Saturday Newsletter – 6-24-17

Breaking News! Produttori Super Specials for 2013 Crus; Budget-Friends Rhone (And Rhone-Adjacent) Wine Arriving Wednesday; Round Two: New Reviews from David Schildknecht For 2015 Mosel Wines; 2015 FX Pichlers Are Here!; Staff Pick: Swan Zin For the Win; Giacomo Conterno: An Italian Tradition

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Summer Shipping Special:

Midwest, East, & South

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 by ground.

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 items purchased before the promotional period or on pre-arrival items that arrive after the promotional period ends.

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Breaking News!

Produttori Super Specials

For 2013 Crus

Arriving in April 2018

In 2013, overall production is down versus the 2011 vintage. No 2012 crus were made and no 2014 crus are expected. Though this speaks well for the quality of the ’13 vintage, it bodes ill for the supply!

“Two thousand thirteen …is shaping up to be an epic vintage of classic proportions and superb pedigree. The growing season was much more stable than 2012, but it is the last month of the year, a perfect September with warm days and cool nights, that yielded Barbarescos endowed with regal intensity. The 2013s remind me of the 2010s, but with more inner sweetness and mid-palate richness.

“Aldo Vacca has deftly brought the Produttori del Barbaresco into modern times while making subtle changes to farming and winemaking yet maintaining the traditional style that has made this coop so adored by its rabidly loyal fan base. The changes at Produttori have been gradual to the degree they aren’t always so noticeable, but they are there. No one knows every nook and cranny of Barbaresco better than Aldo Vacca, but Vacca has also proven to be incredibly wise in making choices that have positioned the Produttori for much continued success in the future.”–Antonio Galloni
The wines are slated for release next spring. Don’t miss your chance!

Case-12 Produttori del Barbaresco Asili, Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 2013 750ML ($699.95) $619 pre-arrival special (that’s only $51.58/bottle!)
Produttori del Barbaresco Asili, Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 2013 750ML ($69.95) $59 pre-arrival special

This is the only listing in the USA today!

Case-12 Produttori del Barbaresco Montefico, Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 2013 750ML ($599.95) $519 pre-arrival special (that’s only $43.25/bottle!)
Produttori del Barbaresco Montefico, Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 2013 750ML ($59.95) $49 pre-arrival special

This is the only listing in the USA today!

Case-12 Produttori del Barbaresco Montestefano, Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 2013 750ML ($599.95) $519 pre-arrival special (that’s only $43.25/bottle!)
Produttori del Barbaresco Montestefano, Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 2013 750ML ($59.95) $49 pre-arrival special
Produttori del Barbaresco Montestefano, Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 2013 1.5L ($119.95) $99 pre-arrival special

This is the only listing in the USA today for the 750ML!

Case-12 Produttori del Barbaresco Muncagota, Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 2013 750ML ($599.95) $489 pre-arrival special (that’s only $40.75/bottle!)
Produttori del Barbaresco Muncagota, Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 2013 750ML ($59.95) $49 pre-arrival special

This is the only listing in the USA today!

Case-12 Produttori del Barbaresco Ovello, Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 2013 750ML ($599.95) $519 pre-arrival special (that’s only $43.25/bottle!)
Produttori del Barbaresco Ovello, Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 2013 750ML ($59.95) $49 pre-arrival special
Produttori del Barbaresco Ovello, Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 2013 1.5L ($119.95) $99 pre-arrival special

This is the only listing in the USA today for the 750ML!

Case-12 Produttori del Barbaresco Paje, Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 2013 750ML ($599.95) $499 pre-arrival special (that’s only $41.58/bottle!)
Produttori del Barbaresco Paje, Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 2013 750ML ($59.95) $49 pre-arrival special

This is the only listing in the USA today!

Case-12 Produttori del Barbaresco Pora, Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 2013 750ML ($599.95) $519 pre-arrival special (that’s only $43.25/bottle!)
Produttori del Barbaresco Pora, Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 2013 750ML ($59.95) $49 pre-arrival special

This is the only listing in the USA today!

