Vinopolis November 18 Newsletter

John Gilman 93 points “The 2012 Muscadet regular bottling from Marc Ollivier’s Domaine de la Pepiere is a really beautiful wine and one of the most complete and classic examples of this bottling in several vintages. The bouquet is deep, pure and vibrant, offering up scents of lime, green apple, briny and stony soil tones, citrus peel and a nice touch of dried flowers in the upper register. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and very pure and focused; good acids and outstanding length and grip on the well-balanced and wide open finish. This is clearly a wine that was made from outstanding selection and low yields, and it should prove to be quite long-lived, despite its acids being more ripe and supportive in nature, rather than bracing and youthful.”

Josh Raynolds 93 points “Vivid ruby-red.  A heady, complex bouquet displays scents of red fruit liqueur, blood orange, potpourri, vanilla and mocha, with a bright mineral overtone.  Palate-staining but energetic, offering an array of red berry and floral pastille flavors and a zesty Asian spice nuance.  Sweet and precise on the finish, which leaves intense raspberry and star anise notes behind.  This sexy pinot should age slowly and positively over at least the next decade.”

Antonio Galloni 93+ points “The 2001 Brut Clos des Goisses has begun to take on attractive early tertiary nuances. A big, broad-shouldered wine, the 2001 has gorgeous depth but not quite the finesse of the very best years. Even with all of the intense fruit and rich, palate-staining finish, some slightly rough edges remain. Dried apricots, spices, licorice, sweet herbs and tobacco add elements of exoticism on the finish. A spell of cold weather and rain during the harvest appears to have marked the 2001. This is going to be a fascinating wine to follow, although I don’t think it will reach the heights of the 2002.

John Gilman 90 points “The 2011 Clos des Guettes blanc is again a very pretty wine, with that telltale touch of pastry cream on both the nose and palate that indicates the malo was partially blocked here. The stylish and inviting bouquet is a lovely mélange of apple, orange, crème patissière, stony minerality and a touch of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and quite driven by its underlying minerality, with snappy acids and very fine length and grip on the youthful finish. This is very tasty, but will want a year or two in the cellar to fully blossom…”

John Gilman 91+ points “The 2011 Jadot white Burgundy village wines are exceptionally strong in this vintage, and the Chassagne AC looks to be the pick of the litter! The deep and excellent bouquet offers up a classic mélange of apple, orange, lime zest, deep soil tones, vanillin oak and a smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, young and very deep, with a lovely sense of reserve, crisp acids and a very long, poised and laser-like finish of superb length and grip. The domaine has really been making an effort to produce better and better wines at the village wine level and these 2011s show that the effort has really paid off! A superb wine.”

John Gilman 91 points “The 2011 Meursault AC from Maison Jadot was really singing at the time of my visit and should prove to be an admirable value in this vintage. The very stylish nose offers up a complex base of apple, pear, tangerine, lightly-toasted almonds, spring flowers, chalky soil tones and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, crisp and complex, with fine focus and backend bounce, a very good core, zesty acids and excellent focus and grip on the very long and well-balanced finish. A fine, fine village wine”

Burghound 89-91 points “There is enough reduction present to render the nose hard to assess but the underlying fruit appears to be ripe. There is very fine volume and very good mid-palate concentration as the extract really coats the palate while simultaneously buffering the moderately firm acid spine on the seductively textured, clean and attractively dry finish. As is so often the case with this wine, it is an excellent villages and well worth considering.”

Wine Advocate 96 points “Kirsch, rose hip, and soy intensely scent the Leroy 2007 Clos De La Roche, which reveals brightness and finesse as well as a saline savor unusual for its appellation. To be sure, notes of leather and crushed stone as well as smoked and roasted meats contribute further and perhaps more site-typical complexity. But it’s the sheer finesse, buoyancy, and vibratory energy on display that most amaze, leaving your tongue and gums a quiver and your salivary glands pumping helplessly. There is also a faint hint of heat, but its effect is negligible given what’s going on around you when you swallow (or, in my case, spit). Look for 20 or more years of excitement.”

