Country: | France |
Region: | Loire |
Winery: | Ecu (Guy Bossard) |
Grape Type: | Melon de Bourgogne |
Vintage: | 2018 |
Bottle Size: | 750 ml |
Domaine de Beaurenard Chateauneuf-du-Pape is made from 65% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre.
Domaine de Beaurenard’s flagship wine is a quintessential blend, reflecting all the diversity of the terroir and the perfect synergy that exists between the soils and the grapes. It offers a supple and refined texture associated with a delicate aromatic palette that is the result of a constant quest for freshness.
Review:
Checking in as a blend of 65% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre, and the rest a handful of varieties, the 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape was brought up in a mix of foudre and older barrels. This deep ruby/purple-hued effort has a pure, vibrant, incredibly seamless, medium to full-bodied style that carries classic notes of black raspberry and black cherry fruits as well as peppery herbs, violets, spring flowers, and sous bois. This straight-up gorgeous, seamless, ultra-fine 2019 should be snatched up by readers. It has a rare mix of elegance, purity, and power, and it’s going to have two decades of prime drinking.
-Jeb Dunnuck 95 Points
Domaine de Beaurenard Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc is made from Clairette blanche & Rose, Grenache Blanc & Gris, Bourboulenc, Roussanne, Picpoul and Picardan.
Gold bright green color. Expressive nose with pear and stone fruits aromas (peach, apricot) with jasmine and roasted almonds notes. The mouth is smooth and fleshy like stone fruit we can smell, with a long a nice finish.
Review:
Bright golden yellow, silver reflections. Delicate herbal spices, a hint of chamomile and mandarin zest, pears and blossom honey are underneath. Juicy, elegant, white peach, delicate honeydew melon, mineral and harmonious, fine fruit sweetness, good ripening potential.
-Falstaff 92 Points
A bright, high-pitched style, with makrut lime, green apple and green melon flavors laced with a jasmine note. A subtle mineral edge provides balance on the finish. Drink now through 2024
-Wine Spectator 91 Points
All older vintage wines have been purchased from a single collectors cellar. Pictures can be requested before shipment.
Domaine de la Janasse Chateauneuf-du-Pape Cuvee Vieilles Vignes is made from 65% Grenache, 20% Mourvèdre, 10% Syrah, 5% divers.
In contrast to Chaupin, which is made from old-vine Grenache on sandy soils, the cuvée Vieilles Vignes is from old vines of Grenache, Mourvedre, Syrah along with smaller percentages of other permitted varieties that are grown in these old vineyards. The wine is sourced from 4 terroirs: pebbly clay, sand, gravelly red clay and sandy limestone. Vieilles Vignes is always the most powerful and concentrated Châteauneuf-du-Pape cuvée made at Domaine de la Janasse.
Review:
The 2020 Châteauneuf Du Pape Vieilles Vignes also saw some stems (the estate started keeping some stems with the 2016 vintage) and was 75% destemmed, with the blend being 70% Grenache, 20% Mourvèdre, and the rest Syrah, Cinsault, and Terret Noir. As usual, it’s a more powerful, black-fruited wine comparted to the Cuvée Chaupin and has lots of crème de cassis, liquid violet, crushed stone, woodsmoke, and peppery herbs. It displays the vintage’s purity and freshness yet brings the concentration as well as the structure. I’ll be shocked if it’s not in the handful of top wines in the vintage.
-Jeb Dunnuck 96-98 Points
Delas Hermitage Domaine des Tourettes is made from Syrah.
The wine has a brilliant, deep red hue. The nose is powerful and complex, expressing blackberries, spices and leather. On the palate the wine is firm but silky, with a tightly-knit tannic structure that is the hallmark of wines that have a good future.
Pair this wine with rare or medium-cooked games, marinated meats and spicy stews. We recommend opening this bottle between one and three hours before drinking
Review:
A blend of fruit from the lieux-dits Les Bessards, Le Sabot and L’Ermite, this 2019 draws together a picture of the Hermitage hill in all its grandeur and complexity. At its center, it’s bright and juicy, filled with ripe berry flavors; around the edges, it’s stony and firm, with herbal notes that accent its cool reserve. It shows some vanilla and spice tones from its time in oak (a mix of new and barrels) but the fruit handles it well, absorbing it into a warm, rich density of flavor. This should age well for 20 years or more.
