FRENCH WINE

JEB DUNNUCK 94 POINTS: "I think the star of the show in 2018 is the 2018 Châteauneuf Du Pape A La Gloire De Mon Grand-Père, which is almost all Grenache. It reveals a medium ruby color as well as a beautiful bouquet of black raspberries, dried flowers, incense, and Provençal spice to go with a medium to full-bodied, downright sexy style on the palate. With silky tannins, plenty of mid-palate depth, and a great finish, it’s another 2018 that’s loaded with charm and is going to drink nicely for 10-15 years."

WINE ADVOCATE 94 POINTS: "Deeper, earthier and spicier than the other bottlings, the 2018 Châteauneuf du Pape A la Gloire de Mon Grand-Père is essentially all old-vine Grenache from the La Gardiole lieu dit. Dustings of cinnamon, allspice and clove accent black cherries and loam on the nose, while the full-bodied palate is rich and velvety, ending long and softly dusty. It should be the longest-lived of the magnificent trio of 2018 reds produced at Bosquet des Papes."

WINE ADVOCATE 94 POINTS - "The perfumed, floral, cherry herbal tea-scented 2018 Chateauneuf du Pape Chante le Merle Vieilles Vignes isn't overly dark or dense, but captures the more fragrant, silky side of Grenache. It's full-bodied and ripe, with some faint, chocolaty overtones yet retains a sense of elegance and—dare I say it, in a wine that's labeled 15.5% alcohol—delicacy, finishing with silky tannins and ample length. It's a blend of 85% Grenache and 15% Mourvèdre, aged in foudres."

JEB DUNNUCK 93 POINTS - "In the same mold, the 2018 Châteauneuf Du Pape Chante Le Merle Vieilles Vignes offers loads of Provençal garrigue, smoked game, ground pepper, and traditional Châteauneuf du Pape goodness on the nose. It displays the vintage’s more forward, soft, supple style on the palate and is medium to full-bodied, with ripe tannins, moderate mid-palate depth, and a great finish. Based on 85% Grenache, 10% Mourvèdre, and 5% Syrah that was not destemmed and was brought up all in concrete, this is a classic Châteauneuf du Pape to enjoy over the coming 10-15 years."

WINE ADVOCATE 96-98 POINTS - "Tasted from a one-year-old barrel, the 2018 Chateauneuf du Pape La Guigasse looks capable of rivaling (surpassing?) the 2016. Lovely garrigue-like nuances accent perfectly ripe black cherries in this full-bodied, silky, tremendously long effort. It's just a wonderful, sexy beast of a Grenache grown in sandy soils."

Domaine Charvin Cotes-du-Rhone 'Le Poutet' 2018. Red wine. Southern Rhône, France. 81% Grenache, 7% Mourvèdre, 5% Carignan, 7% Syrah. Organic. This is classic Charvin and offers lots of kirsch and blackberry fruits, garrigue, white pepper and sappy herbs in its medium-bodied, polished, elegant, yet tight and firm personality.

WINE ADVOCATE 95-97 POINTS - "Another in a string of top vintages, Beaucastel's 2018 Chateauneuf du Pape was produced from Grenache yields of only eight hectoliters per hectare ("normal" is about 28 hectoliters per hectare, according to Marc Perrin). The final blend I was shown is almost candied in its fruity intensity of raspberries and cherries, yet it has a potent underpinning of more savory elements, like tapenade, grilled meat and dried spices. Full-bodied, with fine, silky tannins, this shows tremendous length, reverberating with hints of crushed stone on the finish."

DECANTER 95 POINTS - "A tight and compelling tannic structure, muscular and knitted down at this stage, rich and concentrated with blackberries and olive paste. Needs a few years, but already you can discern the floral aromatics that overlay the core, and this is going to evolve into a beautiful Beaucastel."

JEB DUNNUCK 94 POINTS - "Moving to the reds, the 2018 Châteauneuf Du Pape showed nicely with a deep ruby/purple color as well as classic Beaucastel aromas and flavors of darker currents, blueberries, smoked meats, black licorice and roasted herbs. With medium to full-bodied richness, a pure, clean, elegant texture, sweet tannins, and a great finish, this seamless, elegant Beaucastel will be approachable in its youth, yet still have 20+ years of prime drinking."

WINE ADVOCATE 95-97 POINTS - "Another in a string of top vintages, Beaucastel's 2018 Chateauneuf du Pape was produced from Grenache yields of only eight hectoliters per hectare ("normal" is about 28 hectoliters per hectare, according to Marc Perrin). The final blend I was shown is almost candied in its fruity intensity of raspberries and cherries, yet it has a potent underpinning of more savory elements, like tapenade, grilled meat and dried spices. Full-bodied, with fine, silky tannins, this shows tremendous length, reverberating with hints of crushed stone on the finish."

