AGENCY LIST

2014
AGENCY LIST 2014
ROBERSON WINE
Established in 1991, Roberson Wine has won numerous awards and is recognised as
one of the most innovative wine merchants in the UK. We are modern, relaxed and
highly professional, ofering a second-to-none service for customers in the UK and
beyond.
We believe in wines that show a unique sense of place, an uncompromising vision
and a desire to do something diferent. Over the past few years we have searched
for exceptional producers who reect our ethos and we look forward to sharing
these nds with you now and in the future.
Clif Roberson
WHOLESALE
21-27 Seagrave Road
London SW6 1RP
Tel: 020 7381 7870
Fax: 020 610 3791
on-trade@robersonwine.com
Next day delivery (London area only). You can work with less stock and order
according to your immediate needs.
Own vans. Orders are delivered by our own people who care and have the exibility
to respond to any circumstances.
Storage. You can hold paid reserves and draw from these as required. You get the
best deal and get it when you want.
Selection. Our experienced buying team travels widely and tastes throughout the
year in order to ofer you the best from each region.
Sourcing. Virtually all the wines on this list were shipped directly from the source -
giving you the best prices for the best wines.
WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU
CONTENTS
2014 AGENCY LIST
CHAMPAGNE
06 Veuve Borodin
06 Egly-Ouriet
07 Dosnon & Lepage
LOIRE VALLEY
08 Domaine des Cognettes
08 Les Vignes de lAngevin
09 Chteau de la Bonnelire
09 Domaine Laporte
10 Grard & Pierre Morin
13 Benjamin Dagueneau
BORDEAUX
14 Special selection
15 Chteau Beychevelle
15 Chteau Hourtin-Ducasse
16 Chteau Landiras
16 Chteau Milhade
17 Chteau des Annereaux
17 Chteau Moulinet
18 Chteau Falfas
21 Chteau Climens
21 Chteau Bastor-Lamontagne
ALSACE
22 Marcel Deiss
JURA
23 Philippe Bornard
24 Berthet-Bondet
BURGUNDY
25 Special selection
25 Grard Tremblay
26 Daniel Etienne-Defaix
26 Petitot
27 Pierre Guillemot
27 Christophe Vaudoisey
28 Chavy-Chouet
31 Buisson-Charles
32 Thomas Morey
33 Marc Morey
34 Alexandre Jouveaux
35 Nadine & Maurice Guerrin
BEAUJOLAIS
35 Dupeuble
36 Jean-Paul Thvenet
37 Charly Thvenet
38 Julien Sunier
RHONE VALLEY
41 Vignerons dEstezargues
42 Romain Duvernay
43 Roche Buissire
LANGUEDOC
44 Zlige-Caravent
44 Orbiel & Frres
45 Le Grand Noir
45 Mas des Dames
46 Mas Coutelou
04
CONTENTS
2014 AGENCY LIST
05
49 Domaine des Laurieres
49 JL Laurens
50 Peyre Rose
ROUSSILLON
53 Chteau de Corneilla
PROVENCE
54 Chteau Minuty
54 Chteau dEsclans
55 Domaine Maubernard
56 Domaine de Trvallon
ITALY
57 Rivani
57 Castello di Querceto
SPAIN
58 Marqus de Reinosa
58 Pesquera
AUSTRIA
59 Ebner-Ebenauer
LEBANON
60 Chteau Musar
CALIFORNIA
61 Copain
62 Kutch Wines
65 Lioco
66 Jolie-Laide
66 Moobuzz
67 Arnot-Roberts
68 Hirsch Vineyards
71 Broc Cellars
72 Matthiasson Wines
75 Smith-Madrone
76 Corison
79 Viano Vineyards
80 Mount Eden Vineyards
81 Tatomer Wines
82 Domaine de la Cte
85 Sandhi
85 Piedrasassi
OREGON
86 Bergstrm Wines
ARGENTINA
87 Vistalba
87 Bodega Lurton
NEW ZEALAND
88 Clark Estate
88 Felton Road
PORT
89 Taylors
COGNAC
89 Pierre Croizet
VEUVE BORODIN
CHAMPAGNE, FRANCE
06
Veuve Borodin is made exclusively for Roberson Wine by the
Champagne house of Boizel, and a visit to their HQ in Epernay
always sees Clif Roberson welcomed back like a long lost family
member no surprise when you consider that we have been
commissioning Veuve Borodin since our company was founded
in 1991 and Clifs relationship with Evelyne and Christophe goes
back long before that.
Boizel have been crafting Champagne since 1834 and have
always had a great reputation in France and northern Europe, but
the UK market was never that important for them, which meant
that they were happy to develop the Veuve Borodin brand with
us. The blend for our Brut cuve is always 40% Pinot Noir, 40%
Pinot Meunier and 20% Chardonnay, giving what we believe to
be the perfect balance between weight and elegance.
03BVB White NV Brut Champagne 75cl 14.86
03DVBR Ros NV Brut Ros Champagne 75cl 17.86
EGLY-OURIET
CHAMPAGNE, FRANCE
Although he is the fourth generation to run his family domaine
in the Grand Cru village of Ambonnay, Francis Egly is the rst to
establish the house at the very top of the Champagne tree. Along
with his close friend Anselme Selosse, Egly has set the standard
for a new generation of Grower Champagnes that have emerged
in recent years to challenge the dominance of the famous houses.
The estate consists of 11.7 hectares, with vines in the Grand Cru
villages of Ambonnay (8ha), Verzeney (1.4ha) and Bouzy (0.3ha).
It is these predominantly Pinot Noir vineyards that Egly uses to
make most of the wines in his stellar range, but there is another
2ha plot of Pinot Meunier in the 1er Cru village of Vrigny, from
which he makes the famous Vignes de Vrigny arguably the
nest expression of the Pinot Meunier grape.
Francis farms his vineyards organically and is committed to far
lower yields than the vast majority of wine-makers in the region
(less than half the typical level). The wines are made using a high
proportion of unned and unltered base wine, with the resulting
blends left to age on their lees for many years (the V.P spends
almost six years and the vintage wines almost seven!). Dosage is
low and the wine-making in general is amongst the most hands-of
in the region. The resulting wines show astonishing richness and
breadth, all of them with the capacity to age spectacularly. It is not
without reason that Egly-Ouriet has become one of Champagnes
reference-point producers.
03EOVV White NV 1er Cru Brut Vignes de Vrigny Champagne 75cl 29.29
03EOBT White NV Grand Cru Brut Tradition Champagne 75cl 35.13
03EEBVP White NV Grand Cru V.P. Extra Brut Champagne 75cl 45.13
03EBNVV White NV Grand Cru Blanc de Noirs Vieilles Vignes Champagne 75cl 75.13
03EGC04 White 2004 Grand Cru Millsime Champagne 75cl 77.63
03EC02EO White 2002 Grand Cru Millsime Champagne 75cl 85.96
03CCEO99 Ros NV Grand Cru Brut Ros Champagne 75cl 45.79
03CCE0M Ros NV Grand Cru Brut Ros Champagne 150cl 109.25
03BDLN White NV Rcolte Noire Champagne 75cl 20.63
03BDLNM White NV Rcolte Noire Champagne 150cl 46.92
03BDLNJ White NV Rcolte Noire Champagne 300cl 120.51
03BDLE White NV Rcolte Brute Champagne 75cl 22.63
03BDRRB White NV Rcolte Brute Champagne 150cl 48.59
03BDLB White NV Rcolte Blanche Champagne 75cl 23.46
03BDLA White NV Alliae Champagne 75cl 35.96
03DDLR Ros NV Rcolte Ros Champagne 75cl 25.13
DOSNON & LEPAGE
CHAMPAGNE, FRANCE
Arriving at Dosnon & Lepage is reminiscent of visiting an
artisanal domaine in Burgundy. Located in the Ctes-des-Bar
village of Avirey-Lingey, this set-up is a far cry from the glitzy
tasting rooms and manicured lawns of the big Champagne
houses in Reims or Epernay. Instead, Davy Dosnon is at
the centre of the grower movement, which has found real
momentum in this south-eastern outpost of the worlds most
famous wine region.
Davy grew up in the area before leaving for Burgundy, where
he studied wine-making and worked at Domaine Rossingol-
Trapet. After returning to his native region, Davy apprenticed
at Moutard and Serge Mathieu before deciding to go it alone
from the 2007 vintage he inherited the familys two hectares
of vines and supplemented that with 5 hectares leased from a
local family, all of it farmed organically.
Davys wines are considered amongst the Cte-des-Bars
best, something that comes as no surprise to those who have
witnessed his meticulous approach to wine-making. The grapes
are pressed in an ancient basket press before undergoing
fermentation and maturation in Burgundy barrels, imbuing the
wines with a sense of richness and depth. There are ve cuves,
all made from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, each of which
receives a low dosage in order to maintain the steely freshness
that is inherent in the fruit. The resulting production (of just
4,000 cases) is a range of wonderful Champagnes that ofer
some of the best value in the region.
07
DOMAINE DES COGNETTES
LOIRE VALLEY, FRANCE
LES VIGNES DE LANGEVIN
LOIRE VALLEY, FRANCE
Muscadet is a wine that fell out of favour with international
buyers for many years, but the recent renaissance of wine with
great acidity and food-friendly character has prompted renewed
enthusiasm for this classic region. The Perraud family has been
making Muscadet for six generations, with brothers Vincent and
Stphane taking over the estate in 1990. Their 28 hectares are
in and around the village of Clisson, one of the areas designated
crus and considered by many to be the nest terroir for growing
Melon de Bourgogne. Farming is certied organic and the
brothers are good friends with local producers like Domaine de
lEcu and Domaine de la Ppire, both renowned members of the
natural wine scene. While Cognettes is at the more conventional
end of the natural scale, they use very little SO2 and intervene as
little as they can. They also pick by hand - a rare thing in a region
where most producers are desperate to cut costs so they can hit
the price-points demanded by supermarket buyers (even if that
means a serious compromise on quality).
Once natural fermentation has completed, the wine rests in
stainless steel tanks on its lees (sur lie) until the following spring,
when it is bottled. The result is a wine full of fresh, citrusy zing
and steely, saline minerality that conjures up images of the
nearby Atlantic Ocean.
The natural wine movement has a fascinating history, with
various people instrumental in its evolution. Jules Chauvet and
the Gang of Four in Beaujolais were responsible for much of
the development on the production side, but who was going
to sell the wines made by these (and other) mavericks? Step
forward Jean-Pierre Robinot, owner of a wine bar (called LAnge
Vin) in Paris and the man who (along with his contemporary
Franois Morel) brought natural wine to the French capital
during the 1980s. Fast forward to the turn of the millennium
and JP decided that it was time to move back to his native Loire
Valley, to make wine with all the passion and conviction that
he had sold it with. So, in 2001 he bought various parcels of
Chenin Blanc and Pinot dAunis in the Jasnires and Coteaux
du Loir appellations. Today he has 5.5 hectares and produces
around 1500 cases.
Robinot is an amazing character. Conversations with him crackle
with energy and his devotion to and passion for the natural wine
movement is undeniable. Most importantly of all though, the
purity and complexity of his wines is stunning his Pinot dAunis
is the benchmark example of this fascinating red grape variety,
while his long levage Chenin Blancs have incredible vibrancy
and depth on the palate. Bistrologie and Concerto are Chenin
and dAunis respectively, made in an immediately accessible
style, and both are incredibly drinkable. The Charme du Loir is
a complex and intense Chenin Blanc aged for 36 months in old
barrels, a true Grand Vin of the natural wine scene.
02C13COG White 2013 Slection des Cognettes Muscadet Svre et Maine Sur Lie 75cl 7.30
02CONC11 Red 2011 Concerto Pinot d'Aunis Vin de France 75cl 15.93
02BIST10 White 2010 Bistrologie Chenin Blanc Vin de France 75cl 15.93
02CHDL08 White 2008 Charme du Loir Chenin Blanc Vin de Table 75cl 18.93
02LDSI03 White 2003 Lumiere du Silex Chenin Blanc Vin de Table 75cl 39.55
02SYMP03 White 2003 Symphonie Chenin Blanc Vin de Table 75cl 39.55
08
02B13TSB White 2013 Sauvignon Blanc Touraine 75cl 7.72
01P12CRB Red 2012 Chteau de la Bonnelire Chinon Rouge 75cl 9.88
CHTEAU DE BONNELIRE
LOIRE VALLEY, FRANCE
LAPORTE
LOIRE VALLEY, FRANCE
Since they purchased the Chteau de la Bonnelire in 1976, the
Plouzeau family have established themselves as one of the most
important families in Chinon. The beautiful property was fully
restored by Pierre Plouzeau, who replanted the dilapidated
vineyards and built a modern winery, while sending his son Marc
to learn the wine-making trade. In 1999 Marc took over and he
immediately set about converting the 20 hectares of vineyards
to organic viticulture (certied by Ecocert), as a key part of his
goal to craft pure and elegant wines that speak of the terroir
on which they are grown. There are three types of soil at the
estate gravel, clay (both excellent for Cabernet Franc) and
int (perfect for Sauvignon Blanc), spread across the Chinon
and Touraine appellations.
In the winery, low intervention is the order of the day. All
fermentations are natural and spontaneous, with no recourse
to chaptalisation or any other additions with the exception
of conscientious doses of SO2. The wines are fermented and
raised in stainless steel tanks, maturing in the 12th century
cellars of the familys beautiful chteau before being bottled in
time for the following years harvest to arrive.
Founded in 1850, Domaine Laportes 30 hectares have long
been among the most important in the Sancerre appellation,
with Ren Laporte being chairman of the Sancerre AOC for
fteen years throughout the 1970s and 80s a period when
the regions wines became established among the most famous
names in the wine world. Today it is owned by Henri Bourgeois,
a highly respected vigneron who also owns an eponymous
estate in the neighbouring town of Chavignol.
The domaine (which is currently undergoing conversion
to organic viticulture) covers some of the best terroir in the
appellation, including prime parcels on the silex soils of Le
Rochoy and the Kimmeridgian marl of Le Monts Damns,
not to mention the prime Pinot Noir vineyard Le Royeaux
which is situated overlooking the mighty River Loire. Each
parcel is vinied separately and the wines are bottled according
to the soils on which they are grown. Les Grandmontains is
made from grapes grown on limestone and marl soils, while Le
Rochoy is from silex soils. Laportes nest Sauvignon Blanc -
Le Comtesse is from their parcel of Monts Damns and
has the potential to age gracefully for at least ve years. All
the wines are fermented and aged in tank, with no malolactic
fermentation ensuring they stay classically fresh and crisp.
02B12SGR White 2012 Les Grandmontains Sancerre Blanc 75cl 13.30
02B12SGH White 2012 Les Grandmontains Sancerre Blanc 37.5cl 7.69
02B12SRO White 2012 Le Rochoy Sancerre Blanc 75cl 14.55
02B12SCL White 2012 La Comtesse Sancerre Blanc 75cl 16.88
09
There are some wine regions so beautiful that they inspire
awe on arrival and Sancerre is certainly one of them. The
village of Bu is particularly striking - a sea of vines set on
what looks like a 120 angle - the incredibly steep slopes and
stony soils are reminiscent of the Mosel Valley. The soil here
is Kimmeridge Clay, a combination of limestone and clay
that infuses the wines with searing minerality and a level of
concentration that gives serious potential for ageing.
The Morin family are one of the stalwarts of the village,
having been here for generations, but it is only since Grard
took over the domaine that they have moved away from
polyculture to focus all of their energies on growing grapes
and making wine. Before he assumed control in the 1960s,
the Morin family made plenty of wine, but they were also
well known in the local area for the quality of their Chavignol
goats cheese and were cultivating various other crops
too. Grard changed all this, acquiring new vineyards and
replanting some existing parcels, in addition to improving
the facilities at the domaine.
Today, Domaine Morin stands at around 10 hectares and
Grards son Pierre has been in charge since 2004, when he
returned from studying in Dijon and working at domaines in
Burgundy, Bordeaux and Australia. He immediately began
the process of eliminating chemical treatments from the
viticultural regime and by 2009 the domaine was run along
organic lines (although the amount of hoops that must be
jumped through for official certification doesnt appeal to
Pierre). The vineyard area is divided equally between old
vines (50+ years old), 30-50 year old vines and young vines
(under 30), which enables Pierre to maintain an average
yield of around 40 hl/ha very low in an appellation where
50+ hl/ha is considered to be a small crop!
Pierres attention to detail in the vineyard has been mirrored
in a meticulous approach to vinification and he has instituted
a policy of vinifying all of his many parcels separately. This
makes for a fascinating tasting at the domaine, where the
differences between gravel rich and clay rich soils manifest
themselves in distinctly different blending components for
his estate Sancerre cuve. This wine is vinified in stainless
steel tank and is full of the mineral freshness that you expect,
but thanks to spending several months on lees, there is also
a real sense of weight on the palate. There are two single
vineyard wines, the first of which comes from Bus most
revered site Chene Marchand. This south-facing vineyard
sits on gravelly limestone soils and, while the vines here are
relatively young (25 years old), yields are kept low and the
wine shows genuine power and concentration.
Pierres best wine comes from an incredible site next to
the winery, where the south-west facing vines were planted
in 1950 by his next-door neighbour. Monsieur Ovide was
the village blacksmith and has long since departed to the
great workshop in the sky, but the Morin family bought
the vineyard after his passing and Pierre decided to name
the wine after the man responsible for this fabulous site. A
small part of the wine is matured in used barrels and blended
with the tank component, before being bottled unfined and
unfiltered the result is one of the appellations most age-
worthy wines, full of saline minerality and dense citrus fruit.
In addition to his benchmark white wines, Pierre is also a big
fan of Pinot Noir and he dedicates significant energies to
producing two excellent examples. Planted on the domaines
clay-rich sites, the estate Pinot is fermented and aged in used
wooden barrels (2-4 years old) for 12 months, and the result
is a vibrant and juicy red wine with great varietal character.
The best of his Pinot vineyards is a site called Bellechaume,
from which Pierre makes a single vineyard cuve aged for
two years in new and one year old barrels, before being
bottled without filtration. It is a rich and silky wine that has
GERARD & PIERRE MORIN
LOIRE VALLEY, FRANCE
11
02B13SBM White 2013 Sancerre Blanc 75cl 11.93
02B12SBM White 2012 Sancerre Blanc 75cl 11.93
02M11SBM White 2012 Sancerre Blanc 150cl 25.10
02B12SCM White 2012 Chne Marchand Sancerre Blanc 75cl 14.55
02B12SOM White 2012 Ovide Sancerre Blanc 75cl 15.38
01P11SRM Red 2011 Sancerre Rouge 75cl 12.63
01P10BCH Red 2010 Bellechaume Sancerre Rouge 75cl 14.13
12
great capacity to improve with age and demonstrates what
Pinot is capable of in this part of the appellation.
Despite the reputation of the Morin family and their track
record of producing top class Sancerre wines, one of the most
striking things about Pierre is his humility. His experiences
of working in other French regions and, perhaps most
importantly, in Australia, have given him an international
outlook and an open mind, but he has deep roots in the Loire
Valley and is a man who is very proud of where he comes
from. This pride has driven him to do as much as possible to
demonstrate the quality of his terroir through his wines and,
thanks to a young son and daughter who love to get involved
as much as possible, it seems that Domaine Morin has an
even brighter future ahead of it.
BENJAMIN DAGUENEAU
LOIRE VALLEY, FRANCE
Rebel. Iconoclast. Legend. All words (and there are many more
besides) that have been used to describe Didier Dagueneau
down the years. The last one legend is the one you will hear
most often nowadays, since Didiers tragic death in a microlite
accident back in 2008. Since then, his son Louis-Benjamin has
been thrust into the limelight as the new head of this world-
famous domaine and has continued the work that his father
began back in the early 1980s.
When Didier arrived in Saint-Andelain to set up his own
domaine in 1982, it was not as an outsider or a newcomer - his
family had been making wine in the village for generations but,
rather than join the family winery he decided immediately to
set-up his own, separate domaine. Didier was heavily critical
of what his family were doing (the rst of many vignerons he
would insult and fall-out with during his career) and declared that
he was going to make the best Sauvignon Blanc in the world. That
would involve doing things diferently to the wine-makers he was
surrounded by in Pouilly-Fum.
Didiers rebellious streak was in evidence throughout his
career. He was always open to trying new ideas in the vineyard
and winery, but was never afraid to take what he wanted from
a practice and discard the rest. Over the years he converted
his vineyards to organic farming and then started to work
with biodynamics, before deciding to cut out a lot of the
more extreme of Steiners ideas and revert back to something
akin to organic+. In the winery he experimented with low
and zero SO2 during the mid-1990s, but went back to using
conventional doses of sulphur as he decided the wines hadnt
aged the way he expected. Wide-ranging experiments with oak
led to Didier deciding that he liked new oak for the way it allowed
the wines to breathe during their levage, but didnt like the
oaky avours that the barrels imparted so he worked with his
cooper to develop large (450 and 600 litre) sized barrels that
had a very low toast. He also developed smaller (350lt) barrels
in an elongated, cigar-like shape, which keep the lees moving
throughout the levage and thus need less aggressive btonnage.
Low yields and oak ageing give weight and depth to the
Dagueneau wines, but it is their unmistakable precision and
clarity that separate them from all of the average Sauvignon
that surrounds them. Benjamin seems to have inherited the
perfectionist streak of his father (although not the shaggy mane
and wild beard that Didier was famous for) and reaction to the
wines he has produced since taking over has been very positive.
Having learned his trade working alongside Didier for years, the
wine world can rest assured that Pouilly-Fums nest address
will continue to go from strength to strength.
