In Today’s Newsletter:
Subscriber Special – Gaja Sperss
Huet Subscriber Special
Zorzal’s Navarra Values
New Smart Buys from Tuscany
Newly Reviewed by Grapelive
Le Galantin’s 2019 Bandol Rosé
Camigliano’s Star Value Super Tuscan
Newly Reviewed by Grapelive
Vajra’s 2015 Bricco delle Viole
Subscriber Special
Gaja Sperss
Huet Subscriber Special
Ends Sunday!
Off-dry, sure, but try this with naturally sweet dishes such as roasted root veggies or rabbit with mustard sauce
Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Haut Lieu Demi-Sec, Loire 2016 750ML ($59.95) $46 Displayed Price, that’s $43.70 at 5% off and $41.40 at 10% off!
Wine Spectator 96 points “This delivers a beautiful display of purity and grace, with creamed Jonagold apple, star fruit, white peach and chamomile notes flowing seamlessly, backed by wet stone and fresh verbena accents. Subtle but persistent energy ripples through the very long finish. Drink now through 2035.”
Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Haut Lieu Demi-Sec, Loire 2017 750ML ($41.95) $36 Displayed Price, that’s $34.20 at 5% off and $32.40 at 10% off!
Jeb Dunnuck 95 points “The 2017 Vouvray Le Haut-Lieu Demi-Sec is also brilliant, and readers should snatch a case of this beauty. Offering up a smorgasbord of quince, green apple, honeysuckle, and flinty minerality, it’s medium-bodied, has bright, juicy acidity, beautifully integrated sweetness (it’s off dry), and a balanced, lengthy style on the palate. It’s impressive today, with an already complex, layered style, but it’s going to age beautifully for two decades or more. It’s a smoking value.”
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 93+ points “The 2017 Vouvray Le Haut-Lieu Demi-Sec displays an intense yellow color and offers a fascinatingly pure and chalky/smoky bouquet of crushed stones intertwined with sur-lie notes, oat milk and ripe, well-concentrated fruit aromas. After lots of aeration, you get some lactic notes here as well. Round, lush and intense on the palate, this is a full-bodied, juicy, very refined and elegant Vouvray with delicate tannins, good structure and sensual, slightly sweet fruit. The finish reveals great power but also grip, salt, finesse and enormous length. This is a pretty great wine, and it can age for decades, although it already drinks very well. Tasted in March 2019.”
John Gilman 93 points “The 2017 Le Haut Lieu Demi-Sec from Domaine Huët is excellent on both the nose and palate, offering up a classic bouquet of quince, apple, chalky soil tones, bee pollen, lanolin and a topnote of white lilies. On the palate the wine is crisp, full-bodied, focused and complex, with a lovely core, fine transparency, bright acids and very impressive length and grip on the still quite youthful finish. This is quite approachable in its early youth, but will no doubt close down into a dusty and reticent adolescence in a few years and then be quite unapproachable for a decade, but it looks destined to be quite classically proportioned and will age long and gracefully. 2018-2020; 2030-2080. 93.”
Wine Spectator 93 points “Plump and lively, with a core of bold ginger, McIntosh apple and almond notes followed by quince and persimmon flavors. Shows buried minerality, but also an ever-so-slightly off-dry wink on the finish, making this especially fun to drink. Drink now through 2032.”
Powerfully complex, this Moelleux will drink well for another sixty+ years…
Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Haut Lieu Moelleux, Loire 2015 750ML ($49.95) $39 Displayed Price, that’s $37.05 at 5% off and $35.10 at 10% off!
Wine Spectator 95 points “Offers a big, broad feel, with layers of glazed pear, apple and peach falling over each other, backed by fresh ginger, honeysuckle and quince notes. Everything pulls together through the finish, with green tea accents and racy minerality providing the foil. Drink now through 2035.”
John Gilman 94 points “The 2015 Le Haut Lieu Moelleux from Domaine Huët is a superb wine in the making, with its glaze of botrytis beautifully managed and the wine showing excellent potential on both the nose and palate. The bouquet offers up a pure and complex mélange of sweet quince, orange, honey, just a whisper of lanolin, beautiful chalky soil tones, a whisper of the leather to come, citrus zest and a topnote of dried flowers. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and beautifully balanced, with bright acids, a lovely core and outstanding focus and grip on the very long, refined and nicely glazed finish. This will be all apricot, honey and tea leaves in the future, but it is so good to drink out of the blocks, that it is going to be hard not to open bottles in its more exotic youthful period. 2016-2085.”
“A stunner” indeed
Domaine Huet Vouvray Clos du Bourg Moelleux, Loire 2016 750ML ($69.95) $59 Displayed Price, that’s $56.05 at 5% off and $53.10 at 10% off!
Wine Spectator 97 points “A stunner, with beautiful pear, green fig, yellow apple and quince notes that are creamy and flirtatiously sweet, yet seamless and refined in feel. The extremely long finish lets honeysuckle and verbena notes dance throughout, with a light echo of white ginger at the very end. Best from 2020 through 2040.”
Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Mont Premiere Trie Moelleux, Loire 2016 750ML ($89.95) $79 Displayed Price, that’s $75.05 at 5% off and $71.10 at 10% off!
Wine Advocate 97 points “The 2016 Vouvray Le Mont Moelleux Première Trie opens with a very clear, deep and flinty/herbal bouquet of ripe concentrated stone fruits intermixed with chalky/smoky aromas, very complex and truly exciting! Light, fresh and tensioned on the palate, that is very pure and salty but also tight and concentrated. The 2016 Le Mont reveals crystalline acidity, delicate but serious tannin grip and a long, complex, stimulating finish. This is Chenin Blanc full of energy and aging potential, provided with concentration, lingering salinity and vibrancy. This is a fascinating Le Mont, surely the top wine of Huet’s excellent 2016 series. Bottled with 92 grams of residual sugar, it tastes less sweet than the corresponding Clos du Bourg. Tasted February 2018.”
Wine Spectator 96 points “Juicy in feel, with an intense beam of glazed peach, dried apricot, fresh ginger and heather honey notes, backed by baked mirabelle plum accents and a flash of almond cream on the long, rich finish. A wonderful balancing act, keeping the exotic fruit and sweetness fresh and delineated. Best from 2020 through 2035.”
