Mid-Week Vinopolpick for September 9th, 2015

Wednesday, September 9th 2015

 

Re-Arrivals & Re-Pricements; Giacomo Conterno; Know Your Grape: Pinot Blanc; German Dessert Wines; New Arrivals @ Closeout Prices

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Re-arrivals / Re-pricements

Bodegas Borsao Tres Picos Garnacha, Campo de Borja 2012 750ML ($21.95) Was $18, Now $14 special
Case-12 Bodegas Borsao Tres Picos Garnacha, Campo de Borja 2012 750ML ($239.95) $149 special (that’s only $12.42/bottle!)
Stephen Tanzer 92 points “(half fermented in French oak and half in stainless steel): Bright purple. Heady aromas of blueberry, cherry compote, white pepper and woodsmoke, plus an exotic cinnamon note. Fresh and seamless, offering vibrant blueberry and black raspberry flavors and suave floral notes. The spicy quality lingers seductively on the tenacious finish.” ST

Joseph Drouhin ‘Drouhin-Vaudon’ Chablis 2013 750ML ($21.95) $19 special
Case-6 Joseph Drouhin ‘Drouhin-Vaudon’ Chablis 2013 750ML ($119.95) $109 special (that’s only $18.17/bottle!)
Case-12 Joseph Drouhin ‘Drouhin-Vaudon’ Chablis 2013 750ML ($249.95) $199 special (that’s only $16.58/bottle!)
James Suckling 92 points “This has a lovely texture and brightness with sliced apple and pineapple. Pineapple skin too. Medium to full body, long finish. From biodynamically grown grapes.” JS

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Giacomo Conterno in Context:
Regarding an Italian Legend

The Conterno family name carries great prestige from Italy to America and virtually everywhere in between. Humbly beginning at the turn of the 20th century, the domaine was among the first to bottle a Barolo with the intention of aging it; prior to then, the wines were sold from casks with early drinking in mind. This pioneering effort was called the “Monfortino”, a namesake of its home village of Monteforte d’Alba.

Over the next fifty years, the father and son team of Giacomo and Giovanni purchased grapes in order to make the Monfortino bottling in addition to another Barolo and a Barolo Riserva. When their sources began making their own wines in the 1970’s, Giovanni acquired the esteemed Cascina Francia vineyard. Not long after, this became the singular source­­ for the wines.

It wasn’t until 2008 that the family acquired addition land. With the purchase of three hectares within Cerrata, the family expanded production with land they’re intimately familiar with. Producing Monfortino in only the finest vintages, the family takes similar considerations in making the very fine Cascina Francia bottlings – now with a repertoire including Nebbiolo d’Alba, Barbera d’Alba, and Barolo Ceretta.

Not only worthy of age, these wines are deserving of it. They’re workhorses of structure, concentration, and depth. It’s always a treat to experience the stunning wines of the Conterno family enjoying alongside it a little piece of Italian history.

Giacomo Conterno Wines Available Here Now

Giacomo Conterno Cascina Francia Barbera d’Alba 2012 750ML ($59.95) $49 special, 9 bottles available
Giacomo Conterno Cascina Francia Barbera d’Alba 2012 1.5L ($119.95) $99 special, 9 magnums available
Antonio Galloni 94 points “The 2012 Barbera d’Alba Cascina Francia stands out for its exceptional finesse and delicacy. Sweet rose petals, mint, cinnamon and red berries are all laced together in a soft, polished Barbera long on class and finesse. Perfumed notes continues to open up in the glass, while brighter, more saline-inflected notes give the wine its sense of energy and tension. This is a magnificent showing. Ideally, readers will be able to give the 2012 at least another year or two in bottle.” AG

