Author: Thomas Wilcox

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Twice the Wine at Half the Price: Small-Batch Grower Champagne.

Discovery.  We first met Pascal Bardoux less than two years ago, but he is already 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 small-batch Brut Traditionnel is twice the wine at half the price.

Monsieur Bardoux is a fifth generation Champagne maker who more resembles a professor. His quiet, thoughtful approach to his wine 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.

This is Champagne as it was meant to be — wine first, bubbles second.

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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 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” Brut NV
Ansonia Retail: $52
3+ bottle price : $45/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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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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Golden 92-pt Meursault from a Master: the Epitome of White Burgundy.

Cote d’Or.  “If gold were a flavor,” Matt Kramer once wrote, “it would taste like Meursault.” Though it has no Grand Cru vineyards, Meursault’s wines are among the most sought after in the world. 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. In 2014 Boyer offered us the rare opportunity to buy some of his Meursault “Narvaux,” a village level white considered among the finest in the town. Boyer coaxes his 70 year old Chardonnay vines into perfect expressions of this extraordinary terroir.

Combining old vines, a master winemaker, exceptional terroir, and the celebrated 2014 vintage, this is not a wine to miss.

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Royalty.  The Narvaux vineyard perches above Meursault’s 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 a long, vibrant finish.

This is classic, rich, opulent 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 inspired pairing. And with snow back in the weather forecast today, we can’t think of anything more needed than a glass of rich, golden Meursault.

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BOYER-MARTENOT Meursault “Narvaux” 2014
Ansonia Retail: $62
3+ bottle price : $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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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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Cool, Meaty Syrah-Blend from the Languedoc. $12.95

Value.  For the careful shopper, the Languedoc can be an abundant resource. Long deserving its reputation for mediocrity, the region has only recently become a source of value. There’s still plenty of bad wine made in the vast region, but if you make good choices, $13 will take you farther here than just about anywhere else.

The region’s best bargain may come from the Clos Bagatelle. This centuries-old domaine hails from the ancient town of St. Chinian, set high in the rock-strewn hills of the central Languedoc. Bagatelle grows syrah, carignan, and cinsault in a rocky schist soil that provides balance and minerality.

 

Fresh.  Bagatelle’s Cuvée Tradition 2014 is full of cool, stony fruit – there’s a dark berry freshness and lack of heat that’s hard to come by in much of the Languedoc. The palate offers fruit compote, meatiness, and hints of tobacco, but without high alcohol or palate-tiring heaviness.

This is a well-priced, crowd pleasing red — it’s the house red for several of our friends. It’s also a perfect transition red, for these weeks in March where the weather teeters between winter and spring. When cold air wins out, this provides an easy, rich accompaniment to to stews, hearty pastas, and other wintery fare. But once spring rolls around, this is an excellent match for the grill.

NOTE: The 2016 version of this wine is available through our March Futures issue.

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BAGATELLE Tradition 2014
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.
or call Tom: (617) 249-3657

 

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

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New Exceptional Red Burgundy from Michel Gros. $32

Star Power. Michel Gros is perhaps the most recognizable producer in our portfolio. His wines are all elegant and precise, often showing smoky or toasty qualities, and always silky and beautiful. A few years ago Clive Coates MW listed 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.

Many of the domaine’s cuvées require both investment and patience, but not all of them. Gros makes a handful of wines from less famous zip codes — their vines receive the same care, with juice vinified in the same manner. These “petits vins” aren’t as complex or long-lived as Gros’s Clos Vougeot, but they offer a chance to sample the brilliance of the domaine at a more affordable price.

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Historic.  The Fontaine-Saint-Martin vineyard is named for an ancient Cistercian abbey nearby dating to 1127. The hillside of vines was in production for centuries, and more recently tended by Michel and his father for the last 40 years. Gros blended the wine from this plot into an Hautes-Côtes de Nuits until the 2014 vintage, when he determined the terroir was sufficiently distinctive to merit its own cuvée.

The Fontaine Saint Martin is indeed special — its soil is the same mix of marl, clay, and limestone found on the Hill of Corton. The nose is unusually dark and enticing for a Pinot Noir of its pedigree — look for black raspberry, violets, and a whisper of menthol. The mouth is crisp, full, and sturdy, with ripe young tannins that smooth out over a half-hour in the glass. Gros’s signature toasty notes join cassis and dried roses on the palate.

