NEW ARRIVALS from BORDEAUX
Sleeper vintages, great estates = outstanding value!

2006 CHATEAU CANTERMERLE Haut-Medoc $35
“Quality has improved dramatically at this estate, and the 2006 is a quintessentially elegant Bordeaux displaying a dark ruby/purple color, a lovely bouquet of forest floor, sweet cherries, cranberries, and black currants, medium body, a textured, sweet, tannic mouthfeel, and a long finish. Everything is beautifully pure as well as perfectly balanced in this outstanding effort. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2025. Excellent value. 90 pts.” -Parker, WA

2006 CHATEAU PIPEAU St-Emilion Grand Cru $35
“What can one say about this richly fruity, exuberant St.-Emilion that is designed to provide enormous pleasure? Although not as concentrated as the top vintages can be, the 2006 Pipeau exhibits sweet cassis and black cherry fruit intertwined with notions of earth, spice box, and fruitcake. Medium-bodied and round with plush tannin and a good finish, it can be enjoyed over the next 3-4 years. Good value.” –WA

2006 CHATEAU BRANE CANTENAC Margaux $65
“I can’t say enough about how beautifully classic, racy, and gracious the wines of Brane Cantenac have become over the last decade. The stunningly elegant 2006 exhibits a sweet, subtle smoke note intermixed with creme de cassis in its medium-bodied style with superb nobility, concentration, and sweet tannin. Possessing a complex, luscious personality with strikingly beautiful, velvety tannins, it should be at its finest between 2012-2025+. 92 pts.” -Parker, WA

2006 CHATEAU BEYCHEVELLE Saint Julian $78
“This St.-Julien leans toward more of a Margaux style. The attractive earthy, floral, red currant, and raspberry notes are impressively intense and complex in the aromatics. This dark ruby/purple-tinged wine displays elegance, finesse, and a beautiful mouthfeel in a restrained, moderately intense, but still classic style with sweet tannins. Tobacco, cedar, earth, and red and black fruits are prominent in both the aromas and the flavors. This wine can be drunk now or cellared for 15-20 years. 90 pts.” -Parker, WA

2003 CHATEAU d’ARMAILHAC $65
“The deep ruby/purple-hued 2003 d’Armailhac exhibits notes of Asian plum sauce interwoven with creme de cassis, licorice, and roasted herbs. With moderately high yet sweet tannin, an earthy character, and chewy, muscular, deep fruit as well as medium to full body, it should be drunk between 2008-2019. 90 pts.”–WA

2003 CHATEAU COUCY Montagne St. Emilion $25
Managed by Jean-Luc Thunevin, this well-priced red is 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. “Aromas of cherry and berry follow through to a medium-bodied palate, with fine tannins and a fresh finish.”

NEW ARRIVALS: 2005 & 2003 BORDEAUX “Petit Estates”

One of the rewards of actively seeking out authentic, classic wines… is actually finding them. What is it all about? Check out these “petit bordeaux” that exemplify the very best of another era– or the best of our own?

2005 CHATEAU MOULIN de TRICOT Margaux $50

Château Moulin de Tricot is a tiny property established in the 19th c. where the art of winemaking has been lovingly transmitted from generation to generation. Bruno Rey is the current proprietor of the estate and, with the assistance of his wife and son, he cares for the vineyards, makes the wine; then bottles this extraordinary, rare gem.

The Rey family owns a mere 2 h of vineyards on a gravelly “croupe” (outcropping) in the commune of Arsac. The sandy gravel provides excellent drainage while the clay in the subsoil provides moisture to the vines deep roots. Moulin de Tricot stands virtually alone as it continues to follow the classic style of Margaux: utilizing Cabernet Sauvignon as the dominant grape variety. Cabernet accounts for 70% of the vineyards, Merlot the remaining 30%.  The spice and elegance of the Margaux appellation are expressed with precision at Tricot.  The impeccable balance of the Tricot wines is a constant, no matter the vintage, and the concentration and depth of the marvelous 2005 vintage give to this release a presence that is regal indeed.  There is plum and licorice with a background of cinnamon and clove playing a complex but subtle symphony.

2003 DOMAINE de JAUGARET St. Julien $72

The petite estate of Domaine de Jaugaret has been in the Fillastre family since 1654. Jean-François Fillastre is dedicated to preserving the traditions not only of Jaugaret but of the St. Julien appellation. Here is an estate where one finds neither pretense nor hubris, just the essence of the appellation.

DOMAINE Jaugaret comprises a mere 1.3 h of vineyards, made up almost exclusively of Cabernet Sauvignon (80%) with some Petit Verdot and Malbec to supplement this classic Medoc structure. The average age of the vines is over 50 years and some of the Malbec vineyards are in excess of 100 years old. The old vines of Jaugaret combined with the unfertile, gravelly soils leads to naturally low yields, providing M. Fillastre with a concentration virtually unequalled in the appellation. Deep, dark classic Cabernet fruit, notes of smoke and tar, satisfying chewy tannins. Fans of Medoc, St. Julien, Cabernet or just great red wine — don’t miss this!