In This Newsletter:
Jump Start Offer:
You Snapped Up the 2014, So Don’t Miss the 2015!
Single-Vineyard Prephylloxera Sicilian Red from
Feudo Montoni
Featured New Arrival:
The Muga Has Landed!
New Week – New Arrivals
Trending
Champagne Highlight: Cedric Moussé
Champagne Bereche:
New Offers!
Frank Family’s Winston Hill Vineyard Cab
Jump Start Offer:
You Snapped Up the 2014, So Don’t Miss the 2015!
Single-Vineyard Prephylloxera Sicilian Red from
Feudo Montoni
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $56
Shop our Sicilian wines on our web store!
Featured New Arrival:
The Muga Has Landed!
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
The average price nationally is $16
Not to be confused with their entry-level bottling, the Flor de Muga is 100% Grenache from select parcels of 70 to 90 year old vines grown on clay, limestone and iron soils at high elevations in the Najerilla Valley. There’s an intoxicating freshness to the wine that hides a lengthy, complex finish. If this were red wine, one could expect to shell out $50 or more for such a pedigreed wine.
Bodegas Muga ‘Flor de Muja’ Rosado, Rioja DOCa 2018 750ML ($34.95) $24 special
Jeb Dunnuck 92 points “The top rosé is the 2018 Flor de Muga Rosado, which is 100% Garnacha from older vines that spent five months on lees. It’s a beautiful, elegant rosé that offers terrific notes of ripe strawberries, white flowers, white peach, and honeysuckle. It’s layered and medium-bodied, has a rounded, deep texture, and is seamless on the palate. This is pure class and up there with the crème de la crème in rosé. Count me impressed.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $31
This is always our best-selling Rioja and has a massive fan base at the shop
Bodegas Muga Reserva, Rioja DOCa 2015 750ML ($34.95) $23.50 special
Jeb Dunnuck 94 points “One of the flagship cuvées from this estate that’s produced in every vintage, the 2015 Reserva is a blend of 70% Tempranillo and the rest Garnacha, Mazuelo, and Graciano that spent 24 months in used French and American oak. Blackberries, currants, cigar wrapper, cedar box, and hints of vanilla all flow to a medium-bodied, concentrated, beautiful Rioja that has ripe tannins, beautiful balance, and a great finish. You couldn’t go wrong with a case of this.”
James Suckling 94 points “Complex nose with ripe black cherries, deeply integrated cedary oak, baking spices, dried flowers, leather, fresh tobacco and earthy notes. This is silky and mellow with long, laid-back tannins that deliver ripe dark plum flavors into a spicy and earthy finish. Drink or hold.”
Luis Gutierrez-Wine Advocate 92 points “…This was a very long harvest (similar to 2016). They started at the end of August with the Cava, and they finished at the end of October with very healthy grapes, good yields and very good quality. The wine shows very good ripeness but without any excess. It has incipient complexity, still young and undeveloped but with very good balance between power and elegance, with fine-grained tannins and integrated acidity. This has to be one of the best recent vintages of this popular bottling. There are around one million bottles of it.”
Wine Enthusiast 92 points “Earthy black fruit aromas are warm and ripe. Befitting a reserva from a hot year like 2015, this is big-bodied and flush, with flavors of toasty oak, chocolate and mixed berry fruits. Ripeness is not lost on a finish with mild heat. Drink through 2023.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $28
Two Picks Arriving Next Week from Bodegas Muga:
Emphasizing the power and tradition of La Rioja Alta, this is an impactful wine. The grapes are sourced from one of the coolest sub-regions, imparting elegance and grace to this fabulous red.
Bodegas Muga Torre Muga, Rioja DOCa 2016 750ML ($119.95) $99 pre-arrival special
James Suckling 98 points “The purity of fruit to this is very, very intriguing with blackberries, graphite, and charcoal. Full-bodied. It radiates intense fruit with perfectly polished tannins. Subtle asphalt and blue fruit. Very long and beautiful. Racy. Tempranillo with graciano and mazuelo. Needs two to four years of bottle age. Try after 2021.”
Luis Gutierrez-Wine Advocate 96 points “I tasted a super young 2016 Torre Muga that had only been in bottle for some four months. But even so, the year seems to be approachable and open. Even if the wine has concentration and power, it has great balance and freshness. And it’s drinkable now, even if it’s going to get polished with some more time in bottle, where it should have a long life. This was the most modern of the wines in the portfolio, but I think the modern and traditional styles have been converging over the years, and nowadays there is not a huge difference between them. And for its age, it feels quite round, and it doesn’t have edges or any harsh tannins; the oak is present but it’s neatly integrated in the wine. It has to be one of the finest vintages for Torre Muga. 36,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in early 2019.”
Wine Spectator 95 points “This bold red is assertive, yet holds power in reserve. A thick texture, supported by muscular tannins, supports ripe flavors of currant, fig, cocoa, loamy earth and tar. Concentrated, but remains harmonious. Impressive, in the modern style. Best from 2022 through 2036. 3,000 cases made, 400 cases imported.”
Bodegas Muga Seleccion Especial Reserva, Rioja DOCa 2015 750ML ($49.95) $36 pre-arrival special
Case-12 Bodegas Muga Seleccion Especial Reserva, Rioja DOCa 2015 750ML ($549.95) $399 pre-arrival special (that’s only $33.25/bottle and the lowest listed price in the USA today!)
James Suckling 96 points “The balance and purity to this wine is really impressive with blackberries, black truffles and dark fruit. Wet earth. Full body. Tight and compact. Structured, long and powerful. Superb length. Compressed and polished texture. Drink in 2022.”
Jeb Dunnuck 95 points “The 2015 Selección Especial checks in as 70% Tempranillo and the balance Garnacha, Mazuelo, and Graciano that’s an old vine and terroir selection. Aged 6 months in new oak followed by 24 months in 90% French oak and 10% American oak, it has a beautiful bouquet of blueberries, black raspberries, crushed violets, incense, and cedar. This gives way to a full-bodied, rich, powerful wine that has an incredible sense of elegance and finesse on the palate. It’s a brilliant Rioja that can be drunk today or cellared for 10-15 years or more.”
Luis Gutierrez-Wine Advocate 94 points “The very perfumed, expressive and floral 2015 Selección Especial is a lot fresher than the stereotype of the vintage I had before I tasted 2015 widely. It’s a year that has turned out fresher than what the weather during the growing season pointed at. It was a dry and warm year, but the wines have very good freshness, which in this case feels exceptional. My first surprise was how aromatic and open the wine is for such a young age, with aromas of lavender and other Mediterranean herbs jumping from the glass. I expected that from the 2016s, but I thought the 2015 was going to be more closed and reticent. The palate is medium to full-bodied with fine-grained tannins, balanced, fresh and very clean. This combines energy and elegance with classical Rioja character. 220,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in December 2017.”
