You know that bittersweet feeling of getting in on a great thing just as it’s on its way out? Well, that’s how we felt (see below) when we discovered Jean Gauradet, the “Best Kept Secret in Pommard”, in his last vintage, and sold out his 2006 Monthelie to the Guild. Such is life; however, rumors of the estate’s untimely demise due to his ungrateful offspring were greatly exaggerated. Under new leadership but still within the watchful tutorship of Jean, the estate (now known as Domaine Berthelemot) is back with a vengeance – and is delivering the same awesome displays of power, grace, classicity and beauty that we’ve come to expect from a Defcon veteran (for the uninitiated, our “Defcon” label applies to absolute, 100%, no-brainer wines that transcend simple adjectives and superlatives, and has only been used on a small handful of wines since the Guild’s inception).
Of course, upon hearing of the wine’s return, I was instantly skeptical – I’ve had enough “Defcon”-ish players in my time that never repeat their all-star batting average in subsequent seasons, and so I tend not to get my hopes up – but a little part of me really wanted it to be true. And so I tried a swirl of it, a week fresh off the container, and it was almost what you’d expect after its long journey: all the pieces were there, but it felt jumbled. So our rep waited patiently for another couple of months, and called me last week with a bottle waiting to be sampled. It’s here, I could tell from the tone of his voice. And sho’nuff, it’s here. Our ‘baby Pommard’ is back, and I couldn’t be more thrilled. After almost 3 years, the Defcon Returneth! I still have some of the 06, and it’s not been long since my last bottle got uncorked, and the similarities are (for obvious reasons) uncanny – this is that same classic juice, with perhaps just a bit more force and focus—a bit more Pommard-iness. I know: Oh, darn! So, here, just go back to my original offer, and you’ll see why I originally fell in love with this wine:
Some of you may remember that I featured Jean Garaudet not to far back—his ’05 Bourgogne was outstanding, and the Guild took it all. Well, I’m the picture of confidence when I say that his ’06 Monthelie just takes it to a whole new level—several levels up, honestly. Monthelie is not very well known—it’s a tiny southern Beaune appelation sandwiched between Muersault, Volnay and the hills. While it can often produce thin, inexpressive, run-of-the-mill red burgundy, there is plenty of potential tucked away up there. The better examples turn that lack of body into grace and finesse. Ted Stevenson, in the New Sotheby’s Wine Encyclopedia, calls Monthelie the most underrated in all of Burgundy.
As for Jean Garaudet, Pierre Rovani calls him “the best kept secret in Pommard…(Garaudet’s) elegant wines, saturated with lavish amounts of ripe fruit and harmonious, mouthfilling, satisfying flavors, offer formidable evidence of the positive effects of low yields and old-vines”. After being so impressed with Garaudet’s Bourgogne, I was expecting a similar wine in the Monthelie, perhaps with a bit more depth and a touch less concentration. So when we opened the bottle and poured the first glass, you can imagine my surprise when the wine lept out of the glass with power, concentration, extraction and meat. This is Monthelie? It was full of brute force, spicy, with an aura of recklessness—not at all what I was expecting. It was almost like he’d blended some typically dark, rich Pommard in here.
As the wine opened up, it began to find its footing, and by the end of the second glass, I was getting some of that finesse, finally. The front end of it was still a bit concentrated, but behind that, there was a perfumed quality, like aged Chateaunuef from a lean vintage, and bright red fruit with tongue-enveloping acidity. Still, though, it was leaping out of the glass. Every sniff was huge, and it was not relenting. The depth was immense, and we marveled at this juxtaposition of the concentrated front end and the precise acidity and intensity of the mid-palate. It was just so unassuming, like a genius who doesn’t realize his own brilliance. I was blown away, to put it lightly.
So Kevin corked the last few inches of wine and sent it home with us, explaining that it still had some opening up to do. On the drive back, Steph asked how much it costs; she was expecting mid-$30′s. Try mid to upper teens, I said. I’m not sure she believed me.
An hour or so later, I poured the last glass; surprise surprise! I was treated to yet another level. That perfumed character that it had eluded to earlier had taken over. The concentration up front had backed off a little, and it was now (as I put it in a quick “holy crap!” e-mail to Kevin as I was drinking it) like fresh-cut spring flowers drizzled in cherry reduction. The bright, fresh nose gave a new meaning to the old “bouquet” that gets tossed around; this is the kind of elegance, finesse, and whispers of greatness and I would hope for from a $40 bottle of 1er cru Burgundy. But Monthelie? For the 3rd time that night, I was slayed by this unassuming bottle from a backwoods Beaune village.
