EXCEPTIONAL ZIN TIME

We aren’t ready to make some sweeping statement about some sort of Zinfandel rennaissence. There are a number of econiomic things working against that. So we’ll just chalk it up to random chance that we have come across a surprising number of really outstanins over the last few weeks. A number of them have a really limited audiences at the $50 and up pricing that seems to baseline for many of the top producers. But we have run across that have given us hope that California’s historic varietal has a future.

Jeff Gaffner has been around the industry a long time ( for you old timers, since he started with Richard Arrowood when he was at Chateau St. Jean). He created his own label, Saxon Brown, pulling name inspiration from the Jack London novel ‘Valley of the Moon’. As the notes reporterd, “Jeff always thought that if he had a daughter, he would name her Saxon Brown after the willful heroine of Jack London’s iconic novel… In 1997, after having two sons, Jeff decided to re-purpose the name he loved for his new wine label.”

We have known Jeff for a while. He is the definition of the ‘independent winemaker’. He has very specific ideas about how things should and the talent to make very stylish wines. He has a number of side gigs as well including Stephanie by Hestan, Black Kite, and Modicum (the in house label for French Laundry).

His style is a bit more ‘old school’ and bold, but the results are usually pretty tasty. Within the context of our recent spate of memorable Zinfandels we were presented this classic, Saxon Brown Zinfandel Fighting Brothers 2018. Named tongue in cheek after his two sons, this is what the varietal can be. It’s mouthfilling with a broad presentation of brambly, dark berry fruit, spice, and a healthy but well mesh dose of sweet wood notes. ‘Big Zin’ but balanced, pure and very expressive. In other words, a Zin lover’s Zin without the rough edges.

The Wine Spectator review does it justice, “Supple and jammy, with rich and multilayered berry cobbler and toasty spice flavors that expand and flesh out on the zesty finish. Drink now through 2029…93 Points.”

The price on that Wine Spectator review was $48, an acceptable tab in the current marketplace given the performance. We’d have bought a little at that price but, $29.98, we were a lot more interested. Delicious, classic Zin.

TASTY CABERNET BUY HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT

One of the important things a wine merchant can do is show the way. A number of folks are constantly looking for delicious deals on Cabernet. But where do they have to look? At some chain operation that’s going to tell you that whatever they have is the best deal anywhere? At the wine media where by the time you get by all of the 92-point $200 boutique Cabernets your eyes are tired? It’s tough, we know. So it’s our due diligence to mention things that should be on every Cab drinkers radar so you can’t say we didn’t tell you. The Katherine Goldschmidt Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley Stonemason Hill 2021, while a little long, is definitely a must.

Kiwi Nick Golgschmidt has been around for a long time and we have sent out a few email offers on some of his exceptional value bottlings. Starting back in 1991 as the assistant winemaker at then ‘big deal’ Simi winery, he has been and still is involved in projects all over the place (California, New Zealand, Argentina, Australia, and Spain). His own family brand is also a priority.

As the winery explains about this site, “Made in tandem by Nick and his middle daughter, Katherine, this very popular Cabernet Sauvignon has become a close family tradition over the years. The 2018 vintage marked a transition to an incredible new vineyard called Stonemason Hill. Located in Alexander Valley, this aptly-named site has large rocks leading up to a stone-walled terrace… This vineyard’s beautiful gravel loam soil with mature vines—many over thirty years old (rather rare in California thanks to phylloxera)—is ideally suited for the discerning tasters looking for an elegant drop with loads of personality and style.”

This has all of that personality with a pleasing core of black cherry, other dark fruits, and notes of spice, toffee, and a little underlying, balancing savory. It’s a straight forward, delicious mouthful of Cab with round, broad, honest fruit and pure Cabernet flavors. This is the wine all Cabernet fans should be looking for as it is everything you could ask and $21.98. How much delicious, honest Cabernet is out there for that kind of fare? Not much.