Stephen Tanzer 96 points “Good bright dark red. Knockout nose combines raspberry, mocha, minerals and underbrush. Silky-sweet and utterly spherical, conveying superb fruit intensity without any heaviness or hardness. Finishes with sweet tannins and terrific aromatic persistence. Wonderfully complex and soil-driven wine.”

Wine Spectator 93 points “A solid, fleshy, amply toasted style, with coffee and ganache notes out front, backed by a solid core of currant paste and plum cake flavors”

Robert Parker 94 points “The 2010 Chateauneuf du Pape (a blend of 50% Grenache, 30% Mourvedre, 10% Syrah and 10% Cinsault) comes from two lieux-dits, La Crau and Valori. It exhibits a deep plum/purple color as well as sweet aromas of kirsch, cassis, licorice and lavender. Richly fruity and pure with low acidity and terrific purity, it should drink well for 10-12 years. “

GERMANY- NAHE
Donnhoff Riesling Dellchen Grosses Gewachs 2012 ($69.95) $57 special

Terry Thiese “Dönnhoff amateurs tend to be very fond of this vineyard, as its wines are both full of girlish charm yet also full of class and depth. This vintage is dancing, giddy, pretty and snappy; the girl has her wits about her, and will, with impeccable charm, tear you a new one if you misbehave. Signature flavors run towards cherry blossom and lady-apples.”

Terry Thiese “In the low-botrytis vintage, this Auslese focuses the cherry in the Spät, but also the apple and the grape-hyacinth; it’s a wine of repose yet it throbs with energy and with a certain strictness, and the finish is curiously, wonderfully dry.”

Wine Advocate 96 points “Intriguingly musky and subtly fungal as well as piercing in its evocation of distilled pit fruits and botanicals, the nose of Donnhoff’s 2011 Niederhauser Hermannshohle Riesling Beerenauslese – which was picked alongside its Auslese counterpart – promises an intense palate experience that the wine very much delivers. Distilled extracts of wormwood, woodruff and anisette; maraschino and serviceberry seem to lace the amalgam of quince jelly with pear and white peach nectars in a lusciously multi-layered yet animated palate performance. A spicy and tropical suggestion of mango chutney compounds the vibrantly penetrating effect of pungent herbal and pit fruit essences in a tonsil-gripping, mouth-shaking finish.”

GERMANY- MOSEL
Johan Schild Riesling Urziger Wurziger Kabinett 2011 ($17.95) $14 special

ITALY- PIEDMONT
Vietti Barbera D’Alba Scarrone Vignes Vecchia 2010 ($89.95) $69 special

Antonio Galloni 95 points “Vietti’s 2010 Barbera d’Alba Scarrone Vigna Vecchia shows the pedigree of these old vines. Rich and explosive in style, yet buffered by fabulous minerality, the 2010 Vigna Vecchia stands out for its exceptional balance and polish. This is a great vintage for one of Piedmont’s icon wines.”

Stephen Tanzer 93+ points “Good full red. Wonderful floral precision to the aromas of wild red fruits, mocha and smoky oak. Sweet, pure and primary, with terrific definition to the fruit-driven flavors of cherry and raspberry. Enticing floral, truffle and mineral notes add complexity to this classy wine. Finishes with lush, fine-grained tannins and terrific building length.”

Wine Spectator 94 points “Displays rich, decadent aromas of ripe berry and meat, with hints of mushroom. Full-bodied, with chewy tannins and cedar and berry character. A big, chewy wine. Best after 2013. 390 cases made”

Wine Advocate 96+ points “The 2005 Barolo Le Rocche del Falletto is a massive, towering Barolo loaded with tons of rich, primary fruit. The wine remains powerful, dense and muscular with superb length even if it is a smaller-scaled Barolo compared to previous great vintages. That said, when I came back to the wine after it had been in the glass for an hour or so, I found that the wine had grown remarkably.”

ITALY- TUSCANY
La Querciolina Sangiovese Montecucco 2010 ($21.95) $18 special Vinopolpick

Montecucco is a DOCG / sub-region of the Maremma on Tuscany’s warm coast. And this is Sangiovese with a difference, the vineyard was established entirely with cuttings of Brunello di Montalcino’s  famed Sangiovese grosso clone; and that is easily detectable in the wine. It doesn’t have the tannic structure of a Brunello; probably is not built to age, but very rich and flavorful.

