Monday, July 6th, 2015
We’re extending our Saturday newsletter’s 48-hour sale to 6 PM tonight!
Flash Sale
Gerard Boulay Sancerre Chavignol 375ML ($17.95) $14 special, 36 half-bottles available
Case-12 Gerard Boulay Sancerre Chavignol 375ML ($179.95) $149 special (that’s only $12.42/half-bottle), 3 cases available
John Gilman 91 points “Geìrard Boulay is clearly one of the finest vignerons in all of Sancerre these days, and I have the feeling that his also hailing from the village of Chavignol, which is already home to the Cotat cousins and the Vatan estate tends to steal a bit of his thunder. But, year in and year out, his lineup of stellar Sancerre bottlings are amongst the highlights of all the wines I taste for this annual report. His 2012 ‘regular’ bottling is excellent, offering up a pure and complex bouquet of gooseberry, tart orange, a bit of white pepper, a nice base of crystalline minerality, gentle notes of petrol and a very understated grassiness. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and nicely structured, with a fine core of fruit, superb soil signature, a youthful personality and excellent cut and grip on the long, complex and classy finish. This is a superb young bottle of Sancerre. 2013- 2019.”
Eric Asimov – New York Times “The three recommended wines were excellent examples of Sancerre, all with the underlying elements of citrus, hay and mineral flavors but different nonetheless. The 2012 La Croix du Roy from Lucien Crochet was the fullest bodied, yet graceful and zesty, with a lip-smacking, refreshing quality. The 2012 Bailly was more pungent, with a fruit flavor that reminded me of candied grapefruit peel, yet lighter-bodied and tangy. The 2012 Gérard Boulay à Chavignol was my favorite. It had a depth and texture that seemed to resound in the mouth long after I swallowed and a great, snappy minerality.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
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Special Feature
Arriving This Week
Cameron Winery “Ramato” Pinot Gris, Abbey Ridge Vineyard 2014 750ML ($27.95) $24 pre-arrival special
Winery note “Rame: Italian for copper, ramato: copper-colored. Ramato is a copper-colored Pinot grigio made in the tradition of north-eastern Italy. A very tricky wine to pull off. Very limited production.”
VinopolNote: 100% Pinot Gris from Abbey Ridge vineyard made as an ‘orange’ wine. Grapes are harvested just as the seeds begin to brown. The grapes are crushed and the juice is left on the skins for 4-5 hours to extract color before pressing. The wine is aged for 6-8 months in neutral barrique to allow the proteins to settle out without filtration, which would remove the color.
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Mid-West, East & South – Summer Shipping Saver
Whisk your wine through warmer weather!
Now for the summer season we are offering UPS Three Day Select Service for the price of UPS Ground for shipments normally travelling 4 or more business days.
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CALIFORNIA
Forman Chardonnay, Napa Valley 2013 750ML ($59.95) Regularly $49, Now $41.90 [until 6 PM tonight for the extended Saturday 48-hour sale]
Antonio Galloni 94 points “Ric Forman’s 2013 Chardonnay is striking. Lemon oil, white flowers, oyster shells and mint all open up in a wine that brings a little more textural depth to the signature Forman style built on tension and energy. The 2013 is impeccable. It’s as simple as that.”
Wine Advocate 94 points “The Forman Chardonnay is 100% barrel-fermented, sees 10% new oak, but is never put through malolactic. The superb 2013 Chardonnay offers lots of minerality along with notions of white peaches, spring flowers, orange blossoms and poached pears. With loads of fruit, great acid and finesse, and only a hint of oak in the flavor profile, this medium to full-bodied, gorgeous Chardonnay can be enjoyed over the next 5-6 years. Ric Forman is one of the most experienced winemakers in Napa Valley with an impressive track record that goes back to the early 1970s! He has been on his own for a number of years and his non-malolactic Chardonnay has become part of the lexicon of wine styles and is known as the ‘Forman style.”
FRANCE-BURGUNDY
Gerard Mugneret Bourgogne Passetoutgrains, Burgundy 2012 750ML ($29.95) $24 special
“The 2012 Bourgogne Passetoutgrain is due to be bottled just before Christmas. It has a simple nose of raspberry and sloes. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp tannins, tart cherry fruit and decent weight on the finish. Fine.”–Wine Advocate
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Gerard Mugneret Vosne-Romanee, Cote de Nuits 2012 750ML ($119.95) $89 special
Stephen Tanzer–Vinous 90 points “Bright, moderately saturated red. Scented, inviting aromas of red raspberry, flowers and spices. Concentrated, suave and sweet; in a plumper style than the young 2013 and a bit less vibrant but quite long on the aftertaste. This will need at least a few years to absorb some of its building tannins.” ST
Domaine Gerard Mugneret Les Boudots, Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru 2012 750ML ($149.95) $119 special
Wine Advocate 94-95 points “The 2012 Nuits Saint Georges 1er Cru Les Boudots has a really quite wonderful, effervescent bouquet that is immensely pure and refined, offering superb mineralite and tension. The palate is very fresh on the entry with concentrated pure sorbet-infused red fruit that contain superb tension and vibrant on the finish, leaving the mouth tingling. This could be one of the finest Nuits Saint Georges 2012s on the market.” WA
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $129
The average price is $136
ITALY-TUSCANY
Altesino Rosso di Montalcino, Tuscany 2013 750ML ($29.95) $24 special
Decanter Magazine 90 points “Pure, precise aromas and flavors of strawberry and red plum with spicy nuances. Fruity, fresh and fun – the fruit is vibrant and clean with good balance and a leathery finish.”
