portfolio book ess

1Place Over Process

2012 portfolioeric solomon selections

place over process

2 Eric Solomon Selections

Table of Contents

FRANCE

chablis| domaine jean-paul & benoit droin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

cotes du forez | gilles bonnefoy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

sancerre | domaine roger champault . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

monbazillac/perigord |tirecul la graviere . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

savoie|domaine giachino . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

chateauneuf-du-pape|

domaine famille brechet, domaine giraud, domaine de la janasse, domaine de marcoux, clos saint jean and roger sabon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

cotes du ventoux |

chateau pesquie, domaine vindemio and saint jean du barroux . . . . . 28

cotes du rhone | clos chanteduc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

cotes du rhone villages - plan de dieu| calendal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

cotes du rhone villages - signargues |les vignerons d’estezargues . . . 38

cotes du rhone villages - cairanne| domaine roche . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

cotes du rhone villages - rasteau |domaine la colliere . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

cotes du rhone villages - vacqueyras | domaine la garrigue . . . . . . . . 44

costieres de nimes | vignobles michel gassier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

cevennes| mas des volques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

saint drezery|chateau puech-haut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

pic saint-loup|domaine de l’hortus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

terrasses du larzac|la peira . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

canet/les aspres/maury|

domaine lafage, saint roch and novellum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

collioure/banyuls|mas cristine and coume del mas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

latour de france|gilles troullier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

3Place Over Process

Table of Contents

SPAIN

rias baixas | burgans and pazo de senorans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

ribeira sacra| pena das donas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

ribiero | sanclodio and sameiras . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

valdeorras | rafael palacios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

bierzo| bodegas martin sarmiento . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

rueda| ossian and sitios de bodega . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

rueda/rioja/ribera del duero|vila viniteca . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

toro/rioja alevesa/ribera del duero|

grupo artevino: izadi orben, vetus and finca villacreces . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

sardon del duero |quinta sardonia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

ribera del duero |

bodegas aalto, creta and hacienda monasterio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

calatayud | altovinum/evodia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

navarra | la calandria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

rioja | benjamin romeo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

mentrida/sierra de gredos/vinos de madrid | jiminez-landi

and comando g . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

yecla/alicante| bodegas castano and sierra salinas . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104

jumilla | casa castillo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

vt el terrerazo | bodegas mustiguillo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109

vt de mallorca | binigrau . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111

cava| gramona . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113

emporda-costa brava| celler espelt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115

terra alta | herencia alta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117


SPAIN

montsant| cellar capcanes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119

penedes | cal raspallet/nun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121

priorat |

la conreria d’scala dei, celler cal pla/mas d’en compte, celler de l’encastell,

familia nin-ortz, clos i terrasses, closa batllet, bodegas mas alta, mas doix

and terroir al limit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123

almeria | alto almanzora . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141

jerez-xeres-sherry/manzanilla de sanlucar de barrameda|

equipo navazos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143

REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA

povardarie | tikveš winery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145

Table of Contents

5Place Over Process

The Droin family has been in Chablis since at least 1547, when the first re-cords indicate that one Jehan Droin owned one parcel of vines in the Clos . Since then, the family has always owned property in the village and is among the oldest land owners in the area . Since the year of 1620, fourteen generations of vignerons have trans-mitted their “savoir-faire” down from father to son . Jean-Paul Droin took over the property in 1983 and helped to establish the property as among the best of the AOC . In 1999, his son Benoit joined the property and is now the principal winemaker at the es-tate .

DOMAINE JEAN PAUL ET BENOIT DROIN


domaine jean paul et benoit droindomaine jean paul et benoit droin chablis 2011 | chablis

100% chardonnay aged 10 months in stainless steelSRP $25

domaine jean paul et benoit droin vaillons 1er cru 2011 | chablis100% chardonnay aged in stainless steel tank, 80% and in barrel, 20% for 10 monthsSRP $31

7Place Over Process

The domaine was founded in 1997 with the discovery of some aban-doned vines in the mostly volcanic soils of the Cotes du Forez . In 2001, four hectares of vines were planted and Gilles left his career to concen-trate on his wines . It was in this year that a conversion to organic agricul-ture was made . A couple years later Gilles stretched to apply some prin-ciples of bio-dynamic farming (green fertilizers, plant brew) which he con-tinues today on the domaine that en-compasses a little over six hectares .

The Cotes du Forez appellation was promoted to full AOC status in Feb-ruary 2000 . Only about 200 acres (120ha) of vines are now devoted to Cotes du Forez wines, producing just under 4500 hL of wine annually . Cotes du Forez is located less than 50 miles (80km) south-west of Beaujolais, another appellation known for their light body wines .

GILLES BONNEFOY


gilles bonnefoygilles bonnefoy roussanne 2010 | côtes du forez

100% roussanne aged 5 months in tank sur liesSRP $23

gilles bonnefoy la madone 2011 | côtes du forez100% gamayaged in stainless steel tankSRP $15

gilles bonnefoy mémoire de madone 2010 | côtes du forez100% gamayaged 6 months in neutral french oak barrelSRP $22

gilles bonnefoy migmatite 2011 | vdp d’urfé100% gamayaged in stainless steel tankSRP $17

9Place Over Process

The vineyards are located in an old wine grower’s village named Chambetin (later to become Champtin), in the south of the village of Sancerre . There, vines cover every hill . After the vineyard destruction by the Phylloxera Louis Champault took over the estate and had to replant the two-hectare vineyard in using the rootstock method . At that time, the work was done by hand: pruning, clipping, harvest . It was only later that the first tractors appeared. Two of his three sons followed in the steps of their father and ended up sharing the vines between them .

Roger Champault is the 5th generation in this family business . When he took over the estate, he only owned 2 hectares . Little by little, the estate grew and new vines were planted . He also modernized the viticultural and winegrowing facilities installing thermoregulated tanks in the cellar . After their studies, his two sons, Laurent and Claude went to work with him on . With 3 workers, the goal of the Champault estate is to keep the commitment to handcrafted wines . Laurent and Claude are now the two owners of this beautiful inheritance . Planted on slopes with renown terroirs, the estate stretches over 20 hectares in Menetou-Salon .

ROGER CHAMPAULT


roger champaultroger champault sancerre les pierris 2011 | menetou-salon

100% sauvignon blanc aged in stainless steel on the leesSRP $25

roger champault clos de la cure 2011 | menetou-salon100% sauvignon blanc aged in stainless steel on the leesSRP $24

11Place Over Process

It was in the winter of 1992 that Claudie and Bruno Bilancini (a designer and oenologist couple by trade) had the extraordinary luck of being able to lease one of the top sites in Monbazillac, the Cru de Tirecul (one of the ancient premier cru sites in the AOC .) Even though the vineyard and small cave were in disrepair, they cared for it as if it were their own, and in 1997, realized their dream of owning the property . Now, Tirecul la Graviere is recognized as the top property of the AOC .

The fame of Chateau Tirecul la Graviere has spread far and wide over the last several years . Most notably, Robert Parker has awarded the property two 100 point scores and compared it with Sauterne’s Chateau d’Yquem . With good acidity and a solid backbone, these wines can last for decades under optimal storage conditions, a rarity for wines from this area of Southwest France . These wines are magical, defining examples of the best that Monbazillac can offer and more .

TIRECUL LA GRAVIERE


tirecul la gravieretirecul la gravière cuvée andrea 2008 | monbazillac

70% sémillon, 30% muscadelleaged 12-18 months in french oakSRP $25

tirecul la gravière les pins 2009 | monbazillac80% semillon, 20% muscadelleaged 12 to 24 months in french oak SRP $20

tirecul la gravière cuvée château 2003 | monbazillac55% semillon, 45% muscadelleaged 20 to 30 months in french oak SRP $47

tirecul la gravière cuvée madame 2003 | monbazillac60% muscadelle, 40% semillon aged 20 to 30 months in french oak SRP $120


In 1988, Frederic Giachino took over his family’s very small estate of 1 .5 hectares and over time has grown it to 7 hectares . Although the domaine had been worked before his arrival using traditional viticultural techniques, Frederic took the big step to convert the estate to use all organic practices . This continues today with no use of any synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers .

Possessing some of the poorest soils in France, the Savoie is primarily made up of clay and limestone parcels with some gravel and sand interspersed in the zone . The climate ranges from mild to quite cold in the zone, with many years during which full physiological maturity comes quite late in the season .

The entirety of the property is harvested by hand and undergoes a winery triage before crush . The presence of rotted grapes, while high in sugar and alcohol, only leads to a loss in minerality in the wines . The wines are always fermented at a very low temperature and fermentation tends to take several days . To introduce slightly more roundness into the wines, they are aged on their fine lees during the winter with some stirring, and bottled the year after harvest .

DOMAINE GIACHINO


domaine giachinodomaine giachino abymes monfarina 2011 | savoie

100% jacquèreaged in tankSRP $16

domaine giachino altesse roussette de savoie 2011| savoie100% altesseaged in tankSRP $19

domaine giachino apremont 2010 | savoie100% jacquère aged in tankSRP $18

domaine giachino primitif 2010 | savoie100% jacquère aged in tankSRP $18


Laurent and his brother Julien Bréchet are both in charge of Fthe amille Bréchet estate . Château Vaudieu is in the heart of Châteauneuf du Pape where they produce 70 ha of the best Rhone varietals: Grenache, Syrah Mourvedre, Cinsault, Cournoise, Terret Noir Vaccarese and Muscardin for the reds and Grenache Blanc, Roussane, Clairette, Bourboulenc Picpoul and Picardan for the whites . Domaine des Bosquets built in 1644 in Gigondas with 69 acres, is dominated by Grenache . The wines show charisma, complexity and minerality .Plateau des Chênes in Lirac is their latest acquisition .

Laurent and Julien Brechet have a rather clear philosophy about their estates “The terroir takes over, expressing itself its identity throughout our wines without too much interventionism from our side…Our goal is to continue the family’s traditional respect for quality and guarantees the future success and identity of each respective winery .”

FAMILLE BRECHET


famille brechetplateau des chenes blanc 2011 | lirac

60% grenache blanc, 22% roussanne, 18% clairetteaged 9 months in 600L demi muidsSRP $24

plateau des chenes rouge 2010| lirac60% syrah, 40% grenacheaged 9 months in 225L barrelSRP $20

domaine des bosquets gigondas 2010 | gigondas70% grenache, 20% syrah, 5% mourvedre, 5% cinsaultaged in 2 stages for 18 months total: in cement and barrels for 12 months, then in cement vats until bottlingSRP $33

domaine des bosquets le lieu dit... 2010 | gigondas95% grenache, 5% syrahaged 20 months in barrelsSRP $50


chateau de vaudieu blanc 2011| chateauneuf du pape75% grenache blanc, 25% roussanneroussanne and some grenache blanc aged for 8 months in 228L oakSRP $55

chateau de vaudieu clos du belvedere 2010| chateauneuf du pape100% grenache blancaged 8 months in barrel, 25% newSRP $80

chateau de vaudieu rouge 2010 |chateauneuf du pape78% grenache, 22% syrahaged 16 months with syrah in new burgundy barrels and grenache divided between barrels and tankSRP $55

chateau de vaudieu val de dieu 2010| chateauneuf du pape58% grenache, 21% mourvedre, 21% syrahaged 18 months in 600L demi muidsSRP $90

chateau de vaudieu amiral g 2010 | chateunuef du pape100% grenacheaged 18 months in new demi muids of 600LSRP $115

famille brechet


In 1974, Pierre and Mireille Giraud, as their parents did before them, took on 4 hectares (10 acres) of vines in Chateauneuf-du-Pape including plots in heralded vineyards such as Gallimardes and La Crau . Today, the estate has grown to 25 hectares and has been passed along to the sixth generation, brother and sister François and Marie . They have focused their efforts on selecting parcel by parcel, doing minimal treatments, upgrading their cellar to make finer and finer wines while respecting family traditions . The estate stretches over a terroir that is famous for its soil made of large rounded pebbles . These stones radiate a gentle warmth promoting ripeness, concentration and young intense flavor in the grapes.

