Vinopolis Mid-Week Newsletter – 10/28/2015

10/28/15
~~~~
Wine of the Day; Domaine Pattes Loup; Julian Haart; 2010 Brunello!; Three Day Sale
~~~~

Wine of the Day!

Coudert Pere ‘Clos de la Roilette’ Fleurie Griffe du Marquis 2012 750ML ($49.95) $37 special, 19 bottles available
Josh Raynolds–Vinous 92 points “Brilliant ruby-red. Complex, expansive scents of red berry preserves, orange zest, allspice and rose, with a lively mineral note adding lift. Offers vibrant red fruit and spicecake flavors and a hint of white pepper on the palate, with bracing blood orange and rhubarb qualities lending a refreshingly bitter edge. Gains sweetness and depth on the clinging finish, which features slow-building, fine-grained tannins.” JR

This is the only listing in the USA today!
~~~~

Domaine Pattes Loup
A Young Vignoble in Chablis

Thomas Pico began working in Chablis in 2005. His father, also a winegrower, would rent him land for his own use while Thomas also worked part-time for him. By 2007, he convinced his father to convert his 22 hectares to organic farming, gaining certification in 2010 – a rarity in Chablis! Much of Pico’s inspiration come from his brilliant neighbors Alice & Olivier de Moor.

Harvest is done entirely by hand at the estate, with hand sorting done at the domaine. All wines are fermented from native yeasts, with the Chablis bottlings fermenting 30-40% in concrete eggs and the rest in stainless steel. The Premier Crus are all raised in old oak barrels; Pico aims for 14-16 month periods of elevage for the wines. No fining or filtration, and incredibly layered, concentrated wines to show for it.

The future is going to be great for Thomas – for one, he’s young and already quite experienced. Already, the wines have won great deals of well-deserved acclaim. This is one to watch out for.

Domaine Pico Wines Currently Available:

Thomas Pico Domaine Pattes Loup Les Beauregards, Chablis Premier Cru 2013 750ML ($59.95) $49 special, 23 bottles available
Wine Advocate 92 points “The 2013 Chablis 1er Cru Beauregard is similar to the Vaillon in that it demands coaxing from the glass. It eventually repays your patience with granite, almond and light hazelnut scents that are very focused. The palate is a little more rounded and fruit-driven than the Vaillon, with subtle hints of orange zest and white pepper, satisfying weight on the back palate with a long saline finish. This is another very fine 2013 from winemaker Thomas Pico.” NM
Stephen Tanzer–Vinous 90 points “Pale straw-yellow. A bit more exotic on the nose than the Côtes de Jouan, offering scents of orange oil, yellow peach and spices. Sweeter and fruitier on the palate, with a flavor of orange zest complemented by a trace of honey. More typically 2013 in style than the Côtes de Jouan and richer on the aftertaste.” ST

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $54

Thomas Pico Domaine Pattes Loup Butteaux, Chablis Premier Cru 2013 750ML ($59.95) $49 special, 36+ bottles available
Wine Advocate 92 points “The 2013 Chablis 1er Cru Butteaux is more reserved, earthier on the nose compared directly with the Beauregard and the Vaillons. Touches of chalk and granite begin to emerge with a hint of orange rind in the background. The palate is well balanced with a keen line of acidity, more orange zest and dried apricot notes with just a hint of honey toward the finish. There is a fine grip in the mouth with a long and spicy finish. This is all about the steady build to the finish and it constitutes another excellent wine from the finest drummer in Courgis.” NM
Stephen Tanzer–Vinous 91 points “Bright, light straw-yellow. Subtle spice and mineral aromas on the lively nose. Rich, saline and dry on the palate, offering a distinctly saline, tactile quality to the flavors of citrus fruits, spices and stone. Lovely texture and mineral-driven persistence here. At once concentrated and energetic, and tightly coiled for the vintage, this wine shows more vineyard than vintage character and should evolve nicely.” ST

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $54.99

Thomas Pico Domaine Pattes Loup Cote de Jouans 2013 750ML ($59.95) $49 special, 12 bottles available
Wine Advocate 90 points “The 2013 Chablis Côte de Jouan is matured in barrel for one year (alcoholic and malolactic) and then six months in vat. It has a precise and quite understated bouquet with hints of white truffle filtering through the citric fruit. The palate is well balanced with light pear and citrus notes on the entry, immediately followed by a well-judged citric seam that lends a sense of tension to the finish. For me, this is a distinct level up from the village cru and is well worth hunting down.” NM
Stephen Tanzer–Vinous 89 points “Bright pale yellow. Rather austere aromas and flavors of apple skin, menthol, caraway seed and crushed stone. Juicy and nicely delineated, showing firm dusty minerality for the vintage. The apple note carries through on the tactile, brisk finish. Not as rich as the superb 2012 version but quite supple and light on its feet.” ST

This is the only listing in the USA today!

Thomas Pico Domaine Pattes Loup Chablis 2013 750ML ($32.95) $28 special, 36+ bottles available
Wine Advocate 88 points “The 2013 Chablis Villages is a blend of vines up to 60 years old, 90% in vat and 10% in barrel. This came from the latest of three bottling that Thomas Pico makes. It has a clean and precise bouquet with citrus fruit and just a faint touch of white chocolate. The palate is well balanced with a crisp, light opening, simple at first, but offering a light spicy note toward the finish to lend a bit of personality. Returning after 10 minutes, it develops a light marine element on the nose and a touch more weight on the finish.” WA

