In This Newsletter:
Burklin-Wolf Sale
Nerd Alert Featurette: Envinate
A Great Estate & A Great Value, Too
Stock Up & Save On:
Burklin-Wolf
Burklin-Wolf Sale
Nerd Alert Featurette: Envinate
A Great Estate & A Great Value, Too
Stock Up & Save On:
Burklin-Wolf
Dry German Riesling is one of the most complex white wines in the world, yet is also one of the most undervalued. Historic and well-respected producers here can turn heads and hearts without turning your wallet inside-out. One such estate is the innovative Dr. Bürklin-Wolf.
The estate of Dr. Bürklin-Wolf is a fixture in the Pfalz. Its quality and prestige have been lauded for centuries. Helmed since 1990 by Bettina Bürklin-von Guradze, she has only improved an already incredible winery. She oversaw the conversion to biodynamics and the shift to exclusively using estate-grown fruit.
The wines show nuanced texture, thrilling acidity, and uncompromisingly unique character across different sites. These are peers of the great biodynamic estates of France such as Lafite, Latour, and DRC in nearly every metric except price. Good luck finding one of their wines for under $20. Stock your cellar with these incredible values instead.
The estate of Dr. Bürklin-Wolf is a fixture in the Pfalz. Its quality and prestige have been lauded for centuries. Helmed since 1990 by Bettina Bürklin-von Guradze, she has only improved an already incredible winery. She oversaw the conversion to biodynamics and the shift to exclusively using estate-grown fruit.
The wines show nuanced texture, thrilling acidity, and uncompromisingly unique character across different sites. These are peers of the great biodynamic estates of France such as Lafite, Latour, and DRC in nearly every metric except price. Good luck finding one of their wines for under $20. Stock your cellar with these incredible values instead.
5% off any 3-5 in-stock bottles of Burklin-Wolf
10% off any 6+ or more in-stock bottles of Burklin-Wolf
Discount will not display online or in your cart,
We will adjust your invoice before processing your charge.
Sale ends Saturday, May 24th at 9 am Pacific.
10% off any 6+ or more in-stock bottles of Burklin-Wolf
Discount will not display online or in your cart,
We will adjust your invoice before processing your charge.
Sale ends Saturday, May 24th at 9 am Pacific.
We offer eight in-stock Burklin-Wolf options on sale now, including:
Dr. Burklin-Wolf Wachenheimer Riesling Trocken 2017 750ml Displayed Price: $18, that’s $17.10 at 5% off and $16.20 at 10% off, 23 bottles in stock now
Stuart Pigott (Suckling) 92 points “Slightly funky (from wild ferment) but also great citrus, pear and peach aromas. Good concentration for a village wine with quite a linear profile. Very clean finish. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Dr. Burklin-Wolf Ruppertsberger Hoheburg P.C. Riesling Trocken 2021 750ml Displayed Price: $49, that’s $46.55 at 5% off and $44.10 at 10% off, 5 bottles in stock now
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 92+ points “Of the total of 20 hectares of vines in this Ruppertsberg top site, Bürklin holds 4.68 hectares. Located at the foot of the Mittelhaardt on red and white sandstone, the premier cru benefits from favorable microclimatic advantages. The 2021 Ruppertsberger Hoheburg P.C. is intense but also coolish and clear, with cold, gravelly notes intertwined with ripe yellow apple aromas. Full-bodied, intense and textured yet structured by vivacious acidity and phenolic grip, this is a young and untamed dry Riesling with an intense, saline and still biting finish. 12.5% stated alcohol. Natural cork stopper. Tasted in November 2022.”
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
Dr. Burklin-Wolf Wachenheimer Goldbachel P.C. Riesling Trocken 2020 750ml Displayed Price: $49, that’s $46.55 at 5% off and $44.10 at 10% off, 3 bottles in stock now
Stuart Pigott (Suckling) 94 points “An immediately attractive, elegant dry white that’s got a wonderful interplay between juicy stone-fruit character and very bright, refreshing acidity that drives the long, delicately chalky finish. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold.”
