Monday Newsletter 10-20-25

In This Newsletter:

New Week – New Arrivals
New Arrivals from Foradori
Clos Mogador and Espectacle del Montsant Back In Stock!
A Bit of Bubbles: Champagnes from José Michel & Philipponnat
Chateau le Puy

New Week – New Arrivals
 

 

Foradori
 

Elisabetta Foradori’s wines occupy a singular place in the world of wine. She is an icon of biodynamics and the natural wine movement. And her wines are classic and pure. Her trailblazing curiosity has led her down a number of different (now trendy) roads long before anyone else in her region, including the use of amphora, a return to the traditional pergola trellis, and an emphasis on polycultural farming practices.
 
New Arrivals from Foradori:
 
Foradori Teroldego Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT, Trentino-Alto Adige 2023 750ml $31.90 special, 24 bottles in stock now
James Suckling 96 points “Contemporary and fine, vinous and fragrant, this is focused on dark fruit and fresh roses with leather and meaty depth. There is a hidden complexity that slowly reveals itself. Supple on the medium-bodied palate, this has moderate acidity and ripe, elegant tannins with slightly peppery flavors. Fruity and superjuicy with a savory aftertaste. From organically and biodynamically grown grapes with Demeter certification. Drink or hold.”
 
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Foradori ‘Sgarzon’ Teroldego Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT, Trentino-Alto Adige 2023 750ml $54.50 special, 9 bottles in stock now
Winery Note “‘Sgarzon’ literally means shoot in the Campo Rotaliano. The vines that grow in the Sgarzon vineyard are particularly active and benefit from the cooler climate that characterizes this site. Teroldego’s character changes, it is enriched with an unusual freshness. The eight months spent in amphorae (Tinajas from Villarrobledo, Spain), with skin contact preserves and intensifies the diversity. Together with the Morei vineyard, Sgarzon noticeably expresses the great variability that this variety can express.”
 
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
Foradori Morei Teroldego Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT, Trentino-Alto Adige 2023 750ml $54.50 special, 6 bottles in stock now
Winery Note “The results obtained through years of biodynamic farming and observing stability in the vineyard emphasized the character of each plot of land and made us realize that we would need to undertake a separate vinification across two vineyards. Through the use of amphorae (Tinajas from Villarrobledo, Spain), with their particular shape and the porosity of the clay that they are made of, the winemaking process is undertaken with purity and balance. The process of turning grapes into wine is not effected by outside influences; the amphora acts as a shield, allowing the grapes to progress with only the character of the earth and grape variety as their guidance. Morei means ‘moro’ or ‘dark’ in the Trentino dialect and the grapes cultivated in this vineyard are a firm echo of this. Their roots rest among the pebbles and the sand in the earth carried by the Noce River, cultivating wines with a texture of minerality and density. Morei Teroldego resumes form and is reborn amplified and transformed.”
 
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Foradori ‘Fuoripista’ Pinot Grigio Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT, Trentino-Alto Adige 2023 750ml $59 special, 5 bottles in stock now
Winery Note “In terms of Ampelographic classification, Pinot Grigio has a small, cylindrical form with the tendency of having a winged and compact cluster. The grape itself is small and ovoid in shape, the skin has a characteristic coppery-pink color. The Fuoripista goes against the usual Trentino Pinot Grigio rules. Its longer skin-on vinification in Tinajas makes it brighter and more delicate in its expression.”
 
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Foradori Fontanasanta Manzoni Bianco Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT, Trentino-Alto Adige 2023 750ml $34.50 special, only 1 bottle in stock now
James Suckling 95 points “Amazing aromas of white flowers, beeswax, tangerines and ripe apples. Full and intense with dried lemons and apples and fascinating honey and floral notes. Phenolic texture. From biodynamically grown grapes with Demeter certification. Drink or hold.”
 
