Saint Cosme’s Best Value Cotes du Rhone
We’ve Got More Lapierre Lined Up
Our Best Selling Bordeaux of 2018 Returns
The Gold Medal Winning Umani Ronchi Verdicchio
Two Powerful Portuguese Reds
The Best of New York?
Trending Wines of the Weekend
The February Sale Ends Friday
New Marcus Molitor Arriving Tomorrow
One of the Best Values in Top End Rioja?
February Sale Recap
On St. Cosme’s Best Value Cotes du Rhone
“Louis Barruol’s famed Gigondas estate, Chateau de Saint Cosme is the most ancient estate in the region, located on the site of an old Gallo-Roman villa, which very probably already had vines of its own. The estate’s existence in 1416 has been clearly attested by a document mentioning the granting decree by Jean de Chalon, Prince of Orange, with the Barruol family ancestors taking it over in 1570 and making it one of the great wine producers in the Rhone, with Louis Barruol himself taking it to the top tier of the wine world. Making primarily cru Gigondas, Barruol also makes a wide range of region wines, both north and south and has shown a wonderful touch with Syrah, doing fabulous Cote-Rotie, Crozes-Hermitage and Saint-Joseph as well as this 100% Syrah Cotes-du-Rhone.” – Kerry Winslow, Grapelive
Re-Arriving Friday:
Saint Cosme Cotes du Rhone 2017 750ML ($17.95) $14 pre-arrival special
Case-12 Saint Cosme Cotes du Rhone 2017 750ML ($189.95) $149 pre-arrival special (that’s only $12.42/bottle—the lowest listed price in the USA today!)
Grapelive 92 points “Saint Cosme’s Cotes-duRhone, grown on a mix of soils, including red clay, pebbles and limestone sands all hillside vines is partial whole cluster and all tank raised. Always a wine of value and purity it gives a ton of character, personality and never disappoints in any vintage, and this one is an exceptional year. In 2017, low yields produced wines with lots of intensity and depth with hedonistic density, but with vibrant fresh detail, with what Barruol notes, adds crunchiness and salinity to this beautiful red wine. This 2017, which is an amazing follow up to the great 2015 and 2016 versions that I loved, delivers boysenberry, sweet blueberry and plum fruit as well as savory spices, a touch of meat, black licorice and a inner perfume of violets and lavender. Rounded tannins give structure, making this wine perform at a higher level than one would expect and this vintage in particular will age well, maybe a decade or more, impressive for the price!”
Lapierre Morgon is one of the iconic wines of France. With Foillard, Lapierre represents the reference point for many in Beaujolais. Marcel Lapierre was one of the “Gang of Four” and his son and daughter continue his work today at the same high level that made the estate famous. These are brilliant wines, combining juicy, succulent fruit with the ability to age and gain the profundity that provides. The only issue we’ve had with them is availability—Lapierre makes some of the best wine you can buy for the money and as a result, allocations tighten every year. Either prices are going to go up in the next few years or the wines are going to be even harder to find, but no matter what, you’d be well served to stock up now.
Arriving ETA Mid-March
Domaine Marcel Lapierre Morgon, Beaujolais 2017 750ML ($41.95) $29 pre-arrival special
Case-6 Domaine Marcel Lapierre Morgon, Beaujolais 2017 750ML ($219.95) $165 pre-arrival special
James Suckling 94 points “Some very stony and flinty aromas with graphite. Red and dark plums, too. Smells fresh and very complex already. The palate has great density and a fine, compressed tannin texture, as well as a very focused finish. Spiced black cherries and blackberries, cassis and dark chocolate to close. Short carbonic maceration and juice is racked off during the carbonic process. A captivatingly powerful but focused Morgon. No Côte du Puy due to the hail in 2017. Best from 2020”
Also, One Double-Magnum, In Stock Now:
Domaine Marcel Lapierre Morgon, Beaujolais 2017 3L ($199.95) $179 special
James Suckling 94 points “Some very stony and flinty aromas with graphite. Red and dark plums, too. Smells fresh and very complex already. The palate has great density and a fine, compressed tannin texture, as well as a very focused finish. Spiced black cherries and blackberries, cassis and dark chocolate to close. Short carbonic maceration and juice is racked off during the carbonic process. A captivatingly powerful but focused Morgon. No Côte du Puy due to the hail in 2017. Best from 2020”
Top Value Pomerol
Chateau Bel-Air Pomerol 2010 750ML ($37.95) $28 pre-arrival special
Case-12 Chateau Bel-Air Pomerol 2010 750ML ($419.95) $299 pre-arrival special (that’s only $24.92/bottle!)
