Red Wine Domaine A. P. de Villaine Mercurey Les Montots 2018. No need to decant, but best to open it half an hour before service. Aubert and Paméla de Villaine bought this estate in Bouzeron in 1971. Their grandson Pierre de Benoist has been responsible for the management and winemaking since he arrived in 2001. Certified organic since 1986, the company has actively participated in the maintenance and promotion of the local grape Aligoté. Almost 70,000 bottles of Bouzeron of remarkable quality and with a proven aptitude for aging are produced every year. By purchasing 10 hectares in Rully, the estate is now present in six renowned premier Cru. Les Montots is a location facing south and characterized by quite pronounced slopes, where Pinot Noir grapes grow. The wine is fermented in wooden vats for 18 days and then aged in barrels. It is a true Mercurey, a robust wine that gradually opens with age. Mercurey Les Montots is a powerful wine with intense aromas of black fruits, preceding subtle animal and spicy notes. In the mouth, it is rich and elegant with silky tannins. The lively acidity gives it a good balance, and the aftertaste evokes wild berries. Try it with duck or poultry game. It also pairs well with soft cheeses like Camembert and Vacherin.
2018
Red Wine Domaine A. P. de Villaine Mercurey Les Montots 2018
Red Wine Domaine Trapet Gevrey Chambertin Ostrea 2018. Decant 1 hour before serving. Founded back in 1870, Domaine Trapet is currently run by Jean-Louis Trapet who looks after the family’s 12 hectares of vines which include 1.9 hectares of prized Chambertin Grand Cru vineyards. The domaine was one of the few in Burgundy to embrace the forbidden practice of grafting vines to protect against phylloxera in the 19th century. Thanks to this bold move, the domaine’s vineyards were saved and were later used to help replant the region. Jean-Louis converted the domaine to biodynamic viticulture in the 1990s, achieving Biodivin certification in 1998 and Demeter in 2005. Wherever possible he adopts a light touch, moving the wine into the cellar via gravity and using no sulphur during harvesting or vinification except for a small amount at bottling. Ostrea is a great example of the luscious and well-rounded Trapet house style. Fruit is sourced from four parcels spread over 2.5 hectares on soils rich in limestone and the fossilized oyster shells that give this wine its name. The oldest vines here were planted back in 1913, producing tiny berries packed with flavour. The young wine is aged mostly in used oak barrels, adding subtle smokey and spiced notes to the dense core of ripe red berries and hints of leafy undergrowth and tobacco leaf.
2018
Red Wine Dominio del Aguila Reserva 2018. It can benefit from decanting. Dominio del Aguila was founded by Jorge Monzon and his wife Isabel Rodero who decided to combine their enthusiasm to create high quality wines. The estate has 30 hectares of very old organically grown vineyards. Jorge, who comes from a family of winegrowers, studied viticulture and oenology in Bordeaux and Burgundy and worked at the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Grupo Vega Sicilia and Bodegas Arzuaga. Tempranillo is the main protagonist in their vineyards, but there are also other native varieties such as Bobal, Garnacha, and Albillo. The Reserva comes from a blend of Tempranillo, Blanca del Pais, Garnacha, and Bobal from old high-altitude vineyards, between 800 and 900 meters above sea level, in the municipality of La Aguilera. Grapes are harvested with a rigorous selection of the best bunches and then fermented with native yeasts in cement vats. The wine is aged in French oak barrels for 35 months and then bottled without clarifying or filtering. This elegant red is expressive, complex, and fresh. On the nose, it surprises with pleasant aromas of ripe red and black fruit and notes of spontaneous herbs. In the mouth, it shows intensity and structure while having a silky consistency. The fruity notes are combined with juicy tannins and a long and persistent finish. It is ready to be enjoyed now but can also be left in the cellar for a little longer. Have it with red meat or slow roast leg of lamb.
2018