In This Newsletter:
The Exquisite Champagnes of Marie-Courtin
Anne-Sophie Dubois Beaujolais
New Week – New Arrivals
New Review for Ridge
Trending
Arriving Friday
The Exquisite Champagnes of Marie-Courtin
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $88
Marie Courtin Efflorescence Blanc de Noirs Extra Brut, Champagne 2014 750ML ($99.95) $59 pre-arrival special
No reviews yet for the 2014 vintage – Reviews for 2013 vintage provided for reference.
Antonio Galloni 94 points “A complete and wonderfully nuanced wine, the 2013 Extra Brut Efflorescence is fabulous. Bright and sculpted to the core, the 2013 exudes energy. Chalk, mint, jasmine and orchard fruit add complexity, but it is the wine’s overall balance that is most impressive. The Efflorescence offers striking translucence and energy from start to finish. The non-dosé style is especially successful here. Disgorged in April 2017 with no dosage.”
“Efflorescence is from an east-facing vineyard with 40-year-old vines (sélection massale) on Kimmeridgian soils. Fermented and aged for one year in pièces and 36 months on the second lees before the disgorgement…” –Stephan Reinhardt, Wine Advocate, writing on the 2013 vintage
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $76
Marie Courtin Eloquence Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut, Champagne 2015 750ML ($89.95) $79 pre-arrival special
Importer note “Single parcel of Chardonnay located in the village of Polisot near the Pinot vineyard in the Cote des Bars. Massale selection, low-vigor rootstock, 15-20 yr old vines. Clay and Kimmerdigian Limestone bands similar to those found in Chablis. The Cotes des Bar is closer in proximity to Chablis than to Epernay. Aged in used barriques and bottled with no dosage. Remeniscent of Chablis with bubbles, this Blanc de Blanc is full, yet chiseled with intense mineral character.”
Marie Courtin ‘Indulgence’ Extra Brut Rose, Champagne 2015 750ML ($99.95) $89 pre-arrival special
Antonio Galloni 92 points “The 2015 Extra Brut Rosé Indulgence is 100% Pinot Noir that sees a maceration of about 48 hours. Pomegranate, mint, dried flowers, game and dried pear are all finely knit. Lifted floral and savory notes suggest at least some whole cluster influence. This is such a classy and expressive Champagne. Here, too, I see what appears to be more finesse than in the past. No dosage. Disgorged: November, 2018.”
Importer note “50 year old Pinot Noir vines from .30 hectares. Sandy marl with veins of kimmeridgian. Balanced above all else, the Indulgence rose is made from 100% Pinot Noir that macerated for four days. Not too fruity, not too meaty…just right! Non-dosé.”
Marie Courtin Presence Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut, Champagne 2017 750ML ($89.95) $79 pre-arrival special
Importer note “70% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Blanc. Harvested from massale selection vines of 1/3 Pinot Blanc and 2/3 Chardonnay averaging 20 years of age. The Pinot Blanc is planted in kimmerdgian-centric soils while the Chardonnay is planted in portlandian soils. Aged in apoxy lined tank, three year elevage sur lie, unfined and unfiltered, zero dosage and zero sulfur added. Dominique Moreau’s Blanc de Blanc blend combines Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc grown in the unique kimmeridgian and portlandian soils of the Aube. This zero dosage, no sulfur added cuvee is rich and racy and has a commanding “presence”, if you will, just as we have come to expect from this rising star.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $96
Marie Courtin Resonance Blanc de Noirs Extra Brut, Champagne 2015 750ML ($59.95) $49 pre-arrival special
Case-6 Marie Courtin Resonance Blanc de Noirs Extra Brut, Champagne 2015 750ML ($359.95) $279 pre-arrival special (that’s only $46.50/bottle!)
Importer note “Sourced from massale selection vines 35-40 years in age from a single parcel located in Polisot (Cote des Bar). The fruit for Resonance comes from the top of the slope where there is little topsoil. Clay and Kimmerdigian Limestone bands similar to those found in Chablis. The Cotes des Bar is closer in proximity to Chablis than to Epernay. Aged in stainless steel and bottled with no dosage. Fresh and nervy with a rounder character than in past years. Classic Marie Courtin cut with a bit more meat on the bone.”
Trending
Arriving Friday
The Exquisite Champagnes of Marie-Courtin
“Dominique Moreau [makes] tiny amounts of Champagne under the Marie-Courtin label that are gorgeous, precise and elegant, and that I cannot get out of my head.” – Eric Asimov, New York Times
The Aube: once a sleepy backwater Department of the Champagne region where generations of vineyard owners and tenders subsisted on selling their crops to the Grand Marque luxury brand Champistocrats headquartered in Reims. Now it is a cradle to a movement. A movement to something of a Burgundian model: of estate growers escorting their grapes through to the finished wine, and in so doing expressing their grapes, their ground, and their esthetic. The Aube is not alone in this turnabout. It is happening all over Champagne. And the proprietress of Marie-Courtin, Dominique Moreau, is not alone in the Aube- the grower contingent there has other luminaries including Cedric Bouchard, Vouette & Sorbee, and Jacques Lassaigne.
But, we digress, as our story begins in 2001….
In the Aube, on a hillside of the Cote des Bars, near the village of Polisot, where Dominique Moreau took over a small vineyard of mostly 40-50 year old Pinot Noir (planted by her father-in-law) and combined it with her vision to produce single-vineyard, single varietal, single vintage Champagnes from biodynamically grown grapes- farmed with meticulous care, and vinified au naturel. Native yeasts, no dosage, minimalist intervention at all decision points. This was and still is a sharp turn from the conventional mind-set in Champagne, which is to produce a homogenous product- and plenty of it.
