Collector’s Corner
Our Best Bordeaux
 

Angelus Saint Emilion 2016 1.5L $899 special, 19 bottles available
Wine Enthusiast 100 Points “Top 100 cellar selection in 2019. This is a rich, perfumed wine, with dense tannins and intense layers of black plum and spice. The palate is firmly built yet broadened out by plump dark-fruit tones and honed by a solid, dry core. Drink from 2025.”
Wine Advocate 98+ Points “Sporting a deep garnet-purple color, the 2016 Angélus erupts from the glass with powerful notes of blackberry pie, ripe black cherries and juicy black plums with an undercurrent of star anise, rose petals, chocolate mint, pencil shavings and woodsmoke plus a waft of allspice. The palate is pure decadence. Medium to full-bodied, rich and generously fruited, this wine is by no means heavy—it positively glimmers with freshness and vivacity, lending an ethereal nature to all that richness and power, beautifully framed by velvety tannins and finishing with epic length. The generosity, layers and plushness make for an absolutely DELICIOUS drink right now, but I’d suggest waiting 3-5 more years for the fireworks to really begin.”
 
Chateau Belair Monange Saint-Emilion 2018 750ml $249 special, 11 bottles available
James Suckling 99 Points “Very intense blackberries, black olives, blueberries and dried flowers. Stony minerality. Even some pine. Full-bodied with superb depth of fruit and ultra fine tannins that are intense and polished. The finish is so long and delivers so much flavor, from wet earth to blackberry again. Seamless palate. Try after 2026.”
 
Chateau Canon St. Emilion 2015 750ml $349 special, 35 bottles available
James Suckling #1 Wine of the Year
Vinous 100 Points “From the very beginning, the 2015 Canon has made an eloquent case for itself as one of the wines of the vintage. Multiple tastings from bottle only confirm what several early tastings hinted at: the 2015 Canon is simply extraordinary in every way. Sumptuous and exotic, with no hard edges and exceptional balance, the 2015 grabs hold of all the senses and never lets up. A rush of red fruit intermingled with floral notes, spice and smoke notes effortlessly runs up the wine’s vertical structure as the 2015 thrills with every twist and turn. The 2015 Canon is a rare wine that is both hedonistic and intellectual – well, maybe it is a bit more hedonistic-leaning. It doesn’t matter. Don’t miss it. This 2015 is masterpiece from General Manager Nicolas Auderbert and his team at Canon.”
 
Chapelle D’ausone St Emilion 2009 750ml $249 special, 1 bottle available
James Suckling 96 Points “This is always made with the young vines. Full-bodied, with super velvety tannins and gorgeous mineral, dark berry and spice character. Lovely velvet texture. Amazing quality for a second wine.”
 
Cos D’estournel Saint Estephe 2016 750ml $299 special, 5 bottle available
Wine Advocate 100 Points “The 2016 Cos d’Estournel is blended of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc aged in 65% new and 35% two-year-old French oak for 15 months. Bottled in July 2018, it is deep garnet-purple colored and starts off a little closed and reticent, opening out slowly and seductively to reveal beautiful lilacs, rose hip tea, crushed stones and camphor nuances over a core of crème de cassis, kirsch, wild blueberries and mocha plus wafts of incense and wood smoke. The palate is simply electric, charged with an energy and depth of flavors that seem to defy the elegance and ethereal nature of its medium-bodied weight, featuring super ripe, densely pixelated tannins that firmly frame the myriad of fruit and floral sparks, finishing with epic length. Just. Magic.”
Vinous 100 Points “The 2016 Cos d’Estournel was a bona fide showstopper out of barrel, the best that I had encountered in over 20 years of visiting the estate during en primeur, so my expectations were piled high when I returned to find out how it performs in bottle. Deep, almost opaque in color, it sports a very intense but broody bouquet with fathomless deep black fruit tinged with blueberry and violet. The aromas almost seem to envelop the senses. The palate is medium-bodied with ultra-fine tannin that I have never witnessed in any other vintage of Cos d’Estournel. There is a beguiling symmetry to this Saint-Estèphe, as well as unerring mineralité. The persistent, tobacco-tinged finish can be felt 60 second after the wine has departed. This is a monumental, benchmark Cos d’Estournel that will give not years but decades of pleasure, though I suspect it will close down for a period in its youth, hence my drinking window. 13.07% alcohol.”
 
