Pépière 2014 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Cru Château Thébaud

  The Domaine de la Pépière Château Thébaud "Clos des Morines" comes from old vines on a beautiful vineyard with great terroir sloping down towards the river Maine. The granite here (Granit de Château Thébaud, oddly enough) is fissured and permeable by the vine roots which have access to water during dry spells and absorb micro-nutrients along the way.  2009, 2010, 2012 and 2015 here were among the best of the vintage in Muscadet and the 2014 will stand out as perhaps the finest yet due to the perfect combination of great density and minerality with the very firm acidity of this superb year for Muscadet - those of you lucky enough to have the 2014 Pépière Clisson in your cellar understand just what a special vintage this is. From Remi Branger at Pépière: "As the wine aged we performed three bâtonnages and after three and a half years sur lie, in April 2018, we decided to bottle it. We then decided to leave it  another year in bottle before offering it for sale. For us, the 2014 Château Thébaud is a wine with a great potential for cellaring. In its youth, the wine was very austere but the prolonged élevage sur lie allowed it to develop well and it benefited further from the additional year in bottle. Recent tastings of the wine confirm to us that we made the right choice for the aging, because it has the balance we hoped for with a finish of power and tension."

Raffault, Olga 2014 Chinon Les Picasses

Les Picasses is one of the greatest vineyards in Chinon - a south-facing slope of clay over porous limestone that retains water and nutrients, nourishing the vines. While the wine is amply fruited and enjoyable young, it has firm acidity and structure for long-term aging, up to 30 years and more depending on the vintage. 2014 was an excellent vintage for Loire reds, which generally showed vibrant fruit, fresh acidity and moderate alcohol. Not a "big" vintage but one of very pretty, well-balanced wines. The 2014 Raffault Picasses shows a bright, red/black color with aromas of morello cherry, red currant, blackberry and prune with hints of licorice, earth and black pepper. The palate shows silky tannins and sappy red and black fruits with chalky minerals and firm acidity, with a bit of the gamey, musky aspect of old-school Chinon.  Earthy prune, plum and cherry fruits linger in the long finish. Please decant two to three hours in advance if drinking now, then serve a bit cool with roast chicken, pork or lamb. This will sing a different song after 6 to 8 years of aging, best perhaps 2026 - 2040. DL

Filliatreau 2019 Saumur-Champigny La Grande Vignolle

100% Cabernet Franc. The six-hectare Grande Vignolle lieu-dit sits on a chalk cliff on calcareous clay soils, set back from the Loire River on a high plateau. The vines are 35-40 years old and lie at the northern limit of the Saumur-Champigny appellation. The fruit is hand-harvested, destemmed and fermented with natural yeasts in steel tank, with a maceration of approximately 2 weeks. The wine is aged in steel tank and is bottled unfiltered. Always a juicy and delicious Saumur-Champigny, the 2019 Grande Vignolle shows the maturity  and weight of this dry and sunny year in the Loire. The wine shows aromas of ripe black raspberry and strawberry fruit liqueur with floral and earthy notes, quite pretty!  The palate is vibrant with firm acidity below round lush berry fruits, quite dense and sapid with a refreshing, bright finish. This is a great charcuterie pairing or with grilled chicken and pork and soft cow cheeses - enjoy it now served a bit cool and cellaring of five to eight years would be interesting. David Lillie

Bonnefoy (La Madone) 2019 Côtes du Forez Mémoires de Madone VV

The 2019 Gilles Bonnefoy "Memoire de Madone" is made from old vines of a local Gamay grown on volcanic soils (basalt) in the Côtes de Forez (upper Loire east and a bit south of Lyon). The grapes are harvested by hand, partially de-stemmed and undergo a 15-day fermentation with wild yeasts. The wine shows a bright black/purple color with deep aromas of blackberry and black currant with hints of violet, stone and citrus. The palate is dense but light on its feet with a firm backbone of mineral flavors and earthy acidity under the blackberry and black raspberry fruit, with herbal and citrus notes. This is the most dense and structured of Bonnefoy's Gamays, and will benefit from decanting or a few hours aeration, serve with grilled pork, coq au vin, full-flavored cheeses. David Lillie

Manciat 2018 Mâcon Charnay Franclieu

100% Chardonnay. From Jean Manciat's oldest vines, on a gentle, stony slope of clay-limestone soils. Jean considers this to be his finest plot. The hand-harvested fruit is whole-cluster-pressed, naturally fermented and aged on its fine lees in stainless steel tanks--no oak at all here--to feature the fresh, floral, flinty nature of the fruit from this vineyard.

