Monday Newsletter 3-12-18

St Damien Gigondas

Old Vines, Modern Personality

“At Domaine Saint Damien, there are four Gigondas cuvées, although the Clovis Saurel isn’t bottled every year. It’s a small, family domaine with the magnificently mustachioed Joël Saurel at the helm, although son Romain is increasingly confident in the winery. This is a reference point for traditional Gigondas, but the family also owns a small portion of Côtes du Rhône Villages Plan de Dieu. We finished up with a handful of older wines, which I noted for readers who may have cellared them.” –Joe Czerwinski, Wine Advocate

Gigondas has become the shooting star of the Southern Rhone—occupying the space that Chateauneuf du-Pape did during the 90’s and early 00’s.  This is a region that’s producing electric, thrilling wines at prices that despite recent increases are some of the best deals in the world of the highest quality wines.  Saint Damien has emerged as one of the best producers and the recent scores from the Wine Advocate only highlight the quality emerging from their cellar. These are some of the top wines coming out of the Rhone and at prices that make other top producers blush.

Newly Reviewed & On Our March Clearance Sale:

Domaine Saint Damien Gigondas Vieilles Vignes, Rhone 2015 750ML ($37.95) Was $28, Now $24 special, 36+ bottles in stock now
Grapelive 91 points “This is an old school comfort wine. Its deep layers of Grenache-based goodness caresses the palate along with an array of earth, spice and chalky stones, making it a joyous Rhone red from a historic area. It’s nearly perfect in its terroir and charms. Of course it has a touch of animal/funk, or barnyard as we say, which is this Domaine Saint Damien’s richly flavored Gigondas old vine’s only and main flaw. Otherwise it’s gorgeously textured, full of life and extremely pretty on the palate. This is classic old World meets a great vintage. This wine has an eternal feel, ancient even, but new and vibrant. It’s a wine with an old soul showing a little bret on the nose, as well as floral tones and savory elements to go with an explosion of boysenberry, wild plum, dusty black cherry and currant/cassis fruit. It picks up black pepper, tangy lavender, backyard strawberry, crushed rock, leather, dried blood/iron, anise and framboise. This really gets interesting with air as it opens, though it never quite loses its slightly dirty nature. It’s a blend that is mostly Grenache, 80%, but with surprisingly 20% Mourvedre, which adds a meatiness and a good dose of structural tannins. It was aged exclusively in old foudres, as traditional as can be. While not as finessed as Saint Cosme or as beautiful as Domaine d’Ourea, this is a top notch dense (full bodied) Gigondas that reminds me of wines from my youth. [It is] brilliant with robust country influenced cuisine. It should prove long lived too, even though I would drink it over the next 3 to 5 years with its expressive and impressive youthful sweet fruit.”

Also in stock now from Saint Damien:

Domaine Saint Damien Gigondas La Louisiane Vieilles Vignes, Rhone 2015 750ML ($41.95) $36 special
Wine Advocate 95 points “My pick of the cuvées in 2015 is the 2015 Gigondas La Louisiane, a blend of 80% Grenache, 15% Mourvèdre and the rest Cinsault and Syrah. From south-facing slopes of red clay and sand, this shows incredible detail in its aromas of garrigue and raspberries, then folds in richer notes of dark chocolate. This is full-bodied and velvety in feel, with just a hint of warmth on the finish. It should drink well for a decade, possibly longer.”

Domaine Saint Damien Gigondas ‘Les Souteyrades Vieilles Vignes’, Rhone 2015 750ML ($41.95) $33 special
Wine Advocate 94 points “Like the La Louisiane, the 2015 Gigondas les Souteyrades spent a year in foudres prior to bottling. It a similar blend of 80% Grenache and 20% Mourvèdre, but grown on north-facing gray clays. There’s more pepper and herb here, still wonderfully ripe raspberries but less chocolate. Full-bodied, it’s still silky and refined, with tremendous length on the finish.”
Josh Raynolds-Vinous 92-94 points “Full ruby. Ripe black raspberry, violet, incense and peppery spices on the highly fragrant nose. Palate-staining red and blue fruit and floral pastille flavors show impressive energy, and a minerally topnote gains intensity as the wine opens up. Rich yet energetic in style, showing serious closing thrust, harmonious tannins and a suave, lingering floral quality.”

A Lionnet Vertical

Multiple Vintages of the Secret Star of Cornas

Arriving March 30th

There’s no two ways around it—Cornas has become the hot AOC in the Northern Rhone, perhaps in France.  Allemand, Clape, Ooka, Paris, etc—prices have been going up, demand has been going up, wines are in stock for shorter and shorter periods of time.  Against that backdrop, we were offered a vertical of Domaine Lionnet’s Cornas and couldn’t say yes fast enough.  The wines are through Rosenthal, the official importer and are in great condition.  For some of you, we’ve already said enough—you can find the wines on our website, here.  If you want a little more info on the domaine, no fear, read on.

