Mid-Week Newsletter 10-5-16

Featured Wine: Quintessa 2013; Jump Start October Sale: B. Moreau Chassagne Rouge; New Arrivals from Cayuse & Pahlmeyer; Staff Pick: Saint Cosme Chateauneuf du Pape; Reynvaan 2014 Vintage; New October Sales – Bernard Moreau, Domaine La Barroche & more!; Molitor Madness; DuMOL Arriving Friday; La Palazzetta; Cadence 2013s: Arriving October 27th; Wine Spectator Sneak Peek: New Champagne Scores for Pierre Peters, Krug & Dom Perignon; Jean-Louis Dutraive’s Domaine de la Grand’Cour Beaujolais; Christophe Mignon Arriving in November; October Sales Recap: We’re Up To 29 Sale Wines!

Featured Wine of the Day

Our Pick for Best Value

Newly Arrived:

Quintessa Proprietary Red Wine, Rutherford 2013 750ML ($189.95) Was $169, Now $138 special
Robert Parker 96 points “The 2013 Proprietary Red Wine has always been good, but I think they have re-positioned themselves at a much higher pinnacle with the 2013. This is a Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated blend but has important component parts such as Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot from their gorgeous vineyards just off the Silverado Trail in Rutherford. The wine has a dense bluish/purple color and a beautiful nose of black raspberries, blueberries, lead pencil shavings, and touches of oak and spring flowers. The complexity of the fragrance is followed by a wine with terrific body, stunning purity, wonderful balance, and great depth and richness. This is certainly the most profound Quintessa made to date and should evolve gracefully for at least 20-25 years.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $149.99
The average price is $185

Jump Start October Sale

$20 Off!

Domaine Bernard Moreau et Fils Chassagne-Montrachet Rouge Vieilles Vignes 2013 750ML ($69.95) Was $59, Now $39, 25 bottles available
“It’s impossible to discuss Chassagne-Montrachet without mentioning the name Bernard Moreau. Year to year, this celebrated producer vinifies and bottles some of the purest, most thought-provoking wines of the appellation. Employing a style of wine making that might best be described as hands-off, Bernard produces Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays that are sensual, opulent and utterly delicious.” -Importer note
“A pungent nose offers up notes of pepper, earth and red berry fruit scents. There is notably more volume and richness to the medium-bodied flavors that terminate in a mildly rustic finish where the supporting tannins are phenolically mature.” -Burghound
“The 2013 Chassagne-Montrachet Vieilles Vignes Rouge is a blend of the oldest vineyards in the center of the appellation, between 40 and 50 years old. It is matured in a maximum 20% new oak. It has a dark berry, red plum and marmalade-scented bouquet that is fresh and lively. The palate is medium-bodied with crunchy redcurrant and cranberry fruit, crisp acidity and a slightly foursquare but focused finish. This just does not quite reach my expectations at the moment.” -Wine Advocate

Sale Ends October 31st at midnight

For our additional new October sale wines, see below!

Newly Arrived

From Cayuse & Pahlmeyer

Cayuse Vineyards Bionic Frog Syrah, Walla Walla Valley 2009 750ML ($279.95) $249 special, 3 bottles available
Wine Advocate 97+ points “Like the 2009 Cailloux, the 2009 Syrah Bionic Frog was closed aromatically, yet offered incredible depth, richness and purity on the palate. Reluctantly giving up lots of dark fruits, chocolate, mineral and roasted herbs, as well as more exotic notes of blood orange and mint, this inky colored, full-bodied, beautifully concentrated Syrah should be forgotten for 3-4 years, yet will have 20 years or more of overall longevity.”

