|
|
 |
|
|
$10.95
|
|
|
France
-
Rhone
-
Other
In stock,
3
available
|
List $15.00
|
|
Denis Alary, according to La Revue du Vin de France's "Le Classement des Meilleurs Vins de France," "produces serious and solid wines...possessing an undeniable charm." The La Gerbaude, from an eponymous parcel within the Cairanne AOC, is a ripe, round, plummy affair made from 75% Grenache, 15% Carignan and 15% Syrah. This is one of those terrific Southern Rhônes you can quaff all day long, with or without food, while wallowing in its seductive, lavender-inflected perfume and lush, opulent texture.
|
|
|
|
|
|
$41.95
|
|
|
JG 87
France
-
Burgundy
-
Cote d'Or Red
In stock, 12+ available
|
|
87+ points John Gilman (View From the Cellar): "The 2008 Chambolle AC is quite good and surprisingly, my favorite wine in this range. The nose offers up classic Chambolle notes of red and black cherries, dark chocolate, lovely soil tones, woodsmoke and a judicious touch of new wood. On the palate the wine is medium-full, long and tangy, with solid complexity and good length and grip. A very respectable bottle of Chambolle villages. 2014-2030. (Mar/Apr 2010)"
Allen Meadows (Burghound): "his is also extremely fresh and airy with a pretty mélange of red and blue pinot fruit with similar floral notes that merge into vibrant, clean and pure middle weight flavors that are supported by mildly edgy structural elements on the short and slightly dry finish. Drink: 2013+. (Jan 2011)"
|
|
|
|
|
|
$69.95
|
|
|
France
-
Burgundy
-
Cote d'Or Red
In stock,
6
available
|
|
|
Allen Meadows (Burghound): "This seems mildly evolved already and the wisps of secondary fruit are, surprisingly, apparent. The complex... flavors are chewy... Drink: 2013+. (Jan 2011)"
|
|
|
|
|
|
$79.95
|
|
|
France
-
Burgundy
-
Cote d'Or Red
In stock,
1
available
|
|
|
Allen Meadows (Burghound): "(Amiot-Servelle is one of only two proprietors). Here the nose offers extremely fresh aromas of raspberry and strawberry that complement textured, concentrated and detailed middle weight flavors that are delicious, focused and impressively complex... Drink: 2014+. (Jan 2011)"
|
|
|
|
|
|
$59.95
|
|
|
France
-
Burgundy
-
Cote d'Or Red
In stock,
5
available
|
|
|
Allen Meadows (Burghound): "Classic ruby. A cool, restrained, ultra elegant and airy nose features very pure black cherry and raspberry fruit aromas along with a sauvage note that complement the round yet detailed middle weight flavors that possess good energy and a touch of minerality on the ever-so-slightly under ripe finish... Drink: 2014+. (Jan 2011)"
|
|
|
|
|
|
$59.95
|
|
|
France
-
Burgundy
-
Cote d'Or Red
In stock,
10
available
|
|
|
Allen Meadows (Burghound): "A somewhat riper nose of red raspberry and a touch of cassis marries into rich, full and delicious flavors that possess more volume if less detail... I like the energy...Drink: 2014. (Jan 2011)"
|
|
|
|
|
|
$221.95
|
|
|
FWR 90–93
IWC 90–92
France
-
Burgundy
-
Cote d'Or Red
In stock,
10
available
|
|
90-93 points Fine Wine Review: "The estate acquired the Latricières-Chambertin from Domaine Newman. The vines are 53 years old. The wine shows fresh raspberry fruit in the nose and some strawberry and black fruit in the mouth with good nervosity. (Issue #128; 2010)"
90-92 points Stephen Tanzer (International Wine Cellar): "(Lachaux purchased just over a half-hectare of 53-year-old vines from Christopher Newman) Good medium red. Nose offers dark cherry, smoky oak and complex soil tones. At once dense and energetic, conveying an impression of rather strong energy from the combination of firm acids and underlying minerality. In a cooler, almost peppery style, with the wine's acidity carrying the finish. More austere than most of Lachaux's wines from Vosne-Romanee. (Mar/Apr 2010)"
|
|
|
|
|
|
$28.95
|
|
|
WA 88–89
France
-
Burgundy
-
Cote d'Or Red
In stock,
11
available
|
|
|
88-89 points David Schildknecht (Wine Advocate): "Bachelet’s 2008 Bourgogne smells of mace, holly berry, and sour cherry that migrate to a bright yet delightfully silken-textured palate. Vivacious and lip-smacking in its finishing interchange of fruit with saline and chalky mineral notes, this can be strongly recommended... (Jun 2010)"
|
|
|
|
|
|
$114.95
|
|
|
JG 92
WA 91–92
