Paul's Picks: Nicolas Faure, Beta Mags, Kobayashi, South African Chenin Blanc!

First, some auction records from last week's close on Sunday, 11/3/2024: Potentially battling it out for a birthyear bottle, a winning bidder paid $950 for a 1974 Mayacamas Cabernet Sauvignon, pushing it higher than ever before (started at: $750). From an equally sought-after vintage in Napa, an elusive half-bottle of 1978 Caymus Special Selection Botrytis Chardonnay sold for $119 - not something we're likely to see again soon! Louis Jadot is no longer a secret when it comes to their Grand Cru holdings, it appears, as a 2012 Batard-Montrachet fetched $900, many hundreds more than it has sold for before (including externally published auction data). A 1985 Haut-Brion Blanc reached $940 (one of my picks, I'm afraid!), pushing it ever closer to a four-figure wine, and considerably higher than many successful red vintages, as well. Another one of my picks, the 1993 Joseph Drouhin Chambolle-Musigny Les Amoureuses, reached $780. In Piedmont, a 2000 Giacomo Conterno Barolo Riserva Monfortino hit $1010, making this one of the most collectible wines in Italy.

Bordeaux is full of great examples of 2000, 2010, 2015 and 2016 this week. Some of my favorites are the 2000 Gruaud Larose, 2000 Lynch-Bages, 2000 Palmer, and one more often found in France than in the US, the 2000 Kirwan from Margaux (appellation). From the great 2010 vintage, we've got: Clinet, Ducru-Beaucaillou, Giscours (another underrated wine from the Margaux appellation), Haut-Bailly, Montrose, Cos d'Estournel, and for a decent value, again from Margaux, Prieure-Lichine. From the massive 2015 vintage, I'd recommend: Lascombes, Leoville-las-Cases, Monbousquet, Pavie Macquin, Pichon-Lalande, Smith-Haut-Lafitte, Troplong-Mondot, and one of the most famous "garage wines", Valandraud. Finally, from 2016, the great Angelus, a reasonable St. Emilion powerhouse, Larcis-Ducasse, also: Chateau Margaux, the triple-100-point Palmer, and in Pauillac, Pichon-Baron. And two more triple-100 wines: Cos d'Estournel & Vieux Chateau Certan!

In Burgundy this week, there are quite a few super collectibles, including some 2002 Bizot Vosne-Romanee, a single 2020 Nicolas Faure Bourgogne Hautes-Cotes de Beaune La Corvee du Bully (incredible stuff), a couple of young releases from de Vogue, 3-pack of 2022 Bonnes Mares, the 2022 Musigny Blanc, 2015 Meursault Luchets from Roulot, and a trio of 2015 Hubert Lignier Grand Crus: Charmes-Chambertin, Clos de la Roche, and Griotte-Chambertin. Some more great Louis Jadot wines popped in this week, including a couple of phenomenal 1999s (Chambolle-Musigny Les Amoureuses and Gevrey-Chambertin Clos St. Jacques), as well as Bonnes Mares, Clos St. Denis, Le Musigny, and Romanee-Saint-Vivant. 

In California, there is a wide selection of sought-after gems that can be secured for less than mailing-list cost (in some cases, much less). We've got: 2014 & 2016 Christopher Tynan Meleagris Gallopavo Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, a wide selection of French-owned Clos Solene in Paso Robles, Dakota Shy, multiple items from a younger producer of savory, balanced Cabernet Sauivgnon (Di Costanzo), another wide range of great Paso Robles reds from Herman Story, a trio of fantastic Keplinger, and a batch of these awesome wines from Tony Biagi, Patria. For rarities this week, check out the Beta wines, in both 750ml and magnum (super hot Cabernet from Diamond Mountain in Napa) and Ferren, including a rare magnum of the 2014 Silver Eagle Pinot Noir. Famed winemaker Roy Piper's own label is available this week in the form of a three-year vertical - also available is a mini-vertical of Screaming Eagle, and elsewhere in Oakville, two bottles of Tusk Estates. Quite a wide range of William & Mary wines are available this week, and there appears to be active bidding on nearly every bottle in the auction - great wines from great people!

There are two more white rarities I must mention - one from Washington, and one from South Africa: Kobayashi, possibly the hottest winery in Washington right now, and Sadie Family, with some of the best Chenin Blanc produced anywhere, not just in South Africa.

Cheers & Happy Bidding!

-pw