Vinopolis Newsletter – Wednesday 07/26/2023

 In This Newsletter:

Arrivals
Domaine Tempier, Piaggi, Sine Qua Non, Teruzzi
Special Pre-Arrival
Espectacle Del Monsant
Featured Rosés
From Three of the Finest Burgundy houses come two must-have wines!
Close Out Sales

All New Close-out Sales– The Savings Never Stop
One Week Sale

JJ Prum: The Rhine Stuff
Collector’s Corner
German Treasures
New Arrivals
 
France
 
Domaine Tempier Bandol Rose 2022 750ml $49 special, 36 bottles available
Domaine Tempier Bandol Rose 2022 1.5L $119 special, 3 bottles available
Kermit Lynch Importer Notes “The thing about Domaine Tempier’s Bandol rosé is that every time you open a bottle—no matter how many you’ve uncorked in your lifetime—it feels like a special occasion. That peachy-pink hue and iconic label turn any moment into a small celebration. 55% Mourvèdre, 25% Grenache, 20% Cinsault.”

Domaine Ray-Jane Bandol Rose 2022 750ml $33 special, 36 bottles available
Decanter 97 Points “Best in show” -Decanter Wine Awards
 
Pierre Paillard Bouzy Terres Roses Grand Cru XVIII $49.50 special, 18 bottles available
Decanter 92 Points “A serious, elegant rosé Champagne with a creamy, toasty nose. It’s full and voluptuous in the mouth, with rich buttery brioche characters. As the palate evolves, the wine’s freshness comes through, sweeping in with lemon and grapefruit and underpinning that cherry and almond frangipane richness with tense power. A light hint of Battenberg cake emerges on the finish. With 11ha in the Bouzy terroir, well known for exceptional Pinot Noir, brothers Antoine and Quentin actually have a high proportion of Chardonnay vines for this area, and this wine unusually is majority Chardonnay (65%), with the remaining Pinot Noir, 5% of which is red wine. They put a lot of focus into the health of their soils, and they farm organically.”
 
Italy
 
Falchini Vernaccia Di San Gimignano Solatio 2021 750ml $13.50 special, 12 bottles available
Winery Notes “Using exclusively Vernaccia DOCG grapes from San Gimignano, from the Vigna a Solatìo of Casale Falchini this wine is produced: it is distinguished by the pleasant freshness on the palate, and the light notes of green apple and white flowers.”
 
Teruzzi And Puthod Isola Bianca Vernaccia 2021 750ml $17.50 special, 12 bottles available
All About Wine “Elegant nose of apple and mineral, followed by an engagingly intense palate, full of green apple and almond, leading to an appetizing Chablis-like finish.”
 
Arriving July 28th
 
Sine Qua Non White “Distenta II” 2020 750ml $228 special, 3 bottles available
Wine Advocate 98 Points “The 2020 White Wine Distenta II could be a polarizing wine due to its unique style, intense aromatics and powerful structure, but I can’t get enough of this blend of 32% Roussanne, 26% Viognier, 25% Chardonnay, 12% Gelber Muskateller and 5% Petit Manseng. Grapes were sourced from Santa Babara County and beyond, including Eleven Confessions Estate Vineyard (52%), The Third Twin Estate Vineyard (22%), Cumulus Estate Vineyard (13%) and Chardonnay from Bien Nacido (13%). On day one, the wine is overt and bold, while day two reveals a fresher, livelier white with finer detail, as if the wine is coming into focus. In the mouth, it’s expansive and luxuriously satiny. Despite its powerful style and unabashed ripeness, it carries its 15.8% alcohol expertly and maintains a focused streak of tangy acidity. The finish is especially unique, offering touches of butterscotch that complement its perfumed fruit—a rare combination of aromatic grape varieties and classy new wood that works surprisingly well! If you’re a fan of aromatic, textural whites, purchase as many bottles as you can so that you can follow what’s sure to be unique savory development in bottle over the next 10 to 15+ years”
 
Sine Qua Non Eleven Confessions Syrah 2019 750ml $425 special, 3 bottles available
Wine Advocate 99 Points “The 2019 Syrah Eleven Confessions Vineyard is elegant and perfumed and includes 13.1% Grenache, 3.3% Petite Sirah and just a splash—0.8%—each of Viognier and Muskateller (a.k.a Muscat). It was crafted with 13% whole clusters, matured in 66% new French oak for around 39 months and was bottled in January 2022. This gorgeous Syrah opens over several days and never seems to diminish. It offers pure aromas of crème de cassis, tar, salami and ringing tones of violet. The full-bodied palate is incredibly velvety in texture, and despite its concentration and powerful style, it manages noticeable freshness and detail, with that magical violet perfume echoing across the long finish. This will develop gracefully in the cellar over the next two decades or more.”
 
