Newsletter 5/19/23

 In This Newsletter:

Special Feature
Stellar Reviews for Arterberry Maresh and Tan Fruit!
Arrivals
Cameron Dundee Hills Pinot Noir and more
Staff Pick
Kelley Fox Chardonnay
Riesling Sale

Schaefer meets Shafer
May Sale- Rhone Wines
 Saint Cosme: comb through some of our finest Rhone wines
Collector’s Corner

Our Best Bordeaux
Stellar Reviews for Arterberry Maresh and Tan Fruit 2021

“The wines are concentrated yet elegant, fruity yet flinty and are some of the most impressive wines I’ve tried anywhere—not just in the US.”

-Erin Brooks, “USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley: The Magic of Arterberry Maresh”
The Wine Advocate May 18th, 2023

The critics are officially in love with these wines, further cementing the Maresh family as leaders in the Oregon wine industry. You almost certainly know the Maresh family for the stunning wines from the stunning Pinot Noir and Chardonnay they produce under their Arterberry Maresh label and if you’re lucky you’ve already tried Jim Maresh’s new cult project Tan Fruit which is being described as producing some of the finest chardonnays anywhere in the world.

While Jim likes to say he started Tan Fruit to “experiment and play around with technique,” he maintains a very minimalist approach. He prefers picking the grapes early (“al dente” he calls it), aging in a combination of steel and oak, and to ferment bone dry. As he says in his most recent Wine Advocate profile, his philosophy in the winery is “Just get the Hell out of the way.”

Sourcing from vineyards throughout the Willamette Valley, these represent dry-farmed artistry at its finest. These Chardonnays exhibit a complete and unique showing of Oregon’s terroir. Regardless of vineyard location, vine age and elevation these are both delightfully accessible now and will only get better with age.


If you’re not sold yet, check out these stunning new reviews for Jim’s wines from The Wine Advocate:
 
“Arterberry Maresh”
Arterberry Maresh Pinot Noir Dundee Hills 2021 750ml $33 special, 36+ bottles (Pre-Arrival: Arriving May 26th)
Arterberry Maresh Pinot Noir Dundee 2021 Case of 12 750ml bottles $359 special
Wine Advocate 97 Points “The 2021 Pinot Noir Dundee Hills offers quality that sits well above its modest price tag with its pairing of concentrated flavors and a weightless frame. Medium ruby, it features cranberry sauce, pomegranate and rhubarb fruit with accents of tea leaves, lavender, bitter orange and amaro. The light-bodied palate is silky and seamless with an incredible core of flavor and a very long, bitters-laced finish. I would be excited to drink this wine any night of the week!”

Arterberry Maresh Pinot Noir Old Vines 2021 750ml $56.50 special, 18 bottles available now
Wine Advocate 98 Points “The 2021 Pinot Noir Old Vines comes from the Maresh Vineyard, from vines that were planted in 1970, and has a singular expression with detailed, spicy accents reminiscent of bitters or amaro. “You only get those high-toned essences if you pick al dente,” winemaker Jim Maresh explains. “It’s easy to volatilize all that away.” The Old Vines has a medium ruby color and arresting aromas of orange bitters, mossy bark and tobacco leaves complementing a deep core of pomegranate, rhubarb and cranberry. The light-bodied palate offers remarkably pure, detailed flavors. It has velvety tannins, seamless freshness and a very long finish with a flourish of spicy accents.”

Arterberry Maresh Chardonnay Maresh Vineyard 2021 750ml $72 special, 36 bottles available now
Wine Advocate 96 Points “The 2021 Chardonnay Maresh Vineyard comes from Wente vines planted in 1983 and was matured in 20% Damy barrels for nine months before finishing in stainless steel. The nose is alluringly spicy, opening from flint and roasted almonds to an intense core of savory yellow peach and beeswax. The palate is satiny and unctuous with ripe fruit, floral perfume and flinty streaks. Despite its luxurious texture and flavor, it maintains its shimmery acidity and boasts a long, dynamic finish. It’s a special expression that offers pleasurable generosity and precision.”

Arterberry Maresh Pinot Noir Maresh Vineyard 2021 750ml $72 special, 28 bottles available now
Wine Advocate 98+ Points “The 2021 Pinot Noir Maresh Vineyard is an arresting wine that grows in bottle over several days, offering singular expression, purity and a touch of magic. Medium ruby, the nose is very complex and offers something new with each return to the glass. A deep core of pomegranate and cranberry sauce blossoms to orange peel, tea leaves, mossy bark and lilac with an array of amaro-like undertones. The palate is medium-bodied and has tremendously concentrated flavors for its harmonious, velvety frame (this sits at only 12.8% alcohol). Layered, dynamic and very long, it stands out as one of the best expressions of Willamette Valley Pinot Noir I’ve ever had the pleasure of tasting.”
 
