Just Arrived! Charles Smith via Italy, Opus One – One More Time, Orin Swift Mannequin, Krug ’02 & Coutier ’08; F. Rinaldi’s 2013 Standouts; Breuer: Rheingau Reformation; Prearrivals! Arlaux, Henriot, Faiveley, Lafon!
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New Arrivals: Just Play the Hits
Washington:
Charles Smith CasaSmith Jack’s Vineyard Barbera, Walla Walla Valley 2012 750ML ($37.95) $28 special
Case-12 Charles Smith CasaSmith Jack’s Vineyard Barbera, Walla Walla Valley 2012 750ML ($419.95) $299 special (that’s only $24.92/bottle!)
Wine Advocate 93 points “A perfumed, elegant, beautifully complex red (I can’t say it really screams Barbera though…Pinot Noir or Grenache would be my guess in a blind tasting), the 2012 Barbera Jack’s Vineyard started out slightly reduced and closed, but man did it open up beautifully with time in the glass, and it really didn’t start firing on all cylinders until the second day. Its medium ruby color is followed by a nuanced perfume of ripe strawberries, kirsch liqueur, spice-box, herbes de Provence and charcuterie. Seamless, medium-bodied, ethereally textured and ultra-fine, it’s drinking great today, yet I suspect it will keep nicely for 4-5 years.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $33.45
California:
Just Re-Arrived:
Opus One, Napa Valley 2013 750ML ($349.95) $299 special
James Suckling 100 points “The greatest Opus ever. Terrific aromas of crushed black currants, blueberries and flowers with hints of sweet tobacco. Roses continue to exude opulence and class. Full body, superb balance of ultra-fine tannins and vibrant acidity. Complex aftertaste of black fruits and citrus fruit. Extremely persistent. So approachable now and enjoyable. But will be even better in 2019 and beyond. 79% cabernet sauvignon, 7% cabernet franc, 6% merlot, 6% petit verdot, 2% malbec. This will always be beautiful to drink.” (01/2016)
Forman Chardonnay, Napa Valley 2015 750ML ($49.95) $41.90 special
Robert Parker 93 points “Veteran winemaker Ric Forman, who is celebrating his 50th vintage in 2016 (which is astonishing), has turned out one of his riper and richer Chardonnays in memory. The 2015 Chardonnay (totally non-malolactic) offers up 13.8% natural alcohol, which is probably slightly more than Forman prefers. Tangerine, nectarine, white currant and quince are all present in this medium to full-bodied, fresh, lively style. I have never had much luck with these wines aging, but they are delicious young, and the oak is always pushed way to the background. Drink this over the next 2-3 years.”
Antonio Galloni 93 points “Forman 2015 Chardonnay is a bit creamier and more voluptuous than it usually is. Even so, the flavors are bright and precise throughout. Lemon confit, flowers, chamomile and white pepper are all nicely pushed forward. The 2015 is a rare wine that won’t require much cellaring.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Pine Ridge Vineyards Dijon Clones Chardonnay, Carneros 2014 750ML ($34.95) $21.90 special
VinopolNote: This is the top of the line Chardonnay from Pine Ridge, a historic producer located in Stags Leap in Napa. This Chardonnay comes from old vines in Carneros and is aged in a little over 33% new oak. Rich, full and round, this is a Chard promises, and delivers, immense richness.
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Rodney Strong Chalk Hill Estate Chardonnay, Sonoma County 2015 750ML ($19.95) $16 special
Wine Spectator 88 points “Intense and vibrant, with zesty, raw-edged green apple, pear and light citrus flavors, joined by cedary oak on the finish. Clean throughout. Drink now.”
Cambria Estate Winery Clone 4 Chardonnay, Santa Maria Valley2015 750ML ($21.95) $16 special
Wine Spectator 89 points “This shows good length and depth to the suave pear, apricot and ripe apple flavors that are accented by floral and spicy notes. The creamy finish offers toasty and buttery accents. Drink now through 2019.”
