’04 Krug @ the Best Price on the West Coast
2016 Quilceda Creek Palengat Vineyard Special Offer!
Delas Sale
Classic Rhone at the Best Price in the USA
Merkelbach Madness:
Subscriber-Only Discounts on a Staff Favorite Winery
Champagne Deal of the Season
For Three Days Only!
“already a joy to drink…, though it will continue age gracefully for many, many decades to come” – John Gilman
Antonio Galloni 97+ points “Krug’s 2004 Vintage is absolutely mesmerizing. Layers of bright, chiseled fruit open up effortlessly as the wine fleshes out with time in the glass. Persistent and beautifully focused, with a translucent sense of energy, the 2004 captures all the best qualities of the year. Moreover, the 2004 is clearly superior to the consistently underwhelming 2002 and the best Krug Vintage since 1996. Readers who can find it should not hesitate, as it is a magical bottle.”
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 97 points “Combining subtleness with complexity, the coolish Krug 2004 Brut opens with a highly elegant, fascinatingly clear, bright and refreshing bouquet of ripe (apple) fruits. Dense and round, with a delicate mineral soul, the pure but perfectly balanced 2004 reveals great finesse and weightless elegance with a long and round finish. This is a gorgeous Krug vintage that is 14 years old but still on the rise. Tasted from ID 316034 in New York in November 2018.”-SR
Decanter 97 points “This is the current and latest vintage release from Krug, and is a fitting successor to 2002, though it’s very different in style – unusually, the blend contains more Chardonnay than Pinot Noir. Despite this, it is hallmark Krug with its oxidative profile. It has a luminous freshness and good density without heaviness. There’s a controlled power to this poised, vinous, linear 2004, displaying candied fruits, minerals, gingerbread, white chocolate, caramel and marzipan. This has a long, dry autolytic finish, great balance and lovely bead. Disgorged just after the next, and very different, vintage we tasted, the Krug 2003. Drinking Window 2017-2037.”
John Gilman 97 points “The new release of 2004 Krug is absolutely beautiful and is already quite elegant and open on both the nose and palate and is drinking with great finesse. I had expected this wine to be a bit more steely in structure out of the blocks, but the refinement of the blend this year has produced a wine that is already a joy to drink at age thirteen, though it will continue age gracefully for many, many decades to come. The cépages in 2004 is thirty-nine percent Chardonnay, thirty-seven percent Pinot Noir and twenty-four percent Pinot Meunier, with the wine having been disgorged in the winter of 2016. The bouquet jumps from the glass in a refined mix of apple, a touch of walnut, warm bread, lavender, a superb base of soil tones and a topnote of smokiness. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and utterly seamless, with vibrant acids, great focus and grip, a lovely core, refined mousse and a very long, complex, racy and energetic finish. There is marvelous precision here on both the nose and palate, not to mention a sense of harmony and grace that is fairly rare in the 2004 vintage. Chapeau! 2017-2060.”
James Suckling 97 points “This is an extremely fresh edition and remains in a restrained mode with an intense serve of Chardonnay’s lemon citrus dominating the nose alongside lime zest, bright florals, grassy elements, fresh dough, white stones and very subtle background spice. The palate has a svelte and elegant shape. Smoother than the 2002, it shares the same quality of precision but not the raging power of that vintage. The poise is unquestionable, the wine very reserved, with plenty of lemon-infused citrus flavors, hints of fresh cashew and a lot of potential. Acidity holds superbly, the dosage is exactly where it should be. This is a classic release. It’s all about Chardonnay. Best from 2022 and will mature gracefully in linear style in bottle for several decades.”
The average price nationally is $288
’16 Quilceda Creek Palengat Vineyard Special Offer!
(Plus, we’re getting more of the flagship Quilceda Creek Cabernet in on the 20th and are dropping the price on that wine, as well, if you’re looking to stock up.)
Sale price ends Saturday, December 14th at 6PM!
