The decorations are up, the lights have come on, and carols fill the air. It’s time again for our Christmas Champagne Combinations!

We are offering three different Champagnes from each of our growers (details below) to keep you amply stocked through the season. Cases can be mixed across any of the six Champagnes in this offer.

Laherte Frères

NV Champagne Brut Ultradition – $65.0
Pinot Meunier, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir; crisp, ripe berries

NV Champagne Brut Blanc de Blancs Ultradition – $69.0
Chardonnay; layered gossamer

NV Champagne Brut Rosé Ultradition – $69.0
Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay; classic with a twist

De Sousa & Fils

NV Champagne Brut Réserve Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru – $75.0
Chardonnay; citrus brioche

NV Champagne Brut Grand Cru Cuvée 3A – $78.0
Chardonnay, Pinot Noir; toasty and deep

NV Champagne Brut Rosé – $79.0
Chardonnay/ Pinot Noir; floral fun

Discounts

Discounts are valid only for orders confirmed and fully paid for by 15 Dec 2014.
6-11 bottles: 5% off total
12-23 bottles: 10%
24-35 bottles: 15%
36 bottles & above: 20%

Domaine Dupasquier

2009 Vin de Savoie Roussette «Marestel»
We will admit that our first experience with this fabled wine left us puzzled – it was late winter, the low atmospheric pressure seemed to dampen all our senses, and the wine (a 1990) was unyielding. We came back to the bottle the next morning, and it was gloriously multi-layered, with stunning textural depth. The 2009 will repay patience, but if one must drink it now, a 6-8 hour decant is highly recommended. Try it with an assortment of lightly salted and roasted nuts, or just bread (sourdough) and butter (salted).

2009 Vin de Savoie Mondeuse
Given their genetic linkage, we often use Mondeuse to illustrate what Syrah (especially Côte-Rôtie) used to be like – sweetly floral, with a hint of pepper, and a stubborn streak of minerality. Sadly, it’s become almost impossible to find Syrahs made in that style nowadays, but we’re thankful we still have this lovely Mondeuse. It’s slightly sappier than Syrah, of course, and there’s a bit more precision from the chalk terroir.

Prices

Dupasquier Savoie Half Package (6 bottles) – $240 + GST
3x 2009 Vin de Savoie Roussette «Marestel»
3x 2009 Vin de Savoie Mondeuse

Dupasquier Savoie Complete Package (12 bottles) – $430 + GST
6x 2009 Vin de Savoie Roussette «Marestel»
6x 2009 Vin de Savoie Mondeuse

*All delivery charges absorbed

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Domaine du Trapadis

2009 Côtes du Rhône-Villages Rasteau «Les Adrès»
The grapes for this cuvée come from several old parcels in Rasteau – Mourvèdre from the plain, and most of the Grenache and Carignan from a slope above. The vines are about 65 years old, producing very low yields of 15-20 hl/ha (twice that is common in the appellation), and the expectation is that the wine would be one of those blockbuster, almost black wines. That is manifestly not the case with this wine, which carries its richness and intensity well – the firm acidity due to the low yields and not harvesting over-ripe grapes, and tannic structure from a short maceration rather than oak (although there is always a little bit). It’s perfect for some of the tougher (and flavourful) cuts of beef, cooked gently.

Eric Texier

2009 Domaine de Pergaud Brézème Rouge (Vieille Serine)
This wine comes from some of the very best parcels in Brézème, particularly one near the top of the coteaux which ripens very late. The old vines, many (re)-planted just after the Second World War, produce a small crop which are intense without being extracted. The vinification is ultra-traditional here – whole cluster pressing, long maceration and a slow élevage to allow the wine to find its own equilibrium. Having tasted old examples of Brézème from other winegrowers (before Eric arrived on the scene), we have no doubt this wine will age wonderfully for about two decades.

2009 Domaine de Pergaud Saint Julien en Saint Alban Rouge
Eric uses the Domaine de Pergaud designation for wines from old vines, and the Saint Julien en Saint Alban (a mouthful, like the wine) vineyard is the latest, and possibly greatest, addition to his holdings. It’s on the west bank of the river, a curious agglomeration of gneiss, granite (both broken up) and sand (deposits from the glacial age). As it was cultivated by a religious order, the vineyard is untouched by modern viticultural practices – no chemicals, no clonal selection, just old Syrah vines.

