Category Archives: Special Features

La La Land of Opportunity 4-7-24



    


Do you drink Brunello?

You should.



Last October we ran a feature on the wines of La Fortuna and La Gerla from Brunello that met great success. A great number of die hard fans were born for these wineries and the excellent value they represent. This week we’d like to double down by putting the remaining quantity of these wines on sale for those with the ambition to seize a deal on ageworthy and highly rated Brunello. Many of these wines are back vintages which have been acquired after gentle aging in the winery’s cellars, and have rested in our temperature controlled storage. You won’t find a better opportunity to drink immaculately aged Sangiovese Grosso at attractive pricing anywhere else. Our full write-up on these wines can be found below.
 
5% off any 3-5 in-stock La Fortuna or La Gerla wines
10% off any 6 or more in-stock La Fortuna or La Gerla wines
Sale ends Wednesday April 10th at 9AM PST
 
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If you haven’t noticed, Italy is consistently producing some of the best vintages and wines the market has ever witnessed in recent years. The trend extends across the entire country, from the racy and mineral driven reds and whites of volcanic Sicily to the perfumed and haunting wines of Piedmont. The entire nation has fully emerged from the slumber of rustic winemaking methods and now the pursuit of excellence is all-encompassing.

Perhaps no single region has felt this rebirth as much as Brunello di Montalcino. Back in the late 20th century there were only a handful of producers that were catching global attention and occupying spots on some of the finest wine lists in the world. Today, the gorgeous hilltown of Montalcino and its surrounding vineyards are bursting at the seams with top-class wineries and beautiful sangiovese grosso based wines.

Let us introduce you to La Fortuna and La Gerla. Both of these producers got their start in the 70’s and they’ve had a meteoric rise to the top of Brunello fan lists since the turn of the century. The wineries have similar vineyard positionings on both the North East and North West slopes of Montalcino itself and also significant holdings in Castelnuovo dell’Abate in the Southeast. The former produces wines of greater elegance and delicacy, while the Castelnuovo bottlings are more structured and rich in fruit.
 
 


What is Brunello like?

It’s as ageworthy as a Bordeaux and as delicately perfumed as a fine Barolo. Dark black cherry, licorice, tobacco and sun-kissed Italian herbs.
 


What distinguishes these estates? Small details but they matter! La Fortuna has a winemaking regimen that includes longer aging in wood of a smaller size (Slovenian oak) and longer maceration time for the grape skins. The result is that Fortuna wines are often richer than their La Gerla comparison and suit a palate more accustomed to bolder, textured reds of Bordeaux and Spain. La Gerla Brunello is more akin to Barolo in style with that distinctly Italian acidity and intense fragrance of cherries and licorice. 

Both of these producers make wines that can age for 20 years no problem, and with time their aromas, texture, and overall structure become increasingly impossible to resist. If Brunello isn’t a substantial part of your wine cellar, you are missing out on some of the greatest wine experiences you never knew were possible.

Check out our top La Fortuna and La Gerla recommendations below with praise from the critics.

La Fortuna Brunello di Montalcino 2013 750ml $59 special, 9 bottles available
Wine Spectator 92 Points “Starts out with cherry, iron and tobacco flavors, before firming up, with a solid structure. A kernel of fruit holds steady as this red unfolds on the lingering finish. Best from 2022 through 2036. 2,200 cases made, 1,000 cases imported.”
 
La Fortuna Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2015 750ml $99 special, 11 bottles available
Wine Advocate 95+ points “The La Fortuna 2015 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva opens to a moment of sweetness, a tiny interval that is quickly followed by spice, balsam herb and dried cherry. That sweetness disappears after the second sip or two, and the savory components of the wine—the spice, the smoke and the earthy notes—begin to take over. This wine spreads over the palate with slow and steady consistency. This is a 7,000-bottle release made from a selection of fruit from the estate’s 18 hectares of vines.”

La Fortuna Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2016 750ml $99 special, 22 bottles available
Wine Advocate 95 points “The La Fortuna 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is a wine of pretty Sangiovese purity. This Riserva (with 9,000 bottles produced) shows a darkly saturated color with plump and intense aromas of wild cherry, crushed flowers, fresh plums, spice and ferrous earth. Balsam herb and rosemary-like aromas round off the finish. There is great freshness, some oak tannins, a drying finish and lots of rich fruit fiber. This is a terrific wine from La Fortuna (although I need to point out the high 15.5% alcohol).”

La Fortuna Rosso di Montalcino 2021 750ml $24 special, 20 bottles available
Winery Notes “Spontaneous fermentation without artificial yeasts. The wine is aged for 9 months in Slavonian and French oak barrels. It is then aged in the bottle for another 4 months before it goes on sale.”

La Gerla Gli Angeli, Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2015 750ml $89 special, 3 bottles available
CLOSE-OUT SALE WAS $99 NOW $89
Wine Spectator 96 points “Rich and round, here is a red full of macerated plum and cherry flavors, with almond, leather, spice and earth accents. Firms up on the finish, where the vibrant fruit echoes. Best from 2025 through 2050. 500 cases made, 280 cases imported. — BS”
Wine Advocate 95 points “The La Gerla 2015 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva gli Angeli is a softly textured and fleshed out wine that shows darker and deeper fruit (compared to the 2016 Brunello that I tasted at the same time). This wine makes a great first impression, mostly thanks to that sense of quiet balance. As it opens in the glass, I notice the pretty ripeness of the vintage with dark cherry and summer plum. In all, this Riserva gives us an accessible and rich expression that will perform nicely upon release. Production is 8,560 bottles, and this wine will hit the market in April 2021.”

