In This Newsletter:ArrivalsBeaux Freres, Isole e Olena, Marietta and more!
Special Father’s Day Staff Pick
Lundeen Pinot Noir “Mon Pere”
The Willamette’s White GoldOregon White Wines Beyond Chardonnay
Borgogno and Bow and Arrow3 Day SaleThe Superlative Wines of Dal Forno Romano
June Sale- Spanish Wines
Rock ‘n’ Ribera and Rioja
Collector’s Corner
The Vinopolis 100 Point Club
Special Arrival
“Domaine de Triennes”
Vinopolnote “Two of Burgundy’s greatest names – Jacques Seysses, founder of Domaine Dujac, and Aubert de Villaine, co-owner of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti – are the partners behind this pioneering property in Provence, northeast of Marseille and due east of Aix-en-Provence. In less than two decades, they have transformed this stunning 46-hectare site into one of the top wine estates in Southern France.
Josh Raynolds “Fresh raspberry, nectarine and tangerine aromas show good clarity and pick up a subtle herbal nuance with air. Juicy and supple in texture, presenting subtly sweet red berry and pit fruit flavors and a hint of orange zest. Finishes silky and gently spicy, leaving a hint of candied orange zest behind.”
Lowest Price in the USA
New Arrivals
California
“Marietta”
Marietta Cellars Arme Estate Cabernet 2019 750ml $26 special, 36 bottles availableWine Advocate 94 Points “The 2019 Armé Cabernet Sauvignon has a medium ruby-purple color and layered aromas of red and black currants, violet, iron, underbrush and mushrooms. The medium-bodied palate is pleasantly rustic and a touch chewy, with bright acidity, pretty floral perfume and an earth-laced finish.” Marietta Cellars Game Trail Cabernet 2019 750ml $39 special, 36 bottles availableWine Advocate 94 Points “Medium ruby-purple, the 2019 Game Trail Cabernet Sauvignon features scents of blackcurrant and blackcurrant bud, chocolate, star anise, iron and violet. Powerful yet fresh, the full-bodied palate has loads of grainy tannins and bright sparks of acidity highlighting its floral perfume. It has mineral-streaked fruits and a long, layered finish with singular wafts of incense. Marietta Cellars Roman Zinfandel 2021 750ml $24 special, 36 bottles availableNo review yet- 2020 vintage review provided for referenceWine Advocate “A blend of Zinfandel, Petite Sirah and Barbera, the 2020 Román Zinfandel has a medium ruby-purple color and aromatic layers of raspberry, red cherry, rhubarb, aniseed and lilac with touches of iron and orange peel. The medium-bodied palate is gently chewy, with tart, juicy fruits and a spicy finish.”
France
Joly Clos De La Bergerie Savennieres 2021 750ml $99 special, 12 bottles availableImporter Note “Clos de la Bergerie provides a unique interpretation of site, taking in the moderating and gentle east facing slopes of AOC Savennières Roche aux Moines. The Joly family owns 3.5 hectares of the appellation. The vineyard comprises the same soil composition as Coulée de Serrant, schist and quartz, but with deeper soil and milder slopes, allowing the maturity to peak just slightly later. A rich and powerful wine set to stand the test of time.”
Spain
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!).”
This wine is included to our month long Spanish Wine Sale
Italy
Isole e Olena 2010 375ml $59 special, 6 bottles availableWine Spectator 95 Points “This dessert-style white delivers honey, caramel, clove, horehound and butterscotch aromas and flavors. Lush and toasty, with vivid acidity and an aftertaste of roasted walnut. Features fine complexity and length. Trebbiano and Malvasia. Drink now through 2038” Winery Note “65% Malvasia del Chianti, 35% Trebbiano “Estate-grown, hand-harvested grapes are dried for 3-5 months before pressing, after which the must is racked into ‘caratelli’ (small barrels of varying composition) where it ferments and ages for five years before bottling. The wine remains on the ‘madre’ or starter culture for the entire aging/fermenting period, during which time it is neither racked nor filtered. The resulting wine comprises only 12-15% of the initial yield.”
