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2013 Holiday Extra

Holiday Champagne Sale 15 PERCENT OFF

On all purchases of three or more bottles All bubbly in stock eligible - available through 12/31/13

ARTISAN CHAMPAGNES - EXCLUSIVELY Our mantra for Champagne is “small is beautiful”. Our selections are 100 percent from small-scale artisan grower-producers. Jean Lallement makes just 1700 cases a year, total. Arnaud Margaine makes 4600 cases. Laurent Champs at Vilmart, 9000 cases. A far cry from the millions of cases Veuve Clicquot churns out. With the best of the artisans, you get the best of everything – high quality, distinctiveness, and value. Why drink mass-produced products when you can enjoy better Champagnes at better prices, crafted by talented artisans? We’ve been ruthless in our selections this season, requiring both superb quality and fair pricing, presenting an allstar lineup for you to choose from.

Artisan Champagne Sampler

Here is a great way to enjoy the holiday season, a six-bottle sampler of artisan Champagnes. All six are estatebottled, crafted in small batches by their proprietors. Each has a distinctive and individualistic style, reflecting both the terroir of its origin and the artistic sensibility of its maker. We picked these six because each delivers thrilling quality. Enjoy them for under $38 a bottle. Champagne “Cramant Grand Cru” (Lancelot-Pienne); Champagne “Bouzy Grand Cru” (Paul Bara) Champagne “Extra Quality Brut” (Ployez-Jacquemart); Champagne “Les Sept Crus” (Agrapart) Champagne “Ambonnay Grand Cru” (R.H. Coutier); Champagne “Le Mesnil Grand Cru” (Moncuit)

20 Percent Off Regular Pricing - $227.50 ($227.50/6 bottles = $37.92/bottle)

THE EFFECT OF GOOD CHAMPAGNE “It was midwinter, in leafless Sussex. I was with an old friend who had suffered. His life had, over the previous four months, undergone dislocating reverses that ended everything for which he had worked with ceaseless energy over the previous twenty-five years. His circumstances, never more than modest, had begun to flirt with squalor. In his mid-fifties now, this usually good-humoured stoic seemed defeated. We talked amid the metaphorical ruins for an hour or two. He barely smiled. “‘I think,’ I said, as midday passed, ‘we should drink some Champagne.’ He looked at me, pulling on his handrolled cigarette. He loved good wine, but he had particular reasons for loving good Champagne above all good wines. I had, in my car, a bottle of Mumm de Cramant. It was a cold day, and the Champagne had acquired a light chill. We lodged the bottle in his fridge’s freezer compartment for a few final chilling minutes while I cleaned the glasses, breaking one in the process. “I poured. The wine gleamed greenly, topped with enticing snow. It was our first drink of the day. The Cramant smelled fresh: sweet apples. It tasted green – yet round, vivid, surging. We carried on talking, we ate some saucisson, chorizo, bread, avocado. The Champagne grew finer and finer. We were hypnotized by its seeming contradictions: its crispness, its edginess, its sappiness... and yet its roundness and fullness, too. Would any other wine have served us as well? Perhaps; yet this Champagne memory will abide while all the others – the dull receptions, the tedious parties, the routine markers for the stations of the year – have long faded. My friend’s spirits were raised: we laughed and smiled; his eyes gleamed again. “I detain you with this story only because it illustrates an essential truth of Champagne: that this is, more than most, a wine of general appeal rather than particular excellence. My friend and I drank Mumm de Cramant, but it could have been any other good Champagne; the point was that it was good Champagne. No other wine carries the same weight of symbolical significance; no other wine was in quite the same position to lift the spirits, almost outrageously, at such a moment. Its taste, of course, makes it suitable for drinking at any time; meals are never obligatory, as they would be for a fine bottle of Hermitage or Madiran. It is an occasion as much as a wine.” - Andrew Jefford, The New France

20 Percent Off Half-Case Specials available through 12/31/13 - while supplies last

Champagne “Cramant Grand Cru” (Lancelot-Pienne)

We discovered this producer four years ago, but they remain far under the radar. Lancelot-Pienne is a tiny, estate-bottled producer in Cramant, one of Champagne’s renowned Chardonnay villages. They produce only 3800 cases a year. Chardonnay’s influence is obvious in this elegant, impressive bubbly. Thoroughly engaging, it captivates with its fabulously pure apple and pear fruit flavors, displaying the finesse of much more expensive Champagnes. It just exudes quality, from its taut, mineral-tinged fruit flavors and fine, energetic bubbles to its long, firm, dry finish. This showcases what is compelling about grower Champagnes, and is certainly one of the best buys on the market again this season.

Champagne “Cramant Grand Cru” (Lancelot-Pienne) $42.50 HOLIDAY HALF-CASE SPECIAL 20 Percent Off $204.00 ($204.00/6 bottles = $34.00/bottle)

Champagne “Ambonnay Grand Cru” (R.H. Coutier)

If you prefer a softer style of Champagne, one that emphasizes richer, more mouthfilling fruit flavors and a little less tension, here is a gem. Coutier is a grower-producer in Ambonnay, perhaps Champagne’s most acclaimed Pinot Noir village. René Coutier’s family has been growing grapes here since before the French Revolution, and his grandfather was already bottling his own Champagne in 1901. Today Coutier produces just 4200 cases a year, selling some of their grapes to the likes of Veuve Clicquot and Tattinger. This gorgeous current release is twothirds Pinot Noir and one-third Chardonnay. It is full of gentle, easygoing fruit flavors, fine energetic bubbles, and a simply charming character.