Altesino Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Tuscany 2010 750ML ($59.95) $49 special
James Suckling 95 points “Wonderful decadent aromas of musk, orange peel and plum follow through to a full body, with soft tannins and a long and rich finish. Salty and savory. Layers of gorgeous fruit. Drink or hold.” JS
AUSTRIA
Familie Saahs Nikolaihof Riesling vom Stein Federspiel, Wachau 2013 750ML ($39.95) $33 special
Wine Advocate 92 points “The 2013 Riesling Federspiel Vom Stein offers a clear, ripe and well-concentrated bouquet of white stone-fruit aromas along with some nice terroir notes of herbs and stones. Medium-bodied, fresh and elegant on the palate, this Riesling is full of energy, mineral tension and vibrancy and demonstrates impressively, like great Mosel Rieslings do, that great dry wines do not need high alcohol levels to offer an intense, terroir-driven and stimulating taste. Still very young, this pure, piquant and firmly structured Federspiel reveals a good and piquant finish”
Terry Theise notes: “Smells like cookie dough! Also notably woodsy, and then the Riesling spice and brightness kicks in; verbena, shiso, bay leaf and an echo-note of marrowy cask. Has complete repose but isn’t at all slack, and the finish peals and clings.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $39
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Just a reminder about our current shipping specials during this season:
For the Mid-West, East, and South during the summer season we are offering UPS Three Day Select Service for the price of UPS Ground for shipments that would normally travel four or more business days to their destination.
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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Arriving This Month
Arriving Mid-July
Rene et Vincent Dauvissat Chablis, Burgundy 2013 750ML ($69.95) $59 pre-arrival special
Antonio Galloni 87-90 points “Lemon oil, white flowers and orchard fruit are laced together in Dauvissat’s 2013 Chablis. There is plenty of nuance in the glass, but I also can’t help noting how open the Chablis is at this very early stage. The 2013 finishes with notable freshness and vibrancy. Today my sense is that the 2013 will be a very pretty early drinker, but then again, the wines here have a proven track record of aging exceptionally well.” AG
Arriving Late July
Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Saint-Joseph 2012 750ML ($79.95) $69 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 93 points “The 2012 Saint Joseph, which was just bottled, showed beautifully, and I continue to see more and more terrific, world-class wines from this appellation. Exhibiting terrific blackberry, ground pepper, crushed rock and underbrush, it’s medium to full-bodied, nicely concentrated and has an open, sexy style that’s already hard to resist. Drink it over the coming decade.” WA
Josh Raynolds-Vinous 93 points “Bright violet color. Explosive aromas of black and blue fruits, smoky Indian spices and minerals, with a suave floral quality in the background. Fleshy and expansive on the palate, but with excellent clarity and spicy lift to its blackberry and licorice flavors. The dark fruit element recurs on the long, seamless finish, which is framed by supple tannins that fold smoothly into the wine’s lush fruit.”
Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage Blanc 2012 750ML ($319.95) $219 pre-arrival special
Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage Blanc 2012 1.5L ($699.95) $499 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 96 points “Much more open, fleshy and sexy, the 2012 Hermitage Blanc was just bottled a month prior to this tasting. Coming from l’Ermite, Les Rocoules, Maison Blanche and Peleat lieux-dits, it’s always a rough blend of 80% Marsanne and 20% Roussanne that’s aged in barrel. Loaded with notions of honeysuckle, orange marmalade, powered rock, buttered citrus and green almond, it’s full-bodied, rich, upfront and fruit loaded. While I think it will be a relatively accessible early in its life, it has the concentration to hold for two decades.” WA
Josh Raynolds–Vinous 94-96 points “Tasted in single-site components from tanks as the wine awaited blending: #1, from Peleat: Ripe pear and honey aromas, with a suave floral accent and a hint of smoky minerals. At once rich and lively, showing excellent back-end power. #2, from Rocoules: Intense, mineral-accented citrus and orchard fruit aromas, with a sexy floral nuance building with air. Bright, focused and mineral-driven, with a strong Meyer lemon quality lingering on the tangy finish. #3, also from Rocoules: Showing more emphasis on orchard fruit than the first Rocoules tank, with powerful quince and pear flavors and a touch of bitter quinine. Dusty minerals sharpen the long, sappy finish. #4, from l’Ermite: Spicy citrus zest and ginger scents along with a chalky mineral note and a hint of anise. Smoky and penetrating, with superb finishing clarity and lingering spiciness. #5, also from l’Ermite: More floral and masculine than the previous l’Ermite, with strong jasmine and orchard fruit character and a touch of bitter quinine. Bright and nervy on the finish, which doesn’t want to let up.” JR
These are both the lowest listed prices in the USA today!
