Vinopolis Tuesday Newsletter 06-01-21

Prior to his tragic death in 2008, Didier Dagueneau was one of the true superstars in the world of wine. He single-handedly changed the perception of Pouilly-Fumé, proving to the world that Sauvignon Blanc could be profound and age-worthy. He accomplished this with a mix of modern winemaking and ultra-traditional vineyard management. The resulting wines were soon recognized as being amongst the best whites in the world.

Although his son, Louis Benjamin, has done an admirable job since taking over in 2008, there’s something almost spiritual about drinking a wine crafted by the legend himself. And one fortunate subscriber will have just that chance, as we’ve secured a single bottle of Dagueneau’s 2004 Clos Du Calvaire, arriving next week.

Clos Du Calvaire is as old-school as it gets. The tiny walled vineyard distinguishes itself with densely planted, own-rooted, meticulously farmed (horse plowed) vines. These unique factors yield immaculate fruit and concentrated wines with the ability to age gracefully for decades.

While most Loire whites from the mid-’00s are past their prime, the 2004 Clos Du Calvaire is just entering its optimal drinking window. This is really special stuff. However, with only a single bottle arriving next week, we don’t expect it ever to reach the floor. Professionally cellared by Dagueneau’s Oregon distributor since its release, this iconic bottle is going to generate interest. So if you’re serious about adding this jewel to your collection, don’t delay.

Arriving June 11th:

Just one bottle available!
Didier Dagueneau Pouilly-Fumé Clos du Calvaire, Loire 2004 750ML ($1,499.95) $1,199 pre-arrival special
Importer note “There are few winemakers in history as bullish or brazen, roguish or renegade, as the Loire Valley’s Didier Dagueneau. High-standards, incredible risk-taking, impeccable attention to detail, zealous allegiance to his terroir, and a willingness to take a stand against convention made this once-professional motorcycle sidecar racer the stuff of legends. Born in the Nièvre, where Burgundy meets the Loire Valley, Didier was the fourth generation in a family of winegrowers. In 1982, just after returning to his native village of Saint Andelain just outside of Pouilly-sur-Loire, Didier set his new career as vigneron in motion, and in typical form, there were no half-measures. Influenced by wine legend Henri Jayer of Burgundy, his grandfather Louis Dagueneau, André Chabanne of Pouilly-sur-Loire, enologist Denis Dubourdieux of Bordeaux, and Professor Renaud of the Pasteur Institut in Paris, Didier quickly found his own style. By fusing modern winemaking with ultra-traditional methods of vineyard management, he was able to realize the ultimate expression of terroir and technique.”

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In Stock Now from Dagueneau:

Dagueneau Blanc Fumé de Pouilly, Loire 2016 750ML ($99.95) $79 special, 1 bottle in stock now
Joel Payne – Vinous “When his father died in September of 2008, Louis Benjamin was only 26 years old. While some things have changed since then, much remains the same. The dogs are gone, and the house has a different flair, but the meticulous attention to detail in the vineyards and the precision in the cellar have, if anything, become even more perfectionist under his direction. With a hired hand for each of his 12 hectares, few vineyards in Pouilly are as well kept and he is the only one I know here who still harvests by hand.After a cold soak at 7 degrees C for three days, his sauvignon blancs are fermented with his own yeasts in small oak casks and kept on their lees for one year before being assembled and matured in stainless steel, where they remain for another six to eight months until bottling. It is an almost Burgundian style of winemaking, but then, as he says, Pouilly is technically a part of Burgundy even though it lies along the Loire. I have often heard the criticism that the hand of the winemaker is more evident here than that of the site, but time does allow the individual wines to show their true colors. It is merely that most of the bottles are consumed long before that day arrives.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $99.99

Dagueneau Blanc Fumé de Pouilly, Loire 2017 750ML ($119.95) $99 special, 11 bottles in stock now
Joel Payne – Vinous “When his father died in September of 2008, Louis Benjamin was only 26 years old. While some things have changed since then, much remains the same. The dogs are gone, and the house has a different flair, but the meticulous attention to detail in the vineyards and the precision in the cellar have, if anything, become even more perfectionist under his direction. With a hired hand for each of his 12 hectares, few vineyards in Pouilly are as well kept and he is the only one I know here who still harvests by hand.After a cold soak at 7 degrees C for three days, his sauvignon blancs are fermented with his own yeasts in small oak casks and kept on their lees for one year before being assembled and matured in stainless steel, where they remain for another six to eight months until bottling. It is an almost Burgundian style of winemaking, but then, as he says, Pouilly is technically a part of Burgundy even though it lies along the Loire. I have often heard the criticism that the hand of the winemaker is more evident here than that of the site, but time does allow the individual wines to show their true colors. It is merely that most of the bottles are consumed long before that day arrives.”


