Wednesday, May 20, 2015
Betz Prices!; Riesling Roundup; Clos Cibonne; Foradori; Penfolds
The Betz Prices Anywhere!
Betz Family Winery Clos de Betz, Columbia Valley 2012 750ml ($69.95) $59 special, 30 bottles available
Wine Advocate 93-95 points “Tasted as a barrel sample and Betz’s take on a right bank Bordeaux, the 2012 Clos de Betz is 67% Merlot, 27% Cabernet Sauvignon and the balance Petit Verdot. Inky-purple in color (has anyone seen a Betz wine not inky purple?), if offers impressive cassis, plum liqueur, spring flowers and underbrush-style aromas and flavors to go with a mouth-filling, layered and voluptuous style on the palate. I love the mid-palate here, and the tannin builds through the finish, so, while it should have plenty of up-front appeal, it should also evolve for 15+ years.” WA
Stephen Tanzer 93 points “(14.5% alcohol; 66% Merlot, 27% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% petit verdot): Dark red-ruby. Aromas of blackcurrant, cocoa powder, bitter chocolate, licorice and burnished oak, lifted by a violet topnote. Densely packed but light on its feet, with perfectly integrated acidity energizing the fine-grained flavors of black raspberry, black cherry, cocoa powder and violet. Boasts a rare combination of bullet-proof, youthfully impenetrable tight grain and outstanding floral, white-peppery lift. Superb noble tannins dust the front teeth on the very young, long, juicy finish. An outstanding 2012 blend built for a long and graceful evolution in bottle. This is the first vintage of this wine to include Merlot from DuBrul Vineyard; incidentally, Betz noted that Merlot on Red Mountain was extremely successful in 2012.”ST
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $63
Betz Family Winery Pere de Famille Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley 2012 750ML ($79.95) $69 special, 17 bottles available
Wine Advocate 94-96 points “More Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated, the 2012 Pere de Famille incorporates 6% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot. Sporting the standard Bob Betz preferred inky-purple color, this knockout effort has masculine, earthy notes of black currants, smoke, graphite, crushed rock and dusty soil to go with a full-bodied, powerful and focused feel on the palate. Give it 4-5 years in the cellar and enjoy over the following decade or two.” WA
Stephen Tanzer 94 points “(14.5% alcohol; includes 2.5% each Merlot and petit verdot; aged in 70% new oak): Bright red-ruby. Ineffable wild aromas of blackberry, espresso, licorice, pepper, mint tea and cinnamon, complicated by a whiff of game. Boasts an utterly aristocratic texture and great lift but shows little obvious sweetness in the early going. Great incipient complexity to the suave, fine-grained flavors of red fruits, spices, flowers and minerals. More taut and backward on the end than the Clos de Betz but not at all hard, this seriously structured cabernet displays a slow-building, inexorable finish, with tannins buried in flavor.”ST
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $77
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Riesling Roundup
Von Winning – Pfalz
Since Von Winning Winery was founded in 1849, they have produced unique wines reflecting the best vineyards in Ruppertsberg, Deidesheim, and Forst. Leopold von Winning, son-in-law of Dr. Andreas Deinhard, dedicated his life to creating top quality wines with respect to the outstanding vineyards in the area. He meticulously raised the quality of the wines to a new level as a founding member of the VDP, an association of Germany’s premium wineries. His decision to work as close to nature as possible remains the ultimate goal of today’s young and ambitious team led by winemaker Stephan Attmann.
Attmann describes his winemaking as “not doing the wrong thing at the wrong time.” The estate’s premium wines are treated with a minimalist approach and with the highest respect in the cellar. Gentle clarification, a natural and spontaneous fermentation and the abandonment of fining agents create wines with a distinctive indigenous and very elegant style. Pumping the juice or wine is never necessary in the gravity flow winery, allowing for minimal, and gentle vinification.
Von Winning – Dr. Deinhard Deidesheim Estate Riesling Trocken 2013 750ML ($24.95) $18 special, 18 bottles available
Terry Theise notes: “Lilac, melon, wisteria, markedly flowery; a tasty wry balance on the palate, wherein a tiny sweetness delivers a huge payoff. Slim and lissome but long and classy. Completely amazing quality in the “basic” echelon, and a classic example of one of the Great Truths of German wine: A perfect dry Riesling is often not perfectly dry.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Von Winning Deidesheimer Paradiesgarten Riesling Trocken 2013 750ML ($34.95) $27 special, 31 bottles available
Terry Theise notes: “Tasty, barley and cask-y notes behind a grainy delineated Riesling; less creamy than the ’12 and showing some of ’13’s more pointed edge, but it delivers length, clarity and some ineffable Pfalz-ness, and they tell me it will be smoother by the time its bottled.”
