Donnhoff 2015: Here Now or Arriving Friday; Daou Napa Cab; Staff Picks: Cameron, Faiveley, Lopez de Heredia, Gramenon; Roederer In-Stock; Domaine Huet Pre-Arrival; Coming This Spring: JJ Prum and Markus Molitor.
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Domaine Huet 2015
Fit for the Gods and You
Arriving in March
Domaine Huet Vouvray Moelleux Clos du Bourg Premiere Trie 2015 750ML ($79.95) $69 pre-arrival special, 21 bottles available, arriving in March
Wine Spectator 97 points “Concentrated, with a core of intense Jonagold apple, glazed Bosc pear, ginger cream and dried quince flavors, carried by filigreed acidity and backed by green tea, verbena, chamomile and persimmon notes. The finish is extremely long. Best from 2018 through 2040.”
Wine Advocate 96 points “The dark golden-colored 2015 Vouvray Clos du Bourg Moelleux Première Trie is super ripe and intense, yet precise and mineral on the nose where orange and dusty flavors are displayed along with some caramel flavors. Intense and juicy, with a concentrated and sweet, yet vital and elegant fruit, this Chenin has vibrant acidity. This is a full-bodied, well structured, persistent and powerful Chenin with a sweetness that is almost fully integrated. The finish is enormously vivacious and firm, and reveals a stimulating minerality.”
Domaine Huet Vouvray Moelleux Le Haut Lieu Premiere Trie 2015 750ML ($69.95) $59 pre-arrival special, 21 bottles available, arriving in March
Wine Spectator 96 points “Gorgeous from the get-go, featuring creamed melon, yellow apple and persimmon notes that glide effortlessly, inlaid with hints of green tea, verbena, heather and quince. The long finish has beautiful flow, with a buried mineral edge imparting freshness while the fruit plays out. Best from 2018 through 2040.”
Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Mont Moelleux Premiere Trie 2015 750ML ($99.95) $79 pre-arrival special, 23 bottles available, arriving in March
Wine Advocate 98 points “The 2015 Vouvray Le Mont Moelleux Première Trie is super clear, ripe and aromatic on the nose, highly elegant and with lovely flinty flavors. Intense and concentrated, with great finesse and vitality, this is a highly elegant and perfectly balanced wine with a persistent grip and salinity. Great balance and harmony.”
John Gilman 97 points “The 2015 Vouvray ‘Le Mont’ Moelleux Première Trie from Domaine Huët is utterly brilliant wine, which is at least fifteen years away from truly blossoming, but is so good right now that it is going to be next to impossible not to drink this wine in the blush of youth! The stunning nose shows a gorgeous glazing of botrytis in its constellation of pineapple, honeyed quince, sweet grapefruit, lovely minerality, orange blossoms, a hint of lavender, citrus oils, dried flowers and just a whisper of the new leather that will arrive with bottle age. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and utterly seamless in balance, with a great core, laser-like focus, superb nascent complexity and lovely grip on the endless, vibrant and dancing finish. Magical juice. 2025-2085. (Sep/Oct 2016)”
Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Mont Moelleux 2015 750ML ($59.95) $49 pre-arrival special, 24 bottles available, arriving in March
Wine Advocate 96 points “The apricot/golden colored 2015 Vouvray Le Mont Moelleux shows a very intense, elegant and also subtle bouquet of ripe fruit intermixed with flinty aromas. Dense, piquant and concentrated on the palate, this is a great and tension-filled Chenin with grip and persistence, but also great finesse and elegance. This is a highly complex and energetic, but also light-footed and stimulating wine with lots of mouthwatering salinity. A fascinating Chenin with great aging potential.”
Wine Spectator 94 points “Offers ginger- and hibiscus-infused creamed yellow apple, quince and pear notes, gilded with a whiff of piecrust. All the elements meld through the long, rippling finish. Drink now through 2035.”
Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Mont Demi-Sec 2015 750ML ($59.95) $49 pre-arrival special, 20 bottles available, arriving in March
Wine Advocate 96 points “The 2015 Vouvray Le Mont Demi-Sec is deep, rich and flinty on the nose, with caramel and vegetable flavors indicating a great complexity. Full-bodied, dense and powerful, this is highly complex and persistent, yet refreshing and transparent Chenin with a juicy fruit and lots of grip, energy and tension. Rather demure at the moment, this enormously structured wine has a great aging potential and I recommend to store it for 6-10 years, at least.”
Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Mont Sec 2015 750ML ($59.95) $41.90 pre-arrival special, 20 bottles available, arriving in March
Wine Advocate 95 points “The 2015 Vouvray le Mont Sec is pure, precise and very flinty on the nose, which reveals a concentrated and elegant fruit with lemon and crushed stone flavors. Full-bodied, pure and piquant, with a tight and mineral structure, as well as a very persistent finish, this is a highly complex yet finesse-full Chenin with a great aging potential. I’d love to drink the 2015 today, although I know it will become much more complex over the years. The finish is enormously long and reveals fine tannins.”
Wine Spectator 93 points “A light echo of baked apple leads off, followed by quince, powdered ginger and verbena notes at the core. The long, minerally finish features rippling acidity. Still tight, so let this unwind in the cellar. Best from 2017 through 2027.”
