Saturday, May 2nd, 2015
Flash Sale
Arriving May 5th
Domaine Leon Barral Faugeres Valiniere, Languedoc-Roussillon 2011 ($79.95) $49 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 95 points “The Mourvèdre dominated 2011 Faugères Valiniere (which incorporates a smidge of Syrah) is a full-bodied, big boned, layered and rich Faugères that needs bottle age. Giving up awesome blueberry, licorice, violets and spice, it hits the palate with serious concentration, lots of fruit and building underlying structure that comes through with time in the glass. This is a serious Faugères that deserves 2-4 years of bottle aged, and will drink nicely through 2026.” WA
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best factually available price is $72
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Flickering Sales
Quintessa Red, Rutherford 2011 750ML ($149.95) $99 special, 2 bottles available
Wine Enthusiast 93 points “Cellar Selection: For the 2011 vintage, Winemaker Charles Thomas blended Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot from the winery’s 280-acre biodynamic and organically farmed estate in the heart of Rutherford. The effect is memorable, the wine pungent in red plum and cherry. Light, layered and elegantly smooth on the palate, it has a backdrop of black pepper and clove. Cellar through 2025.”
Stephen Tanzer 91 points “(94% cabernet with 4% merlot, 1% cab franc and 1% petit verdot): Full ruby-red. Inviting aromas of spicy red and black fruits, licorice, wild herbs and pepper. Juicy and spicy, showing more density and purity of fruit than the Faust bottling. Spicy dark berry flavors are complicated by black olive, wild herbs and a hint of leather and lifted by an attractive violet element. Finishes with pliant tannins, good mineral lift and lingering perfume. Winemaker Charles Thomas told me that the use of an optical sorter in 2011 allowed the estate to hang its fruit for an extra few days, despite the humid conditions.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $117.93
The average price is $139
Hall Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2012 750ML ($59.95) Was $49, Now $39, 36+ bottles available
Antonio Galloni 88-90 points “Hall’s 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon is laced with attractive plum, mocha, licorice, spices and menthol notes. This juicy, highly expressive Cabernet Sauvignon is shaping up beautifully. It should drink well pretty much upon release.” AG
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Vignobles Brunier Domaine Vieux Telegraphe Chateauneuf-du-Pape La Crau, Rhone 2012 750ML ($89.95) Was $69, Now $59, 36+ bottles available
Case-12 Vignobles Brunier Domaine Vieux Telegraphe Chateauneuf-du-Pape La Crau, Rhone 2012 750ML ($899.95) $679 special (that’s only $56.58/bottle), 4 cases available
Wine Spectator 94 points “Rock-solid, with a hefty core of fig, blackberry and black cherry fruit, wrapped in chestnut and tobacco leaf notes and carrying through a lavender- and tar-framed finish. Dense and grippy, showing a slightly old-school shading. Should cellar well. Best from 2016 through 2030”
Josh Raynolds 92-94 points “Bright ruby. Intense raspberry and cherry aromas are complicated by hints of lavender, spicecake and blood orange. Juicy and fruit-driven, with palate-coating flavors of sweet, spice-tinged red fruits and candied flowers. Quite suave and seamless, boasting striking purity to its red fruit- and mineral-driven finish. Those who decry the ripeness and heady character of most Chateauneufs owe it to themselves to try this wine.”
Robert Parker 93-95 points “The top wine of the estate, the 2012 Vieux Telegraphe Chateauneuf du Pape (which is always a blend of 65% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 15% Mourvedre and 5% Cinsault and other grapes, from 65-year-old vines) is a classic example of the cuvee and possesses gorgeous aromatics (kirsch, garrigue, big minerality and background meatiness), medium to full-bodied richness and a firm, tannic spine. As is common, it will require a handful of years in the cellar to come around and have 15+ years of longevity. Drink 2016-2027.” RP
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $81/bottle
Domaine Philippe Charlopin Gevrey Chambertin Morceaux Vieilles Vignes 2012 ($99.95) Was $79, Now $66, 36+ bottles available
Wine Spectator 93 points “Exhibits fine purity to the cherry, berry and floral aromas and flavors. Elements of tobacco and earth add depth and the silky texture is backed by harmonious acidity and tannins. Excellent length. Best from 2017 through 2028.” B.S.
