In This Newsletter:
New Arrivals
Ar.Pe.Pe, Lisini, Kelley Fox, and more!
Re-Arrivals
Three from Andre Clouet
Pre-Arrivals
New releases from Envínate
LAST SPLASH OF SUMMER
Save up to 10% on Rose Wines
Close-out Sales
Oui, a selection of discounted French wine!
Collector’s Corner
EXCLUSIVE! 6 library selections from cult producers
New Arrivals
Italy
“Ar.Pe.Pe, Lombard”
“These wines from Ar.Pe.Pe (an abbreviation of founder Arturo Pelizzatti Perego’s initials) are among the most impressive I tasted… From top to bottom, the wines are deserving of serious attention. The super-traditional style will leave lovers of translucent Nebbiolo weak at the knees… perhaps most importantly, Ar.Pe.Pe shows just how pedigreed the wines of Valtellina can be.”
-Antonio Galloni
Ar.Pe.Pe Fiamme Antiche Valtelina Superiore 2017 750ml $59 special, 20 bottles availableWine Spectator 94 Points “A graceful, mineral-driven red, with seamless integration of the firm, fine-grained tannins and concentrated flavors of ripe raspberry, star anise, Earl Grey and red licorice. Light on its feet, this red boasts complexity and depth. Drink now through 2030.” Ar.Pe.Pe Grumello Rocca De Piro Superiore 2017 750ml $59 special, 24 bottles availableWine Spectator 95 Points “Wine Spectator 95 Points A fresh, focused red, with a subtle yet persistently fragrant thread of tobacco and spices winding through dried cherry and strawberry, tea rose, stone and smoke notes. Reveals supple tannins that firm the creamy, lasting finish. Tightly meshed yet still expressive, this should show well with short-term cellaring.”
“Azienda Agricola Lisini, Tuscany”
Lisini Brunello Di Montalcino DOCG 2018 750ml $59 special, 36 bottles availableDecanter 95 Points “Near Sant’Angelo in Colle, on the road that leads to Castelnuovo dell’Abate, Lisini is within the zone of Sesta. The estate preference is to pick quite late, and they are one of the last in the area to harvest. The relative ripeness and concentration is evident in 2018 but not at the expense of balance. In fact, Lisini’s Brunello is one of the vintage’s more exciting and profound wines. It opens slowly with hints of chestnut and smoke, then discloses dark cherry, iron and fragrant moist soil. Tannins are tightly stitched yet malleable, giving a satisfying mouthful. Finishes with a salty tang and mineral drive.”
Oregon
“Kelley Fox”
Kelley Fox Carter Vineyard Pinot Noir 2021 750ml $89 special, 12 bottles availableWinemaker’s Note “The 2021 is a transparent, deep red that is youthful with blue notes. The lush, fresh nose has rich red fruits, subtle spices, and minerals. In the mouth there is a powerful presence- a stillness- a restraint and a waiting- that is weightless. It’s full of strawberries and other berries (like Marionberries). This wine feels alive and ineffably beautiful.” Kelley Fox Durant Vineyard Chardonnay 2022 750ml $44.50 special, 24 bottles availableWinemaker’s Note “Its appearance is that of pale shimmering gold with brilliant transparency. This is a serious wine with great purity. The nose is filled with soft minerals, subtle tropical fruits, and hint of flowers. There is a coolness and freshness that reminds me of smelling the air above a spring in the mountains. This character continues in the mouth on a lovely frame and texture, ending with a mouth-watering, long finish.” Kelley Fox Freedom Hill Pinot Blanc 2022 750ml $36 special, 36 bottles availableWinemaker’s Note “The colour is a highly transparent, pale, brilliant lemon-yellow. The nose is full of subtle creamy citrus and tropical fruits with a hint of floral tones and powdery minerals and is incredibly inviting. The texture is light on its feet but has lovely heft. The mouth is much like the nose and is balanced with lovely tension and texture. This Pinot blanc is very clean on the palate, and long. I love how this turned out: the energy of ocean-fresh air and delicious fruit.” Kelley Fox Golden Crowned Sparrow Pinot Noir 2022 750ml $89 special, 12 bottles availableWinemaker’s