Renowned oenologist Philippe Cambie consults for the domaine .

DOMAINE GIRAUD


domaine giraudles gallimardes blanc 2011| châteauneuf-du-pape

equal parts grenache blanc, clairette, roussanne, bourboulencaged in stainless steel (roussanne is barrel aged for 6 months)SRP $65

tradition 2010 | châteauneuf-du-pape60% grenache, 35% syrah, 5% mourvèdreaged 12 to 16 months in tank (syrah is aged in barrique)SRP $55

les grenaches de sixte 2011 | côtes du rhone100% grenache, old vines33% aged in barrel and 67% aged in tankSRP $21


Domaine de la Janasse has quickly become one of the superstar estates of Chateauneuf-du-Pape . Led by the dynamic Christophe Sabon, the estate combines the best of both traditional and modern techniques to craft a collection of truly riveting wines from “simple” value-priced VDP’s to benchmark Châteauneufs . The estate was founded in 1976 by Aimé Sabon, Christophe’s father, who still oversees the vineyards and farms organically . The property consists of 40 Hectares, spread over as many as 70 different parcels throughout the appellation .

While Aime works in the vineyards, his son, Christophe Sabon, is in charge of wine production . Christophe is a self-proclaimed “great defender of Grenache,” which still represents 75% of their vines . He manages the com-mon rusticity of Grenache-based wines through meticulous work in the vineyards and cellar . The result is a wide range of lavishly ripe, extracted Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Cotes-du-Rhône that are complex and yet balanced with acidity -- often in contradiction to an appellation bet-ter known for sheer exuberance and power . As Robert Parker points out: “The young and talented Christophe Sabon continues to display the sure-handed touch of a veteran wine-maker” .

DOMAINE DE LA JANASSE


domaine de la janassedomaine de la janasse côtes du rhône blanc 2011 | côtes du rhône

50% grenache, 15% clairette, 15% bourboulenc, 10% viognier, 10% roussanneaged 6 months in tank on the leesSRP $21

domaine de la janasse côtes du rhône rouge 2010 | côtes du rhône65% grenache, 25% syrah, 5% carignan, 5% mourvedreaged in concrete and foudreSRP $17

domaine de la janasse terre de bussiere 2010 | vdp principauté d’orange

55% merlot, 25% syrah, 10% grenache, 10% cabernet sauvignonaged 12 months in barrel (1/3 new)SRP $17

domaine de la janasse terre d’argile 2009 | côtes du rhône villagesequal parts grenache, syrah, mourvedre, carignanaged one year in foudreSRP $26

domaine de la janasse terre d’argile 2010 | côtes du rhône villagesequal parts grenache, syrah, mourvedre, carignanaged one year in foudreSRP $26

domaine de la janasse châteauneuf-du-pape rouge 2010 | châteauneuf-du-pape

80% grenache, 10% mourvedre, 10% syrahaged in concrete (80%) and barrel (20%), 33% is newSRP $68


Official French records indicate that the Armenier family has been tending vines in Châteauneuf-du-Pape since the 1300’s . Today, winemaker-sisters, Catherine and Sophie Armenier, continue to write history with the wines of Domaine de Marcoux .

In 1990, the Domaine became the first in the Châteauneuf-du-Pape to implement biodynamic farming practices . Their youngest vines are 40 years old, and in short, the sisters do as little as possible to the harvested grapes . The oldest vines on the property were planted in 1900 at La Crau . This domaine, as critic Stephen Tanzer put it, is “the essence of Châteauneuf-du-Pape .”

In 2003, Robert Parker named Sophie and Catherine on his list of “Wine Personalities of Year,” writing, “Over the last 12 years, the biodynamically farmed vineyard has risen to the top of Châteauneuf-du-Pape’s quality hierarchy . The two red wines produced have been stunning, with the regular cuvée of Châteauneuf-du-Pape one of the finest in the appellation, and the limited production Cuvée Vieilles Vignes one of the world’s truly magnificent wines.”

DOMAINE DE MARCOUX


domaine de marcouxchâteauneuf-du-pape blanc 2011 | châteauneuf-du-pape

70% roussanne, 30% bourboulencaged in stainless steel SRP $70

côtes du rhône 2010 | côtes du rhône90% grenache, 10% mourvedreaged in tankSRP $26

domaine la lorentine 2010 | lirac40% grenache, 30% mourvedre, 30% syrahaged 16-18 months in concrete tankSRP $27

châteauneuf-du-pape 2010 | châteauneuf-du-pape80% grenache, 10% mourvedre, 7% syrah, 3% cinsault aged 18 months in concrete tank (90%) and barrique (10%)SRP $75

châteauneuf-du-pape vieilles vignes 2010 | châteauneuf-du-pape100% grenacheaged 18 months in foudreSRP $180


The prestigious Clos Saint Jean is run by the fourth generation of the Tacussel/ Maurel family - Vincent and Pascal Maurel - under the tutelage of renown oenologist Philippe Cambie .

Clos Saint Jean is considered by critics, sommeliers and consumers alike to be among the top properties of the Southern Rhône . Robert Parker comments, “The tasting of the five 2007 cuvées must rank among the greatest single tasting in the southern Rhône I have ever done in 30+ years of wine tasting . Last year I sensed something special was happening, and the bottled 2007s confirm that something rare had occurred in the vineyards and cellars of Clos Saint-Jean .” The estate now boasts four 100 point wines, sourced from their extraordinary old vine plots, including choice parcels in the famed La Crau district of Châteauneuf-du-Pape .

CLOS SAINT JEAN


clos saint jeanchâteauneuf-du-pape blanc 2011 | châteauneuf-du-pape

34% grenache blanc, 33% clairette, 33% roussanne aged in barrique and concrete tankSRP $50

vieilles vignes 2010 | châteauneuf-du-pape75% grenache*, 15% syrah, 10% mourvèdre, cinsault, vaccareze and muscardin grenache aged in concrete tank, other varieties in new and one to three year old french oak for 12 monthsSRP $55

la combe des fous 2010 | châteauneuf-du-pape60% grenache*, 20% syrah, 10% cinsault, 10% vaccarezegrenache aged in concrete tank, other varieties in new and one to three year old french oak for 12 monthsSRP $110

deus ex machina 2010 | châteauneuf-du-pape60% grenache*, 40% mourvèdregrenache aged in concrete tank, mourvèdre in new and one to three year old french oak for 12 monthsSRP $100

sanctus sanctorum 2010 | châteauneuf-du-pape100% grenache*aged 12 months in demi-muid (600L barrels)SRP $300, magnum

*grenache comes from vines planted in the year 1905


In the early 20th century, Seraphin Sabon married Marie Jausset, daughter of Romain and Marie-Angelie Brunel . Born in Serignan of Comtat, north of Orange in the Vaucluse, Seraphin took over operations and expanded his wife’s family business – which dated back to 1560 . Marie had three sons, Roger being one of them . In 1952, Roger went on to found a Domaine in the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation . By 1973, Roger expanded the business by investing with his sons, Jean-Jacques, Denis & Gilbert .

Today it is, still, very much a family-run operation . Since 2001, Jean Jacques’s son-in-law, Didier Négron, has been in charge of vinification at the Domaine . Denis and his son, Julien, tend the fields. Delphine, Denis’s daughter, can often be found at the reception desk .

The wines of the Domaine are the fruit of an intimate dialogue between the winemaker and each portion of the land . Didier and Jean-Jacques maintain the old traditions and alchemy of the wine cellar revealing the secrets and subtle potentialities of the vines . Their winemaking involves a century-old savoir-faire that preserves and expresses the different aromatic nuances of each variety of grape .

ROGER SABON


roger sabonroger sabon renaissance 2011 | châteauneuf-du-pape

40% roussanne, 20% clairette, 20% bourboulenc,20% grenache blanc aged 7 months in tronconical vats with weekly batonnageSRP $50

roger sabon chapelle de maillac 2010 | lirac-chapelle de maillac70% grenache, 10% syrah, 10% mourvedre, 10% carignanaged in foudre and demi-muidSRP $22

roger sabon rhône by roger sabon 2010 | côtes du rhône80% grenache, 10% syrah, 10% cinsault aged in tankSRP $14

roger sabon les olivets 2010 | châteauneuf-du-pape70% grenache, 15% syrah, 15% cinsault aged 18 months in foudre and tank SRP $45

roger sabon réserve 2010 | châteauneuf-du-pape70% grenache, 20% syrah, 10% mourvedre aged 16 to18 months in foudre, 70%, and demi muids, 30%SRP $48

roger sabon prestige 2010 | châteauneuf-du-pape60% grenache, 20% syrah, 15% counoise and vaccarese, 5% mourvedreaged 18 months in demi muids and tronconical oak SRP $75


In 1985, Paul and Edith Chaudière left their jobs in private industry (she was a voice therapist and he was a physi-cal therapist) to study wine at one of France’s top wine universities at Suze la Rousse . 1989 marked the creation of the property in Mormoiron, one of the tiny villages dotting the beautiful countryside under the Mont Ventoux . Their two sons, Alexandre & Frederic have now taken over the estate to take it to the next level and show the tremendous potential of the Ventoux AOC .

The Chaudière family had been searching for the perfect balance between Grenache and Syrah, the two king grapes of the Rhône Valley .

CHÂTEAU PESQUIÉ


château pesquiéchâteau pesquié quintessence blanc 2010 | côtes du ventoux

80% roussanne, 10% clairette, 10% viognierclairette and viogner aged in stainless steel, roussanne aged 6 months in barrelSRP $25

château pesquié rosé 2011 | côtes du ventoux50% cinsault, 40% grenache, 10% syrahaged in stainless steel tankSRP $14

château pesquié terrasses 2011 | côtes du ventoux70% grenache, 20% syrahaged 6 to 8 months in oak, 40% newSRP $14

château pesquié quintessence rouge 2010 | côtes du ventoux80% syrah, 20% grenacheaged 12 months in oak, 50% newSRP $25

château pesquié artemia 2007 | côtes du ventoux50% syrah, 50% grenacheaged 18 months in new (50%) and neutral oak (50%)SRP $42

château pesquié artemia 2009 | côtes du ventoux50% syrah, 50% grenacheaged 18 months in new (50%) and neutral oak (50%)SRP $42


Vindemio is a vineyard estate created in 2006 by a group of friends united by a passion for wine, and a belief in the conviviality and pleasure that comes with wine . They have been brought together by Jean Marot, former winemaker of Domaine le Murmurium, and his son Guillaume .

The small property, at the foot of Mont Ventoux, consists of 19 hectares of organically and biodynamically farmed vineyards near the villages of Mormoiron and Villes sur Auzon at about 300 meters elevation .

DOMAINE VINDEMIO


domaine vindemioregain blanc 2010 | côtes du ventoux

80% clairette, 20% grenache blancaged 6 months in stainless steel tankSRP $13

regain 2010 | côtes du ventoux70% grenache, 30% syrah aged 6 months in stainless steel tankSRP $15

amadeus 2010 | côtes du ventoux80% grenache, 20% syrah aged 6 months on the lees in stainless steel tankSRP $30


Le Barroux is a small Provencal town located in the heart of the Vaucluse . Its twelfth century castle overhangs the stone-built village houses and picturesque alleys . In between the two famous mountains, the Mont Ventoux and the Dentelles de Montmirail, le Barroux is renowned as being an excellent tourist site, providing magnificent views. Nature surrounds the village with forests and fruit trees, intermingled with vines painting a varying landscape of changing colors . The terraced vineyards, owned by the talented former pharmacist Philippe Gimel, extend over 16 .5 ha of the hillside, at an elevation of between 900 to 1200 feet . It consists of 12 .5 hectares of vines and 4 hectares of fruit trees and forest, on alternating terraces and slopes . The name La Pierre Noire translates to “black stones”, in reference to the soil type for this wine .

