ArrivalsPingus, Fontodi, Carlton Hill, Hyde Villaine, and more!
Domaine Pepiere Muscadet“A Cure For The Summertime Blues”
2020 Rosés3 Day SaleDe Venoge Champagnes
June Sale- Spanish Wines
More Spanish values than you can shake a stick at
Collector’s Corner
Top Shelf Champagne
New Arrivals
Oregon
“Carlton Hill Estate Pinot Noir Library Selections”
 How much would you pay for a piece of Oregon wine history? In the early 1990’s, David Polite, first trained as a lawyer, purchased a small plum orchard in Yamhill-Carlton with a mind towards converting it to a vineyard but with no experience whatsoever. The going wisdom at the time, he says, was that the best vineyards in Oregon had South and South-west facing slopes, which made his own Eastern facing slopes sub-optimal. However, after making the acquaintance of Willlamette greats like David Lett and Dick and Nancy Ponzi, he came to understand that his own vineyard shared the same aspect as many of the great vineyards in Burgundy!
Thanks to their eastern slope, the vines receive the Sun’s full attention all morning and afternoon and then ample cooling shade in the early evening. This along with his low-intervention wine-making helps to create balanced wines with vibrant berry flavors.
Carlton Hill has been LIVE certified and sustainably farmed since 2004. David and his team like to hold back their vintages whenever possible to explore the evolving story of the winery and its terroir.
This is a rare opportunity to purchase older vintages of high quality Oregon Pinot Noir. Don’t miss out!
Also in stock from Carlton Hill:
Want to learn more?
“Hyde Villaine”
Wine Specator 96 Points “A stunning, expressive white, with a savory, minerally edge that’s distinctive and crisp, imparting elegance and restraint on the core of Honeycrisp apple, Meyer lemon and pureed mango flavors. Reveals hints of lemon thyme, nutmeg, toasted sesame seed and additional spices that linger on the fresh finish. Drink now through 2031.”
Spain
“Ameztoi”
Vinopolnote: “Is it even summer without Ameztoi Txakolina? Spritzy with peppery notes, plenty of berry and citrus notes, and zippy acidity. This is one refreshing bottle wine.”
Arriving June 16th
Spain
“Pingus”
Pingus Dominio De Pingus 2020 750ml $1099 special, 3 bottles availableWine Advocate 99 Points “The bottled 2020 Pingus has settled, and the strong Mediterranean accent that was quite strong early on seems to have calmed down. The wine shows more of the serious Pingus character and is harmonious, balanced and elegant, perhaps because of the time it spent in oak vat (starting this year, it is not only in barrique). It feels very complete and intense but without weight or heaviness, and the fruit shows very clean and focused. Peter Sisseck compared it with the 2000, a wine that for him transcends the vintage; it showcases the balance (wines like 1996, 2000, 2012, 2016 and 2018). The quality of the tannins is stunning, which make the wine very elegant and balanced, and it has good freshness (even some red fruit!).”
Italy
“Italy’s Finest New Old Wines”
Fontodi Flaccianello Della Pieve 2009 750ml $149 special, 24 bottles availableWine Advocate 95 Points “The 2009 Flaccianello della Pieve is now hitting that very specific point in a wine’s evolution in which you still identity some of the fruit, but you also get a supporting chorus of evolved aromas that enhance the overall finesse and depth of the bouquet. This wine is coming along beautifully and seems right on point in terms of its forward moving aging trajectory. Dried blackberry, cherry confit and plum are rounded out by spice, toast and bitter chocolate. The bouquet fires out on multiple sides, thus increasing the perceived complexity on hand. This vintage is very open and frank, and this is another endearing quality to admire. Interestingly, this vintage saw naturally high yields. Giovanni Manetti tells me they had to work very carefully in terms of green harvest and fruit selection in order to achieve this impeccable level of balance.”
Lowest Price in the USA—next lowest $184.99
Valdicava Brunello Di Montalcino 2007 750ml $138 special, 12 bottles availableJames Suckling 98 Points “What beautiful clear fruit here, with plums and spices and hints of flowers. Class. Full- bodied and luscious, this Brunello fills your mouth, with polished velvety tannins and gorgeous fruit. So wonderful and gorgeous. Irresistible. Better than 2006. Best after 2016.”