Arriving December 20th:
Quilceda Creek Palengat Vineyard Red, Horse Heaven Hills 2016 750ML ($179.95) Quilceda Creek Sale Price: $133 pre-arrival special
Jeb Dunnuck 96 points “The 2016 Palengat is mostly Cabernet Sauvignon blended with 11% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Franc, and it’s one of the smaller production cuvees. It’s a rich, full-bodied effort and has wonderful purity in its crème de cassis, graphite, and ample pencil lead like nuances, with an almost Pauillac vibe. With fine, sweet tannins, a great mid-palate, and considerable elegance and finesse matched up to classic Quilceda power and richness, it’s a beautiful wine to drink over the coming 15-20 years.”
The average price is $149
Also In Stock Now or Arriving December 20th from Quilceda Creek
Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley 2016 750ML ($219.95) Was $199, Quilceda Creek Sale Price Now: $165 – more stock arriving Friday, December 20th!
Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley 2016 1.5L ($479.95) $449 special, 1 magnum in stock
Jeb Dunnuck 98+ points “The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Colombia Valley is a beautiful wine and has a more classic profile than the more sexy, massive 2015. Beautiful notes of creme de cassis, lead pencil shavings, graphite, dried herbs, and loamy earth all flow to a full-bodied, incredibly pure and perfectly balanced Cabernet Sauvignon that has no hard edges, a deep, concentrated mid-palate, good acidity, and a great, great finish. It reminds me of the 2002 with its uber classic, balanced yet broad and powerful style.”
Stephen Tanzer – Vinous 97 points “Moderately saturated dark red with ruby tones. Classic, complex Cabernet scents of black fruits, cocoa powder and sexy herbs lifted by a strong mineral component; the high-quality Taransaud and Darnajou barrels come through clearly but not loudly. Wonderfully smooth, tight-grained wine with gloriously ripe but not roasted flavors of wild blackberry, cassis, bitter chocolate and minerals. Harmonious ripe acidity gives this wine outstanding finesse and lifts the fruit. I find this wine more relaxed than the superb 2015 version, perhaps because there was little in the way of vine stress in ’16. Perhaps most impressive in the early going on the extremely long, slowly building back end, which features noble tannins, great suavity and outstanding lift. (3.97 pH; made from Palengat, Champoux and Wallula vineyards, all in Horse Heaven Hills, but the label for this wine has said Columbia Valley for a long time; in an earlier era the label used the even more generic Washington State appellation)”
Quilceda Creek ‘CVR’ Red Wine, Columbia Valley 2016 750ML ($79.95) Was $69, Quiilceda Creek Sale Price Now: $55 pre-arrival special, arriving December 20th
Jeb Dunnuck 93 points “The entry-level 2016 Columbia Valley CVR is a beauty and well worth purchasing, particularly as it drinks well right out of the gate where the top cuvee benefit from 2-4 years of bottle age. Full-bodied, ripe, and sexy, with terrific notes of kirsch, black cherry liqueur, lead pencil shavings, and graphite, it has plenty of tannins as well as terrific balance and elegance.”
Quilceda Creek Galitzine Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Mountain 2015 750ML ($219.95) $189 special, 3 bottles in stock now
Jeb Dunnuck 98+ points “Coming all from Red Mountain and 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Galitzine Vineyard spent 21 months in all new French oak. Deep inky plum/purple-colored with a huge nose of blackcurrants, singed herbs, black licorice, and scorched earth, this beast of a Washington State Cabernet has building tannin, a huge mid-palate, and a great, great finish. It needs to be forgotten for 3-4 years but will keep for 2-3 decades.”
Quilceda Creek Palengat Vineyard Red, Horse Heaven Hills 2015 750ML ($189.95) $169 special, 3 bottles in stock now
Jeb Dunnuck 97 points “The 2015 Palengat is a Cabernet Sauvignon-heavy blend that includes 13% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Franc. This gorgeous red offers a deep, rich, opulent style in its blackcurrants, baking spice, tobacco leaf, and graphite aromas and flavors. Possessing beautiful purity, ultra-fine tannin, a big, rich, concentrated style that somehow stays light and graceful, it’s a sensational, elegant wine that will keep for 15-20 years.”
