An Amazing Buy

UPDATE: We are SOLD OUT.

2005 Chateau Grande Cassagne “Cassanus” Rouge, reg $17.99 on sale for $6.99/btl!

Yes, that is not a typo, its $6.99 a bottle when you buy a case . . . read on.

The estate of Grande Cassagne is on the western bank of the Rhone River, about 20 minutes west of Chateauneuf-du-Pape in the small village of St. Gilles. Two young brothers, Laurent and Benoit Dardé, own and manage the property of their great grandfather Hippolyte who founded Grande Cassagne, and who planted most of the vineyards over fifty years ago. The vineyards are planted on an ancient riverbed covered with stones, or cailloux: a soil not unlike that of their famous neighbor 20 minutes east. They make a combination of white, red and rose wines here and much of what they do is very good, high value, everyday wines. There is, however, a small plateau of land on which elevation, exposure to sunlight and a very rocky soil all combine to grow some truly world class Syrah. For many years Kacher worked with the brothers Dardé to produce a “reserve” wine from this plateau and they named the wine “Cuvee Hippolyte” in honor of their arrière-grand-père. Earlier this decade they changed the name of this reserve blend to “Cassanus” which is the Latin name for Chestnut Tree – a prolific resident of that part of the Nimes.

The one thing that did not change is the style or the intensity of the wine. Comprised of virtually all old vine Syrah (about 5% Mourvèdre is added), the Cassanus Rouge is a wine of truly profound color and depth. The wine spends 12 months in barrel before being bottled unfiltered. Just exploding from the glass are these aromas of rich, dark fruit, subtle white pepper and spicy vanilla with an intensely concentrated dark color. The bottle I drank – over 8 hours mind you – continued to evolve and develop in the glass and as it was served the big, gripping tannins had mellowed and the wine sort of crescendos into a lush, velvety texture all wrapped up in those amazing aromas. If you had served me this wine blind I could have been very easily convinced it was a top flight Crozes-Hermitage from the Northern Rhone – only I’ve never had a Crozes with the polish and finesse of this wine. Its just amazing. It has an immediate approachability for instant gratification, however it also has enough structure and backbone to put away for several years as well. It is a wine you can serve the in-laws, it is a wine you can serve at a nicer dinner party, it is a wine you can cellar – AND AT $7 A BOTTLE IS IT A WINE YOU NEED TO OWN!

So, starting today – Wednesday October 7, 2009 at High Noon and lasting through next Thursday, October 15th at High Noon I am offering this amazing wine, normally around $18, for only $6.99 a bottle when you pre-purchase a case (or more). I have 101 cases arriving next Thursday, 10/15, so unlike some of my offers there’s no need to stop everything you’re doing and get over here, however the sale price is good on pre-orders only. Next week when the wine lands the price will be $9.99 a bottle (still a great price for this wine) but I’m offering you the chance to grab a case – or 10, there’s no limit – at a price well below wholesale.

To buy the wine call us at 504-483-6314.  We are giving telephone and walk-in orders priority on this wine, email orders must be confirmed. There’s 101 cases available, over 3,000 people on this email list, if 3% of this offer buys a case that’s it, and there “ain’t no more” – don’t delay!

Why the price?
Ok, so if this wine is the greatest thing since Cinemax you say, then why the price? Well, I would tell you to Google “U.S. Economy” but that only tells you part of the picture. The real reason is that the brothers Dardé aren’t making the wine anymore. Compared to their “everyday wine” the limited production of this “reserve” wine was a drop in the bucket and – for some reason God only knows – they decided to stop working with a reserve style wine. So, here my importer is with about 100 or so cases left and as I’m writing my Fall order with him he drops this little nugget on me. I tasted the wine and FLIPPED. Normally this wine would hit a wholesaler’s front door for $110+, which then gets marked up by them and then marked up again at retail. Considering that our regular price on the wine will be less than wholesale, it makes the sale price – well, just a no brainer.

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