In This Newsletter:
2018 Dönnhoff Grosses Gewächs
New Stock Arriving Late March
New Week – New Arrivals
Trending
Viñedos de Páganos’ 2007 El Puntido
First Offer:
2017 Montevertine LPT
2018 Dönnhoff Grosses Gewächs
New Stock Arriving Late March
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $75
Weingut Donnhoff Hollenpfad Im Muhlenberg Riesling Grosses Gewachs, Nahe 2018 750ML ($89.95) Was $66, Now $59 special, 16 bottles in stock now & limited additional stock arriving late March
John Gilman 93+ points “The Grosses Gewächs bottling from the filet section of the Höllenpfad im Mühlenberg is also very promising and again, shows the beautifully elegant refinement of all the dry Rieslings from the Dönnhoff family this year. Helmut estimates that this is thirteen percent octane or just under in this vintage. The bouquet wafts from the glass in a very refined and expressive blend of tangerine, blood orange, salty minerality, citrus peel, smoky overtones and a topnote of dried flowers. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and really packed at the core, with racy acids, great soil signature, laser-like focus and a very long, youthfully complex and very promising finish. 2028-2060+. 93+.”
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 93 points “The 2018 Roxheimer Höllenpfad Im Mühlenberg Riesling trocken –GG– is super clear and flinty on the crystalline and herbal nose. On the palate, this is a medium-bodied, round and piquant dry Riesling that has been bottled with less than two grams of residual sugar, which underlines the crystalline purity and refreshing mineral character. The wine reveals a long and intense, quite powerful and textured as well as salty and piquant finish. This is the first release of the Im Mühlenberg, and it is an impressive wine that has been aged on the lees until the end of June. Tasted in July 2019.”
David Schildknecht-Vinous 92 points “This bottling from the stand of very old vines in Höllenpfad is full of juicy white peach fruit that I hadn’t expected from this site – but after all, we are talking about fruit-dominated vintage 2018. That’s not to say that certain elements conducive to austerity are absent: peach kernel piquancy, ash, crushed stone. On top of which, there is only one lone gram of residual sugar. The feel is full and firm, the minerally concentrated finish persistently pithy but juicy, and there is a welcome, saliva-inducing hint of salinity. “This is my new favorite child,” quipped Dönnhoff, “but it still has to finish school,” meaning not that these old vines need to be taught anything, but rather that he and Cornelius are still learning how to best channel this site’s and those vines’ potential. (For extensive background on this bottling and its site designation, consult my review of the inaugural vintage 2017 installment.)”
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
The average price nationally is $69
Weingut Donnhoff Kreuznacher Krotenpfuhl Riesling Grosses Gewachs, Nahe 2018 750ML ($79.95) Was $59, Now $54.50 special, 18 bottles in stock now & limited additional stock arriving late March
John Gilman 93 points “The 2018 Krötenpfuhl GG is absolutely superb this year. The wine is very pure on the both the nose and palate, with the bouquet delivering a lovely mix of pink grapefruit, tart orange, salty minerality, a touch of wild yeasts and a topnote of citrus blossoms. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and very well-balanced, with a lovely core, ripe, vibrant acids and great focus and grip on the long, nascently complex and very elegant finish. Superb juice. 2026-2060. 93.”
Wine Advocate 92 points “The 2018 Kreuznacher Krötenpfuhl Riesling trocken –GG– is super clear, pure, fresh and flinty on the nose. Intense and powerful on the palate, this is a linear, salty-piquant and lingering Riesling with grip and tension but also purity and finesse. Still young but very elegant. Tasted in July 2019.”
David Schildknecht-Vinous 91 points “The nose pungently and enticingly combines oregano, mustard seed, lemon zest and sea breeze. The palate is firm, tangy and bright, at 13% alcohol coming off as full and forceful. The mustard seed suggestion adds stimulating cut to a finish whose lemony brightness and animation are surprising for the vintage, and which is admirably transparent to stony, alkaline and saline nuances. (For background on this bottling – as well as information about the site – consult my lengthy review of the inaugural vintage 2017 installment.)”
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
The average price nationally is $62
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Kelley Fox Wines Nerthus White Blend, Willamette Valley 2020 750ML ($29.95) $27 special
Winery note “I’m very happy to offer you this lovely partial skin-contact white wine (that is actually pale pink) made of 75% old vine Early Muscat from Eola Springs Vineyard and 25% Pinot gris from Maresh and Weber Vineyards. All of the fruit was hand-picked. About 75% of the Early Muscat fruit was pressed as whole clusters. The rest, including all of the Pinot gris, was destemmed into small fermentors and pigeage in those fermenters was done by me one time per day. The whole cluster pressed Early Muscat fermented in a stainless-steel tank. After less than seven days, the free run of all fermentors was moved into the Early Muscat tank. I did not use any of the press wines this year. The Nerthus was allowed to complete malolactic fermentation. Élevage was in a stainless tank until bottling. The Nerthus has delightful, pale rosy pink colour with hints of peach and beautiful, brilliant transparency. It’s visually very pleasing. The nose is full of fresh peach and apricot (stone-fruit) notes with floral and mineral notes. Though bone dry, there is mouth-watering peach and apricot fruit that is carried nicely by the racy acidity. This alpine-fresh wine is a real joybringer.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
St. Innocent Freedom Hill Vineyard Pinot Blanc, Willamette Valley 2017 750ML ($21.95) $16 special
The 2016 was an outrageously good hit last summer; we have high hopes for the newest release.
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Staff pick!
Ayres Estate Rose of Pinot Noir, Ribbon Ridge 2020 750ML ($19.95) $17 special
Suzanne: Borderline steely, this is a bright and refreshing local rose with a creamy mouthfeel and elegant profile. Notes of raspberries, fresh lemon zest, rhubarb, and a fun hint of caraway on the finish. Always a favorite among the staff, winemaker Brad McLeroy makes this from a single block within the estate vineyard specially reserved for rose production each year. Bravo!
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Back in stock! Illahe makes lovely bright & fresh whites and rosés. This Tempranillo pink is no slouch, and is one of our most popular local pink pick.
Illahe Estate Tempranillo Rose, Willamette Valley 2019 750ML ($21.95) $17.70 special
Winery note “The 2019 Illahe tempranillo rosé offers fresh aromas Lemon zest, spruce tip, rhubarb, and fleshy watermelon rind. A fresh, bright, and crisp harmonious pallet rounds into juicy honeydew melon and Oregon strawberry finish. Pair with sunshine.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $22.40
Illahe Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2019 750ML ($31.95) $24 special
Winery note “The aromas of the 2019 Illahe Vineyards Willamette Valley Pinot Noir begin with strawberry, tamarind, and blackberry then broaden along the palate to include chalk, tobacco leaf, chocolate, and earth. The acid supports a complete yet not overwhelming tannin balanced between skin and oak. The wine retains its velvet mouthfeel through a process of clarification by racking. For an entry level pinot, this wine is a great value and will last 6 to 12 years under the best conditions. Alcohol 13.50%.”
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
The average price nationally is $26
Winemaker Erin Nuccio crafts one of the finest and fun-est WV Pinots under his Haden Fig label. 2018 is a bold vintage ready to stun alongside anything off the grill. Summer is coming!
Haden Fig Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2018 750ML ($27.95) $19 special
Wine Enthusiast 91 points “This is the most widely available Pinot from Haden Fig, sister winery to Evesham Wood. Scents of beetroot and wild cherry introduce a wine with varietal purity married to an earthy terroir. Presumably a blend from unused barrels for the single-vineyard cuvées, this is a solid, somewhat stiff young wine, with substantial tannins and a finishing hint of coffee. Drink now through 2026. -Paul Gregutt”
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
The average price nationally is $24
Evesham Wood Temperance Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir, Eola-Amity Hills 2018 750ML ($39.95) $33 special
Winery note “2018’s growing-degree day total of close to 2300 misleads our expectation of the wines and highlights the difficulties of using it to describe this year from that. (For comparison the 2016 and 2017 vintages were 15% warmer than the 30y average and just below 2600.) The last vintage that was in this range was 2012. The wines are richly hued and densely packed with tannin and concentration. If it weren’t for the wines’ brimming acid you’d definitely expect them to be from a very warm vintage. A true labor of love. We always feel incredibly fortunate to get a mere 3 barrels from our 2 acre block at the very top of Temperance. This is the most richly fruited TH we’ve seen in years, yet still with the classic TH notes of green tobacco and cigar humidor moving to a ripe, mouth-filling mid-palate of red fruits coming back to finish with hints of tobacco. Certified organically grown.”
Evesham Wood Le Puits Sec Pinot Noir, Eola-Amity Hills 2018 750ML ($49.95) $39 special
Winery note “What a powerful, yet elegant, wine our estate vineyard gave us in 2018. Intermingling notes of earth and flowers move to an explosive mid-palate of red fruits and plum followed by an elegant, bright, lifted finish. Certified organically grown.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Brick House Vineyards ‘Cuvee du Tonnelier’ Pinot Noir, Ribbon Ridge 2018 750ML ($59.95) $44 special
Winery note “The name, roughly translated as “the barrel maker’s cuvée,” honors the legacy of the winemaker’s father whose family were “tonneliers” or coopers in 17th century France. The wine is blended from the oldest vines on the farm; the ten acre block of Pommard clones just south of the brick house planted in 1990. Typically this cuvée offers cinnamon, allspice and earthy notes of forest floor and bramble. In some years the Cuvée du Tonnelier includes significant whole cluster fermented fruit, contributing powerful structure with supple fruit. Like all our Pinot Noir bottling, the Cuvée typically benefits from four to eight years in the cellar but it is often the first of our reserve Pinot Noirs to be generously approachable. Made with biodynamic grapes.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $50
Bonus: Two of our best-selling Dundee Chards are back in stock!
Arterberry Maresh Chardonnay, Dundee Hills 2018 750ML ($29.95) $19 special
Erin Brooks-Wine Advocate 93 points “The 2018 Dundee Hills Chardonnay is wonderfully inviting and hedonistic! It has a perfume of spiced apples and quince, hazelnuts and beeswax, with wafts of floral perfume. The palate is broad, creamy and loaded with honeyed fruits, with juicy freshness to help carry the long, powerfully fruited finish.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Cameron Winery Dundee Hills Chardonnay 2019 750ML ($21.95) $19.90 special
VinopolNote: One of the greatest bargains in Oregon Chardonnay out there. Barrel-fermented, which imparts a kiss of vanilla and new oak to the apple- and green pear-driven palate. A refreshing mineral note on the finish keeps you coming back for more.
Gran Moraine is one of Yamhill–Carlton District’s most celebrated producers, and the wines reflect the unique terroir of the growing area.
Gran Moraine Brut Rosé, Yamhill-Carlton District NV 750ML ($59.95) $41.90 special
Wine Spectator 94 points “That rare domestic rosé that captures the vibrant acidity of Champagne, offering delicate strawberry, raspberry flavors laced with steely minerality and sprinkle of graham cracker on the finish. Drink now through 2022. 1,000 cases made. — TF”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Gran Moraine Chardonnay, Yamhill-Carlton District 2017 750ML ($49.95) $36 special
James Suckling 93 points “This has a very impressive feel with a fresh array of citrus and some gently spicy pastry aromas, too. The palate has a long, fresh and composed feel with such fine, fresh peaches and pears. Drink or hold.”
Josh Raynolds-Vinous 92 points “Pale yellow. Fresh pear, melon and lemon curd aromas are complemented by hints of white flowers, vanilla and buttered toast. Fleshy and seamless in the mouth, offering juicy citrus and orchard fruit flavors that tighten up and pick up a minerally nuance with aeration. Finishes with firm grip, a repeating floral note and strong, spicy persistence.”
Erin Brooks-Wine Advocate 92 points “The 2017 Chardonnay Yamhill-Carlton has a wonderfully open, inviting nose of honey-drizzled hazelnuts, apple pie, clotted cream, baked peaches, allspice and crushed stone. The medium-bodied palate is creamy textured and savory in character with juicy acidity and a long, textured finish. This will benefit from one more year in bottle. 2,303 cases produced.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $43
Gran Moraine Pinot Noir, Yamhill-Carlton District 2017 750ML ($44.95) $33 special
Wine Spectator 94 points “Polished and elegantly complex, with expressive cherry and blueberry flavors, accented by crushed stone and black tea, building tension and lively acidity toward refined tannins. Drink now through 2025. 4,300 cases made. — TF”
Josh Raynolds-Vinous 92 points “Limpid ruby-red. Lively and focused on the nose, displaying mineral-tinged scents of juicy red and dark berries, allspice and candied flowers. Gently sweet and seamless in texture, offering spice-laced raspberry, cherry and musky rhubarb flavors that deepen slowly with air. Shows fine definition and finishes spicy and long, with discreet tannins and lingering red fruit and floral nuances.”
