Vinopolis Newsletter 12-27-24

Special Arrival
 



 

You know that you’ve really hit your stride as a wine region when the French start to get involved…
 
Unlike 1976’s contentious Judgement of Paris, this wine is a celebration of transatlantic winemaking collaboration rather than a competition. When two of the world’s most famous winemakers, Bordeaux’s Baron Philippe de Rothschild and Napa’s Robert Mondavi, joined forces to create a unique masterpiece in 1979, this new winemaking legend was born.

Opus One is one of our most requested wines, these bottles will not last long!

Opus One, Napa Valley, USA 2021 750ml $389 special, 6 bottles available
Antonio Galloni-Vinous 97+ Points “The 2021 Opus One is one of the most elegant, polished Opus Ones in recent memory. Pliant and supple, with super-rened tannins, the 2021 has a ton to oer. It boasts gorgeous textural depth and resonance, not to mention superb balance. Dark red/purplish fruit, owers, spice and mint caress the palate, framed by silky, ripe tannins that are the hallmark of a superior vintage. I can’t wait to see how the 2021 develops. This is a stellar showing, certainly the best so far.”
Jeb Dunnuck 97 Points “The 2021 Opus One is brilliant and I think one of the finest wines made from this estate. Deep ruby/purple-hued, with a gorgeous perfume of cassis, darker raspberries, spicy oak, and obvious minerality, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a layered, seamless mouthfeel, lots of ripe tannins, and a great finish. It shines on all accounts and is complex, nuanced, textured, and beautifully balanced. It will have 30 years of prime drinking.”

 

 
Germany 
 

 
“If you’ve never heard of a winery called Gunther Steinmetz, we suggest you look it up… Senior Editor Stuart Pigott first met Stefan Steinmetz, 42, of the Günther Steinmetz estate in Brauneberg/Mosel just over a decade ago and his wines were already very good then with a distinctive style.” –James Suckling
 
Stefan and Sammie Steinmetz, a remarkable duo in the Mosel wine world, craft wines of exceptional quality. Their commitment to organic viticulture on challenging, steep slopes and minimal intervention winemaking yields wines of extraordinary concentration and breathtaking character. Their most renowned vineyard, Brauneberger Juffer, is famous for its unique slate and sandy soils.
 
Steinmetz Brauneberger Juffer Riesling Kabinett Feinherb, Mosel, Germany 2022 750ml $33 special, 12 bottles available
93 Points Stuart Pigott “Flinty and yeasty nose, but the white tree fruit aromas quickly blast through. Racy and structured, the balance barely off-dry. So much character and depth. Very much a wine for the dining table! Drink or hold.”
 
Steinmetz Dhroner Hofberg Trocken Riesling, Mosel, Germany 2022 750ml $29.50 special, 24 bottles available
95 Points Stuart Pigott-Jamessuckling.com “This properly dry 2022 Mosel riesling has a wealth of stone fruit aromas, but also notes of grapefruit, Amalfi lemon and fresh almonds. However, in contrast to many wines from this site, there’s a compact core and the wine has impressive drive at the bold and spicy finish. Limited production. Very good aging potential, but can be drunk from release.”
 
Steinmetz Wintricher Geierslay Kabinett, Mosel, Germany 2022 750ml $33 special, 24 bottles available
Importer’s Note “The ‘vulture slate’ vineyard, planted to 65-year-old vines in a gorgeously situated cool side valley of the Mosel. Stefan’s signature vineyard, as far as we’re concerned. Exotically ripe, floral, and lip-smacking, but locked in place by Saar-like tension and minerality.”
 
Steinmetz Wintricher Geierslay Riesling Sur Lie, Mosel, Germany 2022 750ml $29.50 special, 24 bottles available
94 points Stuart Pigott-Jamessuckling.com “Still very youthful with terrific tension, this excellent dry Mosel riesling has stacks of wild herb and flower character on the compact and concentrated medium-bodied palate. Very expressive of the straight and very mineral personality of this underrated site. And with some aeration a delightful lemon blossom aroma emerges on the nose. Excellent potential.”
 
