10/21/15
~~~~
Palacios; Champagne Arrival; Lassaigne Champagne; Lucien Le Moine; Domaine Trapet; 3-Day ‘Grand Estates’ Sale
~~~~
Deal of the Week!
Alvaro Palacios Finca Dofi 2013
Arriving November 5th:
Alvaro Palacios Finca Dofi Priorat 2013 750ML ($89.95) $69 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 96 points “2011 was not an easy act to follow as it produced what probably was the best Dofí to date, yet the 2013 Finca Dofí is as good or even better! The single-vineyard 2013 Finca Dofí, made since 2011 with Garnacha and perhaps 5% Cariñena (previously made with Cabernet Sauvignon), was fermented in oak vats with indigenous yeasts and matured in barriques for 16 months after malolactic. They have achieved a level of sophistication in the élevage of this wine because it is completely different from the wines of, say, 2005 (or 1995!) that were hard and full of tannins. This 2013 is nothing like that. Of course, there are tannins, but the texture is completely different, more akin to a Barolo with earthiness that is coated by ripe fruit to create a singular, unmistakable Priorat. Again, the best Dofí to date.” LG
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $74.97
We also offer a fantastic deal on another wine from Palacios, seen below. Call or check our website for all seven cuvees we currently offer from the winery!
Alvaro Palacios ‘Les Terrasses’ Velles Vinyes DOCa 2012 750ML ($44.95) $36 special, 36+ bottles available
Case-12 Alvaro Palacios ‘Les Terrasses’ Velles Vinyes DOCa 2012 750ML ($419.95) $359 special (that’s only $29.92/btl and the lowest case price listed today!) , 5 cases available
Stephen Tanzer 92 points “Brilliant ruby. Potent, mineral-laced raspberry and cherry aromas are complicated by exotic floral and spice qualities, picking up white pepper and mocha accents with air. Seamless and sweet, offering silky red berry preserve flavors with a touch of allspice. Closes lively and precise, with sneaky tannins and a jolt of bitter cherry.” ST
~~~
Just Arrived!
Dom Perignon ’06 + Marc Hebrart Vintages
Moet & Chandon Dom Perignon Brut 2006 750ML ($179.95) $149 pre-arrival special
Richard Juhlin 94(97) points “It’s not often you fall backwards when a wine is first launched on the market. This time both me and my friends, who got to try this jewel at my champagne bar, fell in love instantly. It is all here so beautifully orchestrated in this incredibly well-balanced and flowing rich symphony. It is so voluptuously charming and welcoming immediately, but at the same time so complex that the interest in what you will discover in the next gulp never ceases. Here are all the pillars that I perceive a Dom Pérignon should have. A gigantic large and intense aroma, a silk caressing structure and a dazzling grand finale. Notes from the sea, roasted nuts, coffee, brioche, tropical green fruits, stone fruit, green apples, sweet orange citrus, gunpowder, nougat, mushroom cream and black truffle are all there like a perfectly tailored tuxedo. Love at first sight.”
We are pleased to offer the 2006 release of Dom Perignon at the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Champagne Hebrart Special Club Millesime Brut 2009 750ML ($99.95) $69 special
Josh Raynolds–Vinous 93 points “Greenish yellow. Intense lemon curd and pear aromas are complicated by suggestions of anise, green tea and buttered toast. Vibrant, deep, mineral-laced citrus and orchard fruit flavors pick up a sexy floral quality with aeration. Quite nervy for a hot-year Champagne, finishing sappy, incisive and very long. Disgorged in March, 2014.” JR
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $74.97
Champagne Marc Hébrart Gauche Rive Droite Grand Cru Extra Brut 2008 750ML ($159.95) $119 special
Josh Raynolds–Vinous 94 points “Light, bright gold. Deeply pitched aromas of melon, nectarine, vanilla and lemon curd, with a smoky mineral nuance adding vivacity. At once rich and lively, offering intense, oak-spiced honeydew, pit fruit and anise flavors and a zesty jolt of candied ginger. This really stains the palate while showing superb clarity and lightness of touch. The mineral and vanilla notes recur on the tenacious, sharply focused finish.” JR
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $159.95.