The average price is $41
Love Rioja? We have over 20 wines from Rioja currently available.
Shop our entire selection, including famous names like López de Heredia, Marques Murrieta, Sierra Cantabria and more, on our web store!
New Week – New Arrivals
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $19.84
France
2008 is a glorious year in Champagne, and Pierre Gimonnet’s Special Club of that vintage garnered high praise when originally released. Re-released in magnum with extended sur lees aging, the wine is drop dead gorgeous.
Pierre Gimonnet et Fils Blanc de Blancs ‘Millesime de Collection Vieilles Vignes de Chardonnay’, Champagne 2008 1.5L ($349.95) Was $299, Now $269 special
William Kelley-Wine Advocate 95+ points “Released only in magnum, the 2008 Brut Millésime de Collection Vieilles Vignes is the same wine as Gimonnet’s Special Club, but it sees more than 10 years sur lattes before disgorgement. Unwinding in the glass with a deep and complex bouquet of pear, green apple, citrus zest, oyster shell, smoke and pastry cream, it’s full-bodied, chalky and incisive, with terrific depth at the core, promising reserve and a long, resonant finish.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Italy
Feudo Montoni ‘Vrucara’ Nero d’Avola Sicilia IGT, Sicily 2014 750ML ($59.95) $49 special, only 3 bottles remaining!
Monica Larner-Wine Advocate 96 points “Fabio Sireci farms one of the most beautiful vineyard spots in Italy that overlooks an infinite expanse of vines and shifting waves of grain over softly rolling hills in inland Sicily. On a cloudy day, you can watch the magnificent peek-a-boo of brilliant sunbeams shine over the landscape as if you were in front of a life-sized movie screen. Those beautiful images always come to mind when I drink this wine. Tasted from magnum, the 2014 Sicilia Nero d’Avola Vrucara is maturing beautifully and slowly. The wine is dark and ripe at its core, but it shows a delicate framing of cola, dried rosemary, scorched earth, smoke, wild mushroom and fragrant rose hip. The bouquet is fluid and ever moving—much like that Sicilian landscape I described above—offering new layers of aromas with every swirl of the glass. In the mouth, the wine is fresh and very alive.”
Decanter 95 points “Sourced from 80- to 100-year-old vines, this elegant, high altitude Nero d’Avola is one of the best in Italy. Sweet cherry, wild herb and liquorice aromas combine with exotic spice and cinnamon notes. Full of energy and vivacity. Feudo Montoni’s wines shine like stars. Biodynamic.”
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
The average price nationally is $53
Bruno Giacosa Falletto, Barolo DOCG 2011 750ML ($219.95) $159 special, only five bottles available!
James Suckling 97 points “The subtle and complex aromas are mesmerizing here in this famous Barolo with strawberries, red roses, citrus and fresh walnuts. It’s full-bodied yet reserved and beautiful with an incredible backbone of firm and composed tannins that form a gorgeous tannin line to the wine. It’s so silky textured with incredible depth of fruit and a long, long finish. Savory and structured at the same time. This needs five to six years to soften and come together. Better in 2020.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $211
Spain
Compania de Vinos Telmo Rodriguez ‘Molino Real’ Montain Blanco, Sierras de Malaga DO 2015 750ML ($21.95) $18 special
De Maison note “Molino Real’s dry wine is surprising and original, marked by the aromatic intensity of the muscat grape and an incredible mouthfeel, showing complexity and great balance between freshness and ripeness. Málaga is traditionally known for its sweet wines, but dry wines are also produced in the area under the Sierras de Málaga DO. Mountain Blanco is made from 100% moscatel de alejandría sourced from three steep sites grown in polyculture on slate slopes from 500m to 1000m elevation. It is a dry, refreshing table wine with remarkable minerality and ability to develop in bottle; in fact, it needs extensive bottle age before it is released. Grüner veltliner comparisons come to mind, with a similarly rich, yet acid-driven mouthfeel and a white flower, orange zest and white pepper flavor profile. Vintage – 2015 was a warm, early vintage in Málaga that produced incredible wines with great complexity and potential to develop in bottle. Harvest started on the 12th of August and concluded on September 27. Considered by locals to be one of the great vintages in recent memory.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Nanclares y Prieto ‘Dandelion’ Albarino, Rias Baixas 2019 750ML ($27.95) $21.90 special
Jose Pastor Selections note “From multiples plots in and around Cambados, with 30 to 60 years old vines, trained in the traditional Pergola style and planted mainly on granitic, sandy soils. Wild yeast fermented and raised in small tanks for around a year. Bottled without clarification or filtration. A delicious village wine and a very good value on Grower Albariño!”
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
The average price nationally is $23
Back in stock! Pago Casa Gran is not a household name in the United States, even amongst avid Spanish wine drinkers. But this has nothing to do with the quality or profundity of the wines. Instead, they remain firmly under-the-radar because they are so difficult to find. But this fact will undoubtedly change once more people have had the opportunity to taste them.
Hailing from Valencia, an up-and-coming yet still underappreciated region of Spain, Pago Casa Gran represents everything that we love about contemporary Spanish wine. In the vineyard, biodiversity and sustainability aren’t buzzwords, but mantras. In the cellar, only native yeasts are accepted, and both modern and ancient winemaking practices are embraced. The results are terroir driven wines with character. And with all four bottlings ringing in under $15, a price point that often telegraphs conventional farming and commercial winemaking, you’d be hard-pressed to find more heart for the money.
Pago Casa Gran ‘Casa Benasal’ Blanco, Valencia 2019 750ML ($19.95) $14 special
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Pago Casa Gran Malvasia 2019 750ML ($19.95) $14.40 special
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Pago Casa Gran ‘Falcata’, Valencia 2019 750ML ($19.95) $14.40 special
Winery note “Young wine, complex, broad, and gentle. Syrah, Monastrell and Garnacha Tintorera.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Germany
Peter Lauer ‘Barrel X’ Saar Riesling, Mosel 2019 750ML ($24.95) $19.90 special
Mosel Fine Wines 89 points “The 2019er Riesling Feinherb Barrel X comes half from Estate vineyards and half from purchased fruit, and was fermented down to off-dry levels of residual sugar (20 g/l). This bright-colored wine offers a stunning nose of white peach, apple, floral elements, and fine spices. The wine proves remarkably intense on the otherwise superbly lively and engaging palate, and leaves a terrific, mouthwatering feel in the light and elegant finish. The aftertaste is all about presence packed into lemony zest. This is easily the best Barrel X we have ever tasted. What a success! 2021-2029”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $22
You gotta feel it…
Seehof ‘Elektrisch’ Riesling Kabinett, Germany 2019 750ML ($19.95) $16 special
Importer note “This gorgeous Rheinhessen sipper is finally back! “Elektrisch” translates to, yup you guessed it, electric – and that’s how we like our Kabinetts. Which is to say, lighter, more delicate, less sweet and more acid-driven than a lot of the Kabinetts on the market, which are really little more than de-classified Spätlese. The 2019 is, as one might gather from the vintage of which Keller has written, “…one of the best vintages of the last 20 years,” AWESOME. It is electric with vivid and mouth watering granny smith apple and citrus and a live-wire of minerality and acidity nearly pulsating through it. For those of you who like the numbers: the mere 36 grams of residual sugar is easily countered and lifted by 7.4 grams of acidity. This is not only a true Kabinett, it is an “electric Kabinett.””
