Vinopolpick Mid-Week 3-17-21

In our originally published newsletter, we listed the Casanova di Neri Tenuta Nuova at the wrong price. It is $119/btl. We regret the error.

In This Newsletter:

Two Great Deals on Half Bottles of Top Napa Cabernet

Champagne Marguet
A Leading Voice in Sustainable Farming


Featured Pre-Arrivals
High-Scoring Brunello from Casanova di Neri & Talenti


Smart Buys from Spain
From $20 – $30


New Arrivals from Leonetti
Landing this Month


Delicious Sub-$20 Chianti Classico Riserva

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Two Great Deals on Half Bottles of Top Napa Cabernet


For those looking to experience what the ‘Luxury’ category of Napa Valley Cabernet tastes like but aren’t interested in forking over the typical toll, half bottles provide a great hack. They’re perfect for weeknights, when quality is often valued over quantity. In another Vinopolis coup, we’ve just secured insane pricing on half bottles from two of Napa Valley’s top producers.

La Jota’s roots in Howell Mountain date back to 1898, but their modern reincarnation began in 1982. Over the ensuing 40 years, La Jota has secured its reputation as one of Howell Mountain’s benchmark producers. Across the valley, Mt Brave is making equally exciting ‘Mountain Cabernet’ high up in the famous hills of Mt Veeder. The vineyards that produce both wines benefit from their perch above Napa Valley’s stubborn fog line, resulting in wines that are not only more structured and fresh, but also (paradoxically) more generous. There’s a reason why many Napa enthusiasts remain so enchanted by the region’s hillside vineyards.

So take advantage of these attractively priced half bottles, and spice up your weeknight drinking.

Arriving Friday, March 19th:

La Jota Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Howell Mountain 2014 375ML ($59.95) $39 pre-arrival special
Jeb Dunnuck 96+ points
“Checking in as a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec, the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon is another gorgeous wine from winemaker Chris Carpenter. Brought up in 90% new French oak, this classic, tight, focused beauty boasts sensational notes of crème de cassis, graphite, toasty oak, and ample minerality. These all flow to a full-bodied, beautifully concentrated, layered, tannic 2014 that has remarkable purity, impeccable balance, and a great, great finish. It’s classic, old-school, yet awesome Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon that needs 3-4 years of bottle age and will keep for 2-3 decades.”
Robert Parker 95 points “The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon is 75.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc and the rest Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec, aged in 89% new French oak. The wine displays the great fruit that is possible from these two sites owned by the Jacksons. It has an opaque purple color, a big, sweet kiss of crème de cassis and blackberry with a touch of lead pencil shavings, vanilla and incense. It is full-bodied and dense, with moderately high tannins but beautiful sweetness and fruit. Drink it over the next 25-30 years.”
Wine Enthusiast 95 points “Cellar Selection. Blended with small percentages of 12% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot, and then aged in 90% new French oak for 19 months, this stellar effort offers reduced oak, bark, toast and clove aromas and flavors alongside sizable, structured tannin and hearty ripeness. Black currant and chocolate dust a layer of tobacco. Enjoy best 2024 through 2034. -Virginie Boone”

This is the only half-bottle listing in the USA today!


Mt. Brave Cabernet Sauvignon, Mount Veeder 2014 375ML ($49.95) $33 pre-arrival special
Robert Parker 95+ points
“The top score, though, has to go to the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon, which is 90.5% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest small quantities of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Malbec. This wine has an opaque purple color, a big, sweet kiss of blueberry and blackberry liqueur, some graphite, a juicy, full-bodied, savory mouthfeel, and excellent purity and underlying balance. This seamlessly rich mountain Cabernet Sauvignon should age effortlessly for two decades or more.”
Jeb Dunnuck 95 points “The star of the show is clearly the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon which has everything you could want from a Mountain Cabernet. Cassis, blueberries, violets, leafy herbs, and graphite notes all emerge from this full-bodied, concentrated, yet plush, forward, incredibly sexy 2014. With no hard edges, impeccable balance, and a great finish, drink this beauty anytime over the coming 15+ years.”


Love California Cabernet? We have over 35 different options in stock. Shop the entire selection, including famous names like Colgin, Dominus, Diamond Creek and more, on our web store now.

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Champagne Marguet

A Leading Voice in Sustainable Farming


Benoît Marguet is a fast-rising star in the Montage de Reims if not in the entire Champagne region…” –Stephan Reinhardt, Wine Advocate

Benoît Marguet is one of the hottest names in Champagne. A young grower who is one of the leading voices for organic and biodynamic farming, his single-parcel wines have attracted attention from Michelin starred restaurants across Europe. These are wines that are rich across the palate, yet incredibly mineral and precise in their flavors. The latest releases have yet to be reviewed, but once they are we expect fireworks.

