Wednesday Newsletter 3-25-2020

In Today’s Newsletter:

Be a Friend/Tell a Friend
Oregon March Shipping Special


Clos Rougeard Subscriber Special
Starts Today / Ends Sunday or when we run out!


Vinopolis Wine Shop Curbside Pick Up

Rose of the Day Subscriber Special

Local Pride Subscriber Sale Recap
Sequitur & Twill – Mix and Match


New Vintages & New Stock of Vinopolis Favorites 

Trending

Cavalli’s Wine of the Gods

Collector’s Corner:
No One Puts Faiveley in a Corner
OK, Maybe the Collector’s Corner


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Be a Friend/Tell a Friend

About Our Oregon March Shipping Special

Free Oregon Ground Shipping on Orders Over $120


Looking for our great deals and shipping specials to continue? Tell a friend who’s not on our email list to take advantage of this great offer and keep us busy in these unusual times!



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Clos Rougeard Subscriber Special

Starts Today / Ends Sunday (or when we run out)

Limited supplies of these library releases.
Act fast if you want any!




Shop the subscriber special on our webstore!

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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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Rose of the Day Subscriber Special


Domaines Bunan is one of the most interesting and undervalued producers in Bandol.  They’re a historic estate with some of the most privileged vineyards in the region. The Moulin des Costes is a vineyard close to the ocean and you can almost feel that sea breeze in the wine.  It’s a fantastic rose and a total steal at half the price of Tempier. To make it even better, we’re discounting the frontline price and offering a further discount on bulk orders until the end of day Saturday!


5% Off 6-11 bottles of Moulin des Costes 
10% Off 12+ bottles of Moulin des Costes 


Offer Ends Saturday, March 27th at 6 PM
Discount Will Not Display Online or In Your Cart
We will adjust your invoice before processing your card

Domaine Bunan Moulin des Costes Bandol Rose, Provence 2018 750ML ($27.95) Was $24, Now $21.90 special, that’s $20.81 at 5% off and $19.71 at 10% off, 36+ bottles in stock now
“Hints of crushed stone and lime zest appear on the nose of the 2018 Bandol Rose Moulin des Costes, a blend of 50% Cinsault, 40% Mourvèdre and 10% Grenache. Although only light to medium-bodied, it’s pleasantly silky in texture, with ample length on the refined, elegant finish.” -Wine Advocate

This was the lowest listed price,
Now it’s even lower!
The next best price is $28.99

Shop our entire collection of rose wines on our webstore!

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Don’t Forget Our Local Pride Subscriber Sale

Sequitur & Twill – Mix and Match


Local Pride Subscriber Special:
5% Off Any Mix of 6-11 Twill Cellars and/or Sequitur Wines
10% Off Any Mix of 12+ Twill Cellars and/or Sequitur Wines

Offer Ends Thursday, March 25th at 6 PM
Discount Will Not Display Online or In Your Cart
We will adjust your invoice before processing your card


Shop the Sale Now!

Love local Pinots?
We stock a massive selection including picks from
Evening Land, Eyrie, Brick House, Bethel Heights and more!
 
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New Vintages & New Stock of Vinopolis Favorites

Arriving Friday

Cristom ‘Mt. Jefferson Cuvee’ Pinot Noir, Eola-Amity Hills 375ML ($24.95) $16 pre-arrival half-bottle special
James Suckling 93 points
“An attractive array of rich red to dark cherries that delivers a fine layer of perfume and a wealth of bright raspberries and red cherries. The palate is subtly earthy and gently spicy with a very plush and assertive core of blueberries and red cherries. Smooth, supple and very energetic. Drink over the next six to eight years.”
Wine Spectator 92 points “Expressive strawberry blossom and raspberry aromas open to elegantly structured cherry and spicy cinnamon flavors that build richness toward refined tannins. Drink now through 2025. 9,835 cases made.”

This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!