-Wine & Spirits 96 Points
The nose is a basket of fruits with yellow and white flesh, where peach and exotic fruits dominate. A few notes of vanilla and brioche add a touch of extra fat. The richness of its mouth unfolds in a long sarabande of persistent aromas.
This blend is an ideal companion to a serving of Fillet of St. Pierre fish cooked on the skin.
Review:
Moving to the whites, the 2021 Châteauneuf du Pape Blanc is close to an even split of Clairette, Roussanne, and Grenache Blanc. It has a layered, medium to full-bodied style offering classic aromatics of white peach, acacia flowers, and honeyed minerality. Fresh, pure, and vibrant, it brings plenty of richness and depth. Drink it over the coming 3-5 years or. It will keep longer, if you're so inclined. Best after 2022.
-Jeb Dunnuck 93 Points
Domaine de l'Ecu Muscadet Classic is made from 100% Melon de Bourgogne
This vintage claims to be “Classic” purely to set itself apart from the tendancy to promote wines whose aromas have their origin neither in the variety of grape nor in the locality...This Muscadet is developed and vinified to be appreciated young “on the fruit”. It is crystal clear and the color of yellow straw. Lime, grapefruit, white fruits, pear and apple, salty and citrus notes are generously present on the nose.
The mouth is rich, straight, providing a beautiful acid screen; lime and soft notes of the sea provide a good balance and a great freshness in this Muscadet, superb landmarks which stretch to the end....
GRAPE-VARIETY: Melon de Bourgogne. (Local name of the Muscadet grape)
SURFACE: 4.50 ha (11.12 acres).
AGE OF VINES: 30-35 years old.
CARACTERISTICS OT THE TERRITORY: Loire Valley vineyard
Orientation of the slopes is WEST and NORTH WEST.
Soil is Siliceous with a sub-soil of metamorphic rock.
PRODUCTION: 45 hl/ha
Soil ploughing and soil scraping. Canopy management.
PRUNING: Simple Guyot.
VINIFICATION AND REFINING:
Organicly farmed since 1975.
Biodynamic – Demeter certified since 1998
- 100 % hand-picked grapes
- Reception of the grape harvest by gravity.
- No use of pumps.
- Pneumatic pressing.
- No racking of the must.
- Fermentation 100 % natural yeast.
- Aged “on the lees” in underground vats
covered with glass tiles during 14 months.
This Muscadet would be a good accompaniment to a seafood platter, an oily fish, a white meat or would, of course, be the ideal companion to your aperitif.
Review:
"Charming, with a generous profile, exhibiting notes of pear, accented by hints of white pepper and coriander. A salty detail lingers on the persistent, mouthwatering finish. Drink now through 2023. 3,000 cases made, 500 cases imported. - AZ"
- Wine Spectator (December 2019), 90 pts
The Domaine de l'Ecu Guy Bossard Estate
The domaine is located in the hamlet of Le Landreau in Sevre et Maine, Muscadet's best region of production. The family has been producing wine there for 5 generations, but current owner Guy Bossard defies the prevailing view that organic producers can't make great wine. The estate became organic in 1975, and biodynamic in 1986. Guy Bossard makes his own compost using algae, forest brush and basalt. He produces 3 different cuvees, each masterfully crafted to highlight the expression of the specific soil types.
The Hermine d'Or designation is given to specially selected Cuvees of Muscadet, (tasted blind) that score highly. Hermine d'Or wines are picked for:
1. Typicity - Trueness to type (no oak here).
2. Ageability - The ability to improve in the bottle.
3. Minerality - Classic feature of wines of this region.
This insignia, Hermine d'Or, is as near a guarantee of quality as can be found in the region.
Matt Kramer, the Wine Spectator - My Wines of the Year -
"Ah, my beloved Muscadet always pops up on this list, as I like to buy'em and age'em for upward of a decade. Guy Bossard, the owner-winemaker of Domaine de l'Ecu, is obsessed with Muscadet. His vines and winemaking are fully biodynamic. If Burgundy's Domaine Leroy made Muscadet, it would be Domaine de l'Ecu. In the classic 2002 vintage, Bossard offered multiple bottlings based on soil types. His Expression de Granit is all about intense minerality; Expression d'Orthogneiss is spicier, richer and denser. Both need 10 years of age. The prices are absurdly low."
