Our Red Wine of the Year: 2016 Barolo Monvigliero - Under $45

The Fass Selections 2020 Red Wine Of The Year

- 2016 Palazzo Schiavino Barolo Monvigliero -

Today's 2016 Barolo is our red wine of the year and before I tell you what it is I'm going to tell you why it's the red wine of the year. 

• It's from a world class vineyard 
• It's from a once in a decade vintage 
• It's under $45 for a case ($43.99)
• It will age 20+ years. 
• It's got world class stop you in your tracks aromatics
• It's relatively accessible if you drink it in 2 hours. Don't air it out too much. 
• The palate had a Chambolle elegance and fruit sweetness to it that is reminiscent of much more expensive wines.

The 2016 Vintage in Barolo

No vintage blew me away for red wine this year more than 2016 Barolo. Is it as good as 2013 and 2010? Yes. Is it better? From what I've tasted it is. But I've also tasted some misses as well from 2016 which was not nearly as frequent in 10 and 13. The highs in 2016 are particularly compelling. The aromas in 2016 are completely out of this world. The aromatic specialty Barolos I've sold this year (Sara Vezza Barolo Ravera and Josetta Saffirio Barolo Commune Monforte d'Alba) have aromatics that knock you into the stratosphere. 

The Fass Selections Red Wine Of The Year is the 2016 Palazzo Schiavino Barolo Monvigliero for $45.99 on a 4-pack and $43.99 on a 12 bottle case. They made a tiny amount of the debut vintage 2015 that was sold out instantly in Italy and the 2016 is the first real release of this wine. Any of you that have had the 13 and 15 Barolo and Barolo Massara can attest to the amazing quality and QPR going at Schiavino. 

The Palazzo Schiavino Story

Palazzo Schiavino is really Castello di Massara made by Gian Caroli Burlotto. Another Burlotto. Not the

100pt guy. Think of the 100pt Burlotto guy as Liger-Bel Air and today's winery as Thibault Liger-Bel Air. It's complicated and that's fine and that's also wine. What's not complicated is how unreal this wine is. As soon as I popped the cork and poured the wine and sniffed it I knew. It was the red wine of the year and it was without a doubt. Easiest decision I've made all year. The red wine of the year finds me. I don't find it. I know I'm looking for it but I don't force it. When you know you know. 

What a nose. Sick sick wine. The best value Monvigliero I've ever had. Haunting old school and very, very aromatic nose. Tar, dried roses, leather horse saddle, a fragrance that one needs a nose as big as mine to smell or you need at least 3 normal sized noses to really get it all. It is wafting with a capital W. The aromas are to die for. Classic classic stuff and just insane. So Chambolle. Lacey aromas and so, so deep and delicate. But intense! Some light cherry initially but this is all black tea, leather and dried roses until more complex cherry tones developed a few hours open. Also insanely pure old wood shavings. Sick. Sick. Sick.

Wow, what a brilliant palate. So juicy and so elegant. Classic Monvigliero. Amazing sap and purity. So so elegant. God this is good. So balanced. The fruit is so luscious and stacked plus the energy and linearity of this wine is second to none. There's a serious mineral spine to the nose as well. Smells like pulverized earth and rocks. Just a hedonistic and brilliant bottle of Barolo. Breathtaking in every sense of the word! The structure develops and weaves in and out to make this between tannic as hell and drinkable with painfully intense sweet fruit after our three. But after two hours it's greatness is evident for everybody to see. The combo of vivid violets after two hours on top of the black tea, tar and roses and leather is to die for. The most incredible aromas, the most incredible sweet Nebbiolo fruit and the magic that comes from a magical site such as Monvigliero. I hope you all enjoy this wine as much as I did.  

Verduno's Rising Star: the Paradox of Elegant Accessibility

Everyone now loves Verduno because that's where the 100 point 2013 Burlotto Monvigliero Barolo wine comes from. I'm all for anything that puts a micro region on the map as if one winery gets into the stratosphere, that means the others below get attention but usually, initially do not get the price boost. 

It's really important to know that in Verduno the Baroli are very elegant and accessible. That's the trademark. As many can say elegant and accessible can sometimes be seen as not that interesting but then you get Burlotto leading the charge or De Montille or Bertheau in Volnay and Chambolle and one can see that elegant and accessible can be a very very good thing. And today's wine is elegant, refined, accessible and has the perfect energetic and dynamic fruit expression of 2016. 

2016 Palazzo Schiavino Barolo Monvigliero - $47.99 ($183.96 4-pack, $527.88 12 bottle case {$43.99}) (LIMITED)

The Protege of One of Germany's top 5 Winemakers. Max Getlinger Is Blowing Our List Away - Both of These Wines Are Head Turning

 Max Geitlinger - A Young Genius
 - A Ziereisen-Like Ability to Make Brilliant Wines from Anything
 - These Are to the Entire List - His Uber Rare Wines will Be Allocated to His Best Customers (Later)

2018 Max Geitlinger Wein Spätburgunder
 - As Nimble as a Chambolle
 - Nose is Beautiful.
 - Crushed Berries, Spices, Raspberry Cake
 - Mineral, Limestone and Sour Cherry
 - Jumps out of the Glass
 - Lipstick-like Intensity.
 - A Sense of Deepness
 - Savory and Meaty Element
 - Palate: Juicy and Transparent
 - Wonderful Freshness and Purity
 - Unreal Energy and Freshness
 - Balanced and Ultra Clean

2019 Max Geitlinger Wein Müller
 - One of the Greatest and Original Wine Values I've Ever Sold
 - Micro Production
 - Endless Complexity and Energy
 - I Gave This 9.3 on Delectable
 - Equals My Score for Very Good 1er Cru White Burgundies
 - But It's Only $25.99
 - Will Change Your View of Müller Thurgau
 - Nose: Finely Powdered Rocks
 - Excellent Refined and Classy Minerality
 - Palate: Stunning Freshness 
 - Elite Levels of Density and Complexity
 - Terrific Deliciousness
 - One of Those Change of Pace Wines That Is Better Than Almost Anything You Are Drinking Under $30 
 - But Is also Strikingly Different if You Are in a Chardonnay Rut 

 - The Last 96 Bottles on Earth

"These wines should be of serious interest to those looking for better-priced alternatives to red Burgundy." Jancis Robinson on Landwein

The Baden Landweinmarkt and Jancis Robinson

Jancis Robinson is one of the most respected wine critics. Hanspeter Ziereisen organized a tasting called the Baden Landweinmarkt to showcase the wineries in Baden that are deemed not being "typical" enough and are classified as "Landwein." Max Geitlinger, Sven Nieger and Wasenhaus are fomenting a revolution of top wines from top sites and Landwein now means a denomination of the highest quality at certain addresses in Baden. Jancis wrote the above quote after the tasting and has lauded the wines made by Max Geitlinger in particular.

Today's Winery

The raves started to come in slowly but the amazing thing about them was how consistent they were. Each week I got a new email, social media tag or phone call about how brilliant the wines, in particular the Pinots were. People were comparing Max's wines to very famous

names in Burgundy I could not believe.You would think as a protege of Hanspeter Ziereisen that his style would mirror that of his mentor, but that is not the case.  It's much more similar to that of Henrik Mobitz, the genius cancer researcher who has been on a methodical quest to produce the best "Burgundian" Pinot Noir in Germany and who is now retired. His wines are more the Platonic ideal of ethereal Burgundy.  They are, perhaps, even more focused and linear than those of Mobitz. I was blown away by these and I know all of you will be. 

The Wines

Up first is the 1er Cru as I like to call it. The 2018 Max Geitlinger Wein Spätburgunder for $34.99 a bottle on a 4-Pack. This is something no one has to think about. I wish I had this in Liaison like numbers but I don't but I do have it in better numbers than I did the 2017. But not enough to satisfy everyone. The wine is as nimble as a Chambolle but is such essential Red Riesling it's not even funny.  In 2018 it is by far the most fruit-driven version yet. Drinks like $60+ red Burgundy. It's from Feureheim, which is really in the middle of nowhere. I have been there and can attest to it. Nearby Max has his cellar and a bed and breakfast with a large restaurant he runs with his family. It's all limestone soils and the color is the first thing that captivates you. He sent the 2018 to me along with other samples to my home office in NYC.  The color is just glorious. It has that Pinot color where you swoon but it also is darker than any Pinot Max has made. You cannot see through it but you can seen how someone could try. Its got that color that is alluring. That color that makes Pinot magic. But it also extends  to the style, aromas and more. It's so so nimble and delicate yet it is also full of thoroughly ripe fruit that 18 is known for. 

