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In This Newsletter:
Special Arrivals
Domaine Michel Lafarge
New Arrivals
Louis-Claude Devignes, Bernard Baudry, Champagne Marguet, Pra, Carol Shelton, and more!
Special Arrivals
France
Domaine Michel Lafarge
“The 2022 vintage was showing well during my annual barrel tasting chez Lafarge, emphasizing the charming, pretty side of the year. The team began picking on August 26, another early harvest. As usual, reds were destemmed, in some cases manually, and élevage is taking place in predominantly used barrels, with the Lafarge’s habitual racking with aeration. The result is wines with a resolutely old-school style that have a good track record of evolving gracefully in the cellar.” – Wine Advocate Domaine Michel Lafarge is a cornerstone of Burgundy winemaking, particularly in Volnay, where it has produced elegant, terroir-driven wines since the 19th century. Under Lafarge’s leadership, the estate became a pioneer in biodynamic viticulture, converting fully in the late 1990’s and inspiring others to follow. Known for traditional wine-making methods and minimal intervention, the domaine crafts wines that expertly distill Volnay’s poised subtlety. Although Michel passed in 2020, his legacy has been skillfully maintained by Frederic and Chantal Lafarge, Frederic’s son and daughter-in-law, respectively. Winery Notes “50% Pinot Noir, 50% Gamay. Certified organic (Ecocert) and biodynamic (Demeter). 100% de-stemmed, lightly crushed, pneumatic press, indigenous yeast fermentation. Aged for 15-18 months in barrel, unfiltered.”Michel Lafarge L’Exception Bourgogne Passe-tout-grains, Burgundy 2022 750ml $33 special, 6 bottles availableWilliam Kelley-Wine Advocate “The 2022 Bourgogne Passetoutgrain l’Exception exhibits notes of sweet berries, plums and cherries, followed by a medium-bodied, fleshy and succulent palate.” Michel Lafarge Les Aigrots Rouge, Beaune Premier Cru 2022 750ml $119 special, 4 bottles availableWilliam Kelley-Wine Advocate 90-92 Points “The 2022 Beaune 1er Cru Clos des Aigrots is pretty and fine-boned, offering up aromas of cherries, petals, orange zest and raw cocoa, followed by a medium to full-bodied, layered and lively palate.” Michel Lafarge Greves, Beaune Premier Cru 2022 750ml $145 special, 2 bottles availableWilliam Kelley-Wine Advocate 91-93 Points “Offering up aromas of dark berries, cherries and plums mingled with peonies and spices, the 2022 Beaune 1er Cru Les Grèves is medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, with a rich core of fruit framed by sweet, powdery tannins.” Michel Lafarge Volnay, Cote de Beaune 2022 750ml $79 special, 4 bottles availableWilliam Kelley-Wine Advocate “The 2022 Volnay Village offers up aromas of cherries, dark berries and spices, followed by a medium-bodied, youthfully chewy palate that lacks the depth and integration of the Vendanges Selectionées.” Michel Lafarge Pitures, Volnay Premier Cru 2022 1.5L $375 special, 2 bottles availableWilliam Kelley-Wine Advocate 91-93 Points “Taut and mineral, the 2022 Volnay 1er Cru Pitures reveals aromas of dark berries, cherries, spices and mint. Medium to full-bodied, layered and lively, with powdery tannins and a chalky finish, it’s generally bottled only in magnum.” 
