish, while a subtle minerality chimes through as well. A stylish and suave wine, with plenty of charm now, but also pristine balance for cellaring. Best from 2022 through 2038.

Wine Advocate 96 Points | The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Martha's Vineyard barely hints at eucalyptus on the nose, with much more emphasis given to black cherries and cassis. This is full-bodied and rich, nicely balancing richness and texture against linear shape and focus and picking up hints of blueberries and spice on the long, mouthwatering finish. With 112 barrels having been bottled, there's a fair bit of this wine to go around, if one can afford it. 

Expert Review - Vintage 2020

Wine Enthusiast 91 Points | Tangy green apple and mineral intensity is tempered by richer golden apple and baking spice flavors in this nervy, well balanced, light-bodied wine. Tastes refreshing and mouthwatering.

Winemaker Description 

The balance of texture and freshness seen in the 2020 Quartz Creek is rare in Chardonnay. This harmony allows for versatility at the table

The vibrancy of fresh citrus on the palate is outstanding with chilled seafood like dungeness crab and razor clams. Still, there is enough texture and savory characteristics to pair with classic chicken marsala. 

Producer Desription

No other gin taste like Hendrick's because no other gin is made like Hendrick's. They infuse the gin with the remarkable Bulgarian Rosa Damascena and specially selected cucumbers from the finest producers. The Bennett seeps the botanicals in spirit overnight prior to distillation resulting in a rich, complex liquid. Whereas the Carter-Head gently steams the botanicals in a basket atop its lofty neck, so influence is imparted upon the spirit in something akin to a botanical steam bath. This yields a lighter, more delicate spirit. The harmonious combination of the Bennett and Carter-Head stills create an unusually smooth gin like no other that has the required character and balance of subtle flavors.

Expert Review

92 Points Wine Enthusiast | This gin has a fierce following, in part because of its quirky brand personality (see the Monty Python-esque website) and aggressive marketing among bartenders. But it lives up to the hype. Some might expect a more concentrated rosewater-cucumber profile, but it's relatively subtle, with just a hint of cucumber mingling with juniper in the aroma, and white pepper, citrus and floral notes on the lingering finish.

Expert Review - Vintage 2019

Wine Enthusiast 94 Points | This is a spicy, sublime and expansive wine, full bodied no doubt, yet brimming in freshness and complexity. It is red-fruit driven and dazzles in white and black pepper, accented by dashes of cinnamon and nutmeg. It has a long-lasting texture and richness.

Winemaker Description 

The Hendry family has been farming in Napa since 1939. The Hendry Block 7 and Block 22 were planted in 1975 and 1995 respectively. All of the Hendry wines are made with estate fruit, and blocks 7 and 22 are located on the benchlands west of the city of Napa. Block 7 was planted in 1975 and block 22 was planted in 1995.

Winemaker Description 

VINEYARD The Hendry Vineyard is located on bench lands just west of the town of Napa. The vines grow on thin stony soils between 200 and 300 feet above sea level. Morning fog and afternoon breezes from the San Pablo Bay moderate our climate. We are just a mile or so from the Carneros region of Napa, and enjoy similar marine-layer influence.

This wine is a selection from our three Chardonnay blocks: Block 9 (Old Wente/KD Clone, planted 1974) which has just reached 50 years of age, Block 19 (Dijon 96, planted 1996), and Block 20 (Dijon 95, planted 1996).

VINTAGE In 2023, budbreak in the Chardonnay blocks was March 23rd. Bloom took place between May 30th and June 1st, and veraison on August 7th, setting the pace for a later harvest than usual. Harvest took place from September 11th through the 15th. Average bloom to harvest was 105 days. Yield was 2.46 tons per acre in the old Block 9, and 3.41 tons per acre in 19 and 20.

WINEMAKING At harvest, half of the fruit from these blocks is whole-cluster crushed and fermented entirely in stainless steel at a cold temperature, about 50 degrees. It is protected from oxygen exposure to prevent oxidation. These two measures help to preserve the fresh fruit flavors of Chardonnay grown in our cooler climate. It is not allowed to go through malolactic fermentation and remains in stainless steel for cold-settling until bottling. Screw-cap closure.