Wine Advocate 95 points “The 2015 Palengat Vineyard is already quite expressive, wafting from the glass with sweet aromas of ripe red and black cherries, pencil lead, licorice and a nicely integrated framing of toasty new oak. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, supple and expansive, cutting a broad swath across the palate, with its ample chassis of velvety tannins concealed by a generous core of succulent fruit. The finish is long and subtly oak inflected. It’s already drinking well and should be worth following for a dozen years. Unabashedly pleasure giving and texturally polished, the Palengat is one of the highlights of Quilceda Creek’s 2015 portfolio. It’s a blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, and 6% Cabernet Franc that spent 20 months in 100% new French oak.”
Sale price ends Saturday, December 14th at 6PM!
Delas Freres Saint-Joseph Francois de Tournon, Rhone 2015 750ML ($44.95) Was $36, Now $33 Delas Sale Special, 36+ bottles in stock now
Case-6 Delas Freres Saint-Joseph Francois de Tournon, Rhone 2015 750ML ($279.95) Was $199, Now $179 Delas Sale Special (that’s only $29.83/bottle and the lowest listed price in the USA today!)
Wine Advocate 93 points “Inky and concentrated, the 2015 Saint-Joseph Francois de Tournon is no easy-drinking Saint-Joseph. It’s smoky, herbal and ashy all at once, yet it’s buoyed by ample black cherry fruit and vibrant acidity. This medium to full-bodied Syrah has plenty of tannins, but they’re ultimately silky and most apparent on the long, licorice-tinged finish. This is approachable now but should be even better in 3 years and should drink well for at least another 10 after that.”
Jeb Dunnuck 93 points “Both Saint Joseph releases are brilliant in 2015. The 2015 Saint Joseph François De Tournon comes vines around Tournon, Mauves, Saint-Jean-de-Muzols, and Vion, and is always destemmed and aged in 30% new barrels. This full-bodied, rounded, sexy beauty shows the power and fruit of the vintage. With classic notes of black and blue fruits, violets, incense and pepper, drink this textured, expansive, terrific Saint Joseph over the coming 10-15 years.”
Josh Raynolds-Vinous 92 points “Dark ruby. High-pitched red and dark berry and violet aromas show excellent focus and pick up hints of cracked pepper and sandalwood with air. Sappy and seamless in texture, offering fresh black raspberry and bitter cherry flavors and a hint of candied licorice. Turns sweeter on the penetrating, impressively long finish, which features smooth, even tannins and lingering boysenberry and floral qualities.”
Now it’s even lower!
The average price is $50
Subscriber-Only Discounts on Staff Favorite Winery
Buy any 12+ in-stock bottles of Merkelbach, we’ll give you a 15% discount!
We will apply it manually before processing your order.
We offer ten different wines in stock now from Alfred Merkelbach. Browse our top picks below or visit our web store for the complete list!
“Merkelbach’s wines are like the world before anyone wrote poems about it.” –Terry Theise
We adore the wines that Rolf and Alfred Merkelbach make, irrationally and perhaps more than any other grower in the Mosel. These are wines that are as old-school as you can find for the region (the brothers are in their 80’s and haven’t changed styles since they started) and they capture the delicacy and etherealness of Riesling like few other wines we’ve tried. Terry Theise, their importer, describes their wines as “like VAPING Mosel Riesling.”
They have a charm and an energy that’s unlike almost any other wine we’ve tasted. In fact, their closest comparison might not be in the Mosel at all, but rather with Truchot’s wines in burgundy—another producer who managed to create unbearably delicate, ethereal wines that seemed to trigger Stendhal Syndrome anytime you had the pleasure of drinking them. We’d like more people to appreciate these wines while the brothers are still making them (a problem for, say, Truchot) and before the prices go crazy. We’re offering you a nice discount for stocking up on these—all wines that will age beautifully but are drinking like a Vivaldi sonata right now.