The nose is beautiful. Crushed berries, spices, raspberry cake, mineral, limestone and sour cherry. Just dizzying. What a nose. So delicate and transparent. So ethereal as only the best "Red Riesling" style can be. Loads of spice and cherries that just waft from the glass. Bowls of them. So much mineral from the limestone soils. It's like a baby Chambolle. It's so intoxicating. It jumps out of the glass. It has that nose like a great Liaison but so different. With wave after wave after wave of beauty. Fruit, spice, so many cherries, and a firm limestone footprint. Once it airs man is it gorgeous. Massive fruit. Big, ripe, dark and red cherries. So intense. A lipstick-like intensity. Glorious spices. Gorgeous minerality and a sense of deepness. Tree bark, menthol and an inner earth character. The juxtaposition between ripe fruit and minerality is astonishing.  With air there is a savory and meaty element to the nose that adds complexity. 

The palate lives up to the nose. It's stunning. Palate is pitch perfect Red Riesling. So juicy and transparent with wonderful freshness and purity. But man is the fruit dark. Black sour cherry, black berry, black cherry fruit. Terrific inner mouth aromas. So complex and juicy with just unreal energy and freshness. Amazingly linear and just straight as an arrow. Terrific sweetness of fruit but just so perfectly judged. It's a mid-weight wine with juicy, sappy cherries. Red, black and blacker. After air it gets crazy. Palate is so ripe but allied with just classic and incredible freshness. Big, but ripe and silky tannins and lovely, dense cherry fruit. So balanced and ultra clean and pure. The decadence of this wine allied with the racy minerality is a highlight for me.  So juicy and textured. The minerals really wash one's palate on the finish. This has substantial structure which hints to me it needs 3-4 years. It's in no way not inaccessible now but will be much better in 3 years. 

The wine is a mid level explosion every sip and so so pure. It's insanely juicy. It has that energy and just engages you so much because of how great it is and how it crushes so much other Pinot that you've had or have sitting in the cellar. I really think that is part of the joy of drinking all this Spätburgunder. Everyone that buys it know how great it is. It's been 3-4 years (longer!) for the big Spätburgunder heads on the list. The palate is ethereal and juicy at the same time. Has a texture and laciness to it that is stunning and singular. It's at once stylish and charming but it's also a wine of terroir and place. It's so nimble and juicy. The finish is long, pure and pitter patters out so naturally. Full of vivid fruit spice and mineral. So nimble. It's Red/Black Riesling. 

The Hall of Lesser Known Whites

If you take a visit to the White Wine Hall of Fame, most of it is taken up by Chardonnay from Burgundy. There is a wing for Hermitage as well as one for St Peray (the St. Peray section is still not in the official guide). There's also a section for Riesling, although it's hotly debated whether even that should exist (hopefully not by many people on this list).  

And then, there is the "Other" Hall for lesser known whites. The hall for the oddball great
wines made by random geniuses that are making wines that are so good, they defy logic.  The Cotats and Vatan are in there. Haut Brion. Domaine de Trevallon and Chateau Simone.  Roches Neuves and Boudignon  Our own Gilles Berlioz is being photographed for his section. Hanspeter Ziereisen as well. You get the idea.  

And these "Other" wines can be every bit as good as top level white Burgundy.  I had an aged 2002 Pascal Cotat "La Grande Cote" one year that was my white wine of the year.

The other thing about these "Other Whites," is that they cost a ton less than the thousands that you can pay for top white Burgundy. Wine pricing is all about supply and demand.  And if very few people have heard of your wine, the demand (and the price) is quite low.

The Wine

A quick recap of Müller Thürgau as I came to know it. The first good Müller Thürgau I encountered was on a visit to Sebastien Fürst and it was his 2005 Müller Thürgau Pur Mineral. It was terrific and had elegance and finesse plus loads of intense Franken minerality. It transcended Müller Thürgau and was a wine I bought and sold for my many years in retail. It even ages 4-6 years. But most Müller Thürgau is planted all over Germany as it has crazy high yields and is easy to grow. It also usually is turned into plonk. Many times I've been driving through Germany with winemakers and asked what those vines are and they say dismissively that's overcropped high yielding Müller Thürgau. I would usually then mention the Fürst. Then fast forward to finding Enderle & Moll and their brilliant skin contact Müller Thürgaus. They make four and are brilliant and we sell a lot of them but they are in a different style than today's utterly brilliant Müller Thürgau from Max Geitlinger. 

The 2019 Max Geitlinger Müller can be had for $25.99 a bottle on a 4-pack. This wine was a revelation for me and has changed the way I think about Müller Thürgau. This is a wine of endless complexity and energy. It is life affirming and invigorating. 

Awesome nose. Potpourri levels of complexity. Some Sponti but not too much but it adds so much. Melon fruit. So clean. Spice as well. Max makes Müller an experience. After air the nose ramps up complexity of an intense vanilla extract, leesy quality, unreal minerals and a confectionary quality. Lime zest. Hint of seltzer. Some hints of tropical fruits like kumqwats, mandarin orange and apricot. Also a sense of creaminess. Wow.

Palate is divine. So vivid and clean. Wine is juicy and deep but also has an appealing hint of mild olive like bitterness. Terrific acids that really leave a lasting impression. Really dense and substantial. Has terrific grip. This is really serious stuff. Wow! After 45 minutes this nose is lit. Oh my god. So complex and high toned. Also leather and forest notes now. From 9.3 to 9.4 on Delectable. Smokey. Just crazy. So dynamic and original. What a transformation with air. Sick sick sick. The beauty of this wine cannot be put into mere words. I was expecting a nice, zippy, clean wine, not this masterpiece. After air (40 minutes) it really delivers. Palate is so dense, yet lithe and elegant. Gorgeous purity and freshness. Long, nervy, creamy and mineral. A beautiful wine. Village level Burg quality here. Incredible finesse and sweetness from the intense fruit and mineral extract. Vibrates on the palate. Just incredible. As this opens it sharpens and gets more angles and even juicer. What a wine. Nose gets so much more complex. Incredible florals. Stunning. Leather. Herbs. Just a work of genius. 

On day 2 the wine was as compelling. Still with loads of spice but also peach and apricot. More fruit aromatically today. Yellow almost Marsanne like fruit. Terrific. Lanolin and a sense of richness. Palate is rich and ripe and lovely purity. Man this is pure. Also very dense and textured. Alive and fresh with such length. Dazzling bee sting. Reminiscent of great Fiano. 

Complex and just spectacular wine. Run and get this.  One of the greatest and original wine values I've ever sold.

This wine comes from vines 25 years old in a vineyard in Wolbach. It's 30% mash fermented and then spends 12 months in wood. It's been bottled now for 24 months and is still developing. 

2018 Max Geitlinger Wein Spatburgunder - $36.99 ($139.96 4-Pack) (*Including tariff of $3.60) (VERY LIMITED/ALLOCATED)

    2019 Max Geitlinger Muller - $27.99 ($103.96 4-pack) (*Including tariff of $2.36) (VERY LIMITED/ALLOCATED)

I am selling a $26.99 Chablis All By Its Lonesome; Everyone on the List from Entry Level Buyer to DRC Collector Should Buy It

 2019 Jean Dauvissat Pere & Fils Chablis AC
 - Top 3 Basic Chablis
 - Fabien's Fame is Growing in France
 - Nose: Clear Vivid Mineral Expression
 - Lemon Drop, Mad Minerals, Super Briney Oyster Shell
 - Palate Density Is Ridiculous - Very Good 1er Cru Quality
 - Intensely Mineral
 - Stunning Acidity and Purity
 - Easily a Top 3 Basic Chablis, Maybe the Top 
 - Fabien's Style and Technique Works a Miracle Out of Basic Chablis Terroir
 - The Extra Elevage Truly Makes These Wines Stand Out

 - If You Have Room, Buy a Case ($26.99!) - It Will Age Well

"As to the wines 2019 produced, there was a lot of head scratching among the producers that I visited. No one, at least no one that I spoke with, seems to understand how a blazing hot and exceeding dry growing season produced such beautiful wines, be they red or white. To be sure, they are clearly ripe yet despite having only average acid levels, the pHs are pretty much textbook. Their moderately firm acid spines provide the framework to allow the wines to be energetic, crisp and delineated. Moreover, the high heat did little to efface the beguiling typicity of any of these three regions and in particular, the inimitable but delicate genius that is Chablis." 

"In much the same fashion as the 2016s, 2017s and the 2018s, they are notably saline in character which contributes to the impression of dryness on the generally refreshing and vibrant finishes." Burghound on 2019 Chablis

The 2019 Vintage in Chablis

Wines from Chablis, perhaps more than perhaps any other region, are revered for their typicity.  In years where the wines are great, but less typical, almost no one buys them.  Fortunately, 2019 is looking like a vintage that is perplexingly typical.  I say perplexingly because given the weather conditions, it was looking like another 2015 (where the wines were often "too fruity").  The good news is that the wines generally have what we want in Chablis: acidity, salinity, crispness and that lovely seashell minerality.  While the wines show great energy and sap, the real star of the show is the incredible depth. Take 2012s
character and compactness and 2017s deep fruit and that is 2019 in a nutshell. A great vintage. Some old timers in the region compare it to 1982 and think we will have a good surprise with the best wines in time. 

