In This Newsletter:
Ribeira Sacra
Trending German Rieslings
Grape of the Week: Pinot Blanc
Sweet Somethings
Ribeira Sacra
#Trending German Rieslings
Grape of the Week:
Pinot Blanc
Sweet Somethings
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Ribeira Sacra
Trending German Rieslings
Grape of the Week: Pinot Blanc
Sweet Somethings
Ribeira Sacra
The Spanish winemaking region of Ribeira Sacra is best known for its native red wine grape, Mencía. This grape has the depth and nuance of Pinot Noir or Syrah, especially considering the age of the vines available within this region. Envínate is one of the region’s notable producers. They work with ancient vines, starting at 60-years-old at minimum with single vineyard bottlings going well up from there. These are excellent examples of what this profound and profoundly Spanish grape can do. Much like Terre Nere’s work with indigenous Sicilian grapes, Envínate’s Mencía can give international superstars like Syrah and Pinot Noir a run for their money.
Highlights In Stock Now from Ribeira Sacra:
Guimaro Mencia Tinto, Ribeira Sacra 2023 750ml $26 special, 9 bottles in stock now
Luis Gutiérrez-Wine Advocate 92 points “The young red 2023 Mencía also contains the allowed 15% of other local varieties—Brancellao, Merenzao, Garnacha, Mouratón, Negreda, Sousón…It has notes of wild berries, herbs and flowers and a characteristic touch of honey and beeswax that I sometimes find in very young reds. It’s juicy and velvety, with contained ripeness and 12.5% alcohol, integrated acidity and a clean finish. 100,000 bottles produced; it represents half of the annual output of the winery.”
Envinate Lousas Doad, Ribeira Sacra 2022 750ml $59 special, 12 bottles in stock now
Luis Gutiérrez-Wine Advocate 94-95 points “The 2022 Doad Lousas is the second vintage of the village red. It comes from gneiss and schist soils from the traditional zone of the Sil and is warmer and riper, a textbook example of ripe Mencía fruit, an earlier zone with juicy wines. As with the rest of the 2022s, I tasted the wine after it had been blended and the sulfur adjusted, waiting in stainless steel to be bottled in a couple of months. It has the textbook floral and perfumed nose, quite fruit-driven, juicy and tasty, with some fine tannins that need a bit of time in bottle to get polished. They expect to fill some 3,300 bottles from a number of barrels of different sizes.”
Envinate Lousas Doad, Ribeira Sacra 2023 750ml $45 special, 18 bottles in stock now
Luis Gutiérrez-Wine Advocate 94-96 points “The sample of the 2023 Doad Lousas comes from a mixture of terroirs, all in mostly 228-liter barrels but some larger ones too. 2023 seems like a superb vintage for the wines from Envínate in Ribeira Sacra, wines with good ripeness but contained alcohol. This has a medium-bodied palate with very fine, chalky tannins, mostly from gneiss and schist soils. It has around 12.5% alcohol. They have more volume, but part will be used for the Viñas del Aldea blend; they still expect to be able to produce around 5,000 bottles that should be filled in November 2024.”
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
Envinate ‘Lousas’ Camino Novo, Ribeira Sacra 2023 750ml $99 special, 3 bottles in stock now
Luis Gutiérrez-Wine Advocate 97-99 points “After the absence this wine in 2022 because of the hail, the 2023 Lousas Parcela Camiño Novo follows the superb 2021 with another “classical” and Atlantic vintage in Ribeira Sacra. This is a field blend of 85% Mencía, 12% Alicante Bouschet and the rest a mixture of Brancellao, Merenzao and Grao Negro, etc., that always produces a more backward wine, and it’s a little reductive right now. It has a moderate 12.5% alcohol and a super balanced and mineral palate that is textured and elegant. This is still very young and should only get better with time, but with time in the glass, the wine shows its nuance and complexity. It’s a superb wine. This could very well be the finest Camiño Novo to date and perhaps the most complete wine ever produced by Envínate in Ribeira Sacra. They expect to bottle around 1,500 bottles in November 2024.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
A Chingao Vineyards & Envinate ‘Misturado de Abeleda’, Ribeira Sacra 2022 750ml $54.50 special, 19 bottles in stock now
Jose Pastor Selections Importer Note “This wine is a field blend, with about 65% red grapes (Mencia, Brancellao, Alicante Bouschet, Mouraton, Gran Negro) and 35% white grapes (Godello, Torrontes, Treixadura, Albariño, Doña Branca). Vineyard: From a plot of 80-year-old vines at roughly 650m above sea level by the Sil river with gneiss and schist soils. It is planted in the old style of co-planting white and red grape varieties.”
Highlights In Stock Now from Ribeira Sacra:
Guimaro Mencia Tinto, Ribeira Sacra 2023 750ml $26 special, 9 bottles in stock now
Luis Gutiérrez-Wine Advocate 92 points “The young red 2023 Mencía also contains the allowed 15% of other local varieties—Brancellao, Merenzao, Garnacha, Mouratón, Negreda, Sousón…It has notes of wild berries, herbs and flowers and a characteristic touch of honey and beeswax that I sometimes find in very young reds. It’s juicy and velvety, with contained ripeness and 12.5% alcohol, integrated acidity and a clean finish. 100,000 bottles produced; it represents half of the annual output of the winery.”