AM 90–92
France
-
Burgundy
-
Cote d'Or Red
In stock, 12+ available
|
|
92+ points John Gilman (View From the Cellar): "The Les Corbeaux was the second to last in the cellar to finish its malolactic fermentation, as it just edged out the Gevrey V.V. by finishing up on September 7th. Nevertheless, the wine was showing very well during my visit, as it offers up a fine bouquet of black cherries, cassis, bitter chocolate, grilled meats, a touch of new oak and a very complex base of soil. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and nicely reserved, with fine mid-palate depth, impressive soil inflection, tangy acids and a bit of tannin that will need to resolve before this wine starts drinking well. A very fine vintage for these old vines. 2018-2040. (Nov/Dec 2009)"
91-92 points David Schildknecht (Wine Advocate): "Fresh blackberry, wild fennel and medicinal concentration of wormwood and other herbs scent Bachelet’s 2008 Gevrey-Chambertin Les Corbeaux, putting me in mind of Morey-St.-Denis (though Corbeaux is not located at that end of Gevrey). This is texturally even more promising and incipiently plush -- for all of its brightness of fresh fruit -- than was the corresponding village wine; in fact, it’s also strikingly viscous, in a way that reinforces its medicinal aura. And believe me: you are going to want to take this medicine! A range of dark forest floor and mineral shadings, notably peat and small game add further complexity to a gripping yet buoyant and refreshing finish. This dark, bittersweet ball of energy should remain successfully aloft for 12-15 years and probably not hit its optimum orbit until halfway through then. (Jun 2010)"
90-92 points Allen Meadows (Burghound): "(also from 60 to 70 year old vines). A perfumed if somewhat sauvage nose features a complex and expressive aromatic profile of red and blue pinot fruit, humid earth and black cherry notes where the earthiness very much infuses the rich, serious and impressively concentrated medium weight flavors that possess excellent detail on the robust, balanced and mouth coating finish. Comments: Sweet spot Outstanding. Drink: 2016+. (Jan 2010)"
90-92 points Stephen Tanzer (International Wine Cellar): "(30% new oak) Deep red-ruby. Medicinal aromas of black fruits and licorice. Dense and ripe but cool, with a distinctly masculine quality to the brooding flavors of blackberry, licorice and bitter chocolate. This very solidly built, firmly tannic and long wine will need at least five years of cellaring. (Mar/Apr 2010)"
|
|
|
|
|
|
$59.95
|
|
|
FWR 90–93
JG 91
France
-
Burgundy
-
Cote d'Or Red
In stock,
5
available
|
|
90-93 points Fine Wine Review: "...Overall production is about 20-30% below normal, about the same as in 2007. Qualitatively, though, the results show yet another year of excellent wines... The Chambolle shows more weight than the Bourgogne with a satiny texture and red and dark berry fruit. Very fine tannins. (Issue #128; 2010)"
91 points John Gilman (View From the Cellar): "The Chambolle AC had finished up its malo a bit earlier than some of the other wines in the cellar and had been racked on September 4th, and consequently was really singing in November. The bouquet is deep, pure and perfumed, as it offers up scents of cherries, orange zest, pungent roses, pomegranate and a complex base of chalky soil tones. On the palate the wine is deep, fullish and sappy, with great purity, lovely midpalate depth, fine-grained tannins and a very stylish, tangy and long finish. A very high class villages! 2016-2035. (Nov/Dec 2009)"
|
|
|
|
|
|
$19.95
|
|
|
WA 92
France
-
Loire
In stock, 12+ available
|
List $25.00
|