This is all terribly bittersweet, though, because Jean Garaudet is hanging it up. This will be his last vintage, as his children (fools!) have no interest in taking the reigns. So here we are: his last year; it’s amazing wine, wine that far, far outpaces its tariff, and so I’m writing this DEFCON e-mail with flashing red lights and sirens. I can say with utmost confidence that a Burgundy of this caliber, at this cost, comes along maybe once every couple years (especially since the Guild gets a special price break.) I’ll be ordering plenty for myself, Kevin’s taking a good chunk, but the supply is not that deep. He’s been sampling it around the area, and I’m afraid that someone else is going to jump on it soon, so I implore you: do not flounder or falter. If you love great Burgundy, and love great inexpensive Burgundy even more, you simply cannot do better than this.
2006 Jean Garaudet Monthelie (Côte de Beaune)
There you have it. One of the very best wines we’ve had the good fortune to offer here at the Guild returns like Roy Hobbs to knock it out of the park again. At the price of many a village-level Bourgogne, you have what could be mistaken for some mean Pommard. I dare you to say no…
2009 Domaine Berthelemot Monthelie
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Retail Price: $34.25
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A Sauvignon Blanc for All Seasons
Posted on Jan 16, 2012 by Evan Williams.
On the heels of a couple of relatively pricy collectors' offers on ageable reds, I've got your first stunning bargain of 2012. Hey, don't scoff at Sauv Blanc in January - this is wine that works with any season, and is priced so that you can stock up now for the next few months without busting your budget.
As some of you may know, I have a serious soft spot for Sauvignon Blanc from Sancerre...it is, by most measures, the best in the world, and it's become an annual tradition of ours to go through a case or so of the Cherrier when it shows up in late spring. Now, there are scores of Sauv Blancs from outside of France that strive to craft a similar reputation, but the problem with this varietal in the modern wine world, as with Chardonnay, Cab, etc., is that with so many producers on the bandwagon around the globe, there's a frustrating abundance of cheap grapefruit-bombs out there to wade through (or, alternately, you just have to pay through the nose for quality) - so much so that I've taken to just hunkering down with a couple trusty Sancerre producers just to be safe.
That having been said, you can be pretty sure that when you see me of all people get excited about an affordable bottle from Mendocino County, it must be something special...and here we are! The 2009 Patianna Sauvignon Blanc is some of the best sub-$30 SB I've tasted, Sancerre included - and to be honest, I think it's actually more accessible than a lot of those French examples right now; rather than being a tight ball of minerality and acid that needs time and patience to open up, this is wide open, full throttle, right now. That's certainly not to say that it's a flabby, oaky, or overly-obvious attempt to placate the 'California palate', either; this is actually very Sancerre-esque, just with much more unctuousness.
The Patianna estate is fully certified organic & Demeter-biodynamic, and the wine here reflects their dedication to terroir expressiveness: there's a stony, chalky front end that's buffeted by soft citrus and lychee, with only a touch of that typical passionfruit/ivy character that can so often overpower 'new world' Sauv Blanc. There is bright, powerful acidity and energy throughout, and the wine is dangerously gulpable, but what really struck me after a few sips is the sheer depth of the wine: it's anything but one-noted, with layers of terroir and varietal character, all held together with a confident structure that is rarely if ever found at this price range. This is what you call rarefied, and at under $17, almost unheard of.
It's also getting plenty of attention from the press, and is thus disappearing fast. It showed up on the cover of Wine Enthusiast recently, and made #5 in their top 100 wines of 2011:
Winemaker Mike Lee continues to prove his prowess with Sauvignon Blanc in this latest vintage from Patianna, Patti Fetzer's line of organically farmed wines from outside of Hopland in Mendocino County. Fermented entirely in stainless steel without undergoing ML or barrel aging, it delivers everything you love about the variety, inviting one in with melon and minerality, then following through with a surprising creaminess and almost decadent, mousse-like finish. 93 pts.
2009 Patianna Sauvignon Blanc
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Retail Price: $21.99
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Killer Barolo from a Legendary Producer at a Great Price!
Posted on Jan 13, 2012 by Kevin Sidders.