Fabien Dauvissat

The cool kids in France are scooping up these wines.  And the cool kids on my list are drinking them with abandon.  Some day, these wines will be impossible to get and the #unicorn somms will be posting them on Instagram and the collectors will be creating their plans to secure their allocations.  But today, I'm still 5 years ahead of the curve and you can get them.

The Wine

I don't usually sell $26.99 wines as the only wine in an offer because I like to have a wine from more prestigious terroir alongside it.  Some customers don't have a lot of entry level wines in their cellars.  But today, I am selling a $26.99 wine all by its lonesome.  And it's because everyone on the list from entry level buyer to DRC collector should buy it.  There is a case price and I even cut margins to keep the price under $27 but if you can store it, you should buy a case.  It will age well.

I'm thrilled to offer the 2019 Jean Dauvissat Pere & Fils Chablis for $27.99 each on a 4 pack and $26.99 on a case purchase. Fabien's wines have that extra special thing where if he eve made a Petit Chablis I'd sell it. Every quality level he hits it out of the park.  This is no normal $26.99 Chablis, this is, for my money, the best $26.99 Chablis out there, and for me, the best AOC Chablis in the game. It punches way way above its weight and even with a tariff it is an insane deal. 

I still cannot believe the quality of this wine. These are some of the most pure Chablis I have ever tasted. Revelatory is overused but is perfectly suited to my experience with Fabien Dauvissat's wines. 

Gorgeous nose. Almost Mosel-like in its clear vivid mineral expression. Lemon drop, mad minerals, super briney oyster shell. Candied lime zest rock candy.  This is a nose that will send Chablis lovers into their own little Chablis heavens.  The wine just screams Chablis to every corner of your nose.

On the palate, Lemon, fresh moss, minerals, gorgeous depths and clarity. Concentrated, tart and intense with uncommon depth for this level and stinging intense minerality. Long and deep.  Acidity. Terrific, mouthwatering and just incredible acidity. What is Chablis without acidity? I don't want to think about it. My note has many "wows" in it and the word classic as well. And pure. And mineral. But the thing that puts this wine over the edge for me is the mouthwatering quality combined with the purity. Amazing energy and linearity. . Sappy and terrifically ripe with terrific purity and clarity. Terrific concentration and weight. And this is just dumb good for $26.99. This is the only offer of this estate for Spring 2021 shipping as Fabien ages his wines longer than most in Chablis. The extra elevage truly makes these wines stand out.

Chablis as we all know has acid but Fabien coaxes stunningly ripe/poignanty acidity and it is the trademark of his wines along with an opulent texture that makes them so utterly appealing. This is no knock back Chablis but something to contemplate and has the ability to age. 

By now you have all heard buy as much 2019 Chablis as you can get your hands on. It is a return to the classics with some opulent solar vibes but is nervy and salty as hell. Stern minerality, big acids, intense structures and wonderful nervy fruit. For $26.99 on a case I challenge anybody to find a village Chablis this good. This will not be bottled until mid December but these wines are a "thing" in France and other areas of Europe (we are always behind over here in the USA) and they sell out quickly and since he has been anointed by Stephen Tanzer and Vinous the urgency is intense. They wines were all spoken for almost as they were released. You cannot believe how hot he he is over in France

I will offer the '19 1er crus next spring/fall when they are released for Spring 2022 shipping. 

Buy this wine. Just buy it and get in on the ground floor as there is a new Dauvissat in town.

2019 Jean Dauvissat Pere & Fils Chablis AC - $29.99 

($111.96 4-pack, $323.88 12 bottle case {$26.99}) (*Including Tariff of $2.66)

"I Don't Care How Much It Costs" Wine Of The Year - The Reason You Pay This Much for a Wine - the Certainty of Perfection

 The Certainty of Perfection
 - The Ultimate Wine for a Birthday, An Anniversary
 - Bring It To a Tasting and Always Get WOTN
 - You Will Remember Drinking It 20 Years Later
 - The Best Wine I Had All Year

Podere Forte
 - The Combination of the Best of the Best
 - Vineyard Consultants from DRC
 - The Most Exclusive Barrels in Europe
 - Almost Sold Out in Italy, No Need to Sell to the US Market
 - I Begged for a Teeny Allocation

2016 Podere Forte Petrucci "Anfiteatro" Toscana IGT
 - If the Melo we Offered Previously Is Romanee-Conti 
 - The Anfiteatro Is the La Tache of the Pair  
 - Average 95 Score Over 5 Rated Vintages (Parent Wine)
 - I Gave This a 9.9 After 4 Hours
 - Nose: the Most Perfectly Distilled Elegant Sangiovese Perfume
 - A Top 1% Nose
 - Raspberries, Black Cherries and Red Cherries
 - Dark Flowers, Sweet Spices
 - Stunningly Detailed and Vivid
 - Palate: Perfect Fruit 
 - Awesome Spice, Silky Minerals
 - Everyone from Novices to Experts Will be Blown Away 
 - Unreal Inner Mouth Aromas
 - Texture: Like Silk Made from Sangiovese

 - Only High End Burgundy Has this Kind of Texture

The Certainty of Perfection

The biggest disappointment for me when drinking a very expensive wine is that it is not worth its price tag. It happens a lot. Certain wines are great in some years but disappoint in others and rarely reach that level of perfection. But the feeling when you are drinking an expensive wine and it delivers more than you can imagine is one of the great wine experiences one can have.

You pay this much because you know that you are going to get a perfect experience.  

 - You are celebrating a birthday or anniversary

 - You just closed a big deal

 - You are entertaining a dear friend.

 - You are attending an important tasting and want to bring something stunning.

This is the kind of wine that 20 years after drinking it, you will remember and will say, "remember when we had the 16 Anfiteatro on my birthday?" It will be the best most memorable thing about that evening no matter what else you did. 

My Birthday Wines

My birthday was November 27th and as my choices were limited on what to do and how to celebrate I decided to open 6 very expensive wines for my birthday with my friends and neighbors who are also clients and on the list. It was a murderer's row of wines but one wine not only stood out above the rest but pulverized the rest. And it was totally unexpected and gave me and the friends I was drinking it such pure joy that it was the highlight of my year. In a year that has been downright awful this wine transported me to another place of vinous joy. I couldn't stop smiling because the wine was perfect and every smell and every sip was joy. Pure, unadulterated joy. We all couldn't stop talking about the wine because it overdelivered on its high price tag and that is why I am proud to offer the "I Don't Care How Much It Costs" Wine Of The Year. 

It's the 2016 Podere Forte "Anfiteatro" for $212.99 each on a 2-pack. This was the greatest wine I've had this year. I originally tasted it a Gambero Rosso "Tre Bicchieri" tasting in NYC in February. I had maybe 2 minutes with it. 2 minutes doesn't tell one much about a wine. Basically whether it is a good wine or a bad wine. But the exploration and evolution of the wine are left to projections. Well sitting with the 16 Anfiteatro was brilliant. At four hours it was perfect. I gave it a 9.9 on Delectable after giving it a 9.5 on my first taste in February. Below is my tasting note from November 27th that is more visceral and below that a more extensive one.

What a wine. Just sick. 100% Sangiovese from Orcia DOC. 

Insane nose. Cuban cigar tobacco. Fresh. Like on an elite cigar. Old library book. Raspberry coulis.

Intense berry and cherry fruit. Nose is incredible. Like a fruit paste but an elite fruit paste. Raspberry like nothing else. Cherry flower just beyond. All on a superbly mineral background. Awesome but young palate. Tasting later more high end wines and opened this before as it needs air but man. What structure, what clarity, what finesse. Seamless. Incredible cherry flower and elite cherry consommé like fruit. Such fine tannins. So complex. Amazing length and purity. So so so great genius. Amazing palate saturation. Sick sick sick. After 4 hours this is a 9.9. Elite balance, elite elegance and fruit like no other.

The Palate. The palate is utter perfection. Of course, the fruit is incredible. The most perfect sweet cherries. The wine is obviously completely dry (no residual sugar) but the fruit is so perfect that the brain almost perceives the fruit as sweet - this only happens with wines that are made by an absolute master. The fruit is very dense but in an elegant kind of way. An awesome spice and some silky minerals round out the palate. The spice overlay and minerals are bonded with the cherries almost at the molecular level. Thebalance is simply incredible. Flawless. There's a hint of cherry liquor that adds vibrancy. It's almost Brisset-like in that you swish and swish and swish and there are no flaws (although this is a totally different style than Brisset). 