La Gerla Gli Angeli, Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2016 750ml $99 special, 21 bottles available
Vinous 96 points “Smoldering with remarkable depth, the 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Gli Angeli makes itself known with a blend of spicy citrus peels and minty herbs giving way to masses of black cherry, strawberries, hints of iodine and smoke. This is a textural thrill ride, velvety and almost weighty in feel, while finding wonderful balance in its vibrant acidity and the tart wild berry fruits and savory spices that are unleashed upon the palate. Hints of mocha combine with sour cherry and almond paste through the impressively long and classically structured finale. In the end, the 2016 Gli Angeli is the total package. This Riserva is a single-vineyard bottling from La Gerla’s northern Montalcino vineyard, which was planted by Biondi-Santi in 1968.”
Wine Enthusiast 95 points “Inviting aromas of wild berries, baking spice, new leather and charcuterie come to the forefront. Full-bodied and elegantly structured, the smooth palate features dried cherry, baked plum, vanilla and mocha framed in fine-grained tannins. Drink 2024–2031. Kerin O’Keefe”
Wine Advocate 94 points “The La Gerla 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva gli Angeli is polished and tightly knit with lots of silky inner shine. The fruit shows good primary intensity with dried cherry and cassis, but this Riserva also accommodates some tertiary or aged aromas of spice, leather and tar. Earthy tones, cola and wild rose are folded into this fresh and elegant Sangiovese. There are some smoky oaky tones that are a little aggressive at first, but they do largely subside.”

La Gerla La Pieve, Brunello di Montalcino 2017 750ml $59 special, 10 bottles available
Wine Spectator 93 points “Delivers a broad swath of black cherry, plum, graphite and earth flavors fused to a firm layer of tannins. Fresh and lively, finishing with iron and spice flavors. Needs time to tame the tannins. Best from 2025 through 2042. 480 cases made, 100 cases imported.”

La Gerla La Pieve, Brunello di Montalcino 2018 750ml $69 special, 10 bottles available
Wine Spectator 92 points “Deep and savory, this red exhibits black cherry, blackberry, eucalyptus, rosemary, iron and earth flavors. Showing assertive tannins, this finishes with a chewy, compact feel. Best from 2025 through 2042. 583 cases made, 250 cases imported.”


Want to Go Big? Large Formats Available

La Fortuna Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2012 1.5L $199 special, 2 bottles available
Wine Spectator 97 points “Perfumed, with wild herb aromas and a subtle mix of strawberry and cherry fruit. Vibrant and dense, with fine acidity driving the long finish. Though elegant, there is intensity and fine energy on the aftertaste. Best from 2022 through 2028.”

La Gerla Gli Angeli Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2016 1.5L $219 special, 7 bottles available 
La Gerla Gli Angeli Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2016 3L $449 special, 2 bottles available
Vinous 96 points Smoldering with remarkable depth, the 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Gli Angeli makes itself known with a blend of spicy citrus peels and minty herbs giving way to masses of black cherry, strawberries, hints of iodine and smoke. This is a textural thrill ride, velvety and almost weighty in feel, while finding wonderful balance in its vibrant acidity and the tart wild berry fruits and savory spices that are unleashed upon the palate. Hints of mocha combine with sour cherry and almond paste through the impressively long and classically structured finale. In the end, the 2016 Gli Angeli is the total package. This Riserva is a single-vineyard bottling from La Gerla’s northern Montalcino vineyard, which was planted by Biondi-Santi in 1968.”


All La Fortuna & La Gerla Wines Available
 
LA FORTUNA WINES  VWS PRICE  AVAILABLE LINK
LA FORTUNA BDM RISERVA 12 1.5L $199.00 2 Link
LA FORTUNA BRUNELLO 2013 $59.00 9 Link
LA FORTUNA BRUNELLO 2018 $49.00 22 Link
LA FORTUNA BRUNELLO RISERVA 13 $89.00 1 Link
LA FORTUNA BRUNELLO RISERVA 15 $99.00 11 Link
LA FORTUNA BRUNELLO RISERVA 16 $99.00 22 Link
LA FORTUNA ROSSO FORTUNELLO 20 $16.00 2 Link
LA FORTUNA ROSSO MONTALCINO 21 $24.00 20 Link
 
LA GERLA WINES  VWS PRICE  AVAILABLE LINK
LA GERLA BRUNELLO 2018 $54.50 1 Link
LA GERLA BRUNELLO ANGELI 16 3L $449.00 2 Link
LA GERLA BRUNELLO ANGELI 16 MAG $219.00 7 Link
LA GERLA BRUNELLO ANGELI 2015 $89.00 3 Link
LA GERLA BRUNELLO ANGELI 2016 $99.00 21 Link
LA GERLA BRUNELLO LA PIEVE 2017 $59.00 10 Link
LA GERLA BRUNELLO LA PIEVE 2018 $69.00 10 Link

Daniel-Etienne Defaix Sale 3-31-24




5% off any 6-11 in-stock Daniel-Etienne Defaix wines
10% off any 12 or more in-stock Daniel-Etienne Defaix wines
Sale ends Wednesday April 3rd at 9AM PST
 
Discount will not display online or in your cart,
We will adjust your invoice
before processing your charge.
The wines featured below are all wines included in the sale.
 
Not all of us can afford Raveneau. Hell, not many of us can even find it if we wanted to! But that doesn’t mean we have to compromise, because savvy drinkers like us are well informed on the delicacy of Defaix’s Chablis. Daniel-Etienne Defaix has vineyard holdings in some of the top premier cru sites across the region and his wines are utterly unique in the fact that he ages them in bottle until they’ve reached total perfection. Aged chablis is like nothing else you’ve tasted before and Defaix’s are the purest expression of Chardonnay without the masking influence of oak. We’ve got multiple bottlings available today that are worth gobbling up!

Producer Background

The Defaix line is one of the oldest wine-producing families in Chablis, possessing thirty hectares of vineyards, predominantly situated in premier and grand cru locations. However, Danny, the proprietor, selects only the finest parcels each year to designate as cru-level, opting to classify the remaining ones as villages. He ages these cru-level wines in tanks for eight to ten years, allowing for a slow natural settling process that obviates the need for filtration.

Defaix’s unique approach goes beyond lengthy aging. He exclusively relies on indigenous yeasts in his fermentations—a rare approach which results in fermentations lasting between three and six weeks, in contrast to the four-to-six days typically required with commercial varieties. Malolactic fermentation, occurring in a very cold cellar, occasionally extends over two years. Defaix favors prolonged contact with lees, primarily through gentle stirring during the initial two years and sporadically thereafter. Moreover, Defaix prioritizes patience over common practices like fining or filtration, allowing ample time for the lees to settle naturally. The result is a chardonnay expression that offers richness from lees contact rather oak, pronounced minerality and complexity from native yeast and long elevage, and precise expression of the oyster shell terroir of Chablis.

