WTN: Cheap but not bad Brunello and Chablis GC

Zachys has a rep for high prices, but when they have sales, there can be some pretty good prices. This week I picked up $5 Barberas, $15 GC Chablis, $15 '05 Volnay, $20 06 Barbaresco, etc. 2 got opened last night.

I made a pepper/garlic/tomato sauce for some 3 cheese ravioli, and opened the 1998 Casisano Colombaio Brunello di Montalcino, a $20 purchase. Very dark color that makes one wonder, but not so big on palate. No more than medium acidity, light to medium tannins, black cherry fruit with some saddle leather and violets. There's maybe a hint of vanilla, but overall this comes across as fairly traditional, except I'd have expected a bit more acid. Mature but not tired. Not bad, and I actually wish I had gotten a couple more to try over next few years. A friend with a '98 child got 6, I'd suggest finishing by HS graduation. B

Some of the deals were case buys, and I split with friends. One came by for his allotment, so I offered a glass of the 2007 Domaine and Selection "Les Blanchots" Chablis Grand Cru. D&S is a negociant that seems to only exist as a private label for Zachys, sometimes winemaker listed, sometimes not- in this case she is, Clotilde Davenne. At $15 my expectations are rather low, but in this case surpassed. Big pretty Chablis, floral nose with chalky edge, sweet apple and citrus fruit, nice length. This is not going to be mistaken for Raveneau and at $80 I'd have balked, but this is my Burgundy deal of the year so far. B+

Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C mediocre. Anything below C means I wouldn't drink at a party where it was only choice. Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency.

D&S is a negociant that seems to only exist as a private label for Zachys, sometimes winemaker listed, sometimes not- in this case she is, Clotilde Davenne.

I've alwasy wondered what D&S was about. If they don't list the winemaker, do they have a standard one, that serves as their 'regular' one? And do you know who owns this? I've seen these at a couple of stores but generally don't like to buy 'anonymous' wine.

I don't know if there is a winemaker, my guess is they are buying finished wine, not making it. I know they've said some of the reds were from Laurent Ponsot, and according to Google Clotilde Davenne apparently has a small domaine in Chablis (and used to work for Brocard). No clue if wine came from their properties or if D&S hired them for this. The $15 2005 Volnay was also D&S, I'll check label later to see if any identifiers.

$20 is an extraordinary price based on what wine-searcher shows, but Casisano-Colombaio is often a relative bargain for BdM. Usually $40-plus in my market ($35-ish, sometimes less, on discount). Prices may have risen in recent years on the basis of positive play by Wine Spectator and Berry Bros. and Rudd--the latter called the estate a rising star a while back. I haven't tried the '98, but I recall liking the '97 okay, and the '99s are really singing now, with more flavor complexity and acidity than you seem to have found in the earlier vintage. I have several '01s and '04s cellared.

At an "Open that bottle night" in Raleigh someone shared a Casisano-Colombaio BdM with me (possibly a 1999) and I thought it was quite nice.

Clinton/JC, as noted, this was good enough I wished I had gone for more. But while $20 is cheap for Brunello, especially with some age, I'd rather buy 1 and wish I had more than buy 5 and find I didn't like.

Mark, I checked the Volnay, the fine print says was made by Domaine D. & Fils 21190 (Volnay "zip"). From CT looks like most likely candidate is Delagrange & Fils, not an estate I know. On the Chablis the fine print is "Eleve et mis en bouteille par Clotilde Davenne pour Domaine et Selection", so it sounds like purchased in barrel.

I'm assuming that D&S has a Zachys connection, but I could be wrong. Wines are brought in through a grey market importer, usually I thought the Zachys
"in house labels" were through Sherbrooke.

In any case, I'm happy about the Chablis, and look forward to trying D&S Volnay.

... I'd rather buy 1 and wish I had more than buy 5 and find I didn't like.

Amen.