Dr. Burklin-Wolf Ruppertsberger Gaisbohl G.C. Riesling 2020 750ml Displayed Price: $69, that’s $65.55 at 5% off and $62.10 at 10% off, 9 bottles in stock now
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 95 points “The Ruppertsberger 2020 Gaisböhl G.C. is very clear, dense and elegant on the citric, aromatic and concentrated nose that indicates mineral substance and healthy, ripe Riesling fruit. Pure and saline, with dense and concentrated ripe fruit (apples) and ripe phenolics, this is a full-bodied, refined and fresh, vital and mineral Rupperstberger Gaisböhl Riesling with a long, intense and substantial finish that reveals power that is turned into energy by tension-giving minerals. It’s a great, age-worthy Riesling and possibly the finest you can find from Ruppertsberg 12.5% stated alcohol. Natural cork. Tasted in June 2023.”
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
Dr. Burklin-Wolf Ruppertsberger Gaisbohl G.C. Riesling 2021 750ml Displayed Price: $89, that’s $84.55 at 5% off and $80.10 at 10% off, 19 bottles in stock now
Stuart Pigott (Suckling) 96 points “What a fragrant nose this has! Effusive Amalfi lemon and ripe yellow grapefruit aromas. Concentrated and beautifully balanced, this really stands out due to the finesse and polish on the generous palate. Long, silky finish in spite of healthy acidity. From biodynamically grown grapes. Vegan. Drink or hold.”
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
Dr. Burklin-Wolf Reiterpfad G.C. Riesling 2020 750ml Displayed Price: $89, that’s $84.55 at 5% off and $80.10 at 10% off, 24 bottles in stock now
Stuart Pigott (Suckling) 96 points “This powerful dry white has an enormously expressive personality. The fine-grained minerality drives this very concentrated riesling along at a very brisk clip. Very intense and slightly austere finish. Great aging potential! From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold.”
The wines of Envínate buzz with energy, capturing the terroir of their respective regions as if by magic. The methods of this group of winemakers, friends Alfonso Torrente, José Ángel Martínez, Laura Ramos, and Roberto Santana, are low-intervention in the winery and an ultra-traditional, minimalist approach in the vineyards. They are one of the forerunners of the “New Spanish” wine movement that eschews fat and new oak for finesse and terroir.
We offer selections from all three regions they work with: Tenerefe in the Canary Islands, the Ribeira Sacra, and the Levant.
Despite being tropical, Tenerefe is home to several wine-growing regions, particularly along the foggy northern coastline. In the sub-region of Táganan, the friends work with ancient vines planted in the volcanic rock along the steeply terraced cliffs. The Palo Blanco wines represent a cooler region along the northern slope of the Teide volcano.
The Ribeira Sacra wines are composed of ancient native vines of mostly Mencía co-planted with other varietals. The vines are ancient, 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.
The “Albahra” wines from the Levant within the Castilla-La Mancha, along the middle of the eastern coast. They are Garnacha Tintorera-based, aka Alicante Bouchet. Aromatically, it is somewhere in the realm of Grenache and Syrah, though a touch lighter in body.
These are fascinating, age-worthy expressions of “New Spain” wines that are not to be missed, especially at these prices.
In Stock Now:
Tenerife:
Envinate ‘Palo Blanco’ 2023 750ml $51.90 special, 11 bottles in stock now
Luis Gutiérrez-Wine Advocate 98+ points “The grapes for the 2023 Palo Blanco were harvested earlier than ever, picked even earlier than the grapes from Taganana. It was a warm year, but the wine feels more like it’s from a cool climate; it has a moderate 11.5% alcohol and is volcanic and less reductive than in previous years, fine-boned and sharp, with a vibrant palate, effervescent acidity (7.1 grams and a pH of 3.05) and a dry chalkiness that gives it salinity. It’s approachable but should also age in bottle. 13,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in July 2024.”
