Staff Picks; Brunello 2011; Domaine Pegau; Domaine Tempier! Clos Ste Magdeleine!; Wines Trending; Kamptal & Kremstal: A Vineyard Perspective; Elio Altare – Arriving in August; Ongoing Spanish Super Sales
Chateau Margui Coteaux Varois Rose, Provence 2015 750ML ($21.95) $18 special, 36+ bottles available
Chateau Margui Coteaux Varois Rose, Provence 2015 1.5L ($59.95) $49 special, 3 magnums available
For some reason this Chateau Margui wine reminded me of John Singer Sargent’s painting of Lady Agnew. Delicately colorful and expressive, subdued and restrained to the benefit of good taste, penetrating. Its pearly gray rosé color suggests the wine’s bright and refreshing nature. Grapefruit, peach, spice, and minerality… Not a juicy, fruit-jammed rosé, the Château Margüi satisfies those looking for a light summer sipper, with or without food. I can almost sense Lady Agnew reaching for a bottle of Château Margüi rosé hidden behind her fauteuil. – Daniel
Holden Wine Company Johan Vineyard Chardonnay 2014 750ML ($27.95) $24 special, 10 bottles available
I’ve been training myself off of superlatives lately – wine sales and criticism bear no shortage of ’em, after all, and ‘Best Ever’ doesn’t carry the same weight after a half-dozen or more proclamations. Even so, I’ll proudly confess that I have yet to experience a white wine as lovely as Holden’s 2014 Chardonnay.
Holden’s offerings are marked with an energetic, unique edge; you’re welcome to call them anything you’d like outside of ‘boring.’ While value is meaningless without quality and quality suffers when value is lacking, their Chardonnay delivers such a lovely combination of the two. I can’t really say enough good things about their lineup, so I’ll wrap things up with a few thirst-inspiring descriptors…
The Johan Chardonnay is layered and nuanced, going through malolactic fermentation while being spared over manipulation. Effects of lemon drop, honey, and wild herbs coat the palate gently with a breezy, acid-tinged finish bringing it all together. It’s rich without being oaky and complex without seeming distracted. Oregon Chardonnay lovers, as well as anyone else searching for a hidden gem, might find themselves right at home here. – Tyler
Ruffino Modus Toscana IGT, Tuscany 2012 750ML ($27.95) $18 special, 36+ bottles available
Modus is a modern-style Tuscan wine first released in the 1997 vintage. It is a blend of 50% Sangiovese supported by 25% each Merlot and Cabernet. On the nose, there are dark notes of leather, cassis and dried orange peel. In the mouth there are bright notes of sour cherries and the warm leathery note continues. It is rich and robust but with a good acidity that keeps it from being over the top or jammy. The tannins are grippy yet fine, offering a pleasant drying sensation that lingers with the tart cherry note. – Suzanne
James Suckling 94 points “A silky and refined red with currant, berry, mineral and dried flower aromas and flavors. Full-bodied, flavorful and delicious. A blend of sangiovese, cabernet sauvignon and merlot. Drinkable now but better in 2017.” JS
The average price is $26
Below are two of our picks for the best values of the vintage that are available here now:
Caparzo Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2011 750ML ($39.95) $33 special, 36+ bottles available
Case-12 Caparzo Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2011 750ML ($419.95) $359 special, 8 cases available (that’s only $29.92/bottle!)
Antonio Galloni – Vinous 94 points “The 2011 Brunello di Montalcino is a terrific wine for the year. Sweet red cherry, plum, tobacco, mint, sweet spices and orange peel are all front and center. This is a gorgeous 2011 Brunello that represents everything the vintage can be; open-knit, accessible and polished. I don’t expect the 2011 will be a long-term ager, but it is exceptionally beautiful and delicious today.”
James Suckling 93 points “A ripe, juicy wine with blueberry, chocolate, walnut and cherry character. Round and savory. Silky tannins. Very close quality to the fabulous 2010. Delicious now.”
Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2011 750ML ($59.95) $44.90 special, 36+ bottles available
Grapelive 93+ points “The 2011 Casanova di Neri White Label, the Brunello Normale, is full of flavor, extract and energy with ripe fruit, structure to match and pleasing mouth feel… [It] starts with a touch of graphite/flint, red raspberry, sweet minty herbs, light floral tones and cigar wrapper leading to a full and round palate of blackberry, cherry, spiced plum and wild strawberry fruits along with cedar, black fig, anise and warm stones. The body is lavishly textured, but there is lift and vigor with just enough acidity and fine tannin to framed this spot on Brunello. This will be a sleeper, while most people will chase the top end wines and or keep tracking down 2010’s, this looks set to be a great wine that might get overlooked, that will be a mistake, this is one to have and drink over the next decade, it’s very nice stuff. The 2011’s should be widely available in March, be sure to keep an eye out for these Casanova di Neri’s, and if you like Tuscan reds, then you’ll love the stylish flare of di Neri!”
