It’s Syrah season at last. As temperatures drop and the last vestiges of Fall fade into Winter, there’s nothing better than a beautiful glass of one of the most unique red grapes on the planet. A grape that fits like a glove with all the seasonal fare you can expect to be on your dining room tables for the holidays. The smoky, savory, wonderfully spiced fruits of Syrah are begging to be enjoyed with your most festive dishes.

Today we have one of Syrah and the Northern Rhone’s most prestigious producers on special pricing for our Vinopolis loyal. Delas Frères has been making wine in the Rhone for generations and its portfolio includes bottlings from sub-appellations all across the North. With over 75 hectares of vineyard at its disposal (including more than 20 on Hermitage Hill itself), Delas is able to craft world class wines from top quality fruit year-in and year-out. The new winery facility unveiled in 2015 is the most advanced in all of the North and enables ultra-precise execution of the wines while still preserving the classic character of Syrah from the Northern Rhone. Winemaking follows a consistent regime across the bottlings, with fruit being destemmed, cold soaked, and temperature controlled fermentation usually lasting about 20 days. The wines are aged on the fine lees in French barrique of new and 1-year use in varying degrees (higher new oak exposure for the top wines) to soften the wild character of Syrah and bring additional ageability and richness.

With the special pricing we’re offering below, you’re unlikely to find these bottles anywhere else at such a bargain. These are truly wines of exceptional class and character that should become a cellar staple for those that have discovered the magic of the Northern Rhone. Below you’ll find a few featured bottlings from several different appellations that we highly recommend purchasing.All of our Delas wines can be found on our website, and linked at the bottom in the table. Raise a glass with us!
 

Offer ends @ 10AM November 15th 
 

Crozes-Hermitage is known for its peppery black fruits and more approachable structure that can be drunk in its youth

Delas Freres Crozes-Hermitage Le Clos, 2019 750ml $59 special, 20 bottles available
Wine Spectator 93 points “Sleek and refined, with a smoldering bay and cast iron hints along the edges of a core of dark cherry and plum preserve notes. Juicy, yet restrained, iron-tinged finish. Drink now through 2030. 500 cases made, 83 cases imported.  –JM”
Vinous 92-94 points “A deeply perfumed bouquet evokes ripe black/blue fruits, olive and potpourri, and a mineral element adds lift. Sappy and penetrating on the palate, offering broad-shouldered boysenberry, bitter cherry and candied violet flavors that are given spine and lift by a core of juicy acidity. Shows sharp focus on the penetrating finish, where dusty, slow-building tannins add gentle grip and focus.”

St-Joseph reds have additional structure and tannins, bringing red and black fruits alongside savory nuances

Delas Freres Saint-Joseph Francois de Tournon, 2019 750ml $44.50 special, 25 bottles available
Wine Spectator 93 points “A core of juicy red currant and bitter plum pâte de fruit flavors is brought into nice focus by a racy, chalk-edged structure and an iron spine, while subtle savory and dark olive accents dart in the background. Best from 2022 through 2034. 1,083 cases made, 60 cases imported.  –JM”
Vinous 92-94 points “Powerful, mineral- and spice-accented aromas of ripe black/blue fruits, candied flowers, olive and allspice. Supple and energetic on the palate, offering bitter cherry, blueberry and fruitcake flavors that tighten up slowly with air and show fine delineation. The cherry note drives a long, spicy finish that’s given shape by fine-grained, even tannins. There’s a quite graceful quality here that defies the old stereotype of Cornas being necessarily rustic.”

Delas Freres Saint-Joseph Sainte-Epine, 2019 750ml $79 special, 29 bottles available
Wine Spectaor 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. 500 cases made.”
Vinous 93-95 points “A highly fragrant bouquet evokes ripe, mineral-accented black/blue fruits, Moroccan spices, olive and candied flowers, along with a smoky mineral element that builds as the wine opens up. Juicy, energetic and focused on the palate, offering appealingly sweet boysenberry, cherry preserve and violet pastille flavors that deepen steadily through the midpalate. The floral note resonates on the impressively long finish, which features well-knit tannins and a smoky mineral quality.”

