Author: Thomas Wilcox

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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

 

 

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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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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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: 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

free East Coast shipping | save $47

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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

 

 

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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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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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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“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

 

 

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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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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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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Wild Cherries and Cinnamon: New 2015 Old-Vine Pommard.

Bold.  The towns of Volnay and Pommard are the two finest red wine towns in Burgundy’s Côte de Beaune. Hugh Johnson describes Volnay as “fragrant and ethereal,” Pommard as “dark” and “potent.” Together they’re a perfect example of the power of Burgundian terroir: they share a border and the towns themselves are less than a mile apart, but their identifying characteristics are nearly opposite.

April might seem like more of a Volnay month, but with half a foot of snow yesterday and the cross country ski trails beckoning this morning, we’re in more of a Pommard mood. Roger Belland’s Pommard usually drinks well early — the fruits are smooth and full, his vines are 55 years old, and Belland’s style is one of ripe freshness — but in 2015 vintage, it’s even more delicious than usual.

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Top notch.  Many of our winemakers put the 2015 vintage on par with the exceptional vintages of 2005 and 2010. Wherever it ranks, there are fantastic red Burgundies to be had at nearly every level. This wine is an excellent representative of the vintage — loads of perfectly ripe fruit, cool sturdy tannins, and a balanced, mouth filling palate.

The wines of Pommard famously age very well, but Belland’s 2015 Pommard won’t require much time. The nose is deep and perfumed, with plum, wild cherries, and cinnamon. The palate is rich and mouthfiling, with ripe, punchy tannins and notes of pan drippings, strawberry jam, and faint anise. Pair this with a early Spring cold-snap and a hearty pasta with veal or short ribs.

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BELLAND Pommard 2015
Ansonia Retail: $60
3+ bottle price : $52/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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A Hidden Source for Exceptional White Burgundy.

Forgotten Valley.  Burgundies are not getting any cheaper. With limited supply and ever-increasing demand, good values are harder and harder to find. But one Burgundian town that continues to deliver far more than people expect is St-Aubin. And we’re not the only ones to notice.

Jancis Robinson wrote recently that “St-Aubin, once regarded as definitively inferior to the most famous white wine villages Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, and Chassagne-Montrachet, should now be regarded as virtually their equal. Many is the fine white from St-Aubin nowadays, but the prices have yet to catch up.”

The wines of St-Aubin have everything we look for in White Burgundy. Clear chardonnay fruit, good balance between minerality and richness, and the ability to gain complexity with age. Our source here is Domaine Gérard Thomas, who makes excellent wine with his two daughters from their 30 acres of vines.

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Next-level.  Thomas’s Bourgogne blanc is the house white at many of our readers’ homes. It’s inexpensive, refreshing, and pairs with a wide range of dishes. Their St-Aubin has everything we like about the Bourgogne, only more of it. There’s a noticeable jump in richness which, particularly in a ripe year like 2015, makes this drink like a much fancier wine.

The 2015 St-Aubin is immediately expressive in the nose, showing almonds, white flowers, and toast. The mouth is rich but lively — we were surprised (and pleased) at the amount of freshness balancing out 2015’s ripeness. Look for notes of baked lemons and honey, and a mouthfilling richness. This should be wonderful for another 18 months or more, but it’s awfully hard to put down today.

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THOMAS St-Aubin 2015
Ansonia Retail: $35
6+ bottle price : $29/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: Grenache Sampler

Grenache is one of the most important grape varietals in France. It plays a leading role in the finest wines of the Southern Rhône and Languedoc, and usually joins syrah, mourvèdre or carignan in a blend. Known for its pure cherry fruit and potential for complexity, it’s sometimes called the Pinot Noir of the South.

Many of our favorite southern blends are based on grenache, and a few are examples of Grenache in pure, unblended form. We’ve collected four of our favorite grenache based wines — two are 100% and two are traditional blends. Whether you’re looking to hone your varietal skills or just looking for four refreshing reds for spring, here’s a mixed case for you will enjoy.

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Maucoil 1895 14
Made from very old (122 years) vines just outside Châteauneuf-du-Pape, this pure Grenache cuvée is exceptionally dense and smooth, and much richer than usual for a Côtes du Rhône Villages. Look for baked cherries and cinnamon.

Foulaquier Petit Duc 14
This 100% Grenache cuvée comes from the Mas Foulaquier in the Languedoc, masters of clean biodynamic winemaking. Here Grenache takes an even deeper tone, adding notes of cassis, bay leaf, lavender and honey.

