Domaine des Costes 2019 Pécharmant Cuvée Tradition (Mar 7th)

(Arrives March 7th) The 2019 "Tradition" is another beautiful wine from Domaine des Costes, certified organic since 2007.  The wine shows an earthy red/garnet color, with intriguing aromas of black raspberry, cassis, earth, roast meat and spice. The palate is dense and richly textured with deep red currant and cassis fruit, with tobacco and earth with a very firm mineral presence on the tongue and a very long finish of red currant, minerals and firm acidity. All this for $15.99! Bravo to the Dournel family for this beautiful big little wine...

Domaine des Costes 2018 Pécharmant Cuvée Domaine

Nicole and Jean-Marc Dournel’s Cuvée Domaine is a classic blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon that is vinified with native yeasts in tank and then is aged in the traditional large-format barrels of the Bergerac region. Aromas of cherry liqueur, cedar, and a hint of pipe tobacco rise from the glass. On the palate it is fresh with ripe, high-toned red raspberry coming forward before retreating, allowing layers of smoke, toasted earth, and dried flowers to take the stage. This is a serious and well- structured wine that is a unique and different version of an excellent Bordeuax.  Decant or open well in advance, or cellar 5 to ten years. 

Amphores 2021 Saint-Joseph "Les Sept Lieux"

Philippe and Veronique Grenier have always farmed organically and are now certified Biodynamic as well, bringing the quality even higher at this wonderful small estate. The 2021  "les Sept Lieux" shows great freshness and purity, and a bit less alcohol than the previous 3 vintages. The wine features subtle aromas of blackberry, black plum, blueberry, violet, mint and spice with meat, earth and mineral notes. The palate is dense but bright and well balanced, not a fruit bomb, but with a core black fruits, earth and citrus with a long cool finish of earthy black fruit and firm acidity. While it's delicious now, it should open up nicely over the next few years and drink well until 2030. This is a great value in Saint-Joseph from the northern zone and is highly recommended!  David Lillie

Henriot, Sandrine 2020 Beaujolais-Villages

Sandrine Hanriot took over the Biodynamic vines of Roland Pignard in Morgon, Regnie and Beaujolais-Villages. The 2020 BV shows a bright red color with aromas of violet, raspberry, cherry and white pepper, with light red fruits on the palate, refreshing and a bit earthy with tart berry fruits and minerals in the finish. Serve quite cool with charcuterie, roast chicken and mild cheeses.

Henriot, Sandrine 2021 Regnié

Sandrine Henriot's parcel in Regnié has more clay in the soil than in Morgon and always gives a well-structured wine. The 2021 shows a bright black/purple color and high-toned aromas of blackberry and black raspberry with violet and citrus peel, quite elegant. The palate is supple and ripe but not heavy with lovely black raspberry, cherry and raspberry confit, quite sapid and long with refreshing acidity and finishing with lingering red fruit and mineral flavors. Delicious now this will open up over the next few years, drink until 2028.

Nittnaus, Anita & Hans 2018 Burgenland 'Anita' Red Blend

Hailing from eastern Burgenland along the Hungarian border, Anita is mostly Zweigelt with splashes of Blaufränkisch and Sankt Laurent. Bright acidity lets the spice-drenched red and black fruits dance on the palate, and the wine—with only 15 milligrams per liter of added sulfur—bristles with energy. There is just enough structure here to keep the wine from feeling simple, underscoring  the notes of blackberries, blueberries, black cherries, cola, peppercorn and nutmeg. Lip smackingly delicious! Giselle Hamburg

Domaine des Costes 2016 Pécharmant Cuvée Domaine 1.5 L

(Arrives March 7th)  I’ve been told on great authority than one really can’t call yourself a “serious” wine shop if you don’t have a Bergerac (and by extension a Pécharmant, its age worthy sibling). That it should be bio, goes without saying. And with the arrival of  Domaine des Costes 16 Pécharmant we are down to serious business, friends!  The new release is a grand expression, indeed. The robe is a dark ruby hue. The nose is reserved on opening, but with air (a quick decant) beautiful notes of plum, African violet, black tea, cassis, and loamy soil emerge, beyond this is are wisps of baking spices and cigar box. The palate is ripe and structured with black currant and cherry stone vying with blackberry and gunpowder tea flavors for prominence; yet with time in the glass an elemental ripeness emerges to counter the firm—albeit ripe—tannins and tangy mineral core. And while this is young, there’s plenty of joy here and even more in store if you are patient and have a cool dark space to squirrel away a couple of bottles, or perhaps a case. And while this may not display the shiny gloss of our friends downstream in Bordeaux, there’s a lot to like here and a tremendous opportunity to sock away a true vin de garde at glou glou prices. Fabulous with hanger steak with black-eyed pea salad and braised greens, but this could just as agreeably pair with guineafowl or cèpes en papillote or truffled potato gratin. Highly recommended.  John McIlwain