92 points David Schildknecht (Wine Advocate): "[$25 list] Baumard’s 'regular' (a.k.a. Clos St.-Yves) 2008 Savennieres bursts from the glass in an exuberant bouquet of buddleia and apple blossom; quince and intimations of wet stone. This transcends the poise and clarity exhibited by several immediately preceding Clos du Papillon bottlings and suggests that -- chronologically speaking -- we have moved up into a new echelon of expressiveness. The bitter, piquant notes of toasted nut, quinine, white pepper, and fruit pit here are extremely subtle and integrated into a matrix of lusciously juicy pear, white peach, and quince. A salvia-inducing salinity and scallop-like sweetness ally themselves to the stony mineral elements in this wine’s long finishing colloquy with flowers and fruits, and there is a levity and refreshment -- and sheer drinkability -- that I have not noticed in previous Baumard Savennieres -- particularly pre-2007. Yet there is still ample sense of glycerin-richness and subtle oiliness. The combination of roughly a half percent less alcohol and more expressive acidity renders this drier-tasting than its 2006 and 2007 counterparts. Florent Baumard admits that a lesser percentage of his 2008s went through malo-lactic transformation than in most vintages, though I did not have chance to check precise analytical data on that. This sensational value is a delight to drink now. Whether it will 'suffer' on that account a reduced 'life span' must remain to be seen, although if anything my intuition is that this will be lovely for a decade, but that you would be foolish to deprive yourself of its short-term pleasure. (Aug 2010)"
Producer notes: "A round, smooth, and well balanced wine. Savennières is a tiny region located on the northern banks of the Loire River, just across from the town of Rochefort Sur Loire. The entire appellation consists of fewer than 200 acres (77 hectares) of vines, all planted to Chenin Blanc. The South/Southeast facing vineyards are planted on unique soils composed of schistous volcanic debris mixed with sandstone and granite, imparting a strong, intensely original minerality to the Chenin Blanc grape. Maximum permitted yields are the lowest in France for dry whites (25 hl/ha), resulting in wines of stunning concentration and perfume. The combination of this concentration with the naturally high acidity of the Chenin Blanc grape results in wines capable of lasting and improving for decades. This wine is par excellence, a wine to accompany grilled fish or sauce, seafood, hors d'oeuvres."
|
|
|
|
|
|
$174.95
|
|
|
FWR 91–95
AM 92
France
-
Burgundy
-
Cote d'Or Red
In stock, 12+ available
|
|
91-95 points Fine Wine Review: "Last, the Bonnes-Mares is darker than the others, but still transparent in appearance. In the mouth, there is greater density, as one would expect, with elegance and peach and red fruit flavors. Bonnes-Mares normally is a wine that needs a lot of age, but this may be one that drinks fairly young. (Issue #128; 2010)"
92 points Allen Meadows (Burghound): "(a .34 ha parcel located 100% in terres rouges). A slightly riper and terrifically layered nose of intensely earthy red berry fruit aromas that give way to rich, round and delicious medium-bodied flavors that are certainly more powerful though by the typical standards of a terres rouges-based Bonnes Mares, it's actually quite refined. Like the Amoureuses, this is an extremely elegant version of the appellation yet should repay up to seven to eight years of cellar time though it will be drinkable well before that. Drink: 2015+. (Jan 2011)"
|
|
|
|
|
|
$74.95
|
|
|
FWR 89–92
AM 90
France
-
Burgundy
-
Cote d'Or Red
In stock, 12+ available
|
|
89-92 points Fine Wine Review: "The Chambolle 1er Cru is from holdings in Baudes, Noirots, Groseilles, and Gruenchers, giving a not bad overview of Chambolle. The wine is light in color and in texture. There’s more breadth here than in the village wine, but it still is light and lacy with red fruits, and a silky texture that flows across the palate. (Issue #128; 2010)"
90 points Allen Meadows (Burghound): "(a 1 ha blend of Groseilles, Baudes, Noirots and Gruenchers, which interestingly are all bunched together, geographically speaking). Here the nose is notably more complex but also more reserved with equally pure and lightly-spiced mineral-suffused red berry fruit aromas that complement the delicate and lacy light to medium-bodied flavors that are also very Chambolle in character. An altogether lovely effort fashioned in an understated style. Drink: 2014+. (Jan 2011)"
|
|
|
|
|
|
$49.95
|
|
|
FWR 88–91
AM 88
France
-
Burgundy
-
Cote d'Or Red
In stock, 12+ available
|
|
