In Today’s Newsletter:
“Among the Most Compelling in Spain”
New Wines from Comando G
Super Subscriber Sale
Wine Spectator’s Wine of the Year
In Magnum
Trending Oregon Wines
New Grapelive Review for an Oregon Favorite
“Among the Most Compelling in Spain”
New Wines from Comando G
“Comando G continues to serve as the reference point in Gredos.” –Luis Gutierrez, Wine Advocate
“Today, along with Comando G, a handful of producers working in the Sierra de Gredos is showing how distinctive the wines can be from an area that was ignored for so long… the bottles with the most finesse and nuance, and which have drawn the most interest, are from Comando G, whose wines are now among the most compelling in Spain.” –Eric Asimov, New York Times
Comando G has become one of the hottest names in the world of Spanish wines. Working with old Grenache (Garnacha) vines, Fernando García and Daniel Gómez Jiménez-Landi looked to estates like Rayas and Gramenon in the Rhone for inspiration to produce balanced, chiseled wines of delicate power and elegance.
The single vineyard wine from both producers are in exceptionally short supply—especially the Rumba al Norte and Tamboril Blanco, which are even more allocated than usual. As in past years, they’re first come, first served.
Newly Arrived, In Stock Now:
Comando G ‘El Tamboril’ Blanco Navaltalgordo, Castilla y Leon 2018 750ML ($179.95) $149 special
Luis Gutierrez-Wine Advocate 98 points “The one white produced by Comando G (other than a small cuvée of biological flor-aged white sometimes and some almost experimental whites) is the 2018 El Tamboril, a blend of Garnacha Blanca and Garnacha Gris from a 0.2-hectare plot of 70-year-old vines at 1,200 meters in altitude in the village of Navatalgordo on shallow sand and sandstone soils. The grapes were picked in mid-October despite which the wine is only 12.2% alcohol and has amazing parameters of freshness, a pH of 3.15 and 6.31 grams of acidity measured in tartaric acid. The clusters were directly pressed, and the juice fermented in oak barrel with indigenous yeasts. The wine matured in a concrete egg for 14 months instead of barrique, and this wine is sharper and narrower, which was the objective. This is amazing, sharp, crystalline, precise, insinuating and super mineral, with a texture of cold liquid rocks, and it’s full of flavors and has a salty finish, which seems to be a characteristic from El Tamboril that I even find in the red. It makes me think of some of the wines from Jean-Marc Roulot, austere and precise. Mind-blowing. Only 728 bottles were filled in March 2020.”
“Today, along with Comando G, a handful of producers working in the Sierra de Gredos is showing how distinctive the wines can be from an area that was ignored for so long… the bottles with the most finesse and nuance, and which have drawn the most interest, are from Comando G, whose wines are now among the most compelling in Spain.” –Eric Asimov, New York Times
Comando G has become one of the hottest names in the world of Spanish wines. Working with old Grenache (Garnacha) vines, Fernando García and Daniel Gómez Jiménez-Landi looked to estates like Rayas and Gramenon in the Rhone for inspiration to produce balanced, chiseled wines of delicate power and elegance.
The single vineyard wine from both producers are in exceptionally short supply—especially the Rumba al Norte and Tamboril Blanco, which are even more allocated than usual. As in past years, they’re first come, first served.
Newly Arrived, In Stock Now:
Comando G ‘El Tamboril’ Blanco Navaltalgordo, Castilla y Leon 2018 750ML ($179.95) $149 special
Luis Gutierrez-Wine Advocate 98 points “The one white produced by Comando G (other than a small cuvée of biological flor-aged white sometimes and some almost experimental whites) is the 2018 El Tamboril, a blend of Garnacha Blanca and Garnacha Gris from a 0.2-hectare plot of 70-year-old vines at 1,200 meters in altitude in the village of Navatalgordo on shallow sand and sandstone soils. The grapes were picked in mid-October despite which the wine is only 12.2% alcohol and has amazing parameters of freshness, a pH of 3.15 and 6.31 grams of acidity measured in tartaric acid. The clusters were directly pressed, and the juice fermented in oak barrel with indigenous yeasts. The wine matured in a concrete egg for 14 months instead of barrique, and this wine is sharper and narrower, which was the objective. This is amazing, sharp, crystalline, precise, insinuating and super mineral, with a texture of cold liquid rocks, and it’s full of flavors and has a salty finish, which seems to be a characteristic from El Tamboril that I even find in the red. It makes me think of some of the wines from Jean-Marc Roulot, austere and precise. Mind-blowing. Only 728 bottles were filled in March 2020.”
