Henri Boillot’s Classic White Burgundy
First Offer: A New Collection of Savart
Two Tuscan Classics
The Legend of Thörle Begins
Rare Library Cappellano and Burlotto
Trending Wines
95 Point, Under $35 Gigondas
July Sale Roundup
Arriving Tomorrow
Henri Boillot’s Classic White Burgundy
2017 represents a return to form for the white side of the Cote d’Or. 2016 was excellent when it was good, but frost and hail damaged many vineyards, reducing yields and creating riper than expected wines in some instances. By contrast, the ’17’s we’ve tasted have been both classically excellent and very even across the board. These are minerally, bright and fresh, with good density and the balance to age. As you’d expect given Boillot’s stature, quantities are very limited, but they should be wonderful for the lucky few that get in on these wines.
Arriving Tomorrow:
Domaine Henri Boillot Clos de la Mouchere Monopole, Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru 2017 750ML ($199.95) $159 pre-arrival special
Stephen Tanzer 94-96 points “Bright yellow. Lemon drop and oil, peach, hazelnut and flowers on the subtly complex nose. Tactile and brisk on entry, then thick and energetic in the middle palate, conveying a distinct impression of sweetness countered by pure saline minerality. The wine’s peachy fruit hints at almost honeyed ripeness without losing its verve. Finishes with outstanding mounting length. This has the palate presence and depth of a grand cru.”
William Kelley-Wine Advocate 94-96 points “From an enclave within the premier cru Perrières, Boillot’s 2017 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Clos de la Mouchère is utterly superb this year, wafting from the glass with aromas of lemon oil, mandarin orange, beeswax, iodine and subtle smoky reduction. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, satiny and layered, with striking volume and depth at the core, balanced by incisive acids that animate the long, mineral finish. Guillaume Boillot speculates that this monopole’s comparative variety of mesoclimates and soil types lends the resulting wine greater complexity than would be the case with a small cuvée.”
Domaine Henri Boillot Les Genevrieres, Meursault Premier Cru 2017 750ML ($199.95) $169 pre-arrival special
Stephen Tanzer 93-95 points “(Boillot described his vines in Genevrières du Haut as “two rows away from Perrières “): Pale, green-tinged yellow. Delicate nose hints at lime zest and white flowers. Wonderfully silky and energetic on the palate but also sharply delineated and tighter today than the Charmes. Discreet citrus fruit and hazelnut flavors deliver noteworthy complexity. Finishes gripping and very long, with serious salty energy. The crop level here was just 35 hectoliters per hectare, according to Boillot.”
William Kelley-Wine Advocate 92-94 points “The 2017 Meursault 1er Cru Genevrières is another of the many highlights in this superlative portfolio, unfurling in the glass with aromas of green apple, citrus oil, spring blossom and oatmeal. On the palate, it’s medium to full-bodied, layered and complete, with impressive concentration and depth at the core, ripe but vibrant acids and a stony, precise finish.”
Domaine Henri Boillot Les Perrieres, Meursault Premier Cru 2017 750ML ($219.95) $179 pre-arrival special
William Kelley-Wine Advocate 93-95+ points “Boillot’s 2017 Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières is superb, and one of the highlights of the range this year, unfurling in the glass with notes of lemon oil, crisp green apple, struck flint and smoky reduction. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, stony and tensile, with considerable depth, concentration and chewy dry extract. It’s indelibly marked by the site that produced it.”
Stephen Tanzer 93-95 points “Pale, bright yellow. Reticent, very pure scents of underripe pineapple, white peach and crushed stone. Like the previous Meursault samples, this boasts lovely purity and suavity; it verges on opulent while delivering an almost weightless impression. Quite closed today and not revealing its inherent personality but its acidity and saline minerality are already perfectly integrated. The longest of these 2017s to this point, but this backward Perrières will need at least a few years in bottle to display its minerality.”
