Vinopolis Tuesday Newsletter 12-8-2020

Beaux Frères is one of the great names in Oregon wine—a producer that helped put the Willamette Valley on the map. Big, rich wines with lots of character (plus a familial relation to the Mayor of Monkton) mean that these wines were some of the first collectable bottles from our corner of the wine world.

Beaux Frères’ continued excellence was recently rewarded by Wine Spectator, who recognized the 2018 Beaux Frères Vineyard Pinot Noir as its #9 wine of 2020. Here at the shop Beaux Frères’ wines always generate a lot of interest, and considering the praise that this particular bottle has garnered it’s unlikely that our limited allocation (arriving Friday) will last long.

Arriving Friday, December 11th:

Beaux Frères ‘The Beaux Frères Vineyard’ Pinot Noir, Ribbon Ridge 2018 750ML ($109.95) $84 pre-arrival special
#9 in Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2020
Josh Raynolds-Vinous 95 points “Brilliant ruby. Intense red and blue fruit, floral and spice qualities on the highly perfumed nose, along with hints of cola and licorice. Juicy and precise, offering concentrated raspberry, boysenberry and floral pastille flavors that take on a five-spice-powder nuance with air. Plays power off delicacy with a sure hand and finishes extremely long and silky, with polished tannins framing lingering red fruit and candied rose notes. 45% new oak.”
Wine Spectator 95 points “A wine of presence and expression, impeccably structured yet elegantly layered, with evocative raspberry, rose petal and brown baking spice notes that pick up richness and tension toward fine-grained tannins. Drink now through 2029. 3,088 cases made.”
James Suckling 96 points “This is a trademark, deeply rich impression with an unctuous, violet-flower layer, together with blueberries, cherries and sweetly toasty woody spices, as well as forest wood and fresh, leafy and sappy nuances. The palate has a very succulent, fresh and lithe, almost tangy feel, delivering such succulent, mouthwatering energy at the finish. Ready now, but better from 2024.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Love Oregon Pinot Noir? We have 115 Oregon Pinot Noirs in stock now. Shop the entire selection, including local favorites like Cameron, Sequitur and White Rose Estate, on our web store now!

The Dueling Vouvray of Foreau and Huet

When it comes to the top of Vouvray, there are two names that really matter: Foreau and Huet. Both producers are the pinnacle of quality for the appellation (and therefore some of the best values in truly world-class wine) though their styles and approaches differ. We’ve got a broad selection of both producers in stock now and anyone who loves world class white wines needs to have both in their cellar.

When you compare the two producers, side by side, two things jump out immediately. The first is that Foreau definitely produces wines with a razor sharp edge and more intense minerality at any given sweetness level compared to the rounder, richer wines of Huet. As a result, we often find that they require more time to come around in the cellar (with the notable exception of the stellar 2015s). The Huet’s seem to be richer, more flamboyant and packed with fruit—they’re easy to love and the complexity is obvious, right in front of you to see.

The other main distinction has to do with terroir—Huet makes three single vineyard wines that all display unique personalities, from the softer, drink-now Le Haut Lieu to the dense and age-worthy Le Mont (and the in-between Clos du Bourg). Foreau, by contrast, makes a single wine from his estate, the Clos Naudin. We try to buy as many of all of these wines as we can, because we love both estates, and we think anyone who likes world class whites at reasonable prices should be exploring both producers. We’ve highlighted some of their world class-class sweet wines below, but you can see all of the Huet and all of the Foreau in stock in our webstore, as well.

Highlights, In Stock Now:

 

Philippe Foreau Domaine du Clos Naudin Vouvray Moelleux, Loire 2009 750ML ($99.95) $89 special, 4 bottles in stock now
Wine Advocate 96+ points “The golden yellow 2009 Vouvray Moelleux offers an awesome rich bouquet of a full basket of super ripe white and yellow-fleshed fruits with pure and mineral highlighted aromas as well as colored blossoms, yellow paprika, ginger, coriander, white pepper, toasted peanuts and speck. Bottled with 80 grams of residual sugar, this is a full-bodied, complex, and very elegant almost perfect moelleux à la Foreau, a really rich, ripe, sweet and perfectly balanced wine of great finesse and a persistent freshness due to the lingering salinity and piquancy. This great Moelleux is surely made from healthy berries and for all Chenin lovers and their following generations this is a must buy.”


Philippe Foreau Domaine du Clos Naudin Vouvray Moelleux, Loire 2010 750ML ($59.95) $49 special, 7 bottles in stock now
Wine Advocate 93+ points “Straw yellow the 2010 Vouvray Moelleux offers a rather pure but rich nose with aromas of tuffeau, mushrooms, yellow-fleshed plums, honeydew melon, super ripe pears, cooked peaches, ripe and succulent mangos as well as hints of caramel, honey and new oak. On the full-bodied palate this is an extremely elegant and superbly balanced Chenin of great finesse, piquancy and precision with aromas of figs, cooked peaches and pears along with a lingering salinity. To those of you who love the incomparable nature of 2010 this is a wine you should buy.”


