Jean-Louis Tribouley stands amongst some of his ancient Grenache vines
Please join us on Saturday, March 12th, from 12pm until 4pm to sample a grab bag of staff picks. “Grab bag” could not give the wines selected any sort of justice. But no matter how we label the tasting the diverse selections are all unique and utterly delicious. We look forward to seeing you Saturday at Weygandt Wines. The Lineup:
Domaine Albert Mann Cremant d’Alsace Brut 2008, List Price $
22.99, Sale $18.99 – Wettolsheim, Alsace, France – 60% Auxerrois, 40% Pinot Blanc – 12.5% abv – Biodynamic - Based on the same varietal blend as their Pinot Blanc, the Barthelme’s non-vintage Cremant d’Alsace (the lot under review is L34) offers citrus zest and floral aromas, delicate mousse, and a salty, chalky, wet stone-inflected and subtly bitter finish. Enjoy this admirably clear, pure traditional sparkling wine over the next 6-9 months. Compared with it, most Alsace Cremant is sadly lacking in concentration or personality. – The Wine Advocate
Heymann-Lowenstein Riesling Winningen Rottgen 2006, List Price $
29.99, Sale $24.99 – Winnigen, Mosel, Germany – 100% Riesling – 13% abv – Organic - Dry and spicy, with more saline and savory flavor elements than fruit. There are hints of peach, grapefruit and yellow plum, but more smoke and a firm, chalklike sensation. Fine length. Drink now through 2016. 20 cases imported. - Rated 90 Points, Wine Spectator
Jobard-Chabloz Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru 2007, List Price $
129.99, Sale $79.99 – Meursault, Burgundy, France – 13% abv – Sustainable – A relatively high-toned nose of green apple, rose petal and a hint of spice leads to very fresh, cool and reserved big-bodied flavors that brim with a fine minerality and excellent linearity and drive on the palate staining finish. This is not a massive example as it doesn’t have better than average concentration but the focus and energy are impressive. This should be quite good in time. – Rated 92 points, Burghound, 92 points, The Wine Advocate
Domaine Chevillon-Chezeaux Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Aux Champs-Perdrix 2006, List Price $
48.99, Sale $39.99 – Nuits-Saint-George, Burgundy, France – 13% abv – Sustainable - Philippe Chezeaux is related to Jérôme Chezeaux and his father-in-law is the cousin of Robert Chevillon. Philippe’s style is rather unique in that he is adamant about finding the balance between fruit, acidity, and terroir in his wines, especially in an appellation that is more commonly associated with wines that trade on power first. The 2006 Aux Champs-Perdrix, sourced from a tiny, highly perched, southeast facing vineyard on the Vosne-Romanee side of Nuits-Saint-George, displays very pronounced red Pinot Noir fruit – cherries, red currant, mineral. Fine-grained tannins and lively acidity, and a lingering spiciness in the finish. – Todd Ross, Weygandt Wines
Jean-Michel Gerin Saint-Joseph 2008, List Price $
29.99, Sale $24.99 – Saint-Joseph, Rhone, France – 100% Syrah – 12.5% abv – Sustainable - A piercing iron note runs through the mix of red cherry, currant and pomegranate fruit flavors in this red, keeping it all lively and fresh. Drink now through 2011. 100 cases imported. – Wine Spectator
Jean-Louis Tribouley Orchis Vin de Pays de Cotes Catalanes 2008, List Price $
29.99, Sale $24.99 – Roussillon, France – 80% Grenache, 10% Carignan, 5% Cinsault, 3% Grenache Gris, 2% Grenache Gris – 14.5% abv – Biodynamic - The following are the tasting notes for the 2007 Orchis by David Schildknecht in The Wine Advocate (there are no independent tasting notes as yet for the 2008). The main difference between the two vintages is that the 2008 shows an even more vibrant focus and perhaps “bluer” fruit. – Tasted assembled from tank Tribouley’s 2007 Orchis is the latest vintage of what was formerly called “Serrat den Franc.” Its explosive nose of black raspberry and blueberry confiture incorporates overtones of almond extract, prunelle eau de vie, wood smoke and cocoa powder. Liqueur-like and loaded with distilled berry inner-mouth esters, this nevertheless retains clarity and purity, avoiding even the slightest temptation toward superficial sweetness or confectionary stickiness. Deep roasted meat and wet stone flavors emerge in a long, smoke-tinged finish founded on a veritable ocean of concentrated blue and black fruit. Despite offering abundant immediate gratification, their well-covered tannins encourage the belief (absent any track record to which I can point) that the amazing Tribouley trio under present consideration possess enough structure and stamina for mid-term cellaring. Unfortunately, I have yet to track down a bottle of the 2006 Orchis; Tribouley indicated that he had sold them all.Tribouley – an outsider who understudied with Gauby and then began his own estate in 2002 – farms roughly 30 acres (biodynamically) and sells no grapes. That statistic shocked me when I entered his cramped and tiny cellar. Where in the world does he find room there for wine from 30 acres? The solution to this seeming mystery is that he has all the room he requires given his pathetically low yields. In a quantitatively good vintage, he bottles 1,700 cases. But it is fruit from his 10 acres near Maury (variously on reddish Marne chalk, and quartzite-rich schist and sandstone) that are the focus for the two cuvees (both matured in older barrels, favoring demi-muids) that are sold in the U.S. Both his parcels in the Les Bacs just east of Maury and in the Coume du Roi (the basis for his Orchis) are around 75:25 Grenache-to-Carignan; northwestern in exposure; and, he says, almost perpetually windy. (I had to crouch down like a head-pruned vine just to walk against the gusts in Les Bacs on a December afternoon.) 2007 – Rated 93-94 points, The Wine Advocate
Sale pricing for selected wines lasts through the end of Saturday, March 12th, 2011. No other discounts may apply.