Cayuse Vineyards Impulsivo Tempranillo, Walla Walla Valley 2013 750ML ($179.95) $149 special, 3 bottles available
Wine Advocate 97-99 points “Aging in 50% new puncheons (they’re moving to using more and more puncheons), the 2013 Impulsivo was one of the top barrel samples I was able to taste from the vintage. Inky colored, with incredible purple fruits, violets, licorice, cedar and pen ink-like aromatics, this thrilling, dense, concentrated and structured Tempranillo will require 3-4 years of bottle age and keep for over two decades.” JD

Cayuse Vineyards ‘Widowmaker’ En Chamberlin Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla Valley 2009 750ML ($199.95) $169 special, 2 bottles available
Wine Enthusiast 97 points -Cellar Selection-“Using grapes sourced entirely from the En Chamberlin Vineyard, this pure Cabernet is deep, dark, focused and tight, with firm but velvety tannins and a perfect mix of cassis, coffee and earth. Even more than previous years, this vintage displays astonishing depth and power. Flavors of Serrano ham and other cured meats, plus a delicate saltiness and minerality keep the flavors developing onto the long, fascinating finish.”

Pahlmeyer Proprietary Red, Napa Valley 2007 750ML ($199.95) $159 special, 2 bottles available
Robert Parker 96+ points “The sensational 2007 Proprietary Red Wine (a 7,000-case blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec) is slightly more restrained aromatically than the Merlot, but there is no doubting its extraordinary bouquet of subtle smoked meats, oak, mountain wild flowers, blueberries, blackberries, coffee, and cassis. Super-rich and full-bodied with noticeable, but stunningly sweet tannins, it possesses a rare minerality and definition, characteristics that seem to be found across the board in Napa’s 2007s. This dense, powerful red needs 3-5 years of cellaring, and should have 25 years of life ahead of it.”

Pahlmeyer Proprietary Red, Napa Valley 2009 750ML ($179.95) $149 special, 2 bottles available
Wine Spectator 94 points “This cellar-worthy Bordeaux-like expression offers a mix of cedar-laced tobacco, dried berry, loamy earth and herbal notes. Young and tightly wound, this unfolds slowly and gracefully, and looks like an ideal choice to lay down. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec. Best from 2014 through 2028. 4,200 cases made.”


Staff Pick:

Saint Cosme Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2012

Daniel:
Louis Barruol has 14 generations of winemaking on his side at Saint Cosme. His family represents Rhone winemaking better, and more exhaustively, than most. Gigondas may be home for Saint Cosme, but when it comes to making Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Barruol changes his cap. The wine – 50% Grenache, 25% Syrah, 18% Mourvèdre, 5% Cinsault, 2% Clairette – ages for 24 months in used oak barrels, for example, and is bottled without filtration. For a year like 2012, this results in a wine of finesse and freshness: classic, you might say. Delicious, you could also say: ask the critics. And for 39 bucks, you’d be hard-pressed to find a Chateauneuf of equal distinction and tradition. We’re calling it one of our best Rhone bottles.

Saint Cosme Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2012 750ML ($49.95) $39 special, 36+ bottles available
Case-6 Saint Cosme Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2012 750ML ($239.95) $219 special, 8 six-packs available (that’s only $36.50/bottle!)
Josh Raynolds-Vinous 92 Points “Opaque ruby. Deep, smoke-accented dark berry and floral scents are lifted by a note of peppery spice. Smoky and sweet in the mouth, offering intense blueberry and cassis flavors and a hint of candied violet. Suggests the north in its fruit profile, finishing with very good punch and length and velvety, late-arriving tannins.”

This is the only listing in the USA today!

Reynvaan Returns

Way back in 2007, who would have thought a start-up could rocket into the first ranks of Walla Walla wine? Considering the quality geology, geography, and talent in the area, it hardly came as a surprise for Reynvaan. Family-owned and -run, this is a hands-on operation that dedicated itself from the start to producing the finest wines from some of the region’s best vineyard sites. Reynvaan owns two vineyards: In the Rocks recalls the Rhone valley with its rocky ancient riverbed soil, while the Foothills in the Sun vineyard enjoys south-southwest exposure on one of Washington’s highest-elevation vineyards, at 1600 feet: good ripening in the day, with acidities preserved at night. Once in the winery, the pursuit of terroir and Washington style becomes Reynvaan’s modus operandi. Are the wines good? Well, Reynvaan now has a waiting list, but we are a proud authorized dealer, and we have a special Fall offering, as the holidays approach…
Reynvaan Wines Available Here Now:

