Wine Club

Petit Freylon 2022 "Cuvee Leah"

Grape Varietal: 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Pinot Noir
Origin: Bordeaux, France

We were too and found it in the 2022 Chateau Petit Freylon Cuvee Leah. We love the lush, fruit-forward nature and seamless texture of this wine. We have featured this cuvee before as wine of the month-- and for very good reasons we are doing so once again! The 2022 "Cuvée Leah" delivers a knock-out experience at a great price!

The adage about a rising tide lifting all ships is one we've used quite often over the years when talking about a great vintage affecting all the wines from that region. In this case, a solid, everyday Bordeaux Supérieur becomes a fantastic bang-for-the-buck poster child showcasing the 2022 season and how good it was (is!).

Cuvée Leah is a traditional Bordeaux blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon with 20% Merlot. The nose on Leah is sublime: bright, beautiful fruit loaded with scents of ripe cherries and mixed black and blue berries; there's a touch of earth and French vanilla, light spice, background florals and incense adding support. But it's the fruit that's the star.

The palate continues the fruit-filled theme-- black cherries, blackberry and blue berries are in the foreground as light tannins and acidity keep the wine from being cloying. Structure and balance! The berries meld with flavors of vanilla and a touch of garrique culminating in a long finish. This is a fantastic winter wine and we were craving a petit filet to go with this Petit-Freylon when tasting.

Château Petit-Freylon is located in the small Aquitaine village of Saint-Genis-du-Bois, a tiny village boasting less than 100 inhabitants. The estate belonged to the Lagrange family for generations until 2011, when it was purchased by La Société PESA. Since that time, the new owners have invested heavily in the château's vineyards and wine-making facilities. This attention to detail is apparent and the results can be tasted in the glass.

This is a great wine to stock up on. It's drinking well now and will deliver pleasure over the next 5-10 years. Enjoy!

Ancient Peaks 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon

Grape Varietal: 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 5% Malbec, 2% Petite Sirah
Origin: Paso Robles, California

ANTONIO GALLONI'S VINOUS MEDIA 91 POINTS

"Black currants, grilled sage and crushed stone form a darkly enticing bouquet as the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon opens in the glass. This is surprisingly juicy and energetic in character, with racy wild berry fruits offset by a tinge of sour citrus. It tapers off with dramatic length and grippy tannins yet somehow leaves the mouth watering for more. Hints of cocoa and a twist of tangerine linger."

The Ancient Peaks Cabernet Sauvignon comes blocks planted where the sloping terrain straddles rocky sedimentary and shale soils. These soils promote naturally low vigor for the development of intensely flavored fruit. Cold soaked for 48 hours prior to fermentation for a gentle extraction of color and flavor, the wine was racked to a combination of French and American oak barrels, where it aged for 18 months prior to blending and bottling. Small lots of Malbec and Syrah were incorporated into the final blend for added dimension.

This Cabernet Sauvignon offers warm aromas of blueberry, plum and toasted oak along with classic varietal notes of graphite and black olive. The texture is plump and juicy, cascading across the palate with flavors of black currant and fresh red berries accentuated by hints of roast coffee, anise, tobacco and mineral. Sleek acidity paves the way for an elegant finish framed by smooth tannins.

Brechet Plateau des Chenes 2022 Lirac

Grape Varietal: 75% Grenache, 25% Syrah
Origin: Lirac, Southern Rhone, France

JEB DUNNUCK 90 POINTS

"Already bottled, the 2022 Lirac Plateau Des Chênes is a juicy, up-front, delicious Lirac with lots of black raspberry and framboise fruits, medium body, a silky, elegant mouthfeel, and classic spicy, floral nuances. Drink this beautiful Lirac over the coming 5-7 years."

We are excited to have the 2022 Plateau des Chenes in stock. The previous release was featured as one of our Top French Wines throughout the holidays, but it sold out shockingly fast. Once people tried this delicious wine, they hustled to re-order and bought everything we had. This wine is very easy to like with its full-bodied, hedonistic, juicy style on the palate. The 2022 vintage is another winner!

We at Hi-Time love a good Rhone blend as they are often well-priced and pack a lot of punch for the money. Occasionally, one stands out that completely over-delivers. The 2022 Plateau des Chenes Lirac from Famille Brechet does just that and tastes like a wine costing two to three times its humble $15.95 price tag. This rich, full-bodied crowd pleaser punches way above its weight and looks, smells and tastes like a baby Chateauneuf du Pape.

