Midweek VinopolPick 4-16-19

In Today’s Newsletter:

Last Call for Scott Paul

94 Point Cabernet from Off the Beaten Path

The Best Wines in Priorat?

Rosé of the Day!

Trending Wines

New Wines from Division: Stars of New Oregon

A Best Value/Bestselling Bordeaux Returns

Huet’s Legendary Cuvee Constance

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Last Call for Scott Paul

All good things must come to an end.  Unfortunately in this case we mean both the end of the Scott Paul winery and also the deals that have been coming as they liquidate their remaining inventory.  We’ve learned that they’ll be closing up shop for good at the end of the month, so we’ve stocked up with as much of their wines as we could—these deals require quantity purchases (both for you and us).

We just received our last drop on a number of these excellent wines.  A few other bottlings arrive Friday and then…they’re gone—all of them.  We’re taking the last cases of a number of wines that have established themselves as Vinopolis favorites and offering a few new Case-12 specials, as well. Mostly, though, this is your last chance to buy Scott Paul wines at these absolutely fantastic prices.

Final Stock Just Arrived, In Stock Until It Sells Out:

Scott Paul D122 Pinot Noir, Ribbon Ridge 2014 750ML ($39.95) $24 special
Case-12 Scott Paul D122 Pinot Noir, Ribbon Ridge 2014 750ML ($299.95) $249 special (that’s only $20.75/bottle!)
Josh Raynolds – Vinous 93 points “Bright ruby-red. A strongly perfumed bouquet displays scents of black raspberry, gingerbread and potpourri. Sappy, incisive red and dark berry flavors are framed by silky tannins and perked up by a nervy orange zest quality. Becomes more heady with aeration, picking up an exotic Asian spice note that carries through the impressively long finish. There’s lots going on here already.”

This is the only listing in the USA today!
Scott Paul ‘Azana’ Pinot Noir, Chehalem Mountains 2013 750ML ($59.95) $24 special
Case-12 Scott Paul ‘Azana’ Pinot Noir, Chehalem Mountains 2013 750ML ($299.95) $249 special (that’s only $20.75/bottle!)
Josh Raynolds 92 points
“Brilliant red. Fresh red berries, cherry compote and a hint of blood orange on the highly perfumed nose and in the mouth. Juicy and lithe in character, with no rough edges; a suave floral pastille nuance emerges on the back half. Shows excellent clarity and spicy cut on the finish, which hangs on with strong, floral tenacity.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Scott Paul The Long Run Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills 2011 750ML ($59.95) $33 special
Nysa Vineyard
Josh Raynolds 92 points “(12.9% alcohol; 20% new oak): Light, bright red. Sexy, high-pitched red berry and floral scents, with notes of star anise, underbrush and sassafras adding complexity. Offers intense raspberry and bitter cherry flavors, along with notes of rhubarb, candied flowers and orange zest. This lithe, focused, pure pinot finishes linear and very long, with echoing floral and spice notes. Pinot purists should definitely check this one out.”
Wine Enthusiast 92 points “Previously labeled as Les Gourmandises, this is now The Long Run in honor of Scott Wright’s completing his first full-length marathon in 2011. It’s all Nysa vineyard fruit, graceful and delicate, scented with rose water and satin smooth. Cranberry and wild strawberry fruit accents lead into a mouthful of cherry soda, delicate but lingering.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Scott Paul Quatre Journaux Pinot Noir, Chehalem Mountains 2012 750ML ($79.95) $49 special
Josh Raynolds 93 points
“Vivid ruby-red. Drop-dead gorgeous, highly perfumed aromas of red berry preserves, Asian spices, sassafras and smoky minerals, with an intense floral nuance. Sweet, penetrating and pure, offering nervy red fruit and rose pastille flavors complemented by deeper notes of mocha and licorice. Shows outstanding balance and clarity, with smooth tannins building slowly through a long spice- and mineral-inflected finish.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Scott Paul ‘Pre’ Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills 2012 750ML ($49.95) $39 special
Josh Raynolds 92 points
“Brilliant ruby-red. Assertive red berry and incense aromas, along with suggestions of Asian spices, sassafras and minerals. Spicy, focused and racy on entry, then fleshier in the mid-palate, with vibrant raspberry and bitter cherry flavors gaining sweetness with air. Distinctly lithe for the vintage, with a whiplash of juicy red fruit defining the lively, persistent finish. This fruit was grown in the Nysa vineyard.”
Burghound 92 points “Outstanding. A beautifully layered and admirably pure nose is composed of plum, violets, spice and discreet sandalwood hints. There is more volume to the slightly bigger and richer medium-bodied flavors that also possess good verve on the dusty, compact and moderately firm finish. This is clearly built to age and it will need at least 4 to 5 years and reward 8 to 10. In a word, impressive.”
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94 Point Cabernet from Off the Beaten Path

