Vinopolis Newsletter 12-6-24

 Special Arrivals

 

 

 

“While the ship has long since sailed with regards to getting on the mailing list, these are singular wines well worth the effort to track down on the secondary market… As I’ve said numerous times, Christophe Baron and assistant winemaker Elizabeth Bourcier produce some of the most singular and impressive wines out there.” -Jeb Dunnuck, Wine Advocate
 
“The Cayuse wines continue to set the benchmark for Rhône varieties in Washington State…” –Eric Guido, Vinous
 
Cayuse Vineyards Bionic Frog Syrah, Walla Walla Valley, USA 2022 750ml $219 special, 3 bottles available
(not reviewed yet, 2021 reviews provided  for reference)
Anthony Mueller-Wine Advocate 98+ Points “The 2021 Syrah Bionic Frog has a medium magenta core and offers a fresh, floral and spicy bouquet accompanied by elegant, savory notes. Ripe notions of plum skin and dark cherries burst from the nose, overflowing with aromatic profile. Medium to full-bodied, the palate presents an elegant and refined mouthfeel with food-friendly tannins and nuances of umami, culminating in a long, complex finish that highlights the distinctiveness and embodies the “wow factor” of the Walla Walla Valley. The Syrah rested for 18 months in approximately 20% new and neutral French oak demi-muids, foudre and barrels. A total of 6,288 bottles were produced.”
Jeb Dunnuck 98 Points “The 2021 Syrah Bionic Frog is slightly more elegant and streamlined than past vintages, but it’s an insanely complex, layered, elegant Syrah that has so much to offer. Ripe black raspberries, redcurrants, shiitake mushrooms, cold fireplace, and rose petal/spring flower notes all make for a compelling, singular bouquet, and it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a layered, seamless mouthfeel, ultra-fine tannins, and an umami, mineral-laced, iron-like character on the finish that’s something to behold. This beauty needs 4-5 years of bottle age (I followed this bottle for multiple days, and it only improved with air) and will evolve like a great Hermitage over the following two decades.”

Lowest Price in the USA
Average price $250

Cayuse Vineyards Camaspelo, Walla Walla Valley, USA 2022 750ml $149 special, 6 bottles available
(not reviewed yet, 2021 review provided for reference)
Jeb Dunnuck 94 Points “Leading off the Bordeaux variety releases, the 2021 Camaspelo is mostly Cabernet Sauvignon, and I believe it’s raised in larger barrels. It always reminds me of a Margaux with its more spicy, complex, perfumed style, and it has lots of savory red and black fruits as well as notes of dried tobacco, underbrush, chocolate, and lead pencil. Medium to full-bodied, supple, layered, and elegant, it has an already irresistible profile yet should evolve for 15 years or more.”
 
Cayuse Vineyards Flying Pig, Walla Walla Valley, USA 2022 750ml $149 special, 3 bottles available
(not reviewed yet, 2021 review provided for reference)
Jeb Dunnuck 95 Points “A Cabernet Franc-dominated blend that includes 31% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2021 Flying Pig is medium ruby/purple-hued, with Bordeaux-like notes of black cherries, new leather, smoked herbs, lead pencil, and just a kiss of that Rocks umami character in the background. Medium to full-bodied, pure, balanced, and elegant on the palate, it has silky tannins and no hard edges. It too has an up-front, approachable style.”
 
Cayuse Vineyards God Only Knows Armada Vineyard Grenache, Walla Walla Valley, USA 2021 750ml $149 special, 6 bottles available
Jeb Dunnuck 95 Points “Rocking raspberries, strawberries, rose petals, ground pepper, sappy garrigue, and a hint of iron all emerge from the 2021 Grenache God Only Knows, another pretty, medium-bodied, elegant, finesse-driven Grenache from this team that’s just about overflowing with character. With ripe, polished tannins, beautiful balance, and a great finish, it has the class to evolve gracefully for 10-12 years.”
 