Sine Qua Non Eleven Confessions Grenache 2019 750ml $419 special, 3 bottles available
Wine Advocate 97 Points “The 2019 Grenache Eleven Confessions Vineyard is made up of 89.4% Grenache, 5.5% Syrah, 4.1% Petite Sirah and 1% Gelber Muskateller (a.k.a. Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains). It was crafted using 35% whole clusters, matured for around 39 months in 50% new French oak barrels and demi-muids and was bottled in January 2022. Deep ruby-purple in color, it takes significant time to open and is mostly coiled and shy on day one. On day two, its aromas unfurl: cherry pie and wild berry jam scents are layered with tones of cured meat, peppercorn, bergamot and wildflowers. The full-bodied palate is seamless and ultra-powdery in texture, with balancing bursts of juicy acidity that highlight pretty spice and floral tones that fan across the long finish. It deserves generous cellar time and will be long lived.”
 
Piaggia Carmignano Riserva 2019 750ml $49 special, 24 bottles available
Vinous 96 Points “It’s hard to put the glass down while exploring the depths of raspberry compote, dried orange peels, roses, exotic spice and a dusting of cocoa that form the absolutely stunning bouquet of the 2019 Carmignano Riserva Piaggia. This is pure elegance. It’s silky and refined as liquid violet florals and ripe red and black fruits easily rush across the palate. Its vibrant acidity maintains exceptional finesse despite the massive primary concentration slowly taking hold. The 2019 finishes long with a coating of sweet tannins and balsamic-tinged cherry. The balance here is amazing, which might trick readers into finishing their bottles far too quickly, but trust me, the best is truly yet to come. This is Rock Star juice.”
 
Piaggia Il Sasso Carmignano 2021 750ml $34.50 special, 24 bottles available
(Not yet Reviewed, 2020 Review Provided For Context)
Vinous 94 Points “An intense mix of black raspberry, wild herbs, air-dried meats and smoke form an incredibly deep and characterful bouquet as the darkly alluring 2020 Carmignano Il Sasso opens in the glass. For all of its animalistic nature on the nose, this is remarkably finessed and vivid on the palate. Saline-infused acids energize tart berry fruits. This finishes only lightly structured, marrying a bitter cherry pit twang with hints of blood orange that keep me looking back to the glass for more. The 2020 may be a thrill ride on the palate today, but with a short stay in the cellar, I expect it to explode aromatically. A total knock-out.
 
 
Special Pre-Arrival
Espectacle Del Monsant
 

Jointly owned by René and Isabelle Barbier of Clos Mogador, Fernando and Marta Zamora (oenologists and teachers at University of Tarragona), and Charlotte and Christopher Cannan, Espectacle is a tiny production of old-vines Garnacha from a dramatically steep vineyard René refers to as the “L’Ermita of Monsant.
 
Arriving in September
 
Espectacle Del Montsant 2020 750ml $135 special, 30 bottles available
Wine Advocate 97 Points “The 2020 Espectacle del Montsant has 15% alcohol, lower than the two previous vintages despite being a warmer year, and it has power and concentration (from the weather and the low yields from mildew), reaching a good concentration with freshness, which is the key to having a balanced 2020. The wine is floral, and the profile of fruit is more primary. It also has abundant, fine-grained tannins that are going to require some more time in bottle.”
Lowest Price in The USA
 
Available Now from Espectacle Del Montsant
 
Espectacle Del Montsant 2018 750ml $119 special, 13 bottles available
Wine Spectator 98 Points “As with other wines, I also tasted the 2018 Espectacle del Montsant next to the 2017 to catch up, as I last tasted the region some 16 months ago. 2018 was a cooler year of slow ripeness, and the grapes achieved an amazing 16% alcohol. The wine is truly spectacular, true to its name. It has tons of violet notes and aromatic herbs, the palate is gentler, and the tannins are rounder, polished and elegant. It has full body but isn’t heavy. There is a lot of complexity, and the wine developed slowly in the glass, showing nuances of cereals, kirsch, orange peel and lots of spices and herbs. It’s opulent and full, deep and complex. Amazing in its style. Some 6,500 bottles produced.”
Lowest Price in The USA
 