Lowest Price in the USA—next lowest $157
Austria
“Weingut Brundlmeyer”
Re-Arriving June 16th
Composition Pinot Noir WV 2021 750ml $89 special, 13 bottles availableVinopolnote: “Composition Pinot Noir is a new project of Bertrand de Villaine. Yes, the de Villaine family that brought us the famed Domaine de Romanee-Conti. The vineyard sits on a south-facing ridge in the southern Eola-Amity Hills AVA. The terroir evokes volcanic soils, cooler temperatures, and an ideal elevation range.”
 Domaine Pepiere Muscadet“A Cure For The Summertime Blues”
Don’t let the heat get you down! Just open a nice, cold bottle of Muscadet– one of the most refreshing white wines in the world– and your troubles will be far away. Domaine Pepiere, an old vinopolis favorite, is unbeatable for quality at its price.If anyone out there still hasn’t tried pairing fresh Oysters and muscadet, well, now’s your chance! It is oyster season after all.Pepiere Muscadet La Pepie 2021 750ml $18 special, 36+ bottles availableWinemaker Notes “This wine is the benchmark style of the estate: racy, crisp, acid- and mineral-driven, with a bare hint of richness from the sur lie factor, very much indicative of Pépière’s granite-based terroir and clean, natural winemaking style.” Pepiere Muscadet Gras Mouton 2021 750ml $21.90 special, 29 bottles availableImporter note “Gras Moutons is a lieu-dit made up of two parcels totaling 1.8 hectares in the cru of Monnières-Saint Fiacre. The soils consist of sand, limestone and gneiss. The constant winds in the area make for grapes that have to be harvested later than the rest. While released young, this wine always benefits from a few years in bottle.” Pepierre Muscadet Clos Des Briords Vielle Vignes 2021 750ml $24 special, 18 bottles availableVinoplnote “An elegant expression of Muscadet from the 40-50 year old vines… vibrant with acidity and the flavor of oyster shells.” Pepiere Muscadet Clisson 2019 750ml $26.60 special, 7 bottles availablePepiere Muscadet Clisson 2019 1.5L $61.90 special, 6 bottles availableWinemaker Notes “This powerful, charming, exceptionally delicate wine is the ideal aperitif. Naturally served with scallop, smoked salmon and other fish cooked in a sauce, it twill astound you with a pan-fried “foie gras” (duck livers preserved in fat) or with mature cheese such as goat cheese or Comté.”
Pepiere Muscadet Monnieres Saint Fiacre 2017 750ml $28 special, 7 bottles availablePepiere Muscadet Monniere Saint Fiacre 2017 1.5L $59 special, 3 bottles availableVinous 93 Points “The 2017 Monnières Saint-Fiacre offers ripe nectarine, apple and citrus alongside lees-derived nutty characters, having spent three years on lees. The clarity of the wine is excellent, perhaps something to do with the hand harvesting and whole bunch pressing, which puts them in the minority. It’s light in body and elegant with fine sinew on the finish. Drawing this out on the long finish, it bursts with freshness and reflects the cool vintage.”
Pepiere Muscadet Clisson 2017 1.5L $61.90 special, 8 bottles availableVinous 93 Points “The 2017 Clisson from this organic estate has been wild fermented and has spent two years in cuve on lees (the minimum for this cru). While ripe and rounded, which is a character of the Clisson cru, and redolent of lees-derived character, this retains a lovely precision and vivacity. Appealing clarity of apple and citrus fruit and light in body. This is a fresher, more defined style of Clisson from a cooler season. It’s pure, clean and provides definition.”
Close Out Sales
Save Big on 2020 Roses!
