Save on Winter Reds, Taste Grenache, and Go Vertical in Chateauneuf-du-Pape from New York Vintners

 

Dear New York Vintners Friends,

Many thanks to our terrific guests and expert guide David Lynch for making our February Oenophilia Series event, Big Winter Reds, such a great afternoon.

To continue your pleasure or enjoy what we sampled during the event, try our Big Winter Reds Sample Six-Pack and save 10% off the shelf price (an exclusive offer for our newsletter subscribers). You can order by phoning 212.812.3999

Big Winter Reds Sample Six-Pack
$198 (10% off shelf price) + tax & shipping/handling

• La Universal 2005 Montsant ‘Dido’ (Spain)
• Domaine de Pallus 05 Chinon ‘Les Pensées de Pallus’ (France)
• Ernesto Catena 03 Mendoza Malbec ‘Siesta en el Tahuantinsuyu’ (Argentina)
• Poggio Antico 01 Brunello di Montalcino ‘Altero’ (Italy)
• Tatiarra 04 Heathcote Shiraz ‘Cambrian’ (Australia)
• Lanzerac 00 Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon (South Africa)

MARCH EVENT
Happily, David Lynch will be back at New York Vintners on March 15th for our next Oenophilia Series event, Grenache from Around the World. Space is limited to 48 guests, so reserve today. You can apply $50 of your admission price toward a case purchase of wines sampled during the event on top of our regular 10% solid case discount.

See the details below, or register now by phoning 212.812.3999, replying to this email, or reserving online.

GRENCACHE FROM AROUND THE WORLD WITH DAVID LYNCH

---

Saturday, March 15, 2008, 2:00-4:30 PM
New York Vintners, 21 Warren Street, NYC
$95 + tax

One of the world’s most widely planted varieties, Grenache provides the base or is the principal grape in many of the great wines we have today. From the Rhone Valley and Languedoc to Priorat, Italy, and California, David Lynch will guide us to explore this great grape in all its glory. Please join us as we taste 12 Grenache-based wines* from around the world. Apply $50 of your admission price toward a case purchase of wines sampled during the event on top of our regular 10% solid case discount. Space is limited to 48 guests.

To register, phone 212.812.3999, reply to this email, or reserve online.

FEATURED PRODUCER

---

Pierre Usseglio Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2001-2006

One of the most renowned domaines in the region, Usseglio was founded in 1948 by Italian-born Francis Usseglio. Usseglio moved to the southern Rhône in the early 1930s to work as a vineyard laborer, and had the opportunity to manage eight hectares of vineyards from which he began to produce his own wine.

Today, Francis Usseglio’s son and grandsons run an estate of 22 hectares and 15 different vineyards. Half of the Usseglio’s vines are over 60 years old; the other half over 30. They produce terrifically concentrated yet balanced wines that reveal layers of aromatic and flavor complexity. ‘Cuvée Mon Aieul’ always comes from the three best parcels of the estate: Les Serres, La Crau, and Guignasse.

Robert Parker offers this perspective on the domaine:

One cannot say enough about the extraordinary qualitative revolution that has quietly taken place at this well-known domaine north of the village of Chateauneuf-du-Pape. While father Pierre is still on the premises, providing a wealth of historical information about the vineyards, his two sons, Jean-Pierre and Thierry, have introduced two extra-special cuvees, pushing this estate into the top echelon of Chateauneuf-du-Pape producers. This domaine is notorious for incredibly low yields as well as traditional winemaking.

We are extremely pleased to offer a recent vertical of Pierre Usseglio’s Chateauneuf-du-Pape. You can order any of these wines by phoning 212.812.3999 or replying to this email.