Von Winning Deidesheimer Kalkofen Riesling Grosses Gewachs 2013 750ML ($99.95) $79 special, 11 bottles available
Wine Advocate 94 points “Bright and pale green in color, the 2013 Deidesheim Kalkofen Riesling trocken GG from predominantly old vines on limestone/marl soils offers noble upfront fruit aromas of nectarines and yellow plums. Medium to full-bodied it is the mixture of purity, piquancy, juiciness of ripe fruit and the lovely salty texture that makes the tightly woven Kalkofen one of the finest Rieslings of the 2013 vintage in Germany. Fermented in 500-liter barrels, it can age for ten or more years.” WA
Von Winning Deidesheimer Langenmorgen Riesling Grosses Gewachs 2012 750ML ($69.95) $59 special, 10 bottles available
Terry Theise notes: “It’s the manly side of Pfalz Riesling, and we debate whether this is a Grand or just a Premier Cru; yet the wine is articulate, herbal and peppery, cedary and woodsy, long, studious and spicy, with an almost urgestein minerality, suave even while it’s rural, and gentle even as it prods with its leafy message.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Von Winning Ruppertsberger Reiterpfad Riesling 2012 750ML ($44.95) $39 special, 7 bottles available
Terry Theise notes: “The appetizer for the main course(s) to follow. It isn’t mineral, but rather smoky, belly-rich and robust, corporeal and mouth-filling and butterscotchy, spicy and generous, and yet solid and refined even with its big open bones.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Von Winning Forster Ungeheuer Riesling Grosses Gewachs Trocken 2013 750ML ($79.95) $59 special, 17 bottles available
Wine Advocate 94 points “At this early stage, the citrus colored 2013 Forster Ungeheuer Riesling trocken GG (with lime green reflections) seems to be von Winning’s most impressive Riesling of the vintage. Intense, ripe and piquant fruit aromas of limes and grapefruit on the nose lead to a very juicy and salty palate where an almost perfect amalgam of minerals and fruit juice gives a very elegantly structured, medium to full-bodied wine. Then comes a delicious finish followed by a persistent and piquant length. This is a great, bright and energetic wine, whereas the Pechstein and Kirchenstück are still very closed at the moment.” WA
JJ Christoffel – Mosel
The Christoffel has producted wine sine the 17th century in Germany. Today, Hans Leo Christoffel leases vineyard management to Robert Eymael of the Monchhof estate. There are 4 hectares of vines in Ürziger Würzgarten and Erdener Treppchen, prized sites recognized for their quality for over 1000 years. Ürziger Würzgarten or ‘spice garden’ is known for producing spicy wines from the steep, iron-rich red slate vineyard. Recently, the winery has used the star system to indicate specific parcels that are vinified and bottled separately. Eymael employs the estate’s traditional practices in a style that emphasizes clarity and typicity.
Joh. Jos. Christoffel Erdener Treppchen Riesling Spatlese 2011 ($29.95) $24 special, 1 bottles available
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $32.99
Joh. Jos. Christoffel Erdener Treppchen Riesling Auslese** “Herzlay” 2012 750ML ($59.95) $49 special, 12 bottles available
Terry Theise notes: “That suffix “Lay” is local dialect for slate. This is from an old ungrafted parcel among the cliffs, and the wine has its usual swollen mass, firm richness and length. I’m glad of the relatively moderate sweetness; it thins the hugeness of fruit and makes it tinkle down the palate in snaky rivulets of salty terroir and tart apple. Also a sponti.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $64.99
Joh. Jos. Christoffel Erdener Treppchen Riesling Auslese** “Herzlay” 2013 750ML ($69.95) $59 special, 5 bottles available
Terry Theise notes: “‘Lay’ is old dialect for slate. This is from an old ungrafted parcel among the cliffs, and as it often it, it’s masterly. Divine apple and walnutty slate; stunning salty length, like having an old Comté with those crunchy crystals and putting that and an apple in your mouth together. Somehow with “only” 115º it tastes markedly riper than the (110º) Kabinett. This is the spectacular wine; next up is the compelling riddle.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Joh. Jos. Christoffel Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Kabinett 2013 750ML ($29.95) $24 special, 6 bottles available
Terry Theise notes: “The one and only Kabinett of their vintage! The first wine I tasted, not knowing what was to come, I wrote that it overcomes the vintage’s botrytis by sheer density of spicy material, and an almost incredibly fervent expressiveness, so absurdly spicy it’s almost a caricature of Würzgarten.”