DECANTER 95 POINTS - "A tight and compelling tannic structure, muscular and knitted down at this stage, rich and concentrated with blackberries and olive paste. Needs a few years, but already you can discern the floral aromatics that overlay the core, and this is going to evolve into a beautiful Beaucastel."

JEB DUNNUCK 94 POINTS - "Moving to the reds, the 2018 Châteauneuf Du Pape showed nicely with a deep ruby/purple color as well as classic Beaucastel aromas and flavors of darker currents, blueberries, smoked meats, black licorice and roasted herbs. With medium to full-bodied richness, a pure, clean, elegant texture, sweet tannins, and a great finish, this seamless, elegant Beaucastel will be approachable in its youth, yet still have 20+ years of prime drinking."

WINE ADVOCATE 95-97 POINTS - "Another in a string of top vintages, Beaucastel's 2018 Chateauneuf du Pape was produced from Grenache yields of only eight hectoliters per hectare ("normal" is about 28 hectoliters per hectare, according to Marc Perrin). The final blend I was shown is almost candied in its fruity intensity of raspberries and cherries, yet it has a potent underpinning of more savory elements, like tapenade, grilled meat and dried spices. Full-bodied, with fine, silky tannins, this shows tremendous length, reverberating with hints of crushed stone on the finish."

DECANTER 95 POINTS - "A tight and compelling tannic structure, muscular and knitted down at this stage, rich and concentrated with blackberries and olive paste. Needs a few years, but already you can discern the floral aromatics that overlay the core, and this is going to evolve into a beautiful Beaucastel."

JEB DUNNUCK 94 POINTS - "Moving to the reds, the 2018 Châteauneuf Du Pape showed nicely with a deep ruby/purple color as well as classic Beaucastel aromas and flavors of darker currents, blueberries, smoked meats, black licorice and roasted herbs. With medium to full-bodied richness, a pure, clean, elegant texture, sweet tannins, and a great finish, this seamless, elegant Beaucastel will be approachable in its youth, yet still have 20+ years of prime drinking."

WINE SPECTATOR 91 POINTS - "Features a core of gently steeped plum and boysenberry fruit, laced with a mouthwatering anise note and gilded with sandalwood and violet hints throughout. Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. Drink now through 2023."

WINE ADVOCATE 97 POINTS - "Hints of cedar and vanilla appear on the nose of the 2018 Chateauneuf du Pape La Reserve, which is aged in demi-muids (20% new), adding a human-derived aspect to the mouthwatering notes of cherries and raspberries. It's full-bodied, silky and even almost lacy in texture, delivering intense pleasure on the palate without excess weight, then lingering on the finish, where the red-fruit flavors come to the fore, practically vibrating in intensity. Because of the effects of mildew on the Grenache, this vintage is just over 50% Mourvèdre."

VINOUS 96-98 POINTS - "Limpid ruby-red. An assertively perfumed, expansive bouquet evokes ripe red berries, cherry preserves, exotic spices and incense, with bright floral and mineral nuances emerging as the wine opens up. Utterly stains the palate with sweet raspberry preserve, cherry pie, allspice, candied licorice and lavender flavors that suavely convey both power and finesse. Smooth, harmonious tannins build very slowly through the floral- and spice-dominated finish which shows absolutely no rough edges. This wine is shaping up to be monumental."

JEB DUNNUCK 97 POINTS - "The flagship is the 2018 Châteauneuf Du Pape La Réserve and it’s an even split of Grenache and Mourvèdre that was all destemmed and was brought up mostly in demi-muids (there was a small part in larger, clay amphora. Slightly deeper hued than the Les Quartz, it has a Mourvèdre dominated bouquet of red and black berry fruits, loads of spice and dried garrigue, graphite, and a hint of mint. With full-bodied richness on the palate, it has an incredible sense of purity and finesse in its tannins and texture, flawless balance, and a great, great finish. I’d put this in the top handful of wines in the vintage and while it’s approachable today, it’s going to benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age and keep for two decades."

John Livingstone-Learmonth: "(67% Marsanne, 33% Roussanne (mid-1990s-early 2010s), purchased harvest from loess soils at Larnage, vineyards worked organically, used 228-litre oak cask fermented, raised 12 months, malo completed, 8,000 b). pale yellow; the nose shows reduction, a peach-floral aroma, a touch of aniseed, “high” fruit, needs air. The palate is stylish, gentle, serves white fruits with fine tuning, holds cosy, easy late gras, little bits of Marsanne grip, closing nicely, trimly."

DECANTER 96 POINTS: "There is more Mourvèdre here than an average year as the Grenache was hit relatively hard and it shows in the aromatic profile comprising damson, plum skin, mashed blueberry and liquorice. There's also a floral element and a little cinnamon kick on the finish. The tannins are silky, and the balance of acidity is good. It bears a certain resemblance to the 2015 but a little darker in style, concentrated and ripe, more mulled and more butch in style than a classic year. Just 30,000 bottles made from a yield of 9hl/ha - their smallest ever crop, losing 70% to mildew."

