Special Feature – Frederic Esmonin
“(a blend of several parcels): Medium red. Tangy aromas of redcurrant, raspberry and mocha. Supple and lively on the palate, with sweet red fruit flavors hinting at an element of dried berries. Finishes with slightly drying tannins. I’d drink this over the next five or six years.”-Stephen Tanzer
Stephen Tanzer 92 points “(from 62-year-old vines in a lower-lying vineyard planted on deeper clay and limestone soil): Lovely high-pitched perfume of raspberry, red cherry, iron, rose petal, red licorice and spices. Densely packed, rich and concentrated, displaying excellent precision and fruit intensity. Tightly wound but not at all dry, finishing with building but sweet tannins and solid mineral spine. The crop level here was a modest 32 hectoliters per hectare and it shows. A superb vintage for this bottling.” ST
The next best price is $59.97
Stephen Tanzer 92 points “Good deep, bright red. Vibrant, captivating aromas of blackberry, cassis, violet and crushed stone. Silky-sweet, pure and stylish, with intense, rather cool blue and black fruit flavors complicated by spices and minerals. Most impressive today on the sappy, bright, slowly building finish, which throws off notes of medicinal black cherry, pungent crushed stone and earth. This classically dry, saline wine, from one of the highest sites in the village, needs at least five years of patience and will probably be better with a decade of aging. Boasts near-grand cru intensity.” ST
Wine Advocate- Neal Martin 92 points “The 2012 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Lavaux St.-Jacques comes from a single 0.25-hectare of 45-year old vines. It has a taut, laconic nose at first that demands encouragement in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with attractive blackcurrant and raspberry fruit on the entry. This is very pure and well made, a self-effacing Lavaux St. Jacques that displays lovely balance and grace. This is just beautiful.”
Stephen Tanzer 94 points “Good deep red with ruby highlights. The nose began tight and oaky but opened with air to show enticing scents of dark raspberry, cherry liqueur, violet and licorice. The richest and sweetest of this set of 2012s, showing noteworthy concentration and breadth to the captivating flavors of berries, flowers and stony minerality. Wonderfully stuffed for an Esmonin wine but with no excess weight–and not a hint of rusticity. Finishes very long and perfumed, with utterly fine-grained tannins. Showing remarkably well following the recent bottling; in fact, I may well be underrating it today.”
The average price is $143
Frederic Esmonin Mazy-Chambertin Grand Cru 2012 ($159.95) Was $138, Now $125, 6 bottles available
Wine Advocate- Neal Martin 94 points “The 2012 Mazis-Chambertin Grand Cru comes from a small 0.15-hectare parcel on red soils planted between 1949 and 1959 that produced just two barrels this year. Like many wines from this grand cru, it has a vivacious, captivating bouquet with violet-tinged black and red fruit, hints of forest floor and iodine that makes it compelling. The palate is very pure, blackcurrant pastille-infused entry, but this is more about its satin-like texture and harmony. It simply glides across the mouth with a seamless finish that carries the 100% new oak with style.”
The average price is $160
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OREGON
Crowley Chardonnay, Willamette Valley 2013 750ML ($26.95) $21.90 special
Illahe Vineyards Rose of Tempranillo 2014 750ML ($19.95) $16 special
Vincent Pinot Noir Eola-Amity Hills 2013 750ML ($27.95) $24 special
CALIFORNIA
Wine Enthusiast 92 points “Thickly moussed, Roederer’s Brut, 60% Chardonnay blended with 40% Pinot Noir, aged two years on yeast is affordable and luxurious. A gorgeous, very dry sparkling wine with aromatics of honey, raisin, apple and pear, it is rich and soft and offers both depth and length. It’s an ideal marriage of bright acidity and ripe fruit character.” WE
Wine Spectator 90 points “Floral raspberry and apple pie aromas lead to crisp, focused lemon, anise and spicy raspberry flavors that finish on a fresh mineral note. Drink now.” WS
Joseph Carr Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast 2013 750ML ($21.95) $18 special
Case-12 Joseph Carr Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast 2013 750ML ($249.95) $179 special (that’s only $14.92/bottle!)
Winemaker notes: “Wet stone, apricot, strawberry, vanilla, and peach in the nose. Rich attack with good acidity and length. Bright citrus, apricot with a finish of strawberry, hints of vanilla and lemon.”
Case-12 Joseph Carr Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2012 750ML ($249.95) $179 special (that’s only $14.92/bottle!)