Arterberry Maresh Pinot Noir Weber Vineyard 2021 750ml $72 special, 34 bottles available now
Wine Advocate 97+ Points “Out of curiosity, winemaker Jim Maresh and I re-tasted the 2019 Pinot Noir Weber Vineyard to compare to the recently bottled 2021s. (Weber Vineyard was previously owned by Jim’s grandfather and part of the Maresh Vineyard.) It’s beginning to curl inward, taking plenty of time to blossom from touches of iodine and flint to wild blackberries, tea leaves, lavender, salted licorice and candied orange peel. The medium-bodied palate is powerful and refreshing, with youthfully latent fruit and a long, spicy finish. Purchasers can look forward to an exciting evolution as this matures over the next 10-15 years.”
“Tan Fruit”
Tan Fruit Cuvee Tan Fruit Chardonnay 2021 750ml $39 special, 36+ bottles available now
Wine Advocate 97 Points “The 2021 Chardonnay Cuvée Tan Fruit comes from Dijon vines in the Maresh Vineyard, planted on a south-facing slope in 1991, plus a number of other sources around Willamette Valley. Bottled a few months earlier than the other Tan Fruit Chardonnays, its savory aromas explode from the glass: a core of peachy fruit is streaked with touches of candle smoke, matchstick, pie crust and floral tones. Medium-bodied, seamless and satiny, it flows effortlessly through the mouth with both depth of flavor and freshness. It has a pleasing touch of grip to anchor the long finish and feels like it has more to give as it unwinds in bottle over the next several years. Around 1,000 cases were made.”
  
Tan Fruit Maresh Vineyard Chardonnay 2021 750ml $59 special, 36+ bottles available now
Wine Advocate 97 Points “The 2021 Chardonnay Maresh Vineyard has pure aromas of red apples, pie crust, almonds and jasmine blossoms with top notes of salty lemon. The medium-bodied palate is generous yet balanced, with a concentrated core of savory fruit tempered by streaks of matchstick and spice. It has seamless, energetic acidity and a long, nuanced finish and will benefit from 3-5 more years in bottle.”

Tan Fruit Oak Grove Chardonnay 2021 750ml $59 special, 36+ bottles available now
Wine Advocate 97 Points “The 2021 Chardonnay Oak Grove Vineyard, from vines situated on sedimentary soil, is energetic and mineral-driven this vintage. Barrel fermented and finished in stainless steel, it opens with streaks of matchstick that give way to a core of red apples, yogurt, pie spice and lemon peel. The light-bodied palate has a silky texture and is buzzing with bright acidity and flinty nuance. It has a concentrated core of ripe citrus and a very long, mineral-driven finish. The Oak Grove’s salty, tangy character, reminiscent of Chablis, makes it impossible to put down!”

Tan Fruit Sophie’s Vineyard Chardonnay 2021 750ml $59 special, 36+ bottles available now
Wine Advocate 93 Points “The 2021 Chardonnay Sophie’s Vineyard comes from an isolated vineyard near the town of Yoncalla in the Umpqua Valley, planted in the late 1970s with Draper and Wente selections. Matured in oak and finished with four months in stainless steel, it has fresh scents of green pear, quince and citrus blossom with undertones of almonds, flint and honey. The light-bodied palate is creamy and plush with gently nutty fruits and a long, refreshing finish.”

Tan Fruit Tank Fruit Chardonnay 2021 750ml $59 special, 36+ bottles available now
Wine Advocate 97 Points “The 2021 Chardonnay Tank Fruit is composed of fruit from the White Walnut Vineyard, a relatively new vineyard comprising eight acres planted around 2015 in the Dundee Hills. “The genetics that produced this is rare,” winemaker Jim Maresh explains, noting that the diverse clonal material in this vineyard includes 10 different heritage selections. The White Walnut Vineyard cuvée was fermented in oak and finished in stainless steel—the opposite of this 2021 Chardonnay Tank Fruit, which also comes from the White Walnut Vineyard but is fermented in stainless steel and finished in oak—although both wines offer singular exoticism. The Tank Fruit is bursting with intense aromas of peaches, fruit cocktail, lemongrass and orange oil with streaks of spice and herbs. The medium-bodied palate is satiny and seamless, gaining amplitude in the mouth as it releases wave after wave of concentrated fruit. It has a soft frame of flinty accents, and its fresh acidity calls you in for another sip on the long finish.”

