Domaine Jean Grivot Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru Aux Boudots 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.
Nuits-Saint-Georges Aux Boudots 1er cru lies in the “Zone Vosnoise” or northern end of Nuits-Saint-Georges just below Les Damodes. It borders Vosne-Romanée Aux Malconsorts 1er just to its north. Its position slightly lower on the slope with deep soil full of pebbles results in a richer and fuller wine.
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 30-60% for the premier crus.
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 30-60% new Burgundian pièce brings notes of vanilla, toast, and baking spices.
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.
Reviews:
‘The 2020 Nuits Saint-Georges Aux Boudots Ter Cru has the best aromatics among Grivat Nuits Saint-Georges with very well defined red berry fruit, briary and lignt sous-bois aromas. The palate is medium-badied with fine-grain tannins, slightly savory on the entry, fresh and saline on the finish. This has real verve and class, though it will benefit from time in bottle
-Vinous 93-95 Points
A wine with the substance and structure to support the generous lashings of new oak used for maturation, and the overall effect is elegant and classic in style. Aux Boudots, where Grivot has 0.85ha, is at the northern edge of Nuits, just over the border from Vosne-Romanée Malconsorts. They began to pick on the 3rd of September – Etienne specified that they are very particular that the tannins are ripe and do what they can to prolong the vegetative cycle. Still, the grapes were picked with an entirely correct pH of around 3.4.
-Decanter 94 Points
A clearly pronounced personality: powerful, sometimes wild aromas; a marked acidity, which give it a captivating freshness; a fine roundness, sometimes even opulence. In short, an intense wine which has many cards in its hand to win you over.
Review:
Notes of cherries, cassis, peonies and rich spices preface the 2020 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Aux Murgers, a medium to full-bodied, velvety and concentrated wine that's lively and penetrating. Like its 2019 predecessor, it's especially seamless and charming.
-Robert Parker's Wine Advocate 92-94 Points
Maison Roy Willamette Valley Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
The Willamette Valley Pinot Noir combines fruit from Roy's Dundee and Yamhill-Carlton estates. Gentle and suave, this Pinot offers inviting red fruit, baking spice, and a touch of purple floral tone. On the palate, a soft tannic structure makes this wine friendly and accessible in its youth and will keep drinking very well for the next 5-7years.
Dr. Loosen Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese is made from 100 percent Riesling.
An endlessly energizing late-harvest Riesling from a selection of botrytis-affected grapes harvested in the “sundial” vineyard. This precipitously steep, rocky vineyard consistently yields some of the most elegant and sophisticated white wines in the world. Auslese means “selected from the harvest,” and is a luscious sweet wine made from very ripe clusters that are about 50 percent affected by botrytis. The resulting wine is dense, intensely flavored and rich on the palate, but retains the elegant structure that is characteristic of this great site.
Review:
Rich, but very elegant and creamy with beautiful, peachy character and lovely, floral-honey notes. Long, very silky finish. Drink or hold.
James Suckling 95 Points
Classic coastal Russian River aromas and flavors: crisp red apple skin, bright red cherry, deep wild berry, hibiscus, pepper, fresh mint, and a complex woodsy note. There’s wonderful purity and succulence to the core of red and black fruits which are supported by balanced black tea tannins and bright vibrant acidity. The wine finishes sleek and focused with liveliness and lingering aromatic lift.
Review:
A wine with a lot of back end, with dark fruits of blackberry and cherry. Ripe strawberry. Hints of toasted oak and smoke. It’s full and layered with very firm and polished tannins. Very serious and real, and shows the structure of the vintage. Some chocolate. Strawberry pie, too. Drinkable but two to three years of age will help it.
-James Suckling 95 Points
Vivid, brilliant, focused fruit flavors light up this lively, almost-electric wine while racy acidity and lightly gripping tannins give a mouthwatering texture that won’t quit. While totally delicious and appetizing now, the wine is certainly built to age well.
Wine Enthusiast 95 Points
El Grifo Lias Malvasia Volcanica is made from 100% Malvasia Volcanica.
Color: Straw yellow, with light golden hues. Clear and bright.
Aroma: Medium-high intensity of a wine in evolution. Fresh, citrus (orange peel) and tropical (passion fruit and mango) fruits. Flowers (orange blossom, jasmine, violets), fennel, and complex aromas such as silex or flint (phosphorus). Yeast autolysis is reminiscent of the aromas of baked goods and yeast. Bottle ageing brings out hints of dried fruits, honey and caramel.
Taste: Full-bodied, with a lengthy and unctuous texture, very strong natural acidity, citrus freshness, mineral notes and saltiness. Persistent finish.