02B12PFP White 2012 Blanc Fum de Pouilly 75cl POA
02B12BRD White 2012 Buisson Renard Blanc Fum de Pouilly 75cl POA
02B12PSB White 2012 Pur Sang Blanc Fum de Pouilly 75cl POA
02B12SIL White 2012 Silex Blanc Fum de Pouilly 75cl POA
02B11SIL White 2011 Silex Blanc Fum de Pouilly 75cl 58.72
02K08JDB White 2008 Les Jardins de Babylone Juranon 50cl 68.03
13
SPECIAL SELECTION
BORDEAUX, FRANCE
01A11FCF Red 2011 La Fleur Chadenne Fronsac 75cl 8.93
01A09GA6 Red 2009 Chteau Petit Bois la Garelle St Emilion Grand Cru 75cl 13.38
01A08FRP Red 2008 Frank-Phlan St.Estphe 75cl 17.88
01A08CPL Red 2008 Condences de Prieur-Lichine Margaux 75cl 17.72
01A08CL6 Red 2008 Chevalier de Lascombes Margaux 75cl 18.72
01A98BA6 Red 2008 Chteau Batailley Pauillac 75cl 33.72
01A08SEH Red 2008 Sgla Margaux 37.5cl 11.86
01A06SEG Red 2006 Sgla Margaux 75cl 22.05
01A06DRE Red 2006 Chteau d'Armailhac Pauillac 75cl 37.88
01A06HBG Red 2006 Chteau Haut-Bages Averous Pauillac 75 25.05
01A06COM Red 2006 Rserve de la Comtesse Pauillac 75cl 29.55
01A01CM6 Red 2001 Clos du Marquis St. Julien 75cl 39.55
01ALAB98 Red 1998 Chteau Langoa-Barton St. Julien 75cl 35.38
14
CHTEAU HOURTIN-DUCASSE
BORDEAUX, FRANCE
The team at Chteau Beychevelle are responsible for
producing one of St Juliens best wines, but their project in
the generic Bordeaux appellations Grand Bateau is an
opportunity for them to apply their expertise to an altogether
more afordable range. Made from fruit grown in high quality
vineyards throughout the Bordeaux region, the Grand Bateau
Rouge is a blend of 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Sauvignon.
Fermentation takes place in stainless steel tank and levage is
done in a combination of tank and barrel (with 35% aged in
oak to add depth and texture), before being bottled after 12-
15 months. Grand Bateau Blanc is a blend of 75% Sauvignon
Blanc and 25% Smillon, with 3/4 of the juice fermented in oak
barrels. The wine then spends 6-7 months in stainless steel tank
before being bottled.
These are rich and characterful wines, with great Bordeaux
pedigree and typicity, that represent wonderful value for money.
Chteau Hourtin-Ducasse has been a wine-making estate
for hundreds of years its name is derived from the families
that owned it during the 17th and 18th centuries. Today the 24
hectare property is owned by Michel Marengo, who oversees
the work at the estate with his wife Marie-Noelle and their
oenologist Marc Quertinier. Located along the appellation
border with Pauillac in the prime Haut-Mdoc village of Saint-
Sauveur, the wines of Hourtin-Ducasse have been classied as
Cru Bourgeois since 1932 and represent some of the best value
in all of Bordeaux.
Farming follows the lutte raisonne methodology, although
many organic and even some biodynamic principles are adhered
to. The wines are fermented and aged in old oak barrels and
the results are pure, restrained and classic Clarets, with a nal
blend that reects the make-up of their vineyards 70%
Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc.
While Hourtin-Ducasse is a wine that drinks beautifully when
young, it ages very well and really gets going 5-10 years from
the vintage.
01A11GBA White 2011 Grand Bateau Bordeaux Blanc 75cl 8.55
02C12GBB Red 2012 Grand Bateau Bordeaux Rouge 75cl 8.55
01A07HD Red 2007 Chteau Hourtin-Ducasse Cru Bourgeois Haut-Mdoc 75cl 12.47
CHTEAU BEYCHEVELLE
BORDEAUX, FRANCE
15
MILHADE
BORDEAUX, FRANCE
Located at the southern end of the Graves appellation is Chteau
de Landiras, the most important property in the village of the
same name. The beautiful chteau was built in 1306 and during
the 17th century it was home to Jeanne de Lestonnac, a lady
who would go on to become a Catholic Saint by establishing a
religious order called the Company of Mary (she was canonised
in 1949). While Landiras was a well respected vineyard in its day,
over the years it fell into a state of disrepair until it was purchased
in 2008 by the Pelissi family. Their investment in rebuilding the
winery from scratch paid immediate dividends when the 2009
vintage was awarded the Coup de Coeur in the Guide Hachette.
The 20 hectares of vineyard are split between 15 hectares
of red varieties (75% Merlot, 25% Cabernet) and 5 hectares
of white (70% Sauvignon Blanc, 30% Smillon), with lutte
raisonne viticulture practiced. In the winery, vinication is
understated and traditional with a focus on maintaining the
vitality and freshness imbued by the Graves terroir. levage is
in oak barrels, but only a small amount of them are new and the
result is fresh and vibrant wines that showcase the minerality of
the regions gravelly soils. This is an exciting estate dedicated to
quality but producing wines that ofer great value for money.
The Milhade family have been making wine in Bordeaux since
1938 and can now count ve right bank properties in their
portfolio, including some of the most venerable chateaux and
vineyards in satellite appellations like Lalande-de-Pomerol,
Puisseguin-St-Emilion and Lussac-St-Emilion. Ever since the
company was founded by Damase Milhade, the family have
continued to develop their portfolio of properties and improve
the quality of wines they produce in 2009 Hubert de Bouard
of Chteau Angelus was brought onboard as a consultant
and the most recent vintages reect his preference for well-
structured but silky smooth wines.
All of the wines in the Milhade range are made with terroir
expression in mind and this is reected in the distinct character
of each. Damase is vibrant and youthful with attractive and
upfront fruit, while Tour dAuron shows a more savoury
expression of the Bordeaux Suprieur appellation. Sergant
has elegant tannins and plummy fruit reminiscent of its more
prestigious neighbours across the border in Pomerol, while
Vieux-Barrail and Lyonnat both age superbly while displaying the
class and structure that many a St Emilion would be proud of.
01A10LAN White 2010 Chteau de Landiras Blanc Graves 75cl 10.80
01L11CLW Red 2011 Chteau de Landiras Rouge Graves 75cl 10.80
01A08DM6 Red 2008 Chteau Damase Bordeaux Suprieur 75cl 7.93
01A09DMH Red 2009 Chteau Damase Bordeaux Suprieur 37.5cl 5.19
01A06LYO Red 2006 Chteau Lyonnat Lussac-St. Emilion 75cl 11.63
01A02LYO Red 2002 Chteau Lyonnat Lussac-St. Emilion 75cl 12.80
CHTEAU DE LANDIRAS
BORDEAUX, FRANCE
16
01A08DA6 Red 2008 Chteau des Annereaux Lalande-de-Pomerol 75cl 13.88
01A06DA6 Red 2007 Chteau des Annereaux Lalande-de-Pomerol 75cl 13.22
01A10DAH Red 2010 Chteau des Annereaux Lalande-de-Pomerol 37.5cl 7.48
01A11DEM Red 2008 Chteau des Annereaux Lalande-de-Pomerol 150cl 28.77
CHTEAU MOULINET
BORDEAUX, FRANCE
Wine has been made at Chteau des Annereaux for over
500 years, during which time it has become well-established
as one of the most important producers in the Lalande-de-
Pomerol appellation. Today it is owned by the Hessel family,
who farm almost 23 hectares, split between plantings of
Merlot (85%), Cabernet Franc (11%) and Cabernet Sauvignon
(4%). Viticulture is organic (certied by Ecocert since 2007)
and vinication is low-intervention, so although the winery
is modern and fully equipped with stainless steel tanks for
fermentation and oak barrels for levage (25% new each year),
there is no recourse to micro-oxygenation, use of enzymes or
any other modern scientic techniques.
The wines are classic right bank Bordeaux elegant and
structured with eshy dark fruit, attractive in their youth but
with potential to mature in the cellar for many years. The terroir
at Chteau des Annereaux has wonderful pedigree and the shift
in farming techniques is now allowing the Hessel family to get
the best out of this fabulous property.
Purchased in 1971 by Armand Moueix, Chteau Moulinet
and its 18 hectares of vines is today owned by Marie-Jos and
Natalie Moueix. Since this latest generation took control of the
property, they have invested heavily in improving everything
from the viticulture through to the equipment in the winery.
Having previously employed Denis Durantou as consultant
wine-maker, in 2009 they began working with Stphane
Derenoncourt well known as the right man to help Bordeaux
estates maximise the potential of their terroir and reect it in
the nished wines and are now recognised as producing some
of the best value wines in the prestigious Pomerol appellation.
Unusually for this part of Bordeaux, Cabernet Sauvignon plays
a leading role in the nal blend (30%), with the remainder
made up of Merlot (60%) and Cabernet Franc (10%). The wine
is aged in oak barrels for 18 months (50% of which are new)
and the result is an elegant, silky Pomerol with plush fruit and
bright minerality.
01A08MP Red 2008 Chteau Moulinet Pomerol 75cl 22.38
CHTEAU DES ANNEREAUX
BORDEAUX, FRANCE
17
1988 was a busy year for the Bouchet family. Franois
Bouchet decided to step down from his role as inspector for
the Biodynamic certication body Demeter and establish
himself as a vineyard management consultant, while his
daughter Vronique and her American husband John
Cochrane were searching for a wine estate to call their own.
Bouchet helped them with their search, which culminated in
December of that year when they took control of Chteau
Falfas, the most historic property in Bordeauxs Cte de
Bourg appellation. Within months, Franois was converting
their vineyards to biodynamic farming, before heading over
to Burgundy to do the same for Domaine de la Romane-
Conti, Domaine Leaive and Domaine Leroy. Bouchet carved
out a successful career as the leading practitioner of applying
Steiners agricultural theories to vineyards, and although he
passed away a few years ago, Vronique continues to uphold
the familys reputation for conscientious farming.
The fact that Chteau Falfas was the first Bordeaux
property to embrace biodynamics (20 years before Pontet-
Canet made headlines for doing the same thing) is lost on
most Bordeaux enthusiasts. Of course, what happens in the
satellite appellations like Cte de Bourg often flies under
the radar (proving just how easy it is to forget that there
are 8000+ chteaux making wine in Bordeaux), but this
wasnt always the case. Back in the 14th century, Falfas
was owned by the Lords of Lansac, who swore allegiance
to the English Crown and proudly exported their wines to
the court of Edward III during the Hundred Years War. The
reputation of Falfas was further enhanced in 1612, when
the Sires de Riveaux took ownership of the estate and built
the magnificent chteau that still stands today. For many
years the estate continued to produce wines that were
widely respected, but following the successive devastations
of powdery mildew, phylloxera, two world wars and a global
economic crisis, by the second half of the 20th century the
glory of the Cte de Bourg (as Bernard Ginestet wrote of
Falfas) had fallen upon hard times.
When Vronique and John arrived in 88, the 22 hectares
of vineyard was the first thing they set about restoring, but
once biodynamics was firmly in place they made a string of
other improvements too. The chteau was renovated and the
winery updated, though not with the fancy technology so
common at other chteaux. The plan at Falfas was to get
the fruit as good as it could be, before practicing a low-
intervention approach to wine-making that would allow the
terroir to shine. Concrete tanks are used for fermentation,
with wild yeasts, no chaptalisation, enzymes or must
concentration, and no filtration before bottling. This is the
wine-making regime across the whole range of wines, which
includes a tank aged second wine called Les Demoiselles de
Falfas and a cuve called Le Chevalier, which is aged in 100%
new oak. The estate wine bottled simply as Chteau Falfas
spends 11 to 14 months in barrel (depending on the vintage),
30% of which are new. This elegant, silky wine is beautifully
harmonious and a fantastic reflection of the Falfas terroir.
It is this terroir (and the fact that it is farmed so sensitively)
that separates Falfas from the majority of other chteaux
in the Cte de Bourg and Bordeauxs other satellite
appellations. Situated less than a mile from the right bank
of the mighty River Garonne and backing on to one of its
many tributaries, the Falfas vineyards are also surrounded
by woodland, making it a place of fantastic biodiversity
(and thus perfect for biodynamics). The soil is known as
Calcaire Astries a clay and silica top-soil on top of a
deep limestone base, rich in fossilised oysters, and this is
responsible for infusing the wines with wonderful acidity
and minerality. The vineyard is planted to Merlot (55%),
Cabernet Sauvignon (25%), Malbec (15%) and Cabernet
CHTEAU FALFAS
BORDEAUX, FRANCE
19
01DF10 Red 2010 Chteau Falfas Ctes de Bourg 75cl 12.80
01DFH10 Red 2010 Chteau Falfas Ctes de Bourg 37.5cl 6.78
01DFM11 Red 2011 Chteau Falfas Ctes de Bourg 150cl 25.60
20
Franc (5%), which reflects the final blend in a typical year
and gives the wine a wonderful balance between immediate
drinkability and the structure to age for at least ten years in
good vintages.
When talking about and buying Bordeaux, its all too easy
to get preoccupied with the famous names of Pomerol, St
Emilion and the Haut-Mdoc a conversation that quickly
becomes frustrating once the spectre of price raises its ugly
head. While searching for interesting wines in the satellite
appellations can be like looking for a needle in a haystack,
there are interesting diamonds to be found in the rough, and
Falfas is a gem that sparkles brighter than most.
Climens, dubbed The Lord of Barsac, undoubtedly deserves its
reputation as one of the top chteaux in Barsac and Sauternes.
The propertys distinct terroir, marked by its hilltop position
and the presence of limestone subsoil, led the Lurton family
(the present owners) to remove what little Sauvignon Blanc and
Muscadelle remained and plant the vineyard to 100% Smillon.
They feel the estates terroir lends itself perfectly to the
cultivation of this variety and that the character of the estate is
best expressed through Smillon rather than as a blend.
The wines themselves show this to have been a good decision
and the quality of their second wine, Cyprs de Climens, has
improved dramatically as a result. Hand-harvested and oak-
aged in precisely the same manner as Chteau Climens (20-
24 months in 35-45% new oak barrels), Cyprs is not a pre-
determined second wine from a blend of lesser plots, but rather
a wine made from the second round of picking in the vineyard
and selected barrels that dont quite t the prole of that years
Grand Vin. When you consider that yields for the rst wine
are regularly as low as 7hl/ha, it is no surprise that Cyprs also
has the great richness and power that reects the quest for
perfection undertaken by Brnice Lurton and her team.
Wine of Kings is an oft used term in French wine, usually
referring to an appellation or an estate that was the preference
of one king or another. Chteau Bastor-Lamontagne, however,
was quite literally the kings wine - it belonged to Louis XV
until he gave it to the head of the Bordeaux parliament in 1711.
The reputation for making excellent sweet wines at the estate
was established in the 18th century when the Larrieu family
(owners of Haut-Brion at the time) took over the property
and its 56 hectares of Smillon (80%) and Sauvignon Blanc
(20%) located in the commune of Preignac. Today it is a highly
respected source of excellent value Sauternes, fermented in a
combination of steel tank and barrel, before being matured for
15 months in oak (25% new).
02E10CCL White 2010 Cyprs de Climens Barsac 75cl 28.88
02E10CCH White 2010 Cyprs de Climens Barsac 37.5cl 14.94
01A07BLA White 2007 Chteau Bastor Lamontagne Sauternes 75cl 16.05
01A07BLH White 2007 Chteau Bastor Lamontagne Sauternes 37.5cl 9.03
CHTEAU CLIMENS
BORDEAUX, FRANCE
BASTOR-LAMONTAGNE
BORDEAUX, FRANCE
21
Jean-Marie Deiss is one of the wine worlds mavericks and
unquestionably one of Alsaces nest producers. His single-
minded devotion to quality and terroir expression have caused
innumerable run-ins with the authorities and his fellow vignerons
down the years, but when he was ofcially enlisted to help write
the modied appellation legislation that accompanied the shift
from AOC to AOP in 2012, it was a demonstration that his
principles are nally being respected.
The domaine was founded by Marcel Deiss in 1947, but it
was after Jean-Marie took control in 1973 that things began
to change. By the 1980s, Jean-Marie was sure that his belief
in wine as an expression of terroir was being hindered by the
rigidity of Alsaces appellation laws so he decided to defy
them. Convinced that eld blends of the classic Alsacian
varieties yielded more complex wines from his Grand Cru sites
than the legally required mono-varietal wines, Deiss outed the
regulations and blended his wines in the same way that wine-
makers had done in the region for hundreds of years before
the appellation laws were introduced in the 1930s. The results
garnered acclaim from every corner of the globe and his long-
running dispute with the authorities ensured Jean-Marie was
never out of the public eye. He took full advantage of his prole
to promote other philosophies that he holds dear, such as low
yields, biodynamic farming and fermentation with natural
yeasts. Finally, in 2005, the authorities relented and allowed
Deiss to (legally) use the words Grand Cru on his labels again,
changing the AOC regulations in the process. Jean-Marie
Deiss is a wine-maker of incredible integrity and ability, with
a superb range of wines that reect the concentration and
complexity of the man who makes them.
MARCEL DEISS
ALSACE, FRANCE
02A12PBB White 2012 Pinot d'Alsace Alsace 75cl 12.88
02A11PBB White 2011 Pinot d'Alsace Alsace 75cl 12.88
02A12RMD White 2012 Riesling Alsace 75cl 14.97
02A11RMD White 2011 Riesling Alsace 75cl 14.97
02A11GHD White 2011 Gewrztraminer Alsace 75cl 15.38
02A09MDS White 2009 Schofweg Alsace 75cl 24.13
02A07ARD White 2007 Altenberg de Bergheim Grand Cru Alsace 75cl 43.72
02A09MMD White 2009 Mambourg Grand Cru Alsace 75cl 43.72
02A09SMD White 2009 Shoenenbourg Grand Cru Alsace 75cl 43.72
01Q08BMD Red 2008 Burlenberg 1er Cru Pinot Noir Alsace 75cl 22.05
22
The village of Pupillin feels like it sits on top of the world.
High in the Alpine hills of the Jura (up to 600m), this small
wine-making community consists of just eleven domaines and
is the self-proclaimed world capital of Ploussard. Despite its
small size, the commune of Pupillin is home to some of the
Juras nest wine-makers and Philippe Bornard is one of the
villages most respected names. Having inherited the familys 7
hectares, Philippe decided in 2005 to stop selling the wine to
the local cooperative (where, to be fair, he had been the wine-
maker for over 20 years) and start bottling it under his own
label. Its a label that has since become iconic - the orange foxes
relate to the phrase Beau Renard, which means handsome fox
and sounds like Bornard when you say it quickly! Philippes
neighbour, close family friend and wine-making legend Pierre
Overnoy not only persuaded him that he should bottle his own
wine, but also introduced him to a natural method of working
in the vineyard and winery. Philippe, and his son Tony who now
works alongside him, farm their land biodynamically and will be
certied from the 2012 vintage.
Bornards reds exhibit a delicious balance between delicacy
and complexity. The Ploussard La Chamade is medium bodied
with a combination of red berry fruit and earthy, savoury notes.
Le Ginglet is made from the other indigenous red variety,
Trousseau, which has a bit more structure and darker fruit
notes, while still bright on the palate with incredible drinkability.
The whites include a Chardonnay called Les Gaudrettes (the
name relates to a specic parcel and levage is for two years in
used Burgundy barrels), with Burgundy-like precision on the
palate. Les Marnes is an altogether diferent beast. Made from
Savagnin, the classic white variety of the Jura, this is made in
an oxidative style by spending ve years ageing in Burgundy
barrels without topping up. It is an incredible wine powerful,
complex and intense, with white owers, nuts and a saline
minerality that runs into a long, long nish.
The Jura is one of the wine worlds most fashionable regions
at the moment and it is artisanal wines like Bornards that
represent the best that this beautiful part of France has to ofer.
PHILIPPE BORNARD
JURA, FRANCE
02PB11GD White 2011 La Gaudrette Chardonnay Ctes-du-Jura 75cl 15.38
02PB07MA White 2007 Les Marnes Savagnin Ctes-du-Jura 75cl 17.47
02PB11CM Red 2011 La Chamade Ploussard Arbois Pupillin 75cl 14.55
02PB10CM Red 2010 La Chamade Ploussard Arbois Pupillin 75cl 14.55
02PB11GI Red 2011 Le Ginglet Trousseau Arbois Pupillin 75cl 15.38
23
Despite coming from a family of wine-makers in a bygone age
(his great-great grandfather made the wine at Clos Vougeot),
when Jean Berthet-Bondet and his wife Chantal bought their
ten hectare domaine in 1984 they had no direct experience of
making wine. They set about the task of becoming vignerons
and over the last thirty years have built a reputation for making
some of the Juras best wines. With 5 hectares, they are also
one of the most important landowners in the Chteau Chlon
appellation (the jewel in Juras crown).
Viticulture here has been fully organic since 2010 and
fermentations take place with wild yeasts. Crmant du Jura
is made using the traditional method and is 90% Chardonnay
planted on marl soils (the balance is Savagnin), giving it a
distinctly Champenois character and complexity. The Cte du
Jura Chardonnay is grown on gravel and marl soils from vines
planted in the late 80s. The 12 months of levage takes place
in Burgundy barrels (around 10% of which are new) and the
result is an elegant wine with a long, creamy nish. Finally,
the Chteau Chlon is aged for six years sous voile (under
or) and the result is a powerful wine of incredible complexity.
Nuts, dried fruit, grass, white owers and curry notes unfurl
themselves after time in a decanter, to reveal a wine that is
unique and has the capacity to age for a century or more.
BERTHET-BONDET
JURA, FRANCE
02BB12CJ White 2012 Crmant du Jura 75cl 12.63
02BB12CC White 2012 Chardonnay Ctes-du-Jura Classique 75cl 11.72
02BB07CH White 2007 Chteau Chalon 62cl 30.22
02BB06CH White 2006 Chteau Chalon 62cl 31.72
24
SPECIAL SELECTION
BURGUNDY, FRANCE
02G11ACC White 2011 Saint-Aubin 1er Cru La Chatenire Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey 75cl 23.72
02G11EBA White 2011 Saint-Aubin Les Ebaupins Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey 75cl 19.55
02G07BOU White 2007 Meursault 1er Cru Les Boucheres Maison Deux Montille 75cl 29.97
01E09VRC Red 2009 Vosne-Romane Domaine des Chezeaux 75cl 24.13
01E08GCB Red 2008 Gevrey Chambertin Cuve Tradition Domaine Alain Burguet 75cl 23.72
01E08NVV Red 2008 Nuits-Saint-Georges Vieilles Vignes Domaine Robert Chevillon 75cl 27.05
01E00VCP Red 2000 Volnay 1er Cru Caillerets Nicolas Potel 75cl 29.55
Domaine Grard Tremblay is among the best estates in the
charming village of Poinchy, nestled amongst some of the nest
Premier Cru vineyards in the Chablis region and a short hop
across the river from the Grand Crus. Grard, his wife Hlne
and their son Vincent run their 35 hectare family domaine
together, producing racy and elegant wines that show superb
typicity and ofer excellent value for money.