Reynvaan Family Vineyards ‘Foothills in the Sun’ Reserve Syrah, Walla Walla Valley 2014 750ML ($89.95) $79 special, 8 bottles available
Wine Advocate 95 points “An early bottled effort that’s made from 100% Syrah, the sensational 2014 Syrah Foothills Reserve is a notch darker in color than the 2013 and offers layers of ripe Syrah dark fruits, olive tapenade, pepper and crushed rock like minerality. Coming from a cool site on the eastern edge of the Walla Walla Valley, where the Syrah is just on the edge of where it can get ripe, this medium to full-bodied, seamless, elegant beauty will stand toe to toe with the top wines of the northern Rhone. It will drink well for 10-15 years.”

Reynvaan Family Vineyards In The Hills Syrah, Walla Walla Valley 2014 750ML ($79.95) $69 special, 33 bottles available
Wine Advocate 94 points “Another beauty is the 2014 Syrah In the Hills, which is this estate’s take on a Cote Rotie and incorporates 5% co-fermented Viognier. Raspberries, bacon fat, violets and olive all emerge from this medium-bodied, elegant, ethereally textured beauty. It too will drink beautifully for 10-15 years.”

Reynvaan Family Vineyards Stonessence Syrah, Walla Walla Valley 2014 750ML ($119.95) $99 special, 4 bottles available
Wine Advocate 95-97 points “Reminiscent of a top Cornas with its iron, beef blood, floral and seriously mineral character, the 2014 Syrah Stonessence is the burliest, most structured and concentrated of the Syrahs releases. I love its balance, and its purity of fruit and ripe tannic spine all suggest short-term cellaring will be the name of the game.”

Reynvaan Family Vineyards In The Rocks Syrah, Walla Walla Valley 2014 750ML ($99.95) $88 special, 11 bottles available
Wine Advocate 95-97 points “From a warmer terroir and the estate’s vineyard in The Rocks region of Walla Walla, the 2014 In the Rocks Syrah (5% Viognier) sports an inky purple color to go with flat out gorgeous notes of liquid blackberries, violets, earth and spice. Concentrated, ripe and sexy, it should knock your socks off right out of the gate, yet cruise for 15 years in the cellar.”

Reynvaan Family Vineyards ‘The Contender’ Syrah – Marsanne, Walla Walla Valley 2014 750ML ($99.95) $89 special, 30 bottles available
Wine Advocate 94-96 points “Checking in as a mix of 94% Syrah and 6% Marsanne, the 2014 Syrah The Contender is another elegant, medium to full-bodied, layered wine from this estate that offers plenty of texture and length. Blackberries, violets, plums, pepper and hints of iron all emerge from this beauty, which can be enjoyed on release or cellared for a decade or more.”

Reynvaan Family Vineyards The Unnamed Syrah, Walla Walla Valley 2014 750ML ($79.95) $66 special, 31 bottles available
Wine Advocate 92-94 points “Incorporating 8% Grenache Blanc and from the Rocks region of Walla Walla, the 2014 The Unnamed Syrah offers a unique profile with pretty notes of white peach (from the Grenache Blanc no doubt), dried violets, plums and bouquet garni. Medium to full-bodied, supple, layered and beautifully balanced, it should shine right out of the gate, yet also evolve gracefully.”


Our Current
Shipping Promos:

Welcome to the club, Colorado!

Along with Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and California,
we now offer flat rate shipping to Colorado! Here’s the scoop:

Single orders of any quantity of wines qualify for the flat rate;
this does not apply to orders held in storage for any reason
or multiple orders consolidated into one shipment.
The flat reach for each state is, as follows:

-to Oregon for $17,
-Washington & Idaho for $20,
-and California & Colorado for $25.

Take Advantage of the Flat Rate!

