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$160 “The Leonardo da Vinci” Wine-Aid Package – 6 Bottles Italian Wine (4 Red, 2 White, All Included and Delivered)

“The discovery of a good wine is increasingly better for mankind than the discovery of a new star.” — Leonardo da Vinci

Introducing The Leonardo da Vinci, a $160 Wine-Aid package that includes six bottles of Italian wine. This small range of wines from stellar producers in north central Italy are just a small sample of the variety available from these ancient lands. The price includes tax and delivery, as well as a deep discount. We will also honor a 10% discount on any bottles you might wish to add to the Wine-Aid package. 

Leonardo da Vinci was an Italian painter, draftsman, sculptor, architect, and engineer whose genius, perhaps more than that of any other figure, epitomized the Renaissance humanist ideal. Perhaps a lesser known fact is that da Vinci owned several vineyards in central and northern Italy. His letters to friends, family, and farm managers show that he was an ardent wine taster, producer, and even cultivator.

He was particularly inspired by “the divine juice of the grape” in the late 15th century, when he was painting The Last Supper in Milano. During this period, da Vinci experimented with all parts of the winemaking process, from cultivating his own varietals, to perfecting the grape press, to distilling brandy.

Included in The Leonardo da Vinci Wine-Aid box are two bottles of each:

1) Ampeleia Cuvée “Ampeleia” (IGT Costa Toscana 2015) Regular Price $47 

Ampeleia is an exciting project led by star winemaker Elisabetta Foradori near the Tuscan coast. It seeks to reveal the diversity and potential of Maremma’s Colline Metallifere, a mineral-rich, mountain-hill group mined since Etruscan times that occupies the central-western part of Tuscany, just west of Montalcino. The base of the wine consists of low yields of Cabernet Franc from vines planted in the early 1960s. A grocery cart of heady aromatics include mixed berries, cherry licorice, minty herbs, a touch of chocolate, and a whisper of lavender. A sip is generous with dense fruit that seamlessly merges with a medium-bodied mid-palate and a mineral-rich, lengthy finish. 

2) Scacciadiavoli Montefalco Rosso (DOC 2016) Regular Price $28

The green hills of Umbria match neighboring Tuscany in their splendor and are finally catching up with the level of wine quality. This fact is most apparent in the hills of Perugia, and even more specifically the comune of Montefalco. It is there that the native, naturally low-yielding grape variety of Sagrantino reigns. Montefalco Rosso is a blend of 60% Sangiovese, 25% Merlot, and 15% Sagrantino. After vinification, the wine is matured for 12 months in large wooden oak barrels and a further six months in the bottle. It sports an elegant bouquet with scents of cherry and spice. A sip offers bright flavors of red fruits while the finish is quite herbal with polished tannins and good length. It’s a pleasantly complex wine with enough structure to develop for a few more years.

3) Andrea Felici “Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Superiore” (DOC 2013) Regular Price $19

Winemaker Leopardo Felici is a superstar. In its 33rd edition, the chief Italian wine rating publication, Gambero Rosso, has awarded him “Grower of the Year, “ calling him “a true vigneron capable of interpreting every nuance of his land, Castelli di Jesi.” Leopardo is a Verdicchio perfectionist. Soon after taking over his family’s small 25 acre estate in Apiro, the highest of the villages surrounding the town of Jesi, he immediately began transitioning to organic farming to help create the purest wines possible. You won’t find many wines at this price level with this concentration and specificity of place. Drinking at its peak, this wine shows outstanding varietal purity, full of white fruits, hints of brine and almonds, and serious length. 

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$270 “The Thomas Aquinas” Wine-Aid Package – 12 Bottles of Côtes du Rhône from Producers in Châteauneuf-du-Pape (All Included and Delivered)

“Sorrow can be alleviated by good sleep, a bath and a glass of wine.” — Thomas Aquinas.

Introducing The Thomas Aquinas, a $270 Wine-Aid package that includes 12 bottles of Côtes du Rhône from producers based in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. This range of wines represents the high level of quality and value that stellar Châteauneuf-du-Pape winemakers are capable of producing with their more everyday, regional wines. The price includes tax and delivery, as well as a deep discount. We will also honor a 10% discount on any bottles you might wish to add to the Wine-Aid package. 

Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) lived at a critical juncture of western culture when the arrival of the Aristotelian corpus in Latin translation reopened the question of the relation between faith and reason. Born in Lazio, Italy, Thomas eventually completed his studies at the University of Paris. The Catholic Church has over the centuries regularly and consistently reaffirmed the central importance of Thomas’s work, both theological and philosophical. 

Fifty years after Thomas’s death, Pope John XXII, seated in Avignon, pronounced Thomas a saint. Pope John XXII regularly drank the wines from the vineyards that we now know as Châteauneuf-du-Pape and did much to improve viticulture practices there. Whether you are Catholic or not, you can appreciate him for his wisdom in both wine and philosophers. 

Included in The Thomas Aquinas Wine-Aid box are four bottles of each:

1) Domaine Chante Cigale “Vieilles Vignes” (Côtes du Rhône 2016) Regular Price $25

Domaine Chante Cigale is one of the most important family estates in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Young winemaker Alexandre Favier and his team are dedicated to traditional winemaking using native yeasts for fermentation. The estate boasts close to 100 acres, divided into 45 parcels, across exceptional terroir. The diversity of soils and grape varieties allows the elaboration of wines that truly represent Southern Rhône. The fruit for Chante Cigale’s old-vine Côtes du Rhône comes from hand-harvested, 50-year-old vines in the Plan de Dieu, one of the finest lieux-dits in the appellation. Composed of 70% Grenache, 20% Carignan, and 10% Syrah, the wine shows loads of cherry fruit and spice. 

2) Domaine Charvin (Côtes-du-Rhône 2017) Regular Price $25

Until recently, Laurent Charvin, who holds about 25 acres in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, was almost the only grower to vinify with whole-cluster fermentations. Today that is becoming the trend. His Côtes-du-Rhône is a blend of low yielding vines, mainly Grenache with small additions of Mourvèdre, Carignan, and Syrah.  Some vines are as old as 90 years, with the average around 40 years old.  The fruit is organically farmed and harvested by hand from north-facing slopes on the northwest limit of the Châteauneuf-du-Pape lieu-dit Maucoil. Only indigenous yeasts are used and fermentation is done in cement tanks. Dark red fruits and an herbal vibe make this a seriously tasty wine.

3) Domaine de Beaurenard (Côtes-du-Rhône 2018) Regular Price $25

Traditional winemakers Daniel and Frédéric Coulon hold a little under 80 acres of vines in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and around 60 acres in the Côtes du Rhône Villages Rasteau appellation. All of Domaine de Beaurenard’s vines are certified biodynamic. In the vineyatds, these methods involve working the soil without herbicides, spreading carefully-dynamised manure, and maintaining sensible grass cover. Their Côtes-du-Rhône is a blend of 70% Grenache and 30% Syrah from parcels of limestone and clay. The fruit is co-fermented with native yeasts and a short maturing period to preserve the delicacy of the fruit. The embodiment of the Beaurenard style, the wine shows ideal balance between fruit and spice. Fragrantly aromatic native herbs intermingle with pure, sumptuous fruit. 

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$165 “The Matisse” Wine-Aid Package – 6 Bottles Southern French Red Wine (All Included and Delivered)

“What I dream of is an art of balance.” — Henri Matisse

Introducing The Matisse, a $165 Wine-Aid package that includes six bottles of Red Wine illustrating the rich fruit and herbal fragrant wines from vineyards across southern France’s Languedoc-Rousillon region. The price includes tax and delivery, as well as a 10% discount. We will also honor the 10% discount on any bottles you might wish to add to the Wine-Aid package. 

Henri Matisse was one of the most influential artists of the twentieth century. In 1905 he was residing in the coastal village of Collioure in the Languedoc-Roussillon when he was inspired to fill his canvases with passionate hues and a brash distortion of form. For these stylistic innovations he was branded a fauve (wild beast) and thus fundamentally altered the course of modern art with the founding of Fauvism.

