Cameron Winery Releases:
New Single-Vineyard Wines On Sale Now!
Two Rare Large Format Andre Clouet Champagnes
2005 Burgundy
New Wine Spectator Review
For Oddero’s Finest
St. Cosme’s Deux Albion Returns
New Review & Best Pricing!
The 94+ Point Montsecano Makes the Case for Chilean PN
The 2015 Cristia Chateauneufs
Top Vintage Hermitage Under $62?
Delas Does the Impossible
First Offer!
Cameron Winery Fall Releases
VinopolNote: The Clos Electrique is Cameron’s estate vineyard, named after the electric deer fence that surrounds it. This is planted to a mix of clones and is vinified traditionally—no racking and all in older barrels. This is crisp and coiled, with distinct minerality and a lot of power in a lithe frame. Like most vintages of the Electrique Blanc, this is pretty good now but will be stellar in a few years.
The next best price is $69.99
VinopolNote: Abbey Ridge is one of the most hallowed sites in the Willamette Valley. Planted in 1975, the Pinot Noir here is own rooted and at one of the highest elevations in the Dundee Hills. The elevation and classic Jory soils give the wine an intense personality—high toned, elegant and tensile, with good power and a strong voice. This bottling has been one of the defining Oregon Pinots since John Paul started making it.
The next best price is $75.99
VinopolNote: Named after the electrified deer fence surrounding the vineyard, the Clos Electrique is the estate vineyard surrounding Cameron’s winery. Located just up the road from Maresh vineyard, on Worden Hill Road, it’s in the promised land of the Dundee Hills and the wines deliver. This is always the meatiest, most primal Pinot of the Cameron lineup. We love it for its intense savoriness and quiet power—every year this is an absolute treat to drink.
The next best price is $69.998
Extremely Limited
The next best price is $46.99
Cameron Winery Giuliano White, Willamette Valley 2017 750ML ($27.95) $24 special
Winery Note “This complex white wine, inspired by the field blends of Northeastern Italy, expresses notes of lemon soufflé, spearmint and sea air. It has luscious, round, rich, mouth filling flavors of marzipan, peach and apricot with a slight bitter almond on the back of the palate. Oyster eaters, this is your wine! A blend of Friulano, Auxerrois, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris with a dash of Muscat.”
Josh Raynolds – Vinous 91 points “Limpid yellow. Anjou pear, Meyer lemon and chamomile scents, along with hints of fennel and sweet butter. Dry and sharply focused in the mouth, offering dried orchard fruit and citrus marmalade flavors; a late suggestion of melon adds succulence and depth. Finishes with very good cling, leaving bitter citrus pith and pear nectar notes behind.”
VinopolNote: Abbey Ridge sits high atop the Dundee Hills; a collection of vines planted on their own roots in the mid-70’s. It’s unquestionably one of the most special sites in the Willamette Valley and though it’s better known for Pinot Noir, the Abbey Chard is fantastic. This is the most limited of the Chardonnay bottlings from Cameron and isn’t produced every year (there was no 2014 version).
VinopolNote: This wine sees the same elevage as the two single vineyard Chardonnays. With no new oak to hide behind, the character of the two vineyards its sourced from (Abbey Ridge and Clos Electrique) are in full force. It shows a little less complexity than the single vineyard offerings, but is nonetheless one of the best values in Oregon Chardonnay.
Winery note on the 2014 vintage: “This wine is dedicated to the late Stanko Radikon and his son, Saša of Radikon Oslavia, who made us realize the potential locked up in the Pinot gris grape. Its nose is resplendent with juicy strawberries, bing cherries, violets and a touch of straw. The crisp palate with flavors of umami and ripe and supple fruit tannins make this a truly quaffable red wine. The label honors the Italian plums that were planted on the site by early Oregon settlers prior to its current status as a Pinot gris vineyard at Abbey Ridge. We wish that David Lett were here to see what is possible with Pinot gris!”
There are only four Grand Cru Clos in Champagne. They are among the most hallowed terroirs in Champagne—the most choice parts of Grand Cru villages. The most famous two are the Clos du Mesnil and the Clos d’Ambonnay, both bottled by Krug. Either of those is going to set you back $1,000-$2,500 a 750ml (depending on cuvee and vintage). The Clouet, on the other hand, is only $319 for a magnum (of which only 250 cases are bottled each release). Expensive, sure, (and probably not quite at the level of the Krug) but it’s a real opportunity for the level that it operates at.