Residual Sugar 0.5 g/L
Total Acidity 6.02 g/L
pH 3.36
Total SO2 91 mg/L
El Pino Club Sea Floored Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
Sea Floored opens with aromas of cherry cola, dried cran-raspberries, and classic Sta. Rita Hills black pepper. On the palate, deep flavors of Chambord, red pomegranate and cranberry fruit are framed by moderate tannins and food-friendly acidity, finishing with hints of tobacco and oak-roasted coffee bean.
Review:
This special bottling from the Foley family packs a lot of complexity into the nose, offering aromas of bay leaf, toasted wood, light cannabis and brisk pomegranate. The palate is firm in texture and covers a wide range of fruit, from dark berry to bright red fruit, though it may be the graphite-like minerality that sets it apart.
-Wine Enthusiast 94 Points
Evening Land Seven Springs Vineyard Summum Chardonnay is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
Summum Chardonnay is the unofficial tête de cuvée of our lineup at Evening Land Vineyards. Fruit for Summum comes from just 14 vine rows that form the backbone of the Seven Springs Estate. Here, soils were formed by ancient volcanic eruptions that sent blazing lava down the current vineyard’s slopes – and today, we’re lucky enough to farm our vines in these mineral-laden soils. The 2019 Summum Chardonnay is medium-bodied and bright, marked by flavors of lemon skin, baked apple, and a touch of sweet spice that leads to a satiny, harmonious finish. For a unique taste of Oregon’s rather untapped potential for high-end Chardonnay, this bottle is it.
Review:
Shows dimension and presence, with elegantly multilayered flavors of Meyer lemon, apple skin, yeasty lees and crushed stone that gather richness and steely opulence on the lingering finish. Drink now
-Wine Spectator 95 Points
Farnio Chianti Montalbano Riserva is made from 90% Sangiovese, 5% Canaiolo and 5% Colorino.
Brilliant ruby red with plain ruby shades, fairly clear. Blackberry and violet notes emerge on the nose with spiced and vegetal tones, leading to a leathery and pencil lead finish. Elegant, pleasant, pure and intense aromas but vigorous and round. Slightly tannic and fresh, balanced and full-bodied.
Wild boar in sauce, grilled meat, casseroles, game and mature pecorino cheese.
Faust Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, complemented with Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc.
Cabernet’s classic aromas and flavors star in the 2022 Faust Napa Valley. Delicate violet notes lift the dark fruit on the nose—black currant and briary blackberry—layered with pungent forest botanicals, leafy tobacco, graphite, and toasted spice. The velvet of fine-textured tannins backs expressive red fruit flavors on a complex palate, both sweet and savory with mocha and minerality, juicy ripe fruit and freshness.
Fenocchio DOCG Bussia Barolo is made from 100 percent Nebbiolo
The color is deep garnet red and the bouquet is fine and pleasing, with intense scents of spiced rose and licorice. The flavor is dry, warm, full bodied and balanced with pronounced tannins and a persistent aftertaste. A wine particularly adapted for aging.
Traditional method of long maceration: natural fermentation without added yeasts for 30 days in stainless steel tanks.
The Barolo Bussia, with its structure and body characteristics, pairs well with dishes of meat, game and aged cheeses, typical dishes of the local cuisine, as well as with many rich international dishes.
Review:
" Pleasant dried-cherry aromas, colored with nutty spice and dried leaves. Full-to medium-bodied with fine, firm and velvety tannins and a long finish of candied-cherry and chocolate. Give it a few years to meld together better. Best from 2025."
- James Suckling (January 2022), 93 pts
Ferrata Frevi Reserve Etna Rosso is made from 100% Nerello Mascalese.
Intense ruby red witth great structure, silky tannins, soft and elegant.
Review:
"Aromas of blood orange, cranberries, hibiscus, pepper, pencil lead and crushed rock create a tangy but floral nose. The palate is similarly poised between fruit and earth strawberries and more cranberries that contrast with a metallic earthiness. A minty breeze provides freshness, pushed by fiery acid. — Danielle CALLEGARI"
Wine Enthusiast (October 1st 2024), 92 pts
Ferrata Punta Drago Etna Rosso is made from 100% Nerello Mascalese.
Pale ruby red color, elegant bouquet of red berries, spicy notes and underbrush. Great structure, silky tannins, soft and elegant.
Suitable with hors d'oeuvres of cured meats, aged cheese, meat dishes but also fish recipes.
Filippino Elio Barbaresco San Cristoforo Riserva 10 Anni is made from 100% Nebbiolo.
This Riserva 100% Nebbiolo is produced on the hillsides of the San Cristoforo vineyard in Neive. A beautiful wine, full of fruity aromas, violet and raspberries, along with spicy hints of cinnamon, tobacco and vanilla. Full-bodied and elegant with intense flavors.
The best grapes are delicately pressed and the stalks are removed. The must ferments in stainless steel vats at a controlled temperature of 26°C with a maceration of 25 days. After racking, the new wine is put into 15-25 hl Slavonian oak casks for long months. Next, it is bottled and left to age for at least 7 years. The tenth year the wine is ready for the market.