Grapelive 92 points “The vintage shows through here without question, a great year makes this lovely Pomerol a terrific value and wonderfully textured wine from Chateau Bel-Air. This dark and full bodied Pomerol hits all the right notes and does so with class, vitality and verve. It shows beautiful detail and complexity in a forceful, but elegantly pure Merlot. This is really seductive stuff in the glass, holding its own against far more expensive labels with ease and poise. The rich layers of fruit, mineral tones and sweet tannin give decadence and refined structure, highlighting Merlot’s promise in a world that sometimes lacks the respect of this often maligned varietal. Chateau Bel-Air has captured in the bottle the right bank’s charm and beauty in this 2010, it shows terroir, with subtle loamy/earth, plummy dense mouth feel and stylish silken length with a wine that has the potential to age another 10 to 15 years, but is pretty darn good right now too. The lead off here is dark floral tones a hint of smoky cedar and black cherry fruit with blackberry, plum, dark kirsch liqueur along with a touch of mint, dried clay, a touch of cigar wrapper and vanilla. This fine Bordeaux delivers well beyond its price and is wonderful with food choices that range from duck breast, lamb, roast pork, wild mushroom dishes to prime rib, and or any comforting winter fare really, and it can also be enjoyed with cheeses or on its own. This is the kind of wine that brings you back to Bordeaux, and certainly makes you wonder why you don’t drink more Merlot. Drink this Chateau Bel-Air Pomerol from 2016 to 2028.”
The next best price is $39.99
That’s a difference of over $11/btl!
Umani Ronchi Verdicchio
In Stock Now:
Umani Ronchi Casal di Serra Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore, Marche 2017 750ML ($21.95) $18 special
Decanter 96 points “Gold Medal: Very attractive and classic varietal nose with herby fruit and grassy notes. The palate offers crisp acidity with a little bit of waxiness and tasty stone fruit flavours. Lovely, long, finish. A classy wine to be enjoyed sooner rather than later.”
Wine Enthusiast 91 points “This wine’s enticing aromas of jasmine, Granny Smith apple and white peach float from the glass. The medium-bodied, concentrated palate doles out Bartlett pear, ripe grapefruit, ginger and sage touches alongside bright acidity and energizing mineral sensations. Drink through 2023.”
Arriving Tomorrow:
Quinta da Falorca Touriga Nacional, Dao 2011 750ML ($59.95) $39 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 95 points “The 2011 Touriga Nacional Quinta Da Falorca is a blend of Touriga grapes from three plots, two with 40 years of age and the third at ten. It was aged in new French oak for 18 months. The combination of power, finesse and seduction here make this more than a little enticing. To be sure, it is rather unevolved and it needs to pull in a little oak. Even now, though, it is slowly gathering itself. The crisp, flavorful finish, balance and good structure will support this for a couple of decades in all likelihood. It finishes with controlled power and persistent flavor. It is always a wine that leans a bit to the Burgundian and this year is no different. I liked last year’s version a lot. That may in fact be a bit lusher. This has a bit more lift, focus and penetration, granting that they are not now side-by-side. It is a very nice duo. In the long run, this will win out. It was far superior the next day, its combination of finesse and precision winning out. It has an Old-World feel (forgive the stereotype).”
Quinta Da Falorca Reserva Lagar, Dao 2011 750ML ($59.95) $39 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 95 points “The 2011 Reserva Quinta Da Falorca Lagar is a blend of Touriga Nacional (70%), Alfrocheiro (15%) and Tinta Roriz (15)%, aged for 18 months in new French oak. On opening, this didn’t seem anywhere near as silky as the Touriga Nacional, also reviewed. On the second day, if anything, it was more so, very Burgundian and very graceful, but also more powerful, with a bit more astringency on the finish. There are expressive fruit flavors around the edges, but, as with the Touriga, this is unevolved and needs time despite its late release. It is potentially a big winner, but I liked the Touriga slightly better just now. That could easily change.”