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
Only six bottles available
Comando G ‘Rumbo al Norte’ Navarrevisca, Castilla y Leon 2018 750ML ($519.95) $419 special
Luis Gutierrez-Wine Advocate 100 points “I have followed the 2018 Rumbo Al Norte since the day the grapes were harvested, on the 17th of October, a spectacular sunny day. These were some of the most perfect grapes I’ve seen in my life. Rumbo al Norte is the name they have given to a plot of high-altitude and continental-climate Garnacha in the village of Villanueva de Ávila at almost 1,200 meters in altitude; it’s a spectacular and impossible north-facing plot of only 0.3 hectares on sandy granite soils with abundant silt, one of the most amazing vineyards I know. The natural conditions of the place make for a slow and late ripening of the grapes that, in cooler years like 2018 and even more if the crop was a little larger, deliver full flavors coupled with freshness and elegance, austere and grainy, incredibly textured, they often describe as granite flour. Unfortunately, the price of this wine has skyrocketed in the last vintages. The fermentation followed their modus operandi, full clusters with indigenous yeasts in oak vat with a very soft extraction and a super long maceration, and this year (it’s always depending on the volume) it had an élevage in a 1,000-liter oak vat for some 14 months. This is paler than previous vintages. It epitomizes the character of the place, cold austerity coupled with elegance and nuance. It’s narrow and vertical, in this case More Chambolle than Vosne, with the Garnacha signature, ethereal and full of energy and light. It has gobsmacking balance and silky tannins, with great freshness and all the ingredients for a long life in bottle. Ultra fine, with the soul of Umbrías and a stony character of liquid granite and quartz, spherical but delineated. Simply stunning. 1,037 bottles and 30 magnums produced. It was bottled in March 2020.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $500
Comando G Las Umbrias, Madrid 2018 750ML ($179.95) $159 special
Luis Gutierrez-Wine Advocate 99 points “The most delicate, transparent and ethereal red from the Comando G range, the 2018 Las Umbrías comes from the first vineyard they started working, a plot in the village of Rozas de Puerto Real. It’s from half a hectare of 60-year-old Garnacha at 1,000 meters in altitude in the paraje (lieu-dit or place) that names the wine and means shady place, a place surrounded by chestnut and oak trees. Even in a perfect year like 2018 when the crop was extremely healthy, they select the grapes one by one, removing each grape that is not perfect from the bunches, which are foot trodden and ferment whole in an oak vat with the yeasts that come with the grapes. Their method is a soft extraction with a vey long maceration to get all the flavors and aromas from the skins. The wines always mature in used oak containers, different ones depending on the volume given the size of the crop, in this case a 1,200-liter oak vat where the wine matured for 14 months. This has amazing finesse, more than usual, and it’s incredibly pale and perfumed (flowers, tangerine), savory and weightless with terrific balance, ultra-fine silky tannins and lots of energy and light. It finishes with very clean and focused flavors and a salty twist. Hands-down the best vintage of Las Umbrías. Bravo! 1,152 bottles and 30 magnums were filled in March 2020.”
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
Also In Stock Now:
Comando G ‘La Bruja de Rozas’ Sierra de Gredos 2018 750ML ($34.95) $28 special, 36+ bottles in stock now
Luis Gutierrez-Wine Advocate 93+ points “I tasted a very young and recently bottled 2018 La Bruja de Rozas, their village Garnacha from the village of Las Rozas de Puerto Real. It’s from a vintage that feels very complete and balanced and delivered very healthy grapes, good yields and grapes with ripe flavors and very good freshness. The wine is juicy but also sharp and mineral, backward and nuanced; it’s shy now, but it has great depth and is finely knitted, textured, mineral and salty. I think this will surpass the already-amazing 2016. It fermented and matured in oak vats of different sizes, yet there is such purity of fruit and the wine is so intense that the oak is completely transparent. I had the chance to drink this wine on repeated occasions, as I find it has an unbeatable price for the quality. It’s a more complete version of the 2016—it’s pale, bright and transparent, spicy, elegant, nuanced, juicy but complex, with not only fruit but also violets and an herbal side, and it’s characterful and a bit funky with finesse and a texture of chalk and granite. Like a Poulsard from Chambolle. High drinkability with aging potential. 53,478 bottles produced (the second largest vintage after 2016). It was bottled in August 2019.”
Grapelive 93 points “Every year these Comando G wines seem to get better and better, this is true especially with this 2018 La Bruja de Rozas, their base cuvee, which is absolutely delicious with Burgundy like class, in fact with its slight reduction and light graphite notes at the start reminds me of a Premier Cru Nuits-Saint-Georges, but with dark Grenache purity…. This 2018 version is as mentioned very dark and starts with earthy intensity before opening gracefully into a generous Garnacha that really turns up the charms with a gorgeous layering of black raspberry, plum, pomegranate and cherry fruit along with wild herbs, delicate floral notes, mineral and snappy spices. Air time brings out there best and allows the La Bruja de Rozas to become wonderfully textural and extends the length, it slowly unveils its true personality and gains loads of depth and bringing up to the quality level of Comando G’s single Cru offerings almost! ….Comando G, celebrating 10 years with this 2018 vintage, is a small winery in the Sierra de Gredos, this special terroir in the mountains above Madrid in Castilla y Leon, central Spain, making hand crafted wines, it is led by the talented duo of Daniel Landi and Fernando Garcia…As widely noted, and reported here, the Sierra de Gredos is a Garnacha region that rivals the world’s great sites for this grape, these wines show high elevation elegance and detail, but with old vine concentration and amazing aromatics as well as length. Using organic grapes, farmed with biodynamic methods, Comando G’s Rozas, the Village wine, was all hand harvested, with Dani and Fernando employing a natural yeast fermentation with partial whole cluster (depending on vintage) and a long maceration, that as they note, was followed by nine months in large 30-60HL oak vats to mature. The 2018 La Bruja de Rozas, which has at least a decade of serious quality life ahead of it, gains more on more in the glass revealing its inner perfume and its tannin structure turns silky, all the while retaining its presence on the palate and is nicely lifted by its natural acidity making it wonderful with cuisine and a fine companion for an evening of drinking pleasure!”
We’ve also received our allocation for the new vintages of Dani Landi’s personal wines, which offer a mineral-driven look at Garnacha in Gredos and represent a fantastic opportunity, as well.
Arriving Friday:
Daniel Gomez Jimenez-Landi ‘Cantos del Diablo,’ Mentrida 2018 750ML ($149.95) $119 pre-arrival special
Luis Gutierrez-Wine Advocate 95 points “The single-vineyard 2018 Cantos del Diablo was produced with the grapes from 0.35 hectares of 70-year-old Garnacha in the village of El Real de San Vicente (Toledo) at 900 meters in altitude, the highest vineyard in the Méntrida appellation. It’s a north-facing plot on sandy granite soils with lots of silt that deliver chalky tannins and a citrus freshness in the wine. The whole clusters fermented with indigenous yeasts in oak vats with a long maceration followed by an élevage in a 1,400-liter oak foudre for 12 months. This was extremely closed, even after a long time in the glass. It’s a vineyard that delivers more reductive wines (matchstick) with a strict palate and a strong mineral sensation. 1,620 bottles were filled in March 2020.”
