In Today’s Newsletter:
Daniel-Etienne Defaix
Winery-Cellared 2005 Chablis
Trending
Staff Pick
Cantalupo’s Ghemme – Arriving Tomorrow
Yves Cuilleron Syrah – Arriving Tomorrow
Felsina Rancia 2016
New Release from the Hottest Chianti Estate in VinopolHistory!
2016 Olivier Bernstein2008 Vintage Champagnes
January Sales Recap
Want to know what the staff is excited about?
Daniel-Etienne Defaix
Winery-Cellared Chablis
ETA February
Daniel-Etienne Defaix releases Chablis when he believes the wines are ready. This can mean 15 years past their release. Luckily, the time has come for the truly awesome 2005s. They’re not really ex-cellar or library release, but represent the current vintage on offer (and imported by Rosenthal, so you know it’s good). These are magnificent bottlings that have just reached their peak maturity window. What could you possibly expect to pay for such an experience? At Vinopolis – under $50/bottle!
“These are textural, complex wines that evoke the white Burgundies of yesteryear, and they may confuse consumers habituated to the tart, brittle, processed wines that are often passed off as expressions of region’s “terroir.” Their potential to develop in bottle and their capacity to pair with a thrilling variety of foods, however, make them fascinating, at least to this writer. Much of the production is sold to France’s best restaurants, but what reaches the export market is well worth seeking out.” – William Kelley, Wine Advocate
Domaine Daniel-Etienne Defaix (Domaine du Vieux Chateau)
Arriving in February:
Domaine Daniel-Etienne Defaix Cote de Lechet, Chablis Premier Cru 2005 750ML ($59.95) $46 pre-arrival special
William Kelley – Wine Advocate 93 points “The 2005 Chablis 1er Cru Côte de Léchet is more complex than the Vaillon, unfurling with complex aromas of honeycomb, mandarin oil, fresh mushroom, almond paste and oyster shell. On the palate, it’s full-bodied, rich and gourmand, with a satiny attack, a deep, concentrated core and tangy balancing acids. It’s a textural, sapid Chablis that will work well at the table.”
The next best price is $49.88
William Kelley – Wine Advocate 93 points “Dramatic aromas of blanched almonds, beeswax, honey and preserved lemon introduce the 2005 Chablis 1er Cru Les Lys, a full-bodied, textural wine that’s rich, concentrated and structured, with a tight-knit core, tangy acids and a stony finish. Like Defaix’s other 2005s, it’s very much in its prime and will be well worth seeking out when it reaches the marketplace.”Domaine Daniel-Etienne Defaix Vaillon, Chablis Premier Cru 2005 750ML ($59.95) $46 pre-arrival special
William Kelley – Wine Advocate 92 points “The 2005 Chablis 1er Cru Vaillon is drinking beautifully, wafting from the glass with a pretty bouquet of honey, buttered citrus and confit lemon. On the palate, it’s medium to full-bodied, satiny and bright, with a generous, textural attack, vibrant acids and a charming, open-knit profile that belies its evident capacity to age. It will be well worth seeking out when it’s released.”
Avennia Arnaut Boushey Vineyard Syrah, Yakima Valley 2016 750ML ($69.95) $59 special
Jeb Dunnuck 94-97+ points “Also deeply colored, the 2016 Syrah Arnaut Boushey Vineyard is a sensational, meaty, savory, complex beauty. Full-bodied, with sweet tannin, no hard edges and beautiful purity, it has fine, fine tannin, a bloody, salty character, and a great finish. It’s rocking stuff.”A perennial best seller & best value with loads of personality at a hard-to-best price!
Saint Cosme Cotes du Rhone 2017 750ML ($17.95) $14 special
Case-12 Saint Cosme Cotes du Rhone 2017 750ML ($189.95) $149 special (that’s only $12.42/bottle and the lowest listed price in the USA today!)
James Suckling 91 points “Beautiful, garrigue herbs and flowers across fragrant, red berries. The palate has a very deep-set, plush and ripe core of dark-berry flavors, amid glossy, ripe tannins. Great value. Drink or hold.”
Gutsy old-vine Beauj that attracts the serious buyers. Powerful & age-worthy stuff.