Giacomo Conterno Cascina Francia Barolo DOCG 2009 750ML ($179.95) $128 special, 28 bottles available
Wine Advocate 94-96 points “The 2009 Barolo Cascina Francia is a stunning wine. Roberto did not make Monfortino in 2009, therefore that wine was declassified and added here. The results are truly spectacular. The wine shows the soft fullness that is characteristic of the vintage, backed by tight tannins that pull the wine together. Dark fruit, licorice, chopped herb, white truffle, tar and pressed rose form a united aromatic front. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2035.” WA
Antonio Galloni 95 points “Conterno’s 2009 Barolo Cascina Francia wraps around the palate with gorgeous depth. A wine of volume and breadth, the 2009 fleshes out beautifully on the palate with layers of harmonious, silky fruit. Sweet tobacco, mint, flowers, spices and the most beautiful pure fruit all flesh out on the voluptuous, inviting finish. All the elements are in place for the 2009 to develop into a superb Barolo, but readers will have to be patient as the wine was just bottled. I remember what happened the last time Conterno bottled a Cascina Francia, but no Monfortino. The vintage was 2007, and I deeply regretted not having purchased that wine.” AG

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $161

Giacomo Conterno Cascina Francia Barolo DOCG 2008 750ML ($179.95) $149 special, 8 bottles available
Antonio Galloni 95+ points “The 2008 Barolo Cascina Francia possesses gorgeous inner perfume, layers of sublime fruit and fabulous overall balance. Plums, dark cherries and licorice are followed by darker notes of graphite and tar as the wine opens up in the glass. Today, the 2008 is much less expressive than it has been the many times I have tasted it from barrel. It will be interesting to see how the 2008 develops and whether it puts on weight or remains more of a mid-weight, gracious Barolo. Either way, it is fabulous.” AG

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Know Your Grape:
Pinot Blanc

Every so often, a grape varietal comes into vogue and sets the wine press aflame. Consumers and shopkeeps scramble for the best of the best and the hidden gems, with Riesling and Chenin blanc being the most recent to benefit from some extra attention. Though Alsatian wine certainly has some fans, Germany holds cult status, and the American west grows some terrific examples of the grape, it seems as though we’ll have to wait a bit for Pinot blanc to enjoy a moment of its own.

Even so, it doesn’t hurt to arrive early to the party. The beauty of the grape, as you’ll read, is its versatility. Pinot blanc takes on very different roles depending upon where it is grown, how it is vinified, and whether it’s blended.

One is most likely to encounter Pinot blanc by way of the tall and slender, ornamented bottles coming out of Alsace. Somewhat paradoxically, these wines are seldom 100% Pinot blancs – and often contain other grapes entirely. This is because the designation of “Pinot blanc” refers to a white wine made from Pinot varieties (such as Pinot gris, Auxerrois blanc, etc.), not the Pinot blanc varietal itself. Even so, a healthy amount of the varietal is planted within Alsace and vinified sparkling as Cremant d’Alsace, blended as a still wine, or bottled as the oft-elusive 100% Pinot blanc.

To further confusion, the grape is often confused with Chardonnay, as Pinot blanc is sometimes vinified similarly – barrel fermentation, malo, new oak, and so forth. And then, there’s Germany – here, Pinot blanc is called Weissburgunder. In Italy and Hungary, the grape is produced into full-bodied dry wines. In Germany and Austria, it’s sometimes sweet. Through all of this mess to navigate, however, the grape is a hugely worthwhile endeavor to discover and experiment with.

Pinot Blanc Available Here Now

OREGON
Ayres Pinot Blanc, Willamette Valley 2014 750ML ($19.95) $16 special, 4 bottles available
Winery note “Clean, crisp, and refreshing. Some things in life are just easy – like a perfectly chilled bottle of Pinot Blanc paired with abundant sunshine! Tasting notes: Mineral tones and citrus highlights deliver an instantly refreshing sensation to your palate!”