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
“The Brundlemeister”
Re-Arrivals
Beaux Freres Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2021 $69 special, 6 bottles availableWinery Note “Our Willamette Valley cuvée features fruit grown on select vineyard sites in the Northern Willamette Valley. The wines benefit from the same integrity in the winemaking process as our estate wines. The sites are farmed sustainably and managed to very low yields. We age the wines in the same French oak barrels used in our estate bottling, however the percentage of new oak is intentionally lower. This wine is not fined or filtered.” Beaux Freres Belles Soeurs Pinot Noir 2019 750ml $89 special, 6 bottles availableWine Advocate 96 Points “Medium ruby-purple, the 2019 Pinot Noir The Belles Soeurs has alluring wild red and black berry fruits with wafts of garrigue, Earl Grey tea leaves and Angostura bitters. The palate is silky and intense with layered, graphite-tinged fruit and a very long finish that’s notable for its purity and persistent perfume.” Beaux Freres Les Cousins Pinot Noir 2021 750ml $36 special, 24 bottles availableVinopolnote “This second label of Beaux Freres, designed as a special thank-you to wineries most dedicated customers. Truly, a great value for the price!” Composition Pinot Noir WV 2021 750ml $89 special, 13 bottles availableVinopolnote: “The secret is out: Composition is the 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.”
 Special Father’s Day Staff PickWillamette
 Lundeen Estate Pinot Noir “Mon Pere” 2021 750ml $26 special, 34 bottles availableLong before Michael Lundeen began his winemaking career he was in the wine industry. As the third generation of Lundeens raising vines on their family estate, he learned the most important part of winemaking from his father: the farming. “Mon Pere” is assembled from all of the many vineyards that Michael helps to manage, allowing for consistency across vintages. The wine is quite mouthwatering, with good acid and notes of blackberry and tart raspberry. “Mon Pere” is produced by Michael Lundeen in tribute to his father and as a celebration of family, integrity, and stewardship.
Willamette’s White GoldOregon White Wines Beyond Chardonnay Coquina Wines Pinot Gris 2021 750ml $21.90 special, 36 bottles availableVinoplnote “Formerly of Kosta Browne and Failla, winemakers Dana Benn and Nicole Staples came to to the Willamette valley to make something that was truly their own. Like a cross between Pinot Grigios of the Italian Alps and a fine Alsatian Pinot Gris. Structured and very complex.” Patricia Green Sauvignon Blanc 2022 750ml $21.90 special, 12 bottles availableVinopolnote Sauvignon Blanc is only very lightly planted in Oregon with well less than 100 acres currently existing in the state and less than 50 in the Willamette Valley AVA. This is classic Sauvignon Blanc provided you do not think this variety should smell like cut grass and cat pee. This has high-toned and heavily fruited aromatics with a distinct limey/citrus tinge along with the hint of straw and minerals which is what ripe Sauvignon Blanc should have as its varietal typicity. Shiba Wichern Willamette Blanc 2021 750ml $21.90 special, 11 bottles availableVinopolnote “A blend of 72% neutral oaked Auxerrois, 19% stainless steel fermented Pinot Gris, and 9% Pinot Noir rosé. This is a zippy wine with a nicely balanced body, perfect for food pairings.” Bow & Arrow Chenin Blanc Union School Vineyard 2021 750ml $24 special, 9 bottles availableWinery Note “2020 Chenin Blanc is 100% sourced from Union School Vineyard, the same place we get the Sauvignon Blanc for Fool’s Gold. I travelled to Matthew Rorick’s Heritage Vineyard a few years back and collected cuttings from his Chenin block after finding a grower willing to graft for me. The site is perfect for SB and Chenin – slightly warmer, good drainage, crotchety old German at the helm… I ripen till the fruit turns yellow and speckled like a bird’s egg and then direct press to large 500 liter casks for fermentation and aging. The goal is to make a dry but extracted expression more akin to Savennière rather than say a Vouvray Sec.” Kelley Fox Gruner Veltliner 2022 750ml $34 special, 11 bottles availableWinemaker Note ‘The Grüner was a really fun wine to produce, and I’m happy to offer this very small bottling to you. This wine was tank-fermented and is ML-complete. The colour is a highly transparent, radiant spun gold. I love looking at it in the glass. The nose is full of fresh, lush citrus with minerals. The texture is both rich and weightless, and yes, it has the classic Grüner finish of a touch of white pepper. It has wonderful acidity one might expect from an alpine wine.” Ovum Rare Form For Love Nor Money 2020 750ml $51.90 special, 23 bottles availableWinery note “Under the fresh fruit layer sits a brooding sea of herbs – lemon verbena, eucalyptus, sage. There’s even notes of bittering agents like wormwood and cassia bark, yet they’re not present on the palate. A lightning bolt of acidity strikes your palate upon first taste, and then begins the cascading flavors of salted lemon and white pineapple soaked in chamomile tea. The finish is dry, and layered with dried herbs as the wine warms in the glass.”
