In This Newsletter:
Boo-jolais Sale
Tales from the Cellar
Boo-jolais Sale:
Don’t Be Scared (They’re Just French)
We offer thirty in-stock Beaujolais options on sale now, including:
Jean-Paul Brun Domaine des Terres Dorees Beaujolais Blanc 2023 750ml Displayed Price: $21.90, that’s $20.81 at 5% off and $19.71 at 10% off, 24 bottles in stock now
“The 2023 Beaujolais Blanc Classic Chardonnay has a potent nose with red apple, pear and light peachy scents. The palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity to counter its rounded tropical tones. Touches of melon and kumquat develop towards the finish, with a hint of spice on the aftertaste. Drink over the next three years. (Drink between 2025-2028).” -Neal Martin, Vinous
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
Jean-Paul Brun Domaine des Terres Dorees Beaujolais l’Ancien 2023 750ml Displayed Price: $21.90, that’s $20.81 at 5% off and $19.71 at 10% off, 22 bottles in stock now
Winemaker Note “Made from Jean-Paul’s oldest vines, which grow in tighter bunches with fewer and smaller, thicker-skinned berries, yielding more concentrated flavor. The grapes are harvested late with a naturally high sugar level. The wine is vinified using traditional Burgundy techniques. Deeply colored with rich red-fruit aroma and flavor and soft tannins.”
Daniel Bouland Morgon Bellevue ‘Cailloux’ 2022 750ml Displayed Price: $41.90, that’s $39.81 at 5% off and $37.71 at 10% off, 29 bottles in stock now
John Gilman-A View From the Cellar 94 points “The Bellevue “Cailloux” bottling from Domaine Bouland is made from vines that are over sixty years of age in this climat age and planted on granitic soils. The 2022 Bellevue “Cailloux” is nicely ripe in the style of the vintage, coming in at fourteen percent octane, but vibrant and utterly pure on both the nose and palate. The beautiful bouquet delivers an aromatic constellation of sweet dark berries, black cherries, woodsmoke, spit-roasted pigeon, black tea, fresh thyme and a superb base of granitic minerality. On the palate the wine is bright, focused and full-bodied, with a rock solid core of fruit, great mineral undertow and grip, ripe, firm tannins and excellent balance on the long, nascently complex and very promising finish. This is a classic bottle of young Morgon from a great vintage and will demand plenty of cellaring time before it softens up to drink. It will be very long-lived and a great wine once the tannins start to peel away. 2033-2085.”
Daniel Bouland Morgon Les Delys Vieilles Vignes 2022 750ml Displayed Price: $46.50, that’s $44.18 at 5% off and $41.85 at 10% off, 18 bottles in stock now
John Gilman-A View From the Cellar 96 points “The 2022 vintage of Daniel Bouland’s Morgon “Delys 1926″ is a brilliant young Cru Beaujolais. The wine comes in at an even fourteen percent in this vintage and offers up truly stunning depth of fruit on both the nose and palate, as these ancient vines have dug deep into the subterranean water sources to keep maturity progressing flawlessly in this dry growing season. The wine wafts from the glass in a complex and sappy blend of sweet dark berries, black cherries, pomegranate, grilled pigeon, dark soil tones, espresso woodsmoke and a topnote of violets. On the palate the wine is pure, sappy and full-bodied, with a bottomless core of old vine fruit, fine-grained, buried tannins, great focus and grip and a long, seamlessly balanced and very complex finish. This is one of the greatest young bottles of Morgon I have ever had the pleasure to taste and it would be insane not to allow it at least some time in the cellar to unlock its secondary and tertiary layers of complexity. 2029-2085.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Domaine Louis Claude Desvignes Morgon ‘Chateau Gaillard’ 2021 750ml Displayed Price: $33, that’s $31.35 at 5% off and $29.70 at 10% off, 12 bottles in stock now
William Kelley-Wine Advocate 90 points “Aromas of cherries, smoky berries and plums preface the 2021 Morgon Chāteau Gaillard, a medium to full-bodied, ample and enveloping wine with a sweet core of fruit, lively acids and an open, giving profile. Cropped at a yield of 17 hectoliters per hectare as a result of frost, it was entirely destemmed this year.”