Cayuse Grenache Walla Walla 6042 NV 1.5L $279 special, 1 magnum available
Jeb Dunnuck 97 Points “The NV Grenache 6042 is a blend of 56% 2013, 24% 2014, and 20% 2015 (with the vintages adding up to 6,042). Its translucent ruby hue is followed by a brilliant, floral perfume of red and black cherries, fresh rose petals, spice, and dried herbes de Provence. With medium to full body, a supple, layered, elegant mouthfeel, and no hard edges, this beautifully layered, incredibly impressive Grenache is going to continue drinking brilliantly for another 10-15 years.”
 
Cayuse Vineyards Armada Vineyard Syrah, Walla Walla Valley, USA 2021 750ml $159 special, 10 bottles available
Jeb Dunnuck 97+ Points “One of the bigger, richer wines in the lineup, the 2021 Syrah Armada Vineyard comes from a high-density vineyard located just beside the cellar and was brought up all in demi-muids. This deeper ruby/plum-hued Syrah boasts a big, masculine bouquet of smoked red and black fruits, sauteed mushrooms, cured meats, iron, and cold fireplace nuances (it almost has a Graves-like character) that flows to a medium to full-bodied, rich, concentrated Syrah with terrific overall balance, ripe tannins, and a great finish. As with the other 2021s here, it needs lots of air to show at its best and will ideally be given 4-5 years in the cellar. It’s going to hit its 20th birthday in fine form.”
 
Cayuse Vineyards Cailloux Vineyard Syrah, Walla Walla Valley, USA 2022 750ml $135 special, 6 bottles available
Jeb Dunnuck 98 Points “Meatier red and black fruits, smoke, ground pepper, and savory herb notes all define the 2021 Syrah Cailloux Vineyard, a concentrated, medium to full-bodied Syrah with a classic Northern Rhône-like style in its aromas as well as structure. Fermented with a splash of Viognier, it picks up violet and floral notes with time in the glass, and this darker, more gamey expression of this vineyard is a dead ringer for a great Côte Rôtie. I love it today (with a decant), but it’s going to benefit from 2-4 years in the cellar and evolve for 15 years or more.”
 
Cayuse Vineyards En Cerise Vineyard Syrah, Walla Walla Valley, USA 2022 750ml $135 special, 9 bottles available
(not reviewed yet, 2021 review provided for reference)
Jeb Dunnuck 97 Points “Ripe black cherries, darker raspberries, sappy flowers, shiitake mushrooms, and a kiss of black pepper all define the 2021 Syrah En Cerise Vineyard, an incredibly pure, seamless, elegant Syrah from this estate. It’s always a perfumed, exotic wine, yet the 2021 shines for its incredible purity, precision, and length. It benefits from air and will drink beautifully over the coming 15 years or more.”
 
Cayuse Syrah Wallah Wallah #15, Walla Walla Valley, USA 2021 1.5L $279 special, 1 magnum available
Jeb Dunnuck 99 Points “The Wallah Wallah Special releases are always a blend of vineyards, although Christophe never tells which ones. Nevertheless, these tend to have a more Northern Rhône-inspired profile. The 2021 Syrah Wallah Wallah Special #15 is another gorgeous effort from this talented vigneron, and it offers a deep ruby hue to go with incredible aromatics of red, blue, and black fruits interwoven with notions of cold fireplace, shiitake mushrooms, rose petals, bloody meat, and ground pepper, just to name of few of its nuances. These carry to a medium to full-bodied Syrah with a deep, layered mouthfeel, beautifully polished, elegant tannins, rock star mid-palate depth, and a great, great finish. It’s one of the bigger, richer 2021s in the lineup, and this absolutely gorgeous Syrah will have 20-25 years of overall longevity. Bravo.”
 
