Champagne Christophe Baron
First Offer: 2017 Cameron Arley’s Leap
Reynvaan, Restocked
Two Stellar Rioja Values
Wine Spectator Insider Highlights
New Grower Champagne and Vintage Port
Featured New Arrival!
2018’s from Lapierre
New Arrivals
Including Championship Bottle, Arterberry-Maresh,
Bedrock, Savart, Marie Courtin, Lassaigne and More!
Trending Wines
Classic and Excellent Chablis from Domaine Vocoret
Champagne Christophe Baron
Produced solely in magnums, all but a tiny bit went to Christophe’s mailing list. As such, quantities are extremely limited—we have but eight magnums to sell. As email subscribers, though, you have access to a special price—just $349 per magnum (that’s $50 lower than the website price). This is a discount we’ll apply to your order on the back end, so it won’t appear online (in the store or in your shopping cart) but we’ll make sure you get your savings before we finalize the transaction. This special price is valid through the end of the weekend but given the customer interest around these wines, we suspect they’ll sell out long before that.
We will manually adjust pricing before finalizing your order.
Subscriber Special price only valid until 11:59PM, Sunday January 5th
Christophe Baron “Les Hautes Blanches Vignes” Brut Nature, Champagne 2014 1.5L ($419.95) $399 Displayed Price, $349 Subscriber Special
Antonio Galloni 96 points
We will manually adjust pricing before finalizing your order.
Subscriber Special price only valid until 11:59PM, Sunday January 5th
First Offer
2017 Cameron Arley’s Leap
After a year off, we’re excited to get another Arley’s Leap in the queue. The 2017 arrives this coming Friday and we’re offering a special pre-arrival case price—the lowest in the country. We just tasted it and it’s got everything we love in a good vintage of Arley’s—a little more powerful than the Abbey Ridge, but with more finesse than Clos Electrique. We’re planning on drinking it while we wait for the bigger-ticket wines to age, but it’s going to age nicely on its own merits as well.
Cameron Winery ‘Arley’s Leap’ Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills 2017 750ML ($59.95) $49 pre-arrival special
Case-12 Cameron Winery ‘Arley’s Leap’ Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills 2017 750ML ($799.95) $555 pre-arrival special (that’s only $46.25/bottle!)
Back at last! No reviews for the 2017 vintage – this review is for the previous vintage, 2015:
Grapelive 94-96 points (Review of the 2015 vintage) “John Paul is an Oregon legend and his wines just as legendary, especially his Pinots, like this one from A slightly younger vine planting within Abbey Ridge vineyard, that was planted in 1990, and Cameron Winery, part of the Deep Roots Coalition is sustainably farmed, non-irrigated and has been fanatically Burgundy influenced, since Paul started producing wine here in 1984. He uses mainly Dundee Hills fruit, the estate Clos Electrique and Abby Ridge, as well as a newer parcel in Ribbon Ridge, his Clos Electrique and his Abby Ridge bottlings are his top old vine cube’s, but his regular Willamette Valley, Dundee and Reserve offerings are stunning as well, with this Arley’s Leap being new to me, and one I was thrilled to get my hands on! The eponymous hero, on the label, was Bill and Julia Wayne’s old dog Arley, who survived a jump from a second story balcony when startled by a cat. Abbey Ridge is one of the highest vineyards in Dundee and is picked relatively late, it’s farmed pretty much all organic and allows for deep flavors and complexity, it’s significantly cooler and with it’s Jory soils, which are volcanic based there is a lot of natural acidity that helps with balance and gives these wines tremendous aging structure along with a slightly exotic character. 2015 is looking like an outstanding vintage in Oregon and John Paul took advantage of the year to craft an amazing set of wines, and in my opinion, this Arley’s Leap is a sleeper, in particular it’s a earthy dark beauty that is wonderfully expressive and intriguing. This 2015 shows the years ripe personality, at 13.9%, but thrills for it’s brilliant energy, tanginess, a porcini note, forest floor and rustic charm that resembles a fine Nuits-Saint-Georges! This stuff entrances with a heady mix of plum, black cherry, strawberry, dusty red spices, minty herbs, crushed violets and a touch of leather adding to the dense kirsch, currant and wilted rose petals, making for an amazing palate and bouquet, it’s very much sex in a bottle as only a great Pinot can be! Paul employs traditional Burgundian winemaking and subtle well integrated French oak, it’s as good as it gets, drink over the next decade, it will fascinating to see how this ages!