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
Austria
Malat Gruner Veltliner, Kremstal 2018 750ML ($21.95) $19 special
Falstaff Magazine 90 points “[Translated & edited for clarity] Light yellow-green with silver reflections. Notes of delicate candied orange zest, hints of tobacco underlain with yellow tropical fruit and some pineapple. An inviting bouquet. Juicy, elegant texture, with notes of white apple. Freshly structured in an easy drinking style. This makes you want a second glass.”
James Suckling 90 points “Quite spicy and stony aromas with notes of grassy limes. The palate has a juicy and fleshy feel with limes and green papaya to close. Drink now. Screw cap.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Jump Start Offer:
You Snapped Up the 2014, So Don’t Miss the 2015!
Single-Vineyard Prephylloxera Sicilian Red from
Feudo Montoni
Featured New Arrival:
The Muga Has Landed!
New Week – New Arrivals
Trending
Champagne Highlight: Cedric Moussé
Champagne Bereche:
New Offers!
Frank Family’s Winston Hill Vineyard Cab
Jump Start Offer:
You Snapped Up the 2014, So Don’t Miss the 2015!
Single-Vineyard Prephylloxera Sicilian Red from
Feudo Montoni
“I have always been awestruck by the purity and true-to-type aromas and flavors that owner Fabio Sireci is able to tease out of Nero d’Avola. Just as importantly, his two single vineyard Nero d’Avolas, Lagnusa and Vrucara, also showcase the characteristics of specific Sicilian terroirs. The two are absolute benchmarks of traditionally made Nero d’Avola wines.” –Ian D’Agata, Vinous Media
Arriving Mid-November:
Feudo Montoni ‘Vrucara’ Nero d’Avola Sicilia IGT, Sicily 2015 750ML ($5.95) $49 pre-arrival special
Monica Larner-Wine Advocate 94 points “Tasted from magnum, the 2015 Sicilia Nero d’Avola Vrucara is a dark and penetrating wine with a chiseled and pungent side that delivers dried cherry and blackberry preserves. There is a point of ripeness, maybe even jammy cherry with lots of inky dark fruit. I knocked off a point or two compared to the previous edition because I am less a fan of that ripeness. You get cherry liqueur or cherry syrup sweetness on the close. However, this remains one of the benchmark bottles for Sicily’s banner grape Nero d’Avola.”
Ian D’Agata-Vinous 93+ points “Good full ruby-red. Aromas and flavors of red/dark berries, plum, smoke, coriander and herbs. Juicy, taut and precise, with musky notes that extend onto the long, very smooth back end.”
Arriving Mid-November:
Feudo Montoni ‘Vrucara’ Nero d’Avola Sicilia IGT, Sicily 2015 750ML ($5.95) $49 pre-arrival special
Monica Larner-Wine Advocate 94 points “Tasted from magnum, the 2015 Sicilia Nero d’Avola Vrucara is a dark and penetrating wine with a chiseled and pungent side that delivers dried cherry and blackberry preserves. There is a point of ripeness, maybe even jammy cherry with lots of inky dark fruit. I knocked off a point or two compared to the previous edition because I am less a fan of that ripeness. You get cherry liqueur or cherry syrup sweetness on the close. However, this remains one of the benchmark bottles for Sicily’s banner grape Nero d’Avola.”
Ian D’Agata-Vinous 93+ points “Good full ruby-red. Aromas and flavors of red/dark berries, plum, smoke, coriander and herbs. Juicy, taut and precise, with musky notes that extend onto the long, very smooth back end.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $56
Shop our Sicilian wines on our web store!
Featured New Arrival:
The Muga Has Landed!
Muga is considered one of the finest old producers of Rioja, combining a traditionalist approach with modern cellar techniques. Up and down the line, their wines offer tremendous value—these are wines that will age into dynamic, complex beauties, but are delicious today.
Newly Arrived from Bodegas Muga:
Muga makes one of our favorite Rioja rosés—a crisp, pale, dry version that seems to capture the spiciness of Tempranillo with the brightness of the best rosés on the market.
Bodegas Muga Rosado, Rioja DOCa 2019 750ML ($19.95) $14.50 special
James Suckling 90 points “Pleasant watermelon, pink-guava and peach character with some citrus. It’s medium-bodied with good fruit and a fresh finish. Macabeo, grenache and tempranillo. Drink now.”
Newly Arrived from Bodegas Muga:
Muga makes one of our favorite Rioja rosés—a crisp, pale, dry version that seems to capture the spiciness of Tempranillo with the brightness of the best rosés on the market.
Bodegas Muga Rosado, Rioja DOCa 2019 750ML ($19.95) $14.50 special
James Suckling 90 points “Pleasant watermelon, pink-guava and peach character with some citrus. It’s medium-bodied with good fruit and a fresh finish. Macabeo, grenache and tempranillo. Drink now.”
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
The average price nationally is $16
Not to be confused with their entry-level bottling, the Flor de Muga is 100% Grenache from select parcels of 70 to 90 year old vines grown on clay, limestone and iron soils at high elevations in the Najerilla Valley. There’s an intoxicating freshness to the wine that hides a lengthy, complex finish. If this were red wine, one could expect to shell out $50 or more for such a pedigreed wine.
Bodegas Muga ‘Flor de Muja’ Rosado, Rioja DOCa 2018 750ML ($34.95) $24 special
Jeb Dunnuck 92 points “The top rosé is the 2018 Flor de Muga Rosado, which is 100% Garnacha from older vines that spent five months on lees. It’s a beautiful, elegant rosé that offers terrific notes of ripe strawberries, white flowers, white peach, and honeysuckle. It’s layered and medium-bodied, has a rounded, deep texture, and is seamless on the palate. This is pure class and up there with the crème de la crème in rosé. Count me impressed.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $31
This is always our best-selling Rioja and has a massive fan base at the shop
Bodegas Muga Reserva, Rioja DOCa 2015 750ML ($34.95) $23.50 special
Jeb Dunnuck 94 points “One of the flagship cuvées from this estate that’s produced in every vintage, the 2015 Reserva is a blend of 70% Tempranillo and the rest Garnacha, Mazuelo, and Graciano that spent 24 months in used French and American oak. Blackberries, currants, cigar wrapper, cedar box, and hints of vanilla all flow to a medium-bodied, concentrated, beautiful Rioja that has ripe tannins, beautiful balance, and a great finish. You couldn’t go wrong with a case of this.”
