October 9, 2014
Oregon and Burgundy
All Pinot Edition…
…all but one
For eight generations, the Guillemot family has grown grapes in the Savigny-les-Beaune region of Burgundy. The Domaine was created in 1946. Jean-Pierre took over the domaine with the continued assistance of his father, Pierre, in 1988. They produce wines of great finesse with classic hints of the rustic characteristics of Savigny wines.
The estate vines average 55 years old and are worked by hand. The vines are green harvested when necessary. The white wine is a blend of 30% Chardonnay and 70% Pinot Blanc grapes that are completely destemmed. The wine is aged in neutral 600-liter demi-muids for 15 months with lees stirring and for 6 months in bottle. It typically shows notes of white flowers and yellows fruits, and it develops honey aromas with age. The reds are primarily from a mix of clay, limestone and gravel soils. The wines is aged in barrel for 18 months and bottle for 6 months before release. Premier Cru and Grand Cru wines see a touch of new oak.
Domaine Pierre Guillemot Savigny-les-Beaune White Dessus les Gollardes 2011 ($41.95) $28 pre-arrival special
Wine Spectator 90 points “Sweet aromas of burning vine cuttings lead to lemon cake, apple and mineral flavors in this well-textured white. Firms up on the finish, with lingering lemon and stone notes. Best from 2015 through 2020.” BS
The next best price is $32.34
Wine Spectator 89 points “Polished, with a supple texture backing the black cherry, violet, spice and smoke flavors. This offers grip and a chalky feel, showing herbal accents on the finish. Drink now through 2020.” BS
The next best price is $34.14
Pierre Guillemot Wine Available Here Now
Domaine Pierre Guillemot Bourgogne Rouge 2012 ($27.95) $21.90 special, 3+ cases available
From the winery: “From vineyards located low on the slopes of the town of Savigny-lès-Beaune. Limestone soil with gravel. Grapes are sorted and entirely de-stemmed; traditional vinification. Fifteen months in 1- to 3-year-old barrels. Shows aromas of berries; raspberry; blackberry; roses. Pair with red and white meat; aromatic cheeses.”
Domain Chevillon
While Nuits-Saint-Georges does not officially have any grand cru vineyards, we are convinced that Chevillon is producing wines from the area that are firmly grand cru quality. The Chevillons have been part of the winemaking history of Nuit St Georges since Symphorien Chevillon began producing in the early 1900s. Several generations of Chevillons worked to build their vineyards, with Robert at the helm until 2003, when he passed the winemaking to his sons Denis and Bertrand. Their land consists of roughly 13 ha in Nuits, mostly Premier Cru, from which they produce a wide selection of single vineyard bottlings each year. The wines are all made in exactly the same way – only the quantity of new oak may vary between villages and 1er Crus. The domaine sticks with 30% new wood for the 1er Crus, the villages normally being brought-up in something closer to 20% new wood, the remainder a blend of 2-3 year-old barrels. There are no tricks at Chevillon: the reliance is on old vines and old fashioned winemaking, an integral part of their process is to let a vine produce for as long as it can, replacing vines individually as they age. Domaine Robert Chevillon produce yardstick Nuits-St.-Georges with care and devotion. Famous for the transparency and consistency of their winemaking–Chevillon finds a way to let the vintage and the terroir speak for itself every year.
2011 was a vintage that tested the abilities of the grape growers and wine makers. The year challenged growers with heat, drought, and rain, ending with an early and rapid harvest. Despite the chaos, skilled Burgundy producers have given us yet another vintage of intriguing wines that are drinking beautifully in the short to mid- term. All in all, it was a year when vigilance throughout the season was a necessity, as vignerons were challenged to prevent rot and infestation in the vineyard, and later to use meticulous sorting to get the best from their crop. As in any challenging vintage, flexibility and perseverance rewarded these diligent winemakers with a delicious product. The hallmark of 2011 Burgundies is charm and easy-going fruit.