Considered one of the finest Vouvrays, full of pedigree and class, this is an incredibly rare dessert-style wine
Domaine Huet Vouvray ‘Cuvee Constance’ Moelleux, Loire 2015 500ML ($249.95) $159 Displayed Price, that’s $151.05 at 5% off and $143.10 at 10% off!
Wine Spectator 99 points “Stunning from the start, with a silky and refined feel despite the panoply of dried quince, fig, pear and apricot flavors that are exotic in nature. Lovely green tea, orange blossom and persimmon notes fill in the background. Obviously sweet, but with persistent dry almond and orange extract details that lend latent tension through the seamless and nearly endless finish. The first Cuvee Constance bottling since the 2009 vintage. Drink now through 2060.”
Wine Advocate 96 points “Rarely produced and selected from the vineyards Le Haut-Lieu, Le Mont and Clos du Bourg, Huet’s 2015 Vouvray “Cuvée Constance” offers a deep, clear, intense and concentrated nose of ripe stone fruits, peanut butter cookie, spicy, earthy-mineral and some volatile aromas. Sweet, salty, piquant and mineral with a firm structure and very elegant, concentrated, refined fruit, this is a sweet wine with great purity and mineral finesse on the very long, promising finish. The 2016 is still pretty sweet (142 grams of residual sugar) and should be cellared for at least two or three decades. Total production: 2,800 500-milliliter bottles. Tasted February 2018.”
John Gilman 98 points “I have been looking forward to the release of Domaine Huët’s 2015 Cuvée Constance ever since I tasted a year ago the rest of the stunning range of wines produced here in the vintage. It is a great vintage for Domaine Huët and the Cuvée Constance is everything one could hope for from the confluence of this great estate and a legendary vintage. The wine is still very youthful, but its ultimate brilliance is very easy to see, as the wine wafts from the glass in a celestial constellation of orange, fresh apricot, incipient tea leaves, a nice touch of soil, hints of lanolin, orange peel, barley sugar and a hint of upper register smokiness. On the palate the wine is pure, full and nascently complex, with laser-like focus, a bottomless core, great acids and marvelous balance on the very, very long, zesty and energetic finish. This is still a very young wine and will need years to start to show its secondary and tertiary layers of complexity, but they are lurking here and in the fullness of time, this will be breathtaking in its beauty. (Drink between 2025-2100)
Mix any 6-11 750ml bottles of Domaine Huet wine for 5% off
Mix any 12+ 750ml bottles of Domaine Huet wine for 10% off
Offer valid on in-stock wines
Discount will not display online
We will adjust your order manually before finalizing
Sale Ends Sunday, July 12th at 10 AM
Zorzal’s Navarra Values
Wines of Terroir from Rioja’s Neighbor
Vina Zorzal ‘Cuatro del Cuatro’, Navarra 2018 750ML ($36.95) $29 special
Luis Gutierrez – Wine Advocate 94 points “The pure Graciano 2018 Cuatro del Cuatro was first produced in 2015 as an homage to the Sanz brothers’ father, who kept his Graciano vines when the majority ripped them up. They have seen that, with a soft vinification, the variety is not as rustic as most think and, in fact, can be quite elegant. 2018 was a tricky vintage for the variety, and the wine has moderate alcohol (13.3%), a very low pH (3.35) and notable acidity (six grams of tartaric acid per liter). It was produced with grapes grown in the village of Corella (especially from a vineyard planted in 1978), which has more Mediterranean influence that Fitero, the other village where they have the majority of their vineyards. This is a super serious Graciano, fresher than the majority of varietal bottlings out there, as they have lost the fear of harvesting it earlier, and it delivers a very spicy wine, with lots of black and even white peppercorns. I think this is very much in line with the 2016. It matured in used oak barrels of different sizes, and they did a barrel selection to produce 2,900 bottles of it.”
Vina Zorzal Graciano, Navarra 2018 750ml ($19.95) $16 special
Luis Gutierrez – Wine Advocate 91 points “The 2018 Graciano, the first wine they produced at the new Viña Zorzal in 2007, was produced with grapes from the village of Corella, and they want to show the expression of the grape in the village, more Mediterranean than Fitero, where they have a significant percentage of their vines. The spicy character of the wine and the lively palate are the expression of the Graciano in their village, what they have been trying to express since 2015. It fermented in stainless steel with moderate extraction and matured in used French oak barrels of different sizes for nine months. This is a very fresh vintage, and the wine is harmonious, spicy, with an herbal hint, with some dusty tannins, chalky and a bitter twist in the finish. I think the earlier harvest of the grape delivers wines that are more transparent, and this is quite stony and tasty. This is a very good value and a great introduction to Graciano”.
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.”
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New Smart Buys from Tuscany
Subscriber Special – Gaja Sperss
Huet Subscriber Special
Zorzal’s Navarra Values
New Smart Buys from Tuscany
Newly Reviewed by Grapelive
Le Galantin’s 2019 Bandol Rosé
Camigliano’s Star Value Super Tuscan
Newly Reviewed by Grapelive
Vajra’s 2015 Bricco delle Viole
Subscriber Special
Gaja Sperss
Gaja is one of the most respected names in the world of wine, and the bottles bearing his name remain Barbaresco’s most treasured and collectible. However this weekend only, we’re offering subscriber special pricing on one of his rare bottlings from Barbaresco’s even more famous neighbor, Barolo. The region needs no introduction, however this wine perhaps does. Unlike many other ultra-premium Barolos, Gaja’s 2014 Sperss is already drinking beautifully, even in its relative youth.
2014 is a vintage that is often overlooked thanks to the legendary vintages that immediately preceded and proceeded it. However it is also vintages like 2014, those capable of greatest in the right hands, which separate producers like Gaja from their peers.
Transcending the modernist versus traditionalist categories that remain salient to many Piedmont devotees, Gaja is truly in a class of their own—and the 2014 Sperss is the perfect example. Immediate yet complex, structured yet elegant, beautiful today yet undeniably cellar-able, this wine was deserving of your attention long before this weekend’s subscriber special. But quantities are limited, so immediate action is recommended.
