Vin Picks - November 2024 Selection NV (Each)

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DRINK WELL, SAVE LOTS – Vin Picks is a monthly wine service that delivers the world’s most relevant producers directly from Grapes The Wine Company to your doorstep.

Your Vin Picks for the month of November 2024:

1) NV Duval Leroy Grand Brut

Champagne Classic: Did you know that there are only three remaining family-owned “large” Champagne houses are Taittinger, Pol Roger, and… Duval Leroy. The house produces 5 million bottles annually; and while longevity certainly matters (est. 1859), it is the house’s modern era–led by Sandrine Logett-Jardin, appointed in 1994, the first woman to hold the position of head winemaker in Champagne. Most of Duval Leroy’s vineyards are in Vertus, a Grand Cru Village notable for top-quality Chardonnay. Their Grand Brut NV is a remarkable value–rich, creamy, and long. Ideal on its own or with food. 

2) 2020 Merkelbach Riesling Spatlese Trocken Kinheimer Rosenberg

Mouthfilling Riesling: Don’t overthink Riesling–just enjoy it. Here is a great example of modern German winemaking. It earned 90 points from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, praised as “elegant, round and lush on the palate” with “remarkable finesse.” Expect peachy fruit, touches of salinity and minerality, and a resonant, clean finish.

3) 2019 The Hilt Pinot Noir Santa Rita Hills

Pinot Project: The Hilt is Screaming Eagle’s sister project in Santa Barbara. You can bet they did their homework before setting up shop in the Santa Rita Hills, arguably the Cali Pinot region with the most potential. And this one’s a beauty; the fruit leans toward cherry, cranberry and ripe strawberry. But there is also a savory herbal note, and smooth but fleshy texture. No wonder Antonio Galloni said: “Winemaker Matt Dees has crafted what are the finest Santa Barbara Pinots I have tasted so far.” 

4) 2023 Clos de Roilette Fleurie

O.G. Bojo: A perennial Cru Beaujolais favorite at Grapes, Clos de Roilette is a 22-acre estate in Fleurie, on the edge of Moulin a Vent. In the 1920s, when Fleurie was first demarcated, the original owner was so angered at being bumped from Moulin a Vent that he put a painting of his beloved horse, Roilette, on the label, with no reference to Fleurie. The appellation is displayed with pride today–as is the horse. This is textbook Beaujolais, with a bit more concentration and length. The 2023 is fresh and perfect for Thanksgiving.