FRENCH WINE

Domaine la Barroche is a family estate that has been passed down from one generation to the next since the 14th century. Julien’s father, Christian Barrot, is passionate about viticulture and has taken meticulous care of the family’s 12.5 hectare of vines since the early 1970’s. Until Julien joined his father back in 2002, all of the wine had been sold in bulk to negociants. Now, half of the Grenache vines are more than 100 years-old and are some of the oldest found in Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Julien has moved to completely organic viticulture (not certified) and his father is still following his passion and continues to work in the vineyards. Taking all of his father’s work to the next level, Julien is now vinifying each grape variety and some parcels separately, studying and learning his holdings parcel by parcel.

The 2017 Domaine La Barroche Chateauneuf-du-Pape offers a singular wine personality, a delicate alchemy of spices and well-ripened black fruits, a delight for the senses.

JEB DUNNUCK 94 POINTS - "Moving to the 2017s and starting with the base Châteauneuf Du Pape, it's a blend of 80% Grenache and 20% Syrah that was brought up mostly in demi-muids. Revealing a ruby/purple hue as well as notes of black raspberries, kirsch, garrigue, incense, and loamy soil and earth, this beauty hits the palate with beautiful depth of fruit, a layered, rounded, sexy texture, no hard edges, remarkable purity, and just tons of charm. Drink it any time over the coming decade or more."

JAMES SUCKLING 95 POINTS - "Yum. Wonderful aromas of crushed berries, wet earth, sweet tobacco and fresh leather. Full body. Very tight, pinpointed palate with depth and length, too. The precision and balance is exceptional here."

VINOUS 95 POINTS - "The 2017 Rouget is a total knockout. Aromatically explosive, deep and just so compelling in its beauty, the 2017 has so much to offer. A rush of inky dark fruit, lavender, bittersweet chocolate, spice and licorice build as this sumptuous, exotic beauty shows off all of its allure. The 2017 is not at all subtle, but it sure is gorgeous. Rouget was stellar en primeur. It is every bit as impressive from bottle."

JEB DUNNUCK 93 POINTS - "The 2017 Châteauneuf Du Pape offers more kirsch, garrigue, and graphite notes as well as a full-bodied, rounded, incredibly sexy, seamless profile. This is one sexy, opulent, gorgeous traditional cuvée."

WINE ADVOCATE 91 POINTS "Bottled at the end of March, the 2017 Chateauneuf du Pape seems fully recovered, offering notes of ripe cherries, cola and tree bark. It's full-bodied, supple and silky on the long finish. Simply a joy to drink and sure to be relatively affordable, it's the sort of Châteauneuf du Pape that will appeal to newbies and collectors alike."

WINE ADVOCATE 93 POINTS - "Coming in (rating-wise) right where I projected it would last year, Giraud's 2017 Chateauneuf du Pape is a terrific example of a cuvée tradition. At 80% Grenache, 15% Syrah and 5% Mourvèdre, it's a pretty typical blend yet one that exceeds expectations. It's full-bodied, plush and velvety, showing ample ripeness—raspberries, cherries, and stone fruit—without going over the top into cooked fruit. No, it doesn't show that much complexity at this age, but some of that will emerge over the next decade or so."

JEB DUNNUCK 93 POINTS - "I loved the 2017 Châteauneuf Du Pape, and I’d certainly be happy with a case in the cellar. Offering a pure, elegant, incredibly Grenache-driven profile of sweet black raspberries, incense, violets, and garrigue, it’s medium to full-bodied, ethereal, and elegant on the palate. It’s already hard to resist yet will keep for 10-15 years."

This plot lies over 7 ha, all in once. A vineyard with all the characteristics of a great terroir of Chablis: sunny exposure, Kimmeridgian limestone soil and 70 year-old vines. Ripeness can be achieved without losing the typical salty character of the terroir..

Food pairing The wine you would dream to have with the best seafish or a farmhouse chicken.

This small family Domaine of 1.5 hectares is situated in the heart of the Saint-Joseph appellation, in Ardèche, the Northern section of the Rhône wine region in Southern France.Although her family had for many years supplied grapes to a large local négociant, Martine Rouchier and her husband, Christian, determined in 2010 to begin making their own wine. They immediately began converting their vineyards to organic viticulture, a process that they completed beginning with the 2013 vintage. By 2015, Martine and Christian were practicing not only completely organic and biodynamic farming and fermentation. but also fully “natural” winemaking, in that their Saint-Joseph is made entirely without added sulfur. Domaine Rouchier produces two cuvées parcellaires of 100% Syrah: Luc is a .5-hectare lieu-dit of vines planted in 1972 on the hills above St-Jean de Muzols. The vineyard lies on a west-facing slope at an elevation of approximately 250m in soil comprised of clay and schist. Chave is a 1-hectare lieu-dit planted with vines dating to 1958. With Western exposition, Chave lies on soil dominated by granitic gneiss. Both cuvées employ two weeks of whole-cluster fermentation in concrete over indigenous yeasts, punctuated with pigeage (punching down) and remontage (pumping over). The young wine is then aged over for 16-18 months in neutral (5-9 years) oak barrels of 228L . The finished wine is then bottled unfiltered and entirely without SO2.

JAMES SUCKLING 94 POINTS - "This creamy and dreamy gewurztraminer is very seductive with a great lightness of touch. Wonderfully fresh and bright at the long, spicy finish, which has a slight bitter-sweet twist. Drink or hold. Made from biodynamically grown grapes."

