Category Archives: Newsletter Archive

Limited Time Sale on Domaine Hubert Lignier 4-13-25




 
Today we’re featuring a Burgundy estate that elicits whispers of awe and envy in the global wine collector community. An estate which embodies Burgundy’s resurrection to quality and relevance over the last 150 years. Domaine Hubert Lignier.

The story of Domaine Hubert Lignier begins in the 1880s, during one of the most challenging periods in French viticulture. As the Phylloxera epidemic ravaged vineyards across the country, Jacques Lignier, a viticulturist from Morey-Saint-Denis, saw opportunity in forgotten parcels of top vineyard sites that were in need of a revival. He purchased a neglected estate at a bargain price and, with the help of his sons, restored vine material left abandoned following the aftermath of phylloxera’s deadly touch. What began as an act of perseverance would eventually evolve into one of Burgundy’s most revered domaines.

Over the decades, the Lignier family quietly expanded their holdings, acquiring exceptional parcels in Gevrey-Chambertin, Pommard, and Nuits-Saint-Georges. The true transformation of the estate came under the leadership of Hubert Lignier, who ushered in a new era by shifting to estate bottling and crafting wines that emphasized purity, structure, and a sense of place. Hubert’s intuitive touch in both vineyard and cellar helped solidify the domaine’s reputation for producing classically styled, age-worthy Burgundy with depth and finesse.

Today, the estate is in the capable hands of Hubert’s son, Laurent Lignier, who carries forward the family’s dedication to thoughtful viticulture and traditional winemaking. The domaine adheres to “lutte raisonnée”—a philosophy of minimal intervention and sustainable farming. Chemical herbicides are replaced by tilling; organic compost nourishes the vines; and careful pruning ensures low yields of concentrated, healthy fruit. In the cellar, Laurent employs cold soak maceration, a technique that enhances color, aromatics, and structure, while maintaining elegance and balance in the final wine.

The wines of Hubert Lignier—whether a supple Morey-Saint-Denis, a brooding Clos de la Roche, or a finely tuned Chambolle-Musigny—speak of meticulous care and multi-generational wisdom. They are structured yet refined, with a beautiful capacity to evolve over time. For collectors and Burgundy lovers alike, Lignier’s wines represent not just history in a bottle, but a continuing legacy of excellence rooted in the soils of the Côte de Nuits. Purchase wines from our pre-arrival selection and taste the depth of this remarkable domaine for yourself!
 
 
5% off any 3-5 in-stock or pre-arrival bottles from Hubert Lignier
10% off any 6 or more in-stock or pre-arrival bottles from Hubert Lignier

 
Discount will not display online or in your cart,
We will adjust your invoice before processing your charge.

 
Sale ends Wednesday, April 16th at 9 am Pacific.

Arriving by April 18th:
Domaine Hubert Lignier Bourgogne Aligote ‘Aux Poirelots’, France 2023 750ml $39 special, 6 bottles available
Winery Notes “Vines covering 40 acres planted in 1943-1944! This crisp, dry white wine can be enjoyed as an aperitif, on its own or in a Kir with Burgundy Crème de Cassis, and can also pair well with seafood or charcuterie.
 
Domaine Hubert Lignier Gevrey-Chambertin Les Seuvrees, Cotes de Nuits, France 2022 750ml $128 special, 12 bottles available
Wine Advocate 89-91 points “Aromas of spices, wild berries, smoke and loamy soil introduce the 2022 Gevrey-Chambertin Les Seuvrées, a medium to full-bodied, pure and charming wine that’s ample and fine-boned, with melting tannins and a saline finish.”

Domaine Hubert Lignier Clos de la Roche, Cotes de Nuits, France 2022 750ml $749special, 6 bottles available
Jasper Morris 95-98 points “Two thirds is in the Mont Luisants sector, one third Fremières. Fine mid purple. The nose is not vastly demonstrative but it is very fine. Then, afterwards, the wine expands enormously on the palate, almost as if there was some seductive Clos St Denis in the mix, but otherwise the wine is classic Clos de la Roche with perfect poise. Lovely. Drink from 2032-2045. Tasted Nov 2023.”
Wine Advocate 93-95 points “The 2022 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru unwinds in the glass with aromas of smoky plums and berries mingled with notions of cinnamon, raw cocoa, game bird and loamy soil. Medium to full-bodied, rich and layered, with supple, powdery tannins cloaked by a sweet core of fruit, it concludes with a broad but saline finish.”
 
Domaine Hubert Lignier Monthelie Rouge, France 2022 750ml $76.50 special, 6 bottles available

Domaine Hubert Lignier Monthelie Premier Cru Sur Velle Rouge, France 2022 750ml $108 special, 6 bottles available
Wine Advoacte 88-90 points “The 2022 Monthélie 1er Cru Sur la Velle is seamless and charming, offering up notes of plums, sweet berries, smoke and spices, followed by a medium to full-bodied, supple and charming palate. This will offer expressive drinking on release.”

Domaine Hubert Lignier La Riotte, Morey St Denis Premier Cru, France 2022 750ml $219 special, 5 bottles available
Wine Advocate 90-93 Points “Notes of dark berries, cherries, licorice, smoked meats and spices introduce the 2022 Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru La Riotte, a medium to full-bodied, supple and sapid wine with a sweet core of fruit that’s framed by powdery tannins.”
 
Domaine Hubert Lignier Morey-Saint-Denis Premier Cru Vieilles Vignes, Cote de Nuits, France 2021 750ml $289 special, 2 bottles available Available Now!
Charles Curtis MW-Decanter 93 Points “The blended premier cru ‘Vieilles Vignes’ at Hubert Lignier is always the last wine tasted before the grand crus. The grapes come from eighty-year-old vines in the lieu-dit Les Faconnières that run down into the next lieu-dit downslope called Les Chenevery. Both are below Clos de la Roche; Laurent Lignier calls the wine his ‘little Clos de la Roche’. The wine shows ripe plummy fruit with a firm underpinning of earth, mineral, smoke and cigar leaf. The texture is tannic and dense, and the length is impressive.”

Domaine Hubert Lignier Morey-Saint-Denis Premier Cru Vieilles Vignes, Cote de Nuits, France 2022 750ml $289 special, 6 bottles available
Wine Advocate 92-94 Points “The 2022 Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru Vieilles Vignes unwinds in the glass with aromas of rich, smoky berry fruit mingled with notes of rose petals, spices and grilled squab. Medium to full-bodied, layered and concentrated, with a fleshy core of fruit framed by sweet, powdery tannins, it concludes with a perfumed finish. As usual, it’s one of the high points of the range.”
 
Domaine Hubert Lignier Morey-Saint-Denis Tres Girard, Cote de Nuits, France 2022 750ml $119 special,2 bottles available
Wine Advocate 89-90 Points “Offering up aromas of plums, spices, smoked meats and orange rind, Lignier’s 2022 Morey-Saint-Denis Très Girard (négoce) is medium-bodied, round and supple, with a charming, somewhat open-knit personality.”
 
Domaine Hubert Lignier Bourgogne Passetoutgrain ‘Aux Poirelots’, Burgundy, France 2023 750ml $39 special, 3 bottles available
Rosenthal Wine Merchant’s Notes “Lignier’s Passetoutgrain is benchmark of its category, offering the finesse of far loftier appellations and embodying the authoritative depth of the house style in miniature form. The wine comprises 0.4 hectares worth of vines: 60% Gamay (from 1960) and 40% Pinot Noir (from 1998), planted within the confines of Morey-Saint-Denis proper in a site called Aux Poirelots. Aged entirely in used barrels, this cuvée is bottled without fining or filtration just before the next harvest.”
 
