In This Newsletter:Special ArrivalAzienda Agricola Arianna OcchipintiArrivalsDomaine Drouhin, La Jota, Saint Cosme, Saxum, and more!Recently ReviewedNew accolades for Bedrock Wine Co.Tenuta Delle Terre NereThis Etna winery is heating up
Close-Out SalesRaising the roof with lowered pricesFive Day Sale
Save with SelbachSpecial Collector’s ArrivalLeonardo, Michaelangelo, Burlotto?
Special Arrival“Azienda Agricola Arianna Occhipinti”
Arianna Occhipinti is part of the current generation of natural winemaking superstars. Although educated in enology and viticulture at Milan University, she truly learned the trade working with her uncle at COS winery in Sicily. This real world experience lead her to bucking much of the established wisdom in mainstream winemaking with massal selection vines, Biodynamic viticulture, biodiversity, minimal sulfur usage, no filtration, wild fermentations, and cement tank maceration.
Her style and passion have helped to reinvent winemaking in the minds of a younger generation, creating a beverage that is fresh, immediate, and tells a captivating story about place.Occhipinti Sp68 Bianco Sicilia 2022 750ml $31.90 special, 21 bottles availableImporter’s Note “SP68 is the name of the road that cuts through my original vineyard in Vittoria. The name of a road, for a wine which is a journey. That of the farmers who already three thousand years ago left from the country with the amphorae, and then the casks, and inside the fruit of their labor, fatigue, joy, even the smell of the soil. The journey of the farmers, even today headed for their vineyard, amongst meetings and works exchanged, under the clear sky.” Occhipinti Sp68 Rosso Sicilia 2022 750ml $31.90 special, 24 bottles availableImporter’s Note “73% Frappato, 30% Nero D’avola. The fruit is mainly destemmed and co-fermented with native yeasts in concrete tanks and with a two-week skin maceration. The wine is aged in concrete tank for 8 months and bottled unfiltered. Minimal sulphur is added before fermentation and at bottling. Occasionally the wine needs an extra addition after racking.” Occhipinti Il Frappato Sicilia 2021 750ml $49 special, 24 bottles availableArianna Occhipinti’s Note “Il Frappato stems from a dream which I had when I was a girl to make a wine that knows the land that I work, the air I breath and my own thoughts. It is bitter, bloody and elegant. That is Vittoria and the Iblei Mountains. It is the wine that most resembles me: brave, original and rebellious. But not only. It has peasant origins, for this it loves its roots and the past that it brings in; but, at the same time, it is able to fight to improve itself. It knows refinement without forgetting itself.”
Also Available from Occhipinti
James Suckling 93 Points “Aromas of suede, dried rose and dried strawberry. Medium-bodied with slightly firm tannins. Linear on the palate and rather pretty, fresh and long. Drink or hold.”
New Arrivals
Oregon
“Domaine Drouhin”
Domaine Drouhin Oregon Laurene Pinot Noir 2019 375ml $39 special, 12 bottles availableWine Advocate 96+ Points “The 2019 Pinot Noir Laurène is youthfully coiled at this stage and will take more time in bottle to unwind. It opens with flinty, rocky notes, fleshing out to blackberry, red cherry and dark, spicy undertones. The palate is silky, intense and long, with a plethora of savory accents hinting at more to come.” Domaine Drouhin Roserock Chardonnay 2021 750ml $36 special, 12 bottles availableJames Suckling 94 Points “Notes of dried apples, glazed lemons, orange curd, roasted almonds and crushed stones. Hints of dried lemon peel, too. Full-bodied and broad yet it is delicate with impressive fresh acidity. Incredible minerality here with a touch of zestiness at the end. Lingering finish.” Domaine Drouhin Roserock Eola-Amity Pinot Noir 2021 750ml $36 special, 12 bottles availableWine Spectator 94 Points “Graceful and precise, with dynamic cherry and red plum flavors highlighted by fresh violet and brown spices, which glide on the long, sleek finish toward refined tannins.” Domaine Drouhin Roserock Zephirine Pinot Noir 2021 1.5L $128 special, 6 magnum bottles availableJames Suckling 97 Points “Beautifully fragrant notes of cocoa-dusted raspberries and crushed blueberries with dried rose petals, sencha tea, cherry chocolate and crushed rocks. Ground spices, too. It shows both delicacy and power, with a compact and silky feeling to the tannin structure and impressive acidity which carries the freshness and tone through to the finish. Attractive tension of crunchy blue fruit and spices.”