Cristom ‘Mt. Jefferson Cuvee’ Pinot Noir, Eola-Amity Hills 2018 750ML ($37.95) $28 pre-arrival special
James Suckling 94 points
“A very spicy and fresh array of blueberries, ripe darker cherries and plums. Cassis aromas, too, as well as more savory notes of graphite and fragrant wood. The palate has very striking depth and presence with expansive, fleshy tannins carrying intense fruit flavors, in the darker spectrum of cherries and berries. Cocoa powder to close. Drink or hold.”

Casa Emma Chianti Classico DOCG, Tuscany 2016 750ML ($24.95) $16 pre-arrival special
Wine Spectator 90 points
“SMART BUY! This red combines a mix of pungent Tuscan scrub—juniper, rosemary and sage—with pure cherry, strawberry, earth and tobacco flavors. Shows fine harmony and length. Drink now through 2028. 5,000 cases made, 2,100 cases imported.”
Monica Larner-Wine Advocate 89 points “The 2016 Chianti Classico (made with 90% Sangiovese with Canaiolo and Malvasia Nera) delivers rich fruit aromas with cherry and blackberry prominently at the front line. There are subtle touches of spice and cinnamon at the back that give more texture and richness to the overall winemaking approach. This is a mid-weight red wine with a pretty but accessible personality to pair with your favorite Italian meals. You get great value, and 60,000 bottles were made.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $19.89

Chateau de Saint Cosme Cotes du Rhone 2018 750ML ($17.95) $13.50 pre-arrival special
James Suckling 91 points
“This is pure syrah from both sides of the southern Rhône and has very rich dark cherries and sweet ripeness to the palate. Good depth and detail here. Juicy and long. Quite plush, too. Drink now. “
Wine Advocate 90 points “The 2018 Cotes du Rhone is 100% Syrah, sourced from the Gard (on the right bank of the Rhône) and Vinsobres (left bank, higher elevation). Violets, black olives and cassis and blueberry flavors provide terrific varietal expression in a medium to full-bodied package framed by silky tannins. Depending on your local pricing, it should be a terrific value.”
Wine Spectator 89 points “SMART BUY! Lively savory, lavender, cherry and black currant notes mix in this friendly, open-knit wine, which reveals a tug of dark earth at the end. Drink now through 2020. 30,000 cases made, 20,800 cases imported.”

Felsina Berardenga Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG, Tuscany 2016 750ML ($34.95) $28 pre-arrival special
Case-6 Felsina Berardenga Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG, Tuscany 750ML ($219.95) $159 pre-arrival special (that’s only $26.50/bottle and the lowest listed price on the West Coast!)
Felsina Berardenga Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG, Tuscany 1.5L ($89.95) $79 special, 20 magnums in stock now
Wine Advocate 94 points
“Streamlined and elegant, this mid-weight red trots out notes of grilled herb and dark fruit nuances that segue to spice, tilled earth and savory tobacco, with great complexity. This 2016 Chianti Classico Riserva Berardenga is still a bit closed and tight, but this beautiful wine boasts all the best qualities of this vintage. It shows elegance and power, two contrasting characteristics that only work well together in the world’s most achieved expressions. The most satisfying aspect of this Riserva is the crisp acidity on the close that keeps the palate refreshed and ready for the next sip.”
Wine Spectator 93 points “This red offers density and focus, creating an ideal frame for the cherry, strawberry, almond, leather and earth flavors. A firm backbone of tannins lends structure and the finish persists, leaving an accent of bitter almond. Best from 2022 through 2040.”
Antonio Galloni 92+ points “The 2016 Chianti Classico Riserva shows all the quality and pedigree of the year in its layered personality and overall nuance. Cedar, dried cherry, game licorice and tobacco convey the darker, gamier side of Sangiovese that is such a signature at Fèlsina. The 2016 finishes with terrific energy and bright acids that suggest it will enjoy a long life in the cellar, but readers should plan on giving it at least a few years in bottle.”
 
