Monday Newsletter 8-14-17

Wine of the Year? 2015 Saint Cosme Gigondas; New Week – New Arrivals; Summer’s Peak Refreshers: Case Deals on Chillable Whites & Reds; New Arrival Featurette: Olivier Horiot Champagnes; New Mosel Fine Wine Reviews: Very Fine Reviews for 2016 Maximin Grunhauser; 2015 and Winery-Cellared Releases from Domaine & Maison Dujac; Profundity Captured in Glass: 2016 Domaine Huet

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What’s the top candidate for

Vinopolis’ 2017 Wine of the Year?

What wine offers incredible value, ageability, versatility, complexity, and a dozen other superlatives from one of the oldest wine estates in the world?

2015 Saint Cosme Gigondas

Hop on the bandwagon before it leaves you behind!

Re-Arriving Friday, August 18th

Chateau de Saint Cosme Gigondas, Rhone 2015 750ML ($41.95) $33 special
Chateau de Saint Cosme Gigondas, Rhone 2015 1.5L ($89.95) $79 special
Wine Spectator 95 points “A textbook version of the brawny side of Gigondas, this offers a grippy alder bass line underneath layers of dark currant and fig fruit, while lots of tobacco, rosemary and bay fill in throughout. Muscular and energetic, this is built for the cellar. Best from 2019 through 2030.”

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Huet insert

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New Week – New Arrivals

Oregon

Timothy Malone Medici Vineyard Riesling, Chehalem Mountains 2016 750ML ($19.95) $16 special
Winery notes: “40 year old vines, own rooted, non-irrigated & organically farmed. Native fermentation, stainless steel fermented, no malolactic fermentation. This wine shows pure terroir with its bright acidity, fruit & minerality.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $19.99

Vincent Chardonnay ‘Tardive,’ Willamette Valley 2015 750ML ($29.95) $26 special
VinopolNote: The “Tardive” in this case refers to the practice of late bottling, which is more or less a reserve selection by the winemaker.  Made with a higher selection of heritage Wente clones, this wine combines richness with a brightness and vivacity that typifies the house style.  This should age fantastically, as well.

Vincent Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2015 750ML ($24.95) $20.90 special

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Vincent Pinot Noir, Ribbon Ridge 2015 750ML ($27.95) $24 special
VinopolNote: This wine is made entirely from fruit from Armstrong Vineyard, on Lewis Rodgers Lane, in Ribbon Ridge.  Destemmed and aged in neutral wood to highlight the terroir, it shows a ton of Ribbon Ridge character in an elegant, more red-fruited paradigm. It shows incredibly silky texture and plenty of red and black cherry fruit, as well as five-spice and floral notes, on both the nose and palate. One of our favorite producers, this is a wine to stock up on.

Belle Pente Murto Vineyard Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills 2014 750ML ($39.95) $36 special
Winery notes: “This is our 18th consecutive bottling of vineyard designated wine from Mike and Robin Murto’s outstanding old vines (planted in 1978) high in the Dundee Hills.  Although this mature vineyard tends to deliver the goods every year, the high elevation makes it a fairly cool site, and in warm vintages like 2014 creates something very special indeed! Fans of riper style Pinots will find a lot to love in this wine.  Compact aromas of raspberry and baking spice require a little bit of coaxing, but with air become quite expressive.  There is a density on the palate reflective of the vintage, but also a freshness.  It is both backward and forward at the same time, displaying a compelling complexity that bodes well for the cellar.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $42.99

France – Champagne

Check out our special feature on the new arrivals (sparkling and still!) from Olivier Horiot below

France – Burgundy

Fougeray de Beauclair Puligny-Montrachet Les Meix 2015 750ML ($59.95) $49 special
“Fresh, ripe and pure aromas of acacia, pear, apple and whisper of spice give way to utterly delicious and seductive textured flavors that possess a suave mouth feel before culminating in a clean, dry and balanced finale. Once again, this should both drink well young but repay a few years of bottle age too.”—Burghound

This is the only listing in the USA today!

Fougeray de Beauclair Cote de Nuits-Villages, Burgundy 2010 375ML ($19.95) $16 special 
Winery notes: “Dark ruby with blue reflection. A fine bouquet (blackcurrant, blackberry). Powerful, vigorous with a good concentration of fine and round tannins. Beautiful balance of a neat wine-making. Long and spicy finish.”

This is the only listing in the USA today!

Fougeray de Beauclair Gevrey-Chambertin Les Seuvrees 2013 750ML ($69.95) $59 special 
“Heavy reduction dominates the nose at present. There is good volume and solid mid-palate concentration to the muscular middle weight flavors that retain good delineation and verve on the rustic but not especially austere finish. This is very Gevrey in basic character.”—Burghound

This is the only listing in the USA today!

