Vinopolis January 6th Newsletter

Rx
Prescriptions filled tomorrow

Loosen Brothers Riesling Mosel “Dr. L” 2012 ($11.95) $8.90 special arriving Jan 07
Wine Spectator 91 points  “A succulent white, filled with plush red peach, cherry and white currant flavors that are supported by zesty acidity.  Long and creamy on the finish, offering plenty of spicy overtones. Impressive for the category. Drink now through 2016.”

Good to be King
“WE muse to mint more Coin, for WE are wont to own this verdant crowned dome.”
-Charles I circa 880AD

Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru 2009 ($149.95) $119 special
Antonio Galloni 93 points “The 2009 Corton-Charlemagne shows gorgeous balance and overall harmony. The overt, forward fruit is nicely buttressed by the wine’s underlying minerality and crystalline purity. The 2009 is juicy and oily, but without being overwhelming. A clean, vibrant finish rounds things out nicely. The 2009 is shaping up to be a jewel of a wine. Anticipated maturity: 2011- 2019.”

Faiveley Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru 2010 ($199.95) $189 special
Stephen Tanzer 95-97 points “Aroma of cold steel.  Great energy to the flavors of crushed rock and citrus fruits.  A wine of outstanding richness and chewy texture, this Corton-Charlemagne washes over the palate like a wave.  An infant today but destined for a long life in bottle.  Conveys an impression of great solidity. “

 Louis Jadot Corton Charlemagne  Domaine des Heretiers 2010 ($149.95) $129 special
Stephen Tanzer 96 points “Brilliant pale yellow.  Precise, penetrating aromas of green melon, ginger, quinine and dusty stone. Silky on entry, then sappy and deep in the middle, with a powerful crushed stone character and strong limey acidity combining to give the wine uncanny energy.  This is almost painful today.  This extremely dense, long wine may ultimately surpass Jadot’s Chevalier-Montrachet.”

Olivier Leflaive Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru 2010 ($149.95) $119 special
Antonio Galloni 92+ points  “The 2010 Corton-Charlemagne is gorgeous. Citrus, ash, smoke and graphite are all layered into this medium-bodied, vibrant white. In 2010, the Corton-Charlemagne is racy, energetic and nicely delineated. This is a terrific showing from Olivier Leflaive. Anticipated maturity: 2014+”

Louis Latour Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru 2006 ($99.95) $79 pre-arrival special
Wine Enthusiast 95 points “Power, density, huge richness-all the attributes you would expect from a Corton-Charlemagne. But, this being 2006, the ripe tropical fruits are crispened with acidity which cuts through the impressive opulence and ripeness.”

Louis Latour Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru 2007 ($119.95) $89 pre-arrival special
Burghound 93 points “A toasty, expressive and highly complex nose of pain grillé, green fruit and dried rose petal leads to rich, full, well-muscled and impressively intense full-bodied flavors that possess plenty of dry extract that really coats the mouth on the long and serious finish. This is very Corton-Charlemagne in character and one that should reward mid-term cellaring.”

Louis Latour Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru 2008 ($119.95) $99 pre-arrival special
Burghound 92-94 points “An upper register and highly complex nose of green apples, white pear and citrus notes introduces almost painfully intense, pure and impressively powerful big-bodied and overtly muscular flavors that possess an almost aggressive minerality on the palate staining, tension-filled and driving finish. This is really a striking wine that is built to age as there is an abundance of dry extract. Gorgeous.”

Louis Latour Corton-Grancey Grand Cru 2005 ($119.95) $99 pre-arrival special
Burghound 90-93 points “A very subtle touch of wood frames a spicy red berry fruit nose that dissolves into rich, full, well-muscled and sweet flavors that possess a good deal more volume and while the mid-palate is supple and round, the finish has the firmness that one expects from a big Corton. There is much better balance here and this should age well.”