2001 Chateauneuf-du-Pape | $47
(91 points, Robert Parker)

2002 Chateauneuf-du-Pape | $33

2003 Chateauneuf-du-Pape 1.5L | $98
(92 points, Robert Parker)

2004 Chateauneuf-du-Pape | $47
(92 points, Josh Raynolds, IWC)

2004 Chateauneuf-du-Pape ‘Cuvée Mon Aieul’ | $88
(93 points, Josh Raynolds, IWC)

2005 Chateauneuf-du-Pape .375ml | $25
(91 points, Josh Raynolds, IWC)

2005 Chateauneuf-du-Pape | $44
(91 points, Josh Raynolds, IWC)

2005 Chateauneuf-du-Pape 1.5L | $99
(91 points Josh Raynolds, IWC)

2005 Chateauneuf-du-Pape ‘Cuvée Mon Aieul’ | $93
(94 points, Robert Parker)

2005 Chateauneuf-du-Pape ‘Cuvée Mon Aieul’ 1.5L | $193
(94 points, Robert Parker)

2006 Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc | $44
(90 points, Josh Raynolds, IWC; extremely limited supplies)

Have questions? Just phone Derrick Mize at 212.812.3999 .

Wine Thieves-Save on Winter Reds, Taste Grenache, and Go Vertical in Chateauneuf-du-Pape from New York Vintners

 

Dear New York Vintners Friends,

Many thanks to our terrific guests and expert guide David Lynch for making our February Oenophilia Series event, Big Winter Reds, such a great afternoon.

To continue your pleasure or enjoy what we sampled during the event, try our Big Winter Reds Sample Six-Pack and save 10% off the shelf price (an exclusive offer for our newsletter subscribers). You can order by phoning 212.812.3999

Big Winter Reds Sample Six-Pack
$198 (10% off shelf price) + tax & shipping/handling

• La Universal 2005 Montsant ‘Dido’ (Spain)
• Domaine de Pallus 05 Chinon ‘Les Pensées de Pallus’ (France)
• Ernesto Catena 03 Mendoza Malbec ‘Siesta en el Tahuantinsuyu’ (Argentina)
• Poggio Antico 01 Brunello di Montalcino ‘Altero’ (Italy)
• Tatiarra 04 Heathcote Shiraz ‘Cambrian’ (Australia)
• Lanzerac 00 Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon (South Africa)

MARCH EVENT
Happily, David Lynch will be back at New York Vintners on March 15th for our next Oenophilia Series event, Grenache from Around the World. Space is limited to 48 guests, so reserve today. You can apply $50 of your admission price toward a case purchase of wines sampled during the event on top of our regular 10% solid case discount.

See the details below, or register now by phoning 212.812.3999, replying to this email, or reserving online.

GRENCACHE FROM AROUND THE WORLD WITH DAVID LYNCH

---

Saturday, March 15, 2008, 2:00-4:30 PM
New York Vintners, 21 Warren Street, NYC
$95 + tax

One of the world’s most widely planted varieties, Grenache provides the base or is the principal grape in many of the great wines we have today. From the Rhone Valley and Languedoc to Priorat, Italy, and California, David Lynch will guide us to explore this great grape in all its glory. Please join us as we taste 12 Grenache-based wines* from around the world. Apply $50 of your admission price toward a case purchase of wines sampled during the event on top of our regular 10% solid case discount. Space is limited to 48 guests.

To register, phone 212.812.3999, reply to this email, or reserve online.

FEATURED PRODUCER

---

Pierre Usseglio Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2001-2006

One of the most renowned domaines in the region, Usseglio was founded in 1948 by Italian-born Francis Usseglio. Usseglio moved to the southern Rhône in the early 1930s to work as a vineyard laborer, and had the opportunity to manage eight hectares of vineyards from which he began to produce his own wine.

Today, Francis Usseglio’s son and grandsons run an estate of 22 hectares and 15 different vineyards. Half of the Usseglio’s vines are over 60 years old; the other half over 30. They produce terrifically concentrated yet balanced wines that reveal layers of aromatic and flavor complexity. ‘Cuvée Mon Aieul’ always comes from the three best parcels of the estate: Les Serres, La Crau, and Guignasse.