Tan Fruit Fairview Chardonnay 2021 750ml $66 special, 21 bottles available now
Wine Advocate 95 Points” The 2021 Chardonnay Fairview Vineyard is scented of red apples and quince with nuances of mushroom, matchstick, hay and acacia flowers. The light-bodied palate is energetic and focused with a youthfully coiled core of savory fruit and a long, mineral-driven finish. Offer it 3-5 years or more in bottle to unwind.”
 
Tan Fruit White Walnut Chardonnay 2021 750ml $69 special, 36+ bottles available now
Wine Advocate 99 Points “White Walnut is a relatively new vineyard comprising eight acres planted around 2015 in the Dundee Hills. “The genetics that produced this is rare,” winemaker Jim Maresh explains, noting that the diverse clonal material in this vineyard includes 10 different heritage selections. The 2021 Chardonnay White Walnut Vineyard was fermented in oak and finished in stainless steel—the opposite of the Tank Fruit cuvée, which is also made from White Walnut fruit but fermented in stainless steel and finished in oak. Exoticism is the word I come back to again and again with this wine, which is extraordinarily expressive, singular and completely addicting. It offers very pure aromas of lemon meringue, candied peach, crème brûlée and candle smoke, with intense, honeyed undertones. The palate is satiny and sensuous, like a spatula smoothing the frosting on a cake. It has a concentrated, peachy core framed by streaks of flint, and its focused acidity drives all that exotic flavor into a hauntingly long finish. I’ve never tasted another Chardonnay quite like this!”
 

New Arrivals
 
Arriving Friday the 19th

Oregon

“Cameron”
Cameron Pinot Noir Dundee Hills 2021 750ml $36 special, 27 bottles available
Vinopolnote “It’s back– but for how long? Cameron’s Dundee Hills Pinot Noir is the best selling wine in our shop. Make sure you get yours, we don’t know how much more we can get!”

“The Eyrie”
Eyrie Spark Sparkling Rose Willamette NV 750ml $19 special, 36+ bottles available
Wine Advocate 90 Points “The NV Spark is a blend of 55% Pinot Noir, 37% Chasselas Doré and 8% Pinot Blanc, from 31-year-old vines. It is an “ultra brut,” although this particular bottling is made using forced carbonation instead of méthode Champenois. Medium to deep cherry-pink in color, it has aromas of cantaloupe, strawberries, raspberries and lemon peel with notes of stone and toast. The palate is dry with citrus and red berry flavors, spritely mousse and a refreshing, mineral-driven finish.”
 
Eyrie Pinot Noir Sisters Vineyard 2019 750ml $47.50 special, 12 bottles available
Wine Advocate 96 Points “Medium ruby, the 2019 Pinot Noir Sisters has a delicate perfume of raspberries, rhubarb, tar, orange peel and tea leaves with touches of flint. The light-bodied palate is powdery and fresh with fragrant floral character and a long finish.”
 
Eyrie Pinot Noir Daphne 2019 750ml $74.50 special, 6 bottles available
Wine Advocate 97 Points “The 2019 Pinot Noir Daphne is juicy, highly aromatic and irresistible! Medium ruby, it has pure scents of raspberry and strawberry preserves, tangerine peel, Earl Grey tea leaves, star anise and tar. Light-bodied with powdery tannins and fireworks of fresh acidity, it features perfumed, crunchy red fruit and detailed floral and spice accents that fan across the finish.”
 
Eyrie Pinot Noir Roland Green Vyd 2019 750ml $61.50 special, 12 bottles available
Wine Advocate 97 Points “Medium ruby, the 2019 Pinot Noir Roland Green is scented of red cherry and cranberry with savory tones of mushroom, leather, pipe tobacco and licorice. The medium-bodied palate’s concentrated, broody fruit is supported by grainy tannins and seamless acidity, and it finishes long and spicy. Give it another 3-5 years in bottle.”
 
Italy
 
“GD Vajra”
GD Vajra Rosabella Rosato Piedmont 2022 750ml $16.50 special, 30 bottles available
Vinopolnote
 “Vajra Rosabella is 90% nebbiolo along with 10% dolcetto & barbera. Made in the saignee method using younger grapes from their superb Langhe vineyards.”
 