Note “The Maresh Golden is a medium, youthful and rich blue-red with brilliant transparency. Of course, the nose is full of Hood strawberries with the cool freshness of rain and the Pacific Ocean in the spring air, along with dark red cherries and spice. This beautifully structured wine has disarming purity and weightless power.” Kelley Fox Maresh Royal Ann Block Pinot Noir 2021 750ml $89 special, 6 bottles available*Kelley’s last vintage for this block.Winemaker’s Note “True to the classic Maresh character, though, the nose and mouth are filled with muddled dew-fresh Oregon strawberries and hints of spice and blossoms. The nose also has powdery, soft minerals and disarming purity. The texture is silk, and the finish is very long. There is something ethereal and dreamy about this wine that is more about fluidity and movement than it is about still edges. This is my final bottling of this block, and I’ll deeply miss these vines.” Kelley Fox Weber Vineyard Pinot Noir 2021 750ml $89 special, 12 bottles availableNot yet reviewed, 2019 review provided for referenceVinous 96 Points [2019] “Bright scarlet. Deeply aromatic cherry cola, black raspberry, licorice and Asian spice scents, along with a smoky mineral topnote. Juicy and energetic on the palate, offering mineral- and spice-laced black raspberry, bitter cherry, rose pastille and botanical herb flavors that deepen steadily with air while maintaining energy. Delivers a superb blend of power and finesse, and finishes extremely long, with harmonious tannins and clinging cherry and spice notes.”
California
“Ridge Vineyards”
“Cambria Estate”
Cambria Katherine’s Vineyard Chard Santa Maria 2021 750ml $17.50 special, 36 bottles availableVinous 94 Points “The 2021 Chardonnay Katherine’s Vineyard is notable. Bright and chiseled, the 2021 bristles with tension. Citrus peel, chamomile, white flowers, mint and tangerine oil are some of the notes that grace this exquisite Santa Maria Chardonnay. Partial aging in steel keeps the flavors bright.”
France
“Domaine Arlaud, Burgundy”
Domaine Arlaud Clos Saint Denis 2021 750ml $599 special, 4 bottles availableVinous 96-98 points “The 2021 Clos Saint-Denis Grand Cru has what is often termed “transparency” on the entrancing nose, airy yet vigorous with lifted red berry fruit, petrichor and light citrus aromas. There’s just a hint of reduction but minor. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grain tannins, quite deep and intense, elegant and lightly spiced towards the persistent finish that lingers in the mouth. Unerringly symmetrical.“
Lowest price in USA
“Distillerie De Alps, Chambery”
“Domaine des Closiers, Loire”
Closing in on Clos Rougeard quality and costing much less…
Domaine des Closiers Saumur-Champigny ‘Les Coudraies’ 2020 750ml $44.50 special, 36+ bottles availableJohn Gilman 95 points “The Saumur-Champigny “les Coudraies” is one of the estate’s single vineyard wines, made from a selection of the best parcels in this hillside vineyard. The wine is aged in mostly older casks for one year prior to bottling. The 2020 les Coudraies comes in at fourteen percent octane and offers up a simply gorgeous bouquet of red and black cherries, cigar wrapper, a touch of tree bark, a complex base of soil tones, juniper berry, a touch of cedar and a smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and very elegant in profile, with a rock solid core of fruit, firm, buried tannins, excellent focus and grip and a long, complex and very, very promising finish. This is a great bottle of Saumur-Champigny in the making!”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $51
Domaine des Closiers Saumur-Champigny ‘Les Closiers’ 2020 750ml $33 special, 12 bottles availableWine Advocate 92 points “The finish is pure and fleshy and reveals fine and stimulating tannins. It’s impossible not to love this 2020 that was macerated for a month and then aged in vats for approximately 10 months. Nothing added here apart from small quantities of sulfur dioxide.”
