Vinopolis Newsletter – Friday 1/5/2024

FRANCE

    An iconic chateau that dates back to the 18th century, this Moulin-a-Vent based winery is currently owned and operated by top Burgundy house Louis Jadot, whose influence has brought these wines to their highest level of quality yet!
 
A few steps away from the windmill itself, and separated from the la Roche vineyard by a small road, the Clos du grand Carquelin faces a little bit more towards the south and offers a different personality. Here the soil is made of granitic sands and is deeper (60m) and more clayish.
Louis Jadot Chateau des Jacques Moulin-a-Vent Clos du Grand Carquelin, Beaujolais, France 2021 750ml $49 special, 11 bottles available
James Suckling 94 Points “Stunning nose of violets and amarena cherry! Ripe and concentrated with plenty of fine tannins and an acidity that’s extremely elegant for the 2021 vintage. Very long finish with stacks of wet stone and licorice character, plus a touch of vanilla. Excellent aging potential. Drink or hold.”

Best price in the United States

This vineyard shows a high point of 361 metres above sea level. (Au Mont is the effective name of this place). Some blocks of “gray rocks” are emerging in the middle of our vine rows. On these steep slopes, facing South-East, the soils, made of shallow pink granite sand, with some quartz, are very draining These conditions, combined with the winds, altitude and optimal orientation offer very concentrated wines, but with always a bit of freshness and elegance.
Louis Jadot Chateau des Jacques Moulin-a-Vent Clos de Rochegres, Beaujolais, France 2021 750ml $41.90 special, 12 bottles available
Not Reviewed yet, 2020 review supplied for reference
James Suckling 93 Points “The deep blueberry nose pulls you into this remarkably ripe and beautifully balanced 2021 Moulin-a-Vent that has what we look for in single-vineyard wines from this appellation. Gentle entry, then plenty of fine tannins at the long, velvety finish where there’s some crushed stone minerality. Drink or hold.”

Best Price on the West Coast

 

 

JL Chave Selection, Côtes-du-Rhône ‘Mon Coeur’ Rhône Valley, France 2021 750ml $19.90 special, 11 bottles available
GrapeLive 91 Points The dark and complex 2020 J.L. Chave Sélection Côtes-du- Rhône “Mon Coeur” is crafted from a mix of varietals, with usually close to 60% Grenache, 30% Syrah, and 10% of Mourvèdre and Cinsault, all from a unique areas in the Vaucluse, including Visan, Vinsobres, Cairanne, and Rasteau, all historic Rhône terroirs, with vines between 20 and 60 years old on mostly clay and limestone soils. This vintage is ultra-deep and luxurious on the palate, with the Syrah clearly in evidence with loads of blueberry, violets and cassis on the full bodied palate, making for a wine that way over delivers for the price, as you’d expect from one the world’s great vignerons. As it opened in the glass and accompanying the meal, there was more thick Grenache fruit, plum, boysenberry and cherry and the tannin melted away nicely and allowed fabulous concentration and pleasure to flow, as well as a subtle lift of acidity, savory notes, grilled herbs de Provence, licorice and peppery spices. Definitely a serious vintage for the Chave Mon Coeur, making it a savvy buy as always, it will appeal to those that are bargain hunters and those that typically grab Gigondas and Vacqueyras reds. I have been drinking Mon Coeur since the early 2000s, so it’s weird I hardly mention it, when it is such an excellent choice, my bad.
 
One of France’s most celebrated and respected winemakers, Jean-Louis Chave, famous for his iconic Hermitage Rouge and Hermitage Blanc masterpieces, took his family’s domaine in 1993 and rose to international fame in very short order and continues to be one of the Rhône’s leading lights. Chave, whose family date back to 1481 in the Rhône is mostly known for his Hermitage offerings, does an estate Saint-Joseph and the J. L. Chave Selection series of négociant wines, as seen here, but all are organic and small yielding parcels used. The first of the Jean-Louis Chave Selection wines was from the 1995 vintage and it was from St. Joseph grapes, purchased from small growers there, starting a highly successful run of value packed offerings that now include this Côtes-du-Rhône Mon Coeur, the equally delicious Offerus from the mentioned Saint-Joseph, a Saint-Joseph Blanc, a Crozes-Hermitage Rouge, a Crozes Blanc, a Hermitage Blanc (purchased grapes) and the Farconnet Hermitage Rouge, as well as the single cru Clos Florentin Saint-Joseph, a really stunning pure Syrah that flies under the radar. The Mon Coeur Côtes-du-Rhône is fermented exclusively in stainless steel using de-stemmed grapes and then aged in a combination of wood, with old and new demi-muids and large foudres mostly, at Chave’s restored cellar at Le Clos in in Mauves, Saint-Joseph. What’s not to love here?”

