Friday Night Newsletter 8-19-22

In This Newsletter:

New Weekend – New Arrivals

Time for Tempier!
 
William Fevre:
The Frontrunner of Chablis 

Clouet’s Fever Dream
 
Sequitur



Vinopolis Wine Shop

Will Be Closed

Wednesday, August 24th & Wednesday, August 31st

We’re open for our regularly scheduled hours all other days:

10 am – 6 pm

Can’t wait? Browse & shop our webstore here!
 



New Weekend – New Arrivals

Oregon

Staff favorite!
Crowley Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2021 750ml ($31.95) $27 special, 36+ bottles in stock now
Winery note “We bottled the 2021 earlier than ever…10 months after vintage. We are fortunate that 2021 is a precocious vintage and seemed to come out of the gate drinking well, needing very little coaxing to be ready. This wine has a youthful spirit and is brightly lit. Vivid red and blue hues dominate the color, which shimmers with clarity. The nose is strawberry, cranberry, and anise mixed with citrus and watermelon. The palate is bright and lifted out of the gate, also very berry…strawberry, mulberry, and blueberry. Polished and airy, sarsaparilla mingles in the background with sage and cherry while breakfast tea tannins accompany supple roundness to create a perfectly balanced mid-range all the way to an engaging finish. The bottles we’ve opened have disappeared quickly!”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Brick House Vineyards Intentional Rosé of Pinot Noir, Ribbon Ridge 2021 750ml ($39.95) $29 special, 12 bottles in stock now
Winery note “There’s nothing quite like the lighthearted pleasure of enjoying rosé in warm weather and our 2021 Intentional Rosé of Pinot Noir is ready to report for duty. With inviting aromas of sea breeze and melon rind, this coral-tinted wine brings its tropical freshness to the table with flavors of bright strawberry and tart pineapple that will quench your thirst for summer.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Bergstrom ‘Cumberland Reserve’ Pinot Noir, Yamhill-Carlton District 2020 750ml ($49.95) $44 special, 12 bottles in stock now
James Suckling 92 points “Aromas of ground spice, baked strawberry and dried rose petal. Medium-bodied with fine, creamy tannins. Linear and spicy with nice focus. Drink or hold.”
Josh Bergstrom note “A bright ruby-red color with youthful violet hues. Aromas of roses and violets leap from the glass accompanied by strawberry and raspberry candies and seductive notes of spicy sandalwood and incense. On the palate, it is elegantly medium in body, bursting with fresh, red-fruit flavors and a zesty, savory complexity. A serious structure of vibrant acidity and ripe tannins acts as conductor of the orchestra, ensuring this wine is both deliciously pairable with culinary delights from this upcoming harvest and ready to age gracefully in the cellar. Drink Now – 2028.  Alcohol: 12%”

This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!