Cameron Winery ‘Cameroni Giovanni’ Pinot Bianco, Willamette Valley 2014 750ML ($17.95) $14 special, 2 bottles available
Winery note “Our latest release of Giovanni Pinot blanc is decidedly more complex than previous renditions due a bit of Pinot gris and Chardonnay in the blend. The nose screams “spiced pears” supported by a great herbal lineup of lemon verbena, tarragon and pineapple mint and a melange of mirabelle plums and white peach. Its vibrant acidity and notes of lemon on the palate will motivate you to pair it with oysters on the half shell or spaghetti vongole. To top it off, it is 100% Abbey Ridge fruit. An amazing value for our first release from the fabulous 2014 vintage.”

Cameron Winery Guiliano White, Willamette Valley 2014 750ML ($27.95) $24 special, 16 bottles available
Winery note “Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Grigio. Our latest release of Giovanni Pinot blanc is decidedly more complex than previous renditions due a bit of Pinot gris and Chardonnay in the blend. The nose screams “spiced pears” supported by a great herbal lineup of lemon verbena, tarragon and pineapple mint and a melange of mirabelle plums and white peach. Its vibrant acidity and notes of lemon on the palate will motivate you to pair it with oysters on the half shell or spaghetti vongole. To top it off, it is 100% Abbey Ridge fruit. An amazing value for our first release from the fabulous 2014 vintage.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Cameron Dazzle Sparkling Pink Wine, Willamette Valley 2014 750ML ($19.95) $16 special, 6 bottles available
VinopolNote: This Semi-Sparkling Rose was produced from Pinot Noir grapes from the Johan vineyard that underwent a two day maceration before being fermented in new barrels. Pinot Blanc was added to the blend to increase aromatics and lighten the final color.

This is the only listing in the USA today!

Crowley Pinot Blanc, Willamette Valley 2014 750ML ($17.95) $14 special, 25 bottles available

This is the only listing in the USA today!

Harper Voit Surlie Pinot Blanc, Willamette Valley 2014 750ML ($21.95) $18 special, 10 bottles available
Winery note “The 2014 Harper Voit Surlie Pinot Blanc, sourced from three vineyard sites, is barrel fermented in used French oak and aged on lees. The fruit quality of the wine is bright, accompanied by laser-like acidity, a savory, complex palate and a lengthy, saline finish.”

Ken Wright Cellars Pinot Blanc, Willamette Valley 2013 750ML ($24.95) $21.90 special, 6 bottles available
Winery note “Pinot Blanc is a lighter-colored natural mutation of Pinot Gris. Our sources for this fruit are a two acre block of Meredith Mitchell Vineyard and a half acre block of Freedom Hill Vineyard. After pressing the fruit, the juice is fermented in neutral French barrels. The neutral casks give us rich textures without imparting new oak that would detract from the bright fruit/mineral/floral profile of the wine. The new wine remains in barrel with the original yeast and is not racked until bottling.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Vincent Pinot Blanc, Willamette Valley 2013 750ML ($21.95) $18 special, 4 bottles available
Winery note “The newest wine in my portfolio, a bright, lively and lemony white wine. The grapes here came from 20 year old vineyard near McMinnville, harvested in October but still at low sugar and strong acidity as this grape tends to give. I pressed the grapes, settled the juice and put it in old oak barrels for natural fermentation, just like I do with Chardonnay. No lees stirring, no new oak or buttery qualities, just bracing and lively white wine that is best younger but might age and develop a sense of honeycomb and waxy notes in a few years. If you can hold it that long. Just two barrels.”

This is the only listing in the USA today!
FRANCE-CHAMPAGNE
Champagne Aubry Le Nombre d’Or Campanae Veteres Vites Brut 2009 750ML ($79.95) $59 special, 2 bottles available
Antonio Galloni 92 points “The 2009 Brut Le Nombre d’Or Campanae Veteres Vites is another striking wine from Aubry. Lemon peel, almonds, white flowers and spices are laced together in a Champagne endowed with a real sense of phenolic weight and verticality. Many of the current releases from Aubry are finely cut this year, but the Le Nombre d’Or Campanae Veteres Vites is a wine that is very much tied to the ground. The 2009 is 25% Pinot Blanc/Fromenteau, 20% Petit Meslier, 15% Arbanne, 15% Chardonnay, 5% Pinot Meunier and 20% Pinot Noir. Bottled February 2014. Dosage is 3 grams per liter.” AG