 

 
 

 

We who love wine know that there is no such thing as a “next Burgundy,” that such proclamations are marketing pure and simple. Many regions are calling themselves the next Burgundy. But if you want to partake in a wine region whose approach reflects a Burgundian focus on terroir and cultivation I highly encourage a trip to Sierra de Gredos ASAP.
 
The Sierra de Gredos is a mountain range west of Madrid with a climate equal parts Mediterranean and Alpine, the Sierra de Gredos spans three viticultural regions (Méntrida, Vinos de Madrid, and Castilla y León) but represents a terroir all their own. For this reason, the area has become a hotspot of new activity despite not having a legal appellation of its own.
 
It may be a complicated affair, but the best things in life often are. Like a speak-easy or private dining club, these wines feel like a well-kept secret. It is our pleasure to share them with you.
 
 

 
“They seem to go from strength to strength and are getting closer to their goal with some of their wines achieving world-class status! One of the most exciting new projects not only in Gredos, but in the whole of Spain!”– Luis Gutierrez
 
Biodynamic, high-altitude Garnacha with an almost Burgundian focus on terroir? Sign us up! Daniel Landi’s namesake winery is a top notch representations of what Sierra de Gredos has to offer.
 
Daniel Landi ‘Cantos del Diablo’, Mentrida, Spain 2017 750ml $79 special, 8 bottles available
Luis Gutierrez-Wine Advocate 94+ Points “The single-vineyard 2017 Cantos del Diablo was produced with the grapes from 0.35 hectares in the village of El Real de San Vicente (Toledo), the highest vineyard in the Méntrida appellation. It’s a north-facing plot at 900 meters in altitude that was planted some 70 years ago on sandy granite soils rich in silt and is worked biodynamically. The grapes, with all the stems, fermented with indigenous yeasts in oak vats, and the wine matured in a 1,200-liter oak foudre for 12 months. This was one of the few villages from Gredos that escaped the hail and frost, and it was a dry year, so harvesting was early (10 to 15 days earlier compared with a “normal” vintage!). It’s aromatic and floral but has the austerity of the wines from El Real de San Vicente as well as a texture like liquid chalk and very fine, powdery tannins. It’s clean and ripe without excess, with a nice combination of fruit and minerality, really balanced, with intensity and finesse. Excellent 2017! 1,362 bottles were filled in March 2019.”
 
Daniel Landi Las Uvas de La Ira Garnacha, Mentrida, Spain 2018 750ml $31.90 special, 26 bottles available
Luis Gutierrez-Wine Advocate 93 Points “The red 2018 Las Uvas de la Ira has been produced with Garnacha from the same five vineyards since the initial vintage (2012) in the village of El Real de San Vicente, which is one of the villages from Méntrida (Toledo) that are part of the Gredos Mountains. The vines range between 40 and 65 years of age, and they are located at around 750 meters in altitude on sandy granite soils with lots of silt. The different vineyards are fermented separately in oak vats with indigenous yeasts and a very gentle vinification, one-third with very long macerations to provide structure and depth, one-third with a very short maceration to provide fragrance, and the remaining third finished the fermentation without skins (like a white) to add juiciness. The élevage is in oak foudres of different sizes, from 1,500 to 4,000 liters. This is a little less aromatic and more austere but very focused and bright, from a village where the wines are serious and have a chalky texture, less floral but more citrus, a bit more backward. It has a compact palate, with very fine tannins and a more chalky finish. It’s interesting to taste it next to wines from other villages, as you clearly see the difference. 18,700 bottles produced. It was bottled in August 2019.”
 
These are the best prices in the United States for these wines!
 
Daniel Landi ‘Cantos del Diablo’, Mentrida, Spain 2018 750ml $119 special, 8 bottles available
Luis Gutierrez-Wine Advocate 95 Points “The single-vineyard 2018 Cantos del Diablo was produced with the grapes from 0.35 hectares of 70-year-old Garnacha in the village of El Real de San Vicente (Toledo) at 900 meters in altitude, the highest vineyard in the Méntrida appellation. It’s a north-facing plot on sandy granite soils with lots of silt that deliver chalky tannins and a citrus freshness in the wine. The whole clusters fermented with indigenous yeasts in oak vats with a long maceration followed by an élevage in a 1,400-liter oak foudre for 12 months. This was extremely closed, even after a long time in the glass. It’s a vineyard that delivers more reductive wines (matchstick) with a strict palate and a strong mineral sensation. 1,620 bottles were filled in March 2020.”