As noted, this wine has elite levels of deliciousness. Anyone from an absolute novice taster to an expert will be blown away by this. Spectacular. So complete with almost painfully intense fruit.  So, so, so juicy and what I like to call slippery. Incredible acidity. There's a hint of blackberry with a kiss of such elegant spice you can't believe.  It has a seamlessness that is like nothing I've ever tasted. It's like a hang glider on your palate. There are no hard edges. 

Unreal inner mouth aromas. Such velvety tannins and sweet fruit with that energy is just beyond anything. It's truly magical. The best tannins. You can swirl as fast as a Vitamix blender and there will be no hard edges. It's the most balanced wine I've had in years and it's remarkable that a beverage can be this balanced, flavorful and distinctive. It just clings to the mouth with the most amazing tannins ever. The Rolls Royce of tannins. The fruit is so expressive and so focused. The harmony is unreal and that floral and fruit sizzle on the inner mouth aroma front. There is so much flavor, even in my last microdrop of my glass, that getting as many of those microdrops together for a sip is a transcendent experience. It's fresh and energetic with amazing silky and suave texture. 

The texture is stunning (yes this gets its own paragraph).  It's hard to describe texture - it's sort of like you know it when you feel it.  But some wines have no texture; they have been robbed of their soul.  Some are rustic and more clunky.  Which can be fun.  What you really want is something that you can feel on the palate but that caresses you in a sensual, almost sexual way.  This wine does that as well as any wine I've ever had.  

It has that silkiness about it but also has terrific cling that you marvel at it.  Only crazy high end Burgundy has this kind of texture.  The wine really adheres to the palate. This wine has the texture of the Gods.  It's like silk made from Sangiovese.   You drink it and you almost don't want to swallow it.  It's such a pleasurable experience letting it just have its way with your palate.  It caresses and clings in such a way I can't really describe but it's hypnotic and almost addictive.

There is perfect sweet fruit on the attack and then the rock dust kicks it into high gear as we approach the extraordinary finish. The finish just builds. And builds. And keeps building. And then it crescendos with its remarkable structure and depth. Man is the structure of this wine just awesome. It's so deep. And so mineral. But most importantly it is so fine, so refined and so elegant. I mean this wine is fine. So so fine. I've been tasting wines for 20 years and this is as fine an Italian wine as I can remember. This has the structure  to last 20 years. Genius wine of the highest degree. 

Why On Earth Have I Never Heard of These Wines Despite the Scores?

For whatever strategic marketing reason, they have focused on selling them mostly in Tuscany (where they are selling out) and have decided to largely ignore the US market. Through 3 tier, these would be among the most expensive wines in the US.

And they are worth every penny. I thought I tasted everything but apparently not. Not even close. If I had to say what today's wine is like I'd say It's like the Musigny of Tuscany made from Sangiovese. Like a cross between Roumier and de Vogue's styles. Has the terroir footprint of Roumier but also the luxurious fruit of de Vogue. But a quick little history. 

How on Earth Did I Find These?

I tasted these wines at the Tre Bicchieri tasting put on by the Gambero Rosso and I hadn't been in almost 7-10 years. I ran into an old client who I've known for a very long time and his whole thing was buying and cellaring all the Tre Bicchieri wines which are basically 95+ point wines roughly. Usually if a wine is Tre Bicchieri it's a pretty good indicator we are talking top of class here. They are almost can't miss wines. It's also a unique and cool way to build a super versatile Italian cellar. He told me I've got to taste Podere Forte and he will buy them from me. I said that's quite an endorsement. He also said they don't have an importer and he thought I'd be a good fit. 

I saunter over to the table and taste with the export manager and it was almost pointless to taste any other wines at the tasting as this vaporized every wine in the room. I was slack jawed. I tasted 2015 Poggio di Soto Brunello di Montalcino before I tasted the Forte wines thinking I would not taste a better Sangiovese that day. But then came along Podere Forte. Vaporized. Them all. It was not close. I made the deal and then my partner tasted them a few days later in LA at the tasting and went out to dinner with the Export Manager. The wines are miraculous. They are art. They are incomparable to anything in Italy. You have to go to Burgundy. 

Wine History

Melo and  Anfiteatro used to be one wine until 2016. That one wine was called Petrucci and is no longer as of the 2016 vintage and we have the two wines, Petrucci Melo and Petrucci Anfiteatro. They believe the components of the wine stand better on their own now as the vines have gotten older and boy are they correct. 

Vinous Petrucci Scores By Antonio Galloni

• 2015 - 93
• 2013 - 96+
• 2011 - 96
• 2010 - 97
• 2009 - 95

As compared to the Melo, which we already offered, the Anfiteatro is the more sensual wine that is just a notch above the Melo on the deliciousness scale. It's like going from a 9.9 to a 9.95. It is one of the most spectacularly delicious and perfect wines we have ever sold. There are very few wines on planet earth that approach perfection. And this is one of them. It's pretty much perfect on both the obvious level and the level that only complete wine geeks will appreciate.  But this is a wine that is an absolute reference point for Sangiovese.

This wine is obviously more expensive than our average wine. But it's one of the most spectacularly delicious wines in Italy. If you drink wines at this price point, it's actually a good value for what it is. Through 3 tier, this would cost $350 or so, in line with the other top tier wines in Italy that have similar scores. You will absolutely love every bottle that you drink.

The Location

The estate is located due east of Montalcino.  Maybe 5 miles from the town.  It's maybe a mile outside of the zone where you can grow Brunello (if you pay for one of the fixed number of licenses to get your land approved).

2016 Poderi Forte "Anfiteatro" Toscana IGT- $214.99 ($425.98 2-pack)

The Last of the Historic 2019 Grosses Gewachs from Battenfeld Spanier - Kirchenstuck

 2019 Battenfeld Spanier Kirchenstuck Riesling Grosses Gewachs

- Nose: Deep and so Much Aromatic Flavor

- Rich Minerals, Smoked Slate

- Palate: A Rotating Mineral Toothbrush

- Audrey Hepburn Elegance like Expensive White Burgundy

- Lanolin, Melon and So Much Complexity

- Precise, Insanely Fresh and So, So Refined

- Super Mineral and Opulent

- 92-93+ Stephan Reinhardt, Wine Advocate

- Allocated/Very Limited

2017 Battenfeld Spanier Am Schwarzen en Hergott Auslese

 - Nose: Drop Dead Gorgeous Nose of Deep Saffron and Apricot

 - Tons of Unidentifiable Exotic Spices

 - Vivid, Vivid, Gorgeous Detailed Fruit

 - Peach, Perfect Pear

 - Palate: Cracking Racy Character 

 - Divine Layers of Endless Depth

 - Amazing Pineapple and Ripe Peach 

 - Scintillating Acids and Drop Dead Purity

 - $53.99 for a 750 - Will Last for 20+ Years

2015 Battenfeld Spanier Frauenberg Auslese

 - One of the Most Cerebral Dessert Wines I've Ever Had

 - Nose: Incredibly Focused and Remarkably Intense

 - Elegant Tropical Fruit, Gorgeous Apricot

 - Huge Saffron and Earth

 - Palate: Off the Charts Minerality for an Auslese

 - Perfect Balance ... Perfect

 - No Botrytus -So Clean

 - Epic Thunderous Acids and Stunning Fruit Purity

 - Finish is Almost Dry with Insane Finesse, Incredible Length

 - $53.99 for a 750 - Will Last for 20+ Years

I've been banging the drum recently about Kühling-Gillot who we just picked up and then they got crazy scores and we had to offer a bunch of wines quickly. But the world has figured it out that Battenfeld Spanier is one of the top estates in the Rheinhessen and is also made by the same guy who makes 98-100 Point GG Riesling at Kühling-Gillot. 

Demand is through the roof for these wines in Germany and the rest of Europe. Today's wines are all allocated and on one I've gotta be particularly cruel, but it's only because I need to see how much demand there is for the GG wine being sold today so I know how much to ask for in the 2020 vintage. I only have 60 bottles of the GG. And this wine has the roundness that Keller has and it's just the most insane drink me now but can age GG ever from Battenfeld Spanier. Reinhardt gave this 92-93+ but I gave it a 9.6 on Delectable. I have Frauenberg 9.8 and Herrgott a 9.5. 

The 2019 Battenfeld Spanier Kirchenstuck Riesling Grosses Gewachs for $63.99 a bottle on a 2-pack is an extraordinary value and one of the best GGs we sell and 2019 is a benchmark wine. The 2019 trio of Riesling GG's from Battenfeld Spanier will go down in history like the 01 Donnhoff Spatlesen or the 2017 Brisset Red and White Burgundies. Or the 02 Willi Schaefer Auslesen. Legendary wines. All of them. The depth and complexity of the Battenfeld GGs in 2019 is unreal.  It is the best vintage ever for these wines. 19s from Battenfeld are just insane.