Buy any 12+ in-stock bottles of Merkelbach, we’ll give you a 15% discount!
Mosel Fine Wines 91 points “The 2017er Kinheimer Rosenberg Spätlese AP 1 was harvested at 89° Oechsle. It offers a lovely and attractive bouquet made of ripe fruits including pear, peach, and a hint of pineapple, all wrapped into smoke and herbs. The wine is delightfully refined on the palate with juicy fruits but also nicely racy acidity. The finish is quite direct, comparatively light, and superbly fruity. While already showing well at this early stage, this fully fruity Spätlese will only really deliver in a couple of years. 2025-2037.”
Wine Spectator 91 points “A refined version, with a lean profile, but still very expressive, displaying notes of yellow apple and white raspberry, echoing hints of saffron. Spice details linger on the inviting finish. Drink now through 2030. 102 cases imported.”
Terry Theise note “Now this is a Merkelbach wine! Explosively fresh and spicy; here the botrytis is positive; the wine is energetic and flourishing, recalling the ‘15s. You can’t help but love it. It’s sweeter than they usually bottle but acidity carries it.”
Our sale prices are the lowest listed prices in the USA today!
The average price is $30
Mosel Fine Wines 92 points “The 2017er Kinheimer Rosenberg Spätlese AP 2 was harvested at 88° Oechsle. It exhibits beautifully complex and refined aromatics blending floral elements with vineyard peach, grapefruit and spices. The wine is slightly reductive at first on the palate as it displays quite some racy acidity wrapped into a straight and pure structure. Notes of grapefruit, orange zest and spices emerge in the finish and lead to a slightly herbal and freshly tart feel in the after-taste. This is packed with quite some elements and only needs a couple of years to fully shine. 2025-2037.”
Terry Theise note “Same exact parcel, one harvest day apart. This one’s drier and the acid-phenolics are more grippy; a curious departure from their usual type, denser, more inscrutable. A case could be made for combining the fuders…but I didn’t make it. I’m into small-batch.”
Our sale prices are the lowest listed prices in the USA today!
The average price is $30
David Schildknecht – Vinous 92 points “This is the exception to 2016’s relatively narrow range of must weights and acidity chez Merkelbach, having been harvested at 98 Oechsle and finished with only 6.3 grams of acidity. “These were really thin-skinned berries,” explained Alfred Merkelbach, “and as a result there was a lot of shriveling,” albeit without benefit of botrytis. Quince and strawberry preserves on the nose, accompanied by scents of heliotrope and lily, translate into a glycerol-slicked palate performance loaded with inner-mouth perfume. Hints of white raisin as well as a savory suggestion of browned butter add appeal to a lingering finish that compensates for its lack of animating brightness with an invigorating hint of seed-crunching bite. (Amusingly – it couldn’t happen often – the Merkelbachs ended up stopping this at precisely the same 71.4 grams of residual sugar as the A.P. #11.)”
Mosel Fine Wines 90 points “The 2016er Ürziger Würzgarten Auslese AP10 was harvested at 98° Oechsle in the prime Class I former Treppchen vineyard within the Ürziger Würzgarten. This develops a rather ripe nose of melon, herbs and spices. The wine is nicely spicy and juicy on the palate and leaves a feel of ripe pear and melon enhanced by dried spices in the long finish. This is an outstanding smooth Auslese made in a style not unlike that of the finest 2003 wines. 2026-2046”
Our sale price is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $35
David Schildknecht – Vinous 91 points “Harvested botrytis-free at 90 Oechsle, this was stopped with a bit higher residual sugar and lower alcohol than its Spätlese counterparts, a decision based on the Merkelbachs’ assessment that it exhibited Auslese tendencies. The nose is effusively and decadently floral, suggesting heliotrope and fading lily. Along with that come scents of overripe kiwi and honeydew melon, all of which presage a luscious, expansive but buoyant palate with impressively persistent layering of inner-mouth floral perfume. A pinch of salinity and a kiss of wet stone add saliva-inducement and interest to a finish that only wants a bit for animation, clarity and juiciness when compared with the most successful wines of the present collection.”
