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Italy 1982-2019

Castell'in Villa, Conterno, Ferrando, Montevertine, Roagna, Valentini & More

2019 Chezeaux (Ponsot) Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Charmes

Like the Griotte, the Chambolle 1er Cru represents some serious value. You get Laurent Ponsot's singular genius at a serious discount.

Unmistakable Magic:
2015 Bonneau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Réserve des Célestins

Bonneau's unyielding traditionalism reaches its zenith in the Célestins bottling.

Not To Be Overlooked:
2019 Leflaive Mâcon-Verzé Les Chenes

For many years, Leflaive has resided at the very highest level of white Burgundy, right there with Coche-Dury, Lafon, Roulot, and Ramonet.

"Pretty, lacy and mineral-suffused'
2017 Bertheau Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru

They are wines that feel as though they're without artifice. The wines are animated by a fine-ness, a delicacy. They speak softly, but with captivating precision.

A High Water Mark
D'Angerville in Jura: 2019 Domaine du Pélican Arbois Trois Cépages

A blend of Pinot Noir, Trousseau and Ploussard, the Trois Cépages always has a beautiful harmony and purity. The 2019 stands out for its saturating intensity and lift. 

"A magical Champagne in the making"
2006 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne

The 2006 has such class and subtle complexity that it serves as a textbook example of what Comtes de Champagne can achieve. 

The Singular Beauty of Stella di Campalto
Stella di Campalto:
2016 Rosso di Montalcino
2015 Brunello di Montalcino

Stella di Campalto's wines are studies in elegance and grace.

The wines pull off a feat that no other wines in Montalcino quite achieve. They have an ethereal quality that couples so beautifully, if unexpectedly, with intensity and verve.

The Magic of Dagueneau
2018 Dagueneau Pouilly-Fumé Silex

Dagueneau's work with Sauvignon Blanc is without peer. As we said in the previous email, there are no examples of the grape that reach an equal amount of depth and sophistication.

Mascarello Rarity
2017 Bartolo Mascarello Langhe Nebbiolo

Bartolo Mascarello's Langhe Nebbiolo is almost impossible to find in quantity.

It's also a wine that we love and work hard to track down every year. Still, we typically end up wth only a couple cases. 

"Maybe the dark horse of Dominique Lafon’s wines this vintage"
2018 Lafon Meursault 1er Cru Les Porusots

Lafon's 2018s are simply jaw-dropping.
This doesn't comes as any surprise. For starters, Lafon has been at the top of his game for the past handful of vintages. 

Hiding In Plain Sight Revisited
2018 Pierre Boisson Auxey-Duresses Blanc

Boisson's work in Auxey-Duresses has been "hiding in plain sight". Their Auxey-Duresses Blanc shows a similar tension and cut that makes their Auxey 1er Cru En Reugne so thrilling.

"The wine has everything to produce a magical expression of Mosel Riesling"
2018 Willi Schaefer Graacher Domprobst Spätlese Auction

Bandol Rosé Benchmark:
2020 Pradeaux Bandol Rosé

Their Bandol Rosé is one of the most structured, complex, and ageable examples of the category. A bottle with five years in the cellar is not to be missed.

"Intense and beautifully textured"
2019 Ballot Millot Meursault

Each year, we taste through the lineup and find several gems. We consistently find some of the strongest examples on the villages level. 

"Perfect harmony"
2005 Drouhin Chambertin Clos de Beze

It's a vintage of nearly unheard-of structure and terroir imprint. It's a very special vintage and one that seems destined to be included with the greats of the past fifty years.

Riveting Purity:
2013 & 2014 Suenen Les Robarts Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut Grand Cru

Suenen's Chardonnays are nearly without peer in Champagne, boasting rare clarity and precision.

The Aristocrat:
2009 Vega Sicilia Unico Magnums

Old bottles of Vega Sicilia have provided some of my most profound wine experiences. It's a vin de garde of the highest order. The wine reaches its peak 40-50 years after the vintage. 

Real Deal Sangiovese - Boncie Rosso di Toscana:
2019 Cinque & 2018 Chiesamonti

We've been working with the wines for fifteen years and it's been exciting to watch them gather a strong following recently. The importance of Sangiovese has been rediscovered recently. Along with producers like Montevertine and Castell'in Villa, Boncie has been an essential producer for those seeking soulful and ageable Sangiovese.

An 11th Century Clos:
2019 Roches Neuves Saumur Blanc Clos Romans

Clos Romans is one of the most important wines of the Loire. Many tasters compare it to Corton-Charlemagne. That helps convey the amount of regal complexity and soaring tension that it offers.

Cult Chablis Revisited:
2019 Tribut Chablis

The 2019 Chablis is deeply concentrated with a mineral-laden profile. There's a textural imprint of chalk and a beautiful saline streak. The wine is further animated by currents of citrus. It finishes with plenty of punch and a nice tapering finesse. 

"This is lovely" - Magnum Edition:
2018 Lafon Meursault Magnums

Given this illustrious history, it's amazing that Lafon is currently turning out some of the greatest wines that we've tasted from him.

Canary Islands Superstar:
2019 Suertes del Marques Vidonia Valle de la Orotava

Suertes del Marques makes some of the greatest white wines on the Canary Islands and Vidonia is their top wine.

“One of the most exciting young wineries in Alto Piemonte"
2017 Colombera & Garella Lessona Pizzaguerra

Their first vintage was 2010 and almost overnight night the estate became a benchmark of the entire Alto Piedmonte.