Louis Latour Corton-Grancey Grand Cru 2006 ($99.95) $79 pre-arrival special
Burghound 89-91 points “A pretty and only moderately sauvage nose of crushed red berries, oak spice and warm earth gives way to reveal round, supple and slightly light flavors relative to what this wine usually possesses, all wrapped in a firm finish with grand cru finesse and elegance if not necessarily the power and depth. Still, this is most attractive.”

Louis Latour Corton-Grancey Grand Cru 2008 ($119.95) $89 pre-arrival special
Burghound 89-92 points “Mild wood influence does not compromise the transparency of the fresh and earthy red pinot fruit nose that exhibits a slight sauvage character that can also be found on the energetic, detailed and tautly muscled middle weight flavors that possess good richness and more refinement than usual on the serious, long and linear finish where a touch of austerity can also be seen.”

The winery of Corton-Grancey dates back to 1832 and was acquired by Domaine Louis Latour in 1891. The Pons de Grancey vineyards date back to the 11th Century. Château Corton-Grancey and its winemaking facilities can be thought of as the heart and soul of Domaine Louis Latour; all of their historic Domaine wines are made there.

Chateau de Beaucastel Chateuneuf du Pape Rouge 2011 ($89.95) $69 special
Chateau de Beaucastel Chateuneuf du Pape Rouge 2011 375ml ($44.95) $39 special
Chateau de Beaucastel Chateuneuf du Pape Rouge 2011 1.5L ($179.95) $139 special
Wine Advocate 94 points “Reminiscent of a lighter weight 2009, the 2011 Chateauneuf du Pape offers up a sweet bouquet of spiced black cherries, plum, truffle, saddle leather and underbrush. Coming from tiny yields (which were down 50% from 2010), this medium to full-bodied 2011 is gorgeously textured and has solid mid-palate depth, terrific purity of fruit and ripe tannin. Relatively approachable and enjoyable even now, it should nevertheless evolve gracefully for 15-20 years. Drink 2015-2031.”

Chateau de Beaucastel Chateuneuf du Pape Blanc Vieilles Vignes 2011 ($179.95) $139 special
Wine Advocate 98 points “The Beaucastel 2011 Roussanne Vieilles Vignes is another remarkable wine. Think of it as the 2010 with more minerality and precision. It has astonishing richness and length as well as massive body with great acidity. Drink it over the next 5-8 years.”

Chateau de Beaucastel Chateuneuf du Pape Hommage a J. Perrin 2009 ($599.95) $419 special
Robert Parker 99 points “Potentially the wine of the vintage, the 2009 Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape Hommage a Jacques Perrin had just been bottled two weeks before my visit. A wine of extraordinary density, richness, precision and unreal flavor intensity, it reveals abundant gamey, meaty notes intermixed with smoked duck, Provencal herbs, blueberries, blackberries, kirsch and licorice. This loaded, multidimensional, massively concentrated 2009 is much softer than most Hommages. It should be drinkable in 3-4 years and keep for 30-40 years thereafter. Kudos to one of the world’s great winemaking families!”

Perrin Famille Chateauneuf du Pape Les Sinards 2010 ($49.95) $33 special
Wine Spectator 93 points “Lush and inviting, with smoldering black tea weaving through the fleshy layers of melted fig, hoisin sauce, plum preserves and blackberry pudding. The dark ganache-coated finish has serious grip. Best from 2014 through 2025. Tasted twice, with consistent notes.”

Barolo is an area where fiercely independent people make extraordinary wines. Yet, even in such company, Teobaldo Cappellano, who passed away on February 21, 2009, stood out for his unique philosophy, his meticulous winemaking and the profound character of his wines.

A legend in Barolo-and among artisanal growers throughout Italy-Cappellano was one of the last of the region’s great traditionalist winemakers … and he was one of Barolo’s most compelling personalities. In 1983 he banished all journalists from his cellar, unless they agreed to review his wines without scores. (He saw ratings as divisive among growers.) And he may have been the only person who, during his lifetime, made a Barolo from ungrafted vines.