France – Champagne

Champagne de Venoge Cordon Bleu Brut, Champagne 2002 750ml ($99.95) $79 special, 18 bottles in stock now
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. — AN”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Louis Roederer Cristal Brut Rosé Millesime, Champagne 2013 750ml ($749.95) $619 special, 3 bottles in stock now
William Kelley-Wine Advocate 99 points “A candidate for wine-of-the-vintage honors in Champagne, Roederer’s 2013 Cristal Rosé is showing brilliantly, unfurling in the glass with notes of crisp orchard fruit, white flowers, red berries, stone fruit, freshly baked bread and tangerine oil. Full-bodied, layered and multidimensional, the vintage’s bright girdling acids are amply cloaked in exuberant, expressive and notably concentrated fruit; so while this Cristal is as tensile and age-worthy as one would expect, it’s also impressively fleshy and generous given the year. Concluding with an intensely sapid finish, the 2013 isn’t as overtly structured as the muscular, tightly wound 2012: rather, it’s the 2013’s alliance of cut and flesh, precision and charm that’s so compelling this year. This is another banner vintage for what I consider the reigning champion of the region’s tête de cuvée bottlings, and it will be worth an effort to acquire.”
Antonio Galloni 98 points “The 2013 Cristal Rosé is searingly intense right out of the glass, just like the Blanc, except it has a bit more fleshiness because of the skin contact on the Pinot. Cristal Rosé has one of the best track records for aging in Champagne. I suspect the 2013 will join the ranks of the epic vintages, but it is painfully tight today. The blend is 55% Pinot Noir (from Aÿ) and 45% Chardonnay (from Avize and Mesnil) done in the classic Roederer infusion style in which Pinot Noir is vinified on the skins and then blended with Chardonnay to complete the fermentation. About 25% of the lots were done in oak, while malolactic fermentation was blocked. (Originally published in May 2021)”
Jeb Dunnuck 98 points “If you’re a Champagne lover and this doesn’t do it for you, I don’t know what will. A magical Champagne that’s just about as good as it gets, the 2013 Cristal Rosé reveal a lighter salmon hue to go with a rich yet also subtle nose of orange blossom, white flowers, toasted brioche, and chalky minerality. It takes some coaxing but is incredibly complex aromatically and offers more spice, dried strawberry, and library book-like nuances as it sets in the glass. Richly textured on the palate, it’s medium to full-bodied and has surprising opulence as well as a great mid-palate, all of which are balanced by a vibrant spine of acidity. It starts out seemingly soft and easygoing yet changes with air, and it possesses an incredible mix of suppleness, texture, and precision that is something to behold. It can be drunk today or cellared for 20 or 30 years, possibly even longer.”
Wine & Spirits 98 points “Cristal Rosé appears to be an effortless wine, a pleasure point somewhere between masculine strength and feminine beauty. The delicate rose color and lasting red fruit describe ripe peach, the scent of bee pollen, savory herbs and smoke, but what astonishes about this wine is the kind of power that pheromones have, well past the edges of perception. A blend of Aÿ pinot noir and Avize chardonnay, all mid-slope parcels, all on chalk soils, this is glorious wine to enjoy now, while it holds the inner tension and bold compression of flavors to develop for decades.”


France – Loire

Thomas-Labaille Sancerre L’Authentique, Loire 2020 750ml ($29.95) $24 special, 12 bottles in stock now
Importer note “100% Sauvignon Blanc. Originally labeled simply as “Sancerre”, L’Authentique is Thomas-Labaille’s multi-parcel estate bottling. All of the vines are on the Kimmeridgian limestone soils of Chavignol and average twenty-five years old; they are sustainably farmed and harvested by hand. The wine is fermented with native yeasts in fiberglass and cement tanks, aged on its lees in stainless steel tanks for four to six months and bottled without filtration.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Thomas-Labaille Sancerre Les Monts Damnes Chavignol, Loire 2020 750ml ($34.95) $25.50 special, 12 bottles in stock now
Importer note “100% Sauvignon Blanc. Thomas-Labaille has vines averaging thirty years old with some much older on the famously steep slope of Monts Damnés in Chavignol. They are sustainably farmed and harvested by hand. The wine is fermented with native yeasts in fiberglass and cement tanks, aged on its lees in stainless steel tanks (with a small proportion of used barrel in some vintages) for four to six months and bottled without filtration.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!


Italy – Piedmont

Paitin di Pasquero-Elia ‘Sori Paitin Vecchie Vigne’, Barbaresco DOCG 2004 750ml ($179.95) $149 special, 12 bottles in stock now
Antonio Galloni-Wine Advocate 94 points “The 2004 Barbaresco Sori’ Paitin Vecchie Vigne is marvelous. Dark red berries, crushed flowers, smoke, ash and tar are just some of the notes that emerge from this big yet beautifully articulated Vecchie Vigne. The 2004 shows superb class and fabulous overall balance. As always this is a fairly large-scaled Barbaresco, but all of the elements meld together beautifully. A long, sensual finish rounds things out in style. With air the 2004 is approachable today, but it clearly has the stuffing and freshness to drink well to age 25, perhaps beyond. The Vecchie Vigne captures the essence of this great Piedmontese vintage in spades. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2029.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $177

Paitin di Pasquero-Elia ‘Sori Paitin Vecchie Vigne’, Barbaresco DOCG 2008 750ml ($149.95) $128 special, 12 bottles in stock now
Antonio Galloni-Wine Advocate 94 points “The blackest of cherries, spices, incense, tar and scorched earth are some of the many nuances that emerge from the 2008 Barbaresco Sori’ Paitin Vecchie Vigne. This dark, brooding Barbaresco is all about power. The 2008 impresses for its fabulous balance and pure length. With time in the glass, the wine becomes increasingly more refined. It is a striking Barbaresco to drink now and over the next 10-15 years, perhaps longer. The 2008 was aged in 25-hectoliter cask and bottled in June 2012. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2028.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $148.99

Paitin di Pasquero-Elia “Sori Paitin”, Barbaresco DOCG 2004 750ml ($119.95) $99 special, 12 bottles in stock now
Antonio Galloni-Wine Advocate 92 points “The 2004 Barbaresco Sori Paitin is intense and powerful in its expression of dark fruit, spices, earthiness and tar. Made in a pure, bold style, it is one of the more closed, shut down 2004 Barbarescos and will require at least a few years in bottle before revealing its truest potential.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!