Available Defaix Wines:

Domaine Daniel-Etienne Defaix Les Lys, Chablis Premier Cru 2010 750ml $59 special, 11 bottles available
Producer Notes: “Les Lys is a tiny five-hectare cru of which Defaix owns three and a half hectares, all in a southeast-facing section called Clos du Roi—effectively a monopole of the domaine. Its poor soils of pure Kimmeridgian limestone produce perhaps the most complete and distinctive wine in Defaix’s cellar. Combining some of the power of the “Vaillon” with the chalky intensity of the “Côte de Lechet,” it ratchets up the aromatic complexity of the previous two, yet comes across as pure and harmonious. The palate offers ample richness, yet a sense of tension keeps it from feeling opulent, and the chiseled finish offers a strong sensation of dry extract.”

Domaine Daniel-Etienne Defaix Lechet, Chablis Premier Cru 2010 750ml $59 special, 12 bottles available
Importer Notes: In fascinating contrast to “Vaillon”, Defaix’s “Côte de Lechet” is a master class in mineral precision. This remarkably steep site (a 45% gradient) with very poor soil produces a wine that Danny describes as embodying “the real, true mineral expression of Chablis.” Freshly blasted chalk dominates the nose, with notes of lemon, honey, and fresh herbs lurking underneath; still, this is a wine of minerality first and foremost. The family owns a 3.5-hectare parcel of 45-year-old vines in this distinctive cru, most of which are planted within a parcel known as the Clos des Moines.

Domaine Daniel-Etienne Defaix Vaillon, Chablis Premier Cru 2010 750ml $59 special, 8 bottles available
Producer Notes: “Grapes are planted in a steeply sloped (28 degrees) hill in the original parcel of Vaillon with a southeast exposure. The soil here is particularly influenced by iron deposits which yields a wine of fruit and spice and great density. The Vaillons is influenced by notes of soubois and, although lacking the elegance of its two companion 1er Crus, it is often the most generous wine of the domaine. The average age of the vines is 45 years.”

Domaine Daniel-Etienne Defaix Vielles Vignes Chablis 2020 750ml $39 special, 30 bottles available
Winemaker Notes: “This cuvée is sourced from vines the age of which is between 45 and 70 years. A wine of exceptional concentration for a village level appellation, this wine is always a true expression of the kimmeridgian soils that make Chablis so distinctive. Aged for thirty months before release, Defaix’s old vines Chablis is richly dense with a classic pierre a fusil bouquet and long mineral-infused finish.”

Per usual, until 9AM PST on Wednesday we’ll have these wines on discount for you and I’d recommend placing an order early before they get gobbled up.
 
DEFAIX CHABLIS AVAILABLE NOW  VWS PRICE  AVAILABLE LINK
DEFAIX CHABLIS LECHET 2010 $59.00 12 Link
DEFAIX CHABLIS LES LYS 2010 $59.00 11 Link
DEFAIX CHABLIS VAILLONS 2010 $59.00 8 Link
DEFAIX CHABLIS VIELLES VIGNES 20 $39.00 30 Link

Palacio & Palacios Sale 3-24-24


Palacio Quemado - Bodegas Alvear
Vineyards in Extremadura

5% off any 6-11 in-stock Palacio/Palacios wines
10% off any 12 or more in-stock Palacio/Palacio wines
Sale ends Wednesday March 27th at 9AM PST
 
Discount will not display online or in your cart,
We will adjust your invoice
before processing your charge.
The wines featured below are all wines included in the sale.
 
Last Sunday we did a spotlight sale on the grape of Mencia and featured several wineries that are helping to reinvent the identity of Spain. The party will continue this week for many of those bottles as we continue to discount the wines of Alvaro Palacios. Alongside him we’d like to introduce another Spanish wine label we’re impressed with: Bodegas Alvear Palacio. We’ve got a Tale of Two Palacio(s) on our hands.

Per usual, until 9AM PST on Wednesday we’ll have these wines on discount for you and I’d recommend placing an order early before they get gobbled up.
 
Available Alvear Palacio Wines:

Alvear Palacio is the oldest wine name in all of Andalucia. The Quemado project is based in the region of Extremadura Alentejana working with exotic grapes like Trincadeira Prieta (normally reserved for port) alongside classic garnacha and Touriga Nacional. These wines offer an unmatched value for pure drinking pleasure with pronounced sun-kissed dark fruit aromas and juicy acidity. The aim of the label is to deeply express the nuances of single-vineyard sites, and the Alvear family enlisted the Envinate group in 2010 to be their winemaking force to this end. You may recall in a recent newsletter our focus on Envinate, a company cooperative that focuses on exploring the potential of parcels mainly in the Atlantic-influenced regions of Ribeira Sacra, Extremadura and the Canary Islands. This is stuff you’ll want a case of.
 
Alvear - Bodegas Alvear
Cellars of Alvear Palacio in Montilla

Alvear Palacio Quemado La Zarcita Extremadura 2018 750ml $16 special, 35 bottles available
CLOSE-OUT SALE  WAS $19  NOW $16
Vinous 91 points “Opaque magenta. Red and blue fruit, floral and spice qualities on the expressive nose. Supple and appealingly sweet, offering spice-accented raspberry and boysenberry flavors and a musky hint of licorice. Finishes long and juicy, with repeating florality and gentle tannins adding final grip.”
VinopolNote: A vineyard blend of the rich and dark Port grapes Trincadeira Prieta and Touriga Nacional in addition to Garnacha and Syrah

Alvear Palacio Quemado Los Acilates Extremadura 2016 750ml $24 special, 36+ bottles available
Vinous 93 points “Deep, shimmering ruby. A pungent, mineral-accented bouquet evokes fresh cherry, boysenberry and exotic spices, along with a suave floral overtone. Sappy and expansive on the palate, offering appealingly sweet red and blue fruit and floral pastille flavors and a suggestion of baking spices. The impressively long, sweet, floral-tinged finish is shaped by fine-grained tannins that fold smoothly into the wine’s vibrant fruit.”
Wine Advocate 92 points “The elegant, floral and perfumed 2016 Los Acilates reflected a cooler year with a longer growing season, which resulted in higher yields that achieved perfect ripeness. The aromas and flavors are precise and pure, and there is a sense of harmony that I like very much. The spectrum of aromas is about red fruit and flowers with just a pinch of spices. The palate is very elegant, with fine-grained tannins and a dry, chalky texture that I often associate with limestone soils. Delicious! 7,000 bottles produced.”
VinopolNote: Trincadeira Prieta & Touriga Nacional.