Fougeray de Beauclair Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru 2013 750ML ($199.95) $179 special 
Burghound 90-93 points “Mild reduction and oak push the underlying fruit to the background. There is excellent volume to the attractively textured and intense broad-shouldered flavors that possess fine mid-palate concentration along with excellent power on the complex, balanced and mouth coating finish. This is perhaps a bit sleeker in 2013 than it usually is but that won’t prevent it from requiring at least a decade of cellar time.”

France – Alsace

F E Trimbach Riesling Cuvee Frederic Emile, Alsace 2002 750ML ($79.95) $69 special 
Wine Advocate 92 points “The superbly-concentrated 2002 Riesling Frederic Emile is now on the market – still a touch austere, but with strikingly refined complexity and sheer mineral mass. Broth-like carnal and chalky traits here put one in mind of Chablis. Here is a wine to strain through your teeth, and one possessed of vivacious, ripe acids, with lemon, grapefruit and faintly bitter black fruit notes over a foundation of chalk, leading to a long, juicy finish. Give this another year in your cellar and for it to be worth following for at least another decade thereafter.”

France – Rhone & Southern France

Chateau Puech Haut Pic Saint-Loup La Closerie du Pic, Languedoc-Roussillon 2014 750ML ($29.95) $24 special 
Wine Advocate 92-94 points “Still not yet bottled (I tasted it from barrel last year as well), the 2014 Languedoc Pic Saint Loup Closerie du Pic is a blend of mostly Syrah and Mourvèdre, with a splash of Grenache. It got a big “wow” in my notes and has fabulous, fresh, lively notes of dark fruits, crushed rocks and spring flowers. There’s notable oak on the nose, but it’s beautifully integrated and lends a polish and richness to its texture. Full-bodied, with ripe tannin and a great finish, this is a sensational Pic Saint Loup that will drink well right out of the gate, yet evolve for 7-8 years or more.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $27

Mas de Libian Vin de Petanque, IGP Coteaux de l’Ardeche 2016 750ML ($14.95) $11.90 special
Winery notes: “Mostly Grenache (75%), with the remaining 25% a blend of Syrah, Mourvedre, Counoise, and Vaccarèse. Only from young vines under 25 years old. Sip while playing a lazy summer game of pétanque in the south of France, among other occasions!!!! It can also be served chilled for a lovely summer evening party! An easy-drinking wine, without pretense or snobbery: made for sharing with friends, bottle after bottle”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Italy – Piedmont

Produttori del Barbaresco Asili, Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 2008 750ML ($89.95) $79 special 
Case-12 Produttori del Barbaresco Asili, Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 2008 750ML ($999.95) $849 special (that’s only $70.75/bottle!)
Antonio Galloni 96 points “One of the absolute highlights in this portfolio of utterly amazing wines, the 2008 Barbaresco Riserva Asili possesses marvelous depth and richness, but also little of the early approachability and sexiness of Asili. With time in the glass, the wine’s inner perfume gradually emerges, but ultimately this is a Barbaresco to bury in the deepest corner of the cellar. Once again, the Produttori have done a fabulous job with the Asili. The 2008 has nerves of steel and a huge, never-ending finish. It is by far the most imposing and structured Asili I have ever tasted from the Produttori. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2048.” AG

Produttori del Barbaresco Pora, Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 2008 750ML ($69.95) $59 special 
Antonio Galloni 95 points “Playing true to type, the 2008 Barbaresco Riserva Pora is another of the more open wines in this vintage. But that is only in relative terms. Layers of expressive red fruit, crushed flowers and spices flesh out in this radiant Barbaresco. In most vintages the Pora is one of the more accessible of the Riservas when young. The close proximity of the vineyard to the Tanaro River results in a warm microclimate that ripens the fruit earlier than elsewhere. In 2008, though, the Pora packs a serious punch. The coolness of the late harvest comes through in a finish laced with considerable tension and minerality. This is easily one of the very best Poras I have ever tasted from the Produttori. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2048.” AG

Produttori del Barbaresco Rabaja, Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 2008 750ML ($119.95) $89 special
Produttori del Barbaresco Rabaja, Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 2008 1.5L ($319.95) $199 special
Case-12 Produttori del Barbaresco Rabaja, Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 2008 750ML ($1199.95) $949 special (that’s only $79.08/bottle!)
Antonio Galloni 96+ points “The 2008 Barbaresco Riserva Rabaja is utterly magnificent in this vintage. Usually a powerhouse, the 2008 is incredibly refined to the point it seems to literally hover on the palate. It is a wine of exquisite grace and beauty. All the elements are in place. I could describe the aromas and flavors, but that would be doing this majestic Barbaresco a huge disservice. Ultimately, the 2008 Rabaja, is all about textural finesse and pure elegance. This is another breathtaking wine from the Produttori. A king among kings. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2048”

Italy – Veneto

Dal Forno Romano Vigneto Monte Lodoletta Valpolicella Superiore, Veneto 2010 750ML ($99.95) $89 special
Wine Advocate 95 points “The 2010 Valpolicella Superiore Monte Lodoletta is more precise and focused compared to the 2011 edition that I tasted at the estate at the same time. This was not an easy vintage in Valpolicella compared to other parts of Italy that enjoyed a classic growing season. Instead, this Northern corner of Italy suffered from heavy rains and some hail damage. Overall yields were lower as a result. But the wine sings in terms of its brightness and aromatic intensity today. The expressive bouquet covers all the bases from black fruit to spice to drying mineral or flint. All of these elements conspire to bring robust flavors together with smooth and seamless transitions.”