Cote-Rotie syrah is all about finesse, displaying exotic aromas of smoked meat, olive tapenade, and wild herbs

Delas Freres Cote-Rotie La Landonne, 2019 750ml $279 special, 6 bottles available
Decanter 97 points “Immediately this has the darkness and aromatic austerity of La Landonne. Very full-bodied, expansive on the palate with mouthcoating flavour and tannin but not heavy. This is seriously tannic, but it’s not tough. Great character, great power and perfect balance. Alcohol is just a little raised, but this is a blockbuster. Around 3,000 bottles made. Fermented in open-top concrete tanks for 20 days, then matured in new and one-year-old barrels for 14 months. Drinking Window 2026 – 2035.”
Wine Spectator 96 points “This is dark and still a bit reticent, with a cast iron cloak around the core of dark currant, plum and blackberry paste flavors, showing lots of sweet bay leaf, anise and singed apple wood notes in the background. There’s serious grip through the finish. For the cellar. Best from 2024 through 2038. 267 cases made, 40 cases imported.  –JM”
Vinous 94-96 points “Expressive blackberry, potpourri, smoky bacon and licorice aromas show excellent clarity and minerally lift. Deeply concentrated, spice-laced dark berry preserve, floral pastille and fruitcake flavors are supported by a spine of juicy acidity that adds back-end cut. Becomes more energetic on the impressively persistent finish, which repeats the dark berry and floral notes and leaves behind a spicy suggestion of cracked pepper.”

Hermitage is the pinnacle of syrah in the world. These wines achieve an unmatched equilibrium of dark fruits, delicate florals, and savory spices. Their nobility is unquestioned and these bottles can age for decades in your cellar.

Delas Freres Hermitage Les Bessards, 2019 750ml $219 special, 36+ bottles available
Jeb Dunnuck 99 points “My favorite release from this estate is consistently their Les Bessards Hermitage, and their 2019 is no exception. Coming from the western part and pure broken granite soils on the west side of this magical hill, it sports a dense purple hue to go with a brilliant perfume of cassis, graphite, scorched earth, burning embers, spring flowers, and peppery herbs. Incredibly complex, layered, and nuanced, with classic Hermitage characteristics, it still stays firmly planted in the ripe, sunny, sexy vintage. Full-bodied, concentrated, and structured on the palate, it has a wealth of tannins, flawless balance, and a great finish. This is pure Hermitage magic that needs to be forgotten for 4-5 years and will evolve for 20-30 years in cold cellars. Hats off to the team at Delas for another incredible wine.”
Wine Spectator 97 points “This is loaded with dark and winey plum sauce, blackberry paste and fig compote flavors that glide through over notes of warm earth, sweet tobacco and anise. A subtle singed alder hint infuses the finish, along with a flicker of violet, while the fruit takes an encore. This shows seriously hefty fruit matched with a terrific underpinning of terroir. For the cellar. Best from 2024 through 2039. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 583 cases made, 50 cases imported.  –JM”
Vinous 95-97 points “Ripe, spice-accented dark berry liqueur, candied violet, incense and licorice scents, along with hints of olive paste and smoky, exotic spices. Palate-staining boysenberry, cherry liqueur, floral pastille and fruitcake flavors show impressive depth and an undercurrent of smoky minerality. Expands steadily with air and finishes extremely long and minerally, with youthfully chewy tannins and outstanding, floral-driven persistence.”

All Delas Freres Wines Available
 

DELAS FRERES WINES	VWS PRICE	AVAILABLE	LINK
DELAS CROZES GRANDS CHEMINS 2019	$39.00	5	Link
DELAS ST JOSEPH TOURNON 2019	$44.50	25	Link
DELAS CROZES LE CLOS 2019	$59.00	20	Link
DELAS CORNAS CHANTE PERDRIX 2019	$69.00	35	Link
DELAS ST JOSEPH STE EPINE 2019	$79.00	29	Link
DELAS HERMITAGE TOURETTES 2019	$89.00	13	Link
DELAS HERMITAGE TOURETTE 2017	$99.00	7	Link
DELAS HERMITAGE BESSARDS 2019	$219.00	36+	Link
DELAS COTE ROTIE LANDONNE 2019	$279.00	6	Link
DELAS HERMITAGE GRANDES VIG 2019	$299.00	12	Link
DELAS HERMITAGE BESSARDS 19 MAG	$449.00	8	Link
DELAS COTE ROTIE LANDONNE 19 MAG	$549.00	3	Link
DELAS HERMITAGE GRANDES 19 MAG	$619.00	3	Link

 

Some producers rarely need introductions, and this is one of them. Bernard Baudry has been producing the highest quality Chinon on the market vintage to vintage for many years now. The wines are wonderfully textured, complex, and a true homage to the varietal character of cabernet franc and the terroir of Chinon. At Vinopolis we regularly have each new vintage release on offer when we receive it, and the wines sell extremely fast to a dedicated set of fans.