The Katherine Goldschmidt Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley Stonemason Hill 202 is the answer to a lot of Cabernet questions. Yet if we don’t mention stuff like this, who will? Most of the high profile writers aren’t going to even bother with a wine like this, even though it is a personality filled, single-vineyard bottling. It’s not a ‘hot’ producer (though it’s an accomplished one), and Alexander Valley isn’t a glamor locale (except for maybe Silver Oak). If they do review it, it is upper 80s or low 90s at best because you have to save the big scores for the big boys. Now if you spend your time with a bunch of folks that have oil wells or tech companies, this might not have the cache for you. But if you like a really good bottle of Cabernet that doesn’t cost a fortune, this is that!

Here are a couple of reviews that tell the story. From James Suckling, “Coffee candies, black cherries, olives and blackberries. Quite rich and obvious, with a degree of sweetness in the full-bodied palate. Chewy, fine-grained structure. Flattering and easy to understand. Drink in 2023…90 points.”

And from Wne Enthusaist, “Tasty cocoa, blueberry and maple flavors ride a velvety texture of smooth tannins in this full-bodied, rich and lavishly oaked wine. Cedar, vanilla, clove and slight wood-char accents give it a spicy, soft allure…91 points.”

You don’t drink ‘cache’ or ‘numbers’ and this very likeable Cab, from an excellent vintage, hits all the notes for not a lot of money. That is the point.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN ’24

We usually like to give a detailed analysis from our perspective as to what we expect to be the most interesting categories we expect to see this year. As buyers, planning for deeper dives into certain areas is an important part of the business model. We also presume this information will help collectors make plans for their own acquisitions as well. This time around we’re going to keep it a little tighter with regards to the focus and concentrate on the biggest areas of interest.

Here at home, we’re in the middle of a fabulous, if a little bit different run on Cabernet Sauvignon. After the uncertainty of the 2020s with regard to wildfires, smoke taint, and other issues with the vintage, the prospects of 2021 are exciting. But we noted from the start that this is a little different take on Napa Cabernet, with a little lower alcohols, less bombast to the fruit, and more elegance to the overall wines. We aren’t trying to sell green edged, acidic reds as ‘food wines’. There are plenty of sommeliers to do that. The 2021s have plenty of substance and ripe fruit flavors. But they are longer, sleeker, and more refined, more resembling Bordeaux from a riper vintage than the typical bowl-you-over style we are known for.

Here’s an overview piece from Antonio Galloni that, while the message is the same, approaches it from a little different angle,  “After the brutal 2020 vintage, Napa Valley fans will be thrilled to start exploring the 2021s. The 2021s are aromatic, refined and wonderfully expressive. I found many wines to be truly exceptional both in terms of quality and what seems to be a more finessed approach than in the past, something that is evident at many estates. Vintage 2022 presented more than its fair share of challenges, so 2021 is most certainly the vintage to focus on…

“In tasting, the 2021s show tremendous energy and finesse. As noted last year, the wines share some attributes with other drought vintages, specifically 2013 and 2014. But there are some major differences, too…” These 2021s are attractive now but also have the right proportions to age nicely and, while we always manage to find good stuff, 2022 is more of a mixed bag.

On Bordeaux, your have a too-much-good-stuff scenario, which is the opposite of a problem. First you have three outstanding vintages before you, 2018, 2019, and the currently arriving 2020s. Global warming not withstanding, we can’t recall three vintages of this kind of quality in succession in the decades we have been doing this. With the exception of the 2020s, which are still rolling in, what is here is generally all there is going to be so have a good look and take the opportunity to augment your cellar…or start one. The 2021s by and large aren’t earth shattering, but the reviews are out on the 2022 futures and it is a vintage that also has some gems.

The Wine Advocate review on the 2022 Bordeaux will give you the perspective, “At its best, this is a vintage of remarkable concentration, energy and harmony; but far from forgiving mistakes, 2022 punished them, and the less-successful wines are jammy, astringent and rustic. And where sunny vintages such as 2018 sometimes efface differences between sites and styles, 2022 has thrown them into heightened relief. This is true at every level of the hierarchy, and terroirs conventionally thought to be of only modest potential were also capable of delivering brilliant results this year…” Lots of options with Bordeaux.