Daniel Bouland Morgon Corcelette Vieilles Vignes Foudre 7, Beaujolais 2017 750ML ($37.95) $29 special
Wine Advocate 94 points “The 2017 Morgon Corcelette Vieilles Vignes (7) wafts from the glass with a creamy bouquet of cherries, cassis, dried flowers, dark chocolate, licorice and plums. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, ample and velvety, with juicy acids and fine tannins that are entirely concealed by a deep, layered core of fruit. Concentrated but mouthwatering, it’s quintessential Corcelette. There are two separate bottlings this year, numbered respectively as (4) and (7) to designate two different foudres that Bouland opted to distinguish to his clientele for the first time: this note refers to foudre #7, which hails from Tonnellerie Rousseau and represents a more recent addition to the cellar than the older, larger foudre #4.”
Dense, dark and full of minerality – a Barolo-killer
Produttori del Barbaresco Montestefano, Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 2013 750ML ($79.95) $69 special
Produttori del Barbaresco Montestefano, Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 2013 1.5L ($179.95) $149 special
Wine Spectator 96 points “This is full-bodied, displaying cherry, licorice, wild herb, iron and tobacco notes. The dense tannins take over and dominate the finish now, despite this remaining fresh and long. Full-bodied and minerally. Best from 2025 through 2040.”
Wine Enthusiast 96 points– Editors Choice “New leather, camphor, forest berry, dried rose and culinary spice are some of the aromas you’ll find on this exceptional red. The firmly structured, poised palate doles out juicy cranberry, crushed raspberry, white pepper and star anise framed in tightly-knit, refined tannins while bright acidity provides energy and balance. Drink 2020–2033.”
Antonio Galloni 95+ points “A dark, brooding wine, the 2013 Barbaresco Riserva Montestefano comes across as quite virile today, with huge tannins and equally imposing dark fruit. Smoke, leather, licorice and game add to an impression of raw, almost unrestrained, power. There is not a whole lot of finesse here at least not now. The Montestefano is a wine painted in broad brush strokes that emphasize power over elegance. Then again, that is Montestefano. Readers should be in no rush to open the 2013.”
Monica Larner-Wine Advocate 95 points “The final wine in this portfolio of amazing single-vineyard expressions is the 2013 Barbaresco Riserva Montestefano. This is the densest and darkest of them all, and I would therefore suggest that the longest drinking window be reserved for this expression. Montestefano is shaped as an amphitheater of vines that locks in the summer heat and sees less wind compared to Montefico. This is a solid and firm wine with deep, dark intensity and solid tannins that form an unyielding backbone. You should hold onto this bottle for at least 5 more years before popping the cork.”
Staff Pick
Heymann-Loewenstein vom Blauem Schiefer
If you’ve just awoken from a Rumpelstiltskin like slumber, the 2015 vintage from the Mosel is tremendous. This might well be the vintage that converts me to a Riesling believer, for good. The latest bottle that absolutely floored me is the vomBlauem Schiefer from Heymann-Loewenstein. A friend worked this harvest for Heymann-Loewenstein, and she’s been absolutely chomping at the bit to get these bottles. She spoke with such reverence of the different vineyards that held the blue slate that I had to take her enthusiasm to heart and had to try one.It’s hard to effectively describe the simultaneous intensity and lacy loveliness of this wine. The mineral component is so clear and well defined – salinity, rich slate notes – and yet the fruit is absolute perfection. Herbs and spices that are suspended between citrus and green apple; all of this is so seamless that it seems silly to try and pick out individual components of the wine. Drinking this now is such a treat that holding it for five or more years seems like a punishment.
Break out the spaetzle; here’s the vom Blauem Schiefer on sale now:
Heymann-Loewenstein Riesling vom Blauem Schiefer 2015 750ML ($44.95) Was $33, Now $28 January Sale Special, 12 bottles in stock now
Stephan Reinhardt – Wine Advocate 91 points “The 2015 Riesling Vom Blauen Schiefer opens with a beautifully clear and slatey bouquet of perfectly ripe Riesling flavors. The wine is round, piquant and salty on the palate, reveals picture book finesse and transparency and is extremely stimulating in its dry but perfectly balanced finish. The aftertaste is pretty long and already complex. If you are looking for a picture book wine of the terraced Lower Mosel, this is the one you have to taste. Thirteen percent of alcohol can hardly taste lighter and more stimulating.”