This unassuming, unadorned wine highlights the beauty and purity of our Chardonnay fruit. Blocks 9, 19 and 20 are all low-yielding, producing concentrated, flavorful fruit. The variety of clones contributes to the complexity of these wines. 

NOTES Pale straw color. Aromas of green and pink apples, stone fruits. Light-bodied, with pleasing flavors of tangy apple and citrus. Balanced palate. Fresh and vibrant, with green apple and lemony acidity in the surprisingly long finish. Keep it light when pairing with this wine. Try grilled chicken breasts, lemony hummus or guacamole with chips, mozzarella with prosciutto and summer fruit, and other light, bright foods--or just sip all by itself!

Wine Specs
Alcohol: 14.3
Cases Produced: 1,066

Producer Description 

Much more than an aniseed beverage, Henri Bardouin Pastis is a masterpiece of balance where each ingredient occupies its rightful place. It deploys a symphony of flavours and aromas that meet, merge, and reveal themselves for a unique sensory dialogue between people, a terroir, and the history of Haute Provence.

It is a symphony, whose score is a secret jealously guarded by Distilleries et Domaines de Provence. 

Expert Reviews - Vinttage 2023 

James Suckling 91 Points | A crafty, lively and delicious sauvignon blanc with aromas of tropical fruit, grass and mild spices on the nose. Medium-bodied with fresh acidity. Bright and vivid with a frank finish. Drink now. Screw cap. 

Wine Enthusiast 89 Points | This wine captures some of the best elements that can infuse a Loire Sauvignon Blanc. Fragrant aromas of white peach and pomelo jump out of the glass and roll around in a bed of lime zest and field grass. The palate is more restrained than the nose and delivers reserved flavors of lemon citrus, crab apple and white nectarine.

Winemaker Description 

Remarkably aromatic with pleasant flower and fruit fragrances. On the palate it reveals a freshness and vivacity that is pure and clean. Citrus, apple and gooseberry aromas with hints of passion fruit are found in this lively and bright wine. An incredible value. Here is an excellent aperitif that is also outstanding with fish, seafood and certain white meats. Enjoy Petit Bourgeois with a halibut steak in lemon butter, a kingfish carpaccio, some grilled white fish or goat cheese. Winemaker Description. 

Winemaker Description 

The Brut Souverain is the most historical cuvée in the region, as it was the first cuvée Apolline Henriot produced in 1808. Apolline aspired to put the light on her vineyards through the expression of a champagne. According to her, one year was not enough to tell the story of the terroirs, so she decided to put wines in reserve each year to incorporate them into a future blend.

Therefore, she founded the House by creating a Champagne that would have blending as its fundamental principle. The House respects this philosophy today and uses every terroir in this multi-cru, multi-vintage cuvée. It was named Brut Souverain by Ernest Henriot, Apolline's grandson, when the House was appointed the official champagne supplier to the Courts of the King of Holland and of the Emperor of Austria-Hungary.

Expert Reviews

Wine Spectator 92 Points | This vivid Champagne is tightly meshed, with a firm spine of acidity married to notes of poached apricot, toast point, preserved lemon and white cherry. Minerally through the creamy, focused finish.

James Suckling 91 Points | This has aromas of chopped apples, biscuits, croissants, walnuts, praline and lemon pie. Dry, tasty and toasty, with a medium body, fine bubbles and bright acidity. All in balance. 48% pinot noir, 42% chardonnay, 10% meunier. Base 2016, with 38% reserve wine.

Wine Enthusiast 90 Points | The nonvintage Champagne from this producer is beautifully textured, its white fruits lightly touched by a more steely edge. A fine Champagne to drink now.

Expert Reviews

Wine Spectator 94 Points |  Lightly toasty on the nose, with grilled brioche, smoke and spice accents, this is fresh and citrusy on the plushly creamy palate. Reveals Meyer lemon, poached apricot, grated ginger and fresh lemon thyme enriched by chopped almond and biscuit. Long, well-honed finish. Chardonnay. Drink now through 2031. 200 cases imported.

