Trip to the local butcher that only sells prime cuts? Check. Scrutinizing the perfect catch with the best fishmonger in town? Check. Farmer’s Market for fresh local produce? Check. Countless hours of prep, marinating, more prep and finally cooking and/or grilling? Check. We spend countless hours on making sure every last detail of our backyard bbqs is taken care of, but when it comes to what to serve with these carefully crafted culinary creations, we often fall short. So let us help you take on the sometimes daunting task of picking out the right wines for your next outdoor event. Whether you’re looking for something to sip on the porch, or what to serve with your freshly caught rockfish or even something to wash down a perfectly grilled hot dog, we’ve got you covered.

And on Saturday, June 12, from 1-4 pm, please join our importer, Peter Weygandt, in the shop to taste some of the perfect hot weather wines. All of these wines will be discounted 15% off their regular retail price for a single bottle and 20% off a mixed or matched case. In addition to the sale on the bottles that we are pouring tastes of, we are extending the special pricing to any of the wines of the producers that we are featuring. The entire portfolios of Bonnet-Huteau, Marof, Birgit Eichinger, Clos de l’Origine and Pascal et Nicolas Reverdy will be on sale. So stop by and taste some great summer sippers with Peter Weygandt! The Lineup:

Bonnet-Huteau Muscadet de Sevre et Maine Sur Lie La Levaudiere 2009, Regular Price $12.99, Sale Price $11.04 – Loire, France – 100% Muscadet – 12% abv – Biodynamic - Light, bright straw. Dusty minerals, quince and lemon zest on the nose, with a hint of white flowers adding complexity. Dry, sharply focused citrus and mineral flavors show a weightier aspect in the mid-palate and pick up a hint of musky herbs with air. Finishes clean and brisk. – Stephen Tanzer, International Wine Cellar

Marof Renski Rizling, Regular Price $18.99, Sale Price $16.14 – Mackovci, Slovenia – 100% Riesling – 12% abv – Sustainable - Marof’s 2007 Renski Riesling is simply one of the ten or dozen finest Riesling wines I can recall tasting from outside of the greater Rhine basin or Austria. A gorgeous aromatic display of smoke-tinged apricot, Meyer lemon, apple blossom, and rowan leads to a silken-textured, infectiously juicy palate that makes a virtue of its relative looseness by conveying an airy elegance. Apricot kernel, lime zest, and an amazingly savory underlying sense of meat broth add complexity, and the interchange of flavors with which this wine finishes is positively vibratory. I suspect it will be best relished over the next 12-18 months, but there’s really no way of knowing absent any track record. – Rated 91 points, David Schildknecht, The Wine Advocate

Birgit Eichinger Grüner Veltliner Qualitätswein Trocken Kamptal Wechselberg 2008, Regular Price $22.99, Sale Price $19.54 – Kamptal, Austria – 100% Gruner Veltliner – 12.5% abv – Organic - Powerful, with concentrated grapefruit, Asian pear and gooseberry flavors that are supported by plenty of crisp acidity. Very vibrant and rich on the buttercream- and spice-filled finish. Drink now through 2015. 50 cases imported. – Rated 90 points, Kim Marcus, Wine Spectator

Clos de l’Origine Les Quilles Libres Vin de Pays des Cotes Catalanes Blanc 2007, Regular Price $23.99, Sale Price $20.39 – Roussillon, France – 80% Grenache Gris, 20% Grenache Blanc – 13% abv – Organic - The l’Origine 2007 Les Quilles Libres white is from Grenache Gris in both schist and chalk-clay terroirs of Maury (plus whatever bit of Grenache blanc may have been unavoidably harvested along with it), and was fermented for two months and aged in used barriques. An overlay of barrel-engendered lanolin and coconut in the nose segues into toasted nuts and grain and musky, narcissus-like scents. Firm and refreshing on the palate, it displays toasted nut, coconut, lanolin, lemon zest and brine, finishing long on piquant nuttiness, invigorating zest, but without the clarity or depth of the l’Original cuvee, and with an aura of oxidative evolution that some tasters may find slightly off-putting. This will demand careful pairing and I would advise exploring the options within the coming year. Inexperienced as I am with this estate I could easily end up being fooled by this wine’s potential. But given its low sulfur, it definitely requires vigilant, cool care. – Rated 88 points, David Schildknecht, The Wine Advocate