Winery Note “Arley’s leap harkens from a block of Pinot noir planted in 1990 at Abbey Ridge Vineyard. The eponymous hero was Bill and Julia Wayne’s old dog Arley, who survived a jump from a second story balcony when startled by a cat.”
Reynvaan, Restocked
Reynvaan has become one of the hottest producers in Washington, selling most of their wines to an adoring mailing-list. Heavily influenced by the style of Cayuse (whose winemaker, Christophe Baron, consulted on the early vintages), their Syrahs have established themselves as one of the gold standards for Rhone-inspired Washington wine.
These three wines represent the core of the Reynvaan portfolio and had previously sold out before we managed to secure more. They arrive next week, unfortunately in smaller quantities than the first time—so don’t’ delay if you, yourself, need to restock or you missed them earlier.
Arriving ETA January 10th:
Reynvaan Family Vineyards ‘The Contender’ Syrah, Walla Walla Valley 2016 750ML ($99.95) $69 pre-arrival special
Jeb Dunnuck 96 points “The 2016 Syrah Estate The Contender from this terrific estate checks in as 95% Syrah and 5% Marsanne that was mostly destemmed (there’s 35% stems) and aged 18 months in barrel. Black raspberries, plums, toasted spice, ground pepper and decaying flower notes all emerge from this incredibly elegant, seamless Syrah that shines for its complexity, elegance, and richness. With plenty of tannins and impeccable balance, it’s approachable today yet will keep for 10-15 years with no issues.”
The next best price is $79.98
The average listed price is $85
Jeb Dunnuck 95 points “From a vineyard located near the estate and a blend of 95% Syrah and 5% Viognier that saw 25% stems, the deep purple-colored 2016 Syrah Estate In The Hills has a Côte Rôtie-like perfume of red and black raspberries, spring flowers, and smoky, meaty notes. It’s softer and more sweetly fruited and sexy than the Rocks-driven Syrahs, has full-bodied richness, ripe tannins, and a beautiful finish.”
The next best price is $76.50
The average listed price is $84
Jeb Dunnuck 97 points “Made from 95% Syrah and 5% Viognier, all from the Rocks region of Walla Walla, the 2016 Syrah Estate In The Rocks is slightly deeper colored than the Contender release and has an incredibly complete, balanced style that checks in near the top of the vintage. Blackberries, ground pepper, olive, and smoked meat notes give way to a medium to full-bodied, ultra-fine, pure Syrah that has a terrific mid-palate, superb balance, and a great, great finish. Reminding me of a mature Hermitage with its aromatic style and complexity, it’s great today and will be great in 15 years.”
Wine Spectator 95 points “Bold aromas of blackberry and bacon fat lead to densely layered and vibrant huckleberry, river stone and licorice flavors that take on richness toward polished tannins. Drink now through 2026. 700 cases made. — TF”
The next best price is $79.99
The average listed price is $85
In Stock Now:
Marques de Murrieta Reserva, Rioja DOCa 2015 750ML ($27.95) $21.90 special
Case-12 Marques de Murrieta Reserva, Rioja DOCa 2015 750ML ($299.95) $235 special (that’s only $19.58/bottle—the lowest listed price in the USA 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”
The Wine Spectator Top 100 list always seems to have a number of excellent value wines that are highlighted for high honors. The 2012 Caceres Reserva was one such wine—and it sold out when we had it in the shop, on two different occasions. Luckily we’ve secured more of it in magnums, which just arrived. These are perfect for when you want something red, robust and with plenty of it to go around. It’s back in stock and you’re not going to beat this price—inexpensive enough to stock up on and pour it all year.
