Grapelive.com Wine Reviews
January 2025
2020 Domaine Etienne Sauzet, Puligny-Montrachet “Les Referts” Premier Cru, White Burgundy, France.
Like all the Sauzet wines I’ve ever had, this beautiful 2020 Puligny-Montrachet Les Referts 1er Cru has intense mineral driven character and loads of youthful acidity, but still has an incredible, maybe vintage influenced, almost Grand Cru like concentration and depth, making for a top notch full bodied white Burgundy. Delicately pale straw/gold in the glass and with a subtle chalky nose, this wine takes a bit of time to unwind, but does so with feline muscle and underlying power, showing off lemon preserves, crisp apple, Bosc pear and zingy gooseberry fruits, along with clove spice, wet chalk, creme brulee, hazelnut and matchstick. A touch of lime, flint/gun metal, rosewater, saline and honey offer a nice contrast when the wine opens up completely. This is certainly one of the most luxurious of Sauzet Pulignys I’ve had, and that’s not a bad thing, it reminds me more of a Batard in terms of impact, while retaining acidity and tension, impressive stuff from start to finish, I really like what current keepers of this domaine are doing here. The Sauzet wines are all now biodynamic and sustainable practicing, with the domaine owned parcels being fully Ecocert certified, plus the winery makes note that they are green and all wines vegan friendly. The winery offers up quite the array of small Grand Cru and Premier Cru whites, which are sadly now only special occasion wines for me, but they do have a couple of values, including a Santenay and Saint-Romain. But compared to others in this quality level, Sauzet remains a solid value for the limited elite nature of the wines. The Puligny-Montrachet Les Referts cru just north of the village, about 13 acres in size total, is notable for its deeper calcareous clay marl and iron rich soils and it sits across the road from Meursault’s Charmes vineyard, which shares some of the same characteristics, though house styles make for very different wines of course.
The legendary Domaine Etienne Sauzet has a history that dates to the beginning of the 20th century, not too long for the region, when Etienne Sauzet inherited and bought several plots of vines in the famed village of Puligny-Montrachet, where this wine was born. These vines passed through the Sauzet family to Jeanine Boillot, Sauzet’s granddaughter. Jeanine and her husband, Gérard Boudot, managed the domaine, making many modernizations that improved the estate’s vinification process and introduced biodynamic farming, which has led to much improved vine health. Today the domaine is run their daughter Emilie and her husband, Benoît Riffault, who have continued making outstanding and electric Chardonnay here, these rarities, like this exceptional Puligny Les Referts, are among the most sought-after in all of Burgundy. My first experiences with the Sauzet wines were from the mid to late nineties and I was always blown away with the intensity and power those wine had, they remind me of what you see now in the wines of Jean-Marc Roulot and Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey with bracing minerality and energy. While Les Referts, which is lower on the slope and can be riper that higher sites it is not flabby here, though opulent in this vintage, which was aged 12 months in barrel on the lees, leading to a wine that is easier liven its youth. I have been lucky enough to have tried the legendary Le Montrachet in the past, but mostly I’ve sampled the Puligny-Montrachet offerings with Sauzet’s Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Hameau de Blagny being a constant favorite, along with the basic village Puligny and the always impressive duo of Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Les Folatières and Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Champ Gain bottlings. The US importer of Sauzet, Vineyard Brands has long been a source for great Burgundies, with the Haas family doing an amazing job of promoting excellent terroir driven and environment conscious producers, like Sauzet and they can be justifiably proud of their portfolio.
($189 Est.) 96 Points, grapelive
2002 Domaine Taupenot-Merme, Charmes-Chambertin, Grand Cru, Red Burgundy, France.
The beautifully mature, dark ruby/garnet hued and silken Charmes-Chambertin, by Romain Taupenot at Domaine Taupenot-Merme, starts with a nose of wilted roses, truffle, a hint of meatiness and evolved red fruits before revealing its Grand Cru force on the medium bodied palate with deep cherry, dried plum, fig and spiced raspberry fruits, along with black tea, cedar, espresso grinds, grilled orange and chalky notes. Taupenot-Merme’s small set of vines in Charmes-CHambertin were planted between 1958, 1968 and 1998 and are farmed all organic, since 2001, and allow for small yield power and complexity, as seen here. This 2002 is reaching maximum pleasure and was absolutely charming, pure and seductive lingering on and on, but it is not a flamboyant wine, and for Chambertin, it is wonderfully subtle, though there’s no doubt of its pedigree. Known for his lighter touch, Romain uses all de-stemmied berries and does the maceration and native yeast fermentation in stainless steel tank with gentle extraction, after which the wines, like this one, saw 15 months in French barriques with a slightly less then usual toast with about 40 % new oak. This fabled site is on classic limestone and clay soils with Taupenot only having a tiny .6 hectare plot, making for an exclusive and very limited bottling of Charmes-Chambertin. My main prior tasting of Taupenot-Merme was their Gevrey-Chambertin, with their 2016 being the last reviewed version, which is in my price range, and a lovely and rewarding Burgundy.
Romain and his sister Virginie Taupenot, of the highly prized Domaine Taupenot-Merme in the village of Morey, are the ninth generation of their family to run the domaine that has some outstanding and historical parcels in mainly the Côte de Nuits, with prime vines in Clos Saint Denis, Chambolle Musigny to the south and Gevrey Chambertin to the north to name a few. The family’s holdings, as importer Kermit Lynch notes, also extend to the Côte de Beaune, centered principally he says around the lovely hilltop village of Saint Romain, plus a special parcel in Corton. Lynch continues, this fabulous, or inspiring collection of top-flight Burgundian vineyards, at Domaine Taupenot-Merme, which a newer addition to his incredible portfolio, was created by the union of the Taupenot family from Saint Romain with the Merme family from Morey Saint Denis in 1963. Romain Taupenot has carried on the house style, which has been described as hauntingly elegant and gently delicate and my own experience with these wines would have me tend to agree and especially with wines such as this pristine and pure Charmes-Chambertin which has a velvety core even with the underlying power of this famed terroir. Reading up, I see that Domaine Taupenot-Merme have close to nine full hectares in the Côte de Nuits side of Burgundy and another 4.5 hectares in the southern zone of Côte de Beaune, so now Romain and Virginie now produce close to 7,000 cases and nineteen different wines, all of which are highly sought after. As mentioned, the village wines here at Taupenot-Merme offer a lot of value for the money, as noted above with the Gevrey-Chambertin, as well as the Chambolle-Musigny, but for something extra special the Grand Crus are very tempting.