Burgundy as well offers lovely options among the 2019s and 2020s that are on hand though there are still a few things on the market that will show up a little later. The 2021 whites are exciting while we are being selective with the 2021 reds. For the most part the ’21 red are ‘like Burgundies of old’ in that they are sleeker and less ample but crisp and elegant. Most don’t possess the punch of the other vintages we mentioned.

We have had our first arrivals of the 2022s which, thus far, look like a suppler version of the 2015s which means they will be flattering early on and, hopefully because the vintage was generous volume-wise, prices will be mediated to some extent. Juicy, plump Pinot Noir is always welcome.

Here’s a snippet that tells the story, “Generous yields brought respite from the relative traumas of high temperatures, dry conditions, devastating frosts and regrettably empty cellars of recent vintages – and then there’s the quality of the wines too. For most vignerons, 2022 was a gift.  The best Pinot Noir this year is joyous. Fresh and vibrant, with ripe yet crunchy fruit, incredibly fine but present tannin structure, moderate alcohols, and often with a saline, savoury or bitter edge: these are modern, climate-change era wines, yet remain classically proportioned.

“The 2022s are almost irresistible from barrel, many of them so juicy and delicious that they are quite frankly hard to spit out. But don’t let their approachability fool you into thinking they won’t age, for everything is there in the best wines. As Jean-Marie Fourrier noted, they’re the sort of wines that are so good young that you will likely regret drinking them so early.” More good Burgundy? Yes, please.

The 2021 Pinot Noirs from both California and Oregon are special, with plenty of bright fruit and a lifted demeanor. The 2022s are a bit more of a mixed scenario so playing the ‘bird in the hand’ in this category is the smart move.

Times are promising in Italy with 2019, 2020, and 2021 in the prime northern regions all offering exciting options but relative to each vintage’s differing profiles. There are 2019 Barolos on hand as well as expectations for 2020 Barbarescos and 2019 Brunellos in the first half of the year. As a heads up, though there hasn’t been a lot written so far, but we are very excited about the 2021 vintage in both Piedmont and Tuscany based on the ‘little’ wines we have tasted so far.

Those are the ‘biggest’ topics as we see them. As always there will be plenty of stuff going on and our expectations is that we will find a number of exciting things from the usual suspects (Spain, South America, New Zealand, Australia, et. al) as viticulture, winemaking, and logistics continue to improve and, for the most part, generally good weather and fewer (though more violent) climate quirks provide overall better results for wine overall. Don’t be surprised if you see some things from less familiar places like South Africa, Greece, and Georgia (the country not the state) as they continue to spread their wings. As always, we will be there to filter out the chaff and provide the best wines and the best deals out there. Happy 2024.

BRILLIANT WHITES FROM LISMORE REVISITED

We have covered a lot of ground during our wine journey, but there are some stories that are so unique and remarkable that they should not be forgotten. Lismore is one of those. California native and former T.V. writer Samantha O’Keefe, along with her husband at the time, made the conscious decision to get away from it all, and managed to end up about as far from Southern California as one could imagine…into the mountains in the area of Greton in South Africa where they fell in love with a visually spectacular site named Riversonderend, a 300-hectare property that was a dairy ranch.

It had never been a wine farm, nor had Samantha ever made wine, but the connection subsequently became serendipitous. The place was, as Sam put it, ‘an hour past nowhere’.   From the farm, for example, it is more than an hour’s drive just to get groceries. But the couple decided this remote, untested area would be an excellent place to grow grapes.

The challenges were enormous, so much so that Sam’s husband made an early exit.  O’Keefe built a house and a winery, and the vineyards were planted in 2003.   The first commercial release was 2008.  The Overberg region is unique in South African viticulture as it is a particularly cool growing area, with grapes taking as much as 3 to 4 weeks longer to mature.    The combination of cool temperatures and altitude was a unique and emerging trend in South Africa.  This particular project just happened the furthest out.  As it turned out, Riversonderend was particularly suited for four of the five grapes Sam planted.