Domaine Hubert Lignier Pommard En Brescul, Cote de Beaune, France 2022 750ml $128 special, 6 bottles available
Winery Notes “Vines planted in 1997, acquired in 2014. Covering an area of 41 ares, this terraced parcel on the north side of Pommard overlooks the town of Beaune and the Clos des Mouches. The vines are planted on 3 terraces due to the strong slopes on this area. Weakened by three years of hail (2012, 2013, 2014), its youth and vigour were able to give it new life and hope. The wines express minerality and freshness.”
 
Domaine Hubert Lignier Saint-Romain Sous Le Chateau, Cote de Beaune, Burgundy 2021 750ml $79 special, 1 bottles available Available Now!
Rosenthal Wine Merchant’s Notes “Hubert and Laurent began producing a Saint-Romain Blanc in 2004, the year Romain passed away, and they continue to make it in his honor today, sourcing the fruit from a 0.3-hectare parcel in the steep, southeast-facing Sous le Chateau vineyard. This site’s stony, poor-soiled terrain yields a wine of notable minerality, framed by luscious pit fruits and a tense acidity typical of the appellation. This cuvée undergoes alcoholic and malolactic fermentation in barrel (20% new), and rests on its fine lees for 15 months with minimal batonnage before bottling.”

Island Vibes: Sicilian Wine Sale 4-12-25

In This Newsletter:

Sicily Sale
Collector’s Corner: Screaming Eagle


 
Island Vibes
 
Stock Up & Save On

 
Sicilian Wines

 
The Italian island of Sicily seems to have it all when it comes to wine: fun and fruity Frappato, serious, volcanic-influenced Nerellos from the slopes of Mount Etna, iconic dessert wines, and just about everything in between. With the recent, island-wide push for quality all across the price spectrum, there has never been a better time to explore these wines.
 
For lovers of volcanic-influenced wines, Sicily’s Mount Etna is a cherished place. Home to the Burgundy-esque varieties of Nerello Mascalese and Carricante, these are gorgeous, terroir-driven wines. The two grapes offer layers of spice and high acidity, partly due to being grown on the highest vineyards in all of Europe.
 
One of the finest producers on this volcano is Terre Nere, a domain that offers multiple single-vineyard wines. We have its proprietor, Marc De Grazia, to thank for bringing international attention to this stunning region. He founded Tenuta delle Terre Nere over twenty years ago after falling in love with the unique terroir created (and continually recreated) by the still-active volcano.
 
Calabretta is also one of our favorites, if tragically overlooked. Their commitment to chemical free farming, stewarding old vines, and meticulous winemaking is evident in every bottle of wine they craft from grapes grown along the slopes of Mount Etna. The wines have a rustic and savory feel that evokes a perfectly-cellared Pinot Noir. The high elevation, intense sunshine and marginal soils create incredible wines filled to the brim with flavor.
 
Those looking for serious options outside of Mount Etna should look to the Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG. This appellation marries the dark fruit and earth of Nero d’Avola with the pretty, red-toned flavors of Frappato. The results show intriguing combinations of lifted acidity and fruit with a rich, savory backbone.
 
5% off any 3-7 in-stock bottles of Sicilian wine
10% off any 8+ or more in-stock bottles of Sicilian wine

 
Discount will not display online or in your cart,
We will adjust your invoice before processing your charge.

 
Sale ends Tuesday, April 15th at 9 am Pacific.
 
We offer twenty-one in-stock Sicilian options on sale now, including:
 
Gurrieri Grillo Sicilia 2023 750ml Displayed Price: $19.50, that’s $18.53 at 5% off and $17.55 at 10% off, 19 bottles in stock now
Winery Note
“Estate-grown near Mazzarrone, west of Chiaramonte Gulfi, at around 180 meters/600 feet in altitude. Soil is sandy clay; the grapes are picked around mid-September, pressed immediately and fermented at controlled temperature in stainless steel using indigenous yeasts. After about 9 months in tank the wine is bottled.”
 
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $24
 
Caruso & Minini ‘Frappo’ Rose Terre Siciliane IGT 2023 750ml Displayed Price: $19, that’s $18.05 at 5% off and $17.10 at 10% off, 14 bottles in stock now
Eric Guido-Vinous 90 points
“The 2023 Rosé Frappo is delicate and coy in the glass, wafting up with hints of dried strawberry, sweet spice and sage. It sweeps across the palate with lifted textures as brisk acidity motivates its ripe pit fruits. A tinge of chamomile forms toward the close. The 2023 finishes unexpectedly long, with a gentle tension and sour citrus tones that slowly taper off. The Frappo really sneaks up on the taster, coming in like a lamb and out like a lion. (Drink between 2024-2026).”
 
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
 
Benanti Serra della Contessa ‘Particella No. 587’ Etna Rosso Riserva 2016 1.5L Displayed Price: $249,that’s $236.55 at 5% off and $224.10 at 10% off, 5 magnums in stock now
Eric Guido-Vinous 95 points
“The 2016 Etna Rosso Serra della Contessa Particella No. 587 Riserva is dark and savory in the glass, grumbling up with notes of crushed rocks and ash that evolve further to reveal musky black currants, hints of licorice and dried violets. This is velvety-smooth, yet not weighty in feel. Instead, the 2016 seems to glide effortlessly across the palate, yet what it leaves behind is a saturation of primary fruit and mineral tones, as well as silky tannins that penetrate deeply. The Serra della Contessa finishes structured yet long and unexpectedly fresh, with balsam herbs and a touch of salted licorice that slowly fades. This Etna Rosso is a powerhouse, but it is in need of cellaring to reveal all of its charms.”
 
This is the only listing in the USA today for the magnum!
 
Calabretta Nerello Cappuccio Terre Siciliane IGT 2019 750ml Displayed Price: $33, that’s $31.35 at 5% off and $29.70 at 10% off, 13 bottles in stock now
Eric Guido-Vinous 89 points
“The 2019 Nerello Cappuccio is incredibly pretty, with a bouquet of musky cherry and raspberry complemented by stemmed roses and flowery undergrowth. This is silky yet lifted, leaning more toward the savory spectrum on the palate, as woodland berries mingle with saline-minerals under an air of inner florals. It’s a bit shorter than anticipated yet fresh, leaving nuances of waxy red fruits.”
 
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
 
Azienda Agricola Cos Frappato Terre Siciliane IGT 2023 750ml Displayed Price: $34.50, that’s $32.78 at 5% off and $31.05 at 10% off, 9 bottles in stock now
Wine Enthusiast 92 points
“The nose is earthy and umami, with aromas of damp soil, mushrooms and graphite, while undertones of flowers and plums provide a hint of sweetness. Juicy figs, plums and mixed berries flood the palate, dusted with a sophisticated pinch of salt and pepper and lifted by acid that positively shines above flexible tannins.”

Girolamo Russo ‘San Lorenzo’ Etna Rosso 2021 750ml Displayed Price: $69.50, that’s $66.03 at 5% off and $62.55 at 10% off, 7 bottles in stock now
Monica Larner-Wine Advocate 96+ points
“The Girolamo Russo 2021 Etna Rosso San Lorenzo is a very exciting wine with so much energy and verve. It opens to lean-bodied concentration with a brilliant ruby shine. The wine shows a long array of wild fruit and tiny berry aromas backed by crushed white pepper and crushed stone. San Lorenzo is one of the most impressive interpretations of Etna. I highly recommend you try and cellar this wine.”
 
Gurrieri Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG 2021 750ml Displayed Price: $21.90, that’s $20.81 at 5% off and $19.71 at 10% off, 13 bottles in stock now
Eric Guido-Vinous 91 points
“The 2021 Cerasuolo di Vittoria is floral and dusty with a spicy blend of crushed raspberries and clove. This traverses both savory and sweet with a core of tart wild berries under an air of violet inner florals. It tapers off with admirable length and a staining of primary concentration, yet through it, all enlivened by a bump of residual acidity. Very nice.”
 