Re-Arriving from Domaine Drouhin
Domaine Drouhin Oregon Dundee Hills Pinot Noir 2021 750ml $45 special, 14 bottles availableWine Spectator 94 Points “Graceful and fragrant, with delicately layered cherry and raspberry flavors laced with rose petal, dusky spices and a hint of fresh forest floor. Ends with refined tannins.” James Suckling 94 Points “Fragrant and open pinot with aromas of cherries, wild strawberries, orange zest, nutmeg and white pepper. It’s medium-bodied with silky, creamy tannins. Delicious balance of just-ripe berry fruit and subtle spice. Very long, too.”
Italy
“GD Vajra”
GD Vajra Barolo Albe 2019 750ml $33.50 special, 36+ bottles availableJames Suckling 93 Points “A firm and polished red with berries and spices, like nutmeg and pepper. Orange peel, too. Medium body. Fresh and energetic finish.” GD Vajra Barolo Bricco Delle Viole 2019 750ml $89 special, 24 bottles availableJames Suckling 94 Points “Aromas of crushed stone, flowers and berries follow through to a medium to full body with firm and velvety tannins and a juicy finish. Very primary now and needs time to develop in the bottle. From organically grown grapes.” GD Vajra Barolo Coste Di Rose 2019 750ml $69 special, 34 bottles availableNot yet reviewed- 2018 review listed for referenceWine Advocate 94 Points “With fruit from above the village of Barolo, the G.D. Vajra 2018 Barolo Coste di Rose shows a large aromatic scope and ample substance. This vineyard is characterized by very high density Diano sandstone (typical of the area), which explains the wine’s bigger sensorial impact. Its texture is velvety and smooth, and the wine offers lots of purple and red fruits with soft earth and perfumed flower. The vintage is open knit and broad in scope, perhaps lacking some of the brilliant focus you get in the cooler years.” GD Vajra Barolo Ravera 2019 750ml $89 special, 36+ bottles availableNot yet reviewed- 2018 review listed for referenceWine & Spirits 96 Points “This wine shows a darker and more savory profile than Vajra’s Costa di Rose, its black-cherry flavors tinged with notes of licorice and tobacco. Scents of lavender and violet lend a delicate touch to the wine, which continued to gain verve and freshness with time in the glass.”
France
“Saint Cosme”
Château Saint Cosme is the benchmark for the Gigondas region. Wine has been produced on the site of Saint Cosme since Roman times, evident by the ancient vats carved into the limestone below the château. The Château itself has been in the hands of the Barruol family since 1490. Louis Barruol, the current owner and winemaker took over from his father in 1992,which marked a dramatic upswing in quality including the beginning of their négociant wines and converting biodynamic farming in 2010. Saint Cosme Gigondas Rouge 2021 750ml $45 special, 36+ bottles availableSaint Cosme Gigondas Rouge 2021 1.5L $99 special, 12 bottles availableVinous 92-94 Points “Deep magenta. High-toned cherry and blackberry aromas show veyr good clarity with black pepper and smoky mineral accents. Shows firm tension and a spicy cut to its gently sweet red and dark berry, bitter chocolate and succulent herb flavors. Youthfully gripping tannins lend framework to a long, smoky finish that echoes the spice and floral notes. This is textbook Gigondas, raised in a combination of one-third concrete tanks and two-thirds large oak barrels, 20% of those new.” Saint Cosme Gigondas Hominis Fides Rouge 2021 750ml $125 special, 30 bottles availableVinous 95-97 Points “Deep, vivid ruby-red. Intensely perfumed, mineral-tinged scents of medicinal cherry, redcurrant and cassis are complemented by suggestions of star anise, white pepper and pungent flowers. It offers densely packed bitter cherry, red berry liqueur, lavender and licorice flavors that open up very slowly with air. Extremely primary but highly promising, with a long, spice- and mineral-tinged finish shaped by youthfully firming tannins.” Saint