Joh. Jos. Christoffel Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Spatlese 2011 750ML ($29.95) $21.90 special, 13 bottles available
Stephen Tanzer 91 points “Subtle bouquet of peach pit, cinnamon and lemon zest. The elegant apricot fruit is decidedly light on the palate and highlighted by refreshing acidity. Mineral salts accent the succulent, spicy finish.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Joh. Jos. Christoffel Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Spatlese 2013 750ML ($39.95) $29 special, 2 bottles available
Terry Theise notes: ” Now we really do taste botrytis, which is curiously reassuring. It has the semi-solid construction of ’13, and all sorts of lime zest and lime blossom and if you could concentrate lime juice and strain it through pulverized slate, it would also taste like that. The complexity unfolds tart and salty but in a basic matrix of sweetness. It unfolds deliberately, like an opening rose. A wine with secrets, and plenty of time to tell them”
Joh. Jos. Christoffel Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Auslese* 2011 750ML ($44.95) $39 special, 12 bottles available
Wine Advocate 92 points “Lemony brightness pitted against confectionary strawberry, banana, vanilla and almost over-ripe pear and kiwi in a Christoffel 2011 Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Auslese one star, which offers remarkable chiffon-like delicacy as well as sheer refreshment on a buoyant, subtly creamy palate. The long finish here both soothes and refreshes. I would anticipate a distinctively delicious performance through 2030.”
Stephen Tanzer 91+ points “Elusive floral aromas lift rich apricot and a hint of vanilla on the nose. Satiny texture to the luscious tropical fruit flavors, perked up by a nice charge of acidity. Nut oils and slate define the rich but elegant finish.”
Wine Spectator 91 points “Firm, almost taut, with a crisp edge to the peach, elderflower and kiwifruit flavors, wrapped inside a sphere of lively spiciness. Light and delicate on the finish, offering notes of lemon basil. Drink now through 2032.” WS
Joh. Jos. Christoffel Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Auslese* “Kauen” 2012 750ML ($49.95) $41.90 special, 12 bottles available
Terry Theise notes: “We’re making a change in labeling. When we did stars – 1-star, 2-star, 3-star – it tended to create a false hierarchy, and led buyers to suppose they had to have the “best” one or the bullies would kick sand in their faces. So now we’re going to use the actual micro-parcel name, because the wines do in fact hail from single small pieces of land.It’s more informative, more truthful. This parcel is way up in the most forbidding terraces, and its wines have a kind of para-sensual slate expression, a sonnet of the rocks. It’ll buzz your fillings, this wine.”
Joh. Jos. Christoffel Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Auslese*** 2011 750ML ($69.95) $59 special, 9 bottles available
Stephen Tanzer 94 points “Golden yellow. Scents of apple blossom, white raisin and quince are given depth by honeyed botrytis on the nose. Rich, candied papaya fruit shows a velvety texture, but minty acidity keeps the palate fresh. At once dense and light on its feet, with mineral salts providing spice on the long, elegant finish. This will need time to reveal its full potential.” ST
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Joh. Jos. Christoffel Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Auslese*** “Kranklay” 2012 750ML ($69.95) $59 special, 7 bottles available
Terry Theise notes: “The parcel is below the sundial, and spreads to either side, lower down where the slate is more crumbled and the wines have more finesse. It isn’t the greater intensity or power that asks the higher price; it’s the greater finesse and texture, and if I didn’t already love these wines, this alone would make me love them. It’s a tender, delicate wine, and a celestial wild strawberry note arrives. Almost no botrytis. Masterly and bewitching.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Joh. Jos. Christoffel Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Auslese*** “Kranklay” 2013 750ML ($69.95) $59 special, 11 bottles available
Terry Theise notes: “This parcel is below the sundial, spreading to either side, down where the slate is more crumbled and the wines have more finesse. This transparent delicacy is prized, bless them, above all other things such as ripeness or power. But this ’13 is a typically dark and brooding, at least today. It tastes like it’s encased in a crust of salt, fruit in a tiny dense kernel, waiting to pop.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $74.99
JJ Christoffel Wines Arriving Late May