Pascal et Nicolas Reverdy Sancerre Terre de Maimbray Rose 2009, Regular Price $24.99, Sale Price $21.24 – Burgundy, France – 100% Pinot Noir – 13% abv – Organic - Medium red color. Mineral-driven aromas of redcurrant, strawberry and rose, with notes of orange peel and herbs adding complexity. Dry, focused and pure, with tangy red fruit flavors and good mineral bite. Impressive for its elegance and understatement; the finish is brisk and focused but just a touch dry. – Stephen Tanzer, International Wine Cellar

As the title indicates, we will be hosting an Organic Wine Tasting on Wednesday, April 7, from 6:30 pm til 8 pm. (This does mean that we will close our doors at 6:30 pm to the public. We will resume our normal hours of operation the next day.) If you would like to attend and have not registered for the event, please do so HERE. At $15/head, this is a bit of break from our normal way of doing things–giving you things for free–but we think that the cost of this event is justified. In addition to the wines which will be described further down, we’ll have food from Dino, cheese from Firefly Farms, as well as a raffle for prizes ranging from a $50 gift certificate to Founding Farmers Restaurant to an organic gift basket from Herban Lifestyle. And, more importantly, a portion of the proceeds will be donated to The DC Farm to School Network. So, all in all, good food, good drink and a good cause. Win, win, win. The Lineup (all featured wines are on sale for 20% off):

Domaine du Vissoux Cremant de Bourgogne NV – Beaujolais, France – 100% Chardonnay – 12% abv – A terrific alternative to pricey Champagne, this Blanc de Blanc  made by star Beaujolais winemaker Pierre Chermette is made in the methode tradtionelle. Hand crafted and hand riddled, this 100% ORGANIC sparkling wine offers outstanding structure and weight, with notes of green apple and spiced pear, all in a crisp, well-balanced package. EVENT PRICE, $20.99/btl

Chateau de La Bonneliere Touraine Les Devants Cepage Sauvignon 2008 – Loire, France – 100% Sauvignon Blanc – 12.5% abv – Marc Plouzeau’s BIODYNAMIC bottling of his 2008 Touraine Sauvignon is redolent of citrus and herbs; lean and unusually bright on the palate even for its genre, and finishes with a combination of fresh lemon, salt, peppermint, and nettles that will leave your palate both scoured and invigorated! EVENT PRICE, $12.99/btl

Domaine Albert Mann Pinot Blanc 2008 - Alsace, France – 50% Pinot Blanc, 50% Auxerrois – 12.5% abv – Jacky and Maurice Barthelme’s BIODYNAMIC 2008 Pinot Blanc portrays their unique style consistently; beautiful delineation of flavors and precise textures, never heavy, clumsy or out of balance. A lovely mineral-scented nose is followed by palate coating pear, white peach and apricot. EVENT PRICE, $14.99/btl

Domaine David Clark Bourgogne Au Pelson 2006 – Burgundy, France – 100% Pinot Noir – 12.5% abv – Scottsman David Clark’s ORGANIC is firm and complex, with a mix of smoke, herb, dried currant and wild raspberry flavors that expand to ripe cherry and plum. Full-bodied and well-structured, gaining depth and picking up a nice fresh earthy edge. The finish is long and persistent. EVENT PRICE, $16.99/btl

Domaine Duseigneur Lirac Antares 2007 – Rhone, France – 60% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 20% Mourvedre – 14.5% abv – Jean and Frederic Duseigneur’s 2007 Lirac Antares is a big rich offering. In keeping with the style of this vintage, it possesses plenty of freshness and ripeness in addition to deep black raspberry and black cherry fruit, licorice and smoky notes. This dense, medium to full-bodied, elegant as well as substantial BIODYNAMIC Lirac should drink well for 5-6 years. EVENT PRICE, $18.99/btl

Clos de L’Origine Cotes du Roussillon Villages Latour de France Les Quilles Libres Rouge 2007 - Roussillon, France – 80% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 10% Carignan – Marc Barriot’s ORGANIC 2007 Les Quilles Libres is loaded with wood smoke, tobacco, brown spices, soy, peanuts, and ripe red fruits mingle in the nose. On a sappy, palpably extract-rich palate, lightly cooked red raspberry and strawberry are dusted with cardamom, cinnamon, and white pepper, and underlain with toasted praline and peanuts. EVENT PRICE, $23.99/btl