Case-12 Produttori del Barbaresco Rabaja, Barbaresco Riserva DOCG2013 750ML ($699.95) $619 pre-arrival special (that’s only $51.58/bottle!)
Produttori del Barbaresco Rabaja, Barbaresco Riserva DOCG2013 750ML ($69.95) $59 pre-arrival special
Produttori del Barbaresco Rabaja, Barbaresco Riserva DOCG2013 1.5L ($149.95) $119 pre-arrival special

This is the only listing in the USA today for the 750ML!

Case-12 Produttori del Barbaresco Rio Sordo, Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 2013 750ML ($599.95) $499 pre-arrival special (that’s only $41.58/bottle!)
Produttori del Barbaresco Rio Sordo, Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 2013 750ML ($59.95) $49 pre-arrival special

This is the only listing in the USA today!

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Budget-Friends Rhone (And Rhone-Adjacent) Wine

Arriving Wednesday, June 28th

Domaine Boisson Cotes du Rhone Villages Massif d’Uchaux Clos de la Brussiere, Rhone 2009 750ML ($24.95) $18 pre-arrival special
Case-12 Domaine Boisson Cotes du Rhone Villages Massif d’Uchaux Clos de la Brussiere, Rhone 2009 750ML ($299.95) $199 pre-arrival special (that’s only $16.58/bottle!)
Robert Parker 91 points “Even better is the 2009 Cairanne Clos de la Brussiere from the Massif d’Uchaux, the newest Cotes du Rhone-Villages appellation. A dark ruby/purple color is followed by deliciously ripe fruit in this seriously stacked and packed effort. Revealing lots of kirsch liqueur, loamy soil, garrigue and lavender notes, this full-bodied, richly fruity, pure, well-balanced 2009 should drink well for 4-5 years.”

This is the only listing in the USA today!

Lavau Cotes du Rhone Villages, Rhone 2013 750ML ($14.95) $11.90 pre-arrival special
Case-12 Lavau Cotes du Rhone Villages, Rhone 2013 750ML ($179.95) $119 pre-arrival special (that’s only $9.92/bottle!)
Wine Spectator 88 points “Juicy blackberry and raspberry fruit races along, inlaid with subtle black tea and anise notes. Focused finish.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $12.74

Lavau Gigondas, Rhone 2012 750ML ($24.95) $18 pre-arrival special
Case-12 Lavau Gigondas, Rhone 2012 750ML ($299.95) $199 pre-arrival special (that’s only $16.58/bottle!)
Wine Spectator 90 points “Features a dark profile, with steeped plum, black licorice and graphite notes framed by Lapsang souchong tea and carrying through the fleshy, well-defined finish. Very solid.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $24.99
The average price is $26

Chateau Pesquie Terrasses Rouge, Ventoux 2007 750ML ($19.95) $11.90 pre-arrival special
Robert Parker 91 points “The 2007 Terrasses Rouge is a custom cuvee put together for importer Eric Solomon. Made from 60-year-old Grenache and 30-year-old Syrah, one-third is aged in small barrels and the rest in foudre and tank. I’m sure discounters will offer this cuvee for around $12 a bottle, which makes it a remarkable bargain. A dense ruby/purple color is followed by aromas of cassis, kirsch, lavender, pepper, and spice. The sweetness of the tannins, abundant glycerin, razor sharp focus, and wonderful depth make for a wine that transcends its humble price and bucolic appellation.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $19.95

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Round Two

David Schildknecht

New Reviews

For 2015 Mosel Wines

Newly Reviewed 2015 Mosel Wines In Stock Now

Heymann-Loewenstein Schieferterrassen Riesling, Mosel 2015 750ML ($39.95) $29 special, 36+ bottles available
David Schildknecht – Vinous 89 points “A penetrating and unusual aromatic mélange features zesty grapefruit, gooseberry, lemon peel, dill and musky floral perfume. Full-bodied and glycerol-rich, this finishes with strongly alkaline and stony undertones as well as fruit pit piquancy and fenugreek pungency, its tart elements contributing slight edginess but also undeniable invigoration. This is serious stuff for an intro-level wine, even if “serious” also implies a certain lack of charm. I suspect that bottle development will provide further fascination.”

This is the only listing in the USA today!