Envinate Lousas Doad, Ribeira Sacra 2022 750ml $59 special, 12 bottles in stock now
Luis Gutiérrez-Wine Advocate 94-95 points “The 2022 Doad Lousas is the second vintage of the village red. It comes from gneiss and schist soils from the traditional zone of the Sil and is warmer and riper, a textbook example of ripe Mencía fruit, an earlier zone with juicy wines. As with the rest of the 2022s, I tasted the wine after it had been blended and the sulfur adjusted, waiting in stainless steel to be bottled in a couple of months. It has the textbook floral and perfumed nose, quite fruit-driven, juicy and tasty, with some fine tannins that need a bit of time in bottle to get polished. They expect to fill some 3,300 bottles from a number of barrels of different sizes.”
Envinate Lousas Doad, Ribeira Sacra 2023 750ml $45 special, 18 bottles in stock now
Luis Gutiérrez-Wine Advocate 94-96 points “The sample of the 2023 Doad Lousas comes from a mixture of terroirs, all in mostly 228-liter barrels but some larger ones too. 2023 seems like a superb vintage for the wines from Envínate in Ribeira Sacra, wines with good ripeness but contained alcohol. This has a medium-bodied palate with very fine, chalky tannins, mostly from gneiss and schist soils. It has around 12.5% alcohol. They have more volume, but part will be used for the Viñas del Aldea blend; they still expect to be able to produce around 5,000 bottles that should be filled in November 2024.”
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
Envinate ‘Lousas’ Camino Novo, Ribeira Sacra 2023 750ml $99 special, 3 bottles in stock now
Luis Gutiérrez-Wine Advocate 97-99 points “After the absence this wine in 2022 because of the hail, the 2023 Lousas Parcela Camiño Novo follows the superb 2021 with another “classical” and Atlantic vintage in Ribeira Sacra. This is a field blend of 85% Mencía, 12% Alicante Bouschet and the rest a mixture of Brancellao, Merenzao and Grao Negro, etc., that always produces a more backward wine, and it’s a little reductive right now. It has a moderate 12.5% alcohol and a super balanced and mineral palate that is textured and elegant. This is still very young and should only get better with time, but with time in the glass, the wine shows its nuance and complexity. It’s a superb wine. This could very well be the finest Camiño Novo to date and perhaps the most complete wine ever produced by Envínate in Ribeira Sacra. They expect to bottle around 1,500 bottles in November 2024.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
A Chingao Vineyards & Envinate ‘Misturado de Abeleda’, Ribeira Sacra 2022 750ml $54.50 special, 19 bottles in stock now
Jose Pastor Selections Importer Note “This wine is a field blend, with about 65% red grapes (Mencia, Brancellao, Alicante Bouschet, Mouraton, Gran Negro) and 35% white grapes (Godello, Torrontes, Treixadura, Albariño, Doña Branca). Vineyard: From a plot of 80-year-old vines at roughly 650m above sea level by the Sil river with gneiss and schist soils. It is planted in the old style of co-planting white and red grape varieties.”
#Trending German Rieslings
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Schlossgut Diel Burg Layen Riesling, Nahe 2021 750ml $29 special, 15 bottles in stock now
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 93 points “The 2021 Riesling Burg Layer Schlossberg 1G opens with a pure, intense and concentrated stone fruit aroma intertwined with iodine and spicy notes. Very much Riesling on the palate, with stewed fruit aromas, this is a pure, persistently saline and tensioned dry Riesling that combines ripe and concentrated fruit with a long but still tight and reduced finish.”
Weingut Donnhoff Roxheimer Hollenpfad Riesling Trocken, Nahe 2023 750ml $49 special, 20 bottles in stock now
Grapelive 94 points “The pristine and steely medium bodied palate shows of lime blossom, green apple, tart apricot, quince and tangerine, along with quinine, chamomile, almond, herb, flinty mineral spice, wet rock, lemon oil and saline. Zingy and youthfully energetic this Riesling also has the signature purity and elegance you’d expect of a Dönnhoff and it is complex enough to thrill the most jaded of Riesling lovers. There’s more to come with patience I believe and while I might be hard pressed not to enjoy this one right away, there should be extra rewards for those who wait, it should get another few years in bottle to fully express itself.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Kruger-Rumpf Abtei ‘1937’ Riesling Trocken, Nahe 2021 750ml $41.90 special, 19 bottles in stock now
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 93 points “The 2021 Bingerbrücker Abtei Rupertsberg “1937” Riesling trocken shows a deep, clear, refined and elegant, complex and predominantly stony bouquet with notes of fresh lemon juice and some herbal nuances. Mouthfilling, round and vital on the palate, with crystalline and savory acidity, this is a silky, supple and fruit-intense but always elegant and refined dry Riesling from vines planted in 1937. The 2021 reveals a palatable phenolic structure and currently lacks some charm, but its stimulating lemon notes and saline vitality are highly promising. 12% stated alcohol. Natural cork. Tasted in October 2022.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Muller-Catoir Haardter Burgergarten Riesling Trocken, Pfalz 2018 750ml Was $33, Now $28 special, 36+ bottles in stock now
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 90+ points “The 2018 Riesling Bürgergarten “VDP. Erste Lage” needed three bottles to convince me until it opened clear, pure and intense, with crushed stones and fresh ginger aromas on the nose. Pure, fresh and bright on the palate, this is a lithe, lush and salty dry Riesling with refreshing mineral grip and tension on the finish. Tasted in Haardt, December 2019.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Markus Molitor Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Kabinett Trocken (White Capsule), Mosel 2018 750ml $28 special, 36+ bottles in stock now
Stuart Pigott-James 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 lowest listed price on the West Coast!
