Well,
it's 2026 and half way through January and today at Renegade
we received a number of incredibly lovely wines. And many
are on sale. It seems that a few of our distributors are
wheeling and dealing, so we thought, why not pass along the
favor.
Occhipinti
and Comando G are back in stock, a top-notch Saumur producer
that's up there with Thierry Germain and Clos Rougeard are
on the shelves and on sale, then there's the incredible wine
from Anne Sophie Dubois making a miraculous return. And the
bottle of 1966? Just you wait!
Let's begin with a wine that's been absent from Renegade for
three-plus years:
2024
Arianna Occhipinti SP68 Rosso
(Italy, Sicily, Terre Siciliane)
$35
An absolute
beauty. Elegant minerals, impeccably
balanced, long savory finish. Nothing amiss
here. Reach out if interested; though we
ordered a truck full of the wine, we
received a Mini's-worth.
Comando G:
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Another
winery that's finally back on the shelves
at Renegade: Comando G.
Who
They Are:
Comando G is a small, highly regarded
winery in Spain’s Sierra de Gredos
mountains, best known for elegant,
high‑altitude Garnacha (Grenache) that
often draws comparison to fine Burgundy
and Château Rayas. Vineyards sit at
high altitude (often around 1,000 m) on
sandy soils derived from granite, slate,
and quartz. Vines are old (roughly
50–80+ years), farmed manually with
biodynamic and low‑intervention practices
(a good portion of the vineyards are
ungrafted Garnacha).
We
have two wines in stock. The first, 2023
Comando G La Bruja ($45), has an
abundance of bright red fruit, silky flora
aromas, a touch of fresh soil,
mineral-laden acidity, and a very friendly
finish.
the
second wine is their 2022 Comando
G Tumba del Rey Moro ($350 -yes, we
know), a wine that has been often
compared stylistically to a hypothetical
cross between top Beaujolais (Lapierre)
and Château Rayas for its combination of
lift, purity, and depth, this written by
some wine writer with a vivid imagination.
Though
the description is not far off. Price
aside, this is one of the most fascinating
wines in recent memory.
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We had a
wait list for this one...
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2022
Anne Sophie Dubois Vin de France Sans
Detour
$28
-reg 45
We,
along with all our Anne Sophie fans, were
terrible disappointed when this wine sold
out last Fall. The good news: it's back in
stock at the same sale price, and
continues to drink beautifully.
A Few
Exquisite Wines On Sale!
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2022
Château de Fosse-Seche Gondwana
(France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur)
$42 (reg
90)
FIrst,
if you have not heard of Fosse-Seche
then here's a quick low down:
Vines
have been cultivated in Fosse-Sèche for
over 800 years. The Benedictine monks of
Montreuil-Bellay were the first
winemakers. Centuries of occupation have
left numerous architectural traces on the
estate. These include wine vats dating
from the Middle Ages.
As
for the estate today:
"At
the heart of our 45-hectare estate,
certified organic and biodynamic, we are
committed to preserving biodiversity. Our
unique environment is comprised of
one-third vineyards and two-thirds spaces
entirely dedicated to nature (pastureland,
agroforestry, wildflower meadows, and
forest)."
Taste:
Wild
aromas of cranberry, raspberry, and black
currant, joined by violets and sweet
spice, plus hints of herbs.
On
the palate this wine is mouthwatering,
silky, fresh, divine. Striking minerality
and perfect acid/fruit balance, with a
long and focused finish. This is a real
gem.
100%
Cabernet Franc
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2020
Château de Fosse-Seche Pangée
(France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur)
$125 (reg
210) -in
magnum only.
The
main difference here -besides the larger
size of the bottle- is the make up of the
wine. This one is 50/50 Caberenet Franc +
Cabernet Sauvignon.
A
fuller bodied wine though there's nothing
heavy about it. It's intense yet lifted
with dark‑red fruit, floral top‑notes,
fine but persistent tannins, and a very
stony, saline-tinged acidity. We dare
say you won't mistake this for
Burgundy...but you might.
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2022
Thomas Farge St. Joseph Grand Angle
(France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, St.
Joseph)
$30 (reg
44)
A
focused, hillside-driven expression of
Saint-Joseph Syrah from one of the
Northern Rhône’s most thoughtful growers.
Grand Angle is sourced from steep granite
slopes and is vinified to emphasize
clarity, freshness, and site rather than
sheer power.
The 2022 vintage delivers ripe fruit
without excess, showing blackberry, black
olive, cracked pepper, violet, and granite
minerality, with firm but fine-grained
tannins and lifted acidity. Savory,
precise, and unmistakably. Great Northern
Rhone Syrah you can drink now.
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2022
Bernard Burgaud Côte-Rôtie
(France, Rhône, Northern Rhône,
Côte-Rôtie)
$72 (reg
88)
One
wine, Wine Winemaker. That was the slogan
we first pitched a few months ago, and the
motto of Burgaud. Channel your best into
one wine. And he does. Another Northern
Rhone on sale that should not be missed.
We've fallen in love with this one all
over again last week with a brilliantly
cooked rack of lamb.
The Year
was 1966
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1966
L'Archiviste Banyuls
(France, Languedoc Roussillon, Banyuls)
$195
From a mad man, dubbed "The Archiviste" who goes around
Maury and the surrounding areas inspecting ancient casks
of sweet wines hidden in the backs of family cellars. He
carbon dates them to ensure accuracy, and only
accepts about 5% of what he tastes, sourcing the very best
examples. These wines are stunning, and, even better, they
were bottled in 2023, so no risk of bad bottle aging. If
you're turning 60, this is the wine for you.
A rare, fully mature vin doux naturel from the Catalan
coast of southern France. Banyuls is a fortified wine
made primarily from Grenache, traditionally aged for
decades in barrel and bottle, developing profound
oxidative complexity over time.
The 1966 vintage now shows deep tertiary character: fig,
date, molasses, walnut, cocoa, coffee, orange peel, and
iodine-tinged salinity, with sweetness fully integrated
into a long, savory finish. Powerful yet composed,
this is a wine for slow contemplation rather than simple
dessert pairing.
Bottled and preserved by L’Archiviste, a project focused
on safeguarding historic French wines, this is less about
vintage comparison and more about time itself as an
ingredient.
That
about wraps it up. We are working furiously on a couple of
wine dinners, time and place to be announced soon.
In
the meantime, and once again,
Happy
New Year!
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