VINOUS 94 POINTS - "Bright yellow gold. Aromas of peach, melon and honeysuckle are complicated by a mineral element on the captivating nose. Dense and creamy, offering terrific depth to the peach, mango and clove flavors. Finishes with excellent clarity and cut. A beauty; I like how this displays a terrific balance of Gewürztraminer richness, sweetness and energy. In fact, much richer and sweeter than the Cuvée Théo, but also better balanced. Weinbach did not bottle their Gewürz Altenbourg and Gewürz Mambourg in 2017 because of a frost episode that greatly reduced production volumes, and so all those Grand Cru grapes were used to make this wine. The Cuvée Laurence is normally Weinbach’s best Gewürz anyway (in fact, I think it’s the estate’s best dry wine), but in 2017 it’s even better than usual."

WINE ADVOCATE 93 POINTS - "From the bottom of the Altenbourg, the 2017 Alsace Gewurztraminer Cuvée Laurence offers intense and generous yet bright fruit on the nose. Creamy, dense and concentrated, this is a very elegant and structured Gewurtz with a long finish."

Located in the Leully area above Nuits, lieu-dit le Champ des Allouettes, south-facing hillside, mostly limestone soil.
100% de-stemmed, 18-21 days indigenous yeast fermentation in stainless steel tanks with mostly pump-overs (punch-downs at end of fermentation). Aged for 16 months in barrel (33% new oak)

In only a few years, Domaine Guiberteau has become one of the most sought after domaines in Saumur, their wines already stringently allocated and found in the best restaurants in France.

AB organic certification
Organic (since 2003) Vinification: 100% de-stemmed, indigenous yeasts, no new oak except Arboises (80% new) and Brézé (40%), no fining, filtration if needed.

DECANTER 93 POINTS - "They have managed to get the Haut de Smith signature in this wine, and for me it is one of the most successful whites of the vintage in terms of accessibility and affordability. It has so much personality, showing grilled apricots and concentrated, rich citrus, with rosemary and sage edging and a mineral lick on the finish. The acidity gives persistency and lift, but it feels tame and under control. Harvested 24 August to 9 September, so at least 10 days earlier than usual. 50% new oak. An obvious buy for the vintage."

The LAMY family have been vignerons in Saint Aubin in the Bourgogne region since 1640 and the PILLOT family has its origins in 1595 in the commune of Chassagne-Montrachet.

WINE ADVOCATE 90 POINTS - "Already bottled, the 2017 Saint-Aubin Cuvée Luce exhibits notes of green orchard fruit, pastry cream, white flowers and ripe citrus fruit. On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied, nicely concentrated and incisive with a pure, nicely balanced profile. It's a classic example of the appellation."

WINE ADVOCATE 91 POINTS - "The vicissitudes of climate and disease mean that Rapet hasn't produced a viable yield from this site for years, and he opted to retain the excellent 2015 rendition for his personal consumption, so the 2017 Beaune 1er Cru Bressandes marks the return of a cuvée consumers haven't seen for some time. Bursting from the glass with aromas of cassis, wild berries and sweet soil tones, it's medium to full-bodied, ample and layered, with a rich core of fruit framed by fine tannins and succulent acids. It will be well worth seeking out."

Brothers Bertrand and Denis Chevillon are the fifth generation managers of this property in Nuits- Saint-Georges, which means they work the vines and make the wines. Their father Robert, for whom the domaine is named, is still active as well. Both brothers bring passion, experience, a tireless work ethic, and intensity to their work at the domaine. Tasting through their palate of Nuits- Saint-Georges is a venerable tour of the appellation. Their Passetoutgrain, a blend of Pinot and Gamay, is a worthy introduction and their rare (two barrels made) Nuits-Saint-Georges Blanc made from the “Pinot Gouges” is an exotic treasure that ages just as long as the domaine’s fabled reds. And their Bourgogne Aligoté, Bourgogne Chardonnay and Bourgogne Rouge are grown and vinified with the same care as their premier crus. It shows.

JAMES SUCKLING 94 POINTS - "Wow. This has such attractive dark plums and berries with chocolate and cocoa, as well as ripe red and dark cherries. The complexity and depth is striking here. The palate carries so much flavor and so much detail. So lush. Rich dark fruit, cocoa and red-cherry pip to close. Drink over the next decade or more. This has plenty in the tank."

JEB DUNNUCK 93 POINTS - "Moving back south, the 2017 Gigondas is another terrific vintage for this cuvée, and it’s a quintessential expression of Saint Cosme. Ground herbs, graphite, gunpowder, pepper, black raspberries, and cassis all emerge from this full-bodied, ripe, polished Gigondas. With solid concentration, building yet ripe tannins, and a great finish, you’ll be thrilled to have a case in the cellar."

WINE SPECTATOR 93 POINTS This offers a mix of dark cherry, currant and blackberry compote flavors, scored liberally with singed alder, dried sage and warm earth accents through the finish. A flash of chestnut at the very end keeps this in the old-school camp. Solid for the vintage. Best from 2022 through 2035."

If Chene Marchand is all about power and stature, Petit Chemarin represents the silky and supremely elegant end of the Pinard’s single vineyard spectrum. Wonderfully fine and with precise aromas of lime, Sicilian lemon, salt, chalk and honeysuckle, the palate is liquid silk, utterly seamless from start to finish, a wine of great elegance and sustained refinement. Gorgeous.

Vincent Pinard is one of the most dedicated producers of the Loire valley and, with 15 hectares based in Bué, has vines in some of the best sites around Sancerre. The excessively low yields, hand harvesting and modern winery, complete with temperature controlled vats, result in enticing, aromatic and intense wines. Although not certified organic, they do not use any pesticides in the vineyard.