($350-450 Est.) 95 Points, grapelive
2019 Château de Beaucastel, Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc, Roussanne, Vieilles Vignes, Rhône Valley, France.
The Beaucastel old vine Roussanne is one of France’s great white wines, like Grand Cru white Burgundy, is one of the most brilliant and complex single varietal wines you’ll ever try, and the 2019 is an absolute stunner with exceptional layering, intensity and length. The straw/gold hued Roussanne is lovely in the glass, the nose is wonderful with liquid rock, white blossoms, fresh peaches and tropical notes, leading to a luxurious full bodied palate with apricot, golden fig, honeyed citrus and apple butter, along with touches of spice, chalky wet stone, anise, lychee and vanilla. The mouth feel is oily and viscous, but there is a nice cut of acidity and tension too, so everything is sublimely poised and this wine was excellent with a range of foods, though I recommend lobster tail, if given the choice. Over time I’m sure it will develop a more creamy creme brulee richness, as I’ve seen in this wine in prior vintages, but wow, this is perfectly delicious, if not spectacular right now. This wine rivals top Hermitage bottlings and is a must try for any serious wine drinker, especially those who are joyful hedonists.
Château de Beaucastel, one of the most coveted Châteauneuf-du-Pape producers, owned by the Perrin Family, was one of the first to promote all organic farming and are great leaders in preserving old vines and varietals. While obviously widely admired for their epic Châteauneuf-du-Pape reds, including the rare cuvée Jacques Perrin, Beaucastel does fantastic whites, with their classic Blanc, which a full range of white Rhône grapes, and this outrageously opulent 100% Roussanne. The wine is sourced from a plot of very old vines set on ancient seabed known as Molasse, with clay and limestone covered by diluvial alpine deposits, scattered by large pebbles or galets. For this unique Châteauneuf Blanc, Beaucastel carefully hand harvests, selecting ultra ripe fruit with the grapes coming to the cellars, cool, in small cases and then sorted for perfection, after which they were pneumatically soft and gently pressed. There is a settling of the juice to allow for green phenolics to drop out and the fermentation is done in 30% in oak and 70% in stainless steel tanks with the Roussanne getting bottled after a fine lees aging of close to eight months. These top family Perrin Château de Beaucastel wines never fail to impress me, make me grin selfishly, and it is always a treat to pop the corks, as this wine did.
($185-250 Est.) 96 Points, grapelive
1970 Château Lynch-Bages, Pauillac, Grand Cru Classé, Médoc, Red Bordeaux, France.
What a great surprise this beautiful and wonderfully drinking 1970 Château Lynch-Bages, which while showing its age, it gave a delicious performance with silky layers of dark fruit still very much leading the way on the soft medium bodied palate. The nose is slightly meat, delicately floral, with hints of autumn leafs, loamy earth and cedary spice, providing a nice gateway to dried cherry, stewed plum, currant and fig fruit. THere’s a fine veil of tannin that helps keep these structured and the dark garnet and brick red color is appealing and the finish is lengthy and lingers with wilted rose, anise and pipe tobacco. Château Lynch-Bages is located just outside the town of Pauillac, with just over 200 acres, set on a gravelly ridge overlooking the Gironde estuary. This well-drained site consists mainly of deep gravel beds over a limestone soils and it is planted mainly with red wine grapes, including 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. The winemaking is classic with maceration and full fermentation, primary and Malo-lactic, in stainless steel, after which the wines mature in French oak for close to 15 months, with close to 50% new oak in the Grand Vin.
The Fifth Growth Lynch-Bages Château (1855 Grand Cru Classé), overlooks the Gironde estuary and stretches over a beautiful gravelly hilltop. Ownership of Château Lynch-Bages, however, remains with the Cazes family. It’s widely noted that Château Lynch-Bages original ownerThomas Lynch was a descendant of the Tribes of Galway. His father John Lynch emigrated in 1691 from Galway, Ireland to the Bordeaux area and he inherited an estate in the village of Bages through his wife, Elizabeth, in 1749. The foundation of Château Lynch-Bages, as in that same year, Lynch then later passed it on to his son, Jean-Baptiste, upon his marriage in 1779. Jean-Baptiste handed over the supervision of Lynch-Bages to his brother Michel who maintained responsibility for the Château’s wines until 1824. The Lynch family then sold it to a Swiss wine merchant, whose family controlled the estate for over a hundred years. The Cazes family first took on Lynch-Bages in 1934 and while they have had partnerships with outside companies, they remain the guardians of this famous Château today. It is of interest that In 2017, the Cazes family acquired Château Haut-Batailley, a neighboring 1855 Grand Cru Classé estate in Pauillac, making for a fabulous set from this legendary terroir. I was, as noted above, impressed by this 1970 and it reminds me that well aged wines are prized treasures.
($257 Est.) 93 Points, grapelive
2023 Les Traverses de Fontanès, Cabernet Sauvignon, Vin de France, Languedoc-Roussillon, France.
The all organic old vine Cabernet Sauvignon, from vines planted in 1970, by Château Fontanès and biodynamic winegrower Cyriaque Rozier is a dark and rustically charming wine from the wilds of the Pic St. Loup area of Languedoc region with layers of black fruits, brambly spice, tobacco and anise notes. The juicy fruit forward full bodied palate is fresh and ripe, not overly tannic, showing a nice purity of form without any wood, giving currant, blackberry and plum fruits along with hints of mint, herbal and aromatic sage, crushed stones, delicate florals and a dry earthiness. The Mediterranean climate and clay/marl limestone soils lead to softer ripe tannins, but still having moderate alcohol, so wine is balanced and lively. I’m a long time fan of Cyriaque Rozier’s wines and while I usually grab his Pic St. Loup bottlings, which are more Rhône like with offerings led by Syrah and Mourvèdre being my favorites, but you can’t beat this for value and it is a perfect winter meal wine. I also should mention the Château La Roque wines Rozier makes, especially the Pic St. Loup Rouge and the Vieilles Vignes Mourvèdre cuvée, both killer values and the new 100% Assyrtiko, which I can’t wait to try soon!