Espectacle Del Montsant 2019 750ml $125 special, 33 bottles available
Wine Advocate  99 Points “It’s always an exciting moment tasting a new vintage of the wine from one of the most beautiful vineyards in Montsant, and the 2019 Espectacle del Montsant didn’t disappoint. It’s always Mediterranean, heady and ripe, decadent and hedonistic. 2019 was a warm and quite classical vintage in the zone, with good ripeness (the wine’s label lists 15.5% alcohol), and the wine is hedonistic, nuanced and complex, with very good acidity, which is one of the characteristics that makes this vintage so complete. Despite everything, the wine is medium to full-bodied and comes through as perfumed and ethereal. They do long macerations and long aging in foudre. 2019 is a very serious vintage for this wine; it’s a little closed and needs time in the glass, and it’s tight and seamless, a little austere for what this wine usually is. This is truly spectacular.”
Lowest Price in The USA
 
Featured Rosés
Triennes and Cloudline
 

What’s in a name? When that name is Drouhin, Dujac, or Romanee Conti, quite a lot.

Three of the most respected wine families in Burgundy are the masterminds behind two of most popular rosés. The Drouhin family in Oregon created Cloudline while the Seyses (Dujac) and DeVillaine (Domaine Romaneé Conti) families came together to create the fabulous Triennes in Provence. Serendipitously, we have received a large supply of rosé from both of these fantastic producers with the opportunuity to sell them to our valued customers at remarkably lower price than ever before.


These roses exist for their maker’s joy and it is now our joy to bring them to you!

Cloudline (Drouhin) Rose Of Pinot Noir WV 21 $11.90 special, 34 bottles available
Cloudline (Drouhin) WV Rose PN 2021 Case of 12 750ml bottles $119 special, 16 cases available
Winemaker Notes “The 2021 Cloudline Rosé of Pinot Noir expresses a floral nose of strawberry blossom and hawthorns. A beautiful salmon color, the wine has the lively texture of classic rosé and a flavor palate that includes strawberry, kiwi and a touch of lemongrass. Consider this a summer dream for any time of the year!”
 
Triennes Rose 2021 750ml $13.50 special, 36+ bottles available
Vinous “Fresh raspberry, nectarine and tangerine aromas show good clarity and pick up a subtle herbal nuance with air. Juicy and supple in texture, presenting subtly sweet red berry and pit fruit flavors and a hint of orange zest. Finishes silky and gently spicy, leaving a hint of candied orange zest behind.”
Close-out Sale – Price Reductions 

France
 
Guy Breton Chiroubles 2018 750ml WAS $33 NOW $28 special, 20 bottles available
Wine Advocate 92 Points “The 2018 Chiroubles is a particular success, bursting with aromas of cherries, strawberries, dried flowers and licorice. On the palate, it’s medium to full-bodied, melting and succulent, with an ample core of mouthwatering fruit and only the most ephemeral of structuring tannins, making for unimpeded drinkability—indeed, in a dark glass, this might be mistaken for a white wine.”

Joseph Faiveley Bourgogne Rouge 2020 750ml WAS $26 NOW $21.90 36+ bottles available
Falstaff Magazine 90 Points “[Translated] Medium ruby garnet and violet reflections. Fine herbal spices, dark wild berries, a hint of cranberries, tobacco nuances. Medium body, red fruit, integrated tannins, mineral aftertaste, versatile and fresh.”
Frederick Wildman importer note “Domaine Faiveley combines the principles of modern winemaking methods with the time honored traditions that have been practiced for centuries within their 19th century cellars. Each terroir and each vintage, benefits from special attention which makes the cuvées unique. Each bottle therefore becomes the faithful reflection of its terroir. Terroir: Joseph Faiveley Bourgogne Rouge is is sourced from vineyards spread throughout the terroirs of the Côte de Nuits, Côte de Beaune and the Côte Chalonnaise. Vinification: The Bourgogne Rouge is vinified in the cellars of Domaine Faiveley for 12 to 14 months in the same manner as their broad selection of reds from the Côte de Nuits.”
 
Garreliere Le Rouge Des Cornus Touraine 2018 WAS $24 NOW $21.90 special, 14 bottles available
Importer Note “Classic, delicious Loire Cabernet Franc that goes down so easy in the summer with a slight chill on it.”
 
Garreliere Sauvignon Blanc De La Mariee 2021 750ml WAS $21.90 NOW $19 special, 16 bottles available
Vinopolnote “100% Sauvignon Blanc from 20-25 year old vines on wind-deposited sand and silex soils.”
 