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
 
Tenuta delle Terre Nere Calderara Sottana Rosso Etna 2021 750ml Displayed Price: $69, that’s $65.55 at 5% off and $62.10 at 10% off, 6 bottles in stock now
Eric Guido-Vinous 94 points
“From the moment the glass is tilted, the 2021 Etna Rosso Calderara Sottana Vineyard shines through as crushed stones, ash and sweet smoke give way to vivid black cherries and autumnal spice. The 2021 Etna Rosso is elegant, silky and deeply textural, with salty mineral tones and gobs of red and black fruits, all perfectly maintained by a core of vibrant acidity. This is complex yet full of energy and sultry depths, tapering off saline and structured with grippy tannins that frame a lasting resonance of licorice and plums. These old vines handled the drought of the vintage beautifully, showing only in the grit of its tannins. Otherwise, the 2021 is pure magic.”
 
Tenuta delle Terre Nere Prephylloxera ‘La Vigna di Don Peppino’ Calderara Sottana Rosso Etna 2022 750ml Displayed Price: $165, that’s $156.75 at 5% off and $148.50 at 10% off, 7 bottles in stock now
Eric Guido-Vinous 96 points
“Darkly alluring and youthfully background, the 2022 Prephylloxera ‘La Vigna di Don Peppino’ Calderara Sottana smolders up with a blend of with a spices, dusty violat and ash, giving way to dried black cherries, sage and cloves. This is velvety yet finssed, with a polished wave of ripe red and blue fruitthat flows across a juicy steam of acidity. Hints of sour citrus add contrast toward the close. It finishes remarkably fresh and energetic, still tanic but lively as crunchy tannis resonate and an air of lavender slowly fades. This an elegent and genuinely harmonious edition of this cuvee. Simply stunning.”
 
Tenuta delle Terre Nere Santo Spirito Rosso Etna 2022 750ml Displayed Price: $49, that’s $46.55 at 5% off and $44.10 at 10% off, 10 bottles in stock now
James Suckling 96 points
“Dark and purple fruits with sliced mushroom and crushed stone, as well as terra-cotta and red-earth character in both the nose and palate. Full and powerful with chewy tannins and muscle. Good depth of fruit. Citrus fruit, too. It turns very perfumed and intense. Chewy at the end. Needs time to soften. Try after 2027.”
 
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
 
Feudo Montoni Passito Rosso Terre Siciliane IGT NV 375ml Displayed Price: $39, that’s $37.05 at 5% off and $35.10 at 10% off, 21 half-bottles in stock now
Ian D’Agata-Vinous 94 points
“Bright deep red with an orange rim. The nose really opens with aeration to offer sweet red plum, dehydrated red cherry, cinnamon and raisins. Then similar flavors to the aromas lifted by juicy, harmonious acidity. Finishes very long and suave with saline nuances and repeating notes of raisins. Lovely, light on its feet dessert wine that seems less sweet than it really is thanks to its piercing acidity. One of the best sweet wines I have tasted so far this year. This is a blend of air-dried Nero d’Avola and Perricone aged in wood barrels for seven months and then twelve months in bottle prior to going on sale.”
 
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
 
Shop our twenty-one Sicilian selections now!


 
Collector’s Corner:

Screaming Eagle
 
Let your senses take flight!
 
In Stock Now:

Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2022 750ml $2,199 special, 3 bottles in stock now
Jeb Dunnuck 95-97 points
“While I wasn’t able to taste the 2021s, the 2022s from Screaming Eagle are undeniable successes. Tasted from multiple barrels, the 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon has medium to full-bodied, richness, beautiful purity of fruit and ripe, building tannins, as well as a good spine of acidity. This estate did an incredible selection, and it certainly shows in all the samples I was able to taste.”
 
Screaming Eagle ‘The Flight’, Napa Valley 2020 750ml $919 special, 5 bottles in stock now
James Suckling 98 points
“Aromas of blackberries, red and black currants. Green olives, too. Dark roses and perfume. Medium-bodied with super crunchy energy and brightness. Very fine tannins. Elegant and precise. So subtle and complex, it’s really something. A blend of 64% merlot and 36% cabernet sauvignon. Needs four to five years to open and come together.”
Antonio Galloni-Vinous 94 points “The 2020 The Flight is classy and polished from the very first taste. Aromatic and understated, the 2020 offers a distinct feeling of classicism in its midweight structure. Crushed flowers, herbs and spice lead into a core of red/purplish fruit. The 2020 is a seriously impressive wine. Readers should expect a more lifted, restrained style than is the norm.”

Screaming Eagle ‘The Flight’, Napa Valley 2019 750ml $999 special, 3 bottles in stock now
James Suckling 99 points
“Extremely floral and aromatic with violets and lavender throughout. Black olives, too. It’s medium-to full-bodied with firm, very fine-grained tannins that run the length of the wine. Goes on for minutes. A greenish undertone comes out at the end with some spearmint, green tea and green olive. About two-thirds merlot. Best after 2028, but already stunning.”
Antonio Galloni-Vinous 97 points “The 2019 The Flight, the estate’s Merlot-based wine, is dark, powerful and brooding in demeanor, almost shockingly so. The natural concentration of a year with low yields and small berries is very much in evidence. A rush of black cherry, plum, graphite, lavender and blue/purplish fruit builds as this virile, explosive wine shows off its arresting beauty. In a word: impressive.”
 

 
Don’t miss our additional sale going on now:
 
Westrey
 
5% off any 3-6 in-stock bottles of Westrey
10% off any 7+ or more in-stock bottles of Westrey

 
Discount will not display online or in your cart,
We will adjust your invoice before processing your charge.

 
Westrey sale ends Sunday, April 13th at 9 am Pacific.

Vinopolis Newsletter 4-11-25

In This Newsletter:


Arrivals
Springtime wines
-PLUS-
Billecart Salmon, Bow& Arrow, Palacios, and more!


Willamette Wineries We Love
Ayres has layers
Special Arrivals
 
 
We Love Vincent Paris in the Springtime
 

The wines of Vincent Paris are often described as bold, but what does it mean to be bold? For the soft-spoken Vincent, one of the Rhône’s fastest rising stars, he would prefer to let his stunningly focused and evocative wines do the talking. And they are wines that beg to be noticed.
 
Vincent prunes his branches to just 4 bunches of grapes per vine (versus a typical five to seven bunches) which encourages a dense and powerful concentration in the fruit, but these are not heavy-handed. Quite the opposite, these are wines with a lift and freshness that complements the bolder aspects of the wine’s expression without tamping down its largesse. We really don’t know how he does it, how his wines walk the tightrope the way they do… maybe it’s the slow and low cold fermentations he utilizes? He maintains a forested wilderness outside of the arable zones of his properties to ensure balance in the ecosystem… is this grounds his wines and keeps them from the edge?
  
These wines are making a lot of noise… don’t miss out!
 
Vincent Paris Cornas Granit 30, Rhone, France 2022 750ml $49 special, 24 bottles available
James Suckling 96 Points “So expressive and so precise, this is a great modern Cornas. Haunting nose of black forest berries with notes of dry forest floor and wild herbs. Then comes the wonderful combination of restrained richness and youthful freshness on the vertical, medium-bodied palate. And just as the coolness of evening follows the heat of the day, the mineral vibrancy of the finish follows the succulence of the mid-palate. Drink or hold.”
 
Vincent Paris Cornas Granit 60, Rhone, France 2022 750ml $69 special, 5 bottles available
James Suckling 97 Points “A well-composed, velvety and vivid Cornas with brightness and purity. Aromas of dark cherries, currants, wild herbs, graphite and black pepper. Medium-bodied with fine, firm tannins. Good concentration with precise fruit and a constant mineral edge. The peppercorn and stone character brings freshness and verve to the energetic mid-palate. It’s vibrant and vertical with a lot of tension in the long, textured and spicy finish. Try after 2027.”
 
