Wine & Spirits - Winter 2019 - 107

33RD A NNUA L B U YING G U ID E

F RA N C E W H I T E
BURGUNDY
236966

92 | Jean-Claude Boisset

$23

2016 Bourgogne Aligoté Les Moutots ^ This
grows at a vineyard in Chorey-lès-Beaune
where the vines are 50 years old, their roots
seeming to draw complexity out of the soil.
The wine reads as mineral-driven, layered
with scents of beeswax and honey, its textural
finesse developing over the course of several
days. It rested for 16 months, undisturbed,
in oak barrels (30 percent new), where it
developed that silken texture without losing its delicate perfume of white flowers and
herbs. (W&S 4/19) § Boisset Collection, St. Helena, CA -J.G.
236018

95 | Vincent Dampt

$36

2017 Chablis 1er Cru Côte de Léchet ^ The
grandson of Jean Defaix, Vincent Dampt
began working with his father, Daniel
Dampt, in 2002; two years later, he inherited
several parcels of vines, and established his
own domaine. His parcel at Côte de Léchet
faces southeast and the vines are more than
55 years old. Their fruit, vinified in stainless
steel without added yeasts, produced a wine
of awesome power, soothing in its delicacy,
lasting for minutes with the scent of meadow
flowers. The wine's pure flavors share the
mellow ripeness of golden apples, the dark
savor of veal stock and the brisk saltiness of
a sheep's milk cheese. With all that depth of
flavor, there's nothing aggressive about it,
just a fresh, subtle, stony Chablis that may
stop you for a moment from thinking about
anything else. (W&S 4/19) § Skurnik Wines &
Spirits, NY -J.G.
235913

92 | Château Vitallis

$19

2016 Mâcon-Fuissé ^ This wine's juicy green
pear flavors have the freshness of fruit picked
off the tree. Stay with it and its density
becomes more apparent, meaty and fleshy,
with a caramelized note over the ripe fruit.
Clean and complete. (W&S 4/19) § David Milligan Selections, NY -J.G.

LOIRE
235944

94 | Dom. Vincent Carême

$25

2017 Vouvray Sec ^ Vincent Carême has
assembled a 42-acre domaine in Vouvray,
including several parcels of 45-year-old vines.
He's proven himself to be a masterful grower
of chenin, delivering wines like this racy, delicious 2017. This vintage has a textural beauty,
combining silk and a more open, oxidative
feel of cotton, while the fruit ranges from

tart white currants to bruised apple. A spicy
fennel-seed complexity makes the wine feel
ornate. Compelling to drink now, this is
worth aging for several years. (W&S 4/19) §
Cape Classics, NY -J.G.
\236682

93 | Claude Branger

$16

2017 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie Les
Fils de Gras Moutons ^ Claude and Sebastien
Branger blend this wine from estate parcels
averaging 40 years old. Their 2017 is constricted in its salty pear flavors, but that
youthful concentration turns into an advantage with air, evolving toward kelpy Atlantic
intensity, layered with fruit: peaches that are
just coming into ripeness, bright oranges and
Meyer lemons. Crisply detailed, this should
age well. (W&S 4/19) § Vintage '59 Imports,
Washington, DC -J.G.

RHONE

Wine & Spirits

FRANC E ROSÉ
271140

92 | Ch. les Valentines

$18

2018 Côtes de Provence Le Caprice de
Clémentine Rosé ^ A blend of equal parts
cinsault and grenache from an estate halfway between Toulon and St-Tropez, this is
saline and spritzy at first, needing a little air
to coax out the red fruit. Even then it's taut
and nervy, its red-blushed peach flavors kept
firm by zesty lemony acidity. For grilled fish.
(W&S 8/19) § Evaton, Stamford, CT -T.Q.T.

FRANC E RED
BORDEAUX
270738

92 | Château de Brousse

$20

2015 Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux ^ All of
the Castillon wines our panel recommended
this year grow in the town of Belves, including de Brousse, an old property, renovated
in the 1980s, where the vines now average
30 years old, most of them on a south-facing slope of clay-limestone soils. The wine is
lovely, firm and lasting, with fragrant sourcherry flavors and silken tannins that carry
coriander-like spice. (W&S 6/19) § V.O.S. Selections, NY -J.G.

BURGUNDY
236534

92 | René Lequin-Colin

272642

94 | Famille Perrin

$38

2017 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Les Sinards ^
Les Sinards comes from a 2.5-acre vineyard near Château de Beaucastel, the Perrin brothers' estate. In the dry, warm 2017
vintage, it grew a buttery, rich white, yet it's
not at all sweet. Rather, the flavors focus on
toasted almonds and lees, hay and herbs,
with the scent of warm rocks on a hot day.
A high percentage of clairette gives it zest,
as well as the backbone to age well over the
next decade. (W&S 10/19) § Vineyard Brands,
Birmingham, AL -T.Q.T.

SOUTHWEST
273248

92 | Plaimont

$13

2017 Saint Mont Témoignage ^ Succulent
fruit and salty, nutty tones meet in this rich
blend of gros manseng, petit courbu and
arrufiac. It's sweetly ripe but not at all cloying, the fruit tightened up by vivacious acidity. Youthful and inviting, it's a sunny white
for rich fish dishes. (W&S 10/19) § White Wine
Situation, Los Angeles, CA -T.Q.T.

$39

2016 Santenay 1er Cru La Comme ^ This
comes from a vineyard on the east side of
Santenay, near Chassagne-Montrachet,
where the soil has a higher percentage of
limestone. It's a wine of finesse and length,
the clean and gentle strawberry and raspberry fruit lasting as a spicy essence of pinot
noir. One taster described it as "pure pinot-
everything I hope for in a quality Santenay."
(W&S 4/19) § Schatzi Wines, NY -J.G.

LOIRE
236990

94 | Domaine du Mortier

$25

2016 St-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil Dionysos ^
This is a selection from vines more than 50
years old, planted in clay-limestone soils over
tuffeau. When the wine is first poured, it has
the fragrant richness of a Brett beer, its floral fraises des bois flavors integrating into
the meaty funk. Forget it for a day and when
you come back to it, the wine is pure energy,
the funk turned toward racy spice, the
savory fruit dynamic and lasting. If you've
ever enjoyed a terrific Bourgueil at a bistro
in Touraine, this will take you there. (W&S
4/19) § Jenny & François Selections, NY -J.G.
236550

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Wine & Spirits - Winter 2019

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