Author: Thomas Wilcox

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Goubert’s Signature Gigondas: Violets, Spice, and Joie de Vivre

There’s something exceptionally pleasant about the pace of life in the South of France. Since arriving Sunday afternoon we have eaten five of our six meals outside, under clear blue Provencal skies and a gentle, refreshing breeze. Winemakers greet us with quick smiles and warm welcomes. Even the often sullen waiters seem a bit more at ease (as long as you don’t need your check fast).

Joie de vivre has long been tradition here. Two thousand years ago the town of Gigondas was a vacation spot for Roman soldiers. They named the place jucunditas, a latin word that means enjoyment, delight, and pleasure. The spelling has changed a little since then, but the charm has not. Today it’s as quaint and pleasant a town as any in France — and it has delicious wine to match.

We spent this morning tasting with our friends the Cartiers at the Domaine les Goubert in Gigondas. Jancis Robinson and Robert Parker consider them a “reference point” for the village, and we’ve been enjoying their Gigondas since the early 1990s. We have yet to see a bad vintage, but even amid astonishing consistency, the 2012s stand out.

In 2012 Goubert’s signature Gigondas is dark and smooth and full, with pleasant red fruits playing beautifully off the provencal spice 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 Cartiers. The mouth is sturdy and meaty, with cool dark tannins and impressive length. Serve this with grilled meats, rustic salads, or hard sheep’s milk cheese, particularly on a picnic.

If you’re ever in the South of France, we recommend a visit to Gigondas — you’ll see why the Romans came back year after year. But if it’s charm and enjoyment and joie de vivre you’re after, this bottle will get you most of the way there.

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GOUBERT Gigondas 2012
Ansonia Retail: $30
6+ bottle price : $25/bot

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AVAILABLE IN    6-   AND  12-   BOTTLE LOTS

 

 

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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.

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122 Years of Grenache, Cézanne, and Provence.

Le Train.  In 1895, at age 56 impressionist painter Paul Cezanne had his first solo show in Paris. His 150 paintings were a revelation to artists and collectors, and the show secured his place as a leading artist of his time. But despite his first real commercial success, Cezanne returned south to live out his final decade in his beloved Provence.

This morning we made the same trek from Paris to Provence — our trip (by TGV) today was no less scenic, but perhaps a bit quicker than in 1895. As it happens, that same year a vineyard of Grenache vines was planted outside Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Those vines (most of them, at least) are still alive, and still producing fruit from their gnarled bush-like branches. They may not have gained as much value as a Cezanne canvas, but they produce an awfully good glass of red.

 

Pure, Unblended.  The vines for Maucoil’s “Cuvée 1895” are all Grenache and lie just feet outside the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation border drawn in 1937. The wine they produce may not match the complexity or longevity of a Châteauneuf-du-Pape, but it’s likely to be the richest and densest Côtes-du-Rhône Villages 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. If it wasn’t the warm air, the clear blue skies, or the striking Provençale light that pulled Cezanne back home, it could have been a wine like this.

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MAUCOIL “Cuvée 1895” 2014
Ansonia Retail: $30
6+ bottle price : $25/bot

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AVAILABLE IN    6-   AND  12-   BOTTLE LOTS

 

 

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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.

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Plums, Cedar, and Licorice: Small-Batch Bordeaux from Saint-Estèphe

Micro.  We don’t import much Bordeaux. We’ve always taken more readily to the scale and culture of Burgundy, where the estates are much smaller and the atmosphere less formal. But it’s no secret that Bordeaux makes some extraordinary wines, and we like having some in our portfolio.

We’re hoping to add a few new reds from Bordeaux in the next few months, but in the meantime we continue to enjoy our first and only Saint-Estèphe, the Fleuron de Liot. From a remarkably small 1.5 acre plot, this family run winery turns out an exceptional, classic red Bordeaux. It’s equal parts Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Value.  Saint-Estèphe’s clay-rich soils make it perfect for Merlot, and this wine showcases the richness and complexity possible from the grape. At under $30/bot, precise timing isn’t crucial for a satisfying return on investment — but this wine is delicious now and will be even better in five years.

Today this wine is inky and dark, with plum and dark cherries in the nose. The mouth is dense and full, with solid ripe tannins and low oak, notes of cedar and licorice, and a long, velvety texture. The tannins are rich, dense and supple, rather than harsh or dry.

One thing common to Bordeaux and Burgundy is their ability to gain complexity with age. For this wine at least, the choice is yours. Every bottle we open seems to get better, but then again, every bottle we open is one fewer in the cellar. Whichever you choose, we’re willing to bet you will wish you had more.

