The 2010 Nuits St. Georges Les Perrieres is the first wine in this lineup that shows the intense minerality of the year. Crushed rocks, slate and minerals add considerable depth and energy to a core of expressive dark red fruit. The Perrieres impresses for its length, energy and sheer drive. This is another compelling effort, but it is a wine for the exceedingly patient. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2040.
I have to say, this is a stunning set of wines from Denis and Bertrand Chevillon. The Chevillons told me they were surprised by the quality of the wines given the challenges of the growing season. The 2010s saw 5-10 days of cold soak, followed by 15-21 days of cuvaison. The wines were aged on their lees in French oak barrels, 30% new for the top wines and less for the mid- and entry-level wines. The 2010s will be bottled beginning in March 2012 through July 2012. Unfortunately, the 2009s were in an awkward stage on my last visit, so I had to wait a few more months to taste those wines. It was worth the wait. Chevillon’s 2009s are among the wines of the vintage. The 2009s were bottled beginning February (for the entry-level wines) through April for the top selections. I will report on the domaine’s 2009s in the April issue.
Chiara Boschis did a great job with her 2008 Baroli. I was equally impressed with all of the wines I tasted in barrel during my most recent visit.
The 2008 Barolo Via Nuova is round, seamless and totally impeccable. Dark red cherries, flowers, mint and spices are some of the nuances that emerge from the super-sexy, refined Via Nuova. The integration of oak, fruit and structure is fabulous. Bright red berries, minerals and freshly cut flowers add considerable brightness on the polished, totally refined finish. I especially like the energy and sense of focus in the Via Nuova this year. This is a lovely effort from the charismatic Chiara Boschis. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2028.
The 2008 Barolo Cannubi sweeps across the palate with layers of dark red fruit, flowers, subtle French oak, mint, licorice and spices. This is an especially pliant, generous 2008 laced with expressive fruit and fabulous overall balance. The south-facing Cannubi yields a juicier more fruit-driven style than Via Nuova. The 2008 impresses for its inner perfume and overall sense of harmony. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2028.
活動期間： 2013-05-30 ~ 2013-07-13
編號
型態
酒莊
年份
品名
容量
RP
WS
定價
活動價
IP110308
Azienda Agricola E. Pira & Figli
2008
Barolo DOCG "Via Nuova"
750
95
95
4,102
2,266
IP111108
Azienda Agricola E. Pira & Figli
2008
Barolo DOCG "Cannubi" MG
1500
95
94
9,018
4,982
注意事項：
● 以上價格包含5％營業稅
法國隆河 Domaine Raymond USSEGLIO 新到貨
This classic winemaking estate, which employs the well-known Xavier Vignon as their consultant, owns over 45 acres spread throughout Chateauneuf du Pape, with the largest holdings in the north. Raymond Usseglio’s 2011s are very strong efforts.
A candidate for perfection, the 2010 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Imperiale Vignes Centenaire is clearly the greatest wine I have ever tasted from Raymond Usseglio, even eclipsing their remarkable 2007. Don’t be surprised if it merits a three-digit score in five or six years. Somewhat closed, but bursting with potential, the wine is inky/purple to the rim and boasts abundant amounts of concentrated, jammy blackberry, kirsch, licorice, lavender, forest floor, white chocolate and a hint of truffles in its magnificent perfume. Some tannins appear in the mouth, but there is no doubting the luxurious concentration, multidimensional mouthfeel, full-bodied texture, enormous extract and richness, and nearly endless finish. This monumental Chateauneuf du Pape needs to be forgotten for 4-5 years and consumed over the following 2-3 decades.
The 2011 Chateauneuf du Pape Tradition and the slightly different cuvee made by American importer Peter Weygandt, the 2011 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Girard, are more similar than dissimilar at this stage. Both exhibit opaque ruby/purple colors (among the darkest-colored of the 2011s) as well as lots of blueberry and blackberry fruit, charcoal, garrigue and earthy notes. The Cuvee Girard, which may have a touch more Mourvedre in the final blend, may be slightly more animalistic than the Tradition that is available throughout the rest of the world. Both are among the stars of the vintage, and should drink nicely for 10-12 years.