I've had my eye on this wine ever since I tasted it briefly at an Italian restaurant in Richmond several weeks ago. Enotaca Sogno is run by Gary York, a former Charlottesvillian known to many around town who's also an expert on Italian wines. Over dinner at his place one night (which I highly recommend, BTW), he swung by my table to interrupt the conversation with "you've GOT to try this". He poured me a small taste with his hand over the label, and asked me what I thought it should cost. It was clearly very classy Barolo, complex palate, very impressive, so I guessed it would be north of $100 on his wine list. But when he showed me what it was, and told me its wholesale price, I was blown away...
The wine was the 2007 Vietti Barolo Castiglione. The Vietti estate is run by Luca Currado, generally regarded as one of the top winemakers and consultants in Barolo right now. I have had the pleasure of meeting him a couple of times on my trips there, and have always been impressed by his warmth and charm for a person as highly revered as he is. Just last week, Antonio Galloni of the Wine Advocate featured him in his video series on Barolo, which can be seen here: http://www.erobertparker.com/members/ag/ag184.asp (I believe this works, but you may need to be a subscriber).
Castiglione is their baseline Barolo, a blend of several of the estate's Cru vineyards, places like Bricco Fiasco, Ravera and Fossati. For my money it's one of (if not THE) best base-level Barolo made each year. And recall that 2007 was a great vintage in Barolo, with the wines I've tasted across the broad showing exceptionally well. Interestingly, this vintage is drinking well right off the bat (unlike most) -- while these wines will certainly improve with age, this can be consumed now and deliver great pleasure.
Galloni published a strongly enthusiastic review of the wine last year and gave it a great score:
The 2007 Barolo Castiglione deftly balances the open, radiant personality of the vintage with considerable underlying structure. Warm, dense and full-bodied, the 2007 Barolo Castiglione flows effortlessly across the palate with generous fruit and fabulous overall balance. The wine was even better when I tasted it from bottle a few months later. It is another overachieving wine from Vietti and a bottle that is exceedingly fairly priced. 93 points. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2027.
Whether you are a savvy Barolo connoisseur, got recently introduced to it through the Guild, or are curious to try it for the first time to see what the fuss is all about, this would be a great wine for you. Complexity, class, accessibility, and a very affordable price for the overall quality, this is a great choice all around. Highly recommended!
We're expecting this wine to arrive by the end of the month.
2007 Vietti Barolo Castiglione, Piedmont, Italy
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Retail Price: $48.0
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A Guild-Favorite Tuscan Superstar, on Closeout!!
Posted on Dec 15, 2011 by Kevin Sidders.
We just received our first year-end closeout sale offer, this from one of our top distributors. It seems like these are starting later this year (perhaps the economy is finally coming back a bit), but whatever the case in plowing through it two wines from one of my favorite estates leaped off the page. Fattoria di Felsina is one of the top producers of Chianti, making a variety of wines at multiple price points that are all solid values. In fact, Antonio Galloni from the Wine Advocate said that "Felsina is a reference-point property for readers who want to discover the best Tuscany has to offer. Prices remain exceedingly fair considering the quality of what is in the bottle" and I couldn't agree more. I actually visited the estate earlier this year in my travels to Italy and was thrilled to tour the amazing estate and taste through their entire lineup.
To begin, many of you are familiar with the Felsina Chianti Classico Riserva Rancia -- we've sold cases upon cases of the 2004 and 2006 vintages of this wine, which is literally one of my favorite wines in the world. I'm sure you can find those prior emails in your files or archive if you want to experience again my enthusiasm for this wine, but for our newer members this is (in my mind) the single best bottling of Chianti made anywhere by anyone. It's a hugely extracted, powerful and complex expression of Sangiovese (blowing the traditional notion of lightweight, elegant Chianti out of the water) that can go toe to toe with California Cabernet, Bordeaux or Barolo. The 2007 vintage was a very strong one in Italy, and this wine once again lived up to expectations:
The 2007 Chianti Classico Riserva Rancia bursts onto the palate in a big, brooding expression of Sangiovese from Castelnuovo Berardenga. Muscular and dense to the core, the 2007 powers all the way through to the long finish. Hints of smoke, tar, leather and scorched earth emerge over time, but only with great reluctance. In a vintage where so many wines are open, the Rancia comes across as quite stubborn and in need of at least five more years in bottle. That said, it is a standout, not to mention one of the greatest values in fine, age-worthy wine. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2027. -- 94 points, Antonio Galloni, The Wine Advocate
As an added bonus, we have another spectacular wine in the Felsina portfolio to add to the mix this time -- the 2007 Felsina Fontalloro. The Fontalloro is another of Felsina's top wines, also a 100% Sangiovese, but since this particular vineyard is *just* on the other side of the DOCG that defines Chianti proper, the wine cannot be designated as such and has taken a marketing name instead. When I tasted it earlier this year I thought it was more approachable than the Rancia, and Galloni apparently agrees:
The 2007 Fontalloro is round, sweet and inviting, very much in keeping with the style of the vintage. The fruit tends towards the redder end of the spectrum vis-a-vis the Rancia and the Fontalloro seems to possess a touch more freshness. Floral, spiced notes add lift on the finish.-- 93 points, Antonio Galloni, The Wine Advocate
Now, it's pretty rare when a wine we've offered at regular price in multiple prior vintages shows up in a closeout, but when it happens we're thrilled to pass it along with our highest recommendation. In addition, this time we're also able to offer another spectacular wine from the same estate, at a similarly-discounted price. Please respond quickly if you have an interest, as the distributor has made these close-out prices available to all the shops in town and I expect they'll move very quickly...