Chazelles (Domaine des) 2017 Vire-Clesse Vieilles Vignes

Viré Classé is a privileged location in the Macon that enjoys a fantastic exposure to the sun on a slight slope. This yields wines that have an added weight and complexity compared to your run-of-the-mill Macon-Villages. At Domaine des Chazelles, organic vines with over 50 years of age broadcast dense flavors of golden apple and stone fruit with an invigorating touch of acid. This is a great Chardonnay with concentration and freshness that could age beautifully for years. 

Lafouge 2016 Auxey-Duresses Les Hautés Blanc

From a north-facing parcel fairly high on the slope next to Meursault Les Vireuils. The Lafouge "Les Hautés" is a beautifully dense and well-structured Burgundy in this low-yielding vintage.Subtle, rather delicate aromas of lime-flower and citrus, with white fruits, stone and honeysuckle. The palate is fresh and bright with mineral flavors predominating, with pear, lemon peel and herbal notes, quite pure and refreshing, and beginning to show some notes of maturity. The opposite of an oaky fruit-bomb, this is beautifully showing the terroir and benefits from the years in bottle - it will accompany shellfish, sole, flounder, cod, white meats and young goat cheeses. 

Chignard, Cedric 2018 Juliénas Beauvernay

This is a lovely Beaujolais from the Chignard family, better known for their Fleurie "Les Moriers." As with much of Julienas the bedrock of "Beauvernay" is diorite, rather than granite, locally called "roches bleues." It's an interesting terroir of volcanic origin with more clay and rich in magnesium, giving complex well-structured wines.  Possessing the ripe fruit and lush palate of the 2018 vintage in Beaujolais, the Julienas "Beauvernay" shows a pretty red/black color, with elegant, a bit restrained aromas of black raspberry and  black cherry with violet, blood orange, earth and stone, which should open up nicely over the next few years. It's ripe and sapid but with lively acidity and well proportioned. Tart cherry, plum and red currant fruit with saline minerals, earth and spice coat the palate and continue in the earthy finish. Quite lovely now, especially with a long decant,  this should soften and gain complexity with three to five years of aging, drink till 2025-2028.  David Lillie

Tripoz NV Crémant de Bourgogne Nature Prestige

Spend enough time in Burgundy and one ends up drinking a lot of Cremant, most of it dreadful. It's too often a way to get rid of unripe or poor-quality fruit, and bad fruit will always produce bad wine. Celine and Laurent Tripoz are a bulwark against all this third-rate fizz. It has been a staple on the shelves here at CSW for years and yet I'm always astonished by it. Produced entirely from Maconnais Chardonnay and without any dosage, this bottle is full of joy. It is marked by notes of yellow apple skin, puff pastry and there is a green, almost piney flavor in the finish. But what really makes it wonderful is the feeling of completeness. It is intensely vinous, obviously made from properly ripe grapes and one gets the sense that it would be just as tasty if it were still wine. Let's face it, that's how it should be with all sparkling wine. Sam Ehrlich

Chamonard 2018 Fleurie La Madone

A rare and delicious Fleurie from Jean-Claude Chanudet at Domaine Chamonard! Since taking over from his father-in-law (Joseph Chamonard) in 1990, Jean-Claude has been keeping the beautiful natural traditions of this estate alive. This Fleurie comes from a single parcel of older vines planted on a steep slope of pink granite soils, farmed by hand without the use of any chemicals. 2018 is a great vintage for the Chamonard Fleurie, showing a deep dark red color and ripe fruit compote aromas - a lovely melange of cherry and black raspberry with violet and citrus notes. The palate is lush, with an earthy texture, showing ripe, well-structured  black fruits and finishing with firm acidity and tart black cherry. This is superb now but should open up beautifully with a few years of cellaring. Drink until 2035? Highly recommended.  David Lillie

Cambon (Chateau) 2019 Beaujolais (Chanudet/Lapierre)

Chateau Cambon began as a project of three friends: the late Marcel Lapierre, Jean-Claude Chanudet (With his wife Geneviève) and Joseph Chamonard - it  remains now in the hands of Jean-Claude Chanudet and his wife Geneviève (the daughter of Joseph Chamonard).

