Thomas Wilcox, Author at Ansonia Wines

Posted on October 19, 2016October 19, 2016 by Thomas Wilcox

Inky, Delicious, “Gulpable” New 2015 Red Burgundy. $15

The Gamay grape has had a turbulent history. In 1395 Duke Philip the Bold concluded Gamay was “evil and disloyal,” and banished it from the northern half of Burgundy. For the past six centuries it has found refuge in Beaujolais, where it produces mostly simple reds — fruit-forward and inexpensive.

In June we happened across an small-scale, undiscovered Beaujolais producer named Jean-Marc Monnet. From a year with unusual sunshine and warmth, Monnet’s three Cru Beaujolais from 2015 are more intense and vibrant than any Beaujolais we’ve had before; Monnet ended up being one of most exciting discoveries of our trip.

Forget everything you know about Beaujolais (particularly nouveau), this is intense, delicious, inky red wine — think the fruit profile of a Pinot Noir, but the weight of a Northern Rhone Syrah.

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We’re excited to release our first wine from Jean-Marc Monnet today: his 2015 Juliénas. Made from 25-50 year old vines, this is smooth, rich, complex and simply delicious. It has more concentration and energy than much Bourgogne rouge from further north, and comes in at about half the price.

The color is inky purple, with a dark and earthy nose showing cranberry and pure wild cherry. The mouthfeel is intense and smooth with a long, dense finish of graphite and violets. This is delicious and intense, but, as Jancis Robinson puts it, “meant to be drunk, not contemplated.” It’s best described in French as gouleyant, a wonderfully onomatopoeic word that means “gulpable,” and which perfectly captures the essence of good Beaujolais.

There’s no better wine for Thanksgiving than Beaujolais. Skip the Nouveau this year — for a buck more, Monnet’s dense, silky red might be the best $15 you’ll spend all fall.

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MONNET Juliénas 2015
Ansonia Retail: $19
case, half-case: $15/bot

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AVAILABLE IN 6- AND 12- BOTTLE LOTS

Email Tom to place an order.

or call Tom: (617) 249-3657

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Terms of sale. Ansonia Wines MA sells wine to individual consumers who are 21 or more years of age, for personal consumption and not for resale. All sales are completed and title passes to purchasers in Massachusetts. Ansonia Wines MA arranges for shipping on behalf of its customers upon request and where applicable laws permit.

Posted on October 17, 2016October 17, 2016 by Thomas Wilcox

Blackberry, Spice, and Chocolate: Rich, Earthy Syrah. $25

Original. Winemaking began in the Languedoc around 125 BC, and over two millennia little has changed in the basic chemistry. Though the last century saw new chemicals and measurements, winemaking is still the combination of grapes, yeast, and time. The winemakers at the Mas Foulaquier return to this simple alchemy.

Foulaquier’s pesticide-free vineyards buzz with wildflowers and insects, and it’s here that the winemakers obtain both elements of the winemaking process — untreated grapes from the vines, and wild yeasts from the skins and ambient air. This is winemaking in its purest, most original form, and the results are wines of remarkable complexity and grace.

Natural Syrah. The winemakers at Foulaquier aren’t just back-to-the-land hippie types (though they’re not not that) — they are master viticulturalists and winemakers. Winemaking without vineyard treatment or controlled yeast strains is not easy, but Foulaquier’s wines may be the finest and most consistent biodynamic wines we import.

Foulaquier’s 2013 “Les Calades” is gorgeous these days — a syrah-based wine of a beautiful dark, inky hue. In the nose this wine could almost be mistaken for a Northern Rhône Syrah, showing the grape’s signature spice, blackberry, and dark chocolate. But in the mouth this is unmistakably Foulaquier — a symphony of cool, earthy, jammy notes that is at once mouthfilling and carefully balanced.

This wine perfectly captures the northern Languedoc’s ruggedly beautiful landscape, a blend of silky elegance and rustic earthiness.