Daniel Gomez Jimenez Landi ‘Las Iruelas’ El Tiemblo, Castilla y Leon 2018 750ML ($149.95) $136 pre-arrival special
Luis Gutierrez-Wine Advocate 98 points “Always a wine of incredible lightness and energy, the 2018 Las Iruelas excels in a year like 2018. It is delicate and floral and comes from a relatively large 1.1-hectare vineyard in the valley that names the wine, in the village of El Tiemblo in the province of Ávila in the Gredos wine region. It’s a very steep slope that faces east and gets the morning sun, but it is protected by the mountain from the afternoon sun. The soil is quite unique, as it contains a mixture of granite and schist, laminated and with vertical veins that allow the roots to go very deep. The soils are very shallow, barely 20 centimeters and are rich in sand, quartz and silt. The climate is also quite unique—it gets abundant rains since it’s located in a place where storms get trapped between the Tiétar and Alberche Valleys. The bunches are painstakingly cleaned, and every grape that is less than perfect is removed before they are put into oak vats to ferment with the natural yeasts, with a soft vinification and an infusion of very long macerations. The wine matured in a 1,400-liter oak vat for 12 months. This is ethereal, transparent, aromatic and nuanced, with incredible energy but with a silky mouthfeel that makes it feel light but has amazing inner power! It has to be the most elegant vintage of Iruelas. 1,785 bottles were filled in March 2020.”
Love Spanish reds? We have over 120 different options in stock now. Shop the entire selection, including staff favorites like Daterra Lorenzo, Guímaro and more, on our web store now.
Super Subscriber Sale
We’ve been cutting the prices on a ton of wine in the last few weeks—244 different bottlings in fact. From Abbatucci to Vilmart, there’s going to be something in that list that you’re going to love. (Many somethings, we’d bet. We’ve got a few highlights below, but you can also view the full list on our webstore.
In Stock Now:
Basically Adam’s GG—a wine of impeccable power and precision.
Weingut A.J. Adam Dhroner Hofberg Riesling Trocken, Mosel 2017 750ML ($79.95) Was $59, Now $49 Super Subscriber Special, 6 bottles in stock now
Stephan Reinhardt – Wine Advocate 93 points “The 2017 Dhroner Hofberg Riesling Trocken is from a south-facing, very slatey soil with roughly 70-year-old vines that were picked at the end of October with 93° Oechsle and no pre-selection. The wine was vinified in fuder and aged on the fine lees until the filtration at the end of April. This citrus-yellow colored Riesling displays a clear, fresh, concentrated and beautifully slatey bouquet with remarkable complexity and elegance. The nose is like a very fine perfume, and its slate aromas are crunchy and pure, just beautiful. Concentrated, piquant and firmly structured, this is a full-bodied, juicy, spicy, complex and intense dry Riesling with good richness but also a persistently mineral, vibrantly fresh and seriously structured finish. Excellent. Tasted in April 2019.”
In Stock Now:
Basically Adam’s GG—a wine of impeccable power and precision.
Weingut A.J. Adam Dhroner Hofberg Riesling Trocken, Mosel 2017 750ML ($79.95) Was $59, Now $49 Super Subscriber Special, 6 bottles in stock now
Stephan Reinhardt – Wine Advocate 93 points “The 2017 Dhroner Hofberg Riesling Trocken is from a south-facing, very slatey soil with roughly 70-year-old vines that were picked at the end of October with 93° Oechsle and no pre-selection. The wine was vinified in fuder and aged on the fine lees until the filtration at the end of April. This citrus-yellow colored Riesling displays a clear, fresh, concentrated and beautifully slatey bouquet with remarkable complexity and elegance. The nose is like a very fine perfume, and its slate aromas are crunchy and pure, just beautiful. Concentrated, piquant and firmly structured, this is a full-bodied, juicy, spicy, complex and intense dry Riesling with good richness but also a persistently mineral, vibrantly fresh and seriously structured finish. Excellent. Tasted in April 2019.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Simone is a rose for all seasons, and ages into something profound, especially in mag.
Chateau Simone Palette Rose, Provence 2017 1.5L ($139.95) Was $119, Now $99 Super Subscriber Special, 5 magnums in stock now
Neal Rosenthal Note “The Rougiers’ justly legendary rosé—composed of the same field blend as the rouge, and produced by blending direct-press and free-run juice in equal proportions—may as well be from another planet as the sea of technologically produced pink concoctions flooding the market. Even serious growers often make rosé as an afterthought, using quick and inexpensive methods and rushing it into bottle to sell it before the first glimmer of spring warmth. At Chateau Simone, however, the rosé ferments spontaneously, and spends a full year in large oak foudres developing remarkable depth. Like all great wines, the best rosés require time—note that Simone is releasing their 2017 when almost every other producer is issuing their 2018—and a bit of risk in the cellar. And, whereas rosés fall apart within a year or two of being bottled, Simone’s is notorious for improving for over a decade, developing the savory notes and umami complexity of an aged red wine over time. The 2017 growing season dished out challenge after challenge—hail, frost, hydric stress, even hungry birds and pigs—with a subsequent 30-40% reduction in yields from 2016 (which was itself 15% down from 2015). Given that the rosé comprises only ten percent of the estate’s production to begin with, there is painfully little 2017 to go around. Those lucky enough to snare some, however, will encounter a wine of terrific expression, as those grapes that survived the season’s myriad challenges ended up remarkably healthy and concentrated. Amply fruited but with a core of lean minerality, the 2017 Palette Rosé offers excellent tension, and its flavors of juicy red apples, Provencal herbs, and softly smoky earth are particularly well delineated.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Thanisch is one of the most respected producers within Germany—but they fly under the radar here.
Wwe Dr. H. Thanisch Erben Thanisch (VDP) Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Spatlese, Mosel 2016 750ML ($39.95) Was $33, Now $28 Super Subscriber Special, 21 bottles in stock now
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 92+ points “The 2016 Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Spätlese offers a clear, elegant nose with bright fruit, green asparagus and flinty aromas. Racy and lush on the palate, this is a refreshing, elegant but still pretty sweet Spätlese with crystalline, piquant acidity and structure. The finish is long and complex, but the wine needs a decade to integrate all its components into a fine and elegant Spätlese. Tasted March 2018.”