Prices

2009 Rhône Reds Half Package (6 bottles) – $270 + GST
2x 2009 Côtes du Rhône-Villages Rasteau «Les Adrès»
2x 2009 Eric Texier Côtes du Rhône Domaine de Pergaud Brézème Rouge (Vieille Serine)
2x 2009 Eric Texier Côtes du Rhône Domaine de Pergaud St. Julien en St. Alban

2009 Rhône Reds Complete Package (12 bottles) – $480 + GST
4x 2009 Côtes du Rhône-Villages Rasteau «Les Adrès»
4x 2009 Eric Texier Côtes du Rhône Domaine de Pergaud Brézème Rouge (Vieille Serine)
4x 2009 Eric Texier Côtes du Rhône Domaine de Pergaud St. Julien en St. Alban

*All delivery charges absorbed

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Savennières, north of the Loire, produces powerful, regal whites which require patience in the cellar and at the table (with air the wines blossom in unexpected ways). Standing above the town of La Poissonnière, at the western edge of the appellation, one can see three buttes extend southeast towards the river, each with its own special vineyard: Le Clos du Papillon above Savennières town, La Roche aux Moines (and Le Clos de la Coulée de Serrant) around the eponymous chateau, and La Pierre Becherelle at the end of the town of Epiré. We work with three of the best growers in this appellation: Nicolas and Virginie Joly, owners of la Coulée de Serrant, Evelyne de Pontbriand, custodian of the Château des Vaults (better known as Domaine du Closel), and Damien Laureau, whom we think can lay claim to some of the best-farmed land in all of the Loire Valley.

Evelyne de Pontbriand, Vins du Closel/Château des Vaults

The joyful aristocrat
“I want my vines to feel free and happy – I think it leads to more joyful wines,” Evelyne said as we discussed a tiny patch of bush vines. Chenin Blanc is most typically trained along wires as it is easier to manage vine growth during the all-important summer, when the plant channels its energy into producing shoots and leaves. Evelyne was however experimenting with letting some vines grow unassisted, close to the ground, curious to see what the effects were on the grapes and wine. That she chose old vines in her top vineyard for the trial speaks to her commitment to make the best possible wines; that she couldn’t resist cracking a half-joke speaks to her unbridled enthusiasm for life and wine.

Nicolas & Virginie Joly, Coulée de Serrant

Favoured by the gods
It is embarrassingly easy to write of the greatness of the terroir, but triteness does not make it any less true – there is something special about the patch of land in the middle of Savennières. Within the appellation, there are headier wines (e.g. from its neighbour Roche aux Moines, which typically ripens earlier and gets more botrytis), fruitier wines (e.g. from Clos du Papillon, which is always feminine) and even more minerally wines (e.g. from the easternmost butte, La Pierre Becherelle). But none of them match the Coulée de Serrant for the combination of intensity, elegance and complexity, sprinkled with a coating of je ne sais quoi.

Damien Laureau

The farmer
Damien Laureau comes from a cereal farming family near Versailles, but made the switch into grape-growing just over ten years ago when he acquired some land in Savennières. The soil is clean-smelling, moist and well-aerated, crumbling just so in the hand to reveal tiny tendrils of other plants, worms and various insects. The bio-diversity of his land is astonishing, which Damien believes is essential to the health of his vines and therefore the quality of his wines. All that work would be wasted if the élevage was sloppy, but Damien is just as careful in the cellar as he is in the vineyard. Grapes are manually harvested from each plot and vinified separately in a spick and span cellar he has just moved into. He doesn’t ‘force’ the wines, preferring to let them have time to ferment dry and find their own equilibrium. As a result, the three wines he makes are distinct yet related expressions of the Savennières terroir.

Prices

Essential Savennières package (6 bottles) – $300 + GST
2x 2010 Château des Vaults Savennières «La Jalousie»
2x 2010 Clos de la Coulée de Serrant Savennières «Les Vieux Clos»
2x 2010 Damien Laureau Savennières «Les Genêts»

Exceptional Savennières package (6 bottles) – $475 + GST
2x 2007 Château des Vaults Savennières «Clos du Papillon»
2x 2009 Clos de la Coulée de Serrant
2x 2011 Damien Laureau Savennières «Le Bel Ouvrage»

Complete Savennières package (12 bottles) – $700 + GST
2x 2010 Damien Laureau Savennières «Les Genêts»
2x 2010 Château des Vaults Savennières «La Jalousie»
2x 2010 Clos de la Coulée de Serrant Savennières «Les Vieux Clos»
2x 2007 Château des Vaults Savennières «Clos du Papillon»
2x 2009 Clos de la Coulée de Serrant
2x 2011 Damien Laureau Savennières «Le Bel Ouvrage»

*All delivery charges absorbed

CLICK HERE TO ORDER