The Barolos that Cappellano made are classic “old-style” wines, marked by a haunting scent of dried roses and a hint of truffle. Yet, because of his stance on ratings, little has been written about them in America.

He made two Barolos-both from the mythic Gabutti vineyard on Serralunga’s best slope. (A few years ago, he removed the Gabutti designation from his labels to protest the expansion of the appellation to include inferior sites.) Two-thirds of his Barolo production was Barolo “Rupestris,” from a parcel planted on grafted rootstock in the 1940s. The grapes from this parcel produce a Barolo of superb depth of color and remarkable richness and length. His other Barolo was the mythic “Piè Franco,”  from a parcel planted on its own roots with Nebbiolo’s “Michet” clone in 1989. The ethereal delicacy of this great wine made Cappellano wonder if this is what Barolo tasted like before Phylloxera.

Domaine Jacques Prieur
Grand Grand Crus

Prieur Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru 2009 ($279.95) $219 special only 6 bottles
Burghound 93-95 points “In contrast to the expressiveness of many of the prior wines, this is closed to the point of being aromatically mute and even aggressive swirling coaxes very little from the nose. There is however simply superb power, detail, energy and complexity to the almost painfully intense flavors that culminate in a strikingly explosive and lengthy finish. This is most impressive and should also age extremely well.”

Prieur Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru 2009 ($249.95) $179 special only 6 bottles
Burghound 92-94 points “Somewhat surprisingly, this is every bit as elegant as the Bressandes with a ripe nose that includes floral elements to the red currant and black berry fruit aromas. There is excellent density to the quite serious, brooding and concentrated medium weight plus flavors that exude plenty of dry extract that buffers the otherwise very firm yet fine tannins that add to the mild finishing austerity on the explosively long finish.”

Prieur Echezeaux Grand Cru 2009 ($349.95) $289 special only 6 bottles
Burghound 92-94 points “A very ripe and highly expressive nose offers up a beguiling array of spice elements that include soy, hoisin and anise that add breadth to the violet and plum liqueur aromas. There is excellent volume to the rich, concentrated and velvet-textured big-bodied flavors that brim with dry extract on the balanced, deep and seriously persistent finish. This is an excellent Ech with plenty of aging potential.”

Prieur Chambertin Grand Cru 2008 ($399.95) $319 special only 6 bottles
Burghound 92-94 points “This cool and equally fresh and restrained nose offers notably denser and much more complex aromas of red and blue pinot fruit, violets, earth and pungent minerality that is very much in keeping with the backward and ultra primary flavors that are firm, intense and precise, all wrapped in an austere, driving and powerful finish. This has everything it needs to amply reward long-term cellaring and it will need it.”

Prieur Chambertin Grand Cru 2009 ($399.95) $299 special only 5 bottles
Burghound 92-95 points “Moderate reduction renders the nose difficult to read though there is good energy to the cool, reserved and tight broad-shouldered flavors that are stunningly complex and hugely long on the mineral-driven finish. This is a seriously impressive effort that just oozes class.”

Prieur Le Musigny Grand Cru 2008 ($479.95) $349 special only 2 bottles
Burghound 92-95 points “The spicy and densely fruited nose is stunningly elegant with breathtaking purity and is followed by rich, intense and powerful broad-scaled flavors that are naturally sweet and precise, all culminating in an explosive and highly persistent finish. This is by no means a really big Musigny yet it is impeccably well-balanced, fresh and complete. In sum, this is a seriously fine effort.”

Prieur Le Musigny Grand Cru 2009 ($479.95) $349 special only 4 bottles
Burghound 93-95 points “Very mild reduction reduces the expressiveness of the nose yet it is still relatively easy to discern that the dark berry fruit is ripe and nuanced by plenty of spice notes that can also be found on the rich and palate staining velvety flavors that possess imposing size and weight as well as a seemingly endless reserve of dry extract that buffers the firm tannic spine on the wonderfully long finish. This is a big yet balanced wine that possesses excellent energy with plenty of underlying tension and about the only nit is a hint of warmth on the powerful and driving finish. This should be most impressive in time if you have the patience to wait.”