Steinmetz Kabinett Piesporter Treppchen, Mosel, Germany 2023 750ml $39 special, 12 bottles available
Importer’s Notes “From 90-year-old ungrafted vines. A vivid young Riesling nose is followed by a bright, light, crystalline wine with crunchy, crispy, terrifically refreshing acidity. Green apples all over. Obviously, this is embryonic. But if this is a harbinger of what’s to come from Stefan in 2023, BRING IT ON!!!!!!!”
 
Steinmetz Pinot Noir, Mosel, Germany 2022 750ml $29.50 special, 24 bottles available
Importer’s Notes “100% Pinot Noir from a mix of vineyards on slate. 50% stem inclusion. Vinified 3 weeks in open fermenters then matured briefly in used Burgundy barrels. Bottled unfiltered. Bright magenta in color, fruit-driven, juicy, buoyant, and addictively drinkable. The price is just silly.”
 
Steinmetz Pinot Noir Kestener Paulinsberg, Mosel, Germany 2020 750ml $39 special, 12 bottles available
Importer’s Notes “Easily the most showstopping Pinot we tasted with Stefan in April 2024. WOW! A luscious red teeming with sweet cherry fruit, exemplary of the warm year; but slate soils, steep slopes (70% in some parcels!) and 50% stem inclusion keep this wine focused, fresh, and riveting. From French clones, 30+ year old vines, aged in used Burgundy barrels, some of which came from Romanee-Conti.”
 
Steinmetz Riesling Trocken, Mosel, Germany 2022 1L $21.90 special, 24 bottles available
91 Points Stuart Pigott-Jamessuckling.com “Brimming with citrus blossom, ripe pear and kiwi, this is a very appealing entry level wine with juicy fruit and a silkiness rare in this category. Lively appley acidity, but the elegance at the finish is every bit as striking. Made with grapes from a mix of young and old vines. Only in liter bottles. Drink now. Screw cap.”
 

France
 

Given the crystalline purity of his Sauvignon Blancs, [Gerard Boulay] has become one of my favorite producers of the central Loire. If you want to know what true Sancerre tastes like, try one of his single-vineyard bottlings. It does not come any better!” – Joel Payne, Vinous

This is the lowest listed prices on the West Coast:

 
 hot deal!  Gerard Boulay Sancerre Chavignol, Loire, France 2023 750ml $36.50 special, 36+ bottles available
Vinopolnote “This is a sharp-tongued devil of a wine. Grown in the same Kimmeridgian soils that cover Chablis and Champagne’s Côte-des-Bar, this is a Sancerre for those who love their wines bristling with intensity and minerality. An epic wine for cheeses or seafood. Try this with oysters, sashimi, or baked fish.”
 

These are the only listings for these wines in the USA:

Gerard Boulay Sancerre Clos de Beaujeu, Loire, France 2023 750ml $62.50 special, 24 bottles available
Gerard Boulay Sancerre Clos de Beaujeu 2023 1.5L $128 special, 3 magnums available
Importer Notes “The Clos de Beaujeu is among the most historic sites in the village of Chavignol. In the 14th century the Clos de Beaujeu supplied the Cathedral of Bourges with white wine. At that time, Sancerre was famous for its red wines. Boulay’s Clos de Beaujeu is a richer, denser step up from the Chavignol village wine.”
 
Gerard Boulay Sancerre Comtesse, Loire, France 2023 750ml $77.50 special, 12 bottles available
Gerard Boulay Sancerre Comtesse 2023 1.5L $159 special, 3 magnums available
Importer Notes “The most powerful and complex wine from Boulay’s lineup, with an incredible intensity of fruit and a strong mineral core. Definitely one to put away and follow for years to come.”
 