Dagueneau Asteroide 2019 750ml WAS $1499 NOW $1,199 special, 2 bottles available
Vinous 92 Points “Just 400 bottles of Pouilly Fumé Asteroide were made in 2019 from the same vineyard as Pur Sang, but the winemaking is different: half of the wine goes in a glass wine globe (a bit like a bonbonne), the other half in a barrel. This is a more varietal expression of the grape and the vineyard with nettle tea, dill and boxwood. Winemaker Jean-Philippe Agisson suggests this varietal character might be down to the influence of the wine globe. There’s a firm, tangy finish and a touch of savory, nuttiness on the length.”

Roc Des Boutires Pouilly-Fuisse Bertilionne 2020 750ml WAS $61.90 NOW $49 special, 23 bottles available
Importer’s Note “In the village of Pouilly, in the middle of the Pouilly-Fuissé AOC lies Domaine du Roc des Boutires. The winery’s name draws on both terroir and tradition: its proximity with the Roche de Solutré, an emblem of the appellation and a testament to the extraordinary geologic richness of this vineyard; as well as the domaine’s settlement in the very heart of one of the best terroirs of the appellation —“Aux Bouthières.” In the ancient French vocabulary, a “boutière” was a secondary road that mule skinners used for the transportation of oils and wines in remote parts of the country. The Wine’s color can be described as vibrant straw with green-gold reflections. Complex aromas of citrus and orchard fruit, lemon, pear, peach and honey with layers of minerality and subtle oak. Classic and elegant.”
 
Chateau Du Moulin-A-Vent Moulin-A-Vent 2019 750ml WAS $33 NOW $29, 36+ bottles available
Wine Enthusiast 93 Points “Cellar Selection. A selection of fruit from the three best parcels of the estate, this wine shows great ripeness, solid tannins and impressive berry fruits. It is developing into a fine wine that needs more aging. Drink from 2024.”
 
Chevalerie Bourgueil Diptyque 2018 750ml WAS $24 NOW $19 special, 19 bottles available
VinopolNote “The “bistro” wine of the bunch, easy-drinking with crushed berry notes. Serve lightly chilled with just about any food you can think of. Like all of the estate’s wines, this is farmed biodynamically.”
 
Chevalerie Bourgueil Breteche 2015 750ml WAS $31.90 NOW $26, 27 bottles available
Importer Note “Bretêche is an old word referring to a window or entrance to a fortified building, often above a gate to enable defenders to rain arrows or what have you upon attackers. It can also refer to entrances and exits in general, and this particular vineyard grows on the edge of the Restigné commune, where a road comes in. Pierre Caslot planted his parcel between 1988 and 1992 after his wife inherited the rights to rent it from her family. They farm just over 13 acres here. The soils are young limestone and a little clay, and this makes for a long, more linear wine than Galichets or Chevalerie, one with evident stony aromatics, lift and focus given by the limestone.”
 
Coche-Dury Hospices Cuvee Chaudron Pommard 2019 750ml WAS $899 NOW $799 special, 1 bottle available
Importer Note “Hospices de Civiles de Beaune is a former charitable almshouse founded in 1443 in the town of Beaune. It is now a modern hospital, with the original buildings serving as a museum. Since 1859, a charity wine auction has raised funds for the hospital with the wines produced being released under the Hospice’s umbrella label.”
Burghound 90 points “An attractively fresh nose is comprised by notes of both red and dark currant, earth and a whiff of oak. The medium weight flavors possess reasonably good underlying tension and complexity though the finish, while reasonably persistent, is slightly drying. There are aspects to admire but it would be fair to say that the balance isn’t quite completely dialed in. In sum, this is good but not really distinguished.”
 
Collotte Marsannay Le Clos De Jeu 2018 750ml WAS $33 NOW $29 special, 36+ bottles available
Weygandt-Metzler Importer Note “The Clos de Jeu Marsannay comes from several parcels of 50 year old vines from Clos de Jeu on soft limestone crinoidal soil. Aged in oak, 25% new, this wine is harmonious in its flavors and tannins.”
 
Clos Des Fees Roussillon Villages 2015 750ml WAS $54.50 NOW $49 special, 12 bottles available
Clos Des Fees Roussillon Villages 2015 750m Case of 6 750ml bottles  WAS $299 NOW $279, 3 available
Wine Advocate 96 Points “Eighteen months in new French oak barrels has given the 2015 Côtes du Roussillon Villages le Clos des Fées a certain tightness and discipline lacking in the Vieilles Vignes bottling. There’s still massive fruit and buried complexity, full body and rich tannins, but there’s also firmness of structure that shows the serious, age-worthy side of Bizeul’s winemaking. Vanilla and baking spices accent deep, dark cherries and plums, ending in a long, velvety finish.”

