Special Arrivals
France- Beaujolais
Dupeuble Nouveau
“What an inspired invention the nouveau is, this newborn wine that was so recently still fermenting. It is a celebration of the harvest just past, a preview of the new vintage in France, and a delicious drink, full of fruit and fizz and vim and vigor.” –Kermit Lynch
Dupeuble Pere et Fils Beaujolais Nouveau, France 2024 750ml $21.90 special, 36+ bottles available
Ghislaine Dupeuble-Owner “Our 2024 vintage is beautiful and full of fruit and freshness. It’s quite delicious and easy to drink; it keeps pulling you back for more!”
Chris Santini, Kermit Lynch.com “Light and bright color, with fresh strawberries and roses on the nose. The floral touch continues on the palate, making an ethereal and delicious Nouveau, the signature of a rare cool vintage.”
Anne Sophie Dubois
We at Vinopolis try not to play favorites between various the wineries and winemakers we stock… but Anne Sophie Dubois is an exception. We simply refuse to hide our excitement for one of the region’s most interesting and vital winemakers. When important wine periodicals proclaim Beaujolais “The New Burgundy” it is exactly the work of transformational winemakers like Dubois they are talking about.
Dubois has transformed our perception of Beaujolais, showcasing the potential of Gamay to achieve Burgundian levels of elegance and complexity. While the region has gained recognition for its natural wine movement, Dubois takes a more serious, traditional approach, resulting in wines that are as profound as they are approachable.
Her wines, particularly the Fleurie-based bottlings, exhibit a delicate balance of red fruit flavors, silky tannins, and a mineral-driven complexity. Far from the light, easy-drinking style often associated with Beaujolais, Dubois’s wines are serious expressions of terroir, capable of aging gracefully.
This latest vintage is one for the ages with lower yields leading to exceptional flavor concentration…
staff pick Anne-Sophie Dubois ‘Sans Detour’, Vin de France 2022 750ml $28 special, 12 bottles available
VinopolNote “This is one for the wine geeks. Produced from 20% Gamay and 80% Gamaret (pronounced like “Gamma Ray”) a clone of Gamay first created in Switzerland. Expect Blackberry and Strawberry, plus mild tannins and a soft undercurrent of earthy minerality. Highly recommended.”
Anne-Sophie Dubois Fleurie Les Cocottes, Beaujolais, France 2022 750ml $28 special, 12 bottles available
James Suckling 91 Points “Very fresh Fleurie brimming with pomegranates, rosehips, oranges and wild strawberries. It’s medium-bodied and bright, with refreshing acidity and crunchy tannins. Drink now or hold.”
Anne-Sophie Dubois Fleurie Les Labourons, Beaujolais, France 2022 750ml $37.50 special, 12 bottles available
James Suckling 92 Points “This has an inviting nose of raspberries, strawberries, rhubarb and nutmeg. Touch of tobacco. It’s medium-bodied, very fresh and poised. Very fine, precise tannins. Drink or hold.”
Domaine Louis Boillot
“The wines that Louis made—and Clément now makes—from his priceless old vines remind us of what Burgundy used to be: gentle, subtle, pure, precise, and highly nuanced; their complexity and sensuality growing with age. And, starting in 2014, Louis and Clément brought their patient, balanced approach to the Beaujolais region. Eschewing flash or dazzle, Clément aims to slowly refine the wines and traditions of these terroirs just as his father did in Burgundy over the preceding 20 years.” -Rare Wine Co, Importer
Louis Boillot Moulin-a-Vent Vielles Vignes 2022 750ml $31.90 special, 12 bottles available
Louis Boillot Moulin-a-Vent Les Brusselions 2022 750ml $37.50 special, 12 bottles available
New Arrivals
Washington
#7 TOP 100 WINE OF 2024- James Suckling: K Vintners
Charles, in charge.
If you’re unfamiliar with the winery, know that Charles Smith fashions himself a bit of a rock star and he ought to—he used to manage them. Then, one day, on a motorcycle trip, he rode through Walla Walla and was struck by the majesty of the terrain and the vineyards. Within a few years, he had returned to open a winery.
Today, K Vintners produces a diverse range of wines, with a particular emphasis on single-vineyard Rhône varietals. Charles Smith’s wines are known for their bold flavors, rich texture, and distinctive character. His Syrahs, in particular, showcases the grape’s signature smoky and savory notes.”
K Vintners ‘M.C.K. Motor City Kitty’ Syrah, Washington, USA 2021 750ml $39 special, 36 bottles available
James Suckling 99 Points “The aromas leap out of the glass. Wet earth, tapenade, green peppercorns, volcanic ash and tea leaves. Hints of orange peel. It’s electric on the palate, so savory, so earthy and so minerally, with stemmy and tea-like tannins. The freshness and energy are astounding, and the finish just keeps going. Delicious syrah. Drink or hold.”