Gerard Boulay Sancerre La Cote, Loire, France 2023 750ml $66.50 special, 12 bottles available
Gerard Boulay Sancerre La Cote 2023 1.5L $136 special, 3 bottles available
Importer Notes  “First crafted in the 2010 vintage, Gerard’s old vine parcel in La Cote (referred to by the Cotat brothers as La Grande Cote) produces a wine of incredible precision, power and lazer sharp minerality…Boulay’s signature style!”
 
Gerard Boulay Sancerre Les Monts Damnes, Loire, France 2023 750ml $66.50 special, 24 bottles available
Importer Notes “Old vines located on a steep slope in the Mont Damnes vineyard that Boulay began farming in 2004. Vines average 45 years old. Aged on the lees in a combination of barrel and tank then bottled unfiltered.


California

Scharffenberger Brut Excellence, Mendocino County, USA NV 750ml $21.90 special, 36+ bottles available
Tasting Panel 93 Points “A remarkable value with the poise and presence of wines twice the price. Composed of 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir, it rings clear and pure on a nose marked by toast, Asian pear, yellow apple, honeysuckle, and hazelnut; on the palate, lilting, lip-smacking acidity and a creamy tang usher in more orchard fruit enhanced by hints of white fig and apricot.”
 
Scharffenberger Brut Rose, Mendocino County, USA NV 750ml $24 special, 17 bottles available
Tasting Panel 93 Points “The poppy on the label of this suave blend of 55% Chardonnay and 45% Pinot Noir is a tribute to the superblooms that occur throughout California in springtime—but it also hints at the dry wine’s floral subtleties. There’s a faint touch of lilac on a nose brimming with fresh-baked sourdough, cherry, and blood orange, while rose graces the finish, preceded by splashes of wild strawberry, lemon rind, and Gala apple.”

 

 

 
In the mood to celebrate this holiday season? Us too!
 
These are some of the very best Champagnes to arrive in our store recently. Grab your favorite brands soon, they will not last long!
 
Bereche Ay Grand Cru 2016 750ml $219 special, 6 bottles available
Vinous Antonio Galloni 97 Points “The 2016 Extra-Brut Aÿ Grand Cru is all class. Bright and focused to the core, with striking understated energy, the 2016 is a jewel of a wine. Crushed rocks, mint, slate, white flowers and white pepper soar out of the glass, supported by clean mineral notes that bring it all together on the vibrant finish. The blend of 75% Pinot Noir and 25% Chardonnay on chalk is magical. Dosage is 2.95 grams per liter.”
 
Bereche Beaux Regards Blanc De Blancs 2020 750ml $124.50 special, 6 bottles available
Antonio Galloni- Vinous 93 Points “The 2020 Extra-Brut Beaux Regards (100% Chardonnay) is bright, floral and lifted. Chalky soils in Ludes planted with 60-year-old vines yield a Champagne of exquisite finesse and nuance. White flowers, mint, crushed rocks, white pepper, chalk and slate are all beautifully delineated in this understated, sculpted Chardonnay from Bérêche.”
 
H. Billiot Fils Grand Cru Brut Millesime, Champagne, France 2014 750ml $99 special, 33 bottles available
Antonio Galloni-Vinous 93 Points “The 2014 Brut Millésime is a beautiful wine that shows the Billiot style off to great effect. Fresh, vibrant and also wonderfully deep, the 2014 hits all the right notes. Red plum, kirsch, flowers, mint and sweet spice all come together in a Champagne that marries tension with volume. That’s a pretty appealing combination in my book. Dosage is 0.6 grams per liter.”
 
