Vinopolis Newsletter 8-6-24

 

 Extremely Limited!  



 

You know that you’ve made it as a wine region when the French start getting involved…
 
Unlike 1976’s infamous Judgement of Paris, this wine is a celebration of transatlantic winemaking collaboration rather than a competition. When two of the world’s most famous winemakers, Bordeaux’s Baron Philippe de Rothschild and Napa’s Robert Mondavi, joined forces to create a unique masterpiece in 1979, this new winemaking legend was born. Opus One is one of our most requested wines, these bottles will not last long!
 

 
Opus One Proprietary Red, Napa Valley, USA 2017 750ml $358 special, 6 bottles available
Decanter 96 Points “A fist of late summer cherries, raspberry and bilberry fruits set out their stall, all with the juicy character that confirms, even in a hot vintage like 2017, Opus can deliver balance and sculpted elegance. Beautiful grip, creamy texture with a strikingly powerful tannic frame. As the wine stays in the glass the floral aromatics begin to bloom up. A brilliant Opus. 20 days maceration – around half what it would have been a decade ago. 54% native yeast, as part of their native yeast project. 5% Merlot and 1% Malbec complete the blend. Harvest spread out over September 5 to October 8, just before the fires, by which time they had less than 10% of the fruit still out on the vines.”
Wine Advocate 95 Points “Opus One had picked 91% of their fruit before the fires started in 2017, and only two lots were eliminated from consideration. The 2017 Opus One, bottled in July 2019, is a blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8.5% Petit Verdot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 4.5% Merlot and 1% Malbec. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, it slowly grows on the nose, revealing compelling notes of baked black cherries, mulberries, black raspberries, warm cassis and blackberry pie with nuances of spice cake, yeast extract, tapenade, licorice and dusty soil with a waft of wild sage. Medium-bodied, the palate has a lively skip in its step, featuring bags of juicy raspberry and cassis-laced fruit and a refreshing line, supported by ripe, plush tannins, finishing long and graceful.”
 

Lowest listed price on the West Coast
 

 

 
 

 
 

The Cline Family never used chemicals to control herbs and pests in their vineyards. You see, when Fred and Nancy started Cline Family Cellars in 1982, they saw sustainable viticulture as a way to ensure they would be able to hand down their legacy to multiple generations. You can taste that dedication to quality and longevity in these wines. They are not price-gouging, they are not coasting on the family name: these are excellent wines at incredible prices perfect for family gatherings and barbecues.
 
“Our parents were busy raising seven children and farming our seven vineyard ranches. This collection honors their hard work and the diverse terroirs of each ranch that influence the wines. The collection includes Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc and are meant to be paired with food, family and friends.” -Hilary Cline, second generation vintner of Cline Family Wines
 

Cline Cellars Seven Ranchlands Chardonnay, Sonoma County, USA 2022 750ml $16 special, 36 bottles available
Winery Note “Grapes for this Chardonnay come from three of our Sonoma Coast Vineyards located to the East of Petaluma – Catapult, Diamond Pile and Tolay Vista. This region is called “The Petaluma Gap”, defined as a corridor of cool air that comes from the Pacific Ocean and flows toward the east through the gap in the Sonoma Mountain range. This cool climate is ideal for slowly ripening Chardonnay and maintaining acidity.”
 
Cline Cellars Seven Ranchlands Sauvignon Blanc, North Coast, USA 2022 750ml $16 special, 12 bottles available
Winery Note “Grapefruit grabs you at first, as aromas of lemon and orange zest follow. Bright flavors of lime, melon and guava are vibrant and juicy. The finish is long and refreshing and will pair well with chicken, pork, fish, seafood, and salads.”
 
Cline Cellars Seven Ranchlands Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, USA 2021 750ml $19.50 special, 12 bottles available
Winery Note “Seven Ranchlands is an amazing Pinot Noir, offering an array of red berry characters with depth and richness on the palate making this a superb wine to pair with many cuisines.”
 
Cline Cellars Seven Ranchlands Cabernet Sauvignon, North Coast, USA 2021 750ml $19.50 special, 36 bottles available
Winery Note “Layers of luscious blackberry, blueberry and plum notes plus wafts of tobacco, cassis and leather are classic of a Cabernet and this Cline Cab has it all. The finish is long with medium-grained tannins and an invigorating richness.”
 
Cline Cellars Seven Ranchlands Merlot, Sonoma Coast, USA 2021 750ml $19.50 special, 12 bottles available
Winery Note “Seven Ranchlands Merlot shows off an array of fresh boysenberry, mulberry, plum and leather with wonderful characters of raspberry, cassis, cedar, and vanilla bean. Balanced acidity and rich tannin structure make this an amazing, yet easy drinking cool climate Merlot.”
 

