Tuesday Newsletter – 10-3-17

Breaking News: New Vintage of Spottswoode Cab; The Wine So Nice, We’ve Brought It In Thrice (Cristom Mt. Jeff PN); Featured Pre-Arrival Offer: Coche-Dury’s, Comtes Lafon’s, & Domaine Leflaive’s Neighbor was, is, and isn’t in Meursault; Love Grows with Time: The Increasing Respect for Roberto Voerzio’s Magnificant Barolo; #Trending: Case-6 Edition; Staff Picks; Arriving Friday – Hot Deals from Spain; Two Best-Priced Deals from Kermit Lynch; The Name’s Thanisch, Erben Thanisch: 2016 Pre-Arrival Offer; Final Warning: Cali Sale Ends Tonight

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Breaking News:

New Vintage of Spottswoode Arriving This Friday!

Spottswoode Family Estate Grown Cabernet Sauvignon, St. Helena 2014 750ML ($219.95) $179 pre-arrival special
Robert Parker 96+ points “This first-growth estate in St. Helena has produced a 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon that is a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot. It is certainly one of the wines of the vintage. Gorgeously opaque purple, it offers up notes of spring flowers, blueberries, blackcurrants, some baking spice and graphite. It is full-bodied, concentrated and rich, with layers of fruit. The wine builds and builds on the palate, with a great finish of 45+ seconds. This is a sensational 2014 to drink over the next 20+ years.”
Antonio Galloni 96 points “Spottswoode 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon is striking. Black cherry, plum, graphite, spice and menthol are some of the signatures. Intensely mineral and savory, the 2014 comes across as a slightly restrained version of the 2013. The flavor and tannin profiles are both quite similar, but the 2014 is a bit smaller-scaled in all of its dimensions. That is not a bad thing, as the 2014 will be ready to drink sooner. This is an impressive showing.”
James Suckling 96 points “Amazing burnt-orange and currant aromas with tar and lead pencil. Blackberries, too. Changes all the time. Mesmerizing. Full-bodied and powerful with super-polished tannins and a long and intense finish. The polished and fine tannins coat your mouth. Glorious. Needs three to four years to soften.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sneak Peek

Re-Arriving Friday

The Wine So Nice, We’ve Brought It In Thrice

Cristom Mt. Jefferson Cuvee Pinot Noir, Eola-Amity Hills 2014 750ML ($34.95) $24 re-arrival special
James Sucking 94 points “Aromas of walnuts, berries and spices with hints of orange peel. Full-bodied with a soft texture and chewy tannins. A juicy and delicious wine already. Needs a year or two to soften. Better in 2018”
Josh Raynolds-Vinous 91 points “Aromas of walnuts, berries and spices with hints of orange peel. Full-bodied with a soft texture and chewy tannins. A juicy and delicious wine already. Needs a year or two to soften. Better in 2018”
Wine Advocate 90 points “The 2014 Mt Jefferson Cuvee Pinot Noir, which contains around 50% whole cluster fruit, has a lively, wild strawberry and candied orange peel scented bouquet, a touch of freshly sliced tangerine in the background. This is a vivacious bouquet with more intensity than the 2013. The palate is medium-bodied with fresh, lithe tannin. This is nicely balanced with good grip in the mouth, the 15% new oak nicely integrated with a subtle saline note towards the earthy finish. For thirty bucks, this is a great value.”

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

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Featured Pre-Arrival Offer

Coche-Dury’s, Comtes Lafon’s, & Domaine Leflaive’s Neighbor
was, is, and isn’t in Meursault

(Or, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Classification)