Forge Puts the Finger Lakes on the International Map
It’s not as though the Finger Lakes are incredibly obscure—Hermann Weimer and Konstantin Frank have been producing excellent wines for quite some time, but it’s not a region in the forefront of attention in the wine industry. We think that needs to change and that the Forge wines are going to be the catalyst.
These are dynamic wines, both Riesling and Pinot Noir, which capture the cool-climate nature of the Finger Lakes, but with enough ripeness and fruit to give the wines real gravitas and power. The Rieslings are dry, with more extract and power than you’d expect. Compared to the other wines in the region they have weight that’s nearly unmatched.
These are wines you must try, at prices that are beyond reasonable for the quality of the bottles. These are wines that have put a region on the international map, a really difficult feat.
In Stock Now:
Forge Cellars ‘Les Allies’ Riesling, Finger Lakes 2015 750ML ($29.95) $24 special
Wine Spectator 91 points “Rich, with good intensity to the mix of apricot, nectarine and peach flavors, lined with bitter almond and ginger notes through the lengthy finish. Has weight and zip. Drink now through 2020. 262 cases made. “
Winery notes: “Every year Les Alliés evolves naturally by “uncovering” itself. Our indigenous yeast fermentations proceed very slowly. It’s not in spring, but in the summer after the vintage that we are finally able to move toward bottling the wines. Once fermentations are complete, our team begins diligently tasting through each of our 70 barrels and two tanks, giving each a detailed rating and review, and writing personal tasting notes. When we talk about small batch and individualized fermentations, we really mean it — 70 separate, small French barriques from 10 individual vineyards, each with its own story and personality. Along the way, we decide that some very special barrels are stand-outs, and by consensus, the most exceptional of our Rieslings and Pinots. This is the consensus that makes up Les Alliés — the allies, the partners, the united ones. We don’t “make” Les Alliés, we discover it together, and it’s an easy decision because it tells us what it wants to be.”
Wine Spectator 91 points “On the richer side, with a mix of nectarine, tangerine and peach flavors that are broad but still have ample cut thanks to quinine, orange zest and honeysuckle notes zipping through the finish. Distinctive. Drink now through 2021.”
Winery Notes: One of our purist expressions of terroir on Seneca Lake, this mature shale-laden, “Grand Cru” site continues to merit a stand-alone bottling. Intensely focused, the 2017 yields notes of candied orange peel, mango and fresh mint. Leidenfrost encapsulates this history of wine growing and the quality it is capable of producing. Similar to Peach Orchard, the ripeness achieved this year by Leidenfrost could be likened to high performance athletes whose talent enables them to overcome rival athletes effortlessly. This is most certainly a must-try wine. –LB
Wine Spectator 91 points “Jasmine and mustard seed notes lead the way here, backed by a mix of yellow apple, mirabelle plum and citrus oil flavors. Shows good intensity through the finish. Drink now through 2022. 5,773 cases made. –JM”
Winery Notes: Our most important wine aims to reveal the true nature of the vintage and to explore the terroir of lower east Seneca Lake. Due to our focus on this narrow 8-mile stretch of slope on the southeast side which includes 13 of our 14 Riesling vineyards, this is our first labeling under the Seneca Lake AVA. In 2017, we chose not to make our top cuvée, Les Alliés Riesling, and de-classified our fruit in order to ensure the absolute best quality would remain in our core wine. Candied lemon, apricot peel, Asian pear, and anise join with salinity to give impeccable freshness. “You and I carry within us the genetic characters of all our ancestors, which have mixed together and made us unique, well-rounded, complex individuals. This is how our Riesling is born: it encapsulates the characteristics of all our vineyard sites and of our unfailing, passionate commitment to excellence.” –LB
Wine Enthusiast 92 points– Cellar Selection “Patience will reward those who wait for this stunning wine to reveal itself. It’s initially smoky and closed, but time and aeration bring out penetrating black-cherry and berry flavors. It’s such a seductively perfumed wine with a lingering finish nuanced by spice and violet petals. High-toned acidity and fine upright tannins will keep this wine lively for many years to come.”
Ulysses Vineyard, Napa Valley 2013 750ML ($189.95) $149 special
James Suckling 98 points “Fabulous subtle aromas of black currants, violets and lilacs with a hot stone undertone. Full-bodied and dense, it shows such wonderful energy and synergy that delivers a firm yet gentle tannin backbone and complex mouthfeel that seduces you. Evolves wonderfully. Second wine from this new estate, which is owned by Christian Moueix of Dominus and Bordeaux.”
