Translation missing: en.Danjou-Banessy + Moreau Naudet + Chiara Boschis + Mouzon Leroux Champagne Tasting Friday 17th 5:30pm-6:30pm + Christian Venier Loire Special!: Danjou-Banessy + Moreau Naudet + Chiara Boschis + Mouzon Leroux Champagne Tasting Friday 17th 5:30pm-6:30pm + Christian Venier Loire Special!
Danjou-Banessy
Danjou-Banessy are a family-run Domaine based in the painfully underrated region of Roussillon, around the Pyrenees of southern France. Benoit and Sebastien’s grandfather purchased these vineyards in the 80s, initially focusing on a style of fortified wine known as Rancio. Benoit worked alongside his grandfather until their final vintage together in 2000. Benoit was the first to start producing still wines for the Domaine using old vine plantings of indigenous grape varieties and was joined by his brother Sebastien 5 years later who left his post as an English teacher to help out at home.
Located at Espira, a few kilometres away from Rivesaltes, Domaine Danjou-Banessy typically produced fortified and rancio wines in the Roussillon region. The brothers farm everything biodynamically and use a single-vineyard approach to winemaking across the total of 17 hectares that they farm with an average vine age of 60 years. The aversion to the use of chemicals in the vineyard stems from their grandfather catching a blood disease after using some chemical treatments that were in vogue after WWII. Since then, they have vowed to never have any products in the wines, which also happens to elevate the expression of terroir as well. The climate of Roussillon is generally dry and warm, a climate that makes it easier to farm biodynamically; however, the brothers have spoken about the weather becoming more extreme and they’re taking measures such as planting trees to provide shade and humidity in the future.
“Today, the most complex thing is to be simple. I call it “simplexity” it’s so complicated to be simple.”
90% of the work that these brothers do is in the vineyard. Even when the vine is sleeping from October to March, they grow seeds such as broad beans, peas, wheat, rye, corn, mustard and radishes in the middle of each row of vines to help enrich the soil. Mustard seeds and radishes make deep holes in the soil, while others grow horizontally - reaching out in all directions - and so they help to aerate the soil underground, each one of the plants bringing something positive to the mix. The brothers aim to do as little as possible in the winery and to vinify everything separately so as to allow the various soil types found in Roussillon’s L’Agly Valley to express themselves and to never blend between soil types. “One vine belonging to one vine” as they say.
We've picked up a range of wines from the recent release and have already sold through some. The '24 'Supernova Blanc' is an orange wine that Sebastien says pairs well with raw fish and sushi. The '23 'Clos des Ecounils' is a unique wine which is an intriguing blend of all 3 Grenache: Grenache Blanc, Grenache Gris and Grenache Noir with incredible complexity. The '23 'La Truffiere Blanc' is one of their flagship wines coming from 80 year vines of the rare Carignan Blanc - an extremely unique expression of an indigenous grape which I like to cheekily refer to as "Catalan Coche-Dury". Of the reds, we have the '23 'La Truffiere Rouge' which a 100% whole-bunch blend of old vine Grenache and Carignan - elegant and spicy. The '21 'Les Mirandes Syrah' is an excellent opportunity to taste some silky Syrah with a bit of bottle age on it and the '15 'Estaca Grenache' is a 10 year old wine from 120 year-old vines on black slate. These are some seriously exceptional, fresh and unique wines that have created a cult following around the world. I’m just waiting to see which wines you buy so I can pick up something from what’s left!
--------------------
Moreau-Naudet
Domaine Moreau-Naudet are one of the few exciting producers that aren't following the old Chablis formula of making tight, austere citrus-dominated wines. Stephane Moreau was a disciple of Chablis legend Vincent Dauvissat, the eccentric Didier Dagueneau of Pouilly-Fume (who played a part in the labels) and of Nadi Foucault of Loire's Clos Rougeard. Stephane unfortunately passed away in September of 2016 but his wife Virginie and Assistant Winemaker have taken over the reigns to continue making some exceptional distinctive wines from Chablis.