Please excuse us as we catch our collective breaths after a very busy last week that included snow removal, a 45% off sale, a second visit and tasting from our cheesemaking friends at Firefly Farms, a meet and greet with Peter Martin of Martin & Keegan Tours and a stirring USA victory over Canada in ice hockey. While the last bit might not have anything to do with what happens in our shop, it does let you know we do something other than pour, drink and talk about wine…we watch TV. Even though it wasn’t in HD. Just saying. We hope that this week will return to business as usual, starting with a tasting of  six very unique bottles of wine, two of which are almost 50% off the regular retail price. The Lineup:

Domaine Remi Jobard Bourgogne Blanc 2006, SALE $18.14/btl, Regularly $32.99 – Burgundy, France – 100% Chardonnay – 13% abv – The 2006 Bourgogne (which receives essentially the same upbringing as his Meursault) offers aromas of orange blossom, honeysuckle, lemon oil, and toasted nuts. Grapefruit, lemon, orange, and nuts make for a bright and piquant palate, but with a sense of textural richness and chalky buffering acting as a foil to the penetrating citricity. This well-concentrated Bourgogne should be worth following for several years. Remi Jobard began harvesting September 25 – two days later than even Francois and Antoine Jobard – yet the two collections are dramatically different. These wines – which display uniformly prominent acidity – came out of barrel (generally 12-15% new) after a year, and were then given six months in tank (whence I tasted them) to permit stabilization and some evolution and, in Jobard’s words, “to preserve aromatic freshness and vivacity.” There are hints of botrytis here and there, but Jobard insists it was at a level of around 5%, in his opinion obviating any need to remove it. – WA (87-88) points

Domaine Schoffit Pinot Gris Colmar Tradition 2007, $24.99/btl – Alsace, France – 100% Pinot Gris – 13.8% abv – This inviting Pinot Gris has a lively golden hue and an open-knit texture. The round mouthfeel holds flavors of Gala apple and apricot, underscored by a light smoky minerality. Delicious. Drink now through 2012. 50 cases imported. – WS 89 points

Tement Gelber Muskateller Steirische Klassik 2006, $22.99/btl – Styria, Austria – 100% Muscat – 11.5% abv – Tement’s expansion has not stopped at the Slovenian border, and in 2006 he acquired the neighboring holdings of the Carmelites – where his father long worked as winemaker – and since replanted their 90 year old patchwork of vine varieties to insure more Zieregg Sauvignon for the future. Tement has begun using glass stoppers on his wines in lieu of corks. Given the extent of his offerings and given that I travel to Styria only every other year, I cannot pretend to have tasted Tement’s entire 2005 and 2006 collections, but only the subset (perhaps half) that he chose to show me in the time we had available. Tement is modifying his approach with Sauvignon – especially in the top sites – having decided that lower yields and the consequent ability to harvest somewhat earlier are more advantageous (not to mention less risky) than the long hang time he has traditionally practiced with this variety.

Domaine Bertagna Bourgogne Les Croix Blanches 2006, $22.99/btl – Burgundy, France – 100% Pinot Noir – 13% abv – Sweet spice notes add interest to the tart cherry flavor in this red. Firm but fresh, with a lingering finish. Drink now. 175 cases imported.

Vial-Magneres Collioure Les Espades 2007, $27.99/btl – Roussillon, France – Cuvee Les Esperades is a dry red wine, warm and potent, which should be saved for roasts and game but goes well with flavourful Mediterranean fish too.

Domaine Gardies Cotes du Roussillon Villages La Torre 2006, SALE $27.49, Regularly $49.99 – Roussillon, France – 70% Mourvedre, 20% Grenache, 10% Carignan – Luscious, rich and ripe, with concentrated flavors of dark plum, blackberry and kirsch that are supported by fine-grained tannins and powerful structure. The long finish is filled with dark chocolate and mocha. 20 cases imported. – WS 93 points

The Roussillon region has been described (by Hugh Johnson) as perhaps potentially the most impressive part of the Languedoc. The wines of young Jean Gardies confirm Mr. Johnson’s confidence. A few years ago he took over the family domaine and has gradually increased the amount of the production which he is releasing in bottle. There are “super cuvees” of Syrah pure (Les Falaises), Mourvedre (La Torre) and Grenache Vieilles Vignes (we can’t get these yet, because of private customer demand), which were considered the top wines produced in the Roussillon in vintage 2000 by the Revue du Vin de France. Yet even his cuvee Les Milleres, with no barrique aging, shows Gardies’ great gift for making structured, concentrated, yet elegant wines.

