In Today’s Newsletter:
Subscriber Special Goodfellow 2013’s
Hudelot-Noellat: One of Burgundy’s Best Kept Secrets
Do Ferreiro’s World-Class Single Vineyards
Affordable Bordeaux From An Iconic Producer
#Trending
Collector’s Corner – Clos de la Chapelle’s Monopole
Subscriber Special Goodfellow 2013’s
The 2013 vintage remains something of an Oregon insider’s secret. At the time the wines were released, no one knew what to make of the year, marked by an intense rain storm after an otherwise fantastic growing season. The wines were often backwards on release (or dilute), so they were hard to judge. Now, though, those backwards wines have put on weight and their tannins have softened, yielding wines that are in an absolute sweet spot right now.
A prime case in point? Marcus Goodfellow’s 2013 Bishop Creek Pinot Noir. This is a wine that the winery chose not to try and sell in its youth. A few dozen cases went out to the wine club, but other than that, the wine was just too ornery to deliver much in the way of pleasure and so the winery didn’t actively try and sell it. They held onto it, knowing it had the raw materials to age—and boy, were they right. We just tasted it, and it’s turned into a fantastic bottle of Pinot.
This is a wine that lovers of Oregon and lovers of Burgundy can agree on. Beautifully fruited with a distinctly savory note of earth and spice, this shows off its terroir in a suave, sophisticated way. Bishop Creek vineyard is a site that has since been sold to the famed Burgundy producer Meo-Camuzet. On an absolute basis, the wines that Goodfellow made from the site are clearly superior—when you factor in that they’re $60+ per bottle less expensive, well, it’s a no-brainer. The 2013 is in a fantastic place right now, but will age effortlessly for another 5-10 years.
To keep it company, we’re also offering a new tranche of the 2013 Matello Fool’s Journey, his Willamette Valley Syrah/Viognier blend—at even better pricing. This is a peppery, elegant Syrah that reminds us of the northern Rhone. At under $20/btl, it’s a fantastic deal and a weeknight workhorse that delivers excellent complexity, as well.
These wines arrive tomorrow (Friday) and as a bit of an introductory special, we’re offering you (our email subscribers) a special 10% off these two 2013’s—at least until we close for business Friday evening. We’re not listing the discount online, but we will manually apply it to your orders after we download them but before we run your credit card.
Arriving Friday, January 31st:
Goodfellow Family Cellars Bishop Creek Vineyard Pinot Noir, Yamhill-Carlton 2013 750ML ($39.95) $29 pre-arrival special, $26.10 Subscriber Special
“Twenty five year old un-grafted Wadensville vines, dry farmed in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA are handpicked for this wine. From 3 acres, each clone is fermented separately with native yeasts in small lots, typically with 50-60% whole-clusters. The wine is aged in (0% new) French oak barrels for 18-21 months and bottled unfined and unfiltered. There is intensity at Bishop Creek, with deep, dark toned fruit, a spicy floral edge and savory tones with acidity and length.”–Winery Notes
Matello Fool’s Journey Deux Vert Vineyard, Willamette Valley 2013 750ML ($24.95) $18 pre-arrival special, $16.20 Subscriber Special
Josh Raynolds – Vinous 90 points “Bright violet. Smoke-tinged dark berries and pungent flowers on the nose. Juicy and focused on the palate, offering bitter cherry and cassis flavors that take a sweeter turn on the back half. Dusty tannins make a late appearance and add gentle grip to the smooth, energetic finish.”
Winery note “From the Willamette Valley’s first planting of Syrah, this cool climate, low alcohol wine will redefine your idea of the possibilities of new-world Syrah. If you like your Syrah French, here is a kindred but one of a kind wine from Oregon.”
Hudelot-Noellat: One of Burgundy’s Best Kept Secrets
Subscriber Special Goodfellow 2013’s
Hudelot-Noellat: One of Burgundy’s Best Kept Secrets
Do Ferreiro’s World-Class Single Vineyards
Affordable Bordeaux From An Iconic Producer
#Trending
Collector’s Corner – Clos de la Chapelle’s Monopole
Subscriber Special Goodfellow 2013’s
The 2013 vintage remains something of an Oregon insider’s secret. At the time the wines were released, no one knew what to make of the year, marked by an intense rain storm after an otherwise fantastic growing season. The wines were often backwards on release (or dilute), so they were hard to judge. Now, though, those backwards wines have put on weight and their tannins have softened, yielding wines that are in an absolute sweet spot right now.
A prime case in point? Marcus Goodfellow’s 2013 Bishop Creek Pinot Noir. This is a wine that the winery chose not to try and sell in its youth. A few dozen cases went out to the wine club, but other than that, the wine was just too ornery to deliver much in the way of pleasure and so the winery didn’t actively try and sell it. They held onto it, knowing it had the raw materials to age—and boy, were they right. We just tasted it, and it’s turned into a fantastic bottle of Pinot.