The Domaine achieves this point of difference from the bulk of wines from Chablis with low yields and riper fruit to create more concentrated and fleshy wines as opposed to the steely, acid-driven wines that come from the bulk of Chablis. In fact, these wines look a bit more like the wines of the Côte de Beaune than of Chablis which stems from winemaking techniques that are typical of the best wines from Chassagne or Puligny-Montrachet. Ploughing, organic viticulture, hand-harvesting, whole berry pressing, natural yeast fermentation, natural settling, long slow elevage in large oak as well as minimal sulphur use are all equally necessary components to producing these wines with distinctive personality and poise.
We've picked up the exciting new release of the 2023 vintage and have a couple of '22s as well. The classic '23 'Petit Chablis' and '23 'Chablis' (also available in magnum) are always sensational expressions of the region that never fail to impress. The Petit Chablis is so far above most other Petit Chablis that it almost doesn't seem right to call it such. The source of these grapes comes from a single 2.5 hectare site with SW aspect on Kimmeridgian soils and vines ageing 25-50 years. The Chablis proper comes from a blend of 30 different parcels, fermented with natural yeasts and spends 20 months on its lees which is rarely seen in Chablis. The resulting wine displays nice orchard and stone fruits, salinity, minerality and great texture on the palate. The '23 'Pargues Vieilles Vignes' is sourced from a lieu-dit considered to be an honorary Premier Cru (in fact, it should be but the site was abandoned during WWII and it missed out on the official classification). We have a range of highly esteemed Premier Cru bottlings such as the 'Vaillons Premier Cru' in both the '22 and '23 vintages, 'Beauregard Premier Cru' in both the '22 and '23 vintages, '23 'Forets Premier Cru', '23 'Montmains Premier Cru' and the '23 'Montee de Tonnerre Premier Cru'. Most of these sites need no introduction and these are actually all reasonably priced for these prestigious sites from a top producer like this. Finally, we have the '23 'Valmur Grand Cru' which is situated next to the vines of Raveneau, although Moreau’s plot is cooler with more shade. Combined with the steepness of the slope, this leads to the wine’s strong mineral, saline imprint, which shines through the depth and texture of this majestic wine. Moreau-Naudet is always on the horizons of somms and wine nerds alike, don't miss out on one of Chablis greatest and eccentric producers!
--------------------
Chiara Boschis
The Pira family are a legendary family in Barolo with winemaking history dating back to the 18th century. Gigi Pira was a Barolo traditionalist and produced wines from the best grapes of his own vineyards: Cannubi, San Lorenzo and Via Nuova. Chiara's parents bought this estate in the 80s as they were close with Gigi Pira and intended to carry on the Barolo legacy. Consequently, Chiara became one of the first female winemakers in Barolo towards the end of the 80s. Following her family's sale of the historic Giacomo Borgogno estate, Chiara and her brother Giorgio became owners of this estate which has been certified organic since 2014.
Chiara's philosophy is to craft wines that marry the extraordinary power of Barolo with approachability, promoting great aromatics, lush textures and elegance. The Boschis family own vineyards in some of the best communes of Barolo with a total of 11 hectares: 2 in the Barolo commune proper, 8 in Monforte d'Alba and 1 in Serralunga d'Alba, with choice selected vineyards in those communes. For Cannubi and Mosconi the choice was to vinify the grapes coming from the individual vineyards separately, in order to underline and enhance their specific organoleptic characteristics. As a tribute to tradition, the Barolo "Via Nuova" is obtained from the assembly of grapes from 6 vineyards: 2 from the Municipality of Barolo, 2 from the Municipality of Monforte and 2 from the Municipality of Serralunga.