Bollinger Grand Annee 2015 1.5L $419 special, 3 magnums available
Antonio Galloni-Vinous 96 Points “Bollinger’s 2015 Brut Grand Année is an intriguing wine in that is clearly reflects the decision to pick on the later side in order to avoid vegetal notes derived from the mismatch of alcoholic and phenolic ripeness. “Balance was hard to achieve in 2015,” Chef de Cave Denis Bunner notes. “At 10% in sugar, the fruit was simply not ripe. We had to wait to reach the optimal window of ripeness.” Bunner also opted to increase the Chardonnay, so the blend is 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay, as opposed to the more typical 70/30 blend, with more Verzenay than Aÿ in the Pinots. Dried citrus peel, sage, menthol, sage, tangerine peel and spice build with some coaxing. Light tropical overtones develop with aeration. There’s real density and textural richness here. This will be a fascinating vintage to follow. Stylistically, it is the complete opposite from the much more linear 2014 that precedes it. Dosage is 8 grams per liter. Disgorged: May 2023. Drink: 2028-2040.”
 
Lanson Clos Lanson Blanc Des Blancs Brut 2009 750ml $199 special, 6 bottles available
Decanter 98 Points “A new addition to the Place de Bordeaux this year from the 1ha-walled Chardonnay vineyard in the centre of Reims. A gorgeous toasted buttery nose filled with hazelnuts, lemon rind, orange skin and acaia – all subtly combined but giving complexity and nuance. The flavours totally envelop the mouth yet the overall expression is finessed and elegant. Drink now (in a wine glass) to savour the fresh zestiness or cellar for decades.”
 
Louis Roederer Cristal Millesime Brut, Champagne, France 2015 750ml $379 special, 8 bottles available
The Wine Independent 98 Points “The 2015 Cristal is a blend of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay. No malo-lactic was employed and 25% wine was aged in oak. The dosage is 7 grams per liter. An exquisitely delicate yet complex perfume of clover honey freshly shaved ginger marzipan and jasmine slowly emerges from the nose giving way to a core of pear tart persimmons and apple butter. The palate is an exercise in finesse featuring very fine bubbles and fantastic intensity with a myriad of spice and floral nuances finishing with impressive persistence and jaw-dropping poise. This is a style for those that embrace purity soft-spoken expression and impeccable crafting. It won’t disappoint those who love Champagne in its initial youthful perfume flushes yet will undoubtedly reward the patient with a richer toastier more obvious and opulent style with 5-10 years+ of cellaring.”
 
Savart L’Ouverture Brut 1er Cru NV 750ml $69 special, 14 bottles available
Savart l ‘Ouverture Brut 1er Cru NV 1.5L $159 special, 6 bottles available
Importer’s Note “L’Ouverture is Fred Savart’s entry level Champagne but it is far from one-dimensional. It is 100% Pinot Noir all from the village of Ecueil, half of which was fermented in mostly neutral barrel with the other half is fermented in stainless steel. The wine only sees partial malolactic fermentation. Fred doesn’t guide the malolactic fermentation, instead it is the inclusion of reserve wine that goes through  malolactic fermentation because it has gone more temperature swings. The wine is in equal parts a blend of three successive vintages and aged under cork, not crown cap. Dosage is 7g/L.”
 
Vilmart Grand Cellier 1er Cru Brut NV 750ml $79 special, 24 bottles available
Decanter 93 Points “[Reviewed Apr 2023] Beautifully refined and delicate with clementine and pale strawberry enlivened by a touch of flintiness and creaminess and delivered with a delicate mousse. The Chardonnay lifts and elongates with fine zesty energy. Detailed, poised and classy, this is superb value. 10 months predominantly in large oak foudres. (Drink between 2023-2028).”
 
Vouette et Sorbee Saignee de Sorbee Rose (2020) 750ml $125 special, 2 bottles available
Importer’s Notes “From Sorbée, a site just up the slope from Vouette located on Portlandian soils. A peppery, and sappy style of Pinot Noir bathed in all the red fruit flavors one could want. A rare example of a true Saigné Rosé Champagne rather than a white base wine with a little still red wine blended in – hence the lurid, bright color and riot of red-berry flavors.”