We are oh so very proud that today our 2008 is being offered by Jon Rimmerman of www.garagiste.com!! It must have been about a year ago when Eric Asimov of the New York Times wrote an article about inter-state wine shipping featuring Garagiste. Before that I had been missing out on all of Rimmerman's great emails offering wines from far flung corners of the world (the US included), all artisanally produced in small quantities, and all, thanks to Jon's wonderful descriptions, seemingly irresistible! I immediately signed up to receive their mailings, and was just as immediately smitten. Jon has a way of making you want to taste a wine, making you feel as though need to taste a wine. I especially remember an email about a small Swiss winery, that in order to get to it, you had to take a ski-lift to access the property. These are things that make us dream and these are the reasons we love wine, it enables us to discover an in-discoverable place, to taste what we cannot taste at home.
If I lived in the states and could actually order these wines, this is the moment I would thank Jon for making these amazingly obscure wines available to me, but instead, I live in the middle of nowhere in France. Try, just go ahead and try, to get a Swiss wine here in the south of France, not to mention one that was made high up on a mountain top where only the most determined wine lover would persevere to the point of arriving at the winery! Well, thanks to Jon I now have a list of wines that I need, someday, to find, to taste, to drink, to discover. It might be a bit frustrating, but at least I have a goal! Below I have copied the text from the email that Jon sends out to the over 100,000 people on his mailing list. Just one small problem you will notice.... Nowhere does he mention that I (we) have done all of this with the help of my most amazing husband Matt Kling. Matt is well over 50% of this operation, especially on the days when I really would rather let the vines grow wild and run away to Paris. So please, please, please remember that my dear, dear Matt has given his heart and soul to this project as much as I have!!
Many many thanks to David Honig of Palate Press, who first tasted our 2008 told me that this was just the kind of wine that Garagiste would love... To Alice Feiring who sent the email that put me in the hot seat and in touch with Jon in the first place! And to Jon Rimmerman for liking the wine, and for his willingness to take a chance on us!!
Yippee!
So if you're one of the many people who have emailed me over the past year asking where you can get our wine, here's your chance! You're especially lucky if you live in Seattle, then you can just go pick it up when it arrives!!
Below is the Gargiste email sent out today:
La Gramière
Dear Friends,
If you’ve ever considered throwing caution to the wind, abandoning your correct/acceptable life and picking up and moving to France, let today’s inspirational siren be your guide...Amy Lillard, a “modern meets traditional” woman who also happens to be one of the top up and coming voices of organic viticulture in the emerging district of Saint Quentin la Poterie.
Long-time Garagiste Email List members will recall my excitement over this region to the west and across the Rhone from Chateauneuf-du-Pape. A loosely knit group of hamlets that stretch from Uzes to Bagnols (that can reach as far north as Vinezac in the Ardeche, where Garagiste favorite Mas de Bagnols hails from). Here, the base elevation is higher, the vineyards are more rugged and the Mercedes and Porsche bandwagon stays on the other side of the Rhone. This area remains untouched in many ways with old-vine Rhone varietals that have flourished untamed by the designs of man but the terroir and profuse minerality in the soil are begging to be bottled.
With far easier routes to call home, one wonders how Any Lillard decided to plant her future in this untapped zone. Call it a beacon or a feeling, but the first time she stepped foot on the land, the warmth of home fell over her and the decision was already made. Have you ever been somewhere for the first time but it feels as though you’ve always been there or were meant to stay? That’s what I'm talking about, but most of us only relish it for a few hours or few days while on vacation (and dream of making it real) - Amy actually picked up her boot-straps and set out to call La Gramière home...
That was nearly ten years ago and the toil, tears and flat-out grueling work (picture Under the Tuscan Sun meets La Remise) have resulted in a wine that is nothing short of exhilarating. It is the Southern essence of its place and of its vintage (in this case, a surprisingly full and delineated 2008). From Grenache and Syrah, raised only in traditional cement vats, nothing was added to this wine and nothing was taken away. It smells and tastes of the sage-brush hillsides that dot the Mediterranean coast of France and I’ve even nick-named it “Airwick Amy” for it’s ability to permeate the room with its kirsch and lavender whiff. It is such an unforced expression with very fine, feminine tannins but it also knows when to allow the rock fruit and masculine palate coverage this region provides come to the fore. The alcohol is moderate (13.8%) and the vibrant framework is pure and alive. The best word I can use to sum up the experience one receives from this wine is: honest.
La Gramière is one of the most exciting new properties in the South of France. The 2008 La Gramière “La Gramière” is a natural wine for all of us – a wine that proves organic and BIO are not symbols of a college town cooperative but a symbol of “right here right now”. A symbol that means something.
Thanks Amy.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for integrity of expression bred of bright flavors and colors that are like a well-earned respite of fresh-from-the-garden cooking after too many nights of fast food...
This parcel is directly from the winery cellar with perfect provenance:
2008 La Gramière “La Gramière” - $17.98
(this wine is VERY RARE – one small shipment only)
Please give us your maximum number up to 12/person and we will allocate accordingly
To order: [email protected]
This parcel is set to depart the cave – it will arrive in the late spring (please check OARS for local pick-up after May 15th). It will ship during the Fall shipping season (unless moderate weather allows us to ship in late May). While delicious today, be sure to uncork the wine and allow it to breath for several hours, it is no hurry of consumption - drink 2012-2016+.
Out of state orders will be held for free under ideal storage conditions (56 degrees/70%humidity) until shipping is possible. Locals may pick up at their leisure.
For current local pick up and arrival/ship information, please see your OARS link below (at the bottom of this offer) - don’t know how to access your OARS? Simply click the link and see your account. You can also paste the link into your browser. If you are having trouble with your link or your account, please contact: [email protected]
NO SALES TO RETAILERS OR WHOLESALERS
Thank you,
Jon Rimmerman
Garagiste
Seattle, WA
Loire5770
To view the status of your orders in O.A.R.S click here <http://garagistewine.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=56d65bf1a116c6344d5846def&id=6a6780530a&e=7ecea964a7>
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Please note our new return policy-
If you are dissatisfied with your purchase for any reason, please call our toll free number 888-264-0053 or email us within 7 days of original invoice receipt and we will credit or exchange: [email protected]
We adhere to these strict policies
Up to 7 days of email invoice receipt: we accept all returns.
7-21 days after email invoice receipt: any invoiced order cancelled will incur a 25% restocking/cancellation fee and this includes pre-arrival orders. After 21 days of receipt of email invoice (not the actual wine): we will accept no returns.
If the wine is flawed/corked then please let us know as soon as possible - we will resolve the issue with your best interest in mind. Flawed wine does not mean "I don't like it".
While we do everything in our power to insure your wine is of the finest stock available in the world, WINE PURCHASED THAT IS OLDER THAN 10 YEARS IS NOT GUARANTEED IN ANY WAY.
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Garagiste is located at 707 S. Lander St., Seattle WA 98134
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