Erin Brooks-Wine Advocate 92 points “The medium ruby-purple colored 2017 Pinot Noir Yamhill-Carlton features scents of crushed blueberries, warm cranberries and blackberries with notions of nutmeg, cinnamon, bergamot, charcuterie and earth. The medium-bodied palate is silky with intense, spicy fruits, a grainy frame and good freshness, finishing long and spiced. This will benefit from another year in bottle. 4,315 cases produced.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $42
Walla Walla / Washington
Cayuse Vineyards Armada Vineyard Syrah, Walla Walla Valley 2017 750ML ($149.95) $135 special, only 3 bottles available
Jeb Dunnuck 97+ points “The Armada Vineyard Syrah always reminds me of the Horsepower releases, as it’s a more masculine, earthy style of Syrah. Deep plum/purple-colored with an incredible bouquet of smoked plum, blackcurrants, tobacco, peppered meat, and violets, the 2017 hits the palate with full-bodied richness and depth, building structure and tannins, moderate acidity, and a great finish. It’s another wine from Baron that packs incredible richness and depth yet still just glides across the palate with no sensation of weight or heaviness. It shows the more rounded, approachable style of the vintage and will keep for 20 years or more.”
Anthony Mueller – Wine Advocate 97 points “The 2017 Syrah Armada Vineyard bursts out of the glass with complex and expressive aromas of blackberry, black tea, savory and umami tones of crushed black pepper, grilled meat and dried lilac and lavender. Medium to full-bodied, the wine is elegant and seamless on the palate, unfolding beautifully with precision and intention, offering up instant gratification in youth. The wine unfolds its wings across the mid-palate and takes flight, leading to the elongated and continually evolving finish, which grows in complexity and amplitude in the mouth. The 2017 is more approachable in youth than the 2016 vintage of the same bottling. If you enjoy wines in their youth, this vintage is a no-brainer. Only 613 cases were produced.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $154
Cayuse Vineyards God Only Knows Armada Vineyard Grenache, Walla Walla Valley 2017 750ML ($149.95) $138 special, only 4 bottles available!
James Suckling 97 points “The subtlety of fruit here is mesmerizing with sweet strawberry, floral and tangerine aromas that follow through to a medium to full body, fine and soft tannins and a long, delicious finish. It shows such polish and fineness. Drink or hold.”
Stephan Tanzer-Vinous 94 points “Moderately saturated dark red. Aromas of raspberry, red cherry, white pepper, rose petal and piquant spices, with mocha and fresh herb notes emerging with aeration. A suave, refined midweight offering a lovely combination of intense red fruits and savory soil tones accented by flowers and pepper. Still a bit tight but already beautifully delineated for New World Grenache; has just enough gamey funkiness to add some Old World nuance. Finishes with light tannins, intriguing peppery grip and slowly rising length. This outstanding Washington Grenache boasts superb subtlety and intensity–and a firm spine throughout. I love the balance of sweet and salty elements here. (13.8% alcohol)”
Cayuse Vineyards En Chamberlin Vineyard Syrah, Walla Walla Valley 2018 750ML ($149.95) $119 special, only 3 bottles available!
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Cayuse Vineyards Cailloux Vineyard Syrah, Walla Walla Valley 2018 750ML ($149.95) $119 special, only 5 bottles available!
Cayuse Vineyards En Cerise Vineyard Syrah, Walla Walla Valley 2018 750ML ($149.95) $119 special, only 4 bottles available!
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $134
Marietta Cellars OVR Old Vine Red, California Lot 71 NV 750ML ($15.95) $14 special
Winery note “Old Vine Red is a proprietary red wine made to replicate the field blends of many of the old vineyards in Sonoma and Mendocino counties. Predominantly comprised of Zinfandel, Old Vine Red combines pure fruit, a supple mouth feel and a rich, solid structure. A groundbreaking combination of varietals and multiple vintages first produced in 1982, this wine has blazed the path for red blends for decades. With a historic underground following, it is one of the longest lasting and best known red blends produced today.”
France – Bordeaux
Back in stock!
Chateau de Pez, Saint-Estephe 2016 750ML ($59.95) $49 special
Decanter 94 points “Another bargain alert! At this price level, perhaps the most subtle and elegant of all wines tasted. Not as expressive as Ormes de Pez, but top marks for delicate refinement and indeed a noticeably floral aromatic profile that accentuates the palate. As wine consultant Kevin Gagnon noted at a tasting: ‘Finesse and great length.’ Do not hesitate.”
Roger Voss-Wine Enthusiast 93 points “One of the many estates on the Pez plateau in Saint-Estèphe, this property is at the top of its game. Owned by the same proprietors as Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, the wine has structure, big tannins as well as dense black fruits. Drink from 2024.”
Neal Martin-Wine Advocate 92-94 points “The 2016 de Pez appears to be benefitting from a long-term replanting program at the estate. This is a blend of 53% Merlot, 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3.5% Petit Verdot and 1.5% Cabernet Franc. The IPT is quite high at 80, and there is 13.9% alcohol. It has a pure and comely bouquet with black cherries and blackcurrant pastilles, just a touch of crushed violets that emerge with time. The palate is really quite lovely: very well balanced with a fine line of acidity, quite saline in the mouth, perhaps the finest tannic structure that I have encountered during many years of tasting this Saint Estèphe, with a long persistent finish. Maybe this is the ‘dark horse’ of the appellation this year.”
Drinking beautifully in its youth
Château Mangot, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru 2015 750ML ($37.95) $29 special
Case-12 Château Mangot, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru 2015 750ML ($419.95) $315 special (that’s only $26.25/bottle!)
James Suckling 93 points “A dense and rich red with driedberry and plum character. Full body, round and chewy tanninsand a flavorful finish. Lots of intensity. Drink in 2020.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
France – Beaujolais
Back in stock – possibly one of the finest vintages available of the Clos de la Roilette. New to the producer? We suggest giving the Fleurie a whirl before reaching for the Tardive, which is intended for longer cellaring and is usually shut down early on.
“As I’ve written before, the Coudert family acquired Fleurie’s famous Clos de la Roilette—which neighbors Moulin-à-Vent formerly traded under that name—in 1967, and Alain has been at the helm since 1991. The soils here are rich in clay and manganese, and that, combined with a classical approach to maceration, results in muscular, structured wines that age very well. Vinified largely with whole clusters and the traditional submerged cap, these are typically deeply colored wines with plenty of fruit and tannin. The 2019 vintage has turned out especially well, and it’s the most overtly Fleurie-styled vintage—in the sense that this appellation is identified with perfume and finesse—that Coudert has produced in a decade. If the gourmand generosity and wealth of fruit of 2018 will win the domaine new friends, then the fragrant and beautifully balanced 2019 will exercise special appeal over Beaujolais purists.” –William Kelley, Wine Advocate
Clos de la Roilette Fleurie, Beaujolais 2019 750ML ($34.95) $24 special
Case-6 Coudert Pere Clos de la Roilette Fleurie, Beaujolais 2019 750ML ($159.95) $129 special (that’s only $21.50/bottle and the lowest listed price in the USA today!)
William Kelley-Wine Advocate 94 points “Bottled only a week before I tasted it, Alain Coudert’s 2019 Fleurie from the Clos de la Roilette is showing beautifully, wafting from the glass with aromas of rose petals, red cherries, raspberries, spices and orange rind. Medium to full-bodied, deep and velvety, it’s elegant and fine-boned, with lively acids, refined structuring tannins and a long, perfumed finish. Readers who gravitate toward classical styles of Beaujolais will prefer the 2019 to the richer, more gourmand 2018, but both are lovely vintages for this reference-point address.”
Clos de la Roilette Fleurie Cuvee Tardive, Beaujolais 2019 750ML ($39.95) $29 special
Clos de la Roilette Fleurie Cuvee Tardive, Beaujolais 2019 1.5L ($69.95) $59 special
Importer note “100% Gamay. Being on the border of the Moulin-à-Vent cru, the core of Roilette’s Fleurie terroir is atypical of Fleurie, rich in clay and the mineral manganese instead of being all granite; the wines are thus more structured than many Fleurie wines. The oldest estate vines, at around 80 years old, go into the Cuvée Tardive bottling. It is the concentration and structure of the wine that gave rise to its “Tardive” or “late” moniker: it is not late-harvested fruit but rather wine meant to be enjoyed later, with longer aging in bottle. As on the rest of the estate, the Tardive vines are farmed sustainably by lutte raisonnée and the soils worked by hand, only twice a year and very carefully in order to not do damage to roots of these old vines. The fruit is manually harvested and fermented in whole clusters with native yeasts in open-top, neutral wood vats with the cap kept submerged; the maceration for Tardive is approximately 18 days. Aging takes place in old foudres until bottling the following summer.”
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
France – Other
Domaine de la Pepiere Muscadet Sevre-et-Maine Sur Lie Clos des Briords, Loire 2019 750ML ($29.95) $24 special
Importer note “100% Melon de Bourgogne. Clos des Briords is a lieu-dit in which Marc has long held 3 hectares of massale vines planted from 1930 to 1950. These are the oldest vines of the estate, planted on soils of granite de Thébaud, which differs from granite de Clisson in containing more feldspar and clay–it is cooler, slower ripening, holds and drains water well, supplies more nutrients and is looser (so roots can go deep to the hard granite mother rock). The farming is organic and harvest and all work by hand. Like for the rest of the Pepière wines, the fruit is direct-pressed and the juice settled naturally for 12 hours. It is then fermented in stainless steel tanks with natural yeasts; the wine is aged on its lees in large, underground vats–8 to 9 months in the case of Briords–until bottling without fining or filtering. Briords is generally the most structured and powerful of Pepière’s wines.”
Domaine Tempier Bandol Rose, Provence 2019 750ML ($59.95) $55 special, final 24 bottles!
Importer Note “The thing about Domaine Tempier’s Bandol rosé is that every time you open a bottle—no matter how many you’ve uncorked in your lifetime—it feels like a special occasion. That peachy-pink hue and iconic label turn any moment into a small celebration. Certainly, Bandol rosé is complex and pedigreed, but make no mistake: it is traditionally an apéritif wine. I like to honor it as such by taking the time to prepare as many salty and spreadable treats as I can scoop up with, or pile on top of, toasty croutons: a briny anchoïade, an earthy tapenade, or a bright and tangy sun-dried tomato purée are all great options. Avoid sticky, creamy cheeses, as they may stand in the wine’s way. The more olive oil, dried herbs, and fresh garlic, the better. Maybe you can find some plump octopus to grill and swipe with aïoli, or dip into a summery pistou. As 2020 continues to challenge us, let’s refuel our tanks with the fruits of one of the better things to happen to America in the last fifty years—Kermit importing Tempier rosé. A reason to celebrate!”
Pierre Gonon Les Iles Feray VDP D’Ardeche Rouge 2018 750ML ($89.95) $69 special, only 3 bottles available
Italy – Tuscany
Casanova di Neri is one of Italy’s truly elite modern producers—an icon of Brunello.
Casanova di Neri Cerretalto, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2013 750ML ($359.95) Was $299, Now $289 special
Monica Larner-Wine Advocate 97 points “There are a handful of wines in Italy that make me nervous before I taste them because my expectations are so high. This is one of those wines. Indeed, previous editions of Cerretalto have earned the coveted 100 point score, and I am astutely aware of the pedigree and potential that comes forth with each new vintage. As enthusiastic as my assessment of the 2013 Brunello di Montalcino Cerretalto is, I’m stopping short of that perfect score. This vintage is something of a moving target with wines that are beautiful, without a doubt, yet the growing conditions were not even across the appellation, and achieving optimal tannic management posed a challenge to many producers. If I were to make any criticism of this wine, it would fall along those lines. That aside, this is a beautiful Brunello that boasts deep intensity and bold black fruit flavors that are plummy and rich. Spice, toasted oak and tobacco frame that primary fruit. Cerretalto ages in oak for 30 months and that strong imprint has added to the structure, depth and contemporary character of this A-list Brunello. That oak imprint is also reinforced in the wine’s tannins. There’s no doubt that this wine needs more cellar aging. I would absolutely not suggest drinking it within the next five years. Any awkwardness it shows now should iron itself out with more bottle time. Only 9,771 bottles were made.”