James Suckling 94 points “Complex nose with ripe black cherries, deeply integrated cedary oak, baking spices, dried flowers, leather, fresh tobacco and earthy notes. This is silky and mellow with long, laid-back tannins that deliver ripe dark plum flavors into a spicy and earthy finish. Drink or hold.”
Luis Gutierrez-Wine Advocate 92 points “…This was a very long harvest (similar to 2016). They started at the end of August with the Cava, and they finished at the end of October with very healthy grapes, good yields and very good quality. The wine shows very good ripeness but without any excess. It has incipient complexity, still young and undeveloped but with very good balance between power and elegance, with fine-grained tannins and integrated acidity. This has to be one of the best recent vintages of this popular bottling. There are around one million bottles of it.”
Wine Enthusiast 92 points “Earthy black fruit aromas are warm and ripe. Befitting a reserva from a hot year like 2015, this is big-bodied and flush, with flavors of toasty oak, chocolate and mixed berry fruits. Ripeness is not lost on a finish with mild heat. Drink through 2023.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $28
Two Picks Arriving Next Week from Bodegas Muga:
Emphasizing the power and tradition of La Rioja Alta, this is an impactful wine. The grapes are sourced from one of the coolest sub-regions, imparting elegance and grace to this fabulous red.
Bodegas Muga Torre Muga, Rioja DOCa 2016 750ML ($119.95) $99 pre-arrival special
James Suckling 98 points “The purity of fruit to this is very, very intriguing with blackberries, graphite, and charcoal. Full-bodied. It radiates intense fruit with perfectly polished tannins. Subtle asphalt and blue fruit. Very long and beautiful. Racy. Tempranillo with graciano and mazuelo. Needs two to four years of bottle age. Try after 2021.”
Luis Gutierrez-Wine Advocate 96 points “I tasted a super young 2016 Torre Muga that had only been in bottle for some four months. But even so, the year seems to be approachable and open. Even if the wine has concentration and power, it has great balance and freshness. And it’s drinkable now, even if it’s going to get polished with some more time in bottle, where it should have a long life. This was the most modern of the wines in the portfolio, but I think the modern and traditional styles have been converging over the years, and nowadays there is not a huge difference between them. And for its age, it feels quite round, and it doesn’t have edges or any harsh tannins; the oak is present but it’s neatly integrated in the wine. It has to be one of the finest vintages for Torre Muga. 36,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in early 2019.”
Wine Spectator 95 points “This bold red is assertive, yet holds power in reserve. A thick texture, supported by muscular tannins, supports ripe flavors of currant, fig, cocoa, loamy earth and tar. Concentrated, but remains harmonious. Impressive, in the modern style. Best from 2022 through 2036. 3,000 cases made, 400 cases imported.”
Bodegas Muga Seleccion Especial Reserva, Rioja DOCa 2015 750ML ($49.95) $36 pre-arrival special
Case-12 Bodegas Muga Seleccion Especial Reserva, Rioja DOCa 2015 750ML ($549.95) $399 pre-arrival special (that’s only $33.25/bottle and the lowest listed price in the USA today!)
James Suckling 96 points “The balance and purity to this wine is really impressive with blackberries, black truffles and dark fruit. Wet earth. Full body. Tight and compact. Structured, long and powerful. Superb length. Compressed and polished texture. Drink in 2022.”
Jeb Dunnuck 95 points “The 2015 Selección Especial checks in as 70% Tempranillo and the balance Garnacha, Mazuelo, and Graciano that’s an old vine and terroir selection. Aged 6 months in new oak followed by 24 months in 90% French oak and 10% American oak, it has a beautiful bouquet of blueberries, black raspberries, crushed violets, incense, and cedar. This gives way to a full-bodied, rich, powerful wine that has an incredible sense of elegance and finesse on the palate. It’s a brilliant Rioja that can be drunk today or cellared for 10-15 years or more.”
Luis Gutierrez-Wine Advocate 94 points “The very perfumed, expressive and floral 2015 Selección Especial is a lot fresher than the stereotype of the vintage I had before I tasted 2015 widely. It’s a year that has turned out fresher than what the weather during the growing season pointed at. It was a dry and warm year, but the wines have very good freshness, which in this case feels exceptional. My first surprise was how aromatic and open the wine is for such a young age, with aromas of lavender and other Mediterranean herbs jumping from the glass. I expected that from the 2016s, but I thought the 2015 was going to be more closed and reticent. The palate is medium to full-bodied with fine-grained tannins, balanced, fresh and very clean. This combines energy and elegance with classical Rioja character. 220,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in December 2017.”
The average price is $41
Love Rioja? We have over 20 wines from Rioja currently available.
Shop our entire selection, including famous names like López de Heredia, Marques Murrieta, Sierra Cantabria and more, on our web store!
New Week – New Arrivals
Oregon
Staff pick!
St. Innocent Freedom Hill Vineyard Pinot Blanc, Willamette Valley 2016 750ML ($21.95) $16 special
Wine Enthusiast 92 points “Editors’ Choice. This delicious, sexy wine impresses with its leesy, textural mouthfeel, its mountain spring freshness, it’s crisp lemon and grapefruit flavors, and its underlying minerality. One-quarter was fermented in neutral French oak, the rest in stainless steel. A dash of minty wintergreen trails the finish.”
Staff pick!
St. Innocent Freedom Hill Vineyard Pinot Blanc, Willamette Valley 2016 750ML ($21.95) $16 special
Wine Enthusiast 92 points “Editors’ Choice. This delicious, sexy wine impresses with its leesy, textural mouthfeel, its mountain spring freshness, it’s crisp lemon and grapefruit flavors, and its underlying minerality. One-quarter was fermented in neutral French oak, the rest in stainless steel. A dash of minty wintergreen trails the finish.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $19.84
France
2008 is a glorious year in Champagne, and Pierre Gimonnet’s Special Club of that vintage garnered high praise when originally released. Re-released in magnum with extended sur lees aging, the wine is drop dead gorgeous.
Pierre Gimonnet et Fils Blanc de Blancs ‘Millesime de Collection Vieilles Vignes de Chardonnay’, Champagne 2008 1.5L ($349.95) Was $299, Now $269 special
William Kelley-Wine Advocate 95+ points “Released only in magnum, the 2008 Brut Millésime de Collection Vieilles Vignes is the same wine as Gimonnet’s Special Club, but it sees more than 10 years sur lattes before disgorgement. Unwinding in the glass with a deep and complex bouquet of pear, green apple, citrus zest, oyster shell, smoke and pastry cream, it’s full-bodied, chalky and incisive, with terrific depth at the core, promising reserve and a long, resonant finish.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Italy
Feudo Montoni ‘Vrucara’ Nero d’Avola Sicilia IGT, Sicily 2014 750ML ($59.95) $49 special, only 3 bottles remaining!
