MCF Rare Wine
Cuilleron's 2016 Reds
Last year, the offer for the 2015 reds of Yves Cuilleron was one of our most successful releases for the fabulous 2015 Northern Rhone vintage.
Now, a lot of that might have had to do with the fact that Cuilleron is a producer whose wines we still have access to in decent quantity, thereby allowing us to sell more. Who'd have thought, right??
But also it's because, over the last decade, Cuilleron's style has evolved away from the denser, flashier wines he was once known for (which were unfairly maligned in my view...I had a 1995 Cote Rotie from him a couple of years ago that was fabulous), towards a more balanced and earth-driven feel.
His touch with the new wood is decidedly lighter and the density has been dialed back, allowing even his modest reds a chance to express a veritable spectrum of feral, savory goodness.
Enter a vintage like 2016 which, despite the heaps of praise shoveled onto the powerful 2015s, I feel, offer way more appeal with their elegant, transparent and highly expressive style.
In short, if you're like me and love them when they're elegant and classic, 2016 is as good as if gets. The wines are as structured and ageworthy as you could hope for, but also exhibit unparalleled energy, balance and aromatics.
I think a style like Cuilleron's is only further enhanced by the bright clarity that a vintage like 2016 brings.
This is easily one of my favorite sets of wines that he's produced.
Period.
This offer will be open for the next week and the wines will arrive shortly thereafter.
YVES CUILLERON 2016 Reds
Saint Joseph Les Pierres Seches 2016 $30/btl - always a favorite of mine in the Cuilleron lineup, the PS leans more towards the medium weight end of the spectrum, but with explosive aromatics that showcase great spice and animale.
Saint Joseph Cavanos VV 2016 $36/btl - heading further into the meaty, smoky, gamey realm, the Cavanos can certainly make its case for the pound-for-pound champ of the Cuilleron lineup. Its muscular fruit and structure plays nicely off of the overtly savory and feral character buried deep within. This is most certainly eligible for some good cellaring time.
Saint Joseph Les Serines 2016 $49/btl - heading all the way down the gamey, savory, exotic rabbit hole will lead you to a glass of the Serines, the definite wild child of the St Joe lineup. The fruit is decidedly darker here, and the mineral streak throughout makes for a hefty, but wonderfully balanced glass of Syrah.
Côte Rôtie Bassenon 2016 $69/btl - the lone possessor of Viognier (10%) of the Côte Rôtie trio, the Bassenon is, not surprisngly, the most elegant and aromatic of the three. The highly floral nature offers beautiful counterpoint to the dark, mineral, spicy notes throughout. This one's beaming right out of the gate.
Côte Rôtie Madiniere 2016 $71/btl - from the Côte Brune, this is Syrah carved right out of stone. Focused, intensely mineral and wildly persistent, it's typically my favorite of the three.
Côte Rôtie Bonnivieres 2016 $89/btl - the Bonnivieres, Cuilleron's top red, is truly stunning in 2016. It combines every element of classic 'Roasted Slope' Syrah you can ask for - floral, spicy, mineral, animale - and crams it into one incredibly densely packed wine. The tightly wound structure on the finish will allow this wine to develop beautifully over a nice long while.
To inquire about this wine, please email info@mcf-rarewine.com or call 212.255.8870.
Matt Franco
MCF Rare Wine, Ltd
249 West 13th Street NYC 10011
212.255.8870