Robert Parker 96 points “The 2013 Ulysses is absolutely mind-boggling, as so many wines from this vintage are. Gorgeous blueberry and blackberry fruit, along with the telltale cassis and floral notes, jump from the glass. Again, this is Pauillac-like, with some cedar wood and subtle barrique smells. Again produced nearly all from Cabernet Sauvignon, the wine is full-bodied, powerful, rich and long, with slightly sweeter tannins than the 2012. Production in 2013 was 960 cases, and Moueix told me that the entire growing season averaged about two and half weeks ahead of schedule from bloom break to harvest. This is a prodigious effort and will certainly stand as the great Ulysses of the first trio to be released. I suspect it will be drinkable in 3-4 years and keep for 30 or more, given the Moueix track record.”
Antonio Galloni 95+ points “Gravel, smoke, graphite, savory herbs, tobacco and iron are some of the signatures in the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon. A typical wine from the eastern sector of Oakville on the border with Yountville, the 2013 is loaded with feral, savory notes, while the expression of blue/blackish fruit lies a bit more in the background. In 2013, the main signature is an expression of structure that is both vertical but also incredibly insistent through to the finish. In other words, this is a super-classic 2013 built for the cellar.
Dr. H. Thanisch (VDP) Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Spatlese, Mosel 2016 750ML ($39.95) $33 special
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 92+ points “The 2016 Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Spätlese offers a clear, elegant nose with bright fruit, green asparagus and flinty aromas. Racy and lush on the palate, this is a refreshing, elegant but still pretty sweet Spätlese with crystalline, piquant acidity and structure. The finish is long and complex, but the wine needs a decade to integrate all its components into a fine and elegant Spätlese. Tasted March 2018.”
Mosel Fine Wines 92 points “The 2016er Badstube Spätlese offers a nice nose made of pear, white peach, cassis, minty herbs and a hint of whipped cream. The wine is nicely playful and loaded with white fruits and minerals on the palate. The finish is beautifully playful and complex. While still young, this hints at great potential. 2026-2041”
David Schildknecht – Vinous 90 points “A glossy, glycerol-rich palate features sappy concentration of ripe pear and apple. A scent of honeysuckle persists inner-mouth. The finish is impressively sustained, refreshingly juicy and mouthwateringly salt-tinged.”
Scott Paul The Long Run Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills 2011 750ML ($59.95) $33 special
Josh Raynolds 92 points “(12.9% alcohol; 20% new oak): Light, bright red. Sexy, high-pitched red berry and floral scents, with notes of star anise, underbrush and sassafras adding complexity. Offers intense raspberry and bitter cherry flavors, along with notes of rhubarb, candied flowers and orange zest. This lithe, focused, pure pinot finishes linear and very long, with echoing floral and spice notes. Pinot purists should definitely check this one out.”
Wine Enthusiast 92 points “Previously labeled as Les Gourmandises, this is now The Long Run in honor of Scott Wright’s completing his first full-length marathon in 2011. It’s all Nysa vineyard fruit, graceful and delicate, scented with rose water and satin smooth. Cranberry and wild strawberry fruit accents lead into a mouthful of cherry soda, delicate but lingering.”
Vilmart & Cie ‘Coeur de Cuvee’ Premier Cru Brut, Champagne 2009 750ML ($179.95) $115 pre-arrival special
Antonio Galloni 94 points “A racy, exuberant wine, the 2009 Coeur de Cuvée offers up a super-appealing mélange of apricot, butter, baked apple tart and vanillin. The combination of the ripe, warm vintage along with fermentation and aging in small French oak barrels yielded an especially opulent Coeur de Cuvée with plenty of exotic and tropical overtones. The 2009 will be ready to drink with minimal cellaring.”
The average price is $151
Domaine de la Mordoree Chateauneuf-du-Pape La Dame Voyageuse, Rhone 2016 750ML ($59.95) $49 special
Jeb Dunnuck 95 points “The new entry-level release from this estate is the 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Dame Voyageuse, a more Grenache-dominated blend of 90% Grenache, 4% each of Mourvèdre and Syrah, and the balance Counoise and Vaccarèse. Aged mostly in tank, with 15% in old barrels, it boasts a deep violet/purple color as well as a full-bodied, voluptuous style in its blueberry and cherry fruits, violets, damp earth, and spice-laced aromas and flavors. This cuvée is always more upfront and sexier compared to the more structured La Reine des Bois cuvée, and it’s already drinking brilliantly today. Nevertheless, it will keep for a good 10-15 years if you’re so inclined.”
