KERMIT LYNCH WINE MERCHANT

Domaine Lucien Boillot et Fils

Pierre Boillot is a rare master of both the Côtes de Beaune and the Côtes de Nuits–not only does he have the vineyards but also the savoir-faire and skill. Pierre inherited this domaine from his father Lucien, whose name it still carries. Pierre worked together with his brother Louis for years, but a few years ago they parted ways and split up the family holdings. Pierre’s talent has become much more evident as he has had full control over this domaine, and in addition to retaining the original cellars in Gevrey-Chambertin, Pierre has instituted a rigorous revitalizing of the soils and vines in all of his vineyards.
Pierre inherited very old vines from his father in the Côtes de Nuits and from his great-grandfather Henri Boillot, who was originally from Volnay, in the Côtes de Beaune. Many of his vineyards are under-appreciated treasures: Volnay Les Angles, which was originally classified as one of the top premier cru sites in Volnay in the 19th century, Pommard Croix Noires right below Rugiens, Gevrey Cherbaudes right next to Chapelle-Chambertin Grand Cru and Gevrey Corbeaux right next to Mazis-Chambertin Grand Cru. Every wine is a classic representation of its appellation–from Volnay and Pommard to Gevrey and Nuits-Saint-Georges, as Pierre’s work in the cellars is geared towards transparent, terroir-driven wines of purity and finesse. He is not, however, against a rich, plump, lusciousness in his reds.

Castagnoli

Castagnoli is a small estate in Castellina in Chianti on the western edge of the Chianti Classico DOCG. This estate possesses a striking terroir, one of Chianti’s most beautiful. Steep terraces are carved out of a western facing amphitheatre below the winery. The soil is highly decomposed and flaky galestro schist. The Sangiovese vines are pruned and trellised like Syrah of the northern Rhône, with one wooden stake per vine. There are several small micro-terroirs that are vinified separately and ultimately blended into the estate’s three wines: Chianti Classico, Chianti Classico Riserva, or IGT Toscano Rosso “Salita.” Salita is a single parcel of higher-altitude terraces with southern exposition. The name “Salita” refers to the sun-baked nature of the section of the vineyard.

Owner Alfred Schefenacker is the driving force behind this tiny estate with amazing potential. He is intent on restoring and developing it into one of the finest estates in Chianti. The Castagnoli terreno is one of cool climate, high altitude Sangiovese (vines are planted higher than 1000 feet above sea level) but one with a lot of lower-end depth and concentration. High-toned aromatics including blood orange are on display, a medium-full bodied frame with smoked meat, black olive and rosemary to complement the red fruits, solid acidity and tannin. It is a unique style in Chianti born of a unique terroir, and it possesses a cool elegance that makes it immediately drinkable and very pleasurable though it will age well.

Benevelli Piero

It was in 1978 that Piero Benevelli started out with five hectares of vines in Monforte d’Alba and focused on the traditional grapes of Piedmont: Nebbiolo, Dolcetto, and Barbera. His son, Massimo, started his training in the vineyard at age 14 and quickly learned the core principle that still guides him today—to make great wine, you must first have great grapes.

The young Massimo Benevelli has developed into an extremely talented Piemontese grower. He exhibits a total command of the production process, from vine to bottle. When tasting his production during various stages of aging—in barrel, tank, and bottle—there is a consistency, a touch, an intangible quality that is the mark of something great. His wines show character, soul, and originality.

The Benevelli holdings are mostly concentrated in the southeastern-facing hillside cru of “Ravera” in the deep southeast of the Barolo zone. The wines from Ravera have the distinction of combining the structural strength of neighboring Serralunga d’Alba with the concentration and richness of Bussia and the other crus further north. Massimo’s Baroli are approachable young but like any great Barolo, reveal their true potential after at least five years or more in bottle. His Dolcetto and Langhe Nebbiolo are true Piemontese delights as well—classic and full of pleasure.

Domaine de l'Alliance

In Sauternes, an appellation that is more well-known for wine châteaux than for the talented people that work the soil and make the wine, Valérie and Daniel Alibrand are braving it on their own without the safety net enjoyed by their more established neighbors. KLWM has a tradition of buying direct from the vigneron, which is not easy in Bordeaux, where brokers play a dominant role in the dealings and add a percentage to the cost of each bottle. Finding just the right fit in Bordeaux may be rare for us with standards like these, but when it happens, it is a rewarding feeling. It was love-at-first-sip when Kermit tasted the wines of Domaine de l’Alliance, and we are proud to welcome them to our portfolio.
The Alibrands are relatively new to wine, having started Domaine de l’Alliance in 2005, upon the purchase of the vines from Valérie’s side of the family. Although Daniel had been an Atlantic fisherman by trade, the two jumped at the opportunity to start their new vocation in Valérie’s hometown. Such a leap of faith has not been without its struggles, however the Alibrands have been attracting quite a bit of attention for such newcomers. They farm seven hectares of vineyards in the village of Fargues, known for the eponymous and prestigious wine château to which their land runs adjacent. They are fortunate to have old vines, which impart fabulous complexity to the wine, although it means lower yields than are the norm for Sauternes. (The yields for Sauternes average around 25 hectolitres per hectare, however the Alibrands’ vines only get 10-13, like Yquem!) They started farming in lutte raisonnée but have recently begun the three-year conversion process to have their vineyards certified as organic. Alliance refers to the marriage between man and nature, a fitting homage to this decision, and the salamander on the label pays tribute to the many they regularly find in their vineyard. 

