Jean-Claude et Nicolas Fayolle Crozes-Hermitage Rouge La Rochette 2015

Jean-Claude et Nicolas Fayolle Hermitage Rouge Donnieres is made from  100% Syrah.

Made from 40-year-old vines planted on granitic and rocky soils in the Lieu dit "Les Donnieres" at the bottom of the Hermitage's hill.

Intense inky ruby red color. 
The wine has plenty to offer with red and black fruit aromas, as well as a good minerality. 
The finish is very long, clean and juicy and offers a great spicy mouthfeel.

Soil is clay, silica and round pebbles.
Hand harvested in small crates. The grapes are then pumped into tanks (full cluster, not destemmed). 
It will stay in this tank for 15 days for the skin contact maceration and the Alcoholic fermentation.
Tey will also use the "rack and return" technique (delestage).
Then the wine is transfered into neutral French Oak barrels where the wine will complete the Malo-Lactic fermentation.

Delicious with grilled red meat such as venison or lamb and most cheeses.

Review:

"If the prebottling sample of the Fayolles' 2017 Hermitage Les Dionnieres is truly representative, purchasers will be in for a treat. It's inky dark in color, with a cassis-laden nose that's marked by hints of crushed stone. It's full-bodied and concentrated, tannic without being hard or overdone, and despite ample ripeness, there's structure and freshness. It looks to be the complete package and potentially in the same ballpark (quality-wise) as the impressive 2015. - Joe Czerwinski"

- Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate (Issue #239, October 31th 2018), 94-96 pts

Fayolle Crozes-Hermitage Rouge La Rochette is made from 25-year-old vines planted on loess and red granitic soils. 100% Syrah.

Deep ruby red color. 
The wine has plenty to offer with red and black fruit aromas, as well as a good minerality. 
The finish is long, clean and juicy and offers some white pepper spiciness typical of the best Crozes-Hermitage.

Soil type is red brittle granite and white soil.
Hand harvested in small crates. The grapes are then pumped into tanks (full cluster, not destemmed). 
It will stay in this tank for 15 days for the skin contact maceration and the Alcoholic fermentation.
They will also use the "rack and return" technique (delestage).
Then the wine is transfered into neutral French Oak barrels where the wine will complete the Malo-Lactic fermentation.

Made from 38-year-old vines planted on Granitic and stony soils. 100% Syrah.

Wine will be bottled in April 2017.

Deep ruby red color. 
The wine has plenty to offer with red and black fruit aromas, as well as a good minerality. 
The finish is long, clean and juicy and offers some white pepper spiciness typical of the best Crozes-Hermitage.

Soil type is clay and granit covered with pebbles. 
Hand harvested in small crates. The grapes are then pumped into tanks (full cluster, not destemmed). 
It will stay in this tank for 15 days for the skin contact maceration, the Alcoholic fermentation and the Malo-Lactic Fermentation.
They will also use the "rack and return" technique (delestage).
Then the wine is transfered into neutral French Oak barrels.

Delicious with griled red meat and most cheeses.

Review:

"Crisp black-plum and bramble notes are accented by pepper, char and anise in this lean, briskly composed Syrah. It's concentrated but spry, framed by grippy but finely edged tannins and a firm, granitic finish. Drink now through 2025. - ANNA LEE C. IIJIMA"

- Wine Enthusiast Magazine (September 2018), 91 pts

Graviere La Rouge Cuvee les Terrasses is made of 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Sauvignon

Deep red color with a narrow purple rim. Attractive aromas of ripe, juicy cherry and blackberry over spice, integrated toasted aromas. The palate is balanced and full-bodied with supple tannins, displaying rich cherry flavors combined with gentle toasting characters and a touch of spice. The finish is lasting with a bitter almond aftertaste.

Average age of the vines is 25 years. 
Manual harvest from September 21th to October 7th 2015.
Upon arrival at the winery, only the best grapes were selected using a sorting table.
Skin contact maceration during 2 weeks in temperature controlled vats. 
75% of the final wine was aged in stainless steel tanks with French oak staves and blended with 25% of wine aged in barrels.

