In This Newsletter:
 
Durand and Darnaud
&
Vinopolis Close-Out Featurette: Moillard
 

“Located in the tiny village of Châteaubourg, Joël and Eric Durand are quietly turning out some impressive wines from their family holdings in Saint-Joseph and Cornas.” – Joe Czerwinski, Wine Advocate
 
“[Emanuel Darnaud’s wines] are textural wines, with plenty of concentration and substance yet not lacking for finesse or complexity.” – Joe Czerwinski, Wine Advocate
 
“The young Emmanuel Darnaud leapt onto the scene in 2001 and has since catapulted into the top tier of producers in Crozes Hermitage.” – Jeb Dunnuck, Wine Advocate
 

 
What better way to explore the affordable side of Northern Rhone than a side-by-side comparison from two of our favorite smaller estates?

In This Newsletter:
 
Kopke Sale
&
Vinopolis Close-Out Featurette: Clos des Fées
 


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Kopke
 

Kopke, founded in 1638 by Nicolau Kopkë, makes what might be the most vibrant and long-lived port wines available. Considered the oldest Port house, they have been through adverse times in their nearly 400-year history, seeing dramatic shifts in the climate, swings in the popularity of their product, and the rise and fall of populist dictators. Through all of this, they’ve been consistent in their commitment to making the greatest Tawny and Colheita (vintage Tawny) Port available.
 
We’re fortunate to have a tremendous lineup available for your holiday table. The unbelievably youthful vintage Colheitas are perfect examples of how age adds concentration and depth, with the traditional Kopke freshness that keeps these so vibrant.

In This Newsletter:
 
Gigondas Sale
&
Vinopolis Close-Out Featurette: Mastrojanni’s Vigna Loreto
 


A Southern Rhone Resurgence
 
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Gigondas
 

The Southern Rhone village of Gigondas is undergoing a resurgence in the modern wine world. Once considered secondary to the more famous (and expensive) Chateauneuf-du-Pape, today it has come into its own.
 
Best known for its powerful reds, the wines (and vineyards, too) are by law composed of at least 50% Grenache. Most producers include some portion of Syrah and Mourvèdre, with final blending proportions often determined by the quality of the grapes of each variety.
 
Gigondas is the finest source of affordable luxury wines. The top estates deliver wines that compete with the very best wines in Chateauneuf-du-Pape, but at prices that are a fraction of their competition.

In This Newsletter:
 
La Gerla & La Fortuna
&
Vinopolis Close-Out Featurette: Domaine du Tunnel
 


La Vie en Brunello
 
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La Gerla & La Fortuna
 

Brunello is a magical place, where Sangiovese, as its local clone known as Grosso, ascends to heights and longevity impossible elsewhere. This is the elite of Tuscany and some of the finest wines produced in Europe.
 
We at Vinopolis are smitten by two producers that lean towards the more affordable side of the Brunello spectrum: La Gerla and La Fortuna. For almost a decade, these have been our two most popular among our customers. It’s not simply because of their relative affordable nature, but because of the charm, complexity, and typicity on display in even their most humble bottlings.

In This Newsletter:
 
A.J. Adam Sale
&
Vinopolis Close-Out Featurette: Aldo Conterno
 


Out of the Valley, Into the Light
 
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A.J. Adam
 

In a virtually unknown side valley of the Middle Mosel, just south of Piesport, are the steep, south-facing vineyard slopes of Dhron. It’s an obscure area, despite archeological evidence showing it to be the Mosel’s oldest winegrowing area, dating back to 220 BCE. Few of the younger generation have taken over for the aging winemakers of this small region, leading the region to fall into obscurity during the 1980s and 90s.
 
One of the rare exceptions of younger winemakers is Andreas Adam. Though his family’s holdings had dwindled to one hectare and his parents had chosen not to make wine themselves, Adam restarted his family’s estate.