Spain
Raul Perez Ultreia Saint Jacques Bierzo 2020 750ml $21.90 special, 18 bottles availableWine Advocate 93-94 Points “They had not bottled the 2020 Ultreia Saint Jacques yet and were still waiting for the labels (and they label the day after they bottle), so I caught an unbottled sample that was very tender and fruit-driven, primary and quite open. He used more stems and full clusters in 2020, and since 2018, they have removed the percentage of white grapes that used to be included in the wine. It’s a little more Mediterranean, with aromatic herbs and a more powerful palate.”
Re-Arrivals
“Champagne Andre Clouet”
Andre Clouet Brut Grande Reserve NV 750ml $39 special, 36 bottles availableDecanter 92 Points “[Reviewed 2021] Incredible value for a blanc de noirs (100% Pinot Noir) grower Champagne from the grand cru vineyards of Bouzy. It shows gorgeous aromas of stone fruit, citrus and strawberry, with complex brioche nuances, remarkable balance, ongoing elegance and a rich, refined, persistent finish. Drinking Window 2021 – 2026.” Andre Clouet Brut un Jour de 1911 NV 750ml $85 special, 36+ bottles availableWine Advocate 96 Points “[Reviewed 2021] The NV Un jour de 1911… is another 100% Bouzy Pinot Noir with an ancient label design. The shining golden-colored cuvée combines ripeness, complexity and finesse with intensity and elegance on both the nose and palate. It’s a powerful and rich yet very fine and balanced Champagne with great freshness and complex length. It is juicy and intense but also highly delicate, and its mineral tension and persistent finish make it a first-class wine for elaborate dishes. A great Champagne, with a label that doesn’t give any more detailed information regarding vintages or disgorgement date, but we know it’s always a 50/50 blend of three vintages (including one great millésime at least 10 years old) and reserve wines from a solera system. I tasted the wine as a Brut with Clouet’s German importer in Bremen. You shouldn’t drink it too early, as it would be a waste of its talents. –Stephan Reinhardt.” Andre Clouet Dream Vintage 2008 750ml $85 special, 36 bottles availableJames Suckling 96 Points “Such a classic Blanc de Blancs champagne with the special elegance, brilliance and minerality of the 2008 vintage. Very well structured, but without the austere acidity structure that some 2008s have. Long and very clean finish that sends you back to the glass. 100% chardonnay. Drink or hold.”
“Torre Dei Beati, Abruzzo”
Torre Beati Bianchi Grilli Trebbiano Abruzzo 2020 750ml $26 special, 18 bottles availableVinous 93 Points “A captivating mix of lemon oils, tangerine and dried peaches wafts up from the wickedly fresh 2020 Trebbiano d’Abruzzo Bianchi Grilli Per La Testa. It envelopes the palate with glycerol textures, initially seeming almost tropical in character, yet it quickly gains tension through a mix of saline-mineral tones and tart orchard fruits. There’s a reverberation of tension through the finale, along with a salty flourish, as exotic florals slowly taper off. The harmony here is remarkable; the 2020 has the fruit of a warm vintage with the structure and depth of a cool vintage. After seven days of skin-contact fermentation, about 20% of the Bianchi Grilli is matured in Acacia barrels with the bulk of it in Stainless steel. It’s a unique expression of Trebbiano that should not be missed. –Eric Guido.”
Pre-Arrivals
Arriving October 13th
Envinate Lousas Vinas de Aldea 2021 750ml $44.50 special, 24 bottles availableEnvinate Lousas Vinas de Aldea 2021 1.5L $99 special, 3 bottles availableNo reviews for the 2021 vintage yet, 2020 vintage review provided for reference.Wine Advocate 93+ Points “The 2020 Lousas Viñas de Aldea is slightly higher in alcohol and has less freshness than the 2019. It was a very early harvest (September 2nd to 14th), and they kept 20% of the wine in concrete and the rest in oak barrels and 2,000-liter oak foudres for 11 months. The grapes were very small, so the ratio of juice to skin was different from 2019. The wines from 2020 had less maceration and more stems; they have more bones but are still fluid, with some dusty tannins.” Envinate Lousas Doad 2021 750ml $59 special, 6 bottles availableWine Notes “89% Mencía, 10% other varieties (Garnacha Tintorera, Brancellao, Merenzao, Grao Negro, etc).” Envinate Lousas Rosende 2021 750ml $54.50 special, 6 bottles availableWine Notes “85% Mencía, 15% other varieties (Garnacha Tintorera, Brancellao, Merenzao, Grao Negro, etc).” Envinate Lousas Misturado de Abeleda 2021 750ml $54.50 special, 12 bottles availableWine Notes “This wine is a field blend, with about 65% red grapes (Mencia, Brancellao, Alicante Bouschet, Mouraton, Gran Negro) and 35% white grapes (Godello, Torrontes, Treixadura, Albariño, Doña Branca).”
