In Today’s Newsletter:
The July Sale Heats Up
2016 Dujac: Grand Crus, Indeed!
Epic Zind-Humbrecht, Unbeatable Pricing
Trending: Buzzy Wines of the Week
Staff Pick: Never Mind the Grapes…
Raul Perez is an Icon of New Spain
Molitor Madness
July Sale Roundup
July Sale
The Month Heats Up
So Do the Sales
As July is getting hotter, so do the prices. We’ve got a selection of highlights right here and the full list of sale wines at the bottom of the newsletter!
Brovia Barolo DOCG, Piedmont 2012 750ML ($51.95) Was $46, Now $39 Clearance Price, 18 bottles in stock now
Antonio Galloni “Brovia’s 2012 Barolo is classy, polished and absolutely delicious. With a little bit of air, the 2012 can be enjoyed now, but it also has enough freshness and balance to drink well for at least a handful of years. I have seen Brovia’s straight Barolo age well, so I won’t be surprised if that turns out to be the case here as well. Floral and red stone fruit notes give the 2012 much of its freshness and mid-weight feel. This is an especially lifted, gracious Barolo for the vintage.”
Wine Spectator 93 points “This smells like beef bouillon, picking up pure cherry and plum fruit on the palate, along with savory elements. Lean, with well-integrated tannins and a long, meaty finish of tobacco and earth. Best from 2018 through 2030.”
Antonio Galloni 92 points “Col d’Orcia’s 2010 Brunello di Montalcino Vendemmia is all finesse. Sweet floral and spiced notes open up in the glass, followed by veins of bright red stone fruits. Hints of orange peel and white pepper add an attractive, beguiling upper register of aromatics. The 2010 is still a bit raw and much less expressive than it was from barrel, but it is promising.”
Agathe Bursin Pinot Noir Strangenberg, Alsace 2015 750ML ($44.95) Was $36, Now $29 Clearance Price, 17 bottles in stock now
Ian D’agata – Vinous 91+ points “Dark ruby. Aromas and flavors of flinty red cherry, violet, Asian spices and potpourri. Deeper, richer and sweeter than Bursin’s 2015 Pinot Noir Lutzental but with an austere bent on the long, stony finish. These Pinot Noir plots grow on a slope right over the village of Westhalten, on mostly clay-calcareous soil. Bursin macerates and ferments the wine as she does the Lutzental, but this strikes me as being noticeably more tannic than that wine (and of the 2014 Strangenberg, for that matter). I know this is a more important wine than the Lutzental, but right now they are just about equally enjoyable.”
Belle Glos ‘Clark & Telephone’ Vineyard Pinot Noir, Santa Maria Valley 2016 1.5L ($99.95) Was $79, Now $69 Clearance Price, 24 magnums in stock now
Winery note “The color is a deep scarlet-red with lush aromas of blackberry bramble, nutmeg, and hint of caramel. The wine is fresh and exuberant in the mouth with sumptuous strawberry jam, ripe black cherry, cranberry and warm gingerbread. It is perfectly balanced with refreshing acidity, velvety tannins and a hint of toffee carrying through its long finish. When asked to describe this wine, I simply say it’s like a taste of Christmas, all year long!”
Heck, the 750ML bottle is averaging $50 around the country…
Wine Advocate 92 points “Very deep garnet-purple in color, the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon, composed of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot and 4% Malbec, is scented of red currants, blackberries and wild blueberries with touches of olives and underbrush. Medium-bodied, tightly wound and packed with tense red and black fruits, it has a fine-grained texture and savory finish. 9,600 cases were produced.”
Wine Advocate 90 points “Kicking off the 2012s, Saint Siffrein’s straight Châteauneuf du Pape offers loads of kirsch, mulled spice, blackberry and garrigue in its classic, medium to full-bodied, ripe and textured style. Made from 65% Grenache, 15% each of Mourvedre and Syrah and the rest Cinsault, aged 12 moths in stainless steel and foudre, it’s an outstanding, Provencal effort to drink over the coming 8-10 years.”
2016 Dujac Grand Crus
The Cream of the Crop
We don’t have to say too much about Dujac. They’re undisputedly one of the top handful of producers of Burgundy and their collection of vineyards is impressive by any measure. The wines are incredible—built to last and complex as the day is long.