The Rosés are blooming!
 
Chateau Routas Coteaux Varois en Provence Rose, France 2023 750ml $16 special, 32 bottles available
James Suckling 91 Points “A fresh and juicy rosé with notes of grapefruit, white pepper and dried flowers. Medium body with bright acidity. Vivid and well-balanced with a fruity, delicious finish. Drink now. Screw cap.”
 
Illahe Estate Tempranillo Rose, Willamette Valley, USA 2024 750ml $21.90 special, 24 bottles available
Winery Note “Oregon’s best rosé of tempranillo is ready to delight again after its trip through stainless tanks and neutral oak barrels. This year’s offering has notes of strawberry, blood orange, guava, mango, and watermelon rind with crisp, refreshing acidity. It is produced in 25% neutral barrel, 75% stainless steel, and directly pressed. The acidity keeps this wine fresh and alive, but the barrel fermentation helps to balance the mouth and keep it rich.”
 
Proprieta Sperino ‘Rosa del Rosa’ Rosato Coste della Sesia, Piedmont, Italy 2023 750ml $24 special, 30 bottles available
(not yet reviewed, 2022 review provided for reference)
Eric Guido-Vinous 91 Points “The 2022 Rosa del Rosa is delicate and airy in the glass, slowly evolving with green melon, dusty rose and ginger. It’s silk and enveloping with a burst of minerality up front that gives way to young peach and savory spice. This leaves the palate bone dry yet watering for more as the 2022 finishes pleasantly chewy and with medium length. This is a more understated vintage for the Rosa Del Rosa, yet still pleasurable.”
 
 
 
New Arrivals
 
 
Oregon
 
“Bow & Arrow”

When you hear the word “value,” what is the first impression that comes to your mind? Is it positive or negative? Well, think positive about Bow & Arrow. An Urban winery, Bow & Arrow is keeping it real with Loire Valley varietal expressions from the Willamette.

These wines provide amazing quality for the price. We’re not sure how they do it!

Bow & Arrow ‘Fool’s Gold’, Willamette Valley, USA 2023 750ml $24 special, 27 bottles available
Winery Note “50% Chardonnay/50% Sauvignon Blanc. After experimenting in 2019 with making a Cheverny Blanc style Chard/Sauv Blanc blend and having it exceed all expectations I am happy (relieved?!) to announce I went all in and made much more”
 
Bow & Arrow Gamay Noir, Willamette Valley, USA 2023 750ml $21.90 special, 36+ bottles available
Winemaker Note “The spiritual heart of red wine production at Bow & Arrow.  The first “Loire” red variety I ever got my hands on so I’m 13 vintages in wrestling with this chameleon grape.  I tilted towards sappy and serious the last few years and decided to course correct back to highlighting the innate fruit character of Gamay with this iteration.  Juicy red fruits with a touch of grip as my faves tend to do it.”
 
Bow & Arrow Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, USA 2022 750ml $21.90 special, 36+ bottles available
Winemaker Note “The style I have been pursuing came into clearer focus the past year as I have become more and more charmed by the fresher, youthful expressions of Pinot coming out of Burgundy from the “next gen” of young producers.  There’s more whole cluster and red fruit character for sure.”
 
“Purple Hands”
 
 HOT DEAL  Purple Hands ‘Lone Oak Ranch’ Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, USA 2022 750ml $28 special, 13 bottles available
Int’l Wine Review 93 Points “The 2022 Lone Oak Ranch Pinot Noir from Purple Hands is a cuvée from seven premier vineyards from five Willamette Valley AVAs: Dundee Hills, Yamhill-Carlton, Ribbon Ridge, Eola-Amity, and Mount Pisgah. This elegant Pinot Noir includes fruit from all of their vineyard designates and spent 10 months in 5% New French Oak, 45% Neutral French Oak, and 50% Stainless Steel tanks. Medium-bodied with lovely notes of dried Bing cherries, lavender, watermelon rind, purple flowers, wet stones, and bitter herbs, it ends with sweet crunchy tannins and racy acidity.”
 
Purple Hands Freedom Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, USA 2022 750ml $69 special, 6 bottles available
Jeb Dunnuck 97 Points “A richer reflective ruby hue, the 2022 Pinot Noir Freedom Hill Vineyard is a savory wine with notes of wet stones, graphite, pine, fresh black cherries, mixed berries, and tea leaf. It is very appealing on the palate early on. With refined tannins and a juicy feel. It’s very attractive now, and it’s not going to slow down any time soon. Drink 2024-2040.”
 
Purple Hands Haakon Lenai Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills, USA 2022 750ml $66 special, 12 bottles available
Jeb Dunnuck 98 Points “A youthful ruby red hue, the 2022 Pinot Noir Haakon/Lenai Vineyard comes from 27-year-old vines in the main estate vineyard. A youthful bright magenta/ruby color, it offers darker berried fruit notes of wild black raspberries, layered spice, toasted cedar, umami, and licorice, with some red-fruited, high-toned lift shining through. There is real crystalline depth to this wine as well as more purity and clarity, and it has bright, ripe acidity, mouthwatering freshness, and a great finish. Its ripe tannins are very well-framed, and it has a long finish. Much more purity and clarity here. Drink 2024-2044. This is by far the best wine in the Purple Hands lineup.”
 
Purple Hands Shea Vineyard Pinot Noir, Yamhill-Carlton District, USA 2022 750ml $59 special, 6 bottles available
Jeb Dunnuck 96 Points “From one of the highest elevations in this vineyard, the 2022 Pinot Noir Shea Vineyard is a transparent red hue and is aromatic of ripe cherries, spices, mossy earth, and a lightly gamey but clean earth note. It is an elegant and lifted expression of the Shea Vineyard, with bright acidity, fine tannins, and a more linear feel, and as it opens, it starts to show its broader shoulders and its deeper notes come through. Drink 2025-2040.”
 
“Patricia Green”
 
Patricia Green Cellars Sauvignon Blanc, Oregon, USA 2024 750ml $24 special, 12 bottles available
Winery Note “The Estate Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc is a denser, richer more stately version of Sauvignon Blanc than one would generally find in the universe of this grape. The 2024 version has a unique tension to it between its tropical lime-infused papaya notes and the crystalline minerality that is on display at a level we have never experienced before. As is always the case, it is at once very high in acidity but rich in texture which adds to the complexity of the fruit/minerality interplay in the wine and makes the wine profound even at a young age. While this wine is capable of aging (a 2019 consumed early in 2025 was in fabulous condition) we believe it is best served in its relative youth to capture these fresh and delicious flavors.”
 
 
Champagne
 
Billecart-Salmon Blanc de Blancs Brut, Champagne, France NV 750ml $96 special, 6 bottles available
Wine Enthusiast 93 Points “Taut and mineral, this fine Blanc de Blancs Champagne brings out the crispness of Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs. Its croissant aroma suggests some bottle age, confirmed in the ripeness of the white fruits and acidity. Drink now.”
 
Billecart-Salmon Brut Reserve, Champagne, France NV 750ml $59 special, 12 bottles available
Winery Note “Harmony and purity combine together in this light and subtle champagne. Its blend is made up of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Meunier sourced from the very best sites of the Champagne region. It is the ideal partner to delight your guests on every occasion, both as an aperitif and throughout the entirety of a meal.”
 
Billecart-Salmon Brut Sous Bois, Champagne, France NV 750ml $79 special, 12 bottles available
Wine Enthusiast 93 Points “With 40% of older reserve wines in the blend, this Champagne was fermented in wood. Its aroma brings out toastiness, while on the palate, the richness of the wine suggests maturity. It is a finely balanced wine, ready to drink now.”
 
