Bernard Moreau: Arriving Friday; Classic Vintage Oreno: High Praise, Low Price, & Here Now; Maximin Grunhauser; Betz Family Winery: New Reviews; Arriving Late July: Muller-Catoir; Arriving Next Month: Rare & Fabulous From Around the World!
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Summer Shipping Special:
Midwest, East, & South
For the summer season we are offering UPS Three Day Select Service for the price of UPS Ground for shipments normally traveling 4 or more business days by ground.
Free service upgrade only applies on single orders purchased and shipped during the promotional period. Additional fees will apply to orders held for any reason until after the promotional period and shipped by Three Day Select. Offer not valid on items purchased before the promotional period or on pre-arrival items that arrive after the promotional period ends.
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Arriving Friday
Bernard Moreau
Chassagne Excellence in Red and White
Puligny gets all the glory in the land of the hyphenated-Montrachets, but no other village in Burgundy is as excellent for both red and white wines as Chassagne Montrachet. Chassagne has more distinction between soil types than most Burgundy appellations and so can produce delicious, elegant reds that drink well young and also whites that are everything you want in white Burgundy. Within the village, you’d be hard pressed to find a more exciting winemaker than Bernard Moreau (one of the multitude of Moreau’s in Burgundy).
Stylistically, the Bernard Moreau wines lean toward approachability and deliciousness while young. They’ll age, too, but these are great wines to drink while some of your surlier bottles rest. The other magical thing about Moreau is price-related. Compared to some of his peers, the wines remain bargains. Not cheap, mind you, but his 1er cru bottlings are often $50-$80 less than comparable quality wines from Puligny.
We have the 2015’s arriving soon. The press for the 15 vintage is intense and deserved. These wines have power and concentration that you only get in the best years and an approachability that is uncommon for a great year. Stock up!
Arriving July 14th:
Whites:
Domaine Bernard Moreau et Fils Bourgogne Blanc, Burgundy 2015 750ML ($37.95) $29 pre-arrival special
Case-12 Domaine Bernard Moreau et Fils Bourgogne Blanc, Burgundy 2015 750ML ($419.95) $319 pre-arrival special (that’s only $26.58/bottle!)
John Gilman 88 points “The 2015 Bourgogne Blanc from Domaine Moreau is very pretty, offering up a zesty nose of white flowers, pear, white peach, a touch of fresh almond and chalky soil nuances. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, crisp and juicy at the core, with good acids and fine length and grip on the bouncy finish. A lovely example. 2016-2023.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Domaine Bernard Moreau et Fils Chassagne-Montrachet 2015 750ML ($79.95) $66 pre-arrival special
Case-12 Domaine Bernard Moreau et Fils Chassagne-Montrachet 2015 750ML ($949.95) $679 pre-arrival special (that’s only $56.58/bottle!)
John Gilman 92 points “If there is anyone in the village that makes a more consistently beautiful bottling of Chassagne villages than Domaine Moreau, I would love to taste it! The 2015 version is another excellent example in the making, wafting from the glass in a refined and complex blend of apple, pear, a touch of orange zest, superb minerality, spring flowers, vanillin oak and the first presage of the pastry cream to come with a bit of aging. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and succulent, with excellent mid-palate depth, fine focus and backend mineral drive, bright acids and a long, crisp and classy finish. Fine juice. 2016-2030+.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Domaine Bernard Moreau et Fils Les Champs Gain, Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru 2015 750ML ($119.95) $99 pre-arrival special
John Gilman 92+ points “The 2015 Champgains from Alex Moreau was also showing beautifully at the time of my visit, offering up a bright and classy bouquet of lemon, apple, deep soil tones, citrus zest, spring flowers and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and rock solid at the core, with fine acids, lovely focus and grip and a long, nascently complex and youthful finish. This will need a few years to unleash its secondary layers of complexity and will be delicious at its peak. 2019-2040+.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Domaine Bernard Moreau et Fils La Maltroie, Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru 2015 750ML ($119.95) $99 pre-arrival special
John Gilman 93+ points “In my experience, Maltroie always shows more “wet stone” minerality than chalkiness in its soil component, and this is indeed the case with the lovely 2015 version from Domaine Moreau. The bouquet is superb and utterly classic in its profile of apple, pear, wet stones, lemon blossoms and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and a bit more reserved in personality than most of these previous premier crus, with a rock solid core, bright acids and a very long, nascently complex and vibrant finish. This will demand a couple of years to blossom. 2018-2040+.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Domaine Bernard Moreau et Fils Morgeot, Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru 2015 750ML ($149.95) $119 pre-arrival special