Also, coming to the shop in Mid-November…
Benoit Dehu ‘La Rue des Noyer’ 750ML ($199.95) $99 pre-arrival special
Antonio Galloni 94 points “Benoit Déhu’s NV (2011) Cuvée La Rue des Noyers is one of the most impressive wines I tasted this year. A vivid and crystalline Champagne, the Cuvée La Rue des Noyers possesses stunning depth, intensity and volume. The green notes of the vintage are present, but they are pretty much buried by the opulence of the fruit. Mint, savory herbs and crushed flowers are some of the many notes that are laced into a finish gently shaped by vinification in oak. What a gorgeous expression of Pinot Meunier this is. Dosage is 1 gram per liter”
~~~~
Lassaigne
Next-Level Champagne
Manu Lassaigne, at the helm of his father Jacques’ estate since 1999, is the kind of winemaker you’d want to drink his wines alongside. He seems to love what he does, if only because how much he takes upon doing himself. He disgorges every bottle by hand, makes wines from individual parcels, and vinifies from indigenous yeasts. Manu adds sulfur only once, at press, to prevent oxidation. His wines are layered and pure – some old tasting notes bear descriptors ranging from candied ginger and cantaloupe to buttered toast and wild flowers. Lassaigne is a lovely and unique take on Champagne, and we’re happy to offer a number of his cuvees in both standard and magnum size!
Lassaigne Wines Available Here Now:
Jacques Lassaigne Millesime Brut Nature 2006 750ML ($119.95) $99 special,36+ bottles available
Wine Advocate 93 points “Sourced from Le Cotet, La Grande Cote and Les Paluets – which last-named is southeast-facing and arguably the top site in Montgueux, opines Lassaigne – his 2006 Brut Nature is intriguingly and alluringly scented with fresh lemon and apricot, peony and narcissus, rowan and pistachio, along with sea breeze intimations and a pungency of struck flint. Startlingly silken and creamy, yet focused and vibrantly juicy this adds a sort of shimmering, crystalline sense of stoniness to an almost kaleidoscopically interactive finish. It ought to merit following for 6-8 years. Incidentally, Lassaigne believes that a purer expression of vintage character will always be achieved by maturing this cuvee in tank.” DS
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $125.
Jacques Lassaigne ‘La Colline Inspiree’ Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut NV 750ML ($79.95) $69 special, 1 bottle available
Jacques Lassaigne ‘La Colline Inspiree’ Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut NV 1.5L ($179.95) $149 special, 6 magnums available
Wine Advocate & Wine Spectator 92 points “Aromatic, featuring apple blossom, bread dough and sous-bois notes, this well-structured version is underscored by a hint of chalk-tinged minerality, with the mouthwatering impression enlivening refined layers of poached apple and pear, crystallized honey, lemon curd and candied ginger. Drink now through 2020.” WS
Jacques Lassaigne ‘Le Cotet’ Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut NV ($179.95) $149 special, 3 magnums available
Wine Advocate 92 points “The Lassaigne NV Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Le Cotet L100713 – from an especially thinly soiled lower-slope parcel – incorporates 10% of older reserve wines from barrel with its 2009 base, 10% of which was also aged in barrel. Apple and grapefruit offer aromatic pungency and exuberant juiciness on the palate, but this cuvee is dominated by stony, saline, chalky and otherwise mineral elements. Toasted nuts, incisive cress and a twist of lemon rind lend invigoration; musky notes intrigue; and maritime salinity milks the salivary glands in a long, mouth-coating finish. The Montgueux-typical sense of overt density manages not to weigh down the wine or sap its formidable sense of energy and vivacity. This should prove enormously versatile at table over the next 3-5 years.” DS
~~~~~
Lucien Le Moine is a micro-negociant collaboration between Rotem and Mounir Saouma – Mounir first worked in a Trappist Monestary, then studied winemaking in Montpellier. Rotem comes from a family of cheesemakers and studied wine in Dijon, only to move to the Cote d’Or with Mounir in 1999 in order to start the Le Moine project.
The label produces only Grands and Premiers Crus, adjusting their village selections each year according to their opinion of the harvest, vintage, and so forth. For perspective, their production comprised of 67 barrels in 2002, 47 in ’03, and 72 in 2004 – their output depends on how much work they can do by themselves and what the quality of the yields are. This versatility allows Le Moine to release only wines of a quality level the Saoumas approve of.
We carry a handful of great cuvees from Lucien Le Moine, viewable below.
