05-23-22 Monday Newsletter

Weingut Emrich-Schonleber Monzinger Riesling Kabinett Nahe 2018 ($29.95) was $26 now $21.90 special, 22 bottles in stock now
David Schildknecht-Vinous 90 points “This wine’s 10% alcohol is a tip-off not just to its modest level of residual sugar but also to the extreme ripeness of the 2018 vintage, which, as Schönleber ack2020ledged, represented a challenge to the Kabinett genre. It was picked in the last days of September. It manages in fact to display more than enough delicacy and refreshment to justify its labeling. Lightly poached white peach mingles alluringly with lemon cream on both the nose and the polished palate. Lime and grapefruit add juiciness to a sustained finish that manages to sooth and stimulate, not to mention refresh.”
John Gilman 90 points “The 2018 Monzinger Kabinett is very tasty, but this is a slightly larger-framed Kabinett this year, as it is 9.5 percent alcohol and carries around forty grams of sugar. The bouquet is very, very pretty, offering up scents of lime, bee pollen, salty minerality, white flowers and a touch of upper register smokiness. On the palate the wine is medium-full, complex and nicely mineral in personality, with a lovely tug between pure fruit and good acidity. The finish is long, balanced and shows fine complexity and grip. Good juice, if not quite as delicate as some examples this year. 2019-2045.”
 

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Weingut Emrich-Schonleber Monzinger Halenberg Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese Nahe 2018 375ML ($499.95)Was $399, now $299 special, 23 half-bottles in stock now
***Half bottle***
Stuart Pigott (JamesSuckling.com) 99 points “Such an intensely spicy nose with very attractive fresh minerals and dried apricot, as well as orange marmalade and mangoes. The palate has an incredibly silky and long run of ripe fruit. So immensely sweet and, yet, the big surprise here is the acidity. It is the highest level they have ever had for TBA at this winery – 13.2 grams per liter, and 324 grams of sugar. The acidity has the final say. It actually finishes dry. Wow. Phenomenal. Age this a long, long time. (12/16/19)”
Wine Advocate 98+ points “The 2018 Halenberg Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese is incredibly pure and aromatic on the nose where super ripe but clear peach aromas are displayed. Extremely rich and refined on the palate, this is a ripe, terribly sweet but refined, fresh and salty-piquant TBA with a stimulating finish. A fabulous wine. Tasted in July 2019.”
David Schildknecht-Vinous 97 points “Peach jam and orange marmalade are prominent in the bittersweet, cooked-fruit but zesty personality of this super-concentrate from a mere hundred liters’ worth of tightly shriveled berries gathered over an extended period and pressed with great difficulty. A white-bread-like aura of yeastiness serves as a noble aromatic expression of botrytis, while an influx of caramel further highlights the impression of botrytis ennoblement, complemented by a feel that is strikingly creamy as well as viscous. An aromatic evocation of sea breeze anticipates the mouthwatering salinity that, along with bright, juicy lemon and orange – testimony to the 13 grams of acidity that have, as it were, been held in reserve – informs this elixir’s superbly sustained finish. One’s mouth is left at once creamily coated and tingling as if from a lightning strike.”

Weingut Emrich-Schonleber Monzinger Halenberg Riesling Grosses Gewächs Nahe 2018 750ML ($99.95) was $79 now $69 special, 24 bottles in stock now
Wine Advocate 95+ points “The 2018 Halenberg Riesling GG is super precise, pure and fresh on the intense and stony, still reductive nose, with its notes of candied lemon and lime (that means: slightly greenish). On the palate, this is a rich and concentrated yet elegant, silky-textured, vital and powerful, persistently salty and tensioned Halenberg that is far too young to discover its full potential today. It’s rich and elegant, refined and slightly tannic and needs time to develop its full potential. Tasted in July 2019.”
John Gilman 94+ points “The Halenberg GG is also outstanding in 2018. The bouquet delivers a lovely and youthful combination of lime, grapefruit, slate, orange peel, a touch of cress, wild yeasts and a smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and nicely reserved in personality, with a superb core of fruit, lovely transparency and cut and a long, focused and nascently complex finish. This has superb potential. 2024-2060.”
David Schildknecht-Vinous 93 points “Crushed stone and sea breeze along with zesty lime and grapefruit characterize both the pungent nose and the formidably concentrated palate impression. Firmer in feel than the corresponding Frühlingsplätzchen and with sharper, more clearly defined citricity and stony inflections, this shares sense of fullness (at something over 13% alcohol) with the present collection’s other dry wines, but evinces no heaviness and at most the merest hint of heat. Mouthwatering salinity and a shimmering sense of crystalline stony impingement rather unexpectedly rise to the occasion on a finish whose sheer fruit intensity is so prominent.”
 

