Nit de Nin, Shameless Label Promotion; German Restock, Riesling for Everyone; Chassagne Montrachet Stunners from Moreau; Love for Alsace; Chateau Le Puy Turns Back the Clock; Staff Pick: Montepeloso Eneo; Cascina Delle Rose’s Family Influenced Wines; Gulfi Reseca, Etna Expressions; Pointy Pre-Arrivals from Italy and Spain
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Eclipsed by None:
Nit de Nin is Priorat’s Pride
The wines of NIN are pretty head turning on their own merits—one of the top producers of the Priorat, they make wines that combine power with elegance that few else in the region can match. We love them—but it wasn’t until the afternoon of the eclipse that we noticed the striking labels that bore so much resemblance to the day’s events. We don’t need a whole lot of excuse to feature their wines, so here they are, our wines of Eclipse 2017:
Familia Nin-Ortiz ‘Nit de Nin’, Priorat DOCa 2013 750ML ($119.95) $89 special, 15 bottles available
Wine Advocate 96+ points “The 2013 Nit de Nin matured in 3,200-liter oak foudres for some 16 months, and wants to be an old-style blend of grapes from slope vineyards showcasing the typicity of Priorat. The full clusters from ancient vineyards fermented with indigenous yeasts and produced some 4,000 bottles that were filled in March 2015. I previously had the opportunity of tasting the wine just after being bottled and was somehow reduced and dizzy. Now it’s a completely different story. The 16 months in bottle have polished the wine and the reductive character is completely gone. However, everything is subtler, it’s not as explosive as when it is really young and shows its exuberance, there is a calmed beauty. The palate is always very refined with fantastic freshness and subtle minerality, pure and fresh, even if it’s also very powerful.”
Familia Nin-Ortiz ‘Nit de Nin’, Priorat DOCa 2012 1.5L ($199.95) $169 special, 8 magnums available
Wine Advocate 97 points “If the Planetes was impressive, wait for the 2012 Nit de Nin, which is a similar wine but at two levels of intensity, depth and elegance above. It’s also a single-vineyard wine from a very old plot in Porrera in the Mas d’en Caçador vineyard at some 500 meters altitude on an impressive slope planted with very old vines on slate soils. It’s approximately 60% Garnacha Peluda (which is a different strain producing lighter-colored wines with higher acidity than the regular Garnacha) and the rest Cariñena. The wine is pure, perfumed, intoxicating even, floral and spicy, intense and captivating. The palate is highly refined, with pure flavors, great freshness, completely focused, nothing blurry at all in there, generous but fine at the same time. It ends very tasty, with a saline minerality. I had the chance to visit the vineyard on my last night in Priorat, and when you see it you understand that it HAS to produce great wine. Simply superb. Drink or keep. 4,000 bottles were filled in March 2014.”
This is the only listing for a magnum in the USA today!
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German Restocks
Weingut Alfred Merkelbach Kinheimer Rosenberg Riesling Auslese #5, Mosel 2015 750ML ($31.95) $24 special
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 92 points “The medium-sweet 2015 Kinheimer Rosenberg Riesling Auslese is a highly digestible Mosel classic made from ripe and pretty healthy grapes! Bottled with 9.5% alcohol and a moderate sweetness of just 41 grams per liter, this is a round and juicy, very intense and enormously piquant Auslese with a firm and tension-giving mineral structure. The super stimulating finish is clear, fresh, very long and salty. Highly recommended!”
David Schildknecht – Vinous 91 points “Amazingly – not just considering that the Merkelbachs bottled it as Auslese but also in light of how this wine behaves – a mere three degrees Oechsle separated it from the must that became this year’s Rosenberg Kabinett. In part, of course, that’s testimony to the degree to which must weights plateaued during the clear, cool weather of October 2015. Unusual, too, is that this Auslese fermented to 9.5 percent alcohol, leaving behind a mere 41 grams of residual sugar – to that extent resembling Mosel Auslese of a truly bygone era – and boasts a remarkably high 31 grams of sugar-free dry extract. All of which also adds up to a distinctive flavor profile. Overripe pear and kiwi are headily aromatic and mingled with faintly prickly, smoky botrytis-borne notes of lime zest, raw ginger and black tea. The midpalate impression is full and firm, its ripe fruit underlain by wet stone; and the sumptuously sustained finish delivers a welcome suffusion of mouthwatering mineral salts.”