Just Re-Arrived, In Stock Now:
#19 Wine Of The Year – Wine Spectator Top 100 2017
Marques de Caceres Reserva, Rioja DOCa 2012 1.5L ($59.95) $28 special
Case-6 Marques de Caceres Reserva, Rioja DOCa 2012 1.5L ($319.95) $159 special (that’s only $26.50/magnum!)
Wine Spectator 93 points “Black cherry, currant and floral notes are expressive and alluring, balanced by loamy earth, tobacco and mineral elements that add a savory quality. Firm, well-integrated tannins give support to the polished texture, while orange peel acidity fuels the fresh finish. Drink now through 2027.”
New Grower Champagne and Vintage Port
Pierre Gimonnet et Fils Blanc de Blancs Gastronome, Champagne 2014 750ML ($69.95) $59 special
93 points Wine Spectator
Arriving ETA January:
Vilmart & Cie Grand Cellier d’Or Premier Cru Brut, Champagne 2014 750ML ($119.95) $89 pre-arrival special
Wine Spectator 94 points “Aromatic, with floral and ripe berry and cherry fruit notes, this harmonious Champagne shows a zesty underpinning and a creamy mousse. Fresh and mouthwatering throughout, showing hints of chopped almond, Meyer lemon peel and pastry dough. Offers a lingering finish loaded with fragrant spice and graphite accents. Disgorged June 2018. Drink now through 2029. —A.N.”
Arriving ETA February:
Graham’s Vintage Port, Portugal 2017 750ML ($119.95) $99 pre-arrival special
Wine Spectator 97 points “Lush and inviting, with waves of cassis, melted red licorice, plum preserves and boysenberry reduction coursing through, carried by a velvety structure that lets this flow wonderfully. Flashes of apple wood and tar score the finish, which ends with authoritative cut. This is serious. Best from 2035 through 2055. —J.M.”
Taylor Fladgate Vintage Port, Portugal 2017 750ML ($119.95) $99 pre-arrival special
Taylor Fladgate Vintage Port, Portugal 2017 375ML ($69.95) $59 pre-arrival special
Taylor Fladgate Vintage Port, Portugal 2017 1.5L ($249.95) $199 pre-arrival special
Wine Spectator 97 points “This offers up a dense rumble of dark currant, fig and blackberry paste flavors, laced with hints of buckwheat, baker’s chocolate and warm tar. The muscular finish is thickly layered, with threads of alder and espresso cream adding definition along the way. Should be among the more long-lived wines of the vintage. Best from 2035 through 2060. —J.M.”
Dow’s Vintage Port, Portugal 2017 1.5L ($249.95) $219 pre-arrival special
Wine Spectator 96 points “A dense, thickly textured version, dripping with warm salted licorice, tar and açaí paste notes, while plum and blueberry pâte de fruit, chai spice and chocolate elements fill in behind. Lots of brambly grip flows underneath. Shows a very sappy feel on the finish. Best from 2035 through 2055. —J.M.”
Featured New Arrival!
2018’s from Lapierre
Just Arrived, In Stock Now:
Domaine Marcel Lapierre Morgon, Beaujolais 2018 750ML ($39.95) $33 special
Josh Raynolds 94 points “Glistening ruby. Mineral-inflected red/blue fruits on the assertively perfumed nose, along with incense, exotic spices and fresh flowers. Alluringly sweet and penetrating, offering intense boysenberry and raspberry flavors braced by juicy acidity. Fine-grained tannins add spine to a wonderfully long, sappy finish that strongly repeats the floral and mineral notes.”
Decanter 92 points “Very perfumed, with notes of violet and potpourri. On the palate it is dry, zesty and fresh with lively fruit and pleasant persistent finish.”