Recently we were able to acquire a series of back-vintage Baudry bottlings of the esteemed Croix Boisée bottling. This wine is produced from Baudry’s “Grand Cru” vineyards, two hectares exposed in the perfect middle of a south facing slope on clay and limestone. This is Chinon of serious pedigree that has the legs to go many years in your cellar and evolve continuously into something more and more beautiful. Fortunately though, with this vertical line-up of the wine on offer, you can taste expressions of Croix Boisée that are at various levels of maturity and show the full spectrum of its flavor. Expect delicious aromas of blackberry, savory herbs, cassis, and that characteristic franc spice.
 

I will emphasize that this line-up is very limited and you are unlikely to see the like of it again any time soon. Don’t miss out!

Bernard Baudry Chinon La Croix Boissee 2011 750ml $54.50 special, 8 bottles available
Wine Advocate 93 points “Baudry’s 2011 Chinon La Croix Boissée is a vey spicy, currently slightly reluctant Cabernet Franc from 30-year-old vines on clay and limestone soils that presents itself more on the fresh and greenish site. Aged for 18 months in barrels, the flavors are rather earthy than fruity, reminding me of powdered rocks, a freshly sharpened pencil and green beans, whereas the aromatic fruit flavors are as discreet as delicate. On the palate this neither fined nor filtered red is a pure, mineral-structured, slightly Pinot-like wine of great finesse, freshness and elegance, quite young and still tart, but powerful and intense, with a beautifully astringent (refreshing!) yet long finish. This is the purest and most firmly structured – and obviously most potential – Chinon I tasted for this report. It calls for patience – which is not too bad for a great wine.”

Bernard Baudry Chinon La Croix Boissee 2014 750ml $54.50 special, 8 bottles available

Bernard Baudry Chinon La Croix Boissee 2016 750ml $54.50 special, 9 bottles available
Vinous 93 points “Grown on very chalky soils, and aged 24 months in 1- to 3-year-old barrels. Vivid ruby. Expressive, even flamboyant, nose of ripe cherry and berry, kirsch and cassis, and even a touch of chocolate. Open and rather hedonistic for Cabernet Franc, with lots of red and black fruit, and it wows the palate with freshness and swirling acidity. But it’s balanced by dancing notes of chalk, talc and graphite, and great finesse on the finish.”

Bernard Baudry Chinon La Croix Boissee 2017 750ml $54.50 special, 12 bottles available
Vinous 95 points “La Croix Boissée is a vineyard that slopes up from the valley floor to the Chinon plateau close to Baudry’s domaine. The result in the 2017 Chinon is a mid-weight, elegant style offering dried herbs and smoked bacon – it’s a hint reduction that needs air. The finish is much more powerful than anticipated; there’s no shortage of tannins here, but they have the finest of powdery textures, making you lick the inside of your mouth (that’s the limestone of Croix Boissée that you see year after year). The lengthy finish is infused with spices – expect a hint of herbs, tea leaf and smoke.”

Bernard Baudry Chinon La Croix Boissee 2018 750ml $54.50 special, 12 bottles available
Vinous 96 points “The ripeness of the 2018 vintage gives an almost Syrah/Viognier character to the Chinon La Croix Boissée, which offers sweet black fruit and a creamy apricot note. Sumptuous yet never ever opulent, it’s almost as if the wine’s just done a yoga class. Plentiful tannins give the inside of your cheeks a chalky rub, while there’s surprising freshness considering the ripeness, leading to a lengthy finish. This is a baby that will turn out to be a great adult.”
Wine Advocate 93 points “The 2018 Chinon La Croix Boissée displays a deep, intense and elegant bouquet of dark fruits intertwined with black tea aromas. Silky, crystalline and elegant on the palate, this is a full-bodied, fresh and refined Chinon that is slightly leathery toward the finish, which is long, intense and vivacious and has lingering salinity. The tannins are fine, elegant and well integrated yet still palatable. The 2018 might have some volatile acidity, but this makes it a true classic of the appellation and an authentic Baudry. Great aging capacity. Tasted in June 2021.”