Mosel Fine Wines 91 points “This offers a ripe nose of pink grapefruit, yellow peach, pineapple, pear and banana. Ripe expressive fruits lead to a juicy, well-structured and intense spicy wine on the palate. The smooth and long finish delivers dried spices, bergamot and a touch of power in the background. This is quite a powerful Auslese in the making which will be best enjoyed earlier than later. 2020-2030”
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast today!
The average price nationally is $27
Weingut Alfred Merkelbach Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Spatlese #1, Mosel 2015 750ML ($29.95) $21.90 special
Mosel Fine Wines 91 points “An expressive nose of fresh fruits including pineapple, grapefruit and peach leads to a mouth-coating feel on the palate and a lively and energetic structure in the zesty finish. The grapefruit and citrus driven finish is full of freshness and lightness. This is a superb Spätlese in the making. 2023-2035.”
Terry Theise: “I have to point out: this wine has been a core-list item for us, and we usually blend Fuders in order to give us (relatively speaking) “volume” under one s.k.u. But this year there are just three contributing lots, and they’re so distinct from one another that I’m shipping each separately, though all as core-list. This will be random, as it would be utter chaos for y’all to “pick” the Fuder you preferred. I will note them separately. And this one is pure, pure licorice, classic kiwi and sassafrass; a look into the very bones and capillaries of Uerz-Würz, like an MRI of terroir. A completely amazing Mosel wonder of a very fundamental nature.”
Kruger-Rumpf Munsterer Dautenpflanzer Riesling Spatlese, Nahe 2015 750ML ($27.95) $21.90 special
Terry Theise notes: “Shows the loam and lemony face of this spicy exotic vineyard; picked ginger, earthy clove and duck skin; freesia and mint—what a glorious Grand Cru this is. Earthy yet tastes like it was visited by extraterrestrials, who threw down seeds for a phosphorescent moss.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
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Bernard Moreau
Chassagne Excellence in Red and White
Puligny gets all the glory in the land of the hyphenated-Montrachets, but no other village in Burgundy is as excellent for both red and white wines as Chassagne Montrachet. Chassagne has more distinction between soil types than most Burgundy appellations and so can produce delicious, elegant reds that drink well young and also whites that are everything you want in white Burgundy. Within the village, you’d be hard pressed to find a more exciting winemaker than Bernard Moreau (one of the multitude of Moreau’s in Burgundy).
Stylistically, the Bernard Moreau wines lean toward approachability and deliciousness while young. They’ll age, too, but these are great wines to drink while some of your surlier bottles rest. The other magical thing about Moreau is price-related. Compared to some of his peers, the wines remain bargains. Not cheap, mind you, but his 1er cru bottlings are often $50-$80 less than comparable quality wines from Puligny.
We had the 2015’s recently arrive and the press for the 15 vintage is intense and deserved. These wines have power and concentration that you only get in the best years and an approachability that is uncommon for a great year. Stock up!
Whites:
Domaine Bernard Moreau et Fils Bourgogne Blanc, Burgundy 2015 750ML ($37.95) $29 special, 17 bottles available
Case-12 Domaine Bernard Moreau et Fils Bourgogne Blanc, Burgundy 2015 750ML ($419.95) $319 special, 5 cases available (that’s only $26.58/bottle!)
John Gilman 88 points “The 2015 Bourgogne Blanc from Domaine Moreau is very pretty, offering up a zesty nose of white flowers, pear, white peach, a touch of fresh almond and chalky soil nuances. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, crisp and juicy at the core, with good acids and fine length and grip on the bouncy finish. A lovely example. 2016-2023.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Domaine Bernard Moreau et Fils Chassagne-Montrachet 2015 750ML ($79.95) $66 special, 30 bottles available
Case-12 Domaine Bernard Moreau et Fils Chassagne-Montrachet 2015 750ML ($949.95) $679 special, 4 cases available (that’s only $56.58/bottle!)
