New Arrival: Chateau Simone

This historic estate, situated in the hills just south of Aix-en-Provence, has been in the hands of the Rougier family for two centuries and holds a virtual monopoly on the appellation of Palette. Chateau Simone encompasses twenty hectares of vineyards that sit at elevations between 500 and 750 feet above sea level. The special micro-climate of this appellation is influenced by the encircling pine forests, the mass of Mont Sainte Victoire, and the Arc river. The vineyards were reconstituted after the invasion of phylloxera, and many vines are over a century old. The Rougiers maintain the particular vinification methods developed and cherished over many decades. For those of you who are not familiar with these wines, whether rouge, blanc or rosé, we believe you will find them to be compelling and unique.

Our first release from Chateau Simone is the Palette Rouge 2004 which is due to the first week of March. The red from Simone is primarily composed of Grenache, Mourvedre and Cinsault but its special character reflects the presence of at least ten other grape varieties, albeit in small proportion, including syrah, manosquin, carignan, castet, cabernet sauvignon and muscat noir. The 2004 vintage is an elegant yet well-constituted wine of great depth. Bottled after three years of aging in foudres and barriques, it is a classic that deserves to be aged in order to best appreciate its many nuances: plum, pine resin, cinnamon, truffle and spice among other sensations.

Chateau Simone, Palette Rouge 2004
$70/btl

Tasting Notes: Chinon from Olek-Mery

Chinon Blanc “Les Tireaux” 2005: This wine should have special operating notes attached — one can never fully appreciate or understand certain wines by doing a rapid “drive-by” tasting. Upon opening, there is a smoky, funky bouquet and a hint of sulfur. The fruit components are quite restrained on the nose and the palate. Underneath all that, however, is a wine of considerable weight and power, showing minerals and hints of tropicality and honey. The finish was somewhat disconcerting at first with a distinct bitterness. Later on that evening the sulfur had pretty much blown off and the bitterness had opened up to reveal a tight core of intense minerality… like lemons and stones. The last glass from the bottle was quite hazy, indicating that the wine is probably not filtered. This is a wine of great substance with a meaty earthiness to it that quite differentiates it from its Vouvray relatives to the east.

Chinon “Les Tireaux” 2005: Immediately upon opening, you get an explosive whiff of black cherry and hints of a dark forest. In spite of its ripeness you get a sense of coolness with notes of eucalyptus and mint. The wine is soft and rich at first, but you quickly see serious gritty tannins and a solid core of fruit to back up one’s initial impression. This wine can definitely stand some additional aging. Later on the tannins and fruit resolved and pulled into focus with a bell pepper brightness that lifted the dark fruit and hints of graphite that began to emerge. This is a great wine that can stand up easily to a Bordeaux costing 50% more.

Chinon “Les Tireaux” 2004: This was certainly the most classically proportioned wine of the day. 2004 was clearly cooler and it shows in the wine’s balance and elegance. Cool violet and black cherry fruit is seamlessly married to minerals and those dark forest notes. As this wine did not reach the levels of ripeness found in the 2005 you are able to see more of that green (this is not to say unpleasant or unripe) pepper, chlorophyll note that marks Cabernet Franc in this region. While some tannins are noticeable, the overarching sense was that of seamlessness and symmetry…. perhaps the best wine to drink right now.

Chinon “Les Tireaux-Vieilles Vignes” 2001: My first notes say “woodsy, dusty and elegant”. This old vines bottling is not as thickly textured, on the nose as well as palate, as the 2005. Once again there is a coolness and hint of menthol that shows as the fruit ceases to be the primary note, and one is left with those drier dusty-but-elegant tannins. Initially the wine seemed to be getting short on fruit but after several hours a deep violet bouquet emerged. A core of dark, dried essence of cassis married with that fascinating graphite nose — reminiscent of an older St. Estephe. This is an endlessly elegant and refined wine that brought to mind a vision of a well turned out elderly gentleman with a cane. For those of you in the New York City environs, go to the Irving Penn show at the Morgan Library and look at the portrait of Jean Cocteau. Then go home and open a bottle of this 2001. With or without the cane, you’ll see what I mean.