3 Day Sale
The Wines of Dal Forno Romano
Buy 3-5 bottles for a 5% discountBuy 6+ bottles for a 10% discount
Sale ends June 19th at 10am.
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.
The Dal Forno family has been making wine since 1983. Located in Val D’Illasi, the estate consists of 65 acres of vines planted to traditional indigenous varieties of Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella, Oseleta and Croatina. The estate vineyards and farm are located where the slopes begin to rise toward the mountains and sit 1,000 feet above sea level. The loose, alluvial soils, meticulous pruning and scrupulous viticultural techniques ensure remarkable-quality grapes. The Dal Fornos use traditional methods in the vineyard, then employ modern techniques to produce the their wines— classic in expression and modern in purity. Dal Forno Romano Amarone 2015 750ml $399 special, 12 bottles available100 Points James Suckling “This is black as pitch in the glass and, yes, there’s a light, tarry edge to the super-concentrated prune, date and currant fruit. But even more interesting are the complex notes of bitter-orange liqueur, aged balsamic, fresh roasting herbs, cinnamon, roasted chestnuts, black tea and licorice. The more you decant in advance, the more nuances will emerge. It’s full-boded with huge concentration and lots of chewy tannin that is managing to hold the fruit back for now. This needs plenty of time to develop in the bottle. Just superb. One of the greatest Dal Forno’s ever.”
Close Out Sales
Bow & Arrow Rhinestones Red 2021 750ml WAS $21.90 NOW $19 special, 36+ bottles availableWinery note “To understand Rhinestones we have to talk about the Cheverny region of France’s Loire Valley where, by law, the red wines must be a blend of Gamay and Pinot Noir. We follow this stricture with all the Pinot and Gamay fruit we source from Johan Vineyard. The blend is determined by nature and vintage. Aged in a mixture of concrete and old barriques, this wine is the flagship of the Bow & Arrow operation and communicates what we’re about as much as anything we make. Effortlessly drinkable but rewards detective work if you’re in the mood.” Borgogno Derthona Timorasso 2018 750ml WAS $49 NOW $41.90 special, 27 bottles availableGrapelive 94 Points “A few years ago, Walter Massa of Vigneti Massa almost single handedly brought the rare Timorasso grape back from extinction and now it is one of the hottest white wines made in the Piedmonte region. We are seeing many great producers jumping on the bandwagon, including the famed Vietti and this beautiful expression by the legendary Barolo maker Borgogno. Tasted at Slow Wine earlier this year, the 2018 Borgogno Derthona DOC should be arriving to the United States soon, though you’ll have to really work hard to get your hands on it as it is extremely limited, but you’ll be greatly rewarded for your hard work and search if you get your hands on it.
June Sale- All Spanish Wines
A Showcase of Wines From Ribera and Rioja Producers
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. Cvne Cune Organic Tinto Rioja 2019 750ml $12.50 special, 26 bottles availableWine Advocate 91 Points “They have never released a wine like this or such a young red. Amazing young Garnacha for the by-the-glass market. Bravo!” Bodega Diaz Bayo Roble Ribera Del Duero 2020 750ml $16 special, 36 bottles availableWinery Note “100% Tempranillo. El Monte, Valdebrero, La Viñota estate vineyards in D. O. Ribera del Duero between 900 – 920 meters; vines planted 1960 – 1995 in clayey-calcareous limestone; hand harvested; fermented in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks; aged 8 months in used French and American oak barrels; aged 6 months in bottle. Vinopolnote Aromatic herbs and red fruit aromas with light toast notes. Bright fruit takes over the generous palate with subtle oak hints on the finish. Pingus Psi Ribera Del Duero 2019 750ml $28 special, 9 bottles availableWine Advocate 93+ Points “The 2019 PSI combines their knowledge of the vineyards and their new winery. They learned a lot in 2018, a more heterogeneous vintage, and their sorting machine for grapes had to work a lot. 2019 was more homogeneous, an easier harvest when most people made better wine.” Pingus Dominio De Pingus 2019 750ml $1199 special, 3 bottles availableWine Advocate 99 Points “I tasted the bottled 2019 Pingus two weeks after bottling. Even at this early stage and after the operation, the wine is super harmonious and elegant. They really outdid themselves here and produced an amazingly fresh, aromatic and harmonious wine in a warm vintage. It’s incredibly textured, with refined, very fine-grained and chalky tannins. It’s very balanced, and there’s no excess of anything; it has 14% alcohol, perfect ripeness and a velvety mouthfeel.” 