Arriving in November

meursault perrieres mapSometimes, you do everything right and the world just tears you down. In 1975, Raymond Dupont-Fahn’s grandfather purchased land in the ‘Dos d’Ane’ appellation in Meursault. Realizing that the soil was simply not receptive enough to root his new planting, he did his due diligence and asked the INAO (the French organization charged with regulating AOCs across all agricultural products) for permission to top off the land with a mere 7” of topsoil. Naturally, his neighbors subsequently revolted and the INAO regrouped- stripping the vineyard of its Meursault AOC classification. Now classified as a mere Bourgogne Blanc vineyard with 42 year old vines rooted in what was Meursault substrate, the wine offers incredible value. Even if you ignore the fact that the vineyard sits just above parcels in Les Perrières owned by Coche-Dury and Comtes Lafon (quite a thing to ignore!) it is still a small, three-generation-family-owned, no-spray, 40+ year old planting of unchapitalized white Burgundy now offered for the lowest price in the country for any vintage of this wine – a mere $29/btl.

For reference, the neighboring Coche-Dury Meursault Les Perrieres Premier Cru averages $2,066/btl on Wine Searcher and the Comtes Lafon Meursault Les Perrieres averages $383/btl. Domaine Leflaive Meursaut dos D’Ane averages $175. The Dupont-Fahn family has paid a lot for that topsoil, and will be paying forever!

Our offer:

Domaine Dupont-Fahn Bourgogne Blanc Chaumes des Perrieres 2015 750ML ($37.95) $29 pre-arrival special, ETA late October
Wine Spectator “Rich and mouthfilling, offering peach and lemon flavors shaded by notes of baking spices. Vibrant and mouthwatering. Fine length. Drink now through 2021.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $34.95

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Magnum Magnificance

Love Grows with Time

voerzio magAntonio Galloni first offered up a score of 95 for this riserva of Barolo back in ‘07, but soon found himself reconsidering. Now, ten years later, Galloni awarded it 98 points, writing, perhaps with some chagrin: “Two thousand four confirms its status as one of the all-time great vintages for Barolo… Of all the 2004s [reviewed] here, this is the wine that has had the most positive evolution in bottle.”

Explore the beauty of its evolution in magnum as it just begins to enter its drinking window:

Roberto Voerzio Riserva Vecchie Viti dei Capalot e Brunate, Barolo DOCG 2004 1.5L ($699.95) (Was $538) Now $499 super-special, 10 magnums in stock now
Antonio Galloni 98 points “Voerzio no longer makes his Barolo Riserva Vecchie Viti dei Capalot e delle Brunate. The 2004 is a great reminder of just how fabulous this wine was. A huge, vertical wine, the 2004 boasts magnificent depth and overall intensity. The flavors are boldly sketched in a dramatic Barolo built on pure muscle. A host of black cherry, cloves, smoke, menthol, tar and blackberry jam flow through to the intense finish. Beguiling and powerful, the 2004 will provide fascinating drinking for the next 10-15 years, perhaps longer. Drinking window: 2017 – 2029.”

This is the only listing in the USA today!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

#Trending

Case-6 Edition

Case-6 Matello ‘Souris’ Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2012 750ML ($249.95) $166 special, 5 six-packs in stock now (that’s only $27.67/bottle!)
Matello ‘Souris’ Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2012 750ML ($41.95) $29 special, 36+ bottles in stock now
Case-12 Matello ‘Souris’ Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2012 750ML ($499.95) $299 special, 2 cases in stock now (that’s only $24.92/bottle!)
Josh Raynolds–Vinous 93 points “Vivid ruby-red. Heady, complex scents of fresh red and dark berries, incense and Asian spices, with a bright mineral overtone. Intense black raspberry and spicecake flavors convey a shapely, seamless quality. Fleshes out and deepens with aeration and finishes sweet and extremely long, with lingering smokiness and harmonious tannins.”

This is the only listing in the USA today!