The village Chablis comes from 15 hectares of 20 year old vines
and is vinied and matured in stainless steel tanks, preserving a
saline minerality that is as classic as Chablis gets. The Premier
Cru Montmains comes from 40 year old vines and is partially
matured in oak barrels (20%), as is the Vaudesir Grand Cru
(30%). The results are weighty and complex wines that retain
incredible freshness and vitality.
The gravity-fed winery was recently renovated, allowing
Grard to vinify his various parcels separately and maximise the
expression of his Kimmeridgian soils - its not for nothing that
Clive Coates made Tremblay one of only nine Chablis-based
producers to be given two stars in his Wines of Burgundy book.
GERARD TREMBLAY
BURGUNDY, FRANCE
02G13CVT White 2013 Chablis 75cl 10.55
02G13CTH White 2013 Chablis 37.5cl 5.94
02G13C1T White 2013 Montmain Chablis 1er Cru 75cl 14.38
02G13CMT White 2013 Montmain Chablis 1er Cru 37.5cl 7.48
02G10CHV White 2010 Vaudsir Chablis Grand Cru 75cl 22.47
25
DANIEL-TIENNE DEFAIX
BURGUNDY, FRANCE
Daniel-tienne Defaix is one of those wine-makers that believes
a wine should never be released until it is ready to drink. Thanks
to low yields, prolonged lees contact and a policy of no ning
or ltration, it can often be many years before his bottlings see
the light of day. They are well worth the wait, however, with
a richness and concentration that is only matched by a small
handful of other artisanal growers in Chablis.
The 28 hectare domaine is based in the village of Milly and
the Defaix family have been making wine from this land for
over 400 years. Fermentations are spontaneous (increasingly
rare in Chablis) and intentionally slow, with the temperature
strictly controlled to protect aromatics and build body into the
wines from this early stage. All fermentations and levage for
the whole range of wines take place in stainless steel, but 18
months on the lees (with monthly btonnage) helps not only
to build weight and texture into the wines, but also to protect
them from oxidation and intensify the inty minerality that is
the hallmark of these complex and age worthy wines.
02G09DVV White 2009 Vieilles Vignes Chablis 75cl 14.97
02G02CVD White 2002 Vaillons Chablis 1er Cru 75cl 23.88
02G05CGD White 2005 Les Grenouilles Chablis Grand Cru 75cl 43.72
PETITOT
BURGUNDY, FRANCE
The village of Corgoloin lies just to the south of Nuits-St-Georges
and the beautiful buildings that make up the Domaine Petitot have
been in the family for eight generations. Despite a long history in
the region, it is only the past three generations that have made
wine here and today it is Herv and Nathalie Petitot that run the
9 hectare family estate. Previously much of the wine had been
sold to the towns ngociants, but a gradual shift towards domaine
bottling has kept Domaine Petitot under the radar until recently.
Viticulture is lutte raisonne and yields are kept low, so the
fruit is always of great quality and this shows in the wines the
Ctes-de-Nuits Villages wines in particular are amongst the
most concentrated of their appellation. There are two wines
from the Ctes-de-Nuits Villages appellation: a rich and creamy
white that is 100% Chardonnay and a red from the Monts de
Boncourt vineyard that sits in a prime spot in Corgoloin. Finally,
there is Les Poisets a silky smooth Nuits-St-Georges from
a vineyard that is just yards from Les St-Georges itself. The
grapes are destemmed and fermented in tank before they spend
12 months maturing in barrel, 8% of which are new for the Cte-
de-Nuits and 15% for the Nuits-St-Georges.
02G12SCP White 2012 Secrets de Chardonnay Cte de Nuits-Villages Blanc 75cl 13.93
01E12CNP Red 2012 Les Monts de Boncourt Cte de Nuits-Villages 75cl 14.55
01E11NPP Red 2011 Les Poisets Nuits-Saint-Georges 75cl 19.13
26
PIERRE GUILLEMOT
BURGUNDY, FRANCE
Guillemot is an important name in the village of Savigny-ls-
Beaune. For years they were a family of ngociants, buying
barrels of wine from around the Cte dOr and expertly blending
them before selling them to customers across France. Then
phylloxera hit Burgundy in the late 1800s and was followed
swiftly by mildew and the ravages of two world wars. By the time
the dust had settled in the mid-1940s, merchants were having
trouble sourcing good quality wine, so Pierre Guillemot decided
to make the jump from buying, blending and selling wine to
growing and making it. From 1946 the various properties owned
by the family in the centre of the village were turned over to
the production of their own wines. Guillemot had an extensive
contact network, and so he became a contemporary of men like
Armand Rousseau, Henri Gouges and the Marquis dAngerville,
by bottling his own wine and selling it under his own label.
Today the estate totals 8 hectares in size, split between
Bourgogne Rouge, village and Premier Cru Savigny and a 0.3ha
plot of Corton Grand Cru. The eponymous Pierre was one of
the great characters of the Cte de Beaune, but following his
retirement it is his son Jean-Pierre in charge, recently joined
by his son Vincent. Despite the generational handovers, the
domaine has no plans to move away from the tried and tested
methods that have served them so well.
Viticulture is traditional, following the lutte raisone approach.
The fruit is destemmed on arrival at the domaine and following
fermentation in 600 litre wooden cuves, the red wines are then
aged in barrel for 18 months (the 1er Cru sees 10% new oak, the
village wine is all second and third year). The results are beautiful
Pinot Noirs that couple delicacy and elegance with deliciously
pure red fruit. Despite their lightness of touch, the wines age
prodigiously, as anyone that has visited the domaine (where they
regularly pull out 20+ year old bottles) will be able to testify!
01E11GSB Red 2011 Savigny-ls-Beaune 75cl 14.93
01E11GGP Red 2011 Les Grands Picotins Savigny-ls-Beaune 75cl 15.93
01E10GAS Red 2010 Aux Serpentires Savigny-ls-Beaune 1er Cru 75cl 18.88
01E11GRC Red 2011 Le Rognet et Corton Corton Grand Cru 75cl 39.55
CHRISTOPHE VAUDOISEY
BURGUNDY, FRANCE
Dating back to 1804, there are numerous branches of the Vaudoisey
family making wine in the village of Volnay, but it is Christophe that has
developed the most prominent reputation in recent years following a
string of Coups de Coeur awards in the Guide Hachette. After taking
over 11 hectares from his father in 1985, Christophe became the
8th generation to make wine at the domaine. After building a brand
new winery in 2008 he was able to marry a traditional approach to
viticulture with modern equipment for his vinications and, while good
before, the results have been superb since.
In the vineyard Christophe follows the lutte raisone approach and,
following harvest, the fruit is 100% destemmed before undergoing
a spontaneous fermentation. levage takes place in barrel (30%
new) and all of the reds undergo 18 months maturation before
bottling without ning and ltration. The village wines from Volnay
and Pommard show wonderful typicity and the 1er Cru bottling
from both villages have wonderful potential to improve with age.
These are silky smooth, elegant wines that exude the elegance and
class that Volnay is famous for.
01E11VOL Red 2011 Volnay 75cl 18.72
01E11POM Red 2011 Pommard 75cl 21.22
27
Wine is a way of life in Burgundy; a trade passed from
generation to generation and something that many young
people grow up with as a preordained career. So it was with
Romaric Chavy, though his ofcial training started earlier than
it does for most. At the age of twelve Romaric started wine
school and throughout his teenage years and early twenties,
he apprenticed at wineries all over the world including
Domaine dAupilhac in Montpeyroux and Radford-Dale in
South Africa, not to mention down the road with his godfather
Franois Mikulski in Meursault. By his mid-20s, Romaric was
ready to assume control of the familys 13 hectare domaine
and since then he has established himself as one of the most
exciting young wine-makers in the Cte dOr.
One of the first things that Romaric wanted to change was
his father Huberts policy of selling most of their production
to the ngociants in nearby Beaune. The fact that the vast
majority of the domaines wines would end up being bottled
with someone elses name on the label meant that Chavy-
Chouet was a label that most Burgundy enthusiasts had
never heard of, so Romaric terminated these agreements
and is now bottling almost everything under his own name.
And the name is one that carries some weight in the Cte de
Beaune, where the Chavy family have been making wine for
hundreds of years. Romarics uncle Phillipe and his fathers
cousins Alain and Jean-Louis all run their own domaines
in Puligny-Montrachet, where Romaric lives and has one
of his barrel cellars. The winery (and other barrel cellar) is
just over the village border in Meursault, which is where
the Chouet part of the domaines name comes into play.
Romarics mother was a Chouet, but her mother was part
of the Ropiteau family, with Burgundian roots dating back
to the 16th century and an esteemed wine-making tradition
all of their own. Family histories are a complicated affair in
Burgundy and Romarics is no exception!
The domaine holdings are spread across the villages of
Puligny-Montrachet, Meursault, St Aubin, Volnay and
Pommard. Among their parcels are prime spots in Puligny,
including Enseignres (village vines that are yards away
from Btard-Montrachet Grand Cru) and 1er Crus
Folatires and Champ Gains. In Meursault they have
Clos Corves de Citeaux (a monopole vineyard in the
heart of the village), a fantastic parcel of Narvaux and
1er Cru holdings in Charmes and Genevrires, two of
the best sites in the village. In addition to his vines in high
profile vineyards, Romaric also has a sizeable chunk of Les
Femelottes, a Bourgogne Blanc designated vineyard that
is within the commune of Puligny and sits immediately
adjacent to the Les Reuchaux vineyard (which is designated
as Puligny Villages). This superb vineyard allows Romaric to
make a single vineyard Bourgogne Blanc that is one of the
best value wines in all of Burgundy.
Farming at the domaine follows the lutte raisone
methodology and wine-making is done along broadly
traditional lines. All the whites are whole bunch fermented
while the reds are 100% destemmed, with (spontaneous)
fermentation for the whites in barrel and the reds in concrete
tank. None of the wines are fined or filtered and new oak is
kept to a minimum, with 2550% used for the village and 1er
crus and old barrels for the Bourgognes.
All of Romarics wines are approachable in their youth but
retain more than enough tension and balance to see them
age superbly. On many occasions Romaric has surprised us
by pulling old vintages from the cellar that have developed
beautifully thanks to their natural concentration and acidity,
and recent vintages (2008, 2010 and 2012 in particular)
promise to do the same. The wines from Puligny show the
delicacy, elegance and oral complexity that is typical of the
appellation, while the Meursaults are diferent in personality
CHAVY-CHOUET
BURGUNDY, FRANCE
29
02G12BFC White 2012 Les Femelottes Bourgogne Blanc 75cl 10.80
02G12MCB White 2012 Clos des Corves de Citeau Meursault 75cl 21.88
02G11MCH White 2011 Clos des Corves de Citeau Meursault 37.5cl 11.03
02G12MMC White 2012 Clos des Corves de Citeau Meursault 150cl 46.60
02G12MCN White 2012 Les Narvaux Meursault 75cl 21.88
02G12MCC White 2012 Charmes Meursault 1er Cru 75cl 27.88
02G12MCM White 2012 Charmes Meursault 1er Cru 150cl 59.10
02G12PEC White 2012 Les Enseignres Puligny-Montrachet 75cl 21.88
02G11PEH White 2011 Les Enseignres Puligny-Montrachet 37.5cl 11.03
02G12PEM White 2012 Les Enseignres Puligny-Montrachet 150cl 46.60
02G12PCG White 2012 Champ Gains Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru 75cl 27.88
02G12PFC White 2012 Les Folatires Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru 75cl 27.88
02G12PFH White 2012 Les Folatires Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru 37.5cl 13.32
02G12PFM White 2012 Les Folatires Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru 150cl 53.27
01E12BRC Red 2012 La Taupe Bourgogne Rouge 75cl 10.80
30
and highlight the two styles that are prevalent in the village -
Romarics Narvaux is full of inty minerality, while the Clos
Corves de Citeaux has more weight and a buttery texture
and the majestic Premier Cru Charmes pulls both these
elements together.
It is rare to find new domaines in Burgundy - especially
ones that have actually been around for centuries. With a
young wine-maker of Romarics calibre at the helm, there is
little doubt that Domaine Chavy-Chouet will continue to go
from strength to strength.
BUISSON-CHARLES
BURGUNDY, FRANCE
Located in the heart of Meursault, Domaine Buisson-Charles
began estate bottling under Michel Buisson, but it is since his
daughter Kate and her husband Patrick Essa took over that the
wines of this fabulous estate have begun to receive international
recognition. Their 5.5 hectares of old vines are almost all in the
village (there is a bit of red in Volnay) and can be found in some
of the very best climats Les Charmes, Goutte dOr and Les
Bouchres to name but three - and that doesnt even include
their 100+ year old parcels of Meursault villages. Patrick also takes
Aligot very seriously and the domaine is well known for producing
one of the best examples of the grape in all of Burgundy.
Wine-making is very traditional at Buisson-Charles and Patrick
believes steadfastly in long fermentations to build character
and complexity into his wines, so nothing is done to kickstart
the MLF and it is often not complete before mid-spring of the
year following harvest. All of the wines are vinied in the same
way, as Patrick believes that it is the vineyard rather than the
vinication that should do the talking - limited btonnage and
long lees contact imbue the wines with a sense of controlled
intensity and the texture that Meursault is famous for, while
low levels of new oak make sure that the terroir of each parcel
is given ample opportunity to shine.
02G11BAB White 2011 Bourgogne Aligot 75cl 12.05
02G11MVV White 2011 Vieilles Vignes Meursault 75cl 26.22
02G10MVV White 2010 Vieilles Vignes Meursault 75cl 26.22
02G11MGB White 2011 Goutte d'Or Meursault 1er Cru 75cl 42.05
02G11MBC White 2011 Charmes Meursault 1er Cru 75cl 42.05
01E11BRB Red 2011 Bourgogne Rouge 75cl 12.47
31
THOMAS MOREY
BURGUNDY, FRANCE
Chassagne-Montrachet is home to some of the most talented
wine-making families in the world and one of the most important
is the Morey family, who have lived in the village since 1643.
Thomas Morey grew up working for his grandfather Albert and
then for his father Bernard, before he and his brother Vincent
divided their portion of the family holdings in time for the 2007
vintage. Thomas combined his inheritance with that of his wife
Sylvie (ne Lamy, of St Aubin) and rented some additional
hectares, so the total size of the domaine is now 13 hectares
spread across six villages most of it, of course, in Chassagne.
The style of Thomas wines is characterised by precision and
genuine terroir denition he makes six diferent Premier
Crus from the village, each with a distinct personality. He is
a strong believer that the most important work is done in the
vineyard and is one of Burgundys most fastidious and talented
viticulturalists, a reputation that has led to him being employed
by the Domaine de la Romane-Conti for many years to look
after their vines in Le Montrachet Grand Cru. Since the
expansion of his holdings there is no time to work for DRC
anymore, but thanks to his experience there and conversations
with his grandparents about the way they used to work, Thomas
decided in 2011 to convert his domaine to organic farming.
Once in the winery, the white wines are fermented in barrel
and aged for at least twelve months, with occasional btonnage,
while the red wines follow a relatively soft vinication (warm
fermentation temperatures and limited punching down) in
order to maintain a supple texture and avoid over-extraction.
Thomas prefers to bottle his wines with low levels of free SO2
(usually around 35ppm), so he never doses the wines during
their vinication. Throughout maturation though, he follows
a regular programme of small doses to reach his goal, so that
there is no need to add any more at the bottling.
The results are superb wines that balance weight and richness
with beautiful minerality and purity. They are textbook
examples of top ight Chassagne-Montrachet.
02G11BTM White 2011 Bourgogne Blanc 75cl 12.88
02G11CTM White 2011 Chassagne-Montrachet 75cl 26.22
02G10CTM White 2010 Chassagne-Montrachet 75cl 26.22
02G11TMM White 2011 Morgeot Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru 75cl 31.22
02G10TMM White 2010 Morgeot Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru 75cl 31.22
02G11CBM White 2011 Les Baudines Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru 75cl 31.22
02G10CBM White 2010 Les Baudines Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru 75cl 31.22
02G11CEM White 2011 Les Embrazes Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru 75cl 32.88
02G10CEM White 2010 Les Embrazes Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru 75cl 32.88
32
MARC MOREY
BURGUNDY, FRANCE
This nine and a half hectare estate was founded after the
First World War by Fernand Morey, who began his career as a
vigneron with a couple of hectares in Chassagne-Montrachet
and purchased a 19th century coaching inn right in the centre
of the village as a family home and winery. His son Marc
took over in 1944 following his fathers death, expanding the
landholdings and introducing domaine bottling, establishing
Marc Morey et Fils as a respected name in the village. Today
it is Marcs daughter and son-in-law Bernard Mollard that
run the estate with their daughter Sabine. During the 90s
Bernard oversaw a dramatic improvement in quality and,
following the modernisation and expansion of their winery
in 2003, the domaine has continued to go from strength
to strength. Sabine has assumed much of the wine-making
responsibility in the past few years and has continued with her
fathers preference for elegant, perfumed wines that have the
ability to improve with age.
The domaines vineyards are spread across Chassagne, Puligny
and St Aubin and viticulture is lutte raisone. There is great
attention to detail paid to their farming and Sabine has worked
very closely with the Chambre dAgriculture and other growers
in the village in order to improve their methods. In the winery
vinication is traditional, with a low-key btonnage regime and
11 months of levage in a maximum of 30% new oak barrels.
Yields have steadily decreased in recent years and the result
has been richer, more concentrated wines that retain their
perfume and delicacy. This is an impeccable source and Sabine
has proved herself as one of the most talented young wine-
makers in the region.
02G10MMV White 2010 Les Vergers Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru 75cl 30.38
02G08MMM White 2008 Morgeot Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru 75cl 30.38
02G08MMC White 2008 Les Caillerets Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru 75cl 31.22
02G07CHM White 2007 Les Chenevottes Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru 75cl 30.38
33
ALEXANDRE JOUVEAUX
BURGUNDY, FRANCE
Alexandre Jouveaux used to work in the world of fashion
photography (for Chanel, no less) but, as is often the case,
he decided to give up the bright lights to embark on a second
career as a vigneron in Burgundys Cte Mconnais. His small
domaine of 3.5 hectares is spread across four vineyard plots
in the village of Uchizy, all of which would be entitled to the
Mcon-Uchizy appellation if Alexandre wanted - he hates
paperwork so much that he is happy to label them as Vin de
France! The quantities he produces are tiny (500 cases in
total), so the wines are always very strictly allocated.
Having arrived in the mid-1990s, Alexandre quickly attained
his wine-making qualications. He bought his rst plot of
vines in 99 and until he had enough vines to make a living, he
combined work at the domaine with teaching at the local wine
school. Eventually, after piecing together 3.5 hectares, he
devoted himself full time to being a wine-maker and put into
practice his philosophy of minimal intervention. He thinks of
himself as a peasant wine-maker and says, Peasants vinify
their wines with common-sense; they press the grapes, put
them in wooden vats and leave them. This is pretty much
the way he does things once his biodynamic grapes have been
hand-picked. The juice ferments in old Burgundy barrels and
then rests on lees for a year to 18 months, with SO2 only used
when absolutely necessary - in miniscule amounts at the time
of the bottling. There is never any btonnage and, needless to
say, the wines are not ned or ltered.
The signature through Alexs wines is their incredible verve,
freshness and acidity (think Chablis rather than Mcon).
They ofer an amazing wake up call for palates jaded from
overblown Pouilly-Fuiss and the sea of underwhelming
Mcon Chardonnay.
02GAJC12 White 2012 Combarnier Vin de France 75cl 14.55
02GAJR12 Ros 2012 Ros Vin de France 75cl 16.63
02MOAJ12 White 2012 Le Mont Vin de France 75cl 16.22
02MOAM12 White 2012 Le Mont Vin de France 150cl 39.10
02MOAJ11 White 2011 Le Mont Vin de France 75cl 15.80
02GAJ012 White 2012 O12 Vin de France 75cl 19.97
02GAM012 White 2012 O12 Vin de France 150cl 37.43
02GAJO10 White 2010 O10 Vin de France 75cl 18.30
02GAJP12 White 2012 Prety Vin de France 75cl 16.63
02GAJM12 White 2012 Prety Vin de France 150cl 42.43
02GAJP11 White 2011 Prety Vin de France 75cl 16.22
34
DOMAINE DUPEUBLE
BEAUJOLAIS, FRANCE
Situated in the hamlet of Le Breuil, Domaine Dupeuble has
been making wines there since 1512. Today, the whole family is
involved in the viticulture, wine-making or commercialisation
of their wines at the 42 hectare estate.
While much of this part of Beaujolais is dominated by
ngociants and large scale producers churning out sub-
standard nouveau, Dupeuble is of the quality driven persuasion
more commonly found in the crus to the north. Viticulture on
the south facing 50-100 year old vines is lutte raisonne and
every grape here is manually harvested, with only wild yeasts
used and no chaptalisation or ltration. This is incredibly rare
to nd nowadays, with so much Beaujolais produced by large
negociant companies that rely on high yields, bags of sugar and
yeast B71 to churn out wines that taste the same every year.
Not at Dupeuble, where the wines are succulent and full of
vibrant red fruit with wonderful clarity and purity.
01HD12TO Red 2012 Les Tonnelires Beaujolais 75cl 8.30
MAURICE & NADINE GUERRIN
BURGUNDY, FRANCE
Located in Vergisson, the highest village in the Pouilly-Fuiss
appellation, Maurice Guerrin created the domaine in 1984
and today it stands at 35 parcels spread across 14 hectares in
Mcon-Vergisson, St-Veran and Pouilly-Fuiss. While many of
the wines from this famous appellation have become broader,
oakier and riper in the past couple of decades, Guerrin has
developed a justied reputation for producing steely, mineral-
laced Chardonnay wines from some of the best vineyard sites
in the region.
In the vineyard they follow the practice of lutte raisonne and
the approach to vinication is largely traditional. The Mcon
and St-Veran are fermented and aged in tank, while the Pouilly-
Fuiss (from the superb single vineyard Les Crays, one of the
highest and steepest in the region) ferments and ages in barrels
for 12 months (15% new oak). This family domaine is blessed
with old vines and a conscientious vigneron that produces some
of the best value wines in the Cte Mconnais. With a brand
new winery recently completed and Maurices son Bastien
graduated from wine-making college, there is no doubt that the
wines will continue to improve.