~~~~~

Julian Haart
The New Guy in Germany

Julian Haart is another one of those under-the-rader producers whose wines – along with the excellent pedigree of their maker – are not to be overlooked. Any day now, we’ll be speaking nostalgically about “my first bottle from Haart.” Romance and hyperbole aside, these are great wines from a guy who knows what he’s doing.

Julian’s mentors are a bit of a who’s-who of German tastemakers: Klaus Peter Keller, Reinhold Lowenstein, Werner Shonleber, and Egon Muller. Once he went out on his own, his initial landholdings amounted to a quarter hectare, or just over half an acre, purchased with Andreas Adam from A.J. Adam. His humble expansion took him to extremely small, ungrafted vines of up to 110 years in age within the Piesporter Schuberslay, a rather idyllic hill on the northern bank of the Mosel. A second venture saw him to a craggy, steep parcel within Wintricher Ohligsberg. With 2011 as his first vintage, things are only going to go up from here.

It was Klaus Peter Keller who’d tipped off vom Boden – the US importer – about Julian Haart and his wines. As the importer phrases it, Haart’s style is “…clearly a type of Mosel-hommage to Keller.” Few write as adoringly – though accurately! – on the subject of wine as Stephen & his team at vom Boden. For that reason, we’re better off conceding to him for the finish:

“The wines showcase a glossy, super-pure fruit that shrieks across the palate with a pushing, sharply delineated acidity. Pulverized slate, polished to a fine dust, coats everything. The hierarchy at Haart is based on Burgundy. There is the appellation-level “Mosel Riesling” (read: Bourgogne), the village-level Wintricher and Piesporter and the single-vineyard, Grand Cru bottlings Ohligsberg and Goldtröpchen.

If you can find a bottle, any bottle, watch out.”

Julian Haart Wines Available Now (…watch out!):

Julian Haart Piesporter Riesling 2012 750ML ($39.95) $29 special, 17 bottles available
Jean Fisch & David Rayer, Mosel Fine Wines #28: “The 2014 Piesporter Riesling is made from 70% of Goldtröpfchen and 30% of Schubertslay, i.e. solely from top sites. The wine delivers a comparatively rich and round feel of yellow fruits, mirabelle, greengage, pear and grapefruit on the nose. A gorgeous saltiness on the firm and still quite backward palate leads to a great mouthfeel in the long finish. This is gorgeously made in a smooth and delicately rich style. 2019-2029″
John Gilman, View From The Cellar #56: ” The “village wine” from Piesport is all produced from Goldtröpfchen fruit and was fermented entirely in stainless steel, at slight warmer temperatures than the two previous wines. This is a true Trocken wine, with somewhere between five and seven grams per liter of residual sugar, acids somewhere between seven and eight grams per liter and alcohol again around 11.5 percent. The wine is outstanding in 2014, jumping from the glass in a blaze of grapefruit, tart orange, petrol, a nice touch of lemongrass, a fine base of slate minerality and a smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and quite elegant in profile, with a rock solid core, excellent focus and balance, nascent complexity and a very long, racy and laser-like finish. Very impressive juice here. 2016-2035″

This is the only listing in the USA today!