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast today!
Orin Swift Mannequin White, California 2014 750ML ($31.95) $24 special
Robert Parker 92 points “One of his most popular wines is the creatively packaged 2014 Chardonnay Mannequin. The label alone would draw plenty of interest. This wine, primarily Chardonnay with a few percent of Viognier, Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Muscat and Roussane, was aged sur lie for nine months in 40% French oak. It is no shy wine at 15.5% alcohol and there is plenty of it – 8,073 cases, which is good because it is a hot-selling wine to say the least. This wine offers notes of brioche, white peach, honeysuckle and citrus oil in a full-bodied intense style, but with terrific acidity and rather restrained oak. The wine is rich, ripe and impressive. Drink it over the next 3-4 years.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
France-Champagne:
Krug Brut, Champagne 2002 750ML (319.95) $289 special
James Suckling 100 points “The much-anticipated 2002 has impeccable detail and depth with a lot of chalky, stony and flinty elements on the nose as well as a very fresh edge. The nose is very complex and wound up tight but presents itself as very integrated and compressed. There are aromas of lemon rind, lime juice and a lime custard all at once, complemented in turn by a super-restrained hazelnut-like edge. Undertones of brown mushrooms, chalky minerals and lemon leaf. The palate has a core of sizzlingly intense, concentrated chardonnay framed whitin a powerful phenolic structure that will underpin the future of this Champagne. Flawlessly fresh and as perfect as it gets. Give this time as it needs to settle: best from 2020 and then for another decade beyond.”
Wine Enthusiast 100 points “This is a fabulous wine from the greatest Champagne vintage so far this century. Still young, it blends almost equal amounts of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay fleshed out with Pinot Meunier. The minerality and the rich apple and green fruits are balanced, and acidity cuts into the wine with a pure, perfumed line of freshness. The wine could be drunk now, but it will age well into the the 2020s.”
Wine & Spirits 100 points “This has the stamina of the 2002 vintage from the first scent, a fragrance like pear skin and butterscotch, and something fresher, like meadow flowers. All of that fragrance comes in a wine that’s expansive and dry, almost austere in the power of its acidity. Over the course of several days, the wine remains impervious to the fraying of oxidation, instead building on its flavors, deepening to scents of white truffles. Initially, the power of the acidity not only cleans up after the wine’s substantial flavor, but also seems to lash all those notes together and rocket them through a buzz of energy that lasts for minutes. That energy, undiminished four days later, when the bubbles have finally gone, takes on a gentler power, presenting the harmony and elegance at the center of the wine. The 2002 may well be the greatest vintage wine Henri Krug produced during his four-decade career.”
R.H. Coutier Grand Cru Brut, Champagne 2008 750ML ($59.95) $49 special
Case-12 R.H. Coutier Grand Cru Brut, Champagne 2008 750ML ($719.95) $519 special (that’s only $43.25/bottle!)
Antonio Galloni 93 points “Coutier’s 2008 Brut Grand Cru is interesting to taste next to the Grands Vintages. Here the brightness, focus and tension of the 2008 vintage are front and center. Lemon peel, white, flowers, mint and chalky notes infuse this bright, finely sculpted Champagne. The interplay of Ambonnay Pinot with Chardonnay, along with the chiseled style of the year adds up a compelling and absolutely delicious bottle of Champagne. I very much like the sense of energy here.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
France-Chablis:
Domaine Servin Les Clos, Chablis Grand Cru 2014 750ML ($79.95) $69 special
Wine Advocate 92-94 points “The 2014 Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos, which like the Bougros was extracted from a new barrel, has a potent mineral/wet pavement bouquet that gains vigor in the glass. The palate is fresh and crisp with a fine line of acidity, brushing off the new oak with ease and fanning out wonderfully on the poised finish. This is a more sophisticated proposition than the Bougros at the moment – harmonious, intense and with great breeding.”