The selections in The Matisse Wine-Aid are not only a nod to the “art of balance” but also to the bold and ecstatic vibes, much like Matisse’s work, that these wines display in the glass. We’re pretty sure that Henri would approve. 

Included in The Matisse Wine-Aid box are two bottles of each:

1) Domaine Saint Sylvestre Rouge (Languedoc 2015) Regular Price $45

Vincent and Sophie Guizard are cultivating less than 20 acres of prime vineyards in Terrasses du Larzac, an appellation known for its unique climate that benefits from both the warm Mediterranean sea and the cool air that blows down from the Larzac plateau on summer nights, creating wines that are fresh, yet delicate. They use no synthetic fertilizers or herbicides in the vineyards. Fermentation is completed using only indigenous wild yeasts. The wine is a blend of 70% Syrah, 20% Grenache, and 10% Mourvedre aged for two years in used French oak barrels from Burgundy before blending and bottling without fining or filtering. It exudes an intoxicating nose of blackberry, garrigue, raw red meat, violets, and a curl of wood smoke. 

2) Le Clos du Serres “Saint-Jean” (Terrasses du Larzac 2017) Regular Price $24

In 2006, Béatrice and Sébastien Fillon purchased 37 acres divided into 15 parcels near the town of Saint Jean de la Blaquière. The diversity of the soil across all of their parcels includes schist, sandstone, pebbles & shingle, and red ruffes (deep deposits of sandstone accumulated some 265 million years ago and exposed by erosion). “Saint-Jean” is a blend of 25% each Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault, and Oeillade (a grape indigenous to the Languedoc and close to extinction). It’s a wine that expresses all the terroir the village has to offer. After maturation for 12 months in concrete vats the result is a wine that is luscious with fruit but balanced, with floral, spice, and red berry aromatics.

3) Domaine Bertrand-Bergé “Origines” (Fitou 2016) Regular Price $23

Fitou Montagneux is a patch of mountainous schist fifteen miles inland from the Mediterranean Sea. Winemakers Jérôme and Sabine Bertrand’s estate is comprised of many old-vine parcels that cover an area of 84 acres dotted around the hilly countryside of Paziols, the air fragrant with the scent of wild juniper, thyme, rosemary and lavender of the local garrigue shrubland. The estate is cultivated entirely using organic techniques. Of the wide range of soils that are found in the region, the pudding stones found around Paziols contribute much to the high quality of the wines. “Origines” is a starting point to understanding and enjoying the terroir of Fitou. A blend of 60% Carignan and 40% Grenache aged for 18 months in concrete, “Origines” delivers juicy ripe black fruits accented by clean earth.

The Wine Press — Henri Matisse

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$260 “The Cézanne” Wine-Aid Package – 12 Bottles Southern French Red Wine (All Included and Delivered)

“A work of art which did not begin in emotion is not art.” — Paul Cézanne

Introducing The Cézanne, a $260 Wine-Aid package that includes 12 bottles of Red Wine illustrating a range of ripe and luscious flavors and aromas from vineyards across Mediterranean France. The price includes tax and delivery, as well as a 10% discount. We will also honor the 10% discount on any bottles you might wish to add to the Wine-Aid package. 

Paul Cézanne was a French artist and Post-Impressionist painter whose work laid the foundations for 20th century art. His paintings formed a bridge between Impressionism and the early 20th century’s new line of artistic enquiry, Cubism. Both Matisse and Picasso claimed that Cezanne “is the father of us all.” 

The Sainte-Victoire mountain near Cézanne’s home in Aix-en-Provence in southern France was one of his favorite subjects and he is known to have painted it well over 60 times. This is the type of landscape you find throughout Mediterranean France and from which our latest selection of wines is inspired. Cézanne painted the mountain from different angles, at different times of the day, and under different weather conditions. Browsing all of his works on this subject and you get a sense of the different elements over a growing season the winemakers represented in this selection must face every vintage. 