Based in the Languedoc-Roussillon’s Pic St. Loup, Château Fontanès or Les Traverses de Fontanès was started by Cyriaque Rozier in 2003, as his importer Kermit Lynch notes, a highly acclaimed winemaker and vineyard manager at Château La Roque, and makes his own wines here in Pic St-Loup in the remote and ancient Languedoc region. Cabernet Sauvignon has long been in the Languedoc and was made famous in the region by Mas de Daumas Gassac and the Guibert Family in the l’Hérault, where they planted Bordeaux clones, rumored to be from the best selections at Château Margaux. While that wine is about 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, this Les Traverses de Fontanès is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, which isn’t recognized by the AOC here, hence the Vin de France labeling. Rozier’s vines are old and organic/biodynamic, all hand tended, and this wine is 100% de-stemmed and macerated and fermented in cement vats with temperature control with manual punch-downs and pump=overs to get that deep extraction. After fermentation the wine goes into stainless tank for between 6 months to a year before bottling, all to allow for the utmost transparency, as seen in this lovely 2023 version available now. There’s some real quality, authentic charm and charisma to be found in these wines and I highly recommend them
($18 Est.) 92 Points, grapelive
2023 La Marea by Ian Brand, Albariño “Alternative Cut” Kristy Vineyard, Monterey County.
The 2023 La Marea “Alternative Cut” Albariño, by Ian Brand, is juicy and steely fresh, highlighting the long ultra cool growing season, with pithy lime, green apple, peach and verbena leading the way on the zingy medium bodied palate along with hints of mango, quince and wet stones. This crisp and dry Albariño saw a bit of skin maceration or soaking, which adds a touch of phenolic grip and brings out a lot more personality, making for a unique California expression of this Galician varietal, which loves being close to the ocean, especially in the Rias Baixas region of Spain. Also found in Portugal’s Vinho Verde, Albariño has found a happy home here in the cooler zones of the state after first arriving here, originally in Carneros, in the late nineties when Michael Heavens brought cuttings back from Rias Baixas. In the mid 2000s Albariño came to Monterey County and it has thrived, with some fabulous example now being done here, including Ian Brand’s La Marea versions, as well as those done by Chesebro and Joyce. Brand, known for discovering almost forgotten sites, old vines and varietal rarities, has become one of his generations leading lights and voices, especially on the central coast and on granite, alluvial and ancient seabed based vineyards. Brand does three different labels, the Payson, which is value packed, which includes the awesome Rosé, the La Marea, Iberian inspired wines, where this wine is, and his signature I. Brand label, where you find the most limited and hand crafted efforts, like the 100 year old Grenache from the Besson Vineyard.
One of Monterey’s most satisfying, mineral driven and pure wines, the special edition of Ian Brand’s Albariño from the stony Kristy Vineyard, now called the “Alternitive Cut” sees a little skin contact and was originally done with a special batch of grapes that was vineyard yeast fermented or Pied de Cuve and was whole cluster pressed, giving more distinction and intensity of flavors. This vintage Alt Cut version is wonderfully stylish and, like I’ve mentioned before, is far more true in character with the Spanish Rias Baixas wines that inspired it. Like those wines from Spain, the La Marea Albariño, that is neutral barrel aged, goes well with fresh local sea food, in particular shellfish and briny stuff. As mentioned in prior reviews, Ian Brand has fallen in love with white varietals and sees Monterey County and the central Coast as prime terroir to really create some magical stuff. Most recently with a release of Arinto, a Portuguese varietal, along with his Melon de Bourgogne, Chenin Blanc, Arneis, the skin contact “Ramato” Pinot Gris, an orange wine called Super Toothy with Sauvignon Gris and the two versions of Albariño, including this one, rally expressing that potential, not to mention his outstanding Sauvignon Blanc and unique Chardonnay offerings, one of which is in the nutty almost Sherry like Jura style. In the future, Brand potentially looks to add some more Italian varietals and even some Assyrtiko, the Greek white grape, most commonly found on the island of Santorini, which Ian saw close up on a visit to the Greece last year. Of course, Ian loves his reds too and in the current collection there’s some absolute stunners, including his old vine Grenache, the Santa Cruz Mountains Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc bottlings, especially the Bates Ranch editions, so I highly recommend getting on the mailing list here.
($32 Est.) 93 Points, grapelive
2011 Domaine Ramonet, Chassagne-Montrachet “Les Caillerets” Premier Cru, White Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, France.
Starting to show its age and getting a deep gold hue in the glass and very nutty and flinty on the nose, this 2011 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Caillerets Blanc still shows its pedigree and depth, in fact it was really lovely, especially since I tried a 2014 version recently that was totally premoxed and undrinkable. The premature oxidation phenomenon is sadly still affecting white Burgundies, even top names like Ramonet and weirdly somewhat hit and miss, with some older vintages seemingly not affected, and while this 2011 is feeling peaked, it is not a write off like the 2014 I tried was. The 2011 has classic baked apple, pear tart and lemon curd fruits, along with loads of hazelnut, clove spice, a touch of petrol, wet stone and butterscotch notes and was sturdy enough to handle some creamy cheese and a starter course, with a smooth richness on the medium/full bodied palate. For those of my generation, Ramonet was always a special experience, much the way the wines of Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey, Coche-Dury and Roulot are revered these days. With the prices of Burgundy these days, you’d expect pristine wines that can age 15 to 20 years, but what a huge disappointment it would be to find them premoxed, some collectors are braver than I could ever be.
The Jean-Claude Ramonet Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Caillerets Blanc comes the classic chalky limestone slopes above the village of Chassagne from two parcels of Chardonnay vines planted in 1982 and traditionally made in the signature reductive style of this domaine, one of Burgundy’s most famous names, with close to 60% new wood used. The lees aging in barrique lasts for close to 15 months giving that rich and concentrated mouth feel, while retaining a liquid mineral intensity and vibrancy. The Ramonet wines are made now by the third generation of Ramonets, with Jean-Claude and Noël leading the way here at this legendary winery, following their family’s traditions and house style. The Ramonets hand pick their Premier Crus and cool press the grapes to tank for primary fermentation with natural native yeasts before being racked to barrel to finish up with the wine being rested on the full lees with being settled out. The Ramonets I hear are believers that the wine really benefits from the lees contact and adds depth and character with some stirring employed. The wine matures in the French oak, as noted above, for usually between 12 to 15 months and depending on vintage see anywhere between 35 to 65% new wood. This 2011, a vintage I had lots of joy with 5 to 7 years ago, is not getting any younger or better, but I enjoyed it none the less, but that said I wouldn’t let it go any longer in the cellar.