Cosme Gigondas Hominis Fides Blanc 2021 750ml $66 special, 12 bottles available Saint Cosme Gigondas Le Claux Rouge 2021 750ml $125 special, 36 bottles availableVinous 95-97 Points “Brilliant violet color. Displays pungent, mineral- and spice-accented cherry, black raspberry, potpourri and licorice aromas, along with hints of savory herbs, vanilla and incense. Chewy and tightly focused on the palate, offering bitter cherry, dark berry and Moroccan spice flavors that unfurl slowly through the back half. It closes with firm tension, chewy tannins and excellent tenacity, leaving resonating cherry and floral notes behind.” Saint Cosme Gigondas Le Poste Rouge 2021 750ml $125 special, 30 bottles availableVinous 95-97 Points “Deep magenta. Expansive, spice-and mineral-tinged black raspberry, kirsch and boysenberry aromas are complicated by suggestions of incense, lavender and smoky minerals. Alluringly sweet and focused in the mouth, offering densely packed red and blue fruit preserve, floral pastille and exotic spice flavors that smoothly balance weight and finesse. This wine shows superb finishing clarity and mineral lift on the penetrating and impressively long finish, which features polished tannins and resonating fruit, floral and mineral notes.” Saint Cosme Le Poste Blanc 2021 750ml $66 special, 12 bottles availableVinopolnote “If there was an appellation for white wines in Gigondas, this would be labelled Gigondas Blanc, but as none exists, this 100% Clairette wine must be declassified to AOC Côtes-Du-Rhône. Vinified in used traditional demi-muids without malolactic fermentation and aged 10 months on lees, this is crisp and satisfying with excellent minerality and flint notes.”
Arriving Late August
(Very Limited Arrivals!)
La Jota Ws Keyes Chardonnay 2020 750ml $109 special, 6 bottles availableWinemaker’s Note “The 2020 W.S. Keyes Chardonnay opens with a complimentary nose of white peach and other orchard fruit, jasmine, and almond. On the palate, a mineral-drenched core of red and green apples is complicated by maple butter, white pepper, and toast. The overarching compilation of fruit, floral, savory, and spice is remarkable, conveying both energy and richness in this complex bottle.” Chateau Lassegue Les Cadrans De Lassegue GC 2020 750ml $29 special, 24 bottles availableWinemaker’s Note “Les Cadrans de Lassègue 2020 shows an intense and deep color. Black and red fruits abound on the nose, dominated by cherry, blackberry, and red currant, punctuated by nutmeg and rose petal. The palate is rich and fruit-forward, carried by silky tannins. The length, lively minerality, and persistent finish are the expression of the estate’s clay-limestone soils in an excellent vintage.” Giant Steps Sexton Vineyard Chardonnay 2021 750ml $74.50 special, 6 bottles availableWine Advocate 96 Points “This is made with fruit from the Sexton Vineyard, at 200 meters in altitude (80 meters higher than Tarraford). Within the vineyard, the clones are dominated by Gingin (brought over to Victoria by Phil Sexton), followed by Dijon clones, planted in the 1990s. The 2021 Sexton Vineyard Chardonnay is composed of 60% Gingin. Twenty percent of the parcels went through malolactic fermentation—clone 277 and some of the 96. This is salty as anything—a very good thing in my book—and the sheer intensity of flavor in the mouth is mouthwatering. Preserved lemon and grapefruit pith lace the edges of the mid-palate. Very smart—it has the Yarra precision of acid and streamlined phenolics, but it brings concentration of flavor and thrilling phenolics. Super smart wine.” Giant Steps Sexton Vineyard Pinot Noir 2021 750ml $79 special, 12 bottles availableWine Spectator 96 Points “Fragrant and expressive, with polished, creamy tannins setting the stage for blueberry, raspberry and cardamom flavors. Delivers details of palo santo, brown sugar, dried violet and sweet mint tea on the long, impressive finish. Drink now through 2034.”