88-91 points Fine Wine Review: "The 2008s from this estate look most promising. François Bertheau said that he began harvesting on 21 September. He had to sort out about 30% of the crop, both for rot and for uneven ripeness. The wines are entirely destemmed. The excellent Chambolle is lovely and pure with red cherry fruit and finesse, overall laciness, and a silky texture. This wine should drink well young. (Issue #128; 2010)"
88 points Allen Meadows (Burghound): "A bright, pure and very Chambolle nose of red pinot fruit leads to supple, round and utterly delicious flavors that exude a lovely freshness and energy on the delicate, clean and refined finish. This is not overly complex, at least not yet but it is a wine of harmony and grace. Drink: 2013+. (Jan 2011)"
|
|
|
|
|
|
$139.95
|
|
|
FWR 90–94
France
-
Burgundy
-
Cote d'Or Red
In stock, 12+ available
|
|
|
90-94 points Fine Wine Review: "The 2008s from this estate look most promising. François Bertheau said that he began harvesting on 21 September. He had to sort out about 30% of the crop, both for rot and for uneven ripeness. The wines are entirely destemmed. Bertheau’s Chambolle-Charmes also is light in color. In the mouth, there is more depth and substance making for a really lovely wine for its chewiness that combines with finesse and its earthy red fruit. (Issue #128; 2010)"
|
|
|
|
|
|
$18.95
|
|
|
JG 88
AM 87
France
-
Burgundy
-
Cote d'Or White
In stock,
4
available
|
|
88+ points John Gilman (View From the Cellar): "The Perrières bottling is usually my favorite of these three Bourgogne from Domaine Bize, and this is true by a very small margin in 2008. The terroir here is really excellent for Bourgogne, and this soil complexity translates beautifully into the finished wine in ’08. The nose is a terrific blend of pear, lemon, stony minerality and a garden full of spring flowers in the upper register. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, long and seriously complex, with fine mid-palate depth, snappy acids and excellent focus on the long, soil-driven finish. Either the Champlains or the Perrières should be on the short shopping list of those looking for great white Burgundy complexity at a bargain price. 2010-2020. (Nov/Dec 2009)"
87 points Allen Meadows (Burghound): "(100% cask). Soft wood and SO2 notes do not materially interfere with the clarity of the otherwise fresh and complex floral, citrus and light mineral aromas that give way to intense and beautifully detailed flavors that deliver a cuts-like-a-knife finish and plenty of underlying tension. Terrific quality at this level plus it will age. Comments: Outstanding Top value. Drink: 2013+. (Jun 2010)"
|
|
|
|
|
|
$239.95
|
|
|
AM 94
IWC 91–94
France
-
Burgundy
-
Cote d'Or White
In stock, 12+ available
|
|
94 points Allen Meadows (Burghound): "As one would reasonably expect given Criots' natural tendency to high ripeness levels, the nose is notably riper than that of the Caillerets with ample amounts of highly complex yellow orchard fruit where a hint of exoticism comes into play. The equally ripe, rich, powerful and sappy full-bodied flavors display impressive size, weight and volume yet the finish remains focused and even reasonably well detailed with so much extract that there is the impression of chewiness. As is usually the case, this is not as refined as the rest of the grands crus but this is imposing. Comments: Don't miss! Drink: 2016+. (Jun 2010)"
91-94 points Stephen Tanzer (International Wine Cellar): "Musky aromas of clove and white truffle. Silky, sweet and tactile, with terrific energy and cut to the peach, spice and nut oil flavors. Finishes with compelling spicy persistence and perfume. (Sep/Oct 2009)"
|
|
|
|
|
|
$18.95
|
|
|
WS 87
France
-
South of France
In stock,
8
available
|
List $28.00
|
87 points Wine Spectator: "[$28 list] Peppery and juicy, with red plum flavors backed up by paprika and spice notes, with a zesty finish. Drink now through 2013. 900 cases made. (10/15/10)"
Producer notes: "Delicate wine with a strong minerality which is typical of this soil -- very sloping laminated schist slopes and sandy shales. These grounds allow a very deep rooting of the vines, thus limiting the effect of drought which is dreaded so much under our Mediterranean climate. 'Les Schistes' is a blend of 60% Grenache, 35% Syrah and 5% Carignan. 'Les Schistes' wants to express all the delicacy and the purity of this soil."