We also secured a vertical of Clouet’s “Dream Vintage” bottling in magnum. This wine is somewhat atypical for Clouet in that it’s 100% Chardonnay and is aged on the lees until it’s ordered, which was this summer for this case. It’s a rare, celebratory opportunity that lovers of exquisite Champagne shouldn’t pass up.
Arriving Early December:
Only 6 magnums available!
Andre Clouet ‘Le Clos’ Bouzy Grand Cru Brut, Champagne 2008 1.5L ($379.95) $319 pre-arrival special
VinopolNote: Only 250 cases of this rare bottling were produced, all from one of the four walled Grand Cru vineyards in Champagne. 100% Pinot Noir, aged 8 years sur latte, from a great vintage.
The next best price is $359
Case-5 Andre Clouet “Dream Collection,” Champagne MV 1.5L ($799.95) $679 pre-arrival special
A Case Of Five Magnums
Andre Clouet Dream Vintage Vertical. Contains one magnum each of the 2002, 2005, 2006, 2008 and 2009 Dream Vintage Champagne from Andre Clouet.
2005 Burgundy
“A Vintage of Unprecedented Quality”
“Two thousand five is one of Burgundy’s great red wine vintages. “It was the finest fruit we had seen since 1999,” commented Aubert de Villaine, and indeed many growers drew a similar comparison. “Between 1999 and 2002 in character” was how Eric Rousseau and several others described the young wines, but hastened to add that 2005 was superior. “Like a purer, brighter, more seamlessly ripe and structurally refined version of 1999″ would be an accurate composite description based on the response of those vignerons who hazarded a comparison at all. But not a few stated that this was a vintage of unprecedented quality, as fine a one as they had ever experienced. I share that view from my 25 years of experience with young Burgundy.” –David Schildknecht, Wine Advocate
“This is an extraordinary year for the red wines of Burgundy in both the Côte de Beaune and especially in the Cote de Nuits. The grapes had thick skins and ripe pips giving rapid and profound colour extraction, yet the profile of the vintage is definitely more red fruit than black. There is a marvellous refreshing mineral aspect which keeps these wines lively and dynamic – a turbo-charged 2002 perhaps. These factors set 2005 apart from other years and almost certainly pushes it above the famous 1990 and 1999 vintages.” –Jasper Morris, MW
Arriving ETA Mid-November
Only 1 bottle available!
Domaine Francois Lamarche Echezeaux Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits 2005 750ML ($239.95) $199 pre-arrival special
Only 1 bottle available!
Domaine Francois Lamarche La Grande Rue Grand Cru Monopole, Cote de Nuits 2005 750ML ($699.95) $599 pre-arrival special
Only 1 bottle available!
Alain Hudelot-Noellat Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits 2005 750ML ($399.95) $299 pre-arrival special
Stephen Tanzer 93 points “Good deep red. Musky black cherry, raspberry, fresh herbs and sexy oak on the nose. Sweet, lush and creamy, with a combination of sappiness and roundness giving it great early appeal. In the fruit-driven style of this producer’s 2005s, but more pliant and sweet than most of them.”
Burghound 91-94 points “A moderately oaked nose of red and black pinot fruit nuanced by ample earth and sauvage notes that continue onto the notably sweet, full and concentrated flavors supported by firm and dusty tannin on the youthfully austere finish. This is a classically styled and quite ripe Clos de Vougeot with excellent dry extract levels.”
Only 1 bottle available!
Alain Hudelot-Noellat Romanee-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits 2005 750ML ($899.95) $799 pre-arrival special
Burghound 95 points “A very densely fruited nose is composed mostly from the black side of the fruit spectrum along with notes of menthol, spice and Asian tea nuances. There is excellent concentration to the intense and attractively well-detailed middle weight flavors that possess a suave and highly seductive mouth feel before terminating in a mouth coating, complex and hugely long finish. This is an unusually powerful RSV that is less elegant than usual yet one that is still very much on the way up, indeed I would suggest allowing it at least another 5 to 7 years of celar time as it’s very much still a baby.”