Antonio Galloni 92 points “Casanova di Neri’s 2011 Brunello di Montalcino is a very pretty and expressive wine. Sweet red cherry, menthol, rose petal and mint open up first, followed by a touch of blood orange that adds lovely aromatic lift and brightness throughout. Although not especially complex, the 2011 should drink beautifully for at least a handful of years. Today, it is quite pretty and expressive.”
We offer eight 2011 Brunellos here and arriving soon. Browse the full list at www.vinopoliswineshop.com
Domaine du Pegau
Domaine du Pegau Chateauneuf-du-Pape Cuvee Reservee 2013 1.5L ($149.95) $128 special, 5 magnums available
Case-12 Domaine du Pegau Chateauneuf-du-Pape Cuvee Reservee 2013 750ML ($719.95) $588 special, 5 cases available (that’s only $49/bottle!)
Josh Raynolds–Vinous 93 points “Deep ruby. Potent aromas of ripe dark berries, licorice pastille, woodsmoke, game and garrigue, plus a peppery nuance that adds spiciness and lift. Round and fleshy on the palate, offering intense blackberry and bitter cherry flavors that become livelier and sweeter with air. The very long, energetic, sharply focused finish features fine-grained tannins and subtle, lingering notes of dark berries and smoked meat.”
The Domaine’s first release of Rose landed on our shores this year and it’s proved to be our most popular rose this year. Don’t miss it – once it’s gone you’ll have to wait until next year!
Domaine du Pegau ‘Pink Pegau’ Rose 2015 750ML ($21.95) $18 special, 28 bottles available
Importer’s note: “A delicious new rosé from Laurence Féraud of Domaine du Pegau, Pink Pegau was crafted at Château Pegau, a recently purchased estate of more than 100 acres located less than 4 miles from Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Tasting Notes: Pale pink/salmon in color, with peach, floral and red fruit aromas. Bone dry, with a crisp, mouth-watering acidity leading to a long, spicy, mineral finish.”
Beauties of Provence
Domaine Tempier
& Clos Sainte Magdeleine
Very Limited Quantities!
Clos Sainte Magdeleine Cassis Rose, Provence 2015 750ML ($37.95) $33 pre-arrival special, 24 bottles available
Clos Sainte Magdeleine Cassis Rose, Provence 2015 1.5L ($89.95) $79 pre-arrival special, 3 magnums available
Clos Sainte Magdeleine Cassis Rose, Provence 2015 3L ($219.95) $199 pre-arrival special, 1 jeroboam available
40% Grenache, 40% Cinsault, 20% Mourvèdre sourced from 15-40 year old vines planted in clay/limestone soil.
Importer’s Note: All grapes are de-stemmed and crushed before pressing; juice is delivered by gravity to a temperature-controlled stainless steel cuve, The lees are filtered off of the wine and then re-integrated back in before racking – wine is aged for 7 – 12 months in stainless steel and does not undergo malolactic fermentation.Clos Sainte Magdeleine Cassis Blanc, Provence 2014 750ML ($34.95) $28 pre-arrival special, 24 bottles available
40% Marsanne, 30% Ugni blanc, 25% Clairette, 5% Bourboulenc sourced from 20-30 year old vines planted in clay/limestone soil
Importer’s Note: Juice is delivered by gravity to a temperature-controlled stainless steel cuve; the lees are filtered off of the wine and then re-integrated back in before racking. Wine is aged for 14 – 18 months in stainless steel and undergoes malolactic fermentation in most years.
Domaine Tempier Bandol Rose, Provence 2015 375ML ($27.95) $24 pre-arrival special, 9 half-bottles available
Domaine Tempier Bandol Rose, Provence 2015 750ML ($47.95) $39 pre-arrival special, 24 bottles available
Domaine Tempier Bandol Rose, Provence 2015 1.5L ($99.95) $89 pre-arrival special, 6 magnums available
Domaine Tempier Bandol Rose, Provence 2015 3L ($449.95) $399 pre-arrival special, 1 jeroboam available
Josh Raynolds–Vinous 93 points “Pale orange. Lively, expansive citrus pith and red currant aromas are complemented by suggestions of chalky minerals and white flowers. Sappy, concentrated and precise, offering palate-staining red berry and blood orange flavors and a hint of spicy white pepper. Shows excellent thrust and persistence on the mineral-driven finish, which emphatically echoes the floral and citrus fruit qualities. I’m impressed by the way this wine balances the opulence of the vintage with vivacity and I suspect it will reward at least another eight or so years of patience — standard behavior for this bottling, which ages more like a red wine than a pink one.”