SAINT JEAN DU BARROUX


saint jean du barrouxl’argile 2008 | côtes du ventoux

75% grenache, 15% syrah, 5% carignan, 5% cinsaultaged 18 months in concreteSRP $30

la montagne 2008 | côtes du ventoux34% grenache blanc, 33% bourboulenc, 33% clairetteaged 11 months on lees, 3/4 in tank and 1/4 in neutral oakSRP $39

la pierre noire 2007 | côtes du ventoux85% grenache, 15% syrahaged 3 years in concreteSRP $48


Clos Chanteduc is a hilltop property purchased by Patricia & Walter Wells in 1984 . Patricia Wells – journalist, author, and cooking instructor – is an American who has lived in Paris since 1980 . She is the author of 11 books, the only woman and only foreigner to serve as restaurant critic of the French newsweekly, L’Express, and since 1980 she has been a food critic for the International Herald Tribune . Previously, she was a writer and editor for The Washington Post and The New York Times .

The home estate of Clos Chanteduc has 7 .5 acres of vines located just outside the ancient Roman town of Vaison-la-Romaine . Yves Gras, of regarded Gigondas producer Sanda Duc, has been responsible for the winemaking since the 2007 vintage .

CLOS CHANTEDUC


clos chanteducclos chanteduc 2010 | côtes du rhône

65% grenache, 35% syrahaged 12 months in large oak casksSRP $18


Calendal, is first and foremost a story of friendship and love . Friendship between two men, Philippe Cambie and Gilles Ferran, (they did our studies in oenology together over twenty years ago) and the love for the underappreciated terroir of Provence, for their cherished varietals, Grenache and Mourvèdre, and an infatuation for the very old vines …In early 2006, they bought a tiny estate of 1 ½ hectare in Plan de Dieu, which they expanded in 2008 to 4,50 hectare (11 acres) . It is situated on large alluvial terraces of the Riss period, topped with Quaternary limestone gravel resting on a bed of blue clay of the Pliocene period .

They use agricultural methods that are totally respectful of both the environment and the soil . The plots are 50% old Mourvedre and 50% very old Grenache trained in bush vines and entirely tilled.The vinification takes place in two small cylindrical tanks of 50 hectoliters with manual punch-downs in order to respect the grapes as much as possible . Calendal is aged 12 to 14 months in one year barrels . Production is 14,000 bottles and some magnums .

CALENDAL


calendalcalendal 2011 | côtes du rhône

50% mourvedre, 50% grenacheaged 12 months in one year old barrelsSRP $28


Les Vignerons D’ Estézargues is a co-operative cellar in the small town of Estézargues which is located near Avignon . Les Vignerons D’Estézargues is truly unique in the wine world . All over France the co-op still plays a very important role in the production and sale of wine . Co-ops receive grapes from members and then make wine from them, this wine is made in large batches and grapes from many different vineyards are vinified together; the focus is on producing wine in quantity . Les Vignerons D’ Estézargues takes a fundamentally different approach; starting in 1995 the ten different growers in this co-op began to vinify their wine separately and make single cuvées from their best plots . On the heels of the single cuvée evolution Les Vignerons D’ Estézargues began to practice natural winemaking . Possibly one of the only co-ops in the world to do so, Les Vignerons D’ Estézargues uses no external yeasts, no filtering, no fining and no enzymes are employed on the grapes during the winemaking process . They produce either single wines (one producer): the Domaines or blended wines (La Granacha, for example) .

LES VIGNERONS D’ESTEZARGUES


les vignerons d’estezarguesles vignerons d’estézargues andezon 2011 | côtes du rhône

90% syrah, 10% grenacheaged in tank, bottled unfilteredSRP $13

les vignerons d’estézargues la granacha 2010 | côtes du rhône-signargues

100% grenache (old vines)aged 8 months in tank (50%) and barrel (50%)SRP $15

les vignerons d’estézargues domaine des fees 2010| côtes du rhône90% Syrah, 10% Grenacheaged in concreteSRP $15


Marcel Roche owns 50 hectares of vineyards in Cairanne and made his living by delivering his grapes to the local cooperative, even representing it as their president until 2005 . His son, Romain, grew up around the business and, no surprise, became interested in winemaking . First, he received a certificate from the wine school in Beaune, then attended business school and finished with a full oenological education from the university in Toulouse . To supplement his extensive education, he traveled to wineries in the US and Australia to learn firsthand winemaking techniques . After his education and travels, Romain settled back in France to make his own mark on the world . He worked, for a period, at Chateau Paradis in Provence, and it was there that he met Philippe Cambie . Then in 2008, he rented 15 hectares from his father . These vineyards are between 40 and 105 years old . He also rented a defunct cellar and installed some steel tanks. His first vintage was bottled in 2009 under the tutelage of Philippe Cambie .

DOMAINE ROCHE


domaine rochecôtes du rhône 2010 | côtes du rhône

60% grenache, 25% syrah, 15% carignan60% aged in stainless steel, 40% in concrete tank for 6 monthsSRP $15

cairanne 2010 | côtes du rhône villages cairanne70% grenache, 30% syrah80% aged in concrete tanks, 20% in barriqueSRP $18

cairanne la bousquette 2010 | côtes du rhône villages cairanne85% grenache, 15% carignanaged 18 months in concrete tankSRP $25


Domaine la Colliere is a small family estate founded by Georges Perrot . He began bottling his own wine in 2002, renting some cellar space from Andre Romero of Domaine Soumade fame . Prior to 2002, all the juice went to one of the big negociants . Renown Rhone oenologist, Philippe Cambie, consults on the project, which is already receiving rave reviews from the press .

Robert Parker says, “This unheralded estate is making fabulous wines from their 62 acres of vines spread throughout Rasteau and the surrounding Côtes du Rhône appellation . Proprietor Georges Perrot utilizes the services of the enormously talented Philippe Cambie, and, as one might expect, these are full-flavored, wonderfully pure, complex wines that respect their appellation .”

DOMAINE LA COLLIERE


domaine la collierecôtes du rhône 2010 | côtes du rhône

70% syrah, 30% grenacheaged in concrete tankSRP $15

rasteau 2010 | côtes du rhône villages rasteau80% grenache, 20% mourvèdreaged in cuvée béton (concrete)SRP $24

la fontaine 2010 | côtes du rhône villages rasteau80% grenache, 20% mourvèdreaged in concrete tank for two wintersSRP $30


Domaine La Garrigue recalls quintessential Provence: rugged, beautiful landscapes and honest, unpretentious people . The Bernard family, proprietors of both Domaine La Garrigue and the excellent restaurant “Les Florets” in Gigondas, are a generous, honest, and hardy lot . It comes as no surprise that their wines reflect their nature and character offering some of the most affordable and pleasurable drinking in Provence .

Domaine La Garrigue takes its name from the wild herbe de Provence and ground cover of Provence called Garrigue, a familiar scent often captured in their bottlings . The estate’s excellent Cotes du Rhone, labeled “Cuvee Romaine” is named after the myriad of Roman artifacts that were excavated by archeologists on the property in the late 1970’s and the early 1980’s . The Domaine’s Cuvee Romaine is a custom cuvee for Eric Solomon Selections made by famed Rhone oenologist, Philippe Cambie .

DOMAINE LA GARRIGUE


domaine la garriguedomaine la garrigue l’hostellerie 2010 | vacqueyras

75% grenache, 25% syrahaged 18 months in concrete tankSRP $22

domaine la garrigue vacqueyras 2010 | vacqueyras80% grenache, 10% syrah, 5% cinsault, 5% mourvedreaged in concrete tankSRP $23

domaine la garrigue la cantarelle 2010 | vacqueyras95% grenache, 5% syrah - 100+ year old vinesaged 24 months in concrete tankSRP $28


The single desire of Michel Gassier is to make captivating wines that express the essence of his grapes and the ter-roir that nourishes them . Located in Costières de Nîmes, where the Rhône Valley meets the Mediterranean Sea, his organically farmed vineyards ben-efit from cooling sea breezes and give fresh elegant wines with mineral undertones . Lou Coucardié and Nos-tre Païs, his two iconic cuvées, are testimonials to this great terroir .

Here, the legendary Mistral wind is guardian of the grapes’ freshness . The Latin name for these north by northwest winds is CERCIUS - the defining feature and raison d’être for partners Michel Gassier, Philippe Cambie and Eric Solomon to launch this new project . This outstanding Côtes du Rhône is sourced from the best terroirs and vinified and aged in concrete tanks .

VIGNOBLES MICHEL GASSIER


vignobles michel gassier cercius blanc 2011 | vin de france

70% grenache blanc, 30% sauvignon blancaged on the lees in concreteSRP $14

nostre païs blanc 2010 | costières de nîmes90% grenache blanc, 5% roussanne, 5% viognieraged 6 months in french oakSRP $19

nostre païs blanc 2011 | costières de nîmes90% grenache blanc, 5% roussanne, 5% viognieraged 6 months in french oakSRP $20

lou coucardie blanc 2011 | costières de nîmes70% roussanne, 20% grenache, 10% viognier aged 10 months in french oakSRP $26

cercius rouge 2011 | côtes du rhône85% grenache, 15% syrahaged 6 months in concreteSRP $16

nostre païs rouge 2010 | costières de nîmes35% grenache, 25% carignan, 20% mourvèdre, 15% cinsault, 5% syrahaged 6 months in french oak with 50% on the leesSRP $20

lou coucardie rouge 2010 | costières de nîmes60% mourvèdre, 30% grenache, 10% syrahaged 12-18 months in french oak on the leesSRP $30


Nicolas Souchon, a young oenologist working at Clos St Jean, in Châteauneuf du Pape, decided to embark on a side project: making wine of his own . His family’s vineyard lies on the opposite side of the Rhone and made for an exciting challenge . He yielded about 20-25 hl/ha and practices the Lutte Raisonnée (sustainable) farming technique . With the help of Philippe Cambie he introduced his first vintage, 2010, in 2012 to the American market .

The name of this wine pays homage to the history of winemaking in Southern France . Volcae is the Latin form of Volques, Celtic people from the south of France who were the first Gallic tribe, known as Gauls, to make wine more than 2000 years ago . They came from the Danube region before relocating in Languedoc where they gradually mixed with the Iberian, who were there for trade, and the Greeks who owned the towns of Lattes and Agde . It was the Volques who founded the town of Nimes far before the arrival of the Romans .

MAS DES VOLQUES


mas des volquesmas des volques volcae 2010 | duché d’uzès

35% grenache, 35% syrah, 30% carignangrenache aged in tank and syrah and carignan aged in barrelSRP $30


One needs to glance only briefly through the notes of Jancis Robinson, Robert Parker, Andrew Jefford and David Schildknecht (among many others) to discover their love affair with the Languedoc . And by that, we mean head-over-heels, butterflies-in-the-stomach kind of love . We have held affection for the region since the humble beginnings of European Cellars when our motto was “unknown…and unsold” – an affection that remains as exciting to us today as it did 20 years ago .

Château Puech-Haut has been on the critic’s radar for some time – which makes sense since the property has employed Michel Rolland, Claude Gros and now Philippe Cambie as their consulting oenologist . Visionary owner Gérard Bru spares no expense in his quest for excellence .

