| In This Newsletter: Cameron Pinot Noir Dundee Hills 2021 Re-Arriving May 17th Staff PickGasparini Prosecco Special Feature Wines for Grillin and Chillin Three Day Sale The Wines of Christophe Baron: Cayuse, Horsepower, No Girls May Sale- Rhone Wines Cheateauneuf, Hermitage, Cote Rotie, and more! Collector’s Corner Three Kings Re-Arriving May 17th Cameron Pinot Noir Dundee Hills 2021 750ml $36 special, 24 bottles arriving “This wine is a Rockstar! Cameron’s Dundee Hills Pinot Noir is the best selling wine in our shop– we don’t know how much more we can get, so stock up while you still can!”  Staff Pick Loredan Gasparini Asolo Prosecco Superiore NV 750ml $16 special, 33 bottles available“The unofficial Official Bubbles of the Vinopolis staff. A very lively and bright Prosecco that’s an absolute steal for the price and stands on its own– no need for mixers. Creamy bubbles, flavors of lemon zest and orange peel– this is one to grab by the case.” Special FeatureWines for Chillin’ and Grillin’ Barbecue season is finally here! Here’s some pairing suggestions for steak, ribs, chicken or whatever you love to grill. Sandhi Zuni Chardonnay St Barbara 2019 750ml $19 special, 36+ bottles available Sandhi Zuni Chardonnay St Barbara 2019 Case of 12 750ml bottles $219 special [that’s 18.25 per bottle] Winery note “If you’ve ever sat at San Francisco’s iconic Zuni Café with a plate of oysters in front of you while you wait for the iconic whole roast chicken, you may have had a glass or two of this collaboration between longtime friends Rajat Parr of Sandhi and Zuni wine director Thierry Lovato. The wine is a barrel selection from some of Sandhi’s iconic Sta. Rita Hills sites, (think Mt. Carmel, Sanford & Benedict) with enough own-rooted, 1973 Wente selection Bien Nacido Chardonnay blended in to warrant a Santa Barbara County designation.” Clemens Busch Riesling Marienburg Kabinett 2018 750ml $19 special, 36+ bottles available James Suckling 92 Points “Lightly smoky with some lemon pith and dried spices. There’s some light sweetness here, but it’s nicely balanced out by the edgy acidity. Taut and very precise on the finish. Drink now.” Marietta Cellars Angeli Zinfandel 2021 750ml $38 special, 20 bottles available Winery Note “With swirling layers of ripe cherry, blood peach, and marzipan this pure Zinfandel is immediately bright, inviting, and nuanced on the nose. Hints of violet, black tea, and spice ground the wine with a dark intensity. Velvety across the palate this exuberant wine finishes dry with a textured foremouth focus and a core of acidity cutting a cleansing path through the richness.” Carpineta Fontalpino Do Ut Des 2016 750ml $39 special, 36+ bottles available James Suckling 95 Points “The fruit here really takes your breath away with its intensity, as well as purity. Blackberry crumble, pressed violets, ink, iodine, charcoal, vanilla and resin. It’s the polish of the tannins that really makes this wine, carrying itself effortlessly over a shimmer of electric acidity to the long finish. Drink in 2023. Made from organically grown grapes.” Domaine De La Terre Rouge Syrah Cotes L’ouest 2016 750ml $19.50 special, 21 bottles available Wine Enthusiast 92 Points “Full bodied, deeply concentrated and massively structured, this wine is packed tight with just-ripe fruit, smoky spices, cloves and singed sage. A rich blanket of fine-grained tannins wraps those tightly, suggesting several years in the cellar for the wine to mature. Best from 2024.” Domaine Tempier Bandol La Tourtine 2020 750ml $89 special, 36+ bottles available Wine Advocate 94-96 Points “Mainly Mourvèdre (85%), with Cinsault and Grenache, the 2020 Bandol la Tourtine was still in foudre at the time of my visit last year. Scents of cola, smoke and red berries provide ample complexity on the nose, while the medium to full-bodied palate is concentrated and almost creamy in texture while remaining fresh and dynamic on the lengthy finish.” Bodegas Breca Old Vine Garnacha Calatayud 2019 750ml $16 special, 36+ bottles available Bodegas Breca Ov Garnacha Calatuyad 19 Case of 12 750ml $179 special [that’s $14.91 per bottle] Jeb Dunnuck 93 Points “I loved the nose on the 2019 Breca, which is loaded with spicy red and black fruits as well as notes of sandalwood, dried flowers, herbes de Provence, and some chalky, mineral-like nuances. Beautiful on the palate as well, this medium to full-bodied, elegant, balanced, straight-up gorgeous Garnacha is best drunk over the coming 3-5 years.” 