Faiveley Echezeaux Grand Cru 2010 ($219.95) $133 special
Stephen Tanzer 92-95 points “Good full red.  Pungent aromas of raspberry, crushed stone and white pepper.  Enters with intense raspberry and spices, then turns firm and floral in the middle, showing superb energy and sappiness to the primary red fruit and mineral flavors.  With its saline impression of extract and strong tannic spine, this should evolve in bottle for couple of decades.”

Palazzo Cabernet Franc Napa 2008 ($79.95) $44 very super special
Palazzo Cabernet Franc Napa 2008 375ml ($39.95) $21.90 very super special
Palazzo Cabernet Franc Napa 2007 375ml ($39.95) $19 very super special
Robert Parker 92 Points (on 2008, no review on 2007) “The 2008 Cabernet Franc, a wine Palazzo seems to have a Midas’ touch with, has a deep bluish/ruby/purple color. Notes of cedar wood, spice box, bay leaf, black currant and black cherry fruit jump from the glass of this medium to full-bodied, elegant, ethereal wine. It displays good ripeness and moderately sweet tannin. It should be better in 2-3 years and evolve for 12-15+.”

Charles Joguet Chinon Cuvee Terroir 2009 ($24.95) $18 special
Wine Spectator 90 points “This is racy, with dark, roasted apple wood and olive aromas leading the way for tasty plum sauce, currant preserve and mulled black cherry fruit. A tobacco note smolders on the finish.”

Vignamaggio IGT Vignamaggio Toscana 2006 ($79.95) $66 special
Antonio Galloni 95 points “The 2006 Cabernet Franc is marvelous in its ripe dark fruit, violets, graphite, espresso, Venezuelan bittersweet chocolate and minerals. The interplay between fruit and structure here is simply magnificent, while the wine’s focus and crystalline purity are something to behold. This beautifully sculpted, powerful Cabernet Franc captures plenty of varietal expression married to an unmistakable sense of Tuscany. It is a magnificent effort from Vignamaggio. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2026.”

Le Macchiole Paleo Rosso 2009 ($149.95) $119 special
Wine Enthusiast 97 points “Made from 100% Cabernet Franc, Paleo opens with concentrated, sweet-smelling aromas of plum, cherry and cinnamon, which translate to the palate with added notes of spice, leather and tobacco. This is bold, opulent and delicious, and it’s guaranteed to please.”

Clos de Tart is located in the southern part of Morey Saint Denis, immediately west (uphill) of the village itself. It borders to the Grand Cru vineyard Bonnes Mares in the south, and Clos des Lambrays in the north. In 1141, Clos de Tart was sold by Maison Dieu in Brochon to the Cistercian nuns of Notre Dame de Tart. It remained owned by them until the French Revolution, at which time it was sequestered to the state and sold. The Mommessin family bought it in 1932, and they were the owners when the Clos de Tart AOC was created in 1939.

Momessin Clos de Tart Grand Cru Monopole 2007 ($399.95) $249 best in USA special
Wine Spectator 94 points “Intense aromas of graphite and mineral make an immediate impact, with black cherry, black currant and spice flavors adding depth and dimension. This has concentration and a juicy texture, pushing the long, peppery aftertaste. Shows fine harmony and expression overall. Best from 2012 through 2024. 281 cases imported”

Stephen Tanzer 92 points “Bright red-ruby. Liqueur-like black raspberry, mocha and spices on the nose, with a hint of dried fruits. Then opulent, sweet and highly concentrated on the palate, with cherry, mineral and licorice flavors sexed up by a note of molten chocolate. This lacks the peppery high notes of the young 2008 but the texture is more plush today. Finishes with very fine-grained tannins and enough energy to ensure an extended evolution in bottle.

