MidWeek VinopolPick 7-18-17

One Day DuMOL Sale; Heavy Hitter New Arrivals–Lafarge, Bonneau and More; Grünhaus on July Sale; Staff Pick; Alto Piedmonte, Alto Value

Summer Shipping Special:

Midwest, East, & South

For the summer season we are offering UPS Three Day Select Service for the price of UPS Ground for shipments normally traveling 4 or more business days by ground.

Free service upgrade only applies on single orders purchased and shipped during the promotional period.  Additional fees will apply to orders held for any reason until after the promotional period and shipped by Three Day Select.  Offer not valid on items purchased before the promotional period or on pre-arrival items that arrive after the promotional period ends.

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DuMOL-ished Pricing

A One Day Sale on DuMOL Chardonnay

We love DuMOL Chardonnay, but we confess that they might not love us very much today.  They tend to be very sensitive to how they’re product is priced in the retail world and had objected to our displayed price of $48, which was below their SRP of $59.99.  Rather than raising our price or continue to annoy them, we decided to quickly clear out our last few cases of the 2014 Russian River Chardonnay at a price that’s by far the best in the country.  Due to the nature of the sale, this price is only good until 6pm (Pacific) tomorrow or we run out—there’s no way we’ll be able to re-order the wine at this price.  Happy Hunting!

DuMOL Chardonnay, Russian River Valley 2014 750ML ($61.95) Was $48, Now $39!, 20 bottles available
Antonio Galloni 92 points “DuMol’s 2014 Chardonnay (Russian River Valley) is a gorgeous appellation-level wine. Apricot, chamomile, white flowers, honey and orange peel flesh out in the glass. Creamy, open-knit and expressive, the 2014 is an absolute winner, especially at this level. Attractive saline notes underpin the finish.”
Wine Advocate 92 points “The 2014 Chardonnay Russian River has a classic baked apricots and apple pie-laced nose with nuances of roasted nuts and buttered toast. Medium to full-bodied and richly fruited, it has a seductive touch of oiliness to the texture and great vitality, finishing a little spicy.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $46.76!
The average price is $58!

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Heavy Hitter New Arrivals:

Lafarge, Bonneau, Dauvissat and More!

The best producers from any region are always going to be in short supply (and high demand!) so getting in a bunch of wines from the likes of Lafarge in Volnay, Bonneau in Chateauneuf and Dauvissat in Chablis.  These are obviously wines in high demand and shouldn’t be around for too long, though we did get decent quantities (given the wines in question).

Just Arrived:

Domaine Michel Lafarge Les Aigrots Rouge, Beaune Premier Cru 2008 750ML ($99.95) $79 special
Antonio Galloni 92 points “The 2008 Beaune Les Aigrots is another beautifully complete, harmonious wine. This deceptively mid-weight Beaune blossoms on the palate with a textured personality and tons of class. The gorgeous inner perfume flows through nicely to the intense, complex finish.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Domaine Michel Lafarge Clos des Chenes, Volnay Premier Cru 2013 750ML ($199.95) $169 special
Wine Advocate 92-94 points “The 2013 Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Chenes has a more expressive, mineral-driven bouquet than the Caillerets – so much energy here and that is translated down to the palate that is poised and focused. It is laden with vibrant tart red cherry fruit, boysenberry and mineral, great depth and length and yet so fresh and approachable. This is one of those wines that I suspect will drink early but also repay cellaring.”

Domaine Michel Lafarge Clos du Chateau des Ducs, Volnay Premier Cru 2013 750ML ($199.95) $169 special
Burghound 92 points “Seemingly without fail the Lafarges achieve genuinely remarkable purity of fruit and the 2013 Clos du Château des Ducs proves to be no exception as the high-toned nose is the essence of red pinot fruit along with subtle hints of spice, earth, floral and soft stone nuances. There is terrific delineation and even more minerality with a bit more punch and power on the dusty, mouth coating and lingering finish. This is perhaps a bit more delicate than it usually is though it is by no means light.”
Wine Advocate 91-93 points “The 2013 Volnay 1er Cru Clos du Chateau des Ducs has a tightly would bouquet with brambly red fruit, blackberry leaf and granitic scents that waft reluctantly from the glass. The palate is very well structured with a keen line of acidity, ebullient red cherry and strawberry fruit with delineated, very focused and long in the mouth. Excellent.”