Included in The Cézanne Wine-Aid box are four bottles of each:

1) Mas des Caprices “ZE” (Fitou 2016) Regular Price $31

Mireille and Pierre Mann quickly made a name for themselves by producing tasty, genuine wines on the Mediterranean coast. Certified organic in 2009, their guiding philosophy is meticulous work in the vineyard while respecting nature. A blend of 40% Carignan, 35% Grenache, and 25% Mourvèdre from the windswept Leucate cliff. Fruit, both ripe and fresh, provides the foundation for this crowd-pleasing red. Maturation takes place for nine months, mainly in concrete vats, with around 20% aging in old barrels. Exceptionally floral on the nose, a sip seduces the palate with velvety tannins and silky berry salad. Pop a bottle for pizza, shawarma, or (virtual) game night with friends.

2) Le Clos du Serres “Saint-Jean” (Terrasses du Larzac 2017) Regular Price $24

In 2006, Béatrice and Sébastien Fillon purchased 37 acres divided into 15 parcels near the town of Saint Jean de la Blaquière. The diversity of the soil across all of their parcels includes schist, sandstone, pebbles & shingle, and red ruffes (deep deposits of sandstone accumulated some 265 million years ago and exposed by erosion). “Saint-Jean” is a blend of 25% each Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault, and Oeillade (a grape indigenous to the Languedoc and close to extinction). It’s a wine that expresses all the terroir the village has to offer. After maturation for 12 months in concrete vats the result is a wine that is luscious with fruit but balanced, with floral, spice, and red berry aromatics.

3) Domaine Saint Patrice “Vieilles Vignes” (Côtes-du-Rhône 2016) Regular Price $18

From their first vintage, Domaine Saint Patrice became one of the finest producers in Châteauneuf-du-Pape.  “Vieilles Vignes” Côtes-du-Rhône is boisterously fruity in aromatics and flavor with some clean earth and a hint of herbs. A sip is downright poundable, juicy, with a finish that extends far beyond its reasonable price. It has all the elements one looks for in the type. The attractive price is just the cherry on top. It is a blend of Grenache, Mourvèdre, and Syrah from three plots: Les Champauvins, Le Coudoulet, and Boisfeuillet. In the cellar, maceration and fermentation are done in concrete tanks. Aging takes place over 14 months in concrete vats and large oak foudre with a further 12 months after bottling.

Mont Sainte-Victoire

 

 

 

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$210 “The Antoni Gaudí” Wine-Aid Package – 12 Bottles Spanish Wine (9 Bottles Red, 3 Bottles White, All Included and Delivered)

“Anything created by human beings is already in the great book of nature.” — Antoni Gaudí

Introducing The Antoni Gaudí, a $215 Wine-Aid package that includes 12 bottles of Spanish wine illustrating the diverse range of wines available from Catalunya on the Mediterranean Sea all the way to “Green Spain” and the Atlantic coast. The price includes tax and delivery, as well as a 10% discount. We will also honor the 10% discount on any bottles you might wish to add to the Wine-Aid package. 

Antoni Gaudí was a Catalan architect who has become internationally known as one of the top exponents of modernism. His incomparable architectural language defies classification. Of particular note for us lovers of wine is Gaudí’s design for Celler Güell near Barcelona — A wine cellar totally integrated into the rocky landscape wedged between the Mediterranean Sea and the Garraf Massif mountain range, perfectly in tune with its arid location. 

This selection of Spanish wine pays homage to Antoni Gaudí’s pioneering work with organic forms. He took his inspiration from nature, in a way somewhat similar to the winemaker that must craft a wine with the fruit that a growing season provides. 

Included in The Antoni Gaudí” Wine-Aid box is three bottles of each:

1) Coto de Gomariz “Abadía” (Ribeiro 2012) Regular Price $28

One of the vanguard producers in the northwestern Spanish wine production zone of Ribeiro is the Bodega of Coto de Gomariz. Located in the Avia valley near the Atlantic coast, they enjoy a unique microclimate created by the Avia river. “Abadía” is a blend of local red grapes that consists of 50% Sousón complemented with Brancellao, Ferrol, and Mencía from the village of Gomariz where soils are granitic with schist and clay. Though fermented in stainless steel, the wine is aged for one year in 300-liter used oak barrels, mostly of French origin, to tame some of the hairy tannins that Sousón can exhibit. With a few years of age, the wine is presently drinking at its peak. A sip is juicy little forest berries with a long and winding cherry pit finish. On the nose, the berry fruit is sweeter with hints of licorice and cream. 