Domaine Marcel Lapierre ‘Cuvee Marcel Lapierre’, Beaujolais 2018 750ML ($69.95) $59 special
Importer Note “While the Beaujolais is known for producing easy-drinking wines, the combination of old vines, exceptional terroir, and skilled winemaking can yield something truly special—elegant, structured wines capable of maturing for decades, without losing that irresistible early-drinking charm. Marcel Lapierre’s children Mathieu and Camille carry on their father’s legacy by honoring the principles he famously championed: hand-harvesting ripe, organically farmed grapes, allowing a natural fermentation with no additives, and bottling unfiltered with minimal sulfur, if any. This particular bottling represents a rare cuvée spéciale from vines over one hundred years old on Morgon’s splendid Côte du Py. The texture here is pure velvet, a Lapierre trademark. Substance, flesh, and serious density are delivered with total finesse and seductiveness. This world-class wine will entice and inspire for many years to come.”
Importer Note “It’s hard to imagine this being any prettier. Plush with blackberries and cherries, with subtle hints of cocoa and spices, Lapierre’s Juliénas is drinking beautifully now. Silky tannins give it structure, though, suggesting it will thrive another 5-10 years.”
New Arrivals
Oregon
Championship Bottle “Broken Radios” Pinot Noir/Gris Ribbon Ridge 2018 750ML ($24.95) $19 special
Winery note “Broken Radios is a red wine made from the Whistling Ridge vineyard in the Ribbon Ridge AVA of the Willamette Valley. A cofermentation of Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris on their skins, it drinks like something in the world of Cru Beaujolais fan fiction while retaining a spice quality that lets you know it’s from Ribbon Ridge. We knew when we made this wine that it was likely to be a one-time effort, but Whistling Ridge is a special site and when Marcus Goodfellow offers you fruit, you take it and worry about the next vintage later (unfortunately for us/good for the wine world, the Pinot Gris used in this wine has been grafted over to a massale selection of Chardonnay that we can’t wait to taste). Whistling Ridge sits on the top of a hill in Ribbon Ridge, next to Beaux Freres and Patricia Green’s estate vineyard, yet the soils are much shallower than its neighbors and its place at the hilltop means the vineyard sees lots of wind. The result is a wine that combines the structure and spice of marine-sedimentary soils with a cooler disposition than you’d expect for the neighborhood. This wine is vivid, with a floral quality overlayed onto slightly tangy red and black fruit flavors. Like our other wines, this was fermented by native yeasts and we also decided to include about 25% whole clusters in the fermentation to give the wine a bit more savoriness and backbone. It aged in neutral barrel for 10 months before being racked off of its lees into a stainless tank for a final 3 months. Bottled unfined and unfiltered, 62 cases made.”
Championship Bottle “Space Hardware” Chardonnay, Dundee Hills 2017 750ML ($29.95) $26 special
Winery note “Our first commercial bottling, this Dundee Hills Chardonnay drinks like a horn section—it’s bold and loud but with vibrancy and sizzle. Space Hardware hails from the Durant Vineyard, located just half a mile away from Eyrie’s original plantings in the Willamette Valley and possessing the same iron-rich Jory soil that made the Dundee Hills famous. Dundee Hills wines, whether red or white, are known for beautiful aromatics that lean towards delicate floral notes and palates that balance zippy acidity with silky textures. This wine checks all those boxes. We fermented Space Hardware with indigenous yeasts in a seven year old barrel and aged it for 19 months on the primary lees without stirring or racking. The goal was to allow the micro-oxygenation of the barrel to bring out underlying mineral tones and tamp down the initially exuberant fruit. Using a neutral barrel kept oak-derived flavors to a minimum and a longer aging brought out secondary characteristics and a silkier texture. The result is a classic Willamette Chardonnay, with fruit, mineral and spice flavors all interwoven.”