 
Italy
 
Bini Lambrusco dell’Emilia IGT, Emilia-Romagna, Italy NV 750ml $19 special, 12 bottles available
Importer Note “In case you hadn’t noticed, Emilia, the land of Lambrusco, has a revolution brewing (or fermenting, often in bottle). After too many years of industrially-produced mediocrity, Emilia is now home to a small but growing cell of artisanal producers who are farming carefully and returning to the metodo ancestrale of their grandfathers: secondary fermentation in the bottle, without disgorgement. Denny Bini is one of the humble heroes of this renaissance-revolution.… Denny also makes our FUSO21 Lambrusco dell’Emilia (a.k.a. the Festa! Label) from practicing organic vineyards from family and friends.”
 
 
Spain
 
Alvaro Palacios ‘Les Terrasses’ Velles Vinyes, Priorat DOCa, Spain 2021 750ml $49 special, 21 bottles available
Luis Gutiérrez-Wne Advocate 94-96 Points “The sample of the 2021 Les Terrasses Velles Vinyes was truly impressive, a blend of 70% Garnacha and 30% Cariñena. It’s a lively and vibrant Priorat with lower alcohol and higher acidity and more freshness, pointing at a great vintage in the making. This could very well be the finest vintage of Terrasses, a wine that Álvaro Palacios defined as a year of concentration and class. The wine is clean and pure, with great precision. It matured in barrel and cask for the past seven months, and the wine will continue its élevage for one more year. They expect to fill some 110,000 bottles and 2,000 magnums around May 2023.”
 
“Lopez Heredia”
 
The Cubillo is an amazing, value priced entrée to the wines of Lopez Heredia. The quality here is astounding; in most wineries this would be Reserva level. How do they do it?
Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia ‘Vina Cubillo’ Crianza, Rioja DOCa, Spain 2016 750ml $33 special, 6 bottles available
Luis Gutiérrez-Wine Advocate 94 Points “The 2016 Viña Cubillo Tinto Crianza was surprising, spectacular, elegant, clean and fresh like few vintages before. It was a superb year, with quality, quantity and freshness. It’s quite the opposite from the previous 2015, which was a much warmer and riper year. The 2016s have moderate alcohol and especially the perception of less ripeness (even though the alcohol is very similar). It feels very young, still quite primary. Mercedes explained, “Cubillas, a 24-hectare plot, is a vineyard that could produce Gran Reserva wines. It’s a very good vineyard, but we would miss the Crianza in our range”. In fact, the comment was that this vintage is even a challenge for the Viña Tondonia red “because of its price.” It is indeed a bargain. “But it doesn’t have the finesse of Tondonia,” concluded María José. Anyway, it’s super tasty. 92,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in November 2022.”
 
This Tondonia Reserva features an incredible 6 years of barrel aging before being clarified with egg whites to ensure the purity and longevity of the wines without filtration.
Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Reserva, Rioja DOCa, Spain 2011 750ml $56 special, 9 bottles available
Neal Martin-Vinous 94 Points “The 2011 Vina Tondonia Reserva Rioja was ordered during a run of disappointing wines. It has a youthful nose, probably still too young to broach, with black plum, clove, hints of star anis and smoke. Lovely definition, though not as powerful as other vintages tasted. The palate is quite firm and structured with grippy tannins that frame the dusky black fruit with veins of blue fruit towards the finish. There is a seriousness about this Tondonia that I appreciate, though frankly, I would cellar for another decade. Tasted at Premnord in Burgundy.”
 
 
 
Willamette Wineries We Love
 
 
“Ayres Vineyard”
 

Brad McLeroy had a dream but he also had a problem. While he and his wife owned a popular wine shop, what he really wanted was to be a winemaker. Unfortunately, their wine shop was in Kansas City… far from any wine regions of note. So they sold their business and moved west and moved out to the Willamette Valley. Brad got a job at working with Veronique Drouhin, one of the greatest winemakers in the world, and six years later opened his own winery.
 
While they may not receive the level of attention that some Oregon wineries get, they are beloved by industry vets and wine geeks alike. Coupled with their pure and transportive style, these wines are delicious and are truly fantastic values.
 
Ayres Gamay Noir Chehalem Mountains 2023 750ml $21.90 special, 30 bottles available
VinopolNote “Brad McLeroy makes some of our favorite refreshing varietal wines form the Willamette Valley, and his prices always seem just a touch lower than we’d expect. This dry-farmed Gamay is mineral-driven with a crunchy acidity. Classic and refreshing, it does well with a light chill.”
 
Ayres Lewis Rogers Lane Pinot Noir 2022 750ml $39 special, 19 bottles available
Winemaker’s Note “The Ayres Willamette Valley Pinot is sourced from the Ayres Estate in Ribbon Ridge at 474 feet elevation, and the Oliver Vineyard in Yamhill Carlton at 600 feet elevation. Wines are fermented in open top, 2 ton fermenters using all indigenous yeasts for both primary and secondary fermentations. A small amount of whole clusters were used.”
 
Ayres Perspective Ribbon Ridge Pinot Noir 2023 750ml $29 special, 33 bottles available
Winemaker’s Note “The Ayres Willamette Valley Pinot is sourced from the Ayres Estate in Ribbon Ridge at 474 feet elevation, and the Oliver Vineyard in Yamhill Carlton at 600 feet elevation. Wines are fermented in open top, 2 ton fermenters using all indigenous yeasts for both primary and secondary fermentations. A small amount of whole clusters were used.”
 
Ayres Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2023 750ml $24 special, 26 bottles available
CS-12 Ayres Willamette Pinot Noir 2023 750ml $259 special, 3 cases available
VinopolNote “Brad McLeroy makes some of our favorite refreshing varietal wines form the Willamette Valley, and his prices always seem just a touch lower than we’d expect. This dry-farmed Gamay is mineral-driven with a crunchy acidity. Classic and refreshing, it does well with a light chill.”

Vinopolis Newsletter 4-9-25

In This Newsletter:


Arrivals
Spanish history in a bottle
-PLUS-
Beat the tariffs with Oregon and California wines!
 
Special Arrivals
 
 
Spain
 
Lopez Heredia: Spanish history in a bottle!
 

The French vineyards? Destroyed by bugs. Spain? Untouched potential.
Rafael’s choice was clear.
 
The story of Lopez Heredia starts with a bug. Actually millions of little parasites called “Grape Phylloxera” that ate about 60% of France’s grape vines in the late nineteenth century. Now in survival mode, French estates were presented with two options: ruin or innovation. Many sold or abandoned their land, while others set their eyes on viticultural regions still untouched by the Phylloxera.
 
It was this opportunity that savvy businessmen like Lopez Heredia’s founder, Rafael López de Heredia y Landet, took advantage of: buying land in Spain to grow grapes, producing and selling wines for French Vignerons, and most importantly, learning all about what it was that made the wines of Bordeaux the most sought after wines on the planet. He introduced barrel aging, extended bottle aging, and careful blending among many other techniques that he learned from the French, helping to create the vinicultural style and traditions which shaped Rioja into one of the world’s most beloved wine regions.
 
Today, Lopez de Heredia’s wines follow the path started by Rafael, using only estate grown fruit, including the famous Tondonia vineyard, which produces many of the most coveted wines in all of Rioja. These bottles are as classic as they come, representative of the accumulated wisdom of many generations of Spanish and French wine masters.
 

…Lopez Heredia wines arriving Friday, April 11th:
 
The Cubillo is an amazing, value priced entrée to the wines of Lopez Heredia. The quality here is astounding; in most wineries this would be Reserva level. How do they do it?
Lopez Heredia Cubillo Tinto Crianza 2016 750ml $33 special, 12 bottles available
Luis Gutiérrez-Wine Advocate 94 Points “The 2016 Viña Cubillo Tinto Crianza was surprising, spectacular, elegant, clean and fresh like few vintages before. It was a superb year, with quality, quantity and freshness. It’s quite the opposite from the previous 2015, which was a much warmer and riper year. The 2016s have moderate alcohol and especially the perception of less ripeness (even though the alcohol is very similar). It feels very young, still quite primary. Mercedes explained, “Cubillas, a 24-hectare plot, is a vineyard that could produce Gran Reserva wines. It’s a very good vineyard, but we would miss the Crianza in our range”. In fact, the comment was that this vintage is even a challenge for the Viña Tondonia red “because of its price.” It is indeed a bargain. “But it doesn’t have the finesse of Tondonia,” concluded María José. Anyway, it’s super tasty. 92,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in November 2022.”

