A Trio of ’15 Felsina: Classics in the Making
Vigot’s Under the Radar Vosne, Now in the April Sale
New Vinous Reviews for 2013 Brunello
Durand’s Huge Value Northern Rhone
Dispatches from the ‘Other’ Spain – Raul Perez’s Genius
To Buy, Drink, Hold and Buy Some More
Felsina is a top-three Chianti producer and a top-ten estate in Tuscany as a whole. The value out of their wines, from top to bottom, is astounding. We’re big fans of their top two wines, Rancia and Fontelloro, but their lower tier wines offer great value. We already sold through the first tranche of the basic Chianti and now have their Chianti Riserva arriving as well—a serious value play that’s a step up from the entry level but still attractively priced.
Plus, we have a new project, Fattoria di Pagliarese, which is a hyper traditional Chianti from an estate that Felsina bought in the mid-nineties. The grapes from Pagliarese had been going into the basic Classico, but Felsina is finally releasing it under its own label. There are now a trifecta of great deals to be had (without counting the relative value of Rancia and Fontalloro, which are tops). These wines arrive this spring, so lock in prices and quantities on these now, while you can.
Arriving ETA Early May:
Felsina Berardenga Chianti Classico DOCG, Tuscany 2015 750ML ($27.95) $21.90 pre-arrival special
Felsina Berardenga Chianti Classico DOCG, Tuscany 2015 1.5L ($59.95) $49 special (in stock now!)
Antonio Galloni 92 points “A stunning, spatial wine, the 2015 Chianti Classico Berardenga is a wine to buy by the case and savor over the next 20 or so years. All the natural richness of the 2015 vintage comes through in a creamy, voluptuous Chianti Classico that hits all the right notes.”
Monica Larner – Wine Advocate 92 points “The 2015 Chianti Classico Berardenga is a tight and elegant wine with bright berry notes followed by mineral tones of clay and chalky soil. You really taste those Castelnuovo Berardenga signatures here on the bouquet. The finish carries forward with grace, elegance and determination.”
Wine Spectator 92 points “Dense yet rich, this red offers black cherry, earth and graphite aromas and flavors. Needs a year or two to find balance, yet the lingering, tobacco-inflected finish and refined tannins indicate the potential here. Best from 2019 through 2028.”
Felsina Berardenga Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG, Tuscany 2015 750ML ($34.95) $28 pre-arrival special
Monica Larner-Wine Advocate 93 points “The 2015 Chianti Classico Riserva Berardenga is a wine of increased depth and power. The bouquet is redolent of dark fruit, dried cherry, grilled herbs and moist clay that has been wetted by rain drops. The wine shows power and determination on the close that gives it momentum and persistence. This wine shows good possibility for further evolution in the bottle over the next five years or more.”
Antonio Galloni 92+ points “The 2015 Chianti Classico Riserva is just beginning to show the first signs of opening in its bouquet, but it is much less giving on the palate. Readers should plan on cellaring it for at least another few years. The 2015 is a terrific example of the wild, feral Chianti Classicos that are typical of Castelnuovo Berardenga and Fèlsina.”
Ian D’agata – Vinous 92 points “The 2015 Chianti Classico is a new wine from Fèlsina’s Pagliarese property. For what seems like forever, Giuseppe Mazzocolin has been the ultimate champion of Sangiovese, long before it was fashionable. With Pagliarese, Mazzocolin and Fèlsina return to a super-classic Chianti Classico based on Sangiovese, of course, but with dollops of Canaiolo, Mammolo and Colorino aged in cask. The debut 2015 is fabulous. Bright, red-toned fruit and an array of floral/savory notes are nicely delineated, but the wine’s purity and extraordinary balance elevate it into the realm of the sublime. What a gorgeous wine this is! ”
Felsina Berardenga Rancia, Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG 2012 750ML ($49.95) $39 special, 24 bottles in stock now
Antonio Galloni 94+ points “A ripe, powerful wine, the 2012 Chianti Classico Riserva Rancia offers a level of finesse that balances some of the more overt intensity of the year. Dark cherry, plum, spice, tobacco, menthol and licorice add shades of nuance as this beautifully delineated Rancia opens up in the glass. Because of its mid-weight structure, I expect the 2012 will give up its charms relatively early by Rancia standards, which means around age 15-20. The 2012 is not an obvious or explosive Rancia, rather is a wine built on compelling overall harmony.”
