First Offer: 2015 Brovia Barolos
Verticals of Sequitur
Including Their Rare Chardonnay
Trending
New Reviews from Wine Spectator Insider
Bandol’s All-Season Rosé
Wine Spectator’s Excited About 2018 in Germany
Featuring the Wines of Merkelbach, Diel,
Spreitzer, Von Winning, and More!
One of the Highest Scoring Estates in Chateauneuf
First Offer:
2015 Brovia Barolo
If you’re new to Brovia, here’s the scoop: Wonderful, expressive wines made and farmed in traditional methods. They hit all the right notes in terms of thoughtful vineyard management (organic without certification, careful pruning, and hand harvesting) and are unapologetically classic in their winemaking (long and slow fermentation and long aging in large barrels and, subsequently, in bottle).
Brovia has an assortment of excellent vineyard holdings that are mostly in Serralunga. Rocche and Villero are obviously top vineyards that are well known, but the other gem in the portfolio is the Brea “Ca’Mia” which is a wine that stands out in any lineup for its combination of Serralunga power and elegance.
We try and carry as many of their wines as we can and the 2015 Barolos, which we’re offering for the first time today, are notable successes. Brovia’s normal style is lean and coiled, so the extra warmth of the vintage pushed the wines to be a little grander than usual. These are all wines that are shaping up to be epics and are also wines that you’ll look back on and wish you had bought more of (especially the way Brovia’s star/pricing is rising).
Arriving ETA October:
Brovia Rocche di Castiglione, Barolo DOCG 2015 750ML ($119.95) $99 pre-arrival special
Brovia Rocche di Castiglione, Barolo DOCG 2015 1.5L ($269.95) $219 pre-arrival special
Monica Larner – Wine Advocate 95 points ” The Brovia 2015 Barolo Rocche di Castiglione (the last wine I tasted in this series of cru expressions) opens to the darkest color of this series, with a firm core of black fruit. This wine is silky and satiny in terms of texture—one of the trademarks of this sandy-soil cru in Castiglione Falletto—but don’t underestimate that structural firmness that holds it tightly together. It would take nicely to veal involtini with asparagus.”
Antonio Galloni 94 points “Brovia’s flagship 2015 Barolo Rocche di Castiglione is a decidedly full-bodied wine. The richness of this warm vintage comes through loud and clear in an ample, resonant Barolo endowed with serious textural depth. Lifted floral and spice notes add an attractive upper register as the 2015 starts to open up in the glass. Even so, the Rocche stands out for its volume and sheer size, both of which are unusual for this Castiglione Falletto site, where the wines tend to be more lithe. The Rocche appears to be the Barolo most shaped by the growing season in this range.”
Brovia Brea ‘Vigna Ca’ Mia’, Barolo DOCG 2015 1.5L ($249.95) $199 pre-arrival special
Antonio Galloni 94+ points “The 2015 Barolo Brea Vigna Ca’ Mia captures all the best the vintage has to offer. Black cherry, plum, espresso, sage, menthol, licorice and leather are all kicked up a few notches in a decidedly dark, strapping Barolo that screams with Serralunga character. Exotic, dark and totally alluring, the 2015 has a very bright future, but readers should be prepared to be patient, as the tannins clearly need time to soften.”
Monica Larner – Wine Advocate 93 points “The Brovia 2015 Barolo Brea Vigna Ca’ Mia offers good balance and an authentic representation of the vintage. You can sense some of the heat of the growing season here, thanks to the wine’s open and accessible persona; it enters the palate with softness and elegance. This was the first of the single-vineyard wines from Brovia released this year that I tasted in a flight meant to increase in intensity.”
This is the only listing for a magnum in the USA today!
Brovia Garblet Sue Barolo DOCG, Piedmont 2015 1.5L ($219.95) $189 pre-arrival special
Antonio Galloni 94 points “The 2015 Barolo Garblèt Sue’ is dense and powerful in the glass. A rush of black cherry, plum, lavender, iron and sage literally burst from the glass. Ample, full-bodied and intense, the Garblèt Sue’ is another stellar wine in this range. The typically incisive Garblèt Sue’ tannins are nearly buried by the sheer richness of the fruit. Today, the Garblèt Sue’ is distinguished by its wild, feral profile and huge core of fruit. In this vintage, the Garblèt is the overachiever in the range relative to how it shows in most vintages.”
