Thomas Wilcox, Author at Ansonia Wines

Posted on November 11, 2015March 3, 2016 by Thomas Wilcox

Our First Grower Champagne.

Champagne, at last. For years our readers asked us to find a grower Champagne, and for years our search fell short. But in June we struck gold at last, based on a recommendation from Burgundian winemaker Michel Gros. We’re excited to have filled this hole in our portfolio, and particularly to have done so with such a singular source.

Pascal Bardoux is a small-scale, fifth generation vigneron outside Reims. Many appointments in Champagne include glitzy tasting rooms and glossy handouts, a stark departure from the garage or kitchen table tastings we’re often afforded in Burgundy. But Pascal welcomed us into his cozy unkempt office, where we spent nearly 2 hours tasting and discussing just 4 of his cuvées.

The feel was nearly Burgundian, and we could see why Bardoux and the always humble Michel Gros are such good friends. Gros and Bardoux visit each other every year, exchanging a trunkful of wine and sharing a dinner. Both men are thoughtful and reserved in manner, but make extraordinary wines that perfectly reflect their origins.

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Classic. We’re releasing the first of two Bardoux wines today — a Champagne NV Brut called “Traditionnel.” Bardoux’s Champagnes are truly wines, with complexity and intricacy to match the finest bottles of Burgundy or Bordeaux. Traditionnel is an excellent entree to the Bardoux style — a blend of 60 Pinot Meunier, 30 Chardonnay and 10% Pinot Noir, it shows citrus, apple, and plum. And in a region where many domaine’s lineups start around $70 a bottle, Bardoux is a welcome relief from overpriced bubbles.

We would happily serve this at any important celebration, but would encourage readers to consider enjoying it more casually as well. Champagne is extraordinarily versatile food pairing wine, combining liveliness from the acidity and bubbles, with a soft richness in the mouth. With Thanksgiving, the ultimate food pairing challenge, just two weeks from tomorrow, we can’t recommend this enough.

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BARDOUX Champagne Brut Traditionnel
Ansonia Retail: $46
case, half-case: $39/bot

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AVAILABLE IN 6- AND 12- BOTTLE LOTS

Email Tom to place an order.

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Posted on November 9, 2015November 30, 2015 by Thomas Wilcox

Sparkling Breton Apple Cider. $12.95

Apples. Thanksgiving is one of our favorite holidays — a celebration of family, feasting, and maybe some football. We’ve got lots of suggestions for wine on your Thanksgiving dinner table, in our nine mixed cases and November Notebook. But this year we’ll be adding another, more traditional beverage to our table: crisp, refreshing, Breton cider.

Cider wasn’t around on the first Thanksgiving, but it has likely been served at more Thanksgivings over the last 394 years than any other drink. Apples aren’t indigenous to North America, but were likely brought over by colonists soon after 1621. A favorite drink of the founding fathers, cider is a great choice for this most American of holidays.

Rustic. There are now dozens of sources for excellent domestic ciders, but for something more traditional (and more like what was around in the early years of our country) we return to the Old World. For centuries, inhabitants of the rugged Breton peninsula have cultivated an extensive network of orchards, pressing a wide variety of apples into their local sparkling drink.

Melenig’s cider is unlike anything we’ve yet tasted from the States. The flavors are of earth, apple skins, black tea, and dried fruits; the mouthfeel is woodsy and rustic — a perfect representation of the windblown French coast, and an versatile match for the wide array of flavors on a thanksgiving table. There’s a hint of ripe apple sweetness when first in the mouth, but the finish is dry and textured.

At 4% alcohol, this is a refreshing, complex, and delightful drink, as affordable as it is delicious. If historical accuracy is your game, you won’t need cider — for that you’ll need lobsters and passenger pigeons — but for a hearty glass of a autumnal essence, consider adding some cider to your table.

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MELENIG Cidre de Bretagne
Ansonia Retail: $15
case, half-case: $12.95/bot

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AVAILABLE IN 6- AND 12- BOTTLE LOTS

Email Tom to place an order.

(For something even less historically accurate but more appley, try Melenig’s cordial called “Pommeau.”)

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Posted on November 6, 2015March 3, 2016 by Thomas Wilcox

$20 White Burgundy: Honeysuckle and Lemon

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

In the south of Burgundy, winemaking culture centered around the Abbaye de Cluny, which by 1000 was the wealthiest monastic organization in the Western world. Much of its wealth and fame came from the product of the local vineyards. And it is from these vineyards, now in production for over 1100 years, that today’s wine hails.