Looking for value in the wine world? You’re going to want to look off the beaten path.  While everyone and their brother thinks of Northern California as the prime territory for Cabernet Sauvignon, there are amazing terroirs and winemakers around the world that produce excellent examples for much lower prices than the stuff coming out of Napa. Case in point? Casarena, who make excellent wines from overlooked vineyards in Mendoza, Argentina.

Casarena makes wine from the Lujan de Cuyo section of Mendoza—a section relatively unexplored in the modern wine industry, but possessing a wealth of old vines and interesting vineyards.  The wine we’re highlighting today, from Owen’s Vineyard, is made from a block of 80+ year old, pergola trained Cabernet.  That vineyard, combined with rigorous sorting and extended maceration, creates a Cab of high quality and obscene value.  This is one to stock up on, and with the case special bringing it under $24 a bottle, you can afford to.

In Stock Now:

Casarena Owen’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Agrelo 2015 750ML ($31.95) $26 special
Case-12 Casarena Owen’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Agrelo 2015 750ML ($359.95) $279 special
Wine Advocate 94 points “Tasted side by side with the 2014, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Owen’s Vineyard feels a lot fresher. This is an old, balanced, traditional vineyard that yields wines with very good depth and natural balance. There is perfect ripeness here and a notable absence of those green pepper aromas that often mask the personality of many Cabernets. These old vines yield very concentrated juice and it shows in the tannins and acidity, which show in perfect harmony. 30,000 bottles produced.”

Plus, they also make a killer Malbec:

Casarena Naoki’s Single Vineyard Malbec, Agrelo 2014 750ML ($29.95) $24 special
Wine Advocate 92 points “I also tasted the 2014 Malbec Naoki’s Vineyard, from a slightly warmer and riper vintage, but they compensated it with an earlier harvest and achieved lower alcohol in the wine. This was the fourth productive year for the vines, which yielded more grapes, and they were able to produce some 30,000 bottles. The fourth crop from new vines usually yields very concentrated juice full of flavors and aromas, as it’s the first time the plant is able to produce enough grapes as the root system should be properly established and it feels like the plant has been waiting to express itself. It combines some herbal aromas with plenty of violets, very floral and aromatic. The palate revealed fine tannins and very good acidity and balance. The violets kept growing as the wine sat in the glass. Very showy. Quite impressive, especially for a warmer, riper year.”
Stephen Tanzer-Vinous 92 points “(from vines on a plateau above Agrelo on the eastern side of the valley; the amount of limestone in this soil is unusual for the area, which is not normally a prime place for Malbec): Bright red-ruby. Highly aromatic perfume of blackberry, violet and licorice, plus a touch of peppery wildness; I was reminded both of Pinot Noir and northern Rhône Syrah. Plush, savory, pungent wine with distinctive limestone energy giving the middle palate a light touch. Utterly fine-grained wine with terrific subtle flavor intensity and grip. Finishes with very smooth tannins and lovely rising floral length. A very complex, penetrating Malbec with lovely restrained sweetness.”

