In This Newsletter:

Austrian Grüner Sale
Nerd Alert Featurette: Burgundy’s Mercurey



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Austrian Grüner
 

It’s odd that it’s a shocking statement to point out that Austrian winemakers produce some of the greatest wines made anywhere in the world. They count among their ranks such luminaries as FX Pichler, Gobelsburg, and Nikolaihof, and such illustrious vineyards as Heiligenstein and im Weingebirge, the oldest named vineyard in the world.
 
Despite the adoration of diehard fans and sommeliers, the wines don’t always get the attention they deserve. If these wines came from France, these biodynamic, single-vineyard, Grand Cru, food-friendly gems from thousand-year-old wineries, they would be three times as expensive. These are the source of the best value high end whites in the world.

In This Newsletter:

The Eyrie Vineyards & Goodfellow Family Cellars Sale
Rosé of the Day: Cassis


 
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The Eyrie Vineyards & Goodfellow Family Cellars
 
Two Greats of the Willamette Valley
 

 

The Eyrie Vineyards is the original winery of the Dundee Hills. Founded by David Lett in 1965. David selected his location after careful consideration, wanting to prove that cool-climate European varieties could thrive in the United States. He planted the first Pinot Noir vines in the Willamette Valley, a prophetic selection.
 
In 2005, his soft-spoken yet brilliant son, Jason Lett, took over as winemaker and vineyard manager. He explored new varieties, such as Trousseau, without compromising on quality. The winery produces about the same volume it always has, around 9,000 cases annually, keeping the focus on craft and quality.

In This Newsletter:

Arnot-Roberts Sale
Collector’s Corner: Biondi Santi


 
“I can’t think of too many winemakers who are equally skilled at making gorgeous wines from so many different varieties.” –Antonio Galloni, Vinous

Pioneering Wines of ‘New California’
 
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Arnot-Roberts
 

Started by childhood friends Duncan Arnot Meyers and Nathan Lee Roberts in 2001, they’ve quickly established themselves as some of the best producers of restrained and elegant small-parcel wines. In 2013 the San Francisco Chronicle named them “Winemakers of the Year” in recognition of the quality and consistency of the wines they’re producing, and they’ve racked up even more accolades from national reviewers.
 
The wines show spunk and backbone, nothing soft and fruity. The acidity and tannin evoke the great wines of France over their plusher peers.

In This Newsletter:

Prinz Sale
Alois Lageder – The Highs of Alto Adige



A Prinz on the Label / A King at Your Table
 
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Weingut Prinz
 

Fred Prinz originally started Weingut Prinz as a “garagiste” or hobbiest winemaker operation in 1991. The critics quickly became enamored, and an invitation to join the legendary VDP consortium followed in 2005. Their estate vineyards are farmed organically, with a house style that aims for “minerality, elegance, finesse and ageing ability” that expresses terroir. With high-elevation holdings in the Rheingau, the winery produces a full range of Riesling’s including the ultra-rare Eiswein.
 
Prinz wines are beloved and admired in Germany, yet are relatively unknown in the USA. Johannes Selbach, winemaker-owner of Selbach-Oster and tastemaker extraordinaire of German wines (he helped Terry Theise launch his portfolio and connect with producers), was kind enough to recommend this winery to our shop.