“One of Champagne’s most passionate advocates of biodynamic viticulture and aromatherapy since he undertook his family estate’s biodynamic conversion in 2009, Benoît Marguet farms just over seven hectares in Ambonnay, as well as small holdings in Bouzy, which he complements with purchased organically farmed grapes from the Côte de Blancs. Working with indigenous yeasts and minimal sulfites—indeed, increasingly, with no sulfites whatsoever—Marguet’s vins clairs are vinified in wood and see long élevage before tirage. These days, disgorgement is without dosage. Framed by a delicate patina from their time in oak, these are concentrated, intense and beautifully balanced Champagnes that are invariably precisely defined by site—and, moreover, revolutionary in their ambitions. I have followed Marguet’s wines since my student days, and it is clear that Benoît is well on his way to realizing all his ambitions.” –William Kelley, Wine Advocate

In Stock Now:

Marguet Père & Fils Ambonnay Grand Cru Extra Brut, Champagne 2015 750ML ($89.95) $75 special, 9 bottles in stock now
Importer note
“Demeter certified. 53% Pinot Noir & 47% Chardonnay. Part of Benoît’s Cru Selections series that are meant to show the overall characteristics of individual villages as opposed to single vineyards. The Crus Selections are always vintage dated cuvées and the first vintage produced of this series was in 2010.  The Ambonnay bottling comes exclusively from all vineyards in the Grand Cru village of Ambonnay. This Ambonnay wines are the only Cru Selection bottlings in the series that had previously been produced at Marguet, prior to Benoît creating the Cru Selection series, the estate produced an all Ambonnay vintage bottling under the name “Amboniacus”.


Marguet Père & Fils Avize & Cramant Grand Cru, Champagne 2015 750ML ($99.95) $99 special, 5 bottles in stock now
Importer note
“Demeter certified. 100% Chardonnay.”
Peter Liem note[Writing on the 2011 release] This comes from two chardonnay vineyards, both farmed organically: Les Chantereines in Avize and Les Fourches du Levant in Cramant. It combines breadth and finesse in the inimitable style of the northern Côte des Blancs, with a pinpoint texture and a racy, elongated structure.”


Marguet Père & Fils Aÿ Grand Cru, Champagne 2015 750ML ($149.95) $99 special, 3 bottles in stock now
Importer note
“Demeter certified. 62% Pinot Noir & 38% Chardonnay.”


Marguet Père & Fils Bouzy Grand Cru, Champagne 2015 750ML ($89.95) $79 special, 1 bottle in stock now
Importer note
“100% Pinot Noir.”


Marguet Père & Fils Avize & Cramant Grand Cru, Champagne 2015 750ML ($119.95) $99 special, 3 bottles in stock now
Importer note
“Demeter certified. 100% Chardonnay.”


Marguet Père & Fils ‘La Grande Ruelle’ Ambonnay Grand Cru, Champagne 2015 750ML ($149.95) $99 special, 4 bottles in stock now
Importer note
“100% Pinot Noir.”


Marguet Père & Fils ‘Les Crayères’ Ambonnay Grand Cru, Champagne 2015 750ML ($149.95) $99 special, 2 bottles in stock now
John Gilman 94+ points
“The 2015 vintage of Les Crayères from Benoît Marguet is composed of a blend of fifty-eight percent chardonnay and forty-two percent pinot noir. The vins clairs were aged until July of 2016 in cask, prior to bottling for secondary fermentation. The wine was disgorged in April of 2020 and was finished non-dosé this year. It delivers lovely aromatic complexity on the nose, wafting from the glass in a mix of apple, white peach, chalky minerality, sourdough bread, just a hint of buttery oak, fresh almond and a gentle floral note that suggests violets. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and racy, with a rock solid core of fruit, refined mousse, excellent mineral drive and cut and a long, complex and beautifully balanced finish. This is an outstanding vintage of Les Crayères from Monsieur Marguet. It is quite approachable today for those who fancy low dosage, but for my palate, I would prefer to let it age a few years and allow that girdle of acidity to relax just a bit more. 2023-2055+.”
Importer note “42% Pinot Noir & 58% Chardonnay.”
Peter Liem note “The Lieux-Dits collection is designed to highlight Marguet’s most distinctive parcels in Ambonnay: the first release was the outstanding 2008 Les Crayères, a blend of pinot noir and chardonnay from a prized parcel of massale-selected vines on Ambonnay’s mid-slope, planted in 1970.”


