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J. Vignier Silexus Sezannensis Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut NV
This 100% Chardonnay from the Côte de Sézanne (south of the Côte des Blancs), is made with the primary fermentation in stainless steel tanks, after which the base wines undergo full malolactic conversion. After it is bottled for the second fermentation it receives 7 years of lees aging, and is disgorged with a dosage of 4.6 g/L. SKU: 20254
Pascal Doquet Diapason Grand Cru Le Mesnil Sur Oger Extra Brut NV
Made with 100% Chardonnay from the Grand Cru village of Le Mesnil-sur-Oger fermented in enamel and neutral barrels. The cuvée is assembled from the 2012, 2013, and 2014 vintages, it spends 6+ years on the lees for the secondary fermentation, and is disgorged with a dosage of 3.5 g/L. SKU: 20253
Andre Clouet Un Jour de 1911 Brut NV
This unique cuvée is meant to be a call-back to a style the house produced during the Belle Epoque. Made from 100% estate grown Pinot Noir from the Grand Cru village of Bouzy, 50% of the base wine was fermented in stainless steel and 50% in Sauternes barrels. Rather than blending successive vintages, as is the general practice with non-vintage Champagne, this cuvée is made up of 50% 2004, with the remainder being equal parts 2007 and 2008. The result is a rather breathtaking and enveloping wine, with deep and expansive Pinot character, thoroughly spiced and toasty, with a profound mousse and a sweeping peacock’s tail finish. SKU: 20276
Domaine Bony Gachot Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Damodes 2020
The lieu dit “Les Damodes” is actually a continuation of the Premier Cru of the same name, in the northernmost part of Nuits-Saint-Georges, just before Vosne-Romanée begins. With the hot 2020 vintage, this extra elevation and slightly thinner soil was advantageous, resulting in a powerful but balanced N-S-G with every bit as much backbone as a 1er Cru. It doesn’t hurt that the domaine’s holdings here are 30 to 60 year old vines. Dark fruits with notable black tea, spice, and sous bois inclusions inform a palate with impressive core density and thoroughgoing tension. The wine spent 15 months in barrel (30% new). SKU: 19965
Château Pédesclaux Pauillac 2018
“Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2018 Pedesclaux comes charging out of the gate with rambunctious baked plums, warm cassis and Morello cherries scents plus hints of spice cake, menthol and fragrant earth. Medium to full-bodied, the palate delivers mouth-coating black fruits and spicy accents, with a soft, fine-grained frame, finishing long.” Lisa Perrotti-Brown, WA (92-94) pts SKU: 19907
Réserve de la Comtesse Pauillac 2016
“Sensual, racy and inviting, the Réserve de la Comtesse is one of the very finest wines readers will find in its peer group. Sweet dark plum, rose petal, spice and chocolate notes build into the silky, beautifully resonant finish. The 2016 has so much to offer. Moreover, it is flat-out delicious.” Antonio Galloni, Vinous 94 Pts SKU: 17371
Picque Château Caillou Pessac-Léognan 2019
A blend of 60% Cabernet, 35% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot aged for 12 months in barrels, about 30-40% new. The vineyard, in the heart of the Pessac-Léognan appellation, sits at the edge of the city of Bordeaux. Still very youthful, it presents boysenberry and spice on the nose, followed by an elegant, medium-bodied palate with nicely structured textures and a lingering finish of cherries and wood-spice. SKU: 20192
Clos du Gravillas Côtes du Brian Rouge 2021
A cooler vintage in an area prone to over-ripeness has produced what may be the best rendition of this wine that I have tasted yet. A blend of Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault, Carignan, and four other grapes grown in gravel and limestone in the tiny Languedoc appellation of Côtes du Brian, this is beautifully limpid and gracile, with easy going berry fruits, light touches of spice, and an impeccable freshness that does not sacrifice intensity or length of flavor. SKU: 19995
Thierry & Pascal Matrot Meursault-Charmes 1er Cru 2020
Made from grapes selected from three parcels in the premier cru, with fermentation on native yeasts followed by 15 months on the lees in 1 to 3 year old barrels. The lees contact and full malolactic conversion contribute a rich creaminess to the wine, but the expressive acid and freshness give it excellent cut. In the words of Neal Martin of Vinous: “Razor-sharp Meursault!” Neal Martin, Vinous (92-94) pts SKU: 20224