Filippino Elio Barbera d'Alba Superiore is made from 100% Barbera.
This 100% Barbera shows an intense fruity bouquet with subtle vanilla and toasty notes. Full and spicy flavors, and a good body.
The grapes are pressed and the stalks are removed. The must ferments at about 26°C for 6-9 days. After racking, before the end of fermentation, the new wine is put in 225 liter Allier barriques for long months, depending on the vintage and the wine’s structure. It is subsequently moved into stainless steel vats to rest for some months before bottling.
GRAPE
100% Arneis
POSITION
Hillside
EXPOSURE
Southwest
COLOR
Straw yellow with greenish reflections
NOSE
The bouquet is fruity with hints of chamomile and acacia
TASTE
Fresh elegant, fruity aromas with floral hints
TEMPERATURE
Ideal serving temperature is 8°/10°C.
ALCOHOL
12.5 % - 13%
Florence Cholet Auxey-Duresses Rouge is made from 100 Pinot Noir 60 year old vines.
Auxey-Duresses exhibits intense and juicy aromas of cherries, raspberries, and spices. This is a charming wine that has harmonious and delicate tannins, and a fine texture in the mouth. Medium-bodied, elegant and complex with great concentration and structure.
The nose expresses small red and black fruits, blackcurrant, cherry, raspberry and violet. The mouth provides a rich, supple and elegant wine with a good structure.
Pork Filet Mignon, Pike Perch, Tomme de Morvan Cheese
Florence Cholet Meursault Blanc is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
This classic Meursault offers expressive and complex aromas of white flower, white fruit, and herbal aromas. Bright acidity and minerality emerge on the palate from this beautifully balanced and structured white, followed by subtle hints of vanilla and toasted brioche nuances in a refreshing finish.
Pair with fresh Truffle Pasta, Beaufort Cheese, Pike Quennelles.
Florence Cholet Meursault Blanc is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
This classic Meursault offers expressive and complex aromas of white flower, white fruit, and herbal aromas. Bright acidity and minerality emerge on the palate from this beautifully balanced and structured white, followed by subtle hints of vanilla and toasted brioche nuances in a refreshing finish.
Pair with fresh Truffle Pasta, Beaufort Cheese, Pike Quennelles.
Force Majeure Epinette is made from 46% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Franc, 16% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Petit Verdot.
Epinette is Force Majeure's Right-bank Bordeaux-inspired blend, and was named after an avenue in Libourne (France) that leads to Pomerol and Saint-Émilion, the home of Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Epinette is also the name of a musical instrument akin to a piano, as well as a word for pine tree, which is a fitting nod to their home in Washington state.
The wine itself is a blend of primarily Merlot and Cabernet Franc, with smaller amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot, proportions of which change depending on the vintage. The Merlot and Cabernet Franc are grown in lower areas of the vineyard with deep, well-drained soils, much less rocky than the soils of our Rhone varietals.
Review:
"The 2018 Epinette is the Merlot-dominated release from this team, and it's 79% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Petit Verdot, all from the estate vineyard on Red Mountain. Lots of smoky black cherry and darker currant fruits as well as notes of chocolate, graphite, lead pencil, and chalky minerality emerge from the glass, and this full-bodied beauty is beautifully textured, with a stacked mid-palate, velvety tannins, and a blockbuster finish. It's up with the finest Merlots in the New World and will drink brilliantly for at least a decade, if not longer."
- Jeb Dunnuck (May 2021), 97 pts
The Prisoner Wine Company Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
From the most recognized Napa Valley red blend comes a bold, new wine. Made in the same iconic style as The Prisoner Red Blend, we proudly introduce The Prisoner Pinot Noir. Redefining taste once again.
A mix of Russian River and Carneros AVAs produces this classic Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir with notes of ripe cranberry, pomegranate, and cherry with clove spice. The palate is driven by rhubarb and cherry with an underlying minerality and spice, which culminates with soft tannins and an elegant, balanced acidity.
Chef Brett recommends pairing The Prisoner Pinot Noir with Mushroom Risotto or Grilled Salmon.
Orin Swift 8 Years In The Desert Napa Valley is a blend of Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Syrah.
The Eight Years in the Desert pours a dark mauve core with a red amethyst rim and aromatic notes of ripe blackberry and raspberry bramble. Further hints of chocolate covered espresso bean, black pepper and allspice emanate from the glass. The entry is dominated by black plum preserves and freshly baked mixed berry morning bun with an energetic yet concentrated mid-palate. Soft and textured tannins give way to a lifted finish with a touch of pluot and dried tarragon.
BLEND
Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Syrah
MATURATION
7 months in French Oak, 35% New
ALC/VOL
15.6%