This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast today!
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The Best Wines in Priorat?Terroir al Limit Makes Their Case

“The goal at Terroir al Limit is the fostering of wines of infusion rather than extraction, and elegance rather than the typical heaviness of the Priorat. Currently the wines are primarily aged in foudres– Stockinger upright barrels from Austria to be exact– between 1,200 and 3,500 liters in size or in small concrete tanks. Each successive vintage is testament to their original vision for Terroir al Limit as well as winemaker Dominik Huber’s continued quest to make the most elegant and expressive wines in the Priorat.” –Importer note

Terroir Al Limit Soc. Lda. Les Manyes, Priorat DOCa 2014 750ML ($259.95) $219 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 98 points
“The 2014 Les Manyes was bottled a little earlier, in June 2016. In many wineries in Priorat, 2013 is clearly better than 2014, but it’s not that clear in the case here, and you have to take it wine by wine. In the case of this Les Manyes, I think 2014 was the big surprise, with a combination of depth, perfume, subtleness and power difficult to achieve. The clay and chalky soils provide for an extraordinary texture of tannins, a lot less coarse than those from slate soils. It distills all the Mediterranean herbs and flowers, the essence of ripe red cherries and wild strawberries with some chalky minerality in a nose and palate that is close to perfection. This is a tour de force Garnacha from… chalky soils in Priorat! There are 1,008 bottles produced.”

This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
The average price nationally is $229

Terroir Al Limit Soc. Lda. Les Tosses, Priorat DOCa 2014 750ML ($259.95) $219 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 98 points
“Already bottled in June 2016, slightly earlier as it usually spends two years in foudre to avoid excessive fatigue because of too much oxygen in the wine, the 2014 Les Tosses is pure Cariñena from an old vineyard on slate soils at some 650 meters altitude. There is none of the rusticity I often link to the grape, this is extremely floral and perfumed, with plenty of violets, a little earthy too. The palate is extremely balanced, and I don’t remember tannins as elegant as these in a Cariñena before. There is length, freshness and a very, very long finish. This might very well be the best vintage of Les Tosses so far. This wine feels very young and it’s a bit shy, but giving it time it is just amazing. It should be much better with a little more time in bottle. If you decide to pull the cork soon, make sure you give it some time to breathe. There are 1,946 bottles produced. The vineyard is almost two hectares, and Dominik Huber only used part of it for this bottling, and the rest goes to Torroja. But, his idea is to increase the volume so he’ll take longer to sell this vintage so he can keep the wine for one year longer in bottle before selling it. Smart thinking…”

This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
The average price nationally is $245
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Rosé of the Day!

We all want to be in Saint Tropez right now.  Even if you can’t make it there, drinking this rosé from the Riviera takes you a little closer.

Fleur De Mer Ile De Saint-Tropez Rose, Provence 2017 750ML ($19.95) $16 special
Winery Note
“A brilliant coral pink color, Fleur de Mer evokes aromas and flavors of fresh watermelon, cherry, subtle citrus, lavender and Mediterranean herbs. It is medium-bodied, fresh and elegant with a soft texture and mineral finish. Balanced and refreshing acidity. Fleur de Mer is crafted by winemaker Florian Lacroux of the 50-year-old cooperative, Les Maîtres Vignerons de Saint-Tropez.”

Want to see all 76 roses in stock and arriving soon? Just click here to view the full list in our web store.