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FOULAQUIER Calades 2013
Ansonia Retail: $30
case, half-case: $25/bot

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AVAILABLE IN 6- AND 12- BOTTLE LOTS

Email Tom to place an order.

or call Tom: (617) 249-3657

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Posted on October 14, 2016October 14, 2016 by Thomas Wilcox

Almost Châteauneuf: Rich, Silky Gigondas, 93 points

Classic. We’ve often written about the value of Gigondas. Located 20 minutes east of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas produces wines of a similar intensity as its more famous neighbor, but usually at far more affordable prices. Our longtime source in Gigondas is the Domaine les Goubert, cited as a reference point in the region by Jancis Robinson and Robert Parker.

Goubert makes a delicious classic Gigondas, but today we’re offering Goubert’s flagship wine — the Gigondas Cuvée Florence — which more resembles a Châteauneuf-du-Pape than a Gigondas. Named for the family’s daughter Florence (now 30 and heading up the winemaking), this is a rich and age worthy wine that we have enjoyed for decades.

Exceptional. Cuvée Florence is a blend of grenache and syrah, raised in small Burgundy-style oak barrels. We have been buying this wine for more than 20 years, and can’t remember a better vintage than 2010. The nose is brooding and pretty, showing toasted black fruits, lavender, and chocolate. The mouthfeel is rich and silky, with plums, raspberry, and tobacco.

Josh Raynolds of Vinous awarded this wine 93 points, calling it “pure and impressively focused,” with “excellent clarity and lingering florality.” This wine ages beautifully, and we’ve enjoyed bottles of past vintages well into their second decade; but it’s a delight to drink today. Cellar it if you have the space and the patience; decant it if you don’t.

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GOUBERT Gigondas “Florence” 2010
Ansonia Retail: $50
quarter-case: $42/bot

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AVAILABLE IN 3- 6- AND 12- BOTTLE LOTS

Email Tom to place an order.

or call Tom: (617) 249-3657

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Posted on October 13, 2016 by Thomas Wilcox

Plum and Cassis: New Grand Cru Saint-Emilion

Bargain. Prices in Bordeaux have never been higher, fed by global demand, particularly from China. With this spring’s release of the highly anticipated 2015s, the trend upward will likely continue. With value in mind, we often consider second wines of famous vineyards, or secondary properties from famous winemakers.

Christian Dauriac, for example, owns the Chateaux Destieux and Montlisse in St. Emilion. Destieux, a Grand Cru Classé, is his flagship, and deserving of all the praise it receives. But the Grand Cru Chateau Montlisse is an extraordinary bargain that we have enjoyed for years. It’s the product of an accomplished winemaker with excellent terroir, but offered at a far more reasonable price.

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Cassis. We’re delighted to see how well the 2011 Bordeauxs are drinking these days. In a year overshadowed by the famous 2009 and 2010 vintages, the 2011s are quietly delicious. Montlisse is 85% Merlot, and 7.5% each of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. The classic Saint-Emilion notes of plum and cassis join a pleasant toastiness and cozy notes of dark chocolate and tobacco.

Good Bordeaux can carry a three- or even four-figure price tag, but it’s good to remember that it doesn’t have to. This is classic right bank Bordeaux, five years on from the harvest, and drinking beautifully. It’s a perfect wine for a chilly Sunday afternoon — decant this for an hour and pair with either with steak or veal, or a long, slow roast.

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MONTLISSE Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2011
Ansonia Retail: $38
case, half-case: $32/bot

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AVAILABLE IN 6- AND 12- BOTTLE LOTS

Email Tom to place an order.

or call Tom: (617) 249-3657

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Posted on October 11, 2016October 13, 2016 by Thomas Wilcox

Mixed Case: Crown Jewels of White Burgundy ($181 off)

Nestled side by side just south of the city of Beaune, three neighboring towns represent the crown jewels of White Burgundy: Chassagne-Montrachet, Puligny-Montrachet, and Meursault. This trio produces the finest whites in Burgundy, which most consider the greatest white wines in the world.

The three towns stretch only 6 miles from end to end, but their individual characters are distinct. Meursault produces rich, lush wines with dense mouthfeel and notes of pears and wildflowers. Puligny-Montrachet is known for its tension-filled, angular wines, showing structure and precision in their youth. The wines of Chassagne-Montrachet are the most approachable young, with baked lemon bouquets, and full, firm mouthfeel.