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
The average price nationally is $324
Testamatta, which means “crazy head” in Italian, is a nod to Bibi Graetz’s eccentricity. A creative and passionate man, Graetz crafts some of Italy’s most impressive wines at his self-described Casamatta (“crazy house”). But don’t be fooled by Graetz’s self-deprecating humility, one taste of his wines will shatter any illusions that these are humble plonk. The brilliance of the wine suggests that there surely must be a method to the madness. Decanter recently recognized Graetz’s unmistakable talent by awarding the 2018 Testamatta 100 points. We were fortunate to secure a second modest allocation of this in-demand wine, and are anticipating its arrival next week.
Bibi Graetz Testamatta Toscana IGT, Tuscany 2018 750ML ($99.95) $89.99 special
Jane Anson – Decanter 100 points “Finely textured, with a nuanced perfume that fills the glass and takes you to the intense underbrush of Tuscany. Succulent and yet savoury, this has a lilting freshness that is overlaid with ripe berry fruits, sage and white pepper spice, and clear minerality in terms of its scraping texture that makes your mouth water on the finish. Feels light and sculpted and yet has an intensity that skewers you to the spot. This is a great wine, with scope and imagination that doesn’t want to let you go. Genuinely stands out among the wines of this tasting, and these are a fine array of wines. As with Colore, Bibi Graetz selects only old vines, the youngest 50 years old from five different vineyard sites across Tuscany, all farmed organically. Fermentations in open 225l barrels with natural yeasts and manual punch downs.”
Italy – Piedmont
“Vietti’s 2016 Barolos are stratospheric. I have been following the wines for several years, first as separate lots, then as young wines in barrel. In all of those tastings, the wines were never anything less than mesmerizingly beautiful and full of potential. Now that they are in bottle, that potential has been realized. These are, quite simply, the most monumental wines I have tasted in twenty years of visiting the estate… Kudos to Luca and Elena Currado, along with their longtime cellarmaster, Eugenio Palumbo, for a set of truly epic wines that will define their legacy at Vietti.” -Antonio Galloni
Vietti Lazzarito, Barolo DOCG 2016 750ML ($299.95) Was $219, Now $199 special
Antonio Galloni 98 points “The 2016 Barolo Lazzarito is another stunning wine in this range. The 2016 is the first vintage of the Lazzarito I can remember tasting in which intensely mineral notes accompany the more savory, earthy notes that are so typical of this site. Graphite, sage, dried flowers, crushed rocks, menthol, dried rose petal, mint, licorice and blood orange race out of the glass in a breathtaking, towering Barolo that hits all the right notes from the start to its chiseled, strikingly detailed finish. The 2016 Lazzarito is one of the most classically austere wines in this range. In a word: Magnificent.”
Monica Larner-Wine Advocate 98 points “Drawing its fruit from Serralunga d’Alba, the Vietti 2016 Barolo Lazzarito is built like a pyramid. It is grounded by a thick base of robust fruit and power and soars upward in intensity thanks to its beautifully lifted bouquet. It reveals direct and solid lines with blackberry, plum, spice, tar, licorice, candied orange peel and truffle-infused earth. A second wave of aromas offers dark minerals and ferrous qualities such as iron ore and rust. Baroli from Serralunga d’Alba are often in a category apart thanks to their richness and sheer fruit weight. With extra aeration, Lazzarito delivers mint, balsam herb or Fernet-Branca. Production is 9,293 bottles and 300 magnums. This is the finest, most complete set of wines I have ever tasted from Vietti. Congratulations.”
G.D. Vajra Coste & Fossati Dolcetto d’Alba, Piedmont 2018 750ML ($27.95) $21.90 special
Antonio Galloni 92 points “The 2018 Dolcetto d’Alba Coste & Fossati is a gorgeous wine. Usually, the Coste & Fossati is a richer, bigger wine; the 2018, on the other hand, offers lovely mid-palate depth, but in a restrained, perfumed style that is hugely appealing. Dark red cherry, red plum, chocolate, licorice and spice all flesh out in this delicious and inviting Dolcetto from the Vajra family. The 2018 marks the second vintage of the return to submerged cap maceration, an approach the Vajra family used up until the late 1980s.”
Monica Larner-Wine Advocate 91+ points “The G.D. Vajra 2018 Dolcetto d’Alba Coste & Fossati is a plump, succulent and rich expression that offers a clear view into the fundamentals of the Dolcetto grape. Fruit comes from two vineyard sites, Coste di Vergne and Fossati (in the comune di Barolo), with characteristic Sant’Agata marl soils rich in fossils. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel, and traditional winemaking protocol called for submerged cap. That method was used until 1989, then abandoned, but it came back with this 2018 vintage. Submerged cap is a process that works to stabilize the deep color you see here, and it draws out the intensity of the blackberry, black currant and dark fruit aromas. With 8,000 bottles produced, this is a terrific and well-priced wine.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $26
Produttori is one of Italy’s most famous producers, and for good reason. They make some of the country’s most consistently high-quality wines at a range of price points, from some of Piedmont’s best values through to their celebrated single cru bottlings. Perhaps no wine better represents Produttori’s value proposition than their Langhe Nebbiolo, which might be the world’s best sub-$30 (let alone sub-$22) Nebbiolo.
Produttori del Barbaresco Langhe Nebbiolo, Piedmont 2018 750ML ($29.95) $21.90 special
Wine Advocate 92 points “As a palate teaser before this lovely flight of Riservas from Produttori del Barbaresco, I am delighted to start off with the delicate and fine 2018 Langhe Nebbiolo. Showing a light ruby color, this wine takes baby steps with hints of wild rose, dried blueberry, crushed limestone and powdered licorice. It sports a fragile, fine texture. If you crave for a basic and absolutely satisfying taste of pure Nebbiolo, look no further.”
Decanter 91 points “This Langhe Nebbiolo is sourced from across the region and on a combination of soil types. It’s fermented in concrete to preserve freshness, before ageing for five months in large oak barrels. It displays ripe, vanilla-scented hedgerow fruits with a fresh, crunchy, sweet cherry aroma. In the mouth it has impressive intensity and plenty of playful acidity. The dark fruit flavours are supported by a supple texture and the nuances of spice are perfumed and exotic. A brilliant wine for early drinking and great quality considering the basic appellation.”
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The average price is $26
Spain
Envinate ‘Albahra Chingao’ Tinto, Almansa, Castilla La Mancha 2019 750ML ($49.95) $33 special
From the highest elevation vineyard composed of old vines that also contribute to the entry-level Albahra bottling. 100% Garnacha Tintorera (aka Alicante Bouschet, a red-juiced grape).
Importer note “Albahra (Castilian for “small sea”) is named for the vineyard area in the Almansa region close to the town of Albacete, located at the southeastern tip of Castilla-La Mancha.”
A day at the beach in a bottle
Ovum ‘Big Salt’ White Blend, Elkton 2020 750ML ($21.95) $17 special
Winery note “2020 Big Salt is wildly aromatic, laced with Gewurz and Muscat overtones, but framed by citrusy Riesling. Salty bergamot, lemon, nectarine and white tea– exotic fruits fill out the nose. The palate is filled with the texture of Gewurz, herbal hints from Pinot Blanc, but quickly washed back with classic Riesling acidity. 2020 Big Salt pairs well with fish tacos, pesto chicken pasta, pad thai…or just chilling. Cellar: 3-8 years of optimal drinking. 45% Riesling, 35% Gewurztraminer, 11% Pinot Blanc, 9% Early Muscat, 1% others. Soils: Volcanic ash, basalt, marine sediment, alluvial, serpentine.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
2018 Dönnhoff Grosses Gewächs
New Stock Arriving Late March
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2018 Dönnhoff Grosses Gewächs
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Donnhoff is perhaps our favorite German producer. They excel with both dry and off-dry wines, producing some of the top dozen Rieslings in nearly every vintage. Part of that is a privileged location—they own some of the best vineyards in the Nahe, one of the most geologically diverse parts of Germany. Decanter notes that “the estate owns 25ha of vines, including plots in nine Grosse Lage vineyards – the highest quality classification as set out by the VDP,” a wealth of resources that few wineries in the world can draw from. The other part is the exceptional drive and focus of Helmut and Cornelius Dönnhoff, who will stop at nothing to produce the best wines in Germany.
As good as the wines are every year, they might have outdone themselves in the 2018 vintage. On the whole 2018 is a very good year and Dönnhoff is very much in the tip-top of the class. The Nahe, which naturally combines the zest of the neighboring Mosel with the depth and gras of the Rhein, has been on a roll recently, but the nature of ’18 seems to play to its strengths, with intense powerful wines that are buttressed with ample acidity.
We’ve got a brilliant collection of their wines in stock now, but we jumped at the chance to restock on the 2018 GGs, many of which we had sold out of well before their first release even arrived. Second chances like these are pretty rare, so don’t miss yours.
“Dönnhoff is one of the country’s leading lights when it comes to making great Riesling.” –Decanter Magazine
2018 Donnhoffs Arriving Late March:
Weingut Donnhoff Norheimer Dellchen Riesling Grosses Gewachs, Nahe 2018 750ML ($89.95) $79 pre-arrival special
#12 – James Suckling’s Top 100 Wines of the Year
Stuart Pigott – Jamessuckling 99 points “A dense and layered white with minerals, salt, white pepper, chalk, dried lemon and subtle pears. Pumice. Wow. Tiny film of oil. Creamy and insane. What a wine. Magic. One for the cellar. Drink or hold.”
David Schildknecht-Vinous 95 points “Scents of white peach and pear strongly marked by pit and seed arouse expectations of both juiciness and piquancy that are amply fulfilled on a full, glossy palate. A whiff of gentian anticipates bittersweet inner-mouth florality. There is a bit more gloss here and a bit less firmness than displayed by the other dry Dönnhoff 2018s, but also an inexplicable sense of lift despite close to 13% alcohol. The overall impression is impressively rich, but the superbly sustained finish delivers a pleasant sharpness of raw ginger, mouthwatering and lip-licking salinity and a riveting array of stony, alkaline and ineffable mineral notes. “In 1965,” noted Dönnhoff, referring to one of the most notoriously awful vintages for Riesling Germany in anyone’s memory, “Dellchen was the sole site from which it proved possible to render a Naturwein – to achieve completeness without having to do anything to the must – and that really impressed me. But at the same time, this site has an amazing ability to withstand even extreme drought, because there is a critical source of water beneath it. And if that weren’t the case, these sun-exposed terraces” – which also catch reflected light from unprecedented nearness to the Nahe’s surface – “would easily overheat.””
John Gilman 95 points “To my mind, the Dellchen often produces the most muscular Grosses Gewächs bottling from Weingut Dönnhoff, so I wondered how it might turn out this year, where there was already so much potential for power inherent in the vintage. Much to my surprise, the 2018 Dellchen is supremely elegant this year, offering up a sophisticated bouquet of sweet grapefruit, tart apple, wild yeasts, a beautiful base of minerality, orange blossoms and lemongrass. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, racy and utterly suave in its sense of balance and inner harmony, with bright acids and a very long, primary and promising finish. A great wine by any measure! 2030-2070. 95.”
Weingut Donnhoff Niederhauser Hermannshohle Riesling Grosses Gewachs, Nahe 2018 750ML ($99.95) $89 pre-arrival special
Weingut Donnhoff Niederhauser Hermannshohle Riesling Grosses Gewachs, Nahe 2018 1.5L ($219.95) $199 special, 3 magnums in stock now
John Gilman 97 points “Cornelius Dönnhoff has crafted one of the very best dry Rieslings that I tasted on this trip from the Hermannshöhle in 2018! The bouquet is deep, complex and again, so very elegant out of the blocks this year, delivering scents of pink grapefruit, tart tangerine, white flowers, a superb base of slate, lemongrass, citrus peel and just a dollop of upper register wild yeast tone. On the palate the wine is racy, focused, full-bodied and extremely mineral-driven, with a great core, laser-like focus and seamlessly balanced on the very, very long, very complex and utterly refined finish. Chapeau! 2033- 2075+. 97.”
Wine Advocate 95+ points “The 2018 Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle Riesling trocken –GG– is fascinatingly pure and fragrant on the nose. Crystalline, lush and intense, this is a full-bodied, crystalline, precise, salty and persistent wine with linear tension, great grip and intensity. Tasted in July 2019.”