|
|
|
|
|
|
$29.95
|
|
|
WS 91
France
-
Rhone
-
Other
In stock, 12+ available
|
|
|
91 points Wine Spectator: "Inviting, boasting aromas and flavors of Lapsang souchong tea, warm fig sauce and crushed plum and currant fruit are all supported by a racy prominent graphite note. Lightly firm, but with the flesh and concentration to offset that. Drink now through 2013. 1,666 cases made. (10/15/10)"
|
|
|
|
|
|
$44.95
|
|
|
RP 93
WE 92
WS 90
France
-
Bordeaux
-
White
In stock, 12+ available
|
|
93 points Robert Parker: "This superb 2008 exhibits lots of fig, honeysuckle, orange zest and lemon butter notes. It should drink well for 15-20 years. (May 2011)"
92 points Wine Enthusiast: "A beautifully balanced wine, its acidity and green fruits, slipping easily into a more intense pear and apricot character. The tang comes back with the citrus on the finish. (Apr 2011)"
90 points Wine Spectator: "Pretty flavors of peach and beeswax are accented by grapefruit and green almond notes in this lively, medium-bodied white, with bright acidity and a fresh, minerally finish. Not complex, but delivers a lovely purity. Drink now through 2016. (4/30/11)"
|
|
|
|
|
|
$39.95
|
|
|
WS 92
IWC 92
RR 92
France
-
Rhone
-
Chateauneuf-du-Pape
In stock,
1
available
|
List $75.00
|
92 points Wine Spectator: "This is on the red fruit side of the spectrum, with cherry, currant and pomegranate notes, but they're well-stitched, with nicely grippy tobacco, mineral and spice notes that add length on the finish. Well-knit for the vintage. Best from 2012 through 2020. 600 cases imported. (2/28/11)"
92 points Josh Raynolds (International Wine Cellar): "Vivid red. An exotically perfumed bouquet displays cinnamon-accented red berries and cherry, with a sexy floral overtone. Spicy and incisive on the palate, offering sweet raspberry and cherry flavors and a hint of baking spices. The spicy notes linger on a long, silky finish. Showing lots of complexity right now but this is also balanced to age. (Mar/Apr 2011)"
92 points Rhone Report: "One of the top wines in a challenging vintage and showing even better than a year ago, the 2008 Domaine Charvin Chateauneuf-du-Pape is perfumed and complex, possessing loads of black cherry, garrigue, licorice, lavender, peppered steak, and olive notes, medium body, perfect balance, and an overall savory, clean, fresh profile. There's good tannin and structure here, and this should continue to shine for another decade. Don.t let the vintage scare you off as this is an outstanding wine that will put a smile on anyone.s face. (Sep 2011)"
90 points Robert Parker: "[$75 list] The 2008 Chateauneuf du Pape is a sexy, medium to full-bodied effort with far more depth, richness and seductive powers than most Chateauneuf du Papes in this vintage. A classic blend of 85% Grenache and the rest equal parts Mourvedre, Syrah and Vaccarese has resulted in a deep plum/ruby-hued 2008 displaying loads of kirsch, pepper and licorice notes. The fruit is sweet, the tannins silky and the wine very seductive and evolved. Drink it over the next 7-8 years. (Oct 2010)"
|
|
|
|
|
|
$21.95
|
|
|
WE 91
France
-
Other
In stock,
9
available
|
List $33.00
|
|