The wine press has heralded the 2014 vintage as one of the finest for White Burgundy in many years. All three of these 2014s are elegant wines that represent the pinnacle of chardonnay.

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BOYER Meursault “Narvaux” 2014
Vincent Boyer is a rising star in Burgundy, gaining scores consistently in the 90s. His Meursaults are classic expressions of the village — intense, mouthfilling wines balanced by electric energy. His 2014 Narvaux shows extraordinary balance, with notes of white flowers, peach, and pear.

THOMAS Puligny-Montrachet 1er cru 2014
Gérard Thomas and his daughters make quietly excellent wines from their domaine in Saint-Aubin. Their premier cru Puligny-Montrachet shows cool, crisp lemon and toast in the nose. The mouth exhibits the beautiful angularity for which the village is known, with a clean, pure freshness that should carry it for many years to come.

BELLAND Chassagne-Montrachet 1er cru 2014
Roger Belland’s premier cru Chassagne-Montrachet is unusually lush and aromatic. The wine’s exotic bouquet leaps from the glass, with notes of pear, hazelnut, and baked lemon. Grown in a monopole vineyard first planted in 1421, this is classic and delicious Chassagne-Montrachet.

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CROWN JEWELS OF WHITE BURGUNDY

4x BOYER-MARTENOT Meursault ’14: $60
4x THOMAS Puligny-Montrachet 1er ’14: $56
4x BELLAND Chassagne-Montrachet 1er ’14: $78

Ansonia Retail: $776
offer price: $595/case

free East Coast shipping | save $181

Email Tom to place an order.

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Posted on October 10, 2016October 10, 2016 by Thomas Wilcox

And Now for Something Different: Tuscan Olive Oil

Golden. In our search for expressions of terroir, we never tire of sampling local flavors. Oysters from Belon, chèvre from the Loire, butter from Isigny — these foods represent their regions as much as any stony Chablis or rich Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

When it comes to olive oil, our source of choice is Tuscany. The golden elixir from the rolling Tuscan hills shares only a name with most grocery store varieties. The “real stuff” is one of the world’s greatest culinary elements — a finishing agent that can add a wide range of flavors, including fruit, earth, nuts, and straw.

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Oil! Many readers know the Fattoria Poggerino from their excellent and well-priced Chiantis; but they’re also responsible for an exceptional, small-batch olive oil. Like another of Italy’s finest exports — real Parmigiano Reggiano — the distance between the genuine article and the cheap imitations is evident. As our extended family can attest, one taste of Poggerino Olive Oil and it becomes hard to serve anything else.

Scientists continue to extol the virtues of a Mediterranean diet, so we’re sure you could find a health reason to buy this olive oil. But in our family, Poggerino’s Olive Oil is the ultimate gustatory luxury. We reserve it exclusively for dishes where it won’t be heated: tossed with salads, or drizzled on roasted fish just before serving. Fair warning: this will ruin most other olive oils for you.

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POGGERINO Olive Oil (500ml tin)
Ansonia Retail: $34
quarter-case: $28/tin

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AVAILABLE IN 3- 6- AND 12- TIN LOTS

FREE EAST COAST SHIPPING ON 12 TINS

Email Tom to place an order.

or call Tom: (617) 249-3657

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Posted on October 9, 2016October 9, 2016 by Thomas Wilcox

The Height of Burgundian Elegance: New Premier Cru Volnay

Finesse. When we write about minerality, it’s usually in the context of a white wine. The Chardonnay of Chablis and the Rieslings of the Mosel Valley are prized for their stony clarity, drawing minerality from the limestone- and slate-laden soils. But minerality is a quality in red wines as well, and at its best can contribute an ethereal elegance and vibrancy.

The red Burgundies of Volnay are known for their singular, mineral elegance. The soils of Volnay contain a high percentage of limestone, and far less clay than neighboring Pommard — the result is delicate wines that are the height of Burgundian finesse. We’re excited to introduce a new one today — Roger Belland’s premier cru Volnay from the famous “Santenots” vineyard.