The average price is $262 for the 750ML
Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage Rouge 2012 750ML ($319.95) $228 pre-arrival special
Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage Rouge 2012 3L ($1,799.95) $1,249 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 94-97 points “Looking at the 2012 Hermitage, which is still resting in barrels and getting ready to be bottled, it’s a much more classic, easy to read Hermitage that has lots of ripe, sweet fruit in its full-bodied, concentrated, textured profile. It has copious sweet blackberry and cassis fruit, violet and serious granite-like minerality, superb mid-palate depth and a focused, structured finish. It’s a beautiful, classy 2012 that will have 20-25+ years of longevity.” WA
Josh Raynolds–Vinous 95-97 points “Presented as components from four different barrels: #1, from Beaume: Exotic scents of candied licorice, dark berries and smoky Indian spices. Fleshy and broad on entry, then tighter in the middle, displaying superb depth to its bitter cherry and floral pastille flavors. #2, from Peleat: Explosive red fruit and potpourri aromas, with a bright mineral overtone. Silky and sweet, offering vibrant raspberry and cherry compote flavors and a touch of bitter chocolate. The red fruit note echoes strongly on the back half. #3, from Meal: Fleshier and rounder than the first two components, offering plush dark berry and violet flavors that coat the palate. Chewy tannins build on the finish and fold smoothly into the wine’s dense fruit. #4, from Bessards: Emphatic mineral and dark berry aromas pick up a sexy floral note and a hint of cola. Sappy, penetrating and sharply focused, displaying an impressive array of red fruit and floral qualities and strong finishing spiciness. Jean-Louis Chave told me he thinks this wine will be “classic Hermitage with an emphasis on fruit, not structure, but not lacking in structure at all–just compared to, say, 2010 and 2005.” JR
These are both the lowest listed prices in the USA today!
The average price is $276 for the 750ML
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Terry Theise
Austrian Wines
Arriving October 2015
Nikolaihof – Wachau
A centuries old winery that has been passed down through the Saah family since the late 1800’s, Nikolaihof specializes in traditional, bone dry Rieslings and Gruner Veltliners from their old vine plantings. Their winemaking philosophy is focused around a belief in organic and sustainable growing methods, great care and attention in the vineyards, and little to no intervention in the cellar. Nikolaihof has been practicing Bio-dynamics since 1971, making them one of the longest Bio-dynamic practicing wineries in the world, if not the first. Natural fermentations are the rule, in Austrian oak vessels, deep in their cold, 700-year-old cellar. Long lees contact and aging are the norm, with some wines aging as long as 15 years before being bottled. In their youth the Nikolaihof wines are tight and reticent, showing bright, mineral flavors with good acidity. In recent years, Weingut Nikolaihof has been releasing small amounts of old, bottle-aged library wines called Vinothek, as well as recently bottled Rieslings that have aged in old casks for several years, Steinrieslers. These library release wines are a perfect example that these wines greatly repay cellaring, producing wines with sublime purity and balance.
Familie Saahs Nikolaihof Neuburger 2011 750ML ($39.95) $33 pre-arrival special
Terry Theise notes “I’ve been acquiescing to this being discreetly sold “under the table” to a few of you, but this ’11 is entirely convincing—though there’s very little of it. It’s like the nuttiest Amontillado you ever had (with 12% alc!), and is super-sexy like liquid new leather.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Familie Saahs Nikolaihof Gelber Muskateller 6-Pack Library ($279.95) $219 pre-arrival special
Contains one of each: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 2011 and 2012
Terry Theise notes “And now, for the first time in the history of the world, a vertical collection of Gelber Muskateller. At Nikolaihof there are no “disposable” wines, no wines you must drink young. Every wine is made with the understanding (if not the explicit intent) that it can and should age. So, I was half-joking with Nikki in San Francisco about doing a “Muscat vertical,” and he said Why not? The quick-&-dirty on the vintages: ’07 is good and ’08 is stunning and wonderful, ++ quality. ’09 is yellow-fruit, more vintage than Muscat. ’10 remains a favorite, sweet and giving, it nurses the palate. ++ ’11 is Muscat and then some! Even has some Riesling mojo going on. + ’12 is dense, almost tannic, herbal, another kind of complexity. Also +.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Familie Saahs Nikolaihof Gelber Muskateller 2014 750ML ($39.95) $33 pre-arrival special
Terry Theise notes “Ready? Just 10.5% alcohol. Guzzle city! Lime and tarragon, and while it’s not riper than the ’13 it’s substantially fuller; almost a GV vetiver and lots of olive and basil oils; inferential yet impactful, Timut pepper; ethereal yet dense and definite mineral; the finish is gravelly and stern.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Familie Saahs Nikolaihof Gewurztraminer 2014 750ML ($39.95) $33 pre-arrival special
Terry Theise notes “This is the first vintage I’ve really liked this wine; figures, with its high acidity. It has some of the basic nuttiness of the cellar, and interestingly also of (the variety) Neuburger, yet it’s varietally true; dry, not gaudy, 12% alc and no RS—but also no bitterness—and a focus of lychee stands out of the smoky murmuring dream.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Familie Saahs Nikolaihof Hefeabzug Gruner Veltliner, Wachau 2014 750ML ($29.95) $24 pre-arrival special
Familie Saahs Nikolaihof Hefeabzug Gruner Veltliner, Wachau 2014 1.5L ($79.95) $66 pre-arrival special
Terry Theise notes “Cherry blossom, anise, flint; zingy with dense minty mineral’ as with a lot of ‘14s it’s ostensibly light but curiously dense, jammed with flavor.”
These are the only listings in the USA today!
Familie Saahs Nikolaihof im Weingebirge Gruner Veltliner Federspiel 2013 1.5L ($89.95) $79 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 91 points “The 2013 Grüner Veltliner Federspiel Im Weingebirge opens clear and slightly flinty, though very discreet in its bright aromatic pip fruit and lemon flavors on the nose. However, its depth, freshness and mineral complexity is already indicated. On the palate this straight, crisp, light to medium-bodied Gruner is driven more by its origin than it is by the variety that gives a limey freshness to the wine which is pure, mineral and zesty. The finish of this authentic character is clear, straight and tension-filled. The aging potential excellent.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Familie Saahs Nikolaihof im Weingebirge Gruner Veltliner Federspiel 2014 750ML ($39.95) $28 pre-arrival special
Familie Saahs Nikolaihof im Weingebirge Gruner Veltliner Federspiel 2014 1.5L ($89.95) $76 pre-arrival special
Terry Theise notes “Draw-you-in aromas, like the famous salad-of-seventeen-leaves, herbs and flowers they serve in the restaurant. All of them perfect. The palate here emphasizes the mustards, with the ’14 snap and bounce and spice; a lacy wine like the veins and tracings on the bottom of a leaf.”
