Cellar Access
Cellar Access
Cellar Access
Cellar Access
FEBRUARY 2024 - CELLAR ACCESS!
OK, it's not quite fiddlehead season, but we're starting to see the first signs of spring here in California - you know, the sudden deluge with the sun wedging its rays through the clouds, reminiscent of a summer morning on Cape Cod (IYKYK).
Kind of makes me feel like dancing through the raindrops, or at least pulling out some deliciously refreshing bottles from the cellar. Start with one of our secret favorite Champagne producers in Pierre Paillard - there really is nothing like Bouzy Pinot. Move on to an utterly classic style of Premier Cru Chablis from the Garnier brothers, and follow that with a brilliantly lifted Chateauneuf from Gigondas' top dog, Santa Duc.
While I wouldn't fertilize your garden with these (that's what your leftover coffee grounds are for!), they are sure to plant seeds of hope for a smooth spring.
This wine has a per person limit. We do this as the wine is hard to find, very rare and/or incredibly sought after.
We do this to ensure that we are able to share the love with everyone!
We kindly ask that you do not abuse this limit by placing multiple orders. In the event that you place multiple orders - they will be canceled and subject to a 5% cancellation fee.
If you would like to request more than the allowable amount - we may be able to help - send us an email at info@thatcherswineconsulting.com
NV Pierre Paillard, Parcelles Bouzy Grand Cru (Base 2019)
NV Pierre Paillard, Parcelles Bouzy Grand Cru (Base 2019)
A perfect example of Bouzy flavor and texture, Paillard creates this cuvée with a range of their small single vineyards, showing off the true class of their home village. Les Parcelles is 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay from clay and chalky soils, matching the freshness with depth and texture. After fermentation in barrel, Parcelles spends 4 years on the lees prior to disgorgement. All told, the time on the lees only adds a creamy touch to the already soft feel of Bouzy Pinot, and the chalk brovides a brilliant saline touch to elevate this wine to another ethereal level.
The Paillard family has been making some of the most transparent, terroir-driven wines in Montagne de Reims for over 200 years. Brothers Antoine and Quentin took full control of the Domaine in 2012 and have committed fully to organic farming and biodynamic treatments. Their Pinot Noir-dominated vines are surrounded by flora and fauna and the vinification is very hands-off.
Pierre Paillard
Two brothers, Antoine and Quentin Paillard run what is now an 8th generation Champagne house in the village of Bouzy, smack dab in the middle of Champagne's Pinot Noir heaven. Since they took over together in 2016, the duo has done nothing but intensify the focus in the vineyard, generating incredible results in the fruit quality through lowering yields and aiming for perfect ripeness.
One of - if not the - greatest villages for Pinot Noir in Champagne, Bouzy is home to a deep chalky bedrock with varied types of clay that support great texture and depth in the grapes. In addition to crafting tremendously complex and flavorful Champagnes from their terroir, the Paillard brothers will continue to honor the family tradition and craft a Coteaux Champenois Rouge, which is one of the great examples of the region's potential for still wines.
Each plot of the domaine is harvested and vinified separately, a slow fermentation within oak barrels. These are points of emphasis as the brothers feel that a slower fermentation allows for greater flavor and texture development, and the process is allowed to proceed naturally through full malo-lactic conversion. All wines will age on the lees in bottle for at least an additional 3 years with up to 10 for the Grande Recolte; Parcelles and Terres Rosé will go through secondary fermentation under crown cap while the other wines will do so under cork.
"I used to buy these wines for a song back in the day and the prices have gone up a touch but considering the primo Grand Cru fruit quality, I think they're a steal! The sleeper in the lineup is certainly "Les Terres Roses XVIII, Extra Brut Rosé, Bouzy Grand Cru", which has 5% Coteaux in the mix... resulting in a haunting, herbaceous and sappy persistence on the palate. One night we had the Rosé next to Prevost's Fac-Simile and '08 Dom Rosé and it held its own!" - John Cerasulo
This wine has a per person limit. We do this as the wine is hard to find, very rare and/or incredibly sought after.