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Fruit and mineral. The Belland Domaine is a 6th generation operation in the Côte de Beaune. Their style in pinot noirs is of full, juicy fruit, and ripe, punchy tannins — in Santenay and surrounding towns this creates pleasant, fruit-forward wines that are delicious young. But apply Belland’s juicy style to an exceptional highly mineral terroir of Volnay, and you have an exquisite combination.

Belland’s Volnay 1er cru 2014 is dark and brooding in the nose, with notes of currants, cinnamon, wild cherries, and pine. The mouth is far richer than you might expect from Volnay, but the town’s signature lacy delicacy persists on a long and elegant finish. This will cellar for another 3 or 4 years with ease, adding more woodsy and mushroom notes with every year. But with a decanter and an hour or two of forethought, this would be an elegant pairing for a rack of lamb this winter.

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BELLAND Volnay 1er cru “Santenots” 2014
Ansonia Retail: $70
quarter-case: $59/bot

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AVAILABLE IN 3- 6- AND 12- BOTTLE LOTS

Email Tom to place an order.

or call Tom: (617) 249-3657

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Posted on October 6, 2016October 7, 2016 by Thomas Wilcox

“Remarkable” New Sauvignon Blanc from Pouilly-Fumé.

Discovery. It was last year that we first stopped at the unassuming doorstep of Frederic Michot. We had little more to go on than a brief note in a French wine guide promising small scale, excellent Pouilly-Fumé. The rutted tracks in the ridges above the hamlet led to a modest house with a small tasting room.

Frederic himself was away, but his mother greeted us warmly and proudly showed us her son’s two wines — pure, unoaked, beautiful Sauvignon Blanc. Our favorite was an old-vine cuvée, made from vines planted in the 1940s — “juste après la guerre,” as Madame put it. We ordered our first lot a few days after our visit, and then had to re-up very soon after our readers got a taste.

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Fresh. We’re pleased to report that Michot’s 2014 was not a fluke — his 2015 Vieilles Vignes is just as ripe and round, with excellent intensity and beautiful harmony. This nose shows mango, grapefruit rind, and straw; the mouth shows ripe grapefruit, lime rind, and honey. The wine is at once mouthfilling and electric, with a persistence of richness and freshness that the Guide Hachette called “remarkable.”

Grilled shrimp, pan seared scallops, broiled haddock, steamed Maine lobster — these will all form a harmonious and delightful match with this wine. Or if fruits de mer aren’t your thing, try a glass with another invention of the Loire Valley — goat cheese on a crusty piece of French bread.

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MICHOT Pouilly-Fumé Vieilles Vignes 2015
Ansonia Retail: $24
case, half-case: $18/bot

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AVAILABLE IN 6- AND 12- BOTTLE LOTS

Email Tom to place an order.

or call Tom: (617) 249-3657

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Posted on October 5, 2016 by Thomas Wilcox

A Rarity from the Rhône: White Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Scarce. White Châteauneuf-du-Pape is rare. Nearly 95% of the appellation’s wines are red, and because of the warm climate and abundant sunshine, it’s difficult to make wines with good balance. But in the hands of a careful winemaker, the unusual white grapes can produce beautiful and astonishing wines.

Back in June when we discovered Christophe Mestre, one of our new sources for Chateauneuf-du-Pape, we were drawn to his excellent and well priced red. But his white was so attractive and delicious that we decided to get some as well. For readers that have never tried white CDP, this is an excellent (and affordable) place to start.

Bouquet. Christophe Mestre’s white is a blend of Grenache Blanc, Clairette, and Bourboulenc, all unoaked. From these traditional local white varietals, Mestre crafts a delicious, beautifully balanced wine. The nose is big and expressive, showing exotic fruits like pineapple and kiwi. The mouth is rich but refreshing, with mouthcoating richness that gives way to an energetic, spice-filled and savory finish.