Monica Larner – Wine Advocate 94 points “Showing some immediate softness, the 2015 Barolo Garblèt Sue’ is beautifully approachable and generously accommodating, even at this early stage in the wine’s drinking window. Bring it out with a selection of goat cheeses. It’s interesting to note that, at 40 years old, the vines of this cru in Castiglione Falletto actually rank as some of the youngest held by the Brovia estate, founded in 1863, before the unification of Italy.”
Brovia Villero, Barolo DOCG 2015 1.5L ($249.95) $199 pre-arrival special
Monica Larner – Wine Advocate 94 points “The 2015 Barolo Villero offers richness and darkness with fruit from Castiglione Falletto, and it’s one of the more intense wines I tasted within this selection. The Villero is a balanced and polished Barolo that opens to nicely integrated fruit and spice tones, expertly interwoven and united. The wine has a beautiful entry to the palate. Indeed, this pretty wine presented a united front, with seamless and graceful integration.”
Antonio Galloni 93+ points “The 2015 Barolo Villero is a very pretty, mid-weight wine. Silky tannins and beautifully expressive aromatics give the Villero considerable finesse. On the palate, though, the 2015 is far less expressive. That is not entirely surprising, as the Villero often needs a few years to truly blossom. Sweet floral and spice notes start to open with time in the glass, but the Villero is not an especially forthcoming 2015 Barolo.”
Shipping Season is Here!
Have wines on hold, waiting to ship?
Reply to this email or give us a call (503-223-6002)
with a shipping date and we’ll get you on the schedule!
Including Their Rare Chardonnay
We were able to secure special pricing on the wines and as such can offer them at an incredible price—the best in the country for any of the vintages. Speaking of vintages—these are all worth buying, with recent years showing the quality of both the winemaking and the increasing age of the wines and the older versions drinking really well right now. You’d do well to buy a wide assortment and stock your cellar.
Arriving Friday:
Sequitur Chardonnay, Ribbon Ridge 2015 750ML ($89.95) $69 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 94+ points “The 2015 Sequitur Chardonnay delivers toasted almonds, baker’s yeast, fresh ginger and coriander seed on the nose with a core of grapefruit, white peaches and spiced apples. Light to medium-bodied, it gives a great intensity of savory flavor layers intermingled with stone fruit and citrus notions, finishing long with great freshness and mineral notes.”
Wine Advocate 93+ points “The 2016 Sequitur Chardonnay has a gregarious nose of spiced, baked yellow apples and warm pineapple with notes of toast, honey, hazelnut and hay. Medium to full-bodied, it fills the mouth with warm orchard and tropical fruits accented by nuances of baking spice, nuts and honey, with a touch of creaminess to the texture, juicy acidity and a long, mineral-laced finish. 85 cases produced.”
Josh Raynolds-Vinous 94-95 points “Lurid red. Spice-tinged blackberry and cherry aromas are complicated by suggestions of cola, incense and smoky minerals. Sweet and expansive on the palate, offering concentrated dark berry and spicecake flavors and suggestions of rose pastille and mocha that build with air. Concentrated but also vibrant and precise in style, delivering superb finishing cut, well-knit tannins and impressive, fruit-driven persistence. (30% new French oak).”
Nick Stock-Jamessuckling .com 96 points “Beautifully deep, blueberries and plums on offer with notes of fresh violets and moist, fresh-tilled earth. This is full of life and very pure. The palate has focused and fresh tannins that sit in very vibrant style with a deep push of concentrated blue fruit, holding the finish in superb style. So fresh and long, this will age well. Drink across the next decade or more.”
Winery Note “TOTALITY—During the growing season of 2017, Oregon was treated to a total solar eclipse, where the moon passed exactly between the earth and the sun. Day turned to night, the temperature dropped and the farm animals were disoriented. The moment of awe was tempered with a deep sense of vulnerability, as we witnessed our world bow down to the power of nature. May this 2017 vintage seeped in “totality,” bring you a fresh perspective.”