Stephen Tanzer–Vinous 93+ points “Very pale yellow with a green tinge. Wonderfully subtle nose combines orchard fruits, lime blossom, white pepper, wet stone and gunflint. Conveys captivating sweetness to its penetrating flavors of white peach, flowers and saline minerality, with perfectly integrated acidity accentuating the impression of clarity. The high-pitched spicy, floral finish features terrific limey thrust and length.”
Domaine Servin Les Forets, Chablis Premier Cru2015 750ML ($37.95) $29 special
Wine Spectator 90 points “A ripe, fruity style, displaying peach, apple and lemon flavors. Stays within the confines of the region, with hints of flower and seashore. Fine length. Drink now through 2020.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Domaine Servin Butteaux, Chablis Premier Cru 2015 750ML ($39.95) $31.90 special
Wine Advocate 90-92 points “The 2015 Chablis 1er Cru Butteaux has a crisp and tensile bouquet with more precision than the Les Forets on the nose. The palate is fresh and crisp with an edgy opening, quite spicy in the mouth with white pepper on the back palate, complex and almost broody in the finish. Marc Cameron described this as a “connoisseur’s Chablis” and I know where he is coming from with regard to that sentiment. There is an intellect behind this Chablis.”
Wine Spectator 90 points “Apple, melon, stone and earth aromas and flavors combine in this succulent white. Though lean in profile, this shows fine intensity and length. Drink now through 2023.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Domaine Servin Blanchot, Chablis Grand Cru 2014 750ML ($69.95) $59 special
Burghound 92-94 points “The refined and admirably pure nose is comprised by white flower, tidal pool and subtle spice aromas that are followed by citrus and mineral-infused flavors that are attractively textured, precise and explosive on the hugely long and very dry finish. This beauty is a lovely combination of power and finesse while delivering buckets of Chablis character. In a word, lovely.”
Stephen Tanzer–Vinous 91+ points “Very pale yellow. Delicate, high-pitched aromas of peach, ginger and white pepper. Wonderfully penetrating and pure but very tight today and not yet showing the detail of the Monteé de Tonnerre. Strong lemony acidity (4.7 grams per liter, according to Cameron) contributes to an impression of chalky austerity and carries the wine’s finish. Still an infant and likely to merit an even higher score as it matures in the cellar.”
Domaine Servin Les Preuses, Chablis Grand Cru 2014 750ML ($69.95) $59 special
Wine Advocate 92-94 points “The 2014 Chablis Grand Cru les Preuses, which Marc Cameron told me is now the last of the grand crus to be bottled, has a well-defined bouquet that is clean and pure, but perhaps needing a little more spiciness to articulate this vineyard. The palate is better with crisp acidity, nicely poised with fine salinity toward the finish. Keep this in the cellar for 4 or 5 years and this will evolve into a formidable Les Preuses.”
France-White Burgundy:
Francois Carillon Les Folatieres, Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru 2015 750ML ($119.95) $99 special
Stephen Tanzer–Vinous 90-93 points “Bright, pale yellow. Slightly reduced scents and flavors of yellow peach and ginger reminded me a bit of a spicy Riesling. Supple, rich and fine-grained; chewy and quite dry, with lovely harmonious acidity giving the lightly saline palate a juicy quality. Really envelops the taste buds on the tactile finish.”
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast today!
Francois Carillon Les Perrieres, Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru 2015 750ML ($149.95) $119 special
Stephen Tanzer–Vinous 90-92 points “Subdued aromas of lemon and menthol complicated by Puligny noble herbs. Deep, chewy wine with very good saline density of material. One senses the mineral power underneath but it comes through today more in the wine’s structure than in its flavor. This big boy builds impressively on the lingering finish.”
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast today!