Grapelive 93 points “The steely and luxurious 2015 Domaine Tempier Rosé is a must have wine for summer, made up of a blend of 55% Mourvèdre, 25% Grenache, 20% Cinsault, it shows all the style and substance that is expected of this famous Domaine. The vitality in Lulu Peyraud and winemaker Daniel Ravier’s latest Rosé highlights the organic farming and clear focus in the cellar allowing terroir and soul to show through, this Rosé was crafted 50% by saignée and 50% by direct press, which allows the wine to have power, mouth feel and still be intensely vibrant and detailed. It spent 6 months in Cuves, large neutral cask to fresh out and heighten the textural pleasure, it is not as old school funky/cool as Chateau Simone or the Tibouren based Clos Cibonne, but still has good aging potential, even though with Tempier I can’t imagine waiting too long to drink this hedonistic rite of summer. The first impression of the 2015 is one of joyous reunion, the gorgeous hue of which you can’t help smile at, pinkish/orange, it invokes warm sunset images and romance with a play of mineral, wild lavender, spiced rosewater and tangerine leading up to sour cherry, watermelon, wet stones, bright saline, red peach, zesty citrus, ruby grapefruit and very faint soft wood sensation. There is a great play of tangy/savory elements set against a lavish and lush sorbet forwardness that appeals and this tension runs the length of this fine Rosé, it’s funny too people, while complaining at the price adore this wine, though I can’t help think it is a bargain when compared to the $100 offerings from Domaine Ott or Chateau d’ Esclans, and I can’t fathom a summer without a few bottles! In a new age where there is a lot of great pink wines, Domaine Tempier is still the benchmark, don’t miss it.”
Wines Trending
Wine Advocate 90 points “The 2014 Morgon Belles Grives has a more taciturn nose compared to Duboeuf’s other 2014 Morgons, so be patient with it, since it reveals traces of blackcurrant and kirsch with time, all nicely defined but constantly demanding coaxing from the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, well-balanced and focused, with cracked black pepper enlivening the structured finish. Don’t be afraid to give this a little decanting before pouring.” NM
The average price is $17
Dominus Estate Christian Moueix, Napa Valley 2013 750ML ($349.95) $319 special, only 2 bottles remaining
Robert Parker 100 points “The 2013 Dominus is, to my way of thinking, one of the most profound wines Christian Moueix has yet made in his rather brilliant winemaking history, both in France and in Napa Valley. This wine, with very low yields of only 3,500 cases and a final blend of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Petit Verdot and 4% Cabernet Franc, offers up notes of cedar wood, forest floor, loamy soil and oodles of blackberry and blackcurrant fruit. Very opaque purple in color, super-pure and intense, this wine has low acidity, but ripe, noticeable tannins. This is a 30- to 40-year wine and a profound effort from this famous vineyard in Yountville. Drink it over the next 40+ years.”
Antonio Galloni 100 points “The 2013 Dominus overwhelms all the senses with its magnificent overall balance and towering intensity. Deep and nearly impenetrable in the glass, the 2013 boasts off the charts dry extract and overall power. Violets, smoke, black cherries, menthol, incense, crème de cassis and dark spices are some of the many signatures that take shape in the glass. Even better in bottle than it was in barrel, the 2013 is utterly magnificent. This is a remarkably vivid, nuanced wine considering its sheer size.”
James Suckling 100 points “The aromas to this are multidimensional and fascinating with black truffles, bark, cloves, black currants and citrus – even ginseng. Full-bodied, yet reserved, even austere, with chewy and powerful tannins that remain polished and refined. The flavors are more umami and savory. Then there’s forest fruits and red orange undertones. It lasts for minutes. A wine to age for a lifetime. It’s an experience to taste this. A new classic showing its history and tradition as a source of the greatest wines ever from Napa. A wine to always enjoy.”
K Vintners Syrah Milbrandt Vineyard 2013 ($39.95) $27 pre-arrival super special, ETA Friday, July 15th
Wine Advocate 94 points “Probably the greatest vintage of this cuvee to date, the 2014 Syrah Milbrandt Vineyard is 100% Syrah, fermented with 100% whole clusters, spent 15 months in 20% new French oak barrels and puncheons. This beauty is overflowing with notes of cassis, caramelized meats, licorice and spice, which gives way to a full-bodied, concentrated, superbly textured Syrah that can be enjoyed today, or cellared for a decade.”
