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Hello Wine Fans,
We have a lot of new arrivals to the shop, with many having landed recently and several more on the way. I will do a follow up Newsletter for several of those but for now lets look at the newly arrived.
2019 Brunello is a fast-moving hype train that doesn’t show signs of slowing. …Nor should it! When we have a historically excellent vintage, it means a historically excellent opportunity to make smiles.
“This (2019) is a year where the entire region excelled, from southwest to east and northeast to west. Frankly stated, finding a 2019 that doesn’t show remarkable balance, vivid fruit and freshness is a difficult task. In my opinion, this is always a mark of a great year. The highs are exceptionally high, and the lows are few and far between. What’s more, this is a year where many lesser wines excelled, making picking out a 2019 Brunello a relatively easy affair.” – Eric Guido, Vinous, November 2023
“Brunello di Montalcino is one of Italy’s most famous, longest-lived, and most collectible red wines. There have been many memorable vintages that have gone down in history, the wines of which rank amongst the best reds the country has ever made: for example, 1975, 1988, 1990, 1999, 2001, 2010, 2015 and 2016 are some of the best Brunello vintages of the last fifty years. The good news is that, at first glance, the wines of 2019 appear to be poised to be remembered as great Brunellos.” – Ian D’Agata, December 2023
I can go on and on with quotes like this but you get the point. While 2019 means a return to classic, balanced character, there is another equally exciting factor in play… It has to do with the (non) use of excessive wood. 2019 will likely go down as the year that producers (nearly everyone) has cut back on the unnecessary influence of new oak. As expected, this factor gives a sensational vibrancy and clarity to the Sangiovese Grosso fruit, which is the whole point of serving Brunello in the first place.
Let’s start off with a recent favorite, La Fiorita Brunello di Montalcino. Proprietor Natalie Oliveros has evolved the style at La Fiorita considerably since purchasing the property from Roberto Cipresso in 2014. The wines here might still show deep concentration, but they are comparatively light in color, very elegant, and dance on the palate with layer after layer of savory flavors. You will want multiple helpings of her 2019.
“The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino pulls the taster down to earth with a dusty blend of flowery underbrush and crushed wild berries lifted by camphor hints. It’s silky and round with sweet spice and plush red and blue fruits that flow across a stream of vibrant acidity. A web of fine tannins tugs at the palate as the 2019 tapers off with a licorice tinge and a orange concentration that curls the tongue. The 2019 turns the pleasure dial to the max yet remains painfully young. 92 points.” – Eric Guido, Vinous, November 2023
JL Chave Offerus Saint Joseph 2020
A brilliant Mini Powerhouse wine from of the top few producers in the region.
Land on steep hillsides in Saint Joseph has been acquired and restored by Domaine Jean-Louis Chave as part of an ambitious project that began in the mid-1990s. Vines less than twenty years old are not used at the Domaine. This means you get the benefit of these amazing vines and terroir At JL Chave Selections now. At the center of the Offerus project, these vineyards, with their young vines, prove just how serious the Domaine’s devotion to excellence. The vines used for the project get the highest care and attention to detail because they will be a legacy for the Domaine as they age moving forward. Held by Domaine Jean-Louis Chave, these carefully manicured, organically farmed vineyards provide more than 95% of the grapes used in Offerus. They go to JL Chave Selections for elevage following harvest.
To your Happiness and Health,
Robert Hayes
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