Spain – Cava

Gramona Imperial Brut Corpinnat, Catalonia 2015 750ml ($41.95) $36 special, 12 bottles in stock now
Winery note “Based on careful observation and the management of the factors which influence our terroir and its habitat. We do not apply chemical herbicides or pesticides, but instead we use natural resources, with the primary aim of maintaining a balance in the environment, and we preserve spontaneous ground cover in order to obtain spongy soils. We use heads and hearts (52.5%) of the must fraction with our presses specialized in the pressing of whole grapes, coming from 12 different plots of our association Aliances per la Terra. The touch of ‘expedition liqueur’ from our solera, which is well over a century old, gives this cava our unmistakable signature, a symbol of elegance that has made this cava a classic for its loyal drinkers. Medium dosage of 7 grams/litre. This sparkling wine is aged for more than 50 months.”


Austria

Schloss Gobelsburg Langenlois Gruner Veltliner, Kamptal DAC 2020 750ml ($31.95) $29 special, 11 bottles in stock now
James Suckling 91 points “A little bit shy on the nose, but expressive and textural on the palate with nice white-pepper and yellow-apple character, a positive hint of bitterness underlying the fresh acidity. Drink or hold.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
 
 
 
Time for Tempier!

Though global shipping may have delayed the Tempier rosé, fear not, our fairer weather friend is landing next Friday:

Domaine Tempier Bandol Rosé, Provence 2021 750ml ($59.95) $49 pre-arrival special
Joe Czerwinski-Wine Advocate 93 points “Not included in the blind tasting at the local syndicat, Tempier’s 2021 Bandol Rose nevertheless looked good when I tasted it at the estate. It’s a very fine, elegant example of Bandol rosé, with notes of passion fruit and pink grapefruit leading the way in a tightly knit, medium-bodied package that adds promising hints of white peach and anise on the lingering finish.”

 
William Fevre:

The Frontrunner of Chablis 

Have you ever heard the saying “There is Chardonnay, and then there is Chablis”? There are only a handful of growing regions in the world that are exclusively planted to a single varietal, and Chablis delivers the most compelling argument for why that’s the case. With a cooler growing season than in the Côte-d’Or, unique soil composition and a plethora of exceptional sites, Chablis is an essential item for anyone’s cellar. With a tremendous amount of variance in terms of flavor expression, the best Chablis are characterized by their high acids, pervasive minerality and a fruit profile that tends to skew towards citrus and orchard fruit. As they age, the mineral and tertiary characters of the wines blossom, with the best examples having decades of potential bottle age. 

Don’t have a favorite Premier or Grand Cru expression? Look no further than William Fevre’s expansive portfolio. With holdings in nearly every Cru of mention, and mostly biodynamically farmed, there’s no better producer with which to explore Chablis. 

Highlights In Stock Now from William Fevre:

Perfumed, multispectral and transcendent. A mirage of taste that beguiles and disappears.   
William Fevre Beauroy Chablis Premier Cru 2017 750ML ($69.95) $59 special, 11 bottles in stock now
Antonio Galloni 92 points “The 2017 Chablis Beauroy 1er Cru is beautifully lifted and nuanced. Floral and citrus notes give the Beauroy striking lift as well as nuance. Readers will find a gracious, super-expressive Chablis that drinks well now and also has the potential to develop nicely in bottle.”

William Fevre Les Clos, Chablis Grand Cru 2018 750ml ($189.905) $179 special, 6 bottles in stock now
William Kelley-Wine Advocate 95 points “The 2018 Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos is another obvious success, mingling aromas of citrus and citrus confit with hints of beeswax, peach and pear in an inviting bouquet. Full-bodied, muscular and layered, it’s textural and fleshy, with a deep and tightly wound core, racy acids and a chalky finish. This is a fine effort that will improve with bottle age, but it is a bit more front-loaded out of the gates than the very fine 2017 rendition.”
James Suckling 95 points “A very ripe, dense Chablis, yet it maintains energy and focus. Crushed-stone and mineral highlights. Full-bodied and formed with a solid core of fruit and energy. Drink or hold.”