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
Foradori Fontanasanta Nosiola Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT, Trentino-Alto Adige 2023 750ml $64.50 special, 17 bottles in stock now
Winery Note “The only white grape variety native to Trentino, Nosiola was once widespread throughout the region, particularly in the Valle dei Laghi, the hills of Trento, Pressano and Cembra Valley. These areas are still the most suitable areas for its cultivation… Nosiola is linked to the ancient production of the ‘Vino Santo’ in the Valle dei Laghi, while in the hills above Trento, Lavis and the Cembra Valley it is vinified exclusively as a dry wine. It favors clayey-calcareous soils with low fertility and habitats with high biodiversity, where afternoon breezes and cooler night temperatures temper the heat of the day and the loose grape-bunch can remain on the vine until late October. Due to its fairly neutral aromas, in the past Nosiola was usually fermented on the skins. Thus the long maceration can extract the structure and aromas that characterize this wine along with its great longevity.”
 
Also In Stock Now:
 
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Foradori ‘Fuoripista’ Pinot Grigio Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT, Trentino-Alto Adige 2018 1.5L $149 special, 2 magnums in stock now
James Suckling 95 points “This is a fantastic white with spiced pear, watermelon, orange peel and bark. It’s full-bodied with spice, bark and persimmon complexity. Some tile, too. Fabulous skin-contact wine. Amphora made. From biodynamically grown grapes with Demeter certification. Drink now.”
 
This is the only listing in the USA today for the magnum!
Foradori ‘Fuoripista’ Pinot Grigio Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT, Trentino-Alto Adige 2020 1.5L $119 special, 4 magnums in stock now
James Suckling 95 points “…So much caramelized-orange aroma, plus pomegranate, oolong tea and rose-petal character. Bone-dry and incredibly lively, this makes you feel glad to be alive! From biodynamically grown grapes with Demeter certification. Drink or hold.”

 
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René’s Restocks:
 
Clos Mogador and Espectacle del Montsant Back In Stock!
 

René Barbier of Clos Mogador and Espectacle del Montsant can be credited with bringing Priorat out of obscurity. In 1979, he founded a small estate winery, carving terraces into the steep hillsides and planting Garnatxa alongside some French varieties into the unique llicorella soil found in the region.
 
He waited a decade to release his first wine, which was a blend with nine other area producers. His obsession was rewarded when the flagship wine was the first Catalonian wine to achieve “Vi de Finca” status, certifying it as a single-vineyard estate-bottled wine from a notable site with at least five years of production.
 
In Montsant, the Barbier family, along with friends in the wine industry, founded Espectacle. This estate boasts old Garnatxa vines grown in a centuries-vineyard so steep and impressive that Barbier calls it “L’Ermita of Monsant,” or Hermitage of Montsant.
 
Back In Stock:
 
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Clos Mogador ‘Nelin’ Blanco, Priorat DOCa 2022 750ml $66 special, 21 bottles in stock now
Luis Gutiérrez-Wine Advocate 96 points “All the wines go through malolactic in barrel, including the white 2022 Nelin, a blend that has been changing over time. In 2022, it was produced exclusively with local varieties, Garnacha Blanca, Macabeu, Xarel·lo, Cariñena Blanca, Picapoll Blanco, Trepat Blanco, PX and Escanyavelles from four small organic vineyards. The juice from the pressing of the full clusters fermented with indigenous yeasts in 1,200-liter oak foudres, with a slow and long fermentation that takes between three and nine months. It matured in foudre for one year and then was transferred to stainless steel for six to eight more months. Despite the dry conditions and the heat waves, it came after the 2021, and the vines had enough reserves, so the wines are fresher than expected. It’s a Mediterranean blend with 14% alcohol and 5.3 grams of acidity, clean and harmonious. The north-facing plots behaved very well, and the varieties can take the conditions without a problem, so the wine doesn’t seem affected at all. In fact, it’s quite fresh, medium-bodied and very tasty, serious and characterful, a triumph over the extreme conditions of the year. It’s a white with aging potential. 9,000 bottles were filled in April 2024.”
 