Julian Haart Wintricher Riesling 2012 750ML ($59.95) $37 special, 15 bottles available
The second of the “village” wines in Haart’s portfolio has the same damned aristocratic problem: This is sourced completely from the blue-slate Ohligsberg. Again we have a “village” wine sourced from a Grand Cru. We should all have such problems. Julian’s parcel of the Ohligsberg faces southwest and it tends to inspire more middle-weight Rieslings. Compared to the buxom Goldtröpchens, Ohligsbergs are sharper and more compact – so it is with Haart’s. Here, the flavors are cooler and wispier, peach, apricot with subtle green notes always highlighted by an airy perfume of white flowers.

This is the only listing in the USA today!
~~~~~~

2010 Brunello
The Greatest? The Greatest!

The 2010 vintage in Brunello is widely considered by professional reviews to be one of the greatest. The growing conditions were near perfect, with ideal warmth during ripening and strong diurnal temperature swings that allowed for phenolic ripeness with retained acidity. The best show lush fruit, bright acidity and strong tannins, suggesting an aging potential of 10-20 years.

“2010 is the top Brunello di Montalcino vintage of the new millennium because it shows the best traits of my other two favorite vintages, 2006 and 2007, in tandem. It beautifully combines the freshness, structure, linearity and aging potential of 2006 with the intensity, opulence, balsam distinctiveness and tannic richness of 2007. In 2010 you get it all.” -Wine Advocate’s vintage report

“The year 2010 for Brunello di Montalcino is the greatest modern vintage of Italy’s most famous red wine region. Never have the wines been so profound in quality, character, and quantity from the best hillside vineyards of Montalcino. They represent a new paradigm for Tuscany’s unique sangiovese-based red.” -James Suckling

Altesino Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2010 750ML ($59.95) $49 special, 10 bottles available
James Suckling 95 points “Wonderful decadent aromas of musk, orange peel and plum follow through to a full body, with soft tannins and a long and rich finish. Salty and savory. Layers of gorgeous fruit. Drink or hold.” JS

Argiano Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2010 750ML ($59.95) $49 special, 19 bottles available
Antonio Galloni 94 points “The 2010 Brunello di Montalcino jumps from the glass with notable energy and precision. Grilled herbs, smoke, tobacco, rose petal and mint are all beautifully delineated in the glass. Distinctly savory and mineral notes add complexity to the expressive, stone-inflected fruit in a chiseled, pulsating Brunello endowed with considerable energy. The tannins need time to soften, but Argiano’s 2010 is unquestionably a winner.” AG

Caprili Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2010 750ML ($49.95) $39 special, 36+ bottles available
Wine Advocate 93 points “Caprili’s 2010 Brunello di Montalcino shows unique aromas with undertones of forest floor and wet earth with grilled herbs and dark fruit. You also get a heavier tone of dried fig and Graham cracker that distinguishes this particular expression of Sangiovese. The wine is smooth and polished with a nice sense of inner elegance. Silky tannins give Giacomo Bartolommei’s Brunello more immediacy and a more approachable drinking window. I very much appreciated the wine’s overall elegance.” ML

Ciacci Piccolomini d’Aragona Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 750ML ($59.95) $49 special, 24 bottles available
James Suckling 94 points “Very perfumed with flower, truffle, light wet earth and cherry character. Full body and full integrated ripe tannins and caresses your palate. Very fine and pretty. Slight soya undertone. Succulent and enticing. You want to drink this.” JS

Fanti Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2010 750ML ($44.95) $36 special, 26 bottles available
Wine Spectator 94 points “A big, powerful red, with dense tannins and black cherry and blackberry flavors. Balanced in a muscular way, this remains tight and brooding despite the long, fresh finish. Shows potential. Best from 2020 through 2038. 1,600 cases imported.” WS

Fanti ‘Vallocchio’, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 750ML ($69.95) $49 special, 19 bottles available
Wine Spectator 94 points “Full of cherry, plum and spice flavors, this is shaded by a touch of oak. Rich and smooth overall, showing ample tannins underneath and a full, expansive finish. Exhibits fine balance and expression. Best from 2018 through 2032. 0400 cases imported.” WS

Franco Pacenti Canalicchio Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2010 750ML ($49.95) $39 special, 2 bottles available
James Suckling 95 points “Beautiful aromas of dried flowers, dark berries and cedar follow through to a full body, firm tannins and a chewy finish. Tannins are refined and pretty giving tension to the wine. Drink or hold.” JS