Champagne Aubry Le Nombre d’Or Sable Blanc de Blancs Campanae Veteres Vites Brut 2007 750ML ($89.95) $79 special, 1 bottle available
Stephen Tanzer 92 points “made from 30% chardonnay, 30% petit meslier, 20% arbanne and 20% pinot blanc, with a very low dosage of 2 g/l; disgorged June, 2012): Light yellow. Intensely perfumed bouquet of orchard fruits, tangerine, chamomile and anise, along with a suggestion of ginger and a mounting floral element. Firm and dry in the mouth, with chewy pear skin and citrus flavors giving way to deeper peach and nectarine on the back half. Shows a suave blend of richness and energy, finishing very long, with lingering spiciness and minerality.”WA

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $84

FRANCE-ALSACE
Domaine Maurice Schoech Cotes d’Ammeschwihr 2013 750ML ($24.95) $19 special, 5 bottles available
Importer note “[The Cotes d’Ammeschwihr] is harvested from hillside vineyards situated at the beginning of the valley that leads to the village of Les Trois Epis. This wine is primarily Pinot Blanc with a touch of Muscat … a fine, elegant wine of great value.”

ITALY-TRENTINO-ALTO ADIGE
Colterenzio-Schreckbichl Praedium ‘Weisshaus’ Weissburgunder – Pinot Bianco Alto Adige 2012 750ML ($19.95) $16.60 special, 6 bottles available
100% Pinot Bianco (Pinot Blanc)

Alois Lageder Pinot Bianco Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT 2013 750ML ($17.95) $14 special, 11 bottles available
James Suckling 91 points “Lots of sliced green apple and lime character to this young white with lively acidity and a long and flavorful finish. Energetic and tangy. Always an excellent pinot bianco from environmentally sustainable vineyards. Screw cap. Drink now.” JS
GERMANY
Arriving October 2015
Selbach-Oster Pinot Blanc Dry, Mosel 2014 750ML ($21.95) $18 pre-arrival special
Terry Theise Note “Made in 3rd and 4th-use Fuders (that is, 1100-liter casks), and yes it’s Pinot Blanc on slate, which is unusual enough. I tasted it last year merely to satisfy my curiosity, as it had been sold to a restaurant group and I was “OK… hmmm… wonder what it’s like.” I ended up loving it, and every customer I personally showed it to, bought it. It’s a little tiger we have by der tail. It has a soulful woodsy mid-palate and finish and a continuing bright gleam of mineral. It tastes like a shotgun-wedding of Côte Chalonnaise white and steep-slope slate Riesling. It is like nothing you’ve ever poured—hell, nothing you ever tasted.”

No Pinot Blanc Here – But Other Intriguing Champagnes with Pinot Blanc’s Sister Grape Pinot Gris

Champagne Aubry Le Nombre d’Or Sable Blanc de Blancs Campanae Veteres Vites Brut 2008 750ML ($79.95) $69 special, 7 bottles available
VinopolNote: Uses all of the white grapes. 30% Chardonnay, 20% Arbanne, 30% Petit Meslier and 20% Fromonteau (a.k.a. Pinot Gris). Their word Sablé is used to designate low pressure (4 instead of 6 atmospheres), and this wine has zero dosage.

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $83

Champagne Aubry Le Nombre d’Or Sable Blanc de Blancs Campanae Veteres Vites Brut 2009 750ML ($89.95) $69 special, 7 bottles available
Antonio Galloni 93 points “Lemon oil, white flowers, mint and crushed rocks jump from the glass in Aubry’s 2009 Sablé Blanc des Blancs, a blend of Chardonnay, Arbanne, Petit Meslier and Fromenteau. The bright, focused style will appeal most to readers who enjoy tense, vibrant Champagnes. This is a stellar showing from the Aubry brothers. In particular, I am impressed with the level of freshness here given the warm, radiant vintage” AG

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $79.99

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German Dessert Wines
How Sweet It Is!

