Casa Lapostolle In Stock: Chilean Legacy; Kracher BA Classic; Big Bottles Available From the Mosel; New Parker: Oregon, Piedmont, and Sicily; Petrolo: Making Tuscany Super; Just Arrived! Markham’s Old Napa Experience
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Just Arrived:
A Collection of Wines from one of Chile’s Top Wineries
Casa Lapostelle makes perhaps the best top-to bottom collection of wines in Chiles, from their inexpensive wines all the way up to their Wine Spectator Top-100 crushing Clos Apalta (seriously—it seems like it’s on the list every year). We’ve got a small assortment that just arrived and are excited to share with you today.
Casa Lapostolle Canto de Apalta, Rapel Valley 2011 750ML ($21.95) $14 special
Wine Enthusiast 92 points “This Carmenère-led blend is heady, meaty and inviting up front. In the mouth, clamping tannins are delivered amid serious structure. Flavors of berry, cassis, chocolate and spice lead to a lasting, pure finish that fades slowly and in phases.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Casa Lapostolle Cuvee Alexandre Apalta Vineyard Carmenere, Apalta 2013 750ML ($24.95) $18 special
James Suckling 92 points “A carmenere with lovely integration and balance. Very silky and caressing. Full body, deep and delicious dark fruits, and a floral aftertaste. Certified organic. Drink now.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Casa Lapostolle Clos Apalta, Colchagua Valley 2010 1.5L ($199.95) $99 special
James Suckling 97 points “The aromas in this wine are phenomenal with slate, blackberry, blue granite and lead pencil. Violet too. Full body, with seamless tannins and dense and reserved structure. It needs about three or four years to soften. 100% new wood and aged 26 months. From 71% carmenere, 15% cabernet sauvignon, and 11% merlot. From biodynamically grown grapes.”
Wine Spectator 94 points “Big and rich, this red is filled with powerful flavors of blackberry, dark currant, black olive and dark chocolate that are built on an ironclad frame. Notes of cocoa powder and cream chime in as well, and the muscular finish lingers with hints of savory herb. Carmenère, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Best from 2014 through 2022.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $163.42!
Also Just Arrived:
Weinlaubenhof Alois Kracher Cuvee Beerenauslese, Burgenland 2011 375ML ($39.95) $18 special
Wine Enthusiast 92 points “($34) A sheen of lifted lemon oil surrounds this BA, whose palate oscillates between feisty, candied lemon peel and more hazy notions of passion fruit. There is something elixir-like about its immense precision and perfect balance.”
Joel B Payne – Vinous 90 points “($34) Spicy bouquet of with papaya, pineapple, lemon grass and subdued botrytis. The sweet tropical fruits and creamy texture are nicely interwoven, and there’s just enough acidity to keep this Beerenauslese fresh. This blend of Welschriesling fermented in large casks and Chardonnay in barrel finishes with appealing length. Traditionally this has been Kracher’s best seller, and a regular item in Austrian Airlines business class since 1995.”
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This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Large Format Rieslings
A Showpiece for the Cellar
2015’s Immortal Riesling in the Ultimate Aging format
When viewing and assessing cellars, large format bottles are almost always displayed prominently, and usually bring a lot of interest for drinking or trading. However, the magnums that are almost always off the table in discussions like these are the Rieslings. Nobody wants to part with their well-aged, large format bottling from the Mosel. The bottles alone are beautiful, tall and slender but extremely substantial; they’re a great centerpiece, and a great way to hold onto a nice quantity of very age-worthy wine.
We currently have a healthy amount of these magnums, with more to come. These are mostly from the outstanding 2015 vintage, but with a few gems from 2014 as well. The value for wines of this caliber cannot be beaten.
Large format Rieslings available now:
Donnhoff Schlossbockelheimer Felsenberg Riesling Spatlese, Nahe 2015 1.5L ($119.95) $99 special, 3 magnums available
Wine Advocate 93 points “The flinty and herbal-flavored 2015 Schlossböckelheimer Felsenberg Riesling Spätlese is from grapes that were selected a few days before the ones for the Grosses Gewächs to keep the alcohol level moderate at 13%. It is a mouth-filling, yet straight and racy/piquant wine with lush fruit, piquant acidity (ten grams of total acidity!), great elegance and terroir expression. Its finish is stimulatingly salty, and the complexity of the Felsenberg terroir shines through dramatically and untamed. I would keep this wine for 5-10 years because there are other Dönnhoff Rieslings that are able to charm you in the meantime. This one has other talents. Dönnhoff remembers the 1998 as a similar Spätlese. If you so will, this is the antipode of the aristocratic Hermannshöhle.”