White Chateauneuf is one of the world’s great aperitif wines — a glass before a meal can set the mood like little else. But it’s also a versatile match for a wide array of foods. The richness in the mouth means it pairs nicely with acidic foods, like a salad with vinaigrette, or a roast chicken with lemon. Either way, the aromatics on this wines are enticing — we recommend enjoying it from a Burgundy style balloon glass.

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MESTRE Châteauneuf-du-Pape blanc 2015
Ansonia Retail: $34
case, half-case: $28/bot

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AVAILABLE IN 6- AND 12- BOTTLE LOTS

Email Tom to place an order.

or call Tom: (617) 249-3657

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Posted on October 5, 2016October 5, 2016 by Thomas Wilcox

New Pure Syrah: Blackberries, Cloves, and Violets

Intense. The Northern Rhône is best known for its all-syrah reds from Côte Rôtie and Hermitage. These spiced, inky wines are precise expressions of a unique marriage of grape and land — nowhere else does syrah taste quite like this. Most bottles from Hermitage and Côte Rôtie, however, require diligent cellaring, and start north of $50 a bottle.

Which is why we’re so glad to have found the Domaine Saint Clair in Crozes-Hermitage. Denis Basset’s wines provide an opportunity to enjoy dark, peppery Northern Rhône syrah with greater frequency and lower investment. His 2014 Crozes-Hermitage “Etincelle” is a pure, juicy, classic syrah that we think will convert anyone to this region.

Fruit and Spice. Basset is a young winemaker who is passionate and very talented — the latest issue of the Guide Hachette featured two of his four wines, an impressive feat for a winemaker who started only five years ago. Basset came to winemaking through an accident with a high-voltage wire that nearly cut short his life. Upon leaving the hospital, he decided to pursue his lifelong dream of making wine from his family’s vineyards. Lucky for us.

Basset’s 2014 Crozes-Hermitage is dark and dense, but not the slightest bit heavy. At 13%, it’s chewy and mouthfilling, but doesn’t wear out your palate. The profile is classic Northern Rhône syrah: savory black fruit, black pepper and bacon in the nose, with clove and violets in the mouth.

This is dark but vibrant and lively, a versatile and excellent match for food. Our choice might be something with lamb and mediterranean spices, like Daniel Boulud’s leg of lamb.

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SAINT CLAIR Crozes-Hermitage 2014
Ansonia Retail: $26
case, half-case: $22/bot

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AVAILABLE IN 6- AND 12- BOTTLE LOTS

Email Tom to place an order.

or call Tom: (617) 249-3657

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Posted on October 3, 2016October 5, 2016 by Thomas Wilcox

A Thousand Years of White Burgundy.

Nectar des Dieux. For about a thousand years between the 5th and 15th centuries, French monasteries were the center of the winemaking world. It was the monks, tasting the products of the rich Burgundian soils (and often the soils themselves), who first developed the idea of terroir.

In the south of Burgundy, winemaking culture centered around the Abbaye de Cluny. Cluny’s Abbey was once the wealthiest monastic organization in the Western world, and much of its wealth and fame came from the product of the local vineyards. Today’s wine comes from these vineyards, now in production for over 1100 years.

France profonde. Nicolas Maillet is a passionate young winemaker working in the heart of the Maconnais. His wines are as pure an expression of the Chardonnay grape as we know, with no oak to obscure the gorgeous fruit. They have the purity and clarity of fine Chablis, but the weight and roundness of a Côte d’Or Chardonnay.

Maillet’s winemaking style is hands-off — he allows his fermentations to proceed at their own pace, sometimes taking months longer than usual. He uses wild yeasts and avoids fining and filtering, choosing instead to preserve complexity and originality. Grown about five miles east of the famous Cluny Abbey, and made with little intervention, this is as traditional as white Burgundy gets.

The nose of the 2014 Maillet Macon Villages is exquisite: spring flowers and wild honey, with faint notes of dried straw and apricot. In the mouth it’s a typical Macon — rich and full with bright floral notes, beautiful acidity, and lots of depth. For white Burgundy fans, this is a remarkable value, offering far more complexity than the price tag suggests.