($350 Est.) 92 Points, grapelive
2017 Kobza Wines, Crémant Riesling, Sparkling Wine, Wirz Vineyard, Cienega Valley AVA, San Benito County.
The bright gold yeasty and nutty Kobza Crémant Riesling from old vines is dry sparkler that makes for a fun and delightful aperitif and or a starter wine to go with oysters or ceviche. This pure ancient method Riesling bubbly has a creamy, but vibrant mousse and loads of mineral intensity, stone fruit, citrus and brioche notes with delicate aromatics, a touch of earthiness, bees wax, verbena and clove spice. There’s a burst of lime, cider apple, minty herb and tart peach in the background along with a hint of rosewater that especially comes out with food, again making it a delicious and unique Sparkling wine, much in the vein of a German Sekt. Bottle lees aged, secondary fermetted, with a low dosage like feel and disgorged at Brut level, this Kobza Crémant was all handmade by winemaker Ryan Kobza, who has been Ian Brand’s right-hand man at his I. Brand & Family Winery for about a decade. Kobza’s own label has a collection of unique offerings, most from this old vine and historic vineyard in the wild’s of San Benito County and includes a set of dry Rieslings, a Rosé, a rare Cabernet Pfeffer (Mourtaou) and a Mourvèdre led field blend. Recently Kobza added a Santa Cruz Mountains dry Riesling that was impressive as well that fits nicely with his small collection of offerings.
The Wirz Vineyard, a heritage vineyard site in San Benito County’s Cienega Valley AVA, was originally planted back in 1903 and bought by the Wirz family in the 1940’s, with Pat Wirz still working this old vine gem. Kobza, as mentioned in my prior reviews of his wines, is enthralled with this place, he notes that, the entire vineyard is dry-farmed, head trained, and own rooted, just as it was done 120 years ago. The Riesling, where this wine, plus a dry still version come from, is a 50 year old parcel that is planted in a single contiguous block along a small creek, with rocky soils, while the reds here are an inter-planted, bush vine field blend of Zinfandel, Mourtaou (known also as Cabernet Pfeffer), Mourvèdre and Carignan with a bit of super rare Rose of Peru (Pais) and Palomino (the Sherry white grape) occasionally interspersed within. Ryan’s wines are all hand crafted with very low intervention in the cellar and mostly neutral wood aged, with the sparklers seeing lots of lees contact and old school love and care in the cellar. This micro winery based in Monterey County, run just by Ryan and his wife Natalie, is a small under the radar label that is sold mostly in local area restaurants and direct on the website. Kobza is a champion of rarities and lesser known varietals, as well as out of the lime-light terroirs, and I recommend checking out his wines.
($28 Est.) 91 Points, grapelive
2023 Weingut Dönnhoff, Riesling Trocken, Roxheimer Höllenpfad, Nahe, Germany.
The Dönnhoff ’23 vintage, especially the dry Riesling collection, like this gorgeous, crisply dry, spicy, delicately aromatic and crystalline Roxheimer Höllenpfad, is simply stunning and while the GGs will get all the major attention there some outstanding values here, as this one also proves. Honestly, it was incredibly difficult to chose a favorite in the samples of these 2023s from Cornelius Dönnhoff, but if I had to pick I would definitely say that the Hermannshöhle GG and the Felsenberg GG were my tippy top wines, while this Roxheimer Höllenpfad Trocken for the money would be one that would stock up on. The pristine and steely medium bodied palate shows of lime blossom, green apple, tart apricot, quince and tangerine, along with quinine, chamomile, almond, herb, flinty mineral spice, wet rock, lemon oil and saline. Zingy and youthfully energetic this Riesling also has the signature purity and elegance you’d expect of a Dönnhoff and it is complex enough to thrill the most jaded of Riesling lovers. There’s more to come with patience I believe and while I might be hard pressed not to enjoy this one right away, there should be extra rewards for those who wait, it should get another few years in bottle to fully express itself.
As told to me many times by Dönnhoff’s importer and staff, the famous Höllenpfad, is a wildly steeply vineyard in a small side valley of the middle section of the Nahe River and the named Höllenpfad which translates to“Path to Hell” is fitting for those that have to hand tend this dangerous slope of Riesling vines. They say the name is an old one, likely referencing both the vineyard‘s steep slope as well as the unique color of the red sandstone here. They also mentioned that the surrounding landscape is bathed daily in the rich, warm light of the evening sun as it reflects off the hillside‘s distinctive red soil, which makes for a distinctive wine. The unique Roxheimer Höllenpfad parcels, a full VDP Erste Lage or Premier Cru site, sit on limestone with veins of red sandstone, which clearly influence the profile and it is understood that the grapes here are tiny and explosively vibrant and carry that intensity straight through to the wines. Cornelius employs a natural yeast fermentation and used a combination of stainless and used large oak for this Roxheimer Höllenpfad, with about 9 months of lees aging before bottling. I also have to mention that Dönnhoff’s basic Estate Trocken, review coming soon and the Kabinett Oberhäuser Leistenberg, already reviewed here, are wines to search out too, for exceptional value.
($35 Est.) 94 Points, grapelive
2019 Bucklin, Otto’s Grenache, Old Hill Ranch Vineyard, Sonoma Valley.
This 2019 Otto’s Grenache from Will Bucklin is a dark hued, powerful and brooding vintage, quite different from the 2018, with earthy blackberry, currant and plum fruit leading the way on the robust palate, along with black pepper, cedar, sage, Provençal herbs, porcini, kirsch liqueur and salted black licorice notes. There’s a bit of rustic tannin, camphor, savory elements, good acidity and very delicate florals as well here, it what really started out as a tightly wound and firm wine that needed a good hour to unwind and show off a much more charming personality and pure varietal characteristics. Once fully open, and even better on day two, this Sonoma Valley Bucklin Otto’s Grenache, just pushing 14.3% natural alcohol, from the historic and famous Old Hill Ranch, site of the first Zinfandel vineyard in California back in the 1850s, there was a lot more depth of fruit adding juicy strawberry and boysenberry compote notes. As mentioned in prior reviews, the Bucklin wines typically see native yeasts, fermented and macerated primarily in stainless steel and then aged a year or so in mainly used barrels, which is why you get to see raw authentic flavors, varietal character and sense place all come together in the wines here. Again as written here previously, after graduating from UC Davis in 1986, Bucklin interned at Château Lafite Rothschild in Pauillac (Bordeaux) before heading to Oregon to further his learning experience, after which his took over winemaking at Old Hill Ranch for his family’s efforts, turning it into very celebrated and coveted small production winery under his Bucklin label. Bucklin is trying to make his wines in the vineyard and is as hands off as possible in the cellar, as he notes he is very committed to low intervention, but without any “Natural Winemaker” dogma attached, he does not add nutrients to the fermentations and only adds sulfur dioxide at very minimal levels to eliminate oxidation. I love the Zins here at Bucklin, but this Otto’s Grenache, with its Châteauneuf du Pape like depth and complexity continues to impress and intrigue me.
