Newsletter Vinopolis Newsletter 8-21-24

 
 
United States
 

 

“Critics say Napa has an ego. But what it really has is a gargantuan appetite for life and a palpable hunger for success.” -Karen MacNeill, The Wine Bible.
 
Ego or not, the wines of Bond Estates are made to last. Bill Harlan, the owner, thinks in the long-term, having purchased his winery and vineyards to provide a legacy for his children and grandchildren while also preserving the character of the Napa Valley long into the future. It’s his “200 year plan.”
 
After he struck it big time with his first cult winery, Harlan Estates, Bill managed to catch lightning in a bottle twice with his second, Bond Estates. Focusing exclusively on single vineyard estate bottlings of his revered “Grand Crus:” Melbury, Pluribus, Quella, St. Eden, and Vecina. No one else has done as much for the concept of Cru-level terroir in Napa as Harlan. To be considered for Bond Estates, each of these vineyards had to prove its excellence for no less than 10 vintages. So far only 5% of Bill’s already exceptional vineyards have been up to snuff for his project.
 
Normally you would have to be part of the winery’s mile long waitlist for years to purchase these wines, but we have them for some of the lowest prices anywhere. Don’t wait long, though… we only have one bottle of each. Don’t miss out on this singular opportunity!

Vineyard Note “Since its debut with the 1999 vintage, the consistent hallmarks of Melbury have been plush red fruits (currants, bing cherries), redolent with spice and the scent of violets.” -Bond Estates

WAS $599
Bond Estates Melbury Red, Napa Valley, USA 2002 750ml $499 special, only 1 bottle available
Wine Advocate 100 Points ” …the wine has an extraordinary aromatic profile of smoky meats intermixed with blackberry, crème de cassis, charcoal, lead pencil shavings and espresso. Dense, opulent and full-bodied, with terrific fruit, this is a showcase style of vintage for a wine of such great ripeness and massive intensity. This extraordinary effort displays oodles of glycerin and fabulous purity, while the oak has been completely absorbed.”
 
WAS $649
Bond Estates Melbury Red, Napa Valley, USA 2015 750ml $599 special, only 1 bottle available
Vinous 98 Points “The more time passes, the more I think Melbury may turn out to be one of the most complete wines in the BOND range … Blood orange, mint and floral notes add nuance to an unbelievably polished, refined Cabernet Sauvignon. Put simply, the 2015 Melbury is a total stunner and every bit as captivating as it was last year.”

 
WAS $819
Bond Estates Melbury Red, Napa Valley, USA 2018 750ml $599 special, only 1 bottle available
Vinous 98 Points ” …the 2018 is not a shy wine, it certainly has plenty of depth. Freshness, energy and verve are the signatures in a Cabernet that is all about intangibles. Hints of dark red cherry, tobacco, rose petal, mint and sweet spice emerge over time. The whole is greater than the sum of the parts.”

Vineyard Note “Pluribus, which debuted in the 2003 vintage, is defined as a bold, rich and concentrated wine; elements of dark plum, roasted coffee, and scents of cedar are inherent throughout the vintages.” -Bond Estates

WAS $819
Bond Estates Pluribus Red, Napa Valley, USA 2018 750ml $699 special, only 1 bottle available
Vinous 99 Points ” …Searing tannins, once such a challenge here, are much more finessed than in the past. Crushed rocks, mint, blood orange, gravel, exotic spice and rose petal lend tremendous complexity as the Pluribus shows off its considerable allure. This taut, mountain Cabernet Sauvignon has so much to offer. Today, it is wonderfully complete and thrilling. Even so, the best is yet to come.”

Winery Note “Making its debut with the 2006 vintage, the name is derived from the German word for a pristine source or an artesian aquifer … Quella displays an almost ethereal quality of blue fruits, graphite, and a vibrant, subtle finish.” -Bond Estates

WAS $649
Bond Estates Quella Red, Napa Valley, USA 2015 750ml $599 special, only 1 bottle available
Vinous 97 Points “The Quella is somber and brooding in 2015. Dark cherry, plum smoke, tobacco, leather, spice and scorched earth give the 2015 distinctive baritone inflections.”

 
WAS $819
Bond Estates Quella Red, Napa Valley, USA 2018 750ml $599 special, only 1 bottle available
Vinous 97 Points “The 2018 Quella is rich, ample and beautifully resonant in the glass. There’s terrific depth here and tons of class. Blood orange, game, licorice, tobacco, lavender and dried herbs give the Quella beguiling aromatic presence to play off its muscular, brooding personality.”

Vineyard Note “St. Eden, which appeared first in the 2001 vintage, reliably shows great focus, an opulent “sweet” center and notes of crème de cassis, dark chocolate, and roasted herbs. Mineral-tinged and broad on the palate, the wine consistently displays fine-grained tannins and a lush concentration.” -Bond Estates
 
WAS $549
Bond Estates St. Eden Red, Napa Valley, USA 2002 750ml $499 special, only 1 bottle available
Wine Advocate 100 Points ” …showing incredible elements of cedarwood, licorice, chocolate and creme de cassis as well as exquisite texture, full-bodied intensity, and unbelievable purity and length. It is only the second vintage for this vineyard, leased by Bill Harlan for several decades, and it has turned out to be a killer Cabernet Sauvignon and a great classic of Napa. It should drink well for 20-25 years.”
 