David Schildknecht-Vinous 95 points “Bittersweet, smoky herbal and nutty notes, along with an ore-like sense of deep mineral earthiness, serve as ideal foils for generously juicy ripe white peach and bright Meyer lemon. The feel is full and firm, and the finish is superbly multileveled, but with a strong emphasis on darkly earthy and minerally low-tones whose resonance sets the tongue and tonsils quivering. (And yes, it also refreshes.)”
Weingut Donnhoff ‘Felsenturmchen’ Schlossbockelheimer Felsenberg Riesling Grosses Gewachs, Nahe 2018 750ML ($89.95) Was $66, Now $59 special, 6 bottles in stock now & limited additional stock arriving late March
Weingut Donnhoff ‘Felsenturmchen’ Schlossbockelheimer Felsenberg Riesling Grosses Gewachs, Nahe 2018 1.5L ($179.95) $149 special, 3 magnums in stock now
John Gilman 94 points “The 2018 Felsenberg GG is also absolutely outstanding this year. The bouquet is impressively expressive at this early stage, soaring from the glass in a blaze of pear, tart orange, a beautiful base of slate minerality, wild yeasts, a touch of fleur de sel and a potpourri of floral scents in the upper register. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, focused and seamless, with outstanding mid-palate depth, powerful mineral drive and great cut and grip on the long, perfectly balanced and youthful finish. This will be show stopping juice in the fullness of time. 2028-2070. 94.”
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 93+ points “Bottled in July, just two days before I tasted the 2018 Schlossböckelheimer Felsenberg Riesling trocken –GG– for the first time, the nose was ripe and generous but fine and flinty-mineral. Lush and salty-piquant, this is a full-bodied, rich and powerful yet vital Riesling with lots of body but also tension, purity and grip. Tasted again in August 2019.”
David Schildknecht-Vinous 93 points “Huckleberry, crushed coriander seed and zesty lemon on the nose anticipate the piquancy, pungency and citricity that dominate on a firm, full, glossy palate. Stony and alkaline notes tug in an austere direction, though the gripping, penetrating finish conveys ample refreshing juiciness as well as an uncanny sense of energy. “Whatever might be your favorite from among these vintage 2018 Grosse Gewächse,” remarked Dönnhoff, “you can recognize the [taste of the] site, and that’s the goal.””
As good as the wines are every year, they might have outdone themselves in the 2018 vintage. On the whole 2018 is a very good year and Dönnhoff is very much in the tip-top of the class. The Nahe, which naturally combines the zest of the neighboring Mosel with the depth and gras of the Rhein, has been on a roll recently, but the nature of ’18 seems to play to its strengths, with intense powerful wines that are buttressed with ample acidity.
We’ve got a brilliant collection of their wines in stock now, but we jumped at the chance to restock on the 2018 GGs, many of which we had sold out of well before their first release even arrived. Second chances like these are pretty rare, so don’t miss yours.
“Dönnhoff is one of the country’s leading lights when it comes to making great Riesling.” –Decanter Magazine
2018 Donnhoffs Arriving Late March:
Weingut Donnhoff Norheimer Dellchen Riesling Grosses Gewachs, Nahe 2018 750ML ($89.95) $79 pre-arrival special
#12 – James Suckling’s Top 100 Wines of the Year
Stuart Pigott – Jamessuckling 99 points “A dense and layered white with minerals, salt, white pepper, chalk, dried lemon and subtle pears. Pumice. Wow. Tiny film of oil. Creamy and insane. What a wine. Magic. One for the cellar. Drink or hold.”
David Schildknecht-Vinous 95 points “Scents of white peach and pear strongly marked by pit and seed arouse expectations of both juiciness and piquancy that are amply fulfilled on a full, glossy palate. A whiff of gentian anticipates bittersweet inner-mouth florality. There is a bit more gloss here and a bit less firmness than displayed by the other dry Dönnhoff 2018s, but also an inexplicable sense of lift despite close to 13% alcohol. The overall impression is impressively rich, but the superbly sustained finish delivers a pleasant sharpness of raw ginger, mouthwatering and lip-licking salinity and a riveting array of stony, alkaline and ineffable mineral notes. “In 1965,” noted Dönnhoff, referring to one of the most notoriously awful vintages for Riesling Germany in anyone’s memory, “Dellchen was the sole site from which it proved possible to render a Naturwein – to achieve completeness without having to do anything to the must – and that really impressed me. But at the same time, this site has an amazing ability to withstand even extreme drought, because there is a critical source of water beneath it. And if that weren’t the case, these sun-exposed terraces” – which also catch reflected light from unprecedented nearness to the Nahe’s surface – “would easily overheat.””
John Gilman 95 points “To my mind, the Dellchen often produces the most muscular Grosses Gewächs bottling from Weingut Dönnhoff, so I wondered how it might turn out this year, where there was already so much potential for power inherent in the vintage. Much to my surprise, the 2018 Dellchen is supremely elegant this year, offering up a sophisticated bouquet of sweet grapefruit, tart apple, wild yeasts, a beautiful base of minerality, orange blossoms and lemongrass. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, racy and utterly suave in its sense of balance and inner harmony, with bright acids and a very long, primary and promising finish. A great wine by any measure! 2030-2070. 95.”
Weingut Donnhoff Niederhauser Hermannshohle Riesling Grosses Gewachs, Nahe 2018 750ML ($99.95) $89 pre-arrival special
Weingut Donnhoff Niederhauser Hermannshohle Riesling Grosses Gewachs, Nahe 2018 1.5L ($219.95) $199 special, 3 magnums in stock now
John Gilman 97 points “Cornelius Dönnhoff has crafted one of the very best dry Rieslings that I tasted on this trip from the Hermannshöhle in 2018! The bouquet is deep, complex and again, so very elegant out of the blocks this year, delivering scents of pink grapefruit, tart tangerine, white flowers, a superb base of slate, lemongrass, citrus peel and just a dollop of upper register wild yeast tone. On the palate the wine is racy, focused, full-bodied and extremely mineral-driven, with a great core, laser-like focus and seamlessly balanced on the very, very long, very complex and utterly refined finish. Chapeau! 2033- 2075+. 97.”
Wine Advocate 95+ points “The 2018 Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle Riesling trocken –GG– is fascinatingly pure and fragrant on the nose. Crystalline, lush and intense, this is a full-bodied, crystalline, precise, salty and persistent wine with linear tension, great grip and intensity. Tasted in July 2019.”
David Schildknecht-Vinous 95 points “Bittersweet, smoky herbal and nutty notes, along with an ore-like sense of deep mineral earthiness, serve as ideal foils for generously juicy ripe white peach and bright Meyer lemon. The feel is full and firm, and the finish is superbly multileveled, but with a strong emphasis on darkly earthy and minerally low-tones whose resonance sets the tongue and tonsils quivering. (And yes, it also refreshes.)”
Weingut Donnhoff ‘Felsenturmchen’ Schlossbockelheimer Felsenberg Riesling Grosses Gewachs, Nahe 2018 750ML ($89.95) Was $66, Now $59 special, 6 bottles in stock now & limited additional stock arriving late March
Weingut Donnhoff ‘Felsenturmchen’ Schlossbockelheimer Felsenberg Riesling Grosses Gewachs, Nahe 2018 1.5L ($179.95) $149 special, 3 magnums in stock now
John Gilman 94 points “The 2018 Felsenberg GG is also absolutely outstanding this year. The bouquet is impressively expressive at this early stage, soaring from the glass in a blaze of pear, tart orange, a beautiful base of slate minerality, wild yeasts, a touch of fleur de sel and a potpourri of floral scents in the upper register. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, focused and seamless, with outstanding mid-palate depth, powerful mineral drive and great cut and grip on the long, perfectly balanced and youthful finish. This will be show stopping juice in the fullness of time. 2028-2070. 94.”
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 93+ points “Bottled in July, just two days before I tasted the 2018 Schlossböckelheimer Felsenberg Riesling trocken –GG– for the first time, the nose was ripe and generous but fine and flinty-mineral. Lush and salty-piquant, this is a full-bodied, rich and powerful yet vital Riesling with lots of body but also tension, purity and grip. Tasted again in August 2019.”
David Schildknecht-Vinous 93 points “Huckleberry, crushed coriander seed and zesty lemon on the nose anticipate the piquancy, pungency and citricity that dominate on a firm, full, glossy palate. Stony and alkaline notes tug in an austere direction, though the gripping, penetrating finish conveys ample refreshing juiciness as well as an uncanny sense of energy. “Whatever might be your favorite from among these vintage 2018 Grosse Gewächse,” remarked Dönnhoff, “you can recognize the [taste of the] site, and that’s the goal.””
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $75
Weingut Donnhoff Hollenpfad Im Muhlenberg Riesling Grosses Gewachs, Nahe 2018 750ML ($89.95) Was $66, Now $59 special, 16 bottles in stock now & limited additional stock arriving late March
John Gilman 93+ points “The Grosses Gewächs bottling from the filet section of the Höllenpfad im Mühlenberg is also very promising and again, shows the beautifully elegant refinement of all the dry Rieslings from the Dönnhoff family this year. Helmut estimates that this is thirteen percent octane or just under in this vintage. The bouquet wafts from the glass in a very refined and expressive blend of tangerine, blood orange, salty minerality, citrus peel, smoky overtones and a topnote of dried flowers. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and really packed at the core, with racy acids, great soil signature, laser-like focus and a very long, youthfully complex and very promising finish. 2028-2060+. 93+.”
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 93 points “The 2018 Roxheimer Höllenpfad Im Mühlenberg Riesling trocken –GG– is super clear and flinty on the crystalline and herbal nose. On the palate, this is a medium-bodied, round and piquant dry Riesling that has been bottled with less than two grams of residual sugar, which underlines the crystalline purity and refreshing mineral character. The wine reveals a long and intense, quite powerful and textured as well as salty and piquant finish. This is the first release of the Im Mühlenberg, and it is an impressive wine that has been aged on the lees until the end of June. Tasted in July 2019.”
David Schildknecht-Vinous 92 points “This bottling from the stand of very old vines in Höllenpfad is full of juicy white peach fruit that I hadn’t expected from this site – but after all, we are talking about fruit-dominated vintage 2018. That’s not to say that certain elements conducive to austerity are absent: peach kernel piquancy, ash, crushed stone. On top of which, there is only one lone gram of residual sugar. The feel is full and firm, the minerally concentrated finish persistently pithy but juicy, and there is a welcome, saliva-inducing hint of salinity. “This is my new favorite child,” quipped Dönnhoff, “but it still has to finish school,” meaning not that these old vines need to be taught anything, but rather that he and Cornelius are still learning how to best channel this site’s and those vines’ potential. (For extensive background on this bottling and its site designation, consult my review of the inaugural vintage 2017 installment.)”
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The average price nationally is $69
Weingut Donnhoff Kreuznacher Krotenpfuhl Riesling Grosses Gewachs, Nahe 2018 750ML ($79.95) Was $59, Now $54.50 special, 18 bottles in stock now & limited additional stock arriving late March
John Gilman 93 points “The 2018 Krötenpfuhl GG is absolutely superb this year. The wine is very pure on the both the nose and palate, with the bouquet delivering a lovely mix of pink grapefruit, tart orange, salty minerality, a touch of wild yeasts and a topnote of citrus blossoms. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and very well-balanced, with a lovely core, ripe, vibrant acids and great focus and grip on the long, nascently complex and very elegant finish. Superb juice. 2026-2060. 93.”
Wine Advocate 92 points “The 2018 Kreuznacher Krötenpfuhl Riesling trocken –GG– is super clear, pure, fresh and flinty on the nose. Intense and powerful on the palate, this is a linear, salty-piquant and lingering Riesling with grip and tension but also purity and finesse. Still young but very elegant. Tasted in July 2019.”
David Schildknecht-Vinous 91 points “The nose pungently and enticingly combines oregano, mustard seed, lemon zest and sea breeze. The palate is firm, tangy and bright, at 13% alcohol coming off as full and forceful. The mustard seed suggestion adds stimulating cut to a finish whose lemony brightness and animation are surprising for the vintage, and which is admirably transparent to stony, alkaline and saline nuances. (For background on this bottling – as well as information about the site – consult my lengthy review of the inaugural vintage 2017 installment.)”