3 Day SaleThe Wines of Christophe Baron We adore these wines. Christophe’s cuvees have been some of the most allocated and in-demand wines from Walla Walla for over twenty years. Representing the pinnacle of the region’s reds, we’re never surprised when top notch scores are released, just pleased as punch that we continue to be able to offer you these mailing list-mostly gems. While we have a wide variety of Christophe’s bottlings in stock today, these are going fast, so don’t miss out! Buy any 3-5 bottles for a 5% discount Buy any 6+ bottles for a 10% discount Sales ends Thursday at 10am This is first come / first served and limited to stock on hand. Discount does not apply to case discounts. Discount will not display online, we will adjust your invoice before charging your card. Here are the Cayuse Wines we have right now: VintageWinePointsPrice/Quantity2019Cayuse Vineyards Armada Vineyard Syrah, Walla Walla Valley 750mlWine Advocate 98 points$159 special, 2 bottles in stock2020Cayuse Flying Pig 750mlJames Suckling 94 Points$149 special, 2 bottles available2020Cayuse Vineyards Cailloux Vineyard Syrah, Walla Walla Valley 750mlAwaiting Review$128 special, 4 bottles in stock2017Cayuse Vineyards En Chamberlin Vineyard Syrah, Walla Walla Valley 750mlWine Advocate 97 points James Suckling 96 points$125 special, 1 bottles in stock2018Cayuse Vineyards En Chamberlin Vineyard Syrah, Walla Walla Valley 750mlWine Advocate 95 points Wine Spectator 95 points$125 special, 2 bottles in stock2020Cayuse Vineyards En Chamberlin Vineyard Syrah, Walla Walla Valley 750mlAwaiting Review$125 special, 19 bottles in stock2020Cayuse Vineyards En Cerise Vineyard Syrah, Walla Walla Valley 750mlAwaiting Review$125 special, 12 bottles in stock2017Cayuse Vineyards Impulsivo Tempranillo, Walla Walla Valley 750mlJeb Dunnuck 95 points Wine Advocate 94 points$149 special, 3 bottles in stock2018Cayuse Vineyards Impulsivo Tempranillo, Walla Walla Valley 750mlJeb Dunnuck 96 points$129 special, 13 bottles in stock2019Cayuse Vineyards Impulsivo Tempranillo, Walla Walla Valley 750mlWine Advocate 96 points James Suckling 95 points$149 special, 3 bottles in stock2020Cayuse Vineyards Impulsivo Tempranillo, Walla Walla Valley 750ml Awaiting Review$133 special, 27 bottles in stock2016Cayuse Vineyards God Only Knows Armada Vineyard Grenache, Walla Walla Valley 750mlJeb Dunnuck 96 points Wine Advocate 95 points$149 special, 1 bottles in stock2017Cayuse Vineyards God Only Knows Armada Vineyard Grenache, Walla Walla Valley 750mlJames Suckling 97 points Vinous 94 points$149 special, 3 bottles in stock2019Cayuse Vineyards Camaspelo, Walla Walla Valley 750mlVinous 95 points Wine Spectator 94 points$128 special, 2 bottles in stock2020Cayuse Vineyards Camaspelo, Walla Walla Valley 750mlAwaiting Review$119 special, 16 bottles in stock2020Cayuse Bionic Frog 750mlJames Suckling 98 Points$299 special, 3 bottles available2012Cayuse Bionic Frog 750mlWine Advocate 99 Points$399 special, 1 bottle available Here are the Horsepower wines we have in stock now:  “Located in the Stones of the Walla Walla Valley, Horsepower Vineyards is about tradition and history—and making history. It’s a connection between a vigneron and his roots. An homage to craft and family. An embrace of the earth that seems at once old-fashioned and new.And at its simplest, it’s a man slowly working the vineyard with his horse, just like generations before him.” VintageWinePointsPrice/Quantity2016Horsepower Vineyards ‘The Tribe Vineyard’ Syrah, Walla Walla Valley 750mlJeb Dunnuck 97 points James Suckling 96 points$169 special, 23 bottles in stock2017Horsepower Vineyards ‘The Tribe Vineyard’ Syrah, Walla Walla Valley 750mlJeb Dunnuck 97 points Wine Advocate 96 points$169 special, 11 bottles in stock2019Horsepower Vineyards ‘The Tribe Vineyard’ Syrah, Walla Walla Valley 750mlWine Advocate 97 points Vinous 96 points$179 special, 13 bottles in stock2019Horsepower Vineyards Fiddleneck Vineyard, Walla Walla Valley 750mlVinous 99 points Wine Advocate 98 points$199 special, 1 bottles in stock2017Horsepower Vineyards ‘High Contrast Vineyard’ Syrah, Walla Walla Valley 750mlWine Advocate 96 points Wine Enthusiast 96 points$179 special, 2 bottles in stock Here are the No Girls wines we have in stock now:  “No Girls celebrates the belief that empowered women create empowered wine—and champions the many talented and independent women of this profession and beyond.The wines are crafted by Elizabeth Bourcier, Resident Vigneronne for Cayuse Vineyards. After co-producing the first vintage with Cayuse Vigneronne Christophe Baron in 2008, she has had carte blanche on all aspects of the wine creation for the 2011 vintage and beyond. The wines have earned routinely high accolades, with Wine Spectator calling them “some of the best Washington wines ever rated” by the magazine.” VintageWinePointsPrice/Quantity2016No Girls La Placiencia Vineyard Grenache, Walla Walla Valley 750mlWine Advocate 96 points Jeb Dunnuck 95 points$114.50 special, 2 bottles in stock2016No Girls La Placiencia Vineyard Tempranillo, Walla Walla Valley 750mlJeb Dunnuck 97 points Wine Advocate 94 points$119 special, 12 bottles in stock May Sale- All Rhone WinesBuy 6-11 bottles for a 5% discount Buy 12+ bottles for a 10% discount Ends May 31st at 6pm… the best selection is NOW! Discount does not apply to pre-arrival wines or case discounts. Discount will not display online, we will adjust your invoice before charging your card. Each 1.5L (Magnum) bottle will be counted as 2 bottles when applied to the discount. Each 3.0L bottle will be the equivalent of 4 bottles. 6.0L bottles will be counted as 8 bottles. This is first come / first served and limited to stock on hand.  St Damien Vacqueyras 2021 750ml $24 special, 36+ bottles available available Jeb Dunnuck 94-96 Points “The 2020 Gigondas Les Souteyrades is more structured, with notable acidity as well as tannins. Full-bodied aromas and flavors of blackberries, cassis, ground pepper, and violets give way to a rich, concentrated, focused Gigondas that’s going to benefit from a handful of years in the cellar. All of these 2020 barrel samples are brilliant.” Pesquie Cuvee Artemia Ventoux 2017 750ml $39 special, 28 bottles available Jeb Dunnuck 94 Points “A blend of 75% Syrah and 25% Grenache that saw roughly 20% stems and a year in 50% new, larger format oak, the 2017 Artemia has a Côte Brune-like perfume of dark fruits, smoked meats, black olives, and chocolate. Full-bodied, smoky, meaty, and powerful, it’s another rock star of a Syrah from the Chaudière family that has incredible character.” Pesquie Cuvee Ascensio Ventoux 2016 750ml $79 special, 3 bottles available Jeb Dunnuck 95 Points “Mostly Grenache (5% Syrah) made with 30% stems, brought up all in concrete, the 2016 Ventoux Ascensio sports an inky purple color as well as sensational notes of blackberries, plums, licorice, violets, and crushed rocks. It’s deep, full-bodied, pure, and primordial, with ample tannin and a great finish. It needs 2-3 years of bottle age but is blockbuster stuff.” Saint Damien Gigondas Souteyrades VV 2019 750ml $34.50 special, 36+ bottles available Jeb Dunnuck 96 Points “Lastly, the 2019 Gigondas Les Souteyrades is more classic, with pure dark, peppery fruits as well as garrigue, cedar, and leather notes. Medium to full-bodied, concentrated, and perfectly balanced, it has impressive tannins and will benefit from short-term bottle age. As with the other Gigondas here, you should expect 10-15 years of prime drinking. This cuvée is 80% Grenache and 20% Mourvèdre, aged all in foudre.” Domaine Gourt De Mautens Vaucluse IGP 2015 1.5L $199 special, 3 bottles available Jeb Dunnuck 97 Points “The Chambolle-Musigny of the Rhône, the 2015 IGP Vaucluse from Jerome Bressy is a totally sensational blend of 50% Grenache and the balance a mix of Mourvèdre, Carignan, Counoise, Vaccarèse, Cinsault, Syrah, and Terret Noir (we’re getting close to all the varieties). Aged in