Such a deep nose and so much aromatic flavor. Huge mirabelle plum, tangerine, citrus, huge spices and

fruit skin. Confectionary, airy and heavenly. Complex and expansive. This has the roundness of Keller. Savory in the nose. Intense herbals and so, so deep. Earth. Rich minerals. Some smoked slate.  Deep ocean like. The most perfect raw honey ever. Ocean air. Amazing. New nuances every 30 seconds. It's got lanolin, melon and just so much complexity it can't be called stable as it's always changing. What a nose. 9.6 on Delectable off the bat for the nose.

Rainer and white cherries on the palate but with superb minerality. Vibrating. Amazingly refined. So pure. So elegant. I mean this is crazy elegant then snaps with the sap on the finish. This is refined like Keller. Palate is dense but so lithe and has amazing inner mouth aromas where the minerality just guts your mouth. So precise, insanely fresh and so, so refined Super pure. Super ripe and yet so mineral. Chewy and so stunningly pure. Finish just dissipates. This is regal and aristocratic. The young prince has grown up to be a King! Extraordinary mid palate and then squeezes so much juicy fruit on finish. Then the minerality then cleans it all up. So so mineral. This wine used to be a wild child but now it is a mature person. Gorgeous. So juicy. Grand Cru all the way.  The is so balanced and so pure it's crazy. Wow. A drink me now wine. Wow. 

"The 2019 Hohen-Sülzen Kirchenstück Riesling GG is bright and precise on the purely chalky, delicately yeasty and lemon-scented nose. Full-bodied, pure, straight and salty on the palate, this is an elegant and juicy, very stimulating and almost easy-drinking Kirchenstück with remarkable finesse and vitality. It's not as dramatic as the Frauenberg or the Rieslings from the Zellertal, but an excellent Riesling for sure."

92-93+ Stephan Reinhardt, Wine Advocate

We all know that Battenfeld Spanier is famous for their dry wines.  But those dry wines are great for a reason.  They have incredible terroir and HO and his team work tirelessly to make sure that the fruit from those vineyards is perfect.  

So if the dry wines from Battenfeld Spanier are made from that fruit and are world class, why wouldn't the dessert wines be world class?  

Answer: they are.

Let's start off with the lead which is the 2017 Battenfeld Spanier Am Schwarzen en Hergott Auslese for $53.99 a bottle on the 3-pack. First of all you have to drink one of these young and go on a journey with it like I did. It's just a stunning bottle of Auslese and continues to convince me that 2017 for sweet German wine is the best vintage since 2001, until 2019 came along. Each Auslese I have experienced from the 2017 vintage is damn near magic. This one is leading the pack. It has that cracking racy character and divine layers of endless depth. It's got the one thing that I love in a good young Auslese. First it allows richness allied with finesse. Second it has extraordinary drinkability. Can't stop drinking it type of drinkability. 

Drop dead gorgeous nose of deep saffron and apricot with so many other yet unidentifiable exotic spices. I smelled spices I can only imagine in a dream. Stuff I didn't even know existed. Just stunning. Vivid, vivid fruit. Peach, ripe pear that is just gorgeous and so detailed. A nose you can smell forever. Unforgettable. 

Palate is incredibly rich and so so refined and tastes like Riesling icing. It has that unreal texture that makes 17 Auslese so so special. It is to die for. It is so, so decadent, yet racy, deep and so scintillating. Electric. Gorgeous. It is screaming for seared foie gras. Amazing pineapple and ripe peach with scintillating acids and  drop dead purity and epic length. Amazing balance. Special. What a wine. I drank every sip. This will age for 20+ years and is a full 750ml bottle. 

Up next is another stunning Auslese from Battenfeld Spanier. The 2015 Battenfeld Spanier Frauenberg Auslese for $53.99 a bottle on a 3-pack is a showstopper.   One of the most serious and vinous auslesen I've ever had.  Truly specatularly well made.  A wow wine.

Nose is unbelievable.  Incredibly elegant tropical fruit with gorgeous apricot and refined peach juice, huge saffron and earth. Remarkable intensity.  This wine is obviously sweet, but it doesn't come off as such.  Brilliant. Super pure and super clean nose.  Many auslesen have that sweetness that sort of dominates the nose - this is not like that.  The nose is like the nose on an elite level dry wine.

Palate has amazing acidity and freshness and the finish is almost dry with insane finesse and incredible length. Incredibly dense apricots - almost a high quality dried apricot.  Perfect balance - really textbook winemaking.  No botrytus on this - man this is clean.  Very complex already but will gain more with time. Long echoing mineral, tropical and playful finish. Brilliant freshness and acidity echo on the finish. This will last 20+ years and is a 750ML bottle. 

2019 Battenfeld Spanier Kirchenstuck Riesling GG - $65.99 

($127.98 2-pack) (*Including tariff of $7.44)

2017 Battenfeld Spanier Am Schwarzen en Hergott Auslese - $55.99 

($161.97 3-pack) (*Including tariff of $6.20) 

2015 Battenfeld Spanier Frauenberg Auslese -  $55.99 

($161.97 3-pack) (*Including tariff of $6.20)

The Calder of Pinot Noir: There Are Many Incarnations of Pinot Noir - This Is a Distinct One That We All Must Try

 2015 Josef Walter Frühburgunder Centrgrafenberg "J" 
 - This Will Blow Away the Most Jaded of Tasters
 - Early Ripening Pinot Noir That Is Off the Charts
 - From One of the Great Vineyards of Europe : Centgrafenberg
 - A Nose Out of Hansel and Gretel...
 - ...Smoke, Flowers, Forest Scents, So Many Spices: Baking Spices, Cooking Spices
 - Off the Chain Fruit - The most Intense Cherries Ever
 - Black Tea, Cassis
 - An Intense Perfume
 - Palate: Ultra Refined
 - Velvet Texture
 - Stunning Purity and Texture
 - Amazing Tiny Berry Fruit Intensity
 - Incredible Balance
 - Terrific Brightness - Fresh Cherries, a Hint of Licorice
 - Only In Germany Do You Get Pinot of This Quality Under $80 (It's $47.99)

2019 Josef Walter Riesling Centgrafenberg
- Same Quality Level as Battenfeld Spanier Mölsheim
- It's a 9.5 for Me
- Angles, Precision and Straight Lines
- The Best Dry White Vintage in Franken I've Ever Tasted
- Gorgeous Nose
- Perfect Balance of Minerals, Confectionary Aromas and Fruit
- Awesome Depth and Purity
- Palate: Deep, Incisive, Complex and So Pure
- Dense and So Elegant
- Aggressive Minerality
- Crazy Value for $27.99 with Tariffs
- The Longest Finish on an Inexpensive Riesling I've Ever Had

 - Similar to Rudolf Furst Riesling Centgrafenberg ($55+ If Sold Here Via 3-Tier)

The Calder of Pinot Noir

A sculpture is a sculpture is a sculpture.

Of course, that's not really true, is it?  You have stone, bronze, wood, jade, clay andpaper mache.  You have molded, cast, carved or assembled sculptures.  And then there are more realistic and more abstract sculptures.

And then, of course, there is Calder.  Calder's works turn a basic premise of sculpture on its head - that the sculpture doesn't move.  Calfer's sculptures change either as a result of air or motors.  They are ... different beasts.

As pinot noir lovers, we all think that we have discovered the major genres.  Which is quite a feat as there are tons of them even in Burgundy.  But we've tried Pinots from New Zealand, the Santa Cruz Mountains, other parts of California, Oregon, the Loire and different regions in Germany, to name a few.

But of course, there is always one outlier in any category that most of us have never even heard of and for Pinot Noir, that is Fruhburgunder.

Fruhburgunder

Frühburgunder is one of my favorite grapes in the world. It is a mutation of Pinot Noir that ripens three weeks earlier than normal Pinot Noir.  

It is unique even by pinot noir standards.  In a sense, the K2 of Pinot Noir as even most collectors haven't had it.  There are not many well made versions of it.  It's hard to grow and the wild boars love it so you have to net the vines to keep them away.

Fruh is a specialty of the Burgstadt region in Franken, Germany. Christoph Walter is the Frühburgunder whisperer as his version is just completely outrageous. 

I've sold epic aged versions like 2005 and 2007 and 2009. I've sold the 2010 as well which is from a high acid vintage and will age gloriously. I've sold the 2012 which was priced higher than all the others as Christoph thought it was better than every Frühburgunder he has made. I agreed with him and happily sold it.  But then came the 2015 to blow my mind away.

