Newsletter 05/17/2023

 In This Newsletter:

Arrivals
Cameron Dundee Hills, Eyrie Single Vineyards, and more!
Staff Pick
Ovum “For Love Nor Money”
Rose Liquidation
We’re slashing prices on our 2020 Roses
May 
Sale- Rhone Wines
 White and Pink: Rhone wines to chill with
Collector’s Corner

Our Best Burgundies
New Arrival
 
Cameron Pinot Noir Dundee Hills 2021 750ml $36 special, 36+ bottles here now
Vinopolnote “It’s back– but for how long? Cameron’s Dundee Hills Pinot Noir is the best selling wine in our shop. This latest shipment should last us about a day and a half. Make sure you get yours, we don’t know how much more we can get.”
 
Arriving Friday the 19th

Oregon

 
“The Eyrie”
Eyrie Spark Sparkling Rose Willamette NV 750ml $19 special, 36+ bottles available
Wine Advocate 90 Points “The NV Spark is a blend of 55% Pinot Noir, 37% Chasselas Doré and 8% Pinot Blanc, from 31-year-old vines. It is an “ultra brut,” although this particular bottling is made using forced carbonation instead of méthode Champenois. Medium to deep cherry-pink in color, it has aromas of cantaloupe, strawberries, raspberries and lemon peel with notes of stone and toast. The palate is dry with citrus and red berry flavors, spritely mousse and a refreshing, mineral-driven finish.”
 
Eyrie Pinot Noir Sisters Vineyard 2019 750ml $47.50 special, 12 bottles available
Wine Advocate 96 Points “Medium ruby, the 2019 Pinot Noir Sisters has a delicate perfume of raspberries, rhubarb, tar, orange peel and tea leaves with touches of flint. The light-bodied palate is powdery and fresh with fragrant floral character and a long finish.”
 
Eyrie Pinot Noir Daphne 2019 750ml $74.50 special, 6 bottles available
Wine Advocate 97 Points “The 2019 Pinot Noir Daphne is juicy, highly aromatic and irresistible! Medium ruby, it has pure scents of raspberry and strawberry preserves, tangerine peel, Earl Grey tea leaves, star anise and tar. Light-bodied with powdery tannins and fireworks of fresh acidity, it features perfumed, crunchy red fruit and detailed floral and spice accents that fan across the finish.”
 
Eyrie Pinot Noir Roland Green Vyd 2019 750ml $61.50 special, 12 bottles available
Wine Advocate 97 Points “Medium ruby, the 2019 Pinot Noir Roland Green is scented of red cherry and cranberry with savory tones of mushroom, leather, pipe tobacco and licorice. The medium-bodied palate’s concentrated, broody fruit is supported by grainy tannins and seamless acidity, and it finishes long and spicy. Give it another 3-5 years in bottle.”
 
Italy
 
“GD Vajra”
GD Vajra Rosabella Rosato Piedmont 2022 750ml $16.50 special, 36 bottles available
Vinopolnote
 “Vajra Rosabella is 90% nebbiolo along with 10% dolcetto & barbera. Made in the saignee method using younger grapes from their superb Langhe vineyards.”
 
GD Vajra Barolo Albe 2018 750ml $33.50 special, 36+ bottles available
Wine Advocate 93+ Points
 “This wine consistently delivers one of the greatest values to be found in Italian wine. The G.D. Vajra 2018 Barolo Albe has all its cards in play as an immediately enjoyable and extremely food-friendly Nebbiolo. This really is the top of the category in that sense. With straightforward winemaking (fermentation is in steel and aging in large Slavonian oak casks), the wine offers bold cherry, wild plum and plenty of fragrant blue flower and violet. This vintage has the added benefit of softly textured richness.”
Wine Enthusiast 94 Points “Lovely Nebbiolo aromas of rose, violet, red berry and botanical herb shape the fragrant nose. Smooth and savory, the elegant palate features juicy red cherry, crushed raspberry and cake spice alongside polished tannins. Fresh acidity keeps it balanced. It’s already drinking beautifully but also promises years of pleasure. Enjoy through 2030.”
 