Available Alvaro Palacios Wines:

Alvaro Palacios just can’t make bad wine. Everything this estate touches turns to gold and is supported by some of the top winemaking in Spain. Their Bierzo bottlings are structured with lots of velvety texture that speaks of long ageability. Alvaro along with a few other vintners restored the mencia variety’s appeal in the 1990s by reclaiming old vine vineyards in Bierzo and Ribeira Sacra and implementing modern fine winemaking approaches in the vineyard and the cellar to coax the best out of it. The winery is just as famous for the quality it’s delivering on the opposite side of the country in Priorat. In the Llicorella soils of this region Palacios is producing garnacha driven wines of compelling structure and opulent spiced fruit.

Descendientes de J. Palacios Moncerbal, Bierzo 2020 750ml $149 special, 6 bottles available
Wine Advocate 97 points   “I find the 2020 Moncerbal a little more closed than the other 2020s, darker and serious. It’s still moderately ripe, with 13.8% alcohol, sweet tannins and a soft texture. Today, it shows a little austere and very calm?????it whispers. It’s quite discreet. It was bottled in October 2021, during the 2021 harvest. This is already certified organic from 2020 onward. Approachable already. 5,000 bottles were filled in October 2021. These wines were usually bottled in January/February of the following year, so in 2020 they had a shorter ??levage in barrel. The wines were ready earlier. Drink Date 2022-2030”

Descendientes de J. Palacios Moncerbal, Bierzo 2021 750ml $159 special, 6 bottles available
Wine Advocate 98 points  “The ultra elegant, sleek and mineral 2021 Moncerbal has amazing freshness, ultra refined tannins and lots of complexity, with layers and layers of flavors and aromas and great depth. There is a sense of harmony here that is captivating—this is pure elegance. It is floral, perfumed and velvety with very fine, chalky tannins and a sapid finish. 4,463 bottles, 107 magnums and some larger formats were filled in December 2022.”
 

Ricardo Perez, winemaker and nephew of Alvaro
 
Descendientes de J. Palacios Petalos, Bierzo 2021 750ml $21.90 special, 36+ bottles available
Wine Advocate 93+ points  “2021 is clearly the finest vintage of the trio of 2020, 2021 and 2022, and the bottled 2021 Pétalos delivers what the unbottled samples promised: a wine with lower alcohol than ever (13.5%), lighter, a little narrower but with the juiciness of Mencía that seems to come back after some time in bottle. It has lots of notes of aromatic herbs, with some similar aromas to the La Faraona. It’s quite expressive and showy, very pleasant and easy to drink, very gourmand, with a velvety mouthfeel and very fine tannins. 320,000 bottles and 2,567 magnums produced. It was bottled between November 2022 and March 2023. Approachable now, very hedonistic.”

Descendientes de J. Palacios Corullon, Bierzo 2021 750ml $54.50 special, 15 bottles available
Wine Advocate 97 points  “The vino de villa village red 2021 Corullón is extremely floral and elegant, clean, precise, fresh and very complete and harmonious, with a super elegant mouthfeel and a very long finish. 19,716 bottles and some smaller and larger formats produced. It was bottled in January 2022. This is super balanced and is aging slowly, with potential to age much more.”

Descendientes de J. Palacios Las Lamas, Bierzo 2019 750ml $149 special, 3 bottles available
Wine Advocate 97 points  “The grapes used for the 2019 Las Lamas come from a selection of 1.75 hectares they own in the paraje in the village of Corullón, not far from the winery that gives this wine its name. This is a south-facing location with a tendency to good ripeness and generous wines. It fermented in oak vats with indigenous yeasts and matured in a combination of oak barrels and foudres for eight months. This is the prototype of a wine from clay-rich soils; it’s round and vinous, refreshed by the altitude and the slate. This is more lactic than the Moncerbal, very classical and with fine but grainy tannins. Whatever it is, with years in bottle, this is more vinous and rounder and the Moncerbal is sharper. 5,520 bottles, 118 magnums and some larger formats produced.”

Alvaro Palacios ‘Les Terrasses’ Velles Vinyes, Priorat DOCa 2019 750ml $34.50 special, 16 bottles available
Wine Advocate 94 points “The regional 2019 Les Terrasses Velles Vinyes was produced with a blend of grapes from 80 plots in eight villages from Priorat, 82% Garnacha with 17% Cariñena and 1% white grapes, a year unusually high in Garnacha and unusually low in Cariñena that suffered a lot from the heat. The destemmed and lightly crushed grapes fermented in concrete and oak vats with indigenous yeasts, and the wine matured in French oak barrels for 12 months. What happened here is that Cariñena was burned by a heat spike of 43 degrees Celsius on the 28th of June, and there was a wildfire in Montsant that perhaps could have warmed things up even more. I think there might be a change toward more Garnacha and elegance in the wines from Álvaro Palacios in Priorat, as this is brighter and less rustic than this wine used to be, more polished, perfumed and fine. The year of heat and drought. 101,600 bottles produced.”
Wine Spectator 93 points “A juicy red, offering raspberry ganache and red licorice flavors, a fragrant skein of dried sage and milled white pepper and rich hints of smoke and toast. This concentrated, medium- to full-bodied version remains fresh and focused, thanks to the tang of orange peel acidity and fine, taut tannins. Garnacha and Samsó. Drink now through 2028. 8,200 cases made.”
 
PALACIO & PALACIOS WINES  VWS PRICE  AVAILABLE LINK
PALACIO QUEMADO LA ZARCITA 2018 $16.00 35 Link
PALACIO QUEMADO LOS ACILATES 16 $24.00 36+ Link
PALACIOS BIERZO MONCERBAL 2020 $149.00 6 Link
PALACIOS BIERZO MONCERBAL 2021 $159.00 6 Link
PALACIOS BIERZO PETALOS 2021 $21.90 36+ Link
PALACIOS CORULLON 2021 $54.50 15 Link
PALACIOS LAS LAMAS 2019 750ML $149.00 3 Link
PALACIOS TERRASSES VV 2019 $34.50 16 Link

Mencia, Spain’s Answer to Pinot 3-17-24

Consejo Regulador de la Denominación de Origen Bierzo
Vineyards in Bierzo

5% off any 6-11 in-stock Mencia wines
10% off any 12 or more in-stock Mencia wines
Sale ends Wednesday March 20th at 9AM PST
 
Discount will not display online or in your cart,
We will adjust your invoice
before processing your charge.
The wines featured below are all wines included in the sale.