Besides the normal array of issues like weather and disease that can face any vintner, this distinct plot of land had a few additional challenges.  Because this was a remote, even somewhat ‘wild’ area, the threat from abundant numbers of voracious birds to the final crop added more uncertainty.  There was even another ‘wild card’ to this winery’s story that we can’t recall ever hearing in all of our years doing this…baboons.  Yes, baboons.  Apparently they show up in numbers when the crop is reaching optimum time to pick.  Samantha says they are good indicators of when it is time to harvest. The place even burned down thanks to a wildfire reportedly set by two children.

You’ve got to admire her chutzpah. But she is still at it and her newest releases are once again completely unique and absolutely brilliant. Samantha says she is trying to emulate a top drawer Meursault stylistically. Mission accomplished. The Lismore Chardonnay Estate 2021 has plenty of that resiny, nutty, spicy character running through her intensely flavored Chardonnay to make you think of the Cote d’Or, yet there is an element to the peach/apple fruit that sets it apart from most of the world’s Chardonnays. It is a Chardonnay that can hold its own with virtually any produced on the planet.

Nice notes from the somewhat stingy Neal Martin as well, “94 Points! The 2021 Chardonnay Estate Reserve is 100% from Greyton matured for 11 months in 500-litre barrels, 40% new. It has a wonderful bouquet with honeydew melon, apricot blossom and light crushed stone scents that percolate through with time. The palate is very well balanced with tropical hints of passion fruit and guava, but the acidity keeps everything on a tight course, very minerally on the finish. Top class…94 points.”

The story of the Lismore Viognier Age of Grace 2022 is similar. This has everything a great Condrieu has in terms of personality but boasts the kind of backbone acidity that seems virtually impossible for this fussy varietal. The nose has the classic floral, peach, brown spice, floral, and honey tones you expect from Viognier, but seemingly flashing a bit more energy than most versions. All of those flavors reveal themselves on the palate but with an unexpected verve.

Martin was a fan of this one as well, “The 2021 Viognier The Age of Grace comes from Sutherland and Bot River, whole bunch pressed with 11 months on the lees using 15% concrete eggs. With pretty white peach and Mirabelle scents on the nose, this takes time to blossom, but it never fully lets go. The palate is medium-bodied with a gorgeous dried apricot, mango and spicebox entry, nothing blowsy here with a very focused, almost understated finish. Excellent…93+ points!

The conclusion is the same. These whites, from a remote place that never grew grapes before made by someone who came in with no winemaking background, can stand alongside any example we can think of. They aren’t cheap, but the prices given the quality and the hardship, are more than justifiable. How did this come about? We certainly can’t explain it. But if you think we’re saying that these wines from the middle of nowhere in South Africa deserve a place alongside Condrieus, Meursaults, and Montrachets, we absolutely are. And, relative to things like that, they are relative bargains, baboons notwithstanding.

We’d be naive to think that enough people would listen to our rant and buy buckets of these wines. Changing the thinking in the wine world has long been an uphill battle. Heck, not that much of this stuff is produced in the first place. But Lismore is a unique and solitary endeavor that deserves serious attention.

A QUICK LOOK BACK: DELICIOUS, AFFORDABLE BURGUNDY

Around here we’re usually pretty occupied talking about the newest stuff that comes our way. We rarely have time to repeat ourselves. We do drink wine on our own time as well and drink pretty well as you might guess. That said, it seemed worth a note on something from the floor tasted the other night that really lit us up, the Domaine Etienne Delarche Pernand-Vergelesses Les Boutieres 2020.

The short story is that this wine, on that night, was hitting on all cylinders. The nose is an effusive mix of boisterous red and black fruits, dark spices that persisted all the way through the finish, and accents of subtle minerality. On the palate there were layers of flavors almost like fireworks hitting all parts of the palate. Maybe it was just the day but it was a memorable bottle.

Here is a quick recap of the story we told many months ago…

“Though we know the importer is writing to sell wine, his descriptors for this wine are ‘spot on’ when he says, “… Delarche Burgundy offers a clarity and purity of flavor that is captivating; whites are creamy and concentrated, taking a cue from Corton-Charlemagne, while reds are spicy and refined, seductive from the moment they’re bottled yet able to age effortlessly for years…”  The Pernand, in fact all of these, follow those descriptors pretty much to the letter.