France – Red Burgundy:
Thomas Morey Les Greves, Beaune Premier Cru 2014 750ML ($49.95) $39 special
Winemaker’s notes: “Here we are in the presence of the most extensive 1er cru of the Beaune appellation (around 31.5 ha). This high-quality red wine with its deep coloration and delicate aromas is mouth-filling, generous and silky and has always been one of Beaune’s most highly thought-of crus.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Domaine Jean-Marc Boillot Volnay, Cote de Beaune 2014 750ML ($51.95) $41.90 special
“Medium red with a hint of amber at the rim. Redcurrant, mocha and leather on the nose, plus a whiff of underbrush. Supple flavors of cherry, raspberry and leather show modest depth. Finishes a bit short, with slightly drying tannins. Lydie Boillot noted that there was very little hail in the family’s village parcels in 2014.”–Stephen Tanzer–VInous Media
Spain:
Suertes del Marques 7 Fuentes Tinto, Valle de la Orotava 2015 750ML ($24.95) $19.90 special
James Suckling 91 points “Fresh blackberry fruit and almost silky tannins make this crisp, slightly sappy, medium-bodied red from Tenerife both refreshing and distinctive. Drink now.”
Winery notes: “7 Fuentes is composed of 35 plots from area winegrowers and from our property with vines ranging from 10 to approximately 180 years old. The heights of the different vineyards ranges from 250 to 800 meters above sea level. This wine is made with two varietals: listán negro, cultivated mainly in cordón trenzado; and tintilla, from Bocanegra plot and in telegraph system. Each plot is vinified separately and assembled just before bottling”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Austria:
F.X. Pichler Durnsteiner Kellerberg Gruner Veltliner Smaragd, Wachau 2015 1.5L ($179.95) $149 special
Wine Advocate 94 points “Like the Liebenberg from weathered granite and gneiss soils, but in a higher and cooler spot, the 2015 Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Dürnsteiner Kellerberg opens with an intense and herbal-flavored, rather spicy and stony bouquet of ripe and concentrated bright fruits. Full-bodied, ripe and piquant on the palate, this is a rich and powerful, well-concentrated and elegant Kellerberg with a rich extract and a long and persistent finish. The 2015 should be cellared for at least another 3-5 years.”
This is the lowest listed price for a magnum in the USA today!
F.X. Pichler Durnsteiner Kellerberg Riesling Smaragd, Wachau 2011 1.5L ($179.95) $149 special
Falstaff 97 points “Bright green yellow. Fine exotic fruit bruet, delicate according to blood orange, dark mineral, facet rich. Very complex and concentrated, close-knit, finely underpinned acid structure, dark mineral, will remain for a long time, a long-distance runner and great promises of the future. [translated from German]”
This is the lowest listed price for a magnum in the USA today!
F.X. Pichler Durnsteiner Kellerberg Gruner Veltliner Smaragd, Wachau 2013 1.5L ($179.95) $189 special
Wine Advocate 95 points “The tremendously deep bouquet of Pichler’s 2013 Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Kellerberg is precise, vegetal and flinty/cool. The wine is a noble, rich, highly elegant and terroir-driven Wachauer signature wine, which reveals its overwhelming power and great expression only in its finish and long, persistent aftertaste. This is, again, an icon wine of the Wachau and the 2013 vintage. A must buy, if you can afford it.”
This is the lowest listed price for a magnum in the USA today!
Italy:
Giuseppe Quintarelli Valpolicella Classico Superiore, Veneto 2009 750ML ($89.95) $73.50 special
Wine Advocate 93 points “The 2009 Valpolicella Classico is a wine of pedigree and depth. The blend is Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella and Molinara, and other loose odds and ends found in the vineyards. Half the grapes are pressed as fresh fruit. The other half sees a brief two-month appassimento. The two are blended and macerated on the leftover skins of Amarone. The wine then goes into botte grande for six years and bottle for an additional six months for full integration. This classic vintage shows sweet fruit and black spice with lingering sweetness on the close. The wine imparts a round and slightly sweet flavor profile with earthy end notes of spice and campfire ash.”
