Champagne Taittinger Prestige Rosé NV When Pierre Taittinger first discovered the Champagne region, he was a young liaison officer during the first World War. It was thanks to his passion for wine and gastronomy that he returned several years later and, with his brother-in-law, invested all his energy into the development of a burgeoning champagne business. Since 1932 Champagne Taittinger has grown and taken its place among the great Champagne houses, commanding a bold innovative style particularly influenced by Chardonnay. Having bought back the family business in 2006, Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger has surrounded himself with a team that is both young and bound together by a spirit of attainment and permanence.…
-
-
Chevalier Marlène & Nicolas Crozes-Hermitage 2014 Crozes-Hermitage wraps around the base of the great hill of Hermitage, capturing a snippet of its famed neighbor, more approachable earlier in age. Hermitage named in the 13th century, when an injured knight returned from the Crusades and the Queen gave him permission to build a small home, or “hermitage,” for his recovery at the top of this hill. Today, the most revered and costly wines of the Northern Rhône hail from this hallowed ground. This small production 2014 Crozes-Hermitage is crafted by an under-the-radar producer destined to become a household name. While examples from Hermitage can easily soar past $100 a bottle, Nicolas…
-
Mommessin Beaujolais Nouveau 2016 On November 17, 2016 wine aficionados across the U.S. celebrated the arrival of Beaujolais Nouveau. Since this French wine first came to the U.S. in 1982, Beaujolais Nouveau Day has been an annual celebration to honor the end of harvest and offer the first taste of the new vintage. Released at 12:01 a.m. on the third Thursday in November per French law, Beaujolais Nouveau is a bright, flavorful red wine made from the Gamay grape. As with most wine aficionados, I too am always anxious to join in on the celebration and try the new harvest upon release, I think it’s fun to participate in this…
-
Baumard Savennières Clos du Papillon 2010 Savennières is a tiny region located on the northern banks of the Loire River, just across from the town of Rochefort Sur Loire. The entire appellation consists of fewer than 200 acres (77 hectares) of vines, all planted to Chenin Blanc. The South/Southeast facing vineyards are planted on unique soils composed of schistose volcanic debris mixed with sandstone and granite, imparting a strong, intensely original minerality to the Chenin Blanc grape. Maximum permitted yields are the lowest in France for dry whites (25 Hectoliters per Hectare), resulting in wines of stunning concentration and perfume. The combination of this concentration with the naturally high acidity…
-
Bouchard Perè & Fils 2012 Pouilly-Fuissé Founded in 1731, Maison Bouchard Père & Fils is one of Burgundy’s oldest wine merchant houses. In 1775, Joseph Bouchard acquired his first vineyard in Volnay in the famous “Les Caillerets” climate and started to develop the family’s vineyard holdings. Over the centuries, the House has been devoted to acquiring highly renowned parcels, in order to build a prestigious domaine. The famed vineyards include: Beaune Gréves Vigne de L’Enfant Jésus, Chevalier-Montrachet, Montrachet, Corton, Corton-Charlemagne, Bonnes-Mares and Clos Vougeot to name a few. In 1995 this exceptional collection was purchased by Joseph Henriot, and is today part of Maisons & Domaines Henriot. Maison Bouchard Père…
-
Taittinger Nocturne Champagne When Pierre Taittinger first discovered the Champagne region, he was a young liaison officer during the first World War. It was thanks to his passion for wine and gastronomy that he returned several years later and, with his brother-in-law, invested all his energy into the development of a burgeoning champagne business. Since 1932 Champagne Taittinger has grown and taken its place among the great Champagne houses, commanding a bold innovative style particularly influenced by Chardonnay. Having bought back the family business in 2006, Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger has surrounded himself with a team that is both young and bound together by a spirit of attainment and permanence. His daughter…
-
Bastion De L’Oratoire Chanson Viré-Clessé 2014 Roots that stretch over several centuries, the history of Chanson is closely tied to the history of France. It perfectly reflects the evolution of the country through 260 years of existence. Every man and women who proudly bared the colors of Chanson over the centuries shared and still share a profound respect for the earth, the vine and the wine, and going on today. Gilles de Courcel and Jean-Pierre Confuron, pure Burgundians, took over from the Chanson family in 1999. Both are ardent supporters of an integrated viticulture, deeply respectful of the terroirs. The respect of vine, combined with precise and meticulous vinifications, aim…
-
Les Forts De Latour 2004 Les Forts de Latour is the second wine of Chateau Latour, the First Growth Pauillac Bordeaux. Like Latour, Les Forts de Latour is owned by French industrialist Francois Pinault. Some 140,000 bottles of Les Forts are produced each year. It is typically 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot and about one-third of the grapes come from young vines within the l’Enclos, which is the 116 acres just around the chateau. The rest of the grapes comes from much older vines outside the l’Enclos, meaning that Les Forts de Latour is made from a significant amount of old-vine cuvee. Les Forts is often highly rated by…
-
Château La Nerthe 2013 Châteauneuf-Du-Pape Blanc Château La Nerthe was born in the 12th Century around the time vines were first planted in the stone-strewn soil of Châteauneuf-du-Pape (literally the “Pope’s new castle”), the place the pontiffs chose for their summer residence when the papel court relocated to Avignon. The historic domains of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Château la Nerthe, has always been graced by the attentive care of its successive owners: men of firm conviction, aristocrats, and notable experts on Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Marquis Tulle de Villefranche, Commandant Joseph Ducos and La Famille Richard, have all contributed to the reputation for excellence that La Nerthe has acquired and maintained. The vineyard of the Castle Nerthe…
-
Chateau d’Armailhac 2009 The existence of Château d’Armailhac dates back to the late 17th century, as evidenced in a land register from 1680 which mentions the brothers Dominique and Guilhem Armailhacq, owners of parcels of land in Pauillac. Another land register from 1750 notes that their descendants have “planted with vines” the family estate, covering 15 to 16 hectares (37-39 acres). By the end of the 18th century the estate has grown to 52 hectares (128 acres) but the brokers of the time describe its wine as “disappointingly thin”. Throughout the following century, Mouton d’Armailhacq’s owners work unceasingly to improve its quality, using techniques such as topping-up, running-off, barrel disinfection…