New Champagne & Rose Arrivals; May Sale Highlights: Locavore’s Delight / SuperArgentineWine; German Magnum Madness; Rockin’ Rose Arriving Friday; FX Pichler 2015s; Domaine de la Terre Rouge New Releases; 2013 Dehu Offer; May Sale Recap
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New Weekend – New Arrivals
France – Champagne
Cedric Bouchard Roses de Jeanne Blanc de Noirs Cote de Val Vilaine, Champagne NV (2013) 750ML ($99.95) $79 special
Antonio Galloni 92 points “Bouchard’s NV (2013) Blanc de Noirs Côte de Val Vilaine is quite a bit creamier and richer than normal, the result of yields of just 26 hectoliters per hectare, as opposed the more typical 45, which is already absurdly low within the context of Champagne. Orange zest, white flowers, mint, chamomile and sweet spices flesh out as this exotic, unctuous Val Vilaine shows off its distinctive personality. The Val Vilaine is often a bit reduced when young, but that is not the case in the 2013, where the level of richness is pretty much off the charts.”
Bollinger La Grande Annee Brut, Champagne 2004 750ML ($149.95) $119 special
Antonio Galloni 95 points “Bollinger’s 2004 Brut La Grand Année is a beautiful wine with a lot of vintage character, but the style is a bit less oxidative than Bollinger fans are likely to expect. Pears, hazelnuts, spices and crushed rocks all flow through to the tense, vibrant finish. It will be interesting to see if the 2004 puts on weight in the bottle, as so many wines from this vintage have. Today, it is bright, linear and quite pretty. Green apples, pears and flowers all add lift on the close.”
Andre Clouet Dream Vintage Brut, Champagne 2006 750ML ($59.95) $49 special
Andre Clouet Dream Vintage Brut, Champagne 2009 750ML ($59.95) $49 special
VinopolNote: Andre Clouet is a Champagne house known for many things, chief among them being some of the best values in the appellation. The wines they’re making are fantastic, from their base non-vintage blend all the way through the prestige “1911” cuvee which is perpetually one of the best under $100 Champagnes out there. The wines, on the whole, tend to be Pinot based, which makes our offering today a bit of a departure: it is 100% Chardonnay. Andre Clouet calls this new release “Dream Vintage” and like everything else they make, it’s a steal for the price. Made with Grand Cru fruit, it’s bottled a year after vintage and then disgorged to order. Let that sink in for a second. The wines have been on the lees for a long time and well, they’re from great vintages to begin with. The 2006 will be classically proportioned, with a balance of richness and elegance buttressed by the extended time on the lees. The 2009 in a powerful wine with lots of opulence—it’s a wine that jumps out and tells you how special it is. The only catch with these are the quantities involved: we won’t have these around for long.
France – Rose
Chateau Pradeaux Bandol Rose, Provence 2016 750ML ($34.95) $29 special
Chateau Pradeaux Bandol Rose, Provence 2016 1.5L ($79.95) $69 special
Importer note “The Bandol Rosé from Pradeaux is perhaps the most serious wine in this category. Robust, rich, and complex with an ability to age gracefully, this wine is based on Cinsault (50%) and Mourvèdre (50%), taking its slight orange tint from the latter cépage. The younger vines of the domaine (average age: 25 years) are utilized to produce a rare rosé with staying power and exceptional complexity. The Rosé is vinified by a direct pressing for 24 hours followed by fermentation in cement tanks at a controlled temperature of 18 degrees Celsius for about 15 days; the malo-lactic fermentation is blocked and the wine is usually bottled in mid-April of the following year.”
Chateau Pradeaux Le Cotes de Provence Rose 2016 750ML ($24.95) $21.90 special
Importer note “The Cotes de Provence Rosé is 60% Mourvedre, 30% Cinsault and 10% Grenache all sourced from declassified Bandol vineyards, and the spirit of the appellation is obvious in the wine.”
Domaine du Gour de Chaule Gigondas Amour de Rose, Rhone 2016 750ML ($29.95) $24 special
Importer note “The Rosé at Gour de Chaulé is made from the direct press method. The juice is quickly drawn off the skins (6 to 9 hours of contact), then fermented. A cold stabilization follows. The wine does not undergo malolactic fermentation and is bottled in the early spring of the year following harvest. The Rosé is composed of Cinsault (50%), Grenache, and Mourvedre. This is a brilliantly colored wine with hues of pink and rose accompanied by flavors and a bouquet dominated by the impression of freshly crushed strawberries. Again, a limited amount of this wine is produced annually, only enough for us to have 1200 bottles per year for the US market.”