Rinaldi’s 2013 Baroli
Affordable Legends, Available Now
The estate of Francesco Rinaldi crafts wines from the Piedmonte that are everything we love—traditionally made and affordable. From white (to nearly rose) to red, all of the wines they produce have attractive balance, with good fruit and bright, fresh flavors. We’ve got an assortment of their wines coming in, including their 2013 Barolo and two cru’s Brunate and Cannubi.
If there is a vintage deserving some serious shouting from the rooftops, 2013 in the Piedmont is it. When our distributor walked in with samples there was no fanfare just a quiet, “Here’s a little Rinaldi ’13,” almost as if it was an afterthought—we both knew we’d be buying as much of the wines as we could.
Certainly these are wines built to last, but what we’ve tried was come-and-get-it ready. The tannins were fine grained and tight, but the overall pleasurable nature of the wines was impossible to ignore. They wasn’t over the top, in fact they was quite well balanced, but there was no mistaking that thes wines are in the early stages of becoming something quite special. Antonio Galloni put it best when he posted “Beautiful vintage for them. The straight Barolo is fabulous, FYI.”
Just Arrived:
Francesco Rinaldi & Figli Gavi DOCG, Piedmont 2016 750ML ($21.95) $16 special
“Its colour is light straw-yellow. The scent is fresh and fruity. The taste is dry and delicate. It perfectly matches with hors d’oeuvres, fish and white meat.”–Winery note
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Francesco Rinaldi & Figli Barbera d’Alba, Piedmont 2015 750ML ($27.95) $24 special
“The colour is intense ruby red with purple reflections. The scent is winey and ethereal. The taste is dry, intense, well-bodied. It is suitable to drink at any meal.”–Winery note
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Francesco Rinaldi & Figli Roussot Dolcetto d’Alba, Piedmont 2015 750ML ($21.95) $18 special
Antonio Galloni 90 points “The 2015 Dolcetto d’Alba Roussot is a powerful, old-school wine that will delight readers with classically leaning palates. The interplay of intense, rich 2015 fruit and the structural underpinnings that are typical of Dolcetto add up to a delicious and compelling wine from one of Barolo’s old guard families. This is a strong showing from Francesco Rinaldi.”
Francesco Rinaldi & Figli Grignolino d’Asti, Piedmont 2016 750ML ($21.95) $16 special
“Its colour is light ruby red. The smell is subtle with scent of rose. Its taste is fresh, flowery and mild to the palate. It perfectly matches with hors d’oeuvres, soups, fish and white meat.”-Winery note
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Francesco Rinaldi & Figli Nebbiolo d’Alba, Piedmont 2015 750ML ($29.95) $26 special
“Its colour is ruby red with garnet reflections. Its smell is ethereal and persisting with scents of flowers and fresh fruit. Its taste is dry, intense, well-bodied. It is suitable to drink at any meal.”–Winery note
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Arriving Next Friday, September 15th:
Francesco Rinaldi & Figli Barolo DOCG, Piedmont 2013 750ML ($59.95) $47 pre-arrival special
“Its colour is ruby garnet red with slightly orange reflections after ageing. The smell is ethereal, wide and embracing with scents of rose, violet and soft balmy notes. The taste is dry, severe, savoury and harmonic. It matches very well with red and braised meat, game and cheese.”–Winery note
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast today!
Francesco Rinaldi & Figli Barolo Le Brunate, Barolo DOCG 2013 750ML ($69.95) $59 pre-arrival special
“Its colour is ruby garnet red with slightly orange reflections after ageing. The smell is ethereal, wide and embracing with scents of rose, violet and soft balmy notes. The taste is dry, severe, savoury and harmonic. It matches very well with red and braised meat, game and cheese.”–Winery note
Francesco Rinaldi & Figli Cannubbio, Barolo DOCG 2013 750ML ($69.95) $59 pre-arrival special
“Its colour is ruby garnet red with slightly orange reflections after ageing. The smell is ethereal, wide and embracing with scents of rose, violet and soft balmy notes. The taste is dry, severe, savoury and harmonic. It matches very well with red and braised meat, game and cheese.”–Winery note
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Summer Shipping Special:
Midwest, East, & South
For the summer season we are offering UPS Three Day Select Service for the price of UPS Ground for shipments normally traveling 4 or more business days by ground.