Dujac is known primarily for their holdings in and around Morey-St. Denis, though recent years have seen them add new parcels to their domaine. We’re focusing on their prime wines today—Grand Crus and a few 1ers from Vosne that might as well be. These are some of the most sought after wines in the world and although quantities are *extremely* limited, we wanted to put them in the newsletter in the spirit of fair play.
Arriving ETA September:
This is the wine Dujac is best known for—an icon of Burgundy
Domaine Dujac Clos de la Roche Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits 2016 750ML ($699.95) $579 pre-arrival special
Jasper Morris, MW 95-97 points: “A satisfactory yield approaching 45 hl/ha. Medium deep purple. Refined, reserved and really classy. Do not expect an explosion from Clos de la Roche but do expect something to make a long term classic. The balance on the palate is exquisite and subtly nuanced, as always it is a drier style but the fruit is infused throughout. Exceptional persistence. Magical. (Jan 2018)”
John Gilman 95 points (View From the Cellar): “The 2016 Clos de la Roche from the Seysses family was really singing at the time of my visit. The bouquet jumps from the glass in a refined blend of red plums, cherries, gamebird, a touch of fresh nutmeg, superb soil tones and a deft base of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and very elegant out of the blocks this year, with a sappy core of fruit, outstanding backend soil signature, ripe, suave tannins and a long, complex and tangy finish. I love the balance and breed this exudes this year. 2030-2075. (Nov/Dec 2017)”
Domaine Dujac Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits 2016 750ML ($799.95) $699 pre-arrival special
Neal Martin Wine Advocate 95-97 points “The 2016 Bonnes Mares Grand Cru has a tightly wound bouquet, perhaps missing a little delineation at the moment, a little loamy in style at first. Then with rigorous swirling of the glass, it gets its act together and provides the voluptuousness that signposts a great Bonnes Mares. The palate is medium-bodied with a ripe and generous entry countered by a fine line of acidity. It feels slightly confit in style with a satisfying and long finish that fans out, as if this Bonnes Mares finally slips into fifth gear. Gorgeous.”
Domaine Dujac Clos Saint-Denis Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits 2016 750ML ($699.95) $579 pre-arrival special
95-98 points Fine Wine Review: “But even more of a star in this vintage is the Clos Saint-Denis. The wine is spicy (nutmeg) and pure with red currant and other red fruits. It is perfectly balanced and so light on the palate. About 90% whole clusters here, and about 75% new oak. (1/3/18)”
95-97 points Neal Martin (Wine Advocate): “The 2016 Clos Saint-Denis Grand Cru has a superior bouquet to the Clos de la Roche, with ebullient raspberry and wild strawberry fruit, quite floral in style with orange blossom scents developing in the glass. There is an underlying sense of terroir, but it feels very discrete at the moment. The palate is medium-bodied with fine delineation, harmonious and fresh with a long, tender, noble finish that is pulled out of the top drawer. This is a potentially awesome Clos-Saint-Denis that has a very bright future, one that might surpass the excellent 2015. Drink: 2022-2050. (Dec 2017)”
94-96 points Jasper Morris, MW: “This year’s wine has a vibrant bright colour, with heady succulent fruit on the nose, very delicious. Good tension too, though not quite the same persistence though as Clos de la Roche. Juicily attractive. (Jan 2018)”
Domaine Dujac Echezeaux Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits 2016 750ML ($599.95) $499 pre-arrival special
Neal Martin The Wine Advocate 92-94 points “The 2016 Echézeaux Grand Cru was reduced by 50% due to frost. It has quite a closed, quite broody bouquet that takes time to open. This is actually not unlike a Malconsorts. However, the palate is very classy with a fine line of acidity, red and black fruit mingling together with a saline, marine-like finish that defines the final third. It does not quite possess the effortless harmony and focus of the Aux Malconsorts. But it has a satisfying focus with impressive length, to wit, a great success considering the growing season.”