Domaine de la Petite Mairie Bourgueil Rose, Loire 2016 750ML ($21.95) $18 special
Importer note “A scintillating dry Rosé made exclusively from the Cabernet Franc grape, this quintessential wine of Bourgueil carries a pale rose color and bristles with the minerality that defines the terroir of this region. Far from simple, it performs a master class at the table with a variety of cuisine and can actually gain complexity with some time in the bottle.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Chateau Simone Palette Rose, Provence 2015 750ML ($69.95) $59 special
Importer note “The Château Simone Rosé is a wine that belies the notion that rosés are simple wines to be drunk up young. We have indulged ourselves with 10-year old Château Simone Rosé and have marveled at the tenacity, vibrancy and complexity of this very serious wine. The blend is identical to the rouge: 45% Grenache, 30% Mourvèdre, 5% Cinsault, 20% Syrah, Castet, Manosquin, Carignan, Muscat Noir & Blanc. Aged in barrel, it is powerful and age-worthy with a steely character and a grey-tinted aura to the faded rose-petal robe.”
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May Sale Highlights
Locavores Picks
Bow & Arrow Rhinestone Red, Willamette Valley 2015 750ML Was $21.90, Now $19.60
Case-12 Bow & Arrow Rhinestone Red, Willamette Valley 2015 Was $239, Now $219
Grapelive 94 points “Scott Frank’s Rhinestones 2015 maybe the best under $25 wine I’ve ever tasted from Oregon. In fact the 2015 is so good I almost prefer it to some over $50 Pinot Noir offerings. This is serious stuff that really delivers the quality and depth you’d not maybe expect from this fun blend. Sourced from organic/biodynamic vineyards, mostly Johan Vineyards, and picked a bit early, Bow & Arrow gets detailed ripeness, but with zesty freshness of acidity. The fruit is very gently handled with partial whole cluster and, in traditional Loire Valley style, low oak winemaking is employed. Like Passetoutgrains in Burgundy or Cheverny in the Loire, this blend has long been an interesting marriage of varietals with the Pinot Noir giving beauty, depth and earthy charms while the Gamay gives color, vibrancy and fruitiness. This wine goes even further with this vintage taking to a new level: this Rhinestones will change all perception on what can be achieved with this blend of grapes and it should be honored as one of the great terroir wines of its generation. It redefines Oregon’s paradigm! The 2015 starts with a nose of dark roses, spice, truffle and blue fruits leading to a vivid palate of black cherry, blueberry, plum and tart currant fruits along with walnut/cedar, peppery stones, sage/mint/anise, cinnamon and iron/mineral tones finishing long and lingering with strawberry, earthy beet root and lavender. The texture is amazing and the mouth feel is exceptional considering how alive and bright this brilliant medium weight wine is. It is a satiny stunner with glorious vitality and grace. Don’t over think the grapes or label: this wine is the new Oregon and it deserves your open mind and attention. Drink this over the next 5 to 10 years. What a truly fantastic effort! I’m a huge fan of Frank’s wines, but this is by far the best vintage of Rhinestones. Also look for their straight Gamay Noir, Melon (think bone dry, leesy Muscadet) and Sauvignon Blanc. These Loire inspired wines are lovely Oregon surprises that will thrill and seduce the senses.”
John Gilman 92 points “The 2015 version of Rhinestones is a blend of sixty percent pinot noir and forty percent gamay. The wine is a tad tight when first opened, but with a bit of swirling offers up a lovely bouquet of red and black cherries, a touch of pepper, spit-roasted meats, fresh herbs and dark soil tones. On the palate the wine is bright, full-bodied and tangy, with a fine core, lovely focus and grip and a long, moderately tannic finish. This is 12.5 percent octane and absolutely laser-like on the palate, with superb backer energy. I am sure this is intended as an early quaffer for restaurants in Portland, but this has the balance and structure to also age very well indeed! 2016- 2030.”
Matello ‘Souris’ Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2012 750ML ($.95) Was $37, Now $29
Case-12 Matello ‘Souris’ Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2012 750ML ($449.95) $299 May Sale special (that’s only $24.92/bottle!)
Case-6 Matello ‘Souris’ Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2012 750ML ($249.95) $166 May Sale special (that’s only $27.67/bottle!)
Josh Raynolds–Vinous 93 points “Vivid ruby-red. Heady, complex scents of fresh red and dark berries, incense and Asian spices, with a bright mineral overtone. Intense black raspberry and spicecake flavors convey a shapely, seamless quality. Fleshes out and deepens with aeration and finishes sweet and extremely long, with lingering smokiness and harmonious tannins.”