Marguet Père & Fils ‘Sapience’ Premier Cru Extra-Brut, Champagne 2009 750ML ($269.95) $189 special, 4 bottles in stock now
William Kelley-Wine Advocate 96 points
“This is the fourth vintage of Benoît Marguet’s Sapience, Champagne’s first organic prestige cuvée, which he began producing before he took over his family vineyards, using purchased grapes: Bouzy Pinot Noir from  Benoît Lahaye, Cumières Pinot Meunier from Vincent Laval and Trépail Chardonnay from David Leclapart. Disgorged in June 2019 without dosage, the 2009 Brut Nature Premier Cru is showing brilliantly, wafting from the glass with a complex bouquet of citrus oil, dried orange peel, white flowers and subtle hints of praline. Full-bodied, layered and textural, it’s seamless and complete, with a deep core, ripe but racy acids and a long, intense finish.”
Peter Liem “Since 2006, Marguet has been working with Hervé Jestin, the former chef de cave of Duval-Leroy who is now a consultant to many wine estates around Europe. Marguet has gradually integrated Jestin’s homeopathic and biodynamic practices into his own winemaking, and the two of them have collaborated to create a special, naturally grown champagne that encapsulates and expresses Jestin’s philosophies. The first vintage of this super-cuvée was 2006, released in 2013, and the production was divided: half of it was sold under the Jestin label, with the other half under the label Sapience, which Marguet has indicated is a separate brand from the Marguet label.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!


Marguet Père & Fils ‘Shaman’ Grand Cru Extra Brut, Champagne 2017 750ML ($59.95) $49 special, 8 bottles in stock now
Marguet Père & Fils ‘Shaman’ Grand Cru Extra Brut, Champagne 2017 3L ($319.95) $279 special, 2 double magnums in stock now


This is the only double magnum listing in the USA today!


Marguet Père & Fils ‘Shaman’ Grand Cru Rosé Extra Brut, Champagne 2017 750ML ($59.95) $49 special, 2 bottles in stock now
Importer note
“41% Pinot Noir & 59% Chardonnay.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!


Love Champagne? We have over 190 different options in stock. Shop the entire selection, including famous names like Bollinger, Delamotte, Taittinger and more, on our web store now.

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Featured Pre-Arrivals

High-Scoring Brunello from Casanova di Neri & Talenti


Casanova di Neri

Casanova di Neri is one of Italy’s truly elite modern producers—an icon of Brunello. Their “normale” Brunello is one of our most-requested bottles each vintage and the Tenuta Nuova and Cerretalto are sought after by collectors. We’ve secured our allocation of the 2015 Cerretalto and 2016 Brunello+Tenuta Nuova, and they’re set to arrive soon.

These are normally highly-sought after wines, but the quality of the 2015 and 2016 vintages takes their desirability to a new level. The 2015 Cerretalto comes from a “fairy tale” vintage, in the words of James Suckling—a year that’s seen more rabid demand than any in recent memory. We only have nine bottles left, so you do the math—we’d be surprised if any hit the shop floor.

Likewise, the Tenuta Nuova and Brunello are stunning in 2016—a year that has elegance and classicism married to richly-textured fruit. Both wines have deservingly high scores.

Pre-Arrival ETA April:

Casanova di Neri Tenuta Nuova, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2016 750ML ($149.95) $119 pre-arrival special
Monica Larner-Wine Advocate 97+ points
“This is one of my sweetheart wines from Montalcino. The Casanova di Neri 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Tenuta Nuova offers a long list of aromas on an ever-shifting and fluid bouquet. You get bright cherry, rose potpourri, black truffle, caramel, butterscotch, sandalwood, road pavement and chalky mineral. In fact, each time I come back to this wine, that mineral element seemed to grow in intensity and scope. The wine offers a grounded fruit side that is contrasted nicely against a grounded oak component. The mouthfeel is creamy and long, and the wine shows terrific tannic integration. When you come back hours later, you might find black olive, bresaola and licorice.”
Eric Guido-Vinous 96 points “The 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Tenuta Nuova drawing you in with a display of exotic brown spice, mint and cedar dust. Further coaxing unlocks depths of cherry, plum, hints of dark chocolate and roses. It coasts along a medium-bodied frame with velvety richness, complemented by polished red and black fruits while contrasted by brisk acids and hints of sour citrus. This coats the teeth in concentration, as if you can feel the pulp, seeds and skins of its fruit, while a layer of fine tannin slowly grounds you back to earth. The Tenuta Nuova already has so much to give, yet it will be many years before it reaches its apex. Wow. Thinking back to my tasting of the 2015, I can’t say that the 2016 is necessarily a better wine, just a little less immediate. Either way, both wines are beautiful expressions of vintage.”
Jeb Dunnuck 96 points “The 2016 Tenuta Nuova has layered aromatics of black raspberry, menthol, baking spice and cedar. The palate is intensified and has another gear, with mouth-filling cherry fruit, tobacco, and a balanced but powerful structure. Enjoy a couple of the 2016 Brunello while you wait for this one in the cellar for 3-5 years and drink 2025-2041.”


