Tuesday Night Newsletter 10-5-2022

In This Newsletter:

Mid-Week New Arrivals

Hundred Acre

Harlan Estate

Bond, The Bond…

 

Mid-Week New Arrivals

France – Burgundy

Domaine Robert Chevillon Les Bousselots, Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru 2018 750ml $119 special, 5 bottles in stock now
Wine Enthusiast 94 points
“This elegant wine opens with a subtle but almost lifted note of ripe red cherry. The palate frames this heightened note of cherry freshness with a filigreed frame of fine, still slightly crunchy tannin and its attendant smokiness. The entire structure lets the cherry fruit blossom. -Anne Krebiehl MW”
William Kelley-Wine Advocate 91-93 points “The 2018 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Bousselots is also showing very well, soaring from the glass with a dramatic bouquet of raspberries, black truffles, dark chocolate, rich soils tones and a deft framing of toasty new oak. Medium to full-bodied, ripe and broad-shouldered, its ample core of fruit is girdled by succulent acids and powdery tannin.”
Neal Martin-Vinous 91-93 points “The 2018 Nuits Saint-Georges Les Bousselottes 1er Cru offers ripe black currant, raspberry and wilted rose petal aromas on the nose, hints of blue fruit emerging with aeration. The oak is nicely integrated here. The medium-bodied palate offers supple tannins that are slightly chalky in texture, like the Chaignots, though here there is more weight and backbone toward the finish. This is a little clipped at the moment but should gain length by the end of its élevage.”

This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
The average price nationally is $166


France – Jura

Benedicte & Stephane Tissot Arbois Les Bruyeres Chardonnay, Jura 2018 750ml $47.70 special, 13 bottles in stock now

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Benedicte & Stephane Tissot Sursis Chardonnay, Côtes du Jura 2018 750ml $59 special, 4 bottles in stock now

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Benedicte & Stephane Tissot Arbois Savagnin Amphore, Jura 2018 750ml $69 special, 14 bottles in stock now


Italy – Tuscany

Tenuta di Arceno ‘Valadorna’ Toscana IGT 2016 750ml $45 special, 18 bottles in stock now
Decanter 96 points
“The celebrated 2016 vintage in Tuscany continues to impress. This Bordeaux blend is based on Merlot but has a slightly Left Bank style, and will soon become the estate’s current vintage of Valadorna, due to be released this year. Aged in 60% new French oak, it is polished and intense, with bramble fruit, earthy balsamic tones, a milk chocolate aroma and a slightly herbal touch. Its tight-knit structure, combining crisp acidity and firm yet velvety tannins, makes this a powerful yet graceful wine. Even if you’re not a fan of Tuscan Merlot, the tense character it gives to wines in the Chianti region is to be admired.”

Tenuta di Arceno Chianti Classico DOCG, Tuscany 2020 750ml $26 special, 36 bottles in stock now
Wine Spectator 93 points
“A salty, savory version, this red offers woodsy underbrush and loam notes, along with sanguine, iron, leather and meaty cherry aromas and flavors. Lively and balanced, with a lingering aftertaste of fruit and herbs. Sangiovese and Merlot. Drink now through 2029. 12,200 cases made, 8,600 cases imported.”


Italy – Liguria

Tenuta Anfosso ‘Poggio Pini’ Rossese di Dolceacqua Superiore, Liguria 2018 750ml $39 special, 12 bottles in stock now
Kermit Lynch importer note
“The 130-year-old vines at Poggio Pini deliver Alessandro Anfosso’s greatest wine: a deep, silken Rossese that marries floral, smoky, and spice elements, culminating in a mouthwatering, stony finish.”

This is the only listing in the USA today!