Wine Enthusiast 95 points “Violet, rose, pressed powder, perfumed berry and forest floor are some of the aromas offered by this stunning wine. The palate is still tightly wound, but delivers juicy black cherry, white pepper and licorice alongside youthfully assertive but fine-grained tannins and bright acidity. Drink 2018–2030.” WE
Wine Advocate 93+ points ” Initially subdued, the 2010 Brunello di Montalcino reveals itself very slowly thanks to budding aromas of rose, cherry, licorice, tar and menthol herb. The Canalicchio vineyard sites (Sopra and Sotto) show fantastic results in this classic vintage. This wine opts for a less aggressive interpretation of the vintage with soft fruit, polished tannins and mild intensity. It is Brunello at 70% horsepower. That slower approach gives you more time to appreciate the delicate tones of brimstone and balsam herb that carefully rise from the bouquet. It would be interesting to see where this wine goes five years from now. My guess it that it will grow in intensity.” ML

La Fortuna Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2010 750ML ($59.95) $46 special, 8 bottles available
96 points James Suckling “Aromas of wet earth, meat and dried fruits. Some nuts and spices. Complex. Full body, with super fine tannins and fabulous intensity and richness. Dried cherry and candied citrus fruit. Fabulous finish. You want to drink this now. But shows superb finesse and intensity. Why wait?(1/15)” JS
Wine Spectator 95 points “Saturated with cherry, raspberry, spice and tobacco aromas and flavors, this strikes a balanced between the supple texture, succulent acidity and refined yet gripping tannins. Really sings on the lingering finish. Best from 2019 through 2035.” WS

La Gerla Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2010 750ML ($59.95) $47 special, 18 bottles available
La Gerla Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2010 1.5ML ($149.95) $119 special, 1 magnum available
Antonio Galloni 95 points “La Gerla’s 2010 Brunello di Montalcino is absolutely delicious. Dark red cherries, plums, mint, smoke, tobacco and licorice flesh out in a wine that offers notable depth, structure and power. The 2010 is medium in body and also quite polished, yet there is a level of inner sweetness and perfume that makes the wine incredibly appealing, even today. Ideally, though, readers should give the 2010 at least a few years in the cellar. The precise, delicate finish is a thing of beauty”

Flavio Fanti La Palazzetta Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2010 750ML ($49.95) $39 special, 7 bottles available
James Suckling 92 points “Lots of dried cherry and strawberry character follows through to a full body with fine tannins and a tangy finish. Bright and lively red. Better in 2016 when the fruit, acidity and tannins come more together.” JS

Livio Sassetti Pertimali Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2010 750ML ($79.95) $69 special, 5 bottles available
Wine Advocate 97 points “I am absolutely enthusiastic about Sassetti Livio Pertimali’s 2010 Brunello di Montalcino. Breathe deep into the glass and this wine awards you a beautiful sensorial experience that brings you immediately to varietal tones of pressed cherry, dried blackberry, spice and tobacco. The most compelling notes however are those polished mineral tones of crushed granite and pencil shaving that add sharpness and focus. This is not a timid Brunello and you can taste the sheer power and the quality of the fruit on hand. The mouthfeel is polished and smooth with fine and exact textural richness. Bravo!” ML

Castello di Argiano Sesti Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2010 750ML ($99.95) $75 special, 33 bottles available
Wine Enthusiast 95 points “This pure expression of Sangiovese opens with aromas of rose petal, leather, game, Mediterranean herb and wild berry. The vibrant, full-bodied palate delivers layers of crushed Morello cherry, raspberry, cinnamon and grilled herb alongside firm, polished tannins and bright acidity. It boasts character and depth. Drink 2017–2030.” WE
94 points Antonio Galloni “Sesti’s 2010 Brunello di Montalcino is a wine of real class and personality. In fact, the 2010 is one of the best wines I have tasted from this estate in Sant’Angelo in Colle. Iron, sweet red cherries, wild flowers and earthiness are some of the many notes that inform a juicy, plump Brunello that already drinks well. The 2010 is quite forward and fruit-driven, but there is good underlying complexity as well as enough acidity to ensure a decade-plus of fine drinking. My only quibble is that the aromatics could be a little more focused, but that is a relatively small critique for a wine that delivers this much pleasure.” AG

2010 Brunellos Arriving in November:

Casanova di Neri Tenuta Nuova, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2010 750ML ($219.95) $169 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 100 points “The 2010 Brunello di Montalcino Tenuta Nuova is a protagonist of the vintage. The fruit is deep and dark with rich levels of extract, intensity and flavor. It goes far beyond your standard cherry and blackberry to include plum cake, spice bread and bacon-wrapped prune. Nothing is obvious or monochromatic about this wine. Everything is nuanced and ethereal. Tenuta Nuova is also distinguished by the linear mineral notes that are characteristic of this single-vineyard site. In 2010, those traits are especially well-defined and pronounced. The tannins reach a level of suppleness that is almost impossible to find in the sometimes prickly and acidic Sangiovese grape. If there is one thing Giacomo Neri has mastered, it is harvesting at optimal ripeness: He knows his property and his vines better than most and it shows. Collectors will want to put this wine aside ten years or longer.” WA

Fattoria dei Barbi Cinelli Colombini Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2010 750ML ($59.95) $44.50 pre-arrival special
Case-12 Fattoria dei Barbi Cinelli Colombini Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2010 750ML ($599.95) $479 pre-arrival special (that’s only $39.92/btl!)
James Suckling 96 points “Aromas of burnt orange peel and cherry with hints of dried bark and mahogany. Full-bodied and very tight and dense, with a beautiful fruit, tannin and acid balance. Finesse and strength. Best wine from here for ages. Needs until 2018 to show its true quality.” JS
Wine Advocate 94 points “Fattoria dei Barbi’s 2010 Brunello di Montalcino starts with a tightly wound personality that begins to unravel slowly, one delicate layer at a time. As it does, you become aware of dried fruit, cigar box, crushed mineral, plum, tar and cola. The wine puts on a beautiful display. I also loved the mouthfeel of this beautiful wine: It is tonic, tight and brimming with energy. Well-integrated oak notes give the wine a spot of softness and velvety spice. This is one beautiful Sangiovese.” ML

Il Marroneto Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2010 750ML ($79.95) $69 pre-arrival special
Wine Enthusiast 97 points “Multifaceted fragrances suggest violet, rose, red berry, baking spice, savory herb and a balsamic note. Elegant with great intensity, the radiant palate delivers juicy wild cherry, crushed berry, cinnamon and a note of star anise alongside a backbone of assertive, fine-grained tannins and bright acidity. It’s a gorgeous wine with breeding and class that needs time to bloom fully. Drink 2020–2035.” WE
Antonio Galloni 95 points “Dark red cherries, mint, sage, tobacco, licorice and new leather blossom in Il Marroneto’s 2010 Brunello di Montalcino. Savory and lifted in the glass, the 2010 possesses stunning overall balance and tons of nuance. The tannins are firm and incisive, yet also remarkably polished. Ideally, readers should cellar the 2010 for at least a few years, but it is going to be very hard to resist the temptation of drinking the 2010 young.” AG

Il Poggione Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2010 750ML ($89.95) $69 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 98 points “The 2010 Brunello di Montalcino is a striking wine that shows uncompromising varietal pureness, albeit in a most concentrated and elaborate form. This is what great Sangiovese is all about. There’s so much happening on the nose and the wine brings you to cherry, spice, licorice, cured meat, pressed rose and grilled meat in equal measure. No one element overpowers the next. The mouthfeel is also tight and bright with the kind of fruit intensity that promises long cellar aging. This Brunello is only at the beginning of a long road ahead. The longer the wine stays in the glass, the more it offers in terms of complexity and intensity. This is a true standout that can be enjoyed for up to 20 years ahead.” ML

Case-6 La Fortuna Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2010 750ML ($319.95) $249 pre-arrival special (that’s only $41.50/btl!)
La Fortuna Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2010 1.5L ($149.95) $119 pre-arrival special
La Fortuna Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2010 3L ($299.95) $249 pre-arrival special
96 points James Suckling “Aromas of wet earth, meat and dried fruits. Some nuts and spices. Complex. Full body, with super fine tannins and fabulous intensity and richness. Dried cherry and candied citrus fruit. Fabulous finish. You want to drink this now. But shows superb finesse and intensity. Why wait?(1/15)” JS
Wine Spectator 95 points “Saturated with cherry, raspberry, spice and tobacco aromas and flavors, this strikes a balanced between the supple texture, succulent acidity and refined yet gripping tannins. Really sings on the lingering finish. Best from 2019 through 2035.” WS

