Vinopolis Wine Shop | Portland, Oregon

6 Wine Flash Sales Week 6 2012

Written on February 5, 2012 by Dan in General, Sales Features

doin’ what her big sister done:

Zanzibar Cellars ‘Casima’ Columbia Valley 2006 ($49.95) $17 vinopolflash special

Wine Spectator 91 points “Smooth and velvety. A supple style that lets the tobacco- and black olive-tinged cherry and spice flavors emerge easily, lingering on the generous finish. 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Sangiovese and 5% Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2014.”

trans andean price war:

Cheval des Andes Mendoza 2007 ($79.95) $49 vinopolflash special

Wine Advocate 95 points “There are no doubts about the 2007 Cheval des Andes, always a candidate for wine of the vintage. Composed of 60% Malbec, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the balance Merlot and Petit Verdot, it spent 18 months in new French oak. This leads to an enthralling nose of sandalwood, floral notes, exotic spices, a velvety texture, complex flavors, and an overall suave personality in the manner of a First Growth Bordeaux. It gracefully combines elegance and power in a wine that will continue to evolve for another 6-8 years. It will see its 20th birthday and likely many more in peak form.” Cheval des Andes is owned by the legendary Saint-Emilion producer, Chateau Cheval Blanc. The wine is sourced from their 50 hectare estate vineyard planted on its own roots in 1929.

Casa Lapostolle Clos Apalta 2008 ($89.95) $49 vinopolflash special

Wine Enthusiast 95 points “Clos Apalta, depending on your point of view, is arguably Chile’s best wine. And this vintage is outstanding! Earth, minty spice, ripe berry, minerality and smoky aromas cover the bases. It’s superbly structured, with a fine texture and depth. Tastes lush and complex, with blackberry, crème de cassis, fine herbs and tobacco. Finishes classy.”

average price listed elsewhere in the USA on each of these two wines is $73

down by law- the universal law- of gravitation:

Newton Chardonnay Red Label 2010 ($27.95) $14 vinopolflash special

Vinopolnotes Just released and no reviews yet. A Napa-Sonoma blend and very much in theNewtonstyle of Chardonnay- rich, buttery, & tropical-fruited. Yet neither unbalanced nor overtly sweet. This is the best listed price in the USA.

Newton Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Red Label 2009 ($27.95) $14 vinopolflash special

Vinopolnotes Just released and no reviews yet. EntirelyNapa: 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc, 1% Malbec. Dark blackberry & current fruit with great density. Separates itself from most entry level Cabernets by presenting some classic herbal elements along with a sufficient tannic backbone. Uncommonly complex and well balanced; carries interest and the probability of further evolution. This is the best listed price in the USA.

Newton Claret Napa Red Label 2008 ($27.95) $14 vinopolflash special

Stephen Tanzer 90 points “A Bordeaux blend based on 53% merlot and 33% cabernet sauvignon. Bright red-ruby. Enticing aromas of redcurrant, licorice, iron, loam, tobacco and chocolate. Suave, round and nicely concentrated, with a restrained sweetness to the red fruit, herb and spice flavors. In a polite, very easy-to-drink style and not at all over the top. Finishes with a broad, spicy dusting of tannins and a suggestion of coffee liqueur.”

average of prices listed in the USA for Newton Red Label Series is $19-$21 / bottle

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Wine Flash Sales Week 5 2012

Written on January 29, 2012 by Dan in General, Sales Features

Clos Saint Jean Chateauneuf du Pape Veilles Vignes 2008 ($49.95) $29 vinopolflash special

The Rhone Report 92 points “Consistent with prior showings, the 2008 Clos Saint Jean Chateauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes is a superb ’08, and perhaps one of the few that possess a fair bit of flesh and baby fat at the moment. Licorice, minerals, and loads of black cherry fruit, medium to full body, and a deft, balanced profile all characterize this beauty and it should continue to show gorgeously for another decade.”

best listed price elsewhere in USA is $34.99 / bottle – average listed price elsewhere in USA is $49 / bottle

Cave de Tain Hermitage ‘Gambert de Loche’ 2003 ($89.95) $27 vinopolflash special

Wine Spectator 92 points Terrific fruit–fig, blackberry and boysenberry– with licorice, dark chocolate and tar notes as well. Stays fleshy and silky through the long finish, with mineral hints peeking in for added effect.”

arriving Tuesday Feb 1 – lowest price listed elsewhere in USA is $47.99

Torbreck Les Amis 2004 doublemagnum 3L 2004 ($1199.95) $699 vinopolflash special only 1 available

Robert Parker 98 points “The brilliant 2004 Les Amis (100% Grenache aged 18 months in new oak) is fashioned from a vineyard planted in 1903. While it does not have quite the size and power of the 2002 Les Amis, it is still a Grenache on steroids. With wonderful purity, more elegance than the 2002, and remarkably well-integrated oak, I suspect it will shut down at some point, require 4-5 years of patience, then re-emerge and last for two decades or more.”