Purchase 3-5 bottles of 2014 Gaja Sperss for 5% off
Purchase 6+ bottles of 2014 Gaja Sperss for 10% off
Offer valid on stock on hand
Discount will not display online
We will adjust your order manually before finalizing
Sale Ends Monday, July 13th at 10 AM
Gaja Sperss Barolo, Piedmont 2014 750ML ($319.95) Displayed price $179, that’s $170.05 at 5% off and $161.10 at 10% off!
James Suckling 95 points “More forward and in a more earthly realm than the dizzying heights of the Conteisa this vintage, but it’s so endearing and immediately delights. The aromas range from elderberries and black cherries to brambleberries and Chinese spices. Full-bodied and structured with powerful tannins that encase bright and forthright blue fruit, which is polished over by a sheen of glimmering acidity. Long finish. Delicious now, but better in 2022.”
Wine Enthusiast 95 points “Underbrush, tobacco, toasted hazelnut, menthol and grilled herb aromas slowly take shape on this focused red. On the structured elegant palate, taut refined tannins and fresh acidity provide an ageworthy framework for raspberry compote, juicy Marasca cherry, orange zest, white pepper and star anise. It already has layers of depth and loads of finesse, but hold for even more complexity. Drink 2022–2030.”
Monica Larner-Wine Advocate 94 points “This is a slightly more subdued vintage of this legendary wine, albeit just as sophisticated as past editions. The 2014 Barolo Sperss opens to gorgeous aromas of dark fruit, wet earth and white truffle. The vineyards in Serralunga d’Alba produced much less fruit than average and suffered from bouts of downy mildew during the rainy seasons. But Serralunga d’Alba fruit is also harvested late, and that extra time was important for achieving grape ripeness targets. The wine presents depth and complexity within the context of a thinner vintage. Having said that, the bouquet is spectacular.”
Decanter 94 points “Sperss comes from two crus in Serralunga, and like Gaja’s Barbarescos it’s aged in a combination of barriques and large barrels. As so often is the case, it’s a wine that combines power and finesse. It has a subdued cherry nose with a touch of oak, leading to a palate which is rich, powerful and tannic, but not too assertive. It’s well balanced and fleshy, with lots of velvety texture and grain, and there’s still an underlying freshness and finesse. Very long finish.”
2014 is a vintage that is often overlooked thanks to the legendary vintages that immediately preceded and proceeded it. However it is also vintages like 2014, those capable of greatest in the right hands, which separate producers like Gaja from their peers.
Transcending the modernist versus traditionalist categories that remain salient to many Piedmont devotees, Gaja is truly in a class of their own—and the 2014 Sperss is the perfect example. Immediate yet complex, structured yet elegant, beautiful today yet undeniably cellar-able, this wine was deserving of your attention long before this weekend’s subscriber special. But quantities are limited, so immediate action is recommended.
Purchase 3-5 bottles of 2014 Gaja Sperss for 5% off
Purchase 6+ bottles of 2014 Gaja Sperss for 10% off
Offer valid on stock on hand
Discount will not display online
We will adjust your order manually before finalizing
Sale Ends Monday, July 13th at 10 AM
Gaja Sperss Barolo, Piedmont 2014 750ML ($319.95) Displayed price $179, that’s $170.05 at 5% off and $161.10 at 10% off!
James Suckling 95 points “More forward and in a more earthly realm than the dizzying heights of the Conteisa this vintage, but it’s so endearing and immediately delights. The aromas range from elderberries and black cherries to brambleberries and Chinese spices. Full-bodied and structured with powerful tannins that encase bright and forthright blue fruit, which is polished over by a sheen of glimmering acidity. Long finish. Delicious now, but better in 2022.”
Wine Enthusiast 95 points “Underbrush, tobacco, toasted hazelnut, menthol and grilled herb aromas slowly take shape on this focused red. On the structured elegant palate, taut refined tannins and fresh acidity provide an ageworthy framework for raspberry compote, juicy Marasca cherry, orange zest, white pepper and star anise. It already has layers of depth and loads of finesse, but hold for even more complexity. Drink 2022–2030.”
Monica Larner-Wine Advocate 94 points “This is a slightly more subdued vintage of this legendary wine, albeit just as sophisticated as past editions. The 2014 Barolo Sperss opens to gorgeous aromas of dark fruit, wet earth and white truffle. The vineyards in Serralunga d’Alba produced much less fruit than average and suffered from bouts of downy mildew during the rainy seasons. But Serralunga d’Alba fruit is also harvested late, and that extra time was important for achieving grape ripeness targets. The wine presents depth and complexity within the context of a thinner vintage. Having said that, the bouquet is spectacular.”
Decanter 94 points “Sperss comes from two crus in Serralunga, and like Gaja’s Barbarescos it’s aged in a combination of barriques and large barrels. As so often is the case, it’s a wine that combines power and finesse. It has a subdued cherry nose with a touch of oak, leading to a palate which is rich, powerful and tannic, but not too assertive. It’s well balanced and fleshy, with lots of velvety texture and grain, and there’s still an underlying freshness and finesse. Very long finish.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Huet Subscriber Special
Ends Sunday!
“Domaine Huet’ means ‘I make the best damn Chenin Blanc on the planet’ …” Mike Steinberger, Wine Diarist
Huet makes some of the most undervalued great wine in the world. Take any metric you’d use to adjudicate greatness (complexity, age-worthiness, terroir, aromatic intensity, world-wide praise, etc) and Huet’s Vovray is on the list, at prices far below almost anything else in the world of wine. These wines offer near-unmatched flexibility at the table, and Domaine Huet’s reputation guarantees long ageing potential. Made according to tradition and terroir, with utmost respect for nature, Huet wines can keep for over a century. This is one of France’s pioneers in biodynamic viticulture. Horses still plough between the rows. In the winery, the recipe remains relatively simple. Fermentation takes place half in stainless steel, half in old oak, without malo. After only six months, the wines are bottled and then laid to age in a cellar dug from tuffeau rock, no air conditioning required. From here the Huet work is done: the rest is up to nature, Vouvray, and what eventually tastes like divine intervention.
They seemingly age forever, gaining complexity and density, but impressively are priced like low-tier white Burgundy. It’s this last part that’s so perplexing. You can put well-aged Huet on the table with any top tier white Burgundy and it has a chance of being not only in the same league, but the best wine on the table. It often costs 1/2-1/5th that of the Burgs. That’s insane. On sale? Even better.