The Wine

The Fruhburgunder in question is the 2015 Josef Walter Frühburgunder Centrgrafenberg "J" for $47.99 a bottle on a 4-pack. The fruit in a young Frühburgunder is akin to nothing I can compare in the world of Pinot. It's almost sweet, but in such a unique way. It's a very Northern part of a Northern wine producing area with a Pinot Noir variant that is ripened three weeks earlier than the normal Pinot Noir. Yes, you've got global warming but the wine should not, by any measure be this ripe, this sweet and this grandiose. But while being ripe and grandiose it also smells like something out of Hansel & Gretel.  

Smoke, flowers, forest scents, so many spices, baking spices, cooking spices, all the spice is what makes Frühburgunder aromatics so intense. But you've also got the florals. This indescribably vivid violet. It makes me think Vosne-Romanee. Just that part. The rest of the wine is pure Centrgrafenberg
Frühburgunder. The wine just killed from the second I poured it to the last sip on day 2.  The spectrum, roundness and opulence of the aromas were spectacular.  You remember these aromas. But with all that spice and florals there is deep, deep fruit. 2015 is an awesome vintage for Pinot in Burgstadt and Franken. It's so complex with deep black cherry. Even some cassis. Black tea. Wet leaves. It never ends. Xmas spice. It's so complex but almost can't be as something complex needs to be stable to be classified as complex. It's that type of nose. So layered and amazingly complex. With air it grows and grows. Just a stunning stunning nose of spice, violets and some discreet oak, bittersweet cocoa, complex mid season cherries, cherry flower, tree bark and it eventually comes across as an intense perfume. Really really fragrant. So deep and the harder one sniffs the more it penetrates your deep nasal cavity without it diffusing. What a nose. So subtle and nuanced and so pretty. Just superb. Some hoisin sauce and soy as well. Outrageously gorgeous. 

The palate does not let down. It's velvet sweet energy. If I had to summarize in three words. It's so sweet, so complex, and incredibly velvety with just awesome balance and pinpoint acidity. What a palate. Velvet. First word that comes to mind. I can't help not say velvet. Textures. So juicy and velvety. What a contrast. Some discreet sweet wood as well that only adds to the allure. The fruit is also super sweet and the palate is ultra refined. 15 is magic at Walter. Incredible freshness and depth and remains lighter in body but as intense as the Spatburgunder J Hundsruck which this can be compared to. Such beautiful cherry skin fruit on the sappy finish. This wine is a delicacy and will only get more delicate as time goes on. What a satin/velvet like texture. Concentrated and such urgent sweet fruit. Just a stunning wine that has decades left but is a youthful treat today. Brilliant! Amazing precision while also delivering just hedonistic sweetness. It really just wants you to love it. Amazing tiny berry fruit intensity and stunning purity and texture. Such velvety tannins that coat the palate and deliver huge sweet fruit on the never ending finish. 

Easily the best young Walter Frühburgunder. It takes over your palate with a texture that is just unreal. I was blown away by this wine.

Up next I have a wine that blew me away and is new at the Walter estate. It's an Ortsweine Riesling. This is the same quality level as Battenfeld Spanier Mölsheim, Weltner Kuchenmeister and Kuhling-Gillot Nierstein. It's a 1er Cru Riesling. The 2019 Josef Walter Riesling Centgrafenberg  an be had for $28.99 a bottle on a 4-pack. Run and get this wine. Buy a case. First of all the wine is brilliant  beyond words and 2nd of all you all will not believe how insane 2019 is. I haven't really had 2019 in context like I had when I tasted this wine. I tasted the 17 and 18 versions of this wine right next to it and while those were very good wines (9.2/9.3 Delectable) the 2019 just blew them away. It's a 9.5 for me. There's a certain something about Riesling from the Centrgrafenberg that is just so Teutonic. Angles, precision and straight lines. Shinmering. The clarity of this wine combined with the precise quality of Centgrafenberg Riesling is always special but this wine brings it into focus in a way you only get in the best vintages. In Franken 2019 has to be the best dry white vintage I've ever tasted. The purity, the breadth and the depth are unparalleled n my 15+ years of tasting Franken whites.  This reminds me of Rudolf Fuerst's version which would be $55+ in the United States if his wines were still sold here. 

Gorgeous nose. Complex. Perfect balance of minerals, confectionary aromas and fruit. Awesome depth and purity. Like a Riesling gumdrop. Superb minerals and an herbal aroma. Deep, subtle and elegant nose. Wow. 

What a palate. Deep, incisive, complex and so pure. Just insane purity. So clean. So balanced. This is really great. Wow, 19 is legit. Savory, sour, sweet and deep. It has it all and all is in harmony. Palate is dense and so elegant with aggressive minerality. So pure. So sappy and deep. Clean and balanced. Just super impressive. After 2-3 hours open is when the 2019 part really shines.  That's when it gains depth, breadth and has that intense sweet minerals cling and depth that only Centgrafenberg Riesling can bring. I won't sell another Riesling this great for $25.99. Without tariffs this is a $20 wine!! I can think of some 2001 German Spatlese that was on this level. Like the 2001 Max Ferdinand Richter Juffer Sonnenuhr Spatlese I sold in another life for $19.99 a bottle. That's an all time value. It's 20 years later and I still think about that wine and people still bring it up with me. That is how this wine will be. Values like this don't come around too often.

The wine is so intense and has the longest finish on an inexpensive Riesling since I don't know when. It never ends. This wine has cling! Like a kitten to its mama this thing never leaves your palate completely. 

2015 Josef Walter Fruhburgunder Centgrafenberg "J" - $49.99 ($191.96 4-Pack) (*Including tariff of $5.33)

2019 Josef Walter Riesling Centgrafenberg - $30.99 ($115.96 4-pack)  (*Including tariff of $2.81) 

La Badina Follows Up Its 2013 95 Point (Galloni) Lessona with a 2015 That's Even Better - More Barolo-like than Barbaresco

 La Badina
- Micro Production (120 Cases Per Year)
- Fanatical Focus on Quality
- Organic Farming
- Perfect Soils for Ridiculously Perfumed Wines
- Some of the Most Aromatic Wines We Sell from Anywhere

2015 La Badina Lessona
 - One of the Most Perfumed Wines I've Ever Had from Italy
 - 95 Points Antonio Galloni for the 2013
 - I Rated the 2015 Ahead of the 2015
 - An Aromatic Explosion
 - Intense Dried Roses, Fresh Roses
 - Palate: Incredible Intense
 - Gorgeous Cherry Flower and Cherry Fruit
 - Savory, A Hint of Salinity
 - Acidic Balance and Structure to Age for Decades

 - Remarkable Flavor Integration and Balance

"The 2013 Nebbiolo Lessona is powerful and deep in the glass, with superb depth and more approachability than many wines offer in this vintage. There is perhaps a hint of new oak today, but time in bottle should help that note dissipate. This is an especially succulent, inviting 2013." 95 Points, Antonio Galloni (2013 Vintage)

La Badina has burst on to the scene in Piedmont with scores that are normally only given to the elite winemakers in the Langhe.

As always, this is a good thing and a bad thing as inventories tend to deplete quickly with good scores. There is not much left of the older vintages at the estate.

I am offering the 2015 Lessona today. This wine is entering its drinking window and I badly want you all to have it. It is a wine of pure ephemeral beauty - it's more like drinking 30 year old Barolo.  The 2013 was more Barbaresco - this is stunningly well made Barolo.  It has the density of the King of Wines.

La Badina

La Badina is a remarkable new producer who is doing things very traditionally and very carefully. The

entire estate is absolutely teeny (1.5 hectares) and they are making a tiny amount of wine with an intense focus on quality.  Winemaking is organic (almost certified) and traditional. The high pH of the soil makes the wines incredibly perfumed. These wines are remarkable. As good as very, very good Langhe wines ($60-$100). A remarkable level of terroir and vintage transparency. Truly unique expressions of Nebbiolo. This is pedal to the medal cool climate Nebbiolo as one can get.

The Wines

I'm thrilled to offer the 2015 La Badina Lessona for $37.99 a bottle on a 4 pack purchase.This is the most gorgeously elegant yet dense of the La Badina wines we've sold. I ranked it ahead of the 2013 that got 95 points - it's more dense and powerful but retains the elegance and balance that is the house style.. 

The nose on this wine is pure Nebbiolo magic. It starts off just sweet and beautiful and then evolves into the intense dried rose and fresh rose melange that is simply incredible. Gorgeous nose. Chestnut, flowers, tar, very, very aromatic. Awesome spice flower and forest right after a rainfall on the nose. A hint of like this dried dusty cherry flower melange (in a good way). Just swirling and complex. Keeps changing and adding layers and nuance. In 5 years this will be a knockout. It's a knockout now but in ten years its' Foreman over Holyfield with one punch.