Italy – Tuscany

Caparsa ‘Rosato di Caparsa’ Toscana IGT, Tuscany NV 750 ($19.95) $16 special 
Winery notes: “Rosso di Caparsa (non-vintage) is made with Sangiovese grapes harvested in Caparsa, aged in cement tanks and not filtered. The cement tanks can preserve the fruit and the integrity of Sangiovese grapes. Rosso di Caparsa is a based wine, good price for quality!”

This is the only listing in the USA today!

Germany – Pfalz

Von Winning Deidesheimer Paradiesgarten Riesling Trocken, Pfalz 2015 750ML ($34.95) $24 special 
David Schildknecht–Vinous 93 points “As usual, Von Winning’s Paradiesgarten leads with seductive, subtly bittersweet floral perfume calling to mind buddleia, iris and gentian. Musky inner-mouth perfume complements ripe white peach and fresh lime on a glossy, buoyant palate, leading to a refreshing finish, incisively ginger-tinged, coolingly laced with mint, and transparent to alkaline, stony and subtly saline nuances. One again, this site high up against the Haardt forests displays its class, and cellarmaster Attmann demonstrates his willingness and ability to let dry Pfalz Riesling unapologetically exude charm.”
Wine Advocate 90 points “The 2015 Deidesheimer Paradiesgarten Riesling Trocken offers a coolish, clear and very precise bouquet; there are stony and leafy flavors intertwined with white stone fruit and ripe lemon aromas. Dry, medium-bodied, very elegant and nicely piquant on the palate, this is a tightly woven, very well focused and perfectly balance Riesling. It is aromatics and juicy with stone fruit, passion fruit and mango flavors in the persistent, stimulatingly salty finish. It’s a pleasure to drink this wine today, but it will certainly benefit from further bottle aging.”
Terry Theise note “Until Von Winning I don’t think anyone knew the potential of this upslope vineyard in Deidesheim. It’s an amazing value considering what it offers for the pittance it ciosts; wry, grainy and excellent, open-armed and terroiré, but terroir detached from “mineral,”: more ginger, guava and pineapple; hints at woodiness and resolves into a suave finish of pink peppercorns.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $27

Von Winning Kirchenstuck Riesling Grosses Gewachs, Pfalz 2015 750ML ($139.95) $99 special
Wine Advocate 93-94 points “The citrus-colored 2015 Forster Kirchenstück Riesling Trocken GG opens with the aromatically discreet, yet deep and complex nose of a great wine. There are flinty aromas of crushed rocks with lemon oil flavors and a certain refreshing greenness (lemon tree leaves). This wine is full-bodied, dense and compact on the palate, with an elegant texture, fruit flavor and a vital acidity. This is a creamy textured, very complex and powerful wine with a lot of grip and tension. It reveals the persistent finish you may expect from a Forster Kirchenstück, but is also characterized by some oak tannins. The 2015 is really firm and tight and adequately closed; it will open up slowly only next year or the year after.”
Wine Spectator 93 points “Complex and beautifully crafted, with orchard blossom aromas, and flavors of ripe quince and blood orange, this firmly structured white has a spine of powerful but well-integrated acidity. The finish is infused with savory spice notes. Best from 2019 through 2029.”
Terry Theise note “The Great One, the Clos-Ste-Hûne of the Pfalz, is an absolute blockbuster in ’15. The fragrance is strong, the wine is strong. It’s blatantly great. Wicky, mineral, licorice-y, imploding fruit and ore, nothing very mystic here, just a wickedly curvaceous writhing mélange of power with the nth degree of intricacy.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $144.99

Von Winning Deidesheimer Langenmorgen Riesling Grosses Gewachs, Pfalz 2015 750ML ($79.95) $59 special
Wine Advocate 92-94 points “The 2015 Deidesheimer Langenmorgen Riesling Trocken GG is deep and dusty, with its coolish and lemony fruit flavors; this is less fruit intense than the other 2015 von Winning Riesling crus from Deidesheim. Crushed stone flavors intermix with lemon juice and lead to a full-bodied, very intense and elegant palate. The wine has a nice mineral grip and a citrusy piquancy. The Langenmorgen has the freshness and tension you could eventually miss in many other 2015s from the Mittelhaardt. So if you prefer a rather fresh and coolish style, with a vivacious acidity and stimulating purity, the Langenmorgen is a serious candidate to satisfy your passions.”
Terry Theise note “It’s the nerd among the “GGs” of Deidesheim, and it’s my personal favorite; the stoniest and most focused, complex and digital; it pulls you in, it’s introverted and numinous and insanely flowery, sous bois, thinly stony like what you skip on the surface of a pond. Chinese 5-spice comes on. How does wine do this, refer to four different families of flavor within one perfect structure?”

