As regular readers of our newsletter know, Kermit spends a good chunk of his year in France and Italy. He works, he relaxes, he visits friends. One of his absolute favorite places to mix his work and pleasure is on the island of Corsica. He just returned to his Provençal home after spending a week in Corsica visiting our three producers there and enjoying life on the island.

Kermit is always looking for good values and while in Corsica he happened upon something interesting that he told me to ask you (the reader) about.

We import a beautiful Vermentino from Domaine Maestracci called “E Prove Blanc” (the 2008 $16.95). Kermit loves this wine and in the 2009 January Newsletter it was described as “Kermit’s house wine.” While tasting at Domaine Maestracci, Kermit was offered the chance to buy a Vermentino similar to the “E Prove Blanc” but in a five-liter box. Five liters is equivalent to 6 and 2/3rds bottles of wine. We don’t have a price for the five-liter box at this time, but it would certainly be cheaper than a bottle of E Prove. Kermit thinks the wine is a nice tasty dry white and will be a great value.

Please consider the possibilities. You could keep the box in your fridge for a month or so, drinking through it one glass at a time. Or what about a big backyard party, buy a few of the boxes, and keep the wine flowing without opening a new bottle every five minutes?

So let us know, would you be interested in such a package? Leave your comments below!

The July newsletter is now available! Download the PDF by clicking here.

Highlights from this month’s newsletter…

2007 Bandol, Domaine Tempier Pre-Arrival

Yes, I  just arrived at my place near Domaine Tempier and immediately visited to re-taste their great 2007s now that they are in bottle. How convenient!

It is a great vintage for Tempier in the sense that the reds have quite a monumental quality, grand wines brimming with flavor, and they will obviously age almost forever. To compare them to something, trying to give you an idea of the vintage style, I’d look to really stunning Bordeaux vintages like 1945 or 1947. I mean, there is one hell of a lot of wine in these wines.

La Migoua and Tourtine show their personalities vividly in 2007. Winemaker Daniel Ravier concurs: “Definitive Migoua, definitive Tourtine.”

La Migoua is fat and sweet and juicy. The nose combines ripe black cherry with dried thyme and other local herbs. Don’t let my use of the word sweet throw you. I couldn’t believe that Migoua 2007 is really dry, but Ravier showed me the analysis. When I once had the luck to taste a 1947 Cheval Blanc, I had the same impression.

Tourtine is the aristocrat—perfectly formed, lean, muscular—and more closed at the beginning of its life than Migoua. The infinite depth is obvious. It shows more dried herbs, a dash of black pepper, and Ravier said it also reminds him of the smell of a good steak on the grill.

Cabassaou is close to being too much. I mean it is unbelievably concentrated and powerful. Pure old-vines Mourvèdre. Great vintage. Extreme Mourvèdre! At this stage of its life—hmm, let’s just say I won’t touch my stash of bottles for a number of years.

2007 Bandol “Classique” $396.00 per case of twelve

2007 Bandol “La Migoua” $298.50 per six bottles

2007 Bandol “La Tourtine” $298.50 per six bottles

2007 Bandol “Cabassaou” $216.75 per three bottles

Inquire about availability in tenths, magnums, and jeroboams.

Pre-arrival terms: Half-payment due with order; balance due upon arrival.

New Arrivals

Italy and the Loire Valley
by Dixon Brooke

2008 BARDOLINO “CHIARETTO”
CORTE GARDONI

The Chiaretto strikes a cheerful chord in me every time I uncork one: it has a great balance, starting with the bass notes of the Bardolino red varietals (Corvina, Rondinella) and a treble in the form of just the right amount of freshness and minerality. This impeccable rosé makes a year-round spirit brightener. And you don’t need to be lakeside in the Veneto to enjoy the Piccolis’ Chiaretto, because it is at home any old place, any old time.