Bucklin produces only wines coming from their legendary Heritage family vineyard, the Old Hill Ranch planted in the middle of the 1800s, which is a total of 24 acres, broken up into seven different blocks from which Will Bucklin makes his nine different small lot wines, mainly Zinfandel of course, but also including this more recent Grenache Noir. Will Bucklin’s stewardship of Old Hill Ranch, as he says, follows in the footsteps of his stepfather Otto Teller, a renowned conservationist, for who this wine is named, started farming in Sonoma Valley in the late 1950s. Bucklin adds that Otto was an ardent organic farmer decades before the notion caught hold, especially here in the Sonoma Valley. Going on Bucklin notes that Otto was a disciple of Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring,” and he refused to use what he called the treadmill of agricultural chemicals on his vines. He believed in dry farming, as Will does, because he knew it produced better wine, with cellar techniques used now, that as noted above, enhance the sense of place and to compliment the quality of the grapes grown here, which promote transparency and rustic charm naturally. The Bucklin’s have preserved the classic old block, as well as planted in the same method, newer parcels like this Otto’s, and the Bambino (young vine) Zinfandel block that sees many other black grapes inter-planted, including Petite Sirah, Alicante Bouschet, Grenache, Mourvedre, Syrah and Carignane. The elder 1880s vines include many others, as Bucklin explains, that through the use of DNA mapping he has documented three very rare varieties that otherwise only exist in the French Alps, most of which are found in the Savoie, Mollard, Persan, and Etraire de la Dui. There is also a small, but an important amount of white grapes too, such as Chardonnay, French Colombard, Chasselas, Muscat of Alexandria and Clairette Blanche that go into his white blend. It’s clear that Old Hill Ranch offers a special look back to California’s past, as well as a glimpse into the future, I highly recommend getting on the mailing list here! If you are a fan of Turley, Biale, Ridge, Storybook Mountain and or Bedrock, I think you’ll want to try out these Bucklin Old Hill Ranch offerings.
($38 Est.) 94 Points, grapelive
2022 Weingut Selbach-Oster Riesling “Rotlay” Zeltinger Sonnenuhr, Mosel, Germany.
The exotic, deeply rich and thrilling 2022 Rotlay block collection Riesling from Selbach-Oster comes from the cru Zeltlinger Sonnenuhr vineyard set on Devonian slate and vines up to 100 years old, and that were trained on single poles adjacent to the Mosel. I’ve been admiring these limited block selection wines from Johannes Selbach for more than a decade now, and this 2022 vintage is one of the best yet with a pale gold hue and a full luxurious palate of ripe apricot, candied pineapple, lemon curd, apple, lime sorbet and tangerine, along with smoky crushed flint, rosewater, lychee and lingering honey. At around 7.5%, these wine is very Auslese like, but definitely not a dessert wine, as it drinks much drier and mineral intense. than the residual sugar would suggest. I believe, that Selbach, included a high percentage of botrytis grapes, which seems very case when drinking, though there’s a great finesse here and a good cut of natural acidity that tames the sweetness and a complex savory element too, making it a wine that can be paired nicely with spicy Asian cuisine.
Johannes Selbach of Weingut Selbach-Oster does a special series of Rieslings that come from carefully select block in his best cru sites, like this Rotlay, which has an Auslese like richness, texture and feel in the mouth, but with less sweetness, more Spatlese level, if you can relate and the depth and length are exceptional. This wine comes off mainly old vines in the famous Zeltinger Sonnenuhr vineyard that Selbach feels gives the most interesting terroir characteristics and flavors. These special block wines, Bömer (Zeltinger Schlossberg), Schmitt (Zeltinger Schlossberg), Anrecht (Zeltlinger Himmelreich) and the Rotlay (Zeltinger Sonnenuhr) are hand picked everything at once, as Selbach notes, once optimal ripe, but including green berries, yellow berries, and botrytis berries, and he ferments them spontaneously in Fuder. This he says represents a traditional style and a true expression of terroir. The high sugar levels on the Oechsle (must weight) scale, as noted, well up into the Auslese echelon, means these wines, which I discovered in the 2010 vintage, are rich and luscious, as this 2022 Rotlay is, but also wonderfully detailed and elegant, they some of the most interesting and pleasure filled wines of the Mosel.
($65 Est.) 95 Points, grapelive
2009 Capiaux, Pinot Noir “Pisoni Vineyard” Santa Lucia Highlands.
The dark crimson/ruby hued 2009 Pisoni Vineyard by Sean Capiaux is aging beautifully and is still remarkably youthful and shows off a bit of reduction, but opens up nicely to reveal a classic medium/full palate of black cherry, plum, blackberry and strawberry fruits, along with bramble and briar, a touch of graphite, orange tea, vanilla, a touch of truffle earliness and wilted rose petals. This wine is mature and silky, but impressively has a lively nature and fine acidity, making it finely balanced and great with food. These days Capiaux uses between 10 and 20% whole cluster, a 4-day cold soak and a natural fermentation in open top tanks. The maceration is uniquely done with what Capiaux says is Pulsair (cap management using compressed air) and traditional punch downs. The wine is then pressed to barriques for its secondary malolactic fermentation with the wine aging sur lie 11 months until he does the bottling. Interestingly these wines, even with Capiaux’s critically acclaimed efforts and Gary Pisoni’s fame, still are under the radar. so the price is reasonable and I highly recommend checking out the current releases.
I have been a fan of Sean Capiaux a long time now, who does a great lineup of Pinots under his own label, as seen here, and is the winemaker at O’Shaughnessy, on Howell Mountain in the Napa Valley. Sean Capiaux founded his Capiaux Cellars in 1994, with a focus of producing single vineyard bottlings of Pinot Noir from an array of top sites throughout California, including the famous Garys’ and Pisoni vineyards in the Santa Lucia Highlands. The legendary Pisoni Vineyard, originally planted in 1982 is primarily made up of decomposed granite with large deposits of quartz, with Gary Pisoni claiming to have brought cuttings back from La Tâche himself. Inspired by traditional Burgundy wines, Sean says his winemaking style is a blend of classic and contemporary, utilizing cutting edge fermentation equipment paired with natural hands on winemaking, with an emphasis is on balance. All the wines are naturally fermented, with indigenous yeast with long maceration(s) and elevage before being bottled unfined and unfiltered to preserve innate flavors and aromas. Capiaux adds that he uses minimal new oak and wines like his Pisoni usually sees about 33% new French oak. I see that Capiaux has added a new vineyard in the Russian River to his personal label lineup and I look forward to sampling that one at some point soon.
($65 Est.) 94 Points, grapelive
2021 Domaine Pierre-Yves Coiln-Morey, Chassagne-Montrachet “Abbaye de Morgeot” Cuvée Clement et Emma, Premier Cru White Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, France.