The Future of Piedmont
The Piedmont outside of Barolo and Barbaresco remains a bit of a paradox: lovers of big, collectible Nebbiolo will readily concede that amazing wines are made there, but then never to buy any, despite the outstanding prices! If you love Barolo and Barbaresco, you should be paying real (fiscal) attention to the wines from Cantalupo, in Ghemme. Cantalupo remains one of the top producers in the appellation, making wines that are traditional with a touch of polish to them. They deserve to be considered among the elite wineries in Piedmont, not just in Ghemme, and we’re excited to have received a new parcel of their wines arriving tomorrow.
The best part? The prices. No matter where you’re buying, you’re probably saving 30-50% vs. a wine of comparable quality that has the Barolo tag (and the branding behind it). Most clock in around $30-$40/750ml bottle (and the larger formats go for a song). Sure you don’t get to brag about the Barolo you bought, but if you’re in it for the wines themselves, this is where you want to be.
“Readers who want to experience Alto Piemonte in all of its glory will absolutely want to check out these wines from Cantalupo. Nebbiolo is rarely as pedigreed as it is at this historic estate in Ghemme, where the wines can be phenomenal. The flagship Collis Carellae, first made in 1983, remains one of the great wines of Piedmont and Italy. These classically build reds will thrill readers who enjoy structured, cellarworthy wines.” –Antonio Galloni, Vinous
Arriving Tomorrow:
Antichi Vigneti di Cantalupo ‘Mia Ida’ Spumante Brut Rose, Piedmont NV 750ML ($21.95) $18 pre-arrival special
Ian d’Agata-Vinous 92 points “Pale pink. Very floral, red cherry and yellow peach aromas and flavors. Nicely rich, pliant and fruit-driven, with a touch of sweetness and a glyceral presence that gives this a creamy mouthfeel. This smooth pink bubbly boasts sneaky concentration and complexity, finishing persistent with echoes of vanilla and fresh flowers. First made in the 2009 vintage, this Nebbiolo sparkler’s name refers to Ida Rosa Arlunno, mother of Alberto, who runs the winery today.”
Winery note “Light cherry, crystalline color, with fine and tenacious pearl. Fragrances of fruits, such as red apple, and violet flowers. Ready to drink, supple, fresh and with a good sapidity.”
Importer note “Sourced from the vineyards of Carella, Baraggiola and Valera. Soil is made up of moraine (glacial deposit) which is high in minerals, rocks, gravel and sand. Hand harvested. Grapes were destemmed and then delicately pressed. The skins were left to soak for a relatively short period. Once the malolactic fermentation was complete the wine was transferred to small 9 hl. casks until Autumn. Agamium is Latin for Ghemme, wine region already known during the Roman era and even before that, during the Celtic era.”
Antonio Galloni 92+ points “The 2010 Ghemme Collis Breclemae is a powerful, austere wine and also the most tannic of the three Ghemmes I tasted from Cantalupo. Readers should be prepared to cellar the 2010 for at least a few years, as the bruising tannins are going to need time to soften a bit. Black cherry, wood smoke, licorice, tobacco and incense add to an impression of virile intensity. The Collis Breclamae is another wine with tons of cellaring potential.”
Antonio Galloni 92+ points “The 2007 Ghemme Collis Breclamae shows the deeper, slightly wilder side of Ghemme. Game, smoke, licorice, cedar and tobacco are expressed with elements of burliness and rusticity. There is more than enough depth to fill out the wine’s broad shoulders. Still, what comes through most is the wine’s virile, imposing personality.”
Antonio Galloni 92 points “The 2009 Cantalupo Anno Primo is a gorgeous, super-classic Ghemme. Rosewater, bright red cherry, geranium, tobacco, pine and mint are beautifully delineated throughout. Aromatically intense and focused, the 2009 shows exactly what makes Nebbiolo from Ghemme so delicious. This is an absolutely gorgeous wine that won’t break the bank. At times, the aromatic signatures are quite reminiscent of Mascarello’s Barolo Monprivato, although the tannic and acid signatures are very much those of Ghemme.”
Antichi Vigneti di Cantalupo ‘Cantalupo Anno Primo’, Ghemme DOCG 2011 1.5L ($99.95) $79 pre-arrival special
Importer note “Made entirely of Nebbiolo, normally picked in the middle of October. About ten days on the skins, aged in Slavonian oak casks of 1,500 and 3,000L capacity for 24 months before bottling. If you love Barolo and Barbaresco you owe it to yourself to try this wine; chewy but refined tannins, beautiful texture, very flavorful and aromatic, showing many of the same notes as Barolo and Barbaresco would, but with a mineral overlay that is very attractive. Completely traditional and also completely clean winemaking, my favorite. Drinkable now but will age beautifully for 20 years or more.”