Robert Parker offers this perspective on the domaine:

One cannot say enough about the extraordinary qualitative revolution that has quietly taken place at this well-known domaine north of the village of Chateauneuf-du-Pape. While father Pierre is still on the premises, providing a wealth of historical information about the vineyards, his two sons, Jean-Pierre and Thierry, have introduced two extra-special cuvees, pushing this estate into the top echelon of Chateauneuf-du-Pape producers. This domaine is notorious for incredibly low yields as well as traditional winemaking.

We are extremely pleased to offer a recent vertical of Pierre Usseglio’s Chateauneuf-du-Pape. You can order any of these wines by phoning 212.812.3999 or replying to this email.

2001 Chateauneuf-du-Pape | $47
(91 points, Robert Parker)

2002 Chateauneuf-du-Pape | $33

2003 Chateauneuf-du-Pape 1.5L | $98
(92 points, Robert Parker)

2004 Chateauneuf-du-Pape | $47
(92 points, Josh Raynolds, IWC)

2004 Chateauneuf-du-Pape ‘Cuvée Mon Aieul’ | $88
(93 points, Josh Raynolds, IWC)

2005 Chateauneuf-du-Pape .375ml | $25
(91 points, Josh Raynolds, IWC)

2005 Chateauneuf-du-Pape | $44
(91 points, Josh Raynolds, IWC)

2005 Chateauneuf-du-Pape 1.5L | $99
(91 points Josh Raynolds, IWC)

2005 Chateauneuf-du-Pape ‘Cuvée Mon Aieul’ | $93
(94 points, Robert Parker)

2005 Chateauneuf-du-Pape ‘Cuvée Mon Aieul’ 1.5L | $193
(94 points, Robert Parker)

2006 Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc | $44
(90 points, Josh Raynolds, IWC; extremely limited supplies)

Have questions? Just phone Derrick Mize at 212.812.3999 .

Rhone Wine Tasting Dinner

Rhone Wine Tasting Dinner

July 18, 2007

By Audrey Luk

Go to any wine-related event these days and it’s obvious that the appreciation of wine is attracting a younger set. But no matter how long you’ve been ordering futures or keeping a tasting notebook, a Rhone wine event is a tremendous educational experience for any palate. The region’s varied terrior, grapes, and appellations leave a lifetime of hedonistic learning to be desired. At a recent Rhone wine-tasting dinner at New York Vintners, six tables of eager oenophiles gathered to experience top-flight examples of the region.

Wine-making in the Rhone Valley has a long and storied past. Given its prime location as a passage to the Mediterranean, Northern Europe and the Atlantic, the Rhone River was long used as a trade route by the ancient Greeks but it wasn’t until Roman times that the area became renowned for wine production. The papal occupancy of Avignon (1307-1399), a city in the southern Rhone, was another highlight in Rhone wine history. Local wines came to be known as “Vin du Pape� and this 68-year period did much to increase the quality of wine production in the area, and a relatively short while later in 1923, native son Baron le Roy revolutionized the French winemaking industry by introducing the appellation d’origine contrôlée system (A.O.C.) to wine. This system was adopted across France in 1935.

The Rhone provides a varied portfolio of prized wines as the valley is split into the north and the south, each encompassing a number of well-regarded A.O.C.s. The north is home to Côte-Rôtie, Condrieu, Château-Grillet, Saint-Joseph, Crozes-Hermitage, Hermitage, Cornas and Saint-Peray, while the south has Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas, Lirac, Tavel and Vacqueras. While the regulations and location of each of these appellations give one insight into why or why not one wine is appreciated over another, there is no substitute for tasting to determine personal preference.