 
 Hot Deal!  My Favourite Neighbour Blanc (Chardonnay), Paso Robles, USA 2021 750ml $33 special, 36 bottles available
Erin Brooks-Wine Advocate 97 Points “The 2021 MFN Blanc Chardonnay is very ripe in style with scents of banana chip, apple pie, jasmine, allspice and brown sugar. The full-bodied palate is packed with ripe, spicy fruits and plenty of refreshing acidity, and it finishes long with a satiny, mouth-coating texture. It’s an old-school style reminiscent of Napa that fans of ripe, oaked Chardonnays will enjoy.”
 

Lowest listed price on the West Coast

 

 
 Staff Pick  Coe Cellars Mission Hills Sangiovese, Walla Walla Valley, USA 2021 750ml $26.50 special, 36+ bottles available
VinopolNote “Coe Cellars produces just one wine: a 100% Sangiovese Grosso (the specific clone used in Brunello Di Montalcino production) grown exclusively in the Mission Hill Vineyard in Walla Walla. Dedicated to making ‘as old world of a wine in the New World as possible,’ Coe Cellars’ Sangiovese has a ripe cherry profile, with hints of savory dried herbs around the edges, lithe tannins, and a pleasantly tart finish. Blind fold us and we’d swear this is from Tuscany.”
 

This is the only listing in the United States

 
 

 

 
Champagne Delamotte is the sister wine of the ultra-luxurious Champagne Salon… and it definitely does deserve mentioning in the same sentence as its famous cousin. This Grand Cru champagne from Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, described by Wine Enthusiast as the “The Small Village that Houses the World’s Best Champagne” is a stunningly fantastic wine for a fraction of Salon’s price.
 
The Choice is simple, the choice is yours. Do yourself a favor and choose Delamotte today!
 
Delamotte Blanc de Blancs Vintage Brut, Champagne, France 2014 750ml $128 special, 17 bottles available
William Kelley-Wine Advocate 94 Points “Delamotte’s just-released 2014 Blanc de Blancs has turned out very well indeed, opening in the glass with scents of citrus zest, crisp orchard fruit, fresh bread and wet stones. Medium to full-bodied, chiseled and incisive, with excellent depth at the core, racy acids and a chalky finish, this isn’t as muscular as the 2008 or 2012, but it has real cut and persistence and should age very gracefully indeed.”
 
…also currently available from Delamotte:
 
Delamotte Blanc de Blancs Brut, Champagne, France NV 750ml $79 special, 36+ bottles available
James Suckling 93 Points “Croissants, toasted sourdough, white pears, acacia and lemon meringue pie. Salty almond notes on the palate. Deliciously saline and creamy, with silky bubbles and a gently toasty finish. 100% chardonnay from Mesnil, Avize and Oger. Based on 2017 vintage with 20% reservewines. Drink now.”
 
Delamotte Brut, Champagne, France NV 750ml $59 special, 36+ bottles available
Wine Spectator 91 Points “[Reviewed 2023] A delicate, mineral-driven Champagne, with an underpinning of chalk, smoke and oyster shell layered with notes of poached apricot, citronella and beeswax. Lively and persistent on the finish. Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Drink now through 2026.”
James Suckling 91 Points “Attractively chalky and biscuity nose, with some honey, apricots and lemon cream. It’s balanced and focused, with very fine bubbles, a medium body and well-rounded finish. 60% chardonnay, 35% pinot noir and 5% meunier. Base wine from 2018 with 20% reserve wines from 2017 and 2016. Drink now.”
 

France
 

 

Importer’s Note “Domaine Charlopin Tissier was created in 2013 with only 1.08 hectares of vines by husband and wife Yann Charlopin and Justine Tissier. The young couple now hold just over 4 hectares of vines in Bourgogne, Côte de Nuits-Villages, Marsannay, Gevrey Chambertin, Morey-Saint-Denis, Vosne Romanée, and Pernand-Vergelesses. Inspired by the elegant wines of his mentor Jean-Marie Fourrier, the wines of Domaine Charlopin Tissier are  wines of elegance and finesse. After studying wine in Beaune and spending time making wine in Tasmania, Sancerre and Chablis, Yann Charlopin returned home to work with his father Philippe Charlopin. When the opportunity arose to acquire some of Justine’s family’s vines in Marsannay and with a vision of the wines he would like to create, Yann did not pass up the opportunity to venture out on his own. With the encouragement of Jean-Marie Fourrier, Yann and Justine purchased Domaine David Clarke in Morey-Saint-Denis.
 
