Vinopolis Newsletter 10-14-24 PM

 
“This Vertus domaine numbers among my favorite addresses on the Côte de Blancs, and the Doyard family’s vinous, incisive Champagnes deserve a place in any well-stocked cellar. Deep, concentrated and characterful, everything that bears the Doyard label is well worth serious attention.” -William Kelley, Wine Advocate
 

Get a jump on the Champagne Holidays with this very limited, immaculate champagne from two of Guillaume Doyard’s most prized Grand Cru vineyards. As champagne growers dating back to at least the 17th century, they are farmers first, with a painterly approach to winemaking that clearly evokes both place and process.

Doyard ‘Les Lumieres’ Extra Brut, Champagne, France 2008 750ml $365 special, only 6 bottles available
William Kelley-Wine Advocate 97 Points “A spectacular wine, Doyard’s 2008 Extra-Brut Grand Cru Les Lumières was disgorged in November 2018 with minimal dosage. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of orange oil, crisp yellow orchard fruit, fresh pastry, honeycomb and almond paste, it’s full-bodied, searingly concentrated and intense, with a racy spine of acidity, immense depth at the core and a long, electric finish. This cuvée is a blend of first-press juice: two-thirds Chardonnay from Mesnil-sur-Oger and one-third Pinot Noir from prime holdings in Aÿ.”

 

…also available from Doyard:
 
Doyard ‘Revolution’ Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Non-Dose, Champagne, France NV 750ml $87.50 special, 8 bottles available
(No reviews for the 2023 release. Review for 2022 release provided for reference)
William Kelley-Wine Advocate 94 Points “Based on the 2016 vintage and disgorged early this year, Doyard’s NV Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Non Dosé Révolution offers up aromas of citrus oil, freshly baked bread, honeycomb, almonds and white flowers. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and incisive, it’s a taut, elegantly textural Champagne with a fine mousse and a long, saline finish. It’s another fine rendition of this immensely reliable cuvée.”
 
Doyard Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut, Champagne, France 2015 750ml $159 special, 6 bottles available
Wine Advocate 94+ Points “The swan song vintage of this cuvée, Doyard’s 2015 Extra-Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru mingles aromas of citrus oil with notions of buttery pastry, dried white flowers and warm biscuits. Medium to full-bodied, layered and structured, with chalky dry extract and lively acids, it’s a taut, compact wine that will require a bit of bottle age to unwind.”
 
Doyard Oeil de Perdrix Grand Cru Brut Rose, Champagne, France 2018 750ml $169 special, 2 bottles available
William Kelley-Wine Advocate 95 Points “The 2018 Extra-Brut Grand Cru Millésimé Œil de Perdrix is lovely, wafting from the glass with scents of orange blossom, mirabelle plum, sweet citrus fruit and red berries. Medium to full-bodied, ample and pillowy, with a fleshy core of fruit and lively acids, it’s an elegant, charming wine that offers demonstrative drinking out of the gates.”

 

 
 
Italy
 
Winery Note “Immerse yourself in the experience of tasting our Orvieto Classico, Frammento – an elegant and pleasantly versatile wine, perfect for accompanying your everyday moments. Its name evokes the fragments of seashells that fill our soils, witnesses of the sea that once covered them millions of years ago. But it also evokes the philosophical concept of terroir, and the fact that even in a sip of wine (a “fragment”), the totality of the soul of the place is still preserved.”
Decugnano dei Barbi Frammento Orvieto Classico, Umbria, Italy 2021 750ml $16 special, 36 bottles available
James Suckling “Subtle minerality to the salted lemons and tarragon herbs. Linear and bright on the medium-bodied palate with a streamlined structure and creamy texture. Dry and tangy finish. 55% grechetto, 20% sauvignon blanc, 20% vermentino and 5% procanico. Drink now.”
 