Laura Lardy Chénas “La Fayarde” 2019
An irresistible cru Beaujolais, this Chenas has that aching tension between mouthwateringly ripe blue fruits and earthy grip, sewn up with a perfect bead of acid, that keeps you pouring more into your glass, unable to move on. The aromatics follow suit, even if the wine is still in its infancy. SKU: 20256
Jean Pernet Brut Rose NV 1.5L
Chardonnay from Les Mesnil sur Oger is blended with Pinot Noir and Meunier from the western side of Epernay, with delicate pressing and temperature controlled primary fermentation, after which the wine spends a minimum of 30 months en tirage. Precise, vivid, and brilliant on the nose and palate, this wine has lovely acidity outlining brilliant berry fruits and mouth-watering saline-inflected minerals. Best served from a magnum, as it is downright impossible to put this wine down! SKU: 19798 France
Fluteau Blanc de Blanc Extra Brut Millésime 2012
This extraordinary value in vintage Champagne comes from the grower-producer Fluteau in the Aube. 100% Chardonnay from 2012, a vintage that is not only shaping up to rival 2008 and 2002 in its own way, but is also showing beautifully already, the wine has a completeness and length that delivers all the crunchy orchard fruit and orange blossom of the varietal, served up on a precise and effortless mousse and closing with distinctive vinosity. SKU: 19689 France
Jean Bourdy Crémant du Jura Blanc Brut NV
A delicious and easy-drinking Crémant made from 100% Chardonnay and with two years on the lees, with aeration this non-vintage brut reveals surprising details of soil and earth inflected orchard fruits, dried fruit peels, and a savory finish. SKU: 19712 France
Pépière Muscadet Sevre et Maine Monnières-Saint Fiacre 2018
With two years on the lees, this Monnières is gorgeously plush and textured, with dried white flowers, lemon curd, seashell, and salted tangerine accents balanced by just enough acid to keep it poised. SKU: 19819 France
Thibault Liger-Belair Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Saint Georges 2018
It is generally agreed that if there were a premier cru in Nuits-Saint-Georges worthy of being elevated to Grand Cru status it would be Les Saint Georges, in the southern part of the village. Liger-Belair’s house style is defined by densely woven and finely textured wines with deeply expressive profiles, wine that are made for the long haul, making them ideal collector’s items. With 40% whole cluster inclusion and 22 months in 50% new oak, this is a formidable wine from a powerful vintage. SKU: 19923 France
Jean-Paul Brun Morgon Côte du Py-Javernières 2021
“The 2021 Morgon Côte du Py Javernières is a taut, structured wine that will demand a little patience, even in this giving vintage. Offering up aromas of plums, red berries, sweet spices and licorice, it's medium to full-bodied, deep and vibrant, with powdery tannins and tangy acids.” William Kelley, WA 92+ pts SKU: 19871 France
Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Saint-Joseph 2019
“Bottled in late July 2021, Chave's 2019 Saint Joseph boasts copious floral scents of violets and lavender set against a backdrop of purple raspberries. In the mouth, it's medium to full-bodied, with a wonderfully rich yet silky feel and plenty of airy, refreshing length on the finish. It should drink well on release and for at least a decade after that.” Joe Czerwinski, Wine Advocate 94pts SKU: 19714 France
Jean Bourdy Côtes du Jura Blanc 2018
This Savagnin is aged sous voile, that is, with a thin covering of flor that develops on the surface of the wine, similar to fino Sherry, but without fortification or the multi-vintage solera system. The result is a white of penetrating salty and bready aromatics, with a firmly textured palate that delivers quince, apple, and pungent savory herb and spice details, backed up by bracing acidity and a fully dry finish. SKU: 19715 France
Vincent Girardin Volnay 1er Cru Les Santenots 2019
“Notes of peonies and rose, mingled with aromas of wild berries and warm spices, introduce the 2019 Volnay 1er Cru Les Santenots, a medium to full-bodied, ample and perfumed wine that's supple and charming, with melting tannins and lively acids. It's an especially sensual rendering of this site.” William Kelley, Wine Advocate 92 pts SKU: 19587 France