At the dinner, a friend and I were lucky enough to be seated with a couple in the military that had recently moved to New York from Turkey, and an Indian couple that lived in New Jersey. All of us favored different wines; I couldn’t get enough of Andre Perret’s 2005 Condrieu’s ping-pong effect, which sent beams of green apple, lemon zest, fennel and cedar racing around my palate while a diner at my table proclaimed, “Ooh, I like this one!� when she tasted the Patrick Jasmin’s 2000 Côte-Rôtie. The enjoyment of all the wines was enhanced by the pairings, which were expertly done by Rob Allen and Derrick Mize. The Rose was paired with a frisee salad with lardons, soft-scrambled egg and whole-grain vinaigrette, the Condrieu with seared trout with spinach, lemon, parsley and almond tapenade with saffron tomato sauce, and the Beaumes-de-Venise, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, and Côte-Rôtie with rack of lamb with ratatouille, potato, kalamata olive pesto and red wine demi-glace, and assorted regional French cheeses with the Cornas. Although there is no set formula for the task, especially considering the complexities of these wines in particular, Allen uses his “tower of power� method in which wine and food and placed in separate columns to see if they line up against one another. To view these wine on New York Vintners website please click here.

http://www.nywineco.com/c-961-rhne.aspx?sortby=all

Chateau Pesquie 2006 Cotes du Ventoux Rose $15.00
Paul and Edith Chaudiere purchased their winery, Chateau Pesquie, in 1989 after deciding to leave successful careers in the private sector. Since then, they have drastically increased the quality level in the small AOC Cotes du Ventoux, eventually expanding their holdings to 72 hectares. The Rose is a nearly equal blend of Grenache, Cinsault, and Syrah. Vinification takes place completely in stainless steel tanks and malolactic is always blocked to preserve freshness. The wine has lavender and nectarine on the nose with a crisp mineral finish that tames the bitterness of the salad greens while bringing out the slight smoke in the lardons.

Andre Perret 2005 Condrieu Chery $75.00
Andre Perret took control of the family domaine, just half a hectare, in 1982. With such a small domaine expansion was vital, and soon after taking control Andrew purchased a number of plots of Condrieu, toether with some in St Joseph, increasing the size of their holdings to over 8 ha. The new acquisitions included two lieux-dits Coteau de Chery and Clos Chanson. The balanced acidity and mid-palate is an excellent platform for the mélange of flavors featured in the second course of trout.

Redortier 2000 Beaumes-de-Venise $18.00
Eteinne de Menthon of Chateau Redortier is known for his use of 40% Syrah in most of his red wine cuvees, as well as his refusal to use any wood ageing, which he considers detrimental to the flavors of Grenache-based wines. The results are some of the most elegant Gigondas produced. His Beaumes-de-Venise wines are also quite excellent and offer tremendous value. The nose offered scents of game, barnyard and black cherry that led to sichuan peppercorn and dried rosemary after breathing in the glass for over an hour, leading to a satisfying, long finish.

Monpertuis 2004 Chateauneuf-du-Pape $57.00
The Domaine de Monpertuis has been in the hands of the Jeune family for several generations. Paul Jeune is now the proprietor of the 5 hectares of vines that are spread amongst 32 separate parcels throughout the confines of Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Cuvee Tradition is produced solely from old vines of minimum age of 60 years, with at least 85% Grenache grapes. The emphasis on terroir expression is clear here as the high alcohol and robust nose of earth and Provencal herbs are hallmarks of the appellation.

Patrick Jasmin 2000 Côte-Rôtie $66.00
Patrick Jasmin produces only one red wine, with grapes produced from several different parcels spread over the appellation of Côte-Rôtie. Half the wine is aged in 590-liter demimuids, half in 228-liter casks. The wines are never fined, but see a light filtration. Patrick is known for producing elegant, finesse-styled Côte-Rôtie. The firm tannins here and sharp attack show that this wine still has plenty of ageing potential.

