The Wines of This Week's Tasting:
Tasty Characterful Value Wines + Elegant Leclerc Briant Champagnes
September 17, 2025
White
2024 Gueguen Chablis
Frédéric Gueguen has a tiny estate, which gives him the ability to lavish unparalleled care on each vine. He uses no oak, aiming for the stoniness and clarity he believes should define the best Chablis. The fruit character leans toward snappy white fruits. This wine shows more than most the characteristic Chablis notes of gunflint that make it such a good pairing with seafood. This is the best value in characterful Chablis we have found thus far.
Aroma: Heady and full, fat, intense; Mouth: Firm, intense mineral, young, long chalk - infused finish; Very Good Plus $29.99; Case, $25.99
2024 Coto de Gomariz Ribeiro Blanco The Flower & The Bee
The Coto de Gomariz winery was founded in 1978 by Ricardo Carreiro Ameijeiras in Spain's northwestern Galicia to feature the local indigenous varieties of the newly created Ribeiro appellation. “The Flower & The Bee,” is all Treixadura: crisp, light, and bright with beautiful white florals in the nose and forward green apple, nectarine, and pulpy orange fruit character. Immediately tasty, it is unabashedly refreshing. and extraordinarily rich and nuanced for its price.
Aroma: Fresh rather bright forward, mineral, herbal notes; Mouth: Fleshy and forward, intense, nice concentration, good weight and length; Very Good Plus $19.95; Case, $16.99
Red
2022 Tapada de Coelheiros Alentejo
Herdade do Coelheiros is a beautiful, sprawling estate in Portugal’s northern Alentejo, only a part of which is planted to vine. The rest is a wonderland of cork oak, walnut groves, and olive trees, rife with wildlife. Their flagship red, a blend of the premium Touriga Nacional & Touriga Franca grapes is fleshy & juicy, yet elegant & fresh. Tart plum, elderberry, & pomegranate with an intriguing hint of allspice & cinnamon to go with subtle earth tones.
Aroma: Generous Black fruit emerges from the glass, hint of violets, vanilla, peppercorns and fresh herbs. Mouth: Ripe blackberries, black plums, ample fruit centration, rich, firm yet smooth tannins, well integrated barrel tones, bright acidity and a balanced finish.
Very Good Plus $17.99, Case $15.99
2022 Vigneti Vumbaca Cirò Rosso Classico Superiore
Vigneti Vumbaca is a tiny, organic operation in the Calabrian hills of Italy’s toe. Their flagship red, 100% local grape Gaglioppo, leads with aromas of dried flowers and cherries, fresh figs, and warmed cranberries. The mouth is supple and pure fruited with waves of dates and orange zest with spicy accents on the tip of the tongue. But the star here is the texture: impressively fine tannin, but bouncy and pliable. While fruit-forward and fresh, its complexity gives an impression of maturity.
Aroma: Generous black fruit emerges from the glass, hint of violets, vanilla, peppercorns and fresh herbs. Mouth: Ripe blackberries, black plums, ample fruit centration, rich, firm yet smooth tannins, well integrated barrel tones, bright acidity and a balanced finish.
Very Good Plus $19.99, Case $16.99
2022 Lame Delisle Boucard Bourgueil Cuvee Brunetiere
Lamé-Delisle-Boucard goes back five generations to the 1860’s. They make distinctly old school Loire Valley Cabernet Franc – the kind that harkens back to the grape’s wild ancestry. Brunetieres is their south-facing vineyard plot on clay-limestone soils overlooking the Loire. Richer and deeper than most Bourgueils, it shows inky saturation with currants and forest berry fruit character and a thread of spicy savories. A quarter of the wine sees new barrique, imparting power and structure. The rest is done in foudre.
Aroma: Light higher toned but with mineral, firm; Mouth: Deep fleshy firm, intense dark fruit, fine tannin; Very Good Plus $19.99; Case, $16.99
2022 Hidden Hand Cabernet Sauvignon
In an era of inflated California wine prices, the best values are found in sometimes drolly named cuvees made by talented artisans. Such is this Hidden Hand is crafted by the experienced Joe Otos. A “studio musician” of winemaking, Otos is the hand behind many-a-label, consulting on projects widely known and hidden gems alike. Hidden Hand is entirely Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, tremendous in value compared with its peers, and classic in expression. Tones of blackcurrant, cola, cocoa nibs, and warm spice to go with chewy tannins and a robust body.
Aroma: Bright and intense mineral; Mouth: Rich rather dense and firm, classic dusty Alexander minerality; Very Good Plus $21.99; Case, $18.99
Fall Value Case, $259, $21.58 the bottle
Mix any twelve of these wines at their case prices
Order by phone at 617.367.8605, or reserve here: order@federalwine.com
Fine Champagnes of Leclerc Briant
Late, we discovered that a producer that we could not resist is in town. We are happy to welcome Fanny Van de Velde from Maison Leclerc Briant, one of the finer champagne micro-negociants.
Founded in 1876, Leclerc Briant became a pioneer of organic and biodynamic agriculture in Champagne. Under Bostonian ownership since 2012, the wines have become top-notch.
Leclerc Briant wines have a quality not-so-common in champagnes. Throughout their range, they are wines of power and intensity but also have an admirable finesse and delineation. They bear and reward close tasting.
This achievement requires meticulous and intelligent work in both the vineyard and cellar, and a confidence in the grape and method to use minimal sulfur and dosage. We will have three wines. All are excellent with fine poise and precision.
Champagne Leclerc Briant Brut Reserve
Primarily Pinot and Chardonnay, aged for two years or more on the lees. Although labeled Brut its low dosage qualifies as Extra Brut.
Aroma: Very full, fat, fine acid, soft and heady, light clean; Mouth: Rounded fresh, clean light pretty, fine acid, firm, very nice breadth and concentration; Excellent $85; Case of 6, $72
Champagne Leclerc Briant Rose Extra Brut
Aroma: Heady spicy rounded and bright; Mouth: Clean very fine acids, alive, and very racy, finely delineated, clean fresh, very long; Excellent $90; Case of 6, $77
2018 Champagne Leclerc Briant Extra Brut Millesime
Four years on the lees, mostly pinot and chardonnay, It's broader than the others but not lacking in delineation.
Aroma: Heady and rich, intense very full fat; Mouth: Fat and rich fine acids, Clean long, full Intense nicely rich and balanced; Excellent $125; Case of 6, $107 limited
In stock
Mix any six at their case prices
Order by phone at 617.367.8605, or reserve here: order@federalwine.com
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- Len Rothenberg
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