Vinopolis Newsletter – Wednesday 07/12/2023

3 DAY SALE
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Savings for Sale!
 

Waris-Hubert Blanche Bdb Millesime Extra Brut 2012 750ml WAS $79 Now $69 special, 23 bottles available
Importer note “To the eye, a luminous champagne, wrapped in a yellow robe with pronounced golden highlights. The first scents encompass the universe of herbal and garrigue flowers like lime blossom, eucalyptus and mint. Then, they give way to exotic fruits: pineapple, lychee and mango. On the palate the wine is tender and voluptuous. This gives it a silky, full-bodied dimension, thanks to yellow peach and apricot flavors. It is a profound wine with fine harmony and perfect balance.  The heady complexity of the 2012 vintage is perfectly expressed in this 2012 Blanche Millésime Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs from Waris-Hubert.”

 $85 ELSEWHERE IN THE USA
 

Waris-Hubert Grand Cru Bdb Brut Albescent NV 750ml WAS $59 Now $49 special, 19 bottles available
Importer Note “It has the finesse and exceptional potential of the Chardonnay Grand Cru of Côte des Blancs. To the eye, a pale golden robe with discrete green highlights. The wine’s aromas announce its extreme purity, airy dimension and elegance. Timid at first.  Then hazelnut and almond characterize the rich, creamy dimension of this cuvee. The mouthfeel is just as elegant as the aromas: one begins with lemon zest and white fruits’ aromas and tastes. Chrystalline, with barley sugar accents, it highlights our preferred grape variety, Chardonnay. An excellent dinner and aperitif wine.”
 
Waris-Hubert Grand Cru Bdb Lilayle NV 750ml WAS $59 Now $49 special, 20 bottles available
Importer note: “Pale golden colour with intense glints of emerald green. Fine and lively effervescence; lasting beads of bubbles. The aromas are elegant and expressive with a floral and springlike tone. Notes of lime blossom, mint and freshly mown grass develop, which evolve to white fruit and fresh Mirabelle plum. The scent of Viennese pastries and brioche fill the senses. The palate is full and with a rich attack. Firm and powerful. Dense in the evolution phase with lively lemon flavors, complimented by minerality and hints of wild citrus fruits. It’s the purity, and elegance of the chardonnay grand cru of the Côte des Blancs. Elegant and expressive.”

Isole E Olena Chianti Classico Gran Selezione 2015 WAS $89 NOW $79, 6 bottles
Vinous 96+ Points “The 2015 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione, essentially a selection of the best barrels of Cepparello, is a gorgeous wine. More than anything, the 2015 is remarkable considering the challenges of a growing season in which rain during harvest created significant challenges. Nevertheless, Paolo De Marchi coaxed all of the potential out of his vines in 2015, adding a good dollop of Petit Verdot to the Sangiovese in crafting the Gran Selezione. Dense, powerful and beautifully textured, with intense underpinnings of saline minerality. The 2015 has a brilliant future, but it won’t see the light until fall 2020 at the very earliest.”

Caiarossa Aria Di Caiarossa Toscana 2015 750ml WAS $33 NOW $29, 45 bottles available
Wine Advocate 92 Points “The selection of grapes in this blend has changed a bit, with much younger vines of Syrah, older Alicante vines, filled out by Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2015 Aria di Caiarossa goes through 20% new oak and shows a nice richness and velvety mouthfeel. It is immediate and exuberant and a bit sweeter than past vintages.”

Daniel-Etienne Defaix Chablis Les Lys 2006 750ml WAS $59 Now $49 special, 6 bottles available
Advocate 94 Points “The 2006 Chablis 1er Cru Les Lys is showing beautifully, offering up inviting aromas of pear, honeycomb, mandarin oil, warm bread and oyster shell. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and incisive, with an enveloping core of fruit, racy acids and a long, saline finish, it’s fleshy but controlled, with more texture than the Côte de Léchet and more structure than the Vaillons.”
 