Spain

Jorge Ordonez Triton Tinta de Toro 2018 750ml $17.70 special, 25 bottles in stock now
Jeb Dunnuck 91 points
“The 2018 Tinta De Toro Triton is 100% Tempranillo (Tinta de Toro) and offers a deeper ruby/plum color as well as textbook Tempranillo notes of ripe red and black fruits, peppery herbs, spicy wood, and hints of sandalwood. It’s ripe, medium to full-bodied, has a juicy, fruit-forward style, and a good finish. Drink this impeccably made red over the coming 5-7 years.”
Josh Raynolds-Vinous 91 points “Inky ruby. Deeply perfumed black and blue fruit, licorice and dark chocolate aromas are sharpened by a peppery nuance that builds with air. Juicy and energetic on the palate, offering appealingly sweet, spice-laced blueberry and cassis flavors that steadily deepen on the back half. Supple tannins lend gentle grip to the long, sappy finish, which echoes the blue fruit and spice notes. Aged in two-, three- and four-year old French oak barriques.”


Germany

Dr. Burklin-Wolf Estate Riesling Trocken, Pfalz 2020 750ml $19.50 special
James Suckling 92 points
“Open pear and reine-claude plum nose with delicate baking-spice aromas!. Generous and well-structured palate with a long, refreshing finish that’s supported nicely by a touch of chalky tannin. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold.”

This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!

Dr. Burklin-Wolf Ruppertsberger Gaisbohl G.C. Riesling, Pfalz 2020 750ml $89 special
James Suckling 95 points
“Just sit back and let go! So much ripe gooseberry, kiwi and exotic fruit. So much charm and juiciness, too, which adds up to a full, silky package that’s so easy to enjoy right now, because it pulls you into its warmhearted embrace. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold.”

Dr. Burklin-Wolf Forster Pechstein G.C. Riesling Trocken, Pfalz 2020 750ml $179 special
James Suckling 99 points
“So stony, poised and pristine, in spite of all the concentration, this has staggering elegance and finesse for such a warm region. Mega minerality at the breathtakingly long and radical finish that defies any simple description. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold.”

This is the only listing in the USA today!
 

Hundred Acre

Hundred Acre’s wines are as unique and filled with personality as their winemaker, Jayson Woodbridge. Big, bold, rich and textured, they’re among the most coveted wines we offer. 

“Visiting with Hundred Acre’s contrarian proprietor, the bigger-than-life, outspoken and suffers-no-fools Jayson Woodbridge, is always a highlight. First of all, and most importantly, is his commitment to producing great wines…what follows is a look at his top-of-the-line wines from the 15-acre Kayli Morgan Vineyard east of St. Helena, his 15-acre Howell Mountain Ark Vineyard and a spectacular site adjacent to the Eisele Vineyard south of Calistoga called Few and Far Between. His first vintage was the 2000 Kayli Morgan. At that time he was using consultant Philippe Melka, but he has been on his own for a number of years and the wine quality continues to be among the most singular and profound in all of Napa Valley. His outspoken personality doesn’t often sit well in conservative and quiet Napa, but he only needs to let his wines do the talking. Little else needs to be said or done.” -Robert M. Parker, Jr., The Wine Advocate

New Arrivals & In Stock Now

Hundred Acre ‘Few and Far Between’ Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2014 750ml $449 special, 3 bottles in stock now
Wine Advocate 100 points
“Medium garnet-purple colored, the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Few and Far Between opens with tantalizing molten chocolate and liquid licorice notions over crème de cassis, candied violets, baked red currants, kirsch and black tea scents. The palate is full-bodied and firmly textured with ripe, grainy tannins while packed with floral and black fruit layers, finishing very long and minerally with an energetic red fruit lift.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $569

Hundred Acre ‘Few and Far Between’ Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2015 750ml $619 special, 3 bottles in stock now
Wine Advocate 100 points
“The medium garnet-purple colored 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Few and Far Between belts out an aria of black cherries, kirsch, black raspberries, roses and lilacs scents with Indian spices, underbrush and cigar box nuances plus a waft of iron ore. The palate is full-bodied and firm yet plushly textured, generating wave after wave of perfumed elegance. It finishes epically long, multilayered and with great freshness, culminating in loads of captivating minerally sparks. Wow, just wow.”