Domaine Dujac Les Beaux Monts, Vosne-Romanee Premier Cru 2016 750ML ($399.95) $319 pre-arrival special
Neal Martin – The Wine Advocate 92-94 points “The 2016 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Beaux Monts has a perfumed bouquet with cold limestone scents that infuse the Morello cherry and crushed strawberry, tightly wound and nicely focused, understated compared to others that I have encountered from this vineyard. The palate is medium-bodied with fine definition, fresh and focused with the volume one expects from the premier cru delivered on the final third. This is brimming with great potential even if it might be predestined to fall under the shadow of the outstanding Malconsorts.”Only 3 bottles available
Domaine Dujac Aux Malconsorts, Vosne-Romanee Premier Cru, 2016 750ML ($699.95) $599 pre-arrival special
Neal Martin- The Wine Advocate 95-97 points “The 2016 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts actually has a similar bouquet to the Les Beaux Monts but with heightened mineralité which is prioritized over the fruit. I was momentarily whisked back to my youth, pot-holing in the Lake District, that tang of limestone and moorland in the air. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grain tannin. As Alec Seysses remarked, there is more “wine” in the Malconsorts compared to the Beaux Monts. It has brilliant delineation and a very complex finish that fans out with real confidence. This is one of the top wines from Dujac. Chapeau.”
The Epic of Zind HumbechtTowering Wines, Unbeatable Prices
The Zind-Humbrecht winery only dates back to 1959, but the family has been growing and making wine since the 1600s, and it shows. Old wisdom prevails at this Alsatian estate: Get it right in the vineyard. Meticulous vineyard management throughout the year, biodynamics and ploughing by horse, and exclusion of any grapes that don’t do justice to the names Zind-Humbrecht and Alsace, such are the roots of fine wine. In the cellar, the wines stay on their lees until bottling, and Z-H abandoned chaptalization in 1993. They make only serious, concentrated examples of Alsace and its grape varieties here, including superb Grand Crus: Zind-Humbrecht serves as a reference estate for their beloved region.
We went a few years without being able to get ahold of the Zind-Humbrecht wines and it’s certainly not for lack of trying. They left their old importer and were homeless (in that sense) for a while. When we heard the wines were in the market again we dropped everything to snap them up and are pleased to offer them for a second year in a row. We are quite proud of the range – many of these new arrivals were initially not intended for release in the USA. You’ll be glad we kept at it when you see the unreal deal on these wines and have them in your glass!
Domaine Zind-Humbrecht Pinot Gris Roche Calcaire, Alsace 2015 750ML ($49.95) $33 special
The next best price is $42.80
Domaine Zind-Humbrecht Pinot Gris Clos Windsbuhl, Alsace 2015 750ML ($79.95) $66 special
James Suckling 95 points “Lemon pie and almond aromas. Steel undertones. Full body, dense and layered. Big and rich style yet it’s dry. An oily profile yet turns dry and satisfying. Drink now. Made from organically grown grapes.”
Domaine Zind-Humbrecht Riesling Brand, Alsace Grand Cru 2014 750ML ($99.95) $69 special
James Suckling 96 points “A dense and linear riesling with sliced limes, lemons and flint. Bright and precise. Full-bodied, layered and beautiful. Great finish to this. Big and flavorful. Yet not showy. Drink now.”
The next best price is $89.94
Domaine Zind-Humbrecht Riesling Rangen de Thann Clos Saint Urbain, Alsace Grand Cru 2014 750ML ($99.95) $79 special
James Suckling 97 points “A fabulous 2014 with amazing aromas of spices, light cheese and walnuts. Full body, dried lemons, limes, stones and saltiness. Pumice as well and a layered, velvety texture. A joy to taste. Made from biodynamically grown grapes. Drink now.”
The next best price is $89.94
Domaine Zind-Humbrecht Riesling Clos Windsbuhl, Alsace 2014 750ML ($79.95) $59 special
James Suckling 93 points “Love the lemon rind and hints of cream and stones. Some flinty undertones. Full-bodied, bright and beautiful. Tangy, lime finish. Drink now.”