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Trending Wines
An excellent deal in Dutton Ranch Chardonnay
The Calling Dutton Ranch Chardonnay, Russian River Valley 2017 750ML ($29.95) $19 special
Case-12 The Calling Dutton Ranch Chardonnay, Russian River Valley 2017 750ML ($319.95) $199 special (that’s only $16.58/bottle!)
Winery Note
“Fruit for this vintage was sourced from several locations within Dutton Ranch’s Russian River Valley vineyards. Plots in the warmer end of the valley contributed ripe tropical elements, while those from cooler areas lent minerality and a structural backbone.  Inviting notes of honeysuckle, white rose, lemon meringue and baked brioche on the nose. Balanced yet with crisp acidity on the palate with flavors of ripe Asian pear, melon and Meyer lemon with a lingering, elegant finish.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Beautiful and powerful. This is stunning, especially for the price.
Vignobles Prissette Villa Symposia Coteaux du Languedoc l’Origine 2013 750ML ($39.95) $33 special
Wine Advocate 93 points
“The terrific 2013 Pézenas l’Origine shows the hallmark spice-laced perfume of this appellation. Lots of red fruits, crushed flowers, spice and violet nuances give way to a medium-bodied, elegant and sweetly fruited 2013 that has fine tannin and a seamless, sexy texture. Drink this beauty anytime over the coming 5-6 years.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
This is what Chianti is capable of.
Mazzei Castello di Fonterutoli Gran Selezione, Chianti Classico DOCG 2013 750ML ($69.95) $49 special
Case-6 Mazzei Castello di Fonterutoli Gran Selezione, Chianti Classico DOCG 2013 750ML ($419.95) $269 special (that’s only $44.83/bottle!)
Wine Spectator 95 points
“An essence of sweet cherry grounds the surrounding flavors of leather, iron, spice and tobacco in this firm red, which remains vibrant and refined. Bracing acidity and dense, muscular tannins play out on the long finish. Drink now through 2028.”2014’s acidity cuts the weight and richness of the Prälat nicely.
Jos. Christoffel Jr. Erdener Pralat Riesling Auslese***, Mosel 2014 750ML ($59.95) $33 special
VinopolNote:
Erderner Prälat occupies a mere 2.2 hectares. Entirely south-facing, the vineyard is surrounded by cliffs which insulate the vines – as a result, Prälat is one of the warmest plots in the region. Over time, it has also become one of the most sought-after vineyards. Given the limited space, only a few winemakers have access to the vineyard.

This is the only listing in the USA today!
#96 Wine Enthusiast Top 100 Wines of 2018
Newton Vineyard ‘Skyside-Red Label’ Claret, North Coast 2016 750ML ($24.95) $16 special
Case-12 Newton Vineyard ‘Skyside-Red Label’ Claret, North Coast 2016 750ML ($299.95) $169 special
Wine Enthusiast 90 points
“Mint, chocolate and cherry flavors intermingle in this dry, full-bodied and firmly tannic wine blended from Bordeaux grape varieties. It offers plenty of blackberry notes shaded by black pepper and smoke and will stand up to the juiciest protein you can order.”
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast today!
We probably shouldn’t bother with the single-bottle price.
Commanderie de la Bargemone Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence Rose 2017 750ML ($17.95) $11.90 special
Case-12 Commanderie de la Bargemone Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence Rose 2017 750ML ($199.95) $119 special
Jeb Dunnuck 91 points
“Like the white, the 2017 Coteaux d’Aix en Provence Rosé (30% Grenache, 28% Syrah, 23% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cinsault, and the rest Rolle, Carignan, and Counoise) has a beautiful saltiness that makes your mouth water. White cherries, strawberries, and spice notes all flow to a medium-bodied rosé that has terrific acidity, plenty of fruit and a clean, dry finish.”
Wine Enthusiast 91 points “Editor’s Choice. This ancient estate, founded in the Middle Ages by the Knights Templar, has produced an exemplary rosé. It has lightness and poise as well as great fruitiness, acidity and a crisp, zesty texture. Perfumed and with red-currant and strawberry flavors, the wine is ready to drink.”
Josh Raynolds 90 points “Light, vivid orange. Clean, focused and minerally on the nose, displaying fresh citrus and pit fruit scents and a hint of candied lavender. Sappy and precise in style, offering bitter cherry and redcurrant flavors and a spicy jolt on the back half. Clings very nicely on the finish, leaving floral and orange pith notes behind.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
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New Releases from Division