2007 Felsina Chianti Classico Riserva Rancia, Italy
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Retail Price: $50.00
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2007 Felsina Fontalloro, Italy
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Retail Price: $52.00
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Scrumptious Champagne
Posted on Dec 14, 2011 by Will Richey.
There are so many French words in the wine world for which there are "no good English equivalents." Terroir, well there is no good way to explain it in English. Ullage, there is no English word for it but it is the air bubble space in a wine bottle. Cuvasion, the time when wine is fermenting with solid matter maceration etc... Most often these words occur becasue the French like to name things that we just don't find worthy of a name.
I often desire to describe wines with English words for which there are no French equivalents. Not really knowing how to speak French, this is often a shot in the dark for me. There are a few words that I have to believe have no good French expression: Spaz, wedgie, nuggie, chillaxing, metrosexual etc...
Furthermore there are a few things in the wine world for which there are not yet a name. For instance, that cross over point in a wine where you can just tell it is in the higher class of quality. I have always wanted a name for that so I can say things like, "This wine is clearly beyond the Wilrich level." Just an idea, Parker can use it if he wants.
Speaking of wines that are way above the Wilrich level, I have another Champagne that has blown my mind. Pierre-Cheval Gatinois produces in the Grand Cru Village of Ay. Looking over his reviews now I see that he sells much of his fruit to Bollinger for their Grande Anee bottling. This fact makes me feel better about my own note on the wine, "Bollinger at a reasonable price." This is a classic of the Grand Noir style with 90% Pinot fruit going into the bottling.
I compare the wine to Bollinger but there is a much more individual small house style here with the Gatinois, Grand Cru. Brut NV. Like a metrosexual of manly charm and grace the wine is serious, brooding almost but with fine polish. The tiny bubbles spaz in the glass giving a creamy weight as the wine chillaxes on the palate. My notes read, "delicate but forceful" like an over the head wedgie from your older sister with just as long of a finish. A nuggie of intense refinement digging into your senses through a veritable head lock on your tongue.
Let's see that put into French.
The Wine Advocate and the Spectator both give this wine 91 points:
"The NV Brut Grand Cru Tradition offers lovely inner perfume with a silky minerality that is all about elegance and understatement. The essence and warmth of Pinot from Ay comes through in spades. The NV Brut Grand Cru Tradition is 90% Pinot Noir (mostly Petit Pinot d’Ay) and 10% Chardonnay, mostly 2004 vintage, with a dash of 2005 and 2003. The wine was aged in steel and dosage was 6 grams per liter. NV Brut Grand Cru Tradition is as great a value (in relative terms) as readers will find in Champagne. Disgorged: 3-4 months prior to release, but no specific date indicated. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2012." Grower Champagne - 91 Points Antonio Galloni - The Wine Advocate
Folks are just beginning to come back for the delicious Agrapart Champagne that I sent out a few weeks back. This Champagne is totally different. Gatinois eschews oak use, his dosage is always small, just what is needed. This man is a purest and his style is the elegant style one imagines Kings and Queens would have toasted with in ages past. This is truly an education in the refinement Champagne can approach and I give it my highest recommendations possible.
Scrumpitous Champagne, far above the Wilrich mark.
Gatinois, Grand Cru. Brut NV.
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Retail Price: $45.00
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The Sure Thing
Posted on Dec 12, 2011 by Will Richey.
My "Best of the Year" sure thing pick for a please every palate wine is the 2009 Bodegas Exeo, Cifras, Rioja. 'Garnacha'. I have selected this wine because I think it stands for everything I am personally looking for in a gift wine this year. It is in the middle price point, so a little something nicer. It delivers well above its expectation and it has an immediacy that any wine lover, New World or Old World palate is going to crave.