Wine Advocate 95+ points “When you hear the story of the effort that went into making the Colonia vineyard, you have to wonder if the fine folks at Fèlsina are absolutely mad. It took them two years of dynamite blasting to clear the imposing rock that had forced previous generations of the Poggiali family to virtually abandon this site. But an ambitious Giovanni Poggiali takes credit for making this spectacular vineyard what it is today. The wine produced here is quickly becoming the second flagship product after Fontalloro. The 2010 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Colonia is a wine of enormous beauty and depth. This is Sangiovese at its highest expression and any doubt I had about the previous vintage (which was the first time this wine appeared as a Gran Selezione) have been washed away by this current release. What really stands out are the wine’s precise mineral and graphite aromas that lend an incredible sense of focus and balance. The oak element is also beautifully integrated.”
Antonio Galloni 94 points “There is a lot to like in the 2009 Fontalloro (Sangiovese). For starters, the wine is rich, broad and ample on the palate. Hints of tobacco, savory herbs, licorice and menthol all add complexity over time. The over juiciness of the fruit is nicely balanced by clean veins of underlying acidity that give the 2009 much of its freshness. This is another wine endowed with superb balance and class.” AG
Wine Advocate 96 points “Gorgeous and soft, the 2013 Fontalloro is another landmark wine from this classic vintage. There is enormous intensity here and the wine is only at the beginning of its long aging trajectory. I suggest you put off drinking it for five to ten more years. There is evident thickness and generosity here, especially in the way those bold fruit flavors are woven between dark spice and leather. There are sour accents on the close that remind you of the wine’s youth. The tannins are fine and well integrated.”
James Suckling 95 points “Aromas of plums, clay tiles and sage follow through to a full to medium body, silky tannins and a linear and racy finish. Love the underlying freshness and brightness to this. Excellent. A little tannic now, so better in 2018”
Antonio Galloni 94 points “The 2013 Fontalloro shows the richer, creamier style of the vintage while maintaining plenty of Fèlsina character. Silky tannins wrap around a core of dark stone fruits as the 2013 shows off its personality. Fontalloro naturally doesn’t have the pure energy of Rancia, but it will drink well with just a few more years in bottle. Fontalloro is the most overt and ripe of the Fèlsina wines with the exception of the Colonia. A hint of French oak shapes the supple, inviting finish.”
Antonio Galloni 95+ points “The 2014 Maestro Raro is fabulous. Explosive, deep and full of energy, it exudes class from the very first taste. As always, Maestro Raro is a Cabernet Sauvignon that speaks as much to this terroir as it does to varietal character. Lavender, herbs, menthol and plum build into the huge, tannic finish. I can’t wait to see how the 2014 ages.”
Under the Radar in Vosne-Romanee
New to the April Sale
The wines Fabrice Vigot makes should sell out in a flash. If you’ve not heard of the wines, we’ll give you the quick version first: He farms land for Mugneret-Gibourg and also makes some wine from those same parcels in a very elegant style. In short, this is Burgundy that should be gone by now. However there are no scores for the wines and so it seems as though even the “scores don’t matter” crowd is overlooking what is an awesome deal.
Seriously—these wines remind us of every single Burgundy producer that becomes a cult hero overnight, from the aforementioned Mugneret-Gibourg wines to Truchot to wines like Cecile Trembley. They were available and inexpensive on shelves until all of a sudden they were impossible to get and expensive. If you pass on them, well, you only have yourself to blame.
