Perfect Northern Rhone from the Man Who Has Tasted Them All
The Best Value Hermitage I've Ever Had ($45.99)
Ready to Drink
A Must Buy for Syrah Lovers
Note: We are delaying East Coast shipping until the week of March 2 (at least) because of weather concerns.
Jean-Louis Chave is the King of the Northern Rhone. But when you taste with Jean-Louis he tells you to visit Georges Lelektsoglou, the owner of THE store in the Northern Rhone, Compagnie L'Hermitage. Georges has been the first retailer to carry and push pretty much every famous name in the Northern Rhone today. He knows every grower and every plot in the Northern Rhone and was selling them the names we love before people like Kermit Lynch, Joe Dressner and myself ever heard of them. His impact on Northern Rhone wines has been like the impact of Vogue Magazine on fashion. Selling your wine in his store is like having your clothes sold at Barneys. He is the Kingmaker.
There are some specific parcels and some winemakers that are so perfect that the Kingmaker bottles them under his own name. We have one today. Better yet, we have one from a vintage that Georges thinks is the best since 1978. Today, I am offering the 2010 Compagnie L'Hermitage "Cuvee des Moines" for as little as $45.99 on the 4 pack. I had this wine Friday and I can still taste it. Popped and poured it needed around 20 minutes to develop a heavenly perfume. Gamey, floral, smokey and just ethereal nose. So sick. I couldn't keep my ginormous nose out of the glass. It kept changing and adding nuance and layers. The palate was frankly amazing and it can be drunk now. No problem. Will it improve for 15-25 years? Yes, but I had NO PROBLEM at all drinking it now. Was amazing. Dense and tannic but beautiful finesse and freshness and a finish that weaves and bobs all over your palate for minutes on end. The purity is frigging amazing. Just beautiful. The wine was simply stunning. I was blown away and we had 2013 Gonon right before (which was amazing).
This is better than many $80-$100 bottles of Hermitage I have had and it also had a great old gothic label. In short, this is the best value Hermitage I have ever had and you all should buy lots. It will make everybody very, very happy. For those of you already loving the Luyton I've sold you, this is a very different wine - more deep and traditional as a counterpoint to Luyton's more feminine approach. Both wines are great and your choice of which one to drink will depend on your mood and meal on a given night.
Who is Georges Lelektsoglou? He is a Greek immigrant to came to Hermitage years ago and opened a wine store in the main square and everybody, and I mean everybody refers to him as "The Greek." You mention you are going to see George, and they look at you puzzled, but then you correct yourself and say the Greek and they say, "ahhhhhhh yes," and usually smile and chuckle to themselves. This guy is a character and passionately loves the Rhone like no one else I have met and everybody knows him. His son, Charamblos, is also now heavily involved in the business as well.
I just arrived in Tain l'Hermitage on Friday and my first stop was to see the Greek. I only wanted to pop in and say hello and ask where to eat. It was a weird time and I wasn't sure what was open. But out came the wild boar saucisson sec, fresh baked crusty bread from next door, and a day old black truffle, freshly sliced, and topped with local olive oil and sea salt. Of course we needed something to drink with that. Many wines were opened and that is how I "discovered" this one.
This is $45.99 on 4 and firmly in the Fass 4-3-1 plan. Buy 4, drink 1, cellar 3.
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