Vinopolpick Mid-Week 7-15-20

In Today’s Newsletter:

Bibbiano’s 95 Point Top Chianti Gran Selezione

New Wine Spectator Reviews for Bond

Cepparello: An Undervalued Tuscan Icon

New Grapelive Review
For Spanish Star Comando G


Our Best-Selling Rose is
Fizzy & Absurdly Delicious


Trending Bottles

Our Pacific Northwest Subscriber Special Ends Tomorrow Morning

 
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Bibbiano’s 95 Point Top Chianti Gran Selezione


Starting with the 2010 vintage, growers in Chianti adopted a new classification, Gran Selezione. It stands a tier above Chianti Classico Riserva and intends to present the terroir of Tuscany’s lauded Chianti vineyards in its essence—and from what we’ve tasted, the new designation is working.  From Felsina’s Colonia to Castello di Ama’s Gran Selezione to this new offering from Tenuta Bibbiano, it’s becoming clear that the best wines in the region carry the designation.

One of the best, and best value, offerings out there is Tenuta di Bibbiano’s Montornello Gran Selezione—a powerful, rich wine that’s got more in common with top tier Brunello than most of its peers in Chianti.  With rich, dark fruit that leads into flavors of non-sweet chocolate and a long finish marked by spice and hints of tobacco, it’s a powerful wine that’s more than deserving of its 95 point score.  That it would be under $30 on cases is stunning, especially when you consider what far less emphatic bottlings are going for in Brunello.


In Stock Now:

Tenuta di Bibbiano ‘Montornello’, Chianti Classico Gran Selezione DOCG 2015 750ML ($39.95) $33 special
Case-6 Tenuta di Bibbiano ‘Montornello’, Chianti Classico Gran Selezione DOCG 2015 750ML ($239.95) $189 special (that’s only $31.50/bottle and the lowest listed price in the USA today!)
Case-12 Tenuta di Bibbiano ‘Montornello’, Chianti Classico Gran Selezione DOCG 2015 750ML ($479.95) $349 special (that’s only $29.08/bottle and the lowest listed price in the USA today!)
Wine Spectator 95 points
“Relaxed, balanced and supported by dense tannins, this touts aromas of leather, tobacco, wood paneling, iron, woodsy spices and smoky cherry fruit, with a finish that is long and expansive. Drink now through 2040. 3,300 cases made, 500 cases imported.”

This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
The average price nationally is $36

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New Wine Spectator Reviews for Bond

 
“It is always fascinating to taste through the BOND wines, as these five Cabernets are remarkably expressive of place. For many years, I considered the St. Eden and Vecina to be the flagship wines, but in recent years the Melbury and Pluribus have made significant strides. Those are both true hillside sites (St. Eden is closer to elevated valley floor/bench and Vecina is a lower hillside), where farming is naturally much more challenging. The 2016s are shaping up beautifully, while the 2015s need time in bottle to be at their best. This is a gorgeous range of wines from Bill Harlan and his team led by Bob Levy and Cory Empting.” -Antonio Galloni, writing on the 2016 releases for Vinous


Arriving Friday:

Only three bottles remaining
Bond Melbury, Napa Valley 2016 750ML ($799.95) $669 pre-arrival special
Wine Spectator 96 points
“Featuring currant and fig notes, this offers a juicy, slightly rounded feel, revealing melted licorice, sweet tobacco and warm gravel accents along the way. Shows most of its muscle on the finish and shuts down a bit in the glass, indicating that cellaring is required. Cabernet Sauvignon-based blend. Best from 2022 through 2040. —J.M.”

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

Only three bottles remaining
Bond Quella, Napa Valley 2016 750ML ($799.95) $669 pre-arrival special
Wine Spectator 96 points
“Distinctive, with aromatic savory, sassafras and bay leaf notes leading off, followed quickly by rich yet supple waves of mulled currant and blackberry fruit. A singed juniper accent threads up the finish, with ample acidity and tannins on the finish. Shows good character. Cabernet Sauvignon-based blend. Best from 2021 through 2038. —J.M.”

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

Only three bottles remaining
Bond Vecina, Napa Valley 2016 750ML ($799.95) $669 pre-arrival special
Wine Spectator 96 points
“Intense from the get-go, featuring dark currant and steeped plum fruit, wrapped in licorice root, warm gravel and espresso cream notes. The long, muscular finish smolders, with juniper and tobacco elements keeping pace with the fruit. Seriously built. Cabernet Sauvignon-based blend. Best from 2022 through 2038. —J.M.”

This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast today!
 
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Cepparello: An Undervalued Tuscan Icon


For many, Chianti symbolizes Italian wine and no winery symbolizes the modern quality of the region like Isole e Olena.  Since the arrival of Paolo de Marchi in 1976, Isole e Olena has been a leader in quality in Tuscany.