Winery Note: In 2011, Hors Catégorie was the first vineyard planted on the steep slope along the North Fork of the Walla Walla River. Hidden in the foothills of the Blue Mountains, Hors Catégorie Vineyard is located where the North Fork converges with the Walla Walla River. The Syrah vines cling to the hillside beneath ragged cliffs and surrounded by rocky outcroppings. Their roots struggle for nourishment in the fractured basalt.
Hors Categorie, Walla Walla Valley, USA 2020 750ml $379 special, 2 bottles available
International Wine Review 100 Points *Highly recommended, Editor’s Choice* “Aged for 18 months in 100% neutral French oak, this Syrah is a masterclass of making Syrah in Washington state. The 2020 Hors Catégorie Syrah is otherworldly and is one of the few 100-point wines that I have scored. Layered complexity gives you hit after hit on the nose – starting with floral notes of lilac and orange blossom, then it gifts meaty notes of smoked brisket and bacon fat, then it presents blackberry and blue plum skin flavors, and finally, it finishes with deep umami, mushroom, iodine, and dusty earth aspects. It’s perfectly balanced on the tongue with absolutely no rough edges to speak of. I don’t think I’ve had a wine quite like it before, and it’s stunning in every way. Just 291 cases were crafted of this impeccable wine.”
Wine Enthusiast 99 Points *Editors’ Choice* “This Syrah flirts with perfection in rarefied air. Black-and-blueberry aromas waltz gracefully with notes of thyme, a fresh-mowed hay field and bacon just hitting the griddle. This is a perfectly balanced wine with medium weight, lemony acidity and flavors like ripe blackberries, aged balsamic and black tea. “
 

 
Sourcing fruit from a wide variety of growers from year to year, and increasingly from their own vineyards has caused the winery to never make exactly the same wine twice, of which winemaker  Manfred Krankl has said, “People buy Sine Qua Non. They don’t seem to give a toot where it’s from.” Krankl is unique among European winemakers turned American winery owners as he did not start in the wine industry until after relocating to America. A man of assuredness and many talents, Manfred is famous for not only his wines but the original artwork that adorns each new bottling he produces.

Sine Qua Non ‘Next of Kyn’ Cumulus Vineyard #15 Proprietary Red, Central Coast, USA 2021 750ml $445 special, 3 bottles available
Antonio Galloni-Vinous 99 Points “The 2021 No. 15 Cumulus Vineyard is a total stunner. It’s also a pretty radical departure from most years in that Grenache drives the blend. That comes through in the wine’s captivating aromatics and gorgeous, layered fruit. Crushed rose petal, red cherry, plum, mint, mocha and dried herbs infuse the palate with notable depth. The 2021 is flat-out stunning—that’s all there is to it. The blend is 40% Grenache, 34% Syrah, 22% Petite Sirah and 4% Petit Manseng. There’s a touch of stem inclusion (7%), but not much.”
 
Sine Qua Non Next of Kyn Numero Sete Touriga Nacional, California, USA 2021 750ml $445 special, 1 bottle available
Antonio Galloni-Vinous 98+ Points “The 2021 Touriga Nacional – Número Siete is terrific, but it is also a very young wine that will need time in bottle to blossom. All of the pedigree of this great vintage comes through loud and clear. Readers should plan on cellaring this for at least a few years. Dried herbs, lavender, licorice and cool, blue-toned fruit are all beautifully delineated throughout. Dollops of Syrah and Petit Manseng round out the blend, with an added kick of floral nuance from the 11% stems.”

 

 
Champagne
 
A. Margaine Special Club Blanc de Blancs Brut, Champagne, France 2016 750ml $108 special, 4 bottles available
not reviewed yet, 2015 review provided for reference
Jeb Dunnuck (2015 review) “With this year’s release, the 2015 Champagne Special Club Blanc De Blancs Brut packs in a balance of power and electricity. Raised predominantly in stainless steel tank with 27% in barrel for 60 months, its pale yellow hue leads to classic aromas of pure green apple, candied lime, flinty crushed stones, and fresh honeysuckle. Lively and herbaceous on the palate, it offers a spritely mousse with loads of ripe grapefruit-noted citrus and a long, persistent core of acidity, well-balanced with ripe fruit and a stony mineral texture. This fantastic and age-worthy example from the 2015 vintage has the structure to cruise across the coming 15 or more years. Disgorged in January 2023, it has the addition of 8 grams per liter dosage.”
 