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.” Pingus Flor De Pingus 2020 750ml $108 special, 22 bottles availableWine Advocate 94+ Points “There is around 20% new oak in the 2020 Flor de Pingus, and because it has a little younger vines (there was a land-consolidation project in La Horra in 2006!), there’ll be some Garnacha starting in 2021 and maybe some oak vats for aging too. All this shows the direction, where he found structure and volume in the palate, with textured tannins. It’s harmonious and elegant, aromatic and floral, perfumed and showy, with contained ripeness and around 14% alcohol. The palate is quite powerful, with abundant but fine tannins. 110,000 bottles were filled in July 2022.” Vega Sicilia Alion Ribera Del Duero 2018 750ml $99 special, 5 bottles availableJames Suckling 96 Points “Fresh and very floral with violets and berries. Blackberries and orange peel, too. Medium-to full-bodied with firm, linear tannins. Excellent length and structure. Seriously structured, Better after 2024, but already beautiful.” Vega Sicilia Pintia Toro 2018 750ml $79 special, 8 bottles availableWine Advocate 95 Points “The nose is very expressive, with bright cherry fruit, and the wine is fresher than the norm in the region, with integrated alcohol and oak, reflecting a very cool year, floral and perfumed. The palate is medium-bodied and reveals very fine and elegant tannins. This has to be one of the finest vintages of Pintia.” Vega Sicila-Rothschild Macan Rioja Clasico 2019 750ml $59 special, 24 bottles availableWine Advocate 93+ Points “The second wine in the Bordeaux sense is the 2019 Macán Clásico, a more concentrated and powerful wine cropped from a warmer and drier year that was saved by the 80 liters of rain in the first half of September. It fermented in stainless steel with 10% of their own yeasts, and the élevage was 22% in stainless steel and the rest in new and used oak barrels, mostly French but with around 5% of them American, and lasted 12 months.”
Collector’s CornerThe Vinopolis 100 Point Club
Antonio Galloni 100 Points “From the very beginning, the 2015 Canon has made an eloquent case for itself as one of the wines of the vintage. Sumptuous and exotic, with no hard edges and exceptional balance, the 2015 grabs hold of all the senses and never lets up. A rush of red fruit intermingled with floral notes, spice and smoke notes effortlessly runs up the wine’s vertical structure as the 2015 thrills with every twist and turn. The 2015 Canon is a rare wine that is both hedonistic and intellectual – well, maybe it is a bit more hedonistic-leaning. It doesn’t matter. Don’t miss it.” Neal Martin 100 points “The 2015 Canon was a benchmark wine that seemed to revitalize this historic estate. I was crossing my fingers that it would not disappoint in bottle and I am glad to say that it delivers the goods. The mouth is tingling long after the wine has exited and your brain is thinking…when is the next sip coming? It is frankly heads and shoulders above almost every Saint Émilion this vintage, to reaffirm, a benchmark for this historic estate that will give pleasure to many over the coming years. Astonishing.” James Suckling 100 points “Seductive. The nose draws you in deep: It’s like staring into a well of pristine dark cherries, dark plums, blackberries and mulberries. All the oak is perfectly subsumed. The palate’s flawless with immense depth and power and it’s so balanced as to appear to float. Immaculate fresh dark-berry and plum flavors. Silky and deep, ribbon-like finish. Perfect. Best from 2022.” Cos D’estournel Saint Estephe 2016 750ml $299 special, 5 bottles availableWine Advocate 100 Points “The 2016 Cos d’Estournel is blended of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc aged in 65% new and 35% two-year-old French oak for 15 months. The palate is simply electric, charged with an energy and depth of flavors that seem to defy the elegance and ethereal nature of its medium-bodied weight, featuring super ripe, densely pixelated tannins that firmly frame the myriad of