Arterberry Maresh Maresh Vineyard Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills 2014 750ML ($74.95) $59 re-arrival special, re-arriving Friday, July 15th
Wine Advocate 95 points “The 2014 Maresh Vineyard Pinot Noir has a beautiful bouquet with wonderful precision. The vine age does show through here (44-years-old now) with crisp detailed red berry fruit that just exudes Pinoté. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, very well-judged acidity, touches of truffle and undergrowth tincturing the red berry fruit that fans out wonderfully towards the long and satisfying finish. This is a great Pinot Noir from an estate that seems to have thrived in 2014.”
and Renner Vineyards in the Kamptal Region
Introducing the KamptalThe Schloss Gobelsburg wine estate, the Heiligenstein vineyard, the wine-center charm of Langenlois… Austria’s Kamptal region ranks amongst Europe’s finest wine regions. Looking over the Kamp River before it meets the Danube, and facing south to catch the sun’s warmth, Grüner Veltliner and Riesling vines here produce spectacular wines. Especially from sites like Lamm and Renner, which deliver some of Austria’s most concentrated Grüner Veltliner, and from Gaisberg and Heiligenstein, where the Riesling is on par with those of famous Wachau to the west. It’s no coincidence, then, that the list of Kamptal wine producers includes top-class names. We are pleased to introduce you to (or re-familiarize you with) a selection of these stunningly pure Austrian wines.
Heiligenstein Vineyard
King of the Kamptal, Rieslings grown in the Heiligenstein vineyard could be termed masculine. Rich and suave, they offer a contrasted, paradoxical array of flavors, from herbal to fruity, tart to sweet, pineapple to pepper. The soil contains no loess due to the vineyard’s pronounced slope, and its sedimentary origin dates back some 300 million years, making it as idiosyncratic as the Rieslings it produces.
Weingut Hirsch Kammerner Heilegenstein Gruner Veltliner Erste OTW Lage, Kamptal 2014 750ML ($29.95) $24 special, 2 bottles available
David Schildknecht–Vinous 88 points “Piquant phenolics lend stimulation to a lean and firm but felicitously juicy performance in which lemon-laced apple and fresh green bean dominate. At just 11.9% alcohol, this is ideally poised to finish with both levity and refreshment. (From vintage 2015, this bottling’s misleading label allusion to “Heiligenstein” as a Grosslage will be replaced by the communal designation “Kammerer.”)”
Weingut Willi Brundlmayer Zobinger Heiligenstein Alte Reben Reserve Riesling, Kamptal 2012 750ML (89.95) $69 special, 12 bottles available
Terry Theise notes: “First offering. And an utter contrast to Lyra. This is all herbs and stones and hay, all in an ever-shifting mosaic; exceptionally pure, Gregorian, woodsy, even spicy and minty; it’s Riesling asserting every one of its flavors that aren’t flowers or fruits. I don’t know what’s on the far side of this, nor do I insist it’s as sensually pleasurable as the Lyra, but I’m sure they only make complete sense as a unit, each fitting over the other’s shadow like a palimpsest. A short note to my somm friends. I know your wine programs are agents of hospitality first and foremost. They’re not dissertations into the Very-Meaning-Of-Wine-Itself. Yet I also know that these two wines form a whole that’s enormously greater than the sum of its parts, and that some of what prompts you to buy are cerebral or conceptual concerns. If you drink these two Rieslings together, a door is flung open and your knowledge of wine is catapulted forward as if you’d been shot from a trebuchet.”
The next best price is $79.99
Weingut Willi Brundlmayer Zobinger Heiligenstein Riesling, Kamptal 2008 750ML ($39.95) $33 special, 20 bottles available
Terry Theise notes: “What a perfect time to reintroduce this lovely ’08. And what a perfect foil it is to the masterly ’13. The older wine is herbal and mineral, tansy and dill and romanescu. Back in ’09 I described it as piquant, and having “moon fruit.””
The next best price is $39.99
Terry Theise notes: “Trades a little of Gaisberg’s outline and scores lovely exotic notes in return; spices, orchid-oolong and peony; not the gravitas of mineral of Gaisberg but more a semifreddo of middle-eastern spice and osmanthus.”
David Schildknecht–Vinous 92 points “Scents of iris and jasmine, apple and apricot set the stage for a generously juicy, subtly interactive performance on a silken palate. Cooler in personality and in its floral/herbal shadings and more aloof than the corresponding Gaisberg, this nonetheless introduces considerable piquancy and chew of fruit pit, pip and skin in its sustained, mouthwateringly saline finish.”Schloss Gobelsburg Zobinger Heiligenstein Riesling Reserve Erste OTW Lage, Kamptal 2014 750ML ($69.95) $49 special, 6 bottles available
David Schildknecht–Vinous 92 points “Bittersweet, subtly musky scents of iris and peony complement hints of honey and spice borne of botrytis. Silken-textured and expansive, the palate here delivers quince and ripe white peach enveloped in billowing floral perfume and set against a background of wet stone, leading to a soothingly lingering yet tinglingly citric and crystalline finish. This doesn’t display the degree of animation, complexity, salinity or primary juiciness of the remarkable corresponding Gaisberg, but still represents a superb success, especially in the context of its vintage.”