These are the only listings in the USA today!
Familie Saahs Nikolaihof im Weingebirge Smaragd Gruner Veltliner 2013 750ML ($79.95) $59 pre-arrival special
Familie Saahs Nikolaihof im Weingebirge Smaragd Gruner Veltliner 2013 1.5L ($149.95) $125 pre-arrival special
Terry Theise notes “Refined vetiver aromas, sweet smoke and oleander – exceptionally beautiful! Even by these standards. The palate is ecstatic; sweetly taut, the exhalings of happy plants, the curious mystery of chlorophyll and waving meadows, the rippling of rabbit muscles, the smile of sinew as they take the stretch they needed. Sure I’m babbling, but this was the right thing to say because only one place on this earth can make a wine like this one.”
The magnum is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Familie Saahs Nikolaihof Riesling vom Stein Federspiel 2002 750ML ($59.95) $49 pre-arrival special
“Lime, sweet herbs and subtle brown spices on the nose. White peach and salted lime on the palate. Almost austerely dry and lean, yet with an imposing sense of substantiality and mineral extract. 1 star.”–Vinous Media
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Familie Saahs Nikolaihof Riesling vom Stein Federspiel 2013 1.5L ($99.95) $79 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 92 points “The 2013 Riesling Federspiel Vom Stein offers a clear, ripe and well-concentrated bouquet of white stone-fruit aromas along with some nice terroir notes of herbs and stones. Medium-bodied, fresh and elegant on the palate, this Riesling is full of energy, mineral tension and vibrancy and demonstrates impressively, like great Mosel Rieslings do, that great dry wines do not need high alcohol levels to offer an intense, terroir-driven and stimulating taste. Still very young, this pure, piquant and firmly structured Federspiel reveals a good and piquant finish” WA
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Familie Saahs Nikolaihof Riesling vom Stein Federspiel 2014 750ML ($41.95) $33 pre-arrival special
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Familie Saahs Nikolaihof Riesling vom Stein Smaragd 2012 750ML ($79.95) $59 pre-arrival special
Familie Saahs Nikolaihof Riesling vom Stein Smaragd 2012 1.5L ($149.95) $125 pre-arrival special
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Familie Saahs Nikolaihof Riesling Steiner Hund Reserve Riesling 2010 1.5L ($179.95) $149 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 93 points “The 2010 Riesling Steiner Hund is a pure and cool, rather vegetal than fruity flavored Riesling with flinty notes along with aromas of fennel seeds and celery. Still very young, restrained and edgy on the palate, this full-bodied, very pure and mineral wine with its firm and long, tension-filled structure does not show any flesh or juiciness at the moment. However, I wouldn’t call it ascetic, just a little bit drying. This densely woven Riesling is much too rich and too electrifying in the mouth and too long and powerful in the finish to end up as a joyless wine. However, I suppose this promising, firmly structured long-distance runner will never get that round and juicy, but will remain a vital and scraggy (in a positive sense) wine for many years. I would keep it for another 7-10 years before I retaste it again.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Familie Saahs Nikolaihof Riesling Steiner Hund Reserve Riesling 2012 750ML ($89.95) $69 pre-arrival special
Familie Saahs Nikolaihof Riesling Steiner Hund Reserve Riesling 2012 1.5L ($179.95) $149 pre-arrival special
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Familie Saahs Nikolaihof Steinriesler Riesling 2002 750ML ($119.95) $88 pre-arrival special
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Case-6 Familie Saahs Nikolaihof Vinothek Riesling 1997 750ML ($1,199.95) $999 pre-arrival special
Familie Saahs Nikolaihof Vinothek Riesling 1997 3L ($999.95) $799 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 97 points “Aged for 17 years in a domestic 3,500-liter cask before it was bottled in August 2014, the 1997 Riesling Vinothek is the best part of the regular 1997 Riesling Smaragd Im Weingebirge, which was bottled and marketed in late 1998. The aged Vinothek version offers a fascinatingly clear, bright, deep and multi-layered nose with iodine and ripe as well as intense white-fleshed fruit aromas. Full-bodied, full of finesse and elegant, this dry, transparent and mineral Riesling develops a great intensity, complexity and power on the palate, but never leaves its silky road of purity, finesse and transparency. There is a lot of Spiel and tension here, but the most exciting characteristic trait is the intense and very mineral, almost endless finish. How youthful this wine is! And its further aging potential is still terrific. The wine reminds me of certain sherries, white Riojas and Jura wines, although it is not less oxidative. But it spent a long time in cask and has the freshness, complexity and thrilling taste of those. It’s a great, unique and stimulating wine that was bottled with 12.8% of alcohol, 6 grams of residual sugar and 6.5 grams of acidity.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today for the 3L!
The next best price is $1,000
Schloss Gobelsberg – Kamptal
The Schloss Gobelsburg winery is the oldest in the region, and one of the oldest in the world. Cistercian monks from the Zwettl Monastery founded the vineyards in 1171 and performed the winemaking operations throughout eight centuries until 1995, when a winemaking / management contract was awarded to Michael Moosbrugger and his wife Eva. The monks had practiced organic grape-growing techniques since the late 50s, and organic viticulture is still practiced today.