Pre-Arrival ETA June:

Casanova di Neri Cerretalto, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2015 750ML ($399.95) $319 pre-arrival special
Monica Larner-Wine Advocate 98+ points
“Of these new releases from this benchmark estate, the Casanova di Neri 2015 Brunello di Montalcino Cerretalto is my favorite wine. This Riserva is larger than life with ripe fruit, raspberry, cherry, spice, cola, root beer, mesquite and cedar. The wine offers a flashy and generous quality of fruit that unfolds over time with a multifaceted and multi-layered presentation. One thing that stands out here is the acidity that is bracing and tart at first but then succumbs to an important supporting role, rendering lasting freshness and persistence to the finish. With time, you get a flash of cherry and crème de cassis that seals the deal.”
Eric Guido-Vinous 95 points “The 2015 Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino Cerretalto is remarkably fresh and balanced despite its large-scale persona. Minty herbs give way to raspberry and cherry with exotic spices and a hint of pine resin. It boasts depths of silky textures; yet it remains juicy and full of energy, displaying ripe red and black fruits, laced with salty minerals, as hints of cinnamon and baker’s chocolate form toward the close. Fine tannins come forward on the finish, tugging at the cheeks, yet all under an air of sweet spice and violet florals. As young as this is today, it’s hard to put the glass down, and I can only imagine the depths that will be revealed with five or more years of cellaring.”


Talenti

“Riccardo Talenti sources fruit from five vineyards spread out between higher elevations of Sant’Angelo in Colle and lower elevations of Castelnuovo dell’Abate to create a southern yet wonderfully balanced expression of Brunello, one that is capable of pleasing a broad range of palates. What’s more, with the 2015 vintage, Talenti releases their first single-vineyard wine, the Brunello di Montalcino Piero, which emerges from a two-hectare parcel first planted by PierLuigi Talenti in the 1970s. The 2015 is one of the top wines of the vintage, and the 2016 is an excellent follow-up, once again ranking high in my tastings… The process of converting to all organic practices throughout the vineyards is the latest development here.” –Eric Guido, Vinous

Pre-Arrival ETA October 2021:

Talenti Piero, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2016 750ML ($149.95) $119 pre-arrival special
Bruce Sanderson – Wine Spectator 98 points
“Cherry, strawberry, earth and mineral flavors provide immediate appeal up front, while the dense structure indicates this red will evolve steadily over a few decades. Underbrush and tobacco elements seep in around the edges, but the beam of fruit persists. Best from 2025 through 2050. 330 cases made, 60 cases imported.”
Eric Guido-Vinous 97 points “The 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Piero is an excellent follow-up to the 2015 that wowed me earlier this year. It takes a much more refined and darkly alluring approach, as an air of crushed stone gives way to masses of blackberry and cherry, further blossoming to show notes of sage, a dusting of cedar, mocha and leather strap. There’s an exotic flair here without ever straying from Sangiovese purity. The textures are pure elegance, like silk being draped across the senses yet perfectly balanced by zesty acids and hints of sour citrus, as depths of red/black fruits give way to inner floral and earth tones. You can hardly feel its tannic heft until the finish, where structure rules, clenching the palate with youthful poise while allowing hints of balsamic spice to linger on. There is simply so much going on here and so much more to come over time.”
James Suckling 97 points “This is really beautiful with so much black-cherry and blackberry aromas, as well as walnut and cedar. Some black truffle, too. It’s full-bodied, yet ever so tight and polished with solid tannin tension and focus. Goes on and on. Structured and beautiful. Try after 2024.”