Denis Chaput Noir de Jade Champagne Blanc de Noir Extra-Brut NV WAS $49 NOW $39 special, 24 bottles 
Le Guide Hachette
 “Construit sur la récolte 2014, ce pur pinot noir or rose mêle au nez la mie de pain à des nuances délicates d’acacia et de pêche. La fleur miellée, le fruit et le coulis de fruits s’épanouissent dans une bouche équilibrée entre fraîcheur et rondeur, qui finit sur une touche mentholée. Du caractère et de l’élégance.”

La Chablisienne Les Clos Chablis 2018 WAS $69 NOW $59 special, 21 bottles available 
Le Guide Hachette “The Chablis Grand Cru are complete wines, with strong personality, and never cease improving with age. These nectars with their elegant colour and strong nose are particularly racy on the palate, offering a gloriously long finish and a remarkable keeping potential.”

La Chablisienne L’Homme Mort Chablis 2019 WAS $39 NOW $34.50 special, 30 bottles available
Le Guide Hachette “Pale gold in color, a limpid and brilliant wine. Initially fresh and deliciously floral on the nose, enhanced by a touch of minerality. Becomes more intense on aeration. Nicely fresh, taut and immediate in the mouth with fine precision. Long, finely mineral finish. A Chablis 1er Cru designed for keeping.”

Italy

Franco Serra Barbaresco 2018 750ml WAS $33 NOW $29 22 bottles available
James Suckling 91 Points “Red berries with a clay-like mineral note. Some flowers, too. Medium-to full-bodied with clean fruit and soft, fine-grained tannins. More minerally finish. Best after 2022.”
 
Gaja Rossj Bass Chardonnay Langhe 2019 750ml WAS $79 NOW $59 27 bottles available
Gaja Rossj Bass Chardonnay Langhe 2019 Case of 6 750ml bottles WAS $419 NOW $333 (That’s $55.50 per bottle)
Wilson Daniels Importer Note “The grapes come from different vineyards, including the Rossj vineyard named by Lucia and Angelo after their second daughter Rossana. 95% Chardonnay, 5% Sauvignon Blanc.”
 
Luigi Giordano Barbaresco Asili 2015 750ml WAS $59 NOW $49 special, 17 bottles available
Decanter 92 Points “From vines planted in 2000, this has a red fruit nose that’s not very expressive presently, but the palate is fresh and limpid with very ripe fruits but with no sweetness showing, thanks to the lively acidity. It has some tension, persistence and style, with a long finish.”
Importer Note “Definite garnet red colour enriched with delicate orange highlights on ageing; ample and intense perfume with good floral and fruit jammy notes plus ethereal hints of spices. The flavour is dry, full, elegant and aristocratic. Traditional red wine maceration for 12-15 days with fermentation in temperature controlled stainless steel vats using frequent pumping-over.”

Aldo Conterno Barolo Bussia 2017 750ml WAS $89 NOW $79 special, 9 bottles available
Wine Advocate 92 Points “The Poderi Aldo Conterno 2017 Barolo Bussia shows a dark but busy quality of fruit that speaks more to the power of this hot vintage than it does the nuanced side of Nebbiolo. In this respect, the wine is quite typical of the 2017 growing season. It takes a while before the wine finds focus in the glass, but it does slowly come together to reveal broad layers of dark cherry, cassis and plum. There is some tannic tightness that leads to sour berry. A bit awkward at this young stage, it needs a few more years of cellar age to flesh out and reach balance.”
 
Aldo Conterno Barolo Cicala 2017 750ml WAS $179 NOW $149, 10 bottles available
Wine Spectator 95 Points “A solid, powerful style, this expressive red is well-marked by new oak, with plum, cherry, cigar box, menthol and sun-kissed hay flavors. Balanced and lively, with refined tannins and a long, spice-infused finish. Best from 2025 through 2042.”
 
