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Sep
Blog, Producers, Regions, Style, United States
West Coast AVA – What to Buy from the United States
Raised in Bordeaux
It’s no secret that fundamentally we’re a pretty classic importer/ wine store. Although we have always kept up with modern needs and flavour profiles, Chabrol has traditionally been a true Bordeaux specialist. How could it be otherwise? The owner Rex has trained intensively in Bordeaux more than 30 years ago. He still goes there regularly to keep informed and to visit exclusive tastings many of us only can dream about. From an early age, he was spoiled with old vintage Bordeaux of the best Chateaux such as Petrus, Haut-Brion and Cheval Blanc.
Today we are pre-eminently the specialist for the right bank. Here we hunt treasures from Saint-Émilion, such as the wines of Valandraud, Tertre Roteboeuf and Troplong Mondot. And we have many vintages of Domaine de Cambes and Roc de Cambes – Côtes de Bourg from legendary producer François Mitjavile. But we offer the best of the left-bank too. Only just arrived are some unique bottles from Château Latour 2008 Pauillac. They are in perfect condition, straight from the domain into our wine store (for inquiry send us an e-mail info@chabrolwines.com).
Right-bank Treasures
But in addition to this very exclusive range, we also sell well-priced Bordeaux of top quality. For example the very populair L’Aurage by Louis Mitjavile (son of François Mitjavile). L’Aurage comes from the Côtes de Castillon. This region is slightly cooler than Saint-Émilion. Many specialists are already advising to buy from Castillon, but we’ve known about the potency of the region for decades.
Another domain to watch is the Famille Todeschini from Saint-Émilion. Their wines are all high-quality, right-bank reds, concentrated and cellar-worthy, but still really well priced. We’re very proud to be the first reseller of the Todeschini Family and predict that this is going to be big in due time.
A Bridge towards the New World
With this introduction to Chabrol’s background, we are building a bridge across the ocean. Thanks to our in-house knowledge of the classics, we understand good wine. Or better said, we are able to taste what kind of wines are outstanding. We also comprehend the essence of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. That’s why we’re not afraid to venture into the versions produced outside the classic wine countries. We even see them as an added value to our existing range.
Some time ago we established a specialization in West Coast Cabernets and wines that can measure up to the Bordeaux classics. Of course, most people already know that Napa Cabernet can compete with the big Chateaux. Everybody has heard about the ‘Judgement of Paris 1976’ and the triumph of Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars and Château Montelena (Chardonnay) amongst others.
Napa and the Pacific Northwest
Because our collection Napa and the Pacific Northwest are well-aged, we decided to put these bottles online. For those people who like to compare and peer the same grape variety from different regions, we prepared a beautiful gift box with three valuable, matured versions of West Coast Cabernet Sauvignons.
Single bottle highlights in our range are Napa Valleys Corison (Saint-Helena AVA) made by the iconic and founding mother Cathy Corison. The rare and price winning Macayamas Vineyards (Mount Veeder AVA), which normally can only be bought by members and insiders of the Mayacama Vineyards club. This is one of the rare bottles that was highly rated during the Judgement of Paris competition.
Slightly more accessible – also in price, but certainly as highly regarded by the professional press are the wines of Blackbird Vineyards (Oak Knoll AVA) and Gramercy Cellars (Walla Walla AVA – Columbia Valley, Washington State). The odd one out is Nicolas-Jay Pinot Noir. This Pinot Noir from Oregon Willamette Valley is co-produced by Jean-Nicolas Méo. Jean-Nicolas is the current owner of the famous Burgundy domain Méo-Camuzet located in Vosne-Romanée. Proudly we also keep the wines of Méo-Camuzet in stock (go to the product page or send us an e-mail for further inquiry about vintages and crus).
Curious about our wines from the US? Below you’ll find the links to the separate product pages with the detailed description.
West Coast Cabernet Mixed Case