David Schildknecht–Vinous 93 points “Seductive wisteria and gentian perfume wafts from the glass, presaging a sweet sense of inner-mouth florality that perfectly complements this Riesling’s luscious depth of succulent peach, pineapple, orange and lime. A shimmering exchange with stony, saline and alkaline notes plays out on a silky palate, while the finish introduces an invigorating impression of crunched raspberry seeds, subtly integrating their bitterness and that of citrus oils into the floral, fruity, mineral mélange.”
Wine Advocate 92 points “Schloss Gobelsburg’s 2010 Riesling Heiligenstein presents a smokily aromatic as well as more incisive and phenolically gripping palate impression than that of the corresponding Gaisberg. At a place where intense spice; herbal pungency; and of what for want of words can only be called diverse “mineral” impingements all intersect, you have this wine’s vibratory, invigorating palate rub-down. A crunch of berry seeds and piquancy of apricot kernel add to the effect of this vinous sauna (minus the heat!) Hints of gooseberry point toward the coolness of the vintage, while lilac and elderflower perfume unmistakably point toward the face of this great site. Look for at least the better part of a decade of stimulation both mental and physical, and if at all possible have some Gaisberg on-hand for direct comparison.”
Terry Theise: “Michi wants to offer a couple wines with bottle-age, and this is a wonderfully curious way to begin. 2010, if you don’t remember, was a ripe, powerful vintage with markedly high acidity, and this wine is developing typically; the structure is dramatic and the fruit is already completely tertiary. It’s sturdy, with excellent length, and probably ready to drink. Paradoxically I am finding that extreme high-acid vintages actually should be drunk young, because wine does not really “age on its acidity.” Acidity ages on itself, which is to say it is frozen-in-place, and really doesn’t address the above-ground fruit at all.”
Terry Theise: “As always, smokier, saltier and with another kind of texture, less crystalline than raw-silken; this vintage seems to emphasize the top notes and mineral more than the Wicca-potion, yet the aroma is entirely erogenous, a feather-stroke of almost unbearable complexity; cicada-hiss, anise-hyssop and black cherry in an infinitely precise and limitless gesture of measured power.”
Gaisberg VineyardThe Kamptal would not be complete without a svelte counterpart. Finer in body than Heiligenstein which it borders on the east, brightly fruity and mineral, Gaisberg delivers a cooler wine with vibrant acidity. Wine writer Terry Theise calls Gaisberg “a Riesling-lover’s wine.”
Weingut Hirsch Zobinger Gaisberg Riesling, Kamptal 2013 750ML ($59.95) $49 special, 16 bottles available
David Schildknecht–Vinous 92 points “Ocean spray-like alkalinity and salinity are signaled in the nose, along with faint struck flint and intriguingly sweaty, musky hints. Palate stoniness along with citrus pip and peach kernel piquancy make for pithiness and slight austerity to this firmly textured and impressively persistent bottling. An intriguing wafting floral element suggestive of iris and narcissus is also bitterly shaded in comparison with the effusive perfume of the corresponding Heiligenstein. There is a dynamic sense of finishing interaction between the aforementioned elements and a bright citric juiciness, with coiled energy emerging as faintly electric tingling. I hope that bottling in screwcap doesn’t lock in the bit of reduction here.”
Terry Theise notes: “The perfection of the cool, a moony minimalist wine, like a Miles Davis solo, or the waltz of the little dancer in the music box, or a full white moon over a black field of icy jewels.”
David Schildknecht–Vinous 92 points [full text above]
Schloss Gobelsburg Gaisberg Riesling Reserve Erste OTW Lage, Kamptal 2015 750ML ($39.95) $33 pre-arrival special, ETA Fall 2016
Terry Theise: “Gaisberg to me is always a moonlight wine, and this one is cool, gauzy, sheer, ethereal and yet with a clearly visible dialogue (maybe even a dialectic) among minerals and blueberries; surpassingly refined and filigree, a Riesling-lover’s wine, yet for all its high frequencies it is not delicate.”
Schloss Gobelsburg Lamm Gruner Veltliner Reserve Erste OTW Lage, Kamptal 2013 750ML ($79.95) $59 special, 14 bottles available
Schloss Gobelsburg Lamm Gruner Veltliner Reserve Erste OTW Lage, Kamptal 2013 1.5L ($119.95) $99 special, 5 magnums available
David Schildknecht–Vinous 94 points “The Kamptal’s iconic Grüner Veltliner vineyard has seldom if ever had to rise to a challenge like that of the other Gobelsburg 2013s from this variety. It succeeds in part by offering scents and flavors such as make one wonder how this could come from grapes. Hyacinth and freesia in the nose are mingled with nuances of alkaline and wet stone that then, along with toasted grain and mouthwatering veal stock, dominate the palate proceedings. That’s not to suggest that this wine lacks fruit. Apple, quince and honeydew offer a luscious presence, with complete transparency to mossy forest floor and mineral intrigue. Bittersweet floral perfume adds to the wine’s creamy, glossy inner-mouth allure. Rather than the energy and dynamic so memorable in the comparable Renner, this delivers an enveloping, buoyant wave of finishing flavor.”