Lucien Le Moine Les Charmes, Meursault Premier Cru 2011 750ML ($149.95) $125 special, 1 bottle available
Antonio Galloni 92-95 points “Bright beams of minerality run through the 2011 Meursault Charmes. This is without question one of the more focused, structured and tight Charmes of the year. The 2011 boasts remarkable polish in its flavors and texture. A rich, insistent finish rounds things out nicely. There is plenty of potential here, but readers are going to have to be patient.” AG
Lucien Le Moine Les Genevrieres, Meursault Premier Cru 2011 750ML ($149.95) $133 special, 2 bottles available
Stephen Tanzer 92-94 points “Orange oil and a hint of fresh pineapple on the nose; reminded me a bit of a German riesling. Intensely flavored and glyceral too, with sneaky sweetness leavened by ripe pineappley acidity. Very tactile, superconcentrated wine with broad shoulders (Saouma describes it as “a red wine made from chardonnay”) and a seriously palate-saturating finish. These 60-year-old vines always maintain very good acidity, notes Saouma. Exciting potential.” ST
Lucien Le Moine Chenas 2011 1.5L ($149.95) $133 special, 2 magnums available
Wine Advocate 92-93+ points “…it mingles striking wisteria perfume with scents and flavors of blueberry, pomegranate, black raspberry and smoked meat. Mouthwateringly salt-tinged and with crystalline suggestions of stony counterpoint, its infectiously juicy primary fruit informs a silken-texture palate and strikingly vibrant and persistent finish.” WA
Lucien Le Moine Les Saint Georges, Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru 2006 50ML ($149.95) $119 special, 2 bottles available
Wine Advocate 93 points “Ripe strawberry and cherry along with charred, roasted meat scent the nose of the Le Moine 2006 Nuits St.-Georges Les St.-Georges. This is broad and rich, more pliable on the palate than the corresponding Les Cailles – though still full of fine-grained tannin – and with a mind-bending suggestion of things mineral: chalk, iodine, ineffable, ore-like impingements. But don’t imagine for a minute that this is merely cerebral stuff. On the contrary, the bright, energetic finish here will set your bodily juices flowing. I would give it 2-3 years and then expect another 8-10 of delightful profundity.” WA
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Lucien Le Moine Les Folatieres, Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru 2011 750ML ($149.95) $133 special, 7 bottles available
Antonio Galloni 91-94 points “The 2011 Puligny-Montrachet Folatieres is going to need serious time to come together. Today, it is the wine’s persistence and textural finesse that stand out most, even if all the elements haven’t fully come together just yet. There is a lot to look forward to here. It will be interesting to see if the wine retains the powerful personality that is on display today, or if further time in barrel tames some of the exuberance.” AG
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $133.
Lucien Le Moine Les Charmes, Meursault Premier Cru 2011 750ML ($149.95) $125 special, 1 bottle available
Antonio Galloni 92-95 points “Bright beams of minerality run through the 2011 Meursault Charmes. This is without question one of the more focused, structured and tight Charmes of the year. The 2011 boasts remarkable polish in its flavors and texture. A rich, insistent finish rounds things out nicely. There is plenty of potential here, but readers are going to have to be patient.” AG
Lucien Le Moine Les Genevrieres, Meursault Premier Cru 2011 750ML ($149.95) $133 special, 2 bottles available
Stephen Tanzer 92-94 points “Orange oil and a hint of fresh pineapple on the nose; reminded me a bit of a German riesling. Intensely flavored and glyceral too, with sneaky sweetness leavened by ripe pineappley acidity. Very tactile, superconcentrated wine with broad shoulders (Saouma describes it as “a red wine made from chardonnay”) and a seriously palate-saturating finish. These 60-year-old vines always maintain very good acidity, notes Saouma. Exciting potential.” ST
~~~~
Domaine Henri Gouges
On the topic of Burgundy…
“It is whilst still on the vine that a fine wine matures…” –Gouges family maxim
Producing wines from some of the most famous vineyard sites in the Nuits-Saint-Georges, this eighty-year old family estate is widely considered the top producer in the area. The Domaine was founded by Henri Gouges, who was known for being a leader against fraud and one of the individuals in charge of delineating Burgundy crus. Today, the domaine is headed by his grandsons Christian and Pierre. The vineyards are all low-yielding, with average vine age of between 30-40 years old. The vineyards are planted with grass between rows to help force the vines to dig deep roots. Production averages around 3,000 cases per year. The wines call for cellaring. The house style has moved from dense and long-lived in the 40s and 50s, to light in the 70s and 80s, and back toward a more powerful and structured style today. The grapes are completely destemmed and see only a tiny amount of new oak during aging.
