(YARRABANK Cuvee ( FINAL)) Sparkling Dear Friends, This is one of those “look out below” offers where I have to give Niki a day off beforehand. It is arguably an even better deal than a Mystery Wine offer but no mystery is required. If request history over the past decade means anything, many of you wait for this offer all year and when it hits, well, look out below... Every Thanksgiving I ask the same question: Is this the world’s finest sparkling/méthode champenoise value? Vintage to vintage, the “Cuvee” makes a strong argument as the preeminent example in its class. It is the top-tier the winery produces, from their very best “grand cru” worthy Pinot Noir and Chardonnay fruit... ...and it’s still only . No, that’s not a joke... ...and the 2004 has a score to match. We’ve offered every vintage of this wine since the late 1990s and they continue to cause an outpouring of order requests from every nook and cranny of the email list – everyone can appreciate a cheap (sorry, “well priced”) example of “champagne” that isn’t, especially with this level of detail and upbringing. For me, there’s nothing like a guilt-free sparkling wine, one that I can open without pretense or special occasion but is still worthy of one if I so choose. While the Yarrabank isn’t going to make you forget 1996 Krug “Clos du Mesnil”, it can age in a splendid, uncanny fashion and it’s proven a certain worth over many vintages of consistency. Out of the hundreds of examples we offer every campaign, this remains one of the surest bets year in and year out. Now the interesting part. I’ve been hounding them for a final parcel of 2004 since last March and they’ve finally obliged the request (the parcel set to arrive in a few weeks). The winery is about to move on to 2005/2006 (, even from us) and we already offered the 2004 a year or two ago but the vintage has me so intrigued (at the price-point below) that it was worth a studied second look. Why do I care about the 2004? It’s certainly an enjoyable drink now and there’s no harm in opening it this season, but the best days are to come. It’s the most linear, compact and precise Yarrabank Cuvee ever produced and with that, the most classic in style (with the longest potential ageing curve). While the 2004 may not be as unctuous as, say, the 2003 or 2001, it may well surpass them in complexity with age. If you have a few loose greenbacks in your couch and are willing to throw caution to the wind here – place this coddled sparkling wine in a cold cellar and try in 2013-2016 or so. I think you will have a serious surprise on your hands: (obviously, I disagree with the “drink-now” assessment – JR) From my own pen, written in 2008 or 2009?: “If you are looking for Champagne-like wine at a pittance of a price, the Yarrabank is truly unrivaled in the New World for the tariff. Don’t let the relative bargain price fool you - this is not a cheap imitation – it is their finest vintage wine, produced with the traditional method, very low dosage (2-4g/lt) and released after nearly four years aging on the lees. What makes the price even more remarkable is how costly the process is – not to mention they must differ sales for 5-6 years from the vintage (similar to vintage Champagne, Barolo or Brunello)” That’s it... for a gem that has something up its sleeve for everyone. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED as an absurd sparkling wine value with an unrivaled New World track record at this price. This parcel has impeccable provenance directly from the winery cellar: 2004 Yarrabank “Cuvee” Brut Sparkling Wine (méthode traditionnelle/Victoria) - (compare at $28-45+) FIRST COME FIRST SERVED at this price up to 24/person until we run out To order: niki@garagistewine.com This wine is set to arrive in a few weeks – it will be here in plenty of time for New Year’s but try to save it for New Year’s 2013 (please check OARS for local pick up after Dec 8th). It will ship during the Spring shipping season. Out of state orders will be held for free under ideal storage conditions (56 degrees/70%humidity) until shipping is possible. Locals may pick up at their leisure. For current local pick up and arrival/ship information, please see your OARS link below (at the bottom of this offer) - don’t know how to access your OARS? Simply click the link and see your account. You can also paste the link into your browser. If you are having trouble with your link or your account, please contact: support@garagistewine.com NO SALES TO RETAILERS OR WHOLESALERS Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA Aus5348 Click here to view the status of your orders in O.A.R.S.