SuperUco SuperMalbec SuperSale
Michelini Bros Superuco Calcareo ‘Coluvio de Altamira’ Malbec, San Carlos, Argentina 2013 750ML ($49.95) Was $39, Now $33
Wine Advocate 94 points “The 2013 Calcáreo Coluvio de Altamira is closed and tight, feeling the most austere and chalk-driven of the three reds I tasted form the Calcáreo line. The grapes are selected from a small part of the vineyard where the calcium carbonate is seen in the surface. It’s a serious, balanced and terribly salty and mineral red with the violets of Malbec intermixed with crushed rocks and even a marine feeling to it. Complex, subtle, elegant… terrific! And very affordable too. 3,000 bottles produced, the content of the amphora.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $37
Michelini Bros Superuco Calcareo ‘Granito de Tupungato’ Malbec, Tupungato, Argentina 2013 750ML ($49.95) Was $39, Now $33
Wine Advocate 95 points “The 2013 Calcáreo Granito de Tupungato starts with lactic notes followed by ripe plum and ripe skin aromas from grapes grown at higher altitude, closer to the sun. It is a bit wild. The palate is tremendously mineral, with a chalky texture and incredible length. The tannins are ultra-fine and the wine is compact, very harmonious. This is the more austere and mineral of the three. Awesome value!”
James Suckling 96 points “This is so sexy and polished. Full-bodied, yet refined and long. Seamless and ethereal. Drink or hold.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Michelini Bros Superuco Calcareo ‘Rio de los Chacayes’ Malbec, Tunuyan, Argentina 2013 750ML ($49.95) Was $39, Now $29
Wine Advocate 93 points “The 2013 Calcáreo Río de los Chacayes is sourced from the Chacayes zone of Tunuyán on top of Vista Flores towards the mountains. It has a riper, spicier, floral, and aromatic profile with notes of thyme and rosemary. It is the most extroverted of the three, and also feels quite polished. The palate, however, is more serious, with the austerity of the rocks, a very fine thread of subtle acidity and a long, long, long finish with sweeter tannins. It’s a rolling stone covered in chalk and surrounded by thyme. Awesome! 3,000 bottles were produced.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $34.98
The average price is $39
See the complete list of all wines on sale through the month of May at the bottom of this newsletter!
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German Magnum Madness
Want in on a secret? We offer one of the largest selections of fine German wines in the country – that’s over 300 different wines or almost 6,000 bottles all told. That means we can offer outrageously low prices on top picks from all along the Mosel and beyond. Check out our in-stock selection of magnums below from such names as Donnhoff and JJ Prum – most are the best price or only listing in the country!
German Magnums In-Stock Now:
Weingut A.J. Adam Dhroner Hofberg Riesling Spatlese, Mosel 2014 1.5L ($119.95) $89 special, 1 magnum available
Wine Advocate 92 points “From a warmer vineyard that was planted in 1953 with ungrafted vines that deliver small, healthy berries and low yields, the 2014 Hofberg Spätlese displays an intense and ripe apple bouquet mixed with flinty and spicy/mineral aromas. Picked with 92° Oechsle, this is an elegant, round and voluptuous Riesling with a smooth palate, but also a piquant and mineral acidity that takes this lush and sensual Spätlese to a long, charming finish with a lingering and mouthwatering salinity.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $99.08
Weingut A.J. Adam Dhroner Hofberg Riesling Grosses Gewachs, Mosel 2013 1.5L ($149.95) $127 special, 3 magnums available
Robert Parker 93+ points “Selected twice (in the vineyard and at the winery to process only healthy grapes), 100% fuder-fermented and bottled in May 2014, the 2013 Dhroner Hofberg Riesling trocken has a very clear and precise nose displaying ripe peach and nectarine aromas intertwined with slate flavors. This leads to an impressively intense, filigreed and pure wine which develops power and finesse and does not have a single gram of fat. Sourced from 60-year-old and partly ungrafted vines this 12.4% natural alcohol cru is a full-bodied, elegant, precise and crystalline Riesling with an impressive purity and terroir expression. It has just begun its flight and could be even finer in half a year. “RP
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast today!
Weingut Donnhoff Norheimer Dellchen Riesling Grosses Gewachs, Nahe 2015 1.5L ($149.95) $135 special, 2 magnums available
Wine Advocate 97 points “From slate and porphyry soils in the terraced Norheim cru, the 2015 (Norheimer) Dellchen Riesling GG opens with a perfectly ripe, superbly defined and highly refined Riesling bouquet with stony, lemony, ripe apple and mocha flavors from perfectly ripe pips. This grand cru is truly complex and elegant on the nose, with fine floral and herbal flavors. On the palate, this is a pure, highly elegant, intense and silky textured Riesling with great finesse and expression. There is really great balance and length here, and it is not exhausting at all. The finish is a parade of minerals, salts, and the finesse of the best Dellchen I have ever tasted, and it does not end too soon to celebrate itself. This is a beautifully structured and smooth Riesling–a legend of clarity, finesse and elegance.”