The extremely rare Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Abbaye de Morgeot Cuvée Clement et Emma, which I had not had before, was a stunning and very much in style for Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey with exceptional mineral driven character and purity, while still offering luxurious richness and exuberance in the glass. This 2021 is more classically steely and crisp, than what I hear the more concentrated 2020 version was, and I was thrilled with the less is more feel to this vintage, while enjoying the layers of lemony toned citrus, apple, pear, quince, melon and tart peach fruits, along with the hint of yeasty bread dough, wet stones, white blossoms, clove and toast wood notes. Good acids and incredible tension make this a brilliant and pedigreed medium to full bodied wine, I can imagine this lovely Chassagne gets creamier with age, but the thill as it is now is very compelling. The Colin family has some fabulous plots in some of the Côte de Beaune’s best vineyards, from Chassagne to Batard (Montrachet), and Pierre-Yves added some high quality vineyards to his own portfolio, expanding into the Côte de Nuits and to the Côte Chalonnaise, with great success, but is still most famous for his Saint-Aubin and Chassagne-Montrachet bottlings, like this one. The Abbaye de Morgeot is part of two main parcels on chalky limestone and clay with a gravelly topsoil on a southeast facing hillside that surrounds the Abbaye de Morgeot itself, that was once home to an order of Cistercian monks just south of the village of Chassagne. The coveted 21 acres of vines, with both Chard and Pinot here, the “Morgeot” lies above, and “La Chapelle” below, which (both parts) can be labeled Abbaye de Morgeot, overlook the abbey buildings.
Domaine Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey is a modern icon of Burgundy with Pierre-Yves and his wife Caroline Morey being one of the region’s power couples, like Jean-Marc Roulot and Alix de Montille, and now with the Colin-Morey sons Mathis and Clément joining the family domaine, the wines continue to be some of the most coveted in the world. This Domaine based in Chassagne, is the holy grail for white Burgundy, especially for the wine industry itself, rather than only the top 1% collectors, with many bottlings being affordable for mere mortals. That said, some of the Premier Cru wines here have truly been discovered and the rarity has sent prices past my wallet’s ability and I doubt I will be drinking PYCM much longer. Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey, as mentioned here in prior reviews, has made a brilliant career in Chardonnay, having worked along side his dad and brothers as the winemaker at his father’s domaine from 1994 to 2005, then stepped out on his own founding his own domaine in 2006. Pierre-Yves, as noted here, follows a strict protocol and method, using all sustainable and hand tended vineyards, with mostly organic practices in the vineyards, while in the cellar he ferments and ages his wines in barrel, with early picks being the norm, using indigenous yeasts and somewhat notably, he prefers larger format 350L French oak demi-muids instead of the classic 228L barriques, with his Lieu-Dit and Premier Crus seeing close to 30% new if not more, adding just the right amount of toasty accents. While the 2021s are less weighted and more subtle, I have been impressed for the quality across the range in these Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey offerings, especially the almost Grand Cru quality like Chassagne-Montrachets, and look forward to trying the 2022s, which I hear blend the opulence and density of the 2020s and the vibrancy of the 2021s to even better effect, not that I am complaining about either or.
($249-300 Est.) 95 Points, grapelive
1999 Clos du Mont-Olivet, Châteauneuf-du-Pape Rouge, Cuvée Unique, Rhône Valley, France.
I opened my last bottle of 1999 Châteauneuf du Pape, and with a touch of sadness and a slight disappointment the Clos du Mont-Olivet didn’t live up to my expectations, but there was enough there for a happy good bye to one of my favorite vintages. The color looked good, dark garnet with just a bit of bricky to it, and the palate had some pretty dried flowers, a burst of red fruits and a supple textural feel, but the end is near for this one, with decaying autumn leaves, beef bouillon cube, mushroom and stewy/dusty notes overtaking the fresher vine berry and plum fruits. There was a few minutes of balance and pleasure hinted at what a great wine in the past was here in this vintage of Clos du Mont-Olivet, so I highly recommend sooner v later on any Châteauneufs you might have been hanging on to. I recently has a ’99 Janesse and it was far more in a peak window, though I could see the evolution was heading. The Clos du Mont-Olivet Châteauneuf-du-Pape Rouge “Cuvée Unique” was a special North Berkeley Imports selection, aged exclusively in older foudre passed down from generation to generation of the Sabon family, who own the estate, and bottled unfined and unfiltered. For this version, the cépage was 80% Grenache, 10% Syrah and 10% Mourvèdre, coming from carefully selected parcels, with some classic galets and limestone soils, including the famous La Crau, and made with partial whole cluster. I may have been hoping for a better end of life performance here, but I will continue to age a few Rhône reds, including Gigondas and Châteauneuf du Pape, as some can be absolutely magic after 20 to 25 years, as seen most recently with a Domaine du Vieux Telegraphe!
The Domaine of Clus du Mont-Olivet was originally founded in the mid-16th century, but was established as a Châteauneuf producer in 1932, three years after the AOC was granted, has seen many historical changes, and now the estate today is run by Thierry Sabon, who has brought back a sense of elegance and traditional character to this famous label. Clos du Mont-Olivet, now imported by Skurnik Wines, encompasses parcels of mainly 60+ year old vines in the heart of the Châteauneuf du Pape AOC, plus some excellent Lirac vines as well. The wines now are considered more in the classical style, with what Skurnik calls heady, complex aromatics, and garrigue-laden fruit that tastes of the stones that comprise the fascinating soils of the area. Thierry’s minimalist approach in the cellar, which highlights terroir and transparency is bit different from some early vintages, that focused on fruit density and richness over finesse. These days, the main Châteauneuf du Pape red blend is close to 78% Grenache, 11% Syrah, 8% Mourvèdre and 3% Cinsault, all organic grapes, with 50% whole cluster and natural indigenous yeast fermentation and aged more than 12 months in 65% old foudres, 20% concrete, 8% stainless steel and 7% older barrels. This faded and slightly dried out Cuvée Unique 1999, which deserved to be enjoyed maybe 10 years old, still intrigued with lingering porporri, framboise, earthiness and minty licorice. The winery has a full range of wines these days and I recommend searching out the old vines Côtes du Rhône, which is a killer value, along with the Lirac Rouge and the three separate bottlings of Châteauneuf Rouge and the Blanc, which has 40% Clairette, 30% Roussanne, 14% Bourboulenc, 10% Grenache Blanc, 2% Clairette Rose, 2% Picardan, 1% Picpoul Blanc and 1% Grenache Gris in the bland.