John Gilman 92 points “If there is anyone in the village that makes a more consistently beautiful bottling of Chassagne villages than Domaine Moreau, I would love to taste it! The 2015 version is another excellent example in the making, wafting from the glass in a refined and complex blend of apple, pear, a touch of orange zest, superb minerality, spring flowers, vanillin oak and the first presage of the pastry cream to come with a bit of aging. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and succulent, with excellent mid-palate depth, fine focus and backend mineral drive, bright acids and a long, crisp and classy finish. Fine juice. 2016-2030+.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Domaine Bernard Moreau et Fils Les Champs Gain, Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru 2015 750ML ($119.95) $99 special, 19 bottles available
John Gilman 92+ points “The 2015 Champgains from Alex Moreau was also showing beautifully at the time of my visit, offering up a bright and classy bouquet of lemon, apple, deep soil tones, citrus zest, spring flowers and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and rock solid at the core, with fine acids, lovely focus and grip and a long, nascently complex and youthful finish. This will need a few years to unleash its secondary layers of complexity and will be delicious at its peak. 2019-2040+.”
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Domaine Bernard Moreau et Fils La Maltroie, Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru 2015 750ML ($119.95) $99 special, 18 bottles available
John Gilman 93+ points “In my experience, Maltroie always shows more “wet stone” minerality than chalkiness in its soil component, and this is indeed the case with the lovely 2015 version from Domaine Moreau. The bouquet is superb and utterly classic in its profile of apple, pear, wet stones, lemon blossoms and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and a bit more reserved in personality than most of these previous premier crus, with a rock solid core, bright acids and a very long, nascently complex and vibrant finish. This will demand a couple of years to blossom. 2018-2040+.”
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Domaine Bernard Moreau et Fils Morgeot, Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru 2015 750ML ($149.95) $119 special, 6 bottles available
John Gilman 94+ points “The 2015 Morgeot from Alex Moreau is a brilliant example of the vintage! The bouquet is pure, vibrant and very classy, soaring from the glass in a blaze of lemon, pear, complex, chalky soil tones, vanillin oak and lemon blossoms in the upper register. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and utterly refined in profile, with a stunning core of pristine fruit, great soil inflection, bright, zesty acids and laser-like focus on the very, very long and very classy finish. Simply brilliant Morgeot! 2017-2045.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Reds:
Domaine Bernard Moreau et Fils Bourgogne Pinot Noir, Burgundy 2015 750ML ($37.95) $29 special, 22 bottles available
“Like the Bourgogne Blanc, the Bourgogne Rouge 2015 chez Moreau was bottled in mid-September of 2016 and had bounced back nicely by the time of my visit. The bouquet offers up a very pretty and black fruity blend of black cherries, sweet dark berries, woodsmoke, a touch of roasted venison and a good base of dark soil tones. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and quite accessible out of the blocks, with a sappy core,. just a touch of tannin and fine length and grip on the finish. Good juice. 2016-2025.”–John Gilman
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Domaine Bernard Moreau et Fils Chassagne-Montrachet Rouge Vieilles Vignes 2015 750ML ($59.95) $49 special, 32 bottles available
John Gilman 90+ points “The 2015 Chassagne V.V. included twenty-five percent whole clusters this year and was raised in ten percent new oak. The wine was showing very nicely, despite only having been racked two weeks ago, as it offers up a pure and black fruity blend of black cherries, bitter chocolate, pigeon, a complex base of soil tones and a smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and a bit chewy today (probably more a result of the recent racking than any sign of less-polished tannins), with a sappy core, fine soil inflection, lovely focus and grip and a long, promising finish. 2019-2045+.”