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $89.99
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Keller 2014 Pre-Arrival
“If I had to choose one wine to show how great dry German Riesling can be I would choose a Keller Riesling. These wines are the German Montrachets.” – Jancis Robinson
The Keller estate dates back to 1789, when Johann Leonhard Keller settled in Dalsheim and acquired a plot of land in the Upper Hubacker. Today, Klaus Keller and his son Klaus-Peter farm the 12.5 hectares (5.5 of which is Riesling) of vineyards near their house and winery and in the surrounding area. They are meticulous in the vineyard and cellar where hand-picked grapes are rigorously sorted. Fermentation takes places at low temperatures with naturally present yeast, and can take place for eight to ten weeks for the dry wines. The winery is a member of the German VDP association.
Arriving May 2015
Weingut Keller Gruner Silvaner Trocken, Rheinhessen 2014 750ML ($24.95) $19 pre-arrival special
Weingut Keller ‘Von der Fels Riesling’ Trocken, Rheinhessen 2014 750ML ($39.95) $33 pre-arrival special
Arriving November 2015
Weingut Keller Dalsheimer Hubacker Riesling Grosses Gewachs, Rheinhessen 2014 750ML ($99.95) $79 pre-arrival special
Weingut Keller Westhofener Kirchspiel Riesling Grosses Gewachs, Rheinhessen 2014 750ML ($99.95) $79 pre-arrival special
Arriving April 2016
Weingut Keller Westhofener Brunnenhauschen Abts Erde Riesling Grosses Gewachs, Rheinhessen 2014 750ML ($149.95) $109 pre-arrival special
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Austria
New Wine Advocate Reviews
Wines Here Now:
Familie Saahs Nikolaihof Vinothek Riesling, Wachau 1997 750ML ($219.95) $199 special, 10 bottles available
Wine Advocate 97 points “Aged for 17 years in a domestic 3,500-liter cask before it was bottled in August 2014, the 1997 Riesling Vinothek is the best part of the regular 1997 Riesling Smaragd Im Weingebirge, which was bottled and marketed in late 1998. The aged Vinothek version offers a fascinatingly clear, bright, deep and multi-layered nose with iodine and ripe as well as intense white-fleshed fruit aromas. Full-bodied, full of finesse and elegant, this dry, transparent and mineral Riesling develops a great intensity, complexity and power on the palate, but never leaves its silky road of purity, finesse and transparency. There is a lot of Spiel and tension here, but the most exciting characteristic trait is the intense and very mineral, almost endless finish. How youthful this wine is! And its further aging potential is still terrific. The wine reminds me of certain sherries, white Riojas and Jura wines, although it is not less oxidative. But it spent a long time in cask and has the freshness, complexity and thrilling taste of those. It’s a great, unique and stimulating wine that was bottled with 12.8% of alcohol, 6 grams of residual sugar and 6.5 grams of acidity.”