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The average price nationally is $62
New Week – New Arrivals
Willamette Valley
Flaneur Wines Extra Brut, Willamette Valley 2017 750ML ($79.95) $64 special
We adore all things winemaker Grant Coulter makes, whether under his own label Hundred Suns or at the gorgeously beautiful winery of Flaneur. His current projects may be relatively new to the scene, but his long experience in the Valley, commitment to sustainability and terroir expression, and the profundity of the resulting wines make him a must-watch. This 2017 Champagne-style sparkling wine is a fabulous follow up to the 2016 and proves Oregon sparkling wines have arrived.
Winery note “Sea salt and briny aromas envelop citrus and green pear characteristics. The tightly wound palate leads with pronounced minerality and follows through with ripe citrus and orchard fruit, balanced by laser sharp acidity and a fine, persistent bead of bubbles. 43% Pinot Meunier, 31% Chardonnay, 26% Pinot Noir.”
Flaneur Wines Extra Brut, Willamette Valley 2017 750ML ($79.95) $64 special
We adore all things winemaker Grant Coulter makes, whether under his own label Hundred Suns or at the gorgeously beautiful winery of Flaneur. His current projects may be relatively new to the scene, but his long experience in the Valley, commitment to sustainability and terroir expression, and the profundity of the resulting wines make him a must-watch. This 2017 Champagne-style sparkling wine is a fabulous follow up to the 2016 and proves Oregon sparkling wines have arrived.
Winery note “Sea salt and briny aromas envelop citrus and green pear characteristics. The tightly wound palate leads with pronounced minerality and follows through with ripe citrus and orchard fruit, balanced by laser sharp acidity and a fine, persistent bead of bubbles. 43% Pinot Meunier, 31% Chardonnay, 26% Pinot Noir.”
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Kelley Fox Wines Nerthus White Blend, Willamette Valley 2020 750ML ($29.95) $27 special
Winery note “I’m very happy to offer you this lovely partial skin-contact white wine (that is actually pale pink) made of 75% old vine Early Muscat from Eola Springs Vineyard and 25% Pinot gris from Maresh and Weber Vineyards. All of the fruit was hand-picked. About 75% of the Early Muscat fruit was pressed as whole clusters. The rest, including all of the Pinot gris, was destemmed into small fermentors and pigeage in those fermenters was done by me one time per day. The whole cluster pressed Early Muscat fermented in a stainless-steel tank. After less than seven days, the free run of all fermentors was moved into the Early Muscat tank. I did not use any of the press wines this year. The Nerthus was allowed to complete malolactic fermentation. Élevage was in a stainless tank until bottling. The Nerthus has delightful, pale rosy pink colour with hints of peach and beautiful, brilliant transparency. It’s visually very pleasing. The nose is full of fresh peach and apricot (stone-fruit) notes with floral and mineral notes. Though bone dry, there is mouth-watering peach and apricot fruit that is carried nicely by the racy acidity. This alpine-fresh wine is a real joybringer.”
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St. Innocent Freedom Hill Vineyard Pinot Blanc, Willamette Valley 2017 750ML ($21.95) $16 special
The 2016 was an outrageously good hit last summer; we have high hopes for the newest release.
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Staff pick!
Ayres Estate Rose of Pinot Noir, Ribbon Ridge 2020 750ML ($19.95) $17 special
Suzanne: Borderline steely, this is a bright and refreshing local rose with a creamy mouthfeel and elegant profile. Notes of raspberries, fresh lemon zest, rhubarb, and a fun hint of caraway on the finish. Always a favorite among the staff, winemaker Brad McLeroy makes this from a single block within the estate vineyard specially reserved for rose production each year. Bravo!
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Back in stock! Illahe makes lovely bright & fresh whites and rosés. This Tempranillo pink is no slouch, and is one of our most popular local pink pick.
Illahe Estate Tempranillo Rose, Willamette Valley 2019 750ML ($21.95) $17.70 special
Winery note “The 2019 Illahe tempranillo rosé offers fresh aromas Lemon zest, spruce tip, rhubarb, and fleshy watermelon rind. A fresh, bright, and crisp harmonious pallet rounds into juicy honeydew melon and Oregon strawberry finish. Pair with sunshine.”
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The next best price is $22.40
Illahe Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2019 750ML ($31.95) $24 special
Winery note “The aromas of the 2019 Illahe Vineyards Willamette Valley Pinot Noir begin with strawberry, tamarind, and blackberry then broaden along the palate to include chalk, tobacco leaf, chocolate, and earth. The acid supports a complete yet not overwhelming tannin balanced between skin and oak. The wine retains its velvet mouthfeel through a process of clarification by racking. For an entry level pinot, this wine is a great value and will last 6 to 12 years under the best conditions. Alcohol 13.50%.”
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The average price nationally is $26
Winemaker Erin Nuccio crafts one of the finest and fun-est WV Pinots under his Haden Fig label. 2018 is a bold vintage ready to stun alongside anything off the grill. Summer is coming!
Haden Fig Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2018 750ML ($27.95) $19 special
Wine Enthusiast 91 points “This is the most widely available Pinot from Haden Fig, sister winery to Evesham Wood. Scents of beetroot and wild cherry introduce a wine with varietal purity married to an earthy terroir. Presumably a blend from unused barrels for the single-vineyard cuvées, this is a solid, somewhat stiff young wine, with substantial tannins and a finishing hint of coffee. Drink now through 2026. -Paul Gregutt”
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The average price nationally is $24
Evesham Wood Temperance Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir, Eola-Amity Hills 2018 750ML ($39.95) $33 special
Winery note “2018’s growing-degree day total of close to 2300 misleads our expectation of the wines and highlights the difficulties of using it to describe this year from that. (For comparison the 2016 and 2017 vintages were 15% warmer than the 30y average and just below 2600.) The last vintage that was in this range was 2012. The wines are richly hued and densely packed with tannin and concentration. If it weren’t for the wines’ brimming acid you’d definitely expect them to be from a very warm vintage. A true labor of love. We always feel incredibly fortunate to get a mere 3 barrels from our 2 acre block at the very top of Temperance. This is the most richly fruited TH we’ve seen in years, yet still with the classic TH notes of green tobacco and cigar humidor moving to a ripe, mouth-filling mid-palate of red fruits coming back to finish with hints of tobacco. Certified organically grown.”
Evesham Wood Le Puits Sec Pinot Noir, Eola-Amity Hills 2018 750ML ($49.95) $39 special
Winery note “What a powerful, yet elegant, wine our estate vineyard gave us in 2018. Intermingling notes of earth and flowers move to an explosive mid-palate of red fruits and plum followed by an elegant, bright, lifted finish. Certified organically grown.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Brick House Vineyards ‘Cuvee du Tonnelier’ Pinot Noir, Ribbon Ridge 2018 750ML ($59.95) $44 special
Winery note “The name, roughly translated as “the barrel maker’s cuvée,” honors the legacy of the winemaker’s father whose family were “tonneliers” or coopers in 17th century France. The wine is blended from the oldest vines on the farm; the ten acre block of Pommard clones just south of the brick house planted in 1990. Typically this cuvée offers cinnamon, allspice and earthy notes of forest floor and bramble. In some years the Cuvée du Tonnelier includes significant whole cluster fermented fruit, contributing powerful structure with supple fruit. Like all our Pinot Noir bottling, the Cuvée typically benefits from four to eight years in the cellar but it is often the first of our reserve Pinot Noirs to be generously approachable. Made with biodynamic grapes.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $50
Bonus: Two of our best-selling Dundee Chards are back in stock!
Arterberry Maresh Chardonnay, Dundee Hills 2018 750ML ($29.95) $19 special
Erin Brooks-Wine Advocate 93 points “The 2018 Dundee Hills Chardonnay is wonderfully inviting and hedonistic! It has a perfume of spiced apples and quince, hazelnuts and beeswax, with wafts of floral perfume. The palate is broad, creamy and loaded with honeyed fruits, with juicy freshness to help carry the long, powerfully fruited finish.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Cameron Winery Dundee Hills Chardonnay 2019 750ML ($21.95) $19.90 special
VinopolNote: One of the greatest bargains in Oregon Chardonnay out there. Barrel-fermented, which imparts a kiss of vanilla and new oak to the apple- and green pear-driven palate. A refreshing mineral note on the finish keeps you coming back for more.
Gran Moraine is one of Yamhill–Carlton District’s most celebrated producers, and the wines reflect the unique terroir of the growing area.
Gran Moraine Brut Rosé, Yamhill-Carlton District NV 750ML ($59.95) $41.90 special
Wine Spectator 94 points “That rare domestic rosé that captures the vibrant acidity of Champagne, offering delicate strawberry, raspberry flavors laced with steely minerality and sprinkle of graham cracker on the finish. Drink now through 2022. 1,000 cases made. — TF”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Gran Moraine Chardonnay, Yamhill-Carlton District 2017 750ML ($49.95) $36 special
James Suckling 93 points “This has a very impressive feel with a fresh array of citrus and some gently spicy pastry aromas, too. The palate has a long, fresh and composed feel with such fine, fresh peaches and pears. Drink or hold.”
Josh Raynolds-Vinous 92 points “Pale yellow. Fresh pear, melon and lemon curd aromas are complemented by hints of white flowers, vanilla and buttered toast. Fleshy and seamless in the mouth, offering juicy citrus and orchard fruit flavors that tighten up and pick up a minerally nuance with aeration. Finishes with firm grip, a repeating floral note and strong, spicy persistence.”
Erin Brooks-Wine Advocate 92 points “The 2017 Chardonnay Yamhill-Carlton has a wonderfully open, inviting nose of honey-drizzled hazelnuts, apple pie, clotted cream, baked peaches, allspice and crushed stone. The medium-bodied palate is creamy textured and savory in character with juicy acidity and a long, textured finish. This will benefit from one more year in bottle. 2,303 cases produced.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $43
Gran Moraine Pinot Noir, Yamhill-Carlton District 2017 750ML ($44.95) $33 special
Wine Spectator 94 points “Polished and elegantly complex, with expressive cherry and blueberry flavors, accented by crushed stone and black tea, building tension and lively acidity toward refined tannins. Drink now through 2025. 4,300 cases made. — TF”
Josh Raynolds-Vinous 92 points “Limpid ruby-red. Lively and focused on the nose, displaying mineral-tinged scents of juicy red and dark berries, allspice and candied flowers. Gently sweet and seamless in texture, offering spice-laced raspberry, cherry and musky rhubarb flavors that deepen slowly with air. Shows fine definition and finishes spicy and long, with discreet tannins and lingering red fruit and floral nuances.”
Erin Brooks-Wine Advocate 92 points “The medium ruby-purple colored 2017 Pinot Noir Yamhill-Carlton features scents of crushed blueberries, warm cranberries and blackberries with notions of nutmeg, cinnamon, bergamot, charcuterie and earth. The medium-bodied palate is silky with intense, spicy fruits, a grainy frame and good freshness, finishing long and spiced. This will benefit from another year in bottle. 4,315 cases produced.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $42
Walla Walla / Washington
Cayuse Vineyards Armada Vineyard Syrah, Walla Walla Valley 2017 750ML ($149.95) $135 special, only 3 bottles available
Jeb Dunnuck 97+ points “The Armada Vineyard Syrah always reminds me of the Horsepower releases, as it’s a more masculine, earthy style of Syrah. Deep plum/purple-colored with an incredible bouquet of smoked plum, blackcurrants, tobacco, peppered meat, and violets, the 2017 hits the palate with full-bodied richness and depth, building structure and tannins, moderate acidity, and a great finish. It’s another wine from Baron that packs incredible richness and depth yet still just glides across the palate with no sensation of weight or heaviness. It shows the more rounded, approachable style of the vintage and will keep for 20 years or more.”
Anthony Mueller – Wine Advocate 97 points “The 2017 Syrah Armada Vineyard bursts out of the glass with complex and expressive aromas of blackberry, black tea, savory and umami tones of crushed black pepper, grilled meat and dried lilac and lavender. Medium to full-bodied, the wine is elegant and seamless on the palate, unfolding beautifully with precision and intention, offering up instant gratification in youth. The wine unfolds its wings across the mid-palate and takes flight, leading to the elongated and continually evolving finish, which grows in complexity and amplitude in the mouth. The 2017 is more approachable in youth than the 2016 vintage of the same bottling. If you enjoy wines in their youth, this vintage is a no-brainer. Only 613 cases were produced.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $154
Cayuse Vineyards God Only Knows Armada Vineyard Grenache, Walla Walla Valley 2017 750ML ($149.95) $138 special, only 4 bottles available!