Von Winning Ruppertsberger Reiterpfad Riesling Trocken, Pfalz 2015 ($39.95) $29 special
Wine Advocate 92 points “The von Wining 2015 Ruppertsberger Reiterpfad Riesling Trocken (classified VDP Erste Lage, so premier cru) offers a dense, pure, aromatic and mineral nose of ripe white fruits, lemons, crushed chalk and some nice vegetal or floral aromas. This is medium-bodied (in terms of alcohol), but tightly woven, very mineral, with a ripe and well-concentrated fruit on the palate. It is a very refreshing, complex and expressive Riesling that is still restrained, but full of potential. The finish is tight and very salty.”
Terry Theise note “This Ruppertsberg site could easily justify a “GG” bottling, as other estates have indeed done. It’s the juicy grande dame among the 1er Crus, very close to the “GGs” in stature and in that ineffable sense of Important Land; a warm basket of yellow fruits and a solid yet texturally complex finish. No need to work to “get” this wine; it’s overtly dee-lish!”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $35

Von Winning ‘II’ Sauvignon Blanc Trocken, Pfalz 2015 750ML ($24.95) $21.90 special 
Grapelive 93 points “Even the entry level 2015 Sauvignon Blanc from Von Winning is beyond expectations, and those were high. This mostly stainless steel version truly makes you wonder why you’d drink Sauvignon Blanc from anywhere else! Honestly, I’d rather have this 2015 Von Winning Sauvignon Blanc II Trocken than almost any New Zealand or California wine, especially in this price class. Nothing comes close, not Cloudy Bay, and certainly not Duckhorn or Cakebread! It getting tougher when you get to the Loire Valley or even Alto Adige, but again at this price, the Von Winning prevails, it’s just that much more interesting and complex, it’s simply much more the compelling wine. Grown following biodynamic (organic) principles in high density vines on the sandstone, limestone and clay in the Pfalz, the Von Winning Sauvignon Blanc II shows bright floral tones, a pale sunrise in the glass and intense gooseberry and a burst of lemon/lime to start with a fleshy and forward palate adding white peach and subtle tropical notes with striking mineral, wet stones and a crisp dusty chalky character. A hint of herb, pink grapefruit and tangy marmalade add to the complexity, and while brisk with juicy acidity this light bodied white gains texture and has wonderful and detailed mouth feel and heavenly delicacy. Von Winning is on a roll and 2015 takes things to the next level, you’ll want to get any and every Riesling they make in this glorious vintage, but do not overlook the Sauvignon Blancs. These are mind blowing wines, they might have made me fall in love with this varietal all over again, and in particular this 2015 Sauvignon Blanc II. In my book it’s the best Sauvignon Blanc for the money you can buy, period, end of story! Drink this vibrant beauty over the next 3 to 5 years, drink it alone as a pure summer sipper or really get the best out of it with cuisine, be that cheeses or white fish as well as lemon chicken or sushi even, just don’t miss this wine!”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

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Summer’s Peak Refreshers

Bargains by the Twelve-Pack

Toast the end of the stifling heat!

Case-12 Hubert Rousseau Domaine des Trois Toits Muscadet Sevre-et-Maine Sur Lie, Loire 2015 750ML ($219.95) $169 special, 5 cases available (that’s only $14.08/bottle!)
Hubert Rousseau Domaine des Trois Toits Muscadet Sevre-et-Maine Sur Lie, Loire 2015 750ML ($19.95) $16 special, 36+ bottles available
Importer note “After harvest the grapes are pressed and the juice is placed in underground cuves in typical and ancient fashion in the Muscadet district. The alcoholic fermentation proceeds at low temperatures for three to five weeks. Afterwards the wine is racked off the gross lies and is left to age on the fine lies until bottling. During the period of elevage, the wines are in constant contact with the lies, with frequent batonage. The result is a fresh, mineral-driven wine that occasionally carries an almost imperceptible effervescence. Bottling normally occurs during the period of March through May of the year following harvest.”

Case-12 Domaine Camille et Laurent Schaller Chablis Vieilles Vignes, Burgundy 2015 750ML ($359.95) $259 special, 3 cases available (that’s only $21.58/bottle!)
Domaine Camille et Laurent Schaller Chablis Vieilles Vignes, Burgundy 2015 750ML ($29.95) $24 special, 17 bottles available
Decanter 90 points “Reticent lime nose. The palate has a rich attack, and is firm and concentrated. It shows impressive depth and weight of fruit for a village wine, with density and some chewiness. Textured and long.”
Importer note “Domaine Camille & Laurent Schaller is a family estate based in Préhy, a village in the heart of the Chablis vineyard. Laurent and his son Camille cultivate three grape varieties: Chardonnay, Aligoté and Pinot Noir. Their parcels are located in the villages of Préhy, Courgis, Chablis, Poilly sur Serein, Chichée (Premier Cru Vaucoupin) and Beine (Premier Cru Vau de Vey). The vines are planted in a clay and limestone soil which is typical of Chablis. It brings to wines great finesse, minerality and purity.”