Monica Larner-Wine Advocate 96 points “Fabio Sireci farms one of the most beautiful vineyard spots in Italy that overlooks an infinite expanse of vines and shifting waves of grain over softly rolling hills in inland Sicily. On a cloudy day, you can watch the magnificent peek-a-boo of brilliant sunbeams shine over the landscape as if you were in front of a life-sized movie screen. Those beautiful images always come to mind when I drink this wine. Tasted from magnum, the 2014 Sicilia Nero d’Avola Vrucara is maturing beautifully and slowly. The wine is dark and ripe at its core, but it shows a delicate framing of cola, dried rosemary, scorched earth, smoke, wild mushroom and fragrant rose hip. The bouquet is fluid and ever moving—much like that Sicilian landscape I described above—offering new layers of aromas with every swirl of the glass. In the mouth, the wine is fresh and very alive.”
Decanter 95 points “Sourced from 80- to 100-year-old vines, this elegant, high altitude Nero d’Avola is one of the best in Italy. Sweet cherry, wild herb and liquorice aromas combine with exotic spice and cinnamon notes. Full of energy and vivacity. Feudo Montoni’s wines shine like stars. Biodynamic.”
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
The average price nationally is $53
Bruno Giacosa Falletto, Barolo DOCG 2011 750ML ($219.95) $159 special, only five bottles available!
James Suckling 97 points “The subtle and complex aromas are mesmerizing here in this famous Barolo with strawberries, red roses, citrus and fresh walnuts. It’s full-bodied yet reserved and beautiful with an incredible backbone of firm and composed tannins that form a gorgeous tannin line to the wine. It’s so silky textured with incredible depth of fruit and a long, long finish. Savory and structured at the same time. This needs five to six years to soften and come together. Better in 2020.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $211
Spain
Compania de Vinos Telmo Rodriguez ‘Molino Real’ Montain Blanco, Sierras de Malaga DO 2015 750ML ($21.95) $18 special
De Maison note “Molino Real’s dry wine is surprising and original, marked by the aromatic intensity of the muscat grape and an incredible mouthfeel, showing complexity and great balance between freshness and ripeness. Málaga is traditionally known for its sweet wines, but dry wines are also produced in the area under the Sierras de Málaga DO. Mountain Blanco is made from 100% moscatel de alejandría sourced from three steep sites grown in polyculture on slate slopes from 500m to 1000m elevation. It is a dry, refreshing table wine with remarkable minerality and ability to develop in bottle; in fact, it needs extensive bottle age before it is released. Grüner veltliner comparisons come to mind, with a similarly rich, yet acid-driven mouthfeel and a white flower, orange zest and white pepper flavor profile. Vintage – 2015 was a warm, early vintage in Málaga that produced incredible wines with great complexity and potential to develop in bottle. Harvest started on the 12th of August and concluded on September 27. Considered by locals to be one of the great vintages in recent memory.”
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Nanclares y Prieto ‘Dandelion’ Albarino, Rias Baixas 2019 750ML ($27.95) $21.90 special
Jose Pastor Selections note “From multiples plots in and around Cambados, with 30 to 60 years old vines, trained in the traditional Pergola style and planted mainly on granitic, sandy soils. Wild yeast fermented and raised in small tanks for around a year. Bottled without clarification or filtration. A delicious village wine and a very good value on Grower Albariño!”
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
The average price nationally is $23
Back in stock! Pago Casa Gran is not a household name in the United States, even amongst avid Spanish wine drinkers. But this has nothing to do with the quality or profundity of the wines. Instead, they remain firmly under-the-radar because they are so difficult to find. But this fact will undoubtedly change once more people have had the opportunity to taste them.
Hailing from Valencia, an up-and-coming yet still underappreciated region of Spain, Pago Casa Gran represents everything that we love about contemporary Spanish wine. In the vineyard, biodiversity and sustainability aren’t buzzwords, but mantras. In the cellar, only native yeasts are accepted, and both modern and ancient winemaking practices are embraced. The results are terroir driven wines with character. And with all four bottlings ringing in under $15, a price point that often telegraphs conventional farming and commercial winemaking, you’d be hard-pressed to find more heart for the money.
Pago Casa Gran ‘Casa Benasal’ Blanco, Valencia 2019 750ML ($19.95) $14 special
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Pago Casa Gran Malvasia 2019 750ML ($19.95) $14.40 special
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Pago Casa Gran ‘Falcata’, Valencia 2019 750ML ($19.95) $14.40 special
Winery note “Young wine, complex, broad, and gentle. Syrah, Monastrell and Garnacha Tintorera.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Germany
Peter Lauer ‘Barrel X’ Saar Riesling, Mosel 2019 750ML ($24.95) $19.90 special
Mosel Fine Wines 89 points “The 2019er Riesling Feinherb Barrel X comes half from Estate vineyards and half from purchased fruit, and was fermented down to off-dry levels of residual sugar (20 g/l). This bright-colored wine offers a stunning nose of white peach, apple, floral elements, and fine spices. The wine proves remarkably intense on the otherwise superbly lively and engaging palate, and leaves a terrific, mouthwatering feel in the light and elegant finish. The aftertaste is all about presence packed into lemony zest. This is easily the best Barrel X we have ever tasted. What a success! 2021-2029”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $22
You gotta feel it…
Seehof ‘Elektrisch’ Riesling Kabinett, Germany 2019 750ML ($19.95) $16 special
Importer note “This gorgeous Rheinhessen sipper is finally back! “Elektrisch” translates to, yup you guessed it, electric – and that’s how we like our Kabinetts. Which is to say, lighter, more delicate, less sweet and more acid-driven than a lot of the Kabinetts on the market, which are really little more than de-classified Spätlese. The 2019 is, as one might gather from the vintage of which Keller has written, “…one of the best vintages of the last 20 years,” AWESOME. It is electric with vivid and mouth watering granny smith apple and citrus and a live-wire of minerality and acidity nearly pulsating through it. For those of you who like the numbers: the mere 36 grams of residual sugar is easily countered and lifted by 7.4 grams of acidity. This is not only a true Kabinett, it is an “electric Kabinett.””
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Austria
Malat Gruner Veltliner, Kremstal 2018 750ML ($21.95) $19 special
Falstaff Magazine 90 points “[Translated & edited for clarity] Light yellow-green with silver reflections. Notes of delicate candied orange zest, hints of tobacco underlain with yellow tropical fruit and some pineapple. An inviting bouquet. Juicy, elegant texture, with notes of white apple. Freshly structured in an easy drinking style. This makes you want a second glass.”