Domaine Michel Lafarge Les Mitans, Volnay Premier Cru 2013 750ML ($189.95) $159 special
Burghound 90-92 points “Once again there is striking purity to the elegant and airy essence of red currant, cherry and pomegranate suffused nose. There is really lovely detail and intensity to the refined and lacy middle weight flavors that possess a dusty and overtly saline finish. This is textbook Mitans with its finesse and restrained palate feel.”

Domaine Michel Lafarge Meursault, Cote de Beaune 2010 750ML ($89.95) $79 special
Burghound 89-91 points “This is also quite pretty though aromatically very different as here the nose speaks of distinct Meursault-like scents that run the gamut from classic hazelnut to yellow orchard fruit to pear to floral hints. There is excellent richness to the attractively textured, sappy and mouth coating medium-bodied flavors that possess excellent complexity for a villages level wine. Worth considering.” BH

This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast today!

Henri Bonneau Chateauneuf-du-Pape Reserve des Celestins, Rhone 2011 750ML ($399.95) $379 special
Josh Raynolds–Vinous 93-95 points “Bright ruby-red. Far more expressive than the Marie Beurrier, displaying a wild array of candied red fruits, flowers and Asian spices, along with an intense mineral overtone. Silky, sweet and pure on the palate, offering intense raspberry preserve and spicecake flavors and a jolt of lavender pastille. Closes long and sweet, with building spiciness and smooth, harmonious tannins that sneak up late.”

Rene et Vincent Dauvissat-Camus La Forest, Chablis Premier Cru 2015 750ML ($99.95) $89 special
Wine Advocate 93-95 points “The 2015 Chablis 1er Cru la Forest has one of the more mineral-driven aromatic profiles from Dauvissat this year: very focused with granite and flint-like aromas emerging from the glass. The palate is extremely well balanced, tightly wound at first with outstanding spiciness and mineralité, fanning out wonderfully with a quite compelling finish that lingers in the mouth. This is so cohesive and tensile, the persistence just one of the best you will find this vintage.”
Decanter 94 points “Ripe and charming, intense and lifted. Showing purity of fruit and clarity, although the aromas are currently quite subdued. Racy and beautifully poised, with a very long finish. Drinking Window 2018 – 2028.”
Stephen Tanzer – Vinous 92-94 points “Pale, bright yellow. Initially mute nose grudgingly gives up scents of citrus fruits, rosemary and earth. Sappy and incisive in the mouth, with penetrating citrus-dominated flavors joined by mineral-driven salinity on the long, pure finish. A terrific premier cru in the making, this Forest really stains the palate.”
Burghound 90-93 points – Sweet Spot Outstanding “This is aromatically even more complex if perhaps a bit less elegant with its pure array of citrus, iodine, tidal pool, citrus peel and apple aromas. There is excellent punch to the full-bodied and muscular middle weight flavors that possess plenty of mouth coating sap that helps to buffer the moderately firm acid spine. This powerful effort should reward from 6 to 10 years of bottle age and is another in a long line of fine examples of La Forest from Vincent Dauvissat. Drink: 2022+.”
John Gilman 93 points “I love Vincent Dauvissat’s La Forest and the 2015 is an absolutely classic version! The bouquet is pure, nascently complex and very expressive, wafting from the glass in a fine, fine blend of flinty, wet stone minerality, pear, lime, a whisper of the coming beeswax, candied lemon peel and a touch of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and rock solid at the core, with an open attack, an outstanding sense of reserve at the core, bright acids and excellent lift and cut on the very long, zesty finish. This is fairly open in personality today, but it has additional layers of complexity to offer to those with a bit of patience. 2016- 2040.”

Joh. Jos. Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel, Mosel 2015 750ML ($169.95) $149 special
Mosel Fine Wines 96 points “This delivers a stunning nose of infused pear, slate and white flowers which give way to coconut and pineapple. A deliciously exotic side runs through the wine on the palate. This, combined with zesty acidity, gives the wine great freshness, vibrancy and finesse. The finish is all about whipped cream, pear puree and candied grapefruit. What a beauty! 2030-2055”

Philippe Pacalet Cornas, Rhone 2015 750ML ($99.95) $79 special

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Maximin Grunhauser

July Sale Wines!

