Monday Bonus Newsletter 4-27-2020

Monday Bonus Newsletter!

Classique  vs Neo-Classique
Subscriber Special


When Chianti isn’t Chianti

Who Doesn’t Value Value?

Collector’s Corner
Sylvain Cathiard’s RSV


Classique  vs Neo-Classique

Subscriber Special Ends Thursday, April 30th at 6 PM Pacific

New review from Joe Czerwinski of the Wine Advocate!
Domaine du Pegau Chateauneuf-du-Pape Cuvee Reservee, Rhone 2015 750ML ($89.95) Was $75, Now $65 Subscriber Special, 36+ bottles in stock now
Wine Advocate 96 points
“Now that it has been in bottle a while, the 2015 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Reservee is looking even better than I projected based on last year’s prebottling sample. It’s all violets, cherries, subtle allspice and clove and traditional garrigue notes of lavender and thyme. Full-bodied and rich, it’s crazy complex, adding hints of tar and black olives on the long, silky finish. It should evolve beautifully over the next two decades.”
Jeb Dunnuck 96 points “The 2015 Châteauneuf-Du-Pape Cuvée Réservée is a beautiful, classic wine from the Feraud family that offers powerful notes of blackcurrants, peppered meat, garrigue, and that classic Pégau spice that’s hard to find outside of this iconic estate. Possessing a deep ruby/plum color, beautiful complexity, full-bodied richness, and firm tannin, it has closed up slightly since I tasted it from barrel and is going to need 6-12 months of bottle age to bounce back, but this is a concentrated, powerful vintage for this estate that reminds me a slightly improved 2005.”
Grapelive 95 points “…The 2015 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée Rouge, was made up of about 80% Grenache, 6% Syrah, 4% Mourvèdre, and 10% of many other authorized varietals, including Counoise, Cinsault, and Vaccarèse. The Grenache stands out in this warm vintage with loads of creme de cassis, pomegranate, plum and red berry fruit along with hints of tar, earth, spice and roasted herbs leading the way on the full bodied palate. The tannins are firm, but sweet and ripe allowing this concentrated Châteauneuf-du-Pape to deliver its full array of flavors and complex depth. This is absolutely Chateauneuf at its best! The aftertaste is amazing in detail and length and even in this warm year it remains fresh with this deep red wine adding boysenberry, fig paste, camphor, a touch of peppercorns, cedar and black licorice along with a subtle floral essence, including a hint of lilac and lavender. Laurence fermented this vintage using classic techniques with whole cluster and indigenous yeasts in cement vats. She says maceration and primary lasted about two weeks before the juice was racked into a big casks. She uses well-seasoned 5,000 liter oak foudres, the elevage lasted for close to 18 months, [and] then bottled unfined and unfiltered. This brilliant, dark purple/garnet, powerfully rich Châteauneuf-du-Pape is the stuff of legends. Enjoy over the next decade and a half…” 

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $93
    
Chapelle Saint Theodoric Chateauneuf-du-Pape La Guigasse, Rhone 2016 750ML ($89.95) Was $69, Now $65 Subscriber Special, 36+ bottles in stock now
Case-6 Chapelle Saint Theodoric Chateauneuf-du-Pape La Guigasse, Rhone 2016 750ML ($499.95) Was $389, Now $369 Subscriber Special (that’s only $61.50/bottle!)
Wine Advocate 95-97 points
“As I predicted last year, the 2016 Chateauneuf du Pape La Guigasse has smoothed out considerably and seemingly absorbed the stemmy elements I noted previously. Still not yet bottled, it now offers wonderful fruit purity and intensity. Raspberries and cherries are delivered on a full-bodied, rich and creamy palate that somehow avoids any sense of heaviness. It looks to be a stunning example of 70-year-old Grenache from the sandy lieu-dit of the same name.”
Josh Raynolds – Vinous 94 points “Limpid magenta. Intense, mineral-tinged aromas of ripe red fruits, candied lavender, baking spices and incense show sharp delineation and energetic lift. Palate-staining red and blue fruit preserve flavors are complemented by floral pastille and spicecake qualities that firm up slowly on the back half. Distinctly rich but fresh and structured as well, showing superb finishing clarity, well-knit tannins and lingering floral and mineral notes.”
Jeb Dunnuck 94-96 points “Made from 100% Grenache in the La Guigasse lieu-dit, the 2016 Chāteauneuf-du-Pape La Guigasse boasts a deeper ruby/purple color as well as a sensational bouquet of kirsch and black raspberries, spring flowers, rose petals, and exotic spice. This beauty builds on the palate, with terrific concentration, yet it always holds onto the more ethereal, elegant, seamless style of this estate.”