Ducru Beaucaillou Saint-Julien 2018 750ml $269 special, 4 bottles available
Wine Enthusiast 100 Points, #6 Top 100 Cellar Selections in 2021 “Vintage 2018 was generous to the style of Ducru-Beaucaillou. The rich character of this wine is enhanced by the ripeness and concentration of the vintage, yet at the same time it keeps an amazing freshness. This will go down in the annals of this historic estate. It is not likely to approach drinkability before 2028. -Roger Voss”
Jeb Dunnuck 98+ Points “The Grand Vin 2018 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou checks in as 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot that was harvested at the end of September through October 10 and brought up all in new French oak. This is a gorgeous, incredibly complete, classic expression of this terroir, offering a heavenly nose of crème de cassis, cedarwood, unsmoked tobacco, new leather, spring flowers, chocolate, and a touch of chalky minerality. With full-bodied richness, a monster of a mid-palate, remarkable purity, and a great, great finish, it’s one of the most concentrated, impressive wines of the vintage, and might also be one of the longest lived. It actually reminds me of an improved version of the 1996 or a hypothetical mix of the 2010 and 2016. For the tech geeks out there, the IPT checks in at a massive 95 and the pH is 3.7.”
  
Chateau Leoville Poyferre St Julien 2015 1.5L $249 special, 8 bottles available
Jeb Dunnuck 97 Points “The 2015 Leoville Poyferre is cut from the same cloth as the 2016, yet is more sexy, rounded and opulent. Notes of cassis, licorice, crushed rocks, lead pencil shavings and graphite all emerge from this unctuous, ripe, pedal-to-the-metal beauty that’s absolutely loaded with fruit and texture. Reminding me of the 2003, yet only fresher, don’t miss this beauty. It should be drinkable in 3-4 years and last for 3-4 decades.”
 
Chateau Margaux 2014 750ml $499 special, 1 bottle available
Wine Enthusiast 97 Points “Cellar Selection. There is a sense of pure juicy black-currant fruit that shoots through this great wine. With tannins that are firm while not a jot too much, the wine is crisp, packed with fruit and set for many years of aging. It is beautiful, fruity and intensely structured. Drink from 2027.”
 
Chateau Mouton Rothschild Pauillac 2010 750ml $1199 special, 1 bottle available
Decanter 100 Points “Smoked grilled tar on the nose, it feels both very 2010 and supremely Mouton – accomplished and confident. A more glamorous, enticing edge than the other Pauillac Firsts at this 10 year window. There are plentiful tannins but they are lined with air, and the overall feel is of plush, plumped fruits, like being rolled-up in luxurious sheets. It is very different in character to the other two Pauillac Firsts, but no less enjoyable. It feels higher in alcohol, more Cos than Lafite in terms of personality, in the way that Pichon Baron is more Latour than Comtesse, but it is nuanced and clever and surprising. Drinking Window 2025 – 2050.”
Wine Spectator 99 Points “This remains the stunner, a battleship of a wine, brimming with cassis, blackberry and fig fruit that has melded together now, with the backdrop of alder, bay leaf and menthol starting to emerge a bit more. The long finish is loaded with grip, pulling the fruit and other components together. And then there’s that flash of iron at the very end. Awesome wine. Best from 2025 through 2060.”
 
Chateau Palmer Historical Xixth Century Blend 2016 $419 special, 3 bottles available
Winery Note “In fact, seeing a bottle of 19th century Lafite Hermitagé, as it is described on the label, gave me an idea, and from 2004 we produced a small quantity of what we call Historical 19th Century Wine. It’s Palmer plus 15% Syrah from the northern Rhône. It’s labelled as vin de table, so no one would ever mistake it for Palmer.”

Pichon Baron Pauillac 2016 750ml $199 special, 12 bottles available
Jeb Dunnuck 97 Points “The 2016 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron is beauty and is a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot that was brought up in 80% new French oak. Tasting like a hypothetical mix of the 2009 and 2010, its deep purple color is followed by a powerful yet sensationally pure bouquet of crème de cassis, blackberries, lead pencil shavings, and graphite, and is just about as quintessentially Pauillac as it gets. Full-bodied, fleshy and even a touch flamboyant, it has sweet tannins and a monster texture that coats the palate. Count me in as a huge fan. This fabulous wine will be relatively approachable in just 3-5 years but will age for 30 years or more.”
 