The star of the show, Domaine Etienne Delarche Pernand-Vergelesses les Boutiers Vieilles Vignes 2020, comes from vines that are quite ‘vieilles’ at age 70+.  This lieu dit sits in deep, clay-rich soils facing southeast at the foot of the slope, touching Pernand Premier Crus ‘Vergelesses’ and ‘Les Fichots on one side and Aloxe Corton Premier Crus Vercots and Guerets on the other.  It’s a very nice neighborhood.  As to the vintage, we have spoken many times already about our love of the 2020s, one of the few times in memory where both reds and whites excelled. 

The reds from 2020 are like nothing in recent memory.  The colors are deep and saturated and there is an uncommon richness and authority to the mouthfeel of the best examples.  With a little air, the les Boutieres virtually jumps out of the glass with notes of deeply ripe black cherry, spice, violet and underlying sweet earth. 

Urgent fruit is the order of the day with intense, energetic black cherry and brambleberry from front to back and the kind of cohesive statement of fruit and terroir that makes Burgundy so special.  Yeah, it’s not a Premier Cru but it sure tastes like one and, at $34.98, certainly doesn’t cost like one.  Even among all of the exciting 2020 reds we have been tasting thus far, this one is memorable.

The importer’s notes called this small estate ‘one of the Cote du Beaune’s best kept secrets’ and it still is with regard to the media.  Bur that’s find with us.  More attention usually means higher prices and less availability.  This is another shrewd buy for Burgundy lovers and you will never regret having a lot of 2020s.”

TASTY ‘LITTLE’ SAUMUR FROM A TOP SOURCE

The central figure in this story is Arnaud Lambert, author of the Chateau de Brézé Cremant we sold a while back and the owner of forty hectares of vineyards of serious vineyards in the Loire.  The holdings are principally within three communes: two within the Saumur-Champigny appellation (Montsoreau and Saint-Cyr, on opposite sides of the appellation—north and south, respectively) and the resurrected, historic commune, Brézé, on the southernmost border of the AOP Saumur-Champigny. 

Lambert bottles nearly twenty different cuvees under Chateau de Brézé and his own eponymous label.  He is highly respected in the region and has garnered some strong press for his still wines from a number of writers, particularly the reds.  So when Lambert does something, we pay attention.  This cuvee is new to us and a little less specific than most of his work which focuses on specific sites.  That’s fine by us as the combination of Lambert’s skills, the quality of his sites and the riper 2022 vintage combine to make an engaging, complex, rather accessible window into this producer’s style.

As we have said many times, we are de facto fans of Chenin Blanc and consider it one of the world’s great whites by virtue of not only it’s quality when it is at its best, but also its versatility to perform beautifully in every expression from bone dry to exotic, botrytised dessert wines.  This one is dry and fairly easy going as Chenin Blanc goes, making it a perfect ambassador for both Chenin and Lambert. 

The nose on the Arnaud Lambert Saumur Blanc Les Parcelles 2022 is an inviting mixture of classic Chenin with notes of orange, peach, and quince with streaks of earth and chalky minerality.  All of this comes through on the palate in a dry but fruit focused style, with a rounded, supple palate feel and without the sometimes searing acidity that can make this varietal difficult for some folks to appreciate.  Because of Lambert’s approach to Chenin emphasizing the varietal purity and unique terroir of Saumur, and this wine’s relatively gentler demeanor make it a wine to win friends for the region. 

The modest fare ($21.98) for this blend of a variety of properties (hence the title Les Parcelles) also make this a marvelous option for a broader range of people and more food applications.  It is particularly good for lighter Asian and fish dishes as well as offering up a lovely aperitif option that, while it is an easy approach to the varietal, it is definitely not the ‘same old thing.’ Holiday ham? You bet!  Classy, workhorse, versatile Chenin from an impeccable source, yeah we got that.