Schloss Gobelsburg Lamm Gruner Veltliner Reserve Erste OTW Lage, Kamptal 2014 750ML ($69.95) $49 special, 8 bottles available
David Schildknecht–Vinous 92 points “Scents of acacia, mint, honeydew melon and earthy beet also inform the expansive palate, where the piquancy and minerality of chard is introduced, along with a cucumber-like sense of crunchy invigoration and refreshment more familiar from lighter-weight and less texturally rich examples of this grape. Smoky pungency suggests toasted buckwheat, and Madagascar peppercorn teams intriguingly with crushed stone in the long finish.”
Stephen Tanzer 92 points “Slowly emerging aromas of honeyed peach, lime zest and ripe plum. Harmoniously herbal and subtly austere, with wonderfully integrated acidity lending a particularly refreshing quality to the peach and apricot flavors. This is less a veltliner to drink on its own than a very versatile food wine.” ST
The next best price is $56.99
Terry Theise: “Lamm as a rule is buckwheat-y, rusky, savory but not thick, like a vegetable-veal stock with barley, yet oddly also like lamb itself. (“Lamm” doesn’t mean lamb, but is rather a dialect word for “loam.”) It is a great wine though virtually without fruit per se. Its poise of gloss and power, intensity and outline, mass and transparency are emblems of the paradox without which no wine is truly great. The aroma is sublime here, and the wine will be clearly and definitely Great. The palate is salty and amazingly detailed for all its power—as usual. Look, if Lamm, Gobelsburg, 2015 haven’t already convinced you this is a must-purchase, then you haven’t been listening or I’m shitty at what I do.”
Weingut Hirsch Kammerner Renner Gruner Veltliner Erste OTW Lage, Kamptal 2013 750ML ($41.95) $36 special, 2 bottles available
Weingut Hirsch Kammerner Renner Gruner Veltliner Erste OTW Lage, Kamptal 2013 1.5L ($99.95) $79 special, 3 magnums available
David Schildknecht–Vinous 93 points “With a diversity of mineral nuances more familiar from Riesling, this Grüner Veltliner projects an infectiously juicy and crunchily invigorating alliance of fresh lime, orange, pea tendrils, corn shoots and ginseng, with beet root earthiness joining wet stone on the bass line. A penetrating, almost severely but downright mouth-shakingly intense finish perpetuates the full range of diversity displayed on the firm palate, accompanied by hints of iodine, black tea smokiness plus saliva-inducing salinity and animality akin to oyster liquor. This weighs in at just 12.7% alcohol, permitting a lovely sense of levity to boot. A new parcel in Renner was added this year and Hirsch’s already owned vines had reached what he judged to be proper maturity for producing a wine dedicated to and worthy of this site. He was certainly right! (For further indications of this vineyard’s potential check out my accompanying review of Schloss Gobelsburg’s 2013 rendition.)”
Terry Theise: “When I tasted it I almost violently did not want to write a tasting note. It is a perfect vintage of this great, great Cru, and that’s all that needs to be said. The vineyard lies at the foot of the Gaisberg, on eroded gneiss with a lot of paragneiss, mica and amphibolite, all under a blanket of loess. Its wines are as good as the Lamm, which is a warmer site giving wines of greater amplitude and stature. Yet the quality of flavor and complexity of nuance are incomparable from Renner, and I had it next to the Lamm just to make sure I wasn’t being diddled by my subjective preference for minerality.”
For the summer season we are offering UPS Three Day Select Service for the price of UPS Ground for shipments normally traveling 4 or more business days.
Free service upgrade only applies on single orders purchased and shipped during the promotional period. Additional fees will apply to orders held for any reason until after the promotional period and shipped by Three Day Select. Offer not valid on pre-arrival items that arrive after the promotional period.We offer flat rate shipping on any size single order / single shipment
–Washington & Idaho for $20,
-and California for $25
These rates do not apply to orders held in storage here for any reason.
Multiple orders consolidated into one shipment
do not qualify for flat rate shipping.
