New Arrival: Hermes Pavese Blanc de Morgex

The mountain passes of the Valle d’Aosta (located in the far Northwestern corner of Italy) offer unique wines of character and class. We have received an overwhelmingly positive response to the carefully crafted wines of the Grosjean brothers, and now we are pleased to offer wine from another producer in this rugged region — Ermes Pavese, a youthful grower in the commune of La Ruine, just outside of the town of Morgex in the high Alps just beneath Mont Blanc. He has barely two hectares of vineyards, situated at about 1200 meters above sea level, from which he produces approximately 6000 bottles of streamlined, mineral white with vivacity and length. Pavese works the native grape known as Prié Blanc. From this grape comes our newest wine — the scintillating Blanc de Morgex et de La Salle.

We are confident that you will thoroughly enjoy this wine. It is green-gold in color, crisply dry on the palate, but with a surprising tenacity. Despite its elegance and subtlety, it has a persistence that will prove not only satisfying but worthy of cellaring.

$26.50/btl

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

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