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About the Wine
The winemaking tradition of the Brunel family dates back to the 17th century. Gaston Brunel, a famous négociant, acquired the Château de la Gardine in Châteauneuf du Pape in 1945. The estate is now run by his two sons, Patrick and Maxime with the help of their wives Eve and Maryse and their children Marie-Odile and Philippe. The estate spreads over 52 ha of vineyards (48 ha of red and 4 ha of white) and 20 ha of forests, all gathered around the property. The Domaine is famous for the quality of its wines and for the unique Gardine bottle. Today around 70% of the production is exported in about 30 countries.
The Gardine bottle, both original and elegant, is the result of a happy coincidence. When he first wanted to expand his cellar, while digging in the ground, Gaston Brunel found a mouth-blown bottle. He loved it and decided to use a similar shape for all his wine. In the beginning, he had to go all the way to Italy to find a glass supplier that was able to make it. Since 1964 all the wines have been bottled in the unique La Gardine shaped-bottle.
Tasting Notes: Red wine. From 90+ year old vines. Very long drinking window. See details below.
Reviews
The dense inky ruby/purple-colored 2004 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee des Generations is backward for a 2004, and should be one of the longer-lived wines of the vintage. It exhibits notes of creme de cassis, smoke, toast, and plenty of licorice and chocolate. It is full-bodied, powerful, and unusually tannic and structured for a 2004. Give it 5-7 years of bottle age and drink it over the following 15+ years. A decidedly modern take on Chateauneuf du Pape, but wine built for long-term aging is the rule of thumb from this estate tucked away in the very western reaches of Chateauneuf du Pape. I have cellared their Cuvee des Generations as far back as 1978. It’s a wine that does behave more like a Bordeaux than many Chateauneuf du Papes, requiring a good decade of cellaring, and it may be one of the few wines that takes that long to shed some tannin. Of course it sees aging in new oak barrels, as La Gardine was one of the first to use new oak for its Chateauneuf du Pape, and while the wine can be somewhat internationally styled and oaky in its youth, the wood does get absorbed as the wine ages, and after a decade there is no doubt it is a southern Rhone wine with plenty of Provencal typicity in it. At about age 7-8, the aromas of black cherries and other black fruits intermixed with smoky garrigue notes come to the forefront. ~91+ Robert Parker, WA Drink 2012-2027
This winery did the hard work aging these delectable bottles so you don’t have to! Since 1895, the Cazes clan has tilled vineyards in and around Rivesaltes--now growing to 220 organically farmed hectares--that yield some of the best expressions of Rivesaltes terroir on the market!
About the wine
The Cazes family worked this land for 50 years before releasing their first wines, and they’ve only gotten better with each vintage since! Now certified biodynamic for a full twenty years, the estate is a picture of dedication to the best agricultural practices and you can taste it. A rare treat, this aged muscat wine has developed secondary and tertiary qualities of honey and caramel laced with orange rind, dried apricot, vanilla, cinnamon, clove, and allspice. The fermentation is halted with the addition of high proof grape spirit, so the remaining sweetness is natural from the grape.
About the wine
Meet your new best friend from Southern Italy: Zenas.
Year after year, this wine is one of the most popular Southern Italian regional wines offered at BHW. It arrives and before we know, it's gone. Grab a case while you can.
Primitivo Puglia lgt 'ZENAS', 2018 is wowing European critics all over again, and now it's Stateside so you can finally taste it for yourself. Bold but refined on the palate, this delightful ruby-colored red has a heady plummy perfume, a profusion of cherry and spice, and a whisper of herbaceous rosemary softened by vanilla. Drink alone or with tomato-y meat sauces, this is a wine made for food. Those in the know will be snatching up this little known gem by the caseload…
Aged for six months in French oak barrels, this wine soft and supremely well balanced. The gentle tannins make 2018 Primitivo Puglia lgt "ZENAS" the perfect partner for tomato-based dishes like a hearty meat sauce or lasagna, eggplant parmigiana, chicken cacciatore, and provides the perfect balance to a spicy sausage pizza. This wine loves blue cheeses (Gorgonzola and figs, perhaps), and dry, firm cheeses like Pecorino and Parmigiano Reggiano.
Reviews
Chosen as one of the year's best wines and one of the top wines from Puglia and all of Italy! ~ 98 points Luca Maroni "I Migliori Vini Italiani"
About the Wine
Chateau Marojallia was the first small boutique property in the Medoc. Created in 1998 by owner Philippe Porcheron with winemaking team Muriel Andraud and Jean-Luc Thunevin. World-renowned consultant, Michel Rolland, joined the winemaking team in 2001.
Chateau Marojallia (Latin for Margaux) is a rare, small production chateau. The Grand Vin and second label are both made from only 4 hectares of 25-year-old vines with painstaking care and in such small quantities, all the production equipment can easily fit in a garage.
The Grand Vin retails for over $70 a bottle and BHW is excited to be able to offer the second label at half the cost while still showing the exceptional quality expected from the Margaux appellation.
Upon the first vintage release in 1999 Chateau Marojallia was immediately hailed by critics and Robert Parker ranked them among the very finest wines from Margaux. Close to Chateau Margaux and Chateau Rauzan Segla not far from the village of Margaux. 2015 garnered a 94 point rating from Wine Advocate.
Tasting Notes: Red Wine. 50% Cabernet Sauvignon 50% Merlot. Aromas of spiced plum, blueberry, and blackcurrant. impeccably balanced with juicy tannins and a gorgeous texture.
Reviews
Aromas of blackcurrants and spices with blueberry undertones. Full body and round and juicy tannins. Layered and very pretty. Gorgeous texture. Needs two or three years to come around. A beauty. ~93 James Suckling
A magnificent second wine, the 2015 Clos Margalaine is yet another example of how strong the vintage is in Margaux. Today, the Clos Margalaine is open-knit, powerful, and totally seductive. A rush of dark red cherry, plum, spice, menthol, and licorice builds to the sumptuous, racy finish. Even with all of its obvious intensity and large-scaled voluptuousness, the 2015 remains impeccably balanced and vivid throughout. What a gorgeous wine this is. Clos Margalaine is 50% Cabernet Sauvignon and 50% Merlot aged in about a third new oak. Christophe Coupez and Michel Rolland consult. ~90-93 Vinous
Run by Philippe Porcheron, who purchased this estate in 1999, Clos Margalaine consists of four hectares of deep, gravelly soils located between the estates of Le Tertre and Monbrison, and they receive consulting advice from Christophe Coupez and Michel Rolland. The 2015 Clos Margalaine is another beautiful Margaux and is a blend of equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. It boasts medium-bodied, elegant, perfumed notes of black raspberries (maybe even some strawberry), spring flowers, toasted spices, and forest floor. About as fine and elegant as they come, yet with plenty of balance and length, it’s a gem from one of the top appellations in 2015. It will keep for 10-15 years. ~91 Jeb Dunnuck