2) Artuke “Artuke” (Rioja 2018) Regular Price $16

One of the most exciting producers in Rioja right now, Artuke is brothers Arturo and Kike de Miguel Blanco, third generation viticulturalists. These two young men have completely refocused the family winery to cultivate small vineyard plots in and around their village of Ábalos in the high elevation foothills of the Cantabrian Mountains. “Artuke” is made with the carbonic maceration method, a wine-making technique used to enhance aromatics and produce luscious, fresh, fruity wines preferred by Basques in the northern sub-zone of Alavesa. It is a blend of mainly Tempranillo grapes with about 5% of the white grape, Viura. This mouth-watering red wine takes a relatively deep chill which makes it a versatile pairing with all types of food: tuna, pretty much anything made with zucchini, fried chicken, gooey cheese sandwiches, pizza, etc…

3) Bodegas Cesar Príncipe “13 Cantaros Nicolas” (Cigales 2016) Regular Price $16

The red wines of star producer Ignacio Príncipe are emerging as superb wines that rival or exceed Cigales’ well-known neighbors of Ribera del Duero and Toro. The soil of Cigales is unique by virtue of its large pudding stones which litter the vineyards and the region’s winemakers insist that this soil is most ideal for the Tempranillo variety. “13 Cántaros Nicolás” is 100% Tempranillo from 20-year-old vines in and around the Valladolid municipality of Fuensaldaña. The vines are organically cultivated and hand-harvested. It is fleshy with intense aromas of red fruits, plum, jam, and spices. Ripe but balanced, it’s an excellent wine to pair with everything from roast vegetables to burgers.

4) Ca N’Estruc Blanc (Catalunya 2017) Regular Price $14

Francisco Martí is co-owner of perhaps the finest wine shop in Spain, Vila Viniteca, located in the El Born district of old Barcelona. Yet he has spent much of his life in the vineyards of the Ca n’Estruc estate that lies on the slopes of Montserrat at over 500 feet in elevation. The Vineyards are ideally orientated to optimize sunshine and hold some vines that are close to 80 years old. A blend of Xarel•lo, Macabeo, Muscat, Garnatxa Blanca, and Chardonnay, “Ca N’Estruc Blanc” is organically cultivated and manually harvested. Pale yellow with a greenish hue in the glass, a sip is crisp and dry with aromas of ripe peaches and pears and a subtle note of herbs. Drink it with grilled zucchini, shrimp, or just drink it while you’re grilling.

 

Celler Güell

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The Champagne Society — June 2020 Selection

Champagne Jacquesson “Cuvée 742” (Extra Brut)
Price for The Champagne Society members: $76 (regular price $89)

Long-time subscribers to The Champagne Society will no doubt be familiar with Champagne Jacquesson’s 700-series created to showcase the character of a particular vintage with the addition of a small amount of reserve wines designed to reinforce the complexity of the base wine.

Indeed, the 700-series is proving to be consistently one of the best non-vintage Champagnes available. We are pleased to share “Cuvée 742” – their latest release based on the 2014 vintage.

Although technically a Champagne house, brothers Laurent and Jean-Hervé Chiquet operate Champagne Jacquesson much like a grower operation. Besides their own organic and sustainably farmed 69 acres of vineyard (severely pruned for low yields), they work closely with their neighbors to supplement from an additional 19 acres, all in Grand Cru and Premier Cru vineyards. What sets them apart is their goal of producing a wine that expresses the greatness of their vineyard parcels rather than merely maintain a “house style.” Purely on the refinement of its current cuvées, Jacquesson can easily be ranked among Champagne‘s top six producers.

