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Künstler Sale
Collector’s Corner: Morlet


 
Impeccable Riesling
 
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Weingut Künstler
 

While the Mosel Valley captures the majority of press about German wine, the Rheingau was once the face of the entire country’s production with prestige dating back to the Roman era. The topographic isolation provided by confluence of the Taunus Mountains and Rhein River creates an oasis for growing Riesling. In contrast to other growing regions that feature a high percentage of slate, the Rheingau is characterized by high proportions of sandstone and quartzite. 

Gunter Künstler, owner and winemaker of Weingut Künstler since taking over from his father in 1992, makes fabulous Rheingau Riesling. He is based in Hochheim, where the river Main branches off of the Rhein River.

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Déhu Champagne Sale
Close-Out Featurette: Biondi-Santi


 
Terroir-Driven Champagne
 
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Benoît Déhu
 

“Readers who have not tasted these incredibly distinctive Champagnes owe it to themselves to do so.” -Antonio Galloni, Vinous
 
The eighth generation Champagne winemaker in his family, Benoît Déhu cut his teeth at Bollinger before striking out on his own in 2010. Working with his family holdings in the Marne and barrels made from the forest bordering the property, Déhu meticulously crafts some of the finest grower Champagnes available.
 
Déhu has been blessed with the characteristic terroir of the Marne that contributes to his wine’s incredible aromatics and structure, namely the green clay overlaying pure limestone chalk. To best capture the terroir essence of his vineyards, he eschews new oak for aging, dosage for sweetness and flavoring, and intervention in general.

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Molitor Gold Capsule Sale
Nerd Alert Featurette: Coteaux Champenois


 
When Gold Does Not Glitter
 
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Molitor’s Fully-Sweet Gold Capsule Wines
 

With broad holdings across of some of finest vineyards in the Mosel, Markus Molitor crafts dozens of highly lauded Rieslings each vintage. He believes that every single sub-parcel and selective pick should be vinified to its utmost potential. The result is a deeply rewarding if sprawling portfolio.
 
The top tier of sweetness is his gold capsule wines, which he describes as “fruity.” These bottles hold the classic sweetness levels for the respective pradikat levels, so a Kabinett Gold Capsule will show more restraint, a Spätlesen will offer richness and versatility, while Auslesen offer bold, dessert-level sweetness.

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Off-Dry Molitor Riesling Sale
Nerd Alert Featurette: Cantine Lonardo


 
Half the Sweetness, All the Flavor
 
Up to 10% Off of Off-Dry Molitors
 
(It’s A Mouthful You’ll Love)
 

With broad holdings across of some of finest vineyards in the Mosel, Molitor crafts dozens of highly lauded Rieslings each vintage. He believes that every single sub-parcel and selective pick should be vinified to its utmost potential. The result is a deeply rewarding if sprawling portfolio.
 
An excellent way to explore this incredible portfolio is by focusing on the bone-dry Rieslings, known as “Trocken” in German. These contain no (or no perceptible) residual sugar. Molitor indicates the sweetness level by capsule color, and dry is white. This style is food-friendly yet also enjoyable as an aperitif.