October Sales

Fall has arrived and the leaves are dropping. We’re dropping our prices, too! These deals end October 31st

Domaine Bernard Moreau et Fils Les Vergers, Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru 2013 750ML ($119.95) Was $119, Now $89, 11 bottles available
Wine Advocate 91-93 points “The 2013 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru les Vergers, which debuted in 2002 and comes from purchased grapes, was taken from tank and will be bottled next February/March. Matured in around 25 to 30% new oak, it has a floral bouquet: hints of white flowers accompanying the citrus fruit dallying with walnut. The palate is lively and citric on the entry with orange zest and Clementine notes, the acidity taut and lending linearity toward the long, shaved ginger-tinged finish. This should be a delight once in bottle.”NM

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $119

Domaine Bernard Moreau et Fils Santenots, Volnay Premier Cru 2011 750ML ($69.95) Was $59, Now $49, 36 bottles available
Burghound 90 points “This offers a step up in aromatic elegance with a pure and highly complex nose of extract of cassis, plum, violets and black cherries. There is a very suave and seductive texture to the delicious, lacy and lightly mineral-inflected middle weight flavors that firm up on the solidly long finish. This is markedly finer than the Cardeuse but only a bit more complex.”

Fougeray de Beauclair Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2014 750ML ($24.95) Was $21.90, Now $19, 36+ bottles available
Winery note “Color: Red, intense color with soft purple when the wine is young, then, with a few years in the bottles, the color of the wine is ruby and orange red. Nose: Red fruits aromas (raspberry and cherry) with cinnamon and leather. Taste: soft and delicate with fine tannins reinforced by red fruit flavors.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Domaine La Barroche Chateauneuf-du-Pape Signature, Rhone 2012 750ML ($74.95) Was $59, Now $49, 18 bottles available
Wine Spectator 92 points “The direct black currant and fig paste notes are underscored with tobacco, tar and roasted alder hints, revealing an echo of Black Forest cake. The finish rumbles along, leaving a dark, slightly muscular feel. Best from 2015 through 2027.” WS

For a complete recap of all of our 29 October sale wines, see below!


Molitor Madness

It’s Catching…

Situated at the center of Wehlener Klosterberg, the Markus Molitor estate cultivates a total of 15 vineyard sites, highlighting the diversity and brilliance of the Mosel. Holdings include parcels some of the region’s highest-regarded vineyards. Molitor took over the vineyard from his father in 1984 – at the ripe age of 20! Many of the vineyards are poised along extraordinarily steep slopes of 80% or greater inclines, necessitating work done carefully and manually. Vines and soils are worked organically, with dense leaf cover over the vines and relative few grapes per vine in order to maximize nutrient supply and extract yield.

The 2011s & 2013s Pinot Noir and Goldkapsel (not dry) wines have arrived in the shop. The 2013 Weisskapsel (dry) will arrive October 28th and the 2015s will arrive in December 2016. The list of available wines is below. You can shop & read complete reviews online at www.vinopoliswineshop.com

molitor-full-list-spreadsheet

DuMOL

New Wines

Arriving Friday

DuMOL Chardonnay, Russian River Valley 2014 750ML ($61.95) $53.50 pre-arrival special
Antonio Galloni 91-94 points “The 2014 Chardonnay Estate Vineyard is endowed with a real sense of phenolic weight and richness. Deep, creamy and beautifully layered throughout, the 2014 is all about texture at this stage. Today, the wine is embryonic. This tightly-spaced vineyard yields wines of density and volume, and that is exactly what comes through here. Like all of the 2014s, the Estate offers tremendous freshness and energy.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $58

DuMOL Russian River Valley Syrah, Sonoma County 2014 750ML ($69.95) $59 pre-arrival special
Wine Spectator 94 points “Plush, rich and impeccably structured, with floral blueberry and raspberry aromas accented by smoked pepper and complex, expressive flavors that combine mineral-tinged tannins with plump fruit. Best from 2018 through 2030.”