Joh. Jos. Christoffel Erben Estate Riesling Feinherb 2012 750ML ($24.95) $19 pre-arrival special
Joh. Jos. Christoffel Erben Erdener Treppchen Riesling Kabinett 2013 750ML ($29.95) $24 pre-arrival special
Joel b. Payne–Vinous 92 points “Karl-Joseph Christoffel’s 2013 Erdener Treppchen Riesling Kabinett is the Mosel at its finest: pure, finely chiseled and unbelievable elegant! It is a tribute to how Riesling blossoms on slate soils. Delicately off-dry, it is my top value pick for Germany in 2013.” JP
Joh. Jos. Christoffel Erben Erdener Treppchen Riesling Spatlese 2012 750ML ($39.95) $29 pre-arrival special
Terry Theise notes: “Now this is explosively expressive. If I say “apple and slate” yet again, it’s boring but true. It’s the combo of hi-def clarity and torque, firmness and brilliance yet many-layered density, and this goose-flesh tingle threaded through it all—that makes it uncanny”
Joh. Jos. Christoffel Erben Erdener Treppchen Riesling Spatlese 2013 750ML ($39.95) $29 pre-arrival special
Terry Theise notes: “Curiously, though this is sweeter now, it also seems cooler and shadier than the two Kabinetts. (This sometimes happens at Diel too.) Another salty wine but not a beast; it’s ultra-refined and crystalline.”
Spreitzer – Rheingau
Founded in 1641, Spreitzer is one of the oldest estate in the Rheingau. Andreas and Bernd Spreitzer are the current generation in charge. They own several Erste Gewachs parcels from within the original boundaries of the named Lenchen vineyard in Oestrich as well as the Oestricher Doosberg and the Hattenheimer Wisselbrunnen (an Erste Gewachs to the west of Oestrich). The vineyards are mostly loam and loess soils. They use a long fermentation with mostly ambient yeasts, extended lees aging and long aging in 1200 liter German wood casks.
Weingut Josef Spreitzer Oestricher Doosberg Riesling Kabinett Trocken 2013 750ML ($24.95) $18 special, 11 bottles available
Terry Theise notes: “A sponti done in large cask; fragrances of lilac and iris; dry but gentle and complex; still cerebral but lots of pleasant musings in its flowery lime oil and green-tea articulations. I’m drinking a pot of Wen-shang Bao-Jhongas as I write, and the limpid deliberate crawl of exquisite flavor is analogous to this wine.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Weingut Josef Spreitzer Oestricher Lenchen ‘Rosengarten’ Riesling Grosses Gewachs 2013 750ML ($49.95) $39 special, 15 bottles available
Wine Advocate 94 points “Sourced from a special parcel in the Oestrich Lenchen cru the 2013 Oestricher Rosengarten Riesling trocken GG is not just named after roses, it also smells like roses, along with perfectly ripened Riesling berries. Citrus colored with greenish hues, this wine shows a lovely purity, subtlety and elegance on the nose even though the grapes were highly ripe when picked. The precision and cool minerality on the palate is nevertheless fascinating, intense, sappy, salty and beautifully balanced. This is a luscious and frisky Riesling of great elegance and an alluring fruitiness. ” Terry Theise notes: “Two bits of news: one, the Rosengarten is now officially a GG—up till now the designation was approved pending the final decision. And two, it’s now “GG” everywhere (instead of “Erstes Gewächs” in the Rheingau alone). It would be hard to imagine two more opposite wines. Rosengarten is all about fruit and yumminess. Even in ’13, though it’s angular out of the gate, the finish is suave and juicy, and the whole thing’s like a herb-and-fruit smoothie.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Weingut Josef Spreitzer Hattenheimer Wisselbrunnen Riesling Grosses Gewachs 2013 750ML ($49.95) $39 special, 21 bottles available
Wine Advocate 94+ points “Intense citrus-colored and almost golden, the wild-fermented 2013 Hattenheimer Wisselbrunnen Riesling trocken GG is very rich and creamy on the somewhat untamed nose showing yeast and lime flavors along with earthy/mineral notes and ripe, juicy, yellow-fleshed stone fruit aromas. Full-bodied, round and elegant, this fresh and deeply structured Riesling develops a good fruit intensity and a lingering mineral finish with ripe peach and refreshing lime flavors in the aftertaste. This is a rather warm style of Riesling and, stylistically, a distant relative of the Rieslings from Kamptal’s Ludwig Hiedler.” WA
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $44.99
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Clos Cibonne, Tibouren and Provence Wine
The Roux family has owned the Clos Cibonne estate since 1797. In 1930, Andre Roux modernized the winery and drew fame for the quality of the roses. He was passionate about the native varietal of Tibouren and received special permission to include the varietal’s name on the labels.
