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LUCA STRIKES AGAIN-ANOTHER VALUE MOUTHFUL FROM ITALIA

You’ve gotta love Luca Maroni, a somewhat obscure Italian wine critic that publishes only in Italian as far as we have seen. His reviews have set the standard for ‘over the top’ numbers and exotic commentary on relatively inexpensive wines. You could take it at face value and laugh. But it is more relevant that, while he seems to pass out 98s and 99s like Halloween candy, the rare occasions when we have seen a review from him, he has picked winners.

All those years of Montalba’s Ruche wines first came to our attention via a Luca Maroni review (a ‘99’) years ago, and he has consistently supported that label. Masso Antico (another Luca 99) is another find that had a great run and sold well for as long as we had it. Truly the people have spoken and Luca definitely has an audience here. He seems to favor plush, jammy reds at what are surprisingly modest prices and what’s wrong with that?

The Lupo Meraviglia Puglia IGT Tre di Tre 2019 is another juicy number right in Luca’s wheelhouse. A somewhat unusual blend of Primitivo, Aglianico, and Negroamaro from terroirs in Salento that are vinified together and pressed to maximum extraction. It’s that deep extraction, dense fruit, and plush palate feel that it has in common with the other wildly successful recommendations we have sold from Maroni. It appears there is a definite fruit driven style that seem to ring Maroni’s bell and, if our experience is any indication, that profile has a lot of fans out there.

Luca, who was formerly a major contributor to the Tre Bicchieri organization before going his own way and starting his own ratings publication, laid a 98 point score on the Lupo Meraviglia Tre di Tre 2019, . He focuses exclusively on Italian wines, and a score this high define the wine as a quintessential expression of the wine within the context of the varietal and region.

The comments, presumably translated, were presented as this, “Tre di Tre is a blend of Negroamaro, Aglianico, and Primitivo from Puglia. Intense red color. On the nose, aromas of red fruit and jam which merge with sweet and spicy notes of wood. On the palate it shows a great structure and persistence with a pleasant tannic finish.”

Our translation is that the round, jammy style that Luca likes is in full array here and we suspect it should play well with a lot of buyers because of its hedonistic, open style, particularly at its $11.98 price! We did an email on this not long ago but we wanted to remind folks of this tasty, quirky little find because we believe it will be ongoing for a while.

ENCORE DU GALOPIERE-KILLER BURGS AT LITTLE PRICES

We’ll make our basic case right up front. As we have explained many times, ‘value’ is a relative term. In no place is that harder to define than Burgundy but we think we have a pretty good formula. Simply, find a talented producer that hasn’t been discovered yet, and get them to the back door as cheaply as possible. If you are looking for labels that will impress your friends, notoriety costs. If you are looking for delicious Burgundy, our method works pretty well.

We introduced this new (to us) label, Galopiere, a few weeks ago with a blockbuster Chassagne Montrachet 1er Cru Clos St. Jean 2020 for a price less than what you’d pay for a villages bottling from some high profile producer. Burgundy is packed with small, unknown, high quality producers. The trick is finding them. Galopiere was quite the find.

The Fournier family, who own and produce Galopiere, have been in the wine trade for over a century starting with Eusebe Fournier in 1882. A century later, in 1982, Gilbert Fournier’s parents gave him a plot of Bourgogne Rouge. Since that time Gilbert has been expanding the domaine, adding plots in Meursault, Ladoix, Aloxe Corton, Savigny-les-Beaune, and Pommard. He added this plot of Chassagne Clos St. Jean in 2010 and a parcel of Chassagne Morgeot in 2016. The estate now totals 11 hectares (about 27 acres).

Their vineyard philosophy involves taking things backward. They have spent great effort to recreate the flora and fauna of an earlier time with the idea that this natural, historic harmony is important for the vine’s performance. Like a lot of vintners, their intent is to reflect and express the terroir. They aren’t interested in talking about oak regimens. In their words, “our wines offer a journey on the original typicity of the terroirs and not on an excessive oakiness which hides everything, even what is missing.” They harvest by hand and perform several ‘sorts’ and ferment with natural yeasts.

Naturally, given the success of that Chassagne, we went back to our purveyor to inquire what other little gems they might have from this promising source. Their response was this pair of wines, though quantities precluded a broad email offer.