Staff Pick!
Case-6 Vouette et Sorbee Cuvee Fidele Extra Brut, Champagne NV (2012) 750ML ($479.95) $336 special, 2 six-packs in stock now (that’s only $56/bottle!)
Vouette et Sorbee Cuvee Fidele Extra Brut, Champagne NV (2012) 750ML ($89.95) $59 special, 16 bottles in stock now
Antonio Galloni 95 points “The NV (2012) Extra Brut Fidele is another fabulous wine from Vouette & Sorbée. Here, the richness of Pinot Noir comes through loud and clear in the wine’s depth and overall richness. Creamy and beautifully layered throughout, the 2012 hits all the right notes. Red berry, mint, flowers, sweet spices and candy fill out the wine’s broad frame effortlessly. What a gorgeous wine this is. Simply put, the 2012 is a total knock-out.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Case-6 Caparzo Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Tuscany 2012 750ML ($229.95) $179 special, 8 six-packs in stock now (that’s only $29.83/bottle and the lowest listed price in the USA today!)
Caparzo Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Tuscany 2012 750ML ($39.95) $33 special, 36+ bottles in stock now
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.”

Case-6 Delas Freres Hermitage Domaine des Tourettes-Marquise de la Tourette, Rhone 2013 750ML ($549.95) $319 special, 8 six-packs in stock now (that’s only $53.17/bottle and the lowest listed price in the USA today!)
Delas Freres Hermitage Domaine des Tourettes-Marquise de la Tourette, Rhone 2013 750ML ($119.95) $59 special, 36+ bottles in stock now
Jancis Robinson 18/20 points “Very dark purple indeed. Altogether broader and less focused than the Côte Rôties on the nose. Peppery and subtle. Very glossy, layered, complex and magnificent. I would reproach this only very slightly on the finish but it’s a pretty magnificent wine”
Wine Advocate 94 points “One of the gems in the vintage is the 2013 Hermitage Domaine des Tourettes, which comes from both the Bessards and Grandes Vignes lieux-dits on Hermitage Hill. Completely destemmed, then vinified in stainless steel and concrete tanks, the wine is aged 18 months in 30% new French oak; it offers terrific notes of dark fruits, graphite and ample minerality in a full-bodied, layered, ripe profile. It’s more approachable than the Les Bessards, yet will still have three decades of longevity.”

Staff Pick!
Case-6 Domaine de L’Edre Cotes du Roussillon Villages 2013 750ML ($299.95) $239 special, 5 six-packs in stock now (that’s only $39.83/bottle!)
Domaine de L’Edre Cotes du Roussillon Villages 2013 750ML ($49.95) $41.90 special, 36+ bottles in stock now
Wine Advocate 95 points “One of the wines of the vintage is the 2013 Cotes du Roussillon Villages Domaine de l’Edre. While this cuvee had a rustic edge in the past, today it’s incredibly polished and pure, with brilliant aromatics of cassis, black raspberries, licorice, crushed flowers and chalky minerality. Medium to full-bodied, ripe, yet elegant and balanced, it’s a classic Roussillon that can be enjoyed today or cellared for a decade.”

This is the only listing in the USA today!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Staff Picks

Saul:
Domenico Clerico will forever be known as one of the “Barolo Boys” for good reason.  A leading modernist in the 1980’s and 1990’s, Clerico has for a long time been known for his pioneering vineyard work and embrace of Burgundian-style oak barrels for aging Nebbiolo (barrique). But that’s not to say that Clerico stayed the same.  Since the late 90’s, Clerico has been lengthening his maceration times and adding a touch of “old school” to his collection—with one exception, his wine called Arte, an expression of the winemaker’s art.

The Domenico Clerico Langhe Rosso Arte is his last pure modernist wine, and what we wanted to highlight today, as it shows why the modernista wines made such a splash when they were new to the scene. It’s a blend of Nebbiolo with a touch of Barbera (like Gaja’s single vineyard wines) and is aged solely in barrique.  This, combined with a long, cool and gentle maceration and use of barrels meant for the Burgundy market (read: softer oak influence), means that it’s far more approachable and supple now than you’d expect from a wine sourced from premier vineyards in Ginestra, Pajana and Mosconi.  If you missed the chance to experience the Domenico Clerico wines in the 1990’s, this bottling is your best shot—and we secured over 50 of just 500 magnums produced in the 2011 vintage.