Heymann-Loewenstein ‘von Blauem Schiefer’ Riesling, Mosel 2015 750ML ($44.95) $33 special, 32 bottles available
David Schildknecht – Vinous 90 points “Scents of fennel and basil along with intimations of crushed stone set the stage for a relatively cool, restrained set of flavors. Yet the palate is richly textured, lush and expansive. Piquant and incisive notes of lemon peel and mustard seed offer invigoration on a soothingly yet stimulatingly sustained finish suffused with cooling green herbs and vividly underlain with wet stone. The primary sources for this “blue slate” bottling are nowadays the Weisenberg and Fahrberg, immediately upstream from the Uhlen (which is divided between the communes of Winningen and Kobern), along with vineyards in Klotten, a good 20 miles upstream from Kobern, that are farmed by the family of a former Heymann-Löwenstein stagiaire.”

This is the only listing in the USA today!

Heymann-Loewenstein Kirchberg Erste Lage Riesling, Mosel 2015 750ML ($49.95) $39 special, 18 bottles available
David Schildknecht – Vinous 91 points “Zesty fresh lemon and a quarry-dust-like suggestion of crushed stone on the nose set the relatively austere, pungent tone for this bottling, as confirmed by incisive mustard seed as well as glowing piquancy of peach kernel on a polished but firm palate. Fresh lemon juiciness conveys welcome refreshment to the penetratingly persistent finish. It will be interesting to witness whether this loosens up with some time in bottle, and I would give it a year or two before even revisiting.”

This is the only listing in the USA today!

Heymann-Loewenstein Stolzenberg Erste Lage Riesling, Mosel 2015 750ML ($49.95) $39 special, 18 bottles available
David Schildknecht – Vinous 92 points “Lovely perfume of gentian, iris and lavender mingles with coriander and white peach in a striking aromatic display. This comes to the palate quite lushly even though tart suggestions of green plum and piquancy of fruit pits lend invigorating counterpoint. The impressively sustained finish incorporates glowing piquancy reminiscent of the corresponding Hatzenporter Kirchberg, but everything else about this strikingly floral and more generously fruited wine is dramatically different, even though the vineyards are only some 150 yards from one another.”

This is the only listing in the USA today!

Heymann-Loewenstein Uhlen B Blaufusser Lay Riesling, Mosel 2015 750ML ($69.95) $59 special, 9 bottles available
David Schildknecht – Vinous 93 points “As with other wines in the present collection, there is strong piquancy of fruit seeds and pits announced on the nose, along with scents of green hazelnut, fennel and black pepper. The full, firm but glossy palate is correspondingly piquant and complex, and the superbly sustained finish is transparent to wet stone underpinnings, a shimmering sense of crystalline impingements, and mouthwatering salinity.”

This is the only listing in the USA today!

Heymann-Loewenstein Uhlen L Laubach Lay Riesling, Mosel 2015 750ML ($69.95) $59 special, 15 bottles available
David Schildknecht – Vinous 93 points “Peony and carnation perfume, fennel and piquant peach kernel combine for an attention-getting nose. Luscious flesh of white peach lends welcome generosity on a polished, subtly creamy palate, setting this wine somewhat in contrast with the relative austerity and pithiness that characterized most of Löwenstein’s other single-site bottlings of this vintage. Chalk dust, fresh ginger and white pepper serve for intrigue and incisive invigoration on a vibrant finish mouthwateringly laced with saline, maritime mineral notes. “This was kind of boring right after the bottling,” remarked Löwenstein. Well, it certainly got over that quickly!”

This is the only listing in the USA today!

Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Himmelreich Riesling Kabinett Halbtrocken, Mosel 2015 750ML ($27.95) $21.90 special, 16 bottles available
David Schildknecht – Vinous 90 points “This year’s version of what has become a reliable Selbach classic could easily have joined the newly expanded ranks of wines from this estate labeled feinherb, inasmuch as it displays a bit more sweetness than usual or than I expect under the rubric halbtrocken – especially in a high-acid vintage. Be that as it may, the wine has found its own delectable balance. Vanilla- and mint-tinged fresh apple as well as a lovely combination of creaminess with juicy refreshment could easily have come from a Zeltinger Sonnenuhr. Stony and nutty accents serve for counterpoint on a lusciously lingering finish of admirable clarity.”

