Vinopolis Mid-Week Newsletter 03-16-22

In This Newsletter:

Vinopolis Closeout’s:
Rheinhessen Selections on sale now!   



Champagne Salon:
No introductions needed



Mourat, J Mourat:
The James Bond Rose coming this summer



The Trumpet’s Sound:
2016 Chateau Gloria arriving April 2022

 

Kia Ora to North Canterbury’s Hermit Ram 


Vicar of Vertus, Duval Leroy


Royally Delicious: 
Sparkling from Sforza



Collector’s Corner 
Dominio Pingus: 
The Rachmaninov of Ribera


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Vinopolis Closeout’s:
Rheinhessen Selections on sale now!  

 
Much like German wine in general, the Rheinhessen is in the midst of a wine renaissance. Being credited with the first traded vineyard in the entire country dating back to the house of Charlemagne in Holy Roman Empire era, the majority of the area was previously too cold to produce Riesling at a satisfying level of ripeness. As a result; the region became largely devoted to bulk wine production post-WW II (most notably the infamous Liebfraumilch). That is no longer the case for the areas production, with red grapes now making up a significant proportion and expected to grow as climate change continues. 

The best wines in the Rheinhessen have historically come from an area known as the Roter Hang (Red Slope) and have been compared to the terraces of Côte-Rôtie and the Mosel due to their steepness and distinctive soil. Composed of bright red slate, quartzite and veins of limestone that reflects and absorbs heat to assist in ripening, this is the “Grand Cru” of the Rheinhessen.

With the new generation of winemaking talent in the Rheinhessen, there have also been stellar examples coming from the surrounding hillside vineyards which are locally known as “Rheinterasse”. Because of the warmer growing conditions compared to neighboring areas, the styles of Riesling that come from the Rheinhessen feature rich, developed flavors. 

This level of ripeness combined with the terroir often presents like yellow, red or baked apples with additional notes of cinnamon, nutmeg, elderflower and hyacinth. Wines from the Roter Hang especially are famous for their crystalline and spice notes like sugared pineapple, candied ginger and anise.As a whole the Rheinhessen features medium body and lower acid, with soft and developed fruit character with a mineral finish.

Rheinhessen wines on sale now: 

Thorle Saulheimer Holle Riesling, Rheinhessen 2017 750ML ($44.95) Was $39, Now $33, 18 bottles in stock now
Stuart Pigott – Jamessuckling 96 points
“Still youthful, but this has a complex stone-fruit nose. Concentrated and racy with great energy at the very long, chalky finish. Great aging potential. Drink or hold.”

This is the only listing in the USA today!

Weingut Keller Rieslaner Auslese, Rheinhessen 2019 375ML ($69.95) Was $44, Now $39, 9 half-bottles in stock now

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Weingut Keller Monsheimer Silberberg Rieslaner Beerenauslese Gold Capsule, Rheinhessen 2018 375ML ($319.95) Was $249, Now $219, 6 half-bottles in stock now

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

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Champagne Salon:
No introductions needed


A wholly unique house in that they produce a single wine and only during the most exceptional growing years. Sourced from 20 parcels in the center of Le Mensil-Sur-Oger with their first vintage in 1905, this is one of the rarest wines in the entire world and the apex of Chardonnay, with razor sharp austerity requiring extensive bottle age before enjoyment. 

Each vintage is attributed with its own personality and showing. The house describes the vintage in 2012 as “The Smile, with all the beguiling and mystery of the Mona Lisa”. The vintage itself was remarkably cool throughout the season, until it wasn’t with heat waves and a warm fall season largely saving the vintage. The vintage has been compared to the legendary 2008 in that yields were exceptionally low with correspondingly intense flavors, and a cool enough start to ensure robust levels of acidity. 

Salon in stock now: 