Who wouldn’t want to get in on some of that?
Mix any 6-11 750ml bottles of Domaine Huet wine for 5% off
Mix any 12+ 750ml bottles of Domaine Huet wine for 10% off
Offer valid on in-stock wines
Discount will not display online
We will adjust your order manually before finalizing
Sale Ends Sunday, July 12th at 10 AM
We offer one of the largest supplies of Domaine Huet wines in stock now. Select from 1,120 bottles in stock now by shopping on our web store or browsing highlights below!
An age-worthy dry
Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Mont Sec, Loire 2016 750ML ($47.95) $39 Displayed Price, that’s $37.05 at 5% off and $35.10 at 10% off!
Wine Spectator 94 points “Green plum and verbena notes lead the way for now, with a flash of quinine on the finish. This is juicy, but still a bit compact overall, with the core of ample pear, quince and ginger flavors in reserve. Just wait for everything to knit together and stretch out, as the purity and length are there. Best from 2018 through 2028.”
Huet makes some of the most undervalued great wine in the world. Take any metric you’d use to adjudicate greatness (complexity, age-worthiness, terroir, aromatic intensity, world-wide praise, etc) and Huet’s Vovray is on the list, at prices far below almost anything else in the world of wine. These wines offer near-unmatched flexibility at the table, and Domaine Huet’s reputation guarantees long ageing potential. Made according to tradition and terroir, with utmost respect for nature, Huet wines can keep for over a century. This is one of France’s pioneers in biodynamic viticulture. Horses still plough between the rows. In the winery, the recipe remains relatively simple. Fermentation takes place half in stainless steel, half in old oak, without malo. After only six months, the wines are bottled and then laid to age in a cellar dug from tuffeau rock, no air conditioning required. From here the Huet work is done: the rest is up to nature, Vouvray, and what eventually tastes like divine intervention.
They seemingly age forever, gaining complexity and density, but impressively are priced like low-tier white Burgundy. It’s this last part that’s so perplexing. You can put well-aged Huet on the table with any top tier white Burgundy and it has a chance of being not only in the same league, but the best wine on the table. It often costs 1/2-1/5th that of the Burgs. That’s insane. On sale? Even better.
Who wouldn’t want to get in on some of that?
Mix any 6-11 750ml bottles of Domaine Huet wine for 5% off
Mix any 12+ 750ml bottles of Domaine Huet wine for 10% off
Offer valid on in-stock wines
Discount will not display online
We will adjust your order manually before finalizing
Sale Ends Sunday, July 12th at 10 AM
We offer one of the largest supplies of Domaine Huet wines in stock now. Select from 1,120 bottles in stock now by shopping on our web store or browsing highlights below!
An age-worthy dry
Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Mont Sec, Loire 2016 750ML ($47.95) $39 Displayed Price, that’s $37.05 at 5% off and $35.10 at 10% off!
Wine Spectator 94 points “Green plum and verbena notes lead the way for now, with a flash of quinine on the finish. This is juicy, but still a bit compact overall, with the core of ample pear, quince and ginger flavors in reserve. Just wait for everything to knit together and stretch out, as the purity and length are there. Best from 2018 through 2028.”
This was the lowest listed price in the USA today,
Now it’s even lower!
The next best price is $42.99
Now it’s even lower!
The next best price is $42.99
Off-dry, sure, but try this with naturally sweet dishes such as roasted root veggies or rabbit with mustard sauce
Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Haut Lieu Demi-Sec, Loire 2016 750ML ($59.95) $46 Displayed Price, that’s $43.70 at 5% off and $41.40 at 10% off!
Wine Spectator 96 points “This delivers a beautiful display of purity and grace, with creamed Jonagold apple, star fruit, white peach and chamomile notes flowing seamlessly, backed by wet stone and fresh verbena accents. Subtle but persistent energy ripples through the very long finish. Drink now through 2035.”
Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Haut Lieu Demi-Sec, Loire 2017 750ML ($41.95) $36 Displayed Price, that’s $34.20 at 5% off and $32.40 at 10% off!
Jeb Dunnuck 95 points “The 2017 Vouvray Le Haut-Lieu Demi-Sec is also brilliant, and readers should snatch a case of this beauty. Offering up a smorgasbord of quince, green apple, honeysuckle, and flinty minerality, it’s medium-bodied, has bright, juicy acidity, beautifully integrated sweetness (it’s off dry), and a balanced, lengthy style on the palate. It’s impressive today, with an already complex, layered style, but it’s going to age beautifully for two decades or more. It’s a smoking value.”
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 93+ points “The 2017 Vouvray Le Haut-Lieu Demi-Sec displays an intense yellow color and offers a fascinatingly pure and chalky/smoky bouquet of crushed stones intertwined with sur-lie notes, oat milk and ripe, well-concentrated fruit aromas. After lots of aeration, you get some lactic notes here as well. Round, lush and intense on the palate, this is a full-bodied, juicy, very refined and elegant Vouvray with delicate tannins, good structure and sensual, slightly sweet fruit. The finish reveals great power but also grip, salt, finesse and enormous length. This is a pretty great wine, and it can age for decades, although it already drinks very well. Tasted in March 2019.”
John Gilman 93 points “The 2017 Le Haut Lieu Demi-Sec from Domaine Huët is excellent on both the nose and palate, offering up a classic bouquet of quince, apple, chalky soil tones, bee pollen, lanolin and a topnote of white lilies. On the palate the wine is crisp, full-bodied, focused and complex, with a lovely core, fine transparency, bright acids and very impressive length and grip on the still quite youthful finish. This is quite approachable in its early youth, but will no doubt close down into a dusty and reticent adolescence in a few years and then be quite unapproachable for a decade, but it looks destined to be quite classically proportioned and will age long and gracefully. 2018-2020; 2030-2080. 93.”
Wine Spectator 93 points “Plump and lively, with a core of bold ginger, McIntosh apple and almond notes followed by quince and persimmon flavors. Shows buried minerality, but also an ever-so-slightly off-dry wink on the finish, making this especially fun to drink. Drink now through 2032.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $41
The average price is $41
Powerfully complex, this Moelleux will drink well for another sixty+ years…
Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Haut Lieu Moelleux, Loire 2015 750ML ($49.95) $39 Displayed Price, that’s $37.05 at 5% off and $35.10 at 10% off!