CHÂTEAU PUECH-HAUT


château puech-hautprestige rose 2011 | côteaux du languedoc - saint drézéry

70% grenache, 30% cinsaultaged in stainless steelSRP $20

tete de belier rose 2011 | côteaux du languedoc - saint drézéry50% mourvèdre, 50% grenacheaged in stainless steelSRP $35

prestige rouge 2010 | côteaux du languedoc - saint drézéry55% grenache, 45% syrahaged in concreteSRP $21

cante libre 2009 | côteaux du languedoc - saint drézéry100% grenache aged 16 months in new french oakSRP $65

quercus 2009 | côteaux du languedoc - saint drézéry100% grenache aged 16 months in tankSRP $65

recantou 2009 | côteaux du languedoc - saint drézéry100% syrah 70% aged in new oak for 16 months, 30% in one year old oak for 12 monthsSRP $65

bosque negre 2009 | côteaux du languedoc - saint drézéry80% mourvèdre, 20% grenachemourvèdre aged in new french oak for 16 months, grenache in tankSRP $65


Domaine l’Hortus is the property of Jean Orliac, one of the great innovators of Pic St Loup . As a student Orliac spent his holidays rock climbing, unable to resist the challenge of the imposing 638m crag of rock which gives its name to this wine region . While climbing Orliac saw another challenge, that of a fledgling wine region which could one day be a great appellation . He decided to combine his training as an agricultural engineer, his desire to work outdoors, and a family winemaking heritage in the creation of a great wine estate . Jean Orliac first rented vines in 1978, but within two years he purchased a barren plot between the two peaks of the region, the Pic St Loup and the Montagne de l’Hortus . It took time to establish the vineyard, and consequently the first vintage for Domaine de l’Hortus wasn’t until 1990 . By 1995 he had completed the construction of his winery, an intriguing building made almost entirely from wood . In addition Jean Orliac also produces wines under the Coteaux du Languedoc appellation at Clos du Prieur, a property about 20 km west of Pic St Loup .

DOMAINE DE L’HORTUS | CLOS DU PRIEUR


domaine de l’hortus

bergerie de l’hortus classique blanc 2011 | côteaux du languedoc/vdp du val de montferrand

40% roussanne, 20% sauvignon blanc, 10% sauvignon gris, 20% viognier, 10% chardonnayaged in stainless steelSRP $17

grande cuvée blanc 2010 | côteaux du languedoc/vdp du val de montferrand

70% chardonnay, 30% viognieraged 8 months in barrique on leesSRP $31

le loup dans la bergerie 2011 | vdp du val de montferrand70% grenache, 20% syrah, 10% merlot aged in stainless steel vatsSRP $11

bergerie de l’hortus classique rouge 2010 | côteaux du languedoc/pic saint loup

60% syrah, 20% mouvédre, 20% grenachegrenache & mourvedre aged in stainless steel tank, syrah & cinsault in barrel SRP $24

grand cuvee rouge 2009 | côteaux du languedoc/ pic saint loup60% syrah, 30% mourvedre, 10% grenache aged 12 to 14 months in french allier oak, 2/3 newSRP $29

clos du prieur 2009 | côteaux du languedoc/pic saint loup60% syrah, 40% grenache aged 13 months in French oakSRP $24


The domaine began in 2004 in a small stone barn halfway between Grange des Pères and Daumas Gassac . It is situated at the foot of the Larzac plateau, known for grazing sheep and Roquefort production . This is an area of warm summers and cold winters, and of poor stony soils scented with fennel, rosemary and thyme .

La Pèira is inspired by one belief: that with rigorous and uncompromising work in the vineyard and non-interventionist winemaking, the true character of this terroir may convey something of its beauty and wildness, something unique and expressive . This involves a meticulous approach to viticulture - very low yields, short pruning, de-suckering, crop thinning, shoot removal, leaf plucking, and green harvesting; the hand picking of perfectly ripe grapes in small cagettes; a double triage and sorting table and the careful é1evage of small amounts of wine in new barrels .

LA PÈIRA


la pèiradeusyls 2009 | terrasses du larzac

60% viognier, 40% roussanne aged 18 to 24 months in new french oak barrel on the leesSRP $45

les obriers de la pèira 2009 | terrasses du larzac65% cinsault, 35% carignan aged 18 to 24 months in cuve boisSRP $22

la flors 2009 | terrasses du larzac55% grenache, 30% syrah, 10% mourvedre, 5% cinsault aged 18 to 24 months in new french oak on the leesSRP $45

la pèira 2009 | terrasses du larzac70% syrah, 30% grenache aged 24 months in new French oak barrels on fine leesSRP $110


One of the most sought-after wine-makers of Europe at the moment, Jean-Marc Lafage, lends his exper-tise with Southern European varietals to several top estates in both France and Spain (he makes Las Rocas Gar-nacha with Eric Solomon among other custom cuvée projects) and also in South America . However, his best work is perhaps at home at his estate in the hills of the Roussillon with his wife, Eliane, also a highly accom-plished winemaker .

Recently purchased by Jean Marc Lafage, Château Saint Roch is locat-ed in the Maury Area of the Agly Val-ley, which is 15 miles from Perpignan and the Mediterranean Sea . The cas-tle of Queribus, built by the Cantha-ris, at the top of the steep Corbières Mountain watches over the vine-yards from the north . Each plot is now surrounded by black berry bushes, fig trees, pomegranate trees, cherry trees, carob trees, oaks, as well as fields of thyme, lavender and fennel.

DOMAINE LAFAGE | SAINT ROCH |NOVELLUM


domaine lafage | novellum

domaine lafage coté est 2011 | vdp côtes catalanes60% grenache blanc, 30% chardonnay, 10% marsanne aged in stainless steel on leesSRP $12

novellum chardonnay 2011 | vdp côtes catalanes100% chardonnay aged 3 months in Burgundian barrel, 30%, and stainless steel tank, 70%, on viognier leesSRP $14

domaine lafage cuvée centenaire 2011 | côtes du roussillon80% grenache blanc & gris, 20% roussanneaged in stainless steel (70%) and new french barrel (30%)SRP $16

domaine lafage cuvée nicolas 2009 | vdp côtes catalanes100% grenache noiraged 6 months in barrel on the leesSRP $14

domaine lafage cuvée nicolas 2010 | vdp côtes catalanes100% grenache noiraged 6 months in barrel on the leesSRP $14

domaine lafage tessellae 2009 | vdp côtes catalanes100% carignan, old vines 10 months in concrete tank on fine leesSRP $14

domaine lafage rivesaltes ambre NV | rivesaltes100% grenacheaged 5 months in barrelSRP $36


domaine lafage | saint rochsaint roch blanc 2010 | côtes du roussillon villages

80% grenache, 20% marsanne aged 4 months in tankSRP $18

saint roch blanc 2011 | côtes du roussillon villages80% grenache, 20% marsanne aged 4 months in tankSRP $18

saint roch chimères 2009 | côtes du roussillon villages60% grenache, 30% syrah, 10% carignanaged 8 to12 months in 500L barrelSRP $18

saint roch kerbuccio 2008 | côtes du roussillon villages40% grenache, 40% syrah, 20% carignanaged 14 months in new caskSRP $27

saint roch kerbuccio 2009 | côtes du roussillon villages40% grenache, 40% syrah, 20% carignanaged 14 months in new caskSRP $27

domaine lafage rivesaltes ambre NV | rivesaltes100% grenacheaged 5 months in barrelSRP $36


Not originally from the area, the young Philippe Gard first came to the region on vacation . After working in both Chablis and Pomerol, Philippe and his wife Nathalie decided that this beautiful sea-side region was where they wanted to start their winery . They sought out only the most terroir-driven sites, and after many months of hard work, in 2006 he joined Andy Cook and purchased a spectacular site called the Coume del Mas which forms the base of the estate .

The beautiful old buildings of Mas Cristine look down to the shores of the Mediterranean and the town of Collioure . The estate is at the South-ern edge of the Côtes du Roussillon Appellation, and has complex soils of schistes, clay, and limestone . Vines were first planted here around 1810, and the property today has magnifi-cent holdings of Syrah, Grenache, Roussanne, Marsanne, and Muscat .

COUME DEL MAS | MAS CRISTINE


mas christine blanc 2011 | côtes du roussillon40% grenache gris, 20% roussanne, 20% macabeo, 10% marsanne, 10% carignan gris 50% barrel fermented and aged 6 months in French oak barrelSRP $19

coume del mas folio 2011 | collioure100% grenache grisaged 7 months in one and two year old barrelsSRP $35

mas christine rose 2011| côtes du roussillon80% grenache, 20% syrahaged in tankSRP $16

mas christine rouge 2010 | côtes du roussillon50% grenache noir, 45% syrah, 5% carignanaged in oakSRP $19

coume del mas schistes 2011 | collioure100% grenache noiraged 12 months in tankSRP $35

coume del mas quintessence 2011 | collioure100% grenache noiraged 12 months in oak, 50% newSRP $50

coume del mas | mas cristine


coume del mas quadratur 2010 | collioure50% grenache, 30% mourvedre, 20% carignanaged 12 to 14 months in oakSRP $36

coume del mas galateo 2011 | banyuls100% grenacheaged 7 months in oakSRP $30

coume del mas | mas cristine


Gilles Troullier comes from the original “school” of terroir where he has been wine maker and manager at the larg-est producer in the Northern Rhône for nearly ten years . He has been re-sponsible for the successes of several high-end Grenache Noir-based wines which have received top scores and appreciation from the likes of Robert Parker, Decanter, The Wine Spectator, Steve Tanzer, etc . He holds a degree in Biodynamic Viticulture and Enol-ogy and through his years of work and research has become one of the world’s references on the science of mastering mineral and soil expression in the vineyard . His Roussillon wines have great breed, finesse, complex-ity and follow-through .

GILLES TROULLIER


gilles troulliergilles troullier l’esprit de temps 2009 | côtes catalanes

100% grenache aged 12 months in demi muidsSRP $50

gilles troullier boreal 2009 | côtes catalanes100% syrah aged 12 months in French oak SRP $68


Burgans is made at the famous Bo-dega Martin Codax by Luciano Al-moedo, perhaps the biggest advo-cate of the Albariño varietal in Spain . Luciano was extremely influential in obtaining worldwide recognition for not only the varietal, but also Rias-Baixas, where he was the founder and first leader of the AOC. Today, the Bodega has grown considerably and is known as one of the most progressive in the zone . The wine is blended by Eric Solomon, working in concert with the property, and is bottled in the spring after harvest .

BURGANS


burgans burgans albariño 2011 | rias baixas

100% albariñoaged in stainless steel with some lees stirringSRP $14


Marisol Bueno and Javier Mareque bought this estate in 1979, which already had vineyards planted with the Albariño grape variety . The Pazo de Señorans estate covers 14 hectares, of which 8 .5 are planted with vines, all of them the Albariño variety, in siliceous, granitic and decomposed soils . Marisol Bueno is the true pioneer and force of this young appellation . Through her work, the DO was created in 1988, quality thresholds were introduced, and the region began to receive wider recognition throughout the world . Today, the property is one of only a few family-owned estates, and remains quite small in order to maintain a rigorous level of quality . About one-third of this wine is sourced from estate vineyards, while the remainder comes from almost 200 growers - all of which have worked with the estate for at least 20 years and take tremendous pride in their grapes . Growers bring sample bunches to the winery to be analyzed by the winemaker, Ana Quintela Suárez . Upon her determination, the grapes are subsequently harvested in small cases and, almost always, by women .

PAZO DE SEÑORÁNS


pazo de señoránspazo de señoráns albariño 2011 | rias baixas

100% albariñoaged 4 months in stainless steel SRP $24

pazo de señoráns seleccion de anada 2005 | rias baixas100% albariñoaged over 30 months in stainless steel on the lees and 12 months in bottleSRP $75


The project Pena das Donas, S .L . was established in 2005 by two partners, both in love with wine tradition in the area, who share a vision for innovations both in viticulture and winemaking . Antonio Lombardía Crespo has worked for a long time as viticultural consultant for some entities and wineries in the area and brings his expertise to the property as general manager of Pena das Donas . Jesús Vázquez Rodríguez handles the viticulture and winemaking for the property . Pena das Donas differentiates from other producers in the D .O . by dramatically reducing their yields . All the vineyards are located on the slopes of Sil riverside, planted on very dramatic terraces .