Olivier Riviere ‘El Cadastro’, Arlanza 2014 750ML ($39.95) $28 special
Case-12 Olivier Riviere ‘El Cadastro’, Arlanza 2014 750ML ($419.95) $299 special (that’s only $24.92/bottle!)
Luis Gutierez-Wine Advocate 95 points “The 2013 was not produced, so we jumped to the 2014 Viñas del Cadastro, an old-vine cuvée with some varieties mixed in the field together with the Tempranillo, mostly some Garnacha, but also some isolated plants of Bobal, Garnacha Tintorera or other varieties. This is a ‘domaine’ wine, produced with grapes from his own vineyards, including the grapes from his flagship vineyard El Quemado in the years where it’s not bottled. There is a lot more depth and complexity here; it’s not heavy at all and it’s very balanced, and it feels like a very good vintage for this wine. It was produced with extremely low yields, some 1,500 kilos of grapes from hectare, but it doesn’t have the astringency you often find in very low yields; the vines seem to have achieved very good balance. It combines floral notes with some red and black wild berries and just a spicy twist. The wine opens up nicely with time in the glass. The tannins are very fine with the subtle austerity from the stony, deep gravel soils, coming through as extremely elegant and definitively fresher than 2012, with the alcohol pretty integrated despite having some 14.5% by volume. This is a superb Arlanza, by far the best wine I know from the small appellation. This isn’t cheap, but for the quality, it still represents very good value. 6,000 bottles were filled in September 2016. Frenchman Olivier Rivière has decided to only release his top wine from Arlanza, El Quemado, in the very best vintages, so he will bottle it in 2015 and 2016, which will be the first since 2011. In the mean time, all the best grapes go to the Viñas del Cadastro cuvée.”
The average price is $34
The other Italian Petrus slayer—at a third the price of Masseto.
Tua Rita Redigaffi Toscana IGT, Tuscany 2015 750ML ($299.95) Was $228, Now $219 February Sale Special
James Suckling 100 points “This is an extraordinary merlot with such purity and focus. Flowers such as violets and hints of orange peel. It is full-bodied yet incredibly energetic and structured. The finish goes on for minutes. Seamless texture. Fresh yet dense. Contrasty. Best Redigaffi ever. Hard not to drink now but a wine for decades.”
Wine Spectator 95 points “Lush and polished, featuring a cashmere texture caressing vanilla, chocolate, black cherry and plum flavors. Well-balanced, with a persistent finish. The harmony hides a solid structure. Decant now. Merlot. Best from 2020 through 2032.”
The average price is $264
Domaine de Cristia Chateauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes, Rhone 2015 750ML ($99.95) Was $79, Now $71.90 February Sale Special
Wine Spectator 97 points “This delivers a lush, enticing blast of cassis and raspberry and boysenberry preserve flavors, carried by a silky structure that lets the fruit play out at length, giving adequate time for black tea, singed apple wood, dried anise and fruitcake notes to fill in throughout. Dreamy. Grenache. Best from 2020 through 2040.”
The average price nationally is $86
Avignonesi Vin Santo di Montepulciano, Tuscany 2001 375ML ($219.95) Was $199, Now $169 February Sale Special
Wine Advocate 98 points “The 2001 Vin Santo di Montepulciano (375 milliliters) is a divine and superbly delicious sweet blend of Trebbiano, Malvasia and Grechetto. The results are super concentrated and simmered down to a virtual reduction sauce of deliciousness. There are so many aromas to name, but some of the most evident highlights include candied orange peel, almond marzipan, caramel, toasted coffee bean, vanilla stick, mocha, dark honey and fragrant yellow rose. The mouthfeel is creamy, rich and deeply layered. I’m suggesting a slightly shorter drinking window here compared to the Occhio di Pernice. But, the truth is: I have no idea. I’m pretty sure these wines will outlive anyone of legal drinking age.”