Upcoming Saturday Tastings

February 23rd, 4-6pm
Domaine Olek-Mery: Red and White Chinon in the Loire Valley

Located in the central Loire Valley, Nathalie Olek, assisted by winemaker Bernard Baudry, vinifies a series of site-specific Chinons. And while most wine drinkers know Chinon as a red wine fashioned exclusively from Cabernet Franc, Domaine Olek-Mery also makes a white version which, like its neighbors Savennieres and Vouvray, is made from Chenin Blanc. Domaine Olek-Mery is fairly small, with only 9 hectares of vineyards. Organic farming principles have significantly influenced their practices. No chemical herbicides or fertilizers are used. The vineyards benefit from a superb location on a southerly slope facing the Vienne River. This southerly exposure, combined with the unique "tuffeau" (a soft yellow chalk) and the sand of the slopes give the grapes the ability to produce wines with more concentration and structure than found in most Chinon.

In years past, a special “old vines” cuvee was separated out and bottled on its own. Starting with the 2003 vintage this practice was discontinued and we offer the last available bottling, the 2001, to show just how age-worthy and serious these wines can be.

Chinon Blanc “Les Tireaux” 2005
Chinon “Cuvee Les Tireaux” Rouge 2005
Chinon “Cuvee Les Tireaux” Rouge 2004
Chinon “Les Tireaux-Vieilles Vignes” 2001

March 1, 4-6pm
Domaine de Jaugaret in St. Julien: A journey back in time

Jean-Francois Fillastre is the current proprietor of this tiny Bordeaux estate in Saint Julien that has been in his family’s hands for over 350 years. To drink his wines is to step back in time and bear witness to a winemaking approach that harks back to the 19th century. Composed of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon with the remainder planted with Petit Verdot and Malbec, some of which comes from 100 year old vines. All hand-harvested and hand-pressed, these wines will show you what great Bordeaux used to be before commercialism, market pressures and Merlot ruled the roost. This guy just refuses to budge from his old world standards and we love him for it. Here is a truly unique wine from a gentleman who follows the most classical traditions.

Join us as we explore three consecutive vintages!

Domaine de Jaugaret, Saint Julien 2004
Domaine de Jaugaret, Saint Julien 2003
Domaine de Jaugaret, Saint Julien 2002

New Release: Coenobium 2006

The second vintage of the lovely white wine known as “Coenobium” is due to arrive soon. Made by the sisters of the Cistercian order, this wine is organically cultivated at the monastery in Vitorchiano, a hillside town in the Lazio district about an hour north of Rome. The wine is composed primarily of the Verdicchio grape and is supplemented with small percentages of Grachetto, Malvasia, and Trebbiano.

The vinification occurs in stainless steel tanks, but one of the critical secrets behind the special character of this wine is that Giampiero Bea, the son of Paolo Bea our remarkable grower in Montefalco, is there to help guide the Coenobium into bottle. 

The extended lees contact used by Bea for his “Santa Chiara” is in vivid evidence here. The result is a wine of stunning concentration with herbal and citrus notes, fine density on the palate, and a classic minerality to the finish. This wine is unfined and unfiltered and thus bears a particularly rich, gold-green color which announces an idiosyncratic and compelling treat. In 2006, approximately 16,000 bottles of Coenobium were produced; 9000 are destined for the United States market.

We are expecting this wine to arrive the first week of March — contact us now to reserve your order.

$24/btl

DeForville Tasting Notes

In case you missed last Saturday's tasting of our new arrivals from DeForville, a producer located in Italy's Piedmont area...


Dolcetto d’Alba “Loreto” 2006: Dark cassis fruit with hints of smoke, tar and tobacco contribute to the bouquet. On the palate the fruit is vibrant and fresh with some tannins in the background that give structure and earthiness to the wine without becoming too intrusive. The grapes for this bottling come from the "Loreto" vineyard within the Barbaresco zone — it is this specific plot that contributes a more serious note to the wine.

Barbera d’Asti “Cascina Buc” 2005: Light aromatic notes of violet and lilac gives delicacy and elegance to this single vineyard Barbera from the Asti zone. On the palate one gets fresh tart cherry flavors with a touch of oak that tends to dissipate over time. Later on the wine exhibited a spicebox bouquet with hints of warm brick and earth. The wine becomes almost burgundian in balance after some time open.