Pichon Baron Pauillac 2019 750ml $199 special, 10 bottles available
Wine Advocate 97-100 Points Lisa Perrotti-Brown “The 2019 Pichon-Longueville Baron is a blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon and 13% Merlot, harvested from the 18th of September to the 11th of October. It is being aged in French oak barrels, 80% new, for 18 months. This grand vin represents 49% of the harvest. Very deep purple-black in color, the nose skyrockets from the glass with vibrant scents of freshly crushed blackberries, black raspberries and blackcurrant pastilles followed by perfumed sparks of fragrant earth, clove oil, lilacs, crushed rocks, molten chocolate and cinnamon toast. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is packed with layer upon layer of black fruit, mineral and exotic spices, framed by beautifully ripe, finely-grained tannins and tons of freshness, finishing with a lingering soft-spoken whisper of floral and earth notions. This is an absolutely beguiling expression that is classic Pauillac, and yet it is Pauillac like no other.”
 
Pichon Lalande Pauillac 2016 750ml $319 special, 4 bottles available
Jeb Dunnuck 100 Points “Outer quote mark Coming from the genius winemaking talent of Nicolas Glumineau, the 2016 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande matches the 1982 and is a perfect, legendary wine in the making. A blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, and 4% Cabernet Franc brought up in 60% new oak, it’s not the most powerful Left Bank but offers perfect balance and thrilling intensity as well as heavenly aromatics of crème de cassis, leafy herbs, jammy blackberries, tobacco leaf, and freshly sharpened lead pencils as well as more violets and minerality with time in the glass. Possessing a deep, full-bodied, singular character, the purity of fruit that’s the hallmark of the vintage, building tannins, and a sense of class and elegance that’s hard to describe, it’s a 50-year-wine. While this cuvée has included a fair chunk of Merlot in the past that gave it more upfront appeal, it’s important for readers to know it’s much more Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated today, and while it is slightly more approachable than some of its neighbors, it shuts down rather quickly with time in the glass. (I followed this wine for multiple days.) I suspect a solid decade of cellaring is warranted.”
 
Pichon Lalande Pauillac 2018 750ml $279 special, 15 bottles available
#2 Wine Spectator – Wine Of The Year In 2021
Jeb Dunnuck  98+ Points “The 2018 Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse De Lalande is a monster of a wine with an almost Château Latour-like stature and structure, offering deep, backward, slightly reductive notes of blackcurrants, crushed stone, scorched earth, lead pencil shavings, and tobacco leaf. Based largely on Cabernet Sauvignon mixed with 23% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot, it’s full-bodied, concentrated, and powerful on the palate, with masses of tannins, beautiful mid-palate density, and a great finish. As I’ve commented previously, the up-front, sexy style of the past (due to the larger Merlot content, I believe) has been replaced by a more regal, at times austere profile. Nevertheless, it’s still its own wine and very Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande in style. This 2018 is going to need 5-7 years of bottle age and will evolve for 40+ years.”
 
Pichon Lalande Pauillac 2019 750ml $249 special, 5 bottles available
Jeb Dunnuck 99 Points “Pure class, the 2019 Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse De Lalande is another brilliant wine from director Nicolas Glumineau that checks in at the top of the vintage. A blend of 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, and 6% Cabernet Franc that was harvested from mid-September through October 8th. Brought up in roughly 60% new French oak, it hit 14.1% natural alcohol with a pH of 3.7. More elegant and poised from bottle than barrel, it offers a brilliant perfume of crème de cassis, lead pencil shavings, tobacco leaf, damp earth, and graphite. Deep, full-bodied, and pure perfection on the palate, it has this incredible marriage of Latour-like stature and regalness buffered by wonderful, sexy, seamless fruit, which no doubt comes from the higher Merlot content and makes Comtesse de Lalande so singular and unique. It builds slowly with time in the glass and has remarkable purity of fruit, ultra-fine tannins, perfect balance, and a finish that just begs you to pour another glass. It has a seductive, seamless profile that offers pleasure even today (although it needs lots of air to show at its best) yet needs 7-8 years of bottle age to hit the early stages of its prime drink window and will evolve for another 40-50 years if stored properly.”
 