Sale Ends July 31st at Midnight

The von Schubert family, owners of the legendary Maximin Grünhaus winery in the Ruwer valley, are producing some of the best wines coming out of Germany today.  We love them and wanted to highlight the great work they’re doing, so we’ve put a bunch on even deeper sale prices for the rest of the month of July!

If you aren’t familiar with the estate or its wines, these are German wines to pay attention to. The Ruwer valley (part of the Mosel region) is one of the coolest sub-climates in the area, producing wines that are bright and racy.  The Grünhaus wines are built to last, with coiled tension and nervy minerality that unwinds with air or time. Historically, the wines absolutely required time, but over the last decade or so, cellar master Stefan Kraml has reached new heights of excellence at this iconic estate. He has embraced the richer and plusher aromatics and body of the ever warmer vintages, and adapted the winemaking to highlight the natural expressions of the grapes.  These are still high-acid, leaner wines, but they’re pleasurable to drink young now.

Carl von Schubert Maximin Grunhauser Abtsberg Riesling Alte Reben Trocken, Mosel 2015 750ML ($39.95) Was $29, Now $24, 30 bottles available
Mosel Fine Wines 90 points “This wine (fermented to legally dry levels) offers a dead-gorgeous nose of cassis, white peach and mint. The wine is nicely crispy and even somewhat sharp at the moment on the palate but leaves a gorgeously clean and fresh feel in the long finish. This light beauty needs time to develop in the bottle but should turn into quite a great wine.”

This is the only listing in the USA today!

Carl von Schubert Maximin Grunhauser Herrenberg Riesling Alte Reben Trocken, Mosel 2014 750ML ($34.95) Was $27, Now $24, 9 bottles available
Wine Advocate 91+ points “The 2014 Maximin Grünhäuser Herrenberg Riesling Trocken Alte Reben displays a very clear, subtle and elegant plum-brandy and white nectarine aroma. Full-bodied and very elegant on the palate, with intensity and minerality, this is a more concentrated, richer and round Riesling from the Herrenberg with a good mineral length. At this early stage, the juicy Alte Reben shows more of a GG-style than the Grünhaus character, though I wonder if not the ‘regular’ Herrenberg trocken is more drinking fun in the next five or 15 years. 11.5% alcohol is pretty Grünhaus though.”

This is the only listing in the USA today!

Carl von Schubert Maximin Grunhauser Abtsberg Riesling Grosses Gewachs, Mosel 2015 750ML ($59.95) Was $49, Now $39, 18 bottles available
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 92 points “The 2015 Maximin Grünhäuser Abtsberg Riesling GG has a deep, intense and flinty bouquet of perfectly ripe Riesling and citrus aromas. Full-bodied, intense and concentrated, this is a well-structured and mineral Grosses Gewächs with a long, complex and salty finish. However, this wine is more VDP GG-styled than what you were used to getting from the former Spätlese trocken.”
Mosel Fine Wines 92 points “This offers a stunning even if backward nose of slate, grapefruit, cassis, mint and herbs. The wine is gorgeously elegant and refined on the palate, with superb acidity coming through in the finish. This is still on the sharp side but only needs some bottle rest to shine. 2020-2030+”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Carl von Schubert Maximin Grunhauser Abtsberg Riesling Kabinett, Mosel 2014 750ML ($34.95) Was $27, Now $24, 10 bottles available
Wine Advocate 93 points “The 2014 Maximin Grünhäuser Abtsberg Riesling Kabinett (AP #11) shows a super clear, deep and complex blue slate bouquet; this leads to a piquant and filigreed palate, with an ethereal lightness and transparency. It has a salty and slate-like finish, which is very stimulating, pure and long, but neither too fruity nor too intense. Divine!”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Carl von Schubert Maximin Grunhauser Abtsberg Riesling Kabinett, Mosel 2015 750ML ($31.95) $26 special, 36+ bottles available
Mosel Fine Wines 92 points “Harvested at 86° Oechsle, this offers a rather smooth Spätlese-styled nose of pear, cassis, ginger, star anise, flowers and flinty slate. The wine is on the rich and round side on the palate (by Kabinett standards of this Estate) but already hints at the elegance and finesse to come. This offers a long and beautifully refined nose of herbs and spices. The overall structure is still rather reduced and backward and we expect this beauty to only truly shine at maturity. So patience is required! 2025-2040.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $35