This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
The average price nationally is $690

Hundred Acre ‘Dark Ark’ Cabernet Sauvignon, Howell Mountain 2015 750ml $699 special, 2 bottles in stock now
Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Advocate 99 points
“Dark Ark is a selection of barrels from the Ark vineyard in 2015 that were bottled separately. It comes from a pre-blending selection of barrels that were notably denser and more powerful than the others this vintage. Some of these were blended into the single-vineyard Ark label, but when their contribution to the blend began to detract from the essence of that wine, the remaining barrels were bottled separately. Jayson Woodbridge dubbed the wine ‘Dark Ark’ and the name stuck.”

This is the only listing in the USA today!

Hundred Acre ‘Kayli Morgan Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2004 750ml $519 special, 7 bottles in stock now
Robert Parker 98 points
“The wild man of Napa Valley, Jayson Woodbridge, has turned out one of the superstars of 2004, with the 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Kayli Morgan. His wines always tend to be gorgeous young, offering up an impression that they’re not going to last. But his first vintage, 2000, seems to get better and better, even though it was spectacular when released. The 2004, which was harvested in September, shows an almost Pomerol-like sweet mocha, kirsch, black currant and deeply fruited mouthfeel. It is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, but the clay soils of his vineyard seem to give a sweetness of tannin and a voluptuous character to the texture. This wine oozes rich, concentrated fruit, is light on its feet and has gorgeous purity, a multidimensional mouthfeel and a stunning finish. Silky black currant, kirsch, licorice, mocha and caramelized fruit make for a stunningly full-throttle, brilliant 2004 to enjoy over the next 15 or more years.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Hundred Acre ‘Kayli Morgan Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2015 750ml $619 special, 3 bottles in stock now
Wine Advocate 100 points
“The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Kayli Morgan Vineyard has a medium garnet-purple color and is a little closed to begin, giving up red and black currants, violets, lilacs and spice box plus chocolate-covered coffee beans, menthol, tilled soil and cardamom. The palate is full-bodied, concentrated and built like a brick house, with loads of floral sparks and a very long, mineral-laced finish. Through the roof.”

Hundred Acre ‘Kayli Morgan Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2017 750ml $499 special, 3 bottles in stock now
Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Advocate 96 points
“‘The cool clay at Kayli Morgan vineyard really weathered well the 2017 heat wave,’ said proprietor Jayson Woodbridge. Featuring a deep garnet-black color, the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Kayli Morgan Vineyard has a profound nose of fruitcake, crème de cassis, baked plums and forest floor, with touches of hoisin, charcuterie and clove oil. The full-on, full-bodied palate is rich and seductive, offering a sturdy frame of chewy tannins and a lively backbone, finishing very spicy and long.”

This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!

Hundred Acre ‘Wraith’ Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2014 750ml $699 special, 3 bottles in stock now
Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Advocate 100 points
“Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Wraith opens with compelling crème de cassis, wild blueberries, anise, chocolate mint and black earth scents plus suggestions of candied violets, cinnamon stick, tar, cigar box and smoked meats. Full-bodied, rich, super firm and built like a brick house, the palate offers layer upon layer of very tightly wound, subtly nuanced flavors leading to a very long, very perfumed and minerally finish. If any Hundred Acre wine can live for 100 years, this is certainly a contender.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Hundred Acre ‘Wraith’ Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2017 750ml $549 special, 3 bottles in stock now
Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Advocate 98+ points
“Deep garnet, the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Wraith jumps with spicy scents of cumin seed, clove oil, cinnamon stick and fenugreek, leading to a core of prunes, blueberry pie and blackcurrant cordial, with touches of iron ore and red roses. The rich, full-bodied palate layers in red fruit nuances with a structure that is wonderfully elegant and ethereal, delivering silken tannins, seamless freshness and a long-lasting firework display for a finish.”






