Sunday Night Newsletter 5-29-2022

France – Champagne

Jose Dhondt is a tiny producer in the Cote des Blancs village of Oger with some holdings in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. He rubs shoulders with other growers such as Pierre Gimonnet (who also produces a lovely Oger bottling at almost twice the price) and Pierre Peters (in Le Mesnil). 

Importer note “Domaine José Dhondt is comprised of 5 hectares of vineyards, mostly in the Grand Cru villages of Oger and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, but also some small holdings in the Côte de Sézanne village of Saudoy. Third-generation winemaker José Dhondt, whose grandfather immigrated from Belgium in 1924, has been managing the estate and making the wine since 1976. The domaine is farmed according to the precepts of lutte raisonée, a system of vine cultivation that is essentially organic and non-interventionist. Dhondt gently presses his fruit in a traditional Coquard vertical press and, following a débourbage of 12-24 hours, decants the must into small (25hl, 58hl, 82hl) thermo-regulated stainless steel vessels for a 3 week controlled fermentation over selected CIVC yeasts, followed by malolactic fermentation. Dhondt doses with traditional liqueur.”

Jose Dhondt Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Brut NV 750ML ($54.95) $41.90 special, 24 bottles in stock now
Wine Spectator 92 points “[Reviewed 2021] Ripe nectarine and melon flavors are backed by a firm spine of acidity in this graceful blanc de blancs. It’s plush and creamy in texture, with accents of smoked almond, candied ginger, preserved lemon and spun honey riding adding complexity to the juicy fruit profile. Disgorged January 2021. Drink now through 2024. 2,000 cases made, 250 cases imported.  –AN”

Jose Dhondt Mes Viellies Vignes Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Brut 2014 750ML ($99.95) $66 special, 36 bottles in stock now
Wine Spectator 94 points “Hints of toasted hazelnut and fleur de sel are enmeshed with a ripe, juicy mix of melon, baked white cherry, candied ginger and verbena in this lovely blanc de blancs. Vibrant and mouthwatering, but impeccably balanced, wrapping the vivid acidity in the fine, silky mousse, ending with a long, minerally finish. Disgorged January 2021. Drink now through 2034. 550 cases made.  –AN”

Jose Dhondt Rose de Saignee Brut NV 750ML ($79.95) $59 special, 32 bottles in stock now
Wine Spectator 93 points “[Reviewed 2021] An understated version, with a waft of pretty cherry blossom and spice notes on the nose drawing you into the glass, where a backbone of chiseled acidity is aligned with flavors of ripe red apple and raspberry fruit, pickled ginger and an underpinning of chalky mineral. Fine and vibrant in texture, this expands slowly, so give it time. Disgorged January 2021. Drink now through 2025. 200 cases made, 70 cases imported.  –AN”


Italy – Piedmont

The Elia family purchased their vineyards in 1796. From atop the hill where the winery sits, you can overlook the two main vineyard sites and understand the difference in microclimate, soil type and techniques for farming. The Bricco di Nieve side of the hill is steep, breezy and has beautiful older vines that produce the gorgeous sori Paitin Barbaresco. The other side of the hill has the looser iron rich soil that is the Serra vineyard. Tasting the two Barbaresco side by side is a lesson in site location and the unique qualities that can be shown, just a stone’s throw away. The wines are solid, deep, and built to last – echoing the family and their tie to their home and spectacular vineyards. These wines are no-brainers for fans of traditionally made Nebbiolo.