Fabrice Vigot has worked the land of Vosne Romanee since 1990. His own estate – Domaine Vigot – produces silky and elegant wines from covetable plots across both Vosne and old vines in Gevery-Chambertin. Under a sharecropping agreement, he also tends and sources from vines owned by Mugneret-Gibourg alongside Pascal Mugneret as well as vines he and his wife own. Fabrice, along with Pascal Mugneret, shares in caretaking duties of all of the Mugneret-Gibourg parcels.
Farming for the Vigot wines has been organic and biodynamic since 2010. Vinification takes place with destemmed fruit and a five day cold-soak in temperature-controlled stainless steel followed by a native yeast fermentation and maceration of three weeks. Vigot does well with old vines, simple vinification, elevage with no more than 30% new oak to offer mineral, pure-fruited and quintessential Vosne, Nuits & Gevrey.
We’re determined that these should go overlooked no longer and so we’re adding them to our April sale for some truly outrageous pricing. They were already good deals for the age of the vineyards and the talent involved and now they’re great. We only have a case or less of each wine, so they aren’t things to dawdle on. Just click here to see a list of all these wines on our website and shop away.
Domaine Fabrice Vigot Echezeaux Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits 2014 750ML ($179.95) Was $149, Now $128
The next best price is $168
Vinopolnote: Sourced from a trio of vineyards: Crais, Les Etelois, and Billards. Medium-bodied, with vibrant freshness and a suave finish; 100% destemmed.
Now it’s even lower!
Vinopolnote: Sourced from a trio of vineyards: Crais, Les Etelois, and Billards. Medium-bodied, with vibrant freshness and a suave finish; 100% destemmed.
Now it’s even lower!
Now it’s even lower!
Now it’s even lower!
Vinopolnote: From 30 year old vines, with bright red fruit and abundant acidities; 100% destemmed.
Now it’s even lower!
Vinopolnote: From 30 year old vines, with bright red fruit and abundant acidities; 100% destemmed.
Vinopolnote: Situated on the other side of the village as La Romanée-Saint-Vivant, the La Colombiere vineyard offers a very Vosne character, and Vigot farms his plot organically.
Now it’s even lower!
Vinopolnote: Situated on the other side of the village as La Romanée-Saint-Vivant, the La Colombiere vineyard offers a very Vosne character, and Vigot farms his plot organically.
Vinopolnote: From a hilltop vineyard, this cuvee is entirely destemmed and offers high-toned aromatics and an enduring finish. Tasted here– in one word: purity.
Now it’s even lower!
Just click here to view the full list of wines on our website.
For 2013 Brunello
“Although the best 2013 Brunellos will undoubtedly age well, the majority of them offer surprising early appeal, owing to their balance, ripe fruit and aromatic expressiveness, so you will not necessarily have to defer gratification if you purchase these wines. In fact, thanks to their freshness and gracefulness, the 2013s will prove very successful as restaurant by-the-glass pours as well as versatile at the dinner table.
“A surprising number of producers I visited or spoke to told me they believed the 2013 vintage to be close in quality to the much more famous 2010…. Overall, 2013 will be remembered as a vintage of very classic, sleek wines not unlike those of 2008, but I’d say the 2013s show more flesh and dimension.” – Ian D’Agata, Vinous
Arriving ETA Late June:
Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Tuscany 2013 750ML ($69.95) $59 pre-arrival special
Ian D’agata – Vinous 94 points “Luminous deep red. Captivating aromas of sweet red berries, cinnamon, violet and licorice. Then also very fruity in the mouth; refined, juicy red plum and raspberry flavors linger brightly on the fresh back end. Has a delightful red fruit cocktail quality that makes it practically impossible to put the glass back down. And though it is simply bursting at the seams with early appeal, this truly lovely Brunello will also age well. Unless my memory fails me, this may well be the best entry-level wine from Casanova di Neri that I have ever tasted.”