And the pace picked up markedly in 2006, when the visions were first bottled, and became something the world beyond the Aube could share. But they didn’t go far beyond the Aube. There were only 1,000 cases or so, and they were mostly intercepted by the restaurants and Champagne bars in Paris.
Since then?
Well, a modest linear progression of bottlings and growth, and an immodest exponential explosion of consumer knowledge, interest, and demand. It hasn’t hurt that Champagne is by far the hottest sector of the wine market today, and the grower Champagne is the hottest sector of the Champagne market. But Dominique would have succeeded in moribund markets, as her vision and skills are indomitable and her Champagnes approach transcendental.
‘Resonance’ is the base of the program here, a tank fermented Pinot Noir. The ever-holistic Dominique says that ‘Resonance’ refers to the balancing energies of earth and sky that affect the creation of a wine from its surrounding terroir. But we’d say that it could equally refer to the harmonic symphony it adds to a glass. The 2008 vintage of this wine was the first to be received in the Western US in quantities above miniscule and we took in an outsized share. We were the first to have it, and the last to have it, but we didn’t have it long enough. Conservation of supply was not possible when demand was spurred by Antonio Galloni’s glowing reviews and breathless conclusion that: “It is a fabulous wine in every way. I loved it.” Year in, year out, it is a wine with gazelle-like poise, mineral verve and a filigreed tension that captures her vision of balance and energy.
‘Efflorescence’ is drawn from grapes at the base of the hill- Dominique feels they have greater power and potential. The wine is raised in used Burgundy barrels for a year. For Dominique, “Efflorescence” refers to “something that evolves in perpetuity”. Starting with the evolution encouraged by the small oxygen exchange in barrel, she feels that this wine in particular will show a very different face at each stage of its development in bottle. ‘Eloquence’ arises from a small amount of Chardonnay on Dominique’s estate. Elegance is as ‘Eloquence’ does.
She’s yet to share with us what was on her mind to name this bottling ‘Concordance’. But perhaps flying very high, above all else; because that is what it does. Dominique, by the way, recommends that all of her Champagnes be served in conventional wine glasses rather than flutes. We’d say that is an option on all but this Concordance, where it is a must. Consider a decanter too. Bubbling Burgundy it is, un voyage- sans limit, sans end. The bubbles are not accidental, but they are incidental.
“These wines represent the height of vinosity in Champagne” –Antonio Galloni
“Intensely expressive, emotionally moving wines.” –Peter Liem
Arriving Friday, January 22nd
Marie Courtin Concordance Blanc de Noirs Extra Brut, Champagne 2015 750ML ($119.95) $75 pre-arrival special
Antonio Galloni 93 points “The 2015 Extra Brut Concordance Sans Soufre (100% Pinot Noir) is bright, precise and absolutely gorgeous. Dominique Moreau seems to have really dialed in her approach over the last few years. I can’t remember tasting a Concordance with this much translucent energy. Pinot Noir in the Aube has rarely been this weightless and nuanced. The purity of the flavors is just striking. No dosage.”
The Aube: once a sleepy backwater Department of the Champagne region where generations of vineyard owners and tenders subsisted on selling their crops to the Grand Marque luxury brand Champistocrats headquartered in Reims. Now it is a cradle to a movement. A movement to something of a Burgundian model: of estate growers escorting their grapes through to the finished wine, and in so doing expressing their grapes, their ground, and their esthetic. The Aube is not alone in this turnabout. It is happening all over Champagne. And the proprietress of Marie-Courtin, Dominique Moreau, is not alone in the Aube- the grower contingent there has other luminaries including Cedric Bouchard, Vouette & Sorbee, and Jacques Lassaigne.
But, we digress, as our story begins in 2001….
In the Aube, on a hillside of the Cote des Bars, near the village of Polisot, where Dominique Moreau took over a small vineyard of mostly 40-50 year old Pinot Noir (planted by her father-in-law) and combined it with her vision to produce single-vineyard, single varietal, single vintage Champagnes from biodynamically grown grapes- farmed with meticulous care, and vinified au naturel. Native yeasts, no dosage, minimalist intervention at all decision points. This was and still is a sharp turn from the conventional mind-set in Champagne, which is to produce a homogenous product- and plenty of it.
And the pace picked up markedly in 2006, when the visions were first bottled, and became something the world beyond the Aube could share. But they didn’t go far beyond the Aube. There were only 1,000 cases or so, and they were mostly intercepted by the restaurants and Champagne bars in Paris.
Since then?
Well, a modest linear progression of bottlings and growth, and an immodest exponential explosion of consumer knowledge, interest, and demand. It hasn’t hurt that Champagne is by far the hottest sector of the wine market today, and the grower Champagne is the hottest sector of the Champagne market. But Dominique would have succeeded in moribund markets, as her vision and skills are indomitable and her Champagnes approach transcendental.
‘Resonance’ is the base of the program here, a tank fermented Pinot Noir. The ever-holistic Dominique says that ‘Resonance’ refers to the balancing energies of earth and sky that affect the creation of a wine from its surrounding terroir. But we’d say that it could equally refer to the harmonic symphony it adds to a glass. The 2008 vintage of this wine was the first to be received in the Western US in quantities above miniscule and we took in an outsized share. We were the first to have it, and the last to have it, but we didn’t have it long enough. Conservation of supply was not possible when demand was spurred by Antonio Galloni’s glowing reviews and breathless conclusion that: “It is a fabulous wine in every way. I loved it.” Year in, year out, it is a wine with gazelle-like poise, mineral verve and a filigreed tension that captures her vision of balance and energy.