Carl von Schubert Maximin Grunhauser Abtsberg Riesling Spatlese, Mosel 2014 750ML ($39.95) $33 special, 20 bottles available
Wine Advocate 95 points “The 2014 Maximin Grünhäuser Abtsberg Riesling Spätlese (AP #12) opens very clear and smoky on the deep and aromatic nose. It is piquant and intense on the palate, very juicy and concentrated, firm and potent, and far away from being ready to drink. It is lush and piquant, very mineral and racy, and needs at least 15 years to reveal its true talents. This is a great Spätlese in Grand Cru format. Bottled with 68 grams of residual sugar.”

Carl von Schubert Maximin Grunhauser Abtsberg Riesling Spatlese, Mosel 2015 750ML ($37.95) $29 special, 32 bottles available
Wine Spectator 94 points “Lots of crème brûlée and pastry notes in this languid style, which offers accents of roasted almond and coconut meat. The finish has a pear tart flavor that lingers. Drink now through 2040.”
Mosel Fine Wines 93+ points “Harvested at 93° Oechsle, this offers a rather reduced nose of spices, herbs and cassis. The wine is gorgeously elegant and fresh on the palate and leaves a stunning feel of herbs and zesty citrusy fruits in the long and mouth-watering finish. This is a superb effort with great upside potential. 2025-2045.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $34

Carl von Schubert Maximin Grunhauser Herrenberg Riesling Spatlese, Mosel 2014 750ML ($37.95) $29 special, 1 bottle available
Wine Advocate 94 points “The 2014 Maximin Grünhäuser Herrenberg Riesling Spätlese (AP #7) offers a super clear and stony flavored bouquet with some yeasty flavors, which you can also find in the Kabinett. Sweet and filigreed on the weightless and highly elegant palate, this is a gorgeously fine and stimulating Spätlese with a beautiful salinity. Bottled with 72 grams of residual sugar per liter, you taste nothing but fruit. This is very precise and well articulated Riesling of great finesse and elegance, and probably the finest Herrenberg of the 2014 vintage. Lightness and goodness as character.”
Wine & Spirits 92 points “The Herrenberg is completely delicious, bursting with juicy flavor in shades of yellow fruit, its floral and herbal notes accenting the ethereal feel of the wine.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $31

Carl von Schubert Maximin Grunhauser Abtsberg Superior Riesling, Mosel 2014 750ML ($59.95) Was $49, Now $39, 23 bottles available
Wine Advocate 94 points “Very clear and smoky on the still discreet and yeasty-flavored, dense nose, the 2014 Maximin Grünhäuser Abtsberg Riesling Superior is a very elegant and round, finesse-full and persistent Riesling; it has a long and salty, very complex but beautifully fine, yet firmly structured and great finish. Impressive Riesling for the next 25 or 30 or more years.”
Wine & Spirits 92 points “Since Kraml came on in 2004, he’s weaned the vines off of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, dropped yields and moved to ambient yeast fermentations, many of which he does in traditional, large oak fuder made from the estate’s own trees. He’s also introduced the “Superior” wines, made in a traditional feinherb style, fermented in fuder and bottled with a little residual sugar. In 2014, the treatment seems to magnify the character of each vineyard, and lends the wines extra strength. The Abtsberg emphasizes the filigreed delicacy and peach scents common to the fruit off its cool blue slate, as well as the profundity of its mineral flavors. It’s not recognizably sweet; rather, this is sugar as muscle, making the best of a vintage short on sun.”

This is the only listing in the USA today!

Carl von Schubert Maximin Grunhauser Herrenberg Riesling Auslese, Mosel 2015 750ML ($69.95) Was $49, Now $39, 20 bottles available
Mosel Fine Wines 94 points “This offers some grapefruit, melon, pear and minty herbs on the nose. The wine has some creamy pear at first which gives way to racy cassis and spices. The finish is elegant and to die for as mouth-watering minerals play with one’s senses. This will enter its maturity window in a good decade and will then prove a great expression of “feine Auslese.” 2025-2040”
David Schildknecht – Vinous 93 points “White currant and quince jellies are tinged with cress and candied lime, both on the nose and on the lush and creamy but also bright and piquant palate of this Auslese. Evocations of peach and Persian melon add to its imposing fruitiness, and there is a persistent alliance of richness and vivacity rather than any sense of bifurcation. Salinity sets the salivary glands pumping on a penetrating finish transparent to stony nuances.”