Champagne “Ambonnay Grand Cru” (R.H. Coutier) $42.50 HOLIDAY HALF-CASE SPECIAL 20 Percent Off $204.00 ($204.00/6 bottles = $34.00/bottle)

Champagne “Les Sept Crus” (Agrapart)

Agrapart is a small, family-owned estate in Avize on Champagne’s Côte des Blancs. They own 25 acres of vineyards, all of it Chardonnay. Pascal Agrapart farms according to the ultra-organic principles of bio-dynamics. He even uses a horse to cultivate some of the plots. Reserve wines are aged in neutral barrels. Dosage levels are very low, resulting in a dry style of great precision and focus. Les Sept Crus has the creamy texture typical of Chardonnay, but with a decided minerally aspect. It has markedly more depth and power than the Lancelot-Pienne above. And it is dramatically finer than the mass-produced Champagnes put out by the famous houses. “With the latest disgorgement, Agrapart has reduced the dosage of the 7 Crus. This suits the wine very well, seemingly giving it more brightness and liveliness, and it places more emphasis on the stony, chalky minerality that supports the floral aromas of pear, apple and green citrus. It shows excellent mid-palate depth and complexity, and it’s a perfect example of how a good non-vintage brut balances character and authenticity with sheer, delicious drinkability. (())”- Peter Liem, ChampagneGuide.net

Champagne “Les Sept Crus” (Agrapart) $48.00 HOLIDAY HALF-CASE SPECIAL 20 Percent Off $230.00 ($230.00/6 bottles = $38.33/bottle)

Champagne “Le Mesnil Grand Cru” (Pierre Moncuit)

Nicole Moncuit is the matriarch and guiding hand of this small family-owned estate in Le Mesnil, the great Grand Cru village in the Côte des Blancs that, like Puligny-Montrachet in Burgundy, is the best site for Chardonnay in all of Champagne. Moncuit’s non-vintage Champagne is superb. It is intricate, pure and seductive at the same time it is powerful, voluptuous and attention-grabbing. A sensational, easy-to-love Champagne that has it all, including a bargain price. “A complex, strikingly elegant and airy nose features notes of baked broad, yeast, pear, green apple and lovely spice notes. The refined character continues onto the absolutely delicious flavors that possess a moderately exuberant mousse before terminating in a dry, crisp and slightly austere finish that is clean, refreshing and persistent. This knockout is drinking perfectly now and is highly recommended. (93/100)” - Allen Meadows, Burghound.com 2

Champagne “Le Mesnil Grand Cru” (Pierre Moncuit) $48.00 HOLIDAY HALF-CASE SPECIAL 20 Percent Off $230.00 ($230.00/6 bottles = $38.33/bottle)

ARTISAN CHAMPAGNES AGRAPART Avize

“Brothers Fabrice and Pascal Agrapart farm roughly ten hectares of old-vine plots in their home town of Avize, as well as in the neighboring villages in the Cote des Blancs. The domaine favors malolactic fermentation, something that clearly benefits these intensely mineral Champagnes. The wines are bottled with no filtration and dosage for the top bottlings is very much on the low side. These pure wines from Agrapart were among the most alive and energetic Champagnes I encountered, and should be a part of any well-stocked cellar.” - Antonio Galloni, The Wine Advocate

Regular Price

Champagne “Les Sept Crus” (Agrapart) ........................................................... $ 48.00

15% Off Price

$ 40.80

PAUL BARA Bouzy

“Paul Bara’s champagnes are classic examples of Bouzy, with a full body and an ample, fruity ripeness thanks to pinot noir grown on the village’s warm, south-facing slopes. At the same time they demonstrate an unusual refinement and finesse, and despite the absence of malolactic, there is nothing at all aggressive about these champagnes–they tend to feel velvety in their depth of fruit and seamless in their integration of components from beginning to end. - Peter Liem, ChampagneGuide.net

Champagne “Bouzy Grand Cru” (Paul Bara) ................................................... $ 55.00 Champagne “Bouzy Grand Cru” (Paul Bara) ..................................... TENTHS .. $ 30.00

$ 46.75 $ 25.50

Rosé Champagne “Bouzy Grand Cru” (Paul Bara)........................................... $ 58.00 Rosé Champagne “Bouzy Grand Cru” (Paul Bara) .............................TENTHS .. $ 33.00

$ 49.30 $ 28.05

2004 Champagne “Bouzy Grand Cru” (Paul Bara) ....................................... $ 65.00

$ 55.25

HENRI BILLIOT Ambonnay Champagne “Ambonnay Grand Cru” (Billiot).................................................. $ 65.00 Champagne “Ambonnay Grand Cru” (Billiot) ...............................MAGNUMS .. $ 130.00

$ 55.25 $ 110.50

Rosé Champagne “Ambonnay Grand Cru” (Billiot) ......................................... $ 70.00

$ 59.50

Guy Charlemagne le mesnil Champagne “Le Mesnil Grand Cru (Guy Charlemagne) .............................. $ 50.00

$ 42.50

Chartogne-taillet merfy 2006 Champagne (Chartogne-Taillet).......................................................... $ 78.00

$ 66.30

“Paul Bara is one of Champagne's undisputed leaders in quality. The NV Brut Grand Cru Réserve is a wonderfully elegant wine graced with layers of perfumed fruit that come to life on a mid-weight frame. The wine shows terrific balance and tons of Bouzy character, with a long, and refined finish that invites a second taste. (91/100)” - Antonio Galloni, Vinousmedia.com

“The Brut Grand Rosé is an absolutely delicious wine. This is a serious rosé, which is immediately evident in the wine's dark hue and dense, full-bodied personality. There is tons of candied Pinot fruit here, all woven together in a rich, sensual style. This sweeping, large-scaled rosé will offer its finest drinking at the dinner table. (90/100)” - Antonio Galloni, Vinousmedia.com

“The best bottles of this are the best N.V. Brut in Champagne. Or put it this way: I haven’t tasted every single N.V. Brut, and I don’t really know this one is ‘the best,’ but I do know nothing could be better. It’s always about 80% PN but no one ever guesses, the wine is so hyper, animated and kinetic.” - Terry Theise, Importer

“This comes entirely from vines in Le Mesnil and Oger: compared with Charlemagne's Brut Extra, which is from vines in the Sézanne, the difference in terroir is readily apparent, with the Réserve showing a greater refinement of minerality and a more subtly nuanced complexity. Its sleek, elongated structure is classic for the southern Côte des Blancs, and its elegant flavors of lemon and mandarin orange are lively and persistent. ()” - Peter Liem, ChampagneGuide.net

“(60% pinot noir and 40% chardonnay, aged for five years on its lees): Pale gold. Pear, lemon curd and a salty mineral nuance on the highly perfumed nose and in the mouth. Bright, spicy and silky in texture, displaying very good depth and power. Offers a suave combination of richness and vivacity, finishing long and intensely minerally. (92/100)” - Josh Raynolds, International Wine Cellar