‘Efflorescence’ is drawn from grapes at the base of the hill- Dominique feels they have greater power and potential. The wine is raised in used Burgundy barrels for a year. For Dominique, “Efflorescence” refers to “something that evolves in perpetuity”. Starting with the evolution encouraged by the small oxygen exchange in barrel, she feels that this wine in particular will show a very different face at each stage of its development in bottle. ‘Eloquence’ arises from a small amount of Chardonnay on Dominique’s estate. Elegance is as ‘Eloquence’ does.
She’s yet to share with us what was on her mind to name this bottling ‘Concordance’. But perhaps flying very high, above all else; because that is what it does. Dominique, by the way, recommends that all of her Champagnes be served in conventional wine glasses rather than flutes. We’d say that is an option on all but this Concordance, where it is a must. Consider a decanter too. Bubbling Burgundy it is, un voyage- sans limit, sans end. The bubbles are not accidental, but they are incidental.
“These wines represent the height of vinosity in Champagne” –Antonio Galloni
“Intensely expressive, emotionally moving wines.” –Peter Liem
Arriving Friday, January 22nd
Marie Courtin Concordance Blanc de Noirs Extra Brut, Champagne 2015 750ML ($119.95) $75 pre-arrival special
Antonio Galloni 93 points “The 2015 Extra Brut Concordance Sans Soufre (100% Pinot Noir) is bright, precise and absolutely gorgeous. Dominique Moreau seems to have really dialed in her approach over the last few years. I can’t remember tasting a Concordance with this much translucent energy. Pinot Noir in the Aube has rarely been this weightless and nuanced. The purity of the flavors is just striking. No dosage.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $88
Marie Courtin Efflorescence Blanc de Noirs Extra Brut, Champagne 2014 750ML ($99.95) $59 pre-arrival specialNo reviews yet for the 2014 vintage – Reviews for 2013 vintage provided for reference.
Antonio Galloni 94 points “A complete and wonderfully nuanced wine, the 2013 Extra Brut Efflorescence is fabulous. Bright and sculpted to the core, the 2013 exudes energy. Chalk, mint, jasmine and orchard fruit add complexity, but it is the wine’s overall balance that is most impressive. The Efflorescence offers striking translucence and energy from start to finish. The non-dosé style is especially successful here. Disgorged in April 2017 with no dosage.”
“Efflorescence is from an east-facing vineyard with 40-year-old vines (sélection massale) on Kimmeridgian soils. Fermented and aged for one year in pièces and 36 months on the second lees before the disgorgement…” –Stephan Reinhardt, Wine Advocate, writing on the 2013 vintage
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $76
Marie Courtin Eloquence Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut, Champagne 2015 750ML ($89.95) $79 pre-arrival special
Importer note “Single parcel of Chardonnay located in the village of Polisot near the Pinot vineyard in the Cote des Bars. Massale selection, low-vigor rootstock, 15-20 yr old vines. Clay and Kimmerdigian Limestone bands similar to those found in Chablis. The Cotes des Bar is closer in proximity to Chablis than to Epernay. Aged in used barriques and bottled with no dosage. Remeniscent of Chablis with bubbles, this Blanc de Blanc is full, yet chiseled with intense mineral character.”
Marie Courtin ‘Indulgence’ Extra Brut Rose, Champagne 2015 750ML ($99.95) $89 pre-arrival special
Antonio Galloni 92 points “The 2015 Extra Brut Rosé Indulgence is 100% Pinot Noir that sees a maceration of about 48 hours. Pomegranate, mint, dried flowers, game and dried pear are all finely knit. Lifted floral and savory notes suggest at least some whole cluster influence. This is such a classy and expressive Champagne. Here, too, I see what appears to be more finesse than in the past. No dosage. Disgorged: November, 2018.”
Importer note “50 year old Pinot Noir vines from .30 hectares. Sandy marl with veins of kimmeridgian. Balanced above all else, the Indulgence rose is made from 100% Pinot Noir that macerated for four days. Not too fruity, not too meaty…just right! Non-dosé.”
Marie Courtin Presence Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut, Champagne 2017 750ML ($89.95) $79 pre-arrival special
Importer note “70% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Blanc. Harvested from massale selection vines of 1/3 Pinot Blanc and 2/3 Chardonnay averaging 20 years of age. The Pinot Blanc is planted in kimmerdgian-centric soils while the Chardonnay is planted in portlandian soils. Aged in apoxy lined tank, three year elevage sur lie, unfined and unfiltered, zero dosage and zero sulfur added. Dominique Moreau’s Blanc de Blanc blend combines Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc grown in the unique kimmeridgian and portlandian soils of the Aube. This zero dosage, no sulfur added cuvee is rich and racy and has a commanding “presence”, if you will, just as we have come to expect from this rising star.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $96
Marie Courtin Resonance Blanc de Noirs Extra Brut, Champagne 2015 750ML ($59.95) $49 pre-arrival special
Case-6 Marie Courtin Resonance Blanc de Noirs Extra Brut, Champagne 2015 750ML ($359.95) $279 pre-arrival special (that’s only $46.50/bottle!)
Importer note “Sourced from massale selection vines 35-40 years in age from a single parcel located in Polisot (Cote des Bar). The fruit for Resonance comes from the top of the slope where there is little topsoil. Clay and Kimmerdigian Limestone bands similar to those found in Chablis. The Cotes des Bar is closer in proximity to Chablis than to Epernay. Aged in stainless steel and bottled with no dosage. Fresh and nervy with a rounder character than in past years. Classic Marie Courtin cut with a bit more meat on the bone.”
