Ending Tonight: Caparzo Sale; Our Thanksgiving Sales Begin: Two Incredible Deals, Perfect Pairings Too, On End-Of-The Line Goodfellow Wines; Beringer: California Ultra-Classics Series; Staff Pick; Alternative Napa: How Massican; Vincent Paris; Torii Mor; Arriving in December: La Rioja Alta
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48 Hour Sale
Ends Tonight at Midnight
Caparzo Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Tuscany 2012 750ML ($39.95) Was $33, Now $29
Wine Spectator 92 points “This is round and laced with cherry, currant, tobacco and iron flavors. Firms up quickly, with a fine matrix of tannins for support. Balanced overall, with a long finish of tobacco and iron. Best from 2020 through 2033.”
Wine Advocate 91+ points “Caparzo’s 2012 Brunello di Montalcino is a mid-weight expression with bright berry aromas and a traditional approach stylistically speaking. This Brunello aged in large oak casks made from Slavonian and French oak. In fact, it shows a streamlined and compact texture with buoyant aromatic intensity. The focus is on raspberry, cherry and plum with distinct shadings of spice, licorice, tar and blue flower at the back. The overall effect is inviting and genuine. The mouthfeel is thin, but the wine offers nice freshness instead.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $38
Caparzo Brunello di Montalcino Riserva DOCG, Tuscany 2010 750ML ($79.950 Was $69, Now $49
Antonio Galloni 96 points “The 2010 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is a big, powerful wine that is going to require at least a few years to soften. Dark and brooding, the Riserva shows the more masculine side of Sangiovese. Black cherry, plum, leather, spice and tobacco all sit on firm beams of acidity and tannin. There is a sense of explosive energy to the 2010 that I find quite appealing, but readers will have to be patient in order to experience the wine at its best.”
James Suckling 95 points “Aromas of blood oranges, blackberries, plums and mushrooms. Full body, round tannins and spices, lightly toasted oak and a cedar/berry finish. Solid Brunello. Drink or hold.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $67
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Our Thanksgiving Sales Begin
Two Incredible Deals
Perfect Pairings Too
On End-Of-The Line Goodfellow Wines
Marcus Goodfellow is one of the premier winemakers in Oregon. He founded Matello wines, his original label, in 2002 and hasn’t looked back since, making wines that have continually improved—both in bottle and from vintage to vintage. These are profound wines, both white and red, that are made in a style that’s distinctly savory—no fruit bombs here. Rather, we love them for their coiled power and Burgundian structure. These are wines that speak with an Oregon voice, but the tannin and acidity comes from an old-world point of view. In 2012, after the birth of this first child, he created Goodfellow Family Cellars—to focus on single vineyard wines and celebrate his new family.
Today we wanted to feature two wines, arriving at the end of the week, that we’re getting deals which are literally incredible—a week ago we wouldn’t have believed that these sorts of prices are possible. Both deals are possible for roughly the same reason: they’re the last vintage of the particular wines involved and Marcus is ready to move on with his focus.
The first wine is the monumental 2014 Bishop Creek Pinot Noir, from a high-altitude site in Yamhill-Carlton that Mr. Goodfellow made famous enough that Meo-Camuzet bought it to be the core of the Nicolas-Jay project. This is always one of the richer wines in the Goodfellow lineup (and Suzanne’s favorite vineyard of the bunch) and shows off the whole-cluster heavy style with the texture that only marine sedimentary soil brings. The 2014, in particular, is a fitting send-off, with the richness and openness of the year balanced by the deft hand of the winemaker.
Likewise, the 2015 Matello Pinot Gris is the last year of the wine—though don’t worry, Marcus will still make one of the best deals in Willamette Valley white wine going forward, it’ll just be under the Goodfellow label. We managed to score a last little bit of this Gris at a fantastic price (check out that case deal!) and wanted to pass along our savings to you.
Arriving Friday:
Goodfellow Family Cellars Bishop Creek Vineyard Pinot Noir, Oregon 2014 750ML ($41.95) Was $37, Now $29!