Familie Saahs Nikolaihof Riesling vom Stein Smaragd, Wachau 2011 750ML ($79.95) $66 special, 2 bottles available
Wine Advocate 94 points “The 2011 Riesling Smaragd Vom Stein opens with the ripe charm and winning self-confidence of a warm vintage. Super clear, with ultra-ripe (not overripe though!) and concentrated fruit aromas on the nose along with floral and herbal flavors, there is no cool soul so far, since the baby-fruit takes it all. Full-bodied, rich and powerful on the palate, this is a very juicy but also pure and complex wine still full of finesse, fresh and very, very long. It is a mighty, firmly structured, but nevertheless, refreshing and very mineral as well as elegant Riesling full of energy and vibrancy. The finish is impressively long and filled with tension and the aging potential should be terrific. It’s a great drinking experience today, and I suppose it will always be in the next 20 or 25 years”
Familie Saahs Nikolaihof Riesling Steiner Hund Reserve Riesling, Wachau 2010 750ML ($89.95) $69 special, 6 bottles available
Wine Advocate 93 points “The 2010 Riesling Steiner Hund is a pure and cool, rather vegetal than fruity flavored Riesling with flinty notes along with aromas of fennel seeds and celery. Still very young, restrained and edgy on the palate, this full-bodied, very pure and mineral wine with its firm and long, tension-filled structure does not show any flesh or juiciness at the moment. However, I wouldn’t call it ascetic, just a little bit drying. This densely woven Riesling is much too rich and too electrifying in the mouth and too long and powerful in the finish to end up as a joyless wine. However, I suppose this promising, firmly structured long-distance runner will never get that round and juicy, but will remain a vital and scraggy (in a positive sense) wine for many years. I would keep it for another 7-10 years before I retaste it again.”
Familie Saahs Nikolaihof im Weingebirge Gruner Veltliner Federspiel, Wachau 2013 750ML ($39.95) $29 special, 19 bottles available
Wine Advocate 91 points “The 2013 Grüner Veltliner Federspiel Im Weingebirge opens clear and slightly flinty, though very discreet in its bright aromatic pip fruit and lemon flavors on the nose. However, its depth, freshness and mineral complexity is already indicated. On the palate this straight, crisp, light to medium-bodied Gruner is driven more by its origin than it is by the variety that gives a limey freshness to the wine which is pure, mineral and zesty. The finish of this authentic character is clear, straight and tension-filled. The aging potential excellent.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Familie Saahs Nikolaihof Hefeabzug Gruner Veltliner, Wachau 2013 750ML ($29.95) $24 special, 2 bottles available
Wine Advocate 90 points “The 2013 Grüner Veltliner Hefeabzug shows a clear and citrus-fresh bouquet with subtle pip fruit aromas on the nose, including hints of ginger. With 12% alcohol, this is a light to medium-bodied but stunningly complex, intense and tension-filled wine with a pure and lingering mineral character and a lovely piquant acidity. In its mineral character, the 2013 Hefeabzug reminds me more of a Muscadet than a so called classic Veltliner from Austria and this – for sure – is meant as a positive comment.”
Arriving May 2015
Familie Saahs Nikolaihof Riesling vom Stein Federspiel, Wachau 2013 750ML ($39.95) $33 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 92 points “The 2013 Riesling Federspiel Vom Stein offers a clear, ripe and well-concentrated bouquet of white stone-fruit aromas along with some nice terroir notes of herbs and stones. Medium-bodied, fresh and elegant on the palate, this Riesling is full of energy, mineral tension and vibrancy and demonstrates impressively, like great Mosel Rieslings do, that great dry wines do not need high alcohol levels to offer an intense, terroir-driven and stimulating taste. Still very young, this pure, piquant and firmly structured Federspiel reveals a good and piquant finish”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
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Just a reminder about our current shipping specials during this season:
We offer flat rate shipping on any size single order / single shipment
-to Oregon for $17,
-Washington & Idaho for $20,
-and California for $25
These rates do not apply to orders held in storage here for any reason. Multiple orders consolidated into one shipment do not qualify for flat rate shipping.
