There are a few things that are imported directly into the Northwest that are important enough to deserve their own post. At the start of the year, I was able to offer the 2005 Les Ursules from Cedric Bouchard at an insane price. For those lucky enough to try those wines, you should also know that he will be attending the IPNC this year at the end of July. That in its self will exponentially grow the demand for his wines. The problem is that some of them arrive in quantities as small as 36 bottles or even 12 if you count his first magnum offer. At first I was not going to even write an email pertaining to any of the Champagnes below, because they will sell out without any solicitation. But I am worried that some of the Champagne-freaks, like me, would miss out if they did not know about them before they arrived. In addition to the Cedric Bouchard Champagnes, we are also receiving a small amount of Vouette et Sorbee, Jerome Prevost, and possibly Selosse. As for the middle two, I have not tried them.
Below you will see information for the Champagne that is arriving in a month. I will forward my order to the distributor and wait for confirmation. There is a chance that not every order will be fulfilled and I will record them in the order they arrive. Once I have confirmation I will email everyone who responded. Payment will be required when the wines are delivered to Garrison’s Fine (Like when Thomas Pinot Noir is released). Remember I offer free storage in my temperature controlled cellar in the store and at Portland Wine Storage for free until the weather allows shipping. The prices below are discounted from the regular retail markup. All wines are NET priced (no further discount).
Summary of wines being offered:
NV Bouchard Inflorescence Val Vilaine Brut Blanc de Noirs Regular Price $65 Pre-Sell Over, Inquire
2002 Bouchard Inflorescence La Parcelle Brut Blanc de Noirs Regular Price $100 Special Price $85, Fall Arrival
2005 Bouchard Roses de Jeanne La Haute Lemblée Blanc de Blancs Regular Price $115 Pre-Sell Over, Inquire
2005 Bouchard Roses de Jeanne La Bolorée Blanc de Blancs Regular Price $150 Pre-Sell Over, Inquire
2005 Roses de Jeanne Les Ursules Blanc de Noirs Magnum Regular Price $325 Pre-Sell Over, Inquire
NV Jérôme Prévost Brut La Closerie (2006) Regular Price $75 Pre-Sell Over, Inquire
Vouette et Sorbee Extra Brut Cuvee Fidele NV Regular Price $60 (low W-S $75.95) Pre-Sell Over, Inquire
Vouette et Sorbee Cuvee Blanc d’Argile NV Regular Price $63 (low W-S $98.95) Pre-Sell Over, Inquire
Vouette et Sorbee Cuvee Saignee de Sorbee NV Regular Price $80 (low W-S $103.95) Pre-Sell Over, Inquire
Roses de Jeanne and Inflorescence by Cedric Bouchard
http://www.champagne-rosesdejeanne.com/
Cedric Bouchard produces Champagne from two different vineyards. One owned by his father which he labels under Inflorescence and another labeled Roses de Jeanne, made from fruit off his own fruit. All of his wines are single vineyard, single vintage, and single varietal.
NV Bouchard Inflorescence Val Vilaine Brut Blanc de Noirs Regular Price $65 Special Price $55
100% Pinot Noir from the 1.5 ha Val Vilaine vineyard. Elevage takes place in stainless steel. The wine ages for about 28 months before release.
2002 Bouchard Inflorescence La Parcelle Brut Blanc de Noirs Regular Price $100 Special Price $85
This wine is 100% Pinot Noir from the small La Parcelle Vineyard that encompasses .5 ha (about 5,000 m2). This wine is aged about 80 months before its release. The previous release from 2001 (which was a sub-par vintage and the worse in memory) received 94 points from the Wine Advocate. 2002 is an awesome vintage; the vintage itself has a rating of 90 versus an 83 the 2001 vintage carries. This was my favorite wine of last year’s releases. Perfect pairing with triple cream cheese.
2005 Bouchard Roses de Jeanne La Haute Lemblée Blanc de Blancs Regular Price $115 Special Price $100
36 bottles imported
There are 500-800 bottles made per year. This wine is 100% Chardonnay from La Haute Lemblee which totals .118 ha in size. This is the first release of this wine in the United States. The 2004 La Haute Lemblee received 97 points from the Wine Advocate, which just makes me wonder how great the 2005 vintage will be since it is far superior to 2004.
2005 Bouchard Roses de Jeanne La Bolorée Blanc de Blancs Regular Price $150 Special Price $130
36 bottles imported
100% Pinot Blanc. 100% Pinot Blanc from a .2107 hectare parcel planted at a density of 8000 vines and only a 1000 bottles were produced. Yes, Pinot Blanc. Officially there are some other varietals that are allowed in the Champagne that are usually not spoken of and used to make up small percentages of certain wines. L. Aubry is the most obvious of the growers and produces wines that include not only Pinot Blanc, but Arbanne and Petit Meslier. Outside of blogs that I found only in French, I haven’t seen anything else about this wine. To say this is a rare wine would be an understatement.