HUET IN-STOCK NOW
Domaine Huet Vouvray Moelleux Clos du Bourg Premiere Trie 2008 750ML ($79.95) $59 special, 1 bottle available
Wine Spectator 95 points “Starts with a tangy crème fraîche note before giving way to green almond, green tea, chamomile, powdered ginger and mineral notes. So precise it almost comes off as dry in feel, but the finish belies its late harvest with a showy candied citrus peel note. Drink now through 2025. 880 cases made.” WS
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $70
Domaine Huet Vouvray Moelleux Clos du Bourg Premiere Trie 2009 750ML ($119.95) $99 special, 12 bottles available
Wine Spectator 96 points “This is gorgeous, with notes of ginger, orange, clementine, white peach and green fig all bouncing off one another, but working harmoniously through the richly detailed finish. A lingering green tea note hangs on for added length as this puts on weight with air. Drink now through 2025. 760 cases made.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Domaine Huet Vouvray Moelleux Le Haut Lieu 2015 750ML ($49.95) $41.90 special, 19 bottles available
Wine Spectator 95 points “Offers a big, broad feel, with layers of glazed pear, apple and peach falling over each other, backed by fresh ginger, honeysuckle and quince notes. Everything pulls together through the finish, with green tea accents and racy minerality providing the foil. Drink now through 2035.”
Wine Advocate 92+ points “The 2015 Vouvray Le Haut-Lieu Moelleux displays open and elegant ripe fruit (pineapples, oranges) with some dusty flavors of crushed rocks. Powerful but full of finesse and elegance, this is a piquant and stimulating sweet wine with grip and tension. However, I find it rather less complex than the Sec and the Demi-Sec.”
Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Haut Lieu Demi-Sec 2015 750ML ($41.95) $36 special, 4 bottles available
Wine Advocate 94+ points “The 2015 Vouvray Le Haut-Lieu Demi-Sec has a creamy, intense and elegant bouquet of ripe and concentrated fruits, along with delicate earthy and lemony flavors. Full-bodied, intense and powerful, with a dense texture and firm tannins, this is a very complex and firmly structured Chenin for the next decade. The sweetness is perfectly integrated and the acidity rather mild in the first moment. The finish though is enormously vital and mineral.”
Wine Spectator 94 points “Features a wide range of apple, green melon, ginger and green plum notes gliding throughout, with the off-dry edge imparting a flattering feel. Latent minerality lengthens the finish. Best from 2017 through 2030.”
Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Haut Lieu Sec 2015 750ML ($37.95) $30.90 special, 25 bottles available
Wine Advocate 93+ points “The citrus-colored 2015 Vouvray Le Haut-Lieu Sec is pure, fresh and chalky on the nose where ripe and concentrated fruit aromas along with some subtle herbal aromas are displayed. Full-bodied, very mineral, salty and ripe, this is a concentrated, powerful, densely woven yet finesse-full and elegant Chenin with a very long and grippy, tension-filled finish. Great aging potential.”
Wine Spectator 93 points “Solidly ripe, with a full-bodied core of ginger, pear and persimmon notes allied to a racy spine that lengthens the finish, letting ginger, quince and green almond accents play out. This should age well in the cellar. Best from 2017 through 2027.”
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Daou Cabernet
The Solution to a Tricky Problem
Just Arrived
California Cabernet under $20 can be land of surprising mediocrity. Gone are the glory days when you could walk into a store and buy anything made by anyone and it would be decent. That’s why we’re so excited about the wines that Daou vineyards are making in Paso Robles. Real deal gutsy Cali Cab for under $20 by the case. Not overripe, not insipid. A touch of tannin, but still smooth. If California Cabernet is your thing and you need a wine that you can drink without care, this is your wine. Your search is done.
Daou Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles 2014 750ML ($27.95) $21.90 special, 21 bottles available
Case-12 Daou Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles 2014 750ML ($299.95) $236 special, 2 cases available
Josh Raynolds–Vinous 91 points “Youthful purple. Ripe, spice-accented cherry, dark berries and candied flowers on the deeply scented nose and in the mouth. Silky and open-knit; a building peppery element adds vivacity to sweet blueberry and cherry flavors. Bitter chocolate and allspice notes come up on the clinging finish, which is shaped by smooth tannins. In the context of California Cabernet, this wine delivers fantastic value.”
That’s only $19.67 per bottle, the lowest listed price in the country!
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New Reviews- Donnhoff 2015
from Stephan Reinhardt of the Wine Advocate
HERE NOW:
Weingut Donnhoff Niederhauser Hermannshohle Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel 2015 750ML ($99.95) $79 special, 13 bottles available
Weingut Donnhoff Niederhauser Hermannshohle Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel 2015 375ML ($49.95) $39 special, 35 half-bottles available
Weingut Donnhoff Niederhauser Hermannshohle Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel 2015 1.5L ($199.95) $179 special, 5 magnums available
Stephan Reinhardt – Wine Advocate 96 points “The 2015 Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle Riesling Auslese is lovely, clear and flinty on the nose and, like the Spätlese, is characterized by its noble aristocracy, but also lemony freshness and great purity. There seems to be more crushed stones than grapes in this wine, which reflects a lot of the fastidious selection and the healthy condition of the processed grapes. On the palate, this is a generous and concentrated, but pure, piquant and buoyant Auslese of great expression and finesse. This vibrating wine is dancing over the palate, leaving loads of minerals and salts, which makes this a dangerous drug. The finish is piquant and salty–you simply can’t stop drinking and adoring it. There is so much grip, tension and finesse here. The wine is also available in 375 milliliter bottles ($50) and 1500 milliliter bottles ($190).”
