Cellar Access
Cellar Access
Cellar Access
Cellar Access
January Cellar Access | Dive Deeper
Happy 2024 to all of our loyal subscribers! We wanted to make finding all of the info about the bottles you're receiving each month a little easier, so we'll be creating a post for each month's wines.
This month, we've got some gorgeous, small-production wines. Fabrice Pouillon has been a secret favorite of us in the wine biz for over a decade, as he is entirely uncompromising in his dedication to quality. Danjou-Bannessy is essentially making Burgundy-style wines from crazy, ancient (and crazy-ancient) vineyards in the Roussillon, and have started to pop up in the cellars of wise collectors. Clement Lavallee's touch seems to get finer each year, be it with his reds or whites, and we'll soon be hoarding these bottles like many of our favorite drinkers!
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 R. Pouillon & Fils, Grande Vallee, Mareuil-sur-Ay (2019 Base)
NV R. Pouillon & Fils, Grande Vallee, Mareuil-sur-Ay (2019 Base)
The Grand Vallée is mostly Pinot Noir (60%) with Meunier and Chardonnay, representing the full range of the house's holdings. The current vintage is blended with the previous vintage with some of the perpetual reserve added as well, creating terrific complexity for an "entry" wine, sumptuous and saline. His Rosé is a maceration style of 100% Pinot Noir, where the fruit will sit with its skins for around 12 hours prior to pressing. To add another layer of vinosity, 80% of the current vintage is held for 8 months, and the 20% is comprised of the prior vintage's remainder which had aged for more than 18 months in barrique. This creates a rounder texture to soften the delicate tannin resulting from the maceration. Both snappy and unctuous, this unwinds in the glass to reveal incredible depth. Les Terres Froides is created from a cool (Froid= cold), half hectare parcel of entirely Chardonnay in the Montagne de Reims. Chalk and clay soils give both breadth and energy, full of soft, ripe citrus and incredible, thirst-inducing length.
The intention for thoughtfulness and complexity is not a gimmick but a reality in the wines of Champagne Pouillon. Grown in the Grand Cru village of Mareuil-Sur-Ay in the Vallee de la Marne (as well as other terroirs in Marne and Montagne des Reims), the grapes of Fabrice Pouillon are meticulously and organically farmed, even utilizing some biodynamic principles. This careful process results in expressive, intricately structured wines that evolve on the palate and evoke the character of their individual terroir.
R. Pouillon & Fils
Fabrice joined the family business in 1998, and he quickly began working to convert the vineyards to biodynamic viticulture, with an eye to improving the overall health of the fruit. His care for quality extends to his winemaking, where all juice flows via gravity into their vessel, where they are allowed to ferment naturally. Even the pressings are done carefully, in fractional steps, a departure from most in Champagne who care more about speed than exacting quality. The results are stupendous: both freshness and concentration of flavor abound.
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
2021 Domaine de la Grande Colline, Bibendum Rouge, Cotes du Rhone
2021 Domaine de la Grande Colline, Bibendum Rouge, Cotes du Rhone
Bibendum is made of whole-cluster Cinsault grapes planted to clay & limestone soils, hand-harvested in the Gard region, bordering the Rhône river. Fermented in stainless steel, a classic, easy-drinking Côtes-du-Rhône that is dark-fruited without being too heavy, seasoned perfectly with hints of pepper and savory spices.
Founded by legendary winemaker Hirotake Ooka, the property is now jointly managed by Thierry Allemand and former sommelier-turned-winemaker Jonathan Jacquart. Embracing and continuing the work of Ooka in the vineyards, Jacquart has pushed further even, embracing biodynamics in the vineyard and favoring a transparent style with great finesse and clarity.
Domaine de la Grande Colline
Hiotake Ooka produced his first vintage of Grande Colline in 2001, following stints with both Grippat and Allemand where he learned the power of the vines' own natural growth cycles. While so many producers champion the idea of "low intervention", Hirotake actually eschewed all treatments, even organic or biodynamic ones. His wines were fascinating - whole-cluster fermentations, some carbonic maceration, and lots of ancient barrels.
Under Jonathan Jacquart's guidance since Ooka returned to Japan, the estate has not fully transformed as Jacquart followed much in the same vein, only opting to introduce more biodiversity and some vine treatments, and more closely following the wines' development through elevage to avoid any variation in the finished wines. True to the region of Cornas, the wines are gorgeously deep, with the trademark black pepper and smoked meat tones, in the most delightful fashion.
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 Clement Lavallee, Bourgogne, Cotes d'Auxerre Ma Pierre
2020 Clement Lavallee, Bourgogne, Cotes d'Auxerre Ma Pierre
From the lesser-known Cotes d'Auxerre, which is just West of Chablis, Ma Pierre comes from 40+ year old Pinot Noir vines planted in white clay, so this won't be a shrill red as it's not planted to the intense chalk of Chablis. A somewhat long maceration and some pumping down brings out a beautiful dark-red hue and soft texture, and Lavallee will age his reds in neutral barrel to ease the wine through a delicate oxygenation which aids in constructing the great finesse he's getting known for.
One of the young stars of Northern Burgundy, Clement Lavallée grew up in a Chablisienne winemaking family but has ventured out on his own, putting countless years of red-winemaking experience to the test where it has never been popular, all the while crafting gorgeous examples of classic whites from Chablis and its neighbors.
Clement Lavallee
At Thatcher’s Wines, we are very familiar with the “young guns” of viticulture. After all, we import quite a few of these mavericks who find new ways to astound us with superb wines. The regional names might be less renowned (or even sans-appellation “Vins de Table”), but the sublime quality is always there. In that spirit, I want to talk about Clement Lavallee, a producer plying his trade in the Sauvignon-Blanc-centric Saint-Bris, as well as Coteaux Auxerrois and Chablis. Despite a significant viticultural lineage and a family winery in his village, Clement decided to strike out on his own and make some tasty wines to the beat of his drum that spark joy and are absolute stunners.
A core belief of the “new wave” of winemakers- no matter where they are- is that to truly make phenomenal wines must build experience at wineries across the globe. Clement Lavallee took that tenet to heart as he embarked on an eight-year journey to perfect his understanding of vinifying Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Noir (as well as non-Burgundy varieties). His storied travels included plying his trade at his hometown Domaine Verret in Saint-Bris, and iconic Armand Heitz, Chateau Margeaux, and Chaputier.
Not long after returning to Saint-Bris, Clement chose to set off on his own despite being a part of a winemaking family, and his endeavors have since elevated the appellation’s reputation and quality. He funnels his inspiration and technical know-how to make wines that reflect the unique terroirs of the less-explored parts of Northern Burgundy. Now I can tell you these wines are delicious, but- considering their cost- wouldn’t you like to try some for yourself?
Brentwood LA
Available same day if ordered by 2pm
11718 San Vicente Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90049
United States
+14152340046