John Gilman 94+ points “The 2015 Morgeot from Alex Moreau is a brilliant example of the vintage! The bouquet is pure, vibrant and very classy, soaring from the glass in a blaze of lemon, pear, complex, chalky soil tones, vanillin oak and lemon blossoms in the upper register. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and utterly refined in profile, with a stunning core of pristine fruit, great soil inflection, bright, zesty acids and laser-like focus on the very, very long and very classy finish. Simply brilliant Morgeot! 2017-2045.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Reds:
Domaine Bernard Moreau et Fils Bourgogne Pinot Noir, Burgundy 2015 750ML ($37.95) $29 pre-arrival special
“Like the Bourgogne Blanc, the Bourgogne Rouge 2015 chez Moreau was bottled in mid-September of 2016 and had bounced back nicely by the time of my visit. The bouquet offers up a very pretty and black fruity blend of black cherries, sweet dark berries, woodsmoke, a touch of roasted venison and a good base of dark soil tones. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and quite accessible out of the blocks, with a sappy core,. just a touch of tannin and fine length and grip on the finish. Good juice. 2016-2025.”–John Gilman
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Domaine Bernard Moreau et Fils Chassagne-Montrachet Rouge Vieilles Vignes 2015 750ML ($59.95) $49 pre-arrival special
John Gilman 90+ points “The 2015 Chassagne V.V. included twenty-five percent whole clusters this year and was raised in ten percent new oak. The wine was showing very nicely, despite only having been racked two weeks ago, as it offers up a pure and black fruity blend of black cherries, bitter chocolate, pigeon, a complex base of soil tones and a smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and a bit chewy today (probably more a result of the recent racking than any sign of less-polished tannins), with a sappy core, fine soil inflection, lovely focus and grip and a long, promising finish. 2019-2045+.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
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Classic Vintage Oreno
High Praise, Low Price, & Here Now
Sette Ponti’s Oreno is one of the most recognizable names in the Super-Tuscan field. Year after year, Oreno delivers rich, dense wines from the clayey and limestone soil that are delicious on release but evolve into really spectacular drinks with a few years of age on them. We managed to get our hands on a small set of 2011 Oreno, which is from a really good vintage and is drinking well right now. It’s got points to back it up and at this price won’t be around for long.
Tenuta Sette Ponti Oreno Toscana IGT, Tuscany 2011 750ML ($69.95) $49 special
James Suckling 96 points “There is a purity of fruit in this young Tuscan red with flowers, citrus fruit and currants. Full body, with firm and silky tannins that are ultra-fine and wonderfully polished. The structure builds to a racy finish. This is a Bordeaux blend that is all in harmony. Give it time as the tannins and fruit melt together. Try in 2016.”
Antonio Galloni 94 points “The 2011 Oreno wraps around the palate with gorgeous resonance and silkiness. Mocha, cloves, leather and dark spices all add nuance to a core of voluptuous, racy fruit. This is a typical 2011 long on texture, resonance and early appeal. Readers will have a hard time keeping their hands off the 2011, as it is already striking. The style is ripe, intense and full-bodied, yet all the elements fall into place effortlessly.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $60.99
The average price is $79
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Maximin Grunhauser
A Wine & Spirits Top Mosel Estate in 2016
“This is C. von Schubert’s 12th appearance as a Top 100 Winery, its wines again proving the special character of its land alongside the Ruwer River.” –Wine & Spirits Magazine
After twelve years at the helm, cellar master Stefan Kraml has reached new heights of excellence at this iconic estate. He has embraced the richer and plusher aromatics and body of the ever warmer vintages, and adapted the winemaking to highlight the natural expressions of the grapes. Kraml uses longer lees contact to add nuance and texture, resulting in wines that are exotically flavored with an underlying lush body, whether dry or sweet. He has also shifted fermentation into small stainless steel vessels and neutral oak to allow the aromatics of the grapes to shine. The vineyards are organically farmed with low yields and all hand harvesting. Weingut Maximin Grünhaus has produced extraordinary Rieslings since Medieval times and continues to produce internationally celebrated wines.