France
 
“Domaine Berthelemot”
Berthelemot is quite young for a domaine in Burgundy, having been founded as recently as 2006. At roughly 15 hectares with plots in Beaune, Pommard, Meursault, Puligny, and Chassagne, they have expanded exactly as fast as they desired, converting vineyards into sustainable and biodynamic properties as they go. The vivacious owner, Brigitte Berthelemot, is living proof that Burgundy is still an evolving region.
 

Berthelemot Santenay Rouge 1er La Maladiere 2018 750ml $45 special, 6 bottles available
Berthelemot Pernand Vergelesses Sous Fretille 2019 750ml $59 special, 12 bottles available
Berthelemot St Aubin 1er Murgers Dent De Chien 2018 750ml $59 special, 10 bottles available
Domaine Berthelemot Blanc 1er Cru Clos Mouches 2018 750ml $89 special, 11 bottles available
Domaine Berthelemot Corton Grand Cru 2019 750ml $129 special, 11 bottles available

Staff Pick
Ovum Rare Form “For Love Nor Money” 2020 750ml $51.90 special, 24 bottles available
“Cool off with this thirst quenching 1970’s planted Riesling from Ovum. Lots of Pear and apple fruits with different lingering herbs. Mouthwatering acid balanced with a year of lees aging. A lot of fun complexity here. Drink with oysters… drink with ceviche… drink in a kiddie pool in your front lawn. Drink now.”
-Trevor

Rose Sale
We’re making room for new roses!
 
Berthier Pinot Noir Rose L’instant 2020 750ml WAS $10.90 NOW $9.90 special, 12 bottles available
Vinous 89 Points “Shimmering orange. Spice-accented tangerine and raspberry aromas pick up a floral nuance with air. Chewy and focused on the palate, offering juicy red berry and orange zest flavors that show a refreshingly bitter edge. Finishes taut and dry, with a repeating floral note and a jolt of spicy white pepper.”

Aphillanthes Cotes Du Rhone Rose Nymphea 2020 750ml WAS $11.95 NOW $10.50 special, 8 bottles available
Wine Advocate 88 Points “Mainly Cinsault and Grenache, with traces of Carignan and Mourvèdre, this impeccably run domaine has turned out a rich, round 2020 Cotes du Rhone Rose Nymphea. Medium to full-bodied, it hints at strawberries and cherries, delivering plenty of concentration and flavor.”
 
Bastide Blanche Bandol Rose 2020 1.5L WAS $59 NOW $49 special, 9 bottles available
Vinous 92 Points “Limpid orange-pink. Expressive red berry, blood orange and pit fruit aromas are accompanied by building mineral and floral nuances. Taut and energetic in the mouth, offering sappy strawberry, orange zest and lavender flavors braced by a spine of chalky minerality. Finishes silky and impressively long, with repeating mineral and floral notes.”
Wine Advocate 91 Points “A blend of Mourvèdre, Grenache, Cinsault, Clairette and Ugni Blanc, La Bastide Blanche’s 2020 Bandol Rose bursts with scents of sun-warmed peaches, passion fruit and strawberries. It’s medium to full-bodied, mouthfilling and concentrated, yet finishes spry and refreshing, with a burst of salinity and citrus.”
 
Vintage Wine Price/Quantity
2020 Domaine Du Vissoux Beaujolais Rose Griottes 750ml WAS $16.60 NOW $14, 21 bottles available
2020 I Custodi Alnus Rosato 750ml WAS $21.90 NOW $18 special, 13 bottles available
2020 Luigi Giordano Nebbiolo Rosato Doc 750ml WAS $21.90  NOW $18 special, 3 bottles available
2020 Les Mesclances Romane Cotes De Provence Rose 750ml WAS $24 NOW $19 special, 28 bottles available
2020 Gramona Mart Rosat Xarel-Lo Vermell Penedes 750ml WAS $26 NOW $24 special, 15 bottles available
2020 Lucien Crochet Sancerre Rose 750ml WAS $33 NOW $28 special, 13 bottles available
May Sale- All Rhone Wines

Buy 6-11 bottles for a 5% discount
Buy 12+ bottles for a 10% discount
 
Ends May 31st at 6pm… the best selection is NOW!