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. Grown about five miles east of the famous Cluny Abbey, this is as traditional as white Burgundy gets.

The nose on the 2013 Maillet Macon Villages is all spring flowers and honeysuckle, with faint notes of dried straw. 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 — far more complexity here than the price tag suggests.

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MAILLET Macon-Villages 2013
Ansonia Retail: $24
case, half-case: $19.95/bot

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AVAILABLE IN 6- AND 12- BOTTLE LOTS

Email Tom to place an order.

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Posted on November 4, 2015March 3, 2016 by Thomas Wilcox

New Everyday Red Burgundy. $22

New Pinot, Old World. Red Burgundy is known as a wine lover’s red wine, often requiring years of aging and a hefty price of entry. Even mature, many red Burgundies exhibit a finesse and delicacy can be drowned out by the cacophony of New World tannin and oak.

But not all red Burgundy is complicated. While Burgundy’s most famous wines come from the Côte d’Or to the North, many of its more accessible come from further south. Today we’re pleased to introduce a new wine from a new (almost) producer — the small, family-owned Domaine Desvignes in Burgundy’s Givry.

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Wild Raspberries. We discovered the Proprieté Desvignes in Givry during our year in Burgundy. We were away for a while, but our visit in June reaffirmed what we found nearly 17 years ago — a quality domaine making tasty red Burgundy at affordable prices. We’ve stocked up on two Givrys, and are pleased to release the first today.

The Desvignes Givry “Meix au Roy” is a Burgundy disguised as a Côtes du Rhône. There’s more rusticity and juiciness than Burgundy from further north, but the same pure, delightful Pinot Noir fruit, and deliciously accessible mouthfeel. Look for fresh wild raspberries in the nose, and a crackling lively mouthfeel. This is a charming wine that succeeds in being just what it sets out to be — hearty and refreshing.

This would be an excellent choice for Thanksgiving, borrowing a bit of the exuberance from its neighbor Beaujolais to the south, but adding just a hint of refinement from the more finesse-inclined Pinot Noir. For readers who enjoy red Burgundy on a regular basis, here’s a break on the usual bill associated with the affliction. For those unaccustomed to French Pinot Noir, here’s a great place to start.

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DESVIGNES Givry 2012
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.

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Posted on October 30, 2015March 3, 2016 by Thomas Wilcox

Wild Honey and Peach: Northern Rhône Viognier

Nectar. Condrieu is one of the most sought after white wines in the world. Made from pure viognier, and grown in a tiny Northern Rhône appellation of less than half a square mile, this nectar-like white wines is both delicious and pricey. Our favorite source is the brothers Christophe and Patrick Bonnefond.

The Bonnefond Condrieu is excellent, but in 2014 they began producing a second viognier, from vines planted outside the tiny appellation. This wine doesn’t quite match the depth and richness of Condrieu, but still shows the white flowers, honey, and pear of this northern Rhône classic. And for less than half the price, it’s a lovely glass of wine.

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Blossoming. Viognier is typically a mouthfilling wine, and when grown in warm climates can heavy and overly warm. It’s in the Northern Rhône that the grape achieves its finest balance. Viognier’s rich mouthfeel makes it an excellent cold weather white, and we think this wine will be right at home as the temperature continues to drop. Serve it in a large glass to let the aromas develop. This is a great chance to taste Northern Rhône viognier without a Condrieu price tag.

Bonnefond’s 2014 Viognier is very expressive in the nose, showing wild honey, peach, and magnolia. The mouth is rich and quite round, but not heavy; the palate begins with pear and white peach, and finishes with savory grape skin and even hints of mustard seed. It’s a mouthful on its own and certainly doesn’t require food, but will pair really nicely with spiced Asian cuisine.

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BONNEFOND Viognier 2014
Ansonia Retail: $24
case, half-case: $19.95/bot

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AVAILABLE IN 6- AND 12- BOTTLE LOTS

Email Tom to place an order.

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Posted on October 28, 2015June 27, 2017 by Thomas Wilcox

“Nobility and Elegance”: 09 Michel Gros Red Burgundy

Too drinkable. For the fans and farmers of Burgundy, 2009 was a golden year. The weather was perfect, the grapes were clean and healthy, and there were plenty of them. One writer soon after the vintage predicted that the early-drinking 2009s would probably age well, if only collectors could keep their hands off them long enough to find out.

