Vinopolis Newsletter 2-28-25

 

 Champagne Supernova

 
 

 

Cult Producer alert! This Côte des Bar producer releases only single-vineyard, single-varietal, single-vintage, zero-dosage Champagnes. Cedric Bouchard features some of the lowest restricted yields in Champagne, and places extra emphasis on picking at the optimum moment. The Côte des Bar itself is partially composed of the same Kimmeridgian soils as Chablis, which gives these a surge an almost electric intensity. Think of them as lightning in a bottle!
 
Cedric left the Sommelier world in 2000 and hit the ground running with a mission: to create un-adulterated wines that reveal the time and place of their origins above all else. By 2008, he had been named winemaker of the year by Gault Millau, one of France’s most respected restaurant and wine guides.
 
These wines have tremendous appeal and are vanishingly rare in the market these days.
 
100% Pinot Noir from the 1.5 hectare lieu-dit of Val Vilaine.
Cedric Bouchard Roses de Jeanne ‘VV-Cote de Val Vilaine’ Blanc de Noirs, Champagne NV (2022) 750ml $149 special, 12 bottles available
Antonio Galloni 93 Points “The 2022 Blanc de Noirs Val Vilaine is a pretty, open-knit offering from Cédric Bouchard. Rich and layered, with lovely up-front appeal, the 2022 edition is a fine choice for drinking now and over the next handful of years. Pear, kirsch, white flowers and mint are beautifully layered. This is an especially fine edition of the Val Vilaine, a Champagne that will give readers a very good look at Bouchard’s distinctive style at a price that won’t totally break the bank. No dosage. Disgorged: April 2024.”
 

Lowest price in the USA

 

 
“No winemaker in Champagne is more precise or meticulous, from vineyard to cellar.” –William Kelley, Wine Advocate
 
“Make no mistake about it, [Egly-Ouriet] is at the very top of the pecking order in Champagne today.” -Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media
 
Egly-Ouriet ‘Les Premices’ Extra Brut, Champagne NV (2019) 750ml $79 special, 9 bottles available
Antonio Galloni-Vinous 92 Points “The NV (2019) Extra Brut Les Prémices is bold, punchy and super-expressive right out of the gate. Pear, apricot, ginger, spice, chamomile and dried flowers race across the palate. Generous and expansive, with gorgeous textural presence, the 2019 Prémices is a fabulous wine from Egly-Ouriet. Dosage is 1 gram per liter.”
 

 Champagne Lanson

 
Lanson ‘Clos Lanson’, Champagne Brut 2009 750ml $199 special, 11 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. Instantly salivating on the palate, unctuous yet so delicate in terms of power and heaviness. Generous with a velvet sensation to the bubbles and a slightly chalky finish. Bright and lifted – a joyous combination of citrus – lemon and orange acidity, honeysuckle flowers and stone fruits, balanced by a touch of bitterness and a hint of salty minerality. Such complexity and overall enjoyment to be found here – utterly charming and confident at the same time.
 

 
Taittinger Brut Reserve, Champagne NV 750ml $59 special, 24 bottles available
Tasting Panel 95 Points “Bright and lively, this is one of my favorite non vintage Bruts. Crisp and balanced, with smooth, exuberant, Chardonnay-driven style; racy, elegant, and totally charming; long and memorable.”

 

 
 
Washington
 

 

#7 TOP 100 WINE OF 2024-JAMES SUCKLING
Charles Smith K Vintners ‘M.C.K. Motor City Kitty’ Syrah, Yakima Valley 2021 750ml $39 special, 36 bottles available
James Suckling 99 Points “The aromas leap out of the glass. Wet earth, tapenade, green peppercorns, volcanic ash and tea leaves. Hints of orange peel. It’s electric on the palate, so savory, so earthy and so minerally, with stemmy and tea-like tannins. The freshness and energy are astounding, and the finish just keeps going. Delicious Syrah. Drink or hold.”
 