 
Spain is a much more diverse wine country than many people make the effort to realize. Beyond the famous muscular reds of tempranillo in Rioja and Ribera Del Duero and the luscious garnacha and monastrell of Priorat, Navarra, and Castilla La Mancha, there are beautiful varieties which offer a completely different red wine experience. For instance, all you have to do is look a little West, and look a little higher in altitude. What you’ll find is a grape that mimics the delicacy and finesse of pinot noir, with fruity aromas that can also beguile the wine drinker seeking richer flavors. There’s distinctive notes of exotic florals and black pepper, but in a higher toned fashion than what you’d find in Syrah. Introducing Mencia!

Mencia’s parentage is in the obscure Portuguese grapes of Alfrocheiro and Patorra. Indeed, the variety is grown across the Western edge of the Iberian Peninsula, finding delicious expression in both nations but perhaps its peak in the regions of Ribeira Sacra, Bierzo, and Valdeorras. There, the mountainous terrain and granitic/schist soils add a mineral undertone to the wine, balancing it’s floral fruity flavors with structural integrity.

Alvaro Palacios (an esteemed name from Priorat you may well know) along with a few other vintners restored the variety’s appeal in the 1990s by reclaiming old vine vineyards in Bierzo and Ribeira Sacra and implementing modern fine winemaking approaches in the vineyard and the cellar to coax the best out of it. Today the grape is appreciated by sommeliers and Spanish wine drinkers all across the globe, with fortunes looking positive for this fresh, aromatic grape to continue occupying a spotlight in the zeitgeist of softer, more acid driven reds.

At your disposal courtesy of Vinopolis are a wide selection of Mencia wines curated from several high quality producers. These wines are always a fantastic value, and in the case of Palacios’ single vineyard bottlings, you have a rare chance to taste the very best of the best. Until 9AM PST on Wednesday we’ll have these wines on discount for you and I’d recommend placing an order early before they get gobbled up.
 

Available Mencia Wines:

One of the hottest producers on the wine geek market, Raul Perez is occupying wine lists all over the world with his supremely elegant and aromatic expressions of mencia.

Raul Perez Ultreia Saint Jacques, Bierzo 2021 750ml $22.50 special, 19 bottles available
Wine Advocate 93 points “The biggest volume of the winery is the 2021 Ultreia Saint Jacques, which represents some 170,000 bottles, and according to Raúl Pérez, it’s the most difficult wine to make here. They now work a lot to produce this wine, a blend of 11 wines selected from the 17 they made. It’s a wine that represents Bierzo and is from a year when they used more grapes from sandy soils. It has 13.16% alcohol and a pH of 3.66; it’s serious and restrained but juicy and easy to drink. Seventy percent of the wine matured in barrel and the rest in troncoconic oak vats.”
 
Raul Perez Ultreia de Valtuille, Bierzo 2016 750ml $99.95 special, 4 bottles available
Wine Advocate 96+ points “There are only 1,000 bottles of the 2016 Ultreia Valtuille (the new name, as all labels have been simplified and cleaned up, and some of the names have even been shortened). The crop was greatly reduced because of mildew, and the grapes are a lot more concentrated, with more tannin and structure, and they had to do a much longer élevage, up to 24 months in barrique. Despite its concentration and power, it has great freshness and perfume. You don’t find excess tannin, and it seems like the time in barrel has really polished the edges. It’s really outstanding.”

La Vizcaina by Raul Perez La Vitoriana Tinto, Bierzo 2016 750ml $41.90 special, 9 bottles available
Wine Advocate 96 points  “The vines at La Vitoriana are from a north-facing part of the vineyard and are extremely old, and the grapes show their best between 13% and 13.5% alcohol. The maceration of the 2016 La Vizcaína La Vitoriana is the longest of all wines from La Vizcaína wines, and it always has very strong balsamic notes. It’s subtle and elegant with a velvety texture, with lots of energy and inner strength. Pérez selects about half of the vineyard, and he feels 2016 is the year that best represents the character of the place. I’d add it’s probably the best vintage so far. 3,000 bottles produced.”

Ricardo Perez just can’t make bad wine. Everything this estate touches turns to gold and is supported by some of the top winemaking in Spain. Their Bierzo bottlings are structured with lots of velvety texture that speaks of long ageability.

Descendientes de J. Palacios Moncerbal, Bierzo 2020 750ml $149 special, 6 bottles available
Wine Advocate 97 points   “I find the 2020 Moncerbal a little more closed than the other 2020s, darker and serious. It’s still moderately ripe, with 13.8% alcohol, sweet tannins and a soft texture. Today, it shows a little austere and very calm?????it whispers. It’s quite discreet. It was bottled in October 2021, during the 2021 harvest. This is already certified organic from 2020 onward. Approachable already. 5,000 bottles were filled in October 2021. These wines were usually bottled in January/February of the following year, so in 2020 they had a shorter ??levage in barrel. The wines were ready earlier. Drink Date 2022-2030”

Descendientes de J. Palacios Moncerbal, Bierzo 2021 750ml $159 special, 6 bottles available
Wine Advocate 98 points  “The ultra elegant, sleek and mineral 2021 Moncerbal has amazing freshness, ultra refined tannins and lots of complexity, with layers and layers of flavors and aromas and great depth. There is a sense of harmony here that is captivating—this is pure elegance. It is floral, perfumed and velvety with very fine, chalky tannins and a sapid finish. 4,463 bottles, 107 magnums and some larger formats were filled in December 2022.”
 