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Regular Price

Gaston Chiquet Dizy 2004 Champagne “Blanc de Blancs d’Aÿ” (Gaston Chiquet) .......MAGNUMS .. $ 180.00 “(aged for seven years on its yeasts): Light gold. Explosively aromatic nose displays smoky, lees-accented melon, peach, pear and floral qualities. Deep and creamy, with powerful orchard fruit and honeysuckle flavors supported by bright acidity. Spreads out on the long, mineraldrenched finish, which leaves a smoky note behind. This Champagne is bottled exclusively in magnums.” (93/100) - Josh Raynolds, International Wine Cellar 2002 Champagne “Blanc de Blancs d’Aÿ” (Gaston Chiquet) .......MAGNUMS .. $ 220.00

15% Off Price

$ 153.00

$ 187.00

R.H. Coutier Ambonnay

“Coutier’s champagnes are fruity and bold in flavor, demonstrating the ripe character of Ambonnay’s south- and southeast-facing slopes. Both the non-vintage and rosé are reliably satisfying. The vintage brut is always worth seeking out, and is aged for an admirably long time on its lees. Coutier’s wines have attracted a worldwide following, aided by champagne expert Richard Juhlin, who calls Coutier ‘the uncrowned king of Ambonnay.’” - Peter Liem, ChampagneGuide.net

Champagne Champagne Champagne Champagne

“Ambonnay “Ambonnay “Ambonnay “Ambonnay

Grand Grand Grand Grand

Cru” Cru” Cru” Cru”

(R.H. (R.H. (R.H. (R.H.

Coutier).................................. . $ 42.50 Coutier)........................ 375ml .. $ 28.00 Coutier)................MAGNUMS .. $ 98.00 Coutier) .........................3 LITER .. $ 325.00

Delamotte le mesnil 2002 Champagne “Blanc de Blancs” (Delamotte)......................................... $ 95.00 “Light yellow-gold. Lively orange, Meyer lemon, ginger and floral aromas show impressive power and purity. Taut, sharply focused citrus and orchard fruit flavors are underscored by a chalky mineral quality and given spine by tangy acidity. Closes bright and long, with resonating spiciness and floral character. This Champagne has barely budged since this time last year. (93/100)” - Josh Raynolds, International Wine Cellar “Disgorged in February of 2011, this shows the voluptuous ripeness of the vintage, its flavors of stone fruit and citrus feeling golden and polished. It's impeccably balanced, its long, elegant finish infused by chalky minerality, and it's already approachable now, although it's likely to develop more complexity with time. Last tasted: 2/12 ()” - Peter Liem, ChampagneGuide.net

$ $ $ $

36.13 23.80 83.30 276.25

$ 80.75

Veuve Fourny Vertus

“For a relatively unknown house, I found the quality here to be eye-popping and the prices reasonable as well.” - Allen Meadows, Burghound.com

Champagne “Grand Reserve” (Veuve Fourny) ................................................. $ 45.00 Champagne “Grand Reserve” (Veuve Fourny) ................................. 375ml .. $ 28.00 Champagne “Grand Reserve” (Veuve Fourny)....................... .. MAGNUMS .. $ 98.00

$ 38.25 $ 23.80 $ 83.30

Champagne “Blanc de Blancs” (Veuve Fourny) ................................................. $ 45.00

$ 38.25

Champagne “Blanc de Blancs Brut Nature” (Veuve Fourny) ........................... $ 45.00

$ 38.25

“Light, bright gold with a slow bead. Fresh, mineral-driven aromas of Meyer lemon, pear and white peach, with a suave floral overtone. Finely balanced and pure, with tangy citrus and orchard fruit flavors underscored by a dusty mineral quality. A brisk, focused, tightly wound Champagne that carries no excess weight and finishes with excellent clarity and mineral thrust. (91/100)” - Josh Raynolds, International Wine Cellar

“Pale yellow with a delicate bead. Meyer lemon, orange and Anjou pear on the nose. A deeper yellow plum quality adds depth to the tangy citrus flavors, with smoky minerals lending backend cut. Very clean and precise but in no way skinny, with spice and mineral notes lingering on the finish. (91/100)” - Josh Raynolds, International Wine Cellar

4

“Fourny's non-dosé is based largely on grapes from old vines in Les Monts Ferrés, a highly chalky vineyard on the northern side of Vertus, bordering Le Mesnil. It shows a superb balance for a non-dosé, its generous depth of Meyer lemon, apple skin and Asian pear aromas allowing it to feel dry without being austere. The minerality becomes more pronounced on the back end, finishing with long, intensely chalky length and lots of finesse. (())” - Peter Liem, ChampagneGuide.net

2007 Champagne “Blanc de Blancs” (Veuve Fourny) ........................................ $ 70.00

$ 59.50

Pierre Gimonnet cuis 2008 Champagne “Gastronome” (Pierre Gimonnet) ......................................... $ 72.00

$ 61.20

2006 Champagne “Fleuron” (Pierre Gimonnet) ................................................ $ 80.00

$ 68.00

2002 Champagne “Millésime de Collection” (Pierre Gimonnet)...................... $ 140.00

$ 119.00

HENRI GOUTORBE Aÿ 2004 Champagne “Spécial Club” (Goutorbe).................................................... $ 100.00

$ 85.00

Marc Hébrart Mareuil-Sur-Aÿ 2008 Champagne “Spécial Club” (Marc Hébrart) ............................................. $ 100.00 2008 Champagne “Spécial Club” (Marc Hébrart) ..........................MAGNUMS .. $ 245.00

$ 85.00 $ 208.25

2006 Champagne “Bouzy Grand Cru” (Benoit Lahaye) ................................... $ 70.00

$ 59.50

“Fourny's vintage brut is a single-vineyard champagne from old vines in Les Barillées, on the mid-slope in Vertus. This shows an impressive ripeness and depth for the vintage, its flavors of peach and exotic citrus feeling ample and assertive. Emmanuel Fourny acknowledges that this wine is slightly atypical for 2007: "At the end of the harvest there was a dry period," he says, "which concentrated the grapes in this sector." It's buttressed by tense, lively acidity, and along with its silky texture, this contributes to its overall sense of finesse, making the flavors feel tightly knit and elegantly expressed. Last tasted: 2/13 (())” - Peter Liem, ChampagneGuide.net

