Vinopolis Newsletter 6-17-24 PM

Walla Walla Wines that Rock
 

Delmas Wines.



 

The name has been passed from mother to daughter for generations in Brooke Delmas Roberts’ family. A project intended to mine the possibilities of Rhône varietals in Walla Walla, Brooke is the Cal-Poly educated and Napa experienced viticulturist responsible for sustainably guiding this family-owned estate from one generation to the next. Alongside Steve Robertson, Brooke’s father and Delmas’ chief vintner, the focus is on direct management of the vineyards, a “boots-in-the-rows” approach that has paid off with rave reviews from critics like Eric Guido and Steven Tanzer of Vinous Media.
 
All of their wines are produced from their “SJR Vineyard,” located on the corner of Lower Dry Creek and County Road in Milton-Freewater, Oregon at the SW corner of ‘The Rocks District.
 
Delmas ‘SJR’ Syrah, Walla Walla Valley, USA 2019 750ml $69 special, 12 bottles available
Vinous 97 Points “This is now the third opportunity I have had to review the utterly stunning 2019 Syrah SJR Vineyard – a wine that is actually showing better than when I first tasted it. Initially more reticent and Burgundian, this polished Syrah was aged in 60% new French oak before bottling. The wine shows beautiful red rose petals, nori, smoldering stones and orange blossom. The palate is exceedingly  elegant with silky tannins and a light dusting of white pepper and salinity. Ripe strawberry, pomegranate seed and orange rind flavors combine with wet stone and rose water undertones. Make sure to give this beautiful Syrah at least one hour of air if consuming in its youth.”
 
Delmas ‘SJR’ Vineyard Field Blend Red, Walla Walla Valley, USA NV (20/21) 750ml $69 special, 6 bottles available
Owen Bargreen 95 Points “The nose is very high-toned and spicy with exotic spices, guava and shades of smoldering stones. The palate shows a beautiful purity of red fruits, with salty and stony undertones alongside kumquat rind and Asian spices. There is quite simply nothing like this.”
Winery Notes “86% Grenache, 6%Syrah, 4% Mourvedre, 4% Cinsault from SJR Vineyard. The inaugural release of the Delmas Field Blend is Grenache dominant with smaller percentages of additional Rhône Reds. The multi-vintage FB21 exudes precise aromatics of kirsch, garrigue, white pepper, lavender, and licorice. Rich and multi-dimensional on the palate with notes of kirsch, pomegranate, forest floor, lavender, white chocolate, cracked peppercorns, and bacon fat. The signature minerality and umami notes of SJR vineyard shine brilliantly on the very long finish.”

 

 

 STAFF PICK  Agusti Torello Mata Cava Brut Rosat 2021 750ml $24.50 special, 24 bottles available
Winery Notes “Pale pink with aromatic notes of strawberry, ripe plum and pastry, to make a different cava with character. It has a very well integrated carbonic acid and it is elegant on the palate. Good companion of appetizers and desserts or semi-mature cheeses and meats.”
“From 30 year old organic Trepat vines from the Obach Estate in Mediona, located 800m high with clay and slate soils that allow for great concentration. The vineyards are maintained with vegetable coverings to maintain a humidity and sponginess of the soil, thus establishing a natural balance of the vine. No chemical pesticides or fungicides.”

Faraone Le Vigne Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC 2019 750ml $19 special, 12 bottles available

Grosjean Gamay Vallee d’Aoste 2022 750ml $24 special, 12 bottles available
Winery Notes “A Burgundian native, Grosjean’s Valdôtain Gamay comes from the valley’s steep, south-facing upper slopes in the villages of Quart, Saint Christophe and Villeneuve. As a single varietal wine it is balanced, bright ruby red with a fruity bouquet that has a pronounced strawberry scent. It is delicate but also complex and intense with fresh, delicate tannins. An excellent partner to charcuterie boards. Four to five days of maceration followed by aging in stainless steel.”
 