Bernard Baudry Chinon La Croix Boissee 2019 750ml $54.50 special, 6 bottles available
Chris Kissack (Winedoctor) 96-98 points “A cuvée that needs little introduction, from a famed terroir of limestone slopes which rise up above the valley floor. The fermentation was particularly slow says Matthieu, so this went into barrel late, and it was still carrying 2.5 g/l residual sugar. As a consequence there was a little refermentation during the summer months of 2020. By the time of my tasting there was still a little carbon dioxide gas in the wine, signifying that. The colour is a gorgeous black violet hue, and the nose is filled with aromatic black and curranty fruits, with hints of liquorice and rose garden. Trying to look past the residual gas on the palate (easier said than done) this feels fresh and vigorous, with a silky composition, and notes of liquorice, toast, currant and white chalk. A brilliant wine. The alcohol is about 14%, says Matthieu. (Oct 2020)”

Interested in other Baudry wines? Several gems below.

Bernard Baudry Chinon La Croix Boissee Blanc 2019 750ml $44 special, 5 bottles available
Winery note “The very chalky soil imparts La Croix Boissée with minerality and a dense body. This is a nice wine for gastronomy with notes of white fruits and a fine salinity. Quantity is limited.”

Bernard Baudry Chinon Domaine 2019 750ml $21.90 special, 36 bottles available
Vinous 90 points “The 2019 Chinon Le Domaine provides excellent concentration of fruit while remaining light on its feet. As well as bright primary fruit, it offers smoky bacon, spice and medicinal characters. There’s lovely sappy texture on the finish, which Baudry puts down to the limestone soils of the Chinon plateau that typically grip the side of the mouth. You can enjoy this in its youth, but it has an additional element of seriousness that means its future will stretch out to the medium term.”

Bernard Baudry Chinon Clos Guillot 2020 750ml $33 special,26 bottles available
Vinous 93 points “Hailing from the limestone-clay slopes on the outskirts of Chinon town, home to other famous vineyards like Clos de l’Olive and Chêne Vert, Le Clos Guillot 2020 offers a cloud of Cabernet Franc fruit with fine refreshing acidity. Savory, silken and seductive, the wine is flooded with a stream of acidity. It is a calm wine with a mass of chalky tannins that coat the palate reassuringly. The finish is long, quiet and scented with dark raspberries and spice. There is a minor complaint of a touch of dryness at the very end of this wine.”

All Bernard Baudry Wines Available
 

BERNARD BAUDRY WINES	VWS PRICE	AVAILABLE	LINK
BAUDRY CHINON BOISSEE BLANC 2019	44.00	5	Link
BAUDRY CHINON BOISSEE ROUGE 2011	54.50	8	Link
BAUDRY CHINON BOISSEE ROUGE 2014	54.50	8	Link
BAUDRY CHINON BOISSEE ROUGE 2016	54.50	9	Link
BAUDRY CHINON BOISSEE ROUGE 2017	54.50	12	Link
BAUDRY CHINON BOISSEE ROUGE 2018	54.50	12	Link
BAUDRY CHINON BOISSEE ROUGE 2019	54.50	6	Link
BAUDRY CHINON DOMAINE 2019	21.90	36	Link
BAUDRY CHINON GUILLOT 2020 750ML	33.00	26	Link

    


Do you drink Brunello?

You should.

If you haven’t noticed, Italy is consistently producing some of the best vintages and wines the market has ever witnessed in recent years. The trend extends across the entire country, from the racy and mineral driven reds and whites of volcanic Sicily to the perfumed and haunting wines of Piedmont. The entire nation has fully emerged from the slumber of rustic winemaking methods and now the pursuit of excellence is all-encompassing.

Perhaps no single region has felt this rebirth as much as Brunello di Montalcino. Back in the late 20th century there were only a handful of producers that were catching global attention and occupying spots on some of the finest wine lists in the world. Today, the gorgeous hilltown of Montalcino and its surrounding vineyards are bursting at the seams with top-class wineries and beautiful sangiovese grosso based wines.

Let us introduce you to La Fortuna and La Gerla. Both of these producers got their start in the 70’s and they’ve had a meteoric rise to the top of Brunello fan lists since the turn of the century. The wineries have similar vineyard positionings on both the North East and North West slopes of Montalcino itself and also significant holdings in Castelnuovo dell’Abate in the Southeast. The former produces wines of greater elegance and delicacy, while the Castelnuovo bottlings are more structured and rich in fruit.

 

 

What is Brunello like?

It’s as ageworthy as a Bordeaux and as delicately perfumed as a fine Barolo. Dark black cherry, licorice, tobacco and sun-kissed Italian herbs.
 

