Vinopolis Newsletter 2-5-25 PM

 
Italy
 

 

“The land is our origin, the beginning of everything. It is the most important thing we have.” -Michele Reverdito.
 
Established in 2000 by brother and sister team Michele and Sabina Reverdito, La Morra’s Reverdito Winery is a founding member of the Piedmont Green Experience project. As one of over 70 members of the project, they are dedicated to organic, eco-friendly practices in their cru holdings in La Morra, Serralunga, and Monforte, as well as well as the commune of Verduno. Their respect for the land shows in every bottle they produce and has put them on the map as one of Piedmont’s fastest rising stars.
 
Estelle Imports notes that “With Dante Scaglione (former winemaker for Bruno Giacosa) now leading the Reverdito team, Reverdito Barolo has gained elegance. In future vintages, we’ll be seeing price increases as the demand for the wine expands.”
  
 HOT DEAL  Michele Reverdito Barolo 2019 750ml $36 special, 12 bottles available
Winery Notes “Garnet red with orange highlights, bouquet of woodland and aromatic herbs, slightly spicy. Full and balanced on the palate, with fine complex tannins.”

 
 
France
 

 
Jean-Marc represents the fourth generation of the Pillot family to cultivate vineyards in Chassagne-Montrachet.  Joining his father, Jean, in the mid-eighties, he learned the craft of winemaking and assumed leadership of the family domaine in 1991, alongside his wife, Nadine, and sister, Beatrice.
 
Jean-Marc Pillot Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru 2022 750ml $499 special, only 1 bottle available
Burghound “Once again the wood treatment is discreet on the cooler nose of Granny Smith apples, citrus rind, petrol and crushed fennel nuances. The rich, round and almost chewy larger-bodied flavors exude evident minerality on the bitter lemon-tinged finale that displays excellent length where the wood flashed by the nose resurfaces.”
 
Jean-Marc Pillot Chassagne Montrachet 2022 750ml $79 special, 6 bottles available
Burghound “Here too there is plenty of petrol character suffusing the ripe and equally fresh aromas of rosemary oil, essence of pear and lemon rind. The generously proportioned and nicely vibrant medium weight flavors also conclude in a clean, dry and mildly rustic finale that is equally firm so some patience is in order.”

Jean-Marc Pillot Chassagne Morgeot Fairendes 2022 750ml $119 special, 3 bottles available
Burghound 91-94 Points “Here too there is a mentholated character present on the markedly more floral-suffused nose of mostly white orchard fruit scents, all of which is trimmed in enough wood influence to point out. The very generously proportioned big-bodied flavors are blessed with plenty of sappy dry extract that imparts a seductive texture to the impressively powerful, serious, long and built-to-age finale. This won’t wow you with its finesse but if full-bodied whites appeal to you, this would make for a quality choice.”
 
Jean-Marc Pillot Chassagne Les Macherelles 1er 2022 750ml $119 special, 4 bottles available
Burghound 90-93 Points “Firm reduction dominates the underlying fruit today. On the palate there is more volume but noticeably less minerality suffusing the clean, dry and moderately austere finale that possesses better depth. This balanced effort has the potential to repay up to a decade of keeping and is worth considering. (Drink starting 2030).”
 
Jean-Marc Pillot Chassagne Mes Vieilles Vignes 2020 750ml $41.90 special, 6 bottles available
Burghound “Exuberantly fresh aromas include those of various red berries, pepper and earth. The rich, generously proportioned and delicious medium weight flavors possess a supple palate impression before terminating in a firm and moderately rustic finale. At least some patience suggested.”
 
Jean-Marc Pillot Puligny Montrachet Les Noyers 2022 750ml $94.50 special, 4 bottles available
Burghound “Prominent petrol character is present on the ripe and fresh aromas of mostly citrus confit and white peach. The succulent, round and delicious middle weight flavors possess a lovely sense of underlying tension on the clean, dry, youthfully austere and ever-so-slightly rustic finale. This is firm enough to suggest that it’s going to need at least 6 to 10 years of keeping before it’s fully ready for prime-time drinking.”
 
Jean-Marc Pillot Rouge Les Grandes Terres 2021 750ml $39 special, 6 bottles available
Importer’s Note “Jean-Marc owns a parcel Pinot Noir in the village of Remigny, just south of Chassagne-Montrachet, and produces an exemplary Bourgogne Rouge from his 65-year-old vines there. Given a proper 12-month élévage in used barrels, this Bourgogne is succulent and exuberant, with wild berry fruit, energetic tannins and an overall impression of vibrant silkiness.”

 
 

 

Bugey Cerdon is one of the world’s most delightful wines. Bubbly, toasty, and sweet (like a fresh berry, not in a sugary or cloying way), this low ABV sparkler is like a leisurely springtime walk in your best pair of comfy shoes. Produced in the ancestral method, this is softer than Champagne: less nervy, more supple. It’s the strawberry to Champagne’s Lemonaide.
 