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Trending

Shows great depth for a wine at this price, with beautiful dark-cherry fruit and a sense of freshness for its power.
Happy birthday, Tyson!Crowley Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2018 750ML ($26.95) $21.90 special, 33 bottles in stock now
VinopolNote:
2018 across the valley is going to be known as a year of concentration and power without over-ripeness and this wine is a prime example.  Dark cherry fruits, a hint of a florals and good density, this wine manages to have richness and weight without feeling overly heavy.  A real winner.

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $27

Always the darkest and richest of his Pinots and one of the best for drinking young.  
Cameron Pinot Noir, Ribbon Ridge 2018 750ML ($29.95) $24 special, 23 bottles in stock now (more arriving Friday)
Winery Note
“Fruit for this wine is sourced from White Oak Vineyard in the Ribbon Ridge AVA.  White Oak Vineyard was planted in 2006 and is lovingly tended by famed cider apple grower Alan Foster. Fruit from Ribbon Ridge is always intense with loads of structure in the wine.  Part of this vineyard has now been planted with Martin Ray clones of Pinot noir, stay tuned for some incredible wines from this site.”

A core Weygandt CdP estates, Charvin is the most resolutely old-school of the bunch
Domaine Charvin Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Rhone 2017 750ML ($74.95) $59 special, 36+ bottles in stock now
Josh Raynolds – Vinous 94-95 points
“Brilliant magenta. An assertively perfumed bouquet of ripe red and blue fruits, Moroccan spices and incense carries a smoky overtone. Sweet, penetrating raspberry preserve, cherry, lavender pastille and spicecake flavors show impressive depth as well as vivacity. Displays superb clarity and floral thrust on the finish, which features smoothly interwoven tannins and lingering spiciness. This wine shows just how much complexity can be achieved, even in a hot vintage, in the absence of any oak, old or new.”

Andy: I have yet to find a better bellwether for a vintage on the left bank than Meyney.
Chateau Meyney, Saint-Estephe 2016 750ML ($49.95) $39 special, 26 bottles in stock now
James Suckling 96 points
“Wild nose. Impressive, deep hue and a wealth of fresh, violet-like aromas, as well as cassis, graphite and dark cherries. The palate has a very sleek, fine, powerful core of tannins that bring a lot of depth and deliver rich dark-fruit flavor. A classic Meyney. Best since 1961! Try from 2023.”
Decanter 94 points “Rich and full, this is very St-Estèphe: round through the mid-palate, with an amazingly tasty balance of richness and freshness leading to salinity and minerality on the finish. It will need another five to eight years before being ready to drink, but it has to be one of the value picks of the vintage.”
Antonio Galloni 93 points “The 2016 Meyney is a bold, powerful wine. Tobacco, menthol, chocolate, spice and torrefaction notes all add shades of darkness. Meyney is potent and quite broad in feel, and yet everything is very nicely balanced. Although not especially subtle, Meyney delivers the goods, and then some.”

This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
The average price nationally is $45

“an extraordinary level of richness and softness that speaks to the unique winemaking style”-WA
Parusso Armando Bussia, Barolo DOCG 2013 750ML ($89.95) $79 special, 36 bottles in stock now
James Suckling 97 points
“This is one of the greatest wines I have ever had from here. So much ripe cherry, raspberry and floral character. Medium body, super-refined tannins and a long and flavorful finish. So much going on here. Better in 2021.”
Wine Advocate 95 points “The 2013 Barolo Bussia is my favorite wine among Marco Parusso’s new releases. This wine shows an extraordinary level of richness and softness that speaks to the unique winemaking style proposed by this innovative producer. The Bussia cru tends to produce softer and finer fruit characteristics. The bouquet delivers elegant notes of wild berry, forest floor and white truffle with mineral notes such as pencil shaving delicately tucked in at the back. The wine sees up to 60% stem inclusion and maceration times are long. This Barolo is articulate and profoundly expressive.”