This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast today!

Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Spatlese, Mosel 2015 750ML ($34.95) $28 special, 36+ bottles available
David Schildknecht – Vinous 92 points “A strikingly ripe nose of white peach, pear and fig with musky and decadent floral overtones translates on a glossy and expansive palate into a sumptuous display of rich fruit and liquid perfume backed by generous sweetness. But for all of this wine’s up-front opulence, it finishes with buoyancy, irrepressible refreshment and impressive clarity, revealing site-typical smoky, alkaline and stony nuances.”

Weingut Alfred Merkelbach Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Spatlese #6, Mosel 2015 750ML ($29.95) $26 special, 5 bottles available
David Schildknecht – Vinous 92 points “Picked at significantly lower must weight than the corresponding A.P. #1 (not to mention this year’s wines from Kinheim’s Rosenberg), this delivers a luscious, almost sappy abundance of fresh strawberry, kiwi and lime laced with crushed stone and mouthwatering mineral salts. Subtly creamy, the palate is ultra-buoyant at well under 8 percent alcohol, yet correspondingly high residual sugar is tempered by 10.2 grams acidity and by notably high dry extract. Tingling suggestions of tangerine zest and crunchy berry seeds enhance the sense of invigoration on a vibrantly sustained finish.”

Weingut Alfred Merkelbach Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Spatlese #7, Mosel 2015 750ML ($29.95) $26 special, 9 bottles available
David Schildknecht – Vinous 91 points “Strawberry preserves, quince jelly and honeydew melon liqueur point not just toward enhanced ripeness but also in the direction of slight botrytis. But these confitured characteristics are nicely leavened by fresh lime, and glycerol-rich textural plushness is allied to infectious juiciness on a lusciously lingering, fruit-dominated finish.”

Newly Reviewed Wines Arriving in June

Heymann-Loewenstein R Roth Lay Riesling, Mosel 2015 750ML ($89.95) $79 pre-arrival special, ETA June
David Schildknecht – Vinous 93-94 points “An enticing nose of fennel pollen, coriander, white peach and kumquat sets the stage for a silken-textured, expansive palate at once lush and piquant. The piquant elements are woven glowingly into the long-lasting finish here so as to maximize invigoration while avoiding outright bitterness, while green herbal essences lend a cooling aura. Underlying wet stone acts as a Mosel signature, and subtle salinity serves for saliva-inducement. I last tasted this from both casks of it in September 2016, and have tried to do justice to a composite impression in a single tasting note. The wine was due to have been bottled in the spring of 2017. (Note that a large letter “R” will once again stand in for “Roth Lay” on this wine’s label, but beneath that is written in tiny letters “Schieferformation Roth-Lay.” And the initials that signify Grosses Gewächs, as with Löwenstein’s other wines and for reasons indicated in my introduction, will appear in almost infinitesimally small print.)”

This is the only listing in the USA today!

Markus Molitor Graacher Domprobst Riesling Kabinett White Capsule (Trocken), Mosel 2015 750ML ($24.95) $21.90 pre-arrival special, ETA June
David Schildknecht – Vinous 92 points “Apple and Persian melon on the nose achieve succulent presence on a polished and (at 10.5 percent alcohol) delicate palate. Bittersweet nuttiness typical for this site lends counterpoint and richness while white fruit-skin tartness contributes invigorating tang and an influx of mineral salts for saliva-inducement on the animated, mouthwatering finish, which is superbly sustained and impeccably balanced (being neither austerely dry nor the least bit sweet).”

Markus Molitor Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Kabinett White Capsule (Trocken), Mosel 2015 750ML ($29.95) $24 pre-arrival special, ETA June
David Schildknecht – Vinous 92 points “Here is an archetypical Würzgarten but one that tastes thoroughly dry despite harboring a mere 10.5 percent alcohol. Scents and flavors of tart-edged, seed-crunching strawberry are underlain by evocations of wet stone, and nips of cress add to the invigoration of an infectiously juicy and vibrantly sustained finish. You might say that this wine puts the Würz in Würzgarten. (Actually, the derivation of that name is not from the German word for herbs and spices but rather from Wirt, meaning a restaurateur or tavern-keeper.)”

