JANUARY
2021 REVIEWS
RED WINES
OREGON
– RED
2017
Domaine Drouhin Oregon, Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills, Oregon
(S) 39.99 / 431.89 
From
the balanced, harmonious 2017 Oregon vintage, Véronique
Drouhin has crafted another beautifully elegant and layered
Oregon Pinot that manifests DDO’s elegance and style.
This lovely, approachable, and gorgeous vintage from DDO is
a sure hit now and over the coming decade with richer fare
such as roast duck and chicken, morels in a cream sauce, or
grilled New York strip steaks.
Véronique
Drouhin's tasting notes: “Our 2017 Dundee Hills
offers a fragrant nose of bright black cherries, berry bramble,
orange peel, golden brown spices and a touch of sweet oak.
Layered behind are notes of red berries and rhubarb. Flavors
of red plum, boysenberry and cassis mingle with a savory trio
of white pepper, forest floor and sassafras. Elusive and elegant,
this wine is wonderful now but I think will be in a perfect
place with 5-12 years of cellaring.”
*
James Suckling: "This is so delicious with very vibrant
red cherries and a wealth of fresh red flowers and a reticent,
spicy edge. The palate has a succulent, pure and very neatly
defined feel with a long, chiseled core of fresh red cherries.
So pure. Drink now." 94 points
* Wine Advocate: 93 points
* Vinous: 93 points
2019
Evesham Wood, Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon
(S) 19.99 / 215.89 
Much
to the delight of Oregon Pinot fans who relish the elegance
and delicacy of the Willamette Valley’s cooler vintages,
2019 is shaping up to be a home run. A perennial favorite
for authenticity, deliciousness, and value, Evesham Wood’s
2019 Willamette Valley Pinot is absolutely thrilling! Fresh
and bristling with energy, the wine opens with cool-vintage
aromas of crunchy cranberries, red raspberries, menthol, and
cinnamon. On the palate, the wine unfurls pure, vibrant notes
of red currants, red raspberries, brown spices, and loamy
soil. The finish is taut, coiled, and driven by notes of freshly
crushed red berries and subtle, perfectly integrated barrel
tones lifted by electric acidity and lip-dusting tannins.
Enjoy with classic Northwest fare, especially broiled salmon,
rotisserie chicken, potatoes au gratin, and dishes spotlighting
wild mushrooms. This is one heck of a prelude to what will
surely be a superior Willamette Valley vintage: buy this beauty
by the case before the press joins the parade!
FRANCE
– RED
2018
Domaine Delarche, Bourgogne Rouge, La Garenne, Burgundy, France
(S)
22.99 / 248.29 
This
is superb Burgundy that overdelivers authentic Burgundian
soil notes and high-altitude freshness for a most modest tariff.
The Domaine Delarche is renowned for its classic and affordable
expressions of white and red Burgundies in and around their
tiny hamlet of Pernand-Vergelesses. The same care and attention
to detail the domaine affords its grands crus Corton-Charlemagne
and red Cortons are extended to this superb Bourgogne rouge
from high-altitude vines in the Hautes Côtes near Pernand.
Sporting a deep, violet-tinged ruby robe, Delarche’s
La Garenne leverages its high-altitude situation to bring
coolness, harmony, and balance to the wine. Opening with vibrant
aromas of black raspberries, licorice, and clay, the La Garenne
expresses the depth of its 50-year-old vines on the palate
with deep expressions of juicy raspberry, pomegranate, and
currant fruit lifted by zesty acidity and subtle tannins.
Notes of red cherries, red currants, and cinnamon segue the
wine to a long, harmonious finish. Pair now and over the coming
five years with grilled pork sausages, herb roasted chicken,
bœuf bourguignon, and hearty lentil and mushroom stews.