Dagueneau Les Jardins de Babylone Sec, Jurançon 2014 750ML ($119.95) $99 special, 3 bottles in stock now
Importer note “In addition to producing memorable cuvees of Pouilly-Fumé, which they refer to by its original name “Blanc Fumé de Pouilly,” they farm vineyards in Sancerre and Jurançon. Flint and clay dominate the vineyards in Pouilly, chalky limestone in Sancerre, and clay and rounded limestone in Jurançon—all lending terrific mineral intensity to the wines.”


Dagueneau Pouilly-Fumé Pur Sang, Loire 2017 750ML ($149.95) $128 special, 5 bottles in stock now
Importer note “One of France’s great, iconic estates, making singluar, age-worthy Sauvignon Blancs from the appellation of Pouilly-Fumé. Didier Dagueneau was one of the first in the region to experiment with single-parcel wines, starting with “En Chailloux” in 1982, and later “Pur Sang” in 1988.”


Love the Loire? We have 90 different options in stock. Shop the entire selection, including staff favorites like Bernard Baudry, Domaine Huet, Thibaud Boudignon and more, on our web store now.

Cristom is one of the hallowed names in Oregon. They’ve been a top name since their inception in 1993 and make reference point wines from their beautiful estate vineyards in the Eola-Amity Hills. Much of the credit for their success goes to their vineyards—located just below Bethel Heights and Temperance Hill, truly Cristom is one of the Grand Cru sites of Oregon. The rest of the credit goes to Steve Doerner, their winemaker since the beginning, who made a name for Calera in the ’80s before moving to Oregon and becoming a local legend.

These are wines that have powerful personalities allied to a Burgundian sense of proportion and savor. Doerner loves to use a lot of whole clusters in fermentations and so the wines always have a grip and earthiness that grounds their deep fruit and rich textures. 2017 was a bit of a return to older-school Oregon, as vintages go, warmer than historical averages but much cooler than the heat years of 2014-2016. We’ve been thrilled with many of the wines we’ve tasted from the year and Cristom is no exception—these are some stunning wines, beautiful and nuanced already.

In Stock Now:

Cristom ‘Marjorie Vineyard’ Pinot Noir, Eola-Amity Hills 2017 750ML ($79.95) $59 special, 36+ bottles in stock now
Case-6 Cristom ‘Marjorie Vineyard’ Pinot Noir, Eola-Amity Hills 2017 750ML ($479.95) $339 special (that’s only $56.50/bottle!)
Josh Raynolds 95 points “Translucent red. A wild, highly perfumed bouquet evokes ripe red fruits, exotic spices and candied flowers, with smoky mineral and incense notes that acquire strength as this youthful wine gains its footing. Stains the palate with vibrant raspberry, bitter cherry, star anise and rose pastille flavors that show a compelling blend of depth and litheness. Fine-grained tannins build slowly on a strikingly long, finely etched finish that features baking spice, floral and subtle earth notes.”
James Suckling 95 points “An earthy thread here with more savory, herbal and gently spicy notes, as well as graphite. Latent red cherries, too. The palate has a very sleek and succulent feel with evenly cast, sturdy tannins that harness great length and depth. Powerful yet measured and all about the earth. Try from 2023.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Cristom ‘Louise Vineyard’ Pinot Noir, Eola-Amity Hills 2017 750ML ($69.95) $49 special, 36 bottles in stock now
James Suckling 95 points “This cuvée has a very energetic and intense feel with a wealth of fresh and attractive red cherries and raspberries, plenty of florals and subtle herbal, forest-wood and light-chocolate notes. There’s a very keenly articulated feel to the palate with a plush, very fleshy and assertively long, detailed finish. Deep fruit presence here. Drink across the next decade.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $69.99

