Newsletter
October 15, 2018 – November 14, 2018
André Brunel
2015 Côtes du Rhône Rouge (André Brunel)
Sale Price $11.99 – $122.30 case of twelve
2015 Côtes du Rhône Blanc ‘La Bécassonne’ (André Brunel)
Sale Price $17.99 – $183.50 case of twelve
Andre Brunel's Les Cailloux is always one of the best Châteauneufs-du-Papes in vintage after vintage. So it's never a bad idea to try his other wines. These two wines are superb examples of basic Côtes du Rhônes at extremely fair prices. The red is a blend of Grenache, Cinsault, and Syrah that shows a lovely purity of berry fruit and peppery spice. 
A fine red for a lamb burger and late-season ratatouille. Brunel also has a deft touch with the white grapes – Roussanne, Clairette, and Grenache Blanc. This fresh, inviting white has ripe peach and honeysuckle aromas and a beautiful dry finish. Try this with seared scallops and pureed parsnips.
Vacqueyras
2015 Vacqueyras (Domaine Pertiane)
Sale Price $19.99 – $203.90 case of twelve
2016 Vacqueyras Blanc (Fontimple)
Sale Price $19.99 – $203.90 case of twelve
Nestled in a rocky outcrop and surrounded by garrigue and vines, the village of Vacqueyras abounds with Provençal charm. These wines come from Rhonéa, a forward-thinking cooperative that makes wines in an artisan fashion. Domaine Pertiane is an equal-parts Grenache and Syrah blend. It’s a full-bodied red with ripe, plummy fruit and soft earthy and herbal tannins. 
A fine red for a roasted rosemary leg of lamb and garlic potatoes. Fontimple is a rare white Vacqueyras that features a healthy percentage of Viognier along with Grenache Blanc and Clairette. This opulent white is intensely aromatic yet crisply dry and balanced. Try with a whole roasted sea bass stuffed with fennel and lemon.
Lirac...
2015 Lirac ‘Lou Caminé’ (Ogier)
Sale Price $15.99 – $163.10 case of twelve
It’s only a couple of kilometers’ drive from Châteauneuf-du-Pape to Lirac, but because it’s across the Rhone river in the province of Gard, Lirac is something of a backwater appellation. We found a lot to like in this 2015 Lirac from Ogier. The ripe cherry fruit and dusty tannins will be a fine match for a chicken tagine with dried apricots.
...and Cairanne
2015 Cairanne ‘Vieilles Vignes’ (Domaine Alary) Sale Price $19.99 – $203.90 case of twelve
Listed prices are honored through November 14th, 2018. We will not honor mistyped prices. Vol. 42, No. 11
On our visits to Sancerre, we always end up in the village of Chavignol on a pilgrimage to one of the best sites for Sauvignon Blanc, the forbiddingly steep slopes of Les Monts Damnés. Of all the great producers in Chavignol, we buy, sell, and consume more wine from Thomas-Labaille. Even with small price increases over the years the wine still represents terrific value, given the labor involved. Many years ago, following a tip from another old grower, importer Joe Dressner visited Claude Thomas’s combined house and winery. He was told that Claude was on the hillside pruning his vines. He was 73 years old and it was raining. He came in from the vineyard, poured several vintages of his wine, and the wines have been available here pretty much ever since. Years after this, on one of our visits a barrel-chested and now happily retired Claude came out to greet us. We shook his huge gnarled hand and he gave us a label-less bottle of old Mont Damnés Sancerre that was among the best bottles of white wine we have ever had. Today his daughter and son-in-law continue making this authentic hillside Sauvignon Blanc. The 2017 is gorgeous right now, and it will age, evolve, and fascinate for at least ten years.
Reds from the Côte Chalonnaise in the south of Burgundy continue to deliver Pinot Noir that is comparable to the wines of Santenay and Chorey from the Côte de Beaune. Our favorite family domaine in Givry is Parize, whose delicate reds have sneaky length and good medium-term aging prospects. The 2016 Champs Nalot crackles with raspberry fruit and scents of a moist forest. It has an oaky structure and smooth, ripe tannins. Try this with a roast chicken and a wild mushroom sauté.
Ken Wright is an old-timer by Oregon standards, having started making wine and planting vines in the 1980s. He practices a hands-off style of winemaking, treating his Pinot Noirs as gently as possible from vineyard to barrel to bottle. His 2015 Willamette is a blend of several more fruit-forward barrels of his single-vineyard wines. This results in a graceful, medium-bodied Pinot that is perfect for roast turkey and stuffing.