It was not until his granddaughter, Bridget, and her husband, Claude Deforge, took over the estate in the 1990s that it regained the recognition its former glory. They renovated the cellars yet kept the traditional old oak foudres where the rose is aged. The estate is composed of 15 hectares of vines less than a kilometer from the sea. Air is circulated toward the vines from the sea, which helps grapes reach optimum maturation without overripening and also helps avoid the irregularities of the uncommon Tibouren. Wines are aged in the traditional 500 liter foudres with a thin layer of yeast known as a fleurette. The resulting wines are unique: combining the rare grape variety with the unique aging process. The winery produces two roses, a classic and an old vine, and a red wine made mostly from Tibouren.
Clos Cibonne Arriving Friday May 22nd
Clos Cibonne Cotes de Provence Cuvee Tradition Rose 2013 750ML ($27.95) $21.90 pre-arrival special
Josh Raynolds 91 points “Light orange-pink. Vibrant, mineral-accented redcurrant and strawberry aromas are complicated by notes of dried herbs, rose oil and orange peel. A saline quality underscores juicy red fruit flavors, which flesh out and deepen with air. Fresh and seamless in texture, finishing with superb clarity and length and repeating mineral and floral notes. I’ve had the chance to drink 30-year-old bottles of this wine, and while this one isn’t quite as nervy as some other recent vintages, I’d cellar it for another seven to ten years with confidence and then decant it to serve alongside grilled fish or roasted birds.”
Clos Cibonne Cotes de Provence Tibouren Cuvee Speciale des Vignettes Rose 2013 750ML ($34.95) $28 pre-arrival special
Josh Raynolds 93 points “Light orange. Intense red berry liqueur, blood orange and garrigue aromas are lifted and sharpened by suggestions of dusty minerals and gingery spices. Silky and concentrated, offering incisive redcurrant and bitter cherry flavors that expand on the back half. Shows a distinctly mineral, oily, almost saline quality that’s reminiscent of big-time Chablis (yes, really!) and finishes with superb energy, thrust and length. Imagine what would happen if red grapes were planted in Montée de Tonnerre and then made into pink wine: that’s pretty much what I did.”
Clos Cibonne Cotes de Provence Cuvee Tradition Rouge 2013 750ML ($29.95) $24 pre-arrival special
Importer note “90% Tibouren and 10% Syrah from 40 year old vines. This is Clos Cibonne’s easy drinking red: made from mostly Tibouren, this wine will make you re-evaluate what you think you know about reds from Provence. Great with a slight chill.”
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Alto Adige: Foradori
After her father died at a young age, Elisabetta Foradori studied oenology at school and took over her family’s winery at twenty. Her grandfather purchased the estate in 1920. During her grandfather’s and father’s tenures, they focused on mechanized, bulk production of wine for local consumption. Bored with factory-farming, Elisabetta moved toward a more naturalistic style of managing the estate and in the process she near-single-handedly rescued the Teroldego grape and brought it into the international spotlight.
The Campo Rotaliano plain within in the foothills of the Dolomites is the home to indigenous grape varieties of Teroldego and Nosiola. The region was part of Austria for over 800 years, and Austrian oenology still has a lingering impact on the culture and farming. More recently, the plain has also been home to industrialized and mechanized farming and viticulture. These practices now banished by Foradori. Elisabetta began by replanting the vineyards through selection massale: a way of cultivating and propagating the strongest clones best suited to each individual site. This method of propagation vastly improved the quality of the grapes and brought international attention to her wines. She increased the genetic diversity of the varietal and moved it away from the emphasis on quantity to focus on varietal character and quality.
Eventually, she was drawn toward biodynamic methods, earning certification in the early 2000s. The vineyards are healthier and, after grueling work during conversion, are easier to take care of. The vineyards are rocky with alluvial and gravel subsoils. The climate is warm, yet tempered by the mountains and the River Noce. Elisabetta has expanded the winery’s production to include single-vineyard bottlings, a reserve selection and several whites. We’re pleased to offer a selection of recent releases that were notably well received by reviewers.
