*Pinot Noir, Menetou-Salon, Dom. Philippe Gilbert, 2008 (Loire , France) $46.
100% Pinot Noir from a tiny A.O.C. neighboring Sancerre in the Loire Valley. This wine is elegant & fruity with a beautiful balance and a pleasant, dry finish.
*Saumur-Champigny, Dom. Des Roches Neuves, T. Germain, 2006 (Loire, Fr) $38
From a Bordeaux winemaker now in the Loire, this superb, biodynamic wine is produced with exceptionally ripe grapes & minimal intervention. 100% Cabernet Franc, it has a dark, garnet color, a nose of red berries & cocoa, and a mouthfilling palate which is delicious: raspberry & chocolate.
*Chinon, Dom. Baudry, “Les Granges,” 2009 (Loire Valley, France) $28.
Made of 100% Cabernet Franc in the Loire-red tradition, this wine is supple & fruity with an herbal/spicy aroma & smoky, cherry fruit. Dry on the finish, the ripe flavors of this superb vintage are layered & complex.
Montagne Saint-Emilion, Chateau Treytins, 2007 (Bordeaux, France) $45
This blend of 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, & 5% Cabernet Sauvignon is bottled at the Chateau. It has a ruby red color, amber highlights & discrete, smooth wood with notes of vanilla & a red berry nose. It is supple on the palate, intense with good acidity, supported by a velvety tannic structure
*Haut-Medoc, Chateau Moulin de Tricot 2004(Bordeaux, France) $49.
This ‘Cru-Bourgeois’ estate grows mostly Cabernet Sauvignon with smaller amounts of Merlot, using 20 year old vines. A small vineyard where the vigneron uses no chemicals, producing a truly aristocratic wine.
Lalande-de-Pomerol, Chateau St. Jean de Lavaud, 2005 (Bordeaux, Fr) $60.
Coming from an extraordinarily tiny vineyard, this beautiful wine is 80% Merlot: plummy, smoky, black cherry & cassis notes, with a silky, long finish.
*Côtes de Blaye, Chateau Bertinerie, 2006 (Bordeaux, France) $35.
An elegant, full-bodied blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon & Cabernet Franc. Intense aromas of blackberry and minerals, fine tannins & delicate finish.
*St. Emilion, Chateau Coutet, 2006 (Bordeaux, France) $64.
A versatile St. Emilion from the 8th gen. of a small winery in the “Grand Cru”Classification. A delicate, mellow nose, fresh & crisp palate, good tannic structure.
St. Emilion Grand Cru, Chateau Haut-Segottes, 2006 (Bordeaux, France) $75.
Tradition reigns at this outstanding St. Emilion vineyard. Concentrated, smokey Bordeaux with a characteristic herbaceousness which gives interest & complexity, due to the dominance of Cabernet Franc over Merlot in the blending.
Margaux, Chateau Labegorce, 2005 (Bordeaux, France) $80.
Rich, ripe, elegant fruit balanced with spice; Ripe tannins with some new wood, lending a cedar & sweet tobacco character. A young wine which already shows nice balance.
Malbec, Chateau Les Hauts d’Aglan, 2005 (Cahors, France) $32.
90% Malbec& 10% Merlot from Southwest France: smoky & minerally with succulent flavors of spicy plum & black fruit. It has round tannins & a long finish.
*Cabernet Sauvignon, Vaucluse, Dom. De la Citadelle, 2010 (Rhone, Fr.) $29.
A rich, delicious Cabernet which is fruit-forward, reflecting the Southern terroir where it is produced more than the grape variety.
*Vaucluse, “Les Artemes”, Dom. De la Citadelle, 2006 (Rhone Valley, Fr.) $36.
70% Syrah with Grenache & Carignan with a spicy & fruity nose.Smooth, well-balanced with black fruits aromas. A good integration of oak: rich & generous.
Côtes du Rhône, Domaine La Bouvaude, 2009 (Rhone Valley, France) $26.
A blend of Granche, Syrah & Carignan vinified in stainless steel to preserve the grapes’ fruitinesss. A beautiful nose of ripe fruits, flavors of spices & red currants.
*Côtes du Rhône Villages, Dom. Catherine le Goeuile, 2009 (Rhone, Fr.)$38.