Last Splash of Summer…
Save up to 10% on Rosé—ENDS MONDAY @6pm
Buy any 6-11 bottles for a 5% discount
Buy any 12+ bottles for a 10% discount
Does not apply to CLOSE-OUT wines
Font-Mars Clemence Rose 2022 750ml $14 special, 34 bottles availableVinopolnote “100% Syrah. Ripe cherry and peach aromas and flavors are complemented by subtle florality. A rich, open-knit style that shows good breadth. Finishes smooth and vaguely warm, leaving a jammy red fruit note behind.” Grands Bois Cotes Du Rhone Rose 2022 750ml $14 special, 21 bottles availableVinopolnote “Lively aromas of red berry and clementine, with accents of anise and honey. On the palate, a beautiful and concentrated blend of strawberry, orange, and nectarine, with subtle floral notes emerging from the background. A nice balance of energy and substance, with a lengthy lavender-tinged finish.” Domaines Ott By.Ott Cotes Provence Rose 2022 750ml $24 special, 36+ bottles availableVinopolnote “Pale and pretty in crystal-clear pink with orange undertones. The nose is delicate and fruity with notes of white peach and apricot mixed with passion fruit and mango. The taste is full, fresh and crisp with echoes of the fruity aroma amplified by citrus zest and sweet spices (cinnamon and cardamom).” Ameztoi Txakolina Rubentis Rosado 2022 750ml $24 special, 36+ bottles availableVinopolnote “The iconic Ameztoi Rubentis rosé is a field blend of the local, indigenous Hondarrabi Zuri and Hondarrabi Beltza varieties, grown on traditional trellises high on the slopes rising above Getaria, an ancient Basque fishing village on Spain’s rugged northern coast.” Domaine La Bastide Blanche Bandol Rose 2022 750ml $26 special, 56 bottles availableNot yet reviewed, 2021 review provided for referenceVinous 92 Points [2021] “Light, bright orange. Vibrant pomegranate, blood orange and pit fruit qualities on the highly perfumed nose, along with building mineral and floral accents. Taut and focused in the mouth, nicely concentrated red berry, orange zest and lavender flavors are supported by an undercurrent of chalky minerality. Finishes floral and long, with repeating mineral and citrus fruit notes.” Chateau Pradeaux Bandol Rose 2022 750ml $29.50 special, 29 bottles availableChateau Pradeaux Bandol Rose 2022 1.5L $69 special, 3 bottles availableWine Advocate 93 Points “Cyrille Portalis has crafted an outstanding 2022 Bandol Rose. With a harmonious bouquet and aromas of red berries, spices, iodine, jasmine, wild strawberry and menthol, it’s round and supple, medium to full-bodied, layered and textured, with mineral acidity and an ethereal yet lively finish. This blend of 80% Mourvèdre and 20% Cinsault tastes like the essence of Bandol rosé.” Clos Cibonne Tibouren Provence Rose Vignettes 2021 750ml $51.90 special, 33 bottles availableWine Advocate 94 Points “The 2021 Cotes de Provence Rose Cuvee Speciale des Vignettes was produced with the oldest Tibouren vines of Clos Cibonne and matured in old barrels. It has a delicate, refined bouquet with aromas of spring flowers, garrigue, red berries, tonca bean and iodine as well as delicate oaky hints. Medium to full-bodied, lively and delicate, it has a lively, fine acidity structure and perfectly well-integrated oaky notes. Perfectly ripe, it will offer a broad drinking window.” Domaines Ott Chateau Romassan Rose 2022 750ml $51.90 special, 36+ bottles availableVinous 93+ Points “The 2022 Rosé Clos Mireille Cru Classé is dreamy, wafting up with a perfumed blend of nectarine, sweet white flowers and white strawberry. The 2022 cleans up beautifully as inner florals and confectionary spice echo throughout. This is a gorgeous Rosé today, yet it should evolve beautifully.”