Foradori Wines Arriving Friday, May 22nd
Foradori Fontanasanta Manzoni Bianco Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT, Trentino-Alto Adige 2013 750ML ($29.95) $26 pre-arrival special
Wine Spectator 88 points “Dry and distinctive, with well-cut acidity framing the aromatic profile of macerated peach, cherry pit, chamomile and salted almond. Offers a spiced finish of moderate length. Drink now through 2018. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 1,667 cases made.”AN
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $30
Foradori Teroldego Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT, Trentino-Alto Adige 2012 750ML ($29.95) $24 pre-arrival special
Antonio Galloni 90 points “Dark cherries, juniper berries, smoke, tobacco and saddle leather take shape in the 2012 Foradori, the estate’s entry-level Teroldego. This is an especially racy, succulent version of the Teroldego. It is only within the last few months that varietal character has begun to truly emerge. Once again, Foradori has crafted a super-expressive, entry-level wine that overdelivers for its price.”AG
Foradori Granato Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT, Trentino-Alto Adige 2011 750ML ($69.95) $49 pre-arrival special
Antonio Galloni 94 points “Pomegranate, wild cherries, flowers, mint, leather and sweet spices abound in the 2011 Granato. Sexy and radiant to the core, the Granato is especially seamless in this vintage, with voluptuous fruit, silky tannins and exceptional overall balance. I imagine the 2011 will provide consumers with a wide window of drinking pleasure. Today, the fruit is naturally quite primary, so readers who prefer more shades of nuance will want to cellar the 2011 for at least a few years.”AG
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The next best price is $52.80
Foradori Morei Teroldego Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT, Trentino-Alto Adige 2012 750ML ($59.95) $41.90 pre-arrival special
Foradori Morei Teroldego Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT, Trentino-Alto Adige 2012 1.5L ($119.95) $99 pre-arrival special
Antonio Galloni 94 points “Foradori’s Teroldego Morei is once again compelling in 2012. A host of intensely savory/mineral notes meld into a core of dense dark red and black stone fruits. Grilled herbs, lavender and smoke follow, adding considerable aromatic intrigue. Big tannins support the huge, explosive finish in a wine endowed with magnificent complexity and pedigree. The dark, brooding finish is particularly of note. Today, the 2012 stands out for its superb complexity and undeniable pedigree. The Morei was vinified and aged in upright terra cotta amphorae.”AG
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Foradori Morei Teroldego Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT, Trentino-Alto Adige 2011 1.5L ($119.95) $99 pre-arrival special
Antonio Galloni 94 points “It’s fascinating to taste the 2011 Teroldego Morei next to the Sgarzon. Here the flavors are more intensely savory and mineral-driven. This parcel is planted on an old river bed rich in rocks and sand, a terroir that gives the wine much of its distinct personality. The Morei shows a bit less opulence than the Sgarzon, but also more length and tension. Pomegranate, plum, sage, smoke, violets and graphite add nuance on the brilliant finish.”AG
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $109.63
Foradori Fontanasanta Nosiola Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT, Trentino-Alto Adige 2012 750ML ($49.95) $39 pre-arrival special
Antonio Galloni 92 points “The 2012 Nosiola Fontanasanta comes across as tense, vibrant and not fully expressive at this stage. There is plenty of depth to the fruit, but underlying veins of tannin are a bit prominent today. Hints of almond, dried flowers, herbs and spices add nuance in a distinctly savory, nutty finish. The Nosiola is intriguing for its tension and almost phenolic sense of structure. Here, Foradori ferments and ages the wine in upright terra cotta amphorae.”AG
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The next best price is $43.99
Foradori Vigneto Sgarzon Teroldego Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT, Trentino-Alto Adige 2012 750ML ($49.95) $41.90 pre-arrival special
Foradori Vigneto Sgarzon Teroldego Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT, Trentino-Alto Adige 2012 1.5L ($119.95) $89 pre-arrival special
Antonio Galloni 93 points “The 2012 Teroldego Sgarzon wraps around the palate with the essence of dark raspberries, smoke, licorice, iron, mint, rose petals and sweet spices. A wine of pure polish and voluptuousness, the 2012 will drink beautifully pretty much right out of the gate. Radiant, supple and forward in its expression of fruit, yet with plenty of underlying structure, the Sgarzon stands out from the more virile, imposing Morei. Both wines are striking, though. The Sgarzon was vinified and aged in upright terra cotta amphorae.”AG
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Foradori Vigneto Sgarzon Teroldego Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT, Trentino-Alto Adige 2011 1.5L ($119.95) $89 pre-arrival special
Antonio Galloni 93 points “Raspberry jam, black cherry compote, smoke, incense, blood orange and game flow across the palate in Foradori’s 2011 Teroldego Sgarzon. A rich, sumptuous wine, the Sgarzon impresses for its pure volume and resonance. The 2011 has more than enough density to support at least a handful of years of aging. What a gorgeous wine this is.”AG
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $109.63
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Just a reminder about our current shipping specials during this season:
We offer flat rate shipping on any size single order / single shipment
-to Oregon for $17,
-Washington & Idaho for $20,
-and California for $25
These rates do not apply to orders held in storage here for any reason. Multiple orders consolidated into one shipment do not qualify for flat rate shipping.