Today and Friday, along with Monday-Friday next week, we’ll pour 2 whites, 3 reds and one dessert to give you a good idea of the style and range of this tremendously talented winemaker/producer. (This Saturday, we’ll interupt this tasting for a brief trip to the Piedmont.) The Lineup:

Domaine Gardies Vin de Pays des Cotes Catalanes Mas Las Cabes 2008, $14.99/btl – Roussillon, France – 70% Muscat, 15% Macabeo, 15% Grenache Blanc – 13.5% abv – This has a fruity aroma, with bright flavors of peach, honeysuckle, beeswax and mineral notes. The lush finish is broad and spicy. Muscat, Grenache and Maccabeo. Drink now. 200 cases imported. – WS 87 points – WS 87 points

Domaine Gardies Cotes du Roussillon Les Glaciaires 2007, $19.99/btl – Roussillon, France – 40% Roussanne, 40% Grenache Blanc, 20% Macabeo – 13% abv – This rich, exotic white shows ripe tropical fruit flavors of mango and pineapple, with notes of baked peach. The finish is spicy, with plenty of firm acidity and a juicy freshness. Roussanne, Grenache Blanc and Macabeo. Drink now through 2012. 50 cases imported. – WS 88 points

From Roussanne, Grenache Blanc, and Macabeu vinified in year-old barrels, the Gardies 2007 Cotes du Roussillon Les Glaciaires smells of lime zest, peach, pungent, musky flowers, white pepper, resin, lanolin, and spicy oak. A saline and distinctly peppery, Roussanne-dominated palate leads to a bright finish, with a tactile impression of peach fuzz and pineapple tartness, and just a bit of heat and overt oakiness. Jean Gardies – whom I did not have a chance to visit with last December – farms his family’s holdings in the chalk-clay soils of Vingrau and the black schist Espira de l’Agly sector along the Agly just outside Perpignan. – WA 87 points

Domaine Gardies Cotes du Roussillon Mas Las Cabes Rouge 2008, $16.99/btl – Roussillon, France – 60% Syrah, 30% Grenache Noir, 10% Carignan – 13.5% abv

Domaine Gardies Cotes du Roussillon Villages Les Milleres 2007, $19.99/btl – Roussillon, France – 40% Grenache Noir, 35% Syrah, 20% Carignan, 5% Mourvedre – 13.5% abv – Full-bodied, with powerful dark fruit flavors, including kirsch, plum and dark cherry, followed by intense notes of cocoa powder and Asian spice on the muscular finish. Best from 2010 through 2013. 200 cases imported. – WS 90 points

A blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Carignan with a smidgeon of Mourvedre, Gardies’ 2007 Cotes du Roussillon Villages Les Milleres smells of lightly cooked red raspberry, grenadine, walnut husk, juniper, and subtly integrated vanilla and spice from the half of this cuvee that spends time in used barrels. With a vividly sappy concentration of tart red fruit, resin, and tar, with accents of cardamom and black pepper, this coats the palate and lingers with invigorating tartness and pungency, if also a trace of heat. I would not let its abundant, fine-grained tannin stand in the way of enjoying this wine over the next several years, particularly with red meats. A recent pair of additions to the Gardies line-up is labeled for the Mas Las Cabes property in the Espira de l’Agly. Jean Gardies – whom I did not have a chance to visit with last December – farms his family’s holdings in the chalk-clay soils of Vingrau and the black schist Espira de l’Agly sector along the Agly just outside Perpignan. – WA 89 points

Domaine Gardies Cotes du Roussillon Villages Tautavel Vieilles Vignes 2006, $29.99/btl – Roussillon, France – 70% Grenache Noire, 20% Syrah, 10% Carignan – 14% abv – This intense, powerful red from the south of France is filled with concentrated flavors of kirsch, dark chocolate and plum pudding. The rich finish of Christmas cake and mocha features plenty of grip. Drink now through 2014. 100 cases imported. – WS 91 points