Trending & Arriving Friday

A benchmark Chateauneuf, this is going quickly!
Only sixteen bottles available

Domaine de la Janasse Cuvee Vieilles Vignes, Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2017 750ML ($99.95) $79 pre-arrival special
Jeb Dunnuck 98 points
“The 2017 Châteauneuf Du Pape Cuvée Vieilles Vignes is another killer effort from this estate. Coming from the La Janasse and La Crau lieux-dits and brought up in foudre, its deep purple color is followed by blockbuster notes of crème de cassis, blackberries, chocolate, graphite, and earthy, rocky, mineral-like nuances. It’s deep and full-bodied, with a ripe, powerful yet balanced style and a great finish. A classic example of this cuvée. it’s going to benefit from short-term cellaring and keep for two decades or more.”
Wine Advocate 97 points “The 2017 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Vieilles Vignes derives from parcels planted on classic clay and galets roulés soils. It’s 65% Grenache, 20% Mourvèdre, 10% Syrah and 5% other varieties. Tight, intense, even clenched, it’s in need of several years’ cellaring before it becomes truly enjoyable to drink. For now, those gorgeous black cherries are restrained behind a firm wall of tannins. Full-bodied and rich, this is ripe, it just requires patience.-JC”

This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
The average price nationally is $95
 
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Cavalli’s Wine of the Gods

Roberto Cavalli, international fashion icon, owns a top-end winery in Tuscany.  Named Tenuta degli Dei (Estate of the Gods), he (and his son, who’s the winemaker) aim to make the best possible Super Tuscan style wines out of their beautiful vineyard in the Tuscan hills.  As you might expect from someone known for attention to detail and a strong sense of perfectionism, these are immaculately made wines.  No expense is spared in their production and the resulting wines are bold, dense and textured.

The 2015 is as good a wine as you’d expect from any Super Tuscan under $100, but it just so happens to be under $50.  This is a bold, flashy wine that’s an absolute treat—in other words, exactly what you’d expect from Cavalli.

In Stock Now:

Cavalli Tenuta degli Dei Toscana IGT, Tuscany 2015 750ML ($49.95) $41.90 special, 24+ bottles in stock now
Case-6 Cavalli Tenuta degli Dei Toscana IGT, Tuscany 2015 750ML ($299.95) $238 special (that’s only $39.67/bottle and the lowest listed price in the USA today!)
James Suckling 96 points
“Creme de cassis, freshly picked blueberries, crushed violets, hot stones, dried sage and thyme, charcoal and bark. Full body, tightly worked tannins and a long yet tight finish. The palate shows real transparency and a sense of minerality in addition to the stellar depth you would expect. Drink in 2022.”
Antonio Galloni 94 points “The 2015 Tenuta Degli Dei is one of the best editions of this wine I can remember tasting. Bold, racy and exuberant with tremendous depth, the 2015 has a lot to recommend it. The blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc works very well in this ample, large-scaled wine. A generous amount of Petit Verdot (35%) helps keep the flavors fresh and vibrant in this super-expressive red blend from the Cavalli family.”

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Collector’s Corner

No One Puts Faiveley in a Corner

OK, Maybe the Collector’s Corner

Faiveley’s Top Wines:

Les Ouvrées Rodin and other Grand Crus
 
Most producers are lucky to own any land in Chambertin Clos de Beze.  It’s hallowed ground in Burgundy—one of the most prestigious vineyards in a region that is known for famous plots.  Faiveley takes it to a new level, though, and produces two bottlings: a “normal” Clos de Beze and their top end cuvee the Clos de Beze “Les Ouvrées Rodin.”

Produced from some of the Domaine’s oldest vines in a parcel on the Chambertin side of the Clos de Beze, this is a wine that commemorates the family’s relationship with the sculptor Rodin in awe-inspiring fashion.  This is up there with any wine from Burgundy—you name it, Faiveley’s top bottling competes with it.  Compared to any of its peers (see: Rousseau, DRC, etc) it remains excellently priced.  We’re expecting that to change over the next few years, so the 2016 may be one of the last chances to buy this at under $2k per bottle.