Daniel-Etienne Defaix Chablis Vaillons 2008 750ml WAS $59 $49 special, 6 bottles available
Wine Advocate 94 Points “The 2008 Chablis 1er Cru Vaillon is a brilliant wine from Defaix. Unwinding in the glass with scents of citrus oil, drawn butter, clear honey and oyster shell, it’s medium to full-bodied, racy and chiseled, with a deep core of fruit, tangy acids and a long, saline finish. It’s already sold out at the domaine, but readers may be able to find bottles circulating on the marketplace.”
 
Caiarossa Toscana Rosso 2016 750ml WAS $66 NOW $59 special, 26 bottles available
Wine Advocate 96 Points “The 2016 Caiarossa will be released in September. This wine is a blend of seven grapes—42% Cabernet Franc, 25% Merlot, 15.5% Syrah, 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Petit Verdot, 4.5% Sangiovese and 1% Alicante. This vintage sees a slightly higher percentage of Cabernet Franc than usual, but I am told that the 2018 edition will see more Syrah instead. The bouquet presents a beautiful first wave of dark fruit that pushes the limits of ripeness but remains safely within the realm of elegance. The aromas are balanced and focused with blackberry, cassis, and light touches of salty or rusty mineral. The wine is not too constructed or big in the mouth, rather is shows a delicate level of elegances that absolutely seals the deal.”

Cantina Del Pino Barbaresco Ovello 2017 750ml WAS $59 NOW $49 special, 23 bottles available
Wine Advocate 94+ Points “Considering the untimely passing of Renato Vacca in March of 2020, there is a lot of emotion coming back to this wine: It has always been an expression of Barbaresco nostalgia and romanticism, even when its creator was alive and well, working in these vines located directly under his family house. The Cantina del Pino 2017 Barbaresco Ovello bears his winemaking imprint with balance and elegance that never misses a beat. This vintage offers more density and concentration for sure, and the positioning of the Ovello cru overlooking the Tanaro River Valley sets the wine up for open-knit characteristics and suave softness. Those impressions are amplified in this vintage but are not overblown.”

Luigi Baudana Barolo Baudana 2017 750ml WAS $79 NOW $69 special, 16 bottles available
Wine Enthusiast 96 Points “Balsamic aromas of camphor and cedar mingle with rose and leather on this full-boded, savory red. Structured and delicious, the juicy palate is still youthfully austere, delivering ripe Marasca cherry, crushed raspberry, baking spice and licorice framed in noble tannins before a black tea finish.”
 
Luigi Baudana Barolo Baudana 2018 750ml WAS 84.50 NOW $69 special, 17 bottles available
Wine Advocate 94 Points “With fruit from Serralunga d’Alba, the 2018 Barolo Baudana is a very different wine when compared to the other single-vineyard expressions from this estate. This has to do with site and soil, and in the case of this celebrated subzone, the wines are always more powerful, more structured and mineral-driven. Dark fruit is followed by rusty notes of iron ore and crushed clay. This wine offers good substance both in terms of finish and texture. Cascina Adelaide does a great job with the Baudana.”
 
Luigi Baudana Barolo Cerretta 2018 750ml WAS $79 NOW $69 special, 18 bottles available
Vinous 93 Points “The 2018 Barolo Cerretta is a potent, searing wine, its mid-weight structure notwithstanding. Scorching tannins wrap around a core of dark red/black fruit, gravel, smoke, crushed rocks, menthol, licorice and game. The 2018 is going to need a number of years to come around and for those formidable tannins to soften.”
 
Luigi Baudana Barolo Serralunga 2018 750ml WAS $59 NOW $51.50 special, 21 bottles available
Vinous 91 Points “The 2018 Barolo del Comune di Serralunga d’Alba is redolent of savory and ferrous notes woven into a core of dried red cherry fruit. Spice, mint and tobacco develop later, adding pretty shades of nuance. Readers will find a super-classic Serralunga Barolo, but one that won’t need more than a few years to be at its best.”