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”
David Schildknecht – Vinous 90 points “A glossy, glycerol-rich palate features sappy concentration of ripe pear and apple. A scent of honeysuckle persists inner-mouth. The finish is impressively sustained, refreshingly juicy and mouthwateringly salt-tinged.”
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
Top producer+epic vintage=a wine to stand the test of time, and willpower.
Domaine Dugat-Py Gevrey-Chambertin Cuvee Coeur de Roy Tres Vieilles Vignes 2010 750ML ($249.95) Was $169, Now $149 Super Subscriber Special, 6 bottles in stock now
Antonio Galloni 91 points “The 2010 Gevrey-Chambertin Coeur du Roi is racy, deep and totally sensual. Clean veins of minerality support a core of expressive blue and black fruit. The 2010 is both deep and long. All the elements are beautifully balanced in this impeccable, mineral driven wine. Cassis, blueberries, sweet flower and mint inform the energetic, palate staining finish. Dugat used 75% whole clusters, which gives the wine an attractive aromatic lift throughout. These vines are between 50-100 years old.”
Burghound 90 points “Outstanding. A ripe and attractively perfumed nose features notes of black cherry, cassis and plum that are given added lift from the copious floral nuances. There is simply incredible concentration to the round and suave medium weight plus flavors that possess a velvety mouth feel on the powerful, precise and superbly focused and persistent finish. This explosive effort delivers knockout quality for its level.”
This was the lowest listed price in the USA today,
Now it’s even lower!
The next best price is $201.99
A steal from one of the most hallowed terroirs in all of Burgundy.
Frederic Magnien Chambertin-Clos de Beze Grand Cru 2013 750ML ($319.95) Was $249, Now $199 Super Subscriber Special, 4 bottles in stock now
Stephen Tanzer 92-95 points “Bright, full red. Sexy high-pitched perfume combines red cherry, blood orange, lavender, red rose and spearmint. Juicy but youthfully imploded, showing more aromatic complexity than pliancy of texture today. Crunchy flavors of crushed red fruits, spices and licorice are lifted by fresh rose. A very long, scented wine of great finesse, but in need of a decade of patience to fully express itself.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Lowenstein might be best known for their dry wines, but this sweet wine is a masterpiece.
Heymann-Lowenstein ‘R’ Winninger Uhlen Roth Lay Auslese Goldkapsel, Mosel 2007 375ML ($99.95) Was $59, Now $49 Super Subscriber Special, 20 half-bottles in stock now
Wine Spectator 96 points “Candied citrus, jujube, sweet spice and quince paste aromas and flavors mark this sweet, bracing Riesling, which is light on its feet and resonates on the finish with a mouthwatering feel and echoes of citrus. Best from 2012 through 2045.”
Wine Advocate 95 points “Lowenstein’s 2007 Winninger Uhlen Riesling Auslese Gold Capsule Roth Lay (as in the corresponding dry wines, the letter “R” is prominent on the label of this A.P.#9) benefits from counterpoint and collaboration among bright citrus, rich pit fruit essences, and the honey of botrytis. For all of its enormous sheer ripeness and concentration, this retains a striking sense of delicacy. A snappy, spicy, pungent streak – taken together with vivid, diverse pit fruits and citrus – serves for exhilaration in a finish of memorable length and energy, with a vivid impression of crushed stone one hardly expects in a wine of such sweetness and prominent botrytization. There seems to be something of a personality role reversal at work this year, because the corresponding Rottgen Auslese is cool and refined whereas this Uhlen displays more of the piquancy and (as French growers might say) nervosite that I associate with Rottgen. But then, botrytis is always something of a wild card, so that a wine like this is profoundly and unpredictably influenced by the precise microclimatic conditions for and differences in the nature of that fungus. No doubt this too will be worth following for two or more decades.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
From the VDP Auction, this is a cut above anything else from this vineyard.
Weingut Joh. Bapt. Schafer Burg Layer Schlossberg Riesling Spatlese, Nahe 2015 750ML ($69.95) Was $59, Now $49 Super Subscriber Special, 28 bottles in stock now
Wine Advocate 93 points “The 2015 Burg Layer Schlossberg Riesling Spätlese was auctioned in Bad Kreuznach in September 2016. Sourced from vines that are less than 30 years old, it opens with a very clear, ripe and almost tropical fruit aroma intertwined with delicate, flinty notes from the reddish/silvery slatey clay soils. This is another reductive styled, racy, piquant and finesse-full Riesling with tropical fruit aromas, some toasted speck and date flavors. Its combination of finesse and lush fruit texture reminds me of red slate Rieslings from the Mosel such as Ürziger Würzgarten or the red slate parts of the Pünderich Marienburg. The finish is full of tension and grip. A gorgeous Spätlese of which 400 liters have been produced.”
Mosel Fine Wines 92 points “Made from a 25-year-old parcel and harvested at 94° Oechsle, this delivers a nice set of fruity and juicy aromatics including yellow peach, quince star anise, rose water and grapefruit juice. The wine starts off on the light side on the palate but creamy fruits paired with rich Auslese GK styled sweetness quickly take over before some pear, pineapple and peach lead the way to a juicy and creamy long finish. This is a nicely creamy and clean Auslese GK styled Riesling. 2022-2035”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Put this up against Petrus, L’Evangile, or anything else of that caliber from Pomerol.
Kapcsandy Family Winery State Lane Vineyard Roberta’s Reserve, Napa Valley 2015 750ML ($499.95) Was $399, Now $349 Super Subscriber Special, 3 bottles in stock now
Wine Advocate 98 points “Made from 100% Merlot, the 2015 Merlot Roberta’s Reserve has a deep garnet-purple color and gorgeous nose of black plums, warm blueberries and mocha with touches of anise, red roses and spice box. Medium to full-bodied and densely packed with layers of blue and black fruits and perfumed notions, it has a firm yet plush backbone to support and a very long, layered finish.”