Rouquette 2011 Monbazillac Chateau La Rouquette 500ml

The Dournel family produces this lovely Monbazillac under the Chateau La Rouquette label. Consider it a good Sauternes in everything except price, perhaps slightly less sweet. The 2011 is very elegant, fine and complex, with aromas of ripe white fruits, peach and lime flower. Supple, round and with medium sweetness on the palate with perfect acidity, the fruit is fresh and pretty, not at all heavy, really a delightful wine to sip by itself or with fruit desserts, patés and vegetable terrines.

Amphores 2020 IGP des Collines Rhodaniennes Detour Blanc

(Arrives Mar 7th) Domaine des Amphores, a long-time organic and Biodynamic estate in Chavanay,  just south of Condrieu, produces excellent Saint-Josephs and Condrieu as well as red and white Vin de Pays. "Detour" is made from 60% Clairette blanche  from 50 year-old vines with 30% Marsanne, 10% Roussanne from granite soils on lieu-dit "Richagnieux" at Chavanay, The 2020 is ripe, round and beautifully balanced with aromas of apricot, guava, mango,  almond, lemon, hay and stone - the palate is supple and elegant with stone fruits, anise and mineral flavors, finishing with ripe white fruits and saline minerals.  “Drink as an aperitif, or with salads, crudités, quiche, trout, fish terrine, fresh goat cheese” says the Domaine.  This great value is highly recommended!  David Lillie

Amphores 2021 Condrieu "La Côte"

(Arrives 5/16) The Domaine des Amphores Condriueu is 100% massale-selection Viognier from 0.5 hectare on poor granite-based soils at 250 metres on La Côte at Chavanay. The 2021 La Côte has a pale yellow gold robe. The nose offers a subtle and intriguing mélange of toasted nuts, salted pineapple, chestnut honey, pear, stone and a hint of spice. The palate shades savory with a granitic spine and roasted peach, and green almond flavors on a sleek  and mineral palate. There’s a pleasing phenolic, stony bitterness  and freshness closing out the finish, with teriffic length. This is a less exotic and exuberant expression, but perfect for the table—think skate with brown butter, halibut or roasted chicken with fricasséed morels!

Domaine des Amphores 2021 Vin de France Mornen Noir

(Arrives Mar 7th) And now for something completely different... While tasting at Domaine des Amphores with Philippe and Véronique Grenier a few years ago, we noticed a small barrel with "Mornen Noir" scrawled on the front in chalk. A grape apparently native to the area between the Rhone and Loire rivers south of Lyon, it had been grown by Philippe's grandfather Louis - now the Greniers and a few other growers in Chavanay are once again making wine from this ancient variety. Possibly related to Chasselas and/or Mondeuse, the grapes yield a bright vibrant wine with black fruit flavors and low alcohol. The 2021 is only 10.8% alcohol (Jules Chauvet would approve) and is quite Syrah-like showing vibrant aromas of blackberry and blueberry with violet and stone. The palate is a bit lighter than a Syrah, and very mineral, with bright flavors of blackberry and red currant that blend nicely with earth, licorice and stone flavors in the bright finish. Beautiful wine!   We've just received 60 more bottles of this rare juice, guaranteed to stump your sommelier friends in a blind tasting.  David Lillie

Henriot, Sandrine 2020 Morgon Les Charmes

We're happy to have the lovely Morgons of  Sandrine Henriot at Chambers Street.  The vines for this cuvée are 60  years old, planted at high altitude on steep hillsides in sandy clay soils over granite in the lieu-dit "les Charmes," just northwest of Saint-Joseph  above Villié-Morgon. Biodynamic farming, with no SO2 added until a minimal dose before bottling. The fermentation is with wild yeasts with a relatively short period of carbonic-maceration. The 2020 shows a bright, deep black/red color and a very perfumed nose of ripe strawberry and black raspberry fruit, quite floral and fresh. The palate is round and supple with a lovely melange of sappy black and red fruits with earth and spice. This needs to open a bit but is already a delicious Morgon that will accompany charcuterie and grilled foods all year, peak drinking 2023 - 2028.