This was the lowest listed price in the USA today, 
Now it’s even lower!
The next best price is $79.99
The average price is $82

Subscriber Special Ends Thursday, April 30th at 6 PM Pacific






When Chianti isn’t Chianti

Felsina

#73 – James Suckling’s Top 100 Wines of the Year
Felsina Berardenga Fontalloro Toscana IGT, Tuscany 2016 750ML ($69.95) $59 special, only 10 bottles remaining in stock!
Monica Larner-Wine Advocate 98+ points
“The 2016 Fontalloro is the best vintage of this landmark wine that I have tasted thus far. This is a very elegant vintage, with more volume in the mouth and precise notes of tar, licorice, camphor ash, resin and Indian spice. In a race between the highly competitive 2015 and 2016 vintages, I give a slight advantage to this wine. The warmer 2015 vintage shows more richness and exuberant fruit. However, this wine from 2016 offers a more focused and chiseled delivery. I am hopeful that this wine will continue to evolve and sharpen as it ages in the bottle. This is a beautiful wine to put aside in your cellar for ten years or more.”
Antonio Galloni 96 points “The 2016 Fontalloro is bold, hearty and deeply flavored, with all of the Sangiovese wildness that is so typical of Fontalloro. Ripe dark cherry, grilled herbs, smoke, leather, game and incense are some of the many aromas and flavors that open up in a potent, virile Fontalloro loaded with personality and character. In so many ways, 2016 is THE archetype of what Fontalloro is – a Sangiovese that is a bit wild and unruly but also full of charm.”
Grapelive 98 points “The wines of Fèlsina have always moved me and…Fèlsina produces one of the most iconic of all Sangiovese wines, the Fontalloro, which is labeled as a simple IGT Rosso, or Vino di Tavola, much the same way as Montevertine’s Le Pergole Torte is, another pure and outstanding Sangiovese wine….The Fontalloro, especially this powerful, concentrated and complex 2016 version, performs with a sense of elegance that is hard to describe in written words, it is a wine that needs to be experienced to understand its profound impact on the senses and the palate, it reminds me of Chateau Margaux in that way, it is not as showy as some of its contemporaries, but unforgettable, beautiful, and almost without a fault. I really, really am impressed with this 2016 edition… it is one of the best I’ve tried from Felsina since the majestic 1997 and is everything you’d ask for in such a wine, and while not a cheap bottle, it is one of the wine world’s sublime values Honestly, there are hundreds of boring and generic wines that sell for twice the price. The ripe and structured year gave all the best elements to this Fontalloro to be one of the legends and the Felsina team didn’t disappoint, making a wine for the ages. While exceptional even now, this one will be one that will be a certain treasured time capsule wine that should be incredibly long lived, going two or three decades with ease. The layers unfold with gorgeous life and dimension with a firm, but welcome tannic force that holds back the massive fruit and shows the wine’s terrific poise in the glass with classic Sangiovese details including blackberry, plum, cherry and strawberry fruits, a light sense of French oak, delicate florals, minty herb, sweet and spicy tobacco, a trace of sandalwood, balsamic notes, mineral and well judged acidity that lifts this full bodied wine and keeps things in near perfect check. ($65 Est.)”
James Suckling 98 points “Amazing aromas of licorice, wet earth, orange peel and lavender. Full body, tight and super compact and polished. Goes on for minutes. Clearly great. Better in 2021, but already a star.”

