SUD

The wines from Domaine de Bila Haut are undoubtedly some of the greatest values coming out of France. In a region increasingly known for producing crowd-pleasing wines at fantastic prices, these stand out. This is a project from well-known Northern Rhone producer Michel Chapoutier. The Chapoutier team takes full advantage of the abundant sunshine and lower land cost of the Roussillon to deliver an incredible value.

The deeply fruited Rhone blend, L'Esquerda delivers the goods with lush, perfectly ripened grapes showing off what this legendary producer is capable of. L'Esquerda showcases the stunning quality of the 2016 vintage with uncommon depth and complexity. The Wine Advocate awarded this a potential score of 96 Points and stated "there are not many values like this out there today."

This outstanding wine is based on Syrah and Grenache grapes sourced from granitic soils. The term, "L'esquerda" is derived from Catalan and means "the fault in the rock." The result is a faithful expression of the personality and identity of a region which provides great pleasure.

This wine from Bila Haut by Chapoutier is a no-brainer which over-delivers at a fantastic price. It is a great wine to stock up on and would make an excellent purchase by the case.

WINE ADVOCATE 94-96 POINTS - "Sporting a deep purple—almost blue—color, the sensational 2016 Cotes du Roussillon Villages Lesquerde l'Esquerda has a northern Rhône-like minerality as well as notes of classic black and blue fruits, crushed flowers, ozone and licorice. Made from 60% Syrah and 40% Grenache, all from granitic soils, it’s a rich, structured, full-bodied and age-worthy red that will drink nicely through 2026. The quality of this release continues to soar and there are not many values like this out there today."

WINE ADVOCATE 93-96 POINTS - "A new cuvee from Dan Kravitz, the 2015 Maury Sec First Things First is a blend of 60% Grenache, 22% Carignan and 18% Syrah that had 75% of the crop brought in at the “correct” time, and 25% brought in over a week later due to broken equipment in the cellar. Scheduled to be bottled in August or October, it offers sensational notes of black raspberries, cassis, violets and graphite as well as full-bodied richness, ultra-fine tannin and an undeniable sexiness that makes it already impossible to resist. Count me a fan and I’d suggest breaking more equipment during harvest in the future as well (or just harvest later)"

"These are terrific wines that show the classic fruit and minerality of the region, yet also possess a beautiful sense of elegance and purity. They should be on any wine lover's short list." - Wine Advocate

"Full-bodied richness, ultra-fine tannin and an undeniable sexiness that makes it already impossible to resist." - Jeb Dunnuck

"These blockbuster efforts are made by Dan Kravitz at the co-op in Tautavel. They more than over-deliver and offer classic Roussillon flair and texture, yet back it up with solid mid-palate concentration and sound structure. Don't miss them." - WINE ADVOCATE

We are excited to offer another fantastic red from Domaine Cabirau. As you may know, we recently featured their entry level wine as our wine of the month and have twice selected the Serge and Nicolas cuvee as one of our top wines of the year. Now, for the first time, Domaine Cabirau has released a prestige bottling which is appropriately named "FIRST THINGS FIRST." This is a full-bodied stunner loaded with rich, dark fruit flavors which seduce the palate and is definitely a crowd pleaser.

Jeb Dunnuck of Robert Parker's Wine Advocate reviewed this wine and loved it! He gave the wine a 93- 96 point score based on his initial tasting and called the wine "impossible to resist." He also described First Things first as having "sensational notes of black raspberries, cassis, violets."

Importer Dan Kravitz had been importing wine for nearly three decades and became aware of a vineyard in the Roussillon with excellent potential. He took the plunge and purchased the vineyard in the town of Maury, where one can grow high quality grapes at a reasonable price. The attention to detail and focus on quality show in this wine which showcases perfectly ripened fruit, amazing freshness and a very long finish.

This wine has tons of flavor and represents an outstanding value which satisfies both the palate and the wallet. Don't miss it!