Vinopolis Newsletter – Friday 1/12/2024

 

 

“A Paso Robles-born bottling that drinks like wines three times its price”
-Drink Hacker

A delicious blend of 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Syrah, 17% Petite Sirah, 8% Petit Verdot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 5% Malbec.
My Favourite Neighbour ‘Harvey & Harriet’ Red Blend, Paso Robles, United States 2020 750ml $21.90 special, 36 bottles available
Wine Advocate 95 Points “Medium ruby-purple, the 2020 Red Blend is savory and less defined than the rest of the lineup, with aromas of bell pepper, chargrill and tar over a core of red and black currants. The full-bodied palate offers a core of savory fruit, firm, grainy tannins and just enough juicy acidity on the finish to call you in for another sip.”
James Suckling 93 Points “Nice herbs, olives with a hint of savory anchovies, blackcurrants and tobacco to the nose. Juicy and bright with fine, present tannins on a medium- to full-bodied palate. Nicely flattering and fruit-forward, too. Drink or hold.”

 

An elegant and well-balanced 60% Chardonnay, 26% Albarino, 10% Viognier, 4% Pinot Grigio.
My Favorite Neighbor Harvey & Harriet White Blend, Paso Robles, United States 2021 750ml $19.50 special, 36 bottles available
Wine Advocate 95 Points “The 2021 White Blend, a blend of Albariño, Chardonnay, Viognier and Pinot Gris, has intense aromas of peach, lemongrass, fresh citrus, honey and flint, opening to new aromatic nuances with each return to the glass. The medium-bodied palate is bursting with perfumed fruit, loaded with juicy acidity, and it finishes with a touch of anchoring texture. It’s a delicious yet serious white with alluring generosity that keeps you coming back for more.”
 

 

 
FRANCE
 

 
Domaine Perrault-Jadaud, founded by oenologist Anne-Cécile Jadaud and viticulturist Tanguy Perrault is a practicing organic winery combines state of the art technology with minimalist, terroir focused winemaking. These wines are not be missed by fans of Loire legends like Arnaud Lambert and Bernard Baudry.
 
Charivari, pronounced sha·ri·va·ri, is the term for a French folk custom in which the community gives a noisy, discordant mock serenade, also pounding on pots and pans, at the home of newlyweds. The loud, public ritual evolved to a form of social coercion, for instance, to force an as-yet-unmarried couple to wed.
Domaine Perrault-Jadaud ‘Charivari’ Rose Methode Ancestrale VDF 2022 750ml $24 special, 24 bottles available
Winery Note “65% Gamay and 35% Grolleau, from an organic vineyard in Franceuil, near Amboise maintained by Julien Moreau of Domaine de Cambalu. The grapes are co-fermented and bottled before completing fermentation; the finished wine has about 3 bars of pressure (meaning a nice gentle mousse), 11.5% alcohol and less than 0.5 g/l RS. This is absolutely delicious: lovely notes of strawberry and raspberry on the nose and a creamy, delicate palate.  Only 1700 bottles produced. Now bottled under crown cap.
 
Domaine Perrault-Jadaud Bacchanales Vouvray, Loire 2018 500ml $33 special, 12 bottles available
A 100% Chenin blanc wine produced in a Moelleax style. Pair this with apple pie or poached pear with cream. Delicious!
 

 
Domaine Perrault Jadaud Les Grives Soules Vouvray, Loire 2021 750ml $26 special, 12 bottles available
Winery Note “From the French expression “Soûl comme une grive” (drunk as a thrush) which expresses satiety (liquid and solid) after a good meal. this expression comes from the behavior of Thrushes which gorge themselves on grapes before their migrations. It is said that they are then so drunk that you can catch them with your cap.”
 