“In the vineyard, all farming is organic and done by hand. Once harvested, all grapes are fully de-stemmed, undergo a cold maceration and are fermented with natural yeasts. Yann does little racking as he prefers a long, slow élevage on the fine lees.”
 

 
Domaine Charlopin Tissier Marsannay Rouge, Cote de Nuits, France 2022 750ml $49.50 special, 36+ bottles available

Average price is $60

 
Domaine Charlopin Tissier Marsannay Les Longeroies, Cote de Nuits, France 2022 750ml $54.50 special, 36+ bottles available

$67 elsewhere

 
Domaine Charlopin Tissier Marsannay La Montagne, Cote de Nuits, France 2022 750ml $56.50 special, 12 bottles available

$67 elsewhere

 
Domaine Charlopin Tissier Pernand-Vergelesses, Cote de Beaune, France 2022 750ml $59 special, 12 bottles available

$72 elsewhere

 

 
Vignobles Levet Cote Rotie, Rhone, France 2021 750ml $94.50 special, 2 bottles available
Vinous 92-94 Points “Deep, lurid violet color. High-pitched red and blue fruit, floral and baking spice scents, along with deeper suggestions of olive and dark chocolate. In a bright, nervy style, showing fine clarity and spicy lift to its bitter cherry, blueberry and allspice flavors. Closes long and precise, with the red fruit and floral notes repeating.”
 

Lowest listed Price on the West Coast

 
 
Italy
 

 
 

Giovanna Morganti always wanted to make wine, but she wanted to make it on her own terms. As a student she participated in a project to preserve and plant nearly hundreds of distinct indigenous Tuscan grape varieties throughout the region… that was when her future winery began to take shape in her mind. When Giovanna inherited a small olive farm (Le Boncie) she began her vineyard planted with the likes of Ciliegiolo, Colorino, Foglia tonda, Mammolo, Prugnolo, and many more rare and historic grapes. It is this melange of heritage varietals along with Sangiovese that make her wines such inimitable classics.
 
As part of our commitment to bringing you the very best wines from every region, we are excited to present these stunning Tuscan reds. These are great wines for any occasion and they will age beautifully.
 
Podere le Boncie Chiesamonti Toscana IGT, Tuscany, Italy 2021 750ml $74.50 special, 12 bottles available
Vinous 95 Points “The 2021 Chiesamonti is a potent, full-bodied wine that is going to need time to unwind. Herbs, wildflowers, spice, leather and menthol build in this backward, potent red from Le Boncie. There’s plenty of stuffing and textural intensity in this deep, resonant wine. I can’t wait to see how it ages.”
 
Podere le Boncie Le Trame, Toscana IGT, Tuscany, Italy 2021 750ml $74.50 special, 12 bottles available
Vinous 98 Points “The 2021 Le Trame is everything I hoped it would be. Intensely aromatic, silky and deep, with explosive fruit, the 2021 is a rapturously beautiful wine that captures proprietor Giovanna Morgante at her very best. Readers will have to be patient, as the 2021 needs time to be at its most expressive, but its potential is already evident from the very early going. Le Boncie could very well turn out to be Italy’s next superstar estate. Readers will want to snap up these wines before that becomes apparent to the public.”
 

 
 Hot Deal!  Brancaia Tre Toscana IGT, Tuscany, Italy 2021 750ml $20.90 special, 36 bottles available
James Suckling 93 Points “Aromas of ripe blackberries and mulberries with blue flowers and dried rosemary undertones. Some dry earth, too. Medium- to full-bodied with creamy tannins and chalky texture. Succulent and racy. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.”
 

Casanova di Neri Tenuta Nuova, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Italy 2018 750ml $115 special, 12 bottles available
Wine Advocate 95 Points “Here’s a treat from Casanova di Neri. Aged in tonneaux for 30 months, the 2018 Brunello di Montalcino Tenuta Nuova is fleshed out and rich with pretty layers of dark fruit, dried blackberry, spice and cured tobacco. There is a point of sour cherry in this vintage that folds into crushed flower, balsam herb, licorice and crushed stone. The bouquet is classic, but the Casanova di Neri magic touch comes through thanks to the wine’s balance and pretty intensity. I can’t, however, overlook a powerful 15% alcohol content that leaves its mark.”

 

Shop Our Selections By Category:
Champagne * Austria * Brunellos * Oregon Pinot Noir * Rhone Reds * Rosé
And dozens more!