Il Poggione Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Tuscany 2013 750ML ($89.95) $69 pre-arrival special
Ian D’agata – Vinous 95 points “Bright red. Pure, refined red cherry and wild strawberry aromas and flavors complicated by sweet spices and aromatic herbs. Deep and multilayered, the wine boasts polished tannins and a harmonious acid spine that lifts and extends the red fruit on the long, suave finish. An essence of Sant’Angelo in Colle with bigger body and palate weight than, for example, the Brunellos of Montosoli, but still sleek and refined as the best wines of Sant’Angelo in Colle can be. The cool-climate-styled 2013 vintage is precisely the type of year in which Il Poggione excels: this lovely, focused wine is the best classico Brunello from Il Poggione in years. Superb.”
Altesino Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Tuscany 2013 750ML ($59.95) $46 pre-arrival special
Ian D’agata – Vinous 93 points “Bright red. Extremely perfumed aromas of violet and raspberry on the enticing nose. Then more raspberry, but also blueberry and strawberry flavors and a strong juicy fruit-cocktail-like quality on the palate that persists nicely. Really lovely Brunello bursting at the seams with fresh bright fruit, and already utterly irresistible now. I had trouble not gulping my glass down all at once.”
Altesino Montosoli, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2013 750ml ($119.95) $85 pre-arrival special
Ian D’agata – Vinous 97 points “Good full pale ruby-red. Knockout aromas and flavors of red cherry, raspberry, licorice and minerals, complicated by hints of iris and violet. Extremely suave and polished on the extremely long, pure, mineral finish. Deeper, richer, more tannic and longer than the lovely 2013 Brunello Classico from Altesino, this is an absolutely beautiful Brunello. I especially like that the pristine, refined aromas and flavors of the famed Montosoli site are showcased to maximum effect here. One of the best Brunellos of the vintage.”
Arriving ETA September:
Tenuta di Collosorbo Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Tuscany 2013 750ML ($49.95) $39 pre-arrival special
Ian D’agata – Vinous 94 points “Palish red. The intensely floral nose (violet, peony, iris, rose) also offers aromas of red cherry and incense. Dense but juicy, showing a sappy quality, but plenty of extract nicely frames the red fruit and candied violet flavors. The long finish is given added punch by strong underlying minerality. Very attractive wine of impeccable balance. Well done.”
Fuligni Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Tuscany 2013 750ML ($79.95) $59 pre-arrival special
Ian D’agata – Vinous 97 points “Luminous red. High-pitched aromas of sour red cherry, raspberry, rose, stainless steel, white pepper and minerals. Dense and silky in texture but displays great juiciness, clarity and floral lift; the lively but harmonious acidity really lifts and frames the bright red and mineral flavors. Totally saturates the palate and yet comes off as virtually weightless. This hauntingly beautiful wine showcases everything Brunello can be when made from an ultra-competent producer farming Sangiovese vines that grow in what is a real grand cru section of the much too large Brunello di Montalcino denomination.”
Arriving ETA Fall:
Casanova di Neri Tenuta Nuova, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2013 750ML ($134.95) $99 pre-arrival special
Ian D’agata – Vinous 95+ points “Bright deep red. The youthfully reticent nose hints at flinty red cherry, blueberry, graphite, cedar and pepper. Then flavors similar to the aromas, and a tight acid spine and serious but polished tannins nicely extending and framing the brooding fruit notes and peppery flintiness on the long, deep, complex finish. A truly outstanding Tenuta Nuova Brunello that seems less fruit-forward and more shut down than usual but holds exciting promise. Interestingly, some of this wine’s elements, such as its flinty nuances, reminded me of Casanova di Neri’s Cerretalto Brunello (made with grapes grown at the opposite end of the Montalcino territory). I guess my palate needs to take a vacation. This knockout wine will age splendidly and will likely merit an even higher score in eight to ten years’ time.”
Deliver Huge Value
The Durand brothers are making it look easy. It’s hard to find Northern Rhone wines that combine soul and polish—it seems as if most of the new wines we taste are either hyper glossy or very rustic. To hit that sweet spot, where your wines speak very loudly of place but are elegant, drinkable and ageworthy—that’s special indeed. To make those sorts of wines at the prices that the Durand’s charge seems almost unthinkable.