Resembling a Burgundy grand cru more than a white Chateauneuf du Pape, the 2011 Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc Roussanne Pure offers a heady, nearly intoxicating perfume of orange marmalade, rose petals, poached pears and honeysuckle. The wine possesses good acidity, beautiful fruit flavors that build incrementally and a gorgeous texture. Drink it over the next 2-3 years.
Jordi Rotllan Torra was one of the pioneers of Priorat having founded this small estate in 1984, long before this now fashionable wine region became world renowned.
A prodigious effort, the 2001 Tirant is a 9,000-bottle cuvee made from 30% Grenache (90-100 years old), 25% Carignan (90-100 years old), 25% young vine Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Syrah, and 10% Merlot. Fermented in large oak foudres and aged 12 months in new French oak, it will be bottled with neither fining nor filtration. Inky/purple-colored to the rim, it boasts a spectacular bouquet of blueberries, blackberries, and the region’s classic crushed stone minerality. This full-throttle yet remarkably elegant 2001 possesses tremendous intensity and texture as well as layers of flavor, but comes across as not over the top, overripe, or overly heavy. The 60-second finish reveals more noticeable tannin than the other cuvees. Give it 1-2 years of cellaring and drink it over the following 10-15. The 2001 Tirant is indeed a special wine.
The 2003 Amadis is a blend of 30% Grenache, 35% Carignan, 20% Syrah, and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. It was fermented in foudres and then aged in new French oak for 12 months. Nearly black in color with scents of hot tar as well as cassis, black raspberries, and floral nuances, this full-bodied beast needs 3-5 years of cellaring and should drink well for a decade thereafter.
An historic reference point in Cornas is the estate of the retired Auguste Clape, which has been run over the last decade by his talented son, Pierre-Marie. This estate may have produced their finest wines to date in 2009, but the 2011s and 2010s rival anything produced at this family-owned, tiny boutique producer. They offer two cuvees of Cornas with the Renaissance representing their younger vines (although most of those are between 30 and 50 years of age). The top cuvee, simply called Cornas, has been a favorite of mine since the late seventies.
Eclipsing even the 2009, the 2010 Cornas achieved one of the highest natural alcohol levels (14%) ever recorded at Clape. This complex, inky/purple-colored effort boasts abundant notes of charcoal, licorice, blackberries and blueberries intermixed with a hint of scorched earth (or is it charcoal embers?), a full-bodied mouthfeel, a seamless personality and a crushed rock-like minerality. The tannins are so sweet it will be drinkable in 2-3 years, and should keep for 25 or more. It is a tour de force in what Syrah can achieve in this hallowed appellation. Kudos to the Clape family, especially Pierre-Marie.
The 2010 Cornas Renaissance may be the finest example of the cuvee I have yet tasted. This offering represents about one-third of the Clape production and tends to come from two well-known sites in the natural amphitheater of Cornas, Les Sabarottes and Geynale. This astonishing 2010 boasts a black/purple color along with gorgeous, explosive aromatics consisting of blue and black fruits and spring flowers, a full-bodied, layered texture and superb intensity. Very pure with sweet tannin, it was bottled unfiltered after 22 months in primarily foudre, and should drink well for two decades.
Even less expensive is the inky/purple-colored 2011 Vin de Table France Vin des Amis (100% Syrah). Aromas of bouquet garni, wild red and black mountain fruits, earth, animal and pepper are followed by a personality-filled, boisterous red wine to enjoy over the next 3-4 years.
(2010 blanc) A surprising blend of 70% Semillon and 30% Sauvignon Blanc made by Stephane Derenoncourt produced a honeyed, melony wine offering hints of pineapples and other tropical fruits. Not a classic Bordeaux, but it is very enticing.
(2009 blanc) A gorgeous blend of 60% Semillon and 40% Sauvignon Blanc, this wine is under the radar for most consumers. Delicious notes of honeydew melons, mandarin oranges, honeysuckle and white flowers jump from the glass of this delicious, dry, subtly oaked wine that is a big sleeper of the vintage and sells for a song. Anticipated maturity: now-2020.
(2010 rouge) A stunning sleeper of the vintage, this blend of 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Sauvignon was made by winemaking guru/consultant Stephane Derenoncourt. The wine’s 14.5% alcohol tells you something about its amazing richness and intensity. Aromas of smoke, lead pencil shavings, sweet kirsch and black currants soar from the glass of this medium to full-bodied, opulent, fleshy wine. Some tannin lurks beneath the surface, but the overall impression is one of opulence and extravagance. Drink this beauty over the next decade or more.