Arriving Next Week from Keller
The Stunning Double-R Bottling
Weingut Keller Westhofener Kirchspiel “RR” Riesling, Rheinhessen 2015 750ML ($59.95) $49 pre-arrival special, ETA Friday, July 22nd
John Gilman 94 points “There was no 2014 RR bottling from Weingut Keller, but happily, the 2015 vintage allowed for this cuvée and what an amazingly fine wine it is! The bouquet is very pure, very precise and nascently complex, as it soars from the glass in a stunning blend of tart orange, very complex, crystalline minerality, blood orange, petrol, gentle notes of wild yeasts and a topnote of citrus zest. On the palate the wine is fullish, complex and electric in its vibrancy, with a superb core of fruit, great mineral lift on the backend and laser-like focus on the very, very long and utterly refined finish. The best RR vintage I have yet tasted from KP! 2016-2040.”
Arriving in August
Elio Altare
The Altare approach favors balance and elegance, limiting the use of chemicals and pesticides to only absolutely necessary instances and fertilizing with organic cow manure. Indigenous yeast fermentations only, with no filtration or clarification in the wines and no other substances typically employed to modify the structure of a wine; sulfur levels are also kept low. Today, Elio and his wine continue to make the wine in addition to cheeses, medicinal herbs, and organic fruits and vegetables. Their daughter Silvia joined in early 2000, taking over much of the operations while their youngest daughter Elena lives in German and runs a small wine import company.
Antonio Galloni 90 points “The 2014 Dolcetto d’Alba shows what a quality-obsessed grower can achieve in a tough year. The vintage may not have provided the best conditions, but that did not stop Altare from crafting a beautiful, expressive Dolcetto long on class and polish. Red plum, mint, sweet spices and lavender are layered into the exquisite, mid-weight finish. Yields were down around 30%, which is typical for the year.”Elio Altare Barbera d’Alba, Piedmont 2014 750ML ($21.95) $18 pre-arrival special
Antonio Galloni 89 points “The 2014 Barbera d’Alba is supple, juicy and immediate, with plenty of dark red/bluish fruit, sweet spices and flowers. Silky and beautifully expressive in the glass, the 2014 will deliver considerable drinking pleasure over the next few years.”
Elio Altare Barolo DOCG, Piedmont 2011 750ML ($69.95) $59 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 93 points “The 2011 Barolo shows elegance and poise with a meaningful feeling of purity and focus. Elio and daughter Silvia Altare added some additional fruit from the Liste cru for the first time to make this base Barolo. It sees no filtration or clarification. Pretty berry notes with licorice and toasted almond fill the palate. Wild berries and pressed cherry give the wine vertical lift and energy.”
Antonio Galloni 92 points “Altare’s 2011 Barolo is dark, sensual and super-expressive. Cherry, plum, tobacco, smoke, spice and leather meld together in an effortless, gracious Barolo built on texture and volume. The richness and breath of the vintage comes through in spades in an open, expressive Barolo that will drink well with minimal cellaring.”
Elio Altare Vigneto Arborina, Barolo DOCG 2011 750ML ($99.95) $79 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 94 points “The 2011 Barolo Arborina is a fantastic expression that boasts a seamless fusion of dark fruit and spice. It delivers character, power and a feminine side that comes forward thanks to pretty floral definition. Pressed violets and roses rise from the glass. Elio Altare makes his wines on the verge of reduction (meaning with minimal contact with oxygen) as a way of safeguarding the aromatic intensity. In the mouth, the wine awards fine tannins and silky, long persistency.”
The average price is $98
Wine Advocate 95 points “Sadly, the 2011 Barolo Brunate represents the last time this wine will be released. The Altare family lost its lease on this historic vineyard. In fact, this is the only year Altare will release a full range of wines including those being phased out and those being newly introduced. Elegance and grace are the main themes here, but you also get a pretty embroidery of violets, toasted almond and balsam herb. Elio and Silvia Altare tell me they are heartbroken to see this important part of their portfolio disappear. We all are.”
The average price is $144
Buil & Gine 17-XI, Montsant 2012 750ML ($17.95) Was $14, Now $11.90, 19 bottles available
Wine Spectator 90 points “This focused red offers flavors of black cherry, kirsch, licorice, toast and mineral, with juicy acidity and well-integrated tannins. Features a nice balance of fruit and savory character. Garnacha, Cariñena and Tempranillo. Drink now through 2020. 2,500 cases made.”
Now we’re even lower!
The next best price is $14.99
R. Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Reserva, Rioja DOCa 2003 750ML ($47.95) $33 special, 36 bottles available
Case-12 R. Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Reserva, Rioja DOCa 2003 750ML ($499.95) $359 special, 3 cases available (that’s only $29.92/bottle and the lowest listed price in the USA today!)
Josh Raynolds–Vinous 92 points “Bright ruby-red. Ripe cherry, vanilla and floral pastilles on the smoky, oak-spiced nose. Sweet and supple on the palate, offering pliant red fruit and spicecake flavors with suave mocha and vanilla bean nuances. Quite lively and fresh for a wine from a hot vintage, and showing no excess fat. Finishes sweet, toasty and very long, with smooth tannins making a late appearance.”