Bastide Blanche 2015 Bandol Cuvee Estagnol

Bastide Blanche, one of the few organic domains in Bandol, produces this beatiful wine from old vines of 92% Mourvedre and 8% Grenache. The wine is hand-harvested in multiple passes, with very low yields, fermented with wild yeasts and aged in old foudres.  File under under curiosity or perhaps, sometimes you just need a duck wine. Depending on one’s whims, one plans their meals around a particular wine or perhaps in a more balanced life, one plans their wines around a meal (dear reader, I am probably more inclined to the former truth be told). But in this case I had a lovely bunch of baby Japanese turnips and a fine breast of Rohan Duck, so the the meal drove the bus, so to speak. The 2015 Bastide Blanche Estagnol is just the thing. With a substantial decant, it has all the dark floral aromatics, ground Telicherry peppercorn, blackberry fruit, and yes, a hint of game on the nose. The palate is tightly wound and just this side of severe on opening but with two hours in the decanter, the pure, sweet, plummy fruit emerges with loads of charm, ripeness, and dry extract to buffer the substantial structure beneath. And while the solar 2015 vintage can result in wine that show more power than grace, here it seems like there is there is real poise and potential. This shows ripeness, but no sense of heat or flab. Plenty of black fruits and dusty tannins and sure, oodles of garrigue. But there’s real flair and harmony and each sip has me wondering what a mature bottle will taste like. Excellent with duck and turnips, but I'd love to pair this with lamb and tapenade, or once summer is in full stride, ratatouille. John McIlwain

Cristia 2017 Châteauneuf du Pape Tradition

Domaine de Cristia was established in 1942 with only 2 hectares of vines. Since 1999 the estate has expanded to 20 hectares in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and is being run by the third generation - Baptiste and Dominique Grangeon. The two have been farming using only natural methods, gaining organic certification in 2008.  Their Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a blend of 70% Grenache, 15% Syrah, and 15% Mourvèdre, all from clay and sandy marl terroir. The grapes are sorted and fully destemmed after harvest. The Grenache is aged in stainless steel tanks for 16 months, while the Mourvèdre and Syrah are aged in 2 to 3 year-old barrels. The palate is bright and floral, with blackberry fruit abounding, along with notes of sour cherry, ginger, bright spice. The palate is deep and concentrated with blackberries, cassis and plums. The finish is a delightful medley of dark fruit and red flowers. A classic rendition of the old-style Châteauneuf-du-Pape that will benefit from a decant if drinking now. JDC

Agricola Yumbel Estacion 2020 Secano Interior Yumbel Pipeño Pais

This is pure, unadulterated, traditional Chilean Pipeno! Agricola Yumbel Estacion is operating as Chilean winemakers have for over a century. Their Paìs vines are over 100 years old, they winery operates with no electricity, the wines are fermented and aged in actual "pipeno" barrels made from native Chilean rauli trees, and there is nothing added, including sulfur. In the glass it has a deep red, almost opaque color with notes of raspberry, black cherry, lemongrass, and dried herbs on the nose. The palate juicy and lifted with crunchy red fruit, blackberry, and  blood orange with grippy, mouth-coating tannins. Serve this slightly chilled with anything fresh off the grill! Michelle DeWyngaert

Tikal 2017 Mendoza Natural Malbec/Syrah

Way up at 3,215 ft elevation is the picturesque Tikal estate in the famed Vista Flores area of the Uco Valley. The vineyards are organic and biodynamic certified and entirely ungrafted. Though this is a blend of 60% and 40% Syrah, lovers of classic Mendoza Malbec will find much to enjoy. Luscious, ripe blackberry, cassis, and plum preserves are balanced with more savory notes of black pepper, cedar, and a little cured meat. The wine is aged for 8 months in 20% new oak (mostly French, with some American barrels used), and 80% neutral barrels, giving it just a kiss of baking spice and vanilla. Michelle DeWyngaert

Bella Ridge 2017 Western Australia Tempranillo/Grenache

Though Western Australia is known as one of the hottest regions in the country, the winemakers at Bella Ridge seem to defy the odds by making fresh, balanced wines like this Tempranillo-Grenache blend. By picking early, and using a light hand in the cellar, this wine manages to be perfectly ripe without being jammy. 60% Tempranillo from 60-year-old vines fermented and aged in used American oak for 18 months, then blended with 40% Grenache from 70-year-old vines aged in used French oak barrels for 18 months. It is unfined, very lightly filtered, and bottled with minimal SO2. Notes of ripe and roasted cherry, hibiscus, dried herbs, and crushed stone. This was perfect with just a slight chill, but not too cold! Michelle DeWyngaert