Antichi Vigneti di Cantalupo Collis Breclemae, Ghemme DOCG 2011 1.5L ($149.95) $119 pre-arrival special, only 6 magnums available!
Importer note “Soil is made up of moraine (glacial deposit) which is high in minerals, rocks, gravel and sand. Grapes were destemmed and delicately pressed keeping the rolls of the destemmer sufficiently distant from each other in order to avoid the ill-treating of the grapes as much as possible. After the fermentation at 28-30 degrees Celsius, two pressings a day were carreid out in order to favor the extraction of the anthocyans and the polymerised tannins from the skins, which give that characteristic velvety, sweet and at the same time austere taste to this wine.”
Arriving Tomorrow
Yves Cuilleron Syrah
“[Les Vignes d’a Cote] is always an outstanding value” –Kerry Winslow, Grapelive
Grapelive 92 points “One of the Northern Rhone’s top guns, Yves Cuilleron, is making some of the best wine of his career… While his 2015 and 2016 were absolutely awesome, this 2017 looks just as good if not better!… While most known for his Condrieu and Cote-Rotie, [Yves] also makes a stellar collection of Saint-Joseph, Cornas and Crozes-Hermitage as well as a line of varietal wines including this 100% Syrah from granite and alluvial soils near his village, Chavanay, near the border with the Crozes zone, in the Collines Rhodaniennes, in a steep parcel of vines… This 2017 Les Vignes d’a Cote is striking and with exceptional varietal character. [It shows] a deep purple/garnet color in the glass with a beautiful perfume of crushed violets, primary black and blue fruits, spices and camphor notes that not only come through on the nose, but transfer to the palate as well. There is ripe blueberry, plum and black cherry fruits as well as subtle creme de cassis, black olive, fresh ground peppercorns, faint cedar and anise. The mouthfeel is richer and more substantial than you’d expect from this bottling, highlighting what looks like a great vintage in the making. The Cuilleron elegance and finesse is on full display. This is a case-worthy, if not more, wine to enjoy over the next couple of years while you cellar your Cote-Rotie, Saint-Joseph and/or Crozes-Hermitage!”
Felsina Rancia 2016
New Release from the Hottest Chianti Estate in VinopolHistory!
Arrives Mid-Feb
How do you best a string of profoundly pointed vintages?
2010: 95+ AG, 95 WA
2011: 94+ AG, 94 WA
2012: 94+ AG, 93 WA
2013: 96+ AG, 95 WA
2015: 95JS, 94-97 AG, 94 WA
By releasing the 2016!
Winery note “Ruby red appearance with rich, intense tones. Spicy nose with floral notes and hints of wild berry (red and black), accompanied by mineral impressions and light toasted notes. Spice re-appears on the palate, which displays firm but supple tannins, and the finale is vigorous and taut. Overall, the wine is compelling for its flavour-rich mid-palate and supporting acidity. The Rancia vineyard takes its name from the historic Rancia farmhouse, once a Benedictine monastery. Located in Castelnuovo Berardenga at elevations ranging between 400 and 420 metres it has a fine southwest-facing exposure. The more recent plantings utilize genetic material from massal selections gathered from the old Rancia vineyard. The soil is composed of limestone-derived alberese classic to the Castelnuovo Berardenga area and of galestro marl in some areas. First vintage was 1983.”
The next best price is $54.97
Felsina Berardenga Rancia, Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG 2015 1.5L ($139.95) $115 special, 10 magnums in stock now
James Suckling 95 points “Plenty of dark plums, black cherries, blackberry pie, cedar, tobacco and a hint of orange rind. There’s a real vitality to the palate, which is so well carved out by firm, savory tannins and seriously bright acidity. A chewy finish. Drink in 2022.”
Wine Spectator 94 points “The fine cherry, plum, leather and spice flavors pick up accents of chocolate, earth and mineral as this red gathers steam. Builds to a firmly structured finish, where sweet fruit and dusty tannins linger. Drink now through 2028.”
Antonio Galloni 94-97 points “The 2015 Chianti Classico Riserva Rancia is one of the most finessed young Rancias I have ever tasted. Silky, aromatically precise and nuanced to the core, the 2015 is shaping up to be a jewel of a wine. This is an impressive showing.”