Stylistically, Isole e Olena occupies a place that is at once traditional and modern.  Their Chianti Classico and their flagship Cepparello are both firmly rooted in the primacy of Sangiovese and the idea of Tuscan typicity.  Elegance wedded to power, both of those wines show the nuance and bright fruit you expect from a classic wine of the region combined with the density and complexity of top tier, noble wines.

Their top wine, Cepparello, is one of the true icons of Tuscany.  100% Sangiovese, it lives up to the standards of wines like Le Pergole Torte and Altesino Montosoli at significantly less per bottle. We’ve managed to secure bottles from two top vintages (15/16), with the 2015 delicious now and the ’16 built for the cellar.


In Stock Now:

Isole e Olena Cepparello Toscana IGT, Tuscany 2016 750ML ($99.95) $79 special
Isole e Olena Cepparello Toscana IGT, Tuscany 2016 1.5l ($219.95) $199 special
Antonio Galloni 97+ points
“The 2016 Cepparello is dense, dark and also very closed in on itself. Those qualities bode well for the future, but readers will have to be patient, as the 2016 is going to need at least a few years to come into its own. Black cherry, plum, lavender, spice and new leather gradually open up in the glass, but the 2016 is not ready to show all of its cards. This fruit was brought in during the second week of October, which is pretty much optimal at Isole e Olena. The 2016 spent 20 months in French oak, with a bit less than 30% new oak, and a few months in cask prior to bottling. An explosion of floral and spice notes punctuates the super-refined finish. The 2016 is shaping up to be epic. Don’t miss it!”
Monica Larner – Wine Advocate 97 points “The beautiful Isole e Olena 2016 Cepparello is a gorgeous and precise expression of Sangiovese. This is one of the icon wines of the vintage that shows a naked and transparent portrait of the grape on the one hand, with the complexity of the vintage and its territory on the other. Cepparello is like a crystal ball into the heart and soul of Sangiovese, Tuscany’s mighty red grape. It is fermented in conical oak casks and later aged 20 months in 95% French and 5% American oak, of which only one-third is new wood. The wine delivers ample structure and contouring, with a firm and silky consistency at its core. Some 42,000 bottles were made. This wine should age over the better part of the next 20 years.”

Isole e Olena Cepparello Toscana IGT, Tuscany 2015 750ML ($89.95) $69 special
Isole e Olena Cepparello Toscana IGT, Tuscany 2015 1.5L ($179.95) $149 special
James Suckling 96 points
“Shows lots of black cherries, cranberry tea, caramelized orange peel, roasted herbs and citrus peel. Full-bodied with ripe and quite round tannins that frame layers of cherries. Bright and fresh, yet rich and long at the same time. The sangiovese character really springs out of the glass. Drink in 2020.”

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


In a more modern sphere, de Marchi also produces mono-varietal Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Syrah, which are made in a modern idiom.  Elegant and polished they represent wines that are at the top of their class for each of the respective grape varieties, no matter the origin of the wine.  The Cabernet in particular is a highlight—a bottling that tastes somewhere in-between Napa and Bordeaux, at a significant discount for the quality because of its geographic origins.

In Stock Now:

Isole e Olena Collezione Privata Cabernet Sauvignon Toscana IGT, Tuscany 2014 750ML ($89.95) $69 special
Antonio Galloni 96 points
“A regal wine, the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Collezione Privata from Isole e Olena soars out of the glass with tremendous aromatic and palate intensity. Deceptive in its mid-weight structure, the 2014 has so much to offer. Once again, De Marchi crafted a Cabernet Sauvignon that exudes character. Today, the 2014 is vivid but also intensely saline and clenched. Another few years in bottle should do the trick. This fruit was brought in during the last week of October and first week of November, quite late, even by the standards of the year.”

Isole e Olena Collezione Privata Cabernet Sauvignon Toscana IGT, Tuscany 2015 750ML ($99.95) $69 special
Antonio Galloni 94 points
“The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon is a wine of elegance and finesse that shows the effects of rain during harvest in its decidedly mid-weight, lithe construction. Even so, the 2015 offers lovely aromatic presence and persistence. Grilled herbs, crème de cassis, licorice, violet, plum, spice and licorice all develop, but the 2015 remains decidedly delicate for this bottling. My impression is that it will age more on its freshness rather than on its concentration.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
 
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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 Grapelive Review

For Spanish Star Comando G



Arriving Late July!