This is the only listing in the USA today!

Case-12 Weingut Jos. Christoffel Jr. Christoffel-Prum Erdener Treppchen Riesling Kabinett, Mosel 2014 750ML ($219.95) $199 special, 2 cases available (that’s only $16.58/bottle!)
Weingut Jos. Christoffel Jr. Christoffel-Prum Erdener Treppchen Riesling Kabinett, Mosel 2014 750ML ($27.95) $18 special, 36+ bottles available
“Kajo Christoffel’s 2014 Erdener Treppchen Riesling Kabinett is clearly characterized by honey-sweet botrytis flavors along with dried fruit and overripe Riesling flavors on the nose. Light in alcohol (7.5%), round and racy on the palate, this is a lush and juicy, very aromatic Riesling with a delicate acidity and a lingering minerality in the finish. Should be cellared for six or ten years.” –Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate
VinopolNote: Erdener Treppchen slops southward, allowing long stretches of exposure. The soil comprises of deep layers of iron-infused slate, steeply terraced from the river’s banks up to the rough and rocky summit of nearby hills. The vineyard’s terrain inspired the name, based off of ‘treppe’, or ‘staircase’, in German.

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $21.99

Case-12 Guy Breton Morgon Vieilles Vignes, Beaujolais 2015 750ML ($419.95) $319 special, 5 cases available (that’s only $26.58/bottle!)
Guy Breton Morgon Vieilles Vignes, Beaujolais 2015 750ML ($34.95) $29 special, 36+ bottles available
Guy Breton Morgon Vieilles Vignes, Beaujolais 2015 1.5L ($79.95) $69 special, 4 magnums available
Josh Raynolds–Vinous 94 points “Limpid violet. A seductively perfumed bouquet evokes fresh red berries, Asian spices and potpourri, and subtle cola and licorice nuances emerge with aeration. Juicy and pure on the palate, offering intense raspberry, lavender pastille and spicecake flavors and a refreshingly bitter touch of blood orange. Delivers a serious payload of vibrant berry and spice character without excess weight, and finishes extremely long and nervy, displaying no rough edges and lingering florality.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $33

Case-12 Joseph Drouhin Bourgogne Laforet Pinot Noir, Burgundy 2014 750ML ($199.95) $149 special, 2 cases available (that’s only $12.42/bottle and the lowest listed price in the USA today!)
Joseph Drouhin Bourgogne Laforet Pinot Noir, Burgundy 2014 750ML ($17.95) $14 special, 18 bottles available
Winery note “A wine full of charm: bright ruby colour and a nose rich with aromas of red fruit (raspberry, red currants, wild strawberry). On the palate, the wine is pleasant, fruity and refreshing, with light tannins and great elegance.”

Case-12 Zorzal Eggo Franco Cabernet Franc, Tupungato, Argentina 2015 750ML ($319.95) $249 special, 3 cases available (that’s only $18.25/bottle and the lowest listed price in the USA today!)
Zorzal Eggo Franco Cabernet Franc, Tupungato, Argentina 2015 750ML ($29.95) $24 special, 36+ bottles available
Wine Advocate 93 points “The second vintage I tasted from this Cabernet Franc, the 2015 Eggo Franco is produced, like many of their wines, with grapes from Tupungato Winelands in Gualtallary. It fermented in cement eggs with some stems and with 50% of the wine kept in contact with skins for some three to four months, then pressed and put back in the eggs to complete its élevage, which lasted some nine months. It shows a mixture of herbal and candied berry aromas, hints of beef blood and iron. The absence of oak shows the naked tannins and provides an earthy side, which to me is very much the wild character of Gualtallary. 6,000 bottles were filled in December 2015 (it was harvested in March).”

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Summer Shipping Special:

Midwest, East, & South

For the summer season we are offering UPS Three Day Select Service for the price of UPS Ground for shipments normally traveling 4 or more business days by ground.

Free service upgrade only applies on single orders purchased and shipped during the promotional period.  Additional fees will apply to orders held for any reason until after the promotional period and shipped by Three Day Select.  Offer not valid on items purchased before the promotional period or on pre-arrival items that arrive after the promotional period ends.

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New Arrival Featurette

Olivier Horiot Champagnes (and Coteaux Champenois)

Olivier Horiot is somewhat of a maverick in Champagne.  Since taking over the reins of his father’s estate in 1999, he has been obsessed with the idea of showing off the terroir of the town of Les Riceys, in the Cote de Bar region of Champagne. Where most producers would just start farming carefully and make fairly traditional wines, Horiot decided to proceed a little differently.