DuMOL Syrah Available Here Now

DuMOL Russian River Valley Syrah, Sonoma County 2012 750ML ($69.95) $44.80 special, 36+ bottles available
Wine Spectator 94 points “Pure, rich and layered, with dense, mocha-laced blackberry, black licorice, dill, anise and cedar notes. The flavors keep unraveling, ending with a long, sustained finish. Best from 2015 through 2028.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $48.60

La Palazzetta

Brunello Bargain

Wines Arriving Friday

Elegance, finesse, balance: Fanti Flavio brings absolute beauty out of his Brunellos and Rossos. Tucked behind the abbey at Castelnuovo dell’Abate, Flavio has been traditionally crafting wines since 1988. Here in the south of the Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, the wines typically are softer, which fits the style of Flavio’s La Palazzetta, whose wines are delicate, and drinking wonderfully today, even more so considering the incredible prices. We just tasted the La Palazzetta line-up, and will be enjoying these wines ourselves, too!

Flavio Fanti La Palazzetta Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Tuscany 2011 750ML ($39.95) $36 pre-arrival special, ETA Friday
James Suckling 93 points “Aromas of tar, spice, Christmas cake and ripe fruit. Full body, fresh fruit. Ripe and expressive. Opulent, expressive style. Drink now.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $41.99

Flavio Fanti La Palazzetta Sant’ Antimo, Tuscany 2015 750ML ($14.95) $11.90 pre-arrival special, ETA Friday
VinopolNote: A blend of 80% Sangiovese and 20% red indigenous grape varieties (mostly Colorino). The grapes are organically grown in the estate vineyard that abuts abbey of Sant’Antimo in the southeast of Montalcino. The wine is aged in large neutral French oak barrels for six months. One of the best bargains out of Tuscany!

This is the only listing in the USA today!

Flavio Fanti La Palazzetta Rosso di Montalcino, Tuscany 2014 750ML ($19.95) $16 pre-arrival special, ETA Friday
VinopolNote: 100% Sangiovese. The grapes are organically grown in the estate vineyard that abuts abbey of Sant’Antimo in the southeast of Montalcino. The wine is aged in large neutral French oak barrels for one year. This is essentially a declassified Brunello. The vineyard is classed for Brunello and the wine is vinified the same as the Brunello. The grapes are typically from younger vines and are declassified to the Rosso at harvest.

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $18.99
Also Arriving Friday from Italy:

Cantina del Pino Ovello, Barbaresco DOCG 2012 750ML ($59.95) $49 pre-arrival special
Wine Adovcate 94 points “No one farms the Ovello cru like Renato Vacca. The 2012 Barbaresco Ovello is elegant and poised, unlike some of other expressions from this vineyard that taste very ripe in this vintage. His interpretation brings out the subtle nuances and the evident power of Nebbiolo from this sun-drenched hillside facing the Barbaresco church steeple. Dark fruit segues to spice, balsam herb and polished mineral.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Cadence 2013s

Arriving October 27th

Cadence is an urban winery based in an industrial warehouse in southern Seattle. Proprietors Ben Smith and Gaye McNutt are former aviation/tech workers whose love for wine inspired them to create their beautiful Bordeaux-style blends. Cadence sources fruit from Red Mountain AVA vineyards such as Ciel du Cheval, Tapteil, and their estate vineyard, Cara Mia. Their envoy includes blends and single-vineyard bottlings; their wines have achieved huge acclaim and earned Cadence a top spot in Washington’s wine scene.

Cadence Winery ‘Bel Canto’ Cara Mia Vineyard Red, Columbia Valley 2013 750ML ($59.95) $49 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 93+ points “One of the reserve wines from Ben Smith, the 2013 Bel Canto is a fabulous blend of 75% Cabernet Franc and 25% Merlot that saw just under two years in 50% new French oak. It shows the lengthy elevage on the bouquet with a spicy, ripe, incense, dried flowers and currants driven style that shows a hint of evolution at first, yet continues to gain freshness and purity with time in the glass. This gives way to a complex, layered red that has fabulous mid-palate depth, building, ripe tannin and a big finish. Even with the slightly evolved style, this beauty will age gracefully. Give bottles 3-4 years and plan on drinking through 2030.”

This is the only listing in the USA today!