Arriving Early September
Cameron Riserva Nebbiolo 2019 750ml $39 special, 36 bottles availableWinery Notes “Our Riserva Nebbiolo emanates from the perfect site for growing Nebbiolo in Oregon, the marine sedimentary soil of White Oak Vineyard. Most years our nebbiolos are reminiscent of Ghemme or Gattinara, but the 2018 has moved into the Langhe. Like the real deal, this wine receives a minimum of four years total aging. Its nose is characterized by dried cherries, dried currants, leather and rose petals. Its focused palate delivers a vibrant acidity typical of this varietal. The label represents our native Oregon White Oak.” Cameron Pinot Noir Reserve Dundee Hills 2021 750ml $39 special, 36+ bottles availableWinery Notes “First and foremost bing cherry. Maybe a little stewed. Accentuated by a cocoa nib base note. Straw and sandalwood. Turkish fig, iodine and boysenberry. Ferrous on the nose, I want to say blood. A back note of sage and come with me on this one, nasturtium. Also library chair leather, candied orange rind, lavender, soft tannins, that roll across the tongue. A blend of Abbey Ridge, Clos Electrique, and La Colina vineyards.”
Recently ReviewedNew Accolades for Bedrock Wine Co.
Bedrock The Bedrock Heritage Sonoma Red 2021 750ml $51.90 special, 23 bottles available“2021 Bedrock Wine Company, Bedrock Vineyard Heritage Red Wine, Sonoma Valley. There’s so much going on here in Bedrock’s 2021 Heritage Red Zinfandel blend that it almost overwhelms the senses and you can tell this is something special, definitely one of my favorite versions to date, with a deep purple saturation of color, mineral tones and lovely aromatics that include floral and spicy elements along with incredible concentration of fruit, without heaviness or overt sweetness. This vintage has a thrill of energy to go with its fruit density with opulent and vinous layers of black raspberry, Italian cherry, wild plum, loamy mulberry and brambly huckleberry fruits along with perfectly judged wood accents, anise, sage, briar and incense. Morgan Twain-Peterson MW, winemaker and owner of Bedrock, uses only grapes that come from the original 1888 plantings at his Bedrock Vineyard, for this spectacular California wine from the heart the heart of the Sonoma Valley. This historic vineyard is set on well drained rocky soils in a climate that sees lots of sunshine and heat in the Summer, but that cools down dramatically at night with the valley pulling in cool air from the west and the Pacific as well as afternoon breezes. The Bedrock Vineyard includes a high percentage of Zinfandel, but there are dozens of other varietals interplanted here, including Mataro, Grenache, Petite Sirah and other rare old grapes, like Alicante Boushet and Carignan, all of which add to the complexity, balance, a touch of savoriness and very age worthy substance here. As reference points, I tend to try to compare and relate this wine to others in its class, but sometimes, in a vintage like this, that proves harder than you’d imagine, leaving me to just say this is one of California’s best wines with, as I’ve said before, a bounty of pleasure in the glass.”
-Grape Live 8/15/23
Tenuta Delle Terre NereThis Etna Winery is heating up 
“The Etna is the Burgundy of the Mediterranean,” says the man whose career as an importer of fine Italian wines is legendary. Marc De Grazia is one of the original ‘Barolo Boys,’ and his beloved Tenuta Delle Terre Nere was more than 20 years in the making. Today, he farms 29 parcels on the northern flank, and his portfolio of wines is the gold standard for Etna wine.”
-Wine Advocate
Terre Nere exists because one visionary saw the charred soils on the northern slopes of Etna (Terre Nere litrerally means “Black Lands”) and saw the potential for high quality viticulture. Why? Volcanic soils are acidic by nature, rich in minerals like potassium and iron, with excellent drainage, leading towards naturally small and concentrated berries. De Grazia has taken his love of Burgundy and translated it to Sicilian terroir, dividing the best of his land into “Crus” and even “Grand Crus” such as his Calderara Sottana, which was named one of Decanter Magazine’s Top Wines of 2022.
We still have a few bottles of this wine– don’t miss out on this unique and acclaimed wine!
Terre Nere Calderara Sottana Rosso 2019 750ml $59 special, 16 bottles availableDecanter 98 Points “100% Nerello Mascalese. A seductive nose with ripe berry fruit, white truffle and dried rose notes. Elegant and fresh with a balanced structure, volcanic mineral aromas and a vibrant finish. A refined wine that has energy and complexity with tension like silk, and will age well. Longstanding and persistent. Drinking Window: 2023-2045.” Terre Nere Etna Rosso 2021 750ml $24 special, 14 bottles availableWine Spectator 91 Points “A lively red that dances across the palate, with juicy wild cherry and strawberry fruit, light, fine tannins and fragrant accents of tea leaves, violet, graphite and spices. Drink now through 2028.”