Berthier Pinot Noir Rose L’instant 2020 750ml WAS $10.90 NOW $9.90 special, 3 bottles availableVinous 89 Points “Shimmering orange. Spice-accented tangerine and raspberry aromas pick up a floral nuance with air. Chewy and focused on the palate, offering juicy red berry and orange zest flavors that show a refreshingly bitter edge. Finishes taut and dry, with a repeating floral note and a jolt of spicy white pepper.” Bastide Blanche Bandol Rose 2020 1.5L WAS $59 NOW $49 special, 5 bottles availableVinous 92 Points “Limpid orange-pink. Expressive red berry, blood orange and pit fruit aromas are accompanied by building mineral and floral nuances. Taut and energetic in the mouth, offering sappy strawberry, orange zest and lavender flavors braced by a spine of chalky minerality. Finishes silky and impressively long, with repeating mineral and floral notes.” Wine Advocate 91 Points “A blend of Mourvèdre, Grenache, Cinsault, Clairette and Ugni Blanc, La Bastide Blanche’s 2020 Bandol Rose bursts with scents of sun-warmed peaches, passion fruit and strawberries. It’s medium to full-bodied, mouthfilling and concentrated, yet finishes spry and refreshing, with a burst of salinity and citrus.”
3 Day Sale
De Venoge ChampagnesSale ends June 15th at 6pm… the best selection is NOW!Buy 1-2 bottles for a 5% discountBuy 3 or more bottles for a 10% discount
This is first come / first served and limited to stock on hand.
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.
 It is our pleasure to offer these wines from one of the most exclusive Champagne houses in France. Founded in 1825 by Henri-Marc de Venoge, a Swiss immigrant to the region, these wines are still made in a traditional style rarely seen in modern Champagnes. While most champagnes these days are made in a crisp and fresh style, the champagnes of De Venoge undergo Malolactic fermentation, resulting in a rounder, fatter, elegant style that can age for decades. Luckily, the winery has done the hard work already (resisting the temptation to pop the cork) and aged these wines for immediate consumption.Most bottles produced by De Venoge never leave their country of origin. This is a rare opportunity to drink a wine with a longer history than many countries!
De Venoge Tour Eiffel 130th anniversary NV 750ml $79 special, 1 bottle in stock
Vinoplnote: Produced in honor of the anniversary of the 1899 world’s fair in which De Venoge was served as the official champagne of the Eiffel Tower. De Venoge Cordon Bleu Brut 2002 750ml $79 special, 9 bottles in stock
Wine Spectator 93 points “A core of mineral-accented smoke, spice and honey notes is wrapped with flavors of glazed apricot, lemon preserves and candied ginger in this vibrant and well-balanced version. Creamy, with a lasting finish. Drink now through 2025.” Only 3,000 cases made. De Venoge Louis XV Brut 2006 750ml $189 special, 19 bottles in stock
Wine Advocate 96 points “The assemblage of the 2006 Louis XV Brut Millésimé is about the same as the 1995 and 1996—composed of 50/50 Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, all from grand cru villages. The only difference is that the Chardonnay from Le Mesnil-sur-Oger (10% of the assemblage) spent 12 months in oak barrels … the 2006 has a golden color and opens with a deep, ripe, elegant and vinous bouquet with toasty and chalky lemon and fresh.” De Venoge Louis XV Brut 2008 750ml $249 special, 21 bottles in stock
James Suckling 95 points “This is really punchy and broad-shouldered with muscular structure and citrusy undertones. Full body. Lightly tannic and a fresh and vivid finish. This is the first vintage without malolactic Fermentation ever. One for the cellar. Better in 2022.“ De Venoge Louis XV Brut Rose 2002 750ml $189 special, 22 bottles in stock
Wine Spectator 93 points “Harmonious, with fine intensity, offering rich notes of spice cake, toasted almond, dried cherry, grilled plum and smoky mineral. Almost velvety in texture, with juicy acidity that brings you back for another sip. Delicious. Drink now through 2022.” Only 54 cases made.
These are the lowest prices in the USA
June Sale- All Spanish Wines
Buy 6-11 bottles for a 5% discount
Buy 12+ bottles for a 10% discount
Ends June 30th at 6pm… the best selection is NOW!