Case- 6 Goodfellow Family Cellars Bishop Creek Vineyard Pinot Noir, Oregon 2014 750ML ($219.95) $166 pre-arrival special (that’s only $27.67/bottle!)
Case-12 Goodfellow Family Cellars Bishop Creek Vineyard Pinot Noir, Oregon 2014 750ML ($419.95) $299 pre-arrival special (that’s only $24.92/bottle!)
VinopolNote: This wine occupies a sweet-spot in the world of Oregon Pinot Noir, not flamboyant and over the top like some ‘Jamhill Carlton’ wines, but not as lean and savory as some of the wines in the Goodfellow stable. In many respects, this may be some of Marcus Goodfellow’s finest work (with a vineyard he’s been making wine from since 2008). Due to the generosity of the 2014 vintage, this wine is pretty approachable now (though it loves a decant) but it should age effortlessly for 15-20 years.
Winery note “Twenty five year old un-grafted Wadensville vines, dry farmed in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA are handpicked for this wine. From 3 acres, each clone is fermented separately with native yeasts in small lots, typically with 50-60% whole-clusters. The wine is aged in 0%-40% new French oak barrels for 18-21 months and bottled unfined and unfiltered. There is intensity at Bishop Creek, with deep, dark toned fruit, a spicy floral edge and savory tones with acidity and length.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $38
Matello Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley 2015 750ML ($17.95) $14 pre-arrival special
Case-12 Matello Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley 2015 ($179.95) $138 pre-arrival special (that’s only $11.50/bottle!)
Winery note “Never more than a few hundred cases, this micro-production showcases the beautiful mineral nature of the shallow sedimentary soils of the Whistling Ridge and Bishop creek vineyards. Bright, fresh, pear, lime blossom, hints of hazelnut, and a saline note.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $16.99!
We offer 14 different bottlings from Goodfellow and Matello in stock now. Here’s four highlights – click here to shop our web store and browse all 14!
Goodfellow Family Cellars Richard’s Cuvee Chardonnay, Oregon 2014 750ML ($39.95) $36 special, 19 bottles in stock now
Wine Advocate 95 points “The 2014 Chardonnay Richard’s Cuvee knocks it out of the park with a nose of ripe apricots, pink grapefruit and guava underscored by fresh ginger, baking bread, beeswax and yeast extract hints with a waft of jasmine. Medium-bodied, the palate is very elegant and refined, with incredible freshness and depth wrapped in a lovely satiny texture, finishing with long lasting mineral and spices layers. Wow!”-LPB
Winery note “Dry-farmed chardonnay from a 1-acre parcel at Whistling Ridge, hand-picked, whole-cluster pressed. After a brief period settling the wine is racked into large French oak vessels. Fermentation and elevage lasts about 21 months on the gross lees. The shallow marine sediment soils and windy environs at Whistling Ridge produce a Chardonnay that is mineral, deep and long with chalky citrus fruit.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Staff pick!
Goodfellow Family Cellars Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2015 750ML ($24.95) $20.90 special
Case-12 Goodfellow Family Cellars Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2015 750ML ($279.95) $219 special (that’s only $18.25/bottle and the lowest listed price in the USA today!)
Wine Advocate 92+ points “Pale ruby-purple colored, the 2015 Pinot Noir is scented of roses, wild thyme and lavender with a core of Bing cherries and warm cranberries plus an earthy/forest floor waft. Light to medium-bodied, the palate provides a wonderful intensity of perfumed red berry flavors with silken tannins and a long earthy finish.”
Goodfellow Family Cellars Durant Vineyard Pinot Noir, Oregon 2014 750ML ($49.95) $39 special, 15 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
Winery note “Produced from hand-picked Pommard and Dijon 114, planted in 1973 and 1993, the Durant Vineyard is often the first site at full ripeness. It is fermented in small lots with native yeasts with a good portion of whole clusters. The wine is aged for 18 months in 15%-25% new French oak barrels and bottled unfined and unfiltered. Durant is often tense, silken and delicate with spicy red-fruited purity and clean texture from one of the original Dundee Hills vineyards.”