a mix of concrete tanks, foudre, demi-muids, and barrels, bottled unfined and unfiltered, this naked beauty has just about everything you could want from a bottle of wine.” Henri Bonneau CDP Celestins 2012 750ml $419 special, 4 bottles available Wine Spectator 97 Points “This defines old school, with savory detail and notes of roasted chestnut, fresh tobacco leaf, cedar and brick dust leading off, backed by a core of currant, cherry and plum fruit flavors that is lightly dried yet nonetheless fresh and racy in feel. Singed juniper and bay leaf hints score the finish. Likely to hold just like this for some time. Best from 2020 through 2040.” VintageWinePointsPrice/Quantity2020Saint Cosme St Joseph 750mlJeb Dunnuck 91-93 Points$39 special, 54 bottles available2020St Damien Gigondas Clovis Saurel 750mlJeb Dunnuck 94-97 Points$44 special, 4 bottles available2019St Damien Gigondas Vieilles Vignes 750mlJeb Dunnuck 96 Points$31.90 special, 21 bottles available2018Monteillet Condrieu Chanson 750mlDecanter 96 Points $69 special, 16 bottles available2018Domaine Du Tunnel Cornas 750mlJeb Dunnuck 95-97 Points$69 special, 33 bottles available2017Domaine Grand Veneur CDP Vielles Vignes 750mlJeb Dunnuck 97+ Points$75 special, 19 bottles available We have dozens more Rhone wines to choose from on our website Collector’s CornerWe Three Kings “Verite”Verite 2019 3-Pack of 750ml Bottles” Joie/Desir/Muse $1339 special, 1 available “A unique, one-time deal; this mixed three-pack of Verite offers one bottle each of the 2019 La Joie, La Desir, and La Muse.” La Joie review: Wine Advocate 99 Points “The 2019 La Joie is an elegant expression that offers power, freshness and expressive, floral character. A blend of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot, it has a deep ruby color and opens slowly from black cherries and blueberries to accents of violets, ground coffee and licorice. The full-bodied palate has generous, grainy tannins, detailed, perfumed flavors and bright acidity, finishing with an alluring iron character. 2,500 cases were made.” La Desir review:Wine Advocate 100 Points “The 2019 Le Désir is an exceptional blend of 83% Cabernet Franc, 8% Merlot, 5% Malbec and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon, offering complex, layered flavors, soaring aromatics and very detailed expression. Deep ruby-purple in color, its aromas unfold slowly and offer new nuances with each return to the glass: Morello cherries, warm chocolate, dried thyme, desiccated roses and dried herbs. The full-bodied palate offers concentrated, floral fruits, pixelated tannins, bursts of fresh acidity and a very long finish with layer after layer of detailed flavor. 2,500 cases were made.” La Muse review: Wine Advocate 99 Points “The 2019 La Muse is a blend of 90% Merlot, 5% Cab Franc and 5% Malbec. Deep ruby-purple, it explodes with cassis, violets and aniseed, with wafts of thyme, tobacco and iron, offering new nuances with each return to the glass. The full-bodied palate is powerful and refined, with loads of rounded tannins, focused freshness and ethereal character. It’s exceptionally expressive and structured and should be very long lived in the cellar.” Verite La Muse 2018 750ml $389 special, 5 bottles available Wine Advocate 100 Points “The 2019 Le Désir is an exceptional blend of 83% Cabernet Franc, 8% Merlot, 5% Malbec and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon, offering complex, layered flavors, soaring aromatics and very detailed expression. Deep ruby-purple in color, its aromas unfold slowly and offer new nuances with each return to the glass: Morello cherries, warm chocolate, dried thyme, desiccated roses and dried herbs. The full-bodied palate offers concentrated, floral fruits, pixelated tannins, bursts of fresh acidity and a very long finish with layer after layer of detailed flavor. 