Jean-Louis Dutraive Domaine de la Grand ‘Cour Fleurie ‘Clos de la Grand’Cour’ 2023 750ml Displayed Price: $42.50, that’s $40.38 at 5% off and $38.25 at 10% off, 12 bottles in stock now
Stuart Pigott-James Suckling 93 points “”Very cool, delicate and restrained, this Fleurie is barely medium-bodied but has quite a firm tannic core and plenty of wet-stone minerality. The red berry fruit is still a bit closed, so you need some patience. Very good structure in the long finish. From organically grown grapes. From approximately 40-year-old vines. Matured in large neutral oak foudre barrels and smaller barrels that are at least five years old.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Louis Jadot Chateau des Jacques Moulin-a-Vent 2022 750ml Displayed Price: $31.90, that’s $30.31 at 5% off and $28.71 at 10% off, 23 bottles in stock now
Neal Martin-Vinous 91 points “The 2022 Moulin-à-Vent has a sapid, marine-tinged bouquet, hints of shucked oyster shell infusing the dark berry fruit. Fine delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly furry tannins, spicier than the Morgon, with a little more edginess and pepperiness on the finish. Very fine. (Drink between 2024-2032).”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Louis Jadot Chateau des Jacques Moulin-a-Vent Clos du Grand Carquelin 2022 750ml Displayed Price: $49, that’s $46.55 at 5% off and $44.10 at 10% off, 16 bottles in stock now
Louis Jadot Chateau des Jacques Moulin-a-Vent Clos du Grand Carquelin 2022 1.5L Displayed Price: $99, that’s $94.05 at 5% off and $89.10 at 10% off, 3 magnums in stock now
Winery Note “A few steps away from the windmill itself, and separated from the la Roche vineyard by a small road, the Clos du grand Carquelin faces a little bit more towards the south and offers a different personality. Here the soil is made of granitic sands and is deeper (60m) and more clayish…The Clos du Grand Carquelin is a particularly complex, delicate and elegant wine. It is appealing, lively and opens nicely once in a glass. This cru Beaujolais is a nice companion to delicately flavoured dishes.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Louis Jadot Chateau des Jacques Moulin-a-Vent La Roche 2022 750ml Displayed Price: $49, that’s $46.55 at 5% off and $44.10 at 10% off, 18 bottles in stock now
Winery Note “As ‘la Roche’ means, this vineyard is situated under the windmill (Moulin-A-Vent) on the mother rock old of 320 million years Only the Gamay grape is able to prosper on such soils almost without any water reserve throughout the year. Vinification: Picked and sorted by hand, then often de-stemmed, the grapes macerate slowly over the course of three to four weeks. Both pigeage and pumping over takes place during fermentation depending on the vintage. Winemaking and bottling: The wines are aged in our historic cellar for 10 months, a period spent in oak barrels, partly new and partly one, two and three vinages old.. The oak used to make the barrels comes from the French forests of Allier, Limousin and Nivernais. Tasting / Food pairing: La Roche is a wine of great tension, with lots of minerality and precision. It is very linear in style, a characteristic that makes it a particularly apt match for complex and refined dishes.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Yohan Lardy Moulin-a-Vent ‘Vieilles Vignes de 1903’ 2022 1.5L Displayed Price: $69, that’s $65.55 at 5% off and $62.10 at 10% off, 3 magnums in stock now
Stuart Pigott-James Suckling 96 points “Still very youthful, this powerful and highly structured Moulin-a-Vent has excellent freshness for the very hot and dry vintage. In fact it still needs some time to open up and reveal its rich treasures. Ripe cherries and a touch of Damson plums on the nose, also a wealth of spicy nuances. Compact core of fine tannins, which drive the very long finish, where there’s a wonderful mineral freshness. Drinkable now, but best from 2025.”
Shop our thirty Beaujolais selections now!
Tales from the Cellar:
Dal Forno
Browse our thirteen selections from the Veneto.