Wine Spectator 93 points “Ripe plum, cigar box and iron notes are backed by solid tannins and lively acidity in this muscular red. There’s also a suppleness in the texture that should increase as the tannins are absorbed. Best from 2015 through 2032.”

Antonio Galloni 94 points “The 2005 Cepparello is striking. It possesses stunning depth and a darker profile of fruit than is typical. The 2005 was quite compact when first released, but what a difference a few years in bottle make. Today the 2005 has begun to blossom into a big, dramatic wine for the year.”

Antonio Galloni 96 points “The 2006 Cepparello is a super classic wine. It brings together the best elements of the house style in its breathtaking aromatics, delineated fruit and striking overall balance. All of the elements are in the right place for the 2006 to develop into a spectacular wine. The 2006 stands apart for its nuance, depth and overall detail. Juicy red cherries, raspberries, rose petals and licorice build to the huge, dramatic finish. The 2006 is one of the all-time great Cepparellos. It bears more than a passing resemblance to the stunning 1988. The 2006 has blossomed beautifully in bottle over the last few years, and it is now clear I underestimated its potential.”

SPAIN- RIBERA DEL DUERO
Vina Sastre Pagos de Santa Cruz 2010 ($79.95) $69 special

Josh Raynolds 94 points “Dark red. Captivating aromas of dried rose, dark chocolate and truffle. Silky on entry, then suave and perfumed in the middle palate, with subtle flavors of minerals and baking spices. Offers superb intensity without any excess weight. Rising finish features very fine tannins and superb persistence. Not a fleshy wine but classy and highly complex.”

Antonio Galloni 90 points “Bright floral notes meld into white peach and pear notes in the 2011 Chablis Vaillon. Ash, smoke and slate appear later, adding depth and complexity. There is a lovely freshness and tension in the Vaillon that needs further time to soften a touch. All the elements are very nicely balanced in this focused, mid-weight Chablis.”

Antonio Galloni 91 points “The 2011 Chablis Blanchot is another deep, resonant wine. Almonds, light, floral-infused honey, spice, vanillin, smoke, anise and yellow stone fruits are all very much alive in the glass. A rich, expansive finish rounds things out in style.”

Antonio Galloni 94 points “A beguiling bouquet laced with smoke, ash, graphite and pencil shavings melds seamlessly into a rich, generous core of fruit as the 2011 Chablis Les Clos shows off its personality and breed. Powerful, deep and structured, the 2011 needs more time in bottle, but it is deeply impressive, even today. The style is quite a bit more mineral inflected and even volcanic than the opulent Valmur. This is a rare 2011 that keeps opening up with further time in the glass. There is so much to admire here.”

Antonio Galloni 94 points “The 2011 Chablis Les Clos Clos des Hospices is the richest and most textured of the Moreau wines. Tropical fruit, spice, honey and tangerine peel blossom with uncommon grace in an explosive, full-bodied Chablis. Mineral notes appear on the finish, adding considerable energy and tension to balance some of the wine’s more overt leanings.”

Antonio Galloni 92+ points “Rich, layered and impeccable, the 2011 Chablis Valmur shows the Moreau house style at its finest. Hints of smoke, spice and light, floral honey add complexity to the rich fruit in a Chablis that is one of the more closed wines of the year, at least today. Ideally, the 2011 is best cellared for a few years, but it is gorgeous, even in this reticent stage.”

Last week, Wine Spectator magazine announced their top 10 wines for 2013. As typically happens every year, many of these top wines have been sold out even before the awards are announced. And those still available are prone to sell-out quickly. For all of you Vinopolis shoppers, we have pulled together a  list of those from  Wine Spectator’s Top 10 still available for purchase here:

Wine Spectator 96 points “This takes the power of the vintage and puts it in its pocket for later, preferring instead to let mouthwatering briar, loganberry, mulberry and blackberry fruit strut its way forward, enlivened with roasted wood spice and supported by suavely but thoroughly embedded iron-tinged structure. Should cruise for two decades. Best from 2016 through 2035.”