Stephen Tanzer 93-95 points “Bright, pale yellow. Complex and complete on the nose, offering scents of peach, flowers and saline minerality. Boasts outstanding saline concentration and energy without any rough edges but quite tightly coiled today. This boasts remarkable palate presence for premier cru and its very slowly mounting, rising finish stains the palate. Serious potential here.”
William Kelley-Wine Advocate 92-94 points “Aromas of crisp orchard fruit, mandarin, beeswax and white flowers introduce the 2017 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Pucelles, a medium to full-bodied, chiseled wine, that represents a comparatively tensile, tight-knit rendition of this site, displaying good concentration, depth and length.”
First Offer
A New Collection of Savart
“This is another stellar set of wines from Fred Savart. There is not much else to say. Minimal handling allows for a very pure expression of the sites Savart works with. As always, these are rich, vinous Champagnes built on textured,multi-dimensional profiles.” – Antonio Galloni
Arriving Friday:
Savart Le Mont des Chretiens Premier Cru Extra Brut, Champagne 2014 1.5L ($299.95) $219 pre-arrival special
Antonio Galloni 94 points “The 2014 Extra Brut Le Mont des Chrétiens, 100% Chardonnay from Eceuil, is a worthy follow up to the 2013. Bright, focused and sculpted, with tons of energy, the 2014 is another winner from Fred Savart. Grapefruit, white pepper, mint and crushed rocks all run through this crystalline, precise Blanc de Blancs, with an attractive layer of reduction that adds a razor’s edge of freshness. In the glass, the 2014 is bright and perhaps a bit severe, especially next to the 2013, but it is nevertheless striking. The 2014 was vinified in 500 and 600-liter barrels. Disgorged January 2018. Dosage is 3 grams per liter.”
Case-6 Savart L’Accomplie Premier Cru Brut, Champagne NV 750ML ($379.95) $309 pre-arrival special (that’s only $51.50/bottle—save over $20 per six pack!)
Savart L’Accomplie Premier Cru Brut, Champagne NV 1.5L ($149.95) $119 pre-arrival special
Antonio Galloni 92 points “The NV L’Accomplie is a blend of equal parts 2016 of 2015 vintages. Dried apricot, pear, dried flowers and chamomile are some of the notes that grace this mid-weight, sublime, totally refined entry-level Champagne from Fred Savart. All the elements are impeccably balanced in this sublime, refined Champagne. L’Accomplie is 80% Pinot and 20% Chardonnay from Ecueil and Villers-aux-Noeuds. Dosage is 5 grams per liter.” [Review is for November 2017 disgorgement in 750ml]
This is the lowest listed price for a magnum in the USA today!
Case-6 Savart L’Ouverture Premier Cru Blanc de Noirs Brut, Champagne NV 750ML ($299.95) $249 pre-arrival special (that’s only $41.50/bottle!)
James Suckling 92 points “A very fragrant blanc de noirs with 20 per cent of the second press and three years on lees. The wild red fruit is super fresh, delicate and floral; the lees time has this on a neat, reductive edge. The palate is very fine, fresh and crisp. Great depth and elegance here. Drink now.”
Arriving Late August:
Savart Le Mont Benoit Premier Cru Extra Brut, Champagne 2015 750ML ($139.95) $115 pre-arrival special
Importer Note ” Le Mont Benoit (made a household name by Emmanuel Brochet) is a single parcel in Villers-aux-Noeuds. Fred’s plot is 95% Pinot Noir, and 5% Chardonnay. The dosage is 3g/L.”
Importer Note “Le Mont des Chrétiens is a lieu dit in the village Ecueil. The parcel is entirely of Chardonnay and Fred ferments and ages it in 500L barrels. The dosage is 3g/L. (Fred used to call this cuvée Dame de Coeur.)”
