New Arrivals & Pre-Arrivals
Grand Grand Cru Burgundy – New Inventory Just Arrived
Distributor Direct – No Second Hand Wines Here
Louis Jadot Montrachet Grand Cru 2009 ($499.95) $399 special, 3 bottles available
John Gilman 95+ points “The 2009 Jadot Montrachet (which hails from the Chassagne side of the vineyard, by the way) is also exceptional. The nose offers up a great and compelling mélange of apple, white peach, lemon, great minerality, floral tones and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and superbly structured, with a rock solid core of fruit, beautiful focus and balance, impeccable grip and a very long, racy and refined finish. A wonderful bottle of wine. 2020-2050′
Next best price is $485!
Antonio Galloni 98 points “The 2010 Montrachet, from the Chassagne side, is utterly magnificent. Smoke, slate, butter, spices and juicy yellow stone fruits explode from the glass as this totally captivating, alluring wine shows off its pedigree. Waves of fruit continue to develop in the glass. The 2010 Montrachet is simply huge. It is compelling today, and I imagine it will be compelling in 30 years time. This is a dazzling effort. Anticipated maturity: 2020+.” AG
Next best price is $440.96!
Burghound 94-97 points “Here the nose is notably more reserved with aromas of citrus zest, spice, wood toast, fennel and spice hints. This is also a very imposingly-scaled wine with its big, muscular and wonderfully complex flavors that culminate in a long, focused and explosive finish of breathtaking length and intensity. This overtly powerful effort should reward at least a decade in the cellar and drink well for another. A ‘wow’ wine.” BH
Next best price is $419.99!
Louis Jadot Grands-Echezeaux Grand Cru 2011 ($259.95) $199 special, 6 bottles available
Stephen Tanzer 92-95 points “Good bright medium red. Medicinal cherry liqueur, red licorice and spicy oak on the nose. Then penetrating and intense but suave, with lovely sappiness to the flavors of raspberry, cranberry and flowers. The grower Jadot buys this fruit from has recently added a vibrating sorting table, and converted entirely to new stainless steel fermentation tanks as of 2010.” ST
Next best price is $229!
Super Star Super Deals
Ultra Classic 2001 Rioja – Landed Here Yesterday
Lopez Heredia Tondonia Reserva Rioja 2001 ($41.95) $33 special
Case-12 Lopez Heredia Tondonia Rsva Rioja 2001 ($399.95) $369 special (that’s only $30.75 per bottle)
Wine Advocate 95 points “The 2001 Vina Tondonia Reserva is bridled with a lovely nose of decayed red fruit, fireside hearth, a touch of mulberry and small red cherry. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, crisp red fruits (wild strawberry and cranberry) with a sharp, vibrant, tense, tannic finish that has immense precision. There is a slight saline note lingering in the mouth after the wine has (regretfully) departed…”
Faustino Rioja I Gran Reserva 2001 ($37.95) $28.80 special
Decanter Magazine 97 points – From Decanter Magazine: Decanter average score (3 judges): 19.25/20pts (97/100pts) “Faustino (founded 1860) with its iconic frosted bottles and portrait labels is one of Rioja’s most easily recognised brands. It’s a family business based in Oyon in Rioja Alavesa, and the largest private holder of vineyards in Rioja, spread across the region. The style of the RIoja is as classic as the packaging: look for the sweet, vanilla notes of American oak, plenty of bright cherry fruit, and a fine, delicate palate. For those interested in tasting great old Riojas, Faustino is one company that still releases older vintages going as far back as 1970. Among the other wineries it owns is Portia in Ribera del Duero.”
A Drip of Drappier
Arriving September 30th
We’ll have a bigger broader offer in a few weeks. For today we’ll let Drappier introduce themselves:
“Although the vines in Urville were originally planted by the Romans 2000 years ago, it was Saint Bernard, founder of Clairvaux Abbey, who had our cellars built in 1152. Seven centuries later, in 1808, around this magnificently preserved testimony to medieval times, where the exceptional cuvées slumber, the family domaine was created which today is headed by Michel Drappier. An area in which Pinot Noir thrives, a grape variety which “runs through our veins”, Urville lies where our vineyard was first planted and is now cultivated according to organic and natural principles.
Just like the “archives” plotting the long history of our house, we also continue to cultivate forgotten and nevertheless unforgettable grape varieties: Arbane, Petit Meslier and Blanc Vrai. Today, rather than sophisticated, sometimes overdone excellence, we prefer authenticity and a natural approach. Thanks mainly to very low quantities of dosage and extremely limited use of sulphites, of which the Brut Nature Without Sulphur cuvée is the culmination, we are able to highlight the multifaceted aspects of our terroirs and our wine-making.”