This is the lowest listed price for the 750ML and the magnum in the USA today!
Weingut Donnhoff Oberhauser Brucke Riesling Auslese 2015 750ML ($99.95) $79 special, 8 bottles available
Weingut Donnhoff Oberhauser Brucke Riesling Auslese 2015 375ML ($49.95) $41.90 special, 10 half-bottles available
Weingut Donnhoff Oberhauser Brucke Riesling Auslese 2015 1.5L ($199.95) $179 special, 5 magnums available
Stephan Reinhardt – Wine Advocate 94 points “The 2015 Oberhäuser Brücke Riesling Auslese was selected shortly before the Spätlese and is a selection of super ripe and the rarely botrytis grapes. The wine has a super ripe and warm fruit bouquet with some spicy and flinty aromas. On the palate, this is a piquant and generous Riesling with clear definition and lingering complexity and salinity. It has very good grip. (The wine is also available in 375 milliliter bottles for $45 and 1500 milliliter bottles for $180.)”
This is the lowest listed price for the 750ML in the USA today!
This is the only listing for the magnum in the USA today!
Weingut Donnhoff Oberhauser Leistenberg Tonschiefer Riesling Trocken 2015 750ML ($27.95) $24 special, 1 bottle available
Stephan Reinhardt – Wine Advocate 91 points “The 2015 Riesling Trocken Tonschiefer is from the Oberhausen Leistenberg, from a weathered carbonic slate soil that is able to take water. The wine opens with a lovely, clear and subtle bouquet of white fruits and weathered slate plates. On the palate, this is a light, salty, very well gripped and tension-filled Riesling with clear, dry fruit and dancing slate grains. This is another beauty of the 2015 vintage, and as a Riesling enthusiast you ask yourself: What else do I need?”
Newly Reviewed Wines from Donnhoff
Arriving FRIDAY
Weingut Donnhoff Norheimer Dellchen Riesling Grosses Gewachs 2015 750ML ($79.95) $66 pre-arrival special, arriving Friday
Weingut Donnhoff Norheimer Dellchen Riesling Grosses Gewachs 2015 1.5L ($149.95) $135 pre-arrival special, arriving Friday
Stephan Reinhardt – Wine Advocate 97 points “From slate and porphyry soils in the terraced Norheim cru, the 2015 (Norheimer) Dellchen Riesling GG opens with a perfectly ripe, superbly defined and highly refined Riesling bouquet with stony, lemony, ripe apple and mocha flavors from perfectly ripe pips. This grand cru is truly complex and elegant on the nose, with fine floral and herbal flavors. On the palate, this is a pure, highly elegant, intense and silky textured Riesling with great finesse and expression. There is really great balance and length here, and it is not exhausting at all. The finish is a parade of minerals, salts, and the finesse of the best Dellchen I have ever tasted, and it does not end too soon to celebrate itself. This is a beautifully structured and smooth Riesling–a legend of clarity, finesse and elegance.”
This is the lowest listed price for the 750ML in the USA today!
Weingut Donnhoff ‘Felsenturmchen’ Schlossbockelheimer Felsenberg Riesling Grosses Gewachs 2015 750ML ($69.95) $51.90 pre-arrival special, arriving Friday
Weingut Donnhoff ‘Felsenturmchen’ Schlossbockelheimer Felsenberg Riesling Grosses Gewachs 2015 1.5L ($149.95) $119 pre-arrival special, arriving Friday
Stephan Reinhardt – Wine Advocate 95+ points “The 2015 (Schlossböckelheimer) Felsenberg Riesling GG ‘Felsentürmchen’ is from the steep, south-facing cru with volcanic soils. It opens very pure and stony, with deep, flinty flavors and a lemon perfume sprayed over crushed stones. On the palate, this is a generous, intense and finesse-full Riesling with great intensity and lingering salinity. The wine seems round, but it has less than four grams of residual sugar. In fact, I have rarely tasted a Felsentürmchen that is so generous and Burgundian as this. In terms of texture, complexity and its compact nature, it is a bit like a Pinot Noir from Volnay. A great dry Riesling for sure, and its soul is clearly stony, flinty and more challenging than the smooth Dellchen, for example. The Felsenberg needs its time to show all its talents.”
This is the lowest listed price for the 750ML in the USA today!
This is the only listing for a magnum in the USA today!
Newly Reviewed Wines from Donnhoff
Arriving NEXT WEEK
Weingut Donnhoff Kreuznacher Kahlenberg Riesling Trocken 2015 750ml ($39.95) $33 pre-arrival special, arriving next week
Stephan Reinhardt – Wine Advocate 92 points “The 2015 (Kreuznacher) Kahlenberg Riesling Trocken is from gravelly conglomerate soils with quartzite, but not much clay, and from the wider and warmer part of the valley. It offers a warmer and denser Riesling bouquet with ripe yellow-skinned apple aromas and a delicate smokiness. The wine is full-bodied, round and piquant, showing nice finesse and grip, and it has a juicy, well-structured, dry finish with citrus flavors.”