GD Vajra Barolo Albe 2018 750ml $33.50 special, 33 bottles available
Wine Advocate 93+ Points
 “This wine consistently delivers one of the greatest values to be found in Italian wine. The G.D. Vajra 2018 Barolo Albe has all its cards in play as an immediately enjoyable and extremely food-friendly Nebbiolo. This really is the top of the category in that sense. With straightforward winemaking (fermentation is in steel and aging in large Slavonian oak casks), the wine offers bold cherry, wild plum and plenty of fragrant blue flower and violet. This vintage has the added benefit of softly textured richness.”
Wine Enthusiast 94 Points “Lovely Nebbiolo aromas of rose, violet, red berry and botanical herb shape the fragrant nose. Smooth and savory, the elegant palate features juicy red cherry, crushed raspberry and cake spice alongside polished tannins. Fresh acidity keeps it balanced. It’s already drinking beautifully but also promises years of pleasure. Enjoy through 2030.”
 
France
 
“Domaine Berthelemot”
Berthelemot is quite young for a domaine in Burgundy, having been founded as recently as 2006. At roughly 15 hectares with plots in Beaune, Pommard, Meursault, Puligny, and Chassagne, they have expanded exactly as fast as they desired, converting vineyards into sustainable and biodynamic properties as they go. The vivacious owner, Brigitte Berthelemot, is living proof that Burgundy is still an evolving region.
 

Berthelemot Santenay Rouge 1er La Maladiere 2018 750ml $45 special, 6 bottles available
Berthelemot Pernand Vergelesses Sous Fretille 2019 750ml $59 special, 12 bottles available
Berthelemot St Aubin 1er Murgers Dent De Chien 2018 750ml $59 special, 10 bottles available
Domaine Berthelemot Blanc 1er Cru Clos Mouches 2018 750ml $89 special, 11 bottles available
Domaine Berthelemot Corton Grand Cru 2019 750ml $129 special, 11 bottles available

Staff Pick
Oregon

 
Kelley Fox Chardonnay Willamette Valley 2022 750ml $27 special, 11 bottles available
“If freedom has a taste, what would it be? I’m hoping something like this young vine Kelley Fox Chardonnay from her Freedom Hill Vineyard. Kelley Fox’s wine-making, free of a heavy hand in the winery allows the wines to speak to their intimate relationship with the earth. Kelley Fox’s wines are telling a story and if you’re an Oregon wine fan, you’re going to want to listen.”
-Tracy
Riesling Sale
Schaefer Meets Shafer
 
Willi Schaefer Graacher Himmelreich Kabinett 2020 750ml WAS $39 NOW $31.90, 34 bottles available
James Suckling 94 Points “So many fresh floral notes, plenty of orange zest, sage and a whiff of smoke. Juicy stone fruit and lively acidity, with very well integrated natural grape sweetness that you feel less and less as the wine flows over your palate into the delicate, wet-stone and rock-salt finish. Drink or hold.”
 
Schafer-Frohlich Felseneck Spatlese 2017 750mlWAS $39 NOW $33, 24 bottles available
Schafer-Frohlich Felseneck Spatlese Riesling 2017 Case of 6 bottles WAS $2019 NOW $179
Vinous 93 Points “Elder flower and peony, ripe quince and white peach on the nose presage a lusciously-fruity and profusely floral inner-mouth performance. The feel is glossy but buoyant. The succulent and superbly-concentrated finish remains transparent to floral nuances as well as revealing a shimmering sense of crystalline and flinty stoniness.”
 
Schafer-Frohlich Felsenberg GG Riesling 2017 750ml WAS $89 NOW $75, 25 bottles available
Schafer-Frohlich Felsenberg GG Riesling 2017 Case of 6 bottles WAS $499 special NOW $419 special
John Gilman 96 Points “The 2017 Felsenberg GG is a masterpiece in the making, with the bouquet soaring from the glass in a youthful and very elegant constellation of pink grapefruit, wild yeasts, tart peach, plenty of smokiness, a great base of salty soil tones, dried flowers and a topnote of citrus peel. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and rock solid at the core, with ripe, snappy acids, superb complexity and great length and grip on the poised and perfectly balanced finish. This is a stunning young vintage of Felsenberg!”
May Sale- All Rhone Wines
St. Cosme


Buy 6-11 bottles for a 5% discount
Buy 12+ bottles for a 10% discount
 
Ends May 31st at 6pm… the best selection is NOW!

Discount does not apply to pre-arrival wines or case discounts.
Discount will not display online, we will adjust your invoice before charging your card.

Each 1.5L (Magnum) bottle will be counted as 2 bottles when applied to the discount.
Each 3.0L bottle will be the equivalent of 4 bottles.
6.0L bottles will be counted as 8 bottles.

This is first come / first served and limited to stock on hand.

One of the biggest names in Gigondas, Saint Cosme also produces incredible wines from all over The Rhone, including bottlings from Chateauneuf Du Pape, Cote Rotie, and St. Joseph.