2018
Domaine la Bonnelière, Saumur Champigny, Tradition,
Loire Valley, France (S)
13.99 / 151.09 
Saumur-Champigny’s
rouges range from the seriously expensive vins de garde that
take years to mature, to the immediately delicious cuvées
that deliver a mouthful of soul-satisfying Cabernet Franc
laced with Saumur’s inimitable yellow limestone (tuffeau)
soil signature. This beauty from Domaine la Bonnelière
lands firmly in the second camp. The domaine’s Tradition
bottling offers a pure, high-toned bouquet of violets, perfumed
tuffeau soil, tobacco, herbs, and capsicum followed by a silky,
generous palate of tangy black cherry and cassis fruit. Driven
by notes of tobacco and soil, the wine is ready to please
with all the character and perfumed terroir of the Loire Valley’s
Saumur sector. Here’s a sensational value in Touraine
Cabernet Franc that will drink impeccably well all year long.
Pair in cold weather with roast chicken or hearty mushroom
dishes, or give it a light chill in the summer and serve with
grilled zucchini, barbecue chicken, ribs, and fresh chèvres.
* Wine Spectator: 90 points
* Médaille d'Or, 2019 Concours des Vignerons Independents
2018
Pascal Aufranc, Chénas, En Rémont Vignes de
1939, Beaujolais, France (S)
18.99 / 205.09 
From
78-year-old vines in Beaujolais’ smallest and rarest
cru, Pascal Aufranc’s 2018 single-vineyard En Rémont
Chénas opens with a saturated black-ruby color and
gorgeous aromas of freshly crushed black raspberries, black
currants, game, pepper, salty granitic minerals, and spicy
cinnamon. Aufranc’s Chénas follows with palate-staining
blackberry and elderberry fruit complemented by fine, food-friendly
tannins, dusty granitic minerals, and floral notes of iris
and violet. The wine’s old-vine concentration is spotlighted
on its long, persistent finish, which adds notes of bitter
cherry skin, licorice, mustard seed, white pepper, and fruitwood
smoke. Delicious now with a vigorous decant, Aufranc’s
Chénas also has the poise and concentration to improve
over the next seven years in your cool cellar. Perfect with
the full spectrum of poultry and small birds, it will also
serve a lovely foil for braised rabbit, coq au vin, hearty
stews, and dishes featuring chanterelle mushrooms. Sensational
Chénas!
Josh Raynolds, Vinous: 92 points
2017
Élian Da Ros, Le Vignoble d’Élian, Côtes
du Marmandais, SW France (B)
23.99 / 259.09 
Élian
Da Ros, maestro of the unheralded Côtes du Marmandais
southeast of Bordeaux, is fashioning some of France’s
most respected and sought-after wines. His wines are the reference
standard for their appellation and represent some of the greatest
values in all of France (or the world, for that matter). Working
biodynamically, Da Ros combines the traditional Bordeaux varieties
Cabernet Franc (50%) and Merlot (30%) with the Rhône’s
noble Syrah to create this delicious, refined, and complex
red. An opaque amber-rimmed, black-plum color, Da Ros’s
2017 Vignoble d’Élian bursts with smoky aromas
of black plums, cassis, tobacco, sarsaparilla, and dark chocolate.
The wine follows with a deep, chewy kernel of black fruits,
game, tobacco, tar, and menthol accented by soft tannins and
delicious barrel tones of toffee and smoke. With its silky
texture and plush mouthfeel, do Ros’s Vignoble d’Élian
would not be out of place in a lineup of top-notch wines from
St. Émilion and Pomerol. Generous now and with plenty
in reserve, the wine finishes Right-Bank-style with gamy black
fruits accented by reprises of cocoa, limestone minerals,
and vanilla bean husk. Buy this wine by the case and enjoy
it now and over the coming decade with standing rib roast,
roast lamb, gratin dauphinois, and rich eggplant recipes.
Please do not delay, as all previous vintages have sold out
in short order.