Weingut Donnhoff Roxheimer Hollenpfad Riesling Trocken 2015 750ML ($39.95) $33 pre-arrival special, arriving next week
Weingut Donnhoff Roxheimer Hollenpfad Riesling Trocken 2015 1.5L ($99.95) $77 pre-arrival special, arriving next week
Stephan Reinhardt – Wine Advocate 93 points “From a steep, south-facing vineyard on red sandstone soils, the 2015 (Roxheimer) Höllenpfad Riesling Trocken opens with warm and generous yellow apple fruit, but also a coolish and piquant sand stone expression with spicy and even peppery lemon flavors. “The grapes are always smaller here than in the Kahlenberg and the berries [are] very intense in their fine fruit aromas,” says Helmut Dönnhoff. The roots can go through the sandstone, which is not the case in the volcanic soils of Niederhausen and Oberhausen. As a result, drought stress is very rare and that makes the Höllenpfad a perfect origin for dry Rieslings. On the palate, this is a generously fruity, but also pure, piquant and finely racy Riesling with lingering salinity and lemony freshness. The wine is dense and generous, but precise, fresh and rather cool instead of warm. It is a gorgeous Riesling that combines the warmth of the northern Nahe, closer to the Rhine river, with the purity and salinity of the Niederhausen/Oberhausen. The finish is pretty, long and aromatic, and the ripe apples remain on the palate as do the stony flavors.”
This is the lowest listed price for a magnum in the USA today!
Weingut Donnhoff Kreuznacher Krotenpfuhl Riesling Kabinett 2015 750ML ($27.95) $20.90 pre-arrival special, arriving next week
“The 2015 Kreuznacher Krötenpfuhl Riesling Kabinett has a “cooler acidity” than the Kahlenberg, says Helmut Dönnhoff, so he considers it as the better vineyard to produce a fruity Riesling with more residual sugar. The wine has a clear and open nose of ripe apples along with some flinty aromas. On the palate, the wine is very clear and piquant, but also generous in its precise, elegant fruit. The finish has a certain intensity and minerality, and this will come out even clearer in two or more years.” Stephan Reinhardt – Wine Advocate
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Weingut Donnhoff Norheimer Kirschheck Riesling Spatlese 2015 750ML ($39.95) $30.90 pre-arrival special, arriving next week
Weingut Donnhoff Norheimer Kirschheck Riesling Spatlese 2015 1.5L ($99.95) $77 pre-arrival special, arriving next week
Stephan Reinhardt – Wine Advocate 91 points “The 2015 Norheimer Kirschheck Riesling Spätlese is clear, piquant and salty on the nose, with great purity and a lovely flintiness framing the ripe yellow apple and grapefruit aromas. On the palate, this is a pretty, complex and salty Spätlese with generous but delicate fruit and lingering mineral tension and salinity. Grown on the same soil as the Leistenberg Kabinett (grey slate) but from a fully south-facing site, this is a perfect Spätlese terroir. Although this wine has just 9% alcohol, it is intense and complex and has 65 grams of residual sugar. It is a really full-bodied Riesling.”
Weingut Donnhoff Oberhauser Brucke Riesling Spatlese 2015 1.5L ($119.95) $99 pre-arrival special, arriving next week
Stephan Reinhardt – Wine Advocate 92+ points “The 2015 Oberhäuser Brücke Riesling Spätlese is clear, fresh and coolish, almost reductive on the very precise nose. This is a mouth-filling Spätlese that is round and generous on the palate, with a lush fruit texture and piquant acidity. It has a creamier texture and fine, well-integrated acidity that lacks a certain sharpness in the finish though. This is a pretty, powerful and complex Spätlese with grip and tension as well.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Weingut Donnhoff ‘Felsenturmchen’ Schlossbockelheimer Felsenberg Riesling Spatlese 2015 750ML ($49.95) $39 pre-arrival special, arriving next week
Weingut Donnhoff ‘Felsenturmchen’ Schlossbockelheimer Felsenberg Riesling Spatlese 2015 1.5L ($119.95) $89 pre-arrival special, arriving next week
Stephan Reinhardt – Wine Advocate 93 points “The flinty and herbal-flavored 2015 Schlossböckelheimer Felsenberg Riesling Spätlese is from grapes that were selected a few days before the ones for the Grosses Gewächs to keep the alcohol level moderate at 13%. It is a mouth-filling, yet straight and racy/piquant wine with lush fruit, piquant acidity (ten grams of total acidity!), great elegance and terroir expression. Its finish is stimulatingly salty, and the complexity of the Felsenberg terroir shines through dramatically and untamed. I would keep this wine for 5-10 years because there are other Dönnhoff Rieslings that are able to charm you in the meantime. This one has other talents. Dönnhoff remembers the 1998 as a similar Spätlese. If you so will, this is the antipode of the aristocratic Hermannshöhle.”
