In This Newsletter:
New Arrivals
Faust, Torre dei Beati, L’Hetre, Clos de Sarpe, Riccolo Grassi, and more
You’re Invited To The Hottest Bar in France…
The Côte des Bar, that is
New Arrivals
California
Faust Wines
Looking for the perfect Halloween tipple? Featuring stylishly macabre labels and an ominous Victorian Mansion tasting room (the “Faust Haus”) in the hills of St Helena, Faust Wines produces Cabernet Sauvignon of a notably dark and brooding character. Despite pulling fruit from top estate vineyards in both Rutherford and Coombsville, this is a well-priced Napa wine you won’t have to sell your soul for.
hot deal! Faust Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, USA 2022 750ml $49 special, 36 bottles available
(Not reviewed yet, 2021 rating provided for reference)
James Suckling 95 Points (2021) “Inviting aromas of ripe blackcurrants and blackberries as well as crushed walnuts, cedar and bark. Full-bodied, creamy and structured with firm, polished tannins. Balanced and even with a lingering finish.”
David Jelinek-Winemaker “Violets and toasted baking spice open on the nose of our 2022 Faust Napa Valley, with savory layers of slate and cedar joining in the background. Concentrated, perfectly ripe black cherry is spiced with the wine’s signature star anise and framed by fine, chalky tannin that unfold into richness on the palate. Mouthwatering freshness sustains the dance of fruit and minerality through a lingering finish.”
France
From Jacques Thienpoint owner of the celebrated Bordeux estate Le Pin, comes this fantastically underpriced Côtes de Castillon winery. Merlot dominant, with a fine and complex bouquet.
staff pick L’Hetre, Castillon Cotes de Bordeaux, France 2016 750ml $29.50 special, 33 bottles available
Julia Harding MW-Jancis Robinson “L’Hêtre 2016 Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux is the first release of this wine from the organically farmed estate perched at 100 m on the end of the St-Philippe d’Aiguilhe limestone plateau, the highest point in Bordeaux…‘Rich in blackcurrant fruit with a savoury dark glow to make it more than just fruit. Just a touch of smoky char even though the oak is well in the background, a seductive fruit sweetness. On the palate, this is beautifully balanced, the alcohol perfectly integrated in the tannic structure and fruit core with a fresh tang that runs through the middle. There’s a cool fluidity to it even with its depth and length. Fine, dry, lingering and savory aftertaste. Impressive first vintage with a promising future in the bottle. I opened this on a Sunday evening and it was still tasting fresh and vibrant four days later. This is a very classy wine, and the tannins tell you everything: fine, definite, building in the mouth but in perfect balance with the fruit and freshness. Blue-blooded Castillon. Catch it while you can.'”
Chateau La Gaffeliere ‘Clos La Gaffeliere’, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru, France 2020 750ml $36 special, 36 bottles available
Vinous 91-93 Points “The 2020 Clos La Gaffelière is a super attractive second wine. It is a bit darker and more overt than the Grand Vin, both of which lend quite a bit of immediacy. Black cherry, plum, spice, chocolate and leather build nicely in the glass. This supple, juicy Saint-Émilion will drink well right out of the gate.”
Chateau Clos de Sarpe, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru, France 2015 1.5L $199 special, 3 bottles available
Jeb Dunnuck 97+ Points “Showing even better now than on release, the 2015 Château Clos de Sarpe might be one of the greatest wines to ever emerge from this tiny vineyard just outside of Saint Emilion. Dense purple/plum-hued, with an enormous bouquet of blueberries, blackberries, white truffles, violets, and spring flowers, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, an incredible sense of opulence, and silky, polished tannins. It’s absorbed just about every trace of its oak élevage, and while it’s an incredible drink today, it’s going to evolve for 30+ years or more.”
Antonio Galloni-Vinous 95 Points “The 2015 Clos de Sarpe boasts off-the-charts richness. Full-throttle and unapologetically opulent, Clos de Sarpe is probably the most exotic of the more modern, sumptuous Saint-Émilions. Super-ripe black cherry, chocolate, leather, spice and new French oak are all pushed forward. Ripeness and unctuousness are taken to the edge in this exotic beauty.”
Clos Saint-Jean Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Rhone, France 2016 750ml $49 special, 24 bottles available
Jeb Dunnuck 93 Points “Moving to the reds and 85% Grenache and the rest Syrah and Mourvèdre, the base 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a beauty and boasts appealing notes of spiced red and black fruits, cedar, and garrigue. Full-bodied, ripe and undeniably sexy, it’s going to benefit from a year or three in the cellar and drink nicely for over a decade.”
Lowest listed price in the USA!
Certified Organic!