Wine Spectator 95 points “Offers a big, broad feel, with layers of glazed pear, apple and peach falling over each other, backed by fresh ginger, honeysuckle and quince notes. Everything pulls together through the finish, with green tea accents and racy minerality providing the foil. Drink now through 2035.”
John Gilman 94 points “The 2015 Le Haut Lieu Moelleux from Domaine Huët is a superb wine in the making, with its glaze of botrytis beautifully managed and the wine showing excellent potential on both the nose and palate. The bouquet offers up a pure and complex mélange of sweet quince, orange, honey, just a whisper of lanolin, beautiful chalky soil tones, a whisper of the leather to come, citrus zest and a topnote of dried flowers. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and beautifully balanced, with bright acids, a lovely core and outstanding focus and grip on the very long, refined and nicely glazed finish. This will be all apricot, honey and tea leaves in the future, but it is so good to drink out of the blocks, that it is going to be hard not to open bottles in its more exotic youthful period. 2016-2085.”
This was the lowest listed price in the USA today,
Now it’s even lower!
The average price is $44
Now it’s even lower!
The average price is $44
“A stunner” indeed
Domaine Huet Vouvray Clos du Bourg Moelleux, Loire 2016 750ML ($69.95) $59 Displayed Price, that’s $56.05 at 5% off and $53.10 at 10% off!
Wine Spectator 97 points “A stunner, with beautiful pear, green fig, yellow apple and quince notes that are creamy and flirtatiously sweet, yet seamless and refined in feel. The extremely long finish lets honeysuckle and verbena notes dance throughout, with a light echo of white ginger at the very end. Best from 2020 through 2040.”
Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Mont Premiere Trie Moelleux, Loire 2016 750ML ($89.95) $79 Displayed Price, that’s $75.05 at 5% off and $71.10 at 10% off!
Wine Advocate 97 points “The 2016 Vouvray Le Mont Moelleux Première Trie opens with a very clear, deep and flinty/herbal bouquet of ripe concentrated stone fruits intermixed with chalky/smoky aromas, very complex and truly exciting! Light, fresh and tensioned on the palate, that is very pure and salty but also tight and concentrated. The 2016 Le Mont reveals crystalline acidity, delicate but serious tannin grip and a long, complex, stimulating finish. This is Chenin Blanc full of energy and aging potential, provided with concentration, lingering salinity and vibrancy. This is a fascinating Le Mont, surely the top wine of Huet’s excellent 2016 series. Bottled with 92 grams of residual sugar, it tastes less sweet than the corresponding Clos du Bourg. Tasted February 2018.”
Wine Spectator 96 points “Juicy in feel, with an intense beam of glazed peach, dried apricot, fresh ginger and heather honey notes, backed by baked mirabelle plum accents and a flash of almond cream on the long, rich finish. A wonderful balancing act, keeping the exotic fruit and sweetness fresh and delineated. Best from 2020 through 2035.”
Considered one of the finest Vouvrays, full of pedigree and class, this is an incredibly rare dessert-style wine
Domaine Huet Vouvray ‘Cuvee Constance’ Moelleux, Loire 2015 500ML ($249.95) $159 Displayed Price, that’s $151.05 at 5% off and $143.10 at 10% off!
Wine Spectator 99 points “Stunning from the start, with a silky and refined feel despite the panoply of dried quince, fig, pear and apricot flavors that are exotic in nature. Lovely green tea, orange blossom and persimmon notes fill in the background. Obviously sweet, but with persistent dry almond and orange extract details that lend latent tension through the seamless and nearly endless finish. The first Cuvee Constance bottling since the 2009 vintage. Drink now through 2060.”
Wine Advocate 96 points “Rarely produced and selected from the vineyards Le Haut-Lieu, Le Mont and Clos du Bourg, Huet’s 2015 Vouvray “Cuvée Constance” offers a deep, clear, intense and concentrated nose of ripe stone fruits, peanut butter cookie, spicy, earthy-mineral and some volatile aromas. Sweet, salty, piquant and mineral with a firm structure and very elegant, concentrated, refined fruit, this is a sweet wine with great purity and mineral finesse on the very long, promising finish. The 2016 is still pretty sweet (142 grams of residual sugar) and should be cellared for at least two or three decades. Total production: 2,800 500-milliliter bottles. Tasted February 2018.”
John Gilman 98 points “I have been looking forward to the release of Domaine Huët’s 2015 Cuvée Constance ever since I tasted a year ago the rest of the stunning range of wines produced here in the vintage. It is a great vintage for Domaine Huët and the Cuvée Constance is everything one could hope for from the confluence of this great estate and a legendary vintage. The wine is still very youthful, but its ultimate brilliance is very easy to see, as the wine wafts from the glass in a celestial constellation of orange, fresh apricot, incipient tea leaves, a nice touch of soil, hints of lanolin, orange peel, barley sugar and a hint of upper register smokiness. On the palate the wine is pure, full and nascently complex, with laser-like focus, a bottomless core, great acids and marvelous balance on the very, very long, zesty and energetic finish. This is still a very young wine and will need years to start to show its secondary and tertiary layers of complexity, but they are lurking here and in the fullness of time, this will be breathtaking in its beauty. (Drink between 2025-2100)
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $174/500ml
The average price is $174/500ml
Mix any 6-11 750ml bottles of Domaine Huet wine for 5% off
Mix any 12+ 750ml bottles of Domaine Huet wine for 10% off
Offer valid on in-stock wines
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Sale Ends Sunday, July 12th at 10 AM
Zorzal’s Navarra Values
Wines of Terroir from Rioja’s Neighbor
Zorzal makes some of the most overlooked wines in Spain, solely because they work in Navarra, not its more famous neighbor, Rioja. Working primarily with Garnacha and Graciano, brothers Xabi, Iñaki and Mikel Sanz have made vintage after vintage of terroir-driven values since the winery’s inception in 2007. This is a winery that over delivers from the low to the “high” end (still sub $25) with high scoring, delicious wine. These are wines that have tons of immediate appeal, with rich textures and juicy fruit flavors. They’re also loaded with character, with Zorzal’s light touch in winemaking (native fermentations, minimal new oak) allowing the grapes and terroirs to shine through.