Sequitur Pinot Noir, Ribbon Ridge 2014 750ML ($119.95) $79 special
Josh Raynolds–Vinous 94 points
Wine Spectator 94 points “Broad and spicy, open-textured and generous, with ripe plum and currant flavors, shaded by pepper, sage and coffee notes as the finish sails past fine-grained tannins. Completely harmonious and made to age. Drink now through 2024.”
The average listed price is $99
Josh Raynolds – Vinous 95 points “Deep brilliant red. A strikingly complex bouquet evokes ripe, mineral-accented red berries, cherry cola, vanilla, five-spice powder and sandalwood. Alluringly sweet, seamless and expansive on the palate, offering concentrated black raspberry, cherry liqueur, spicecake and lavender pastille flavors that are given spine and lift by a core of juicy acidity. Delivers a compelling blend of power and delicacy and finishes extremely long and smooth; rounded tannins frame the lingering red fruit preserve notes.”
Wine Advocate 94 points “Pale to medium ruby purple in color, the 2015 Sequitur Pinot Noir has a very provocative nose of Bing cherries and cranberries over a core of red roses, game, yeast extract and underbrush. Medium-bodied, with wonderful energy and freshness, it has a lively backbone and long finish paved with very fine, ripe tannins.”
Winery note “Sequitur 2015 Pinot Noir “Two fold,” a collaboration between our Mother, the earth, those of us who “play” in the vineyard and winery, and you, the wine lover.”
The average listed price is $99
Josh Raynolds-Vinous 96 points “Glimmering red. A hugely aromatic bouquet evokes fresh red fruits, Asian spices and potpourri, along with a bright mineral overtone and a touch of smokiness. Juicy, seamless and precise on the palate, offering potent, mineral-laced raspberry preserve, rose pastille and spicecake flavors that deepen and spread out steadily on the back half. Delivers a compelling blend of power and finesse and finishes with silky tannins, outstanding clarity and floral- and mineral-driven persistence.”
Wine Advocate 94+ points “Pale to medium ruby-purple in color, the 2016 Sequitur Pinot Noir has a lovely, open nose of black and red cherries and blackberries with notions of wood smoke, turned earth, autumn leaves, cardamom and potpourri. Medium-bodied, it floods the mouth with ripe black and red fruits with wonderful earthy/spicy accents, very fine, grainy tannins and mouthwatering acidity, finishing long with spice and floral layers. 480 cases produced.”
The next best price is $89.95
The average listed price is $93
Charles Heidsieck Blanc des Millenaires, Champagne 2004 750ML ($199.95) $169 special
Decanter 97 points “It says much that Charles Heidsieck went for the 2004, not the richer 2002, as the long-awaited successor to the epic 1995 Millenaires – the ’04 has an admirable beauty and finesse in the classic mould that fits the style of this wine so well. It’s an intriguing blend of great Chardonnays from Oger, Mesnil, Avize and Cramant, but also from Vertus, a premier cru punching above its weight. Vanilla and butter flatter this wine famously, but there’s no oak. It has controlled richness, with precision and purity ruling over the green and tropical fruits. A magnificent champagne with impressively elegant acidity, a triumph now and for years to come. Disgorged in 2016. Drinking Window 2020 – 2035.”
Wine Spectator 95 points “A seamless Champagne, showing a texture of raw silk, this weaves vibrant acidity with an expressive range of glazed apple and poached white cherry fruit flavors, with pickled ginger and saffron spice details and rich notes of pastry cream, toast and coffee liqueur. More about finesse than power, this is long and creamy on the mineral-tinged finish. Drink now through 2028. [Reviewed Dec 2018]”
#87 Wine of the Year – James Suckling Top 100 in 2018
Casanova di Neri Tenuta Nuova, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2013 750ML ($134.95) $99 special
James Suckling 98 points “A vivid and bright red with intense blueberries and raspberries. Floral undertones and tons of citrus, too! Full-bodied, dense and layered. Polished tannins and fantastic fruit. The muscularity of the structure is what gives this wine focus and intensity. So serious for the vintage. Give it time to show its greatness. Drink in 2022.”