We've stocked up on Chiara's Langhe offerings and have a range of Barolo across multiple vintages on offer too. The '24 'Dolcetto d'Alba' comes from three vineyards in Monforte (Ravera, Le Coste and Mosconi) and is fermented and aged in stainless steel to produce a racy wine with bright blue fruits, spice and floral notes with ripe and round tannins. The '23 'Barbera d'Alba Superiore' is aged in old barriques for 12 months which earns it the Superiore designation. This is elegant and taut with classic Barbera acidity and bite, black cherry and plum fruit with chocolate and spice. The '23 'Langhe Nebbiolo' comes from Ravera in Monforte and serves as a great introduction to the variety and house style. Aged in old barriques for 14 months, it's bright and juicy with red berry fruit, peach and spice and a gently tannic and refreshing palate. We have the 'Barolo Via Nuova' - blended from multiple parcels, in the excellent '19 and '20 vintages. The 'Barolo Mosconi' is sourced from a 1.9 hectare vineyard in Monforte and is available in a suite of '18, '19 and '20 vintages. Finally, we have a single bottle of the legendary '19 'Barolo Cannubi' remaining. Cannubi has always been considered one of the best sites in Barolo. These are some stunning, special wines - pick some of these up and see the hype for yourself!
--------------------
Mouzon Leroux
Meet the Maker - Champagne Tasting
Friday 17th
5:30pm-6:30pm
Join us in the store this Friday from 5:30pm - 6:30pm as we host Sébastien Mouzon from Mouzon Leroux as he pours his incredible Champagne for you!
Mouzon-Leroux is a dynamic, ninth-generation grower producing exciting, terroir-driven Champagnes from eight hectares of biodynamically cultivated vines in Verzy. In his quest to peel back the layers of his terroirs, Sébastien Mouzon works biodynamically, and yields are kept very low. In the cellar, his approach is suitably artisanal: wood maturation, extended lees aging and very low sulphur are the keys to the quality and style of the wines crafted here. These are the wines that Sébastien will be pouring on the day:
Champagne Mouzon Leroux L'incandescent Rosé de Saignée 2018. (Disg. Oct 2022)
Champagne Mouzon Leroux L'angelique Blanc de Blancs 2017 (Disg. Oct 2022)
Champagne Mouzon Leroux L'atavique Tradition NV (Base 20. Disg. Apr 2024)
Champagne Mouzon Leroux L'ascendant Solera NV (Base 19. Disg. Jan 2024)
These are some stunning Champagnes that speak to their origin and are well-priced for the quality - come down to the store after work to try them for yourself!
Wishing you a great week from the team: Chris, Pete and Aaron.
--------------------
WEEKLY SPECIAL!
Christian Venier
We have another incredible special lined up for this week with the wines of Loire Valley's Christian Venier!
Christian Venier Les Hauts de Madon Blanc 2020 -Regularly $60 per bottle / NOW $35.00 per bottle*
Christian Venier Les Carteries Blanc 2020 - Regularly $60 per bottle / NOW $35.00 per bottle*
This is a saving of more than 40%!
OFFER: BUY ANY 6 BOTTLES OF CHRISTIAN VENIER AND RECEIVE $150 OFF!
Christian Venier is based on the tiny village of Cheverny, Touraine within the Loire Valley. Here, Christian learned the art of thoughtful farming and minimal-intervention winemaking from Thierry and Jean-Marie Puzelat of Clos du Tue Boeuf. He produced his first vintage in the 90s and enrolled in the Viticultural School of Amboise when he quickly discovered that they were rather ignorant of organic practices and continued to trust his guns, bucking the post-war trend towards mechanisation. His winemaking practices involve fermentations with natural yeasts, a wide variety of ageing vessels to experiment with and no additions or subtractions to the wine. The resulting wines are distinctive and interesting expressions of local varieties grown that speak to their place of origin.
If you are wondering how we are able to sell these at such a discount, we manage to secure the last stock from an importer that is wrapping up business so we've passed the savings on to you. That being said, this is the last stock and we are unable to get more so don't hesitate to snap up this bargain!
*price per bottle when ordering any 6 bottles of the Christian Venier wines in-store or online. Offer available while stocks last - finishing at 11:59pm on Sunday 19th October.
Get in quick!