Chateau Rieussec ‘Les Carmes de Rieussec’, Sauternes, France 2012 375ml $21.90 special, 36+ bottles available
James Molesworth-Wine Spectator “Plump and open, offering green plum, nectarine and coconut notes, with a round, easy feel through the plantain-tinged finish. Tasted non-blind.”
Usseglio Chateauneuf-du-Pape Cuvee La Part des Anges, Rhone, France 2021 750ml $69 special, 24 bottles available
Joe Czerwinski-Wine Advocate 98 Points “A blend of 70% Mourvèdre, 20% Grenache and 10% Syrah, the 2021 Chateauneuf du Pape la Part des Anges is the first vintage of this cuvée to be vinified in demi-muids. The cedar seems more subtle and better integrated than past vintages as a result, adding nuance to the other aromas of crushed stone, plums and black cherries. Full-bodied, rich and velvety in texture, with a near-limitless finish, this is simply super stuff.”
Oregon
Purple Hands Freedom Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, USA 2022 750ml $66 special, 9 bottles available
Jeb Dunnuck 97 Points “A richer reflective ruby hue, the 2022 Pinot Noir Freedom Hill Vineyard is a savory wine with notes of wet stones, graphite, pine, fresh black cherries, mixed berries, and tea leaf. It is very appealing on the palate early on with refined tannins and a juicy feel. It’s very attractive now, and it’s not going to slow down any time soon.”
Purple Hands Haakon Lenai Chardonnay, Dundee Hills, USA 2022 750ml $59 special, 6 bottles available
Jeb Dunnuck 96 Points “A light hazy yellow hue, the 2022 Chardonnay Haakon/Lenai Vineyard delivers delicate flint notes along with rocky earth, preserved lemon, bright apples, and concentrated, salty earth. Medium to full-bodied, it has compact intensity, with electricity driving through the palate, and I also love the texture of this wine. Fully dry, with great extract, it has depth and richness without being heavy. It’s a fantastic and age-worthy wine to drink over the next 10-12 years.“
Only listing in the USA!
Purple Hands Haakon Lenai Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills, USA 2022 750ml $66 special, 9 bottles available
Jeb Dunnuck 98 Points “A youthful ruby red hue, the 2022 Pinot Noir Haakon/Lenai Vineyard comes from 27-year-old vines in the main estate vineyard … There is real crystalline depth to this wine as well as more purity and clarity, and it has bright, ripe acidity, mouthwatering freshness, and a great finish. Its ripe tannins are very well-framed, and it has a long finish. Much more purity and clarity here. Drink 2024-2044. This is by far the best wine in the Purple Hands lineup.”
Purple Hands Latchkey Vineyard Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills, USA 2022 750ml $59 special, 6 bottles available
Jeb Dunnuck 96 Points “The 2022 Pinot Noir Latchkey Vineyard is from 18-year-old vines grown on ancient volcanic soils. A bit deeper ruby red, it’s aromatic of black raspberries, rosemary, pressed flowers, and anise. Medium to full-bodied, it is ripe with a rounded, plush, approachable feel, but it has seamless structure and is going to age gracefully over the coming 12-15 years.”
Purple Hands Shea Vineyard Pinot Noir, Yamhill-Carlton District, USA 2022 750ml $59 special, 12 bottles available
Jeb Dunnuck 96 Points “From one of the highest elevations in this vineyard, the 2022 Pinot Noir Shea Vineyard is a transparent red hue and is aromatic of ripe cherries, spices, mossy earth, and a lightly gamey but clean earth note. It is an elegant and lifted expression of the Shea Vineyard, with bright acidity, fine tannins, and a more linear feel, and as it opens, it starts to show its broader shoulders and its deeper notes come through.”
Italy
staff pick Roccolo Grassi Valpolicella Superiore, Veneto, Italy 750ml $29 special, 36+ bottles available
Eric Guido-Vinous 94+ Points “An enticing mix of incense, black tea, cracked pepper and red wild berries emanate from the 2016 Valpolicella Superiore. This is undeniably elegant, with its silky textures that seem to coat the entire palate in a seductive layer of violet-tinged fruits and suave lavender and chocolate notes. That said, this is not sweet nor overly rich; in fact, the 2016 is truly harmonious and poised, boasting tremendous concentration that’s lifted by saline-infused acids. It leaves the palate completely saturated with cloves and allspice, as it tapers off structured and long. This is next-level Valpolicella Superiore, and it may even one day warrant a higher score. Marco Sartori uses 30% appassimento grapes in his Valpolicella, which are dried for twenty days. This wine is refined in a 50% – 50% mix of large oak cask and barrique, of which only about 20% are new”
Lowest listed price in the USA!