Donnhoff Niederhauser Hermannshohle Riesling Spatlese, Nahe 2015 1.5L ($139.95) $119 special, 3 magnums available
Wine Advocate 95 points “The 2015 Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle Riesling Spätlese opens with an aristocratic bouquet of coolish, flinty slate and citrus perfume along with concentrated Riesling flavors. There is great complexity and expression here! On the palate, this wine is highly elegant and its seamless, silky texture is like that of the Dellchen GG. Very salty, full of finesse and tension on the palate–this is a great, perfectly balanced Spätlese. There is no other Riesling in the Nahe that has such nobly aristocratic attitude. It’s one of the finest Spätlese Rieslings you can buy from this vintage.
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Donnhoff Norheimer Kirschheck Riesling Spatlese, Nahe 2015 1.5L ($99.95) $77 special, 1 magnum available
Wine Advocate 91 points “The 2015 Norheimer Kirschheck Riesling Spätlese is clear, piquant and salty on the nose, with great purity and a lovely flintiness framing the ripe yellow apple and grapefruit aromas. On the palate, this is a pretty, complex and salty Spätlese with generous but delicate fruit and lingering mineral tension and salinity. Grown on the same soil as the Leistenberg Kabinett (grey slate) but from a fully south-facing site, this is a perfect Spätlese terroir. Although this wine has just 9% alcohol, it is intense and complex and has 65 grams of residual sugar. It is a really full-bodied Riesling.”
This is the only magnum listed in the USA today!
Donnhoff Oberhauser Brucke Riesling Auslese GK, Nahe 2015 1.5L ($199.95) $149 special, 5 magnums available
Wine Advocate 94 points “The 2015 Oberhäuser Brücke Riesling Auslese was selected shortly before the Spätlese and is a selection of super ripe and the rarely botrytis grapes. The wine has a super ripe and warm fruit bouquet with some spicy and flinty aromas. On the palate, this is a piquant and generous Riesling with clear definition and lingering complexity and salinity. It has very good grip.
This is the only magnum listed in the USA today!
Joh. Jos. Prum Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Spatlese, Mosel 2015 1.5L ($99.95) $79 special, 2 magnums available
David Schildknecht – Vinous 94 points “This was the first – among very few – wines in the 2015 Prüm lineup to lead with a bit of yeasty fermentative “Mosel stink,” but that veil soon parted more than sufficiently to showcase an alliance of ripe honeydew melon with cassis, grapefruit, and hints of cress and lemon peel that subsequently lend incisive, piquant invigoration on a delicate, polished, infectiously juicy palate. Penetrating and sharply focused, but without its efficacious and enlivening acids turning at all aggressive, the tinglingly, refreshingly citric yet soothing and cooling finish serves up a shimmering array of stony, smoky, alkaline and crystalline nuances.”
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 93 points “Prüm’s 2015 Graacher Himmelreich Spätlese is clear, intense and flinty on the nose, very precise but well concentrated; however, it is the most reductive of the Spätlese quartet. Round and piquant, with a stimulating fruit and salinity, this is a very well-defined, crystalline and straight Spätlese of great finesse and elegance. It needs five years or so to unfold all its talents, but it can surely age for 20 or 30 years.”
Joh. Jos. Prum Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel, Mosel 2015 1.5L ($219.95) $199 special, 6 magnums available
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 95 points “The 2015 Graacher Himmelreich Auslese Gold Capsule (AP 18) displays a very intense and perfectly ripe, but healthy stone fruit aroma intermixed with delicate flinty/slate-like flavors. On the plate, this Gold Capsule is as lush as it is pure, piquant and salty; it is provided with remarkable precision and concentration, with a still stimulatingly fresh and vibrant finish. This is a great Auslese, indeed.”
Mosel Fine Wines 95 points: “This offers a gorgeous nose of melon, grapefruit, spices, herbs and honey. The wine develops a superbly clean feel of aniseed fruits, pear and a hint of apricot and honey on the palate, which gives way to a delicately creamy sense of fruits and herbs in the delicately honeyed finish. This is a beautifully elegant and superbly balanced wine in the making. 2030-2055”
Wine Spectator 94 points “A gossamer texture belies the intensity and concentration of this elegant white combining floral, peach, apple, spice and slate notes, with a tangy and succulent finish. Best from 2020 through 2036.”