Jamie Goode-Wine Anorak 95 points “The grapes for this wine used to go into Ouverture, but it’s now a new cuvée, just 1362 bottles made. 100% Pinot Noir. Fine cherries, herbs and nuts on the nose, with a palate that shows detailed, fine citrus, pear and apple fruit with some lovely red cherry notes. This has incredible precision and detail, with fine savoury nut, almond and liquorice notes. Really detailed and fine. Expressive.”
Importer Note ” Fred’s rosé is a rosé d’assemblage composed of 70% Pinot Noir, 22% Chardonnay, and 8% still red wine. It comes entirely from the village of Ecueil. It is fermented mostly in stainless steel, with around 20% of the blend made in neutral barrels. The dosage is 6g/L.”
Castello di Bolgheri
Arriving Tomorrow:
Castello di Bolgheri Bolgheri Superiore,Tuscany 2015 750ML ($69.95) $59 pre-arrival special
Wine Spectator 96 points “Very tightly wound, with a dense bed of tannins providing support for the black currant, black cherry, wild herb, mineral and earth flavors. Ripe, yet lively, showing fine intensity on the fruit-, mineral- and tar-filled aftertaste. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. Best from 2022 through 2040.”
Arriving Tomorrow:
Fuligni Brunello di Montalcino Riserva DOCG, Tuscany 2012 750ML ($219.95) $179 pre-arrival special
Wine Spectator 98 points “Bright and juicy, this is packed with cherry, strawberry, floral and mineral aromas and flavors. Linear in shape and tightly wound, yet very pure, with a long, detailed aftertaste that pulls all the elements together. Best from 2021 through 2040. 350 cases imported.”
The Hottest New Rheinhessen Producer Arrives Tomorrow
The big difference is that while Pinot Noir from Keller is coveted but scarce, it’s a major part of the Thörle portfolio, coming from a number of different grand cru terroirs and doing one of the best Cote d’Or impressions you’ll see. Thörle’s top wines would be at home in a tasting of top Premier and Grand Cru red Burgundies—except that they’re priced $50+ below their peers in France. Likewise, the top Riesling, from the Hölle vineyard, is every bit the equal of the top GG’s from Dönnhoff, Wittmann, and other top producers in Germany, but is still less than $37/btl by the six-pack. These wines are currently barely listed for sale anywhere else in the US (and certainly not at these prices) and arrive tomorrow, so if you want a chance at them, act quickly—in a few years these prices are going to seem ridiculously low.
Arriving Tomorrow:
Thörle Saulheimer Holle Riesling, Rheinhessen 2017 750ML ($44.95) $39 pre-arrival special
Case-6 Thörle Saulheimer Holle Riesling, Rheinhessen 2017 750ML ($259.95) $219 pre-arrival special (that’s only $36.50/bottle!)
Stuart Pigott – jamessuckling.com 96 points “Still youthful, but this has a complex stone-fruit nose. Concentrated and racy with great energy at the very long, chalky finish. Great aging potential. Drink or hold.”
Thörle Saulheimer Probstey Silvaner, Rheinhessen 2017 750ML ($39.95) $33 pre-arrival special
Stuart Pigott – jamessuckling.com 94 points “Still quite yeasty from long maturation on lees, but that accentuates the smoky and herbal complexity of this remarkable dry silvaner. Just a hint of oak in support of the creamy, mid-weight body and long, silky finish. Drink or hold.”
Thörle Saulheimer Holle Spatburgunder, Rheinhessen 2016 750ML ($59.95) $49 pre-arrival special
Stuart Pigott – jamessuckling.com 96 points “More root and sous-bois character than the other 2016 Thörle pinot noirs. This is so fine and so deep, so cool and so elegant that you might easily assume it comes from the Côte d’Or! Great tannins build like a giant wave and sweep you through the super- long finish. Drink or hold.”
The next lowest price is $59.99
Thörle Saulheimer Probstey Spatburgunder, Rheinhessen 2016 750ML ($49.95) $39 pre-arrival special
Stuart Pigott – jamessuckling.com 95 points “Still quite closed on the nose, because this has just been bottled. However, on the palate there’s a sensational harmony of fine-grained tannins and perfectly ripe fruit, yet the wine has just 12.5 per cent alcohol. Great, chalky dry finish.”