Newly Arrived from Vina Zorzal:
Vina Zorzal Corral De Los Altos, Navarra 2018 750ML ($29.95) $24 special
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”
Newly Arrived from Vina Zorzal:
Vina Zorzal Corral De Los Altos, Navarra 2018 750ML ($29.95) $24 special
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 only listing in the USA today!
Vina Zorzal ‘Cuatro del Cuatro’, Navarra 2018 750ML ($36.95) $29 special
Luis Gutierrez – Wine Advocate 94 points “The pure Graciano 2018 Cuatro del Cuatro was first produced in 2015 as an homage to the Sanz brothers’ father, who kept his Graciano vines when the majority ripped them up. They have seen that, with a soft vinification, the variety is not as rustic as most think and, in fact, can be quite elegant. 2018 was a tricky vintage for the variety, and the wine has moderate alcohol (13.3%), a very low pH (3.35) and notable acidity (six grams of tartaric acid per liter). It was produced with grapes grown in the village of Corella (especially from a vineyard planted in 1978), which has more Mediterranean influence that Fitero, the other village where they have the majority of their vineyards. This is a super serious Graciano, fresher than the majority of varietal bottlings out there, as they have lost the fear of harvesting it earlier, and it delivers a very spicy wine, with lots of black and even white peppercorns. I think this is very much in line with the 2016. It matured in used oak barrels of different sizes, and they did a barrel selection to produce 2,900 bottles of it.”
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast today!
Vina Zorzal Graciano, Navarra 2018 750ml ($19.95) $16 special
Luis Gutierrez – Wine Advocate 91 points “The 2018 Graciano, the first wine they produced at the new Viña Zorzal in 2007, was produced with grapes from the village of Corella, and they want to show the expression of the grape in the village, more Mediterranean than Fitero, where they have a significant percentage of their vines. The spicy character of the wine and the lively palate are the expression of the Graciano in their village, what they have been trying to express since 2015. It fermented in stainless steel with moderate extraction and matured in used French oak barrels of different sizes for nine months. This is a very fresh vintage, and the wine is harmonious, spicy, with an herbal hint, with some dusty tannins, chalky and a bitter twist in the finish. I think the earlier harvest of the grape delivers wines that are more transparent, and this is quite stony and tasty. This is a very good value and a great introduction to Graciano”.
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast today!
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!
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New Smart Buys from Tuscany
Tuscany makes some of the most enjoyable wines in Italy, from 100% Sangiovese bottlings to powerful blends in a Super Tuscan style, we love a wide variety of wines from central Italy. What we love most are wines that over-deliver, and we’ve got an assortment of top values from Tuscany that just arrived. These are some fantastic reds at prices that practically demand bulk purchases.
In Stock Now:
Wine Spectator rated this vintage the best ever of this wine, even higher than their 2009 which was a Spectator Top 100!
Rocca di Frassinello ‘Le Sughere di Frassinello’ Maremma Toscana, Tuscany 2016 750ML ($29.95) $21.90 special
Wine Spectator 93 points “SMART BUY. Wild rosemary, thyme and camphor aromas lead off, with concentrated flavors of blackberry and black currant. An iron edge sinks in as this unfolds to the long, staining finish. Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Best from 2020 through 2032. 11,000 cases made, 5,500 cases imported.”
In Stock Now:
Wine Spectator rated this vintage the best ever of this wine, even higher than their 2009 which was a Spectator Top 100!
Rocca di Frassinello ‘Le Sughere di Frassinello’ Maremma Toscana, Tuscany 2016 750ML ($29.95) $21.90 special
Wine Spectator 93 points “SMART BUY. Wild rosemary, thyme and camphor aromas lead off, with concentrated flavors of blackberry and black currant. An iron edge sinks in as this unfolds to the long, staining finish. Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Best from 2020 through 2032. 11,000 cases made, 5,500 cases imported.”
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast today!
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
The next best price is $22.90
The average price is $25
We’re smitten with the delightful and restrained wines from La Gerla.
La Gerla Rosso di Montalcino, Tuscany 2018 750ML ($29.95) $24 special
Eric Guido – Vinous 91 points “The 2018 Rosso di Montalcino is polished, dark and earthy, with crushed black cherry lifted by peppery herbs and minerals as sweet spices develop in the glass. Silky textures carry brisk acids over the senses, ushering in tart red fruits, with hints of savory herbs, in a wonderfully fresh expression. The finish is medium in length, coating the palate in tart red fruits, with saturating fine tannin and cedary spices.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
The average price across all vintages is $27
The average price across all vintages is $27
Made from the younger vines in Castelnuovo, it’s basically a baby declassified Brunello. This wine spends 4 months in Slavonian botti.
La Gerla ‘Poggio gli Angeli’ Sangiovese Toscana IGT, Tuscany 2017 750ML ($21.95) $18 special
Case-12 La Gerla ‘Poggio gli Angeli’ Sangiovese Toscana IGT, Tuscany 2017 750ML ($249.95) $199 special (that’s only $16.58/bottle!)
Eric Guido – Vinous 90 points “La Gerla’s 2017 Poggio gli Angeli displays a mix of fresh, wild red berries, savory, spicy herbs and hints of cedar. On the palate, soft textures give way to crushed raspberry and cherry, with hints of sweet spice and sage. The finish is long and fresh, elevated by zesty acids, and showing hints of strawberry and inner floral notes.”
Lisini San Biagio Toscana IGT, Tuscany 2016 750ML ($24.95) $19 special
Case-12 Lisini San Biagio Toscana IGT, Tuscany 2016 750ML ($259.95) $199 special (that’s only $16.58/bottle and the lowest listed price in the USA today!)
Eric Guido – Vinous 90 points “What a wonderfully fresh and vibrant expression of Sangiovese, showing peppery herbs and florals up front and then giving way to crushed cherries with hints of leather and undergrowth. On the palate, the 2016 Lisini San Biagio is cool-toned and silky, while delivering a beautiful display of pure red berry fruits, laced with minerals and spice. The finish is long with a staining of cherry, as zesty acids and mineral tones sizzle upon the senses. Lisini never ceases to amaze.”
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
Ok, this is from Emilia-Romagna, but it’s 100% Sangiovese and an absolute knockout. A real hidden gem from a mostly-unknown region.