Domaine Chevillon 2011 Wines Arriving October 10th
Domaine Robert Chevillon Les Bousselots, Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru 2011 ($89.95) $79 pre-arrival special
Burghound 89-91 points “The well-layered mélange of red currant, blue berry and wet stone nuances marries seamlessly into slightly earthy, precise and energetic flavors that possess a firm but not hard tannic spine, all wrapped in a delicious and saline-infused finish. This is also quite understated yet stylish and I very much like the purity of expression.” BH
Domaine Robert Chevillon Les Cailles, Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru 2011 ($139.95) $99 pre-arrival special
Burghound 92-94 points “As complex as the Pruliers is, the Les Cailles ratchets it up yet another notch with its spicy and pure blend of cassis, plum, violet and distinct iron-infused earth. There is excellent richness to the cool and equally pure medium-bodied flavors that possess excellent focus on the explosively long finish. The tannins are dense but quite fine and this offers outstanding upside development potential.” BH
The next best price is $101.00
Domaine Robert Chevillon Aux Chaignots, Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru 2011 ($99.95) $79 pre-arrival special
Burghound 89-91 points “Here too discreet wood spice frames a pretty and cool mix of red and dark pinot fruit that is trimmed in warm earth nuances that are also reflected by the refined, pure and silky middle weight flavors. There is fine complexity and verve to the well-defined and persistent finish. A classic Chaignots of grace and harmony with no lack of aging potential.” BH
The next best price is $79
Domaine Robert Chevillon Les Perrieres, Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru 2011 ($109.95) $89 pre-arrival special
Burghound 90-92 points “Here the nose just soars from the glass to reveal strikingly fresh and pure red berry fruit, wet stone and discreet earth hints. There is an equally striking sense of energy to the precise, intense and stony middle weight flavors that possess very fine balance and depth, all wrapped in a lingering and notably firm finish that suggests that this will need 10 to 12 years to reach its apogee.” BH
The average price is $97
Domaine Robert Chevillon Les Pruliers, Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru 2011 ($99.95) $79 pre-arrival special
John Gilman 93 points “The 2011 Chevillon Pruliers is a classic in the making, with its very black fruity and soildriven personality delivering a complex and very pure bouquet of black cherries, dark berries, gamebirds, fresh herb tones, woodsmoke, dark soil tones and coffee bean. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and quite broad-shouldered, with a rock solid core of fruit, excellent soil drive, ripe tannins and a very long, precise and transparent finish. Like the 2010 Pruliers, the 2011 is a very elegant young rendition of this fine wine.” JG
The next best price is $84
Domaine Robert Chevillon Les Roncieres, Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru 2011 ($99.95) $79 pre-arrival special
Burghound 90-93 points “There is a trace of herbal tea that adds breadth to the otherwise exceptionally fresh and equally pure red currant and wild cherry aromas. There is really beautiful intensity to the precise flavors that are on the lighter side yet deliver that wonderful quality of power without weight. This is first rate as it’s balanced, harmonious and offers excellent depth and length.”BH
The average price is $90
Burghound 87-89 points “A discreet touch of wood sets off equally fresh and bright red berry fruit and soft earth aromas that give way to mouth coating, delicious and vibrant medium-bodied flavors that possess good mid-palate concentration, all wrapped in a seductively textured, balanced and solidly persistent finish.”BH
The average price is $71
Chevillon Wines Available Here Now
Domaine Robert Chevillon Les Roncieres, Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru 2007 ($69.95) $66 special, 11 bottles available
Stephen Tanzer 88-91 points “Bright, full red. Dark raspberry, spices and an element of leathery reduction on the nose. Then densely packed but youthfully imploded and a bit reduced, with a distinctly darker character to the blackberry, blueberry and violet flavors. In a fruit-driven style, but this will require a good four or five years to blossom in bottle. Finishes supple, fruity and long, with excellent intensity”ST
Domaine Robert Chevillon Les Roncieres, Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru 2008 ($89.95) $69 special, 6 bottles available
Stephen Tanzer 89-92 points “Medium-deep red. Sexy aromas of raspberry, flinty minerality and smoked meat. Sweet, bright and showy, with lovely cut and definition to its dense berry flavors. Combines brisk acidity and an impression of thorough ripeness. Very pure on the aftertaste.”ST
Domaine Robert Chevillon Les Vaucrains, Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru 2007 ($109.95) $89 special, 30 bottles available
Stephen Tanzer 91-93 points “Good dark red. Wilder on the nose than the Saint-Georges, offering black cherry, dark chocolate, smoke and a whiff of game. Wonderfully sweet in the mouth but youthfully closed, with a medicinal menthol note supporting the impression of power. Can’t quite match the Saint-Georges today for complexity or personality, but this is also very convincing on the back end. And this too calls for six or seven years of cellaring.”ST
Domaine Robert Chevillon Les Vaucrains, Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru 2008 ($119.95) $99 special, 23 bottles available
Stephen Tanzer 91-94 points “Deep, bright ruby-red. Black raspberry and chocolate aromas are complemented by sweet oak. Less refined than the Saint-Georges or Cailles but solidly built and quite powerful, with a youthfully medicinal character to the blast of dark fruit flavors. Extremely primary and impressively long. This may need the most patience of this excellent set of 2008s”ST
Domaine Robert Chevillon Nuits-Saint-Georges Vieilles Vignes 2007 ($54.95) $49 special, 9 bottles available
Burghound 91 points “Elegant and beautifully expressive aromas of white fruits and flowers trimmed in noticeable wood introduce detailed, fine and mineral-infused medium weight flavors that are both sappy and precise on the impressively persistent finish. This is beautifully well-balanced though the wood is hardly restrained.”