What distinguishes these estates? Small details but they matter! La Fortuna has a winemaking regimen that includes longer aging in wood of a smaller size (Slovenian oak) and longer maceration time for the grape skins. The result is that Fortuna wines are often richer than their La Gerla comparison and suit a palate more accustomed to bolder, textured reds of Bordeaux and Spain. La Gerla Brunello is more akin to Barolo in style with that distinctly Italian acidity and intense fragrance of cherries and licorice. 

Both of these producers make wines that can age for 20 years no problem, and with time their aromas, texture, and overall structure become increasingly impossible to resist. If Brunello isn’t a substantial part of your wine cellar, you are missing out on some of the greatest wine experiences you never knew were possible.

Check out our top La Fortuna and La Gerla recommendations below with praise from the critics.

La Fortuna Brunello di Montalcino 2013 750ml $59 special, 12 bottles available
Wine Spectator 92 Points “Starts out with cherry, iron and tobacco flavors, before firming up, with a solid structure. A kernel of fruit holds steady as this red unfolds on the lingering finish. Best from 2022 through 2036. 2,200 cases made, 1,000 cases imported.”
 
La Fortuna Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2016 750ml $99 special, 31 bottles available
Wine Advocate 95 points “The La Fortuna 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is a wine of pretty Sangiovese purity. This Riserva (with 9,000 bottles produced) shows a darkly saturated color with plump and intense aromas of wild cherry, crushed flowers, fresh plums, spice and ferrous earth. Balsam herb and rosemary-like aromas round off the finish. There is great freshness, some oak tannins, a drying finish and lots of rich fruit fiber. This is a terrific wine from La Fortuna (although I need to point out the high 15.5% alcohol).”

La Gerla Brunello di Montalcino 2018 750ml $54.50  special, 36 bottles available
Wine Spectator 93 Points “A juicy style for the vintage, boasting cherry, raspberry, floral, graphite and spice flavors. Balanced and lively, with bright acidity and refined tannins for support. Shows fine length. Best from 2025 through 2042. 2,916 cases made, 1,250 cases imported.”
 
La Gerla Gli Angeli, Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2012 750ml $99 special, 7 bottles available
Vinous 95 points “Bright medium ruby. Very clean and fresh aromas and flavors of red currant, cherry pit, flowers and blood orange jelly. Bright, juicy and very light on its feet, offering superb vinosity and clarity of flavor, this conveys an impression of real underlying density and a multilayered mouthfeel. A knockout wine of outstanding energy and class, finishing with polished tannins, uncanny sweetness and lovely subtle persistence, not to mention outstanding balance (it hides its 14.5% alcohol very well).”
Wine Advocate 95 points “Here is a dense and meaty Tusan red that flaunts its immediate power, structure and intensity. The 2012 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva gli Angeli is robust and deep thanks to a generous offering of dark fruit, spice and tar-like aromas. Fruit is carefully selected for this wine, and the grapes are fermented in stainless steel. Post fermentation, the wine goes into large Slavonian oak casks for four years. The finish is soft and supple with sweet berry flavors. This wine has made an impressive jump forward in this vintage.”

La Gerla Gli Angeli, Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2015 750ml $89 special, 18 bottles available
CLOSE-OUT SALE WAS $99 NOW $89
Wine Spectator 96 points “Rich and round, here is a red full of macerated plum and cherry flavors, with almond, leather, spice and earth accents. Firms up on the finish, where the vibrant fruit echoes. Best from 2025 through 2050. 500 cases made, 280 cases imported. — BS”
Wine Advocate 95 points “The La Gerla 2015 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva gli Angeli is a softly textured and fleshed out wine that shows darker and deeper fruit (compared to the 2016 Brunello that I tasted at the same time). This wine makes a great first impression, mostly thanks to that sense of quiet balance. As it opens in the glass, I notice the pretty ripeness of the vintage with dark cherry and summer plum. In all, this Riserva gives us an accessible and rich expression that will perform nicely upon release. Production is 8,560 bottles, and this wine will hit the market in April 2021.”
 

Want to Go Big? Large Formats Available November 3rd

La Fortuna Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2012 3L $399  special, 2 bottles available Available Nov. 3rd.
Wine Spectator 97 points “Perfumed, with wild herb aromas and a subtle mix of strawberry and cherry fruit. Vibrant and dense, with fine acidity driving the long finish. Though elegant, there is intensity and fine energy on the aftertaste. Best from 2022 through 2028.”