If you haven’t tried them all, you are missing out!  

Saint Cosme Cote Rotie 2018 750ml $69 special, 36 bottles available
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.”

Saint Cosme Cote Rotie 2020 750ml $69 special, 28 bottles available
Jeb Dunnuck 94-96 Points “I loved the 2020 Côte Rôtie, which is certainly the standout from the North. Coming from both the southern and northern ends of the appellation, it’s full-bodied, ripe, and textured, yet never loses a sense of Côte Rôtie elegance. Lots of bacon fat, exotic flowers (I wrote liquid violet in my notes), and gamey blue fruits define the nose, and the balance is spot on, it has silky tannins and is just another brilliant wine.”

Saint Cosme Gigondas Le Claux 2017 750ml $99 special, 6 bottles available
Vinous 96 points “Brilliant violet. Highly perfumed black raspberry and cherry liqueur aromas are accompanied by potpourri, mocha, vanilla and baking spice nuances, along with a smoky mineral flourish that builds in the glass. Juicy and appealingly sweet, displaying palate-staining red and blue fruit, spicecake and floral pastille flavors that show superb depth and a smooth, seamless texture. Deftly balances richness and vivacity and finishes extremely long and spicy, with smooth, harmonious tannins and a subtle echo of candied flowers and kirsch.”
 
Saint Cosme Gigondas Le Claux 2018 750ml $99 special, 21 bottles available
Wine Advocate 95-97 Points “Everything about the all-Grenache 2018 Gigondas le Claux is big. From the huge black cherry and blackberry fruit, to the insane levels of concentration, the rich, velvety tannins and the never-ending, licorice-tinged finish, this beauty should evolve positively for at least a decade and a half.”
 
Saint Cosme Gigondas Le Claux 2020 750ml $119 special, 30 bottles available
Vinous 98 Points “Opaque red. Sharply defined red fruit, floral and Moroccan spice aromas, along with intense mineral, garrigue and cola nuances. Shows superb depth as well as vivacity on the palate, offering juicy red and blue fruit, floral pastille and spicecake flavors and an exotic hint of blood orange. Finishes impressively long and precise with firm tension, discreet tannins and reverberating red fruit and floral notes.”
 
Saint Cosme Gigondas Le Poste 2020 750ml $119 special, 14 bottles available
Wine Spectator 96 Points “A behemoth of a wine, with dense layers of sweet, ripe plum sauce and mulled cherry that take a dark, savory turn on the palate, coated in melted iron, black licorice, balsamic reduction and singed herbs. Despite its massive power and coiled energy, this is surprisingly delicious now, with beautiful harmony to the texture and structure. A wine to savor and contemplate. Drink now through 2040.”
 
Saint Cosme Gigondas Hominis Fides 2020 750ml $128 special, 16 bottles available
Jeb Dunnuck 97-100 points “At the moment, the 2020 Gigondas Hominis Fides looks to be the standout of the three single vineyards, although all three are beautiful wines in the making. It certainly offers the most power and concentration, with lots of ground pepper, Provençal garrigue, violets, and loamy soils notes, as well as a darker cassis and berry-driven core of fruit. It builds beautifully on the palate, with ample structure, incredible balance, and a great, great finish.”
 
Vintage Wine Points Price/Quantity
2020 Saint Cosme Crozes Hermitage 750ml 90-92 Jeb Dunnuck $39 special, 36+ bottles available
2020 Saint Cosme St Joseph 750ml Jeb Dunnuck 91-93 $39 special, 54 bottles available
2017 Saint Cosme Deux Albion Rouge 1.5L   $39 special, 4 bottles available
2018 Saint Cosme CDP 750ml Wine Spectator 93 Points $45 special, 36+ bottles available
2019 Saint Cosme CDP 750ml   $49 special, 36+ bottles available
2018 Saint Cosme Gigondas 750ml Jeb Dunnuck 93 points $49 special, 9 bottles available
2020 Saint Cosme Gigondas 750ml Wine Spectator 94 points $49 special, 36+ bottles available
2017 Saint Cosme Cote Rotie 750ml Jeb Dunnuck 94 Points $55 special, 8 bottles available
2019 Saint Cosme Cote Rotie 750ml Jeb Dunnuck 95-97 Points $69 special, 4 bottles available
2018 Saint Cosme Gigondas 1.5L Jeb Dunnuck 93 points $79 special, 26 bottles available
2020 Saint Cosme Condrieu 750ml Wine Spectator 94 Points $84.50, 9 bottles available
2019 Saint Cosme Gigondas 1.5L Wine Specator 95 points $99 special, 11 bottles available
2020 Saint Cosme Gigondas 1.5L Wine Spectator 94 points $99 special, 23 bottles available
 