This is the only listing in the USA today!

Carl von Schubert Maximin Grunhauser Abtsberg Riesling Auslese 24, Mosel 2015 750ML ($99.95) Was $79, Now $69, 30 bottles available
Mosel Fine Wines 95 points “This offers gorgeous scents of peach and herbs on the nose. Star anise, ginger and coconut join the flavors on the creamy yet racy palate and leave a superbly racy, cassis and mint-infused feel in the long finish. What a beauty! 2025-2050.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Carl von Schubert Maximin Grunhauser Herrenberg Riesling Auslese 31, Mosel 2015 750ML ($119.95) Was $89, Now $79, 6 bottles available
Mosel Fine Wines 95+ points “Harvested at approx. 110° Oechsle, this offers a gorgeous and vibrant nose of pear, grapefruit, quince, cassis and mint. The wine is gorgeously zesty and smooth on the palate, with lively scents of grassy herbs and cassis providing a superb freshness in the long and mineral finish. This is a racy expression of Auslese which should age beautifully well. We would not be surprised if it ultimately even exceeds our high expectations wen reaching maturity. 2025-2045”
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 95 points “The 2015 Maximin Grünhäuser Herrenberg Auslese 31 opens with a clear and elegant, very attractive passion fruit and grapefruit aroma. Sweet and piquant on the palate, this is a round, lush, finessed and very elegant Auslese with a long, aromatic finish and stimulating piquant acidity. A gorgeous Auslese of great finesse. It has 7% alcohol and roughly 125 grams of residual sugar.”

This was the lowest listed price in the USA today,
Now it’s even lower!
The next best price is $99.99

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Staff Picks

Saul:
Damien Delecheneau makes some of my favorite wines from any region of the world and his “Ad Libitum” bottling is a perfect introduction to the house style.  It’s a lighter style red made from a blend of Gamay, Cabernet Franc and Côt (Malbec) and while the 2015 version has a touch more weight and ripeness, this is a wine for chilling slightly and pounding.  If you judge the quality of a wine based on how quickly you finish the bottle, this is shockingly good—I’m always surprised and disappointed that there isn’t any more left.

Domaine La Grange Tiphaine Touraine Amboise Ad Libitum, Loire 2015 750ML ($21.95) $19 special, 15 bottles available
VinopolNote: A midweight to light red that is super gulpable.  It’s a blend of the three big grapes for the Touraine—Gamay, Cab Franc and Cot—and goes down too easily.  Don’t buy just one bottle.  We warned you.

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

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Alto Piedmonte:

Top Rate Nebbiolo at Cut Rate Prices

The Piedmonte outside of Barolo and Barbaresco remains a bit of a paradox: lovers of big, collectible Nebbiolo will readily concede that there are some amazing wines made there, but then turn around and proceed never to buy any, despite the fact that the best wines are outstandingly cheap!  Well, hopefully that stops today (at least in a small little way).  We’re here to tell you that if you love Barolo and Barbaresco, you should be paying real (fiscal) attention to the wines made in Piedmonte outside of the big two.

The wines we’re focusing on today are mostly from Gattinara (which is one of the two or three best known regions outside of Barolo/Barbaresco) and from Ghemme (which was famous in the 19th century and into the 20th but has become more obscure since WWII).  The big advantage both regions have on their side right now is the changing climate.  In an older climate paradigm, you couldn’t always count on the northerly regions in the Piedmonte to get fully ripe every year, so often you had very light wines with very stern tannins.  Now? It’s like Gattinara and co. have hit the jackpot.

The wines of Gattinara and Ghemme (and Carema, etc) tend to be lighter bodied and more aromatic than Barolo (Volnay vs Nuits, in Burgundy, is a good comparison).  They age forever, it seems, but with a good decant you shouldn’t have any problem drinking the wines now (or at least from the lower tier).  The best part?  The prices.  We’re offering a lot of wines here that are between $30-60, with most of them in the lower part of that price range, but no matter where you’re buying, you’re probably saving 30-50% vs. a wine of comparable quality that has the Barolo tag (and the branding behind it). Sure you don’t get to brag about the Barolo you bought, but if you’re in it for the wines themselves, this is where you want to be.