“Bright straw. Intense pear and nectarine aromas are brightened by notes of lemon zest, chalky minerals and ginger, with a leesy quality gaining power with air. Tangy and bright on entry, then fleshier in the mid-palate, offering spicy citrus and orchard fruit flavors and a touch of anise. Finishes zesty and long, with lingering mineral notes and impressive stony cut. (92/100)” - Josh Raynolds, International Wine Cellar “(aged for 60 months on its lees): Light gold. Pungent, mineral-accented citrus and pit fruit aromas, with sexy mango and floral nuances. Concentrated, spicy and smooth in texture, offering pliant peach, pear and lemon curd flavors and a bracing mineral nuance. Finishes impressively deep and very long, with a taut citrus zest character and lingering floral notes. (93/100)” - Josh Raynolds, International Wine Cellar

“This was originally released with the regular Spécial Club label, but Gimonnet has now decided to designate exceptional vintages as Millésimes de Collection, putting them in the Club bottle but packaged with a different label. Made of 54 percent Cramant, 31 percent Chouilly and 15 percent Cuis, this is rich, bold and authoritative in feel, showing old-vine concentration and depth. It’s just beginning to develop a slightly honeyed, pithy complexity, and it feels unusually open and accessible for a 2002 at this stage, with a firm, vivid presence on the midpalate and long, palate-staining length. (())” - Peter Liem, ChampagneGuide.net

“You aren’t going to believe me, but this wine is every bit as good as the 2002. It’s different, naturally; it’s the granita after the richness of the ‘02, with all of ‘04s tensile precision and high-definition relief and incisiveness; the usual malt is paired with a cool string of verbena, the wine is silly-long for its brilliance, and it will flesh out under the cork. A more dramatic success than the ‘02, a year when everyone’s wines were outstanding. (++)” - Terry Theise, Importer

“The single best young wine I tasted in Champagne this year, and as good as it gets. The blend is the same as the 2007, 60% Pinot Noir from Mareuil and Aÿ, and 40% Chardonnay from Oiry and Chouilly, but this is of another order, and shows 2008 at its most sublime. Lunar, mystic aromas, it’s why the vintage is so exquisite and potentially great. And no mistake - this is great wine that has everything, plus the dancing animation of all its hundred elements; Champagne at its most bewitching, all leading to a truly astonishing and endless finish that defines complexity and beauty. (+++)” - Terry Theise, Importer BENOIT LaHAYE Bouzy

“This comes from two parcels: the pinot noir, which accounts for 75 percent of the blend, is from 42-year-old vines in Mont de Tauxières, while the chardonnay that makes up the remainder is from 46-year-old vines in Argentières. It's expansive in fragrance and deeply vinous in tone, true to the character of the vintage, and its fruit shows a confident, energetic presence on the palate, feeling vivid and soil-expressive. Its dosage of 3-4 g/l is a touch austere, and it's possible that it would gain additional length and complexity of flavor with a touch more, but its vivacity and its intensity of expression is alluring. Last tasted: 3/12. () - Peter Liem, ChampagneGuide.net

5

Jean Lallement Verzenay

“These are extremely terroir-driven wines, keenly expressing the northern Montagne de Reims in their poignant minerality and sleek shape, and they possess a sense of refinement and finesse that sets them apart from many other growers in this area. As the production is miniscule (1,700 cases total), Lallement’s wines can be difficult to procure, but they are well worth a special search.” - Peter Liem, ChampagneGuide.net

Regular Price

Champagne “Verzenay Grand Cru” (Jean Lallement)....................................... $ 62.00

$ 52.70

Champagne “Verzenay Grand Cru - Reserve” (Jean Lallement) ..................... $ 78.00

$ 66.30

Rosé Champagne “Verzenay Grand Cru” (Jean Lallement) ............................. $ 80.00

$ 68.00

Champagne “Cramant Grand Cru” (Lancelot-Pienne)...................................... $ 42.50 Champagne “Cramant Grand Cru” (Lancelot-Pienne).................MAGNUMS .. $ 98.00

$ 36.13 $ 83.30

2008 Champagne “Spécial Club” (A. Margaine)............................................... $ 95.00

$ 80.75

2008 Champagne “Symphorine” (Jean Milan) .................................................. $ 78.00

$ 66.30

Champagne “Extra Quality Brut” (Ployez-Jacquemart) .................................... $ 48.00 2002 Champagne “Blanc de Blancs” (Ployez-Jacquemart)............................. $ 80.00

$ 40.80 $ 68.00

“We sometimes call it “the green label,” but whatever we call it, it’s the finest and most distinctive NV in all of Champagne. First notice its exceptional polish and detail. Then take an amazingly distinct expression of terroir, redolent and atmospheric. It’s my personal favorite, but apart from that, its innate virtues speak well for themselves; signature flavors of apple-cellar, mead, heirloom honey, brewer’s yeast, sometimes with lemon-balm and sorrel, other times with walnuts and herb oils. This year it’s 80% ‘09 and 20% ’08. (++)” - Terry Theise, Importer “The blue-label, and the best value in the portfolio. It reverses the vintages of the above, so it’s 80-20 ‘08-’09. Different parcels go into it, giving stronger juice, and the signatures here are berries, orchids, violets; this one is seriously smoky and a very strong edition of this wine; it wants another year on the cork; the finish isn’t quite as suave, barkier and crustier, more salt and at first more brash. Then watch as it gets all caramelized, like the “candy” of the brownbits you scrape from the pan. (++)” - Terry Theise, Importer

“If there’s a more singular Rosé in Champagne someone open it for me. Aubry has the blackberry but not the mint, nor is this as iodé, even as dry as it is; it’s about flowers and even green-tea. It’s entirely Verzenay Pinot Noir; there seems to be more fruit and less berry here – it’s explosively fruity in fact. Lavish silky texture, helplessly delicious and absurdly long. (++)” - Terry Theise, Importer Lancelot-pienne Cramant

“An elegant, pure and distinctly yeasty nose also displays cool and ripe notes of spiced pear, freshly sliced Granny Smith apples and Meyer lemons. The cool, restrained and equally pure and utterly delicious flavors are shaped by a moderate mousse that displays a very fine bead before terminating in a medium dry, complex and sneaky long finish. This could easily be aged further but it is drinking very well now. (92/100)” - Allen Meadows, Burghound.com A. MARGAINE Villers-Marmery