In Stock Now:

Talenti Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Tuscany 2015 750ML ($59.95) $49 special, 18 bottles in stock now
Kerin O’keefe-Wine Enthusiast 96 points
“Editor’s Choice. Rose petal, crushed mint, woodland berry and eucalyptus aromas slowly take shape on this delicious full bodied red. It’s linear and elegantly structured, featuring juicy Marasca cherry, cranberry, licorice and cocoa alongside firm velvety tannins. It closes on an orange-zest note. Drink 2023–2035.”
James Suckling 96 points “There’s freshness galore here i,n the form of orange zest and citrus peel. But this Brunello isn’t short on power either; red licorice, cardamom and dried hibiscus pepper the nose. To support the ripe fruit are layers of sinewy tannins and gliding acidity, making for an altogether sophisticated and edgy impression. Refined and elegant on the long finish. Drink from 2023.”
Ian D’agata-Vinous 95 points “Bright vibrant red-ruby. Inviting aromas of red plum, mocha, redcurrant jam, tobacco, and gently smoky herbs. Bright, silky and suave, with mellow flavors of redcurrant, red plum, tobacco and mocha. Multilayered and extremely stylish wine, finishing with polished tannins, outstanding balance and subtle persistence. So well-balanced in fact, this gorgeous Brunello is almost deceptively easy to drink and can practically be accessed even now. Very well done.”
Wine Spectator 95 points “Well-delineated black cherry and black currant flavors are matched to graphite, earth and wild herb accents in this powerful red. Balanced in a broad-shouldered way, this leaves a vibrant impression on the lingering finish. Best from 2023 through 2042. 2,700 cases made, 380 cases imported.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!


Love Brunello? We have over 50 different options in stock. Shop the entire selection, including famous names like Casanova di Neri, La Fortuna, Sassetti and more, on our web store now.

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Smart Buys from Spain

From $20 – $30



Reds

“A dense and intensively flavored wine”
Black Slate La Vilella Alta, Priorat DOCa 2017 750ML ($24.95) $20.90 special, 36+ bottles in stock now
Case-12 Black Slate La Vilella Alta, Priorat DOCa 2017 750ML ($299.95) $228 special
Importer note
“Eric Solomon, Bixente Oçafrain and Philippe Cambie collaborate in the creation of Black Slate La Vilella Alta by selecting Garnacha and Carinyena grown on both licorella and clay limestone soils. A blend of old and young-vine fruit and with a small additions of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, La Vilella Alta is a dense and intensively flavored wine that is fermented in tank and aged in French oak barrels of which 30% are new.”


The elegant side of Priorat
Black Slate Escaladei, Priorat DOCa 2018 750ML ($24.95) $21.90 special, 36+ bottles in stock now
Importer note
“Black Slate Escaladei, a blend of Garnatxa, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Carinyena sourced from the foothills of the Montsant mountains. It stands out among its Black Slate siblings as the most elegant of the lineup being inclined more towards red fruit than black, with a high-toned minerality and spiciness. It is selected from fruit aged in foudre and French oak demi-muids.”


Wine Spectator Top 100 Wine in 2019
Marqués de Murrieta Reserva, Rioja DOCa 2015 750ML ($29.95) $21.90 special, 36+ bottles in stock now
Luis Gutierrez-Wine Advocate 93 points
“The red blend 2015 Rioja Reserva is 80% Tempranillo with 12% Graciano, 6% Mazuelo and 2% Garnacha, a little more Graciano and Mazuelo, something logical in ripe and warm years like 2015. It’s produced with grapes from a diversity of the 30 different plots within the estate, to represent the character of if. It fermented in stainless steel and matured in American oak barrels for 18 months. It’s spicy and somewhat balsamic, with some dusty tannins. It’s a ripe and powerful vintage that only suffers next to the 2016 I tasted next to it when there’s a jump in precision and finesse. This is by far the largest volume produced at Murrieta, with almost one million bottles.”
James Suckling 93 points “So fresh and elegant with more than enough concentration and structure, this is a fine example of a 2015 Reserva. Ripe-blackberry, licorice, smoke and bourbon notes. I love the velvety texture of the long, intense finish. Better from 2019 and with long aging potential.”
Wine Spectator 92 points “Cedar, tobacco, dried cherry and spice flavors mingle in this red. Features a polished texture, with well-integrated tannins and orange peel acidity. Supple, harmonious and graceful. Tempranillo, Graciano, Mazuelo and Garnacha. Drink now through 2025. 100,000 cases made, 9,067 cases imported.”


The chalky texture is classic Spain
Viña Zorzal Corral de los Altos, Navarra 2018 750ML ($29.95) $24 special, 36+ bottles in stock now
Luis Gutierrez – Wine Advocate 92 points
“All the guest winemakers that take part in the Lecciones de Vuelo joint venture with Viña Zorzal are offered to produce their interpretation of the paraje Corral de los Altos in Fitero. The 2018 Corral de los Altos is Zorzal’s own interpretation of a 45-year-old plot of 2.1 hectares of Garnacha planted on a north-facing stony part of the village. The grapes fermented in stainless steel with some 25% full clusters and indigenous yeasts and matured in seven used (second and third use) 500-liter oak barrels. This has contained ripeness and a medium to full-bodied palate with the classical chalky tannins and texture from the limestone-rich soils and the length and tastiness they provide”

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


“Fragrant and elegant…a superb showing for this bottling”
Bodega Marañones Treinta Mil Maravedies, Madrid 2016 750ML ($29.95) $24 special, 36+ bottles in stock now
Luis Gutierrez-Wine Advocate 91+ points
“The fully developed, aromatic and open 2016 30.000 Maravedíes, with nice aromatics and a very pleasant palate. It’s fragrant and elegant, with pungent flavors and very good persistence. This is a superb showing for this bottling. 39,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in July 2017.”