The palate is dense dark cherry fruit and so, so juicy. Terrific acidic balance that just screams Fassy juiciness. Just absolutely gorgeous like a classic old school pre global warming Barolo. The fruit is more dark cherry than the 2013. Really great juiciness that balances the power of the fruit. This wine is so clean, so pure, so juicy and so complex yet super old school. As it opens up you get a wonderful savory quality.  A kiss of salinity rounds it out.  The acidity is so so wonderful. After an hour, this becomes a total freak show on the palate. Not the fruit, but the internal aromatics. It's almost a sensory perfume overload - one of those wines that is so intense that your brain almost has to overclock to comprehend what's happening. The level of flavor integration is incredible.  THere's som much material but nothing sticks out.  You rally have to focus to taste everything.  This wine needs an hour decant to get going. It was amazing even then. It has the balance and tannic structure to age for 20+ years and it should evolve into something even more gorgeous than it is today as it evolves and opens up. For this price, or even 2 times this price, you can't find wines with this level of aromatics anywhere.

2015 La Badina Lessona - $39.99 ($151.96 4-pack) 

The BLQ Test for Burgundy Drinkers - Every Day Burgundies - from the Master JJ Girard

 JJ Girard
 - The Oldest Estate in Savigny
 - Girard Knows This Terroir Like None Other
 - His 2018's Are Sappy and Deeply Fruited 
 - They Almost Strut While Showing Their Sense of Place
 - He's Almost Impossible to Beat in Burgundy at These Prices 

2018 JJ Girard Savigny Les Beaune 1er Cru "Les Rouvrettes"
 - Savigny Les Beaune: A Burgundy Lover's Burgundy
 - The Soul, The Truth of Burgundy
 - At $36.99 An Absolute Steal 
 - Wide Open with a Deep Penetrating Pinot Perfume
 - Graceful and So Elegant
 - Fruit is Deep Red and Black Cherries
 - Vivid, Explodes on the Palate
 
2018 JJ Girard Savigny Les Beaune 1er Cru "Les Peuillets"
- Mineral and Wet Earth
- Juicy, Absolutely Beautiful Crunchy Ripe Fruit
- Tiny berry intensity
- Long Finish of Huge Fruit, a Hint of Mineral
- The One to Drink Young of the Pair

 - 90 PTS, BH

"Jean-Jacques Girard enthusiastically described 2018 as the "best that I have ever seen, and I've been doing this for a long time. In my view 2018 is a historic vintage that will age for years." Burghound

The BLQ

The BLQ is what I like to call the "Burgundy Love Quotient."You can drink Champans, Vosne Romanee, Corton Bressandes, Chambolle Musigny and all the rest of the great wines of Burgundy.And I love drinking them as well.But I'll be honest, I generally drink the more famous (and expensive) wines with friends or at special occasions.What I drink every day is what most people drink every day.  Wines from Savigny, Chorey or maybe Volnay.  You want something perhaps a little less complex or a little less extravagant for every day drinking. And I'm selling 2 wines today that are among the best examples of that idea.

A very good friend and early member of the list at Fass Selections is someone whose palate I respect

immensely. But I also respect her attitude about wine. She says, and with aplomb, "You don't truly love Burgundy unless you love Savigny Les Beaune." Savigny Les Beaune will never be the best wine in a tasting of Gevrey 1er Cru's or Vosne Romanee 1er Crus. If you think that it is not worthy because of that, then that's a mistake.

Burgundy, more than any other wine region, in order to truly appreciate it has to be taken in context. If not, you'll get all messed up from the high prices and blingy appellations. Every appellation and every village is very worthy in Burgundy. The monks who mapped out the vineyards deserve every bit of praise as the Egyptians did for the pyramids. It's remarkable.

Savigny will always however be the best wine when you open it up that night. It's so satisfying. It's so authentic. It's so comforting. It's an old friend showing up at your door with a roast chicken, potatoes, the complete box set of LOST and they are wearing clothes you are familiar with. You have seen them in that scarf jacket combo 100 times and it is so utterly familiar that you know, that chicken, those potatoes, that box set of LOST and that person is going to deliver on a great experience and evening. It's inevitable.

JJ Girard - The Master of Value Burgundies

We sell more Girard under $50 than anyone else and there is a reason. They punch way way above their weight, they are transparent and have wonderful, deep, fleshy ebullient fruit that is accessible to wine geeks and normal people alike. You don't have to wait for many bottlings and the ones you do its only 4-6 years and totally worth the wait. I love Girard. Every bottle is great. With short term aging they can become magical and with long term aging they can compete with more famous villages as JJ Girard is so good at making wine. I'm still waiting on my case of 2012s in 7 more years. I had a client from Canada whose Burgundy palate I respect immensely and he said that this estate reminds him of the serenity, purity and profundity of the great Jean-Marie Fourrier. That's high high praise.

The Wines

Up first I have one of my favorite 1er Cru values in the whole book. The 2018 JJ Girard Savigny Les Beaune 1er Cru "Les Rouvrettes" can be had for $36.99 on a 4-Pack today. This wine is just exuberant right now and usually is the most forward of the Girard Savigny 1er Crus. It is wide open with a deep penetrating Pinot perfume. Red cherries and berries galore. There is almost a lipstick-like intensity to the pungency of the fruit.  One of those noses you can stand on a table with the glass being placed on the table and you can still smell the wine. (Don't try this at home.)  There's glorious spice and all types of limestone minerality. Just a glorious perfume.  Despite it being ripe, there is grace and elegance aromatically. 

The palate is just unreal and by far the best of the 4-5 vintages I've tasted of Girard Rouvrettes. It's typically a cooler site and 2018 works so well here. Lush, plush, sappy and all brought together by awesome acidity and that hint, just hint of Savigny herbaceousness which I adore. The texture is like velvet yet it's structured, ripe and so sappy from the acids and thoroughly ripe fruit. The fruit is super deep and precise red and black cherries. But all the good, small tight cherries. This just explodes in one's mouth like a mouthful of those cherries right off the tree. Man is this vivid. This is big and large scaled for a Rouvrettes but is so balanced and shows incredible depth. Wow, is this a value. Terrific balance and freshness and just explosive and oh so velvety. Super pure and sappy. Rouvrettes is clay/limestone and the vines are 40+ years old.

Up next is the 2018 JJ Girard Savigny Les Beaune 1er Cru "Les Peuillets" for $41.99 a bottle. A steal here as the great Burghound gave this 90 points. What a wine this is. Another brilliant Savigny in a long list of brilliant Savignys from Girard. Dark color for a Girard and a very deep and serious nose. Extremely high toned. Mixed bright mid season rainer cherries with ultra ripe morellos as well. Beautiful deep wet earth notes. Layered and very deep. Really gets deep into the nasal cavity. Just ethereal. Mineral and wet earth, hint of cherries on the very very earthy nose. Also big time fresh mint. Juicy and absolutely beautiful crunchy ripe fruit. Wow what gorgeous pure and sleek fruit. Elegant and barely there there tannins that are thoroughly ripe and so silky. They are like a powder and very high quality. Juicy finish that pumps out fruit to the freshness. Tiny berry intensity. Big glycerin. So intense for a Peuillets. Super complex with insane concentration but the fruit is so beautiful you don't find it at this level that much but we do in 2018!because of the perfect growing season to be able to pick when they wanted to. Long finish of huge fruit and a hint of mineral. The vineyard is more stones and sand and gives this Pinot the proper amount of fortitude to drink well young. This will still age for many years. 5-10? Who knows!

"Enough wood to merit pointing out frames the ripe aromas of poached plum, dark currant and subtle spice nuances. The palate impression of the delicious middle weight flavors is also quite refined with good detail and plenty of punch on the sneaky long finish. This too could be enjoyed young if that's your preference." 90 Points, Burghound

2018 JJ Girard Savigny Les Beaune 1er Cru "Les Rouvrettes" - $38.99 ($147.96 4-pack) (*Including Tariff of $3.88)

2018 JJ Girard Savigny Les Beaune 1er Cru "Les Peuillets" - $43.99 ($167.96 4-pack) (*Including Tariff of $4.50)

Huge in France - Our 21 Year Old Genius Is Starting to Sell Out - 2 1er Cru Pommards

 The Style (Important)
 - Style Is Polished Traditional
 - Terrific Elegance
 - Stunningly Sensual Levels of Fruit
 - Perfect Balance
 - Incredible Palate Presence, Intensity and Thrust
 - Among the Most Delicious Wines We Sell

Our New Burgundy Prodigy
 - Raised in the Vineyards
 - His First Vintage Was at 18
 - Amazing Wines at 18 Years of Age.  18.  
 - These Wines Already Place Whitehead as a Top Producer
 - And HE IS ONLY 21 YEARS OLD NOW
 - The French Have Bought Almost All of His Wines
 - Starting to Sell out at the Tasting Room - In a Pandemic
 - His Upside Is One of the Top Producers in Burgundy.  Full Stop.