The next best price is $229.90
Domaine Faiveley Les Damodes, Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru 2015 750ML ($99.95) Was $89, Now $79 February Sale Special
Burghound 91-93 points “This is completely different with its brooding and reserved nose of ripe extract of black cherry along with plenty of earth, floral and sauvage hints. The powerful and concentrated middle weight plus flavors possess a lush and velvety mouth feel while displaying ample muscle on the structured, serious and impressively persistent finale. Like the Clos de l’Ecu, this moderately rustic effort will need patience.”
Now it’s even lower!
The average price is $100
Il Poggione Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Tuscany 2012 750ML ($89.95) Was $59, Now $49 February Sale Special
Wine Advocate 95+ points “Il Poggione is a Brunello superstar and a vintage like this reveals every reason why that affirmation is true. From the second the 2012 Brunello di Montalcino pours into the glass, you know you are in for something special. The wine is darkly saturated and rich in appearance. Absent are those slightly amber or browning hues you often get with Sangiovese in a hot vintage. Nor does the wine show flat or tired characteristics. Instead, the quality of fruit is vibrant and rich. This is a healthy, generous and exuberant Brunello with dark density and succulent fruit flavors that are followed by integrated spice and tobacco. The balance is impressive and one thing you get here is fresh acidity. This is not to be underestimated, because the acidity quota in the 2012 vintage across the appellation is not as high or evident as usual. This is one of the year’s best Brunellos.”
Ian D’agata – Vinous 93+ points “Good full red. Medicinal red cherry, raspberry, sweet spices and mint on the fresh, precise nose. Bright and sweet, with a penetrating, austere quality to its flavors of red fruits, minerals and medicinal herbs. Harmonious acidity nicely frames the pure, long, youthfully tight finish. Lovely young Brunello that will repay cellaring.”
Louis Latour Cuvee Heritiers Latour Chambertin Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits 2015 750ML ($279.95) Was $229, Now $199 February Sale Special
James Suckling 97 points “So much dried-flower character on the nose with dark fruit and zest of orange peel. Full body, soft and velvety tannins and a long and flavorful finish. So sexy and delicious already. A little more than 100 cases made. Drink or hold.”
The average price is $78
Louis Latour Romanee-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru Les Quatre Journaux, Cote de Nuits 2015 750ML ($599.95) Was $499, Now $399 February Sale Special
James Suckling 98 points “So perfumed and aromatic with fabulous character of flowers, dark berries and chalk. Full-bodied and voluptuous. Ripe and velvety tannins and a long and flavorful finish. A wine with great potential and depth. Flamboyant. Drink in 2022.”
Wine Advocate 94 points “The 2015 Romanee St Vivant les Quatre Journaux Grand Cru is a lovely wine, and one which is likely to surprise in blind tastings in a few years’ time. A pretty nose of rose petal, ripe red cherry, dark chocolate, anise and incipient smoked duck introduces a full-bodied, supple wine with a lavish, expansive attack, good depth, and an ample chassis of fine-grained tannins. The finish is deceptively long. This wine seems likely to be one of the more approachable 2015 grand crus and should give pleasure throughout a broad window.”
The next best price is $495.95
This is the essence of the brilliance of Marcus Molitor. Most winemakers would pick once or twice (or three times) in a vineyard and vinify many lots together—it’s easier and the wines are good. Molitor, though, asks what each parcel and pick would be like on its own—treated as if it were a wine of distinction rather than a blending component. This is a lot of extra work and requires time and space that most winemakers would rather not spend, but the result is a dizzying number of bottlings that all strive toward perfection.
The critical praise backs this up—Marcus Molitor’s wines are some of the most lauded in the world. Whether white capsule (dry), green capsule (off-dry), or gold capsule (fruity to nobly sweet), he manages to produce wines that captivate and astound. 2016 is among the best vintages he’s produced—possibly better across the board than the lauded 15’s. We have a final tranche of 2016s arriving tomorrow—wines that are worth the time of any lover of Mosel wine.
Arriving Tomorrow:
Markus Molitor Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Auslese** Green Kap Mosel 2016 750ML ($59.95) $51.90 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 96 points “The 2016 Riesling Bernkasteler Badstube Auslese ** (Green Capsule) offers a pretty clear and delicate, fresh and flinty bouquet with bright fruit aromas and clayey wet slate notes. On the palate, this is a tensioned, fresh, mineral and tightly woven Auslese in the medium sweet style. It’s truly piquant and fresh, and the ripe, concentrated fruit is well balanced by vibrating minerals and phenolic grip. The finish is very long and fine, with a lot of salinity and slatey freshness. This is an impressive wine, but you should be patient with it. Tasted March 2018.”
