Wine Of The Month - October 2021
Our selections for October 2021 are:
Le Petit Haut Lafitte Blanc 2018, Pessac-Léognan, Rated: 93 (Jeb Dunnuck) - Le Petit Haut Lafitte Blanc 2018 is the perfect choice for any oenophile in search of a crisp, honeyed expression of white Bordeaux. This thrilling mixture of Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris and Semillon is from the top-rated Grand Crus Classé, Château Smith Haut Lafitte. The estate is currently owned by the Cathiard family, who made a series of sweeping changes to the vineyards and the vat room, placing it on the trajectory of one of the sought after properties within the Pessac-Léognan appellation. The talented Michel Rolland and Stephane Derenoncourt consult at Château Smith Haut Lafitte, ensuring that the final blend is nothing short of perfection.
Orma Toscana 2016 & 2018, Tuscany, Rated 95 & 94 (Monica Larner) - It’s no secret that critics love Orma and have crowned it one of the premier Super Tuscans from the small, yet prestigious Bolgheri DOC. This seductive blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc grown in the distinctively rich Italian terroir hosts profoundly herbal characteristics that captivate many connoisseurs. The wine is incredibly age worthy and simply stunning, which is why we wanted to provide our Wine of the Month subscribers the opportunity to experience it in two very different years as part of a vertical tasting. For those unfamiliar, a vertical tasting is a sampling of multiple vintages of the same wine. A favorite approach of many wine professionals, vertical tastings are the perfect way to see how a property’s wine evolves with time.
Saintayme 2017, Saint-Émilion, Rated: 90 (Lisa Perotti-Brown) - Saintayme was one of the passion projects of the legendary vigneron Denis Durantou. More famously known for his iconic Pomerol wine, Château L'Eglise Clinet. Denis Durantou was a shrewd, yet humble vigneron who unfortunately passed away in 2020 after a fight with cancer. He produced wines of astonishing quality exclusively within the Right Bank yet kept his pricing fair; an admirable feat in a region home to some of the most expensive wines in the world. Denis Durantou was exceptionally gifted in handling the most common varietal on the Right Bank – Merlot. The terroir here is some of the most exciting within the region and Saintayme has prestigious neighbors like Château Valandraud and Château Fleur Cardinale. The 2017 vintage provides subscribers the opportunity to discover the extraordinary talents of a man considered to be, “a winemaker’s winemaker.”
Tasting Notes
Le Petit Haut Lafitte Blanc 2018 - "The 2018 Le Petit Haut Lafitte Blanc is a blend of 80% Sauvignon and 20% Sémillon brought up in 50% new French oak. It's a little gem of a Bordeaux Blanc offering lots of ripe lemon, toasted nut, and honeysuckle notes to go with a rich, medium to full-bodied, impressively textured style. If you like rich, textured, yet balanced Bordeaux Blanc, give this beauty a whirl." - Jeb Dunnuck, Jebdunnuck.com, Rating: 93, Drink: 2021-2029
Orma 2016 - "Brooding and dark, with a nicely compact core, the 2016 Orma shows generous concentration and good density at the back. The mouthfeel is rich and thickly textured. The wine produces notes of green olive, black olive, caper and smoke. The blend here is 50% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Cabernet Franc. This is a powerful wine with 15% alcohol that underlines its potency. Some 30,000 bottles were made." - Monica Larner, The Wine Advocate (5/16/2019) Rating: 95 Drink: 2019-2035
Orma 2018 - "The 2018 Orma is a generous and bold blend of Merlot (50%), Cabernet Sauvignon (30%) and Cabernet Franc (20%). This wine is built on solid foundations and shows a rich vinous footprint. The fruit is black and concentrated, as is to be expected of a wine of this ambition, and it sits with a dark and almost impenetrable appearance in the glass. Orma shows a careful balance between fruit and oak spice, and both are calibrated to achieve high sensorial impact and intensity. If you're looking for the classic Tuscan blended red with sunshine and power, this release of 25,000 bottles is for you."- Monica Larner, The Wine Advocate (12/17/2020) Rating: 94 Drink: 2021-2035
Saintayme 2017 - "Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, the 2017 Saintayme delivers expressive black cherries, mulberries and boysenberries scents with hints of rosehip tea, tilled soil and spice box. Medium-bodied, the palate has plenty of juicy red and black fruits with a plush texture and refreshing finish." Lisa Perotti-Brown, The Wine Advocate (3/16/2020) Rating: 90 Drink: 2020-2032