Salon Cuvee ‘S’ Le Mesnil Blanc de Blancs Brut Champagne 2012 750ML ($1499.95) $1199 special, 2 bottles in stock now
Decanter 99 points
“The Salon 2012 has scintillating aromatic brilliance and purity with seductive scents of white fruit, citrus zest and spring flowers capped by a touch of spice. With some air, pastry-like notes add to its complex yet elegant fragrance, which remains essentially citrussy in character. On the palate, it reverberates with kinetic energy coursing through its crystalline and elongated structure, making this vintage Champagne seem a bit atypical for Salon. Indeed, this edition is supremely elegant and subtle to a degree that surpasses those of other recent vintages. Salon 2012 is a racy thoroughbred that will go the distance without effort, a telltale sign being its chalk-infused yet airborne finish. In time, it will in all likelihood merit the ultimate accolade of a 100-point score. Dosage: 6g/L. Disgorged: March 2021. Drinking Window 2021 – 2050.”
William Kelley-Wine Advocate 98+ points “Back in 2014, Salon’s president Didier Depond was quoted in the press as saying that “since 2008, there has been no genuinely great vintage in Champagne” and that a 2012 from Salon wouldn’t be released. But the just-released 2012 Brut Blanc de Blancs Le Mesnil shows that he had good reason to change his mind, as to my palate this is, after the 2008, the finest Salon produced this millennium. Unwinding in the glass with notes of citrus oil, wet stones, freshly baked bread, white currants and oyster shell, it’s full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with a tightly wound core of fruit, racy acids and an elegant pinpoint mousse. Concluding with a long and resonant finish, this is a structured and powerful Salon that’s a lot more incisive than, for example, the 2002 at the same stage, but which also carries more muscle and substance than a leaner vintage such as 2007. For readers that have balked at the pricing of the magnum-only 2008, the 2012 isn’t far off the latter’s level in quality, and will presumably be distributed more conventionally.”
Antonio Galloni 97 points “The 2012 Salon is absolutely gorgeous. It offers a beguiling mix of radiance and energy that seems to capture a little bit of elements of some of its older siblings. The expression of fruit is radiant and quite overt, but without reaching the tropical exuberance of the 2006. In shape, the 2012 recalls the mid-weight style of 2007 with the freshness of 2008, but not quite the youthful austerity of that wine. If that sounds like an appealing combination, well it is. The 2012 Salon is all harmony and class.”
 
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Mourat, J Mourat:
The James Bond Rose coming this summer

 
Have you ever heard of the varietal called Grolleau? Named after the black color the grapes develop as they ripen, it was the most popular rose in France for nearly a century both domestically and abroad. It was so famous as a style that it was codified in the original James Bond novel Goldfinger; with Bond preferring to drink it over Dom Perignon! 

Grolleau is still used to make rose today, usually in conjunction with its gray skinned mutation, Grolleau Gris. We can’t get enough of Mourat’s iteration, which is grown just 12 miles away from the Atlantic Ocean on the far western part of the Loire Valley called “Fiefs Vendeens”. This appellation is special not only for its historic patronage by Cardinal Richelieu, but also for having one of the highest percentages of certified organic and biodynamic vineyards in all of France.  

The appellation receives almost as much sunlight as Provence, with the temperature being mitigated by the ocean breeze from the Atlantic. These factors marry together to feature both ripe fruit notes like fresh melon, strawberries and peaches in addition to a lifted, peppery finish. The soils of the appellation are primarily quartzite with schist, creating a nuanced, mineral underpinning. Mourat is lucky enough to have a unique site that is predominantly purple schist, which further emphasizes a mineral driven spine in both his Rose and Red bottlings.  

The Ovni is a rare offering in that it is entirely composed of Grolleau Gris, in stark contrast to the rest of the appellation which are field blends. With an average vine age of 25 years old, this is a multidimensional rose that is applicable pretty much anytime, anywhere. We also carry another rose by Mourat, featuring a field blend of grapes that are traditional to the region. The rarest of his bottlings is his rouge, which is entirely sourced from 80 year old plantings of Negrette. Characterized by supple texture, dark fruited character and violet accentuations in the aromas this is definition of a “Sunshine red”  

Mourat wines arriving June 2022:

J. Mourat O.V.N.I. Rose IGP Val de Loire 2021 750ML ($21.95) $17 pre-arrival special 

100% Grolleau Gris

This is the only listing in the USA today!

J. Mourat Collection Rose, Fiefs Vendeens Mareuil  2021 750ML ($19.95) $16 pre-arrival special
Gamay, Cabernet Franc, Negrette & Pinot Noir      

J. Mourat Collection Rouge Fiefs Vendeens Mareuil 2020 750ML ($29.95) $24.50 pre-arrival special
80 year old Negrette vines

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The Trumpet’s Sound: 
2016 Chateau Gloria arriving April 2022

 
The 2016 vintage is legendary in Bordeaux, with Roger Voss of Wine Enthusiast entitling his vintage summary “The Perfect Bordeaux?”. The vintage is often compared to her sister 2015 in terms of being consistently warm throughout the summer but with a luxuriously wet spring allowing for ample water supplies under the trademark gravel of the region.