$12.95 per bottle $139.86 per case

2008 BARDOLINO ROSSO “LE FONTANE”
CORTE GARDONI

The triumvirate of Corte Gardoni wines isn’t complete without their young Bardolino Rosso. Le Fontane is vinified for early drinking pleasure, emphasizing the bright, exuberant fruit for which the appellation is known. Le Fontane is all about carefree quaffing, and it is hard to beat with a slight chill during the summer months. Keep it around as your Old Reliable.

$12.95 per bottle $139.86 per case

2007 ROSSO TOSCANO
“MONTELECCIO” • SESTI

The must-be-seen-to-be-believed property of the Sestis is in the Brunello di Montalcino zone on a hilltop graced by a 12th-century castle and an 8th-century chapel. Cypress trees all over the place. Just another day in the Tuscan hills . . . Monteleccio is the Sestis’ early-drinking pure Sangiovese, raised in big oak botti for twelve months. The 2007 is a grand success, intense and bursting with flavor. This is classic, classy Sangiovese, irresistible today, so dive right in!

$18.00 per bottle $194.40 per case

2001 BARBERA DEL MONFERRATO SUPERIORE “VALPANE” • CANTINE VALPANE

In my opinion, Pietro Arditi’s winery in the Monferrato region of northern Piedmont is one of our most exciting discoveries of the past several years. This is Pietro’s flagship Barbera, for which he has created a lengthy five-year élevage including time in cement, demi-muid, and barrique. The resulting wine is eventually blended with 10% Freisa, another indigenous Piedmontese varietal, for a dose of fresh, bright fruit. The 2001 is truly a gem and is in perfect harmony right now. A tinge of smoky meatiness hints at its age, but the dominant theme is fresh, vibrant Barbera fruit and lots of it. Bravo, Pietro! This is quite a creation, and a superb vintage.

$19.95 per bottle $215.46 per case

2008 CHARDONNAY • ÉRIC CHEVALIER

An anomaly in the region, Éric’s Chardonnay is planted in sandstone, silex, and quartz next to one of his Muscadet vineyards, and it doesn’t much resemble Chardonnay from anywhere else. It is crisp, clean, flinty, and easy to down. Some folks buy cases at a time.

$12.95 per bottle $139.86 per case

2008 FIÉ GRIS • ÉRIC CHEVALIER

Fié Gris is a local name for Sauvignon Gris, a grey- to rosé-hued relative of the Sauvignon Blanc grape. Mostly abandoned in the Loire Valley and Bordeaux, where it was formerly planted with some regularity, the grape may be in the early stages of a comeback. Éric’s version is solid proof that there is merit to the grape as a mono-cépage—it gives a unique, highly aromatic wine loaded with spicy and even tropical nuances. André Chatenoud of the Château de Bellevue in Lussac-Saint-Emilion has also planted some in order to make a white Bordeaux, while Éric is lucky enough to have a parcel of older vines to work with.

$22.50 per bottle $243.00 per case

The time around July 4th is when French wine sales take a little hit. Domestic wineries jump on the “buy American” bandwagon and people head to their local shops that feature their favorite homegrown wines. This makes sense, right? July 4th = Zinfandel? Why on earth would you buy a bottle of French wine to go with an Independence Day celebration?

I’d argue that the first bottle you look for should be from France! I believe it was the involvement of the French Navy in the Revolutionary War that played a major factor in the U.S. sealing the deal. Also, let us not forget that it was the French who gave us the Statue of Liberty. So, clearly, we should raise a glass to the French this weekend! Three great picnic wines emerged from our last staff tasting that would be the ideal accompaniment for an Independence Day gathering.

2007 Coteaux du Languedoc “Tradition” • St. Martin de la Garrigue ($14.95)

The wines of St. Martin de la Garrigue are consistent values. “Tradition” is a blend of Syrah, Grenache, and Carignan, possessing a wild, rustic edge, but without any gnarly tannins. Dark spice, black fruit and a hit of stoniness reminiscent of a Côtes du Rhône make this wine a perfect pairing for summer barbeque fare. Burgers, ribs, or Portobello mushrooms on the grill – this is the wine to uncork.