2,500 cases were made.” “Harlan”Harlan Estate Napa Valley Red 2017 750ml $1,099 special, 1 bottles available Wine Advocate 97+ Points “Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2017 Harlan Estate needs a little coaxing to reveal captivating iron ore, red currant jelly, cloves and crushed rocks scents with a core of warm cassis, Black Forest cake and boysenberries plus a waft of pencil lead. Medium to full-bodied, it has a firm, grainy texture with a lively backbone and loads of earthy layers, long and mineral laced. This should be one of the longer-lived wines coming out of the 2017 vintage.” Jeb Dunnuck 97 Points “The Grand Vin is the 2017 Harlan Estate, and this beauty just about jumps from the glass with its pure cassis and blackcurrant fruits as well as notes of tobacco, graphite, crushed stone, and spice. With a full-bodied, expansive mouthfeel, building, velvety tannins, and a layered, seamless style that offers way more pleasure than just about every other wine in the vintage, bottles can be enjoyed any time over the coming 20-25 years.” Harlan Estates Proprietary Red 2009 1.5L $2,099 special, 1 bottle available Vinous 97 Points “The 2009 Harlan Estate is just as impressive from bottle as it was from barrel. Cloves, dark plums, cherries, smoke and graphite add richness and resonance to this powerful, incisive wine. Juicy and exuberant, the 2009 has always had a certain raciness that is impossible to resist. Layers of fruit continue to build to the enveloping, sensual finish. Readers will have a hard time keeping their hands off this hugely delicious wine. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2034” “Bond Estates”Bond Estates Melbury Napa 2010 1.5L $849 special, 1 bottle available Robert Parker 98+ Points “From a higher site in the Pritchard Hill area, the 2010 Melbury appears to be prodigious, but is currently extremely backward. My notes indicate it should be forgotten for 7-10 years. With coaxing, this structured 2010 offers up aromas of blueberry liqueur, black currants, charcoal and spring flowers. It possesses gorgeous purity and remarkable incremental richness, but it is quite brooding and backward. Everything it needs for a great future is present, but patience will definitely be required.” Bond Estates Vecina 2018 750ml $819 special, 1 bottle available Vinous 99 Points “A regal, soaring wine, the 2018 Vecina is immediately captivating. Red fruit, iron, dried rose petal and exotic spice all soar out of the glass. Over the last two months the Vecina has acquired stunning aromatic presence to play off its deep, layered fruit. The 2018 is an absolute gem in the making. As a reminder, Vecina is sourced from Vine Hill Ranch, at the southern end of Oakville, where the Cabernets are distinguished by a beguiling combination of power and savory/earthy intensity.” Wine Advocate 97-99 Points “A barrel sample, the 2018 Vecina displays a deep garnet-purple color and offers slowly emerging classic notes of black currants, black cherries, blackberry pie and cedar chest with hints of charcoal, tar, pencil lead and fragrant earth. The full-bodied palate has a rock-solid structure of firm, grainy tannins and tons of freshness supporting the generous black fruits, finishing on a lingering mineral note.” Bond Estates Vecina Napa 2003 750ml $379 special, 5 bottles available Robert Parker 96+ Points (In 2013) “The vineyard closest to the great Harlan Estate is Vecina, situated in the western foothills on the Oakville Crossroad overlooking the valley. From this 11-acre site, the 2003 Vecina comes closest in style to Harlan Estate, appearing like a hypothetical blend of a St. Estephe and Pauillac. A formidable wine, it reveals plenty of new saddle leather, creme de cassis, scorched earth and volcanic-like characteristics in addition to notes of blackberries, Chinese black tea and graphite. Powerful, intense and backward, it needs 2-5 years of bottle age and should last for two decades thereafter. It is a tour de force in winemaking!” Bond estates st. Eden 2018 750ml $819 special, 1 bottle available Antonio Galloni 97 Points “The 2018 St. Eden is impressive. Dense and powerful in the glass, the 2018 is done in a style that emphasizes freshness and vibrancy, reflecting a generational transition in all of these wines that is most apparent here. Dark fruit, licorice, mocha, spice and chocolate begin to emerge with time, but the St. Eden is much less forthcoming than in