This is a wine that lovers of Oregon and lovers of Burgundy can agree on. Beautifully fruited with a distinctly savory note of earth and spice, this shows off its terroir in a suave, sophisticated way. Bishop Creek vineyard is a site that has since been sold to the famed Burgundy producer Meo-Camuzet. On an absolute basis, the wines that Goodfellow made from the site are clearly superior—when you factor in that they’re $60+ per bottle less expensive, well, it’s a no-brainer. The 2013 is in a fantastic place right now, but will age effortlessly for another 5-10 years.
To keep it company, we’re also offering a new tranche of the 2013 Matello Fool’s Journey, his Willamette Valley Syrah/Viognier blend—at even better pricing. This is a peppery, elegant Syrah that reminds us of the northern Rhone. At under $20/btl, it’s a fantastic deal and a weeknight workhorse that delivers excellent complexity, as well.
These wines arrive tomorrow (Friday) and as a bit of an introductory special, we’re offering you (our email subscribers) a special 10% off these two 2013’s—at least until we close for business Friday evening. We’re not listing the discount online, but we will manually apply it to your orders after we download them but before we run your credit card.
Subscriber Special: 10% Off 2013 Goodfellow Bishop Creek and 2013 Matello Fool’s Journey
Subscriber Special pricing will not display online or in your cart.
We will manually adjust pricing before finalizing your order.
Subscriber Special valid until 6PM (PT) Friday, January 31st
Subscriber Special pricing will not display online or in your cart.
We will manually adjust pricing before finalizing your order.
Subscriber Special valid until 6PM (PT) Friday, January 31st
Arriving Friday, January 31st:
Goodfellow Family Cellars Bishop Creek Vineyard Pinot Noir, Yamhill-Carlton 2013 750ML ($39.95) $29 pre-arrival special, $26.10 Subscriber Special
“Twenty five year old un-grafted Wadensville vines, dry farmed in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA are handpicked for this wine. From 3 acres, each clone is fermented separately with native yeasts in small lots, typically with 50-60% whole-clusters. The wine is aged in (0% new) French oak barrels for 18-21 months and bottled unfined and unfiltered. There is intensity at Bishop Creek, with deep, dark toned fruit, a spicy floral edge and savory tones with acidity and length.”–Winery Notes
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Matello Fool’s Journey Deux Vert Vineyard, Willamette Valley 2013 750ML ($24.95) $18 pre-arrival special, $16.20 Subscriber Special
Josh Raynolds – Vinous 90 points “Bright violet. Smoke-tinged dark berries and pungent flowers on the nose. Juicy and focused on the palate, offering bitter cherry and cassis flavors that take a sweeter turn on the back half. Dusty tannins make a late appearance and add gentle grip to the smooth, energetic finish.”
Winery note “From the Willamette Valley’s first planting of Syrah, this cool climate, low alcohol wine will redefine your idea of the possibilities of new-world Syrah. If you like your Syrah French, here is a kindred but one of a kind wine from Oregon.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Subscriber Special: 10% Off 2013 Goodfellow Bishop Creek and 2013 Matello Fool’s Journey
Subscriber Special pricing will not display online or in your cart.
We will manually adjust pricing before finalizing your order.
Subscriber Special valid until 6PM (PT) Friday, January 31st
Subscriber Special pricing will not display online or in your cart.
We will manually adjust pricing before finalizing your order.
Subscriber Special valid until 6PM (PT) Friday, January 31st
Hudelot-Noellat: One of Burgundy’s Best Kept Secrets
Hudelot-Noëllat has remained a true insider’s secret in Burgundy—a venerable domaine with great holdings whose pricing has yet to catch up with the quality and rarity of their wines. The current winemaking team has pushed Hudelot-Noëllat to new heights and the wines are still values in their tier.
At the top end, they make Romanée St. Vivant and Richebourg that can challenge Cathiard and Meo-Camuzet, but the focus of our offer today is their excellent village Chambolle-Musigny and Vosne-Romanée. So often, it seems as though village level wines only deliver disappointment, but Hudelot-Noëllat’s Chambolle and Vosne capture the essence of their origins at fantastic price:quality ratios.
We’re offering a set of perfectly cellared village Chambolle and Vosne, perfect for drinking now or aging a little longer—at prices that belie their quality. These are wines that are perfect for a special occasion dinner, but are affordable enough that you can stick a few away for a few different events.
Arriving Friday, February 7th:
Only one bottle available
Alain Hudelot-Noellat Chambolle-Musigny, Cote de Nuits 2009 750ML ($119.95) $89 pre-arrival special
Burghound 89 points “Outstanding. An elegant, pure and cool nose of red berry fruit leads to delicate, lacy and seductive middle weight flavors that exude a fine minerality on the focused and persistent finish. This is very Chambolle and extremely pretty and since last year at this time has added an appreciable amount of complexity. Lovely and well worth considering.”
Antonio Galloni 89 points “The 2009 Chambolle-Musigny flows with layers of perfumed fruit. The fine tannins balance the fruit quite nicely and add grip to the long, delicate finish. This appears to be an early-drinking wine that will deliver considerable pleasure over the next few years. The Chambolle was bottled in February 2010. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2019.”