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FLEURON DE LIOT Saint-Estèphe 2014
Ansonia Retail: $35
6+ bottle price : $29/bot

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AVAILABLE IN   6-   AND  12-   BOTTLE LOTS

 

 

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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.

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A Pommard in Volnay Robes: Raspberry and Spice

Land.  Spend even a few days tasting Burgundy, and the power of terroir is hard to miss. From a single grape, planted across a 30 mile collection of towns, comes an astonishing array of wines. Cellar work, weather, harvest times, and other factors play a role in the final product, but in Burgundy, location (terroir) is king.

Volnay and Pommard are a particularly good study in terroir. These neighbors feature opposing takes on Pinot Noir: Volnay is known for wines of elegance, Pommard for wines of power. Some Burgundy enthusiasts prefer one over the other — we like them both. But for those who’d rather not choose, today’s wine is a Pommard dressed in Volnay robes.

Continuum.  And as you approach the border, the differences between the towns blur a bit, and it’s from this gray area that today’s wine comes. From three plots in the appellation of Pommard, vines from near the Volnay border dominate this wine. The nose is pretty and exotic, with soy sauce and spices alongside the classic raspberry fruit. The mouth shows dry blackberries, with elegant, delicate, long mouthfeel.

Every bottle of this wine we open gets better. Though it will certainly benefit from another few years of cellaring, today half an hour in a carafe dramatically softens the tannins and opens the palate. Paired with a simply prepared peppery steak, this is a delightful glass of classic Burgundy. Try a bottle every six months for the next few years — it might even age better than you do.

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MEGARD Pommard 2013
Ansonia Retail: $50
3+ bottle price : $42/bot

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AVAILABLE IN   3-   6-   AND  12-   BOTTLE LOTS

 

 

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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.

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Mixed Case: 2014 White Burgundies, “the Most Consistently Fine in a Generation”

Vintages play an important role in the style of wine. Each vintage has its own character, a result of weather patterns, harvest dates, and temperature swings. Some are difficult, requiring regular intervention to from the winemaker. Others are easy, where everything seems to go right.

For white Burgundies, 2014 was one of the best vintages in recent memory. It produced exceptionally well-balanced wines, showing good richness and ripe fruit, but also refreshing acidity and long mouthfeels. British Master of Wine Jasper Morris called the 2014 white Burgundies “the most consistently fine in a generation.”

We have collected four white Burgundies from this superb vintage into a mixed case. All these Chardonnays are drinking beautifully now, but their acidity will help carry them for a number of years.

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Gros Hautes-Côtes de Nuits blanc 2014
Michel Gros is a master of red Burgundies, but his only white wine is beautiful as well. Grown in the rugged hills to the west of the Côte de Nuits, this smooth, rich white Burgundy shows notes of baked lemon, almonds, and hazelnut.

Prunier Auxey-Duresses 2014
Michel Prunier and his daughter Estelle make understated, beautiful Burgundies from their quiet town of Auxey-Duresses. Their 2014 Auxey blanc is among the best they’ve made, showing pretty white flowers, lemon zest, and straw.

Maillet Pouilly-Fuissé 2014
Nicolas Maillet is our biodynamic producer in southern Burgundy, turning out chardonnays of extraordinary complexity and depth. His Pouilly-Fuissé is long and very complex, with notes of green tea, sweet lemons, and gardenia.

Belland Santenay 1er cru 2014
In good years Roger Belland’s Santenay 1er cru drinks more like a village level Chassagne-Montrachet. This year’s Beauregard is simply delicious, with a soft but vibrant mouthfeel of mango, meyer lemon, and minerals.

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2014 WHITE BURGUNDIES

3x   Gros Hautes-Côtes de Nuits blanc  14:   $40
3x   Prunier Auxey-Duresses  2014:   $38
3x   Maillet Pouilly-Fuissé  2014:   $40
3x   Belland Santenay 1er cru  2014:   $42


Ansonia Retail: $480
offer price: $395/case

free East Coast shipping    |    save $85

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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.

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Springtime in Alsace: Cool, Refreshing Pinot Noir. $16

Easy.  Our focus on Burgundy means we taste a lot of Pinot Noir. From simple regional wines to ageworthy Grand Cru, the spectrum of that single grape is impressive. But a few of our Pinot Noirs come from outside even Burgundy’s wide range. Though it’s grown all over France, our favorite non-Burgundian expressions of the grape are Alsatian.

In the Alsace, Pinot Noir takes on a less serious role — simpler, juicier, and more floral. Winemakers here usually employ less oak and less extraction, resulting in wines that drink well immediately . Though the Pinot Noir’s of Alsace rarely reach the profundity of the finest wines of Burgundy, on a warm summer afternoon it’s hard to think of a better choice.