This is first come / first served and limited to stock on hand.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. Valdespino Inocente Fino 375ml $11.90 special, 10 bottles availableWine & Spirits 95 Points “Best Buy. Inocente is Valdespino’s flagship, a wine from the Macharnudo Alto vineyard, where the soil is pure white albariza. It ferments in 600-liter wooden casks without added yeasts, a practice that has become increasingly rare in Jerez. The intensity of the wine’s salinity is remarkable – iodine and salt – coming together with ripe white fruit, scents of nuts and exotic spices.” Muga Anden La Estacion Rioja Crianza 2018 750ml $19 special, 36+ bottles availableVinous 90 Points “Dark ruby. Ripe red fruits, vanilla and pipe tobacco on the nose, with spice and woodsmoke nuances emerging as the wine stretches out. Gently sweet and supple on the palate, offering juicy cherry liqueur and spicecake flavors braced by a spine of tangy acidity. Smooth tannins add shape and subtle grip to the persistent finish, which leaves a warm red fruit preserve note behind. Drink: 2022-2027.” Casa Castillo Las Gravas Jumilla 2017 750ml $30.50 special, 24 bottles availableWine Advocate 95 Points “The 2017 Las Gravas is surprisingly floral and ethereal, perfumed and elegant. Syrah has disappeared from the blend of this wine—it now has 20% Garnacha to complement the Monastrell—and they think this is going to be the blend that stays in this wine, which has seen more changes in its life than the rest of the portfolio. This is for sure the most elegant vintage for this bottling; the wine matured in 500-liter barrels and then spent four months in 5,000-liter vats after the blend was done. There are no aromas of oak whatsoever, and the wine is surprisingly fresh, as if the Garnacha helps to contain the power of Monastrell on the gravel soils, adding texture and perfume. This is beautiful. 26,500 bottles were filled in March 2019.” Daniel Landi Las Uvas De La Ira 2018 750ml $31.90 special, 36+ bottles availableWine Advocate 93 Points “The red 2018 Las Uvas de la Ira has been produced with Garnacha from the same five vineyards since the initial vintage (2012) in the village of El Real de San Vicente, which is one of the villages from Méntrida (Toledo) that are part of the Gredos Mountains. The vines range between 40 and 65 years of age, and they are located at around 750 meters in altitude on sandy granite soils with lots of silt. The different vineyards are fermented separately in oak vats with indigenous yeasts and a very gentle vinification, one-third with very long macerations to provide structure and depth, one-third with a very short maceration to provide fragrance, and the remaining third finished the fermentation without skins (like a white) to add juiciness. The élevage is in oak foudres of different sizes, from 1,500 to 4,000 liters. Nin-Ortiz Planetes Classic 2017 750ml $49 special, 15 bottles availableWine Advocate 95 Points “The 2017 Planetes de Nin comes from the four hectares of 20-year-old Garnacha and 11-year-old Cariñena in the Planetes vineyard in Porrera at 450 meters in altitude. It’s 60% Garnacha (some of it Peluda) and the rest Cariñena, harvested early. It fermented with indigenous yeasts and matured in 3,200-liter oak vats and one 1,000-liter amphora for 17 months. It has depth and harmony, and the vines are getting older and seem to be better and better balanced. This is not that different from the 2016; it feels quite stable and has its style and character, especially since the 2015 vintage. 9,704 bottles were filled in April 2019.” Lopez Heredia Tondonia Reserva Rioja 2009 750ml $59 special, 9 bottles availableWine Advocate 93 Points “As with many wines this time, I had two vintages to taste of the Reserva from the Tondonia vineyard, 2009 and 2008, two very different, almost opposite vintages. The 2009 Viña Tondonia Reserva, a blend of 70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacho and 5% each Mazuelo and Graciano, matured in used American oak barrels for six years. It has some toasted character, with ripe fruit, black rather than red, denoting a warm year but more restrained than the Bosconia Reserva from the same vintage. 