At the top end, they make Romanée St. Vivant and Richebourg that can challenge Cathiard and Meo-Camuzet, but the focus of our offer today is their excellent village Chambolle-Musigny and Vosne-Romanée. So often, it seems as though village level wines only deliver disappointment, but Hudelot-Noëllat’s Chambolle and Vosne capture the essence of their origins at fantastic price:quality ratios.
We’re offering a set of perfectly cellared village Chambolle and Vosne, perfect for drinking now or aging a little longer—at prices that belie their quality. These are wines that are perfect for a special occasion dinner, but are affordable enough that you can stick a few away for a few different events.
Arriving Friday, February 7th:
Only one bottle available
Alain Hudelot-Noellat Chambolle-Musigny, Cote de Nuits 2009 750ML ($119.95) $89 pre-arrival special
Burghound 89 points “Outstanding. An elegant, pure and cool nose of red berry fruit leads to delicate, lacy and seductive middle weight flavors that exude a fine minerality on the focused and persistent finish. This is very Chambolle and extremely pretty and since last year at this time has added an appreciable amount of complexity. Lovely and well worth considering.”
Antonio Galloni 89 points “The 2009 Chambolle-Musigny flows with layers of perfumed fruit. The fine tannins balance the fruit quite nicely and add grip to the long, delicate finish. This appears to be an early-drinking wine that will deliver considerable pleasure over the next few years. The Chambolle was bottled in February 2010. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2019.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Only one bottle available
Alain Hudelot-Noellat Chambolle-Musigny, Cote de Nuits 2010 750ML ($119.95) $99 pre-arrival special
Stephen Tanzer 89 points “Medium red. Pretty aromas of raspberry, red cherry, crushed stone, mint and botanical herbs. Urgent flavors of red fruits, spices and stone show very good cut and thrust. Not a lot of flesh or volume here but has good palate presence nevertheless. Finishes with dusty tannins, notes of red berries and flowers, a crushed-stone pungency and sneaky lift and length.”
Antonio Galloni 89 points “The 2009 Chambolle-Musigny flows with layers of perfumed fruit. The fine tannins balance the fruit quite nicely and add grip to the long, delicate finish. This appears to be an early-drinking wine that will deliver considerable pleasure over the next few years. The Chambolle was bottled in February 2010.”
Burghound 88-91 points “A hint of wood spice can be discerned through a reduced nose but not much else. The racy, pure and well-detailed flavors evidence a hint of minerality on the mouth coating, intense and lacy finish that gives the impression of being very Chambollesque. Lovely and fashioned in an understated style.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Only three bottles available
Alain Hudelot-Noellat Chambolle-Musigny, Cote de Nuits 2012 750ML ($79.95) $69 pre-arrival special
Neal Martin-Wine Advocate 90-92 points “The 2012 Chambolle-Musigny Village comes from vines aged between 30 and 50 years and it sees 30% new oak. The nose opens instantly with blackcurrant and raspberry scents underpinned by crisp citrus peel and cold stone notes. The palate is well balanced with a pretty, sweet opening and it veers towards a more brambly red fruit profile with a lovely grainy texture and a splash of white pepper enlivening the finish. This is utterly composed and refined, whilst not short-changing the customer on flavor.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Only four bottles available
Alain Hudelot-Noellat Vosne-Romanee, Cote de Nuits 2009 750ML ($219.95) $179 pre-arrival special
Burghound 88-90 points “Here the nose isn’t quite as pretty but it’s much spicier with red currant and plum aromas that blend gracefully into the supple and round medium-bodied flavors that manage to retain a fine sense of underlying detail on the intense and focused finish. This possesses a relatively sophisticated mouth feel for a villages.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Only three bottles available
Alain Hudelot-Noellat Vosne-Romanee, Cote de Nuits 2012 750ML ($89.95) $89 pre-arrival special
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Only five bottles available
Alain Hudelot-Noellat Vosne-Romanee, Cote de Nuits 2013 750ML ($99.95) $89 pre-arrival special
Stephen Tanzer 90+ points “Bright, dark red. Blueberry, blackberry, licorice and crushed stone on the nose. Juicy, penetrating and tight but not hard, conveying lovely inner-mouth aromatic lift to the dark berry flavors. This superb, youthful village wine shows excellent structure and lingering perfume. More impressive from bottle than it was from barrel.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
We have 17 different bottles from Hudelot-Noellat, including four grand cru bottlings (and a few that should be). There are a couple highlights below, but you can shop everything in our online store.
In Stock Now:
Only two bottles available
Alain Hudelot-Noellat Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits 2006 750ML ($319.95) $279 special
Stephen Tanzer 92+ points “Medium red. Slightly musky nose began tight but showed black cherry and menthol with air. Then very sweet, fruit-driven and light on its feet, with pungent red berry flavors spreading out to saturate the palate without giving any impression of weight. Offers superb intensity of fruit and length. A splendid showing today, but this also has the acid/tannin spine for a long and positive evolution in bottle.”