~~~~~~~

Mid-Week Sale!
Lowest listed prices – sale goes through Friday at midnight

Sine Qua Non The 17th Nail in My Cranium, Sta Rita Hills 2005 750ML ($1499.95) Was $1299, Now $1079, 1 bottle available
Robert Parker 100 points “The 2005 Syrah The 17th Nail In My Cranium, a blend of 96.5% Syrah and 3.5% Viognier which is aged 38 months prior to bottling. (I always wonder what Marcel Guigal would think of a wine like this which seems to tip its hat in the direction of Cote Rotie and then goes into high gear and clearly says, “I’m just something very different, but thanks for even thinking of that appellation while smelling and tasting me.”) Black as a moonless night, the 2005 17th Nail reveals a stunning nose of spring flowers intermixed with creme de cassis, blackberries, charcoal, graphite, and hints of lard and barbecue spices. Dense, with an endless (and I mean endless) finish, remarkable purity, and layer upon layer of flavor, but no sense of heaviness or flabbiness, this prodigious Syrah should evolve for 15 or more years.” RP

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Joseph Drouhin Musigny Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits 2011 750ML ($799.95) Was $589, Now $549, 6 bottles available
Stephen Tanzer–Vinous 92-95 points “Good deep red. Captivating aromas of blueberry, violet, coffee bean, white pepper and crushed stone. Juicy on entry, then tight and imploded in the middle, with an energetic core of fruit currently dominated by the wine’s structure. Most impressive today on the rising, expanding back end, which saturates the mouth with dusty minerality. This will need eight to ten years of cellaring.” ST
Burghound ” 93-95 points Don’t miss! A highly spiced, cool and reserved nose features superb breadth with a wonderfully appealing array of plum, violets, wet stone and essence of red berry fruit. The exceptionally rich, focused and intensely mineral-inflected broad-shouldered flavors evidence focused power and a sleek muscularity before terminating in an explosive and palate saturating finish of genuinely stunning length. This is a knockout in every respect.” BH

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $595

Joseph Drouhin Musigny Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits 2012 750ML ($999.95) Was $799, Now $649, 1 bottle available
Burghound 96 points “Here the expressive nose is even more complex and spicier than the Amoureuses with its fresh and impressively pure notes of black cherry, plum, violets and cassis that are trimmed by a backdrop of softly toasty oak. There is good power and excellent size, weight and muscle on the big-bodied flavors that exude plenty of mouth coating dry extract that also serves to buffer the very firm tannins on the strikingly persistent and almost painfully intense finish. There is a beguiling contrast between the silky mid-palate and the powerful finish that just goes on and on. This should be stunning in time but this is definitely not a wine for early consumption.” BH

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $744.05

Paitin di Pasquero-Elia ‘Serra’, Barbaresco DOCG 2011 750ML ($41.95) Was $36, Now $29, 36+ bottles available
Wine Spectator “94 points Rich and velvety, yet also vibrant and complex, this red boasts floral, berry, anise, leather and mineral flavors. Harmonious, this turns slightly chewy in texture on the lingering finish. Best from 2017 through 2027. 1,000 cases made.” WS
Antonio Galloni 93 points “Crushed flowers, sweet red berries, spices and mint race across the palate in the 2011 Barbaresco Serra. This is one of the most intense, tannic 2011 Barbarescos readers will come across. Far from an easygoing wine, the 2011 is going to need considerable patience. Hints of sweet tobacco, mint and anise add nuance on the layered, super-expressive finish. The 2011 Serra spent two years in 50-hectoliter casks.” AG

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Ameztoi Rubentis Rosado, Getariako Txakolina 2014 750ML ($24.95) Was $21.90, Now $17, 34 bottles available
Josh Raynolds–Vinous 91 points “Pale, very bright pink. Vibrant, high-pitched strawberry and orange zest aromas show a subtle floral overtone. Dry, racy and sharply focused in the mouth, offering tangy red berry and blood orange flavors and a suggestion of white pepper. Closes spicy, dry and long, with the floral note repeating.” JR