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Edmond Vatan Sancerre Clos la Neore Loire 2016 750ML ($599.95) Was $499, now on sale for $449
 

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Don’t forget our other May sale wines including Zuni Café’s Sandhi Chardonnay, GD Vajra’s Cru Barolo and Chateau Peyrassol’s back vintages and Large Formats!  

The Champagne house that needs no introduction, we’ve just secured the first batch of the new Bereche and Fils Brut Reserve. Made from the 2019 vintage, yields are particularly small and intensely flavored after devastating frosts visited the area early on in the season. Not unlike the critically lauded 2016 vintage that also saw yield reduction due to frosts, there is a juxtaposition of flavor intensity, acid and phenolic ripeness that typify Champagne in the modern age. As you can expect with extensive holdings of old vines and substantial reserve wine reserve wines in storage, Bereche has delivered another knockout bottling that should be secured now before the limited stocks are sold.      

Arriving May 27th: 

Bereche et Fils Brut Reserve Champagne NV 750ML ($69.95) $59 pre-arrival special, only 36 bottles arriving
Base Vintage 2019

We carry a variety of grower Champagnes including Serveaux, Georges Laval and Larmandier! 

 

Saint Cosme: 
Saintly Delicious 
 

Saint Cosme is one of the rare producers that delivers consistent quality across their regional bottlings. Considering their range spans the entirety of the Rhône this is a downright herculean achievement. Whether you’re looking for fruit, minerality, high acid or low, Red or white wine; Saint Cosme has a wine for you. And these wines do appeal to just about anyone. Ask James Molesworth at Wine Spectator, Joe Czerwinski at the Wine Advocate, Josh Raynolds at Vinous Media, Matt Walls at Decanter Magazine, Anna Iijima of the Wine Enthusiast, Jeb Dunnuck,  James Suckling, and Kerry Winslow of Grapelive – all of whom have declared the greatness of the wines in recent vintages.

Saint Cosme selections in stock now: 

Chateau de Saint Cosme Chateauneuf-du-Pape Rhone 2018 750ML ($54.95) $45 special, 36+ bottles in stock now
Josh Raynolds-Vinous 93 points “Brilliant violet. Pungent red berry and cherry aromas are complemented by emerging floral and succulent herb nuances. Alluringly sweet and juicy on the palate, offering concentrated black raspberry, cherry and candied lavender flavors that deepen through the back half. Finishes supple, spicy and long, with lingering floral and cherry notes and gentle tannic grip.”
 

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Chateau de Saint Cosme Condrieu Rhone  2019 750ML ($69.95) $59 special, 14 bottles in stock now
Jeb Dunnuck 94 Points “Classic peach, tangerine, and honeyed flower notes emerge from the 2019 Condrieu and it’s smoking good on the palate, showing medium to full-bodied richness, a rounded, supple texture, and notable purity of fruit. Readers looking for a textbook Condrieu can’t go wrong with this. Enjoy bottles over the coming 4-5 years.”
Wine Spectator 94 points “This is densely packed, with rich white apricot and nectarine flavors laced with additional mirabelle, verbena and quince accents. There’s enough underlying juicy energy for balance, with a long, lingering green plum accent adding nice lift. Drink now through 2025.” 
Joe Czerwinski-Wine Advocate 92 points “Honeyed aromas of super ripe fruit lead the way in Saint Cosme’s 2019 Condrieu. Mango and apricot lead the way although the wine does retain a minor floral component and hints of peppery, aniseed-like spice. It’s full-bodied, round and mouthfilling, yet avoids any sense of oiliness or heaviness—no small feat in a white wine that’s labeled at 15% abv. Still, I’d drink this vintage young.”
 