Isole e Olena

Isole e Olena Cepparello Toscana IGT, Tuscany 2016 750ML ($99.95) $79 special, 24+ bottles in stock now
Isole e Olena Cepparello Toscana IGT, Tuscany 2016 1.5L ($219.95) $199 special, 12 magnums in stock now
Antonio Galloni 97+ points
“The 2016 Cepparello is dense, dark and also very closed in on itself. Those qualities bode well for the future, but readers will have to be patient, as the 2016 is going to need at least a few years to come into its own. Black cherry, plum, lavender, spice and new leather gradually open up in the glass, but the 2016 is not ready to show all of its cards. This fruit was brought in during the second week of October, which is pretty much optimal at Isole e Olena. The 2016 spent 20 months in French oak, with a bit less than 30% new oak, and a few months in cask prior to bottling. An explosion of floral and spice notes punctuates the super-refined finish. The 2016 is shaping up to be epic. Don’t miss it!”

Isole e Olena Cepparello Toscana IGT, Tuscany 2014 1.5L ($179.95) $149 special, only 1 magnum remaining in stock!
Antonio Galloni 97 points
“The 2014 Cepparello is one of the truly great wines of the vintage. Vivid and intense in all of its dimensions, it exudes purity from start to finish. Silky tannins, expressive aromatics and beautifully delineated, bright, layered Sangiovese fruit are some of the signatures. In 2014, Paolo De Marchi produced an epic Cepparello for the ages. Don’t miss it.” 

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $161.10

Isole e Olena Cepparello Toscana IGT, Tuscany 2015 750ML ($89.95) $69 special, 16 bottles in stock now
Isole e Olena Cepparello Toscana IGT, Tuscany 2015 1.5L ($179.95) $149 special, 8 magnums in stock now
James Suckling 96 points
“Shows lots of black cherries, cranberry tea, caramelized orange peel, roasted herbs and citrus peel. Full-bodied with ripe and quite round tannins that frame layers of cherries. Bright and fresh, yet rich and long at the same time. The sangiovese character really springs out of the glass. Drink in 2020.”

This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
The average price nationally is $83
 
Montevertine

Montevertine Arriving Early May:

Montevertine Le Pergole Torte Toscana IGT, Tuscany 2016 750ML (199.95) $179 pre-arrival special
Montevertine Le Pergole Torte Toscana IGT, Tuscany 2016 1.5L ($419.95) $369 pre-arrival special, only 4 magnums remaining!
Montevertine Le Pergole Torte Toscana IGT, Tuscany 2016 3L ($999.95) $799 pre-arrival special, only 2 three-liter bottles remaining!
Antonio Galloni 99 points
“The 2016 Le Pergole Torte is magnificent, just as it was last year. Rich, dense and explosive, with stunning depth and texture, the 2016 possesses off the charts intensity while remaining light on its feet for such rich a powerful, layered wine. There is almost no perception of tannin. Black cherry, plum, lavender, menthol, spice and new leather all meld together in a pliant, striking Pergole Torte endowed with tremendous pedigree and nuance. Put simply, the 2016 is off the charts great. The only reason the 2016 does not earn a perfect score is that cramped quarters in the cellar oblige Montevertine to bottle Pergole Torte in several lots.”

This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast for the 750ml!
 
Montevertine In Stock Now:

Montevertine Le Pergole Torte Toscana IGT, Tuscany 2014 750ML ($149.95) $119 special, only 6 bottles remaining in stock!
Antonio Galloni 97 points
“The flagship 2014 Le Pergole Torte possesses striking depth, nuance and pliancy, all in the midweight, slightly slender style of the vintage. Sweet red cherry, plum, cinnamon, dried flowers, mint, cinnamon and pomegranate infuse this super-expressive, sexy Pergole Torte.”
James Suckling 96 points “A transparent wine with flowers, dark fruit and citrus fruit on the nose. Full body, firm and silky tannins and a bright and fresh finish. I love the dynamic cherry and vivid floral character. Mineral, too. Bright acidity. This is one of the best wines of the 2014 vintage in Tuscany. Auguri. Drink or hold.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $122.99