Arterberry Maresh Eola-Amity Chardonnay, Eola-Amity Hills 2018 750ML ($21.95) $17 special
Winery note “Young vine Wente selection Chardonnay (CH72). Handpicked and whole-cluster-pressed, fermentation took place in 20% new French oak, 20% stainless steel and 60% neutral oak. After 9 months of aging in 228L barrels, the wine was finished in stainless steel drums for 2 months on fine lees. Lightly fined and filtered, it was bottled with DIAM cork.”
Winery cellared release!
Arterberry Maresh Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills 2014 1.5L ($169.95) $139 special
Wine Advocate 95 points “The 2014 Maresh Vineyard Pinot Noir has a beautiful bouquet with wonderful precision. The vine age does show through here (44-years-old now) with crisp detailed red berry fruit that just exudes Pinoté. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, very well-judged acidity, touches of truffle and undergrowth tincturing the red berry fruit that fans out wonderfully towards the long and satisfying finish. This is a great Pinot Noir from an estate that seems to have thrived in 2014.”
Josh Raynolds-Vinous 94 points “Dark red. Intensely perfumed, spice-accented strawberry, cherry liqueur and incense aromas show excellent clarity and a bright mineral overtone. Taut, nervy and focused in the mouth, offering alluringly sweet red fruit, blood orange and rose pastille flavors that deepen and spread out slowly with air. An impressively persistent finish is framed by subtle tannins and emphatically echoes the floral and mineral notes. This wine’s interplay of power and finesse is really impressive.”
Cameron Winery Clos Electrique Rouge, Dundee Hills 2017 750ML ($79.95) $66 special
VinopolNote: Named after the electrified deer fence surrounding the vineyard, the Clos Electrique is the estate vineyard surrounding Cameron’s winery. Located just up the road from Maresh vineyard, on Worden Hill Road, it’s in the promised land of the Dundee Hills and the wines deliver. This is always the meatiest, most primal Pinot of the Cameron lineup. We love it for its intense savoriness and quiet power—every year this is an absolute treat to drink.
Bedrock Wine Co. ‘The Bedrock Heritage’, Sonoma Valley 2018 750ML ($59.95) $45 special
Wine Spectator 94 points “Heady, yet refined and polished, with boldly expressive black raspberry, orange peel and spice box flavors. This is full of additional nuances and builds toward big but fine-grained tannins. Zinfandel, Carignan and Mataro. Drink now through 2030. From California. —T.F.”
Winery Note “The O.G. of Bedrock Wine Co.! These vines turned 131 years in 2018 and decided it would be a great year to turn out a relatively small crop of delicious and dense fruit. As always, the wine, though based around Zinfandel, is a field-blend of the 27 varieties found in the old vines at my family’s site in the heart of Sonoma Valley, including about 20% Carignan and 5% Mataro. Like the other Sonoma Valley “Grand Cru” sites, this will definitely reward time in the decanter or a few years on its side to start showing all of its secrets. The most consistently decorated of our wines (the 2016 was the Spectator #10 wine of the year and the 2017 just got another 95), the 2018 should be another classic.”
A brighter, zestier expression of a Zinfandel blend.
Bedrock Wine Co. Evangelho Vineyard Heritage Red, Contra Costa County 2018 750ML ($41.95) $34.90 special
Winery Note “2018 was our second vintage with full control of farming at our nearly 130-year-old estate site (still gives me chills to say that), and we enjoyed a mild and even vintage leading to a relatively late harvest at this amazing Delta site. This is a classic Evangelho, showing the bright and composed fruit we expect along with the savory bite inflected by the Mataro and Carignan, and one that should provide plenty of pleasure throughout the years.”
Savart L’Accomplie Premier Cru Brut, Champagne NV 750ML ($69.95) $55 special
Disgorged October 2018. Blend is 50% 2016 and 50% 2015.