The next best price is $69.99
Domaine Zind-Humbrecht Gewurztraminer Clos Windsbuhl, Alsace 2015 750ML ($89.95) $69 special
Wine Advocate 95 points “The 2015 Gewurztraminer Clos Windsbuhl is in fact a Vendange Tardive that was picked at 16.66% potential alcohol, since it stopped fermentation at 12.5% and 70.7 grams of residual sugar. However, Oliver did did not announce that he would produce a VT in the Windsbuhl, so he isn’t allowed to sell this wine as a such. Even without the Vendange Tardive predicate, the 2015 is a great and age-worthy Gewurz that is rich, sweet and concentrated but enormously well structured. It is made for long-term bottle aging of 10, 20 or 30 years. Tasted in February 2017.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Domaine Zind-Humbrecht Riesling Brand Vendange Tardive, Alsace Grand Cru 2004 375ML ($59.95) $49 special
Wine Advocate 97 points “Apricot preserves, candied violets, licorice, marzipan, rowan, gardenia, white raisin, and tangerine mark both the nose and palate of the 2004 Riesling Brand Vendange Tardive, a wine of enormous botrytized ripeness, high acidity, and low alcohol, but in none of these respects quite as extreme as the Clos Windsbuhl. Here there is already elegance, refinement and lift, a ravishing combination of textural richness and palpable extract with delicacy and buoyancy, and an extraordinarily clear, pure finish with a mineral dimension as unmistakable as it is ineffable. Compared with the Clos Windsbuhl, the density here is allied to more winsome creaminess of texture (with patisserie-like flavors of vanilla cream and marzipan), and the finish – while no less penetrating and fresh – caries an intricate interplay of flavors and is not at all severe. This breathtakingly beautiful Riesling is too complex and ravishing today to tell you “wait!- but it can certainly be safely followed for a quarter century.”
#TrendingOur Most Buzzed About Wines
Domaine Eric et Joel Durand Cornas Empreintes, Rhone 2015 750ML ($49.95) $39 special
Wine Spectator 95 points “($48) Loads of chalky grip keeps this wrapped up tight, but the core of steeped plum, fig and blackberry fruit is brimming with energy, while bay leaf, licorice root and charcoal notes chomp at the bit on the finish. Cellaring will rein this in. Best from 2021 through 2035. 700 cases made.”
Wine Advocate 94 points “Produced from 30-year-old vines and aged in 20% new oak, the 2015 Cornas Empreintes features classic Cornas notes of crushed stone, bloody meat and red plums. It’s full-bodied, rich and packed with fruit and tannin but supple at the same time. It’s mouth-filling and round, then finishes long, dry and mouthwatering.”
Zorzal Eggo Blanc de Cal, Tupungato, Argentina 2014 750ML ($29.95) $19 special
Wine Advocate 92 points “The 2014 Eggo Blanc de Cal is pure Sauvignon Blanc from two different vineyards in Gualtallary. The full clusters are pressed and the must was fermented and aged in contact with the lees for nine to ten months in their famous egg-shaped cement vats. This is more subtle and earthy, less Sauvignon, with the fruit expressing itself in a lower-pitched voice, more of a baritone. It’s also has a little wider, pungent and powerful character in the mouth. This is only around 13% alcohol, and even though in 2014 it didn’t go through malolactic fermentation, it’s still a very light and fresh wine. Groundbreaking Sauvignon. 4,800 bottles were produced, fruit of two eggs.” LGThis is the lowest listed price in the USA today!Incredibly delicious California Chard at a great price.
Varner El Camino Vineyard Chardonnay, Santa Barbara County 2015 750ML ($24.95) $21.90 special
Wine Advocate 93 points “The 2015 Chardonnay El Camino Vineyard from the Varner brothers is lovely, wafting from the glass with an expressive bouquet of honeycomb, ripe peaches and fresh apricot. On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied, pure and textural—displaying a touch more mid-palate ripeness than the 2014 rendition—and concludes with a long, saline finish. This is a characterful Chardonnay that represents terrific value.”
Crisp and floral, delicious and perfect for summer.
Venica & Venica ‘Talis’ Pinot Bianco Collio, Friuli-Venezia Giulia 2015 750ML ($27.95) $18 special
Winery note “With small and compact bunches, this variety grows best in higher locations where the soil is richer in minerals. It is probably the most difficult to take care of and need lots of attention throughout the year. The result is a jewel of wine in both fragrance and elegance. Tasting notes: the bouquet is typical of this grape and particularly intense. Its aroma profile is complex with fruity, floral and spicy aromas that show a special finesse. The aromas are reminiscent of wild rose petals, anisette, cotton candy, fresh bread crust and vanilla. The taste is fresh and clean; it shows persistence and good harmony.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Lapo Berti del Comune di La Morra, Barolo DOCG 2013 750ML ($44.95) $44 special
VinopolNote: “The first ever ‘John Paul Selection’ from our favorite winemaker at Cameron. This comes from an old friend of his from prime La Morra fruit. The wine is soft and supple for Barolo, true to the La Morra style, but has depth and complexity. We’re excited to see how it ages but suspect it will go the distance if you can keep your hands off of it.”An archetype of Provence rosé.