2008 Sauvignon Blanc “Unique” • Domaine du Salvard ($13.95)

“Unique” hails from the village of Cheverny, where to take the village name the bottling must have a small dose of Chardonnay. The lack of Chardonnay in “Unique” allows Salvard to name his “Sauvignon Blanc” without breaking any rules. Clearly this is convenient for the consumer and the wine lives up to Loire Sauvignon Blanc standards. Quaffable, sprightly, and bright, this wine jumps around your tongue like a fiddler’s bow on strings.

2008 Bandol Rosé • Domaine de la Tour du Bon ($26)

Tour du Bon has nailed it with their ’08 Rosé – pure, classic Bandol. Fresh light peach notes and funky herbs de provence aromas coat your mouth, imploring you to take another gulp. This wine might transport you to the Côte d’Azur, but, even better, you could visit their property near Bandol where they have a quaint Provençal farmhouse available as a vacation rental.

I’ve just come down the hill from the lost hamlet of Blagny, up in the hills above Puligny-Montrachet in the Côte d’Or in Burgundy. You may have heard the name “Blagny” before, attached to a bottle of premier cru Meursault-Blagny, or perhaps even a bottle of the increasingly rare Blagny Rouge. The tiny, ancient hamlet straddles the appellations of Puligny and Meursault, high on the hill below the forest. Monks first established the little village and planted vines in the 14th century. This almost magical, lost-in-time corner of the world boasts a unique microclimate, with a slightly different average temperature, exposure to the elements and soil than the rest of Burgundy. In our humble opinion, our friend and vigneron, Laurent Martelet, creates the most haunting masterpieces that emerge from this terroir. Laurent bottles the wines we import under the Comtesse Bernard de Cherisey label named in honor of his wife Hélène’s mother, who inherited their vines and passed them down to Hélène. Hélène and Laurent work side by side in the vines as a team. Their 2004s and 2005s were received with great reverence by our salesman and clients over the past two years. We just received a shipment of their 2006s, and I thought it made sense to get the word out to as many people as soon as possible.

The Hameau de Blagny.

All of the de Cherisey vines are premier cru, all are at least 60 years old, and all encircle his ancient cellar in the Hameau de Blagny. His Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Hameau de Blagny is from vines on the south side of Blagny, level with the village, just above Puligny Truffières. It is a wine that combines the power and richness of Meursault with the ethereal finesse of Puligny. Laurent’s Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Chalumeaux is from vines just below Blagny, between the aforementioned Truffières and Meursault-Perrières. It is a perfectly situated parcel loaded with white limestone and gives a very fine, intensely focused très Puligny wine, screaming with minerality. It doesn’t have the renown of its neighbors, but it should. His Meursault-Blagny 1er Cru La Genelotte is from a vineyard just north of Blagny, on the Meursault side of course, high on the slope above the village. This is a powerful, classic and very long-lived Meursault. The Genelotte vineyard is also a monopole meaning Laurent is the sole proprietor. The grapes grown in these vineyards almost always benefit from additional hang-time at the tail end of the growing season due to the hamlet’s slightly cooler temperatures and their exposure to drying winds and late-afternoon sun allows the grapes to stay clean and healthy. The vines’ also benefit from their positioning mid-slope and the resulting deposits of rich, organic material. This deep soil allows the vines’ roots to burrow deep into the earth in search of moisture preserved by the limestone during the scorching summer heat. Laurent works the vines without the use of any chemical herbicides or insecticides. It’s for all of these reasons that Laurent produces perfectly balanced, statuesque and long-lived Burgundy in every vintage.

1er Cru La Genelotte in Spring.