Winery note: “Toffee, cherry, mint, fig, violets and chocolate in the nose, medium bodied attack with raspberry, cherry and roasted meats finishes with great length with roasted meats, chocolate and candied violets.”
Robert Parker 93 points “The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon is a beauty, showing all the generosity of the 2012 vintage. Composed of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 5% Malbec and 3% Merlot, its dense purple color is followed by copious aromas of crème de cassis and spring flowers, supple tannins, and an opulent, fleshy style. A total intellectual and hedonistic turn-on, it is loaded with fruit and complexity, and reveals beautiful harmony among all the component parts. It is a terrific introduction to what Cliff Lede has achieved at such a high quality level. Consume it over the next 10-15 years.” RP
Antonio Galloni 95 points “Mount Eden’s 2010 Chardonnay is stunning. Honeysuckle, tangerine, apricot, and crème brulee literally jump from the glass A vivid, exotic wine, the 2010 is constantly changing in the glass. Stylistically, the 2010 is a little richer than Mount Eden fans are used to, but all the elements are in the right place. The 2010 verges on the edge of tropical aromas and flavors that are quite rare for young Mount Eden Chardonnays. Ideally, the 2010 is best left alone for a few years to allow some of the baby fat to drop off. I imagine it will always be a bit on the exotic side.” AG
Winery note: “Aromatics of mocha, vanilla bean, toffee and espresso. On the palate there’s dusty cocoa powder, blackberries and cassis. Bright acidity helps showcase the vivid red fruits intermingling with dark fruit components. The cabernet finishes with leather, toast and chocolate covered cherries.”
Girard Old Vine Zinfandel, Napa Valley 2012 750ML ($24.95) $21.90 special
Wine Spectator 90 points “Loaded with ripe, jammy fruit, this has just enough structure to stay light-footed, with black cherry, toasty oak and spice aromas. Drink now through 2019.” WS
Louis Roederer Blanc de Blancs Brut 2008 750ML ($99.95) $79 special
Wine Advocate 95 points “The 2008 Blanc de Blancs offers a very subtle and substantial, multi-layered bouquet of wet chalk, hazelnuts, stewed apples, lemons, toast, jasmine. Full-bodied and vibrant, this is a highly elegant, very mineral, pure, fresh, firm, tense and persistent Champagne of great complexity. It is still very young but has a great aging potential.” WA
Louis Roederer Brut Vintage 2007 750ML ($89.95) $69 special
Wine Advocate 94 points “Pale golden in color, the Roederer 2007 Vintage Brut offers a classic and highly elegant as well as intense and complex bouquet of tea, fruit and floral aromas indicating freshly cracked wheat grain, malt, ripe and slightly cooked apples, lime peels, quince, oranges and roasted almonds. The palate is pure, fresh, mineral, highly elegant, very vinous, complex and persistent. The aging potential is excellent here.” WA
Louis Roederer Cristal Brut 2006 750ML ($299.95) $219 special
James Suckling 97 points “Deep pinot-driven presence is the first and lasting impression. Power with control. Superfine bead, bread and spiced biscuits, candied ripe red fruits and a sense of tight-knit complexity. Some grapefruit, lemon pith & gently flinty notes too – impressive nose. In the mouth it is rich, powerful, mouth-filling and flavoursome with a core of the same biscuity red fruit flavour, savoury nutty notes and a wrap of assertive, persistent acidity that holds rich powerful flavour deep and focused whilst maintaining a polished, gently creamy texture. Long chalky bread and biscuit finish. A superb Pinot-driven vintage.”
Wine Spectator 95 points “–Collectibles– This elegant version shows beautiful texture and a sense of finesse despite the underlying power of vibrant acidity and smoky minerality. The palate offers a finely layered mesh of blackberry, poached pear, almond pastry, lemon zest and pickled ginger flavors. Drink now through 2028.” WS
The next best price is $64.99/bottle
FRANCE-BEAUJOLAIS
Jean-Paul Thevenet Morgon Vieilles Vignes 2013 750ML ($34.95) $28 special
Wine Advocate 90 points “The 2013 Morgon Vieilles Vignes, from Charly’s father Jean-Paul, comes from two parcels of vine, one of which was planted before World War I. It sees 6 to 8 months in old Burgundy barrels. It has a very suave bouquet of red currant and raspberry coulis, well-defined and unfolding with every swirl of the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with rounded and smooth tannins, finely tuned acidity, but just missing a little tension and delineation toward the finish. There is certainly good weight here, although I would give it two years in bottle as it is so backward at the moment. Thevenet is one of the region’s best known biodynamic practitioners. Their old vines naturally produced low yields that are hand-harvested, whole cluster fermented and aged in old Burgundy barrels with no fining or filtration.” WA
Case-12 Georges Duboeuf Domaine Jean-Ernest Descombes Morgon, Beaujolais 2011 750ML ($179.95) $99 super special (that’s only $8.25/bottle!)