Today the 2009s are more drinkable than ever, showing the ripe, punchy fruit for which the vintage was known. We’re nearing the end of our stock of 2009 red Burgundies, and the domaines too are sadly out of stock. There’s talk of the 2015s vintage ending up even better than 09, but as those are several years off, we’re fully enjoying what’s left of the 09s.

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Burgundian Superstar. We served the 2009 Nuits-St-Georges at a Tom’s wedding a year ago — and now a few weeks after the first anniversary, it’s drinking even better. A few years ago Clive Coates MW named Michel Gros in the top 17 domaines in all of Burgundy — a list that included Romanée-Conti, Leroy, and Comtes Lafon — and highlighted the “nobility and elegance” of his wines.

The 2009 Nuits-St-Georges 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, delicious red Burgundy that’s hard to put down.

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MICHEL GROS Nuits-St-Georges 2009
Ansonia Retail: $66
case, half-case: $58/bot

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AVAILABLE IN 6- AND 12- BOTTLE LOTS

Email Tom to place an order.

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Posted on October 26, 2015March 3, 2016 by Thomas Wilcox

Mixed Case: Amiot Red Burgundy Sampler

Microsource. The tiny Burgundy village of Morey-St-Denis covers just under four tenths of a square mile. It has long played second fiddle to its famous neighbors Chambolle-Musigny and Gevrey-Chambertin, but in fact it holds five Grand Cru vineyards and produces excellent red Burgundies. At their best, the wines of Morey-St. Denis show a beautiful lace-like minerality, and an elegance only possible in Pinot Noir from Burgundy.

Our producer in Morey-St-Denis is the Domaine Pierre Amiot, which has a large range of wines from the town. Amiot’s wines often drink better after a few years in the bottle, so we’re suggesting four wines with 3 to 8 years in the bottle. This case is an excellent way to get to know the Domaine Amiot, and to see remarkable range within the corners of this tiny town.

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Amiot’s village level Morey-St-Denis is bright and delicate, and with eight years in the bottle has blossomed into a delicious, classic earthy wine. Look for notes of wild cherries and toast, and decant this for a half hour before serving.

The Millandes 1er cru 2007 shows raspberry and wild cherry fruit in the nose — now eight years after the harvest, it has begun to show toasty “sous bois” elements like mushrooms and forest floor. The tannins have softened, but retain enough structure to match well with foods. The Amiots suggest red meats and ripened cheeses.

“Aux Charmes” 1er cru 2010 shows one of the characteristics of Morey-St-Denis we like best: a warm, agreeable earthiness. In the nose there’s smoke and toasted red fruit; in the mouth you’ll find the cool dense tannins characteristic of this small but very fine vintage.

As the youngest wine in the case, Ruchots 1er cru 2012 has many years ahead of it. But it’s already expressive aromatically, showing excellent dark woodsy fruit and plenty of juicy tannin. This will benefit from some cellaring, but as with most 2012s is surprisingly drinkable today.

MIXED CASE: AMIOT RED BURGUNDY SAMPLER

3x Morey-St-Denis 2007: $52
3x Morey-St-Denis 1er “Millandes” 2007: $65
3x Morey-St-Denis 1er “Aux Charmes” 10: $72
3x Morey-St-Denis 1er “Ruchots” 2012: $78
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Ansonia Retail: $801
Notebook price: $685/case

(free East Coast shipping) | save $116

Email Tom to place an order.

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Posted on October 25, 2015March 3, 2016 by Thomas Wilcox

Advance Order: Magnums of Premier Cru Gevrey-Chambertin

Almost Grand Cru. In Burgundy as in real estate, location is everything. A slight change in slope or soil content can make an enormous difference in a wine. Though it’s classified as a premier cru, today’s wine is surrounded by five grand cru vineyards, and many believe that it stays a premier cru more from politics than from geology.

The Amiot Gevrey Chambertin 1er cru “Combottes” 2012 is beefy, masculine wine, with savory, toasty woodsiness and loads of dark red fruit. It’s young but already drinking well, and should have a bright and long future ahead. Combottes is as close to a Grand Cru as the rest of Burgundy gets.

Double Bottles. We’re excited to be offering this wine for the first time in magnum. It’s hard not to be festive with double bottles around. For us they call to mind the feasts of centuries ago, where rich wine flowed and celebrations took place around long tables in great halls. And with holidays on the way, these will make excellent gifts or festive additions to your dinner table.

