Classy & Focused White Bordeaux

Château Carbonnieux Blanc (Pessac-Léognan, 2014)
Special Price: $234/6-pack

If you joined us for our Bordeaux MasterClass back in January you will remember Eric Perrin, owner and manager of Château Carbonnieux, and his fantastic red and white wines.

If you didn’t join us that night, now is your chance to taste Eric’s elegant and refined white Bordeaux. It’s a blend of 78% Sauvignon Blanc and 22% Semillon, barrel-fermented in 33% new French oak and then aged another 10 months in the barrel. Scents of apple blossom and lemon curd precede a crisp and elegant palate with a focused, stony finish. Break out a few bottles this summer to pair with dishes like lobster ravioli or pan-fried scallops with beurre blanc and throw a handful in the cellar for future drinking.

One of the oldest estates in the entire Bordeaux wine region with a history dating back to the 12th century, Château Carbonnieux has 220 acres of vineyards in the gravel, sand and clay soils of Pessac-Léognan. They are one of the few Bordeaux estates to produce close to equal amounts of red and white Bordeaux wine, with base grapes of Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc, and both equally stunning.

The history of the modern Château Carbonnieux dates from the 1950s, when Marc Perrin (Grandfather to Eric) acquired the estate. A fresh start was made after the harsh winter of 1956 wiped out the remaining vines in what were by that time rather unkempt vineyards. But this is prime real estate, as illustrated by Château Carbonnieux’s neighbors Château Smith Haut Lafitte and Château Haut-Bailly.

The estate has recently added new, temperature controlled, stainless steel vats to allow vinification on a parcel by parcel basis. Today, Château Carbonnieux is considered one of the top estates in Bordeaux.

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Posted on 2016.05.19 in France, Bordeaux, Saturday Sips Wines  |  Read more...

Harmonious Village Volnay from Declassified Premier Cru Parcels

Domaine Fernand & Laurent Pillot (Volnay, 2012)
Special Price: ~$49/bottle

It’s common belief among Burgundy enthusiasts that the red wines of the Côte de Beaune with the most finesse are grown in Volnay. Because of distinct soil similarities, it’s a village much like Chambolle-Musigny in the Côte de Nuits. No other red Burgundies can convey the perfume of Pinot Noir as well as these two communes.

Indeed, the 2012 Domaine Pillot Volnay is an elegant wine showing a high-toned nose of currant, cherry and earth aromas. Its textured, ripe and impressively concentrated with a monumental finish. It should be, as it comes from five parcels planted between 1960 and 1999, including the vineyards of Le Ronceret and Les Brouillards, both classed Premier Cru. Because these two Premier Cru parcels are too small they have been declassified and used in this village cuvée. With 15 months aging in 33% new French oak barrels, these are wines of longevity.

Due to challenges with weather and other natural influences, the 2012 vintage in Burgundy yielded only a fraction of a normal harvest. The good news is that thanks to poor flowering many of the grapes were small, so the ratio of skin to juice was usefully high, resulting in wines with excellent structure and depth. The majority of skilled Burgundy producers have created 2012 vintage wines that are delightfully pure and unforced.

Fernand Pillot and his son Laurent are clearly in the skilled camp. Laurent is now taking over most of the responsibilities in the vineyards and cellar. He has holdings of around 36 acres spread over 22 appellations based in Chassagne-Montrachet, augmented by a recent absorption of vines from Laurent’s wife, formerly under the Pothier-Rieusset label. A new modern winemaking facility coupled with traditional Burgundian practices in the vineyards and cellar result in wines that fully express these special pieces of earth.

More From Domaine Pillot

Santenay “Les Prarons Dessus” (2012, red)
$45/bottle

Single vineyard parcel planted on stony, red clay-limestone soil. Aged for 12 months in 20% new oak barrels. Superbly crafted with brambly red berry fruit and forest floor scents. Medium-bodied with refined tannins and a focused finish. Pop and pour this summer.

Pommard “Rugiens” (Premier Cru, 2012, red)
$120/bottle

Two parcels of vines in the low Rugiens and one parcel in the high Rugiens are combined to produce this wine from the top vineyard in Pommard – Rugiens has applied for Grand Cru status. Aged for 19 months in 80-100% new French Oak. Supple, ripe and structured. A wine that can lay down for a few years if you choose.

Chassagne-Montrachet “Morgeot” (Premier Cru, 2012, white)
$89/bottle

From Chardonnay vines located in the lieu-dit of Fairendes, the uppermost slopes of Morgeot adjacent to the Premiers Crus Caillerets and Champgains. Fermentation in 40% new oak barrels for two months before 12 months aging. Aromatically complex with fruit preserves, a sturdy body, and a pleasant lingering finish.

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Posted on 2016.05.12 in France, Saturday Sips Wines, Burgundy  |  Read more...

A Dozen Rosés – 2nd Annual Mother’s Day Rosé Garage Sale

It’s that time of year again to roll up our “garage door” in the back, fill some buckets with ice and bottles of wine, and celebrate the season.

Stop by the store this Saturday to taste a bunch of new vintage rosé wines from France and Spain. We’ll have at least a dozen available, all with special prices for Mother’s Day.

We’ll be featuring a diverse selection of rosé ranging from $10 to $29. The familiar, dry southern French rosé and it’s constituent blend of Mediterranean grape varieties will certainly be on hand with bottles of Saint André de Figuière (Côtes de Provence). The deeper color and red-fruit vibe of our popular Spanish clarete Bodegas César Príncipe “Luna” (Cigales) is a must-try. If you’re having a party, we have big magnums of crisp, Château Thivin (Beaujolais Villages). Or get fancy with a bottleAlexandre Penet Extra Brut Rosé (Champagne). Just to name a few.