02G12MVR White 2012 Les Rochers Mcon-Vergisson 75cl 8.97
02G12STV White 2012 Saint-Vran 75cl 10.22
02G12GPF White 2012 Les Crays Pouilly-Fuiss 75cl 14.38
35
JEAN-PAUL THVENET
BEAUJOLAIS, FRANCE
The words legendary producer are often bandied around in the
wine trade, but Jean-Paul Thvenet is the genuine article. It
has been a long road back for the quality minded wine-makers
of Beaujolais following years of Nouveau-induced oblivion, but
in recent years the trade has woken up to a renaissance that
began back in the 1980s thanks to a small group of friends. The
Gang of Four, as they became known, was a tightly knit group
that included Marcel Lapierre, Guy Breton, Jean Foillard and
Jean-Paul Thvenet. Following the teachings of their mentor
Jules Chauvet, they set about producing terroir driven wines of
complexity and quality that were a stark contrast to the insipid
mass-produced wines of the large negociant companies. Today
they are legendary gures who have inspired a new generation to
maximise the potential of Beaujolais granite soils. Their openness
and generosity in sharing knowledge has transformed the region
into a hotbed of wine-making talent and written the names of
these pioneers into history.
Jean-Paul, or Paul-Po as he is known to his many friends, is the
third generation at the ve hectare family domaine and now works
alongside his talented son Charly. As with any serious artisanal
producer, the vineyard is where much of Jean-Pauls eforts are
focused. Farming is organic and yields are very low from very old
vines (one plot is 110 years old). After rigorous sorting the fruit
undergoes fermentation by carbonic maceration before spending
6-8 months maturing in Burgundy barrels. It goes without saying
that only natural yeasts are used and there are no additions or
manipulations whatsoever (with the exception of minimal sulphur
used at bottling). The wines are bottled unned and unltered
and quantities are tiny, with only 2,000 cases produced at the
domaine each year.
The Morgon Tradition is an excellent example of its appellation
but it is the Vielles Vignes cuve for which Paul-Po is most
famous. Made from his oldest parcels, it is rich and concentrated,
ages like quality red Burgundy and is truly one of the wine worlds
great bargains. Finally, there is a lightly sparkling demi-sec Gamay
called On Pte la Soif! Beaujolais answer to Moscato dAsti!
01H13GJT Red 2013 On Pte la Soif! Sparkling Gamay 75cl 11.05
01H12MTT Red 2012 Tradition Morgon 75cl 11.22
01H11MTT Red 2011 Tradition Morgon 75cl 11.22
01H13MVV Red 2013 Vieilles Vignes Morgon 75cl 15.38
36
CHARLY THVENET
BEAUJOLAIS, FRANCE
Following in the footsteps of his father Jean-Paul Thvenet (and
Marcel Lapierre, where he did much of his training), Charly is
well established as one of the leading young guns in Beaujolais.
In addition to spending a lot of time working at the family
domaine, Charly farms 3 hectares of 80+ year old vines in the
village of Regni, where he has been making wine under his own
label since 2007. He decided to work with Regni because he
felt that it was an underrated appellation with massive potential.
The Cru is adjacent to Morgon and while it shares much of the
same terroir (pink granite and clay), the vineyards are rich in
alluvial stones and sit at higher altitude (350m), imbuing the
wines with a fresh acidity and a bright mineral character.
In the vineyard, Charly follows the same principles as Jean-
Paul, with organic and biodynamic farming methods applied
to old vines from which he takes tiny yields of beautifully ripe
fruit. While neither Charly nor his father are accredited by
AB or Demeter, they are members of the Association de Vins
Naturels (AVN) and Charly feels this ofers a more stringent
framework for good practice. Once the fruit reaches the winery
it is meticulously sorted before a prolonged cold soak and
carbonic maceration, followed by maturation in four year-old
Burgundy barriques. The wine is bottled unned and unltered
with minimal addition of sulphur. Charly looks to extract more
tannin and bottles his wine a few months later than his father,
with the result a weightier, meatier and richer style of wine.
01H11RCT Red 2011 Grain et Granite Rgni 75cl 13.93
37
When Julien Sunier arrived in Beaujolais in the mid-2000s,
he was a man with a plan. Burgundy born and bred, Julien
trained as a wine-maker before working as assistant to
Nicolas Potel and Christophe Roumier before he was head
hunted by Mommessin (owners of Clos de Tart Grand Cru),
to set up a new operation for them in Beaujolais. Julien made
the journey south with big ideas, chief among them being
the renovation of a ruined farmhouse atop a hill in the village
of Avenas, which he planned to turn into a house and winery
that would enable him to, one day, start his own domaine.
His partner (at the time) opened her own restaurant that
specialised in organic produce and natural wine, so Julien
became ensconced in the artisanal Beaujolais wine scene,
working for Mommessin by day and making influential
friends by night.
Before long, Julien had befriended the local wine royalty.
Marcel Lapierre and Jean-Paul Thvenet (and their sons
Mathieu and Charly respectively) became mentors and
confidantes, helping Julien to realise his dream of running his
own domaine by renting him some land and introducing him
to another star grower Yvon Mtras whose family would
rent him some more. With a makeshift winery completed
(built, like the renovations on the house, entirely by Julien
himself) and a hectare of land in each of Morgon, Fleurie
and Regni, Julien quit his job and, from the 2008 vintage,
Domaine Julien Sunier was born.
Right from the start, he was obsessed with the quality of
his fruit. All of the vineyard parcels he took over had been
farmed organically for years by some of the regions finest
viticulturalists, so all he had to do was maintain the health
of these beautiful vineyards something he threw himself
into with gusto. He has a deep attachment to nature and the
land, believing sincerely that natural and organic methods
are critical not just to the health of his own fruit but also in
maintaining the health of the local environment.
In Morgon, where he farms parcels belonging to both
the Lapierre and Thvenet families, the soils are rich in
magnesium and decomposed granite, imparting a subtle
power and savoury richness into the finished wine. His
Fleurie parcel is an old vine site that sits on sandy, pink
granite soils that imbue the wine with the attractive floral
aromatics that are the hallmark of the appellation. The final
piece of the domaine is a beautiful site in the newest of
Beaujolais crus, Regni, which forms the bottom half of a
granite slope he shares with Charly Thvenet. Julien is one
of many vignerons in the region that believe Regni is an
appellation with massive potential.
In the winery, Julien follows much of the wine-making
philosophy laid down by local legend Jules Chauvet and
put in to action by the Gang of Four (Lapierre, Thvenet,
Foillard and Breton). Following harvest the fruit is loaded into
fermentation tanks and sealed so that the fruit can undergo
a carbonic maceration. Once this process is complete, Julien
opens up the tanks and begins punching down the fruit to
build in some extra body and texture before the wines are
moved into old Burgundy barrels (all of which are sourced
from his friend Christophe Roumier). No sulphur dioxide
(let alone anything else) is added during the vinification and
the wines will be bottled in the spring following the harvest,
invariable capturing the bright fruit and savoury complexity
of his pristine grapes.
Julien is an intense and driven guy, which is plain to see for
anyone visiting his beautiful farm and witnessing the house
and winery that he has built by hand. He is full of passion
for the potential of Gamay when it is treated with respect
and the quality of his wines has immediately propelled him
into the top bracket of Beaujolais producers (a recent New
York Times editorial placed his wine second only to Lapierre
JULIEN SUNIER
BEAUJOLAIS, FRANCE
39
01H12MJS Red 2012 Morgon 75cl 14.47
01H12MSM Red 2012 Morgon 150cl 31.60
01H12FJS Red 2012 Fleurie 75cl 14.47
01H12FSM Red 2012 Fleurie 150cl 31.60
40
in a comprehensive tasting). His grounding and friends in
Burgundy have ensured that his focus is on farming the best
possible fruit so that he can communicate the nuances of his
terroir through his wines and the different character of each
cuve is testament to the achievement of this goal. Touted
for the first few years as a rising star, Juliens most recent
vintages have proved that he has most definitely arrived.
VIGNERONS DESTZARGUES
RHNE VALLEY, FRANCE
While many of Frances co-operative wineries go out of
business or struggle to sell their uninteresting plonk, the
Cave in Estzargues shines out as a co-op with an artisanal
approach to wine-making, making some of the best value
wines in the Rhne Valley. Theirs is a very diferent approach
to the normal co-operative model, and things began to change
back in 1989 when Jean-Franois Nicq arrived to take over
as wine-maker. Rather than continuing to blend everything
together, J-F decided to vinify the members production
separately, highlighting the individual terroir of the ten
member estates. By the end of the 1990s, everything was
being made in a hands-of, natural way organic farming, no
yeasts, no enzymes, no new oak and no SO2 before bottling.
The results were fantastic and following Nicqs departure to
set up his own domaine (Les Foulards Rouge), his assistant
douard Laftte took over, continuing to along the same
lines. When douard left to set up his own domaine (Bout du
Monde) he was replaced by Denis Deschamps who has since
overseen the continual improvement at this most innovative
of co-ops.
Plein Sud is one of the few wines made at Estzargues that is
made from a combination of fruit from multiple estates, but
this Viognier (with a touch of Roussanne) is a beautifully oral
and textured example of Southern Rhne white wine. Domaine
Pierredon is a classically styled Ctes-du-Rhne, with plenty
of juicy dark fruit and a savoury complexity that makes it a real
winner with red meat dishes. Domaine dAndezon is perhaps
the most well known of Estzargues members and not just
because of the memorably artistic image of a bull on their label.
The wine has been rightly hailed for years by Robert Parker as
one of the best value wines in the world, thanks to a richness
and complexity that belies its price tag.
02JEPS13 White 2013 Plein Sud Blanc Ctes-du-Rhne 75cl 7.94
01JEPS13 Red 2013 Domaine Pierredon Ctes-du-Rhne 75cl 7.94
01JEPS12 Red 2012 Domaine Pierredon Ctes-du-Rhne 75cl 7.94
01J13VAE Red 2013 Domaine Andezon Ctes-du-Rhne Villages Signargues 75cl 9.93
01J12VAE Red 2012 Domaine Andezon Ctes-du-Rhne Villages Signargues 75cl 9.93
41
ROMAIN DUVERNAY
RHNE VALLEY, FRANCE
The Duvernay family founded their negociant business in 1904
and over the years have become one of the most reliable and
well-known in the Rhne, supplying base wine for some of the
Ctes-du-Rhnes most famous producers, including the lions
share of the Ctes-du-Rhne made by Etienne Guigal. Based
in Chteauneuf-du-Pape and with access to fruit from some of
the oldest vineyards in the Rhne Valley, Romains connections
aforded him such fantastic fruit that he decided the time was
right to vinify and bottle the best of it under his own label. He
covers a number of the regions best loved appellations, but his
star turns are the aforementioned Ctes-du-Rhne blends and
a Chteauneuf-du-Pape that ofers wonderful value for money.
Romain makes his Ctes-du-Rhne Blanc from grapes
grown on limestone soils, vinifying and maturing his blend of
Grenache Blanc (65%), Viognier (25%) and Roussanne (10%)
in temperature controlled stainless steel tank to preserve
freshness. The red a blend of Grenache (70%), Syrah (25%)
and Mourvdre (5%) is made in much the same way as the
white. The Chteauneuf-du-Pape is a blend of Grenache
(75%), Syrah (15%) and Mourvdre (10%) that is also aged in
tank (for 9-12 months) - unusual for an appellation where reds
are usually matured in barrel or foudre, but the result is a wine
that retains beautiful purity of fruit and much more freshness
than your average Chteauneuf.
42
01D13CRW White 2013 Blanc Ctes-du-Rhne 75cl 6.93
01D12CRW White 2012 Blanc Ctes-du-Rhne 75cl 6.93
01D12CRR Red 2012 Rouge Ctes-du-Rhne 75cl 6.93
01D11CRR Red 2011 Rouge Ctes-du-Rhne 75cl 6.93
01J09CND Red 2009 Rouge Chateauneuf-du-Pape 75cl 18.05
LA ROCHE BUISSIRE
RHNE VALLEY, FRANCE
While the 18 hectares of vineyards at Roche Buissire have
been farmed organically (and certied by Ecocert) since
1980, the production was being sold to the local cooperative
until Antoine Joly began taking the reins from his father in
2000. As he grew into the role of vigneron, Antoine quickly
decided that he wanted to make wine as naturally as possible
and by 2003 the approach had been changed to minimise
interventions (many of their cuves are now completely
sulphur free). In the past decade Antoine and Laurence have
established Roche Buissire as one of the Rhne Valleys most
interesting wineries, specialising in Grenache and Syrah based
wines that exude freshness, vitality and drinkability.
While most of the Roche Buissire range is made under the
Ctes-du-Rhne appellation, the rst wine in their portfolio
Petit Jo is bottled as Vin de France. It is made from their
young vines and is a blend of Grenache (70%) and Syrah (30%),
named for Antoine and Laurences son. The wine is young and
vibrant, full of life and incredibly quafable the essence of vin
de soif. Slightly more serious, richer and with a fuller body is
Petite Jeanne (named, you guessed it, after their daughter)
which is an 85/15 split between Grenache and Syrah. Finally,
the Syrah dominated cuve Le Claux is made from a plot of
50+ year-old vines and bottled completely sans soufre. The
result is a rich but fresh wine full of pure dark berry fruit and
savoury depth, with enough structure to improve in bottle or
open up beautifully after an hour or two in a decanter.
01PTJO Red NV Petit Jo Vin de France 75cl 8.72
01PTJE12 Red 2013 Petite Jeanne Ctes-du-Rhone 75cl 9.88
01RBLC10 Red 2011 Le Claux Ctes-du-Rhone 75cl 12.05
43
ORBIEL & FRRES
LANGUEDOC, FRANCE
Orbiel & Frres is a range of Languedoc wines created exclusively
for Roberson Wine. Ten of the best co-operative cellars in the
region joined forces and invited ying wine-maker Hugh Ryman
to take his pick of their fruit, in order to create a range of wines
for Roberson that ofer unbelievable value for money.
The white is a blend of Marsanne (90%) and Sauvignon Blanc
(10%), while the red is a 50/50 combination of Grenache and
Syrah. Both were fermented and matured in temperature
controlled stainless steel tank, to protect their freshness and
bright fruit avours. To perfect the blends, our buying team
worked closely with Hugh, who despite having made wine all
over the world for years is probably best known for being the
inspiration behind the lm A Good Year starring Russell Crowe.
While he might not be as handsome as Russell, hes a much
better wine-maker and we believe his Orbiel & Frres wines
stand head and shoulders above anything else at this price.
02LORB12 White 2012 Marsanne / Sauvignon Blanc IGP Pays d'Oc 75cl 4.94
01LORR12 Red 2012 Grenache / Syrah IGP Pays d'Oc 75cl 4.94
44
ZLIGE-CARAVENT
LANGUEDOC, FRANCE
Luc Michels family have lived in the isolated village of Corconne
for hundreds of years, but while his grandfather tended the
vineyards all his life, Luc grew up in Montpellier where his father
had gone in search of white-collar work. In 1999 Luc and his wife
Marie decided to take a leap of faith, trading in their busy city
lives to move home and become vignerons. While they learnt
the ropes the harvest was sold to the local co-op, with their rst
domaine bottled vintage coming in 2005.
In the rst few years Luc formed a strong viticultural and wine-
making philosophy. When he rst took over the vineyards he spoke
to his neighbours to get advice. Alarmingly their recommendations
came in chemical and mechanical form bag after bag of additives
for the vines, a procession of machines each one more destructive
than the last. Luc and Marie didnt have 50 years of tradition
in a tiny wine-making village, so they were shocked to see how
unhealthy and destructive their neighbours ways of working
were. Luc immediately rejected these ideas and searched for an
alternative that would enable him to work in a similar way to his
ancestors, culminating in the adoption of biodynamic viticulture.
Its not just in the vineyard where Luc does things diferently.
During the 00s, Pic St-Loup started to get a reputation for
making some of the Languedocs most attractive wines. Many
producers used lots of new oak to give their wines a glossy,
international avour, but Luc wasnt interested. He resolved to
work entirely without wood, because his priority was to preserve
freshness and vitality in his wines - everything is fermented
and matured in concrete or steel tank. Another thing that he
resented was his contemporaries obsession with Syrah, which
had led to them ripping up old vineyards of indigenous local
varieties, particularly Cinsault and Carignan, which feature
heavily in Lucs wines. Alicant Bouschet forms the backbone
(80%) of Manouches, blended with old-vine Carignan to
make a Vin de France wine that is wonderfully evocative of the
garrigue strewn hillsides. Ellipse is bottled under the Pic St-
Loup designation and is a blend of Syrah, Carignan and Cinsault
that is among the nest in the appellation.
01AZCE10 Red 2010 Ellipse Languedoc Pic Saint-Loup 75cl 11.88
01AZCM12 Red 2012 Manouches Vin de France 75cl 12.22
45
MAS DES DAMES
LANGUEDOC, FRANCE
When Lidewij Van Wilgen decided to leave her high ying job at
an Amsterdam advertising agency and become a wine-maker in
the Languedoc, she knew it wasnt going to be easy. In fact, the
trials and tribulations that she endured led to the publishing of
a best selling book (Het Domaine) in her native Holland, but
more than a decade on from her life changing decision, Mas des
Dames is rmly established as the leading winery in the town of
Murviel-ls-Beziers.
After purchasing the beautiful 14 hectare domaine (replete
with 18th century farmhouse) in 2002, Lidewij converted the
vineyards to organic cultivation and set about making wines that
would reect the beautiful terroir she had found. Within a few
years she was receiving plaudits from many of the wine worlds
most inuential critics and, before long, the locals that had
turned their noses up at her when she arrived were knocking on
the door to nd out her secret! The fact is, there is no secret
just conscientious viticulture, low yields and low intervention
wine-making that lets the quality of the fruit shine through.
Lidewijs white wine is a Grenache Blanc, crisp and fresh but
with plenty enough body to make it a wonderful partner to
seafood and white meat dishes. The sumptuous ros (of which
10% sees some maturation in oak) is reminiscent of a lighter
style of Bandol, which is perhaps thanks to the Mourvdre in
the GSM blend. The star turn at Mas des Dames is the red
wine La Dame is a Grenache, Syrah and Carignan blend
that is the very essence of Languedoc wine. Fruity, meaty and
efortlessly delicious, it is stunning value for the complexity it
ofers. Finally, La Diva completes the range. It is a blend of
(very) old vine Alicant Bouschet, Grenache and Syrah that
would age superbly if it wasnt so drinkable in its youth!
02K12MLD White 2012 Blanc IGP Pays d'Oc 75cl 9.88
18A12MDR Ros 2012 Ros Cteaux du Languedoc 75cl 8.93
01L11MDD Red 2011 La Dame Cteaux du Languedoc 75cl 8.93
01L09MLD Red 2009 La Diva IGP des Coteaux du Murviel 75cl 10.93
LE GRAND NOIR
LANGUEDOC, FRANCE
Le Grand Noir is a project pioneered by three industry experts
ying wine-maker Hugh Ryman, renowned journalist Robert
Joseph and label designer Kevin Shaw. The results are wines
that are not only delicious, but also accessible to drinkers that
are more familiar and comfortable with a new world style of
presentation. The fruit for all of the wines comes from the
Minervois region and Hugh has crafted blends that are fruit
forward and unashamedly easy to drink.
The white is a blend of Chardonnay (85%) and Viognier (15%),
while the red is a classic Grenache (60%), Syrah (35%) and
Mourvdre (5%) blend. Both wines are fermented and aged in
stainless steel tank and provide outstanding value for money.
02L12GNC White 2012 Chardonnay / Viognier IGP Pays d'Oc 75cl 6.94
01LGSM12 Red 2012 Grenache / Syrah / Mourvdre IGP Pays d'Oc 75cl 6.94
When we first visited the Mas Coutelou winery in the hilltop
village of Puimisson in the Languedoc, Jeff Coutelou was
surprised to see us. No one from the English speaking world
had ever knocked on his door before and he was confused as
to how we had even heard of him and his wines. The answer
to that question involves a revelatory glass of Syrah at a
run-down wine bar in Grenoble, but the point is that Mas
Coutelou was a long way off the radar of anyone that didnt
frequent the natural wine bars of Beziers, Paris or Tokyo (or
Grenoble!).
The tasting that followed was a procession of some of the
most vibrant, refreshing and drinkable wines we had ever
tasted and best of all the entire range offered incredible
value for money. It was immediately apparent that we had
uncovered a gem and a few weeks later this was confirmed
when the first shipment arrived, as Jancis Robinson made
two of the wines her joint Wine of the Week, and sales
exploded overnight. The fact that, four vintages later, the
wines are sold out long before the next years allocation
arrives, is testament to the quality and value that set Mas
Coutelou apart.
There are other things that set Mas Coutelou apart,
particularly from the sea of commercial producers that are
so commonplace in this area of France. Back in the 1980s,
when organic accreditation was first introduced for wine
estates, Mas Coutelou was certified on the very first day
an easy decision for the authorities as there had never
been a single chemical used on any of their vines. Nowadays
Jeff also uses some biodynamic practices on his ten hectare
estate, although he prefers to follow his own instincts rather
than slavishly follow the Demeter guidelines.
One area of biodynamics that he is very much in agreement
with is the importance of vineyards as diverse microclimates,
where other plant, animal and insect life should be
encouraged as much as possible. There are many examples
in the local monoculture of chemically farmed, machine
harvested vineyards that are in really bad shape something
that genuinely upsets Jeff. In fact, things had gotten so bad
in one area that he ripped up an entire parcel of vines and
replanted the land with olive trees so that the birds and
insects will have somewhere to go.
Jeffs deep connection to the land is understandable, as his
family have been farming these vineyards for generations.
Up until relatively recently though, the land had been owned
by a local bourgeois family and the Coutelous had always
worked for them. When Jeffs grandfather was born with a
gammy leg, the family fretted about his potential to follow
his father into agricultural work, but it turned out to be a
blessing in disguise. He trained as an accountant and saved
up enough money to buy the vineyards that the family had
always worked, giving the land to his father and enabling the
creation of Mas Coutelou in the process.