William Kelley-Wine Advocate 94 points “The latest release of Savart’s NV Extra Brut Premier Cru L’Accomplie is based on the 2015 and 2016 vintages, and it was disgorged in October 2018 with four gams per liter dosage. It’s a blend of 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay that hails from the lower-lying part of Le Mont Benoit. Unfurling in the glass with notes of ripe Meyer lemons, red apples, lime zest, acacia honey and toasted almonds, it’s medium to full-bodied, racy and incisive, with a nicely concentrated and tight-knit core, terrific cut and a long, mouthwateringly chalky finish. Savart’s elegant style—and the partial malolactic that some of the base wines for this cuvée see—has proven the perfect foil for the 2015 vintage base.”
A perpetual best-buy and a snazzy looking bottle, to boot.
R.H. Coutier Grand Cru Brut, Champagne NV 750ML ($44.95) $33 special
R.H. Coutier Grand Cru Brut, Champagne NV 1.5L ($99.95) $79 special
Antonio Galloni 91 points “The NV Brut Tradition Grand Cru is positively stellar. Rich, ample and explosive, the Brut Tradition possesses fabulous energy and resonance from start to finish. The balance of 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay works so well here. More than anything else, though, the Brut Tradition offers superb quality, value and personality in its price range, which, once again, makes it one of the most compelling wines budget-conscious readers will find in all of Champagne. Dosage: 6.5 gr/L. Disgorged: July, 2019.”
Marie Courtin Resonance Blanc de Noirs Extra Brut, Champagne NV 750ML ($59.95) $45 special
Importer note “Fresh and nervy with a rounder character than in past years. Classic Marie Courtin cut with a bit more meat on the bone. 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. [The soil is of] Clay and Kimmerdigian Limestone bands similar to those found in Chablis. The Cotes des Bar is closer in proximity to Chablis than to Epernay. Farmed biodynamically and hand harvested. Fermented in stainless steel using native yeasts for both fermentations.”
Jacques Lassaigne Clos Sainte-Sophie Blanc de Blancs Brut Nature, Champagne 2012 750ML ($219.95) $189 special
William Kelley-Wine Advocate 96 points “Notes of citrus oil and crisp yellow orchard fruit mingle with nuances of saffron, anise, dried white flowers and warm bread in a complex bouquet, introducing Lassaigne’s 2012 Brut Nature Blanc de Blancs Clos Sainte-Sophie, a full-bodied, layered and concentrated wine that’s deep and muscular, with racy acids and a finish that’s simultaneously intensely saline and searingly chalky.”
A great single vineyard bottling that shoes off this corner of Montgueux with precision.
Jacques Lassaigne ‘Alto’ Grande Cote Blanc de Blancs Brut Nature, Champagne 2012 750ML ($149.95) $119 special
Pierre Paillard ‘Les Parcelles’ Bouzy Grand Cru Extra Brut, Champagne NV 750ML ($49.95) $39 special
No reviews for the current disgorgement.
Review for the 2018 disgorgement: Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 92 points “The NV Bouzy Grand Cru Les Parcelles XIII is based on the 2013 vintage plus roughly 40% of reserve wines from 2012, 2011 and 2010. The assemblage consists of 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay, fermented in stainless steel and in a few demi-muids. The nicely colored wine (white gold with a pink reflection due to the late harvest and no fining agents) offers a very clear, precise and delicate bouquet of cherries and red berries. Pure and filigreed on the palate, this is a beautifully pure, clear, fresh and delicate blend that reveals impressive mineral structure and length. Simply fascinating. Dosed with 3.5 grams per liter and disgorged in October 2017. Tasted in April 2018.”
Andre Clouet Silver Grand Cru Blanc de Noirs Brut Nature, Champagne NV 750ML ($39.95) $36 special
Case-12 Andre Clouet Silver Grand Cru Blanc de Noirs Brut Nature, Champagne NV 750ML ($419.95) $399 special (that’s only $33.25/bottle!)