Drappier Champagne Carte d’Or NV ($49.95) $39 pre-arrival special only 48 bottles available
Wine Spectator 91 points “Granny Smith apple, toasted almond, currant and whole-grain toast flavors are fresh and well-meshed, structured by bright acidity and a lively bead. Offers a creamy finish, with hints of smoke and honeycomb. Drink now through 2018. 900 cases made.” Kosher Certified too!
The average price listed is $49!
Round One Grower Champagne Pre-Arrival List
Arriving in November
Not only is Champagne a natural complement for celebrations, it also is one of the easiest wines to pair with food. So what makes Grower Champagne some of the most exciting wine in the world? It can be some of the most hauntingly beautiful and distinctive wine from the region. It is hand crafted by small producers who begin in the vineyard. They carefully tend the grapes that will form their finished wines. Each is a unique expression of the land on which its grapes were grown. These are individual wines produced by individuals: full of charm, character and a story of their own.
Pierre Gimonnet et Fils Blanc de Blancs Cuis Premier Cru Brut ($39.95) $59 special
Pierre Gimonnet et Fils Blanc de Blancs Cuis Premier Cru Brut 375ML ($37.95) $26 special
Pierre Gimonnet et Fils Blanc de Blancs Cuis Premier Cru Brut 1.5L ($149.95) $119 special
Pierre Gimonnet et Fils Blanc de Blancs Cuis Premier Cru Brut 3.0L ($419.95) $319 special
2010 base vintage
Pierre Gimonnet et Fils Blanc de Blancs Gastronome 2009 ($79.95) $49 special
Pierre Gimonnet et Fils Blanc de Blancs Cuvee Oenophile Premier Cru Extra Brut Non Dosage 2008 ($89.95) $59 special
Pierre Gimonnet et Fils Cuvee Fleuron Millesime Premier Cru Brut 2006 ($79.95) $55 special
Pierre Gimonnet et Fils Cuvee Fleuron Millesime Premier Cru Brut 2006 1.5L ($149.95) $119 special
Antonio Galloni & Stephen Tanzer 93 points “Pale gold. Smoky pear and nectarine aromas are brightened by zesty minerals and deepened by hints of toasty lees and iodine. Intense orchard fruit and melon flavors stain the palate, picking up citrus pith and floral honey qualities with air. Turns firmer and more minerally with air, finishing with excellent lift and smoky persistence.” ST
Pierre Gimonnet et Fils Paradoxe Premier Cru Brut 2007 ($79.95) $49 special
Pierre Gimonnet et Fils Cuvee Special Club Brut Millesime 2006 ($119.95) $71.90 special
Pierre Gimonnet et Fils Blanc de Blancs ‘Millesime de Collection Vieilles Vignes de Chardonnay’ 1.5L ($249.95) $168 special
Antonio Galloni 94 points “The 2005 Brut Vintage Collection, tasted from magnum, is stunning. Intense, layered and drop-dead gorgeous, the 2005 covers every corner of the palate with layers of mineral-infused fruit. Smoke, slate, crushed rocks and flowers appear later, adding gorgeous dimensions of pure nuance. Still young, the 2005 appears to have a bright future. This is one of the best 2005 vintage Champagnes I have tasted. The 2005 is 100% Chardonnay from Cramant, Chouilly and Cuis. This bottle was disgorged in January 2013 after spending 84 months on its lees.”