New Arrivals
France
Bernard Baudry “Bernard Baudry is one of the best and most reliable Chinon producers. Les Granges is the introductory bottle, made from young cabernet franc vines, farmed organically, and intended for early drinking. It’s lively, juicy and earthy, and easy to enjoy. It would be especially good with the dark meat and earthy tuber dishes. The Baudry single-vineyard cuvées, like La Croix Boissée and Les Grézeaux, reward aging and are among the best expressions of Chinon.” —Eric Asimov in the New York Times, November 15, 2021 as reported by Kermit Lynch Bernard Baudry Chinon La Croix Boissee, Loire 2021 750ml $49 special, 12 bottles availableYohan Castaing-Wine Advocate 90 Points “Matured for two years in used barrels and an additional nine months in tanks, the 2021 Chinon La Croix Boissée reveals a complex bouquet of plums, mulberries, spices and smoke, intertwined with carnal, meaty notes. Medium to full-bodied, layered and textured, it is chiseled and tense with an enveloping core of fruit and structured, firm tannins that transition into a meaty finish. While the phenols slightly detract from the powdery, delicate texture of the tannins, it remains poised.” Bernard Baudry Chinon Le Clos Guillot, Loire 2021 750ml $38 special, 12 bottles availableYohan Castaing-Wine Advocate “Matured for one year in barrels and for one year in tanks, the 2021 Chinon Le Clos Guillot expresses a slightly animal, somber bouquet of dark wild berries, licorice, cherries and violet. Medium to full-bodied, chiseled and layered, it’s austere and firm with carnal notes on the finish.” Bernard Baudry Chinon Le Domaine, Loire 2022 750ml $24 special, 36+ bottles availableYohan Castaing-Wine Advocate “Matured for one year in concrete tanks, the 2022 Chinon le Domaine is crafted from vines planted on sandy, calcareous soils. Evoking aromas of dark wild berries, spices and smoke mingled with animal notes, it’s juicy and tense with a layered, rather enveloping texture, structured tannins and a firm, almost dry finish.” Bernard Baudry Chinon Les Granges, Loire 2023 750ml $21.50 special, 36+ bottles availableYohan Castaing-Wine Advocate “Aromas of dark wild berries, spices and smoke mingled with animal and carnal notes preface the 2022 Chinon Les Granges, a medium-bodied, juicy and round wine with structured tannins and a dry, short finish that also displays carnal undertones. Crafted from vines rooted in sandy, gravelly soils, it’s matured for nine months in concrete tanks.”
Louis-Claude Desvignes
“Louis Claude Desvignes is another of the region’s most respected producers, and it was a pleasure to return following my maiden visit last year … The wines are closer to the Burgundy flavor profile than we expected … They are well worth seeking out. These beautifully crafted expressions of Gamay from vines up to a century old exhibit assiduous use of concrete eggs and demi-muids.” – Neal Martin, Vinous Media Louis Claude Desvignes Morgon ‘Chateau Gaillard’, Beaujolais 2023 750ml $29 special, 12 bottles availableNeil Martin –Vinous (92-94 Points) “The 2023 Morgon Château-Gaillard comes from vines planted in 1920 and 1952. This is very cohesive on the nose, with more black fruit than the Montpelain and just a subtle reduction at play. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-boned tannins, very focused, gaining density toward the finish with a dash of black pepper that prolongs length. Outstanding.” Desvignes Morgon Corcelette, Beaujolais 2023 750ml $29 special, 12 bottles availableNeil Martin- Vinous “The 2023 Morgon Corcelette comes from the lieu-dit of Vermont, located higher up the slope. Redcurrant, hints of tomato vine and sousbois unfurl on the well-defined nose. The palate is fleshy with red cherries and crushed strawberry fruit, sapid and fresh with admirable depth on what I feel will become an open finish. One to watch.” Desvignes Morgon Javernieres, Beaujolais 2023 750ml $36 special, 12 bottles availableNeil Martin- Vinous 90-92 Points”The 2023 Morgon Javernières has a deep and rounded nose, black cherries mixing with wild strawberries and oyster shells. The palate is medium-bodied with sapid, black-olive-tinged dark berry fruit, easing off toward the slightly confit-like finish. This is such a comely Morgon that it will be nearly impossible to resist in its youth.” Desvignes Morgon Montpelain, Beaujolais 2023 750ml $31.95 special, 12 bottles availableNeil Martin- Vinous 91-93 “The 2023 Morgon Montpelain matured in 30-hectoliter concrete eggs. This has a sensual nose of macerated red cherries, wild strawberry and light floral scents—very seductive. The palate is well balanced with a crisp line of acidity, taut and saline, showing more complexity on the finish than the Corcelette. Absolutely delicious.” Desvignes Morgon La Voute St Vincent, Beaujolais 2023 750ml $21.90 special, 12 bottles availableNeil Martin- Vinous “The 2023 Morgon La Voûte Saint-Vincent comes from a blend of parcels in the north of the appellation. A little closed on the nose, it offers tightly wound red fruit and remains inhibited. The palate is more expressive with grainy tannins, sapid red fruit and orange rind toward the linear finish. It will require a couple of years in bottle, but it comes across a bit “grumpier” than the other cuvées from this producer.”