The Domaine de la Galopiere Savigny-les-Beaune 2019 is sources from three different vineyards, contiguous Aux Fourches and Les Pimentiers and Dessus des Vermot at the western end of the appellation. The harvest is manual, fermentation is done in traditional open vats and the finished wine sees 12 months in barrels ranging from 10-20% new.

Clean, pure, and expressive, this has loads of bouyant dark cherry fruit as a main thrust with tender edges and an efficient but not intrusive lift of acidity. Subtle notes of forest floor and fresh tobacco punctuate the fruit tones but it is a bright display of that hedonistic fruit aspect that has been a consistent theme of the 2019s. Delicious red Burgundy for under $30? Yes please.

The Domaine de la Galopiere Ladoix Blanc 2020 is a bit of a different proposition in that is from the best white wine vintage in Burgundy since 2014, but with perhaps a little more flesh than the typical ’14. From a single climat more or less in the middle of the hill (Le Clou) with classic clay-limestone and marl soils. If you recall some of the unique Ladoix bottlings we have featured from further up the hill that have profiles that remind one of Corton-Charlemagne, this one has a little of that almond and white flower note as well. The nose is delicate with spice, orange, and white stone fruit elements as well. In the mouth it’s quite flavorful, fresh and focused yet elegant and light on its feet. Very pretty Chardonnay in a style that can only be done here, and nicely priced under $35.

As we said before, since this is our first go-round with Galopiere we have no feel for how much two excellent vintages contributed to the outcomes here. We know that our sourcing had a lot to do with the great prices. But given what we’ve seen so far, you can bet we are gong to keep an eye on these folks moving forward and enjoy these for now.

NEW FACE ON AN OLD STANDARD

This isn’t a story we have told very often. There are a lot of variables. First, this estate in Cigales is owned by Rioja luminary Baron de Ley. Second, what’s Cigales? Cigales is a small DO in the western part of the broader Castillo y Leon region in western Spain. The grape varieties are mainly Tempranillo and Grenache for reds though international varieties like Syrah, Cabernet and Merlot are permitted. As to Finca Museum itself, it seems their goal is to raise the level of the appellation. You may have seen the label as we have sold it on occasion over the years. It was a unique etched metal on a tall bottle.

We aren’t going to tell you the history is necessarily compelling. The Reserve bottling, which we are offering here, is often on the rustic side, which is a recurring theme in the region probably more as a function of the producers there than the area itself. So these wines are hit and miss from a qualitative standpoint, and Museum typically sells in the mid-$30s as well, which means we seldom have cause to make a case for them. We have sold their wines on only a few occasions over the years, and this is the first time at this location. But that’s why we taste everything. This wine, in this vintage, at this price, made a heck of a lot of sense.

The Finca Museum Reserve Cigales 2016 is made with the kind of attention to detail that producers with high expectations have. The grapes, 100% Tempranillo in this case, are harvested by hand into small crates, fermented in temperature controlled stainless steel, and the juice spend 22 months in new French oak with frequent rackings. Then there is an additional 15 months in bottle before being labeled and released.

As we have said on many occasions, the 2016 vintage is special in many parts of Spain. Here it made the difference between a wine that had some overt rusticity in the past and one that has the stuffing to go along with its underlying muscle. There’s plenty of dark red fruit going on here, and the fruit weight to polish over the ripe tannins. There’s some notes of mineral, earth, and dark chocolate to add interest along the way, and the kind of continuity across the palate that this wine rarely has.

We also think this kinder, gentler version has enough size to appeal to New World palates as well as Old World. Take all of that, and factor in a nearly half-price buy-in (we’re selling it for $19.98), and the whole proposition changes. This ‘new look’ Museum is worthy of attention and delivers great value as well.

MORE AFFORDABLE, DELICIOUS RED BURGUNDY

This is a period to turn every stone in Burgundy and see as much as one possibly can. Since 2015, there haven’t been any ‘dog vintages’, with every vintage having its share of generally plush, tender, engaging wines. We have found a number of reds that are gushing with ripe, supple, lusty red fruit that have repeatedly proven to be imminently likeable. Also, thanks to the vintages success, likely with an ‘assist’ from global warming, the juicy demeanor has ‘trickled down’ to every quality level, including typically modest ‘village’ bottlings.