2017
Domaine la Fourmone, Vacqueyras, Le Poete, S. Rhone Valley,
France (S)
17.99/194.29 
The
Domaine la Fourmone draws its roots from word “Fromentum,”
Latin for wheat, as depicted in the emblem on the wine’s
label. Earning consistent accolades from critics in France,
Britain and America, the Domaine la Fourmone’s 2017
Vacqueyras – a blend of Grenache (70%) and Syrah –
reflects a translucent ruby robe followed by textbook Vacqueyras
scents of black raspberries, licorice, bay leaf, bitter orange
peel, and hickory smoke. Warm and generous on the palate,
the wine reveals chewy cherry, currant, and plum fruit accented
by garrigue, peony, and cured meat. Packed with Southern French
charm and warmth, Fourmone’s impeccably balanced Le
Poete cuvee finishes bright and spicy with added suggestions
of orange zest, licorice, menthol, and sweet cherries. A terrific
value in classic, old-school Vacqueyras, it will make a lovely
foil for herbed leg of lamb, burgers, grilled eggplant, mushroom
ragouts, and hearty stews. Enjoy now and over the coming seven
years.
ITALY – RED
2019
Fratelli Alessandria, Verduno, Pelaverga Speziale, Piedmont,
Italy 23.99 / 259.09
Verduno
has become one of Barolo’s most coveted sectors, and
Fratelli Alessandria domaine farms among the region’s
greatest crus. Thankfully, the domaine staunchly champions
the rare, native Pelaverga grape on these hallowed sites.
Alessandria’s 2019 Pelaverga radiates a vivid magenta
hue segueing to delicious aromas of black cherries, wild strawberries,
white peppercorns, and rose petals. Brisk and vibrant on the
palate, Alessandria’s Pelaverga presents pie cherry
and tart plum fruit accented by complex notes of licorice,
tobacco, and savory herbs. Freshening acidity and fine tannins
buoy the wine’s cool kernel of crunchy red fruits and
segues it to a zesty, appetizing finish. Perfect as a wintertime
light red or hearty rosé, Alessandria’s Pelaverga
is ready to grace your table tonight and over the coming two
years with antipasti, salumi, vegetarian pasta preparations,
wood-fired pizzas, marinated flank steak, and lighter eggplant
dishes. Staff pick for the Italian rosso of the newsletter!
2018
Tenuta la Favola, Nero d’Avola, Sicilia DOC, Sicily,
Italy (CO) 12.99 / 140.29 
Nero
d’Avola is Sicily’s most important and widely
planted red varietal. The husband-and-wife team of Corrado
and Valeria Gurrieri organically farm the Tenuta la Favola’s
forty-seven acres in the shadow of Mt. Etna near Sicily’s
southernmost point. The duo’s superb 2018 Nero d’Avola
glows a translucent plum color in the glass followed by aromas
of black raspberries, damson plums, licorice, and tarry earth.
On the palate, the Nero d’Avola layers palate-saturating
plum and cherry fruit, fine, lip-smacking tannins, and delicious
expressions of blueberries, almond, and piquant earth. Long,
chewy, and lingering, the wine reprises its suave black-fruited
core alongside notes of cinnamon, nutmeg, and violets. We
suggest pairing this now and over the coming three years with
pizza margherita, hearty salumi, grilled beef or lamb, and
pasta tossed with pine nuts, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh garlic,
and olive oil. Don’t miss this southern Italian wine
of remarkable suppleness, balance, elegance, and drinkability.
2015
Falchini, Paretaio, Rosso Toscana IGT, Tuscany, Italy
20.99 / 226.69
Complete,
elegant, and satisfying, Falchini's 2015 Paretaio gets our
vote as the greatest Super Tuscan value on the market. The
renowned Falchini estate crafts its superb, barrique-aged
Super Tuscan red from a blend of Sangiovese (95%) and Merlot
grown in the esteemed Paretaio vineyard just north of the
hilltop village of San Gimignano. Falchini’s 2015 Paretaio
casts a translucent mahogany-tinged ruby color from the glass
alongside deep aromas of black cherries, wintergreen, leather,
tobacco, and shiitake mushrooms. Chewy vanilla and tobacco-tinged
Sangiovese fruit stains the palate accented by delicious barrel
tones of toffee and vanilla, backed by noble Sangiovese tannins.
Sangiovese’s distinctive leather and savory mushroom
notes reappear on the Paretaio’s back-palate and segue
the wine to its long, savory finish featuring complex suggestions
of black cherries, cured meat, tobacco, and vanilla. Pair
now and over the coming decade with pizza, meaty pasta dishes,
rich Tuscan bean stews, and grilled porterhouse steaks.
