Fresh New Faces: Holiday Edition

We love to serve Sancerre during the holiday season. We routinely stock at least six expressions of Sancerre in the store, but today's wine is perhaps our favorite in this appellation. It's elegant and refined and absolutely perfect for your holiday table. Even folks who don't enjoy Sauvignon Blanc (eh hem, Leslie) think this one is a serious hidden gem.

Thomas Labaille Les Monts Damnés Sancerre 2019 (Loire Valley, France)

"Thomas-Labaille has vines averaging thirty years old with some much older on the famously steep slope of Monts Damnés in Chavignol. They are sustainably farmed and harvested by hand. The wine is fermented with native yeasts in fiberglass and cement tanks, aged on its lees in stainless steel tanks (with a small proportion of used barrel in some vintages) for four to six months and bottled without filtration." (Winemaker's Notes) Importer: Louis Dresnner

$33.99/bottle or $326.30/12 pack case ($27.19/bottle)

And now for something a bit different. We have an elegant, high scoring white blend from South Africa which would be a wonderful alternative to Chardonnay on your holiday table if you're feeling adventurous and looking for something unusual (and delicious).

Mullineux Old Vines White 2017 (Western Cape, South Africa)

"A ripe, creamy style, with melon, pear and heather notes gliding along, inlaid with light brioche and lemon curd accents. Ends with a flash of honeysuckle that leaves a bright, mouthwatering echo. Chenin Blanc, Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Viognier and Sémillon." (Wine Spectator)

Wine Spectator: 92 points

"The 2017 Old Vines White is a blend of 65% Chenin Blanc, 10% Viognier, 10% Clairette Blanche, 13% Grenache Blanc and 2% Sémillon Gris. This has a lighter bouquet than the previous vintage, featuring touches of honeysuckle and peach skin with white flowers tucked just behind. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp acidity and quite tensile, showing a subtle white pepper and marmalade note toward the precise finish." (Vinous)

Vinous: 91 points

$34.99/bottle or $335.90/12 pack case ($27.99/bottle)

Moving on to reds. Full disclosure first: We've never been huge fans of Syrah. It can take years to evolve and it can have a funky, barnyard quality to it, especially when it's young and from its spiritual home in the Northern Rhône Valley of France. Having said that, if you have the time and patience Syrah can be a beautiful thing. Today's wine is from a stellar producer and it's drinking great right this very second. If you're thinking about prime rib or steak for the holidays you would be doing yourself a big favor by grabbing some of this wine. We just love it.

Saint Cosme Saint-Joseph 2018 (Northern Rhône, France)

"The 2018 Saint Joseph comes all from the northern part of the Northern Rhône and offers more peppery stems, violets, and herbal notes as well as a medium-bodied, fresh, elegant style on the palate. With fine tannins and rock-solid overall balance, it should end up being an outstanding wine." (Jeb Dunnuck)

Jeb Dunnuck: 91 points

$41.99/bottle or $403.10/12 pack case ($33.59/bottle)

We have so many fans of Italian wine who shop with us and today's magnificent Italian red is very special and perfect for the table or if you prefer as a head-turning holiday gift. When you place your order please request a tech sheet with the press if you're planning on gifting this beauty. Why not? The reviews are impressive!

Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco (DOCG) 2016 (Piedmont, Italy)

"The 2016 Barbaresco is a tight and beautiful wine that will require more time to unwind and soften. This beautifully balanced vintage is characterized by a tight inner core of fruit that underlines the graceful aging capacity of these wines. The 2016 is shaping up to be one destined for long cellar aging. Now in its youth, the wine offers wild berry, rose and licorice aromas." (Wine Advocate)

Wine Advocate:95 points

"This is Produttori del Barbaresco's flagship wine, produced with fruit selected from their 54 growers, who collectively farm some 250 acres of vines, and it is a stunner in the 2016 vintage. It's ripe and precise, the vibrant red fruit lifted by fresh floral scents and subtle spice. The tannins envelop that fruit like a soft leather glove, as brisk acidity propels the flavors toward a vertical finish. There's no better bargain in Barbaresco, and with 22,000 cases produced, this should be on every serious Italian wine list and in every nebbiolo lover's cellar." (Wine & Spirits Magazine)

Wine & Spirits Magazine: 95 points

"Enticing aromas of violet, woodland berry, loose vineyard soil, wild mint and a hint of spearmint shape the intensely fragrant nose. The tense, young palate is still nervous but already boasts finesse, showing wild raspberry, crunchy red cherry, white pepper and star anise. Firm, refined tannins and racy acidity give it a linear, almost austere elegance, while bright acidity keeps it focused and balanced. Drink 2026–2036." (Wine Enthusiast)