Weingut Alfred Merkelbach Kinheimer Rosenberg Riesling Auslese #5, Mosel 2015 750ML ($31.95) $24 pre-arrival special, ETA June
David Schildknecht – Vinous 91 points “Amazingly – not just considering that the Merkelbachs bottled it as Auslese but also in light of how this wine behaves – a mere three degrees Oechsle separated it from the must that became this year’s Rosenberg Kabinett. In part, of course, that’s testimony to the degree to which must weights plateaued during the clear, cool weather of October 2015. Unusual, too, is that this Auslese fermented to 9.5 percent alcohol, leaving behind a mere 41 grams of residual sugar – to that extent resembling Mosel Auslese of a truly bygone era – and boasts a remarkably high 31 grams of sugar-free dry extract. All of which also adds up to a distinctive flavor profile. Overripe pear and kiwi are headily aromatic and mingled with faintly prickly, smoky botrytis-borne notes of lime zest, raw ginger and black tea. The midpalate impression is full and firm, its ripe fruit underlain by wet stone; and the sumptuously sustained finish delivers a welcome suffusion of mouthwatering mineral salts.”

This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast today!

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It’s Here!

2015 FX Pichler

Sommelier and Riesling Legend Paul Greico once said, “If F.X. was a guitarist, Jimmy Page would stand aside” and no truer hyperbole has ever been uttered in the world of wine.  F.X. Pichler stands as one of the two or three most important Austrian producers and hands down the winery crafting the most powerful, complex and bombastic dry Riesling and Gruner Veltliner on the planet.

The wines of F.X. Pichler are unique, in that no one else seems to wrangle both power and complexity into a single package quite like this wizard of the Wachau.  With a combination of intensive viticulture, native fermentations and great terroir, the wines are unlike anything else in the world.  Broad and powerful, with a cut and minerality that are unique to the vineyards in the Wachau.

The 2015 vintage, which we’re offering today, is something special as well.  As Willi Brundlmayer (in the Kamptal) put it, “Conditions were perfect in 2015: everything happened at the right time, leaving no wishes unfulfilled.” Growers could make wines as stylistic epitome of their choosing, which means that if you’re an FX Pichler fan, these might be (and forgive the phrase) the most FX Pichler wines ever.

The Gruners:

F.X. Pichler Durnsteiner Kellerberg Gruner Veltliner Smaragd, Wachau 2015 750ML ($89.95) $79 special
F.X. Pichler Durnsteiner Kellerberg Gruner Veltliner Smaragd, Wachau 2015 375ML ($49.95) $39 special
Wine Advocate 94 points “Like the Liebenberg from weathered granite and gneiss soils, but in a higher and cooler spot, the 2015 Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Dürnsteiner Kellerberg opens with an intense and herbal-flavored, rather spicy and stony bouquet of ripe and concentrated bright fruits. Full-bodied, ripe and piquant on the palate, this is a rich and powerful, well-concentrated and elegant Kellerberg with a rich extract and a long and persistent finish. The 2015 should be cellared for at least another 3-5 years.”

This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast today!
The average price nationally is $83

F.X. Pichler Durnsteiner Liebenberg Gruner Veltliner Smaragd, Wachau 2015 750ML ($69.95) $59 special
Wine Advocate 93-94 points “The 2015 Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Dürnsteiner Liebenberg comes from 70- to 80-year-old vines on a rare calcareous slate soil. The wine displays a very clear and pure, pretty open and lovely spicy, crystalline and flinty bouquet with ripe pip fruit aromas. Very distinguished and rather coolish in its expression. Full-bodied, round and elegant, with tension, salt and grip in the finish, this is a charmingly ripe and juicy but also challenging mineral and piquant Veltliner from one of the most exciting terroirs. The finish is powerful and complex but also fresh and stimulatingly piquant. Pichler has bottled this wine since 2010.”

This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast today!

