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$21.95
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WS 89
France
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South of France
In stock, 12+ available
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List $27.00
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89 points Wine Spectator: "[$27 list] An intense, focused white, displaying interesting notes of chalk and sea salt to the firm flavors of apple, melon and smoke. Hints of dried apricot and lavender mark the finish. Drink now through 2017. 30 cases imported. (2012)"
Producer notes: "With a production of 1,250 cases, the Bandol Blanc consists primarily of Clairette and Ugni Blanc, with Bourboulenc and Sauvignon Blanc rounding out the blend and bringing aromatic complexity and freshness. Malolactic fermentation avoided. After fermentation, the wine was aged 5 months in stainless steel tanks or concrete before bottling."
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$17.95
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France
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South of France
In stock,
1
available
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From Madiran, Southwest France. 90% Tannat, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon from vines over 50 years old. Very ripe, rich Madiran that takes no prisoners. This wine succeeds in obtaining more fruit than tannin! The color is nearly opaque - - it doesn't get much darker than this. It displays notes of black fruit (blackcurrant and blackberry) along with just a hint of red fruit. There is a cedar-like creaminess to the oak which is extremely well-integrated. Tannins pick up on the finish but, let's face it, this is Madiran and that is to be expected. These tannins disolve when the wine is matched with richly flavored meats like leg of lamb, duck, goose or game.
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$22.95
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WA 91–92
France
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South of France
In stock,
9
available
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91-92 points David Schildknecht (Wine Advocate): "From Grenache, Carignan, and Syrah planted in a mixture of gneiss, schist, and chalk, and vinified half each in tank and barrel (demi-muids as well as barriques), the 2009 Cotes du Roussillon Villages Latour de France Occultum Lapidem - due to have been bottled in May - is scented with rosemary, sage, blackberry, mulberry, which are joined on a rich, expansive palate by marrow-rich meatiness and a striking, saline, iodine-tinged savor that I can only liken to shrimp shell reduction. (It there's a wine for "surf 'n turf," it's this.) The sense of clarity, brightness, and energy here is utterly infectious and the combination of pure dark fruits, invigoratingly pungent smokiness, and saliva-inducing salinity is bound to induce hunger - among other things for the next sip. Look for at least ten or a dozen years of stimulating acquaintance. (Jun 2011)"
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$8.95
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France
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South of France
In stock,
8
available
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An assemblage of local grapes from the Gascony region (Chardonnay, Colombard, Manseng, Mauzac, Sauvignon Blanc, and Ugni Blanc) gives this wine clean flavors and a fresh finish. Serve with wide variet of seafood or shellfish, or as an aperitif.
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$12.95
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France
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South of France
In stock,
7
available
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Marcillac is an AOC in South West France between Bordeaux and the Rhône Valley. The main variety here is Mansois, with the remainder being made up mostly of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. In this region, Mansois produces a lighter wine with good color, hints of raspberry fruit, and a pronounced aroma of ground spice and red pepper. The 2009 vintage from Costes Rouges was selected to be featured by the Hachette Guide 2010, an indication of its quality.
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$19.95
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France
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South of France
In stock, 12+ available
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Importer notes: "Kaya Blanc is no 'international style' wine, but is Catalan through-and-through, composed of 60% Grenache Gris, 20% Grenache Blanc and 20% Carignan Blanc. The vines are densely planted (5,000 per hectare) forcing the roots to delve deeply into the granitic-clay of the north-facing, terraced vineyard near Tautavel. The exposition is important, as it spares the vines from the punishing southerly sun and preserves the freshness of the fruit. All work in the vines is done by hand. Harvest is made manually, too, with grapes being collected carefully in small boxes to be brought from the vineyard. Very light pneumatic pressing is followed by fermentation and then aging on the fine lees in third-year barrels with bâtonnages. Kaya is full-bodied, with flavors and aromas that hint at quince, spiced pear and minerals, with a creamy texture. An excellent partner with shellfish and simply roasted chicken."
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$11.95
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WA 89
France
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South of France
In stock, 12+ available
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89 points David Schildknecht (Wine Advocate): "Guilhem Durant's 2009 Syrah Vieilles Vignes Les Genets is sweetly-fruited with cherry and cassis; pungently tinged with resinous herbs, black pepper, and smoked meat; underlain by peat and stone; plush and polished in texture; and finishes with an exuberance and abundance of fresh fruit unexpected in a wine of its vintage, making it as usual an outstanding value, and likely to remain so for at least the next 2-3 years. (Jun 2011)"
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$9.95
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RR 89
WS 87
France
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South of France
In stock, 12+ available
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89 points Rhone Report: "Bottled under screw cap and very fresh and juicy, the 2009 Château Font-Mars Coteaux du Languedoc Picpoul-de-Pinet, 100% Picpoul, sports a light, golden hue to go with edgy, crisp aromas of dried pineapple, subtle honeycomb, flowers, and some green herbs. Medium to light bodied on the palate, with a smooth, focused texture, and lip smacking acidity on the finish, this excellent white will be a perfect apéritif or starter to a meal. (Mar 2011)"
87 points Wine Spectator: "A zesty white, with mineral, green apple and peach flavors that are supported by fresh acidity. The crisp finish offers some creamy notes. Drink now. (11/15/10)"
Producer notes: "Grape variety: Piquepoul. Terroir: Clayey and chalky. Pale gold, crystal clear, light green reflection. Aromas of white peach, ananas and white roses. On the palate, lively, exotic fruits. Best served as an aperitif or with seafood."
