Wine for the Dog Days

Heat wave seems to be everywhere, the dog days of summer are upon us.  There is always a good glass of wine to help you get through the season.  Our first choice is Henri de Villamont's Auxey-Duresses La Canée 2015 - a crisp, un-oaky chardonnay from Côte de Beaune, Burgundy.

We also present Château La Lagune 2017, a softer and more expressive wine from Haut-Médoc, produced by the talented winemaker Caroline Frey, whose family also owns the legendary Jaboulet wines in the Rhône Valley.  Its soft and feminine profile can sometimes lead consumers to mistaken La Lagune for wines from Margaux, not Haut Médoc – some even consider them “Burgundian.”

Our feature selection for the month of August 2022 is Château Siran 2018 - The Wine Enthusiast's #1 pick of its "Best Wine of 2021", as announced in November, 2021. Without a doubt, Château Siran is in a class of its own.

To top it off, our special selection for August is Siepi Toscana 2019 from Castello di Fonterutoli.  It is a storied estate that has been in the hands of the Mazzei family since the 15th Century.  Siepi Toscana is a stunning blend of 50% Sangiovese and 50% Merlot, yielding an intense, yet herbaceous wine sure to captivate any Italian wine enthusiast. Its 2019 vintage garnered a nearly perfect 99-point rating from famed wine critic Antonio Galloni at Vinous.  Some may say Anotnio is biased since he is Italian.  We invite you to taste it and be the final judge.

Henri de Villamont Auxey-Duresses La Canée 2015 - Unrated.  Auxey-Duresses (pronounced “Aussey”) stands at the entrance to a valley which runs from the Côte de Beaune into the Hautes Côtes, following the road that leads from Beaune to Autun amongst hump-backed hillsides.  Together with its hamlets of Petit-Auxey and Mélian, Auxey-Duresses is incontestably one of Burgundy’s Celtic and Gallo-Roman wine-growing districts. It was formerly an outlying property of the abbey of Cluny, producing both grains and grapes. The corn-mills have now gone but there are still wine presses. Auxey-Duresses was granted its AOC status in 1937.

Château La Lagune 2017 - "Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 la Lagune rolls out of the glass with notes of cherry pie, Black Forest cake and warm cassis plus hints of pencil lead, new leather and spice box. Medium-bodied, the palate has great vibrancy with loads of red berries and earthy layers and a firm, chewy frame, finishing lively." - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Advocate (3/16/2020) Rating: 90, Drink: 2020-2034

Mazzei Siepi Toscana 2019 - "The 2019 Siepi continues a trend towards greater finesse and nuance in this wine. Crème de cassis, lavender, spice, licorice and plum meld together effortlessly in the glass. Dense and layered, with striking detail, the 2019 is so impressive. The flavors are bright, bold and punchy. An exceptionally beautiful and riveting wine, the 2019 is rich and concentrated, but not at all heavy. What a total knock-out." - Antonio Galloni, Vinous, Ratings: 99, Drink: 2025-2044

Château Siran 2018 - "Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, the 2018 Siran wafts out of the glass with very pretty scents of red roses, cinnamon stick, chocolate-covered cherries and fragrant earth, giving way to a core of warm cassis and plum preserves, plus a touch of camphor. The medium to full-bodied palate is absolutely laden with rich, juicy black fruits, supported by velvety tannins and plenty freshness, finishing long and perfumed. This very classy, absolutely delicious Margaux tastes great now, but it will reward 3-4 years of cellaring and has the stuffing to continue thereafter for 20+ years." - Lisa Perotti-Brown, The Wine Advocate (3/31/2021) Rating: 93, Drink: 2024-2044