Domenico Clerico Langhe Rosso Arte 2011 1.5L ($89.95) $66 special, 24+ magnums available
Stephen Tanzer 91 points “(90% nebbiolo and 10% barbera; aged for 18 months in new French oak):  Good medium red.  Perfumed aromas and flavors of plum, redcurrant, tobacco and spices.  Intense and vibrant, with lovely inner-mouth aromatic lift.  Very classy, delineated wine.” ST

This is the only listing in the USA today!

Andy:
After discussing the merits of different Crus of Chablis and then hearing that a quick weekend visit to see friends living on the Hood Canal (oysters for all!) was on the docket, I grabbed two bottles of the 2014 Servin Blanchot. This is their Grand Cru that sees no oak at all, and the pure intensity of the fruit and snappy minerals had me glad I grabbed a second bottle. Usually, we’d pack the Muscadet for a trip to the Canal, but this was exceptional. It was wound up with powerful aromatics: jasmine, peach, light touches of spicy white pepper, and marine air. The palate was perfect citrus and lingering richness that added to finish. It grew in intensity as it opened up, but couldn’t have been a more perfect pair with the quilcenes our friends had for us. I might ordinarily have been remiss about not holding onto these for a couple of years, but it was a lovely wine for the moment, and as tasty as it was, we’ve no regrets on cracking these early.

Domaine Servin Blanchot, Chablis Grand Cru 2014 750ML ($69.95) $59 special, 24 bottles available
Burghound 92-94 points “The refined and admirably pure nose is comprised by white flower, tidal pool and subtle spice aromas that are followed by citrus and mineral-infused flavors that are attractively textured, precise and explosive on the hugely long and very dry finish. This beauty is a lovely combination of power and finesse while delivering buckets of Chablis character. In a word, lovely.”
Stephen Tanzer–Vinous 91+ points “Very pale yellow. Delicate, high-pitched aromas of peach, ginger and white pepper. Wonderfully penetrating and pure but very tight today and not yet showing the detail of the Monteé de Tonnerre. Strong lemony acidity (4.7 grams per liter, according to Cameron) contributes to an impression of chalky austerity and carries the wine’s finish. Still an infant and likely to merit an even higher score as it matures in the cellar.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Arriving Friday

Hot Deals from Spain!

Bodegas Ordonez Vatan Tinta de Toro, Toro 2013 750ML ($39.95) $29 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 93 points “I also tasted the just-bottled 2013 Vatan, from a completely different vintage that despite the cooler growing season, achieved 2% more alcohol than the 2012 (this is 16% and remained with 3.5 grams unfermented sugar). The wine is ripe and hedonistic, juicier and fresher than the 2012, and despite having more alcohol it feels much more balanced. It is still a baby with plenty of puppy fat to be rendered by the time in bottle. There are some lactic aromas, ripe black berry fruit and integrated oak scents; it has plenty of spices and some underbrush hints. The palate is full-bodied with glossy tannins; it is juicy, chewy and nicely balanced within its XXL size. The velvety tannins make it approachable now, but it should develop more complexity in bottle, and for sure it should have a long life ahead. It is a nice representation of a powerful Toro style, and at this quality level, the price is quite good.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $36

Bodegas Perez Barquero ‘Gran Barquero’ Fino, Montilla-Moriles NV 375ML ($17.95) $11.90 pre-arrival special
Bodegas Perez Barquero ‘Gran Barquero’ Fino, Montilla-Moriles NV 750ML ($21.95) $18 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 92 points “The NV Fino Gran Barquero is aged 8-10 years under flor, pushing the limits of biological aging, which gives it a different profile: It is a big step up in quality, but it would probably be better with less filtration. It has a fresh, flowery nose hinting at some citric and even tropical fruits intermixed with the dry hay, straw, yeasty and chalky notes. It has the profile of a serious, first-class Fino that shows in a clean, pungent, balanced palate, with incisive flavors, supple and long. A good-value, great Fino that could develop some more complexity in bottle. Drink 2013-2016.”