Ricardo Perez, winemaker and nephew of Alvaro

Descendientes de J. Palacios Petalos, Bierzo 2016 750ml $21.90 special, 2 bottles available
Wine Advocate 92 points “I tasted two vintages of their entry-level wine because the 2016 Pétalos del Bierzo was sold out and the 2017 has already been released. Depending on the vintage, they use more or less white grapes in the fermentation, and in 2016 it was around 6%. It has an elegant profile, clean, floral and spicy, with a soft palate and subtle acidity that gives it a kick and makes it longer. This is one of the best value wines in Spain, and 2016 is not an exception. Perhaps it won’t be the longest-lived vintage, but it’s drinking beautifully and gives a lot of pleasure. It’s somehow reminiscent of 2013 or 2014, perhaps a tad warmer. There were a whopping 318,000 bottles and 3,000 magnums, which means they had 1,568 barrels of this wine.”
Josh Raynolds 92 points “Deep, lurid ruby. Powerful, mineral- and spice-accented cherry and dark berry aromas, along with a suave violet nuance that builds in the glass. Sweet and penetrating on the palate, offering intense black raspberry, cherry-cola and spicecake flavors and a deeper suggestion of candied licorice. Shows excellent clarity and mineral cut on a long, subtle tannic finish that leaves a bitter cherry note behind.”
Wine Spectator 92 points “This savory red offers notes of espresso, black olive and graphite framing a core of black cherry and licorice. Fine-grained tannins and fresh acidity keep this balanced. Harmonious and graceful. Drink now through 2024. 27,000 cases made.”

Descendientes de J. Palacios Petalos, Bierzo 2021 750ml $21.90 special, 36+ bottles available
Wine Advocate 93+ points  “2021 is clearly the finest vintage of the trio of 2020, 2021 and 2022, and the bottled 2021 Pétalos delivers what the unbottled samples promised: a wine with lower alcohol than ever (13.5%), lighter, a little narrower but with the juiciness of Mencía that seems to come back after some time in bottle. It has lots of notes of aromatic herbs, with some similar aromas to the La Faraona. It’s quite expressive and showy, very pleasant and easy to drink, very gourmand, with a velvety mouthfeel and very fine tannins. 320,000 bottles and 2,567 magnums produced. It was bottled between November 2022 and March 2023. Approachable now, very hedonistic.”

Descendientes de J. Palacios Corullon, Bierzo 2021 750ml $54.50 special, 18 bottles available
Wine Advocate 97 points  “The vino de villa village red 2021 Corullón is extremely floral and elegant, clean, precise, fresh and very complete and harmonious, with a super elegant mouthfeel and a very long finish. 19,716 bottles and some smaller and larger formats produced. It was bottled in January 2022. This is super balanced and is aging slowly, with potential to age much more.”

Descendientes de J. Palacios Las Lamas, Bierzo 2019 750ml $149 special, 3 bottles available
Wine Advocate 97 points  “The grapes used for the 2019 Las Lamas come from a selection of 1.75 hectares they own in the paraje in the village of Corullón, not far from the winery that gives this wine its name. This is a south-facing location with a tendency to good ripeness and generous wines. It fermented in oak vats with indigenous yeasts and matured in a combination of oak barrels and foudres for eight months. This is the prototype of a wine from clay-rich soils; it’s round and vinous, refreshed by the altitude and the slate. This is more lactic than the Moncerbal, very classical and with fine but grainy tannins. Whatever it is, with years in bottle, this is more vinous and rounder and the Moncerbal is sharper. 5,520 bottles, 118 magnums and some larger formats produced.”

Made by young female winemaker Laura Lorenzo (she started at age 16!) Daterra’s wines area beautiful expression of origin. This is a unique producer in that you have the opportunity to taste a field blend of varieties that support a backbone of mencia. High toned, super pretty.

Daterra Viticultores ‘Azos da Vila’, Ribeira Sacra 2019 750ml $33 special, 17 bottles available
Wine Advocate 91 points  “Coming from the region of Manzaneda, the red 2019 Azos da Vila is dark and a little cloudy, earthy and with some rusticity. It was produced with grapes from ancient vineyards planted with Mencía, Mouratón and Merenzao that can represent 70% of the volume and then some Alicante Bouschet, Gran Negro and Palomino. There is a volatile whiff here and some notes of apple skin intermixed with notes of herbs and acid berries. It has a contained 12.5% alcohol and fine tannins. 51,84 bottles produced.”
Importer note “Field blend of Mouraton, Mencia, Garnacha Tintorera, Merenzao, Gran Negro, and other local varieties from 80-120-year-old vines on granitic soils near Manzaneda in the Val do Bibei. Grapes partially destemmed (50%), macerate for 15 days, and fermented with wild yeasts in an old, open-top French oak barrel. Raised for 11 months in used 225L & 500L chestnut and French oak barrels.”

Daterra Viticultores ‘Portella Vento Tinto’, Ribeira Sacra 2018 750ml $28 special, 4 bottles available
John Gilman 93 points  “The Portela Do Vento Tinto is composed of a blend of Mencía and Garnacha Tintorera, selected from several different vineyard parcels in both Quiroga and Amandi. The grapes are mostly destemmed and fermented in stainless steel tanks, prior to racking to five hundred liter, used demi-muids for ten months of elevage. The 2018 Portela Do Vento comes in at a svelte twelve percent alcohol and delivers a beautiful, black fruity bouquet of cassis, dark berries, tree bark, coffee bean, slate, cigar smoke and just a touch of upper register botanicals. On the palate the wine is precise, full-bodied and tangy, with a lovely core of fruit, excellent slate undertow, fine-grained tannins and a long, complex, palate-staining and focused finish. This is pure, light on its feet and excellent! 2023-2045+.”
Importer Note “Comes from several south-facing parcels of Menci´a and Garnacha Tintorera in the Amandi and Quiroga-Bibei subzones. The grapes were harvested by hand and mostly destemmed, fermented with wild yeasts in steel vats, and raised for 9 months in used 500 liter French barrels. This is Laura’s “glou-glou” wine that she loves to share with her American friends. Fresh and easy-drinking, it is very versatile with a wide variety of foods…or straight from the porro´n!?”

Daterra Viticultores ‘Portella Vento Tinto’, Ribeira Sacra 2019 750ml $31.90 special, 5 bottles available
Importer note “100% Mencia from a south-facing parcel of 50-year-old vines planted on granitic, sandy soils at an elevation of 350-400 meters in the Amandi subzone of Ribeira Sacra. The grapes were destemmed and partially crushed then fermented in a used 4000L French oak foudre. The wine then rested for 11 months in the same foudre.”

Lastly, a wine we are super excited to have arriving in our shop any day now. Another mencia classic that delivers meaty fruit flavors and tons of pleasure. 