Collector’s Corner
Our Best Bordeaux
 
Angelus Saint Emilion 2016 1.5L $899 special, 19 bottles available
Wine Enthusiast 100 Points “Top 100 cellar selection in 2019. This is a rich, perfumed wine, with dense tannins and intense layers of black plum and spice. The palate is firmly built yet broadened out by plump dark-fruit tones and honed by a solid, dry core. Drink from 2025.”
Wine Advocate 98+ Points “Sporting a deep garnet-purple color, the 2016 Angélus erupts from the glass with powerful notes of blackberry pie, ripe black cherries and juicy black plums with an undercurrent of star anise, rose petals, chocolate mint, pencil shavings and woodsmoke plus a waft of allspice. The palate is pure decadence. Medium to full-bodied, rich and generously fruited, this wine is by no means heavy—it positively glimmers with freshness and vivacity, lending an ethereal nature to all that richness and power, beautifully framed by velvety tannins and finishing with epic length. The generosity, layers and plushness make for an absolutely DELICIOUS drink right now, but I’d suggest waiting 3-5 more years for the fireworks to really begin.”
 
Chateau Belair Monange Saint-Emilion 2018 750ml $249 special, 11 bottles available
James Suckling 99 Points “Very intense blackberries, black olives, blueberries and dried flowers. Stony minerality. Even some pine. Full-bodied with superb depth of fruit and ultra fine tannins that are intense and polished. The finish is so long and delivers so much flavor, from wet earth to blackberry again. Seamless palate. Try after 2026.”
 
Chateau Canon St. Emilion 2015 750ml $349 special, 35 bottles available
James Suckling #1 Wine of the Year
Vinous 100 Points “From the very beginning, the 2015 Canon has made an eloquent case for itself as one of the wines of the vintage. Multiple tastings from bottle only confirm what several early tastings hinted at: the 2015 Canon is simply extraordinary in every way. Sumptuous and exotic, with no hard edges and exceptional balance, the 2015 grabs hold of all the senses and never lets up. A rush of red fruit intermingled with floral notes, spice and smoke notes effortlessly runs up the wine’s vertical structure as the 2015 thrills with every twist and turn. The 2015 Canon is a rare wine that is both hedonistic and intellectual – well, maybe it is a bit more hedonistic-leaning. It doesn’t matter. Don’t miss it. This 2015 is masterpiece from General Manager Nicolas Auderbert and his team at Canon.”
 
Chapelle D’ausone St Emilion 2009 750ml $249 special, 1 bottle available
James Suckling 96 Points “This is always made with the young vines. Full-bodied, with super velvety tannins and gorgeous mineral, dark berry and spice character. Lovely velvet texture. Amazing quality for a second wine.”
 
Cos D’estournel Saint Estephe 2016 750ml $299 special, 5 bottle available
Wine Advocate 100 Points “The 2016 Cos d’Estournel is blended of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc aged in 65% new and 35% two-year-old French oak for 15 months. Bottled in July 2018, it is deep garnet-purple colored and starts off a little closed and reticent, opening out slowly and seductively to reveal beautiful lilacs, rose hip tea, crushed stones and camphor nuances over a core of crème de cassis, kirsch, wild blueberries and mocha plus wafts of incense and wood smoke. The palate is simply electric, charged with an energy and depth of flavors that seem to defy the elegance and ethereal nature of its medium-bodied weight, featuring super ripe, densely pixelated tannins that firmly frame the myriad of fruit and floral sparks, finishing with epic length. Just. Magic.”
Vinous 100 Points “The 2016 Cos d’Estournel was a bona fide showstopper out of barrel, the best that I had encountered in over 20 years of visiting the estate during en primeur, so my expectations were piled high when I returned to find out how it performs in bottle. Deep, almost opaque in color, it sports a very intense but broody bouquet with fathomless deep black fruit tinged with blueberry and violet. The aromas almost seem to envelop the senses. The palate is medium-bodied with ultra-fine tannin that I have never witnessed in any other vintage of Cos d’Estournel. There is a beguiling symmetry to this Saint-Estèphe, as well as unerring mineralité. The persistent, tobacco-tinged finish can be felt 60 second after the wine has departed. This is a monumental, benchmark Cos d’Estournel that will give not years but decades of pleasure, though I suspect it will close down for a period in its youth, hence my drinking window. 13.07% alcohol.”
 
