Wine of the Month - August 2020

The summer weather still calls for a great white wine.  We bring you Château Simone, a cult wine from Provence.  It is sought after by wine insiders, and even hard to find in France.  Coming from Palette - the smallest appellation of its kind, Château Simone has been owned by the same family since 1800s.  They produce red, white, and rosé.  Some argue its rosé is the best (and priciest) on the market, we will have to bring you some to taste next year, as the limited stock of 2018 we had have been sold out, and the 25% import tariffs kept us from buying the 2019 vintage.

Château Bouscaut deserves attention.  Even though not as well known as some of its peers from Pessac-Léognan, its wine is well made and represents its terroir with a quality-to-price ratio few can match.

Château d'Armailhac is a property of the famous Château Mouton Rothschild.  The wine is often overlooked by wine drinkers as a poor cousin of Mouton Rothschild.  However, 2010 is one of Bordeaux's best vintages in the past 30 years.  A perfectly aged Château d'Armailhac 2010 will be well-liked and well-remembered.

This month's selections are:

• Château Bouscaut 2015, Pessac-Léognan, 92 pts
• Château de Camensac 2011, Haut-Médoc, 88 pts
• Château d'Armailhac 2010, Saint-Estèphe, 93 pts
• Château Simone Blanc 2014, Palette, Provence, Not rated.

Tasting Notes

Château Bouscaut 2015 - "Medium garnet-purple in color, the 2015 Bouscaut has an earth, tar and charcoal nose with a core of red and black currants and a waft of beef drippings. The medium-bodied palate has good intensity and depth with firm, grainy tannins, a lively backbone and great length." - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (2/21/2018, Interim Issue), Ratings: 92, Drink: 2019-2036

Château de Camensac 2011 -"Bright, dark ruby. Musky red berries and cherry on the nose, along with notes of dried flowers and chocolatey oak. Sappy, penetrating raspberry and red cherry flavors show a slight dry edge and pick up a smoky quality with air. Turns drier on the finish, which lingers with gripping tannins." - Ian D'Agata, vinous.com, (July, 2014), Ratings: 88

Château d'Armailhac 2010 - "Another sensational effort from Philippe Dhaluin, the administrator of Mouton Rothschild, this blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and the rest Petit Verdot shows complex floral notes intermixed with forest floor, camphor, black currants and mulberries that all jump from the glass of this aromatic style of d’Armailhac. This wine possesses very good acidity, a surprisingly higher percentage of Merlot than usual, but the quality is impressive, and the good news is that there are 20,000 cases of this full-bodied beauty, which should age nicely for 15-20+ years." - Robert Parker Jr., The Wine Advocate (2/27/2013, Issue 205), Rating: 93, Drink: 2013-2033