This Rioja is 100% Garnacha. That's Grenache for the French minded. This is a very unusual thing to do with a Rioja. The handling is perfect and there is a real focus on nuance and complexity in the wine,
The wine is juicy on the palate with a little touch of vanilla from the oak. Great freshness thanks to the good acidity that makes the wine long and precise. Cifras is well structured without sacrificing the quality of the tannins. This is a different way of understanding Garnacha in Rioja where it is usually blended with Tempranillo.
Only 10% of the juice sees any oak. The real focus here is on the purity of fruit. This gives the wine a quality that is instantly harmonious with those who enjoy top California red wines. I believe it is wholly intentional for the winemaker to draw us in with this initial burst of pure deliciousness. But once you get over the fact that this wine is just damn yummy you can not help but notice that there is a lot going on in the bright acidity and unmistakable mineral notes. A true New World expression of terroir in a package of ultimate delivery.
You may recall That Kevin Sidders has offered out the white wine from this estate in the last two vintages . That is because the white has consistently offered an exceptional level of quality for its relative price point. Whereas we have always loved the red, the leap of quality in this vintage makes it a complete do not pass up wine itself.
This is a wine for any occasion, great with all kinds of food but really just dang enjoyable to drink. For me it is also the perfect price point for a truly heart felt gift wine for this time of year. Ambassador wine, your key to graciousness in when entering any door. I highly recommend this one to all palate types.
2009 Bodegas Exeo, Cifras, Rioja. 'Garnacha'
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Retail Price: $27.00
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The Best NV Port Deal Ever?
Posted on Dec 09, 2011 by Evan Williams.
Well, given that I haven't been around for too many decades, I'll qualify that slightly-hyperbolic subject line with "that I've ever seen"...but don't let that little detail diminish the truly incredible nature of this offer.
Port, to me, is one of the enigmas of the wine world. Too many barriers to entry (vintage port costs an arm and a leg and requires aging, non-vintage stuff is often trash) mean that most people, rather than trying to wade into the pond, just forgo it altogether...but when it's done right, when it's aged well enough, and/or when it's priced in a range where you can experiment with it, Port can be something very special and, once in awhile, life-altering.
Now, for the uninitiated, here's a few basic ins and outs of Port: all true Port comes from the Duoro region of Portugal; there are two main types of port, ruby and tawny---ruby is reddish and sweeter and richer, tawny is often a bit drier and more sherry-like; like in Champagne, "vintages" are declared by the powers that be only when a great growing season comes along---in these cases, the wine is aged in barrel for a maximum period of 2.5 years, and then ages in the bottle from there on out. Tawnies, on the other hand, are aged only in the barrel (the years in barrel are typically indicated on the bottle), hence the more brownish, tawny color and increased oxidation (the tradeoff is that they don't change once they're in bottle...all the aging is done in the barrel). Lastly, when juice from vintage years is aged in barrel a la tawny, it is called Colheita.
The bottle I'm bringing you today is a 10 year old (10 years in the barrel) tawny from a new (to the states), small producer, Messias. Dionysos' Kevin Schultz personally selected this on a recent trip to Portugal, and I can't say enough about it. It really is the whole package. And look, I love good vintage ruby port, even late-bottled-vintage stuff, but for my money, right now, without worrying about aging or spending a bunch of money, good tawny is where it's at. It's not sherry, but it's in that direction, and that's what I love---the time in the barrel really brings another class of elements to the table. A brooding, raisiny nose is buttressed by soft aromas of leather and tar, and salty Marcona almonds, and pecans dressed with caramel. The palate starts with sweet cookies, caramel and a touch of smoky charcoal, but it's never actually that sweet. The alcohol is very well-integrated, as is the oak; the finish is dry, spicy and lingering. "Truly awesome" is how my notes finish out. It is.
But it doesn't stop there (but wait, there's more!) Unlike so many great wines of late, this wine has a classic, romantic pre-Prohibition package that just says "porto!" to me (literally and figuratively). Simple, stenciled white lettering, no frills (see below), and the bottle actually comes in a very sleek, attractive box---making this the perfect gift idea. I'd be thrilled to get this under the tree, myself.
Okay, so, remember way back in the subject line, where I used the word "deal"? I think I also said something about it being "the best ever". I meant it. We're talking under $19! I think I've said enough...this is the only tawny you need.