Supernatural Wine Co. 2018 Hawke's Bay Sauvignon Blanc

New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is one of the most identifiable wines on the planet, but here's one that's a little less predictable. While most vineyards in New Zealand are conventionally farmed, and mainly on flatland to make mechanical harvesting easier, the Supernatural Wine Co. uses fruit from the certified organic Millar Road Vineyard which stretches across a north-facing hillside in Hawke's Bay. The fruit sees six hours of skin-contact before racking and fermenting with native yeasts. Kept on the lees for six months before bottling unfiltered with just a small dose of SO2. This is a distinctive and textural Sauvignon Blanc with notes of ruby grapefruit, lime zest, and touch of smokiness, and on the palate it's juicy and fresh, with a stony, slight grip on the finish. Michelle DeWyngaert

La Clarine Farm 2019 Sierra Foothills Viognier

This vintage of the La Clarine Viognier is a mixture of fruit from the granitic Cedarville Vineyard, and the volcanic Sumu Kaw Vineyard in the Sierra Foothils. The fruit is fermented together as whole clusters and then aged in tanks.

Liten Buffel 2018 Niagara Escarpent Perfetto Vineyard Pinot Noir

This is a beautiful expression of Niagara terroir from minimalists, Liten Buffel. All of their wines are unfined, unfiltered, uninnoculated, and now completely un-sulfured. This Pinot Noir bottling comes entirely from Perfetto Vineyard fruit which is located on the Niagara Escarpment and farmed with biodynamic practices. The fruit is fermented whole cluster in old oak barrels, and then aged in the same vessels for nine months. In the glass it has a beautiful dusty, brick red color with aromas of forest floor, wild cherry, red currant, roses, and pine. On the palate it is crisp, clean, with crunchy red fruit and gentle, tongue-coating tannins.  Michelle DeWyngaert

Liten Buffel 2018 De la Terre, Pour la Winediva Pinot Gris Ramato (Niagara Esc

A skin contact Pinot Gris from our friend Zach at Liten Buffel, from fruit sourced from the Niagara Escampment. Big and round, with some volatile acidity on opening. A wild and untethered orange wine, definitely for fans of the funky and intense side of natural wine spectrum. Drink with a light chill. There is a bit of a timer here as oxygen seems to bring about some strange flavors, so don't wait until day 2! 

Enlightenment Wines Raise the Roof Sour Sparkling Mead

This was such a fascinating and delicious find! The meads of Enlightenment Wines are always unique and special, but I particularly enjoyed this sour sparkler made from apple blossom honey, lactic bacteria and local well water. As you first take a sip you notice the sweetness of the honey which transitions to a tart, mouth-puckering finish akin to drinking a dry sour beer.  The nose is intense and earthy with notes of baked apple and cedar, and on the palate the honey gives way to crisp green apple and crème fraîche. Michelle DeWyngaert

Enlightenment Wines 2020 St Crimson Blackcurrent Mead

The St. Crimson is a dry mead made from pressed black currants and NY state honey fermented with indigenous yeasts and then aged for a year in oak barrels. A beautiful deep ruby color, the nose is mix of cassis, raspberry, hibiscus, bruised herbs, and a whiff of something gamey. The palate is dry with juicy brambly fruits and a savory finish. This is delightful on its own on a cool fall evening, but also works well in cocktails, as the float on a NY Sour or in a spritz. Michelle DeWyngaert

Van Brunt Still House Red Hook Brooklyn Empire Rye 750mL

The designation of Empire Rye was established in 2015 to distinguish a spirit that is uniquely of New York State and made at a consistent and high level of quality. The specifications require it to be at least 75% NYS grains, distilled to no more than 160 proof, aged in charred, new oak barrels, the entire process must occur at a single NYS distillery  The Van Brunt Stillhouse sources their rye from the certified organic Oechsner Farms in Newfield, NY, and distills and bottles at their distillery in Brooklyn, NY. The Empire Rye is over 75% Danko Rye, aged for two years in #2 charred American oak barrels and bottled at 42%ABV. Notes of brown butter, bosc pear, and pumpernickel bread on the nose, and a mellow, creamy palate with notes of nutmeg, vanilla, and peppery, cinnamon Red Hots on the finish. Michelle DeWyngaert