“This is completely stunning Champagne. From three parcels: Brocot, Montmedy and Champs d’Enfer. 25% was done in wood, and 100% went through malo. Disgorged Jan. 2013. The reputation of `08 will be made with the first sniff of a Champagne like this. An extraordinarily feminine fine-grained wine, cool but not aloof, intense but contained, embedded chalkiness like the dust from a rockslide in the finish; ginger and Asian pear, and a texture like meringue, in a hauntingly pretty form, lyric and lingering. (++)” - Terry Theise, Importer JEAN MILAN oger

“It shows ‘08s lithe floral prettiness and strawberry notes, and the finish is almost freaky. This is a selection from four climats in Oger, some on the hill and some on the flats, some north and some south of the village: Les Zalieux, Beaudures, Les Barbettes and Les Chênets (and Diana Ross on lead vocals). (+)” - Terry Theise, Importer Ployez-jacquemart Ludes

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15% Off Price

“Light yellow. Potent, mineral-accented aromas and flavors of lemon zest, green apple, quince and jasmine. Refreshingly bitter and incisive, with excellent clarity and subtle smoke and iodine nuances. Closes on a dry, stony note, with impressive vivacity and persistence. Some claim that no-dosage Champagnes don't age well but this 10 year old wine is an example that confounds that assertion. (93/100)” - Josh Raynolds, International Wine Cellar

J. Lasalle Chigny-Les-Roses Rosé Champagne “Premier Cru” (J. Lassalle)

Regular Price

$ 58.00

15% Off Price

$ 49.30

PIERRE MONCUIT LE MESNIL

“The Moncuit family has been growing vines in the village of Le Mesnil-sur-Oger since the late 19th century. The estate owns 15 hectares spread over 20 different parcels. Nicole Moncuit always makes each wine from a single vintage, without any reserve wine, ‘in order to preserve typicity and terroir,’ she says. For the same reason, fermentation is always in stainless steel tanks, and due to the naturally high acidity of Le Mesnil, the malolactic is always carried out. These are precise, deliberate wines, feeling reserved and slightly stern without being overly austere. Even in a warm vintage when the flavors are noticeably ripe, as in 1999 or 2002, they never become plush or lose their sense of poise, choosing to seduce you with cool, quiet calm rather than direct overtures. In my tastings this year I found the wines to be cleanly harmonious, expressive and fine, with a pronounced chalkiness and a tightly focused, linear character that’s classic for Le Mesnil. I also greatly admire Moncuit’s practice of making wines exclusively from a single vintage, as this seems to fit in with the overall aesthetic of purity here.” - Peter Liem, ChampagneGuide.net

Champagne “Le Mesnil Grand Cru” (Pierre Moncuit) ..................................... $ 48.00 Champagne “Le Mesnil Grand Cru” (Pierre Moncuit) ................MAGNUMS .. $ 105.00 2004 Champagne “Nicole Moncuit” (Pierre Moncuit) .................................. $ 95.00

$ 40.80 $ 89.25 $ 80.75

PIERRE PETERS LE MESNIL Champagne “Cuvée de Reserve Grand Cru” (Pierre Peters)............................ $ 70.00 Champagne “Cuvée de Reserve Grand Cru” (Pierre Peters)................375ml.. $ 40.00

$ 59.50 $ 34.00

ÉRIC RODEZ Ambonnay Champagne “Ambonnay Grand Cru” (Eric Rodez) .......................................... $ 48.00

$ 40.80

salon le mesnil 1999 Champagne “Le Mesnil Grand Cru” (Salon) ............................................ $ 350.00

$ 297.50

“First we tasted the 2008-based wine, which we had on the market two years ago. Bear in mind—Péters performs what they call a “perpetual solera,” which means the NV contains whichever vintage is current, plus the previous blend, and so each iteration contains a certain quantity of very old wine. Or you could say it is a mature solera that’s constantly refreshed. This `08-based wine is hyper-aromatic; it was the best in many years, and it’s the one I have in my cellar right now. Then we tasted the `09-based wine we shipped last year. It’s rounder and saltier, more brioche. Flowers in `08, butter in `09. Finally the 2010, disgorged in December 2012. It was gnarly from disgorgement, but with time it will resemble the `08; perhaps more overtly chalky, less hyacinth and wisteria but more jasmine. Surprisingly dense yet pixilated pulverized oyster shell. Time on the cork will really reward this wine. (+)” - Terry Theise, Importer

“Rodez’s non-vintage brut is made of equal parts pinot noir and chardonnay. It feels broad and rich, its stone fruit and citrus flavors complicated by a savory, nearly spicy minerality and fragrant hints of ginger, walnut and fig. The finish is long and deep in aroma, demonstrating an excellent balance and showing superb quality and completeness for a brut sans année. (())” - Peter Liem, ChampagneGuide.net

“It might come as a surprise to some that Salon chose to make a wine in this warm vintage, yet this 1999 shows an undeniable refinement, driven by its archetypal Mesnil chalkiness as well as a surprisingly prominent acidity. It’s a pleasing contradiction of characters: while its notes of Meyer lemon, grapefruit pith and nut oils are luscious and atypically forward for a young Salon, it also feels unusually youthful and tense for the vintage, and as compelling as it is to taste now, it clearly contains hidden facets waiting to be revealed in the future. On the midpalate it acquires a concentrated ripeness of flavor that hints at red fruits, and it finishes with expansive, mouthfilling dimension, persisting with long, kinetic and subtly complex length. As with the superb 1997, this wine will likely be viewed with suspicion by those who believe that a young Salon must only be all about razor blades and laser beams, but in truth, all of the post-1988 releases have shown a great deal of richness, and the 1999 is highly successful in its blend of modern personality and classical style. There’s no reason to believe that it won’t continue to develop for the next decade at least, and it should turn out to be quite exciting, particularly if you give it sufficient time in the cellar. Last tasted: 4/11. ()” - Peter Liem, ChampagneGuide.net

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Vilmart rilly-la-montagne

“Wood-aged base wines give these Champagnes distinctly Burgundian flavors. Often described as the best grower in Champagne or the poor man’s Krug. Vilmart’s wines can offer a resonance and majesty unique among small estates. At best, wines are grandiose and resplendent. With sufficient bottle-age these can take you up and up into rare altitudes of complexity.” - Terry Theise, Importer