A.J. Adam Dhroner Hofberg Riesling Trocken, Mosel 2013 1.5L ($149.95) $127 special, 3 magnums available
Robert Parker 93+ points “Selected twice (in the vineyard and at the winery to process only healthy grapes), 100% fuder-fermented and bottled in May 2014, the 2013 Dhroner Hofberg Riesling trocken has a very clear and precise nose displaying ripe peach and nectarine aromas intertwined with slate flavors. This leads to an impressively intense, filigreed and pure wine which develops power and finesse and does not have a single gram of fat. Sourced from 60-year-old and partly ungrafted vines this 12.4% natural alcohol cru is a full-bodied, elegant, precise and crystalline Riesling with an impressive purity and terroir expression. It has just begun its flight and could be even finer in half a year. “RP
Terry Theise notes: “This is the quasi-GG and of all these obstreperous ’13s it was the best behaved. In fact a lovely dry Riesling, herbal, juicy, malic and salty; long and clinging finish; amazing equipoise of ethereal delicacy and heavy density and grip. 94º Oechsle, rather little botrytis, cask-fermented and aged on the fine lees, and finely smoky; only 8.5g/l RS but extract concentration confers a kind of facsimile of “’sweetness.'”
This is the only magnum listed in the USA today!
A.J. Adam Dhroner Hofberg Riesling Spatlese, Mosel 2014 1.5L ($119.95) $89 special, 1 magnum available
Wine Advocate 92 points “From a warmer vineyard that was planted in 1953 with ungrafted vines that deliver small, healthy berries and low yields, the 2014 Hofberg Spätlese displays an intense and ripe apple bouquet mixed with flinty and spicy/mineral aromas. Picked with 92° Oechsle, this is an elegant, round and voluptuous Riesling with a smooth palate, but also a piquant and mineral acidity that takes this lush and sensual Spätlese to a long, charming finish with a lingering and mouthwatering salinity.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Karthauserhof Eitelsbacher Karthauserhofberg Riesling Kabinett, Mosel 2014 1.5L ($89.95) $69 special, 3 magnums available
John Gilman 93+ points “The 2014 Eitelsbacher Karthäuserhofberg Kabinett is a terrific young Kabinett in this vintage that has produced some many excellent examples of this Prädikat level. The wine wafts from the glass in a very impressively complex and utterly classic constellation of green apple, a touch of white cherry, complex minerality, a touch of petrol, white flowers, a bit of wild yeasts, lemon zest and a whiff of ocean breeze in the upper register. On the palate the wine is medium- bodied, mineral and beautifully filigreed, with a nice core of fruit, bright, ripe acids, excellent focus and grip and a very long, dancing and youthful finish of excellent potential. A paradigm of its Prädikat level. 2015-2035+”
This is the only magnum listed in the USA today!
Karthauserhof Eitelsbacher Karthauserhofberg Riesling Spatlese, Mosel 2014 1.5L ($99.95) $69 special, 3 magnums available
John Gilman 94 points “The 2014 Spätlese from the Karthäuserhofberg has a bit more residual sugar in evidence on the nose than I would have expected, but when one tastes the blaze of mineral and snappy backbone of acidity on the palate, one realizes why this is so, as the three elements are in perfect harmony in the mouth. The bouquet is bright, primary and very promising, as it wafts from the glass in a blend of pear, white cherry, beautiful slate minerality, bee pollen, just a touch of sea salts and a topnote of spring flowers. On the palate the wine is medium-full, rock solid at the core and beautifully balanced, with brisk acids, great mineral drive, laser-like focus and a very long, filigreed and still quite youthful finish. Despite the nose suggesting a more generous style of Spätlese on first impression, this is actually a very classically proportioned, mineral and racy bottle that needs some time in the cellar to really blossom, but should prove to be one of the top Spätlesen of the vintage. Great juice. 2018-2040+.”
This is the only magnum listed in the USA today!
Karthauserhof Eitelsbacher Karthauserhofberg Riesling Auslese, Mosel 2014 1.5L ($119.95) $79 special, 6 magnums available
John Gilman 94 points “I did not have a chance to taste the 2014 Auslese AP #12 on my trip last March and was very happy to have a chance to visit it prior to launching into the excellent vertical of Grosses Gewächs generously prepared by the estate. This is an absolutely superb bottle of young Auslese, wafting from the glass in a gently glazed blend of pear, white cherry, honeycomb, salty slate, orange zest and a pungent floral topnote redolent of cherry blossoms. On the palate the wine is fullish, racy and very long, with excellent focus and cut, excellent complexity and a long, vibrant and very poised finish. Classy juice. 2018-2050.”