the past. In fact, the 2018 might very well be the most reticent St. Eden I have ever tasted. That energy will serve it well in the cellar. Readers accustomed to the voluptuous, lush St. Edens of the past will not find that in the 2018. As much as the style has changed in this wine, I am not surprised to see that. A complete vertical of the Bond wines a few years ago showed the St. Eden to have the most condensed arc of peak drinkability of the Bond wines.” Wine Advocate 96-98 Points “A barrel sample, the 2018 St. Eden is deep garnet-purple in color. The nose is a little closed at this nascent stage, offering broody glimpses at blackcurrant jelly, boysenberries and black raspberries before opening out to a spicy undercurrent of cloves, black pepper and cumin seed. The palate is built like a brick house with a solid structure of ripe, grainy tannins and a lively backbone framing the full-bodied, muscular fruit, finishing long and layered.” Bond Estates St. Eden 2015 750ml $699 special, 1 bottle available Jeb Dunnuck 100 Points “Moving to the 2015s tasted from bottle, this is an incredible vintage for this estate and there are two perfect wines in the lineup. First up, the 2015 St. Eden, from a hillside of red volcanic soils near Oakville, boasts a saturated purple color and heavenly notes of blackcurrants, scorched earth, lead pencil shavings, and huge crushed rock-like minerality. It’s full-bodied, deep, and layered on the palate, with incredible concentration, yet it stays seamless, pure, and perfectly balanced. It’s a magical wine to drink over the coming 2-3 decades.” Bond Estates Quella 2018 750ml $819 special, 1 bottle available Antonio Galloni 97 Points “The 2018 Quella is rich, ample and beautifully resonant in the glass. There’s terrific depth here and tons of class. Blood orange, game, licorice, tobacco, lavender and dried herbs give the Quella beguiling aromatic presence to play off its muscular, brooding personality. The 2018 needs a few years to soften, but it is already compelling, to say the least.” Bond Estates Quella 2015 750ml $649 special, 1 bottle available Vinous 97 Points “The Quella is somber and brooding in 2015. Dark cherry, plum smoke, tobacco, leather, spice and scorched earth give the 2015 distinctive baritone inflections. There is quite a bit of density and textural resonance, but at the same time, the Quella is not particularly expressive. Perhaps bottling has affected the Quella more than it has the other wines in the range, as it was quite showy from barrel. I have seen Quella go through a period of reticence after bottling, so I won’t be at all surprised if all it needs is time.” Jeb Dunnuck 97 Points “The 2015 Quella is a darker, more mineral-laced wine and offers a classic Quella bouquet of black fruits, black truffle, tobacco, and dried earth. It’s full-bodied, deep and layered on the palate, with ripe, present tannins and terrific elegance as well as purity. It has the balance and texture to shine today, yet the class to evolve for 20 years or more.” Bond Estates Pluribus 2018 750ml $819 special, 1 bottle available Antonio Galloni 99 Points “The 2018 Pluribus captures all of the savory, mineral intensity of this site on Spring Mountain. Searing tannins, once such a challenge here, are much more finessed than in the past. Crushed rocks, mint, blood orange, gravel, exotic spice and rose petal lend tremendous complexity as the Pluribus shows off its considerable allure. This taut, mountain Cabernet Sauvignon has so much to offer. Today, it is wonderfully complete and thrilling. Even so, the best is yet to come.” Wine Advocate 97-100 Points “From a vineyard located on Spring Mountain, the 2018 Pluribus (a barrel sample) reveals a deep garnet-purple. Youthfully reticent, it needs a fair bit of coaxing to reveal gorgeous notions of wild blueberries, ripe black plums and warm cassis plus hints of tilled earth, truffles, menthol and tobacco leaf. The full-bodied palate is densely packed with tightly wound black and blue fruit layers, supported by firm, grainy tannins and great tension, finishing very long with loads of earthy/savory sparks.” Bond Estates Pluribus 