Robert Michel 1990 Cornas $105.00
Robert Michel took over his father’s domaine at the young age of 29 in 1975. His holdings include 4 hectares in Cornas and smaller parcels in St. Joseph and Vin de Pays territory. La Geynale, a single parcel in his 4 hectares in Cornas, typically produces wines that are elegant, contain a lot of spice, and hold good tannins. Michel is considered one of the most authentic and traditional producers of Cornas. This superb example of layered flavors, from the juniper berries and mirin on the nose to the smooth, slight touch of brine on the finish, brought the dinner to an end.

http://www.nywineco.com/

http://www.localwineevents.com/New-York-City-Wine/

Wine Thieves-Rhone Wine Tasting Dinner

Rhone Wine Tasting Dinner

July 18, 2007

By Audrey Luk

Go to any wine-related event these days and it’s obvious that the appreciation of wine is attracting a younger set. But no matter how long you’ve been ordering futures or keeping a tasting notebook, a Rhone wine event is a tremendous educational experience for any palate. The region’s varied terrior, grapes, and appellations leave a lifetime of hedonistic learning to be desired. At a recent Rhone wine-tasting dinner at New York Vintners, six tables of eager oenophiles gathered to experience top-flight examples of the region.

Wine-making in the Rhone Valley has a long and storied past. Given its prime location as a passage to the Mediterranean, Northern Europe and the Atlantic, the Rhone River was long used as a trade route by the ancient Greeks but it wasn’t until Roman times that the area became renowned for wine production. The papal occupancy of Avignon (1307-1399), a city in the southern Rhone, was another highlight in Rhone wine history. Local wines came to be known as “Vin du Pape� and this 68-year period did much to increase the quality of wine production in the area, and a relatively short while later in 1923, native son Baron le Roy revolutionized the French winemaking industry by introducing the appellation d’origine contrôlée system (A.O.C.) to wine. This system was adopted across France in 1935.

The Rhone provides a varied portfolio of prized wines as the valley is split into the north and the south, each encompassing a number of well-regarded A.O.C.s. The north is home to Côte-Rôtie, Condrieu, Château-Grillet, Saint-Joseph, Crozes-Hermitage, Hermitage, Cornas and Saint-Peray, while the south has Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas, Lirac, Tavel and Vacqueras. While the regulations and location of each of these appellations give one insight into why or why not one wine is appreciated over another, there is no substitute for tasting to determine personal preference.

At the dinner, a friend and I were lucky enough to be seated with a couple in the military that had recently moved to New York from Turkey, and an Indian couple that lived in New Jersey. All of us favored different wines; I couldn’t get enough of Andre Perret’s 2005 Condrieu’s ping-pong effect, which sent beams of green apple, lemon zest, fennel and cedar racing around my palate while a diner at my table proclaimed, “Ooh, I like this one!� when she tasted the Patrick Jasmin’s 2000 Côte-Rôtie. The enjoyment of all the wines was enhanced by the pairings, which were expertly done by Rob Allen and Derrick Mize. The Rose was paired with a frisee salad with lardons, soft-scrambled egg and whole-grain vinaigrette, the Condrieu with seared trout with spinach, lemon, parsley and almond tapenade with saffron tomato sauce, and the Beaumes-de-Venise, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, and Côte-Rôtie with rack of lamb with ratatouille, potato, kalamata olive pesto and red wine demi-glace, and assorted regional French cheeses with the Cornas. Although there is no set formula for the task, especially considering the complexities of these wines in particular, Allen uses his “tower of power� method in which wine and food and placed in separate columns to see if they line up against one another. To view these wine on New York Vintners website please click here.

http://www.nywineco.com/c-961-rhne.aspx?sortby=all

Chateau Pesquie 2006 Cotes du Ventoux Rose $15.00
Paul and Edith Chaudiere purchased their winery, Chateau Pesquie, in 1989 after deciding to leave successful careers in the private sector. Since then, they have drastically increased the quality level in the small AOC Cotes du Ventoux, eventually expanding their holdings to 72 hectares. The Rose is a nearly equal blend of Grenache, Cinsault, and Syrah. Vinification takes place completely in stainless steel tanks and malolactic is always blocked to preserve freshness. The wine has lavender and nectarine on the nose with a crisp mineral finish that tames the bitterness of the salad greens while bringing out the slight smoke in the lardons.

