Wine By Nine

White Wine by Chanson from Burgundy, France - regions. Clos des Mouches is ideally located at the Southern end of the vineyards of Beaune on a spur pointing toward Pommard and falling to the plain on the East. Chanson is one of the major owners of Clos des Mouches. This wine is elegant, full-bodied, well-balanced and charming. It develops honey flavours combined with subtle notes of oakiness on the palate. This wine is well-concentrated with a hint of minerality that contributes to its long finish.

White Wine by Guigal from Condrieu, France - Rhone. 100% Viognier Intensely powerful and elegant aromas of white flowers, apricot, white peaches. The palate is fresh, round, rich and full-bodied. Fully expressive of the terroir with great finesse. A pleasant light acidity is well balanced with round, fleshy fruitiness. Enjoy as an aperitif, or with foie gras, scrambled egg and truffles, or delicate fish. There are 15,000 bottles of the 2006 Condrieu la Doriane. With laser-like precision in addition to extraordinary notes of crushed rock, nectarine, marmalade, white peach, and spring flowers, it is a compelling Condrieu to enjoy over the next several years. Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate 97 Points

White Wine by William Fevre from Burgundy, France - regions. Pale, green-tinged color. Reticent, ethereal nose hints at pineapple, grapefruit and spices. Big and rich but airy in the mouth; shows the breadth of a wine from clay-rich soil but with no heaviness. Quite lush and seamless, with captivating flavors of white peach, grapefruit and minerals. Finishes very long and suave. -International Wine Cellar 91-93

White Wine by William Fevre from Burgundy, France - regions. Pale, green-tinged color. Highly nuanced, brisk aromas of powdered stone, lime blossom, grapefruit and quinine. Silky on entry, then suave and vibrant in the middle, with a strong minerally, chalky character, lovely subtle sweetness and an uncommonly fine-grained texture. Finishes with superb rising length and palate-saturating crushed stone. No clay here, just pure Kimmeridgian limestone on an extremely steep south-facing slope. -International Wine Cellar 92-95

White Wine by Joseph Drouhin from Burgundy, France - regions. Admirably situated on a hill between Pommard and Beaune, with a direct southern exposure, Clos des Mouches is one of the most famous Premier Cru vineyards of Beaune. The name Clos des Mouches probably goes back to the beginning of the Middle-Ages (around 1550) because of its slopes facing South/South-East: a very favourable place for keeping bees. The word Mouches (Flies) was actually the local name for bees. As bee keepers started to set up their bee-hives, the area became known as Clos des Mouches (i.e. the Enclosure of the Honey Bees). After the destruction of the Burgundy vineyards due to the phylloxera epidemic of 1875-1880, Clos des Mouches was entirely replanted with Pinot Noir. Having fortunately come across some ancient documents which revealed that the vineyard had previously produced an excellent white wine, Maurice Drouhin, in 1921, began replanting with some Chardonnay. The result was of exceptional quality. To-day, there is an almost equal balance between white and red. Some of the stocks he planted are still alive to-day. They constitute a precious genetic pool, especially when grafted onto superior root-stocks. They are not vigorous and produce tiny berries with a thick skin. The density of plantation is high and the yield is low. Soil doesn't change much in the Clos. Lighter and stony at the top, coloured with broken stones at the bottom, with a good variety of chalky marls bringing complexity. Once harvested, the white grapes are crushed in a pneumatic press. The juice obtained is then fermented in oak barrels for a year during which the malolactic fermentation will take place. Clos des Mouches white is a generous wine combining the body of Corton Charlemagne and the elegance of Montrachet. Its hue is bright, limpid, and pale golden. It has an elegantly perfumed nose of smoky citrus with tinges of vanilla. On the palate, the aromas are reminiscent of honey, almond, lemon and,

White Wine by William Fevre from Burgundy, France - regions. Pale, green-tinged color. Highly aromatic nose offers lime, menthol and powdered stone, plus a touch of gingery spice. Rich, fat and suave, with lovely ripe acidity framing the sweet peach flavor. Doesn't have the cut of a more classic year but this is nonetheless in a fairly delicate style. William Fevre owns half the surface of this grand cru (6 of 12 hectares), and winemaker Seguier notes that this wine has been stronger in recent years owing to earlier picking. -International Wine Cellar 90-92

