Graham Nutter, the ebullient owner of Château Saint Jacques d’Albas, the beautiful estate in the Minervois area of Southern France was in town last week and while he was here several Members asked if there was any more of his splendid 2007 Rosé available? (That’s Graham to the left sandwiched between Hélène and me along with Marc Bonnavenc, Graham’s invaluable property manager.) As it turns out, there are still a few cases remaining and over a long, liquid dinner we politely discussed the price he would want for this superfluous, pesky inventory. We are delighted to report that he fell victim to his own poison and as a result we were able to get it all on very favourable terms. As the result, you can get this delicious Rosé for only $13.95 the bottle!

In order to make sure we get it to you before the end of the summer, we have a very short order window – we will be bringing your orders for the Rosé and Graham’s other fine wines to the LCBO on Friday, May 15^th. Further, while we had Graham in a most generous mood, we encouraged him to revisit the pricing of his delightful and much acclaimed 2004 Le Château (offered for $27 last time around). Good news … we are now able to offer it for only $23.00 a bottle, an absolute steal for a wine of this quality! And, for those of you not familiar with Graham’s fine wines (there can’t be too many … this will be our eleventh order), he has created Graham’s Minervois Sampler that includes all the wines on offer.

2007 Rosé - 13.5% Alc. by Vol.                                     Only $13.95/$167.40 for a case of 12
This fresh, dry beauty is made of equal parts Syrah and Grenache. It has a wonderful, vibrant colour and a full fruity aroma. It tastes of strawberries and raspberries and has a nice, crisp lively finish. This is a Rosé for all seasons. It is a splendid apéritif and goes well with mixed grills, paella and Asian cuisine. This is the tastiest, fullest Rosé yet from this winery ... highly recommended. Order some now.

2007 ‘Clos de Garric’ Minervois Red - 13.5% Alc. by Vol.       $14.95/$179.40 for a case of 12 
As noted in the Revue du Vin de France, 2007 was a wonderful vintage for the Languedoc … perfect conditions under which to launch a new wine. Graham has been waiting for this opportunity to demonstrate the high quality of wine his new vines can produce. We can assure you that you will not be disappointed. Clos de Garric is a blend of Syrah and Carignan. The first bottling of 10,000 occurred at the end of November, 2008 - 6,000 were sold to a chain of Irish pubs in France! Order your first edition Clos de Garric now!        

2005 Le Domaine Minervois Red - 13.5% Alc. by Vol.       $19.50/$234.00 for a case of 12
From the glorious 2005 vintage, this edition of "Le Domaine" is made of 20% Syrah, 40% Grenache and 40% Carignan. It has been traditionally fermented for over twenty days and the Syrah aged in barrels for more than six months. The noted wine writer Matthew Stubbs says, “Very aromatic, spicy good plummy fruit, some concentration, smoky and slightly herbal. Rounded integrated style with elegant finish." This is a very expressive, well balanced wine that is drinking well now and will keep quite happily for several years. Order some now.

2004 Le Château Minervois Red - 13.5% Alc. by Volume  Only $23.00/$138.00 for a case of 6
This excellent wine is made from 70% Syrah and 15% each of Grenache and Carignan. The Syrah rests for 12 months on oak. Yields are a miserly 35 hl/ha. This easy drinking, medium-bodied wine is deep ruby with a taste of ripe raspberries, liquorice, Provençal spices, black pepper and a hint of vanilla. It comes from a cooler year than the 2003 and will cellar longer. Acclaimed by Jancis Robinson, it exhibits a fine balance of fruit and plush, velvety tannins. This goes superbly with roasts, poultry and casseroles. Gold Medal - Macon 2007 and Concours des Grand Vins, Languedoc Roussillon 2007. One of James Lawther's Top 10 Minervois to Try, Decanter, March 2008. Order some now.

2004 La Chapelle Minervois Red - 13.5% Alc. by Vol.               $42.00/$252.00 for a case of 6
The 2004 vintage has more structure and is a little less fruit forward than the 2003 version. It is a classic Minervois heavyweight, comprised of 96% Syrah (barrel-aged for 18 months) and 4% Grenache. Made from old vines, it is drinking beautifully now and will keep for many years. Jancis Robinson included the "La Chapelle" in her list of '50 Great Value Reds' in the Financial Times at the end of 2007. It will amaze and delight the most discerning collector. Gold Medal; Concours Mondial de Bruxelles 2007. Order some now.

Graham’s Minervois Sampler – 13.5% Alc. by Vol.                   $21.50/258.00 for a case of 12
Three bottles each of the 2007 Rosé and Clos de Garric and two bottles each of the 2005 Le Domaine, 2004 Le Château and 2004 La Chapelle. What a great way to sample all of Graham’s marvellous Minervois. Order your sampler now.

If you are interested, Graham has some magnums available of the Le Château and the La Chapelle ‘04. They come in six bottle cases and I am sure that we could convince him to mix a case for us. The price is just slightly more than double that of the 750 ml format (the bottles are quite expensive). Please get in touch with me if you would like some.

We will be taking our orders for the wonderful wines of Château Saint Jacques d’Albas to the LCBO on Friday, May15th.  Please note that the above prices include a $1 per bottle handling fee.

Know anyone who might love some great Minervois? If you do, please pass this note on to them.

Many thanks and cheers,

Jim and Hélène
jaswalker@arthursellers.com
hbuisson@ofrance.ca
www.arthursellers.com