James Suckling 90 points “Quite spicy and stony aromas with notes of grassy limes. The palate has a juicy and fleshy feel with limes and green papaya to close. Drink now. Screw cap.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Trending
Goodfellow Family Cellars Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2017 750ML ($21.95) $18 special, 36+ bottles in stock now
Case-6 Goodfellow Family Cellars Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2017 750ML ($129.95) $99 special, (that’s only $16.50/bottle!)
Case-12 Goodfellow Family Cellars Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2017 750ML ($219.95) $189 special, (that’s only $15.75/bottle!)
VinopolNote: A follow up vintage of Marcus Goodfellow’s secret ‘restaurant-only’ Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. With restaurants only offering takeout for the foreseeable future, Marcus is letting us share his by-the-glass Pinot with you. It’s an insane value!
Case-6 Goodfellow Family Cellars Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2017 750ML ($129.95) $99 special, (that’s only $16.50/bottle!)
Case-12 Goodfellow Family Cellars Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2017 750ML ($219.95) $189 special, (that’s only $15.75/bottle!)
VinopolNote: A follow up vintage of Marcus Goodfellow’s secret ‘restaurant-only’ Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. With restaurants only offering takeout for the foreseeable future, Marcus is letting us share his by-the-glass Pinot with you. It’s an insane value!
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Saint Cosme is one of the notable estates of the Southern Rhone. Louis Barroul is a talented winemaker and is the 14th generation of his family to make wines in the domaine that was founded in the 1500’s. The wines he makes are rich and powerful, with undeniable terroir signatures. The 2018’s are some of the best wines they’ve yet made.
Chateau de Saint Cosme Gigondas, Rhone 2018 750ML (44.95) $38 special, 36+ bottles in stock now
Case-6 Chateau de Saint Cosme Gigondas, Rhone 2018 750ML ($269.95) $219 special (that’s only $36.50/bottle!)
Chateau de Saint Cosme Gigondas, Rhone 2018 1.5L ($99.95) $79 special, 12+ magnums in stock now
Jeb Dunnuck 93 points “Moving to the wines from bottle, the base Gigondas from this estate is a perennial winner and readers can safely buy bottles of this in just about every vintage. Giving up a Provençal bouquet of red and black currants, peppery herbs, leather, and loamy soil, the 2018 is medium to full-bodied, has a forward, sexy style, no hard edges, and a great finish. It’s terrific today yet still has enough tannins to evolve for 10-15 years if you’re so inclined.”
Wine Advocate 92-94 points “Blended on the spot from several different barrels, the 2018 Gigondas looks very promising. Asphalt, black cherries and tapenade feature on the nose, while the palate is almost painfully intense, with ample weight, great richness and a long, velvety finish.-JC”
These are the low, low, lowest listed prices in the USA today!
The average price is $52
Brovia ‘Brea Vigna Ca’ Mia’, Barolo DOCG 2015 750ML ($99.95) $88 special, 17 bottles in stock now
Brovia ‘Brea Vigna Ca’ Mia’, Barolo DOCG 2015 1.5L ($249.95) $199 special, 6 magnums in stock now
Antonio Galloni 94+ points “The 2015 Barolo Brea Vigna Ca’ Mia captures all the best the vintage has to offer. Black cherry, plum, espresso, sage, menthol, licorice and leather are all kicked up a few notches in a decidedly dark, strapping Barolo that screams with Serralunga character. Exotic, dark and totally alluring, the 2015 has a very bright future, but readers should be prepared to be patient, as the tannins clearly need time to soften.”
Monica Larner – Wine Advocate 93 points “The Brovia 2015 Barolo Brea Vigna Ca’ Mia offers good balance and an authentic representation of the vintage. You can sense some of the heat of the growing season here, thanks to the wine’s open and accessible persona; it enters the palate with softness and elegance. This was the first of the single-vineyard wines from Brovia released this year that I tasted in a flight meant to increase in intensity.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $102 for the 750ml
Final six bottles available!
G.D. Vajra Ravera, Barolo DOCG 2016 750ML ($99.95) $79 special
Wine Spectator 97 points “Alluring aromas of cherry, rose and graphite settle into a core of cherry and strawberry fruit, with nuances of iron, tobacco and tar. Sleek, yet intense and complex, unfolding effortlessly through the long finish. Best from 2023 through 2047.”
Antonio Galloni 96 points “The 2016 Barolo Ravera is tough as nails today, but it has striking inner sweetness and remarkable persistence. Even so, readers will have to exercise a great deal of patience, as the 2016 is not likely to offer much in the way of pleasure for a number of years. Bright red cherry, mint, white pepper, blood orange and dried flowers give the 2016 brilliant top notes to match its finely sculpted feel. Veins of acidy and tannin add razor-sharp precision throughout. I can’t wait to taste this in another few years’ time.”
Kerin O’Keefe-Wine Enthusiast 96 points “Focused and vibrant, this chiseled red has enticing scents of small red berry, rose, menthol and culinary spice. On the taut, youthfully austere palate, a backbone of firm, fine-grained tannins supports juicy red cherry, strawberry and licorice while fresh acidity keeps it balanced. Give it time to unwind and come together. Drink 2026–2041.”
Monica Larner-Wine Advocate 95 points “The 2016 Barolo Ravera is the most angular, powerful and vertical of the various Baroli presented by G.D. Vajra. The optimal growing conditions of this classic vintage contribute to the wine’s vertical lift and pronounced depth. The Ravera cru (that spans the comuni of Novello and Barolo) is characterized by Toronian-era marl with clay and sandstone at 320 to 340 meters above sea level. That’s the ideal spot for wines that show both power and elegance. The tannins are sweeter on this wine, but the fiber is tight and firm. Red and purple fruits with licorice, tar and white truffle are folded neatly within. Some 6,000 bottles are hitting the market now.”
Champagne Highlight: Cedric Moussé
Cedric Moussé is a young, up and coming producer in the Marne, who has a maniacal drive for quality. He works primarily with Pinot Meunier, a grape that is gaining high praise and respect in the hands of smart, thoughtful growers such as found here. The wines are absolutely stunning—threading the needle between Meunier as earthy, bass-noted Champagne and the fruity, less ‘serious’ style with admirable grace. Didier Gimmonet described him as one of the up and coming producers to watch.
Arriving Friday, October 23rd:
Mousse Fils L’Or d’Eugene Perpetuelle Blanc de Noirs Brut, Champagne NV 750ML ($59.95) $49 pre-arrival special
William Kelley-Wine Advocate 94 points “A blend of 80% Pinot Meunier and 20% Pinot Noir drawn from a solera established in 2003, the latest rendition of Moussé’s NV Brut Blanc de Noirs L’Or d’Eugène was disgorged in June 2019 with four grams per liter dosage. Wafting from the glass with a deep and complex bouquet of golden orchard fruit, honeycomb, mirabelle plum, candied peel and fresh pastry, it’s medium to full-bodied, satiny and layered, with a rich and sapid core of fruit, lively acids and a delicate pinpoint mousse.”