Julian Haart ‘1000 L’ Riesling, Mosel 2024 750ml $29 special, 12 bottles in stock now
Importer Note “This is legally Trocken and sourced from 25-year-old vines in the Grand Cru Goldtröpfchen vineyard. The “1,000L” is so-named because it is a wine that was, originally, a chosen Fuder–a 1,000L barrel. The entire barrel was bought, and that was that. The wine is always brisk, tense with high-toned citrus, good minerality.”
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
August Kesseler ‘R’ Riesling Kabinett, Rheingau 2023 750ml $16.50 special, 36+ bottles in stock now
James Suckling 94 points “What a striking, barely off-dry riesling with a beautiful nose of bergamot, oranges and delicate spicy notes. Terrific structure beneath the wealth of fruit, the delicate spritz lightening this medium-bodied wine that has just 11.5% alcohol. Long, graceful finish. A cuvee of wines from sites in Rudesheim, Kiedrich, Hattenheim. Drink now.”
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
Weingut Clemens Busch Marienburg Riesling Kabinett, Mosel 2023 750ml $36 special, 12 bottles in stock now
Mosel Fine Wines 92 points “The 2023 Marienburg Riesling Kabinett, as it is referred to on the main part of the label, is a fruity-styled wine which proves slightly reduced at first and only gradually reveals superb and attractive nose of William pear, yellow peach, almond cream, jasmine, and smoke. The wine proves quite juicy and creamy on the palate, with a moderate feeling of acidity. The finish is fine, light-weighted, and has very good length. 2031-2038.”
Weingut Günther Steinmetz Wintricher Geierslay Riesling Kabinett, Mosel 2022 750ml $33 special, 13 bottles in stock now
Stuart Pigott-James Suckling 97 points “Some people say that Riesling Kabinett must be sleek and very acidic, but this wine shows why this is narrow-minded. Fabulous nose of white flowers, ripe pear and white peach, then on the seriously concentrated palate this is so succulent and so precise you don’t want to think about anything else! Almost perfect balance at the long super-silky finish. From 60-year-old vines. Drink or hold.”
Schlossgut Diel Burg Layen Riesling, Nahe 2021 750ml $29 special, 15 bottles in stock now
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 93 points “The 2021 Riesling Burg Layer Schlossberg 1G opens with a pure, intense and concentrated stone fruit aroma intertwined with iodine and spicy notes. Very much Riesling on the palate, with stewed fruit aromas, this is a pure, persistently saline and tensioned dry Riesling that combines ripe and concentrated fruit with a long but still tight and reduced finish.”
Weingut Donnhoff Roxheimer Hollenpfad Riesling Trocken, Nahe 2023 750ml $49 special, 20 bottles in stock now
Grapelive 94 points “The pristine and steely medium bodied palate shows of lime blossom, green apple, tart apricot, quince and tangerine, along with quinine, chamomile, almond, herb, flinty mineral spice, wet rock, lemon oil and saline. Zingy and youthfully energetic this Riesling also has the signature purity and elegance you’d expect of a Dönnhoff and it is complex enough to thrill the most jaded of Riesling lovers. There’s more to come with patience I believe and while I might be hard pressed not to enjoy this one right away, there should be extra rewards for those who wait, it should get another few years in bottle to fully express itself.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Kruger-Rumpf Abtei ‘1937’ Riesling Trocken, Nahe 2021 750ml $41.90 special, 19 bottles in stock now
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 93 points “The 2021 Bingerbrücker Abtei Rupertsberg “1937” Riesling trocken shows a deep, clear, refined and elegant, complex and predominantly stony bouquet with notes of fresh lemon juice and some herbal nuances. Mouthfilling, round and vital on the palate, with crystalline and savory acidity, this is a silky, supple and fruit-intense but always elegant and refined dry Riesling from vines planted in 1937. The 2021 reveals a palatable phenolic structure and currently lacks some charm, but its stimulating lemon notes and saline vitality are highly promising. 12% stated alcohol. Natural cork. Tasted in October 2022.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Muller-Catoir Haardter Burgergarten Riesling Trocken, Pfalz 2018 750ml Was $33, Now $28 special, 36+ bottles in stock now
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 90+ points “The 2018 Riesling Bürgergarten “VDP. Erste Lage” needed three bottles to convince me until it opened clear, pure and intense, with crushed stones and fresh ginger aromas on the nose. Pure, fresh and bright on the palate, this is a lithe, lush and salty dry Riesling with refreshing mineral grip and tension on the finish. Tasted in Haardt, December 2019.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Markus Molitor Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Kabinett Trocken (White Capsule), Mosel 2018 750ml $28 special, 36+ bottles in stock now
Stuart Pigott-James 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 lowest listed price on the West Coast!
Julian Haart ‘1000 L’ Riesling, Mosel 2024 750ml $29 special, 12 bottles in stock now
Importer Note “This is legally Trocken and sourced from 25-year-old vines in the Grand Cru Goldtröpfchen vineyard. The “1,000L” is so-named because it is a wine that was, originally, a chosen Fuder–a 1,000L barrel. The entire barrel was bought, and that was that. The wine is always brisk, tense with high-toned citrus, good minerality.”
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
August Kesseler ‘R’ Riesling Kabinett, Rheingau 2023 750ml $16.50 special, 36+ bottles in stock now
James Suckling 94 points “What a striking, barely off-dry riesling with a beautiful nose of bergamot, oranges and delicate spicy notes. Terrific structure beneath the wealth of fruit, the delicate spritz lightening this medium-bodied wine that has just 11.5% alcohol. Long, graceful finish. A cuvee of wines from sites in Rudesheim, Kiedrich, Hattenheim. Drink now.”
