Thomas Wilcox, Author at Ansonia Wines

Posted on October 27, 2016October 28, 2016 by Thomas Wilcox

Mixed Case: Châteauneuf-du-Pape Sampler ($104 off)

Winter is Coming. Châteauneuf-du-Pape is the perfect wine for cold weather. Made famous by French popes in the 14th century, and then again by Robert Parker in the 1980s, the area is rich with winemaking history. Today the appellation, which covers only about 12 square miles, produces some of the most sought after wine in the world.

Here are four Chateauneuf-du-Papes from four different producers. They all have between three and nine years of bottle age, and show the impressive variety of terroir available from the appellation. With fall here and winter on its way, this is the perfect mixed case to keep you warm.

As a bonus, the buyers of the first six samplers ordered will receive a new detailed map of the appellation (see photo here). [UPDATE: Map sold out.]

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ANDRÉ Chateauneuf 2012
Pierre André may be the original source for organic Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Their small batch red is intensely concentrated, drawing from vines with an average age of over 70 years. Look for notes of licorice, wild cherry, and prune.

MESTRE Chateauneuf 2013
Christophe Mestre is a young winemaker who is beginning to gain acclaim in the press. Vinous’s Josh Raynolds awarded this wine 90 points, calling the palate “sweet and seamless,” and highlighting notes of “cherry compote,” “raspberry” and “anise.”

FONT DU LOUP Chateauneuf “Puy Rolland” 2013
Made exclusively from 100-year old Grenache vines, this special cuvée from the Chateau de la Font du Loup is exceptional. With extremely concentrated fruit and beautiful fine-grained tannins, look for notes of strawberry jam and a silky mouthfeel.

AUTARD Chateauneuf “Cote Ronde” 2007
The Domaine Paul Autard is among the most celebrated sources in Chateauneuf, and his luxury cuvée, called Côte Rônde, is the finest wine he makes. This 2007, from a vintage considered the best in decades, is not one to miss.

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CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE SAMPLER

3x ANDRÉ Chateauneuf-du-Pape 12: $54
3x MESTRE Châteauneuf-du-Pape 13: $35
3x FONT DU LOUP Châteauneuf “P. Rolland” 13: $54
3x AUTARD Châteauneuf “Cote Ronde” 07: $80

(+ Free Map for first 6 buyers) [UPDATE: Map sold out.]

Ansonia Retail: $669
offer price: $565/case

free East Coast shipping | save $104

Email Tom to place an order.

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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 26, 2016October 26, 2016 by Thomas Wilcox

Grower Champagne is Back.

Discovery. We first met Pascal Bardoux only 15 months ago, but he has already become a favorite among our readers. His small-batch Champagnes are distinctive, delicious, complex, and comparative bargains. With much of the mass-market Champagne distributed in the US between $75 and $100 a bottle, Bardoux’s $45 Brut Traditionnel is twice the wine at half the price.

Pascal Bardoux is a fifth generation Champagne maker who resembles a professor more than a winemaker. His quiet, thoughtful approach to his wines is a stark departure from the glossy brochures and fancy tasting rooms common in Champagne. But Bardoux’s humble style belies the extraordinary intricacy and elegance of his wines.

After months of being épuisé, Bardoux’s three wines at last arrived in our warehouse — just in time for Thanksgiving and the holidays to come.

Best yet. Bardoux’s Brut Traditionnel is his non-vintage cuvée, and an excellent entree to the collection. A blend of 60% Pinot Meunier, 30% Chardonnay and 10% Pinot Noir, this wine has the complexity and depth to match the finest bottles from Burgundy or Bordeaux. This year’s Traditionnel contains wine mostly from 2012, and we found it even better than last year’s. The nose shows plum and lemon and buttered biscuits; the mouth is dry, elegant, and smooth, with notes of apple and toast.

We can’t recommend this wine highly enough. For those new to Champagne, this wine will convert you with ease, and at $45/bot it won’t blow your sparkling budget. For those with a more Churchillian perspective on bubbles, this is as delicious and complex as any non-vintage grower Champagne we’ve had, and it’s impossible to match for value.

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BARDOUX Champagne Traditionnel NV
Ansonia Retail: $52
case, half-case: $45/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 24, 2016October 24, 2016 by Thomas Wilcox

More Exceptional 2015 Red Burgundy.