Regular Price

Champagne “Grand Cellier” (Vilmart)............................................................... $ 85.00 “The new disgorgement is a delicate, almost serene edition of a wine that’s often quite vivid, that really shows its facets of saffron, brioche and lobster stock. This is classier and more fondue than usual, with lingering vanilla and jasmine and even elderflower notes. It conveys a courteous repose. The new cuvée blends ‘07-‘08-‘09, as always 70% Chardonnay and 30% Pinot Noir. (+)” - Terry Theise, Importer

15% Off Price

$ 72.25

“Light yellow with a fine bead. An exotically perfumed bouquet offers scents of pear nectar, orange, honeydew, toasty lees and minerals. Suave, palate-coating orchard and pit fruit flavors are underscored by smoky minerals and, picking up notes of allspice and cinnamon with air. At once creamy and nervy, showing seductive spiciness and a hint of sweetness on the back end. Very rich but by no means heavy, thanks to its strong finishing cut and minerality and striking clarity. (92/100)” - Josh Raynolds, International Wine Cellar

Rosé Champagne “Rubis” (Vilmart).................................................................. $ 98.00 2008 Champagne “Grand Cellier d’Or” (Vilmart) ............................................ $ 110.00

$ 83.30 $ 93.50

2007 Champagne “Grand Cellier d’Or” (Vilmart) ............................................ $ 105.00

$ 89.25

“80% Chardonnay (to 20% Pinot Noir) and the base wine is aged in barrique, but barely any new wood. I had very high hopes for this. And it’s nothing like what I expected. The aroma is compelling; white gentian and hyacinth; the palate is more a classic `08 than a typical Vilmart, but it’s lissome, curvy and very Chardonnay. It could stand to be a touch sweeter, I thought. But the aerial whiteness of the wine is striking, as is the mineral length. I’ve long suspected that the `08s would enter a trough as their youthful florals subdued, and maybe this is an example. I like the wine hugely and yet still imagine I’m underrating it. It’s very coiled. (+)” - Terry Theise, Importer

“(80% chardonnay and 20% pinot noir): Pale yellow. Intense, high-pitched tangerine and melon aromas, with exotic floral, vanilla and spicecake notes that expand with aeration. Stony and energetic but densely packed, offering potent orchard fruit and honeydew flavors that strike a deft balance of vivacity and power. The broad, smoky finish leaves spice and smoky mineral notes in its wake. (93/100)” - Josh Raynolds, International Wine Cellar “This is surprisingly rich and generous for the vintage, and despite pinot noir accounting for only 20 percent of the blend, its red-fruit flavors are unusually prominent on the palate right now. It's highly promising, already showing complex hints of sandalwood, rose petal, tangerine peel and exotic spice. Put it away for another year or two if you can. Last tasted: 3/12. (())” - Peter Liem, ChampagneGuide.net 2006 Champagne “Grand Cellier d’Or” (Vilmart).....................MAGNUMS... $310.00 “Disgorged February 2012. All you need is patience, and plenty of it. Braised meat and rootveggie richness but with the cerebral austere reserve of young magnums. Incipient complexity, and markedly long. (+(+))” - Terry Theise, Importer

2004 Champagne “Coeur de Cuvée” (Vilmart)................................................. $ 165.00

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“By now you know, this is the “heart” of the free-run juice, the first 2,000 liters from the press, with the first and last couple hundred liters removed. It’s become an iconic Champagne, and this will stand with the few very best 2004s. Disgorged 11/‘11; it starts with green aromas, as 2004s do. This starts to deepen. The dark notes enter. The palate starts out all vigor and saltiness and wintergreen, then swoons through a braise-y middle, then into lobster stock and sweated leeks, then into the Oloroso zone, where it visits the supernal, and more than sometimes stays there. This recalls my beloved ‘01, though here the components are more disparate; one looks ahead to their knitting. The hints you get are of a tantric synergy of quince and smoke, nerviness and opulence. (++(+))” - Terry Theise, Importer “This is 80 percent chardonnay and 20 percent pinot noir, all from 50- to 55-year-old vines in the vineyard of Blanches Voies. It's shapely and sleek, with the shimmering brightness and tension found in many 2004s, and the fruit on the palate takes on an exotic tone, hinting at litchi and mandarin orange. It shows all of the sophistication and character expected of this cuvée, and it should develop a terrific complexity and depth with time in the cellar. Last tasted: 3/12. ()” - Peter Liem, ChampagneGuide.net

$ 263.50

$ 140.25

What if Rhône was made like Champagne? “If you are new to this, please let me ‘splain it. Estate-bottled Champagne requires you to recalibrate your thinking about what Champagne really is. But it won’t hurt a bit. It’s a brave new world .... “The first thing you are asked to do as a citizen of this world is to play a game of make-believe with me for a minute. Pretend you are standing in a store and Mr. Guigal, the Mr. Guigal, comes in announcing he has a brand spankin’ new Rhône project he wants to introduce to you. Cool! He pulls out a bottle labeled ‘Rhône’ and presents it to you. ‘Only ‘Rhône’?’ you ask. ‘Well, you know, the world is changing,’ he answers, ‘and people don’t have time to remember all these little Appellations, Hermitage, Côte Rôtie, Cornas, Gigondas; are they really so different?’ ‘I thought they kind of were,’ you begin. ‘Oh they are,’ he cuts you off, ‘but only as components in a blend! This wonderful ‘Rhône’ wine has 11% Côte Rôtie, which gives finesse and perfume, 9% Hermitage for stamina and spiciness, 22% Cornas for body and meatiness, 20% each of Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Gigondas for power.’ ‘That still leaves about 18%,’ you note. ‘Ah, that must remain a mystery. I really shouldn’t have told you what I already did,’ he replies. ‘Well, we blend these wines together so skillfully that we can guarantee the same quality every year! And so we won’t use a vintage date for the wine!’ ‘Oh really!’ you wonder. ‘Oh perhaps, in exceptional years, then we make a small amount for connoisseurs. And maybe once in a while we bottle some Côte Rôtie by itself if it’s really good one year,’ he continues. ‘You mean you’re going to discontinue single appellations!’ you ask in shock. ‘Oh my goodness yes; who needs them? They don‘t matter in the least; in fact they’re a pain in the neck if you want to know the truth.... “You listen in horror. NO MORE HERMITAGE! Each of your beloved Appellations slaughtered, and for what? So someone can sell a blend that will always taste the same??? Your heart-rate increases, your skin gets clammy, and still he stands there smugly, admiring the perfect crease in his Lubian suit, reaching into his Hermes case for a fresh ascot. You try to scream No! No! You mustn’t! But no voice will come. You awaken, drenched in sweat, bolt-upright in bed, recovering yourself slowly ... ‘Thank God, it was only a nightmare....’ “Yes, it was a nightmare, for you. In Champagne, it is the actual wide-awake world. And we accept it, lulled into a state of infantile obedience by the masters of marketing in the luxury-goods conglomerates which own many of the Grandes Marques. “One of my growers painted a bleak picture of typical vinification at a Big Brand facility. His cousin is a cellar-rat there. First the must is centrifuged and chaptalized and pressed very quickly with cultured yeasts, enzymes and nitrogen. The result, already denuded of much of its original flavor, is aged in stainless steel and racked frequently to avoid any H2S taint, fined and filtered and rendered, in effect, neutral. There is nothing especially shocking here; these are industrial products, after all, guided by expediency and market research. But the worst is yet to come. What really constitutes the celebrated ‘house-styles’ of the Big Brands has less to do with their grape sources and more to do with various additives present in the dosage liqueur. ‘After they’ve done everything they can to remove all flavor from the wines, they then add it back at the end with doctored dosage,’ I was told.” - Terry Theise, Importer