J.J. Christoffel  Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Auslese* “Kauen” 2012 ($49.95) $39 special
Terry Theise: “We’re making a change in labeling. When we did stars – 1-star, 2-star, 3-star – it tended to create a false hierarchy, and led buyers to suppose they had to have the “best” one or the bullies would kick sand in their faces. So now we’re going to use the actual micro-parcel name, because the wines do in fact hail from single small pieces of land. It’s more informative, more truthful. This parcel is way up in the most forbidding terraces, and its wines have a kind of para-sensual slate expression, a sonnet of the rocks. It’ll buzz your fillings, this wine.”

J.J. Christoffel  Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Auslese*** “Kranklay” 2012 ($69.95) $59 special
Terry Thiese “The parcel is below the sundial, and spreads to either side, lower down where the slate is more crumbled and the wines have more finesse. It isn’t the greater intensity or power that asks the higher price; it’s the greater finesse and texture, and if I didn’t already love these wines, this alone would make me love them. It’s a tender, delicate wine, and a celestial wild strawberry note arrives. Almost no botrytis. Masterly and bewitching.”

Elvio Cogno Barolo Ravera 2006 ($69.95) $44 special
Antonio Galloni 94 points “The 2006 Barolo Ravera is darker, richer and more sensual than the Cascina Nuova. Layers of dark fruit intermingled with sweet balsamic nuances of cloves, pine and menthol flow effortlessly from the Ravera. The richness of the density matches the tannins step by step all the way through to a sensual, inviting finish that begs for another taste. This, too, is a superb effort. Ravera isn’t usually considered one of the very finest sites for Nebbiolo in Barolo, but in Cogno’s hands the fruit seems to reach an unprecedented level of finesse and elegance. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2026.”

Elvio Cogno Barolo Ravera 2007 ($69.95) $44 special
Antonio Galloni 93+ points “The 2007 Barolo Ravera shows marvelous depth and richness, but is not hugely different from the Cascina Nuova, perhaps because the vintage has such a strong influence in both wines. It is a big, muscular Barolo endowed with layers of dark fruit, mocha, leather, licorice and smoke. A large, scaled dramatic finish rounds out this compelling, totally delicious Barolo. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2025.”

Miscellany
Arriving This Week

A.J. Adam Dhroner Hofberg Riesling Kabinett 2011 ($29.95) $24 special
Wine Advocate 92 points “Talcum and orange blossom fetchingly scent Adam’s 2011 Dhronhofberger Riesling Kabinett, then join white peach on a luscious, delicate, subtly creamy palate, with a sense of wafting inner-mouth perfume as well as nut cream and wet stone undertones lasting into a refreshing finish, where the effects of a small lot of wine with unusually high acidity are noticeable and engender a certain largely productive tension. As this opened to the air, a sense of interactive dynamic between its fruit and flowers on the one hand and emerging stony, alkaline, and saline notes on the other served to heighten an already high level of stimulation. This should be a delight to follow for the next 15 years or so and will probably gain in nuanced complexity.”

Emilio Moro Ribera del Duero Malleolus Sanchomartin 2009 ($179.95) $149 special only 5 bottles
JSM-Wine Advocate 97-100 points “The 2009 Malleolus de Sanchomartin was tasted from a barrel sample. Opaque purple in color with lovely floral aromas, Asian spices, and incense, on the palate it effortlessly combines power with elegance. It has superb grip, great volume, and plush, succulent fruit. It has the structure to evolve for 8-10 years and should drink well through 2040.”

Emilio Moro Ribera del Duero  Malleolus Valderramiro 2009 ($159.95) $128 special
JSM-Wine Advocate 97-100 points “The 2009 Malleolus de Valderramiro was tasted from a barrel sample. Opaque purple in color, it offers up an alluring bouquet of Asian spices, incense, licorice, blueberry, and blackberry. Dense, rich, and full-bodied, it has great flavors and balance. Once in bottle it looks to be a candidate for perfection.”