Mosel Fine Wines 91 points “The 2016er Ürziger Würzgarten Auslese AP11 was harvested at 90° Oechsle in the prime Class I Pichter (locally called Langpichter) sector of the Ürziger Würzgarten. The wine develops a beautiful nose of melon, pear, grapefruit and fine spices. It proves quite smooth but multi-layered on the palate and leaves a great playful and airy feel in the long finish. This is plain beautiful and has great upside potential if the fresher zesty side comes through. 2026-2046”
Now it’s even lower!
The average price is $35
Mosel Fine Wines 93 points “The 2017er Ürziger Würzgarten Auslese was harvested at 97° Oechsle. It displays a superbly aromatic, ripe and fruity nose of yellow peach, pineapple, honey, anise and smoke. The wine coats the rather intense palate with juicy yellow and honeyed fruits pepped up by a nice whiff of acidity. The finish is delicately smooth and long. This gorgeous “Auslese GK” in all but name only needs a decade to blossom. 2027-2047.”
Wine Spectator 93 points “A light, zesty style, with jellied lemon, yellow apple and crème brûlée notes. Very refreshing and mouthwatering, featuring a lithe profile that makes this easy to drink now. Rose water and mineral aromas echo on the finish. Drink now through 2035.—A.Z”
Terry Theise note “All from the great cadaster Lang Pichter, this is really remarkable; huge fruit served by positive botrytis, classic “big-vintage” mien; a grand conversation among strawberry and kiwi and licorice and all with lovely surging fruit.”
David Schildknecht – Vinous 92 points “I harbor fond memories of halbtrocken Merkelbach Würzgartens long past, so perhaps you’ll think I was overly influenced simply by having once again seen those words on a bottle of their Riesling. But its contents certainly left me wishing that they would let this happen in their cellar more often. A classic Würzgarten nose of fresh strawberry and lime adds hints of more Erden-typical tarragon and sassafras. Subtly silken in feel, this finishes buoyant and lusciously long, with animating, bright primary juiciness and transparency to shimmering impingements of stones and mineral salts. Incidentally, it weighs in at a mere 10% alcohol, a reminder that the Merkelbachs pick for Spätlese at must weights that most of today’s top Mosel growers would deem appropriate for Kabinett. A prime example of what I call “hidden sweetness” – residual sugar playing a supportive and catalytic role while not engendering any overt sense of sweetness – this will perform brilliantly at table as well as in your cellar.”
The average price is $28
Mosel Fine Wines 93 points “The 2017er Ürziger Würzgarten Spätlese “Urglück” was harvested at a whopping 96° Oechsle, i.e. well into Auslese category. It delivers a captivating and elegant nose of flowers, minty herbs and candied grapefruit. These are joined by riper scents of whipped cream and vineyard peach as the wine gains from airing in the glass. This delightful Auslese in all but name shows quite some creamy and ripe fruits on the palate yet remains at all time very delicate and refined. A touch of exotic fruits and honey make for a smooth and juicy feel in the long finish. A hint of zest comes through in the after-taste. This is a gorgeous Auslese-style wine in the making! 2027-2047.”
Wine Spectator 92 points “Offers aromas of quince and honey, with the quince note continuing on the palate and combining with nervy citrus accents. Very suave and smooth, showing enough acidity for balance and dense flavors that carry through the finish. Drink now through 2031. 90 cases imported.”
Terry Theise note “Probably the masterpiece of their vintage, but not an “easy” wine. Extreme sassafrass, and very stony, but a hyssop-y spice trails along a subtle vein of fruit. Mosel at its most masculine, but hugely impressive, with its serious “resting face.””
Our sale price is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $33
Buy any 12+ in-stock bottles of Merkelbach, we’ll give you a 15% discount!
We will apply it manually before processing your order.