Close-out Rosés:
Not included in the sale but already marked off up to 15%
Commanderie Bargemone Marina Provence Rose 2022 750ml WAS $39 NOW $33 special, 12 bottles availableVinous 93 Points “The 2022 Rosé Cuvée Marina Collection is a pale pink with orange hues. It entices with a subtle blend of white cherries, spice, orange zests and wet stone. This is texturally thrilling, silky verging on oily with vibrant acidity that adds abundant energy. Ripe orchard fruits and strawberry tones swirl across a core of tactile minerality.” Bagnol Cassis Rose 2021 750ml WAS $36 NOW $29 special, 17 bottles availableRosenthal Wine Merchant Note “The Rosé is produced from several parcels that comprise slightly less than 7 hectares of vineyards. The blend is Grenache (55%), Mourvedre (31%) and Cinsault (14%). Beurer Rose Trocken Wurttemberg, Germany 2021 WAS $24 NOW $19 special, 36+ bottles availableVom Boden Importer Note “Beurer makes a rosé that drinks like biodynamic Gatorade – this wine zings: it is pure energy. It is fresh like a spring garden around 6am just as the overeager sun pokes its gonzo eye above the horizon, pushing away the wet dew. This rosé is a saignée of Trollinger, Portugieser, Zweigelt and Spätburgunder, all farmed biodynamically and fermented with native yeast.” Chateau Margilliere Bastide Provence Rose 2021 750ml WAS $16 NOW $14 special, 17 bottles availableWinery Note “A robe of very pale and attractive pink. Expressive of a wild strawberry, the nose reveals a hint of grapefruit. A large and delicate mouth for the pleasure of the buds, with aromas of raspberry and jasmine.” Certified organic. St Damien Gigondas Rose 2021 750ml WAS $28 NOW $21.90 special, 23 bottles availableWine Advocate “The medium salmon-hued 2021 Gigondas Rose features scents of pink grapefruit, guava and melon. A blend of 50% Cinsault, 30% Mourvèdre and 20% Grenache, it’s medium-bodied, with a lovely, silky texture and a long finish that echoes of crushed stone and paraffin.”
Close-out Sales
“Oui, a selection of discounted French wines!”
Bordeaux
Beau Buisson Bordeaux Rouge 2020 750ml WAS $16 NOW $11.90 special, 22 bottles availableBeau Buisson Bordeaux Rouge 2020 case of 12 750ml bottles WAS $149 NOW $119 special, 5 bottles availableSilver Medal Gilbert & Gaiillard International ChallengeLocated approximately 10 miles east south-east of St Emilion, an enjoyable sipper at cooking wine price. Swirl your first sip in your palate and the red berry flavors will unfold.