…also from Charles Smith:
K Vintners The Boy Grenache, Walla Walla Valley, USA 2021 750ml $44.50 special, 18 bottles available
James Suckling 99 Points “Super smooth and mouth-filling but also lacy and filigreed, the wine combines powerful, broad and ripe strawberries, red plums and cedar on a full body blanketed in soft tannins but with fresh acidity. Aged 18 months on the lees in neutral, large-format barrels. Drink now or hold.”
Oregon
Sequitur
“Mike Etzel’s Sequitur project has taken off in an incredibly short amount of time … There’s a noticeable difference between Sequitur and Beaux Frères; the Sequitur wines are more lifted and energetic yet no less classic.” -Eric Guido, Vinous Media
When Mike Etzel decided to step back from his winemaking duties at Beaux Freres, he and his son (Mikey Etzel) founded their next family winery, Sequitur, which translates to “It follows,” in French. Located on an old Douglas Fir tree farm, this smaller production winery has allowed the Etzels to focus intently on sustainable agriculture and terroir expression.
Sequitur “Triple Seven” Pinot Noir, Ribbon Ridge, USA 2022 750ml $85 special, 19 bottles available
Jeb Dunnuck 97 Points “The 2022 Pinot Noir Triple Seven was raised in 30% new French oak and fermented in concrete. A jeweled ruby color with a light magenta hue, it’s pure and spicy with a savory depth to its notes of ripe raspberry, preserved cherries, wild roses, and mossy earth. Medium-bodied, it has a wonderfully refreshing feel, with ripe, well-defined tannins and a long, tapered, spiced finish. It’s crispy and refreshing all the way through. Drink 2026-2040.”
Average Listed Price $95
Sequitur “Sundog” Pinot Noir, Ribbon Ridge, USA 2021 750ml $89 special, 14 bottles available
Erin Brooks-Wine Advocate 94-96 Points “I tasted the 2021 Sequitur Pinot Noir about three weeks before it was bottled. Medium ruby-purple in color, it has intense aromas of pomegranate, rhubarb and even boysenberry, plus accents of garrigue, conifer and orange peel. The medium-bodied palate is chalky and refreshing with addicting bursts of juicy acidity, generous, nuanced fruit and a very long, layered finish.”
Average Listed Price $97
Sequitur “The Union” Pinot Noir, Ribbon Ridge, USA 2016 750ml $119 special, 10 bottles available
Josh Raynolds-Vinous 96 Points “Glimmering red. A hugely aromatic bouquet evokes fresh red fruits, Asian spices and potpourri, along with a bright mineral overtone and a touch of smokiness. Juicy, seamless and precise on the palate, offering potent, mineral-laced raspberry preserve, rose pastille and spicecake flavors that deepen and spread out steadily on the back half. Delivers a compelling blend of power and finesse and finishes with silky tannins, outstanding clarity and floral- and mineral-driven persistence.”
Domaine Drouhin
#6 Top Wine of 2024-Wine Spectator
Domaine Drouhin Roserock Pinot Noir, Eola-Amity Hills, USA 2022 750ml $38 special, 21 bottles available
Michael Alberty-Wine Enthusiast 95 Points “Editors’ Choice! This is a Goldilocks porridge wine where everything from the lemony acidity to the sturdy tannins was “just right.” It is medium- bodied fare, with blackberry, Thai basil and orange-zest flavors. Violet and cinnamon-stick aromas blend harmoniously with notes of dark raspberries and blueberry fruit leather. It is a stunning value.”
Average listed price is $40
Carlton Hill Vineyard
“Sometimes it is good to be paranoid.” –David Polite
This is a time capsule! Willamette Valley’s 2013 vintage was smooth sailing until a surprise typhoon rolled in just before most grapes could be harvested. Many crops were lost or picked so early they were under ripe.
Lucky for Carlton Hill Vineyards and for us, owner and winemaker David Polite didn’t trust the sunny weather. He recalls, “Because I am suspicious of Oregon weather in general, I actually dropped fruit fairly aggressively during the mid to late summer.” This resulted in nicely ripened grapes that could be picked early, sparing this delicious wine from the Deluge.
Carlton Hill Vineyard Estate Pinot Noir, Yamhill-Carlton District, USA 2013 750ml $39 special, 24 bottles available
James Suckling 93 Points “Attractive spice, red cherries, orange peel and dried flowers. Plush and broad on the palate with soft, silky tannins and delicate fruit character. Nicely developed and very attractive. Drink now.”
Josh Raynolds-Vinous 90 Points “Pale red. Fresh, spice-accented raspberry, candied rose and a hint of smokiness on the perfumed nose. Silky and subtly sweet; a spine of juicy acidity adds vivacity and back-end lift. Fine-grained tannins sneak in on the clinging finish, which leaves behind a refreshingly bitter hint of orange pith.”