Monsecco Gattinara DOCG, Piedmont 2011 750ML ($41.95) $36 special, 36 bottles available
Importer (Neal Rosenthal) note “After a manual harvest, the grapes undergo an extensive cuvaison and then are racked into a combination of large “botte” and second year French barrique for at least three years of aging prior to being bottled.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Monsecco “Pelizzane” Ghemme DOCG, Piedmont 2011 750ML ($39.95) $33 special, 33 bottles available
Importer (Neal Rosenthal) note “An extraordinarily age-worthy wine that will mature nicely over 20 years or more in the cellar, in its youth this medium to full bodied wine shows a lovely mélange of red and dark berry fruits, with hints of tobacco and spice and a very long finish. 85% Nebbiolo with 15% Vespolina and Uva Rara of an average age of 30 years, the wine macerates for 12 days before fermentation in stainless steel. The wine is then transferred to a combination of old Slovenian botte, and second year French barrique for an additional 3 years, and to put the finishing touches on its élèvage: a year in bottle before release. A wine such as this is a testament to the glory and longevity of mountain Nebbiolo. Decant for best results!”

This is the only listing in the USA today!

Monsecco Ghemme DOCG, Piedmont 2007 750ML ($59.95) $49 special, 2 bottles available
Winery note “Nebbiolo 90%, Vespolina 5%, Uva Rara (Bonarda Nov.) 5%. Colour: clear, intense ruby red tending to garnet. Aroma: characteristic, delicate, pleasant and ethereal bouquet. Hints of violet, rose, almond and wild berries, particularly raspberry. Taste: full and strong, but velvety and harmonic.”

This is the only listing in the USA today!

Ferrando White Label – Etichetta Bianca Nebbiolo di Carema, Piedmont 2011 750ML ($69.95) $59 special, 16 bottles available
Importer (Neal Rosenthal) Note: If there is any wine that defines the Ferrando “oeuvre” it is this one: the white label Carema. No single wine in our portfolio is more illustrative of our work than this brilliant rendition of Nebbiolo. Produced exclusively from the Nebbiolo grape planted in a series of vineyards that sit beneath Mont Blanc (Monte Bianco) in a broad amphitheatre with full southern exposure overlooking the river, Dora Baltea, that runs from the snow-capped mountains south through the Valle d’Aosta into the northwestern range of Piedmont slicing the city of Ivrea in half. The vines are trained in a special way on pergola (known as “tupin” in local dialect) to obtain maximum exposure to the sun in this high altitude district and are planted to soils that are dominated by slate. The appellation of Carema is extremely small: only 16 hectares (approximately 40 acres) are planted to the vine….By law, the Carema cannot be released before four years of aging. Production of the Carema “Etichetta Bianca” is approximately 7200 bottles [600 cases] per annum, two-thirds of which (4800 bottles) comes to the States….The Carema of Ferrando reveals the most elegant and delicate and complex characteristics of the Nebbiolo grape with a surprising capacity to age. We have witnessed this wine at thirty-plus years of age displaying vibrant, seductive qualities that are simply astonishing.
Winery note: “Color: Intense garnet red, limpid and dense. Nose: Spicy, fruity notes. Fine hints of dried flowers and rose petals. Palate: Warm, tannic mouthfeel. Well-integrated spicy notes. Perfect with beef, braised meats, game, and mature cheeses.

This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast today!

Antichi Vigneti di Cantalupo ‘Agamium’ Colline Novaresi, Piedmont 2011 750ML ($21.95) $17 special, 29 bottles available
Importer note “Made entirely of Nebbiolo from three different estate vineyards, normally picked at the beginning of October and macerated with the skins for 6 days. Aged for 12 months in stainless steel, then another twelve months in 900L and 3,000L Slavonian oak barrels, almost all used. In effect this is declassified Ghemme, so the soils are morainic and the wine shows the same mineral character that the bigger wines do, just in a more forward form. Amazing value.”

This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast today!

Antichi Vigneti di Cantalupo ‘Cantalupo Anno Primo’ Colline Novaresi, Piedmont 2008 1.5L ($89.95) $79 special, 3 magnums available
Antonio Galloni 90 points “The 2008 Cantalupo Anno Primo is built on a serious spine of tannin and energy, both of which give it considerable power. Dark red cherry, tobacco, smoke, herbs and leather are all expressed with quite a bit of intensity. The 2008 offers solid balance in a virile style that is probably best enjoyed at the dinner table.”