Cadence Winery ‘Camerata’ Cara Mia Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Mountain 2013 750ML ($59.95) $49 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 94 points “A significantly different blend from the 2012, which was over 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2013 Camerata checks in as 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Cabernet Franc, 20% Merlot and 10% Petit Verdot, which like the Bel Canto spent 23 months in 50% new French oak. Possessing a fabulous bouquet of black currants, toasted spice, licorice and wild herbs, this full-bodied 2013 is concentrated, incredibly elegant and textured, with ripe tannin and a balanced, layered style that will evolve gracefully. It should be at its best from 2020-2033.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $63

Cadence Winery Ciel du Cheval Vineyard Red, Columbia Valley 2013 750ML ($49.95) $39 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 93+ points “Possessing a pretty bouquet of cassis, spring flowers, lead pencil and licorice, the 2013 Ciel du Cheval Vineyard (39% Cabernet Franc, 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Petit Verdot and the rest Merlot) is medium to full-bodied, with a tight, reserved style that will reward cellaring. It’s a beautiful wine that needs 3-4 years of bottle age and drunk over the following decade.”

This is the only listing in the USA today!

Cadence Winery Tapteil Vineyard Red, Columbia Valley 2013 750ML ($49.95) $39 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 94 points “I’ve always loved the Tapteil release from Cadence and the 2013 Tapteil is no exception. A Cabernet Sauvignon dominated blend that incorporates 18% Merlot and 11% Cabernet Franc, it offers full-bodied, beautifully pure aromas and flavors of black and blue fruits, graphite, leafy herbs and distinct minerality. More voluptuous and sexy than the reserved Ciel du Cheval bottling, it certainly offers pleasure today, but will be even better in 2-3 years of bottle age and will keep for two decades after that.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Wine Spectator Sneak Peek: Champagne Edition

These reviews will officially air on November 30th, but these wines will arrive this month!

Beat out the crowds and get your Champagne fix early!

Pierre Peters Cuvee Speciale ‘Les Chetillons’ Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Brut, Champagne 2008 750ML ($149.95) $136 pre-arrival special, ETA October
Pierre Peters Cuvee Speciale ‘Les Chetillons’ Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Brut, Champagne 2008 1.5L ($319.95) $299 pre-arrival special, ETA October
Wine Spectator 95 points – Highly Recommended – “This harmonious Champagne offers fine interplay between power and finesse, with ripe poached apricot, rich lemon meringue pie and spun honey flavors married to chalky minerality and focused acidity. The overall impression is elegant and fresh. Drink now through 2030.”

Krug Clos du Mesnil Blanc de Blancs Brut, Champagne 2002 750ML ($999.95) $899 pre-arrival special, ETA October
Wine Spectator 98 points – Highly Recommended – “A lovely, lacy Champagne, with ripe apricot, fennel seed and espresso aromas. This caresses the palate with a finely detailed mousse and expansive flavors of pineapple pate de fruit, toasted brioche, fleur de sel and grated ginger. Long and chalky on the finish, this is a prima ballerina, showing power cloaked in grace. Disgorged wine 2015. Drink now through 2032.”

Dom Perignon P2 Plenitude Brut, Champagne 1998 750ML ($399.95) $289 pre-arrival special, ETA October
Wine Spectator 98 points – Highly Recommended – “Offers precision and finely detailed form, powered by an expansive palate of flavor. The layers of ripe crushed blackberry and glazed apricot fruit complement the saline-tinged minerality and oyster shell notes, graced by hints of pastry, honeycomb and exotic spice. Mouthwatering and persistent on the zesty finish. Drink now through 2030.” WS

Jean-Louis Dutraive

Domaine de la Grand’Cour

Fleurie Beaujolais

Arriving in November

Pure Beaujolais comes from vignerons like Jean-Louis Dutraive. His father bought the Domaine de la Grand’ Cour in 1969, and Jean-Louis took over eight years later, with great success. Both the winegrowing and winemaking remain in the tradition of Fleurie, where the family owns 22 of its 26 acres (the rest lying in Brouilly). Organic viticulture has kept the vines in healthy shape for decades now, and vine age hovers around fifty years old, with some over seventy. Harvesting by hand, low-temp carbonic maceration with only indigenous yeast, and no fining or filtering round out the prized recipe. These Beaujolais offer substance, and can age for a long while. We suggest you get them in your cellar now, before everyone else does.