Goodfellow Family Cellars Whistling Ridge Vineyard Pinot Noir, Oregon 2014 750ML ($41.95) $37 special, 10 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
Winery note “With more than ten clones of Pinot Noir planted in the shallow marine sedimentary soils at Whistling Ridge, the clonal diversity here creates an expression of site totally removed from clonal character. Dry farming encourages deep roots and daily wind that blows in the afternoons and evening keeps the canopy fresh in the heat of the summer. Handpicked fruit sorted and fermented with native yeasts in small lots with varying amounts of whole clusters. Elevage takes place in 25% new French oak puncheons for 18-21 months and the wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered. The wines show off Ribbon Ridge character of dusty red and black fruit, sappy spice and firm, savory structure.”
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Beringer
California Ultra-Classics Series
(For 1/3rd the price of Opus or Dominus)
Beringer is one of the grand old names of California wine—a brand both ubiquitous and storied, though the later association is probably buried behind the avalanche of supermarket wines that Beringer has leant its name to. Rest assured, though, that in the higher reaches of the portfolio, the venerable estate is making some of the finest wines they’ve ever made.
Part of the reason for their recent success on the high end is the vast success of their lower tier wines—almost no winery in the world has as much money to throw at their prestige program as Beringer and the estate is committed to bringing back the glory days of the 70’s and 80’s, when the Private Reserve was one of the most sought after wines in all of Napa.
These are wines that anyone interested in the upper tier of Napa Cabernet should pay attention to—the wines are great and the prices are artificially depressed by the Beringer name. These are wines that in 10+ years will hold their own with most of the big names in Napa and at fraction of the price.
Beringer Vineyards Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2009 750ML ($149.95) $99 special, 10 bottles in stock now
Antonio Galloni 93 points “The 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve is a beautifully balanced wine. Firm yet well-integrated tannins frame a core of dark red berries, flowers, mint, spices and licorice. The Reserve shows lovely inner perfume and mid-palate juiciness. It should drink well with a minimum of cellaring. The main vineyards in the 2009 are Home (37%), Lampyridae (23%), Vogt (14%), Chabot (11%) and Rancho del Oso (9%). Each lot was aged separately for about two years before the final blend was assembled.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $119.99!
The average price is $128!
Beringer Vineyards Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2012 750ML ($149.95) $99 special, 14 bottles in stock now
Robert Parker 96 points “Revealing the great blending skills of Beringer’s winemaking team, the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve is a winner. Having purchased Private Reserves for many years, I can attest that they age incredibly well. The 1991, one of the great successes of that vintage, is still aging beautifully at nearly 25 years of age. The sensational 2012 (10,000 cases) boasts an opaque purple color along with abundant aromas of charcoal, burning embers, creme de cassis, chocolate, blackberries and licorice. The long, complex, compelling, full-bodied texture along with terrific purity and a savory, rich mouthfeel result in a classic, quintessential Napa Cabernet Sauvignon to drink now and over the next 20-25 years.”
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast today!
The average price is $135
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Staff Pick:
Selbach’s Under the Radar
“GG” from 2014
Saul:
In all of our breathless hype for the 2015 vintage, we seem to forget how wonderfully so many of the wines from ’14 turned out. It was a cool vintage, with higher acidity and lighter framed wines—exactly what I want out of Riesling most of the time. Compounding my outrage is the fact that this bottling from Selbach-Oster, their version of a GG wine, is somehow overlooked when we talk about the great dry wines of the Mosel.
Johannes Selbach doesn’t want to join the VDP/make Grosses Gewachs wines because they’d be unnecessarily more expensive. Instead, he bottles this guy, the “R” Trocken, from 80+ year old vines, and we can have it on the shelf for less than a BS bottle of Puligny. I worry if this wine doesn’t get more (financial) love, he’s just going to say “screw it” and give in to the marketing monster that is the GG designation, and this wine will be fawned over at $60. Anyway, it’s great stuff—drink some.
Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Sonnenuhr R Riesling Spätlese Trocken 2014 750ML($34.95) $28 special, 21 bottles available
Wine Advocate 92 points “The 12.5% alcohol 2014 Zeltinger Sonnenuhr R Riesling Spätlese trocken was picked on October 20 — so almost one month later than the regular Spätlese — from 80+ year-old, ungrafted vines in and next to the Rotlay plot, with a higher percentage of well selected botrytis. The wine displays a ripe and intense fruit aroma intermixed with coolish stony and flinty, as well as herbal flavors on the nose. Full-bodied, rich and elegant, with a mouthful of concentrated Riesling fruit, a piquant acidity and minerality, this is an expressive and “big,” ripe yet pure and very terroir-driven Riesling of remarkable complexity and length that can go for up to 15 years.”
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Alternative Napa: How Massican
Brings the Magic of Friuli to Napa Valley
Dan Petroski leads two different winemaking lives. By day, he’s the winemaker at Larkmead, a historic California winery known for high point scores and powerful Cabernet-based reds. By night (proverbially), he runs his own tiny label, called Massican, and produces white wines inspired by the majestic whites of Friuli, in northeastern Italy. Starting in 2009, he’s produced these quietly-revolutionary white blends, challenging Napa orthodoxy with some stunning stuff.
Stylistically, the wines he makes are finely balanced between richness and freshness. Sauvignon Blanc, Ribolla Gialla and Friulano all have steely acidity, so either by themselves or paired with Chardonnay (which is a traditional grape in Friuli), the wines always have great brightness. Napa sun gives the wines richness and the resulting blend is a wine that is able to pair with a seemingly endless variety of foods. These are wines that are destined to become modern classics and we’re excited that they’re finally available outside the winery’s mailing list.
In-Stock Now:
Massican Annia White, Napa Valley 2016 750ML ($37.95) $33 special, 6 bottles in stock now
“This is only the second vintage of annia that ribolla gialla takes the lead in the blend, 2012 being the other. there is a story that george vare liked to tell us about ribolla, according to the late, great stanko radikon, ribolla is the consummate supporting actor when blended into a wine under the 50% threshold. at that minority level, the grape will truly morph into the background, providing the floors, the walls and the ceiling for the other grapes to adorn. in our 2016 annia, the 60% of ribolla in the wine is flattering; stone fruit and baked apple with green almond on the palate that plays off the tocai’s citrus blossom and pear skin. the 9% of hyde chardonnay in the blend tightens the wine a bit, but in reality it just steps aside and gives the two friulian varieties a stage to play on; however, expect the chardonnay to get involved as the wine ages.”–Winery note
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast today!
Massican Hyde Vineyards Chardonnay, Napa Valley 2016 750ML ($59.95) $49 special, 23 bottles in stock now
“We harvested our hyde vineyards chardonnay on two separate occasions in the 2016 growing season. there was an early august pick with the intention of these grapes being blended into annia to provide the wine with a hint of freshness and structure. the second harvest happened a bit later than expected due to the weather in carneros being moderate to slightly below average temps. as for the wine itself, this is an atypical hyde vineyards chardonnay that lands on the lighter, brighter side of vineyard’s potential of making some of the greatest chardonnays in california. next year we plan on putting a toe in the water, testing a little of the crop on the riper and richer side of hyde; so hang on for the ride but in the short term give this bottling a little time to settle into itself and start drinking in the fall of 2017.”–Winery note
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Massican Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley 2016 750ML ($37.95) $33 special, 12 bottles in stock now
“The vines that produce the sauvignon blanc for our wine were originally planted in 1993 for the robert mondavi winery and their napa valley fume blanc. we were excited to work with this fruit in our first vintage, but had no intention of making a 100% sauvignon blanc; the original goal was to blend a little into annia to support the tocai and ribolla. however, the blend didn’t work, the sauvignon was too intense for the subtle, floral notes of the annia. we were a bit disappointed at the time but we needed to let the wines be themselves, and since this sauvignon has become one of the stars of the line-up year in and year out. last year we extended our contract with the vineyard, not only for the next couple of years, but for a couple of more acres. this is the most wine we have ever bottled under the sauvignon label.”–Winery note
Massican Gaspare Bianco Colli Orientali del Friulii, Friuli-Venezia Giulia 2015 750ML ($37.95) $33 special, 11 bottles in stock now
VinopolNote: This wine was produced in collaboration with (and at) legendary Friuli estate Ronco del Gnemiz. The blend is composed of 40% Chardonnay, 35% Ribolla Gialla and 25% Friulano, aged in French oak of varying age. A really stunning wine (especially for the price) and a perfect example of richness balanced with freshness and minerality.