This Tondonia Reserva features an incredible 6 years of barrel aging before being clarified with egg whites to ensure the purity and longevity of the wines without filtration.
Lopez Heredia Tondonia Reserva Rioja 2011 750ml $56 special, 12 bottles available
Neal Martin-Vinous 94 Points “The 2011 Vina Tondonia Reserva Rioja was ordered during a run of disappointing wines. It has a youthful nose, probably still too young to broach, with black plum, clove, hints of star anis and smoke. Lovely definition, though not as powerful as other vintages tasted. The palate is quite firm and structured with grippy tannins that frame the dusky black fruit with veins of blue fruit towards the finish. There is a seriousness about this Tondonia that I appreciate, though frankly, I would cellar for another decade. Tasted at Premnord in Burgundy.”
 
 
 
Arriving Friday
 
 
Oregon Odyssey; Or, how I learned to beat the tariffs and drink local wines
 
 
“Beaux Freres”
 

So you’ve been a wine salesman in Colorado Springs for years, dreaming of starting your own winery. But where?
 
It was a detour onto a foreclosed pig farm while on a family road trip that sealed Mike Etzel’s fate. Once he’d found the vineyard that would become Beaux Freres everything else began to fall into place. He traded his suit for boots and a shovel and dug right into Oregon’s burgeoning wine industry.
 
Beaux Freres The Beaux Freres Vineyard Pinot Noir 2022 750ml $124.50 special, 6 bottles available
Decanter 97 Points “A gorgeous Pinot Noir, the plantings from 1988 are being replanted as the phyloxerated vines are being removed. This wine shows elegance and grace while maintaining depth and concentration, but make no mistake, it’s built to age. The Beaux Frères Vineyard is clonally diverse with a massale selection of Pommard and Wadenswil and 115. Red fruited aromas and beautiful interplay between bright berries mixed with fresh mint and savoury herbs. The palate remains fresh and elegant, with red-fruited generosity and savoury depth of spearmint and wild anise. (Drink between 2024-2040).”
Eric Guido-Vinous 95 Points “This wine shows elegance and grace while maintaining depth and concentration, but make no mistake, it’s built to age. The Beaux Frères Vineyard is clonally diverse with a massale selection of Pommard and Wadenswil and 115. Red fruited aromas and beautiful interplay between bright berries mixed with fresh mint and savoury herbs. The palate remains fresh and elegant, with red-fruited generosity and savoury depth of spearmint and wild anise. (Drink between 2024-2040).”
 
“The Eyrie”

Eyrie Vineyards Pinot Gris Dundee Hills 2023 750ml $26 special, 12 bottles available
(not reviewed yet, 2022 review provided for reference)
Wine Advocate 93 Points “The 2022 Estate Pinot Gris is particularly pure and expressive this year. Spring frost affected some varieties in 2022, but winemaker Jason Lett says these old Pinot Gris vines, planted in 1979, are located at higher elevations and didn’t suffer frost damage because the buds were not yet out. “The result is a higher proportion of old vines,” he says, of the fruit in this 2022. It has detailed scents of green pear and apple blossom, cashews and bread dough. The light-bodied palate is layered and floral, a touch of textural grip balanced by mouthwatering acidity, and it has a long, expressive finish.”
 
Eyrie Vineyards Trifolium Red Dundee Hills 2020 750ml $20.90 special, 24 bottles available
Wine Enthusiast 95 Points “This blend of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Trousseau is the poster child for balance. The show starts with blackberry and thyme aromas, along with notes of earth and citrus. The Trifolium’s zingy acidity and optimal tannic structure support flavors like black cherry, cocoa nibs and a nice pot roast. Best trio since Rush.”
 
Eyrie Trousseau Dundee Hills 2022 750ml $36 special, 14 bottles available
Eric Guido-Vinous 92 Points “Remarkably pretty, the 2022 Trousseau mixes savory woodland berries with rosemary, sage and hints of wet stone. It opens with a pretty inner sweetness and crisp red berry fruits, taking on a tinge of spice and white pepper toward the close. It finishes incredibly fresh and clean, tapering off with medium length and a pleasantly crunchy sensation.”
 
Eyrie Estate Pinot Noir Dundee Hills Willamette Valley 2021 750ml $49 special, 18 bottles available
Eric Guido-Vinous 94+ Points “The 2021 Pinot Noir Estate lifts from the glass with a mentholated freshness, giving way to dried roses and strawberries. Silky and enveloping, it possesses a core of vividly ripe wild berries and sweet herbal tones that resonate over a tactile staining of saline minerals. Grippy tannins saturate through the long, spicy finish as repleting inner florals and bitter hints of licorice fade.”
 
“Haden Fig”
 
Haden Fig Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 2023 750ml $24 special, 24 bottles available
Winery Note “This year’s HF Willamette Valley is led by Cancilla accompanied by Croft and Freedom Hill, and–for the first time!—our new Torres Hill vineyard located just outside of Dallas, OR. The cool vintage worked wonders in these warmer, mostly sedimentary sites. Blackberry liquor, fresh Italian plums, hibiscus, and black raspberry coulis rest atop antique cabinets, black tea, and bitter roots.”
 
“JK Carriere”
 
Jim Prosser, of JK Carriere remains a “winemaker’s winemaker.” His entry level Pinots are outstanding and provide a beautiful window into his style. On the “pretty words” that drive his winemaking and business philosoph, Jim says, “Early pick/high acid/wild-yeast/minimal sulfur/moderate extraction/targeted kinetics/lees ageing/subterranean cellaring/18 mo/French oak/wild-malo/unfined/unfiltered.”
 
It’s all poetry to our ears.
 
JK Carriere Glass White Pinot Noir 2024 750ml $24 special, 12 bottles available
Winery Note “Our ultimate summer sipper is 100% Pinot intentionally pressed into a serious and dry rosé.”
 
JK Carriere Provocateur Pinot Noir 2022 750ml $27 special, 12 bottles available
Winery Note “Our first-rung Pinot is a blend from vineyards in the Willamette Valley and features the winemaker’s grandfather, a true provocateur, on the label.”
 
“Patricia Green”
 
Patricia Green Sauvignon Blanc 2024 750ml $24 special, 12 bottles available
Winery Note “The Estate Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc is a denser, richer more stately version of Sauvignon Blanc than one would generally find in the universe of this grape. The 2024 version has a unique tension to it between its tropical lime-infused papaya notes and the crystalline minerality that is on display at a level we have never experienced before. As is always the case, it is at once very high in acidity but rich in texture which adds to the complexity of the fruit/minerality interplay in the wine and makes the wine profound even at a young age. While this wine is capable of aging (a 2019 consumed early in 2025 was in fabulous condition) we believe it is best served in its relative youth to capture these fresh and delicious flavors.”

 
 
New Arrivals
 
California
 
“Marietta Cellars”

“Scot Bilbro has the magic touch when it comes to crafting wines that deliver superb quality for the money across the various tiers in this range.” — Antonio Galloni, Vinous
 
Founded by the late, great Chris Bilbro, this winery has been crafting incredible, value-driven California wines for decades. Nowhere else can you find high quality cab blends, single vineyard Syrahs and old vine zinfandels for the price.