The place Pena das Donas appears in old legends, still known by the inhabitants of the area . It is a small hill on the riverside of the Sil that sits in front of what was a Benedictine Monastery . Legend has it that in the past there was a tunnel between the hill and the Monastery through which the monks could communicate with the outside world .

PENA DAS DONAS


pena das donaspena das donas almalarga 2010 | ribeira sacra

100% godelloaged 4 months in tank on the leesSRP $22

pena das donas verdes matas mencia 2010 | ribera sacra100% menciaaged 2 to 4 months french and american oak barrelSRP $21


Sanclodio is owned by award-winning Spanish art film maker Jose Luís Cuerda . In 1999, he purchased six hectares of land and a 15th century estate in Gomariz Parish, in the Ribeiro del Avia region . This was just after his 1999 movie “La Lengua de las Mariposas” (“Butterfly’s Tongue”), won a Goya, the Spanish equivalent to an Oscar, for best-adapted screenplay in 2000 . One of the world’s best white wines has been produced here, according to a number of historical documents, ever since the Middle Ages when the Cistercian monks colonized this region .

The granite-filled land, its location and slope of its terraced-plots, known as ‘sucalcos’ in Gallego/Galician – the wide variety of native grapes that have survived, albeit as a minority, and the traditional wine-making practices in Gomariz have all made it possible to maintain the high-quality of its white wines . The abundant work underway at the most discerning plantations in the region to recover a variety of native grapes - treixadura, godello, albariño, torrontés and loureira, among others, along with the introduction of the most advanced technologies in wine-making, has given a handful of wines from this Denomination of Origin the prestige that they deserve . Ribeiro is Jose Luís’ ancestral homeland and his commitment to Sanclodio is a “return to the roots” and labor of love for him .

SANCLODIO


sanclodiosanclodio 2009 | ribeiro

70% treixadura, 9% godello, 9% loureira, 7% torrontés, 5% albariñoaged 2 months in stainless steel on the leesSRP $21


Antonio Cajide was born in a family that has been winegrowers for several generations . In 1999, he decided to convert the old family winery into a new modern facility but kept traditional winemaking and vinification especially in the vineyards . Bodegas Sameirás is located in the D .O . Ribeiro in the region of Galicia, northwestern area of Spain and inland to the D .O . Rias Baixas .

The primary white grape in the D .O . Ribeiro used to be Palomino, now principally used in Spanish Sherry . However, too neutral for the flavorful, mineral fresh white this area produces, Palomino has been slowly replaced with varieties like Albariño (Alvarinho) Godello (Verdelho), Loureira, Treixadura, and Torrontés . Known to produce more exciting and aromatic wines, these grapes induce wines somewhat similar to the fresh, crisp wines from Portugal’s D .O .C . Vinho Verde, but with more flavors, intensity and length .

A quantity production controlled per vine, an optimum harvesting moment, and an extreme care in winemaking, allows the wine from Sameirás to have a standard quality year after year .

SAMEIRAS


samierassameiras blanco 2010 | ribeiro

55% treixadura, 20% albariño, 10% lado, 10% godello, 2% loureira, 2% torrontes,1 % caiño blancoaged in tankSRP $19


Rafael Palacios began his wine project in Valdeorras in 2004, purchasing mature vineyards of the indigenous Godello variety from older local growers . His previous experience in the area as a consultant had motivated him to try and recuperate the unique sub-zone of the Bibei Valley in the Municipality of O Bolo – characterized by its granite soils . The extreme topography and the low productivity of the soil had led to the almost complete abandonment of grape production in this tiny but historic county, cultivated traditionally on steep terraces .

The vineyards are located in the western part of the Valdeorras region, on the right bank of the Bibei River at altitudes between 1800 and 2160 feet . The sandy soils are very distinct, and were developed through the degradation of the granite substratum . The result is a low-fertile, acidic soil prone to erosion . As Sortes is made with vines from the following estate parcels: Sorte dos Santos, Valverde, Chandoiro, Sorte Antiga 1920, Os Caneiros, A Barca, Coalleira, Chao do Couso, Sorte Falcoeira, O Castiñeiro . The predominance of small plots is the result of inheritances drawn by lot, often out of a hat, called “Sorte” in the Galician language and the inspiration for the name As Sortes .

RAFAEL PALACIOS


rafael palaciosrafael palacios sabrego 2011 | valdeorras

100% godelloaged 4 to 5 months in tank on the leesSRP $16

rafael palacios louro do bolo 2011 | valdeorras92% godello, 8% treixadura aged 5 months in foudreSRP $22

rafael palacios as sortes 2010 | valdeorras100% godelloaged 8 monthsin french oak with bâtonnageSRP $54


The number four is a running theme throughout Sarmiento’s work and life .The discovery of four bear footprints in a magnificent vineyard in the high-est areas of the Bierzo inspired the name of this wine .

Martín Sarmiento was an erudite and intellectual monk ahead of his time who dedicated his life to the study of Botany, Agriculture and the de-fense of the Galician Culture and Language. He believes that four firm steps are necessary to reach excel-lence: the selection of the land, the care of the vine, a suitable climate and carefulness in the elaboration .

The peculiar warm and damp climate of the valley along with the slated lands of the Bierzo give it its charac-teristic minerality and structure . The grapes from are taken from four vine-yards: Otero, Hornija, Corullón and Valtuille with four different stories that define the character of their people and vines . The result is a 100% Mencía wine elaborated from grapes chosen from the over 80-year-old vines root-ed in slated lands located in the high areas of the Bierzo region .

BODEGAS MARTIN SARMIENTO


bodeges martin sarmientocuatro pasos 2010 | bierzo

100% menciaaged in tankSRP $13


Ossian is as ambitious a white wine project as can be found in Spain . Javier Zaccagnini (a cofounder of Aalto—one of the Ribera del Duero’s standout wine producers) wanted to make a Spanish white with the opu-lence and breeding of a grand cru white Burgundy using a native Spanish variety . He chose as his medium the Verdejo grape of the Rueda region, which produces alluring, wonderful-ly complex whites . Ancient Verdejo vineyards containing pre-phylloxera vines anywhere up to 200 years old still exist . Zaccagnini tapped those as well as the talents of Burgundian oenologist Pierre Millemann to help massage this fruit into a lush, com-plex Spanish alternative to the best of Burgundian Chardonnay . The wine is made from ungrafted old vines that are farmed organically, using wild yeast ferments and French oak . Pro-duction is highly limited .

The vineyards and winery are locat-ed in the village of Nieva, in the prov-ince of Segovia . The fermentation and subsequent aging in wood take place in a small room that belonged to the old Monastery of El Parral, dat-ing from the XII century . It is a quaint building, made from brick and slate, a good example of the Romanesque Mudejar (Moorish) style, typical of this area of Spain .

OSSIAN


ossianossian 2009 | rueda

100% verdejo aged 10 months in french oakSRP $48


For six generations, the Sanz family has been making wines in the Rueda region of Spain . In 2005, Ricardo Sanz started producing his wines under the new Sitios de Bodega label . The project distinguishes his modern ap-proach from that of his father, who still produces wines under different labels .

Rueda is located in northwestern Spain - just south of the River Duero, not far from the Portuguese border . Scorched bare by retreating Moors in the tenth century, the region lay fallow for generations . During this period, a wild grape called Verdejo, appeared throughout the district . As Rueda was resettled in the 11th cen-tury, the grape was gradually domes-ticated throughout the district .

In the 1970’s, Marques de Riscal initi-ated a renaissance in Rueda wine-making . Riscal recognized that mod-ern winemaking equipment could produce a fresh and delicious wine from Verdejo, a revelation, since the grape oxidizes very rapidly to pro-duce sherry-like aromas . In addition, the estate introduced other varieties like Viura and Sauvignon Blanc that flourish in Rueda’s chalky soils. The resulting wines were completely dif-ferent from what Spain was used to drinking - unlike the heavy and /or oxidized whites the country had pro-duced for generations .

SITIOS DE BODEGA


sitios de bodegacon class 2011 | rueda

60% verdejo, 25% viura, 15% sauvignon blancaged in stainless steel tankSRP $12

con class organic verdejo 2011 | rueda100% organic verdejoaged in stainless steel tankSRP $14

terna de bodega v3 2010| rueda100% verdejo, old vinesaged 10 months on the lees with bâtonnageSRP $30


While studying architecture at the University of Barcelona in the mid-eighties, Joaquim Vila developed a passion for wine and began his career by procuring a selection of fine wines and then selling them at a grocery store, originally founded by his grandfather in 1932 .

In 1994, he opened Vila Viniteca which soon became known as one of the most specialized wine outlets in Spain, as well as one of the most important restaurateur suppliers of the country . Apart from exclusively working with over one hundred vineyards, the Vila Viniteca catalog carries over 7000 wines . Presently Joaquim manages his two distribution centers and four wine shops with great dedication and passion .

Paisajes is a partnership with Miguel Angel de Gregorio of Finca Allende . El Perro Verde was conceived with Jose Penin (the ‘Robert Parker’ of Spain) and made by Javier Lorenzo at Bodegas y Viñedos Ángel Lorenzo Cachazo in Pozáldez . Venta las Vacas strictly uses gravity as its power source and its namesake is a homage to the farming community from which it comes in the province of Burgos .

VILA VINITECA EL PERRO VERDE | NAVAZOS NIEPOORT| PAISAJES


vila vinitecael perro verde 2011 | rueda

100% verdejoaged 4 months in stainless steel with its leesSRP $15

paisajes vii cecias 2008 | rioja100% garnachaaged 14 months in french oak barrelSRP $47

paisajes la pasada 2009| rioja1000% tempranilloaged 16 months in french oak barrelSRP $47

paisajes valsado 2008 | rioja40% tempranillo, 40% garnacha, 10% graciano, 10% mazueloaged 12 months in new french oak barrelSRP $39

venta las vacas 2009| ribera del duero100% tempranilloaged in barrelSRP $26


Artevino is defined as a group that looks at the earth as providing us with the raw material to make high quality wines representing the spirit of its indigenous region and terroir . The origin of Grupo Artevino is Bodegas Izadi, a family owned winery located in Rioja Alavesa which has always been linked to viticulture .

In 1987, Bodegas Izadi began with the mission to produce quality Rioja wine with a modern touch, based in old vines with low yields and maintaining the artisan characteristics so specific to this particular region . Izadi, in the process of making quality wines, is one of the first wineries in the region which incorporates a sorting table to select only the best grapes . In 2003, Finca Villacreces was added to the group . “The hidden jewel in Ribera de Duero” according to Robert Parker . In 2004 the first vintage of Vetus, in the DO Toro , was succesfully launched as a modern and revolutionary wine within its region . In 2005, a fourth project in Rioja was introduced; Orben was created with the intent to produce the avant-garde with a very tight connection to gastronomy .