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Vincent Paris
It’s pretty clear that Vincent Paris is the next “it” winemaker in the Northern Rhone. Working primarily in Cornas, the wines have everything we love about Northern Rhone Syrah packaged in a clean, direct style. He has the benefit of incredible vineyard material, too, as he now works the vineyards his uncle, Robert Michel, made famous. Stylistically, there’s definitely some of that old-school Michel rusticity, but overall, his wines are far more polished and in line with what we think of as good modern Cornas. Don’t look for new oak here, though there is an elegance about them that has always impressed us.
He makes several wines from Cornas and we’re pleased we get to offer the range. The “Granit” series wines refer to the steepness of the slopes that they are produced from (30 and 60 [!] degrees respectively) and the Geynale is from a lieu-dit in with over 100 year old vines. The wines are beautiful, terroir driven statements about the potential of the appellation and we’re excited to have them here (and we hope the prices don’t go through the roof in the next few years).
In-Stock Now:
Domaine Vincent Paris Cornas Granit 30, Rhone 2014 750ML ($41.95) $38 special, 5 bottles in stock now
Josh Raynolds–Vinous 90-92 points “Inky ruby. Deep-pitched aromas of cherry compote, cassis, licorice and smoky herbs gain vivacity from a peppery overtone. Sappy and precise, showing strong mineral lift and energy to the sappy dark berry and licorice flavors. Closes smoky and very long, with a whiplash of juicy dark berries and slow-mounting tannins.”
Domaine Vincent Paris Cornas Granit 30, Rhone 2015 750ML ($44.95) $36 special, 21 bottles in stock now
Domaine Vincent Paris Cornas Granit 30, Rhone 2015 1.5L ($89.95) $79 special, 5 magnums in stock now
Wine Advocate 91-94 points “Starting with his younger vine cuvée, the 2015 Cornas Granit 30 (1,500 cases) comes from the Patou and Saint Pierre lieux-dits and will see roughly 15 months in barrel. It’s a deep, sexy, fruit-loaded beauty that has a saturated purple color, awesome notes of blackberries, blueberries, violets, spring flowers and licorice, as well as full-bodied richness and sweet, yet present tannin. This puppy has tons of fruit and is relatively upfront and textured, but it has enough tannin to benefit from 2-4 years of bottle age.”
Domaine Vincent Paris Cornas Granit 60, Rhone 2012 750ML ($69.95) $59 special, 12 bottles in stock now
Wine Advocate 95 points “There’s 5,000 bottles of the sensational 2012 Cornas Granit 60 Vielles Vignes. Completely destemmed and aged 18 months in 2- to 8-year-old barrels, its purple/black color is followed by an incredible nose of black raspberry, kirsch, crushed rock and violets. Possessing more tension and depth than the Granit 30, it’s full-bodied, thrillingly rich and has solid underlying acidity and tannic structure. Give it a couple years and drink bottles through 2025.”
Domaine Vincent Paris Cornas Granit 60, Rhone 2015 750ML ($59.95) $49 special, 27 bottles in stock now
Domaine Vincent Paris Cornas Granit 60, Rhone 2015 1.5L ($119.95) $99 special, 5 magnums in stock now
Wine Advocate 92-95 points “Possessing additional minerality, as well as tannin, the sensational 2015 Cornas Granit 60 offers a kaleidoscope of black raspberry, blueberries, liquid violets, licorice and crushed rocks. Mostly destemmed and coming from the steep parcels located at higher elevations (lieux-dits Patou, Mazards and Sauman), this rich, concentrated, full-bodied beauty will need 4-5 years (or more) of cellaring to shed its baby fat and integrate its tannin, but it’s a killer wine readers should buy by the case; there were just over 400 cases produced.”