Olivier makes two sets of wines—some are traditionally made extremely low dosage site specific Champagnes and some are still wines.  The still wines are his intellectual focus and are an incredible insight into what the wines underlying Champagne taste like.  The town of Riceys sits on a band of pure Kimmeridgean soil which gives the Pinot Noir a delicacy and finesse that makes it perfect for rosé and white wines.  We’re excited to have access to these wines and wanted to offer you a chance to buy these micro-production gems:

Newly Arrived from Olivier Horiot

Still Wine:

Olivier Horiot Rosé des Riceys En Barmont, Coteaux Champenois 2012 750ML ($59.95) $49 special

Sparkling Wines:

Olivier Horiot ‘Metisse’ Les Riceys Noirs & Blanc Extra Brut, Champagne NV 750ML ($69.95) $59 special
Importer note “2013 Pinot Noir & Pinot Blanc, barrel fermented from 6 different Ricey terroirs, plus solera reserve wine; 2 gm/l dosage.”

Olivier Horiot Seve En Barmont Extra Brut Rosé de Saignee, Champagne 2010 750ML ($79.95) $69 special

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New Mosel Fine Wine Reviews

For Maximin Grunhauser

Wines Arriving in October

Carl von Schubert Maximin Grunhauser Abtsberg Riesling Kabinett, Mosel 2016 750ML ($29.95) $24 pre-arrival special
Mosel Fine Wines 93 points “Harvested at 82° Oechsle, this wine offers a delicately backward nose of wet stones, pear, herbs and fine spices. The wine proves delicately creamy on the palate and leaves a superbly complex and multi-layered feel of mint and citrusy fruit in the still sharp and focused finish. Make no mistake, most great fruity-styled Maximin Grünhaus wines have started life along these lines. This is a textbook Kabinett in the making! 2026-2041.”

This is the only listing in the USA today!

Carl von Schubert Maximin Grunhauser Abtsberg Riesling Spatlese, Mosel 2016 750ML ($37.95) $29 pre-arrival special
Mosel Fine Wines 94 points “The wine proves superbly elegant and inviting on the nose with cassis, herbs, pear and fresh fruits. The wine is gorgeously zesty on the palate and leaves a grandiose feel of herbs in the long and herb-infused finish. This is a plain beauty cut along the traditionally zesty, cassis-infused and minty lines of great Maximin Grünhaus wines. 2026-2041.”

This is the only listing in the USA today!

Carl von Schubert Maximin Grunhauser Herrenberg Riesling Kabinett, Mosel 2016 750ML ($29.95) $24 pre-arrival special
Mosel Fine Wines 89+ points “The wine proves nicely juicy and fresh on the nose with pear, herbs and fine spices still covering an underlying cooler layer of cassis and citrusy fruits. It has the body of a Spätlese on the palate and leaves a gorgeously pure and citrus-infused feel in the long finish. While very good, this could easily turn into an outstanding wine if the fresher side takes over at maturity. 2026-2041.”

This is the only listing in the USA today!

Carl von Schubert Maximin Grunhauser Herrenberg Riesling Spatlese, Mosel 2016 750ML ($37.95) $29 pre-arrival special
Mosel Fine Wines 94 points “This offers a gorgeous nose of fresh herbs, cassis, spices and herbs. The wine proves superbly playful and elegant on the palate and leaves a great feel of herbs in the long and elegant finish. This is a plain gorgeous Spätlese with zest and delicate presence. The precision and purity are simply staggering. 2026-2041.”

This is the only listing in the USA today!

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2015 and Winery-Cellared Releases from Domaine & Maison Dujac

Rare Quality / Rare Quantity

Arriving in September

The ’15 vintage wines are scarce, so Domaine Dujac is generously offering up several winery-cellared releases from the ’09 & ’11 vintages. The supplies on all are limited, so act fast!

Limited white & red 2015 wines arriving in September:

Domaine Dujac Morey-Saint-Denis Blanc 2015 750ML ($119.95) $99 pre-arrival special, 3 bottles available
Wine Advocate 88-90 points “The 2015 Morey-Saint-Denis Blanc sees around 20% new oak. It has a clean, precise bouquet with hints of yellow plum and citrus fruit. The palate is fresh and vibrant, lively in the mouth with hints of nectarine and mango towards the pretty finish with just the faintest of tropical notes. Almost too good to age in bottle, this is a delight.”

This is the only listing in the USA today!

Domaine Dujac Monts Luisants Blanc, Morey-Saint-Denis Premier Cru 2015 750ML ($199.95) $149 pre-arrival special, 3 bottles available
Wine Advocate 89-91 points “The 2015 Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru Mont Luisants Blanc offers very subtle hints of white chocolate and blanched almonds on the nose that opens with enthusiasm in the glass. The palate is fresh and vibrant with very fine salinity. It is pierced by a keen line of acidity that keeps the mouth tingling long after the wine has departed. I appreciate the tension and race here and it should age with style over several years.”