Organically produced & hand-harvested, this wine has generous red fruit flavors & is lightly spicy. A terrific find from a small Rhone producer.
*Vacqueyras, “Cuvée des Templiers”, Le Clos des Cazaux, 2007, (Rhone, Fr.) $48.
A very juicy blend of Grenache & Syrah. Deep & intense flavors of black cherry, black & blueberry with explosive tannins. An excellent mouth-watering wine.
Domaine Chante-Cigale, L’Apostrophe, 2009 (Rhone Valley, France) $32
This wonderful blend of mainly Grenache with some Syrah and Cinsault expresses all the qualities of the greatest Rhone Valley wines, robust with some spice and fruit. Enjoy it as a” baby” Chateauneuf-du-Pape.
*Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Dom. Bois De Boursan, 2007 (Rhone, France) $65.
A superb Biodynamic wine with beautiful soil notes and black pepper flavors. Long structured finish with hints of herbs.
*Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Chateau de Beaucastel, 2007 (Rhone Valley, France) $140.
Extremely dense, with layer upon layer of fig, boysenberry & black currant fruit, all laced with notes of charred mesquite & coffee. The long, silky mouthfeel belies the latent power in reserve-and there’s a lot of it, with waves of grip driving the finish
*Gigondas, Dom. Les Pallières, 2006 (Rhone Valley, France) $58.
Using “biological” rather than “chemical” methods of viticulture, the Brunier family produces this elegant wine: aromas of earth, smoke, cherries; bright acidity, cherry & red currant flavors.
Dom. Ravaille, Ermitage du Pic St. Loup, 2006 (Languedoc, Fr.) $27.
A complex, firm, meaty blend of Syrah, Grenache & Mourvèdre. Coming from the South of France, this wine has ripe flavors & dry, lingering tannins.
*Terrasses du Larzac, Mas Cal Demoura, “L’Infidèle” 2006 (Languedoc, France) $36.
Taste the wildness of the Languedoc in this historic cuvee, blending 5 classic regional varietals: Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Carignan & Cinsault. The wine is meticulously made, with smooth, ripe fruit & a lot of elegance & polish.
*Minervois, Chateau Massiac, 2008 (Languedoc, Fr.) $30.
An elegant & powerful blend of 75% Syrah and 25% Carrignan, this concentrated wine has very rich flavors of black fruits, pleasant spices & Provençal herbs.
Grenache, “Schistes,” Collioure, Coume del Mas, 2007/08 (Rousillon, Fr) $56.
Produced from naturally low-yielding old vines in Southwest France, a blend of 90% Grenache & 10% Carignan, this juicy, intense wine is lavish, with dense dark berry fruit & strong minerality due to the soils of pure granitic schist where it grows. A balanced palate & supple tannins round out this outstanding wine.
Julienas, Pascal Granger, 2008 (Beaujolais, Burgundy, France) $35
The use of old-vine fruit in a village in Northern Beaujolais yields crisp & elegant wines with lively fruit flavors & silky texture. Granger is a grower & producer who makes honest, structured wines which are consistenly excellent values.
Chassagne-Montrachet, Henri Prudhon & Fils, “Les Chambres” 2007 (Burgundy, France) $55.
Pinot Noir with a fresh nose of crushed red fruit, pepper & earth yields to a marvelous, dry texture. A wilder, less “pretty” Burgundy Pinot.
*Savigny-Les-Beaune, Domaine Rollin Pere et Fils, 2007 (Burgundy, France) $58.
Delicate red fruits and forest wood are dominant in this excellent value Pinot Noir from a small family producer.
*Gevrey-Chambertin, Dom. Harmand-Geoffroy, “En Jouise” 2007 (Burgundy, Fr) $78.
Here you find some of the elements of concentration & complexity of a Premier Cru for a more affordable price: Rich, fresh with juicy fruit; soft-textured & persistent flavor. This wine was produced in an excellent vintage from a producer who aims to make approachable Burgundies.
Nuits-Saint-Georges, 1ièr Cru, Jerome Chezeaux, “Aux Boudots” 2007 (Burgundy, France) $110.
Chezeaux’s wines are minerally & earthy yet also have ample fruit. A sensual wine: spicy, wild mushrooms & raspberry, strawberry fruit; this is a wine to savor.
*Sustainable, organic, or biodynamic production