Comando G ‘La Bruja de Rozas’ Sierra de Gredos 2018 750ML ($36.95) $28 pre-arrival special
Grapelive 93 points
“Every year these Comando G wines seem to get better and better, this is true especially with this 2018 La Bruja de Rozas, their base cuvee, which is absolutely delicious with Burgundy like class, in fact with its slight reduction and light graphite notes at the start reminds me of a Premier Cru Nuits-Saint-Georges, but with dark Grenache purity…. This 2018 version is as mentioned very dark and starts with earthy intensity before opening gracefully into a generous Garnacha that really turns up the charms with a gorgeous layering of black raspberry, plum, pomegranate and cherry fruit along with wild herbs, delicate floral notes, mineral and snappy spices. Air time brings out there best and allows the La Bruja de Rozas to become wonderfully textural and extends the length, it slowly unveils its true personality and gains loads of depth and bringing up to the quality level of Comando G’s single Cru offerings almost! ….Comando G, celebrating 10 years with this 2018 vintage, is a small winery in the Sierra de Gredos, this special terroir in the mountains above Madrid in Castilla y Leon, central Spain, making hand crafted wines, it is led by the talented duo of Daniel Landi and Fernando Garcia…As widely noted, and reported here, the Sierra de Gredos is a Garnacha region that rivals the world’s great sites for this grape, these wines show high elevation elegance and detail, but with old vine concentration and amazing aromatics as well as length. Using organic grapes, farmed with biodynamic methods, Comando G’s Rozas, the Village wine, was all hand harvested, with Dani and Fernando employing a natural yeast fermentation with partial whole cluster (depending on vintage) and a long maceration, that as they note, was followed by nine months in large 30-60HL oak vats to mature. The 2018 La Bruja de Rozas, which has at least a decade of serious quality life ahead of it, gains more on more in the glass revealing its inner perfume and its tannin structure turns silky, all the while retaining its presence on the palate and is nicely lifted by its natural acidity making it wonderful with cuisine and a fine companion for an evening of drinking pleasure!”


Also Arriving in July from Comando G:

Comando G Rozas 1er Cru ,Sierra de Gredos 2018 750ML ($59.95) $49 pre-arrival special
Luis Gutierrez-Wine Advocate 95 points
“The 2018 Rozas 1er Cru is from a much better year that produced perfect ripeness of the grapes and therefore much better parameters (alcohol, pH and acidity). Within the freshness and seriousness of 2018, this is very open, expressive and spicy, like an upgrade from the La Bruja de Rozas, though not quite reaching the finesse of Las Umbrías. It’s tasty and long and has something herbal (fennel, celery), a salty touch, a little rust and a very mineral texture, with the grainy granite and finer chalk. It improves tremendously in the glass, which gives me an idea that the wine is going to improve in bottle. 2018 is a great vintage that is going to require a little more time to express its full potential. This is often the best value of the winery. 15,238 bottles and 150 magnums produced. It was bottled in January 2020.”

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

Only seven bottles remaining
Comando G ‘Rumbo al Norte’ Navarrevisca, Castilla y Leon 2017 750ML ($379.95) $319 pre-arrival special
Luis Gutierrez-Wine Advocate 99 points
“I was very much looking forward to tasting the 2017 Rumbo Al Norte from bottle, a wine I had tasted a number of times during its upbringing in a 1,400-liter oak foudre, as it comes form one of the most spectacular vineyards I know, not only in Gredos, but in the whole of the world! It’s a 0.3-hectare plot in the zone known as La Breña within the village of Villanueva de Ávila, where the granite soils are very sandy and rich in quartz and gray silt and the wines have a rare combination of elegance and power as well as an ethereal quality with tons of energy and a texture that is like liquid granite. It was produced like the rest of the reds, with a long infusion with full clusters and indigenous yeasts in oak vats, then matured in a 1,400-liter oak vat for 14 months. This vineyard escaped the frost and hail of the vintage—it’s one of the few that was really untouched—and this year, the wine is head and shoulders above the rest. It’s complex and elegant, very Burgundian, stony, floral and spicy, and the good yields controlled the ripeness of the dry year. This is the vineyard that behaves better in warmer/drier years. The good news is that there are 1,656 bottles and 60 magnums of this—their largest production ever—and it was bottled in March 2019. Unfortunately, prices for this scarce bottling are skyrocketing. It was only a matter of time…”

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

Only one bottle remaining
Comando G Las Umbrias, Madrid 2017 750ML ($179.95) $149 pre-arrival special
Luis Gutierrez-Wine Advocate 96 points
“There is a big difference between 2017 and the previous warm and dry vintage, 2015. They have done their homework and improved the way to react to warm years, and it shows in the 2017 Las Umbrías. Las Umbrías is always the more delicate and ethereal wine, and in 2017, it keeps its poise an dis harmonious and balanced, shyer, perhaps, with moderate alcohol and acidity that make it tender and fragile. This 0.5-hectare plot at 1,000 meters in altitude in the village of Las Rozas de Puerto real was the first vineyard they found and, really, is the origin of Comando G—and for many people, this is their favorite wine from Comando G. It’s more developed and open and is ready to drink. The high altitude meant the grapes escaped from frost, and there was hail but less than in the lower-altitude vineyards, so they lost less grapes. The wine is very pale, delicate and fragile, in the style of some wines from Jura. This is plain delicious. This matured in a 1,000-liter oak foudre for 14 months and was enough to fill 1,089 bottles and 50 magnums in March 2019.”