We’re proud to carry one of the largest selections from this famed estate, all in-stock now. You can read full reviews and order all twelve wines on our web store. Browse our four in-stock top picks below!
Carl von Schubert Maximin Grunhauser Abtsberg Riesling Kabinett, Mosel 2015 750ML ($31.95) $26 special, 36+ bottles available
Mosel Fine Wines 92 points “Harvested at 86° Oechsle, this offers a rather smooth Spätlese-styled nose of pear, cassis, ginger, star anise, flowers and flinty slate. The wine is on the rich and round side on the palate (by Kabinett standards of this Estate) but already hints at the elegance and finesse to come. This offers a long and beautifully refined nose of herbs and spices. The overall structure is still rather reduced and backward and we expect this beauty to only truly shine at maturity. So patience is required! 2025-2040.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $35
Carl von Schubert Maximin Grunhauser Abtsberg Riesling Spatlese, Mosel 2015 750ML ($37.95) $29 special, 32 bottles available
Wine Spectator 94 points “Lots of crème brûlée and pastry notes in this languid style, which offers accents of roasted almond and coconut meat. The finish has a pear tart flavor that lingers. Drink now through 2040.”
Mosel Fine Wines 93+ points “Harvested at 93° Oechsle, this offers a rather reduced nose of spices, herbs and cassis. The wine is gorgeously elegant and fresh on the palate and leaves a stunning feel of herbs and zesty citrusy fruits in the long and mouth-watering finish. This is a superb effort with great upside potential. 2025-2045.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $34
Carl von Schubert Maximin Grunhauser Abtsberg Superior Riesling, Mosel 2014 750ML ($59.95) $49 special, 23 bottles available
Wine Advocate 94 points “Very clear and smoky on the still discreet and yeasty-flavored, dense nose, the 2014 Maximin Grünhäuser Abtsberg Riesling Superior is a very elegant and round, finesse-full and persistent Riesling; it has a long and salty, very complex but beautifully fine, yet firmly structured and great finish. Impressive Riesling for the next 25 or 30 or more years.”
Wine & Spirits 92 points “Since Kraml came on in 2004, he’s weaned the vines off of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, dropped yields and moved to ambient yeast fermentations, many of which he does in traditional, large oak fuder made from the estate’s own trees. He’s also introduced the “Superior” wines, made in a traditional feinherb style, fermented in fuder and bottled with a little residual sugar. In 2014, the treatment seems to magnify the character of each vineyard, and lends the wines extra strength. The Abtsberg emphasizes the filigreed delicacy and peach scents common to the fruit off its cool blue slate, as well as the profundity of its mineral flavors. It’s not recognizably sweet; rather, this is sugar as muscle, making the best of a vintage short on sun.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Carl von Schubert Maximin Grunhauser Abtsberg Riesling Auslese 24, Mosel 2015 750ML ($99.95) $79 special, 32 bottles available
Mosel Fine Wines 95 points “This offers gorgeous scents of peach and herbs on the nose. Star anise, ginger and coconut join the flavors on the creamy yet racy palate and leave a superbly racy, cassis and mint-infused feel in the long finish. What a beauty! 2025-2050.”
Below is the complete list of all in-stock Maximin Grunhauser wines. Click to visit our web store and shop online!
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Betz Family Winery
New Reviews (No Puns, I Promise) From Wine Advocate
“One of the reference-point estates in Washington is unquestionably Betz Family Winery. Bob Betz still takes a leading role, but the day to day winemaking is more and more being taken up by Louis Skinner, who’s taken up the helm brilliantly. In 2015, the estate made use of an optical sorter to eliminate raisins, and the wines show more freshness and focus, with a touch less voluptuousness and breadth. The 2014s were sensational across the board. Anyone interested in Washington State wines, or just high-quality wines for that matter, owe it to themselves to try these!”- Jeb Dunnuck – Wine Advocate
Betz Family Winery Pere de Famille Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley 2014 750ML ($89.95) $79 special, 17 bottles available
Jeb Dunnuck – Wine Advocate 97 points “A cellar selection from different sites in the Columbia Valley, the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Pere de Famille is deeper in color than the Clos de Betz and offers fabulous notes of crème de cassis, graphite, crushed flowers and violets. Just screaming Cabernet, it offers full-bodied richness, incredible purity of fruit, and ultra-fine tannin, all of which make for a sensational Washington State Cabernet Sauvignon that’s going to evolve for upwards of two decades.”