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Penfolds Revisited:
Penfolds Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz, South Australia 2010 750ML ($29.95) $24 special
Wine Advocate 92 point “Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2010 Kalimna Bin 28 Shiraz presents lovely, expressive blueberry, black raspberry and black cherries notes highlighted by violets, toast, cinnamon stick and touch of mulberries. Full-bodied and rich, the concentrated fruit is framed by medium levels of rounded tannins, crisp acid and a long, classically-styled finish. Approachable now, it will drink to 2020+” WA
VinopolNote: Penfolds Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz is a wine emphasizing a rich, full-bodied, warmer-climate style of Shiraz aged for 12 months in American oak.
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“St Henri is a time-honoured and alternative expression of Shiraz, and an intriguing counterpoint to Grange. It is unusual among high quality Australian red wines as it does not rely on any new oak. It was created in the early 1950s (first commercial vintage 1957) and gained a new lease of life in the 1990s as its quality and distinctive style became better understood. Proudly, a wine style that hasn’t succumbed to the dictates of fashion or commerce. St Henri is rich and plush when young, gaining soft, earthy, mocha-like characters as it ages. It is matured in old, 1460 litre vats that allow the wine to develop, imparting minimal, if any oak character. Although a small proportion of Cabernet is sometimes used to improve structure, the focal point for St Henri remains Shiraz.” –From the winery
Penfolds St. Henri Shiraz, South Australia 2006 750ML ($69.95) $49 special
Wine Advocate 95+ points “Blended of 89% Shiraz and 11% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2006 St Henri Shiraz is a blend of 5 different South Australia sub-regions spanning from Robe to Clare Valley. Never seeing new oak, this vintage was aged 15 months in seasoned 1460 liter vats. Very deep garnet-purple colored, it has a purely fruited nose giving notes of intense cassis, crushed blackberries, some kirsch, black pepper, baking spices and cloves. Full, rich and concentrated, it’s still a bit taut with very crisp acid and firm finely textured tannins, giving a long berry laced finish. Consider drinking it from 2013 to 2025+.” WA
Penfolds St. Henri Shiraz, South Australia 2007 750ML ($69.95) $49 special
Wine Advocate 93 points “Very deep garnet-purple colored, the 2007 St Henri Shiraz is a little closed at this stage, revealing subtle earthy notes over crushed blackberries, pencil lead, toast, game, smoky bacon and tree bark. Medium bodied, elegantly fruited and still very tight-knit, the palate offers beautiful purity structured with firm chewy tannins and very crisp acid that should see it through a long life. Consider drinking it 2013 to 2022+.” WA
Penfolds St. Henri Shiraz, South Australia 2008 750ML ($69.95) $49 special
Wine Enthusiast 94 points “Like virtually all of Penfolds’ top-end reds, this is full bodied and densely concentrated. As it’s aged solely in large vats, there’s no oak influence and the wine needs a bit of bottle age to come around. For now, it’s a bit monolithic, showing hints of mint, black olive and ripe raspberries before ending long and fine. Drink 2017–2030, and perhaps beyond.” WE
Penfolds St. Henri Shiraz, South Australia 2009 750ML ($69.95) $49 special
Wine Spectator 94 points “Supple, offering nubby tannins around a gorgeous core of currant and pomegranate, the flavors floating easily into the long, expressive finish, hinting at green tea and guava as the finish rolls on serenely. Shows intensity without density, coming together seamlessly. Drink now through 2025.” WS
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