Next week we’re releasing our November Futures brochure, and will be including these Combottes magnums in the container. The bottles have perfect provenance, and will remain in the producer’s cellar until we pick them up next month. Consider giving the wine enthusiast in your family something different this year.

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AMIOT Gevrey 1er “Combottes” 2012 (1.5L)
Ansonia Retail: $170
Futures price: $135/bot

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AVAILABLE BY THE BOTTLE, SHIPPING NOT INCLUDED

NOTE: THIS IS AN ADVANCE ORDER, WE EXPECT THIS WINE TO ARRIVE IN MID DECEMBER

Email Tom to place an order.

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Posted on October 23, 2015March 3, 2016 by Thomas Wilcox

The Original Chassagne-Montrachet: Pinot Noir.

Today Chassagne-Montrachet is known for its opulent white Burgundies, most famous among them from the Grand Cru vineyard “Montrachet.” But for most of its existence, Chassagne was known for its red wines. As late as the 1930s, Chardonnay comprised only a fifth of the vines planted in the town.

White Chassagne-Montrachet often fetches prices in triple digits, but the reds from the town are far more reasonable. Our source for both red and white Chassagne is the Domaine Roger Belland, whose premier cru Morgeot vineyard “Clos Pitois” was first planted in 1421. Belland plants his Chassagne half to chardonnay and half to pinot noir, according to soil type.

Why does the famille Belland continue to make red Chassagne when they could get twice as much if they replanted to white? Well, because the red tastes like this.

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Roger Belland and his daughter Julie represent the 5th and 6th generations at the Belland domaine. In Burgundy, where most vineyards are divided among many owners, a plot owned by a single vigneron is called a monopole. The Clos Pitois is such a vineyard, and since 1421 has been planted only five times.

Belland’s premier cru red Chassagne is elegant and juicy, with dried cherry fruits, earth and graphite in the nose. In the mouth the tannins are cool and fine, making it remarkably drinkable for its age. Many readers have been enjoying Belland’s 2013 Maranges 1er cru from down the road — the Pitois is a much finer, more elegant version, with the same delicious fruit, but a more attractive, elegant body and better potential for aging.

We’ll be writing about the white Clos Pitois in a few weeks, but for the moment we’re enjoying the original Chassagne Montrachet.

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BELLAND Chassagne 1er cru rouge 2013
Ansonia Retail: $50
case, half-case: $44/bot

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AVAILABLE IN 6- AND 12- BOTTLE LOTS

Email Tom to place an order.

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Posted on October 20, 2015March 3, 2016 by Thomas Wilcox

Extraordinary White Burgundy: “Baby Corton-Charlemagne.”

Golden. White Burgundy is one world’s greatest gustatory inventions. Rarely does the marriage of winemaker, grape, and land create the perfection possible here. Many of the finest wines we’ve ever tasted — of any color or origin — have been Chardonnays from the golden hillsides of Burgundy.

Perhaps the single most exciting white Burgundy we’ve found in the last few years has come from the oft-forgotten town of Ladoix. Wedged into the border between the Côte de Nuits and the Côte de Beaune, Ladoix lies just north of the famous Grand-Cru covered hill of Corton. It’s an unlikely place for an exceptional wine, and yet the source for a real discovery.

Many readers will have enjoyed the Bourgogne blanc from the Domaine Ravuat, a wine with a delicious thickness but without a distracting heaviness. Today’s post is for the Bourgogne’s more muscular older brother, the 2014 Ladoix blanc.

Thick and elegant. It was this wine, described by wine writer Bill Nanson as a “baby Corton-Charlemagne,” that first drew us to the Ravaut domaine. We found his comment spot on — this is an admirable impression of the famous Grand Cru white, and one that can be had at less than half the price. Ravaut is a family domaine of the highest quality, and one that continues to sell more than half their wine to loyal individual customers.

Fans of Ravaut’s Bourgogne will love this wine, which shows richness at an unmistakably elevated and refined level. Notes of caramel, herbs and baked lemon melt effortlessly with soft toasted wood and precise minerality. The mouthfeel is long and dense, with exceptional depth and delicate freshness.

This is a wine to convert anyone to white Burgundy. For those already converted, we can’t recommend it enough.

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RAVAUT Ladoix blanc 2013
Ansonia Retail: $46
case, half-case: $39/bot

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AVAILABLE IN 6- AND 12- BOTTLE LOTS

Email Tom to place an order.

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Posted on October 19, 2015October 19, 2015 by Thomas Wilcox

Mixed Case: Châteauneuf-du-Pape Sampler

Cold Snap. Châteauneuf-du-Pape is the perfect cold weather wine. 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 four and eight 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.