If you don’t already know them, we highly recommend sampling of Michel’s fancier wines some day — they can be truly extraordinary. But in the meantime, here’s a chance to get to know Gros on a friendlier level.

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MICHEL GROS “Fontaine Saint-Martin” red 2014
Ansonia Retail: $38
case, half-case : $32/bot

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AVAILABLE IN    6-   AND  12-   BOTTLE LOTS

 

 

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or call Tom: (617) 249-3657

 

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

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2015 Premier Cru White Burgundy: A Triumph of Balance and Richness. $32

Opportunity.  Chablis remains one of the best bargains in the wine world. Forever playing second fiddle to the rest of Burgundy, the brand suffered damage from the jug-wine “California Chablis,” and has yet to recover fully. The wines themselves, however, have never been better.

Today we’re offering one of our favorites from Chablis — the premier cru Montée de Tonnerre. Considered one of the three finest premier crus in Chablis, Montée de Tonnerre produces dense, elegant wines year after year. Our source for this vineyard is the young winemaker Romain Collet, who has turned in an exceptional effort with the 2015 vintage.

Balance.  Record high temperatures in 2015 made ripening easy but harvest timing tricky. The Collet family was careful to pick early, retaining acidity in the fruit, and ensuring balance in the final product. The 2015 Montée de Tonnerre is a triumph — beautiful, long, rich mouthfeel, attractive ripe fruits, and a crisp lively acidity and minerality to maintain freshness.

Collet has expertly translated the rocky terroir of Chablis into this wine — the firm mineral core makes this wine vibrant and very intense. But thanks to 2015’s heat there’s a fleshiness reminiscent of Chassagne and Meursault. And while most village wines from those towns start north of $60, the “Chablis discount” brings this down close to half.

Look for notes of honey, lime rind, and salt air in the nose; the mouth shows intense, concentrated fruit, with notes of almond, pineapple, and herbs. Normally we suggest Chablis for a refreshing summertime white — but this is rich and elegant enough to enjoy while winter weather remains.

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COLLET Chablis 1er cru “Montée de Tonnerre” 2015
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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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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Violets and Cloves: “Perfectly Formed” 94 point New Côte Rotie

Inky.  The impossibly steep hillsides of the Côte Rôtie seem like the last place in the world to grow vines. With slopes reaching 60 degrees in places, all field work — planting, pruning, treating, harvesting — must be done entirely by hand. Every time we visit we wonder aloud what on earth would drive people to plant vines here.

And then we visit the Bonnefonds. Côte Rôtie syrah is unlike any other — at once dense and balanced, inky and crisp, mouthfilling and fresh. Christophe and his brother Patrick produce small batches of beautiful, concentrated syrah. Their domaine is a bit hard to find, but their wines are pure and fine; Robert Parker calls them “some of the finest in the appellation.”

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Rare.  Today’s offer is for one of their two top cuvées — the Côte Rôtie “Côte Roziers” 2014. Syrah simply doesn’t get any better than this. From a plot bordering the famous La Landonne, the Bonnefond brothers produce only 125 cases of their Côte Rozier per year. Think of a flabby, high-alcohol, warm weather shiraz — this is the opposite.

Côte Rôtie famously ages well, and this wine will rewards a decade or more of patience. But as Josh Raynolds of Vinous puts it, the Bonnefonds produce “some of the most extroverted Côte Rôties,” and these wines are also enjoyable young. Raynolds awarded the 2014 Roziers 92-94 points, calling it “extremely long,” “seamless in texture” and “powerful yet lithe.” Jancis Robinson’s reviewer called it “perfectly formed.”

We found a dark perfumed nose of violets, cloves, and black raspberries. The mouth is inky and long with sturdy tannins but an unmistakable elegance — the texture is dense and very fine. On the palate there’s cherry jam, black pepper, and a hint of smoke. With proper care and some patience, this can be every bit as rewarding as a well-aged red Burgundy.