Harlan Estate

“Even after all of these years, and with much more intense competition than ever before, Harlan Estate remains one of the great wines in Napa Valley.” –Antonio Galloni

Newly Arrived and In Stock Now from Harlan Estate:

Harlan Estate, Napa Valley 2009 1.5L $2,099 special, 1 magnum in stock now
Antonio Galloni 97 points
“The 2009 Harlan Estate is just as impressive from bottle as it was from barrel. Cloves, dark plums, cherries, smoke and graphite add richness and resonance to this powerful, incisive wine. Juicy and exuberant, the 2009 has always had a certain raciness that is impossible to resist. Layers of fruit continue to build to the enveloping, sensual finish. Readers will have a hard time keeping their hands off this hugely delicious wine. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2034.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Harlan Estate, Napa Valley 2013 750ml $1,299 special, 6 bottles in stock now
Robert Parker 100 points
“As I predicted last year, the 2013 Harlan Estate is one of their all-time greats, although they have had many of them, starting with the 1991, followed by 1994, 1995, 1997 (although controversial in some circles), 2001, 2002, 2005, 2007, 2010 and 2012. This great first-growth property, with aspirations to produce the finest Cabernet Sauvignon-based wine made in the New World, has given us a wine that has it all in 2013. Dense purple to the rim, with notes of espresso, white chocolate, mocha, blackberry, cassis, and cedar wood, the wine is full-bodied, opulent, but also structured, pure and incredibly long (well past a minute aftertaste). It is probably closest in personality and overall character to the compelling 2001, which is still a youthful wine at age 15. Drink it over the next 50+ years.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Harlan Estate, Napa Valley 2014 750ml $999 special, 6 bottles in stock now
Robert Parker 98 points
“The deep garnet-purple colored 2014 Harlan Estate offers up subtle cassis, black cherries and crushed blackberries notes with tons of savory and earthy layers: forest floor, black soil, charcoal and dried herbs, plus wafts of violets and rare beef. Full-bodied and built like a brick house in the mouth, it has loads of tense, muscular fruit with many layers of earth, savory and spice nuances emerging, finishing with epic length. Around 2,100 cases were bottled.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Harlan Estate, Napa Valley 2017 750ml $1,199 special, 3 bottles in stock now
Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Advocate 97+ points
“Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2017 Harlan Estate needs a little coaxing to reveal captivating iron ore, red currant jelly, cloves and crushed rocks scents with a core of warm cassis, Black Forest cake and boysenberries plus a waft of pencil lead. Medium to full-bodied, it has a firm, grainy texture with a lively backbone and loads of earthy layers, long and mineral laced. This should be one of the longer-lived wines coming out of the 2017 vintage.”
Jeb Dunnuck 97 points “The Grand Vin is the 2017 Harlan Estate, and this beauty just about jumps from the glass with its pure cassis and blackcurrant fruits as well as notes of tobacco, graphite, crushed stone, and spice. With a full-bodied, expansive mouthfeel, building, velvety tannins, and a layered, seamless style that offers way more pleasure than just about every other wine in the vintage, bottles can be enjoyed any time over the coming 20-25 years.”


Bond, The Bond…

“It is always fascinating to taste through the BOND wines, as these five Cabernets are remarkably expressive of place. For many years, I considered the St. Eden and Vecina to be the flagship wines, but in recent years the Melbury and Pluribus have made significant strides. Those are both true hillside sites (St. Eden is closer to elevated valley floor/bench and Vecina is a lower hillside), where farming is naturally much more challenging…” -Antonio Galloni, Vinous

New Arrivals:

Bond Melbury, Napa Valley 2003 750ml $519 special, 6 bottles in stock now
Robert Parker 97 points (in 2013)
“The 2003 Melbury comes from a slopeside site on the northern side of Lake Hennessey, opposite the Rutherford valley floor. Winemaker Bob Levy compares the 2003 to the 2006 because of the wet winter and spring and the summer’s heat spikes. A brilliant effort from sedimentary soil with rocks over compacted clay, it is a gorgeous wine offering raspberry, black currant, spring flower and blueberry characteristics along with a dense purple color, a full-bodied, multilayered mouthfeel and sweet tannin. This stunningly rich hillside Cabernet Sauvignon should reach full maturity in 4-5 years and keep for 15-20 years thereafter.”