Don’t miss our sale going on now:
Kopke: Wines from the Crypt
5% off any 3-5 in-stock bottles of Kopke
10% off any 6+ or more in-stock bottles of Kopke
Discount will not display online or in your cart,
We will adjust your invoice before processing your charge.
Kopke sale ends Saturday, November 1st at 9 am Pacific.
Boo-jolais Sale
Tales from the Cellar
Boo-jolais Sale:
Don’t Be Scared (They’re Just French)
Looking for a spooky-good deal on a refreshing and fashionable red? Shop our three-day sale on Beaujolais! This region in France just south of Burgundy’s Cote de Beaune releases gorgeous and surprisingly ageable wines made from 100% Gamay.
Of late, its winemakers have shifted to more sustainable growing methods (made famous with Kermit Lynch’s Gang of Four), emphasis on traditional winemaking methods (both for Beaujolais and Burgundian, and producing cellar-worthy gems.
Our favorite part? These affordable reds are just dying to be paired with food. Their lifted acidity and ebullient fruit profile just beg for roast duck or panfried mushrooms.
Could there be a more perfect red? We’re not so sure. It’s certainly one of the most flexible for the money (we can’t drink Oregon Pinot every day!). Delicious now, yet surprisingly cellar-worthy, flexible from appetizers to the cheese course, innovative yet deeply loved by traditionalist, cult yet affordable, Beaujolais has it all. Now you can, too.
Of late, its winemakers have shifted to more sustainable growing methods (made famous with Kermit Lynch’s Gang of Four), emphasis on traditional winemaking methods (both for Beaujolais and Burgundian, and producing cellar-worthy gems.
Our favorite part? These affordable reds are just dying to be paired with food. Their lifted acidity and ebullient fruit profile just beg for roast duck or panfried mushrooms.
Could there be a more perfect red? We’re not so sure. It’s certainly one of the most flexible for the money (we can’t drink Oregon Pinot every day!). Delicious now, yet surprisingly cellar-worthy, flexible from appetizers to the cheese course, innovative yet deeply loved by traditionalist, cult yet affordable, Beaujolais has it all. Now you can, too.
5% off any 3-5 in-stock bottles of Beaujolais
10% off any 6+ or more in-stock bottles of Beaujolais
Discount will not display online or in your cart,
We will adjust your invoice before processing your charge.
Sale ends Sunday, November 2nd at 9 am Pacific.
10% off any 6+ or more in-stock bottles of Beaujolais
Discount will not display online or in your cart,
We will adjust your invoice before processing your charge.
Sale ends Sunday, November 2nd at 9 am Pacific.
We offer thirty in-stock Beaujolais options on sale now, including:
Jean-Paul Brun Domaine des Terres Dorees Beaujolais Blanc 2023 750ml Displayed Price: $21.90, that’s $20.81 at 5% off and $19.71 at 10% off, 24 bottles in stock now
“The 2023 Beaujolais Blanc Classic Chardonnay has a potent nose with red apple, pear and light peachy scents. The palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity to counter its rounded tropical tones. Touches of melon and kumquat develop towards the finish, with a hint of spice on the aftertaste. Drink over the next three years. (Drink between 2025-2028).” -Neal Martin, Vinous
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
Jean-Paul Brun Domaine des Terres Dorees Beaujolais l’Ancien 2023 750ml Displayed Price: $21.90, that’s $20.81 at 5% off and $19.71 at 10% off, 22 bottles in stock now
Winemaker Note “Made from Jean-Paul’s oldest vines, which grow in tighter bunches with fewer and smaller, thicker-skinned berries, yielding more concentrated flavor. The grapes are harvested late with a naturally high sugar level. The wine is vinified using traditional Burgundy techniques. Deeply colored with rich red-fruit aroma and flavor and soft tannins.”
