Featured French Wines

Clos du Marquis 2005 St. Julien
When it comes to storied traditions and generations of high expectations and excellence, Bordeaux is definitely an "East Coast" elite zone (they are east of us across the pond, after all) and always in the running to be there in the end. Clos du Marquis is the second label for St. Julien’s renowned Léoville las Cases! The 2005 is a superb rendition that pays homage to both the vintage and the estate! For the record, Hi-Time's own Chuck Hanson (our in-house wine handicapper, as it were) scored it 20 out of 20 (old school scoring) during a recent 2005 tasting!

ROBERT PARKER 89-91 POINTS - "As usual, this estate’s second wine, the 2005 Clos du Marquis, is top-flight. Possessing more alcohol than the grand vin (13.45%), it offers gorgeous purity, plenty of red and black fruits, and a style similar to its more famous sibling. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2035."  Robert Parker 89-91 Points.

$59.95 750ml [374478] 

Like most wine enthusiasts, we’re always on the lookout for a wine that over delivers. In fact, customers routinely ask us for wines under $10 with a $15-$20 palate. Well, they’re usually tough to find but since the economic slowdown we’re occasionally being offered those very deals.

This past weekend we poured the Pennautier red blend at our wine bar and customers raved about it and those stacks at the front of our cellar disappeared soon after. And if that isn’t enough to persuade you, our wine bar manager, Todd Johnston, couldn’t stop talking about it. When it comes to wine, Todd definitely puts his money where his mouth is. We knew we’d be remiss if we didn’t bring it to your attention.

As a whole bunch of customers have confirmed, here’s a fantastic everyday wine that truly over delivers at $8.99. Especially good with beef, lamb, poultry, tarts and cheeses.

CHATEAU PENNAUTIER 2007 CABARDES RED BLEND

This estate is located in the southern French appellation of Cabardes in Languedoc. The warm Mediterranean climate combined with the maritime influences of the Atlantic yield wines with ripe fruit and ample structure. The estates owners, Nicolas and Miren de Lorgeril, make this terrific red from equal parts Cabernet, Cabernet Franc and Merlot as well as smaller percentages of Cot, Grenache and Syrah. The wine delivers a delicious melange of red and black fruit flavors along with some surprising tannins that give the wine excellent backbone at this price.

$8.99 750ml [300017] 

Chateau D'Oupia Minervois Tradition is made from 100-plus-year-old Carignan vines, with smaller amounts of Syrah and Grenache. The 2007 vintage in southern France is a  treasure-trove of complex, satisfying red wine at affordable prices. At under $11, the D’Oupia Minervois is a proverbial “no-brainer” for the everyday drinking red.

2007 CHATEAU D'OUPIA MINERVOIS TRADITION

WINE ADVOCATE 90 POINTS - "Iche has crafted a 2007 Minervois Tradition that smells of ripe cassis and black cherries tinged with resinous herbs and bitter fruit pit and toasted nuts, elements that all contribute to its almost silken-textured palate impression where one finds underlying richness of salted beef stock and dark chocolate. In the best manner of its vintage, we have here a combination of richness and elegance. The finish of chocolate-covered black fruits, bouillon, and herbal concentrate is not in the least superficially sweet, but instead remains possessed of real refreshment, with the cyanic note of cherry stone and tincture of iodine offering lasting, subtly bitter counterpoint. This exceptional value should be a delight over at least the next 2-3 years."

$10.99 750ml [305888] 

CHATEAUNEUF DU PAPE 2007 BEAUCASTEL
We were happy to find out that the 2007 Beaucastel had arrived on time to be included in this year’s “Festival du Rhône” because it’s a superb effort that speaks to both the incredible quality of the 2007 vintage as well as the commitment to excellence that has long defined both the Perrin and Haas families.

Beaucastel is one of the most traditionally produced wines of the southern Rhône and over these many years we’ve had numerous bottles of aged Beaucastel that have pleasurably captured the essence of this great region time and time again. In a way, Beaucastel’s successful consistency has so come to be expected that we often forget how truly great wines from the estate are! Inky, full-bodied and powerful, this is your quintessential vin de garde that will surely benefit from a 3-5 year respite in your cellar or wine refrigerator. After all, what would a cavalcade of Châteauneuf-du-Pape be without an appearance from the renowned and venerable Beaucastel!

ROBERT PARKER 96 POINTS - "Beaucastel’s 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape has turned out even better out of bottle than I predicted. An inky/ruby/purple color is followed by a glorious nose of blue and black fruits, truffles, pen ink, licorice, and meat juices as well as glorious levels of acidity and sweet tannin, buttressing the fruit’s fabulous freshness and vibrancy. This full-bodied effort still displays considerable tannin, no doubt because of the relatively high Mourvedre content. It should resolve its tannins in 2-4 years, and last for 25 or more."

$99.95 750ml [307703] 

LYNCH BAGES 2006 PAUILLAC
What's December without Lynch Bages? The 2006 Lynch represents, to us, a bit of a return to its roots in that it's a traditionally-styled effort with a bit of girth and cut reminiscent of older Lynch Bages from such hallowed vintages as 1986 or 1988. This perennial blue-chip has turned in what we think is one of their best performances in a while that's more classically Pauillac/Bordeaux with an emphasis on terroir and structure. Parker awarded it 92 points noting, "...a dense, purple-colored wine displaying notes of crème de cassis, tobacco leaf, licorice, cedar and graphite with a muscular personality but beautiful fruit on the attack as well as an alluring purity and a nicely textured mouthfeel." This is 'old school' Lynch, for sure, that demands a bit of patience and time in the cellar but we think it's potentially great as well as somewhat underscored.

ROBERT PARKER 92 POINTS - "1988 or 1995-ish in style, rather than 1996, which seems to be the vintage several 2006s recall, this dense purple-colored wine displays sweet notes of creme de cassis, tobacco leaf, licorice, and some cedar and graphite. The wine has plenty of structure a la 1995 and a backward, muscular personality, but beautiful fruit on the attack and alluring purity and a nicely textured mouthfeel. The finish suggests cellaring for 3-5 years and drinking over the following two decades."

$95.00 750ml [368060] 

CHATEAUNEUF DU PAPE 2007 SOLITUDE
This property tends to produce traditionally fashioned Chateauneuf and their 2007 (55% Grenache, 30% Syrah and 15% Mourvedre) is a complete and overwhelming success! For sure, it’s the best Solitude we’ve encountered and we’ve followed this domaine pretty regularly going back to the 1990 vintage. Parker notes, “a dense, ruby purple color followed by a sensational perfume of kirsch, cassis liqueur, plums, licorice, roasted herbs and meat juices.” He goes on to comment, “Seriously endowed, full-bodied, broad, savory and layered, this is a huge, rich, massive wine that will benefit from 2-3 years cellaring and last for two decades or more.” We agree with Parker that it’s one of the top sleepers of the vintage and, if you’re into points, it carries one of the vintage’s top score/ price ratios!

ROBERT PARKER 93 POINTS - "The deeply-colored 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape is a blend of 55% Grenache, 30% Syrah, and 15% Mourvedre aged 80% in tank and 20% in small barrels. The 2007 is the finest traditional Chateauneuf since the glorious 1967. Its dense ruby/purple color is followed by a sensational perfume of kirsch, cassis liqueur, plums, licorice, roasted herbs, and meat juices. Seriously endowed, full-bodied, broad, savory, and layered, this is a huge, rich, massive wine that will benefit from 2-3 years of cellaring, and last for two decades or more. A sleeper of the vintage, it is one of the region’s best bargains if measuring dollars per points."

$36.99 750ml [347886]