The more traditional cuvee, the 2010 La Fleur Morange is an equal-part blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc from a tiny, 4.5-acre parcel. This is showing better from bottle than it did from barrel. Remarkably, it has 15.5% natural alcohol, which may be the highest level of natural alcohol of any of the wines from the better estates in Bordeaux. Of course, there is not much of it, since yields were 17 hectoliters per hectare, so there are only about 200+ cases of this wine in the marketplace. Dense purple, with oodles of mulberry, black raspberry and violets, this is a beautiful wine, elegant, but at the same time massively fruity, thick, unctuously textured and long. I am sure some serious tannins are lurking beneath in this extravagantly endowed, sumptuously textured Bordeaux. Drink this wine over the next 15+ years. Despite the fact that both of these wines received similar scores, they are different in style.
Owned by Stephan von Neipperg, Clos Marsalette is a relatively small 17.5-acre site situated next to Latour Martillac. Made from a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc, the 2010 exhibits an opaque ruby/purple hue along with copious notes of graphite, creosote, sweet berry fruit and subtle roasted herbs. Round and expansive on the palate with medium to full-bodied flavors, silky smooth tannins and extraordinary elegance as well as depth, this beauty is a major sleeper of the vintage. Drink it over the next 10-12 years.
A sleeper of the vintage, this offering from the owners of Cos d’Estournel is a high quality, impeccably well-made Bordeaux displaying a dark ruby/purple hue along with notes of chocolate, black currants, herbs and spice. Opulent, round and full-bodied, it achieved 14.7% natural alcohol and should drink well for 7-8 years.
Dense ruby/purple, it tips the scales at 15% natural alcohol and was bottled unfined and unfiltered. Full-bodied in texture, it offers up loads of blueberry, blackberry and raspberry fruit intermixed with some cedar, vanilla and a touch of spring flowers. Impressively built, with good acidity and light tannin, this is a superb example of wine that reaches its prime in 3 or 4 years and lasts two decades. It’s right up there with their brilliant 2005. From an estate owned by Dominique and Florence Decoster, this wine has been a real treasure to follow over the last decade. Another over-achieving, brilliant effort from the Decosters, the 2010 from their 45-acre vineyard is a blend of 70% Merlot and the rest equal parts Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.
This estate is well-worth following given the fact that is always a realistic value and in most top vintages an over-achiever as well. Owned by the Garcin family, the 2010 Haut-Bergey (from a vineyard near Haut-Bailly) is composed of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot (unusual for this area). Possessing a deep ruby/purple hue as well as notes of creosote, charcoal, tobacco leaf, black currants and cherries, this sleeper of the vintage is opulent and luscious with a multilayered texture. Surprisingly forward with excellent freshness and depth, no hard edges, and a heady finish, it can be enjoyed over the next 10-12 years.
Proprietor Jean-Philippe Janoueix has hit a bull’s-eye with both vintages of La Confession. The 2010, which is a larger production wine given his acquisition of a large vineyard near both Lucia and Fonroque, has turned out to be a blend of 71% Merlot and 29% Cabernet Franc that tips the scales at a boisterous 14.7% natural alcohol. Production is now up to approximately 2,600 cases. This is a sensational wine that I had on three separate occasions with identical results. Opaque purple, with an exquisite nose of blueberry liqueur, black raspberries, licorice, graphite, and forest floor, the wine has fabulous fruit, a multi-dimensional mouthfeel, full-bodied opulence, and a stunning finish. There is plenty of tannin, but I suspect the extravagant fruit and glycerin this wine possesses will make it approachable in its exuberant youth, yet carry it nicely for 15 or more years.
Although not as potent alcoholically as its 2009 counterpart (14.5% in 2010 versus 15% in 2009), the 2010 is still a very big wine. The final blend was 85% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon and production was slightly more than 3,400 cases. This black/purple-tinged wine exhibits lots of minerality (from this terroir’s clay and limestone soils) as well as the entire spectrum of black fruits. Full-bodied and backward, it’s like drinking crushed limestone/chalk when you taste this intense, tannic, powerful wine. It will require 8-10 years of cellaring and should evolve for 35-40+ years.