This is the only listing in the USA today for the magnum!
Weingut Donnhoff ‘Felsenturmchen’ Schlossbockelheimer Felsenberg Riesling Grosses Gewachs, Nahe 2015 1.5L ($149.95) $119 special, 1 magnum available
John Gilman 96 points ” Clearly the best dry wine I ever tasted from this great site! Perfectly ripe yellow peach nose with a delicate hint of smoke. Packed with ripe fruit, the muscularity of an Olympic sprinter, but this wine will go on and on long after those sprinters go into retirement. The dazzling acidity turns the finish into a fireworks display of minerals.”
Wine Advocate 95+ points “The 2015 (Schlossböckelheimer) Felsenberg Riesling GG ‘Felsentürmchen’ is from the steep, south-facing cru with volcanic soils. It opens very pure and stony, with deep, flinty flavors and a lemon perfume sprayed over crushed stones. On the palate, this is a generous, intense and finesse-full Riesling with great intensity and lingering salinity. The wine seems round, but it has less than four grams of residual sugar. In fact, I have rarely tasted a Felsentürmchen that is so generous and Burgundian as this. In terms of texture, complexity and its compact nature, it is a bit like a Pinot Noir from Volnay. A great dry Riesling for sure, and its soul is clearly stony, flinty and more challenging than the smooth Dellchen, for example. The Felsenberg needs its time to show all its talents.”
This is the only listing in the USA today for the magnum!
Weingut Donnhoff Niederhauser Hermannshohle Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel, Nahe 2015 1.5L ($199.95) $179 special, 4 magnums available
Wine Advocate 96 points “The 2015 Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle Riesling Auslese is lovely, clear and flinty on the nose and, like the Spätlese, is characterized by its noble aristocracy, but also lemony freshness and great purity. There seems to be more crushed stones than grapes in this wine, which reflects a lot of the fastidious selection and the healthy condition of the processed grapes. On the palate, this is a generous and concentrated, but pure, piquant and buoyant Auslese of great expression and finesse. This vibrating wine is dancing over the palate, leaving loads of minerals and salts, which makes this a dangerous drug. The finish is piquant and salty–you simply can’t stop drinking and adoring it. There is so much grip, tension and finesse here. The wine is also available in 375 milliliter bottles ($50) and 1500 milliliter bottles ($190).”
This is the only listing in the USA today for the magnum!
Weingut Donnhoff Norheimer Kirschheck Riesling Spatlese, Nahe 2015 1.5L ($99.95) $77 special, 3 magnums available
Wine Advocate 91 points “The 2015 Norheimer Kirschheck Riesling Spätlese is clear, piquant and salty on the nose, with great purity and a lovely flintiness framing the ripe yellow apple and grapefruit aromas. On the palate, this is a pretty, complex and salty Spätlese with generous but delicate fruit and lingering mineral tension and salinity. Grown on the same soil as the Leistenberg Kabinett (grey slate) but from a fully south-facing site, this is a perfect Spätlese terroir. Although this wine has just 9% alcohol, it is intense and complex and has 65 grams of residual sugar. It is a really full-bodied Riesling.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $83.99
Weingut Donnhoff Oberhauser Brucke Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel, Nahe 2015 1.5L ($199.95) $179 special, 5 magnums available
Wine Advocate 94 points “The 2015 Oberhäuser Brücke Riesling Auslese was selected shortly before the Spätlese and is a selection of super ripe and the rarely botrytis grapes. The wine has a super ripe and warm fruit bouquet with some spicy and flinty aromas. On the palate, this is a piquant and generous Riesling with clear definition and lingering complexity and salinity. It has very good grip. (The wine is also available in 375 milliliter bottles for $45 and 1500 milliliter bottles for $180.)”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Weingut Karthauserhof Eitelsbacher Karthauserhofberg Riesling Auslese 2014 1.5L ($119.95) $79 special, 6 magnums available
John Gilman 94 points “I did not have a chance to taste the 2014 Auslese AP #12 on my trip last March and was very happy to have a chance to visit it prior to launching into the excellent vertical of Grosses Gewächs generously prepared by the estate. This is an absolutely superb bottle of young Auslese, wafting from the glass in a gently glazed blend of pear, white cherry, honeycomb, salty slate, orange zest and a pungent floral topnote redolent of cherry blossoms. On the palate the wine is fullish, racy and very long, with excellent focus and cut, excellent complexity and a long, vibrant and very poised finish. Classy juice. 2018-2050. 94.”
