In This Newsletter:
2018 Mosel Rieslings Sale
Rosé of the Day
Why Wait?
Stock Up & Save On:
2018 Mosel Rieslings
2018 Mosel Rieslings Sale
Rosé of the Day
Why Wait?
Stock Up & Save On:
2018 Mosel Rieslings
Though not a classic vintage by any means, the long, dry, and warm 2018 provided us with delectable wines loaded with flavor and untouched by disease that require minimal cellaring to achieve their full potential. This is great news for anyone looking for wines ready to drink (or even to stock up on some cellar defenders).
Though the heat was a major player in 2018, it ironically helped rein in overripeness. Vines shut down ripening when stressed by the temperatures. David Schildknecht noted, too, that tartaric acid dominated, imparting a “welcome animation” to the riper styles on display. Proper canopy management seemed to help prevent the “baked or cooked aromas” found in the hot 2003 and 2011 vintages.
There is plenty to love from this charming and opulent vintage. Stock up during our three-day sale to maximize your savings!
Though the heat was a major player in 2018, it ironically helped rein in overripeness. Vines shut down ripening when stressed by the temperatures. David Schildknecht noted, too, that tartaric acid dominated, imparting a “welcome animation” to the riper styles on display. Proper canopy management seemed to help prevent the “baked or cooked aromas” found in the hot 2003 and 2011 vintages.
There is plenty to love from this charming and opulent vintage. Stock up during our three-day sale to maximize your savings!
5% off any 3-5 in-stock bottles of 2018 Mosel Riesling
10% off any 6+ or more in-stock bottles of 2018 Mosel Riesling
Discount will not display online or in your cart,
We will adjust your invoice before processing your charge.
Sale ends Tuesday, July 22nd at 9 am Pacific.
10% off any 6+ or more in-stock bottles of 2018 Mosel Riesling
Discount will not display online or in your cart,
We will adjust your invoice before processing your charge.
Sale ends Tuesday, July 22nd at 9 am Pacific.
We offer twenty-eight in-stock 2018 Mosel Rieslings options on sale now, including:
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Markus Molitor Alte Reben Riesling Trocken (White Capsule) 2018 750ml Displayed Price: $29, that’s $27.55 at 5% off and $26.10 at 10% off, 15 bottles in stock now
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 92 points “The 2018 Riesling Alte Reben is perfectly ripe and pure on the intense yet elegant and refined, crystalline nose. Round and juicy on the palate, this is a rich and creamy-textured, finely tannic and phenolic Riesling with grip, but this old-vines Riesling cannot disguise its 2018 origin. Tasted at the domain in September 2020.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Weingut Max Ferd. Richter Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Uralte Reben Grosses Gewachs 2018 750ml Displayed Price: $39, that’s $37.05 at 5% off and $35.10 at 10% off, 36+ bottles in stock now
Mosel Fine Wines 91+ points “The 2018er Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Trocken Uralte Reben GG was made in traditional Fuder cask from over 100 year-old un-grafted vines in the Brück part of the vineyard. It offers an intense nose made of grapefruit bitter, anise, herbs and some white flowers. The wine develops a rather intense but quite structured feel of lemon zest, camphor, herbs and fine spices on the palate. The finish is quite powerful and hugely tart. 2021-2028.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Markus Molitor Graacher Domprobst Riesling Kabinett Trocken (White Capsule) 2018 750ml Displayed Price: $21.90, that’s $20.81 at 5% off and $19.71 at 10% off, 17 bottles in stock now
Decanter 90 points “South-southwest-facing steepness defines the Domprobst, as does some water-holding clay in the Devonian slate. An exquisitely aromatic nose combines ripe Amalfi lemon and Granny Smith with a floral notion of white summer blossom. The nose alone delivers refreshment. The palate bursts with the same fresh, pristine but notably ripe fruit. This is a mellow Kabinett with bright but tame acidity, not typical maybe, but nonetheless compelling. The finish is dry and beautifully stony.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Markus Molitor Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Kabinett Trocken (White Capsule) 2018 750ml Displayed Price: $28, that’s $26.60 at 5% off and $25.20 at 10% off, 36+ bottles in stock now
Stuart Pigott (Suckling) 92 points “Very fresh lemon-balm and blossom nose with no hint of the opulence of the vintage. Excellent balance of bright lemon and white-peach fruit with silky acidity and a whisker of unfermented grape sweetness that smoothes the touch of tannin. Drink or hold.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Markus Molitor Ockfener Bockstein Riesling Spatlese Trocken (White Capsule) 2018 750ml Displayed Price: $31.90, that’s $30.31 at 5% off and $28.71 at 10% off, 16 bottles in stock now