The whites are bright and fresh—no small feat for wines made from Marsanne and Roussane. They still hold onto their essential Rhone character though, with plenty of power and richness. The reds walk a similar tightrope, with some whole-cluster usage but not enough to make the wine feel coarse. They have beautiful, dark fruit and although they should age effortlessly for a decade, they’re delicious now.
In Stock Now:
Domaine Eric & Joel Durand Saint-Peray, Rhone 2015 750ML ($29.95) $21.90 special
Wine Spectator 90 points “This has an unctuous feel, with melon, peach and star fruit notes pumping along, carried by light verbena and chamomile details. A flash of bitter citrus adds energy on the finish. Drink now through 2017. 500 cases made.”
Domaine Eric & Joel Durand Saint-Joseph Les Coteaux, Rhone 2015 750ML ($29.95) $24 special
Wine Spectator 93 points “A hint of warm ganache melds quickly into the background, while fig, blackberry and black currant confiture notes emerge steadily, picking up smoldering tobacco, pastis and tar details through the finish. This is stacked. Best from 2020 through 2030. 1,000 cases made.”
The average price nationally is $27
Domaine Eric & Joel Durand Cornas Premices, Rhone 2014 750ML ($37.95) $29 special
Wine Spectator 93 points “Offers a ripe, dark profile, with a core of steeped blackberry and plum fruit that picks up bay, white pepper and iron accents through the finish. Shows solid depth and fruit for the vintage, displaying excellent energy. Best from 2018 through 2029. 1,500 cases made.”
The average price is $31
Arriving ETA June:
Domaine Eric et Joel Durand Saint-Peray, Rhone 2016 750ML ($29.95) $24 pre-arrival special
Jeb Dunnuck 94 points “This team has made a terrific 2016 Saint-Péray, (50/50 Marsanne and Roussanne aged in 15% new oak) from an appellation that continues to produce more and more outstanding wines. Honeysuckle, white flowers, caramelized peach and white currant notes give way to a pure, elegant, layered white that has terrific purity and length. It’s going to drink beautifully for 3-4 years or more.”
Domaine Eric et Joel Durand Cornas Empreintes, Rhone 2015 750ML ($49.95) $39 pre-arrival special
Wine Spectator 95 points “($48) Loads of chalky grip keeps this wrapped up tight, but the core of steeped plum, fig and blackberry fruit is brimming with energy, while bay leaf, licorice root and charcoal notes chomp at the bit on the finish. Cellaring will rein this in. Best from 2021 through 2035. 700 cases made.”
Wine Advocate 94 points “Produced from 30-year-old vines and aged in 20% new oak, the 2015 Cornas Empreintes features classic Cornas notes of crushed stone, bloody meat and red plums. It’s full-bodied, rich and packed with fruit and tannin but supple at the same time. It’s mouth-filling and round, then finishes long, dry and mouthwatering.”
Jeb Dunnuck 93+ points “The 2015 Cornas Empreintes is unique in the lineup as it comes 30% from more limestone soils. It’s 75% destemmed and aged in 20% new French oak. It’s more elegant and focused than the opulent Premices and gives up lots of blackberry and cassis fruits, leather, crushed rock and pepper aromatics. Deep, rich, beautifully concentrated and pure, it needs short-term cellaring but is a brilliant wine that’s going to impress for 10-15 years.”
Domaine Eric & Joel Durand Cornas Premices 2015 750ML ($39.95) $33 pre-arrival special
Jeb Dunnuck 95 points “The 2015 Cornas Premices comes from a mix of granite terroirs and was mostly destemmed (75%) and aged in 20% new barrels. It offers an incredibly rich, opulent style in its plum, blackberry liqueur, lavender and peppery herb aromas and flavors. Thick, unctuous, and incredibly broad and expansive on the palate, with sweet tannin, it’s the largest production cuvée from this estate and is going to be an incredible value! Don’t miss it.”