2016
Hilberg-Pasquero, Vino Rosso, 29.5 Per Alessandra, Piedmont,
Italy (B)
15.99 / 172.69 
Michelangelo
Pasquero and Annette Hilberg have established their domaine
in Piedmont’s Roero district based on biodynamic principles,
where tasks are performed based on the phases of the moon,
eschewing pesticides and herbicides in the vineyard, fermenting
with natural yeasts, and adding no sulfites during the winemaking.
The duo’s 100% Barbera 29.5 Vino Rosso – named
for the duration of the lunar cycle – opens with an
opaque violet ruby color segueing to high-toned aromas of
blackberries, violets, leather, cinnamon, and dark tobacco.
Showing the Piedmont’s sensational 2016 elegance, the
wine’s gentle tannins buttress a gorgeously pure kernel
of tart blackberry and black currant fruit complemented by
complex hints of tar, leather, tobacco, licorice, and lavender.
Delicious now with carne cruda, grilled hanger steak, oven-roasted
root vegetables, egg-rich pastas, grilled pork, and myriad
risottos, Hilberg-Pasquero’s 29.5 Rosso will also cellar
well for two to five years.
WHITE WINES
FRANCE
- WHITE
2019
Domaine Chiroulet, Terres Blanches, Côtes de Gascogne
IGP, Gascony, France (S)
11.99 / 129.49 
This
is Côtes de Gascogne blanc just as we like it: fresh,
focused, tense, mineral, and priced for everyday enjoyment.
To the southeast of Bordeaux, in the heart of France’s
Armagnac zone, Gascony’s white wines offer incomparable
value for crispness, drinkability, and pleasure. Situated
on Gascony’s highest slope, the Domaine Chiroulet sports
special calcareous and white clay soils known as the Terres
Blanches. These soils impart freshness and nerve to Chiroulet’s
wines that's rare for the region. Brilliant lemon-gold in
the glass with beautiful green glints, the Terres Blanches
– a blend of Gros Manseng (55%), Sauvignon Blanc (35%),
and Ugni Blanc – whets the palate with a delicious bouquet
of flinty minerals, white grapefruit, green pineapple, spearmint,
and freshly cut grass. In the mouth, the wine shows impressive
clarity and focus with lime juice, grapefruit, passionfruit,
and guava expressions infused with Thai basil and flinty minerals.
Herbal overtones of lemony sorrel and chervil mark the unusually
long, clean, distinctive finish. Chill the wine well to enjoy
over the coming year as a refreshing apéritif and with
shellfish, light freshwater fish dishes, lightly dressed salads,
and vegetable frittatas.
2019
Joseph Drouhin, Mâcon-Villages, Burgundy, France
(S) 16.99 / 183.49 
Nobody
elevates the humble Mâcon-Villages appellation to greater
heights than the great Maison Joseph Drouhin. Drouhin has
a special knack for infusing the Mâcon’s delicious
clay and limestone minerality into a buttery kernel of lemony
Chardonnay fruit and offering it at an everyday price tag.
Absolutely gorgeous from the moment it’s poured, Drouhin’s
2019 Mâcon-Villages presents a lovely pale gold color
in the glass followed by classic white Burgundy aromas of
meadow flowers, hazelnuts, buttery lemon curd, and soft limestone
minerality. The wine’s minerality carries through to
the palate, where it joins with notes of sweet butter, crunchy
pear fruit, and fresh lemon zest. Crisp yet fleshy, the wine
returns focus to its smoky, limestone soil signature alongside
expressions of lemony crème brûlée, Comice
pears, and hazelnut skins. Always authentic – and always
a terrific value – Drouhin’s Mâcon-Villages
will prove a wonderful complement now and over the coming
three years for sautéed squashes, roast chicken, pork,
halibut, snapper, and trout amandine.