Mosel Fine Wines 92 points “Vineyard selections of botrytis-affected grapes only delivered 500 liters of Auslese harvested with a comparatively low 94° Oechsle. This Auslese starts off with a beautifully complex nose of fresh fruits, with pineapple, star anise and spices providing depth to the experience. The wine is superbly playful on the palate, where mouth-watering acidity adds to the aromatic precision. A riper side comes through in the finish tough, with almond, saffron and honey giving the wine a definitive Auslese GK style. 2024-2044”
This is the only magnum listed in the USA today!
Markus Molitor Alte Reben Riesling Trocken WK, Mosel 2015 1.5L ($69.95) $51.90 special, 10 magnums available
Wine Advocate 93 points “The 2015 Riesling Alte Reben (formerly known as Alte Reben Mosel) is an old vine selection from crus in Zeltingen, Wehlen and Erden. The wine combines ripe and concentrated Riesling flavors with the typical slate aroma of the Mosel. Highly elegant, with perfectly ripe and balanced fruit and a juicy-piquant, finesse-full finish, this is a picture book dry Mosel Riesling with a lingering salty finish.”
This is the only magnum listed in the USA today!
Markus Molitor Alte Reben Saar Riesling Trocken, Mosel 2015 1.5L ($79.95) $59 special, 9 magnums available
Wine Advocate 93+ points “Sourced entirely from the Ockefen Bockstrein, the 2015 Riesling Alte Reben Saar has a clear, bright, intense and spicy Saar Riesling bouquet with great concentration and attractive flinty slate aromas. On the palate, this dry Riesling is concentrated, rich and powerful but tightly woven, very precise and provided with piquant acidity and very finessed minerality. The finish is intense and compact, indicating great aging potential. This Riesling from approximately 80-year-old vines in the Bockstein grand cru should be cellared for five to seven years at minimum.”
David Schildknecht – Vinous 92 points “Sourced – as it has been since the 2012 vintage – from Ockfener Bockstein and Saarburger Rausch, this 2015 entirely surpasses its surprisingly restrained and slightly austere 2014 predecessor. Scents of mint and fresh apple anticipate the juicy, cooling impression on a silken palate, where hints of apple seed add stimulating counterpoint and an umami-rich sweet-saline savor of raw scallop grabs hold of the salivary glands. And despite harboring, at 11.5 percent, a full point higher alcohol than most of Molitor’s dry Kabinetts, this bottling also evinces a welcome sense of levity, coupled with transparency to stony and smoky nuances.”
This is the only magnum listed in the USA today!
Willi Schaefer Graacher Domprobst Riesling Spatlese #10, Mosel 2015 1.5L ($149.95) $119 special, 3 magnums available
Mosel Fine Wines 93 points “Scents of flowers and spontaneous fermentation quickly give way to riper and creamy fruits such as yellow peach, apricot and mango. The wine proves succulently light and fresh on the palate. This feeling of lightness carries nicely over into the juicy and smooth finish. One is left with a delicately creamy feel of herbs in the long after-taste. This proves plain gorgeous. 2025-2035.”
David Schildknecht – Vinous 92 points “Drippingly luscious apple, pear and Persian melon dominate an alluringly scented bottling that combines intensity with delicacy and brightness. Musky, peony-like floral notes add to the almost decadent sense of ripeness, while fruit-skin tartness enhances the impression of invigoration and refreshment conveyed on a penetrating and lingering finish underlain with wet stone. “This is the classic Domprobst Spätlese,” suggested Willi Schaefer.”