fruit and floral sparks, finishing with epic length. Just. Magic.” Vinous 100 Points “The 2016 Cos d’Estournel was a bona fide showstopper out of barrel, the best that I had encountered in over 20 years of visiting the estate during en primeur, so my expectations were piled high when I returned to find out how it performs in bottle. Deep, almost opaque in color, it sports a very intense but broody bouquet with fathomless deep black fruit tinged with blueberry and violet. The aromas almost seem to envelop the senses. The palate is medium-bodied with ultra-fine tannin that I have never witnessed in any other vintage of Cos d’Estournel. There is a beguiling symmetry to this Saint-Estèphe, as well as unerring mineralité. The persistent, tobacco-tinged finish can be felt 60 second after the wine has departed. This is a monumental, benchmark Cos d’Estournel that will give not years but decades of pleasure, though I suspect it will close down for a period in its youth, hence my drinking window.” Dominus Estate Napa 2018 750ml $419 special, 8 bottles availableDominus Estate Napa 2018 375ml $219 special, 19 bottles availableWINE SPECTATOR #1 WINE OF THE YEAR 2021!Jeb Dunnuck 100 Points “The flagship 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon checks in as 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Petit Verdot brought up in 40% new French oak. With an essence of Cabernet-like character in its darker currants, green tobacco, cedar, graphite, and floral aromas and flavors, this gorgeous wine is full-bodied and has bright yet integrated acidity, polished tannins, and a great, great finish. It’s just gorgeously put together and a magical, flawless wine. It’s going to take a decade to hit maturity but will evolve for 40-50 years in cold cellars. It is as good as it gets in classic, age-worthy Cabernet Sauvignon!” James Suckling 100 Points “This is incredible on the nose, offering hot stones, blackcurrants, iodine and wet earth. Full-bodied with a tight center palate, then it opens with a tannin structure that is weightless and spreads across the palate. Totally integrated on the palate. This is a magic-carpet wine. Really incredible. One of the reference points for the vintage. Drinkable now and please try a bottle, but it’s one for the cellar.”
| Vintage |
Wine |
Points |
Price and Availability |
| 2016 |
Angelus Saint Emilion 1.5L |
Wine Enthusiast 100 Points |
$899 special, 19 bottles available |
| 2019 |
Bodegas Muga Aro 750ml |
Jeb Dunnuck 100 Points |
$349 special, 3 bottles available |
| 2015 |
Bond Estates St Eden 750ml |
Jeb Dunnuck 100 Points |
$699 special, 1 bottles available |
| 2010 |
Chateau Mouton Rothschild Pauillac 750ml |
Decanter 100 Points |
$1199 special, 1 bottles available |
| 2017 |
Clos Apalta 750ml |
James Suckling 100 Points |
$149 special, 10 bottles available |
| 2020 |
Clos Erasmus Priorat 750ml |
Wine Advocate 100 Points |
$289 special, 9 bottles available |
| 2020 |
Clos Erasmus Priorat 1.5L |
Wine Advocate 100 Points |
$599 special, 1 bottle available |
| 2019 |
Dominus Estate Napa 750ml |
Wine Independent 100 Points |
$319 special, 14 bottles available |
| 2018 |
Ducru Beaucaillou Saint-Julien 750ml |
Wine Enthusiast 100 Points |
$269 special, 4 bottles available |
| 2019 |
L’aventure Estate Cuvee Paso Robles 750ml |
Jeb Dunnuck 100 Points |
$119 special, 20 bottles available |
| 2017 |
Molitor Zeltinger Sonnenuhr
Auslese*** GK 750ml |
Wine Advocate 100 Points |
$299 special, 13 bottles available |
| 2017 |
Molitor Zelt Sonnenhuhr
Beerenauslese * 750ml |
Wine Advocate 100 Points |
$399 special, 12 bottles available |
| 2019 |
Montrose St Estephe 750ml |
Vinous 100 Points |
$219 special, 8 bottles available |
| 2010 |
Pian Dell’orino Brunello
Bassolino Sopra 750ml |
Wine Advocate 100 Points |
$599 special, 1 bottle available |
| 2016 |
Pichon Lalande Pauillac 750ml |
Jeb Dunnuck 100 Points |
$319 special, 4 bottles available |
| 2019 |
Quintessa Red Rutherford 750ml |
Wine Enthusiast 100 Points |
$219 special, 18 bottles available |
| 2003 |
Sine Qua Non Inaugural Grenache
Eleven Confessions Vineyard 750ml |
Jeb Dunnuck 100 Points |
$3,199 special, 1 bottle available |
| 2003 |
Sine Qua Non Inaugural Syrah 750ml |
Robert Parker 100 Points |
$1499 special, 1 bottle available |
| 2018 |
Trotanoy Pomerol 750ml |
Jeb Dunnuck 100 Points |
$399 special, 3 bottles available |
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