2009 is a year of ripeness, concentration and tannin; the wines are powerful, but here you see the finesse of Tondonia in comparison to the more rustic Viña Bosconia. 220,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in May 2017.” Espectacle Del Montsant 2018 750ml $119 special, 17 bottles availableWine Spectator 98 Points “As with other wines, I also tasted the 2018 Espectacle del Montsant next to the 2017 to catch up, as I last tasted the region some 16 months ago. 2018 was a cooler year of slow ripeness, and the grapes achieved an amazing 16% alcohol. The wine is truly spectacular, true to its name. It has tons of violet notes and aromatic herbs, the palate is gentler, and the tannins are rounder, polished and elegant. It has full body but isn’t heavy. There is a lot of complexity, and the wine developed slowly in the glass, showing nuances of cereals, kirsch, orange peel and lots of spices and herbs. It’s opulent and full, deep and complex. Amazing in its style. Some 6,500 bottles produced.” Clos Erasmus Priorat 2019 750ml $228 special, 15 bottles availableWine Advocate 98+ Points “The serious and powerful 2019 Clos Erasmus feels quite classical Priorat, with notes of graphite, black fruit and licorice; it’s a solid Priorat with weight, concentration and clout. There are still some smoke, toast and spice notes from the élevage—100% in barrel, some 40% of them new, for around 18 months—and the wine always needs a little bit of time in bottle. Despite the 15.5% alcohol, the wine comes through as balanced and with freshness, there is no heat or sensation of alcohol; you need the tannins and acidity to counterbalance the alcohol, and they are doing that here. This is more balsamic, aromatic and exuberant. It’s showy, hedonistic and rich, a solid Erasmus. The tannins are still quite present and need some more time to be resolved. 3,300 bottles were filled in May 2020.”
Collector’s Corner
Top Shelf Champagnes
Bollinger R.D. 2004 1.5L $519 special, 4 bottles availableWine & Spirits 98 Points “Time has graced this wine, proving the value of Bollinger’s policy of long aging on the lees followed by prompt release after disgorgement. This RD (Recently Disgorged) 2004 is a joyous wine, staunch, cold and powerful at first, transforming to fresh fruit shadowed by darker tones of barrel fermentation. As it opens in the glass, revealing racy energy, a range of floral pear and apple flavors emerge, resonant with a sense of limestone capturing the sun and reflecting it back in pale power. Enjoy this over the course of an evening as its presence shifts, providing varied perspectives on a great Champagne.” Wine Enthusiast 98 Points “Top 100 Cellar Selection in 2019. The wine’s name stands for recently disgorged and this vintage Champagne was taken off its lees in 2018. That gave many years for it to develop its depth of flavor, richness and beautifully memorable toasty flavors. Drink through 2028.” Louis Roederer Cristal 2014 750ml $349 Special, 10 Bottles Available#1 Top 100 Cellar Selections 2022 – Wine EnthusiastWine Spectator 98 Points “This vivid Champagne shows up-front and linear definition, thanks to rapierlike acidity, with finely meshed flavors of ripe black cherry and mandarin orange fruit, raw almond, anise and cardamom spice as well as a touch of honeycomb, which all unfurl and expand on the fine, creamy palate. Sleek acidity continues through to the finish, with additional racy character provided by a streak of minerally saline and chalk, which gains momentum through the midpalate and rings out on the well-cut, lasting finish. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Drink now through 2040” Louis Roederer Cristal Rose 2013 750ml $619 Special, 3 Bottles AvailableWine Advocate 99 Points “A candidate for wine-of-the-vintage honors in Champagne, Roederer’s 2013 Cristal Rosé is showing brilliantly, unfurling in the glass with notes of crisp orchard fruit, white flowers, red berries, stone fruit, freshly baked bread and tangerine oil. Full-bodied, layered and multidimensional, the vintage’s bright girdling acids are amply cloaked in exuberant, expressive and notably concentrated fruit; so while this Cristal is as tensile and age-worthy as one would expect, it’s also impressively fleshy and generous given the year. Concluding with an intensely sapid finish, the 2013 isn’t as overtly