Domaine Eric et Joel Durand Saint-Joseph Les Coteaux, Rhone 2016 750ML ($31.95) $24 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 90-92 points “Tasted from a couple of different tanks, the 2016 Saint Joseph Les Coteaux looks to be richly fruited and forward, with supple tannins and notes of ripe cherries, clove and pepper. This medium to full-bodied wine should drink well young yet age well for at least a decade.”
Raul Perez’s High Scoring, Cool Climate Masterpieces
aul Perez has emerged as one of the most exciting Spanish winemakers of the last few years. He’s done it in an interesting way: not by making over-the-top big fruit and oak bombs, but rather by honing in on the terroirs in Galicia, a relatively unromantic vinicultural region. Until the late 1990’s, when his mentor Alvaro Palacios started the Petalos/Descendientes project, most of the wines in the region were sold locally, often to pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago.
Since then, a number of new wineries have popped up, but most of them are in the Palacios mold—made from around the warm, Mediterranean-climate village of Corullon. Perez, on the other hand, has walked a different path and focuses on wines made from Atlantic-influence climates in villages like Villadecanes or Cacabelos. As a result, the wines tend to be impressive, but in an introspective, earthy way.
Winemaking plays a part in that, as well. Perez prefers indigenous yeasts, neutral vessels and a lot of whole-cluster fermentation in his wine. Citing the (unlikely) influence of Bartolo Mascarello, he performs a long post-fermentation maceration on his wines as well, which give the wines powerful, yet elegant, structures that complement food exceptionally well. When you roll all of this together, you understand why Perez is making waves—these are unique and exceptional wines that show off terroirs previously unexplored by serious winemakers.
Raul Perez Prieto Picudo Vino de la Tierra de Castilla y Leon 2011 750ML ($59.95) $49 special, 29 bottles in stock now
Grapelive 96 points “The rare Prieto Picudo is an odd varietal with high acid, high tannin and slightly oval shaped with a pointy tip, it’s native and almost only found here in Tierra de Leon, the name means beaked, hence the name, Raul Perez’s is from a high elevation old vine site on sandy clay soils with river rocks, making for a unique wine that has an almost Nebbiolo or Ramisco like flavor profile. This extraordinary red, from vines planted in 1900 in the village of Pajares de los Oteros at about 900 feet above sea level, was fermented whole cluster in chestnut wood vats with a cool 60 day maceration and then raised for about 60 months in French barriques, this long elevage adding to the wine’s refinement and mature character. The 2011 Prieto Picudo, from 111 year old vines when harvested, is a brilliant ruby/dark red color with herb and floral notes on the nose with mineral tones as well as a slight earthy/spice and kirsch note before opening to a medium full palate of racy red fruits including brambly forest berry, cherry, plum and mulberry plus dried flowers, peppercorns, grilled fennel and light cedar. The texture is fantastic and mouth filling with satiny feel, this is mind-blowing stuff with great depth and layers of pleasure, but with firm tannins and glowing vibrancy making this wine really pop, lingering distilled strawberry, salty stones, sweet tobacco leaf and baking spice…. Wow.”
Wine Advocate 95+ points “There is a new Ultreia bottling, the 2014 Ultreia El Rapolao, from a vineyard that now sees five or six different bottlings, sourced from their old vineyards that used to go to the Vizcaína bottling. This is really pretty, with intense floral aromas, spices, a touch of earth and something herbal. The palate is medium-bodied with refined tannins, great balance and a tasty, long, sapid, almost salty finish. There were some 600 bottles produced. it was bottled in January 2017. Outstanding.”
Raul Perez Ultreia de Valtuille, Bierzo 2014 750ML ($69.95) $59 special, 36+ bottles in stock now
Wine Advocate 96 points “The 2014 Ultreia de Valtuille was very open and expressive, impressive too, with notes of freshness, blood orange, red cherries and also flowers (violets, lilies) and an earthy touch. It’s elegant and complex, with very fine tannins and a velvety sensation. As with all the reds, the oak is unnoticeable, perfectly integrated and folded into the wine.”
Thanks for reading!