Aldo Conterno Barolo Colonnello 2017 750ml WAS $179 NOW $149, 11 bottles available
Wine Advocate 94+ Points “The Poderi Aldo Conterno 2017 Barolo Bussia Colonnello shows good focus, structure and a sharper character that is often the distinguishing factor in this wine. The bouquet is redolent of dark fruit and plum, but it also shows a solid framing of iron ore and dark stony mineral. These give the wine greater lift and contoured edges. This is not the first time that Colonnello is my favorite wine in this lineup, and I suspect it won’t be the last.”
Wine Spectator 94 Points “Offering plum, cherry, iron, eucalyptus and black pepper aromas and flavors, this broad red has absorbed the oak treatment pretty well already, with a dense matrix of tannins and lively acidity. Balanced and long, ending with elements of mineral and spice. Best from 2025 through 2043.”

Casa Emma Chianti Gran Selezione 2015 750ml WAS $54.50 NOW $49 special, 35 bottles available
Wine Advocate 94 Points “I love the manner in which this wine hits the palate, showing velvety softness and firm structure at the same time. The Casa Emma 2016 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione is bright and true with a dark center of gravity and lots of luscious fruit. Dark cherry, wild berry and plum are framed by soft tones of earth, spice and blue flower. This balanced wine emits fine notes of candied cherry and tart fruit, giving it a punchy, genuine personality. This is a knockout vintage from organic farmer Casa Emma to try with pasta made with polvere di Sangiovese, the estate’s unique pomace flour from Sangiovese.”
 
Casa Emma Harenae Amphora Aged 2018 750ml WAS $49 NOW $44.50 special, 21 bottles available
Wine Enthusiast 94 Points “Made entirely in amphora, this delicious Sangiovese has inviting, earthy aromas of ripe black plum, truffle, blackberry, baking spice and blue flower. Reflecting the nose, the enveloping, chewy palate doles out mouthfuls of fleshy Marasca cherry, raspberry compote, cinnamon and tobacco. Velvety tannins provide the almost lush framework while fresh acidity picks up the finish. Drink through 2025.”
James Suckling 94 Points “Aromas of dark plums, mulberries, black tea and black licorice. It’s full-bodied with chewy tannins. Structured and focused with rich, intense layers of dark fruit. Pure fruit here. Sangiovese. Made in amphorae. Drink or hold.”
Wine Advocate 93 Points “A dark and sultry expression of Sangiovese fermented in spherical amphorae, the Casa Emma 2018 Harenae doles out plenty of dried blackberry, plum, tobacco, spice and grilled herb. This is a full and generous expression that reflects the soft hills of Tuscany in its generous, mid-weight style and the sunshine of Italy in the textural darkness and richness of the fruit. This is a lovely wine with punchy bright fruit aromas to pair with a gilled, fatty steak. This is a terrific discovery I am very happy to recommend.”

 
 
SPECIAL FOR 3 MORE DAYS!

JJ Prum: The Rhine Stuff
Buy 6-11 bottles for a 5% discount
Buy 12+ bottles for a 10% discount
 
SALE ENDS @6PM FRIDAY July 28th

To drink a Riesling from Joh Jos Prüm is to enjoy a springtime of the heart and mind.”
-Stephan Rheinhardt, “The Finest Wine of Germany”
 
Joh. Jos. Prum needs no introduction to Riesling lovers, having already become a Mosel icon during the nearly five decades during which its namesake’s son Sebastien was in charge. Their house style has itself become a Mosel archetype: delicacy and restrained sweetness, often strongly marked in youth by yeasty and otherwise fermentative aromas. Their longevity is legendary, and even the Kabinetts can spend many more, years in bottle. These are uncompromising, benchmark Mosel wines.

JJ Prum Graacher Himmelreich Spatlese 2020 750ml $49.90 special, 16 bottles available
Mosel Fine Wines 92+ Points “The 2020er Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Spätlese offers a quite rich and even slightly ripe nose of almond cream and bakery products as well as honeyed yellow peach, William’s pear, apricot, and anise, all wrapped into smoky and refined elements. The wine coats the palate with ample and sweet fruits, which give a smoother and ampler structure to the wine. The finish has however more presence and intensity, but still needs to integrate its tale of initial sweetness. This clearly has some upside potential as it gains finesse and elegance over time. 2028-2045.”
 
JJ Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese 2021 375ml $46 special, 36+ bottles available
Mosel Fine Wines 96 Points “The 2021er Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese offers a superbly complex and pure fresh nose of candied grapefruit, vineyard peach, verbena, almond cream, smoke, and a hint of cassis. The wine proves superbly honeyed and creamy on the palate, where riper elements of pineapple, honeyed peach, and apricot are wrapped in candied citrusy fruits. The wine is intense and still quite broad but the finish is already pure and hugely long. This is a splendid refined Auslese, which just needs time to develop all its facets.
 