In Stock Now:

Only three bottles remaining
Domaine Faiveley Chambertin-Clos de Beze “Les Ouvrees Rodin” Grand Cru, Burgundy 2016 750ML ($1,499.95) $1,199 special
William Kelley – Wine Advocate 97 points
“The 2016 Chambertin Clos de Bèze Grand Cru Les Ouvrées Rodin is showing brilliantly from bottle, unfurling in the glass with a rich bouquet of cassis, cherries, red berries, grilled game, licorice, spices and smoky new oak. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, ample and expansive, with a deep and intense core of sapid fruit that cloaks its satiny but abundant structuring tannins, underpinned by succulent acids and concluding with a seriously long, penetrating finish. This special cuvée hails from a parcel of vines planted in 1966 on the Chambertin side of Clos de Bèze, and its name commemorates a Faiveley family connection with the sculptor Rodin.”
Stephen Tanzer 95-98 points “(like the “regular” Clos de Bèze, this special cuvée from 60+-year-old vines on the Chambertin side of the cru was totally destemmed): Dark red-ruby. Less expressive but slightly riper aromas of purple and black fruits and pungent spices. Then utterly seamless and suave on the palate, offering a lacy, feminine texture with great energy and sophistication. The penetrating red berry and white pepper flavors are amplified by the wine’s mineral underpinning. The endless rising finish combines serious power and refined tannins. Ultimately a bit less expressive and tight-grained than the classic Clos de Bèze but this is even deeper.”
Burghound 94-97 points “(a selection of the oldest vines in one of their 3 parcels). This is aromatically similar to the regular cuvée save for being even spicier and displaying a bit more wood influence. There is almost painful intensity to the super-sleek big-bodied flavors that possess a positively gorgeous mouthfeel due to a mid-palate that brims with sappy dry extract that coats the mouth on the hugely long and impeccably well-balanced finale. While this may change given that these are barrel samples but based on the two that I tasted, this is actually slightly less structured though I emphasize slightly. Either way, this is a seriously impressive effort that should age effortlessly. (94-97)/2034+.”

Other Faiveley Grand Crus, In Stock Now:

2016 was a very good year for Faiveley.  It was an excellent year across Burgundy, but for the venerable Burgundy producer it was exceptional, as Erwan Faiveley continues to transform the estate into one of the best producers in Burgundy by any measure.  Historically (under Erwan’s father) Faiveley was known for stern wines that took a long time to come around.  These days, the wines have more fruit and are approachable young, but still have the bones to age for a long time.

Erwan is moving the estate towards becoming a true Domaine and is shifting all the farming to organics.  These changes, combined with more care in the cellar, mean that the jump in quality for 2016 has been huge—and critics have noticed, as well.  Stock up while you can find these (especially these Grand Crus), because Faiveley is a house that’s going places.

Only twelve bottles available
Domaine Faiveley Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits 2016 750ML ($249.95) $219 special
Burghound 92-94 points
“(from Charmes proper; from yields of only 18 hl/ha). Much more subtle though by no means invisible oak sets off beautifully layered aromas of plum, spice, earth and a whiff of underbrush character. There is terrific richness and density to the velvet-textured and voluminous flavors that possess a real sense of mid-palate density thanks to the abundant level of dry extract that also buffers the moderately firm tannic spine. This is at once a relatively elegant version of the appellation yet it is also altogether serious. (92-94)/2028+
Stephen Tanzer 91-93 points “(partly from purchased grapes and the rest from a 60-year-old massale selection in both Charmes and Mazoyères–the same “Magnien selection” as the Lavaux Saint-Jacques; 100% destemmed; aging in 60% new oak and 40% once-used barrels): Dark red. Ripe, slightly high-toned aromas of almost liqueur-like dark fruit salad. Juicy on entry, then dense, sappy and dry, displaying lovely definition and cut. Very firm but with an element of perfume that makes it approachable now. Finishes complex and long, with supple tannins. Technical directly Jérôme Flous says that this is “the closest in style among our wines to Rousseau’s.” There’s certainly an element of softness to it.”
 