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$27.95
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RR 93
RP 90–93
WE 91
France
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South of France
In stock, 12+ available
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93 points Rhone Report: "A rich, substantial, and serious red, the 2009 Michel Gassier Costières-de-Nîmes Lou Coucardie is a blend of 60% Mourvèdre, 30% Grenache, and 10% Syrah that was aged for close to 18 months, on lees, in French oak barrels. The wine exhibits a deep, inky color as well as brilliant, rich aromatics of crème de cassis, spice, graphite, chocolate, and earth. While decidedly rich and leaning into the decadent realm, this stays beautifully fresh and focused. Full-bodied on the palate and structured, with layers of fruit and texture, impressive balance, and a classic, clean finish, this superb wine can be enjoyed now, but should evolve positively for 2-4 years, and have 10-12 years or more of prime drinking. (Sep 2011)"
90-93 points Robert Parker: "The outrageously complex, dense purple-hued 2009 Costieres de Nimes Lou Coucardie is fashioned from a blend of 60% Mourvedre, 30% Grenache and 10% Syrah aged in French oak on its lees for at least 12 months. The most limited offering, its blue/purple color is followed by aromas of toast, white chocolate, bay leaf, black currants, blackberries and a hint of coffee. This full-bodied, deep wine admirably demonstrates the potential of Mourvedre in the Costieres de Nimes. It should drink well for a decade or more. (Oct 2010)"
91 points Wine Enthusiast: "The blend of old-vine Mourvèdre, Grenache and Syrah features slightly lifted aromas of oak spice, vanilla and dark fruit. The midpalate is creamy and lush, full of dark cherries and chocolate, whose flavors linger enticingly on the finish. Drink now-2016. Alcohol 15.0%. 250 cases produced. (12/15/11)"
90 points Wine Spectator: "Supple and enticing, this red shows a light mulled edge to the plum and raspberry fruit, with notes of melted red licorice and a hint of pepper gliding through the finish. This has weight and flesh, but stays restrained overall. Drink now through 2013. (8/31/12)"
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$14.95
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WA 88
France
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South of France
In stock, 12+ available
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List $18.00
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88 points David Schildknecht (Wine Advocate): "[$18 list] While I could not locate a sample of its successor, the Jacquins’ 2009 Roussette de Savoie Altesse seems to have at least another couple of years in it, and demonstrates that even in a relatively low-acid vintage (and seemingly influenced in addition by the effects of malo-lactic conversion) there is more than enough sense of primary juiciness in a Jacquin Altesse, even if in this instance not really brightness or focus. Musk, hazelnut, orange zest, fresh fig, and quince present an attractive aromatic display that reminds me a bit -- as have none previously from this grape -- of Semillon as well as Chenin, a resemblance that even extends to the combination of oily richness with underlying firmness and faintly austere stoniness that emerges on the palate. The sheer persistence here is formidable, if rather bitterly marked by lime and orange rind. I would plan to drink this over the next 12-18 months. (Apr 2012)"
A delicious, thirst-quenching wine from Savoie, with more body than Jacquère or Chasselas, and more subtle aromas than Roussanne. Quince, flowers, apricot and a touch of honey rise from the medium-bodied palate, which finishes with just a hint of mountain tonic. A wonderful match for light to medium-bodied white fish, cold chicken salads, shrimp dim sum, and crab fritters.
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$19.95
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France
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South of France
In stock, 12+ available
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Wine Spectator: "Lots of chocolaty overtones to the ripe dark plum flavors, which extend with plenty of spice on the soft finish. Drink now. 2,000 cases made. (2012)"
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$14.95
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France
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South of France
In stock, 12+ available
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La Revue du Vin de France: "The cuvée Les Mûriers receives high marks for its golden color with green tints, its floral and fruity nose, and its palate that is well balanced between bold and fresh flavors, presenting good ageing potential. (Mar 2011)"
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$10.95
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France
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South of France
In stock, 12+ available
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Producer notes: "The vineyard of Mas Grand Plagniol is located in the Costières de Nîmes and the Camargue. This red wine is produced from Syrah and Grenache. The grapes benefit from the perfect climate, both sunny and windy, and from the stony soil of the southern Rhône Valley. Owner Cyril Marès is also the winemaker. He specially selected the grapes for this cuvée."