GRUPO ARTEVINOIZADI | ORBEN | VETUS | FINCA VILLACRECES


izadi | orben

blanco 2011 | rioja alavesa80% viura, 20% malvasiaaged 4 months in new french and american oak barrelSRP $19

reserva 2007 | rioja alavesa100% tempranillo aged 14 months in french and american oak barrelSRP $20

el regalo 2005 | rioja alavesa90% tempranillo, 10% graciano, mazuelo, and garnachaaged 20 months in french and american oak barrelSRP $65

orben 2006| rioja alavesa97% tempranillo, 3% graciano aged 15 months in french oak barrelSRP $37

malpuesto 2009 | rioja alavesa100% tempranillo aged 12 months in french oak barrelSRP $60


vetus | finca villacrecesflor de vetus 2010 | toro

100% tinta de toroaged 10 months in new american and french oak barrel SRP $19

vetus 2008 | toro100% tinta de toroaged for 12 months in new american and french oak barrelSRP $30

celsus 2009 | toro100% tinta de toroaged 12 months in new american and french oak SRP $60

pruno 2009 | ribera del duero90% tempranillo, 10% cabernet sauvingnon12 months in french oak barrels – two years oldSRP $21

finca villacreces 2006 | ribera del duero86% tempranillo, 7% cabernet sauvignon, 7% merlot aged 16 months in new french oak barrel SRP $42

nebro 2008 | ribera del duero100% tempranilloaged 18 months in french oak barrelSRP $220


Located on the outskirts of Ribero del Duero, just past Vega Sicilia in the steep small villages of Sardon del Duero, Quinta Sardonia is a biodynamic project from Pingus’ Peter Sisseck and Jerome Bougnaud producing a wine with a unique blend of international varieties alongside the native tinto fino (tempranillo). Peter made Pingus famous by using only the native tinto fino and only old vines from within the classic and historic boundaries of Ribera del Duero . Peter wanted to make a world-class red wine that paid homage to the Bordeaux varieties he loves but inside a vineyard he would create and plant, literally, from the ground up . This jewel-box of a vineyard is like his Bonsai garden; it is so meticulously tended, the results speak for themselves .

Quinta Sardonia is at an altitude of between 2100 and 2400 feet and located about 1200 feet from the Duero River . There are 20 hectares of which 17 are vineyards and the rest are mountain and pine forest .

QUINTA SARDONIA


quinta sardoniaquinta sardonia 2009 | sardon del duero

51% tinto fino, 29% cabernet sauvignon, 6% merlot, 5% syrah, 5% petit verdot, 2% cabernet franc, 2% malbecaged 18 months in french oak, 50% new and 50% 1 year oldSRP $55


It is ironic that one of the youngest properties in the region has one of the most prestigious lineages, but it is the case with Bodegas Aalto . A chance meeting between Mariano Garcia, former star winemaker of Vega Sicilia, and Javier Zaccagnini, former President of the governing body of the Ribera del Duero AOC, gave birth to this quality-oriented estate which produced its first vintage in 1999, a year after its creation . Located in Ribera del Duero on Spain’s north-central plateau, Bodegas Aalto produces critically acclaimed wines from old vine (30 to 90-years old) Tempranillo .

BODEGAS AALTO


bodegas aaltoaalto 2009 | ribera del duero

100% tinto fino aged 23 months in 1 to 2 year old french and american oak barrelSRP $56

aalto ps 2009 | ribera del duero100% tinto fino aged 30 months in new french oakSRP $128


Creta is a partnership between Eric Solomon and Isaac Fernández Montaña . Isaac is one of the team of winemakers working at Mariano Garcia’s family bodega, Mauro, located in Tudela del Duero . Mariano Garcia is perhaps Spain’s greatest winemaker and, with thirty vintages at Vega Sicilia under his belt, he is arguably one of the finest winemakers in the world . Isaac is Mariano’s nephew and great winemaking clearly seems to run in the family .

Creta is named for the extraordinary chalk soils found in the Ribera del Duero and specifically the vineyard site chosen for this wine .

CRETA


cretacreta roble 2010 | ribera del duero

100% tempranilloaged 4 months in 70% french and 30% american oak barrelSRP $15


Hacienda Monasterio is a 150 hectare estate located between Pesquera and Valbeuna de Duero in the DO Ribera del Duero . At the end of the 19th century this property was owned by the Lecanda family who were pioneers of the region and in fact the first owners of Vega Sicilia . The estate was purchased by current owner Carlos del Rio’s in the early 1990s . His wine background is in fact rooted south in Jerez, as his family has been in the sherry business for decades with Tio Pepe (and now the larger Gonzalez-Byass parent company) . Carlos built the current winery in 1991 with French architect Philippe Mazieres who designed the spectacular cellars for Chateau Margaux and Chateau D’Yquem .

Peter Sissick (of Pingus fame – which came after Monasterio) has served as consulting winemaker since the estate’s beginning with local winemaker Carlos de la Fuente . Vineyards are planted primarily to Tinto Fino (Tempranillo) and specifically to three types that are based on very old selections . The vineyards are situated on limestone soils and at a south facing exposure .

HACIENDA MONASTERIO


hacienda monasteriohacienda monasterio crianza 2009 | ribera del duero

80% tempranillo, 15% cabernet sauvignon, 5% merlotaged 17 months in french allier oak barriquesSRP $50


Evodia is an exciting new project in the Denominacion de Origen Calatayud, hailed as one of Spain’s most progressive and promising wine growing regions . Calatayud is distinguished by its prevalence of high elevation vineyards planted to the Garnacha variety – in fact, the highest in the entire country . The vineyards surrounding the small town of Atea reach upwards of 3000 feet – the highest within the DO .

It is here, in the vineyards of Atea, that Altovinum sources their Garnacha grapes for Evodia . In addition to the remarkable climate due to the elevation, the property is comprised of pure schiste soils, known as pisara in the local area. Aficionados familiar with the wines of the Priorat and the Roussillon are well acquainted to this soil type and its extraordinary influence on the wines .

ALTOVINUM


altovinumevodia 2011 | calatayud

100% garnacha, old vinesaged 5 months in stainless steel tankSRP $10


evodia 2011 | calatayud100% garnacha, old vinesaged 5 months in stainless steel tankSRP $10

The producers of La Calandria, Luis and Javier, met at the tender age of thirteen in school and became fast friends . Their paths parted ways for university – Luis studying Fine Arts and Javier studying oenology – and then joined again through a passion for wine years later . Together they embarked on a search for the purist form of Garnacha and the mantra that life is too short to drink bad wine . La Calandria was born . Their method still involves searching, thus their namesake – after the gregarious Calandra lark who nests on the ground allowing for mobility . In the same way, La Calandria keeps their operation mobile and agile so they are able to move from vineyard to vineyard . Today, you’ll find them “nesting” in the province of Navarra in northern Spain . They farm with an organic approach leaving the vines and earth to flourish as it was intended which includes tumbleweeds and the necessity for hand pruning .

The grapes for La Calandria wines come from three distinct vineyards: Cintruénigo, Murchante and Tierga . Volandera is sourced from the Cintruénigo vineyard .

LA CALANDRIA


la calandriala calandria volandera 2011| navarra

100% garnachaaged in tankSRP $18

la calandria tierga 2010| navarra100% garnachaaged 7 months in 500L french oak barrelSRP $31


There is no doubt that Benjamin Romeo is a perfectionist when it comes to winemaking . He is both passionate in the bodega, and obsessive in the vineyard . He worked as winemaker at Artadi between 1985 and 2000, and now has his own small project where he makes limited quantities of high quality, limited production Rioja, called, Contador, Cuvea del Contador, and La Vina de Andres, named after his father Andres . He introduced Predicador (“Preacher”), an entry-level cuvee in 2006, after a clamoring market couldn’t gain access to his wines .Situated in and around San Vicente de la Sonsierra, Benjamin has 7 hectares, half devoted to La Vina de Andres, and the other half divided between 20 plots averaging 130 feet square with vines up to 100 years old . He also acquired several caves or grottos, dating back to the 12th and 16th centuries . One such grotto situated in San Vicente de la Sonsierra, is under the belltower, which is depicted on the Contador’s label . Contador, translated means book-keeper .

The attention to detail of these is exemplified from hand selection of grapes to, personally traveling to Extremadura to select the individual cork trees, for the corks, incidentally the same cork supply that is used by Chateau Petrus .

BENJAMIN ROMEO


benjamin romeobenjamin romeo predicador 2009 | rioja alavesa

96% tempranillo, 3% garnacha, 1% viuraaged 16 months in french oakSRP #36

benjamin romeo la cueva del contador 2009 | rioja alavesa100% tempranilloaged 18 months in new french oakSRP $100

benjamin romeo la vina de andres 2009 | rioja alavesa100% tempranilloaged 18 months in new french oakSRP $165

benjamin romeo contador 2009 | rioja alavesa86% tempranillo, 14% garnachaaged 18 months in new french oakSRP $385


José Benavides Jiménez-Landi and Daniel Gómez Jiménez-Landi were raised among concrete tanks and old press machines . At the age of 27 they both decided to dedicate their lives exclusively to wine, and in 2004 they restored the old winery introducing new technologies and machinery with the single target of producing maximum possible quality, based in respect to environment and tradition . The small estate is located in Méntrida and is in an old typical Toledana house where the oldest part, the cave, dates to the 16th century and was used by their ancestors to elaborate wine in clay vats .

Comanndo G is Daniel’s latest project with fellow oenology cohorts, Fernando Garcia (Bodega Marañones) and Marc Isart (Bernabeleva) . They are resolute in creating the best grenache wine, capturing and expressing the terroir of each individual parcel they cultivate . Their vines are rooted in predominately granite soil vineyards at an elevation of at least 3100 feet and are between 50 and 80 years old .

JIMENEZ-LANDI | COMANDO G


jimenez-landi las uvas de la ira albillo blanco 2010 | tierra de castilla y león/sierra de gredos

100% albillo from decomposed slate and quartz soilaged one year in 300L french oak barrelSRP $50

sotorrondero 2010 | méntrida85% syrah, 15% garnachaaged 10 months in large french oak barrels (300l & 500l)SRP $24

pielago 2009| méntrida100% garnachaaged 12 months in french oak barrelSRP $39

pielago 2010| méntrida100% garnachaaged 12 months in french oak barrelSRP $39

the end 2010| méntrida100% garnacha from sandy granite soilaged 16 months in old foudreSRP $90


jimenez-landi |comando gel reventón 2010 | tierra de castilla y leon/sierra de gredos

100% garnacha from decomposed slate and quartz soilaged 16 months french oak barrelSRP $90

las uvas de la ira garnacha 2010 | tierra de castilla y leon/sierra de gredos

100% garnacha from decomposed slate and quartz soilaged 12 months in french oak barrelSRP $160

commando g la bruja avería 2011| cadalso de los vidrios/madrid100% garnachaaged 5 months in tank and french oak barrelSRP $27

commando g las umbrias 2010| rozas de puerto real/madrid100% garnachaaged 12 months in french oak barrelSRP $114

commando g rumbo al norte 2010| navarrevisca (ávila)100% garnachaaged 12 months in french oak barrelSRP $191


Created by Ramon Castaño Santa and his 3 sons, Bodegas Castaño is not nearly as old as the vines it owns . Starting quite small, the family has nurtured old plantings and re-planted other parcels and now owns about 400 hectares (10% of the D .O .) in four prime vineyard estates .

Bodegas Castaño, as it is known today for its entrepreneurial spirit, focus and vision, really begun in the early 80’s when it slowly and carefully started to experiment with bottling and its state of the art winery facility . The family’s commitment to both quality and the Monastrell variety is unparalleled . Today, Daniel Castaño, one of Ramon’s sons, runs the winery with the help of other members of the family .

In 2000, the Castaño family acquired and re-organized some old vineyards located at the lowest part of Sierra Salinas, between the provinces of Murcia and Alicante and decided to have a winery built there . The winery is a state of the art, gravity flow facility on the mountains’ foothills at about 650 meters above sea level .