Michel Caillot Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Pucelles 2019
The 1er Cru Les Pucelles is essentially a continuation of the Montrachet Grand Cru, following the slope of Bienvenues and leading in turn to the premier crus of Clavoillon, les Perièrres, and les Referts. The house style here is defined by wines of power and pervasive minerality, loaded with savory details of hazelnut and saline, poached pear, and apple skins, with a mounting sensation of tension and structure as the wine builds across the palate to a show-stopping finish. SKU: 19796 France
Dufouleur Fréres Côte de Nuits Villages Le Vaucrains 2018
In the ongoing struggle to find those corners of Burgundy capable of producing outstanding wines of character that have not yet been “discovered” by the general public, we come to Côte de Nuits Villages. Dufouleur’s Le Vaucrains comes from a climat of that name in the village of Comblanchien, just south of Nuits-Saint-Georges. Dark red fruits deeply informed by spice and forest floor are presented here on a frame of surprising structure, texture, and length. This could easily be mistaken for a Nuits-Saint-Georges – even a 1er cru – for twice the price. SKU: 19752 France
Louis Moreau Chablis Grand Cru Valmur 2018
The estate’s vines in the Valmur Grand Cru are over 50 years old, and the fruit is hand harvested, with fermentation taking place in 500L barrels before the wine matures for 18 months in 5th or 6th use barrels. Rich and embracing, it offers waves of ripe apple inflected with subtle spices and pervasive mineral textures, finishing long with well-judged acidity and a faint echo of honey. SKU: 19705 France
Domaine Rostaing Condrieu La Bonnette 2020
“Always beautiful, and a wine you don’t hear enough about, Rostaing’s 2020 Condrieu La Bonnette has vibrant notes of ripe peach, flowers, honeyed minerality, and even a kiss of green almond. More medium-bodied on the palate, it has the fresher, pure style of this estate, yet this is no mid-weight Condrieu either, and it has classic Viognier texture and length. It’s beautifully done.” Jeb Dunnuck 92 pts SKU: 19677 France
Domaine Blain-Gagnard Chassagne-Montrachet La Boudriotte 1er Cru 2018
La Boudriotte is one of the named single parcels within Morgeot that is permitted to be labeled as its own 1er cru. Situated within the grounds of the abbey, this vineyard tends to produce more refined and elegant expressions of Morgeot, and Blain-Gagnard’s 2018 is no exception. Precise and detailed from the nose to the delicately spiced finish, this Chassagne offers poached pear and baked apple with marine inflections and fine mineral details, supported by ample but refined acidity and a polished inner tension. SKU: 19547 France
Domaine Weinbach Clos des Capucins Pinot Gris 2020
The Clos des Capucins sits just below the Kaysersberg Schlossberg Grand Cru, and the 2020 Pinot Gris is entirely primary at this point, opening with characteristic bitter herbs and crisp orchard fruits. With air, the texture begins to deepen and gather alluring savory details along with textural richness, while retaining its freshness and acidity, finishing dry and long. SKU: 19593 France
Pol Roger Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill 2013
“The 2013 Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill has turned out especially well, wafting from the glass with aromas of orange oil, confit lemon and crisp golden orchard fruit, complemented by subtle hints of brioche and clear honey. Medium to full-bodied, pillowy and seamless, with a deep core of fruit, bright acids and a beautifully refined mousse, this is an elegant, penetrating rendition of Churchill that stands out for its charm and effortlessness.” 96 pts William Kelley, Wine Advocate SKU: 20348 France
Domaine des Lambrays Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru Les Loups 2020
The 2020 vintage marks the Domaine’s second year in organic and first year in biodynamic certification. Yields were very low for 2020, so precious little has made it out into the market. Here is Neal Martin on the 2020 Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru: “Blended with 50% whole bunch, this has a clean, quite precise bouquet with brambly red fruit, chalk and light sous-bois/damp mossy scents. The palate is quite detailed with finer tannins than in recent years, resulting in a silkier texture and more cohesive, sensual finish. This is worth seeking out.” Neal Martin, Vinous (91-93) pts SKU: 20398 France