Messias 10 Year Tawny Porto
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Retail Price: $24.75
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The Perfect Gift for the Traveling Francophile
Posted on Dec 06, 2011 by Will Richey.
If you’re looking for a Holiday gift idea, stocking stuffer, or just want to give yourself something special this time of year, the Wine Guild has a great offer from our friends at La Belle France. This is a niche travel newsletter for the francophiles out there. They’ve been reviewing the French dining, hotel, and country retreat scene for 25 years, and Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate says,
“Remarkably accurate… advice and tips are to be taken seriously. If you visit France at least once a year, a good investment is a subscription to La Belle France.”
Whether you are planning your first trip to Paris or perhaps this is your 30th trip to France and what you really want is to get off the beaten path, subscribers to the newsletter La Belle France have found it to be required reading. It is the longest running publication solely dedicated to traveling France. Due to its unique subscriber-supported business model, the publication has never had advertising or sponsorships of any kind, allowing its original reviews of hotels and restaurants to be entirely anonymous, unbiased, and honest.
Exclusive to the Wine Guild is a one-time only 50% off the subscription price for La Belle France. A one-year subscription to the newsletter and full-access to hundreds of restaurant and hotel reviews online typically costs $119. Wine Guild members get this for only $59.50. You will receive 12 issues of La Belle France and complete password-protected access to unlimited content online at www.labellefrance.com.
Pick up a subscription form at the Wine Guild or email my friend Jeremy Goldstein at jeremy@labellefrance.com and see why Travel + Leisure magazine calls La Belle France, “The pick of the travel newsletters - a bright insider publication providing travelers with indispensable information.”
Fantastic Italian Red
Posted on Dec 05, 2011 by Will Richey.
This is what you might call an Italian Table Wine, meaning, it's under $10 and good for many meals and situations. What sets this particular wine apart from that rather general category of lower priced wines is that this wine is unbelievably fantastic.
Absolutely no hyperbole, I would have been happy paying $16-$18 for this Dolcetto.
I first tasted the wine over a month ago with the sales rep. You may remember as I offered the Barberesco from the same estate. I wanted to offer the Dolcetto then but the 200 cases they had in stock were immediately purchased by another retailer in the Northern Virginia area. I have been waiting for its return to offer out and it is finally back.
This wine marks maybe one of three for the year in the category of drinking quality that at double its price point would still have you thinking it was a steal. The flavor reminded me of a quality of Dolcetto I had not had in some time, deep and brooding tart berry flavors, ruby velvet in both color and feel with a good tannic grip to let you know you have something of worth to bight on to.
This is a tremendously solid red that is priced for everyday drinking. It is my #1 holiday red wine pick as it will please almost all of your guests whilst having the unique ability of also being delightful to you as well.
My highest recommendations for this quality and price point
2009 Franco Serra. Dolcetto
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Retail Price: $10.99
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Beaujolias and Thanksgiving
Posted on Nov 21, 2011 by Will Richey.
I spent the entire day yesterday slaughtering Turkeys for Thanksgiving. It was so beautiful out, overcast, warm and still. We did the work out by my fire pit under a 200 year old oak tree. The smoke from a slow burning fire occasionally blew over us as we plucked the wild sprays of feathers from the beautiful birds. I had set out Oysters and homemade hard cider, cold and bone dry, we snacked as we worked but when the birds were cleaned and put into refrigeration and my friends had left I straightened up the site, made myself a ham sandwich and popped the cork on a 2009 Cru Beaujolias. Surrounded by the orange-brown horizon of fallen oak leaves, the silver and gray stripes of bare tree trunks and the thin whisping bead of an open hard wood fire I gulped the wine down in huge mouthfuls and felt like an old woodsman from a German story book.
This is the wine of Autumn feasting.
Many folks feel like drinking Beaujolias with Thanksgiving dinner is a must. I am one of these people. This is a good thing as it seems like the quality of Beaujolais just keeps getting better every year.
No joke. If you have not tasted a Cru Beaujolias in the last 7 years you are missing one of the more delightful trends in the wine world.
The 2009 Domaine de la Voute des Crozes, Cote de Brouilly from Kermit Lynch imports is by far my top pick for this years T-day celebration. We will be able to get this in Wednesday before Thanksgiving for all of the die-hards who realize that having a good Beaujolais is as necessary as having Gravy for your mashed potatoes.
This Cote de Brouilly almost drinks like a Burgundy. In that I mean it has none of those qualities that would make someone qualify a wine as Gamay-y. The wine is deep and dark with brooding tannic fruits that are also somehow lively, refreshing and delightful.