Holmes Cay 2009 Barbados Port Cask Rum 56%

The curators of Holmes Cay are on a mission to convince you that rum can be as exquisite, as unique, and as valuable as any single-malt Scotch. This single-cask selection goes a long way towards that end. The 2009 Barbados rum comes from the Foursquare Rum Distillery, a blend of column and pot-still distillations, aged for eight years in Barbados, then two in the UK, and a final year finished in Port Casks in New York. As with all Holmes Cay rums it is bottled at cask-strength (56% in this case) but holds it's heat deceptively well. Notes of sweet cherry, coconut, cinnamon, and banoffee pie linger on the palate long after you take a sip. There's a touch of tannin from the oak to reign in the richness of this rum, and a kick of heat on the finish, which mellows out with just a drop or two of water. Michelle DeWyngaert

Bodegas Akutain 2012 Rioja Reserva

Juan Peñagaricano Akutain worked at CVNE and La Rioja Alta before planting his own vineyard in Rioja Alta in 1975. Ever since, he and his son, Jon Peñagaricano, have sought to produce classicly styled Rioja wines at a smaller scale, sourcing grapes from their own plots, which they work without chemicals and harvest by hand. The Reserva is a very classic expression of traditional Rioja, aged for 17 months in mainly American oak and then for a year in bottle before release. This shows the hallmark notes of coconut and spice, with plenty of red and purple fruit. A beautiful fall wine.

Bodegas Akutain 2004 Rioja Gran Reserva

I love old classic Rioja. There is a stately quality to the wines and particularly to the Gran Reservas. By the time they reach us, they have spent so much time in wood and racked so many times from barrel to barrel that they have been inoculated against any damage that oxygen might cause. Consequently, they can live seemingly forever, becoming endlessly mellower,  more harmonious and complex. If you like the sound of this, then please consider buying (then re-buying) the Akutain 2004 Gran Reserva. This is a tremendous example of really traditional Rioja. At the outset it's full of baked strawberry and cherry fruit, accented by the dill and vanilla character of old American oak barrels. But as one sits with it in the glass, it takes on grander dimension, with meaty notes reminiscent of drippings from a roasting pan and more earthy truffly notes as well. The acidity and structure are spectacular, as one would expect from a great vintage such as '04. The general energy of the wine is a marvel and will make a great cellar addition. 6000 bottles made. Sam Ehrlich

Cantalapiedra Victicultores 2018 Castilla Y Leon Verdejo 'Mondo'

"Mondo" comes from a parcel of 30 year-old Verdejo vines planted on sandy clay soils over limestone bedrock with significant iron deposits in the La Seca municipality. The parcel, like Manuel and Isaac Cantalapiedra's other vines, is farmed organically with some biodynamic practices. Although their plots are technically within the Rueda appellation, the father and son duo has rejected the modern, industrial styles that the region is known for, and elected to remain outside of the appellation as a result. The vines are tended by hand and harvested by hand, then destemmed, and fermented with skins in neutral French oak barrels. Skin contact lasts for 30 days before resting on the lees for 11 months. This is a powerful, elegant skin-contact white wine with notes of spice, ripe stone and orchard fruits, and a slightly oxidative note on the nose. The palate is expansive and intense, running through a variety of different yellow and green fruit notes: quince, apricot, yellow apple, lemon, pear. These are balanced by a ferrous, intense mineral seam and plenty of bright acidity. Really an incredible representation of Verdejo! Ben Fletcher

Cantalapiedra, Manuel 2017 Tinto de Toro 'Arenisca' Paraje Los Panaderos

This is an atypical expression of Toro. Manuel and Isaac Cantalapiedra source the grapes from high-elevation (780 meters, very high indeed for Toro) organically-certified vineyards near Villabuena del Puente. The grapes are harvested by hand and 90% are destemmed and fermented with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel; the remaining 10% ferment with the stems in open-top fermenters. After macerating for 25 days, the grapes were pressed into neutral French oak barrels to rest for 11 months. There is no filtering or fining, and the only sulfur addition is small and takes place at bottling. This shows the depth and intensity of classic Tinto de Toro (Tempranillo), without the extraction or intense tannins that we typically think of in the region. Instead, there's delicate spice notes, mineral structure, and refined, pure red fruit notes. A real treat, and a great value. Ben Fletcher