Domaine Henri Gouges Nuits-Saint-Georges Clos des Porrets St.-Georges Monopole 2020
The Clos des Porrets Premier Cru is a family-owned monopole of 3.6 hectares located just under les Perrières and characterized by pink limestone and rocky Premeaux, with high clay content in the soil. The wines from this climat are long-lived and highly finessed. Alan Meadows of Burghound gave it 90-93 pts and wrote: “Very ripe yet still reasonably fresh aromas are comprised by notes of roasted plum, black cherry, cassis and earth. The dense, powerful and muscular broad-shouldered flavors are supported by a very firm tannic spine on the robust, serious and very compact finale. This is quite impressive though certainly not typical.” SKU: 20362 France
Château Lafon-Rochet Saint-Estèphe 2016
“The 2016 Lafon-Rochet has a very engaging bouquet, a mixture of red and black fruit laced with pencil shavings and loamy scents. In fact, the more you nose this wine, the more its complexity becomes apparent. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins and a fine line of acidity, ripe and generous yet maintaining outstanding tension and revealing a judicious touch of peppercorns on the finish, which fans out gloriously. This is a fabulous Lafon-Rochet and certainly the best bottle of 2016 that I have encountered.” Neal Martin, Vinous 95 pts SKU: 20181
Domaine Belargus Ronceray Anjou Blanc Sec 2018
Domaine Belargus is currently making some of the most compelling Chenin Blancs in the Loire Valley. The Ronceray is a bold and innovative wine that also embodies so much that is classic about Chenin Blanc from this area. Sourced entirely from the four vineyards of the Quarts-de-Chaume Grand Cru, famous for its intense and fully botrytised dessert wines, this wine is fermented fully dry. The result is a Chenin with authoritative mineral power, with tightly coiled white flower, almond, apple skins, and stone fruit, built on a frame of towering acid. Built for the long-haul, Stephan Reinhardt of the Wine Advocate gave it 94 pts. SKU: 19571
Domaine Raspail-Ay Gigondas 2019
Although this wine is made in the most traditional way possible- vinified in concrete and aged in old, large foudres- it has a distinctly signature personality, probably stemming in part from the fact that this is the only wine the estate makes (with the exception of a little rosé). A captivatingly vinous bouquet greets the nose with notions of cherry cordial, raspberry coulis, and fine warm spices. The palate is succulent and complete, with richly expressed red fruits and excellent delineating acidity, accented by some classic touches of bitter herbs and raspberry seed zest before coasting to a lengthy finish. SKU: 20186
Château Pradeaux Bandol Rouge 2015
This densely textured and extracted Bandol is just beginning to enter its drinking window, with deep, punchy dark purple and black fruits, damson plum, blackberry, and pungent garrigue, the tannins are supple and grippy, with satisfying outlines of spice and undergrowth. The blend is not less than 95% Mourvedre from vines 25 years or older, whole cluster fermented and raised in large oak foudres sometimes up to four years. All of the classic Bandol notes are sounded here in a very old-school sort of way. SKU: 20236
Alberto Orte Escalada do Bibei Valdeorras 2016
A blend of Mencia, Merenzao (Trousseau), Brancellao, and splashes of Grau Negro and Garnacha Tintorera grown near the cliffs of the river Bibei in Valdeorras, this unique wine sees extended maceration (4 weeks) and 18 months in French oak. The result is poised between intensity and elegance, with highly complex aromatics of violets and roses, charcuterie and rust, the palate has a vertical and chiseled frame covered with lovely raspberry and strawberry red fruits. The tannins, acid, and wood are all fully integrated and harmonious and the finish is resounding. This is one of my favorite of Alberto Orte’s singular creations. SKU: 19861
Pascal Doquet Vertus Premier Cru Coeur de Terroir Extra Brut 2009