William Fevre Vaillons, Chablis Premier Cru 2019 750ml ($79.95) $69 special, 8 bottles in stock now
William Kelley-Wine Advocate 92+ points “The 2019 Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons mingles aromas of crisp yellow orchard fruit and white peach with hints of beeswax and white flowers. Medium to full-bodied, enveloping but incisive, with tangy acids and fine depth at the core, it’s long and saline.”
 
 
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Clouet’s Fever Dream

Founded in 1741 Clouet has been making some of the most recognizable Champagnes in their entire village. Their latest releases offer the same incredible return on investment with their ethereal fruit, dense minerality, and effusive aromatics. 

Jean-François Clouet is a figure from a fever dream of acid and chalk – he is enigmatic, hilarious and consistently makes amazing Champagne. He’s been dedicated to his craft since a very young age, and the love for his home shows. The family owns beautiful mid-slope vineyards situated between Bouzy and Ambonnay, and the centuries of knowledge passed down, generation to generation, showcase the stunning fruit. Arguably the stars of the Clouet lineup are the Dream Vintage bottlings, and we’re thrilled to offer several of our favorite recent releases.

Dream Vintages In Stock Now:

Andre Clouet ‘Dream Vintage’ Brut, Champagne 2008 750ml ($89.95) $79 special, 36+ bottles in stock now
James Suckling 96 points “Such a classic Blanc de Blancs champagne with the special elegance, brilliance and minerality of the 2008 vintage. Very well structured, but without the austere acidity structure that some 2008s have. Long and very clean finish that sends you back to the glass. 100% chardonnay. Drink or hold.”

Andre Clouet ‘Dream Vintage’ Brut, Champagne 2013 750ml ($59.95) $53.50 special, 11 bottles in stock now
“André Clouet is one of my favorite small domaines in Champagne. At their best, proprietor Jean-François Clouet’s wines are distinctive and full of character.” -Antonio Galloni, Vinous

Andre Clouet ‘Dream Vintage’ Brut, Champagne 2016 750ml ($59.95) $49 special, 33 bottles in stock now

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Prefer Pinot-based bubbles with extended lees aging? Don’t miss the V6!

Andre Clouet The V6 Experience Brut, Champagne NV 750ml ($59.95) $49 special, 36+ bottles in stock now
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 93+ points “Aged for six years on the second lees, the yellow-golden NV Brut The V6 Experience is a Bouzy Pinot Noir that displays great purity and intensity but also reduction on the mineral-scented nose. This is deep and complex, but it needs all our patience and perhaps even a decanter or at least a big glass and lots of aeration. The palate is rich and powerful, firmly structured, very tight and still astringent on the finish, but there is so much finesse paired with power, concentration and fruit, which give the V6 a promising future. The wine just starts a bit slowly (like a rocket, which is pictured on the label), but it will most probably go very steep in a couple of years. I have ever had this cuvée before, so I can only guess, though.”
 

Sequitur

Mike Etzel, the founder and winemaker of Sequitur, is a living legend in the Willamette Valley. He co-founded Beaux Frères in the late 1980s and was the winemaker there until recently passing the duties to his son. Never one to rest on his laurels, though, he began planting a vineyard adjacent to Beaux Frères in 2010—a project that became what we know as Sequitur.

It’s helpful to think of Sequitur as a distillation of everything Mike Etzel learned while starting and producing Beaux Frères over the decades. The Sequitur vineyard sits right next to the Beaux Frères “Upper Terrace” but is planted to a wider array of clones at tighter spacing. It’s been farmed biodynamically since the beginning and is sheltered with Douglas Fir—in short, it’s the fully realized vision of a man who’s helped define Willamette Valley Pinot Noir.

The winemaking style is exactly what you’d expect—these are wines that are made by the same hand that delivered so many high scores to Beaux Frères. Big, powerful and bold, these nevertheless have energy and grace that we think comes from the extra-attentive farming and unique clonal selection in the vineyard. In short order, Sequitur has established itself as one of the very best producers in the Willamette Valley and deserves your attention as such.