Stephen Tanzer 94+ points “Good deep red. Knockout perfume of strawberry, violet and cocoa powder, complemented by sweet oak. Sappy, spicy and deep, with a compelling sweetness leavened by firm minerality. Wonderfully silky in texture and graceful. Highly complex flavors of raspberry, leather, smoke and mineral stain the back end with subtle perfume. This struck me as like a more pliant version of the Beaumonts but with the powerful mineral and tannic spine for a 20-year-evolution in bottle.”
Only 2 bottles available!
Alain Hudelot-Noellat Les Beaux Monts, Vosne-Romanee Premier Cru 2005 750ML ($399.95) $299 pre-arrival special
Stephen Tanzer 89-92 points “(20% of the juice is from vines in their fourth leaf) Deep, bright red. Sappy, pure aromas of dark berries and minerals. Fat and sweet but less expressive and less perfumed than the ineffable Suchots. This boasts lovely sweet red berry flavors but seems a bit stunted today on the back end, with the chewy tannins standing out.”
Burghound 89-91 points “The slightly higher-toned nose is even fresher and brighter with a similar nose of spicy black fruit trimmed in obvious minerality that introduces complex, delicious and somewhat more forward middle weight flavors that possess good detail and the same firm mineral streak suggested by the nose. This is classy juice with excellent length and while I like the greater finesse here versus the Suchots, the latter wine has better mid-palate fat and concentration.”
Only 1 bottle available!
Alain Hudelot-Noellat Les Malconsorts, Vosne-Romanee Premier Cru 2005 750ML ($699.95) $599 pre-arrival special
Stephen Tanzer 92-95 points “Deep red. Blueberry, blackberry, flowers, spices and minerals on the slightly exotic nose, lifted by spicy oak. Round, lush and rich, with the weight and palate presence of a grand cru. Offers an uncanny combination of breadth and inner-mouth perfume, with the sweet oak serving to frame the fruit. Today this is the fleshiest and oakiest of the three premier crus from Vosne-Romanee, but the finish is wonderfully tangy and sappy, not to mention extremely long. A great showing-and very much in the typical style of this domain’s best wines from past vintages.”
Burghound 91-93 points “In a somewhat curious departure from all of the prior wines, the wood is borderline dominant and fights with the otherwise spicy and notably ripe black fruit nose that merges into rich, delicious and powerful flavors that possess plenty of punch and muscle on the exceptionally long finish. I asked for a second sample and it was much more balanced and more in keeping with the Hudelot style. I suspect with the impressive amount of dry extract present that once the final blend is made the oak will be successfully integrated and as such, my score awards the benefit of the doubt.”
Only 1 bottle available!
Alain Hudelot-Noellat Les Suchots, Vosne-Romanee Premier Cru 2005 750ML ($299.95) $249 pre-arrival special
Stephen Tanzer 92-94 points “(from vines ranging from 30 to 50 years of age) Vibrant red-ruby color. Highly perfumed aromas of berries, cherry, spices and flowers. Dense and tangy, with a wonderful light touch and uncommon detail to the sappy red cherry and floral flavors. Racy acids frame the flavors and give the very long finish a captivating lingering perfume. Wonderfully delicate, stylish wine.”
Only 1 bottle available!
Domaine Armand Rousseau Pere et Fils Clos Saint-Jacques, Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru 2005 750ML ($1399.95) $1199 pre-arrival special
David Schildknecht 94-96 points “With the 2005 Gevrey-Chambertin Clos St.-Jacques (which by its position in tastings here the Rousseaus conspicuously rate as grand cru) we arrive at the first wine that is matured in new wood. Pure, sweet, fresh black cherry fruit, marrowy and enveloping carnal richness, mysteriously enticing florality, low-toned, chalky minerality and accents of black tea and star anise are featured in this remarkably seamless wine. Meat, minerals and mystery dominate a finish that is profoundly layered yet preserves sheer palate-cleansing refreshment and positively vibrates with vividly fresh fruit intensity. Rousseau owns around one third of this great site, meaning that there are over a thousand cases of this phenomenal wine to ransack the marketplace in search of, then sock away for at least a decade and preferably two. It is always the last-harvested site, says Eric Rousseau, and in 2005 his roughly twenty veteran pickers could certainly afford to wait and richly rewarded us for it.”