Thomas Pico Domaine Pattes Loup Chablis 2020 750ml $46 special, 12 bottles available
Neal Martin-Vinous 90 Points “The 2020 Chablis Vent d’Ange has a light bouquet with lemon verbena, and citrus peel touches, just slightly smudged at first but gaining clarity with aeration. The palate is well-balanced with a slightly reduced entry, fine depth, plenty of extract, and a saline finish. Moderate length. Just a hint of blackcurrant leaf on the finish. Fine.”

 
Christian Madl


The “Madlad” did it!
 

Christian Madl is making revolutionary Sekt that dazzles the senses, offering a refreshingly unique take on sparkling wine.
 
These are all vintage-dated Estate wines, featuring hand harvested fruit only. Then, they only use the first part of the must, ensuring focus and purity. The wines are then bottle aged in his Cellar and hand riddled for up to 8 years before disgorgment. His wines, obviously take their inspiration Champagne, but they tell an Austrian story featuring grapes like Gruner Veltliner and Riesling in addition to more traditional grapes like Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
 
It is no surprise then that Falstaff, Austria’s most trusted Wine Journal, has voted them Best of Austria on five occasions!

Christian Madl Brut Nature 2018 750ml $49 special, 4 bottles available
Falstaff 92 Points (translated from German) “Bright yellow-green, silver reflections, lively, fine mousse. Delicate yellow fruit nuances, a hint of mango and passion fruit, floral touch, some pineapple. Tight, light-footed and lively, lemony nuances, mineral-salty finish, an animating style, suitable for use both as an aperitif and as a food accompaniment.”
Winery Note “Unsulfured! For lovers of a puristic style, smells like a fluffy brioche, rustic, markedly dry, bready on the palate. 100 % Grüner Veltliner on lees since 2019.”

Christian Madl “Cuvee Special” Brut 2015 750ml $59 special, 5 bottles available
Falstaff 93 Points (translated from German) “Light green-yellow, silver reflections, lively, fine mousse. Yellow tropical fruit, zest, some baked goods, red berry nuances, some cherries, multifaceted bouquet. Juicy, good complexity and mineral nuances, fine fruit, saline nuances, balanced, delicate sweetness on the finish, has length and development potential.”
Winery Note “White bread and brioche, rich and corpulent with depth, fine mousseux, creamy with a straight substance. Méthode Traditionnelle. Chardonnay 53 % & Pinot Noir 47 % on lees since 2016.”

Christian Madl Von Den Weissen Brut 2016 750ml $49 special, 3 bottles available
Winery Note “Fine-aromatic hay flowers meet elegant pear. Méthode Traditionnelle. Welschriesling, Grüner Veltliner & Riesling on lees since 2017.”

Christian Madl Von Den Weissen Brut Oenothek 2014 750ml $69 special, 6 bottles available
Falstaff 93 Points (translated from German) “Delicate yeast note, white fruit nuances of peach and fresh apple, floral aspects, underlined with lime zest. Firm, tight-knit, fine extract sweetness, integrated acidity, fine-rayed and very youthful, mineral aftertaste, animating aperitif.”
Importer’s Note “Having just been tasting in Champagne, we were floored by how good these wines were. They were the very best sparkling wines we’d tasted outside of France. They’re unique, exciting and full of energy… Welschriesling, Grüner Veltliner, Riesling.”

 
 

 

 

WAS $79
De Venoge Brut Millesime, Champagne, France 2002 750ml $69 special, only 4 bottle left!!!
Wine Spectator 93 Points “A core of mineral-accented smoke, spice and honey notes is wrapped with flavors of glazed apricot, lemon preserves and candied ginger in this vibrant and well-balanced version. Creamy, with a lasting finish. Drink now through 2025. 3,000 cases made.”
 