Decanter 93 points “Here we jump to an iconic Saar site, defined by Devonian slate, greywacke, some quartzitic sandstone and steepness. Wet stone, white currant, yellow apple and some lemon combine in a lovely vision of freshness. This is bright but even in this iconic Saar vineyard the warmth of 2018 is apparent. Yet the stoniness cuts through and leaves us with that lovely, racy zestiness we all crave from Riesling. These citrus notions linger and will you to take another sip. Wonderful.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Markus Molitor Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Spatlese Trocken (White Capsule) 2018 750ml Displayed Price: $36, that’s $34.20 at 5% off and $32.40 at 10% off, 19 bottles in stock now
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 93+ points “The 2018 Riesling Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Spätlese (White Capsule) offers a clear, fresh, bright and aromatic bouquet of white mandarins and mirabelles intertwined with the pure and refreshing tone of crushed stones and herbs. This bouquet gets you into the wine immediately. Round and intense on the succulent palate, this is a medium-bodied, elegant and very charming Sonnenuhr Spätlese with rather mild acidity but a serious terroir expression on the finish. Tasted at the domain in September 2020.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Markus Molitor Ockfener Bockstein Riesling Auslese *** Trocken (White Capsule) 2018 750ml Displayed Price: $99, that’s $94.05 at 5% off and $89.10 at 10% off, 19 bottles in stock now
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 94+ points “The 2018 Riesling Ockfener Bockstein Auslese *** (White Capsule) is pure yet intense and concentrated on the coolish, flinty/slatey nose that displays a super ripe and elegant bouquet with fine phenols, great precision and fine mirabelle and raisin aromas. Intense and juicy on the palate, with a stony-mineral grip, this is a concentrated, rich and powerful yet still reductive and yeasty Bockstein with a tight, still somewhat astringent phenol structure and not much length and finesse. Difficult at this stage. Tasted at the domain in September 2020.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Markus Molitor Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Auslese *** Feinherb (Green Capsule) 2018 750ml Displayed Price: $119, that’s $113.05 at 5% off and $107.10 at 10% off, 24 bottles in stock now
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 97 points “Typically bright and open on the nose, with crunchy and flinty slate aromas, the coolish and precise 2018 Riesling Graacher Himmelreich Auslese *** (Green Capsule) is a very fine and elegant, crystalline, fresh and precise, very long and salty Riesling with sweet and concentrated fruit and a long, intense and tightly structured finish. This is a laser-sword Riesling that needs about a decade to refine, yet it will deliver for sure. Tasted at the domain in September 2020.”
Weingut Alfred Merkelbach Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Kabinett #13 2018 750ml Displayed Price: $28, that’s $26.60 at 5% off and $25.20 at 10% off, 21 bottles in stock now
Mosel Fine Wines 91 points “The 2018er Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Kabinett was harvested from old un-grafted vines at 90° Oechsle in the part of the vineyard situated above the cellar of the Merkelbachs, just behind the village, and was fermented down to fruity-styled levels of residual sugar (50 g/l). It offers a hugely aromatic nose of white peach, apricot, floral elements and spices. The wine is beautifully balanced on the palate and leaves a long and refined feel of herbs in the finish. 2028-2048.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Markus Molitor Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett (Gold Capsule) 2018 750ml Displayed Price: $28, that’s $26.60 at 5% off and $25.20 at 10% off, 19 bottles in stock now
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 92+ points “The 2018 Riesling Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Kabinett (Golden Capsule) is intense and aromatic on the nose that displays a concentrated and ripe stone-fruit aroma with reductive, sulfuric notes. Round and silky on the palate, this is a crystalline, salty-piquant and structured Kabinett with intense and sweet yet elegant fruit and a promising long and grippy finish. Tasted at the domain in September 2020.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Weingut Alfred Merkelbach Kinheimer Rosenberg Riesling Spätlese #2 2018 750ml Displayed Price: $31.90, that’s $30.31 at 5% off and $28.71 at 10% off, 18 bottles in stock now