Anne-Sophie Dubois Beaujolais
Hot Review on Current Stock
Plus
New Releases Arriving This Spring!
Traditional has different definitions in Beaujolais, and it really has to do with how far you’re willing to look back in time. If your definition of Beaujolais starts and stops with gaudy bottles of plonk, I implore you to seek help immediately. If you consider yourself an enlightened beaujo drinker who looks to the Gang of Four for inspiration and thinks that semi-carbonic techniques offer the freshest view of the new wines of the region, you might update your G4 rolodex with a contact list of the dozens of new producers who are taking Gamay to new levels. With parcel specific soil maps recently released and winemakers looking to highlight the characteristics of the terroir of their own vineyards, older techniques more similar to Burgundian winemaking have taken hold, resulting in wines that are still juicy and lovely, but with added depth and mineral crunchiness. This is how the vanguard of winemakers is shaping one of the most exciting areas in France, if not the world.
Anne-Sophie Dubois, a Champenois native with her training in Volnay, is making some of the most perfumed and elegant wines off of her 20-acre hilltop vineyard in Fleurie. While she makes a ‘young vine’ semi-carbonic wine (Les Cocottes – delicious in its own right), her two wines of note are the Alchemiste and Les Labourons. The wines come from 40 and 60+ year old parcels, respectively. Alchemiste is fully destemmed fruit, macerated for approximately 3 weeks with native yeasts, then aged for 13 months in both cement tanks and some larger, oak casks. Les Labourons, formerly known as Clepsydre, marks the transition to fully organic (mostly biodynamic) practices in her vineyard. This wine is comprised of the best fruit from the oldest parcel of vines on the estate. The vinification is the same, though the wine is aged completely in neutral barrels rather than partially in tank. Anne-Sophie says that the wine shows more concentration and depth due to the age of the vines and the truly beautiful fruit that is available. While both will age nicely, the Labourons should be the wine you lay down for 10+ years.
As unabashed Anne-Sophie fans, we have been looking forward to the 2019 vintage with serious anticipation. Her wines, even in difficult years, yield perfumed, vibrant wines with substance and backbone. 2019 was a difficult spring with frosts after budbreak, but led to a hot and dry summer with a late rain that refreshed the fruit approximately 2 weeks before harvest. This resulted in lowering alcohol and acidity, and presents a wine that is pleasantly ripe and delicious, yet not overpowering. It will be a vintage that is terrific on the table and holds well in the cellar. The arrival is scheduled for spring; just in time to welcome back the sun. Secure it now to have some for the long haul, and a few to enjoy next summer.
In Stock Now:
Final tranche arriving Friday!
Anne-Sophie Dubois Fleurie Les Labourons 2018 750ML ($39.95) $36 special
Anne-Sophie Dubois Fleurie Les Labourons 2018 1.5L ($99.95) $79 pre-arrival special, ETA January 22nd
Grapelive 95 points “The top or signature wine from the talented Anne-Sophie Dubois is her awesome Les Labourons Fleurie Cru Beaujolais that comes from a high elevation, with a warm Southwest exposure, parcel of Gamay vines that are set on the classic pink granite soils of this appellation, all of which give this gorgeous
wine its intensity, distinction, heightened aromatics and elegance with a crisp detailing of pure flavors. This 2018 is impeccable with a clarity of terroir and focus showing a racy edginess and a slight hint of reduction to start before everything comes alive on the medium bodied palate with precise layers of dark vine picked berries, tart currant, strawberry, ripe cherries and earthy blueberry fruits along with delicate spices, mineral tones and crushed violets. While lovely and youthful, this deeply garnet/ruby Gamay beauty takes to another level with a fine structure, complexity and exceptional length in a quaffable package that just gets better and better as it fully opens in the glass, it is a Fleurie that has the style and grace of a Chambolle-Musigny, but at a much more reasonable price. There is no question that Anne-Sophie Dubois is one of young superstars of Beaujolais region and part of a new generation of vignerons that are bringing this area to world wide attention, and as her importer says, as well as redefining the identity of Beaujolais…. [She] has mostly shied away from the use of carbonic fermentation, preferring a more traditional Burgundian regime with mostly de-stemmed grapes, while employing a natural or indigenous yeast fermentation with a gentle handling of the wine from vineyard to bottle.… The 2018 Les Labourons came from the oldest vines and the best selections of grapes, which, as mentioned, were 100% de-stemmed and saw a cool maceration with the wine, after primary was complete, seeing an elevage of just over a year in all well used or what you’d call neutral French oak barrels.”
Arriving ETA Spring 2021:
Anne-Sophie Dubois Fleurie l’Alchimiste, Beaujolais 2019 750ML ($37.95) $31.90 pre-arrival special
Case-6 Anne-Sophie Dubois Fleurie l’Alchimiste, Beaujolais 2019 750ML ($219.95) $175 pre-arrival special (that’s only $29.17/bottle and the lowest listed price in the USA today!)
Anne-Sophie Dubois Fleurie l’Alchimiste, Beaujolais 2019 1.5L ($79.95) $69 pre-arrival special
Anne-Sophie Dubois Fleurie l’Alchimiste, Beaujolais 2019 3L ($199.95) $179 pre-arrival special
Importer note “From southwest facing vineyards in Fleurie AOC. Soils are highly granitic. Dark berried fruits, tempered by mineral and black tea nuances. Seamless and very elegant.”