Ian D’Agata – Vinous 95+ points “Bright deep red. The youthfully reticent nose hints at flinty red cherry, blueberry, graphite, cedar and pepper. Then flavors similar to the aromas, and a tight acid spine and serious but polished tannins nicely extending and framing the brooding fruit notes and peppery flintiness on the long, deep, complex finish. A truly outstanding Tenuta Nuova Brunello that seems less fruit-forward and more shut down than usual but holds exciting promise. Interestingly, some of this wine’s elements, such as its flinty nuances, reminded me of Casanova di Neri’s Cerretalto Brunello (made with grapes grown at the opposite end of the Montalcino territory). I guess my palate needs to take a vacation. This knockout wine will age splendidly and will likely merit an even higher score in eight to ten years’ time.”
One of the finest wines Marcus’ ever made.
Goodfellow Family Cellars Temperance Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir, Eola-Amity Hills 2017 750ML ($47.95) $36 special
Winery note “Translucent crimson. Elegant nose of fresh tobacco, smoke, strawberries and red apple skin, with sea air, stoney ground, iris root, roses, asian spice, orange peel, and cedar cigar box. There are wines that leap at you and wines that beckon you into the glass- this is the later. The cedar note is a classic expression of Temperance Hill terroir, and I was happy to see it in this wine. The palate on opening is bright, with red berries, currants, pie cherries, rhubarb, strawberry tea and hints of citrus peel. Juicy and refreshing, with tartly balanced acids and fine tannins, the wine fills in texture with air, with a mid-weight silkiness that is ideal for pork belly, tortilla de Espanol, and roast chicken. 13.7% alcohol, 160 cases produced. Drink now, or from 2023-2034.”
Vincent Pinot Blanc, Willamette Valley 2017 750ML ($21.95) $18 special
VinopolNote “This Pinot Blanc is everything we love about the grape-crisp, bright and delicate, with pretty orchard fruit. You can pair this with just about anything that you’d want to drink white wine with, from the front porch to fresh seafood to a roast chicken.”
Chateau Canon, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2016 375ML ($119.95) $99 special
Half Bottle
Wine Advocate 98+ points “Composed of 74% Merlot and 26% Cabernet Franc and aged for 18 months in 70% new French barriques, the 2016 Canon is medium to deep garnet-purple in color, and—WOW—it opens with the most stunning perfume of violets, red roses and kirsch, giving way to a core of black cherry preserves, chocolate box, licorice, warm plums and Chinese five spice plus an earthy waft of underbrush. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is completely filled with expressive, perfumed black berry layers accented by lively red fruits and exotic spices, supported by impressively fine-grained tannins and fantastic tension, finishing very long with jaw-dropping energy. Tasted three times, I had one opportunity to taste the 2015 and 2016 Canon side by side. While I love the bold, rich, seductive nature of the 2015, this 2016 kicks it up a notch in terms of polish, precision, depth and persistence. Most notably, the superbly ripe, exquisitely fine-grained tannins on this 2016 bring to the table a whole other level of sophistication. Bravo!”
Wine Enthusiast 98 points “This wine is impressive both from its structure and its fruit, one of the stars of the vintage in Saint-Émilion. It has great weight, concentration as well as style and aging potential. The ripe fruit shines through the structure, promising an elegant maturity. Drink from 2025.”
Neal Martin-Vinous 97 points “The 2016 Canon has the unenviable task of following the astonishing 2015, and it does a damn good job, even if it doesn’t reach the same ethereal heights. There is a pleasing strictness and poise on the nose; this is less immediate than the 2015, yet intellectual, a Canon that expresses its terroir rather than tons of fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, a fine bead of acidity, a smooth texture and a slightly savory but persistent finish, which feels a little plusher than the 2015, implying that this might drink a little earlier. But there is unquestionably immense breeding locked into this rejuvenated Saint-Émilion, which is now firmly ensconced among the top-flight Right Banks.”