Champagne
Guy Charlemagne Brut Mesnillesime Grand Cru 2014 750ml WAS $119 NOW $99 special, 36 bottles availableWinery Note “A Grand Champagne with character from the Côte des Blancs terroir, specifically from Le Mesnil sur Oger (limestone parcels averaging 60 years of age). This champagne produced from first press of Le Mesnil sur Oger Grand Cru juices, highlights the exact characteristic of our village. Jewel of the Charlemagne house, this vintage wine combines both authenticity and the search for perfect quality.” Guy Charlemagne Brut Nature NV 750ml WAS $49 NOW $41.90 17 bottles availableWine Enthusiast 92 Points “Produced from grapes grown in the Côte de Sézanne, south of Epernay, this blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir is properly dry. With acidity, the crispest white fruits and a taut, edgy texture, this bottling is young and will develop well as it matures, bringing out toastiness. Drink from 2020. -Roger Voss” Winery Note “For lovers of pure sensation, we have created this Brut Nature, Champagne without sugar, a blend of 70% Chardonnay and 30% Pinot Noir. This champagne, clean and fresh, reveals all the expression of the terroir and grapes from Sézanne Straw yellow colour. Steadily rising bubbles. Floral (white flowers) and fresh nose with light, intense and rising fruit aromas. Rich smooth with grapefruit aromas. Very good length that ends on a fresh note. Ideal aperitif wine or with seafood and fishes.” Guy Charlemagne Brut Rose NV 750ml WAS $59 NOW $49 13 bottles availableWine Enthusiast 90 Points “A beautifully balanced wine, this has great freshness from the red-currant flavors along with a tight, zesty texture and finishes with great acidity. This bottling is ready to drink now. -Roger Voss” Winery Note “This Champagne is made with our vineyards from Mancy and Cuis, with a chalky-clay soil. It is produced 100% from Pinot Noir. Its color is obtained by macerating the grapes with the juice, giving it the colour typical of « rosé de saignée ». Its nose is particularly marked by red berry notes. Elaborated in thermo regulated stainless steel and matured 2 years in our underground cellars, the Brut rosé with its subtle 8 grams per liter dosage is the fruit of a rigorous vinification. It is the ideal wine with which to celebrate the most beautiful emotions… A fine stream of bubbles underline a deep rose colour. The warm nose shows ripe berry aromas (blackberries) and cherries in alcohol. Its’ elegant mouth is dominated by cassis, blackberry and strawberry jam notes.”
Loire
Bernard Baudry Chinon Le Domaine Rouge 2019 750ml WAS $26 NOW $21.90 special, 36+ bottlesVinous 90 Points “The 2019 Chinon Le Domaine provides excellent concentration of fruit while remaining light on its feet. As well as bright primary fruit, it offers smoky bacon, spice and medicinal characters. There’s lovely sappy texture on the finish, which Baudry puts down to the limestone soils of the Chinon plateau that typically grip the side of the mouth. You can enjoy this in its youth, but it has an additional element of seriousness that means its future will stretch out to the medium term.” Bernard Baudry Chinon Clos Guillot 2020 750ml WAS $39 NOW $33 special, 34 bottles availableVinous 93 Points “Hailing from the limestone-clay slopes on the outskirts of Chinon town, home to other famous vineyards like Clos de l’Olive and Chêne Vert, Le Clos Guillot 2020 offers a cloud of Cabernet Franc fruit with fine refreshing acidity. Savory, silken and seductive, the wine is flooded with a stream of acidity. It is a calm wine with a mass of chalky tannins that coat the palate reassuringly. The finish is long, quiet and scented with dark raspberries and spice. There is a minor complaint of a touch of dryness at the very end of this wine.”
Burgundy
Joseph Faiveley Bourgogne Rouge 2020 750ml WAS $26 NOW $21.90 special, 14 bottles availableFalstaff Magazine 90 Points “[Translated] Medium ruby garnet and violet reflections. Fine herbal spices, dark wild berries, a hint of cranberries, tobacco nuances. Medium body, red fruit, integrated tannins, mineral aftertaste, versatile and fresh.” La Chablisienne Chablis L’Homme Mort 1er Cru 2019 750ml WAS $39 NOW $34.50 special, 21 bottles available Domaine d’Henri Chablis L’Homme Mort VV 2017 750ml WAS $47.50 NOW $41.90 special, 14 bottles availableWinery Note “Planted in 1970, this parcel reflects the nobility of the Fourchaume appellation, with notes of forest floor and a racy, balanced palate, underlined by a good acidity. The Kimmeridgian escarpment of Fourchaume is reputed to produce some of the best Chablis wines and the South West exposure of the vines means that they bask in the warm afternoon sun. Vinified in stainless steel tanks (75%) to preserve the minerality and freshness, and in oak barrels (25%) of 228-litres so as to add more complex notes, this wine will continue to improve for the next 15 years or so. Serve at 14-15°C, this wine will benefit from being decanted 15 minutes before serving to allow the aromas to develop. The perfect partner for turbot or a grilled côte de veau.” Philippe Colin St Aubin Les Combes 1er Cru 2017 WAS $59 NOW $49 special, 17 bottles availableWine Spectator 93 Points “A sleek, supple white, with a velvety texture complementing the white peach, lemon tart, pastry and vanilla flavors. Harmonious and long, this ends with subtle, woody tannins and toast and spice elements. Fine intensity.”