Wine Spectator 91 points “Like berries freshly picked on a summer day, the raspberry and strawberry notes here are ripe and pure, mixing with hints of pekoe tea leaf, mineral, ground anise and damson preserves. An elegant and balanced version. Drink now through 2018.” WS
The next best price is $12.39/bottle
The average price is $15/bottle
Wine Advocate 91 points “Reflecting more than 40 years’ collaboration spanning three generations of the Poulard family, Duboeuf’s 2011 Morgon Domaine des Versauds combines ripe black raspberry with beet root for a sweet and earthy palate presence tinged with a bite of black pepper and hints of peat, black tea and smoked meat that contribute to a mouthwateringly savory and invigorating finish. There is a positive sense of extract or density here yet infectious juiciness and buoyancy, too. Hints of iris and wet stone in the empty glass add to the imposing complexity offered by this extraordinary value. Enjoy it through at least 2015.” WA
FRANCE-BURGUNDY
Domaine Philippe Charlopin-Parizot Chambertin Grand Cru 2012 750ML ($349.95) $299 special
Wine Advocate 93-95 points “The 2012 Chambertin Grand Cru comes from 0.21-hectares of vine close to those of Domaine Armand Rousseau. Deep in color, it has a vibrant, almost boisterous bouquet with dark cherry, bergamot and orange rind scents all vying for attention. The palate is medium-bodied with succulent dark berry fruit, impressive mineralite and a sturdy structure towards the tightly wound finish. Perhaps it does not quite possess the persistency of other Chambertin 2012s, but remains a delicious, complex grand vin.” Neal Martin
The next best price is $339.99
Antonio Galloni 93-95 points “The 2012 Clos de Vougeot is alive and vibrant in the glass. Powerful yet also beautifully delineated, the 2012 impresses for its balance and poise. Mint, anise, smoke and a host of blue/black fruits flow through to the finish. This is an intense Clos Vougeot that captures both the concentration and energy of the vintage.” AG
Ermitage du Pic Saint-Loup Classique Rose, Languedoc-Roussillon 2013 1.5L ($47.95) $29 special
30% Syrah, 30% Grenache, 30% Mourvèdre, 10% Cinsault
Case-12 Delas Cotes du Ventoux 2013 750ML ($149.95) $119 special (that’s only $9.92/bottle!)
Wine Spectator–Best Values 88 points “A racy, juicy version, offering mouthwatering damson plum, loganberry and red licorice notes, studded with hints of pepper and tobacco. A briary hint adds range on the finish. Drink now.” WS
FRANCE-LOIRE
Catherine et Pierre Breton Vouvray La Dilettante Brut NV 750ML ($27.95) $21.90 special
“Ginger, walnut, quince and apple flavors mingle in this plump, broad sparkler. The finish lets a ginger note linger. Drink now.” –Wine Spectator
Domaine Paul Prieur et Fils Sancerre 2012 750ML ($24.95) $21.90 special
“Light, with slightly tart gooseberry and lemon hints, revealing a light echo of verbena on the quick finish. Drink now.”–Wine Spectator
FRANCE-OTHER
Domaine de Cambis Le Chant des Griots Blanc, Languedoc-Roussillon 2013 750ML ($14.95) $9.90 special
Wine Spectator 96 points “Starts out elegant and perfumed, sporting cherry and berry flavors, picking up earth, licorice, leather and spice notes. This is all about the silky texture and civilized tannins that should come together in the next few years. Spice and earth accents line the finish. Best from 2017 through 2033.” WS
Stephen Tanzer 93-96 points “(this was a treat Mascarello pulled from cask at the end of my tasting): Medium red. Knockout nose showcases tangy red fruits, minerals and porcini. Conveys an impression of superb concentration and dusty extract, with the tactile solidity of the best young 2010s already coming through in spades. A wine of great length and potential. I’ll play the interventionist wine writer and wonder out loud why this won’t be bottled for another year. But as devil’s advocate to my devil’s advocate, 2010 is one vintage that generally has the extract and energy to benefit from an extended elevage.” ST
ITALY-OTHER
Alois Lageder Lagrein Rose Alto Adige, Trentino-Alto Adige 750ML ($17.95) $11.90 special
“Pink colour with ruby hints. Quite pronounced, fruity aroma (red berries) with floral impressions (violets). Medium-bodied smooth fruit on the palate, fresh. Long lasting aftertaste with an elegant bitter twist.”–Winery notes
Bodegas Angel Rodriguez Martinsancho Verdejo, Rueda 2013 750ML ($21.95) $18 special
Can Feixes Huguet Seleccio Blanco, Penedes 2013 750ML ($17.95) $14 special
Josh Raynolds–Vinous 89 points “(a blend of parellada, macabeo, malvasia de sitges and chardonnay): Bright, green-tinged straw. High-pitched aromas and flavors of lime zest, white pepper and chalky minerals. Racy and dry, showing good clarity and cut on the nicely persistent finish, with repeating lime and mineral notes.” JR
Ameztoi Rubentis Rosado, Getariako Txakolina 2014 750ML ($24.95) $21.90 special
Case-12 Ameztoi Rubentis Rosado, Getariako Txakolina 2014 750ML ($249.95) $219 special (that’s only $18.25/bottle!)