As a wine region, the southwest of France is steadily emerging from the shadows of its neighbor Bordeaux. Its impressive diversity of climate, soils, and geography provides a wide and distinct range of wine styles found in its numerous appellations. In addition to offering novelty by introducing indigenous grapes, the Sud-Ouest also provides value with old friends such as Merlot and Malbec. Such is the case with Domaine de Quissat’s 100 pour 100 which is a juicy Merlot-dominant blend with Cabernet Franc. At their certified organic farm situated between Bordeaux and Toulouse, grapes are just one of many of the different crops that Anne-Marie and Rémy Delouvrie grow. The 100 pour 100 is loaded with fresh blueberry and blackberry fruit. It’s a supple dark magenta-colored red with the rusticity typical of the region, perfect for the transition into crisper weather. Considering the extensive manual labor and meticulous winemaking it requires, this is an incredibly well-priced organic, sulfite-free wine. Lovely with rillettes or a white bean stew. Please note that because this wine is unfiltered, there will be a fine sediment at the bottom of the bottle. 
Fronton, the vineyard area associated with the Southern French city of Toulouse, is home to the largest planting of the Negrette grape variety. Fronton is having a renaissance at our store as we have featured three in recent months. Last month’s Chateau Coutinel, a Negrette-based blend, also came from the Vignobles Arbeau. This month’s wine really wants you to know this grape. This pure Negrette is wildly aromatic with herbs and cracked pepper, but on the palate it is graceful and fruity with strawberry and plum. As the weather cools down we suggest trying this with a cassoulet or a seared duck breast.
The small Loire Valley appellation of Reuilly has a peculiar specialty, a Rosé made from Pinot Gris. We sell out of Dyckerhoff’s version every summer. However, in Reuilly as in much of the Central Loire Sauvignon Blanc is the real moneymaker. This 2017 is an impressively concentrated Sauvignon Blanc with melon and gooseberry fruit and a smooth, weighted mouth-feel. Have this with a seared salmon served with lentils and spinach.
As the name suggests Terra Alta is ‘up in the hills’ of Catalonia. The vineyard area is surrounded by mountains on three sides and has been poor, rural, and agricultural for all of its history. It has been written that the residents of Terra Alta were slow to enter the 20th Century. Fortunately the climate in the area is nearly as good as that in neighboring Montsant and Priorat and grape growing and winemaking pays better in the 21st Century. With its blend of Cariñena, Garnaxta Negra, Garnatxa Peluda, and Syrah, L’Estel is the summation of the winery’s 40- to 100-year-old organic vines. The 2015 is full-bodied and spicy, with warm, jammy dark fruit. Have this with a spicy bean and sausage stew.
The Pfalz is known as Germany’s sunniest wine region. A wide variety of grapes can ripen here. On a recent visit Koehler-Ruprecht’s winemaker Dominik Sona informed us that the last four vintages have been very sunny. Because they specialize in dry wines they made some impressive full-bodied Pinot Blancs and Chardonnays, but we were impressed by the wine they made in the last ‘cool’ vintage. This 2013 Halbtrocken has a mature golden fruit flavor, white pepper, and a crisp, long finish. Try this lovely off-dry Kabinett with a spicy pad thai or a favorite chicken curry.
This Graves estate is a recent creation by enologist-professor Denis Dubourdieu and his wife Florence – hence Clos Floridene. Professor Dubourdieu first made a name for his property with his rich, full-flavored modern white Graves. Others hired him to duplicate the style for their white Bordeaux. But today we’re promoting their excellent and less expensive (than the white) red Graves. There are a few surprises to this soft, supple Graves. The grape mix is heavily weighted to Cabernet Sauvignon (72%) but the tannins are smooth and integrated. The soil is red clay and limestone, which expresses itself with a soft earthiness. There is a jammy blackcurrant fruit, but also a spicy strawberry flavor. This totally delicious red is open and ready for a grilled rib eye, and will age and improve for another 8 to 10 years.
Servilleta is the Spanish term for “napkin,” signifying in this case the cheesecloth used to press and drain the curds. This process results in the distinctively rustic, uneven shape of this traditional Spanish goat cheese. Made with pasteurized goat’s milk, it has a bright and clean flavor to complement its rich, creamy texture. The exterior is lightly dusted with paprika, giving it a vibrant color and lightly peppery tang. Pair with fresh fruit or Serrano ham.
This fine example of a Danish Blue is named after the European wildflower typically found blooming in corn or grain fields. Made from pasteurized cow’s milk, it is aged for 7 weeks and has a wonderful velvety texture that gives way to a sweet, buttery finish. Typical of Danish Blue Cheeses, the Cornflower is relatively mild in flavor and pairs nicely with honey for an excellent dessert.
This organic, bloomy-rind cheese is produced by the Von Trapp Farmstead in Vermont’s Mad River Valley. Named for the hill adjacent to the iconic and picturesque Vermont family farm, this buttery cow’s milk cheese has a faintly grassy flavor with a tangy, citrusy finish. The rind is thin and dry, with a light aroma of mushrooms. Although reminiscent of a Camembert, it is distinctly milder and more evocative of its New England origins.
It’s been a while since we have had such a fine dry, concentrated Picpoul. The 2017 Préambule is just right for butter-roasted haddock.
Chile’s Valle de San Antonio provides a wonderful climate in which to grow organic Sauvignon Blanc. The 2017 has impeccably fresh apple fruit and a crisp, long finish.
2017 Sangiovese di Romagna (Lona Bona)