91 points and 'Cellar Selection,' Wine Enthusiast: "[$33 list] Dense and complex wine, packed with the ripest fruit. It has powerful tannins, although they are easily balanced by the rich plum and damson flavors. The wine is solid, chunky, based on a dry and firm core, ready for aging over 4 years. Malbec. Alcohol 14%. (Mar 2012)"
|
|
|
|
|
|
$158.95
|
|
|
WS 94
RR 93
France
-
Rhone
-
Hermitage/Crozes-Hermitage
In stock, 12+ available
|
List $240.00
|
94 points Wine Spectator: "[$240 list] This is suave, with a smoldering tobacco note running from start to finish, while truffle, cocoa, braised fig and warm black currant confiture notes fill in the remaining space. Dense, but very silky along the edges, with remarkable harmony for the vintage. Drink now through 2022. (10/15/11)"
93 points Rhone Report: "Gorgeously complex and nuanced, with an already approachable, open feel, the 2008 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Crozes-Hermitage is loaded with bright, fresh aromas of smoked blackberries, white pepper, cigar, wild herbs, and hints of bacon fat. This flows beautifully to a medium to full-bodied Hermitage that has a light, lifted texture, juicy acidity, and a clean, focused finish. Very classy and elegant, it shines for its balance, polish, and length. Beautiful now, it will continue to drink beautifully for 12-15 years. (Mar 2012)"
|
|
|
|
|
|
$39.95
|
|
|
AM 89
France
-
Burgundy
-
Cote d'Or White
In stock,
3
available
|
|
|
89 points - 'Outstanding,' Allen Meadows (Burghound): "An elegant, pure and expressive nose of citrus, pear and white peach that is unusually refined for a villages level wine slides gracefully into detailed and intense middle weight flavors that display evident minerality on the solidly well concentrated and lengthy finish. This is really quite good and while it does not deliver the same level of finesse as the 1ers, this is well worth considering. Drink: 2013+. (Jan 2011)"
|
|
|
|
|
|
$59.95
|
|
|
FWR 90–93
JG 92
WA 90–91
France
-
Burgundy
-
Cote d'Or Red
In stock,
1
available
|
List $75.00
|
90-93 points Fine Wine Review: "The Nuits-Roncières was racked at the same time as the Bousselots. The wine is smoky and stony in the nose. In the mouth, it is stony, pure, and energetic with earthy red fruits. (Issue #128; 2010)"
92 points John Gilman (View From the Cellar): "The ’08 Roncières, like the Bousselottes, had been racked fifteen days before my visit. However, it too was very much on form and showing beautifully. The bouquet is a fine, complex mélange of sappy red and black cherries, nutskins, gamebirds, lovely soil tones, a touch of wood and a smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, complex and rock solid at the core, with fine balance, ripe tannins and a very long, soil-driven and tangy finish. Very classy juice. 2016-2035+. (Nov/Dec 2009)"
90-91 points David Schildknecht (Wine Advocate): "[$75 list] Concentrated fresh cherry and veal-stock meatiness mingle in the Chevillon 2008 Nuits-St.-Georges Les Roncieres, complimented by a hint of caramel from barrel. Peat-like smokiness and soy-like savor add intrigue and enticement to another sappily-concentrated, fine-grained Chevillon 2008 that projects admirable, vintage-typical energy and exerts amazing pull on the salivary glands. (Jun 2010)"
|
|