A wide array of drink genres await the completion of a decadent meal – digestifs, sparkling wines, cocktails, ports – and one of the most classic is the German dessert wine. Often found in handsome, small bottles, these wines come in a variety of styles and sweetness levels. Below, we list some of our favorites currently in stock:

Weingut Donnhoff Niederhauser Hermannshohle Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel, Nahe 2013 375ML ($49.95) $39 special, 4 half-bottles available
Wine Spectator 91 points “Balanced, with good focus to the juicy peach, apple and melon flavors, all supported by fresh acidity and lively spiciness. Hints of cream and anise show on the finish. Drink now through 2035.” WS

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Weingut Jos. Christoffel Jr. Christoffel-Prum Erdener Pralat Riesling Auslese*** Goldkapsel 2012 750ML ($59.95) $39 special, 10 bottles available
Stephen Tanzer 94 points “($63) Rich golden yellow. Seductive scents of apple blossom, white raisin and quince are given depth by a trace of honeyed botrytis. Rich, candied papaya fruit shows a velvety texture, with an element of minty acidity keeping the palate fresh. Dense yet light on its feet, with the mineral salts providing spice on the long, elegant finish. Gorgeous!” ST

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $54

Joh. Jos. Christoffel Erben Erdener Treppchen Riesling Auslese** 2013 750ML ($69.95) $59 special, 11 bottles available
Wine Spectator 90 points “Offers lots of pastry puff notes to the airy peach and melon flavors. Spicy and lush, with a pillowy finish that lingers with dried ginger accents. A delicate style. Drink now through 2038. 5 cases imported.” WS
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 Erben Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Auslese***, Mosel 2011 750ML ($69.95) $59 special, 8 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 only listing in the USA today!

Joh. Jos. Prum Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Auslese, Mosel 2012 750ML ($44.95) $31.90 special, 22 bottles available
Stephen Tanzer 91 points “($49) Pale golden yellow. Rich, musky aromas of yellow plum and sweet herbs. Possesses good depth of rich tropical fruit, but is more noteworthy for its velvety texture and supple, pleasing style. Finishes with salty minerality and excellent persistence.” ST

Joh. Jos. Prum Graacher Himmelriech Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel, Mosel 2013 750ML ($119.95) $89 special, 6 bottles available
Joh. Jos. Prum Graacher Himmelriech Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel, Mosel 2013 375ML ($59.95) $47 special, 4 half-bottles available
Wine Advocate 96 points “The pale-colored 2013 Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Auslese Gold Capsule displays a stunning pure and precise, stony-flavored bouquet with fresh white and green fruit aromas. Very clear, elegant and strikingly piquant on the palate, this is a noble sweet wine with a highly precise fruit expression and a very mineral and still stringent finish. Bottled with 7.5% of alcohol this is an extremely fine, tightly woven and lovely salty Auslese that seriously rivals the auctioned Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese this year. (I tasted AP number #12 14.)”RP

These are the lowest listed prices in the USA today!

Meulenhof Erdener Treppchen Riesling Auslese Alte Reben, Mosel 2010 750ML ($37.95) $29.90 special, 7 bottles available
Stephen Tanzer 91 points “Pale golden-yellow. Appealing aromas of ripe peach, mango and acacia honey. Glazed apricot infused with sweet herbal spices on the creamy, glossy palate. Rich and dense yet ethereal. Finishes with fine length.”ST

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Weingut Daniel Vollenweider Wolfer Goldgrube Riesling Auslese Lange Goldkapsel, Mosel 2007 375ML ($89.95) $49 special, 2 bottles available
Stephen Tanzer 94 points “Golden yellow. Subtle aromas of bosc pear, persimmon and nut oils lifted by brown spice botrytis. Lush and velvety in texture, with ripe apricot fruit nicely framed by flinty acidity. Rich and long, with a persistently spicy finish.”ST

This is the only listing in the USA today!