To that end, we are pleased to present this Chorey Les Beaune Le Grand Saucy 2019 from Robert Gibourg, another shining example of a well-priced, remarkably engaging nature red Burgundy from the latter half of this decade. Robert Gibourg, born in 1942, inherited about 1 hectare of very old vines from his parents in the Cote de Nuits and from his grandfather in the Cote de Beaune.

In 1975, Robert Gibourg married Marie Therese, whose family was a winemaking family in Ladoix and, a year later, Marie Therese’s uncle retired and Robert Gibourg has been farming his parcels under metayage ever since, including parcels in Ladoix, Aloxe Corton including a small amount of Grand Cru Corton. Robert continued to expand the domaine to its current size of about six hectare (approximately 14.5 acres) including this parcel of Chorey Les Beaune Les Grande Saucy purchased in 1999.

These days the estate is run son-in-law Sebastien Bidault. Yields are kept low, and all grapes are hand-harvested. No chemical fertilizers are used and the soil is turned to promote diversity and health. All wines are vinified at the domaine in Morey-Saint-Denis. Grapes are de-stemmed in most years. The must is cold-soaked for 3-5 days to extract color and aroma from the skins. Fermentation is 100% natural, and the wine sees 16-18 months in barrels (30% new) and then is bottled unfiltered and unfined.

The 2019 Chorey Les Beaune Le Grande Saucy comes from a single vineyard (lieux dit) that, as the crow flies, is closer to the village of Aloxe Corton than the village of Chorey. The nose shows plenty of inviting dark cherry fruit with subtle but intriguing notes of violet and spice. Packed with red fruits with a supporting snip of acidity, this is a riper version of classic Burgundy with plenty of fruit to the midpalate but a little more old school chew to the edge. Another great go-to from a generous vintage, these are definitely good times for Burgundy drinkers because you can find delightful wines that won’t break the bank. We also have a little bit left of the delightful, plush, energetic 2018 Chorey Les Beaune Le Grande Saucy . Both sell for the modest fare of $34.98.

MORE JUICY BURGUNDY FROM LESS FAMOUS SITES

The Burgundy boats are finally coming in. It has been a tough year for ‘logistics’. As we have been preaching, no matter how you feel about global warming, it has raised the bar substantially in certain, formerly ‘lesser ‘regions in Burgundy. Those terroirs don’t have the historic reputation because they were ‘marginal’ sites that didn’t ripen consistently. Give them a little more heat and the whole equation changes. Areas like Givry, Monthelie, Mercurey, and Marsannay have enjoyed unparalleled success over the last few vintages.

On the northern end of the Cote de Nuits, Marsannay was a region prized mostly for pink wine and is unique in Burgundy for having AOC status for red, white, and pink wines. The producer of this pair of Marsannays, Jean Fournier, dates back to the reign of Louis XIII and the 17^th Century. Now at the helm of the domaine is the dynamic young Louis Fournier. He converted his vineyards to organic farming and has been Ecocert certified since 2008. Harvest is completed manually and grapes are hand-sorted to guarantee that the wine is made from only the highest quality fruit. His winemaking is determinedly non-interventionist and honest, and the combination has surely contributed to these intense, expressive wines that are absolutely bursting with bright cherry fruit.

The Jean Fournier Marsannay Clos du Roy 2018 is a showpiece for a vintage that was generally quite good for reds yielding wines of bright, ripe fruits and great harmony. The juice was done in temperature-controlled stainless with native yeasts then aged for one year in 50% 600L and 50% 225L (25% new) oak, then 5-7 months in old 600L barrels. The review from Neal Martin in Vinous tells the story pretty well, “The 2018 Marsannay Clos du Roy has a perfumed bouquet of blackberry and raspberry fruit infused with blood orange and tangerine, playful and quite forward in style. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins and a fine bead of acidity. Fresh from the start, with good grip and detail on the finish. Good potential here…90-92 points.”