Betz Family Winery Clos de Betz, Columbia Valley 2014 750ML ($69.95) $59 special, 3 bottles available
Jeb Dunnuck – Wine Advocate 95 points “Possessing the highest percentage of Merlot ever for the cuvee (at least until the 2015), the 2014 Clos de Betz is 71% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Petit Verdot that’s just under half from Red Mountain fruit and the rest from Columbia Valley sites. Notes of cassis, licorice, damp herbs, chocolate and earth all flow to a medium to full-bodied, supple, elegant and incredibly polished 2014 that needs 2-3 years of bottle age and will keep for 10-15 years.”
Betz Family Winery La Serenne Syrah, Yakima Valley 2014 750ML ($69.95) $57 special, 10 bottles available
Jeb Dunnuck – Wine Advocate 93 points “The pure, elegant and textured 2014 Syrah la Serenne offers that classic violet and floral characteristics of the cuvee, as well as medium to full-bodied richness, lots of black raspberry fruit, fine, sweet tannin and a great finish. It’s not as powerful or concentrated as the La Cote Rousse, yet it’s a joy to drink and will cruise for a decade or more on its balance and purity.”
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Muller-Catoir
Arriving Late July
Every wine region in the world has one or two estates that immediately come to mind when you hear the name of the region. Chateau Margaux in Margaux, Romanee-Conti in Vosne-Romanee, and Donnhoff in the Nahe and Muller-Catoir occupies that space in the Pfalz in Germany. A historic name that continues to make excellent wines, these are some of the finest in Germany and from a vintage that’s one of the best in years.
The Pfalz is a unique region in Germany in that wineries there focused on powerful dry wines long before it was fashionable to do so in the rest of the country. Most of the wines we’re highlighting today are dry and are some of the best values in the world for breathtakingly mineral wines. Muller-Catoir owns some of the best vineyards in the region and has a special touch with them.
Muller-Catoir wines arriving late July:
Muller-Catoir Haardter Burgergarten Im Breumel Riesling Auslese, Pfalz 2015 375ML ($49.95) $39 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 96 points “The 2015 Riesling Auslese Haardter Bürgergarten Im Breumel is very clear and concentrated on the nose, but also shows the brown seed aromas of ripe Riesling. Great class and precision here, with some minty flavors. The wine is very concentrated, lush and round on the palate; it reveals a super sweet raisin flavor, as well as great finesse and vitality. This is a gorgeous Auslese with salinity and grip.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Muller-Catoir Haardter Burgergarten Im Breumel Riesling Grosses Gewachs, Pfalz 2015 750ML ($49.95) $39 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 95 points “The 2015 Riesling Trocken Haardter Bürgergarten Im Breumel VDP Grosse Lage offers a beautifully pure and stony bouquet of bright yellow fruits and lemon aromas, and comes along almost like a perfume. On the palate, this is a highly elegant and well-balanced Riesling cru with a compact and mineral structure, great finesse and a very persistent salinity in the finish. The wine reveals a well-dosed power and concentration, as well as a great elegance and harmony. It should be aged for at least five years.”
James Suckling 95 points “The diamond-bright nose of enormous freshness announces a seriously elegant wine of understated sophistication. The delicate citrus and herbal flavors will expand considerably with a year or two’s more ageing, but this already has a finesse that makes it stand out in the strong field of the 2015 riesling GGs from the Pfalz. The very long and subtle finish only confirms that.”
