Newsletter
April 15, 2020 – May 14, 2020
The Rosé Also Rises
Thanks to all of our clients, guests, customers and friends for dealing with the ongoing alterations to the way we do business. So here’s the best news we can offer – it’s rosé season. Got a favorite? Let us know. For now, here are 6 of our French favorites.
Houchart
2019 Côtes de Provence Rosé (Domaine Houchart)
Sale Price $15.99 – $163.10 case of twelve
This has been our best-selling Provençal rosé for more than a decade. Its classic salmon pink color leads to plenty of peach fruit and a mouth-filling dry finish.
Balthazar
2019 Pays d’Oc Rosé (Le Petit Balthazar)
Sale Price $8.99 – $91.70 case of twelve
Pierrick Harang has a knack for producing great value wines, some of which are full of flavor but light in alcohol. This Cinsault rosé, at a bare 11%, is simply delightful.
Sainte-Croix
2019 Côtes de Provence Rosé (Sainte-Croix)
Sale Price $12.99 – $132.50 case of twelve
This new offering is an excellent value in Provence rosé. Grenache, Carignan and Syrah bring a lovely perfume of lavender and orange along with ripe berry fruit. Great to have with a salad of tuna and olives.
J. Mourat
2019 Fiefs Vendéens Rosé ‘Marie du Fou’ (J. Mourat)
Sale Price $12.99 – $132.50 case of twelve
The Loire rosés are giving the south’s a run for their money in the 2019 vintage. As it is only 20 kilometers from the Atlantic, Fiefs Vendéens is the Loire’s westernmost appellation. Pinot Noir, Gamay and Cabernet Franc provide lively cherry fruit and an earthy, herbal, dry finish.
Le Novi
2019 Luberon Rosé ‘Côté Levant’ (Domaine Le Novi)
Sale Price $11.99 – $122.30 case of twelve
The Luberon is another place in Provence that we would gladly vacation in. Le Novi’s rosé is a full-flavored, generous dry wine accented by its use of the white grape Vermentino in the blend.
François Chidaine
2019 Touraine Rosé (François Chidaine)
Sale Price $13.99 – $142.70 case of twelve
As usual, François Chidaine has packed about as much flavor as one can expect into his Touraine wines. The 2019 rosé is a spicy, zesty blend of Grolleau, Pinot Noir and Gamay. This will be fun with grilled stuff.
Listed prices are honored through May 14th, 2020. We will not honor mistyped prices. Vol. 44, No. 5
The Underdog Aligoté
2017 Bourgogne Aligoté (Domaine Vincent Dureuil-Janthial)
Sale Price $21.99 – $224.30 case of twelve
The first mention of Aligoté, a document in Burgundy dated 1807, proposed pulling it up rather than planting it. Yet, it has stubbornly hung on. The area devoted to Aligoté in Burgundy is about the same now as it was fifty years ago. We always like to have one on the shelf and are glad to have enough of the 2017 from Dureuil-Janthial to feature. This is a bone dry, flinty white with long, lean flavors. It makes us wish for crab cakes and a tangy sauce gribiche.
Dentelle Floss
2017 Côtes du Rhône ‘Côté Dentelles’ (Château Redortier)
Sale Price $14.99 – $152.90 case of twelve
Château Redortier is located in the village of Beaumes de Venise, nestled in the Dentelles de Montmirail, the lace curtain hills that dominate this part of the southern Rhône. Their higher elevation vineyards yield powerful but graceful wines with spice and structure. The 2017 Côté Dentelles is a fine value and will match well with a long braised bean dish.
Otto Barks
2018 Soave Classico ‘Otto’ (Prá)
Sale Price $14.99 – $152.90 case of twelve
Soave, and Veneto whites in general, continue to impress with their freshness, versatility and value. Prá’s 2018 Otto is a softly aromatic dry white with melon and peach fruit. A fine wine with pasta and vegetables.