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BONNEFOND Côte Rôtie “Côte Rozier” 2014
Ansonia Retail: $70
3+ bottles price: $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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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: White Wines for Fish

Ever since one half of the Ansonia team relocated to the coast of Maine, our collective fish and shellfish consumption has risen rapidly. With fresh catches rolling in daily, it’s hard to avoid the stuff — and who would want to? Of course our white wine consumption has spiked as well, and we keep a handful of favorites at the ready for when the oysters or haddock in the local market looks particularly good.

But thanks to modern grocery infrastructure, you don’t have live on the water to enjoy its fruits. So if there’s room for fish in your diet, we’ve collected some of our favorite whites to pair: a classic Muscadet from the Loire, a floral white Burgundy from the Maconnais, and two traditional unoaked wines from Chablis. You choose the fish and preparation; we’re here to help with something for your glass.

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Martin-Luneau Muscadet “Clisson” 2012
This is from the new generation of Muscadet: cuvées held longer on the lees to gain mouthfeel and complexity. Look for notes of grape skin, salt air, and melon; pair with oysters.

Maillet Macon-Verzé 2014
Maillet’s pure, unoaked Chardonnay has a rich mouthfeel but excellent freshness as well. Look for notes of green tea, honeysuckle, and straw; serve with scallops and basil.

Collet Chablis 2015
Collet’s Chablis is pure, honest, and unadorned, full of brisk freshness and clean fruit. Look for ripe meyer lemon and minerals in the mouth; serve with broiled haddock.

Gautheron Chablis 1er cru Vaucoupin 2014
This premier cru Chablis is dense and concentrated, from a perfectly balanced vintage. Look for lemon zest, herbal notes, and a hint of saline; serve with breaded baked cod, or sushi.

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WHITE WINES FOR FISH

3x   Martin-Luneau Muscadet “Clisson” 2012:   $24
3x   Maillet Macon-Verzé 2014:   $30
3x   Collet Chablis 2015:   $24
3x   Gautheron Chablis 1er “Vaucoupin” 14:   $30


Ansonia Retail: $324
offer price: $269/case

free East Coast shipping    |    save $55

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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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The Other White Burgundy: “Forget what you know about Aligoté.” $19

Forgotten. We’ve been on the hunt for a nice Aligoté for years. Forever in the shadow of the finest Chardonnays in the world, Burgundy’s “other white grape” is neither profound nor expensive. Most of our searches have yielded disappointments: wines with too much acid, too little body, or both.

But in June, we at last struck gold. Boyer-Martenot’s Aligoté is unlike any other we’ve had, with a rich mouthfeel and unusually complex bouquet. Vincent Boyer, a highly skilled craftsman of rich, elegant Meursault, has managed to add a bit of his magic to this grape. Forget what you know about Aligoté — Boyer’s is real white Burgundy.

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Smooth. Drawing from vines with an average age of over 40 years, and from the ripest vintage (2015) in a decade, Boyer’s Aligoté is smoother and rounder than any we’ve had. The secret is his use of 5- and 7-year-old barrels to age the wine — barrels too old to impart much oak flavor, but which aid in microoxygenation and add softness and depth.

In the nose Boyer’s 2015 Aligoté shows wild honey and herbs, with white flowers and classic green apple. The mouth is bright and lively, with a dry, chalky richness that’s nearly unheard of for Aligoté. For readers interested in making kir, we also managed to find an exceptional crème de cassis source last summer — a glass of this wine joined by a splash of cassis will be a fantastic match.

But, for once, the cassis isn’t mandatory — this is a crisp, pleasant glass of white Burgundy on its own.

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BOYER-MARTENOT Aligoté 2015
Ansonia Retail: $24
case, half-case price: $19/bot

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AVAILABLE IN   6-   AND  12-   BOTTLE LOTS

 

 

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or call Tom: (617) 249-3657

 

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

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New Everyday Red Burgundy: Raspberries and Spring Flowers. $22

Economics.  It’s hard to find inexpensive wine in Burgundy. Demand is high — the world has celebrated the wines of Burgundy for over a thousand years, and its popularity continues to increase. Supply is low — Burgundy contributes only about 1.5 million hectolitres a year, compared with 6 million in Bordeaux and nearly 12 million in the Languedoc.

So we’re always pleased to find a bargain in Burgundy. Michel Prunier and his daughter Estelle produce traditional, unpretentious Burgundies from the tiny town of Auxey-Duresses (population 300). Their wines aren’t flashy or overoaked — they’re classic, old-school, charming Burgundies. Today’s wine is their entry-level red, a delightful Bourgogne rouge priced to enjoy early and often.

