Double Feature: New Sales on De Venoge & Schatzel 4-24-24

In This Newsletter:
 
New Close-Out Sale Wines from De Venoge
 &
Schätzel: Three-Day Sale
 

 
New Close-Out Sale Wines

From Champagne House de Venoge
 

De Venoge is an old-school Champagne House that’s relatively unknown in the United States, a fact that means even their finest and rarest wines continue to be undervalued relative to their peers. This is no better exemplified than their prestige cuvee, the LXV bottling. Named after Louis the 15th, who first authorized the bottling of Champagne, it sees extensive aging on its lees and is a true monument of vintage champagne. 

De Venoge was established in Champagne in the first part of the 19th century by Swiss born Henri-Marc de Venoge and his son Joseph.  Today the House has a strong following in Europe for good reason—they source from some of the best vineyards in Champagne and produce prestige cuvées of immense quality, built on long lees aging. The Louis XV, for instance, is sourced exclusively from Grand Cru villages such as Verzenay, Bouzy, Avize, and Le Mesnil. The resulting wines capture the essence of classical Champagne and are in high demand in Europe’s top restaurants. 

De Venoge prestige cuvée is an outstanding wine for lovers of truly mature Champagne in all its glory, offering a rich, creamy texture from the extended lees aging married to surprisingly fresh, mineral personalities. There’s a reason this House has such a following overseas: they produce stunning aged wines that are ready to go, so consumers can enjoy the magic on release. Now’s your chance to try them for yourself! These are perfect “occasion” wines that make for memorable birth year and anniversary gifts.  
 
In Stock & On Sale Now from De Venoge:
 
De Venoge “Cordon Bleu” Brut, Champagne 2002 750ml Was $79, Now $69, 4 bottles in stock now
Wine Spectator 93 points “A core of mineral-accented smoke, spice and honey notes is wrapped with flavors of glazed apricot, lemon preserves and candied ginger in this vibrant and well-balanced version. Creamy, with a lasting finish. Drink now through 2025. 3,000 cases made.”
 

This was the lowest listed price in the USA today,
Now it’s even lower!
The next best price is $165

 
De Venoge Louis XV Brut Millésimé, Champagne 2006 750ml Was $189, Now $169, 30 bottles in stock now
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 96 points “The assemblage of the 2006 Louis XV Brut Millésimé is about the same as the 1995 and 1996—composed of 50/50 Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, all from grand cru villages. The only difference is that the Chardonnay from Le Mesnil-sur-Oger (10% of the assemblage) spent 12 months in oak barrels. Disgorged in January 2017 (dosage: six grams per liter), the 2006 has a golden color and opens with a deep, ripe, elegant and vinous bouquet with toasty and chalky lemon and fresh white fruit flavors. On the palate, this is an intense, round, fresh and complex Louis XV with great purity and finesse. The wine opens on the palate like a soufflé, coating the whole palate without any pressure or weight—gorgeous! This is a delicate and fresh yet well-structured and persistent Louis XV whose intense and long but weightless finish reveals lovely, almost juicy fruit concentration with perfectly integrated freshness and lasting minerality that seems to give additional structure. The 2006 shows a lot of Chardonnay features right now and drinks perfectly today; however, it can be kept under perfect conditions for decades. Just keep it in the box, because the bottle is white and nothing makes a Champagne age faster than exposure to daylight. (Tasted in November 2017 from Lot LL15067017BT.)-SR”
 

This was the lowest listed price in the USA today,
Now it’s even lower!
The next best price is $190.33

 
De Venoge Louis XV Brut Millésimé, Champagne 2008 750ml Was $249, Now $219, 33 bottles in stock now
James Suckling 95 points “This is really punchy and broad-shouldered with muscular structure and citrusy undertones. Full body. Lightly tannic and a fresh and vivid finish. This is the first vintage without malolactic fermentation ever. One for the cellar. Better in 2022.”
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 93+ points “The straw-yellow/white-golden colored 2008 Louis XV Brut Millésimé blends 50% Chardonnay (20 % from Avize, 15% from Oger and 15% from Mesnil) with 50% Pinot Noir (41.5% from Verzenay and 8.5% from Bouzy). Disgorged in January 2018 with a dosage of six grams per liter, the 2008 displays a clear, pure, fresh, chalky-tinged and vinous nose with lemon, white fruits, brioche, hazelnuts, white blossoms and some caramel notes. Pure, lean, fresh and elegant on the palate, with a lingering hazelnut flavor, this is a straight yet complex cuvée with grip and a long, well-structured and textured finish. This 2008 is still terribly fresh and should benefit from further bottle aging. For the moment, I am missing the mouth-filling generosity of the 2006 and 1995. Mind that this is the first vintage of de Venoge’s prestigious Louis XV where the base wines didn’t undergo malolactic fermentation! Total production: 10,326 bottles. Tasted October 2018.”
 