Constantine Trisilice Premier Cru, Champagne, USA 2017 750ml $59 special, 12 bottles available
Vinopolnote “From the Villedommange Village in Montagne de Reims.”
Winery Notes “Light golden colour with chalky reflects. The soft effervescence highlight the brightness of this wine. The nose is creamy and full. We smell a beautiful balance between the unctuosity of the red grapes and the citrus aromas from the Chardonnay, giving its finesse to the wine. Subtle notes of pastries such as apricot pie are also perceived.  The attack is direct with a beautiful acidic freshness, ending with  orange confit notes. A beautiful pairing between mouthwatering roundness and a sharp freshness during the whole tasting. A slight bitterness in the final taste accentuate the complexity of this champagne.”
 
 
France
 

 
Domaine Chézeaux, a historic estate in Côte de Nuits, has been producing high-quality wines since 1930. Under Jérome Chézeaux, the domaine has shifted its focus to bottling more of its own wines, including those from prestigious vineyards like Vosne-Romanée and Nuits-Saint-Georges. Today the winery is helmed by father and daughter team Jerome and Lys, with cellar practices such as de-stemming, malolactic fermentation, and new French Oak providing a classy and classic profile.
 
“The Chezeaux house style is difficult to pin down, and in fact even to call it a “style” suggests a certain presence of ego that is not there. Always fully ripe, the wines nonetheless never display a wisp of flab even in the warmest of vintages; they offer the distinct impression that the grapes were harvested at the most perfect possible moment. They are graceful yet not exactly polite; always thoroughly extracted but never pushed.” -Rosenthal Wine Merchant, Importer
 
Jerome Chezeaux NSG Aux Saint Juliens 2021 750ml $64.50 special, 10 bottles available
 
Jerome Chezeaux NSG ‘Les Charbonnieres’ 2021 750ml $66.50 special, 4 bottles available
Winery Note “This Nuits villages cuvée from Chezeaux is selected from the oldest vines of Les Charbonnières—planted in 1920, 1930 and 1935—The vineyard is situated just below the premier cru Aux Corvées on the slope in the appellation’s southern sector and typically sees millerandage (shot berries) with very low yields. Boasting true old-vines power, this is always thicker-fruited and exuberantly spicy, with great length. Its lusciousness, however, does nothing to mask the underlying complexity that sets this cuvée apart.”
 
Jerome Chezeaux NSG Les Pruliers 2021 750ml $128 special, 3 bottles available
Winery Note “The smallest-production premier cru in Chezeaux’s cellar, Les Pruliers lies near the border of Nuits-Saint-Georges and Premeaux-Prissey in the southern part of the appellation. Jerome works a mere tenth of a hectare here: a parcel of extremely old vines that produce a wine of warmth and generosity. More full-bodied than the Rue de Chaux above, its fruit is pitched toward the black, and, while not heavy-handed in the slightest, it emphasizes robustness over sleekness.”
 
Jerome Chezeaux NSG Les Vaucrains 2021 750ml $138 special, 3 bottles available
Winery Note “Nuits-Saint-Georges famously possesses no grand cru vineyards, but Les Vaucrains is widely considered one in all but name. Always the most complete of Chezeaux’s premier crus, Vaucrains rumbles with tension—an authoritative wine that exudes an impression of depth and solidity. Here, the fruit, mineral, and savory elements bind together more tightly, more seamlessly. Jérôme owns just over a quarter-hectare of east-facing vines in Vaucrains, and his conservative oak regimen—never more than one-third of the barrels are new—highlights the power of the terroir itself.”
 
Jerome Chezeaux Nuits Saint Georges 2021 750ml $61.90 special, 4 bottles available
Winery Note “Chezeaux’s holdings of villages-level Nuits-Saint-Georges encompass 3.3 hectares spread throughout the appellation, with a significant proportion from the vineyards of Aux Saint Jacques and Chaliots. In keeping with the spirit of the underlying terroir, this is wilder in character than his Vosne-Romanée, marked by notes of iron, and with a rambunctious bent to its tannins. Never deficient in fruit, it offers plenty of earth and sous-bois elements as well, all in a driving fashion.”
 