Two for two. This past June we went searching for a new source in the Beaujolais. One morning we lined up two tasting appointments in Juliénas, one of the ten Beaujolais Cru. The first domaine (last week’s Jean-Marc Monnet) was so good that we continued to the second mostly as a matter of courtesy.

It’s good thing we did — the wines at our second visit were so impressive that we decided we couldn’t pass them up. The Domaine Laurent Perrachon is an old family domaine in Juliénas whose wines are as complex and delicious as anything we’ve had in the Beaujolais. These resemble far more the Pinot Noirs of Burgundy than the unserious wine for which Beaujolais is best known.

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Inky. Perrachon is one of very few Beaujolais winemakers to be featured in both Burghound’s (Allen Meadows) newsletter and Antonio Galloni’s Vinous, and most wines scored in the 90s in both publications. Today we’re introducing his 2015 Fleurie, an exceptionally pretty wine that’s representative of this most elegant and floral of Beaujolais towns.

The nose shows beautiful violets, wild cherries, and rose petals, with a hint of licorice. The mouth has the unmistakable mark of 2015, the ripest vintage in years. The old vines provide density and concentration unusual for gamay, with notes of raspberry and blackberry, and a long, dense, elegant mouthfeel.

This is more refined than Monnet’s Juliénas, but also carries the region’s signature joviality. It’s more proof that 2015 is not a year to miss in Burgundy.

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PERRACHON Fleurie 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 23, 2016October 20, 2016 by Thomas Wilcox

New 2014 Meursault: If Gold Were a Flavor…

Cote d’Or. “If gold were a flavor,” Matt Kramer once wrote, “it would taste like Meursault.” Though it has no Grand Cru vineyards, the wines of Meursault are some of the most sought after in the world. For most, the name recalls white Burgundies of decadence, opulence, and style.

We began buying from Vincent Boyer more than a decade ago, and since then the international wine press has widely acclaimed him as a rising star — his wines regularly score in the 90s, and his stocks evaporate faster every year. This year, for the first time in many years, Boyer offered us the opportunity to buy some of his Meursault “Narvaux,” a village level white considered among the finest in the town.

Combine this exceptional terroir and Boyer’s 60- and 70-year-old vines with the highly celebrated 2014 vintage, and you have a very special wine.

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Royalty. The Narvaux vineyard perches above Meursault’s row of premier crus, and borders the famous Genevrières vineyard. The wine is classic Meursault, with a wonderful mouthfilling intensity drawn from the richness of the fruit, not the oak. The nose is round and generous, showing buttery toast, hazelnut, and apricot. The mouth is full but tense, showing dense notes of pear and white flowers, with an energetic and tense finish.

This is classic, rich, extraordinary white Burgundy, which is the finest and most impressive expression of Chardonnay. Vincent suggests serving this with a simple broiled fish dressed in butter and lemon — we also suggest lobster as an exquisite pairing. Or begin a dinner party this holiday season with a glass of this Meursault — your only problem will be figuring out how to follow it with something as good.

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BOYER-MARTENOT Meursault “Narvaux” 2014
Ansonia Retail: $62
quarter-case: $54/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 20, 2016October 20, 2016 by Thomas Wilcox

Large Format Sale: Magnums and Jeroboams

It’s hard to justify opening a magnum for a small dinner with a friend or two. But if your guest list numbers more than eight — particularly if they’re the jovial type — you’ll probably need an extra bottle of everything anyway. With Thanksgiving just over a month away and the holidays close behind, entertaining season is upon us. Today we’ll offer a simple suggestion to dress up your holiday dinner table: large format bottles.

There’s just something more festive about serving wine from magnums — perhaps it’s the need for a group to justify pulling the cork. It’s also true that wine often ages better in magnums, where the air-to-wine ratio is lower than a regular bottle. But whether you plan to age them or not, it’s hard to deny they’re simply more fun to enjoy.

We’ve collected six wines in magnum, and one in 3L Jeroboam (four bottles in one). If there’s a party or a family gathering in your future, consider one of these to make it a bit more festive.

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SAINT CLAIR Crozes-Hermitage 2014 (1.5L)

Basset’s 2014 Crozes-Hermitage is dark and dense, yet 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.