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Chateau de Saint Cosme Cote Rotie Rhone 2018 750ML ($89.95) $69 special, 36+bottles in stock now
Jeb Dunnuck 92-95 points “One of the gems in the Northern Rhône lineup is the 2018 Côte Rôtie, which, as with all of Louis’ wines, wasn’t destemmed and was brought up in 30-40% new oak. Stunning aromatics of black raspberries, olive tapenade, ground pepper, violets, and assorted meat notes all flow to a medium to full-bodied, opulent, seamless Côte Rôtie that has a smoking good texture. Count me impressed.”
Importer Note “Côte-Rôtie is produced from 100% Sérine, an ancient and local variety of Syrah that is markedly different from modern selections. It is more oval, with lots of space in the bunch, resulting in a very aromatic wine. It is sourced from the schist soils of Le Plomb, Besset, La Viallière, and Neve climats. These hillsides are among the steepest in France with an incline as much as 55 degrees. On the palate, it reveals a fresh attack followed by an ample, structured, long-lasting finish. The wine unfurls in successive stages and ends with top-quality tannins produced by whole cluster fermentation. It features aromas and flavors of smoked ham, violet, graphite, graphite, and licorice.”, 36+ bottles in stock now
 

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Chateau de Saint Cosme Cotes du Rhone Les Deux Albion Rhone 2018 1.5L ($49.95) $39 special, 19 magnums in stock now
Grapelive 94 points “The incredible and ultra-affordable Chateau grown bottling of Cotes du Rhone, Les Deux Albion, is a classic full bodied and meaty Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre blend from Louis Barroul at the famous Chateau de Saint Cosme. This 2018 is a vintage with impressive wow factor, coming at a Chateauneuf-like 15% natural alcohol and with wonderful fruit density. This GSM will confidently drink with wines three to five times the price! This 2018 starts with a heady peony and violet perfume along with some Syrah and Mourvedre earthy/leathery notes as well as thick black and red berries before opening up to an opulent mouth filling palate of boysenberry, pomegranate, damson plum and kirsch as well as tar, licorice, sticky lavender, sandalwood and peppery spices. The weight is well concealed within the graceful texture and inner vibrancy of this delicious Cotes du Rhone. This wine really compares well with the estate’s Gigondas, a legendary wine, especially in this vintage, making it an exceptional value. I’m glad I bought myself a few bottles of this gorgeous and complex Les Deux Albion. It should drink nicely for a decade or more!”
Importer Note “Château de Saint Cosme Côtes-du-Rhône Les Deux Albion is a blend of Syrah, Grenache, Carignan, Mourvèdre, and Clairette from the three Côtes-du-Rhône-Villages communes of Plan de Dieu, Saint Maurice, and Cairanne. The whole clusters are co-fermented with indigenous yeasts and vinified in conical wooden vats and concrete tanks for 18 months. Les Deux Albions is one of the outstanding wines of Louis Barruol’s collection and highlights the exceptional value that can still be found in the Côtes-du-Rhône category. The wine combines depth, structure, and finesse with aromas and flavors of roasted game, mesquite, and olive, crushed plum, and black currants.”
 

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Chateau de Saint Cosme Gigondas Le Claux Rhone 2019 750ML ($129.95) $119 special, 5 bottles in stock now
Wine Spectator 97 points “This is packed together, with taut iron cables providing a platform for mouthwatering bitter plum, cassis and blackberry reduction flavors. Sage, bay tobacco and warm earth notes play equally important roles, adding superior range and depth. Everything pulls together through the finish, though the end point takes some time to reach. Best from 2025 through 2040. —J.M.”
Jeb Dunnuck 97-99 points “Also all Grenache from a single vineyard just down from the estate, the 2019 Gigondas Le Claux offers more minerality as well as structure and is another 2019 that’s going to benefit from bottle age. A complex bouquet of redcurrants, loamy soil and dried garrigue, camphor, and licorice emerges from the glass, and this beauty has building tannins, flawless balance and a great, great finish.”
Decanter 96 points “Very dense, somewhat earthbound for now with an extremely dense tannic structure. Great energy and salinity, very vibrant with a lovely acid structure. Will take a long time to come round but will be good. Organically grown Grenache planted in 1870, planted on Miocene marls and yellow clay. Fermented in concrete, no destemming, indigenous yeasts, and matured 100% in barriques; 30% new, 30% second use, 30% third use.”