Discount does not apply to pre-arrival wines or case discounts.
Discount will not display online, we will adjust your invoice before charging your card.

Each 1.5L (Magnum) bottle will be counted as 2 bottles when applied to the discount.
Each 3.0L bottle will be the equivalent of 4 bottles.
6.0L bottles will be counted as 8 bottles.

This is first come / first served and limited to stock on hand.

Saint Cosme Le Poste Blanc 2020 750ml $59 special, 6 bottles available
Jeb Dunnuck 93 Points “On another level, the 2020 Côtes Du Rhône Le Poste Blanc comes from a gorgeous vineyard in Gigondas (Gigondas doesn’t allow whites, hence the Côtes Du Rhône label) just up the hill from the estate. It has lots of pineapple, bright, sappy herb, and some chalky mineral-notes as well as a medium-bodied, pure, seamless style on the palate. It’s a brilliant white and shows how shortsighted it is for this appellation to not allow whites.”

Monteillet Condrieu Les Grande Chaillees 2018 750ml $59 special, 4 bottles available
Vinous 94 Points “Pale chartreuse color. Incisive aromas of fresh citrus, orchard fruits and violet are complemented by hints of chalky minerals, fennel and ginger. Juicy and sharply focused on the palate, offering vibrant pear and Meyer lemon flavors that show impressive clarity and mineral drive. The citrus fruit and floral notes echo strongly on the vibrant finish, which hangs on with sharp focus and tenacity.”
 
Monteillet Condrieu Chanson 2018 750ml $69 special, 16 bottles available
Decanter 96 Points  “Fresh, keen and tense, with lime marmalade and touches of bubblegum. There’s delicious richness and real depth to the fruit, delivering great concentration and lovely acidity. From lieu-dit Chanson and aged for 22 months in oak on the lees, Stéphane Montez explains that a long élevage like this helps to decrease alcohol levels, is better for ageing, stimulates complex tertiary flavours and means you can decrease sulfite levels as the wine is protected from oxidation by the lees.”

Chapoutier Ermitage Le Meal Blanc 2011 750ml $279 special, 2 bottles available
Wine Advocate 99 Points “Surprisingly, I preferred the 2011 Ermitage le Meal Blanc over the 2012 on this occasion and it showed a more flamboyant, sexy style in its caramelized pineapple, tropical, honeyed and floral personality. Big, rich and decadent, with fabulous fruit intensity and length, this rock star flirts with perfection and will keep for another 3-4 decades.”
 
Vintage Wine Points Price/Quantity
2021 Domaine Charvin Côtes du Rhône Rose 750ml Vinous 91 Points $19 special, 11 bottles available
2020 Saint Cosme Deux Albion Blanc 750ml   $20.90 special, 36+ bottles available
2020 Alain Graillot Crozes-Hermitage Blanc 750ml   $39 special, 16 bottles available
2019 Saint Cosme Le Poste Blanc 750ml   $59 special, 7 bottles available
2020 Saint Cosme Condrieu 750ml Wine Spectator 94 Points $84.50, 9 bottles available
2020 Rene Rostaing Condrieu La Bonnette 750ml Jeb Dunnuck 92 Points $89 special, 2 bottles available
 
Collector’s Corner

Our Best Burgundies

Red Burgundy

 
Barthod Chambolle Musigny Les Charmes 2019 750ml $319 special, 1 bottle available
Wine Advocate 95 Points “Another of the portfolio’s highlights is the 2019 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Charmes, a deep and complete cuvée evocative of cherries, raspberries, rose petals, exotic spices and incense. Medium to full-bodied, seamless and layered, its chassis of ripe, powdery tannins is entirely concealed by the wine’s concentrated core of vibrant fruit.”
 