Moosbrugger revolutionized winemaking at Schloss Gobelsburg and has garnered many high awards, including being named Winemaker of the Year by the Austrian magazine Falstaff. His attentive crafting leads to precise and distinct wines that reflect the essence of each site. He sees two styles of winemaking: the first is an interventionist method which uses industrial machinery and standardized techniques to create wines. In his view, the second form of winemaking is to act as the teacher or coach to the grapes: to work with them, encouraging the best expression of their character without forcing adjustments upon them. These wines reflect fully the character and individuality of the vineyard and grape varieties. This concept extends from careful selection of vines all the way to bottle aging where he seeks to find the right moment to capture the highest and purest essence of the wines.
Schloss Gobelsburg Gobelsburger Gruner Veltliner 2014 750ML ($21.95) $16 pre-arrival special
Terry Theise notes “It is, amazingly, as good as the ’13 and yet entirely different; much fruitier in ’14; super lentilly and fennely and overtly expressive; sweet entry and a firm finish; somewhat like an ’09 but with more hyssop; lingering and concentrated.”
Schloss Gobelsburg Steinsetz Gruner Veltliner Reserve Erste OTW Lage 2014 750ML ($29.95) $24 pre-arrival special
Terry Theise notes “This ever-deepening wine has a lysergic moment in ’14; high-toned, almost hoppy aroma, with notes of lima beans and dill; picked the 2nd week in November; the palate is wonderfully juicy, like extra-virgin grapeseed oil; the fruit is “sweet” and the umami is ludicrously spicy. The site sits on a plateau on ancient Danube riverbed stones, and for many years it was radishy and stinging, as if it were fined with scree and stirred with a peppermint stick. A little of that character still remains, but the older vines (now around 15) have sunk roots deep enough to reach the aquifer, and the wines too are deeper.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Schloss Gobelsburg Lamm Gruner Veltliner Reserve Erste OTW Lage 2013 750ML ($79.95) $59 pre-arrival special
Schloss Gobelsburg Lamm Gruner Veltliner Reserve Erste OTW Lage 2013 375ML ($37.95) $29 pre-arrival special
Schloss Gobelsburg Lamm Gruner Veltliner Reserve Erste OTW Lage 2013 1.5L ($119.95) $99 pre-arrival special
Terry Theise notes “It’s a high-water mark of GV perfection, and even after all these supernal vintages, this wine can still gob-smack you. It’s every possible thing to cherish about GV, brilliance and intensity, taut yet endlessly juicy, “sweet” yet steely, like taking a huge cable and stretching it to the moon.”
These are all the lowest listed prices in the USA today!
Schloss Gobelsburg Lamm Gruner Veltliner Reserve Erste OTW Lage 2014 750ML ($79.95) $49 pre-arrival special
Terry Theise notes “Sensational fragrance! Richly, sweetly LAMM. The palate is taut, powerful, markedly spicy; it’s the 2006 this most resembles yet the alc is much lower, between 13-13.5%. Early days yet for this. Lamm as a rule is buckwheat-y, rusky, savory but not thick, like a vegetable-veal stock with barley, yet oddly also like lamb itself. (“Lamm” doesn’t mean lamb, but is rather a dialect word for “loam.”) It is a great wine though virtually without fruit per se. Its poise of gloss and power, intensity and outline, mass and transparency are emblems of the paradox without which no wine is truly great.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Schloss Gobelsburg Renner Gruner Veltliner Reserve Erste OTW Lage 2013 750ML ($49.95) $39 pre-arrival special
Terry Theise notes “The site lies at the foot of the Gaisberg, and contains eroded gneiss with a high proportion of paragneiss, mica and amphibolite, a perfect precondition for wines of minerality and generosity, just what this is. And, always, the best value in this portfolio, because it costs about 25% less than its peers. Steinsetz is licking at its heels of late, but Renner is just richer, less minty but more mineral; equally energetic but not so clamorous. Extroverted, angular, generous, smart.”
Schloss Gobelsburg Renner Gruner Veltliner Reserve Erste OTW Lage 2014 750ML ($49.95) $39 pre-arrival special
Terry Theise notes “The site lies at the foot of the Gaisberg on eroded gneiss with a high proportion of paragneiss, mica and amphibolite, under a topsoil layer of loess. So you get a lot of fruit and a lot of minerality and a lot of ripeness—and a heaving TON of value-for-money. It was the best GV I tasted from 2014, though part of me wonders whether it was simply more available to the palate than the famously tardy Lamm. We shall see. Meanwhile, this is shimmeringly, phosphorescently, gorgeously mineral. Can this “mineral” flavor be delicious. Seductive? Oh baby! It’s not without fruit; you have corn and spring-onion here, fritters and beigneits, violets and hyacinth; it has both impressive mass and the most filigree possible detail. What a wine!!”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Schloss Gobelsburg Riesling “Gobelsburger” 2014 750ML ($21.95) $18 pre-arrival special
Terry Theise notes “Lovely fragrance, verbena and a kind of charming herbal funk; a bit of the ambient-botrytis of ’14 is here, and the overall effect is drier and twiggier than its GV sibling.”