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
Weingut Clemens Busch Marienburg Riesling Kabinett, Mosel 2023 750ml $36 special, 12 bottles in stock now
Mosel Fine Wines 92 points “The 2023 Marienburg Riesling Kabinett, as it is referred to on the main part of the label, is a fruity-styled wine which proves slightly reduced at first and only gradually reveals superb and attractive nose of William pear, yellow peach, almond cream, jasmine, and smoke. The wine proves quite juicy and creamy on the palate, with a moderate feeling of acidity. The finish is fine, light-weighted, and has very good length. 2031-2038.”
Weingut Günther Steinmetz Wintricher Geierslay Riesling Kabinett, Mosel 2022 750ml $33 special, 13 bottles in stock now
Stuart Pigott-James Suckling 97 points “Some people say that Riesling Kabinett must be sleek and very acidic, but this wine shows why this is narrow-minded. Fabulous nose of white flowers, ripe pear and white peach, then on the seriously concentrated palate this is so succulent and so precise you don’t want to think about anything else! Almost perfect balance at the long super-silky finish. From 60-year-old vines. Drink or hold.”
Grape of the Week:
Pinot Blanc
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Cameron Winery ‘Giovanni’ Pinot Blanc, Dundee Hills 2024 750ml $19 special, 14 bottles in stock now
VinopolNote: When most people think of Willamette Valley white wines, they aren’t necessarily thinking of Pinot Blanc. Yet that has not prevented this wine from being one of our most requested wines every vintage. With juicy pear notes buoyed by awesome acidity and minerality, this wine is both a great wine for solo drinking and a great accompaniment with most cuisine.
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Kelley Fox Wines Stater Vineyard Pinot Blanc, Dundee Hills 2023 750ml $36 special, 8 bottles in stock now
Erin Brooks-Wine Advocate 93 points “The 2023 Pinot Blanc Stater Vineyard has layered aromas of apricot, cereal milk, roasted almonds and flint. The medium-bodied palate features concentrated tree fruit flavors made more intense by its textural grip. Its power is foiled by refreshing acidity, and it has a very long, honeyed finish. I would love to drink this with 3-5 years of bottle age. 108 cases were made.”
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
Okonomierat Rebholz Pinot Blanc Dry, Pfalz 2021 750ml $24 special, 4 bottles in stock now
Stuart Pigott-James Suckling 92 points “Wonderful spring meadow aromas with notes of warm hay and fresh nuts. Bone dry on the palate, but the ample fine tannins and the touch of chalkiness harmonize the acidity beautifully. Long supple and fine-grained finish. From biodynamically grown grapes with Respekt certification. Drink now. Screw cap.”
Piollot Pere et Fils Colas Robin Pinot Blanc Brut Nature, Champagne 2017 750ml $59 special, 13 bottles in stock now
Importer Note “This wine comes from the parcel named Val Colas Robin. Roland’s father, Robert Piollot, cleared and planted this vineyard using the selection massale method in 1955. At this time, the majority of other growers were ripping up Pinot Blanc in favor of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, but Robert always cared for the favorite local grape. Colas Robin is aged 80% in steel tanks and 20% in barrels, then kept on the lees for five years before release. Like all of the Champagnes from Piollot, the wine is disgorged non-dosé.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Weingut Donnhoff Weissburgunder Trocken, Nahe 2022 750ml $24 special, 22 bottles in stock now
No reviews for the 2022 vintage. 2020 review provided for reference.
Stuart Pigott-James Suckling 91 points “Excellent interplay of citrus and pear fruit with some nice creaminess on the medium-bodied palate, all this supported by a touch of tannin. Nice citrusy freshness at the bright, elegant finish. From organically grown grapes with Fair’n Green certification. Drink now. Screw cap.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Hofgut Falkenstein Pet-Nat, Mosel 2023 750ml $29 special, 7 bottles in stock now
Mosel Fine Wines 92 points “The Non-Vintage Pet Nat with Los Nr. 26-24 comes from Weissburgunder harvested in 2023 in the Niedermenniger Herrenberg and was fermented in cask before completing its fermentation in bottle and being released without disgorgement. This offers a superb nose made of herbs, minerals, and a hint of spices, all wrapped in citrusy fruits. The wine is firmly fizzy on the palate and leaves an incredibly focused and sharp feel in the finish. The aftertaste is pure and vibrating. This is made for lovers of racy expressions of Pet Nat! Now-2028.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Muller-Catoir Haardt Weissburgunder Trocken, Pfalz 2020 750ml $24 special, 16 bottles in stock now
Stuart Pigott-James Suckling 93 points “Cool yet effusive nose of garden peas and a wide range of white fruit, with the emphasis on pear. Only medium-bodied with spot-on balance of ripeness and elegance. The same level of balance at the long, silky finish. Drink or hold.”
Cameron Winery ‘Giovanni’ Pinot Blanc, Dundee Hills 2024 750ml $19 special, 14 bottles in stock now
VinopolNote: When most people think of Willamette Valley white wines, they aren’t necessarily thinking of Pinot Blanc. Yet that has not prevented this wine from being one of our most requested wines every vintage. With juicy pear notes buoyed by awesome acidity and minerality, this wine is both a great wine for solo drinking and a great accompaniment with most cuisine.