Willi Schaefer Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Spatlese, Mosel 2015 ($149.95) $119 special, 3 magnums available
Grapelive 94-96 points “There is something everyone in the wine world agrees upon, and that is Willi Schaefer Riesling, and especially the Gaacher wines, are some of the greatest wines on earth! From famed Riesling/German importer Terry Theise to Robert Parker, there is no question Shaefer is one of the top estates in the world. These wines have a cult, or religious like following. It is almost impossible to find them on the shelves of a wine merchant, in fact it is almost a rule of life if you ever see a bottle, you buy it, regardless of why you entered the shop in the first place. You never even look at the price, and walk away with a cat like grin on your face. These wines are treasures, no matter the vintage or vineyard, no matter the sweetness level. The 2015 is a vintage to cherish and covet, so being able to preview a Willi Schaefer Spatlese Gaacher Himmelreich was a prized treat and a rare gift, huge gratitude to Terry Theise and Wine Wise for having a sample of this glorious nectar. It is always a thrill to taste these wines and this Graacher Himmelrich did not disappoint! One of my most cherished wine moments is drinking a Shaefer Auslese: it was so amazingly poised it didn’t feel heavy and its silky complexity so divine you can’t imagine the joy. It almost brought tears to my eyes. This 2015 Spatlese has that kind of wow factor! From the steep slate of the Mosel this fine and delicate example hides its extract and power behind layers of lacy acidity, flinty mineral and heavenly creamy textures. This is a case where the must weight and sugar doesn’t translate into overt sweetness or density on the palate as such. This wine is purity and refinement with subtle richness and graceful lines. It is truly feminine and feline with exotic charms and velvet muscles supporting everything in sleek and beautiful fashion. The highlights are balanced savory notes against hedonistic and pleasing layers of rose petals, tangerine sorbet, fresh orchard picked apple and apricot, lime and delightful tropical array to contrast against cool wet shale/stones, minty herb, saline and tangy ginger. This wine seduces completely with youthful raw sexy appeal, but certainly she will age with glorious rewards. When something is this gorgeous it will be insanely difficult to wait, that is why patience is a virtue! There is much more to come in this stunning wine, no doubt it will become legendary, it is well advised to lock a few bottles up, I can imagine a window of 12 to 30 years of age to peak enjoyment for this traditional Mosel classic, best from 2025 to 2040!”
Willi Schaefer Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Auslese #4, Mosel 2015 1.5L ($179.95) $149 special, 4 magnums available
Mosel Fine Wines 95 points “This starts off on the toffee side before fresher scents grapefruit, orange, lime, smoke, incense and tar kick in. A superb streak of acidity cuts right through the palate into the very long, fresh and focused finish, providing a gorgeous balance to a powerful and delicately creamy structure. The finish is intense and very long. While amazing now, this Auslese Eiswein styled wine should prove stunning in a decade or two. 2025-2045”
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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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New Parker Reviews
Let the madness ensue!
There’s a new issue of the Wine Advocate out and it’s got a bunch of new reviews for wines we’ve got in stock and on the way.
Some of these are certain to disappear quickly, so if you want to beat the rush, just head to our website here or give the store a call at 503-223-6002 to place an order.
Oregon:
Ayres Lewis Rogers Lane Pinot Noir, Ribbon Ridge 2015 750ML ($34.95) $29 special, 7 bottles in stock now
Wine Advocate 93+ points “Pale to medium ruby-purple, the 2015 Pinot Noir Lewis Rogers Lane explodes with the most gorgeous fragrance of roses and cinnamon stick with a core of red cherries, pomegranate and violets, plus a waft of fungi. Medium-bodied, it delivers wonderful vibrancy and depth with satiny tannins and a very long, refreshing finish.” –LPB
Ayres Perspective Pinot Noir, Ribbon Ridge 2015 750ML ($29.95) $24 special, 15 bottles in stock now
Wine Advocate 91 points “Pale ruby-purple in color, the 2015 Pinot Noir Perspective is redolent of chocolate box, red roses and warm red cherries with hints of rhubarb and mossy bark plus a waft of bay leaves. The medium-bodied palate is wonderfully silky with a lively backbone cutting through the perfumed cherry flavors, finishing long.” –LPB
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Ayres Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, Oregon 2015 750ML ($24.95) $19 special, 23 bottles in stock now
Wine Advocate 90 points “Pale to medium ruby-purple colored, the 2015 Pinot Noir delivers aromas of black cherries and warm raspberries with touches of underbrush, violets and dried lavender. Medium-bodied and packed with juicy red and black cherry flavors, it has a velvety backbone and a long, perfumed finish. Great value.” –LPB