Muller-Catoir Haardter Burgergarten Riesling Trocken, Pfalz 2015 750ML ($39.95) $29 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 93 points “The 2015 Pfalz Riesling Trocken Haardter Bürgergarten VDP Erste Lage is pure, deep, rich, ripe and intense on the nose; it shows grapefruit and herbal flavors intertwined with excitingly flinty/stony or mineral aromas, due to the stony Buntsandstein subsoils, but also the organic farming. Highly elegant and very intense, this is a gorgeous Riesling with great intensity of both minerals and fruits. This is a super well-structured and transparent, dry Riesling of great elegance and expression. Its power comes only in the finish and is mixed with lots of stone salts. This is an extremely stimulating and great Riesling. Yield is 40 hectoliters per hectare.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Muller-Catoir Haardt Riesling Trocken, Pfalz 2015 750ML ($27.95) $21.90 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 92 points “The 2015 Pfalz Riesling Trocken Haardt has a deep and intense Riesling flavors that reflects the deeper soils of the vineyards in the Haardt slopes. The nose is discreet in its white stone fruit aromas, but deep, intense, really clear and fresh. On the palate, this is a very straight, firm and pure Riesling with a lot of grip and tension. However, it needs more time to develop its charm. The mineral length and compact structure is already impressive though.”
Muller-Catoir Haardter Herrenletten Riesling Trocken, Pfalz 2015 750ML ($41.95) $33 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 94 points “The 2015 Riesling Trocken Haardter Herrenletten VDP Erste Lage has a lovely bouquet that reflects the small chalk stripe in the vineyard, which gives a wet and smoky stone fruit flavor, along with some lemon and herbal aromas. The wine is round and elegant on the palate, almost mouth-fillingly fruity and reveals a seductive concentration and intensity; it also has a refined acidity structure on the palate. It is richer and more generous than the Bürgergarten, but with concentrated fruit. This is very long and intensely mineral Riesling. It is one of the best Herrenletten I have ever tasted at this domaine. Spectacular!”
Muller-Catoir Gimmeldinger Mandelgarten Riesling Auslese, Pfalz 2015 375ML ($39.95) $33 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 94 points “The 2015 Riesling Auslese Gimmeldinger Mandelgarten is super pure and fine on the nobly concentrated, stony nose with its honey and bright fruit aromas. Rich, sweet, lush and piquant on the palate, this is an excellent Auslese with great finesse and a lingering piquancy. Despite its sweetness, this is a very stimulating and pure Auslese with great ageing potential.”
Muller-Catoir Haardt Weissburgunder Trocken, Pfalz 2015 750ML ($27.95) $21.90 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 92 points “The 2015 Weissburgunder Haardt is very clear and elegant on the nose, offering ripe golden delicious apple, along with some smoky and lemony flavors. Full-bodied, pretty intense and juicy, this is an aromatic and highly elegant Pinot Blanc with great purity and perfect ripeness of fruit. There are very discreet toasty notes with some speck flavors (no oak though, no malolactic fermentation), but this makes it an excellent food wine. It would go especially well with smoked characteristics, predominantly fish”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Muller-Catoir Weissburgunder Haardter Herzog Trocken 2015 750ML ($39.95) $29 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 94 points “From a shallow, gravelly Buntsandstein soil the 2015 Weissburgunder Haardter Herzog is very clear, deep and fresh on the nose, but also reveals a great intensity and ripeness of fruit with lemon and herbal flavors. This Pinot Blanc is full-bodied, intense and concentrated, with great elegance and juicy minerals. This is a stunning Pinot Blanc with power, great tension and aromatic length. It is creamy textured, perfectly structured and indicates a great ageing potential. Fermented in stainless steel, no malolactic fermentation.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
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Also Arriving in Late July
#1 Best Value Wine of the Year–Stephen Reinhardt-The Wine Advocate
Markus Molitor Graacher Domprobst Riesling Kabinett Trocken (White Capsule), Mosel 2015 750ML ($24.95) $21.90 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 93 points “Provided with tropical aromas such as passion fruits, the dry 2015 Riesling Graacher Domprobst Kabinett (White Capsule) is deep, ripe, intense and smoky on the nose and is very pure and fascinating in its terroir expression: Domprobst Riesling on the rocks! Full-bodied, round and rich, it is expressive, perfectly balanced and gorgeously lush on the palate and also shows stimulating grip and a lot of salt followed by perfectly ripe fruit flavors in the long, complex finish. It’s a grand cru par excellence that comes along with just 10.4 % of alcohol.”
David Schildknecht – Vinous 92 points “Apple and Persian melon on the nose achieve succulent presence on a polished and (at 10.5 percent alcohol) delicate palate. Bittersweet nuttiness typical for this site lends counterpoint and richness while white fruit-skin tartness contributes invigorating tang and an influx of mineral salts for saliva-inducement on the animated, mouthwatering finish, which is superbly sustained and impeccably balanced (being neither austerely dry nor the least bit sweet).”