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Domaine Bernard Moreau et Fils Santenots, Volnay Premier Cru 2011 750ML ($69.95) $49 special, 32 bottles available
Burghound 90 points “This offers a step up in aromatic elegance with a pure and highly complex nose of extract of cassis, plum, violets and black cherries. There is a very suave and seductive texture to the delicious, lacy and lightly mineral-inflected middle weight flavors that firm up on the solidly long finish. This is markedly finer than the Cardeuse but only a bit more complex.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
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The New York Times Likes Alsace
Almost as Much as We Do
The New York Times has a great feature this week on the wines of Alsace and how they’ve adjusted their winemaking to deal with warmer and warmer vintages. It’s a great read and if you haven’t seen it, you can read the article here.
We’ve got a lot of great stuff in from the region and love how flexible and delicious the wines are at the table (white and, yes, red). We wanted to highlight a small selection of the wines here for you today. These are great wines to try whether you’re an old hand or are just getting introduced to the beautiful wines of Alsace.
Domaine Maurice Schoech Cotes d’Ammeschwihr, Alsace 2015 750ML ($19.95) $16.60 special, 36 bottles available
Importer note “Cotes d’Ammerschwihr: is harvested from hillside vineyards situated at the beginning of the valley that leads to the village of Les Trois Epis. This wine is primarily Pinot Blanc with a touch of Muscat … a fine, elegant wine of great value.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Domaine Maurice Schoech Riesling Sonnenberg, Alsace 2015 750ML ($29.95) $24 special, 24 bottles available
“Riesling Sonnenberg: is sourced from a group of old-vine ‘selection massale’ parcels on a south-facing granite slope in the Sonnenberg lieu-dit.”–Importer note
Agathe Bursin Gewurztraminer Zinnkoepfle, Alsace Grand Cru 2015 ($41.95) $37 special, 14 bottles available
Wine Advocate 93 points “The 2015 Gewurztraminer Grand Cru Zinnkoepflé opens with a clear, smoky/flinty, vegetal and spicy/herbal rather than fruity bouquet with flavors of anise, licorice and peony—fascinating and unique! On the palate the wine is rich, intense and elegant, shows a creamy texture and reveals a great power, but also character. This Zinnkoepflé is more the classic style of Gewurztraminer compared to the Dirstelberg and its finish is compact, nicely bitter and very expressive. Bottled with 31 grams of residual sugar, 4.16 of total acidity and a pH of 3.59. Drink over the next 20+ years.”
Ian D’agata–Vinous 91+ points “Dark straw-yellow. Aromas of ripe mango, smoked beef and candied grapefruit. Big and ample, but with good acidity lifting the smooth, tactile mouthfeel and extending the rich flavors of smoky bacon, orange marmalade and cinnamon. This has 31 g/L residual sugar and 4.7 g/L total acidity, so it’s anything but a dry wine; in fact, Bursin could have been bottled it as a Vendanges Tardives as the grapes were almost completely passerillé (air-dried on the vine). Nonetheless, she believes this specific wine to be a higher-quality, richer example of a grand cru wine as opposed to an entry-level VT (she did make a true VT from Gewürz in 2015 from grapes harvested on November 12, and it is an extremely promising wine).”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Agathe Bursin Sylvaner Eminence Zinnkoepfle, Alsace Grand Cru 2013 750ML ($31.95) $28 special, 20 bottles available
Ian D’agata–Vinous 92 points “Gold-tinged straw. Delicate aromas of peach, apricot and poached apple. Rich and dense on the palate, with lively acidity lifting the sweet flavors of orchard and tropical fruits. Finishes very long, with impeccable balance. These Sylvaner vines grow in the grand cru Zinnkoepflé, the soils of which are marked by calcaires à entroques. Planted in 1930 with a southeast exposure, these vines give the description vieilles vignes real meaning, but Bursin doesn’t care to use this wording on the label since she believes the term has been reduced to mainly marketing purposes. “In France, vieille vigne wines are made with vines ranging anywhere from as little as 20 years to as much as 100 years of age, so what‘s the point?” she asks.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Albert Boxler Riesling Reserve, Alsace 2013 750ML ($59.95) $49 special, 6 bottles available
Wine Spectator 93 points “Orchard blossom and spice notes herald this lacy white, with a streak of minerality underscoring the mouthwatering palate of peaches and cream, verbena, spun honey and smoke. Lithe and lively, this shows richness and fine length. Drink now through 2028.”