Montevertine Le Pergole Torte Toscana IGT, Tuscany 2015 750ML ($189.95) $166 special, 24 bottles in stock now
Antonio Galloni 97 points
“The 2015 Le Pergole Torte captures all the radiance and intensity of the vintage. Deep, powerful and resonant, the 2015 will be a racy wine once it emerges from its recent bottling. As always, the Pergole Torte is differentiated from the Montevertine by its greater textural richness and perfume. In 2015, Pergole Torte is exotically ripe and flamboyant, not to mention utterly captivating. Don’t miss it.”
Monica Larner-Wine Advocate 96-98 points “Tasted as a barrel sample, the 2015 Le Pergole Torte is a 100% expression of Sangiovese sourced from the estate’s oldest vines (between 30 and 50 years old). Like the other wines from Montevertine, Le Pergole Torte sees both its alcoholic and malolactic fermentations in cement, and the wine later ages in new oak barrels for 12 to 18 months depending on the vintage. After that first phase in barrique, it goes into large botte to complete its integration. This gorgeous vintage opens to a deep, dark appearance with a velvety presentation of dark fruit and black cherry flavors. The wine’s textural richness is ultimately what sets this fantastic vintage apart.”

This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!






Who Doesn’t Value Value?

Our Guide to Fab Bargains In Stock Now


Andre Clouet Silver Grand Cru Blanc de Noirs Brut Nature, Champagne NV 750ML ($39.95) $36 special, 36+ bottles in stock now
Andre Clouet Silver Grand Cru Blanc de Noirs Brut Nature, Champagne NV 1.5L ($99.95) $89 special, 2 magnums in stock now
Case-12 Andre Clouet Silver Grand Cru Blanc de Noirs Brut Nature, Champagne NV 750ML ($499.95) $399 special (that’s only $33.25/bottle and the lowest listed price in the USA today!)
John Gilman 90 points
“I believe that this bottle of André Clouet “Silver” Blanc de Noirs non-vintage Brut Nature is from the base year of 2013, as it has a small code printed on the back of the neck label that says “LS13”. In any case, the wine is quite good, showing that lovely structural rounding from a bit of additional aging in the cellars. The bouquet offers up scents of apple, nectarine, bread dough, a good base of soil and a smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and nicely balanced, with refined mousse, bright, nicely-integrated acids and a long, complex finish. This is a quite good bottle of Brut Nature. 2019-2030+.”

Andre Clouet Grande Reserve Brut, Champagne NV 750ML ($39.95) $36 special, 36+ bottles in stock now
Andre Clouet Grande Reserve Brut, Champagne NV 1.5L ($99.95) $89 special, 13 magnums in stock now
Case-12 Andre Clouet Grande Reserve Brut, Champagne NV 750ML ($499.95) $399 special (that’s only $33.25/bottle and the lowest listed price in the USA today!)
William Kelley-Wine Advocate 90 points
“The latest release of André Clouet’s NV Brut Grand Réserve Grand Cru is showing well, exhibiting a nicely integrated bouquet of red apple, ripe citrus fruit, honeycomb and blanched almonds, followed by a medium to full-bodied, enveloping palate with a fine mousse, ripe but racy acids and an elegant, understated profile, concluding with a well-defined finish. This is a stylish, harmonious wine that makes for a fine introduction to the Clouet portfolio.”

The average price nationally is $43

Chateau Puygueraud, Cotes de Francs Bordeaux 2016 750ML ($24.95) $21.90 special, 36+ bottles in stock now
Case-6 Chateau Puygueraud, Cotes de Francs Bordeaux 2016 750ML ($149.95) $119 special (that’s only $19.83/bottle!)
Case-12 Chateau Puygueraud, Cotes de Francs Bordeaux 750ML ($299.95) $228 special (that’s only $19/bottle!)
James Suckling 94 points
“This is so good! I want to drink it now. Iodine, mushrooms, dark fruit and orange peel on the nose and palate. Full-bodied, yet polished and fresh. Lovely tension A blend of 80 per cent merlot, 15 per cent cabernet franc and five per cent malbec.”

Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Schlossberg Riesling Kabinett, Mosel 2016 750ML ($29.95) $24 special, 36+ bottles in stock now
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 92 points
“Opening with nice reduction but precise and ripe fruit as well as crunchy slate aromas on the nose, the 2016 Zeltinger Schlossberg Riesling Kabinett is pure and flinty, well-structured and quite aristocratic (though a frivolous aristocrat), with a firm structure, lush fruit and a lovely lightness and buoyancy. Very stimulating and mouthwatering, but it’s far too young to appreciate the full complexity it will deliver in a couple of years. Salty, grippy and fruity—just a perfect Kabinett.”
Stuart Pigott 91 points “Super-fresh and vibrant with a cool, mineral-herbal personality and a very clean, long finish. You could drink it any time during the next decade, but why wait?”

This is the only listing in the USA today!

Castello di Monsanto Monrosso, Chianti Colli Senesi DOCG 2016 750ML ($17.95) $15.50 special, 24 bottles in stock now
Case-12 Castello di Monsanto Monrosso, Chianti Colli Senesi DOCG 2016 750ML ($199.95) $169 special (that’s only $14.08/bottle!)
Wine Spectator 92 points
“Bursts with ripe cherry, blackberry and floral aromas and flavors, driven by lively acidity and an elegant frame. Balanced, yet firmly supported by dense tannins. Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Sangiovese.-BS”

A VinopolPick exclusive! 
Vinyes d’en Gabriel L’Heravi, Montsant 2017 750ML ($19.94) $16 special, 36+ bottles in stock now
Case-12 Vinyes d’en Gabriel L’Heravi, Montsant 2017 750ML ($219.95) $169 special (that’s only $14.08/bottle!)
Winery note
“L’Heravi Joven is seductive, a rich cherry colour with hints of purple. It has a potent bouquet, with notes of red fruit, wild herbs and just a touch of sweet confectionery. In the mouth it is smooth and elegant, with intense flavours accompanied by freshness and nicely integrated tannins. It will continue to display its qualities over the next 3 years or so.” 

This is the only listing in the USA today!

Arriving tomorrow, April 28th:

Castello di Camigliano Poderuccio Toscana IGT, Tuscany 2017 750ML ($21.95) $17.70 pre-arrival special
Case-12 Castello di Camigliano Poderuccio Toscana IGT, Tuscany 2017 750ML ($249.95) $199 pre-arrival special (that’s only $16.58/bottle!)
Wine Spectator 92 points
“A ripe style, verging on overripe, boasting plum and blackberry flavors, with iron, leather and wild herb notes. Broad and powerful, revealing a dense layer of tannins on the long, savory finish. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese. Drink now through 2028. 3,333 cases made, 580 cases imported.”

This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
The average price nationally is $19


Collector’s Corner

Sylvain Cathiard’s RSV


“a wine of indisputable class” – Burghound
Sylvain Cathiard Romanee-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits 2009 750ML ($2,799.95) $2,499 special, 3 bottles in stock now
Burghound 94-97 points
“A dazzlingly complex, perfumed and pure nose reveals a bit of wood influence yet remains strikingly elegant with its superb scope of spicy red berry fruit aromas that are followed by ripe, seductive and beautifully intense flavors that display marvelous depth and perfect balance on the sappy and naturally sweet finish of monumental length. This is a wine of indisputable class and a model of grace and understatement that should age effortlessly for 20 to 30 years.”
 
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!


Vinopolis is an independent wine shop in Portland that opened in 2004. Our goal has always been to offer the finest, broadest, and largest selection of wines at the best prices to our customers in Portland, in Oregon, across the West Coast, and throughout the United States. Thank you for reading and for continuing to support our team at Vinopolis!

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