This is the only listing in the USA today!

Only two bottles remaining
Comando G ‘El Tamboril’ Blanco Navaltalgordo, Castilla y Leon 2017 750ML ($149.95) $119 pre-arrival special
Luis Gutierrez-Wine Advocate 96 points
“The one white I tasted this time, the 2017 El Tamboril was produced with the grapes from the only vineyard in the paraje known as El Tamboril in the village of Navatalgordo (Ávila)—0.2 hectares of 70-year-old vines at 1,200 meters in altitude (their highest vineyard) on very shallow soils rich in granite sand and quartz. There are many grape varieties planted, but they used mostly Garnacha Blanca and Garnacha Gris, pressing the clusters directly and fermenting the juice in barrique with natural yeasts. 2017 was a powerful vintage, and the wine is close to 14% alcohol but still has very good freshness and very healthy acidity parameters. This is an updated version of the 2012, a year of good ripeness keeping the freshness, with notes of yellow and white flowers, a touch of pollen, quite complex and nuanced. But it’s on the palate that you can feel the intensity and inner strength of the wine, with crunchy citrus acidity, pungent and electric. It has the salty tastiness of the white granite soils in the finish. 2017 is again a very scarce harvest, and they only produced 395 bottles that were filled in March 2019 from the used barrique where it matured for one year.”

This is the only listing in the USA today!

Love Comando G?
Check out our selection of wines from Pegaso, Dani Landi,
and Bodegas Maranones!


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Our Best-Selling Rose is

Fizzy & Absurdly Delicious



Suzanne:
The 2019 has all you want from our best-selling rosé. It’s salty, fizzy, and refreshing with a hint of red berries. It’s like drinking sparkling mineral water with a lemon twist and raspberry garnish.

Now, I’m supposed to tell you that rosé has no season, but this one does: we get far too few cases a year. We talked the distributor into an increased allocation six times (there may have been some incredulous laughter involved) but it’s still going way too fast.

In Stock Now:

Ameztoi Rubentis Rosado, Getariako Txakolina 2019 750ML ($24.95) $21.90 special
Case-12 Ameztoi Rubentis Rosado, Getariako Txakolina 2019 750ML ($319.95) $239 special (that’s only $19.92/bottle!)
Importer note
“The pink sibling of Ameztoi’s flagship white, this vibrant rosé is made from a mix of red and white indigenous grapes and is bottled with a little residual carbonation to give it a light spritz.”
VinopolNote: Hands down, this is the most popular rose at this shop every year. Why? Cause it’s that freakin’ good. Nuff said.


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Trending Bottles


Vina Zorzal Malayeto, Navarra 2018 750ml ($29.95) $26 special
Luis Gutierrez – Wine Advocate 94 points
“The really impressive and mineral 2018 Malayeto was produced with Garnacha from a single vineyard that produces wine of unusual elegance and minerality. This was the first plot they bottled separately, and this 2018 is the sixth vintage they have produced. It’s a 2.9-hectare plot planted 40 years ago, on the same slope as Corral de los Altos but at a higher altitude and therefore with different soils, surprisingly deep but with lots of calcium carbonate and fine gravel. This fermented in a combination of stainless steel and concrete with indigenous yeasts and matured in a 4,000-liter oak foudre and nine used 500-liter oak barrels for nine months. This wine clearly transcends its price. It’s serious but started quite shy and needed time to open up (it’s extremely young and just bottled), but there is great purity and detail, and it’s elegant and balanced, extremely harmonious. The palate is incredibly elegant, seamless, balanced, with very fine tannins, great integration of the oak and very good freshness, with citrus-like freshness (think blood orange skin). Most of the time, this is my go-to wine in Zorzal’s portfolio, a wine of great finesse in its finest vintage to date.”