De Venoge Louis XV Extra Brut Rosé Millésimé, Champagne 2002 750ml Was $189, Now $159, 21 bottles in stock now
Wine Spectator 93 points “Harmonious, with fine intensity, offering rich notes of spice cake, toasted almond, dried cherry, grilled plum and smoky mineral. Almost velvety in texture, with juicy acidity that brings you back for another sip. Delicious. Drink now through 2022. 54 cases made.”

 
This is the only listing in the USA today!

Shop all four selections on our webstore!
 
We offer 219 wines on our close-out sale, including gems from the German producer Donnhoff, Spanish producer Pingus, and Napa producer Ulysses. Shop the sale here!
 

 
Schätzel On The Rise
 
& On Sale Now
 

Though the Rheinhessen fell out of favor post-WWII when most producers shifted to bulk wine production to make a quick & easy buck, Schätzel was one of the few families to hold to tradition. They kept the candle of quality burning, so to speak, until attitudes, climate, and renewed interest in Riesling returned. (Having been Rheinhessen Riesling wine makers for 650 years, the family understand patience.) Kai Schätzel is the current family member to head the estate (what generation that makes him is practically too high to estimate).
 
Talented, ambitious, and a member of the VDP, Schätzel makes compelling wines from some of the finest vineyards in the Rheinhessen. As owner and winemaker, Kai Schätzel works in a reductive, mineral-driven style, growing fruit from vineyards top vineyards such as Hipping and Pettenthal. These top-class wines are age-worthy and profound—well capable of holding their own with other top echelon producers in Germany. He’s a humble artist, though. In one recent interview, he described himself as a translator of nature, albeit with an accent.
 
There’s a wide variety of styles on display at Weingut Schätzel, all deftly executed, from intense and powerful GG’s to pretty, off-dry Kabinetts and Spatlesen. The capacity of the wines to age sets Schätzel apart from so many little-known producers in the region. And we have the 2017s in stock, giving you an early look at their near bullet-proof nature.
 
Kai Schätzel takes some queues from Burgundy into his winemaking philosophy. Whenever he speaks about his wines, he emphasizes the microclimates, terroir, and sustainable growing techniques (all vineyards are certified organic). So, pop a bottle of ancient, steadfast history. We know you’ll want to listen in, accent or no.
 
“Schätzel’s results with Riesling in 2017 perpetuate his justifiably growing reputation as a master of profoundly flavorful wines that are delightfully low in alcohol (meaning 10–11.5% in his dry bottlings and, less shockingly, 7–8% in the overtly sweet, Prädikat-designated Rieslings)…” –David Schildknecht, Vinous
 
“Schätzel is one of the most exciting Riesling producers along the Rhine River and even if you don’t like his firmly structured and straightforward Rieslings and gorgeous Sylvaners when young, you will be impressed by their mouth-filling and structured character after a couple of years… Riesling lovers have to check out this domaine.” –Stephan Reinhardt, Wine Advocate
 
Sadly, due to high demand in Germany, very little is imported to the USA, per David Schildknecht, so this may be your only opportunity to enjoy these wines!
 

5% off any 3-5 in-stock bottles of Schatzel
10% off any 6 or more in-stock bottles of Schatzel
 
Discount will not display online or in your cart,
We will adjust your invoice before processing your charge.
 
Sale ends Saturday, April 27th at 9 am Pacific.

 
We offer six options from Schätzel on sale now, including:
 
Weingut Schätzel Hipping Riesling Trocken 2017 750ml Displayed Price: $39, that’s $37.05 at 5% off and $35.10 at 10% off, 6 bottles in stock now
Stuart Pigott (Suckling) 94 points “Could a white wine be fresher than this? Fabulous white-peach and herbal character with lots of mineral power at the complex, racy finish.”
David Schildknecht-Vinous 90 points “There is a lemonade-limeade sense of sweet-sour tension to this exercise in delicacy and sugar/acid interaction. For all of this wine’s alcoholic levity, the palate evinces a not just vivid but almost pulpy impression of fresh fruit. Happily, there is an invigoratingly tingling sense of stony impingement to the impressively persistent finish. I suspect that greater complexity and harmony will emerge after this has had some time in bottle.”
 

This is the only listing in the USA today!