 

Picnic.  Today’s wine comes from the Domaine Mersiol, a family source in the picturesque Alsatian hilltown of Dambach-la-Ville. The Mersiols farm organically on rolling, granite-flecked hillsides, producing crisp whites and refreshing juicy reds. Their 2015 Pinot Noir is denser and a bit more mouthfilling than usual, but no less pleasant.

The 2015 Mersiol Pinot Noir shows cranberry and wild cherries, with perfumed spring flowers and violets in the nose. The mouth is cool, clean, and refreshing, with excellent freshness and a crisp, lively finish. We like to serve it as the French often do — a bit cool and, if possible, outside. Bring it along on your next picnic and you’ll be transported to the banks of the Seine.

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MERSIOL Pinot Noir 2015
Ansonia Retail: $20
6+ bottle price : $16/bot

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AVAILABLE IN   6-   AND  12-   BOTTLE LOTS

 

 

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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.

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White Bordeaux: France’s Other Sauvignon Blanc. $22

Undervalued. When most people think French sauvignon blanc, they think Sancerre. But the grape also thrives in Bordeaux. Loire Valley Sauvignon blanc (known as simply “Sauvignon” in France) is exuberant and fruit forward, showing the friendly, outgoing side of the grape. It’s not that Bordeaux’s version is unfriendly, just perhaps a bit cooler and more intellectual.

In Bordeaux, Sauvignon tends more towards grapefruit zest than pulp, showing less fruit and more skin. It’s a more dignified, less obvious take on Sauvignon than that of Sancerre — like Chablis rather than Chassagne. We love both. For a glass on its own, we might choose Sancerre; but when served with food, the better choice is often white Bordeaux.

 

Zest. Once owned by the enlightenment philosopher Montesquieu, the Chateau Lafont Menaut is named for a centuries old fountain (font) and the stream Menaut from which it draws water. Vines have grown here for over 300 years; today the winemaker is Philibert Perrin of Chateau Carbonnieux.

Lafont Menaut blanc 2015 is pure Sauvignon raised in oak barrels (another difference from Sancerre). The oak adds a very subtle hint of muted spice and helps round out the mouth, but it’s the lively fruit that drives this wine. Grapefruit is still the dominant note here, blended with notes of honey, straw, and pear.

This wine is a springtime evening in a glass, and in a ripe vintage it’s even lovely on its own. But food is a welcome companion for this wine. In the past we’ve paired this with moules marinieres to great success — it’s even sturdy enough to stand up to Moules Chorizo, a delicious dish from a few kilometers to the south over the Pyrenees. With warmer weather and grilling season on the way, you’ll want this versatile, food-friendly underdog in your corner.

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LAFONT-MENAUT Pessac-Leognan blanc 2015
Ansonia Retail: $26
6+ bottle price : $22/bot

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AVAILABLE IN   6-   AND  12-   BOTTLE LOTS

 

 

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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.

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Mixed Case: Springtime Sampler

After a long and snowy winter, it seems Spring has at last arrived in the northeast. We avoid rigid rules for seasonal drinking — sometimes the moment calls for Chablis in December, or a Châteauenuf in June. But with the arrival of warm, sunny days, we find ourselves reaching for a certain style of wine. So we’ve collected four of our favorites into a sampler to welcome Spring. Two are whites — crisp, dry wines with pleasant fruit and refreshing mouthfeel. And two are reds — Pinot Noirs from Alsace and Burgundy, showing pleasant cherry fruit and cool mineral balance. All four should fit nicely into those picnics and outdoor meals we’ve been waiting all winter for.

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Collet Chablis Vieilles Vignes 2015
Collet’s old-vine Chablis is pure, unoaked chardonnay. The mouthfeel is bright and fresh, with notes of lemon zest, salt air, and minerals.

Muré Anémones 2015
 This dry Alsatian blend uses Riesling, Pinot Gris, and Muscat to create a beautifully floral wine, with notes of mango, lime, and spring flowers.

Prunier Bourgogne rouge 2014
This classic red Burgundy is pure Pinot Noir, with very little oak and a lively, refreshing mouthfeel. Look for cherries and earth.

Mersiol Pinot Noir 2015
This Alsatian Pinot Noir is more floral and juicy than the Bourgogne rouge, but shows the grape’s strawberry and plum side.

SPRINGTIME SAMPLER

  • 3x Collet Chablis Vieilles Vignes 2015: $28
  • 3x Muré Anémones 2015: $20
  • 3x Prunier Bourgogne rouge 2014: $26
  • 3x Mersiol Pinot Noir 2015: $20

Ansonia Retail: $282 offer price: $235/case

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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.

