Here’s an unconventional WIA, the first of its kind…

MISTAKE(S) of the Year!

As in this and this other one here in the Store.

Reminds me of a popular ice cream flavor in wine country, Mimi’s Mistake by Screamin’ Mimi’s. On a fateful day some peanuts found their way into Mimi’s Mud, resulting in one happy mistake that was not on the original recipe. The result was delicious, and it became a fixture on the menu. Happy accident!

In prepping for today, we went back to our source in Bordeaux for a second round of the immensely popular experimental library vintages by Maltus: Les Astéries and Le Carré.

Somewhere along the way these vintages we requested got crisscrossed. We aren’t complaining though. Instead of the 2015, we landed the 2016 Le Carré. And the 2015 Les Astéries instead of the 2016. Tomato, tomatoe, potato, potatoe - either way you sip it, you’ll be thrilled.

Top-shelf Saint-Émilion Grand Crus with big points come with equally big price tags. Consider these big hitters:

• Le Dôme - $299
• Figeac - $315
• Angelus - $425
• Pavie - $449
• Cheval Blanc - $999

Meanwhile, this little-known contender brings similar power and purity to the table for… can this be?!

Under $90.

We shouldn’t be surprised.

Les Astéries comes from winemaking force Jonathan Maltus. The man has a LONG list of 95-100-point wines. He emerged as a leading visionary from the 1990s “garagiste” period in Saint-Émilion, where he pushed the limits and broke all the traditional rules to set new expectations for quality and price. He does it all, most notably across places like Le Dôme right next door. You might also recognize him from the extremely popular World’s End deals we’ve offered.

After his success with Le Dôme, he launched a new single-vineyard wine - Les Astéries - and it quickly became another champion of his portfolio.

Vinous puts it poetically, “many readers will be drawn to the micro-cuvées, Le Carré, Le Dôme and Les Astéries in particular, and right so… One of the things I like most about it is the interplay of fruit richness and tension that underpins the wine. Jonathan Maltus’ hedonistic style comes through loud and clear and yet the Astéries remains wonderfully focused. It is one of the highlights in this range… For fans of minerally Right Bank wines, the nose alone is reason enough to buy this wine by the case.”

Now THAT is sound advice, while it lasts with HALF OFF!

96 Points, Cellar Selection – Wine Enthusiast “This wine is packed with ripe black fruit and structured by a dense, mineral texture. Generous fruit tones and plenty of tannic grip translate to a wine worthy of the cellar. Drink from 2025.”

96 Points – Tim Atkin “This tends to be the freshest and ‘most European’ of Jonathan Maltus’ wines, and that’s the case in 2015. Made from his oldest vines, grown on thick clay over limestone soils, it’s a triumph: refreshing, nuanced and bright, with fine, chalky tannins and succulent black fruits. Not cheap, but worth it. Drink 2022-2035.”

95+ Points – Jeb Dunnuck “Always the more tight, fresh, and focused in the lineup from Jonathan Maltus, the 2015 Les Astéries checks in as a blend of 83% Merlot and 17% Cabernet Franc, all from compressed limestone soils, brought up in a mix of new and used oak. Possessing brilliant minerality in its blackcurrants, black cherries, graphite, and forest floor aromas and flavors, this beauty hits the palate with a firm, focused, yet full-bodied style that carries plenty of tannins. Hide this puppy for 4-5 years and enjoy over the following 15+. Drink 2022-2038.”

95 Points – Antonio Galloni’s Vinous “Jonathan Maltus’s 2015s are rich and powerful, which is to say very much in the style of the year. At the moment, the site signatures are not as well dened as they often are, especially in the Le Carré, Le Pontet and Les Astéries. The 2015s spent about ve weeks on the skins (including cold soak), which is a bit longer than normal. New oak goes up to 80% in the top selections. Over time, harvest dates have moved up slightly, the wines spend less time in oak than they used to and new oak has come down from a high of 200%. Still, these remain some of the most unctuous, richly textured Saint-Émilions readers will come across. The 2015 Les Astéries is a wine of pure and total allure. Much more satisfying from bottle than it was from barrel, the 2015 marries the natural intensity of the year and Jonathan Maltus’s personal imprint with energy - a combination that dazzles from the very first taste. The dark cherry, espresso, mocha and licorice flavors bristle with power. Sumptuous in feel, but with good savory and mineral underpinnings from the Franc, the 2015 has much to offer. The blend is 83% Merlot and 17% Cabernet Franc. Drink 2020-2035.”