Weingut Willi Schaefer Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Auslese #9, Mosel 2012 375ML ($59.95) $44 special, 16 bottles available
Wine Advocate 94 points “Delicate and concentrated on the nose, the 2012 Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Auslese #09 displays pink and yellow grapefruit aromas along with honey flavors from the botrytis. On the palate this delicious wine is pure and very piquant and seems less sweet than it really is. The finish is thrilling, full of tension, salt and grip. An impressive though very delicate Riesling Auslese.”RP
Stephen Tanzer 91 points “($51) Pale golden yellow. Enticing aromas of raspberry, mint and sassafras mingle with a faint hint of spicy botrytis. Ripe and full yet discreet, this auslese is both dense and light on the palate. Finishes complex and long.” ST

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $47.95

Weingut Donnhoff Niederhauser Hermannshohle Riesling Beerenauslese, Nahe 2011 375ML ($199.95) $149 special, 15 half-bottles available
Wine Advocate 96 points “Intriguingly musky and subtly fungal as well as piercing in its evocation of distilled pit fruits and botanicals, the nose of Donnhoff’s 2011 Niederhauser Hermannshohle Riesling Beerenauslese – which was picked alongside its Auslese counterpart – promises an intense palate experience that the wine very much delivers. Distilled extracts of wormwood, woodruff and anisette; maraschino and serviceberry seem to lace the amalgam of quince jelly with pear and white peach nectars in a lusciously multi-layered yet animated palate performance. A spicy and tropical suggestion of mango chutney compounds the vibrantly penetrating effect of pungent herbal and pit fruit essences in a tonsil-gripping, mouth-shaking finish.” WA

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Weingut Donnhoff Niederhauser Hermannshohle Riesling Beerenauslese, Nahe 2007 375ML ($199.95) $179 special, 2 half-bottles available
Wine Advocate 99 points “The over-ripe pear and quince featured in other nobly sweet wines of this collection are very much present in Donnhoff’s 2007 Schlossbockelheimer Felsenberg Riesling Beerenauslese, along with aromas of distilled gentian, gardenia, lemon oil, freshly baked bread, and white truffle. The intensity of inner-mouth perfume here – orchard fruit, floral, and herbal distillates – is nearly beyond belief. Pear nectar, quince preserves, apple jelly, liquid gardenia, brown spices, and a certain saline and smoky suggestions of things mineral inform a finish of trance-inducing duration. This amazing elixir – harvested largely in the Turmchen section of the site – should be worthy of 40 years cellaring. When Donnhoff laughingly referred to this as the year of Felsenberg, he was not in fact kidding, nor was he referring just to the sheer number of bottlings!”WA

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Weingut Jos. Christoffel Jr. Christoffel-Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Beerenauslese, Mosel 1995 750ML ($179.95) $149 special, 5 half-bottles available

Selbach-Oster Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Beerenauslese, Mosel 2006 375ML ($109.95) $79 special, 9 bottles available
Wine Advocate 96 points “The 2006 Bernkastler Badstube Riesling Beerenauslese smells of liqueur-like, jellied, vanilla- and chocolate-covered purple plums and black cherries. The implosive palate concentration though is simply beyond “liqueur-like” and into realms I can’t recall. Strong brown spices, herbal concentrates add complexity and a buttery, creamy texture does not prevent this wine from preserving the most remarkable clarity of jellied pit fruit concentration, photo-electric brilliance of fruit acids lighting the way to an endless finish. It may not be the most complex Beerenauslese today, but give it time! Is this a “fifty year” wine … “seventy”…? All that matters is to decide whether you want to greedily take it with you to the grave or pass some on. The Germans have an expression: “So was kurz vorm Sterben” – “to experience such a thing shorly before dying.” This wine is one of those things. ”
Wine Spectator 93 points “A racy style, sporting lime, dried apple and peach flavors. Has a glycerol texture and finishes cleanly. There’s a lot packed into the slim frame. Drink now through 2032. 140 cases made”

Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Sonnenhuhr Riesling Beerenauslese, Mosel 2005 375ML ($149.95) $119 special, 20 bottles available
Wine Advocate 98 points “The 2005 Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Beerenauslese smehalf-lls intensely honeyed, with nut paste, apple jelly, citrus oils, and a hint of molasses as well. In the mouth, this offers a most amazing combination of jellied viscosity and caramelization of fruit, a nut-brittle character of almond and hazelnut, and along with all this, the clarity and purity of a stream of fresh fruit. An intensely esterous, billowing finish carries apple, white raisin, and toasted nuts on waves of caramel, fruit jelly, and a persistently refreshing core of fresh fruit that only Riesling can deliver under circumstances this ripe and nobly rotten. It’s hard not to get carried away on these waves and with this wine.”WA

This is the only listing in the USA today!

Weingut Daniel Vollenweider Wolfer Goldgrube Riesling Beerenauslese, Mosel 2007 375ML ($179.95) $139 special, 2 half-bottles available
Stephen Tanzer 95 points “Rich golden yellow. Intense bouquet of yellow plum, candied pineapple and spicy botrytis. The rich, dense, honey-glazed tropical fruit flavors are highlighted by a precise minerality that keeps the palate fresh in spite of the wine’s considerable depth and sweetness. The long, complex finish features a burst of slate. An excellent beerenauslese for the vintage.”ST

This is the only listing in the USA today!

Weingut Willi Schaefer Graacher Domprobst Riesling Beerenauslese, Mosel 2011 375ML ($209.95) $169 special, 5 half-bottles available
Wine Advocate 97 points “The Schaefer 2011 Graacher Domprobst Riesling Beerenauslese restores the brightness, vivacity, penetrating and interplay of flavors that characterized the two magnificent Domprobst Spatlesen in the present collection but had receded as one made one’s way through the Spatlesen. Never has Willi Schaefer’s repeated mantra that green-golden ripe berries must be well-represented in a B.A. been more deliciously illustrated. Juicy and candied lemon, apple jelly and fresh apple concentrate, quince paste, white raisin, vanilla cream, and salted caramel all inform a rich yet exuberant palate performance that enervates even as it envelops. This should have half a century of adventure in store.” WA

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New Arrivals – Closeout Prices!

FRANCE-CHAMPAGNE
Rene Geoffroy Volupte Premier Cru Brut 2007 750ML ($89.95) $59 special
Antonio Galloni – Vinous 93 points “The 2007 Brut Volupté is a bit more oxidative in style than the Empreinte. The blend is different of course, but the aromas and flavors have a warm, inner glow that is quite welcoming. Hints of caramel and white flower wrap around the finish. The 2007 Volupté is 80% Chardonnay, 10% Pinot Noir and 10% Pinot Meunier done in a combination of large oak and tank. This bottle was disgorged in June 2013. Dosage was 2 grams/liter.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $79.95

FRANCE-BURGUNDY
Domaine Gachot-Monot Cote de Nuits-Villages 2012 750ML ($37.95) $21.90 special
Case-12 Domaine Gachot-Monot Cote de Nuits-Villages 2012 750ML ($349.95) $219 special (that’s only $18.25/bottle!)