Superlative Hooch “What do you get with estate-bottled Champagnes in the bottle? First, you get character. You get the taste of a small slice of terroir. The village or terroir styles have to do of course with soil components and structure, with the choice of grape and with the proportion of those grapes in blends, and with an indefinable habit of thinking, an aesthetic template that takes hold in the communal mind and tells the growers how the wines ‘should’ taste. And then, for better or worse, you get the character of the vintner himself. I’m sure many of the two thousand growers are pretty run-of-the-mill people who make pleasant, unexceptional wine. The crème de tête, so to speak, is the same as everywhere; a few utopian wine-freak types who are driven to make superlative hooch. Once that’s established (and a prayer of gratitude uttered) then it gets real interesting. You start to get into the palate of the vintner, the kinds of wines he himself likes. There’s more than one way to make great wine, remember. One man likes high-strung, nervy wines, likes them tense and dashing. His neighbor, equally conscientious and quality-driven, likes wines more creamy and elegant. Each can tell you why Champagne ‘should’ taste the way he himself makes it. Some are tolerant, even embracing of differing styles. This is how your humble author defines fun. Fun is the finding of creative diversity, by which we celebrate the human foible. Fun is not the search for the best or the only way or the right way. Fun is discovering that you’re ticklish in more than one place.” - Terry Theise, Importer 9

Eric Bordelet’s Artisan Ciders Eric Bordelet took over his family’s estate and orchards on the southern edge of Normandy in 1992, after a career as a three-star sommelier in Paris. His dream was to produce ciders of a quality and purity never before achieved, based on his knowledge of great French wines. His approach was to apply the most rigorous and qualityoriented principles of viticulture and winemaking to his orchards and cidermaking. Bordelet has achieved what he set out to do. Their flavors are like biting into the freshest, juiciest, most perfectly ripened apple or pear you’ve ever tasted. They are very low in alcohol, and moderately sparkling.

Sidre “Doux Tendre” Sparkling Apple Cider (Bordelet) “This apple cider is very fresh, and like all of Bordelet’s ciders, it tastes like you're biting into the fruit. There is just enough juiciness to round out the palate to make this a remarkable drink for aperitifs, or light meals.” - Michael Sullivan, Importer

REGULAR PRICE: $13.50

15% OFF PRICE: $11.48

Poiré “L'Authentique” Sparkling Pear Cider (Bordelet) “This is true pear cider with just a hint of residual sugar. We could get out the wine terms for this, but tasting is believing. Very classy stuff with the texture and taste of ripe pears.” - Michael Sullivan, Importer

REGULAR PRICE: $16.50

15% OFF PRICE: $14.03

Poiré “Granite” Sparkling Pear Cider (Eric Bordelet)

“This is Bordelet’s ‘Grand Cru’ pear cider. The fruit source for this is a stand of 60 foot tall, 300 year old pear trees. This is a cider which can stand tall with fine Champagne wines. It is never filtered in order to preserve the texture and flavor of these minuscule pears.” - Michael Sullivan, Importer

REGULAR PRICE: $24.00

15% OFF PRICE: $20.40

Sparkling Wines Blanquette di Limoux “Carte Noire” (Vergnes)

This delicious blanc de blancs sparkling wine comes from the eastern foothills of the French Pyrenees, south of Carcassonne in the Languedoc. Its nothing new. In fact, locals believe sparkling wine production here dates back to the 1500s, well before it began in Champagne. This “Carte Noire” bottling from Maison Vergnes is simple but lovely, with fine bubbles and a creamy texture. Its fresh aromas and flavors combine fruit and floral elements. It’s a great choice when you are looking for quality on a tight budget.

REGULAR PRICE: $16.50

15% OFF PRICE: $14.03

cava brut nature “tresor” (Pere ventura)

Cava is Spain’s most popular sparkling wine. The best come from Penedes, in the heart of Catalonia just west of Barcelona, and are made from a cépage of local white varietals. This bottling from Pere Ventura is very classy. It is dry and delicate rather than fruity, as is typical of the best Cavas.

REGULAR PRICE: $18.00

15% OFF PRICE: $15.30

Prosecco di Valdobbiadene (Adriano Adami)

Prosecco is the sparkling wine of Northern Italy's Veneto region, and the favorite wine of Venice. The Valdobbiadene district is the source of Veneto’s finest Proseccos. At its best, it is a lighter, fresher, more delicate drink than Champagne, with light apple and almond flavors. Adriano Adami's “Bosco di Gica” is one of the best. It is properly brut and fully sparkling, and very elegant, stylish and refined. Adami’s is on the drier end of the brut spectrum, and at just 11 percent alcohol, it is light on the palate with a bone-dry finish.

REGULAR PRICE: $20.00

15% OFF PRICE: $17.00

Rosé Prosecco (Ca Vittoria)

This one is really fun. It is just as elegant, dry, and low in alcohol (11.5%) as the Prosecco above, but its beautiful pink color and a hint of fresh berry fruit on the palate contribute a sense of playfulness and levity. A great choice for a holiday party, it’s both classy and delicious.