Ayres Pioneer Pinot Noir, Ribbon Ridge 2015 750ML ($39.95) $33 special, 7 bottles in stock now
Wine Advocate 93 points “All clone 667, the 2015 Pinot Noir Pioneer has a pale to medium ruby-purple color and an enticing perfume of violets, black cherries, black raspberries and potpourri with hints of oolong tea and sautéed herbs. Medium-bodied, it reveals a very elegant palate of silky tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and spicy.” –LPB
Ayres Vineyard Gamay Noir, Chehalem Mountains 2015 750ML ($24.95) $20.90 special, 7 bottles in stock now
Wine Advocate 89 points “Pale to medium ruby-purple colored, the 2015 Gamay Noir has a profoundly peppery nose with underlying crushed cherries, raspberries and dried herb hints. Medium-bodied, it fills the mouth with spicy fruit, supported by rounded tannins and plenty of freshness, finishing very spicy. Seems more like a Syrah, but I’m not complaining!” –LPB
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Goodfellow Family Cellars Durant Vineyard Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills 2014 750ML ($49.95) $39 special, 4 bottles in stock now
Wine Advocate 92+ points “Very pale ruby colored with a hint of purple, the 2014 Pinot Noir Durant Vineyard has a very pretty perfume of violets and rose hip tea with a core of fresh raspberries and wild strawberries plus a touch of damp soil. Medium-bodied, fine, fresh and elegantly played on the palate, it gives great flavor intensity and impressive depth.”-LPB
Goodfellow Family Cellars Ribbon Ridge Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2014 750ML ($29.95) $26 special, 9 bottles in stock now
Wine Advocate 91 points “The 2014 Pinot Noir Ribbon Ridge has a very pale ruby color and notes of dried Provence herbs, dusty earth and garrigue over a core of fresh cherries and red currants plus a floral waft. The medium-bodied palate delivers an impressive structure, with firm, fine-grained tannins and a lively backbone supporting the quietly intense fruit, finishing long.” LPB
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Goodfellow Family Cellars Whistling Ridge Vineyard Pinot Noir, Ribbon Ridge 2014 750ML ($41.95) $37 special, 12 bottles in stock now
Wine Advocate 91 points “Pale ruby colored with a hint of purple, the 2014 Pinot Noir Whistling Ridge Vineyard has stewed tea, fragrant earth and red roses notes on the nose with a core of cranberries and red cherries. Medium-bodied with bags of finesse and expression, it has a chewy frame of tannins and lively line of acid, finishing long and earthy.” LPB
Italy-Piedmont:
Cascina delle Rose Barbaresco Rio Sordo 2014 750ml ($69.95) $59 pre-arrival special
Cascina delle Rose Barbaresco Rio Sordo 2014 1.5L ($149.95) $119 pre-arrival special
Pre-Arrival ETA Late September 2017
Wine Advocate 91 points “Compared to the Tre Stelle, the 2014 Barbaresco Rio Sordo seems to have a slightly riper quality of fruit. The difference is minimal but it makes sense given that the heat during the 2014 vintage all came toward the very end of the growing season. This beautiful wine is bold and slightly more robust with dark cherry and red currant. It is also more marked in terms of tannins and structure. Only 1,500 bottles were made.”
Cascina delle Rose Barbaresco Tre Stelle 2014 750ml ($59.95) $49 pre-arrival special
Cascina delle Rose Barbaresco Tre Stelle 2014 1.5L ($119.95) $99 pre-arrival special
Cascina delle Rose Barbaresco Tre Stelle 2014 3L ($279.95) $249 pre-arrival special
Pre-Arrival ETA Late September 2017
Wine Advocate 90 points “Here is a fresh and delicate interpretation of Nebbiolo. The 2014 Barbaresco Tre Stelle is softly layered and graceful in approach. The bouquet brings on spring roses and wild berries with white almond and anise seed. Barbaresco usually shows integrated tannins and that is definitely the case with this wine. The finish is silky and lean-bodied.”
Cavallotto Bricco Boschis Vigna San Giuseppe Barolo Riserva DOCG 2010 1.5L ($299.95) $249 special
Wine Advocate 97 points “Here is a beautiful wine for the ages. The 2010 Barolo Riserva Bricco Boschis Vigna San Giuseppe captures the timeless beauty and balance of the vintage with exuberance and authenticity. The wine makes a delicate but lasting impression on the senses with lingering tones of wild berry, licorice and white truffle. All the aromas are pegged to a concrete sense of place. There is a savory and warm side to the bouquet that builds in momentum. This is a very pretty wine that will embrace many long years of cellar aging.”
Cavallotto Barolo Riserva Vignolo DOCG 2010 750ml ($119.95) $99 special
Wine Advocate 94+ points “This Riserva offers a very classic and traditional interpretation of the Nebbiolo grape. The 2010 Barolo Riserva Vignolo shows some texture on the palate as the wine moves forward with velvety richness and plushness. The bouquet, however, delivers important Nebbiolo authenticity with pressed rose, wild berry, balsam herb, earthy truffle and campfire ash. The whole effect is polished, buoyant and majestic.”