 

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Shop our full selection of Saint Cosme wines in store and online today!

 

Provencal rose is famous for being light in color and perfectly crushable. Usually made from blends of Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Carignan there are a few rarities that are made predominantly with Tibouren, one of the original grapes planted in the area. In addition to their work in preserving the varietal, Clos Cibonne also is a champion of traditional vinification with offerings aged in 100 year old foudre. The cooperage medium combined with allowing for fleurette creates a textural complexity that is rarely ever seen with rosé styles. 
    
You’ve heard of Clos Cibonne and their illustrious rosé-based portfolio, but did you know that they also produced red? Sourced from the younger plantings of grapes on the estate and purchased fruit from three neighbors, this is the only department in France that allows the varietal Tibouren.

The Tentations rosé is meant to offer an affordable introduction to the varietal and house style, and delivers in spades. Organically grown and fermented in steel with wild yeasts, the Tentations is pale in color with beautifully effusive aromas of orange peel, cherry blossom, marjoram and sea spray. A perfect introduction to Tibouren rose at a fraction of the cost you usually see.

Clos Cibonne in stock now: 

Clos Cibonne Cotes de Provence Tentations Rose France 2020 750ML ($24.95) $18 special, 36+ bottles in stock now
Case-12 Clos Cibonne Cotes de Provence Tentations Rose France 2020 750ML ($249.95) $199 special, (that’s only $16.58/bottle!)
De Maison Selections note “Tentations offers an accessible entry-point into Provence wine. Tentations is made with exceptional ingredients, including fruit from young tibouren vines and some purchased fruit from farmers they have long-standing relationships with, in prime spots in La Londe. The Tentations wines do not undergo the extensive aging process of the Clos Cibonne line. Offering immediate and unpretentious enjoyment, they are incredible food wines and represent one of the best wine values in the Côtes de Provence region. Site: La Londe. Grapes: 50% Grenache, 20% Cinsault, 15% Syrah, and 15% Tibouren.”
 

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De Venoge is an old-school Champagne House that’s relatively unknown in the United States, a fact that means even their finest and rarest wines continue to be undervalued relative to their peers. This is no better exemplified than their prestige cuvee, the LXV bottling. Named after Louis the 14th (The Sun King) it sees extensive aging on its lees and is a true monument of vintage champagne. 

De Venoge has a strong following in Europe for good reason—they source from some of the best vineyards in Champagne and produce prestige cuvées of immense quality, built on long lees aging. They source Pinot Noir from Grand Cru villages like Verzenay, Ambonnay and Bouzy and pair it with a murderer’s row of Chardonnay sources, including Avize, Mesnil, and Cramant. The resulting wines capture the essence of classical Champagne and are in high demand in Europe’s top restaurants. 

De Venoge prestige cuvées are outstanding wines for lovers of truly mature Champagne in all its glory, rich, creamy textures from extended lees aging married to surprisingly fresh, mineral personalities. There’s a reason this house has such a following overseas, they produce stunning wines and then age them until they’re ready to go, so consumers don’t need to leave them in the cellar for decades. Now’s your chance to try them for yourself! These are perfect “occasion” wines that make for fantastic birth year or anniversary gifts.  