Stars of New Oregon

Division Winemaking company is an icon of new-wave Oregon winemaking.  Kate Norris and Tom Monroe started the Southeast Wine Collective, the home of Division, and have made a major mark in the landscape of Oregon winemaking.  Their focus on naturally produced wines with clear old-world references.  These are wines that belong on the table and express a sense of place extremely well, with minerality, expressive freshness and beautiful aromatics.  We’ve just received our allocations from their spring release (just in time for Easter/Passover) but these wines are perfect all year or in your cellar.

Just Arrived, In Stock Now

Deep minerality here – one of the finest expressions of the Johan vineyard.
Division Winemaking Co ‘Trois’ Johan Vineyard Chardonnay, Willamette Valley 2017 750ML ($39.95) $33 special
John Gilman 91+ points
“The 2017 Chardonnay “Johan Vineyard” bottling from Division Wine Company is a young and nicely cool climate example of this varietal, for though it comes in at a nice 13.1 percent octane, it is zesty and reserved in personality. The bouquet delivers a fine, youthful blend of pear, fresh almond, a bit of apple pie spice, complex soil tones, white flowers, fresh nutmeg and a hint of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is crisp, full-bodied and tightly-knit, with a lovely core of fruit, excellent soil signature, fine focus and balance and a long, youthful and very promising long finish. Dick Ponzi made a really good chardonnay all the way back in the 1988 vintage and this wine reminds me stylistically very much of that wine, though I do not know why. This is eminently drinkable today, but its glory lies in the future and tuck it away in the cellar for a couple of years and watch the magic unfold. 2021-2040.”

Division has dialed in their Sauv Blanc – a thoughtfully made old/new world hybrid.
Division Winemaking Co Division-Villages ‘La Frontiere’ Sauvignon Blanc, Willamette Valley 2018 750ML ($24.95) $21.90 special
Winery note
“Oregon AVA Redford-Wetle Vineyard (55%) Allegre Vineyard (45%). Myron Redford is as great a legend in Oregon’s wine industry as they come. Always experimenting, sometimes successfully and sometimes not, with grapes like Gamay Noir, Albarino and yes, Sauvignon Blanc. He and his partner Vikki Wetle planted a small 7.5 acre certified organic vineyard on Jory, Yamhill & Woodburn soils at their home property in the Eola-Amity Hills in 2006, which includes the Sauvignon Blanc that makes up a little more than half of our 2018 “La Frontière.” The organically farmed Allegre Vineyard, our first in the Columbia Gorge, makes up the remaining portion of this cuvée. Jen Kroner and Pat Allegre are some of the Hood River area’s finest growers of not only grapes, but premium quality cherries and orchard fruit, all nestled between Mt Hood and Mt Adams, our biggest volcanoes in the region. Our third “La Frontière” demonstrates clear Sauvignon Blanc characteristics ranging from dew-kissed green grass to sugar snap peas, but thankfully on the prettier side of the possibilities for this challenging grape to pick correctly. The aromatics are led by nectarine, Provençal herbs, and botanicals. This wine is not lean and mean, but rather simultaneously racy and rich, ripe, succulent, with the kind of soaring acidity that allows a full spectrum of flavors to dance across the palate, which is medium bodied featuring mouth-coating nectarine and apricot notes that continue through with good depth and length.”