JJ Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese 2020 375ml $41.90 special, 35 half bottles available
Mosel Fine Wines 94 Points “The 2020er Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese offers a gorgeously attractive and ripe nose of almond cream, honeyed peach, smoke, tangerine, orange zest, candied grapefruit, and apricot. The wine is luscious and proves well on the sweet side on the palate. There is presence and intensity, yet the finish is already airier and more refined than what one could initially expect. Patience will be required, as usual, for the wine to develop its full complexity and integrate all its elements. 2035-2050.”
 
JJ Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese GK 2016 375ml $66 special, 14 bottles available
JJ Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese GK 2016 1.5L $229 special, Only 1 bottle left
Wine Advocate 96 Points “The 2016 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese (Gold Capsule) is clear, fine and subtle yet concentrated, with vegetal and ripe fruit aromas. Rich, round and piquant, this is an intense and densely woven Auslese (AP 14 17) with a long, tensioned and refreshing mineral finish that lifts the sweet fruit. Gorgeous but made for another decade.”
 
JJ Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese GK 2017 375ml $69 special, 6 bottles available
Wine Advocate 98 Points “The 2017 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese (Gold Capsule), AP 17 18, is deep and flinty on the perfectly ripe, intense and tropical-scented nose with its ripe yellow nectarine and peach aromas. The wine exhibits very fine botrytis with crunchy-salty slate features on the palate and is racy-piquant, highly stimulating, crisp and crunchy on the finish, with lingering salinity. This 2017 Sonnenuhr is still very young and needs time to calm down but is still lush and fresh, and the bottle will be emptied before you have even thought about the wine. It’s very long, complex and tensioned—just fabulous.”
Vintage Wine Points Price and Availability
2021 JJ Prum Bernkasteler Badstube Kabinett 750ml   $41.90 special, 18 bottles available
2017 JJ Prum Bernkasteler Lay Auslese LGK 375ml Wine Advocate 97 Points $99 special, 9 half bottles available
2017 JJ Prum Bernkasteler Lay Auslese LGK 750ml Wine Advocate 97 Points $189 special, 4 bottles available
2014 JJ Prum Graacher Himmelreich Auslese 750ml Wine Advocate 93 Points $69 special, 2 bottles available
2020 JJ Prum Graacher Himmelreich Auslese 375ml Wine Spectator 94 Points $39 special, 21 bottles available
2015 JJ Prum Graacher Himmelreich Auslese GK 750ml  Mosel Fine Wines 95 Points  $119 special, only 1 bottle left
2016 JJ Prum Graacher Himmelreich Auslese GK 750ml  Wine Advocate 97 Points $99 special, 8 bottles available
2020 JJ Prum Graacher Himmelreich Auslese GK 750ml  Wine Spectator 95 Points $125 special, 10 bottles available
2016 JJ Prum Graacher Himmelreich Kabinett 750ml Wine Advocate 93 Points $39 special, only 1 bottle left
2020 JJ Prum Graacher Himmelreich Kabinett 1.5L Wine Advocate 94 Points $129 special, 7 Magnum bottles available
2012 JJ Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese GK 1.5L Wine Advocate 96+ Points $279 special, 2 Magnum bottles available
2020 JJ Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Kabinett 750ml Mosel Fine Wines 92 Points  $49 special, 23 bottles available
2021 JJ Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Kabinett 750ml   $54.50 special, 13 bottles available
2021 JJ Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Spatlese 750ml   $59 special, 14 bottles available
2020 JJ Prum Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Spatlese 750ml Mosel Fine Wines 93 Points $45 special, 29 bottles available
Collector’s Corner
German Treasures
C.H. Berres Urziger Wurzgarten TBA 2010 375ml $199 special, 6 half bottles available
Wine Spectator 95 Points “A rich, buttery aroma leads to a vibrant, luxuriant mix of ripe apricot, peach and kiwifruit flavors that are flanked by notes of smoke and spice. Velvety and lush on the finish, which is filled with notes of cream and golden raisin. Drink now through 2050.”
 
Donnhoff Niederhauser Hermannshohle BA 2011 375ml $149 special, 3 bottles available
Wine Advocate 96 Points “Intriguingly musky and subtly fungal as well as piercing in its evocation of distilled pit fruits and botanicals, the nose of Donnhoff’s 2011 Niederhauser Hermannshohle Riesling Beerenauslese – which was picked alongside its Auslese counterpart – promises an intense palate experience that the wine very much delivers. Distilled extracts of wormwood, woodruff and anisette; maraschino and serviceberry seem to lace the amalgam of quince jelly with pear and white peach nectars in a lusciously multi-layered yet animated palate performance. A spicy and tropical suggestion of mango chutney compounds the vibrantly penetrating effect of pungent herbal and pit fruit essences in a tonsil-gripping, mouth-shaking finish.”
 
