In This Newsletter:
Rioja Sale
Stock Up & Save On:
Rioja
We offer thirty-six in-stock Rioja options on sale now, including:
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
Bodegas Beronia Crianza, Rioja DOCa 2021 750ml Displayed Price: $14.90, that’s $14.16 at 5% off and $13.41 at 10% off, 33 bottles in stock now
Zekun Shuai-James Suckling 91 points “Meaty berries and plums with a peppery lift and a hint of walnuts. Quite juicy and well-made, medium-bodied with soft-grained tannins. Very well-balanced and approachable. Drink now through 2030.”
Bodegas Muga: In the town of Haro in Rioja, sit the some of the best and most essential wineries of the region within a few steps of each other: Lopez de Heredia, CVNE, and Bodegas Muga. Muga combines a traditionalist approach with modern cellar techniques. Muga is a core winery at the shop. The wines offer some of the best values in the region without skimping on complexity and ageability. These are wines to enjoy now or for years or decades to come.
Bodegas Muga ‘Prado Enea’ Gran Reserva, Rioja DOCa 2016 750ml Displayed Price: $99, that’s $94.05 at 5% off and $89.10 at 10% off, 15 bottles in stock now
Luis Gutiérrez-Wine Advocate 97+ points “The expressive, complex and nuanced 2016 Prado Enea Gran Reserva is a textbook traditional Rioja in the making. 2016 was a very elegant year, with aging potential, volume and very good acidity and freshness. It’s full-bodied but fine-boned, has 14.5% alcohol, a pH of 3.6 and 5.25 grams per liter acidity. It has terrific balance, with all the components in the right proportion to age superbly in bottle. They have also been working on the selection of wood used. This wine matured in French and American oak barrels for three years, and the oak is super integrated. 127,808 bottles produced. It was bottled in January 2020. It was an exceptional year with volume and quality.”
Marques de Caceres: Rioja rides the balancing act between young and old very carefully. There are the old-guard traditionalists, who eschew any sort of stainless steel and strive for firm wines that can reach into nearly oxidative states upon release. And there are the young guns who look to showcase the incredible fruit first and foremost, bringing modern materials and techniques into their gleaming wineries. Marques de Caceres falls somewhere in between the two poles, and this could well explain why their wines are found on thousands of wine lists around the world. Not to mention the incredible value of these award-winning wines.
Marques de Caceres Crianza, Rioja DOCa 2021 750ml Displayed Price: $15.50, that’s $14.73 at 5% off and $13.95 at 10% off, 31 bottles in stock now
Decanter 90 points “Spicy on the nose, with aromas of redcurrant, leather and chocolate. Lively and fruit-driven on the palate, very approachable.”
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
Marques de Caceres Reserva, Rioja DOCa 2019 750ml Displayed Price: $19.90, that’s $18.91 at 5% off and $17.91 at 10% off, 34 bottles in stock now
Guia Penin 91 points “Color: dark-red cherry, garnet rim. Aroma: fruit preserve, aged wood nuances, tobacco, sweet spices. Flavour: spicy, round tannins, long.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Marques de Caceres Gran Reserva, Rioja DOCa 2016 750ml Displayed Price: $29.50, that’s $28.03 at 5% off and $26.55 at 10% off, 27 bottles in stock now
Wine Spectator 92 points “Warm spice and licorice notes lace the chopped cherry, green olive, sweet tobacco and vanilla flavors in this well-balanced red. Lightly chewy, with refined tannins and a minerally, tar-tinged finish. Tempranillo, Garnacha Tinta and Graciano. Drink now through 2036. 16,666 cases made, 5,000 cases imported.”
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
Marques de Riscal Reserva, Rioja DOCa 2020 750ml Displayed Price: $19, that’s $18.05 at 5% off and $17.10 at 10% off, 10 bottles in stock now
Zekun Shuai-James Suckling 94 points “Refined nose with peppery and earthy undertones to the savory berry fruit, subtle vanilla and orange. Minerals as well. This is firm and quite long on the palate, with medium body and a traditional, nicely rustic twist at the end. Really poised and persistent, showing precision and finesse. One of the best Reserva expressions lately from Marques de Riscal? A joy to drink now, but will hold well over the next 10 years.”