James Suckling 97 points “Complex aromas of blackberries, iodine, oyster shell and wet earth. Ever so perfumed. Full-bodied, yet reserved and tight with very silky tannins that are energized and minerally. Takes off at the end. The freshness lifts it. Try after 2024.”
Bodegas Ordonez Vatan Toro Tinta De Toro, Toro 2015 750ML ($49.95) $41.90 special
Jeb Dunnuck 97 points “Seeing the same élevage as the 2016, the 2015 Vatan offers a slightly more saturated color as well as smoking good notes of blackcurrants, smoked earth, melted licorice, violets, and dark chocolate. Fabulous on the palate as well, with full-bodied richness, flawless balance, ripe tannins, and a great, great finish, it’s a primordial baby at the moment, yet this thrilling wine could compete with wine costing 3-4 times the price.”
In Stock Now:
Saint Cosme Condrieu, Rhone 2017 750ML ($79.95) $59 special
Wine Spectator 95 points “A bold style, with quince, lemon curd, creamed pear, apricot and white peach flavors lending range and weight. Verbena and warm brioche details infuse the lush finish. Very showy and pulls it off. Drink now through 2021. From France.—J.M”
Chateau de Saint Cosme Gigondas Le Poste, Rhone 2017 750ML ($139.95) $109 special
Wine Spectator 96 points “This is packed with steeped fig, blackberry and boysenberry confiture notes, laced liberally with violet, anise, tobacco and lavender accents. Has enough grip through the finish to keep it honest, with tar and juniper notes adding spine and heft. A beauty. Best from 2020 through 2035. From France.—J.M.”
The next best price is $119
The average listed price is $124
Plus, a bonus review for 2016 Dagueneau Silex, Arriving Friday:
Didier Dagueneau Pouilly-Fume Silex, Loire 2016 750ML ($159.95) $125 pre-arrival special
Wine Spectator 94 points “Minerally and intense, showing plump notes of yellow apple and peach, while ruby grapefruit and sea salt accents add to the vibrancy. Features a beautiful silky texture and focused acidity that proves the pedigree, adding to the charm and overall harmony. Drink now through 2031.—A.Z.”
Bandol’s All-Season Rosé
In Stock Now:
Domaine de la Bastide Blanche Bandol Rose, Provence 2018 750ML ($27.95) $21.90 special
Case-12 Domaine de la Bastide Blanche Bandol Rose, Provence 2018 750ML ($259.95) $219 special (that’s only $18.25/bottle!)
Josh Raynolds – Vinous 92 points “Vivid orange-pink. Bright, minerally and focused on the highly perfumed nose, displaying fresh blood orange, strawberry and floral aromas that expand steadily with aeration. Energetic and chewy in the mouth, offering concentrated red berry, citrus fruit and honeysuckle flavors that show excellent depth and delineation. Closes taut and precise, displaying strong persistence and a resonating floral note.”
Domaine Bunan Moulin des Costes Bandol Rose, Provence 2018 750ML ($27.95) $24 special
“Hints of crushed stone and lime zest appear on the nose of the 2018 Bandol Rose Moulin des Costes, a blend of 50% Cinsault, 40% Mourvèdre and 10% Grenache. Although only light to medium-bodied, it’s pleasantly silky in texture, with ample length on the refined, elegant finish.” -Wine Advocate
Wine Advocate 90 points “Hints of crushed stone accent melon and lime scents on the nose of the 2018 Bandol Rose Mas de la Rouviere. It’s light to medium-bodied, not terribly intense, but fine and silky, with a long, harmonious and refreshing finish.”
Chateau Pradeaux Bandol Rose, Provence 2018 750ML ($34.95) $29 special
Chateau Pradeaux Bandol Rose, Provence 2018 1.5L ($79.95) $69 special
Neal Rosenthal note “Pradeaux’s iconic Bandol Rosé really shines in 2018, with even greater complexity and length than usual. As mentioned above, a third of the wine was fermented in a single 50-hectoliter foudre (but moved immediately to tank following the fermentation), which contributes a subtle granular cling on the palate and opens up the wine a bit aromatically. While never a simple sipping wine, the 2018 is particularly vinous, offering real density and richness, yet retaining a freshness of spirit at the same time. The final blend comprises 80% Mourvèdre and 20% Cinsault.”