Nine out of ten mothers agree that rosé is a fine complement to honoring motherhood as well as most items on a springtime brunch menu. Bring your mom and let her pick out a few wines to drink on her special day and beyond. If you are a mom, you deserve wine year round, but come and taste with us anyway. If you just like rosé, you probably also have a mom, perhaps you can call her on Sunday and tell her you appreciate her.

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Posted on 2016.05.04 in Saturday Sips Wines  |  Read more...

Not Enough Superlatives to Describe this Loire Cabernet Franc from Saumur-Champigny

Domaine des Roches Neuves “Clos de l’Échelier” (Saumur-Champigny, 2014)
~$40/bottle

We were fortunate enough to get a onetime shipment of elite Loire producer Thierry Germain‘s wines before a well-known and highly regarded US importer signed him and dried up our (very affordable) supply. Our stocks are dwindling but we do have enough of the cuvée “Clos de l’Échelier” left for one last tasting. Grab some now before they reach the cult status/price of the other famous Saumur-Champigny producer, Clos Rougeard. Even now, this wine sells for over $20 more per bottle nationally than our promotional price, and it will rise further as more wine drinkers learn about Thierry’s work.

Since he arrived in Saumur decades ago Thierry Germain had his eyes set on Clos de l’Échelier, a five acre walled parcel located southeast of Saumur in Dampierre sur Loire that he knew to be special. He finally purchased the plot in 2011. With a thin crust of calcareous clay topsoil over solid Turonian limestone, the wines from this vineyard show gorgeous and elegant aromatics of dark red berries, violets, and petrichor. A sip is fresh, pure, harmonious, intense…and the wine is only going to get better with time.

Raised in Saint-Émilion, Bordeaux, at the family winery of Château Yon-Figeac, Thierry set out on his own at the tender age of 23 to make his name in the more challenging climate of northern France. Although receiving accolades nearly from the start, his winemaking style has gone through several stages of metamorphosis over the years, ultimately eschewing new oak and blowsy fruit for precision and sense of place. Thierry believes that the wines he has made over the past four vintages truly exhibit the highest expressions of Saumur.

We’re using the word “style” to talk about Thierry’s winemaking but the adjustment has really been about moving away from wines created in the cellar and toward wines created in the vineyard. The domaine has been certified biodynamic since 2002. Harvesting is done completely by hand in over 30 parcels, all of which are vinified separately with indigenous yeast. Yields are small and almost all of his wines are matured in larger casks, although he particularly likes the three-year-old barrels that he buys each year from the Burgundy producer Méo-Camuzet in Vosne-Romanée. Which is no surprise as one of Thierry’s goals is having his Saumur-Champigny rival the silky elegance of high level Burgundy.

Indeed, Cuvée Clos de l’Échelier has been described as the Chambolle-Musigny of the Loire.

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Posted on 2016.04.27 in France, Saturday Sips Wines, Loire  |  Read more...

A Rare Great Value Northern Red Burgundy from the Excellent 2014 Vintage

Régis Bouvier “Les Longeroies Vieilles Vignes” (Marsannay, 2014)
~$28/bottle SOLD OUT

Only a few producers in the Côte d’Or’s northernmost zone of Marsannay have gained international attention for the quality, specificity, and ambitiousness of their wines.Régis Bouvier is regularly mentioned among them. He has a lengthy track record of both consistency and value in this appellation that is quickly growing in prestige.

Régis owns nearly 25 acres of vineyards, mostly in Marsannay, with a few prime parcels in Morey-Saint-Denis and Gevrey-Chambertin. He vinifies all three colors – red, white, and rosé, but the red wines are his crowning achievement, managing to be simultaneously bold and refined, with aromatics to spare. This all the result of managed yields and high quality terroirs.

Domaine Régis Bouvier “Les Longeroies Vieilles Vignes” is 100% Pinot Noir from a 4.5 acre plot of vines over 50 years old. After harvest and fermentation the wine is aged in barrel (30% new French oak) for 12-16 months. It’s a wine that is both rich and sinewy. The generous amount of fruit is grounded by a core of earthy complexity. In other words, a crowd-pleaser. A wine that appeals to casual wine drinkers and the most discerning Burgundy hound.

It is a truly versatile wine. Throw a case in the cellar and pull a bottle for any occasion, an elegant dinner perhaps, or merely hanging out on the patio with friends. These are wines ready to drink but have no problem keeping. Indeed, we had a few bottles of this same cuvée from the 1996 vintage that were still drinking beautifully a couple of years ago. While we don’t recommend holding them that long (you may not have the willpower to hold any at all) there will be no worries of the wine falling apart after a few years.

A value like this is always limited in quantity and will sell out quickly. Give us a call or email if you aren’t able to make the Saturday tasting and you’d like us to reserve a 6-pack for you.

Stretching from Fixin at its southern end to the city of Dijon at its northern end, Marsannay vineyards are on the famous Côte that continues north from Gevrey-Chambertin. Although Marsannay has no Premier Cru designated vineyards there are a handful of lieu-dits, “Les Longeroies” prime among them, on a shortlist for this status upgrade once the French wine governing authority catches up with the the level of excellence coming out of these vineyards. For now, we can revel in the relative affordability of single vineyard Marsannay wines.

From the Cellar

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Posted on 2016.04.20 in Saturday Sips Wines, France, Burgundy  |  Read more...

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