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MAILLET Macon-Villages 2014
Ansonia Retail: $26
case, half-case: $22/bot

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AVAILABLE IN 6- AND 12- BOTTLE LOTS

Email Tom to place an order.

or call Tom: (617) 249-3657

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Posted on September 30, 2016September 30, 2016 by Thomas Wilcox

Plums, Toast, and Chocolate: Everyday Red Bordeaux

Steak. We spend more time in Burgundy than Bordeaux. Our small import business is usually a better fit with the family-run domaines of Burgundy than the large chateaux of Bordeaux. But we’ve been lucky enough to find a few Burgundy-scale producers in Bordeaux: small families making excellent wine away from the spotlight and marketing of the rest of the region.

The Chateau Léhoul is a small estate in Graves, just south of the city of Bordeaux, and their 2012 Graves rouge is the best we’ve yet tasted from them. It’s a classic blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, and a perfect match for a well-browned steak. And the price leaves room to splurge on a nice cut of beef.

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Voted First. The Fonta family has been making wine at the Chateau Léhoul since 1798, and today it’s still very much a family affair. When we last visited, winemaker Eric was out making deliveries, so it fell to the grandmère to host us. We discovered Léhoul years ago, but the international press has started to take note — in fact, Decanter Magazine ranked this wine first in a tasting of sixty-two 2012 red Graves.

This wine is simply delicious today — a traditional, low-alcohol red Bordeaux at an unusually attractive price. The nose is deep and full, showing notes of plums, toast, and dark chocolate. The mouth is silky and expertly balanced, with fine but round tannins. The fruit is blackcurrant, providing a perfect counterpoint for some cedar and a kick of umami.

With cooler months on the way, we can’t think of a better red to have at the ready for perfectly cooked steak on a cozy evening.

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LÉHOUL Graves rouge 2012
Ansonia Retail: $30
case, half-case: $24/bot

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AVAILABLE IN 6- AND 12- BOTTLE LOTS

Email Tom to place an order.

or call Tom: (617) 249-3657

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Posted on September 28, 2016June 27, 2017 by Thomas Wilcox

Mixed Case: Gros/Amiot Red Burgundy Sampler

The best known domaines in our portfolio are two sources of classic Red Burgundy: the Domaine Michel Gros and the Domaine Pierre Amiot. Their wineries are just three miles apart, and they both farm plots along the world’s most famous stretch of vines. Winemakers Michel Gros and Jean-Louis Amiot were even grade school friends.

Their styles are slightly different — Gros’s wines tend more towards elegance, Amiot’s towards richness — but they represent some of the finest red Burgundies in our portfolio. We have collected four of our favorites, from four different towns and vintages. These are pure, masterfully made Pinot Noir from some of the most talented winemakers in Burgundy.

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GROS Nuits-St-Georges 2009
The nose is dark and woodsy, showing roasted wild cherries and earth. There’s plenty of round tannin left in this wine, which should carry it easily for several more years. But with a carafe and a half hour, this is elegant and delicious today.

AMIOT Morey-St-Denis 1er “Charmes” 2010
This wine shows a warm, agreeable earthiness, with smoke and toasted red fruit in the nose. In the mouth you’ll find cool dense tannins characteristic of this small but very fine vintage.

GROS Vosne-Romanée 2011
The nose shows the unique, extraordinary spice and floral notes specific to the hallowed town. The mouth is dense and pure, with beautifully silky tannins that show the elegance possible from a perfect marriage of grape and place.

AMIOT Gevrey-Chambertin 1er “Combottes” 2013
From a premier cru vineyard surrounded by five grand crus, Combottes shows unusual depth and intensity. The nose is beautifully dark and floral nose, with notes of spice and mushrooms. The mouth is intense and rich, showing cassis, dark cherries and earth.

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GROS/AMIOT SAMPLER

3x GROS Nuits-St-Georges 2009: $72
3x AMIOT MSD 1er “Charmes” 2010: $72
3x GROS Vosne-Romanée 2011: $74
3x AMIOT Gevrey 1er “Combottes” 2013: $95

Ansonia Retail: $939
offer price: $795/case

free East Coast shipping | save $144

Email Tom to place an order.