A WONDERFUL, ‘HISTORIC’ WHITE FROM ALSACE

There are many less traveled paths in the wine world where some truly special things can happen.  We feel it is our duty as wine merchants to point things like that out for you consideration.  Sometimes we wonder why we do it.  Guess it’s just the wide-eyed geekiness that we still haven’t lost after all these years.  Take this wine.  A Alsace white made by a cooperative without a varietal designation for over $30? What next?  Hungarian Cabernet Franc? Oh wait, we already did that.  Orange wines from Georgia (the country not the state)? Yeah, did that too.  If it’s worth knowing about, we’re on it, and this striking little gem is definitely something worth knowing about.

We’ll start with the producer.  Cave de Ribeauvillé is a well-run cooperative in Alsace.  In their words, Cave de Ribeauvillé covers a unique vineyard of 235 hectares with 8 Grands Crus and numerous high-value terroirs. The entire estate is managed by a quality charter which guarantees manual harvesting, strict control of yields, work in the vineyard using sustainable management or organic farming.  All the grapes are brought to the press in whole bunches and the juice then flows by simple gravity into the vats. Thanks to state-of-the-art equipment, the wines from Cave de Ribeauvillé respect the purity of the grape variety and the identity of each terroir. The wines are frank, straight, fresh, fruity and express all the richness of the great Alsatian terroirs.

In other words this isn’t some local cooperative just phoning it in as some do and we have brought to your attention a number of high functioning operations like this over the years like Produttori di Barbaresco, Terlano, and Domaine Wachau to name a few.  This is our first experience with Cave de Ribeauvillé but, if they can do things like this, we need to dig a little deeper.  The cooperative itself dates back to 1895.

As to the wine itself, this is a stylistic take on the work of Alsace icon Marcell Diess.  Deiss’s thing is to highlight terroirs in great vineyards.  In this mindset, he does not highlight specific varietals but harvests the various grapes from a vineyard as a field blend and identifies them by the name of the vineyard only.  These wines are dazzling and highly sought after, as well as not cheap.  The Clos de Zahnacker is planted to Riesling, Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer. 

The history of this Clos is pretty interesting.  The oldest writings date its origins back to the 8th century, to the time when Benedictine monks divided their time between prayer and work on the land.   The creation of this walled vineyard is attributed to monk-knight Martin Zahn after returning from the crusades. It was a subject of dispute among the Lords of Ribeauville in the Middle Ages and was said to be a favorite of the Sun King Louis XIV.  It has been a part of the Cave  de Ribeauvillé since 1965.

The nose of the Cave de Ribeauvillé Clos du Zahnacker 2015 speaks of lemon zest, tea, mineral and stone fruits with faint hints of lychee.  In the mouth is it rich, rather ample, a little exotic, yet with just the right amount of lift to support its frame and maintain appropriate freshness.  It almost feels the weight of a vendage tardive but isn’t particularly sweet and it is loaded with character.  At age 8 it shows no signs of fading and has palate coating extract.  We’ve had a few nice surprises from the 2015s recently.

We found one review from Wine Enthusiast that kind of captures the essence of this grand but surprising effort, “Chalk, chamomile tincture and dried lemon peel have immense lift on the nose of this wine. They also pervade the bright, balm-like but concentrated palate with their aromatic intensity. This wine is fluid and layered, showing signs of evolution that is set to continue for many years. Gentle sweetness balances the bracing freshness and makes this a real experience. The finish is off dry but very balanced and long. Drink until 2040…94 points.”

We don’t have a lot of it but we had to tell the story.

SHOCKING CHARDONNAY BUY FROM THE LAND OF GAMAY

The thing about wine is that the story is ongoing.  There are always new regions and new personalities coming along to broaden one’s selection and unusual things coming from places you might not expect.  Yes, they do grow some Chardonnay in Beaujolais, some of it pretty good but mostly utilitarian stylistically.  Here in the land of granite, Gamay is king.  With that in mind, there are apparently rare exceptions.  In this case, in and among the Gamay in the Cru Beaujolais villages are plots of Chardonnay.  A few of them (well, this one anyway) have soil conditions more akin to those of the Cote d’Or.

