Tag Archives: french wine

Wines of the Day: Dolin Vermouth de Chambery NV 5-10-2016

Dolin Vermouth de Chambery Dry, Savoie, France ($17.95) Buy Now: $14 special

Dolin Vermouth de Chambery Blanc, Savoie, France ($17.95) Buy Now: $14 special

Dolin Vermouth de Chambery Rouge, Savoie, France ($17.95) Buy Now: $14 special

“Dolin is a respected producer of AOC French-style vermouths from Chambery, France in the Alps. The vermouths are produced using an herbal recipe from 1821 and wormwood as their bitter agent. The neutral base wines are left to macerate with local herbs and plants for several months before being sweetened and fortified. The Dry makes a superb mixer for dry martinis or to spice up ginger ale. It has delicate herbal notes from the Alpine botanicals infused in the wine. The Dry is sweetened to 30g/L and both the Blanc and Rouge are sweetened to 130g/L.” … Read the rest

Joseph Drouhin Musigny Grand Cru 2011 Burgundy Red Wine

April 2016

Joseph Drouhin Musigny Grand Cru 2011 750ML ($799.95) Buy Now: $549 special

Stephen Tanzer–Vinous 92-95 points “Good deep red. Captivating aromas of blueberry, violet, coffee bean, white pepper and crushed stone. Juicy on entry, then tight and imploded in the middle, with an energetic core of fruit currently dominated by the wine’s structure. Most impressive today on the rising, expanding back end, which saturates the mouth with dusty minerality. This will need eight to ten years of cellaring.” ST

Burghound 93-95 points “Don’t miss! A highly spiced, cool and reserved nose features superb breadth with a wonderfully appealing array of plum, violets, wet stone and essence of red berry fruit. The exceptionally rich, focused and intensely mineral-inflected broad-shouldered flavors evidence focused power and a sleek muscularity before terminating in an explosive and palate saturating finish of genuinely stunning length.… Read the rest

Wine of the Day: Aw, Shucks! Servin ‘Les Forets’ 2013 (with Oysters!) 4-13-16

Domaine Servin Les Forets, Chablis Premier Cru 2013 750ML ($31.95) Buy Now: $26 special

The days of winter are coming to an end and spring is in the air. Things are changing. The trees are blossoming in the streets and the air smells sweet. We say goodbye to our winter coats and warm wool socks. Sadly, it’s almost time to say goodbye to months with “R” in them: oyster months. Not to worry, there is still time. I suggest we do what is only right by celebrating these last days of April with some fine Chablis and oysters.

Millions of years ago the Chablis region of Burgundy was an ocean floor and the area has many sea fossils. Over the eons, this developed in a mineral rich soil which makes for distinctive chardonnays. … Read the rest

Wine of the Day: Antoine Arena Grotte di Sole 3-28-16

Domaine Antoine Arena Patrimonio Grotte di Sole Rouge, Corsica, France 2011 750ML ($49.95) Buy Now: $29 special

Antoine Arena manages such depth in his otherwise energetic, soulful wines. The 2011 Grotte di Sole is among the best possible examples, and we’re lucky to have it on offer. Sun-soaked fruit flirts with a leathery backdrop which never goes overboard; the gorgeous aromas of dark cherry and spice makes it very much a sip once, sniff twice sort of wine. This is an adventurous wine which will pleasantly surprise, though certainly fall within the register of anyone who loves the complexity of northern Rhone wines, the food-friendliness of Tuscan wines, and the persistence of Loire reds. I, for one, love it.

– Tyler… Read the rest

Wine of the Day: Fosse-Seche Saumur Blanc 3-25-16

Chateau de Fosse-Seche Saumur Blanc Arcane, Loire, France 2012 750ML ($39.95) Buy Now: $33 special
Case-12 Chateau de Fosse-Seche Saumur Blanc Arcane, Loire, France 2012 750ML ($379.95) Buy Now: $333 special (that’s only $27.75/bottle!)

This was a surprise… Perfect balance, with a great honey-brioche-elderflower-peach quartet which gets all the notes right. The finish has all the energy of a band giving it’s all for the last song of the night. For Chenin with personality and depth, look no further.

– Tyler

Wine Advocate 93 points “Yields of the 2012 Saumur Arcane were remarkable low (10-15 hectoliters per hectare), but finally gave a full-bodied, firmly structured wine with a powerful length. Golden yellow in color. Rich, ripe and deep on the nose, very profound and complex, but also superbly pure and stony in its core showing cooked quinces and honey.… Read the rest