HALF CASE ALSO AVAILABLE
(2x Nuits, 2x MSD, 1x Vosne, 1x Gevrey)
offer price: $397.5/half-case

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Posted on September 27, 2016 by Thomas Wilcox

An Exceptional Discovery from the Rhône Valley. $14.95

Something New. During our trips to France, we like to eat at restaurants with good local wine lists. It’s a great way to broaden our regional palates, and sometimes we even discover a new wine for our portfolio. At dinner on a Séguret terrace this June we had the nicest surprise discovery in red Rhône wine that we’ve had in years.

It took a few days to track down Eric Chauvin after that dinner — his Domaine Souverain has neither an entry sign nor a website. But through several phone calls and a bit of luck, we managed to pick up samples, just to confirm that our enthusiasm wasn’t jetlag-induced. A second taste reinforced our initial impression; and when the price list arrived, we were happier yet.

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Diamond in the Rough. The Domaine Souverain is a small-scale organic source in Séguret with no other US importer. Eric Chauvin is as humble as his wines are delicious, and we’re thrilled to have stumbled upon such a source for underpriced Rhône wine. This drinks far more like a Gigondas or Vacqueyras than its Côtes-du-Rhône pricing suggests — before we got the price list we expected to offer it as an excellent and well-priced $25 red Rhône.

Souverain’s Séguret 2014 shows a bright nose of blackberry and lavender, with a cool earthiness that fans of the Mas Foulaquier will immediately recognize. The mouth is beautifully balanced, with softened but present tannins, clean dark fruit, and a faint smokiness in the nose. This is lively, delicious, highly drinkable wine, with a perfect balance for an autumn meal.

Serve this wine as we enjoyed it on the terrace in Séguret, a bit cool, and enjoy watching it open as it comes up to the ambient temperature. If you have friends along, be prepared to open a second bottle.

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SOUVERAIN Séguret 2014
Ansonia Retail: $19
case, half-case: $14.95/bot

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AVAILABLE IN 6- AND 12- BOTTLE LOTS

Email Tom to place an order.

or call Tom: (617) 249-3657

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Posted on September 25, 2016September 25, 2016 by Thomas Wilcox

Advance Order: Pure Grenache from 120-Year-Old Vines.

Almost CDP. The year is 1895. The United States number 44, and Grover Cleveland is president. Babe Ruth and Jack Dempsey are born, and inventor George Selden receives a patent for the automobile. And cross the ocean in France (then a six-day crossing by boat), a vineyard of grenache is planted just outside Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

Those vines (most of them, at least) are still alive and producing fruit from huge, gnarled, bush-like branches. Having outlasted phylloxera and several world wars, their yield is diminished but the quality of their grapes is better than ever.

We’re excited to return the “Cuvée 1895” to our lineup. Next week’s October Futures release will include three wines from the ancient Chateau Maucoil, including a red and a white Chateauneuf du Pape, but we’re opening up the bidding early on this one.

Methusalean. The Chateau Maucoil is built on the site of an ancient spring, once popular among Roman soldiers traveling along the nearby Via Agrippa. The spring is still active today, and while the vines for this cuvée aren’t quite from the Roman era, they’re older than nearly everything else growing in the area.

The vines for “1895” lie just feet outside the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation border drawn in 1937. The wine they produce doesn’t match the complexity or longevity of a Châteauneuf-du-Pape, but it’s likely to be the richest and densest Côtes-du-Rhône Villages cuvée you’ve ever had.

The nose of the 2014 “1895” is dark and beautiful, showing ripe cherry and raspberry notes with dried fruits and leather. The mouth is full of classic grenache spice, wild cherries, and a hint of sweet licorice. This wine will arrive in the states with the rest of the October Futures, likely the first few weeks of November. It should be right at home on a Thanksgiving table, and if there’s any left over, it’d pair nicely with a roast lamb at Christmas.

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MAUCOIL “Cuvée 1895” 2014
Ansonia Retail: $360
Futures Price: $250/case ($20.83/bot)

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AVAILABLE BY THE CASE AND HALF-CASE

Email Tom to place an order.

or call Tom: (617) 249-3657

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