Domaine Tempier Bandol Rose, Provence 2018 750ML ($59.95) $49 special
Domaine Tempier Bandol Rose, Provence 2018 1.5L ($149.95) $119 special
Domaine Tempier Bandol Rose, Provence 2018 3L ($379.95) $349 special
Josh Raynolds – Vinous 93 points “Shimmering orange. Fresh pit fruit, red berry and floral qualities on the highly perfumed nose, along with suggestions of dusty minerals and orange zest. Juicy, focused and lithe on the palate, offering intense nectarine, red currant, strawberry and candied lavender flavors supported by a spine of juicy acidity. Shows outstanding clarity and mineral cut on a very long, sappy finish that strongly echoes the floral and pit fruit notes.”
As for the style of the wines, he describes 2018 as full of “ripe and expressive wines, albeit with reduced acidities. Consequently, the 2018s are far more approachable at this young age than typical—particularly the Grosses Gewächs (GGs), the dry wines from the country’s top vineyards that are usually tightly wound in their youth.” That’s exciting—vintages that drink well young are always up our wheelhouse. Furthermore, the vintage seems to excellent across producers and regions ” Quality appears to be consistent across the board.” Zecevic writes, continuing “the GGs indeed are more open at this stage, with less sharpness and astringency. There’s a chance these wines won’t age as gracefully as those of more structured vintages, but the best 2018 Rieslings have enough backbone to age for years to come.”
Ultimately, this is an exciting time to be buying German wines. The Wine Spectator notes that “2018 is a great vintage for the consumer thanks to the wines’ friendly, giving character. ‘It is nice to be able to tell customers they don’t have to cellar the new releases for years,’ said Thomas Haag of Schloss Lieser. In combination with stunning wines from 2017, Germany will have an impressive offering on the market in the upcoming year.”
While Wine Spectator hasn’t published the reviews for these wines yet, we’ve already offered some of our top producers, arriving at the end of the year. You can see all our wines from producers like Merkelbach, Schaefer, Loewen, Dönnhoff, Kruger Rumpf, Von Winning, Diel, Spreitzer and more…or keep reading for some of the highlights.
Arriving ETA December:
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.”
Weingut Alfred Merkelbach ‘Urgluck’ Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Auslese, Mosel 2018 750ML ($49.95) $39 pre-arrival special
Mosel Fine Wines 93 points “The 2018er Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Auslese Urglück was harvested at 102° Oechsle in this prime part of the vineyard still planted with ungrafted vines, and was fermented down to fully sweet levels of residual sugar (80 g/l). It offers a beautiful nose made of apricot, cream, strawberry, smoke and herbs. The wine is beautifully playful and delicately zesty on the fruity and nicely creamy palate. The finish is sweet but still remarkably mouthwatering. 2028-2048.”
Terry Theise note “In its sighing way this is as profound a wine as has ever been made here. Without the anvil-solidity of years like 2010 or 2015, nothing obtrudes upon the purity of fruit—and acidity can be distracting, you know. Here it’s not merely “slate and apples” any more. Something para has entered the picture; fruit but also not-fruit; refers to mineral but not “minerally.” Just some arcane synergy, some voice of the vineyard we’ll never quite account for.”
Mosel Fine Wines 92 points “The 2018er Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Auslese AP 10 was harvested at 102° Oechsle in the part above the cellar higher up the hill, and was fermented down to fully sweet levels of residual sugar (78 g/l). It offers a beautiful nose of melon, pear, grapefruit, herbs and spices. The wine is delicately creamy yet also subtly zesty on the palate and leaves a beautifully clean and floral feel in the finish. This is a gorgeous wine which remains remarkably pure in the after-taste. 2028-2048.”
Terry Theise note “No. 9 is the apogee of sassafras! It’s the kick-ass of sassafras. The smoking grass of sassafras. (D’ja ever read that in a tasting note? Didn’t think so.) No. 10 is the same but spicier, with hyssop and spearmint in the viewfinder.”