 
Oregon
 
LIVE Certified sustainable
Domaine Lumineux Cuvee Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills, USA 2021 750ml $59 special, 27 bottles available
Winery Note “A select blend of our distinct pinot noir clones, the 2021 Cuvée is a multidimensional, harmonious, expression of the Domaine Lumineux Dundee Hills vineyard. This wine exhibits opulent aromas of spice, featuring hints of anise, nutmeg, and earthy forest floor. The savory palate is accompanied by concentrated red fruit notes, intermingled with dried fig. The 2021 Cuvée boasts a complex structure, with intriguing notes of black pepper lending an alluring mouthfeel and a prolonged finish.”
 
 
France
 

 
If you’re looking for a gorgeously layered red wine to curl up with, then your search is over. Even the most entrenched Châteauneuf snobs have got to admit: when it comes to memorable, terroir-focused Southern Rhône wines, Gigondas has got it going on.
 
Saint Cosme Gigondas Rouge, Rhone, France 2022 750ml $44.50 special, 16 bottles available
Joe Czerwinski-Wine Advocate 92-94 Points “A prospective blend of the 2022 Gigondas looks like one of the best ever from this estate … It’s impressively full-bodied without being heavy, showcasing wonderfully ripe black cherry fruit, a rich, velvety mouthfeel and a lingering finish.”
 
Saint Cosme Gigondas Hominis Fides Rouge, Rhone, France 2022 750ml $108 special, 8 bottles available
Jeb Dunnuck 95-97 Points “It’s full-bodied, has a layered, concentrated mouthfeel, plenty of ripe, polished tannins, and a solid core of darker fruits, iron, ground pepper, and some garrigue nuances. A serious, age-worthy Gigondas, it’s going to benefit from bottle age.”
 
Saint Cosme Gigondas Le Claux Rouge, Rhone, France 2022 750ml $108 special, 8 bottles available
Jeb Dunnuck 94-96 Points “More kirsch liqueur, graphite, ground pepper, and garrigue notes emerge from the 2022 Gigondas Le Claux, a more full-bodied Gigondas offering a deep, layered mouthfeel, impressive concentration, and building tannins. The cellar will be your friend here.”
 
Saint Cosme Gigondas Le Poste Rouge, Rhone, France 2022 750ml $108 special, 8 bottles available
Jeb Dunnuck 97-99 Points “My favorite of the trio (but that’s splitting hairs), the 2022 Gigondas La Poste is similarly full-bodied and concentrated, yet I love its purity and balance. Ripe red and black fruit, violets, spring flowers, and foresty, garrigue nuances all shine in this beautifully polished, layered, elegant Gigondas that has flawless balance. It shows the riper style of the vintage yet stays light on its feet and incredibly pure. Don’t miss it.”

 
Bordeaux Beauties

 

 

 

 
Before the 19th century, St-Julien’s Domaine de Leoville was one estate, undivided. However, In 1826,  a portion of the estate was purchased and designated Chateau Leoville-Barton. Hey, the more owners the merrier, right? Thus Leoville was divided once more giving us Leoville-Las Cases and Leoville- Poyferré. Three unique terroirs de Leoville owned and operated by different families.
 
We all know the saying “divided we fall” but all three remained so great they were each named  Second Growths in the great Bordeaux classification of 1855. Truly a testament to the quality of Leoville’s source terroir and a triumph of winemaking prowess.
 
To this day, you’ll find it practically impossible to find a better expression of Bordeaux than the Leovilles Barton and Poyferre.
 

 
 New Arrival  Chateau Leoville-Poyferre, Saint-Julien, France 2018 750ml $159 special
Jeb Dunnuck 100 Points “Every bit as good as the 2009, and I think better than the 2010 and 2016, the 2018 Château Léoville Poyferré is a total thrill that tops out my scale. Based on 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, its dense purple hue is followed by an incredible, full-bodied monster of a wine that, despite massive amounts of fruit, tannins, and extract, still stays weightless and ethereal, with incredible purity. Loaded with notions of crème de cassis, spring flowers, tobacco, violets, charcoal, and cedar pencil, it’s extraordinarily concentrated, flawlessly balanced, and has a finish that won’t quit. This is a legendary wine in the making. Give bottles 7-8 years, a decade would be even better, and it will keep for 40-50 years. Hats off to the Cuvelier family for another extraordinary wine!”
 