Combined with a long and dry summer, Chateau Gloria was able to deliver exceptional purity, elegance and freshness in spades. After seeing the critical reception, we secured an allotment of magnums. As one of Bordeaux’s “Benchmark Producers” the chateau walks the line between tradition and modernity, combining hand harvesting with automatic pump-overs. Described as a lighter and more elegant expression when compared to other Left-Bank iterations, Chateau Gloria is known for being accessible in youth and with extensive aging. 

Chateau Gloria arriving April 2022:

Chateau Gloria Saint-Julien 2016 1.5L ($149.95) $135 pre-arrival special, 12 magnums arriving 
Antonio Galloni 96 points
“The 2016 Gloria is one of the undisputed stars of this vintage. Rich, deep and explosive, the 2016 possesses tremendous intensity in all of its dimensions. Sweet red cherry, tobacco, menthol, licorice and dried rose petal all add complexity. In 2016 Gloria is a real head-turner. It should be a fabulous value as well. There is not much else to say.”
Neal Martin-Vinous 94 points “The 2016 Gloria is noticeably deeper in color than its peers. It has a charming bouquet of blackberry, briar, brown spices and touches of sandalwood, complex and developing loamy elements with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins and a fine bead of acidity. Quite mineral-driven, leading into a composed, precise finish that indicates careful winemaking from great terroir. Superb. Tasted blind at the Southwold tasting.”
Wine Spectator 94 points “This has a slightly chunky feel now, with bramble and tar notes jutting out a bit, but the core is saturated with cassis and blackberry fruit flavors and there’s fun energy throughout. Offers a lovely tug of sweet tobacco detail on the finish too. Just let this settle in the cellar. Best from 2024 through 2038. — JM”
Jeb Dunnuck 94 points “I was lucky enough to taste the 2016 Château Gloria on multiple occasions and it’s unquestionably the finest vintage of this cuvée I’ve tasted. A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, aged in 42% new French oak, its deep purple color is followed by a powerful, medium to full-bodied wine that has thrilling purity in its ripe black and blue fruits, tobacco, and graphite-laced aromas and flavors. Deep, layered, with ripe tannins and the purity and freshness that makes the vintage so special, this is a brilliant Gloria to drink over the coming 20+ years.”
Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Advocate 93 points “The 2016 Gloria is comprised of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot aged 14 months in 42% new and 58% one-year-old French oak. Deep garnet-purple in color, it sings of plum preserves, warm cassis and dark chocolate with touches of tobacco, bay leaves and lavender with a waft of dusty soil. The palate is medium-bodied, elegant and savory in the mouth with loads of layers and a lifted finish.”
Decanter 93 points “Though it’s hardly under-the-radar, this unclassified château (one of the few in this appellation) consistently offers rich bright fruit , charm, and juicy generosity in a lighter, elegant St-Julien style, especially in top vintages like 2016. The plots that make up its vineyards were painstakingly acquired by the late Henri Martin and it’s now run by his daughter and son-in-law, along with fourth growth Château Saint-Pierre. The blend in 2016 is 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot and aged in 40% new barrels. This was the first vintage made in a new winery, with 76 different-sized tanks, and it’s one of the best wines ever from Gloria. Drinking Window 2022 – 2040.”

This is the lowest listed price for a magnum in the USA today!


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Kia Ora to North Canterbury’s Hermit Ram

It’s no secret that we love Pinot Noir and Burgundian varietals as a whole here at Vinopolis. While Oregon holds our hearts, there’s something to be said about what our siblings in Aotearoa (New Zealand) are doing across the Pacific. 

North Canterbury has especially caught our eye with their reputation for cool-climate experimentation, and a hotbed of new winemaking talent. “The coolest little wine region in the country” as the region bills is home to clay-limestone soils that are a dead ringer for top tier Burgundy, and a climate particularly conducive to bright and ageworthy wines. Hermit Ram is taking the wine world by storm with their field blends and Pinot Noir, hybridizing traditional Burgundian practices with “New wave” techniques like low intervention in the cellar, amphora for fermentation and stem inclusion over new oak. 

The Pinot Noir is beautifully structured and derives its tannins entirely from skin, stems and seeds as opposed to new oak. This combined with the marginal growing conditions seen in North Canterbury creates a plethora of flavors ranging from Assamese black tea, fresh rhubarb, black raspberry, lavender and redcurrants. Beyond the fruit and floral components there is also a mineral component redolent of crushed stone and turned loam.  