Weingut Karthauserhof Eitelsbacher Karthauserhofberg Riesling Kabinett 2014 1.5L ($89.95) $69 special, 4 magnums available
Wine Advocate 91 points “The 2014 Riesling Karthäuserhofberg Kabinett is a very clear, bright and delicate Riesling of great finesse and lightness. Lovely juiciness. The acidity is rather smooth, respectively and perfectly integrated into the round and elegant texture. This Riesling is very clear, bright and light. with great finesse and lightness. Ruwer style. Bottled with 8% alcohol and 44 grams of residual sugar.”
Weingut Karthauserhof Eitelsbacher Karthauserhofberg Riesling Spatlese 2014 1.5L ($99.95) $69 special, 2 magnums available
Wine Advocate 90+ points “The 2014 Riesling Karthäuserhofberg Spätlese (AP #9) offers a very clear and complex, mineral-scented bouquet of ripe white fruits. Juicy and piquant on the palate, with grip, raciness and the lean and crystalline Karthäuserhofberg character, this is a pretty complex and persistent Spätlese with grip and a prominent crispiness. It should be cellared for at least another 5-10 years. Very good aging potential.”
Joh. Jos. Prum Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel, Mosel 2015 1.5L ($219.95) $199 special, 6 magnums available
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 95 points “The 2015 Graacher Himmelreich Auslese Gold Capsule (AP 18) displays a very intense and perfectly ripe, but healthy stone fruit aroma intermixed with delicate flinty/slate-like flavors. On the plate, this Gold Capsule is as lush as it is pure, piquant and salty; it is provided with remarkable precision and concentration, with a still stimulatingly fresh and vibrant finish. This is a great Auslese, indeed.”
Mosel Fine Wines 95 points “This offers a gorgeous nose of melon, grapefruit, spices, herbs and honey. The wine develops a superbly clean feel of aniseed fruits, pear and a hint of apricot and honey on the palate, which gives way to a delicately creamy sense of fruits and herbs in the delicately honeyed finish. This is a beautifully elegant and superbly balanced wine in the making. 2030-2055”
Joh. Jos. Prum Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Kabinett, Mosel 2015 1.5L ($79.95) $66 special, 1 magnum available
Wine Spectator 94 points– Hot Wine “This juicy and harmonious white, with an easy-drinking character, offers complex aromas hinting at violet, black currant and peach, while the flavors pick up apple and mineral notes, all capped by a long aftertaste echoing fruit, mineral and floral elements. Drink now through 2024.”
Joh. Jos. Prum Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Spatlese, Mosel 2015 1.5L ($99.95) $79 special, 5 magnums available
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 93 points “Prüm’s 2015 Graacher Himmelreich Spätlese is clear, intense and flinty on the nose, very precise but well concentrated; however, it is the most reductive of the Spätlese quartet. Round and piquant, with a stimulating fruit and salinity, this is a very well-defined, crystalline and straight Spätlese of great finesse and elegance. It needs five years or so to unfold all its talents, but it can surely age for 20 or 30 years.”
