Weekend Edition Addition 3-21-20

A stunning prestige cuvee from a top Champagne house.
Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut, Champagne 2007 750ML ($179.95) $125 special, 15 bottles in stock now
James Suckling 98 points “This is a step up from the linear and fresh 2006. It shows subtle depth and power with a dense block of vivid fruit that’s highlighted with lemon zest, green apples and hints of white peaches. Just the right amount of praline and nuts on the nose. Fine and tight bead give the Champagne a luxurious mouthfeel. One for now or the cellar. Drink or hold.”
Antonio Galloni 96 points “Taittinger’s 2007 Comtes de Champagne will be nearly impossible to resist upon release. Soaring aromatics, mid-weight structure and soft contours give the 2007 its alluring personality. Lemon oil, white flowers, mint, chamomile and green pear add brightness and freshness throughout, with a persistent, clean finish that makes it impossible to resist a second taste. Today, the 2007 comes across as a slightly more open version of the 2004, with freshness that makes that wine so appealing, and a touch of textural richness that recalls the 2002. Although the 2007 does not have the explosive energy or verticality of the profound 2006, it will drink better earlier. The 2007 has been positively brilliant on the three occasions I have tasted it so far.”
Wine Advocate 95 points “Taittinger’s prestigious Comtes de Champagne is composed entirely of Chardonnay grapes from the Grand Cru villages of Avize, Chouilly, Cramant, Mesnil-sur-Oger and Oger (Côte des Blancs). The citrus-golden colored 2007 Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs is the fourth in a row after the 2004 vintage (which will be followed by 2008 whereas there will be no Comtes from 2009, 2010 and 2011) and opens with a nobly intense yet nuanced bouquet of ripe fruits, chalk, iodine and a touch of brioche. The wine indicates a coolish and precise character on the clear, flinty nose that develops lemon, pastry and floral notes. On the palate, this is Taittinger at its best: clear, fresh, lush and elegant, offering both sensuality and noble elegance. The 2007 reveals great finesse and is a perfect expression of both the Taittinger style and the Côte de Blancs. The wine (of which 5% has spent four months in oak barrels to give roundness and a touch of toast) is tightly woven, well concentrated and even juicy yet always clear, fresh, pure, fine and elegant. The finish is intense, clean, vivacious and complex, with good grip and lingering salty minerals that indicate good aging potential. Disgorged in October 2017; tasted in May 2018.”
 
Based in Morey-Saint-Denis, he’s producing Burgundy both ethereal and intense, in the style of his spiritual cousin (and fellow Weygandt import), Jacky Truchot.
Philippe Jouan Clos Saint Denis Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits 2017 750ML ($279.95) $219 special, 21 bottles in stock now
William Kelley-Wine Advocate 92-94+ points “The king of the cellar, the 2017 Clos Saint-Denis Grand Cru wafts from the glass with expressive aromas of wild berries, dried rose petal, grilled game bird, rich soil and blood orange. On the palate, it’s full-bodied, ample and broad, with a deep core of succulent fruit that cloaks its elegantly satiny and supple structuring tannins, concluding with a long, fragrant finish. This is a lovely Clos Saint-Denis that will be well worth seeking out in bottle.”

 
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The average price is $234

 
La Chapelle is one of the defining wines of the Rhone and even more special in ’16.
Paul Jaboulet Aine Hermitage La Chapelle, Rhone 2016 750ML ($269.95) $225 special, 8 bottles in stock now
Jeb Dunnuck 97 points “The 2016 Hermitage La Chapelle is slightly denser than the 2017 and is a bigger, richer, more structured wine than the La Maison Bleue. Crème de cassis, blackberries, crushed rocks, ozone, scorched earth, and violet notes all emerge from this beautifully classic, elegant, seamless wine that carries full-bodied richness, building tannins, and a big finish, all while staying in the classic, elegant, balanced style of the vintage. It has plenty of tannins and is a quintessential La Chapelle that will have three decades of longevity.”
James Suckling 97-98 points “Very spicy and peppery with blue-granite aromas plus hints of grilled and smoked meat. Cloves and nutmeg. Full body, round and juicy tannins and a super spicy finish that almost burns with so much character yet turns fine and focused at the end. A beauty.”
Josh Raynolds 96-98 points “(raised in 20% new oak) Dark purple. A highly expressive, mineral-accented bouquet evokes fresh blackberry and blueberry, candied flowers, incense and exotic spices. Sweet, palate-staining black and blue fruit liqueur and violet pastille flavors are complicated by suggestions of cracked pepper and bitter chocolate; a spicecake nuance gains strength with aeration. Steadily building tannins add shape and grip to the extremely long, incisive finish, which emphatically repeats the floral and mineral notes. I wouldn’t be surprised to see this wine turn out as well as the amazing 2015 version.”
Wine Advocate 96 points “Sourced from the granitic western portion of the appellation, the 2016 Hermitage La Chapelle features mouthwatering aromas of black olives and charred beef. It’s full-bodied and creamy-velvety in texture, incredibly lush without being overtly fruity. In fact, it’s largely savory, with elegant shadings of leather and spice on the long, silky finish. Yet despite being delicious now, this still has the granite backbone to age through 2040.-JC”
 