Chateau de Calavon Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence Rose, Provence 2017 750ML ($21.95) $18 special
Case-12 Chateau de Calavon Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence Rose, Provence 2017 750ML ($249.95) $179 special (that’s only $14.92/bottle!)
Wine Advocate 90 points “A blend of 65% Cinsault, 20% Grenache and 15% Syrah, Calavon’s 2017 Coteaux d’Aix en Provence Rose is another solid rosé effort from the portfolio of American importer Peter Weygandt. This one is medium-bodied, quite taut and perfumed, with hints of garrigue, stone fruit and lingering citrus on the finish.”
Winery note “This is the unique cuvée of rosé from Calavon. It comes from a rigorous selection from the best parcels of Calavon. The vintage 2017, issued from a majority of Grenache, black and gray, offers the originality of a blend with Syrah and Rolle. Both round and fresh, it is the perfect rosé for summer lunches by the sea: grilled red mullet in garlic cream, bouillabaisse or lamb tajine with candied lemon.”
The next best price is $21.99
Staff PickNever Mind the Grapes:
Here’s Fool’s Journey
This is a wine that jumps right out of the glass with beautiful aromatics, so much so that I couldn’t stop smelling it, hesitant to taste lest my palate be disappointed by such a promising start. But it delivered both an exciting and surprising taste of such delicious peppery spice, persistent hints of baking spices on a long finish all delivered in a lean body and a healthy but not overly persistent dose of acidity.Later in the day after we had tasted this wine I made a remark to Saul, ‘wow, that Pinot was delicious!’ He informed me that it’s actually a Syrah; just as I began to hang my head in shame he said that I’m not the first person to make that mistake. This wine is actually an old Cote-Rotie style, dominantly Syrah, 6% Viognier. As someone who isn’t always enthused by the big juicy rich Syrah, I can assure you that this is a gorgeous wine no matter what you call it. Never mind the grapes.I would like to add in general that if you aren’t familiar with Marcus Goodfellow’s wines you seriously ought to be. Here at Vinopolis I frequently have the experience of helping someone through Oregon wines to discover that they have never even heard of some of the best of the best, and I definitely rank the Goodfellow and Matello labels among them (along with Crowley and Cameron just to further name-drop). His wines are always excellent with an emphasis on dry farmed grapes, terroir and a proper splash of acid. If the above doesn’t sound like your style, then try anything with his name on it. You won’t be disappointed. Tell your friends, but not all of them—let us keep a few secrets!
Re-Arriving Friday:
July Clearance Sale Wine
Matello Fool’s Journey Deux Vert Vineyard Syrah, Willamette Valley 2013 750ML ($24.95) Was $21.90, Now $18 Clearance Price
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Raul PerezIcon of the New Spain
Raul Perez has emerged as one of the most exciting Spanish winemakers of the last few years. He’s done it in an interesting way: not by making over-the-top big fruit and oak bombs, but rather by honing in on the terroirs in Galicia, a relatively unromantic vinicultural region. Until the late 1990’s, when his mentor Alvaro Palacios started the Petalos/Descendientes project, most of the wines in the region were sold locally, often to pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago.
Since then, a number of new wineries have popped up, but most of them are in the Palacios mold—made from around the warm, Mediterranean-climate village of Corullon. Perez, on the other hand, has walked a different path and focuses on wines made from Atlantic-influence climates in villages like Villadecanes or Cacabelos. As a result, the wines tend to be impressive, but in an introspective, earthy way.
Winemaking plays a part in that, as well. Perez prefers indigenous yeasts, neutral vessels and a lot of whole-cluster fermentation in his wine. Citing the (unlikely) influence of Bartolo Mascarello, he performs a long post-fermentation maceration on his wines as well, which give the wines powerful, yet elegant, structures that complement food exceptionally well. When you roll all of this together, you understand why Perez is making waves—these are unique and exceptional wines that show off terroirs previously unexplored by serious winemakers.
Raul Perez Ultreia de Valtuille, Bierzo 2014 750ML ($69.95) $59 special
Wine Advocate 96 points “The 2014 Ultreia de Valtuille was very open and expressive, impressive too, with notes of freshness, blood orange, red cherries and also flowers (violets, lilies) and an earthy touch. It’s elegant and complex, with very fine tannins and a velvety sensation. As with all the reds, the oak is unnoticeable, perfectly integrated and folded into the wine.”