Renardat Fache Cerdon Du Bugey 2023 750ml $27 special, 11 bottles available
Kerry Winslow- Grapelive 92 Points “Made by a small family winery that is now on to their 18th generation, the Renardat-Fâche’s Cerdon Rosé from the Bugey region between Lyon and Geneva, in the Jura’s remote hillsides is a wonderfully expressive disgorged Pet-Nat that is absolutely delicious with a zesty palate garden strawberries, red peach, blood orange and sour red cherries, along with a hint of yeasty brioche, red apple, mineral notes, delicate florals and wild herbs. Fresh and vibrant, with a little kiss of sweetness, this Méthode Ancestrale bubbly is a fun all organic quaffable wine of easy and tasty seriousness, but without pretense, great for any occasion. The Renadat-Fâche winery is based in the small village of Mérignat and they farm a mix of grapes on a clay and limestone terroir, which brings out the complexity of fruit in the wine. The bright ruby Cerdon Bugey Rosé Sparkling Wine is blessed with low alcohol, just about 8%, and it is made from a combination of Gamay Noir and Poulsard, following those ancient traditional techniques.”

 

 

In the sun baked hills of the Northern Rhône, Syrah is king. Earthy, tarry, and packed with baked cherry and roasted meat flavors, the wines from this region are structured, decadent, and ageable. Perfect wines to bring out of the cellar for large feasts and special celebrations.
 
Chapoutier Ermitage L’Ermite Rouge 2013 750ml $249 special, 8 bottles available
Wine Spectator 97 Points “Sleek, with mouthwatering flavors of red currant, raspberry and cherry preserves forming the core, while a dusting of cocoa, a snap of red licorice and a long, lingering iron spine complete the picture. Very pure and focused. The minerality wins out in the end. Best from 2019 through 2032. 29 cases imported. — JM”
Jeb Dunnuck-Wine Advocate 96+ Points “More backwards, tight and structured than either the Méal or the Pavillon, the 2013 Ermitage l’Ermite was similarly completely destemmed and raised in a scant 30% new French oak. Inky purple/blue colored, it reluctantly yields incredibly mineral-laced notes of charcoal, liquid rock, cassis, black currants and graphite. While it’s less approachable than either of the two other Hermitages, it has fabulous density and depth, ripe tannin and incredible persistence on the finish. Hide these in the cellar for a decade, and enjoy over the following three to four decades.”
 
Domaine Clape Cornas 2016 750ml $189 special, 6 bottles available
James Suckling 98-99 Points “Many layers of aromas, complex and spicy with a fragrant array of dark brambly berries, dark plums, dark chocolate. Spices and peppers, as well as graphite-like stony notes. There’s a silky core to the palate with extreme power, all delivered so precisely that appear light and elegant. Sweet spiced-fruit flavors run long and bright, exploding in a spectacular spicy finish. Spends two winters in the cellar to deliver finesse in terms of tannins. Barrel sample.”
Jeb Dunnuck 97 Points “The 2016 Cornas is cut from the same cloth yet has slightly more density as well as structure. Crazy notes of incense, beef blood, plums, ground pepper, and blueberries all emerge from this perfumed, massively concentrated Cornas that has building tannins, a tight, chiseled mouthfeel, and a great, great finish. Hide bottles for 5-7 years and it will keep for 2+ decades.”
 
Courbis Cornas Les Eygats 2016 750ml $69 special, 10 bottles available
Jeb Dunnuck 96 Points “The 2016 Cornas Les Eygats is the gem in 2016 and has a fresh, focused, backward style that carries notes of crème de cassis, spring flowers, pepper, and crushed rocks. With full-bodied richness, good acidity, and impeccable balance, it’s a brilliant wine, but it’s going to need 2-3 years of bottle age to show its full potential.”
 
Delas Cote Rotie La Landonne 2019 1.5L $549 special, 2 magnums available
Decanter 97 Points “Immediately this has the darkness and aromatic austerity of La Landonne. Very full-bodied, expansive on the palate with mouthcoating flavour and tannin but not heavy. This is seriously tannic, but it’s not tough. Great character, great power and perfect balance. Alcohol is just a little raised, but this is a blockbuster. Around 3,000 bottles made. Fermented in open-top concrete tanks for 20 days, then matured in new and one-year-old barrels for 14 months. Drinking Window 2026 – 2035.”
 