An insane value for the price, so say we all.
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 $19/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.”

 
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This is what New World Syrah wishes it could be…
Delas Freres Saint-Joseph Francois de Tournon, Rhone 2015 750ML ($44.95) $36 special, 36+ bottles in stock now
Case-6 Delas Freres Saint-Joseph Francois de Tournon, Rhone 2015 750ML ($279.95) $199 special (that’s only $33.17/bottle!)
Wine Advocate 93 points “Inky and concentrated, the 2015 Saint-Joseph Francois de Tournon is no easy-drinking Saint-Joseph. It’s smoky, herbal and ashy all at once, yet it’s buoyed by ample black cherry fruit and vibrant acidity. This medium to full-bodied Syrah has plenty of tannins, but they’re ultimately silky and most apparent on the long, licorice-tinged finish. This is approachable now but should be even better in 3 years and should drink well for at least another 10 after that.”
Jeb Dunnuck 93 points “Both Saint Joseph releases are brilliant in 2015. The 2015 Saint Joseph François De Tournon comes vines around Tournon, Mauves, Saint-Jean-de-Muzols, and Vion, and is always destemmed and aged in 30% new barrels. This full-bodied, rounded, sexy beauty shows the power and fruit of the vintage. With classic notes of black and blue fruits, violets, incense and pepper, drink this textured, expansive, terrific Saint Joseph over the coming 10-15 years.”
Josh Raynolds-Vinous 92 points “Dark ruby. High-pitched red and dark berry and violet aromas show excellent focus and pick up hints of cracked pepper and sandalwood with air. Sappy and seamless in texture, offering fresh black raspberry and bitter cherry flavors and a hint of candied licorice. Turns sweeter on the penetrating, impressively long finish, which features smooth, even tannins and lingering boysenberry and floral qualities.”
 
One of the great pillars of classical Rioja-a titan of the region that’s responsible for some of the greatest wines ever produced in Spain. 
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!)
#40 Wine of the Year – Wine Spectator 2019
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.”
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.”
 
The most noteworthy Pinot producer in Chile’s Casablanc Valley.
Montsecano ‘Refugio’ Pinot Noir, Casablanca Valley 2018 750ML ($24.95) $21.90 special, 36+ bottles in stock now
Luis Gutierrez-Wine Advocate 94 points “The 2018 Refugio Pinot Noir also follows the line of the 2018 Montsecano. It is fresher and from a cooler vintage when the grapes were picked a little less ripe and the maceration was shortened. The nose is spectacular, a mix of wild herbs, flowers and berries, some rose petals and even a touch of citrus peel, coming through as aromatic and fresh. The palate is perhaps a tad lighter than previous vintages and perhaps a little more “natural.” But it has very good complexity, developing aromas of violets with time in the glass, and it has lots of freshness and balance.”

Rose of the Day
 
Muga’s Flor de Muga
 

Few rose wines reach for greater heights: Chateau Simone Palette, Tempier Bandol, Peyrassol Clos de Peyrassol and Clos Ste Magdeliene Cassis rose are the rare examples that prove that the oft-derided category of unoxidized rose can truly express terroir. What does Spain have to offer that can compare? Muga’s old-vine Flor de Muga. Not to be confused with their entry-level bottling, the Flor de Muga is 100% Grenache from select parcels of 70 to 90 year old vines grown on clay, limestone and iron soils at high elevations in the Najerilla Valley.
 