We offer flat rate shipping on any size single order / single shipment
-to Oregon for $17,
-Washington & Idaho for $20,
-and California for $25
These rates do not apply to orders held in storage here for any reason.
Multiple orders consolidated into one shipment do not qualify for flat rate shipping.
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Staff Picks
“Domaine de l’Ecu has been organic for 40 years and biodynamic for 25 years. The land is worked by plowing and vines and grape harvest is completely by hand. The sparkling wine is made in the traditional method, with the second fermentation in bottle. It is a blend of Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Melon de Bourgogne and a touch of Folle Blanche. It has subtle notes of red berries and pineapple with a chalky undertone. In the mouth, it is tart and dry with a note of lemon curd. Enjoy this fantastic wine with spring vegetables, goat cheeses and light salads.”
Bodegas Angel Rodriguez Martinsancho Verdejo, Rueda 2013 750ML ($21.95) $18 staff pick special
CALIFORNIA
Provenance Vineyards Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Rutherford 2011 750ML ($49.95) Was $39, Now $29, 24 bottles available
The average price is $38
Vinopolnotes- Jack Nicklaus Wines, a line of handcrafted, limited-production wines from California’s famed Napa Valley is a partnership between Terlato Wines and golf legend Jack Nicklaus and his family. The Golden Bear Reserve Commemorative Series was inspired by the 50th anniversary of Jack’s first major championship. Each year for the next 18 years, Nicklaus wines will release a single limited-edition 1.5-liter bottle Napa Valley red blend to celebrate each one of Nicklaus’ major championships. Produced by Terlato Wine Group, each release will be limited to 1,000 bottles and each bottle will be packaged in an individual wooden display box and accompanied by a letter from Jack that includes his reflections on that major victory.
The next best price is $174.95
FRANCE-CHAMPAGNE
Ulysse Collin ‘Les Maillons’ Blanc de Noirs Extra Brut NV (2010) ($109.95) Was $99, Now $71.90, 8 bottles available
Antonio Galloni 95 points “The NV (2010) Blanc de Noirs Les Maillons is especially dry and bracing in this vintage. Chalk, hazelnuts, spices, dried pears and plums meld together as this striking, crystalline Blanc de Noirs shows off its personality. The sense of energy is palpable. Olivier Collin has done a magnificent job with his 2010. This is a fabulous wine by any measure.” AG
Wine Spectator 91 points “Toasted almond and pastry dough notes lead the way in this creamy Champagne, with aromatic accents of spun honey, lemon preserves, beeswax, toasted cumin and clove spice emerging along with well-knit acidity on the finish. Drink now through 2024.” WS
FRANCE-BORDEAUX
Chateau Haut-Bailly, Pessac-Leognan 2010 750ML ($249.95) Was $199, Now $133, 19 bottles available
Wine Advocate 98 points “Deep plum/purple, Haut-Bailly’s 2010 required some coaxing to appreciate its subtle notes of barbecue smoke, lead pencil shavings and creme de cassis as well as its touches of pomegranate and forest floor. The oak is pushed far into the background and the tannins are extremely silky, but the intensity of the wine is profound and the finish lingers for close to 55 seconds. This wine is ripe yet delicate, powerful yet stylish, and essentially resembles a remarkable fashion design from a house of haute couture. This wine needs a good 7-8 years of bottle age and should keep for 40-50+ years.” WA
The average price is $188
Wine Spectator 97 points “This is decadent and wild on the nose, with fresh cèpe, raw steak and wild berry. Full-bodied, with loads of velvety tannins, yet refined and caressing in every way. A beautiful, balanced red. The best young wine ever from this producer. Best after 2017.”WS
The average price is $285