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Recaredo Turo d’en Mota Cava, Catalonia 2002 750ML ($179.95) Was $149, Now $119, 1 bottle available
Wine Advocate 96 points “The outstanding 2002 Turo d’en Mota is pure Xarello from a single vineyard of vines planted in 1940 in Sant Sadurni d’Anoia. The first fermentation was done in oak casks where it remained for 45 days with lees stirring and underwent 8 years and three months aging before disgorgement on December 12, 2011. The bouquet is more like a dry white Burgundy than a Cava, with hints of honeysuckle, dried apricot, lemon peel and a touch of jasmine. It is beautifully defined and very complex. The palate is very well-balanced with superb delineation and focus, drawing you in with subtle notes of orange peel, tangerine, beeswax and honeycomb. Long in the mouth and utterly harmonious, one has to ask if this is the “Clos d’Ambonnay” of Cava? Drink now-2016+”WA

This is the only listing in the USA today!

Recaredo Reserva Particular Brut Nature Cava, Catalonia 2001 750ML ($139.95) Was $119, Now $99, 4 bottles available
Wine Advocate 95 points “The 2001 Reserva Particular de Recaredo was sourced from the estate’s oldest vines and is composed of 60% Macabeu and 40% Xarel-lo with the latter fermented in cask for added structure and elegance. It spent over 100 months on lees and was finished with zero dosage. Light gold in color with beautifully refined and complex aromatics, in the glass it shows greater evolution and elegance than its cousins as well as a sense of proportion and great length.”WA

Diamond Creek Volcanic Hill Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2012 750ML ($249.95) Was $189, Now $179, 12 bottles available
James Suckling 98 points “Blackberries, blackcurrants and minerals. Full body and tight tannins. Powerful and long. Amazing depth and structure. Muscular. Classy tannin structure. This needs a few years to soften but amazing. Try in 2018.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Signorello Vineyards Padrone Proprietary Red, Napa Valley 2012 750ML ($199.95) Was $149, Now $119, 6 bottles available
Robert Parker 94 points “The 2012 Proprietary Red Blend Padrone is a blend of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon and 9% Merlot. It reveals more structure and tannin than its younger sibling following its élevage in barriques. The color is a saturated purple and the nose offers up aromas of blackberries, blueberries, forest floor and charcoal. While approachable, this full-bodied 2012 requires 3-4 years of bottle age, and should evolve for two decades or more.” RP

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Force Majeure Syrah Collaboration III 2010 750ML ($149.95) Was $119, Now $99, 8 bottles available
Wine Advocate 97 points “The Collaboration III is made by Mike MacMorran and is 100% Syrah from the Ciel du Cheval Vineyard on Red Mountain. The 2010 Syrah Collaboration Series III is incredible. Aged 20 months in 33% new Burgundy barrels prior to bottling, it gives up totally gorgeous notes of ripe black fruits, smoked earth, crushed rock and bacon fat. Hitting the palate with a full-bodied, elegant and seamless profile, it continues to build in the glass, showing sweet tannin, incredible purity and blockbuster length. It’s the most masculine and mineral-driven in style of the three vintages of the cuvee reviewed here.” WA

Soos Creek Wine Cellars Palisade, Columbia Valley 2011 750ML ($29.95) Was $24, Now $19, 17 bottles available
Stephen Tanzer–Vinous 91 points “(an 82/18 blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon): Bright, dark red. Subdued but pure aromas of dark raspberry, dark chocolate, musky spices and earth. At once broad and juicy, offering savory currant and dark raspberry fruit flavors complicated by licorice and smoky soil nuances. Nicely concentrated wine with a restrained sweetness. Finishes with tongue-dusting, essentially supple tannins.” ST

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Luciano Sandrone Valmaggiore Nebbiolo d’Alba, Piedmont 2009 750ML ($49.95) Was $39.90, Now $33, 17 bottles available
92 points Wine Advocate “The 2009 Nebbiolo d’Alba Valmaggiore is striking. It flows from the glass with sweet red fruits, flowers, spices and herbs in a very representative expression of this site. This is a gorgeous, poised Nebbiolo with wonderful mid-palate sweetness and fabulous overall balance. A clean, saline finish gives the wine its focus and proportion on the finish. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2019.”WA
This was the lowest listed price in the USA – and now it’s even lower!

~~~~