Cristom ‘Eileen Vineyard’ Pinot Noir, Eola-Amity Hills 2017 750ML ($69.95) $59 special, 1 bottle in stock now
Josh Raynolds 95 points “Bright red. An intensely perfumed bouquet displays ripe red/blue fruit, baking spice, incense qualities and a strong, mineral overtone. Offers sweet, penetrating raspberry, blueberry, cherry pit, lavender pastille and spicecake flavors that show serious depth as well as vivacity. Displays impressive clarity and spicy thrust on the finish, which features smoothly interwoven tannins and suave, clinging floral and mineral notes.”

This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast today!

Love supporting local wineries? We have 223 different options from Oregon in stock. Shop the entire selection, including local legends like Beaux Frères, Cameron, The Eyrie Vineyard and more, on our web store now.

In Stock Now:

A delicious (and rare) lower pressure Champagne
Lilbert-Fils Perle Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Brut, Champagne NV 750ML ($79.95) $59 special, 14 bottles in stock now
Wine Enthusiast 93 points ” The Perle style is a comparative rarity in Champagne, bottling the wine at a lower than usual pressure. This dry Champagne is therefore softly textured with an open mousse. It does however have all the fine, tight minerality of great Chardonnay in Champagne and will surely develop further. Drink from 2021.”
Importer note “45% 2015, 45% 2014, 10% Reserve wine. Disgorged in autumn 2018”


“Bright and beautifully lifted”
Christophe Mignon ADN de Meunier Brut Rosé, Champagne NV 750ML ($79.95) $59 special, 7 bottles in stock now
Antonio Galloni 94 points “The NV Brut Rosé ADN de Meunier is a blend of equal parts 2016 and 2015, done in an assemblage style, which means a touch Meunier vinified as still red wine is added to a core of Meunier vinified off the skins. Mignon’s Rosé is bright and beautifully lifted, with lovely aromatic presence and impeccable balance. Deceptive in its mid-weight structure, the Rosé has plenty of depth as well as structure. More importantly, it is flat out delicious. Give the Rosé a good bit of air, as it really only blossoms with quite a bit of aeration. The current release is a blend of equal parts 2016 and 2015. Dosage is 6 grams per liter. Disgorged: August 29, 2019.”

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Pretty, lively & refined
Hébrart Premier Cru Mes Favorites Vieilles Vignes, Champagne NV 750ML ($69.95) $59 special, 12 bottles in stock now
William Kelley-Wine Advocate 92 points “Disgorged in August 2019, Hébrart’s new release of the NV Brut Premier Cru Mes Favorites Vieilles Vignes is based on the 2015 vintage. Wafting from the glass with aromas of pear, white flowers, blanched almonds and Meyer lemon, it’s medium to full-bodied, bright and pillowy, with a pretty core of fruit, lively acids and a refined mousse. Once again, it derives from superior, south-facing sites in Mareuil-sur-Ay that also inform his Special Club bottling.”
Importer note “Disgorged May 2020, L MF 15”

This is the only listing in the USA today!

“Clear mineral verve with distinctive richness”
R. Pouillon & Fils ‘Les Terres Froides’ Premier Cru Brut, Champagne NV 750ML ($79.95) $66 special, 9 bottles in stock now
Importer note “The name of this cuvée is short for “les Valnons Froid Cul”—a famous and seemingly cold hill in Aÿ. This wine embodies a very unique and rare experience: tasting true blanc de blancs from one of the best situated slopes in Aÿ, a grand cru famous for rich, articulate pinot noir. This wine delivers clear mineral verve with distinctive richness and intense texture.”
Importer note “Pouillon’s Blanc de Blancs has always come from the Terres Froides parcel in the village of Tauxièrres-Mutry in Montagne de Reims, and along with Mareuil-sur-Aÿ in the Vallée, these are the only two villages with a 99% rating, just missing 1 point for Grand Cru status. Fabrice has a half a hectare in this parcel which is a lieu dit of Les Fourches, south-west of the village, closer to Tours-sur-Marne. It has a north exposition and a cool to cold microclimate with risk of spring frost. The soil here is more chalk than clay which can be found closer to the village, and the cool microclimate is perfect for Chardonnay.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $76.99