Stephen Tanzer – Vinous 96 points “Saturated ruby-red. Brooding, medicinal scents of dark cherry, menthol and licorice. Boasts outstanding breadth and density of material, with its expressive flavors of black cherry, dark berries, spices and bitter chocolate complicated by salty minerality and lifted by a subtle floral quality. This distinctly soil-driven wine is showing more personality today than the ’16 and should reach its plane of peak drinkability earlier. And yet my sample tightened up in the glass to show a rather powerful tannic spine. (14.4% alcohol; 100% Merlot; from fruit harvested three weeks earlier than in 2016; 88% new French, 3% new Hungarian and 9% second-fill French)”
New special case pricing!
Lisini Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Tuscany 2015 750ML ($59.95) $49 special, 36+ bottles in stock now
Case-6 Lisini Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Tuscany 2015 750ML ($299.95) $279 special (that’s only $46.50/bottle!)
Case-12 Lisini Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Tuscany 2015 750ML ($579.95) $539 special (that’s only $44.92/bottle!)
Decanter 96 points “With vineyards between Sant’Angelo in Colle and Castelnuovo dell’Abate on the inner edge of the Sesta district, Lisini’s vineyards are cleansed by constant breezes from the Tuscan Coast. Stony soils with an important underpinning of limestone as well as elevations over 300 metres help preserve freshness in their wines. The 2015 is beautifully fragrant, almost exotic in character. Plump red fruit and sweet summer herbs fill the mouth but rather than being heavy, this is poised and transparent. Ample powdery tannins are fine and lead to a tangy marine finish.”
Wine Spectator 94 points “A serious, brooding red, with ripe cherry and strawberry flavors offsetting the beefy tannins. Loam, iron and almond notes chime in. Balanced and long overall. Best from 2023 through 2042. 2,500 cases made, 700 cases imported.”
Eric Guido-Vinous 94 points “The 2015 Brunello di Montalcino dark and rich, showing ripe black cherries and plum, with layers of haunting florals, exotic brown spice and smoky mineral tones. On the palate, a wave of polished textures wash across the senses, ushering in juicy black cherry with sweet herbal and floral undertones, with zesty spices and vibrant acidity adding a refreshing quality. The finish is long and remarkably fresh, an example of how the warmth of Sant’Angelo in Colle can be tempered by a deft hand, as fine tannins come forward, balanced by mouthwatering acidity and punctuated by residual pure red berry fruit. It’s a wine that’s very easy to love, with near term appeal and potential for the cellar.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $58
The average price is $58
Put a little sunshine in your life.
Mirabeau ‘Classic’ Cotes de Provence Rose, France 2019 750ML ($27.95) Was $18, Now $14.40 Super Subscriber Special, 36+ bottles in stock now
Josh Raynolds – Vinous 90 points “Light, brilliant orange. Raspberry, white peach and succulent flowers on the mineral-tinged nose. Sappy red berry, pit fruit and citrus zest flavors deepen slowly and take on a spicy aspect with air. Hangs on with very good tenacity, leaving pit fruit and red berry notes behind.”
Decanter 90 points “An expressive nose of berry notes that, on the palate, transforms into succulent and juicy red cherries, raspberries and strawberries. The palate offers a light creaminess and silky texture with a round, crisp finish. Made from 60% Grenache, 25% Syrah and 15% Cinsault, it has complexity and drive, delivering great quality and value.”
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
An epic bottle of Barolo from one of the true Grand Crus of the Piedmont.
Poderi Oddero Vigna Rionda, Barolo Riserva DOCG 2008 750ML ($219.95) Was $179, Now $139 Super Subscriber Special, 2 bottles in stock now
Wine Advocate 94 points “The 2008 Barolo Riserva Vignarionda was held back at the winery to be released commercially ten years after the harvest. The fruit is sourced from 50-year-old vines that benefit from organic farming. You feel the robust nature of the Serralunga d’Alba village, with heat, structure and power at the back. It is a classic but powerful Nebbiolo, with earthy tones, sweet spice and dark chocolate. This wine is moving beautifully along its aging trajectory. Bravi. Only 2,000 bottles are available.”
Wine Spectator 94 points “Now a decade old, this Barolo reveals hints of truffle, carob and burnished leather in the bouquet, with fading cherry and berry fruit and licorice and spice accents. Displays the tightly knit, Serralunga structure, along with a chalky, minerally sensation on the lingering finish. Drink now through 2036.”
Importer note “The name Vigna Rionda, meaning “round vineyard”, comes from the plot of land, a depression filled with rows of vines, with the whole slope in full sun. Bought by the Oddero family in 1985, the Vigna Rionda, like all the land around Serralunga, Castiglione Falletto and Monforte, is part of an unusual tertiary Langhian-Miocene geological formation, rich in calcareous deposits, marl, fine sand and sandstone, alternating with mineral residues from plant and animal organisms. Additionally the Vigna Rionda is sheltered by the Castelletto hill from northeast winds and the winter cold, and it has an excellent microclimate for vine cultivation. The prizewinning Oddero Barolo Vigna Rionda is a great, tenacious wine with a long life, with an intense, spiced bouquet, structured and complex on tasting, and very exciting.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Looking for the full list?
Head to our webstore to see all 240 wines in the sale!
Head to our webstore to see all 240 wines in the sale!
Wine Spectator’s Wine of the Year
In Magnum
An exceptionally rare wine in a rare format.
Arriving ETA Late February:
Wine Spectator #1 of Top 100 2020
Marques de Murrieta Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial, Rioja DOCa 2010 1.5L ($499.95) $449 pre-arrival special
Only twelve magnums available.
Falstaff Magazine 100 points “[Translated] Dark ruby garnet, violet reflections, subtle brightening of the edges. Fine mint, fine black cherries, fine herbs, fresh heart cherries, mineral and inviting, a multi-faceted, young bouquet. Juicy, complex, elegant, extract-sweet texture, fine round tannins, ripe heart cherries, delicate nougat, sticks for minutes, enormous future potential. Simple calculation: buy what is possible.”
James Suckling 99 points “Marvelous aromas of crushed berries, tobacco, cedar and mushrooms. Some dried cheese. Then turns to flowers. Very complex. Full and intense with fantastic depth and power. It goes on for minutes. It is a wine that exudes tradition but gives a sense of modernity with precise winemaking. Two years in oak, one in concrete and three or four in bottle. Drink on release and age onwards.”