I believe this to be the perfect wine for all your Thanksgiving needs with my highest reccomendations.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone.
You may also note that we are getting a significantly better price for our member pricing due to the power of the Guilds bulk buying ability. Hurray for group buying power. Yeah Guild!
Last of all I will leave you with my favorite November poem by Robert Frost:
My Sorrow, when she’s here with me,
Thinks these dark days of autumn rain
Are beautiful as days can be;
She loves the bare, the withered tree;
She walks the sodden pasture lane.
Her pleasure will not let me stay.
She talks and I am fain to list:
She’s glad the birds are gone away,
She’s glad her simple worsted gray
Is silver now with clinging mist.
The desolate, deserted trees,
The faded earth, the heavy sky,
The beauties she so truly sees,
She thinks I have no eye for these,
And vexes me for reason why.
Not yesterday I learned to know
The love of bare November days
Before the coming of the snow,
But it were vain to tell her so,
And they are better for her praise.
2009 Domaine de la Voute des Crozes, Cote de Brouilly
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Retail Price: $24.99
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The Latest Chapter in My Sordid Love Affair With Mont Olivet
Posted on Oct 27, 2011 by Evan Williams.
I've been waiting for an opening in the schedule so I could bring you what I consider to be a perennial champion of the wine world, from one of my favorite Rhone producers, and it's finally here. I'm drinking a bottle of the 2009 Clos du Mont Olivet 'Montueil - la Lavade' Cotes du Rhone, and all I can say is that it's pure, stunning deliciousness wrapped in a shell of classic Chateauneuf-esque garrigue and earthiness, tied up with a ribbon of restrained classicity that a wine of this price has no business getting anywhere near.
My ire towards the world of village-level CdR is well-known, and well-founded. I think, more than any other type of wine, the proportion of frumpy, uninteresting, "generic red table wine" Cotes du Rhones that I've had has been so overwhelming that for a long while, I just gave up on them altogether (as I've done with Chianti and other common basic-level European wines from time to time), waiting for something to bring me back from the brink whenever it felt the urge. Well, last year, when I tried the 2008 vintage, that day finally came. In a difficult vintage, here's this inexpensive little village wine that tastes like a scaled-back Chateaunuef---we're back in business, baby!, I said to myself. Well, I've tasted plenty of village CdR between then and now, and none have really done it for me like the La Lavade does it for me. So when the 09 shipment came in, I knew you all deserved a heads-up.
The La Lavade, as I said, has a core of pure deliciousness; it's big without being sappy or extracted; it's luxurious without being cloying or candied. The nose is full of garrigue, limestone and ripe berries with just a hint of woodiness - it promises depth and breadth, while not being overly obvious, which just draws you in further. The first sip is a bit like tart cherry pie: big acid for structure, soft tannins, bright fruit and a velvety chocolate element that winds its way through your palate. The finish is lingering, but not obnoxious.
As I said a year ago, I've been in love with Mont Olivet ever since, years and years ago, one of their aged Chateaunuefs unexpectedly transported me to another world. They walk that line between classic ageable brilliance and drink-now approachableness, and their wines always tell a story. My verdict here, though, is that Rhones of this caliber at this silly low price only come along a few times a year, and with a vintage like 2009, this has the potential to last five years (which is saying a lot for a wine at this price). Not that I think you can wait that long, but hey, maybe you forget about a few bottles down in the back of your cellar, right?
Okay, Autumn is upon us, and it's time to move on only the best reds for winter. This is my first entry in that column. Go!
2009 Clos du Mont Olivet 'Montueil - la Lavade' Cotes du Rhone
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Retail Price: $16.00
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First Burgundy of the Season
Posted on Oct 17, 2011 by Will Richey.
There is tradition that says when God banished Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden he gave them a young vine, the last and only item they were able to take from Eden. The Burgundians trace their very clone of Pinot Noir back through an ancient migration that would have originated exactly where we believe Eden to have been.
I just made made that up, but it is basically how I feel about Burgundy.
If you are new to the Guild you may not have heard that Burgundy is my favorite wine. I love the stuff, I revel in it, Burgundy is proof to me that God loves us, it is a glimpse into heaven, a taste from the realm where all things originate, it is perfection.
I am such a geek for Burgundy that I will only drink it in the Fall and Winter when I believe it tastes its absolutely best. I wont write the essay on why I think that here, just trust me on this one.