Barthod Chambolle Musigny Les Cras 2019 1.5L $879 special, 1 bottle available
Wine Advocate 96 Points “The 2019 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Cras is similarly compelling, soaring from the glass with aromas of red berries, exotic spices, orange rind, musk and rose petals. Medium to full-bodied, concentrated and tightly wound, with a deep and vibrant core of fruit that’s framed by fine, powdery tannins, it concludes with a long, penetrating and intensely mineral finish. This is a magical Chambolle-Musigny worth a special effort to seek out.”
 
Olivier Bernstein Clos De La Roche 2016 750ml $619 special, 1 bottle available
Wine Spectator 96 Points ” Boysenberry, plum, black cherry, earth and underbrush flavors are allied to an opulent texture and muscular structure in this beefy red. Impressive, but will need time for all the components to fall into place. Offers big tannic grip on the finish. Best from 2023 through 2047.”

Coche-Dury Hospices Cuvee Chaudron Pommard 2019 750ml $899 special, 1 bottle available
Burghound 90 points “An attractively fresh nose is comprised by notes of both red and dark currant, earth and a whiff of oak. The medium weight flavors possess reasonably good underlying tension and complexity though the finish, while reasonably persistent, is slightly drying. There are aspects to admire but it would be fair to say that the balance isn’t quite completely dialed in. In sum, this is good but not really distinguished.”

Faiveley Mazis Chambertin 2019 750ml $419 special, 5 bottles available
Wine Advocate 93-95+ Points “Wild and brooding, Faiveley’s 2019 Mazis-Chambertin Grand Cru wafts from the glass with aromas of smoked meats, spices, wild berries and forest floor. Full-bodied, layered and sapid, it’s broad and muscular, with a deep core of fruit and youthfully chalky tannins. This is a serious Mazis built for the long haul.”
 
Faiveley Nuits St Georges Les St Georges 2019 1.5L $419 special, 2 bottles available
Vinous 93-95 Points “The 2019 Nuits Saint-Georges Les Saint-Georges 1er Cru is an equal blend from Faiveley’s own vines and contract growers, plus a barrel from the Hospices de Nuits. It has a very perfumed and floral bouquet of red berry fruit complemented by wilted violets and potpourri. The medium-bodied palate offers crunchy red berry fruit laced with balsamic. Quite energetic and well defined toward the harmonious finish, which leaves a tang of white pepper on the aftertaste. This is a superb Les Saint-Georges.”
 
Hubert Lignier Clos De La Roche 2018 750ml $519 special, 2 bottles available
Hubert Lignier Clos De La Roche 2018 1.5L $1049 special, 2 bottles available
Decanter 96 Points “Laurent Lignier uses 0.8ha of his two holdings in the climats of Les Fremières and Monts Luisants to produce this refined expression of Clos de la Roche. Savoury and sweet, with 30% whole clusters adding aromatic spices and extra structure in 2018, this is graceful, subtle and concentrated with palate-caressing summer berry fruit and refreshing palate length. Drinking Window 2026 – 2036.”
Wine Advocate 95+ Points “Revisited in bottle, Lignier’s 2018 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru lives up to its fine performance in barrel, wafting from the glass with aromas of dark berries, cherries and orange rind mingled with truffle, espresso roast, loamy soil and dark chocolate. Full-bodied, concentrated and seamless, it’s layered and vibrant, with a deep core of pure fruit that largely conceals impressive reserves of fine, powdery tannins. Concluding with a long and saline finish, it will merit and reward at least a dozen years’ patience, likely hitting its stride around age 20.”
 