Paitin di Pasquero-Elia ‘Serra’ Barbera d’Alba Piedmont 2019 750ML ($24.95) $20.90 special, 6 bottles in stock now
Monica Larner-Wine Advocate 92 points “You get tremendous value from the Paitin 2019 Barbera d’Alba Serra, which is fruity and bright but beautifully elegant as well. Barbera is known for its rich black fruit flavors and accessible personality, so it’s a real treat to taste a wine that puts so much emphasis on the smaller details offered by the grape. These include tart blueberry, white cherry, exotic spice and crushed stone. There is some softness on the close, but the wine will be remembered for the linear and pristine nature of its fruit.”
Antonio Galloni 91 points “The 2019 Barbera d’Alba Serra is fresh, floral and fruity, all of which make it an excellent choice for drinking over the next handful of years. Short aging in cask really exalts the fruit in this translucent, classically built Barbera. Red berry fruit, blood orange, mint, spice and orange peel linger.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

 
Paitin di Pasquero-Elia ‘Bonina’ Langhe Freisa Piedmont 2019 750ML ($27.95) $21.90 special, 22 bottles in stock now
Antonio Galloni 91 points “The 2019 Freisa Bonina is a nervy, focused wine. Bright red berry fruit, white pepper, mint, crushed rocks and dried herbs give this classically austere Freisa terrific aromatic brightness and energy. The 2019 will appeal most to readers with classically leaning palates.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Italy – Tuscany

Torre dei Beati makes one of our favorite food friendly rosés. We’ve branched out and scooped up some sweet deals on their red Montepulciano and white Trebbiano. 

Torre dei Beati ‘Cocciapazza’ Montepulciano d’Abruzzo 2017 750ML ($39.95) $34.50 special, 24 bottles in stock now
Eric Guido-Vinous 93 points “An alluring bouquet of smoky minerals, crushed blackberries, exotic spice and flowery undergrowth lifts up from the 2017 Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Cocciapazza. This elegant, polished yet powerful effort displays silky textures with ripe black fruits, giving way to notes of licorice and lavender. Fine-grained wood tannins come forward toward the close, as this tapers off youthfully structured, resonating on purple-tinged florals and a note of bitter almond. The 2017 Cocciapazza is simply stunning, but will need some time to flesh out and fully show the gorgeous Montepulciano fruit within.”
Wine Enthusiast 92 points “This rich Montepulciano offers dense aromas of brandy-soaked black cherry and blackberry, blended with integrated accents of clove, menthol, tobacco and worn leather. It’s plush in feel on the full-bodied palate, showing fully fleshed out berry flavors etched in a bevy of warm and savory spice tones. Despite all that richness, there’s ample lift and intensity to the acidity and a gentle grip to the rounded, polished tannins. It’s accessible now but would hold well through 2028. -Alexander Peartree”

This is the only listing in the USA today!

Torre dei Beati ‘Bianchi Grilli per la Testa’ Trebbiano d’Abruzzo 2019 750ML ($31.95) $26 special, 36+ Bottles in stock now
Eric Guido-Vinous 93 points “The 2019 Trebbiano d’Abruzzo Bianchi Grilli Per la Testa pulls you close to the glass with a display of spiced yellow apple and geranium, evolving into a mix of curry leaf, crushed stone and almond paste. This is silky with medium-bodied weight, ushering in a dense and textural mix of apricot and mineral-tinged pear. There’s so much going on here and so much more to come, as this tapers off long, staining the senses with a nutty richness under an air of honeysuckle and sage. The Bianchi Grilli Per la Testa spends eleven months on the lees in a combination of stainless steel, neutral tonneaux and acacia wood barrels. It’s quite a wine.”

This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!

Germany 

With so many options available it’s rare to find a producer like Clemens Busch who can deliver quality at every tier of the Prädikatswein ladder. The most tantalizing thing about their wines is how they taste perceptibly much drier than they are, on account of the high acids across the board, considerable vine age, and generations of meticulous farming. Converting the estate to in the 1980’s, Clemens and Rita are considered leaders of biodynamics in Germany and the European Union as a whole. This is a great introductory producer or a new favorite in German Wine. 