Goubert Beaumes de Venise 15
This majority grenache wine uses syrah and cinsault to round out the blend. It’s rich and meaty, and a great way to experience what the other two grapes add. Look for smooth tannins, rich fruit, plum jam, and rosemary.

Mestre Châteauneuf-du-Pape 13
This classic cuvée is grenache-based, with syrah and mourvèdre joining. This shows Grenache in its finest role — Châteauneuf du Pape — and displays the grape’s potential for complexity and depth. Look for strawberry jam, anise, and savory spices.

GRENACHE SAMPLER

3x   Maucoil Cuvée 1895 14:   $30
3x   Foulaquier Petit Duc 14:   $34
3x   Goubert Beaumes-de-Venise red 15:   $24
3x   Mestre Châteauneuf-du-Pape 13:   $35

Ansonia Retail: $369
offer price: $295/case

free East Coast shipping    |    save $47

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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 Wild Cherries: New Refreshing Blend from Foulaquier. $19

Unencumbered.  “Natural” wines can be hard to get right. While we applaud winemakers who employ such rigorous respect for their land, the results are far from consistent. When they’re off, they can be unpredictable and flawed. But when they’re good, they can be extraordinary — the best are pure expressions of terroir with unmatched complexity and energy.

The wines of the Mas Foulaquier are undoubtedly the finest and most consistently excellent biodynamic reds in our portfolio. The cuvées are exceptionally clean and well formed, marrying ripe fruit with earthy notes from their rugged terroir. Today we’re pleased to introduce a new cuvée from Foulaquier, one that’s their most accessible yet.

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Gulpable.  In a word, the 2015 Violetta is easy. It’s a grenache/syrah/carignan blend with a splash of merlot. Foulaquier uses only ambient yeast, very little sulfur, and no fining or filtering — the result is dynamic wines of exceptional complexity. Violetta’s nose is cool and fresh, showing berries, bay leaf, violets, and earth. The mouth is very smooth, with softened tannins and notes of cassis, roses, and spice.

At the moment this wine is a perfect cocktail party quaffer — it’s smooth and complete on its own, balanced enough that it requires no accompaniment from food. But as the weather warms, this is an excellent picnic wine — serve outside with something from the grill or a crusty sandwich on a Sunday afternoon.

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FOULAQUIER Violetta 2015
Ansonia Retail: $24
6+ bottle price : $19/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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“The Best in 55 Years:” 2015 Northern Rhône Syrah. $22

Exceptional.  Much has been written about the 2015 vintage in Burgundy, one of the best in a generation. But the vintage also brought impressive wines from elsewhere in France. In particular, the syrah-based wines of the Northern Rhône had a banner year in 2015. Master of Wine Jancis Robinson in a recent article proclaimed them “the best in 55 years.”

We don’t open 1962 Hermitage very often, so we’ll have to take her word for it. But we can say that they’re extraordinary wines — inky, dark, and mouthfilling but with exceptional balance and refined tannins. If you’ve never gotten into the wines of the Northern Rhône, now’s a perfect time to try. And if you’re already a fan, you’ll be hard pressed to find a better vintage in your cellar.

Inky.  The Northern Rhone is a geographic and stylistic halfway point between Burgundy and the South. The reds of the region combine Burgundy’s tradition of elegant, unblended wines with the South’s darker, richer grape varietals. The result is a marriage of Northern refinement and sun-baked Southern richness.

Denis Basset is a young winemaker who is passionate and very talented — the latest issue of the Guide Hachette featured two of his four wines, an impressive feat for a winemaker whose first vintage was only five years ago. His 2015 Crozes-Hermitage is a triumph — impossibly intense and concentrated, but at 13.5% alcohol a balanced and refreshing glass as well.

This wine has many happy years ahead of it, but with a decanter and a sturdy meal alongside, it’s a delight today. The color is a inky black-purple, with a savory nose showing cloves, blackberries and violets. The mouth is astonishingly dense, with young but polished tannins, and classic notes of plum and black pepper. We might not see another vintage like this until 2072.

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SAINT CLAIR Crozes-Hermitage “Etincelle” 2015
Ansonia Retail: $26
6+ bottle price : $22/bot

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AVAILABLE IN    6-   AND  12-   BOTTLE LOTS

 

 

Email Tom to place an order.
or call Tom: (617) 249-3657

 

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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.