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  • Baby Margaux for the Ages: 2015 Chateau Moulin de Tricot Haut-Médoc

    Baby Margaux for the Ages: 2015 Chateau Moulin de Tricot Haut-Médoc

    Chateau Moulin de Tricot is the first place my mind goes when I think of Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant Bordeaux that has stuck to tradition and continues to offer sharp pricing. The Margaux estate personifies all of the grace and regal structure the commune has been associated with for centuries. From their small 5 hectares a second label, the Haut-Médoc, takes their strength in authenticity and value to the extreme.

    Today, I'm happy to offer the 2015 Chateau Moulin de Tricot Haut-Médoc for $35 per bottle, with special pricing down to $32/btl on 4 or more.

    At this price point there is no left bank Bordeaux I drink with more regularity or enthusiasm - Baby Margaux with Bourgogne Rouge pricing. And like those warm, even growing seasons in Burgundy where I highly recommend the most moderately priced wines, here too in 2015 I say going deep will reward many years of enjoyment.

    I love Bordeaux. And particularly the Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant examples regularly found on the left bank. The gravel here is suited to the variety, just as on the right bank of the Gironde the clay soils fit better with Merlot. The sad state of affairs is that Merlot plantings in these left bank gravel vineyards has been increasing steadily over decades in order to provide more soft-fruited wines that capitulate to a global palate.

    Chateau Moulin de Tricot has stuck with tradition and is a rarity in Margaux as they still have 75% of their vineyards planted to Cabernet Sauvignon. They also have unusually dense vine spacing with 9,500 vines per hectare, providing naturally concentrated yields. The Haut-Médoc is aged in small one-year-old Bordeaux barrels, giving the oxygen exchange needed to soften structure while limiting any ostentatious oak flavors.

    I've always had an aha moment each time I've tasted the Haut-Médoc bottling from Moulin de Tricot, but 2015 was something different. The vintage has simply elevated each component of this wine. Margaux has often been called the "Iron Fist in the Velvet Glove", explaining the balance between grace and dead-serious regal structure.

    In this exceptional Bordeaux vintage this moniker is even more suited to their Baby Margaux. The dark fruit intensity, graphite and cigar box notes, and long finish is something extra-ordinary. Very special pricing has been included to make this the easiest call as we lead into Thanksgiving.
    Posted by Alexander Rosen
  • Super Tuscan Startle: 2015 Tenuta di Trinoro Le Cupole

    Super Tuscan Startle: 2015 Tenuta di Trinoro Le Cupole

    "Andrea Franchetti continues to make some of the most compelling wines in Italy...The Cupole, the estate's second label, is once again one of the very best wines in its price range."   
    - Antonio Galloni of Vinous (3/16)

    An ideal bold red to serve at Thanksgiving that delivers high quality and great value is on ALL our lists. Today I’d like to revisit an offer that’s guaranteed to wow your guests who might not be as enamored with the sans soufre amphora Poulsard from the Jura as you are!

    My great fondness for the traditional wines of Tuscany is no secret, but generally I've kept Super Tuscans at arm's length. Dominated by Bordeaux variety blends, the category has overwhelmingly spoken less about place, and more about a luxury-driven, global-capitulating, one-size-fits-all model. Sassicaia is a great example of one that breaks out of this mold and is the definitive Super Tuscan Wine of Place. Finding examples I'm truly passionate about that don't start at $200+ upon release has been a challenge. That all changed with Tenuta di Trinoro's Le Cupole.

    Today, I'm very happy to offer the Tenuta di Trinoro "Le Cupole" Rosso Toscana for $33 per bottle, with special 6-pack pricing down to $29.83 per bottle.

    Andrea Franchetti's property sits in a remote southeast corner of Tuscany. Le Cupole, the second label of Tenuta di Trinoro, is all about open accessibility with the same sophistication as their top end single vineyard wines. Cupole's blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Petit Verdot is planted on clay and limestone, mirroring Bordeaux's right bank.

    Cupole succeeds in grasping my attention due to a remarkable sense of balance, freshness, and crazy deliciousness still rooted in the variety's tell-tale characteristics.There's an abundance of black cherries, dark chocolate, tobacco, and a tarry scorched earth note - the most fascinating trait I find myself reaching for again and again. The finish persists with the sort of lingering minerality that is commonly achieved in Bordeaux, but where Super Tuscans often fall short.

    2015 is the best vintage of this wine I've tasted to date, with an ideal growing season that produced luscious, concentrated ripe fruit. The early hot conditions completely fell away here in August and the rest of the growing season through November harvest was quite cool. These unusual conditions made for an opulent Super Tuscan still with all of the cool-fruit tones and earthy inflections I relish in those cooler vintages.

    Of all the 2,000+ wines in stock, the 2015 Le Cupole will appeal to the widest range of palates imaginable, still deeply rooted in its sense of place. With perfect conditions in Tuscany for this blend of varieties, this is the time to stock up. 
    Posted by Alexander Rosen

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