Sancerre
2018 Sancerre (Domaine Raimbault-Pineau)
Sale Price $19.99 – $203.90 of twelve
A good twenty dollar Sancerre is elusive, but we believe we have found one in the 2018 vintage from Raimbault-Pineau. This is a classic Loire Sauvignon with citrus and mineral laced throughout.
Dr. Pinot and Mr. Silvaner
2017 Silvaner (Dr. Heyden)
Sale Price $9.99 – $101.90 case of twelve
2016 Pinot Noir (Dr. Heyden)
Sale Price $11.99 – $122.30 case of twelve
We do not know of two better German bargains that aren’t Riesling than these two wines from Frank Heyden (and, Frank makes a great bargain Riesling too). 
The Silvaner is a minerally delight with a nice back and forth between fruity and dry. The Pinot Noir is earthy and dry with soft, leathery tannins and bright berry fruit.
St. Émilion
2016 Saint-Émilion Grand Cru (Les Terrasses de Saint Christophe)
Sale Price $19.99 – $203.90 of twelve
For what looks like a small place on the map, Saint Émilion makes a lot of wine. And a lot of it is really fine wine. This previously unknown to us Grand Cru’s 2016 is a full-bodied, rich Merlot with ripe, round tannins. A great red for runny blue cheeses and baked potato dishes.
A Graceful Nebbiolo Blend
2017 Rosso dei Dardi (Alessandro e Gian Natale Fantino)
Sale Price $17.99 – $183.50 case of twelve
This Barolo producer generously offers this much less expensive Nebbiolo blend. The 2017 is 60% Nebbiolo along with Freisa and Dolcetto. For us, Freisa is never a bad idea; we love the lightness and lift that it adds. This is a delicious red for pizza and pasta.
High Mountain Malbec
2017 Malbec (Catena)
Sale Price $21.99 – $224.30 case of twelve
We don’t compare Catena wines to other Argentine wines, we compare them to Napa Valley Cabernet. The Catena wines have the richness, structure and pedigree of tannins that many much more expensive Napa wines have. Their 2017 Malbec has a touch of oak, but also scads of blackberry fruit.
Vino Nobile
2016 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano (Crociani)
Sale Price $21.99 – $224.30 case of twelve
Even with as grand a name as Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, the wines remain very good value compared to other Tuscan reds. The 2016 from Crociani is a polished, medium weight red with a gentle dry bite and a peppery finish. Try with a spicy ragú.
Zenith Pinot Noir
2015 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir ‘Zenith Vineyard’ (St. Innocent)
Sale Price $29.99 – $305.90 case of twelve
We were surprised when offered this older, single vineyard St. Innocent Pinot Noir at a price just slightly higher than their entry level Villages Cuvée. Zenith is St. Innocent’s estate vineyard, and it produces a wine that can age up to 15 years. We enjoyed our sample in its early maturity for its balance of mellow oak and raspberry fruit and its long, graceful finish. A fine match for grilled salmon.
Wines of the Month — April 15, 2020 through May 14, 2020
2018 Castillon – Côtes de Bordeaux (Château Lartigue)
Sale Price $8.99 – $97.09 case of twelve
Lartigue has again delivered a friendly, young, dark blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc.
2017 Luberon Rouge ‘Terre de Safres’ (Domaine Le Novi)
$9.99 – $107.89 case of twelve
Sorry, we ran out of the Mas Arnaud, but here's an equally good Provençale blend of Grenache, Syrah and Cinsault.
2019 Côtes de Gascogne Rosé (Domaine de Millet)
Sale Price $7.99 – $86.29 case of twelve
Domaine de Millet’s 2019 rosé is a fantastic bargain. Once again it’s a 50/50 mix of Syrah and Egiodola (a spicy Basque hybrid).
2019 Custoza (Gorgo)
Sale Price $8.99 – $97.09 case of twelve
Gorgo's Custoza is back. The 2019 is fresh and full. The organically grown Trebbiano, Garganega, Cortese and Friulano gives a flavorful tour of Northern Italian white grapes. Great for an asparagus risotto.