This is the lowest listed price for the magnum in the USA today!
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Our Current
Shipping Promos:
Welcome to the club, Colorado!
Along with Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and California,
we now offer flat rate shipping to Colorado! Here’s the scoop:
Single orders of any quantity of wines qualify for the flat rate;
this does not apply to orders held in storage for any reason
or multiple orders consolidated into one shipment.
The flat reach for each state is, as follows:
-to Oregon for $17,
-Washington & Idaho for $20,
-and California & Colorado for $25.
Take Advantage of the Flat Rate!
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They Come In Pairs:
Interesting Wines and Their Mates
All In-Store Now
We wanted to highlight some interesting wines made by the same producer, in pairs (because we couldn’t decide which wine to feature, to be frank). In all cases the wines are excellent and the two wines are similar but different in some crucial aspect. In some cases it’s a vineyard, in some cases it’s vine age, in some cases…well you get the gist.
Domaine Faiveley Corton ‘Clos des Cortons’ Faiveley Monopole Grand Cru 2011 750ML ($199.95) $119 special, 36+ bottles available
Antonio Galloni 95 points “Faiveley’s 2011 Corton Clos des Corton is a fitting conclusion to this great night of wine and food. Intensely saline and pointed, the 2011 impresses for its pure energy and tension. The flavors are vibrant and impeccably delineated in a Burgundy that is all about finesse. This is a great showing from the Clos des Corton.” AG
Stephen Tanzer 94 points “Medium red. Ineffable nose and palate offer red fruits, minerals, spices and flowers, complicated by game, earth and leather. Sweet, concentrated and very intense, boasting outstanding density and a fine-grained texture, with salty minerality giving the wine a weightless impression that’s remarkable considering its density. A strong tannic spine and brisk acidity energize and draw out the finish of this sharply delineated, pristine grand cru.” ST
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $175
Domaine Faiveley Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru 2011 750ML ($249.95) $219 special, 14 bottles available
Burghound 92-94 points “Here too the wood treatment is quite deft which allows the cool Granny Smith apples, pear, wet stone and spice scents to shine. There is also a seductive mouth feel to the broad-shouldered, supple and round flavors that brim with dry extract before displaying plenty of power and punch on the seriously long finish. This is easily the most backward wine in the range at present yet the impression is unusually fine, both in the context of the appellation but also in the context of this wine in general as it’s usually more robust. Be all of that as it may, this is very, very promising.”BH
R. Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Reserva, Rioja DOCa 2004 750ML ($49.95) $36 special, 36+ bottles available
Wine Advocate 94 points “The 2004 Viña Tondonia Reserva is a completely different story. It is a worthy follower of the 2001, the greatest of the Viña Tondonia Reservas of recent times. It has the usual blend and usual levels of alcohol and acidity, bottled after six years in oak barrels. The nose feels savory (if that’s possible–umami?) and developed, with tertiary aromas and good balance between spices, leathery notes, cherries and balsamic notes of cigar box and incense. The palate is both round and crisp, with refined tannins. It has very good balance with subtle acidity and very good persistence.”
R. Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia ‘Vina Bosconia’ Reserva, Rioja DOCa 2004 750ML ($39.95) $33 special, 29 bottles available
Wine Advocate 93 points “The 2004 Vina Bosconia Reserva is a blend of 80% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacho and the remaining 5% Mazuelo and Graciano aged for five years in used barrels, racked twice per year and fined with egg whites before being bottled unfiltered. Dark ruby-colored, with notes of beef blood, iron, antique shop, incense, blood orange and a touch of volatile acidity, the palate is very fresh, with good concentration, clear flavors and enough grip and fruit to age gracefully. A perfumed and feminine great Rioja. The Bosconia vineyard wines are the only ones from Lopez de Heredia bottled in Burgundy bottles. Drink now-2024.” WA
Domaine Gramenon Cotes du Rhone La Sagesse, Rhone 2014 750ML ($37.95) $27 special, 36+ bottles available
Josh Raynolds 91 points “Vivid ruby-red. Potent, mineral-laced red berry liqueur and cherry aromas are complicated by suggestions of peppery spices and garrigue. Lively and alluringly sweet, offering juicy black raspberry and lavender pastille flavors that become deeper with air while maintaining vivacity. Fine-grained tannins build slowly on an impressively long, penetrating finish, which leaves behind suave spicecake and kirsch notes.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $33
Domaine Gramenon Cotes du Rhone Sierra du Sud, Rhone 2014 750ML ($34.95) $24.40 special, 36+ bottles available
Josh Raynolds 91 points “Deep ruby. A complex bouquet evokes musky red and dark berries, cherry pit, olive, dried flowers and pungent herbs. Chewy and focused on the palate, offering gently sweet raspberry, boysenberry, violet pastille and spicecake flavors that become livelier as the wine opens up. Pliant tannins give shape to a very long, spicy finish that features a lingering blue fruit note.”