Wine Advocate 94 Points |  When Gilles de Larouzière took the reins chez Henriot and tasted the vins clairs of the 2016 vintage with his team, one cuvée from Avize stood out from the crowd enough that it seemed to merit a tirage of its own. The result is the 2016 Brut L'inattendue, disgorged after four years on the lees with four grams per liter dosage. It's a demonstrative, expressive Champagne, bursting with aromas of white peach, crisp orchard fruit and confit lemon mingled with subtle hints of buttery pastry, followed by a medium to full-bodied, satiny and attractively vinous palate, its fleshy core of fruit complemented by a pretty pinpoint mousse. Already drinking well, it's testimony to the exciting things happening at this historic house.

Decanter 94 Points |  Slightly smoky, bolstered by a chalky touch to the flint-accented nose which expresses an array of white and citrus fruit, as well as an enticing floral component. The mouthfeel has crystalline purity and is finely balanced, with citrussy acidity that delivers freshness and lift on the chalk-textured, flower-infused finish. Just the right amount of refreshing bitterness makes this an ideal partner for gastronomic dishes. Malolactic fermentation is de rigueur for Henriot. Ageing on lees before bottling was carried out in stainless steel. Dosage of 4g/l and disgorged in June 2021. 

Winemaker Description 

The Brut Rosé is one of the most unexpected creations from Maison Henriot. After several years of blending experimentation, the it was added to the House's signature collection in the early 1980's by the seventh generation of the family. The challenge for the House was to create a Champagne Rosé that truly reflects the Henriot style, while remaining anchored to one of the fundamental principles of the House: the art of blending.

Thus, the Brut Rosé is a non-vintage or multi-vintage blend. The most delicate of Henriot's champagnes, it is dominated by an intense, fruity nose and has a balanced palate with delicate red fruit notes.

Expert Reviews

Decanter 95 Points | Spicy baked red and blackberry nose with a whiff of struck-match. The palate offers almond cake and red berry notes and glimpses of butter, nuts and lemon macaroon. A very good rose to match salads and barbecued fish.

Tasting Panel 93 Points | Coral pink; smooth, lush and juicy with crisp acidity and smooth texture; long and balanced, refined.

Wine Enthusiast 92 Points | An attractive red-fruit flavored Champagne with a balanced crisp textured, this bottling is just ready to go. Its fruitiness coupled with the soft texture from the dosage are packed with fruitiness and ripe acidity.

Wine Spectator 92 Points | This mouthwatering rosé shows finesse and style, as flavors of pink grapefruit sorbet, white cherry, lemon blossoms and blanched almond dance across the palate on a lightly chalky mousse. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier. Drink now.

James Suckling 92 Points | Pretty copper and light-pink color with fine bubbles. Strawberries and minerals with some earth undertones on the nose, following through to a full body with a dense, condensed palate and a firm yet creamy finish. This is very vinous and complex. Pinot noir and chardonnay. Drink now.

Wine & Spirits 90 Points | Quince-like fruit rounds this wine, lifted by scents of ginger and green edges of spice that bring to mind piquillo peppers. For a Cantonese banquet.

Expert Reviews

90-95 points Wine Enthusiast | The bouquet features smells of new car leather, breakfast cereal, cornmeal, pepper and hemp. Entry is nicely sweet and intensely grainy; the mid-palate is the high point as the taste profile expands to include semisweet flavors of caramel corn, toasted marshmallow, dried fruit and chocolate covered cherry. Concludes oaky sweet and chewy. *Superb, Highly Rated*.

90 points Whisky Advocate | One of the few remaining age-stated bourbons. Henry McKenna’s color is beautiful. You can hold it up in sunset light and just enjoy the russet and amber hues reflecting. Sweetness, savory, and floral fragrances followed by brown sugar, fresh-baked rye bread, and malt. Caramel and vanilla, with roasted pine nuts and spice, and a slight hint of strawberry lead to a long and savory finish. Balance is the point of this sipper. 

Winemaker Description 

Youthful and fun. Bright and punchy berries and ripe red fruits. uicy with velvety tannins.