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Font du Loup is a small producer on the east side of the appellation. Their wines show excellent balance and depth, with notes rich strawberry jam, sage, and menthol, and a long, elegant mouthfeel.

Vieux Lazaret is the largest domaine in Chateauneuf-du-Pape, and their signature cuvée is classic and delicious. It combines baked fruit with provencal spice, and drinks particularly well young.

The Domaine de Nalys separates out the finest grapes each year for their Reserve Cuvée, which features an unusually high percentage of Syrah. This is a dark, spicy wine with excellent concentration and density.

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

CHATEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE SAMPLER

3x Font du Loup CDP 11: $45
3x Lazaret CDP 09: $38
3x Nalys Reserve CDP 10: $50
3x Autard CDP Côte Ronde 07: $72
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Ansonia Retail: $615
Notebook price: $525/case

(free East Coast shipping) | save $90

Email Tom to place an order.

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Posted on October 18, 2015March 3, 2016 by Thomas Wilcox

Beaujolais: the Perfect Red for Fall. $15

Dark, punchy. Beaujolais might be the perfect wine for the fall. Crisp air and turning leaves are an excellent match for a the cool fruit and punchy mouthfeel of first-rate Beaujolais. The region is still best known for the Beaujolais Nouveau, a quaint local custom turned global marketing phenomenon. But there’s far more to Beaujolais than cheap candied red wine.

The Crus Beaujolais are more serious wines from the ten small villages that make up the appellation. Our favorite among these is Juliénas, which is known for its dark, concentrated expression of the Gamay grape. Cru Beaujolais may be more intellectual than their Bacchanalian Nouveau cousins, but at their core they maintain the region’s spirit of festivity and plaisir.

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Vin de Soif. There’s something joyous about the Chateau de Juliénas’s Cuvée Tradition 2013. We’ve found this wine is most at home in front of a football game or in substantial quantity along a rowdy Thanksgiving table. The Condemine Family has made wine in this chateau for five generations, and the Chateau itself has produced wine since its construction in the 14th century.

The Juliénas Tradition 2013 is dark and juicy, with ripe bursting tannins and beautiful cool fruit. The nose is of raspberries and redcurrant, and the mouth shows wild cherries, pepper, and the croquant (“crackling”) fruit we love in the best wines of Beaujolais. This is always a great wine in the autumn — inexpensive, refreshing, and a pleasure to drink.

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JULIENAS Cuvée Tradition 2013
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.

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Posted on October 16, 2015March 3, 2016 by Thomas Wilcox

New German Rieslings: Iconic, Elegant, and Dry

Most wine collectors begin their cellars with the European canon: Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Champagne from France, Barolo and Brunello from Italy, and perhaps Ribera del Duero and Port from Spain. But no collector’s cellar is complete without an array of German Rieslings.

These chronically overlooked wines are nearly unmatched in price, longevity, and food adaptability, and we’re thrilled to introduce four new wines from the Weingut Franz Dahm in the Mosel Valley. These wines range from bone dry to off-dry, and show the clean, beautiful, slate-like minerality for which the wines from this region are so renowned.

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A note about residual sugar: in the first two, there’s effectively none — these taste drier than many Chardonnays, and show beautiful, crystalline acidity. The second two are “off-dry,” meaning they begin with sweetness on the palate, and then finish dry. The latter pair are akin to biting into an apple — the ripe sweetness of the fruit gives way to refreshing tartness, leaving your palate fresh, not sugared.

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DAHM 1: DAHM Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Qualitäswein trocken 2010

This is dry, steely, and beautiful, showing a slate minerality and crisp, zesty mouthfeel. This is perfect everyday Riesling — delicious and inexpensive. Pair it with sushi or other raw seafood like oysters or scallops.

Retail: $14 | half-case price: $10.95/bot

DAHM 2: DAHM Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Kabinett trocken 2011

This Riesling is elegant and long; dry like the first wine above, but more complex and persistent. The nose shows delicate white flowers and baked apple tart; the mouth is bone dry, with lemon zest and brisk, mouthwatering minerality.

Retail: $18 | half-case price: $15/bot

DAHM 3: DAHM Bernkasteler Bratenhofchen Riesling Kabinett halbtrocken 2008

This nose is beautiful and delicate — showing bright apple and lime zest. The mouth beings soft and round, but finishes with a burst of beautiful mineral texture. The finish is long, fine, and dry; to borrow a phrase from wine writer Eric Asimov, this is “thrillingly tense.” We think is best on its own, as a simple and beautiful aperitif.