Hubert Lignier Griotte Chambertin 2016 750ml $459 special, 2 bottles available
Stephen Tanzer 91-94 Points “Healthy full red. Pungent aromas of purple fruits, menthol and crushed rock. Quite pliant on entry, then precise and perfumed in the middle palate, showing noteworthy energy and lift to its flavors of small wild red fruits, minerals and spices. Not a particularly tannic wine but juicy, refined and long.”
 
Hubert Lignier Griotte Chambertin 2017 750ml $519 special, 1 bottle available
Burghound 91-93 Points “There is much more moderate oak influence framing the cool and perfumed nose that offers up essence of various red berries and floral nuances along with a hint of the sauvage. The well-detailed and solidly concentrated flavors possess fine size and weight as well as plenty of sleek muscle and minerality on the stylish and classy finish. This is built to age yet it’s not so structured that it couldn’t be approached after a few years of bottle age.”
 
Louis Latour Romanee St Vivant Journaux 2016 750ml $599 special, 3 bottles available
James Suckling 100 Points “This is a grand cru that shows its intensity and complexity and greatness from the beginning. Blackberry, licorice and stone aromas. Full body and a center palate that shows ripe fruit and full richness. Then the tannins kick in. Great wine. Drink in 2024.”
 
Meo Camuzet Clos De  Vougeot Grand Cru 2019 750ml $419 special, 2 bottles available
Vinous 95-97 Points “The 2019 Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru is quite closed on the nose, offering discreet blackberry, raspberry and light violet aromas that you might mistake for a Vosne-Romanée. The palate is medium-bodied with succulent ripe tannins. This is a juicy Clos de Vougeot, a little savory and quite peppery on the finish, which you might misconstrue as a result of some stem addition. Sculpted with Jean-Nicolas Méo’s finest chisel, this is a wonderful Clos de Vougeot.”
 
Montille Vosne-Romanee 1er Malconsorts 2017 1.5L $949 special, 1 bottle available
Decanter 95 Points “The de Montille Malconsorts has lightened up in 2017, which may be a vintage thing. This is less oaky and chewy than some of its predecessors. The 100% whole bunches are very well done, adding some savoury, sappy notes to the layered red and black fruits, with floral top-notes wafting above the surface.”
 
Hudelot Noellat Vosne Romanee Beaux Monts 2019 $469 special, 5 bottles available
Vinous 94-96 Points “The 2019 Vosne-Romanée Les Beaumonts 1er Cru is well defined on the nose, a mixture of red and black fruit displaying fine mineralité and tension. The palate races out of the blocks with fine structure and delineation, and again, superb mineralité; palpable tension propels it through to the finish. You can almost feel the rock that lies just 20cm under the soil of this vineyard. Outstanding.”
 
Ponsot Clos De La Roche Vieilles Vignes 2016 750ml $799 special, 5 bottles available
Wine Advocate 97 Points “The 2016 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru Cuvée Vieilles Vignes is superb, bursting from the glass with aromas of juicy cherries, peonies, blood orange, licorice, raw cocoa and espresso roast. On the palate, it’s full-bodied, deep and succulent, with a concentrated, layered mid-palate, satiny structuring tannins and vibrant underlying acidity, concluding with a long finish. Harvested on October 7 at a comparatively high yield by Ponsot’s standards of 38 hectoliters per hectare, this year seems to have been perfectly adapted to Ponsot’s style. Vibrant, elegant and expressive, the 2016 is quite different from the richer, more powerful 2015, but in the fullness of time, I wouldn’t be surprised to see it surpassing its brawnier elder sibling.”
 
Armand Rousseau Clos St Jacques 2013 750ml $1449 special, 1 bottle available
Vinous 94-97 Points “Rousseau’s 2013 Gevrey-Chambertin Clos St. Jacques possesses gorgeous aromatic lift and energy. Polished and refined throughout, the 2013 is super-expressive. Winemaker Frédéric Robert adds that the grapes were especially small in 2013, with virtually no juice. Once again, Rousseau’s Clos St. Jacques looks to be one of the wines of the vintage.”
 