There’s an intoxicating freshness to the wine that hides a lengthy, complex finish. If this were red wine, one could expect to shell out $50 or more for such a pedigreed wine. Fortunately for you, unlike its peers, the 2018 is under $30.

 

Bodegas Muga ‘Flor de Muja’ Rosado, Rioja DOCa 2018 750ML ($35.95) $28 special, 28 bottles in stock now
Jeb Dunnuck 92 points “The top rosé is the 2018 Flor de Muga Rosado, which is 100% Garnacha from older vines that spent five months on lees. It’s a beautiful, elegant rosé that offers terrific notes of ripe strawberries, white flowers, white peach, and honeysuckle. It’s layered and medium-bodied, has a rounded, deep texture, and is seamless on the palate. This is pure class and up there with the crème de la crème in rosé. Count me impressed.”

 
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The average price nationally is $30

 

 
Perhaps no vigneron exemplifies the New Champagne like Ulysse Collin.  Born to a family of grape-growers, he worked tirelessly to free the family land from contracts selling fruit to negociants and now vinifies all of his wines as single-vineyard/vintage bottlings.  His wines are profoundly introspective and challenge preconceived notions about what Champagne should be. At the forefront of the new wave of ultra-terroir-driven Champagnes, Olivier produces deeply vinous, mineral and hyper-concentrated wines. True to their terroir, these are reflections of the individual parcels.
 
These wines are exceptionally rare and we’ve just received our allocation of the new releases, arriving this Friday.
 
“Winemaking as a rule here is as natural and non-interventionist as possible. All fermentation is carried out with indigenous yeasts, which can take a remarkably long time to complete: six to eight months is not at all unusual for Collin, and even when tasting vins clairs in June or July, they are typically still in the middle of their alcoholic fermentations. Both the fermentation and malolactic are carried out in three- to six-year old barriques, and the wine is neither fined nor filtered before bottling, which takes place in the fall after the harvest.” – Peter Liem, Champagneguide.net
 
Arriving Friday, March 27th:
 
Only six bottles available
Ulysse Collin ‘Les Enfers’ Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut, Champagne NV (2014) ($189.95) $159 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 95 points “Disgorged with in March 2019 with 2.4 grams per liter dosage, the NV Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Les Enfers (2014) is based on the 2014 vintage, supplemented by some 10% reserve wines, and spent fully 48 months on the lees. Opening in the glass with expressive aromas of fresh pastry, green mango, waxy citrus fruit and white flowers, it’s medium to full-bodied, precise and elegantly enveloping, with superb depth at the core, racy acids and a beautifully defined, delicately chalky finish. Like all of Collin’s 2014-base bottlings, this is a tender, charming rendition of Les Enfers.”
Antonio Galloni 94 points “The 2014 Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Les Enfers is a wine of tremendous breadth and staying power. Clay-rich soils in Congy yield a Champagne of real textural resonance. Apricot, orange peel, vanilla and tropical overtones infuse the 2014 with notable character. All the elements seem amplified in the Enfers, including a mousse that is a bit brawny. This release includes 10% reserve wines from 2013 and spent a total of 48 months on its lees. Olivier Collin has another lot in the cellar that will be released with 60 months on the lees. Dosage is 2.4 grams per liter.”
90% 2014, 10% 2013. Disgorgement date may vary from reviews.
 

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Only twelve bottles available
Ulysse Collin ‘Les Pierrieres’ Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut, Champagne NV (’15) 750ML ($149.95) $119 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 96+ points “Disgorged in March 2019 with 1.7 grams per liter dosage, the NV Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Les Pierrières (2015) is based on the 2015 vintage and contains fully 60% reserve wines from 2014. It’s still a touch shut down after its recent disgorgement, unwinding in the glass with scents of lemon oil, pomelo and crisp white peach that mingle with nuances of lily pollen and freshly baked bread. Full-bodied, deep and concentrated on the palate, it’s searingly intense, with a racy spine of acidity that lends the wine incredible cut and energy, despite its unquestionable breadth and concentration. The finish is long, mouthwatering and electric. This is another brilliant Pierrières from Collin, but at least a year’s patience is warmly recommended.”
Antonio Galloni 94-95 points “The 2015 Extra-Brut Blanc de Blanc Les Pierrières is tense, vibrant and wonderfully focused. In this release, the Les Pierrières is 40% 2015 and 60% 2014 [if it is based 2015 why is there more 2014 %] juice that spent two years in oak, with the reserve wines no doubt contributing freshness and overall energy. Crushed rocks, citrus, white flowers and slate add striking layers of nuance. A slight touch of reduction adds character, but with less of an imprint than in some previous editions. Olivier Collin told me that he lowered the SO2 prior to bottling, which explains why this edition of the Pierrières is not as reduced as some of its predecessors have been. Dosage is 1.7 grams per liter.”
40% 2015, 60% Reserve wine
 