Trotanoy Pomerol 2018 750ml $399 special, 4 bottles available
Jeb Dunnuck 100 Points “Another heavenly Pomerol in the vintage, the 2018 Château Trotanoy checks in as 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc brought up in (I suspect) lots of new French oak (although it’s certainly not apparent). Revealing a dense purple hue as well as a smorgasbord-like bouquet of blackcurrants, dried flowers, cured meats, violets, tobacco, and chocolate, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a sexy, seductive texture, building yet sweet tannins, and just a rich, concentrated, yet flawless profile on the palate that’s already impossible to resist. Nevertheless, a good 7-8 years of bottle age are warranted, and this magical elixir is going to evolve for 40 years or more.”
 

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


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

 
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.”
 

 
Domaine Dujac Puligny 1er Folatieres 2019 1.5L $599 special, 1 bottle available
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

 
Domaine Leflaive Chevalier-Montrachet 2020 750ml $2499 special, 1 bottle available

 

Wine Spectator 95 Points “A hard, take-no-prisoners Port, extremely powerful and still closed when last tasted. Deep inky color, with concentrated blackberry and raisin aromas, full-bodied, with massive raisin flavors, a superb backbone and a very long finish.”
 

Quinta Do Noval Vintage Port 2016 750ml $119 special, 33 bottles available
#42 Wine Of The Year – James Suckling Top 100 In 2018
James Suckling 98 Points “This is a superb baby Noval that reminds me of the 1966. Chewy yet so polished. The light sweetness suggests an overall dialing back of the sugar content. Stemmy and lightly green. A truly classic Noval. Almost all from Pinhao. Buy. Better in 2025.”
Vinous 97 Points “The 2016 Vintage Port was picked mainly from 19 September in ideal conditions. It is more broody than the 2017 at the moment and demands a little more encouragement from the glass. I have been prudent with my reviews in the past, but this 2016 seems to have considerably improved in the four years since I last encountered it. More earthy in style, it offers lovely dusky black fruit, sage, a touch of menthol and star anis, unfolding in the glass with each swirl. The palate is medium-bodied with a velvety entry. Superb tension here, the acidity cuts through the richness of this Port with effortless ease. Linear, poised and mineral-driven, Vintage Port gets little better than this. Tasted at the Quinta do Noval tasting at Spring restaurant in London.”
Wine Spectator 97 Points “This has terrific energy from the start, with a bramble note inlaid in the core of cherry and plum paste flavors. Sappy, sweet and fresh, with a plum cake-infused finish. Gains focus and polish as it stretches out in the glass.—Non-blind Quinta do Noval vertical (May 2018). Best from 2030 through 2055. 6,000 cases made.”
 
Taylor Fladgate Vintage Port 2017 1.5L $199 special, 6 bottles available
#28 – James Suckling’s Top 100 Wines Of The Year
James Suckling 99 Points “Complex aromas of tar, wet earth, dark berry and flowers follow through to a full body, medium sweet and amazing compacted concentration. Vertical and so deep. It goes on for minutes. Truly excellent. Better after 2027.”
Wine Advocate 99 Points “The 2017 Vintage Port is a field blend aged for approximately 20 months in wood. It comes in with 100 grams of residual sugar. Rich, concentrated and often sensational, this is well structured, even better in its fruit profile. While the fruit is terrific, it is also wonderfully fresh. This is arguably a great Taylor’s, but it still needs to prove its final case in the cellar. I don’t think that will be a problem. As I said when I first saw it, it effortlessly combines brilliant fruit and structure. It does everything right, and it is a formidable competitor to its Vinha Velha sibling in this report. And at half the price.”
Vinous 98 Points “The 2017 Taylor’s Vintage Port comes from their three quintas: Vargellas, de Terra Feita and do Junco, picking commencing at Vargellas on September 1, the earliest since 1945. Now this boasts a bold and more flamboyant bouquet vis-à-vis the Croft with layers of blackcurrant, blueberries, violet and allspice. Wonderful definition here and as it ratchets up through the gears with aeration manages to maintain impressive delineation. The palate is medium, rather full-bodied. The first impression is one of freshness, completely disguising that summer’s dryness and warmth, a disarming finesse built around the frame of tannins that would have been impossible years ago. It is a silky-smooth Taylor’s, one of the most polished 2017 Vintage Ports with energy and tension flooding through the finish. Aristocratic as ever, totally Taylor’s, yet still translating the growing season with aplomb. Total production is 11,500 cases.”