 

 
Have you ever gone on vacation to a wonderful, beautiful place and then spent a good chunk of your precious time there thinking up ways to stay there permanently? Well, the friends behind the fabulous Spanish winery “4 Monos Viticultores” managed to do just that on a hiking trip through Sierra de Gredos.
 
As winemakers they employ a minimalist approach to ensure that the terroir they fell in love with speaks for itself. Their bottlings are pulled from villages that belong to the Sierra de Gredos and their “GR10” wines (presented below) are a blend of wines pulled from multiple villages across different appellations within the region.
 
This Village level white from Cadalso de los Vidrios and San Martín de Valdeiglesias features cold-macerated whole cluster pressing, producing a fresh white wine with lovely aromatics and drinkability.
4 Monos Viticultores ‘GR10’ Vino Blanco de la Sierra de Gredos, Spain 2021 750ml $26.50 special, 3 bottles available
Wine Advocate 91+ Points “The regional white 2021 GR-10 Blanco was produced with 60% Albillo Real and 15% Viura, with the remaining 25% composed of a mixture of varieties including Moscatel and Chelva Rosa from different vineyards in Cadalso de los Vidrios and San Martín de Valdeiglesias. It’s a little lighter than the wines produced with pure Albillo, with 13.5% alcohol. It’s a refreshing white with good balance and acidity. This fermented in a mixture of barrels and stainless steel and matured in used barrels for six months. The varietal mix changes here quite a lot, and so does the character of the wine. This feels fresher (it does have less alcohol), but the effect of the skin contact is also more noticeable; it’s a little cloudier and feels a bit wilder, and the chalky sensation is also stronger (it did have more skin contact than the 2020). It also comes through as a little funkier (but I like it!). 2,997 bottles were filled in August 2022.”
 
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This Village level red from Cadalso de los Vidrios, San Martín de Valdeiglesias & Cenicientos features 50% whole cluster and 50% de-stemmed grapes ensuring a lively, fresh, and focused expression of the region’s granitic soils and high elevation vineyards.
4 Monos Viticultores ‘GR10’ Vino Tinto de la Sierra de Gredos, Spain 2020 750ml $24.50 special, 6 bottles available
Wine Advocate 92 Points “The 2020 GR-10 Tinto was produced with 92% Garnacha and 8% Cariñena from different vineyards in the villages of San Martin de Valdeiglesias, Cenicientos and Cadalso de los Vidrios. It fermented with full clusters and matured for nine months in barrels of different sizes and one 4,200-liter oak vat. It has 13.5% alcohol and very good freshness, but it’s a little darker than the 2021 I tasted next to it. It also comes through as riper, as it was a slow-ripening year that allowed them to wait for rounder tannins. They did a little longer maceration, and the wine is more structured and should be long lived. 13,950 bottles produced. It was bottled in September 20221.”
 
Best price in the United States
 
 

 

The Great Vinopolis Rosé Sale!



ENDS TOMORROW AT 9am
 
5% off any 1-6 bottles of in-stock rosé wine
10% off any 7-23 bottles of in-stock rosé wine
15% off any 24+ bottles of in-stock rosé wine
 
Offer does not apply to sparkling rosé,
to case discounts (case-3, case-6, or case-12), or to pre-arrival wines.
Discount will not display online or in your cart,
We will adjust your invoice before processing your card.

 
“Romane” Côtes de Provence Rosé From 20 year-old vines at the base of the hill overlooking the estate, the Romane is made up of 70% Grenache, along with Cinsault and Mourvedre, the latter of which provides a point of amertume (a fresh, bitter note) and a salinity that quickly draws one back to the wine.
Chateau Les Mesclances Cotes de Provence Cuvee Romane Rose, France 2020 750ml $19 special, 18 bottles available
Joe Czerwinski-Wine Advocate 88 Points
 
Pierre-Marie Chermette Domaine du Vissoux Les Griottes Rose, Beaujolais, France 2020 750ml $14 special, 5 bottles available
Josh Raynolds-Vinous 90 Points “Translucent orange-pink. Lively and sharply focused on the nose, presenting ripe red berry and floral scents and a hint of botanical herbs. Smooth and broad on the palate, offering bitter cherry, red currant and candied rose flavors that firm up and become spicier with air. Closes long and silky, with resonating floral and spice notes and strong cling.”
 
Best price in the United States!
 