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Kelley Fox Wines Stater Vineyard Pinot Blanc, Dundee Hills 2023 750ml $36 special, 8 bottles in stock now
Erin Brooks-Wine Advocate 93 points “The 2023 Pinot Blanc Stater Vineyard has layered aromas of apricot, cereal milk, roasted almonds and flint. The medium-bodied palate features concentrated tree fruit flavors made more intense by its textural grip. Its power is foiled by refreshing acidity, and it has a very long, honeyed finish. I would love to drink this with 3-5 years of bottle age. 108 cases were made.”
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
Okonomierat Rebholz Pinot Blanc Dry, Pfalz 2021 750ml $24 special, 4 bottles in stock now
Stuart Pigott-James Suckling 92 points “Wonderful spring meadow aromas with notes of warm hay and fresh nuts. Bone dry on the palate, but the ample fine tannins and the touch of chalkiness harmonize the acidity beautifully. Long supple and fine-grained finish. From biodynamically grown grapes with Respekt certification. Drink now. Screw cap.”
Piollot Pere et Fils Colas Robin Pinot Blanc Brut Nature, Champagne 2017 750ml $59 special, 13 bottles in stock now
Importer Note “This wine comes from the parcel named Val Colas Robin. Roland’s father, Robert Piollot, cleared and planted this vineyard using the selection massale method in 1955. At this time, the majority of other growers were ripping up Pinot Blanc in favor of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, but Robert always cared for the favorite local grape. Colas Robin is aged 80% in steel tanks and 20% in barrels, then kept on the lees for five years before release. Like all of the Champagnes from Piollot, the wine is disgorged non-dosé.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Weingut Donnhoff Weissburgunder Trocken, Nahe 2022 750ml $24 special, 22 bottles in stock now
No reviews for the 2022 vintage. 2020 review provided for reference.
Stuart Pigott-James Suckling 91 points “Excellent interplay of citrus and pear fruit with some nice creaminess on the medium-bodied palate, all this supported by a touch of tannin. Nice citrusy freshness at the bright, elegant finish. From organically grown grapes with Fair’n Green certification. Drink now. Screw cap.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Hofgut Falkenstein Pet-Nat, Mosel 2023 750ml $29 special, 7 bottles in stock now
Mosel Fine Wines 92 points “The Non-Vintage Pet Nat with Los Nr. 26-24 comes from Weissburgunder harvested in 2023 in the Niedermenniger Herrenberg and was fermented in cask before completing its fermentation in bottle and being released without disgorgement. This offers a superb nose made of herbs, minerals, and a hint of spices, all wrapped in citrusy fruits. The wine is firmly fizzy on the palate and leaves an incredibly focused and sharp feel in the finish. The aftertaste is pure and vibrating. This is made for lovers of racy expressions of Pet Nat! Now-2028.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Muller-Catoir Haardt Weissburgunder Trocken, Pfalz 2020 750ml $24 special, 16 bottles in stock now
Stuart Pigott-James Suckling 93 points “Cool yet effusive nose of garden peas and a wide range of white fruit, with the emphasis on pear. Only medium-bodied with spot-on balance of ripeness and elegance. The same level of balance at the long, silky finish. Drink or hold.”
Sweet Somethings
Could there be a more satisfying conclusion to a good meal than pouring a small glass of stickie to pair with dessert? Discover the simple and classic pleasure of a sip of Sauternes with a crumb of Roquefort cheese, poached local pears or biscotti served alongside a glass of vin santo. Try a slice of quince paste or dab of honey on aged gouda with your Tokaji (or perhaps just sip it alone on its crystal spoon). Try spice cookies or carrot cake with Madeira to bring out the nutty flavors, try candied orange peel enrobed in chocolate, sticky toffee puddings with Tokaji, dried stone fruits and goat cheese with Klein, poached apricots or candied citrus-studded ice cream with Sauternes.
Grilling? Throw on some honey-glazed pineapple or peach slices and serve alongside fresh whipped cream and any of the above. Prefer the savory side? Pair caramelized onion tart with Tokaji, foie gras with Sauternes, or sweet and spicy Szechuan dishes with either. How about brunch? Marmalade on toast points with Klein. Looking towards the fall? Evoke autumn with pumpkin bread or pie and Madeira.
These wines are surprisingly flexible in their ability to offer complex and unique pairings with a wide range of dishes and courses. Elevate an average Tuesday night meal or make a celebratory feast an experience!
In Stock Now:
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Badia a Coltibuono Vin Santo del Chianti Classico Occhio di Pernice, Tuscany, Italy 2006 375ml $69 special, 5 half-bottles in stock now
Antonio Galloni-Vinous 95 points “The 2006 Vin Santo del Chianti Classico Occhio di Pernice is one of the best wines I have tasted from Badia a Coltibuono in some time. Sweet, dark and voluptuous, the 2006 shows all of the richness of a 100% Sangiovese Vin Santo, yet also possesses remarkable restraint for such a big wine, with plenty of intensity but no excess weight. A bevy of leather, licorice and clove notes round out the silky, mid-weight finish.”
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
Alvear Pedro Ximenez Solera 1927, Montilla-Moriles, Spain NV 375ml $29 special, 22 half-bottles in stock now
Robert Parker-Wine Advocate 98 points “The NV Pedro Ximenez Solera 1927 is non-vintage, but does have some 1927 material in it. This is totally dark brown/amber with notes of figs, toffee, caramel syrup, molasses and coffee. It is dense, super sweet, intense, rich and an amazingly, unctuously textured, thick beverage to consume slowly and introspectively after a meal. Drink now through 2050, or even longer.”