Barbaresco 2004: Classic Barbaresco with a wonderful bouquet of dark fruit, tar, violet, tea leaf and dried rose petal. There is an almost kirsch like liquorous aroma as well. This wine has serious concentration with dusty, sweet textured tannins that promises greater complexity as the wine matures.

Barbaresco “Loreto” 2004: This wine was more restrained than the basic Barbaresco at first opening. With aeration one gets notes of dark fruit with layers of concentration gradually revealing aromas and flavors of graphite, tobacco, tea rose and tar… like the basic wine but much, much more. While there are considerable tannins present, the wine has wonderful balance and a snap and elegance of a fine (almost Grand Cru) Burgundy. This is a great one for your cellar!

Jean Marc Morey Tasting Notes

Following are notes on four J.M. Morey wines tasted this past Saturday at the store...

Saint Aubin Blanc 1er Cru “Charmois” 2004: Given the overall minerality and brightness that the 2004 whites exhibit, in general, this wine was very precocious and is delicious to drink now. Very clean and precise, fresh but integrated acidity balanced by a richness and complexity that seems to speak of more lees contact. I got a hint of that hazelnut quality that I associate with Meursault. This has been and continues to be one of the classiest whites we bring in that falls outside of the pantheon of the big three, Chassagne, Puligny and Meursault. Given the prices of these better know appellations, this Saint Aubin is a great value!

Chassagne Montrachet Blanc 2004: A more powerful and concentrated wine than the above, with more pronounced minerality and less floral aromas. Morey’s style is perfectly expressed in 2004. This wine needs some time open to express itself and while the Saint Aubin is somewhat easier to drink at the moment it is clear that the Chassagne has a greater future ahead of it.

Santenay “Comme Dessus” 2004: Even though this is thought of as a relatively rustic appellation, Morey manages to render a very stylish and elegant wine. The aromas are pure light red cherry fruit with a touch of dusty earth in the background. You could sell his red wines on aromatics alone and I often say (political correctness aside) that one could be “AA” and enjoy these wines forever on the bouquet alone. So pretty!

Beaune Rouge 1er Cru “Greves” 2004: One of my very favorite wines in the entire portfolio; every time I visit Morey and taste this bottling my notes include references to pure, crystalline cherry fruit. The wine has far greater density than the Santenay and nothing short of Chambolle can surpass it in its elegance and finesse... this says more about Morey's style than the appellation. The bouquet is darker cherry than the Santenay and has many layers to it, giving a sense of depth and texture even on the nose. Flavors follow through with finer minerality woven throughout. Given 15-30 minutes open it drinks very well. Just gorgeous!

Upcoming Saturday Tastings

February 9, 4-6pm
Jean Marc Morey: 2004 reds and whites

We’re in the midst of a love affair with both the red and white wines from Monsieur Morey. His wines are uniformly compact, precise and superbly pure in their aromatic and flavor expressions of grape and vineyard. It’s a joy to watch a grower who is comfortable in his own skin and does not have to resort to flamboyant extraction techniques or the use of new oak to prop up his sales or psyche. This is what true Burgundy is about, a talented and dedicated grower who shepherds his grapes from vineyard to bottle with a minimum of artifice and flash, thus allowing each wine to be its own true expression.

Saint Aubin Blanc 1er Cru “Charmois” 2004
Chassagne Montrachet Blanc “La Bergerie” 2004
Santenay Rouge “Comme Dessus” 2004
Beaune 1er Cru Rouge “Greves” 2004

February 16, 4-6pm
New arrivals from DeForville

Our relationship with the Anfosso family runs long and deep and the further we go the more impressed we are with the unwavering quality of their wines. In the history of our operation there is probably no winery that has rendered us such great value at each and every level… from their delightful and refreshing Moscato d’Asti to their earthy, tarry and profound single-vineyard Barbaresco “Loreto”. You don’t need your passport to visit Italy this weekend!

Dolcetto d’Alba “Loreto” 2006
Barbera d’Asti “Cascina Buc” 2005
Barbaresco 2004
Barbaresco “Loreto” 2004