Jerome Chezeaux Vosne-Romanee Les Chaumes 2021 750ml $125 special, 3 bottles available
Winery Note “Les Chaumes lies at the southern edge of Vosne-Romanée, immediately below the hallowed premier crus Aux Malconsorts and La Tache on a vein of limestone and marl. Chezeaux owns four-tenths of a hectare here, producing a wine that marries the exotic spice and succulent fruit of Vosne-Romanée with the mineral force of Nuits-Saint-Georges in ravishing fashion.”
 
Jerome Chezeaux Vosne-Romanee Les Suchots 2021 750ml $185 special, 3 bottles available
Winery Note “With grand crus Romanée-Saint-Vivant and Richebourg right next door, premier cru Les Suchots lies in one of the most elite neighborhoods in the Cote d’Or. Chezeaux owns a third of a hectare here, and this is often the greatest wine in his cellar. A whirlwind of intoxicating Vosne spice ushers in fruit both broad and precise, yet somehow everything remains focused; it’s a tour de force, vintage after vintage.”
 
 
Dessert Wines
 
Disznoko Aszu 5 Puttonyos, Tokaj, Hungary 2013 500ml $49 special, 18 bottles available
Wine Enthusiast 96 Points “This Tokaji is dark amber in color, with aromas of honeysuckle, peach and acacia flower. In the mouth there are flavors of clover honey, pear and baked sweet apples. Acidity is well balanced to the amount of sweetness.”
 
Kopke Colheita Port, Portugal 2013 750ml $39 special, 12 bottles available
Importer Notes “Red hue with brownish tones. Rich and intense nose where the aromas of ripe fruit combine with notes of nuts and spice. In the mouth it is intense and full of flavours, where the sweetest flavours combine with notes of nuts and some white pepper. Fresh and intense aftertaste.”

 
Recent Accolades
More Love for Arterberry Maresh!

 

 
“The Maresh farm was originally planted to plums, cherries and hazelnuts. In 1970, at the suggestion of Dick Erath, the family decided to plant grapevines. The own-rooted vines (mostly Pommard and Wadenswil clones) are planted at a spacious 600 vines per acre (six by 12 feet) on a south-facing slope between 500 and 700 feet in elevation. The property sits on 12 feet of volcanic clay-loam that provides drainage and facilitates dry farming. Maresh vineyard was the fifth vineyard to be established in the state of Oregon, and it’s still the oldest vineyard on Worden Hill Road, now the home of some of the most revered vineyard sites in the Dundee Hills appellation.” –Erin Brooks, Wine Advocate, “Oregon, Willamette Valley: Arterberry Maresh – Maresh Vineyard Retrospective 2005-2022”
 
Vintage Notes ” ‘2018 was another warm vintage in the Willamette Valley and produced a bigger crop—around 2,200 cases of the Maresh Vineyard Pinot Noir were made. ‘I crafted something with quite a bit of elegance out of a warm year,’ Jim Maresh says with pride. ‘It’s what I should have done in 2014.’ ” -Erin Brooks-Wine Advocate
 NEW PRICE  Arterberry Maresh ‘Maresh Vineyard’ Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills, USA 2018 750ml WAS $64.50 NOW $59 special, 36+ bottles available
Erin Brooks-Wine Advocate 95+ Points “The 2018 Pinot Noir Maresh Vineyard has a medium ruby color and is bursting with layers of raspberry, cranberry, pipe tobacco, dried sage and lavender. The medium-bodied palate is silky and supple with concentrated (though still youthfully coiled) flavors and a long, powerful finish. After a couple of hours in the glass, it begins to reveal a deeper, more nuanced perfume, suggesting the 2018 will be best enjoyed after sufficient time in the cellar.”
 