Chateau Coutet, Sauternes – Barsac, France 2020 750ml $49 special, 17 bottles in stock now
Antonio Galloni-Vinous 94 points “The 2020 Coutet is much more refined and light on its feet than it was from barrel. Tangerine peel, mint, passionfruit, white flowers and a hint of marzipan all grace this airy, wonderfully refined Barsac.”
Cappellano Barolo Chinato Vino Aromatizzato, Piedmont, Italy (2016) 750ml $99 special, 3 bottles in stock now
Winery Note “It was the closing of 1870 when Giuseppe Cappellano, pharmacist of Serralunga d’Alba with a shop in Turin, perfected the original recipe of Barolo Chinato marketing as “medicinal and anti-malaric liniment” what would shortly after become one of the classics of Italian oenology. We talk of recipe and not of formula because this great aromatic wine for meditation is born out of artisanal wisdom, handed down in our family generation after generation, which has much in common with the knowledge of the land and countryside culture. The preparation is well-known – the extract of china calissaia mixed with other aromatic herbs, sugar, and alcohol is added to the aged Barolo – whereas the list of spices used for the aroma is secret. The equilibrium of contrasts, the gusto-olfactive complexity, and an endless persistence constitute the charm of a wine which is seductive as few others, capable of sustaining the nigh-impossible match with dark chocolate.”
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
Philippe Foreau Domaine du Clos Naudin Vouvray Moelleux, Loire, France 2015 750ml $66 special, 12 bottles in stock now
Neal Rosenthal Tasting Note “The 2015 Moelleux is really a step up in concentration and complexity from the Sec and Demi-Sec. It is at this level where the ultimate potential of Vouvray begins to reveal itself. The dense aromas lean bitter, with notes of pear, pit fruits, and fresh honey. On the palate, the fruit is warm and leans toward plum and quince, with an undercurrent of sea foam and Indian spices. Wearing 70 grams of sugar, this wine’s intense minerality keeps it fresh and structured, which adds to its incredible persistence and surprisingly dry finish.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Klein Constantia Vin de Constance Natural Sweet Wine, Constantia, South Africa 2018 500ml $79 special, 5 500ml-bottles in stock now
Anthony Mueller-Wine Advocate 97 points “Classic and expressive with seductive aromas of marmalade and honeysuckle, the 2020 Vin de Constance Natural Sweet Wine is fresh, balanced and complex, offering a delightful lift from 60% new oak. Clocking in at 13.5% alcohol, the palate displays a harmonious balance between fruit sweetness and energetic acidity. It has layers of complexity with impeccable breadth and depth. It may be one of the finest expressions of Vin de Constance to date, and it ends with succulent flavors of apricots, saffron, quince paste and sweet candied citrus tones over the long, ever-evolving finish. Aged for a year and a half in 50% new Hungarian and French oak barrels, followed by an additional year and a half of large format wooden foudre, only the best lots end up being selected for the final blend. Bravo! Run, don’t walk to buy this world-class sweet wine to put in your cellar!”
This is the only listing in the USA today for the half-bottle!
Muller-Catoir Haardter Herzog Rieslaner Trockenbeerenauslese, Pfalz, Germany 2018 375ml $89 special, 36+ half-bottles in stock now
David Schildknecht-Vinous 97 points “Corresponding to the most desiccated (yet still virtually botrytis-free) berries picked out from the material that otherwise became this year’s Beerenauslese, here we have one of those phenomenally concentrated Müller-Catoir essays in Rieslaner’s unique dessert wine potential. Take the pear drops, honey and vanilla cream of the corresponding B.A. in all their aromatic intensity and glossy, glowing richness, and add almost buttery textural creaminess and enhanced viscosity set against a blazingly bright and invigorating evocation of fresh pineapple, clementine and lemon. The tension is, to say the least, productive…yet almost unbearable as you work the wine around in your mouth. Any sense of caramelization – such as was prominent in the corresponding Auslese – has been left behind (though perhaps some decades from now it will emerge). Smoky black tea and citrus peels lend piquant counterpoint to a mouth-shakingly vibrant, preternaturally persistent finish. The qualitative curve has in my long experience never before been this steep from Rieslaner Auslese to TBA. ‘If you could have seen how dramatically the grapes differed for each of them,’ noted Franzen, ‘then this wouldn’t surprise you.’”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Rocca di Montegrossi Vin Santo del Chianti Classico, Tuscany, Italy 2009 375ml Was $89, Now $79 special, 18 bottles in stock now
Antonio Galloni-Vinous 94 points “The 2009 Vin Santo is a rich, exotic wine, as it always is. Readers will find one of the richest most intense Vin Santos being made today. Plush, tropical and ample in feel, Rocca di Montegrossi’s Vin Santo is bold and racy to the core. The 350 grams of residual sugar leave the wine with tremendous textural plushness.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Markus Molitor Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese, Mosel, Germany 2019 750ml $499 special, 10 bottles in stock now
Markus Molitor Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese, Mosel, Germany 2019 375ml $249 special, 17 half-bottles in stock now
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 97 points “The 2019 Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Trockenbeerenauslese is deep, intense and flinty on the nose that exhibits clear, ripe and concentrated fruit with very fine botrytis notes intertwined with aromas of crushed slate and candied lemon rind. Round and elegant on the seamless palate, this is a rich yet finessed and elegant, super tensioned and mineral TBA with electrifying acidity and a highly stimulating finish. There are not many TBAs around that are as digestible as this one, which is really extraordinary. 6.5% alcohol. Tasted in May 2021 (AP 29 20).”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Renaissance Vineyard & Winery Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc, North Yuba, California 1989 375ml $11.90 special, 36+ half-bottles in stock now
Winery Note “Medium to dark amber-brown in color, this wine smells of burnt orange peel, a hint of bergamot, and cafe au lait. In the mouth dark burnt honey, cafe au lait, and a touch of even darker molasses flavors have a wonderful toasted grain quality to them that makes this wine seem almost more savory than sweet despite its significant sugar levels. Really compelling and interesting, with plenty of acidity to keep this wine lively after all this time. A phenomenal flavor experience. Moderately sweet.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Royal Tokaji Gold Label Aszu 6 Puttonyos, Tokaj, Hungary 2013 375ml Was $99, Now $89 special, 4 half-bottles in stock now
Winery Note “Rich intense nose with hints of orange and spice. Full flavoured with citrus, pear and quince fruit, outstanding structure and a long, crisp finish. A perfect vintage with miraculous weather, perfect conditions during autumn for the development of Aszú – misty mornings, warm drying winds blowing across the Great Plain of Hungary and sweeping the mists up into the vineyards. Harvested from Royal Tokaji exclusively owned vineyards, excellent quality Furmint Aszú berries with good structure and perfect botrytis were macerated in fermenting Furmint must for two days. After pressing, the wine was filled into three 300 litre old Hungarian oak casks and transferred down into Royal Tokaji’s extensive, deep underground cellars to mature for 23 months. The final blend was made during early spring in 2016 and bottled in May. Enjoy at this young age or cellar for future enjoyment as the wine matures. Sip on its own as an aperitif, serve with fruit-based desserts or hard cheeses or enjoy this mouth-watering wine on its own instead of a dessert.”