Below, our wide range of wines from the Gouges domaine:
Domaine Henri Gouges Les Chaignots, Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru 2010 750ML ($99.95) $79 special, 21 bottles available
John Gilman 92 points “I did not have a chance to really taste the 2010 Chaignots out of barrel in November of 2011, as the wine was quite reduced and in need of a racking at the time of my visit. A year later, I was very happy to revisit the wine out of bottle and see that it was very promising, offering up a youthful and classy bouquet of black cherries, gamebirds, woodsmoke, a beautiful base of soil and a fine topnote of fresh herbs. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and very pure, with laser-like focus, a sappy core of fruit, tangy acids and a very long, suavely tannic and still very closed finish. This will want most of the decade to blossom in bottle, but it is destined to be a great vintage of Chaignots from the Gouges family. 2020-2070.”
Stephen Tanzer 91+ points “Palish red. Redcurrant, cherry, spices, minerals and a whiff of game on the nose. Sweet, silky and fairly deep, offering a fine-grained texture and very good energy and intensity to its red fruit flavors. This juicy, bright premier cru relies as much on its acids as on its tannins for balance and structure. Finishes subtle and long. Half of these vines were replanted in 1986 following the 1985 frost, and so this wine has been getting better and better in recent vintages, noted Gregory Gouges.” ST
Domaine Henri Gouges Les Chaignots, Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru 2011 750ML ($99.95) $79 special, 1 bottle available
Stephen Tanzer 89-91 points “Bright medium red. Precise aromas and flavors of blackberry, violet, licorice, minerals and musky chocolate. Juicy and sharply delineated, with noteworthy intensity of flavor. Spreads out nicely and vibrates on the long, firm finish.” ST
Domaine Henri Gouges Les Chaignots, Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru 2012 750ML ($89.95) $79 special, 12 bottles available
Antonio Galloni 89-91 points “Beams of bright acidity and minerality run through the 2012 Nuits St. Georges Les Chaignots. Freshly cut flowers, mint, dark raspberries and chalk flow effortlessly. This is a decidedly vertical Nuits built on energy. The style is a bit compact, but pretty all the same.” AG
Domaine Henri Gouges Nuits-Saint-Georges 2011 750ML ($69.95) $39 special, 12 bottles available
Domaine Henri Gouges Nuits-Saint-Georges 2011 375ML ($39.95) $33 special, 6 half-bottles available
Stephen Tanzer 87-89 points “Good bright, deep red. Strong animal reduction along with black and red fruits on the nose. Silky and supple for a Nuits villages owing to ripe acidity, with a lovely restrained sweetness to its dark fruit flavors. Finishes with suave tannins and good breadth and length. Very nicely balanced.” ST
Both are the lowest listed prices in the USA today!
The next best price for the 750ML is $53.99.
Domaine Henri Gouges Nuits-Saint-Georges 2012 750ML ($69.95) $59 special, 12 bottles available
Antonio Galloni 89-91 points “The 2012 Nuits St. Georges is utterly exquisite. Sweet floral and spice notes lift out of the glass, followed by a host of blue/black fruits, spices, mint and licorice. The flavors are classic Nuits but the villages is surprisingly weightless, aromatic and polished. I especially like the freshness of the finish.” AG
Domaine Henri Gouges Les Chenes Carteaux 2010 750ML ($89.95) $79 special, 19 bottles available
John Gilman 92 points “The 2010 Chênes Carteaux from the Gouges family is a beautiful example of this underrated terroir and the 2010 version should prove to be one of the finest ever produced here by the domaine. The nascently complex bouquet is still youthful, but all the inherent elegance of the vintage are very much in evidence here, as the wine delivers a lovely, vibrant mélange of black cherries, pomegranate, saddle leather, a touch of stems, venison, nutskin, a beautiful base of soil tones and a smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and sappy at the core, with very suave, ripe tannins, great focus and grip, blossoming complexity and a very long, classy finish. This will be a very elegant vintage of Chênes Carteaux in the fullness of time, but this wine still needs at least another eight to ten years of bottle age to really start to hit on all cylinders. 2023-2060.” JG
Domaine Henri Gouges Les Chenes Carteaux 2011 750ML ($79.95) $59 special, 32 bottles available
89-92 POINTS BURGHOUND “A discreet touch of wood surround the ripe and well-layered mix of red berry fruit scents that are liberally laced with earth and underbrush nuances. There is good ripeness to the suave, even seductive middle weight flavors that possess really lovely depth on the persistent, balanced and harmonious finish. This is really quite good and worth considering.” BH
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Domaine Henri Gouges Les Chenes Carteaux 2012 750ML ($89.95) $69 special, 7 bottles available
Antonio Galloni 90-92 points “Blue and purple fruit, smoke, licorice, violets and cloves flesh out in the 2012 Nuits St. Georges Les Chênes Carteaux. This is an especially round, supple Chênes Carteaux with tons of near and medium-term appeal. The round, silky finish is polished and beautifully resonant, all of which suggest the 2012 will drink better earlier than some of the other wines in this range.” AG
Stephen Tanzer 90-92 points “Bright, full red. Red cherry and smoke on the nose. Juicy, vinous and fine-grained but also with good volume to the sweet red fruit flavors. Lovely peppery acidity gives lift to the wine. Finishes with pliant tannins and excellent saline persistence. Nicely concentrated wine from the south side of the village.” ST