Domaine de la Grand’Cour Wines Arriving in November:

Jean-Louis Dutraive Domaine de la Grand’Cour Fleurie Cuvee Vieilles Vignes ‘Champagne’, Beaujolais 2015 750ML ($69.95) $59 pre-arrival special
Jean-Louis Dutraive Domaine de la Grand’Cour Fleurie Cuvee Vieilles Vignes ‘Champagne’, Beaujolais 2015 1.5L ($149.95) $119 pre-arrival special
Importer note “Terroir: Outside of the “Clos de la Grand Coeur” and further down the hill about 300 meters you will find Jean-Louis’ “Champagne” vineyard. This pink granite soil is very shallow and gently sloped. The granite “roche mare” is only about 20-30 centimeters below. It is considered to be one of the finest terroirs in all of Fleurie.”

Jean-Louis Dutraive Domaine de la Grand’Cour Fleurie ‘Le Clos’ Vieilles Vignes 2014 750ML ($41.95) $36 pre-arrival special
Jean-Louis Dutraive Domaine de la Grand’Cour Fleurie ‘Le Clos’ Vieilles Vignes 2014 1.5L ($89.95) $79 pre-arrival special
Josh Raynolds–Vinous 93 points “Dark magenta. Lively and sharply focused on the nose, displaying mineral-laced scents of ripe red berries, lavender, Asian spices and blood orange. Sweet and seamless in texture, offering incisive strawberry, cherry and spicecake flavors that deepen and spread out with air. Shows an appealingly light touch given its power and finishes spicy and impressively long, with mounting tannins and an echo of candied flowers.”

Jean-Louis Dutraive Domaine de la Grand’Cour Fleurie ‘Le Clos’ Vieilles Vignes, Beaujolais 2015 750ML ($41.95) $36 pre-arrival special
Jean-Louis Dutraive Domaine de la Grand’Cour Fleurie ‘Le Clos’ Vieilles Vignes, Beaujolais 2015 1.5L ($89.95) $79 pre-arrival special
Importer note “Terroir: Like the “Clos de la Grand Coeur” bottling, these vines are situated on this small plateau, in Fleurie. These old vines, which are well over 60 years of age, are scattered throughout the vineyard in various spots but most are on a deeper soil base than the rest of the vines that go into his larger cuvée labeled as “Clos de la Grand Coeur.” The soil is very dry sand principally made from decomposed granite.”

Jean-Louis Dutraive Domaine de la Grand’Cour Fleurie ‘Clos de la Grand’Cour’, Beaujolais 2015 750ML ($39.95) $33 pre-arrival special
Importer note “Terroir: Clos de la Grand Coeur is a historic estate located on a true plateau in Fleurie. This acidic soil is nearly 100% decomposed granite. It is the largest bottling on the estate, making up more than 1/3 of the production. Even at over 40 years average age, Jean-Louis considers these his young vines and bottles them separately from some of the older vines on the estate which go into the cuvée, Le Clos Vieille Vignes. Most of these vines are on more shallow soils than the Vieilles Vigne bottling.”

Jean-Louis Dutraive Domaine de la Grand’Cour Fleurie ‘Chapelle des Bois’, Beaujolais 2015 750ML ($39.95) $33 pre-arrival special
Importer note “Terroir: Just on the north side of the domaine, this vineyard is on a gentle slope facing north. The soil is decomposed granite that is slightly deeper than most sections of the Clos de la Coeur; in fact, it is the deepest soil in his roster of vines. It is also the coolest site, thus rendering wines with greater acidity. This combination of higher natural acidity and a cooler terroir is the reason why he chooses this site to bottle a wine completely free of Sulfur.”