Grilling? Throw on some honey-glazed pineapple or peach slices and serve alongside fresh whipped cream and any of the above. Prefer the savory side? Pair caramelized onion tart with Tokaji, foie gras with Sauternes, or sweet and spicy Szechuan dishes with either. How about brunch? Marmalade on toast points with Klein. Looking towards the fall? Evoke autumn with pumpkin bread or pie and Madeira.
These wines are surprisingly flexible in their ability to offer complex and unique pairings with a wide range of dishes and courses. Elevate an average Tuesday night meal or make a celebratory feast an experience!
In Stock Now:
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Badia a Coltibuono Vin Santo del Chianti Classico Occhio di Pernice, Tuscany, Italy 2006 375ml $69 special, 5 half-bottles in stock now
Antonio Galloni-Vinous 95 points “The 2006 Vin Santo del Chianti Classico Occhio di Pernice is one of the best wines I have tasted from Badia a Coltibuono in some time. Sweet, dark and voluptuous, the 2006 shows all of the richness of a 100% Sangiovese Vin Santo, yet also possesses remarkable restraint for such a big wine, with plenty of intensity but no excess weight. A bevy of leather, licorice and clove notes round out the silky, mid-weight finish.”
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
Alvear Pedro Ximenez Solera 1927, Montilla-Moriles, Spain NV 375ml $29 special, 22 half-bottles in stock now
Robert Parker-Wine Advocate 98 points “The NV Pedro Ximenez Solera 1927 is non-vintage, but does have some 1927 material in it. This is totally dark brown/amber with notes of figs, toffee, caramel syrup, molasses and coffee. It is dense, super sweet, intense, rich and an amazingly, unctuously textured, thick beverage to consume slowly and introspectively after a meal. Drink now through 2050, or even longer.”
Chateau Coutet, Sauternes – Barsac, France 2020 750ml $49 special, 17 bottles in stock now
Antonio Galloni-Vinous 94 points “The 2020 Coutet is much more refined and light on its feet than it was from barrel. Tangerine peel, mint, passionfruit, white flowers and a hint of marzipan all grace this airy, wonderfully refined Barsac.”
Cappellano Barolo Chinato Vino Aromatizzato, Piedmont, Italy (2016) 750ml $99 special, 3 bottles in stock now
Winery Note “It was the closing of 1870 when Giuseppe Cappellano, pharmacist of Serralunga d’Alba with a shop in Turin, perfected the original recipe of Barolo Chinato marketing as “medicinal and anti-malaric liniment” what would shortly after become one of the classics of Italian oenology. We talk of recipe and not of formula because this great aromatic wine for meditation is born out of artisanal wisdom, handed down in our family generation after generation, which has much in common with the knowledge of the land and countryside culture. The preparation is well-known – the extract of china calissaia mixed with other aromatic herbs, sugar, and alcohol is added to the aged Barolo – whereas the list of spices used for the aroma is secret. The equilibrium of contrasts, the gusto-olfactive complexity, and an endless persistence constitute the charm of a wine which is seductive as few others, capable of sustaining the nigh-impossible match with dark chocolate.”
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
Philippe Foreau Domaine du Clos Naudin Vouvray Moelleux, Loire, France 2015 750ml $66 special, 12 bottles in stock now
Neal Rosenthal Tasting Note “The 2015 Moelleux is really a step up in concentration and complexity from the Sec and Demi-Sec. It is at this level where the ultimate potential of Vouvray begins to reveal itself. The dense aromas lean bitter, with notes of pear, pit fruits, and fresh honey. On the palate, the fruit is warm and leans toward plum and quince, with an undercurrent of sea foam and Indian spices. Wearing 70 grams of sugar, this wine’s intense minerality keeps it fresh and structured, which adds to its incredible persistence and surprisingly dry finish.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Klein Constantia Vin de Constance Natural Sweet Wine, Constantia, South Africa 2018 500ml $79 special, 5 500ml-bottles in stock now
Anthony Mueller-Wine Advocate 97 points “Classic and expressive with seductive aromas of marmalade and honeysuckle, the 2020 Vin de Constance Natural Sweet Wine is fresh, balanced and complex, offering a delightful lift from 60% new oak. Clocking in at 13.5% alcohol, the palate displays a harmonious balance between fruit sweetness and energetic acidity. It has layers of complexity with impeccable breadth and depth. It may be one of the finest expressions of Vin de Constance to date, and it ends with succulent flavors of apricots, saffron, quince paste and sweet candied citrus tones over the long, ever-evolving finish. Aged for a year and a half in 50% new Hungarian and French oak barrels, followed by an additional year and a half of large format wooden foudre, only the best lots end up being selected for the final blend. Bravo! Run, don’t walk to buy this world-class sweet wine to put in your cellar!”