Wine Advocate 95+ points “There is a new Ultreia bottling, the 2014 Ultreia El Rapolao, from a vineyard that now sees five or six different bottlings, sourced from their old vineyards that used to go to the Vizcaína bottling. This is really pretty, with intense floral aromas, spices, a touch of earth and something herbal. The palate is medium-bodied with refined tannins, great balance and a tasty, long, sapid, almost salty finish. There were some 600 bottles produced. it was bottled in January 2017. Outstanding.”Raul Perez Prieto Picudo Vino de la Tierra de Castilla y Leon 2011 750ML ($59.95) $49 special
Grapelive 96 points “The rare Prieto Picudo is an odd varietal with high acid, high tannin and slightly oval shaped with a pointy tip, it’s native and almost only found here in Tierra de Leon, the name means beaked, hence the name, Raul Perez’s is from a high elevation old vine site on sandy clay soils with river rocks, making for a unique wine that has an almost Nebbiolo or Ramisco like flavor profile. This extraordinary red, from vines planted in 1900 in the village of Pajares de los Oteros at about 900 feet above sea level, was fermented whole cluster in chestnut wood vats with a cool 60 day maceration and then raised for about 60 months in French barriques, this long elevage adding to the wine’s refinement and mature character. The 2011 Prieto Picudo, from 111 year old vines when harvested, is a brilliant ruby/dark red color with herb and floral notes on the nose with mineral tones as well as a slight earthy/spice and kirsch note before opening to a medium full palate of racy red fruits including brambly forest berry, cherry, plum and mulberry plus dried flowers, peppercorns, grilled fennel and light cedar. The texture is fantastic and mouth filling with satiny feel, this is mind-blowing stuff with great depth and layers of pleasure, but with firm tannins and glowing vibrancy making this wine really pop, lingering distilled strawberry, salty stones, sweet tobacco leaf and baking spice. This is one of the coolest wines I’ve tried this year, again it reminds me somewhat of Lessona DOC, Nebbiolo based reds that spend 4 to 5 years in cask, of the upper Piedmonte area. The fruit is ripe and polished, this is very much a classic Perez wine, it was great to taste it with the winemaker himself, you could see just how thrilled he was with this Prieto Picudo and his passion was thick in the air, and I think this wine has potential to age another decade, I hope to get a chance to see how it evolves. Wow.”
There may be no more ambitious winemaker in the world than Marcus Molitor. His determination and drive to make the best possible wines has made him a towering figure in the Mosel, with an impressive, modern winery and holdings in almost every important vineyard in the region. This drive also means there are a lot of different bottlings—Molitor believes that every single sub-parcel and selective pick should be vinified to its utmost potential.
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.
Here Now:
Markus Molitor Alte Reben Riesling Trocken, Mosel 2015 750ML ($31.95) $28 special
Markus Molitor Alte Reben Riesling Trocken, Mosel 2015 1.5L ($69.95) $51.90 special
Wine Advocate 93 points “The 2015 Riesling Alte Reben (formerly known as Alte Reben Mosel) is an old vine selection from crus in Zeltingen, Wehlen and Erden. The wine combines ripe and concentrated Riesling flavors with the typical slate aroma of the Mosel. Highly elegant, with perfectly ripe and balanced fruit and a juicy-piquant, finesse-full finish, this is a picture book dry Mosel Riesling with a lingering salty finish.”
Just 8 bottles remain!
Markus Molitor Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Auslese***, MoselGK 2013 750ML ($99.95) $79 special
Wine Advocate 98+ points “More tropical fruit aromas such as juicy pineapples and macerated ginger dominate the nose of the richer yet still pure and subtle 2013 Graacher Himmelreich Auslese ***. Quite sweet, intense and densely textured on the palate, this wine neither lacks elegance nor piquancy nor balance. It is just more generous, sweeter and lush than the Würzgarten ***-Auslese, but at the same time it is absolutely delicate and full of finesse.”