Jeff is proud to call himself a peasant and his focus for
most of the year is on toiling away in the vines. Email and
phone contact takes place in a short window at around 5am,
before he heads off into the vineyards and immerses himself
in his viticulture. Harvest is always on the early side, as Jeff
likes to maintain vibrant acidity and freshness in his wines,
and feels that over-ripeness can reduce varietal character in
the grapes that he works with. Most of the varietals planted
are indigenous to the region, although there is a beautiful
Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard from which he sells the entire
crop each year as he is intent on using local grapes for the Mas
Coutelou wines. As part of this commitment, Jeff recently
grafted over a parcel of Merlot to create an observatory of
old varieties that used to be common in the Languedoc but
have recently all but disappeared. The vineyard is co-planted
and includes various clones of Muscat, Carignan Gris and
MAS COUTELOU
LANGUEDOC, FRANCE
47
01LPMB12 White 2012 PM Blanc Vin de France 75cl 12.47
01MCCB12 White 2012 Carignan Blanc Vin de France 75cl 13.30
01L7PO13 Red 2013 7 Rue de la Pompe Syrah Vin de France 75cl 8.22
01LVDA13 Red 2013 Vin des Amis Vin de France 75cl 9.57
01LCLA12 Red 2012 Classe Vin de France 75cl 10.88
01LVHA12 Red 2012 La Vigne Haute Vin de France 75cl 13.72
01L12SCS Red 2012 Cuve Spciale Syrah Vin de France 150cl 33.27
48
Blanc, Oeillade (a mutation of Cinsault) and Castets (an
almost extinct variety). The fruit will eventually be used to
make various micro-cuves, but Jeffs primary motivation
for this parcel was to preserve these varieties for other
people to take cuttings and propagate their own plantings
in the future.
In the winery, Jeff is very much an advocate of natural
methods. All his fermentations are spontaneous, there are
never any additions and minimal (or zero) SO2 is used.
Everything is fermented and aged in tank and visiting the
winery is like entering an Aladdins cave, with numerous
projects on the go at any one time. The core lines of 7 Rue
de la Pompe (a Syrah) and Vin des Amis (a blend of Syrah,
Grenache, Carignan and Cinsault) are made every year, but
all the other cuves are subject to change. In a warm vintage,
Jeff might make a wine he calls Flambadou, but in a cool
year the same fruit might be treated differently and bottled
as Classe. Likewise, there are always one-off wines like the
Carignan Blanc, 5SO Cinsault and Syrah Cuve Speciale
that he produced in 2013. The only thing we know for sure
at the start of each vintage, is that everything he makes will
tastes fantastic!
DOMAINE DES LAURIERS
LANGUEDOC, FRANCE
JL LAURENS
LANGUEDOC, FRANCE
The Cabrol family have been at Domaine des Lauriers since
1969 and today Marc Cabrol farms 45ha in the Picpoul de Pinet
appellation, planted to eleven diferent varieties. Of course, it is
the Picpoul itself (or Piquepoul is it is called locally) that is the
main draw and Domaine des Lauriers is rightfully known as one
of the areas best sources.
In an appellation still dominated by co-operatives, it is a
pleasure to discover the wines of an artisanal producer. Marc
practices very conscientious viticulture and is a member of
Terravitis, a collection of wine-making estates that adhere to
responsible, environmentally friendly viticultural practices and
promote bio-diversity on their estates.
In the winery, everything is done to ensure the wines maintain
their steely freshness, so the grapes are pressed no more than
45mins after being picked, there is no pumping (everything
is gravity fed) and temperature control is used to preserve
the fresh fruit aromas and avours. This is a superb example
of a traditional crisp, dry, white wine that is food friendly and
rightfully enjoying a surge in popularity.
While most Champenois will tell you that Dom Perignon
invented sparkling wine, natives of Limoux insist that the famous
monk only discovered bubbly while staying at their Abbey de
Saint Hilaire. Fast forward a few hundred years to the 1980s and
another Champenois headed for Limoux, this time with the idea
of settling there to make wine. Michel Dervin pieced together a
domaine of 30 hectares and set to work trying to make Crmant
and Blanquette de Limoux to rival the wines of his birthplace.
The Crmant de Limoux Graimenous is a blend of 60%
Chardonnay, 30% Chenin Blanc, 5% Mauzac and 5% Pinot
Noir, and has been lauded by critics including Jancis Robinson
and the Guide Hachette in France, which has bestowed its
highest honour (the Coup de Coeur) on Graimenous for the
past three vintages.
The wine is named for the local herbs that grow in the vineyards,
all of which are located in the part of the appellation known as
Autan. This area is sheltered from the heat by two mountain
ranges and the nights are much cooler here, allowing for
wines with much more freshness and acidity than some of the
vineyards closer to the Mediterranean. Graimenous is always
made from the production of a single vintage and the method
of production is identical to Champagne.
02L13PPL White 2013 Terre des 13 Vents Picpoul de Pinet 75cl 6.94
04ACLD11 White 2011 Les Graimenous Crmant de Limoux 75cl 10.33
49
When you get to the re station, take the dirt road that goes
behind it and follow the telephone wires. Dont stop until you
arrive at the domaine. This was the nal part of the detailed
directions we received from Marlne Soria the rst time we
visited Domaine Peyre Rose outside the Languedoc village of St
Pargoire, not far from Pzenas. The directions were needed, as
reaching this iconic estate is no mean feat it is one of the most
isolated wineries in France.
In fact, isolation was the whole point when Marlne and her
husband rst bought the 80 hectares or so of land and collection
of old buildings, back in 1973. At the time she was an estate agent
selling apartments on the south coast while her husband was
the trainer of the French Olympic sailing team, and they were
looking for a place to escape to at the weekends. There was (and
still is) no water mains, so they had a well drilled on the property
and set up a water tower. There was (and still is) no connection to
the local power grid, so all the electricity comes from a generator
on the property. This is rustic living at its most basic, but spending
time there allowed Marlne to get back to nature and before long
she decided to plant some vines and produce a bit of wine for
personal consumption.
She soon discovered that the property had been under vine
in the past, when the Leone family had owned part of the
estate many years before. Based on this information, Marlne
cleared 17 hectares of ideally positioned scrubland in 1976
and, by 1980, began planting vines. Local experts advised her
to plant Carignan, but she decided instead to go with Syrah
demonstrating the strength of character that she was going to
need in order to thrive in this deserted corner of the Languedoc.
All of the work was done by hand and the days were long and very
hard, but the farming was organic from the very beginning and,
by 1988, Marlne was ready to make her rst wine.
Initially she had envisaged selling her rst few harvests to the
local co-operative, but when they insisted on a 25 year minimum
contract, Marlne refused and began thinking about vinifying the
entire crop herself. A local winery went out of business, so she
purchased their old press, a pump and three fermentation tanks
and installed them in one of the buildings on her property. The
1988 was produced in almost prehistoric conditions, and would
eventually be named Cuve Raphael after the Tahitian son that
Marlne and her husband adopted in the same year.
While the 88 continued its levage in the winery, Marlne
sold her 1989 vintage to the large ngociant business Jeanjean.
The price was very low for such good wine made from organic
grapes, but quality and conscientious farming were of no concern
to Jeanjean and they refused to increase the price for future
vintages Marlne decided to create Domaine Peyre Rose and
sell the wines under her own label. The decision to call it Peyre
Rose was based on three things the fact that her mother was
called Rose; the fact that pink (rose in French) is Marlnes
favourite colour; and the fact that the estates vineyards were
strewn with pink coloured rocks and pebbles. The word for these
stones in the local dialect is Peyre, hence the name that is
emblazoned on the iconic pink oral labels.
Now that Marlne had a domaine name and some wine (her
intransigence with potential local customers that would only
pay rock bottom prices meant that she had the 88, 90, 91 and
92 vintages in her cellars), it was time to try and sell some of it.
The rst step was a Guide Hachette tasting of the wines from
the local area, to which Marlne showed up with a sample of
her 1988. When the tasting was reported on, it was Marlnes
wine that was declared the star of the show and, as a result, the
regional wine body for the Languedoc requested samples to show
at their ofce in Paris. An American agent called Peter Vezan
called Marlne soon after, to tell her that he had tasted the wines
in Paris and wanted to come and visit her days later he had
paid upfront for the entire stock of Peyre Rose wine and began
exporting them to a network of distributors in the USA. When
PEYRE ROSE
LANGUEDOC, FRANCE
51
01L92SLM White 1999 Oro Cteaux du Languedoc 75cl 35.38
01L04CCP Red 2004 Clos des Cistes Cteaux du Languedoc 75cl 39.55
01L02CCM Red 2002 Clos des Cistes Cteaux du Languedoc 150cl 87.43
01L98CCM Red 1998 Clos des Cistes Cteaux du Languedoc 150cl 104.10
01L04PRL Red 2004 Syrah Lone Cteaux du Languedoc 75cl 39.55
01L03PRL Red 2003 Syrah Lone Cteaux du Languedoc 75cl 42.05
01L003PR Red 2002 Syrah Lone Cteaux du Languedoc 150cl 87.43
01L92SLM Red 1992 Syrah Lone Cteaux du Languedoc 150cl 107.43
52
Robert Parker tasted, loved and gave a glowing 92 point review
to one of Marlnes wines, the phone started ringing of the hook.
Today the estate has 25 hectares under vine, including a small
amount of Roussanne, Rolle and Viognier which is used to make
150 or so cases of an incredible white wine called Oro. Aged
for at least ten years before bottling, it is a wonderfully complex
and truly memorable wine that is reminiscent of the greatest
examples of traditional white Rioja. There are three red wines, two
of which have been responsible for forging the reputation of the
domaine. Clos des Cistes and Syrah Leone are each taken from
diferent parcels within the estate (Leone named after the family
that used to own part of the domaine many years ago), but both
are based on Syrah which comprises 85% of the blend. In Clos
des Cistes the balance is Grenache, while in Syrah Leone it is
Mourvdre and both wines are capable of ageing prodigiously. At
a recent tasting at the domaine, Marlne very generously opened
a bottle of every vintage she had ever produced and all of them
(including one of her last bottles of the 88 Cuve Raphael) were
youthful, vibrant and absolutely delicious. This longevity is due to
the sheer quality of the low yielding fruit and the long but hands-
of levage of the wines after fermenting in tank the wine is
moved to foudre for a few years and then, when Marlne decides
it is ready the wine goes back into tank before being bottled
without ning or ltration. There are no hard and fast rules as
far as the timing goes, but Marlne typically releases a wine 8-10
years from the vintage.
To say that the wines of Peyre Rose are majestic is no exaggeration.
To call them the best in the Languedoc is not hyperbole. They
are genuinely world class wines that would grace any wine list or
collectors cellar and though the pricing may seem ambitious for
wines from this part of France, one taste is all it takes to conrm
that they still ofer incredible value for money.
CHTEAU DE CORNEILLA
ROUSSILLON, FRANCE
Its difcult to miss William Jonquires dOriola. Not only does
he have a wavy mane of ery red hair, but an efervescent
personality to match. This 30 year old Frenchman has a
Scottish mother and would be a perfect candidate to star in any
remake of Braveheart. In the meantime he is content to make
some of the best value wines in Roussillon while spreading the
Rivesaltes gospel and, when you learn a bit about the family
history, it is no surprise that they want to educate people about
these undervalued sweet wines from the south of France.
The Jonquires dOriola clan have lived at the Chateau de
Corneilla since 1485, although the spectacular fortication was
built by the Knights Templar back in the 12th century. When
the Order was disbanded, the chateau fell into private hands
and now William is the 27th generation of his family to make
wine there. Their speciality has long been the Vin Doux Naturel
of Rivesaltes and Muscat de Rivesaltes, although their prime
vineyards of Grenache, Syrah and Carignan also allow them to
make some fantastic table wines too.
William goes to incredible lengths to make sure his wines
are a good as they can be. Yields are kept low to maintain
concentration, the vineyards are managed in a largely organic
way (its ofcially lutte raisonne as they reserve the right to
use certain treatments in difcult years) and harvesting is done
at night to ensure the fruit is in optimum condition when it
goes into the press. Then the wines are fermented using their
natural yeasts, before the table wines and Muscat de Rivesaltes
are aged in stainless steel and bottled early to retain their
freshness. The Rivesaltes, on the other hand, is aged in large
format French oak barrels for at least ten years! These wines
represent a labour of love for the Jonquires dOriola family
and, thanks to fortied wine being so unfashionable, are among
the most underpriced in the world.
01LCJ010 Red 2010 Domaine Jonqures d'Oriola Ctes du Roussillon 75cl 7.88
02L12RC6 Red 2012 Vin Doux Naturel Muscat de Rivesaltes 75cl 9.72
02L00RCC Red 2000 Vin Doux Naturel Rivesaltes 75cl 13.05
53
CHTEAU MINUTY
PROVENCE, FRANCE
CHTEAU DESCLANS
PROVENCE, FRANCE
Chteau Minuty has been a famous name in Provence since
it was built in the mid-1800s, but when it was taken over by
Gabriel Farnet (grandfather of the current owners) in 1936,
it soon became recognised as one of the regions benchmark
properties. In 1955 the authorities ratied the classication of
Provences Cru Class estates (the only ofcial ranking of wine
producers outside Bordeaux) and Gabriels son Etienne Matton
became the president of this organisation, a position he held for
30 years. Today it is Etiennes sons Jean-Etienne and Franois
that run the estate. They have continued their fathers focus on
quality by further reducing yields, building a brand new winery,
replanting their Carignan and Ugni Blanc with Grenache Noir
and Vermentino and pioneering the use of pressurage direct
in the production of their ros wines. This technique involves
taking the rst free-run juice that is released by loading the
press with the grapes, before any mechanical pressing begins.
The weight of the fruit is enough to bring about a light pressing
and this premium juice is then run of immediately to be
fermented separately giving a ros wine with sumptuous
texture and elegance. The M de Minuty ros (in its world
famous curved bottle) is made using 70% pressurage direct,
while the Ros et Or cuve is made solely from this technique
and is a ros wine to rival any in the world.
Minutys 75 hectares of vines, on the slopes overlooking the bay
of Saint-Tropez, sit on calcareous schist and chalky limestone
soils that imbue the wines with their signature elegance and
minerality. Although 70% of production is given over to their
ros wines, there are also some excellent whites and a rich, silky
red in the portfolio. These are serious, complex wines that are
perfectly suited to the cuisine of the region and a permanent
xture on the most prestigious wine lists of the Cte dAzur.
Chteau dEsclans has emerged in recent years as one of the
most prestigious sources of ros wine in the world. The beautiful
44 hectare property in the village of La Motte en Provence was
purchased by Sacha Lichine (son of wine legend Alexis Lichine)
in 2006, and since then their cuves have become staples on
the top wine lists on the Cte dAzur and beyond. Whispering
Angel is a delicious, classic, pale Provenal ros that is a blend
of Grenache, Rolle, Syrah, Cinsault and Tibouren. The wine is
fermented and matured in temperature controlled stainless
steel tanks to maintain its emphasis on fresh fruit, whereas the
Chteau dEsclans cuve (a blend of Grenache and Rolle) is
partially aged in demi-muid (600 litre) barrels and steel tank,
combining this freshness with an added depth and complexity.
18A13RMO Ros 2013 M de Minuty Ros Ctes de Provence 75cl 8.30
18A13MRM Ros 2013 M de Minuty Ros Ctes de Provence 150cl 20.85
18A13ROM Ros 2013 Ros et Or Ctes de Provence 75cl 14.88
18A13RMM Ros 2013 Ros et Or Ctes de Provence 150cl 32.85
18AWAN13 Ros 2013 Whispering Angel Ros Ctes de Provence 75cl 12.47
18AWAM13 Ros 2013 Whispering Angel Ros Ctes de Provence 150cl 28.93
10AER13 Ros 2013 Chteau dEsclans Ros Ctes de Provence 75cl 17.47
10AES13 Ros 2013 Chteau dEsclans Ros Ctes de Provence 150cl 38.93
54
01J13MBR Ros 2013 Ros Bandol 75cl 11.72
01J10MAB Red 2010 Rouge Bandol 75cl 11.72
01J09MAB Red 2009 Rouge Bandol 75cl 11.72
DOMAINE MAUBERNARD
PROVENCE, FRANCE
One of the most famous sea farers of the 19th century was a
Provenal man named Julien Fabre, who held the world record
time for the Marseilles Malabar Island journey (a prestigious
title in those days!). When Fabre retired, he purchased a ten
hectare estate in the hills a mile above the Bandol coastline - a
property well known, as it was shrouded in Da Vinci Code style
mystery. The story goes that during the French Revolution a
monastery in the rugged Haut-Provence hills was besieged by
marauding revolutionaries. In the chaos, a handful of monks
managed to collect their gold and relics before eeing the
carnage and heading for the coast where they stopped for
respite at a small hamlet. The residents of these dwellings were
religious folk, so they ofered the monks shelter. Deciding that
they had found a safe place to stay, the monks buried their
treasure on the land for safe keeping, but unbeknownst to them
the bloodthirsty Republicans werent far behind. This time they
werent so lucky and slaughter ensued, not only for the monks
but for most of the brave souls that had tried to protect them.
The few that survived spent years trying to locate the buried
treasure, but it remains undiscovered to this day
It was this land that our sea captain Julien Fabre built his home
on, and when his daughter married Monsieur Maubernard
the domaine got its name and vines were planted. Today,
Captain Fabres great-grandson Michel Vidal is in charge of
the estate. Most of his vines are planted in a steep, south-
facing amphitheatre in stony soils infused with limestone (for
freshness), and magnesium (for power). The high clay content
retains what little water the heavens send, so the long ripening
season for Mourvdre takes place in perfect conditions. This
part of the appellation is one of the most sought after terroirs, so
its no surprise that Michels vines are next to those of Chteau
Pibarnon, who purchased a plot in the same amphitheatre (the
two wineries also share the same oenologist).
The ros is predominantly Mourvdre with a splash of Grenache
and Cinsault. The grapes are destemmed and the wines is made
using pressurage direct juice, before being aged in stainless steel
tank for nine months to retain its freshness. The Bandol Rouge
is a blend of Mouvdre (90%) and Grenache (10%), cropped at
under 30 hl/ha and aged for a minimum of 18 months in foudre.
55
DOMAINE DE TRVALLON
PROVENCE, FRANCE
The South of France was once home to little more than
country wines rustic fayre that slaked the thirst of manual
labourers and was poured from the jug at many a peasants
mealtime. It wasnt until the 70s that a small cadre of quality
minded producers began to change the worlds perception of
wines from Languedoc, Roussillon and Provence. While the
likes of Daumas Gassac, followed by La Grange des Pres and
Peyre Rose, were proving that the Languedoc was capable of
producing world-class wines, in Provence loi Drrbach of
Domaine de Trvallon preceded all of them.
The Drrbach family had bought the estate in 1957, but it wasnt
until loi returned in 1973, after studying in Paris, that vines
were planted and a domaine was born. He was convinced that
this mountainous area in Baux-de-Provence, with limestone
soils and eternal sunshine, had potential to yield fantastic fruit.
Before he could get started though, he needed to dynamite
parts of the hillside and after months of back-breaking work he
planted the rst 3 hectares of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah
vines, from which he made the rst vintage in 1976. Today
there are 17 hectares of vines planted in numerous small plots
all within 2km of the winery, 15 of which are red and just two
of which are planted to white grapes. Viticulture is organic, as it
always has been, and the wine-making is of the low intervention
variety no destemming, wild yeast ferments and levage in
used oak barrels (14 months for the white, 24 months for the
red). The estate red (a 50/50 blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and
Syrah) is a wine of incredible character and complexity, tasting
like a Cru class Claret with added joy and sunshine. The white
is predominantly a blend of Marsanne and Rousanne, with a
touch of Chardonnay and Grenache Blanc, and is always age
worthy and complex, whether it be from a cooler, racier vintage
or a warmer, more full-bodied year.
Today loi is joined by his son Antoine and daughter Ostiane
and this iconic property is producing better wines than ever.
They age prodigiously, and thanks to the north-facing situation
of many of their vineyards, even in very hot years they manage
to retain wonderful freshness and balance.
02L12TRB White 2012 Blanc IGP Bouches-du-Rhne 75cl POA
01M08TRE Red 2008 Rouge Vin de Pays Bouches-du-Rhne 75cl 29.55
01M04TRE Red 2004 Rouge Vin de Pays Bouches-du-Rhne 75cl 37.05
56
57
RIVANI
VALDOBBIADENE, ITALY
CASTELLO DI QUERCETO
CHIANTI, ITALY
Rivani Prosecco is made from high quality Glera fruit grown in
choice vineyard parcels located in Valdobbiadene. Some of their
best parcels are located in Conegliano, one of the highest altitude
and most prestigious parts of the region. Both wines are classic
Spumante, made using the Charmat method of production to be
fully sparkling and ofering excellent value for money.
The 60 hectares of vineyards at Castello di Querceto are
among the highest in the Chianti Classico DOCG, sitting at
470m altitude above the town of Greve. The estate has been
planted to the vine for over 100 years and was one of the
founder members of the Consorzio di Chianti Classico back
in 1924. Today the family-run property is under the watchful
eye of Alessandro Francois and he has overseen an increase in
quality in recent years that has elevated Quercetos reputation
to that of one of the nest wineries in the region, receiving
regular plaudits from the Wine Advocate and Gambero Rosso.
The height of the vineyards give Quercetos wines wonderful
freshness and allows them to pick later than many of their
neighbours while maintaining natural acidity. Their Sangiovese
IGT is made from young vine Chianti fruit, fermented and
matured in concrete tanks. The wine is bright, vibrant and
easy to drink, ofering superb value for money considering the
nobility of the fruit. The Chianti Classico spends ten months
ageing in large oak casks and the result is a rich and elegant
Sangiovese (with 8% Canaiolo) that has the acidity to remain
incredibly food friendly. Finally, the Riserva is aged for 12
months in French oak barriques and has more concentration,
not to mention the ability to age fantastically.
04APCAV White NV Cavatina Spumante Prosecco 75cl 7.46
04APCVR White NV Rivani Spumante Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore 75cl 8.96
05ASAC12 Red 2012 Sangiovese IGT Toscana 75cl 6.94
05ASAC11 Red 2011 Sangiovese IGT Toscana 75cl 6.94
05ACC09 Red 2011 Chianti Classico 75cl 10.30
05ACCR09 Red 2009 Chianti Classico Riserva 75cl 12.88
05AC09RH Red 2009 Chianti Classico Riserva 37.5cl 6.86
MARQUS DE REINOSA
RIOJA, SPAIN
PESQUERA
RIBERA DEL DUERO, SPAIN
58
Bodegas Marqus de Reinosa was founded in 1956 and takes
its name from a politician that dedicated much of his career
to ghting fraudulent labelling in the wine industry, something
that was of particular concern to the wine-makers or Rioja.
Eventually, the Marqus work would lead to a legal framework
being put in place in 1925, which later was expanded across
Spain and became the system of Denominacin de Origen that
we know today. During the political struggles that raged in the
latter part of the 19th century, the Marqus founded a Bodega
that was among the rst wineries to export their wines around
the world. Today, his name lives on in the modern Bodegas
Marqus de Reinosa, where an ultra-modern winery in was built
in 2000.