Sustainably farmed!
Bodegas Ostatu Escobal, Rioja DOCa 2018 750ML ($29.95) $24 special, 36+ bottles in stock now
Importer note
“In their continual push for sustainability and regenerative farming, the Saenz de Samaniego siblings have been working towards their organic farming certification. As a start, they have organically certified one of their larger contiguous vineyards, called Escobal, which lies at 550m in Rioja Alavesa with clay-calcareous soils under a layer of sand and gravel, and made a single-vineyard wine from there aged in a large foudre. Made from 100% destemmed tempranillo grapes, fermented with indigenous yeast in temperature-controlled stainless steel. Aged in a large foudre until bottling after one year with minimal sulfur dioxide.”

This is the only listing in the USA today!


“One of the top best-value, high-quality reds in Spain”
Bodegas Muga Reserva – Crianza, Rioja DOCa 2016 750ML ($31.95) $26 special, 13 bottles in stock now
James Suckling 95 points
“This is really tight and powerful with gorgeous tannins and solid fruit. Full body. Tight and composed. Wet earth, smoked meat and hints of black truffles. Very long and powerful. Wonderful length. Real Rioja. One of the top best-value, high-quality reds in Spain. Drink or hold.”
Luis Gutierrez-Wine Advocate 93 points “The largest volume of the Muga winery is for the red blend 2016 Reserva, a wine that is sold as 2016 Crianza in Spain (for commercial reasons). This has the Muga style and the imprint of the cool and fresh 2016 vintage, one of the best vintages of recent years. 2016 is also a year of harmony and freshness that reminds me a little of the 2010. But the Muga family thinks it’s somewhere between 2010 and 2011, because for them 2011 is not so warm, even if it generally produced quite ripe wines. It has a mixture of red and black fruit with sweet spices that are very integrated and in harmony. The palate is silky and clean, and the tannins are round and gentle. A delicious Reserva/Crianza. They produced around one million bottles of this. It was bottled in January 2019. They like to bottle the wine in winter, perhaps in a couple of months.”


“Floral, elegant and harmonious”
Granja Nuestra Senora de Remelluri ‘ Lindes de Remelluri Vinedos de San Vicente’, Rioja DOCa 2015 750ML ($34.95) $29 special, 21 bottles in stock now
Luis Gutierrez-Wine Advocate 94 points
“The 2015 Lindes de Remelluri Vinedos de San Vicente de la Sonsierra is mostly Tempranillo with some Garnacha from vines in that village, and it’s the finest of the four wines from Lindes that I tasted this time. It is floral, elegant and harmonious, with no excess in any way. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannins and a long finish. Impressive. 63,324 were filled in June 2017.”
James Suckling 93 points “A wine with dark chocolate, walnut and berry aromas and flavors. Chewy and rich with plenty of dense fruit characer. Full and structured. Needs a year or two to soften. Better after 2021.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!


“A beautiful wine to pair with grilled meats”
Envínate ‘Benje’, Canary Islands 2019 750ML ($39.95) $29 special, 19 bottles in stock now
Winery note
“Benje Tinto is sourced from 1,000 meters elevation, old-vine, pie franco parcels of Listan Prieto (Mission) with a bit of Tintilla, named “Masca,” “La Zanja,” “Valle de Arriba,” and “Llano Redondo”, all of them located in Santiago del Teide. Each parcel is hand-harvested and vinified separately, some in concrete and some in small open tubs. Maceration is 10-30 days (depending on parcel) with daily punch-down; malolactic fermentation is in neutral French barriques, then raised 8 months in the same barrels without battonage or added SO2. Bottling is without fining or filtration. This is a pure and vertical expression of high elevation, volcanic Canary terroir with notes of red fruits, peppercorns, flowers, and volcanic soil – a beautiful wine to pair with grilled meats and mojo rojo.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!