White Wine by Dom. Laroche from Chablis, France - regions. The king of the Grand Crus- tpyically the longest lasting and most structured. Vibrant green-gold in color, it has a gorgeously refined nose, intense and complex. The palate shows wonderful fruit concentration, with notes os apple blossom, a hint of honey and a firm, steely grip underneath. The finish lingers on and on. Serve cool, not icy. A fantastic accompaniment with lobster, halibut, roast turkey, or roast duck. 100% Chardonnay

White Wine by William Fevre from Burgundy, France - regions. Using the old name for Bourgros, this is from the steepest portion of the Bourgros vineyard. The pure chalk soil gives it pronouned minerality, and it shows firm structure, with green apples, toast and a ver firm, tight character. This wine fefinitely needs to age; give it 5-8 years. -Wine Enthusiast Pale, green-tinged color. High-pitched nose dominated by minerals and lime. Classic gripping Chablis grand cru, with lemon, mineral and crushed stone flavors given shape and vibrancy by brisk acids. Offers an uncanny combination of seamless texture and tensile strength. Finishes with superb lingering sweetness and terrific snap. Like the Bougros, this was still on its fine lees, in cuve. Great potential here. -International Wine Cellar 93-95

White Wine by William Fevre from Burgundy, France - regions. Often seen as the easiest of the grand crus because of its richness, this shows more power due to the vintage. There is now tightness to the ripe structure, with white currant, pear skin and spice flavors. Finishes with sweet acidity. -Wine Enthusiast Lemon peel, anise, menthol and a whiff of spice on the nose. Densely packed and penetrating, with rather austere flavors of crushed stone and lemon. A very elegant grand cru offering lovely ripeness of fruit and a distinctly lacy texture. -International Wine Cellar 92-94

White Wine by Ch. La Nerthe from Chateauneuf-du-Pape, France - Rhone. This luxury white cuvee, Clos de Beauvenir (60% Roussanne and 40% Clairette) is named after the original name of the estate in the 16th Century. Selected from the finest parcels of old vines, this wine is truly an elixer in a class by itself. A gloriously perfumed, honeyed wine possessing full body, terrific acidity, tremendous delineation, and a layered texture. A terrific beam of acacia honey and dried pineapple runs through this full-bodied white. with blanched almond, mineral and guava hints. Shows the tropical note of the vintage. but keeps its stony persistence. Drink now through 2007. 330 cases made. Wine Spectator 10/15/2006 The luxury cuvee, the 2003 Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc Clos de Beauvenir (only 500 cases) is stunning, with notes of waxy lanolin, orange blossom, pear, and peach intermixed with white flowers and citrus oil... -Wine Advocate

White Wine by Hanzell from Sonoma County, California. As this was Michael Terrien's first vintage making the wine, he was focused on determining how Hanzell Chardonnay distinguishes itself in the company of other California Chardonnays. Hanzell's recipe is unique: grapes are crushed before pressing, fermentation occurs in tank rather than barrel, new oak barrels are used only moderately, and malo-lactic fermentation is largely suppressed. The winemaking is so traditional as to be, in an odd way, iconoclast and new. Hanzell recipe honors a lighter winemaking touch and permits clarity of expression. The wine is about place rather than ingredients; traditional, but intentional. Glistening and bright with citrus peel (mostly grapefruit) and bread dough aromas of yeast and wet flour. Subtle flower aromas lift the pear and apple scent and the honeyed, oily richness that develops with bottle age is just beginning to emerge upon the wine's release. Few wineries in California can craft a Chard as rich, balanced and ageworthy as this. In its youth this '05 is flashy in lemondrop, pear and spicy anise, with a honeyed finish and crisp acidity. It's quite addictively brilliant, a wine whose lush harmony mesmerizes the palate. But Hanzell Chards invariably age well, and this is a wine you can dependably put into your cellar for 5, 10, 15 years, even longer, as it continues to evolve and become more limpid and minerally. -Wine Enthusiast

White Wine by Hanzell from Sonoma County, California. Massive, complex, with amazing depth, an opulent, voluptuous wine of tremendous power and authority. Its so beautiful now, you almost hesitate to cellar it, but these Hanzell Chards are built for the long haul... -Wine Enthusiast Honey and grapefruit, typical markers for Hanzells Chardonnay, are prominent at first, but then behind these are compelling characters of pastry shell (baked butter and flour), a delicate toast character from the barrels, almonds, milk and bread dough. A full, round presence in the mouth is supported by acidity that saves the broad and rich texture from being cloying. This vintage should mature in 2012 and carry through to 2020. - Michael Terrien