Kopke Colheita Tawny 1957 750ml $489 special, 3 bottles available
Iwsc 98 Points “Still showing elegance and incredible complexity when considering the age. Soft and mellow, loaded with ripe soft stone fruit. Harmonious yet still has austere delights to savour. Still has development to come.”
Wine Advocate 95 Points “The 1957 Colheita Tawny Port was seen before, but it’s worth revisiting in the USA, since it’s a great wine. This is also the new 2015 bottling. It has 127 grams per liter of residual sugar. It is stunning how youthful this is. Lush and rich on opening, it has mature flavors that emerge, easily demonstrating the complexity and concentrated aromatics one expects. Gripping on the finish, this delivers fruit flavor and seems to linger indefinitely. When I first saw this, it was tasted next to even more brilliant Colheitas and a bit overshadowed. On its own, it is even more stunning. It was pretty fine next to some other greats here as well.”

Kopke Colheita Tawny 1937 750ml $799 special, 1 bottle available
Wine Advocate 94 Points “The 1937 Colheita Tawny Port comes in with 156 grams per liter of residual sugar. This is surprisingly fresh and surprisingly elegant for its age. It demonstrates its age when it finishes with power, showing remarkable grip and length, plus all those old Tawny flavors you want, the molasses, baked caramel. There’s a touch of brandy lurking here and there. While this has far more power and complexity than the 1967 this issue, it does lack that wine’s elegance and balance. The hard edge here is pretty hard, even if that intensity is sometimes very admirable. (I suspect it will show better if you come back in three days after opening it. They do change a little after pulling that cork, just a little, after that first rush.) At times, though, that hard edge makes it less attractive. The texture is smooth and unctuous. Overall, this is a fine experience in a blockbuster style. In some ways, I liked it no more than the 1967, though, perhaps less. To be sure, they are very differently styled as this, of course, emphasizes its power and that extra bit of complexity. Don’t drink this too warm—that can make all the difference.”
 

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Domaine Gourt De Mautens Vaucluse IGP 2016 750ml $119 special, 6 bottles available
Jeb Dunnuck 97 Points “As to the red, the 2016 Vaucluse reminded me of the 2007 with its incredible opulence, sweetness of fruit, and flamboyant style. Awesome black raspberry and strawberry fruit characteristics all intermix with notes of incense, white and black pepper, fruit cake, plums, garrigue, and Asian spices on the nose. Full-bodied, deep, and concentrated on the palate […] It’s one of the sexiest wines in the vintage and will keep for a decade.”

Monteillet Condrieu Chanson 2018 750ml $69 special, 17 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.”

Delas St Joseph Sainte Epine 2019 750ml $79 special, 35 bottles available
Wine Spectator 94 Points “This flows beautifully, with a ripe, pure and steady beam of cassis and dark cherry preserves that shows good brightness and delineation through the finish, picking up light floral and mineral accents along the way. Seductive in style, with a lovely mouthfeel and sneaky length. Best from 2022 through 2032.”
 

Collector’s Corner
Simply The Best Champagnes
 

Pommery Cuvee Louise Rose 2004 750ml $219 special, 39 bottles available
James Suckling 95 Points “This is a new release and shows wonderful finesse and beauty. You know that the moment you see the pale-amber color. It’s medium bodied with freshness and energy and a long, vivid finish. A joy to taste. Drink now.”

De Venoge Louis Xv Brut 2008 750ml $249 special, 22 bottles available
James Suckling 95 Points “This is really punchy and broad-shouldered with muscular structure and citrusy undertones. Full body. Lightly tannic and a fresh and vivid finish. This is the first vintage without malolactic fermentation ever. One for the cellar. Better in 2022.”

Taittinger Comtes Champagne Blanc De Blancs 2004 $279 special, 15 bottles available
Vinous 96 Points “I am thrilled with the way the 2004 Comtes de Champagne continues to evolve in bottle. A few years ago, the 2004 was quite focused and linear, in the style of the vintage, but more recently, the wine has begun to fill out beautifully. The 2004 remains bright, with a full range of citrus, white flower and mineral nuances that dance on the palate. A brisk, saline-infused finish rounds things out beautifully in a Comtes that impresses for its crystalline purity.”