The power of eight dedicated South African women expressed in a bottle: HER! The HER collection is the first branded wine to come out of Adama Wines, an all-women run company from Wellington, South Africa. “The name was chosen to represent our sisters, mothers, daughters, and grandmothers - the women in our lives who strive to make the world a better place and retire with a well-earned bottle of HER wine, with family and friends at the end of the day! 

HER is a brand that relates to the everyday struggle of powerful and graceful women from all strides of life, You either know one or you are one...

Winemaker Description 

A beautiful structured medium-bodied Shiraz with juicy ripe plum and dark berry flavours. Has fine textures of sweet spice, new leather and a hint of savoury, refreshed with a juicy, plummy finish.

Winemaker Description 

Certainly! The Herederos De Argueso Jerez-Xeres-Sherry Amontillado is a dry and nutty white wine from Andalucia, Spain. It has sharp peanutty aromas and a tawny color with hints of orange. On the palate, it offers sour citrus fruit flavors, burnt nuts, and cocoa, finishing dry and chalky. You can find it in a 375ml half bottle for around $25. It’s a delightful choice for those who appreciate intense, tangy flavors. 🍷🥜🍊

Argeso Amontillado is an exquisite fortified wine of subtlety and grace. On the nose, it unfurls a spectrum of delicate scents reminiscent of hazelnuts and aromatic herbs, with a distinctive hint of dark tobacco.

Upon tasting, its lightness astonishes, yet it retains a marked dryness and a complexity that unfolds gently. This Amontillado exemplifies the artful dance between simplicity and intricacy, presenting a sophisticated and approachable taste experience. 

Winemaker Description 

The newest release of our Extra Brut! This wine is made with 100% Riesling. Showing notes of lemon curd and yellow apple, this wine has refreshing acidity with fine bubbles and subtle minerality. Pair with soft, mild cheeses or serve with seared scallops.

In 1985 Hermann J. Wiemer produced a wine called “Champagne Naturel.”  It was not Champagne, of course, and it wasn’t made from traditional Champagne grape varieties either.  No, it was dry Riesling, one of Hermann Wiemer’s early attempts to manufacture a dry Riesling the public would accept.

• 100% Riesling
• Sourced from HJW Estate Vineyard

Producer Description 

The unique traits of Wiemer’s Magdalena Vineyard are featured in this lush Riesling. A beneficial air exchange with Seneca Lake moderates the temperatures, creating a warmer and more protective site in the colder months and a cooling effect throughout the summer. The airflow keeps the vineyard dry, and deep soil provides room for spreading root growth. The lime silt loam soil that the site is celebrated for is crucial to the development of flavor intensity in the grapes. Magdalena wines are striking and powerful, and develop very well over time– whether in the glass or in the cellar.

Critic Notes 

The Wine Enthusiast by Christina Pickard writes 95 Points | Still a spring chicken, this top Riesling—if drunk now—needs a few good swirls in the glass before releasing delicate orange citrus, jasmine and honeysuckle aromas from the clutch of more reductive ones. There's richness and intensity on the dry, slippery palate, cut with citrusy acidity and a chalk dust minerality to the ultralong finish. This is a wine of complexity and class that should cellar until 2032 or longer.

Producer Description 

Herradura has set the standard. Then surpassed it. Tequila Herradura Reposado, meaning "rested," is aged for eleven months, nine months longer than the industry standard. Its deep copper color and rounded taste sets this Reposado apart, along with its signature aroma of spices. The tastes of vanilla, butter and agave work in unison to create a smooth and sweet experience. Tequila Herradura introduced the first Reposado to the world in 1974, creating an entirely new tequila category.

The color is a rich amber with shades of copper, from resting 11 months in American White Oak barrels. Aromas of warm notes of anise, fruit, and spices come through the central aroma of cooked agave. Surprisingly smooth Vanilla and butter flavors are peppered in the sweet, cooked agave. The finish is smooth and sweet with a hint of spice to keep things interesting.

Expert Review

92 Wine Enthusiast | The perky aroma suggests vanilla and citrus, for a lemon cream pie-like effect. The palate starts out with vanilla, coconut and waxy honey, and is perked up by citrusy acidity and hints of lemon peel in the finish.