Gardies’ 2006 Cotes du Roussillon Villages Vieilles Vignes Tautavel – a barrel-matured cuvee of Grenache with smaller amounts of Syrah, Carignan, and Mourvedre – offers a captivating and penetrating aroma of grilled meats, pungent cinnamon and nutmeg, cedar, ester-rich notes of kirsch, black pepper, and vanilla. Palpably dense, firm in texture, and suffused with fine-gained tannins, this nicely balances spice and resin with high-toned distilled cherry and purple plum, an underlying depth of bitter dark chocolate and chalk becoming more prominent in its long finish. I would anticipate it being worth cellaring for at least 5-6 years. Jean Gardies – whom I did not have a chance to visit with last December – farms his family’s holdings in the chalk-clay soils of Vingrau and the black schist Espira de l’Agly sector along the Agly just outside Perpignan. – WA 90 points

Domaine Gardies Muscat de Rivesaltes 2006 500ml, $24.99/btl – Roussillon, France – 100% Muscat – 15.5% abv – A zesty honeyed dessert wine from Rivesaltes.

Back by popular demand, we welcome Bailey Kasten. Double Premium Confections is a new artisan chocolate shop in Washington, DC, offering fresh, natural and homemade chocolates, caramels and other treats. All the chocolates are made in small batches with the best chocolate and the best ingredients – real fruit, fresh spices, real ingredients – not flavors. They are made with absolutely nothing that is artificial, and chocolates are sold within days, not weeks, of being made.

To go along with her treats, we have three unique wines – two from France and one from California.The first two, from France, are fortified wines:

Domaine des Soulanes Maury Hors d’Age,$41.99/btl - A tawny port-like wine made in the traditional style of Southern France. Nutty, with notes of winter spice and fruitcake.

Domaine Grain Nicolet Vin Doux Naturel Rasteau, $29.99/btl – A nose of kirsch, chocolate and spice with cherry compote flavors to round it out.

And the one from California is a surprisingly old world Zinfandel. We almost gave up on California producing such a thing…:

Henderlong Nalle Henderlong Ranch Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel 2006, $39.99/btl – An elegant, very balanced wine with an amazingly low 13.9% abv considering the varietal and the place where this is made.

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, we decided to jam as many events into the next few days as is humanly possible. Friday will be an all day tasting of 2007 Burgundies with the likes of legendary houses Domaine des Lambrays, Serafin, Jobard-Chabloz, Remi Jobard and Dugat-Py. An excellent opportunity to taste five of the top producers in Burgundy for a vintage that was very well reviewed:

Region: Burgundy
Grade: B

By May 2007 in Burgundy, it looked like the region was headed for a repeat of 2003. Vine development was 3 weeks ahead of schedule and growers were looking at a mid- to late-August harvest. Then gloomy, cool and wet weather arrived in the middle of May and gripped the region until the last week of August. Finally, it warmed up, the north wind dried the vines and the sugars began concentrating as temperatures rose.

With the wet weather came mildew and rot problems. It was so wet during my visit to the region June 10—16 that some growers considered having their parcels sprayed by helicopter because tractors would otherwise get stuck in the rows of vines. Continued vigilance and spraying was necessary until the weather broke in August.

Despite the early start to the vegetation, the cool, cloudy summer slowed the photosynthesis and maturation, so when the favorable weather returned, growers had to be patient to achieve not only adequate sugar levels, but mature tannins. Some picked too early.

“We harvested our Bourgogne Pinot Noir on Aug. 31,” reported Jean-Michel Chartron, proprietor of Domaine Jean Chartron in Puligny-Montrachet. “For Chardonnay, it was a bit more difficult as maturity was not reached at that point, and maturity was different from one vineyard to another.”

Beaune-based négociant Alex Gambal noted that the sunny, dry weather allowed for an increase of about 1 degree of potential alcohol per week. “This was the first year anyone can remember where the white grapes were ripe much later then the reds,” he said. “Therefore, those who could pick 7 to 10 days between colors were the real winners.”

In the end, the quality of the 2007 red and white Burgundies will depend on the individual terroirs and growers who made the right decisions in the vineyards (controlling mildew and rot, picking at the right time, strict selection) and cellars, where it was necessary to sort—especially the Pinot Noir. The sorting resulted in a smaller crop, from 10 percent to as much as 30 percent less than the average yield.