Giacomo Fenocchio Barolo Bussia DOCG 2013 750ml ($59.95) $49 special
Wine Advocate 92 points “The 2013 Barolo Bussia shows tight delineation with crisp fruity aromas that are characteristic of this slightly cooler and longer growing season. Sour cherry, dried raspberry and spice lead to a fresh finale with integrated tannins and acidity. This vintage saw a 40-day maceration period in order to add to the aromatic intensity and the structural fiber of the wine.”
Giacomo Fenocchio Barolo Villero DOCG 2013 750ml ($59.95) $49 special
Wine Advocate 93 points “The Villero vineyard in Castiglione Falletto delivers darkness, power and length in this classic vintage. The 2013 Barolo Villero plays its best cards in the mouth, however. The nose is bold and dense due to aromas of dark fruit and mild spice. But the mouthfeel is more interesting, thanks to the fullness and the textural smoothness it displays. I would expect this wine to become more fine and linear with extra bottle aging.”
Italy-Sicily:
Tenuta delle Terre Nere Santo Spirito Rosso Etna Sicily 2014 750ml ($49.95) $39 special
Wine Advocate 96 points “The 2014 Etna Rosso Santo Spirito is an absolute standout wine that shows the generosity and the elegant depth of the vintage. The bouquet is profound and thickly layered with wild fruit, forest floor, crushed mineral, sweet licorice, dried apricot and grilled herb. The wine’s color is dark and saturated with brilliant ruby highlights. The wine offers even more energy and importance in terms of mouthfeel. It is truly memorable. Marco De Grazia has made some of the finest and most exciting wines I have yet to taste from mighty Etna.”
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Newly Arrived
Petrolo: Tuscan Royalty
The legacy for wine at Petrolo is certainly older than most; there are examples of Etruscan names associated with the area dating back 3000 years. The pedigree on the wines goes back to 1715 when a Medici Duke decreed that the Val d’Arno di Sopra was one of only four specific areas in which grape growing was recommended especially for wine production. The fact that the mention of “French Grapes” having been cultivated alongside Sangiovese as early as 1815 makes it seem only natural that the most famous wine of Petrolo is their Galatrona; a hands-down stunner comprised of 100% Merlot. This is one for the Massetto or Pomerol fans. It’s rich with chocolate, black fruit and dusty leather and mushroom; Galatrona is a wine of serious nature, but isn’t brooding or heavy. Even the 2010, which has years to tell its entire story, isn’t beyond enjoyability even now. For those who love Super-Tuscans, this is a bargain of the highest order.
The other featured prearrival from Petrolo is the Inaro, the entry level, but certainly drinkable rosso from Petrolo. Formerly known as the Toscano IGT, the rebranded Inaro is the tribute to the local wines being made in the hills around Petrolo. The wine is not complicated, and this is a good thing. It is juicy, deep and lightly spiced; not a shy wine, but not one to overwhelm your palate. Inaro is clearly riding the coattails of the rest of the Petrolo lineup, and the trickle down of fruit, oak and skill makes it possible to enjoy a wine that is clearly reflecting a luxury pedigree, at an affordable price. The boldness will surprise and please you.
In Stock Now
Petrolo Torrione Valdarno di Sopra, Tuscany 2009 750ML ($34.95) $28 special, 17 bottles available
James Suckling 94 points “Aromas of lightly stewed fruit, with hints of fresh herbs and spices. Full bodied, with soft tannins and a fruity finish. This is balanced and long, with a caressing finish. Best ever. Mostly Sangiovese, with a hint of Merlot. Better after 2013” JS
Petrolo Torrione Valdarno di Sopra, Tuscany 2010 1.5L ($69.95) $59 special, 6 magnums available
Wine Advocate 93 points “The 2010 Torrione is exception and a very reasonable value. It opens with elegant richness and soft tones of black cherry, licorice, spice and dark leather. The style is opulent and confident for this mostly Sangiovese-based wine. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2024.”
This is the only magnum listed in the USA today!
Petrolo ‘Inarno’ Rosso Valdarno di Sopra 2012 750ML ($19.95) $14 special, 36+ bottles available
Case-12 Petrolo ‘Inarno’ Rosso Valdarno di Sopra 2012 750ML ($219.95) $149 special (that’s only $12.42/bottle!)