Stuart Pigott- jamessuckling.com 94 points “A ton of spices and minerality here. There is also a lot of juiciness and some perceptible sweetness on the middle-palate. A very clean vibrant finish follows and pulls you back for more. Drink or hold.”
Markus Molitor Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Auslese*** Feinherb (Green Kap), Mosel 2016 750ML ($99.95) $89 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 98 points “The 2016 Riesling Graacher Himmelreich Auslese *** (Green Capsule) is deep and complex on the nose, though discreet in its fruit expression straight from the bottle. However, the fruit is beautifully flinty, fresh and really fine. Lush and round on the palate, this is a full-bodied, ripe and intense yet well-balanced and elegant Himmelreich whose sweetness of roughly 30 grams per liter is still prominent at this young age. However, the wine is intense, long, firmly structured, very mineral and provided with serious tannins and a lot of stones. I am tasting it far too early (and straight after the three-starred Rosenberg Auslese), but it’s a highly promising Riesling from a great vintage for the Mosel. Bottled in September 2017; tasted March 2018.”
Stuart Pigott-jamessuckling.com 96 points “A remarkable 2016 Mosel riesling that’s just off-dry. Stunning apricots and fresh herbs in the nose. Dense, succulent and yet elegant. The finish is a cascade of herbal notes, ripe fruit and floral honey. A very long and clean finish with a lot of power. Drink or hold.”
Stuart Pigott-jamessuckling.com 93 POINTS “Plenty of white- and yellow-peach aromas with a hint of herbal freshness. Very cool and fresh with a super-crisp finish. Oh yes, there is also some sweetness but it’s really not that obvious. Drink or hold.”
Wine Advocate 92+ points “Molitor’s 2016 Riesling Kinheimer Rosenberg Spätlese (Golden Capsule) is intense and clear on the nose, a bit warmer and richer but less refined compared to the corresponding Schlossberg. The wine has mouth-filling sweet fruit and, in the finish, a very elegant slatey flavor that lends it stunning finesse and purity. The finish is firm and still a tiny bit astringent. Tasted March 2018.”
Wine Advocate 93 points “The 2016 Riesling Ockfener Bockstein Riesling Spätlese (White Capsule) is clear, fresh and precise on the nose where a ripe, concentrated and spicy white fruit aroma is displayed and intermixed with crystalline and crunchy slate flavors. On the palate, the Bockstein reveals lush, concentrated, very elegant and mineral structured fruit that is terribly precise and piquant. The finish is pure, clean, intense and persistently salty, again showing crunchy slate flavors. The wine was bottled in September 2017. Tasted in March 2018.”
Stuart Pigott-jamessuckling.com 93 points “Full of blossoms and citrusy freshness. This Saar wine is so juicy and refreshing that you might think it is too charming, but it has a firm and mineral core that builds up at the long finish. Drink or hold.”
Stuart Pigott-jamessuckling.com 95 points “Stand back and duck while this extraordinary Mosel Spätlese explodes! Enormous juiciness and minerality, as well as spices. Stunning freshness at the very long finish. Drink or hold.”
Wine Advocate 93+ points “The 2016 Riesling Ürziger Würzgarten Spätlese (Golden Capsule) is clear, pure, precise and piquant on the nose and shows tender citrus aromas along with very fine slate notes. Racy-piquant on the first attack, this is a stimulatingly lush and salty Spätlese with a very good and mouthwatering mineral finish. Stewed apples flavors come out in the complex aftertaste. Delicious, but it should be kept in the cellar for another 5-10 years.”
Wine Advocate 98 points “Molitor’s 2016 Riesling Zeltinger Schlossberg Auslese *** (Golden Capsule) is very clear and complex on the elegant, greatly defined and smoky nose where citrus notes are displayed along with lovely coolish precision and mineral freshness. Lush, super pure, fine and piquant on the palate, this is intellectualism paired with hedonism. This Auslese is perfectly balanced and extremely stimulating thanks the vitalizing and energetic finish that is so pure and fresh, so salty, fine and mouthwatering… This is probably one of the most digestible Auslesen on the highest possible quality level that I have ever had. There is no fat, no sweetness, just precision, elegance, finesse and balance.”