La Gerla Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2015 1.5L $119  special, 1 bottles available Available Nov. 3rd.
Wine Spectator 94 points “Black cherry and black currant fruit is accented by tobacco, earth and mineral flavors in this sleek yet dense red. Balsamic elements of juniper, thyme and olive add depth as this cruises to a long finish. The potential lies in the excellent length. Best from 2023 through 2042.”

La Gerla Gli Angeli Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2016 1.5L $219  special, 9 bottles available Available Nov. 3rd.
La Gerla Gli Angeli Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2016 3L $449  special, 2 bottles available Available Nov. 3rd.
Vinous 96 points Smoldering with remarkable depth, the 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Gli Angeli makes itself known with a blend of spicy citrus peels and minty herbs giving way to masses of black cherry, strawberries, hints of iodine and smoke. This is a textural thrill ride, velvety and almost weighty in feel, while finding wonderful balance in its vibrant acidity and the tart wild berry fruits and savory spices that are unleashed upon the palate. Hints of mocha combine with sour cherry and almond paste through the impressively long and classically structured finale. In the end, the 2016 Gli Angeli is the total package. This Riserva is a single-vineyard bottling from La Gerla’s northern Montalcino vineyard, which was planted by Biondi-Santi in 1968.”


All La Fortuna & La Gerla Wines Available

 

LA FORTUNA WINES	VWS PRICE	AVAILABLE	LINK
LA FORTUNA BDM RISERVA 12 3L	$399.00	2	Link
LA FORTUNA BRUNELLO 2013	$59.00	12	Link
LA FORTUNA BRUNELLO 2017	$49.00	32	Link
LA FORTUNA BRUNELLO 2018	$49.00	24	Link
LA FORTUNA BRUNELLO RISERVA 13	$89.00	14	Link
LA FORTUNA BRUNELLO RISERVA 15	$99.00	14	Link
LA FORTUNA BRUNELLO RISERVA 16	$99.00	31	Link
LA FORTUNA ROSSO FORTUNELLO 20	$16.00	27	Link

 

LA GERLA WINES  VWS PRICE  AVAILABLE LINK LA GERLA BRUNELLO 2015 1.5L $119.00 1 Link LA GERLA BRUNELLO 2017 $51.90 15 Link LA GERLA BRUNELLO 2018 $54.50 36 Link LA GERLA BRUNELLO ANGELI 16 3L $449.00 2 Link LA GERLA BRUNELLO ANGELI 16 MAG $219.00 9 Link LA GERLA BRUNELLO ANGELI 2012 $99.00 7 Link LA GERLA BRUNELLO ANGELI 2015 $89.00 18 Link LA GERLA BRUNELLO ANGELI 2016 $99.00 24 Link LA GERLA BRUNELLO LA PIEVE 2017 $59.00 12 Link LA GERLA BRUNELLO LA PIEVE 2018 $69.00 12 Link

There’s no greater pleasure for a wine shop than to see beloved winemakers and estates flourish with success and improve their craft vintage after vintage. As each new release of a vintner’s wines hit our shelves, we have the privileged opportunity to be the curators of another memorable wine experience for our customers and the translator of that vintner’s vision. Sadly, we must also watch as that success rockets many wines and many wineries into the realm of unnobtainable and cult exclusive.

We are now, you and Vinopolis, at a entirely special turning point in the wines of Kelley Fox from the Willamette Valley. What is unmistakeably clear is that Kelley has become a true mater of her craft with few peers that can match in her region and style. It’s hard to see these wines getting any better, but we’ve been telling ourselves that for years since Kelley founded the winery in 2007. What is also clear is that the world is watching…….and they are responding. Consistently now achieving some of the highest press and reviews for Oregon pinot noir, Kelley’s single vineyard bottlings are becoming highly sought after from a global market that is willing to pay a premium to drink literally some of the top pinot noir not made in Burgundy.

BUT! What we perceive in the 2021 and 2022 vintages are perhaps a final salvo in the opportunity to get in on the Kelley Fox wine craze before these bottles ascend to the heights of the rare and luxurious. We still have a number of single vineyard cuvees on offer here at Vinopolis that are yours to seize if you can recognize the moment and the opportunity. These bottlings are true masterpieces conveying the nuanced terroir of some of the Willamette’s oldest and top vineyards, and the crazy delicious talent of one of the world’s most impressive winemakers. They’re going fast……

SEIZE THE MOMENT! HERE’S WHAT WE HAVE LEFT!