Marqués de Murrieta is one of the great pillars of classical Rioja—a titan of the region that’s responsible for some of the greatest wines ever produced in Spain. They resemble more polished, powerful versions of López de Heredia while sharing their age-worthiness. However, they also offer a more fruit-driven profile in their youth. Murrieta’s wines have always been favorites amongst critics and consumers alike.
Marques de Murrieta Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial, Rioja DOCa 2012 750ml Displayed Price: $275, that’s $261.25 at 5% off and $247.50 at 10% off, 6 bottles in stock now
James Suckling 100 points “So much dried flower, mushroom, iron, rust, sweet berry, and grilled orange. Full-bodied with very elegant and refined tannins that melt in the mouth and give a real sense of place and integrity. Balanced and harmonious. The finesse and finish is endless. Production was 30% less than in 2011. Already so drinkable. A wonderful future. This is the new 1934 or 1964, two legends. Drink or hold.”
Vinedos de Paganos: “Established in 1998 as a micro-project of the Eguren family’s Viñedos Sierra Cantabria, this bodega produces single-site wines from two vineyards, El Puntido and La Nieta, which are in the tiny village of Páganos. This is clearly a labor of love as the vineyards, mostly old Tempranillo, are impeccably maintained. Readers who appreciate more subtle oak influence might not be impressed with the wines when they are young, but I have found that patience yields great rewards when it comes to bringing things into harmony.” -Josh Raynolds, Vinous
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
Vinedos de Paganos El Puntido Gran Reserva, Rioja DOCa 2013 750ml Displayed Price: $89, that’s $84.55 at 5% off and $80.10 at 10% off, 14 bottles in stock now
Luis Gutiérrez-Wine Advocate 97 points “The 2013 El Puntido Gran Reserva started very shy and closed; it took time to open up to slowly unfurl the more tertiary notes, despite its youth. It reveals great complexity and nuance. It’s a triumph over the adverse conditions of a challenging year like 2013, a year with a lot of rain and a cold summer with lots of cloudy days when people thought the grapes were not going to ripen. It has a classical nose with notes of cherries in liqueur, cigar ash, decayed leaves and truffles with the spiciness from the 28 months in new French oak barrels and a lactic touch. The palate is polished, sleek and elegant. In 2018, they changed the fermentation vessels from stainless steel to concrete, but we’ll have to wait a few years to see that… 5,000 bottles produced. It has been in bottle since March 2016. It should be long lived and make old bones.”
Remelluri: Telmo Rodríguez is one of the most talented and well-respected winemakers in all of Spain. Wines here are known for their intensity and power, which Rodríguez couples with his preference for mostly-neutral French oak over American oak (which he finds too aggressive).
These iconic wines show unrivaled finesse and terroir, and offer some of the most profound expressions in all of Rioja.
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Lindes de Remelluri Vinedos de Labastida, Rioja DOCa 2021 750ml Displayed Price: $39, that’s $37.05 at 5% off and $35.10 at 10% off, 23 bottles in stock now
Joaquín Hidalgo-Vinous 93 points “The 2021 Lindes de Remelluri Viñedos de Labastida combines 89% Tempranillo, 5% Garnacha and 6% Graciano, sourced from a patchwork of soils and altitudes in Labastida, Rioja Alavesa. Complex and layered, it opens with red and black fruit, gentle herbal notes and a touch of jam. A slightly floral tone reflects the site’s character. In the mouth, reactive tannins lend drive and structure, while the fine, chalky texture reigns in the juicy, expansive palate. The year’s clarity has enhanced the overall definition.”
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
Remelluri Reserva, Rioja DOCa 2016 750ml Displayed Price: $44.50, that’s $42.28 at 5% off and $40.05 at 10% off, 36+ bottles in stock now
Luis Gutiérrez-Wine Advocate 93+ points “The estate red 2016 Reserva comes from a late growing season and was produced with local varieties like Tempranillo, Garnacha, Graciano and others from their 86 hectares of vineyards at 590 to 805 meters in altitude on limestone, sandstone and marl soils. The grapes were picked late with good ripeness and health and fermented with natural yeasts in stainless steel and open-top oak vats and then matured in oak containers of different sizes for 20 to 21 months. These are more classical wines, with a more evolved nose, with high ripeness and some balsamic and medicinal notes. It has a dusty palate with Nebbiolo-like tannins. 300,000 bottles and 8,200 magnums produced. It was bottled in May 2019.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Remelluri Vinedos de San Vicente de La Sonsierra, Rioja DOCa 2021 750ml Displayed Price: $39, that’s $37.05 at 5% off and $35.10 at 10% off, 22 bottles in stock now
Zekun Shuai-James Suckling 95 points “This is defined by the steely and spicy edges to the aromas and flavors of chalky black cherries, violets and blackberries. Firm, dusty tannins coat the medium- to full-bodied palate, with mineral tension at the end. Drink or hold.”