Andre Perret 2005 Condrieu Chery $75.00
Andre Perret took control of the family domaine, just half a hectare, in 1982. With such a small domaine expansion was vital, and soon after taking control Andrew purchased a number of plots of Condrieu, toether with some in St Joseph, increasing the size of their holdings to over 8 ha. The new acquisitions included two lieux-dits Coteau de Chery and Clos Chanson. The balanced acidity and mid-palate is an excellent platform for the mélange of flavors featured in the second course of trout.

Redortier 2000 Beaumes-de-Venise $18.00
Eteinne de Menthon of Chateau Redortier is known for his use of 40% Syrah in most of his red wine cuvees, as well as his refusal to use any wood ageing, which he considers detrimental to the flavors of Grenache-based wines. The results are some of the most elegant Gigondas produced. His Beaumes-de-Venise wines are also quite excellent and offer tremendous value. The nose offered scents of game, barnyard and black cherry that led to sichuan peppercorn and dried rosemary after breathing in the glass for over an hour, leading to a satisfying, long finish.

Monpertuis 2004 Chateauneuf-du-Pape $57.00
The Domaine de Monpertuis has been in the hands of the Jeune family for several generations. Paul Jeune is now the proprietor of the 5 hectares of vines that are spread amongst 32 separate parcels throughout the confines of Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Cuvee Tradition is produced solely from old vines of minimum age of 60 years, with at least 85% Grenache grapes. The emphasis on terroir expression is clear here as the high alcohol and robust nose of earth and Provencal herbs are hallmarks of the appellation.

Patrick Jasmin 2000 Côte-Rôtie $66.00
Patrick Jasmin produces only one red wine, with grapes produced from several different parcels spread over the appellation of Côte-Rôtie. Half the wine is aged in 590-liter demimuids, half in 228-liter casks. The wines are never fined, but see a light filtration. Patrick is known for producing elegant, finesse-styled Côte-Rôtie. The firm tannins here and sharp attack show that this wine still has plenty of ageing potential.

Robert Michel 1990 Cornas $105.00
Robert Michel took over his father’s domaine at the young age of 29 in 1975. His holdings include 4 hectares in Cornas and smaller parcels in St. Joseph and Vin de Pays territory. La Geynale, a single parcel in his 4 hectares in Cornas, typically produces wines that are elegant, contain a lot of spice, and hold good tannins. Michel is considered one of the most authentic and traditional producers of Cornas. This superb example of layered flavors, from the juniper berries and mirin on the nose to the smooth, slight touch of brine on the finish, brought the dinner to an end.

http://www.nywineco.com/

http://www.localwineevents.com/New-York-City-Wine/

Northern Rhône’s Best Value: JL Chave St. Joseph ‘Offerus’, April 2007

Dear New York Vintners Friends,

The idyllic, steep banks of the northern Rhône river produce some of the best wines in France. Despite heavy industrialization, the Rhône retains much of the beauty and fertile soil that has made it an exemplary growing region for centuries. Its climate is continental, with hard winters and warm summers and the steep banks maximize the effect of available sunlight. Clinging to these sharp inclines are several large family holdings producing the region’s top wines. Some appellations, like St-Joseph and Crozes-Hermitage, have expanded away from the banks and onto flatter land to increase production. Still, total output across the region rarely exceeds that of a single appellation in the southern Rhône, such as Châteauneuf-du-Pape, and roughly half of all the wine produced in the north is Crozes-Hermitage. While wines of the southern Rhône are mostly directed to the mass market, northern Rhône produces the connoisseur’s wine. It is here that the Syrah grape gained its reputation for quality and was later brought to Australia where it is known as Shiraz. Syrah is the only red grape permitted by the AOC for the red wines of the northern Rhône. White wines produced in the region, such as the famous Condrieu and Château-Grillet, come from the Viognier grape variety which has recently experienced a major comeback after near extinction from the phylloxera insect infestation and the destruction of the first World War. Today Voigneir wines are quite popular and are often blended with Syrah to mellow the acidity of the latter and impart apricot tones, a pratice that originated in the northern Rhône and was popularized abroad. Other whites in the region, like the Crozes-Hermitage, Hermitage and Saint Péray, are produced by blending the robust Marsanne with the delicate and relatively rare Roussanne grape .