James Suckling 97 points “The subtlety of fruit here is mesmerizing with sweet strawberry, floral and tangerine aromas that follow through to a medium to full body, fine and soft tannins and a long, delicious finish. It shows such polish and fineness. Drink or hold.”
Stephan Tanzer-Vinous 94 points “Moderately saturated dark red. Aromas of raspberry, red cherry, white pepper, rose petal and piquant spices, with mocha and fresh herb notes emerging with aeration. A suave, refined midweight offering a lovely combination of intense red fruits and savory soil tones accented by flowers and pepper. Still a bit tight but already beautifully delineated for New World Grenache; has just enough gamey funkiness to add some Old World nuance. Finishes with light tannins, intriguing peppery grip and slowly rising length. This outstanding Washington Grenache boasts superb subtlety and intensity–and a firm spine throughout. I love the balance of sweet and salty elements here. (13.8% alcohol)”
Cayuse Vineyards En Chamberlin Vineyard Syrah, Walla Walla Valley 2018 750ML ($149.95) $119 special, only 3 bottles available!
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Cayuse Vineyards Cailloux Vineyard Syrah, Walla Walla Valley 2018 750ML ($149.95) $119 special, only 5 bottles available!
Cayuse Vineyards En Cerise Vineyard Syrah, Walla Walla Valley 2018 750ML ($149.95) $119 special, only 4 bottles available!
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $134
Marietta Cellars OVR Old Vine Red, California Lot 71 NV 750ML ($15.95) $14 special
Winery note “Old Vine Red is a proprietary red wine made to replicate the field blends of many of the old vineyards in Sonoma and Mendocino counties. Predominantly comprised of Zinfandel, Old Vine Red combines pure fruit, a supple mouth feel and a rich, solid structure. A groundbreaking combination of varietals and multiple vintages first produced in 1982, this wine has blazed the path for red blends for decades. With a historic underground following, it is one of the longest lasting and best known red blends produced today.”
France – Bordeaux
Back in stock!
Chateau de Pez, Saint-Estephe 2016 750ML ($59.95) $49 special
Decanter 94 points “Another bargain alert! At this price level, perhaps the most subtle and elegant of all wines tasted. Not as expressive as Ormes de Pez, but top marks for delicate refinement and indeed a noticeably floral aromatic profile that accentuates the palate. As wine consultant Kevin Gagnon noted at a tasting: ‘Finesse and great length.’ Do not hesitate.”
Roger Voss-Wine Enthusiast 93 points “One of the many estates on the Pez plateau in Saint-Estèphe, this property is at the top of its game. Owned by the same proprietors as Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, the wine has structure, big tannins as well as dense black fruits. Drink from 2024.”
Neal Martin-Wine Advocate 92-94 points “The 2016 de Pez appears to be benefitting from a long-term replanting program at the estate. This is a blend of 53% Merlot, 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3.5% Petit Verdot and 1.5% Cabernet Franc. The IPT is quite high at 80, and there is 13.9% alcohol. It has a pure and comely bouquet with black cherries and blackcurrant pastilles, just a touch of crushed violets that emerge with time. The palate is really quite lovely: very well balanced with a fine line of acidity, quite saline in the mouth, perhaps the finest tannic structure that I have encountered during many years of tasting this Saint Estèphe, with a long persistent finish. Maybe this is the ‘dark horse’ of the appellation this year.”
Drinking beautifully in its youth
Château Mangot, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru 2015 750ML ($37.95) $29 special
Case-12 Château Mangot, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru 2015 750ML ($419.95) $315 special (that’s only $26.25/bottle!)
James Suckling 93 points “A dense and rich red with driedberry and plum character. Full body, round and chewy tanninsand a flavorful finish. Lots of intensity. Drink in 2020.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
France – Beaujolais
Back in stock – possibly one of the finest vintages available of the Clos de la Roilette. New to the producer? We suggest giving the Fleurie a whirl before reaching for the Tardive, which is intended for longer cellaring and is usually shut down early on.
“As I’ve written before, the Coudert family acquired Fleurie’s famous Clos de la Roilette—which neighbors Moulin-à-Vent formerly traded under that name—in 1967, and Alain has been at the helm since 1991. The soils here are rich in clay and manganese, and that, combined with a classical approach to maceration, results in muscular, structured wines that age very well. Vinified largely with whole clusters and the traditional submerged cap, these are typically deeply colored wines with plenty of fruit and tannin. The 2019 vintage has turned out especially well, and it’s the most overtly Fleurie-styled vintage—in the sense that this appellation is identified with perfume and finesse—that Coudert has produced in a decade. If the gourmand generosity and wealth of fruit of 2018 will win the domaine new friends, then the fragrant and beautifully balanced 2019 will exercise special appeal over Beaujolais purists.” –William Kelley, Wine Advocate
Clos de la Roilette Fleurie, Beaujolais 2019 750ML ($34.95) $24 special
Case-6 Coudert Pere Clos de la Roilette Fleurie, Beaujolais 2019 750ML ($159.95) $129 special (that’s only $21.50/bottle and the lowest listed price in the USA today!)
William Kelley-Wine Advocate 94 points “Bottled only a week before I tasted it, Alain Coudert’s 2019 Fleurie from the Clos de la Roilette is showing beautifully, wafting from the glass with aromas of rose petals, red cherries, raspberries, spices and orange rind. Medium to full-bodied, deep and velvety, it’s elegant and fine-boned, with lively acids, refined structuring tannins and a long, perfumed finish. Readers who gravitate toward classical styles of Beaujolais will prefer the 2019 to the richer, more gourmand 2018, but both are lovely vintages for this reference-point address.”
Clos de la Roilette Fleurie Cuvee Tardive, Beaujolais 2019 750ML ($39.95) $29 special
Clos de la Roilette Fleurie Cuvee Tardive, Beaujolais 2019 1.5L ($69.95) $59 special
Importer note “100% Gamay. Being on the border of the Moulin-à-Vent cru, the core of Roilette’s Fleurie terroir is atypical of Fleurie, rich in clay and the mineral manganese instead of being all granite; the wines are thus more structured than many Fleurie wines. The oldest estate vines, at around 80 years old, go into the Cuvée Tardive bottling. It is the concentration and structure of the wine that gave rise to its “Tardive” or “late” moniker: it is not late-harvested fruit but rather wine meant to be enjoyed later, with longer aging in bottle. As on the rest of the estate, the Tardive vines are farmed sustainably by lutte raisonnée and the soils worked by hand, only twice a year and very carefully in order to not do damage to roots of these old vines. The fruit is manually harvested and fermented in whole clusters with native yeasts in open-top, neutral wood vats with the cap kept submerged; the maceration for Tardive is approximately 18 days. Aging takes place in old foudres until bottling the following summer.”
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
France – Other
Domaine de la Pepiere Muscadet Sevre-et-Maine Sur Lie Clos des Briords, Loire 2019 750ML ($29.95) $24 special
Importer note “100% Melon de Bourgogne. Clos des Briords is a lieu-dit in which Marc has long held 3 hectares of massale vines planted from 1930 to 1950. These are the oldest vines of the estate, planted on soils of granite de Thébaud, which differs from granite de Clisson in containing more feldspar and clay–it is cooler, slower ripening, holds and drains water well, supplies more nutrients and is looser (so roots can go deep to the hard granite mother rock). The farming is organic and harvest and all work by hand. Like for the rest of the Pepière wines, the fruit is direct-pressed and the juice settled naturally for 12 hours. It is then fermented in stainless steel tanks with natural yeasts; the wine is aged on its lees in large, underground vats–8 to 9 months in the case of Briords–until bottling without fining or filtering. Briords is generally the most structured and powerful of Pepière’s wines.”
Domaine Tempier Bandol Rose, Provence 2019 750ML ($59.95) $55 special, final 24 bottles!
Importer Note “The thing about Domaine Tempier’s Bandol rosé is that every time you open a bottle—no matter how many you’ve uncorked in your lifetime—it feels like a special occasion. That peachy-pink hue and iconic label turn any moment into a small celebration. Certainly, Bandol rosé is complex and pedigreed, but make no mistake: it is traditionally an apéritif wine. I like to honor it as such by taking the time to prepare as many salty and spreadable treats as I can scoop up with, or pile on top of, toasty croutons: a briny anchoïade, an earthy tapenade, or a bright and tangy sun-dried tomato purée are all great options. Avoid sticky, creamy cheeses, as they may stand in the wine’s way. The more olive oil, dried herbs, and fresh garlic, the better. Maybe you can find some plump octopus to grill and swipe with aïoli, or dip into a summery pistou. As 2020 continues to challenge us, let’s refuel our tanks with the fruits of one of the better things to happen to America in the last fifty years—Kermit importing Tempier rosé. A reason to celebrate!”
Pierre Gonon Les Iles Feray VDP D’Ardeche Rouge 2018 750ML ($89.95) $69 special, only 3 bottles available
Italy – Tuscany
Casanova di Neri is one of Italy’s truly elite modern producers—an icon of Brunello.
Casanova di Neri Cerretalto, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2013 750ML ($359.95) Was $299, Now $289 special
Monica Larner-Wine Advocate 97 points “There are a handful of wines in Italy that make me nervous before I taste them because my expectations are so high. This is one of those wines. Indeed, previous editions of Cerretalto have earned the coveted 100 point score, and I am astutely aware of the pedigree and potential that comes forth with each new vintage. As enthusiastic as my assessment of the 2013 Brunello di Montalcino Cerretalto is, I’m stopping short of that perfect score. This vintage is something of a moving target with wines that are beautiful, without a doubt, yet the growing conditions were not even across the appellation, and achieving optimal tannic management posed a challenge to many producers. If I were to make any criticism of this wine, it would fall along those lines. That aside, this is a beautiful Brunello that boasts deep intensity and bold black fruit flavors that are plummy and rich. Spice, toasted oak and tobacco frame that primary fruit. Cerretalto ages in oak for 30 months and that strong imprint has added to the structure, depth and contemporary character of this A-list Brunello. That oak imprint is also reinforced in the wine’s tannins. There’s no doubt that this wine needs more cellar aging. I would absolutely not suggest drinking it within the next five years. Any awkwardness it shows now should iron itself out with more bottle time. Only 9,771 bottles were made.”
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
The average price nationally is $324
Testamatta, which means “crazy head” in Italian, is a nod to Bibi Graetz’s eccentricity. A creative and passionate man, Graetz crafts some of Italy’s most impressive wines at his self-described Casamatta (“crazy house”). But don’t be fooled by Graetz’s self-deprecating humility, one taste of his wines will shatter any illusions that these are humble plonk. The brilliance of the wine suggests that there surely must be a method to the madness. Decanter recently recognized Graetz’s unmistakable talent by awarding the 2018 Testamatta 100 points. We were fortunate to secure a second modest allocation of this in-demand wine, and are anticipating its arrival next week.
Bibi Graetz Testamatta Toscana IGT, Tuscany 2018 750ML ($99.95) $89.99 special
Jane Anson – Decanter 100 points “Finely textured, with a nuanced perfume that fills the glass and takes you to the intense underbrush of Tuscany. Succulent and yet savoury, this has a lilting freshness that is overlaid with ripe berry fruits, sage and white pepper spice, and clear minerality in terms of its scraping texture that makes your mouth water on the finish. Feels light and sculpted and yet has an intensity that skewers you to the spot. This is a great wine, with scope and imagination that doesn’t want to let you go. Genuinely stands out among the wines of this tasting, and these are a fine array of wines. As with Colore, Bibi Graetz selects only old vines, the youngest 50 years old from five different vineyard sites across Tuscany, all farmed organically. Fermentations in open 225l barrels with natural yeasts and manual punch downs.”
Italy – Piedmont
“Vietti’s 2016 Barolos are stratospheric. I have been following the wines for several years, first as separate lots, then as young wines in barrel. In all of those tastings, the wines were never anything less than mesmerizingly beautiful and full of potential. Now that they are in bottle, that potential has been realized. These are, quite simply, the most monumental wines I have tasted in twenty years of visiting the estate… Kudos to Luca and Elena Currado, along with their longtime cellarmaster, Eugenio Palumbo, for a set of truly epic wines that will define their legacy at Vietti.” -Antonio Galloni
Vietti Lazzarito, Barolo DOCG 2016 750ML ($299.95) Was $219, Now $199 special
Antonio Galloni 98 points “The 2016 Barolo Lazzarito is another stunning wine in this range. The 2016 is the first vintage of the Lazzarito I can remember tasting in which intensely mineral notes accompany the more savory, earthy notes that are so typical of this site. Graphite, sage, dried flowers, crushed rocks, menthol, dried rose petal, mint, licorice and blood orange race out of the glass in a breathtaking, towering Barolo that hits all the right notes from the start to its chiseled, strikingly detailed finish. The 2016 Lazzarito is one of the most classically austere wines in this range. In a word: Magnificent.”