We do this to ensure that we are able to share the love with everyone!
We kindly ask that you do not abuse this limit by placing multiple orders. In the event that you place multiple orders - they will be canceled and subject to a 5% cancellation fee.
If you would like to request more than the allowable amount - we may be able to help - send us an email at info@thatcherswineconsulting.com
2020 Garnier & Fils, Chablis Premier Cru, Montmains
2020 Garnier & Fils, Chablis Premier Cru, Montmains
Home to true, classic Kimmeridgian soils, the long and narrow Montmains sits within Butteaux. Open to the wind, it's a cooler vineyard site, and as such is usually harvested a bit later. Garnier sources their fruit from a good friend who farms this 0.8 hectare plot sustainably. The grapes are hand-harvested by the Garnier family, pressed whole-cluster, and the wine goes through a long, cool fermentation which creates great finesse and structure. It will spend baout 12 months on the lees in large barrels, and the final product is round yet bright, salty-stony yet with bright orchard fruits and citrus zest, perfectly perfumed with a whiff of white flowers.
We love a family story, and Garnier is no exception; for decades the family sold off their grapes to cooperatives, but when brothers Xavier and Jérôme ascended in 1996 to take over the estate, they began to bottle their own wines. With a strong supply of vineyards on the Northern portion of Chablis, the brothers focus on achieving optimal ripeness to balance out the natural freshness and salinity of the cool region.
Garnier & Fils
Xavier and Jerome Garnier form a strong team, Xavier working the cellar while Jérôme oversees the vineyards which are vast: spread over 57 acres mostly on the Northern portion of Chablis, with holdings in Village, Premier Cru and Grand Cru sites. The vision is to achieve optimal ripeness while retaining freshness. The texture and clarity of flavor is a constant throughout the range, showcasing the class of the vineyards and the careful touch in the cellars.
This wine has a per person limit. We do this as the wine is hard to find, very rare and/or incredibly sought after.
We do this to ensure that we are able to share the love with everyone!
We kindly ask that you do not abuse this limit by placing multiple orders. In the event that you place multiple orders - they will be canceled and subject to a 5% cancellation fee.
If you would like to request more than the allowable amount - we may be able to help - send us an email at info@thatcherswineconsulting.com
2020 Domaine Santa Duc, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Habemus Papam
2020 Domaine Santa Duc, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Habemus Papam
Paying tribute to Pope Jean XXII, who chose Avignon on the Rhône rive as his home instead of Rome, Habemus Papam is made up of 70% Grenache and 30% Syrah from two top plots of Chateauneuf called Le Pradel and La Font du Pape. Home to sandy, clay-based soils with chalky soils beneath, there is great lift to this wine. After fermenting in stainless steel, the wine spends 18 months in the 36-hL casks and 8-hL amphorae with long slow pumpovers to attain a soft extraction. Red and dark fruits emerge with a gorgeous blend of savory and peppery spices, and beautiful purple flowers as well.
Six generations in, the inimitable Yves Gras elevated the Domaine Santa Duc to terrific heights, drawing critics' attention with his undeniably elegant take on what was known as a more rustic, less-desirable region in Gigondas. In further pursuit of challenging his own greatness, Yves acquired desirable plots in Chateauneuf-du-Pape, from which he's crafted some of the region's most consistently excellent and desirable bottles.
Domaine Santa Duc
Dating back to 1874, Yves Gras and his son Benjamin look over the famous Domaine based in Gigondas, a village they essentially single-handedly put on the vinous map. Even today there is great importance placed on the power of tradition, utilizing old vines, indigenous yeasts, whole clusters and an emphasis on vineyard work above all. Benjamin has taken that a step further, now certified biodynamic in the vineyards as he seeks to elevate his fruits' quality even higher.
The wines have a distinct brightness and character owing in part to the inclusion of the whole clusters from such healthy, old vines. There is no new oak, and the wines are all aged in 36hL Stockinger barrels and 8hL terracotta amphorae (a favorite of biodynamic winemakers worldwide). The hallmark here is finesse, the finest of tannins and a balance of complexity and lift.