Ducru Beaucaillou Saint-Julien 2018 750ml $269 special, 4 bottles available
Wine Enthusiast 100 Points, #6 Top 100 Cellar Selections in 2021 “Vintage 2018 was generous to the style of Ducru-Beaucaillou. The rich character of this wine is enhanced by the ripeness and concentration of the vintage, yet at the same time it keeps an amazing freshness. This will go down in the annals of this historic estate. It is not likely to approach drinkability before 2028. -Roger Voss”
Jeb Dunnuck 98+ Points “The Grand Vin 2018 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou checks in as 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot that was harvested at the end of September through October 10 and brought up all in new French oak. This is a gorgeous, incredibly complete, classic expression of this terroir, offering a heavenly nose of crème de cassis, cedarwood, unsmoked tobacco, new leather, spring flowers, chocolate, and a touch of chalky minerality. With full-bodied richness, a monster of a mid-palate, remarkable purity, and a great, great finish, it’s one of the most concentrated, impressive wines of the vintage, and might also be one of the longest lived. It actually reminds me of an improved version of the 1996 or a hypothetical mix of the 2010 and 2016. For the tech geeks out there, the IPT checks in at a massive 95 and the pH is 3.7.”
  
Chateau Leoville Poyferre St Julien 2015 1.5L $249 special, 8 bottles available
Jeb Dunnuck 97 Points “The 2015 Leoville Poyferre is cut from the same cloth as the 2016, yet is more sexy, rounded and opulent. Notes of cassis, licorice, crushed rocks, lead pencil shavings and graphite all emerge from this unctuous, ripe, pedal-to-the-metal beauty that’s absolutely loaded with fruit and texture. Reminding me of the 2003, yet only fresher, don’t miss this beauty. It should be drinkable in 3-4 years and last for 3-4 decades.”
 
Chateau Margaux 2014 750ml $499 special, 1 bottle available
Wine Enthusiast 97 Points “Cellar Selection. There is a sense of pure juicy black-currant fruit that shoots through this great wine. With tannins that are firm while not a jot too much, the wine is crisp, packed with fruit and set for many years of aging. It is beautiful, fruity and intensely structured. Drink from 2027.”
 
Chateau Mouton Rothschild Pauillac 2010 750ml $1199 special, 1 bottle available
Decanter 100 Points “Smoked grilled tar on the nose, it feels both very 2010 and supremely Mouton – accomplished and confident. A more glamorous, enticing edge than the other Pauillac Firsts at this 10 year window. There are plentiful tannins but they are lined with air, and the overall feel is of plush, plumped fruits, like being rolled-up in luxurious sheets. It is very different in character to the other two Pauillac Firsts, but no less enjoyable. It feels higher in alcohol, more Cos than Lafite in terms of personality, in the way that Pichon Baron is more Latour than Comtesse, but it is nuanced and clever and surprising. Drinking Window 2025 – 2050.”
Wine Spectator 99 Points “This remains the stunner, a battleship of a wine, brimming with cassis, blackberry and fig fruit that has melded together now, with the backdrop of alder, bay leaf and menthol starting to emerge a bit more. The long finish is loaded with grip, pulling the fruit and other components together. And then there’s that flash of iron at the very end. Awesome wine. Best from 2025 through 2060.”
 
Chateau Palmer Historical Xixth Century Blend 2016 $419 special, 3 bottles available
Winery Note “In fact, seeing a bottle of 19th century Lafite Hermitagé, as it is described on the label, gave me an idea, and from 2004 we produced a small quantity of what we call Historical 19th Century Wine. It’s Palmer plus 15% Syrah from the northern Rhône. It’s labelled as vin de table, so no one would ever mistake it for Palmer.”

Pichon Baron Pauillac 2016 750ml $199 special, 12 bottles available
Jeb Dunnuck 97 Points “The 2016 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron is beauty and is a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot that was brought up in 80% new French oak. Tasting like a hypothetical mix of the 2009 and 2010, its deep purple color is followed by a powerful yet sensationally pure bouquet of crème de cassis, blackberries, lead pencil shavings, and graphite, and is just about as quintessentially Pauillac as it gets. Full-bodied, fleshy and even a touch flamboyant, it has sweet tannins and a monster texture that coats the palate. Count me in as a huge fan. This fabulous wine will be relatively approachable in just 3-5 years but will age for 30 years or more.”
 