Burghound 91-94 points “A noticeable touch of wood spice adds nuance to the otherwise earthy and relatively somber red pinot fruit where notes of underbrush and a hint of animale are also present. The big and well-muscled flavors possess fine concentration and lovely texture on the brooding and youthfully austere finish that is not only very firmly structured but delivers seriously impressive length. This is a powerful wine by any standard but particularly so in the context of the vintage and one that will need at least a decade to be at its best.”
Only two bottles available
Alain Hudelot-Noellat Richebourg Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits 2008 750ML ($799.95) $699 pre-arrival special
Stephen Tanzer 94+ points “Medium red. Pungent perfume of blood orange, licorice and herbs, lifted by a floral topnote. Tactile but backward, with terrific lift and perfume to the raspberry and crushed fruit flavors. The terrific rising finish displays great energy and a wonderfully light touch. Really stains the palate. With aeration, a deeper smoky, earthy tang and more adamant minerality emerged. A beauty, but lay it down for at least seven or eight years.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Do Ferreiro’s World-Class Single Vineyards
As one of the leading producers in Rías Baixas, Do Ferreiro has become a familiar name to anyone who has discovered the tremendous wines coming out of the region over the past couple decades. However, fewer people are familiar with their top bottlings, which represent some of the region’s finest wines. These are terroir driven expressions that benefit from 7-9 months of lees aging, producing wines with familiar Albariño fruit and minerality, but with additional layers of complexity. These are serious wines, but serious wines that don’t compromise serious freshness.
Rías Baixas is of course the coastal Galician subregion that exploded into the global wine consciousness earlier this century. And in doing so it almost single-handedly convinced the world that Spain has more to offer than ripeness and oak. It is an area that any Oregonian would feel immediately at home, cool and often wet, its salt-air imbued wines more reminiscent of Alpine whites than their distant Spanish cousins.
In stock now, Do Ferreiro’s three single-vineyard expressions, all required tasting for anyone who considers themselves versed in the pantheon of world-class white wines.
In Stock Now:
Bodegas Gerardo Mendez Albarino Do Ferreiro Lourido, Rias Baixas 2017 750ML ($59.95) $49 special, 15 bottles in stock now
Wine Advocate 93 points “The 2017 Lourido shows the austerity of the poor granite soils, like the ones in this zone very close to the island of La Toja. But the palate is also more mineral, vibrant, intense and pungent, with citrus acidity and very long in the palate. They started working these small plots in 2014 and were surprised because the vines are very close to the sea, yet the wine has less salinity. This is because salinity comes from fog, not from proximity to the sea, and so they ended up with a very mineral, electric palate. This is a great addition to the Do Ferreiro portfolio. 1,300 bottles produced. It was bottled in late September 2018. It would be very interesting to see how this ages.”
Wine & Spirits 93 points “Gerardo Méndez selects this wine from parcels of 50-year-old vines rooted in weathered granite. There’s a delicate pink cast to its zesty grapefruit flavors. The texture is just creamy enough to surround the wine’s structure, creating a push-pull of freshness and toasty richness. Tina Vaughn of The Simone in NYC likened those toasty flavors to the yeastiness of fregola sarda, a couscous-like pasta from Sardinia; you could bridge it to this wine with saffron and clams.”
Rías Baixas is of course the coastal Galician subregion that exploded into the global wine consciousness earlier this century. And in doing so it almost single-handedly convinced the world that Spain has more to offer than ripeness and oak. It is an area that any Oregonian would feel immediately at home, cool and often wet, its salt-air imbued wines more reminiscent of Alpine whites than their distant Spanish cousins.
In stock now, Do Ferreiro’s three single-vineyard expressions, all required tasting for anyone who considers themselves versed in the pantheon of world-class white wines.
In Stock Now:
Bodegas Gerardo Mendez Albarino Do Ferreiro Lourido, Rias Baixas 2017 750ML ($59.95) $49 special, 15 bottles in stock now
Wine Advocate 93 points “The 2017 Lourido shows the austerity of the poor granite soils, like the ones in this zone very close to the island of La Toja. But the palate is also more mineral, vibrant, intense and pungent, with citrus acidity and very long in the palate. They started working these small plots in 2014 and were surprised because the vines are very close to the sea, yet the wine has less salinity. This is because salinity comes from fog, not from proximity to the sea, and so they ended up with a very mineral, electric palate. This is a great addition to the Do Ferreiro portfolio. 1,300 bottles produced. It was bottled in late September 2018. It would be very interesting to see how this ages.”