WAS $189
De Venoge Louis XV Brut Millesime, Champagne, France 2006 750ml $169 special, 12+ bottles available
Wine Advocate 96 Points “The assemblage of the 2006 Louis XV Brut Millésimé is about the same as the 1995 and 1996—composed of 50/50 Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, all from grand cru villages. The only difference is that the Chardonnay from Le Mesnil-sur-Oger (10% of the assemblage) spent 12 months in oak barrels. Disgorged in January 2017 (dosage: six grams per liter), the 2006 has a golden color and opens with a deep, ripe, elegant and vinous bouquet with toasty and chalky lemon and fresh white fruit flavors. On the palate, this is an intense, round, fresh and complex Louis XV with great purity and finesse … The 2006 shows a lot of Chardonnay features right now and drinks perfectly today; however, it can be kept under perfect conditions for decades.”
 
WAS $249
De Venoge Louis XV Brut Millesime, Champagne, France 2008 750ml $219 special, 12+ bottles available
James Suckling 95 Points “This is really punchy and broad-shouldered with muscular structure and citrusy undertones. Full body. Lightly tannic and a fresh and vivid finish. This is the first vintage without malolactic fermentation ever. One for the cellar. Better in 2022.”
 
WAS $189
De Venoge Louis XV Extra Brut Rose Millesime, Champagne, France 2002 750ml $159 special, 12+ bottles available
Wine Spectator 93 Points “Harmonious, with fine intensity, offering rich notes of spice cake, toasted almond, dried cherry, grilled plum and smoky mineral. Almost velvety in texture, with juicy acidity that brings you back for another sip. Delicious. Drink now through 2022. 54 cases made.”

 
Collector’s Corner

 

Quintessa Red Rutherford 2019 750ml $219 special, 7 bottles available
Wine Enthusiast 100 Points “Cellar Selection. This is a winemaker’s master class in blending and understanding of a long-standing site. Dried herb, cedar and pencil shavings accent lifted red fruit and brilliant acidity on the palate, with a supple yet still youthfully grippy texture that is framed by structured, graceful tannins. Enjoy from 2029–2039. -Virginie Boone”
Jeb Dunnuck 97 Points “I was blown away by the 2019 Red Blend from Quintessa, which is up with the crème de la crème of the vintage. Based on Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Carmenère, this full-bodied beauty has a perfectly balanced, seamless, yet expansive and classic 2019 style as well as gorgeous aromatics of cassis, flowers, chalky minerality, and integrated oak. It’s hard to resist already, but I have no doubt this will evolve for 20 years if stored properly.”
 
Verite La Muse 2018 750ml $375 special, 5 bottles available
Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Advocate 100 Points “A blend of 90% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 4% Malbec, the 2018 La Muse was matured 16 months in 100% new French oak barrels. Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, the nose delivers a powerful perfume of cherry pie, blackberry preserves and baked plums, followed by suggestions of red roses, cast-iron pan, underbrush and unsmoked cigars, plus wafts of licorice and oolong tea. Medium to full-bodied, the black fruit and exotic spice layers flow so gracefully over the palate, textured by plush tannins and lifted with seamless freshness, finishing epically long and achingly fragrant. The intensity and complexity of aromas and flavors—all waltzing in captivating harmony—cannot fail to make your head spin in the best possible way. Electrifying!”
 
Lokoya Cabernet Sauvignon Mt Veeder 2019 750ml $489 special, 3 bottles available
Jeb Dunnuck 100 Points “Another riveting wine, the 2019 Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon has a Château Latour-like stature and regalness, with full-bodied richness and incredible concentration, as well as structure, on the palate. Cassis, blueberry liqueur, lead pencil shavings, crushed stone, and graphite notes all define the nose, and it hits the palate with incredible power and opulence, yet stays pure, flawlessly balanced, and has a finish that won’t quit. This is as brilliant as Cabernet gets, and Carpenter is clearly playing with the best in the business. Give bottles 4-5 years if you can and it will cruise for 30-40 years.”