Andre Clouet Silver Grand Cru Blanc de Noirs Brut Nature, Champagne NV 1.5L ($99.95) $89 special
Andre Clouet Silver Grand Cru Blanc de Noirs Brut Nature, Champagne NV 3L ($349.95) $289 special
John Gilman 90 points “I believe that this bottle of André Clouet “Silver” Blanc de Noirs non-vintage Brut Nature is from the base year of 2013, as it has a small code printed on the back of the neck label that says “LS13”. In any case, the wine is quite good, showing that lovely structural rounding from a bit of additional aging in the cellars. The bouquet offers up scents of apple, nectarine, bread dough, a good base of soil and a smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and nicely balanced, with refined mousse, bright, nicely-integrated acids and a long, complex finish. This is a quite good bottle of Brut Nature. 2019-2030+.”
The average listed price is $47
Il Poggione Vigna Paganelli, Brunello di Montalcino Riserva DOCG 2012 750ML ($129.95) $79 special
Wine Advocate 95 points “Here’s a beautifully rich and succulent Brunello that drinks very nicely straight out of the gate. The 2012 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Vigna Paganelli delivers a warm, inviting and velvety presentation. This bold wine is redolent of black cherry and dried blackberry with sweet almond, toasted spice and balsam herb on the long finish. What stands out most, however, is the wine’s rich texture that floods the mouth from front to back. That richness is fueled by the warmth of the vintage but also by the magnificent oak integration. This Riserva is aged in botti grandi for four long years. Bottle production is 45,000 strong.-ML”
Wine Enthusiast 95 points “Big, but polished, this full-bodied wine offers subtle, alluring aromas of baked plum, fragrant blue flower and pipe tobacco. The succulent, chewy palate brings juicy Morello cherry, raspberry jam and licorice tones framed in firm, velvety tannins. Drink 2020–2030.-Kerin O’Keefe”
James Suckling 97 points “Rather sweet due to the super ripe vintage. But there’s also great subtlety, enormous depth and a ton of tannin behind the opulence. The super long finish is incredibly focused. Try to wait until at least 2020. This stunning Brunello has decades of life ahead of it.”
The next best price is $98.96
The average listed price is $110
That’s a difference of over $30 per bottle!
Chateau Saint-Roch ‘Kerbuccio’, Maury Sec 2017 750ML ($24.95) $19.50 special
Jeb Dunnuck 94 points “One of the greatest values in the wine world has to be the Kerbuccio cuvée from Jean-Marc Lafage’s Chateau Saint Roch estate in Maury. The 2017 isn’t going to break the trend. Checking in as a blend of 80% Grenache and 20% Syrah, it’s a blockbuster, deep, massive effort that just screams Grenache from Maury. Ripe blackberries, melted chocolate, black cherries, and cured meat notes all emerge from this beautifully textured, layered, opulent wine that stays balanced and pure. Brought up in 80% new demi-muids, it shows no sense of its oak élevage, has beautiful purity and freshness, and tastes like it cost 4-5 times the price. Drink it over the coming 4-5 years.”
From the 2008 vintage, Galloni only rated Salon and Cristal Rosé higher.
Louis Roederer Cristal Brut Millesime, Champagne 2008 750ML ($339.95) $249 special
Antonio Galloni 99 points “The 2008 Cristal is one of the most complete, most dazzling Champagnes I have ever tasted. A stunning wine from any and all perspectives, the 2008 simply has it all. Spherical in construction, with superb persistence. The 2008 takes hold of all the senses and never gives up. One of the many things that makes the 2008 special is a combination of ripe fruit and bright, piercing acidity. Marzipan, lemon confit, dried flowers and orchard fruit all build into the explosive, resonant finish. “We learned from the mistakes of 1996, when we picked more on acid than ripeness, as was the norm in Champagne back then” Chef de Caves Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon told me recently. “In 1996, the best fruit turned out to be the last picks, where the fruit was physiologically ripe. Today, we aim to pick all our fruit with that criteria.””
Wine Enthusiast 100 points “Top Cellar Selection. This latest incarnation of the famous brand is a superb wine. It is on par with, maybe even better than, the already legendary 2002. Its balance is impeccable: Apple and citrus flavors working with the tight minerality to give a textured yet fruity wine. Produced from Roederer’s own vineyards which are mainly biodynamic, the wine has its own intense purity and crispness. It has amazing potential and is likely to age for many years. Drink from 2020.”