Luis Gutierrez-Wine Advocate 97 points “I had very high expectations for the 2010 Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial, and the wine delivered as expected. 2010 was one of the finest vintages in Rioja in recent years, and this blend of Tempranillo with 15% Mazuelo (Cariñena) has to be one of the finest modern day Castillo de Ygays. The grapes come from a plot planted in 1966 at 485 meters in altitude, the highest in the estate, and the vines yielded 3,500 kilos per hectare. The two varieties fermented separately in stainless steel for 11 days, and the wine spent 26 months in a mixture of American and French oak barrels. I tasted the 2009 next to this 2010, and I had also had a bottle two nights before. So, I was able to compare this with the 2009, which was a very different year, as 2010 was a cooler year and a priori a more adequate year for long-aging wines like this Gran Reserva. The difference was the vegetative cycle, as the vinification and élevage was the same. This is sleeker and sharper, less developed and livelier than the 2009, which already shows some signs of “old wine” with aromas that remind me of the old classical Rioja reds. It has greatness and finesse and is a very attractive wine with all the stuffing and balance that is needed for a long (and positive) aging in bottle. This is one of the finest modern day vintages of Castillo Ygay. This is going to develop in the direction of the classical bottlings from yesteryear. 130,853 bottles produced. It was bottled in March 2015.”
Decanter 97 points “Ygay these days is a blend of Tempranilo and Mazuelo, the later making up 15% in this vintage. 2010 will be remembered in the great vineyards of Europe as a classic year, elegant restraint and wonderful harmonious balance, even in youth, its key characteristics. The Ygay fits this template perfectly; plums and sloes, hints of blueberry and cassis, then figs, cocoa and sousbois, a distinct balsamic note to underline provenance. The Mazuelo etches fresh acidity and a powerful finish, leaving the Tempranillo the opportunity to dance flamboyantly on the mid-palate, the bringer of joy and harmony.”
Wine Spectator 96 points “Maturing well, this round red is a lovely example of the traditional style. Orange peel, dried cherry, forest floor, vanilla and black tea flavors mingle harmoniously over round tannins and citrusy acidity. Generous but gentle, lively, balanced and harmonious. Tempranillo and Mazuelo. Drink now through 2030. From Spain. —T.M.”
Marques de Murrieta Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial, Rioja DOCa 2010 1.5L ($499.95) $449 pre-arrival special
Only twelve magnums available.
Falstaff Magazine 100 points “[Translated] Dark ruby garnet, violet reflections, subtle brightening of the edges. Fine mint, fine black cherries, fine herbs, fresh heart cherries, mineral and inviting, a multi-faceted, young bouquet. Juicy, complex, elegant, extract-sweet texture, fine round tannins, ripe heart cherries, delicate nougat, sticks for minutes, enormous future potential. Simple calculation: buy what is possible.”
James Suckling 99 points “Marvelous aromas of crushed berries, tobacco, cedar and mushrooms. Some dried cheese. Then turns to flowers. Very complex. Full and intense with fantastic depth and power. It goes on for minutes. It is a wine that exudes tradition but gives a sense of modernity with precise winemaking. Two years in oak, one in concrete and three or four in bottle. Drink on release and age onwards.”
Luis Gutierrez-Wine Advocate 97 points “I had very high expectations for the 2010 Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial, and the wine delivered as expected. 2010 was one of the finest vintages in Rioja in recent years, and this blend of Tempranillo with 15% Mazuelo (Cariñena) has to be one of the finest modern day Castillo de Ygays. The grapes come from a plot planted in 1966 at 485 meters in altitude, the highest in the estate, and the vines yielded 3,500 kilos per hectare. The two varieties fermented separately in stainless steel for 11 days, and the wine spent 26 months in a mixture of American and French oak barrels. I tasted the 2009 next to this 2010, and I had also had a bottle two nights before. So, I was able to compare this with the 2009, which was a very different year, as 2010 was a cooler year and a priori a more adequate year for long-aging wines like this Gran Reserva. The difference was the vegetative cycle, as the vinification and élevage was the same. This is sleeker and sharper, less developed and livelier than the 2009, which already shows some signs of “old wine” with aromas that remind me of the old classical Rioja reds. It has greatness and finesse and is a very attractive wine with all the stuffing and balance that is needed for a long (and positive) aging in bottle. This is one of the finest modern day vintages of Castillo Ygay. This is going to develop in the direction of the classical bottlings from yesteryear. 130,853 bottles produced. It was bottled in March 2015.”
Decanter 97 points “Ygay these days is a blend of Tempranilo and Mazuelo, the later making up 15% in this vintage. 2010 will be remembered in the great vineyards of Europe as a classic year, elegant restraint and wonderful harmonious balance, even in youth, its key characteristics. The Ygay fits this template perfectly; plums and sloes, hints of blueberry and cassis, then figs, cocoa and sousbois, a distinct balsamic note to underline provenance. The Mazuelo etches fresh acidity and a powerful finish, leaving the Tempranillo the opportunity to dance flamboyantly on the mid-palate, the bringer of joy and harmony.”
Wine Spectator 96 points “Maturing well, this round red is a lovely example of the traditional style. Orange peel, dried cherry, forest floor, vanilla and black tea flavors mingle harmoniously over round tannins and citrusy acidity. Generous but gentle, lively, balanced and harmonious. Tempranillo and Mazuelo. Drink now through 2030. From Spain. —T.M.”
This is the only listing in the USA today for the magnum!
Trending Oregon Wines
A monumental Pinot that’s entering a prime drinking window.
Sequitur Pinot Noir, Ribbon Ridge 2016 750ML ($119.95) $79 special, 24 bottles in stock now
Josh Raynolds-Vinous 96 points “Glimmering red. A hugely aromatic bouquet evokes fresh red fruits, Asian spices and potpourri, along with a bright mineral overtone and a touch of smokiness. Juicy, seamless and precise on the palate, offering potent, mineral-laced raspberry preserve, rose pastille and spicecake flavors that deepen and spread out steadily on the back half. Delivers a compelling blend of power and finesse and finishes with silky tannins, outstanding clarity and floral- and mineral-driven persistence.”