- Bruce Sanderson, Wine Spectator

The lineup is as follows:

Domaine des Lambrays -
Morey-St.-Denis
Morey-St.-Denis 1er cru Les Loups
Grand Cru Clos des Lambrays

Domaine Serafin Pere & Fils -
Bourgogne Blanc
Bourgogne Rouge
Gevrey-Chambertin
Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes (not only old vines, but all parcels adjoin 1er crus)
Gevrey-Chambertin 1er cru Corbeaux
Morey-St.-Denis 1er cru Millandes

Domaine Jobard-Chabloz
Meursault Le Limozin
Puligny-Montrachet Les Nosroyes
Chassagne-Morgeot 1er Cru Morgeot

Domaine Remi Jobard -
Bourgogne Blanc
Meursault Sous la Velle
Meursault 1er Cru Chevalieres
Meursault 1er Cru Poruzots-Dessus

Domaine Dugat-Py
Bourgogne
Bourgogne Cuvee Halinard
Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes
Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes Coeur de Roy
Pommard La Levrier Vieilles Vignes

Saturday, we welcome Bailey Kasten of Double Premium Confections, between the noon and 4 pm. Bailey will be offering tastes of her exquisite chocolates including strawberry and milk chocolate ganache surrounding a homemade strawberry preserve, cherry and dark chocolate ganache covered in dark chocolate and her earl grey tea chocolates.

Double Premium Confections is a new artisan chocolate shop in Washington, DC, offering fresh, natural and homemade chocolates, caramels and other treats. All the chocolates are made in small batches with the best chocolate and the best ingredients – real fruit, fresh spices, real ingredients – not flavors. They are made with absolutely nothing that is artificial, and chocolates are sold within days, not weeks, of being made.

Here at the shop, we will continue to offer tastes of what we believe is match made in heaven with Bailey’s terrific confections:

Domaine des Soulanes Maury 2006 – Regular Price $24.99, Sale Price $21.99 – Roussillon, France – 100% Grenache Noir, 16% abv – Pipe tobacco and plummy dark fruits make up the aromatic profile of the 2006 Maury. Broad, softly-textured, and sweet, it reveals a personality that is redolent with chocolate-covered raspberries, plums, and cherries. This medium to full-bodied wine is produced entirely from Grenache Noir and was aged for five years in 600-liter barrels before being bottled unfiltered. This beauty should be drunk after a meal on its own or with dark fruit-based desserts or dark chocolate.

We know everyone is very busy during this time of the year, but take a few minutes out of your days to come by and taste some outstanding Burgundies, delicious chocolates and a perfect pairing of a fortified wine. Our store hours have changed – we are now open from 10 am to 8 pm, Monday thru Saturday. Our tasting hours are 4-7 pm, Monday thru Friday, and from 1-5 pm on Saturday.

This looks to be a busy, busy week here at Weygandt Wines. We’re creeping closer to Thanksgiving, so we’ll start tasting turkey friendly wines. And on Friday, we have our 2007 Horizontal Burgundy tasting between noon and 7 pm. We’re really trying to squeeze in as much fun before the great American tradition of cramming your mouth with as much food and drink as possible, so drop by and see what we have to offer: Todd’s thoughts on what to serve with a turducken, Tim’s pairing with an oyster stuffing and Matt’s idea of what to do when there’s no more space in the gullet…

While the lineup may change a couple of times this week, this is what we’re starting off with (all sale items are good for this week only or while supplies last):

Domaine Albert Mann Pinot Blanc 2008 – Regular Price $17.99, Sale Price $14.99 – Alsace, France – 100% Pinot Blanc, 12.5% abv – The Barthelme brothers, winemaker Jacky and vitiiculturist Maurice, have now attained the recognition they deserve. Rated by Robert Parker of the Wine Advocate as in the top tier of Alsace producers, and One Star Rating in The Classement by Revue du Vin de France. From the Pinot Auxerrois, through all their expressive Grand Crus, to their rich, Selection Grains Noble, they portray their unique style consistently; beautiful delineation of flavors and precise textures, never heavy, clumsy or out of balance.

