Amazing 93RP Terlato Chapoutier Shiraz Viognier 2011

This wine caused quite an uproar just a couple of months ago when Dave McIntyre of the Washington Post reviewed the 2010 vintage of Domaine Terlato-Chapoutier Shiraz-Viognier and called it a great value at $20 giving it *** stars. Rightfully so as it is consistently a great wine even receiving 90 points from Wine Spectator. But let's fast forward to today as we have for you the 2011 vintage. We have been working on this allocation for over 6 months but this wine is well worth the wait.  As this is the best wine they have ever produced. This scored an amazing 93 points by Robert Parker himself during his visit to the Domaine. This is just a terrific value wine for the money.

Domaine Terlato & Chapoutier 

Domaine Terlato & Chapoutier combines the vision of Anthony J. Terlato, the founder of luxury importer and marketer Terlato Wines International, and Michel Chapoutier, the esteemed Rhône grower and vintner whose compelling wines have been exalted by critics around the world including Robert Parker who called him “One of the most influential wine personalities of the last 20 years” and “One of the best winemakers on the planet."

The origin of the Terlato & Chapoutier partnership in Australia dates back to 1998, when Chapoutier enthusiastically told Terlato about a top vineyard site in Australia. Located on an eastern-facing slope on the southern edge of the Pyrenees Hills in western Central Victoria, the region's soil could produce “great wines,” according to Chapoutier.

The Shiraz-Viognier is a unique blend, using the Côte Rôtie tradition of combining 5% Viognier with 95% Shiraz, A spicy Shiraz brightens with a boost of Viognier for aroma and balance, as often practiced in France’s most highly regarded appellation of the Northern Rhone Valley, Côte Rôtie. The grapes grown in this Australian vineyard were planted on 19th century French rootstocks, another nod to the French tradition & influence in this new world wine. They were destemmed and fermented in cement and stainless steel tanks. The maceration lasts 3 weeks in order to give the wine the good tannic structure required for aging and stability. A portion of the Viognier grapes were added during fermentation to fully integrate the flavor and tannins. This wine has a round structure with fine tannins. It shows deep color and has a nice black pepper spiciness to it with intense flavors of red and black berries, followed by hints of exotic fruits.

Washington Post- Dave McIntyre (Review of the previous 2010 Vintage)
*** Stars (Out of Three) Exceptional
Victoria, Australia, $20
(Great Value)
"This French-American joint venture combines Michel Chapoutier, a legend in the northern Rhone Valley, with Anthony Terlato, the U.S. importer who made Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio a sensation in this country. The result is an Australian Cote Rotie, a compelling combination of earth, fruit and spice. Those of us who bemoan the globalization of wine should celebrate this example of international cooperation."

Free Shipping on All Orders of 12 Bottles or more of Domaine Terlato Chapoutier Shiraz Viognier 2011

We are also offering a Sale Price of $16.95 and a Special Case Price of $15.98

The Beautiful Girard La Garenne Sancerre
One of our Best Selling Sancerres from importer Louis/ Dressner one of the best at finding the great estates in France. 

We do have a Special Price of $21.98 and a Special Case Price of $19.98. Enjoy!
Free Shipping on all orders of 6 bottles or more of Domaine Girard La Garenne Sancerre 2011

Domaine Girard
The Domaine Girard is run by parents, Fernand and Monique, and son, Alain. They come from several generations of winemakers in the tiny village of Chaudoux, located a few miles northwest of the town of Sancerre and directly north of the famous town of Chavignol. They tend 12 hectares of vines in total, sell some cuvées to négociants and bottle only a portion of their production under their own name. Their La Garenne cuvée comes from a 2.5-hectare vineyard of that name, a plot on a steep east-facing slope with a very rocky limestone soil. The chalky soil brings out the characteristic flinty, mineral and green notes of Sauvignon Blanc. On La Garenne's well-drained, warm slopes, the grapes achieve exceptional ripeness and fruit. Compared to those in other viticultural regions in France, most of Sancerre's vignerons have stricter than usual standards of cellar tidiness and hygiene. It might be the influence of the local goat cheese making, which was traditionally done on a very small, artisanal scale, by people who knew the importance of a pristine environment.

The Girards have an impeccable cuverie and vinify with modern technology: a pneumatic press, stainless-steel vats, a temperature control system during fermentation, and an air-conditioned space for aging in vats and stocking bottles. They counterbalance technology by practicing old-fashioned vineyard work, where herbicides and treatments are used sparingly, and by never adding commercial yeasts to induce fermentation or add flavors.

Their Sancerre is everything one hopes for when thinking about Sancerre: it is bright, lively, pleasantly aromatic, has zippy acidity but low astringency. It is a wonderful food wine that is as versatile as it is easy to drink.