WAS $699
Bond Estates St. Eden Red, Napa Valley, USA 2015 750ml $559 special, only 1 bottle available
Jeb Dunnuck 100 Points ” …boasts a saturated purple color and heavenly notes of blackcurrants, scorched earth, lead pencil shavings, and huge crushed rock-like minerality. It’s full-bodied, deep, and layered on the palate, with incredible concentration, yet it stays seamless, pure, and perfectly balanced.“
 
WAS $819
Bond Estates St. Eden Red, Napa Valley, USA 2018 750ml $619 special, only 1 bottle available
Vinous 97 Points “The 2018 St. Eden is impressive. Dense and powerful in the glass, the 2018 is done in a style that emphasizes freshness and vibrancy, reflecting a generational transition in all of these wines that is most apparent here. Dark fruit, licorice, mocha, spice and chocolate begin to emerge with time… “

Vineyard Notes “Vecina, which appeared with the 1999 vintage in the inaugural BOND release, is always powerful, intense and savory. Vecina’s other hallmarks are blackberry fruit, with wild forest floor and mineral associated overtones.” -Bond Estates

WAS $819
Bond Estates Vecina Red, Napa Valley, USA 2018 750ml $619 special, only 1 bottle available
Vinous 99 Points ” …Over the last two months the Vecina has acquired stunning aromatic presence to play off its deep, layered fruit. The 2018 is an absolute gem in the making.“
 

 

France
 

 
WAS $599
Domaine Roumier Les Cras, Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru, France 2011 750ml $499 special, only 1 bottle available
Burghound 92 Points “Contrary to the usual pattern, this is actually more expressive than the Charmes with its cool, refined, pure and ripe nose of red and dark berry fruit that includes elements of truffle, crushed herb, earth and minerality, all of which can be found on the very primary and very fresh, sappy, powerful and focused flavors that are serious and while the underlying material of the Charmes is good, this is clearly better which is important because the tannins here are also moderately firmer and denser.”
 

Lowest Price in the USA by far!
Average price is $1,068

 
WAS $999
Domaine Roumier ‘Michel Bonnefond’ Ruchottes-Chambertin Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits, France 2006 750ml $799 special, only 1 bottle available
Burghound 92 Points “Contrary to the usual pattern, this is actually more expressive than the Charmes with its cool, refined, pure and ripe nose of red and dark berry fruit that includes elements of truffle, crushed herb, earth and minerality, all of which can be found on the very primary and very fresh, sappy, powerful and focused flavors that are serious and while the underlying material of the Charmes is good, this is clearly better which is important because the tannins here are also moderately firmer and denser.”
 

Only listed price in the USA
 

 
WAS $2,199
Domaine Armand Rousseau Pere et Fils Chambertin Clos-de-Beze Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits, France 2011 750ml $1,999 special, only 1 bottle available
Burghound 95 Points “A potently expressive nose blends both wood and natural spice together with distinctly cool, pure and ripe wild red berries, earth and underbrush. The palate impression is a gorgeous combination of power and refinement along with flat out superb complexity on the explosively long, focused and beautifully well-balanced finish. The supporting structure is dense but fine and this should prove to be a moderately long-lived example.”
 
WAS $2,499
Domaine Armand Rousseau Pere et Fils Chambertin Clos-de-Beze Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits, France 2008 750ml $2,199 special, only 1 bottle available
Antonio Galloni-Wine Advocate 96+ Points “Rousseau’s 2008 Chambertin-Clos de Beze is off the charts. Textured and layered throughout, this exquisite, captivating wine graces the palate with endless fruit framed by silky, refined tannins. All of the elements build effortlessly to the dazzling, impeccably crafted finish.”
 

Lowest price in the USA!

 

 

 
 

 

If you’re reading this, you’ve no doubt already experienced the joys of our favorite Grower Champagne producers, the peerless Bereche et fils. How in the world do they achieve such complexity in the blend year after year? It’s baffling. To quote ourselves, their wines feature “richness that’s as light as a feather, aromas that refresh and draw you in deeper, and an opulent mousse with unending depth.”
 
They’re good.
 
This very special wine, Bereche’s “Côte” Millesime represents a combination of brothers Raphael & Vincent’s incredibly precise and technical winemaking prowess in service to the best regions in Champagne, like Oger, that they would never have access to in their Estate bottlings.
 
Only 5,300 bottle of this wine was released and we are selling this super rare bottle at the lowest price in the United States.

WAS $135
Raphael et Vincent Bereche ‘Cote’ Oger Grand Cru Millesime Extra-Brut 2016 750ml, Champagne, France $124 special, 12+ bottles available
Not reviewed yet, 2005 review provided for reference.
Gismondi on Wine 94 Points (2005 vintage) ” … Exceptional finesse and complexity, with layers of wet and dry chalk, lemon peel, green apple, fresh filberts, crispy meringue on a finely textured palate. A wave of savoury salts kissed with brown butter rides throughout, providing an alluring interest. There’s a natural restraint, yet palpable intensity in this graceful, characterful wine, one that stood out amongst the rest.”