Laurent and Jean-Hervé describe their 2014 harvest from the Premiers Crus and Grands Crus villages of Aÿ, Dizy, Hautvillers (59%) and Avize and Oiry (41%): “Winter was rainy and exceptionally mild, spring was hot and very dry, whilst July and August were cool and very wet. A hot, dry and sunny September saved the year. The balance of alcohol and acidity was excellent and the health of the grapes was generally good. However, after picking, rigorous sorting of some parcels affected by small sources of acid rot was necessary. As a result, the Chardonnays were superb, and the Meuniers, but above all the Pinot Noirs, held their own. The blend is completed with the addition of some reserve wines.”

The dosage is minimal at 1.5 grams per liter. The result is a Champagne with the energy and sap one expects from the 700-series that reflects all the vitality of the vintage. William Kelley of Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate describes it lovingly: “Wafting from the glass with a complex bouquet of walnut oil, dried white flowers, saffron, citrus oil and crisp orchard fruit, along with a delicate top note of fino sherry, it’s medium to full-bodied, sapid and incisive, with superb concentration, racy acids and a long, resonant finish. I found it irresistible.”

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$175 “The Salvador Dali” Wine-Aid Package – 6 Bottles Spanish Red Wine (All Included and Delivered)

Spanish Surrealist artist Salvador Dalí believed that “a real connoisseur does not drink wine but tastes of its secrets.”

Introducing The Salvador Dali, a $175 Wine-Aid package that includes six bottles of very real Spanish red wine illustrating the lushness and balance that can be found from the Mediterranean Sea to the lower slopes of the Pyrenees. The price includes tax and delivery, as well as a 10% discount. We will also honor the 10% discount on any bottles you might wish to add to the Wine-Aid package. 

Dali’s paean to wine, The Wines of Gala, was first published in 1976 as a follow-up to his cult 1973 cookbook Les Dîners de Gala. The book explores the pleasures of the fermented grape in text as well as sensuous and subversive visual works by the artist. Dali categorizes the wines “according to the sensations they create in our very depths” and this Wine-Aid selection might very well fall under what he would consider “Wines of Joy.”

Included in The Salvador Dali Wine-Aid box is two bottles of each:

1) Mas l’Altet “Avi” (Valencia, 2011) Regular Price $35

The husband-and-wife team of Alfredo Esteve and Nina Coolsaet are the heart and soul behind Bodega Mas l’Altet. The couple’s five acre vineyard is situated in the southern portion of the DO Valencia in a microclimate that benefits both from the cooling effect of high elevation and the warmth of the nearby Mediterranean Sea. “Avi” is a blend of mainly Syrah with a large portion of Cabernet Sauvignon and a touch of Garnacha and Merlot. Deeply aromatic and bountiful with ripe fruit, the fitness of the vineyards are evident in each rich, concentrated glassful. As you might suspect, with only five acres, yield is miniscule. Only a few hundred cases are produced each vintage. 

2) Domaines Lupier “El Terroir” (Navarra 2014) Regular Price $34

Domaines Lupier have been garnering international accolades from their first vintage in 2008. They produce 100% Garnacha wine from 27 separate plots, with vines ranging from 68 to over 100 years old (the oldest vineyard planted in 1903), at elevations up to 2,500 feet. This is the northern region of Navarra, more specifically, the cool and mountainous sub-zone of Baja Montaña, where wines can show harmony of ripeness and freshness with all the precision of an oceanic climate. “El Terroir” is aromatically complex with layers of floral, cherry, and spice. A sip is superbly balanced and practically begs another in short measure. It puts to mind Château Rayas – another 100% old-vines, Grenache-based wine from the legendary producer in Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

3) Artuke “Pies Negros” (Rioja, 2017) Regular Price $24

One of the most exciting producers in Rioja right now, Artuke is brothers Arturo and Kike de Miguel Blanco, third generation viticulturalists. With less than 55 total acres of vineyards distributed over 32 different plots these two young men have completely refocused the family winery to cultivate small vineyard plots in and around their village of Ábalos in the high elevation foothills of the Cantabrian Mountains. “Pies Negros” is a blend of mostly Tempranillo with a small amount of Graciano from vines as old as 95 years. The wine is especially pretty on the nose with a heady floral scent wrapped around candied fruit and cinnamon. A medium-bodied sip is generous and swells through the midpalate to finish with a touch of earth.