Located near the dividing line between Macon and Beaujolais, Domaine de la Sorbiere is the new name for an existing estate that was purchased by Jacques Juilliard and his wife Anne Marie.  It was not Jacques original intent to dive deeply into either farming or winemaking.  But there was a commitment to making wine in the most non-interventionist way possible and, once he got his hands dirty, it was ‘game on’.  Like a lot of small estates these days, the golden rule was to showcase the terroir.  In this case, for this area, the ‘terroir’ has more in common with those famous Chardonnay plots to the north.  Yeah, it’s the limestone that makes this plot so Chardonnay-friendly here in the land of granite, something rather rare in this part of the world.

Since it was legitimately ‘natural’, it quickly found an audience.  But unlike a lot of wines made this way, it is meticulously clean and bright.  The juice is fermented with native yeasts and aged in a combination of amphorae and neutral, 600-liter barrels. No sulfur is added during winemaking and only tiny amounts are used during bottling.

This has all of the trappings of something from the Cote de Beaune with crisp minerality and a touch of salinity in the nose.  The flavors run from yellow stone fruits to apple with flecks of grilled nuts and stones.  It is round in the mouth, reflecting the warm vintage, but has sufficient cut to keep everything lifted and fresh. Very classy juice for the fare.

In the end, the Domaine de la Sorbière Bourgogne Blanc Terre de Roche 2022 bears a strong resemblance to a Chardonnay from more famous terroirs with its unexpected nuance and purity of fruit save for one important aspect…the price ($17.98)!

CHAMPAGNE ALERT: ANDRE CLOUET

As we have mentioned on several occasions, there is a lot going on in Champagne, most of it not necessarily good. There has been a concerted effort on the part of the Champenois to push prices upward. We took a quick scan at wine-searcher for data to support our thesis. The average market prices on some of the ‘favorites’ don’t make a lot of sense to us and haven’t for a while.. Clicquot $64? Bollinger $66? Pol Roger is actually one of the better buys of that category at $57.

Our constant question is always the same…what exactly are you paying for? Bluntly, you’re paying for their promotional tools and infrastructure to tell you why you should pay more. Granted, we have the advantage of getting to taste a wide range of Champagne. Given that, what do you think we take home? Admittedly we have confessed our preference of grower Champagnes because the fact that they come from specific terroirs ( as opposed to the big houses that blend from across the region). The site specificity adds another dimension to the wine.

Not only that. Often the grower Champagnes come through small, passionate importers and, as such, miss a markup or two along the way because there are no ‘marketing intermediaries’ or traditional distributors to add to the cost. That’s to say nothing of the fact that we find the juice in the bottle to be more complex and interesting even at the same price. It’s the ultimate win-win.

Our latest edition to the lineup is the Andre Clouet Brut Grand Réserve Grand Cru NV. Jean-François Clouet, who was born and raised in Bouzy, still lives in the 18th century village house built by his ancestors. As his family was the official printer to Louis XV’s Royal Court at Versailles, Jean-Francois takes great pride in his lineage. He is also well aware of the influence his family has contributed to the grand and tumultuous history of the region.

 The domaine’s 8ha (20 acres) of Grand Cru vineyards are situated in the coveted middle slopes of Ambonnay and Bouzy. They make a full range of Champagnes but their ‘entry level’ made an impression on us, particularly for the fare. Made from 100% Grand Cru Pinot Noir, the nose is a fresh expression of appley Pinot Noir fruit with subtle hints of hazelnut and brioche. The bead is fine and not overly aggressive, and the combination of low dosage and long aging with this Grand Cru fruit creates a Champagne of supreme elegance and charm.

As to the process, 70% of the vintage juice spends 36 months on the lees with the other 30% coming from 2-5 year old reserve wines. We found a particularly interesting quote from a review source we didn’t know called Loibenberg who wrote, “No branded champagne can achieve this extremely good substance in terms of quality. Fantastically creamy apple note, nuts and pear in the aftertaste, infinitely charming and everybody’s darling.”