Philippe Foreau Domaine du Clos Naudin Vouvray Moelleux, Loire 2015 750ML ($79.95) $66 special, 14 bottles in stock now
Neal Rosenthal tasting note “The 2015 Moelleux is really a step up in concentration and complexity from the Sec and Demi-Sec.  It is at this level where the ultimate potential of Vouvray begins to reveal itself. The dense aromas lean bitter, with notes of pear, pit fruits, and fresh honey.  On the palate, the fruit is warm and leans toward plum and quince, with an undercurrent of sea foam and Indian spices.  Wearing 70 grams of sugar, this wine’s intense minerality keeps it fresh and structured, which adds to its incredible persistence and surprisingly dry finish.”

This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast today!

Philippe Foreau Domaine du Clos Naudin Vouvray Moelleux Réserve, Loire 2009 750ML ($119.95) $79 special, 22 bottles in stock now
Wine Advocate 97 points “What there was in this vintage of botrytis, Foreau reports, essentially went into his 2009 Vouvray Moelleux Réserve. Brown-spiced pear liqueur and quince preserves dominate the proceedings – wreathed in perfume of freesia and lily – and there are buoyancy and elegance, despite viscosity, enormous richness of texture and residual sweetness, that indeed point to the magic nobility rot can convey. Its sense of lift – when combined with luscious, still juicy suggestions of grapefruit and blood orange familiar from the corresponding demi-sec – wards off any risk of palate fatigue. Mysterious botrytis manifestations of stale bread, truffle, and white raisin emerge from the empty glass. This extraordinary achievement will stand with such past great Foreau moelleux réserves as 2005, 2003, and 1989-90 and is likely to merit 30 or more years of consideration. In direct comparison, what strikes one about the 2005 today is its more obvious sense of botrytis and its slightly diminished sense of acidity and lift. But it maintains the edge in sheer complexity.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Philippe Foreau Domaine du Clos Naudin Vouvray Moelleux Réserve, Loire 2015 750ML ($129.95) $105 special, 3 bottles in stock now
Neal Rosenthal tasting note “This wine is not made every year, but only in vintages that have the ultimate conditions for making sweet wines. In fact, this is the first Moelleux Réserve made by Foreau this decade.  Weighing in at 120 grams of sugar, this wine shows unbelievable concentration. It is impossible to describe all the layers of dense flavor packed into the glass. The aromas are dense with a warm potpourri of plum, dried citrus, rose petals, and hints of sea water. The Moelleux Réserve is massive on the palate. Its glycerol texture plays perfectly with the wine’s intense mineral structure to create a fine silkiness. The potential and power of the wine seems to warm the juice from within, giving the wine a flavor of black cherry and fig. This wine is impressive in its youth, but will also ultimately reward those willing to squirrel it away for years, if not decades.”
Importer note “It is the rare vintage that is blessed with the conditions necessary for Foreau to release a Moelleux Réserve. Wines so declared frequently have levels of residual sugar that are in excess of 150 grams of residual sugar. It is not, however, simply the level of ripeness that creates the Moelleux Réserve; it is as much the conditions of the growing season that produce grapes that have a level of complexity and ripeness that demand this sort of classification. An error that many make in assessing and utilizing these wines is to consider the sugar quotient as a disqualifier for use of this wine during any stage of a meal. Our experience is such that these wines can marry well with a wide range of dishes served at the beginning, middle or end of a meal.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Domaine Huet

Domaine Huet Vouvray ‘Clos du Bourg’ Première Trie Moelleux, Loire 2016 750ML ($89.95) $79 special, 36+ bottles in stock now
Wine Spectator 96 points “This is ripe and broad, taking a slightly more power-driven approach, with a mix of tropical mango and papaya fruit, backed by orchard fruit accents of yellow apple and peach. The long, heather honey–accented finish has light piecrust and crystalized ginger hints. Best from 2020 through 2035.”
Wine Advocate 94 points “Huet’s bright golden colored 2016 Vouvray Clos du Bourg Moelleux Première Trie is clear, fresh and intensely fruity on the remarkably precise nose. Medium-bodied yet concentrated, elegant and sweet on the palate, this is a salty, piquant, mineral Chenin Blanc with intense, elegant and well-structured fruit. The wine reveals a chalky finesse and long tensioned finish. Bottled with 84 grams of residual sugar, this is still a pretty sweet but doubtlessly promising Vouvray. Tasted February 2018.”