Based in Autol in the Rioja Baja region, Viestral is the bodegas
entry level range of wines and ofer superb value for money.
The Crianza is made from 100% Tempranillo and is matured in
a mixture of French and American oak. It is medium bodied and
fragrant, with bright cherry-like fruit and an emphasis on elegance
over extraction.
Alejandro Fernandez is a legendary gure in Ribera del Duero,
despite not coming from a long line of professional wine-makers.
In 1972 he realised his dream of owning a winery (after years of
vinifying small batches of home-made wine) and since then he has
spearheaded a revolution in the standard of the regions wines. In
fact, the very existence of the Ribera del Duero Denominacin de
Origen could be credited to Fernandez, as it was he who lobbied
hard for it to be recognised by the authorities in 1982. By the time
Robert Parker described Pesquera as Spains Chteau Ptrus,
the wines were already established as some of the best in the
region and now they are amongst the most collectable in Spain.
The vineyards at the 65 hectare Pesquera estate are planted
entirely to Tempranillo (the only grape that Alejandro believes red
wines of the area should be made from). The alluvial wash from the
River Duero has added a gravel top soil to a deep clay and limestone
base. The grapes are destemmed, crushed and given a prolonged
cold soak before they begin their fermentations. Following that
they are aged in a blend of American and French oak barrels,
with the Crianza aged for at least 20 months maturation and the
Reserva and Gran Reserva spending at least 30 months in barrel
before being bottled unned and unltered.
07ARCV11 Red 2011 Viestral Rioja Crianza 75cl 6.97
07APCR11 Red 2011 Ribera del Duero Crianza 75cl 15.38
07REP03 Red 2003 Ribera del Duero Reserva Especial 75cl 28.72
07APJA03 Red 2003 Janus Ribera del Duero Gran Reserva 75cl 68.72
59
EBNER-EBENAUER
WIENVIERTAL, AUSTRIA
Traditionally, a runaway teenager would head for the nearest
circus to embark on a life of tightrope walking or lion taming.
Not so with Marion Ebner. At the age of 16 she decided to
run away to become a wine-maker, nding her way to Fritz
Weininger on the outskirts of Vienna, where she rapidly
became known as one of Austrias rising stars. To start with
Marion was a cellar rat, doing all the jobs that no one else
wanted to do. Before long though, she was assisting Fritz with
some of his wine-making tasks, and it was immediately obvious
that she had a air for it. Over the next few years she learnt
the ropes and gradually assumed a bigger hand in making the
wines at Weininger, but Marion was condent and ambitious
and wanted to do something that had her own name on the
label. When she was 21, and working in marketing for a big
wine company, she bought a consignment of grapes and some
new oak barrels. The wine she made was a big, rich, intense
Grner Veltliner called Melusine, and as soon as it was ready
she sent a bottle to Robert Parker. He raved about it and she
became an overnight sensation.
Marion had already met and subsequently married a guy
called Manfred Ebenauer who was in the early days of taking
over his family winery in Weinviertal. The winery was promptly
renamed Ebner-Ebenauer and since the inaugural 2007
vintage the wines have been getting better and better every
year. There is a wide range of grape varieties planted at the ten
hectare estate, but Grner is the star performer. Her single
vineyard oferings from old vines in some of Weinviertals top
sites are intense and complex, but her entry level Grner
shows plenty of this quality despite its more humble origins
(the young vines on the estate).
Before undergoing fermentation, Bursting spends two
days on the skins whereas Hermanschachern and the estate
Grner are pressed directly into tank. Once the fermentation
is nished, the wines spend several months resting on their
lees before bottling and this builds texture into the wine and
gives it the spicy, white pepper notes that are typical of the
variety. All of Marions wines are a reection of her intense,
generous and with enormous potential to improve with age!
14AGV13 White 2013 Gruner Veltliner Weinviertel 75cl 8.88
14AGV12 White 2012 Gruner Veltliner Weinviertel 75cl 8.88
17AGVB12 White 2012 Gruner Veltliner Bursting Weinviertel 75cl 13.72
17AGVH12 White 2012 Gruner Veltliner Hermanschachern Weinviertel 75cl 12.72
17AR11 White 2011 Riesling Weinviertel 75cl 12.05
60
CHTEAU MUSAR
BEKAA VALLEY, LEBANON
The Bekaa Valley is one of the worlds oldest wine regions, with
grapes grown on its slopes for over 6000 years. The modern
era of Bekaa wine, and indeed Lebanese wine, has been led by
one property Chteau Musar and the Hochar family that
established it in 1930. Since then, Musar and their neighbours
have witnessed tumultuous changes in the political and social
landscape of their beautiful country (the winery has been
bombed multiple times), but their wines have stood the test
of time and are as revered today as they have always been. It
is Gaston Hochars grandsons that can be found working at
the property today (although his son Serge still plays a starring
role) and the wines are better than ever for years the style
was somewhat divisive, but with each passing vintage there
seems to be less and less opposition to their inherent quality.
The estate red is what Musars reputation has been built on, an
old vine blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault and Carignan
that is fermented and aged for a year in concrete vat before
spending a year in French oak and then being returned to
vat for another year. It is held back at the domaine for years
before release, demonstrating its famous capacity to improve
with age. The white is a wine of incredible complexity, though
it is perhaps an acquired taste. Reminiscent of the great
white Riojas from Lopez de Heredia, it is a blend of Merwah
and Obaideh, local varieties that are similar to Smillon and
Chardonnay respectively. It is aged for nine months in French
oak before being bottled, after which it remains at the chteau
for seven years before release.
Musar is one of the wine worlds truly great properties and no
wine list is complete without it.
17EMW03 White 2003 Chteau Musar Bekaa Valley 75cl 17.55
17CHMJ11 Ros 2011 Musar Jeune Ros Bekaa Valley 75cl 8.55
17CHJ11 Red 2011 Musar Jeune Red Bekaa Valley 75cl 8.55
17EM04 Red 2004 Chteau Musar Bekaa Valley 75cl 17.88
17AM04H Red 2004 Chteau Musar Bekaa Valley 37.5cl 8.94
17EM01 Red 2001 Chteau Musar Bekaa Valley 75cl 19.55
17EM98 Red 1998 Chteau Musar Bekaa Valley 75cl 22.88
17EM95 Red 1995 Chteau Musar Bekaa Valley 75cl 49.97
61
COPAIN
ANDERSON VALLEY, CALIFORNIA
If there is one winery that epitomises the shift that has
taken place in California wine, it is Copain. Wine-maker
Wells Guthrie started his career at the opposite end of the
spectrum to where he nds himself now. He was the tasting
coordinator for Wine Spectator magazine before training with
Michel Chapoutier and Helen Turley both legendary wine-
makers and people that knew how to make wines that would
garner high scores from the leading critics. Guthrie was an able
student and following the establishment of his Copain label
in 1999, it wasnt long before he was racking up big scores for
himself. Something didnt sit right with him though, so in 2005
Wells headed of to Europe on a tasting trip that reminded
him why he was in the wine-making business in the rst place.
On his return to California, Wells abandoned the super-ripe,
heavily extracted wines that had made him a cult gure and
set about making wines of balance and elegance wines that
he wanted to drink. The critics lambasted him and many of his
customers abandoned him, but almost a decade later he is once
again being lauded for the quality of his wines, only this time
it is their purity, complexity and integrity that has got people
excited. As Antonio Galloni recently said These are some of
the most rened, subtle wines being made in Sonoma today.
The Tous Ensemble range of wines represent Copains entry
level and are made from fruit purchased from long standing
sources in Mendocino County, including a number of top
sites like Hawks Butte and Eaglepoint Ranch. The Syrah is
fermented with 50% whole clusters and raised for ten months
in neutral oak, giving it a real savoury freshness and classic
varietal character. The Les Voisins range is made from fruit
grown in a cluster of neighbouring vineyards in the Anderson
Valley and Yorkville Highlands, cool climate fruit that ts the
prole Wells is looking for to produce ripe but balanced wines
with excellent acidity and plenty of complexity. After a year in
neutral oak, the result is a fresh and elegant wine with beautiful
perfume and genuine complexity. The Halcon vineyard sits at
almost 800m altitude and the wine is vinied with 100% whole
clusters, giving a wine of concentration and complexity that
ages superbly. Although Syrah is what Copain are perhaps best
known for, their Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays are also very
highly thought of. The Kiser En Haut Pinot Noir is made from
the coolest vineyard in the Anderson Valley, ensuring that the
fruit prole and structure are all about precision and elegance.
13CTES11 Red 2011 Tous Ensemble Syrah Mendocino County 75cl 15.80
13CLVS11 Red 2010 Les Voisins Syrah Yorkville Highlands 75cl 21.22
13CHSY09 Red 2009 Halcon Syrah Yorkville Highlands 75cl 33.72
13CKEH10 Red 2010 Kiser En Haut Pinot Noir Anderson Valley 75cl 41.38
In the early 2000s Jamie Kutch was working on Wall
Street, spending much of his hard earned salary on exploring
the fine wines of the world while making wine at home from
grapes he had shipped to NYC from the West Coast. Pinot
Noir was the variety that got him particularly excited and as
he spent more and more time debating the merits of great
Burgundy and classic old Californian Pinots with fellow
posters on the erobertparker.com bulletin board, it began to
dawn on him that vines and wines held far more allure than
stocks and shares. The idea that he might be missing out on
fulfilling his metier was brought home to him when he began
talking online with a fellow banker called Andrew Vingiello,
who was working in California as a trader by day and trainee
wine-maker at nights and weekends. When Jamie emailed
Michael Browne (of Kosta-Browne winery) to enquire after
an allocation of his wine, he mentioned the burning desire
that was beginning to take over all of his waking thoughts.
Browne told him to follow his dream, and offered to mentor
him if he moved to the West Coast. The next day Jamie quit
his job and, taking up Michael on his promise, he worked
at Kosta-Browne while producing 125 cases of 2005 Pinot
Noir under his Kutch Wines label. With his bulletin board
friends signed up to buy every bottle of his first vintage,
Jamie Kutch was officially a professional wine-maker the
dream had become a reality.
From his second vintage production began to expand and
Jamie moved to Deerfield Ranch Winery in Sonoma. Right
from the start he was convinced that the secret to making
great wines was to start with the best cool climate fruit, so
he became obsessed with Google Earth and poured over
it for hours looking for vineyards at high altitude. Once
spotted, Jamie would jump in the car and drive out to the
vineyard, where he would wait for someone to arrive that
could introduce him to the owner. Sometimes this quest
would involve sleeping in his vehicle until work started in the
morning, but the upshot was that Jamie began to develop
relationships with some of the best growers in Sonoma and
before long he had access to their Pinot Noir.
With each vintage that passed, Jamies wines improved
and, as he became more confident in his ability, he began to
move away from the high-octane style that Michael Browne
had taught him and move towards a more nuanced approach
that was informed by the Burgundies that he loved. With
each successive vintage that Roberson Wine has imported
since we began working with Jamies 2009s, the wines
have improved markedly year-on-year. Initially they were
good; then in 2010 and 2011 they were excellent - with his
fantastic 2012s, Jamie is set to join the ranks of Californias
very best Pinot Noir producers.
One of the key changes that Jamie has made over the years
is the inclusion of progressively more stems. In Burgundy
the debate continues to rage over whether Pinot Noir
is best when the grapes are destemmed, bunches are left
intact, or with a proportion of the stems left in the ferment.
While stems (in the worst case scenario) can bring a certain
greenness to the wine, this only happens when the bunches
are not fully ripe - rarely an issue in California. What they
bring to the wine are silky tannins and a sense of freshness
that gives the wine a lift and helps to add aromatic
complexity. Slowly but surely, Jamie has been increasing the
amount of whole bunches he includes in his fermentations
and the results have demonstrated that stem inclusion is a
great way to build elegance, purity and balance into wines
made from Pinot Noir.
As ripeness levels have been reigned in and the transparency
and purity of Jamies wines has increased, the quality of his
fruit sources has come to the fore. The Sonoma Coast Pinot
Noir is made from the fruit of three vineyards Sonoma
63
KUTCH WINES
SONOMA, CALIFORNIA
13AKSC12 Red 2012 Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 75cl 25.38
13AKSM12 Red 2012 Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 150cl 50.77
13AKSC11 Red 2011 Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 75cl 25.38
13AKFS12 Red 2012 Falstaf Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 75cl 29.55
64
Stage, Le Jons and MacDougall Ranch. As with all of Jamies
wines, the crush and punch-downs are done by hand (and
foot) in ton bins before being moved to French oak barrels,
1/3 of which are new. The best fruit from his MacDougall
Ranch parcel is used to make a vineyard designate bottling
and there are also single vineyard wines from Falstaff and
Hirsch Vineyard. All three of these site specific wines
have their own distinct character, be it the silky texture
of MacDougall Ranch, the clarity and mineral precision of
Falstaff or the weight and depth of Hirsch.
Jamies transition from ripe and rich to restraint and finesse
has coincided with the emergence of In Pursuit of Balance,
a group that includes Kutch as well as Pinot Noir luminaries
such as Au Bon Climat, Calera, Hirsch Vineyards and the
wines of Rajat Parr / Sashi Moorman. While Jamie is far
too humble to suggest he is anything other than a work-
in-progress, there is no doubt that his insatiable thirst for
knowledge and self-improvement has propelled him into the
top bracket of Pinot Noir practitioners in record time.
LIOCO
SONOMA, CALIFORNIA
Matt Licklider and Kevin OConnor became friends while the
former was selling French wine to the latter, in the years that
Kevin was Wine Director at Wolfgang Pucks Spago restaurant
in Beverly Hills. Following six years of discussion about the
problems with Californian Chardonnay, they resolved to do
something about it and the Lioco label was born (the name a
splicing together of the start of their respective names). Their
philosophy was always to make Californian wines rather than to
imitate France, but their means for getting there was to focus
their energy on sourcing the best fruit possible, harvested at
the right (rather than the last possible) date and strip back
the intervention in the winery to let the terroir shine through.
A simple enough idea, but one that went very much against
the status quo and yielded wines that exuded the joy and
generosity of Californias sun while retaining incredible purity
and precision. It wasnt long before the states sommeliers were
alerted to what was happening at Lioco and since John Raytek
took over wine-making responsibilities from Kevin Kelley in
2010, the quality of the wines has continued to improve.
Although the Lioco range includes a couple of fantastic wines
made from Mediterranean red varieties, it is Chardonnay and
Pinot Noir that play the leading role. The steely and intense
Sonoma County Chardonnay is fermented and aged in a
combination of steel tank (85%) and neutral barrels (15%),
balancing weight and presence with mineral precision. The
Hanzell Vineyard Chardonnay one of Californias original
and most sought after Chardonnay sites - is richer and fuller
but with the same freshness that is the hallmark of Liocos style.
Aged in neutral oak for ten months before a four month stint
in tank, it is bottled without ning and ltration. The Pinot
Noirs mirror the style of the Chardonnays, in that they marry
bright and succulent fruit with superb poise and clarity. The
Sonoma Coast Pinot is made from a blend of sites (including
Hirsch and Teac, among others), fermented with 30% whole
clusters and spends 12 months maturing in oak barrels (15%
new), before being bottled unned and unltered. The Savaria
Vineyard Pinot Noir comes from a fabulous site in the Santa
Cruz Mountains, situated just ve miles from the Pacic. This
cooling inuence imbues the wine with an incredible sense of
elegance and purity, with 16 months in barrel (20% new) adding
to the smooth and silky texture.
65
13LSOC12 White 2012 Chardonnay Sonoma County 75cl 14.97
13LSPN12 Red 2012 Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 75cl 22.05
13LIPN12 Red 2012 Savaria Pinot Noir Santa Cruz Mountains 75cl 29.55
JOLIE-LAIDE
SONOMA, CALIFORNIA
MOOBUZZ
SONOMA, CALIFORNIA
One of the things that makes Californias wine scene so inspiring
is the freedom that so many young wine-makers have to embark
on their own projects. Of course, not all of these prove to be a
success, but when Scott Schultz decided to branch out on his
own, he did it with the full backing and condence of his mentor
Pax Mahle (one of the states star wine-makers and owner
of the Wind Gap brand). Scott continues to work alongside
Pax, but his Jolie-Laide label has already turned enough heads
to suggest that the wines will go on to become some of the
most sought-after in the state. The range features three wines,
bottlings of Pinot Gris, Trousseau Gris and Syrah, all of which
have electried the palates of those lucky enough to try them.
The Pinot Gris is whole cluster fermented and then matured
for six months in a combination of stainless steel and neutral
oak, resulting in a beautifully fresh and oral wine that has real
depth and texture. The Trousseau Gris is destemmed before
being barrel fermented in neutral oak, and the wine displays an
incredible energy and intense minerality. The Rossi Ranch Red
is a co-planted and co-fermented blend of Grenache, Syrah,
Viognier and Muscat; whole cluster fermented and spends 11
months in barrel before being bottled. It is packed full of vibrant
wild dark berry fruit but clocks in at just 12.4% ABV and has
superb clarity and freshness.
Production is microscopic and collectors and sommeliers
are falling over themselves to get an allocation. The tension,
complexity and concentration of the wines is such, that it is
no surprise Scott is being heralded as one of Californias most
exciting wine-makers.
The Sebastiani family are yet another venerable Italian family
that have played a big role in the Californian wine story. Samuele
settled in Sonoma County after emigrating from Tuscany at
the end of the 19th century, buying vineyard land and setting
up a winery not long after he had arrived. During prohibition,
Don Sebastiani was one of only seven wine-makers permitted
to continue production (for medicinal and communion wine),
establishing a platform for future generations of his family to
go on and play a leading role in the states wine industry. The
Other Guys is a project founded by August Sebastiani, part of
the familys fourth generation in 2004, the point of which was
to leverage their connections throughout California to source
high quality fruit and turn it into exciting wines.
The Moobuzz range (the word is a play on the phrase land of
milk and honey) is a Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from cool
climate Monterey County that exemplies the Sebastiani
familys commitment to produce great value wines with
innovative packaging. The Chardonnay is aged for six months
in a combination of tank and French oak barrels (30%), giving
it great balance between crisp acidity and ripe citrus fruit with
a smooth texture. The Pinot Noir was aged in French oak for
ten months and is vibrant and fruity but with the elegance you
would expect from cool climate fruit. Both wines are bottled
under the innovative Zork closure, which looks great and
makes re-sealing the bottle very easy for those establishments
serving the Moobuzz wines by the glass.
13JL12PG White 2013 Pinot Gris 75cl 16.63
13JL12TG White 2013 Trousseau Gris 75cl 16.63
13JL12RR Red 2013 Rossi Ranch Syrah / Grenache 75cl 20.80
13MOOC12 White 2012 Chardonnay Monterey 75cl 10.47
13MOOP11 Red 2011 Pinot Noir Monterey 75cl 10.47
66
ARNOT-ROBERTS
SONOMA, CALIFORNIA
Childhood friends Nathan Roberts and Duncan Arnot-Meyers
founded their winery in 2001. Nathan grew up around wine
thanks to his grandmothers marriage to Robert Mondavi and
his fathers career as a cooper (Nathan now makes all the
barrels for Arnot-Roberts), while Duncan had spent years
making wine at Caymus, Groth, Kongsgaard and with Pax
Mahle at Wind Gap. When the cool 2005 vintage gave them
wines in a more austere, high-acid style than the region was
used to, Nathan and Duncan reacted completely diferently to
practically everyone else in California they loved them and
decided to pursue lower ripeness levels and higher acidity in all
of their wines henceforth. Their focus shifted to the best cool
climate sites they could nd, most of which were struggling to
sell their fruit due to the obsession with high sugar levels that
was pervasive at the time. Vineyards like Clary Ranch, Fellom
Ranch, Luchsinger and Grifns Lair are lauded today, but not
long ago it was only Nathan and Duncan that wanted their fruit!
The wine-making at Arnot-Roberts is decidedly low-tech,
with spontaneous fermentations and no interventions aside
from conscientious additions of SO2. The Watson Ranch
Chardonnay is taught and mineral, spending seven months in
neutral oak and tasting more like Chablis than much of the
Chardonnay produced in California. The North Coast Syrah is
made from fruit grown in some of the coolest sites in California
(in some years the alcohol level doesnt get over 12%). It is
spontaneously fermented (100% whole cluster) before spending
11 months in neutral oak and is a wine that has redened peoples
perception of what Syrah is capable of in California. Perhaps
their most famous wine is the Luchsinger Vineyard Trousseau,
the wine that sparked a raft of plantings of this grape native to
Frances Jura region. After ten months in neutral oak it is light
and fragrant but full of character and complexity on the plate,
hence why it is so massively oversubscribed! There is a range
of single vineyard Cabernets from Sonoma sites including
Clajeux and Bugay in the Mayacama mountains, and Fellom
Ranch in the Santa Cruz mountains (which is directly adjacent
to Montebello). The Cabernets spend 22 months in oak (some
of which, usually around a quarter, is new) and the style is silky
and powerful but with a sense of freshness that must be tasted
to be believed.
In 2012, Nathan and Duncan were announced as joint winners
of the San Francisco Chronicles wine-maker of the year award
- a tting tribute to these brave wine-makers who embody the
stylistic shift that has taken place in California over recent years.
13ACWR12 White 2012 Watson Ranch Chardonnay Napa Valley 75cl 22.88
13ASRA12 Red 2012 Syrah North Coast 75cl 22.05
13ABCS10 Red 2010 Bugay Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County 75cl 43.72
13ACSA10 Red 2010 Fellom Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon Santa Cruz Mountains 75cl 43.72
13ATAR12 Red 2012 Luchsinger Trousseau Clear Lake 75cl 22.88
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If any proof were needed that California is still a young wine
region, then Hirsch Vineyards would be a good place to start.
When David Hirsch purchased a 1000 acre (400 hectare)
ranch on the Extreme (or True) Sonoma Coast in 1978, this
part of Northern California was virgin territory for the grape
vine and the diversity and complexity of the terroir at Hirsch is
such, that it will take generations to unlock all of its secrets a
process that is well underway, thanks to the dedicated work of
David, his daughter Jasmine, their vineyard manager Everardo
Robledo and wine-maker Ross Cobb.