Daniel Bouland Morgon Bellevue ‘Cailloux’ 2022 750ml Displayed Price: $41.90, that’s $39.81 at 5% off and $37.71 at 10% off, 29 bottles in stock now
John Gilman-A View From the Cellar 94 points “The Bellevue “Cailloux” bottling from Domaine Bouland is made from vines that are over sixty years of age in this climat age and planted on granitic soils. The 2022 Bellevue “Cailloux” is nicely ripe in the style of the vintage, coming in at fourteen percent octane, but vibrant and utterly pure on both the nose and palate. The beautiful bouquet delivers an aromatic constellation of sweet dark berries, black cherries, woodsmoke, spit-roasted pigeon, black tea, fresh thyme and a superb base of granitic minerality. On the palate the wine is bright, focused and full-bodied, with a rock solid core of fruit, great mineral undertow and grip, ripe, firm tannins and excellent balance on the long, nascently complex and very promising finish. This is a classic bottle of young Morgon from a great vintage and will demand plenty of cellaring time before it softens up to drink. It will be very long-lived and a great wine once the tannins start to peel away. 2033-2085.”
Daniel Bouland Morgon Les Delys Vieilles Vignes 2022 750ml Displayed Price: $46.50, that’s $44.18 at 5% off and $41.85 at 10% off, 18 bottles in stock now
John Gilman-A View From the Cellar 96 points “The 2022 vintage of Daniel Bouland’s Morgon “Delys 1926″ is a brilliant young Cru Beaujolais. The wine comes in at an even fourteen percent in this vintage and offers up truly stunning depth of fruit on both the nose and palate, as these ancient vines have dug deep into the subterranean water sources to keep maturity progressing flawlessly in this dry growing season. The wine wafts from the glass in a complex and sappy blend of sweet dark berries, black cherries, pomegranate, grilled pigeon, dark soil tones, espresso woodsmoke and a topnote of violets. On the palate the wine is pure, sappy and full-bodied, with a bottomless core of old vine fruit, fine-grained, buried tannins, great focus and grip and a long, seamlessly balanced and very complex finish. This is one of the greatest young bottles of Morgon I have ever had the pleasure to taste and it would be insane not to allow it at least some time in the cellar to unlock its secondary and tertiary layers of complexity. 2029-2085.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Domaine Louis Claude Desvignes Morgon ‘Chateau Gaillard’ 2021 750ml Displayed Price: $33, that’s $31.35 at 5% off and $29.70 at 10% off, 12 bottles in stock now
William Kelley-Wine Advocate 90 points “Aromas of cherries, smoky berries and plums preface the 2021 Morgon Chāteau Gaillard, a medium to full-bodied, ample and enveloping wine with a sweet core of fruit, lively acids and an open, giving profile. Cropped at a yield of 17 hectoliters per hectare as a result of frost, it was entirely destemmed this year.”
Jean-Louis Dutraive Domaine de la Grand ‘Cour Fleurie ‘Clos de la Grand’Cour’ 2023 750ml Displayed Price: $42.50, that’s $40.38 at 5% off and $38.25 at 10% off, 12 bottles in stock now
Stuart Pigott-James Suckling 93 points “”Very cool, delicate and restrained, this Fleurie is barely medium-bodied but has quite a firm tannic core and plenty of wet-stone minerality. The red berry fruit is still a bit closed, so you need some patience. Very good structure in the long finish. From organically grown grapes. From approximately 40-year-old vines. Matured in large neutral oak foudre barrels and smaller barrels that are at least five years old.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Louis Jadot Chateau des Jacques Moulin-a-Vent 2022 750ml Displayed Price: $31.90, that’s $30.31 at 5% off and $28.71 at 10% off, 23 bottles in stock now
Neal Martin-Vinous 91 points “The 2022 Moulin-à-Vent has a sapid, marine-tinged bouquet, hints of shucked oyster shell infusing the dark berry fruit. Fine delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly furry tannins, spicier than the Morgon, with a little more edginess and pepperiness on the finish. Very fine. (Drink between 2024-2032).”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Louis Jadot Chateau des Jacques Moulin-a-Vent Clos du Grand Carquelin 2022 750ml Displayed Price: $49, that’s $46.55 at 5% off and $44.10 at 10% off, 16 bottles in stock now
Louis Jadot Chateau des Jacques Moulin-a-Vent Clos du Grand Carquelin 2022 1.5L Displayed Price: $99, that’s $94.05 at 5% off and $89.10 at 10% off, 3 magnums in stock now