Macán: The most famous of all Spanish wineries, Vega Sicilia, has been producing iconoclastic wines since 1864 that have both expanded and reinforced the idea of what a Spanish wine can be. Often compared to the very finest Premier Cru wines of Bordeaux, Vega Sicilia utilizes particularly low yield harvests and extended again, only releasing their wines when they meet their stringent standards. The Macán estate is a highly-regarded collaboration between Vega Sicilia and the French wine and hospitality company of Edmond de Rothschild Heritage.
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
Rothschild & Vega Sicilia Macán Clásico, Rioja DOCa 2020 750ml Displayed Price: $59, that’s $56.05 at 5% off and $53.10 at 10% off, 11 bottles in stock now
Luis Gutiérrez-Wine Advocate 94 points “The 2020 Macán Clásico was cropped from a more generous crop. The grapes were put in a cold chamber for one night and then underwent a cold soak of three to four days, after which they inoculated the yeasts—in 2020, 25% of it was their native yeast. It fermented in stainless steel, and the élevage was 45% in new French and 5% new American oak barrels, 28% in second use barrel and 22% in stainless steel for one year. The bottled wine has 14% alcohol, a pH of 3.78 and 4.5 grams of acidity (tartaric). This is one of the most elegant vintages of this bottling so far. It has showy aromatics with notes of smoky bacon, a bit meaty, and the thing that surprised me the most was the velvety texture. 202,697 bottles, 1,998 magnums and some larger formats produced. It was bottled in August 2022.”
Sierra Cantabria is one of the landmark modern producers of Rioja—a name known both for excellent value, as well as some of the region’s true pinnacle bottlings. From top to bottom, these are some of the richest and most voluptuous wines in Rioja. They’re really special wines, aged in French rather than American oak, and are given a tremendous amount of care during the production process.
Sierra Cantabria Crianza, Rioja DOCa 2020 750ml Displayed Price: $20.90, that’s $19.86 at 5% off and $18.81 at 10% off, 24 bottles in stock now
Joaquín Hidalgo-Vinous 93 points “An intense Sonsierra wine with a modernist touch, the 2020 Crianza is 100% Tempranillo sourced from San Vicente de la Sonsierra and Labastida, Rioja. Aged for 14 months in oak barrels, this purple wine presents aromas of violets and cherry against a balsamic and herbal backdrop. Dry, juicy and compact on the palate, the taut, fine-grained tannins lead to a lingering, mouthwatering finish. This is a wellcrafted Rioja with an enticing style.”
Sierra de Tolono: In 2012, Sandra Bravo established her winery in Rioja Alavesa, working with some of the oldest and highest altitude vines in the region. With experience in wineries in Bordeaux, Tuscany, New Zealand, and California, she was ready to tackle the near-impossible heights of the foothills vineyards of the Sierra de Toloño, also known as the Sierra de Cantabria.
The terroir is what drew her. She came looking for freshness in the high elevation and calcareous soils. As she puts it, “Priorat really influenced me to make artisanal wines, and to understand that the most important is the vineyard, the vineyard with soul.” These are precise, elegantly textured wines featuring great acidity, low alcohol, and a sense of place. The wines seem to capture the energy and drama of the cool northernly winds that whistle through, imparting the sought-for freshness.
Sierra de Tolono ‘Camino de Santa Cruz’, Rioja DOCa 2021 750ml Displayed Price: $59, that’s $56.05 at 5% off and $53.10 at 10% off, 9 bottles in stock now
Wine Spectator 91 points “This fluid red shows a pleasing sense of tension and energy, with a lightly chalky sensation from the integrated tannins. Crushed black raspberry, pomegranate puree, wild thyme and mineral flavors expand through the chewy, spiced finish. Drink now through 2035. 98 cases made, 30 cases imported.”