A native of New York, David arrived in California in 1968 with
the intention of passing through on his way to Mexico, but
elected to stay and take up a job in the clothing trade. It was
something he proved to be very good at and within a decade
he had saved enough cash to think about buying some land. At
the time (late 70s) he was based in Santa Cruz and foresaw
that California was going to continue getting more and more
crowded, so he had the idea to buy a ranch in the deserted
northern part of the state. The property David eventually
settled on had been harvested for timber over many years and
was now used for little more than sheep grazing. A recent law
had been enacted which protected Coyotes and prevented
sheep farmers from poisoning them, so farming economics
sufered and the price of grazing land fell as the wild dogs
feasted on the ocks. His original idea was to replant the forests
and continue the sites tradition of being timberland, but a
wine-making friend suggested he plant a vineyard for fun as
much as anything else and David turned over two acres to
Riesling and one acre to Pinot Noir, making him a true pioneer
of modern Californian viticulture.
In 1988 David decided to quit the day job and get serious
about his vineyard, grafting the Riesling vines over to Pinot
Noir and then planting a further 40 acres of Pinot between
19901994. By this time it wasnt just David that knew there
was serious potential in his vineyard, and in 1994 he received
a visit from three of Californias leading Pinot Noir producers
Littorai, Williams-Selyem and Kistler who were interested
in purchasing all the fruit from his original plantings. Each of
their wines was bottled with Hirsch Vineyard on the label and
the reputation of the site exploded. The next decade witnessed
a raft of plantings in the area, with wineries like Marcassin,
Flowers and Peter Michael looking to exploit the potential that
Hirsch had fortuitously stumbled across.
As Davids understanding of the land continued to grow,
more parcels were planted (taking the total to 72 acres under
vine) and an organic regime was put in place (conversion to
biodynamic farming is now underway). The variety of soil types,
topography and climactic inuences, coupled with the proximity
of the Pacic coast (just three miles away) and altitude of the
vineyard (over 400 metres) make for a site that is incredibly
diverse. The weather at Hirsch changes markedly from week
to week, unlike many sites inland where there is much more
consistency and, thanks to the San Andreas Fault (a major
geological fault line that runs through the property), there is
a vast array of diferent soil types that can have a profound
inuence on the fruit grown there. This incredible diversity has
led to the vineyard being divided into 61 individual blocks, each
of which imparts its own specicity and is therefore harvested
and vinied separately.
By 2002, David felt that getting feedback from their various
customers had only taken them so far, in terms of their
understanding of the site and their various blocks. If they were
going to truly understand the vineyard and all of its nuances,
they would need to make their own wine from the land, so the
propertys old lambing barn was converted into a winery and
Vanessa Wong was hired as their rst wine-maker. Following
Wongs departure a couple of years later (she left to work at her
husbands winery, Peay Vineyards), the baton passed to Mark
HIRSCH VINEYARDS
SONOMA, CALIFORNIA
69
13HCHA12 White 2012 Chardonnay Sonoma Coast 75cl 34.58
13HSAN11 Red 2011 San Andreas Fault Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 75cl 33.72
13HSAM11 Red 2011 San Andreas Fault Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 150cl 67.43
13HWRI11 Red 2011 West Ridge Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 75cl 45.83
13HEAS11 Red 2011 East Ridge Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 75cl 45.83
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Doherty before current wine-maker Ross Cobb took over
in 2009 (following stints at Flowers and Williams-Selyem).
Cobbs reputation as one of the nest young wine-makers
in California has been conrmed by a string of sensational
vintages since he took the reins, thanks to his ability to craft
wines of wonderful elegance and transparency that expertly
communicate the complexity of the site.
Cobbs wine-making approach is one of careful restraint,
only intervening when necessary by practicing natural
fermentations and bottling the wines without recourse to
ning or ltration. The San Andreas Fault cuve is a blend of
fruit from 30 of the 61 blocks across the site (another bottling,
called Reserve, is an even stricter selection from these same
blocks), while the West Ridge and East Ridge are made
from a strict selection of barrels that are harvested from the
hillside blocks in the prime sections of the vineyard. All of
the Pinot Noirs are aged for 18 months in French oak barrels
(30-40% new). There are also 500 cases of a Chardonnay
produced from just four acres (1.6 hecatres) of vines, which is
aged for 11 months in French oak (20% new), followed by ve
months in steel tank before bottling.
Davids daughter Jasmine is responsible for the sales and
marketing of the Hirsch Vineyards wines and is deeply
committed to communicating the importance of terroir in
everything they do. Her enthusiasm for wines that reect the
essence of their site through conscientious farming and sensitive
wine-making, led her to establish the In Pursuit of Balance
group with her friend Rajat Parr of Sandhi and Domaine de
la Cte. This celebration of restrained Californian wines has
helped to redene the way people think about the region and
the ethos of the group reects the journey that David Hirsch
has been on since he began his life as a grape grower.
71
BROC CELLARS
BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA
Chris Brockway arrived in California to study wine-making,
after growing up in Nebraska and working in Seattle. Following
a textbook education at UC Davis and Fresno State, Chris
experience of drinking and enjoying more low-intervention
wines persuaded him to take a somewhat diferent path to most
of his classmates. In 2002 he began working at an urban winery
in Oakland, before leaving in 2006 to set up his own label from
a small industrial unit in Berkeley. Today he runs his operation
from a slightly bigger premises around the corner, but the focus
remains producing wines from organic or biodynamic fruit in a
decidedly hands of fashion natural ferments and no additions
(save for the odd SO2 adjustment when required).
Chris is an open minded and innovative wine-maker and his
winery reects this, packed from oor to ceiling with the
innumerable projects that he has on the go at any one time.
Terracotta fermentation vessels (based loosely on amphorae)
full of Nero dAvola vie for space with sealed tanks of Carignan
going through carbonic maceration and a lineup of majestic
open top wood fermenters. He enquired about buying one
from Domaine Chandon and they told him that he could have
them for free, as long as he took all ve!
The release schedule from Broc Cellars is a roll call of enticing
wines released in tiny quantities throughout the year, including
everything from White Zinfandel and skin contact Rousanne
to Counoise and the aforementioned carbonically macerated
Carignan. What Roberson Wine take from Chris eclectic
range is something of a moveable feast, but there are certain
releases that we always take an allocation of. Grown at high
altitude in the El Dorado AVA, the Roussanne spends 48 days
on its skins and the result is a sensational orange wine with an
intense perfume and fabulous texture. The vibrant Vine Starr
Zinfandel is picked early and whole cluster fermented, to avoid
the jaminess and high alcohol often associated with the variety.
The Syrah Cuve 13.1 (the name refers to the alcohol level) is
made with partial carbonic maceration and aged in tank, giving
a juicy wine with incredible drinkability. The same is true of
the Cabernet Franc, which is whole cluster fermented and has
wonderful energy and freshness.
13BCRO11 White 2011 Skin Contact Roussanne El Dorado 75cl 17.88
13BCCB12 Red 2012 Whole Cluster Cabernet Franc Santa Lucia Highlands 75cl 17.88
13BCZI12 Red 2012 Vine Starr Zinfandel Sonoma County 75cl 17.05
13BCSY12 Red 2012 Cuve 13.1 Syrah Santa Lucia Highlands 75cl 14.47
In a country as innovative and individualistic as the USA,
it is surprising to see how quickly things can homogenise. In
the Napa Valley, land prices are among the highest in the
agricultural world and therefore access to the land owning class
is strictly limited. It can often feel like you are tasting the same
wine over and over again, listening to the same marketing spiel
while standing in another design-heavy tasting room, being
quoted the same 95+ point score and $100+ bottle price. This
is a place where only the super-rich can aford to set themselves
up nowadays, a place where - as Jon Bonn has put it - wine-
makers live by the score, die by the score. In this one speed
(turbo-charged) landscape, Jill and Steve Matthiasson proudly
swim against the tide. Their 2 hectare farm is moments away
from Highway 29, the main thoroughfare through the Napa
Valley, but feels like a diferent world. The people, the place and
the wines are unique.
For both of the Matthiassons, the road to Napa was long and
winding. Steve was born in Winnipeg, Canada and lived there
for the rst few years of his life before moving to Tucson,
Arizona. It wasnt until college that he found his way to
California, studying philosophy in LA before embarking on a
horticultural degree at UC Davis. Much of Steves family were
highly educated farmers from North Dakota, so he had always
approached the idea of farming as an intellectual pursuit and
was drawn to the idea of sustainability. It was this that brought
him into contact with Jill, who had found her way to Davis via an
upbringing in Pittsburgh and worked with him while Steve was
an intern on a sustainable farming project she was managing.
While Jills career blossomed and she continued to co-ordinate
organic farming projects in California, Steve looked specically
towards grape growing. His involvement in a number of high
prole sustainability projects introduced him to many of the
regions more conscientious wine estates and when they moved
to Napa in 2002 his career took of. He is now widely regarded
as Californias foremost viticultural consultant, helping the likes
of Stags Leap Wine cellars, Araujo, Spottswoode and Saintsbury
to farm sustainably and get the most out of their vineyards. His
work centres around organic farming, biodiversity, maximising
ripeness while keeping a reign on sugar levels and he has spent
years preaching an alternative gospel on the subject of yields
(which is to say that microscopic yields arent all theyre cracked
up to be).
As Steves day job became increasingly lucrative, it allowed
him and Jill to purchase their plot of land on the southern
tip of the valley. Steve is a rm believer in making wine from
the bottom-up rather than the top-down being what the
French would call a vigneron rather than simply a wine-maker.
By having an intimate day-to-day connection with the vines
it is possible to make the wine in the vineyard, avoiding the
compulsion to intervene too heavily once the fruit reaches
the winery. In addition to their original ve acres of home
vineyard, Steve farms the adjacent Linda Vista plot of
Chardonnay and nearby Ryans vineyard of Sauvignon Blanc
and Smillon. Further aeld, he looks after the Dead Fred
Cabernet vineyard in Coombsville, some Red Hen Merlot
and Meadowbrook Cabernet in Dry Creek and another 2.5
acre parcel in Rutherford. One of the most important parcels
that Steve works is the Vare vineyard in Dry Creek Canyon,
where he harvests small amounts of Ribolla Gialla and Tocai
Friulano to make his widely acclaimed Napa White. The fruit is
important because it is the result of Steves relationship with
George Vare a ground breaking Californian wine merchant
(who sadly passed away in 2013) who introduced Steve to the
joys of Italian varietals. This prompted Steve to plant Ribolla,
Tocai, Schioppettino and Refosco not exactly the usual fare
in Napa Valley.
The Napa White blends the white Friulian varietals with
Sauvignon and Smillon, co-fermented and aged in lightly
MATTHIASSON WINES
NAPA VALLEY, CALIFORNIA
73
13MLVC13 White 2013 Linda Vista Chardonnay Napa Valley 75cl 17.88
13MNVW12 White 2012 Napa White Napa Valley 75cl 23.72
13MNVC11 Red 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 75cl 33.30
74
toasted French oak barrels (25% new). This incredibly drinkable
but complex wine was one of the wines that rst attracted
peoples attention to what Steve was doing, as was his single
varietal Ribolla Gialla, which is as good as anything made in
the grapes native land. The range of whites is completed by
Chardonnay, the Linda Vista bottling of which is matured
in used oak barrels, imparting wonderful texture but allowing
the wine to retain admirable tension and minerality. There
is a deliciously quafable Syrah ros (more Provenal than
Californian in style) and two fabulous red wines that are full of
sunshine and generosity without ever hinting at over-ripeness.
The Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Refosco
are all made in miniscule quantities, but beautifully poised and
elegant wines that are efortlessly drinkable. Finally, Steves
Napa Red is an age worthy blend, matured for 20 months in
50% new barrels and 50% neutral. The whole range of wines
exude class in an understated way that is the antithesis of the
modern Napa Valley.
Steve Matthiasson has become one of the most inuential
people in Californian wine over the past decade and Jon
Bonn made him the San Francisco Chronicles Wine-maker
of the Year in 2013. His wines have an authentic voice and
sense of place that has inspired a new generation of wine-
makers to think about farming and wine-making in a diferent,
more sensitive way.
SMITH-MADRONE
NAPA VALLEY, CALIFORNIA
A visit to Stuart and Charles Smiths winery, high up on Spring
Mountain, is like a journey back to the halcyon days of 1970s
Napa Valley. This is not the land of technological wine-making,
fancy tasting rooms and slick marketing this is a down-home,
honest and authentic wine estate that has remained largely
unchanged since it was established in 1971 (ve years before the
Judgement of Paris tasting). It wasnt until the Smith brothers
began clearing their 15 hectares of woodland, bought after Stu
had nished his masters in wine-making at UC Davis, that they
discovered evidence of previous viticultural activity on the site.
It transpired that their land had been under vine from the 1880s
until prohibition, being reclaimed by nature after the passing of
the Volstead Act in 1919. This will come as no surprise to anyone
visiting the estate today Smith-Madrone is blessed with some
of the most breathtaking vineyards in all of Napa Valley.
Stu is a man of forthright opinions and strong convictions about
how wine should be made, believing passionately in sustainable
viticulture but railing against ideas like biodynamics with the
same gusto that he decries the critic-led changes in wine style
that engulfed the 90s and 00s. The Smith-Madrone Cabernet
is a classically styled Napa Valley red wine, full bodied and robust
but with great acidity and true Cabernet Sauvignon varietal
character (there is also 8% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc in the
blend). It is aged for 22 months in American oak barrels and just
over 1000 cases are bottled unned and unltered.
13SMNC09 Red 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 75cl 24.55
75
Cathy Corisons laid back brand of Californian modesty
belies the fact that she is one of the Napa Valleys most
inuential wine-makers. Not that her inuence was felt
until relatively recently however. Cathy has witnessed rst-
hand the seismic shifts in attitude that shook the valley over
the past forty years, all the while holding rm to her beliefs
and never wavering from producing the style of Cabernet
Sauvignon that she loves. It is this commitment to elegance
and balance, achieved through conscientious viticulture and
restrained wine-making, that has inspired a new generation of
wine-makers across the state to reject the souped-up wines
that have dominated in recent years. After spending years
on the periphery, Cathys wines are now nally getting the
credit they deserve for being among the nest renditions of
Cabernet Sauvignon in California.
A California native, Cathy decided to pursue a wine-making
career in the early 1970s and headed to UC Davis to study
at one of the worlds pre-eminent wine-making universities.
While there, she was a contemporary of the likes of John
Kongsgaard and Randall Grahm at a time when Californian
wine was on the verge of global stardom. In 1975 she helped
her friend Warren Winiarski hand-bottle his 1973 Stags Leap
Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, which would go on to win
the famed Judgement of Paris tasting and establish the Napa
Valley as a serious wine region. Cathy then embarked on her
own career as a wine-maker, securing a job at Freemark Abbey
before going on to make wine for the likes of Chappellet,
Staglin and York Creek. In 1987 she set up her own label,
Corison, and two years later she gave up the day job and
decided it was time to go it alone.
It was around this time that California began to change again,
though the next shift was one that Cathy was not prepared
to take part in. The rise in inuence of publications like Wine
Spectator and Robert Parkers Wine Advocate had a profound
efect on the style of wines produced throughout the 1990s
and 2000s, with ripeness levels, extraction and technological
interference pushed to their extremes. During this period,
Cathys wines were deantly unfashionable (her brilliant
1990 was described by Parker as less intense and complex
than several of its peers and damned with an 85 point score),
but she remained true to her belief that restraint and natural
acidity are key to making wines that will age beautifully.
Rather than spending endless hours tinkering with her wines,
most of Cathys energy is focused on organically farming the
three Rutherford Bench vineyard plots that she uses to make
her regular Cabernet bottling (sites that she has cultivated for
over 20 years, always buying the fruit from owners Hayne,
Morisoli and Zuntz) and her 3.2 hectare Kronos estate
vineyard. Named after the Greek Titan that was the son of
Gaia (the earth) and Uranus (the sky), Kronos was planted
in 1971 on rootstock that the proprietor later believed to
be susceptible to phylloxera (he was wrong), which enabled
Cathy to buy it at a bargain price in 1995. The vines are
infected with leaf-roll virus and planted on the shy bearing St
George rootstock, but this does nothing other than naturally
regulate the yield to a pitiful 15 hl/ha, ensuring that every
vintage has incredible natural concentration. The purchase of
Kronos also came with a dilapidated barn and direct access to
the St Helena Highway (the main thoroughfare through the
valley, on which most of the famous names are situated), but
at the time the barn was a condemned building and needed
to be torn down. Cathys husband William Martin (who is
responsible for much of the day-to-day running of the estate)
set about rebuilding it and now a beautiful Victorian-style
barn stands in its place, inside of which is the winery and barrel
room not to mention the set of her daughters last school
play (The Wizard of Oz, for the record).
Harvest comes early at Corison; much earlier than all of
CORISON
NAPA VALLEY, CALIFORNIA
77
13CNP10C Red 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 75cl 41.05
13CNP10H Red 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 37.5cl 22.03
13CNP05C Red 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 75cl 46.05
13NPC05M Red 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 150cl 108.27
13CNP10K Red 2010 Kronos Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 75cl 70.88
13CNP06K Red 2006 Kronos Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 75cl 65.05
13CNK06M Red 2006 Kronos Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 150cl POA
78
her neighbours. The Bale gravelly loam soils are perfect for
cultivating Cabernet and Cathys goal is to make graceful
wines that reect their terroir while treading the ne line
between power and elegance. Once the fruit reaches the
winery and fermentations are complete, the wines are aged
for two years in French oak barrels (50% of which are new)
before they are bottled. The results never surpass 14% ABV
and age efortlessly for decades.
In recent years, Cathys wines seem to have been brought
in from the cold by the critics, not that she has ever lost any
sleep about whether they were deemed fashionable or not.
The emergence of commentators like Jon Bonn and Antonio
Galloni has led to a renewed enthusiasm for the style of wines
that Cathy makes and when speaking to the new generation of
Californian wine-makers and sommeliers, it is clear that there
is no wine-maker in Napa that is held in such high esteem.
VIANO VINEYARDS
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA
In 1920, the Viano family arrived in California from their native
Piedmont and purchased a vineyard just outside the small town
of Martinez, in what is now Contra Costa County AVA. The
site they bought had been planted since 1888 and they became
one of fteen wineries that slaked the thirst of San Francisco
in a thriving wine-making community. Today, Viano is the only
winery left in these parts, refusing to bow to the urbanisation
that has consumed the entire Bay Area and driven real estate
prices sky high. Some of their vineyards are the original 1888
plantings, others are more recent, but all of them are dry farmed
with no recourse to chemical fertilisers or pesticides. Their 25
hectares of beautiful hillside vineyards really are an oasis in this
part of California and the wines that brothers John and David
produce represent some of the best value in the USA.
Wine-making remains resolutely traditional at Viano, with
natural yeast fermentations and maturation in used American
oak barrels. The Hillside White is an aromatic non-vintage
blend of Chenin Blanc, Muscat and Colombard that has lovely
weight and texture, while the Cabernet Sauvignon is beautifully
structured with lovely fruit and a savoury complexity.
13HICH12 White 2012 Hillside White California 75cl 7.88
13HICS10 Red 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Contra Costa County 75cl 8.93
13HICS09 Red 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Contra Costa County 75cl 8.93
79
80
MOUNT EDEN VINEYARDS
SANTA CRUZ, CALIFORNIA
Mount Eden Vineyards is, without question, one of Californias
most important and historic wine-making estates. Perched at
600m altitude on top of a mountain overlooking Silicon Valley,
the spectacular vineyards are situated above the cloud line on
shale soils that yield some of the nest Chardonnay, Pinot
Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon in the USA. Originally planted
by legendary (not to mention maverick) wine-maker Martin
Ray back in the 1940s, Mount Eden has been witness to its fair
share of joy, disaster and intrigue over the years so much so
that there is a book written about it! (Vineyards in the Sky)
Since 1981 things have settled down on the mountain, after
wine-maker Jefrey Patterson and his wife Ellie were left
in charge following a bitter ownership dispute between the
previous shareholders. The last 30+ years of relative calm have
enabled the Pattersons to get on with the business of producing
some of the most age-worthy wines in California, which is
unsurprising considering that their clonal material is some
of the oldest and most revered in the state Mount Edens
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir material was used to plant many of
the best vineyard sites from Sonoma to Santa Barbara.
The 8 hectares of Chardonnay yield at around 25 hl/ha and
produce around 1500 cases of wonderfully concentrated and
long-lived wine, spontaneously fermenting with wild yeasts
before ten months maturation in French oak barrels (50%
new). Even lower yielding (at about 18hl/ha) is the Mount Eden
Pinot Noir, planted in 1945 from budwood dating back to the
original Paul Masson plantings in the 1880s. It spends 18 months
ageing in barrel (75% new) before being bottled unned and
unltered. Further down the slope are the Cabernet Sauvignon
vines, propagated from cuttings taken from Chteau Margaux
that were rst used to plant the La Questa vineyard in the
1890s before Martin Ray took a selection massale for Mount
Eden. The wine undergoes primary fermentation in stainless
steel before being moved to new oak barrels to complete its
malolactic fermentation and age for 22 months. Although
labelled simply as Cabernet Sauvignon, there is also 22%
Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc co-planted in the vineyard and
in the nal blend of the wine.
The Domaine Eden range of wines are made from declassied
Mount Eden fruit and estate grown grapes from the
neighbouring mountaintop, on a property that was planted in
1983 using Mount Eden clonal material. These wines represent
a second label of sorts and are made in much the same fashion
as the original estate wines, ofering superb value for money.
13MEEC09 White 2009 Mount Eden Chardonnay Santa Cruz Mountains 75cl 32.47
13MECB10 Red 2010 Domaine Eden Cabernet Sauvignon Santa Cruz Mountains 75cl 19.55
13MECS09 Red 2009 Mount Eden Cabernet Sauvignon Santa Cruz Mountains 75cl 32.47
13MEPN08 Red 2008 Mount Eden Pinot Noir Santa Cruz Mountains 75cl 32.88
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TATOMER WINES
SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA
Graham Tatomer is a proper Californian, which is to say that
hes friendly, laid back and speaks in the local surfers patois.
His career in wine started back in high school and he worked
the holidays at a local winery all the way through college (in
Santa Barbara), deciding almost immediately that he had found
his career path. Drawn to the brightness and acidity of the
Germanic varieties (especially Riesling), it wasnt long before
Graham sourced fruit from some old Riesling vineyards and
began making wine under his own label, having plenty of success
selling his bottles to an enthusiastic local market. One day it
occurred to him that, despite his love for the variety, he had
very little experience of tasting the great Austrian and German
examples of Riesling. So, he cobbled together enough dollars to
taste the best that the old world had to ofer and conducted a
tasting that would change his life the wines were so good, and
so diferent to the level that he felt his wines were at, that he
stopped making wine immediately and moved to Austria.