2018
Domaine Nebout, L’Incompris du Tressallier, Vin de France
(Loire Valley), France (CO)
17.99 194.29 
Nearly
wiped out by the phylloxera epidemic in the mid-19th century,
the historically important Tressallier grape is a rare specialty
of central France’s Saint-Pourçain zone just
south of the Loire Valley. Today a mere ninety acres of Tressallier
survive, but dedicated vignerons such as Julien Nebout are
nurturing the grape on Saint-Pourçain’s special
mineral-rich, alluvial soils. A gleaming lemon-gold in the
glass, Nebout’s Tressallier casts aromas of Meyer lemon
zest, tart apples, and crushed limestone. The wine greets
the palate with green pear, and Mirabelle plum fruit, but
quickly focuses the spotlight on its shimmering mineral soil
undercurrent. Juicy impressions of key limes, quince, and
ginger layer the palate before yielding to brisk acidity,
herbal impressions of juniper, and another lashing of chalky
minerals. Fans of Loire Valley rarities need to get their
hands on a bottle of this truly fascinating wine. Pair now
and over the coming three years with herbed roast chicken,
broiled white-fleshed fish recipes, fresh chèvres,
and lightly-dressed green salads.
2018
Isabelle et Pierre Clément, Domaine de Châtenoy,
Menetou-Salon, Loire Valley,
France (S) 15.99 / 172.69 
Isabelle
and Pierre Clément represent the fourteenth generation
of growers of the Domaine de Châtenoy in the eastern
Loire region of Menetou-Salon. Just across the river from
Sancerre and boasting the same Kimmeridgean limestone soils
as its more famous neighbor, Menetou-Salon offers one of the
Loire’s, and, thus, the world’s greatest expressions
of the Sauvignon Blanc grape. The 2018 Menetou opens with
a green-tinged straw-gold color followed by a bouquet filled
with notes of ripe Comice pears, key lime, tangerines, chamomile,
and preserved ginger. On the palate, notes of peaches, pineapple,
and passionfruit emerge alongside Menetou’s firm underpinning
of limestone and flinty terroir. The impeccable balance of
ripeness and chalky soil follows through on the wine’s
long, juicy, tropical-fruit finish. Enjoy this terrific Loire
Sauvignon Blanc value now and over the coming three years
with vegetarian pastas, freshwater fish preparations, pan-seared
pork chops, braised lentils, and fresh chèvres.
2018
Paul Pernot et Fils, Bourgogne, Cote d’Or Chardonnay,
Burgundy, France (S)
32.99 / 356.29 
Paul
Pernot is a legend in his home village of Puligny-Montrachet.
Pernot’s always-delicious Bourgogne Chardonnay is fashioned
from declassified Puligny-Montrachet vines situated on Puligny’s
border with Meursault. The wine opens with a brilliant lemon-gold
color followed by rich, buttery, Meursault-like aromas of
lemon curd, pear, and hazelnuts. The Bourgogne’s palate
is at once creamy, textured, and precise, conveying premier
cru intensity and soil transparency rarely found in such an
affordably priced Cote-de-Beaune blanc. Long, sappy, and packed
with limestone-infused impressions of fresh lemon juice, yellow
plum, and buttery pastry crust, Pernot’s Bourgogne blanc
finishes elegant, rich, and impeccably well balanced. This
wine is always very limited, so be sure to call or email early
to secure your case of this beauty. The wine already drinks
well young but has the reserve and balance to ensure midterm
keeping. Enjoy now and over the coming decade with roast pork,
veal, poultry, white-fleshed fish dishes, and young chevres.
ITALY – WHITE
2019
Paitin, Roero Arneis, Elisa, Piedmont, Italy 17.99
/ 194.29
Arneis
is among the short list of our very favorite Italian white
wines. Deeper and richer in texture than most Arneis, Paitin’s
2019 Elisa shows a deep lemon-gold robe followed by an especially
complex floral-citrus-herbal bouquet that focuses on notes
of preserved lemon, yellow plum, almond, spearmint, chamomile,
and Barbaresco’s distinctive limestone-rich soil. The
wine layers the palate with impressions of mint, quince, ripe
pear, and yellow apple. Smoky limestone minerality and riveting
acidity sneak in on the wine’s long, brisk finish to
buoy the Elisa’s rich expressions of citrus, orchard,
and tropical fruits. Enjoy this unique, “grand cru”
expression of Arneis slightly chilled now and over the coming
year with white pizzas, pastas tossed with olive oil and white
sauces, golden trout, and sautéed seasonal squashes.