The 2006s are such a brilliant case in point, because they really prove why generalizing a vintage can be so dangerous. I’m hearing from France that too many wine buyers in the United States are afraid of the 2006 vintage in white Burgundy due to a perceived lack of structure or acidity for aging (and I’ve also heard that some are making the even more critical mistake of lumping white and red Burgundy together when they formulate an opinion about a vintage – Chardonnay and Pinot have very different profiles and very often react quite differently to certain growing conditions). Laurent’s 2006s have everything you could ask for in a white Burgundy for the cellar: transparence of terroir, structure, acidity, minerality, concentration. They are exquisite examples of what makes white Burgundy perhaps the most compelling white wine in the world, especially if you are possess a good cellar. Do yourself a favor and do not miss these wines.

2006 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Hameau de Blagny $68.00/bottle, $734.40/case
2006 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Chalumeaux $68.00/bottle, $734.40/case
2006 Meursault-Blagny 1er Cru La Genelotte $68.00/bottle, $734.40/case

If you’d like to hear more about it from the horse’s mouth so to speak, Laurent has philosophized a bit about what the Blagny terroir means to him and you can read all about it here. The original French can be found here. For those of you interested in more technical information about the wines you can find a full breakdown here.

In our June newsletter, available online June 2nd, we will have more on our philosophy about vintage variation in Burgundy and a spectacular and diverse pre-arrival offering from four of our top red Burgundy domaines.

Hallelujah harvest is over!

The May newsletter is now available! Download the PDF by clicking here.

In this month’s newsletter…

PRE-ARRIVAL OFFER
2007 GIGONDAS • DOMAINE LES PALLIÈRES

So, two Pallières this year. One wears the designation “Les Racines,” or The Roots. It comes from what were the original vines planted around the ancient winery. I go for the name because, you know me, roots music, roots wine.

The other is “Terrasse du Diable,” Terrace of the Devil, the historic name of a very special parcel at Pallières. Don’t think of either as a cuvée spéciale. This is more like Tempier’s “Migoua” and “Tourtine.” Equal, even similar, but different.

“Les Racines” concentrates on the pretty, flirtatious, seductive, gushing-with-cornucopian-fruit character unique to Pallières. “Terrasse du Diable” has the darker soul, more structure—a more intellectual side, if you will, of the Pallières experience. We found that our two favorite aspects of the Pallières goût de terroir are heightened more when separated.

2007 LES RACINES
$336 per case
(also available in tenths)

2007 TERRASSE DU DIABLE
$336 per case
(also available in magnums, jeroboams, and methuselahs)

WHITE BURGUNDY DISCOUNT
20% by the bottle, 30% by the case

Ever since our economy was Bushwhacked, there has been a slowdown and I want to clear out some remaining inventory and make room for the 2007s, which are beginning to arrive. We are known for our outstanding portfolio of white Burgundy domaines, and it seems that stocking up on these great wines at a drastic discount is a smart move. A list of sale wines is available in the newsletter. Check out this post for notes on our first round of tasting some of these wines and check back for future postings as we taste through more white Burgundy.

Most of our staff tastings take place at night after the retail shop closes. However, when all the stars align, we taste in the morning. The presence of Aubert de Villaine in Berkeley brought together the heavenly bodies the other morning and we tasted his stunning reds and whites from the Côte Chalonnaise. Aubert is a preternaturally friendly Burgundian who carries himself with a humble nobility. Perhaps he is acutely aware of the sense of malice that one could derive from over-thinking his last name – Villaine.

We tasted his 2006 Bouzeron ($20) which was stunning: round and complex while still retaining the mineral racy-ness of the Aligoté grape. His 2006 reds, the La Fortune ($32), La Digoine ($38), and Mercurey ($42) were showing particularly well. They each had a classic sense of burgundian balance and finesse with the Mercurey showing great structure and potential for cellaring. The jewel of the morning was a special gift that Aubert brought us – a 1997 Montrachet from Domaine de la Romanée Conti. Complexity beyond description. Without question, the most memorable white Burgundy I’ve ever tasted before noon.