Always one of the top wines from Pascal Doquet, the Vertus Premier Cru Coeur de Terroir comes from seven lieux dits composed of chalk and clay soils in the Premier Cru village of Vertus. The base wines, made up of 70% Chardonnay and 30% Pinot Noir, are matured for 11 months in neutral oak barrels. It spends a whopping 12 years sur latte before disgorgement, when a very modest dosage of 2 g/L is added. Deep, profound even, and richly satisfying, this is a texturally enveloping Champagne with finely assertive spice and brioche and a plush mousse. SKU: 20041
Jean-Paul Brun Terres Dorées Côte de Brouilly 202
Jean-Paul Brun Terres Dorées Côte de Brouilly 2021 “One of the more introverted wines in the range is the 2021 Côte de Brouilly, a medium-bodied, lively and somewhat compact effort redolent of plums, cherries, licorice and spices. I suspect it simply needs a bit of time to unwind after its recent bottling.” William Kelley, WA 90 pts SKU: 19870
Domaine Dujac Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru 2019
“The 2019 Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru is very promising indeed, mingling aromas of raspberries and plums with scents of rose petals, dark chocolate and baking spices. Medium to full-bodied, perfumed and tightly wound, with fine depth at the core, lively acids and a long, saline finish, I increasingly think that this cuvée is the most underrated wine in the Domaine Dujac portfolio.” Wine Advocate (92-94)+ pts SKU: 168 France
Chéreau Carré Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Le Clos du Château Oiselinière 2014
This wine is sourced from the oldest vines in the Clos (80 years old) and after a spontaneous fermentation in stainless steel it spends 31 months on the lees in underground cement vats. Still very youthful (despite the vintage), it combines power and energy, delivering layers of seashell and umami notes on a richly compact frame, driven by electrifying acidity that promises at least a decade of further development. From the cru of La Haie Fouassière. SKU: 19314 France
Chéreau Carré Muscadet Sèvre et Maine L’Orée du Château la Turmelière 2016
With 43 months of sur lie aging, L’Orée has a broader attack on the palate, with richly fruited suggestions of mandarin inflected stone fruits surrounded by signature stony and chalky mineral qualities. Like its counterpart Le Clos, this wine shows tremendous development with extended aeration, as new textures and sensations continue to unfurl over time. From the cru of Chateau-Thebaud. SKU:19315 France
Domaine de l’Epinay Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Clisson 2017
Sourced from a tiny 2.5 hectare parcel in the Cru Communaux of Clisson, this wine spends almost 3 years on the lees after a lengthy 2-3 week fermentation. Rich, textured and lengthy, the wine shows ripe yellow apples, subtle herbal inflections, and a deeply savory expression of the Clisson terroir, which is composed of gravel and silt over granite bedrock. SKU: 19262 France
Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape Rouge 2019
“Saturated violet color. Powerful, mineral-accented cherry, blackberry, licorice and -garrigue- scents, along with a hint of candied flowers. Deep, penetrating and alluringly sweet, offering cherry liqueur, dark berry, lavender, exotic spice and cola flavors that are given spine by a core of juicy acidity. In a concentrated yet lively, fluid style. Finishes extremely long and precise, with building tannins and a powerful echo of spiciness and florality.” Josh Raynolds, Vinous 95 pts SKU: 5916 France
Yohan Lardy Moulin-a-Vent Les Michelons 2021
In warmer vintages, this wine requires a few years to soften up, but the 2021 is immediately open and irresistible, with fresh and satisfyingly lengthy raspberries and other red berry suggestions gliding across the palate. Seamless, refreshing, and vivifying, this is lip-smacking and alluring cru Beaujolais that recalls the wines of decades past, before the trend of back-to-back hot vintages became the norm. SKU: 18675 France
Olivier Guyot Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru Les Sorbets 2019
The Morey-Saint-Denis is the most immediately swoon-worthy of the estate’s 2019 1er crus, dishing out the sour cherries, spiced orange rind, rose hips, and lush red fruit textures with abandon. Vivid, intense, and already satisfying, it has an achingly gorgeous finish that goes on for minutes. It’s clear that this wine will richly reward anyone who cellars it for a while, but it is so appealing right now that it will be hard to keep your hands off! SKU: 19382 France