We offer selections from all three regions they work with: Tenerefe in the Canary Islands, the Ribeira Sacra, and the Levant.
Despite being tropical, Tenerefe is home to several wine-growing regions, particularly along the foggy northern coastline. In the sub-region of Táganan, the friends work with ancient vines planted in the volcanic rock along the steeply terraced cliffs. The Palo Blanco wines represent a cooler region along the northern slope of the Teide volcano.
The Ribeira Sacra wines are composed of ancient native vines of mostly Mencía co-planted with other varietals. The vines are ancient, 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.
The “Albahra” wines from the Levant within the Castilla-La Mancha, along the middle of the eastern coast. They are Garnacha Tintorera-based, aka Alicante Bouchet. Aromatically, it is somewhere in the realm of Grenache and Syrah, though a touch lighter in body.
These are fascinating, age-worthy expressions of “New Spain” wines that are not to be missed, especially at these prices.
In Stock Now:
Tenerife:
Envinate ‘Palo Blanco’ 2023 750ml $51.90 special, 11 bottles in stock now
Luis Gutiérrez-Wine Advocate 98+ points “The grapes for the 2023 Palo Blanco were harvested earlier than ever, picked even earlier than the grapes from Taganana. It was a warm year, but the wine feels more like it’s from a cool climate; it has a moderate 11.5% alcohol and is volcanic and less reductive than in previous years, fine-boned and sharp, with a vibrant palate, effervescent acidity (7.1 grams and a pH of 3.05) and a dry chalkiness that gives it salinity. It’s approachable but should also age in bottle. 13,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in July 2024.”
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
Envinate ‘Taganan’ Tinto 2022 750ml $54.50 special, 28 bottles in stock now
Luis Gutiérrez-Wine Advocate 94+ points “The just-bottled 2022 Táganan Tinto is juicy and primary but with very good balance and no excess. It has less reductive character and is sapid and balanced. They did slightly shorter macerations and used a little more full clusters for this wine. It’s a very good vintage for this bottling. It was bottled in July 2023. 94+, drink 2025-2030”
Envinate La Santa de Ursula 2022 750ml $54.50 special, 31 bottles in stock now
James Suckling 96 points “This is timid aromatically, with subtle pepper, cherries, pomegranates and a stony asphalt note. The palate is incisive and medium-bodied, showing concentration. A solid and complete wine with everything in place. This is a blend of 48% negramoll, 50% listan negro and 2% listan blanco from three parcels in the area of Corujera. It’s fermented with 50% whole clusters. Drinkable now, but should evolve nicely with age.”
Envinate La Santa de Ursula 2023 750ml $49 special, 10 bottles in stock now
Luis Gutiérrez-Wine Advocate 96 points “When I tasted the 2023 La Santa de Úrsula in late June, it had finished its élevage in oak and was in stainless steel waiting to be bottled at the end of July. They keep the wines in tank for a while before being bottled, but this is very representative of the final wine, as they adjusted the sulfur and everything. It’s floral and aromatic, spicy, very elegant, balanced, fresh and approachable. It’s a step up from the 2022. They expect to fill some 6,000 bottles.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
A Chingao Vineyards & Envinate ‘Vidueno de Santiago del Teide’ 2023 750ml $39 special, 20 bottles in stock now
Importer Note “Vidueño de Santiago del Teide is sourced from a tiny 0.15ha parcel of old-vine, untrained pie franc Listan Blanco and Listan Prieto. This co-planted parcel is hand-harvested, destemmed and macerated for 15 days in an open tub, then transferred to three old 228L French barriques to age for 8 months on fine lees without battonage or added SO2. Bottling is without fining, filtration or any added SO2. Due to its high elevation, this wine offers much less Atlantic character than their Taganan or Valle de La Orotava cuvées.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Ribeira Sacra:
Envinate ‘Lousas’ Parcela Rosende 2023 750ml $49 special, 10 bottles in stock now
Luis Gutiérrez-Wine Advocate 96-98 points “The 2023 Rosende Lousas, despite its youth, is showing superbly. This feels different, perhaps a little more Rhône-ish, with a meaty edge. It’s beautifully textured and elegant, with more weight than the lighter 2022, more serious and with more depth and structure. It has 12.5% alcohol. There should be around 3,300 bottles of this. It should be bottled in November 2024.”
