2015 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru “Les Chalumaux”Comtesse de Chérisey
France | Burgundy
$120
Producers
If ever a wine qualified as a “winter white,” it’s this one. The satiny, luxurious blend of Grenache Blanc, Clairette, and Roussanne is a liquid scarf that wards off the gloom of short, cold days with a foreshadowing of the ripe summer stone fruits to come.
—Dustin Soiseth
Wine Type: | white |
Vintage: | 2019 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | 40% Grenache Blanc, 30% Clairette, 30% Roussanne |
Appellation: | Châteauneuf-du-Pape |
Country: | France |
Region: | Southern Rhône |
Producer: | Domaine la Roquète |
Winemaker: | Frédéric & Daniel Brunier |
Vineyard: | Planted in 1987, 3 ha |
Soil: | Sand on red clay and galets roulés |
Aging: | Wine ages in cuve and in barrel for 8 months before bottling |
Farming: | Lutte Raisonnée |
Alcohol: | 13.5% |
Gaël Petit France | Southern Rhône | Tavel
Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe France | Southern Rhône | Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Frédéric & Daniel Brunier France | Southern Rhône | Ventoux
Les Pallières France | Southern Rhône | Vin de France
Famille Brunier France | Southern Rhône | Vin de Pays de Vaucluse
Maxime François Laurent France | Southern Rhône | Côtes-du-Rhône
In September 1986, René Laugier wanted to retire but had no successors to take over La Roquette , his domaine in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. When Daniel and Frédéric Brunier bought the domaine, it was a logical choice. The brothers had been proving their worth as rising young stars of the appellation, and the Brunier family, proprietor of Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe, had a long history of working tough soils—they farm La Crau, which boasts some of the most challenging vineyard terrain and most pedigreed soils of Châteauneuf. Daniel and Frédéric purchased twenty-nine hectares of vineyards at La Roquète. The brothers replanted the Clos La Roquète to white in 1987; this is currently the only wine bottled under the La Roquète label.
The southern Rhône valley is Grenache country. It’s also known for its stones. With a viticulture history dating back well before the Popes arrived in the 12th century and one of France’s oldest appellations d'origine contrôlée, Châteauneuf-du-Pâpe, the southern Rhône is unquestionably one of France’s best known and premier winegrowing regions. The wines have the pedigree and age-worthiness of Burgundy and Bordeaux, but with a rustic, Mediterranean character. Like most wines from southern France, the reds, whites, and rosés are blends. Filling out the Grenache for the reds and rosés, you’ll often find Syrah, Carignan, Mourvèdre, and Cinsault. The common white grape varieties are Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Bourboulenc, Viognier, Roussane, and Marsanne among others. From the alluvial riverbed stones found in Lirac, Tavel, and Châteauneuf to the limestone cliffs of the Dentelles de Montmirail that influence Beaumes-de-Venise (where you’ll find excellent Muscat), Vacqueyras, and Gigondas, great terroir abounds.
Kermit’s entrance in the region came in the mid 1970s on his first trip with Richard Olney, an American ex-pat and friend of Alice Waters. On that trip, Richard introduced Kermit to the Brunier family of Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe. Soon after, Kermit began importing the Brunier’s wines—their Châteauneuf-du-Pape “La Crau” bottling remains a staple of our portfolio today. In the late 1990s Kermit teamed up with the Brunier family to purchase the famed Gigondas estate, Domaine Les Pallières. More than 40 years later, we now import wines from fifteen southern Rhône domaines spanning the entire area of the region.
Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe France | Southern Rhône | Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Domaine Gramenon France | Southern Rhône | Côtes-du-Rhône
Maxime François Laurent France | Southern Rhône | Côtes-du-Rhône
Domaine Gallety France | Southern Rhône | Côtes du Vivarais
Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe France | Southern Rhône | Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Frédéric & Daniel Brunier France | Southern Rhône | Ventoux
Gaël Petit France | Southern Rhône | Tavel
Maxime François Laurent France | Southern Rhône | Southern Rhône
Domaine Les Pallières France | Southern Rhône | Gigondas
Famille Brunier France | Southern Rhône | Vin de Pays de Vaucluse
Domaine Le Sang des Cailloux France | Southern Rhône | Vacqueyras
Selected by Kermit Lynch France | Southern Rhône | Côtes du Rhône
If you're looking for value, look where no one else is looking.
Inspiring Thirst, page 211
Drinking distilled spirits, beer, coolers, wine and other alcoholic beverages may increase cancer risk, and, during pregnancy, can cause birth defects. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/alcohol
Many food and beverage cans have linings containing bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical known to cause harm to the female reproductive system. Jar lids and bottle caps may also contain BPA. You can be exposed to BPA when you consume foods or beverages packaged in these containers. For more information, go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/bpa