F.X. Pichler Loibner Berg Gruner Veltliner Smaragd, Wachau 2015 750ML ($51.95) $44 special
Wine Advocate 92-93 points “From probably the warmest vineyard of the Wachau, the 2015 Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Loibner Loibenberg is a full-bodied, rich and intense, very juicy, but also piquant and mineral Veltliner with tobacco flavors on the nose. Dense and with an old-vines intensity, this Loibenberg offers ripe yellow stone fruits with a tropical touch, but is also very well structred and finishes with a long and salty aftertaste. An impressive wine.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $48

F.X. Pichler M Gruner Veltliner Smaragd, Wachau 2015 750ML ($89.95) $79 special
F.X. Pichler M Gruner Veltliner Smaragd, Wachau 2015 1.5L ($189.95) $169 special
Wine Advocate 94-95 points “The 2015 Grüner Veltliner Smaragd M is a selection of the ripest (overripe) grapes from the Loibenberg, Kellerberg and Liebenberg. Harvested in the last week of November and macerated for 20 to 24 hours, this is a rich and creamy textured yet elegant and vibrantly fresh Veltliner monument with finesse and purity and a long and tension-filled finish. Great salinity and concentration. An elegant and expressive wine for XXL drinkers.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price for the 750ML is $89.99

F.X. Pichler Urgestein Terrassen Gruner Veltliner Smaragd, Wachau 2015 750ML ($41.95) $36 special
David Schildknecht–Vinous 92 points “This blend from numerous sites (not rendered in vintage 2014 due to paucity of fruit) brims with luscious, juicy white peach and grapefruit, and its combination of citricity, green herbal pungency and stony underpinnings puts me as much in mind of Riesling as of Grüner Veltliner. Silken and enveloping on the palate, it retains its sense of energy and brightness through an invigoratingly peach-kernel-inflected, tinglingly stone-infused and mouthwateringly salt-tinged finish. Despite harboring 13.5 percent alcohol, the wine also conveys a subtle and attractive sense of lift.”

This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast today!

The Rieslings:

F.X. Pichler Durnsteiner Kellerberg Riesling Smaragd, Wachau 2015 750ML ($119.95) $85 special
David Schildknecht–Vinous 95-96 points “A pungently smoky, incisive, savory mélange of sage, dark tobacco and black pepper is allied to ripe peach and garlanded with heliotrope in a head-turningly intense nose. That full range of elements reprises on a polished palate, whose textural caress and sweet sense of ripeness are combined with welcome, tangy, chewy counterpoint of peach skin and a refreshingly juicy squirt of fresh lime. The finish offers a mouthwateringly prolonged, kaleidoscopic interaction of fruity, savory and smoky elements – plenty rich, yet with rare cut and animation for its vintage.”

F.X. Pichler Loibner Berg Riesling Smaragd, Wachau 2015 750ML ($59.95) $49 special
F.X. Pichler Loibner Berg Riesling Smaragd, Wachau 2015 375ML ($39.95) $33 special
Wine Advocate 92 points “Warm and intense on the nose, ripe and concentrated white fruit aromas open the 2015 Riesling Smaragd Loibner Loibenberg, which is pure and citric on the nose and very inviting. Pure, fresh and piquant on the palate, this is rather coolish and stunningly lean and pure Loibenberg compared to the corresponding Grüner Veltliner. Lucas believes that Riesling has eventually stopped the ripening process during the vegetation period. This 2015 has grip and tension and a rather coolish character.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $59.99

F.X. Pichler M Riesling Smaragd, Wachau 2015 750ML ($79.95) $69 special
David Schildknecht–Vinous 91-92 points “Reliance on late-harvested Loibenberg fruit resulted in a bottling that finished with too much residual sugar to qualify as Smaragd. (More thoroughly shriveled Loibenberg fruit resulted in a B.A. and T.B.A.) Lusciously ripe peach is tinged with banana and mingled with almond extract and liquid heliotrope perfume. Fortunately, a measure of grapefruit is not only pungently fragrant but also brightly juicy and piquantly zesty, helping – along with piquancy of peach kernel – to offset this bottling’s enveloping richness and sheer surfeit of ripe, sugar-reinforced fruit. The impressively sustained finish is, however, not at all overtly sweet.”

This is the only listing in the USA today!