Mosel Fine Wines 91 points “The 2018er Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Kabinett was harvested from old un-grafted vines at 90° Oechsle in the part of the vineyard situated above the cellar of the Merkelbachs, just behind the village, and was fermented down to fruity-styled levels of residual sugar (50 g/l). It offers a hugely aromatic nose of white peach, apricot, floral elements and spices. The wine is beautifully balanced on the palate and leaves a long and refined feel of herbs in the finish. 2028-2048.”
Terry Theise note “Of course this is a Spätlese but it was the only Fuder one could even think of declassifying; it’s on the strawberry side of UW, and ridiculously long. Würzgarten has two profiles, which normally overlap while emphasizing one side or another. You have strawberry of various types, and you have another face of kiwi and sassafras. And of course you have slate. These may be variations based on cadaster, as it stands to reason that steepness, altitude and soil-structure would all play roles. As a rule I’d say, if it looks rocky the wines will probably taste rocky.”
Von Winning Deidesheimer Paradiesgarten Riesling Trocken, Pfalz 2018 750ML ($37.95) $29 pre-arrival special
Terry Theise note “The best vintage I recall of this surprising wine; curvaceous and leafy, the often-noted caraway seed nuance, along with ‘18s beaming plum-blossom aromas and the fennel and mirabelle-drenched palate could hardly be more fetching. The salty finish also doesn’t hurt!”
Terry Theise note “Many growers would bottle this wine as a GG; it’s probably the best site in Ruppertsberg (though Bürklin has a claim with its monopole Gaisböhl); this ’18 is peachy, sweet white corn, chervil and tarragon; it’s more melodic than Paradiesgarten but with an aloe vera and sorrel note common to good ‘18s; it’s the most appealing of the 1er Lages, sweet-natured and with a lovely grace.”
Terry Theise note “How did I ever live without von Winning Sauvignon Blanc? I mean really. And how did they ever forgive my stubborn reluctance to taste these wines all those years ago? Attmann doesn’t look to the Loire for his model; he looks to White Bordeaux, and if he doesn’t deliberately look to Styria, his wines themselves do, to the volcanic zone around Kitzeck and also in southeast-Styria. He will protest that his wines don’t have the (often) excessive alcohol of the top Styrians—correctly—but I’m talking more about flavors per se. The “500,” named after the casks in which it is raised, extends this smokiness past the frontier of the “varietal” and entirely into eros and witchcraft and incense and voodoo.”
Weingut Josef Spreitzer Winkeler Jesuitengarten Riesling Spatlese, Rheingau 2018 750ML ($37.95) $29 pre-arrival special
Terry Theise note “There were two options. A drier one is classic, upholstered, earthy and dense with just an edge of sweetness, rural and with a fragrance of leaf-decay. The “sweeter” wine ran to the usual violet and lavender but showed a sweet finish, and yet the wine’s more playful. You guessed it; we blended them and enjoyed much of the best of both worlds, though Andi will keep at it until he gets the exact one he wants. I want this wine to be earnest and Jesuitical and also delicious. Tall order, but Andi’s a pretty tall guy.”
Terry Theise note “The cadaster is called Eiserberg (iron hill), from which a record-setting wine of 303º Oechsle was gathered back in the 1920s. The record’s since been broken but come on; this is the climate-change era. This ’18 has a blatant fragrance of iron, white flowers and pickled ginger and a mass of pulverized mineral; it’s as sleek as the 2004 and yet as rich as the 2015, and if there’s any botrytis it’s clean and discreet. The sweetness is taut and buzzing. The most exciting vintage in many years! What is this wine, though? It’s somewhat too rich and intense for a typical Spätlese and too buoyant for a typical Auslese, and so it becomes a wine that’s oblique to the notion of “utility,” how it might be used. This can drive you crazy unless you can somehow cherish the whole idea of a wine existing merely because it is beautiful. OK, yes, that’s all well and good, but at some point we decide to open it, and then what, when, why, how? My only answer would be, that we contrive the occasion for the wine to be like a painting on your wall; you look at it and are happier and richer. It doesn’t have to “perform” in any way. It simply returns your life to you as a finer and deeper matter. And if a painting can do this, why not a wine?”