The next lowest price is $49.99
Thörle ‘Kalkstein’ Saulheimer Spatburgunder, Rheinhessen 2016 750ML ($29.95) $24 pre-arrival special
Stuart Pigott – jamessuckling.com 94 points “This has a ravishing black cherry note with hints of leather and smoke. For a pinot noir in this price category, there’s great concentration, polished tannins and a long, complex finish. Drink or hold.”
All Wines ETA Late July:
Piedlong Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Rhone 2015 750ML ($59.95) $44 special
James Suckling 95 points “10 hectares of elevated Châteauneuf-du-Pape, this is an hommage to grenache with just a hatful of mourvèdre. Ripe raspberry and red plum pastry aromas. Super silky, plush and layered. Extremely impressive. Shows fluidity and balance, density and lightness. 50% stalks (crushed).”
Pierrick Bouley Volnay Premier Cru Clos Des Chenes, Burgundy 2016 750ml ($89.95) $79 special
Fine Wine Review 92-95 points “49 hl/ha. Here, too, the vines are younger than most of the estate’s other vines, being only about 30 years-old. The nose is stony and pure. The mouth shows dark fruits and it is sleeker than that of the Champans. The wine shows excellent energy and penetration and one can feel the limestone in the vineyard. The wine also shows good minearlity and length. It should age well.”
Cantina del Pino Barbaresco DOCG, Piedmont 2015 750ML ($49.95) $39 special
Wine Advocate 92 points “The 2015 Barbaresco by Cantina del Pino starts off gently with delicate notes of wild berry, red rose, toasted spice, licorice and camphor ash. The wine offers all the complexity and elegance you get with Nebbiolo but presented on a slightly lower intensity scale. This wine is geared for near- or medium-term drinking”
F.X. Pichler Durnsteiner Liebenberg Gruner Veltliner Smaragd, Wachau 2015 750ML ($69.95) $48 special
Wine Advocate 93-94 points “The 2015 Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Dürnsteiner Liebenberg comes from 70- to 80-year-old vines on a rare calcareous slate soil. The wine displays a very clear and pure, pretty open and lovely spicy, crystalline and flinty bouquet with ripe pip fruit aromas. Very distinguished and rather coolish in its expression. Full-bodied, round and elegant, with tension, salt and grip in the finish, this is a charmingly ripe and juicy but also challenging mineral and piquant Veltliner from one of the most exciting terroirs. The finish is powerful and complex but also fresh and stimulatingly piquant. Pichler has bottled this wine since 2010.”
Finca La Emperatriz ‘Cepas Viejas’ Garnacha, Rioja DOCa 2014 750ML ($39.95) $33 special
James Suckling 95 points “An intensely herbal and floral nose displaying raspberries, cherries and hints of cloves. Mint, too. Medium body, ripe and juicy tannins and a very long, citrusy and savory finish. Made from vines over 65 years old. A wine that boasts superb finesse and style. Drink or hold.”
Luis Gutierrez-Wine Advocate 93 points “The wine that won my heart this time was without a doubt the 2014 Finca la Emperatriz Garnacha Cepas Viejas. This wine is sourced from the Rioja Alta subzone, not quite the classical Garnacha place, from the only old-vine Garnacha plot they have in the estate. It displays a captivating nose of sweet Garnacha fruit akin to cherries in liqueur, but keeping the freshness in a coolish vintage like 2014. The uncrushed grapes fermented in open-top stainless steel vats and 500-liter oak barrels with indigenous yeasts after five days of pre-fermentative maceration, and it matured in 500-liter oak barrels for ten months. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, delicious fresh flavors and very good length, ending with a tasty, almost salty note. 8,966 bottles and a bunch of magnums were produced and filled in November 2014.”