The amount of flavor packed into this wine is remarkable with blackberry, black raspberry, plum, licorice, spice and garrigue. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied and polished with silky smooth tannins which showcase the lush fruit which lingers on the palate.

The Brechet Family (Famille Brechet ) has grown vines in the Southern Rhône for five generations. Perhaps their best-known property is Chateau de Vaudieu located in Chateauneuf du Pape. The same team overseas Plateau des Chênes in Lirac and the grapes are vinified at their winery in Chateauneuf. It's no wonder this blend of Grenache and Syrah tastes so delicious.

Lirac is an appellation located on the western side of the Rhone river across from Chateauneuf du Pape which is known for its quality. The terraced and hillside vineyards are composed of red clay, sand and round pebbles.

This wine possesses impressive depth and fullness of body while remaining fresh and delicious. This is a great everyday wine which is complementary to most any type of food and very enjoyable on its own. It is an absolute steal at this price and one to purchase by the case and enjoy as an "everyday drinker."

Massolino 2019 Barolo

Grape Varietal: 100% Nebbiolo
Origin: Barolo, Piedmont, Italy

WINE ADVOCATE 94 POINTS

"In the light cream-colored label, the 2019 Barolo is elegant and contained, showing a very focused and linear style that makes a great impression and awakens the senses. There is wild cherry, blue flower and crushed stone backed by balanced freshness and tannins. The wine ages in large Slavonian oak casks for 30 months, and 85,000 bottles were released."

Organic Farming

Massolino's sleek house style gives their calling-card Barolo a classic profile, but with a bit more openness and precision than the old school. The Serralunga d'Alba estate has been family-run since 1896, and in the years and generations that have followed, they've accumulated some top vineyard plots and gradually perfected their art. This allows them to blend from multiple sites to make a more balanced and accessible Barolo on release. With almost all of this classic, calling-card Barolo sourced from their Serralunga vineyards, it really represents their home area.

The 2019 edition is a standout "everyday" Barolo, with a sense of poise and energetic lift: it's medium-full in body with a firm, finely-etched tannic structure, brilliant acidity, and a beguiling perfume that meshes Nebbiolo's brilliant ripe red fruits and floral aromas with dark spices (like licorice), tobacco, and a Serralunga earthy streak, like 'crushed stone' and iron-ore. Let this open up in a decanter for a couple hours and it'll shine with simple but rich dishes like paté, cheeses like Castelmagno or Toma, smoked brisket and beef ribs (no sauce, just the wine), and roast duck with a red wine sauce. Organically farmed.

Montirius 2022 Cotes du Rhone blanc

Grape Varietal: 35% Clairette, 35% Roussanne, and 30% Grenache Blanc
Origin: Cotes du Rhone, France

Organic Farming/Biodynamic Farming

On the nose, it reveals delicate notes of honey and white flowers. On the palate, it lines the palate with citrus and mineral notes. Its freshness and balance for a southern wine are worth noting.

Beautifully situated in the southern Rhône Valley, our 63 hectares domain with vine classifications in A.O.P Gigondas, A.O.P Vacqueyras and A.O.P Côtes du Rhône has been converted to Bio-Dynamic culture since 1996.

Since 1999, all of our Montirius' wines are therefore made from Organic and Bio-dynamic grapes. Domaine Montirius then became the first vineyard certified in Bio-Dynamic culture in the Gigondas and Vacqueyras appellations.

Michel Sarrazin 2022 Givry Les Grognots

Grape Varietal: 100% Chardonnay
Origin: Givry, Cote Chalonnaise, Burgundy

Organically Farmed

This is a new white to the lineup–a marriage of Bourboulenc and Grenache Blanc. You'll find the classic perfume of a good southern Rhône white, including stone fruit, hay, and fragrant mimosa blossoms. With no rough edges, it beckons you to follow Maxime-François's advice: "Drink it when you are very, very thirsty!""

At 13% this bottle made of wine is made to be enjoyed young. It will be fantastic on the Thanksgiving table and will pair with most of the food or just welcome the guests with a deliciously fruity and refreshing white glass of wine.

Wine Tip

Givry is a very exciting village in burgundy. Year after year it gives some of the best values in the region. Domaine Michel Sarrazin has been one of those gems that we like to taste every year. The 2022 is a remarkable success for that bottling.