Cavalli Tenuta degli Dei ‘Le Redini’ Toscana IGT, Tuscany, Italy 2019 750ml $26 special, 36+ bottles available
Antonio Galloni-Vinous 93 Points “The 2019 Le Redini is another fabulous wine in this lineup. A blend of Merlot and Alicante, Le Redini impresses with its energy and vibrancy. Plum, mocha, gravel, spice and licorice are all beautifully delineated. In 2019, Le Redini has an extra kick of energy that is just compelling. It’s a wine of extreme pleasure.”
Only listing in the USA!
Jermann Pinot Grigio Venezia Giulia IGT, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Italy 2022 750ml $24 special, 24 bottles available
Jeff Porter- Wine Enthusiast 92 Points “This classic Pinot Grigio’s aromas flow out of the glass showing fresh orchard notes, white flowers, lemon drop candy and crushed stone. It’s lively on the palate with the sprightly levity of lemon zest, green apple skin, wild green herbs and a zip of acidity.”
Mazzarosa ‘Vere Novo’ Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, Italy 2020 750ml $39 special, 36 bottles available
Decanter 97 Points- Platinum Award- “Plenty of ripe plum, blueberries, and well-integrated oak, with subtle accents of thyme and laurel. Quite light in concentration, with a delicacy of acid and tannins. The wine shows a perfumed spine of herbs that runs throughout the palate’s lingering finish. -Decanter World Wine Awards Tasting Panel”
Lowest listed price in the USA
Pagliarese Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG, Tuscany, Italy 2018 750ml $31.90 special, 24 bottles available
Antonio Galloni-Vinous 93 Points “The 2018 Chianti Classico Riserva is another gorgeous old-school wine from Pagliarese. Black cherry, cloves, licorice, leather and woodsmoke give the 2018 its distinctive, somber feel. This dense, super-expressive Riserva certainly has tons of character. Tasting the 2018 is like stepping back in time thirty years.”
Pieropan Soave Classico, Veneto, Italy 2023 750ml $19 special, 36 bottles available
Jeff Porter-Wine Enthusiast 93 Points “Every year Pieropan captures the soul of Soave, Garganega and the vintage in such a pristine way that it keeps us in awe. This vintage shines with aromas of Fuji pears, Anjou apples, lemon blossom and flint. The palate is crisp with green apple skin and lemon zest flavors that give way to toasted almonds, acacia honey and a minerality so deep that you might as well be in a quarry. Drink now–2040.”
Torre dei Beati Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, Italy 2021 750ml $21.90 special, 24 bottles available
Vinous 92 Points “The 2021 Montepulciano d’Abruzzo is wonderfully fresh and fruit-forward. A balance of dusty rose and foreign spices complements dried strawberries. It sweeps across the palate, lifted yet racy in style, with silken textures and polished wild berry fruits that swirl throughout. The 2021 leaves a web of finegrained tannins, showing wonderful harmony while tapering off with a hint of salted licorice.”
You’re Invited To The Hottest Bar in France…
The Côte des Bar, that is
What do you get when you combine the same soil type of such luminous regions as Chablis and Chavignol with Champagne… you get some of the most hypnotic sparkling wines in the world.
A giant Kimmeridgian basin (the petrified remains of ancient seabed dwellers) spans much of Northern France, disappearing and reappearing in parts of Burgundy, the Loire, and Champagne’s Cote des Bar. Grapes grown in this soil are known for their minerality, focused flavors, and piercing acidic structure which combine in a unique je ne sais quoi often compared to a jolt of electricity.
The largest and most famous producer in the Cote des Bar is the illustrious Champagne Drappier, but there is a growing number of intrepid farmer-vintners creating a big stir at the Bar. These grower-producers exemplify the emerging wild and nervy style of the region.
Let’s take a closer look at two of the rising stars of the Cote des Bar, shall we?
Vouette et Sorbee: The Pilgrim’s Progress
Beginning his journey in 1986, Bertrand Gautherot has become the most influential vigneron in the modern Côte des Bar, an inspirational and outspoken advocate of organic and natural Champagne production. A pioneer in the region, he set the tone by switching his entire operation to Biodynamic viticulture.
These are essential, captivating Champagnes. Pure, eclectic, and electric.
Vouette et Sorbee Cuvee Blanc d’Argile Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut, Champagne, France (2019) NV 750ml $99 special, 1 bottle available
Anne Krebiehl Mw-Vinous 92 Points “The NV Brut Nature Blanc d’Argile (2019) is a pure Chardonnay. Lemon and nettle seep into melted butter and a mere insinuation of blossom honey. The palate is bone dry and textured with dried corn husk and wheat chaff, salty, expansive, yet contoured by lemony brightness. This is a distinct, honey-edged Chardonnay with a salted caramel highlight. It’s delicious, engaging and most appetizing. The finish is sustained with lots of umami echoes. (Drink between 2024-2030).”