Domaine Huet Vouvray ‘Le Mont’ Moelleux, Loire 2015 750ML ($59.95) $49 special, 6 bottles in stock now
Wine Advocate 96 points “The apricot/golden colored 2015 Vouvray Le Mont Moelleux shows a very intense, elegant and also subtle bouquet of ripe fruit intermixed with flinty aromas. Dense, piquant and concentrated on the palate, this is a great and tension-filled Chenin with grip and persistence, but also great finesse and elegance. This is a highly complex and energetic, but also light-footed and stimulating wine with lots of mouthwatering salinity. A fascinating Chenin with great aging potential.”
John Gilman 95 points “The 2015 Vouvray “Le Mont” Moelleux from Domaine Huët is yet another brilliant wine from the estate in this vintage, soaring from the glass in a nicely botrytized blend of apple, quince, honeycomb, dried flowers, a touch of dusty chalkiness, orange peel and an exotic topnote of sweet corn in the upper register. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, focused and more primary in personality than the Le Haut Lieu Moelleux, with a rock solid core, great focus and grip, lovely framing acids and impeccable balance on the very, very long and stunning finish. This is less developed than the 2015 Le Haut Lieu Moelleux, but it seems to have even superior potential for the long haul! Great juice. 2020-2085. 95.”
Wine Spectator 94 points “Offers ginger- and hibiscus-infused creamed yellow apple, quince and pear notes, gilded with a whiff of piecrust. All the elements meld through the long, rippling finish. Drink now through 2035.”

This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast today!

Domaine Huet Vouvray ‘Le Mont’ Moelleux, Loire 2017 750ML ($59.95) $49 special, 14 bottles in stock now
Wine Spectator 96 points “A beauty, with an inviting display of succulent yellow apple, green plum, pear, persimmon and quince flavors that ripples lengthily through the finish, while light verbena, ginger and honeysuckle notes dart around. A long green tea echo runs through the finish. Shows terrific range and purity, with the sweetness easily harnessed for balance. Best from 2019 through 2040.”
Jeb Dunnuck 96 points “The 2017 Le Mont Moelleux shows the classic progression from the vibrancy of the Sec to the more layered, slightly honeyed Demi-Sec to this richer, sweeter, yet no less impressive Moelleux release. Brilliant notes of quince, honeyed tangerines, apple peel, and orange liqueur all emerge from this full-bodied, layered Vouvray that has a stacked, dense, concentrated mid-palate, high yet integrated acidity, impeccable balance, and a great finish. I couldn’t pick a favorite between this and the Demi-Sec, and both are brilliant wines. Smart readers will buy a handful of bottles of each (a six pack of each is what I intend to do) for drinking over the coming 2-3 decades.”
John Gilman 95+ points “The 2017 Le Mont Moelleux is a beautiful wine in the making, with less overt botrytis in evidence and more of a concentrated bouquet from passerillage and perfect ripening. The nose drifts from the glass in a very refined and classy blend of sweet quince, pineapple, apple chalky minerality, hints of honeycomb and a lovely topnote of orange blossoms. On the palate the wine is pure, racy and full, with superb mid-palate depth, outstanding focus and grip, a very youthful personality and a very, very long and classy finish. This is extremely 1989-like in personality and a great wine in the making. 2027-2075+. 95+.”
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 94 points “The golden-apricot colored 2017 Vouvray Le Mont Moelleux is perfectly ripe and elegant on the intense but refined nose, with stone fruit and very fine raisin aromas intertwined with yeasty notes. On the palate, this is a generous, highly elegant, finessed and juicy Vouvray with fine tannin grip, salty-piquant acidity and good concentration of dried and stewed stone fruits. The wine is compact and tight but vital and full of energy and aging potential. Very tight, firm and salty, with good tension and expression but far too young to be enjoyed within the next five years. Tasted in March 2019.”


Domaine Huet Vouvray ‘Le Mont’ Première Trie Moelleux, Loire 2015 750ML ($99.95) $79 special, 8 bottles in stock now
Wine Advocate 98 points “The 2015 Vouvray Le Mont Moelleux Première Trie is super clear, ripe and aromatic on the nose, highly elegant and with lovely flinty flavors. Intense and concentrated, with great finesse and vitality, this is a highly elegant and perfectly balanced wine with a persistent grip and salinity. Great balance and harmony.”
John Gilman 97 points “The 2015 Vouvray ‘Le Mont’ Moelleux Première Trie from Domaine Huët is utterly brilliant wine, which is at least fifteen years away from truly blossoming, but is so good right now that it is going to be next to impossible not to drink this wine in the blush of youth! The stunning nose shows a gorgeous glazing of botrytis in its constellation of pineapple, honeyed quince, sweet grapefruit, lovely minerality, orange blossoms, a hint of lavender, citrus oils, dried flowers and just a whisper of the new leather that will arrive with bottle age. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and utterly seamless in balance, with a great core, laser-like focus, superb nascent complexity and lovely grip on the endless, vibrant and dancing finish. Magical juice. 2025-2085. (Sep/Oct 2016)”


Love Loire wine? We have over 90 wines from the Loire Valley in stock now. Shop the entire selection, including famous names like Clos Rougeard, Dagueneau and Thibaud Boudignon, on our web store now!