Bollinger R.D. 2004 1.5L $519 special, 4 bottles available
Wine Enthusiast 98 Points “Top 100 Cellar Selection in 2019. The wine’s name stands for recently disgorged and this vintage Champagne was taken off its lees in 2018. That gave many years for it to develop its depth of flavor, richness and beautifully memorable toasty flavors.”
Wine & Spirits 98 Points “Time has graced this wine, proving the value of Bollinger’s policy of long aging on the lees followed by prompt release after disgorgement. This RD (Recently Disgorged) 2004 is a joyous wine, staunch, cold and powerful at first, transforming to fresh fruit shadowed by darker tones of barrel fermentation. As it opens in the glass, revealing racy energy, a range of floral pear and apple flavors emerge, resonant with a sense of limestone capturing the sun and reflecting it back in pale power.”

Laurent Perrier Grand Siecle Alexandra Rose 1990 750ml $599 special, 2 bottles available
Wine Spectator 94 Points “Beautifully done. Vigorous and almost chewy, this intense, full-bodied rosé exudes mint, berry and wood aromas and flavors. Muscular and dense, with a character that engages the palate and needs contemplation or food.”
Wine Enthusiast 94 Points “It’s a pale wine, on the rose side of gold, a beautiful visual introduction to a stunning wine. The strawberry flavors are wrapped in a silvery texture, crisply dry, and despite the intensity of fruit, the wine seems weightless on the palate. It’s gorgeous now, but, amazingly, just a baby. It’s long-term future is assured. Twenty years from now, this will be heavenly.”

Louis Roederer Cristal Rose 2013 750ml $619 special, 3 bottles available
Wine Advocate 99 Points “A candidate for wine-of-the-vintage honors in Champagne, Roederer’s 2013 Cristal Rosé is showing brilliantly, unfurling in the glass with notes of crisp orchard fruit, white flowers, red berries, stone fruit, freshly baked bread and tangerine oil. Full-bodied, layered and multidimensional, the vintage’s bright girdling acids are amply cloaked in exuberant, expressive and notably concentrated fruit; so while this Cristal is as tensile and age-worthy as one would expect […] This is another banner vintage for what I consider the reigning champion of the region’s tête de cuvée bottlings, and it will be worth an effort to acquire.”

Louis Roederer Cristal Vinotheque 1999 750ml $1,245 special, 3 bottles available
James Suckling 98 Points “The nose has such beautiful, autolysis character with brown-mushroom and toasted-almond aromas. The nose has still-fresh lemons and oyster shell. Very smooth, pastry-like texture on the palate with even layers and a core of fresh lemons and peaches. The striking thing here is the balance and melted-together complexity. In a very great place. This spent seven years sur latte, seven sur pointe and was disgorged in 2014. Drink now.”
 

Vintage	Wine	Accolades	Price/Quantity
2017	Doyard Clos De L’abbaye 1er Cru 750ml	94 Points Wine Advocate	$159 special, 3 bottles available
2015	R. Pouillon Method Fabrice Chemin Du Bois Extra-brut 750ml		$199 special, 5 bottles available
2017	Christophe Baron Champagne Les Alouettes 1.5L	95 Points Wine Advocate	$259 special, 8 bottles available
2017	Christophe Baron Champagne Dessus Marie 1.5L	96 Points Vinous	$259 special, 4 bottles available
2018	Georges Laval Les Chenes 1er Cru Brut Nature 750ml		$269 special, 2 bottles available
2004	Pommery Cuvee Louise Brut 1.5L	95 Points James Suckling	$279 special, 8 bottles available
2000	Duval-Leroy Femme De Champagne 1.5L	94 Points Wine Spectator	$299 special, 3 bottles available
2013	Pol Roger Cuvee Sir Winston Churchill Brut 750ml	98 Points Wine Enthusiast	$319 Special, 8 bottles available
2014	Louis Roederer Cristal 750ml	98 Points Wine Spectator	$349 special, 11 bottles available
2007	Louis Roederer Cristal 750ml	97+ Vinous Points	$399 special, 1 bottles available
NV	Prevost La Closerie “&” Extra Brut 750ml	94 Points Wine Advocate	$369 special, 1 bottle available
NV	Prevost La Closerie Grand Cru Extra Brut 750ml		$599 special, 1 bottle available
2015	Georges Laval Cumieres 1er Cru Brut Nature 3L	94+ Points John Gilman	$599 special, 1 bottle available