Wine Advocate 91 points “A smokin’ southern Rhone is the 2014 Côtes du Rhône la Sierra du Sud, which is 100% Syrah, from 15- to 35-year-old vines, that was destemmed and aged in a combination of tank and barrels. Ground pepper, wild herbs, black cherries and the essence of blackberry fruit all emerge from this medium to full-bodied, ripe, layered and beautifully textured 2014. It has more depth and richness than most in the vintage and will keep for upwards of a decade.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $28
Cameron Winery Clos Electrique Blanc, Dundee Hills 2014 750ML ($79.95) $66 special, 20 bottles available
Wine Advocate 93 points “The 2014 Chardonnay Clos Electrique was tasted from barrel, although the final selection was still to be made. It has a stunning, tensile bouquet that ranks alongside many a white Burgundy that I have tasted – wonderful mineralité and tension here, one of the best you will encounter in Oregon. The palate is medium-bodied with fine definition, crisp acidity, hints of brioche tincturing the citrus fruit, a little nutmeg surfacing towards the long and sustained finish. This is a killer Chardonnay that should present many years of pleasure to those savvy enough to grab a few bottles.”
Cameron Winery Clos Electrique Rouge, Willamette Valley 2014 750ML ($79.95) $66 special, 27 bottles available
Wine Advocate 92-94 points “The 2014 Pinot Noir Clos Electrique has the most Burgundian bouquet from barrel with gorgeous, detailed brambly red fruit that blossoms from the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, finely judged acidity, plenty of redcurrant and raspberry fruit with a harmonious and quite effortless finish that leaves a minerally residue in the mouth. Not powerful, but it does not need to be. This is exquisite Pinot Noir.”
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JJ Prum
2015 Releases Arriving in March
There’s not a whole lot to say about the wines of JJ Prum that hasn’t already been said. Manfred and Katarina Prum make some of the finest and most sought after wines of the middle-Mosel. Made from The wines are high-wire acts of tension between fruit and intense minerality and display their terroir in the most expressive way. Part of this is that their parcels have lots of old, ungrafted vines and part of it is spontaneous fermentation and a whatever magic the Prum family uses in the cellar. No matter what, these are always some of the finest and longest lived wines in Germany.
We are very excited to offer them from the 2015 (arriving in spring). 2015 is an exceptional vintage for Germany (and the Mosel in particular) even within the context of a run of impressive vintages dating back to 2001. Pure, clean fruit and bright acid are the hallmarks of the vintage, but they have density and power to back it up. We’ve gone long on these wine and are proud to feature a number of them (including some rare magnums) today!
Joh. Jos. Prum Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Auslese, Mosel 2015 750ML ($49.95) $41.90 pre-arrival special, arriving in March
Joh. Jos. Prum Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Auslese, Mosel 2015 375ML ($29.95) $26 pre-arrival special, arriving in March
Joh. Jos. Prum Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Auslese, Mosel 2015 1.5L ($119.95) $89 pre-arrival special, arriving in March
Mosel Fine Wines 95 points “This offers a gorgeous nose of yellow peach, honey, candy floss and herbs. The wine is hugely complex on the palate and leaves a superbly clean feel full of creamy exotic fruits and herbs in the impeccably balanced and long finish. 2025-2045”
This is the lowest listed price for the 375ML in the USA today!
This is the only listing for the magnum in the USA today!
Joh. Jos. Prum Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel, Mosel 2015 750ML ($119.95) $89 pre-arrival special, arriving in March
Joh. Jos. Prum Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel, Mosel 2015 375ML ($59.95) $49 pre-arrival special, arriving in March
Joh. Jos. Prum Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel, Mosel 1.5L ($219.95) $199 pre-arrival special, arriving in March
Mosel Fine Wines 95 points “This offers a gorgeous nose of melon, grapefruit, spices, herbs and honey. The wine develops a superbly clean feel of aniseed fruits, pear and a hint of apricot and honey on the palate, which gives way to a delicately creamy sense of fruits and herbs in the delicately honeyed finish. This is a beautifully elegant and superbly balanced wine in the making. 2030-2055”
This is the lowest listed price for the 375ML and the 750ML in the USA today!
This is the only listing for the magnum in the USA today!
Joh. Jos. Prum Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Kabinett, Mosel 2015 750ML ($31.95) $26 pre-arrival special, arriving in March
Joh. Jos. Prum Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Kabinett, Mosel 2015 1.5L ($79.95) $66 pre-arrival special, arriving in March
Mosel Fine Wines 92 points “This offers a delicately creamy yet vibrant nose of cassis, fresh yellow fruits, herbs and spices. The wine is still rather firm but hugely pleasing on the palate and leaves a stunning feel in a long and zesty finish. There is hardly any feel of sweetness here as acidity drives the aromatics in the finish. 2025-2035”
Joh. Jos. Prum Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Spatlese, Mosel 2015 750ML ($39.95) $33 pre-arrival special, arriving in March
Joh. Jos. Prum Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Spatlese, Mosel 2015 1.5L ($99.95) $79 pre-arrival special, arriving in March
Mosel Fine Wines 92+ points “This is still quite reduced at first but already offers a gorgeous nose of dried herbs, spices, melon, almond (from reduction) and cassis. The wine reveals quite a playful side on the palate as its juicy fruits are wrapped into a mineral and smoky core of smoke. The wine is delicately ripe yet vibrant acidity brings freshness and liveliness to the long and mouth-watering finish. This is a superb Spätlese with even some upside potential. 2025-2045”
Joh. Jos. Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese, Mosel 2015 750ML ($59.95) $47 pre-arrival special, arriving in March
Joh. Jos. Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese, Mosel 2015 1.5L ($119.95) $99 pre-arrival special, arriving in March
Mosel Fine Wines 95 points “This offers a hugely elegant nose of pear, grapefruit, herbs and white flowers. The wine is intensely zesty yet also delicately creamy on the palate and leads to a finish which is, simply put, to die for. What a wine! 2025-2045”
This is the lowest listed price for the 750ML and the magnum in the USA today!