Wine Spectator Wants You In on the Secret:
2016 Olivier Bernstein
Wine Spectator Insider is abuzz over the 2016 Olivier Bernstein. Burghounds take note: this is the THIRD FEATURE on this estate in the Insider just for the 2016 vintage alone. That kind of attention from Bruce Sanderson and you know there’s something magnificent afoot.
Arriving in February
Olivier Bernstein Chambertin Grand Cru 2016 750ML ($1,299.95) $1,199 pre-arrival special, only 3 bottles available
Wine Spectator 96 points “A dense, smoky style red, offering black cherry, black currant, graphite, tobacco, licorice and oak spice aromas and flavors. Balanced, with plenty in reserve and a finish that stretches out on a line of refined tannins. Best from 2023 through 2045.”
Olivier Bernstein Mazis-Chambertin Grand Cru 2016 750ML ($869.95) $779 pre-arrival special, only 6 bottles available
Wine Spectator 97 points “This red starts out silky, gaining depth and intensity as it builds to a long, muscular finish. Concentrated yet fluid, tannic yet balanced, framing black cherry, black currant, iron, tobacco and spice flavors. Shows excellent potential. I think we have a tiger by the tail here. Best from 2023 through 2045.”Wine Spectator Hot Wine!
Olivier Bernstein Chambertin Clos-de-Beze Grand Cru 2016 750ML ($1,299.95) $1,199 pre-arrival special, only 3 bottles available
Wine Spectator 97 points “Pure and bursting with energy on a racy frame. Cherry, currant, bilberry, mineral and toasty oak aromas and flavors dissolve into a solid matrix of tannins on the finish, so be patient. Shows terrific length and overall potential. Best from 2023 through 2045.”
2008 Vintage Champagnes
Arriving in May
2008 evokes memories of the 1996 and 2002 vintages in terms of style and greatness, respectively. This is an epic year and one that for many producers is just beginning to hit the market. We’re featuring a new offer on some top wines below, all well below the average price nationally!
“The 2008 Champagnes that have been released so far capture all the potential I sensed when I first tasted the young vins clairs right after harvest. The 2008s are racy, energetic and tense, in the style of cool years like 1996, but with more fruit depth and less austerity. At the top end, the finest 2008 Champagnes are viscerally thrilling, chiseled wines that will soon be recognized as modern-day icons. Temperatures were never too hot during the summer and ripening was gradual. Two thousand eight is a year with high acidity, approaching 10% in some cases, and also high potential natural alcohol (because of the improved weather in September), a combination that yielded vibrant, crystalline Champagnes. Of course wine is much more complex than numbers alone, but the first 2008s I have tasted point to an exceptional, and perhaps even legendary, vintage.” –Vinous Media
“One of the best two vintages of this decade. A return to a classic, dry style in a cooler year. Powerful fruit and scintillating acidity in complete harmony. A real keeper to 2025 or later. 5/5” -Decanter
Deutz Amour de Deutz Blanc de Blancs Brut Millesime, Champagne 2008 750ML ($199.95) $159 pre-arrival special
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 95 points “The citrus-colored 2008 Amour de Deutz Brut Millésime is still yeasty on the nose, but very clear and elegant on the palate. This is a super pure and mineral, well-balanced Millésime with a long, intense and persistent finish. This is full of tension and finesse. A great wine.”
Wine Enthusiast 95 points “[Review is for 375ml] This wine is rich and surprisingly full-bodied. It comes from a great Champagne vintage, giving it both intensity and an acidity built for longterm aging. This half-bottle version is filling out, showing almond flavors yet retaining its citrus edge. Drink from 2019.”
Antonio Galloni 94 points “The 2008 Brut Millésimé Amour de Deutz is gorgeous. Bright and focused in the glass, the 2008 is full of nuance. A hint of reduction adds complexity without overpowering the wine. Crushed rocks, lemon confit and passion fruit flavors offer an appealing interplay of brightness and more overt flavors. The Amour is one of the more open, accessible 2008s readers will come across at this stage. Today, it is particularly expressive.”
Wine Spectator 94 points “An elegant version, this is sleek and harmonious, offering a finely detailed mousse and expressive hints of mango and passion fruit layered with flavors of glazed apricot, pastry cream and candied ginger. Minerally finish. Drink now through 2030.”