Bodegas y Vinedos Luna Beberide Paixar Mencia, Bierzo 2020 750ml $35.50 special, 30 bottles available
PRE-ARRIVAL ETA MARCH
Wine Advocate 96 points “The 2020 Paixar is the one wine from the portfolio that is completely different from the others and comes from high-altitude vineyards in the zone of Dragonte on slate soils. In 2020 and 2021 they used the whole field blend—reds and around 5% white grapes, which might have given it an extra spark of acidity. It matured in 5,000-liter oak vat and 500-liter oak barrels. It has a perfumed nose, elegant and floral, with good ripeness but without excess. It’s finely textured with a chalky thread and great balance. It finishes long and dry. This is truly superb and should evolve nicely in bottle. It’s now Vino de Paraje ‘A Serra’ in Dragonte, a parish of Corullón. 8,000 bottles were filled in November 2021. Drink: 2023-2032. (Jan 2022).”
John Gilman 94 points “The Paixar bottling is Luna Beberide’s oldest vine cuvée, as these vines are all between eighty and one hundred years of age, planted on crumbling slate soils on a steep, south-facing hillside. If memory serves me correctly, this used to see some new oak during its elevage, but these days it is raised all in one wine casks and used foudres. The 2020 Paixar is nicely ripe at 13.5 percent octane and delivers a beautifully refined bouquet of sweet dark berries, cassis, pomegranate, tree bark, graphite, a beautiful base of slate, a bit of smoked meats, black tea, discreet botanicals and a gentle framing of cedary oak from the one-used barrels. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and youthfully structured, with a great core of fruit, firm, chewy tannins, excellent focus and grip and a long, elegant, balanced and extremely promising finish.16 Even though this is raised all in used wood, it still needs some bottle aging to integrate the oak completely here. Once it is ready to drink, it is going to be a great wine. 2033-2080+.”
 
MENCIA WINES  VWS PRICE  AVAILABLE LINK
RAUL PEREZ ULTREIA ST JACQUES 21 $22.50 19 Link
RAUL PEREZ ULTREIA VALTUILLE 16 $99.95 4 Link
VIZCAINA BIERZO VITORIANA 2016 $41.90 9 Link
PALACIOS BIERZO MONCERBAL 2020 $149.00 6 Link
PALACIOS BIERZO MONCERBAL 2021 $159.00 6 Link
PALACIOS BIERZO PETALOS 2016 $21.90 2 Link
PALACIOS BIERZO PETALOS 2021 $21.90 36+ Link
PALACIOS CORULLON 2021 $54.50 18 Link
PALACIOS LAS LAMAS 2019 750ML $149.00 3 Link
DATERRA AZOS DE VILA 2019 750ML $33.00 17 Link
DATERRA PORTELA VENTO TINTO 18 $28.00 4 Link
DATERRA PORTELA VENTO TINTO 2019 $31.90 5 Link
DATERRA VALDEORRAS ENRIBA 19 750 $31.90 12 Link
LUNA BEBERIDE PAIXAR MENCIA 2020 $35.50 30 Link

Envinate in Unstoppable (Sale!) 3-10-24


 

5% off any 6-11 in-stock Envinate wines
10% off any 12 or more in-stock Envinate wines
Sale ends Wednesday March 13th at 9AM PST
 
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Back in 2019 when I first tasted the wines of Envinate I was impressed but cautious with my enthusiasm. I told myself that these spicy, exotic red and white wines from the Canary Islands and smaller appellations in Spain would be a temporary moment in the zeitgeist of wine trends. A blip on the timeline for new wave wines coming out of Spain. I was wrong. These wines have continued to improve vintage after vintage and now represent the revolutionizing wine movement in Spain as it’s foremost exciting producer. The 2021 and 2022 releases are profound with incredibly elegant acidity, smoky red & white fruits, and unbeatable food pairability. 

You know what I was also wrong about? The prices. I had figured that these wines and their somewhat limited production scale (take a look at their vineyards on the Canary Islands and you’ll see what I mean) would catch the cult wine geek demand curve and become completely unaffordable for the general enthusiast looking to explore modern Spanish wine. Instead, the prices continue to be wildly approachable with the wine in bottle far out performing what the consumer will pay. If you take advantage of our discount offering today, the price you pay will be comically at odds with how good the wine is you’ll be drinking. It’s hard to fathom how these wines are even present in the global market given how wildly difficult it is to produce them. The Canary Islands offer a challenging environment for winemaking, with steep volcanic slopes, windy conditions, and varying microclimates. Envinate embraces these challenges and crafts wines that reflect the character of the islands while pushing the boundaries of traditional winemaking.

The grapes they’re using also completely reinvent the notion of noble varieties in the mind of the wine nerd. Grapes such as Listan Blanco, Listan Negro, Listan Prieto, Listan Gaucho, Baboso, Negramoll, Albillo Criollo, Marmajuelo, Gual (missing several I’m sure) present themselves in wines coming from Tenerife while Mencia, Garnacha Tintorera, Brancellao, Merenzao, Grao Negro form cuvees from the mainland in Ribeira Sacra. If you’re looking for something new to experience in Spanish wine, look no further.

Importer Notes:
“Envínate (translates as “wine yourself”) is the brainchild of 4 friends, winemakers Roberto Santana, Alfonso Torrente, Laura Ramos, and José Martínez.  This gang of 4 formed back in 2005 while studying enology at the University of Miguel Hernandez in Alicante. Upon graduation, they formed a winemaking consultancy, which evolved into Envínate, a project that focuses on exploring distinctive parcels mainly in the Atlantic-inflected regions of Ribeira Sacra and the Canary Islands. Their collective aim is to make profoundly pure and authentic wines that express the terruño of each parcel in a clear and concise manner. To this end, no chemicals are used in any of the Envínate vineyards, all parcels are picked by hand, the grapes are foot-trodden, and the wines are fermented exclusively with wild yeasts, with a varying proportion of whole grape clusters included. For aging, the wines are raised in old barrels and concrete, and sulfur is only added at bottling, if needed. The results are some of the most exciting and honest wines being produced in Spain today.”