Domaine Vincent Paris Cornas La Geynale, Rhone 2014 750ML ($69.95) $59 special, 26 bottles in stock now
Josh Raynolds – Vinous 93 points “Inky ruby. Vibrant, mineral-accented cherry, cassis, violet and spicecake aromas show outstanding clarity and lift. Palate-staining black and blue fruit flavors pick up subtle olive and bitter chocolate nuances as the wine opens up. Shows surprising depth for the vintage and finishes impressively long and sweet; sneaky tannins shape the lingering blue fruit.”
Josh Raynolds–Vinous 92-94 points “Dark purple. Powerful, deep-pitched blackberry and cherry liqueur aromas, displaying slow-building spice and floral pastille nuances. Concentrated dark fruit flavors are slow to unfold, eventually offering up suggestions of black cardamom and cola. Shows a bright, spicy quality on the clinging, mineral-driven finish, which is sappy, subtly sweet and sharply focused.”
Domaine Vincent Paris Cornas La Geynale, Rhone 2015 750ML ($69.95) $59 special, 6 bottles in stock now
Wine Advocate 95-97 points “The 2015 Cornas La Geynale comes from the oldest vines of the estate and the lieux-dits of Reynard and La Genale, all steep, granite terroirs. This cuvée, which is never destemmed, is aged in older barrels. It’s certainly the most classic in style, with more pepper, game, olives and earth, yet still possesses the same purity, fruit and wealth of material found in these cuvées. Full-bodied, deep, concentrated, structured and perfectly balanced, it’s an incredibly complete wine that will need to be forgotten for 4-5 years, and will keep for 10-15 years. Bravo!”
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Torii Mor:
Look out for hot deals with both “I’s”
Torii Mor is one of the established names in high quality Oregon Pinot Noir, making a splash ever since they made their first vintage in 1993. Starting off with a mere 1,000 cases that first year, they’ve grown steadily since but have always managed to make impressively high quality wines. The style here is for richer, more powerful Pinot Noir, though they make wines which are still lively and energetic. These wines today are from the acclaimed 2014 vintage, so we’re very excited to offer them to you with the lowest pricing in the country!
Torii Mor ‘Dundee Hills Select’ Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2014 750ML ($49.95) $33 special, 22 bottles available
Wine Advocate 90+ points “The 2014 Pinot Noir Dundee Hills Select comes from four vineyards fermented separately and matured in 20% new oak. It has quite a lively bouquet with small red cherries, redcurrant and cranberry, although I would have liked more complexity to show through given the vintage. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp tannin. This is well balanced though toward the finish it tends to clam up a little and feel somewhat “rigid.” Give this another 12-18 months to loosen its tie.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $38.98
Torii Mor ‘Olson Estate Vineyard’ Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills 2014 750ML ($59.95) $38 special, 20 bottles available
Josh Raynolds–Vinous 91 points “Brilliant violet. Dark berries, cola, musky herbs and a subtle floral nuance on the fragrant nose. Fleshy and expansive on the palate, offering gently sweet blackberry and spicecake flavors that tighten up steadily with air. Shows an appealing blend of power and vivacity and finishes very long and spicy, displaying repeating florality and smooth tannins.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $42.98
The average price is $44
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Arriving in December
La Rioja Alta
Since its founding in 1890 by five growers looking to pool together to make quality-minded, ‘modern’ wines, the estate has never backed down from its goal. They have expanded over the years to purchase some of the best vineyards in the Rioja Alta region. Today, they are still the standard bearer of the region.
The Arana Reserva is sourced from two estate owned vineyards, El Palo and Las Monjas, planted in loamy soils in 1973. The result is a smooth, polished red with concentrated aromatics released at the beginning of its long drinking window.
La Rioja Alta Vina Arana Reserva, Rioja DOCa 2009 750ML ($31.95) $27 pre-arrival special
Case-12 La Rioja Alta Vina Arana Reserva, Rioja DOCa 2009 750ML ($349.95) $299 pre-arrival special (that’s only $24.92/bottle!)
James Suckling 96 points “This is a powerful and rich red with black truffle and blueberry character. Sweet tobacco, too. Full body, tannic and flavorful. Yet open and polished. Fantastic finish. Great ageing potential. Drink or hold.”
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Thank you for reading!