"The gifted, highly regarded Guy Bossard produces serious Muscadets, built to age; fully biodynamic since 1986." - Anthony Dias Blue's pocket guide to wine 2006
The Domaine de l'Ecu Guy Bossard Vineyard
Guy Bossard farms 17 hectares (42 acres) entirely using biodynamic methods. The average age of the vines is 45 years.
The wines are fermented "sur lie", on the yeast, to prevent oxidation and impart full flavor and a slight spritz to the finished product.
Le Blanc du Chateau des Landes Bordeaux Blanc is made from 50% Sauvignon Blanc and 50% Semillion.
Le Blanc du Chateau des Landes Bordeaux Blanc is a very fruity style of Bordeaux Blanc AOC. It has great aromatic intensity with white peach and citrus aromas.
No oak for this wine. The wine was aged on the lees for a few month in stainless steel tank.
Malolactic fermentation was completed as well in the process .
Excellent as an aperitif, it also goes very well with poultry and salads. If you have a chance to have access to fresh oyters, it is a great match as well.
The first vintage of this wine was made in 2018 as Nicolas Lassagne wanted to create an easy drinking wine that will be perfect as an aperitif in the summer time or to compliment salads and seafood in the winter time.
Domaine Jean Grivot Vosne-Romanee is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
Domaine Jean Grivot is among the great names in Burgundian wine. Étienne Grivot and his wife Marielle took over from Étienne’s father Jean Grivot in 1987. The vineyards are densely planted and farmed organically “sans certification” while the aim in the cellar is for balance and clear expression of terroir.
Jean Grivot’s 38.3 acres spread across 22 appellations with vineyards in the communes of Vosne-Romanée, Vougeot, Chambolle-Musigny, and Nuits-Saint-Georges. Besides the three grand crus, there are 8 premier crus including the much lauded Les Beaux Monts and Suchots in Vosne-Romanée. The grapes are completely de-stemmed and fermentation is spontaneous.
About the Vineyard:
Vosne-Romanée is from village-level parcels lying between the Vosne and the D974. Domaine Jean Grivot is one of the finest producers here and this wine is intended to be a classic expression of the village with red and black fruit perfumed with spice and violet nuances.
Wine Production:
The grapes are destemmed and maceration à froid usually lasts just a day or two. The alcoholic fermentation is spontaneous and malolactic fermentation occurs in barrel. Depending on the vintage, the proportion of new oak is around 25% for the village appellations.
Tasting Notes:
The wine shows aromas and flavors of red berries, herbs, and purple flowers. The palate is rich with ripe fruit and medium weight with bright acidity and fine tannins. Aging in up to 25% new Burgundian pièce brings notes of vanilla, toast, and baking spices.
Food Pairing:
Red Burgundy might be the world’s most flexible food wine. The wine’s high acidity, medium body, medium alcohol, and low tannins make it very food-friendly. Red Burgundy, with its earthy and sometimes gamey character, is a classic partner to roasted game birds, grilled duck breast, and dishes that feature mushrooms, black truffles, or are rich in umami.
Review:
Ripe plum and blackberry fruit, with well-integrated spice and a silky, plump texture which is nicely balanced by plenty of freshness; a typical village-level Vosne, but one that goes beyond in elegance and finesse. This is a blend of grapes grown both above and below grand crus (Aux Champs Perdrix in the case of the former, Aux Réas and others the latter). The total surface area is 2.5ha. The fruit is destemmed and carefully fermented before ageing in 30% new casks.
-Decanter 94 Points
Rutherford Ranch Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
Rich and vibrant with classic Rutherford Cabernet tannins, dark cherry mingled with toasty oak, sweet oak and sweet sage lingering on the palate.
The base for our Reserve Cabernet is from the world-renowned Rutherford appellation, which is home to our Abela and Franklin estate vineyards. Perfect climatic conditions and the region’s deep, loamy, well-drained soils produce dark, intensely flavored Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. Our rich soil sets the foundation for an exquisite, cellar-ready wine that will evolve in character and quality for years to come.
This Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is a beautiful complement to ribeye steak, rack of lamb or mushroom risotto.
Review:
A flint and gunpowder nose leads to bold graphite, blueberry and tobacco flavors in this full-bodied wine that is laced with a high level of fine-grained tannins. This wine is meant for aging, being so tightly packed with fruits and minerals and having the structure to keep it fresh while more complex flavors develop over time. Best from 2028–2038.
-Wine Enthusiast 93 Points