Mousse Fils Terre d’Illite Blanc de Noirs Brut, Champagne 2014 750ML ($79.95) $66 pre-arrival special
William Kelley-Wine Advocate 93 points “Disgorged in July 2019 with just two grams per liter dosage, the just-released 2014 Extra-Brut Blanc de Noirs Terre d’Illite is showing beautifully, mingling aromas of yellow orchard fruit and clear honey with hints of beeswax, cherries and mirabelle plums. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and enveloping, it’s textural and elegantly muscular, built around ripe but racy acids and complemented by a pinpoint mousse.” [Disgorgement date may vary]
Arriving Friday, October 23rd:
Mousse Fils L’Or d’Eugene Perpetuelle Blanc de Noirs Brut, Champagne NV 750ML ($59.95) $49 pre-arrival special
William Kelley-Wine Advocate 94 points “A blend of 80% Pinot Meunier and 20% Pinot Noir drawn from a solera established in 2003, the latest rendition of Moussé’s NV Brut Blanc de Noirs L’Or d’Eugène was disgorged in June 2019 with four grams per liter dosage. Wafting from the glass with a deep and complex bouquet of golden orchard fruit, honeycomb, mirabelle plum, candied peel and fresh pastry, it’s medium to full-bodied, satiny and layered, with a rich and sapid core of fruit, lively acids and a delicate pinpoint mousse.”
Mousse Fils Terre d’Illite Blanc de Noirs Brut, Champagne 2014 750ML ($79.95) $66 pre-arrival special
William Kelley-Wine Advocate 93 points “Disgorged in July 2019 with just two grams per liter dosage, the just-released 2014 Extra-Brut Blanc de Noirs Terre d’Illite is showing beautifully, mingling aromas of yellow orchard fruit and clear honey with hints of beeswax, cherries and mirabelle plums. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and enveloping, it’s textural and elegantly muscular, built around ripe but racy acids and complemented by a pinpoint mousse.” [Disgorgement date may vary]
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $73
Champagne Bereche:
New Offers Arriving in December
Poll the staff at Vinopolis, and everyone will mention Bereche as a top three favorite Champagne producer (we can’t agree on the rest!) As a direct import into Oregon, we’re able to offer some of the sharpest pricing, broadest selection, and deepest inventory of these remarkable Champagne releases from Raphaël and Vincent Bérêche. But we never take these wines for granted, and nor should you. The Brut Reserve is always the first Champagne we sell out of, so secure your stock tonight with a case or two.
“I’ve been following the wines of brothers Vincent and Raphaël Bérêche since my student days, and it’s been thrilling to watch them go from strength to strength. Their recent releases are some of their best to date: whether it’s their ever-more precise and concentrated lieu-dit bottlings, their exquisitely ethereal Campania Remensis Rosé, or the fresher, tightly wound Reflet d’Antan. In short, everything here comes warmly recommended. As readers will know, the Bérêche brothers cultivate their soils and don’t use herbicides or pesticides. Most of the vins clairs are vinified in barrel, and tirage is under cork rather than crown cap.” –William Kelley, Wine Advocate
“Few growers can match Raphaël Bérêche’s enthusiasm. That energy comes through in wines that faithfully capture the purest essence of vintage, variety and site… As good as the higher end wines are in this range, I often find myself reaching for the NV Brut Réserve, which is reliably one of the very finest Champagnes in its peer group.” –Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media
In Stock Now from Bereche et Fils:
Bereche et Fils Mailly-Champagne Grand Cru, Champagne 2014 750ML ($199.95) $189 special, 2 bottles in stock now
William Kelley-Wine Advocate 95 points “Due for release this year, the 2014 Grand Cru Mailly-Champagne is also showing very well indeed, revealing a more exuberantly fruit-driven bouquet than its 2013 sibling, featuring aromas of citrus oil, green pear, fresh pastry, beeswax and smoke. Medium to full-bodied, chalky and incisive, it’s long and concentrated, with a resonant, saline finish.”
Bereche et Fils Brut Reserve, Champagne (2016) NV 1.5L ($179.95) $149 special, 3 magnums in stock now
Disgorged 10/2019. 2016-base.
Antonio Galloni 93 points “The NV Brut Réserve (2016 base, disgorged December 2018) is especially finessed on this release, with a bit more floral lift from the Chardonnay than is often the case, and also slightly higher dosage, all of which works very well. Lemon confit, white flowers and mint add to the wine’s decidedly bright profile. This is a fabulous edition of the Brut Réserve. Dosage is 7 grams per liter. Disgorged: December, 2018.” [Disgorgement dates vary]
Bereche et Fils Reflet d’Antan Brut, Champagne (2014) NV 1.5L ($299.95) $279 special, 2 magnums in stock now
Importer Note “Arguably the most original of all in this lineup of singular Champagnes is the Reflet d’Antan, one-third each of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay, drawn from a perpetual reserve of 600-liter barrels begun by Jean-Pierre in 1985. Every year two-thirds of the wine in each barrel is drawn off and replaced with that from the latest vintage. After 4 years on the lees, the result is a rivetingly complex Champagne that seamlessly marries richness, texture and depth and with startling freshness and lift. Each parcel of vines is vinified and aged separately in barrel with its ambient yeasts. Raphaël and Vincent make certain that the wines do not go through malolactic to balance their richness and depth with bright acidity. And aging en tirage is under cork for the enhanced development of character and aromatic complexity that this brings to the wines. Finally, each bottle is disgorged by hand and minimally dosed to preserve the purity of its expression.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Arriving in November
Bereche et Fils Brut Reserve, Champagne NV 750ML ($59.95) $45 pre-arrival special
Case-6 Bereche et Fils Brut Reserve, Champagne NV 750ML ($349.95) $256 pre-arrival special (that’s only $42.67/bottle and the lowest listed price in the USA today!)
Case-12 Bereche et Fils Brut Reserve, Champagne NV 750ML ($679.95) $489 pre-arrival special (that’s only $40.75/bottle and the lowest listed price in the USA today!)
William Kelley-Wine Advocate 92 points “The latest release of the NV Brut Réserve was disgorged in October 2019 with seven grams per liter dosage, and it’s based on the 2017 vintage. Exhibiting a glass bouquet of citrus oil, oyster shell, fresh peach and toasted nuts, it’s medium to full-bodied, racy and tensile, with lovely depth and concentration, fine energy and a long, penetrating finish.”
Peter Liem note “The range begins with the Brut Réserve, a non-vintage brut that usually contains about 25 percent chardonnay, 25 percent meunier and 20 percent pinot noir from the base vintage, along with 30 percent of reserve wines, also from the three varieties.”