Markus Molitor Zeltinger Schlossberg Riesling Spatlese (Gold Kap), Mosel 2016 750ML ($34.95) $27 pre-arrival special
David Schildknecht-Vinous 93 points “An effusively fruity nose featuring ripe pear, Persian melon and lychee sets the themes for a creamy, luscious, unabashedly sweet midpalate performance. Cinnamon and nutmeg accents add to the allure of a finish that is at once soothing and stimulating and displays admirable and unexpected transparency to stony and liquidly floral nuances.”
Wine Advocate 93 points “Molitor’s 2016 Riesling Zeltinger Schlossberg Spätlese is super pure and intense on the opulent, alluringly refined and slatey nose. Light, lush and voluptuous, this is an incredibly sappy and refined Spätlese with great elegance, finesse and mouthwatering salinity. This 2016 is almost weightless on the palate and terribly precise! A gorgeous Spätlese from a vineyard that will become more and more important for Molitor in the coming years. He just added another three hectares of this grand cru to his portfolio… Bottled in June 2017 with 7.5% alcohol. AP #2/17. Tasted in March 2018.”
The next best price is $39.99
Wine Advocate 98+ points “Molitor’s 2016 Riesling Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Auslese *** (Golden Capsule) is the one and only of the sweet three-starred sextet that indicates a higher percentage of botrytis (whereas the two-starred Auslese is beautifully pure and delicate). Intense and with iodine notes on the nose where ripe, concentrated Riesling aromas are displayed, this is a round, lush, intense and creamy textured Auslese with great elegance, balance and tropical fruit flavors in the opulent, gorgeously rich yet still refined finish that also reveals very fine tannins. Bottled in September 2017; tasted March 2018.”
Markus Molitor Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese*** Feinherb (Green Kap), Mosel 2016 750ML ($119.95) $99 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 99 points “From over 100-year-old vines and fermented in an eight-year-old 2,000-liter Stockinger vat and 15% in small oak barrels, the 2016 Riesling Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Auslese *** (Green Capsule) offers a deep and concentrated, terribly fresh and oaky nose. Round and lush on the palate, this is a very elegant, intense and refined Sonnenuhr with super lush fruit, very fine tannins and ripe acidity. Molitor is extremely proud of all his Sonnenuhr bottlings, but they demand a much longer period of bottle aging. The richness (which is still elegant and fine) and the oak flavors (which are discreet but present) will surely integrate, so the wine has huge potential. Bottled in September 2017; tasted March 2018.”
One of the Best Values in Top End Rioja?
Rioja Alta’s “904” Gran Reserva
Arrives this Fall
Arriving ETA September:
La Rioja Alta Gran Reserva 904, Rioja DOCa 2009 750ML ($69.95) $49 pre-arrival special
James Suckling 97 points “This is a driven and super tight Gran Reserva with dark berries and hints of spice and cedar. A spicy red-pepper undertone and some dried flowers. Full to medium body, integrated tannins and a superb finish. A great wine. Available in September 2018. A wine for the cellar, but why wait? (8/2/18)”
Tim Atkins, MW 96 points: “(13.5%) Reflecting the excellence of the vintage, as well as its power, this is the latest in a superb run of 904 Gran Reservas. Combining Tempranillo with 10% Graciano for added backbone and grip, it’s a wine that is (as ever) supremely drinkable on release, but will reward further cellaring. Spicy, aromatic and enticing, with the vanilla sweetness of American oak, savoury tannins and a core of stylish, balsamic-edged fruit. Traditional Rioja with a modern accent. 2018-29. (Feb 2018)”
Wine Advocate 95+ points “This super classical cuvée showcases the wines from Haro, silky and elegant after long aging in oak and a good future in bottle. 2009 was a powerful vintage, ripe but with good balance. The blend is approximately 90% Tempranillo and 10% Graciano, fermented in stainless steel with a 78-day natural malolactic. The aging was in four-year-old American oak barrels crafted by their own coopers; the wines aged from April 2010 until April 2014. During that time, the wine was racked every six months, to be finally bottled in November 2014. This is usually my favorite wine from the portfolio, where the balance between aging and youth reaches its highest point. It’s developed but it keeps some fruit character, plenty of spices and balsamic aromas. The palate is polished but has some clout, with clean, focused flavors and a long, spicy and tasty finish. This represents good value for the quality it delivers. Drink: 2018-2034. (Feb 2018)-LG”