Close-out Sale – Price Reductions
We’re Raising The Roof and Lowering Prices
Nin-Ortiz Planetes De Nin Priorat 2017 750ml WAS $49 NOW $44.50 special, 36+ 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.” Nit De Nin Mas D’en Cacador Priorat 2017 750ml WAS $99 NOW $89 special, 36+ bottles availableWine Advocate 97+ Points “The 2017 Nit de Nin Mas d’en Caçador is a vintage they talk about like this: “We will remember this vintage as one of the most extreme of the decade, along with that of 2012. It is in years like these that the work we do in the field is rewarded. In spite of the climatic exceptionality, we have acidity and pH that seem like a miracle to us. Our vines did not suffer the severe frosts of this 2017.” The wine has lower alcohol than the 2016 but the same pH of 3.3; insultingly young and tender, it doesn’t feel like the wine had a long élevage in oak. It has kept very good freshness and great balance. It’s tasty, pungent and long, with power and elegance and all the components to develop nicely in bottle.” Ovum Rare Form Day Moon Brut Nature NV 750ml WAS $59 NOW $49 special, 29 bottles availableWinery Note “Day Moon is inspired by aged Blanc de Blanc Champagne. Striking straw gold color with a modest, fine mousse. An inviting nose of fresh brioche with a small pad of salted butter and lemon confit. Dried wildflower, straw and ginger follow. Pure energy races as the palate unfolds elegant layers of dried flowers and minerals. The restrained mousse is in harmony with the noticeably long, nutty finish. Native fermentation is completed in amphora, where it is then racked to age in neutral French oak for 1-2 years. Ksenija uses Riesling juice to build a yeast population that she will use to tirage the base wine at a specific atmosphere of pressure designed to match the vinosity of the wine (Day Moon: 3 bar). Minimum 18 months of bottle age on less, additional 6 months age post disgorgement. Brut Nature – 2gL dosage made from aged Riesling. *No added sulfites.” Ovum Form For Love Nor Money 2020 750ml WAS $51.90 NOW $45 special, 20 bottles availableWinery Note “White gold in the glass, it’s aromas of ripe Bartlett pears and golden delicious apple are deceiving. 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. Biodynamic. 1970’s own rooted Riesling, grown at 400 feet on a South facing slope. The Ana vineyard has produced notoriously complex wines for decades. Nestled in the heart of the Dundee Hills, this site collects additional heat units that allow for even ripeness, while the volcanic soils help to maintain salty acidity.” Siro Pacenti Brunello Pelagrilli 2018 750ml WAS $59 NOW $49 special, 31 bottles availableWine Advocate 94 Points “In an elegantly designed bottle, the Siro Pacenti 2018 Brunello di Montalcino Pelagrilli delivers lots of dark fruit and blackberry, and the quality of the fruit is bold, fresh and still very much alive. The house style prizes concentration and oak spice, but the detailed-minded winemaking is impeccable. The wine is structured and firm and stands apart in a crowd, but alas, it does show an unfortunate 15% alcohol content.” Paitin Barbaresco Serraboella 2018 750ml WAS $41.90 NOW $38, 36+ bottles availableWine Advocate 94 Points “This wine draws its fruit from across the Serraboella vineyard in Neive with vines of various ages. The 2018 Barbaresco Serraboella has a broad reach, thanks to its balanced aromas of wild berry, dried cherry, crushed roses and violets. The wine spreads cleanly over the palate, thanks to the extra volume offered by its earthy and delicately mineral flavors. Like other releases from Paitin, the standout feature here is the silky nature of the mouthfeel.” Paitin Barbaresco Sori Paitin 2018 750ml WAS $59 NOW $49 special, 36+ bottles availableWine Advocate 95 Points “The family that owns the Paitin estate lost its patriarch, Secondo Pasquero Elia, as this wine was being readied for release, and he would have been proud of the way this turned out. The 2018 Barbaresco Serraboella Sorì Paitin is glossy and polished with a super fine and delicate quality of fruit. It just glides over the palate as if it were on skates. That beautiful forward momentum is driven by light cassis, dried cherry, iron skillet, candied orange peel and crushed flowers. The finish is exceptionally smooth and elegant.”