Villota: “In 1973, the Villota family cofounded Viñedos del Contino, Rioja’s first single estate winery with CVNE. The partnership lasted until 2013, when the Villota family broke off, taking the historic family estate with them, and founded their own winery under the Villota brand on this historic plot of land… [This is from the vineyard of] Finca San Rafael, owned and cultivated by the Villota family since the 1930’s. The vineyard is distributed on three terraces that slope gently towards the Ebro River [and tended] without the use of systemic herbicides, fungicides, pesticides, or fertilizers.” -Jorge Ordóñez Selections
Villota Tinto, Rioja DOC 2020 750ml Displayed Price: $29, that’s $27.55 at 5% off and $26.10 at 10% off, 9 bottles in stock now
Joaquín Hidalgo-Vinous 90 points “The 2020 Tinto is composed of 88% Tempranillo and 12% Graciano from Laserna in Laguardia, Rioja Alavesa. Displaying a dark garnet color, it features balsamic aromas ranging from bay leaf to wild herbs in a garrigue-like mood, with hints of blackberry chutney. Dray, rich and intense, the fairly structured palate is flavorful—a potent and ripe Rioja.”
Shop our thirty-six Rioja selections now!
Don’t miss our additional sales going on now:
Chateauneuf-du-Pape
5% off any 3-5 in-stock bottles of Chateauneuf-du-Pape
10% off any 6+ or more in-stock bottles of Chateauneuf-du-Pape
Discount will not display online or in your cart,
We will adjust your invoice before processing your charge.
Sale ends Saturday, December 20th at 9 am Pacific.
Rioja Sale
Stock Up & Save On:
Rioja
The wines of Spain’s most famous and celebrated wine region, Rioja, offer a bold and deeply complex look at Tempranillo and Garnacha. Wineries are well-known for their long love-affair with French and American oak barriques, which impart signature accents to these deeply impressive reds.
There’s plenty of options to choose from amongst our in-stock selections, from budget-friendly to star of the show.
There’s plenty of options to choose from amongst our in-stock selections, from budget-friendly to star of the show.
5% off any 3-5 in-stock bottles of Rioja
10% off any 6+ or more in-stock bottles of Rioja
Discount will not display online or in your cart,
We will adjust your invoice before processing your charge.
Sale ends Sunday, December 21st at 9 am Pacific.
10% off any 6+ or more in-stock bottles of Rioja
Discount will not display online or in your cart,
We will adjust your invoice before processing your charge.
Sale ends Sunday, December 21st at 9 am Pacific.
We offer thirty-six in-stock Rioja options on sale now, including:
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
Bodegas Beronia Crianza, Rioja DOCa 2021 750ml Displayed Price: $14.90, that’s $14.16 at 5% off and $13.41 at 10% off, 33 bottles in stock now
Zekun Shuai-James Suckling 91 points “Meaty berries and plums with a peppery lift and a hint of walnuts. Quite juicy and well-made, medium-bodied with soft-grained tannins. Very well-balanced and approachable. Drink now through 2030.”
Bodegas Muga: In the town of Haro in Rioja, sit the some of the best and most essential wineries of the region within a few steps of each other: Lopez de Heredia, CVNE, and Bodegas Muga. Muga combines a traditionalist approach with modern cellar techniques. Muga is a core winery at the shop. The wines offer some of the best values in the region without skimping on complexity and ageability. These are wines to enjoy now or for years or decades to come.
Bodegas Muga ‘Prado Enea’ Gran Reserva, Rioja DOCa 2016 750ml Displayed Price: $99, that’s $94.05 at 5% off and $89.10 at 10% off, 15 bottles in stock now
Luis Gutiérrez-Wine Advocate 97+ points “The expressive, complex and nuanced 2016 Prado Enea Gran Reserva is a textbook traditional Rioja in the making. 2016 was a very elegant year, with aging potential, volume and very good acidity and freshness. It’s full-bodied but fine-boned, has 14.5% alcohol, a pH of 3.6 and 5.25 grams per liter acidity. It has terrific balance, with all the components in the right proportion to age superbly in bottle. They have also been working on the selection of wood used. This wine matured in French and American oak barrels for three years, and the oak is super integrated. 127,808 bottles produced. It was bottled in January 2020. It was an exceptional year with volume and quality.”