Whites

“A delicious village wine and a very good value on Grower Albariño”
Nanclares y Prieto ‘Dandelión’ Albariño, Rías Baixas 2019 750ML ($27.95) $21.90 special, 12 bottles in stock now
Importer note
“Dandelión From multiples plots in and around Cambados, with 30 to 60 years old vines, trained in the traditional Pergola style and planted mainly on granitic, sandy soils. Wild yeast fermented and raised in small tanks for around a year. Bottled without clarification or filtration. A delicious village wine and a very good value on Grower Albariño!”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!


A fun lightly sparkling white from the Basque Country
Ameztoi Primus Txakoli di Getaria Hondarribi Zuri, Getariako Txakolina 2019 750ML ($29.95) $24 special, 31 bottles in stock now
Winery note
[Edited for clarity] A white wine from the Hondarrabi Zuri grape. Naturally lightly sparkling. Pale with a touch of green, its bright tone has fine and elegant bubbles. Has a delicate and sophisticated fragrance, reminiscent of green apples and grapes, with a minty note. Opens dry, and is harmonious in the mouth. It has a broad and aromatic finish, which is cheerful because of its bubbles.”

This is the only listing in the USA today!


A white that will reward patience
Bodegas Forjas del Salnés Leirana Albariño, Rías Baixas 2019 750ML ($31.95) $27 special, 20 bottles in stock now
Luis Gutierrez – Wine Advocate 93 points
“The first Albariño to be bottled is the 2019 Leirana, which I was also able to compare with the 2018 vintage. It’s the one that represents the character of the Valle del Salnés, as it’s produced with grapes from different villages across the valley. This ferments in a combination of 60% stainless steel vats and 40% oak foudres, where the wine matures for six months. Contrary to what I’ve seen at other addresses, this 2019 is very closed and backward; it’s a vintage with very high acidity, citrus and salt. This is still a little too young. 30,000 bottles produced. The first lot of two was bottled in February 2020, when they used a little more wine from the foudre to make it more approachable, because the market demands the wines very early, and especially in 2019, the acidity is very sharp.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!


Elegant, vibrant & tasty
Bodegas Gerardo Méndez Albariño Do Ferreiro, Rías Baixas 2018 750ML ($39.95) $27 special, 1 bottle in stock now
Luis Gutierrez-Wine Advocate 93 points
“The 2018 Albariño was very expressive after some time in the glass. This is their house wine, produced with grapes from the 11 hectares and up to 164 plots they work in the Salnés up to 22 kilometers from their winery in Meaño. The wine is very elegant in 2018; it’s vibrant and tasty, with the granite sapidity and the salty finish. I tasted a bottle from the end of June 2019, when the wine had had longer time sur lie, and the year in bottle does it good. 70,000 bottles produced.”


Love Spanish wine? We have 24 whites and 128 reds from Spain in stock. Shop the entire selection, including famous names like Comando G, Sierra Cantabria, Vega Sicilia and more, on our web store now.
 
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Vinopolis Wine Shop Curbside Pick Up

Order Online / By Phone / By Email

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
 
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New Arrivals from Leonetti

Landing this Month


Leonetti is always one of our most anticipated offers of the year. The winery is as collectible as they come in Washington, and they’ve been a standard bearer in both quality and scarcity for decades. These are powerful, bold reds with a long track record of ageability and complexity. From their iconic Reserve bottling on down, each of these wines is one of the pinnacles of their categories. We’ve secured a modest allocation of their 2018 Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon and 2019 Merlot, and they’re set to arrive later this month. But we don’t expect these to hang around for long, so act accordingly.

Pre-Arrivals ETA Late March:

Leonetti Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla Valley 2018 750ML ($134.95) $119 pre-arrival special

No review for the 2018. 2017 review provided for reference.
Jeb Dunnuck 97 points “Lots of cassis, camphor, spice, and violets notes as well as background oak emerge from the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon, which is all Cabernet Sauvignon aged in 22 months in new barrels. With full-bodied richness, awesome purity of fruit, and a powerful, mouthfilling style, it’s in the top two or three Bordeaux blends in the vintage. Give this remarkable 2017 3-5 years of bottle age, longer if you can, and it’s going to be very long-lived. There are 2,863 cases produced.”


Leonetti Cellar Merlot, Walla Walla Valley 2019 750ML ($119.95) $99 pre-arrival special
No review for the 2019. 2018 review provided for reference.
Jeb Dunnuck 94 points “Already bottled, the 2018 Merlot comes from a mix of vineyards in Walla Walla (Loess, Mill Creek, and Leonetti) and spent 15 months in new and once-used French oak. Juicy, vibrant, and pure, yet also with plenty of power, it is loaded with ripe currants and black cherry fruit as well as notes of chocolate, leafy herbs, and graphite. Rich, full-bodied, and concentrated, with ripe tannins, it’s a rocking Merlot that’s going to benefit from just a year or two of bottle age and drink brilliantly for 8-10 years.”