…also available from Leoville-Poyferre:
 
Chateau Leoville Poyferre, Saint-Julien, France 2015 1.5L $249 special, 4 bottles available
Jeb Dunnuck 97 Points “The 2015 Leoville Poyferre is cut from the same cloth as the 2016, yet is more sexy, rounded and opulent. Notes of cassis, licorice, crushed rocks, lead pencil shavings and graphite all emerge from this unctuous, ripe, pedal-to-the-metal beauty that’s absolutely loaded with fruit and texture. Reminding me of the 2003, yet only fresher, don’t miss this beauty. It should be drinkable in 3-4 years and last for 3-4 decades.”
 
Chateau Leoville Poyferre, Saint-Julien, France 2014 750ml $99 special, 12+ bottles available
Antonio Galloni-Vinous 95 Points “The 2014 Léoville Poyferré is gorgeous. Dark, sumptuous and ample on the palate, it possesses remarkable depth. Dark cherry, plum, smoke, scorched earth, licorice and menthol all flesh out as this radiant, deeply expressive wine shows off its considerable pedigree. The 2014 is going to need time to fully come together, but it is super-impressive. Tasted two times.”
 
Chateau Leoville Poyferre, Saint-Julien, France 2016 750ml $135 special, 6 bottles available
Decanter 98 Points “Relatively closed right now, as are all the St-Juliens, this takes time to open in the glass but does so to reveal lots of northern Médoc character in the liquorice and brambly fruit puree, with touches of caramel and sweet cassis. It’s hewn out of slate boulders with layers of tannin – a lovely construction that’s deepened even further during ageing. 2% Cabernet Franc finishes the blend. Matured in 80% new oak.”
 
 

 
Chateau Leoville Barton, Saint-Julien, France 2016 750ml $189 special, 7 bottles available
Wine Spectator 97 Points – #1 Wine Of The Year “This is so vivid as it brims with pastis-soaked plum, blackberry, black currant and blueberry paste flavors, all carried by a perfectly integrated brambly spine. Tar and ganache notes give the finish an extra kick while everything stays within the mouthwatering roasted apple wood frame. Both regal and rambunctious, this is St.-Julien to a T.”
Decanter 96 Points “I love this – there’s concentrated cassis on the nose with a strong, smoky edging. On the palate the coffee and dark chocolate is clear, a little bitter in an extremely attractive way, leaning against the rich, sweet black fruits. There’s no question those tannins are in full play. An excellent wine with a great life ahead. Matured in 60% new oak. Drinking Window 2024-2040.”
 
Chateau Leoville Barton, Saint-Julien, France 2018 750ml $135 special 17 bottles available
Wine Spectator 97 Points “Cassis, crushed plum and steeped blackberry fruit is all packed into this wine, along with tar, violet and roasted apple wood notes, plus a terrific tug of warm earth. Shows lots of energy in reserve, with a tightly knit finish pulling everything together. Cellaring required. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Best from 2026 through 2040.”
 
Chateau Leoville Barton, Saint-Julien, France 2019 750ml $119 special 1 bottle available
Jeb Dunnuck 97 Points, #7 top 100 “The flagship 2019 Château Léoville Barton is brilliant, showing both the style of the estate as well as the vintage beautifully. It’s never the biggest or richest wine, yet it has a classic, vibrant, structured style that ages beautifully. Pure cassis, black currants, scorched earth, new leather, and graphite are just some of its nuances, and it’s medium to full-bodied, with a lively spine of acidity, beautiful overall balance, and a great finish. This textbook Léoville Barton demands a decade of bottle age and will keep for 30-40 years.”