Marietta Cellars Christo Rhone Blend 2021 750ml $24 special, 24 bottles available
Erin Brooks-Wine Advocate 93 Points “The 2021 Christo is a blend of 68% Syrah, 20% Grenache, 8% Petite Sirah and 4% Viognier. The nose features fresh blackcurrant and blueberry aromas with tones of cast iron, violet, sagebrush and conifer. The full-bodied palate is chalky and refreshing with restrained, mineral-driven fruit and a long, perfumed finish. Give it 2-3 years in bottle or a couple hours in a decanter.”
VinopolNote This wine is packed with French grape varietals, made by a classic California producer. The blend of this wine is Syrah, Grenache, Petite Sirah, and Viognier. On the palate it tastes of full and ripe blackberry, is rounded out with notes of pepper, licorice, and violets. The structure and tannins are full, with tons of smoothness and resolve. It will age for days (let’s be clear here, years), or can be opened and decanted to pair with a grilled meat of your choice.
 
…also currently available from Marietta
 
Marietta Cellars Game Trail Cabernet 2021 750ml $39 special, 25 bottles available
Erin Brooks-Wine Advocate 94 Points “The 2021 Game Trail Cabernet Sauvignon is crunchy, refreshing and easy to drink. It’s scented of fresh blackcurrants and cherries, plus nuances of garrigue and charcuterie. The full-bodied palate is light on its feet with softly chalky tannins, bursts of mouthwatering acidity and a long, mineral-driven finish.”
 
Marietta Cellars Roman Zinfandel 2022 750ml $24 special, 36+ bottles available
Erin Brooks-Wine Advocate 92 Points “The 2022 Román Zinfandel is a blend of 93% Zinfandel, 4% Barbera, 3% Petite Sirah. It has pure, layered scents of apricot, graham cracker, raspberry jam, mossy bark and spice. The palate is light-bodied, soft and juicy with a core of nuanced berry fruit and a mouthwatering, perfumed finish. This is ideal for spicy food! 2,000 cases produced.”
 

Westrey Sale 4-10-25

In This Newsletter:

Westrey Sale
Collector’s Corner: Cristal


 
OG Oregon Producer
 
Stock Up & Save On

 
Westrey

 
Amy Wesselman and David Autrey of Westrey are farmers, first and foremost. They’re not bombastic enough to chase the ephemeral fame of trendy styles. Instead, they live their time-tested values. They prize sustainability, sourcing exclusively organic or LIVE-certified vineyards. Their fruit is all dry-farmed, too, because they believe it produces “better wines and respects the scarcity of water.” Their estate vineyard, Oracle, was originally planted in 1977 and revived, quite literally, by Amy and David after they purchased the property in 2000.
 
Westrey is the type of estate that only becomes famous if some visionary importer stumbles upon their ancient farmhouse in the backcountry of France. I could see Westrey poured at Kermit Lynch’s table alongside a cellared bottle of Lapierre Morgon or a glass of Westrey moving Terry Theise to transform prose into poetry. To say these are wines for reflection seems trite, but there are few other Willamette Valley producers that truly inhabit that space.
 
Westrey’s wines remind me of reconnection, partly because so much of their wine is held back before release. Maybe it’s because the wines speak quietly of place and time; they evoke memories of youth as not better but different. Reviewers talk of vintages by their weather events alone, as though blanket summaries can encapsulate all that has been and all that will be in each bottle. But winery-cellared bottles have stories to share of their transformative time in bottle, too. Reminding you that youth isn’t necessarily a time of immaturity, but rather a point along the journey that led to now. These are wines that speak of time passing as a cherished necessity, not as something to be feared.
 
So, take home a bottle or two, pop a cork, and really listen. You may be surprised by what you hear.
 
5% off any 3-6 in-stock bottles of Westrey
10% off any 7+ or more in-stock bottles of Westrey

 
Discount will not display online or in your cart,
We will adjust your invoice before processing your charge.

 
Sale ends Sunday, April 13th at 9 am Pacific.
 
We offer nine in-stock Westrey options on sale now, including:
 
Westrey Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley 2018 750ml Displayed Price: $18, that’s $17.10 at 5% off and $16.20 at 10% off, 18 bottles in stock now
Decanter 93 points
“A showy and opulent Pinot Gris with six years of bottle age, this wine defies expectations of simplicity for the variety aromatics of ripe stone fruits and dried white flowers with a hint of clover honey. The palate shows richness, honeyed peach and nectarine flesh, and dried notes of tarragon and mint offer complexity and freshness, showing the real ageability of this stalwart Willamette Valley varietal.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $24
 
Westrey Reserve Chardonnay, Willamette Valley 2017 750ml Displayed Price: $33, that’s $31.35 at 5% off and $29.70 at 10% off, 5 bottles in stock now
Decanter 92 points
“[Tasted July 2024] The 2017 Reserve Chardonnay from Westrey balances richness wonderfully with saline minerality and savoury dried florals. Chamomile, white pepper and seaspray aromatics play nicely with smoky grilled lemon notes. The palate shows savoury lemongrass, oyster shells and piquant notes of citrus rind alongside spiced pear, with white pepper carrying the finish. Drinking Window 2024-2029.”
Winery Note “The 2017 Dundee Hills bottling consists 100% of 41-year-old Draper Selection clonal material from Oracle, Westrey’s estate Vineyard, located in the Dundee Hills. Their old, own-rooted, non-irrigated vines really showed their greatness, producing a beautifully balanced and complete wine. It displays the broad, rich character of the 2017 vintage with the vibrant acidity from the first cool vintage in four years. Aromas of ripe pear and baked apple are accompanied by balanced fruit and wonderful natural acidity on the palate. The Chardonnay has a very “Burgundian” texture on the palate.”
 
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
 
Westrey Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2021 750ml Displayed Price: $24, that’s $22.80 at 5% off and $21.60 at 10% off, 13 bottles in stock now
Decanter 89 points
“Tasted July 2024] A dense and riper-styled Pinot Noir from Westrey, 50% of the fruit from Carlton Hill Vineyard and the other half from Holmes Gap in the Van Duzer Corridor. Dark berries and forest floor notes mark the aromatics, and the palate is dusty blackberries with hints of wild herbs with a zippy acidity to lighten the finish. Drinking Window 2024- 2030.”
Winery Note “A harmonious wine with strawberries and cherries on the nose, and bright, ample fruit on the palate. Very food friendly; we love it with meats straight off the grill.”
 
Westrey Reserve Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2014 750ml Displayed Price: $44.50, that’s $42.28 at 5% off and $40.05 at 10% off, 2 bottles in stock now
Winery Note
“Favorable bloom conditions in the Dundee Hills yielded good set, and plenty of sunshine ripened it beautifully without any disease pressure. The crop was bountiful, with thick skins, good structure, and voluminous fruit. Vine age ranged from 13 – 37 years. One of the most highly-acclaimed vintages by winemakers and wine-writers alike. The Reserve barrels were carefully chosen for their expression of their vineyard of origin and their aging potential. The wine displays spicy red-raspberry, red currants, earth, and spice. Hints of vanilla sweetness and rich coffee round out the palate.”
 
This is the only listing in the USA today!

Westrey Reserve Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2015 750ml Displayed Price: $36, that’s $34.20 at 5% off and $32.40 at 10% off, 6 bottles in stock now
Winery Note
“This wine displays plenty of fruit, while still being framed in a structure of balanced acidity and alcohol. The vineyard source for the 2015 is 100% our Oracle Vineyard. The wine has a weighty flavor spectrum of wild raspberry, red currant and sweet spice. Fruit aromas are complemented by notes of sweet clove spice and the slightest hint of vanilla oak. On the palate the wine is open and opulent, with loads of pure Pinot fruit, leading into a rich mid-palate and a balanced finish with a hint of well-integrated tannin.”
 
This is the only listing in the USA today!
 