Marques de Caceres: Rioja rides the balancing act between young and old very carefully. There are the old-guard traditionalists, who eschew any sort of stainless steel and strive for firm wines that can reach into nearly oxidative states upon release. And there are the young guns who look to showcase the incredible fruit first and foremost, bringing modern materials and techniques into their gleaming wineries. Marques de Caceres falls somewhere in between the two poles, and this could well explain why their wines are found on thousands of wine lists around the world. Not to mention the incredible value of these award-winning wines.
Marques de Caceres Crianza, Rioja DOCa 2021 750ml Displayed Price: $15.50, that’s $14.73 at 5% off and $13.95 at 10% off, 31 bottles in stock now
Decanter 90 points “Spicy on the nose, with aromas of redcurrant, leather and chocolate. Lively and fruit-driven on the palate, very approachable.”
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
Marques de Caceres Reserva, Rioja DOCa 2019 750ml Displayed Price: $19.90, that’s $18.91 at 5% off and $17.91 at 10% off, 34 bottles in stock now
Guia Penin 91 points “Color: dark-red cherry, garnet rim. Aroma: fruit preserve, aged wood nuances, tobacco, sweet spices. Flavour: spicy, round tannins, long.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Marques de Caceres Gran Reserva, Rioja DOCa 2016 750ml Displayed Price: $29.50, that’s $28.03 at 5% off and $26.55 at 10% off, 27 bottles in stock now
Wine Spectator 92 points “Warm spice and licorice notes lace the chopped cherry, green olive, sweet tobacco and vanilla flavors in this well-balanced red. Lightly chewy, with refined tannins and a minerally, tar-tinged finish. Tempranillo, Garnacha Tinta and Graciano. Drink now through 2036. 16,666 cases made, 5,000 cases imported.”
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
Marques de Riscal Reserva, Rioja DOCa 2020 750ml Displayed Price: $19, that’s $18.05 at 5% off and $17.10 at 10% off, 10 bottles in stock now
Zekun Shuai-James Suckling 94 points “Refined nose with peppery and earthy undertones to the savory berry fruit, subtle vanilla and orange. Minerals as well. This is firm and quite long on the palate, with medium body and a traditional, nicely rustic twist at the end. Really poised and persistent, showing precision and finesse. One of the best Reserva expressions lately from Marques de Riscal? A joy to drink now, but will hold well over the next 10 years.”
Marqués de Murrieta is one of the great pillars of classical Rioja—a titan of the region that’s responsible for some of the greatest wines ever produced in Spain. They resemble more polished, powerful versions of López de Heredia while sharing their age-worthiness. However, they also offer a more fruit-driven profile in their youth. Murrieta’s wines have always been favorites amongst critics and consumers alike.
Marques de Murrieta Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial, Rioja DOCa 2012 750ml Displayed Price: $275, that’s $261.25 at 5% off and $247.50 at 10% off, 6 bottles in stock now
James Suckling 100 points “So much dried flower, mushroom, iron, rust, sweet berry, and grilled orange. Full-bodied with very elegant and refined tannins that melt in the mouth and give a real sense of place and integrity. Balanced and harmonious. The finesse and finish is endless. Production was 30% less than in 2011. Already so drinkable. A wonderful future. This is the new 1934 or 1964, two legends. Drink or hold.”