Mastrojanni Brunello Vigna Loreto 2015 750ml WAS $125 NOW $115 special, 23 bottles available
Wine Advocate 96 Points “The Mastrojanni 2015 Brunello di Montalcino Vigna Loreto shows a creamy and robust constitution with loads of black fruit and spice. If you are looking for a soft and more contemporary expression of Sangiovese, this will fit the bill. It offers profound richness and texture that is laced with black fruit, spice and tobacco. This wine moves one step beyond the comforting boundaries of Brunello in terms of both richness and extraction. If you are going to go big, you might as well do so in style. Only 8,000 bottles were released in January 2020.”
Vinous 96 Points “Mastrojanni’s 2015 Brunello di Montalcino Vigna Loreto shows depths of dusty red berry fruit and subtle spice, with minty herbs, crushed stone, sweet tobacco and the slightest hint of animal musk, all in a remarkably pretty expression. On the palate, I find silky textures with cool-toned red fruits, savory spice, saline-minerals, and energizing acidity, in an expression that is both polished yet also firmly rooted in the earth, as it glides effortlessly across the senses. The finish is long, showing ripe red fruits, salty-savory-minerals, leather, and wonderfully balanced tannins. It is so pleasurable already, yet full of potential.”
Wine Spectator 95 Points “Expressive aromas of strawberry, black cherry, black currant and rose are the hallmarks of this elegant Brunello. Though firm and slightly lean, this is balanced and possesses the requisite ripe fruit to match the dusty tannins. Lively acidity helps to keep this focused. Offers a long, mineral-tinged aftertaste. Best from 2023 through 2042.”
 
Rampolla Sammarco Toscana IGT 2017 750ml WAS $69 NOW $59 special, 20 bottles available
James Suckling 98 Points “Such beautiful balance and refinement to this legendary red with cherries, chocolate, walnuts, hazelnuts and autumn leaves. It’s medium to full-bodied with wonderful, creamy tannins and a persistent and complete finish. Better than the exquisite 2015? A blend of cabernet sauvignon, sangiovese and merlot. Needs three to four years to show all it has. Definitely one for the cellar.”
Wine Enthusiast 96 Points “A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and Merlot, this delicious, juicy red offers inviting aromas of new leather, blue flower, ripe black-skinned fruit and grilled herb. On the smooth, savory palate, tightly knit, fine-grained tannins seamlessly support fleshy black cherry, raspberry compote, licorice and tobacco before closing on a mocha note. Drink through 2029.”
 
Matrot Blagny La Piece Sous Le Bois 1er 2018 750ml WAS $79 NOW $69 special, 12 bottles available
Wine & Spirits 93 Points “This pinot noir grows in the same block as the chardonnay vines for Matrot’s Meursault-Blagny 1er Cru, high up the hill, at the border with Puligny. The thin soils leave the vines in close contact with limestone, providing a wine with buzzing energy and a delicate frame. This is a beautiful, old-fashioned Burgundy, its scent parallel to equally old-fashioned roses, its sleek raspberry and black-cherry flavors lasting with textural grace. The silken weave draws you into a wine that fells completely integrated, lovely to drink now and over the next five years.”
 
Merkelbach Kinheimer Rosenberg Auslese #1 2018 WAS $33 NOW $29 special, 31 bottles available
John Gilman 93 Points “The 2018 Rosenberg Auslese AP #1 from Alfred and Rolf Merkelbach is a beautiful wine in the making. The complex nose offers up a constellation of passion fruit, a hint of the yellow plum to come, incipient notes of honeycomb, salty minerality, violets, lavender and a gentle glaze of very clean botrytis. On the palate the wine is fullish, pure and nascently complex, with a lovely core of fruit, fine mineral undertow, bright acids and lovely length and grip on perfectly balanced and very promising finish. I have the impression this was made from very lightly botrytized fruit. It will want some bottle age before it really starts to blossom, but it will be a lovely bottle when it start to get rolling!”
 
Merkelbach Kinheimer Rosenberg Auslese #12 2018 WAS$33 NOW $29 special, 27 bottles available
John Gilman 93+ Points “The AP #12 Rosenberg Auslese is a bit more glazed in personality than the AP #1 version, but it is really a pristine coating of botrytis and one could not ask for better! The beautiful bouquet wafts from the glass in a blend of pear, white grape, lavender, violets, bee pollen, a lovely touch of minerality and a whiff of apple blossoms in the upper register. On the palate the wine is vibrant, fullish and complex, with zesty acids, excellent focus and grip, a superb core and a very long, filigreed and extremely classy finish. This is a beautiful wine in the making.”