Vinopolis Newsletter 6-7-24

New Arrivals

 

CHAMPAGNE
 

Jerome really was the one who put Meunier on the map. He had the idea to make a whole meal of Meunier, a grape usually treated as a mere accent in the traditional Champagne assemblage, far behind Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. But Prevost’s tiny parcel was located in the Les Beguines , where Meunier is plentiful, so on top of his renegade spirit, the focus on Meunier was a happy accident for the young Vigneron. He began producing these single vintage, single varietal wines and Voila! …a cult wine was born.
 
We only have a small amount of these very rare wines at very low prices. They will not last long!
 
Jerome Prevost La Closerie ‘&’ Extra Brut, Champagne, France NV (LC21) 750ml $249 special, 3 bottles available
Importer Note “Negociant cuvee from Prevost. Made in the same spirit as his other cuvees. The only difference from Les Beguines (other than the lieu-dit) is that the grapes are purchased. The domaine works in close consultation with the vigneron and makes decisions about harvest date and selections.”

 
Jerome Prevost La Closerie Grand Cru Extra Brut, Champagne, France NV (LC21) 750ml $449 special, 3 bottles available
Vinopolnote “Cult wine from Jerome Prevost, one of Champagne’s most celebrated producers. The wine is 100% grand cru Pinot Meunier from the man who helped put single varietal Pinot Meuniers on the map. Made exclusively from 50 year old vines. Very, rare. Don’t miss out this chance!”
 

Lowest Price in the USA!

 
 

 
Pierre Gimonnet et Fils ‘Millesime de Collection Vieilles Vignes de Chardonnay’, Champagne, France 2014 1.5L $279 special, 1 magnum available
Falstaff 94 Points “Pale golden yellow, silver reflections, discreet, stable mousse. Delicately smoky nuances of ripe Golden Delicious apple, some mango, chalky-mineral touch. Juicy, complex, ripe white pome fruit, fine acidity, balanced and persistent, fruity sweetness on the finish, a full-bodied food wine.”
 
Pierre Gimonnet et Fils Blanc de Blancs Cuis Premier Cru Brut, Champagne, France NV 1.5L $169 special, 1 magnum available
Stuart Pigott (Suckling) 92 Points “[Reviewed May 2024] Subtle aromas of citrus fruit, pear, lemon curd and chalk. Fresh and crisp on the medium-bodied palate, with mineral notes and fine bubbles. Clean and balanced with a lot of freshness and vibrancy. Delicate, creamy aftertaste. Drink now.”
 

 
Hebrart ‘Rive Gauche Rive Droite’ Grand Cru Extra Brut, Champagne, France 2015 750ml $149 special, 2 bottles available
Vinous 93 Points “The 2015 Extra Brut Rive Gauche/Rive Droit is half Pinot Meunier, half Chardonnay, half from the Vallée de la Marne, and half from the Côte des Blancs, including parcels in Aÿ, Avize, Chouilly and Oiry, all are massal selections of mature vines with low yields. The wines were fermented spontaneously in oak. Salty, buttery short crust on the nose continues seamlessly on a medium body, imbued equally with mellow apple fruit and salty yeast. This is clean-cut, structured, precise and speaks more of Pinot than Chardonnay, but the latter’s brightness shine nonetheless in this tricky vintage.”
 

Best Price on the West Coast

 
Hebrart Special Club Brut Millesime, Champagne, France 2018 1.5L $249 special, 1 magnum available
Wine Spectator 93 Points “A fresh, harmonious Champagne, with a lacy texture and a minerally underpinning, revealing ripe cherry and Gala apple fruit layered with candied ginger, toast point, oyster shell and blanched almond notes. This would be a fine aperitif, but there’s a bit more focus and depth to it, recommending it to pairing with food or cellaring.”
 