Anne-Sophie Dubois, a Champenois native with her training in Volnay, is making some of the most perfumed and elegant wines off of her 20-acre hilltop vineyard in Fleurie. While she makes a ‘young vine’ semi-carbonic wine (Les Cocottes – delicious in its own right), her two wines of note are the Alchemiste and Les Labourons. The wines come from 40 and 60+ year old parcels, respectively. Alchemiste is fully destemmed fruit, macerated for approximately 3 weeks with native yeasts, then aged for 13 months in both cement tanks and some larger, oak casks. Les Labourons, formerly known as Clepsydre, marks the transition to fully organic (mostly biodynamic) practices in her vineyard. This wine is comprised of the best fruit from the oldest parcel of vines on the estate. The vinification is the same, though the wine is aged completely in neutral barrels rather than partially in tank. Anne-Sophie says that the wine shows more concentration and depth due to the age of the vines and the truly beautiful fruit that is available. While both will age nicely, the Labourons should be the wine you lay down for 10+ years.
As unabashed Anne-Sophie fans, we have been looking forward to the 2019 vintage with serious anticipation. Her wines, even in difficult years, yield perfumed, vibrant wines with substance and backbone. 2019 was a difficult spring with frosts after budbreak, but led to a hot and dry summer with a late rain that refreshed the fruit approximately 2 weeks before harvest. This resulted in lowering alcohol and acidity, and presents a wine that is pleasantly ripe and delicious, yet not overpowering. It will be a vintage that is terrific on the table and holds well in the cellar. The arrival is scheduled for spring; just in time to welcome back the sun. Secure it now to have some for the long haul, and a few to enjoy next summer.
In Stock Now:
Final tranche arriving Friday!
Anne-Sophie Dubois Fleurie Les Labourons 2018 750ML ($39.95) $36 special
Anne-Sophie Dubois Fleurie Les Labourons 2018 1.5L ($99.95) $79 pre-arrival special, ETA January 22nd
Grapelive 95 points “The top or signature wine from the talented Anne-Sophie Dubois is her awesome Les Labourons Fleurie Cru Beaujolais that comes from a high elevation, with a warm Southwest exposure, parcel of Gamay vines that are set on the classic pink granite soils of this appellation, all of which give this gorgeous
wine its intensity, distinction, heightened aromatics and elegance with a crisp detailing of pure flavors. This 2018 is impeccable with a clarity of terroir and focus showing a racy edginess and a slight hint of reduction to start before everything comes alive on the medium bodied palate with precise layers of dark vine picked berries, tart currant, strawberry, ripe cherries and earthy blueberry fruits along with delicate spices, mineral tones and crushed violets. While lovely and youthful, this deeply garnet/ruby Gamay beauty takes to another level with a fine structure, complexity and exceptional length in a quaffable package that just gets better and better as it fully opens in the glass, it is a Fleurie that has the style and grace of a Chambolle-Musigny, but at a much more reasonable price. There is no question that Anne-Sophie Dubois is one of young superstars of Beaujolais region and part of a new generation of vignerons that are bringing this area to world wide attention, and as her importer says, as well as redefining the identity of Beaujolais…. [She] has mostly shied away from the use of carbonic fermentation, preferring a more traditional Burgundian regime with mostly de-stemmed grapes, while employing a natural or indigenous yeast fermentation with a gentle handling of the wine from vineyard to bottle.… The 2018 Les Labourons came from the oldest vines and the best selections of grapes, which, as mentioned, were 100% de-stemmed and saw a cool maceration with the wine, after primary was complete, seeing an elevage of just over a year in all well used or what you’d call neutral French oak barrels.”
Arriving ETA Spring 2021:
Anne-Sophie Dubois Fleurie l’Alchimiste, Beaujolais 2019 750ML ($37.95) $31.90 pre-arrival special
Case-6 Anne-Sophie Dubois Fleurie l’Alchimiste, Beaujolais 2019 750ML ($219.95) $175 pre-arrival special (that’s only $29.17/bottle and the lowest listed price in the USA today!)
Anne-Sophie Dubois Fleurie l’Alchimiste, Beaujolais 2019 1.5L ($79.95) $69 pre-arrival special
Anne-Sophie Dubois Fleurie l’Alchimiste, Beaujolais 2019 3L ($199.95) $179 pre-arrival special
Importer note “From southwest facing vineyards in Fleurie AOC. Soils are highly granitic. Dark berried fruits, tempered by mineral and black tea nuances. Seamless and very elegant.”
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
The average price nationally is $33
Anne-Sophie Dubois Fleurie Les Labourons, Beaujolais 2019 750ML ($39.95) $36 pre-arrival special
Case-6 Anne-Sophie Dubois Fleurie Les Labourons, Beaujolais 2019 750ML ($219.95) $199 pre-arrival special (that’s only $33.17/bottle and the lowest listed price in the USA today!)
Anne-Sophie Dubois Fleurie Les Labourons, Beaujolais 2019 1.5L ($89.95) $79 pre-arrival special
Anne-Sophie Dubois Fleurie Les Labourons, Beaujolais 2019 3L ($239.95) $199 pre-arrival special
Importer note “Formerly known as `Clepsydre`, now re-named and carrying the name of its Lieu Dit starting with the 2017 vintage. Whereas previously the wine was a selection of the oldest fruit, Anne-Sophie has decided to take the selection one step farther and make it a selection of the best fruit from the old vine parcel. Les Labourons is the name of the lieu dit in Fleurie. In 2017, after recieving her organic certification, she wanted to rename the wine and have a new label drawn to showcase the new chapter in her winemaking. Despite the label and name change, Anne Sophie’s approach to vinification is the same as vintages past. It is 100% destemmed and aged for around 13 months in 228L neutral oak barrels.”