A bit of history. Maurice Barthelme married Albert Mann’s daughter, Marie-Claire, and gradually took over the domaine. He brought his brother Jacky into the operation In 1990. From Mann, there were Grand Cru Vineyards, Hengst, Steingrubler, Pfersigberg (for Tokay VV) and the wonderful Rosenberg Vineyard. From their mother (a member of the Blanck Family of Kaysersberg) they inherited the Schlossberg and Furstentum Vineyards (as well as the Altenbourg, adjoining the Furstentum).

Beginning in 1993, the Barthelme’s started a string of dazzling successes. The 1998′s continue this tradition, adding the character of the 1998 vintage to the Barthelme style: even more brilliant delineation from a more challenging, but in turn, rewarding “vintage of the vigneron.”

“The Barthelme brothers, two giants in physical stature, benefit from the ideal micro-climate of Colmar, producing wines that are rich, onctuous, endowed with significant residual sugar but well integrated in concentration as is typical of Hengst and Furstentum.” – Le Classement, 1999 Revue du Vin de France

Domaine de Poulvarel Costieres de Nimes Rose 2008 – Regular Price $12.99, Sale Price $10.99 – Rhone, France – 90% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 13% abv – Round and floral, this rose has hints of currant and strawberry fruit finish.

A single domaine Kir Royale consisting of:

Domaine du Vissoux Cremant de Bourgogne Brut Blanc de Blancs – Regular Price $25.99, Sale Price $21.99 – Burgundy, France – 100% Chardonnay, 12% abv – This sparkler is straw-yellow with golden tints. The bubbles are fine and form a delicate pearls around the rim of the glass. Citrus, floral and mineral aromas and flavors are partnered by a fresh elegant mouth feel, making a perfect balance between the strength of the aromas and the lightness required of this celebration drink. The limestone-clay soil the vines grow in is perfectly adapted to the Chardonnay grape variety.

and

Domaine du Vissoux Creme de Cassis – Regular Price $18.99, Sale Price $15.99 – Burgundy, France – 100% Black Currants, 19.85% abv – This cassis liqueur is home-made in a totally natural way from Pierre Chermette’s own plot of blackcurrants. On it’s own, the best Creme de Cassis we’ve ever tasted. With a nice sparkler, as good a Kir Royale as you can find.

Daniel Bouland Chiroubles 2008 – Regular Price $20.99, Sale Price $17.99 – Beaujolais, France – 100% Gamay, 13% abv – “The 2008 Chiroubles shows what a difference terroir can make: even though Bouland’s parcel of Chiroubles is immediately adjacent to his Morgon, soil and exposure are different, and the result is a bright, exuberant, white wine-like, terrifically vivacious tonic of salt- and citrus zest-tinged red raspberry and purple plum. This light, lithe wine is palate-staining in its concentration, but I would be inclined to enjoy it over the next couple of years.

“This year, not just one wine but an entire family of Daniel Bouland’s as yet still little-known wines is coming to the U.S., and they should not be missed!” – WA 91 points

Domaine Collotte Bourgogne Cuvee de Noble Souche 2007 – Regular Price $19.99, Sale Price $16.99 – Burgundy, France – 100% Pinot Noir, 12.5% abv – “It was at the 2005 Grand Jours de Bourgogne. I was looking for excellent Burgundies at equally excellent value. Marsannay came to mind as a good candidate, but aside from a couple of well-known producers, I was disappointed in the quality of many. That is until I came upon Philippe Collotte. A tall, quiet man, looking a bit like Gary Cooper, but with a lot of passion to make superb wines just waiting to be unleashed. His 2004′s were good, especially the Marsannay Champsalomon, but his 2005′s are special. And it is not just the vintage that explians it. One can see lower yields, more selection before and at harvest, and for us he bottled everything unfiltered. The Marsannay Clos de Jeu 2005 is the top Marsannay I have ever tasted – I put 6 magnums into my personal cellar.

“As I alluded to above, 2005 is no fluke – Philippe’s were some of the best 2006′s I tasted in February 2007 and when you taste his 2006 Rosé de Marsannay, it will be hard to argue that one who got that much fruit in his Marsannay Rosé, must have done something special that vintage.