Also Available:
 
Domaine Perrault Jadaud Les Hauts Bois Vouvray, Loire 2022 750ml $24 special, 12 bottles available
 
Domaine Perrault Jadaud Les Fauves Demi-Sec Vouvray, Loire 2022 750ml $29 special, 12 bottles available
 
 
ITALY
 

 
“A highly acclaimed producer of technical, stylish Friulian wines early in his career, Joško underwent a crisis of faith in the mid-1990’s, realizing that he simply didn’t enjoy drinking his own wines anymore. The story of his perilous journey into the Caucasus mountains and his encounters with millennia-old Georgian viticultural traditions has been well told by now, but it is not an exaggeration to say that Gravner is among those who prevented millennia-old vinicultural practices from disappearing from his homeland. His wines, often lumped in with other skin-contact wines that have become popular in his wake, stand apart. Long aged, long lived, and profound, we invite you to discover the magic that can be bottled in Italy’s Northeasternmost corner.” -Rosenthal Wine Merchants.
 
Gravner Ribolla Venezia Giulia IGT, Friuli-Venezia Giulia 2015 750ml $119 special, 8 bottles available
 

 

 
“In the heart of the Serradenari cru of La Morra—the highest point in the Barolo zone, with vineyards culminating at 536 meters above sea level—Giulia passionately pursues her goal of crafting Barolo with a Burgundian sensibility. In fact, she even inherited small parcels of Chardonnay and Pinot Nero that her father planted on the estate’s cooler, north-facing sites, allowing her to pay tribute to the great wines of the Côte d’Or through the lens of Piemontese soil.” –Kermit Lynch
 
Giulia Negri Serradenari ‘Marassio’, Barolo DOCG, Piedmont 2019 750ml $149 special, 7 bottles available
James Suckling 96 Point “Aromatic with blackberries, flowers and perfumes. Some lavender. Full-bodied with very fine tannins that are like cashmere in texture. Bright finish. Lightly salty with crushed stone. Reserved. Complex. Best after 2027.”
 
Giulia Negri Serradenari Barolo DOCG, Piedmont 2019 750ml $99 special, 2 bottles available
James Suckling 97 Points “Extremely floral with violets and roses. Orange peel. Forest strawberries. Medium to full body. Very fine tannins and a long and bright finish. Racy and focused. Energetic. Like a Cannubi. Best after 2027.”
 
Giulia Negri Serradenari ‘La Tartufaia’, Barolo DOCG, Piedmont 2019 750ml $59 special, 12 bottles available
James Suckling 94 Points “Lovely fine tannins that are velvety and polished with a medium to full body. Juicy and flavorful. Hints of orange peel. Seamless. Deep mouthfeel. Clay soils.”
 

 
Figli Luigi Oddero “Tradizionale” Barolo DOCG, Piedmont 2019 750ml $59 special, 36 bottles available
Winery Note “The estate’s Barolo “Tradizionale” is a complex assemblage of various prime parcels, vinified and aged separately, with the final blend determined through tasting trials. Fermentation occurs in cement without the addition of yeasts, and aging takes place in huge oak botti of 65 to 85 hectoliters capacity. This is a gorgeous, elegant Barolo of arresting purity, offering high-toned spices, deep red fruits, a background note of mouthwatering salinity, and a long, graceful finish buttressed by tannins that hug warmly rather than squeeze forcefully. It is undeniably traditional, yet rendered with great sensitivity, and the wine’s natural power takes a backseat to an overarching impression of harmony and freshness.”
 

 
Figli Luigi Oddero ‘Rocche Rivera’, Barolo DOCG, Piedmont 2019 750ml $125 special, 36 bottles available
Winery Note “Rocche Rivera is a cru within a cru: a south-facing vineyard situated at 300 meters altitude within the Castiglione Falletto cru of Scarrone, immediately adjacent to the fabled Rocche di Castiglione. Though Oddero owns a notable 4 hectares in Scarrone, “Rocche Rivera” comprises only the upper portion with the most favorable exposition. This high-altitude, well-drained vineyard of sand and limestone produces wines of sizzling mineral-driven tension and notable refinement, and this wine possesses those qualities in spades, with delicious flavors of ripe, dark mentholated cherries and herbal spice, rife with energy, with a reticence in its youth—a tense-muscled sprinter still coiled over the starting block.”
 

 
Foradori Fontanasanta Manzoni Bianco Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT, Trentino-Alto Adige 2022 750ml $34.50 special, 12 bottles available
James Suckling 96 Points “This is so perfumed and attractive with candied stone fruit, glazed tangerines, honey, dried flowers and beeswax. Full-bodied and layered with super polished texture and vivid fruit character, accompanied by vivid acidity and subtle floral undertones. Savory at the end with a lengthy finish. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.”
 