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$56.95
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RR 96
WA 93
France
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South of France
In stock,
1
available
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List $65.00
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96+ points Rhone Report: "Deeper in color and much more dense, reserved, and even backwards, the 2009 Bosc Negre is a slightly longer term prospect and is a blend of 80% Mourvèdre and 20% Grenache that had the Mourvèdre aged all in new barrel and the Grenache in tank. Meaning 'black woods' and named after a densely packed group of trees near the Mourvèdre plot, it delivers a spectacular mix of crème de cassis, currants, pepper, roasted meat, saline-like minerality, and hints of chocolate on the nose that is both rich and lively at the same time. Opening up over the evening and gaining additional floral and underbrush like qualities - all of which contribute to its overall lively, clean feel -- it is a serious, full-bodied effort that displays gorgeous textural richness that’s paired with ripe, polished tannin, integrated acidity, and an overall seamless, elegant profile. Give bottles another 2-3 years in the cellar, and then enjoy over the following 12-15 years or more. It is an impressive bottle of wine that will stand toe to toe with the top Mourvèdre dominated Châteauneuf-du-Papes and Bandols. (Mar 2013)"
93 points David Schildknecht (Wine Advocate): "[$65 list] Puech-Haut’s new, all-Mourvedre bottling 2009 Coteaux du Languedoc Saint-Drezery Bosc Negre strikes me as supporting the reasonable hypothesis that this grape is especially well-suited to an expressive performance if one’s going to let one’s fruit ascend to 15% alcohol. Plum preserves and chocolate laced with bay and brown spices make for a head-turning nose, and are joined by roasted red meat character on a sumptuous, fine-grained, yet persistently juicy palate. Whereas the corresponding Recantou and Cante Lebre bottlings tended toward the confectionary, there is a sense of freshness as well as transparency to carnal and stonily mineral elements to the rich fruit on display here. And whereas a certain superficial note of toasted oak also crept into the aforementioned bottlings, here any such impression is integrated to the point of background enhancement, and the wine finishes with sappy, energetic persistence, without any impression of heat or drying. This received more frequent racking (including rack-and-return during fermentation) than the other Puech-Haut 2009s so as to ward-off reduction and enhance textural richness, and it has worked. Cambie maintains that 'at the beginning of its elevage, this was quite introverted...but then, Bandol, too, often needs a long elevage. Like Grenache, Mourvedre is less forgiving in the cellar than is Syrah, but in the end, you have a wine of more fat yet more elegance.' I can’t disagree, and it will be fascinating to follow this beauty over the next decade or so, especially in comparison with certain of the more flamboyant Bandols or Mourvedre-heavy Chateauneufs. (Aug 2011)"
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$56.95
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RR 95
WA 91
France
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South of France
In stock,
5
available
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95 points Rhone Report: "Named after the oak tree (Quercus is the Latin word for oak) that’s planted in the plot of Grenache that the cuvee comes from, the 2009 Quercus is a jaw dropping good, 100% Grenache effort that spent 16 months all in tank. Fermented with stems and seeing no oak whatsoever, it represents a naked expression of pure Grenache and offers up an exuberantly sweet, heady array of kirsch and strawberry liqueur, spice-box, sappy wild herbs, and red licorice to go with a seamless, elegant, and incredibly polished mouth feel. Ripe, voluptuous, and yet almost weightless on the palate, with layers of sweet fruit, ripe tannin, and a clean, focused finish, it is already upfront and drinking beautifully. Count me a fan and it has more than a passing resemblance to the old vine Grenache cuvee from Clos St. Jean. It blossoms with air and showed beautifully over the multiple days I had the bottle open. Enjoy it over the coming 10-15 years or more. (Mar 2013)"
91 points David Schildknecht (Wine Advocate): "[$65 list] Puech-Haut’s 2009 Coteaux du Languedoc Saint-Drezery Quercus -- named for a prominent oak tree at this spot in their vineyards, not for oak employed in elevage -- represents their exploration of pure Grenache, vinified without de-stemming. Violet and rose petal mingle with scents of strawberry and black raspberry preserves, whose sweet juices richly and caressingly coat the palate, tinged with tamarind and licorice and underlain by a saliva-inducing impression of salted roast meat pan drippings such as I would more have expected from a Syrah- or Mourvedre-dominated cuvee. What’s more, there is a faintly but insistently tart edge to the berries here that offers a sense of excitation. That said, these virtues have to work against considerable sense of alcoholic heat in an otherwise luxuriant finish, even though we’re dealing here with a grape in general notoriously welcoming of high must weights. It should be fascinating to see how this develops over the next several years, but I’m not going to try to handicap it beyond then until I see for myself. (Aug 2011)"
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$16.95
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WA 89
France
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South of France
In stock, 12+ available
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List $20.00
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89 points David Schildknecht (Wine Advocate): "[$22 list] ...A blend of 80% Syrah and 20% Grenache planted in the rich clay and limestone soils of this impressive appellation, it was aged in a combination of stainless steel and old barrels. A dense purple color is accompanied by a sweet perfume of black raspberries, blackberries and licorice. Elegant and medium to full-bodied with sweet tannin and a seductive, long finish, it should drink well for 5-6 years. (Aug 2012)"
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