We have very nice notes from more familiar sources as well. From Wine Advocate, “The NV Brut Grand Réserve Grand Cru is a pure Pinot Noir from Bouzy. It’s pure, fresh, fine and aromatic on the nose and round and delicate on the palate. The fruit-intense finish is chalky-mineral and stimulatingly fresh in its salty finesse and elegant yeastiness. Nice lemon juice flavors give an extra kick of refreshment. This is a picture-book NV Brut… 91 points.

Stacy Slinkard, Decanter Magazine had this to say, “Incredible value for a blanc de noirs (100% Pinot Noir) grower Champagne from the grand cru vineyards of Bouzy. It shows gorgeous aromas of stone fruit, citrus and strawberry, with complex brioche nuances, remarkable balance, ongoing elegance and a rich, refined, persistent finish…92 Points.“

Finally, , JamesSuckling.com, “The effusive nose of candied citrus, ripe pear and brioche pulls you into this fresh and creamy champagne that hits all the pleasure buttons for a non-vintage Brut. Then the chalky freshness at the finish pulls you back for another sip. Excellent balance! 100% pinot noir. Drink now…93 Points.”

All that and only $41.98 per bottle? With all do respect to ‘marketing’, this is how you Champagne.

CHABLIS TRIPLE PLAY FROM COLLET

It may appear to some that we write disproportionately about Chablis. Well, to be honest, we’ve long been fans of the region. But, perhaps more to the point, it has been increasingly difficult to find things to get excited about. First off, pricing in Burgundy overall has become even more expensive even to those of us that have been around it for quite some time. Add to that the dual effect of global warming, and the success rate seems to have been greatly reduced.

First off, these days, it seems they have some sort of weather disaster on a regular basis. There have been a few untimely frosts over the last few years that have decimated the size of the crop almost to the point where you wonder how these folks can make ends meet. Farming in Chablis these days would hardly be a proposition that would invite outside investment given the variability in the crop size.

Perhaps more consistently problematic is the increasingly warm growing seasons threaten the mojo of Chablis itself. As we have also said of Sancerre, the riper vintages and lower acidity presented by global warming make far to many examples from the region today taste fat and flabby, definitely not the crisp, flinty profile that makes Chablis, well, Chablis. So when we do run across something that gives us a wine that is crisp, linear, vibrant, truly terroir driven and packed with nuances of the marine soils that define the region, these days that is newsworthy.

Within that context, 2021 was a cooler, closer to normal (from a weather standpoint anyway) vintage for fans of traditional Chablis. The producer in this case was Jean Collet, a domaine we have featured a few times of late because they are, unlike a lot of other sources in the region, are still making Chablis that tastes like Chablis, really good Chablis as a matter of fact.

The aromas all centered on the happy scents of crisp apples, ripe limes, and seashells, with a fine underpinning of acidity to support a fruit component that was giving but with the proper amount of tension. In other words, delicious Chablis bottlings that were well made, terroir driven examples of what they were supposed to be. We tasted four and bought three because each one was such a spot-on, focused expression of their distinct Crus. Thrillingly ‘real’ Chablis…tasting notes from Burghound and quite good scores for him.

Domaine Jean Collet Chablis Les Forêts 2021 (90-93 ♥)-“A slightly riper nose features nose of white peach, sea breeze, citrus confit and quinine. There is again fine volume and intensity to the relatively powerful, even muscular, medium-weight flavors that flash ample minerality on the youthfully austere, balanced and more complex finale.”

Domaine Jean Collet Chablis Montmains 2021 (90-92)-“A much more floral nose expresses nuances of citrus confit and spice if more moderate amounts of Chablis character. There is however both better volume and refinement to the medium-bodied flavors that offer a lovely minerality on the lingering, balanced and delicious finale. If this can add depth with a few years in bottle it could be excellent.”

Jean Collet et Fils Chablis 1er Cru Montee de Tonnerre 2021 (90-93 ♥)-“Discreet but still noticeable wood easily allows the elegant floral-suffused aromas of mineral reduction, lemon rind and sea breeze. The racy, wonderfully refined and beautifully detailed flavors exude a bracing minerality on the youthfully austere and impressively long finale. This too needs more depth but appears to have the necessary stuffing to develop it.”