Mosel Fine Wines 92+ points “This is still quite reduced at first but already offers a gorgeous nose of dried herbs, spices, melon, almond (from reduction) and cassis. The wine reveals quite a playful side on the palate as its juicy fruits are wrapped into a mineral and smoky core of smoke. The wine is delicately ripe yet vibrant acidity brings freshness and liveliness to the long and mouth-watering finish. This is a superb Spätlese with even some upside potential. 2025-2045”
German Mags Arriving in May
Weingut Donnhoff Roxheimer Hollenpfad Riesling Trocken, Nahe 2015 1.5L ($99.95) $77 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 93 points “From a steep, south-facing vineyard on red sandstone soils, the 2015 (Roxheimer) Höllenpfad Riesling Trocken opens with warm and generous yellow apple fruit, but also a coolish and piquant sand stone expression with spicy and even peppery lemon flavors. “The grapes are always smaller here than in the Kahlenberg and the berries [are] very intense in their fine fruit aromas,” says Helmut Dönnhoff. The roots can go through the sandstone, which is not the case in the volcanic soils of Niederhausen and Oberhausen. As a result, drought stress is very rare and that makes the Höllenpfad a perfect origin for dry Rieslings. On the palate, this is a generously fruity, but also pure, piquant and finely racy Riesling with lingering salinity and lemony freshness. The wine is dense and generous, but precise, fresh and rather cool instead of warm. It is a gorgeous Riesling that combines the warmth of the northern Nahe, closer to the Rhine river, with the purity and salinity of the Niederhausen/Oberhausen. The finish is pretty, long and aromatic, and the ripe apples remain on the palate as do the stony flavors.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $83.99
Weingut Donnhoff ‘Felsenturmchen’ Schlossbockelheimer Felsenberg Riesling Spatlese, Nahe 2015 1.5L ($119.95) $99 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 93 points “The flinty and herbal-flavored 2015 Schlossböckelheimer Felsenberg Riesling Spätlese is from grapes that were selected a few days before the ones for the Grosses Gewächs to keep the alcohol level moderate at 13%. It is a mouth-filling, yet straight and racy/piquant wine with lush fruit, piquant acidity (ten grams of total acidity!), great elegance and terroir expression. Its finish is stimulatingly salty, and the complexity of the Felsenberg terroir shines through dramatically and untamed. I would keep this wine for 5-10 years because there are other Dönnhoff Rieslings that are able to charm you in the meantime. This one has other talents. Dönnhoff remembers the 1998 as a similar Spätlese. If you so will, this is the antipode of the aristocratic Hermannshöhle.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
We offer 122 magnums in-stock now from around the world. See the full listings on our web store!
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Rockin’ Rose Arriving Next Friday
Lucien Crochet Sancerre Pinot Rose, Loire 2016 750ML ($37.95) $29 pre-arrival special
Lucien Crochet Sancerre Pinot Rose, Loire 2016 1.5L ($79.95) $69 pre-arrival special
Importer Notes “Made exclusively of Pinot Noir harvested from several parcels … a mix of Oxfordian “caillottes” and Kimmeridgian “marne”. This Rosé is made using the direct press method with the whole berries entering the pressoir. The musts ferment in temperature-controlled cuves (85%) as well as a small percentage in older barrels (15%). The fermentation occurs over three weeks. The wines is bottled in the spring of the following year.”
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Pichler 2015’s Pre-Arrival
Sommelier and Riesling Legend Paul Greico once said, “If F.X. was a guitarist, Jimmy Page would stand aside” and no truer hyperbole has ever been uttered in the world of wine. F.X. Pichler stands as one of the two or three most important Austrian producers and hands down the winery crafting the most powerful, complex and bombastic dry Riesling and Gruner Veltliner on the planet.
The wines of F.X. Pichler are unique, in that no one else seems to wrangle both power and complexity into a single package quite like this wizard of the Wachau. With a combination of intensive viticulture, native fermentations and great terroir, the wines are unlike anything else in the world. Broad and powerful, with a cut and minerality that are unique to the vineyards in the Wachau.
The 2015 vintage, which we’re offering today, is something special as well. As Willi Brundlmayer (in the Kamptal) put it, “Conditions were perfect in 2015: everything happened at the right time, leaving no wishes unfulfilled.” Growers could make wines as stylistic epitome of their choosing, which means that if you’re an FX Pichler fan, these might be (and forgive the phrase) the most FX Pichler wines ever. They arrive in June and we have the best prices on them in the country!
Arriving in June:
The Gruners:
F.X. Pichler Durnsteiner Kellerberg Gruner Veltliner Smaragd, Wachau 2015 750ML ($89.95) $79 pre-arrival special
F.X. Pichler Durnsteiner Kellerberg Gruner Veltliner Smaragd, Wachau 2015 375ML ($49.95) $39 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 94 points “Like the Liebenberg from weathered granite and gneiss soils, but in a higher and cooler spot, the 2015 Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Dürnsteiner Kellerberg opens with an intense and herbal-flavored, rather spicy and stony bouquet of ripe and concentrated bright fruits. Full-bodied, ripe and piquant on the palate, this is a rich and powerful, well-concentrated and elegant Kellerberg with a rich extract and a long and persistent finish. The 2015 should be cellared for at least another 3-5 years.”
This is the only listing in the USA today for the half-bottle!