Clos Sainte Magdeleine ‘Marie de Magdala’ Rose, Bouches-du-Rhone, France 2021 750ml $33 special, 6 bottles available
No review for the 2021 vintage. Recent review provided for reference.
Josh Raynolds-Vinous 93 Points “Shimmering salmon skin. Displays vibrant, mineral-accented red berry and blood orange scents, along with a sexy floral overtone that gains strength with air. Juicy and sharply focused on the palate, offering intense red currant, strawberry, orange peel and lavender flavors that deftly combine power and delicacy. Finishes with sharp delineation and superb, mineral-driven persistence, leaving a sexy floral note behind.”
 
Best price in the United States!
  Chateau Margilliere Coteaux Varois en Provence Bastide Rose, France 2021 750ml $14 special, 12 bottles available
 
Clos Griotte Pinot Noir Rose, Willamette Valley, USA 2019 750ml $19 special, 4 bottles available
 
Clos Sainte Magdeleine ‘Marie de Magdala’ Rose, IGP Bouches-du-Rhone, France 2020 750ml $41.90 special, 2 bottles available
 
Domaine des Cassagnoles Rose, IGP Cotes de Gascogne, France 2021 750ml $11.90 special, 11 bottles available
 
Domaine du Bagnol Cassis Rose, Provence, France 2021 750ml $29 special, 6 bottles available
 
Falkenstein Niedermennig Herrenberg Rose Trocken, Mosel, Germany 2021 750ml $29 special, 8 bottles available
 
Mourat Collection Rose, Fiefs Vendeens Mareuil, France 2021 750ml $14 special, 6 bottles available
 
Peyrassol Cotes de Provence ‘Chateau Peyrassol’ Rose, France 2020 750ml $29 special, 30 bottles available
 

 

NEW ACCOLADES FOR DOMAINE LEFLAIVE
 
Domaine Leflaive Batard Montrachet Grand Cru 2021 750ml WAS $2199 NOW $1999 special, 2
bottles available
NEW REVIEW Wine Spectator 96 Points “Round and vibrant, this white leans into the citrusy spectrum of flavors, offering lemon, orange peel and yuzu notes accented by apple and stone. Linear and intense on the superlong finish, where the flavors expand and linger. Best from 2025 through 2035.”
Burghound 95-98 Points “Once again a subtle but not invisible application of wood frames cool and ripe aromas of green apple, acacia blossom, petrol and airy zest-tinged nuances. Interestingly, the middleweight flavors aren’t quite as dense as those of the Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet yet the intensity is even higher, indeed it’s almost painful, while flashing impressive power on the gorgeously complex, sneaky long and equally well-balanced finale. This is also stunning but patience required.”
 
Domaine Leflaive Bienvenues Batard Montrachet 2021 750ml WAS $1999 NOW $1799, 2 bottles available
NEW REVIEW Wine Spectator 95 Points “Opulent and smoky, this white evokes butterscotch, apricot, peach, citronella and hazelnut cream flavors. Balanced, turning delineated and intense on the tangy finish. Shows superb length. Best from 2025 through 2035”
Burghound 95-98 Points “A trace of reduction isn’t sufficient to materially reduce the appeal of the honeysuckle, citrus confit and softly spiced aromas that are also trimmed in just enough wood to merit pointing out. The medium-bodied flavors aren’t necessarily finer than those of the Pucelles though they do possess more power and weight while retaining a beguilingly silky texture as well as excellent complexity on the strikingly long, balanced and Zen-like finale. This is a very serious and moderately austere BBM that is very clearly built to repay long-term keeping. In a word, superb.”
 
ALSO AVAILABLE FROM LEFLAIVE:
 
Domaine Leflaive Batard Montrachet 2020 750ml $1,899 special, 1 bottle available
Burghound 95-97 Points “Don’t Miss! A wonderfully floral-suffused nose reflects additional notes of petrol, citrus, white orchard and a hint of oak toast. The bigger and richer flavors also possess a gorgeous mouthfeel that is almost delicate yet racy with excellent delineation on the youthfully austere and beautifully balanced finish that just goes on and on. This is potentially a magnificent Bâtard and it’s going to be interesting to compare this with the Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet in a decade’s or so time. In sum, I would offer the same advice – if you can find it, buy it.”
 
EVEN MORE CLOSE-OUT WINES:
 

 
Meleto Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Poggiarso 2018 750ml WAS $51.90 NOW $44.50 special, 10 bottles available
Monica Larner-Wine Advocate 93 Points “Once a Riserva and now moved up to the top appellation designation, the Castello di Meleto 2018 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Poggiarso sees fruit selected from across a 1.6-hectare vineyard site. Made with 100% Sangiovese and aged in oak for 27 months, the wine offers some tertiary definition with spice and smoke at the back of purple fruits. The oak spice is integrated (50-hectoliter barrels are used), and the wine concludes with elegant minerality. Some 6,600 bottles were made.”
 