Five Day Sale
Save With Selbach Buy 6-11 bottles for a 5% discountBuy 12+ bottles for a 10% discount
One of the most respected producers in all of the Mosel, the Selbach family has been producing Riesling from their family vineyards for 400 years. In this time, they’ve developed a skill or two while keeping their philosophy minimalist and production methods traditional. They continue, for example to use 1000 liter oak vats in the cellar with no fining, and use only wild yeasts.
They focus a lot of their creative energies on growing the best organic fruit in the vineyard instead of playing mad scientist in the winery later.
You will not find a purer example of Mosel Riesling than with the wines of Selbach-Oster.
Selbach (J.H.) Zelt Himmelreich Kabinett 2019 750ml $16 special, 36+ bottles availableVinopolNote: Purchased fruit from the one of the “Grand Cru” vineyards of the Mittelmosel. Selbach-Oster Bernkastler Badstube Riesling Auslese 2019 750ml $45 special, 19 bottles availableWine Advocate 96 Points “The 2019 Bernkastler Badstube Riesling Auslese * is deep and concentrated on the still reductive, flinty and stony nose. Piquant, racy, dense and rich on the palate, this is a laser-sharp, salty-piquant and crunchy Auslese with concentrated lemon chutney notes and lingering salinity and grip. It is stunningly precise and like an ice wine because everything is concentrated due to the perfectly clear and clean botrytis.” Mosel Fine Wines 95 Points “The 2019er Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Auslese * comes from a parcel of old un-grafted vines in the Bernkasteler Graben situated next to the Bernkasteler Doktor and was fermented down to noble-sweet levels of residual sugar (117 g/l). It offers a superbly attractive and complex nose of grapefruit, yellow peach, honeyed pear, spices, flowers, and mint. The wine coats the palate with ample juicy and yellow honeyed fruits, almond cream, and a touch of nut paste and leaves one with a sense of herbal flavors reminiscent of great Doktor wines in the crystal clear and very long finish,. The after-taste of this truly magnificent Auslese feels sweet rather than noble-sweet.” Selbach-Oster Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Spätlese 2019 750ml $31.90 special, 36+ bottles availableWine Advocate 93 Points “The 2019 Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Spätlese is very clear, pure and flinty on the intense, elegant, crunchy and slatey nose. Salty, piquant and lush on the palate, this is a crystalline, pure and salty Badstube that is juicier and rounder than the 2018.” Mosel Fine Wines 92 Points “The 2019er Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Spätlese was made from fruit picked at 90° Oechsle and was fermented down to sweet levels of residual sugar (69 g/l). It offers a very delicate and nicely perfumed nose of white flowers, rose petal, vineyard peach, apple, laurel, and herbs. The wine proves delicately juicy and refined on the smooth and slightly juicy palate and leaves a delicate sense of lightness in the more fruity-styled than really sweet-tasting finish. This is a joyful and remarkably easy-drinking expression of Spätlese.” Selbach-Oster Graach Domprost Riesling GG 2020 $45 special, 13 bottles available
Stuart Pigott 95 Points “Expansive yet very precise, exotic-fruit nose. Powerful and concentrated, though only medium-bodied, with so many subtle mineral and exotic-fruit nuances. Very long finish. Drink or hold.” Selbach-Oster Estate Riesling Feinherb 2019 $18 special, 36+ bottles availableWinery Note “Selbach-Oster Rieslings are not ‘Zeitgeist’-trendy wines that change according to the whims of fashion. Nor are they ‘made’ according to a recipe. Though they are deeply delicious, they do not seek to ‘seduce’ with short-term exotic aromas from specially cultured yeasts, aromatic enzymes or ice-cold fermentations. They are true characters, wines with structure, wines that display their heritage, rooted deep into the slate rock like our old vines – many of which are still on their own vitis vinifera roots.” Selbach-Oster Schlossberg Beerenauslese* 2005 375ml $89 special, 9 bottles availableWine Spectator 98 Points “Sweet and backed by a vibrant structure, this is elegant and detailed, with concentrated red berry, lime and nectarine. One of the few BAs to show a mineral component. Terrific balance and harmony, ending with a long, slate-tinged aftertaste. Drink now through 2040.” Selbach-Oster Zelting Sonnenuhr Auslese** 2013 375ml $24 special, 10 bottles available
Wine Spectator 98 Points “Sweet and backed by a vibrant structure, this is elegant and detailed, with concentrated red berry, lime and nectarine. One of the few BAs to show a mineral component. Terrific balance and harmony, ending with a long, slate-tinged aftertaste. Drink now through 2040.” Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Riesling Kab Trocken 2019 750ml $24 special, 36+ bottles availableWine Spectator 98 Points “Sweet and backed by a vibrant structure, this is elegant and detailed, with concentrated red berry, lime and nectarine. One of the few BAs to show a mineral component. Terrific balance and harmony, ending with a long, slate-tinged aftertaste. Drink now through 2040.” Selbach-Oster Zelt Schlossberg Riesling GG 2019 $41.90 special, 33 bottles availableJames Suckling 94 Points “This has the mandarin and yeasty aromas from long fermentation, but with some aeration, mirabelle and quince notes develop. A powerful dry wine that retains the classic Mosel vitality and crispness. Long, intense mineral finish. Better from 2021.”