Pierre Gimonnet et Fils ‘Rose de Blancs’ Brut NV ($79.95) $49 special
2010 base wine
Stephen Tanzer 92 points
Pierre Peters Cuvee de Reserve Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Brut NV ($59.95) $48 special
Pierre Peters Cuvee de Reserve Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Brut NV 375ML ($37.95) $33 special
Pierre Peters Cuvee de Reserve Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Brut NV 3.0L ($449.95) $319 special
Burghound 93 points “A stunningly elegant nose of pure floral, Granny Smith apples, spice and freshly sliced lemon complements to perfection the intense and equally pure flavors that possess excellent punch like remain delicate and ultra-refined on the balanced and persistent finish. The supporting mousse displays a very find bead and the overall impression is one of subtlety and grace. Not only is this a wonderful effort but the value it offers it beyond stunning.” BH
Pierre Peters Cuvee de Reserve Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Brut NV 1.5L ($149.95) $119 special
Wine Adovcate 92 points “The NV Brut Cuvee de Reserve is striking. It shows fabulous cut and definition in its fruit, expressive aromatics all backed up by plenty of underlying structure. A bright, mineral laced finish rounds things out in style. This is superb entry-level wine from one of Champagne’s top producers. The Cuvee Reserve is 100% Chardonnay. This year’s release is based on 2008 (60%), with reserve wines going back to 1988, precisely 1988, 1990, 1993 and 1995-2007 (except 1999 and 2003). “WA
Pierre Peters Cuvee Speciale Les Chetillons Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Brut 2007 ($149.95) $129 special
Antonio Galloni 94 points “What a pleasure it is to taste the 2007 Cuvée Spéciale Les Chétillons. An absolutely impeccable Champagne, the 2007 is gorgeous today. Crushed flowers, sage, almonds, lemon peel and ripe, juicy pears inform the supple, resonant finish. In 2007, the Chétillons is a model of grace and finesse. This is the first vintage Rodolphe Péters made from start to finish, and he nailed it.” AG
Pierre Peters Cuvee Speciale Les Chetillons Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Brut 2007 1.5L ($319.95) $269 special
Antonio Galloni 94 points “What a pleasure it is to taste the 2007 Cuvée Spéciale Les Chétillons. An absolutely impeccable Champagne, the 2007 is gorgeous today. Crushed flowers, sage, almonds, lemon peel and ripe, juicy pears inform the supple, resonant finish. In 2007, the Chétillons is a model of grace and finesse. This is the first vintage Rodolphe Péters made from start to finish, and he nailed it.” AG
Pierre Peters Cuvee Esprit Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Brut Millesime 2008 ($109.95) $89 special
Pierre Peters Cuvee Rose for Albane Brut NV ($99.95) $79 special
Antonio Galloni 93 points: “The NV Brut Rosé per Albane is drop-dead gorgeous. Perfumed, ethereal and beguiling, the Albane is both incredibly delicate and full of flavor. Sweet floral notes, red berries, mint and crushed rocks linger on the bright, crystalline finish. The long, brilliant finish leaves a lasting impression. The Albane is 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Meunier, an unusual combination. This bottle was disgorged in March 2013.”
Pierre Peters Reserve Oubliee NV (’08) ($179.95) $149 special
2008 base wine
Marie Courtin Resonance Blanc de Noirs Extra Brut NV ($59.95) $44 special
2011 base wine
Last Call – 2012 Domaine Leflaive – Pre-arrival Specials
Wines here Friday Sept 26th
Domaine Leflaive Batard Montrachet 2012 ($599.95) $499 pre-arrival special, 2 bottles unsold
Stephen Tanzer 93-95 points “Bright medium yellow. Sexy aromas of peach, nectarine and brown spices, plus hints of wild cherry and fraise des bois. Quite full, rich and powerful, with a distinctly tactile quality to the saline iodine and mineral flavors. This ripe, brooding wine finishes with inexorable persistence. This has 13.45% alcohol and a post-malo pH of 3.1, according to Eric Remy.”
Domaine Leflaive Bourgogne Blanc 2012 ($69.95) $59 pre-arrival special, 9 bottles unsold
“An airy and attractively layered nose presents primarily floral, pear and citrus peel aromas. The energetic but impressively rich flavors exhibit a lovely texture, indeed this is finer than most examples of the genre, all wrapped in a saline-inflected finish where the citrus character telegraphed by the nose reappears.”—Burghound
Domaine Leflaive Chevalier Montrachet 2012 ($799.95) $619 special, SOLD OUT
Stephen Tanzer 94-97 points “Fresh aromas of white peach, pineapple, lime and crushed stone. Rich, thick and full but with a pungent vein of stony minerality running through the wine and giving it energy and lift. Wonderfully silky and fine-grained grand cru with superb volume and a slowly building, extremely long finish. Before I tasted this approximation of the final blend, I tried the two components of this wine, from the top and lower parts of the vineyard. The Chevalier du Haut, which was near the end of its malo, showed an almost painful spine of acidity and minerality and a rather strict, calcaire-driven finish of lemon oil and iodine. The Chevalier du Bas was distinctly more floral and smoky on the nose and sweeter and more lush in the mouth, without quite the mineral tension of the first sample. But these two components should be extremely complementary.”