[Review revised 1/10]
2018
Vadiaperti, Fiano di Avellino, Campania, Italy
(O) 19.99 / 215.89 
Undoubtedly,
the noblest of all southern Italian white grape varieties
is the great Fiano. When grown at high altitudes in the volcanic
tufo soils of central Campania, the Fiano reaches its apogee
and performs at the level of Italy’s greatest white
wines. Fiano’s most ardent champion is Vadiaperti’s
Raffaele Troisi, whose father bottled the first all-Fiano
wine in 1984. In vintage 2018, Vadiaperti’s organic
Fiano gleams with a green-glinted lemon-gold hue, segueing
to gorgeous aromas of linden leaf, yellow apple skin, and
tart papaya infused with wildflower and piquant volcanic mineral
notes. On the palate, the wine expresses a kernel of fresh,
juicy lemon, pear, and Mirabelle plum fruits, countered by
complex suggestions of white pepper, fresh mint, and dried
herbs. Long, zesty, and persistent, Vadiaperti’s Fiano
finishes clean and refreshing with reprises of citrus and
orchard fruits infused with spicy volcanic minerals. Try this
reference-setting Fiano cool, but not too cold, now and over
the next three years with grilled prawns in a garlic and olive
oil sauce, charred octopus, grilled sardines or branzino,
and linguini dressed with a white clam sauce.
Ian d’Agata, Vinous: 91 points
2019
Iacopo Paolucci, Trebbiano Spoletino Il San Ponziano, Umbria,
Italy (S)
19.99 / 215.89 
Focusing
exclusively on indigenous Umbrian varieties, Iacopo Paolucci
combines organic winegrowing with gentle winemaking to craft
this superb Trebbiano Spoletino. A deep straw gold in the
bowl, Paolucci’s Il San Ponziano casts crisp, high-altitude
aromas of fresh apricots, persimmon, hops, and iodine. Bright
and bracing on the fore-palate, the Trebbiano’s rich
texture on the palate reflects the four days spent on the
skins, expressing nuances of lime zest, tangerine, Asian pear,
and fresh rosemary. A persistent marine mineral undercurrent
runs through the wine and segues it to a juicy and lingering
finish. Truly delicious, versatile, and filled with character
(like their superb Grechetto de Todi) Paolucci’s Il
San Ponziano will work fantastically as an attention-grabbing
starter white or, ideally, as a partner to prosciutto di Parma,
pork pates and terrines, braised lentils, vegetable-based
risottos, and linguine with a white clam sauce. Enjoy now
and over the coming two years. Fantastic wine!
PORTUGAL – WHITE
2019
Anselmo Mendes, Alvarinho Contacto, Vinho Verde, Portugal
18.99 / 205.09
Anselmo
Mendes is one of Portugal’s most highly sought-after
winemaking consultants and is the benchmark producer in Portugal’s
Vinho Verde zone. His Alvarinho is undoubtedly among Iberia’s
greatest and most distinctive white wines, and the 2019 Contacto
is his finest yet. To coax greater depth, character, and intensity
from the usually delicate Vinho Verde, Mendes’s 2019
Alvarinho Contacto is given extended skin contact. Dazzlingly
aromatic, the wine greets the palate with a riveting kernel
of peach, yellow plum, and tangerine fruit accented by overtones
of wintergreen, ginger, and tarragon. Electric acidity and
a granitic mineral undercurrent drive the brilliant citrus
and orchard-fruited core, segueing it to a crystalline, saline
finish. Notes of blood orange, white grapefruit, and fresh
lemon linger long after the wine leaves the palate. This is
phenomenal Alvarinho, a world-class white wine, and a steal
at its tariff. Pair it now and over the coming two years with
seafood and vegetable paellas, vegetable and seafood tapas,
sushi and sashimi, and seafood pastas.
* Mark Squires, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate: 91
points
|