“On the technical sheets we will be more specific but with special note is his Bourgogne parcel, planted in 1947 (bottled unfiltered for us) and there are 4 parcels of 50 + year vines in his super-value Marsannay VV. It is fun to find people like Philippe Collotte.” – Peter Weygandt

Domaine des Soulanes Maury 2006 – Regular Price $24.99, Sale Price $21.99 – Roussillon, France – 100% Grenache Noir, 16% abv – Pipe tobacco and plummy dark fruits make up the aromatic profile of the 2006 Maury. Broad, softly-textured, and sweet, it reveals a personality that is redolent with chocolate-covered raspberries, plums, and cherries. This medium to full-bodied wine is produced entirely from Grenache Noir and was aged for five years in 600-liter barrels before being bottled unfiltered. This beauty should be drunk after a meal on its own or with dark fruit-based desserts or dark chocolate.

We know, we know. We tend to oscillate a bit on our tasting policies, but with the upcoming holidays, we’ve gotten a bit anxious to try some new wines. That being said, we’ve changed the early week lineup. For the whites, we still are pouring Tement Temento Green 2008, George Reisling Rüdesheimer Berg Rottland Trocken 2007 and Bodegas Pedralonga Albariño 2007, but the reds have called in a few pinch hitters. The original tasting notes can be found in this post. As for the current red lineup, we’re still pouring the Jean-Michel Gerin Syrah Vin de Pays 2007, but the Chateau La Bastide Corbieres 2007 and Boeri Barbera d’Asti D.O.C. 2005 are on the DL (until we get more in on Monday). Taking their places are the following:

Domaine Les Grand Bois Côtes du Rhône Cuvée Les Trois Soeurs, Rhône, France – 65% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 20% Carignan, 14.5% abv – “The 2007 Cotes du Rhone Trois Soeurs is a blend of 65% Grenache and the rest Syrah and Carignan, one-third of which is aged in older barrels for four months, and two-thirds in tank. It hit 14.5% natural alcohol. A big, full-bodied style reveals delicious black currant and black cherry fruit along with hints of licorice, pepper, and spice box. This opulent Cotes du Rhone should drink nicely for 3-4 years.” – WA 90 points

Domaine Plouzeau Chinon Rouge Rive Gauche 2008, Loire, France – 100% Cabernet Franc, 12.5% abv – The nose has a stony minerality with some barnyard must, which quickly dissappears on the palate, when bright cherry notes end with a delicate softness. A family Domaine situated on the “rive gauche” of Chinon and around Ligré and la Roche-Clermault since 1846. Marc Plouzeau took over the estate in 1988 and in 1999 began the conversion to “agriculture biologique” and the vineyards are now all certified as such by ECOCERT. Low yields, predominantly hand- harvested at ideal physiological ripeness, and vinification directed towards emphasizing fruit and not extracting tannins. At our request, our shipments were bottled without filtration.

Daniel Bouland Morgon Vieilles Vignes 2008, Beaujolais, France – 100% Gamay, 13% abv – “The Bouland 2008 Morgon Vieilles Vignes exhibits a focus and grip rare in Beaujolais from this or for that matter any vintage. Concentrated, brightly fresh blackberry and blueberry tinged with salt, chalk, and citrus oil, and underlain by deep, smoky roast meatiness characterize this wine of palpable extract. While seamlessly, richly ripe and 13% in natural alcohol, it nevertheless comes off as lithe and lively, with a peony-like floral perfume wafting all the way through to a gloriously persistent, lip-smacking, soul-satisfying finish. Expect this cuvee (lightly fined but unfiltered, incidentally, an approach he first took at the behest of importer Peter Weygandt) to be worth following for close to a decade, perhaps even longer. This year, not just one wine but an entire family of Daniel Bouland’s as yet still little-known wines is coming to the U.S., and they should not be missed!” – WA 93 points

Domaine Vial-Magneres Tradition 4 Year Banyuls, Roussillon, France – 65% Grenache Noir, 15% Grenache Gris, 11% Grenache Blanc, 3% Syrah and 6% old-vine Carignan, 16.5% abv – This is a terrific fortified wine for those who are looking for an affordable port. With many of the same characteristics of a good tawny port, come in and try this Banyuls as a fun alternative for a digestif. A family property for three generations, the estate consists of 10 hectares of vines spread out in small parcels across the best plots of the appellation, the terraced vineyards are cultivated entirely by hand. All of their vines are grown along the coastline. The soils are made up of metamorphosed Cambrian rocks composed essentially of decaying chloric and sericitic schist. The vines are 40 to 50 years old on average; they amount to 60,000 plants, of which between 1,000 and 1,200 are renewed annually.