Domaine Henri Gouges Les Saint-Georges 2012 750ML ($219.95) $199 special, 4 bottles available
Antonio Galloni 95-97+ points “A dark, brooding wine, the 2012 Nuits St. Georges Les Saint-Georges boasts stunning depth, power and richness. Smoke, black fruit, tar, tobacco, licorice and menthol all take shape in the glass. The 2012 is classic Saint Georges; explosive, tannic and built for the long haul. Cloves, menthol, licorice and plums reappear on the huge, enveloping finish. Readers who can find the 2012 should not hesitate. It is a gem of a wine.” AG
John Gilman 96 points “The 2012 Les St. Georges from the Gouges family is a great, great wine in the making and is likely to vie with the stellar 2010 version as one of the finest recent vintages of this wine in many decades. The deep, pure and youthfully complex nose soars from the glass in a blaze of black cherries, cassis, dark and complex soil tones, incipient notes of the pigeon to come, woodsmoke, espresso and a touch of violet in the upper register. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and rock solid at the core, with stellar soil signature, laser-like focus, suave, ripe tannins and a very long, primary and oh, so promising finish. This is simply a perfectly balanced young vintage of Les St. Georges and will be a legend in the fullness of time! 2024-2075.” JG
Domaine Henri Gouges Clos des Porrets Monopole 2011 750ML ($89.95) $55 special, 29 bottles available
Stephen Tanzer 90 points “Bright medium red. Liqueur-like aromas of cherry and raspberry. Sweet red fruit and spice flavors are lifted by notes of rose petal, herbs and pepper. Has the freshness and balance to give early pleasure. Finishes with lingering pepper-and-spice perfume and very good length.” ST
Domaine Henri Gouges Clos des Porrets Monopole 2012 750ML ($99.95) $89 special, 4 bottles available
Domaine Henri Gouges Clos des Porrets Monopole 2012 375ML ($59.95) $49 special, 1 half-bottle available
Antonio Galloni 92-94+ points “The 2012 Nuits St. Georges Clos des Porrets Saint-Georges is beautifully round and supple. Here the fruit is distinctly red-toned, with hints of iron, earthiness, smoke and tobacco that add complexity. The 2012 will be highly appealing young because of its pure density, but it also appears to have the stuffing to age well for a number of years. This is a great showing from Gouges.” AG
The half-bottle is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Domaine Henri Gouges Les Pruliers 2011 750ML ($99.95) $69 special, 19 bottles available
Stephen Tanzer 91 points “Bright medium red. Reticent high-toned aromas of slightly jammy red fruits and earth. Sweet and ripe; richer and deeper than the Porrets Saint-Georges, with silky red cherry, currant and spice flavors enlivened by pungent peppery acidity. Nicely balanced, round wine with good buffering extract.” ST
Domaine Henri Gouges Les Pruliers 2012 750ML ($119.95) $99 special, 5 bottles available
Antonio Galloni 93-96 points “Gouge’s 2012 Nuits St. Georges Les Pruliers is less immediate than some of the other wines in the range. Here it is the crystalline purity of the aromas and flavors that stands out most. Violets, plums, licorice, sweet spices and tar are all woven together in a wine that shows the finesse Nuits can at times achieve. The tannins are firm yet also impeccable in their silkiness. Structurally quite classic, the 2012 will reward cellaring.” AG
John Gilman 94 points “Out of bottle, the 2012 les Pruliers is even more beautiful than it was out of cask and is clearly destined to be one of the finest vintages of this cuvée chez Gouges in the last quarter century. The nose is currently quite reserved, but deep and extremely promising in its mélange of cassis, black cherries, dark soil tones, French roast, venison and woodsmoke. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and rock solid at the core, with excellent focus and balance, impressive, nascent complexity, ripe, seamless tannins and a very, very long, soil-driven and quite refined (particularly for young Pruliers!) finish. All this outstanding wine needs is time in the cellar. 2012-2060+.” JG
Domaine Henri Gouges Les Vaucrains 2005 750ML ($199.95) $179 special, 9 bottles available
Burghound–Outstanding 93 points –“Extremely primary yet multi-dimensional black fruit and earthy aromas introduce rich, full and massive flavors that are powerful, robust and muscled with so much mid-palate sap that the extremely firm tannic spine is almost, if not completely masked. However, as it always does, the tannins will come out with time and I expect that this will always have a certain chewy quality and will require more than a decade of time in bottle to really begin to round out. Wonderful potential but for the very patient.” BH
Domaine Henri Gouges Les Vaucrains 2012 750ML ($169.95) $149 special, 6 bottles available
Antonio Galloni 95-97 points “The 2012 Nuits St. Georges Les Vaucrains explodes onto the palate with a heady melange of dark red berries, freshly cut roses, cinnamon and new leather. The tannins are there, but they are nearly buried by the intensity of the fruit. The sheer luxuriousness of the fruit will tempt readers early, but those who can wait will be rewarded with an extraordinary Burgundy. This is a great showing.” AG
White Burgundy Available from Gouges:
Domaine Henri Gouges Clos des Porrets Monopole Blanc 2012 750ML ($119.95) $89 special, 6 bottles available
VinopolNote: This white wine is produced from a white mutation of Pinot Noir discovered and propagated by the Domaine, known as Pinot Gouges.