Arriving Early November

New Releases from Christophe Mignon

Christophe Mignon Champagne is made following the rules of tradition, which involves, “cultivating the vine with love and patience in order to be able to reap the best fruit.” Their primary goal is finding “balance between heaven and earth, roots and branches, minerals and fruit, aroma and taste.” This sort of love and patience and finding that particular balance is through the strict practices of biodynamics.

Christophe’s great grandparents planted the 16 acres of vines, which are comprised of about 30 different plots and planted with primarily Pinot Meunier, the underdog of Champagne varietals. The differences in soils help to define the fruit that is so meticulously cared for. Mignon chooses to employ one person per hectare (about 2.5 acres) in his vineyards, an extremely costly decision and just another highlight of his testament to quality.

Mignon’s unique approach to his viticulture practices not only involves biodynamics, but also phytotherapy, homeopathy and geobiology. His ingenuity has led to creations such as special footing blades for his tractor to achieve the ideal width and depth when working soils in the vine rows. He has followed the lunar calendar for over 20 years, allowing the moon’s cycles to dictate his work both in the vineyards and in the cellar. He strives to follow the rhythm of nature and explains, “the moon for a vigneron is like a metronome for a musician.”

This is a great opportunity to try some of the highest quality small grower Champagne and at an incredible value. Christophe Mignon is so wonderfully passionate about the wine he makes and possesses a great amount of tenacity both in the vineyard and in the cellar. Enjoy these Champagne’s now or lay them in the cellar to see the beautiful secondary and tertiary flavors and textural components they will develop.

Arriving in November from Christophe Mignon:

Christophe Mignon Brut Nature Blanc de Noirs Pur Meunier, Champagne 2010 750ML ($69.95) $59 pre-arrival special
Antonio Galloni 95 points “Mignon’s 2010 Brut Nature Blanc de Noirs Pur Meunier is fabulous. Bright, focused and energetic, the 2010 Pur Meunier is endowed with real class. The flavors are bright and focused, but it is the wine’s multi-dimensional personality that truly stands out. There is a sense of verticality supported by beams of minerality that is simply compelling. This is the single finest Champagne I have tasted from Christophe Mignon so far. The 2010 emerges from parcels in Festigny and Le Breuil planted in 1976. Bottled with no dosage.”

This is the only listing in the USA today!

Christophe Mignon Brut Nature Blanc de Noirs Pur Meunier, Champagne NV 750ML ($59.95) $49 pre-arrival special

Christophe Mignon Brut Rose, Champagne NV 750ML ($59.95) $49 pre-arrival special
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Christophe Mignon Champagne Available Here Now:

Christophe Mignon Extra Brut Blanc de Noirs Pur Meunier, Champagne NV 750ML ($59.95) $49 special, 2 bottles available
Grapelive.com 93+ points “A brilliant dry and vibrant Champagne of sublime depth and grace with a special expression of varietal purity, in this case 100% Pinot Meunier. Mignon is a tiny grower producer with small plots of Meunier spend between Le Breuil and Festigny in the Le Mesnil-le-Huttier area of Champagne not too far from Epernay, these 30 parcels are all farmed biodynamic and holistic with his vines that were planted by his grandparents. The latest Extra Brut comes from two vintages, 2011 and 2012 and was disgorged on February 7, 2015, it shows it’s lengthy lees aging and has a stylish intensity delivering wonderful vitality, depth and length with a soft, but vigorous mousse. Lemon, white cherry, apple, hints of red fruit and golden fig lead with white flowers, brioche, hazelnut and steely mineral, this is an earthy sensual sparkling wine that keeps your heart pounding and demands your full attention, this is a complex and detailed wine first and foremost, even if you wanted it just to celebrate it does that and much more, use a bigger bowled glass to experience it’s full charm and character, and I highly recommend you enjoy it with every course of your meal, gorgeous alone, but remarkable with cuisine. Meunier bubbly is all the rage, and Christophe Mignon is a great place to jump in, this is a great effort, this and his Rose are lovely, balanced and texture driven wines with finesse and seductive allure, don’t miss them!”

October Sales Recap

We’re up to 29 wines and going strong, don’t miss your opportunity for savings!

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