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Punchy.  The 2014 produced reds with crisp, juicy tannins, lots of energy, and perfectly ripe fruit. Many will benefit from age, but some, particularly the simpler cuvées, are already delicious. Prunier’s 2014 Bourgogne rouge is a clean, refreshing, uncomplicated red Burgundy that’s a perfect option for weeknight drinking.

The bottle we opened last night was beautifully knit together. The nose is pure and clean, showing raspberries, chalk, and a hint of menthol. The mouth is ripe, fresh, and punchy — the tannins are round, with notes of cherry compote and fresh spring flowers. Vosne-Romanée this is not; but pair it with a slice of goat cheese on a cracker on a Wednesday after work, and it’ll tide you over to the weekend with ease.

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PRUNIER Bourgogne rouge 2014
Ansonia Retail: $26
case, half-case price: $22/bot

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AVAILABLE IN   6-   AND  12-   BOTTLE LOTS

 

 

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or call Tom: (617) 249-3657

 

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

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Advance Order: Extraordinary White Burgundy, “Baby Corton-Charlemagne.” (40% OFF)

Discovery.  After more than a decade of tasting across Burgundy, we feel we know the area pretty well. But the region still holds surprises, and perhaps none as exciting as the Ladoix Blanc from the Domaine Ravaut. It was this wine, described by wine writer Bill Nanson as a “baby Corton-Charlemagne,” that first drew us to the Ravaut domaine about five years ago.

We’re not the only tasters to find this gem of a white Burgundy, and small vintages over the past five years have meant our allocation has been only a handful of cases. But the bottle of the 2015 Ladoix we enjoyed last week so downright delicious, we decided it wouldn’t hurt to ask if they might find us a bit more.

As luck would have it, 2015’s near-perfect growing season produced the first healthy-sized crop in years, and we’ve managed to secure a second small allocation. If there’s any left it will be in next Sunday’s March Futures Issue, but we’re opening up the bidding on this one early. Quantities are limited, orders are first come, first served.

Exceptional.  This might be the single most exciting Burgundy of either color we’ve seen in the last few years. From tiny and oft-forgotten town of Ladoix, it’s a wine of extraordinary complexity and depth. We found Nanson’s “Baby Corton-Charlemagne” comment spot on — the Ladoix offers an admirable impression of the famous Grand Cru white, and one that can be had, particularly through Futures pricing, at a fraction of the price.

Fans of rich White Burgundy will love this wine, which shows concentration and depth at an unmistakably elevated and refined level. Notes of pear, almond, herbs and baked lemon melt effortlessly with soft toasted wood and precise minerality. The mouthfeel is long and dense, with a luxurious 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 2015
Ansonia Retail: $624
Futures price: $375/case    ($31.25/bot)

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AVAILABLE IN   6-   AND  12-   BOTTLE LOTS

NOTE: THIS IS AN ADVANCE ORDER, DUE IN TO THE US IN APRIL/MAY.

 

 

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or call Tom: (617) 249-3657

 

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

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Extraordinary, Unoaked, Shimmering White Burgundy: $25

Complexity.  Nicolas Maillet might be our favorite new source for White Burgundy. His wines are classic examples of the best white Maconnais — cool, round chardonnay with excellent balance and little or no oak. If the Côte d’Or offers Burgundies of pedigree and refinement, then the Maconnais offers Burgundies of vibrancy and joy.

Maillet takes this idea one step further with biodynamics, vinifying his wines with only indigenous yeasts and a slow, months-long fermentation. The result is wine of remarkable complexity and purity. Maillet is a man full of passion — for his vineyards, for his rootstocks, for biodynamics, and for the purity of his harvest. And he manages to translate all of this energy into truly impressive wines.

Passion.  Maillet doesn’t lack confidence in his techniques, and after a sip of his wine, you won’t either. The 2014 Macon-Verzé is among the best he’s made, from an exceptional vintage. The nose is elaborately complex, with a range of notes from white flowers and green tea to tangerine and apricot. The mouth is classic Maillet — rich and long and pure, but with striking freshness and a beautiful baked lemon core.