Villa Papiano ‘I Probi di Papiano’ Sangiovese di Romagna Riserva, Emilia-Romagna 2016 750ML ($31.95) $26 special
Eric Guido – Vinous 91 points “Here I’m finding a spicy display of crushed tart cherry and wild herbs, complemented by white pepper, roses, earthy mineral notes and a hint of animal musk. Pure wild berry fruits, minerals and youthful tannin all build in the glass. The finish is long, showing youthful grip, yet also energized by lingering acids and spicy red fruits. The 2016 I Probi di Papiano Sangiovese Riserva is simply a pleasure to taste.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Vinopolis Wine Shop Curbside Pick Up
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give us a call, & we’ll bring your order to your car.
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their name when placing your order.)
#503-223-6002
Newly Reviewed by Grapelive:
Le Galantin Bandol Rosé 2019
Final Stock Landed Today!
Le Galantin Bandol Rosé, Provence 2019 750ML ($21.95) $19 special
Grapelive 92 points “One of the joys of Summer is the release of new Provence Rosé(s) and especially those from Bandol…. The 2019 La Galantin Rosé is vivid and vibrant with an array of citrus and racy red fruits with a medium full palate of crushed raspberry, strawberry and sour cherry as well as ruby grapefruit all pushed on the attack with crisp acidity and a steely mineral tone, this is a great vintage for this wine and the drinking pleasure is high, it perfectly matches the mood of the season with a sunny style and enough stuffing to grab your attention. Light floral notes, spices and dried herbs add to the complexity in this dry and focused pink. The 2019 Le Galantin was made with around 50% Mourvèdre, 25% Cinsault and 25% Grenache, from vines planted on southwest facing hillsides, with the mentioned clay/limestone soils. The estate picks the grapes , after which the bunches are cooled down to 50C for a two day cold soak in order to extract fruit, color and aromatics, while still delicate and translucent in the finished wine. The juice is then racked off and the grapes are pressed to stainless steel tanks, with just 10% of the wine being saignée, giving it a bolder fruit expression without being too weighty, the rest come from grapes treated as if making white wine, helping preserve fresh detail and crisp deliciousness….The Domaine Le Galantin, run by Céline Pascale, who took over the domaine in 1999 from her father, is set on the ancient steep vineyards of Bandol, located directly on the Mediterranean coast, just east of Marseille.…Domaine le Galantin farms just 30 hectares of mostly picturesque terraced vineyards located in Le Plan du Castellet with all of their vines being hand tended and cared for using all organic methods. Great for sipping, this dry pink goes great with many food options, especially steamed mussels!”
Grapelive 92 points “One of the joys of Summer is the release of new Provence Rosé(s) and especially those from Bandol…. The 2019 La Galantin Rosé is vivid and vibrant with an array of citrus and racy red fruits with a medium full palate of crushed raspberry, strawberry and sour cherry as well as ruby grapefruit all pushed on the attack with crisp acidity and a steely mineral tone, this is a great vintage for this wine and the drinking pleasure is high, it perfectly matches the mood of the season with a sunny style and enough stuffing to grab your attention. Light floral notes, spices and dried herbs add to the complexity in this dry and focused pink. The 2019 Le Galantin was made with around 50% Mourvèdre, 25% Cinsault and 25% Grenache, from vines planted on southwest facing hillsides, with the mentioned clay/limestone soils. The estate picks the grapes , after which the bunches are cooled down to 50C for a two day cold soak in order to extract fruit, color and aromatics, while still delicate and translucent in the finished wine. The juice is then racked off and the grapes are pressed to stainless steel tanks, with just 10% of the wine being saignée, giving it a bolder fruit expression without being too weighty, the rest come from grapes treated as if making white wine, helping preserve fresh detail and crisp deliciousness….The Domaine Le Galantin, run by Céline Pascale, who took over the domaine in 1999 from her father, is set on the ancient steep vineyards of Bandol, located directly on the Mediterranean coast, just east of Marseille.…Domaine le Galantin farms just 30 hectares of mostly picturesque terraced vineyards located in Le Plan du Castellet with all of their vines being hand tended and cared for using all organic methods. Great for sipping, this dry pink goes great with many food options, especially steamed mussels!”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Camigliano’s Star Value Super Tuscan
Camigliano is one of our favorite producers of Brunello (we have their excellent Brunello arriving next month and their Rosso di Montalcino in stock now), but their entry-level Super Tuscan “Poderuccio” is perhaps the best value in their entire lineup. We’ve got two vintages in stock and a fantastic case-12 price on the ’18, perfect for loading up on.In Stock Now:
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!
Wine Spectator 92 points “A ripe style, verging on overripe, boasting plum and blackberry flavors, with iron, leather and wild herb notes. Broad and powerful, revealing a dense layer of tannins on the long, savory finish. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese. Drink now through 2028. 3,333 cases made, 580 cases imported.”
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast today!
Also In Stock from Camigliano:
Castello di Camigliano Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Tuscany 2015 750ML ($49.95) $38 special
Case-6 Castello di Camigliano Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Tuscany2015 750ML ($299.95) $219 special (that’s only $36.50/bottle!)
Monica Larner-Wine Advocate 94 points “The Camigliano 2015 Brunello di Montalcino sees fruit from a 50-hectare vineyard planted 300 to 350 meters above sea level. The soils show lots of variation with clay, sand, rock and marine fossils. The wine’s bouquet reveals classic Brunello characteristics of wild berry, forest floor, pressed rose petal, crushed stone and spice. You also get those typical balsam and herbal tones that are so specific to Montalcino. In fact, I argue that they come across with even more intensity in a beautifully balanced and sunny vintage such as 2015. This wine ages in 60-hectoliter botti for 24 months, making for a firm yet surprisingly streamlined mouthfeel. With 160,000 bottles made, the wine was released in January 2020.”
James Suckling 94 points “A bright and elegant Brunello that suggests sliced oranges, tulips and rose petals. Medium-to full-bodied and finely structured, drawing on silky layers of tannins and a vibrant edge of acidity. Drink now or hold.”
Wine Spectator 93 points “A focused, lively red, this exhibits cherry, strawberry, earth, mineral and Mediterranean herb flavors. Dense, staying fresh as this unwinds on the lingering aftertaste. Best from 2023 through 2042.”