This is the only listing in the USA today for the 375ML!

Bodegas Perez Barquero La Canada Pedro Ximenez, Montilla-Moriles NV 750ML ($59.95) $39 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 94 points “The NV La Canada PX is sourced from a vineyard in the Moriles Mountains called Cerro de La Canada, ‘the canyon hill’ and undergoes oxidative aging in solera and is bottled at an average of 25 years old. It boasts the characteristics of a very old PX, incense, licorice, roasted coffee and the sweetness is nicely compensated by a bitter chocolate touch. What is surprising in such an old wine is the overall sensation of freshness and elegance of fruit, with balsamic flavors of dried herbs, flowers and camphor. A truly elegant sticky. Drink 2013-2025.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $47.79

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Oh, Kermie!

Two Best-Priced Deals

From the Top Importer

Arriving Friday

From Kermit Lynch: “The Fantinos are also blessed with some of the oldest vines in the entire Barolo zone, thanks to the fastidious care given to them by Alessandro and Gian Natale. Planted in 1946 and 1947 and pruned in an old style that is very labor intensive, they produce grapes that would be the envy of any Barolista. The Fantino brothers produce an amazing Barbera d’Alba from these ancient [60 year old] vines in Dardi… The Barbera is loaded with lush fruit and smooth, silky texture, and a ravishing perfume.”

Alessandro & Gian Natale Fantino Vigna dei Dardi Barbera d’Alba, Piedmont 2014 750ML ($21.95) $16 pre-arrival special
Case-12 Alessandro & Gian Natale Fantino Vigna dei Dardi Barbera d’Alba, Piedmont 2014 750ML ($249.95) $175 pre-arrival special (that’s only $14.58/bottle!)
Antonio Galloni 91 points “Fantino’s 2014 Barbera d’Alba emerges from 70 year-old vines in the heart of Dardi. Sweet red cherry, plum and smoke are some of the signatures. The 2014 was vinified and aged in steel, so it needs time in the glass to blow off some of its slight elements of reduction, but it is a pretty special wine. This is one of the more compelling, alluring 2014 Barberas I have tasted so far.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $19.98

Arriving Friday

Costal Vibes

The Kermit Lynch Chablis Project

Stunning deal, super classic style

Domaine Costal Vaillons, Chablis Premier Cru 2015 750ML ($37.95) $28 pre-arrival special
Case-12 Domaine Costal Vaillons, Chablis Premier Cru 2015 750ML ($419.95) $299 pre-arrival special (that’s only $24.92/bottle!)
Importer notes: “A stunning, hand-crafted premier cru Vaillons from thirty-year-old vines. This is classic Chablis: precise, pure, and driven. Velvety citrus fruit gives way to textbook chalk, slate, and stone.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $33.59
The average price is $38

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Arriving in December

The Name’s Thanisch,

Erben Thanisch

It can be easy to forget why the vineyards around the town of Bernkastel are so famous—there are very few producers today whose wines are “relevant” that make wines from Doctor or Lay.  Historically, though, the Bernkasteler Doctor is one of the two or three most important vineyards in the Mosel, named for its supposed life-giving properties to a 13th century Archbishop.  The vineyard is only 8.1 acres (a little less than 1/10th the size of Beaux Freres, to put that into local perspective) and the wines from these vines are exceptionally prized in Germany, so it’s always tough for us to acquire any.

The estate counts its history back 375 years. In 1895, when Dr. Hugo Thanisch died and left the estate to his wife, Katharina, the estate was renamed Wwe Dr. H. Thanisch (Wwe. Is the abbreviation for the German word for widow). She became the first of four generations of women who have run the estate. Currently, Sophia Thanisch runs it with assistance from her two daughters, Juliane and Christina. The wines have been heralded for centuries and the tradition of excellence runs deep: the estate was one of the founding members of the VDP and often their highly sought after auction wines top the charts.