Ansonia Retail: $50
sale price: $42/bot

FREE EAST COAST SHIPPING ON 2

SAINT CLAIR Crozes-Hermitage blanc 2014 (1.5L)

Basset’s white is a Rousanne-Marsanne blend (70/30), in the style of a classic northern Rhône. The nose is soft and enveloping, with tropical notes of mango, pineapple, and green tea. The mouth is rich and round, but well balanced, showing nectarine and honey notes.

Ansonia Retail: $50
sale price: $42/bot

FREE EAST COAST SHIPPING ON 2

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FOULAQUIER Petit Duc 2013 (1.5L)

The 2013 Petit Duc is elegant and delicious. The nose is complex and beautifully expressive, showing deep black cherries, earthy fruit, and cool spring flowers. The mouth is clean and dark, with notes of wild cherry pie and cassis. The splash of Syrah helps to smooth out the tannin.

Ansonia Retail: $64
sale price: $54/bot

FREE EAST COAST SHIPPING ON 2

FOULAQUIER Gran’Tonillieres 2011 (1.5L)

This wine shows Foulaquier’s signature expressiveness and complexity, the result of meticulous, low-intervention biodynamic winemaking. Raspberries dominate the nose of this wine, joined by cool earthiness, leather, and rosemary. The mouth is full and rich, but beautifully balanced, with delicate stoniness and notes of blueberry jam on toast.

Ansonia Retail: $64
sale price: $54/bot

FREE EAST COAST SHIPPING ON 2

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GOUBERT Gigondas 2012 (1.5L)

It’s dark and smooth and full, with pleasant red fruits playing beautifully off the provencal spices below. The nose shows bright red flowers and dark rich fruit, hitting high notes and low notes simultaneously in a harmony unusual even for the Cartier family. The mouth is sturdy and meaty, with cool dark tannins and impressive length.

Ansonia Retail: $64
sale price: $52/bot

FREE EAST COAST SHIPPING ON 2

GOUBERT Gigondas “Florence” 2010 (1.5L)

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.”

Ansonia Retail: $96
sale price: $82/bot

FREE EAST COAST SHIPPING ON 2

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LAZARET Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2009 (3L)

From one of the region’s most renowned estates, Vieux Lazaret’s 2009 Chateauneuf-du-Pape is a treat. Awarded 90 points by Vinous’s Josh Raynolds, the nose shows raspberries, cherries, and spring flowers. The mouth is smooth and rich, showing lavender and raspberry. (NOTE: Shipping will take an extra week for this bottle.)

Ansonia Retail: $275
sale price: $219/bot

FREE EAST COAST SHIPPING

Email Tom to place an order.

or call Tom: (617) 249-3657

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Posted on October 20, 2016 by Thomas Wilcox

Unrivaled Elegance: 5-Year-Old Vosne-Romanée

Spice. If Burgundy is the heart of the Pinot Noir universe, then Vosne-Romanée is the heart of Burgundy. Celebrated for more than eight centuries and boasting some of the world’s most sought-after wines, Vosne-Romanée is Mecca for Burgundy enthusiasts and Pinotphiles around the world.

Vosne’s eight famous grand cru vineyards may get most of the acclaim, but, as a monk wrote centuries ago, “there are no ordinary wines in Vosne.” At the premier cru and village level too, the wines show unrivaled depth and elegance. There’s a unique floral character to the best wines from Vosne, a blend of silky finesse with pure intensity — the pinnacle of Pinot elegance.

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Legacy. Winemaker Michel Gros has lived his entire life in Vosne-Romanée — his family has made wine there for nearly 200 years, his mother was once the mayor. Today Michel’s domaine is world famous as a top source for red Burgundy, and the wines from Vosne are at the heart of his lineup.

Michel’s village level Vosne 2011 is a pure expression of the town’s extraordinary terroir. From an early drinking vintage whose wines have begun to show beautifully, this is five year old red Burgundy about to hit its prime. The nose is gently perfumed, showing an array of cinnamon and other spice, alongside the classic violet notes specific to the hallowed town. The mouth is dense and pure, with firm young tannins that melt silkily after an hour or so.

This is a wine to sit with and contemplate on a winter’s Sunday afternoon — decant a bottle as you put a roast into the oven, and then pour yourself a glass at the one hour mark. You’ll understand the 800 years of fame and praise.

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GROS Vosne-Romanée 2011
Ansonia Retail: $74
quarter-case: $62/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 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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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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