Delas Hermitage Les Bessards 2019 750ml $219 special, 36+ bottles available
Delas Hermitage Les Bessards 2019 1.5L $449 special, 4 magnums available
Jeb Dunnuck 99 Points “My favorite release from this estate is consistently their Les Bessards Hermitage, and their 2019 is no exception. Coming from the western part and pure broken granite soils on the west side of this magical hill, it sports a dense purple hue to go with a brilliant perfume of cassis, graphite, scorched earth, burning embers, spring flowers, and peppery herbs. Incredibly complex, layered, and nuanced, with classic Hermitage characteristics, it still stays firmly planted in the ripe, sunny, sexy vintage. Full-bodied, concentrated, and structured on the palate, it has a wealth of tannins, flawless balance, and a great finish. This is pure Hermitage magic that needs to be forgotten for 4-5 years and will evolve for 20-30 years in cold cellars. Hats off to the team at Delas for another incredible wine.”
 
Eric & Joel Durand Cornas Confidence 2019 750ml $59 special, 15 bottles available
Jeb Dunnuck 97 Points “Lastly, the 2019 Cornas Confidence is all Syrah that was 70% destemmed and spent 18 months in 30% new barrels. A classic wine from this estate, it brings tons of richness and depth in a pure, clean, quasi-modern style while still being pure Cornas to the core. Dark fruits, ground pepper, game, violets, and spice all give way to a full-bodied, wonderfully textured, balanced 2019 with the texture and balance to offer pleasure today yet also evolve for two decades.”
 
Domaine de Fondreche Divergente 2016 750ml $59 special, 38 bottles available
Jeb Dunnuck 97 Points “Reminding me of one of the Sélections Parcellaires Hermitage from Michel Chapoutier, the 2016 Ventoux Divergente is 90% Syrah and 10% Mourvèdre that was mostly destemmed and brought up in foudre. Crème de cassis, black raspberries, peppered meats, graphite, and liquid rock notes all flow to a fat, unctuous, sexy Syrah that has beautiful acidity, fine tannin, and a huge finish. It’s a true “Wow” wine that needs to be tasted to be believed. Put this in a blind lineup of top Hermitage and shock all your friends.”
 
Jaboulet Hermitage La Chapelle 2017 750ml $189 special, 19 bottles available
Joe Czerwinski-Wine Advocate 98 Points “The 2017 Hermitage La Chapelle comes from the firm’s vineyards on the western half of the Hermitage slope, primarily Le Méal, but with substantial contributions from Les Rocoules and Les Bessards. Classic notes of cassis, black olives, mocha and roasted meat are joined by hints of baking spices in a wine that’s full-bodied, deep, dense and rich, with a velvety texture and a lingering finish. It’s lower in alcohol than the 2018, less voluptuous and maybe just a step behind that monumental wine, but it’s still a serious collectible with three decades of evolution ahead of it.”
 
Jaboulet Hermitage La Chapelle 2019 750ml $199 special, 35 bottles available
Joe Czerwinski-Wine Advocate 98-100 Points “Might this be the next vintage of La Chapelle to crack triple digits? Knockout aromas of crushed stone, violets, blueberries, and cassis mark the nose of the 2019 Hermitage La Chapelle, while the full-bodied palate is undeniably more intense and powerful than the more elegant 2018. Rich and velvety, it coats the mouth with dark fruit and creamy-textured espresso, yet retains remarkable length and licorice-derived peppery freshness on the finish. Wow!”
 
Domaine Lionnet Cornas Terre Brulee 2019 750ml $69 special, 13 bottles available
Jeb Dunnuck  96 Points “The 2019 Cornas Terre Brûlée showed brilliantly, with an exotic style in its darker fruits as well as notes of camphor, balsam wood, plums, and ground pepper. It has tons of minerality on the palate and is full-bodied, concentrated, and powerful, with enough tannins to warrant a solid 5-7 years of bottle age. It’s a beautiful, classic, impeccably made Cornas that will have two decades of longevity.”
 
Rene Rostaing Cote Rotie Cote Blonde 2016 750ml $249 special, only 1 left!
Jeb Dunnuck-Wine Advocate 98 Points “The 2016 Cote Rotie La Cote Blonde (from the lieu-dit of the same name—not a blend of sites) is a terrific effort. It blends the structure of la Viallière with the elegance of la Landonne, making it a truly complete and compelling bottle. Some mocha, black olive and meaty notes lend it a savory cast, while the palate is creamy and concentrated, firm but silky. It’s medium to full-bodied, with a fine, licorice-tinged finish that lingers a good long time. It should drink well for 20+ years.”
 
Rene Rostaing Cote Rotie La Landonne 2022 750ml $184.50 special, 4 bottles available
Jeb Dunnuck 95-97 Points “The 2022 Côte Rôtie La Landonne ratchets everything up a notch, offing a darker, meaty style in its smoked black fruits, raw steak, ground pepper, and graphite notes. It’s medium to full-bodied and has ripe, polished tannins and terrific overall balance.”