Domaine Dujac Les Combettes, Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru 2015 750ML ($249.95) $219 pre-arrival special, 3 bottles available
Wine Advocate 91-93 points “The 2015 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Combettes has a focused bouquet, subtle and perhaps showing a greater mineral edge than the Folatières. The palate is a little richer than the aforementioned premier cru: veins of apricot and fresh mango, the older vines just imparting more race and tension towards the poised finish. This comes recommended.”

This is the only listing in the USA today!

Domaine Dujac Les Folatieres, Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru 2015 750ML ($219.95) $189 pre-arrival special, 3 bottles available
Wine Advocate 90-92 points “The 2015 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Folatières, which comes from two parcels of young and smaller plot of older vines, has a well-defined, austere but focused bouquet with gunflint and smoky scents reluctantly emerging. The palate is well balanced with pretty pear drop and light spicy notes, gently building to a poised finish. This is a well-crafted Puligny Folatières with nerve and focus.”

Maison Dujac Pere & Fils Morey-Saint-Denis AOC 2015 750ML ($119.95) $99 pre-arrival special, 3 bottles available
Burghound 88-91 points “Interestingly this is actually a bit more aromatically elegant with its super fresh nose of red cherry, rose petal and lightly spiced aromas. The freshness continues onto the appealingly energetic medium weight flavors that exude a fine bead of minerality on the more complex and slightly more persistent finale.”

This is the only listing in the USA today!

Domaine Dujac Morey-Saint-Denis AOC 2015 750ML ($149.95) $119 pre-arrival special, 3 bottles available
Stephen Tanzer–Vinous 89-91 points “Bright medium red. Pure, ripe aromas of raspberry and brown spices. Delivers sappy sweetness and lovely spicy lift to its red berry flavors. This intense, nicely delineated village wine really echoes on the firm, persistent finish.”

Dujac Winery-Cellared Releases Arriving in September:

Domaine Dujac Les Gruenchers, Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru 2009 750ML ($399.95) $349 pre-arrival special, 3 bottles available
Burghound 91 points “An expressive nose offers up very spicy and largely floral-dominated aromas of black raspberry liqueur. The rich, generous and forward middle weight flavors possess good verve as well as ample minerality that give lift to the mouth coating and gorgeously long finish brimming with dry extract. This is one of the more structured vintages of this wine that I have seen as it will require 10 to 15 years to be at its best.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $375

Domaine Dujac Les Gruenchers, Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru 2011 750ML ($299.95) $249 pre-arrival special, 3 bottles available
Stephen Tanzer–Vinous 90+ points “(vinified entirely with whole clusters): Aromas of red cherry, raspberry, pepper and herbs. At once silky and imploded, with tightly wound flavors of tart cranberry, pepper and spices. This very lively, firmly tannic wine needs time in bottle and will merit a higher score if it gains in pliancy.”

Domaine Dujac Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru 2011 750ML ($599.95) $499 pre-arrival special, 2 bottles available
Antonio Galloni 96 points “The 2011 Bonnes-Mares is dark, powerful and racy. Some of the typical Bonnes-Mares structure is tempered in this vintage, making the wine a little more accessible than it usually is. Menthol, licorice, dried herbs, smoke and dark stone fruits blossom in a dark, virile Burgundy that should provide thrilling drinking for the next 30 years or so. Although I don’t think the 2011 will take as long as most vintages to blossom, it will need at least a decade to start to open up. A recent bottle of the 1993 was stratospheric and showed no signs whatsoever of fading.”

Domaine Dujac Clos Saint-Denis Grand Cru 2011 750ML ($499.95) $399 pre-arrival special, 3 bottles available
Antonio Galloni 95 points “A model of elegance and finesse, the 2011 Clos St. Denis presents a hugely attractive fabric laced with orange peel, rose petals and sweet spices. The 2011 is an especially floral, lifted Clos St. Denis endowed with terrific energy and focus, while the mid-weight structure suggests it will drink well relatively early.”

In Stock Now from Domaine Dujac:

Domaine Dujac Morey-Saint-Denis Blanc 2014 750ML ($119.95) $89 special, 4 bottles available
“The 2014 Morey-Saint-Denis Blanc has a refined bouquet with almond and white peach scents. The palate is well balanced, quite rich in the mouth with a brush of clear honey and almond towards the rounded finish. This is a commendable white Morey.”–Wine Advocate
Burghound 87-89 points “The cool, pure and citrus-inflected nose also reflects petrol and floral nuances. The round and seductively textured flavors possess reasonably good volume and intensity if only moderate depth and persistence. Note that this should drink well early if patience is not your strong suit.”