 
This wine, colloquially known as the “Foradori Rosso”, is the family’s entry level red wine. It comes from 15 small plots with an average age of 35 years.
Foradori Teroldego Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT, Trentino-Alto Adige 2022 750ml $29 special, 36 bottles available
Winery Note “The first written document in which Teroldego is mentioned by name dates back to 1383 in the fields between Trento and Povo where a barrel of vinum teroldegum was used to pay the interest on a loan. At the time, it was grown between Rovereto and the Campo Rotaliano. Documents from the sixteenth century refer to its production in the area of Mezzolombardo, to which it has been associated for centuries up to this day. Elsewhere its use waned.”
 

 

“Terre Nere’s wines all possessed unbelievable freshness and complexity as well as huge perfumes that suggested Pinot Noir…These wines are astonishingly complex and ethereal efforts from the hillsides of Mt. Etna in Sicily.” –Robert Parker

A must have for minerality aficionados.
Terre Nere Etna Bianco 2022 750ml $26 special, 30 bottles available
James Suckling 92 Points ” This shows attractive aromas of citrus and stone fruit with hints of seashell, with stony and ashy undertones. Medium-bodied, tangy and fresh with vivid acidity and a polished mineral backbone to it. Steady and focused with a crunchy finish. A blend of carricante, catarratto, grecanico and minnella. From organically grown grapes.”
Vinous 91 Points “The 2022 Etna Bianco is smoky in the glass, exciting the senses with a burst of crushed rocks and raw almonds before giving way to citrus-stringed peach. It’s soothingly soft and enveloping with weighty textures lifted by vibrant acidity. Masses of mineral-laden orchard fruits and sweet spices collide on the palate. The 2022 finishes remarkably fresh yet grippy and long, leaving the mouth watering for more. The level of complexity here is off the charts for an entry-level Etna Bianco. Yum!”
 
Also arriving from Italy:
 
Altesino Brunello Di Montalcino 2016 750ml $59 special, 6 bottles available
Wine Advocate 95+ Points “Bold cherry, dried raspberry and myrtle add to the intensity and the brightness of the bouquet. The Altesino 2016 Brunello di Montalcino displays a lively and fruit-forward ensemble with an infectious and cheerful sense of energy. This is a tonic and crisp expression of Sangiovese with lifted berry aromas backed by subtle spice, tar and licorice gained over two years of barrel aging.”
 
Azelia Barolo 2016 750ml $49 special, 6 bottles available
James Suckling 94 Points “This is an ultra fine Barolo with cherries, spice, cedar and hints of dried flowers on the nose and palate. It’s full-bodied, yet reserved, very caressing and fine-grained. A thoroughly beautiful young 2016. Drink or hold.”
Vinous 93 Points “Azelia’s 2016 Barolo is a blend of fruit from two parcels in Castiglione Falletto and five in Serralunga, with the Character of Serralunga especially felt in the wine’s tannic grip and persistence. Iron, sage, mint, smoke and wild cherry give the Barolo striking aromatic nuance and complexity, all in the mid-weight style that is such a signature at this address. The purity of the fruit is just striking. Stated simply, this is a tremendous wine in its peer group.”
Wine Advocate 93 Points “Azelia’s classic 2016 Barolo shows a spicy or savory personality with accents of laurel leaf, eucalyptus and clove. Those are some of the high notes that hover over a core of dark fruit and dried blackberry. On the Nebbiolo scale, this wine takes us to a sultry side of the variety, with slightly more fruit weight, texture and pronounced black fruit. If you are choosing your Barolo according to a possible pasta or meat pairing, this would be the meat wine. Azelia’s classico Barolo is a blend of fruit from seven single vineyards, with 30% of the total from Castiglione Falletto and 70% from Serralunga d’Alba. A big portion comes from the Cerretta and Broglio sites, with 50-year-old vines. About 29,000 examples were produced.”
 