This is the only listing for a magnum in the USA today!

Antichi Vigneti di Cantalupo ‘Cantalupo Anno Primo’ Colline Novaresi, Piedmont 2009 750ML ($44.95) $38 special, 14 bottles available
Case-12 Antichi Vigneti di Cantalupo ‘Cantalupo Anno Primo’ Colline Novaresi, Piedmont 2009 750ML ($479.95) $399 special, 3 cases available (that’s only $33.25/bottle!)
Antonio Galloni 92 points “The 2009 Cantalupo Anno Primo is a gorgeous, super-classic Ghemme. Rosewater, bright red cherry, geranium, tobacco, pine and mint are beautifully delineated throughout. Aromatically intense and focused, the 2009 shows exactly what makes Nebbiolo from Ghemme so delicious. This is an absolutely gorgeous wine that won’t break the bank. At times, the aromatic signatures are quite reminiscent of Mascarello’s Barolo Monprivato, although the tannic and acid signatures are very much those of Ghemme.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
This is the only listing for a magnum in the USA today!

Antichi Vigneti di Cantalupo Collis Breclemae, Ghemme DOCG 2005 1.5L ($119.95) $89 special, 2 magnums available
Antonio Galloni 92+ points “Amazingly, the 2005 Collies Breclamae comes across as very young. A massive, full-bodied wine, the 2005 is laced with autumn leaves, spices, pine, menthol and licorice, but at the end of the day, the 2005 is really in no mood to show all of its cards. Even at eight years of age, the 2005 needs more time in bottle to release the full breadth of its aromas and flavors, and allow the tannins to start softening. This is an impressive showing.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Antichi Vigneti di Cantalupo Collis Breclemae, Ghemme DOCG 2006 750ML ($59.95) $46 special, 12 bottles available
Antichi Vigneti di Cantalupo Collis Breclemae, Ghemme DOCG 2006 1.5L ($119.95) $89 special, 3 magnums available
Importer note “Made entirely of Nebbiolo grown in the hillside vineyard called ‘Collis Breclemae,’ picked in the second half of October. About two weeks of maceration with the skins, then the wine is aged for 36 months in used barrels ranging between 900 and 2800L. Very rocky soil, which presumably explains the very distinctive mineral character the wine shows. Very round tannins that remind me of 70% dark chocolate, not at all bitter, just savory; this will age brilliantly, but if I’m eating ribeye now I would drink this with it in a second. Really big wine with excellent balance.”

This is the only listing in the USA today!

Antichi Vigneti di Cantalupo Collis Breclemae, Ghemme DOCG 2007 750ML ($59.95) $49 special, 25 bottles available
Antichi Vigneti di Cantalupo Collis Breclemae, Ghemme DOCG 2007 1.5L ($119.95) $89 special, 6 magnums available
Antonio Galloni 92+ points “The 2007 Ghemme Collis Breclamae shows the deeper, slightly wilder side of Ghemme. Game, smoke, licorice, cedar and tobacco are expressed with elements of burliness and rusticity. There is more than enough depth to fill out the wine’s broad shoulders. Still, what comes through most is the wine’s virile, imposing personality.” AG

This is the lowest listed price for a magnum in the USA today!

Antoniolo Gattinara DOCG, Piedmont 2011 750ML ($39.95) $33 special, 15 bottles available
Antonio Galloni 91 points “The 2011 Gattinara is surprisingly intense for an entry-level bottling. Dark, powerful and voluptuous – almost unnaturally so for the appellation – the 2011 exudes richness. Dark cherry, plum, smoke, tobacco and menthol are front and center in this super-expressive, inviting Gattinara from Antoniolo. Readers should expect a bold, racy style in 2011.”

This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast today!

Antoniolo San Francesco, Gattinara DOCG 2011 750ML ($59.95) $49 special, 23 bottles available
Wine Spectator 92 points “With a core of sweet fruit notes, this red combines cherry, berry, tomato leaf and stone aromas and flavors. Remains balanced and long, evolving from cherry to mineral on the long finish.”

This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast today!

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