| THE WINES |
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| PIERRE LUNEAU-PAPIN - MUSCADET DE SÈVRE ET MAINE, LE VERGER 2015 |
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| 11 MAGNUMS AVAILABLE |
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| $34.99/MAGNUM |
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"Last tasted in late July 2016, shortly before its bottling (exclusively in magnum), this inaugural offering lusciously brims with piquantly peel- and pit-inflected grapefruit and mirabelle on a polished palate more vintage-typically caressing and expansive than that displayed by most Luneau-Papin 2015s. Smoky, saline and zesty notes lend intrigue and invigoration to an impressively sustained finish. This should be great fun to follow."
-David Schildknecht |
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| DOMAINE VACHERON - SANCERRE 2016 |
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| 18 MAGNUMS AVAILABLE |
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| $69.99/MAGNUM |
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This is a great introduction to the style of cousins Jean-Dominique & Jean-Laurent Vacheron, whose biodynamic domaine in Sancerre has become a new reference point in the appellation. Their holdings are largely planted on soils with a great deal of flint, and their wines always show a subtle, hugely appealing smoky character married to the fresh citrus flavors that are customary in classic Sancerre.
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| ETIENNE BECHERAS - SAINT-JOSEPH, TOUR JOVIAC 2015 |
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| 18 MAGNUMS AVAILABLE |
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| $78.99/MAGNUM |
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Etienne Becheras runs a diverse 12ha domaine in St. Joseph where he grows all sorts of fruits and vegetables with only 4ha planted to vines. Tour Joviac is a limited cuvée that comes from two different parcels on especially rocky (granite) & steep hillside vineyards just outside of the village of Arras. This is Etienne’s top wine and a remarkable wine in its own right, but is especially impressive given its modest price. ’15 is a widely celebrated vintage in the Rhone, and this wine carries the power and structure of the year with a great deal of poise and grace.
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| DOMAINE MEIX FOULOT - MERCUREY, 1ER CRU CLOS DU CHATEAU DE MONTAIGU, MONOPOLE 2012 |
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| 12 MAGNUMS AVAILABLE |
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| $79.99/MAGNUM |
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"An intensely earthy and humus-inflected nose is composed of restrained dark currant and floral aromas where the sauvage element is more pronounced. There is excellent punch to the utterly delicious, focused and relatively powerful medium-bodied flavors that are also shaped by a notably firm tannic spine on the cool, pure, balanced and wonderfully complex finale. This is very clearly built-to-age and will definitely need it."
-Burghound |
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| GUY BRETON - MORGON, VIEILLES VIGNES 2016 |
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| 6 MAGNUMS AVAILABLE |
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| $79.99/MAGNUM |
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"Lurid ruby. A powerfully scented bouquet evokes primary red/blue fruits, incense and potpourri, and a hint of five-spice powder builds as the wine opens up. Juicy, concentrated and seamless in texture, offering sweet boysenberry, black raspberry and candied lavender flavors that show a suave blend of richness and energy. A smoky mineral note appears on the finish, which shows superb persistence and resonating blue fruit and floral qualities."
-Josh Raynolds |
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| CHATEAU PRADEAUX - BANDOL ROUGE 2011 |
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| 6 MAGNUMS AVAILABLE |
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| $82.99/MAGNUM |
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This is a charming vintage from this bastion of tradition and uncompromising master of Mourvedre. There’s a savory spice and tannic edge as you always expect from these wines, but the wine is built on a lighter frame that gives it great early accessibility.
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| OLIVIER MERLIN - MACON LA ROCHE VINEUSE, LES CRAS 2014 |
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| 5 MAGNUMS AVAILABLE |
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| $89.00/MAGNUM |
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"Pale straw-yellow. Pure, vibrant aromas of lemon and rocky minerality. Densely packed and spicy, conveying a satisfying combination of texture and energy. This wine has the power and spine--and balance--for a graceful evolution in bottle. Wonderfully broad, mouthdusting finish leaves the taste buds quivering."
-Stephen Tanzer |
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| DOMAINE DU PELICAN - ARBOIS POULSARD 2016 |
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| 10 MAGNUMS AVAILABLE |
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| $105.00/MAGNUM |
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2016 is the second vintage of this Poulsard made entirely from Puffeney’s former vineyards (Monteiller, Au Bari, Lonchamp and Aux Loges), which are now in conversion to biodynamics. It’s safe to say they’ve certainly done justice to these superlative terroirs. In the glass, the wine is a fascinating pale crimson shade that you can read a book through. The light color conveys the finesse and clarity that define this bottle, but there is much more to it than meets the eye. On the nose, you’ll notice orange peel, wild strawberries and a saline, iron-tinged minerality. On the palate, the wine is especially bright, with lively acidity, delicate, powdery tannins and exceptional length.
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| NOEL BAZIN - CHAMPAGNE, BLANC DE BLANCS, BRUT, L'UNANIME NV |
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| 6 MAGNUMS AVAILABLE |
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| $105.00/MAGNUM |
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An approachable, creamy, fresh BdB from a tiny grower/producer in Villiers-Marmery in the Montagne de Reims. This is a crazy value for a mag of Champagne and the perfect wine to have around for spring/summer gatherings.