In Stock Now:

Leonetti Cellar Reserve, Walla Walla Valley 2017 750ML ($219.95) $179 special, 1 bottle in stock now
Jeb Dunnuck 97+ points
“I had two off bottles of the 2017 Reserve, both showing huge volatile acidity, yet I had two great bottles as well, which are represented by this note. A blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Petit Verdot, and 10% Malbec, all aged 22 months in new barrels (as well as some neutral oval botti), it reveals a stunning bouquet of lead pencil shavings, toasty oak, incense, and dried tobacco, and it’s complex, nuanced, and layered aromatically. There’s not a hard edge to be found in this deep purple-hued effort, which offers the essence of blackberry liqueur fruits as well as full-bodied richness, beautiful concentration, and an opulent, expansive, yet precise mouthfeel. Made in a more elegant style than the 2015 and not far off the magical 2016, it’s going to benefit from 2-4 years of bottle age and should have 3-4 decades of overall longevity.”
Anthony Mueller – Wine Advocate 97+ points “A blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Petit Verdot and 10% Malbec, the 2017 Walla Walla Reserve flirts with perfection. The nose explodes with layers and complexity, offering a frame of elegant spices, picture-perfect ripe fruit essence, dark cherry, black raspberry, spiced plum and redcurrant before subtle hints of tar and purple flowers start to seduce the nose. Full-bodied, showing impeccable weight and balance on the palate, the generously structured wine offers a succulent fruit frame supported by lifting tannins and energetic acidity that continue to unpack across the mid-palate. Driving the finish are long, layered and complex expressions that offer nonstop pleasure, proverbially ending with a spectacular firework display of flavor. Boom!”


Leonetti Cellar Sangiovese, Walla Walla Valley 2017 750ML ($119.95) $95 special, 6 bottles in stock now
Stephen Tanzer-Vinous 91 points
“Moderately saturated red; not as dark as the ’16. Musky scents and flavors of red berries, cherry, chocolate, rose petal and earth, plus a suggestion of iron. and fine-grained on entry, with a captivating element of exotic flowers giving lift to the middle palate and enhancing the wine’s sweetness. This polished midweight boasts lovely pliancy, a fine-grained texture and plenty of sex appeal. Some musky soil tones add complexity. Finishes with a fine dusting of fairly easygoing, building tannins and subtle floral length. More approachable than the ’16 version was last year. With its oak element under control, this wine stands out for its subtlety.”
Anthony Mueller – Wine Advocate 91 points “Dark ruby in color, the 2017 Walla Walla Sangiovese has high-toned red fruit aromas with lush cherry skin, red plum, cherry blossom and touches of black raspberry with soft oak spices that lift the nose. Medium to full-bodied, the wine is ripe with robust dark red fruits that coat the palate with a subtle spice that lingers through the mid-palate, showcasing a balanced structure. There is a slight lift of elevated alcohol along with mouthwatering, energetic acidity and a tannic edge on the long, lingering finish that makes this wine food-friendly. This isn’t your average Chianti Classico; instead, it’s Sangiovese turned up to 11!”


Love supporting local wineries? We have over 275 options from Washington and Oregon in stock. Shop the entire selection, including famous names like Beaux Frères, Cayuse, Quilceda Creek and more, on our web store now.
 
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Delicious Sub-$20 Chianti Classico Riserva


Arrives Friday, March 19th:

Tenuta di Arceno Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG, Tuscany 2016 750ML ($34.95) $19.50 pre-arrival special
Monica Larner-Wine Advocate 93 points
” The 2016 Chianti Classico Riserva is a nicely integrated and seamless wine, with satisfying fullness and richness. It reveals a very contemporary bouquet with black cherry covered in chocolate. The wine is thinner in the mouth, and the tannins make their presence known. But overall, it shows a very streamlined construction. Pair it with a French onion soup. The blend is 90% Sangiovese and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon aged in French barrique for 12 months. Some 29,000 bottles were released. Again, Tenuta di Arceno gives you great value for your money.

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next lowest listed price is $21.94
The average price nationally is $26


Love Tuscan wine? We have over 200 different options in stock. Shop the entire selection, including staff favorites like Castell’in Villa, Fèlsina, I Fabbri and more, on our web store now.
 
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Vinopolis is an independent wine shop in Portland that opened in 2004. Our goal has always been to offer the finest, broadest, and largest selection of wines at the best prices to our customers in Portland, in Oregon, across the West Coast, and throughout the United States.

Thank you for reading and for continuing to support our team!




Stay safe, be well, & drink well.