Robert Parker 99 points “It boasts an inky/purple color along with a gorgeous bouquet of mocha, chocolate, blackberry and cassis fruit, an unctuous texture, a full-bodied, viscous mouthfeel and a skyscraper-like, multilayered finish. This spectacular wine is nearly overwhelming in its richness, thickness and intensity. Once all its baby fat falls away, the terroir characteristics and additional nuances will emerge. This blockbuster, fabulous Troplong Mondot will benefit from 10-15 years of cellaring and keep for three decades or more. It is not shy either, bouncing over the palate with 15.5% natural alcohol. The 2009 Troplong Mondot will provide plenty of competition for the 2010, 2005 and 2000. It comes closest in style to the prodigious 1990 that proprietress Christine Valette produced 22 years ago. A phenomenal effort, it unquestionably justifies its relatively new Premier Grand Cru St.-Emilion status. Readers should keep in mind that the 1990, which probably has lower acidity and not the level of concentration found in the 2009, is drinking incredibly well at age 22 and reveals no signs of falling apart.” RP
FRANCE-BURGUNDY
Thibault Liger-Belair Vosne-Romanee Aux Reas 2011 750ML ($129.95) Was $88, Now $69, 11 bottles available
Stephen Tanzer 90-92 points “(from vines planted in 1954; Liger-Belair does not normally vinify his parcels planted on calcaire soils with their stems): Good deep red. Reduced nose hints at pepper, squid ink and graphite. A bit darker in fruit character than the Toppe au Vert, offering very good intensity and lift and solid underlying minerality nicely buffered by the wine’s flesh. Creamy-sweet, fine-grained wine with a wild raspberry character. Finishes impressively long, with smooth tannins. A great village wine in the making.” ST
The average price is $85
Burghound 91 points “An openly earthy nose also offers up notes of dark berries, plum, stone and dried floral nuances. There is a velvety and utterly delicious quality to the solidly concentrated and mouth coating flavors that also reflect an underlying minerality on the long finish that displays fine balance. This isn’t quite as complete as the other examples of Corton in the range but it’s the finest among them.”
Burghound 88 points “There is a touch of crushed leaf character to the otherwise ripe, earthy and pretty mélange of dark berry fruit aromas. There is lovely complexity to the punchy and mildly rustic medium weight flavors that possess very firm tannins on the lingering finish. This is clearly built to age and will need the better part of a decade to arrive at its peak.” BH
Stephen Tanzer 88 points “Bright medium red. Plum, rust and brown spices on the nose. Round, supple and vinous, with ripe redcurrant fruit showing good sweetness and plenty of early appeal. Finishes with a hint of oaky bitterness but the tannins are nicely enrobed by fruit.” ST
The next best price is $54.98
FRANCE-RHONE
Cave Yves Cuilleron Cote Rotie Madiniere 2009 750ML ($109.95) $89 special, 2 bottles available
Wine Spectator 93 points “Offers a grippy edge from the start, with briar, pepper and smoldering tobacco notes framing the core of dark plum, fig sauce and blackberry fruit. The long, structured finish echoes with violet and sweet tapenade, with nicely riveted acidity. Best from 2012 through 2022.” WS
Stephen Tanzer 90-92 points, Rhone Report 91-93 points “Bright purple. Intensely perfumed red and dark berry aromas are complicated by subtle smoke and floral qualities. Sweet raspberry and blackberry preserve flavors show impressive depth and pick up a licorice nuance with air. Closes on an attractively sweet note, with excellent clarity and lingering smokiness.” ST
ITALY-PIEDMONT
Cantina del Pino Albesani, Barbaresco DOCG 2009 750ML ($59.95) Was $49, Now $41.90, 15 bottles available
Wine Spectator 93 points “The picture of harmony, this red exudes cherry and floral aromas, with plenty of berry, tobacco and balsamic flavors. Balanced and firm, with a lingering aftertaste of spice and mineral. Accessible now, yet will improve. Best from 2014 through 2025″ WS
The average price is $54
Stephen Tanzer 94+ points “(from 35-year-old vines in Badarina in Serralunga): Good deep red. Medicinal aromas and flavors of dark raspberry, cherry, menthol and tobacco; very Serralunga. At once suave and penetrating, offering terrific definition and inner-mouth aromatic character. Powerful acidity is keeping this wine tightly wrapped today, but it has buns of steel to support a graceful evolution in bottle. Incidentally, there’s no 2009 Aeroplan Servaj due to a landslide that occurred during a huge rain storm in April of 2009, which also cost Clerico 15 rows of Ciabot Mentin.” ST