Joh. Jos. Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel, Mosel 2015 375ML ($79.95) $59 pre-arrival special, arriving in March
Joh. Jos. Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel, Mosel 2015 1.5L ($249.95) $219 pre-arrival special, arriving in March
Mosel Fine Wines 96 points “This delivers a stunning nose of infused pear, slate and white flowers which give way to coconut and pineapple. A deliciously exotic side runs through the wine on the palate. This, combined with zesty acidity, gives the wine great freshness, vibrancy and finesse. The finish is all about whipped cream, pear puree and candied grapefruit. What a beauty! 2030-2055”
This is the lowest listed price for the 375ML and the magnum in the USA today!
Joh. Jos. Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett, Mosel 2015 1.5L ($89.95) $77 pre-arrival special, arriving in March
Mosel Fine Wines 94 points “This little jewel of a Kabinett immediately captures one’s attention as elegant scents of white flowers, herbs, smoke and cassis emerge from the glass. The wine is beautifully elegant and fresh as mint, herbs, white flowers and more fruits hit the palate. The wine remains stunningly precise right into the incredibly long, clean and juicy finish. The sense of focus which runs through the whole wine is simply mind-boggling as it adds intensity and precision to already airy flavors. What an absolute beauty made in a true Kabinett style! 2025-2040+”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Joh. Jos. Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spatlese, Mosel 2015 1.5L ($119.95) $89 pre-arrival special, arriving in March
Mosel Fine Wines 93 points “This offers a stunning nose of delicately yellow fruits, white flowers, melon, and grapefruit. The wine is gorgeously smooth on the palate with nicely playful acidity and elegant fresh herbs bringing great freshness to the delicately creamy yet vibrant finish. This is plain beautiful with great presence and under toned ripe elegance. 2025-2045”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
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Arriving in May
The 2015s from Markus Molitor
Weingut Markus Molitor Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Auslese***, Mosel 2015 750ML ($99.95) $89 pre-arrival special, arriving in May
Mosel Fine Wines 92-94 points “This offers a big yet beautiful nose of canned yellow peach, apricot and honeyed herbs. The wine is delicately oily on the palate and leaves a superbly complex feel of apricot, date and honeyed herbs in the long finish. This is nicely made, full blown BA-styled dessert wine. 2030-2055+.”
Weingut Markus Molitor Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Kabinett Feinherb, Mosel 2015 750ML ($27.95) $21.90 pre-arrival special, arriving in May
Weingut Markus Molitor Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Spatlese, Mosel 2015 750ML ($34.95) $28 pre-arrival special, arriving in May
Mosel Fine Wines 91 points “A hint of volatile gives way to a rather exotic and intense nose of pineapple and coconut which one would rather expect from an Auslese GK. The wine proves however lively and precise on the palate and leaves a delicately creamy feel in the long and rich finish of this outstanding Auslese-styled wine. 2025-2045.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Weingut Markus Molitor Wehlener Klosterberg Riesling Auslese, Mosel 2015 750ML ($59.95) $49 pre-arrival special, arriving in May
Mosel Fine Wines 93 points “This delivers a beautiful nose of yellow peach, almond cream, pineapple and poached pear. The wine proves juicy and quite ripe on the palate with honeyed flavors of yellow fruits coming through in the long and smooth finish. There is a touch of acidity coming through in the after-taste which lifts up the aromatic. This needs a decade to fully shine. 2025-2045.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Weingut Markus Molitor Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese, Mosel 2015 750ML ($99.95) $89 pre-arrival special, arriving in May
Mosel Fine Wines 95-97 points “This stunner of a wine offers a ravishingly airy and silky nose of yellow fruits, grapefruit, pear and spices. The wine is delicately oily yet aromatically incredibly precise as raisin, date and spices emerge on the palate. The finish, far from being cloying, proves airy, elegant and hugely persistent. This is a great slightly powerful BA-styled wine in the making! 2030-2055+.”