Monica Larner-Wine Advocate 98 points “Drawing its fruit from Serralunga d’Alba, the Vietti 2016 Barolo Lazzarito is built like a pyramid. It is grounded by a thick base of robust fruit and power and soars upward in intensity thanks to its beautifully lifted bouquet. It reveals direct and solid lines with blackberry, plum, spice, tar, licorice, candied orange peel and truffle-infused earth. A second wave of aromas offers dark minerals and ferrous qualities such as iron ore and rust. Baroli from Serralunga d’Alba are often in a category apart thanks to their richness and sheer fruit weight. With extra aeration, Lazzarito delivers mint, balsam herb or Fernet-Branca. Production is 9,293 bottles and 300 magnums. This is the finest, most complete set of wines I have ever tasted from Vietti. Congratulations.”
G.D. Vajra Coste & Fossati Dolcetto d’Alba, Piedmont 2018 750ML ($27.95) $21.90 special
Antonio Galloni 92 points “The 2018 Dolcetto d’Alba Coste & Fossati is a gorgeous wine. Usually, the Coste & Fossati is a richer, bigger wine; the 2018, on the other hand, offers lovely mid-palate depth, but in a restrained, perfumed style that is hugely appealing. Dark red cherry, red plum, chocolate, licorice and spice all flesh out in this delicious and inviting Dolcetto from the Vajra family. The 2018 marks the second vintage of the return to submerged cap maceration, an approach the Vajra family used up until the late 1980s.”
Monica Larner-Wine Advocate 91+ points “The G.D. Vajra 2018 Dolcetto d’Alba Coste & Fossati is a plump, succulent and rich expression that offers a clear view into the fundamentals of the Dolcetto grape. Fruit comes from two vineyard sites, Coste di Vergne and Fossati (in the comune di Barolo), with characteristic Sant’Agata marl soils rich in fossils. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel, and traditional winemaking protocol called for submerged cap. That method was used until 1989, then abandoned, but it came back with this 2018 vintage. Submerged cap is a process that works to stabilize the deep color you see here, and it draws out the intensity of the blackberry, black currant and dark fruit aromas. With 8,000 bottles produced, this is a terrific and well-priced wine.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $26
Produttori is one of Italy’s most famous producers, and for good reason. They make some of the country’s most consistently high-quality wines at a range of price points, from some of Piedmont’s best values through to their celebrated single cru bottlings. Perhaps no wine better represents Produttori’s value proposition than their Langhe Nebbiolo, which might be the world’s best sub-$30 (let alone sub-$22) Nebbiolo.
Produttori del Barbaresco Langhe Nebbiolo, Piedmont 2018 750ML ($29.95) $21.90 special
Wine Advocate 92 points “As a palate teaser before this lovely flight of Riservas from Produttori del Barbaresco, I am delighted to start off with the delicate and fine 2018 Langhe Nebbiolo. Showing a light ruby color, this wine takes baby steps with hints of wild rose, dried blueberry, crushed limestone and powdered licorice. It sports a fragile, fine texture. If you crave for a basic and absolutely satisfying taste of pure Nebbiolo, look no further.”
Decanter 91 points “This Langhe Nebbiolo is sourced from across the region and on a combination of soil types. It’s fermented in concrete to preserve freshness, before ageing for five months in large oak barrels. It displays ripe, vanilla-scented hedgerow fruits with a fresh, crunchy, sweet cherry aroma. In the mouth it has impressive intensity and plenty of playful acidity. The dark fruit flavours are supported by a supple texture and the nuances of spice are perfumed and exotic. A brilliant wine for early drinking and great quality considering the basic appellation.”
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
The average price is $26
Spain
Envinate ‘Albahra Chingao’ Tinto, Almansa, Castilla La Mancha 2019 750ML ($49.95) $33 special
From the highest elevation vineyard composed of old vines that also contribute to the entry-level Albahra bottling. 100% Garnacha Tintorera (aka Alicante Bouschet, a red-juiced grape).
Importer note “Albahra (Castilian for “small sea”) is named for the vineyard area in the Almansa region close to the town of Albacete, located at the southeastern tip of Castilla-La Mancha.”
Trending
A day at the beach in a bottle
Ovum ‘Big Salt’ White Blend, Elkton 2020 750ML ($21.95) $17 special
Winery note “2020 Big Salt is wildly aromatic, laced with Gewurz and Muscat overtones, but framed by citrusy Riesling. Salty bergamot, lemon, nectarine and white tea– exotic fruits fill out the nose. The palate is filled with the texture of Gewurz, herbal hints from Pinot Blanc, but quickly washed back with classic Riesling acidity. 2020 Big Salt pairs well with fish tacos, pesto chicken pasta, pad thai…or just chilling. Cellar: 3-8 years of optimal drinking. 45% Riesling, 35% Gewurztraminer, 11% Pinot Blanc, 9% Early Muscat, 1% others. Soils: Volcanic ash, basalt, marine sediment, alluvial, serpentine.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Mount Eden Vineyards’ Edna Valley Chardonnay is a perpetual best-value bottling, with rich, creamy fruit and seductive textures. It’s everything we’re looking for in California Chardonnay without being too extroverted –a rare balancing act indeed.
Mount Eden Vineyards Chardonnay, Edna Valley 2017 750ML ($27.95) $21.90 special, 36+ bottles in stock now
Erin Brooks-Wine Advocate 93 points “This comes mostly from the Wolff vineyard with some fruit from the Middle Ranch vineyard. The 2017 Edna Valley Chardonnay opens with wonderful aromas of honeycomb, orange blossoms, saline, crushed shell and loads of baked apple and quince with an earthy undercurrent. The palate is medium-bodied, satiny and intense, with seamless freshness on the finish, which lingers with honeyed notions.”
We’re suckers for well-made Bordeaux at reasonable prices—a combination that has become increasingly difficult to find. Fortunately, Château Clos de Bouard makes wines that more than fit the bill. These are the essence of right-bank Bordeaux—Merlot and Cabernet Franc dominant reds with just the right amount of makeup. A throwback to Bordeaux’s glory days, Clos de Bouard vinifies the majority of their wine in cement vats, all on a parcel by parcel basis. This preserves a purity and vitality that’s uncommon in wines from Bordeaux’s “satellite” appellations. After fermentation the wines are aged in 50% new oak, imparting the polish that connoisseurs have come to expect from Right Bank Bordeaux. The estate’s vineyards feature classic hillside clay and limestone soils, with vines averaging 35 years of age (and some as old as 70). The resulting wines are the perfect blend of richness and elegance, terroir and refinement.
Château Clos de Bouard La Dame de Bouard, Montagne-Saint-Emilion 2016 750ML ($29.95) $21.90 special, 36+ bottles in stock now
James Suckling 93 points “This has very attractive violets, plums and purple fruit on offer with a very plush and elegant feel on the palate, as well as a polished and long aftertaste. Super long and elegant. Very polished. 60 per cent merlot and 40 per cent cabernet franc. Try from 2023.”
We’ve carried the Champagnes of Nicolas Maillart in the past, but were blown away when tasting through them recently—enough that we’ve gone deep on the entire lineup. These are some of the most exciting wines from Champagne that we’ve tasted in some time, and they’re at prices that keep them firmly within reach.
Nicolas Maillart Platine Premier Cru Brut, Champagne NV 750ML ($49.95) $39 special
Nicolas Maillart Platine Premier Cru Brut, Champagne NV 1.5L ($99.95) $89 special
Nicolas Maillart Platine Premier Cru Brut, Champagne NV 3L ($349.95) $299 special
Nicolas Maillart Platine Premier Cru Brut, Champagne NV 375ML ($29.95) $24 special
Importer note “2014-base. 78% Pinot Noir, 16% Chardonnay, 8% Pinot Meunier. 65% 2014 + 35% reserve wine.”
Winery Note “Golden in colour with a fine, lingering bead Nose: Intense with notes of fruit and hazelnuts and a slight toastiness Palate: The initial impact is wonderfully fresh and vinous, followed by great finesse. Slow, gentle pressing using gravity-flow techniques. Vinification in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats and a period in the barrel for a certain volume of reserve wines. Average two-year maturing period in the bottle. Disgorged by hand and laid down for at least three months before sale.”
Clos Mogador ‘Com Tu,’ Montsant 2016 750ML ($59.95) $49 special
Luis Gutierrez-Wine Advocate 94-96 points “I was so impressed with the debut vintage that I was very happy I could also preview the 2016 Com Tu, which was aging in a 4,000-liter used oak foudre and waiting to be bottled. The Garnacha grapes fermented in that same foudre with indigenous yeasts. It’s still very young and raw and the nose needs to develop, but it has subtle notes of raspberry leaf and wild cherries. The palate is livelier than the 2015, and I think this wine will be better in the long run, with more acidity and freshness. This is one of the names to watch in Montsant. There will be some 5,300 bottles of this.”
VinopolNote: 100% Garnacha from 35-50 year old vines in red clay and limestone soils at 580-600 meters above sea level.
Winery note “In the early part of this century, my son René and I first started experimenting with wine-making in the village of La Figuera (70 unhabitants). We met some winemakers and we vinified around 4.000 kilos of Garnacha vines. In 2002 I discovered the centennial vineyard that belonged to Mr. Joan Anguera (today it’s the Spectacle vineyard) and we started to promote that area so exceptionally good for Garnachas with the collaboration of the winemakers of the area. The idea of the name Com Tu was my son’s, Anderson Barbier Meyer, an artist that together with his mother, came up with this label. And also my second son, Christian, joined us in this project. He is leading Clos Mogador into the path of biodynamic agriculture. The Garnacha grapes from La Figuera produce wines with a unique color range, tender and fluid; with a fresh aroma, of flowers, orange peel, incense, as well as wide range of white fruit, citrus, very fresh. Its high alcohol content together with its extraordinary acidity, helps the wine to age perfectly. In palate it’s soft, with harmony but the taste development goes in crescendo, and it leaves us with an exceptional post-taste. This wine amazes us and fills us with vitality.”
Mount Eden Vineyards Chardonnay, Edna Valley 2017 750ML ($27.95) $21.90 special, 36+ bottles in stock now
Erin Brooks-Wine Advocate 93 points “This comes mostly from the Wolff vineyard with some fruit from the Middle Ranch vineyard. The 2017 Edna Valley Chardonnay opens with wonderful aromas of honeycomb, orange blossoms, saline, crushed shell and loads of baked apple and quince with an earthy undercurrent. The palate is medium-bodied, satiny and intense, with seamless freshness on the finish, which lingers with honeyed notions.”
We’re suckers for well-made Bordeaux at reasonable prices—a combination that has become increasingly difficult to find. Fortunately, Château Clos de Bouard makes wines that more than fit the bill. These are the essence of right-bank Bordeaux—Merlot and Cabernet Franc dominant reds with just the right amount of makeup. A throwback to Bordeaux’s glory days, Clos de Bouard vinifies the majority of their wine in cement vats, all on a parcel by parcel basis. This preserves a purity and vitality that’s uncommon in wines from Bordeaux’s “satellite” appellations. After fermentation the wines are aged in 50% new oak, imparting the polish that connoisseurs have come to expect from Right Bank Bordeaux. The estate’s vineyards feature classic hillside clay and limestone soils, with vines averaging 35 years of age (and some as old as 70). The resulting wines are the perfect blend of richness and elegance, terroir and refinement.
Château Clos de Bouard La Dame de Bouard, Montagne-Saint-Emilion 2016 750ML ($29.95) $21.90 special, 36+ bottles in stock now
James Suckling 93 points “This has very attractive violets, plums and purple fruit on offer with a very plush and elegant feel on the palate, as well as a polished and long aftertaste. Super long and elegant. Very polished. 60 per cent merlot and 40 per cent cabernet franc. Try from 2023.”
We’ve carried the Champagnes of Nicolas Maillart in the past, but were blown away when tasting through them recently—enough that we’ve gone deep on the entire lineup. These are some of the most exciting wines from Champagne that we’ve tasted in some time, and they’re at prices that keep them firmly within reach.