F.X. Pichler Loibner Oberhauser Riesling Smaragd, Wachau 2015 750ML ($49.95) $39 special
David Schildknecht–Vinous 92 points “A site-typical meld of apricot and lime is garlanded with iris on the nose and reprises with wonderful purity and vivid freshness on a silken-textured, expansive palate. Piquant apricot kernel and a lick of wet stone lend counterpoint on a lusciously lingering finish that irresistibly calls forth the next sip.”

This is the only listing in the USA today!

F.X. Pichler Loibner Steinertal Riesling Smaragd, Wachau 2015 750ML ($69.95) $59 special
David Schildknecht–Vinous 93-94 points “White peach and grapefruit aromas mingle with honeysuckle on an enticing nose, and the three reunite on a glossy palate lusciously ripe and loaded with liquid floral perfume but simultaneously exuberantly and invigoratingly bright. The finish offers prolonged counterpoint of fruity, floral and stony elements. This bottling displays a combination of penetration, refinement and balancing acidity that is rare for an Austrian Riesling of its vintage.”

This is the only listing in the USA today!

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Staff Pick:

Swan Zin For the Win

Saul:
This is a bittersweet wine, not in a literal sense, but it’s the last vintage of one my favorite Zinfandels.  Mancini sits right at the corner of Olivet and Piner Roads in the heart of the Russian River Valley (not too far from Merry Edward’s famous Olivet Lane Vinyeard) and was planted in 1922.  The vineyard was sold after the 2012 harvest so its future is uncertain.  This wine, though, is a tribute to everything we love about RRV Zin.  It manages to both have lots of fruit and also be incredibly light on its feet, with a dark fruited profile that belies its sub-13% alcohol.  If you yearn for the old days of California Zinfandel, this is your wine – Saul

Joseph Swan Vineyards Mancini Ranch Zinfandel, Russian River Valley 2012 750ML ($34.95) $29 special, 23 bottles available
Wine Advocate 90 points “The 2012 Zinfandel Mancini Ranch has a medium garnet color and nose of raspberry preserves, cherry pie and baking spices, plus a waft of anise. Light to medium-bodied, soft, fresh and spicy on the palate, it has lovely poise and expression.”
Winery notes “Blackberry, white pepper floral hints, bit of lushness. Complex balanced, elegant. A classic old style zinfandel made with new age sensibilities. And, it is under 13% alcohol!”

This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast today!

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Giacomo Conterno:

An Italian Tradition

Roberto Conterno is one of the top two or three winemakers in all of Italy.  This is less of an opinion and more of a fact, given the pricing and availability of the top wines that he makes at his family’s winery, Giacomo Conterno.  Not only have the wines climbed in price, but it seems like every year we get offered fewer and fewer bottles.

The wines are always powerful and traditional, but with an elegance and grace that seems to transcend the immediate impact of flavor and leave you searching for descriptors to capture what you’ve tasted.  We love the wines and if you are thinking about trying them—do it sooner than later.  The way these wines have become collectable, it’s going to be harder and harder to source them going forward.

Giacomo Conterno Wines Available Here Now:

Giacomo Conterno Cerretta Barbera d’Alba, Piedmont 2014 750ML ($59.95) $49 special, 36+ bottles available
Wine Advocate 93+ points “The 2014 Barbera d’Alba Cerretta is a magnificent expression and an unexpected surprise. The Barbera d’Alba Cerretta has often taken a back seat to the more prominent Barbera d’Alba Francia. Among the two, I found that this wine offers even more depth of expression and nuance. The vineyard site in Serralunga d’Alba has clay soils that have contributed to the sheer sense of elegance and structure offered here. The results are grand and opulent. The wine ends with a playful touch of brimstone or dark mineral that frames its fruity core.”