“A steely Blanc de Blancs that will appeal to more than just the purists”
Pierre Gimonnet et Fils Blanc de Blancs Cuvée Oenophile Premier Cru Extra Brut – Non Dose, Champagne 2012 750ML ($99.95) $74 special, 3 bottles in stock now
William Kelley-Wine Advocate 93 points “The 2012 Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs 1er Cru Oenophile Non Dosé is showing very well, offering up a pure bouquet of citrus oil, wet stones and subtle hints of pan d’épices. On the palate, it’s medium to full-bodied, deep and chalky, with an incisive spine of acidity that’s nicely integrated, good depth and concentration at the core and a long, mineral finish. Disgorged in April 2018 without dosage, it’s a steely Blanc de Blancs will appeal to more than just the purists.”


“Precise and absolutely gorgeous”
Marie Courtin Concordance Blanc de Noirs Extra Brut, Champagne 2015 750ML ($119.95) $75 special, 21 bottles in stock now
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 next best price is $99

“One of the most singular Champagnes I tasted all year. Don’t miss it”
Benoît Déhu ‘Initiation’ Brut Nature, Champagne NV (2016) 750ML ($89.95) $75 special, 8 bottles in stock now
Antonio Galloni 94 points “Benoit Déhu’s NV [2016] Initiation is a blend of 78% Pinot Noir and 22% Meunier. Ample and resonant in feel, the 2016 retains a gorgeous sense of transparency as well. Floral and spice inflections build as the 2016 shows off its multi-faceted, exotic personality. The non-dosage style works perfectly here. Initiation is one of the most singular Champagnes I tasted all year. Don’t miss it. No dosage.”
Importer note “Cuvée Initiation is the newest addition to the Déhu lineup. Made from his signature variety Pinot Meunier and 25% Pinot Noir, which Benoît planted using massale selection of Pommard clone from Burgundy. Oak vinification and ageing, unfined and unfiltered, low dosage. The wines is zippy and round with a persistent finish.  Sourced from a small parcel at the bottom of the hill which Benoît planted using massale selection of Pommard clone from Burgundy.

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

“An intense Champagne that will do great justice to a meal”
Nicolas Maillart ‘Les Chaillots Gillis’ Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut, Champagne 2012 750ML ($119.95) $89 special, 11 bottles in stock now
Winery Note “Champagne from a specific area from old vines of Chardonnay. Produced only in great years, this Champagne is produced with limited quantity. A wine of Champagne before being a Champagne. Origin of the grapes: Ecueil 1er cru . Sourced from different parcels of old vines only, exposed on the south hills and different plots in the middle of the vineyard. Winemaking and aging: Slow, gentle pressing using gravity flow techniques. This wine is vinified exclusively in wooden vats . This Champagne has had a long maturation on wooden vats and no filtration took place before the bottling. Disgorged by hand and laid down at least six months before sale. Dosage : 0 g/L Tasting notes Eye : Golden yellow with a fine, lingering bead Nose : really delicate with notes of minerality and toasty notes. Palate: A lovely fresh, vinous attack. This is an intense Champagne that will do great justice to a meal.”

This is the only listing in the USA today!

A Grower with a cult following for a reason
Georges Laval Cumières Premier Cru Brut Nature, Champagne NV (2018) 750ML ($129.95) $99 special, 36+ bottles in stock now
Importer note “45% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir, 15% Pinot Meunier. 2018-base. Premier Cru.”


A cellar pick
Chartogne-Taillet Les Couarres Extra Brut, Champagne 2015 750ML ($119.95) $99 special, 10 bottles in stock now
John Gilman 92+ points “Alexandre Chartogne’s 2015 Les Couarres is composed entirely of pinot noir. He barrel ferments the vins clairs for this wine and gave them a bit of extra aging in the cellar prior to bottling them up for secondary fermentation in July of 2016. It aged four years sur latte prior to disgorgement in June of 2020 and finished with a dosage of “approximately” six grams per liter. The wine delivers a superb bouquet of apple, white peach, a touch of hazelnut, fresh-baked bread, a fine base of soil tones and a smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and complex, with a bit of oak influence showing up on the backend, a fine core, lovely soil signature, refined mousse and a long, classy finish. This is certainly quite drinkable today, but the bit of palate oakiness it shows today might be a good reason to give it a few years in the cellar, just to allow this element to integrate as well on the palate as it already has on the nose. 2023-2055.”