Free service upgrade only applies on single orders purchased and shipped during the promotional period. Additional fees will apply to orders held for any reason until after the promotional period and shipped by Three Day Select. Offer not valid on items purchased before the promotional period or on pre-arrival items that arrive after the promotional period ends.
New Vinous Reviews for
Georg Breuer’s Rhinegau Rieslings
Georg Breuer is one of a handful of estates that still make Riesling in the Rheingau that lives up to the historic standards of the region. Unless you’re an old hand at the German Riesling game (which is to say unless you’ve been buying the wines for 30+ years) the Rheingau isn’t at the top of your list of great German regions. Historically, though it might be the most important place that the grape was grown (there’s a reason the grape is sometimes referred to as Johannisberg Riesling). It was a region that rested on its laurels for a long time, though a new generation is trying to restore former glory.
Leitz is obviously the biggest of those newer names, but the wines Theresa Breuer is making at Georg Breuer (now imported by Terry Theise) have catapulted them into the discussion of ‘winemakers to pay attention to.’ These are wines that are quintessentially Rheingau, in a drier style—though there is no forcing the fermentations and the winery doesn’t believe in using the trocken designation, even for the dry wines, as a result. The new reviews from David Schildknecht at Vinous confirm what we suspected—this is a winery to pay attention to.
Arriving in October:
Georg Breuer Rauenthal Estate Riesling, Rheingau 2015 750ml ($27.95) $21.90 pre-arrival special
David Schildknecht—Vinous Media 92 points “Scents of iris and gentian mingle with intimations of the fresh lemon and lime that then dominate on a bright, buoyant, silken-textured palate transparent to shimmeringly crystalline mineral nuances. At just 11.3 percent alcohol, the wine conveys delightful buoyancy perfectly suited to its prominent florality. It finishes with near-endless juiciness and persistent floral inhalations for an exhilarating and consummately refreshing performance.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Georg Breuer Rudesheim Estate Riesling, Rheingau 2015 750ml ($27.95) $21.90 pre-arrival special
David Schildknecht—Vinous Media 90 points “Lime and ripe peach on the nose anticipate the juicy abundance of fruit on a clear, polished palate, set off by stony and alkaline undertones. The finish is bright and tangy, with mouthwatering salinity and delightful buoyancy.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Georg Breuer Rudesheimer Berg Schlossberg Riesling, Rheingau 2015 750ml ($99.95) $89 pre-arrival special
David Schildknecht—Vinous Media 94 points “The nose here boasts head-turning floral profusion to rival a Rauenthaler, with musky suggestions of narcissus as well as iris and buddleia. Scents and juicy profusion of fresh white peach, lemon and lime are accented by nut and fruit pit piquancy and a hint of resin from cask. The zesty side of citrus lends invigoration without turning bitter or disturbing this beauty’s sense of clarity, harmony and textural polish. Mouthwatering salinity and browned butter savor add to the allure of a vibrant finish that is loaded with intrigue but doesn’t neglect Riesling’s first duty to refresh.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Georg Breuer Rauenthal Nonnenberg Riesling Trocken, Rheingau 2015 750ml ($89.95) $79 pre-arrival special
David Schildknecht—Vinous Media 93 points “Bittersweetly perfumed iris, gentian and buddleia mingle with green herbs and sea breeze on a haunting nose, and the buoyant, silken-textured palate perpetuates those elements in luscious liquid form, underlain by wet stone. Superbly long, the finish is like a gently undulating carpet of flowers on stone. Comparing this 2015 with the severe constraints of its youthful 2014 counterpart, what a difference a year makes!”
