Special Purchase Opportunity
Brunello 2019 / Oddero / Back-vintage Burgundy / 2022 Burgundy
I am excited to offer a special opportunity for select customers to purchase some of my top selections from the highly-rated 2019 vintage of Brunello di Montalcino, the wines of Oddero, back-vintage offerings from Louis Jadot, as well as some of the new 2022 vintage arrivals from Burgundy (Albert Bichot & Louis Jadot). These wines represent some of my favorites in the entire world, and I am certain they will make wonderful addition to your personal cellars. Some wines are available now, while others will be arriving over the next few months. Please indicate your desired number of bottles for each wine, and I will do my best to accommodate everyone’s full request. Quantities are extremely limited, and in order to share this offer as widely as possible, I may not be able to fulfill your entire ask. I will confirm your order and request payment prior to delivery/pickup. Payment is preferred by check or Venmo. Credit card payments will be accepted with a 3% fee. Requests will be prioritized in the order in which they are received. There is a maximum request of 6 wines for any of the wines listed below. If you wish more than that, please reach out directly as I may be able to accommodate in some cases. Most likely, I will not be able to fill more than a 2-3 bottles for any of the requests.
JUNE 2024 SPECIAL WINE OFFER - ORDERS MUST BE RECEIVED BY MONDAY, JULY 1
THE WINES/THE VINTAGES
2019 Brunello di Montalcino: This vintage ranks among the best in the last 30 years and follows a string of remarkable vintages in Montalcino. The heralded 2016 vintage was considered the greatest in 100 years. I have a personal preference for the 2019! The wines have incredible structure and precision with a drinkability that is lacking in 2016. These wines provide immediate pleasure and agreeability for decades.
2020/2021 Barolo & Barbaresco: The 2020 season was marked by warmer conditions and earlier ripening for much of the region, and produced wines with more elegance and early-drinkability than the powerful but often overripe 2019s. Many of the regions top producers opted to make a riserva bottling, indicating the widespread confidence in the agreeability for the vintage. Barbaresco in 2021 saw a classic vintage with wines that have extreme complexity and elegance. These are wines built for the cellar.
2022 Burgundy: The 2022 vintage in Burgundy was characterized by warmth and ripeness. Fruit throughout the region attained optimal levels of sugar, and the best sites are balanced by classic acidity. My own tastings of this vintage prove it to be a brilliant expression for village wines, and one in which Grand Cru and some 1er Cru wines will need some time in the cellar.
THE WINE LIST
scores and details for all Brunello (GN-Luca Gardini, JD-Jeb Dunnuck, JS-James Suckling, KO-Kerin O’Keefe, V-Vinous Media, WA-Wine Advocate, WS - Wine Spectator)
2019 Brunello di Montalcino
Altesino, $70/btl (95WA, 95JS, 95WS)
Classic producer just north of the town of Montalcino. The wines here are extremely elegant and refined. Drinkable now but agreeable for many years.Altesino ‘Montosoli’, $135/btl (97WA, 97JS, 97V, 97JD)
'‘Montosoli’ was the first single-vineyard cru produced in Montalcino in the 1970s and remains one of the most expressive examples of terroir in the entire region. Year-in, year-out, wines from this tiny parcel are among the finest in all of Montalcino.Ciacci Piccolomini d’Aragona, $70/btl (98KO, 97GN, 94RP, 94JS)
The estate was purchased in 1877 by the Ciacci family and has been family-run ever since. The wines here are classic Castelnuovo dell’Abate: firm tannins, a long finish, and elegant sour cherry notes.Conti Costanti, $130/btl (100D, 100KO, 96V, 94RP)
One of the first five producers of Brunello after its official creation in the 1860s, the Costanti family has lived just outside of the town of Montalcino since the 14th Century. Today, Andrea Costanti is at the helm and the wines here are always among the best examples of classic Brunello. Lots of spice, austere tannins, vibrant acidity, and notes of underbrush mix with the fruit creating what will be a classic and long-lived Brunello. Costanti is possibly my favorite producer in Montalcino, and their wines are always in my personal cellar.Fuligni, $135/btl (100GN, 98JS, 97KO, 97D)
This estate is producing some of the best wines in Montalcino over the past decade. Favoring elegance over power, the wines exhibit a unique kind of classiness with absolutely no pretention. This is a beautiful property making long-lived wines that deserve time to evolve and open up.Gianni Brunelli, $115/btl (99KO, 98JD, 98D, 97WA)
Produced by Laura Brunelli, the wines here are simply mesmerizing. In the beautiful are of Podernove, the wines here see optimum sunlight with excellent protection provided by Monte Amiata. This was, along with some older Barolo/Brunello) the best sip of wine I had on my 2023 tour of Italy, and I absolutely love the producer.Le Ragnaie, (95RP, 95WS, 93V)
A traditional and organic producer located just a few minutes outside the village of Montalcino, Le Ragnaie makes estremely approachable wines in a classic style. The wines have great aging potential, but also an impressive freshness and spiciness that support the red-fruit core.Poggio Antico, $85/btl (95WA, 95JS, 94WS)
From some of the highest elevation vineyards in Montalcino, this wine is uncharacteristically powerful in 2019, yet the acidity remains crisp. The bright fruit is juicy and the tannins very silky. Easy to drink now or hold.Poggio di Sotto, $300/btl (98RP, 98JD, 96WS)
Poggio di Sotto is one of the handful of ‘cult classics’ from Montalcino. This estate produces tantalizingly small productions and the wines are simply amongst the most expressive, pure, and elegant in the region. This is always thoughtful wine that deserves time and patience. One of my favorite estates, but frustratingly hard to find the wines!San Giorgio ‘Ugolforte’, $65/btl (98GN, 95KO, 94V)
San Giorgio’s ‘Ugolforte’ comes from the same hillside as the wines of Poggio di Sotto and bears remarkable similarities to its more lofty neighbor. Intense and restrained, it’s hard to not drink now, but will definitely become even more inviting, interesting, and expressive in a few years time.