Friz Haag Juffer-Sonnenuhr TBA GC 2018 375ml $419 special, 12 bottles available
John Gilman 95 Points “The 2018 Juffer TBA is just a bit higher in residual sugar than the Beerenauslese this year, as Oliver estimates that it is around one hundred and eighty grams per liter. This too is a gorgeous wine in the making, offering up refined bouquet of mirabelle, honey, white cherries, candied violets, citrus zest and a nice touch of saltiness from the slate. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, creamy and very long and complex, with excellent focus and grip, sound acids and a very long, pure and zesty finish. Utterly captivating and borderline criminal to spit.”
 
JJ Prum Bernkasteler Lay Auslese LGK 2017 750ml $189 special, 4 bottles available
Wine Advocate 97 Points “The 2017 Bernkasteler Lay Auslese (Long Gold Capsule), AP 18 18, is very clear, intense and generous but precise on the nose, with lots of mango, ripe peach, mirabelle and honey aromas. On the palate, this is a generously rich but refined, finessed and lush Auslese with a salty-piquant finish that is intense, complex and long. Honey-sweet but still crystalline, transparent and really kicking, this is another gorgeous 2017 Auslese from the Prüm family.”
 
Molitor Urzig Wurzgarten Beerenauslese 2017 375ml $149 special, 8 bottles available
Wine Advocate 100 Points “The 2017 Riesling Ürziger Würzgarten Beerenauslese opens with a very clear, elegant, highly aromatic and finessed bouquet of ripe tropical and domestic fruits intermixed with stony notes. On the palate, this is a lush and salty-piquant BA with great mineral vitality and lingering energy on the finish. What a filigreed, lean, finessed and light-footed sweet wine with refreshing grapefruit notes on the nose and palate. This is incredibly elegant and refined, and I can’t imagine this BA could have been done any better. It’s incredibly charming and will tickle your palate now and forever.”
 
Molitor Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Auslese*** GK 2013 375ml $149 special, 6 bottles available
Wine Advocate 100 Points “The sweet 2013 Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Auslese *** is another laser sword in the armada of starred Ausleses. Pure and precise but less smoky and cool on the nose than the Wehlener Sonnenuhr it intertwines darker smoky stone aromas with ripe orange flavors and tropical fruit aromas to build up a very clear, deep and aromatic bouquet. Full, sweet and round on the elegant palate this is still a very delicate, pure, perfectly balanced Auslese of great complexity. The finish is juicy and lingering, mineral scented and perfectly balanced with lush fruit. The wines is less filigreed than the Wehlener Sonnenuhr.”
 
Molitor Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Auslese*** GK 2017 750ml $299 special, 13 bottles available
Wine Advocate 100 Points “As always, Molitor’s 2017 Riesling Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Auslese *** (Golden Capsule) is one of the ripest and most concentrated Auslesen of the vintage. Incredibly clear and intense notes of ripe peaches and mangoes on the nonetheless delicate and fresh nose intertwine with noble slate, fine oak and nougat aromas. The wine is round and elegant on the palate, with stunning vivacious, filigreed acidity that gives it lightness, great finesse, lots of salt and tension and stimulating grip. This is still a baby, but in terms of complexity and finesse, it’s one of the finest wines Markus Molitor has produced in 2017. I cannot remember having tasted a three-starred Auslese from the Zeltinger Sonnenuhr that was so fresh, lean and filigreed.”
 
Molitor Zelt Sonnenhuhr Beerenauslese * 2017 750ml $399 special, 12 bottles available
Wine Advocate 100 Points “The 2017 Riesling Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Beerenauslese * (Golden Capsule) is intense, fine and flinty on the highly precise nose with crunchy slate and grapefruit notes. Dense and concentrated on the palate, it has sweet but elegant and highly refined fruit intertwined with salty-finessed slate salinity and delicate acidity. This is a beautifully balanced BA from Molitor’s most important grand cru vineyard. Many readers might prefer its sweet and charming richness to the delicate finesse and crystallinity of the Würzgarten BA, which will be ready to drink sooner. But this Zeltinger Sonnenuhr in turn will gain even more finesse and drinkability over the years.”
 
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