 
OREGON
 
Kelley Fox Wines ‘Durant Vineyard’ Chardonnay, Dundee Hills, USA 2022 750ml $44.50 special, 12 bottles available
Jeb Dunnuck 95 Points “A bright yellow hue with green highlights, the 2022 Chardonnay Durant Vineyard is expressive in its lacy perfume of jasmine, tarragon, salty earth, and bright green apple. Medium-bodied, it offers beautiful, pristine, ripe fruit, a pithy texture, and a delicate arch to its rounded mouthfeel, with no harshness. It’s refined and graceful, with a floral flourish of lemon blossoms lasting long on the finish. Drink 2024-2034.”
 

FRANCE

 
Domaine Vocoret has been has been a family affair for five generations.  So far. Combining value and quality, there’s no doubt Vocoret will be around for a long time to come.
 
Featuring a style that could be described as modern with classical inspiration, the wines feature hand harvesting, gentle pneumatic pressing, and, for their Grand Cru wines at least, 6-8 months fermented in oak.
 
Domaine Vocoret et Fils Blanchot, Chablis Grand Cru, France 2022 750ml $79 special, 12 bottles available
Winery Note “Floral, dense and infused with white flowers and minerality. Ripe and warming tones come from this intensely fused, generous on the palate.”
 

This is the only listing for this wine in the United States today

Domaine Vocoret et Fils Valmur, Chablis Grand Cru, France 2022 750ml $79 special, 12 bottles available
Winery Note “Floral and fruity and citrus laced with minerality. A classic Chablis with rich, powerful and concentrated lemon-lime, crisp green apple and Bartlett pear flavors followed by wet-stone minerality. The grand crus wines are fermented entirely in oak puncheons for 8 to 10 months.”
 
Domaine Vocoret et Fils Vaudesir, Chablis Grand Cru, France 2022 750ml $79 special, 12 bottles available
Winery Note “Shy nose of citrus and green fruit. The Kimmeridgian (limestone-rich) soils that run through Chablis give the wines their characteristic minerality. This wine has a round and vibrant middle weight with a lingering, lemony finish. Full structure may take years to develop.  All grands crus wines are fermented entirely in oak puncheons.”
 

 
Domaine Roc de l’Abbaye – Florian Mollet Sancerre, Loire, France 2022 750ml $39 special, 12 bottles available
Decanter 92 Points “Flinty, mineral, and bright with punchy citrus and grassy notes; inviting and fresh with a fleshy texture and vibrant finish.”
 
Domaine Roc de l’Abbaye Val de Loire Sauvignon Blanc, Loire Valley, France 2022 750ml $19.50 special, 24 bottles available
Wine Enthusiast 92 Points “Classic Loire Sauvignon Blanc. This wine has a well-integrated nose of white peach, green apple, orange and lemon citrus, wild thyme and honeysuckle. Red apple slice and dried grass add depth and complexity along with minerality on the finish.”
 

 
Jean-Jacques Vincent Cremant de Bourgogne Brut, France NV $21.90 special, 36 bottles available
Wine & Spirits Magazine 92 Points “From the owners of Château Fuissé, this méthode traditionelle bursts with clean, crisp chardonnay flavors of apples and white fruit. It’s juicy and full-bodied, with fine floral details and citrus spice keeping it buoyant into a long finish.”
 
 

GERMANY
 

 
Weingut Ludes Thornicher “Monster” Riesling Kabinett Feinherb, Mosel, Germany 2022 750ml $36 special, 6 bottles available
Mosel Fine Wines “The 2022er Thörnicher Ritsch Riesling Kabinett Feinherb “Monster” was made from fruit harvested at 80° Oechsle in the prime south-facing western part of the vineyard and was fermented down to off-dry levels of residual sugar (21 g/l). Fine residues from its spontaneous fermentation quickly give way to a superbly complex and captivating nose of fresh herbs, aniseed, grapefruit zest, fine spices, greengage, and mint. The wine proves deliciously juicy and finely fruity on the delicate and light-weighted palate. It leaves a superbly juicy feel of fresh vineyard peach and stone fruit driven elements in the superbly spicy and long finish. The aftertaste already shows good focus and tension. This great off-dry Riesling is both very attractive and complex and deep.”
 