GERMANY
 
Donnhoff Roxheimer Hollenpfad Riesling Trocken 2022 750ml $44 special, 24 bottles available
Stuart Pigott (JamesSuckling.com) 94 Points “Very striking nose of wild berries and herbs (tarragon!) plus some white peach. Very zesty and vibrant with stacks of mountain freshness on the sleek and focused body, this has stacks of lime zest and pith at the very energetic dry finish. From organically grown grapes with Fair’n Green certification. Drink or hold.”
 
Nikolaihof Late Bottled Riesling Federspiel 2016 750ml $59 special, 12 bottles available
James Suckling 94 Points “If you ever wondered what a Wachau dry riesling tasted like a century or more ago, then here is the answer. Expansive nose of caramelized apple, dried peach and flint. For a medium-bodied dry white this is very delicate in flavor, but also intensely stony and flinty. A unique wine! Bottled in June 2022 after almost six years in large barrels of neutral oak. From biodynamically grown grapes with Demeter certification. Drink or hold.”

 

 

 

What if I told you that the best new Champagne on the market is being totally slept on?

 
According to the winery themselves: “In 2014, Pierre Fresne undertook a new adventure by creating exceptional wines and champagnes in limited series for connoisseurs. Since then, he has produced one or two of these unique wines each year, according to his desires and the profile of the vintage. This collection is called Arquémie, that’s what alchemy was called in the Middle Ages. Described as “a truly royal science and an undoubtedly divine study…it makes a thousand different waters, a thousand oils, numerous liqueurs without which one could not live comfortably or even live at all,” Arquémie embodies the spirit of this range micro-cuvées.”
 

 
“The base wine for this cuvée is primarily a blend from four 1er Cru parcels in Villedommange and Jouy-les-Reims with clay/limestone soils: “Les Loges”, “Les Monts Teigneux”, “Les Glaisières”, and “Les Huchis”. The blend is 40% Pinot Noir, 25% Pinot Meunier, and 35% Chardonnay. Only the “cuvée” part of the pressed juice is used. The base wine vintage is blended with 30% reserve wine.”
Fresne Ducret Le Chemin Du Chemin Premier Cru NV, Champagne 750ml $44.50 special, 18 bottles available
Wine Enthusiast Roger Voss 94 Points “This Champagne shows some fine maturity. A blend based on the 2014 vintage, it now has toastiness while keeping intense freshness. Acidity and touches of minerality come through the spiciness. Drink now.”
 
Also Available:
 
Fresne Ducret Arquemie No 2 Premier Cru Blanc De Blancs NV, Champagne 750ml $59 special, 12 bottles available


Fresne Ducret Arquemie No 6 Premier Cru Blanc De Noirs NV, Champagne 750ml $59 special, 12 bottles available
 

 
Peyrassol Rosé Close-out Sale!
 

 

 
Chateau Peyrassol Provence Rose 2017 3L WAS $159  NOW $135 special, 3 bottles available
Importer Note “Made entirely from estate fruit in 2017, “Chateau” is primarily Cinsault, with increasingly smaller amounts of Grenache, Mourvedre, Tibouren, and Syrah. This is a higher-toned, more floral, more filigree wine than its brother above, with subtle herbal notes framing clean, lifted fruit on the nose. Though equally as dense—and perhaps more penetrating due to its more overt mineral character—it is no richer than the “Commanderie,” and it expresses the vintage’s firm tension with elegance.”
 
Chateau Peyrassol Provence Rose 2018 1.5L WAS $69  NOW $49 special, 5 bottles available
Chateau Peyrassol Provence Rose 2018 6L WAS $319  NOW $269 special, 2 bottles available **SHIPPING NOT AVAILABLE**
Importer Note “This is the elite cuvée of the estate relying as it does on grapes harvested from the oldest vines of the domaine (35 years and older). Principally composed of Cinsault, Grenache and Syrah, the “Chateau” bottling also sees the addition, from time-to-time of Tibouren, the ancient and regal Provencale grape. This Rosé is produced via the “direct press” method and has a long cuvaison designed to produce a wine of character and concentration. Vinified in stainless steel and bottled in late winter – early spring, production is quite limited.”
 