Domaine Dujac Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru 2014 750ML ($499.95) $299 special, 3 bottles available
John Gilman 93-94+ points “The 2014 Charmes-Chambertin was also late finishing up its malo, and unlike the Eche´zeaux, it was not all that happy about being tasted. This wine had not yet absorbed all its new wood and was showing a bit chewy, but all the constituent components are in place for this wine to snap into place with a bit more elevage. The nose is a promising blend of black cherries, cassis, grilled meat, espresso, dark soil tones and spicy new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, long and rock solid at the core, with fine focus and soil signature, ripe tannins and a long, chewy and adolescent finish.”
Wine Advocate 92-94 points “The 2014 Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru has an exquisite bouquet with blackberry, bilberry and cassis fruit. This is very elegant and linear, great precision here. The palate is very well balanced, structured with citrus-infused blackcurrant fruit. There is that titillating prickle of salinity on the finish, a Mazoyères-like Charmes that should age well over the next 15-20 years.”

Domaine Dujac Clos de la Roche Grand Cru 2013 1.5L ($1,499.95) $1,249 special, 3 magnums available
OWC available to buyer of 2+ magnums
Antonio Galloni 94-97 points “Another superb, multidimensional wine, the 2013 Clos de La Roche boasts remarkable complexity, starting with exquisite aromatics, finely-sculpted fruit and firm yet polished tannins. Layers of flavor flesh out in all directions in a resonant, expansive Burgundy endowed with pure pedigree. There is a lot going on in the glass, although it is the wine’s totally sublime sense of harmony that is most captivating at this early stage. I can’t wait to taste the 2013 from bottle.” AG

This is the only listing in the USA today for the magnum!

Domaine Dujac Clos de la Roche Grand Cru 2014 750ML ($799.95) $599 special, 6 bottles available
John Gilman 96 points “In contrast to the Charmes, the 2014 Dujac Clos de la Roche was in fine spirits and showing enormous potential. The brilliant bouquet offers up scents of cherries, red plums, pomegranate, gamebirds, superb soil tones, woodsmoke, raw cocoa and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and very suave on the attack, with a sappy core, fine transparency and a very, very long, fine-grained and elegant finish. A great vintage of Clos de la Roche from the Seysses family this year!”
Stephen Tanzer–Vinous 94+ points “Healthy full red. Compelling soil-driven scents of raspberry, coffee, underbrush and smoky minerality. Wonderfully rich, smoky and deep but also with the vintage’s sappy, floral lift to its raspberry and strawberry fruit flavors. Perhaps best today on the extremely long finish, where the tannins are refined but substantial and will still need considerable patience. A beauty in the making.”

Domaine Dujac Clos Saint-Denis Grand Cru 2013 1.5L ($1,499.95) $1,289 special, 3 magnums available
OWC available to buyer of 2+ magnums
Antonio Galloni 93-96 points “The 2013 Clos St. Denis is a wine of detail, nuance and precision. All the classic Clos St. Denis signatures are present, but it’s almost as if they are expressive in miniature in the 2013. Feminine and supple throughout, the 2013 Clos St. Denis shows the more finessed side of Morey, and it does so in grand style.” AG

This is the only listing in the USA today for the magnum!

Domaine Dujac Clos Saint-Denis Grand Cru 2014 750ML ($599.95) $479 special, 1 bottle available
John Gilman 97 points “The style of the 2014 vintage perfectly dovetails with the great elegance inherent in this terroir, so it is not surprising that the Domaine Dujac version is utterly stunning this year. The wine soars from the glass in a blaze of cherries, red plums, cocoa powder, fresh nutmeg, a fabulous base of soil tones, woodsmoke, lovely spice tones and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and utterly seamless, with a velvety attack, a sappy core of red fruit, stunning transparency and a supremely elegant, fine-grained and tangy finish. Hauntingly beautiful Clos St. Denis in 2014!”
Stephen Tanzer–Vinous 93+ points “Good medium red. Fresh but reticent aromas of red berries, dried flowers, spices, flint, caramel and complex soil tones. Juicy, tight and youthfully imploded but already hinting at compelling sweetness of fruit. The very tight, gripping tannins will need many years of patience to harmonize with the wine’s mid-palate material. I marginally preferred this wine to the Clos de la Roche in late 2015 but it’s a bit spikier today.”

Maison Dujac Fils & Pere Gevrey-Chambertin 2009 750ML ($99.95) $89 special, 32 bottles available
Burghound 88-91 points “A cool, airy, pure and restrained nose that is very Gevrey in character offers up attractively fresh aromas of red and dark berry fruit plus a hint of the sauvage that precede the rich and complex middle weight flavors that culminate in a mildly austere but long finish. This is really quite good and worth a look.”

Maison Dujac Fils et Pere Les Damodes, Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru 2011 750ML ($119.95) $99 special, 10 bottles available
Antonio Galloni–“Dried cherries, tobacco and crushed flowers meld together in the 2011 Nuits St. Georges Les Damodes. The 2011 is soft, juicy and approachable, with plenty of near-term appeal, but less of the structure typical of Damodes.”

This is the only listing in the USA today!

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Domaine Huet

Arriving in November

Profundity Captured in Glass

huet 2016 spreadsheet

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