Winery Note “A few steps away from the windmill itself, and separated from the la Roche vineyard by a small road, the Clos du grand Carquelin faces a little bit more towards the south and offers a different personality. Here the soil is made of granitic sands and is deeper (60m) and more clayish…The Clos du Grand Carquelin is a particularly complex, delicate and elegant wine. It is appealing, lively and opens nicely once in a glass. This cru Beaujolais is a nice companion to delicately flavoured dishes.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Louis Jadot Chateau des Jacques Moulin-a-Vent La Roche 2022 750ml Displayed Price: $49, that’s $46.55 at 5% off and $44.10 at 10% off, 18 bottles in stock now
Winery Note “As ‘la Roche’ means, this vineyard is situated under the windmill (Moulin-A-Vent) on the mother rock old of 320 million years Only the Gamay grape is able to prosper on such soils almost without any water reserve throughout the year. Vinification: Picked and sorted by hand, then often de-stemmed, the grapes macerate slowly over the course of three to four weeks. Both pigeage and pumping over takes place during fermentation depending on the vintage. Winemaking and bottling: The wines are aged in our historic cellar for 10 months, a period spent in oak barrels, partly new and partly one, two and three vinages old.. The oak used to make the barrels comes from the French forests of Allier, Limousin and Nivernais. Tasting / Food pairing: La Roche is a wine of great tension, with lots of minerality and precision. It is very linear in style, a characteristic that makes it a particularly apt match for complex and refined dishes.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Yohan Lardy Moulin-a-Vent ‘Vieilles Vignes de 1903’ 2022 1.5L Displayed Price: $69, that’s $65.55 at 5% off and $62.10 at 10% off, 3 magnums in stock now
Stuart Pigott-James Suckling 96 points “Still very youthful, this powerful and highly structured Moulin-a-Vent has excellent freshness for the very hot and dry vintage. In fact it still needs some time to open up and reveal its rich treasures. Ripe cherries and a touch of Damson plums on the nose, also a wealth of spicy nuances. Compact core of fine tannins, which drive the very long finish, where there’s a wonderful mineral freshness. Drinkable now, but best from 2025.”
Shop our thirty Beaujolais selections now!
Tales from the Cellar:
Dal Forno
For over thirty years, the Dal Forno family has been crafting deeply concentrated expressions of Valpolicella and Amarone. Their name practically defines the style of wines from this northeastern portion of the Veneto.
Established in 1983 by Romano Dal Forno, the estate vaulted to the heights of perfection in the Venato. The family employs traditional winemaking techniques, such as extended drying of the grapes before pressing, to craft their serious and seriously concentrated wines.
Vines hail from the foothills at around 1,000 feet above sea level. Here, the family’s 65 acres are planted to indigenous varieties such as Corvina, Corvinone, and Rondinella, grown and pruned according to ancient traditions.
So, what’s a wine lover to do? Our suggestion: embrace the concentration and richness inherent in Dal Forno wines. For no one matches the sheer hedonistic bombast of Dal Forno. Crave impact. EXPERIENCE power. Seek wines that whisper of the Old and Ancient mysteries of this world.
In Stock Now:
Dal Forno Romano Vigneto Monte Lodoletta, Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG 2012 750ml Was $379, Now $329 special, 2 bottles in stock now
James Suckling 97 points “A decadent nose of treacle tart, chocolate, tar, tons of black fruit such as blackberries and mulberries and even ash and licorice. A dense, layered mouthfeel makes for a full-bodied palate that’s explosive yet somehow so refined and pretty all at the same time. The finish goes on and on. Incredible now, but better to wait for this giant to settle well into 2020.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Dal Forno Romano Vigneto Monte Lodoletta, Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG 2015 750ml Was $419, Now $379 special, 4 bottles in stock now
James Suckling 100 points “This is black as pitch in the glass and, yes, there’s a light, tarry edge to the super-concentrated prune, date and currant fruit. But even more interesting are the complex notes of bitter-orange liqueur, aged balsamic, fresh roasting herbs, cinnamon, roasted chestnuts, black tea and licorice. The more you decant in advance, the more nuances will emerge. It’s full-boded with huge concentration and lots of chewy tannin that is managing to hold the fruit back for now. This needs plenty of time to develop in the bottle. Just superb. One of the greatest Dal Forno’s ever.”