Wine Advocate 94+ points “Pale to medium ruby-purple in color, the 2016 Sequitur Pinot Noir has a lovely, open nose of black and red cherries and blackberries with notions of wood smoke, turned earth, autumn leaves, cardamom and potpourri. Medium-bodied, it floods the mouth with ripe black and red fruits with wonderful earthy/spicy accents, very fine, grainy tannins and mouthwatering acidity, finishing long with spice and floral layers. 480 cases produced.”
Sequitur Pinot Noir, Ribbon Ridge 2016 750ML ($119.95) $79 special, 24 bottles in stock now
Josh Raynolds-Vinous 96 points “Glimmering red. A hugely aromatic bouquet evokes fresh red fruits, Asian spices and potpourri, along with a bright mineral overtone and a touch of smokiness. Juicy, seamless and precise on the palate, offering potent, mineral-laced raspberry preserve, rose pastille and spicecake flavors that deepen and spread out steadily on the back half. Delivers a compelling blend of power and finesse and finishes with silky tannins, outstanding clarity and floral- and mineral-driven persistence.”
Wine Advocate 94+ points “Pale to medium ruby-purple in color, the 2016 Sequitur Pinot Noir has a lovely, open nose of black and red cherries and blackberries with notions of wood smoke, turned earth, autumn leaves, cardamom and potpourri. Medium-bodied, it floods the mouth with ripe black and red fruits with wonderful earthy/spicy accents, very fine, grainy tannins and mouthwatering acidity, finishing long with spice and floral layers. 480 cases produced.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $89.99
Marcus’ wines always require a few years to open up, this one was no different. Stellar.
Goodfellow Family Cellars Whistling Ridge Vineyard Pinot Noir, Ribbon Ridge 2015 750ML ($49.95) $36 special, 24 bottles in stock now
Wine Advocate 93 points “From a vineyard planted in 1990, the pale to medium ruby colored 2015 Pinot Noir Whistling Ridge Vineyard has a spicy nose of coriander, warm cinnamon, potpourri and dried leaves over a core of baked cranberry and red cherry fruit with meaty/savory touches. Light to medium-bodied, it has spice-laced red fruits in the mouth, with a great frame of fine-grained tannins and wonderful freshness, finishing very long and very spicy. 270 cases produced.”
VinopolNote “Whistling Ridge has become Marcus Goodfellow’s Cros Parantoux-a vineyard that somehow went overlooked but now produces exceptional wines in the right hands. Nestled on the ridgetop abutting the Beaux Freres Upper Terrace, wines from Whistling Ridge tend to be compact and powerful-built for aging. Lots of spice and floral notes blend with a mix of black and red fruits for a stellar wine that’s one of the best versions yet.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Scott Frank ‘s vision for the Willamette Valley looks like the Loire—and this is special stuff.
Bow & Arrow Chenin Blanc, Willamette Valley 2018 750ML ($39.95) $33 special, 10 bottles in stock now
Winery note “10 years in the making…. Chenin was part of the original varietal trifecta for Bow & Arrow when I began in 2010. But all the Chenin in the Willamette Valley has been torn out or grafted as far as I was able to tell. (There were always rumors…). While readily available in Washington or Southern Oregon I was committed to only doing it with WV fruit. It had to be cool climate character or nothing. I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time, y’all. All those trips to the Loire paid off. As well as that training wheels vintage (2017) that had to get blended. (This shit is hard to ripen) I didn’t know what to expect from the finished wine but I’m relieved to share it came out tasting like only Chenin can. 84 cases produced!”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
The Dundee Hills usually commands a hefty premium—not so from Jim Maresh.
Arterberry Maresh Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills 2018 750ML ($29.95) $26 special, 34 bottles in stock now
Erin Brooks-Wine Advocate 93 points “Pale ruby-purple, the 2018 Pinot Noir Dundee Hills takes its time to open, unfolding slowly to cherries, boysenberries, floral perfume and earthy nuances. The palate is elegant with pure fruit character framed by dusty tannins and rounded acidity, finishing long and nuanced. How pretty!”
Josh Raynolds 92 points “Bright magenta. Ripe red and blue fruit, licorice, potpourri and exotic spice aromas pick up succulent herb and cola nuances with air. Sappy and broad on the palate, offering juicy boysenberry, cherry compote and spicecake flavors that firm up slowly on the back half. The spicy note repeats on a long, seamless finish framed by supple, late-arriving tannins.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $32
Is it a coincidence that two of the top Chards on the west coast come from the same hill?
Sequitur Chardonnay, Ribbon Ridge 2018 750ML ($89.95) $69 special, 20 bottles in stock now
Josh Raynolds – Vinous 95 points “Glistening straw-yellow. Vibrant, mineral-accented aromas of white peach, Anjou pear, melon and Meyer lemon carry a bright floral overtone. Juicy and densely packed, displaying a suave blend of richness and vivacity to the mineral-drenched citrus and orchard fruit and floral flavors. Picks up smoky lees, honey and iodine notes with air and shows outstanding clarity on a strikingly long, penetrating finish that echoes the mineral and citrus fruit notes.”
Winery Note “The 2018 growing season was warm and dry, resulting in yet another remarkable vintage on Ribbon Ridge. Towards the end of the summer, just before harvest, Jack was born. With the arrival of our first grandchild, we felt for the first time the presence of a new generation on the farm, reminding us of the cycle of renewal and growth. This vintage has the bright freshness of new breath—we hope you enjoy it! “
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Noel Vineyard may be in the Chehalem Mts., but the soils and personality scream Dundee.
Biggio Hamina Noel Family Vineyard Pinot Noir, Chehalem Mountains 2017 750ML ($49.95) $33 special, 36+ bottles in stock now
Case-6 Biggio Hamina Noel Family Vineyard Pinot Noir, Chehalem Mountains 2017 750ML ($219.95) $179 special (that’s only $29.83/bottle!)