The average price is $93
Stephen Tanzer 96 points “Medium red. Deeper and richer on the nose than the Pajana, with scents of redcurrant, mocha, dried flowers and earth. Wonderfully deep, layered and sweet; lush but with good limestone lift. This floods the palate with flavor and lingers with exceptional purity and persistence.” ST
The average price is $76
Antonio Galloni 95 points “Playing true to type, the 2008 Barbaresco Riserva Pora is another of the more open wines in this vintage. But that is only in relative terms. Layers of expressive red fruit, crushed flowers and spices flesh out in this radiant Barbaresco. In most vintages the Pora is one of the more accessible of the Riservas when young. The close proximity of the vineyard to the Tanaro River results in a warm microclimate that ripens the fruit earlier than elsewhere. In 2008, though, the Pora packs a serious punch. The coolness of the late harvest comes through in a finish laced with considerable tension and minerality. This is easily one of the very best Poras I have ever tasted from the Produttori. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2048.” AG
ITALY-VENETO
Masi Campolongo di Torbe, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2001 750ML ($149.95) $99 special, 19 bottles available
Wine Advocate 91 points “The 2001 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Superiore Campolongo di Torbe reveals notable complexity in its suggestions of leather, spices, plums, prunes and roasted coffee beans. As one might rightfully expect of a wine of this age, the fruit is no longer vibrant, yet the wine possesses terrific length and finessed tannins. This could almost be mistaken for a mature Burgundy.”WA
The next best price is $123.19
ITALY-TUSCANY
Le Macchiole Scrio Toscana IGT, Tuscany 2009 750ML ($189.95) $119 special, 12 bottles available
Wine Enthusiast 97 points “Bold and complex, this Syrah opens with intense, superrich notes of chocolate fudge, maraschino cherry, tobacco, sweet spice and rum cake. Smooth, elegant and persistent, this amazing expression boasts ripe fruit tannins. Drink after 2016” WE
GERMANY
Weingut Karthauserhof Eitelsbacher Karthauserhofberg Riesling Spatlese Grosse Lage 2012 750ML ($34.95) $24 special, 36+ bottles available
Mosel Fine Wines 92 points “This Wine is quite open and expressive at this early stage and explodes with juicy flavors of yellow peach, quince and some flowers on the palate. This offers everything one could expect from a juicy Spatlese. The fact that it does deliver the goods without too much richness (it has technically less than 60 g/l of residual sugar) makes it utterly delicious also at this ealrly stage. 2017-2032” MFW
The average price is $41
Terry Theise: “Every year for the last fifteen or more, this wine has been a masterpiece, and I can think of few if any parallels in the wine world- or in my wine world- of such sustained stellar performance year after year. 2011 is and remains a masterpiece of the exotic flowery style, “a city made of cherry blossom” as I wrote last year. Bearing in mind that these wines are never very sweet, this one is more typical for the “Auslese” idiom. The 2012, though, is a swollen subterranean wave of mineral. You start at OMG and end with WTF, because even in the context of so many great years this is singular and amazing. Fantastically salty and cherry-blossomy, with obdurate length and deeply embedded mineral.”
The next best price is $29.95
AUSTRALIA
Two Hands Wines Bella’s Garden Shiraz, Barossa Valley 2011 750ML ($79.95) Was $49, Now $39, 18 bottles available
Stephen Tanzer 91 points “Dark ruby. Spicy cherry and dark berry aromas are complemented by an exotic Indian spice quality. Chewy, round and nicely concentrated, with sweet, focused black and blue fruit compote flavors lifted by tangy acidity. Appealingly sweet on the youthfully tannic finish, which leaves allspice, blueberry and bitter chocolate notes behind. Shows the best traits of this difficult Barossa vintage and might surprise with its ability to age.”
The average price is $66/bottle