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New 2015 Red Burgundy: “Seductively Textured” and Exquisite. $29

Extraordinary. We have heard it said that there aren’t bad vintages in Burgundy any more. Modern technology and techniques mean that even in difficult years winemakers are able to craft well-made wines. But undoubtedly some years are better than others, and 2015 is one of the best.

Winemakers and wine writers alike have called 2015 one of the best vintages in a generation, on par with 2005 and 1999. Critics cite “consistent quality,” and wines “excellent from top to bottom,” with “a rare combination of succulent deep fruit, mouthfilling density of texture, and ripe fine-grained tannins.”

We’re just beginning to get our hands on the 2015s. Our offer of Bourée’s Bourgogne two weeks ago sold out in hours (more on the way), and we anticipate similar demand from the rest of the vintage. From our own tastings we can confirm the hype — it’s an exceptional vintage, and one where you really can’t go wrong.

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Drink Now. Roger Belland’s style is always fruit forward and early drinking. But in 2015, where the fruit was perfectly ripe in every corner of Burgundy, the wines are more delicious still. Today we offer Belland’s Maranges 1er cru, a wine from a town known for its straightforward, uncomplicated wines. But as with most bottles from 2015, it’s unusually delicious.

We’re not sure we’ve ever had a better red Burgundy under $30. Belland’s Maranges is exceptionally drinkable, with a nose showing dark, rich fruit, with deep cherry and cassis flavors mixing with spice and earth. Burghound (Allen Meadows) called it “seductively textured” with “very good depth and length.” He notes (and we confirm) that “this should drink well immediately.”

We were so impressed with this wine that we immediately wrote the Bellands and asked them to set aside more for us. “Malheuresement” (unhappily) they wrote back, they’re all sold out. We’ve got a healthy amount in the warehouse, but at the rate these have been selling, this may be the only offer for this wine.

BELLAND Maranges 1er cru “Fussière” 2015
Ansonia Retail: $35
6+ bottle price : $29/bot
AVAILABLE IN   6-   AND  12-   BOTTLE LOTS

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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.

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New Pure Grenache: a Juicy, Refreshing Welcome to Spring.

Seasons.  We don’t know about you, but the warmer weather this weekend felt pretty nice to us. With green shoots emerging from the soggy ground and baseball back in season, we seem to have turned a corner towards spring. Rosé season is not quite here, but it’s not far off either.

Many of our favorite springtime red wines come from the Mas Foulaquier, an organic source in the northern Languedoc. Foulaquier’s ethos fits perfectly with a springtime reawakening — with minimal intervention and no chemical treatments, their vineyards are gardens of life. Bees, rabbits, and wildflowers populate their rows of vines, and the wines they produce are similarly alive.

Today’s offer is for their pure grenache cuvée “Petit Duc,” a wine whose aromas burst from the glass unhindered by filtering or heavy sulfur. It’s just the thing to accompany the new season’s arrival.

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Fresh.  Last month many readers discovered “Violetta,” a delicious, fruit-forward blend of grenache, syrah, and carignan that is our newest Foulaquier wine. Today’s “Petit Duc” is a smoother, inkier wine from 100% grenache. It’s denser and longer in the mouth, and far more complex in the nose. So clean and precise are the cherry fruits that tasted blind it might be mistaken for an organic Pinot Noir.

The 2014 is the best vintage we’ve tasted of this wine. The nose shows the remarkable complexity of Foulaquier’s cuvées, with notes ranging from roasted cherries and cassis to lavender and bayleaf. The mouth is dense and smooth, with wild herbal honey notes joining the distilled wild cherry flavor.

We much enjoyed all the skiing we squeezed in this season, but we admit to some excitement that spring is here at last.

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FOULAQUIER Petit Duc 2014
Ansonia Retail: $34
6+ bottle price : $28/bot

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AVAILABLE IN   6-   AND  12-   BOTTLE LOTS

 

 

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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.

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2006 Premier Cru Red Burgundy: No Patience Required

Perfect Provenance.  The city of Beaune is the beating heart of Burgundy. Set at the midpoint of the Côte d’Or, this ancient town has been a viticultural hub for thousands of years. Though it’s surrounded by vines, the wines of the Beaune appellation have never been as famous as neighbors Pommard and Volnay to the south or Corton to the north.

But with some care there are excellent red Burgundies to be had from Beaune. Last fall we managed to buy a small lot of Beaune 1er cru from 2006, a wine that’s now perfectly mature. With eleven years under its belt, aged in perfect conditions in the cellar where it was bottled, this is a red Burgundy with no patience required.