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
The average price nationally is $39
The average price nationally is $39
Love Beaujolais? We have over 30 wines from Beaujolais currently available.
Shop our entire selection, including famous names like Chateau Thivin, Clos de la Roilette, Jean-Claude Lapalu and more on our web store!
Mid-Week – New Arrivals
Oregon Wines
Arterberry Maresh Pinot Noir Maresh Vineyard, Dundee Hills 2018 750ML ($69.95) $59 special
Erin Brooks-Wine Advocate 95+ points “The 2018 Pinot Noir Maresh Vineyard is an incredible wine. It opens slowly to an arresting perfume of dusty earth, dried rose petals, tea leaves, licorice and amaro with a wealth of bright red berry fruit at the core. The palate is elegant, supple and juicy, with an expansive fan of layered, spicy flavors and a very long finish. It’s hard to resist now, but it will have more to offer with time in bottle.”
Arterberry Maresh Pinot Noir Maresh Vineyard, Dundee Hills 2018 750ML ($69.95) $59 special
Erin Brooks-Wine Advocate 95+ points “The 2018 Pinot Noir Maresh Vineyard is an incredible wine. It opens slowly to an arresting perfume of dusty earth, dried rose petals, tea leaves, licorice and amaro with a wealth of bright red berry fruit at the core. The palate is elegant, supple and juicy, with an expansive fan of layered, spicy flavors and a very long finish. It’s hard to resist now, but it will have more to offer with time in bottle.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $64.99
This is the last of the current-release 2018 & winery-cellared 2014 Dundee Hills Pinots, so stock up now!
Arterberry Maresh Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills 2018 750ML ($29.95) $26 specialErin Brooks-Wine Advocate 93 points “Pale ruby-purple, the 2018 Pinot Noir Dundee Hills takes its time to open, unfolding slowly to cherries, boysenberries, floral perfume and earthy nuances. The palate is elegant with pure fruit character framed by dusty tannins and rounded acidity, finishing long and nuanced. How pretty!”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Arterberry Maresh Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills 2014 750ML ($29.95) $26 special
Winery-cellared release!
Josh Raynolds-Vinous 91 points “Brilliant red. High-pitched raspberry and rose scents are complemented by hints of anise and allspice. Shows very good energy and depth to the red berry and floral pastille flavors, which are given lift by a spine of juicy acidity. Closes smooth, spicy and very long; fine-grained tannins frame the juicy, appealingly sweet red fruit. This wine delivers outstanding value and shows impressive nerve for a warm vintage.”
Neal Martin-Wine Advocate 90 points “The 2014 Pinot Noir Dundee Hills is a blend of Maresh, Juliard, Weber, Gehrts and Folie Hill vineyards. It has a fresh and vibrant bouquet with red cherry and wild strawberry fruit, touches of blood orange with fine delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin – a mixture here of red and black fruit, meaty in style with a Pommard-like finish that lingers in the mouth…”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Colene Clemens Vineyards ‘Dopp Creek’ Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2018 750ML ($33.95) $27 special
Wine Spectator 94 points “Defined by a brisk and refreshing minerality that brings focus to refined and expressive raspberry, rose petal and toasty spice flavors and builds intensity toward fine-grain tannins. Drink now through 2029. 3,241 cases made. — TF”
Winery note “Dopp Creek represents the broadest combined expression of our Estate, and embodies our most approachable and versatile wine. Engaging from the moment you pop the cork, rich red fruit and savory herbs lead to a mouthwatering palate of dark fruit and baking spice, with juicy, supple structure supporting it through a clean finish. This wine drinks impressively now, but having a few bottles in the cellar for four to six years won’t hurt!”
Colene Clemens Vineyards ‘Margo’ Pinot Noir, Chehalem Mountains 2017 750ML ($49.95) $36 special
Wine Spectator 94 points “Distinctive for the elegance, yet with subtle power simmering underneath, this offers raspberry and crushed stone notes, with hints of cardamom, building tension toward medium-grained tannins. Drink now through 2029. 1,073 cases made. — TF”
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
The average price nationally is $38
Nicolas Jay Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2017 750ML ($59.95) $49 special
Josh Raynolds-Vinous 93 points “Deep, glistening red. Sexy, assertively perfumed aromas of fresh red fruits, potpourri and baking spices, with a hint of cola in the background. Juicy and focused on the palate, Jay’s 2017 Pinot Noir offers vibrant raspberry, bitter cherry, blood orange and rose pastille flavors and a late jolt of spicy white pepper. Made in a fresh, exuberant style, with silky tannins sneaking in slowly to add shape and grip to the impressively long, spice-accented finish. Aged in 30% new oak.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Shea Wine Cellars Estate Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2016 750ML ($49.95) $39 special
Wine Enthusiast 93 points “Editor’s Choice. This blend of various blocks on the estate is the most widely available and least expensive of the winery’s Pinots. It’s a silky, seductive wine, aromatic and balanced. Supple berry fruit is backed by barrel spices (50% new French oak was used). Streaks of cola and cocoa ride out the finish, with supple, polished tannins. -Paul Gregutt”
Josh Raynolds-Vinous 92 points “Limpid ruby-red. Spice-accented raspberry and cherry cola aromas are complemented by suggestions of candied flowers and mocha. Sweet and expansive on the palate, offering juicy red and blue fruit flavors that slowly firm up through the midpalate. Clings with strong authority on the finish, which is framed by smooth, discreet tannins. 50% new oak.”