Vintage Notes “2022 was ‘a freaky growing season,’ Jim Maresh recalls. ‘The growing season was almost identical to 2008—the greatest season of all time. But in 2022, we had large cluster formation rather than a bunch of shatter like in 2008, so it was bigger clusters that hung super late. The cool vintage with bigger clusters combined to give really low sugars. This is around 12.7% alcohol—I picked it the day before Halloween.’ While the 2021s are super concentrated and highly coiled, ‘the 2022s aren’t built like the 2021s,’ he explains. ‘The 2022s are earlier drinking, rounder, more open.’ “-Erin Brooks-Wine Advocate
 NEW PRICE  Arterberry Maresh ‘Maresh Vineyard’ Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills, USA 2022 750ml WAS $69 NOW $64.50 special, 36 bottles available
Erin Brooks-Wine Advocate 95 Points ‘Pale ruby-purple in color, the 2022 Pinot Noir Maresh Vineyard features soaring floral perfume on the nose complemented by layers of raspberry, cranberry, orange bitters, gravel dust and woodsmoke. The medium-bodied palate is bursting with succulent, floral fruit. Supple and refreshing, it offers a long, flavorful finish and is delicious straight from the bottle.’
 
…Newly arrived from Arterberry Maresh:
 
 HOT DEAL  Arterberry Maresh Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills, USA 2023 750ml $29 special, 36+ bottles available
Not reviewed yet, 2022 reviews provided for reference
Clive Pursehouse-Decanter 96 points “Pommard, Wadenswil (50%) and a bit of Dijon, the youngest vines on the Maresh estate, are from 1997, as well as plantings from 1991, 83, and 70, all of it own-rooted. Earth and rose petals announce gorgeous aromatics. Winemaker Jim Maresh destems 100%. It sees 18-24 months in barrel. At $33.50, this may be the best deal in American wine. Earthen aromatics, pine bough, and blood orange spritz. The palate is fresh with blue and red bramble fruits, spicy clove and savoury herbaceousness.”
 
…And newly re-arrived from Jimmy Maresh’s all Chardonnay side project Tan Fruit:
 
Tan Fruit Maresh Vineyard Chardonnay, Dundee Hills, USA 2022 750ml WAS $59 NOW $54.50 special, 36+ bottles available
Erin Brooks-Wine Advocate 95 Points “The 2022 Chardonnay Maresh Vineyard comes from a block of Dijon clone vines planted in 1991 in the Dundee Hills on a steep, south-facing slope at 675 feet of elevation. Barrel fermented and matured for 10 months in 15% new French oak, plus four months in stainless steel, it’s reminiscent of Chablis and boasts exceptionally pure aromas. It opens with flint and petrichor before blossoming to apricot, elderflower liqueur, lime peel and hazelnuts. The palate is vibrant and silky with understated layers of creamy, peachy fruit, and its linear acidity and flinty tones come together for a shimmery finish. For several days after it’s opened, the Maresh Vineyard becomes more and more expressive, pointing to a long life in the cellar.”
 
Tan Fruit White Walnut Vineyard Chardonnay, Dundee Hills, USA 2022 750ml WAS $59 NOW $54.50 special, 36+ bottles available
James Suckling 97 Points “Perfumed nose expressing notes of baked pears, almond powder, cream, baked lemons, chamomile and some white flowers. Medium-bodied with bright acidity and character. Vertical with so much tension. Vibrant and intense but remains in control. Plenty of verve and brightness. There is a purity to it. Textural and well-composed. A brilliant white with a long, mineral finish. Drink or hold.”
Erin Brooks-Wine Advocate 96 Points “Last year’s debut of Tan Fruit’s 2021 White Walnut Chardonnay was extraordinarily singular and expressive, and this 2022 Chardonnay White Walnut Vineyard is just as arresting. Matured for 12 months in barrel, plus six months in stainless steel, it explodes from the glass with a kaleidoscopic perfume of lychee and peach preserves streaked with accents of honey, hazelnut and green herbs. The medium-bodied palate is satiny and mouth coating and echoes the exoticism of the nose as it unfolds layer after layer of honeyed, spicy, floral fruit. Its focused spine of acidity expertly balances its natural opulence, and it has a hauntingly long finish.”