This is the only listing in the USA today for the half-bottle!
Muller-Catoir Haardter Herzog Rieslaner Trockenbeerenauslese, Pfalz, Germany 2018 375ml $89 special, 36+ half-bottles in stock now
David Schildknecht-Vinous 97 points “Corresponding to the most desiccated (yet still virtually botrytis-free) berries picked out from the material that otherwise became this year’s Beerenauslese, here we have one of those phenomenally concentrated Müller-Catoir essays in Rieslaner’s unique dessert wine potential. Take the pear drops, honey and vanilla cream of the corresponding B.A. in all their aromatic intensity and glossy, glowing richness, and add almost buttery textural creaminess and enhanced viscosity set against a blazingly bright and invigorating evocation of fresh pineapple, clementine and lemon. The tension is, to say the least, productive…yet almost unbearable as you work the wine around in your mouth. Any sense of caramelization – such as was prominent in the corresponding Auslese – has been left behind (though perhaps some decades from now it will emerge). Smoky black tea and citrus peels lend piquant counterpoint to a mouth-shakingly vibrant, preternaturally persistent finish. The qualitative curve has in my long experience never before been this steep from Rieslaner Auslese to TBA. ‘If you could have seen how dramatically the grapes differed for each of them,’ noted Franzen, ‘then this wouldn’t surprise you.’”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Rocca di Montegrossi Vin Santo del Chianti Classico, Tuscany, Italy 2009 375ml Was $89, Now $79 special, 18 bottles in stock now
Antonio Galloni-Vinous 94 points “The 2009 Vin Santo is a rich, exotic wine, as it always is. Readers will find one of the richest most intense Vin Santos being made today. Plush, tropical and ample in feel, Rocca di Montegrossi’s Vin Santo is bold and racy to the core. The 350 grams of residual sugar leave the wine with tremendous textural plushness.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Markus Molitor Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese, Mosel, Germany 2019 750ml $499 special, 10 bottles in stock now
Markus Molitor Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese, Mosel, Germany 2019 375ml $249 special, 17 half-bottles in stock now
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 97 points “The 2019 Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Trockenbeerenauslese is deep, intense and flinty on the nose that exhibits clear, ripe and concentrated fruit with very fine botrytis notes intertwined with aromas of crushed slate and candied lemon rind. Round and elegant on the seamless palate, this is a rich yet finessed and elegant, super tensioned and mineral TBA with electrifying acidity and a highly stimulating finish. There are not many TBAs around that are as digestible as this one, which is really extraordinary. 6.5% alcohol. Tasted in May 2021 (AP 29 20).”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Renaissance Vineyard & Winery Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc, North Yuba, California 1989 375ml $11.90 special, 36+ half-bottles in stock now
Winery Note “Medium to dark amber-brown in color, this wine smells of burnt orange peel, a hint of bergamot, and cafe au lait. In the mouth dark burnt honey, cafe au lait, and a touch of even darker molasses flavors have a wonderful toasted grain quality to them that makes this wine seem almost more savory than sweet despite its significant sugar levels. Really compelling and interesting, with plenty of acidity to keep this wine lively after all this time. A phenomenal flavor experience. Moderately sweet.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Royal Tokaji Gold Label Aszu 6 Puttonyos, Tokaj, Hungary 2013 375ml Was $99, Now $89 special, 4 half-bottles in stock now
Winery Note “Rich intense nose with hints of orange and spice. Full flavoured with citrus, pear and quince fruit, outstanding structure and a long, crisp finish. A perfect vintage with miraculous weather, perfect conditions during autumn for the development of Aszú – misty mornings, warm drying winds blowing across the Great Plain of Hungary and sweeping the mists up into the vineyards. Harvested from Royal Tokaji exclusively owned vineyards, excellent quality Furmint Aszú berries with good structure and perfect botrytis were macerated in fermenting Furmint must for two days. After pressing, the wine was filled into three 300 litre old Hungarian oak casks and transferred down into Royal Tokaji’s extensive, deep underground cellars to mature for 23 months. The final blend was made during early spring in 2016 and bottled in May. Enjoy at this young age or cellar for future enjoyment as the wine matures. Sip on its own as an aperitif, serve with fruit-based desserts or hard cheeses or enjoy this mouth-watering wine on its own instead of a dessert.”
Don’t miss our sales going on now:
Weingut Prinz: A Near-Exclusive German Craft Riesling Producer!
5% off any 3-7 in-stock bottles of Prinz
10% off any 8+ or more in-stock bottles of Prinz
California Chardonnay
5% off any 3-5 in-stock bottles of California Chardonnay
10% off any 6+ or more in-stock bottles of California Chardonnay
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Weingut Prinz sale ends Friday, September 26th at 9 am Pacific. California Chardonnay sale ends Saturday, September 27th at 9 am Pacific.