Vouette et Sorbee Fidele Extra Brut, Champagne, France (2019) NV 750ml $79 special, 7 bottles available
Jancis Robinson 17.5/20 “There’s a dramatic, fragrant and peach-sweet oiliness to this wine. Strikingly unusual, complex, exciting and with a Verdicchio-like bitterness it’s really vinous. It’s compelling – it keeps drawing me back.”
Best price in the USA
Marie Courtin: Something Wondrous This Way Comes
Single-vineyard…single-varietal… biodynamic… san-soufre.
These are some of the concepts that inspired Dominique Moreau to start her own winery in 2005. Beyond the buzzwords, this is a stellar project with wines that will stand the test of time.
The winery itself is named for Moreau’s Grandmother, who imbued Dominique with a sense of wonder in nature and the power of its energies. Beyond just organic or Biodynamic practices, Dominique uses pendulums in the vineyard to gauge the energy emitted from grapes and discern ripeness.
Her wines are becoming modern classics, cult-like in their draw… try them today and catch the buzz for yourself!
Marie Courtin Efflorescence Blanc de Noirs Extra Brut, Champagne, France 2017 750ml $79 special, 8 bottles availables
Marie Courtin Efflorescence Blanc de Noirs Extra Brut 2017 1.5L $179 special, 1 magnum available
Antonio Galloni-Vinous 91 Points “The 2017 Extra Brut Efflorescence (100% Pinot Noir) displays good depth texturally and lovely persistence, but I would like to see more focus on the aromatics. Then again, this is a 2017. A slightly forgiving palate is required to fully appreciate this. Zero dosage. Disgorged in March of 2023.”
Marie Courtin Efflorescence Blanc de Noirs Extra Brut, Champagne, France 2018 1.5L $199 special, 1 magnum available
Marie Courtin Efflorescence Blanc de Noirs Extra Brut 2018 3L $449 special, 1 Jeroboam available
Importer Notes “This barrel fermented vintage cuvee is made from grapes from the bottom of the hill, which Dominique belives results in greater power and aging potential. Zero dosage.”
750ml bottle is lowest listed price on the west coast
Marie Courtin Concordance Blanc de Noirs Extra Brut, Champagne, France 2018 750ml $99 special, 2 bottles available
Importer Notes “Harvest from massale selection vines 35-40 years in age from a single, 2.5 hectares parcel located in Polisot (Cote des Bar) … Aged sur lie for three years … Dominique’s zero dosage, zero sulfur Pinot Noir is powerful and complex.”
…beyond these standard bottlings, we have Marie’s Amphora Aged bottles:
Marie Courtin Amphora Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut, Champagne, France 2020 750ml $149 special, 6 bottles available
Importer Notes “After years of fermentations in tank, foudre and barrel, Dominique Moreau has ventured into the foray of amphora vinification and ageing. The Blanc de Blancs is a unique blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc and Arbanne, all grown in the kimmeridgian-centric soils of Polisot. The resulting wine is textured, bursting with energy and goes down easy.”
Marie Courtin Amphora Blanc de Noirs Extra Brut, Champagne, France 2020 750ml $149 special, 3 bottles available
Importer Notes “After years of fermentations in tank, foudre and barrel, Dominique Moreau has ventured into the foray of amphora vinification and ageing. The Blanc de Noirs is 100% Pinot Noir grown in the kimmeridgian-centric soils of Polisot. The resulting wine is deep and focused with penetrating bubbles and real staying power.”
… and the Coteaux Champenois (still wine) she produces as well:
Marie-Courtin Coteaux Champenois Blanc Tremble, Champagne, France 2019 750ml $89 special, 5 bottles available
(Review is for the NV version, reviewed in November 2023. Provided for reference.)
Antonio Galloni-Vinous 92 Points “The NV Coteaux Champenois Le Blanc du Tremble shows good depth and phenolic intensity. Pear, apricot, white flowers and lightly tropical notes all grace this wonderfully deep and expressive Coteaux. Blanc du Tremble is 100% Pinot Noir from 35-40-year-old vines, aged in clay and sandstone amphorae. Terrific.”
Marie Courtin Coteaux Champenois Le Blanc du Tremble, Champagne, France 2020 750ml $79 special, 5 bottles available
Importer Note “Dominique Moreau’s Coteaux Champenois “Blanc du Tremble” is made from 100% massale selection Pinot Noir. Aged in clay and sandstone amphoras with produced with zero sulfur added, this Coteaux Blanc is rich, racy and textured. Nose is reminiscent of Concordance Blanc de Noir sans soufre Champagne with its aromas of stonefruit and honey. An indulgent and classy Coteaux in very limited supply!”