($45 Est.) 86 Points, grapelive
2020 Cantina Fradiles, Muristellu – Bovale Sardo, Bagadìu, Isola dei Nuraghi IGT Rosso, Sardinia, Italy.
Like the impressive 2016, this deep garnet/crimson hued and aromatic 2020 Fradiles Bagadìu shows off a dusty full palate of black cherry, plum, mulberry and fig, slightly rustic, but wonderfully seductive with its earthy old world charm, with hints of cut tobacco, leather, iron and truffle, as well as minty wild herbs, dried flowers, cedar, grilled orange peel and red spices. Maybe a bit deeper and more vividly powerful than the 2016, but pretty similar in the best way possible with lovely mouth feel and tannins structure. This Bagadiu, as noted before, comes from mature 40 to 60 year old Bovale Sardo vines on granite soils, at close to 2,000 feet up that are all hand tended, that are, as mentioned all organic and the wine saw a native yeast fermentation in stainless steel, where it spent 6 months before being racked to large used oak casks for another 10 months. Fradiles, and winemaker Paolo Savoldo, makes just about 200 cases of this wine each year and not much of it gets to our shores, but I highly recommend searching it out. Over the past few years I’ve tried quite a few of these Fradiles wines and all have been delightful and educational, they are also great insight on traditional Sardinian grapes and cuisine, which these wines really excel with, especially this one that wants a meaty dish, like lamb to bring out its full range of flavors. While Cannonau (Grenache) still is Sardinia’s most famous red, wines like this show this island is no one trick pony and there’s always something new to discover here.
The Fradiles winery on Sardinia, as mentioned here is a quality producer and offering an outstanding array of truly authentic wines, including this one made from the distinctive native or indigenous red grape Muristellu also known as Bovale Sardo (which is thought to be related to Graciano), which is very different from Bovale Grande (Carignan). Interesting still to me is this deeply flavored varietal, which is very different to the Rioja Graciano wines I’ve tried, and after tasting this fabulous Bagadìu 100% Muristellu it actually reminds me more of the powerful Aglianico wines of Taurasi in Campania. This wine, oddly not allowed to be labeled under the DOC rules because it is all Muristellu, is just a IGT table wine, even though it delivers terroir and varietal character in spades. There is a lot of confusion about the mysterious native varietals on Sardinia, once though to have been brought here from Spain during the 200 years of Spanish occupation, but carbon dating and recent historic finds tend to point to Sardinian wine growing way before the Spanish came to the island, maybe a thousand years before! My friend and Sardinian born sommelier/winemaker Giuseppe Cossu, Impromptu Wines, has provided me with some incredible information on Sardinia and was kind enough to share this rare wine and varietal with me, first with the 2016 vintage and now with this 2020 vintage, both exceptional years here. Again, this Bagadiu is a compelling wine and complex wine, which retains good natural acidity, great with hard sheep cheeses as well as with grilled meats, wild boar and or the mentioned lamb, enjoy over the next 3 to 5 years.
($45 Est.) 94 Points, grapelive
2023 Cantina Gallura, Vermentino di Gallura DOCG “Piras” Sardinia, Italy.
The bright and expressive 2023 version of Cantina Gallura Piras Vermentino is fabulous and has more charm and personality that the impressive 2020 I had last year and I highly recommend chasing some of this down, it is a great wine and awesome value. This vintage shows off some exotic tropical notes to go along with its classic vibrant fruit intensity and mineral tones, delivering a medium/full palate of apricot, citrusy tangerine, Kaffir lime along with saline infused stone and orange blossoms. Grown up at elevation with granite soils with a topsoil of coarse granitic sand. Cantina Gallura is llocated in the town of Tempio Pausania on the foothills of Mount Limbara. The picturesque setting in this remote area of Sardinia sees ancient white granite mountains shaped by the North wind, where almost only you find cork-oaks and grape vines, unchanged for hundreds of years. The clarity and precise detailing, as I have remarked on in previous reviews, make this Piras wonderfully compelling and while it only saw a couple of months of aging and lees contact in the cellar. This light straw/gold Vermentino di Gallura gains a pleasing viscosity in the glass and makes for a wine that can deliver flexibility in cuisine choices as well as being a confident Summer sipper. Vermentino di Gallura is Sardinia’s only DOCG appellation, so far, and covers the northern end of the island. It was DOC status from 1975 until September 1996, when it officially was granted the DOCG.
The Cantina Gallura, as noted in prior reviews, a co-op, founded in 1956, is located in Tempio Pausania, that currently has 160 producers contributing their grapes, at the foot of the Limbara Mountain in an area of Sardinia that has some conditions that feel like a continuation of the Dolomite Mountains with ancient granite based, sandy soils. While sunny here there are cool Mistral like breezes that give these wines an extra degree of complexity and balance, as this Piras Vermentino di Gallura shows. Cantina Gallura does quite a series of offerings, all terroir driven and made with traditional methods with stainless steel primary fermentations, in most cases, though some whites see a barrel fermentation, and mostly used barrel or cask aging to promote freshness and transparency. The wines of the Gallura have always been prized and now Vermentino di Gallura has a full DOCG, confirming to the world that this one of Italy’s top sites and guarantees an extra degree of quality. Interestingly Cantina Gallura does a sparkling version too, which I hope to try at some point, especially if I get a chance to visit this mysterious and historic island. The winery is mainly known for their 100% Vermentino bottlings, with this all stainless steel ferreted and aged Piras being a single cru effort, expressing the true nature of the place and the grape. Not a wine that we usually see in the states, sadly, but it is imported by Vinity Wines in California, and it is one that deserves a search for!
($22 Est.) 94 Points, grapelive
2020 Turley Wine Cellars, Zinfandel, Kirschenmann Vineyard, Mokelumne River AVA, Lodi.
The dark opaque purple garnet 2020 Turley Kirschenmann Zinfandel is loaded with concentration showing off thick layers of blackberries, raspberries, sweet plums, Mission figs and smoky currant fruits, along with sandalwood, minty herbs, violet florals, camphor, vanilla and liqueur notes. This warm vintage full bodied effort will please the big Zin fans and it has opulent tannins and a dry Port like character with hints of chocolate cherry and prune notes. The Kirschenmann, as Turley notes, is particularly close to their heart as head winemaker, Tegan Passalacqua, owns and farms this renowned vineyard. The un-grafted Hundred year old plus ancient vines here at Kirschenmann are set on the silica-rich sandy soils of the east side of the Mokelumne River AVA. Passalacqua, as noted here in prior reviews, takes full advantage of he river’s cool waters and the delta breezes that keeps this arid and warm terroir in balance, allowing these head-trained, dry-farmed vines some protection from the Summer heat. Turley Wine Cellars makes forty-seven wines from over fifty vineyards, and as they add, the vast majority of which are single vineyard designate Zinfandel(s) and Petite Syrah(s) coming from all organic sites, most of which are certified organic by California Certified Organic Farmers. Turley’s Zins are 100% natural or indigenous yeast fermented, see loads of extraction and are aged in a combination of about 80% French and 20% American oak barrels with close to 20% new wood in each vintage, all of which gives these wine’s their signature balancing act between luxurious richness and authentic transparency. The Kirschenmann, which also has small amounts of Mondeuse, Cinsault, and Carignane, is always wonderfully rounded, polished and pure with a surprising degree of crisp detailing, impressive for a bigger wine that clocks in at around 15% alcohol, and while I personally like 2018s and 2021s a bit more, this 2020 is good stuff and goes great with food, especially BBQ and other meaty dishes and or hard cheeses.