Lambert de Seyssel

Seyssel may be unknown to many oenophiles today, but the vineyards of this small appellation are regularly mentioned in documents dating back to at least the 11th century, and with the development of sparkling wine production methods in the 19th century a new Seyssel mousseux was created that quickly gained great popularity. Even Queen Victoria is said to have enjoyed the region’s sparkling wines during spa stays in neighboring towns. The “Royal Seyssel” label (originally called “Royal Carte Bleue”), launched in 1901 by the Varichon and Clerc families, was considered for many years to be the best sparkling Seyssel on the market. But when the operation was purchased in the 1990s by a large Burgundian négociant, quality suffered badly, and in 2007 the owners finally closed the local winery, keeping only the rights to the name ‘Varichon et Clerc’ in order to shift the name recognition in the market to their other sparkling wines. Dismayed to see what their great local wine had come to, Seysselans Gérard and Catherine Lambert teamed up with Olivier Varichon, great-grandson of the founder, to buy back the Royal Seyssel label and recreate the light, floral wine that was once so renowned.

The sparkling wines of Seyssel indulge in the same méthode traditionnelle production techniques used for Champagne, and Lambert de Seyssel takes it one step further by aging the Royal Seyssel for at least three years before disgorging it, giving the wine more complex, distinguished aromas and a fine perlage than the competition, which ages only the legal minimum of nine months. The house style is also quite dry (low dosage) in order to preserve the character of the grape varieties.

Domaine Costal / Henri Costal

Domaine Costal / Henri Costal is a unique collaboration between the well-known Chablis producer Domaine Jean Collet and Kermit Lynch. The project began with a simple barrel tasting with Kermit and led to a custom label, custom vinification, and bottling process exclusively for the American market. The end result of this first tasting was a terroir-driven Chablis from a single vineyard site called Truffières, loosely translated as “land of the truffles.”

In 2018, owner Romain Collet was digging through his family’s archives and found the original label that his great-grandfather, Henri Costal designed and used when he founded the domaine. Romain proposed that we revive this historical label and use the Henri Costal name. In keeping with our desire to preserve historical European wine styles as well as labels, this was a natural fit. Beginning with the 2017 vintage, all wines from our collaboration with the Collet’s will be labeled as Henri Costal.

Domaine Costal / Henri Costal continues to produce the “Les Truffières” bottling and recently they have added bottlings from the premier crus Vaillons and Mont de Milieu. The vines are worked organically and Kermit and the Collet family together agree on a blend of stainless steel, foudre, and barrel vinifications. Our bottlings are not filtered or cold-stabilized—a true rarity in Chablis. The skill of the Collets and their excellent terroirs combine to give us wines of extraordinary purity and finesse. There is no mistaking it—one taste and you are in Chablis territory: zesty minerality, wet stone, freshness and nervosity.

Bernard Faurie

Bernard Faurie is the wise old man of the hill (the hill of Hermitage that is), the last of the Mohicans I’d say. Let’s start with the vines. Bernard is the fifth generation in a storied lineage working the same vines on the hill (yes, the very same, they are over 100 years old). He still manages the family apricot groves as well, and man can he grow a mean Bergeron. But nowhere is Bernard more at home, more himself, and more downright giddy than in his vines on the Hermitage hill. He is still going strong in his mid-sixties, and does everything by hand (or foot at crush time) himself.

Bernard’s parcels are spread among three principal parcels of Hermitage: Bessards, Méal, and Gréffieux. Bessards and Méal are among the most storied portions of the hill, making some of the longest-lived wines. Bernard subscribes to the philosophy that Hermitage is not really Hermitage unless it contains fruit from Bessards, the granite bedrock stronghold on the western edge of the hill. His two principal cuvées are red Hermitages in two different blends: Gréffieux/Bessards and Bessards/Méal. Occasionally, despite his predilection, he’ll bottle a barrel of pure Méal. He also produces a miniscule quantity of Hermitage Blanc, an absolutely mesmerizing example from the lower slopes of Bessards that is wiry, stony, and coiled for many years of unfurling.

Bernard’s wine has renewed a deep sense of understanding for us about what Hermitage really is, and what makes it special. It is Syrah, of course, among the world’s best. It is grown on a granite hillside, like Cornas and much of Saint-Joseph. But there is majesty to it, a nobility that you don’t find anywhere else. It is powerful yet fine. The power is in its intensity and depth, not in concentration or obvious flair. There is no rusticity. The finesse of the tannins, and of course its ability to age consistently and gracefully, are other trademarks. It is nice to be reminded of how great this storied terroir can be in the hands of a master vigneron.