2018 Domaine Rebourgeon Pommard 1er Cru "Les Arvelets"
 - Slightly Larger Production Than Pezerolles: Fewer Than 41 Cases Made
 - Gorgeous Refined Tannins & Structure
 - Nose: Gorgeous Sappy Red Cherries, Loads of Spice, Ethereal/Layered
 - A Floral Cornucopia
 - Truly Masterful/Incredible Florals/Pastilles
 - Minerals 
 - Palate: Superb Fruit Density, Insanely Perfect Fruit 
 - Terrific Finesse and Elegance & Big Stoney Ripe Tannins
 - Remarkable Depth and Thrust, but So Linear and Pure
 - Gorgeous Finish: Cherry Flower, Spice, Raspberry
 - Drinking Now with a Decant
 - Will Be Better in 5 years.  Will Age 10-15 Years  

2018 Domaine Rebourgeon Pommard 1er Cru "Les Pezerolles"

 - Pico Production: Fewer Than 38 Cases Made

 - Sells Out in the Tasting Room Except for My Few Cases

 - Bigger and More Mineral Than Arvelets

 - Nose: Gorgeous Sappy Red Cherries, Loads of Spice

 - A Floral Cornucopia - Truly Masterful

 - Sappy Red Cherries, Raspberry Wild Strawberries

 - Loads of Spice, Minerals

 - Palate: Superb Fruit Density 

 - Terrific Finesse and Elegance

 - Remarkable Depth, but So Linear and Pure

 - Gorgeous Finish: Cherry Flower, Spice, Raspberry
 - Needs 5 Years. Will Age 10-15 Years

 - Compare Other 2018 Pezerolles at $105-$200+

Huge in France

Huge in France, for those of you not into esoteric comedies, is a Netflix comedy about the life of a famous French comedian, Gad Elmaleh who moves to the US to be closer to his son. Elmaleh struggles with his son, his relationship with his ex wife and in trying to connect with American audiences. He also can't quite seem to convey to Americans that's he's a big deal, because he's "Huge in France."   

I thought I had a few years with William Whitehead because when I met him he was too young to legally drink his own wines in the US. But his wines are starting to take off in France and some are selling out in the tasting room. They are selling out in the middle of a pandemic when he has almost no retail presence. And they've only been around for a few years.

The Style: Intoxicatingly Sensual and Original VERY IMPORTANT

I am going to try and explain what these wines are like and I'm gong to fail but I hope that I can get you

enough of a sense of them that you try them.  These wines are so good and so original that I sort of feel like John Belushi in a hypothetical sketch of Samurai Wine Store - if I can't get you to buy these, I should commit seppuku.

The aromatics on these wines are absolutely among the most sensual and sexy of any wines I've had. They are elegant but man there is this sweet delicious fruit on them that you can't believe. It tickles and envelops the nostrils. The secondary flavors live around the edge of that gorgeous fruit. Some wines have lilacs, some blackberry flower, some a hint of licorice or spice. But it's on the back of that sensual fruit.  

This is a contrast to a more traditional style of Burgundy where the fruit and aromatics are more bound together on a line and you have to sort of mentally say "oh there's the fruit" and "oh, there's the lilac." Here the fruit just seduces you right off the bat.  

The palate is in a similar vein. You get that spectacular fruit but balanced with perfect levels of acidity to keep it fresh and vibrant. The fruit is so so so so clean. It almost feels like essence of the fruit (blackberry, cherry, depending on the wine) that was passed through a distillery to concentrate, purify it and remove any impurities.  The wines all have terrific intensity and palate thrust. Again - these are not shy wines and not what you might think of as the classic Burgundy of 20 years ago. But they are a faithful and beautiful representation of Burgundian Pinot Noir. 

You know that you will want to pop one of these in 10 years when Whitehead is famous and you can say that he made this at the age of 20.

The Wines

First up is the 2018 Michel Rebourgeon Pommard 1er Cru "Les Arvelets" for $69.99 a bottle on a 4-pack. Les Arvelets is relatively small at 8 hectares but does border the great Les Charmots that WillIam also farms but could not be more different. This is the steepest vineyard in the appellation and the soil is rich in iron oxide, alluvium and silt. It also has Clos des Verger as a neighbor which is a very fine and rare site that our old producer Billard-Gonnet made as well. Arvelets means "Ancient French Field." This is Fass 4-3-1 plan. Buy 4, cellar 3, drink 1 young. 

Nose is ethereal and layered. Redcurrant, blackcurrant, soil tones and so complex. Cherry and cherry flower but it is so lacey and nuanced. Gorgeous. Incredible florals. Pastille. Sweet raspberry. Just stunning. So delicate. Some BBQ and smoke as well. After some air the nose is crazy. Such detail. Mid season cherries, huge stoney minerality, cherry flower and licorice. Really elegant and ethereal. The nose gets crazier and crazier as it opens. More layered and more detailed. OMG this is so juicy and complex. Beautiful tannins. On day 2 it was even better. Ethereal, layered, stoney and superbly complex.

Palate has a painfully sweet intensity and incredible concentration yet remains light on its feet. Gorgeous purity and wonderful ripe tannins. Wow the freshness in this wine is off the charts. Stunning depth and sweetness and unreal clarity to the fruit. Dense and structured but also elegant and sappy. Wow. This is a true wow wine. Amazing fruit presence. After air nose gets crazy floral with roses and violets. Terrific concentration, structure and density allied with freshness. This is outrageous. Wow. Totally crazy, long finish. Genius wine. This is not as initially tannic as the 2017 and could need some time in the cellar. Maybe 3-5 years.    But it did drink well for me on pop and pour only to firm up after 2 hours. On day 2, palate I was juicy, intense and wow what tiny berry fruit intensity. Sweet with insane freshness and density. So pure, and mineral. What a wine.

So long and what a stoney finish. Awesome. Amazing intensity and sweetness. 

Next up is the 2018 Domaine Rebourgeon Pommard 1er Cru "Les Pezerolles" for $59.99 a bottle on an a 4-pack. This illustrates why I'm the perfect importer for him. So many would turn him down if he has to slice that up for markets all over the world. They sell mostly out of their tasting room. I'm like the US outlet of their tasting room. This is such a mega small production wine. 

An epic epic Pezerolles. Do not drink this young. It needs 5 years minimum.

Unreal nose. Superbly floral and just so gorgeous. Red cherry, black cherry, floral again, hint of licorice. So stunningly fragrant. Just bright and lifted.  Nose of gorgeous sappy red cherries and loads of spice. Huge huge cherries and loads of minerals. Also raspberry and even wild strawberries. Very floral. Maybe lavender? Just enormously complex and very airy. So much black and red berry fruit and as it airs more violets and spice intertwine with the lavender. Just superb and classic Pezerolles. It is a ridiculous nose that you can get lost in and gains traction every minute.

Palate is just oozing with gorgeous pure fruit. Red fruit driven with a black fruit edge to it. Sappy and so complete. What a long finish. Stoney aromas after some air. Palate has melty tannins that are so fine.  The palate is just superb after air and on the finessed and elegant side of Pommard with wonderful refinement but also gorgeous up front fruit. After proper air William's wines are so engaging to drink versus many Pommard producers which need years to show well. The palate is voluminous with just awesome sweet fruit, loads of minerality and wonderful freshness and velvety tannins. Terrific power and concentration but with utmost finesse. Sappy and dense with brilliant Pommard earthiness and minerality. Terrific balance and engaging earthy sweetness. The palate is all freshness with that silky texture only Burgundian Pinot can get. The depth is remarkable as is the linearity and purity of this wine.

The finish is mineral, saline and long with beautiful mid season cherry fruit and echoes of cherry flower, spice and raspberry. It is stunningly refined. The tannins are ripe sweet and so fine. What complexity on the finish with stones, spices, fruit and flowers. 

This opened up after air at the end of the day and became much more integrated. It's a big wine in need of age but a smokeshow. 

The kid making it couldn't even drink in the United States. Think about that. This is class in a glass and all elegance. Stunning wine and will age 10-15 years and I think will really show well in 3-5 years. Not that it is any way inaccessible now. Just beautiful. Obviously very limited.

2018 Domaine Rebourgeon Pommard 1er Cru "Les Arvelets" - $71.99 ($279.96 4-pack) (*Including Tariff of $8.61)

2018 Domaine Rebourgeon Pommard 1er Cru "Les Pezerolles" - $61.99 ($239.96 4-Pack)