Burghound 94 points “A ripe yet cool and wonderfully fresh nose is composed of mostly red berry fruit, discreet spice and earth, all of which is trimmed in an extremely subtle touch of oak. There is fine delineation and plenty of minerality on the utterly delicious middle weight flavors that are perhaps a bit less powerful than one might expect in the context of the vintage on the impeccably well-balanced and gorgeously long finish. This is a wonderfully harmonious effort that is very much still on the way up but among the 3 Rousseau “big boys”, this is the closest one to being able to enjoy now. That said, another 5 to 8 years will certainly return benefits.”
Only 1 bottle available!
Domaine Armand Rousseau Pere et Fils Ruchottes-Chambertin Grand Cru ‘Clos des Ruchottes’ Monopole, Cote de Nuits 2005 750ML ($1399.95) $1199 pre-arrival special
Neal Martin-Wine Advocate 96 points “The 2005 Clos des Ruchottes is far too young to approach at the moment and like many others, it appears to be closing up. Here, the aromatics are closed, broody and stubborn, only reluctantly offering fleeting glimpses of black cherries, incense and minerals. The palate is very pure but distant at the moment, a prodigy without a tongue. But the signs are all here: a firm backbone, layer upon layer of fruit, but a wine that is more impressive than pleasurable at the moment. Got some in your cellar? Keep it there, you lucky thing. Drink 2020-2040+. Tasted September 2013.”
Only 2 bottles available!
Domaine Georges & Christophe Roumier Chambolle-Musigny, Cote de Nuits 2005 750ML ($449.95) $369 pre-arrival special
Stephen Tanzer-Vinous 90 points “Good medium red. Dark raspberry, coffee and spicy oak on the nose; this wine’s flamboyant ripeness almost came as a shock following the more reticent 2006s. Big, round, plush and ripe, with spicy dark raspberry and chocolate flavors and considerable density for village wine. Quite smooth and harmonious at the moment: Roumier volunteered that this is not as closed yet as he expected it would be.”
Burghound 89 points “Deep ruby. A pretty and very high-toned nose features a beguiling mix of red and black berry fruit and hints of underbrush and spice that introduce rich, precise and wonderfully fresh flavors that display a mineral streak on the energetic and persistent finish. A very attractive villages and worth a look plus it should deliver 5 to 7 years of upside development.”
Only 1 bottle available!
Domaine Jacques Prieur Chambertin Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits 2005 750ML ($469.95) $419 pre-arrival special
Stephen Tanzer 93-96 points “Full ruby. Brooding, deep aromas of blackberry, black cherry, minerals, violet and earth. Pure, precise and superconcentrated, with uncanny density and strength of blackberry and floral flavor. This saturates the entire palate, finishing with very firm tannins, a lightly mentholated quality and great persistence. Will need extended aging to express its inherent complexity.”
Burghound 93-95 points “A supremely classy, refined and regally reserved nose of a simply amazing panoply of aromas that run the entire gamut of fruit from red to black and includes spice, game, leather, tea, underbrush and plenty of Gevrey earth that can also be found on the rich, full, powerful and robustly structured flavors that are perhaps a bit more new world in style than the rest of the range yet it sacrifices no sense of detail on the textured and hugely long finish. This isn’t really my style but there is no question that the ’05 Cham is a genuinely great wine.”
Only 1 bottle available!
Domaine Jacques Prieur Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits 2005 750ML ($359.95) $299 pre-arrival special
Burghound 92-95 points “The ripest wine to this point with a distinctly floral component adding nuance to the cassis and blackberry aromas that precede the rich, full, serious and sleekly muscled flavors that are supported by a concentrated, tannic and hugely long finish. This is not an elegant wine or even especially sophisticated yet it’s an absolutely serious wine built for the very long haul. Don’t even think of cracking a bottle for at least a decade and even that will be too early.”
Stephen Tanzer 91-94 points “Good bright red-ruby. Very closed, primary aromas of black cherry, mint and minerals, with a hint of peppery spice that comes from vinification with 5% whole clusters (the rest of the fruit was destemmed but not crushed). Sweet, lush and stuffed with ripe black fruit and mineral flavors. There’s nothing hard about this Clos Vougeot, despite the late end to its malolactic fermentation. A violet note contributes to the impression of finesse. Broad, dusty tannins arrive late.”