Domaine des Baumard
Domaine des Baumard Cremant de Loire Carte Turquoise NV 750ml $19 special, 12 bottles availableWine Enthusiast “This blend of Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc is the most successful of the Baumard sparkling wines. It is fruity, very fresh and crisp while also having the potential for some bottle aging. Acidity and a tangy aftertaste contribute to its lively freshness.” Champagne Marguet Pere & Fils ‘Yuman’ Premier Cru Blanc de Blancs, Champagne 2019 750ml $44.50 special, 12 bottles availableWinery Note “100% Chardonnay. Terroir 1er Cru Villeneuve Renneville et Villers Marmery” Marguet Pere & Fils ‘Shaman’ Grand Cru Extra Brut, Champagne 2019 750ml $49 special, 12 bottles availableJohn Gilman- View From The Cellar 92 Points “I somehow missed tasting the Shaman 19 from Benoît Marguet when it was first released, so nearly a year out from its arrival in New York, this is my first visit with the wine. The wine this year is composed from a cépages of eighty-seven percent pinot noir and thirteen percent chardonnay, with the vins clairs given nine months of élevage in cask prior to bottling up for secondary fermentation towards in mid-July of 2020. The wine aged just over two years sur latte prior to its disgorgement in October of 2022. The bouquet is bright and complex, wafting from the glass in a mix of peach, apple, warm bread, superb minerality, gentle smokiness, gentle spice tones, dried flowers and just a touch of buttery oak. On the palate the wine is pure, ripe and full-bodied, with excellent depth at the core, superb mineral undertow and grip, bright acids, elegant mousse and a very long, complex and impeccably balanced finish. This is drinking very nicely out of the blocks, but will be even better if given a year or two in the cellar to allow its girdle of acidity to relax a bit more. Fine juice.” Italy
Azienda Agricola Graziano Pra
“I only guide the wine. I don’t improve what nature offers but, rather, lead it in the right direction towards an elegant, precious wine.” –Graziano Pra Cantine Pra Morandina Valpolicella, Veneto 2022 750ml $21.90 special, 14 bottles availableWinery Note “The Corvina gives spiciness and cherry aromas, Corvinone gives glycerine and vibrant freshness, Rondinella adds delicate fruit and light floral aromas whilst Oseleta provides colour and robust tannins.” Pra Valpolicella Ripasso Morandia, Veneto 2021 750ml $28 special, 24 bottles availableEric Guido-Vinous 91 Points “The 2021 Valpolicella Superiore Ripasso Morandina is distinctly savory, wafting up with a thrust of herbs that gives way to crushed ashen stones and smoked black raspberry. It’s round and soft textured, with a core of brisk acidity and mineral-drenched wild berry fruits. This finishes long, staining and gently tannic, leaving a licorice tinge and a bitter twang of clove. Some patience will be required to allow the 2021 to come fully into focus.” California
Carol Shelton Wines
“Women weren’t allowed to work in the cellar. We weren’t considered strong enough, but I think many of us proved this conception to be dead wrong.” So says Carol Shelton, an unsung hero in the meteoric rise of 1970’s California Wine. She wasn’t the type to let adversity get in the way of her dreams. A graduate of the UC Davis enology program, Carol Shelton became one of California’s pioneering female vintner and cellar rats. She rubbed elbows with Andre Tchelistcheff of Mondavi and Stag’s Leap fame and worked at wineries like Sebastianni, Buena Vista, Rodney Strong, and Winsor before starting her own project in 2000. Over a long and illustrious career, Carol has won “Winemaker of the Year” five times from various periodicals, numerous gold medal awards, and a spot in Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines of 2014 for her “Wild Thing” Zinfandel. Lovers of both classic and new-wave style Zinfindel need look no further! This is a wine that deftly balances weight with freshness and finesse.Carol Shelton Rocky Reserve Florence Vineyard Zinfandel, Rockpile, Sonoma 2021 750ml $39 special, 11 bottles availableWine Enthusiast 93 Points “Classic Rockpile spice and power are easy to discern on the nose of this Zin. Blackberry, cherry and plum aromas dominate, with an earthy richness wafting around. The palate shows plenty of structure for aging, giving freshly crushed berry fruit, spice and caramel flavors and rich, silky tannins.” Sea Smoke Sea Spray, Sta. Rita Hills 2018 750ml $79 special , 6 bottles availableWine Enthusiast 94 Points “Fresh aromas of smashed black cherry and dark strawberry prove quite juicy on the nose of this bottling, while tarragon, cinnamon and nutmeg elements add nuance. The palate is like a bowlful of cherries and strawberries, sprinkled generously with chai and French toast spices, proving immensely easy to quaff.” Germany Weingut Carl Loewen ‘1896’ Longuicher Maximin Herrenberg Alte Reben Riesling, Mosel 2023 750ml $52.50 special, 11 bottles availableStuart Pigott- JamesSuckling.com 96 Points “Brimming with ripe peaches, wildflowers and herbs, this is extroverted for a young dry Mosel riesling. What a juicy and joyful wine it is on the medium-bodied palate. At once intensely spicy and very well structured in the long, expressive finish. Vegan. Drink or hold.” |