California
 
Justin Vineyards & Winery Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles 2021 750ml $21.90 special, 36 bottles available
Winery Notes “Deeply colored with a dark ruby core that lightens at the rim of the glass, with moderately thick, slow-forming tears. Warmly aromatic with ripe red and black cherry notes, cigar box, and toasted oak with savory elements of vanilla and caramel with fresh sage, and hints of cocoa. Moderate-plus bodied with ripe red plum, black cherry, and blackberry on the entry. The fresh midpalate turns savory with dried herbs, barrel spice, and vanilla supported by smooth tannins. The complex finish shows lingering ripe red and black fruit and spice mixed with dark caramel, dried floral notes, and mint elements.”
 

France
 

 

“I have long been a huge fan of the wines of the Sabon family of Domaine de la Janasse. Just about everything they make, from their Vin de Pays to their Côtes du Rhônes to their flagship Châteauneuf du Pape wines, are remarkable.”– Robert Parker
 
Janasse Chateauneuf-du-Pape Cuvee Chaupin, Rhone 2019 750ml $94.50 special, 3 bottles available
Jeb Dunnuck 98+ Points “I was able to taste the 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Cuvée Chaupin on two occasions, rating it one point higher on one of those as well. Incredible notes of red and black fruits, violets, scorched earth, ground pepper, and Provençal garrigue notes define the nose, and it’s a darker, richer, slightly more powerful wine than usual, while still showing the inherent elegance and finesse this cuvée always shows. Give bottles 2-3 years and enjoy over the following 15-20. Don’t miss it!”
 
Janasse Chateauneuf Du Pape Vieilles Vignes, Rhone 2019 750ml $99 special, 24 bottles available
Wine Advocate 98+ Points “Black cherries, blackberries and garrigue all appear on the nose of the dense, concentrated 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes. Yes, the wine boasts some formidable tannins, but they’re ripe, and the fruit is vibrant and intense, with all of the ingredients for cellaring up to two decades. With time, it might even approach the performance of the 2009 (99 points) or 2010 (100).”
 

 
Chateau La Fleur Morange, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2015 750ml $88 special, 24 bottles available
Jeb Dunnuck 96+ Points “Coming from 100-year-old vines and 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc, the 2015 Château La Fleur Morange is a downright stunner that does everything right. Cassis, crushed flowers, lead pencil shavings and lots of minerality all flow to a full-bodied, elegant, incredibly layered 2015 that has a great mid-palate, sweet tannin and a great, great finish. This is an incredible Saint-Emilion readers should do whatever they can to latch onto a few bottles. This cuvee is also made with guidance from Claude Gros, and he’s certainly hit a home run with this one.”
 

 
Chateau Cos d’Estournel, Saint-Estephe 2018 750ml $279 special, 7 bottles available
Antonio Galloni-Vinous 98 Points “The 2018 Cos d’Estournel is a racy, powerful Saint-Estèphe that is going to need quite a bit of time to find its center. Today, it is tightly wound, but all the energy is there. Lush and extravagantly ripe, the 2018 possesses tremendous depth and plenty of energy to back it all up. Here, too, I found the wine a bit more expressive and giving en primeur. (Drink between 2028-2058).”
Decanter 97 Points “A little closed on the nose, and also on the attack. There is a wall of tannin here but backed up by voluptuously ripe fruits that major on damson and fig, overlaid with cinnamon and saffron spices. Lilting acidity through the finish keeps a sense of momentum. This is powerful with ambition, and it carries it off perfectly. 65% of production went into the grand vin. 1% Petit Verdot makes up the blend, and the wine was aged in 50% new oak (a little lower than the usual 60%). (Drink between 2028-2045).”
 

 
Pepiere Muscadet Sevre-et-Maine Sur Lie ‘Les Gras Moutons’, Loire 2023 750ml $21.90 special, 12 bottles available
(not yet reviewed, review provided for reference)
John Gilman 92 Points “The Muscadet “la Pépie” from Domaine de la Pépière is the first example from this appellation that I have tasted from the 2023 vintage and fully underscores just how favored Muscadet was in this difficult growing season. The vibrant bouquet hops from the glass in a complex combination of green apple, lime, lovely minerality, briny notes of ocean breeze and a topnote of dried flowers. On the palate the wine is zesty, precise and full-bodied, with an excellent core of fruit, lovely mineral drive and cut, a fine spine of acidity and lovely precision on the long, impeccably balanced and complex finish. This is excellent Muscadet and a stunning value! 2024- 2045.”
 