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Only four bottles available
Ulysse Collin ‘Les Roises’ Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut, Champagne NV (2014) 750ML ($229.95) $189 pre-arrival special
William Kelley-Wine Advocate 95 points “The NV Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Les Roises (2014) is based on the 2014 vintage, supplemented by 10% of reserve wines from 2013, and it was disgorged with 2.4 grams per liter dosage in March 2019 after 48 months sur lattes. It’s already quite open and expressive, in keeping with Collin’s other 2014-based releases, bursting from the glass with aromas of crisp Anjou pear, waxy citrus rind, green mango, blanched almonds and pastry cream. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, broad and enveloping, with ripe but racy acids, a deep and crisply fleshy core of fruit and a long, saline finish. This is quite a textural, gourmand and charming rendition of Les Roises, and it’s exquisitely elegant.”
Antonio Galloni 94 points “Collin’s 2014 Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Les Roises is a wonderfully inviting, nuanced Champagne that captures the interplay of richness and freshness that this south-facing site is capable of. Apricot, melon, mint and exotic white flowers meld together in a dense, textured Champagne loaded with class and personality. This release is mostly 2014, with just 10% reserve wines from 2013. Most importantly, Les Roises is all class. Dosage is 2.4 grams per liter. Disgorged: March, 2018.”
 

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Only twenty four bottles available
Ulysse Collin ‘Les Maillons’ Blanc de Noirs Extra Brut, Champagne NV (2015) 750ML ($149.95) $119 pre-arrival special
William Kelley-Wine Advocate 98 points “Disgorged in March 2019 with 2.4 grams per liter dosage after 36 months sur lattes, the extraordinary NV Extra Brut Blanc de Noirs Les Maillons (2015) is based on the 2015 vintage with the addition of fully 60% reserve wines from 2014. Unfurling in the glass with aromas of honeycomb, minty yellow orchard fruit, dried white flowers and almond paste, it’s full-bodied, broad and vinous, with incredible depth and dimension at the core, a racy spine of tangy acidity that belies the base vintage, and a long, searingly intense finish. This is a remarkably complete and concentrated rendition of Les Maillons, but it’s also among the most elegant and vibrant that Olivier Collin has produced to date. While my expectation are always high when opening bottles from this producer, they were nonetheless transcended by this new release.”
Antonio Galloni 95 points “The 2015 Extra-Brut Blanc de Noirs Les Maillons is ample, creamy and also incredibly inviting. More than anything else, the 2015 stands out for its textural sophistication and total class. Here too, the significant presence of 2014 reserve wines (60%) works beautifully in capturing an attractive interplay of fruit richness, savory complexity and layers of texture. Gorgeous Pinot aromatics and flavors meld together in this striking, effortless Champagne from Olivier Collin. Dosage is 2.4 grams per liter.”
40% 2015, 60% Reserve wine
 

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Only twelve bottles available
Ulysse Collin ‘Les Maillons’ Rose de Saignee Extra Brut, Champagne NV (’15) 750ML ($179.95) $149 pre-arrival special
 William Kelley-Wine Advocate 94 points “Derived entirely from the 2015 vintage, the NV Extra Brut Rosé de Saignée Les Maillons (2015) was disgorged in March 2019 after 36 months sur lattes. A serious, gastronomic rosé, this is one of the more reserved of Collin’s 2015-base releases, unwinding in the glass with scents of raspberries, pomegranate, crushed mint, spices, toasted almonds and citrus rind. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, broad and vinous, with a muscular core of fruit girdled by lively acids and fine-grained phenolics, concluding with a long and sapid finish. A wine that rewards reflection, this is another terrific cuvée from Collin, but it will need a year on cork to really show its cards.”

 

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