Vinedos de Paganos: “Established in 1998 as a micro-project of the Eguren family’s Viñedos Sierra Cantabria, this bodega produces single-site wines from two vineyards, El Puntido and La Nieta, which are in the tiny village of Páganos. This is clearly a labor of love as the vineyards, mostly old Tempranillo, are impeccably maintained. Readers who appreciate more subtle oak influence might not be impressed with the wines when they are young, but I have found that patience yields great rewards when it comes to bringing things into harmony.” -Josh Raynolds, Vinous
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
Vinedos de Paganos El Puntido Gran Reserva, Rioja DOCa 2013 750ml Displayed Price: $89, that’s $84.55 at 5% off and $80.10 at 10% off, 14 bottles in stock now
Luis Gutiérrez-Wine Advocate 97 points “The 2013 El Puntido Gran Reserva started very shy and closed; it took time to open up to slowly unfurl the more tertiary notes, despite its youth. It reveals great complexity and nuance. It’s a triumph over the adverse conditions of a challenging year like 2013, a year with a lot of rain and a cold summer with lots of cloudy days when people thought the grapes were not going to ripen. It has a classical nose with notes of cherries in liqueur, cigar ash, decayed leaves and truffles with the spiciness from the 28 months in new French oak barrels and a lactic touch. The palate is polished, sleek and elegant. In 2018, they changed the fermentation vessels from stainless steel to concrete, but we’ll have to wait a few years to see that… 5,000 bottles produced. It has been in bottle since March 2016. It should be long lived and make old bones.”
Remelluri: Telmo Rodríguez is one of the most talented and well-respected winemakers in all of Spain. Wines here are known for their intensity and power, which Rodríguez couples with his preference for mostly-neutral French oak over American oak (which he finds too aggressive).
These iconic wines show unrivaled finesse and terroir, and offer some of the most profound expressions in all of Rioja.
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Lindes de Remelluri Vinedos de Labastida, Rioja DOCa 2021 750ml Displayed Price: $39, that’s $37.05 at 5% off and $35.10 at 10% off, 23 bottles in stock now
Joaquín Hidalgo-Vinous 93 points “The 2021 Lindes de Remelluri Viñedos de Labastida combines 89% Tempranillo, 5% Garnacha and 6% Graciano, sourced from a patchwork of soils and altitudes in Labastida, Rioja Alavesa. Complex and layered, it opens with red and black fruit, gentle herbal notes and a touch of jam. A slightly floral tone reflects the site’s character. In the mouth, reactive tannins lend drive and structure, while the fine, chalky texture reigns in the juicy, expansive palate. The year’s clarity has enhanced the overall definition.”
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
Remelluri Reserva, Rioja DOCa 2016 750ml Displayed Price: $44.50, that’s $42.28 at 5% off and $40.05 at 10% off, 36+ bottles in stock now
Luis Gutiérrez-Wine Advocate 93+ points “The estate red 2016 Reserva comes from a late growing season and was produced with local varieties like Tempranillo, Garnacha, Graciano and others from their 86 hectares of vineyards at 590 to 805 meters in altitude on limestone, sandstone and marl soils. The grapes were picked late with good ripeness and health and fermented with natural yeasts in stainless steel and open-top oak vats and then matured in oak containers of different sizes for 20 to 21 months. These are more classical wines, with a more evolved nose, with high ripeness and some balsamic and medicinal notes. It has a dusty palate with Nebbiolo-like tannins. 300,000 bottles and 8,200 magnums produced. It was bottled in May 2019.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Remelluri Vinedos de San Vicente de La Sonsierra, Rioja DOCa 2021 750ml Displayed Price: $39, that’s $37.05 at 5% off and $35.10 at 10% off, 22 bottles in stock now
Zekun Shuai-James Suckling 95 points “This is defined by the steely and spicy edges to the aromas and flavors of chalky black cherries, violets and blackberries. Firm, dusty tannins coat the medium- to full-bodied palate, with mineral tension at the end. Drink or hold.”
Macán: The most famous of all Spanish wineries, Vega Sicilia, has been producing iconoclastic wines since 1864 that have both expanded and reinforced the idea of what a Spanish wine can be. Often compared to the very finest Premier Cru wines of Bordeaux, Vega Sicilia utilizes particularly low yield harvests and extended again, only releasing their wines when they meet their stringent standards. The Macán estate is a highly-regarded collaboration between Vega Sicilia and the French wine and hospitality company of Edmond de Rothschild Heritage.