The Burgundy I have today is a Guild favorite. We have been strong supporters of this Domaine since our origin. In fact the lessor brother to todays wine was once a Defcon wine for us in a much more average vintage. That was the 'Grands Pretans,' today I have the 2009 Domaine Xavier Besson. Givry 1er Cru. 'Petit Pretan.'
This wine is from a much smaller Pretan. No, sorry, again I am joking. I have not looked up the wine makers notes on this wine or checked on a map to see where the different vineyards sit. I only know what I have tasted and I can say without a doubt that this is the finest vintage I have ever tasted of this wine.
Besson's style has been a favorite for me since the late 90's. His wines are approachable, huge with flavor, deeply Burgundian and all about ready ripe fruit. I have always used this wine to turn California/Oregon Pinot drinkers on to Burgundy. As much as finding good drinking Burgundy can be a crap shoot, Besson's wines are on and drinking stunningly almost every time.
If Besson's wine is a sharply dressed gentleman, the 2009 Petite Pretans is Bond in a tuxedo. There is more of everything here. The Petite Pretan is already a deeper wine than the Grands Pretan, more brooding and dark as the Cote Nuits is to the Beaune. Both wines transcend their Givry home in the Cote Chalonnais, though possessing a brightness of fruit one associates with that area.
There is just so much more here, stones and black cherry, chasm like depth, roundness, length, it is a blustery day of fallen leaves, forest floor, "stone rock, stone, steal, stone, oak leaves horses heels."
I am often baffled by explanation when I love a wine so perfectly.
My highest recommendations for all palate types and in all cases.
2009 Domaine Xavier Besson. Givry 1er Cru. 'Petit Pretan.'
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Retail Price: $30.50
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Autumn’s Rose
Posted on Oct 13, 2011 by Will Richey.
Last evening, with the help of some good neighbors, I loaded a rather wild pig onto my trailer for delivery to the abattoir this morning. It was pouring down rain and I was calf deep in mud, I did take one ride landing horizontal in what I like to think was just mud but know deep down wasn't. Monday I slaughtered my first Turkey for the season along with some Roosters who were unnecessary for our uses. I will eat that Turkey on Friday, I like to give fowl at least five days aging before I roast them.
I love Autumn with all its chores and blessings and I could eat roast Turkey from September to March. It is one of my favorite foods. And along with the foods of Autumn and Winter I begin to think of my favorite wines. This is the great culinary time of the year when foods and wine taste best and for me it is a time to open my best and oldest bottles but also it is a time to revel in the perfect pairing of wine to food at every level.
Like eating soup, I drink Rose all year long. Sure it is crisp and satisfying in the Summer time and many types of Rose even signify Summer to me. But there are many styles of Rose and I'd be a damn fool not to open up the correct ones with the right food no matter what temperature it is outside.
For Thanksgiving and even Christmas time this year I am thrilled to be recommending a Virginia Rose. From newest label in town, the 2010 Knights Gambit, Rose is utterly delicious. With a light natural effervescence and medium crisp body this wine is enjoyable, palate cleansing and thoroughly gulpable. The Rose is 100% Merlot with 3-4 cold macerations followed by pressing then neutral barrel fermentation, crafted by local wine hero Michael Shaps and owner Paul Summers this is an excellent effort to be enjoyed by all.
There was not a lot made but the wine has just been released so there should be plenty to load up on to delight guests with a delicious example of what we do here in Virginia all season long. I recommend this wine to all palate types, it is a stunning dry rose distinctly in the old world style, it will be perfect for almost any meal and an no brainer cocktail wine.
2010 Knights Gambit, Rose
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Retail Price: $15.63
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A Return To Qupe Chardonnay
Posted on Oct 11, 2011 by Will Richey.
I finally made it out to The Commonwealth Restaurant and Sky Bar a couple weeks back to meet some friends for drinks. I am not the first to say it but this restaurant is an instant C-ville classic. The decor and the service are impeccable, the Sky bar is a great environment to relax and have a few drinks. This will certainly be the first stop we all take our out of town guests when they visit and want to see something that is specifically and interestingly C-ville. I wasn't able to work my way around the food much on this visit but did enjoy the BBQ Croquettes. This may be my new favorite place to sip through a bottle of wine. Continue reading...
Tasting: “New World” Wines For Fall
Posted on Oct 05, 2011 by Staff.
Brycen with Republic National will be joining us tonight to pour a handful of wines from California and South America that are perfect to welcome the wonderful weather that is finally descending upon us (and the great food that comes with it). It'll be a great evening for getting out with some good wine and good company, so we'll see between 5:30 and 7:30 tonight. Cheers,
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