Hermit Ram wines in stock now: 

The Hermit Ram Whole Bunch Zealandia Pinot Noir North Canterbury 2019 750ML ($49.95) $41.90 special, 20 bottles in stock now
Winery Note:
“This Pinot Noir comes from two vineyards, one a small close planted vineyard on the Omihi slopes and the other on the valley floor. The soil in Omihi is predominantly clay with bands of limestone and iron oxide, and the valley floor has glacial gravels with layers of silt and the odd bit of broken limestone dispersed throughout the profile. The clay parcel brings a richness and flesh to this wine whilst the gravel site adds spice and finesse. The use of whole bunches helps to add floral aromatics and length to balance out these textures and to knit the whole wine together. The structural elements and aroma gained from using whole bunches in Pinot Noir from North Canterbury also serves to promote longevity in the wine. It’ll make for fascinating drinking over the coming years. This wine has approximately 50% whole bunches in the ferment. It was fermented with indigenous yeasts. It underwent natural malolactic fermentation. It has no Sulphur added until bottling. It is unfined and unfiltered. 20 ppm SO2 Total.”
 
This is the only listing in the USA today!

The Hermit Ram Field Blend Rose North Canterbury 2020 750ML ($44.95) $39 special, 14 bottles in stock now
Riesling/Pinot Noir/Cab Sauv/Gewurz
Winery note
“The act of fermenting which ever varieties are planted in your vineyard together is intriguing and the results can be delicious and a really unique picture of a particular vineyard site and region. This wine is a field blend of Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and Gewurztraminer. It comes from one of North Canterbury’s earliest planted vineyards. It presents itself like a delicate pinot with insane aromatics. The fruit was picked on the proportions it grows in the vineyard. It was destemmed and naturally fermented on skins for 6 weeks. Pressed off in to Amphora and allowed to go through a natural malolactic ferment. This wine was bottled with no fining, filtration or Sulphur.”
 
This is the only listing in the USA today!
 
The Hermit Ram Amphora Salty White North Canterbury 2020 750ML ($44.95) $38 special, 17 bottles in stock now
Julia Harding MW 17 points
“Slightly cloudy very pale gold. Intensely citrus with a light herbal quality. Sour apricot and dried grasses are very subtle. This is complex, creamy, extremely salty. Great complexity and a lovely blend with nothing dominating. Dry, finely tannic, the best flavours of Sauvignon at the core, citrus and herbal and finally green fruits like greengage. Deep, long, salty, a wine for the evening. Good value. Drink 2021–2024”

Love Natural wine? We carry producers from around the world including Ovum, Daterra Lorenzo and Chateau Musar

 
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Vicar of Vertus, Duval Leroy

Traditionally used to denote a Champagne House’s top offering, Tête de cuvée wines represent some of the most collectible and famous wines in the world.True to its name, Duval-Leroy’s ‘Femme de Champagne” is the brainchild of Carol Duval-Leroy and Sandrine Logette-Jardin. The former is one of Champagne’s few female Presidents, the latter one of its few female Head Winemakers. Founded in 1859 and with a House style they describe as “Inspired by virtuosity, not clamour…Together, we produce champagnes that are the essence of finesse, lightness and elegance, Champagnes that not only respect the terroir but exalt it”

They aren’t all talk either, having contributed to the advancement of Champagne for generations. In addition to being the first House to produce Cru-Specific bottlings in 1911, the house was one of the first to begin converting their holdings to organic farming methods with their Brut Cuvee being the first on the market to be labeled as such.  

Like all vintage Champagne, Femme de Champagne is only made in the most spectacular years (only three were made in the 1990s and only seven vintages have ever been made). 2000 was warmer than average and Duval-Leroy was delighted with their top quality fruit. Long known for elegance and finesse, this bottle exemplifies Duval-Leroy’s House style with its juxtaposition of tertiary character and minerality.

This is not the loudest voice at your dinner party, but instead the most compelling. Speaking of dinner parties, these beautiful magnums would provide the perfect centerpiece at your next celebration at a price similar to what you’d pay for a 750ml of other top Têtes. For the collection minded these are also an excellent option, as the bottling is no longer made by the House. 

Duval-Leroy in stock now: 

Duval-Leroy Femme de Champagne Grand Cru Millesime France 2000 1.5L ($349.95) $299 special, 6 magnums in stock now
*****In-store pick up only. Shipping not available*****
Wine Spectator 94 points
“A rich version, with beautiful integration and mouthwatering acidity that seems to amplify the flavors of toasted raisin bread, black currant, candied orange zest and salted almond. Fresh and focused, showing hints of oyster shell and spice on the lasting finish.”

This is the only listing in the USA today!