Jean Fournier Marsannay Les Longueroies 2018 comes from a one hectare plot averaging 40 years of age and has a 2% dollop of old Pinot Beurout (Pinot Blanc) that is permitted to be co-fermented in’ very old Burgundy vineyards’. This one was fermented the same way and then saw 12 months in oak, 50% new. Neal Martin’s notes here were even a touch more enthusiastic, “The 2018 Marsannay Les Longeroies has darker fruit on the nose compared to the Clos du Roy, offering blackberry, hints of tar and a touch of menthol that emerges with time. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins and a fine bead of acidity, and pure in style as it fans out toward the fresh and energetic finish. This is a lovely Marsannay that will give heaps of pleasure…91-93 points.”

These are barrel notes but clearly, from what we’ve tasted, these wines got into the bottle just fine. Even during a period where we are finding a lot to like in Burgundy, these are thrilling examples where everything is ripe, round, bright, and vivid. They demand to be noticed and, thanks to global warming if you will, these ‘little’ appellations are offering up big surprises.

DELICIOUSLY ‘TYPICAL’ VOSNE ROMANEE

There are a lot of reasons to talk about a particular wine. In this case we are mentioning it because it is simply an outstanding example of why people love Burgundy. The Olivier Gard Vosne Romanee Damaudes 2018 hits all of a Burgundy lover’s buttons. At first sip, our seasoned veteran wine buying panel simply stopped for a moment to appreciate this little gem.

As is usually the case in Burgundy, it starts with the dirt. Les Damaudes is a lieu dit (a named vineyard considered elite among ‘villages’ plots) at the top of one of the wine world’s most special hills. It abuts Premier Cru Malconsorts and Dessus de Malconsorts, not far (about 300 feet) from some of the ‘grandest’ of Grand Crus, La Tache, Gaudichots de La Tache, and Le Grande Rue. Talk about a good neighborhood.

The age of the vines for the grapes Gard harvested were an average of 60-years-old. Gard practices sustainable agriculture, uses organic fertilizer and ploughs the rows. The grapes are harvested by hand and sorted on a conveyor. Half of the grapes are whole cluster and half destemmed, macerated at cool temperatures and fermented wit natural yeasts. The juice remains in contact wit the fine lees in light toast Vosges and Allier oak casks, 50% new and 50% year-old, for 18 months

From our point of view, everything clearly went right for Gard in the ripe, generous 2018 vintage. This is a textbook Vosne Romanee with that insistent red and dark cherry fruit lased with effusive spice notes and just a touch of earth. This showcases this village completely. Yes, at $85, it isn’t cheap. But wines from this hill are expensive, with a few of them fetching four or five-digit prices. Relatively speaking this is a bargain for a true, pure Vosne Romanee experience.

Reviews? Not a lot. Gard isn’t that widely distributed or even seen. We’ve got this from Wine Enthusiast, “This wine’s shy nose gives away only a tantalizing notion of black cherry. Alive with both freshness and ripeness, the palate expands into a shimmering canvas of red and dark cherry, densely woven with an edge of conifer perfume. This wine is firm, fresh, elegant and delicious…94 points.”

But this wine isn’t about scores. It’s about authenticity. This is what really good Vosne Romanee is supposed to taste like, and it’s about the joy of consuming it now, or ten years from now.

RANDOM NOTES: PHILIPPE MILAN MARSANNAY 2018

The trouble with Burgundy is that it’s confusing enough on the surface and then there are a whole bunch of folks fighting over a few hallowed labels. The critics don’t help a lot in that they are fighting to post scores on rare, pricey things like Romanee Conti and Roumier, and virtually everything falls in line with established historic hierarchies as far as reviews go. Who’s looking out for the guy that just wants a tasty bottle of Pinot without sacrificing a couple of house payments? We are! We’re with you and get pretty thrilled when we find something plush and tasty for under $30.

If you rush to your review books, you aren’t likely to find anything on Domaine Philippe Milan, even though the domaine was founded in 1950 by Philippe Milan, grandfather of the current proprietor Karl Milan. They farm 27 acres in southern end of Burgundy, the Cote Chalonnaise, an area that we always look to in warm vintages for sneaky value. Why? As we have explained many times, these typically cooler areas don’t hit the ‘high notes’ every year and, for that reason, can’t get top dollar for their wares because they aren’t necessarily consistent year in and year out.