Domaine Leflaive Meursault 2012 ($179.95) $149 special SOLD OUT
Burghound 89-92 points “While there is noticeable reduction it’s not so much that the ripeness of the underlying fruit cannot be seen. The mouth feel of the medium weight flavors is finer than the Puligny villages but not as concentrated and here too there is that lovely sense of tension to the clean, dry, linear and citrus-inflected finale. This will also need a minimum of 3 to 5 years of cellar time before it will begin to display some of its potential.”
Domaine Leflaive Puligny Clavoillon 2012 ($199.95) $159 pre-arrival special, 12 bottles available
Stephen Tanzer 90-92 points “(tasted near the end of its malolactic fermentation): Peach and a grilled note on the nose and palate; still a bit lactic. Fatter and sweeter than the village wine but suaver too. Finishes broad, quite dry and long. This struck me as like a baby Batard.”
Domaine Leflaive Puligny Pucelles 2012 ($349.95) $299 pre-arrival special, SOLD OUT
Stephen Tanzer 92-95 points “Pale, bright yellow. Ripe, rich aromas of peach fuzz and grilled nuts, plus a distinct cyanic peach pit note. Offers impressive volume without undue weight, with the fruit currently in the deep background as the malo is in its latter stages. Best today on the subtle, slowly mounting finish, which displays terrific mineral grip. This should age gracefully and last well.”
Last Chance – Domaine Leflaive 2009-2011.
Final deliveries of our big opportunity buy, arrived yesterday.
Domaine Leflaive Bourgogne Blanc 2011 ($59.95) $49 special, final 8 bottles available
Burghound 86-89 points “A very pretty and reasonably complex nose features notes of citrus peel, white flower and peach aromas. There is good vibrancy to the lightly mineral-inflected middle weight flavors that possess good verve and better than average depth and length. This should be very good and is worth a look.”
Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 2011 ($109.95) $79 special, final 44 bottles available
Burghound 88-91 points “A similar if less expressive nose is trimmed in just enough wood to notice. There is really lovely purity of expression to the energetic and beautifully well-detailed medium weight flavors that are notably tighter and better focused before terminating in a lightly mineral-inflected, dry and persistent finish. This should also be lovely with a few years of bottle age.”
Domaine Leflaive Puligny Clavoillon 2011 ($139.95) $99 special, final 47 bottles available
Wine Spectator 94 points “Terrific from start to finish, this white starts out with lime blossom, apple, citronella and mineral aromas and flavors. Creamy yet fluid, intense yet airy, with harmony and a long aftertaste of citrus and stone. Best from 2016 through 2026.”
Domiane Leflaive Puligny Combettes 2009 ($219.95) $179 special, final 3 bottles available
Stephen Tanzer 93 points “Pale yellow with a green tinge. Musky, discreet nose hints at lime and nut oil. Dense, ripe and lush; shows sweet notes of vanilla and hazelnut but this is very tightly coiled today in the mid-palate. Explosive on the back end, finishing with excellent breadth and flavor intensity and a slightly tannic impression. Terrific volume here.”
Domaine Leflaive Puligny Folatiers 2009 ($219.95) $179 special, final 4 bottles available
Stephen Tanzer and Wine Advocate 92 points “The 2009 Puligny-Montrachet Folatieres is at once brighter and flashier than the Clavoillons. I especially like the vibrant minerality here. Yellow stone fruits flesh out the mid-palate and finish nicely in this expressive, radiant wine that captures the essence of the year. Remy comments that he tends to use barrels with lower levels of toast for the Folatieres to compensate for the richness the fruit provides on its own. Anticipated maturity: 2014+.”
Domaine Leflaive Puligny Pucelles 2009 ($249.95) $199 special, final 9 bottles available
Burghound and Stephen Tanzer 93 points “A notably ripe but still reasonably classic Pucelles nose of honeysuckle, citrus and white orchard fruit aromas, in particular pear, leads to rich, forward and wonderfully opulent medium-bodied flavors that brim with dry extract that coats the palate on the refined and impressively long finish. As it always is, this is a classy wine of finesse but with a generous side to it in 2009.”BH
Domaine Leflaive Puligny Pucelles 2011 ($279.95) $229 special, final 2 bottles available
Burghound 91-94 points “A broad-ranging nose is comprised of honeysuckle, anise, clove, lemongrass, brioche and pear. There is an appealing sense of volume to the beautifully delineated, serious, textured and energetic flavors that are both classy and stylish, all wrapped in a hugely long yet impeccably balanced finish where a touch of wood influence surfaces. A classic Pucelles of generosity and refinement that should amply reward up to a decade of cellaring.”