Weingut Clemens Busch Marienburg Riesling Kabinett Mosel 2018 750ML ($34.95) Was $24, Now $19.50, 36+ bottles in stock now
James Suckling 92 points “Lightly smoky with some lemon pith and dried spices. There’s some light sweetness here, but it’s nicely balanced out by the edgy acidity. Taut and very precise on the finish. Drink now.”
David Schildknecht-Vinous 91 points “White peach, apple, honeydew melon and lime are tinged with lemongrass and cilantro on the nose, and with nippy cress on an otherwise polished, lusciously fruited and subtly soothing palate. Nearly 60 grams of sugar manage to come off as entirely supportive, and the lingering finish both soothes and stimulates. (This year’s village-level Busch Kabinett seemed oddly out-of-sorts on the sole occasion – side by side with this Marienburg – that I was able to taste it, so I have left it un-reviewed.)”
Wine Spectator 91 points “Shows yeasty notes at first, with accents of jasmine and hops, followed by electric acidity that fuels the green apple, lemon and nectarine flavors. Balanced and beautiful in terms of texture, exhibiting substance. Smoky details emerge on the well-defined finish. Best from 2021 through 2033. 550 cases made, 60 cases imported. — AZ”
AP #11

Weingut Clemens Busch Pundericher Marienberg Riesling Spatlese Mosel 2018 750ML ($49.95) Was $33, Now $28, 36 bottles in stock now
Wine Spectator 94 points “Rich and exotic, featuring mango, brown spice, slate, smoke and citrus notes. Open and fluid in style, crafted with precision and intensity. The submerged acidity reveals itself on the finish, along with a tactile sensation on the palate. Best from 2022 through 2038.”
James Suckling 95 points “A very impressive Spätlese that’s so aromatic and expressive; it leads with dried apricots, passion fruit, melon sorbet, milk ice cream and earth. Sweet and powerful for this category, but the acidity runs right through the center palate, bringing the stone-fruit and tropical flavors to life and leaving the mouth with wicked resolve. Drink now.”
AP #14

This is the only listing in the USA today!

A deliciously slatey and elegant Riesling that’s an excellent introduction to German Riesling. 
Weingut Leitz Rudesheimer Klosterlay Riesling Kabinett Rheingau 2018 750ML ($29.95) $20.90 special, 20 bottles in stock now
Importer note “‘Lay’ is a very old word meaning slate and “Kloster” is the German translation of Abbey. The Klosterlay sits beneath the Benedictine Abbey of St. Hildegard, above the eastern edge of the village. Here, the Rüdesheimer Berg begins to gently undulate as it levels out toward the village of Geisenheim. Josi believes this site is destined for a fruity style and therefore always makes Kabinett from this vineyard.”
“The first Rieslings of the very dry and warm as well as early 2018 vintage are also promising and stunningly precise and elegant due to the conditions of the vintage that brought nothing but perfectly ripe and healthy grapes. Leitz pressed the grapes in fractions, so he was able to keep the acidity fine and fresh even though it is naturally lower than in 2017… Doubtlessly, Leitz is one of the region’s best Riesling producers. Having said that, he is also one of the best Riesling ambassadors in the wine world, with regular tastings in the US as well as in Norway, two of his most important export markets.” Stephan Reinhardt, Wine Advocate
Sustainable, Fair ‘N Green

This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!

Argentina

“José Lovaglio, the son of famous Argentine winemaker Susana Balbo, earned his enology degree at UC Davis in 2008 and in recent years has made the Bodini and Crios de Susana Balbo wines at the Dominio del Plata winery. The objective of his own project, Vaglio, launched in 2014, is to showcase a range of different Malbec terroirs; he takes the same approach to extraction with all of these wines and, except for the limited Miperal bottling, they all carry the same gentle price tag. Lovaglio makes his wines in a refurbished dairy in El Peral in the northwest corner of Uco Valley. Thanks to his use of concrete vats and the facility’s thick walls, he is able to ferment his wines without refrigeration.” — Stephen Tanzer, Vinous Media

Vaglio Wines Aggie Malbec, Uco Valley 2019 750ML ($21.95) $18 special, 36+ bottles in stock now
Case-12 Vaglio Wines Aggie Malbec, Uco Valley 2019 750ML ($249.95) $199 special (that’s only $16.58/bottle!)
James Suckling 94 points “Such beautiful aromas of blackberries and minerals with chalk and salt. It’s medium-bodied with fine, integrated tannins and a pretty finish. Refined, silky texture. Drink or hold.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!