However in warmer vintages, the grapes get a little riper in these places and the wines become richer and more plush. But the prices are still modest thanks to their history. With global warming, places like Maranges, Givry, and at the other end of the Cote d’Or, Marsannay, will be treasure troves of delicious, moderately priced red Burgundies.

Most of Milan’s production is sold in France. Only about 10% is exported. But in a warm, ripe vintage like 2018, the Philippe Milan Marsannay 2018 shines. Plenty of engaging cherry fruit to be the focus, hints of spice and minerality to add interest, and enough weight and richness to keep you coming back for more, this has all the requisites. Medium weight, sweet middle, tender edges, this is quite the satisfying beverage. At $21.98, it’s a bargain for even this modest neighborhood. A Burgundy for the people.

ANOTHER WINNER FROM THIVIN

This respected house was one of our first experiences with the 2019s from Beaujolais and, based on this ‘early return’, it looks to be a sensational harvest for this part of the world. Thivin is one of the iconic estates in Cotes de Brouilly and one with considerable history. It is the oldest estate on Mount Brouilly, circa the 15^th Century, and has been in the hands of the Geoffrey family since 1877. The vines are an average of 50-years-old and this crazy steep vineyard (an average 48% slope) is farmed organically.

As we have stressed in the past, there are front-loaded carbonic Beaujolais and there are estate producers that produce with the utmost care and work more like great Burgundy. Thivin is a poster child of that second group. The wines are always good, and occasionally brilliant examples. They can also be a bit inward on release. That is what was striking here. We don’t recall a deeper, richer, friendlier version of this wine out of the gate. Saturated color, ripe berry and plum on the nose and an expansive, broad, polished feel on the palate, this has fruit and character to burn. They have been on quite a roll, averaging 93 points from Wine Advocate for the last six, very different vintages.

Wine Advocate Burgundy guy William Kelly was on the same page, “Bottled a mere week before I tasted it, Thivin’s 2019 Côte de Brouilly unwinds in the glass with inviting aromas of plums, red berries, warm spices and peonies. Medium to full-bodied, velvety and enveloping, it’s bright and precise, with fine depth at the core and real energy, concluding with a long, gently tannic finish. A touch finer-boned and more dynamic than the gourmand, demonstrative 2018, this is showing very well…93+.”

It is showing well, indeed, yet history tells us that this wil age and develop for a decade at least, maybe longer, if you can keep your hands off it. At $26.98, it delivers well above its class and reaffirms our point that Beaujolais is still the source for some of the best value reds on the planet. It’s hard to say this is their best ever because they have had an impressive string of sensational efforts. But this Thivin Cote de Brouilly 2019 is definitely the sexiest.

TASTY ‘NEW’ SPANISH RED FROM AN ‘OLD’ SOURCE

While not an official DO, the Sierra de Gredos is home to a group of young, passionate and innovative winemakers who are pushing the boundaries of viniculture in a region that has long been seen as a place for bulk wine to slake the thirst of nearby Madrid. Even in a country of mountains and high plateaux, and despite its proximity to the sun-baked capital, the Sierra de Gredos seems more alpine, more remote and more rugged than one would imagine this far south. It is the unique combination of high altitudes and low latitudes that defines the potential of Gredos and when you throw in weathered slate, granite and schist soils and add some varieties that are pushed to their limits in such an extreme environment.

Many of the Spanish importers we know are touting what are loosely referred to as ‘Vinos de Madrid’ as the next big thing. Our experience has been rather more mixed, with a a number of wines rather undefined stylistically and others overly ‘reduced’. This area has been producing for a long time but, like other regions in Spain have done, are trying to step out of the bulk image and make more distinctive wines. One that has given us hope in the region is Bodegas Maranones. The creative force here is ‘young gun’ Fernando Garcia, who along with Daniel Landi, has already created the critically acclaimed Commando G wines.

The issue here is that this terroir is, literally, ‘high and dry’. The rather unique growing cycle here has little problem with pests or disease, but the season can be abruptly short and is highly susceptible to spring frosts. A lot of the vineyard work, organic/biodynamic farming and plowing the hillsides using mules, is focused on facilitating a long enough vegetative cycle for the grapes to get ripe.