Pichon Baron Pauillac 2019 750ml $199 special, 10 bottles available
Wine Advocate 97-100 Points Lisa Perrotti-Brown “The 2019 Pichon-Longueville Baron is a blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon and 13% Merlot, harvested from the 18th of September to the 11th of October. It is being aged in French oak barrels, 80% new, for 18 months. This grand vin represents 49% of the harvest. Very deep purple-black in color, the nose skyrockets from the glass with vibrant scents of freshly crushed blackberries, black raspberries and blackcurrant pastilles followed by perfumed sparks of fragrant earth, clove oil, lilacs, crushed rocks, molten chocolate and cinnamon toast. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is packed with layer upon layer of black fruit, mineral and exotic spices, framed by beautifully ripe, finely-grained tannins and tons of freshness, finishing with a lingering soft-spoken whisper of floral and earth notions. This is an absolutely beguiling expression that is classic Pauillac, and yet it is Pauillac like no other.”
 
Pichon Lalande Pauillac 2016 750ml $319 special, 4 bottles available
Jeb Dunnuck 100 Points “Outer quote mark Coming from the genius winemaking talent of Nicolas Glumineau, the 2016 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande matches the 1982 and is a perfect, legendary wine in the making. A blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, and 4% Cabernet Franc brought up in 60% new oak, it’s not the most powerful Left Bank but offers perfect balance and thrilling intensity as well as heavenly aromatics of crème de cassis, leafy herbs, jammy blackberries, tobacco leaf, and freshly sharpened lead pencils as well as more violets and minerality with time in the glass. Possessing a deep, full-bodied, singular character, the purity of fruit that’s the hallmark of the vintage, building tannins, and a sense of class and elegance that’s hard to describe, it’s a 50-year-wine. While this cuvée has included a fair chunk of Merlot in the past that gave it more upfront appeal, it’s important for readers to know it’s much more Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated today, and while it is slightly more approachable than some of its neighbors, it shuts down rather quickly with time in the glass. (I followed this wine for multiple days.) I suspect a solid decade of cellaring is warranted.”
 
Pichon Lalande Pauillac 2018 750ml $279 special, 15 bottles available
#2 Wine Spectator – Wine Of The Year In 2021
Jeb Dunnuck  98+ Points “The 2018 Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse De Lalande is a monster of a wine with an almost Château Latour-like stature and structure, offering deep, backward, slightly reductive notes of blackcurrants, crushed stone, scorched earth, lead pencil shavings, and tobacco leaf. Based largely on Cabernet Sauvignon mixed with 23% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot, it’s full-bodied, concentrated, and powerful on the palate, with masses of tannins, beautiful mid-palate density, and a great finish. As I’ve commented previously, the up-front, sexy style of the past (due to the larger Merlot content, I believe) has been replaced by a more regal, at times austere profile. Nevertheless, it’s still its own wine and very Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande in style. This 2018 is going to need 5-7 years of bottle age and will evolve for 40+ years.”
 
Pichon Lalande Pauillac 2019 750ml $249 special, 5 bottles available
Jeb Dunnuck 99 Points “Pure class, the 2019 Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse De Lalande is another brilliant wine from director Nicolas Glumineau that checks in at the top of the vintage. A blend of 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, and 6% Cabernet Franc that was harvested from mid-September through October 8th. Brought up in roughly 60% new French oak, it hit 14.1% natural alcohol with a pH of 3.7. More elegant and poised from bottle than barrel, it offers a brilliant perfume of crème de cassis, lead pencil shavings, tobacco leaf, damp earth, and graphite. Deep, full-bodied, and pure perfection on the palate, it has this incredible marriage of Latour-like stature and regalness buffered by wonderful, sexy, seamless fruit, which no doubt comes from the higher Merlot content and makes Comtesse de Lalande so singular and unique. It builds slowly with time in the glass and has remarkable purity of fruit, ultra-fine tannins, perfect balance, and a finish that just begs you to pour another glass. It has a seductive, seamless profile that offers pleasure even today (although it needs lots of air to show at its best) yet needs 7-8 years of bottle age to hit the early stages of its prime drink window and will evolve for another 40-50 years if stored properly.”
 
Trotanoy Pomerol 2018 750ml $399 special, 4 bottles available
Jeb Dunnuck 100 Points “Another heavenly Pomerol in the vintage, the 2018 Château Trotanoy checks in as 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc brought up in (I suspect) lots of new French oak (although it’s certainly not apparent). Revealing a dense purple hue as well as a smorgasbord-like bouquet of blackcurrants, dried flowers, cured meats, violets, tobacco, and chocolate, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a sexy, seductive texture, building yet sweet tannins, and just a rich, concentrated, yet flawless profile on the palate that’s already impossible to resist. Nevertheless, a good 7-8 years of bottle age are warranted, and this magical elixir is going to evolve for 40 years or more.”
 
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