March 2015

Domaine Potinet-Ampeau

From the Importer:

“Vincent Durrieu is the fifth generation of this family to work the domain, continuing with very traditional Burgundian methods.  Domaine Potinet-Ampeau is one of very few to make wine meant to be laid down and to hold vintages in their own cellars to allow them to age correctly before release. The family had strong ties to the American market as early as the 1920s, when Vincent’s grandmother’s family, winemakers in Meursault, was among the first to export to the US. And it was Vincent’s grandparents who, in 1951, started keeping ‘vins de garde’, so the domain always has an impressive array of older vintages on offer.  The Domaine Potinet-Ampeau is situated in the village of Monthelie in the southern part of the Cote de Beaune, near to Meursault, Volnay and Auxey-Duresses.The… Read the rest

February 2015

Selbach-Oster and Block-Picked Riesling

“The ambitiousness of Johannes Selbach has made this estate the region’s most prominent rising star. Since 1989, [Selbach-Oster is] always among the very best wines of the collection.” –Terry Thiese

The ancestors of the Selbach-Oster estate have been cultivating Riesling since 1600. Johannes Selbach and his wife Barbara currently run the estate with their son Sebastian. The Riesling vineyards here are steep, making mechanical farming methods impossible. Everything from pruning to harvesting to securing the vines with stakes must be done by hand. In the vineyard, modern practices and careful grape selection lead to ultra-low yields from the mostly ungrafted old vines. The fruit is handled as little as possible, with wild yeasts, cool fermentation and gravity flow transport for the juice.… Read the rest

January 2015

Diamonds in the Rough
Uncommon Varietals from Uncommon Regions

Across the world there are thousands of varieties of grapes lovingly cultivated and turned into wine, offering a startling amount of diversity beyond the standard varietals. While the international superstars such as Chardonnay and Cabernet still constitute the vast majority of wines served, some of the most intriguing values come to us from unrecognized and often-ignored appellations. Gathered below are a few producers who continue the traditions of their respective regions, working with the lesser known varietals indigenous to their area that have continued to please local consumers for generations. Trade out your go-to varietal choices for any of these wines; try something new and you are bound to be pleased!… Read the rest

January 2015

Quinta do Infantado Port

            Everything is different at Quinta do Infantado. Firstly, Infantado is one of the very few Port houses actually owned by Portuguese nationals and having a familial history on their lands. Based in Pinhão, Quinta do Infantado has been a leader in estate-bottled Ports since 1979. Prior to 1986, the British monopoly on Port required that all exported Ports be sent in bulk to Vila Nova de Gaia, 60 miles west of the Douro Valley, where they were bottled and shipped. This practice effectively prevented small private producers from exporting their wines, since the cost of running an operation in another town was prohibitive for these vineyard owners. In 1986 the laws were changed and Quinta do Infantado, already making their own wines, were amongst the first to begin exporting their wines.… Read the rest