Olivier Guyot Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Les Champeaux 2019
Les Champeaux is the northernmost cru on the slope that contains Gevrey-Chambertin’s finest premier crus, such as Clos St.-Jacques and Cazetiers. Olivier Guyot owns 1 hectare of this precious terroir, and the 2019 soars from the glass with powerful aromatics and promise of future development. Totally primary in the glass right now, this is a layered Gevrey-Chambertin, with dark fruits, notes of black tea and brush, dried violets, and firm tannic structure. As it opens with air the interplay of blackberries, plum, and black cherry with more earthy tones deepens and creates a wonderful complexity on the palate. While this will develop beautifully with time in the cellar, it can be enjoyed now for a more primal experience, and with sufficient aeration. SKU: 19381 France
Domaine Laroche Saint Martin Chablis 2020
This village-level Chablis exhibits forward tart orchard fruits, good concentration and texture from its 6 months on the lees, and excellent overall tension. About 15% of the wine was raised in 30 year old oak foudres, which also contributes to the beautiful intensity and length of the wine. SKU: 19388 France
Egly-Ouriet Grand Cru Extra Brut NV
Formerly labelled as Ambonnay, this wine has become a reference point for grower Champagne, and these bottlings have become more and more sought-after, and thus more and more allocated. The search is always worth the effort, however, as the quality here is of a very high order, and more importantly the estate’s bottlings deliver consistency year after year, which something that cannot always be said of the independent growers. No small part of the magic is the estates holdings in three of the most enviable Grand Crus of the Montagne de Reims: Ambonnay, Bouzy, and Verzenay. All three are blended here, and the wine spends no less than four years on the lees before receiving a very low dosage of 2 g/L. Here is William Kelley’s review of this release (disgorged in July of 2022), from the Wine Advocate, issue 262: 92 pts “Based on the 2017 vintage, Egly's NV Brut Grand Cru unwinds in the glass with aromas of pear, freshly baked bread, lemon zest, tangerine and praline. Full-bodied, layered and elegantly muscular, with terrific concentration, racy acids and chalky structure, it concludes with a long, gently honeyed finish. Egly has always been enthusiastic about the quality of his Ambonnay fruit in 2017, and this bottling certainly validates his early confidence.” SKU: 4605 France
Billecart-Salmon Cuvée Nicolas François Brut 2007
“Disgorged with six grams per liter dosage, the 2007 Brut Cuvée Nicolas François is showing very nicely, offering up aromas of fresh bread, citrus oil, crisp yellow orchard fruit, white flowers, verbena, macadamia nut and hints of biscuity complexity to come. Full-bodied, chiseled but fleshy, its vinous core of fruit cloaks the vintage's brisk acids to achieve real plenitude in a year that's sometimes rather tautly austere. Long and penetrating and complemented by a pretty, pinpoint mousse, this is a real success.” William Kelley, Wine Advocate 97 pts
Château Guiraud Sauternes 2017 (375ml)
“The 2017 Guiraud is brimming with pineapple, passion fruit, spice and vanillin. Rich, structured and racy, it shows tremendous character as well as personality. Readers should expect a bold, extroverted Sauternes. I loved it.” Neal Martin, Vinous 95 pts SKU: 19135 France
Moulin Touchais Coteaux du Layon 1996
“This 1996 Coteaux du Layon illustrates the striking combination of mineral and nobly sweet characteristics that were possible in this unusual vintage, though its notoriously high acidity is scarcely noticeable thanks to the balance lent by high sugar and the harmony conveyed by time in bottle. Alkaline and wet stone aromas here approach the effect of sticking one’s head down a moss- and algae-covered cistern, accompanied by scents of lily, narcissus, quince preserves, stale bread, musk, and sweat. The rich quince character is carried and complimented by a juicy and not at all heavy palate impression, and this finishes with remarkable refreshment and pronouncedly alkaline and stony minerality, as well as snuffed candle wick smokiness and bitterness of quinine.” David Schildknecht, Wine Advocate 90 pts SKU: 18435 France