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
Envinate Lousas Doad 2022 750ml $59 special, 13 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.”
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
Envinate ‘Lousas’ Vina de Aldea 2022 750ml $44.50 special, 19 bottles in stock now
Envinate ‘Lousas’ Vina de Aldea 2022 1.5L $89 special, 2 magnums in stock now
James Suckling 96 points “This has a fascinating nose that shows pepper, dried herbs, wild red fruit and a pleasant, enveloping herbal note. The palate is medium-bodied with silky tannins, focused and delineated, with lots of precision and a savory sensation. An outstanding entry-level wine in the region. This comes from multiple plots in the Amandi, Quiroga and Mino areas. Each plot is vinified separately with varying proportions of whole bunches. Aging takes place mostly in barriques with a smaller proportion in cement. Drink now.”
A Chingao Vineyards & Envinate ‘Misturado de Abeleda’ 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.”
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
Levante:
Envinate ‘Linit’ 2023 750ml $34.50 special, 12 bottles in stock now
Luis Gutiérrez-Wine Advocate 93 points “A new Mediterranean white from Envínate, the 2023 Linit was produced with Pardilla (also known as Marisancho) grapes from old vines in Almansa but, like the majority of their wines, is sold without appellation of origin. The whole clusters were pressed, and the juice fermented in concrete where the majority of the wine matured, but a small portion was put into 350-liter oak barrels for eight months. It’s pale, clean and floral, with white fruit and aromatic herbs, subtle and elegant, expressive and with a sense of purity. It has contained ripeness and alcohol (12.5%) and a balanced mouthfeel; it’s tasty and clean, with a faint bitter twist in the finish and a chalky sensation. This is a fresh and pure Mediterranean white. 4,300 bottles were filled in June 2024.”
Envinate ‘Albahra’ Tinto 2023 750ml $26 special, 28 bottles in stock now
Luis Gutiérrez-Wine Advocate 94 points “After the Chingao bottling, there is a creamy and spicy whiff in the 2023 Albahra, which makes it feel more mainstream. It’s juicy and aromatic and has a medium-bodied palate, contained ripeness, 13% alcohol and good balance, with some fine-grained tannins. Last year, they introduced some white Pardilla grapes in the blend that seem to have given it freshness and a kick in the palate, which is Mediterranean, with good freshness and a balanced mouthfeel. 67,000 bottles and 600 magnums produced. It was bottled in June 2024.”
A Chingao Vineyards & Envinate ‘Albahra Chingao’ 2023 750ml Displayed Price: $31.90 special, 10 bottles in stock now
Luis Gutiérrez-Wine Advocate 93 points “The 2023 Albahra Chingao, the custom cuvée for their US importer, was produced with Garnacha Tintorera and bottled without any added sulfur after eight months in concrete. It has a characterful and intriguing nose with notes of ripe berries and herbs and an earthy touch and hints of meat and iron. It has a touch of rusticity, something inherent to the grape. The wine feels very young, and the tannins are still present and suggest leaving it in bottle for a while. It’s a red for the table. 682 bottles and 21 magnums were filled in June 2024.”
Don’t miss our additional sale going on now:
Arterberry Maresh & Tan Fruit
5% off any 3-5 in-stock bottles of Arterberry Maresh & Tan Fruit
10% off any 6+ or more in-stock bottles of Arterberry Maresh & Tan Fruit
Discount will not display online or in your cart,
We will adjust your invoice before processing your charge.
Arterberry Maresh & Tan Fruit sale ends Friday, May 23rd at 9 am Pacific.