Kelley Fox Durant Vineyard Chardonnay 2022 750ml $44.50 special, 5 bottles available
Jeb Dunnuck 95 Points “A bright yellow hue with green highlights, the 2022 Chardonnay Durant Vineyard is expressive in its lacy perfume of jasmine, tarragon, salty earth, and bright green apple. Medium-bodied, it offers beautiful, pristine, ripe fruit, a pithy texture, and a delicate arch to its rounded mouthfeel, with no harshness. It’s refined and graceful, with a floral flourish of lemon blossoms lasting long on the finish. Drink 2024-2034.”
 
Kelley Fox Freedom Hill Pinot Blanc 2022 750ml $36 special, 12 bottles available
Winery Notes “The colour is a highly transparent, pale, brilliant lemon-yellow. The nose is full of subtle creamy citrus and tropical fruits with a hint of floral tones and powdery minerals and is incredibly inviting. The texture is light on its feet but has lovely heft. The mouth is much like the nose and is balanced with lovely tension and texture. This Pinot blanc is very clean on the palate, and long. I love how this turned out: the energy of ocean-fresh air and delicious fruit.”
 
Kelley Fox Maresh Vineyard Golden-Crowned Sparrow Blocks Pinot Noir 2022 750ml $89 special, 9 bottles available
Winery Notes “The Maresh Golden is a medium, youthful and rich blue-red with brilliant transparency. Of course, the nose is full of Hood strawberries with the cool freshness of rain and the Pacific Ocean in the spring air, along with dark red cherries and spice. This beautifully structured wine has disarming purity and weightless power.”
 
Kelley Fox Weber Vineyard Pinot Noir 2021 750ml $89 special, 12 bottles available
Jeb Dunnuck 96 Points “The jeweled ruby 2021 Pinot Noir Weber Vineyard takes on a riper though equally pristine character, with wild raspberry liqueur, pressed roses, forest herbs, and blood orange. On the palate, it has a rounded mouthfeel with more concentration and delivers ripe tannins as well as a pure, long, earth-toned finish with beetroot spice. Drink 2025-2035.”
 
Kelley Fox Carter Vineyard Pinot Noir 2021 750ml $89 special, 8 bottles available
Jeb Dunnuck 98 Points “From 40-year-old self-rooted vines that are organically farmed, the 2021 Pinot Noir Carter Vineyard is a ripe ruby hue and offers notes of grenadine, candied roses, and cinnamon. Its tannins are ripe and fine, and it fills the palate with ripe red fruit, apricot, and notes of crushed stone along with mouthwatering salinity. Drink 2023-2038.”
 
Kelley Fox Canary Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir 2021 75ml $89 special, 4 bottles available
Jeb Dunnuck 97 Points “Moving over to the Eola-Amity Hills, the 2021 Pinot Noir Canary Hill Vineyard is packed with energetic tension, opening to notes of crushed stone, ripe pomegranate, and rosemary. Focused, with balanced ripeness and even-keeled acidity, it’s seamless and long on the palate, with sweet tannins and a refined feel. It has fantastic energy, with delicate incense on the long finish, and will be an age-worthy wine to enjoy over the coming 10-12 years.”
 
Kelley Fox Maresh Vineyard Liminal Pinot Noir 2021 750ml $89 special, 9 bottles available
Jeb Dunnuck 95 Points “A gorgeous perfume lifts from the glass of the 2021 Pinot Noir Maresh Vineyard Liminal revealing notes of rhubarb, rosehip, and raspberry eau di vie. Coming from vines planted in close proximity to walnut trees and pouring a vibrant ruby color with youthful hints of orange, it offers fine tannins, a linear, weightless feel, and a clean, long, perfumed finish. It is very attractive now but will have significant longevity over the coming 6-8 years.”
 
Kelley Fox Maresh Royal Ann Block Pinot Noir 2021750ml $89 special, 3 bottles available
Jeb Dunnuck 96 Points “The 2021 Pinot Noir Maresh Vineyard Royal Ann Block takes on an exuberant, energetic lift of bright red cherry, incense, spiced orange zest, and delicate clove spice. Medium-bodied and taking on a touch more depth compared to the Liminal, it brings fine, ripe tannins and has a long finish.”

