Clos de Chenes' Neighbor from the Man Who Is Making Monthelie Famous - Florent Garaudet - The Vintage That Is Making Him Famous in France IMPORTANT!

The Rodney Dangerfield of AOCs No More
Garaudet's 2014 Reds Vault Monthelie to It's Proper Standing
Under $40 for Premier Crus as Good as Volnay Is Ridiculous
 - This Is a "Can You Believe I Bought This at...?" Wine
 - These Wines Will Not be Underpriced for Long
 - Wines Like This Is Why You Are on My List
Garaudet Is on the Lips of the Top Winemakers and Taste Makers in France for a Reason
These Wines are Perfectly, Perfectly Made, Stunning, Will Last 10-20 Years
 - Buy As Much As You Can Store - I'm Not Kidding

 - Remember when I said that Thomas Bouley was a star and his wines would soon explode in price?
And they did.
 - Remember when I said that Julien Cruchandeau was a star and his wines would soon explode in price?  And they did.
- Remember when I said that Martin Muellen was a star and his old vintages would  soon disappear?  And they did.

We've all been drinking our old Garaudet reds and we've been stunned with how well the 2012 reds have aged.  He is one of the best young winemakers in Burgundy and the ageing curve on these wines proves it.  There is not a flavor molecule out of place in any of them.

Well the 2014s blow the 2012s away.Out of the water away.

I am currently in France and the schedule is packed. Like insane packed. I know this is the 3rd email I've sent out this week without responding. Do not worry. I'll get to it soon. I promise.

This is a milestone vintage for Florent. They will last as long as the previous vintages I've sold but I feel they havemore definition, more precision, more freshness andmore depth than what has come before. Florent agreed with me. I was really dumbstruck. Florent told me that he looks at each vintage in two contexts, one of which is the weather and conditions and the other in how much he has learned and improved as a winemaker. Sometimes the best vintages from young winemakers are not necessarily the ones that everyone knows but they are the ones in that they made huge gains in their skills as winemakers. That is a point Florent emphasized as we taste and spoke.He has made the "leap." The one common thing is when I bring it up the winemakers all acknowledge it as they totally knew it. Like the leap Stephen Curry made two years ago. He knows it. We know it. It's awesome. That's what happened with Florent's whole '14 collection, reds and whites, but today it is the reds turn to shine.

First up I have one of Florent's best red wines and my favorite of his 1er Crus, the 2014 Florent Garaudet Monthelie 1er Cru "Les Champs Fulliot" for as little as $36.99 on a 4-pack.  Champs Fuillot borders Clos du Chênes (to the West). The soil is very poor and rocky, vines are 60 years old and it is ages In 50% new oak. It is a big wine withincredible concentration and tiny berry explosive fruit and a serious mineral backbone. Again, the precision and depth yet lightness and drinkability is unconscious. Incredibly powerful and structured like Clos des Chenes with wonderful mouth coating sweet and ripe tannins and crazy Volnay like aromas of deep violets,orchard fruits, ripe red cherries and even a hint ofwoodland earthen character. There is an insane core of fruit. The wine is insanely concentrated but still light as a feather. So fresh. This is thebiggest core of fruit I've ever encountered in a Garaudet 1er Cru. There is significant volume and amplitude on the palate. A mid palate one can get lost in, if not for the crescendo of a finish that is all sweet fruit and deep minerals. A wine that tells more and more of a story the more it ages. Right now it is like Lord of the Rings Chapter 1. Thiswill age for 15-20 years easy. You know all of these collectors who show up at your house with a bottle of Chave that they bought for $15? Spend $36.99 for this, wait 15 years and you can be that guy.


Next up is the earliest drinking (remember early drinking does not mean BAD, it means it's early drinking) 1er Cru from Florent and that is the2014 Florent Garaudet Monthelie 1er Cru La Taupine for $34.99 a bottle on a 4-pack. I love this wine and am exited to offer it for the first time. Cry me a river. The wine is stunning.  Gorgeous aromas of damson red fruits and oodles of spices. The wine has the finesse of Volnay and the body of Pommard. Tannic finish but they are so sweet, so round and so engaging. The quality of these tannins is unreal. Just so pure, sojuicy, with seemingly flavor in every individual tannin. Super elegant and very fine tannins and VERY aromatic. Very  sweet in the mouth.Gorgeous purity and spice and the tannins are so round. Wonderful texture and a super velvety finish. The wine isepic and the best Taupine I've ever tasted. Usually it's sold out the first as it is an early drinker but remember this is Florent Garaudet so early drinker means it will only age for 10-12 years. Buy this wine.

2014 Florent Garaudet Monthelie 1er Cru "Les Champs Fulliot" - $38.99 ($147.96 4-pack) 

2014 Florent Garaudet Monthelie 1er Cru "La Taupine" - $36.99 

($139.96 4-pack)