F.X. Pichler Durnsteiner Liebenberg Gruner Veltliner Smaragd, Wachau 2015 750ML ($69.95) $59 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 93-94 points “The 2015 Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Dürnsteiner Liebenberg comes from 70- to 80-year-old vines on a rare calcareous slate soil. The wine displays a very clear and pure, pretty open and lovely spicy, crystalline and flinty bouquet with ripe pip fruit aromas. Very distinguished and rather coolish in its expression. Full-bodied, round and elegant, with tension, salt and grip in the finish, this is a charmingly ripe and juicy but also challenging mineral and piquant Veltliner from one of the most exciting terroirs. The finish is powerful and complex but also fresh and stimulatingly piquant. Pichler has bottled this wine since 2010.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
F.X. Pichler Loibner Berg Gruner Veltliner Smaragd, Wachau 2015 750ML ($51.95) $44 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 92-93 points “From probably the warmest vineyard of the Wachau, the 2015 Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Loibner Loibenberg is a full-bodied, rich and intense, very juicy, but also piquant and mineral Veltliner with tobacco flavors on the nose. Dense and with an old-vines intensity, this Loibenberg offers ripe yellow stone fruits with a tropical touch, but is also very well structred and finishes with a long and salty aftertaste. An impressive wine.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
F.X. Pichler M Gruner Veltliner Smaragd, Wachau 2015 750ML ($89.95) $79 pre-arrival special
F.X. Pichler M Gruner Veltliner Smaragd, Wachau 2015 1.5L ($189.95) $169 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 94-95 points “The 2015 Grüner Veltliner Smaragd M is a selection of the ripest (overripe) grapes from the Loibenberg, Kellerberg and Liebenberg. Harvested in the last week of November and macerated for 20 to 24 hours, this is a rich and creamy textured yet elegant and vibrantly fresh Veltliner monument with finesse and purity and a long and tension-filled finish. Great salinity and concentration. An elegant and expressive wine for XXL drinkers.”
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This is the only listing in the USA today for the magnum!
F.X. Pichler Urgestein Terrassen Gruner Veltliner Smaragd, Wachau 2015 750ML ($41.95) $36 pre-arrival special
David Schildknecht–Vinous 92 points “This blend from numerous sites (not rendered in vintage 2014 due to paucity of fruit) brims with luscious, juicy white peach and grapefruit, and its combination of citricity, green herbal pungency and stony underpinnings puts me as much in mind of Riesling as of Grüner Veltliner. Silken and enveloping on the palate, it retains its sense of energy and brightness through an invigoratingly peach-kernel-inflected, tinglingly stone-infused and mouthwateringly salt-tinged finish. Despite harboring 13.5 percent alcohol, the wine also conveys a subtle and attractive sense of lift.”
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The Rieslings:
F.X. Pichler Durnsteiner Kellerberg Riesling Smaragd, Wachau 2015 750ML ($119.95) $85 pre-arrival special
David Schildknecht–Vinous 95-96 points “A pungently smoky, incisive, savory mélange of sage, dark tobacco and black pepper is allied to ripe peach and garlanded with heliotrope in a head-turningly intense nose. That full range of elements reprises on a polished palate, whose textural caress and sweet sense of ripeness are combined with welcome, tangy, chewy counterpoint of peach skin and a refreshingly juicy squirt of fresh lime. The finish offers a mouthwateringly prolonged, kaleidoscopic interaction of fruity, savory and smoky elements – plenty rich, yet with rare cut and animation for its vintage.”
F.X. Pichler Loibner Berg Riesling Smaragd, Wachau 2015 750ML ($59.95) $49 pre-arrival special
F.X. Pichler Loibner Berg Riesling Smaragd, Wachau 2015 375ML ($39.95) $33 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 92 points “Warm and intense on the nose, ripe and concentrated white fruit aromas open the 2015 Riesling Smaragd Loibner Loibenberg, which is pure and citric on the nose and very inviting. Pure, fresh and piquant on the palate, this is rather coolish and stunningly lean and pure Loibenberg compared to the corresponding Grüner Veltliner. Lucas believes that Riesling has eventually stopped the ripening process during the vegetation period. This 2015 has grip and tension and a rather coolish character.”
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F.X. Pichler M Riesling Smaragd, Wachau 2015 750ML ($79.95) $69 pre-arrival special
David Schildknecht–Vinous 91-92 points “Reliance on late-harvested Loibenberg fruit resulted in a bottling that finished with too much residual sugar to qualify as Smaragd. (More thoroughly shriveled Loibenberg fruit resulted in a B.A. and T.B.A.) Lusciously ripe peach is tinged with banana and mingled with almond extract and liquid heliotrope perfume. Fortunately, a measure of grapefruit is not only pungently fragrant but also brightly juicy and piquantly zesty, helping – along with piquancy of peach kernel – to offset this bottling’s enveloping richness and sheer surfeit of ripe, sugar-reinforced fruit. The impressively sustained finish is, however, not at all overtly sweet.”