Wine Spectator 91 points “Cigar box, cedar and balsamic notes frame cherry, raisin and licorice flavors in this lean, firm red. Displays grip and focus. A traditional style. Drink now through 2023.
VinopolNote: López de Heredia is well-respected for its traditional winemaking and its lengthy ageing of both its reds and whites. The result is wines of exquisite complexity, maturity, and ability to drink upon release or age longer at a fraction of the price of other classic wine regions. The family is proud of their history of exclusively using their own estate-grown grapes from traditionally farmed vineyards untouched by modern machinery or chemicals. The 2003 Tondonia presents blackcurrant and smoke in terms or aromas and delivers a brilliant mix of saddle leather, roasted herbs, ripe red fruit, and earth on the palate. The tannins are there – and aren’t shy – but the acid, brightness, and body all come together in a lively, balanced wine.Bodegas Allegro con Spirito Monte Hiniesta, Toro 2010 750ML ($17.95) $14 special, 30 bottles available
Case-12 Bodegas Allegro con Spirito Monte Hiniesta, Toro 10 750ML ($179.95) $149 special, 4 cases available (that’s only $12.42/bottle and the lowest listed price in the USA today!)
Wine Advocate 92 points “The palate is medium-bodied with ripe, succulent, fleshy tannins that are caressing in the mouth. There is plump, ripe red berry fruit, red currant, raspberry and a touch of balsamic at the finish. This is just as good as the succeeding vintage. Drink 2014-2019.” WA
VinopolNote: The Spanish region of Toro produces powerful red wines from Tempranillo, which is known locally as the Tinto de Toro clone. Tinto has thicker skins and lower general acidity, offering wines of a more robust and darker in style than typical Rioja and Ribera del Deuro expressions. Juan Antonio Gernandez founded his winery in 2000 and runs the bodega with his wife. This bottling is produced from grapes grown in clay, limestone and stony soils. The vines average over 75 years in age.
Bodegas Muga Reserva, Rioja DOCa 2011 750ML ($24.95) $21.90 special, 36+ bottles available
Case-12 Bodegas Muga Reserva, Rioja DOCa 2011 750ML ($299.95) $236 special, 6 cases available (that’s only $19.67/bottle!)
Wine Advocate 91+ points “The 2011 Reserva is mostly Tempranillo complemented with some 20% Garnacha, 10% Graciano and 5% Mazuelo. There are no stainless-steel vats at Muga, so everything is fermented in oak vats and this wine is then aged for one year in new French oak barrels and a further year in used ones (three to six years old), fined with egg white and bottled. It is a Rioja that mixes the traditional and modern character with ripe fruit and contains oak aromas that are quite spicy and have some toast and smoke that should integrate with a bit of time in bottle. The palate is medium-bodied, has clean flavors that are balanced with sweet tannins. This is easy to drink, pleasant but not banal, and delivers a lot for its price. An impressive half-million bottles are produced of this wine, which is sold as Crianza in Spain and as Reserva in the rest of the world. Year after year, one of the most reliable and affordable Reservas.” LG
13Bodegas Hacienda Monasterio, Ribera del Duero 2012 750ML ($44.95) $36.60 special, 25 bottles available
Case-12 Bodegas Hacienda Monasterio, Ribera del Duero 2012 750ML ($499.95) $399 special, 3 cases available (that’s only $33.25/bottle and the lowest listed price in the USA today!)
Wine Advocate 94 points “The current vintage for the crianza is 2012. The 2012 Crianza, from a dry vintage, resulted much fresher than expected, fresher than 2009 and 2011 in fact. The vines are dry-farmed and were planted some 22 years ago, and you might say they have matured by now. The approximate mixture of grapes in their vineyards is mostly Tempranillo with some 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot and 2% Malbec, and it’s more or less the blend in this wine. The Cabernet works well, providing finesse and some acidity to the Tempranillo….The wine matured in 20% new French oak barrels for some 20 months. There are no traces of the barriques and the nose took me to the Riberas of yesteryear, with some subtle rusticity; it’s ripe without excess and there’s good balance between fruit, spices and perhaps something earthy. The palate is extremely balanced, medium-bodied with very fine tannins, tasty, approachable and long. This could very well be the best crianza ever produced at Monasterio. This has to be one of the bargains of the vintage in Ribera, given the quality it deliver.”
VinopolNote: With Pingus owner/ winemaker Peter Sisseck consulting since 1990, Hacienda Monasterio is one of the most solid ventures within the appellation. Hacienda Monasterio is an estate wine project and one of the great names in Ribera del Duero. All grapes come from their own surrounding vineyards which currently total 95 hectares. It is located in Pesquera de Duero in the province of Valladolid, close to Valbuena’s monastery and also close to Vega Sicilia, of which it was part in the 19th century.
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