structured as the muscular, tightly wound 2012: rather, it’s the 2013’s alliance of cut and flesh, precision and charm that’s so compelling this year. This is another banner vintage for what I consider the reigning champion of the region’s tête de cuvée bottlings, and it will be worth an effort to acquire.” Vinous 98 Points “The 2013 Cristal Rosé is searingly intense right out of the glass, just like the Blanc, except it has a bit more fleshiness because of the skin contact on the Pinot. Cristal Rosé has one of the best track records for aging in Champagne. I suspect the 2013 will join the ranks of the epic vintages, but it is painfully tight today. The blend is 55% Pinot Noir (from Aÿ) and 45% Chardonnay (from Avize and Mesnil) done in the classic Roederer infusion style in which Pinot Noir is vinified on the skins and then blended with Chardonnay to complete the fermentation. About 25% of the lots were done in oak, while malolactic fermentation was blocked.” Louis Roederer Cristal Vinotheque 1999 750ml $1245 special, 3 bottles availableJames Suckling 98 Points “The nose has such beautiful, autolysis character with brown-mushroom and toasted-almond aromas. The nose has still-fresh lemons and oyster shell. Very smooth, pastry-like texture on the palate with even layers and a core of fresh lemons and peaches. The striking thing here is the balance and melted-together complexity. In a very great place. This spent seven years sur latte, seven sur pointe and was disgorged in 2014. Drink now.” Pol Roger Cuvee Sir Winston Churchill Brut 2013 750ml $319 special, 8 bottles availableWine Enthusiast 98 points “Although ready to drink, this very fine Champagne has plenty of aging to go. With its rich Pinot Noir and ripe fruits, it is generous while also fully textured. Complex and balanced, mature fruit and toast working together, this is a great wine.” Jeb Dunnuck 97 points “The 2013 Champagne Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill Brut, composed of 95% Pinot Noir, is the 20th release of this cuvée, and this version is robust, classic, and noble in its expression. The color is a medium straw, and the aromas are complex and compelling, with smoke, graham biscuit, currant, and orange marmalade. It has immediate appeal and charm. The palate is structured, yet refreshing, and savory with grip and an energetic citrus that doesn’t seem to taper.”
| Vintage |
Wine |
Points |
Price and Availability |
| 2016 |
Christophe Baron Champagne Les Alouettes 1.5L |
Vinous 94 Points |
$259 special, 4 bottles in stock |
| 2017 |
Christophe Baron Champagne Les Alouettes 1.5L |
Wine Advocate 95 Points |
$259 special, 8 bottles in stock |
| 2016 |
Christophe Baron Champagne Dessus Marie 1.5L |
Vinous 96 Points |
$279 special, 1 bottles in stock |
| 2017 |
Christophe Baron Champagne Dessus Marie 1.5L |
Vinous 96 Points |
$259 special, 4 bottles in stock |
| 2017 |
Christophe Baron Champagne Hautes Blanches 1.5L |
Vinous 95 Points |
$269 special, 6 bottles in stock |
| NV |
Andre Clouet Brut Grande Reserve 3L |
Wine Advocate 90 Points |
$279 special, 7 bottles available |
| NV |
Andre Clouet Brut Rose 3L |
Wine Advocate 90 Points |
$319 special, 3 bottles available |
| 2017 |
Doyard Clos De L’abbaye 1er Cru 750ml |
Wine Advocate 94 Points |
$159 special, 2 bottles available |
| 2000 |
Duval-Leroy Femme De Champagne 1.5L |
Wine Spectator 94 Points |
$299 special, 2 bottles available |
| 2013 |
Georges Laval Les Longues Violes Brut Nature 750ml |
Vinous 96 Points |
$779 special, 3 bottles available |
| 2015 |
Georges Laval Les Chenes 1er Cru Brut Nature 750ml |
John Gilman 96 Points |
$249 special, 3 bottles available |
| 1990 |
Laurent-Perrier Alexandra Rose 750ml |
Wine Spectator 94 points
Wine Enthusiast 94 points |
$599 special, 2 bottles available |
| 2004 |
Pommery Cuvee Louise Brut 1.5L |
James Suckling 95 points |
$279 special, 8 bottles available |
| 2007 |
Louis Roederer Cristal 750ml |
Vinous 97+ Points |
$399 special, 1 bottle available |
| 2004 |
Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut 750ml |
Vinous 96 points |
$279 special, 18 bottles available |
| 2007 |
Taittinger Comtes Rose Champagne 750ml |
Vinous 97 Points |
$239 special, 5 bottles available |
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