Only 1 bottle available
Domaine Jacques Prieur Musigny Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits 2005 750ML ($799.95) $699 pre-arrival special
Stephen Tanzer 95 points “Bright ruby-red. Very ripe, pure aromas of black raspberry, cocoa powder, flowers, spices and minerals. At once thick and lively on entry, then wonderfully sweet and harmonious in the middle palate, with a spherical shape and seamless texture I have rarely noted in the past from this estate’s red wines. There’s an almost liqueur-like warmth to this suave, silky wine but underlying minerality keeps it fresh and delineated. Finishes with superb finesse of tannins and explosive fruit and minerality. This may be a hotter site than Prieur’s Echezeaux, but this cuvee too is a major success in 2005.”
David Schildknecht 94-95 points “The Prieur 2005 Musigny delivers a gorgeous bouquet of diverse, sweet flowers, cassis laced, with lemon zest, spices and humus. Sleek, polished and silken-textured in the mouth, this wine offers superb concentration of super-ripe fruit with marrowy meatiness, but with more refinement and youthful class than the Chambertin, not to mention a buoyancy and dynamism and a sheer infectious juiciness in its finish, loaded with bitter-sweet florals.”
Burghound 93-96 points “This is also exceptionally classy and refined with spicy and fresh black and blue berry fruit aromas that complement to perfection the rich, powerful and massive flavors that manage to retain a wonderful sense of detail on the almost sternly structured finish yet the sap buffers any austerity. This is a big Musigny but for all the size and weight, the balance is impeccable. Potentially the best wine in the range if only barely.”
Only 1 bottle available!
Jacky Truchot Les Ruchots, Morey-Saint-Denis Premier Cru 2005 750ML ($1199.95) $999 pre-arrival special
“After twenty-six vintages (twenty-two of them, thankfully, having been sold in the U.S., which became his largest market), and with no heirs, 68-year-old Jacky Truchot is retiring. Even the portion of Clos Sorbe behind the hulking family manor (familiar to Burgundy lovers from the old photograph on his label) is for sale with the house. Truchot’s wines could rightly be called “old-fashioned”, which made them all the more exceptional and coveted in recent years. As Robert Parker wrote of them in these pages in 1991, “as light … as they appear, they often possess stunning fragrances and amazing richness and character.” The expression “grown, not made” has never been truer than of these wines of a farmer bonded with his vines, and they offer terrific values. Truchot expressed relief at having bowed out on a high note and especially at having missed out on 2006!”-David Schildknecht, Wine Advocate
New Wine Spectator Review
For Oddero’s Finest
Arriving Friday, November 9th
Poderi Oddero Brunate, Barolo DOCG 2011 750ML ($149.95) $119 pre-arrival special
James Suckling 94 points “Gorgeous dried fruits and citrus character with a dense palate, fresh acidity and a lingering finish. Another gorgeous Brunate. Drink in 2017.”
Wine Spectator 92 points “Enticing aromas of cherry, rose and spice lead off, while the flavors pick up tar and tobacco, echoing the spice. This is rich and balanced, with oak tannins adding another layer on the long sweet-fruit finish. Best from 2018 through 2032. 180 cases made.”
Wine Enthusiast 93 points “This opens with alluring red berry, menthol, new leather, star anise and crushed herb scents. It’s elegantly structured, offering sour cherry, cranberry, licorice and sage flavors set against firm, fine-grained tannins and fresh acidity. A hint of orange zest closes the finish. Drink 2023–2033.”
Poderi Oddero Barolo DOCG, Piedmont 2013 750ML ($49.95) $39 pre-arrival special
Monica Larner-Wine Advocate 93 points “Oddero’s 2013 Barolo is a beautifully delicate and nuanced expression of Nebbiolo from a balanced vintage. This edition offers a solid, firm and complete nature that translates to both the bouquet and the mouthfeel. The finish is polished, long and silky. I’ve always loved Oddero’s base Barolo and this happy wine generously illustrates that preference.”
Wine Spectator 92 points “This strikes a nice balance between fruity and savory elements, delivering cherry, strawberry, floral, licorice and tobacco notes on a delicate frame. Harmonious and enjoyable now, though the refined tannins suggest that this will benefit from another year or two in bottle. Best from 2019 through 2032. 2,400 cases made.”