Northern Rhône wines have been produced for over two millennia. They have gained status and held consistently high prices since Marcel Guigal’s single-vineyard bottlings and controversial use of new oak created an international stir and an influx of wine-making perfectionists. We recommend some of the following wines from this top-class region and its beautiful vicinity.

JL Chave Selections 2004 St. Joseph ‘Offerus’, $26
The Offerus project started with the 1995 vintage. As the appellation of St. Joseph has expanded in size over the past few years, Jean-Louis’ goal was to search out small domaines from the heart of the appellation, with values reflecting those which he requires for making his own wine. He wanted to recreate a St. Joseph which is truly expressive of the region, rather than a homogenized version not expressive of its roots. Jean-Louis found ten domaines with which to work. In order to ensure the quality of the wines, he is in contact with the domaines throughout the growing season, during the harvest, and through the vinification. Because of this investment of time, Jean-Louis has gotten them to work organically, to produce lower yields, and to learn the importance of making a wine expressive of the terroir specific to their soil.

Domaine Jean-Louis Chave 2004 Hermitage Rouge, $220
Domaine Jean-Louis Chave 2004 St. Joseph, $54
For centuries, some of the most sought after wine in France has come from Hermitage in the northern Rhône. Even Thomas Jefferson, a noted wine expert of his day, raved about the wine from this region. Many experts feel that the greatest maker of Hermitage is Jean-Louis Chave. The Chave family has been growing grapes at Hermitage since 1481. They have a reputation for making good wine in poor years, and excellent wine in good ones. They use low yeilding vines (average age 60 years) and a late harvest to produce the ripest fruit; there is virtually no intervention in the winemaking and bottling with no filtration. There are a dozen or so named vineyards in Hermitage, and Chave owns vines in most of them. They vinify each separately, which allows them to blend for greater complexity before bottling.

Château-Grillet 2001 Château-Grillet, $98
Although the family name Neyret-Gachet appears on the label, the property producing this wine is run by André Canet who married into the family in the early 1960’s. Canet extended the vineyard’s production and by 1990 Château-Grillet’s 9 acres were producing nearly 2,000 cases. The consistently high prices maintained by this wine have as much to do with its rarity as its rank among top French wines. Traditionally, the grapes are picked earlier than Condrieu and is thus more austere and less headily perfumed.

Bernard Faurie 2000 Hermitage $108
Bernard Faurie 2001 St. Joseph Vielles Vignes, $44
Since 1980, the amiable and enthusiastic Bernard Faurie has slowly built up his holdings at Les Greffieux and Le Méal. His traditionally-made examples of Hermitage are very elegant, packed with aromas of violet and flavors of crunchy, powerful and spicy hedgerow fruit flavors, are truly worth the wait.

Patrick Jasmin 2000 Cóte Rôtie, $66
Patrick Jasmin 1999 Cóte Rôtie, $151 (Magnum)
Patrick Jasmin produces only one magnificent red with grapes produced from several different parcels spread over the appellation of Cóte Rôtie, which include the Côte Brune, Les Moutonnes and Côte Bodin climats, 2 acres in Les Baleyats, and 2 acres in the Côte Blonde. He took over the reins of the family winery after his father’s death in 1999. Half the wine is aged 590 liter barrels, half in 228 liter. The wines are never fined but see a light filtration.