Schloss Gobelsburg Gaisberg Riesling Reserve Erste OTW Lage 2013 750ML ($39.95) $33 pre-arrival special
Terry Theise notes “This normally somewhat aloof Riesling was unusually overt in 2013, from all of the three growers who supply it to me. This began somewhat lunar and still, at least at first, but the palate was white-flowery and salty and bordered on brash, and then the aromas brightened with air into freesia and peony, and that salty-herbal attack was anything but demure.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Schloss Gobelsburg Zobinger Heiligenstein Riesling Reserve Erste OTW Lage 2013 750ML ($69.95) $59 pre-arrival special
Terry Theise notes “I’d tasted at Alzinger this morning, and yet I wrote “This is the most sensually extravagant of all the great Rieslings tasted today,” a day I wrote three plusses for an astonishing seven different wines. This masterpiece starts out deceptively gauzy, with notes of jasmine, white tea and cox-orange pippins, but then suddenly it is insanely intricate, almost incomprehensible; verbena and aloe vera, chartreuse, lemon zest, semolina and ginger, and an astonishing finish you want to take home with you.”
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Schloss Gobelsburg Zobinger Heiligenstein Riesling Reserve Erste OTW Lage 2014 750ML ($69.95) $49 pre-arrival special
Terry Theise notes “Both this and the Gaisberg Grand Crus were crouching behind a veil of botrytis, and were hard to read. There’s an interesting wine below the shroud, and if any wine deserves the benefit of my puny doubts, it’s this one. Yet, we must wait and see.”
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Hirsch – Kamptal
“For such great wines these are comparatively “easy” to understand: they’re juicy and spicy and their flavors are candid and animated. Specific nuances are, as always, determined by the vineyard.”-Terry Theise
Johannes Hirsch is one of the top young winemakers in Austria, producing Grüner Veltliner and Riesling bottlings from his renowned vineyards in the Kamptal. He was recognized as “Winemaker of the Year” by Falstaff Magazine in 2011. His focus is single site, single terroir wines and is dedicated to precise and natural winemaking: using ambient yeast fermentation, slow vinification and long aging before release. His top vineyards are Lamm (which has loess and loam soils with south-facing slopes that produces wines of power, focus and structure), Gaisberg (with fertile brown earth and crystalline soils that produces dense wines of great minerality showing exotic floral notes) and Heiligenstein. Heiligenstein is considered one of the best vineyards in Europe, producing wine of great purity from its soils of desert sandstone, decomposed volcanic rock and carbonized vegetation. It is bowl-shaped with a southern exposure.
Weingut Hirsch Gruner Veltliner “Number-1” 2014 750ML ($21.95) $18 pre-arrival special
Terry Theise notes “The label will change to something less whimsical, as ‘Hannes started to feel it was too “supermarket-y,” and it will also stay the same each year. End of an era, alas, though I seem to have been the only guy who liked those silly funny labels and liked that they changed every year. If I ever am asked to guest-lecture for some class in marketing, I will ask the eager students to take extremely careful note of each thing I say, every pearl of genius I strew upon them, every suggestion and every holy principle— and then do precisely the opposite. I am a little waif among wiser elders who have better suits than I do. I am one.wrong.dude. when it comes to marketing. I shall retreat proudly though! Even as they revoke my parking permit… This wine has a schwe-e-e-et aroma; total classic GV at its most winning and forthcoming…oh man, this is ridiculous quality for this echelon, the legume-lentil GV with loads of loessy charm. It is the BEST WINE IN ITS CATEGORY IN 2014, and an amazing piece of work.”
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Weingut Hirsch Kammerner Heilegenstein Gruner Veltliner 2014 750ML ($29.95) $24 pre-arrival special
Terry Theise notes “I put it in quotes because it is actually (and inexplicably) the general-site, not the single-site, and to try to explain it would involve all the Talmudic intricacy of bureaucratic thought—or, “thought.” In any case, beginning with vintage-2015 this wine will be known as “Kammern,” and will thus take its more explicable place as a village-wine. It has always been the perfect medium-weight GV, and this ’14 is a pristine version of this perennially tasty fellow. That’s all. But consider: how many times have I used a word like “pristine” to describe a ’14 wine?”
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Weingut Hirsch Gruner Veltliner Grub 2013 750ML ($59.95) $49 pre-arrival special
Weingut Hirsch Gruner Veltliner Grub 2013 1.5L ($119.95) $99 pre-arrival special
Terry Theise notes “This is a heat-trap in the declivity between the Gaisberg and Heiligenstein hills, and it gives a very meaty wine, often too meaty for me. Gobelsburg offers it also, and I show you maybe one in three vintages. This one is a big, dense boulder of minerality, stocky and brooding. It has some of the power of the 2003 Lamm, and is loaded with brown-bread and sorghum. More Wachau than Kamptal, but curiously compelling.”
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Weingut Hirsch Gruner Veltliner Renner 2013 750ML ($41.95) $36 pre-arrival special
Weingut Hirsch Gruner Veltliner Renner 2013 1.5L ($99.95) $79 pre-arrival special
Terry Theise notes “It’s mineral! Oleander and scree; salty grip focused to a keen point yet also wholly dispersed over the sides of the palate. Earthier and less hi-def than Gobelsburg’s; more rocks-and-twigs but also analog and warm. Gets better month by month.”
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Weingut Hirsch Zobinger Gaisberg Riesling 2013 750ML ($59.95) $49 pre-arrival special
Weingut Hirsch Zobinger Gaisberg Riesling 2013 1.5L ($149.95) $109 pre-arrival special
Terry Theise notes “This is in the subdued state following its pre-bottling giddiness, but it’s serious and expressive and refined. A blushing bride of iris and white tea with a firm core of menthol and spice and an even firmer core of deep compact mineral.”