Wine Enthusiast: 95 points

"The 2016 Barbaresco is a stunning wine with tremendous richness for this bottling. Ample, deep and powerful, the 2016 exudes pedigree and class from start to finish. I can't remember a straight Barbaresco here with this much fruit density and unctuous richness, and yet there is more than enough tannin and overall structure to give the wine its classically leaning feel. A blast of sweet red cherry fruit, tobacco, menthol licorice and smoke hits the potent finish. What a wine!" (Antonio Galloni, Vinous)

Vinous: 94 ppints

"Cherry, tar and menthol flavors mark this rich, silky red. Even more expansive on the palate, building to a long, complex aftertaste. Beautifully balanced, this picks up a minerally accent on the finish. Best from 2022 through 2038. 25,000 cases made, 7,500 cases imported." (Wine Spectator)

Wine Spectator: 93 points

"Produttori's 2016 Barbaresco is delicious now and is only going to get better. It's a deliciously fresh wine, its structure tucked away behind clean acidity and earthy layers of dark, ripe fruit. This is a sculpted wine, with fine, powdery tannins that are currently a bit drying on the finish but should resolve." (Decanter Magazine)

Decanter: 93 points

Woah. See what we mean? $49.99/bottle or $479.90/12 pack case ($39.99/bottle). Limited quantity available.

And now for the big guns. Our next wine receives top press around the world every single time it's released. This is a collectible item and is only available in small quantity. In fact, we can only accept bottle stock orders on this wine because it's highly allocated and insanely difficult to obtain. Again, if you're planning on gifting this wine please request a tech sheet with press to include with your present.

Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2018 (Southern Rhône, France)

"Another in a string of top vintages, Beaucastel's 2018 Chateauneuf du Pape was produced from Grenache yields of only eight hectoliters per hectare ("normal" is about 28 hectoliters per hectare, according to Marc Perrin). The final blend I was shown is almost candied in its fruity intensity of raspberries and cherries, yet it has a potent underpinning of more savory elements, like tapenade, grilled meat and dried spices. Full-bodied, with fine, silky tannins, this shows tremendous length, reverberating with hints of crushed stone on the finish." (Wine Advocate)

Wine Advocate: 95-97 points

"A tight and compelling tannic structure, muscular and knitted down at this stage, rich and concentrated with blackberries and olive paste. Needs a few years, but already you can discern the floral aromatics that overlay the core, and this is going to evolve into a beautiful Beaucastel. Organic. Blend completed by 10% Counoise, 10% blend of Vaccarese, Terret Noir, Muscardin Clairette, Picpoul, Picardan Bouroulence, plus 10% Roussanne and 5% Cinsault. Drinking Window 2022 - 2044." (Decanter Magazine)

Decanter Magazine: 94 points

"Moving to the reds, the 2018 Châteauneuf Du Pape showed nicely with a deep ruby/purple color as well as classic Beaucastel aromas and flavors of darker currents, blueberries, smoked meats, black licorice and roasted herbs. With medium to full-bodied richness, a pure, clean, elegant texture, sweet tannins, and a great finish, this seamless, elegant Beaucastel will be approachable in its youth, yet still have 20+ years of prime drinking." (Jeb Dunnuck)

Jeb Dunnuck: 94 points

This highly allocated blockbuster wine is restricted to bottle stock orders only. All orders will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. There is no waiting list for this wine. Once it's gone that's it.

$99.99/bottle or $79.99/bottle in a mixed case of wine.

No holiday would be complete without Champagne. We happen to be bubble fanatics and we've tasted some of the best and most prestigious Champagnes in the world. Having said that, J. Lassalle Premier Cru is a beautiful wine -- an every day Champagne if you like and about a thousand times better than Veuve Cliquot. At less than $36/bottle after discount it's a top value, over-delivering beauty.

J. Lassalle Premier Cru Brut Champagne NV (Champagne, France)

"Jules Lassalle established this family-owned Champagne house in 1942 in the village of Chigny-Les-Roses on the Montagne de Reims. A master of his craft, he established a signature style of elegant, tightly knit wines with a certain ampleur. Champagne J. Lassalle works with all three varietals authorized in the region (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier) on sixteen hectares of vineyards, all of them premier cru." (Winemaker's Notes)

$44.99/bottle or $431.90/12 pack case ($35.99/bottle)

* Wine & Spirit Education Trust Certified *

Location 4550 State Highway North Eastham, MA 02651 (Next to the Royal Thai Restaurant in the Town Center Plaza) Tel: 508 255 3660 Fax: 508 255 6736

Late Autumn Hours Mon-Sat: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.   We're open year round. Closed only on Thanksgiving and Christmas.