Producer Description 

Incredibly complex yet impossibly smooth. Aged for an incredible 49 months in American White Oak barrels, Herradura Selección Suprema is our most premium ultra-rested tequila. Extra aging creates a tequila of an extremely rich, dark amber color with cooked agave, spice and floral notes. Exceptionally smooth and complex, Selección Surprema has a lasting, subtly-sweet aftertaste. 

Producer Description 

Herradura Silver owes its distinctly sweet taste of agave and subtle oak notes to resting for an impressive 45 days beyond the industry standard in American White Oak barrels.

The prolonged aging process creates a light straw color with a unique, robust aroma of cooked agave, vanilla and wood that leaves your mouth feeling smooth and refreshed.

Producer Description 

Age is not just a number. Tequila Herradura Añejo matures in the barrel for 25 months, more than twice the 1 year age requirement. This patience is rewarded with a beautiful amber color and a complex, spicy taste. Our Añejo has a deliberately smooth taste that melts across your tongue, with hints of sweet, dried citrus fruit and toasted oak. Tequila Herradura Añejo was introduced to the world by Casa Herradura in 1962.

Dark amber that hints at its warmth and oaked aging. Aromas of cooked agave blended with spice and floral notes. Remarkably smooth on the palate, with notes of cooked agave, toasted oak and dried fruit.

Expert Review

91 Points Wine Enthusiast | Bright gold in the glass, look for a fresh and breezy aroma that mixes grassy notes with gentle vanilla. It's light and soft on the palate, showing honey, pepper and banana before finishing on baking spice and spearmint notes.

Producer Description 

There are two types of red grapes in the world that are always trimmed for finesse and elegance. The much better known is the Pinot Noir from France and then also with its relative, the German Pinot Noir.

Then in the outer tip of Austria - in Styria - there are more and more winemakers who feel a total devotion to their local red wine specialty - Blaufränkisch - and can derive just as much elegance from it as the much more prominent Pinot Noir. Now Gottfried Lamprecht is very fortunate to have the Buchertberg, a vineyard that can show dramatic differences in the soil. And anyone who has ever been to Burgundy in France and has seen the prices of wines that come from particularly fortunate soils - for the winemakers and their wallets - will appreciate Gottfried Lamprecht's wines.

For the connoisseurs it should be briefly mentioned that on the Buchertberg opok soils, partly sandstone weathering, sand and silt change in a very small space and make up the rare great class of this wine.

Winemaker Description 

Seductively fresh Pinot Blanc with orange zest, honeysuckle flowers, and lemongrass and a luscious texture from the bit of skin contact that we greet us like a big soft hug. He manages to coax an intense amount of flavor out a relatively neutral grape, and we think it could go with anything from a bitter green salad with winter citrus to roasted chicken, pork tenderloin or seared scallops. This could easily be our everyday white! 

Because it has a nice, round body and prominent fruit, it also works as a Chardonnay alternative for those seeking a white with a bit more meat on the bones.

The HERRENHOF was a former wine estate of the Vorau Abbey. I started this project in 2006 from scratch, without vines. It required me 15 years to rebuild the winery. Since I have always been very close to nature, it is clear to me that I grow and vinify my wines exclusively organically. I want to bring the taste of the land where I grew up into the bottle of wine. Gottfried Lamprecht. 

The wine project at the HERRENHOF is pretty young. I've started to recutivate vineyards on this perfect slope in the year 2006 completely from the scratch. My mission: I want to present the Buchertberg, the place where I grew up in a bottle of wine. Because wine just can do that! Everything is harvested by hand of course. What makes me a special wine grower? I ferment 100% in barrels. 50% of my barrels are made of wood from my own forest. This brings my wines much closer to my terroir - closer to the Buchertberg, the place where I grew up. After fermentation the wines stay on their lees till bottling. Prior bottling I just about 20mg of Sulphur or less, or nothing and anything else. It depends on the wine.

Winemaker Description 

A blend of several years' production from plots of Chardonnay near the winery.

Gentle vinification, without fining or filtration, aged for over 10 months in oak barrels, with a very structured taste and a straw-yellow colour.