Josh Raynolds-Vinous 94 points “Limpid ruby-red. An expansive, spice-accented bouquet evokes fresh red/blue fruits, vanilla and cola. A floral note builds as the wine stretches out. Sweet and seamless in the mouth, the Noel Vineyard shows very good depth and sharp delineation to its raspberry, boysenberry and cherry flavors. A hint of smokiness emerges on a very long, penetrating finish that’s framed by smooth, even tannins. Made with 50% whole clusters.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Crowley’s a perpetual favorite and their La Colina is on fire in 2018.
Crowley La Colina Vineyard Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills 2018 750ML ($49.95) $45 special, 22 bottles in stock now
Winery note “The 2018 La Colina is bold and beautiful. Harvested in cool late September, it’s mature and vigorous with the added power of a dry summer growing season that certainly left its mark. Dark ruby is the color with traces of blue on the edges. The nose is tobacco and mushroom and ripe raspberry. Signature La Colina tropical notes mix with ash and forest floor to create a captivating experience. Great rigid structure combines with fresh acidity and dark sweet fruit to get the wine moving on the palate while dark cherry, coffee, anise, and wintergreen all make a graceful appearance to keeps this wine mysterious. The angular mouthfeel with supple tannin provides lift and the finish is gorgeous and long. “
This is the only listing in the USA today!
A Vinopolis-exclusive, this is always one of the most impressive wines in the valley.
Goodfellow Family Cellars Richard’s Cuvee (Whistling Ridge Vineyard) Chardonnay, Ribbon Ridge 2018 750ML ($59.95) $51.50 special, 36+ bottles in stock now
Erin Brooks-Wine Advocate 95 points “The 2018 Chardonnay Richard’s Cuvée Whistling Ridge Vineyard is slow to open, and worth the wait. It begins with crushed filberts, flint and citrus peel that give way to generous, spicy orchard fruits. The palate is stunning, with a satiny texture and ethereal quality that belies its pure fruit intensity. It has seamlessly integrated acidity and a finish that never seems to end.”
Winery note “The 2018 Richard’s Cuvée shows notes of lime blossoms, mandarin curd, stone, white flowers, lilac, and fresh hay. Fine, with wings tucked tight. Direct, sharply defined, and old school, with energy and elegance, lemon, rainwater, and mineral resonance. From a single 800L foudre, 88 cases produced.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
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When you’re ready to pick up, just park in our lot,
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503-223-6002
When you’re ready to pick up, just park in our lot,
give us a call, & we’ll bring your order to your car.
(If another adult is picking up for you,
please let us know their name when placing your order.)
www.vinopoliswineshop.com
info@vinopoliswineshop.com
503-223-6002
New Grapelive Review for an Oregon Favorite
In Stock Now:
Bow & Arrow Rhinestone Red, Willamette Valley 2019 750ML ($29.95) $20.90 special, 19 bottles in stock now
Grapelive 92 points “One of Oregon’s most unique and tasty wines, Bow & Arrow’s Rhinestones is an all natural and organic blend of 65% Pinot Noir and 35% Gamay Noir coming from the Johan Vineyard, a biodynamically farmed site in the Willamette Valley and fermented with lots of crunchy whole cluster, making for a darkly ripe and spicy wine that took its inspiration from the Loire Valley’s Cheverny region of France. Scott Frank, owner of Bow & Arrow, the urban Portland micro winery, is committed to producing artisan, fun, eccentric and delicious bottlings with a nod to the old world and with a modern twist in some cases and this Rhinestones is his unassuming signature wine, and one that can you on a thrill ride of flavors, as this new 2019 release does with bright punchy layers of black cherry, plum, lingonberry and bramble berry fruits, racy peppercorns, cinnamon stick, dark wood, floral notes and an earthy intensity that is very appealing in this medium bodied red…. this 2019 really shines with an exciting dense mouth feel and a warm forward personality, a bit less edgy than the last two years, but still is its flamboyant and devilishly pleasing, especially with simple foods and with its quaffable low alcohol easiness….This wine is the flagship of the Bow & Arrow (Portland based) operation according to Frank, who adds that it communicates what Bow & Arrow is all about as much as anything he makes. The winery focuses on transparency and raw authenticity with this Rhinestones, as they put, being an effortlessly drinkable effort, but a wine that rewards detective work if you’re in the mood, which I always seem to be, this is a wine that I try not to miss.”
Bow & Arrow Rhinestone Red, Willamette Valley 2019 750ML ($29.95) $20.90 special, 19 bottles in stock now
Grapelive 92 points “One of Oregon’s most unique and tasty wines, Bow & Arrow’s Rhinestones is an all natural and organic blend of 65% Pinot Noir and 35% Gamay Noir coming from the Johan Vineyard, a biodynamically farmed site in the Willamette Valley and fermented with lots of crunchy whole cluster, making for a darkly ripe and spicy wine that took its inspiration from the Loire Valley’s Cheverny region of France. Scott Frank, owner of Bow & Arrow, the urban Portland micro winery, is committed to producing artisan, fun, eccentric and delicious bottlings with a nod to the old world and with a modern twist in some cases and this Rhinestones is his unassuming signature wine, and one that can you on a thrill ride of flavors, as this new 2019 release does with bright punchy layers of black cherry, plum, lingonberry and bramble berry fruits, racy peppercorns, cinnamon stick, dark wood, floral notes and an earthy intensity that is very appealing in this medium bodied red…. this 2019 really shines with an exciting dense mouth feel and a warm forward personality, a bit less edgy than the last two years, but still is its flamboyant and devilishly pleasing, especially with simple foods and with its quaffable low alcohol easiness….This wine is the flagship of the Bow & Arrow (Portland based) operation according to Frank, who adds that it communicates what Bow & Arrow is all about as much as anything he makes. The winery focuses on transparency and raw authenticity with this Rhinestones, as they put, being an effortlessly drinkable effort, but a wine that rewards detective work if you’re in the mood, which I always seem to be, this is a wine that I try not to miss.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Thanks for reading!