2018 Brunello di Montalcino
Conti Costanti, $115/btl (99KO, 94WA, 93WS)
From the softer 2018 vintage, this is elegance in a glass. A beautiful expression of Sangiovese from a cooler vintage.
WINES OF ODDERO, PIEMONTE
Oddero is a classic producer of Nebbiolo in both Barolo and Barbaresco, and has been amongst my favorites for many years. The classic Barolo comes from 5 prestigious vineyards in La Morra, Castiglione Falleto, and Barolo and is always a top choice. The Barolo ‘Villero’ is a single vineyard cru from Castiglione Falletto that always shows its power. The Barbaresco ‘Gallina’ in one of the fantastic single vineyard crus of the region, and always shows an expressive nose and extreme elegance alongside classic Nebbiolo tannins.
Barolo 2020, $70/btl
Barolo ‘Villero’ 2020, $115/btl
Barbaresco ‘Gallina’ 2021, $75/btl
LOUIS JADOT, BACK-VINTAGE BURGUNDY
Beaune 1er Cru, ‘Clos des Ursules’ monopole 2011, $120/btl
Single vineyard monopole that produces classic, powerful Beaune-style Pinot Noir.Vosne Romanée 2017, $100/btl
Bright cherry fruit and refreshingly crunchy Pinot Noir from the most noble village in the Côte-de-Nuits.Chablis Grand Cru, ‘Les Clos’ 2019, $110/btl
100% Chardonnay from the amphitheater-like grand cru vineyard of ‘Les Clos’. Bright acidity with striking minerality and depth.Chablis 1er Cru, ‘Montée de Tonnerre’ 2018, $65/btl
’Montée de Tonnerre’ is my favorite 1er Cru vineyard in Chablis, making refreshing and mineral Chardonnay. Located on the right bank of the river, directly next to the grand cru hill.Chablis 1er Cru, ‘Montée de Tonnerre’ 2019, $65/btl
see aboveMeursault ‘Les Narvaux’ 2016, $80/btl
Creamy, powerful Meursault from the single vineyard ‘Les Narvaux’ located near the top of the Meursault AOC. I love the salinity of these wines. 100% Chardonnay.
2022 ALBERT BICHOT BURGUNDY FUTURES (arrival October/November 2024)
Vosne-Romanée, $200/btl
100% Pinot Noir from top vineyards in the village of Vosne-Romanée, home of DRC and many of the top sites in Burgundy.Meursault, $150/btl
100% Chardonnay from the village of Meursault. Powerful and expressive.Savigny-Les-Beaune ‘Les Grand Picotins’, $90/btl
100% Pinot Noir. Savigny-Les-Beaune is producing some of the most exciting Pinot in Burgundy as the climate warms. These slightly higher elevation vineyards are able to retain more acidity and produce a more traditionally classic style of Pinot as the rest of the Côte d’Or warms and ripens earlier.
2022 LOUIS JADOT BURGUNDY FUTURES (arrival October/November 2024)
Beaune 1er Cru ‘Clos des Ursules’ monopole, $130/btl
see aboveCorton Grand Cru ‘Clos du Roi’, $200/btl
Grand Cru Pinot Noir from the top section of the hill of Corton.Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru ‘Lavaux Saint-Jacques’, $180/btl
My favorite 1er Cru in Gevrey-Chambertin, ‘Lavaux Saint-Jacques’ is located just at the mouth of the Combes Lavaux above the village of Gevrey. Dark fruit, firm tannins, and amazing acidity make this wine a star.Chablis 1er Cru ‘Montée de Tonnerre’, $80/btl
see aboveChâteau des Jacques, Morgon, ‘Côte dü Pÿ’, Beaujolais $50/btl
My favorite Beaujolais Cru is the Morgon cru, noted for its fantastic granitic soils that provide solid structure and backbone to the wines. The ‘Côte-du-Pÿ’ is a small hill that rises above the town and is filled with the unique blue granite that is distinct to this small area. Structured, vibrant, and refreshing examples of 100% Gamay. Made in the classic style, not in the naturalist/carbonic style.