Kirschenmann Vineyard Zinfandel comes from a hundred and eight year old vines on the East Side of Lodi’s Mokelumne River AVA, which was was originally planted back in 1915 and is set on silica rich, white sandy soils. Kirschenmann Vineyard is owned by Tegan Passalacqua’s family, and Passalacqua is head winemaker and vineyard manager for the famed Larry Turley, so he has incredible insight into these vines and knows how to get the best out of them. Passalacqua one of California’s great minds, who got his start by working in the lab in Napa Valley, has many talents, both in the cellar and in vines, and he has an impressive CV, having done stints in the cellars of Craggy Range in New Zealand, with Eben Sadie in South Africa and with the late great Alain Graillot in the Northern Rhone Valley. Turley, as I’ve mentioned before, along with Ridge Vineyards, Bedrock Wine Co., Carlisle, Martinelli and Biale are keepers of the faith in the modern Zinfandel, highlighting individual vineyard sites and making wines with bold full bodied character, with many of these from vines that were planted in the late 1800s. These producers, especially Turley, are making Zinfandels that are mouth filling, lush and dense with impressive palate impact, giving loads of hedonistic pleasure in their youth, but are serious wine that can age easily 10 to 15 years. The 2020 vintage was incredibly difficult and heartbreaking for many regions in California with many raging wild fires causing havoc for grape growers, with 80% of the state affected, but Passalacqua with Larry Turley’s blessing, didn’t take any chances with smoke taint and culled production to almost ridiculous levels to make wines they could 100% stand behind. Lucky for Zin fans, lots of vineyards with the heat of the year were picked before the smoke became an issue, as seen here, and so far all the Turley wines I’ve had were delicious and no issues. There will be some good wines from 2020, but you’ll need to be careful, so I recommend producers with high ethically standards like Turley, or else stock up on 2021, 2022 and 2023s all of which are outstanding years in California.
($49 Est.) 91 Points, grapelive
2010 Domaine Paul Jaboulet Anie, Crozes-Hermintage Rouge “Domaine de Thalabert” Northern Rhone, France.
After a fabulous series of successful vintages for this Domaine de Thalabert Crozes, from 2015 to 2021, Caroline Frey’s Domaine Jaboulet has become must have for Northern Rhône lovers, and it was great to see one of her first efforts, this nicely aged 2010 version drinking so well. Still possessing a dark purple/crimson hue in the glass, this 2010 Domaine Paul Jaboulet Anie, Crozes-Hermintage Rouge “Domaine de Thalabert” shows off a medium/full bodied palate of matured dark fruits, with evolved early elements and hints of bay leaf, fig, wild mushroom beginning to compete with crushed blackberry, wilted violet, blueberry, black currant, damson plum and reduced cherry fruits, as well as olive tapenade, cedar, brambly pepper and dried herbs, anise and tar. This wine has an aged subtlety at this stage, it will not suddenly be a La Chapelle and or a blockbuster, but that doesn’t mean you’ll be disappointed either, it is just that it is comfortable with its age and takes you down an elegant and transparent terroir driven route. I was thrilled with the grace of texture, depth of fruit, delicate wood, the retained acidity and the nice mineral tones that clearly shine here in this vintage of Northern Rhône wines, especially in value packed areas like Cornas and Crozes-Hermitage, making nice treats for budget collectors. As noted previously, the Thalabert parcel, a special terroir, is located in Croze’s pebble-strewn granite soiled lieu-dit of Les Chassis, which has owned by Jaboulet since its founding back in 1834 and is regarded as maybe the greatest set of vines in the Crores-Hermitage AOC, all organic and biodynamic. Frey uses partial whole bunches and well judged use of new wood, really putting the focus on the vintage and trying for authenticity, rather than power or flamboyance.
This famous Thalabert parcel, as I’ve mentioned before in prior reviews, is located in Croze’s pebble-strewn granite soiled lieu-dit of Les Chassis, which has been owned by Jaboulet since its founding back in 1834 and is regarded as maybe the greatest set of vines in the Crores-Hermitage AOC, all organic and biodynamic. The Domaine Paul Jaboulet Aine, now owned by the Frey family, led by the talented Caroline Frey, has been an iconic estate in the Northern Rhone and one of the big three in the region along with Guigal and Chapoutier, most known for their fabled La Chapelle vineyard in Hermitage, Syrah’s most holy site! There’s been wines made here since pre-Roman times, but it was Antoine Jaboulet’s plantings in 1834 and focus on quality which really started to establish the area as one of the major wine producing appellations of the world, after he past the land was passed on to his two sons Henri and Paul, who’s name became company label. The Frey family, who bought the faded glory Jaboulet in 2006, have become big time players in premium French wine production having serious quality properties in Champagne, Burgundy and Bordeaux, which includes Chateau La Lagune in Haut-Medoc and Château de Corton André in the Cote de Beaune. Caroline, who studied in Bordeaux, is one of France’s established stars now and has her hand in many projects, with even a biodynamic high elevation vineyard in Switzerland. The Jaboulet lineup is full of quality efforts, from humble Côtes du Rhône and Village wines to a set of pedigreed Hermitage Rouge bottlings, and I highly recommend exploring all that you can find or afford, with this Domaine Paul Jaboulet Anie, Crozes-Hermintage Rouge “Domaine de Thalabert” being one of my personal favorites, it is a wine that I really enjoy both fresh and youthful and with a bit of age, like I discovered here. When young I would suggest decanting and pairing it with robust cuisine, with meaty dishes like lamb and grilled steak being lovely with it, while mature wines go well with a bit less heavy choices and or a selection of hard cheeses.
($45+ Est.) 93 Points, grapelive