Lowest Listed Price in the United States
Average Listed Price is $61
Champagne
Champagne Tarlant
Tarlant Zero Brut Nature, Champagne, France NV (2015) 750ml $69 special, 24 bottles available
James Suckling 94 Points “Already in the nose this Brut Nature makes a bold statement with full aromas of quince and spice. Powerful and seriously structured with stacks of candied citrus and dried pear character on the ample palate. Complex autumnal finish. From vineyards in the villages of Oeuilly, Boursault, Celles-les-Conde and Saint-Agnan, a blend of 2015 and reserve wines matured in oak.”
Tarlant Zero Brut Nature Rose, Champagne, France NV (2017) 750ml $79 special, 11 bottles available
Antonio Galloni-Vinous 92 Points “The NV Brut Rosé Nature Zero is terrific. Here the addition of still red Pinot juice adds textural richness to play off the tension of the non-dosage style. Crushed red berry fruit, chalk, mint, rose petal and white flowers lend brilliance to this ethereal yet layered Rosé from Tarlant. Bright saline accents punctuate the finish. This is a terrific showing. The blend is 50% Chardonnay, 44% Pinot Noir, 6% Meunier, based on 2015. Disgorged: September, 2021.”
Spain
hot deal Vina Zorzal Garnacha, Navarra, Spain 2023 750ml $14 special, 36 bottles available
Wine Advocate-Luis Gutiérrez 92 Points “The varietal 2023 Garnacha was produced with grapes from different villages of Navarra–Corella, Cintruénigo, Fitero and Lerga–so, it’s a regional wine from grapes picked early to keep a low pH and fermented with 20% full clusters, then it was bottled early and unoaked. It has a bright ruby color and an expressive varietal nose, berries, flowers and herbs, with contained ripeness, 13.68% alcohol, a pH of 3.48 and 5.4 grams of acidity. It’s fruit-driven and fresh, juicy, tasty and with a tender texture, very easy to drink and an incredible bargain. 155,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in February 2024.”
This is the Lowest Listed Price on the West Coast
Special Collector’s Arrival
Domaine Marc Colin et Fils Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru, Cote de Beaune, France 2022 750ml $849 special, 1 bottles available
Jasper Morris 94-96 Points “Two barrels, Chassagne side, one year old wood. Quite a pale colour, though the nose reaffirms the status of the vineyard, with a significant weight of white fruit and a little bacon fat reduction. Not quite as massive as some, but persistent. Drink from 2030-2038. Tasted: October 2023.”
William Kelley-Wine Advocate 95 Points “There are two barrels of the 2022 Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru, a deep, full-bodied and concentrated wine redolent of pear, hazelnuts, sweet citrus fruit and toasted bread. Layered, textural and multidimensional, it concludes with a delicately honeyed finish. The 2022 vintage is the finest I can remember tasting at Domaine Marc Colin—and with years such as 2017 and 2020, the last decade has been mostly benevolent. As readers will remember, now that the domaine is smaller following his two brothers’ secessions, he is able to be ultra-precise about harvest date, sampling parcel by parcel, he tells me, and small volumes of wine mean longer élevage is feasible too. Percentages of new oak are modest, but foudres and larger barrels are also out of the picture, Damien finding most coopers’ 228-liter barrels more consistent and in any case, better adapted to vinifying smaller quantities.”
Burghound 94 Points “Note: from a .15 ha parcel on the Chassagne side that abuts Vide Bourse. This is aromatically quite similar to the Vide Bourse though with notably more floral and spice influences. The rich, generous and bigger-bodied broad-shouldered flavors are also rich to the point of opulence thanks to the abundance of sappy dry extract that coats the palate on the powerful, compact, youthfully austere and built-to-age finale. This is terrific and very much intended for longer-term keeping though for those who hate to wait, it’s not so tightly wound that it couldn’t be approached after 4 to 5 years of keeping.”
–VS–
Domaine Leflaive Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru, Cote de Beaune, France 2020 750ml $1,479 special, 1 bottle available
Burghound 95-97 Points “Don’t Miss! A wonderfully floral-suffused nose reflects additional notes of petrol, citrus, white orchard and a hint of oak toast. The bigger and richer flavors also possess a gorgeous mouthfeel that is almost delicate yet racy with excellent delineation on the youthfully austere and beautifully balanced finish that just goes on and on. This is potentially a magnificent Bâtard and it’s going to be interesting to compare this with the Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet in a decade’s or so time. In sum, I would offer the same advice – if you can find it, buy it.”
Domaine Leflaive Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru, Cote de Beaune, France 750ml $1,699 special, 2 bottles available
Burghound 95-98 Points “Once again a subtle but not invisible application of wood frames cool and ripe aromas of green apple, acacia blossom, petrol and airy zest-tinged nuances. Interestingly, the middleweight flavors aren’t quite as dense as those of the Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet yet the intensity is even higher, indeed it’s almost painful, while flashing impressive power on the gorgeously complex, sneaky long and equally well-balanced finale. This is also stunning but patience required.”96 POINTS “Round and vibrant, this white leans into the citrusy spectrum of flavors, offering lemon, orange peel and yuzu notes accented by apple and stone. Linear and intense on the superlong finish, where the flavors expand and linger.”