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
Clos Mogador Vinya Classificada Gratallops, Priorat DOCa 2022 750ml $99 special, 30 bottles in stock now
Luis Gutiérrez-Wine Advocate 97 points “Their single-vineyard 2022 Clos Mogador, they flagship wine, was produced with a blend of grapes, mostly Garnacha and Cariñena but also some Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon (less and less, as they are regrafting most of them). It fermented with 40% full clusters and matured in 2,000- and 2,500-liter oak foudres; some are old barriques, to avoid having too much new oak, and some lots finish aging in concrete to complete some 20 months. They have implemented some changes, moving toward larger volumes, abandoning the barriques and moving to foudre (with the low volumes in 2024, the wine will be only in foudre). It has a very Mediterranean nose with plenty of dry hay and straw notes, the classical wet slate notes, very Priorat too, and it has a round palate and very fine, chalky tannins. It’s serious and harmonious and feels relaxed, without any excess. It comes in at 14% alcohol with 5.4 grams of acidity and a bone-dry finish. None of the 2022s showed excess heat or ripeness. The alcohol is contained and integrated, and the wines are balanced and harmonious but with a more Mediterranean profile. 35,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in June 2024.”
 
Autumn Savings Wine!
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Espectacle del Montsant, Montsant 2022 750ml Was $136, $125 special, 28 bottles in stock now
Luis Gutiérrez-Wine Advocate 98 points “The 2022 Espectacle del Montsant was produced exclusively with Garnacha from an ancient plot in the village of La Figuera in Montsant at more than 600 meters above sea level on limestone and clay soils. The clusters were stored at cool temperature for 24 hours, put through a sorting table and destemmed. The grapes fermented in a new 4,000-liter French oak vat, where it had numerous pump-overs and punch-downs and a four-to-five-week maceration. After pressing, it matured in that same oak vat for 14 to 16 months. This is always a ripe and powerful wine, and in the warm and dry 2022, it’s no exception; it hits 15% alcohol and has a pH of 3.68. Despite everything, the wine has a pale, bright ruby color and the spectacular nose of flowers, wild berries and aromatic herbs. It’s hedonistic, showy and decadent, incredibly fine-boned and elegant, with a fragile characteristic, energetic and profound. You don’t notice the ripeness or alcohol at all. Always explosive and showy, this is a wine that makes heads turn. 5,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in June 2024. Since 2023, this vineyard has been cultivated by Christian Barbier, once the grower that used to cultivate it, Joan Anguera, retired.”

 
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Champagnes from José Michel & Philipponnat
 
Add some sparkle to your next feast!
 

Formerly known as the “Tradition” bottling, this showcases the elegance and nuance of the oft-derided Pinot Meunier grape. One of the best Champagnes for the money.
 
This is the only listing in the USA today for the 750ml!
Jose Michel & Fils Premices Brut NV 750ml $44.50 special, 8 bottles in stock now
Importer Note “The non-vintage Brut Premices is a blend of 12 different wines from 2021 (65%), with the addition of 35% reserve wines from vintages 2018 through 2020. Cépage blend is 70% Meunier / 30% Chardonnay. The wines are aged in a variety of containers, oak, concrete, stainless steel and enameled tank, then, after blending, rest for 1 month in enameled tank before bottling. Dosage is 6g/l.”
 
José Michel might just be Champagne’s most underrated winemaker. With a QPR off the charts, this is delicate yet refined and refreshing.
 