Bond Melbury, Napa Valley 2010 1.5L $849 special, 1 magnum in stock now
Robert Parker 98+ points
“From a higher site in the Pritchard Hill area, the 2010 Melbury appears to be prodigious, but is currently extremely backward. My notes indicate it should be forgotten for 7-10 years. With coaxing, this structured 2010 offers up aromas of blueberry liqueur, black currants, charcoal and spring flowers. It possesses gorgeous purity and remarkable incremental richness, but it is quite brooding and backward. Everything it needs for a great future is present, but patience will definitely be required.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $910

Bond Pluribus, Napa Valley 2003 750ml $419 special, 6 bottles in stock now
Robert Parker 98 points (in 2013)
“The 2003 Pluribus (the debut vintage of this cuvee) performed spectacularly. Created from some of the estate’s youngest vines planted in decomposed white tufa volcanic soils at an elevation of 1,100 to 1,300 feet on Spring Mountain, it offers a stunning blue/purple color, copious quantities of blueberries, black raspberries and violet-infused fruit intermixed with hints of foresty flora. Rich, full-bodied and pure, this beautiful 2003 is several years away from full maturity, but it should keep for two more decades.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Bond St Eden, Napa Valley 2003 750ml $399 special, 6 bottles in stock now
Robert Parker 94 points (in 2013)
“The 2003 St. Eden comes from an 11-acre rocky knoll on the northern side of the Oakville Crossroad that consists of pure red soils. It is the most evolved and forward of these 2003 Bond wines. Lots of cedar, chocolate, roasted herb, lavender and spice box notes emerge from this complex Pauillac-like effort. Medium to full-bodied and fully mature, it is more evolved than its siblings, revealing sweet tannin as well as a spicy, earthy finish”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Bond Vecina, Napa Valley 2003 750ml $399 special, 6 bottles in stock now
Robert Parker 96+ points (in 2013)
“The vineyard closest to the great Harlan Estate is Vecina, situated in the western foothills on the Oakville Crossroad overlooking the valley. From this 11-acre site, the 2003 Vecina comes closest in style to Harlan Estate, appearing like a hypothetical blend of a St. Estephe and Pauillac. A formidable wine, it reveals plenty of new saddle leather, creme de cassis, scorched earth and volcanic-like characteristics in addition to notes of blackberries, Chinese black tea and graphite. Powerful, intense and backward, it needs 2-5 years of bottle age and should last for two decades thereafter. It is a tour de force in winemaking!”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Also In Stock Now:

Bond Melbury, Napa Valley 2012 750ml $419 special, 1 bottle in stock now, 95 pts Galloni
Bond Melbury, Napa Valley 2015 750ml $649 special, 1 bottle in stock now, 98 pts Galloni
Bond Melbury, Napa Valley 2018 750ml $819 special, 1 bottle in stock now, 98 pts Galloni

Bond Pluribus, Napa Valley 2012 750ml $419 special, 1 bottle in stock now, 97 pts Galloni
Bond Pluribus, Napa Valley 2018 750ml $819 special, 1 bottle in stock now, 99 pts Galloni

Bond Quella, Napa Valley 2015 750ml $649 special, 1 bottle in stock now, 97 pts Galloni
Bond Quella, Napa Valley 2018 750ml $819 special, 1 bottle in stock now, 97 pts Galloni

Bond St Eden, Napa Valley 2015 750ml $699 special, 1 bottle in stock now, 100 pts Dunnuck
Bond St Eden, Napa Valley 2018 750ml $819 special, 1 bottle in stock now, 97 pts Galloni

Bond Vecina, Napa Valley 2015 750ml $649 special, 1 bottle in stock now, 100 pts Dunnuck
Bond Vecina, Napa Valley 2018 750ml $819 special, 1 bottle in stock now, 99 pts Galloni


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Thank you from the team at Vinopolis!

Be well & drink well.