This is the only listing in the USA today!
Watch out, Touraine, you’ve got competition!
Division Winemaking Co Division-Villages Beton Red, Oregon 2018 750ML ($24.95) $21.90 special
Winery note
“Cabernet Franc (55%), Gamay Noir (15%), Pinot Noir (15%) and Côt (10%) from Quady North Vineyard Cabernet Franc, Serra Vineyard Cabernet Franc & Côt, Methven Family Vineyards Gamay Noir, & Johan Vineyards Pinot Noir Oregon AVA. The Applegate Valley AVA in southern Oregon has become a favorite for us due to its unique granitic bedrock and its microclimate that is warmer and drier than the Willamette Valley, but cooler and wetter than the greater Rogue Valley to the east. The Applegate has proved to us to be a perfect region for the Loire clones of Cabernet Franc we have come to love so much. Herb Quady is one of the best growers in the region, if not the state, who is doing all the right things for the terroir there, including organic farming techniques and very well thought out and judicious irrigation use. His own Quady North Vineyard and the Serra Vineyard, which he also farms, sit in the hills above the Applegate river. We anchor our Béton bistro style red blend with Cabernet Franc from both of these, as well as the Côt (AKA Loire Malbec) portion from the Serra Vineyard. The Gamay component (15% of the blend) comes from Methven Family Vineyard, planted in 2002 which located in the Willamette Valley, as well as a small amount of Biodynamically farmed Pinot Noir from Johan Vineyards, also in the Willamette Valley. We love the Touraine rouge cuvée wines from the Loire that are typically served as bistro wines in Paris and used them as inspiration for our “Béton” blend. We attribute the success of our red blend, now in it’s seventh vintage, to the desire of so many to have an intriguing and food friendly, yet never overly heavy bistro-style red wine as a mainstay at the dinner table. For those who recall last vintage’s Béton, which was influenced by wildfires in the Applegate Valley, 2018 is a return to Béton greatness! The aromatics scream Cabernet Franc with violet floral overtones, plums, and sauvage berries in the background. The pallet is juicy, clean, perfectly structured and balanced with Cab Franc-y notes of pepper, dark earth, and cassis. We love the elegance and focus on plum and dark berry fruits this vintage and are truly ecstatic for this vintage!”

This is the only listing in the USA today!

A bright, light and vibrant Grenache. No, really!
Division ‘Gamine’ Carbonic Grenache, Applegate Valley 2018 750ML ($29.95) $26 special
VinopolNote:
 It’s hard to believe this is Grenache in some ways.  Delicious and fresh , it does have Grenache’s generous fruit, but contained in a zesty package
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A Best Value/Bestselling Bordeaux Returns

Chateau du Retout has always been a boundary pushing estate, which is why we love it.  Not content to be a “mere” Haut-Medoc wine, the estate continues to make changes to viticulture and winemaking to ensure the highest possible quality wine (even declassifying their white so they could include the varieties they wanted to work with).  On the red side, they’ve found success in increasing the percentage of Petit Verdot, a grape that excels in the warm vintages that France has had over the last decade.  The resulting red is everything we could ask of a sub-$30 Bordeaux, and the fact that it’s almost half that in price makes it even better.

Arriving Tomorrow:

Chateau du Retout, Haut-Medoc 2014 750ML ($21.95) $16 pre-arrival special
Case-12 Chateau du Retout, Haut-Medoc 2014 750ML ($299.95) $179 pre-arrival special
Wine Spectator 90 points “Delightfully ripe, with an inviting core of plum and blackberry preserves, picking up an anise edge on the finish. A solid alder spine runs throughout, adding length and definition. Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Merlot.”
Wine Enthusiast 90 points “With an unusually high proportion (nearly 17%) of Petit Verdot in the blend, this is both darkly structured and dark in color. It is weight, intense youthful acidity and black-currant fruits. It’s also rich, full of tannins and in need of several years.”
James Suckling 90 points “A leafy cabernet nose leads into quite a poweful and tannic palate with the sleek body of a marathon runner. Better in 2018.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
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Huet’s Legendary Cuvee Constance

Huet makes some of the most undervalued great wine in the world.  Take any metric you’d use to adjudicate greatness (complexity, age-worthiness, aromatic intensity, etc) and Huet’s Vovray is on the list, at prices far below almost anything else in the world of wine. They own some of the greatest vineyards in the Loire and make sure that they reach their potential year in and out.