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Jose Michel & Fils Clos Saint Jean Blanc de Blancs Brut 2014 750ml $59.50 special, 36+ bottles in stock now
Importer Note “The Blanc de Blancs is produced in the best vintages. It is made from a small plot of Chardonnay grown in the village of Saint Agnan on the left bank of the Marne. The wine is fermented in stainless steel and then matured both in tank “sur lie” and in ‘demi-muids’. After the secondary fermentation it rests ‘sur lattes’ for at least 5 years allowing the Chardonnay qualities to broaden and mature. Dosage is 5 grams. It is a wine of impeccable character, showing both nobility and restraint. It is worthy of cellaring for at least two years after disgorgement.”
 
On the Royale Reserve: “Philipponnat has upped the stakes of late by not only adding foudres to its vinification armoury but also increasing volumes from two separate Réserves Perpétuelles.” -Simon Field MW, Decanter
 
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
Philipponnat Royale Reserve Brut NV 750ml $54.50 special, 20 bottles in stock now
James Suckling 93 points “Complex and smoky nose with orange blossom, green apple, licorice, chalky minerality and toasted bread. Refined palate with pinprick mousse, crisp acidity and a tight, tense and clean aftertaste. 65% pinot noir, 32% chardonnay and 3% pinot meunier. Disgorged in 2024. Dosage 8g/L. Drink now.”
 
Named for the year of the estate’s foundation, 1522 (the same family still runs it), this cuvée sees a touch of oak vinification with no malolactic fermentation. Sources from some of Champagne’s finest Grand Cru lands in Aÿ and Ogar, this is a masterpiece, especially in the glorious 2008 vintage. Any fan of Philipponnat owes it to themselves to take the plunge.
 
Philipponnat Cuvee 1522 Grand Cru Extra Brut Millésime 2008 750ml $199 special, 4 bottles in stock now
William Kelley-Wine Advocate 94 points “The 2008 Extra Brut Grand Cru 1522 is also showing very well, offering up aromas of citrus, confit citrus, blackcurrants, marzipan and spice. On the palate, it’s medium to full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with a layered and multidimensional core that marries the tangy acidic spine of the vintage with plenty of flesh and fruit, concluding with a long and chalky finish. While it’s in a very different stylistic register to the 2009, the two are on a similar qualitative plane.”

 
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On the Way!
 
Elegance in Bordeaux
 
Chateau le Puy
 

Think of Chateau le Puy as the Merlot whisperer. From the high plateau where also sits Saint Emilion and Pomerol is Chateau le Puy. The clay, silex, and limestone of their soils as well as the unusally high elevation for Bordeaux results in elegant and restrained Merlot-based epics. We love the lighter-than-typical body and balancing acidity, making this wine perfect for lighter fair and long sunsets.
 
Arriving Tuesday:
 
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Chateau le Puy Cuvee Emilien Rouge, Francs Cotes de Bordeaux 2022 750ml $49.50 pre-arrival special, 24 bottles available
Importer Note “Le Puy’s main-production wine “Emilien” is comprised of 85% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 1% Carmenère. After spontaneous fermentation in cement vats, it is transferred to 50-hectoliter foudres for one year, then to old 225-liter barriques for an additional year, before being bottled without fining or filtering. There is a harmony of elements in the wines of Le Puy–a weaving together of acid, fruit, tannin, mineral and earth–that is spellbinding. The “Emilien” offers a succulence of sappy red fruit as well as a driving, tunneling palate of remarkable energy. A subtle but irresistible umami pervades the palate and grounds some of the wine’s higher tones with its savory pull.”

 
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Don’t miss our sales going on now:
 
Weingut Alfred Merkelbach
 
5% off any 3-5 in-stock bottles of Merkelbach
10% off any 6+ or more in-stock bottles of Merkelbach
 
Graacher Domprobst: Single-Vineyard Rieslings from Multiple Producers!
 
5% off any 3-5 in-stock bottles of Graacher Domprobst
10% off any 6+ or more in-stock bottles of Graacher Domprobst
 
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Merkelbach sale ends Tuesday, October 21st at 9 am Pacific. Graacher Domprobst sale ends Wednesday, October 22nd at 9 am Pacific.