Wine & Spirits

Part of the Chanel empire and made on an island off the coast of Hyères that was once privately owned by the Belgian entrepreneur Fournier, this 2020 rosé of Domaine l’Ile de Porquerolles offers mashed strawberries, peach, crushed stones and lime on the nose with a touch of anise. Med-bodied, concentrated and laced with lots of ripe cherries and mashed strawberries on the palate. It provides good freshness with crunchy acids and a dry, mineral and bitter-tinged finish.

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Deep purple to the eyes. Warm nose with plenty of earth and power in the background hints of graphite and game. Charred plum, dark cherry and pepper herbs mingle with chocolatey tannins to bring a rich texture with notable piquancy in aftertaste. Great vintage.-DC Kaz

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90+/100 Blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre that didn’t see oak. Located in Sorgues, which is nearby Châteauneuf-du-Pape. This is a distinctive old-world style of wine. Notes of meat, smoke, black raspberry, dried strawberry, and leather. Full in body with big tannins, this is a touch rustic and full of character. Those that don’t want to splurge on Châteauneuf-du-Pape should seek this out. Dr. Matthew Horkey

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Domaine de la Grace d’Ornon is the second wine of Château Pontac Monplaisir, property of the Maufras family since 1920. Acquired by Auguste Maufras on this date, it belongs today to Alain Maufras. The willigness of this family: performance and quality thanks to their know-how and their knowledge of the vineyard. The Castle is located in the municipality of Villenave d’Ornon. The vines adjoin those of Carbonnieux and Couhins. The vineyard now covers 16 hectares, 13 of which are devoted to red wine. The grape variety is 55% Cabernet Sauvignon and 45% Merlot. At the tasting, Domaine de la Grace d’Ornon will seduce you with its subtle dress, its fine and elegant nose and its mouth revealing an aptitude for a slight aging.

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There is a hint of the exotic about the making of Delamotte Rosé champagne, and perhaps a little eccentricity too! It is made with the traditional bleeding technique rarely used in Champagne. Color and aromatic range are extracted from the grape skin. How? They are left to macerate in their skin before and/or during fermentation. This delivers an elegant and structured wine thanks to Grand Cru Pinot Noir growing on the south-east facing hillsides of the Montagne de Reims: Ambonnay, Bouzy and Tours-sur-Marne. In association with Chardonnay from Mesnil-sur-Oger, this rosé is a dazzling salmon pink in color, with an amazingly complex wine sparkling beneath. After bottling, Delamotte Rosé matures for around three years on the lees before disgorgement. TASTING NOTES This is a refined, somewhat smoky wine, the stuff that dreams are made of - for an afternoon or at dessert time, with perhaps a raspberry charlotte or a red fruit coulis. PAIRING The ideal accompaniments for this sophisticated wine with slightly smoky notes are raspberry charlotte, red fruit soups and sugary desserts of the kind that Marcel Proust would surely never forget.

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Quite impressive Chardonnay, that starts with a little fizz, and with all the chalk from behind, it makes you think of champagne. Chalky, mineral, with lots of stone fruits, iodine, mild tangerines & grapefruit zest, some flowers and pastry notes. Fermentation and ageing in concrete tanks, no sulfur added. Vertical wine, with racy acidity and weight in the palate. Amazing value.

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Olivier Pithon is a rising star in the world of natural wine. From the soil to the bottle, Olivier Pithon is focused on one simple rule: making wines the most natural way possible, with a deep respect for the environment. His 2020 "Lais" Blanc is a blend of 60% Maccabeu, 20% Grenache Gris and 20% Grenache Blanc, all grown on schiste-based soils. A light touch of new oak complements the wine's reductive style nicely.

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This item only can pick up at our store. Vin Amok: 97. Unbelievable textured. Well, yes this wine is young, yet so smooth as velvet. Supple tannins and layers of charming fruit, truffles, wild mushrooms and a very fine herbal touch. What a treat! True tour de force, no less. And a special thanks to my 3,000 followers, what a milestone! --!! Donners !!

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This item only can pick up at our store. Domaine Faiveley combines the principles of modern winemaking methods with the time honored traditions that have been practiced for centuries within their 19th century cellars. Each terroir and each vintage, benefits from special attention which makes the cuvées unique. Each bottle therefore becomes the faithful reflection of its terroir. Terroir: The famed vineyard of Musigny sits high on the hillside adjacent to Echézeaux to the south and Clos de Vougeot direct below. Domaine Faiveley owns approximately .08 acres of the heavily divided 30 acre vineyard. Exposure is mainly east/ southeast with soils of shallow limestone, red clay and gravel. Vinification: Grapes are hand harvested and sorted upon arrival at the domaine. Following a short maceration the must undergoes primary fermentation in a combination of stainless steel and wooden vats. The young wines are aged in 70% lightly toasted new oak barrels for 16 to 18 months.  

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it used to be planted mostly to red before many growers replanted to Chardonnay.  This is a shame as Chassagne-Montrachet offers some fantastic examples of classical Red Burgundy, some at a more reasonable price than it's more notable and expensive neighbors. For this bottling, Pillot exploits over a hectare of vineyards planted in 1960 (55+ years old) to Pinot Noir at the village level. This is a robust, cherry-flavored wine of strength and vigor.

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Pernand Vergelesses is a go-to example of why we like to focus on Burgundy’s edges: quality, price and availability.The terroir couldn’t be better—for either red or white wine. It’s a small appellation that lies at the foot of the legendary hill of Corton. In fact, some of Corton Charlemagnes’ vineyards are in Pernand. Pernand also has great producers, like Domaine Rollin who have been bottling their own production since the ‘50s, and selling a good chunk of it to Neal Rosenthal since the early ‘80s. Rollin has always been particularly great for anyone interested in Burgundian terroir, as their light touch with oak really lets the soil signature shine, even at a young age.In spite of how good the wines are they remain somewhat under the radar, especially here in California. That might be because Pernand generally still lacks a bit of the caché of its neighbors, or perhaps because their style of precise, light touch wines of nuance and transparency wasn't quite what Chardonnay and Pinot drinkers had in mind in the Bay Area during the 90s and aughts. Whatever the reason, things are starting to change.Simon Rollin, who joined his father Remí at the domaine back in 2003, made a long awaited trip to SF a couple months ago and I was fortunate to attend a dinner with him and Jean-Marc Pillot. Judging by the packed dining room and the reception from the crowd I don't think Simon's wines will be flying under the radar much longer.Given climate change, Pernand’s exposition means slower maturations with gorgeous complexity and perfectly balanced acidity. As things continue to heat up in Burgundy the cooler sites in Pernand, Savigny and the like will be ever more appealing.

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Deep ruby red colour. Medium nose with cherry, blackcurrant, blackberry, chocolate, eucalyptus and tobacco. Medium taste of cherry, blackcurrant, chocolate, tobacco and leather. Medium long and dry finish. High acidity. Medium tannins. A good red Bordeaux that drinks well now. Goes well with beef or lamb. This item only can pick up on MP/ARC store

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