Wine & Spirits 93 points “Gerardo Méndez selects this wine from parcels of 50-year-old vines rooted in weathered granite. There’s a delicate pink cast to its zesty grapefruit flavors. The texture is just creamy enough to surround the wine’s structure, creating a push-pull of freshness and toasty richness. Tina Vaughn of The Simone in NYC likened those toasty flavors to the yeastiness of fregola sarda, a couscous-like pasta from Sardinia; you could bridge it to this wine with saffron and clams.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Bodegas Gerardo Mendez Do Ferreiro Dous Ferrados, Rias Baixas 2017 750ML ($59.95) $49 special, 8 bottles in stock now
Wine Advocate 92 points “The 2017 Dous Ferrados is basically the evolution of the Albariño Barrica. They started in 2011, and Gerardo used vines from sandy soils. His son Manuel changed the wine in 2015—he used grapes from red slate soils and felt the wine went better with the barrique. In 2016 he thought the oak was very subtle and wanted to change the name, removing the reference to the barriques. They only produce two 500-liter barrels, and one “ferrado” is the amount land that they need to fill one barrique, hence the name of the wine. If you are put off by the idea of oak and Albariño, taste this. The salinity comes through here, perhaps because of the slow oxygenation through the pores of the oak, and they search for complexity, especially the change in the mouthfeel. The wine was in contact with the lees for eight months. This has volume and clout, with perhaps a rounder palate than the Adina. With time in the glass, notes of licorice and aniseed emerge. The barrels are ten years old, so they do not lend aromas or flavors. In the future, they might experiment with foudres and other sizes. 1,300 bottles were filled in September 2018.”
Wine & Spirits 92 points “This wine ferments in 500-liter casks, where it ages for eight months on the fine lees. While the fruit sustains its clean freshness, that time on the lees has enriched it with notes of buttercups and daffodils, as well as some pomelo bitterness. It’s bold and juicy enough for skate Grenobloise,or grilled swordfish.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Affordable Bordeaux From An Iconic Producer
Jacques Thienpoint is the iconic owner of Le Pin, the hyper-rare and sought after Pomerol, and L’if, a cult property in St. Emilion. He’s recently added a new property to that list—L’Hetre, also named after a tree, in the emerging region of Castillon in Bordeaux. There are a lot of reasons to think that Castillon is going to be the next big thing in Bordeaux (for one, it’s one of the highest elevation appellations in the region) and Thienpoint’s investment is an important marker. Unlike Le Pin (one of the most expensive wines in the world) L’Hetre is very much a value proposition, at least for now. We’ve got the debut 2016 vintage in stock now, along with the second wine, Raison L’Hetre, and these are as fantastic as any sub-$30 Bordeaux we can remember.
Only time will tell if L’Hetre ends up being one of the most expensive wines in Bordeaux (the initial vintage of Le Pin went for ~$20) but for now it’s one of the best values in classy, right-bank Bordeaux. We sold through most of our initial two tranches (including all of the Case-6 specials) but have the wine fully in stock now, ready for your tables and cellar.
In Stock Now:
l’Hetre, Cotes de Bordeaux Castillon 2016 750ML ($27.95) $21.90 special, 36+ bottles in stock now
Case-6 l’Hetre, Cotes de Bordeaux Castillon 2016 750ML ($159.95) $119 special (that’s only $19.83/bottle!)
Julia Harding MW – jancisrobinson.com “L’Hêtre 2016 Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux is the first release of this wine from the organically farmed estate perched at 100 m on the end of the St-Philippe d’Aiguilhe limestone plateau, the highest point in Bordeaux…‘Rich in blackcurrant fruit with a savoury dark glow to make it more than just fruit. Just a touch of smoky char even though the oak is well in the background, a seductive fruit sweetness. On the palate, this is beautifully balanced, the alcohol perfectly integrated in the tannic structure and fruit core with a fresh tang that runs through the middle. There’s a cool fluidity to it even with its depth and length. Fine, dry, lingering and savoury aftertaste. Impressive first vintage with a promising future in the bottle. I opened this on a Sunday evening and it was still tasting fresh and vibrant four days later. This is a very classy wine, and the tannins tell you everything: fine, definite, building in the mouth but in perfect balance with the fruit and freshness. Blue-blooded Castillon. Catch it while you can.'”
Only time will tell if L’Hetre ends up being one of the most expensive wines in Bordeaux (the initial vintage of Le Pin went for ~$20) but for now it’s one of the best values in classy, right-bank Bordeaux. We sold through most of our initial two tranches (including all of the Case-6 specials) but have the wine fully in stock now, ready for your tables and cellar.
In Stock Now:
l’Hetre, Cotes de Bordeaux Castillon 2016 750ML ($27.95) $21.90 special, 36+ bottles in stock now
Case-6 l’Hetre, Cotes de Bordeaux Castillon 2016 750ML ($159.95) $119 special (that’s only $19.83/bottle!)