Weingut Schätzel Nierstein Riesling Kabinett 2017 750ml Displayed Price: $24, that’s $22.80 at 5% off and $21.60 at 10% off, 16 bottles in stock now
Steven Spurrier-Decanter 92 points “This Riesling, from red slate soil on ultra-steep, south-facing slopes, ferments and matures in a 670-year-old cellar to produce a floral, fresh and pure vineyard wine, with just 7.5% abv, the 42g/l sugar and 11.5g/l acidity in perfect balance. Quite lovely.”
Stuart Pigott (Suckling) 92 points “So much freshness and energy with tons of elderflowers and white fruit. Super-crisp and very clean palate and a breathtaking finish. Drink or hold. Screw cap.”
 

This is the only listing in the USA today!

 
Weingut Schätzel ReinSchiefer Riesling 2017 750ml Displayed Price: $29, that’s $27.55 at 5% off and $26.10 at 10% off, 13 bottles in stock now
David Schildknecht-Vinous 92 points “Like so many other Schätzel wines, this 10.5% alcohol cuvée, sourced from steep slopes in Hipping, Ölberg, Pettenthal and Schloss Schwabsburg, is legally Trocken, just not labeled as such. Zesty, bright lemon, lime and grapefruit are strikingly compatible with a silken texture, while white peach, marjoram and musky paperwhite narcissus add intrigue on the nose. Smoky, stony inflections contribute to the invigoration and complexity of a vibrant, soaring and consummately refreshing finish.”
Stuart Pigott (Suckling) 92 points “Delicate white-fruit character and a delightful lightness of touch make this rather charming, in spite of its slightly eccentric personality. Long, lemon and mineral finish. A blend of wines from the top sites in Hipping, Ölberg and Pettentha. Screw cap.”

Weingut Schätzel Nierstein Silvaner 2017 750ml Displayed Price: $24, that’s $22.80 at 5% off and $21.60 at 10% off, 11 bottles in stock now
David Schildknecht-Vinous 90 points “This legally dry bottling essentially represents the Silvaner from Hipping that served as a major component of Schätzel’s “Naturweiss” cuvée. The nose is subtly inflected by the mineral and cereal notes that subsequently achieve prominence on the palate, but there are also hints of iris and lemon zest. Buoyant (at 11% alcohol) and caressingly polished, the wine brims with pear fruit and bittersweet inner-mouth floral perfume, accented by oregano, lemon peel, milled wheat and a characteristic Nierstein red slope smoky sense of stone suffusion. There is more than enough freshness and primary juiciness to the lingering finish, if marginally less sense of animation than displayed by Schätzel’s Querkopf Silvaner bottling sourced from ancient vines in the Nackenheimer Rotenberg.”
 

This is the only listing in the USA today!

 
Weingut Schätzel Ölberg Riesling Grosses Gewachs 2017 750ml Displayed Price: $49, that’s $46.55 at 5% off and $44.10 at 10% off, 10 bottles in stock now
David Schildknecht-Vinous 94 points “At 11.5% alcohol, this mid-August bottling leads with hauntingly musky, bittersweet suggestions of iris, peony and narcissus, allied to whiffs of lemon and tangerine. The silken palate brims with peach and citrus, billowing with persistent floral perfume and proving strikingly transparent to the mineral nuances that supply smoky, stony and mouthwateringly saline complexity to a vibrant, delicate, umami-laden and sensationally persistent finish. Schätzel attributes his Ölberg’s animation and sheer juiciness and its immediate appeal to the fact that this site is relatively well-watered and moisture-retentive in comparison with other portions of Nierstein and Nackenheim’s famed Roter Hang.”
Stuart Pigott (Suckling) 94 points “Considering this has only 11.5 per cent alcohol, there is extraordinary depth and vitality. The long finish is sleek and fine-grained, without any hint of edginess. Attractive white-fruit aromas, too. Drink or hold.”
 

This is the only listing in the USA today!

 
Weingut Schätzel Pettenthal Riesling Kabinett “S” 2017 750ml Displayed Price: $69, that’s $65.55 at 5% off and $62.10 at 10% off, 13 bottles in stock now
Stuart Pigott (Suckling) 95 points “Forget the rules, pack your bag, grab this bottle and leave your old life behind! Savage mineral beauty, combined with light body and enormous brightness. Drink or hold.”
David Schildknecht-Vinous 92 points “The ‘S’ here references south-facing slopes in the Pettenthal (whereas previous Schätzel Pettenthal Kabinetts have come from a portion of Pettenthal – arguably predestined for Kabinett – that turns north up against the Brudersberg). Pungent kumquat and tangerine on the nose translate into downright sizzling zest and grip on this wine’s alcoholically ultra-light yet concentrated and almost lushly fruity palate. A vibrantly sustained finish carries Pettenthal-typical smokiness as well as saliva-inducing salinity. High residual sugar – as reflected in a mere 7.5% alcohol – manages to engender only an engaging and supportive sense of sweetness.”

 
This is the only listing in the USA today!
 
Shop our six selections on sale now on our webstore!