Meleto Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Trebbio 2018 WAS $51.90 NOW $44.50 special, 17 bottles available
Monica Larner-Wine Advocate 94 Points “Here’s a new submission from the stunning Castello di Meleto, which has stone walls and towers in Gaiole in Chianti. The 2018 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Trebbio is a terrific discovery. Made with all Sangiovese from a single vineyard, this wine offers fruit brightness, balance and evident mineral definition. These results are linear and sharp, and the fruit is slightly more vibrant here compared to the Poggiarso. Only 3,300 bottles were produced.”
 
Priorat
 
Nin-Ortiz Planetes de Nin Priorat 2017 750ml WAS $49 NOW $44.50 special, 36+ bottles available
Luis Gutierrez-Wine Advocate 95 Points “The 2017 Planetes de Nin comes from the four hectares of 20-year-old Garnacha and 11-year-old Cariñena in the Planetes vineyard in Porrera at 450 meters in altitude. It’s 60% Garnacha (some of it Peluda) and the rest Cariñena, harvested early. It fermented with indigenous yeasts and matured in 3,200-liter oak vats and one 1,000-liter amphora for 17 months. It has depth and harmony, and the vines are getting older and seem to be better and better balanced. This is not that different from the 2016; it feels quite stable and has its style and character, especially since the 2015 vintage. 9,704 bottles were filled in April 2019.”
 
Nit de Nin Mas d’en Cacador Priorat 2017 750ml WAS $99 NOW $89 special, 36+ bottles available
Luis Gutierrez-Wine Advocate 97+ Points “The 2017 Nit de Nin Mas d’en Caçador is a vintage they talk about like this: “We will remember this vintage as one of the most extreme of the decade, along with that of 2012. It is in years like these that the work we do in the field is rewarded. In spite of the climatic exceptionality, we have acidity and pH that seem like a miracle to us. Our vines did not suffer the severe frosts of this 2017.” The wine has lower alcohol than the 2016 but the same pH of 3.3; insultingly young and tender, it doesn’t feel like the wine had a long élevage in oak. It has kept very good freshness and great balance. It’s tasty, pungent and long, with power and elegance and all the components to develop nicely in bottle. 1,440 bottles were filled in April 2019.”

 

 

This classic Bordeaux estate (founded by an Irish immigrant in the 18th century… a very unusual beginning for a French winery) is officially classified as a Fifth Growth (Cinquièmes Crus) Lynch-Bages is still better reviewed and regarded than many 3rd or 4th Growths.
 
Chateau Lynch-Bages, Pauillac, France 2018 750ml $189 special, 9 bottles available $189 special, 9 bottles available
Jeb Dunnuck 98 Points “One of the finest vintages I’ve ever tasted from this address, the 2018 Château Lynch-Bages has everything you look for in a great wine: incredible aromatics, richness without weight, perfect balance, and a purity of fruit that’s just about off the charts. Dense purple, it reveals a glorious perfume of blackcurrants and blackberry fruits, a deep, unctuous mouthfeel, building tannins, and a complex array of cedar pencil, tobacco, wood smoke, and chocolate. A true blockbuster in every sense, with masses of fruit and tannins as well as moderate acidity, it will probably merit a triple-digit score in a decade and is a 50+-year wine from this team. Drink: 2028-2078. (3/11/21)”
Wine Spectator 97 Points “Vibrant, with a violet and cassis lead-in that then expands to include steeped black cherry and plum fruit as well as extra savory, iron and licorice root notes. Nice latent grip too, with a mouthwatering tug of earth at the very end. The fruit is so vibrant, it’s a tease now, but there’s structure here for the long haul, so be patient. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2025 through 2040. (3/31/21)”
James Suckling 97 Points “Aromas of blackberries, cloves, licorice, dried leaves, graphite and black olives. It’s full-bodied with firm, tight tannins. Structured and tannic with beautiful austerity and a long, mineral and layered finish. The tannins grow on the palate. Try from 2026. (1/15/21)”
 
Chateau Lynch-Bages Blanc de Lynch-Bages, Bordeaux, France 750ml $69 special, 14 bottles available
Decanter 94 Points “A balanced, juicy, slate-filled mineral edge here, with a crisp shot of mint. Has a lovely balance of rich texture and acidity, with lime blossom and citrus. Drinking Window 2020 – 2028.”