Julia Harding MW – jancisrobinson.com “L’Hêtre 2016 Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux is the first release of this wine from the organically farmed estate perched at 100 m on the end of the St-Philippe d’Aiguilhe limestone plateau, the highest point in Bordeaux…‘Rich in blackcurrant fruit with a savoury dark glow to make it more than just fruit. Just a touch of smoky char even though the oak is well in the background, a seductive fruit sweetness. On the palate, this is beautifully balanced, the alcohol perfectly integrated in the tannic structure and fruit core with a fresh tang that runs through the middle. There’s a cool fluidity to it even with its depth and length. Fine, dry, lingering and savoury aftertaste. Impressive first vintage with a promising future in the bottle. I opened this on a Sunday evening and it was still tasting fresh and vibrant four days later. This is a very classy wine, and the tannins tell you everything: fine, definite, building in the mouth but in perfect balance with the fruit and freshness. Blue-blooded Castillon. Catch it while you can.'”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
l’Hetre ‘La Raison d’Hetre’, Cotes de Bordeaux Castillon 2016 750ML ($21.95) $16.60 special, 36+ bottles in stock now
l’Hetre ‘La Raison d’Hetre’, Cotes de Bordeaux Castillon 2016 750ML ($259.95) $179 special (that’s only $14.92/bottle!)
Julia Harding MW – jancisrobinson.com “There is a second wine, Raison d’Hêtre, made from the younger vines and lower slopes. It’s a little lighter in body and tasted as if it had a little more of the Cabernets in the blend though the proportions are the same, but this was perhaps just slightly less ripe Merlot fruit.”
Looking for another option in value Bordeaux? Check out Chateau Puygeraud, a more flamboyant, fruit forward wine from a similar region.
Chateau Puygueraud, Cotes de Francs 2016 750ML ($24.95) $21.90 special, 36+ bottles in stock now
Case-6 Chateau Puygueraud, Cotes de Francs 2016 750ML ($149.95) $119 special (that’s only $19.83/bottle!)
Case-12 Chateau Puygueraud, Cotes de Francs 2016 750ML ($299.95) $228 special (that’s only $18.75/bottle!)
James Suckling 94 points “This is so good! I want to drink it now. Iodine, mushrooms, dark fruit and orange peel on the nose and palate. Full-bodied, yet polished and fresh. Lovely tension A blend of 80 per cent merlot, 15 per cent cabernet franc and five per cent malbec.”
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast today!
#Trending
If this said “Grand Cru Chablis” on the label, with this quality, it would have sold out in a flash.
Thorle Saulheimer Holle Riesling, Rheinhessen 2017 750ML ($44.95) $39 special, 28+ bottles in stock now
Case-6 Thorle Saulheimer Holle Riesling, Rheinhessen 2017 750ML ($259.95) $219 special (that’s only $36.50/bottle!)
Stuart Pigott – jamessuckling .com 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.”
Thorle Saulheimer Holle Riesling, Rheinhessen 2017 750ML ($44.95) $39 special, 28+ bottles in stock now
Case-6 Thorle Saulheimer Holle Riesling, Rheinhessen 2017 750ML ($259.95) $219 special (that’s only $36.50/bottle!)
Stuart Pigott – jamessuckling .com 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 lowest listed price in the USA today!
A truly collectible bottle of Sangiovese from one of the most storied properties in Italy.
Fontodi Flaccianello della Pieve Colli della Toscana Centrale IGT, Tuscany 2012 750ML ($119.95) $99 special, 36+ bottles in stock now
Antonio Galloni 97 points “Tasted next to the 2012 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigna del Sorbo, the Flaccianello is richer, deeper and more flamboyant. Super-ripe red stone fruit, smoke, licorice and dark spices meld together in a deep, powerful wine. The 2012 is impressive, but personally I prefer the finesse and freshness of the Sorbo. The greater influence of new French oak is also felt in the wine’s texture. Still, that is splitting hairs, as the level here is high. Very high.”
Pizza night got a lot more fun with this wine. Also roast chicken night, stew night and the rest.
Domaine Serol Eclat de Granite Cote Roannaise, Loire 2017 750ML ($21.95) $16.50 special, 36+ bottles in stock now
Grapelive 93 points “Stephane Serol is making compelling wines from his upper Loire [Valley] Cote Roannaise estate [using the] Saint Romain clone of Gamay. These are wines that defy regional landscapes and should be almost considered an iconic individual appellation or maybe a lost Cru Beaujolais on par with Morgon or Cote de Brouilly! Especially this 2017 Eclat de Granite which is plush and expressive much in the same way Dutraive, Lapierre, Sunier, Thivin, Chanrion and Thevenet are with plenty of intense Cote Roannaise mountain tannin and structure. Minerally detailed, this beautifully clear Serol Gamay has a deep sense of varietal, place and remote wildness. Stephane has captured his place in the bottle to near perfection. Vivid purple, magenta and ruby/garnet in the glass the Eclat de Granite is bursting with vibrancy and dark flavors showing flinty spices, herbs, violets and walnut complexities to go along with a core of blackberry, blue plum and bing cherry fruit, adding a touch of grenadine, straw and tart blood orange as well as a faint trace of stony/earthiness in an absolutely balanced wine that really delivers exceptional quality. One of the best vintages from Serol, it combines a lovely and graceful medium bodied palate and a flowing almost seamless stream of Gamay flavors, textural pleasure and a vivacious personality. [It’s] easy to love from start to finish. Serol, whose Domaine sits at high elevation not too far from the Loire’s source at the Massif Central, has some 80 year old vines and is the fifth generation to farm and make wine up here. He and his wife Carine have made this wild almost forgotten land a serious place to search out. Stephane employed partial whole cluster and traditional fermentation with his 2017 Eclat de Granite and raised it in a combination of neutral cask and tank, again to add live, grip and sense of place and while non carbonic it has a pop of juicy fruit and some nervy coil from the limited use of stems. This is almost impossible for Gamay lovers to resist and Burgundy fans will also grudging and maybe secretly adore this stuff as they do with producers like Foillard! Serol works all organic and is almost finished converting to full biodynamic practices in the vineyards and in the cellar uses ultra-low sulfur. Rather than [label] him as a natural winemaker, I’d say he is committed to his land and passionate in everything he does. Drink his 2017 Eclat de Granite over the next 3 to 5 years, if not longer.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
#40 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2019
Marques de Murrieta Reserva, Rioja DOCa 2015 750ML ($27.95) $21.90 special, 36+ bottles in stock now
Case-12 Marques de Murrieta Reserva, Rioja DOCa 2015 750ML ($299.95) $235 special (that’s only $19.58/bottle—the lowest listed price on the West Coast today!)