On the 2016 vintage, Sofia notes that “it’s a vintage which yielded elegant and classic Mosel wines.” And the early reviews show plenty of love, with the professionals at Mosel Fine Wines writing “Lovers of this utterly classic style of Mosel Riesling will find, again, much to enjoy at the Thanisch (Erben Thanisch) Estate in 2016!”

Wwe Dr. H. Thanisch (Erben Thanisch) wines arriving in December:

Wwe Dr. H. Thanisch Bernkasteller Badstube Riesling Kabinett, Mosel 2016 750ML ($34.95) $28 pre-arrival special
Mosel Fine Wines 90 points “The 2016er Badstube Kabinett was harvested at 88° Oechsle. It offers a delicately ripe nose of pear, earthy spices, slate and smoke. The wine comes to life on the palate as acidity peps up some succulent pear right into the long finish and gives it a gorgeously lively and well-balanced side. The after-taste is elegantly playful. 2026-2041”

This is the only listing in the USA today!

Wwe Dr. H. Thanisch Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Spatlese, Mosel 2016 750ML ($39.95) $33 pre-arrival special
Mosel Fine Wines 92 points “The 2016er Badstube Spätlese offers a nice nose made of pear, white peach, cassis, minty herbs and a hint of whipped cream. The wine is nicely playful and loaded with white fruits and minerals on the palate. The finish is beautifully playful and complex. While still young, this hints at great potential. 2026-2041”

This is the only listing in the USA today!

Wwe Dr. H. Thanisch Bernkasteler Doctor Riesling Kabinett, Mosel 2016 750ML ($49.95) $39 pre-arrival special
Mosel Fine Wines 91+ points “The 2016er Doctor Kabinett offers a gorgeous nose of grapefruit, pear, white peach and aniseed herbs. The wine offers a nice balance on the palate, with great elegance and finesse as minerals, herbs and pear lead the aromatic profile right into the playful finish. This is still slightly broad (as Doctor wines often are in their youth) but the wine hints already at great potential. It could easily exceed our initial high expectations as it gains in focus at maturity. 2031-2046”

This is the only listing in the USA today!

Wwe Dr. H. Thanisch Bernkasteler Doctor Riesling Spatlese, Mosel 2016 750ML ($59.95) $49 pre-arrival special
Mosel Fine Wines 89+ points “The 2016er Doctor Spätlese with the regular Thanisch Doctor label still proves rather reduced and delivers a beautifully creamy nose of pear, candied grapefruit, melon, herbs and fine spices. The wine proves comparatively mellow and soft on the palate and leaves a still slightly sweet feel in the long and hugely complex finish. There is quite some upside potential if the wine gains in focus at maturity, and this is ideally left alone for more than a decade to integrate its richness. 2031-2046”

This is the only listing in the USA today!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Selbach Selections!

Arriving in December

“2016 does not appear to have a dark side. At least where I tasted, it is almost never not delicious, almost never ungainly, unbalanced or unappealing. I can hardly remember a more adorable vintage.”-Terry Theise

Johannes Selbach is a thoughtful winemaker producing Rieslings first and foremost to be useful at the table. His dry wines are dry, but have fruit and aren’t overly high in alcohol (no 14% monsters here).  His off-dry wines, which he’s known for, are bright and salty, with enough sugar to support the fruit, but not so much as to be cloying.  Compared to some Spatlese and Auslese, the wines are less showy, but much easier to drink an entire bottle of—without sacrificing complexity and intellectual interest, either.

Selbach-Oster Pinot Blanc Dry, Mosel 2016 750ML ($24.95) $21.90 pre-arrival special
Terry Theise note “This is being used by a restaurant group (with impeccable taste!) and for a while Johannes was worried we’d gobble up the supply and leave the group gasping and flopping on the beach. Nah, I’m only a little greedy. The ’16 is a beauty, toasty and mineral, a super vintage for a wine with some qui behind it. It’s steep-slope grown and made in discreet wood, so you get “recognizable” PB flavor but with the mineral energy of slate. There’s a long finish of really clean shrimp-stock, and the salty mid palate suggests just-caught monkfish.”

Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Schlossberg ‘Boemer’ Riesling Trocken, Mosel 2016 750ML ($37.95) $29 pre-arrival special
Mosel Fine Wines 91+ points “The 2016er Bömer comes from block-harvested fruit in the similarly named Lieu-Dit situated in the steepest and best exposed part of the Schlossberg (the reference to the Zeltinger Schlossberg is only mentioned on the back label). It offers a gorgeous nose of pear, herbs, grapefruit, ginger, aniseed herbs and smoky slate. The wine is nicely structured, intense and delicately mineral on the palate, with earthy spices and juicy pear coming through in the still rather backward finish. This will need a little bit of patience to shine but could then easily exceed our initial expectation if the fresher side keeps the upper hand at maturity. 2019-2026.”

This is the only listing in the USA today!

Selbach-Oster Riesling Kabinett, Mosel 2016 750ML ($24.95) $21.90 pre-arrival special
Mosel Fine Wines 89 points “The 2016er Estate Kabinett was made from fruit harvested at 83° Oechsle, mainly in the Zeltingen Himmelreich. It develops a juicy and fresh nose of grapefruit, pear, flowers, minty herbs and fine spices. The wine proves nicely playful on the palate and leaves a gorgeously mouth-watering feel in the satisfyingly direct finish. This proves hugely pleasing and nicely balanced already at this early stage. Now-2026+”

Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Himmelreich Riesling Kabinett Halbtrocken, Mosel 2016 750ML ($27.95) $21.90 pre-arrival special
Mosel Fine Wines: “This offers a pleasing nose of greengage, pear, grapefruit and a hint of cassis, all still wrapped into quite some herby elements from reduction. The wine develops a nicely fruity side driven by pear and grapefruit on the palate and a soft and delicately juicy feel of minerals and herbs in the medium-long finish. 2018-2026.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Schlossberg Riesling Kabinett, Mosel  2016 750ML ($31.95) $26 pre-arrival special
Mosel Fine Wines 90+ points “The 2016er Zeltinger Schlossberg Kabinett was harvested at 86-87° Oechsle. It develops a slightly ripe nose of pear puree, herbs and spices. The wine is nicely playful and delicately infused with herbs on the palate and leaves a juicy feel in the direct and elegant finish. This is still reduced and will need some time to develop its full potential. 2026-2041.”

This is the only listing in the USA today!

Selbach-Oster Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Spatlese, Mosel 2016 750ML ($24.95) $29 pre-arrival special
Mosel Fine Wines 90 points “This offers a beautifully delicate nose of pear, white peach, lemon, laurel and smoke. The wine is juicy and delicately tickly on the palate and leaves a nicely citrusy feel in the overall satisfyingly juicy and ripe finish. 2026-2041.”

This is the only listing in the USA today!

Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Himmelreich Riesling Eiswein, Mosel 2016 375ML ($119.95) $99 pre-arrival special
Mosel Fine Wines 96 points “The 2016er Zeltinger Himmelreich Eiswein was made from clean frozen grapes harvested at 135° Oechsle on December 5. It proves still rather reduced yet already hints at a vibrant array of fruits including cassis, pear, grapefruit and pineapple. The wine is still on the sweet side on the palate at this early stage but the great cassis infused fruity feel in the finish already shows the true greatness to come. This desperately needs a few years of bottle aging but should then prove a terrific example of fruit-driven Eiswein. 2021-2036+”

This is the only listing in the USA today!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ending Tonight at Midnight!

cali syrah zin sale

Subscriber-Only Special

Sale Ends Tuesday, October 3rd at 11:59 PM!

Your special discount: 10% off listed price on all in-stock

California Zinfandels and California Syrahs

Browse our selection by clicking the links above!

Discount does not apply to pre-arrival offers
Discount only applies to wines listed under these categories on our web site
Discount will not appear in online shopping cart
We will apply it here before charging

Thank you for reading!