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$240 “The Baudelaire” Wine-Aid Package – 9 Bottles Red Bordeaux, 3 Bottles White Bordeaux (All Included and Delivered)

You have to be always drunk. That’s all there is to it—it’s the only way. So as not to feel the horrible burden of time that breaks your back and bends you to the earth, you have to be continually drunk.

But on what? Wine, poetry or virtue, as you wish. But be drunk.

And if sometimes, on the steps of a palace or the green grass of a ditch, in the mournful solitude of your room, you wake again, drunkenness already diminishing or gone, ask the wind, the wave, the star, the bird, the clock, everything that is flying, everything that is groaning, everything that is rolling, everything that is singing, everything that is speaking…ask what time it is and wind, wave, star, bird, clock will answer you: ‘It is time to be drunk! So as not to be the martyred slaves of time, be drunk, be continually drunk! On wine, on poetry or on virtue as you wish.’  – Charles Baudelaire

Introducing The Baudelaire, a $240 Wine-Aid package that includes a mix of nine bottles of red Bordeaux and three bottles of white Bordeaux. The price includes tax and delivery, as well as a 10% discount. We will also honor the 10% discount on any bottles you might wish to add to the Wine-Aid package. 

Charles Baudelaire was a French poet and essayist, and one of the major innovators in French Literature. We thought Baudelaire would be a nice contrast to our 6-pack Wine-Aid “The Brillat-Savarin” as Baudelaire once criticized Brillat-Savarin’s famous food book The Physiology of Taste because he felt there simply was not enough attention paid to the wine.

So we doubled the amount of bottles in this Wine-Aid package in Baudelaire’s honor. 

Included in The Baudelaire Wine-Aid box is three bottles of each:

 

1) Château Peyrabon (Haut-Médoc 2015) Regular Price $25

Château Peyrabon is a Cru Bourgeois property owned by Patrick Bernard, who is related to Olivier Bernard of Domaine de Chevalier. It is somewhat of an unusual estate due to having vineyards in both Pauillac and Haut Médoc. Since its purchase in 1998, Peyrabon has both increased in size and improved in quality. A blend of around half Cabernet Sauvignon with the remainder split between Merlot and Cabernet Franc, the wine is laden with scents of blackberry, raspberry, and cold wet stone. A medium-bodied palate with tensile tannin and a fine freshness makes this a versatile red for pretty much any meal. 

 

Château le Temple Médoc 2015 | Wine Info2) Château Le Temple (Médoc 2015) Regular Price $21

Third generation winemaker Denis Bergey’s 37 acre Château Le Temple estate is full of that Garonne gravel. The average age of his vines are around 35 to 40 years old. Older vines along with a focus on sustainable viticulture and the highest quality of fruit are the keys to producing this fresh and delightful wine. Ripe red cherry and cranberry fruit are the driving aromatics with just a hint of cedar and tobacco. On the palate it is harmonious with a medium-body, fine tannin, and a crisp acidity. Just right to pair with a burger. 

 

Vignoble Millaire Château La Hase Bordeaux | Wine Info3) Château La Hase (Bordeaux 2015) Regular Price $15

Christine & Jean-Yves Millaire use organic and biodynamic methods to farm their vineyards on the right bank of the Dordogne river near Fronsac. Millaire had previously worked for Patrick Moulinet at Château Haut-Brisson in St-Émilion. The parcel named “La Hase” (a female hare) is done so in honor of Millare’s grandfather, who taught him the art of hunting. This Merlot-based wine is fresh, fruity, and poundable. It’s a fantastic wine to pair with a makeshift dinner of cold cuts and cheese. 