Rayas on a budget? Theodoric’s calling card is sandy soils and exotic bouquets.
Chapelle Saint Theodoric Chateauneuf-du-Pape La Guigasse, Rhone 2016 750ML ($89.95) $69 special
Case-6 Chapelle Saint Theodoric Chateauneuf-du-Pape La Guigasse, Rhone 2016 750ML ($499.95) $389 special (that’s only $64.83/bottle!)
Wine Advocate 95-97 points “As I predicted last year, the 2016 Chateauneuf du Pape La Guigasse has smoothed out considerably and seemingly absorbed the stemmy elements I noted previously. Still not yet bottled, it now offers wonderful fruit purity and intensity. Raspberries and cherries are delivered on a full-bodied, rich and creamy palate that somehow avoids any sense of heaviness. It looks to be a stunning example of 70-year-old Grenache from the sandy lieu-dit of the same name.”
Jeb Dunnuck 94-96 points “Made from 100% Grenache in the La Guigasse lieu-dit, the 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Guigasse boasts a deeper ruby/purple color as well as a sensational bouquet of kirsch and black raspberries, spring flowers, rose petals, and exotic spice. This beauty builds on the palate, with terrific concentration, yet it always holds onto the more ethereal, elegant, seamless style of this estate.”
Billaud is a singular talent in Chablis and this is a masterwork.
Samuel Billaud Montee de Tonnerre, Chablis Premier Cru 2016 750ML ($69.95) $59 special
Neal Martin-Vinous 92 points “The 2016 Chablis Montée de Tonnerre, which underwent 15 months in barrel, has a lovely dried honey and beeswax scented bouquet that gains intensity with aeration. The palate is very well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, fresh and vibrant with a tangy, saliva-inducing saline finish that feels very persistent. Excellent.”
Neal Martin – Wine Advocate 90-93 points “The 2016 Chablis 1er Cru Montee de Tonnerre comes from two parcels, one in the titular vineyard and the other in Chapelot, not far from Raveneau. It has quite a stern, focused, flinty bouquet that needs coaxing from the glass. The palate is (again) well balanced with a fine line of acidity. There are subtle notes of white peach and orange zest in situ, although perhaps not quite exuding the persistence of the Mont de Milieu on the finish. Still, this will merit three or four years in bottle.”
Old Muscadet can be quite sexy—this one very much is.
Comte Leloup du Chateau de Chasseloir Muscadet Sevre-et-Maine Sur Lie Cuvee des Ceps Centenaires, Loire 2005 750ML ($39.95) $33 special
David Schildknecht-Wine Advocate 92 points “The 2005 Chateau de Chasseloir Comte Leloup de Chasseloir Muscadet de Sevre et Maine Sur Lie Cuvee des Ceps Centenaires smells of fresh lime and lemon, oyster shell and salt spray, and a Chenin-like meld of quince and pear. Along with citrus and orchard fruits, a briny-nutty meld of flavors in this wine reminds me of the freshly sauteed smelts I would in any event be inclined to drink it with! One minute this impresses me most with its sheer richness of ripe orchard fruit character and silken texture, the next for its mysterious meld of mineral elements and its sheer refreshment. Almond cream, quince, salt, chalk, and iodine – not to mention luscious citrus – are among the elements informing this wine’s kaleidoscopic finish…”
95 Point, Under $35 Gigondas
“The Finest Wine Ever from This Estate”
Arriving ETA December:
“a wine to buy by the case.”-Jeb Dunnuck
Domaine du Grand Montmirail Gigondas Cuvee Vieilles Vignes, Rhone 2016 750ML ($39.95) $33 pre-arrival special
Case-6 Domaine du Grand Montmirail Gigondas Cuvee Vieilles Vignes, Rhone 2016 750ML ($249.95) $189 pre-arrival special (that’s only $31.50/bottle!)