BODEGAS CASTAÑO | SIERRA SALINAS


castañobodegas castaño macabeo/chardonnay 2011 | yecla

100% chardonnayaged 50 days in french oak SRP $10

bodegas castaño monastrell rosado 2011 | yecla90% monastrell, 5% syrah, 5% cabernet sauvignonSRP $10

bodegas castaño monastrell 2011 | yecla100% monastrellaged in tankSRP $10

bodegas castaño hecula 2009 | yecla100% monastrellaged 6 months in french and american oakSRP $12

bodegas castaño solanera 2009 | yecla65% monastrell, 20% cabernet sauvignon, 15% garnacha tintoreraaged 8 months in 80% french and 20% american oak barrelSRP $16

bodegas castaño monastrell dulce 2009 | yecla100% monastrellaged 8 months in french and american oak SRP $28


sierra salinassierra salinas mo 2010 | alicante

85% monastrell, 5% garnacha tintorera, 5% cabernet sauvignon and 5% syrahaged an average of 4 months in 2 and 3 year old oakSRP $10

sierra salinas puerto salinas 2007 | alicante66% monastrell, 19% garnacha tintorera, 15% cabernet sauvi-gnonaged 12 months in new and 2 year old french oak barrel SRP $17

sierra salinas mira salinas 2008 | alicante30% monastrell, 30% cabernet sauvignon, 30% garnacha tintorera, 10% petit verdotaged 14 months in oakSRP $24


In 1941, Mr . Jose Sanchez-Cerezo acquired the “Propiedad Viticola Casa Castillo” for development of rosemary . In the property was a winery built in 1870 by the French when phylloxera forced them out of their vineyards in France (Jumilla is one of the few places in Spain that successfully resisted the infestation of phylloxera, hence making it an ideal place for this new winery) . In 1985, the second generation of the family (Mr . Nemesio and his son Jose Mª Vicente) revived the property with the reconstruction of the vineyard and with the introduction of new varieties . In 1991 the wine cellar was reformed to preserve its original structure . The first wine was launched to the market in 1993 and today Jose Mª Vicente manages the “Propiedad Vitícola Casa Castillo” .

CASA CASTILLO


casa castillocasa castillo monastrell 2010 | jumilla

100% monastrellaged 6 months in 500L french oak barrelSRP $12

casa castillo valtosca 2009 | jumilla100% syrahaged 14 months in 500L french oak barrelSRP $30

casa castillo las gravas 2009| jumilla80% monastrell, 10% garnacha, 10% syrahaged 18 months in 500L french oak barrelSRP $31


Mustiguillo’s founder, Toni Sarrión, is a building contractor for large public-works projects . He doesn’t have a long history with wine, but he took a civic-minded approach when he started Mustiguillo with the intention of preserving and promoting an almost forgotten grape of the region: Bobal . Variously maligned over the course of its existence (it was historically used for making bulk wines and bland rosés), Bobal, Mustiguillo’s team thinks, can make world-class wines when farmed correctly, with properly restricted yields . For its efforts in devising new techniques to turn Bobal into a starring grape, Mustiguillo was awarded the designation of Vino de Pago for producing wines of true distinction and unique regional expression . The Bobal for this bottling comes from Mustiguillo’s Terrerazo Vineyard, which lies at 2,625 feet on rocky limestone terrain with sandy, clay loam soils . The wine was aged for 10 months in French oak .

BODEGAS MUSTIGUILLO


bodegas mustiguillomestis 2009 | v.d.t. el terrerazo

55% bobal, 15% tempranillo 10%,cabernet sauvignon, 10% syrah, 5% merlot, 5% garnachaaged 10 months in 2 to 4 year old french oak barrelSRP $14

mestis blanco 2011 | v.d.t. el terrerazo70% merseguera, 25% malvasía, 5% viognieraged 3 months in tank with the leesSRP $14

finca terrerazo 2010 | v.d.t. el terrerazo100% bobalaged 20 months in 225L french oak barrelSRP $32


At the winery in Biniali, Binigrau uses state-of-the-art technology to make their wines, while conserving certain traditional manual techniques when handling the grapes . An organic environmental management system is used to regulate both the vineyards and the production system in order to improve the quality of the grapes and respect the natural rhythm of the plants and the ecological balance of the surrounding area . Biological products are used to cultivate the grapes, applying the age-old system of biodynamics in the cultivation, pruning of the plants and harvesting the grapes .

BINIGRAU


binigraubinigrau nounat 2011 | Vi De La Terra Mallorca

50% prensal, 50% chardonnay aged 7 months in stainless steel tanksSRP $28

binigrau obac 2007 | Vi De La Terra Mallorca50% mantonegro, 25% merlot, 15% cabernet sauvignon, 10% syrah aged 12 months in french oak and 6 months in stainless steel tankSRP $34

binigrau obac 2009 | Vi De La Terra Mallorca50% mantonegro, 25% merlot, 15% cabernet sauvignon, 10% syrah aged 12 months in french oak and 6 months in stainless steel tankSRP $34


Gramona’s history is long and storied and the property has been a quality reference point in the zone for decades . As far back as 1816 a member of the family has been making wine in the Penedes . 1921 marks the year when the Gramona name began to be put on bottles of “Cava Champagne” . Today, the house is one of the few remaining family-owned estates in the region, with many having been bought by large companies .

At Gramona, time is never an issue . The wines receive perhaps the longest average aging than any other cava and are never released until they are pristine . 70% of the cavas produced in the zone are released after 9 months . Gramona ages a minimum of 18 months, and an average of 4 years . Here, elderly ladies from the village carefully wrap each bottle before being packed for transport and the entire operation is carried out by people who love the family and the estate .

GRAMONA


gramonagessami 2011| penedes

40% sauvignon blanc, 35% Muscat d’Frontignan, 15% muscat d’alexandria, 10% gewürztraminerfermented in stainless steelSRP $18

gran cuvée 2008 | cava50% xarel-lo, 30% chardonnay, 20% macabeuaged by methode champanoise: base wine aged for one year in French oak, second fermentation in the bottle with 30 months on the leesSRP $21

imperial 2006 | cava50% xarel-lo, 40% macabeu, 10% chardonnayaged 3-4 years on the leesSRP $30

III lustros 2005 | cava70% xarel-lo, 30% macabeoaged by methode champanoise: second fermentation in the bottle using cork, riddling by hand and desgorgement by hand, minimum 5 years on the leesSRP $53

celler batlle 2002 | cava70 % xarel-lo, 30% macabeoaged by methode champanoise: second fermentation in the bottle using cork, riddling by hand and desgorgement by hand, minimum 8 years on the leesSRP $105


Although the Espelt family has been growing grapes for quite some time, it was not until 2000 that they began to produce wine . With over 500 acres of vineyards planted to a multitude of varieties, Espelt’s ultra modern winery is responsible for some of the greatest values in the region with a whimsical sensibility .

Located inside two National Parks in the ends of the Pyrenees, the land is characterized by strong northern winds, poor soils of slate and granite and very old vineyards planted as long ago as 1900 .

CELLER ESPELT


celler espeltvailet blanca 2011 | empordà

60% garnacha blanca, 40% macabeo aged in tankSRP $12

corali rosado 2011 | empordà100% garnacha aged in tankSRP $12

garnacha 2010 | empordà100% grenacheaged 3 months in new french oakSRP $12


Tucked away in the southeastern corner of Catalonia, bordering Aragon and Valencia, Terra Alta has always boasted a large area of old Grenache (Garnatxa) bush vines, but the majority of the grapes have always been sold to large producers outside the region . Recently a few vintners have begun rebelling against the large-batch mentality and producing smaller artisanal wines .

Among them is Núria Altés, who grew up playing in vineyards that were planted by her grandfather in 1902 and who considers her Garnatxa Blanca and Garnatxa Negra a tribute to “the pride of the land where I was born and the legacy of my grandfather, somebody so important in my life .” As the name implies, the vineyards of Benufet in Terra Alta are elevated, and the region is much like the Priorat - old vines at high altitudes . But where the soil of the Priorat is largely slate, Terra Alta is all chalk, resulting in a lighter, more vibrant wine .

HERENCIA ALTÉS


herencia altésgarnatxa blanca 2011 | terra alta

100% garnatxa blancaaged in concrete tanksSRP $10

benufet 2011 | terra alta100% garnatxa blancaaged in concrete tanksSRP $15

garnatxa negra 2011 | terra alta100% garnatxa negraaged in concrete tanksSRP $10


The property is situated in the village of Capçanes and served for several years as the village cooperative . In the 1990’s, the co-op began making kosher wines for the Jewish population of Barcelona, and from that exposure in the much larger city, the property began to attract a greater level of interest .

In 1995, a vast investment took place and the whole winery has been completely restructured and modernized . Eric Solomon was quite impressed with the quality of the wines and saw the potential for even further improvements and launched several custom cuvée projects with Capçanes, building the strong foundation on which their close relationship is built .

CELLER CAPÇANES


capçanesmas donis rosat 2011 | montsant

80% garnacha, 10% syrah, 10% merlotaged 4 months in stainless steelSRP $12

mas donis 2009 | montsant85% garnacha,15% syrah aged 8 months in american and french oak barrelSRP $14

costers del gravet 2009| montsant60% cabernet sauvignon, 30% grenache, 10% cariñenaaged 12 months in french oak barrelSRP $21

vall de calas 2009 | montsant60% merlot, 35% garnacha, 5% tempranilloaged 11 months in french oak barrelSRP $23

cabrida 2009 | montsant100% garnacha “viña vieja” aged 15 months in french oakSRP $65

pansal de calas 2009 | montsant60% garnacha, 40% cariñenaaged 16 months in french oak barrelSRP $40


CAL RASPALLET | NUN“For the Egyptians “Nun” was the beginning of things . The things they did not know or the things they had little knowledge about or the ones that were simply difficult to explain were attributed to the Nun: all the chaos, the swellings of the Nile, the Sun, the night, the infraworld…by our singular judgment of the viticulture and winemaking art we thought that it was also the Nun that was guiding us towards a special project, actually a somewhat risky project .” - Owner, Enric Soler

Sommelier Enric hired Ester Nin as his winemaker and now she claims it is one of her favorite projects, returning to her native Penedes region . An interesting sidenote, the hole in the label is a reference to a family of moles who claimed the biodynamic vineyard as their residence .


cal raspalletvinifera nun vinya dels taus 2010 | penedes

100% xarel-loaged 8 months in burgundy barrelSRP $75


LA CONREIRA D’SCALA DEIThe very talented Jordi Vidal is the driving force behind one of the most unique properties in the Priorat region . A little over 100 years ago, white Grenache vines were planted on steep terraces in the hillside village of Scala Dei . Now, a century later, these vines are still there, producing one of the most delicious, single-varietal white wines in Spain, with great poise and character . Historically, the dry white wines of the Priorat have been heavily oxidized with often high alcohol levels and a monolithic structure . Here Jordi relies on extremely low yields and optimal harvesting times to keep good acidity in the wines before allowing them to ferment with natural yeasts in stainless steel tanks . The key to the white is allowing the white Grenache to rest on its fine lees during the cold winter, a technique that helps to impart a lovely creaminess to the wine .


la conreira d’scala dei la conreria d’scala dei les brugueres 2011 | priorat

100% garnacha blancaaged in tank on the leesSRP $30


One of the oldest grape-growing families in the Priorat, the Sangenis family had historically sold the entirety of their production to the local co-op until 1995 when they formed a new company, Mas d’en Compte, to bottle wine under their own name . Now, 27 year old Joan Sangenis manages the estate and makes the wines and has converted the entire estate away from chemical pesticides and herbicides .

In a region where almost everyone has a few vines over 50 years old, the Sangenis family’s entire vineyard is practically this old, with several small parcels of 100+ year old vines of Grenache and Cariñena . Also, they are one of the few holders of extremely old vine white Grenache, a varietal that many properties have ripped out . This old vine material means that yields are extremely low and concentration quite high .

CELLER CAL PLA | MAS D’EN COMPTE


mas d’en compte blanc 2010 | priorat50% garnatxa blanca, 25 % xarel-lo, 25% piquepoulaged 6 months in french and american oakSRP $30

black slate porrera 2010 | priorat60% garnatxa, 40% cariñenaaged 12 months in two year old barrelsSRP $22

mas d’en compte tinto 2009 | priorat50% garnatxa, 45% cariñena, 5% cabernetaged 14 months in new french oakSRP $33

mas d’en compte planots 2009 | priorat50% garnatxa, 50% cariñenaaged 16 months in new and 2nd year french oakSRP $110

celler cal pla


Celler de l’Encastell is a small family-run vineyard and winery in the town of Porrera, DOQ Priorat, where “Roquers de Porrera” and “Marge” are elaborated . Grapes are sourced from two estates, “Mas d’en Caçador” & “Mas d’en Ferran”, owned and looked after by several generations who were previously selling to other local wineries . Carme Figuerola and Raimon Castellví built the winery and got started in 1999, moved by their passion for wine and the exceptional quality of the soils where their vineyard grows – locally called “llicorella” . Marge is the local name for the stone walls made of slate taken from the Priorat vineyards . The outcropping rocks in mountain slopes are called “Roquers” in Catalan .

CELLER DE L’ENCASTELL


marge 2010 | priorat60% garnatxa, 40% merlot, cabernet sauvignon and syrahaged 8 months in 225L french and american oak barriquesSRP $29

roquers de porrera 2009 | priorat80% garnatxa and carignan (old vines), 20% merlot and syrahaged 14 to 18 months in 225L french oak barriquesSRP $55

celler de l’encastell


Ester is a native of the lesser known part of the Penedes, in the mountains where nature is still untouched and where her family has been growing grapes for several centuries . She earned degrees in biology and oenology at the University of Barcelona and started her career working for a consulting company, supervising wine projects in different parts of Spain . She fell in love with the Priorat and just like the vines, grew deep roots in the region .

She bought a small parcel - barely a hectare - of old vines in Porrera, in an area known locally as Mas d’en Cazador, where grape quality has been renowned as long as the monks’ registers have existed, commanding higher prices than almost any other part of the appellation . In spite of her bohemian looks, Ester is a patient, deep, thoughtful person who works the vineyard herself - pondering over each plant, pruning and treating them as individual people . The elegant, slightly restrained structure of her wines show their careful upbringing with her free spirit .

FAMILIA NIN ORTIZ


familia nin ortizplanetes de nin 2010| priorat

70% garnacha, 30% carignanaged 18 months in french oak barrelSRP $74

nit de nin 2010 | priorat60% garnacha, 40% carignanaged 18 months in french oakSRP $145


Clos Erasmus was born in an afternoon with the purchase of some old vines of Garnacha by Daphne Glorian, who happened to be in the area visiting some friends . Although she had no intention of purchasing such a plot or starting a winery, her friends (Alvaro Palacios and Rene Barbier) convinced her that amazing wines could be produced here if given the right attention . They were right .

The wine was named after the philosopher Erasmus von Rotterdam as an allusion to his essay “In Praise of Folly” and an answer to all who dubbed the enterprise pure madness . What started as a ‘fun’ project soon became a very serious endeavor as the Priorat earned fame that surprised all of the growers by the rapidity of its ascent . Clos Erasmus is now considered one of the benchmarks of the region and has received consecutive 100 Point scores from the Wine Advocate, the only wine of Spain to ever achieve such critical praise .

CLOS I TERASSES


clos i terrassesclos i terrasses laurel 2010 | priorat

75% garnacha, 20% syrah, 5% cabernet sauvignonaged 16 months in 1 year old french oakSRP $75

clos i terrasses clos erasmus 2010 | priorat70% garnacha, 30% syrahaged 22 months in french oakSRP $290


Closa Batllet was established in 2000 when Marc Ripoll, a young man in his early twenties, returned to the Priorat to take over vineyards that had been in his family for years . Prior to his arrival, the harvest was sold to the local cooperative . Over the last few years, Marc has restored the old winery and built Closa Battlet into one of the top estates in the region . Their production is based on grape selections from their best vineyards, some as much as 90 years old, cultivated on steep hillsides with slate soil . The grape varieties grown here are the local cariñena (carignan) and garnacha, with others such as cabernet sauvignon, merlot, and syrah in the young plantations . The wines made in this way have their own unique personality stemming from the endeavor to convey all the special features of the terrain .

CLOSA BATLLET


closa batlletgratallops escanya-vella vi de la vila 2010 | priorat

100% escanyavellaaged 4 months in new french oak and 4 months in stainless steel on leesSRP $46

artai gratallops vi de la vila 2009| priorat47% garnatxa, 28% carignan, 23% cabernet sauvignon, 2% syrahaged 12 months in new 225L french oak barrelSRP $29

closa batllet 2008 | priorat63% carignan, 19% grenache, 12% cabernet sauvignon, 6% merlotaged 15 months in french oak barrelSRP $35

gratallops 5 partides vi de la vidla 2009 | priorat100% carignan from family vineyards in five gratallops areasaged 15 months in new 225L french oak barrelSRP $88

torroja ronçavall vi de la vila 2009 | priorat100% carignanaged 15 months in new 225L french oak barrelSRP $135


Bodegas Mas Alta is a joint project with renowned Rhone negociant and winemaker Michel Tardieu and noted French oenologist Philippe Cambie . It is located in the middle of D .O .C . Priorat, based in the village of Vilella Alta . The estate vineyards are high density plantings at about 1050 feet above sea level, in front of Serra del Montsant, a mountain range that reaches 3300 feet . Very steep and abrupt, the altitude, inclination, and slopes make a decisive influence on grape’s maturity .

BODEGAS MAS ALTA


black slate la vilella alta 2010 | priorat60% grenache, 35% carignan, 5% cabernet sauvignonaged 12 months in french oak barrelSRP $22

bodegas mas alta artigas 2010 | priorat70% grenache, 25% carignan, 5% cabernet sauvignonaged 16 months in french oak barrelSRP $31

bodegas mas alta la basseta 2009 | priorat40% grenache, 20% carignan, 20% syrahaged 16 months in french oak barrelSRP $85

bodegas mas alta la creu alta 2010 | priorat60% centenaire carignan, 40% grenacheaged 18 months in french oak barrelSRP $135

bodega mas alta


The Doix family originates from Poboleda and has been in the winemaking business in the region for the last 5 generations . As far back as the late 1800’s the property has been recognized by the quality of their vinous fruit, but it wasn’t until 1998 when Ramon Llagostera took the reigns of the property that the wines began to experience worldwide fame .

Like other areas of the Priorat, Poboleda lies at a high altitude and is characterized by steep, rock-covered hillsides . The vineyards of Mas Doix lie at between 350 and 400 meters above sea level . The vines are planted on what appears to be pure grey and black slate, with no dirt visible at the surface . Yields are extremely low (as low as 15 hl/ha in some parcels) and re-planting is extremely difficult given the topography and soil structure . The vines vary in age between 70 and 100 years old .

MAS DOIX


mas doixsalanques 2006 | priorat

65% garnacha, 15% cariñena, 10% syrah, 10% cabernet sauvi-gnonaged 12 months in 50% new french oak barrelSRP $30

salanques 2009 | priorat65% garnacha, 15% cariñena, 10% syrah, 10% cabernet sauvi-gnonaged 12 months in 50% new french oak barrelSRP $36

doix costers del vinyes velles 2009 | priorat50% cariñena, 48% garnacha, 2% merlot aged 16 months in new french oak barrelSRP $135


TERROIR AL LIMITTerroir al Limit is a true garage wine project focusing on old vines of garnatxa and carignan located primarily around the historic village of Torroja . The philosophy of the estate is to capture the character of the terroir by minimizing the effect of winemaking to minimal processing and natural handling of the grapes, enabling the individual sites to express themselves fully . The vines are farmed biodynamically although they are not certified. The unique llicorella soil combined with the dry and healthy climate at high altitude allows for the grapes to slowly ripen during the growing season .

Terroir al Limit is a partnership between super-star South African winemaker Eben Sadie and former chef Dominik Huber . Their go-to reference wine/estate is Domaine de la Romanee Conti and it’s apparent that their range of wines is modeled after the Burgundy tradition of village wines, 1er cru site wines, and Grand Cru single vineyard wines .


terrior al limitterrior al limit pedra de guix 2009| priorat

80% garantxa blanca, 20% pedro ximénezaged 24 months in 500L riesling foudre from germanySRP $85

terrior al limit dits del terra 2009| priorat100% carinena aged 24 months in foudreSRP $85

terrior al limit l’arbossar 2009| priorat100% carinenaaged 24 months in foudreSRP $85

terrior al limit les manyes 2009|priorat100% carinenaaged 24 months in foudreSRP $300

terrior al limit les tosses 2009|priorat100% carinenaaged 24 months in foudreSRP $300


ALTO ALMANZORAFrom the ancient mountains of Andalucia - land that has been cultivated throughout history by Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans and Muslims - lies this categorically modern winery with state of the art facilities and stunning architecture . This mountainous area (the nearby Calar Alto observatory sits at 2,100 meters) enjoys more than 3,000 hours of sunshine per year, providing optimal ripening conditions during the day while a 20-degree drop at night grants the necessary acidity and balance . Este is represented by a pregnant mare - a symbol of fertility that has blessed the estate’s fields for thousands of years . Consulting Winemaker Rafael Palacios’ skillful hand working behind the scenes is abundantly clear - a stunning wine for an even more stunning price . The name Este means “east” in Spanish, which is the orientation of the property’s main entrance .


alto almanzoraalto almanzora este 2009 | vino de mesa almeria

47% monastrell, 23% tempranillo, 12% syrah, 6% garnacha, 6% merlot, 6% cabernet sauvignonaged 7 months in french and american oakSRP $11


EQUIPO NAVAZOSEquipo Navazos selects specific butts of special finesse and complexity from some of the most prestigious bodegas in the Sherry and Montilla regions . Now available in the market in very limited quantities, this project started in 2005 as an exclusively private initiative of an international group of wine lovers, led by Jesús Barquín and Eduardo Ojeda . Barquín and Ojeda are considered by many as the most knowledgeable experts on sherries worldwide .

“La Bota de…” means “The Cask of…”, after the famous story by Edgar A . Poe “The Cask of Amontillado” . Their first wine was “La Bota de Amontillado nº 1”; since then, every wine by Equipo Navazos (Navazos Team) is named “La Bota de” and then the type of wine is listed, followed by a number which simply signifies the order according to the time of release .


equipo navazos navazos niepoort 2010 | vino de mesa/sherry

100% palomino finoaged aged in traditional sherry butts, filled up to 5/6, and pre-served under ‘flor’ yeast film for 9 months before bottlingSRP $34


Hand-crafted with passion and patience, Tikveš wines are emblematic of Macedonia’s ancient tradition of winemaking . Located in the heart of Macedonia’s wine country, their wines reflect over 120 years of a culture that celebrates the entire wine experience – from growth, to harvest, to fermentation to the most significant part, enjoyment with family and friends . The Tikveš Winery is the oldest winery in Macedonia; it began in 1885 . Today it is the exemplar of a modern and innovative winery . The winery uses sustainable practices throughout its operations including limiting the use of treatment of the vines, reducing consumption of both energy and water, building solar panels for self-sustainable energy and a commitment to recycling waste and turning it into natural fertilizer . Philippe Cambie is an advisor for the property . Their winemaking involves a century-old savoir faire that preserves and expresses the different aromatic nuances of each variety of grape .

TIKVEŠ WINERY


tikveš wineryr’kaciteli special selection white 2011 |tikveš 100% rkaciteli

aged in tank SRP $10

vranec special selection 2010 | tikveš100% vranec aged in tankSRP $10

barovo 2010 | tikveš85% kratosija, 15% vranec aged for 6 to 8 months in oak barrel SRP $21

bela voda 2010 | tikveš70% plavec, 30% vranec aged for 6 to 8 months in oak barrelSRP $21

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