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

Felsina Rancia, Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG 2016 750ML ($59.95) $49 special
Felsina Rancia, Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG 2016 1.5L ($119.95) $99 special
Felsina Rancia, Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG 2016 375ML ($34.95) $28 special
Decanter Magazine 97 points
“The south-facing Rancia vineyard reaches altitudes of 420 metres, overlooking the lower-lying vineyards of Colli Senesi. It boasts complex soils of calcareous clay layered with the chalky white limestone-like alberese and schistose galestro. This 2016 vintage is simply stunning. It’s stately yet gracious, with personality for days, leading with a sumptuous nose of smoke, exotic spice and iron-rich earth. Ripe fruit coats the mouth yet it remains buoyant and tangy as chalky tannins charge in to frame the palate. A seductive wine with an appetising, savoury edge and a long, long life ahead. Drinking Window 2023 – 2041.”
Antonio Galloni 96+ points “The 2016 Chianti Classico Riserva Rancia is powerful, rich and explosive, with tremendous drive. Even so, several bottles have been quite closed. That is probably a very good sign for the long-term, but readers should not plan on touching a bottle anytime soon. A wine of vertical drive and aromatic nuance, the 2016 Rancia is super-complexed. Only with a few hours of air does it show the nuances and layers that were so evident from barrel. The 2016 is a painfully stubborn wine in the early going, but it will offer superb drinking pleasure for those who can wait.”
Monica Larner-Wine Advocate 96 points “The 2016 Chianti Classico Riserva Rancia knocks it out of the park. Like the other new releases from Fèlsina, this pure expression of Sangiovese needs more time to evolve and improve with bottle age. But even at this young stage, you are made fully aware of the beautiful intensity and complexity of the quality fruit at its core. There is so much energy and tension here, further reinforced by the fresh acidity of the vintage. There are vibrant tones of wild cherry, raspberry and spice, followed up by white truffle and tilled earth.”
James Suckling 96 points “A decadent Chianti Classico Riserva that shows plenty of cedar, spices, leather, wet earth and tobacco, but also really fresh undertones of dried orange rind and strawberries. Integrated and structured on the palate with a velvety mouthfeel and mouth-refreshing acidity. Drink now or hold.”
Wine Spectator 95 points “This features ripe, juicy black cherry and black currant fruit, with licorice, earth and tobacco flavors. Firm tannins frame the elements, imparting structure and complexity for the long haul. Terrific texture. Best from 2022 through 2042.”

The Rosso di Montalcino from Il Poggione is a fantastic follow up to our Rosso di Tuscano offer from last month, which sold out in a flash. We’re the lowest price in the country, and even lower by the case!

Il Poggione Rosso di Montalcino, Tuscany 2017 750ML ($31.95) $18 special
Case-12 Il Poggione Rosso di Montalcino, Tuscany 2017 750ML ($359.95) $189 special (that’s only $15.75/bottle!)
James Suckling 91 points
“A Rosso with focus and poise that shows cherry and chocolate character. Lots of new wood now, but plenty of fruit, fine tannins and bright acidity to hold it together. Drink or hold.”
Wine Spectator 89 points “Broad and velvety, with a beam of vibrant cherry accented by iron, sanguine, earth and underbrush notes. Dense and beefy, finishing long and cleansing. Drink now through 2023. 12,000 cases made, 7,500 cases imported.”
“Ripe and racy to the core, Il Poggione’s 2017 Rosso di Montalcino offers tons of richness and intensity from the very first taste. Sweet red cherry, wild flowers, spice and a kiss of new oak are all front and center. In this vintage, the Rosso is decidedly bold. It needs time in bottle to fully come together, for some of that oak to integrate, but it is undoubtedly a very delicious and alluring Rosso that captures the flamboyance of the year.” -Antonio Galloni, Vinous

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $22.90
The average price is $25

A great value in Super Tuscans—this Cab/Merlot/Sangio blend is a knockout.
Castello di Camigliano Poderuccio Toscana IGT, Tuscany 2018 750ML ($21.95) $18 special
Case-12 Castello di Camigliano Poderuccio Toscana IGT, Tuscany 2018 750ML ($249.95) $189 special (that’s only $15.75/bottle!)
James Suckling 90 points
“Lots of blackberries and tar, together with black-olive character on the nose and palate. Full-bodied and structured. A little raw, but should come around nicely with bottle age. Drink from 2020.”

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

“reminds me of Barruol’s Chateauneuf du Pape and is almost half the price!”
Chateau de Rouanne Vinsobres, Rhone 2018 750ML ($34.95) $24 special
93 Grapelive points
“Wow, what a gorgeous and explosive new wine by Louis Barruol, owner of the famed Chateau de Saint Cosme in Gigondas. This Chateau de Rouanne Vinsobres is a meaty and deep purple/garnet Rhone red co-fermentation of Barruol’s old vine Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. The Chateau de Rouanne Vinsobres Rouge was crafted in this vintage from 50% Grenache, 40% Syrah and 10% Mourvedre and was, as noted above, all co-fermented primarily with whole cluster and all indigenous yeasts in concrete tanks, where it was also aged. The wine rested in the cement vat for 18 months, which allows the wine to show absolute purity in its final form and gave it time to fill out before bottling… it is brilliantly dark and inviting with polished texture and a full body delivering black raspberry, damson plum, boysenberry compote, creme de cassis and cherry fruit along with whole bunches influences highlighted with peppercorns, violets, earthiness and herbs de provence.…Louis Barruol has long used fruit from this remote area and has recently added this estate to his lineup as a separate label within the Saint Cosme family, which makes sense as Vinsobres has been recognized as its own appellation….Barruol has coveted this site for years, he notes that, like his famous Chateau de Saint Cosme, Chateau de Rouanne was first founded during Gallo-Roman times, probably dating back to the 1400s.… The vines in Louis Barruol’s Vinsobres are all organic and head trained with a very high percentage of Syrah interplanted here, much more than you’d find in other southern Rhone Crus, which adds to this wine’s distinct profile that seems more northern Rhone in first impression, though the lush Grenache takes the stage mid palate and creates a luxurious harmony here and there is a velvety almost chocolatey element with the touch of Mourvedre adding a contrasting gamey note. This 2018 GSM got way better as the bottle went down and fans of Saint Cosme with want to stock up on this one, it actually reminds me of Barruol’s Chateauneuf du Pape and is almost half the price! Barruol says Château de Rouanne is an extraordinary (and historic) place in many respects, primarily for its terroir…I can’t wait to see what the future holds, but this stuff is delicious now!”