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Produttori del Barbaresco 2011 Cru Riservas
Arriving in August
“Overall, the 2011 Barbarescos are racy and seductive. The richness and intensity of the year are perceptible, but the wines retain plenty of site-specific signatures, albeit with softer edges than is typically the case. My impression is that the 2011s will drink well pretty much out of the gate, which should be welcomed by readers cellaring wines from more structured Barbaresco and Barolo vintages.”– Antonio Galloni – Vinuos
Produttori del Barbaresco Asili, Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 2011 750ML ($59.95) $47 pre-arrival special
Case-12 Produttori del Barbaresco Asili, Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 2011 750ML ($599.95) $519 pre-arrival special
Produttori del Barbaresco Montefico, Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 2011 750ML ($59.95) $44 pre-arrival special
Case-12 Produttori del Barbaresco Montefico, Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 2011 750ML ($519.95) $459 pre-arrival special
Produttori del Barbaresco Montestefano, Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 2011 750ML ($59.95) $44 pre-arrival special
Produttori del Barbaresco Montestefano, Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 2011 1.5L ($119.95) $89 pre-arrival special
Case-12 Produttori del Barbaresco Montestefano, Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 2011 750ML ($519.95) $459 pre-arrival special
Produttori del Barbaresco Muncagota, Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 2011 750ML ($49.95) $39 pre-arrival special
Case-12 Produttori del Barbaresco Muncagota, Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 2011 750ML ($469.95) $419 pre-arrival special
Produttori del Barbaresco Ovello, Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 2011 750ML ($59.95) $44 pre-arrival special
Produttori del Barbaresco Ovello, Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 1.5 ($119.95) $99 pre-arrival special
Case-12 Produttori del Barbaresco Ovello, Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 2011 750ML ($519.95) $459 pre-arrival special
Produttori del Barbaresco Paje, Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 2011 750ML ($49.95) $39 pre-arrival special
Case-12 Produttori del Barbaresco Paje, Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 2011 750ML ($469.95) $419 pre-arrival special
Produttori del Barbaresco Pora, Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 2011 750ML ($59.95) $44 pre-arrival special
Case-12 Produttori del Barbaresco Pora, Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 2011 750ML ($519.95) $459 pre-arrival special
Produttori del Barbaresco Rabaja, Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 2011 750ML ($59.95) $49 pre-arrival special
Case-12 Produttori del Barbaresco Rabaja, Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 2011 750ML ($599.95) $519 pre-arrival special
Produttori del Barbaresco Rio Sordo, Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 2011 750ML ($49.95) $39 pre-arrival special
Case-12 Produttori del Barbaresco Rio Sordo, Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 2011 750ML ($469.95) $419 pre-arrival special
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Domaine du Clos Naudin
Philippe Foreau – Vouvray
Philippe Foreau is the third generation of his family to run the Domaine du Clos Naudin, which was founded by his grandfather in 1923. It is a small domaine with 11.5 acres of Chenin Blanc in the northeast corner of Vouvray. The vineyards, the main two being Les Perruches and Les Ruettes, lie along the middle of the hill with a full south, southeast and southwest exposure. The vines average 45 years in age and are planted mostly on argile-silex (clay and flint) soil.
Harvest is done manually through multiple passes through the vineyard. The wines are fermented in 300 liter barrels. Philippe does not allow malolactic fermentation and the wines are never chapitalized: sweeter styles are only achieved when the vintage allows for a particular level of ripeness in the grapes. He produces about 55% still wines and 45% naturally sparkling wines, which he aged in a cellar carved into the limestone. The sparkling wines are aged on their lees for at least 48 months with no stirring after fermentation. This traditional style of winemaking is becoming rare in the appellation, where mechanization is taking over and driving costs down at the expense of quality and character.
Foreau produces astonishingly aromatic wines, with a remarkable ability to age. We are excited to offer a range of styles and older vintages.