Their top wine is the extremely rare sweet wine, Cuvee Constance.  Constance is only produced in the very best years—we’re talking about 2-3 times per decade, usually.  Made from botrytized grapes, it’s a full-throttle dessert wine as good as they come.  This is “nectar of the gods” type stuff, on par with d’Yquem or anything out of Germany—it’s that good.  Unfortunately, like you might expect, we’re not getting very much of it.

Arriving Tomorrow:

Domaine Huet Vouvray ‘Cuvee Constance’ Moelleux, Loire 2009 500ML ($199.95) $159 pre-arrival special
Wine Spectator 98 points “This stunning wine is fresh, pure and driven at first, with seamless ginger, creamed fig and glazed pear fruit, before showing its density and power via the honeycomb-, quince- and heather-filled core. Then the minerality cuts in, turning the finish back to racy despite the range of exotic fruit. A jaw-dropping display of richness balanced by precision. Drink now through 2040. 400 cases made.”
David Schildknecht 96 points “At 11% alcohol and 150 grams of residual sugar, the Huet 2009 Vouvray Cuvee Constance – fourth in the past decade, incidentally – offers a striking nose of honey, white raisin, and concentrated herbal and floral essences. Salted caramel, hazelnut cream, marzipan, white raisin, liquid floral perfume, and honey are all leavened with fresh lime, white peach, and grapefruit. Like a refined cocktail of essence-of-Chenin mingled with fresh fruit juices with dashes of salt and chalk, this finishes with ravishing and invigorating persistence and should be worth following for 3 or more decades.”

Can’t wait? Looking for something younger? The 2015 is in stock now:

Domaine Huet Vouvray ‘Cuvee Constance’ Moelleux, Loire 2015 500ML ($249.95) $219 special
Wine Spectator 99 points
“Stunning from the start, with a silky and refined feel despite the panoply of dried quince, fig, pear and apricot flavors that are exotic in nature. Lovely green tea, orange blossom and persimmon notes fill in the background. Obviously sweet, but with persistent dry almond and orange extract details that lend latent tension through the seamless and nearly endless finish. The first Cuvee Constance bottling since the 2009 vintage. Drink now through 2060.”
Wine Advocate 96 points “Rarely produced and selected from the vineyards Le Haut-Lieu, Le Mont and Clos du Bourg, Huet’s 2015 Vouvray “Cuvée Constance” offers a deep, clear, intense and concentrated nose of ripe stone fruits, peanut butter cookie, spicy, earthy-mineral and some volatile aromas. Sweet, salty, piquant and mineral with a firm structure and very elegant, concentrated, refined fruit, this is a sweet wine with great purity and mineral finesse on the very long, promising finish. The 2016 is still pretty sweet (142 grams of residual sugar) and should be cellared for at least two or three decades. Total production: 2,800 500-milliliter bottles. Tasted February 2018.”
John Gilman 98 points “I have been looking forward to the release of Domaine Huët’s 2015 Cuvée Constance ever since I tasted a year ago the rest of the stunning range of wines produced here in the vintage. It is a great vintage for Domaine Huët and the Cuvée Constance is everything one could hope for from the confluence of this great estate and a legendary vintage. The wine is still very youthful, but its ultimate brilliance is very easy to see, as the wine wafts from the glass in a celestial constellation of orange, fresh apricot, incipient tea leaves, a nice touch of soil, hints of lanolin, orange peel, barley sugar and a hint of upper register smokiness. On the palate the wine is pure, full and nascently complex, with laser-like focus, a bottomless core, great acids and marvelous balance on the very, very long, zesty and energetic finish. This is still a very young wine and will need years to start to show its secondary and tertiary layers of complexity, but they are lurking here and in the fullness of time, this will be breathtaking in its beauty. (Drink between 2025-2100)

We’ve got 37 different wines/case specials on Huet, in all manner of sweetness levels and vintages.  Want to see them all? Just click here for the full list on our web store!

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Thanks for reading!