Domaine Comte Abbatucci

In the colorful, picturesque city of Ajaccio, capital of Corsica, you can’t get very far without seeing the name Abbatucci. There are streets, monuments and plazas that carry the name, which is normal given that General Jean-Charles Abbatucci from Ajaccio was a hero of the French Revolution and comrade in arms of another local hero, Napoléon Bonaparte. Step into a wine bar or a restaurant there, chances are these days they’ll pour you a glass of Domaine Abbatucci. The domaine is run by Jean-Charles Abbatucci, a direct descendant of the General, who has now become a local hero of another kind—for providing the local populace with its most sought-after libation.
Corsicans are proud defenders of their traditions and environment, and with Abbatucci they indulge guilt-free. His wines are certified biodynamic, and he believes in following even the most far-out biodynamic practices to the letter. On his large estate south of Ajaccio he keeps a pristine poly-culture ecosystem in place, complete with herds of sheep foraging through his vines, groves of olive trees on ancient terraces, and large swaths of untouched forests. His vines come from cuttings of indigenous grapes, sourced decades ago high up in the isolated and mountainous interior of the island from elderly peasant farmers, effectively saving several native varieties from extinction. To keep his vines happy, he’s known to drive his tractor out to his vineyards and play traditional Corsican polyphonic songs over loudspeakers for their benefit. After the harvest he’ll treat his cellar to the same music as his grapes ferment and come of age. All part of the terroir, he says. Does all this have an actual effect on the wine? Have a taste for yourself. The proof just might be in the pudding.

Catherine Le Goeuil

The hilltop village of Cairanne on the left bank of the southern Rhône between Orange and Vaison-la-Romaine is a picture of Provençal fantasy where fields of lavender paint the landscape purple and proud plain trees line the marketplace in the center of town. Cairanne belongs to the Côtes du Rhône Villages appellation and is widely regarded as the star among the seventeen villages that have the right to use this designation.
Catherine Le Goeuil’s taste for adventure has made her a leading pioneer in Cairanne. Having been born in the Congo to French parents, she had already lived in interesting places, but she longed to return to her roots. In 1993, with little experience and great determination, she and her family bought a six-hectare domaine. Soon after implementing one of their first chemical treatments on the vines, Catherine became very ill. The viticultural direction for the domaine became instantly clear. In her mind, farming as naturally as possible was the only way to go. Over time, she started the conversion to organic farming, and is now fully certified in this methodology. In a village just shy of one thousand inhabitants and only two others who farm organically nearby, her decisions have been met with suspicion and trepidation. Though rooted to the place both figuratively and literally, she is still considered an outsider—not that she lets this dilute her conviction in any way.
Cairanne is located deep in the heart of the Vaucluse and boasts spectacular views of the famous Dentelles de Montmirail and Mont Ventoux. Catherine’s vineyards are frequently subject to the forceful mistral, which is known to purify vines of excess moisture when it is not wreaking havoc on her beautiful flower garden. Her vineyards enjoy all the benefits of organic farming: a grassy cover crop in between vineyard rows that provides nutrients and microbiotic growth and well-aerated soils in a typically tough and relatively impermeable sandy molasse. She credits this soil for giving her wines with finesse and approachability, but she deserves credit, too. Brave trailblazing, risk-taking, and persistence in the face of scrutiny have given this creative maverick the fortitude to make delicious, elegant blends year after year.

Château d'Épiré

One of the oldest and most celebrated domaines in Savennières, Chateau d’Épiré is rich in history, not only for its fabulous architectural rendition of the Petit Trianon of Versailles, but most especially for its exquisite wines. Savennières is situated just southwest of Angers, on the north bank of the Loire River. Vines have been cultivated there since the time of the Romans. The Plantagenet dynasty allowed for the first exports of the wine to be sent to Great Britian in the 11th century. The domaine itself has been in the Bizard family continuously since the 17th century. The most recent owners and caretakers of the land are Monsieur and Madame Luc Bizard. They own eleven hectares, nine of which are entirely dedicated to the cultivation of Pineau de la Loire, known today as Chenin Blanc. The château is exquisite, but the pièce de résistance is their winery, formerly a Romanesque chapel, which is from the 12th century. Truly a blessed wine!
Despite the beauty and timelessness of the building structures, it is the vineyard for which the domaine is best known. The Savennières from Épiré is regarded as Grand Cru. The domaine works primarily three parcels: La Croix Picot, Le Parc, and Le Hu-Boyau. It is the latter that sits just above another famous vineyard, La Coulée de Serrant. The soils here are rich, and the microclimate is ideal. Southern and south-eastern sun exposure brings ripeness to the grapes, while the proximity to the Loire River keeps the temperatures moderate. The subsoils are comprised of sandstone and schist, and the top soil is a beautiful blue slatey schist that covers the vineyard floors, lending nerve and firmness. We import two cuvées of Savennières from Château d’Épiré. Their Cuvée Spéciale is blended by Kermit from their best parcel and creates a dry wine, austere within its first two or three years, that develops substantially with age. This cuvée is aged in traditional but largely abandoned chestnut barrels. The other cuvée is also dry, but more accessible young, with notes of exotic fruits. Both are delicious and spectacularly complex, and show a value disproportionate to their pedigree.