Foreau Arriving May 8th
Philippe Foreau Domaine du Clos Naudin Vouvray Brut 2010 750ML ($39.95) $33 pre-arrival special
Joel B. Payne–Vinous 89 points “Bright yellow. A pure bouquet evokes candied citrus fruits, wild spices, pear skin and quinine. Juicy and penetrating on the palate, offering lively orange zest and orchard fruit flavors along with hints of anise and honeysuckle. Finishes on a chalky mineral note, with good focus and length.” JP
Foreau Arriving May 15th
Philippe Foreau Domaine du Clos Naudin Vouvray Sec 1999 750ML ($41.95) $33 pre-arrival special
Philippe Foreau Domaine du Clos Naudin Vouvray Sec 2011 750ML ($41.95) $33 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 91 points “The 2011 Vouvray Sec is a bright-colored, rather lean and greenish flavored Vouvray with precise and very subtle aromas of lemons, green apples, white peach, mushrooms, weed, herbs (fennel blossoms) and a dusty, almost mealy terroir character. On the full-bodied palate the wine is extremely pure and vibrant and the tension and agility of this only superficially lean wine is almost electrifying and full of finesse and elegance. The finish is very long and gives an aging potential of 20 or more years. Bottled with 3.8 grams of residual sugar, this is a very digestible wine in a very personal Foreau-style.” WA
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $35.24
Philippe Foreau Domaine du Clos Naudin Vouvray Sec 2012 750ML ($41.95) $33 pre-arrival special
Joel B. Payne–Vinous 89 points “Bright yellow. Salty aromas of yellow apple, pear skin, citrus zest and pistachio. Juicy on the palate, with herbal flavors of apricot, melon and chalky minerals exhibiting good intensity through the finish. Crisp and balanced, this would be lovely with snails.” JP
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $37.04
Philippe Foreau Domaine du Clos Naudin Vouvray Demi-Sec 2011 750ML ($41.95) $36 pre-arrival special
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Philippe Foreau Domaine du Clos Naudin Vouvray Moelleux 2009 750ML ($99.95) $69 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 96+ points “The golden yellow 2009 Vouvray Moelleux offers an awesome rich bouquet of a full basket of super ripe white and yellow-fleshed fruits with pure and mineral highlighted aromas as well as colored blossoms, yellow paprika, ginger, coriander, white pepper, toasted peanuts and speck. Bottled with 80 grams of residual sugar, this is a full-bodied, complex, and very elegant almost perfect moelleux à la Foreau, a really rich, ripe, sweet and perfectly balanced wine of great finesse and a persistent freshness due to the lingering salinity and piquancy. This great Moelleux is surely made from healthy berries and for all Chenin lovers and their following generations this is a must buy.” WA
Philippe Foreau Domaine du Clos Naudin Vouvray Moelleux 2010 750ML ($59.95) $49 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 93+ points “Straw yellow the 2010 Vouvray Moelleux offers a rather pure but rich nose with aromas of tuffeau, mushrooms, yellow-fleshed plums, honeydew melon, super ripe pears, cooked peaches, ripe and succulent mangos as well as hints of caramel, honey and new oak. On the full-bodied palate this is an extremely elegant and superbly balanced Chenin of great finesse, piquancy and precision with aromas of figs, cooked peaches and pears along with a lingering salinity. To those of you who love the incomparable nature of 2010 this is a wine you should buy.” WA
Philippe Foreau Domaine du Clos Naudin Vouvray Reserve Moelleux 2003 ($89.95) $69 pre-arrival special
Wine Spectator 94 points “Jaw-dropping fruit—guava, quince, mango and persimmon—is extremely concentrated and lushly layered. That’s followed by ginger, cream, green almond and smoke notes on a superlong finish, which has a nice bit of earthy grip as well.” WS