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
~~~
Newly Arrived!
Domaine Trapet
Domaine Trapet Père et Fils Latricières-Chambertin Grand Cru 2012 750ML ($259.95) $225 special
Antonio Galloni – Vinous 94-96 points “The 2012 Latricières-Chambertin possesses a super-classic sense of cut and energy. Black fruit, smoke, autumn leaves and new leather form the backdrop as this intense, saline-infused Burgundy shows off its vibrant, layered personality. Here, too, readers need to be prepared to be patient. The Latricières is a wine for the cellar. Trapet used 65% whole clusters. This is a great Burgundy in the making. (AG) (1/2014).”
Burghound 95 points “A somber yet elegant nose presents aromas of various dark berries, floral tones and wet stone nuances that are trimmed in subtle wood nuances. This is markedly mineral-driven with superb delineation and terrific tension on middle weight plus flavors that deliver outstanding length on the driving, youthfully austere and beautifully well-balanced finale. This is a strikingly persistent and entirely classic Latricières that is built on its minerality though note well that plenty of patience will be required. (1/2015)”AM
Wine Advocate 93-95 points “The 2012 Latricieres-Chambertin Grand Cru comes from a single 0.75-hectare parcel whose oldest members were planted in 1938. It has another very crisp and focused bouquet with fine delineation and tension – quite similar to the Chapelle-Chambertin in style but with slightly blacker fruit. The palate is tannic and structure, here with a subtle marine influence, leading to a masculine, swarthy finish. This has great persistency in the mouth. Superb. (NM) (12/2013)”
Stephen Tanzer – Vinous 94 points “Good medium red. Slightly sauvage nose and palate combine black cherry, underbrush and espresso elements, with complicating notes of pepper and truffle. Lush, seamless and filled in, offering lovely balance from the outset. Less floral and fruity than the Chapelle but even denser. Most impressive right now on the building, unflagging finish, which features noble, broad tannins and the structure to support a long and graceful evolution in bottle. (3/2015)”
Domaine Trapet Père et Fils Chambertin Grand Cru 2012 750ML ($379.95) $325 special
Burghound 96 points “This is ultra-cool and restrained aromatically with its airy and even elegant aromas of intensely floral, spicy and stony wild dark berry scents that are also trimmed in just enough wood to warrant commenting on. There is a gorgeous texture to the equally mineral-inflected and muscular broad-shouldered and impressively concentrated flavors that possess a Zen-like harmony on the impeccably well-balanced, moderately austere and hugely long finish. This should be genuinely wonderful if given at least a decade’s snooze in a cool cellar. I should also note that by the standards of this wine the 2012 version is not super-powerful but I very much like the sense of harmony. (1/2015)”AM
Wine Advocate 94-96 points “The 2012 Chambertin Grand Cru comes from three parcels that total a sizeable 1.9-hectares scattered on different soils and this blend includes 90% whole cluster fruit. It has an intense bouquet: blackcurrant, raspberry leaf, forest floor, minerals and orange rind that is very delineated and focused. The palate is animated and tense on the entry. This Chambertin can barely contain its energy and it just shimmers in the mouth, gradually building to a precocious red cherry and citrus peel finish, the mineralite defining the aftertaste. This is a sophisticated, cerebral Chambertin for the studious, rather than the hedonists. (NM) (12/2013).”