Wine Advocate 95 points “This wine shows wonderfully exotic tapenade, licorice, Christmas fruitcake, cedar wood, blackberry and sweet cherry notes in its strikingly provocative aromatics. On the palate, the wine is dense and full-bodied, with stunning concentration, purity, texture and length. It is full-bodied, silky smooth and seems to have more in common with the 2009 than one might expect, although the freshness and tannin levels are slightly more elevated. Drink it over the next 20+ years.”

Wine Spectator 95 points ”Detailed and fragrant, offering floral, strawberry, cherry, licorice and spice flavors, this is elegant and underlined by a strong mineral streak. Well-proportioned, picking up intensity and complexity on the long, savory finish. Extremely fresh and classy. Best from 2016 through 2035.”

 Wine Advocate 94 points ”Readers will have to be especially patient with the 2008 Barolo Monprivato, a wine that has none of the early appeal of other recent vintages. Still very much closed in on itself, the 2008 possesses serious depth, power and structure, but those elements are suppressed by the recent bottling. Dried rose petals, crushed berries and mint are some of the nuances that flesh out on the powerful, imposing finish. I don’t think the 2008 will ever match the 2006 or 2007, but it is going to be fun seeing how close it gets. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2048.”

Wine Spectator 97 points ”Intense, with the tarry, bittersweet cocoa-fueled grip of the vintage running through a well-endowed core of crushed plum, blackberry paste and braised fig. The muscular finish picks up notes of brick dust, pepper, warm chestnut leaf and smoldering charcoal. A throwback profile, with a hyperripe core of fruit—and it works. Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre and others. Best from 2015 through 2035.”

Robert Parker 98 points “Looking at the 2010s and a brilliant vintage for Laurence, the 2010 Chateauneuf du Pape offers up classic Pegau aromas and flavors of ripe dark fruits, garrigue, cured meats, tobacco leaf, saddle leather and hints of game. Full-bodied and beautifully concentrated, it offers a seamless, layered profile on the palate with thrilling mid-palate depth, sweet, yet substantial tannin, and a blockbuster finish that stays fresh and beautifully focused. Quite polished by this estates standards, it nevertheless screams southern France and I doubt it’s possible to have too much of this beauty in the cellar. It will absolutely thrill over the coming 2-3 decades”

Robert Parker 97 points “The team at Chateau Rieussec have conjured a stellar wine in 2009. There is a little reduction at first that fortunately blows away, revealing thickly layered scents of honey, Danish pastry and quince that appear to gain vigor with every passing sip. The palate is stunning: very viscous in the mouth with tangy grapefruit, honey and white peach. It is still primal, but the acidity is perfectly judged and there is a life-affirming sense of precision and tension towards the finish. Exceptional. Drink now-2045.” James Suckling 98 points “98 out of 100…Lots of caramel and Seville orange. Apricots, vanilla and sultanas. Intensely sweet on the palate with a deep texture and and good complexity. This Sauternes is wonderfully long and dense with superb purity and precision. Extravagant sweet wine. Drinks amazingly well already now, so why wait?”

Wine Advocate 94 points “A blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Sangiovese and Petit Verdot, the 2008 Il Fauno di Arcanum opens with an inky dark color and perfectly ripe aromas of plump cherry and blackberry. Beyond the enticing fruit aromas is a long list of spice and tobacco-related characteristics. This is a thickly layered and opulent Tuscan blend that is enhanced by territory-driven aromas of grilled herb and rosemary oil. The best part for me, however, is the soft richness this wine delivers in the mouth. Anticipated maturity 2014-2027. “

Wine Advocate 95 points “The highlight among these new releases is the 2008 Nerobaronj. An exotic melange of juicy dark cherries, freshly cut flowers, licorice and tobacco takes shape as this huge, racy wine shows off its irrepressible personality. The integrity of the fruit and the wine’s sheer balance are both marvelous to behold. Layers of fruit fill out the broad-shouldered finish beautifully. In 2008, the Nerobaronj is striking in every way. I loved it. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2023”