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Weingut Hirsch Zobinger Heiligenstein Riesling Erste Lage 2013 750ML ($59.95) $49 pre-arrival special
Terry Theise notes “As always compared to Gaisberg this is more Cajun and abandoned and entirely more untamed, but it’s coming on wonderfully, with lavish mineral, salts and fruit-sweetness. I mean, really—2013! Riesling! Heiligenstein! What are you waiting for??”
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Weingut Hirsch Zobing Riesling 2014 750ML ($29.95) $24 pre-arrival special
Terry Theise notes “The village-wine, basically young vines from the two Crus. It’s clean, nubby and mineral in ’14; iris-y but less riotously floralsweet than, say, the 13 was; it needs air, and after a few minutes the wisteria scents started appearing, and the minerality clarified.”
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New Wine Advocate Reviews
2014 Roses
“The 2014 Rosés are now out in force. This is a great vintage for rosé with the wines showing much more rounded, supple and fruit-forward characters than did the racy 2013s….Among the myriad styles of rosé, there are normally clear distinctions between what each region offers. Provençal rosés offer clean, crisp wines that are very light in color, Côtes du Rhône rosés are slightly more substantial and varied, and Tavel, Gigondas and Bandol generally produce richer, more textured and hefty releases.” – Jeb Dunnuck, The Wine Advocate
FRANCE-BEAUJOLAIS
Pierre-Marie Chermette Domaine du Vissoux Les Griottes Rose, Beaujolais 2014 750ML ($19.95) $16 special, 36+ bottles available
Wine Advocate 88 points “A delicious effort, the light salmon/pink colored 2014 Les Griottes Beaujolais Rose has pretty orange blossom, framboise, citrus and underbrush characteristics in its soft, forward, supple and highly quaffable profile. Dry and clean on the finish, it’s about as easy-drinking as they come and should be consumed over the coming summer months.”
FRANCE-PROVENCE
Domaine Tempier Bandol Rose 2014 750ML ($44.95) $39 special, 27 bottles available
Domaine Tempier Bandol Rose 2014 375ML ($27.95) $24 special, 9 half-bottles available
Domaine Tempier Bandol Rose 2014 1.5L ($99.95) $89 special, 4 magnums available
Wine Advocate 92 points “Domaine Tempier’s 2014 Bandol Rose continue to show why it’s considered one of the best rosés in the world. Made with a hefty chunky of Mourvedre, it offers beautifully crisp and precise notes of orange blossom, crushed rock, mineral water and white flower that flow seamlessly to a medium-bodied, balanced, lively and fresh style on the palate. While this doesn’t have the heft of sheer fruit of a top Tavel, it has more tension and focus, and I suspect it will put on weight with another 3-4 months in bottle. In short, it’s a beautiful Bandol rosé that delivers everything you could want from a rosé. It has the juiciness and freshness to drink nicely on its own or at the start of a meal, as well as the complexity and depth to handle any number of richer foods.”
Domaine de la Bastide Blanche Bandol Rose 2014 750ML ($27.95) $21.90 special, 36+ bottles available
Wine Advocate 92 points “A smoking rosé that has fabulous flavor intensity and depth, Bastide Blanche’s 2014 Bandol Rose (based largely on Mourvedre) sports a medium salmon color to go with mineral-laced notes of orange blossom, melon, cherry pit and spice. Medium+-bodied, rich, full and layered, with integrated acidity, it has terrific depth of fruit and serious length on the finish, all while staying perfectly balanced and easy drinking. This is a serious rosé that will have 2-3 years of prime drinking, and if you’re so inclined, an interesting evolution beyond that as well.”
Chateau de Calavon Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence Rose 2014 750ML ($19.95) $16 special, 36+ bottles available
Wine Advocate 91 points “A quintessential Provençal rosé, the light salmon colored 2014 Coteaux d’Aix en Provence Rose is loaded with notions of orange blossom, subtle strawberry, melon and dried Provençal garrigue. These all flow beautifully to a layered, refreshing and lively rosé that has plenty of fruit, integrated acidity and a clean, dry finish. Rock star stuff, drink it over the coming 7-8 months.” WA
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FRANCE-LOIRE
Pascal et Nicolas Reverdy Sancerre Terre de Maimbray Rose 2014 750ML ($24.95) $21.90 special, 25 bottles available
Wine Advocate 90 points “A gorgeous rosé that shines for its elegance and seamless, silky texture, the light pink colored 2014 Sancerre Terre de Maimbray Rose offers perfumed (and downright pretty) notes of rose petals, wild strawberries and floral nuances to go with a juicy, lively and pure style on the palate. There’s bright acidity here, but it plays well with the overall refined, delicate style here. Enjoy this beautiful rosé over the coming 6-12 months.”
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FRANCE-RHONE
Domaine Les Aphillanthes Cote du Rhone Rose 2014 750ML ($17.95) $14 special, 36+ bottles available
Wine Advocate 90 points “Light pink in color, the 2014 Cotes du Rhone Rose from Domaine les Aphillanthes is gorgeous and just hard to resist. Loaded with fruit forward notes of sweet cherries, raspberries and dried flowers, it has no hard edges on the palate, a supple, seamless texture and beautiful overall balance. Count me a fan, and while it comes up short on complexity, it scores for sheer drink-ability. Drink this beauty anytime over the coming summer months, although I’m sure it will still be enjoyable early in 2016 as well.”