Vinous writer Stephen Tanzer highlighted this wine’s perfect balance, calling it “densely packed, juicy and concentrated, with attractive sucrocité leavened by brisk acidity.” With no oak to overshadow the wine’s clarity, this is Maconnais at its best, showing beautiful, unadulterated ripe chardonnay fruit.

So complete is the palate of this wine that it requires no accompaniment from food — it’s lush and delightful on its own. But should hunger or houseguests force your hand, we suggest cow’s milk cheeses like Comté or Beaufort, or perhaps a bowl of steamed mussels.

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MAILLET Macon-Verzé 2014
Ansonia Retail: $30
case, half-case price: $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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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: Red Bordeaux Sampler

The Other “B.”  Burgundy may be the heart of our portfolio, but that doesn’t mean we don’t enjoy wines from the other “B.” Bordeaux is different from Burgundy in just about every way — scale, grapes, style, history, culture — but the wines can be just as delicious. Particularly when there’s a well-browned steak around, it’s hard to beat a classic Bordeaux.

We’ve collected four reds into this Bordeaux Sampler. Two are from the left bank — Saint-Estèphe and Graves — and two from the right — Pomerol and Saint-Emilion. All are blends of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon, and show the rich, woodsy side of these traditional blends.

Burgundy will always be our favorite region, but a bit of variety never hurt anyone.

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Léhoul Graves rouge 2012
A classic blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, this Graves was rated first among 62 wines tasted by Decanter Magazine. Look for notes of plums, toast and licorice.

Fleuron de Liot Saint-Estèphe 2014
Our newest Bordeaux is small-batch Saint-Estèphe, a blend of equal parts Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s dense and inky, notes of and licorice — decant for 30-60 minutes.

Destieux Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Classé 2011
This rich, meaty Saint-Emilion from a precocious vintage is two thirds Merlot, with the final third split between Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Look for dark black cherries and toast.

Clemence Pomerol 2011
This majority Merlot wine is classic Pomerol — rich and dark and velvety. Look for a dense, concentrated mouthfeel and notes of plum, dark chocolate, tobacco, and decant for an hour.

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RED BORDEAUX SAMPLER

3x   Léhoul Graves red 2012:   $30
3x   Fleuron de Liot Saint-Estèphe 2014:   $35
3x   Destieux St-Emilion Grand Cru Classé 2011:   $65
3x   Clemence Pomerol 2011:   $85


Ansonia Retail: $645
offer price: $495/case

free East Coast shipping    |    save $150

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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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Violets and Lavender: 90 point 2015 Southern Rhône Red. $25

Dense. There’s no better wine for wintery weather than one made in a sunny spot. The rich wines of the Southern Rhône valley spend the summer soaking in the clear Provençal sun — they’re a perfect match for cold weather. Châteauneuf-du-Pape gets most of the attention in the Rhône, but if you know where to look, there are delicious, affordable wines across the valley.

The rich reds of the Domaine Malmont are a perfect example. Winemaker Nicolas Haeni grew up in the area, and now farms a small vineyard in hills east of Séguret. Malmont is tiny — Nicolas works the vines himself with only one part time employee, and his winery is a small garage attached to his house — but the quality is exceptional. With winter fully in swing we’ve been enjoying Malmont with regularly of late.

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Garden. The Malmont vineyard is an extraordinary polycultural environment. Wild herbs and grasses surround Nicolas’s organically-farmed vines, and the gently sloping terraced rows buzz with life. From this verdant plot with a commanding view of the valley, Nicolas crafts an exceptional series of wines.

A tasting panel at Decanter Magazine just named Nicolas’s 2015 Séguret among the top nine Southern Rhône reds tasted. They awarded 90 points, and found a “beefy” wine with a “nicely muscular quality” and “deep-seated cherry fruit.” We’ve found it the perfect bottle for a chilly evening.

This is an unusually expressive grenache/syrah blend. The nose is dark and spiced, with notes of cassis and violets. The mouth is very rich and long, but balanced by a pleasant freshness and sturdy tannins — look for notes of lavender, cherry, black pepper, and raspberry jam. This is dark, wintery wine, as cozy as wool socks or a crackling fireplace.

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MALMONT Séguret 2015
Ansonia Retail: $30
case, half-case price: $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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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.