Over the next few years he darted back and forth between
life as assistant wine-maker at Emmerich Knoll in the Wachau,
and working as a sommelier in California. The Austrians were so
impressed with Tatomer that they ofered him a hectare of vines
if he would stay and commit himself to working for them, but
by the end of the 2006 harvest Graham knew that he wanted
to come home and put everything hed learned into making top
ight Riesling and Grner Veltliner from the handful of old vine
sites he knew in Santa Barbara.
Meersboden is a Grner Veltliner that is made from a blend
of parcels in Santa Barbara County, the name meaning ocean
soil in German which refers to the sandy alluvial terroir that
vineyards this close to the Pacic are known for. It is fermented
and aged in stainless steel tank and bottled early to capture the
citrus and white pepper (not to mention the vibrancy) that is
the essence of this varietal. Kick on Ranch is a single vineyard
Riesling from a small site in Los Alamos with sandy loam soils.
Graham gives it what he calls the Austrian treatment, which
means ten hours of skin contact and maturation in neutral
wood barrels. The result is a beautifully pure Riesling with a silky
texture and wonderful saline minerality.
13TGVM13 White 2013 GV Meeresboden Grner Veltiner 75cl 15.38
13TGVM12 White 2012 GV Meeresboden Grner Veltiner 75cl 15.38
13TRKR11 White 2011 Kick-On-Ranch Riesling 75cl 17.47
13TRKR10 White 2010 Kick-On-Ranch Riesling 75cl 17.47
For lovers of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, the Santa Rita Hills in
Santa Barbara are home to some of the most revered vineyards
in the whole of California. Rajat Parr and Sashi Moorman are
well acquainted with the area, thanks to their Sandhi Wines
label (a range of wines made from Santa Barbaras best sites)
and Sashis involvement with the Evening Land project. When
Evening Land divested their Santa Barbara vineyard holdings in
2012, the opportunity to buy them proved too hard to resist
Rajat and Sashi secured nancial backing and, with that,
Domaine de la Cte was born.
The 16 hectare domaine is a collection of six vineyards at the
far western edge of the Santa Rita Hills, some of which are
blended to create a Santa Rita Hills cuve, and two of which
(Blooms Field and La Cte) are bottled separately. All of the
wines embody the philosophy of Rajat and Sashi, which centres
around freshness, vitality and balance these are wines that
eschew the heavy handed, overripe approach of so many
Californian producers. They are beautifully elegant, always
refreshing and efortlessly drinkable.
Rajat is originally from Calcutta, but after spending some time
with an uncle in the UK he was introduced to ne food and
wine and decided to go and study at the Culinary Institute of
America in New York. The original plan was to train as a chef,
but he took wine appreciation classes as part of his course and
before long was well and truly bitten by the wine bug. Once
he had graduated, Rajat headed to San Francisco to work
as a food runner at Rubicon restaurant, but his plan was to
convince them of his aptitude for wine and within six months
he had been promoted to Assistant Sommelier. All of the
classic European names were on their list and Rajat set about
immersing himself in the great producers and vintages. Regular
pilgrimages to France gave him an insight into the priorities
of the great wine-makers: acidity, balance and purity things
that were becoming increasingly rare in the supercharged
wines that he was surrounded by in California. Rajats career
continued to progress and he moved on from Rubicon to Fifth
Floor, where he won a string of high prole awards for his list
and was recruited by the Michael Mina Group to become their
Wine Director in 2003. With 18 wine lists under his control
Rajat rapidly became one of the most important buyers in
the country and his preference for classically styled wines was
reected on all of his lists.
In the same year, Rajat was introduced to Sashi Moorman and
the two of them hit it of immediately Rajat helping Sashi to
understand the wines and methods of the old worlds greatest
wine-makers and Sashi giving Raj the benet of his immense
wine-making talent. Sashi had come to California to work as
assistant wine-maker for Adam Tolmach (former business
partner of Jim Clendenen of Au Bon Climat, who happens to
be one of Rajats most important mentors), before moving on
to become the head wine-maker at Stolpman Vineyards. In
order to enable him to pursue interesting projects and keep
learning, Sashi set up a wine-making company (not just a
consultancy, but a company that actually carries out the entire
process) called Provinage. Based in Lompocs legendary Wine
Ghetto, Sashis place is the centre of wine-making operations
for Sandhi, Domaine de la Cte, Piedrasassi and a number of
other projects (including Stolpman) although he would be the
rst person to say that the most important work takes place in
the vineyards. And, in the case of Domaine de la Cte, what
vineyards they are!
The terroir in this part of the Sta Rita Hills is very heterogeneous
and it is this diversity that makes it such an exciting place to
grow grapes. As you ascend the hills the soil moves from being
alluvial at the bottom, to rich in clay and marine shale in the
middle of the slope (perfect conditions for Pinot). The higher up
towards the top of the hills you go, the higher the proportion of
diatomaceous earth is found in the soil. This is the St Rita Hills
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DOMAINE DE LA COTE
SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA
13LOPN12 Red 2012 Lompoc Wine Co. Pinot Noir Sta Rita Hills 75cl 18.72
13DCST11 Red 2011 Pinot Noir Sta Rita Hills 75cl 27.05
13DCBF11 Red 2011 Bloom's Field Pinot Noir Sta Rita Hills 75cl 33.72
13DCSV11 Red 2011 La Cte Pinot Noir Sta Rita Hills 75cl 47.88
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calling card and while a bit of it is great for adding complexity
to the Pinot, a lot of it creates ideal conditions for growing
Chardonnay. Attention to the detail of the soil composition
informed Sashis decision of what and where to plant when the
site was originally put under vine in 2007. Its also important to
bear in mind just how cool the climate is in this part of California
something which ies in the face of common perception, but
is completely true. The low temperatures are caused by the fact
that the valley runs west to east rather than north to south,
which means the cool winds from the Pacic Ocean are sucked
in towards the vineyards and their high altitude (rising to 700
feet above sea level) ensures the temperatures are lower than
in most other parts of Santa Barbara.
The major diference between Domaine de la Cte and almost
all of their neighbours, is that the harvest is relatively early and
timed with the preservation of natural acidity in mind. Rather
than leave the fruit hanging for weeks in order to accrue as
much sugar ripeness as possible, Rajat and Sashi are looking to
make wines that are full of vibrancy and freshness dare we
say more typically European than Californian. Alcohol levels
of just 12.5% across the board are further evidence of their
pursuit of elegance and subtlety over bombastic avours and
mega concentration.
All three of the wines are fermented with high levels of stem
inclusion (50% on the Sta Rita Hills, 90% for Blooms Field and
100% for La Cte), which is intended to imbue the wines with
additional freshness, silky tannins and the structural denition
that is often found in Raj and Sashis favourite Burgundies. Other
than the stems, everything else about the vinication is the
same across the three wines 14-18 days of post-fermentation
maceration before racking into barrel (15% new), followed by
about 18 months of maturation. The wines are then racked back
into tank before being bottled without ning or ltration.
The entire range of Domaine de la Cte Pinot Noirs (including
the Lompoc Wine Company bottling, made from declassied
lots) are sensational. They confound expectations of what
Pinot Noir is capable of in California and, along with the
equally impressive Sandhi wines, demonstrate how the ethos
and sensibilities of wine-makers like Rajat and Sashi is bringing
about a paradigm shift in the Golden State.
SANDHI
SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA
PIEDRASASSI
SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA
Sashi Moorman and Rajat Parrs work on their Sandhi and
Domaine de la Cte projects is helping to redene how people
think about Californian Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. But, just
as Rajat has another life as one of the USA most respected
sommeliers and wine authorities, Sashi too has his own projects
to keep him busy. As a man that seems to know intimately
every metre of vineyard land in Santa Barbara, it is no surprise
that Syrah looms large in Sashis activities. In addition to making
the wines for the Stolpman family from their beautiful estate
in the Ballard Canyon AVA, Sashi has his own Syrah label
Piedrasassi under which he produces wines with an incredible
sense of vibrancy and life. Sashi is a supremely talented wine-
maker with a deep connection to vineyards he works with and
he has that all too rare knack of knowing when to stand back
from the wine-making process and left the fruit sing.
Vinied at Sashis winery in the Lompoc Wine Ghetto, the
P.S Syrah is vinied with 60% whole clusters and is efectively
the same wine as the Central Coast Syrah, but made from
deselected barrels and bottled earlier. P.S is a wonderfully fresh
and vibrant wine that is incredibly drinkable, while the Central
Coast has added depth and complexity that comes from 30
months in barrel (50% new). Both wines are made from a blend
of top vineyard sites on the Central Coast White Hawk, Rim-
Rock and Harrison Clarke and bottled with just ten parts per
million of free SO2. Quantities are tiny, with production of the
Central Coast Syrah totalling just 110 cases in the 2010 vintage!
As a lover of the great white wines of Burgundy, Rajat Parr
was never a fan of the heavy-set, over oaked, high alcohol
Chardonnays that had become commonplace in California.
Adding to his frustration was the fact that he had tasted many
older vintages from estates like Au Bon Climat and Ojai that
were beautifully balanced and full of the elegance and freshness
that he was looking for. These old school wines not only proved
that restraint and elegance could be achieved with Californian
Chardonnay, but they demonstrated what the best vineyards of
Santa Barbara were capable of. Rajat and his business partner
Sashi Moorman decided to establish a label that specialised in
Chardonnay (with a bit of Pinot Noir) from these top sites, many
of which are in the sub-district of the Sta Rita Hills. Will the help
of Charles Banks (ex-director of Screaming Eagle), Sandhi was
created - the word Sandhi meaning collaboration in Sanskrit.
The wines crackle with energy and display an unrivalled sense
of minerality and precision when compared to most other
Californian Chardonnays. The fruit is harvested much earlier
than their colleagues, and the wines are fermented and matured
in neutral oak barrels (some cuves have limited new oak
inuence). The Santa Barbara and Sta Rita Hills Chardonnays
are made from a blend of vineyard sites across their respective
regions, with the rest of the range comprising single vineyard
designates from some of the best sites in the Sta Rita Hills,
including Sanford & Benedict, Bent Rock and Ritas Crown.
13SWS12 White 2012 Chardonnay SantaBarbara County 75cl 21.22
13SWB11 White 2011 Bent Rock Chardonnay StaRitaHills 75cl 47.88
13SWP11 Red 2011 Sanford &Benedict Pinot Noir StaRitaHills 75cl 29.97
13PSCC13 Red 2013 P.S Syrah Central Coast 75cl 15.38
13PSCC10 Red 2010 Central Coast Piedrasassi Syrah Central Coast 75cl 28.72
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BERGSTRM
WILLAMETTE VALLEY, OREGON
Anyone that has been to Portland will tell you that it is the home
of trendy foodiness: farmers markets, organic cafs, innovative
street food, top-class restaurants and local wines to wash it all
down. It was out of this movement that the Willamette Valley
began to get populated by ambitious wine-makers that wanted
to make food friendly, euro-styled wines and the climate seemed
perfect for growing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The combination
of grape, climate and terroir proved to be a winner and before
long there was a group of impressive wineries that were regularly
turning out complex wines, with old world savouriness married to
plump, juicy new world fruitiness.
Watching this unfold was a Swedish doctor called John
Bergstrm, who had left rural Sweden as a teenager to pursue
the American dream and ended up marrying a local girl called
Karen, establishing a medical practice and raising a family in
Portland. Just before the turn of the millennium, he decided
to get back in touch with his agricultural roots by moving the
family to Dundee (in the Willamette Valley) and planting a
13 acre vineyard. Their son Josh would study wine-making in
Burgundy before moving home with his French anc (now
wife) Caroline to take over the running of the family estate.
Today Bergstrm could justiably claim to be one of the best
wineries in the state, a view shared by Jancis Robinson who has
raved about their wines every time she has tasted them.
The farming on all of the estates vineyards is biodynamic and
has been for many years, reecting the Burgundian obsession
with terroir that Josh had ingrained in him during his training.
Expressing the character of the vineyards through his wines is
of paramount importance, so all the fermentations are natural
and spontaneous (a rarity in the USA) and no acidication is
used (or needed). This doesnt mean the wines are looking to
imitate Burgundy. On the contrary, by dealing respectfully
with the conditions of each site and vintage, the Bergstrm
wines retain their American vitality while beneting from the
subtlety and gentle hand of an expert wine-maker.
There are two Chardonnays, both of which are fresh and
vivacious with a rich and creamy texture - the more mineral
infused Old Stones and the fuller-bodied, deep and powerful
Sigrid are both fermented and matured in French oak barrels
for 18 months (a small proportion of which about 20% - are
new). The range of Pinot Noirs opens with Cumberland Reserve,
a blend of fruit from their ve estate vineyards. The wine is aged
for 12 months in French oak and Josh is at pains to point out that
it is not a case of declassifying fruit from the single vineyards
the blend is carefully put together to represent the character of
Willamette Valley. The single vineyard wines themselves tend
to be more structured and the sites bring their own character
to bear on each wine (as does a higher proportion of new oak).
Shea has a stony, mineral streak, De Lancelotti is structured
with lots of fruit and Bergstrm is voluptuous and dense but
with incredible elegance and potential to age.
13BBOS12 White 2012 Old Stones Chardonnay Willamette Valley 75cl 20.80
13BBSI12 White 2012 Sigrid Chardonnay Willamette Valley 75cl 43.17
13ABCR12 Red 2012 Cumberland Reserve Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 75cl 23.30
13ABCR11 Red 2011 Cumberland Reserve Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 75cl 23.30
13ABCH12 Red 2012 Cumberland Reserve Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 37.5cl 12.28
13ABSV12 Red 2012 Shea Vineyard Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 75cl 28.72
13ABLV11 Red 2011 De Lancellotti Vineyard Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 75cl 34.55
13ABBV12 Red 2012 Bergstrm Vineyard Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 75cl 43.17
13ABBV11 Red 2011 Bergstrm Vineyard Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 75cl 42.05
11B13PGL White 2013 Piedra Negra Alta Coleccin Pinot Gris Valle de Uco 75cl 8.22
11BGL11 White 2011 Gran Lurton Corte Friulano Blanco Valle de Uco 75cl 12.05
11AMA13 Red 2013 Piedra Negra Alta Coleccion Malbec Mendoza 75cl 8.22
11AMA12 Red 2012 Piedra Negra Alta Coleccion Malbec Mendoza 75cl 8.22
11AMAB11 Red 2011 Piedra Negra Malbec Reserva Valle de Uco 75cl 17.88
11AGL08 Red 2008 Gran Lurton Cabernet Sauvignon Valle de Uco 75cl 11.88
11AGL07M Red 2008 Gran Lurton Cabernet Sauvignon Valle de Uco 150cl 28.10
11APN09 Red 2009 Piedra Negra Gran Malbec Mendoza 75cl 17.88
11APM09 Red 2009 Piedra Negra Gran Malbec Mendoza 150cl 39.10
VISTALBA
MENDOZA, ARGENTINA
BODEGA LURTON
MENDOZA, ARGENTINA
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Herv Fabre is a Bordeaux native that was one of the pioneers
of quality wine production in Argentina. In 1992 he built one
of the earliest wineries in Lujan de Cuyo (in the heart of what
is now recognised as one of the nest zones in Mendoza) and
snapped up a number of 100 year old Malbec vineyards. At the
time, Malbec was primarily seen as a blending partner to support
the more noble grapes (as had been the case in Bordeaux), but
it was thanks to men like Herv that Malbec has become one of
the major wine success stories of the last generation.
In 2008, Herv released the Vialba range of wines and they
have since won a raft of international awards, thanks to their
combination of classic varietal character, silky smooth texture
and great value for money.
The Lurton family are one of the most important dynasties in
the modern wine trade. Various wings of the family are still
involved in a number of high prole Bordeaux chteaux, but
it was the pioneering spirit of brothers Jacques and Franois
Lurton that accelerated the development of wine-making in
numerous countries around the world.
Much of their work focused on Argentina, where they entered
into partnership with the Catena family back in 1992. By 1996
they were convinced of the enormous potential of the region and
decided to create Bodega Lurton - a state of the art winery was built
in the foothills of the Andes (at 1100m altitude) and the brothers
purchased 200 hectares of prime land in Mendozas Uco Valley.
The estate encompasses various soil types, including sand, granite,
schist, alluvial deposits and vineyards that are full of large pudding
stones. This diversity allows Bodega Lurton to parcellate their land
and grow a wide range of varieties in optimum conditions.
Today it is just Franois that oversees the Argentinian
properties, as Jacques has moved on to pursue various other
projects around the world. The wines continue to be held up as a
benchmark for Mendoza, especially the Gran Lurton and Piedra
Negra ranges, which are classic examples of the full-bodied and
richly fruited wines that the region has become famous for.
11AVMA12 Red 2012 Vialba Malbec Reserva Mendoza 75cl 8.05
CLARK ESTATE
MARLBOROUGH, NEW ZEALAND
FELTON ROAD
CENTRAL OTAGO, NEW ZEALAND
88
Peter and Jane Clark established their eight hectare vineyard
in 1998, choosing the cool climate of the Awatere Valley in
Marlborough. Initially, the plan was just to sell the fruit to the
regions major producers and thats how things happened for
the rst seven years. Once their son Simon returned from
studying wine-making and working at some top wineries
(including Yalumba and Dr Loosen), the plan changed and by
2008 the entire crop was being bottled under their own label.
The Sauvignon Blanc is tank fermented and aged, and classic
Marlborough in style. There is all of the vibrant fruit that
you would expect, but this is balanced by the signature racy
minerality of the Awatere Valley.
Aside from oceans of Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand has also
developed a reputation for ne wines in recent years - thanks, in large
part, to the performance of few star producers. First among these is
Central Otagos Felton Road, a winery that is rightfully respected
for the quality of their Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Riesling and now
established as the countrys most prestigious estate.
The Felton Road story starts back in 1991 when Stewart Elms
planted a vineyard at the end of Felton Road in Bannockburn.
He did this while studying viticulture and wine-making and
found himself as the oldest student in the class. The teacher
placed all of the students into pairs and Stewart was teamed up
with the youngest student, a prodigy called Blair Walter, who
impressed Stewart so much that in 1997 he persuaded Blair to
leave Rippon Estate and become head wine-maker at Felton
Road. Not long after this (in 2000) the domaine was bought by
Englishman Nigel Greening, owner of the neighbouring Cornish
Point vineyard - within a few years the land was being farmed
biodynamically (certied by Demeter) and Blairs wines were
garnering international acclaim.
The Bannockburn range of wines (a Pinot Noir, Chardonnay
and Riesling) are assembled from various plots in the 32 hectare
estate, with the best blocks vinied as separate cuves. Then
there are single vineyard Pinot Noirs from the Calvert Vineyard
and Cornish Point Vineyard, although the fruit from the latter is
shared with fellow premium wineries Pyramid Valley and Craggy
Range. In the winery, Blair works in a hands-of style. The Pinot
Noirs are always made retaining a proportion of the stems, which
varies from 10-35% depending on the vintage, fermentations are
spontaneous and there is no ning or ltration.
12BCE12 White 2013 Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 75cl 8.97
12BPNC13 Red 2013 Bannockburn Pinot Noir Central Otago 75cl 21.63
12AFPC13 Red 2013 Calvert Pinot Noir Central Otago 75cl 28.72
12AFRB13 Red 2013 Cornish Pinot Noir Central Otago 75cl 28.72
12AFBT13 Red 2013 Block 3 Pinot Noir Central Otago 75cl 52.05
12AFB513 Red 2013 Block 5 Pinot Noir Central Otago 75cl 52.05
TAYLORS
PORT, PORTUGAL
PIERRE CROIZET
COGNAC, FRANCE
89
Port wines are perennial favourites of the British and Taylors is
among the most respected producers of the style. The house is now
over 300 years old and was one of the original practitioners of the
style of fortied red wine that slaked the thirst of the British during
one of the regular embargoes on French wine that came as a result
of constant ghting between the two nations.
Today, the house is still family owned and boasts hundreds of
hectares of the nest vineyards in the Douro Valley, including
the awe-inspiring Quinta de Vargellas - one of the worlds great
vineyard sites.
All styles of Port are produced at Taylors and they are recognised
as being the most innovative of the classic houses. In 1958, they
introduced the rst commercially released Single Quinta Port and in
the early 1970s they pioneered the Late Bottled Vintage style that
has become a staple of every producers range. Taylors were also the
rst to ofer younger styles of Tawny Port, with 10 and 20 year old
bottles acting as an introduction to the style.
All of the wines in Taylors impressive range are of the highest quality
- richly fruited but well structured and, in the case of the Vintage
and Quinta bottlings, built to age majestically.
Based in the premium Cognac zones of Fins Bois and Champagne
de Jarnac, the Croizet family have been farming their 30 hectare
vineyard for generations and continue to be regarded as one of the
nest artisanal estates in the region.
The soils are a combination of clay and limestone soils, allowing
the family to obtain fruit with diferent characteristics that result
in Eau de Vie with both rich fruit and vibrant freshness. Once the
Cognac has been distilled in the time-honoured fashion, the spirit
is aged in 350 litre barrels from the Tronais and Limousin forests,
the levage taking place in the familys centuries old cellars where
temperature uctuations are kept to a minimum and humidity levels
are maintained through a beaten earth oor.
The Croizet range ofers excellent value for money as well as the
quality that comes with small-batch production by a family with
hundreds of years of experience.
21A08LBV Red 2008 Late Bottled Vintage Port 75cl 11.90
21G01QVA Red 2001 Quinta do Vargellas 75cl 23.57
21B0013 Red NV 10 Year Old Tawny Port 75cl 18.23
21B0005 Red NV 20 Year Old Tawny Port 75cl 30.23
21BTAY40 Red NV 40 Year Old Tawny Port 75cl 89.40
28A02 NV VSOP Cognac 70cl 22.49
28A09 NV XO Cognac 70cl 43.74
28A11 NV Extra Cognac 70cl 112.07
28A13 NV Excellence Cognac 70cl 256.24
AGENCY LIST 2014
CONDITIONS OF SALE
Availability All wines are subject to availability.
Prices. On-trade prices are included in this list. Please contact us for a list of of-trade
prices.
Delivery is free on orders over 250 in London, or on orders over 350 outside of London.
Claims against breakage or short delivery should be made within three working days.
Payment is strictly 30 days from the date of invoice for credit account customers.
Title of goods. The ownership of all goods delivered will be transferred to the purchaser
only when all that is owing is met in full to Roberson Wine. Until all sums owing to Roberson
Wine have been cleared by the bank, the purchaser shall hold the goods as an agent for
Roberson Wine.
Risk in the property shall pass to the purchaser as from the date of delivery of the goods.
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