2012 750ml $419 special, 1 bottle available Antonio Galloni 97 Points “All the best qualities of the vintage come through in the 2012 Pluribus. Pliant and inviting, with striking depth, the 2012 has a lot to say. This is another subtle, understated wine from Bond that is presently holding back quite a bit. Even so, its potential is evident. Today, the 2012 is super-impressive.” Bond Estates Pluribus Napa 2003 750ml $399 special, 4 bottles available Robert Parker 98 Points (In 2013) “The 2003 Pluribus (the debut vintage of this cuvee) performed spectacularly. Created from some of the estate’s youngest vines planted in decomposed white tufa volcanic soils at an elevation of 1,100 to 1,300 feet on Spring Mountain, it offers a stunning blue/purple color, copious quantities of blueberries, black raspberries and violet-infused fruit intermixed with hints of foresty flora. Rich, full-bodied and pure, this beautiful 2003 is several years away from full maturity, but it should keep for two more decades.” Bond Estates Melbury 2018 750ml $819 special, 1 bottle available Antonio Galloni 98 Points “The 2018 Melbury is, as always, the first of the single-vineyard wines presented at Bond. The order is always the same: Melbury-Quella-St. Eden-Vecina and Pluribus. I suppose that makes sense from the standpoint of concentration and structure, but it is quite penalizing for the Melbury, a wine that is more about elegance than power or tannins. That said, the 2018 is not a shy wine, it certainly has plenty of depth. Freshness, energy and verve are the signatures in a Cabernet that is all about intangibles. Hints of dark red cherry, tobacco, rose petal, mint and sweet spice emerge over time. The whole is greater than the sum of the parts.” Bond Estates Melbury 2015 750ml $649 special, 1 bottle available Vinous 98 Points “The more time passes, the more I think Melbury may turn out to be one of the most complete wines in the BOND range. The 2016 and 2015 both make a very strong case for that view. Tasted from bottle, the 2015 is exceptionally beautiful and vivid. Blood orange, mint and floral notes add nuance to an unbelievably polished, refined Cabernet Sauvignon. Put simply, the 2015 Melbury is a total stunner and every bit as captivating as it was last year.” Bond Estates Melbury 2012 750ml $419 special, 1 bottle available Vinous 95 Points “The 2012 Melbury is in a perfect spot today. Radiant and succulent to the core, the 2012 captures the essence of the vintage in its racy, succulent personality. The 2012 is not a huge wine, but it is quite open and accessible. Overall, though, the 2012 lacks the pop and sheer energy of the finest vintages in this vertical.” Wine Advocate 95 Points “From a 7-acre hillside vineyard overlooking Lake Hennessey, the 2012 Melbury, like its siblings, is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon aged in 100% new oak for a minimum of 24 to 28 months, then bottled unfiltered. The wine displays beautiful blackberry fruit, some charcoal, loamy soil undertones, forest notes, lots of spice, a full-bodied, multi-dimensional mouthfeel, and a super finish of 45+ seconds. Even in a vintage like 2012, this wine ideally needs 3-5 years of bottle age and should keep for 30+ years.” Bond Estates Melbury Napa 2003 750ml $449 special, 6 bottles available Robert Parker 97 Points (In 2013) “The 2003 Melbury comes from a slopeside site on the northern side of Lake Hennessey, opposite the Rutherford valley floor. Winemaker Bob Levy compares the 2003 to the 2006 because of the wet winter and spring and the summer’s heat spikes. A brilliant effort from sedimentary soil with rocks over compacted clay, it is a gorgeous wine offering raspberry, black currant, spring flower and blueberry characteristics along with a dense purple color, a full-bodied, multilayered mouthfeel and sweet tannin. This stunningly rich hillside Cabernet Sauvignon should reach full maturity in 4-5 years and keep for 15-20 years thereafter.” We’re open 10 AM – 6 PM daily Order Online / By Phone / By Email Thank you from the team at Vinopolis! Be well & drink well. |
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