Italy
 

 

“Elena Fucci is a force. I first met her at a conference in 2021. At the time, Aglianico del Vulture was still new to me, and I had yet to be impressed by a wine from the region. On that day, we tasted her 2012 Titolo, and I listened to a story about a young girl who sought to save her family winery, changed her entire life to learn oenology, and went against convention in a male-dominated industry to show the world what this little corner of Italy was capable of producing. The wine blew me away, and so did her enthusiasm, which, to this day, continues to move the Elena Fucci winery (and the entire region of Vulture) forward.” -Eric Guido

Elena Fucci ‘Titolo’ Aglianico del Vulture Superiore Riserva DOCG 2019 750ml $119 special, 12 bottles available
Eric Guido-Vinous 98+ Points “Drop-dead gorgeous, the kaleidoscopic 2019 Aglianico del Vulture Superiore Riserva Titolo seduces with a cascade of violets and lavender, giving way to shavings of pine, incense and a core of crushed black cherries. It’s deeply textural, with masses of mineral-inflected red and black fruit flowing across a stream of pure velvet. The 2019 folds in upon itself through the finale yet maintains exceptional freshness, finishing with a pleasantly bitter tinge of cocoa as notes of tobacco fade. The Titolo Riserva hails only from Elena Fucci’s oldest vines, between 60 and 70 years old. It is refined in a single 500-liter barrel for 40 months. This edition marries the majesty of the Titolo vineyard and its old vines with the magic of the 2019 vintage. Fantastic.”
 

 
Giuseppe Mascarello e Figlio Scudetto Barbera d’Alba Superiore, Piedmont 2021 750ml $59 special, 12 bottles available
Winery Note “Vineyard: Scudetto is downside the Chapel of Santo Stefano of Perno, in the commune of Monforte d’Alba (CN). Grape Harvest: Beginning of October. Wine-making process: Traditional-style, floating cap fermentation of estate-grown grapes for 15/20 days. The wine is then matured in medium-sized oak barrels for few months or sometimes stabilized in inert tank. Expected cellar life: 10/15 years. Bottling: After three years following the vintage. Tasting notes: Colour: deep ruby-red, tending to purplish; Nose: fruity aroma of ripe grapes, intense, varietal; Taste: powerful stuffing and excellent body, well-balanced, varietal character.”
 
Giuseppe Mascarello e Figlio Toetto Freisa Langhe, Piedmont 2022 750ml $49 special, 12 bottles available
Winery Note “Vineyard: Toetto, in the village of Castiglione Falletto (CN). Grape Harvest: Beginning of October. Wine-making process: Traditional-style, floating cap fermentation of selected estate-grown grapes for 15/20 days. The wine is then matured in medium-sized Slavonian oak barrels for few months or stabilized in inert tank. Expected cellar life: 4/6 years. Bottling: After two years following the vintage. Tasting notes: Colour: deep ruby-red; Nose: varietal, spicy; Taste: dry, characteristic, good body with a lot of tannins.”
 

Spain
 

 
Guimaro Blanco, Ribeira Sacra 2023 750ml $29 special, 12 bottles available
Luis Gutiérrez-Wine Advocate 93+ Points “The young and unoaked white 2023 Vino Blanco is pale and balsamic. It’s a blend of 70% Godello and the remaining 30% other whites—Treixadura, Albariño, Torrontés and Loureira—from different plots in different villages with different soils, expositions and altitudes, trying to replicate the whites from the past, which were always blends. It’s still very young, undeveloped and balsamic with marked notes of bay leaves, and it has a savory palate with a velvety texture. It is juicy and structured but keeping very good freshness and balance. It has a moderate 12.5% alcohol and a pH of 3.18 with 6.65 grams of acidity. It finishes with a pleasant bitter twist. 10,000 bottles were produced. It was bottled in May 2024.”
 