Lionnet is basically the Levet of Cornas—the heir to Robert Michel, stylistically.  In fact, it was Levet that referred Lionnet to Neal Rosenthal, which tells you all you need to know. These are old-school Cornas, made with 100% whole clusters, fermented in cement vats and then aged in older, large barrels.  No new wood, no pretension, and just one wine—the domaine only owns 2.2 hectares!  We’re beyond excited to have these in the shop (if they don’t sell out before they arrive), though quantities are limited.  If you’d like to purchase these wines (and secure what you want while we still have multiple vintages/2015 available), just click here to see them on our website or reply to this email.

Arriving March 30th:

Domaine Lionnet Cornas Terre Brulee, Rhone 2015 750ML ($79.95) $59 pre-arrival special
Domaine Lionnet Cornas Terre Brulee, Rhone 2015 1.5L ($149.95) $119 pre-arrival special
Jeb Dunnuck 95 points “The 2015 Cornas Terre Brûlée comes from a total of seven different lieux-dits throughout the appellation (all are granite soils) and was vinified in concrete tanks before spending 18 months in older demi-muids. It offers a classic, traditional feel in its blackberry, peppery herbs, bouquet garni and violets aromas and flavors. With full-bodied richness, nicely integrated acidity and superb concentration, it’s just another sensational Cornas from this vintage. Bravo to Corinne Lionnet and Ludovic Izerable!”
Grapelive 95+ points “One of my favorite wines and producers, Domaine Lionnet makes an incredible and authentic Cornas that never disappoints this Syrah geek. It’s always a nervy, stemmy wine, but with gracious fruit and textures to balance everything out. I find these wines to have a raw sex appeal and with a dark earthy seduction. In terms of pure Syrah it rarely gets much better than this! Corinne Lionnet’s family has been here and wine growing since 1575. [Lionnet and her husband, Ludovic Izerable] have run this winery now for about fifteen years since she took the estate over in 2003. This is a small label. They only produce two bottlings, mainly this Terre Brûlée Cornas, though they have added a Saint-Joseph Rouge called the Terre Neuve, but have not exported yet to my knowledge. Ludovic’s style is all about nature, with 100% whole cluster, 100% stems and all organic farming. He ferments native and uses long maceration (three weeks) in cement vats before malos in large cask, all well used and never new, with lengthy elevate/aging. There are never any additions or adjustments with just a tiny amount of sulfur. Each parcel is between 40 and 100 years old, including four great lieu-dit sites: Chaillot, Combes, Brugeres and Mazards. [Each is] hand-picked and fermented individually. Each of these Crus add to the whole and give this wine its special personality and chemistry. Domaine Lionnet’s attention to detail really shows in the bottle. These are electric and thrilling wines, which I was reminded of recently at Rosenthal’s Rhone and Bordeaux Tasting in San Francisco, where I got to meet Ludovic and Corinne and taste through a mini vertical of their glorious Cornas from 2012 to 2015, the just released version. Each vintage has its own charm and all are fantastic, but as I’ve sampled the 2012 through 2014 previously, I was focused on the 2015 which promises great rewards. Though a bit taught at this point, it’s a star in progress. The 2012 is drinking great right now, and the 2013 is just getting itself together, while the 2014 is heavenly beautiful and more delicate than the rest, with this 2015 showing the full force of vintage and youth, it was the densest and exploding with fruit. A touch of air sets this 100% Syrah alive and releasing an inner perfume of violets, while a meaty wave flows underneath before reaching a climax of earth, spice and a core of black and blue fruit on the full bodied palate showing layers of boysenberry, cassis, blueberry, damson plum and kirsch along with vibrant peppercorns, dried basil, salted black licorice, bacon fat and truffle. This deep garnet hued Cornas lingers on and on recalling the violet and edgy stems for minutes in the aftertaste. This is a ridiculously great terroir-driven wine with stellar potential in 3 to 5 years. If you love Jamet or Allemand you’ll want this wine, and at almost half their price this wine is a rockstar value.”
Wine Advocate 94 points “A terrific wine, the 2015 Cornas Terre Brulee combines smoky notes of grilled plums and meat in a full-bodied format. It’s richly tannic and velvety at the same time, with a finish that’s simultaneously drying (from tannins) and mouthwatering (from juicy fruit). Farmed organically, vinified with stems in concrete and aged in used, large-format oak, Cornas doesn’t get more authentic (or better) than this!”