Retail: $18 | half-case price: $15/bot

DAHM 4: DAHM Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Kabinett feinherb 2010

The nose shows apricot and peach and lemon; the mouth is crisp and faintly sweet on the attack, giving way to vibrant acidity and a beautiful minerality. Serve this with a spicy Indian or Thai dishes, or after dinner with a mild apple and almond cake.

Retail: $16 | half-case price: $12/bot

Email Tom to order a wine from above.

AVAILABLE IN 6- AND 12- BOTTLE LOTS
*To avoid confusion, please order by wine number (i.e. DAHM2, DAHM4)

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MIXED CASE GERMAN RIESLINGS
Ansonia Retail: $198
mixed price: $148/case

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Email Tom to order a mixed case.

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Posted on October 14, 2015March 3, 2016 by Thomas Wilcox

Santenay that drinks like Chassagne-Montrachet.

Value. When we shape our portfolio, we look for wines that “punch above their weight.” These are wines that exceed expectations based on the price tag and the name on the label — bottles that, if tasted blind, you’d put in a higher class. A recent such discovery is a premier cru white Santenay from Roger Belland.

Santenay is known for mid-range Burgundies that can be delicious but are seldom extraordinary. But Belland’s 2013 Santenay 1er cru Beauregard blanc might the finest white Santenay we’ve had. Tasted blind it could easily be mistaken for a wine from neighboring Chassagne-Montrachet.

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Sucrocité. Clive Coates MW calls Roger Belland “one of the best sources in the village” of Santenay. Together with his daughter Julie, Belland crafts excellent wines with cool, fresh fruit and beautiful balance. Many readers picked up some of Belland’s village-level white Santenay from a few weeks ago, and some have already come back for seconds.

Belland’s 2013 Santenay 1er cru blanc has a pretty, baked apple nose with notes of white flowers and honey, but it’s on the palate that this wine really shines. The mouthfeel is thick and vibrant, showing unusual depth and excellent length. The oak, fruit, and acidity are all in perfect balance, presenting a wine that bursts with life and richness.

Pair this with a Sunday afternoon roast chicken or a hearty soup — pour it from a carafe, and you guests will never guess where it came from.

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BELLAND Santenay 1er cru blanc 2013
Ansonia Retail: $40
case, half-case: $34/bot

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AVAILABLE IN 6- AND 12- BOTTLE LOTS

Email Tom to place an order.

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Posted on October 13, 2015March 16, 2016 by Thomas Wilcox

Mixed Case: Northern vs. Southern Rhône

The Rhône River divides into two very different halves. The Northern Rhône features syrah-based wines from the dramatic slopes of towns like Côte Rôtie and Hermitage. The Southern Rhône offers blends of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre, most famously from Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

We like red wines from both ends of this river, particularly in the fall and winter. Northern Rhône reds are spiced and peppery with dark fruits and smoke. Thier southern counterparts are richer and darker, showing baked fruits and jam. Both will pair beautifully with roasted meats and a roaring fireplace.

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Saint Clair’s Crozes-Hermitage is a classic Northern Rhône, showing all of the darkness of the Syrah grape, but none of the heaviness it develops in other climates. The 2012 Crozes shows dark blackberries with an intoxicating blend of cloves, tobacco and anise.

Robert Parker calls our source for Côte Rôtie “among the finest in the appellation.” The Domaine Bonnefond’s Côte Rôtie is inky and dense, showing roasted plums and black pepper, with a spiced mouth of dark chocolate and toast.

The Goubert Gigondas 2011 is a traditional wine from a classic winemaker. The fruits are dark and nicely melted together, showing provencal spice and plum jam. This has been a standby Southern Rhône wine in our cellar for decades.

The Font du Loup is our newest source for Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Their wine from this famous appellation shows raspberry jam, with hints of sage and menthol. It’s more elegant than massive, but the smooth, silky texture persists on an exceptionally long palate.

NORTH VS. SOUTH: THE RHÔNE

3x Saint-Clair Crozes-Hermitage 2012: $28
3x Bonnefond Côte Rôtie 2013: $54
3x Goubert Gigondas 2011: $28
3x Font du Loup Chateauneuf 2012: $42
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Ansonia Retail: $456
Notebook price: $385/case

(free East Coast shipping) | save $71

Email Tom to place an order.

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