Nicolas Maillart Platine Premier Cru Brut, Champagne NV 750ML ($49.95) $39 special
Nicolas Maillart Platine Premier Cru Brut, Champagne NV 1.5L ($99.95) $89 special
Nicolas Maillart Platine Premier Cru Brut, Champagne NV 3L ($349.95) $299 special
Nicolas Maillart Platine Premier Cru Brut, Champagne NV 375ML ($29.95) $24 special
Importer note “2014-base. 78% Pinot Noir, 16% Chardonnay, 8% Pinot Meunier. 65% 2014 + 35% reserve wine.”
Winery Note “Golden in colour with a fine, lingering bead Nose: Intense with notes of fruit and hazelnuts and a slight toastiness Palate: The initial impact is wonderfully fresh and vinous, followed by great finesse. Slow, gentle pressing using gravity-flow techniques. Vinification in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats and a period in the barrel for a certain volume of reserve wines. Average two-year maturing period in the bottle. Disgorged by hand and laid down for at least three months before sale.”
Clos Mogador ‘Com Tu,’ Montsant 2016 750ML ($59.95) $49 special
Luis Gutierrez-Wine Advocate 94-96 points “I was so impressed with the debut vintage that I was very happy I could also preview the 2016 Com Tu, which was aging in a 4,000-liter used oak foudre and waiting to be bottled. The Garnacha grapes fermented in that same foudre with indigenous yeasts. It’s still very young and raw and the nose needs to develop, but it has subtle notes of raspberry leaf and wild cherries. The palate is livelier than the 2015, and I think this wine will be better in the long run, with more acidity and freshness. This is one of the names to watch in Montsant. There will be some 5,300 bottles of this.”
VinopolNote: 100% Garnacha from 35-50 year old vines in red clay and limestone soils at 580-600 meters above sea level.
Winery note “In the early part of this century, my son René and I first started experimenting with wine-making in the village of La Figuera (70 unhabitants). We met some winemakers and we vinified around 4.000 kilos of Garnacha vines. In 2002 I discovered the centennial vineyard that belonged to Mr. Joan Anguera (today it’s the Spectacle vineyard) and we started to promote that area so exceptionally good for Garnachas with the collaboration of the winemakers of the area. The idea of the name Com Tu was my son’s, Anderson Barbier Meyer, an artist that together with his mother, came up with this label. And also my second son, Christian, joined us in this project. He is leading Clos Mogador into the path of biodynamic agriculture. The Garnacha grapes from La Figuera produce wines with a unique color range, tender and fluid; with a fresh aroma, of flowers, orange peel, incense, as well as wide range of white fruit, citrus, very fresh. Its high alcohol content together with its extraordinary acidity, helps the wine to age perfectly. In palate it’s soft, with harmony but the taste development goes in crescendo, and it leaves us with an exceptional post-taste. This wine amazes us and fills us with vitality.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
A Drink Now 96-Point Gran Reserva
Viñedos de Páganos’ 2007 El Puntido
Viñedos de Páganos’ 2007 El Puntido
“Putting my nose in the glass of the 2007 El Puntido Gran Reserva transported me to the classical Riojas from yesteryear…It has what I love about the best red wine—it’s salty rather than sweet, there is no room for sweetness here, and it’s sapid and tasty and has great balance and freshness. This is developing at a very slow pace and should continue doing so for a very long time. A great Gran Reserva in the making!” – Luis Gutierrez-Wine Advocate, June 2019
In Stock Now:
Viñedos de Páganos El Puntido Gran Reserva, Rioja DOCa 2007 750ML ($69.95) $49 special, 36+ bottles in stock now
Case-6 Viñedos de Páganos El Puntido Gran Reserva, Rioja DOCa 2007 750ML ($399.95) $279 special (that’s only $46.50/bottle!)
Case-12 Viñedos de Páganos El Puntido Gran Reserva, Rioja DOCa 2007 750ML ($719.95) $529 special (that’s only $44.08/bottle!)
Luis Gutierrez-Wine Advocate 96 points “[Reviewed June 2019] Putting my nose in the glass of the 2007 El Puntido Gran Reserva transported me to the classical Riojas from yesteryear. The wine has a fully developed nose with all the textbook descriptors of a good aged Rioja—forest floor, cigar ash, cold bonfire, truffle, cherries in liqueur, blonde tobacco, spices and iodine. But this is a classical Gran Reserva that has something that was not that traditional, and it comes from a single vineyard and matured in brand new French oak barrels for 28 months. But time in bottle has polished it (it was bottled in June 2010, almost nine years ago); the tannins are mostly resolved and it’s nicely textured. It has what I love about the best red wine—it’s salty rather than sweet, there is no room for sweetness here, and it’s sapid and tasty and has great balance and freshness. This is developing at a very slow pace and should continue doing so for a very long time. A great Gran Reserva in the making. Only 5,000 bottles were produced from 2007, a very cold vintage, when the grapes were harvested the last three days of October, and it snowed the first of November!”
Jeb Dunnuck 94 points “[Reviewed Sept 2019] A much smaller production that was aged longer (28 months) in new French oak, the 2007 El Puntido Gran Reserva comes from the same vineyard as the El Puntido but is a parcel selection. Blackcurrants, plums, smoked earth, incense, and violet notes all emerge from this elegant, silky, beautifully polished wine that’s full-bodied, has fine tannins, no hard edges, and a great finish. It has power, but this is more about finesse and elegance.”
In Stock Now:
Viñedos de Páganos El Puntido Gran Reserva, Rioja DOCa 2007 750ML ($69.95) $49 special, 36+ bottles in stock now
Case-6 Viñedos de Páganos El Puntido Gran Reserva, Rioja DOCa 2007 750ML ($399.95) $279 special (that’s only $46.50/bottle!)
Case-12 Viñedos de Páganos El Puntido Gran Reserva, Rioja DOCa 2007 750ML ($719.95) $529 special (that’s only $44.08/bottle!)
Luis Gutierrez-Wine Advocate 96 points “[Reviewed June 2019] Putting my nose in the glass of the 2007 El Puntido Gran Reserva transported me to the classical Riojas from yesteryear. The wine has a fully developed nose with all the textbook descriptors of a good aged Rioja—forest floor, cigar ash, cold bonfire, truffle, cherries in liqueur, blonde tobacco, spices and iodine. But this is a classical Gran Reserva that has something that was not that traditional, and it comes from a single vineyard and matured in brand new French oak barrels for 28 months. But time in bottle has polished it (it was bottled in June 2010, almost nine years ago); the tannins are mostly resolved and it’s nicely textured. It has what I love about the best red wine—it’s salty rather than sweet, there is no room for sweetness here, and it’s sapid and tasty and has great balance and freshness. This is developing at a very slow pace and should continue doing so for a very long time. A great Gran Reserva in the making. Only 5,000 bottles were produced from 2007, a very cold vintage, when the grapes were harvested the last three days of October, and it snowed the first of November!”
Jeb Dunnuck 94 points “[Reviewed Sept 2019] A much smaller production that was aged longer (28 months) in new French oak, the 2007 El Puntido Gran Reserva comes from the same vineyard as the El Puntido but is a parcel selection. Blackcurrants, plums, smoked earth, incense, and violet notes all emerge from this elegant, silky, beautifully polished wine that’s full-bodied, has fine tannins, no hard edges, and a great finish. It has power, but this is more about finesse and elegance.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $57
Bonus Rioja Re-Arrival from Sierra Cantabria
Sierra Cantabria is one of the landmark modern producers of Rioja—a name known both for excellent value bottlings as well as some of the true pinnacle bottlings of the region (see our offer on the singular and rare “Magico”). From top to bottom, these are some of the richest and most voluptuous wines in Rioja. They’re really special wines, aged in French rather than American oak and given a tremendous amount of care in the production process.
That care isn’t surprising for wines that are (deservedly) $500+, but to find that same attention to detail in a wine that’s $20 or $50 is a testament to the single-minded focus of the winemaking team. These are bottlings that appeal to anyone who’s serious about Spanish wines.
Sierra Cantabria Garnacha, Rioja DOCa 2016 750ML ($27.95) $22.75 special, 36+ bottles in stock now
James Suckling 95 points “This is a phenomenal wine with blood-orange and blueberry aromas. Hints of wet earth. Medium to full body. Chewy tannins, yet integrated and gorgeous. Fantastic value. From vines planted in 1927. Drink or hold.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Love Rioja? We have over 25 wines from Rioja in stock now. Shop our entire selection, including famous names like López de Heredia, Remelluri, Sierra Cantabria and more, on our web store now.
Collector’s Corner
2017 Montevertine LPT
Arriving in April
Montevertine Le Pergole Torte Toscana IGT, Tuscany 2017 750ML ($199.95) $169 pre-arrival special, only 24 bottles available!
Montevertine Le Pergole Torte Toscana IGT, Tuscany 2017 1.5L ($419.95) $359 pre-arrival special, only 1 magnum available
Antonio Galloni 98 points “The 2017 Le Pergole Torte is a wine of pure and total sensuality. I imagine the 2017 is one of those wines that will always offer tremendous pleasure. Pliant and inviting, with soft, voluptuous curves, the 2017 is off the charts gorgeous. Layers of deep Sangiovese fruit gradually reveal themselves with air. The flavors are so intense but also so primary. I wouldn’t touch a bottle before age ten. Readers lucky enough to find the 2017 should not hesitate, as it is magnificent. I can’t imagine anyone who loves Le Pergole Torte not wanting a good supply of the 2017 in the cellar. The 2017 has come together beautifully over the last year.”
Monica Larner-Wine Advocate 96 points “The Montevertine 2017 Le Pergole Torte is a dark and sensuous expression with a well-matched “portrait of a lady” by artist Alberto Manfredi depicted on the iconic label of this vintage. Her full, ruby-colored lips speak of the generous and abundant fruit displayed here, and her slanted mascara-lined eyes underline the heat and power of the vintage. The Montevertine school matches the character of a wine to its bottle artwork with unparalleled success. This edition reflects the heat and the dry growing conditions of the vintage, however there is more sweetness and opulent fruit here compared to the Montevertine. It’s not that this wine is riper per se, it just tastes more voluptuous and soft. It finishes with elegant tannins and a long, polished mouthfeel.”
Can’t wait?
We have the 2016 large formats in stock now!
Montevertine Le Pergole Torte Toscana IGT, Tuscany 2016 1.5L ($419.95) $369 special, 1 magnum in stock now
Montevertine Le Pergole Torte Toscana IGT, Tuscany 2016 3L ($999.95) $799 special, 2 double-magnums available
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.”
Montevertine Le Pergole Torte Toscana IGT, Tuscany 2017 1.5L ($419.95) $359 pre-arrival special, only 1 magnum available
Antonio Galloni 98 points “The 2017 Le Pergole Torte is a wine of pure and total sensuality. I imagine the 2017 is one of those wines that will always offer tremendous pleasure. Pliant and inviting, with soft, voluptuous curves, the 2017 is off the charts gorgeous. Layers of deep Sangiovese fruit gradually reveal themselves with air. The flavors are so intense but also so primary. I wouldn’t touch a bottle before age ten. Readers lucky enough to find the 2017 should not hesitate, as it is magnificent. I can’t imagine anyone who loves Le Pergole Torte not wanting a good supply of the 2017 in the cellar. The 2017 has come together beautifully over the last year.”
Monica Larner-Wine Advocate 96 points “The Montevertine 2017 Le Pergole Torte is a dark and sensuous expression with a well-matched “portrait of a lady” by artist Alberto Manfredi depicted on the iconic label of this vintage. Her full, ruby-colored lips speak of the generous and abundant fruit displayed here, and her slanted mascara-lined eyes underline the heat and power of the vintage. The Montevertine school matches the character of a wine to its bottle artwork with unparalleled success. This edition reflects the heat and the dry growing conditions of the vintage, however there is more sweetness and opulent fruit here compared to the Montevertine. It’s not that this wine is riper per se, it just tastes more voluptuous and soft. It finishes with elegant tannins and a long, polished mouthfeel.”
Can’t wait?
We have the 2016 large formats in stock now!
Montevertine Le Pergole Torte Toscana IGT, Tuscany 2016 1.5L ($419.95) $369 special, 1 magnum in stock now
Montevertine Le Pergole Torte Toscana IGT, Tuscany 2016 3L ($999.95) $799 special, 2 double-magnums available
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 in the USA today for the magnum!
Thank you from the team at Vinopolis!
Be well & drink well.