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

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Our Pacific Northwest Subscriber Special Ends Tomorrow Morning


We’re offering you fantastic Subscriber Special today on three titans of Pacific Northwest winemaking: Cristom, K Vintners and Sequitur.  All are made by visionary winemakers who’ve become legends for their work over the years.  It’s rare to see discounts off our already-great pricing on these wines, so make sure you don’t miss your chance to save 5% on 6-11 bottles or 10% on 12+ (mix and match across the three)—but only until we open for business on Thursday morning.

Pacific Northwest Titans Subscriber Special:
5% Off Any Mix of 6-11 Cristom, K Vintners and/or Sequitur Wines
10% Off Any Mix of 12+ Cristom, K Vintners and/or Sequitur Wines
Offer Ends Thursday, July 16th at 10AM
Discount Will Not Display Online or In Your Cart
We will adjust your invoice before processing your credit card



K Vintners

The wines of K Vintners need very little introduction, as the wines Charles Smith makes under this label are some of our most popular year in and out. At this point, Charles Smith is one of the defining winemakers for the modern Washington style.  His wines are big, rich, and ripe but polished. They show distinct differences between the vineyards and always have a hint of that savory, bacony quality that Syrah can bring to the table like nothing else.  The only thing we can complain about is that they sell out and we can’t carry them more often.

Just a few of the many K Vintners wines in stock now:

Charles Smith K Vintners The Beautiful Syrah, Walla Walla Valley 2016 750ML ($89.95) $66 Displayed Price, that’s $62.70 at 5% off and $59.40 at 10% off!
Jeb Dunnuck 98 points
“The 2016 Syrah The Beautiful Powerline Vineyard is stunning and one of the finest Syrahs in the vintage. Coming all from Clone 470, co-fermented with 3-4% Viognier in concrete tanks, and brought up in mostly neutral oak, it’s a rich, meaty, smoky, full-bodied Syrah that has classic Northern Rhône-like aromas of black olives, smoked meats, ground, earth, and dark fruits. With a stacked mid-palate and beautiful balance, it’s going to keep for 10-15 years.”
Wine Advocate 95 points “The 2016 Syrah The Beautiful is rich and lush on the nose with an impressive core of sappy fruit, savory essence, olive tapenade and crushed violets. The full-bodied palate is generous and compelling with a robust yet velvety base that demonstrates elegance with power. The wine glides over the palate, connecting structuring tannins and supporting acidity to carry this wine for more than a decade. The wine ends with a long and drawn-out finish, with mineral tension and lingering spice tones on the aftertaste. Just 1,135 cases were produced.”

Charles Smith K Vintners The Cattle King Syrah, Snipes Mountain 2016 750ML ($89.95) $69 Displayed Price, that’s $65.55 at 5% off and $62.10 at 10% off!
Jeb Dunnuck 97+ points
“The 2016 Syrah Cattle King Upland Vineyard comes from Snipes Mountain and has a singular, pretty, fresh style with more obvious acidity as well as tannins, yet it still stays in the plush, sexy style of the estate. Blue and black fruits, blood orange, violets, and exotic spice notes all define the bouquet and it’s full-bodied, incredibly pure and seamless on the palate. It’s a beautiful wine that’s going to come together nicely for 2-3 years of bottle age and keep for over a decade.”
James Suckling 95 points “From a sloping plot of deep river rock, this has a fresh array of red and blue berries with a fine, stony edge. The palate has a very sleek, composed feel with such length and composure. The purity of blackberry and blueberry flavors is entrancing. Holds so fresh. Drink this now or hold for a decade or more.”

Charles Smith ‘King Coal’ Stoneridge Vineyard Cabernet – Syrah, Columbia Valley 2016 750ML ($119.95) $99 Displayed Price, that’s $94.05 at 5% off and $89.10 at 10% off!
Jeb Dunnuck 98 points
“Always from the Stoneridge Vineyard, the 2016 Cabernet / Syrah King Coal is a ripe, sexy, yet savory effort that has awesome notes of red and black currants, spice box, graphite, and ground herbs. Deep ruby/purple-colored, full-bodied, beautifully layered, and with a blockbuster finish, it’s one of those powerful yet still ethereal wines that gives up tons of richness and depth yet has no sense of heaviness or weight.”