Featured Envinate Wines:

Envinate Albahra Tinto 2022 750ml $25.50 special, 36+ bottles available
Wine Advocate 95 points “The 2022 Albahra is from a year of good quality and good quantity, when the blend was slightly different, 62% Garnacha Tintorera, 30% Moravia Agria, 5% Garnacha and 3% Pardillo, because they rented a vineyard where they also have white (Pardillo) grapes (they might produce a white in 2023). 2022 in the Mediterranean zone was a dry year but it was not as warm as in other zones of Spain, and they think it was the best year so far for the Moravia Agria. So, the wines have more freshness and more acidity. Another big change is that 2022 was the first year that was vinified in their new winery in the zone. So, it’s a much fresher wine than the 2021, which was a warmer year”

Envinate Benje Blanco 2022 750ml  $29.50 special, 30 bottles available
Wine Advocate 93+  “All wines are unfiltered and unfined, and the 2022 Benje Blanco showed a little cloudy but with an extremely expressive, nuanced and elegant nose, very subtle. It was a cooler year with more freshness, so they used less flor (which is always used to sharpen the whites), and the palate is long and vertical, very tasty. This is the finest vintage of this wine to date. 21,000 bottles and 240 magnums produced. It was bottled in June 2023.”
Jose Pastor Importer Note “100% Listán Blanco. From several parcels of 70–110-year-old vines at 900-1200m elevation farmed by Envínate and 15 local families. Viticulture here is highly traditional: vines grow untrained, the soils [are] worked by hand, and no chemicals are used.”

Envinate Benje Tinto 2022 750ml $29.50 special, 12 bottles available
Wine Advocate 94+ points “The red 2022 Benje is floral, expressive, clean and elegant, reflecting a very good year in the region, with notes of rose petals and talcum powder, a fine texture and very elegant tannins. This has to be the most elegant Benje to date. 28,000 bottles. It was bottled in July 2023.”
Jose Pastor Importer Note “90% Listán Prieto, 9% Listán Blanco, 1% Tintilla. From several parcels of 70–120-year-old vines at 900-1200m elevation farmed by Envínate and 15 local families. Viticulture here is highly traditional: vines grow untrained, the soils is worked by hand, and no chemicals are used.”

Envinate La Santa Ursula 2021 750ml $54.50 special, 6 bottles available
James Suckling 96 points “Beautiful nose full of white pepper funk, grapefruit, wild raspberries, chalk and mineral. On the palate, this is ethereal and lively but super tense with a bit more verticality than the equally attractive, funky but linear Táganan. Textured, mineral and wild finish that develops in the finish. Goes on and on. Delicious and so drinkable now, but this can age, for a decade, too, if not more.”

Envinate Migan Tinto 2021 750ml $49 special, 10 bottles available
James Suckling  98 points “Nervy, nicely funky, precise and mineral nose with a “protective” flintiness and an alluring peppery edge to the wild berries and pomegranate. Fine, dissolved tannins with a mealy, dusty texture, tapping into a super tangy, fresh palate full of grapefruit zest and wild berries. Really long and irresistible now, but can age.”



Ribeira Sacra vineyard parcels

Envinate Lousas Aldea 2021 750ml $44.50 special, 15 bottles available
James Suckling 96 points “Excellent depth with a vibrant lift of pepperiness to the wild and airy bramble fruit and minerality. Chalky and broad on the palate but really weightless with chalky tannins and a fresh, refined finish. Delicious now.”

Envinate Lousas Doade 2021 750ml $59 special, 4 bottles available
James Suckling 95 points  “Fine, chalky nose with fresh brambly fruit, pomegranate, tile and white pepper. Lots of wild fruit on the palate with fine, fresh tannins and a long finish full of wild herbs and some cooked grapefruit. So drinkable now, why hold?”
89% Mencía, 10% other varieties

Envinate Lousas Seoane 2021 750ml $84.50 special, 3 bottles available
Wine Advocate 96 points “The 2021 Lousas Parcela Seoane comes from a field blend of 90% Mencía and 10% other varieties on gneiss and quartz soils, with old vines, all fermented together with full clusters that were foot trodden, and then the wine matured in neutral 228-, 400- and 500-liter oak barrels. It has 13% alcohol and good freshness and acidity. It is a bit austere and closed, somehow with less energy than how the 2022 was showing today. 2,200 bottles were filled in November 2022.”

Envinate Misturado de Abeleda 2021 750ml $54.50 special, 8 bottles available
Jose Pastor Importer Note “Misturado de Abeleda is sourced from a centenarian parcel located in Ribeiras do Sil. This is a  rare, mixed-planted parcel, with about 70% red and 30% white grapes. The grapes were hand-harvested, foot-trodden and co-fermented 100% whole cluster with wild yeasts in open top plastic tubs, then raised in used 300 and 400 liter French oak for 11 months with no racking. The finished wine is bottled without fining, filtration or added SO2. A throwback to Ribeira Sacra’s early days.”
 
ENVINATE WINES  VWS PRICE  AVAILABLE LINK
ENVINATE ALBAHRA CHINGAO 2022 $31.50 5 Link
ENVINATE ALBAHRA CHINGAO 22 MAG $89.00 3 Link
ENVINATE ALBAHRA TINTO 2022 $25.50 36+ Link
ENVINATE BENJE BLANCO 2022 750ML $29.50 30 Link
ENVINATE BENJE TINTO 2021 MAG $79.00 1 Link
ENVINATE BENJE TINTO 2022 750ML $29.50 12 Link
ENVINATE BENJE TINTO 2022 MAG $77.00 2 Link
ENVINATE LA SANTA URSULA 2021 $54.50 6 Link
ENVINATE LOUSAS ALDEA 2021 $44.50 15 Link
ENVINATE LOUSAS ALDEA 2021 MAG $99.00 3 Link
ENVINATE LOUSAS DOADE 2021 $59.00 4 Link
ENVINATE LOUSAS ROSENDE 2021 $54.50 8 Link
ENVINATE LOUSAS SEOANE 2021 $84.50 3 Link
ENVINATE MIGAN 2017 $69.00 1 Link
ENVINATE MIGAN CHINGAO 2022 750 $44.50 4 Link
ENVINATE MIGAN CHINGAO 2022 MAG $94.50 2 Link
ENVINATE MIGAN TINTO 2021 750ML $49.00 10 Link
ENVINATE MISTURADO DE ABELEDA 21 $54.50 8 Link
ENVINATE PALO BLANCO 2021 750ML $54.50 3 Link