John Gilman-A View From the Cellar 92 points “The 2018 AP #2 Spätlese from the Rosenberg vineyard has a beautiful touch of exotic fruit to its aromatic constellation, wafting from the glass in a very refined blend of kiwi, strawberry, lime zest, an almost salty expression of slate, apple blossoms and bee pollen. On the palate the wine is vibrant, complex, medium-full and filigreed, with a lovely dollop of fruit at the core, superb mineral drive and grip, zesty acids and a long, complex and beautifully balanced finish. This is such a classic example of middle Mosel Spätlese, with stunning interplay of slate minerality, pure, precise fruit and floral tones. Just lovely. 2020-2050+. 92.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Weingut Alfred Merkelbach Kinheimer Rosenberg Riesling Spätlese #3 2018 750ml Displayed Price: $31.90, that’s $30.31 at 5% off and $28.71 at 10% off, 31 bottles in stock now
John Gilman-A View From the Cellar 92+ points “The 2018 Rosenberg Spätlese AP #3 from the Merkelbachs is a touch more mineral in personality and has just a bit more mid-palate stuffing than the AP #2 version, but without sacrificing any of the classic filigree of this Prädikat level. It is also the more reserved of the two bottlings in its youthful phase, offering up scents of apple, pear, a beautiful base of slate, incipient notes of bee pollen, violets and iris blossoms. On the palate the wine is pure, medium-full and quite solid at the core, with lovely mineral undertow, zesty acids and fine focus and grip on the long and nascently complex finish. This is the Rosenberg Spätlese from 2018 that is going to demand a bit of bottle age before it starts to blossom, so the AP #2 is by far the better selection for those who are predisposed to want to drink their Merkelbach Spätlese on the early side. But, this wine will age superbly. 2024-2055+. 92+.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Weingut Alfred Merkelbach Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Auslese #9 2018 750ml Displayed Price: $39, that’s $37.05 at 5% off and $35.10 at 10% off, 25 bottles in stock now
John Gilman-A View From the Cellar 93+ points “The 2018 Auslese AP #9 from the Würzgarten vineyard is another tour de force from the Merkelbachs. It offers up a magical aromatic constellation of pear, white grape, strawberries, a lovely foundation of red slate and a potpourri of floral tones redolent of violets, lilacs and orange blossoms. On the palate the wine is pure, fullish and gently glazed, with very clean botrytis, a lovely core, bright acids and a long, complex and still quite youthful finish. This is a touch more botrytized and powerful in personality than the AP #10 version, and it will need a bit more time to really start to express itself, but it should be outstanding in due course. 2028-2065. 93+. “
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
Weingut Willi Schaefer Graacher Domprobst Riesling Auslese #11 2018 750ml Displayed Price: $89, that’s $84.55 at 5% off and $80.10 at 10% off, 14 bottles in stock now
John Gilman-A View From the Cellar 95 points “According to Christophe Schaefer, the 2018 Domprobst Auslese AP #11 has just a tiny touch of botrytis in it, as it has almost exclusively been produced from golden berries. The wine is truly stunning on both the nose and palate, with the bouquet soaring from the glass in a blaze of pear, yellow plum, fresh pineapple, a gorgeous base of slate, citrus blossoms, bee pollen and lilacs. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, focused and zesty, with a lovely core, great backend mineral drive and outstanding complexity and grip on the vibrant, snappy and electric finish. This is just beautiful Auslese! 2026-2085+. 95.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Weingut Alfred Merkelbach ‘Urglück’ Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Auslese 2018 750ml Displayed Price: $39, that’s $37.05 at 5% off and $35.10 at 10% off, 36 bottles in stock now
John Gilman-A View From the Cellar 94 points “The Urglück section of the Würzgarten is the Merkelbachs’ filet section, still planted with ungrafted old vines. The 2018 Urglück Auslese from Weingut Merkelbach is an utterly refined and effortless example of the vintage. The bouquet is the epitome of elegance, wafting from the glass in a blend of pear, apple, strawberry chiffon, bee pollen, lovely minerality, lime blossoms and hints of the honeycomb to come with bottle age. On the palate the wine is pure, bright and fullish, with lovely filigree and focus, a fine core, good mineral undertow and a long, nascently complex and simply superb finish. This is not flashy, but the one more pays attention to it, the further one is drawn into its bottomless sense of beauty. 2026-2065. 94.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Weingut Max Ferd. Richter Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese *** 2018 375ml Displayed Price: $49, that’s $46.55 at 5% off and $44.10 at 10% off, 32 bottles in stock now