A single parcel of 44 ares, all Chardonnay, a single vintage, 50 cm chalk subsoil, this parcel is close to the Saint-Gond marshes. It was planted 40 years ago.

Vinified without fining or filtration, the wine is gently fermented in oak barrels in the wood.

Its proximity to the marshes and its soil type give it a very different profile, much fuller and warmer.

Blend: 100% Chardonnay.

Hervé Rafflin’s La Nature’l Extra Brut is a premier cru Champagne that offers a pure and elegant expression of the Montagne de Reims terroir. Made primarily from 80% Pinot Meunier, complemented by 15% Chardonnay and 5% Pinot Noir, this champagne delivers bright citrus notes of lemon and grapefruit, alongside orchard fruits like green apple and white peach. The underlying floral tones and a subtle touch of baked bread add complexity to its light, acid-driven body, resulting in a vibrant and refreshing experience. With a dosage of only 1.8 grams per liter, the wine’s extra brut classification enhances its crisp, dry finish.

Winemaker Notes

This vivacious and insanely refreshing wine is characterized by notes of citrus, white flowers and baked bread. The juice’s bright, salivating acidity leads to a long-lasting finish. The wine pairs perfectly with fresh cheeses, buttered popcorn and raw bar favorites. ‘La Nature’L’ is the leading cuvée at Rafflin and is the most widely produced/sold bottling at the estate.

Hervé Rafflin took over his small family winery back in 2001, though his familial roots in Champagne date back to the 1840s. The estate’s 5 hectares are situated in the heart of the Montagne de Reims in the villages of Chigny-les- Roses, Ludes, Rilly la Montagne and Taissy.

A little over half of the vines are dedicated Pinot Meunier, with the rest rounded out by Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Vines average 30-40 years in age and as of 2021 are certified organic.

The estate puts out anywhere from no more than 5,000 to 13,000 bottles annually, depending on the vintage. To say we are a small production Champagne would be an understatement. 

Delicious, unpretentious, and always reflective of the growing season and the unique terroir of the Montagne de Reims. At Rafflin, nature dictates business, not demand. 

• Grapes: 26% Pinot Meunier, 36% Chardonnay, 38% Pinot Noir. 60% 2016 + reserve wines.
• Soil/Terroir: 1er cru Chigny les Roses - lignite clay, green marl, Bartonian limestone, Ludian limestone (Upper Eocene, between 41 and 38 million years old), Campanian chalk, colluvium, marl
and Thanetian sand.
• Farming Practices: Organic (in conversion).
• Vinification: Malolactic fermentation with exogenous yeasts and dosage limited to 1.8 g/l.
• Aging: Aged in stainless steel tanks for 8 months.
• SO2: added at harvest and before bottling.
• Alc/Vol: 12.5
• Number of bottles produced: 9000

Producer Description 

This wine comes from the estate's two oldest Romorantin vineyards .It is fermented in stainless steel tanks and concrete vats and aged in stainless steel and fiberglass on the lees. Powerful, racy aromatics coupled with richness akin to polished white stones, sea salt and dried white nectarine—if drinking now, decant and serve with poached chicken, swordfish and decadent cheeses; will also cellar well for another five years.

Herve Villemade has been working his family's vines in Cellettes since taking over from his father in 1995. Today, the estate represents about 22 hectares of organically farmed fruit within the Cheverny and Cour-Cheverny AOCs, along with a negociant license to supplement production with local grapes.

Winemaker Description

Mevushal. The grapes were carefully selected from vineyards in Clarksburg, California. This full bodied and complex Chardonnay exhibits all of the elegant characteristics of the varietal grown in this renowned appellation with top notes of citrus and tropical fruit. 

Winemaker Description 

Monterey’s combination of moderate climate and marine influences from the Pacific Ocean keep the grapes balanced and able to develop fully ripe flavors. A classic Central Coast Chardonnay, this wine offers tropical aromas of grilled pineapple with a hint of star fruit and vanilla.

Nicely balanced, Hess Select Chardonnay is medium-bodied with layers of sliced peaches and golden delicious apples, finishing crisp and clean with well-balanced acid.