 

All Kelley Fox Wines Available:
 

KELLEY FOX WINES	VWS PRICE	AVAILABLE	LINK
KELLEY FOX CANARY PINOT NOIR 21	$89.00	4	Link
KELLEY FOX CARTER PINOT NOIR 21	$89.00	8	Link
KELLEY FOX DURANT CHARDONNAY 22	$44.50	5	Link
KELLEY FOX FH PINOT BLANC 2022	$36.00	12	Link
KELLEY FOX GOLD CROWN SPARROW 22	$89.00	12	Link
KELLEY FOX MARESH LIMINAL PN 21	$89.00	9	Link
KELLEY FOX NERTHUS 2022	$24.00	1	Link
KELLEY FOX PINOT MIRABAI 2022	$39.00	7	Link
KELLEY FOX ROYAL ANNE BLK PN 21	$89.00	3	Link
KELLEY FOX WEBER PINOT NOIR 2021	$89.00	12	Link

 

This is the shop’s absolute favorite Beaujolais producer. Hard stop. A few years ago Dubois’s  wines completely changed our perspective on the trajectory that the region was headed in and the nuance that could be expressed through gamay. Wine nerds en masse have been heralding the ‘Burgundian’ advance of Beujolais for a while now, and this has been spurred on by the upward spiral of prices for pinot noir coming out of the Cote d’Or. However, gamay actually achieving the heights of pinot noir in the glass has been few and far between, with only the best winemakers coming close. The gang of 4 producers (Lapierre, Foillard, Thevenet, Breton) influenced by Jules Chauvet have garnered most of the attention in recent times, and have reinforced the ‘natural’ mantra of most new age producers. Dubois produces Beaujolais in a natural style (a little sulfur at bottling because she cares about longevity and so do we), but she completely exits the natural train when it comes to how serious the resulting wines become.

These are not Glou Glou juice you pop open at a picnic when you want to focus more on drinking than on what’s in your glass (although you totally could, and Dubois’s Cocottes bottling can be enjoyed in this way). Rather, Dubois’s Fleurie-based reds are as delicate as a fine Volnay (she spent substantial time there actually) and as sumptuously silky as a Chambolle-Musigny. The quintessential gamay fruits are there, but there is bewildering density and complexity as well. For us, what steals the show with these wines is that they’re not just a pinot noir replication achieved through gamay, but rather the heights of that unique variety expressed with hauntingly beautiful character.

Everything about the vineyard and the winemaking for Dubois is painstakingly artisan. The vneyards  (about 20 hectares) are farmed organically, with biodiversity encouraged between the rows for topsoil health and composting employed. The vines are between 40 and 60 years old, planted at high density, and having naturally low yields from the dense pink granite soils, 30% incline and southwest exposure. Dubois harvests by hand and works with gravity in the winery, making wines that balance the Jayer method—an approach that advocates destemming—with whole cluster incorporation depending on the vintage. Only the Cocottes bottling is produced with carbonic maceration, while the Alchimiste and Labourons are traditional Burgundian in style.

We’ve still got some of the 2021 vintage in stock and the 2022s are newly arriving this coming week. This latest vintage for the region is billed to be one for the ages with exceptional flavor concentration and lower yields.

I served large format of Dubois Labourons as one of the apertif wines at my wedding….I truly cannot recommend this producer highly enough. I fully expect the prices for these wines to jump considerably in the next few years, so savor the moment and seize the opportunity!
 

2022 Vintage Dubois (Arriving Tuesday Oct. 17th):

Anne-Sophie Dubois Fleurie l’Alchimiste 2022 750ml $31.90 special, 36+ bottles available
Vinopol Note on this cuveee: Bouquet of dark, mineral-laden black berries with sous bois and sumptuous acidity. 

Anne-Sophie Dubois Fleurie Les Labourons 2022 750ml $37.50 special, 36+ bottles available
Vinopol Note on this cuveee: Pure velvet in texture. Perfume of warm purple fruits and hauntingly beautiful florals and earth. Fine tannins and a very long finish.

 

ANNE-SOPHIE DUBOIS WINES	VWS PRICE	AVAILABLE	LINK
DUBOIS FLEURIE COCOTTES 2021	$29.00	6	Link
DUBOIS FLEURIE L’ALCHIM 21 1.5L	$79.00	2	Link
DUBOIS FLEURIE L’ALCHIMISTE 2021	$29.00	13	Link
DUBOIS FLEURIE L’ALCHIMISTE 2022	$31.90	36+	Link
DUBOIS FLEURIE LABOURONS 2021	$33.00	29	Link
DUBOIS FLEURIE LABOURONS 2022	$37.50	36+	Link
DUBOIS FLEURIE LABOURONS 21 3L	$199.00	1	Link