***Half bottle of Fass 138***
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 97+ points “The first three-starred Auslese since 2005 (prior to that, it was 1993, 1983 and 1975), the 2018 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese *** was picked at about 145° Oechsle. This is incredibly clear, pure, fine and fresh on the lush, concentrated, herbal and grapefruit-scented nose. On the palate, this is a generously lush, refined and salty-piquant Auslese with a tight mineral structure and lingering salinity. This is highly refined and extremely stimulating. It already drinks all too well today, but Constantin recommends cellaring it for at least 10 years. Tasted in March 2019.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Fritz Haag Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel 2018 750ml Displayed Price: $79, that’s $75.05 at 5% off and $71.10 at 10% off, 22 bottles in stock now
John Gilman-A View From the Cellar 96 points “The 2018 Juffer-Sonnenuhr Goldkapsel Auslese is even a hair better this year, as it shows just a touch more exotic creaminess on the attack, simply stunning backend mineral drive and great acids for the vintage. The bouquet is celestial in its blend of lime, mirabelle, pear, a lovely foundation of slate, honeycomb, just a whisper of mossiness and notes of lilacs and violets in the upper register. On the palate the wine is fullish, pure, focused and impeccably balanced, with superb acids and grip, laser-like focus and a very, very long and complex finish. This wine just dances across the palate. 2026-2085.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Fritz Haag Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese Goldkapsel 2018 375ml Displayed Price: $399, that’s $379.05 at 5% off and $359.10 at 10% off, 10 half-bottles in stock now
John Gilman-A View From the Cellar 95 points “The 2018 Juffer TBA is just a bit higher in residual sugar than the Beerenauslese this year, as Oliver estimates that it is around one hundred and eighty grams per liter. This too is a gorgeous wine in the making, offering up refined bouquet of mirabelle, honey, white cherries, candied violets, citrus zest and a nice touch of saltiness from the slate. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, creamy and very long and complex, with excellent focus and grip, sound acids and a very long, pure and zesty finish. Utterly captivating and borderline criminal to spit. 2019-2100.”
Let’s journey to the south of France to the Provencal wine region of Bandol. Here is the second home of Mourvèdre (known as Monastrall in its home country of Spain). This hefty red grape is responsible for some of the world’s finest and longest-aging rosés. Loaded with spice, minerality, and character, there’s plenty to love. Some of our favorite producers are in stock now, so scoop up a few to enjoy whenever you need a quick summer vacation.
In Stock Now:
Domaine de la Bastide Blanche Bandol Rosé 2024 750ml $29.50 special, 9 bottles in stock now
Importer Note “Mourvèdre, Grenache, Cinsault, and Clairette. Vine Age: Average 28 years old. Soil: Clay-limestone soil with cailloux.”
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
Le Galantin Bandol Rosé 2024 750ML $24 special, 24 bottles in stock now
VinePair Review “Achille and Liliane Pascal started Domaine Le Galantin with a small production of rosé in 1972, and the Bandol-based estate is now run by the second generation. The winery’s flagship rosé prominently features Mourvèdre at 62 percent of the blend, with Grenache and Cinsault making up the remainder. The result is a generous, expressive rosé with notes of ripe peaches, orange zest, and grapefruit with a lingering mineral finish. It delivers everything one might want from a Bandol rosé, and at less than half the price of a bottle of Tempier.”
Château Pradeaux Bandol Rosé 2024 750ml $31.90 special, 22 bottles in stock now
Château Pradeaux Bandol Rosé 2024 1.5L $69 special, 3 magnums in stock now
VinePair Review “Château Pradeaux is a historic estate located on the outskirts of the town of Saint Cyr-sur-Mernear on the Mediterranean coast that has been making Bandol wines since the 18th century. This cuvée is a 50-50 blend of Mourvèdre and Cinsault, lending to a well-structured, medium- bodied palate. It has concentrated flavors of blood orange, watermelon, and strawberries, with subtle savory hints. A truly age-worthy expression of rosé.”
Current release!