Dal Forno Romano Vigneto Monte Lodoletta, Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG 2017 750ml Was $449, Now $399 special, 4 bottles in stock now
James Suckling 98 points “The current release. A tour de force, despite the sheer morass of palate-staining fruit. The malty oak is evident, yet operates as a welcome adjunct to corral and compress the swashbuckle of coffee grinds, beef bouillon, mint, leather varnish and saturated dark cherry liqueur, into a sheath of tension as much as sheer power. Grapes are dried for 70-80 days. This may seem obvious initially, but as one works it out in the glass and across the inner gums, the multitudinous layers become evident. A wine that shape-shifts and beguiles, as much it wrestles with the senses. Excellent. Drink or hold.”
Established in 1983 by Romano Dal Forno, the estate vaulted to the heights of perfection in the Venato. The family employs traditional winemaking techniques, such as extended drying of the grapes before pressing, to craft their serious and seriously concentrated wines.
Vines hail from the foothills at around 1,000 feet above sea level. Here, the family’s 65 acres are planted to indigenous varieties such as Corvina, Corvinone, and Rondinella, grown and pruned according to ancient traditions.
So, what’s a wine lover to do? Our suggestion: embrace the concentration and richness inherent in Dal Forno wines. For no one matches the sheer hedonistic bombast of Dal Forno. Crave impact. EXPERIENCE power. Seek wines that whisper of the Old and Ancient mysteries of this world.
In Stock Now:
Dal Forno Romano Vigneto Monte Lodoletta, Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG 2012 750ml Was $379, Now $329 special, 2 bottles in stock now
James Suckling 97 points “A decadent nose of treacle tart, chocolate, tar, tons of black fruit such as blackberries and mulberries and even ash and licorice. A dense, layered mouthfeel makes for a full-bodied palate that’s explosive yet somehow so refined and pretty all at the same time. The finish goes on and on. Incredible now, but better to wait for this giant to settle well into 2020.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Dal Forno Romano Vigneto Monte Lodoletta, Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG 2015 750ml Was $419, Now $379 special, 4 bottles in stock now
James Suckling 100 points “This is black as pitch in the glass and, yes, there’s a light, tarry edge to the super-concentrated prune, date and currant fruit. But even more interesting are the complex notes of bitter-orange liqueur, aged balsamic, fresh roasting herbs, cinnamon, roasted chestnuts, black tea and licorice. The more you decant in advance, the more nuances will emerge. It’s full-boded with huge concentration and lots of chewy tannin that is managing to hold the fruit back for now. This needs plenty of time to develop in the bottle. Just superb. One of the greatest Dal Forno’s ever.”
Dal Forno Romano Vigneto Monte Lodoletta, Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG 2017 750ml Was $449, Now $399 special, 4 bottles in stock now
James Suckling 98 points “The current release. A tour de force, despite the sheer morass of palate-staining fruit. The malty oak is evident, yet operates as a welcome adjunct to corral and compress the swashbuckle of coffee grinds, beef bouillon, mint, leather varnish and saturated dark cherry liqueur, into a sheath of tension as much as sheer power. Grapes are dried for 70-80 days. This may seem obvious initially, but as one works it out in the glass and across the inner gums, the multitudinous layers become evident. A wine that shape-shifts and beguiles, as much it wrestles with the senses. Excellent. Drink or hold.”
Browse our thirteen selections from the Veneto.
Don’t miss our sale going on now:
Kopke: Wines from the Crypt
5% off any 3-5 in-stock bottles of Kopke
10% off any 6+ or more in-stock bottles of Kopke
Discount will not display online or in your cart,
We will adjust your invoice before processing your charge.
Kopke sale ends Saturday, November 1st at 9 am Pacific.