Cecile Tremblay Chambolle 1er Feusselottes 2019 750ml $999 special, 7 bottles available
Wine Advocate 95 Points “The 2019 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Feusselottes has also turned out beautifully, wafting from the glass with a complex bouquet of raspberries and blackberries mingled with hints of orange rind, violets and exotic spices. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and enveloping, it’s deep and fleshy, with a layered core of fruit, lively acids and remarkable structural finesse for such a young, undeniably concentrated wine. This might well be the finest Feusselottes that Tremblay has produced to date.”
 
Cecile Tremblay Morey St Denis Tres Girard 2013 750ml $399 special, 5 bottles available
Vinous “(vinified with 50% whole clusters): Medium red. Soil-driven aromas of mocha, earth and smoky, rocky minerality. Ripe and sweet, with a pungent mineral spine and sound acidity intensifying the wine’s red fruit flavors. Finishes with good mineral energy.”
 
White Burgundy
 
Domaine Dujac Puligny 1er Folatieres 2019 1.5L $599 special, 1 bottle available
Burghound 91-93 Points “Outstanding! Smoky reduction currently overshadows the underlying fruit though there is fine freshness and verve to the nicely delineated middle weight flavors that are supported by firm acidity on the clean, dry and linear finale. Like the 2018 version, this attractively persistent effort could use better depth, but the underlying material appears to be present for that to occur.”
Decanter 91 Points “The aromas are rich, almost tropical and the wine feels dense, almost a bit heavy, reflecting the character of the year more than the position on the slope. From 1.16ha of fairly young vines, this is fermented and aged with relatively modest use of new oak. Drinking Window 2024 – 2049.”
 
Domaine Dujac Puligny 1er Folatieres 2020 1.5L $599 special, 1 bottle available
Vinous 90-92 Points “The 2020 Puligny-Montrachet Les Folatières 1er Cru has a nicely detailed bouquet with fine delineation, orange pith and light linen scents developing with time. The palate is well balanced with tangy orange zest on the entry, quite linear and strict with a fresh finish, though it does not quite possess the mineralité of the Combettes.”
 
Lucien Le Moine Chablis Les Preuses Grand Cru 2016 1.5L $379 special, 1 bottle available
Vinous 92-95 “Musky scents of citrus fruits, gardenia, white rose, anise, smoke, fresh herbs and earth. Very dry, rich and thick, but with a remarkably sappy, penetrating quality to its citrus and floral flavors. The extremely slow-building, edge-free finish stains the palate with licorice and menthol. Utterly distinctive grand cru Chablis–but then this bottling has been consistently stunning since its inaugural 2012 vintage.”
 
Domaine Leflaive Batard Montrachet 2020 750ml $1899 special, 1 bottle available
Burghound 95-97 Points  “Don’t Miss! A wonderfully floral-suffused nose reflects additional notes of petrol, citrus, white orchard and a hint of oak toast. The bigger and richer flavors also possess a gorgeous mouthfeel that is almost delicate yet racy with excellent delineation on the youthfully austere and beautifully balanced finish that just goes on and on. This is potentially a magnificent Bâtard and it’s going to be interesting to compare this with the Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet in a decade’s or so time. In sum, I would offer the same advice – if you can find it, buy it.”
 
Domaine Leflaive Chevalier-Montrachet 2020 750ml $2499 special, 1 bottle available
Burghound 96-98 Points “Don’t Miss! Strikingly elegant, cool and restrained aromas are comprised by notes of citrus confit, mineral reduction, anise, exotic tea and the classic acacia blossom nuances. The almost painfully intense medium-bodied flavors are at once succulent yet chiseled while the practically pungent minerality adds a sense of lift to the hugely long finish that is youthfully austere and Zen-like in its harmony. This is quite simply majestic in its class and grace and is a wine that should age effortlessly for years.”
 
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Be well & drink well.