 

4) Clarendelle Blanc (Bordeaux 2018) Regular Price $23

Clarendelle hails from the properties of Domaine Clarence Dillon, owners of the renowned estates Château Haut-Brion and Château La Mission Haut-Brion. Although made more for everyday drinking, the production of Clarendelle is attended to with the same care as the domaine’s more famous bottles. The 2018 is composed of one-third each of Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon and Muscadelle. The nose features attractive floral aromas as well as tropical nuances of peach and pineapple. The rich, spicy Sémillon and Muscadelle add minerality and body. 

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Everything Is Gonna Be Alright

Italy was one of the first countries hit hard by coronavirus. Gripped by a countrywide lockdown because of rocketing numbers of cases, Italians did what they could to boost their morale and began spreading a slogan of reassurance: “Andrà tutto bene” – everything will be alright. 

Clearly, this pandemic has not been good for events of any kind. But things will eventually return to some type of normalcy: restaurants will be open, winemakers will be visiting, we’ll be “Saturday Sipping” again. We are just as excited about hosting a new wine event as you are about attending one.  

In the meantime, we encourage you to take advantage of our back door pick-up or free delivery. We can easily process the payment of your purchase over the phone and load you up without you needing to get out of the car. Or we can deliver it to your doorstep for free (within a reasonable distance of our shop) and leave it there for you to bring in at your convenience. 

The good news is that we are already seeing signs that social distancing is paying off. So hang in there a little longer, and remember: Everything Is Gonna Be alright!

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$150 “The Brillat-Savarin” Wine-Aid Package – 6 Bottles of Red Bordeaux (All Included and Delivered)

“A meal without wine is like a day without sun.” — Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin

Introducing The Brillat-Savarin, a $150 Wine-Aid package that includes a mix of six bottles of red Bordeaux from three different producers. All wines are from the “Left Bank” of the Gironde Estuary and take advantage of Bordeaux’s famous Garonne gravel. The price includes tax and delivery, as well as a 10% discount. We will also honor the 10% discount on any bottles you might wish to add to the Wine-Aid package.

Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin was the French philosopher of the kitchen who effectively founded the whole genre of the gastronomic essay. His book, The Physiology of Taste, is the most famous book about food ever written and has been continuously in print since 1825. These wine selections are as classic and civilized as Brillat-Savarin’s prose. 

Included in The Brillat-Savarin Wine-Aid box is two bottles of each:

 

1) Château Anthonic (Moulis-en-Médoc 2015) Regular Price $33

Château Anthonic is one of the oldest estates of Moulis-en-Médoc, the Left-Bank appellation adjoining Margaux. Today the Château’s organically cultivated vineyards span over 74 acres and are mostly planted on the clay-limestone soils of the Moulis plateau. These soils are complemented by parcels of sandy-clay and Garonne gravel which add complexity to this unique terroir. A blend of 70% Merlot, 28% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 2% Cabernet Franc, the wine is matured for 12 months in oak barrels, of which 25 to 33% is new. Blackberry and woodland scents highlight this intense and elegant wine. 

 

2) Château Peyrabon (Haut-Médoc 2015) Regular Price $25

Château Peyrabon is a Cru Bourgeois property owned by Patrick Bernard, who is related to Olivier Bernard of Domaine de Chevalier. It is somewhat of an unusual estate due to having vineyards in both Pauillac and Haut Médoc. Since its purchase in 1998, Peyrabon has both increased in size and improved in quality. A blend of around half Cabernet Sauvignon with the remainder split between Merlot and Cabernet Franc, the wine is laden with scents of blackberry, raspberry, and cold wet stone. A medium-bodied palate with tensile tannin and a fine freshness makes this a versatile red for pretty much any meal. 

 

Château le Temple Médoc 2015 | Wine Info3) Château Le Temple (Médoc 2015) Regular Price $21

Third generation winemaker Denis Bergey’s 37 acre Château Le Temple estate is full of that Garonne gravel. The average age of his vines are around 35 to 40 years old. Older vines along with a focus on sustainable viticulture and the highest quality of fruit are the keys to producing this fresh and delightful wine. Ripe red cherry and cranberry fruit are the driving aromatics with just a hint of cedar and tobacco. On the palate it is harmonious with a medium-body, fine tannin, and a crisp acidity. Just right to pair with a burger or a cheese plate.