Giacomo Conterno Vigna Francia Barbera d’Alba, Piedmont 2014 750ML ($59.95) $49 special, 22 bottles available
Giacomo Conterno Vigna Francia Barbera d’Alba, Piedmont 2014 1.5L ($149.95) $119 special, 5 magnums available
Wine Advocate 92 points “The 2014 Barbera d’Alba Francia opens to beautiful fullness and sheer depth that represents the darker, softer and more generous side of this grape. I tasted the wine from barrel approximately one month before bottling. Roberto Conterno says that 2014 was a good year for both Barbera, but especially Nebbiolo that experienced a natural selection process in the vineyard due to low yields. This wine offers ripe fruit tones with bold lines and beautifully balanced concentration.”
Staff Pick: “Sure, this is expensive for Barbera, but it’s inexpensive for Conterno—especially when you consider that, unlike a lot of other producers, this Barbera comes from a prime Barolo vineyard.  I’ve often felt as though the Barberas from top Piedmonte producers represent excellent value.  It isn’t Nebbiolo (and you shouldn’t expect a Barolo flavor profile) but the craftsmanship and attention that is lavished on the Baroli is more than evident here.  One to buy and cellar like the serious wine that it is.” – Saul

This is the lowest listed price for a magnum in the USA today!

Giacomo Conterno ‘Cerretta’, Barolo DOCG 2012 750ML ($249.95) Was $219, Now $199, 11 bottles available
Wine Spectator 96 points “A wealth of cherry flavor is surrounded by cut grass, tar, tobacco and iron notes in this complex, intense red. There is plenty of tension and a long aftertaste of licorice, tar and mineral. Balanced yet austere, this needs time to integrate fully. Best from 2023 through 2042.”
Antonio Galloni 94+ points “The 2012 Barolo Cerretta is intriguing to taste next to the Francia, as it is much more shut down and affected by its recent bottling. Today the tannins are searing and large-grained, a characteristic this wine did not show from barrel. The clay-rich soils in Cerretta tend to give a broader style of Barolo compared to Francia, where limestone is prevalent, and that is very much what comes through today. Hints of dark red cherry, plum, smoke, leather, tobacco and licorice struggle to emerge from a wall of tannin. Today, the Cerretta is a brute, with little of the perfume and finesse it showed in cask. Readers will have to be patient. The only question is how much.
Wine Advocate 94 points “To be released in October 2016, the 2012 Barolo Cerretta opens to a profound and buoyant bouquet that is particularly driven by menthol freshness, as well as pretty nuances of balsam herb and forest fruit with licorice, tilled earth and truffle. The wine is balanced and ethereal. It’s so difficult to achieve this level of aromatic definition (especially in a warm year like 2012), but Roberto Conterno has done so with a deft hand. This is a complete expression of Barolo with aromatic intensity that is matched by an enduring sense of structure and medium-weight appeal.”

Giacomo Conterno Francia Barolo DOCG, Piedmont 2003 750ML ($149.95) $128 special, 16 bottles available
Antonio Galloni 94 points “The 2003 Barolo Cascina Francia is soft, silky and very nicely balanced, especially in its tannins, where the wine really stands out next to so many peers. Readers should open the 2003 at least an hour in advance to allow the aromatics to open up. This is a very sexy and open young Barolo from Conterno with very little signs of the challenging growing season.”
Wine Spectator 95 points “This is expressive, with alluring cherry, strawberry, floral and mineral flavors building to a long, expansive finish. The elegant profile belies the serious structure underneath, which should allow this red to develop over the next 15 to 20 years. Offers fine berry fruit and a minerally aftertaste. Best from 2018 through 2033.”

Giacomo Conterno Francia Barolo DOCG, Piedmont 2012 750ML ($219.95) $189 special, 17 bottles available
Antonio Galloni 94-97 points “The 2012 Barolo Francia is dark, virile and intense, with a huge center of fruit to match its distinctly brooding personality. Today, the 2012 also comes across as quite closed in on itself, but there is a level of pure depth here that is absolutely compelling. Conterno has decided not to bottle a Monfortino, so there is good reason to think the bottled Francia has the potential to be stellar.”
Wine Advocate 95 points “Since the 2010 vintage, this wine is named Francia (not Cascina Francia) to keep with the new Menzioni Geografiche Aggiuntive (or official cru naming) in Barolo and Barbaresco. The 2012 Barolo Francia is a seductive and silky expression that flows gracefully over the palate with power and determination. The nose is expressive, and decidedly more articulate than many of the more muted wines made by neighboring estates in this warm vintage. The quality of the mouthfeel is of special interest. This beautiful Barolo already shows stunning texture, richness and integrity, despite this very early preview tasting. I tasted this wine in barrel shortly before bottling.”

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