Wine Advocate 93 points “The red blend 2015 Rioja Reserva is 80% Tempranillo with 12% Graciano, 6% Mazuelo and 2% Garnacha, a little more Graciano and Mazuelo, something logical in ripe and warm years like 2015. It’s produced with grapes from a diversity of the 30 different plots within the estate, to represent the character of if. It fermented in stainless steel and matured in American oak barrels for 18 months. It’s spicy and somewhat balsamic, with some dusty tannins. It’s a ripe and powerful vintage that only suffers next to the 2016 I tasted next to it when there’s a jump in precision and finesse.-LG”
Wine Spectator 92 points “Cedar, tobacco, dried cherry and spice flavors mingle in this red. Features a polished texture, with well-integrated tannins and orange peel acidity. Supple, harmonious and graceful. Tempranillo, Graciano, Mazuelo and Garnacha. Drink now through 2025. 100,000 cases made, 9,067 cases imported. — TM”
This is what we really want out of sub-$20 wine from the Rhone.
Saint Jean du Barroux La Source, Ventoux 2016 750ML ($24.95) $19.50 special, 36+ bottles in stock now
Case-12 Saint Jean du Barroux Ventoux La Source, Rhone 2016 750ML ($299.95) $219 special (that’s only $18.25/bottle!)
Importer Note “The name La Source, comes from the natural artesian spring located near the vineyards of Saint Jean du Barroux. Philippe’s approach to farming encourages low yields but there are scattered pockets of more vigorous vines which set more clusters with larger berries. Rather than drop fruit or try to force these vines to crop lower yields, they are harvested separately and used to make a more fruit-forward and frank expression of Philippe’s terroir. Harvested by hand and destemmed, this cuvée which is naturally lower in tannin only sees a short maceration and fermentation by indigenous yeasts. It is bottled “early” by Philippe’s standards usually after 18 months in tank.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Collector’s Corner
Clos de la Chapelle’s Monopole
Clos de la Chapelle’s Monopole
The monopoles of Burgundy are often very exceptional vineyards. Bottlings like Rousseau’s Clos du Ruchottes, Mugnier’s Marechale, DRC’s La Tache are monuments to the power and grandeur of Burgundy. Likewise, when your domaine shares a name with your best vineyard, it bodes well for the quality of wines. From humble estates like Domaine de la Romanée-Conti to Domaine Pousse d’Or and our featured winery, Domaine Clos de la Chapelle, the vineyard that provides the namesake is very special indeed. In the case of Clos de la Chapelle, that terroir is very special indeed.
The Clos de la Chapelle monopole was always considered to be one of the premier terroirs in Volnay—in fact, there are records of Mr. Fermentation, Louis Pasteur, buying 50 bottles of the 1858 but for years the potential of the land was buried under a string of less than ideal winemakers. That changed in 2011, when Mark O’Connell bought the domaine and its monopole in Volnay.
He has poured money and time into elevating it from an historic, yet underperforming, producer with excellent holdings to one of the elite domaines in the Cote de Beaune. The winery now owns land in an array of the top vineyard sites in Volnay, Pommard and Corton and makes truly excellent renditions of each—with moderate whole cluster use, small amounts of new oak and brilliantly balanced ripeness.
The crown jewel of their estate is the Clos de la Chapelle, though. It’s a brilliantly situated premier cru in Volnay, right next to the Clos de la Bousse d’Or. In top vintages, it should (and now does) compete with top wines from D’Angerville, Lafon and Lafarge as a top bottling in Volnay. Right now, the pricing doesn’t correspond to the quality of the wine, but it’s only a matter of time before that changes.