Domaine du Grand Montmirail Gigondas Cuvee Vieilles Vignes, Rhone 2016 1.5L ($89.95) $69 pre-arrival special
Jeb Dunnuck 95 points “The finest wine ever from this estate is the 2016 Gigondas Vieilles Vignes, which is 60% Grenache, 30% Syrah, and 10% Mourvèdre that was destemmed and brought up in 30% new barrels. (The Grenache was brought up all in concrete.) It’s an incredibly gorgeous, full-bodied, powerful yet elegant Gigondas that has rocking notes of plums, black raspberries, kirsch, spice, and new saddle leather literally soaring from the glass. With ultra-fine tannins, a silky, seamless texture, no hard edges, and a great, great finish, it’s a wine to buy by the case.”
Highlights In Stock Now:
Force Majeure Vineyards Epinette, Red Mountain 2015 750ML ($99.95) Was $79, Now $69 July Sale Special
Jeb Dunnuck 94 points “A Pomerol look-alike, the 2015 Epinette is mostly Merlot, yet includes 30% Cabernet Franc, 16% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot. It’s another rich, mouthfilling effort and offers lots of darker, plummy fruits, chocolate, and scorched earth aromas and flavors. With building tannin and serious structure, it isn’t for those looking for instant gratification and is going to need a solid 3-5 years of bottle age.”
Now it’s even lower!
The next best price is $89.99
That’s a difference of over $20/btl!
Wine Advocate 93-96 points “It’s going to be interesting to see if the 2015 Estate Syrah matches the 2014, and they both showed similar from barrel. The 2015 is a big, full-bodied Syrah that has tons of chalky minerality in its classic Syrah notes of blackberries, licorice and smoked meats. With good acidity, fine tannin and terrific elegance and purity, it will keep for 15+ years. Led by winemaker Todd Alexander, Force Majeure has now officially moved away from their Collaboration Series releases and is focusing exclusively on their estate vineyards on Red Mountain. The lineup is stacked with incredible wines, and I expect the quality to only go up from here as their vineyards age and they fine-tune the winemaking. The 2015s were structured and tannic, and while they’ll certainly be more polished from bottle, I suspect short term cellaring will be your friend. These are great wines, and even at their prices, these represent killer values.”
Jeb Dunnuck 94 points “Moving to the reds, the Mourvèdre-dominated 2015 Parvata GSM is a smoking effort loaded with deep, rich aromas and flavors of blackberries, currants, cured meats, and a hint of chocolate. It’s full-bodied, deep, concentrated, and perfectly balanced, and is a sensational wine.”
James Suckling 94 points “A fascinating nose of earth, brambles, forest floor, blackberries, herbs, black pepper, some animal and freshly cut herbs and tobacco. Full-bodied with firm, sturdy tannins, a wealth of bark and dark fruit, a lot of power, fresh acidity and an underbrush finish. Washington’s answer to the Southern Rhone! GSM blend. Drink in 2020.”
Now it’s even lower!
The next best price is $89.97
That’s a difference of over $20/btl!
Josh Raynolds–Vinous 91 points “Pale gold. Intense citrus and orchard fruit aromas are complicated by notes of honeysuckle, tarragon and iodine. Chewy tangerine and pear skin flavors become silkier and spicier with aeration. Shows a seductive floral quality on the clinging finish, which features a dusty mineral nuance and a touch of buttered toast.”
The average listed price is $38
Stephen Tanzer–Vinous 91+ points “Healthy dark red. Very primary nose hints at black cherry, menthol and bitter chocolate lifted by a floral topnote. Then sappy and saline on the palate, showing very good chewy concentration and medicinal reserve. Quite reticent today but displays a terrific balance between sweetness and firm minerality. Bitouzet wishes he made big bottles of this juice.”
Stephen Tanzer–Vinous 90 points “Bright red. Very primary, vibrant aromas of raspberry, rose petal and mint. Juicy and tightly wound, showing lovely intensity and energy but a medicinal reserve in the early going. I like the combination of density and airiness. Finishes with excellent cut and verve.”