JEB DUNNUCK 96 POINTS: "Outer quote mark Châteauneuf Du Pape to go around, but it’s going to be worth the extra effort to track down. Based on 50% Grenache, 40% Mourvèdre, and the rest Syrah (and a splash of other permitted varieties), it offers a textbook, classic Châteauneuf du Pape nose of mulled red and black fruits, Provençal garrigue, ground pepper, and saddle leather. These all carry to a medium to full-bodied Clos des Papes that has thrillingly polished tannins, flawless balance, and a great finish. Made in a style similar to the 1999, 2004, and maybe a kiss of the 2006, it has the beautiful elegance (again, a Grand Cru Burgundy comes to mind) paired with plenty of intensity and length. I doubt it will shut down and it’s going to evolve nicely for 15-20 years or more."

WINE SPECTATOR 96 POINTS: "A very refined, silky style, with subtle bitter cherry, damson plum and raspberry coulis notes racing through, flanked by garrigue and sandalwood notes and ending with graceful rooibos tea and mineral threads. This offers understated luxury."

JEB DUNNUCK 93 POINTS - "A blend of 75% Grenache and 25% Mourvèdre, the 2018 Châteauneuf Du Pape Les Safres makes the most of this vintage and sports incredible elegance and finesse while still packing solid depth of fruit and concentration. Beautiful notes of kirsch, licorice, toasted spices, and flowery incense all flow to a medium to full-bodied 2018 that has polished tannins and a great finish. The balance, purity, and finesse here are top notch."

VINOUS 93-95 POINTS - "Deep bright-hued red. Sexy, spice-accented aromas of ripe red berries and potpourri are lent vivacity by a smoky mineral element. Sweet, palate-coating raspberry, cherry preserve, spicecake and floral pastille flavors show a suave blend of depth and energy. Displays fine delineation and finishes with superb clarity and emphatic, red-fruit-driven persistence. Raised for 17 months in large oak foudres."

JEB DUNNUCK 93 POINTS - "Ratcheting up the quality level, the 2018 Côtes du Rhône Les Quartz is a brilliant wine based on 80% Grenache and 20% Syrah that comes from vines just around the estate in the eastern sector of Châteauneuf du Pape. Vivid ruby, with a stunning bouquet of kirsch liqueur, black raspberries, Provençal garrigue, and Asian spices, it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, the seamless, elegant character that’s common in the vintage, and a great finish. This would easily pass undetected in a blind lineup of top Châteauneuf du Papes. Enjoy bottles over the coming 5-7 years."

JEB DUNNUCK 94 POINTS - "Including more Mourvèdre, the 2018 Côtes du Rhône La Reserve checks in as 75% Grenache and 25% Mourvèdre that was brought up all in demi-muids. Almost opaque ruby, with a blockbuster nose of Bing cherries, black raspberries, flowery incense, toasted spices, and dry-aged beef, this beauty hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a seamless, elegant texture, loads of fruit, and a great finish. The level of purity as well as finesse in this wine, paired with plenty of richness, is something to behold. It way over-delivers for a Côtes du Rhône. In fact, for my money, this is one of the best Côtes du Rhône out there. It’s terrific today yet will evolve nicely for a solid decade. Does Côtes du Rhônes get any better?"

La Roquète sits on prime real estate at the foot of the Piélong plateau, north of the village of Châteauneuf-du-Pape and adjacent to the western end of the famous Le Rayas vineyard. Galets roulés scatter the vineyard floor, but the primarily sandy soils impart great finesse to the wine. The Bruniers recommend drinking the white young for its freshness and elegance, but it can also evolve for several years if so desired.

Clos Saint Jean Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc is produced from equal parts Grenache Blanc, Roussanne and Clairette. The wine is aged in a combination of new, French oak barrels and vats. The production is quite small with than less than 350 cases made per year.

JEB DUNNUCK 93 POINTS - " Review: "The whites here continue to improve. The 2018 Châteauneuf Du Pape Blanc offers a rocking bouquet of key lime pie, tangerine, and ripe peach that gives way to a powerful, opulent, medium to full-bodied white that has tons of flesh and texture, beautiful balance, and a great finish. This is a white for the dinner table."

We are excited to announce our Wine of the Month for March. We tried numerous wines before selecting the crowd-pleasing Clos des Lumieres Cotes du Rhone. This is a fantastic wine and amazing value, boasting stunning purity with oodles of fruit in a medium to full-bodied frame. The Grenache brings a lovely round, silkiness to the red-fruited character while the Syrah brings gentle spice and darker fruits into play. This is a joy to drink with absolutely no hard edges!