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
Rothschild & Vega Sicilia Macán Clásico, Rioja DOCa 2020 750ml Displayed Price: $59, that’s $56.05 at 5% off and $53.10 at 10% off, 11 bottles in stock now
Luis Gutiérrez-Wine Advocate 94 points “The 2020 Macán Clásico was cropped from a more generous crop. The grapes were put in a cold chamber for one night and then underwent a cold soak of three to four days, after which they inoculated the yeasts—in 2020, 25% of it was their native yeast. It fermented in stainless steel, and the élevage was 45% in new French and 5% new American oak barrels, 28% in second use barrel and 22% in stainless steel for one year. The bottled wine has 14% alcohol, a pH of 3.78 and 4.5 grams of acidity (tartaric). This is one of the most elegant vintages of this bottling so far. It has showy aromatics with notes of smoky bacon, a bit meaty, and the thing that surprised me the most was the velvety texture. 202,697 bottles, 1,998 magnums and some larger formats produced. It was bottled in August 2022.”
Sierra Cantabria is one of the landmark modern producers of Rioja—a name known both for excellent value, as well as some of the region’s true pinnacle bottlings. From top to bottom, these are some of the richest and most voluptuous wines in Rioja. They’re really special wines, aged in French rather than American oak, and are given a tremendous amount of care during the production process.
Sierra Cantabria Crianza, Rioja DOCa 2020 750ml Displayed Price: $20.90, that’s $19.86 at 5% off and $18.81 at 10% off, 24 bottles in stock now
Joaquín Hidalgo-Vinous 93 points “An intense Sonsierra wine with a modernist touch, the 2020 Crianza is 100% Tempranillo sourced from San Vicente de la Sonsierra and Labastida, Rioja. Aged for 14 months in oak barrels, this purple wine presents aromas of violets and cherry against a balsamic and herbal backdrop. Dry, juicy and compact on the palate, the taut, fine-grained tannins lead to a lingering, mouthwatering finish. This is a wellcrafted Rioja with an enticing style.”
Sierra de Tolono: In 2012, Sandra Bravo established her winery in Rioja Alavesa, working with some of the oldest and highest altitude vines in the region. With experience in wineries in Bordeaux, Tuscany, New Zealand, and California, she was ready to tackle the near-impossible heights of the foothills vineyards of the Sierra de Toloño, also known as the Sierra de Cantabria.
The terroir is what drew her. She came looking for freshness in the high elevation and calcareous soils. As she puts it, “Priorat really influenced me to make artisanal wines, and to understand that the most important is the vineyard, the vineyard with soul.” These are precise, elegantly textured wines featuring great acidity, low alcohol, and a sense of place. The wines seem to capture the energy and drama of the cool northernly winds that whistle through, imparting the sought-for freshness.
Sierra de Tolono ‘Camino de Santa Cruz’, Rioja DOCa 2021 750ml Displayed Price: $59, that’s $56.05 at 5% off and $53.10 at 10% off, 9 bottles in stock now
Wine Spectator 91 points “This fluid red shows a pleasing sense of tension and energy, with a lightly chalky sensation from the integrated tannins. Crushed black raspberry, pomegranate puree, wild thyme and mineral flavors expand through the chewy, spiced finish. Drink now through 2035. 98 cases made, 30 cases imported.”
Villota: “In 1973, the Villota family cofounded Viñedos del Contino, Rioja’s first single estate winery with CVNE. The partnership lasted until 2013, when the Villota family broke off, taking the historic family estate with them, and founded their own winery under the Villota brand on this historic plot of land… [This is from the vineyard of] Finca San Rafael, owned and cultivated by the Villota family since the 1930’s. The vineyard is distributed on three terraces that slope gently towards the Ebro River [and tended] without the use of systemic herbicides, fungicides, pesticides, or fertilizers.” -Jorge Ordóñez Selections
Villota Tinto, Rioja DOC 2020 750ml Displayed Price: $29, that’s $27.55 at 5% off and $26.10 at 10% off, 9 bottles in stock now
Joaquín Hidalgo-Vinous 90 points “The 2020 Tinto is composed of 88% Tempranillo and 12% Graciano from Laserna in Laguardia, Rioja Alavesa. Displaying a dark garnet color, it features balsamic aromas ranging from bay leaf to wild herbs in a garrigue-like mood, with hints of blackberry chutney. Dray, rich and intense, the fairly structured palate is flavorful—a potent and ripe Rioja.”
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Chateauneuf-du-Pape
5% off any 3-5 in-stock bottles of Chateauneuf-du-Pape
10% off any 6+ or more in-stock bottles of Chateauneuf-du-Pape
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Sale ends Saturday, December 20th at 9 am Pacific.