Guimaro Camino Real, Ribeira Sacra 2021 750ml $29 special, 12 bottles available
Luis Gutiérrez-Wine Advocate 94 Points “The 2021 Camiño Real has a primary and ripe nose, despite the moderate 12.5% alcohol, but a structured and balanced palate, showcasing the old vines from Amandi, combining orientations, altitudes and soils. It’s 80% Mencía and the rest local grapes, Brancellao, Merenzao, Sousón, Caíño… It fermented with some 60% full clusters and the rest uncrushed grapes with 45 days of maceration, and it matured in a combination of 500-liter oak barrels and 5,000-liter oak vats for 10 to 12 months. There’s something ethereal about it, medium-bodied with very fine tannins, a constant across vintages, more elegant than powerful. 30,000 bottles. It was bottled in August 2022.”
 
Guimaro Finca Meixeman, Ribeira Sacra 2021 750ml $49 special, 6 bottles available
Luis Gutiérrez-Wine Advocate 96 Points “The single-vineyard 2021 Finca Meixeman, produced with the grapes from one of the oldest family vineyards with soils of granite and slate, showed superb. It’s perfumed, subtle and ethereal, light to medium-bodied but with lots of energy and light. It’s 70% Mencía with 30% other grapes and achieved a moderate 13% alcohol in this cooler and rainier year whose freshness is reflected in the wine here. It fermented with 65% full clusters and had a 50-day maceration, then it aged in used 225- and 500-liter French oak barrels for 10 to 12 months. 8,000 bottles were produced. It was bottled in June 2023.”
 
Guimaro Mencia, Ribeira Sacra 2023 750ml $26 special, 12 bottles available
Luis Gutiérrez-Wine Advocate 92 Points “The young red 2023 Mencía also contains the allowed 15% of other local varieties—Brancellao, Merenzao, Garnacha, Mouratón, Negreda, Sousón…It has notes of wild berries, herbs and flowers and a characteristic touch of honey and beeswax that I sometimes find in very young reds. It’s juicy and velvety, with contained ripeness and 12.5% alcohol, integrated acidity and a clean finish. 100,000 bottles produced; it represents half of the annual output of the winery.”
 

 
Zarate Albarino, Rias Baixas 2023 750ml $24 special, 24 bottles available
Luis Gutiérrez-Wine Advocate 93+ Points “The 2023 Zarate is the flagship Albariño that shows the character of the year, with more moderate ripeness, 12.5% alcohol and a balanced and elegant profile. It’s clean, floral and still a little reductive (this is 100% stainless steel) and should open up with a little more time in bottle. There is some 30% of wine with malolactic in the final blend. It has less concentration and alcohol than the 2022, with more finesse and freshness and is a little more herbal. This is a superb example of Albariño from Salnés. 84,000 bottles produced. The bottle I tasted was bottled in June 2024.”
 
Zarate ‘Balado’ Albarino, Rias Baixas 2023 750ml $56.50 special, 6 bottles available
Luis Gutierrez-Wine Advocate 95 Points “The 2023 Balado has aromatic intensity and is still very primary and undeveloped, combining power and good development of aromas and flavors with more finesse and elegance. It has 13.5% alcohol and a velvety texture; it went through full malolactic, which gives some creaminess, but it’s neatly balanced by the granite minerality. The wine is still fresh and has longevity. 4,200 bottles and 150 magnums were filled in early June 2024.”
 
Zarate ‘Tras da Vina’ Albarino, Rias Baixas 2022 750ml $56.50 special, 17 bottles available
Luis Gutierrez-Wine Advocate 95 Points “The 2022 Tras da Viña has a golden color and a more exotic nose compared with the 2023s I tasted next to it. It’s a wine that is bottled one year later. It has 13.5% alcohol and is intense, with pungent flavors and a dry mouthfeel with the granularity of the granite soils. I think the 2022s are going to evolve a little faster. There are some 6,200 bottles and 150 magnums. It was bottled in June 2024.”
 

Portugal
 
Fonseca Vintage Port, Portugal 2016 375ml $54.50 special, 15 bottles available
James Suckling 98 Points “Lots of ripe fruit here with raisins and wet earth that turn to violets and hot stones. Full-bodied, tannic and powerful with fantastic grip and intensity. Grabs you. Impressive. Drink in 2025.”