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $25.84

FRANCE-BEAUJOLAIS
Jean-Marc Burgaud Morgon Cote du Py 2012 750ML ($19.95) $14 special
Case-12 Jean-Marc Burgaud Morgon Cote du Py 2012 750ML ($219.95) $149 special (that’s only $12.42/bottle!)
Wine Advocate 88 points “The 2012 Morgon Cote du Py comes from eight hectare of parcels at the bottom of the southern slope that average 55 years in age and aged in cuves for seven months. It has a more floral bouquet of blackberry, apricot, a touch of quince and orange rind — quite complex for a 2012. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly chewy tannins. The Grands Cras a little more refinement than the Cote du Py, although you have to admire the ‘guts’ to this Cote du Py in a difficult vintage. Drink 2015-2024” WA

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $17.98

SPAIN
Bodegas Borsao Tres Picos Garnacha, Campo de Borja 2013 750ML ($19.95) $14 special
Case-12 Bodegas Borsao Tres Picos Garnacha, Campo de Borja 2013 750ML ($199.95) $149 special (that’s only $12.42/bottle!)
Josh Raynolds – Vinous 91 points “(half fermented in stainless steel and the other half in French oak, followed by ten months of aging in French oak): Vivid purple. Fresh cherry, blackberry and incense on the highly perfumed nose. Lush, sweet and broad on the palate, offering fleshy blueberry and floral pastille flavors that turn spicier with air. Closes on a sweet note of spicy oak, with supple tannins, very good tenacity and a touch of fruitcake.”

Bodega Bernabeleva Navaherreros Garnacha, Madrid 2012 750ML ($24.95) $16 special
Case-12 Bodega Bernabeleva Navaherreros Garnacha, Madrid 2012 750ML ($219.95) $169 special (that’s only $14.08/bottle!)
Josh Raynolds–Vinous 91 points “(100% garnacha): Brilliant ruby-red. Fresh, intensely perfumed red and dark berries on the nose, with mineral, camphor and floral nuances building in the glass. Spicy raspberry and boysenberry flavors pack a solid punch but carry no excess weight. Finishes with very good spicy lift, fine-grained tannins and mineral-driven persistence.” JR

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Alvear Pedro Ximenez de Anada, Montilla-Moriles 2013 375ML ($27.95) $18 special
Wine Advocate 93 points “This 2013 Pedro Ximenez de Anada wine is made from 100% hand-harvested Pedro Ximenez grapes that are dried on mats in the sun, and then fermented in stainless steel, with the fermentation being halted by the addition of liquor. It is then aged six months in 500-liter American oak barrels. A medium amber color is followed by notes of maple syrup, brown sugar, honeysuckle, Chinese black tea and marmalade. This sweet, rich, heady, after-dinner wine should drink well for a decade or more.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Fernando de Castilla Antique Pedro Ximenez Sherry, Andalucia NV 500ML ($44.95) $29 special
Wine Spectator 93 points “This deep and viscous version shows good range, as warm ganache, buckwheat, toasted poppy seed, black walnut, rum-soaked raisin, sweet Turkish coffee and prune eau-de-vie notes are all seamlessly layered, while a gingerbread accent at the very end imparts lift. Thoroughly unique. Drink now.” WS

Jorge Ordonez & Co. No 1 Seleccion Especial, Malaga 2012 375ML ($27.95) $16 special
Wine Advocate 95 points “Even more spectacular is the 2012 Seleccion Especial No. 1, which has the same amount of residual sugar, but is thicker and richer. This pioneering project of the Ordonez family in Malaga reflects the visionary aspects of Jorge Ordonez and his family. Jorge Ordonez and his sister, Victoria, are behind this project, but one should not discount the influence and consulting work of Gerhart Kracher, a member of Austria’s well-known Kracher family. These amazing wines must be tasted to be believed.”

Bodegas Alejandro Fernandez Dehesa La Granja, Tierra del Vino de Zamora 2007 750ML ($24.95) $14 special
Josh Raynolds – Vinous 90 points “(100% tinto fino, a.k.a. tempranillo): Brilliant ruby. Smoke- and spice-accented aromas of redcurrant and cherry, with a hint of vanilla in the background. Juicy and focused on the palate, offering lively red fruit flavors that become sweeter with air. Closes on a smoky note, with slow-building tannins and lingering coconut and spicecake nuances.”
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