Markus Molitor Kinheimer Hubertuslay Riesling Auslese***, Mosel GK 2013 375ML ($59.95) $39 special
Wine Advocate 97 points “The 2013 Kinheimer Hubertuslay Auslese *** needs a little but of time to open up and show its finest, intense raisin aromas indicating grapefruit/lemon and pineapples on a piquant background. Rich, oily textured and extremely elegant on the palate, the wine offers a lavish tropical juiciness quoting pineapples, but is stunningly pure and piquant. The finish is beautifully balanced and highly elegant. This is perfectly made.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 97 points “The 2015 Riesling Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Auslese ** (Golden Capsule) is entirely based on healthy, botrytis-free grapes and opens with intensely herbal flavors in the first moments before very fine Riesling, slate and lemon aromas take over. This Auslese is intense, rich and round, perfectly ripe and concentrated but also super precise, highly elegant and finessed. The finish is super fine, endlessly salty and stimulatingly piquant. This is a mouth-watering sweet Riesling with great tension and finesse!”Near:Arriving Later This Month:
Only four half-bottles remain available!
Markus Molitor Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese***, Mosel GK 2013 375ML ($179.95) $149 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 100 points “The smoky slate aroma of the Sonnenuhr is still obvious in the beautifully clear, lush and delicate 2013 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese *** that offers pineapples, ripe apples and limes powdered with rock flour on the nose. The wine seems weightless on the palate, although it is nothing less than a sweet, sumptuously delicious and breathtakingly fine Auslese with perfectly ripe and painstakingly selected Riesling berries. The finish is intense in a very subtle way, lingeringly salty and piquant, and the purity and elegance in combination with the sensual fruit juice is absolutely delicious. This is an amazing wine.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Markus Molitor Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese***, Mosel GK 2013 375ML ($179.95) $149 special
Wine Advocate 100 points “The sweet 2013 Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Auslese *** is another laser sword in the armada of starred Ausleses. Pure and precise but less smoky and cool on the nose than the Wehlener Sonnenuhr it intertwines darker smoky stone aromas with ripe orange flavors and tropical fruit aromas to build up a very clear, deep and aromatic bouquet. Full, sweet and round on the elegant palate this is still a very delicate, pure, perfectly balanced Auslese of great complexity. The finish is juicy and lingering, mineral scented and perfectly balanced with lush fruit. The wines is less filigreed than the Wehlener Sonnenuhr.”
Over There:Arriving ETA September
Markus Molitor Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese*** Feinherb (Green Capsule), 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.”
Markus Molitor Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese** Trocken (White Capsule), Mosel 2016 750ML ($69.95) $59 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 98 points “The 2016 Riesling Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Auslese ** (White Capsule) is a different style of Mosel Riesling compared to the other 2016 Auslesen. Fermented in different oak vats, from barrique size to 3,000-liter vats (including one big Stockinger vat that was new), this is clear, ripe and complex on the nose, with toasty as well as smoky-mineral notes framing the perfectly ripe and elegant stone fruit aromas. Full-bodied, round and complex, with gorgeous sweetness and mind-blowing silkiness and balance, this is a rich yet fine, elegant, highly complex and persistent Auslese from Markus’s most important single vineyard. The 2016 is concentrated yet very clear and elegant, revealing very fine tannins and a very long, complex finish. It already drinks with great wonder, and this wine will even gain more complexity though it’s already hard to resist.”
Markus Molitor Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese*** (Gold Capsule), Mosel 2016 750ML ($119.95) $99 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 99 points “The 2016 Riesling Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese *** (Golden Capsule) indicates gorgeously ripe and lush Riesling fruit with very fine flinty slate aromas that add freshness, finesse and complexity. This nose is incredibly pure and precise and doesn’t indicate any botrytis. The palate is highly elegant and fine but, at the same time, lush and salty with a highly delicate but persistent structure. The finish is mouthwatering and enormously stimulating. This Wehlener Sonnenuhr is another extremely digestible yet complex Auslese that you can drink in large amounts without getting bored or tired. The acidity is so delicate and fine here and lets this gold-capsuled Auslese dance over your palate. I just love it. Bottled September 2017; tasted March 2018.”
Markus Molitor Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Spatlese Trocken (White Capsule), Mosel 2016 750ML ($37.95) $29 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 95+ points “The 2016 Riesling Ürziger Würzgarten Spätlese (White Capsule) offers a deep and complex yet delicate and discreetly flinty nose with a very fine, fresh and bright citrus and stony aroma. Full-bodied, intense and lush on the palate, this is a silky textured, highly elegant and superbly balanced Würzgarten with an intense and powerful, very mineral and salty finish. The wine reveals great complexity along with serious grip and tensioned length but keeps its great finesse. Fermented and aged in large oak barrels until the bottling in September 2017. Tasted March 2018.”