Torbreck Run Rig Shiraz 2003 magnum ($499.95) $299 vinopolflash special only 1 available

Robert Parker 99 points “Made from 8 separate Barossa vineyards(ranging in age from 94 to 158 years), it is primarily Shiraz with 4-5% cofermented Viognier. The wine was aged in 60% new French oak. The sensational, inky purple tinged 2003 exhibits a stunningly sweet nose of blackberries, blueberries, litchi nuts, smoked meats and a hint of apricots. Elegant yet super powerful, rich, concentrated, and long, it is a tour de force in winemaking as well as a modern classic example of Barossa Shiraz. It should drink well for 20-25 years.”

Torbreck Run Rig Shiraz 2004 doublemagnum 3L ($1199.95) $799 vinopolflash special only 1 available

Robert Parker 99 points “The flagship 2004 Run Rig is 96.5% Shiraz and 3.5% Viognier with the Shiraz component aged for 30 months in a mixture of new and used French oak. Yields were a minuscule 14hl/ha(about 1 ton per acre). Saturated opaque purple black, it has a remarkably kinky, exotic perfume of fresh asphalt, pencil lead, smoke, pepper, game, blueberry and black raspberry. Full bodied and voluptuous in the mouth, the wine is dense and packed, with amazing purity, sweet tannins, and a complex collection of sensory stimuli. The wine demands 10 years of cellaring and will provide hedonistic delights through 2035+.”

Torbreck The Factor Shiraz 2004 magnum ($299.95) $189 vinopolflash special only 6 available

Robert Parker 97 points “Made from 100% Shiraz that spent 24 months in French oak (30% new), the exuberant, flamboyant 2004 The Factor offers up gorgeously pure blueberry and blackberry fruit intermixed with smoke, bacon fat, camphor, and graphite. Silky smooth, and, as David Powell says, “the most Barossa-like” of all his wines, it represents Powell’s rendition of a Cote Rotie. It can be drunk over the next 15-20 years.”

Torbreck The Pict Mourvedre 2004 magnum ($389.95) $199 vinopolflash special only 1 available

Robert Parker 95 points “A new offering, the 2004 The Pict, is a 220-case cuvee of 100% Mourvedre that tips the scales at 13.2% alcohol. Reminiscent of a 1998 Domaine Tempier Cuvee Speciale (a great vintage for that estate), it boasts an inky/blue/purple color, phenomenally intense blueberry and blackberry fruit characteristics, and hints of black truffles as well as fresh mushrooms. Deep and full-bodied, with superb fruit and the right amount of sweet tannin (a rarity for Mourvedre), this beauty should evolve slowly, and drink well for 15 or more years.”

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Pax Mahle’s Wind Gap Wines

Written on January 29, 2012 by David in General

The story is becoming more and more common. An American winemaker, inspired by European tradition and elegance, ends up making wines that appeal to critics, only to change course and return the making the style of wines THEY want to drink. Pax Mahle is a perfect example. Pax fell in love with wine in restaurants and worked as both a waiter and sommelier in order to be near it. While visiting France in the 1990s, he met some of Burgundy’s and Rhone’s great traditional producers like Jacques Reynaud and Henri Jayer. These grower/farmers experienced wine in a far more personal and soulful way than Pax felt he ever could selling wine in restaurants. So after considering setting up a winemaking shop in Piedmont or Burgundy (two region’s that greatly influenced Pax’s palate), he eventually settled in Sonoma County.

Focusing on Syrah, Pax began to build an enviable following, particularly for his most muscular, rich (and high alcohol) wines which he produced under the eponymous label, Pax Wines. The wines were indeed delicious, but as Pax admits, lacked the balance to mature into something great, like the best wines of the Northern Rhone which had inspired him. In fact, he eventually pretty much stopped drinking them himself in favor of lighter, more nuanced wines. His solution was to harvest earlier using grapes from cool climate sites that produced fully ripened fruit at lower brix levels. Pax eventually split with his partner at Pax Wines and established Wind Gap wines, which champions cool climate sourcing of Syrah, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and a few other varieties.