Shop all the K Vintners wines in our webstore!


Sequitur

Mike Etzel, the founder and winemaker of Sequitur, is a living legend in the Willamette Valley.  He co-founded Beaux Freres in the late 80’s and was the winemaker there until recently passing the duties to his son.  Never one to rest on his laurels or stay still, though, he began planting a vineyard adjacent to Beaux Freres in 2010—a project that became what we know as Sequitur.  It’s helpful to think of Sequitur as a distillation of everything Mike Etzel learned while starting and producing Beaux Freres over the decades. 

The winemaking style is exactly what you’d expect—these are wines that are made by the same hand that delivered so many high scores to Beaux Freres (though his son, Mikey, is the day-to-day winemaker). Big, powerful and bold, these nevertheless have energy and grace that we think comes from the extra-attentive farming and unique clonal selection in the vineyard.  In short order, they’ve established themselves as one of the very best producers in the Willamette Valley and deserve your attention as such.

Just a few of the many Sequitur wines in stock now:

Sequitur Chardonnay, Ribbon Ridge 2018 750ML ($89.95) $69 Displayed Price, that’s $65.55 at 5% off or $62.10 at 10% off
Winery Note
“The 2018 growing season was warm and dry, resulting in yet another remarkable vintage on Ribbon Ridge. Towards the end of the summer, just before harvest, Jack was born. With the arrival of our first grandchild, we felt for the first time the presence of a new generation on the farm, reminding us of the cycle of renewal and growth. This vintage has the bright freshness of new breath—we hope you enjoy it! “

This was the lowest listed price in the USA today, 
Now it’s even lower!

Sequitur Pinot Noir, Ribbon Ridge 2015 750ML ($119.95) $79 Displayed Price, that’s $75.05 at 5% off or $71.10 at 10% off
Josh Raynolds – Vinous 95 points
“Deep brilliant red. A strikingly complex bouquet evokes ripe, mineral-accented red berries, cherry cola, vanilla, five-spice powder and sandalwood. Alluringly sweet, seamless and expansive on the palate, offering concentrated black raspberry, cherry liqueur, spicecake and lavender pastille flavors that are given spine and lift by a core of juicy acidity. Delivers a compelling blend of power and delicacy and finishes extremely long and smooth; rounded tannins frame the lingering red fruit preserve notes.”
Wine Advocate 94 points “Pale to medium ruby purple in color, the 2015 Sequitur Pinot Noir has a very provocative nose of Bing cherries and cranberries over a core of red roses, game, yeast extract and underbrush. Medium-bodied, with wonderful energy and freshness, it has a lively backbone and long finish paved with very fine, ripe tannins.”
Winery note “Sequitur 2015 Pinot Noir “Two fold,” a collaboration between our Mother, the earth, those of us who “play” in the vineyard and winery, and you, the wine lover.”

This was the lowest listed price in the USA today,
Now it’s even lower!
The average listed price is $100
 
Sequitur Pinot Noir, Ribbon Ridge 2016 750ML ($119.95) $79 Displayed Price, that’s $75.05 at 5% off or $71.10 at 10% off
Josh Raynolds-Vinous 96 points
“Glimmering red. A hugely aromatic bouquet evokes fresh red fruits, Asian spices and potpourri, along with a bright mineral overtone and a touch of smokiness. Juicy, seamless and precise on the palate, offering potent, mineral-laced raspberry preserve, rose pastille and spicecake flavors that deepen and spread out steadily on the back half. Delivers a compelling blend of power and finesse and finishes with silky tannins, outstanding clarity and floral- and mineral-driven persistence.”
Wine Advocate 94+ points “Pale to medium ruby-purple in color, the 2016 Sequitur Pinot Noir has a lovely, open nose of black and red cherries and blackberries with notions of wood smoke, turned earth, autumn leaves, cardamom and potpourri. Medium-bodied, it floods the mouth with ripe black and red fruits with wonderful earthy/spicy accents, very fine, grainy tannins and mouthwatering acidity, finishing long with spice and floral layers. 480 cases produced.”