New Cider Arrivals
Art + Science Quince Cider NV 750ML ($24.95) $21.90 special
Winery note “[note on the 2017 vintage] 100% Quince- 50% of it was keeved in concrete and then aged and fermented in barrel for 10 months. Quince was an old homestead standby that was originally planted as a staple for jellies as it is naturally high in pectin. Although quince is in a renaissance, many older trees have not survived as they were no longer deemed useful. Since we forage for the fruit and it is rare, quantities are limited. This cider is as weird as the fruit is, floral and fruity yet dry and interesting. Wild yeast, bottle fermented, sugar added.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Maley ‘Jorasses’ Methode Traditionnelle Cidre, Aosta Valley NV 750ML ($24.95) $19 special
Cidery note “Maley Classic Method is made by the same technique used in the wine world, from over 300 years in Champagne region. The Cider process of fermentation are the same: obtained a basic cider we proceed to take the spume to make the second fermentation in bottle and a short building by the yeast (6 months). With a rich and persistent perlage, our cider has a beautiful flaxen colour with pale green nuances. At the sense of smell it reflects the Raventze apple, with notes of white flowers. [On the palate,] it appears rich and dry with a great minerality and flavour, low alcoholic rate (7,5% vol) highlights a great cleanliness that encourage greatly to drink.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Maley ‘Matterhorn’ Cidre, Aosta Valley NV 750ML ($21.95) $17.50 special
Importer note “The name “Maley” comes from both an old Valdostano name for apple (Malus in Latin) and one of the pre-20th century names for Mont Blanc (Mont Malais). Maley is Gianluca’s revival of an old Valdostano tradition of cider-making that Mussolini quashed in the 1930s as part of his effort to eliminate anything not sufficiently “Italian” — cider being in the fascists’ view a French affectation. Maley is the only cider producer in Italy making artisanal cider with heirloom apples. (There are a few siderie in Alto Adige, but they are not using interesting apples and the results are ho-hum). Abandoned Alpine orchards planted upwards of 4000 feet, half of them in the French Alps surrounding Chamonix and half in nearly-deserted Alpine towns in the Italian Valle d’Aosta. No chemicals. Some of these sleepy apple trees haven’t been picked in decades.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Maley Cidre du Saint Bernard, Aosta Valley NV 750ML ($19.95) $16.60 special
Cidery note “With the cider Maley, Aosta Valley reproposes an old drink which, for centuries, has been present on the tables of so many alpine villages. This innovative project is born from the passion for the effervescence in all its forms, from the love for the alpine scenaries, from the respect for the biodiversity cared by generations of gardeners and farmers from the Alps.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Maley ‘Pommerbe’ Liquore, Aosta Valley NV 750ML ($27.95) $24 special
Importer note “Pommerbe (fr. apple + herbs) is an alpine cider vermouth from Valle d’Aosta region, in the French-Italian alps. All the apples heirloom varieties are from 100+ year old trees, and the majority of the herbs and flowers are foraged around the majestic mountain peak of Mont Blanc, the valley to the west is the famous area of Chartreuse… The Pommerbe is made with the current year’s cider, with the addition of herbs, flower, and root essences. A small amount of neutral grain-alcohol intensifies the aromas, and helps to stabilize the product for aging. For aged Chartreuse fans, It will be interesting to see Pommerbe ages, since we are talking about the area next door as well as many of the exact same herbs.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
New Review for Ridge
Re-Arriving January 22nd
Ridge Vineyards Lytton Springs, Dry Creek Valley 2018 750ML ($49.95) $44.50 pre-arrival special
Grapelive 95 points “The 2018 Lytton Springs is absolutely brilliant and a thrilling wine of serious dimension and drinking pleasures, proving once again why it is one of California’s greatest wines with exceptional richness of flavors, lively energy and polished tannins. This is everything you’d want from this Zinfandel blend and more. This long time Ridge staple has long been one of my favorite wines… With those century old vines and a gifted team in the cellar it’s not hard to understand why this wine is such a success… 2018 especially looks like a wine that will bring even greater rewards over the next 20 years, with a long cooler growing season providing incredible structure, depth and nice lifting acidity. The young Lytton Springs is deep purple and opaque in the glass, helped by the bigger doses of Petite Syrah and Carignane than normal maybe and its full bodied palate over joys the senses with layers of dense dark berries, including blackberry, boysenberry and classic briar laced raspberry along with plum, blueberry and morello cherry fruits all which unfold with a mix of spices, dried herbs, wild flowers and a polished and slightly smoky sweet wood note. As it is now, this Lytton Springs is impossible to resist and just gets better and better as it opens up and while hedonistic and luxurious it does benefit from food, adding another level to an already sensational wine and allowing it to show some underlying sophisticated elements with a touch of savoriness and a bit of mineral showing up. This vintage is really something extra and should not be missed…”
Grapelive 95 points “The 2018 Lytton Springs is absolutely brilliant and a thrilling wine of serious dimension and drinking pleasures, proving once again why it is one of California’s greatest wines with exceptional richness of flavors, lively energy and polished tannins. This is everything you’d want from this Zinfandel blend and more. This long time Ridge staple has long been one of my favorite wines… With those century old vines and a gifted team in the cellar it’s not hard to understand why this wine is such a success… 2018 especially looks like a wine that will bring even greater rewards over the next 20 years, with a long cooler growing season providing incredible structure, depth and nice lifting acidity. The young Lytton Springs is deep purple and opaque in the glass, helped by the bigger doses of Petite Syrah and Carignane than normal maybe and its full bodied palate over joys the senses with layers of dense dark berries, including blackberry, boysenberry and classic briar laced raspberry along with plum, blueberry and morello cherry fruits all which unfold with a mix of spices, dried herbs, wild flowers and a polished and slightly smoky sweet wood note. As it is now, this Lytton Springs is impossible to resist and just gets better and better as it opens up and while hedonistic and luxurious it does benefit from food, adding another level to an already sensational wine and allowing it to show some underlying sophisticated elements with a touch of savoriness and a bit of mineral showing up. This vintage is really something extra and should not be missed…”
Vinopolis Wine Shop Curbside Pick Up
Order Online / By Phone / By Email
When you’re ready to pick up, just park in our lot,
give us a call, & we’ll bring your order to your car.