J. Christopher ‘Dundee Hills Cuvee’ Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2012 ($39.95) $33 special, 12 bottles available
Winery notes: “This cuvée is a blend of selected barrels from several excellent vineyard sites in the red Jory clay of the Dundee Hills AVA. It shows the depth and power that are typical of this area, with classic savory and sanguine notes and a seamless acid sructure. The 2012 vintage includes barrels from Bella Vida, La Colina, Meyer, and Charlie’s vineyards.”
Patricia Green Cellars Reserve Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2013 ($24.95) $19.50 pre-arrival special
We had the chance to taste this new Reserve release from Patricia Green. It shows beautiful notes of fresh flowers with hints of cherries and woody herbs. This is a medium bodied wine with good intensity of flavors: an excellent preview of other exciting things to come for this sunny and mild vintage.
Tyee Wine Cellars Estate Pinot Noir 2012 (27.95) $21.90 pre-arrival special
Portland Monthly’s #1 Top 50 Oregon Wines – 99 points “This bright, balanced bottle from winemaker Merrilee Buchanan Benson melds classic pinot noir fruit flavors of cherries and cranberries with an herbaceous backbone of eucalyptus and tea tree.” PM
The next best price is $23.99.
White Rose Pinot Noir – Arriving October 17th
White Rose Estate Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2012 ($34.95) $29 pre-arrival special
Josh Raynolds 91 points “Ruby-red. Sexy, spice-laced dark berry and cola aromas pick up floral and mineral qualities with air. Silky and expansive on the palate, offering juicy black raspberry and cherry compote flavors and a bracing kick of peppery spices. Shows a refreshingly tangy bite on the finish, which clings with excellent persistence and a suave lavender pastille note.”
White Rose Estate Guillen Vineyard Pinot Noir 2012 ($69.95) $59 pre-arrival special
Josh Raynolds 93 points “Brilliant ruby. Sexy, assertively perfumed aromas of red and dark berries, Asian spices and cola, with a powerful floral jolt. Fleshy, sweet and expansive in the mouth, offering vibrant blackberry and cherry compote flavors that are lifted and braced by juicy acidity. Fine-grained tannins build slowly on the strikingly long finish, which leaves smoke and floral pastille notes behind.”
White Rose Estate ‘The Neo-Classical Objective’ Pinot Noir 2012 ($79.95) $66 pre-arrival special
Josh Raynolds 93 points “(made entirely with whole clusters): Vivid red. Exotically perfumed scents of raspberry liqueur, five-spice powder, potpourri and vanilla bean, with a smoky mineral quality in the background. Nervy red fruit and floral pastille flavors gain weight and sweetness with air, picking up a touch of blood orange. Deftly plays richness off vivacity and finishes with outstanding clarity and length and a hint of silky tannins.”
White Rose Estate Winemaker’s Cuvee Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2012 ($99.95) $79 pre-arrival special
Josh Raynolds 94 points “Bright ruby-red. Pungent aromas of redcurrant, cherry skin, sassafras and potpourri, with a high-pitched, spicy quality adding vibrancy. Energetic red fruit flavors show a sexy, liqueur-like quality, with complicating notes of blood orange, rose and smoky minerals. Silky, seamless and sweet, finishing with excellent clarity and harmonious tannins. This extremely elegant pinot boasts a compelling blend of richness and energy, and the structure to age.”
White Rose Estate, Estate Vineyard 2012 ($129.95) $99 pre-arrival special
Josh Raynolds 93 points “Vivid ruby-red. Potent mineral- and spice-accented scents of candied red fruits, Asian spices and potpourri, with a deeper licorice nuance in the background. Vibrant red and dark berry flavors show liqueur-like power without any excess weight. Spicy, incisive pinot with serious finishing thrust, silky tannins and a suave floral pastille quality that clings on the finish.”