(YARRABANK Cuvee) UPDATE: Righteous Several nights ago I had the good fortune of being invited to an exra-ordinary event (hyphen intentional). Sponsored by the JFR, a charitable organization that supports (through time, money, food, shelter and any other means available) families that risked their lives during WWII to hide and keep safe those headed for concentration camps due to their religious beliefs. The event, at the Waldorf-Astoria, was a chance to reunite those that had saved lives and those that had survived - unlikely bedfellows thrown together during the worst of circumstances due to the most basic of all human instincts: compassion. The individuals had not seen each other since after the liberation of Poland, 64 years ago, and there was not a dry eye in the house. The JFR does not see race, creed, color or religion - they believe a good deed done years ago deserves the public recognition it never received and also that the offspring of those men and woman who risked immediate imprisonment and/or certain execution (if found out to be hiding or helping those of the wrong religion), deserve support in any way possible. Many of these European families (the rescuers) have become down on their luck over the years and the JFR seeks them out to give them a second chance and even bring them to the US. During the Waldorf-Astoria event, a man from rural Poland (aged 80+) was reunited with his childhood friend (now a US citizen) who helped hide him in Poland for years during the war - they had not seen each other since the end of WWII when the surviving man fled into the woods behind his house to be picked up by the Russian Army. The unabashed sense of compassion, outrage, elation and anger (all in one moment) that I felt as the saved man's children and grandchildren came to the stage to thank his childhood friend for (literally) giving them life was one of the purest webs of emotion I can remember. It transcended any upbringing, religion, belief, politics or other - it united every pair of diverse eyes and ears in the room and, for a brief moment, all borders of any kind were dissolved. Without that boyhood friend's defiance of the German army, risking his own life and the life of his family, none of the saved man's children or grandchildren, their accomplishments and contributions to the human race, would have existed - the course of history was altered in some unfathomable way due to his efforts. An evening such as this reminds us of how fragile life can be and how palpable the precious time we have on this wondrous planet is. An event like this forces us to refocus, so we never forget how precious our most basic gift is - the gift of life. - Jon Rimmerman ************************* Tasting Notes: Champagne As strange as it was, after the JFR event, a friend asked me to come celebrate with a group of peers - it was a Tuesday night but therewas no better time to celebrate life and its riches (I don't mean monetary). Why not enjoy Champagne and toast to the men and woman above? I was certain they would have relished the moment with us (I've never been more certain of anything in my life). After a short cab ride, we were welcomed into the incredible parlor home of the Latin King and Queen of Gramercy Park to toast and enjoy four exquisite wines from their cellar. With a perfect view of Gramercy Park out their massive floor to ceiling windows (that opened to a beautiful terrace which allowed the breeze to refresh our solemn state), the juxtaposition of here and now versus what I had just witnessed was almost too much for words. Normally, a polar opposite occurrence of extreme wealth versus survival would encourage me to editorialize on the have and have-nots but, in this moment, you could almost hear the whispers of those eulogized only an hour before encouraging us to live life to the fullest. A side note: all of the wine below was enjoyed out of large bowl, Riedel Bordeaux stems. I urge you to drink all Champagne and sparkling wine out of large bowl stems and to donate all of your slender or (worse) open mouth/short bowl Champagne glasses to a recycler. Champagne, like any other wine, benefits from a stem that can capture the aromatics and allow the wine to breath - traditional stems cannot do this. Don't worry about the bead or the bubbles dissipating in a large-bowl stem - the finest Champagne is just as good when it turns to still wine and some are even more engaging. As an experiment, try the same wine in a slender Champagne flute and a Bordeaux stem side-by-side - you will not need me to convince you: NV Jacques Selosse Champagne Brut Rose' - (disgorged Nov/2007) - This wine is stunning. It is so good, you cannot help but chuckle under your breath. Old and new in the same sip, weighty but refined with a staggering display of spices, humidor, citrus peel and sweet fruit that stays on the tongue like a water balloon rolling toward your throat about to fracture its membrane and explode the mysterious contents over your palate. This wine is like drinking 1978 red Burgundy and 1990 Blanc de Blanc in the same bottle. An amazing, unique and singular wine that will render most other beverages insignificant if you allow it to. Thankfully, we had three other wines to enjoy or I would have felt very small in comparison to its intrigue. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED NV Jacques Selosse Champagne Brut "Initiale" Blanc de Blanc - (disgorged Sept/2007) - compared to the Rose, this is downright austere, although in its own company it would be considered soft, on-point and vivacious. The 2003 component shows itself here (this is a combination of 2001, 2002 and 2003) but the 2002 and 2001 keep the wine focused and exceedingly delicious. For fans of more cutting Champagne, this will be a curiosity as it is not heavy or dosage-affected but it still comes across like Puligny meshed with Avise. Texture aside, the flavors of ginger, nutmeg, tobacco, lemon and seashell are as exciting as it gets. A different expression than most high-end Blanc de Blanc but no less successful. RECOMMENDED. 1996 Krug Champagne Brut - What can I say that hasn't already been muttered and shouted (screamed)? There have been very few wines in my career that justify a price above $200/bottle but this is one of them. If you have to cut back on all other wine purchases just to splurge on one example to lay-away, it should be this. Greatness is subjective but, in this case, objectivity eliminates the subjective. If a laser beam could be bottled, with high-density light waiting to pierce the solar system and head toward the furthest star, it would be the 1996 Krug, a wine for the ages that has every component intact to age for a half century. Regal, masculine, precise and defined like a chiseled rock you are forced to gnaw your teeth on until they are mere stumps of enamel, this wine changes the game for Champagne and renders all other experiences as a ho-hum encounter. The 1996 Krug is one of those dangerous wines that can (like the Selosse Rose above) force you to give up the hobby in the realization that 99% of your cellar has little meaning. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED+ 1996 Salon Champagne Blanc de Blanc - Lamenting most of the other Champagne in the world (after the defining experience that was the Krug), the only remedy was surely a glass of this - one of the only wines that could somehow follow the 1996 Krug and not only stand up to it, but sooth the sense of uncertainty and turn it into a sensual, seductive dreamscape of feline energy and sensuality - just the remedy for the labyrinth of masculinity and power that was radiated upon the palate by the Krug. The 1996 Salon is, in a word, incredible. It is also worth the exceedingly expensive price to experience. Its whimsical snake dance of fruit, stone, texture and shimmering glory are something to behold. This wine is a charmer of near-perfect composition that could not be more different than the Krug (but equally fabulous). While the Krug is for your children, the 1996 Salon is for New Year's Eve. Don't be bashful about experiencing this wine now, it is a glorious wine that will cure all that ails but I'm not sure it will last as long as the 1996 Krug - who cares? A wine that saves and rekindles the soul where very few are willing and able to do so. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. - Jon Rimmerman ***************************** Sparkling Dear Friends, Speaking of sparkling wine, what could possibly come after the foursome above and more than hold its own (for $200-300/bottle less)? I've asked this question before and I'll ask it again: Is this the world's finest sparkling wine value? The 2004 should answer that question. It wouldn't be New Year's without the new release of Yarrabank and this year's 2004 is going to turn more than a few heads. Unlike the 2001 or 2003, the 2004 vintage is such an ambitious effort, it still requires 3-6 months of bottle age to come together. They keep one-upping themselves with this wine - a 50/50 Pinot Noir/Chardonnay blend made by a talented group that includes help from Devaux in Champagne. If you are looking for Champagne-like wine at a pittance of a price, the Yarrabank is truly unrivaled in the New World for the tariff. Don't let the relative bargain price fool you - this is not a cheap imitation - it is their finest vintage wine, produced with the traditional Champinoise method, very low dosage (2-4g/lt), low-alcohol and released after nearly four years aging on the lees. What makes this price even more remarkable for me is how costly the sparkling wine process is - not to mention they must differ sales for 5-6 years after the growing season (similar to vintage Champagne, Barolo or Brunello and they are most certainly not $18+): Considering my experience related in the UPDATE above, I am going to donate part of the proceeds of this offer to the JFR. I hadn't thought about it before typing these words but it feels like the right thing to do. ONE SHIPMENT ONLY at this price - the wine is already allocated around the world. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED as an absurd value even in the face of the world's greatest Champagne: 2004 Yarrabank Cuvee Brut Sparkling Wine (mÄthode traditionnelle/Victoria) (JH95) Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA Aus8531
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By Richard Hemming, MW
(Yering Station, Yarrabank Chardonnay/Pinot Noir Tasmania White) Subscribe to see review text.11/10/2010, (See more on JancisRobinson.com...)