Terry Theise note “Herbs, quince, mint, pea-shoot and a curious underlying stoniness; it made me think of oolongs and Sencha and grassy green teas; a singular Riesling of leaf upon leaf.”
Schlossgut Diel Goldloch Riesling Grosses Gewachs, Nahe 2018 750ML ($69.95) $59 pre-arrival special
Terry Theise note “Obviously it’s premature to note such an embryonic wine, but it was striking in all its carrot elements, carrot greens plus chervil plus yellow beets, with little of the usual apricot. I can only say the wine seemed savory and food-like, and we’ll see what happens.”
Terry Theise note “This is like “Der Ott,” the top dry wine below the GGs, using (mostly) the material deemed insufficient for those lofty boys, but this vintage is ideal; more generous now, and with a toasted scree and conifer profile, a minerally German Riesling in a more yielding matrix; it’s still a most-particular kind of wine, but it’s welcoming rather than forbidding.”
These are big, rich wines with incredible textures and explosive personalities. We’ve secured significant allocations of their three major Chateauneuf du Papes, the VV, Les Origines, and Miocene, all arriving this winter. The VV is one of the best wines made in the region every year, while the Les Origines and Miocene both deliver excellent value for their prices. We’re able to offer these at excellent pricing, despite the insane demand for the 2017 vintage—so lovers of the Rhone, take note. These always sell fast and we expect this set will continue that trend.
Arriving ETA December:
Domaine Grand Veneur Chateauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes, Rhone 2017 750ML ($119.95) $89 pre-arrival special
Case-6 Domaine Grand Veneur Chateauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes, Rhone 2017 750ML ($719.95) $479 pre-arrival special (that’s only $79.83/bottle!)
Jeb Dunnuck 97+ points “The 2017 Châteauneuf Du Pape Vieilles Vignes is a bigger, richer, more opulent wine. Beautiful notes of blackcurrants, scorched earth, graphite, and crushed violets, all flow to a full-bodied, Châteauneuf Du Pape that has a voluptuous, sexy texture, brilliant depth of fruit, fine tannins, and a purity of fruit that’s hard to find in this vintage. It’s a thrill a minute, and while it’s approachable today, it will keep for 15-20 years. 416 cases.”
Decanter 96 points “Grown on galets, the fruit for this wine is all destemmed and fermented in stainless steel before being aged for 16 months, half in concrete and half in new barriques. The strong Mourvèdre component comes through as deep, ripe dark fruits and violets. It’s full-bodied and dense with soft, lush tannins, and is held together by a beam of strong acidity, finishing long. A lithe, muscular, impressive wine that will last the course. Just 5,000 bottles made.”
Case-6 Domaine Grand Veneur Chateauneuf-du-Pape Les Origines, Rhone 2017 750ML ($419.95) $289 pre-arrival special (that’s only $48.17/bottle!)
Jeb Dunnuck 95+ points “The 2017 Châteauneuf Du Pape Les Origines takes things up a notch on the serious scale and has a much more concentrated, focused, structured style. A blend of 50% Grenache, 30% Mourvèdre, and the rest Syrah that saw 50% new barrels, it offers a rich, concentrated, focused texture, notes of black raspberries, roasted garrigue, pepper, and tons of minerality, building tannins, and outstanding length. The new oak is beautifully integrated, it’s perfectly balanced, and it’s one of those wines that has a kiss of modern character yet stays firmly planted in the Southern Rhône.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Domaine Grand Veneur Chateauneuf-du-Pape Le Miocene Rouge, Rhone 2017 750ML ($299.95) $219 pre-arrival special (that’s only $36.50/bottle!)
Jeb Dunnuck 91 points “The traditional cuvée at this great estate is the 2017 Châteauneuf Du Pape Le Miocene, and in 2017 it’s a classic blend of 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah, and 10% Mourvèdre, brought up mostly in concrete (there’s a small amount in older barrels). It has a wonderful fresh, forward, delicious style as well as notes of black raspberries, garrigue, pepper, and hints of flowers. Pure, medium to full-bodied, upfront and ready to go, it’s a beauty geared for drinking over the coming 8-10 years.”
The next best price is $45