Daterra Viticultores (Laura Lorenzo) 2018 Ribeira Sacra Portela do Vento Tinto

Portela do Vento is made from a blend of Mencia and Garnacha Tintorera, from biodynamically farmed parcels throughout Ribeira Sacra. Mostly destemmed, and made in a bright, easy drinking style, this is pretty and red-fruited with lots of granitic minerality. The nose shows granite spice, pomegranate and cherry, while the palate emphasizes strawberry notes. Bottled without fining or filtration, and with no added sulfur. Ben Fletcher

Bernardo Estevez 2016 Ribeiro Chans e lus Castes Branco

The valleys of Ribeiro have been renowned for their white wines, dry and sweet, for hundreds of years. Only in the first part of the 20th century did this reputation begin to diminish due to war, vine diseases, and the introduction of over-productive but inferior tasting grape varieties like Palomino. But any historian of wine or appreciator of elegant white wines will tell you that Ribeiro is a special place, and that the decomposed granitic soils (the sabrego) and old terraced vineyards are capable of producing truly exceptional wines. Bernardo Estevez manually farms roughly 5 hectares of vines that range in age from 20 to 100 years old. His agricultural approach is strict biodynamism, and he is an important proponent of biodynamics in Ribeiro. The majority of the white grapes are Lado and Treixadura, probably the two "noblest" grapes of the appellation. The rest of the blend in the Chans e lus (soil and light) Castes Branco is composed of the other indigenous grapes: Silberilla, Godello, Albilla, Loureira, Verdello Antiguo. He harvests his vineyards by hand, then presses the grapes whole cluster into an old 500L French oak barrel and an ancient 1500L chestnut foudre, where they ferment with indigenous yeasts. The wine rests in barrels for 10 months before bottling with very minimal sulfur, and then rests again in bottle at length before release. For me, this bottle delivers all of the many pleasures of Ribeiro white wine. Jubilant and expressive on opening, the nose is full of granitic stone, white and yellow flowers, wildflower honey, and melon. The palate is beautifully balanced between granitic minerality that lends ginger spice, length, breadth, and texture and the ripe fruit notes of peach, melon, and citrus. Despite the intensity of these different flavors, the balance between them yields a surprisingly delicate and thoughtful wine that will accompany the flavors of the fall and winter table very well. Ben Fletcher

Albamar 2016 Rias Baixas O Esteiro

O Esteiro is a blend of Caíño, Espadeiro, and Mencía from vineyards along the Atlantic coast in Rias Baixas, farmed organically by Xurxo Alba. Although Rias Baixas is better known for Albarino, this is a refreshing red, perfect for the summer. On the nose, it is exceedingly mineral and saline with delicate red fruits, while the very light bodied palate shows bolder berry notes alongside tons of refreshing, salty minerality and structuring acidity. I keep returning to the balance of minerality and bright herbaceous notes offered by this wine! Ben Fletcher

Vetter, Stefan 2017 Franken Sylvaner GK Gambacher Kalbenstein

We've written before about our love for Sylvaner, an unfairly neglected variety. And nowhere is the grape loved more than in Baden, where its light shines brightest. And in our eyes, Stefan Vetter is making some of the most compelling examples, through diligent farming and a focus on terroir that rivals anyone in Burgundy or the Mosel. Farming is organic, though not certified, fermentation is with native yeasts, and there is minimal use of sulfur. Gambacher Kalbenstein is a parcel of old vines in limestone and sandstone soils and should be considered Vetter's grand cru and the 2017 GK is a beauty! The nose is effusive with aromas of white flowers, apple skin, cool herbs, wet stone. The mid-weight palate is an attractive mélange of orchard fruit (white peach, Mirabelle) flavors and pithy, citrusy Meyer lemon oil notes, with a fine-grained, chalky mineral frame. The finish is lifted, long, and lingering. This is delicious now with a decant, but will dazzle with a few years in bottle and is enthusiastically recommended. John McIlwain

Occhipinti 2018 IGT Sicilia il Frappato

At the store, we were recently chatting about how well this wine ages - and after opening the 2018 last night, it is obvious that this particular vintage has only started to showoff it's stuff. The color in the glass is a warm black cherry hue. On the nose, there is a mix of wild cherry, strawberry, and pomegranate. There is also just a touch of something green, like cherry stems and leaves. The flavors on the palate are direct, like cherry skin, mineral earth, and small dark plums. As for structure, this wine has more weight and tannic character than one might expect from a Frappato, but like I mentioned, the wine is built to develop. Drink now for a more-than solid Sicilian red, or keep for a couple years - there is more to come from this 2018 Frappato, you can taste it. From two different parcels, with vine age averaging 40 years. Destemmed and fermented in concrete, with a 30 day maceration. Aged for 8 months in Slovenian oak botti before moving to concrete for another 8 months. Bottled unfiltered.  David Hatzopoulos