Deutz Amour de Deutz Rose Brut Millesime, Champagne 2008 750ML ($219.95) $189 pre-arrival special
Antonio Galloni 95 points “The 2008 Brut Rosé Millésimé Amour de Deutz is gorgeous and crystalline in the glass, as Champagnes from this vintage tend to be. Light on its feet yet also quite intense, the 2008 exudes energy in its finely sculpted red berry, floral and mineral-infused notes. The 2008 could use a bit more time in bottle to soften, but it is undeniably beautiful, even at this early stage.”
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 94 points “Deutz’ Millésime 2008 Amour de Deutz Rosé Brut shows a pale but brilliant salmon color and a clear, delicate bouquet of discreet red fruits as well as very fine spicy and floral notes. The palate is highly delicate and fresh, firmly structured and nicely dry, with good, dense, aromatic and well-structured length. However, the wine is still young and not yet perfectly round.” [Review is for lot LA112D32216]
Wine Spectator 93 points “Spring blossom and mineral notes waft through the flavors of white cherry, star fruit and marzipan in this elegant rosé Champagne, while the sleek acidity is finely meshed and carries the flavor range on the lacy finish. Drink now through 2028.”
Piper-Heidsieck Brut, Champagne 2008 750ML ($79.95) $59 pre-arrival special
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 94 points “The 2008 Vintage Brut offers a clear and toasty aroma on the nose. Pure, fresh, lean and delicate but complex and mineral on the palate, this is a lithe and elegant, very finessed and persistent 2008 with grip and expression. This is a complex, intense yet light and very elegant Champagne with a pure, mineral-structured and persistent finish.”
Wine Spectator 93 points “An elegant, toasty version, featuring firm, focusing acidity layered with rich hints of canelé, dried apricot, coffee liqueur and star anise. Bright and citrusy, with a long, mouthwatering finish. Drink now through 2027. 125 cases imported.”
Case-6 Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Brut, Champagne 2008 750ML ($399.95) $359 pre-arrival special (that’s only $59.83/bottle!)
Decanter 96 points “It is quite something to be invited to the launch of Champagne Veuve Clicquot 2008 at Clos des Lambrays, one of the finest grands crus of Burgundy’s Côte de Nuits and acquired by LVMH in April 2014. It was rumoured to have paid close to €100m. The Veuve Clicquot 2008 is VC Chef de Caves Dominique Demarville’s first solo vintage. What fascinated him at Lambrays was winemaker Thierry Brouin’s consummate talent in capturing from the red iron-rich soil a wonderfully bright character in the wine- so fresh, rich yet elegant, density and delicacy in magical harmony. The same can be said for my two coups de coeur in Clicquot 2008. — Veuve Clicquot 2008 (Magnum) — Shimmering green-gold. Easily up several notches from the bottle. Perfect balance of freshness, ripe acidity and complex vinosity to come. Near perfect wine, patina of seasoned spice of subtle oak. — Elegant and complex Champagne with plenty of fine mousse and flavours of toast, smoke and roasted fruit notes to balance the fresh acidity. A refined and refreshing fullbodied wine in a gastronomic style with the potential to drink well for many years.”
Can’t wait? Neither can we. The 2008 vintage in Champagne is one to be celebrated and cherished. What better way than on our January Sale?
Newly Added to Our January Sale
Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Brut, Champagne 2008 750ML ($399.95) Was $76, Now $69 January Sale Special, 11 bottles in stock now
Decanter 96 points “It is quite something to be invited to the launch of Champagne Veuve Clicquot 2008 at Clos des Lambrays, one of the finest grands crus of Burgundy’s Côte de Nuits and acquired by LVMH in April 2014. It was rumoured to have paid close to €100m. The Veuve Clicquot 2008 is VC Chef de Caves Dominique Demarville’s first solo vintage. What fascinated him at Lambrays was winemaker Thierry Brouin’s consummate talent in capturing from the red iron-rich soil a wonderfully bright character in the wine- so fresh, rich yet elegant, density and delicacy in magical harmony. The same can be said for my two coups de coeur in Clicquot 2008. — Veuve Clicquot 2008 (Magnum) — Shimmering green-gold. Easily up several notches from the bottle. Perfect balance of freshness, ripe acidity and complex vinosity to come. Near perfect wine, patina of seasoned spice of subtle oak. — Elegant and complex Champagne with plenty of fine mousse and flavours of toast, smoke and roasted fruit notes to balance the fresh acidity. A refined and refreshing fullbodied wine in a gastronomic style with the potential to drink well for many years.”