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast today!
Newly Reviewed by Grapelive:
G.D. Vajra Bricco delle Viole, Barolo DOCG 2015 750ML ($79.95) $69 special
Grapleive 95 points “One of Italian’s treasures, the Vajra Bricco delle Viole Barolo is fast becoming a must have wine for Nebbiolo enthusiasts…you would be rewarded by not missing this gorgeous 2015 version, which lacks for nothing in the big league of top Barolo bottlings!….The 2015 Bricco delle Viole is luxurious and has Burgundy like grace on the palate enjoying its plush and youthful fruit, but underneath there is classic structure and character with pure Nebbiolo seduction flowing across the full bodied palate with deep red berry, plum and black cherry fruit along with flashes of mulberry and strawberry as well as a subtle meatiness, anise, chalky stones, cedar and delicate rose petals. This wine, which is already drinking fabulous should continue to grown in dimension and add layers, if you can’t wait you’ll find it ever changing in the glass and certainly I would suggest building and evening and meal around exploring it. The Bricco delle Viole, the hill of violets, is an iconic wine and sets the tone for understanding the Vajra’s wines….The Bricco delle Viole is one of the last sites to be picked in Barolo and this long hang time really elevates this wine with incredible depth and there is always a Grand Cru Core d’Or feel here with a sense of minerallity and finesse. Vajra is traditional in the winemaking, taking great care in the vineyard and it the cellars with each cluster being rigorously sorts and individually berry de-stemming before a lengthy maceration and gentle handling of the wine through primary fermentation. The top Vajra Barolo sees close to 42 months in large Slavonian casks, mostly 25 and 50 hectoliters to allow this fantastic Nebbiolo to fully develop all of its beauty and stunning nuances… I am always grateful for being able to try his wines, these are too good to miss!”
We currently have 10 wines in stock from Vajra, here are a few of the highlights:
G.D. Vajra Barbera d’Alba, Piedmont 2017 750ML ($24.95) $19.50 special
Antonio Galloni 90 points “The 2017 Barbera d’Alba is a joyous wine that is sure to put a smile on readers’ faces. Pliant, supple and full of character, the 2017 offers superb density and tons of pure deliciousness. Sweet dark cherry, plum, mocha and sweet spice are pushed forward in this engaging, arrestingly beautiful Barbera. Best of all, the 2017 is a superb value.”
Wine Spectator 90 points “This is round, exuding black cherry, blackberry and iron flavors that are deftly integrated with the polished texture. The flavors build to a lengthy conclusion. Drink now through 2024. 2,500 cases made.”
Grapleive 95 points “One of Italian’s treasures, the Vajra Bricco delle Viole Barolo is fast becoming a must have wine for Nebbiolo enthusiasts…you would be rewarded by not missing this gorgeous 2015 version, which lacks for nothing in the big league of top Barolo bottlings!….The 2015 Bricco delle Viole is luxurious and has Burgundy like grace on the palate enjoying its plush and youthful fruit, but underneath there is classic structure and character with pure Nebbiolo seduction flowing across the full bodied palate with deep red berry, plum and black cherry fruit along with flashes of mulberry and strawberry as well as a subtle meatiness, anise, chalky stones, cedar and delicate rose petals. This wine, which is already drinking fabulous should continue to grown in dimension and add layers, if you can’t wait you’ll find it ever changing in the glass and certainly I would suggest building and evening and meal around exploring it. The Bricco delle Viole, the hill of violets, is an iconic wine and sets the tone for understanding the Vajra’s wines….The Bricco delle Viole is one of the last sites to be picked in Barolo and this long hang time really elevates this wine with incredible depth and there is always a Grand Cru Core d’Or feel here with a sense of minerallity and finesse. Vajra is traditional in the winemaking, taking great care in the vineyard and it the cellars with each cluster being rigorously sorts and individually berry de-stemming before a lengthy maceration and gentle handling of the wine through primary fermentation. The top Vajra Barolo sees close to 42 months in large Slavonian casks, mostly 25 and 50 hectoliters to allow this fantastic Nebbiolo to fully develop all of its beauty and stunning nuances… I am always grateful for being able to try his wines, these are too good to miss!”
We currently have 10 wines in stock from Vajra, here are a few of the highlights:
G.D. Vajra Barbera d’Alba, Piedmont 2017 750ML ($24.95) $19.50 special
Antonio Galloni 90 points “The 2017 Barbera d’Alba is a joyous wine that is sure to put a smile on readers’ faces. Pliant, supple and full of character, the 2017 offers superb density and tons of pure deliciousness. Sweet dark cherry, plum, mocha and sweet spice are pushed forward in this engaging, arrestingly beautiful Barbera. Best of all, the 2017 is a superb value.”
Wine Spectator 90 points “This is round, exuding black cherry, blackberry and iron flavors that are deftly integrated with the polished texture. The flavors build to a lengthy conclusion. Drink now through 2024. 2,500 cases made.”
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast today!
G.D. Vajra Albe, Barolo DOCG 2015 750ML ($49.95) $36 special
Wine Advocate 93 points “This Barolo offers a more immediate approach, with lots of dark berry followed by spice, tilled earth and black truffle. The 2015 Barolo Albe pours to a medium dark color and lays out a mid-weight texture, with bright primary fruit that is expertly woven into the wine. It exposes clearly etched veins of acidity and some determinedly firm tannins. Despite the Albe’s accessible personality, I recommend that you wait a few more years before popping the cork.”
Wine Spectator 93 points “Pretty, featuring rose, cherry, raspberry and mint flavors, with a touch of mineral. Supple, harmonious and elegant, offering a long finish. The aftertaste is tinged with orange peel and tobacco notes. Best from 2021 through 2036. 4,500 cases made.”
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast today!
G.D. Vajra Freisa ‘Kye’ Langhe Rosso, Piedmont 2015 750ML ($39.95) $33 special
Antonio Galloni 92+ points “The 2015 Langhe Freisa Kyé is incredibly finessed. Once huge and bombastic, the Kyé has developed into a much more refined wine in recent vintages. The 2015 Kyé is dark and mysterious, not to mention quite closed in on itself. I won’t be surprised if there is more to this wine. Time will tell.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Thanks for reading!