Domaine Saint Damien Gigondas Rose 2014 750ML ($29.95) $24 special, 8 bottles available
Wine Advocate 89 points “One of my favorite Gigondas estates, Domaine St Damien has turned out a fabulous rosé in 2014. Made from Cinsault, Syrah and Mourvedre, the 2014 Gigondas Rose is loaded with ripe strawberry and raspberry fruits. Medium-bodied, fruit forward, supple and balanced, it is loaded with Provencal charm. Drink it over the coming 5-6 months.”
Domaine Charvin Cotes du Rhone Rose 2014 750ML ($19.95) $16 special, 35 bottles available
Wine Advocate 88 points “Laurent Charvin’s 2014 Cotes du Rhone Rose is a forward, deliciously quaffable rosé that sports a light pink/salmon color to go with upfront notes of candied cherries, melon, lavender and Provençal herbs. Forward, supple and straight-up delicious, it’s a bottle that will be quickly emptied at the dinner table.”
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Spanish Cult Classics
Arriving in August 2015
Familia Nin-Ortiz ‘Planetes de Nin’, Priorat DOCa 2012 750ML ($59.95) $49 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 94 points “I was thoroughly impressed by the 2012 Planetes de Nin, a bright ruby-colored, fragrant Garnacha-based red with some 30% Cariñena from the Planetes vineyard in Porrera. It has a beautiful floral nose of violets and lilies, with showy aromas of blood orange peel, wild berries and oriental spices in a Vosne-Romanée way, very Burgundian overall and truly captivating. The palate is ultra-sleek, silky with very refined tannins and a subtle minerality that adds to the freshness and makes the wine very focused and precise. This is so different from previous vintages, so much more elegant and focused, pure and elegant. This should age in bottle nicely, but it will be very difficult to resist. And it’s a very good value. 9,000 bottles.” WA
Familia Nin-Ortiz ‘Nit de Nin’, Priorat DOCa 2012 750ML ($109.95) $89 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 97 points “If the Planetes was impressive, wait for the 2012 Nit de Nin, which is a similar wine but at two levels of intensity, depth and elegance above. It’s also a single-vineyard wine from a very old plot in Porrera in the Mas d’en Caçador vineyard at some 500 meters altitude on an impressive slope planted with very old vines on slate soils. It’s approximately 60% Garnacha Peluda (which is a different strain producing lighter-colored wines with higher acidity than the regular Garnacha) and the rest Cariñena. The wine is pure, perfumed, intoxicating even, floral and spicy, intense and captivating.The palate is highly refined, with pure flavors, great freshness, completely focused, nothing blurry at all in there, generous but fine at the same time. It ends very tasty, with a saline minerality. I had the chance to visit the vineyard on my last night in Priorat, and when you see it you understand that it HAS to produce great wine. Simply superb. Drink or keep. 4,000 bottles were filled in March 2014.” WA
Clos i Terrasses Clos Erasmus ‘Laurel’, Priorat DOCa 2012 750ML ($59.95) $49 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 94 points “The 2012 Laurel is a blend of 70% Garnacha, 20% Syrah and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine had a different élevage as it matured in a combination of used barriques, 20-hectoliter oak vats, cement vats and 700-liter amphorae. This is a very savory vintage of Laurel with pungent, almost saline flavors. The wet slate and black fruit that I link to Gratallops are present but the wine is much fresher than anticipated for a warm and especially dry vintage in a hot village like Gratallops. There is a balsamic twist in the background, but the place comes through stronger than grapes or process. I also tasted the 2013 a couple of weeks before bottling and it showed even better than the already great 2012. 9,000 bottles produced.” WA
Josh Raynolds–Vinous 93 points “(75% garnacha, 20% syrah and 5% cabernet sauvignon; aged in a combination of wooden upright vats and two- to four-year-old French oak barrels): Opaque ruby. Powerful smoke- and mineral-accented black and blue fruit aromas show very good clarity and pick up suave floral and spicecake elements with air. Fleshy and broad in the mouth, offering ripe blackcurrant and mulberry flavors sharpened by a peppery flourish. The floral note comes back strong on the finish, which clings with excellent tenacity and youthfully chewy tannins. In a broader-shouldered style than its Clos Erasmus sibling; this one should age well but offers plenty of immediate appeal as well. In the context of high-end Priorats there’s remarkable value here.” JR
Clos i Terrasses Clos Erasmus, Priorat DOCa 2012 750ML ($219.95) $169 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 98 points “After no 2011 was produced, the 2012 Clos Erasmus comes with renewed energy, a much fresher approach and a more transparent wine while keeping the slate typicity of Gratallops even in a tiny-yielding vintage. Part of the wine aged in 700-liter clay amphorae and the rest in Burgundy barrels that added a spicy patina to the nose, yet very much respected the wet slate character of the vintage. Contrary to previous vintages, the core of fruit is red rather than black; the 2013 that I tasted (not in bottle) followed pretty much this same direction. The palate shows power, elegance and a special mineral savoriness akin to licking stones. There is more Garnacha in the blend (there’s only 15% Syrah) which gives a Mediterranean juiciness. A new life for Erasmus, very much recognizable as Priorat, Gratallops and Erasmus, but with a more elegant haircut. Only 2,000 bottles produced.” WA
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The average price is $187
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Time to Say Good Buy
Jean-Louis Chave Selection Cotes du Rhone Mon Coeur 2011 750ML ($21.95) Was $18, Now $16, 12 bottles available
Wine Spectator 89 points “Offers a lush feel, with plum sauce and warm linzer torte aromas and flavors, followed by a smoldering charcoal note and hint of roasted chestnut on the finish. Solid for the appellation. Drink now..” WS
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $20
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