In Stock Now:
Domaine Clos de la Chapelle ‘Clos de la Chapelle’, Volnay Premier Cru 2017 750ML ($149.95) $119 special, 23 bottles in stock now
John Gilman 94+ points “The Clos de la Chapelle monopole has quickly become one of Volnay’s most elegant bottlings and the 2017 vintage is one of my absolute favorite vintages so far from Mark’s flagship terroir. The nose here is beautifully complex and transparent right out of the blocks, offering a very refined blend of plums, red and black cherries, raw cocoa, gamebird, a touch of fresh nutmeg, beautifully complex and understated fresh herb tones, a gorgeous base of chalky minerality, gentle smokiness and a discreet framing of cedary oak. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, nascently complex and absolutely defined by its soil element, with a lovely core of fruit, ripe, seamless tannins, good acids and outstanding length and grip on the youthful and very, very promising finish. I have adored this bottling since the very first vintage, but it seems to me that the 2017 has taken the level of complexity and transparency here up another level, though the wine is qualitatively still about the same as it has been since its debut vintage of 2010. It is just finer, more transparent and ultimately just a hair more pleasing to an old Burgundy hand like me this year! This will be approachable in another six or seven years, due to its exquisite balance, but I would try to not touch a bottle for at least a decade, as this wine is built a little bit along the lines of one of Frédéric Lafarge’s top Volnays and it is going to be so much better to drink at age twenty or thirty than it will be at age seven or eight! 2030-2085+”
Burghound 92 points “Here the wood treatment is no longer subtle as the toast and menthol characters stop just short of dominating the otherwise fresh and pretty rose petal and lavender-suffused aromas of red cherry and raspberry. The lilting and ultra-refined flavors possess a lovely sense of underlying tension before concluding in a lacy, balanced and sneaky long finish where the tannins are firm but beautifully well-integrated. Note that my rating assumes that the wood will eventually integrate as it’s not a background element at present.”
Shop all the Clos de la Chapelle wines in our online store!
The Clos de la Chapelle monopole was always considered to be one of the premier terroirs in Volnay—in fact, there are records of Mr. Fermentation, Louis Pasteur, buying 50 bottles of the 1858 but for years the potential of the land was buried under a string of less than ideal winemakers. That changed in 2011, when Mark O’Connell bought the domaine and its monopole in Volnay.
He has poured money and time into elevating it from an historic, yet underperforming, producer with excellent holdings to one of the elite domaines in the Cote de Beaune. The winery now owns land in an array of the top vineyard sites in Volnay, Pommard and Corton and makes truly excellent renditions of each—with moderate whole cluster use, small amounts of new oak and brilliantly balanced ripeness.
The crown jewel of their estate is the Clos de la Chapelle, though. It’s a brilliantly situated premier cru in Volnay, right next to the Clos de la Bousse d’Or. In top vintages, it should (and now does) compete with top wines from D’Angerville, Lafon and Lafarge as a top bottling in Volnay. Right now, the pricing doesn’t correspond to the quality of the wine, but it’s only a matter of time before that changes.
In Stock Now:
Domaine Clos de la Chapelle ‘Clos de la Chapelle’, Volnay Premier Cru 2017 750ML ($149.95) $119 special, 23 bottles in stock now
John Gilman 94+ points “The Clos de la Chapelle monopole has quickly become one of Volnay’s most elegant bottlings and the 2017 vintage is one of my absolute favorite vintages so far from Mark’s flagship terroir. The nose here is beautifully complex and transparent right out of the blocks, offering a very refined blend of plums, red and black cherries, raw cocoa, gamebird, a touch of fresh nutmeg, beautifully complex and understated fresh herb tones, a gorgeous base of chalky minerality, gentle smokiness and a discreet framing of cedary oak. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, nascently complex and absolutely defined by its soil element, with a lovely core of fruit, ripe, seamless tannins, good acids and outstanding length and grip on the youthful and very, very promising finish. I have adored this bottling since the very first vintage, but it seems to me that the 2017 has taken the level of complexity and transparency here up another level, though the wine is qualitatively still about the same as it has been since its debut vintage of 2010. It is just finer, more transparent and ultimately just a hair more pleasing to an old Burgundy hand like me this year! This will be approachable in another six or seven years, due to its exquisite balance, but I would try to not touch a bottle for at least a decade, as this wine is built a little bit along the lines of one of Frédéric Lafarge’s top Volnays and it is going to be so much better to drink at age twenty or thirty than it will be at age seven or eight! 2030-2085+”
Burghound 92 points “Here the wood treatment is no longer subtle as the toast and menthol characters stop just short of dominating the otherwise fresh and pretty rose petal and lavender-suffused aromas of red cherry and raspberry. The lilting and ultra-refined flavors possess a lovely sense of underlying tension before concluding in a lacy, balanced and sneaky long finish where the tannins are firm but beautifully well-integrated. Note that my rating assumes that the wood will eventually integrate as it’s not a background element at present.”
Shop all the Clos de la Chapelle wines in our online store!
Thanks for reading!