Best Price on the West Coast

 

 

 

 

These are at the lowest listed pricing in the United States:

 
Brovia Barolo DOCG, Piedmont, Italy 2018 750ml $54.50 special, 18 bottles available
Wine Advocate 90 Points “The Brovia 2018 Barolo is a classic wine with a smooth and silky mouthfeel that is brightened by cassis, dried cherry, tar, licorice and campfire ash. The firm tannins give ample support and contribute to the wine’s considerable length.”
 
Brovia ‘Brea Vigna Ca’ Mia’, Barolo DOCG, Italy 2018 1.5L $219 special, 1 bottle available
Kerin O’Keefe- Wine Enthusiast 98 Points “Fragrant and loaded with finesse, this beauty opens with heady scents of woodland berry, new leather, violet, spice and the barest whiff of truffle. The full-bodied, delicious palate features juicy Marasca cherry, crushed raspberry and baking spice before a long licorice close. Bright acidity and taut but ultrarefined tannins provide seamless support. Drink 2026-2038.”

Brovia Garblet Sue Barolo DOCG, Piedmont, Italy 2018 750ml $89 special, 2 bottles available
Kerin-O’Keefe-Wine Enthusiast 97 Points “Aromas of camphor, rose and violet mingle with woodland berry and forest floor on this fragrant, gorgeous wine. Full-bodied and all about elegance, the savory palate features strawberry compote, juicy red cherry and licorice alongside taut, refined tannins. Bright acidity keeps it vibrant and well balanced. Drink 2023-2030.”
 
Brovia Villero, Barolo DOCG, Italy 2018 750ml $99 special, 12 bottles available
Kerin O’Keefe-Wine Enthusiast 97 Points “Aromas of forest berry, new leather, dark spice and camphor come to the forefront on this gorgeous red. Full-bodied and delicious, the elegantly structured palate doles out crushed raspberry, licorice, orange zest and mint while bright acidity lends youthful, nervous tension. Taut, refined tannins provide structure and impeccable balance. Drink 2026-2038.”
 

  

 

 

 

“René Rostaing is one of Côte Rôtie’s most masterful growers.”
– Robert Parker

Domaine Rene Rostaing Condrieu La Bonnette, Rhone, France 2022 750ml $95 special, 4 bottles available
Vinous 93 Points “The fragrant 2022 Condrieu La Bonnette dazzles with vivid quince, apricot, ripe peach and spring blossom aromas. Viscously textured and fruit-forward, it is built around a juicy core of stone fruits and brings it home with a complex finale.”
 
Domaine Rene Rostaing Cote Rotie Cote Blonde, Rhone, France 2021 750ml $199 special, 2 bottles available
Decanter 95 Points “Relatively pale this year. It shows a floral expression of violets, and in the mouth it’s light-bodied, fresh and with good acidity. The tannins are much friendlier than La Landonne, it’s quite a light and gentle Côte Blonde this year, but the balance is good even if the concentration is fairly light. This will drink well young.”
 

This is the best price on the West Coast

Rene Rostaing Viognier Les Lezardes 2022 750ml $39 special, 6 bottles available
Vinopolnote “Assembled from parcels near Condrieu, this is an old vine production with amazing freshness and clarity. An outstanding value.”
 
Rostaing Cote Rotie Ampodium 2021 750ml $88 special, 6 bottles available
Wine Spectator 91 Points “Fresh and racy, with inviting violet perfume elements. Bright, with chalky-fine mineral underpinnings and serious graphite-edged energy. Graceful and pure, with high-toned floral accents through the racy, focused finish. Drink now through 2030. 1,500 cases made.”
 

 
Domaine Rostaing’s Languedoc project. As with their Rhône bottlings, the grapes are expertly sourced for these blends. Located on a small plateau, the ground is covered with galets roulés – rounded stones – very similar to those found in parts of nearby Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
 
Rene Rostaing Puech Noble Blanc Languedoc 2022 750ml $26.50 special, 14 bottles available
Wine Note “A blend of Grenache Blanc, Rolle (Vermentino), and Viognier.”
 
Rene Rostaing Vassal de Puech Noble Rouge Languedoc 2021 750ml $28 special, 33 bottles available
Wine Note “A blend of Syrah, Grenache, and Mouvedre.”