Westrey Carlton Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir, Yamhill-Carlton 2021 750ml Displayed Price: $38, that’s $36.10 at 5% off and $34.20 at 10% off, 2 bottles in stock now
Decanter 91 points
“[Tasted July 2024] Bright fruits and gravel dust aromas make a show of things in this Pinot Noir from the Carlton Hill Vineyard in the Yamhill-Carlton appellation. The palate shows ample spice and red fruit, such as currants, tart Montmorency cherries, and spiced blood orange. An undercurrent of pine bough and white pepper lifts the wine to its finish. Drinking Window 2024 – 2030.”
Winery Note “Carlton Hill Vineyard, planted on Willakenzie and Peavine soils, brings a plump, juicy, darker fruit to the wine Look for blackberries, cherries, and hints of mushroom and earth.”
 
This is the only listing in the USA today!
 
Westrey Oracle Vineyard Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills 2016 750ml Displayed Price: $33, that’s $31.35 at 5% off and $29.70 at 10% off, 10 bottles in stock now
Decanter 92 points
“[Tasted July 2024] A lively and bright-fruited Pinot Noir from the old vines of Oracle Vineyard was planted originally in 1977 in the Dundee Hills. Red currants and cranberries alight from the glass with notes of fresh spearmint and lively red florals. The palate is loaded with juicy red bramble berries, tart blood orange and a zesty saline marine minerality to the finish. Drinking Window 2024 – 2031.”
Winery Note “We started harvest on September 13th after two weeks of cool weather that provided for physiological ripeness without excessive sugar gain. Once the sun came back out, sugar accumulated quickly even though nights remained cool. The very small crop (average of 1.55 tons per acre) yielded grapes of intense concentration. The resulting wine aged beautifully, with strawberry-raspberry fruit and layers of mushroom, spice and earth.”
 
This is the only listing in the USA today!
 
Westrey “Cuvée 23” (Oracle Vineyard) Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills 2015 750ml Displayed Price: $54.50, that’s $51.78 at 5% off and $49.05 at 10% off, 3 bottles in stock now
Decanter 91 points
“[Tasted July 2024] The Cuvée 23 is from 39-year-old Pommard vines, in the dry-farmed Oracle Vineyard. It’s showing beautifully with forest floor aromatics, of mushrooms, pine tar and violets. The palate retains freshness at the nine year drinking interval, spiced chicory root, wild anise and clove envelope dark berries and spiced black plums. Drinking Window 2024 – 2030.”
Winery Note “This is the third time we have made an old vine Pinot Noir cuvée: the 23 indicates Westrey’s 23 vintage making wine in the valley. This cuvée was harvested on September 28th under sunny skies and after a wonderful cool night. Coming in at 22.9 Brix, with good acidity (TA 6.4 g/l) and a ph 3.29 it was a wonder in a ripe vintage to see the 39 year-old vines show their true colors. The clusters were completely destemmed into 1500 liter open-top fermeters where they underwent a 16-day indigenous fermentation and were racked directly into 6 barrels with 1/3 new French oak. On the nose, it is coy at first: presenting earth, truffle, and notes of Marionberry as it hints at the depth it possesses. On the palate: big rich, seamless fruit that is weighty and mouth-filling. Layer after layer of black currant, coffee, rose petal, high-notes of pomegranate, and low notes of limestone fleshed out by layers of Pinot fruit, simply a wonderfully complete wine.”
 
This is the only listing in the USA today!
 
Westrey “Nadja” Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2021 750ml Displayed Price: $49, that’s $46.55 at 5% off and $44.10 at 10% off, 9 bottles in stock now
Decanter 92 points
“[Tasted July 2024] There are pretty savoury aromatics from the Justice Vineyard in the Eola-Amity Hills. Wild dried herbs, lavender, and strawberries are effusive as aromas leap from the glass. On the palate, candied strawberries combined with notes of white pepper and green tea leaves, pomegranate pulp, and anise provide complexity and depth to this wine a decade on. Drinking Window 2024 – 2033.”
Winery Note “Our pick of the vintage! Blackberry and cherry fruits are enriched by clove and earth on the palate. It is showing beautifully now, and will age for at least a decade.”
 
Shop our nine Westrey selections now!


 
Collector’s Corner:

Roederer Cristal
 
Louis Roederer is synonymous with quality and sustainability. Converting their estate vineyards to organic and biodynamic farming practices and high-density plantings, which all help lower yields and improve quality, these are meticulously farmed plots. Each vineyard is vinified separately for precision blending. Favoring Chardonnay, the resulting wines are among the most age-worthy and elegant on the market.
 
Roederer’s Cristal is one most sought-after bottlings in Champagne—a tête du cuvée that always lives up to the (enthusiastic) hype. Cristal Vinothèque—a late released bottling—represents the pinnacle of Champagne, a true insider’s must-have.
 
In Stock Now:
 
Louis Roederer Cristal Millesime Brut, Champagne 2006 750ml $459 special, 1 bottle in stock now
Antonio Galloni-Vinous 97 points
“The 2006 Cristal is a rich, explosive wine that captures all of the natural radiance of this warm year. Ample and full-bodied, the 2006 is one of the more extroverted recent Cristals. As such, it will drink well now, even though it has more than enough body to drink well for another 20 years or more. This shows real density and tons of character. It’s a big wine. “In retrospect, we might have preferred a lower dosage, but the wine was quite difficult to balance in blending, so we had to go for a higher dosage,” Lécaillon adds. Dosage is 9 grams per liter. Disgorged: 2014.”
 
Louis Roederer Cristal Millesime Brut, Champagne 2015 750ml $379 special, 7 bottles in stock now
The Wine Independent 98 points
“The 2015 Cristal is a blend of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay. No malo-lactic was employed and 25% wine was aged in oak. The dosage is 7 grams per liter. An exquisitely delicate yet complex perfume of clover honey freshly shaved ginger marzipan and jasmine slowly emerges from the nose giving way to a core of pear tart persimmons and apple butter. The palate is an exercise in finesse featuring very fine bubbles and fantastic intensity with a myriad of spice and floral nuances finishing with impressive persistence and jaw-dropping poise. This is a style for those that embrace purity soft-spoken expression and impeccable crafting. It won’t disappoint those who love Champagne in its initial youthful perfume flushes yet will undoubtedly reward the patient with a richer toastier more obvious and opulent style with 5-10 years+ of cellaring.”
 
Louis Roederer Cristal Vinothèque Edition Brut Millésime, Champagne 1999 750ml $1,245 special, 2 bottles in stock now
Antonio Galloni-Vinous 97 points
“Roederer’s 1999 Cristal Vinothèque is endowed with tremendous power and concentration, especially for a Champagne of its age. Palate staining minerals, chalk, white pepper, mint, citrus and orchard fruit soar out of the glass. Tasted next to the Rosé the Blanc has a slightly more toasty character along with more body and a stronger presence of the mousse, which in this wine wraps around the fruit. At the time, Cristal was made from 37 parcels. The Pinots were a blend from Aÿ (where the wines are naturally riper) and Verzenay, Verzy and Beaumont-sur-Vesle, (where Pinots are nervy and taut), while the Chardonnay was sourced from Avize, Mesnil and Cramant. Dosage is 7-8 grams per liter.” [Reviewed 2020]
 

 
Don’t miss our additional sales going on now:
 
Oregon Rosé
 
5% off any 3-6 in-stock bottles of Oregon Rosé
10% off any 7+ or more in-stock bottles of Oregon Rosé
 
Cayuse & Friends
 
Cayuse / Christophe Baron Champagne / Horsepower / No Girls
5% off any 3-6 in-stock bottles
10% off any 7+ or more in-stock bottles

 
Discount will not display online or in your cart,
We will adjust your invoice before processing your charge.

 
Oregon Rosé sale ends Friday, April 11th at 9 am Pacific. Cayuse & Friends sale ends Saturday, April 12th at 9 am Pacific.