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F.X. Pichler Loibner Oberhauser Riesling Smaragd, Wachau 2015 750ML ($49.95) $39 pre-arrival special
David Schildknecht–Vinous 92 points “A site-typical meld of apricot and lime is garlanded with iris on the nose and reprises with wonderful purity and vivid freshness on a silken-textured, expansive palate. Piquant apricot kernel and a lick of wet stone lend counterpoint on a lusciously lingering finish that irresistibly calls forth the next sip.”
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F.X. Pichler Loibner Steinertal Riesling Smaragd, Wachau 2015 750ML ($69.95) $59 pre-arrival special
David Schildknecht–Vinous 93-94 points “White peach and grapefruit aromas mingle with honeysuckle on an enticing nose, and the three reunite on a glossy palate lusciously ripe and loaded with liquid floral perfume but simultaneously exuberantly and invigoratingly bright. The finish offers prolonged counterpoint of fruity, floral and stony elements. This bottling displays a combination of penetration, refinement and balancing acidity that is rare for an Austrian Riesling of its vintage.”
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Domaine de la Terre Rouge
Arriving Mid-June
Along the western edges of the Sierra Nevadas in Amador County lies Shenandoah Valley. Here, amid the rolling hills and high peaks, Bill Easton and Jane O’Riordan founded Domaine de la Terre Rouge, named in homage to the iron-rich soils found in the region. The winery is dedicated to capturing the essence of the landscape within its wines and the focus is high elevation wines highlighting the complexity and nuance within each distinct site in small lot, 100-400 case production. Sentinel Oak is the oldest Syrah vineyard in the Sierra Nevada, planted in 1982. DTR ranch is the coolest Syrah site of the estate, reminiscent of a Northern Rhone wine. High Slopes is sourced from the three highest elevation Syrah sites, showing racy aromatics and a perfumed Côte Rôtie-esque nose. These rare beauties arrive mid-June. Act fast, they are highly limited!
Domaine de la Terre Rouge Ascent Syrah, Sierra Foothills 2013 750ML ($99.95) $79 pre-arrival special
Wine Enthusiast 96 points “This is the small-production, flagship wine from the Sierra region’s best producer of Rhône-style wines. Lovely, spicy, floral aromas and generous, complex and layered flavors make the wine irresistible, while its strong but velvety texture sets it up for a long life in the cellar for those who can resist. It smells lightly oaky, like a cigar box and cocoa, tastes deep and focused on blackberry, pomegranate and dark chocolate. The mouthfeel is both rich and a bit reserved.”
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Domaine de la Terre Rouge DTR Ranch Syrah, Fiddletown 2013 750ML ($44.95) $34.80 pre-arrival special
Wine Enthusiast 91 points “This is a very solid, well-structured and deeply flavorful wine from the first whiff of blackberries and black pepper to the mouth-coating but dry flavors to the lingering spicy finish. Best to drink after 2018.”
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Domaine de la Terre Rouge High Slopes Syrah, Sierra Foothills 2013 750ML ($44.95) $34.80 pre-arrival special
Wine Enthusiast 93 points “Massive in structure and very generous in flavor, this wine has light vanilla and nutmeg aromas, but dark and potent blackberry and espresso flavors smothered in a thick layer of fine tannins. There is no denying the wine’s richness but it holds everything in a dry, firm texture to achieve great balance.”
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Domaine de la Terre Rouge ‘Sentinel Oak Vineyard Pyramid Block’ Syrah, Shenandoah Valley 2013 750ML ($44.95) $38 pre-arrival special
Wine Enthusiast 95 points “This gorgeous, concentrated, mouthfilling wine is delicious to sip now but will certainly improve in the cellar for a decade or more. Tempting black cherry and boysenberry flavors seem to swell in the mouth, while light baking-spice and black-pepper accents weave in and out. Even on the finish it keeps surging with dark fruits and spices.”
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Sumptuous Champagne Arriving in July
Dehu ‘La Rue des Noyers’, Champagne NV (2013) 750ML ($99.95) $89 pre-arrival special
Antonio Galloni 94 points “Benoit Déhu’s NV (2013) Extra Brut Cuvée La Rue des Noyers Non-Dosé needs time to come into its own, but it is very impressive today. Powerful and exquisitely layered in the glass, the 2013 is striking in its beauty. Orchard fruit, white flowers and mint open up first, while darker red cherry, Mirabelle plum, licorice and earthy notes develop later. The 2013 is at once lifted yet also quite deep, with an interplay of aromas, flavors and textures that is compelling. The Extra Brut Cuvée La Rue des Noyers Non-Dosé is 100% Meunier vinified and aged in barrel, with no malolactic fermentation. Disgorged April 2016.”
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May Sale Recap
These great deals expire on June 1st!
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Thank you for reading!