This latest Up From the Cellar is another mix of both cellar favorites and new releases. I’ll do my best to split these up in the future.
Looking at the wines from the cellar, there are numerous Bordeaux as well as a handful of Rhones and California releases. I continue to pull wines from my cellar as well as purchase as heavily as possible, with the goal to offer as much guidance as possible on how these older vintages are drinking today. We’ll do our best to add larger retrospectives in the future as well and we have a 2007 Gigondas look-back already in the pipeline.
As to the new releases, some standouts include the 2013 Cristal releases from Louis Roederer. These both check-in behind the 2008s but are gorgeous, truly sensational Champagnes. I also purchased releases from Rossignol-Trapet and their 2017s are just gorgeous wines. These are well worth seeking out and I’ll do my best to have their 2018s included going forward as well.
There are also numerous wines from winemaker/consultant extraordinaire, Claude Gros, who seems to be able to make a brilliant wine whether he’s in Bordeaux, Burgundy, California, or the South of France. He’s the genius behind the quality at Chateau La Negly and Clos des Truffiers, both in the Languedoc, and these are some of the most impressive, distinctive wines out there.
From the Rhone, there are new releases from Domaine Durieu and Domaine Belle, as well as a handful of others. I’ll be in the Rhone Valley later this year and am looking forward to getting back into the normal travel schedule for this incredible region.
In addition, we’ve also got the latest release of Cheval de Andes, which is Cheval Blanc’s project in Argentina.
Lastly, the article includes a handful of new rosés from the South of France. Due to time limitations, I can’t do a full rosé report, but these new releases from Mordoree, Pesquie, and Fondreche all come highly recommended from yours truly.
Happy hunting and all the best,
Jeb