Tag Archives: french

Incredible Dom Special

December 2017

Dom Perignon 2009

James Suckling 97 points “This is a DP that shows the ripeness of the 2009 vintage yet remains full of energy. Gorgeous aromas of cream, apple, mango, honeysuckle, and chalk follow through to a full body and super fine, tight texture. Dense and agile. Vinous. It’s like a top grand cru white Burgundy. Think Batard-Montrachet. More depth than the 2006. Drink now.”
Decanter 96 points “Unbroken sun through August and early September helped to shape an idyllic harvest, on 12th September. Superb maturity of fruit in flawless health has produced a wine with wafting scents of both fresh and confit of spiced lemon and wild cherry. Despite the heat, the wine has freshness, vitality and length. Still a youngster, this will grow greatly by 2019. A more stylish son of the ’03, and cousin of the slender and charming ’06. Disgorged June 2016.”
Antonio Galloni 94+ points “The 2009 Dom Pérignon is a gorgeous, totally seductive Champagne that will drink well right out of the gate. Medium in body and unusually open-knit at this stage, the 2009 is one of the most accessible young Dom Pérignons I can remember tasting. It is an excellent choice to drink while waiting for the release of the stellar 2008 and some recent vintages that remain very young, including the 2006. Despite the warm, ripe personality of the 2009 Dom Pérignon is quite gracious, but there is plenty of depth underpinning the fruit. With each successive tasting, the 2009 seems to have gained more power and breadth, especially on the finish. Above all else, the 2009 is decidedly restrained for a warm, radiant vintage. It is not as overtly flamboyant as the 2002 nor as phenolically intense as years like 2003 and 2006. Instead, the 2009 is a beautifully balanced Champagne, with all of its elements in the right place. Tasted three times.”

Guigal Condrieu

Great Guigal

Classic Condrieu

May 2017

guigal condrieu bottlesFrom the three lieux-dits of Cote Chatillon, Colombier and Coteau de Chery:
E. Guigal Condrieu La Doriane, Rhone 2015 750ML ($119.95) Buy Now: $89 pre-arrival special, ETA September 2017
Wine Advocate 99 points “Easily one of the greatest Condrieu I’ve ever tasted is the 2015 Condrieu La Doriane. A wine that needs to be tasted to be believed, it possesses a huge nose of toasted brioche, liquid rocks, apricot, flower oil and salty minerality. Unctuous, full-bodied, massively rich, yet also elegant and graceful, with beautiful freshness, enjoy this tour de force over the coming 5-6 years.” – Jeb Dunnuck

This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast today!

E. Guigal Condrieu, Rhone 2015 750ML ($59.95) Buy Now: $49 pre-arrival special, ETA May 2017
Wine Advocate 95 points “Guigal’s 2015 Condrieu is a blockbuster that, if not for its big brother, would be one of the wines of the vintage. Aged in one-third new barrels and two-thirds in tank, it’s a rich, unctuous, thrillingly textured beauty that has plenty of orange blossom, flower oil, tangerine and peach. Fruit-loaded, with just a touch of minerality, it should be drunk over the coming 2-4 years.” – Jeb Dunnuck

Wine of the Day: M Plouzeau Chinon Rive Gauche, Loire 2014 750ML 7-3-16

Wine of the Day: M Plouzeau Chinon Rive Gauche, Loire 2014 750ML ($19.95) Buy Now: $14 special
Case-12 M Plouzeau Chinon Rive Gauche, Loire 2014 750ML ($199.95) Buy Now: $149 special

M Plouzeau Chinon Rive Gauche, Loire 2014

M Plouzeau Chinon Rive Gauche, Loire 2014

“A touch more muscle than the Chinon found atop zinc tables across Paris, Plouzeau’s ‘Rive Gauche’ offers an animated, hyper-reliable example of Cabernet Franc. Tobacco, damp earth, red fruits, and a touch of mushroom make for a transparent and versatile wine which would appeal to Francophiles, those who enjoy Washington State blends, and pretty much anyone who falls in the in-between. A beaut!” – Tyler

Wine of the Day: Mas Cal Demoura L’Infidele 2010 6-28-16

Mas Cal Demoura L’Infidele 2010

Mas Cal Demoura L’Infidele 2010

Mas Cal Demoura “L’infidele” 2010 750ML ($31.95) Buy Now: $27 special
I have no shame in loving the rough-and-tumble wines of southern France. When the yields are kept in check and the wine’s development isn’t stunted by efforts of standardization, the resulting wines can be at once charming and startling. These sorts of blends have a broader appeal than I think we allow – I’d bet a day’s wages, for one, that you could get a Napa Cab guy and a Loire geek to agree on some gems of the Languedoc.

One such gem comes from Mas Cal Demoura, situated not far from Montpelier along the slopes of the Cévennes mountain range. These wines are soulful, playful – reverent, even, as they’re not shy to display the seemingly-paradoxical traits of their terroir: bold, fresh, mineral-laden, layered, dynamic…“L’Infidele” integrates all five varietals of the domaine each vintage: Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cinsault, and Carignan.

Each varietal is fermented separately and then blended to the vintner’s liking. One grape may account for 3% one year and 18% another; this makes the process of tasting year after year particularly interesting. The resultant wine, for 2010, is soil-driven and linear with open-ended red fruit and all-over-the-place aromatics in a good sort of way. I love it. -Tyler

Wine of the Day: Domaine Drouhin Roserock Chardonnay 5-23-16

roserockchardDomaine Drouhin Roserock Chardonnay, Eola-Amity Hills 2014 750ML ($34.95) Buy Now: $28 special

Who’s to complain about more Drouhin wine from Oregon? Few winemakers possess the talent, experience, and intuition of Véronique Drouhin, be it State-side or in France. Domaine Drouhin’s latest acquisition, Roserock, gives Véro a chance to tease beauty out of Chardonnay (and Pinot Noir) from the cooler-clime Eola-Amity Hills AVA, whose volcanic soils nourish wines with typically-Oregonian depth.

The 2014 Roserock Chardonnay is crisp yet round (half stainless steel, half oak fermentation), pleasantly fruity (pear, honeysuckle, citrus), and only oaky enough to offer the smoothness and subtle warmth of Burgundian-style Chardonnay. Excellent to drink today with hors d’oeuvres, fish, white meat, or creamy cheeses, this delightful Chardonnay will happily age another few years. Get it before this inaugural Roserock vintage is gone. -Daniel