Serve with red, white meats, poultry and fine cheeses.

Review:

"Offering a Graves-like style in its smoked earth, dark fruits, coffee grind, and earthy, tobacco-laced aromas and flavors, the 2015 Chateau La Graviere Les Terrasses Cotes de Bourg is medium to full-bodied, has a fleshy, rounded, sexy texture, and a great finish. It’s another gem from the 2015 vintage that over-delivers. Drink it any time over the coming 7-8 years."
- Jeb Dunnuck (March 27th 2019), 90 pts

CLOSEOUT!

Les Pieds dans les Galets Chateauneuf du Pape Rouge Vieilles Vignes is made from 60% Grenache Noir, 30% Mourvedre and 10% Syrah.

Fruity : on the red and fresh fruits (strawberries, raspberries, cherries...) - Spicy (pepper) – Intense and rich flavours, as to the nose as to the mouth, on the red fruits. Real beautiful balance and freshness. Excellent tannic structure which provides a wine with a particularly good ageing potential.

Made from 80 years old vines (the oldest vines are 100 years old). 
They are using temperature controlled tanks in order to keep the must at 30°C during fermentation. 
The winemaking process lasts about 20-25 days before starting the Ageing Process in oak kegs.
100% of the wine goes through Malolactic Fermentation.
The wine is bottled without filtration.

   Pairs wines:

- red meats (lamb, beef, ...) 
- game (duck, rabbit, ...)
- cheese 
 

– traditional cooking, as a meal made of seasonal vegetables, a beautiful piece of meat and a creamy or spicy sauce with some mushrooms.

The 2015 Chateauneuf du Pape Les Pieds dans les Galets Vieilles Vignes delivers raspberry and garrigue notes, a medium to full-bodied palate and supple, velvety tannins. It's really drinkable, a far cry from super ripe and highly extracted examples of the appellation, but it's still delicious and a pure joy to drink, now and for the next decade. -  Joe Czerwinski Wine Advocate 92 Points

"La Brulade" is the name of a select slope located at an altitude of 400 meters overlooking the Mediterranean sea between La Baie d'Amour (the town of La Ciotat) in the South and La Sainte Baume in the North. This is one of the highest parcels in the Bandol appellation.
The wine is only produced in exceptional vintages. This carefully selected blend is made of 95% Mourvedre and 5% Grenache, aged in large French oak barrels for 24 months.
The wine shows a deep purple color. It is fresh and fruity on the nose with intense garrigue aromas. Structured, elegant and well-balanced on the palate with strong tannins. Licorice, ripe black fruits, garrigue flavors and some peppery freshness on the finish.

The 35-year old grapes are grown on clay and limestone soils and are farmed organically. Yield is very low - 15hl/ha. The grapes are harvested manually.
Winemaking: Double selection, destemming, crushing before skin contact fermentation. No filtration. Aging for 24 months in French oak casks (600L).

Grilled meat (lamb, beef, boar), Mediterranean cuisine, spicy dishes.

Review:

"The inky-colored 2015 Bandol Rouge la Brulade is 95% Mourvèdre, aged two years in demi-muids. Rich, plummy and intense, it showcases the power and majesty of Mourvèdre but somehow tames the tannins to manageable proportions. It's full-bodied and dense, boasting hints of lavender, thyme and sage to go along with the dark fruit flavors. It should drink well soon and remain strong through at least 2030. - Joe Czerwinski"
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (Interim end of September, September 2018), 93 pts

The flagship 2015 Bandol Brulade is a powerful, serious Bandol that knocks it out of the park with its monster nose of dark fruits, cured meats, sandalwood, olive tapenade, and leathery characteristics. Medium to full-bodied, concentrated, and pure, with plenty of sexy fruit, it’s a terrific, serious Bandol that needs another 2-3 years of bottle age and will keep for 15-20."
- Jeb Dunnuck (March 27th 2019), 94 pts