REGULAR PRICE: $18.00

15% OFF PRICE: $15.30

2012 Moscato d’Asti “Sori del Re” (Degiorgis)

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Moscato d’Asti is a specialty of Northern Italy’s Piedmont district. Very low in alcohol (only 5.5%) and moderately sweet, this 2012 oozes fabulously fresh fruit flavors of remarkable purity. It is lovely as an afternoon refresher (the Piemontese keep a stoppered bottle in their fridge for easy access) or as an aperitif. And it is superb as a dessert wine, where its lightness and sparkle invigorate your palate.

REGULAR PRICE: $19.00

15% OFF PRICE: $16.15

Crémant de bourgogne (Terres Secretes)

You want Champagne style and quality, but you don’t want to spend that much. This is the closest you can get. Crémant de Bourgogne is Burgundy’s version of Champagne. This one from Terres Secretes is 100 percent Pinot Noir. It really captures the texture and flavors of Champagne. A very fine, persistent bead supports its airy mousse. Aromas of acacia flower and wet stone give way to a delicate, dry a palate of white pear and blanched almond. It is a subtle, quality wine at a steal of a price. It may not have the finesse and complexity of a wellselected Champagne, but it is better than many of the less-than-stellar ones put out by the big brands.

REGULAR PRICE: $20.00

15% OFF PRICE: $17.00

Loire mousseaux rosé “reveries” (Bellier)

Looking for a value-priced alternative to rosé Champagne? Quality versions are hard to come by, but we have a gem here from the Loire Valley. Made by Pascal Bellier of Cheverny, this “Reveries” bottling is 100 percent methode champenoise Pinot Noir. Its fruit is dry, brightly-flavored, and delicious, with a subtlety that is very classy. Its mousse is fine and persistent. It may not have the soil-inflected complexity of a great rosé Champagne, but it is very tasty, and at a fraction of the price, it’s a great buy.

REGULAR PRICE: $19.00

15% OFF PRICE: $16.15

Brut Sparkling Wine "“New Mexico” (Gruet)

Established and operated by a French family with roots in the Champagne district, the vineyards are in a high plateau area in south-central New Mexico that provides nearly ideal growing conditions - dry summers with warm days and cool nights. The production is methode champenoise, and the results are superb. “A clean and complex citrus infused nose does not have that excessively fruity nose that so many lower end Champagne and sparkling wines display. There is a subtle trace of yeast with crisp and bright flavors supported by a firm acid spine and moderate effervescence on the solidly long finish. This is delicious.” - Allen Meadows, Burghound.com

REGULAR PRICE: $19.00

15% OFF PRICE: $16.15

Rosé Sparkling Wine "“New Mexico” (Gruet) “There is no question that this is a rosé as the fruit is both exuberant and clean with notes of raspberry and strawberry, but without annoying excess fruitiness. The flavors are clean, crisp, delicious and nicely dry with good vivacity, moderate effervescence and an equally clean and persistent finish.” - Allen Meadows, Burghound.com

REGULAR PRICE: $18.00

15% OFF PRICE: $15.30

Blanc de blancs sauvage “New Mexico” (Gruet)

This is a recent addition to Gruet’s lineup of New Mexico sparking wines, and it is superb. Translating the label, Blanc de Blancs means Chardonnay, and sauvage means no dosage, bone dry. It has far more complexity and precision than you expect at its price, coming quite close in style and quality to Champagne, and certainly putting it in the upper echelon of American efforts.

REGULAR PRICE: $22.00

15% OFF PRICE: $18.70

Brut Sparkling Wine “Anderson valley” (Roederer Estate)

Roederer Estate's Brut has a beautifully aromatic bouquet that is a dead ringer for fine Champagne. It has a luscious texture, without the acidic bite that mars most California sparklers. It is stylish and celebratory, with precisely focused flavors and impeccable balance, and it is very fairly priced.

REGULAR PRICE: $22.00

15% OFF PRICE: $18.70

2010 Crémant de Alsace (Dirler-Cadé)

Tremendously classy with fine bubbles, beautifully rendered fruit, and a long, dry finish, this is as good as sparkling wine gets outside of Champagne. Produced from biodynamically-farmed, estate-grown fruit, forty percent each Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, with twenty percent Pinot Gris, which provides this beauty its gorgeous fruit character and superb depth.

REGULAR PRICE: $28.00

15% OFF PRICE: $23.80

Langhe Spumante Rosé (Deltetto)

We stock some superb rosé Champagnes, but this may be better and more interesting than any of them. From the Roero district, just outside Alba in the heart of Piedmont’s wine country, Deltetto’s is 50 percent Nebbiolo and 50 percent Pinot Nero, four years on the yeast. Its finesse, balance, intricacy, and persistence are remarkable.

REGULAR PRICE: $35.00

15% OFF PRICE: $29.75

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HOLIDAY CHAMPAGNE SALE

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15 PERCENT OFF

Return Service Requested

on 3 or more bottles through 12/31/13

ARTISAN CHAMPAGNES: Agrapart Paul Bara Henri Billiot Guy Charlemagne Chartogne-Taillet Gaston Chiquet R.H. Coutier Delamotte Veuve Fourny Pierre Gimonnet Henri Goutorbe Marc Hebrart Benoit Lahaye Jean Lallement J. Lassalle Lancelot-Pienne A. Margaine Jean Milan Pierre Moncuit Pierre Peters Ployez-Jacquemart Eric Rodez Salon Vilmart & Cie

SPARKLING WINES ERIC BORDELET CIDERS ARTISAN CHAMPAGNE SAMPLER 6 bottles - 20% Off $227.50

VVW News 2013 Holiday Extra

DIRECTIONS:

From I-280 - Exit at Page Mill Road and head east on Page Mill into Palo Alto. Turn left (north) on El Camino Real. Turn right at the first traffic light on El Camino, which will be S. California Avenue. We will be on your right about halfway down the first block. From US-101 - Exit at Oregon Expressway, and head west on Oregon Expressway into Palo Alto. Turn right (north) on El Camino Real. Turn right at the first traffic light on El Camino, which will be S. California Avenue. We will be on your right about halfway down the first block. PARKING:

Free parking along S. California Avenue, in the Palo Alto Public Parking Garage on Cambridge Avenue, and in the Palo Alto Public Parking Lot on Sherman Avenue.

HOURS:

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www.vinvinowine.com (650) 324-4903

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