Collector’s CornerEXCLUSIVE! 8 Library Selections from Cult Producers
Clos Rougeard Les Poyeux 2012 Saumur-Champigny 750ml $299 special, 1 bottle availableJancis Robinson “So seductive on the nose, so complex. Delicate start of maturity, with those hints of undergrowth but so much more. An amazing combination of sweet mature and fresh fruit — ripe but not an iota of overripeness. Very very fine tannic texture. Amazing gentleness and silky length. A wine for love. 18/20 points.” Bonneau Du Martray Corton Charlemagne 2016 750ml $400 special, 1 bottle availableIntl Wine Cellar 95 Points “Outer quote mark Pale yellow-green. High-pitched aromas of citrus peel, menthol, lavender and white pepper. Extremely tight without coming across as austere, conveying striking purity to its bracing flavors of grapefruit pith, lemon and crushed stone. Adamant minerality gives this very dense wine terrific inner-mouth tension and yet there’s an element of leavening sweetness here as well, not to mention compelling floral perfume throughout. This wonderfully smooth, rich yet weightless wine really dances on the palate, spreading out on the unflagging back end to saturate every square millimeter of the mouth. Cellarmaster Emmanuel Hautus compared this wine to the 2009 in its combination of richness, early appeal and potential longevity.” Vincent Dauvissat La Forest 2020 750ml $189 special, 1 bottle availableWine Advocate 95 Points “A striking young wine, Dauvissat’s brilliant 2020 Chablis 1er Cru La Forest unfurls in the glass with aromas of crisp orchard fruit, orange oil, pear, oyster shell, freshly baked bread and smoke, framed by a deft touch of reduction. Medium to full-bodied, deep and multidimensional, it’s taut and concentrated, with racy acids, chalky structuring and a long, searingly mineral finish. Recent years have delivered so many brilliant renditions of La Forest that it’s hard to pick a favorite between the likes of 2008, 2014, 2017 and 2019, but the 2020 is certainly a worthy entrant into the competition, and it’s worth a special effort to seek out.” Vincent Dauvissat La Forest 2021 750ml $189 special, 1 bottle availableDecanter 95 Points “TOP QUALITY PRODUCER. One of the Dauvissat specialities, the La Forest is a triumph in 2021. From seven small parcels, the total site is less than 1ha with average vine age more than 40 years. Intriguing, slightly smoky nose, highly distinctive and different to others in the range. Plenty of power, ripe stone fruit flavours, zesty citrus acidity with a herbaceous edge adding an extra dimension. Definitely of grand cru quality.” Hubert Lamy Frionnes 2017 3L $599 special, 1 bottle availableWine Notes From the importer “One would be hard pressed to find a better white wine maker in all of Burgundy than Olivier Lamy. Most of his holdings are located in the so-called “secondary” appellation of Saint-Aubin, with only a few wines outside of the appellation. What Olivier is able to accomplish in Saint-Aubin makes you wonder what he could do with prime spots in Meursault, Corton-Charlemagne, the Montrachets or even Chablis. Olivier is intense, and his wines are the same. It used to be said that his wines are expensive for Saint-Aubin, but for wines this great, I say they are the best deal in Burgundy. For us, he is as special as it gets. Sadly, the quantities of his wines that we get are minuscule as high demand for the wines worldwide make it difficult for anyone to acquire much.” Screaming Eagle The Flight 2019 750ml $999 special, 5 bottles availableJames Suckling 99 Points “Extremely floral and aromatic with violets and lavender throughout. Black olives, too. It’s medium-to full-bodied with firm, very fine-grained tannins that run the length of the wine. Goes on for minutes. A greenish undertone comes out at the end with some spearmint, green tea and green olive. About two-thirds merlot. Best after 2028, but already stunning.”
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