Wind Gap Syrah Sonoma Coast 2008 $33 91 Points Stephen Tanzer

“Inky ruby. Seductive perfume of cherry pit, blueberry, olive and Asian spices, along with a strong mineral quality. Velvety and bright on entry, then energetic and sweet in the mid-palate, with impressive energy to its black and blue fruit compote flavors. Very pure on the bright, extremely long finish, which features lingering floral and mineral nuances. These grapes were harvested on November 5th, 6th and 7th.”

WINE FLASH SALE- WEEK 4 2012

Written on January 22, 2012 by Dan in General, Sales Features

FLASH SALE IV

Mer Soleil Chardonnay ‘Silver’ 2007 ($29.95) $11.90 vinopolflash special

Wine Spectator 91 points “Combines ripe, intense peach, nectarine and tangerine fruit, with touches of floral and spice. Gains body and depth, turning creamy in texture.”

Buy 12 bottles- $129 vinopolflash special- that’s $10.75 / bottle

next best listed price in the USA is $20.99 / bottle-average listed price elsewhere in USA is $27 / bottle

Chateau St Jean Cinq Cepages 2007 ($49.95) $29 vinopolflash special

Robert Parker 90 points “Their famous cuvee, which was once named Wine Spectator Wine of the Year, the 2007 Cinq Cepages is mostly Cabernet Sauvignon in this vintage. Hints of bay leaf, black currant, sweet cherry, cedar and subtle smoke are all present in this lush, medium to full-bodied, opulent and heady wine. Broad and savory, it seems to be on a fast evolutionary track and should be drunk over the next decade.”

lowest price listed elsewhere in USA is $39.50-average listed price elsewhere in USA is $50 / bottle

Cave de Tain Hermitage Blanc ‘Aux Coeur des Siecles’ 2005 ($69.95) $16.50 vinopolflash special

Wine Enthusiast 91 points “Shows the wood from barrel fermentation and maturation a bit on the nose, but also plenty of citrus. It’s broad, yet reined in a bit by oak spice right now, needing time to flesh out. Hard to say it’s better than the excellent ’04 version, but it’s still excellent.” Vinopolnotes Hermitage Blanc is the king of Rhone whites, and most notable for their longevity. They are commonly priced $100-$200 from the moist acclaimed producers. We are not going to tell you that this is at that level, but it is certainly a $40 plus bottling. We leapt at the chance to provide some of you with the chance to discover Hermitage Blanc at every-day local Chardonnay prices.

only listed price elsewhere in USA is over $60 / bottle

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Etta

Written on January 22, 2012 by Dan in General

At some point, as (and if) we grow older, comes the sensation that we are outliving our own lives.

Wine Flash Sale- week 3 2012

Written on January 14, 2012 by Dan in Sales Features

Palazzo Wine Napa Red 2006 ($59.95) $35 vinopolflash special

Robert Parker 94 points “Palazzo’s deep ruby/purple-tinged, full-bodied 2006 Proprietary Red Wine (68% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon) reveals a sumptuous perfume of white chocolate, fruitcake, black cherries, black currants, and subtle toasty oak. Displaying a luscious texture, a broad, savory mid-palate, and gorgeous length, it should drink nicely for 10-15+ years. This serious, small, artisinal operation is owned by Scott Palazzo, who, along with his winemaker, Peter Franus, is turning out some complex, French-inspired offerings.”

average listed price elsewhere in USA is $53 / bottle

Zanzibar Cellars Sandra 2006 ($49.95) $18 vinopolflash special

Wine Spectator 92 points “Dense, dark and chewy, this is beautifully aromatic, showing impressive depth to its black cherry, pepper and bay leaf flavors, hinting at licorice as the finish sails on against well-modulated tannins. Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2010 through 2016.”

average listed price elsewhere in USA is $43 / bottle

Alvaro Palacios Priorat L’Ermita 2007 ($699.95) $333 vinopolflash special

Wine Advocate 96 points “The grapes for the flagship 2007 L’Ermita come from a steep, 70-year-old vineyard that is 100% Garnacha with the wine aged for 12-15 months in 100% new French oak. Dark ruby-colored, it gives up an aromatic array of pain grille, pencil lead, truffle, incense, lavender, black cherry, and blackberry. Velvety-textured, elegant, and intensely flavored, it has enough structure to merit 5-6 years of additional cellaring. This lengthy, complex offering will be at its best from 2015 to 2027.”

next best listed price in the USA is $524 / bottle – average listed price elsewhere in USA is $643 / bottle

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