Stephen Tanzer – Vinous 96 points “Good medium red, a bit less dark than the Latricières. Musky aromas of redcurrant, flint, red licorice and rocky minerality lifted by a floral topnote. Enters the mouth with great breadth, then tightens up dramatically in the middle, conveying an almost 2010-like tautness to its raspberry and crushed stone flavors. Actually comes across today as less thick and sweet than the Latricières, and utterly weightless. Builds inexorably to a crescendo on the explosive, gripping back end, which leaves the palate vibrating with licorice and peppery herbs. I love the stem influence here. Should make a classic, monumental Chambertin.”
~~~~~
Big Sale on Esteemed Estates!
3-day sale ends at midnight on Friday 10/23
Hundred Acre Few and Far Between Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 750ML ($419.95) Was $319, Now $299, 5 bottles available
Robert Parker 94-96 points “Another great success that escaped the insidious spread of botrytis on the valley floor is the 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Few and Far Between. One of the top wines of the vintage, the Cabernet Franc component gives the wine a multidimensional aromatic display of forest floor, blueberries, mulberries, black raspberries, plums, black currants and a wet rock-like minerality. The rich, full-bodied flavors seem almost an anomaly in this vintage given its extraordinary irregularity and frequent disappointments. This prodigious 2011 is a candidate for the wine of the vintage.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $375.
Colgin Cellars Herb Lamb Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2002 750ML ($399.95) Was $319, Now $299, 1 bottle available
Wine Spectator & Stephen Tanzer–Vinous 94 points “(this north-facing vineyard was the last to be picked in 2002) Saturated ruby. Highly aromatic nose of black raspberry, violet, mocha and smoked meat, lifted by sexy baking spices. Dense, chewy and thick but leavened by its sheer extract and sappiness. This has virtually liqueur-like ripeness but comes across as fresher and fruitier than the young 2003. Finishes with outstanding length and substantial ripe tannins. Winemaker Aubert says that of the Colgin sites, this vineyard produces fruit highest in phenolics.” ST
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $350.
Colgin Cellars Herb Lamb Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 750ML ($399.95) Was $319, Now $299, 2 bottles available
Wine Spectator 97 points “Shows amazing purity of fruit, focus, balance and depth, with tiers of spicy currant, anise, hazelnut, mineral and melted licorice, combining power with finesse and grace with intensity. Ends with a long, lingering finish that keeps repeating the core flavor themes. Best from 2010 through 2019. 110 cases made.” WS
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $345.
Rodney Strong Single Vineyard Alexander’s Crown Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 750ML ($79.95) Was $59, Now $49, 36 bottles available
Robert Parker 92+ points “The 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander’s Crown bursts from the glass with dark cherry jam, blackberries, exotic spices, flowers, grilled herbs and graphite. It boasts gorgeous depth and a rich, sumptuous personality. Higher-toned floral notes add lift and brightness on the finish. The style is decidedly on the opulent side, yet all of the elements are nicely balanced. The 2009 is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon that spent 23 months in French oak barrels, 40% new. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2024.” RP
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Domaine Leroy Clos de la Roche Grand Cru 2007 750ML ($1,799.95) Was $1,599, Now $1,399, 2 bottles available
Wine Advocate 96 points “Kirsch, rose hip, and soy intensely scent the Leroy 2007 Clos De La Roche, which reveals brightness and finesse as well as a saline savor unusual for its appellation. To be sure, notes of leather and crushed stone as well as smoked and roasted meats contribute further and perhaps more site-typical complexity. But it’s the sheer finesse, buoyancy, and vibratory energy on display that most amaze, leaving your tongue and gums a quiver and your salivary glands pumping helplessly. There is also a faint hint of heat, but its effect is negligible given what’s going on around you when you swallow (or, in my case, spit). Look for 20 or more years of excitement.” WA
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $1,999.99.
Domaine Leroy Les Beaux Monts 2011 750ML ($999.95) Was $799, Now $699, 2 bottles available
Wine Advocate 96 points “The 2011 Vosne-Romanee 1er Cru Les Beaux Monts had a slight reduction on the nose that soon blows away. The fruit is darker and broodier here than Aux Brulees with mulberry, raspberry, wild hedgerow and a touch of black olive compote. The palate is medium-bodied with firm, structured tannins lending this Vosne a firm backbone. It is beautifully balanced and extremely pure, not a hair out of place toward the delineated, feminine finish. This should age beautifully – the laser-like focus absolutely riveting.” WA
Burghound 95 points “While the increments to which I refer are small they are nonetheless noticeable as this is aromatically slightly fresher, more elegant and more complex all at once. The highly expressive nose is gorgeously layered, spicy and cool with its ultra-pure dark pinot fruit, plum, cassis and wet stone scents. The medium weight flavors are impressively rich but there is a palpable sense of underlying tension and energy that make this a pleasure to taste. Moreover the borderline pungent minerality adds more lift, particularly on the overtly austere, linear, focused and hugely persistent finish. As good as the Brûlées is, and make no mistake it is terrific, this just offers another level of class and refinement.” BH
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $775.