A classic blend of 70% Grenache and 30% Syrah, Le Clos des Lumieres delights both nose and palate and is a great fit for this month as we move from Winter to Spring. As the days begin to grow longer and our menus move from heartier to fresher and more vibrant fare, we like a wine that can handle both-- something to sip during the still-chilly nights with rich foods while being equally at ease for sunny Sunday brunches. This is it!

Domaine le Clos des Lumieres is a 50-hectare family farm founded in 1946 by the grandfather of the domaine's current vigneron, Gerald Serrano. The ambitious and talented winemaker is solely responsible for the recent ascendance of this estate - Prior to taking things over in 2003 Gerald's father was selling all grapes on the estate to the local cooperative. Having grown up on the property, Gerald is intimately familiar with the terroir here. The oldest vines now edge 60 years in age and this land really seems to "pack the character in."

Clos des Lumieres is a delicious wine and an amazing value. Buy this with confidence as an easygoing daily drinker to share with family and friends.

The nose is rich and layered with dark red fruits leading to citrus, earth, incense, spice and sweet red plum. The mouth is viscous and rounded with soft acidity and balanced tannins that bolster the flavors of mixed red fruits and berries (red plum and blueberry stand out), light earth and Rhone-y spice, pepper, garrique and a finish of salted plum and kirsch. Very comfortable in its skin and offering quality that's way out of its price point, Lumieres is certainly a bright spot on the wine landscape and easily deserves the spotlight this month.

eROBERT PARKER 90-92 POINTS: "As for the reds from barrel, I found a touch of volatile acidity in all of the barrel samples, as well as a touch less exuberance and concentration than in past vintage. Still, as I hope the scores show, the wines are beautiful. Starting out, the 2015 Châteauneuf du Pape is 85% Grenache and 15% Syrah, all from the sandy soils of the Cristia lieu-dit. Blueberries, flowers, peach pit and violets all emerge from this full-bodied, expansive, sweetly fruited effort that has supple tannin and excellent purity."

We are fortunate this month to find the perfect crossover hit in the Delas Saint-Esprit. This delicious Cotes-du-Rhone red blend is versatile with a full-bodied character which remains remarkably fresh. This wine will pair perfectly with your party platters of pulled pork, tri-tip or ribs as well as heartier fare of stews or chili.

This crowd-pleasing red is grown in the warmth of the Mediterranean climate and is a blend of 60% Syrah and 40% Grenache. The vineyards are influenced by the famed, harsh Mistral winds that rush through the Rhône Valley, keeping the sky clear and full of sunshine most of the time. Buffeted by the extreme winds, the vines have to work hard and create grapes of character and quality, which is evidenced in this wine by Delas. As many a talented winemaker has stated, great wines are made in the vineyard.

This dry red wine clearly shows the hallmarks of Syrah and Grenache. The nose shows gorgeous floral notes, black raspberry, bright cherries, plum and a touch of anise and spice. On the palate, the wine is generous and pleasing, showcasing bold fruits enveloped in silky tannins. This is a wine very much in balance with a harmonious and lengthy finish. Delicious!

WINE ADVOCATE 95-97 POINTS - "The 2018 Gigondas La Louisiane looks to be another terrific example of this cuvée. Raspberries, black cherries, tea leaves and violets all appear on the nose, while the full-bodied palate is rich, velvety and long on the finish."

VINOUS 94-96 POINTS: "Dark glistening red. A highly perfumed bouquet evokes ripe red and dark berries, baking spices, garrigue and candied flowers, and a smoky mineral flourish appears as the wine opens up. Sappy, sweet and penetrating on the palate, offering juicy black raspberry, cherry and lavender pastille flavors joined by hints of allspice and bitter chocolate. Smooth and seamless in texture, showing superb finishing clarity, gently gripping tannins and strong, spicy persistence. This is a somewhat more brawny wine than usual for Laurent Charvin, but it still retains the domaine's trademark balance and energy."

Of the 8 hectares of old vines that Marie and François Giraud farm in Galimardes, a rocky and red clay soil on the road between the villages Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Sorgues, 1 hectare are white varieties - roughly equal parts Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Roussanne and Bourboulenc. Each variety is harvested exactly when it is ripe and is gently pressed into tank except the Roussanne which is fermented in French oak demi-muids. After 6 months of aging Marie assembles the final blend. Due to the age of the vines the exact blend changes from vintage to vintage as does the quantity of wine bottled." -Importer Note

WINE ADVOCATE 90 POINTS - "The 2018 Cotes du Rhone Villages Terre d'Argile is an assemblage of Grenache (40%), Mourvèdre (30%) and Syrah (30%) from clay-rich soils near Courthézon. Garrigue-like herbal notes accent black cherries and red raspberries on the nose, while the full-bodied palate is supple and generous, leading into a softly dusty finish. It should drink well for another several years."