2005 Roses de Jeanne Les Ursules Blanc de Noirs 1.5 Liter (Magnum) Regular Price $325 Special Price $260
12 bottles imported
This is the first time Cedric Bouchard has ever released magnums into the United States. This wine is different from the previous release offered, which was the 2006 vintage. Yet, if you have followed comments about the different vintages, you will know that 2005 was very good. The price point reflects only the greatness of the wine, but the rarity.
Jerome Prevost
http://www.peterliem.com/2008/06/jrme-prvost-gueux.html
In short, Jerome was influenced to make wine by his friend Anselme Selosse (Jacques Selosse Champagne). Similar to Cedric Bouchard his wines are single varietal, single vintage, and single vineyard. The wines are aged in 450-600 liter barrels. He uses indigenous yeast and the wines are disgorged about 18 months after bottling. Therefore, his wines have the vintage listed in parentheses because they do not meet the minimal aging requirements of vintage Champagne.
NV Jérôme Prévost Brut La Closerie (2006) Regular Price $75 Special Price $65
100% Pinot Meunier. He ferments with indigenous yeasts, with minimal sulfur, no dosage, no fining, and no filtering. Single vineyard wine from 48 year vines.
Wine Advocate #180 “A recent bottle of the 1999 La Closerie Les Beguines was breathtaking. Prevost’s La Closerie Les Beguines (2006) offers up hazelnuts, honey, autumn leaves, dried apricots, and smoke in a beautifully-delineated expression of this site. Later, notes of mint, flowers and spices develop in the glass, adding additional layers of aromas and flavors. An expansive, textured wine, the La Closerie Les Beguines possesses awesome length, density and a sublime, classy finish. Today the wine is still very primary and it will take some time for the full array of flavors to develop, so a year or two of cellaring at a minimum seems prudent if readers are to experience the full breadth of this superb Champagne. This bottle was disgorged in October 2008. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2018.”
Vouette et Sorbee (Bertrand Gautherot)
http://www.vouette-et-sorbee.com/
http://saignee.wordpress.com/2009/06/27/day-9-vouette-sorbee-champagne/
Two of the wines will be extremely limited (<5cases imported), while the other will be in decent supply. Bertrand Gautherot, the owner and winemaker, started making Champagne in 2001. He was a protégé of Selosse and heads the organization of organic producers of Champagne. He is an outspoken proponent of Bio-Dynamic farming and is one of the minority in Champagne region to be certified Bio-Dynamic. Vouette et Sorbee’s vineyards are located in the village of Buxieres sur Arce in the Aube’s Cote des Bar. This region is closer to Chablis than it is to Reims. The importance is shown through the soil differentiation; the soils of two vineyards of Vouette et Sorbee are more similar to the Grand Cru Vineyards of Chablis possessing Kimmeridgian marl capped by limestone. The Sorbee vineyard is one piece of land totally 1 ha planted completely on limestone. All of the wines are no dosage.
Vouette et Sorbee Extra Brut Cuvee Fidele NV Regular Price $60 (low W-S $75.95) Special Price $50
This wine is made of 100% Pinot Noir and is vinified in oak barriques.
Vouette et Sorbee Cuvee Blanc d’Argile NV Regular Price $63 (low W-S $98.95) Special Price $55
60 bottles imported
Blanc de Blanc, 100% Chardonnay.
Vouette et Sorbee Cuvee Saignee de Sorbee NV Regular Price $80 (low W-S $103.95) Special Price $70
60 bottles imported
Rose of Pinot Noir
Wine Advocate December 2009 “The NV Extra Brut Rose Saignee de Sorbee explodes from the glass with an exciting array of candied strawberries, mountain herbs, roses and sweet spices. This is a dense full-bodied style of wine, with a gorgeous core of perfumed fruit that emerges in the glass. A slightly herbal, green quality adds to the quirkiness of this rose, but this is a beautiful wine loaded with personality and character. It is 100% Pinot Noir fermented with ambient yeasts and aged in oak. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2011…”
Jacques Selosse
Last year’s allocation went to only restaurants because they only received 36 bottles total of all the wines made. This year, partly due to the economy, a small amount might be released to retailers like myself. If you have interest in wines from Selosse, please respond to this email. If I receive an allocation I will email those who have purchased Champagne from me before. I would expect that the least expensive cuvee from Selosse starts just over $100, whereas the rarest releases could command around $250 a bottle.
Offer valid until 8/01/09