The 2010 Chateau Coutet has 154-gms/litre residual sugar, one of the highest in Sauternes/Barsac. It is endowed with a delightful bouquet of freshly sliced mango, Tropicana and a touch of honey, with good definition and minerality. The palate is medium-bodied with very impressive balance and poise, and is slightly viscous in the mouth, with almond, lemon curd and a touch of orange peel. The finish is composed and long. The 2010 Coutet is very impressive for the vintage, although I suggest not quite reaching the stellar heights of the magnificent 2009.
義大利 Tenuta Il Poggione 酒莊新到貨
活動期間： 2013-04-15 ~ 2013-06-30
編號
型態
酒莊
年份
品名
容量
RP
定價
活動價
IT320310
Tenuta Il Poggione
2010
Rosso di Montalcino DOG
750
91
1,260
696
IT320107
Tenuta Il Poggione
2007
Brunello di Montalcino DOCG
750
94
2,486
1,374
IT320206
Tenuta Il Poggione
2006
Brunello di Montalcino Riserva DOCG "Vigna Paganelli"
750
97
3,982
2,200
注意事項：
● 以上價格包含5％營業稅
It’s hard to know where to start with these new releases from Il Poggione, as every wine I tasted was strikingly beautiful. This is a great showing from father and son team Fabrizio and Alessandro Bindocci. Il Poggione’s Brunello di Montalcino remains one of the most fairly priced, ageworthy wines on the planet. Readers may want to take a look at my video interview with Alessandro Bindocci posted on www.erobertparker.com for more on Il Poggione.
Il Poggione is Montalcino’s fourth largest estate, with an eye-popping 125 hectares of Brunello designated vineyards, behind Banfi, Castelgiocondo and Col d’Orcia. My annual tasting spanned every wine in barrel from 2006-2010. I continue to be deeply impressed by the average level of quality father and son team Fabrizio and Alessandro Bindocci coax from these sites. Frankly, it is hard to go wrong with any of the Brunelli Il Poggione has put into bottle over the last few years. The straight Brunello remains one of the most reasonably priced, cellar-worthy wines in the world. The 2006s are rich, bombastic wines that will require patience to drop their baby fat. The Brunelli are fermented with a submerged cap and pumpovers, an approach that is unusual in Montalcino but common in Piedmont. My visit ended with a taste of the 1955 Brunello, which is still in great shape, even after all these years.
The 2010 Rosso di Montalcino captures the essence of this great Montalcino vintage. An elegant, expressive bouquet gives way to layers of vibrant fruit in this energetic, totally polished Rosso. After several years of experimenting with a more accessible style of Rosso, Il Poggione has moved back to making the firm, structured style of Rosso for which the estate is famous. Fabrizio and Alessandro Bindocci showed me their 2010 Rosso after all the Brunellos from vintages 2006-2010, plus several older vintages including 1983, 1991, 1998 and 2003. No matter, the 2010 Rosso was great. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2030.
The 2007 Brunello di Montalcino is flat-out sexy. Layers of dark red fruit caress the palate in this round, voluptuous Brunello. Sweet roses, violets, mint and spices appear later, adding further complexity. The 2007 boasts striking inner perfume, radiant fruit and silky, super-refined tannins. Readers are going to have a hard time keeping their hands off this extraordinary wine. As great as the 2007 is today, it will be even better in a few years’ time. This is a fabulous showing from Il Poggione. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2037.
The 2006 Brunello di Montalcino is another superb Brunello from Il Poggione. The ripeness of the vintage meets a classic sense of structure as this bold, full-bodied wine takes shape in the glass. The 2006 doesn’t have the elegance or finesse of the 2004, instead it offers a decidedly more virile, masculine expression of Sangiovese. Dark cherries, tobacco, smoke and underbrush wrap around a wall of tannin as the finish builds to a majestic close. Il Poggione’s Brunello remains one of the best values in fine, cellar-worthy wine. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2036.
The 2006 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Vigna Paganelli is huge, powerful and totally implosive. The seductive allure of the 2007 is nowhere to be found. Instead, the 2006 is built on a serious spine of formidable tannin and dark red/black fruit. Hints of tar, licorice, rose petals and tobacco inform the powerful, virile finish. The 2006 is going to require considerable patience, but it is clearly a jewel of a wine, even at this early stage. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2046.