James Suckling 96 points “This is drinking wonderfully now with so much depth of fruit and lots of juicy character. Full body, layered and intense. Plenty of dark berry and chocolate. Fantastic. Drink or hold.”
Monica Larner-Wine Advocate 95 points “This wine is released ten years after the harvest, giving consumers the opportunity to buy an older vintage of Barolo that has been stored carefully back at the winery. Older-release wines like this are becoming ever more popular in the Langhe. The 2007 Barolo Riserva Vignarionda is a powerful and exuberant expression that shows the density and the inner energy of Serralunga d’Alba. Blackberry and dark cherry lift from the bouquet to reveal pretty undertones of spice, leather and savory tobacco. Only 2,763 750-milliliter bottles, 200 magnums and 20 jeroboams were produced. This wine offers a very special taste of Nebbiolo.”
Wine Spectator 95 points “After 10 years, this is ready to enjoy. However, despite the sweet cherry fruit, leather, woodsy and mineral flavors, there are still dense tannins. This is moving in the right direction, mellowing gracefully and lingering with a long, fresh, tobacco- and mineral-tinged aftertaste. Best from 2020 through 2034. 150 cases made.”
Deux Albion Returns at Best in the Country Pricing
Arriving ETA December:
Chateau de Saint Cosme Cotes du Rhone Les Deux Albion, Rhone 2016 1.5L ($49.95) $39 pre-arrival special
“Louis Barruol uniquely with the Chateau version of Cotes du Rhone, Les Deux Albions, uses multiple vineyard sites to gain complexity, but still co-ferments all the grapes (together) which includes mainly Syrah, but with a good dose of Grenache, Carignan, Mourvèdre and Clairette. This 2016 is gripping stuff, deep and earthy highlighting its 100% whole cluster fermentation and Syrah-based power, especially in such a vintage. This is very serious stuff. This is not your grandpa’s Cotes du Rhone. In fact it would be hard not to think of this as a full blown Chateauneuf or Crozes-Hermitage. This wine comes from parcels of vines that are set on hardened clay hillsides of ancient alluvium, along with limestone marl and rocky pebbles with southern exposures mostly, but with enough elevation and the Mistral that gives acidity, so this inky dark wine has fantastic structure and solid tannins. The Les Deux Albions is raised in a combination of unique wooden vats with a truncated cone shape and concrete tanks. This serves this wine well allowing the terroir and old school character to excel. It’s a brilliant Rhone and a killer value. Dark meaty and leathery notes lead the way along with a bouquet of melted salty black licorice, crushed violets that leads to a bold palate of boysenberry, black plums, peppercorns, dried aromatic herbs, lavender oil, cedar and lingering blueberry all of which unfold in lively and vigorous layers. It’s a full bodied red that just gets better and better with each and every sip.”
Wine Spectator 91 points “A solid, slightly gutsy version that sports dark cherry, plum and cassis flavors inlaid liberally with violet, pepper and bramble notes. Reveals a flash of licorice root on the finish. Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Cinsault. Drink now through 2020. 4,000 cases made.”
This is the only listing for a magnum in the USA today!
The 94 Point Montsecano Makes the Case
Arriving Mid-November:
“One of the best vintages of the grand vin here has to be the eponymous 2016 Montsecano, produced 100% with Pinot Noir from the zone of Las Dichas in Casablanca. The vines were planted in 2006 on red clay and granite soils and, as all the wines here, sees no oak whatsoever; it fermented in stainless steel with indigenous yeasts and was kept in egg-shaped cement vats until bottling in February 2017. This is simply delicious. This is not a Burgundy Pinot Noir, there is always a touch of rusticity here, an earthy touch. This is a pure Pinot Noir; it slowly opens up in the glass to an intoxicating mixture of wild flowers and herbs, with that rustic touch. The palate has very fine-grained tannins, tasty and long. I think this captures the intensity of the people that work here. 8,000 bottles produced.”
The 2015 Cristia Chateauneufs
The average price nationally is $66
Domaine de Cristia Chateauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes, Rhone 2015 750ML ($99.95) $79 special
Wine Spectator 97 points “This delivers a lush, enticing blast of cassis and raspberry and boysenberry preserve flavors, carried by a silky structure that lets the fruit play out at length, giving adequate time for black tea, singed apple wood, dried anise and fruitcake notes to fill in throughout. Dreamy. Grenache. Best from 2020 through 2040.”