Highlights In Stock Now:

Sequitur Chardonnay, Ribbon Ridge 2016 750ML ($89.95) $59 special, 21 bottles available
Josh Raynolds – Vinous 94 points “Pale yellow-gold. Fresh and incisive on the nose, displaying intense citrus and orchard fruit scents complemented by suggestions of toasty lees, iodine and sweet butter. Sappy, penetrating and seamless in texture, offering concentrated pear nectar, peach, tangerine and honeysuckle flavors that deepen slowly on the back half while maintaining energy. Finishes with repeating pear and floral notes, with a late jolt of dusty minerality pulling things together.”
Wine Advocate 93+ points “The 2016 Sequitur Chardonnay has a gregarious nose of spiced, baked yellow apples and warm pineapple with notes of toast, honey, hazelnut and hay. Medium to full-bodied, it fills the mouth with warm orchard and tropical fruits accented by nuances of baking spice, nuts and honey, with a touch of creaminess to the texture, juicy acidity and a long, mineral-laced finish. 85 cases produced.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
 
Sequitur Chardonnay, Ribbon Ridge 2018 750ML ($89.95) $66 special, 21 bottles available
Josh Raynolds – Vinous 95 points “Glistening straw-yellow. Vibrant, mineral-accented aromas of white peach, Anjou pear, melon and Meyer lemon carry a bright floral overtone. Juicy and densely packed, displaying a suave blend of richness and vivacity to the mineral-drenched citrus and orchard fruit and floral flavors. Picks up smoky lees, honey and iodine notes with air and shows outstanding clarity on a strikingly long, penetrating finish that echoes the mineral and citrus fruit notes.”
 
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Sequitur Pinot Noir, Ribbon Ridge 2015 750ML ($119.95) $79 special, 16 bottles available
Josh Raynolds – Vinous 95 points “Deep brilliant red. A strikingly complex bouquet evokes ripe, mineral-accented red berries, cherry cola, vanilla, five-spice powder and sandalwood. Alluringly sweet, seamless and expansive on the palate, offering concentrated black raspberry, cherry liqueur, spicecake and lavender pastille flavors that are given spine and lift by a core of juicy acidity. Delivers a compelling blend of power and delicacy and finishes extremely long and smooth; rounded tannins frame the lingering red fruit preserve notes.”
Wine Advocate 94 points “Pale to medium ruby purple in color, the 2015 Sequitur Pinot Noir has a very provocative nose of Bing cherries and cranberries over a core of red roses, game, yeast extract and underbrush. Medium-bodied, with wonderful energy and freshness, it has a lively backbone and long finish paved with very fine, ripe tannins.”
Winery note “Sequitur 2015 Pinot Noir “Two fold,” a collaboration between our Mother, the earth, those of us who “play” in the vineyard and winery, and you, the wine lover.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
 
Sequitur Pinot Noir, Ribbon Ridge 2017 750ML ($119.95) $79 special, 19 bottles available
Nick Stock-Jamessuckling 96 points “Beautifully deep, blueberries and plums on offer with notes of fresh violets and moist, fresh-tilled earth. This is full of life and very pure. The palate has focused and fresh tannins that sit in very vibrant style with a deep push of concentrated blue fruit, holding the finish in superb style. So fresh and long, this will age well. Drink across the next decade or more.”
Josh Raynolds-Vinous 94-95 points “Lurid red. Spice-tinged blackberry and cherry aromas are complicated by suggestions of cola, incense and smoky minerals. Sweet and expansive on the palate, offering concentrated dark berry and spicecake flavors and suggestions of rose pastille and mocha that build with air. Concentrated but also vibrant and precise in style, delivering superb finishing cut, well-knit tannins and impressive, fruit-driven persistence. (30% new French oak).”
Winery Note “TOTALITY—During the growing season of 2017, Oregon was treated to a total solar eclipse, where the moon passed exactly between the earth and the sun.  Day turned to night, the temperature dropped and the farm animals were disoriented.  The moment of awe was tempered with a deep sense of vulnerability, as we witnessed our world bow down to the power of nature.  May this 2017 vintage seeped in “totality,” bring you a fresh perspective.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Love Oregon Pinot Noir?
We have over 83 different options in stock. Shop the entire selection on our web store now!
 


Thank you from the small but mighty team at Vinopolis!

Be well & drink well.