Love Champagne? We have over 165 different options in stock. Shop the entire selection, including staff favorites like Bérêche, Pierre Péters, Vilmart and more, on our web store now.

Jumilla, in southern Spain, is one of the top sources for rich and dense value reds. The dominant grape there, Monastrell (AKA Mourvèdre) handles the heat well, ripening slowly without becoming overly alcoholic. The resulting wines are dark, powerful and, thanks to the limestone soils, surprisingly fresh as well.

Casa Castillo manages the trick of taking that natural richness and allying it to a bright minerality—they know they’ll get plenty of fruit and power and so try to make winemaking decisions that focus on freshness and verve. The results have been spectacular, and they’ve quickly become some of our favorite Spanish wines. So it’s come as no surprise that The Wine Advocate has consistently scored these wines highly —they’re thrilling bottlings.

In stock now:

Casa Castillo Vino de Finca, Jumilla 2017 750ML ($24.95) $18.80 special, 36+ bottles in stock now
Case-12 Casa Castillo Vino de Finca, Jumilla 2017 750ML ($299.95) $199 special (that’s only $16.58/bottle!)
Luis Gutierrez 93+ points “There is a big jump in depth, complexity and nuance between the Monastrell and the 2017 Vino de Finca, which is a blend of Monastrell with almost 25% Garnacha. This comes from four plots that were selected from what was previously used for the entry-level Monastrell; they aim was to find a wine with more finesse and elegance but with the inherent power of the zone. This is only the third vintage for this cuvée, and it feels quite established and different from the rest of the range; it has less varietal character and is more about the place, getting closer to the single-vineyard bottlings where they do not search for fruit character. The idea here is to ferment at temperatures that are quite so low and to stabilize the wine in oak barrels for a long-ish time (12 months in 500-liter barrels and 5,000-liter oak foudres). They are wines of sun and limestone. This is a good reflection of it with a perfumed and floral note on the finish (elegance!) that is quite remarkable. 31,000 bottles produced in 2017. It was bottled in November 2018.”


Casa Castillo Las Gravas, Jumilla 2017 750ML ($37.95) $33 special, 29 bottles in stock now
Case-12 Casa Castillo Las Gravas, Jumilla 2017 750ML ($419.95) $369 special (that’s only $30.75/bottle!)
Luis Gutierrez-Wine Advocate 95 points “The 2017 Las Gravas is surprisingly floral and ethereal, perfumed and elegant. Syrah has disappeared from the blend of this wine—it now has 20% Garnacha to complement the Monastrell—and they think this is going to be the blend that stays in this wine, which has seen more changes in its life than the rest of the portfolio. This is for sure the most elegant vintage for this bottling; the wine matured in 500-liter barrels and then spent four months in 5,000-liter vats after the blend was done. There are no aromas of oak whatsoever, and the wine is surprisingly fresh, as if the Garnacha helps to contain the power of Monastrell on the gravel soils, adding texture and perfume. This is beautiful. 26,500 bottles were filled in March 2019.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Casa Castillo El Molar Tinto, Jumilla 2017 750ML ($24.95) $19.50 special, 3 bottles in stock now
Luis Gutierrez-Wine Advocate 94 points “There is a high-pitched red fruit note on the nose of the 2017 El Molar, and it’s a wine with a lot of light, something that is quite remarkable for a warm and Mediterranean year like 2017. This is a Garnacha that feels like a wine from a cool year, with plenty bright red fruit. I tasted it two weeks after it was bottled, and it felt completely harmonious and relaxed. As with most of the 2017s, this seems like the finest vintage for this wine. It has a lighter color and a more fragrant nose, and it’s immediately identifiable within the Casa Castillo range. 28,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in February 2019.”

This is the only listing in the USA today!

Love Spanish reds? We have over 120 different options in stock. Shop our entire selection, including famous names like Comando G, Daniel Landi, Raúl Pérez and more, on our web store now.