The Bodegas Maranones 30,000 Maravedies Madrid 2016 is one of two workhorse wines for the project and a great portion of this wine comes from a vineyard called Dehesa, located in the valley with deeper alluvial/sandy soils (the other two sites are above 2500 feet and very stony). Garcia will forgo bottling higher priced, single vineyard bottlings if he feels the ‘entry level’ wines need a boost. Clearly he committed to building a name for the wines. In the cellar, it’s ‘old school’ with whole cluster fermentation and grapes foot-trodden, big foudres and indigenous yeast.

The Bodegas Maranones 30,000 Maravedies Madrid 2016 is 90% Grenache and 10% ‘local varietals’ including Morate, a white grape. This is loaded with Grenache personality but there is a coolness and refinement likely due to the elevation. Very few wines we have tasted from “Madrid” have shown this kind of elegance and we suspect the inclusion of some white grapes might have the same effect as Viognier in Cote Rotie, giving the wine an airier and more floral quality.

Wine Advocate’s Luis Gutierrez is a fan writing, “The fully developed, aromatic and open 2016 30.000 Maravedíes, with nice aromatics and a very pleasant palate. It’s fragrant and elegant, with pungent flavors and very good persistence. This is a superb showing for this bottling…91+ points.” (The ‘+’ indicates the wine may merit a higher review later on, this review was in Dec., 2018)

By the way, if you are wondering about the name, a maravidie is a gold-struck coin of Iberia for about four centuries starting in the 1100s. In 1150, Alfonso VII The Emperor, a real King of León, founds the Monastery of Santa María de Valdeiglesias in Pelayos de la Presa by assembling twelve hermitages of the area. From this moment, the agricultural exploitation of the land will be decided and promoted, with the wine as fundamental crop. In 1434, at the time when Juan II, father of Isabel la Católica, was king, Don Álvaro de Luna, “Condestable de Castilla”, bought the lordship of San Martín de Valdeiglesias from the monastery of Pelayos. The price…30,000 Maravedies.

PORTUGAL FOR THE PEOPLE

Portugal in general is still a work in progress as far as quality. It is substantially better than it was a couple of decades ago and we are finding a few things to get excited about. We have sold our share of highly-rated, high-priced elite dry reds from ambitious projects in the Douro, and we understand that is where many vintners feel they need to be to get respect in the international markets. But there are a lot of big reds with big scores vying to get attention from all over the wine world, so are such Portuguese versions really making a contribution to broadening the selection?

Over time, our biggest knock on Portuguese wines has been winemaking. You’ve got sunshine, a hospitable climate, but far too many things we see suffer from over-cropping and marginal vinification. Again, things are way better than they used to be and there is an overall rise in quality. But to us, the most enjoyable finds from Portugal are the ones that taste, well, Portuguese.

In a place where most of the wines are varietal blends, there is a definitely spicy, expressive character that is evident in the best examples of the reds. ‘International styling’, which some Portuguese producers are shooting for, means to us that they are dumbing down some of the joyous character that the most compelling Portuguese reds have to conform to a perceived style target.

We much prefer the boisterous, spicy, almost wild fruit components that distinguish the great little Portuguese wines from the rank and file, more commercial styles. We are pretty selective about what we present but we found another little nugget to add to our short list.

The Duquesa Maria Alentejo Superior 2017 hails from one of the southernmost growing regions in Portugal. As is the custom, this is a blend of 40% Aragonez (what they call Tempranillo in this part of the country), 30% Alicante Bouschet, 20% Touriga Nacional and 10% Trincadeira grown here in limestone soils.

It’s quite warm here so ripeness is not usually a problem. The grapes are destemmed and then see a couple of days of cold-soaking before being fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel after which about half of the juice goes into used French and American oak for six months.

The color is dark and fairly saturated (something that can be attributed in part to the Alicante Bouchet), there’s a rush of sweet, honest dark cherry and plum fruit with some spice, earth, and mineral flecks. Direct and easy-going, yet with a certain flair that is very Portuguese, this is that candidate for grillin’ and quaffin’. There is ample weight to stand up to a variety of foods but there is that breezy flavor interest that shows what Portugal seems to be able to do with ease. It isn’t necessarily meant to be ‘contemplated’ but rather consumed with a certain relish and it performs well for a pretty low fare.