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Eleven Years.   Pierre Bourée is a family domaine based in Gevrey-Chambertin. Their style is “old school” using whole clusters, lengthy macerations, and long bottle aging. They keep a remarkable stock of old bottles in their cellar, and we are always excited to browse their list of perfectly aged bottles.

Today we know more than ever about the chemical process of making wine, but there’s still no way to simulate time in a bottle. Bourée’s 1er cru Beaune 2006 shows the delicious secondary and tertiary notes only found in well-aged wine. It’s perfectly aged with impeccable provenance — it left Bourée’s cellar only a month ago.

Today the nose shows menthol, dried berries, plum and spice. The mouth is elegant and mid-weight, showing lightly smoked cherries and a cool earthiness. This won’t be the fanciest red Burgundy in your cellar, nor the longest lived. But one that needed a bit of time to mature… and already has it. The work’s all done. All that’s left is to pull the cork.

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BOUREE Beaune 1er cru “Epenottes” 2006
Ansonia Retail: $56
3+ bottle price : $49/bot

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AVAILABLE IN   3-    6-   AND  12-   BOTTLE LOTS

 

 

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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.

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“A Highlight of the Vintage”: Pure Sangiovese from Chianti. $22

Rich.  Grape varietals often get their names from a visible aspect of their fruit. The name Sauvignon blanc comes from sauvage (“wild”) because its leaves resemble those of wild grape vines. Pinot Gris refers to the blue-gray (gris) color of its grapes. But our favorite varietal (etymologically speaking) has to be Sangiovese — a wine so inky and black that it is named for the “blood of Jove.”

We import from only a single Italian source, but it has long been a favorite among our readers. Piero Lanza is a gifted winemaker, crafting perfectly ripe Chianti from 100% old-vine sangiovese. His large oak barrels impart barely any oak flavor, letting the fruit and beautiful earthiness shine through.

Roses and smoke.  Poggerino’s 2013 Chianti Classico is excellent, and an astounding bargain at $22. Jancis Robinson called it “one of the highlights of the vintage,” citing “juicy, elegant fruit…finely sculpted tannins,” and a “vibrant finish.” We found their signature roasted cherries and smoke in the nose, with rose petals and rich raspberry jam in the mouth. The mouthfeel is sturdy and dense, with young but juicy tannins and lots of energy.

This wine’s exceptional balance makes it wine an easy food pairing — a rich tomato sauce on pasta is a near perfect match. This will age nicely for another few years, but is already a delight, particularly with a meal. It’s certainly among the best sub-$25 bottles in our cellar.

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POGGERINO Chianti Classico 2013
Ansonia Retail: $26
6+ bottle price : $22/bot

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AVAILABLE IN   6-   AND  12-   BOTTLE LOTS

 

 

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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.

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Granite and Wildflowers: Dry Grand Cru Riesling. $24

Bone-dry Riesling.  There is no more underappreciated wine than Riesling. Many US consumers, burned by syrupy Rieslings with no life and too much sugar, have sworn off the grape. But for lovers of dry wine, there’s enough bone-dry Riesling out there to make Riesling avoidance foolhardy. Tall skinny bottle + “Riesling” ≠ sweet.

One of the liveliest and most delicious dry Rieslings in our portfolio comes from the Domaine Mersiol’s Grand Cru vineyard Frankstein. Grown organically from 30 year old vines, this wine perfectly conveys the landscape of its origin. The Mersiol family has lived in Dambach for centuries, and their wines represent a long and intimate knowledge of this stony terroir.

Precision.  The 2014 Mersiol Riesling Frankstein is a delight. Crisp notes of lime zest and melon with a delicate, precise minerality bolster the expressive nose of elderflower and peach. This symphony of spring perfectly echoes the landscape of wildflowers and vines that sprout from the granite slope.

Merisol’s Auxerrois and Pinot Gris are delicious glasses on their own, but the Grand Cru Riesling is as good a food wine as any in our portfolio. Serve this with seared scallops (Thomas Keller’s simple preparation is hard to beat), or with a crisp spring salad of greens and grilled chicken breast. Beside those, consider sushi, steamer clams, veal in cream, etc. etc.

The famous importer Terry Theise once said, “there are times when I think that any sip of wine that isn’t Riesling is wasted.” Take a sip of this wine, and you’ll know what he meant.

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MERSIOL Riesling Gr. Cru “Frankstein” 14
Ansonia Retail: $30
6+ bottle price : $24/bot

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AVAILABLE IN   6-   AND  12-   BOTTLE LOTS

 

 

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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.