New, Notable, Not Much of It
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"[S]ourced from a vineyard planted in 1847, the wine offers up a complex array of cedar, spice box, scorched earth, tar, blueberry, and blackberry liqueur. This is followed by a full-bodied yet elegant Shiraz with an opulent palate-feel, gobs of spicy blue and black fruits, superb depth and concentration, and a 60- second finish. Splendidly balanced with well- concealed tannins, this seamless wine merits 10-12 years of cellaring after which it can be enjoyed through 2030." Jay Miller, Wine Advocate $79 Net
The Paumel family owns a 2 hectare parcel of 100+ year old Grenache vines on the gentle hill (or Mourre du Tendre), that is also the site of Chateau Rayas. In fact, these old vines touch those of Rayas, in the famous lieu-dit "La Crau". The vines yield only about a ton and a half to the acre and every year reach phenomenal ripeness. Jacques Paumel’s is a Chateauneuf of days gone by – immense, backward, and brooding; it needs years of elevage (the wines are not bottled until four years after the vintage) and then hold incredibly in bottle. At ten years of age they have the brilliant deep red color of a wine just bottled. The only two wines from Chateauneuf in this style are Henri Bonneau, and, of course, Paumel’s neighbor, Chateau Rayas.
2001 Ch du Mourre du Tendre (Paumel) Chateauneuf du Pape; Color: very dark; Aroma: light fragrant very clean spicy, fine acid, very clean, floral, with a deep chocolate density; Mouth: racy bright very clean rich pretty firm, very intense, firm, light on its feet but beautiful creamy spice; Very Good - Excellent 58.99; Mixed Case, 53.09; Case, 50.14
2004 Shafer Hillside Select "Made from their finest parcels in Stags Leap, the wine spends nearly 32 months in 100% new oak. This is a wine that usually has 20-30 years of aging potential.....opulent, flamboyant style of wine with notes of black currant liqueur intermixed with toasty new oak, charcoal, smoke, barbecue spices, and oodles of fruit, this wine has fabulous richness in an exuberant, style, and a long, heady layered finish with nothing out of balance. The integration of acidity, tannin, wood, and alcohol are brilliant. This is a great wine to drink over the next two decades, if not longer." Robert Parker $245 Net
2005 Lewis Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve $150 Net
2006 Lewis Cellars Chardonnay Sonoma $58 Net
2005 Peter Michael Les Pavots Wine Advocate "a sensational wine, with a style that suggests a hypothetical blend of a great St.- Emilion and Pomerol. Chocolatey cassis notes intermixed with incense, licorice, and a hint of black olive are present in this wine. When it hits the palate, it comes across as very Pomerol-like, with lushness, full body, and opulence. The tannins are sweet, the pH high, and the wine gorgeously full, pure, dense, and long. It’s a terrific example of non- interventionalist winemaking that has turned out a beautiful, silky-textured wine that should age effortlessly for 15+ years. Like so many 2005s, this wine has really put on weight since I tasted it last year." $185 Net
2007 Peter Michael l'Apres Midi Sauvignon Blanc $49.50 Net
Peter writes
Located in the Haro district of Rioja, Bodegas Muga has gained a reputation for producing some of the most compelling and also great value wines in Spain. Everything is done here with great attention to detail from the vineyard to the winery. The only problem for us is getting as much as we want. The Muga wine that is perhaps best known is the Reserva. The 2004 Muga Rioja Reserva is a stunning wine from a great vintage. Two cases only
2004 Muga Rioja Reserva: Very Good to Excellent 36.99; Mixed Case, 33.29; Case, 31.44
| 2006 Fichet Meursault:
Color: medium gold; Aroma: rather dense, heady fullish, very rich, very dense, spicy; Mouth: dense heady very rich, well structured, clean good mass & richness, nice mineral structure underneath, long fine. Two cases only
Very Good - Excellent |
$59.99 |
$53.99 |
$50.99 |
| Ch. Lacoste Borie (Pauillac) :
(Second wine of Grand Puy Lacoste)
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$35.99 |
$32.39 |
$30.59 |
| Ch Lalande Borie (St. Julien):
"A sleeper of the vintage as well as the finest wine I have yet tasted from this estate, Lalande-Borie is made by Ducru Beaucaillou’s proprietor, Bruno Borie. He has turned out a graceful, charming, seductive St.- Julien possessing a dense purple color and sweet cassis fruit intermixed with forest floor, spice box, and earth characteristics. This is a beauty to drink over the next decade." Parker
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$35.99 |
$32.39 |
$30.59 |
| Croix de Beaucaillou (St. Julien):
(Second of Ducru Beaucaillou) "The second wine, the sensational 2005 Croix de Beaucaillou, is the finest example of this cuvee I have ever tasted. Sweet black raspberry and black cherry fruit aromas soar from the glass of this open-knit seductress. A dense ruby/purple color, beautiful full-bodied, lush, expansive flavors, low acidity, and sweet tannin suggest this lovely cuvee should be drunk over the next 12-13 years. It is an amazing sleeper of the vintage!." Parker
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$49 net |
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