Ian D’Agata–Vinous 89 points “(100% sangiovese): Good deep red. Expressive aromas of candied raspberry, licorice, tobacco and underbrush. Dense and sweet on the palate, with lovely depth to its raspberry and superripe red cherry flavors lifted by bright acidity. Finishes smooth, long and light on its feet.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Petrolo Galatrona Valdarno di Sopra, Tuscany 2009 750ML ($99.95) $79 special, 3 bottles available
James Suckling 97 points “Amazing aromas of black truffles, crushed blackberries and dark chocolate. Dried flowers too. Full-bodied, with wonderful fruit that is layered and gorgeous. The finish is fruity, long and stylish. Give it three years to come together. Best after 2013.”
Antonio Galloni 94 points “The 2009 Galatrona is a beautifully centered wine. It shows terrific energy, freshness and vibrancy from start to finish. Cassis, blackberries, mint, spices and new leather are all woven together nicely in the 2009. Firm yet well-integrated tannins support the finish. Although quite overt today, the 2009 appears to have the structure to age well for a number of years. The 2009 is a serious wine with a bright future. Both bottles I tasted were immensely pleasing. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2024.”
Arriving in September
Petrolo Galatrona Valdarno di Sopra, Tuscany 2010 750ML ($99.95) $79 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 96 points “A massive expression of Merlot, the 2010 Galatrona is heaven-sent. The layers are infinite here spanning dark fruit, spice and chocolate. I fall in love with this wine year after year. The mouth is caressed with stirring complexity and fine tannins that feel silky and smooth. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2030.”
James Suckling 95 points “Aromas of black olives, violets and fresh fruit follow through to a full body, with a dense palate of dark fruits and olives. Long and polished. Handmade wine. You sense it. Pure Merlot sensation.”
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Markham Vineyards
Roots Run Deep
The recent interest in reviving old vineyards and properties in California is bringing renewed attention to some of the legacy properties of Napa Valley. Markham Vineyards has a legacy that would be hard to touch by any standards. The original winery property was established in 1879 by Jean Laurent and produced wine through a number of different owners until Bruce Markham saw the potential in the old stone cellar in St. Helena. He expanded vineyard holdings throughout the valley, but kept production based around the original location. The wines developed a strong following and even as production expanded with the new vineyards coming on line, the ratings and reviews seemed to get better and better.
Most of the team from the early days are still in place, and this might be why the wines can sometimes be viewed as a throwback to the earlier days of Napa. Their Merlot has the bright characteristics of bing cherries and cocoa. The Cabernet is textured well and has brown spice and boysenberry notes that build nicely. The current winemaker, Kim Nicholls, has been with them for over twenty years. She holds very dear the idea of preserving the history and the style of the winery, and the resulting wines show varietal purity in their expression. We’re glad to offer these wines as a nod towards the deep roots of winemaking in the West, and also as a terrific value for those who would like to revisit these Napa gems.
Arriving Tomorrow:
Markham Vineyards Estate Grown Chardonnay, Napa Valley 2016 750ML ($17.95) $14 pre-arrival special
Winery notes: “Bananas Foster has a toasty, brown sugar and sweet banana aroma profile that is also found in our 2016 Chardonnay. Showing a bit of minerality over the toasty oak and honey tangerine mixed with juicy pear fruit the entry comes across both rich and creamy, but finishes with a decided brightness necessary when pairing with a meal. A Caesar salad with grilled chicken or popcorn shrimp and a generous decoration of avocado would be delicious and easy to prepare tonight!”
Markham Vineyards Merlot, Napa Valley 2014 750ML ($21.95) $18 pre-arrival special
Wine Spectator 89 points “Silky and soft, offering accents of toasty mocha, fresh thyme and spice. Drink now through 2025.”
Markham Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2013 750ML ($37.95) $28 pre-arrival special
Wine Enthusiast 91 points “Chocolate-covered raspberry forms the luscious core of this fairly priced wine that’s medium-bodied, moderately naked in its oak use and soft in its approachability. Rich, dense and luxurious, it will pair well with any grilled meats.”
Markham Vineyards Cellar 1879 Blend Red, Napa Valley 2014 750ML ($24.95) $19 prearrival special
Winery notes: “A blend born from our two favorite things, food and wine! Seriously fun to drink, this is quite possibly the most intriguing wine to make here at Markham, as the blend is about creating ultimate drinking pleasure. Our 2014 starts with toffee, coffee and milk chocolate punctuated with black pepper and tobacco. Ripe berry flavors reminisce of summer afternoons spent picking wild fruit in hopes of delicious treats to come. Rich and lush, the tannins hold power but turn velvety with a bit of black pepper on the finish.”
Thank you for reading!