(If another adult is picking up for you,
please let us know their name when placing your order.)
www.vinopoliswineshop.com
info@vinopoliswineshop.com
503-223-6002
When you’re ready to pick up, just park in our lot,
give us a call, & we’ll bring your order to your car.
(If another adult is picking up for you,
please let us know their name when placing your order.)
www.vinopoliswineshop.com
info@vinopoliswineshop.com
503-223-6002
Trending
Biggio Hamina Claygate Vineyard Pinot Noir, Ribbon Ridge 2016 750ML ($39.95) $28 special, 36+ bottles in stock nowCase-6 Biggio Hamina Claygate Vineyard Pinot Noir, Ribbon Ridge 2016 750ML ($199.95) $159 special (that’s only $26.50/bottle!)
Case-12 Biggio Hamina Claygate Vineyard Pinot Noir, Ribbon Ridge 2016 750ML ($399.95) $299 special (that’s only $24.92/bottle!)
Josh Raynolds-Vinous 94 points “Bright red. An exotically perfumed bouquet displays intense red fruit, potpourri and incense qualities. Spice and savory herb nuances build as the wine opens up. Bright and energetic in the mouth, offering densely packed and appealingly sweet raspberry liqueur, cherry and spicecake flavors that pick up a smoky mineral note on the back half. Plays power off of finesse deftly and finishes extremely long and floral, with sneaky, fine-grained tannins and a touch of exotic spices.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Day describes their Momtazi bottling as their “our flagship Pinot Noir from one of Willamette Valley’s most prized biodynamic vineyards and our most age-worthy wine.” It‘s normally the most expensive Pinot in the Day Wines lineup at $54, but we’re able to offer it for just $33 per bottle and $28.75 per bottle on case purchases.
Day Wines Momtazi Vineyard Pinot Noir, McMinnville 2016 750ML ($53.95) $33 special, 36+ bottles in stock now
Case-6 Day Wines Momtazi Vineyard Pinot Noir, McMinnville 2016 750ML ($299.95) $189 special (that’s only $31.50/bottle!)
Case-12 Day Wines Momtazi Vineyard Pinot Noir, McMinnville 2016 750ML ($599.95) $345 special (that’s only $28.75/bottle!)
John Gilman 93 points “The 2016 Momtazi Vineyard bottling of Pinot Noir from Day Wines is the ripest of these 2016s, as it comes in at fourteen percent octane. It is beautifully black fruity on the nose (as all the examples from Momtazi have been that I have been fortunate enough to taste), offering up scents of black plum, sweet dark berry, black tea, balsam bough, a beautiful base of soil tones, chicory, gentle spice tones and a bit of cedar. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and beautifully balanced, with a fine core of fruit, great mineral drive and grip, ripe, well-integrated tannins and a long, tangy and promising finish. While this is the ripest of the 2016 pinots from Brianne Day, it is no less pure or precise and is a great bottle in the making. 2024-2055.”
Josh Raynolds – Vinous 92 points “Limpid red. A highly aromatic bouquet evokes fresh dark berries and baking spices, along with smoky mineral and musky earth overtones. Juicy and broad on the palate, offering alluringly sweet black raspberry, cherry, rose pastille and spicecake flavors that deepen steadily with air. Delivers a suave blend of power and energy and finishes with finely woven tannins and strong, floral-driven persistence.”
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
The average price nationally is $38
“Don’t Miss It!” – Antonio Galloni
Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco DOCG 2017 750ML ($49.95) $41.90 special
Case-12 Produttori del Barbaresco ‘Barbaresco DOCG ‘2017 2017 750ML ($599.95) $459 special (that’s only $38.25/bottle!)
Case-6 Produttori del Barbaresco ‘Barbaresco DOCG ‘2017 2017 750ML ($299.95) $239 special (that’s only $39.83/bottle!)
Antonio Galloni 94 points “The 2017 Barbaresco shows just how appealing this vintage can be. In 2017, the warm, dry growing season gave the Barbaresco an extra kick of richness that fills out its frame and adds so much immediacy. Sweet red berry fruit, cinnamon, rose petal and mint are open in the glass, but it is the wine’s seductive radiance that wins the day. Pora, Ovello, Montestefano, Muncagota and Rio Sordo are the main vineyards used for the straight Barbaresco. The 2017 is such an inviting and expressive wine. Don’t miss it!”
Fanti is one of many producers whose 2015 has since been described as their “best ever”.
Tenuta Fanti Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Tuscany 2015 750ML ($49.95) Was $39, Now $33 subscriber special, 36+ bottles in stock now
James Suckling 95 points “There’s a beautiful interplay between bright, primary florals, such as rose petals and tulips and dust, hay bale and dried raspberries. The palate suggests a ripe, powerful persona with chewy, juicy tannins and a fine line of pretty acidity. Best ever. Drink in 2022.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $43
The average price is $43
Vinopolis is an independent wine shop in Portland 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. Thank you for reading and for continuing to support our team.
Stay safe, be well, & drink well.
Stay safe, be well, & drink well.