Delas Does the Impossible
Delas Freres Saint Joseph Sainte Epine, Rhone 2016 750ML ($59.95) $49 pre-arrival special
Wine Spectator 94 points “Dark and winey, featuring a deep core of red and black currant fruit steeped gently with anise and apple wood notes. The finish lets a bright iron edge run through. There’s lots to like here. Drink now through 2026. 500 cases made.”
Jeb Dunnuck 93-95+ points “The 2016 Saint Joseph Sainte Epine comes from the cool, fine, granite soils of the Sainte Epine lieu-dit located just outside of Saint-Jean-de-Muzols. Its deep purple color is followed by a sensational perfume of crème de cassis, black pepper, graphite and crushed flowers. Full-bodied, elegant and seamless, with incredible purity, it’s going to be one of the superstars of the vintage.”
Wine Advocate 93-95 points “The Delas wines are among the best in Saint Joseph, and the 2016 Saint Joseph Sainte-Epine doesn’t miss a beat. It shows spicy-herbal complexity on the nose, combined with ripe black cherries. Medium to full-bodied, it’s supple, plush and long. It should be a beauty, capable of rivaling the impressive 2015.”
The next best price is $75
“The top cuvée from Delas… It’s a perfect Hermitage”
Delas Freres Hermitage Les Bessards, Rhone 2015 750ML ($249.95) $219 special
Jeb Dunnuck 100 points “The top cuvée from Delas is the 2015 Hermitage Les Bessards, and it’s always 100% Syrah from the steep, broken granite soils of the Bessards lieu-dit. Aged 18 months in 30% new barrels, its purple/plum color is followed by a huge nose of blackcurrants, graphite, toasted spice, crushed rocks and saddle leather. Powerful, massively concentrated, and tannic, it has a broad, expansive, heavenly texture, a thick mid-palate (you could almost use a fork for this beauty), and a great finish. Despite the richness level, it stays balanced and graceful on the palate, and is never over the top or heavy. It’s a perfect Hermitage that will start to shine with 4-5 years of bottle age and keep for three decades or more. Bravo!”
Wine Enthusiast 96 points “Cellar Selection! There’s a striking balance here calibrating bold, almost muscular ripeness against an invigorating granite edge. This wine is plump and full bodied, full of supple blackberry and plum flavors balanced by pert acidity and taut, penetrating tannins. It should be in peak from 2020–2035 but hold further.”
Wine Advocate 95-97 points “The top cuvée is the 2015 Hermitage les Bessards, which comes from the middle to lower portion of the steep, granite hillside known as Bessards, unquestionably one of the best terroirs for Syrah in the world. Its inky purple color is followed by a full-bodied, rich, thrillingly concentrated red that has huge tannin, bright acidity and a solid mid-palate concentration. It still tastes like it just came from the press and will need to be forgotten for a decade. As normal, it’s completely destemmed and will see 18 months in 30% new oak.”
Delas Freres Hermitage Domaine des Tourettes, Rhone 2013 750ML ($119.95) $49 special
Case-6 Delas Freres Hermitage Domaine des Tourettes, Rhone 2015 750ML ($549.95) $279 special (that’s only $46.50/bottle!)
Jancis Robinson 18/20 points “Very dark purple indeed. Altogether broader and less focused than the Côte Rôties on the nose. Peppery and subtle. Very glossy, layered, complex and magnificent. I would reproach this only very slightly on the finish but it’s a pretty magnificent wine”
Wine Advocate 94 points “One of the gems in the vintage is the 2013 Hermitage Domaine des Tourettes, which comes from both the Bessards and Grandes Vignes lieux-dits on Hermitage Hill. Completely destemmed, then vinified in stainless steel and concrete tanks, the wine is aged 18 months in 30% new French oak; it offers terrific notes of dark fruits, graphite and ample minerality in a full-bodied, layered, ripe profile. It’s more approachable than the Les Bessards, yet will still have three decades of longevity.”
Here’s a full list of everything in stock right now from Delas, plus click here to view both pre-arrival and in stock wines on our web store.