“I often find myself reaching for the NV Brut Réserve, which is reliably one of the very finest Champagnes in its peer group” –Antonio Galloni, writing on the previous disgorgement
Base vintage subject to change by the importer without notice.
The average price is $59
Bereche et Fils Campania Remensis Extra Brut Rose, Champagne (2016) NV 750ML ($99.95) $75 pre-arrival special
VinopolNote: A very bright, crisp, and pale rose. Red-berry, spice & citrus notes. Classically Bereche with a rosé twist.
No reviews for the current release. Most recent review provided for reference.
William Kelley-Wine Advocate 94 points “Disgorged in May 2019 with 4.5 grams per liter dosage, the 2015 Brut Rosé Campania Remensis is showing brilliantly. From a south-facing site characterized by sandy soils over limestone bedrock, it wafts from the glass with a beautiful bouquet of pear, red apple, fresh mint and pastry cream. On the palate, it’s medium to full-bodied, pillowy and charming, with a crisp core of fruit, a delicate mousse and fine-boned structure. This is one of the finest rosé wines I’ve tasted from Bérêche.”
Peter Liem note “This comes entirely from the village of Ormes, blended from all three varieties and aged under cork.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $94
Bereche et Fils Reflet d’Antan Brut, Champagne (2015) NV 1.5L ($399.95) $319 pre-arrival special, only 1 magnum available
No reviews for the current release. Most recent review provided for reference.
Antonio Galloni 95 points “The NV Reflet d’Antan is weightless, airy and gracious. Graphite, crushed rocks, petrol, smoke and licorice infuse this super-refined, polished Champagne. Intensely mineral, chalky and savory, Reflet d’Antan is a model of total precision. The current release is based on the 2013 vintage, with 30% perpetual reserve wines. Reflet d’Antan is 35% Pinot Noir, 35% Meunier and 30% Chardonnay. I tasted two bottles of the same wine; the first aged on crown seal and the second (the commercial release) aged on cork. The version aged on cork was noticeably more complex, and that is for a wine that had just been disgorged about a month before this tasting. Disgorged February 2018. Dosage is 6 grams per liter.”
Peter Liem note “Perhaps the most unusual wine in the cellar is the Reflet d’Antan, composed of equal parts of all three varieties and made by a perpetual blending system. Started in 1985, this is stored in 600-liter demi-muids, with two-thirds of the wine removed each year and replaced with wine from the new harvest—in effect, a sort of “solera”, without criaderas. Historically, the Reflet d’Antan has shown a more ample, more richly burnished style than the other wines in the range, veering towards an oxidative character from its long aging in barrel. However, in recent years Bérêche has sought to bring more freshness and energy to this cuvée, slightly increasing the emphasis on the younger wine, and while it still retains its mature, compellingly anachronistic character, it now feels noticeably more lively and refined.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $335
Arriving in December
Bereche et Fils Les Beaux Regards Blanc de Blancs, Champagne NV (2016) 750ML ($119.95) $89 pre-arrival special, only 9 bottles available
Importer note “Les Beaux Regards is the blanc de blancs, sourced primarily from Ludes vines planted in 1902 by Raphaël’s great-grandfather in the Les Beauxregards lieu-dit, and les Clos (planted in 1970 with massale sélection). These ancient vines give Les Beaux Regards its deep concentration and intensely chalky minerality.”
Bereche et Fils Rilly-La-Montagne Blanc de Noirs Premier Cru Extra Brut Millesime, Champagne 2016 750ML ($149.95) $99 pre-arrival special, only 6 bottles available
Importer note “Rilly-la-Montagne [is] a pure Pinot Noir from the premier cru village of the same name, west of Ludes. From a half-hectare of 36-year-old vines in the Les Sablons lieu-dit, it is an exotically perfumed, vivid Champagne, courtesy of the limestone and sand soil and steep slope of its site. And, from 2012 on, the brothers are producing a tiny amount of Mailly grand cru.”
Bereche et Fils Vallee de la Marne Rive Gauche Extra Brut, Champagne NV (2016) 750ML ($119.95) $79 pre-arrival special, only 12 bottles available
Importer note “…the Rive Gauche [is] a blanc de noirs of pure Pinot Meunier from nearly half century old vines, planted in chalky clay in Le Port à Binson in the Vallée de la Marne. The purity, intensity and elegance of its expression, both of variety and terroir, sets it apart from the handful of other top all-Meunier Champagnes being made today, evoking the spirit of the bohemian Parisian community of the same name.”
Frank Family’s Winston Hill Vineyard Cab
Arriving Late November
Arriving Late November
“The flagship Winston Hill and Patriarch are more concentrated, sumptuous wines with considerable new oak influence that will appeal most to readers who enjoy flamboyant Cabernets.” –Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media
Only twelve bottles available!
Frank Family Vineyards Winston Hill Red, Rutherford 2015 750ML ($179.95) $159 pre-arrival special
Jeb Dunnuck 98 points “Similarly inky colored as the 2014, the 2015 Winston Hill Red Wine checks in as a blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot that spent 21 months in 75% new French oak. It offers more graphite and minerality, with gorgeous notes of blueberries, crushed violets, lead pencil and hints of licorice. Deep, elegant and layered, with a profound textural elegance, it has terrific mid-palate depth, building, fine tannin, and a killer finish that won’t quit. It’s a gorgeous wine any way you look at it. It’s going to benefit from 2-4 years of bottle age and keep for two decades or more.”
Antonio Galloni 94 points “The 2015 Winston Hill, from Frank’s hillside Rutherford vineyard, is lush, radiant and super-expressive. An array of jammy red berries, mint, rose petal, licorice and sweet spices fleshes out effortless in the glass. The 2015 is rich and unctuous, but not at all heavy or overdone. All the elements are simply in the right place. What a gorgeous wine this is.”
Only twelve bottles available!
Frank Family Vineyards Winston Hill Red, Rutherford 2015 750ML ($179.95) $159 pre-arrival special
Jeb Dunnuck 98 points “Similarly inky colored as the 2014, the 2015 Winston Hill Red Wine checks in as a blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot that spent 21 months in 75% new French oak. It offers more graphite and minerality, with gorgeous notes of blueberries, crushed violets, lead pencil and hints of licorice. Deep, elegant and layered, with a profound textural elegance, it has terrific mid-palate depth, building, fine tannin, and a killer finish that won’t quit. It’s a gorgeous wine any way you look at it. It’s going to benefit from 2-4 years of bottle age and keep for two decades or more.”
Antonio Galloni 94 points “The 2015 Winston Hill, from Frank’s hillside Rutherford vineyard, is lush, radiant and super-expressive. An array of jammy red berries, mint, rose petal, licorice and sweet spices fleshes out effortless in the glass. The 2015 is rich and unctuous, but not at all heavy or overdone. All the elements are simply in the right place. What a gorgeous wine this is.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $180.99
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Stay safe, be well & drink well.