See all 258 German Rieslings in stock now on our web store!
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Arriving Next Month
Rare & Fabulous From Around the World!
Chateau Pontet-Canet, Pauillac 2014 750ML ($149.95) $89 pre-arrival special
James Suckling 98 points “A stunning wine for this vintage although it’s still a bit shy on the nose (more spice than fruit showing than now). There’s wet earth, too, but on the palate it’s bursting with ripe yet subtle flavors. Very long and complex finish that goes on and on.”
Wine Enthusiast 96 points – Cellar Selection “This is a finely structured wine with dark tannins and intense black fruits. The estate, with its biodynamically grown fruit, has given an impressively pure wine, packed with tight serious tannins and a fine structure of black-plum skins and intense acidity. It is direct, firm and with a huge potential over many years.”
Antonio Galloni – Vinous 95 points “The 2014 Pontet-Canet seems to have put on quite a bit of weight and volume since I first tasted it from barrel. Ripe, juicy tannins wrap around a core of intense dark cherry, plum, spice, lavender and tobacco. Today, it is the wine’s sheer intensity and vertical structure that stands out. I wouldn’t dream of touching a bottle until at least age ten, and even that is almost certainly not going to be enough time for the 2014 to show the full breadth of its potential. The transformation the 2014 has undergone from a delicate, nuanced Pauillac to a wine of depth is quite remarkable. Tasted three times. The blend is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, vinified in equal parts cement and oak and aged in a combination of 50% new oak, 35% amphora and 15% once used barrels. This is a gorgeous wine from the Tesseron family and the team led by Technical Director Jean-Michel Comme.”
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast today!
The average price nationally is $120
E. Guigal Condrieu La Doriane, Rhone 2015 750ML ($119.95) $89 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 99 points “Easily one of the greatest Condrieu I’ve ever tasted is the 2015 Condrieu La Doriane. A wine that needs to be tasted to be believed, it possesses a huge nose of toasted brioche, liquid rocks, apricot, flower oil and salty minerality. Unctuous, full-bodied, massively rich, yet also elegant and graceful, with beautiful freshness, enjoy this tour de force over the coming 5-6 years.”
Wine Spectator 95 points “Lush, with papaya, mango and ginger notes layered seamlessly, while hints of heather honey, anise and piecrust hang in the background. The long and rich finish has no choice but to let the fruit power on. All hedonism and thoroughly delicious. Drink now through 2022.”
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast today!
The average price nationally is $103
San Filippo Le Lucere, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2012 750ML ($89.95) $79 pre-arrival special
James Suckling 98 points “This is an incredible 2012 with fantastic depth, richness, focus and tension. Full body, polished tannins and a long and flavorful finish. Goes on for minutes. Better in 2020 but a joy to taste now. One of the wines of the vintage.”
Granja Nuestra Senora de Remulleri Gran Reserva, Rioja DOCa 2010 750ML ($99.95) $66 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 95 points “I was really blown away by the 2010 Granja Remelluri Gran Reserva, their take on more classical Rioja; IT is aged in oak for a longer time, but not without having selected grapes from their very best plots that would benefit from the extended élevage. The varietal composition is approximately 75% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha and 5% Graciano. Like all of the wines here, it fermented in small stainless steel and oak vats with indigenous yeasts, and then matured in oak barrels for some 26 months. The nose is full of flowers, blood orange, sweet spices, violet pastille and curry. It’s very aromatic and perfumed, with the herbs that you find in the Remelluri mountains, rosemary especially. It is extremely attractive, with a nose that makes you go back to it over and over again. This is still very young, but terribly balanced. The tannins are refined and there is a fine thread of acidity going through its core and lifting it up. This could very well be the best vintage of Granja so far. And having seen the improvements in the vineyards, my feeling is that the best is yet to come.”
Catena Zapata Malbec Argentino, Uco Valley, Argentina 2012 750ML ($129.95) $69 pre-arrival special
James Suckling 98 points “Very dense and powerful with a tight palate of blue fruit and raspberry undertones. Salty with wonderful length and intensity. A blend of malbec from Nicasia Vineyard in Altamira and Adrianna Vineyard in Gualtallary. Drink in 2022 but so great now.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $107
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Thanks for reading!