Château Pradeaux ‘Vespree’ Bandol Rosé 2023 750ml $41.90 special, 6 bottles in stock now
Importer Note “In homage to Bandol’s noblest cepage, ‘Vesprée’—a somewhat untranslatable French term referring to the deep pinkish hue of a clear sky as day fades to night—is 100% Mourvèdre. Etienne aged half of it in a single six-hectoliter oak cask, and the other half in a concrete egg—an eye-grabbing vessel that promotes aeration, stabilizes temperature naturally, and allows the wine inside to flow continuously and smoothly. It was bottled in mid-September of 2017—after nearly a full year of élevage, and over six months later than the regular bottling—and it will finally reach our shores the last week of January. ‘Vesprée’ presents a full, swaggering nose of quince paste, white pepper, and coarse-ground Indian spices, and the big, richly textured palate possesses a structural tension that heavily underlines its potential for aging—though it is fresh, tense, and very delicious right now. It is exceedingly difficult to find rosé of this caliber and character, even from Bandol—and, in a twist of irony, this wine which is so purely and deeply Bandol to its very core was denied appellation status on three separate occasions, and is thus labeled a ‘Vin de France.'”
In Stock Now:
Domaine de la Bastide Blanche Bandol Rosé 2024 750ml $29.50 special, 9 bottles in stock now
Importer Note “Mourvèdre, Grenache, Cinsault, and Clairette. Vine Age: Average 28 years old. Soil: Clay-limestone soil with cailloux.”
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
Le Galantin Bandol Rosé 2024 750ML $24 special, 24 bottles in stock now
VinePair Review “Achille and Liliane Pascal started Domaine Le Galantin with a small production of rosé in 1972, and the Bandol-based estate is now run by the second generation. The winery’s flagship rosé prominently features Mourvèdre at 62 percent of the blend, with Grenache and Cinsault making up the remainder. The result is a generous, expressive rosé with notes of ripe peaches, orange zest, and grapefruit with a lingering mineral finish. It delivers everything one might want from a Bandol rosé, and at less than half the price of a bottle of Tempier.”
Château Pradeaux Bandol Rosé 2024 750ml $31.90 special, 22 bottles in stock now
Château Pradeaux Bandol Rosé 2024 1.5L $69 special, 3 magnums in stock now
VinePair Review “Château Pradeaux is a historic estate located on the outskirts of the town of Saint Cyr-sur-Mernear on the Mediterranean coast that has been making Bandol wines since the 18th century. This cuvée is a 50-50 blend of Mourvèdre and Cinsault, lending to a well-structured, medium- bodied palate. It has concentrated flavors of blood orange, watermelon, and strawberries, with subtle savory hints. A truly age-worthy expression of rosé.”
Current release!
Château Pradeaux ‘Vespree’ Bandol Rosé 2023 750ml $41.90 special, 6 bottles in stock now
Importer Note “In homage to Bandol’s noblest cepage, ‘Vesprée’—a somewhat untranslatable French term referring to the deep pinkish hue of a clear sky as day fades to night—is 100% Mourvèdre. Etienne aged half of it in a single six-hectoliter oak cask, and the other half in a concrete egg—an eye-grabbing vessel that promotes aeration, stabilizes temperature naturally, and allows the wine inside to flow continuously and smoothly. It was bottled in mid-September of 2017—after nearly a full year of élevage, and over six months later than the regular bottling—and it will finally reach our shores the last week of January. ‘Vesprée’ presents a full, swaggering nose of quince paste, white pepper, and coarse-ground Indian spices, and the big, richly textured palate possesses a structural tension that heavily underlines its potential for aging—though it is fresh, tense, and very delicious right now. It is exceedingly difficult to find rosé of this caliber and character, even from Bandol—and, in a twist of irony, this wine which is so purely and deeply Bandol to its very core was denied appellation status on three separate occasions, and is thus labeled a ‘Vin de France.'”
Browse our 53 in-stock rosé selections now!
Don’t miss our additional sale going on now:
Saint Cosme & Chateau de Rouanne
5% off any 3-7 in-stock bottles of Saint Cosme & Chateau de Rouanne
10% off any 8+ or more in-stock bottles of Saint Cosme & Chateau de Rouanne
Discount will not display online or in your cart,
We will adjust your invoice before processing your charge.
Saint Cosme & Chateau de Rouanne sale ends Monday, July 21st at 9 am Pacific.