Only six bottles available
Domaine Faiveley Chambertin Clos de Beze Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits 2016 750ML ($449.95) $379 special
Wine Spectator 98 points
“A rich, powerful version, backed by flashy oak and beefy tannins that sandwich the flavors of black cherry, blackberry, licorice, iron and tobacco. Concentrated, yet vibrant and long. Best from 2024 through 2050. 500 cases made.—B.S.”
William Kelley – Wine Advocate 95 points “The 2016 Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru is also showing superbly, offering up aromas of cassis, grilled meats, pungent spices and a savory bass-note reminiscent of oyster sauce. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, rich and fleshy, with velvety structuring tannins, succulent acids and a long, expansive finish. It isn’t quite as multidimensional or complete as this year’s spectacular Ouvrées Rodin bottling, but it’s a very fine Clos de Bèze.”
Stephen Tanzer 94-97 points “Bright, dark red-ruby. Knockout sappy nose combines black raspberry, crushed rock and white pepper. Boasts remarkable intensity and clarity–not to mention class–to its flavors of raspberry, spices and pungent minerals. Wonderfully sappy and dense but almost magically light on its feet. This sharply delineated wine finishes with ineffable rising perfume and outstanding length. This wine manages to combine the best traits of Faiveley’s other Gevrey grand crus–not to mention the finest qualities of the 2016 vintage–in an utterly weightless package.”

This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast today!
The average price nationally is $430

Domaine Faiveley Corton ‘Clos des Cortons’ Faiveley Monopole Grand Cru, Cote de Beaune 2016 750ML ($249.95) $219 special
Stephen Tanzer 95-98 points
“Bright ruby. Fruit-driven aromas of crushed black cherry and dark raspberry convey outstanding pungent lift. Incredibly concentrated, sappy and primary, conveying outstanding juicy purity and compelling thickness to its dark fruit and violet flavors. At once hugely powerful and utterly seamless, this wine finishes with great spicy length and lift. A real essence of Burgundy–and likely to evolve gracefully for 25 years or more.”
William Kelley – Wine Advocate 95 points “The 2016 Corton Grand Cru Clos des Cortons Faiveley is another cuvée that is showing superbly from bottle, revealing an attractive bouquet of ripe red berry fruit, orange rind, wood smoke, espresso roast and dark chocolate that’s framed by a deft touch of classy new oak. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, satiny and lavish, with a deep and layered core, excellent concentration, vibrant acids and a long, beautifully defined finish. This is one of the finest rendition of the Clos des Cortons Faiveley produced under the new regime.”

Only nine bottles available
Domaine Faiveley Latricieres-Chambertin Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits 2016 750ML ($299.95) $249 special
William Kelley – Wine Advocate 95 points
“One of the more reserved wines in the range, the 2016 Latricières-Chambertin Grand Cru unfurls in the glass with a youthfully reticent bouquet of dark wild berry fruit, licorice, coniferous forest floor, grilled meats and spices. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, with an elegantly satiny attack and a deep, immensely concentrated mid-palate that’s framed by ripe tannins and brisk acids, concluding with a long and expansive finish. This is an understated but profound Latricières which numbers among Faiveley’s best in 2016.”
Burghound 93-95 points “(from a very large 1.21 ha parcel). Here too the wood treatment is subtle yet just prominent enough to warrant pointing out on the cool, pure and notably more sauvage nose of both red and dark wild berry and earth scents. There is a really lovely sense of underlying tension suffusing the much more mineral-driven middle weight flavors that are not quite as rich but notably more precise on the chiseled and wonderfully refined finish. Textbook. (93-95)/2031+.”

This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast today!
The average price nationally is $266

Looking for other wines from Faiveley?

Shop all 46 selections in stock and arriving soon on our website!
 
 
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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 at Vinopolis.

Stay safe, be well, & drink well.