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Royally Delicious: 
Sparkling from Sforza


Do the current prices and shortages of Champagne have you looking for alternatives? Consider the sparkling wines from Trento! We recently acquired an allotment of wines from Cesarini Sforza, a producer based in the Val di Cembra sub-region of the Trento DOC. Precipitously located a stone’s throw down the mountains from Alto-Adige yet at over 2,000 feet above sea level, the region has been growing winegrapes since Antiquity. 

Cesarini Sforza is no beginner operation either, having been founded in 1974 by Count Lamberto Cesarini Sforza of the Duchy of Milan. Working almost entirely with Chardonnay, all of their grapes are grown organically on the traditional pergola trellis. The combination of high altitude and multi-layered soils contribute a crisp and clean minerality in addition to alpine-esque aromatics. Aged for over 2 years on the lees prior to disgorgement you also get some autolytic notes of brioche and sweetbread dough that bring to mind Key lime pie. The rose presents additional flavors of orange peel, oregano, and cinnamon against green strawberry and white peach.  

Cesarini Sforza wines in stock now: 

Cesarini Sforza Spumante Metodo Classico Brut Trento doc Trentino-Alto Adige  NV 750ML ($27.95) $21.90 special, 6 bottles in stock now
Decanter 94 points
“Impressive biscuity notes intertwined with lush ripe peaches and apples; smoky and toasty with a mouthwatering freshness and perfect acidity. Drinking Window 2020 – 2024.”
Eric Guido-Vinous 90 points “The NV Brut Metodo Classico wafts up with intensity, as savory spices and incense give way to dried flowers and apricot. This is round and soothing in feel, balancing a pretty inner sweetness with acidic tension. Mineral-tinged apples give way to enriching hints of hazelnut. It leaves the palate completely refreshed, tapering off with medium length. This non-vintage Trentodoc is a value in its category and a pleasure to taste.”
100% Chardonnay
 
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast today!

Cesarini Sforza Spumante Rose Brut Trentino-Alto Adige  NV 750ML ($27.95) $21.90 special, 12 bottles in stock now
Eric Guido-Vinous 91 points
“The NV Brut Rosé Metodo Classico is a pretty and vibrant shade of pink, with a bouquet of smoke and crushed stone that gives way to young peach and a spritz of lime. This fills the palate with silken bubbles and savory minerals which nicely contrast its mix of ripe strawberry and baked apple. It tapers off persistent, with a salty flourish and red inner florals that linger on. Nicely done.”      
 
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

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Collector’s Corner 
Dominio Pingus: 
The Rachmaninov of Ribera

There are only a handful of producers that are as legendary as Pingus. From their very first vintage in 1995, their wines have been described by Robert Parker as “One of the greatest and most exciting wine’s I’ve ever tasted”. The popularity of Pingus exploded when half of the latter vintage sank in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean in transit to the United States. Due to the incredibly small volume of bottles produced by Pingus the price of the bottling doubled literally overnight, with Pingus still being one of the crown jewels of high end wine investment. 

Sourced from some of the oldest Tempranillo vines in the entire Ribera del Duero and farmed biodynamically by visionary founder Peter Sisseck, meticulous doesn’t begin to cover the pedigree of these wines. Aggressively pruned to produce only 1-2 buds per bushvine, each hand sorted berry is loaded with concentrated flavor. As you can expect with such an aggressive farming regimen, production volumes are minuscule to say the least. We were only able to secure a 3 bottle allotment of this wine, so you’d better act fast!    

Dominio de Pingus ‘Pingus’ Ribera del Duero 2019 750ML ($1499.95) $1199 special, 3 bottles in stock now
Luis Gutierrez-Wine Advocate 99 points
“I tasted the bottled 2019 Pingus two weeks after bottling. Even at this early stage and after the operation, the wine is super harmonious and elegant. They really outdid themselves here and produced an amazingly fresh, aromatic and harmonious wine in a warm vintage. It’s incredibly textured, with refined, very fine-grained and chalky tannins. It’s very balanced, and there’s no excess of anything; it has 14% alcohol, perfect ripeness and a velvety mouthfeel. It gets more floral with time in the glass, getting nuanced and really interesting. It delivers what the barrel sample promised one year ago, when the wine already surprised me. I think the word that best describes this wine is precision—it’s clean, focused, balanced and delineated. Bravo! 7,900 bottles produced. It was bottled in September 2021.”


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Vinopolis is an independent wine shop located in Portland, Oregon that opened in 2004. Our goal has always been to offer the finest, broadest, and largest selection of wines at the best prices to our customers in Portland, in Oregon, across the West Coast, and throughout the United States.

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