Leitz 2018 Rheingau Rüdesheimer Ehrenfels Schlossberg Riesling GG

Berg Schlossberg is the westernmost vineyard on the south facing side of the Rheingau at the bend where the river turns north. One of the steepest vineyards in the Rheingau  at a 45% gradient allows the sunlight  to be reflected off of the river onto the vines. As per the winery website: "The Ehrenfels are the iconic castle ruins that sit atop the Rüdesheimer Berg's western edge. The 40+ year-old vines in red slate soils produce small berries with high concentration. The Ehrenfels Grosses Gewächs combines power and elegance; it isn’t as tropical as the Hinterhaus, nor as floral as the Katerloch and is right behind Rottland in terms of masculinity." A very concentrated and tightly wound wine with great crushed-rock minerality that expands on the super-ripe and silky finish. Showing a deeper gold from the riper vintage and age, this bad boy flexes it's iron fist in a velvet glove with a faint whiff of petrol in the distance above the herbaceous , mineral profile. Surprisingly supple on the palate  with juicy lemon confit, saline minerality with a long. satiny finish.  A beautiful food wine for all manner of roasted seafood , white  fish and meats...Peking duck anyone? Giselle Hamburg

Franzen, Reinhold 2018 Mosel Bremmer Riesling 'Zeit'

 A sheer delight from one of the world's steepest vertical vineyards with 90 year old vines; their roots driven into the terraced slate, giving immense concentration to the wines. Fermentations are spontaneous, some taking nearly two years to complete. The wines go through malo and GGs are bottled late. All this accounts for wines that are as much about texture, herbaceousness, and salinity as they are fruit. They display remarkable freshness and animation as well as power and echoing length. “Zeit” means “time” and this wine fermented, spontaneously, for 396 days before it could not go further. The label showcases an old photo of the Calmont vineyard, from which all the grapes in this wine harken, but it also is a reminder of a time when this kind of élevage was normal. Kilian explains that “every year, one tank takes forever, and what can we do? We wait and wait and if it doesn’t get dry, it must be where the wine wants to be.” It’s richly textured, leesy, but also crunchy with spice. It’s a throwback wine to former times, but it’s also a fresh and intriguing slightly off dry riesling with 20gms RS, explosive with tropical notes like pineapple with herbaceousness over a slightly spritzy, juicy limeade finish. Simply spectacular! Giselle Hamburg

Stagard 2017 Kremstal Steiner Kögl Riesling Trocken

As per the distributor: "This site produces some of the most structured wines in the Kremstal. There are five terraces of 60-year old vines here that Urban harvests and macerates for 48 hours before pressing with the stems. He does this in healthy years because ripe stems contain anti-oxidents and because he likes grip in his Riesling. It is wound-up like a spinning top, but it carries the most texture, hold and length. It’s not a Riesling for beginners." Aged 12 months in stainless, 10 months on gross lees and berries.Showing a deeper gold from the riper vintage and age, the nose wafts aromas of ripe tree fruit  above the herbaceous , mineral profile. Surprisingly crystalline and vibrant on the palate  with juicy lemon curd & crunchy minerality with a long. concentrated finish.  An elegant yet powerful wine for all manner of roasted seafood , white  fish and meats...for lovers of Montrachets and Cortons! Giselle Hamburg

Leipold 2021 Franken Sylvaner Kab Trok 1L

From a new producer in the Vom Boden book from Franken, the  birthplace of the Silvaner grape. The son took over his father's domaine and shortly after, in the 03/15 issue of VINUM magazine, Peter was counted among the 25 most promising young winegrowers in Germany! Even this entry level liter sized "quaffer" exudes the hallmark minerality and brilliance seen in the erste lages (premier cru) and alte rebens (old vine) wines. Showing an almost delicate herbaceousness with a super linear, spritzy profile, this should be your next everyday wine bottling. For lovers of Muscadet, Albarino and Txakolina!  Giselle Hamburg