Weingut Markus Molitor Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett, Mosel 2015 750ML ($27.95) $21.90 pre-arrival special, arriving in May
Mosel Fine Wines 91 points “This offers a gorgeously ripe nose of white flowers, slate, pear and lemon. The wine is nicely zesty and vibrant on the palate. A delicately creamy side brings Spätlese intensity to the overall nicely elegant finish. 2025-2035.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Weingut Markus Molitor Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spatlese, Mosel 2015 750ML ($34.95) $28 pre-arrival special, arriving in May
Mosel Fine Wines 93 points “This wine is still very much reduced but already hints at gorgeous scents of white mint, pear, yellow peach and minerals on the nose. It proves rather creamy on the palate (by Spätlese standards) as exotic pineapple and coconut give the finish an almost Auslese GK style. As such, it is a truly remarkable effort but wine lovers expecting a light Spätlese should stay clear of this. 2025-2045.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Weingut Markus Molitor Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese**, Mosel 2015 750ML ($59.95) $49 pre-arrival special, arriving in May
Mosel Fine Wines 93 points “This offers a rather rich nose driven by apricot blossom, yellow peach, a hint of pineapple and some dried herbs. The wine is elegant and beautifully creamy on the palate, leaving one with an airy and fresh feel in the intense finish. This is a beautiful light-weighted Auslese in the making. 2025-2045.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Weingut Markus Molitor Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese***, Mosel 2015 750ML ($99.95) $89 pre-arrival special, arriving in May
Mosel Fine Wines 94-97 points “This offers a beautiful nose driven by baked pineapple, apricot, herbs and spices. The wine is beautifully elegant and, despite being creamy and oily on the palate, retains great vibrancy with zesty acidity wrapping passion fruit and other exotic fruits. This beautiful “Auslese lange GK”-styled wine proves superbly well-made as it leaves an ethereally long feel in the intense finish. 2030-2055+.”
Weingut Markus Molitor Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett, Mosel 2015 750ML ($27.95) $21.90 pre-arrival special, arriving in May
Mosel Fine Wines 92 points “This delivers a gorgeous nose of cassis, minty herbs and spices. The wine delivers the rich creaminess of a Spätlese if not Auslese on the palate but leaves a stunningly floral and fruit-infused feel in the long and intense finish. This may not be a light Kabinett but proves an utterly delicious light Auslese. 2025-2045.”
Weingut Markus Molitor Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Spatlese, Mosel 2015 750ML ($34.95) $28 pre-arrival special, arriving in May
Mosel Fine Wines 92 points “This offers a gorgeous nose of yellow fruits, spices and herbs. The wine is delicately creamy on the palate and leaves the rich and hauntingly complex side of a full-blown Auslese in the smooth and delicate finish. 2025-2045.”
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Last Call…
For Roederer!
The Cristal has sold out, but we’ve still got Roederer and Roederer Estate
In Stock Now
Roederer Estate Brut, Anderson Valley NV 750ML ($24.95) $16 special
Wine Enthusiast 92 points “Thickly moussed, Roederer’s Brut, 60% Chardonnay blended with 40% Pinot Noir, aged two years on yeast is affordable and luxurious. A gorgeous, very dry sparkling wine with aromatics of honey, raisin, apple and pear, it is rich and soft and offers both depth and length. It’s an ideal marriage of bright acidity and ripe fruit character.” WE
Wine Spectator 90 points “Elegantly balances lively crispness with plush, rich fruit and notes of fresh cherry, baked apple and brioche, ending with a long, minerally finish. Drink now.”
Roederer Estate L’Ermitage Brut, Anderson Valley 2009 750ML ($49.95) $33 special
Case-6 Roederer Estate L’Ermitage Brut, Anderson Valley 2009 750ML ($259.95) $179 special
Wine Spectator 92 points “[$48 list] A luxurious sparkler, with toasty brioche, mineral and lemon brûlée aromas and rich, complex flavors of crisp apple and raspberry, showing accents of fresh ginger and spice.”
Louis Roederer Brut, Champagne 2008 750ML ($79.95) $54.50 special, 16 bottles available
Wine Enthusiast 95 points “A deliciously ripe wine, full of fruit as well as a great mineral texture. It completely expresses the exceptional 2008 with all its structure. Still young, it’s all fruit and freshness that promise serious bottle aging. Drink this complex, serious wine from 2017.” WE
Wine Spectator 93 points ” Elegant and harmonious, with bright acidity enlivening the refined and creamy mousse and flavors of pastry, creamed pear, crushed blackberry, spun honey and slivered almond. A streak of chalky mineral resonates through the wine and lingers on the finish. Drink now through 2028.” WS
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $74
Louis Roederer Blanc de Blancs Brut Millesime, Champagne 2009 750ML ($89.95) $69 special, 16 bottles available
Wine Spectator 92 points “Floral verbena and tangy Meyer Lemon notes lead the way in this lithe and elegant Champagne, with vibrant acidity and a mineral-tinged underpinning framing the palate’s crunchy white peach, brioche and salted almond flavors. Drink now through 2029.” WS
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $81
Louis Roederer et Philippe Starck Brut Nature Millesime, Champagne 2009 750ML ($79.95) $59 special, 21 bottles available
James Suckling 94 points “The clarity of chalk and white almond is striking. Gentle perfume with some light cherry fruits, peach, grapefruit and lemon citrus. The palate has a piercing burst of lemon and grapefruit flavor on the front and builds into gently biscuity and more savory flavors through the middle. Holds on to bright zesty acidity into the finish. Smooth, resolved and balanced. Really detailed.”
Louis Roederer Brut Premier, Champagne NV 750ML ($49.95) $36 special, 36+ bottles available
Wine Spectator 92 points “Finely knit and elegant overall, this vivacious Champagne is creamy and satiny in texture, with layers of yellow plum, chalk, toast, glazed apricot and lemon curd. Offers a lingering, smoke-tinged finish. Drink now through 2020.”