In Stock Now:

De Venoge Louis XV de Venoge Brut Millesime Champagne 2006 750ML ($219.95) $169 special, 15 bottles in stock now
Wine Advocate 96 points “The assemblage of the 2006 Louis XV Brut Millésimé is about the same as the 1995 and 1996—composed of 50/50 Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, all from grand cru villages. The only difference is that the Chardonnay from Le Mesnil-sur-Oger (10% of the assemblage) spent 12 months in oak barrels. Disgorged in January 2017 (dosage: six grams per liter), the 2006 has a golden color and opens with a deep, ripe, elegant and vinous bouquet with toasty and chalky lemon and fresh white fruit flavors. On the palate, this is an intense, round, fresh and complex Louis XV with great purity and finesse. The wine opens on the palate like a soufflé, coating the whole palate without any pressure or weight—gorgeous! This is a delicate and fresh yet well-structured and persistent Louis XV whose intense and long but weightless finish reveals lovely, almost juicy fruit concentration with perfectly integrated freshness and lasting minerality that seems to give additional structure. The 2006 shows a lot of Chardonnay features right now and drinks perfectly today; however, it can be kept under perfect conditions for decades. Just keep it in the box, because the bottle is white and nothing makes a Champagne age faster than exposure to daylight. (Tasted in November 2017 from Lot LL15067017BT.)-SR”
 

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De Venoge Louis XV de Venoge Brut Millesime Champagne 2008 750ML ($299.95) $219 special, 12 bottles in stock now
James Suckling 95 points “This is really punchy and broad-shouldered with muscular structure and citrusy undertones. Full body. Lightly tannic and a fresh and vivid finish. This is the first vintage without malolactic fermentation ever. One for the cellar. Better in 2022.”
Wine Advocate 93+ points “The straw-yellow/white-golden colored 2008 Louis XV Brut Millésimé blends 50% Chardonnay (20 % from Avize, 15% from Oger and 15% from Mesnil) with 50% Pinot Noir (41.5% from Verzenay and 8.5% from Bouzy). Disgorged in January 2018 with a dosage of six grams per liter, the 2008 displays a clear, pure, fresh, chalky-tinged and vinous nose with lemon, white fruits, brioche, hazelnuts, white blossoms and some caramel notes. Pure, lean, fresh and elegant on the palate, with a lingering hazelnut flavor, this is a straight yet complex cuvée with grip and a long, well-structured and textured finish. This 2008 is still terribly fresh and should benefit from further bottle aging. For the moment, I am missing the mouth-filling generosity of the 2006 and 1995. Mind that this is the first vintage of de Venoge’s prestigious Louis XV where the base wines didn’t undergo malolactic fermentation! Total production: 10,326 bottles. Tasted October 2018.”

De Venoge Louis XV de Venoge Extra Brut Rose Millesime Champagne 2002 750ML ($219.95) $189 special, 23 bottles in stock now
Wine Spectator 93 points “Harmonious, with fine intensity, offering rich notes of spice cake, toasted almond, dried cherry, grilled plum and smoky mineral. Almost velvety in texture, with juicy acidity that brings you back for another sip. Delicious. Drink now through 2022. 54 cases made.”
 

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De Venoge ‘Princes’ Tour Eiffel 130 Anniversary Edition Champagne  NV 750ML ($99.95) $79 special, 7 bottles in stock now
Envie de Champagne “The Maison De Venoge was founded in 1837 by Henri-Marc De Venoge. Innovation in the production and marketing of champagnes were the founding values of this of champagne house, which won the Excellence Price in Philadelphia in 1876. A few years later, in 1889, during the World Fair in Paris, the house became the partner of the event. This exhibition celebrated the centenary of the French Revolution and it is on this occasion that the Tower designed by Gustave Eiffel has been inaugurated. This monument, with a height of 312 meters during its construction can now 337 meters in 2019 following the installation of antennas. In addition to its cultural and tourist use, the Eiffel Tower is used as a transmitter for TV and radio programs. The Eiffel Tower, object of discord at the time of its creation has become today the most visited paying monument of France. It has about 7 million visitors a year. It is also inseparable from the history of the French capital. For the 130 years of this first collaboration, De Venoge signs a beautiful partnership with the company in charge of the exploitation of the iron lady (surname of the Eiffel Tower). This collaboration is obvious because of  the common history of both parties but also because of the characteristic shape of the bottles of the Princes cuvée. This limited edition vintage is named “Cuvée Princes Tour Eiffel”. Only 10,000 bottles have been marketed for this partnership.”
 

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