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| SAVART - CHAMPAGNE, L'ACCOMPLIE BRUT 1ER CRU NV |
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| 4 MAGNUMS AVAILABLE |
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| $150.00/MAGNUM |
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L’Accomplie is a wine made only from the cuvée, or the first pressing of the grapes, comprised of 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay, half vinified in barrel, that portion going through malolactic conversion. This bottling is equally from 2013 and 2012, 2013 providing more richness and depth to 2012’s focus and brightness. It’s round and rich, with dark floral tones and stone fruits, with brilliant chalky mineral tone to refresh on the finish.
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| FRATELLI ALESSANDRIA - BAROLO, MONVIGLIERO 2013 |
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| 5 MAGNUMS AVAILABLE |
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| $160.00/MAGNUM |
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"Alessandria's 2013 Barolo Monvigliero is a deep, sensual wine. Striking Monvigliero aromatics make a strong first impression in the classy, impeccably balanced Barolo. Pliant and deep in texture, with plenty of structure, the 2013 appears to be headed into a period of slumber from which it is not likely to awaken any time soon. Readers will have to be patient, but Alessandria's 2013 Monvigliero is a super-classic Barolo in the making."
-Antonio Galloni |
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| MONTERAPONI - CHIANTI CLASSICO RISERVA, IL CAMPITELLO 2014 |
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| 5 MAGNUMS AVAILABLE |
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| $175.00/MAGNUM |
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90% Sangiovese, 7% Canaiolo & 3% Colorino from 40+ year old vines, the oldest at this property based in Radda. This is slow to reveal itself at present but shows beautifully with some extended air time in large glasses or in a decanter. Once it gets going, it's a wine that you almost don't need to drink to enjoy because of how kaleidoscopic the aromatics are. This is a more delicate vintage for Campitello, but what it lacks in force it makes up for with complexity. It's painfully pretty and seamlessly constructed - an irresistible wine that is sure to turn heads for a decade or more. It grabs ahold of you at first sip and doesn't let go.
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| CLUSEL-ROCH - COTE-ROTIE, VIALLIERE 2014 |
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| 4 MAGNUMS AVAILABLE |
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| $185.00/MAGNUM |
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"Bright violet. Heady, mineral-accented red and blue fruit, olive, incense and floral scents expand steadily as the wine opens up. Sweet and incisive on the palate, offering intense boysenberry, violet pastille and spicecake flavors and a touch of cola on the back half. Concentrated but lively, showing excellent closing focus, harmonious tannins and a building echo of juicy blue fruit."
-Josh Raynolds |
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| DOMAINE TISSOT - ARBOIS SAINT ROCH 2015 |
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| 5 MAGNUMS AVAILABLE |
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| $185.00/MAGNUM |
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This is ouillé (non-oxidative) Jura Chardonnay at its finest. There were only 144 magnums bottled for the 2015 vintage. This cuvée is sourced from 100+ year old vines planted on a pile of limestone. Floral and beguiling aromatics that can only come from Jurrasic limestone soils followed by tremendous attack of orchard fruits, intense minerality and lip-smacking acidity. This could go toe to toe with any of the great whites from Burgundy and shows you just how special the Jura can be.
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| CASCINA FONTANA - BAROLO DEL COMMUNE DI CASTIGLIONE FALLETTO 2013 |
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| 6 MAGNUMS AVAILABLE |
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| $199.99/MAGNUM |
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"The 2013 Barolo del Comune di Castiglione Falletto is the best Barolo I have tasted from Mario Fontana yet. A gorgeous, exquisitely layered wine, the 2013 is striking in its beauty, class and personality. Exotic spice, orange peel, smoke, anise, kirsch and woodsmoke are some of the many notes that emerge from the glass. Medium in body and absolutely beguiling, the 2013 is a gorgeous wine that has much to offer. The wine's mid-weight structure makes it accessible today, but it will be even better in another few years' time. The 2013 is gracious and perfumed, which is to say very much in the classic style that makes Barolos from Castiglione Falletto so alluring. The only thing the 2013 could use is a touch more freshness. But that is a small critique for a wine that offers so much pleasure. Villero and Mariondino are the fruit sources. Don't miss it."
-Antonio Galloni |
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| HARMAND-GEOFFROY - GEVREY CHAMBERTIN, 1ER CRU LES CHAMPEAUX 2014 |
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| 1 MAGNUM AVAILABLE |
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| $235.00/MAGNUM |
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This Champeaux comes from a meager .2 hectares of 85+ year old vines in an especially rocky vineyard high up the slope. Champeaux is famous for producing wines of great nuance and complexity and this does not disappoint in that department. On the nose this shows some red fruits but it’s more defined by its earthy, savory elements. On the palate it’s a bit lighter than Lavaux, but does not lack for concentration and intensity of flavor. There is remarkable silkiness, persistence & clarity to this wine and it will be a joy to follow over the years.
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