Articles

10/14/14 - (Photo courtesy of Robert Kacher Selections) Although the estate is quite young in terms of Champagne houses, Pascal Doquet produces wines we consider modern classics. In the few years the wines have been available under his own name, we’ve been bowled over by their beauty and terroir expression. Based in Vertus, Pascal has worked the family’s Doquet-Jeanmaire estate as chef de cave-...

10/3/14 - (Rocche in early June.) I’m discovering that there’s a lot of fuss about 2010 Barolo. Years of observation have shown me that I often disagree with the press about the character of a vintage (2000 Barolo, a ‘vintage of the century,' is an ever-entertaining example). I’ve seen some very positive press on 2010 Barolo, and I’ve heard about a lot more, and...

9/25/14 - (Photo courtesy of Vignobles Levet) 2010 is a truly exceptional vintage in the Northern Rhone. We are happy to offer three wines from estates whose traditional vineyard work and vinifications have produced superb, age-worthy wines of terroir, as well as a selection of older wines from these estates, and the recently released 2011 Côte-Rôtie from the talented Eric Texier. By "traditional" we...

9/19/14 - If it's on the Inter-Web, it must be true, right? So we are very happy to have won Jancis Robinson's contest: The Best Independent Wine Retailer! We are really grateful to all who wrote-in on our behalf. And we are equally grateful to all of our friends, customers, and co-workers who have sustained and supported us for many years. Not counting myself...

9/17/14 - (Photo of Maranges courtesy of Domaine des Rouges Queues) I will readily admit to an abiding love for Burgundy. The appellations roll off the tongue: Chambolle-Musigny, Vosne-Romanée, Volnay, Pommard… I’ll also confess to having great affection for less name-brand Burgundies. While not exactly household names, the less famous villages of the Côte d’Or and Côte Chalonnaise furnish some immensely satisfying and affordable...

9/16/14  (The terraces of Enkircher Ellergrub) “We leave them up there to scream, to get over their fears. I instruct them to focus on what’s in front of them, one vine at a time. Then when they finish, they can look down.” So terrifying are the heights of the Ellergrub vineyard near Enkirch that this is the method Alexandra Künstler employs with acrophobic harvest...

9/10/14 - (Our friend, Julia, sampling the goods) The Bourbon industry is exploding, and stocks of aged whiskey are being depleted by customers around the world eager to try America’s most celebrated spirit. This is great for business, but one of the issues with an aged spirit is that it takes time – a whole 12 years for Heaven Hill’s delicious Elijah Craig label....

9/4/14 -   Our friend Jonathan Nossiter, producer/director of "Mondvino," will be in New York September 10th and 11th for preview screenings of his new film "Natural Resistance." Mixing documentary and fiction, the film portrays the lives of Italian natural winemakers who rebel against the “New World Economic Order,” offering a model of charmed and joyous resistance. The film features Stefano Bellotti (Casina degli...

8/27/14 -   Champagne lovers are beginning to care a lot about vintage, which is a testament to the fact that they are viewing Champagne as wine first and foremost. This is refreshing and mildly surprising because the vast majority of Champagne is bottled non-vintage, and it’s widely held that vintage-dated Champagnes should be made only in the best years. On the other hand,...

8/25/14 - Rebecca and Peter Work of Ampelos Cellars first grabbed our attention with their unique and lovely Viognier, which puts a cool-climate twist on the variety's trademark peach and floral notes with unusually bright acidity, herbal and mineral undertones, and a refreshing hint of sea salt. When we learned that Ampelos is Santa Barbara County's first certified organic, biodynamic, and sustainable in practice (SIP)...

8/19/14 - (Domaine Louvetrie "Fief du Breil" vineyard) We're happy to acknowledge the fine article on Muscadet by Eric Asimov in the New York Times (Currently on-line, in the print edition this Wednesday) by offering our full selection of these great and affordable wines from our favorite producers. Please note some recent arrivals to Chambers Street, including two young organic growers, Stéphane Orieux and...

8/13/14 - If you think that modern German sparkling wine is but an imitation of Champagne, you are partially right. Formal production began only in 1826, and it was indeed a former employee of Veuve Clicquot who was responsible, one Georg Christian Kessler, who transported the concept to Esslingen am Neckar, just outside Stuttgart. While there is a lot of Sekt that is produced...

8/6/14 - (Domaine Francois Pinon) On the morning of June 17th, 2013, a horrible hail storm slashed through Vouvray, especially the vineyards around Vernou and Vallée de Cousse, home of our friend Francios Pinon. 85% of his crop was lost, and this came after a very small 2012 vintage that produced almost nothing except Pétillant. Many of us had the idea of helping the...

 8/4/14 - (Red, gray, and blue slate from Busch's Marienburg vineyard.) Clemens Busch is in many ways the conscience of the Mosel. He stopped using chemical pesticides, fungicides, and fertilizers in the mid-1980s and began incorporating biodynamic practices in 2005. Those choices placed him at the forefront, if not making him the leader, of the growing cadre of Mosel winemakers moving towards more natural,...

7/31/14 - (Peio Espil (Photo Charles Neal)) A few months ago we placed our twice-yearly order for wines from Peio Espil at Domaine Ilarria. It was a small order, as these fascinating wines have remained largely unknown and appreciated by only a few of our most intrepid customers. We're happy to see in yesterday's New York Times that Mr. Asimov's excellent article on the...