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Hot Wines on the Horizon
Exciting New Pre-Arrivals from Burgundy, Brunello and Champagne
Champagne and Burgundy are areas of the wine world that we (and everyone else) love to explore. We’re just starting to line up some of our pre-holiday arrivals and wanted to start offering these wines to you now. Some of these are wines that are rare and coming in small quantities and others are wines that we’re stocking up that you’re going to want to secure by the case now, while we still have enough.
France – Champagne:
Arriving in October:
Arlaux Grande Cuvee Premier Cru Brut, Champagne 750ML ($39.95) $33 pre-arrival special
Case-12 Arlaux Grande Cuvee Premier Cru Brut, Champagne 750ML ($479.95) $359 pre-arrival special (that’s only $29.92/bottle!)
Wine Advocate 92 points “The nose of this wine seduces you straight away with a great balance of autolytic and fruit aromas: toasted hazelnuts, warm apple tart and kaya (coconut and egg) jam. The palate is equally well balanced providing plenty of evolved fruit and toasty / yeasty flavors. Small, fine bubbles, seamless use of dosage and a long nutty finish. This fine if relatively unknown Brut NV takes first place in the derby – a shocker even for me!”
Importer notes: “Arlaux is a small family-run champagne house producing only 5,000 cases a year located in a small village on the Petit Montagne de Reims called Vrigny. Arlaux has been producing champagne since 1826 but the Arlaux-Marchal family have lived in Vrigny since the 13th century. Exclusively 1er Cru Champagne with a minimum of 4 years aging. They only use their own grapes from 20 to 100 year old vines which are hand-picked in order to select only the very best. All Arlaux cuvées are 100% Premier Cru and 100% Tête de Cuvée (meaning that they only use the juice of the 1st press).”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Henriot Cuvee des Enchanteleurs Brut, Champagne 1996 1.5L ($449.95) $399 pre-arrival special
Wine Spectator 97 points “Tight-grained, with an immediate impression of the sea before forest floor and citrus notes take over. This is bright and fresh, with plenty of spice, toast and candied berry flavors, backed by a firm structure. The finish just keeps going. Best from 2012 through 2040.”
France- Burgundy:
Arriving in October:
Domaine Faiveley Aux Chaignots, Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru 2005 750ML ($99.95) $79 pre-arrival special
Burghound 88-91 points “Strong wood influence currently dominates the dark berry and black raspberry-infused nose that precedes the somewhat woody medium weight flavors that are round and sweet with fine depth and complexity but the wood is not subtle and it causes me to question whether it will cause the finish to eventually dry out?”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $121.99
Domaine Faiveley Les Porets-Saint-Georges, Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru 2002 750ML ($89.95) $69 pre-arrival special
Stephen Tanzer–Vinous 89-91 points “Good deep red. Expressive aromas of black- and redcurrant, licorice and mint. Shapely, intense and fruity, with bright flavors of berries and licorice. Finishes with a firm tannic spine and very good length.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Arriving in December:
Domaine des Comtes Lafon Champans, Volnay Premier Cru 2010 750ML ($199.95) $179 pre-arrival special
Stephen Tanzer–Vinous 93+ points “Saturated red-ruby. Dark aromas and flavors of black fruits, licorice and bitter chocolate. Sweet, sappy and very rich but elegant too for all its density. The extremely long, palate-staining finish features powerful dusty, broad tannins, an element of chocolatey richness and superb lift. This explosive Volnay appears to have considerable aging potential.”
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast today!
Italy- Brunello:
Fattoria dei Barbi Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Tuscany 2010 750ML ($49.95) $39 pre-arrival special
James Suckling 96 points “Aromas of burnt orange peel and cherry with hints of dried bark and mahogany. Full-bodied and very tight and dense, with a beautiful fruit, tannin and acid balance. Finesse and strength. Best wine from here for ages. Needs until 2018 to show its true quality.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $50
Thanks for reading!