James Suckling 100 points “Disgorged October 2016 and will be the first Cristal to be released ten years from harvest when it is offered in 2018. 35 parcels used from a possible 45 in this vintage. The assemblage is 60% pinot noir and 40% chardonnay. This is so fresh and tense and mineral with extremely exuberant chardonnay notes on the nose of white peach, lemon and yellow grapefruit, and hints of almost brambly sous bois aromas. The yeast characters are also super fresh, and there are subtle woody notes, with a hint of vanilla bean and light spices. The palate is super long, and very pure, powerful and focused. It drives deep and taut. Pinot noir is a strong core and the chardonnay sits at the edge offering lemon and white nectarine sorbet flavors. Staggeringly concentrated, yet the balance makes it seem airy and light. Acidity is perfectly positioned, and the power is intense and long. This is an ultra precise Cristal, finishing with a mere suggestion of savoriness and warmth to come. Impressive on release, this will be at its best drinking from 2025.”
Jeb Dunnuck 100 points “The 2008 Cristal is a perfect wine, and Champagne simple does not get any better. This incredible wine offers a beautiful perfume of clean, crisp fruits, layers of complexity in its toasted spice and white flowers, and an utterly seamless, yet powerful style on the palate. This is a rich, decadent expression of Cristal yet it’s still crystalline and elegant, with no sensation of weight, and it just glides over the palate. Haut Couture at its finest and this majestic, profound, legendary Cristal can be drunk anytime over the coming 2-3 decades.”
From Domaine Vocoret
At these prices, that’s going to be an easy thing to do. These just arrived and you’d do well to put your order in right now.
William Kelley – Wine Advocate 90 points “The 2017 Chablis Grand Cru Blanchot bursts from the glass with a fragrant bouquet of orange rind, citrus blossom and honeysuckle. On the palate, it’s medium to full-bodied, broad and fleshy, with ripe but succulent flavors and good dry extract.”
William Kelley – Wine Advocate 92 points “The 2017 Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos is the high point of the range, unfurling to reveal a rich bouquet of confit citrus, peaches, white flowers and almond paste. On the palate, it’s full-bodied, ample and fleshy, with the most concentration and length of any wine in the cellar, buttressed by ripe acids.”
VinopolNote “Valmur is always one of the most mineral inflected, stony and long-aging of the Grand Crus and so it is here at Vocoret. This is an impressive, coiled Chablis that’s built for the cellar but will repay that time admirably.”
VinopolNote “Vaudesir is always the ‘overlooked’ Grand Cru, which is a shame. This is a beautiful, expressive bottle of Chablis that’s the most open of Vocoret Grand Crus. Big aromatics, mineral detail and delicately orchard fruit frame beautiful acidities and a fantastic texture.”
VinopolNote “This is a richer, more powerful version of Foret, sourced from an old vine-parcel of particular note. Like all of the other Premier and Grand Cru wines from Vocoret, this is fermented and aged in wood, though it sees a touch more new oak than the “regular” Foret bottling. A stunner, especially in 2017.”
The next best price is $49.99
William Kelley – Wine Advocate 90 points “Aromas of orange rind, green apples and white flowers introduce the 2017 Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre, a medium to full-bodied wine that’s quite powerful and concentrated, with a fleshy core of fruit but lively balancing acids.”
The next best price is $47.99
The average listed price is $52
William Kelley – Wine Advocate 91 points “From a parcel in Séchet planted in the 1950s, the 2017 Chablis 1er Cru Les Vaillons Vieilles Vignes is one of the high points of the range, wafting from the glass with aromas of ripe lemons, green apple, spring flowers and crushed chalk. On the palate, it’s medium to full-bodied, satiny and tangy, with good tension and chalky grip on the finish.”
The next best price is $36.99