John Gilman 91+ points “I had absolutely loved Cédric Vincent 2010 old vine bottling of Beaujolais at the start of the year and the wine has blossomed beautifully over the course of the year and is every bit as superb today as it was in January, with a fair bit of its tannin having fallen away and the wine now wide open on the attack. The outstanding bouquet is deep, bright and beautifully classic in its aromatic mélange of black cherries, woodsmoke, a touch of dark berry, really lovely, dark soil tones, blossoming notes of nutskin, pepper and a lovely topnote of fresh thyme. On the palate the wine is medium-full, bright and sappy at the core, with beautiful transparency and soil signature, modest tannins, tangy acids and truly exceptional length and grip on the complex and palate staining finish. This is very serious Beaujolais that is drinking very well today, but is just beginning to show the first vestiges of its autumnal layer of secondary complexity and will continue to improve for many years to come. Lovely wine. 2012-2025+.”

Stephen Tanzer 91 points “Pale golden yellow. Subtle honeysuckle aroma blends with hyacinth and lime on the nuanced nose. Pure, polished peachy fruit with a very refined minerality drift dreamily across the palate. Delicate and quite long. And eminently drinkable already.” Wine Advocate 93 points “Cherry blossom, lily, and peony scent Donnhoff’s 2010 Norheimer Kirschheck Riesling Spatlese, persisting on the palate accompanied by succulent white peach and refreshing lime. As with this year’s Kabinetts, here is buoyancy and elegance along with a lusciously-lingering, kissed-stone finish. Look for at least 15 years of delight.”

Antonio Galloni 94+ points “Another brilliant wine, the 2006 Blanc de Blancs Les Chetillons is shaping up to be a stunner. Today it seems to have the density and power of the 2002 but in a more linear style that brings to mind some of the energy of the 2004. Not bad, to say the least. Over time, hints of almonds and white flowers begin to emerge, but the 2006 remains a powerful Champagne built on explosive structure. Readers who can be patient will be rewarded with a stunning Champagne.”

Durand St. Joseph Les Coteaux 2009 ($27.95) $19 flash sale special

Wine Spectator 92 points “This is still slightly reticent, with a pronounced iron minerality holding sway over the supple cherry and black currant fruit. The lovely violet and black tea aromas fill in the background, and the finish is long and sleek. Let this open with modest cellaring. Best from 2012 through 2017.”

Wine Advocate 93 points “Fresh red raspberry, green tea, and thyme in the rather restrained nose of Donnhoff-s 2008 Oberhauser Brucke Riesling Spatlese lead into a creamily-textured yet at the same time both palpably dense and vivaciously citric and tart berry palate, setting up a dynamic interplay with herbal, bitter-sweet citrus oil, and somehow crystalline as well as stony and alkaline mineral skeins. You could easily get lost in this wine. But I would advise returning to it repeatedly over the next 20 or more years”

Wine Advocate 91 points “Given its mingling of juicy, ripe, fresh apple, pear, mango and musk melon with smoky, piquant, yet also secretly sweet walnut and pistachio oil, the Schaefer 2011 Graacher Domprobst Riesling Kabinett A.P. #16 offers alluring counterpoint and an extremely ripe yet harmonious exhibition of its site’s potential. Lush yet buoyant, it finishes with lip smacking persistence, and over the next couple of decades more of a mineral dimension such as characterizes the corresponding Himmelreich Kabinett may well emerge.”

Josh Raynolds 92 points “(80% tempranillo, 15% garnacha, 3% graciano and 2% mazuelo):  Medium red.  Ripe red fruit, flowers and spices on the nose, with a smoky nuance emerging with aeration; very fresh for this notoriously hot vintage.  Concentrated but not at all heavy, with intense red berry and floral pastille flavors and a deeper note of singed plum.  The finish is bright and high-pitched, with lingering cherry and raspberry flavors and a hint of candied licorice.” Wine Advocate 92 points “The 2003 Vina Bosconia has another enticing bouquet: hints of cooked meat, hickory, peat and rosemary that is beautifully defined. The palate is medium-bodied with firm dry tannins and a poised, lifted earthy finish with touches of soy and sea salt on the aftertaste. This deserves several more years in bottle”