SALE ENDS @6PM Monday the 21st
Special Collector’s Arrival Leonardo, Michaelangelo, Burlotto? These Wines Are True Modern Masterpieces
G. B. Burlotto Barolo 2019 750ml $79 special, 7 bottles available*
Vinous 92 Points “The 2019 Barolo is a very pretty, elegant wine. In this vintage, the straight Barolo has (unusually) a touch of whole cluster influence that drives the aromatic profile, adding gorgeous floral and savory intensity this wine does not typically have. Burlotto’s Barolo is far from an easygoing wine, it is a Barolo to cellar for a few years and drink for another decade or so beyond. This super-classic Barolo is an absolute gem.”
G. B. Burlotto Barolo Acclivi 2019 750ml $149 special, 10 bottles available*
Vinous 94 Points “The 2019 Barolo Acclivi is a very serious wine in this range. It possesses a gorgeous core and tons of supporting structure. I would give the 2019 at least a few years in bottle, as it really needs that time to release its aromatics. I have seen this wine blossom with cellaring, and imagine that will be the case here as well. Today, the Acclivi is quite closed, but time in the glass releases gorgeous red fruit and blood orange character. Although the Acclivi is not as coveted as the Cannubi or Monvigliero, it is an important wine in its own right, as several recent bottles of the 2006 showed. Think of it like Rousseau’s Clos Saint-Jacques relative to the Chambertin and Beze.”
G. B. Burlotto Barolo Cannubi 2019 750ml $349 special, 2 bottles available*
Vinous 98 Points “The 2019 Barolo Cannubi is a powerhouse. A Barolo of real substance and depth, the 2019 packs a huge punch. It offers a great foil to the finesse of Monvigliero. Black cherry, lavender, spice, menthol and leather infuse the 2019 with tons of complexity. Here, too, the tannins are wonderfully integrated into the wine’s fabric, but make no mistake about it, the 2019 has a ton of tannin!”
G. B. Burlotto Barolo Castelletto 2019 750ml $399 special, 2 bottles available*
Vinous 97 Points “The 2019 Barolo Castelletto is dazzling in the way it marries fruit density with the dark, balsamic-tinged profile and structural feel that is the signature of the wines from Castelletto. The 2019 is quite rich and yet the tannins- often a challenge here- are handled with real skill. Tremendous.”
G. B. Burlotto Barolo Monvigliero 2019 750ml $399 special, 10 bottles available*
Vinous 99 Points “The 2019 Barolo Monvigliero is a knock-out. What a wine. Rich and layered in the glass, with striking textural intensity, the 2019 unfurls beautifully with a bit of coaxing. All the elements are so well put together for a young wine. Crushed rose petal, mint, sage, rose petal and sweet pipe tobacco lend striking nuance to this dynamic, vibrant Barolo. The 2019 is quite simply magnificent. Its splendor only grows over time.”
*Not available online—call or email to purchase. These wines are first come, first served and limited to stock on hand
We’re open 10 AM – 6 PM daily
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