George Jayer par Emmanuel Rouget Echezeaux Grand Cru 2005 750ML ($999.95) Was $799, Now $599, 1 bottle available
Stephen Tanzer 92 points “Good deep red. Ripe, nuanced nose offers red fruits, coffee, mocha and underbrush. Suave and silky, with uncommon sweetness for this cuvee; perhaps less classic than the Cros Parantoux but rich and soil-inflected. Finishes with substantial dusty tannins and notes of iron and tobacco.” ST
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Philippe Foreau Domaine du Clos Naudin Vouvray Reserve Moelleux 2009 750ML ($119.95) Was $89, Now $79, 36+ bottles available
Wine Advocate 97 points “What there was in this vintage of botrytis, Foreau reports, essentially went into his 2009 Vouvray Moelleux Reserve. 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 reserves 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.” WA
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage Blanc 2012 750ML ($319.95) Was $219, Now $199, 24 bottles available
Wine Spectator 97 points “A stunner from the start, with distinct depth to the creamed mango, white peach and heather flavors, this maintains superior precision and definition as the singed almond, chamomile, salted butter and ginger notes fill in. Glazed pear, elderflower honey and beeswax details chime in on the extremely long finish. Enjoyable now, but needs serious cellaring to show its full potential. Best from 2016 through 2037. 500 cases made.” JM
Wine Advocate 96 points “Much more open, fleshy and sexy, the 2012 Hermitage Blanc was just bottled a month prior to this tasting. Coming from l’Ermite, Les Rocoules, Maison Blanche and Peleat lieux-dits, it’s always a rough blend of 80% Marsanne and 20% Roussanne that’s aged in barrel. Loaded with notions of honeysuckle, orange marmalade, powered rock, buttered citrus and green almond, it’s full-bodied, rich, upfront and fruit loaded. While I think it will be a relatively accessible early in its life, it has the concentration to hold for two decades.” WA
Josh Raynolds–Vinous 94-96 points “Tasted in single-site components from tanks as the wine awaited blending: #1, from Peleat: Ripe pear and honey aromas, with a suave floral accent and a hint of smoky minerals. At once rich and lively, showing excellent back-end power. #2, from Rocoules: Intense, mineral-accented citrus and orchard fruit aromas, with a sexy floral nuance building with air. Bright, focused and mineral-driven, with a strong Meyer lemon quality lingering on the tangy finish. #3, also from Rocoules: Showing more emphasis on orchard fruit than the first Rocoules tank, with powerful quince and pear flavors and a touch of bitter quinine. Dusty minerals sharpen the long, sappy finish. #4, from l’Ermite: Spicy citrus zest and ginger scents along with a chalky mineral note and a hint of anise. Smoky and penetrating, with superb finishing clarity and lingering spiciness. #5, also from l’Ermite: More floral and masculine than the previous l’Ermite, with strong jasmine and orchard fruit character and a touch of bitter quinine. Bright and nervy on the finish, which doesn’t want to let up.” JR
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $214.
Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage Blanc 2011 1.5L ($549.95) Was $499, Now $399, 2 magnums available
Wine Spectator 97 points “Still a bit reserved aromatically, with hints of orange blossom and crème anglaise peeking out, this features a captivating display of racy quinine, honeysuckle and white peach flavors inlaid into a rich core of brioche, Cavaillon melon, white truffle, smoked almond and heather honey. Incredibly long. Hard to resist now, but ideal for when your toddler graduates college. Best from 2019 through 2030.” WS
Wine Advocate 96 points “Just bottled, the 2011 Hermitage Blanc also shows the richer side of Hermitage with its full-bodied, voluptuously textured and up-front profile. Honeysuckle, licorice, toast, citrus oil and liquid mineral-like qualities all emerge from this beauty, and it stays beautifully fresh and focused on the palate. A blend of mostly Marsanne, yet with roughly 20% Roussanne, from the l’Ermite, Les Rocoules, Maison Blanche and Peleat lieux-dits, this substantial white should be consumed over the coming 2-4 years, or forgotten for a decade or more. It will have over two decades of longevity.” WA
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $499