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    A.R. Lenoble Chouilly Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs 2008

    £55.99

    “The A R Lenoble 2008 Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Chouilly Brut Millésime displays a beautifully intense and golden shining citrus color. This has amazing richness and gentleness on the nose but, at the same time, delicacy, precision and finesse! This bouquet is perfectly ripe and generous but also fine and fresh, representing the chalky soils and warm microclimate of Chouilly as well as perfectly ripe and healthy fruit. Any 2008 austerity here? Negative! The attack on the palate is as fine and fresh as it is pure, piquant and aromatic. Ripe and juicy fruit flavors such as pineapples, lemons and limoncello intermix with a round and creamy but by no means bold or heavy texture that is actually marked by chalk powder and iodine flavors on the finish. In fact, this 2008 Chouilly is delicate and filigreed as well as firmly structured. To me, it is an icon wine for Chouilly, and I highly recommend it, even if only to understand the highly diverse terroirs of Champagne, even in the Côte des Blancs where Chouilly is the most northern village next to Cuis. A small part (10%) of the wine was aged in oak. The finish of the 2008 is fresh and light but also intense and persistent. This is a great vin de terroir, and to be honest, I couldn’t stop drinking it! Tasted April 2018. Drink: 2018-2030. 94 points

    There are some gorgeous cuvées to discover this year from the brother-sister team of Antoine and Anne Malssagne at Domaine AR Lenoble in Damery, Marne Valley. Especially exciting are the grand cru wines from Chouilly (Côte des Blancs), namely the 2008 Blanc de Blancs (which combines richness with finesse) and the non-vintaged single vineyard Blanc de Blancs Les Aventures that pairs its creamy richness and intensity with iodine purity and terroir-driven freshness. The recent release blends 2002 and 2006 and is simply terrific!

    However, export director Christian Holthausen is very excited about two new cuvées from the new “mag” edition—the Brut Intense “mag 14” and the Chouilly Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut “mag 14.” Both of the “mag 14” wines are based on the 2014 harvest, complemented by reserve wines from a réservé perpétuelle.

    The réservés perpétuelles ‎were started in 2001 (100% Chardonnay from Chouilly) and 2002 (Chardonnay from Chouilly and Pinot Noir from Bisseuil). Initially, they were kept in stainless steel tanks, then in small 250-liter barrels and finally in 5,000-liter wooden vats, reports Holthausen. In 2010, Antoine Malssagne removed a portion from both réserves perpétuelles, which then filled into magnums and kept them with 1.5 bar of pressure under natural corks for four years. Each bottle was subsequently uncorked by hand and the wines blended with the two “mag 14” bottlings, both of which are based 60% on the 2014 harvest and 40% on reserve wines. The final cuvées were stored in the cellar in early 2015 and disgorged after three years.

    “Climate change is a reality,” Antoine Malassagne is quoted in the corresponding press release. “The challenge for the future is to be able to bring as much freshness as possible to our reserve wines. At the end of each harvest, we observe that acidity levels are much lower than they used to be. Reserve wines now need to add complexity and richness but also freshness.”

    In a separate email to me, Holthausen said, “Keeping the reserve wines in magnums under natural cork under 1.5 bar of pressure is like a ‘mini’ secondary fermentation, so the reserve wines gain some autolytic character, but that’s not the point.” He went on to explain, “The jumping point is to keep the reserve wines fresh as long as possible. We used to need rich, heavy reserve wines in Champagne 20 years ago. However, today we need reserve wines with freshness since our base wines keep having lower acidity levels and higher pH levels year after year.”

    In fact, 2018 will be their sixth-earliest harvest on record, according to Holthausen. “Climate change is shockingly real, and the ‘mag’ concept is our way of making even better wines in the face of climate change.”

    The “mag” edition will be continued next year with the Brut Intense “mag15,” the NV Chouilly Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs “mag 15” and the NV Brut Nature Dosage Zéro “mag14.” The NV Terroirs Chouilly-Bisseuil Rosé “mag14″ will be released in 2020.”

    Stephan Reinhardt, Wine Advocate (238)

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  • Albert Mann Gewurztraminer Furstentum Grand Cru Vieilles Vignes 2018

    £34.95

    “Over the course of just two nights at the end of April 2017 on which frost hit hard, the estate lost about 45% of its crop. Marie-Thèrese Barthelmy told me that she remembers budbreak taking place on March 25, and that on March 31 their cherry tree was already in bloom; then, on April 21, the roof fell and frost wiped out entire vineyards. Harvest began earlier than usual and was also finished fast, over just three weeks. What wines the estate did manage to produce are, as always, superb”

    Ian D’Agata, Vinous (01/19)

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  • Albert Mann Riesling Schlossberg Grand Cru 2020

    £69.95

    Review to follow

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  • Albert Vevey Blanc de Morgex et La Salle 2018

    £34.99

    “Medium straw-green-yellow. Ripe, musky and floral aromas of lemon drop, butter, mint, oatmeal and pomaceous orchard fruit. Sweet and juicy, with good cut and spice character; there’s nothing hard about this fresh Blanc de Morgex et La Salle. Closes with nicely persistent hints of white flowers, orange oil and resin. Makes an outstanding aperitif but is big enough to stand up to vegetable appetizers and delicately cooked freshwater fish entrées. Drinking window: 2019-2023. 92 points”

    Ian D’Agata, Vinous (01/20)

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  • Albino Rocca Barbaresco Angelo 2017

    £89.99

    “The 2017 Barbaresco Angelo is superb. The aromatics alone are simply beguiling. Rose petal, mint, lavender, pine, orange peel and sweet red cherry give the Angelo remarkable allure. Pliant and silky on the palate, with striking resonance, the Angelo impresses from the very first taste. Its overall balance is simply remarkable. I loved it. Drinking window: 2025-2037. 95 points

    This is an impressive set of 2017s from the Rocca family. The estate has been on a roll these last few vintages. Like all 2017s, the Albino Rocca Barbarescos are on the lighter side, but what stands out in the range is a level of site expression that is rare in this vintage. All of the Barbarescos are aged in cask, with the exception of the Cottà, which sees slightly smaller oak because of the tiny size of the parcel.”

    Antonio Galloni, Vinous (10/20)

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  • Albino Rocca Barbaresco Cotta 2018

    £49.99

    “Pouring from the bottle with a light ruby color, the Albino Rocca 2018 Barbaresco Cottà shows dried cherry, cassis and lots of blue flower or summer lavender. This is a classic and neatly contained expression of cool-vintage Nebbiolo. The bouquet is fluid but also compact, and you can look forward to an interesting aromatic evolution to come as this wine continues along its aging path. Only 2,000 bottles were released. Drink: 2023-2037. 93+ points”

    Monica Larner, Wine Advocate (06/21)

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  • Albino Rocca Barbaresco Ovello Vigna Loreto 2019

    £59.95

    “The 2019 Barbaresco Ovello Vigna Loreto is fabulous. Bright and translucent, with terrific energy, the 2019 is all class. Crushed red berry fruit, rose petal and orange peel convey the purest essence of Nebbiolo classicism. White pepper, chalk and mint lend brightness to the taut, very Ovello finish. In this tasting, the 2019 is positively stellar. It saw 25-30 days on the skins followed by 20-22 months in cask. Give it a few years to soften. Drinking window: 2025-2039. 95 points

    This is another set of gorgeous wines from the Rocca family. As has been the case now for some years, the wines are marked by striking translucence and tons of site character. The Barbarescos are fermented in tank and then aged in cask for about two years, the exceptions being the Cottá and the Angelo, which are vinified in oak uprights and see submerged cap maceration at the end of fermentation. Readers who have not tasted these wines recently owe it to themselves to do so, as the transformation here of late towards wines of purity and finesse is significant.”

    Antonio Galloni, Vinous (10/22)

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  • Albino Rocca Barbaresco Ronchi 2019

    £50.95

    “The 2019 Barbaresco Ronchi is a deep, potent wine. In this tasting, the Ronchi impresses with its stature, aromatic presence and textural intensity. Dark red cherry, red plum, cinnamon, rose petal and dried flowers emerge with a bit of coaxing, but the Ronchi is one of the least giving wines in the range today. I would cellar if for at least a few years. It is another wine where elegance and power meld together. Drinking window: 2025-2039. 96 points

    This is another set of gorgeous wines from the Rocca family. As has been the case now for some years, the wines are marked by striking translucence and tons of site character. The Barbarescos are fermented in tank and then aged in cask for about two years, the exceptions being the Cottá and the Angelo, which are vinified in oak uprights and see submerged cap maceration at the end of fermentation. Readers who have not tasted these wines recently owe it to themselves to do so, as the transformation here of late towards wines of purity and finesse is significant.”

    Antonio Galloni, Vinous (10/22)

    In Stock

  • Aldo Conterno Barbera d’Alba Conca Tre Pile 2018

    £39.75

    Review to follow

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  • Aldo Conterno Barolo Bussia 2017

    £74.99

    “The Poderi Aldo Conterno 2017 Barolo Bussia shows a dark but busy quality of fruit that speaks more to the power of this hot vintage than it does the nuanced side of Nebbiolo. In this respect, the wine is quite typical of the 2017 growing season. It takes a while before the wine finds focus in the glass, but it does slowly come together to reveal broad layers of dark cherry, cassis and plum. There is some tannic tightness that leads to sour berry. A bit awkward at this young stage, it needs a few more years of cellar age to flesh out and reach balance. Drink: 2023-2038. 92 points”

    Monica Larner, Wine Advocate (06/21)

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  • Aldo Conterno Barolo Cicala 2017

    £129.99

    “The Poderi Aldo Conterno 2017 Barolo Bussia Cicala reveals a deep garnet color with some dark copper. Like the other 2017 wines from this celebrated producer, I can’t help but suspect that these areas of Bussia suffered from the heat and some of the other weather challenges associated with this growing season. A clear note of overt ripeness comes across as dried strawberry or sweet crème de cassis. The finish is similarly weighed down by the fruit weight and oak tannins. Drink: 2023-2028. 91 points”

    Monica Larner, Wine Advocate (06/21)

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  • Aldo Conterno Barolo Colonnello 2017

    £127.95

    “The Poderi Aldo Conterno 2017 Barolo Bussia Colonnello shows good focus, structure and a sharper character that is often the distinguishing factor in this wine. The bouquet is redolent of dark fruit and plum, but it also shows a solid framing of iron ore and dark stony mineral. These give the wine greater lift and contoured edges. This is not the first time that Colonnello is my favorite wine in this lineup, and I suspect it won’t be the last. Drink: 2025-2040. 94+ points”

    Monica Larner, Wine Advocate (06/21)

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