Occhipinti 2019 IGT Sicilia SP 68 Rosso

Another great vintage of SP68 from Arianna Occhipinti. Together with the SP68 Bianco, the Rosso has long thrilled consumers of low-intervention Italian wines. The 2019 is 70% Frappato, 30% Nero D'Avola picked from younger vines, spread out between four different vineyard sites. Hand picked and destemmed. Co-fermented grapes in concrete (naturally, of course) with a 2 week maceration period. Aged in concrete for 8 weeks before being bottled unfiltered. In the glass, the wine is a fresh purple color. The nose is mix of tender black cherry, violets, and a little hint of shaved cocoa. On the palate, the wine is driven by a perky minerality, along with plum and cherry flavors. Lightly tannic, and lively, medium acidity. David Hatzopoulos 

Occhipinti 2019 IGT Sicilia SP 68 Bianco

Wow - I mean... WOW. There is so much going on in this glass. The color is a deep gold/yellow. The nose is heavy on apricot, zingy lemon, smoke, and salt. In addition, there is a pungent aroma of freshly picked wild flowers, stems included. So pronounced, so engaging. The palate has a similar character - lemon, yellow stone-fruits, sliced yellow cherries, and crushed white stones. The finish is long and herbaceous, with white pepper, lemon grass, and white tea. Structurally zippy, with a little tannic kiss, and medium acidity. Made from 60% Zibibbo and 40% Albanello grown on red sand and limestone soils. The fruit is co-fermented in concrete, with skin maceration for 2 weeks. Concrete aging for 8 months before being bottled unfiltered. If you're ever having a dull day, the energy in this bottle will wake you right up. David Hatzopoulos

Montoni 2018 IGT Sicilia Nero d'Avola Lagnusa

What an awesome vintage for one of our staples here at Chambers Street. The wine is always delicious, but the 2018 might be the best I've had so far. The Lagnusa Nero d’Avola vines range in age from 20-50 years old, and they give the wine remarkable depth and complexity. My notes for the wine's bouquet reads: "smokey, dark roses, tar, and savory cherry." It is almost startling how complex the nose is upon first whiff. The palate has classic red berries, with a little spice and fresh herbs. The structure is bright, with only a hint of pleasant tannin and some lovely acidity. David Hatzopoulos

Montoni 2019 Sicilia IGT Grillo

From the eastern facing, sandy slopes of the Grillo della Timpa Sicilia DOC, Fuedo Montoni delivers a refreshing but complex wine. 30 year old vines, planted at 700 meters above sea level, and handled under certified organic methods. Fermentation happens in cement, and for a portion of that time, the juice is in contact with the grape skins. The wine then ages in cement, in contact with the lees, for 6 months. The result is a complex, but utterly fresh glass of white. The color is clean lemon. The nose offers aromas of golden apple, pear, apricot and white flowers. Flavors are of dried lemon, green herbs, lime zest, salt and white pepper. The skin maceration definitely gives the wine a touch of tannic stability, like banisters to the wine's highly angled, persistent acidity. Really enjoyable wine that wakes up the palate. David Hatzopoulos

Sanguineto 2017 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Sanguineto I & II

In the glass, the Sanguineto 2017 Vino Nobile is a dark cherry color. The nose is pronounced, full of plums, warm shrubby herbs, dense dark flowers, with a hint of sweet spice and cinnamon. The plummy fruit is very present on the palate as well, along with crushed black stones, and a touch of bitter herbs. The structure has a great edge of acidity, freshening the mouthfeel of rich, medium tannin. A great bottle - we at the store can't stop talking about it. David Hatzopoulos

Sanguineto 1 & 2 2018 Rosso di Montepulciano

The 2018 Sanguineto I e II Rosso has a great nose, full of dark fruit like black cherry and blueberry, along with essences of shaved cocoa, baking spice, and dark flowers. The palate boasts deep red cherry, earthy minerals, and black pepper. There is something so fulfilling about the mouthfeel here - it is so well textured, with slightly rich fruit, a touch of tannin, and medium acidity. The color in the glass is  fresh red on the edges, with a dark red core.