This was the lowest listed price in the USA today,
Now it’s even lower!
The next best price is $89.99
 
Sequitur Pinot Noir, Ribbon Ridge 2017 750ML ($119.95) $79 Displayed Price, that’s $75.05 at 5% off or $71.10 at 10% off
Josh Raynolds-Vinous 94-95 points
“Lurid red. Spice-tinged blackberry and cherry aromas are complicated by suggestions of cola, incense and smoky minerals. Sweet and expansive on the palate, offering concentrated dark berry and spicecake flavors and suggestions of rose pastille and mocha that build with air. Concentrated but also vibrant and precise in style, delivering superb finishing cut, well-knit tannins and impressive, fruit-driven persistence. (30% new French oak).”
Nick Stock-JamesSuckling 96 points “Beautifully deep, blueberries and plums on offer with notes of fresh violets and moist, fresh-tilled earth. This is full of life and very pure. The palate has focused and fresh tannins that sit in very vibrant style with a deep push of concentrated blue fruit, holding the finish in superb style. So fresh and long, this will age well. Drink across the next decade or more.”
Winery Note “TOTALITY—During the growing season of 2017, Oregon was treated to a total solar eclipse, where the moon passed exactly between the earth and the sun.  Day turned to night, the temperature dropped and the farm animals were disoriented.  The moment of awe was tempered with a deep sense of vulnerability, as we witnessed our world bow down to the power of nature.  May this 2017 vintage seeped in “totality,” bring you a fresh perspective.”
 
This is the only listing in the USA today!

Shop all the Sequitur wines in our webstore.


Cristom

Cristom is one of the Hallowed Names in Oregon.  They’ve been a top name since their inception in 1993 and make reference point wines from their beautiful estate vineyards in the Eola-Amity Hills.  Much of the credit for their success goes to their vineyards—located just below Bethel Heights and Temperance Hill, truly Cristom is one of the Grand Cru sites of Oregon.  The rest of the credit goes to Steve Doerner, there since the beginning, who’s a first ballot Hall of Famer for Oregon winemaking.

These are wines that have powerful personalities allied to a Burgundian sense of proportion and savor.  Doerner loves to use a lot of whole clusters in fermentations and so the wines always have a grip and earthiness that grounds their deep fruit and rich textures.

Just a few of the many Cristom wines in stock now:

Cristom ‘Eileen Vineyard’ Pinot Noir, Eola-Amity Hills 2017 750ML ($69.95) $59 Displayed Price, that’s $56.05 at 5% off and $53.10 at 10% off!
Josh Raynolds 95 points
“Bright red. An intensely perfumed bouquet displays ripe red/blue fruit, baking spice, incense qualities and a strong, mineral overtone. Offers sweet, penetrating raspberry, blueberry, cherry pit, lavender pastille and spicecake flavors that show serious depth as well as vivacity. Displays impressive clarity and spicy thrust on the finish, which features smoothly interwoven tannins and suave, clinging floral and mineral notes.”
James Suckling 94 points “This has a very bright array of rich red cherries, together with a herbal accent and a thread of rose-like perfume, as well as autumnal leaves and sweet, woody spices. The palate has very assertive red cherries with elegant tannins that are paper-fine, but have combined length and strength. Great detail here. Drink or hold.”
Erin Brooks – Wine Advocate 93 points “The 2017 Pinot Noir Eileen Vineyard was made with 48% whole clusters and aged 18 months in 67% new French oak. It has a medium ruby color and opens with cinnamon stick, dried leaves and dusty earth, segueing slowly to black cherries, peppered meats, Earl Grey tea leaves, charcuterie, dried herbs and a spicy vein. The medium-bodied palate is slow to blossom, softly chalky and super fresh with a long, nuanced finish. Thiswill benefit from another year or two in bottle. 876 cases produced.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Cristom ‘Louise Vineyard’ Pinot Noir, Eola-Amity Hills 2017 750ML ($79.95) $59 Displayed Price, that’s $56.05 at 5% off and $53.10 at 10% off!
James Suckling 95 points
“This cuvée has a very energetic and intense feel with a wealth of fresh and attractive red cherries and raspberries, plenty of florals and subtle herbal, forest-wood and light-chocolate notes. There’s a very keenly articulated feel to the palate with a plush, very fleshy and assertively long, detailed finish. Deep fruit presence here. Drink across the next decade.”
Josh Raynolds 93 points “Vivid red. Expansive aromas of ripe red berries, candied flowers and baking spices, with a smoky mineral topnote that gains strength as the wine opens up. Coats the palate with appealing sweet raspberry and cherry liqueur flavors that tighten up and become spicier on the back half. Shows excellent clarity and floral lift on an impressively long finish that’s shaped by fine-grained, even tannins.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Cristom ‘Estate’ Syrah, Eola-Amity Hills 2016 750ML ($59.95) $49 Displayed Price, that’s $46.55 at 5% off and $44.10 at 10% off!
Winery Note
“Cristom began experimenting with Syrah in 2002, by grafting over plantings of Chardonnay on the lower slopes of our estate.  We carefully selected which vines to graft over, choosing a low-lying block on our hillside where heat accumulation is at its highest on the estate, giving our Syrah the best opportunity to ripen in a moderate maritime climate.  We produce an extremely limited quantities of this wine, resulting in a bit of a cult following for it over the years.  The Cristom Estate Syrah wines are defined by spice, balance, perfume, texture and nuance, gaining complexity in the bottle for a decade or more.”

This was the lowest listed price in the USA today,
Now it’s even lower!


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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.



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