Chateau Peyrassol Provence Rose 2019 1.5L WAS $79   NOW $59 special, 4 bottles available
Wine Advocate 91 Points “A blend of Cinsault, Grenache, Syrah, Ugni Blanc and Rolle from estate fruit, Peyrassol’s 2019 Cotes de Provence Rose is a strident, intense rosé that demands attention. It hints at passion fruit at first, then broadens out to include notes of pink grapefruit, red currant and even a touch of peach, but it always retains a sinewy structure and bright acidity. It’s medium-bodied, with a silky texture in the mouth and a long, mouthwatering finish. Yum!”
 
Chateau Peyrassol Provence Rose 2022 1.5L WAS $99  NOW $89, 5 bottles available
Importer’s Note “Very pale, lychee pink in color. The nose is fine and elegant. Complex, releasing white fleshed fruit and citrus fruits aromas, along with white floral notes. The palate is straightforward and clean. Fine and silky, it is soft, delicate and lively. The freshness of the finish is balanced with a subtle hint of saltiness.”
 
Peyrassol Le Clos Peyrassol Rose 2021 1.5L WAS $119  NOW $99 special, 14 bottles available
Wine Advocate 93 Points “Predominantly Tibouren, with the balance of the blend being Grenache and Rolle, Peyrassol’s super pale 2019 Cotes de Provence Rose Le Clos Peyrassol offers up scents of crushed stone, garrigue, white peach and lime, all tinged with tart red berries. It’s medium-bodied on the palate, with a silky-wet stone feel and a lingering finish that seems to build in red fruit intensity while remaining citrusy and refreshing at the same time. One of the best wines in this year’s tasting, this is a limited-production cuvée from a walled vineyard located on the estate.”
 

 

 

 

Charles Heidsieck Brut Millesime 2006 750ml $119 pre-arrival special
Decanter 94 Points “For those who like their champagne delicate, with the smile of a warm summer, this is the vintage to go for. Fine-drawn and elegant, It has a nice structure and well-defined flavours of red fruits, quince and a touch of apricot, accompanied by a subtle spiciness. The one criticism aimed at 2006 is that the wines can lack acidity – but not this one. Ready to drink now, maybe with blinis. Disgorged in 2017.”
Wine Advocate 93 Points “The 2006 Brut Millésimé spent nine years on the lees and was disgorged in 2017 with ten grams per liter dosage. The wine expresses the sunny vintage, exhibiting generous aromas of mirabelle plum, crisp yellow orchard fruit, confit citrus, toasted nuts and dried white flowers. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, ample and mouthfilling, with a youthfully boisterous but elegant mousse, a fleshy core of fruit and a rich, expansive finish. This is a gourmand vintage of Heidsieck’s vintage Brut, and it will be best enjoyed at table; it will age more on its concentration and extract than its acidity. The blend is a classic 59% Pinot Noir and 41% Chardonnay.”
 
Arlaud Morey St Denis 1er Cru Les Ruchots 2014 750ml $119 pre-arrival special
Stephen Tanzer-Vinous 92-94 Points “Bright red-ruby. Sexy iron and fresh blood notes on the reduced nose. Rich, broad and mouthfilling without any heaviness, thanks to strong minerality. The wine’s red fruit flavors are under wraps today but show enough power and depth to support the serious, ripe tannins. For all its volume, this premier cru boasts terrific spine and energy. Arlaud told me that this cru “both eats and showcases the vintage,” by which he means that it can mask a vintage’s more obvious traits while presenting it to best advantage.”
 
Vougeraie Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru 2013 750ml $189 special pre-arrival
Stephen Tanzer-Vinous 91-94 Points “(tasted from cuve; 50% new oak; 75% vendange entier; a blend of two parcels–0.3 hectare in the bottom middle section of the Clos and 1.2 hectares at the top, in front of the entrance to the castle): Healthy bright red. Musky aromas of dark cherry, wild herbs and smoky minerality. Concentrated and sweet, with pronounced soil tones to the strawberry and game flavors. Finishes juicy and very long, with building but fully ripe tannins. Since 2009 this cuvée has had a healthy level of acidity thanks to organic farming, noted Vincent. The estate’s two parcels of Clos-Vougeot were blended just a week before my visit. Highly promising.”