Philippe Foreau Domaine du Clos Naudin Vouvray Reserve Moelleux 2009 ($119.95) $89 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 97 points “What there was in this vintage of botrytis, Foreau reports, essentially went into his 2009 Vouvray Moelleux Reserve. Brown-spiced pear liqueur and quince preserves dominate the proceedings – wreathed in perfume of freesia and lily – and there are buoyancy and elegance, despite viscosity, enormous richness of texture and residual sweetness, that indeed point to the magic nobility rot can convey. Its sense of lift – when combined with luscious, still juicy suggestions of grapefruit and blood orange familiar from the corresponding demi-sec – wards off any risk of palate fatigue. Mysterious botrytis manifestations of stale bread, truffle, and white raisin emerge from the empty glass. This extraordinary achievement will stand with such past great Foreau moelleux reserves as 2005, 2003, and 1989-90 and is likely to merit 30 or more years of consideration. In direct comparison, what strikes one about the 2005 today is its more obvious sense of botrytis and its slightly diminished sense of acidity and lift. But it maintains the edge in sheer complexity.” WA
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Philippe Foreau Domaine du Clos Naudin Vouvray Moelleux ‘Goutte d’Or’ 2011 ($319.95) $269 pre-arrival special
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $279.99
Foreau Available Here Now
Philippe Foreau Domaine du Clos Naudin Vouvray Moelleux 2008 750ML ($59.95) $44 special, 7 bottles available
Wine Advocate 96 points “The grapes for my 2008 Vouvray Moelleux were very rich, golden, even a bit rose-colored, but not botrytized,” says Foreau, who picked it between October 15th and 20th. Vine flower, chestnut honey, Bartlett pear, and spiced pink grapefruit marmalade are suggested on the intoxicating nose and on a palate whose standoff of high acidity and high residual sugar permits free reign to its luscious, oily, honeyed richness; its spiciness; as well as its sheer refreshment. Nor does the almost endless finish of this beauty, lack for a subtly mineral dimension of salt, crustacean savor, and chalk. It should be worth following for at least a quarter century..” WA
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Portugal’s Secret Cellar Opens Its Doors
Caves São João was founded in 1920 by the brothers José, Manuel and Albano Costa as a wine cellaring company dedicated to Douro region wines and liqueurs. After the government prohibited production of Port from outside O’Porto limits in the 1930s, the company shifted its focus toward Bairrada table wines and naturally sparkling wines, with the assistance of renowned French oenologist Gaston Mainousson. In the 1950s, they launched Frei João, one of the top brands of the Bairrada region, and Porta Dos Cavaleiro, of the Dão region. In the 1970s, they acquired the Quinta do Poco do Lobo estate where they grow their own grapes. According to Hugh Johnson, the company is a “small, traditional firm [known] for very good old-fashion wines. Reds can age for decades. It is a well known and highly reputed winery.”
After the Portugese colonies gained independence in the 1950s, the market for their wines shrunk. The previous generation mostly held the wines, so the collection grew and aged. Recently, older wines have become fashionable in Portugal, and the company has jumped at the chance to do business. Caves São João is recognized for its quality winemaking with a traditional bent and excellent ageability.
Caves São João Wines Arriving June 2015
Poco do Lobo Arinto White, Bairrada DO 1995 ($39.95) $33 pre-arrival special
Winery note “100% Arinto. Vines planted in 1950 in clay and limestone soil at 164-328 feet elevation. Aged 24 months in cement tanks; bottled in 1997.”
São João Rose Brut, Bairrada DO 2013 750ML ($21.95) $18 pre-arrival special
Case-12 São João Rose Brut, Bairrada DO 2013 750ML ($239.95) $199 pre-arrival special
Winery note “40% Baga, 40% Touriga Nacional, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon. Grapes planted in clay and limestone less than 20 km from the Atlantic Ocean. Aged 3 months on lees, bottles disgorged in March.”
Caves Sao Joao ‘Porta dos Cavaleiros’ Tinto, Dao 1980 750ML ($49.95) $39 pre-arrival special
Winery note “40% Alfrocheiro, 20% Jaen, 20% Tinta Roriz, 10% Baga, 10% Preto de Mortague. Aged 24 months in cement tanks. Bottle aged in cellar, released directly from winery.”
Caves Sao Joao ‘Porta dos Cavaleiros’ Tinto, Dao 1985 750ML ($49.95) $39 pre-arrival special
Winery note “40% Jaen, 20% Alfrocheiro, 20% Preto de Mortague, 10%Tinta Roriz, 10% Baga. Aged 24 months in cement tanks. Bottle aged in cellar, released directly from winery.”
Caves Sao Joao Frei Joao Tinto, Bairrada DO 1985 750ML ($59.95) $49 pre-arrival special
Winery note “100% Baga. Aged 24 months in cement tanks.”