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F E Trimbach Riesling Cuvee Frederic Emile, Alsace 2002 750ML ($79.95) $69 special, 6 bottles available
Wine Advocate 92 points “The superbly-concentrated 2002 Riesling Frederic Emile is now on the market – still a touch austere, but with strikingly refined complexity and sheer mineral mass. Broth-like carnal and chalky traits here put one in mind of Chablis. Here is a wine to strain through your teeth, and one possessed of vivacious, ripe acids, with lemon, grapefruit and faintly bitter black fruit notes over a foundation of chalk, leading to a long, juicy finish. Give this another year in your cellar and for it to be worth following for at least another decade thereafter.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
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Chateau Le Puy
Old-School Bordeaux Done Right
The modern Bordeaux landscape is dominated by, well, modern Bordeaux. The dominant model of Bordeaux is wine made with all the modern tricks—ripe picked, lots of new oak, perhaps a little (or a lot) of micro-oxygenation. With all that in mind, we’ve been on the constant hunt for classical wines from the region. We were excited, then, to see Chateau le Puy (a selection here for a while) highlighted in this great article from the New York Times.
If you don’t have the time to read the article, we’ll give you the synopsis: Old-school Bordeaux still exists, made in a style that works well with food and is fresher than what we think of today. Chateau Le Puy also farms Biodynamically, even using horses to plow the vineyard. The resulting wines have depth and complexity (and a little rusticity) but are delicious in a way the 100% new oak crowd can’t get to.
The wine we had in stock immediately sold out (we weren’t the only ones who read the article, apparently) and we’ve been working on bringing more back in –at the lowest prices on the West Coast.
Chateau le Puy Cuvee Barthelemy, Bordeaux Cotes de Francs 2010 750ML ($179.95) $138 special, 11 bottles available
Importer note “A wine of more limited production (approximately 15,000 bottles per annum), this cuvée, 85% Merlot plus 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, is sourced from a single vineyard site known as “Les Rocs” on a plateau with a deep limestone bedrock. The wine spends 24 months in 228L barrels (less than 10% new) with no addition of SO2 at any stage of the elevage. A more dense and mysterious wine than its companion with a deeper robe and more firm structure, we see resemblance here to the finest old wines of its neighbors to the west in the best districts of Saint Emilion and Pomerol.”
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Chateau le Puy Cuvee Emilien, Bordeaux Cotes de Francs 2012 750ML ($49.95) $39 special, 36 bottles available
Case-12 Chateau le Puy Cuvee Emilien, Bordeaux Cotes de Francs 2012 750ML ($519.95) $419 special (that’s only $34.92/bottle and the lowest listed price in the USA today!), 1 case available
“The most important cuvée of the domaine in terms of volume is composed of 85% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Carmenère. It spends a year in 50hl foudres before a year in 228L barrel. Its approach is silky from the fine tannins and it bears a color of garnet red with a hint of ruby, a seductive wine of great elegance.” – Importer note
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
Chateau le Puy Cuvee Emilien, Bordeaux Cotes de Francs 2013 750ML ($49.95) $39 special, 34 bottles available
Case-12 Chateau le Puy Cuvee Emilien, Bordeaux Cotes de Francs 2013 750ML ($519.95) $419 special (that’s only $34.92/bottle!), 1 case available
“The most important cuvée of the domaine in terms of volume is composed of 85% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Carmenère. It spends a year in 50hl foudres before a year in 228L barrel. Its approach is silky from the fine tannins and it bears a color of garnet red with a hint of ruby, a seductive wine of great elegance.” – Importer note
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
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Staff Pick:
Montepeloso’s Stellar Super-Tuscan
Frederic:
Not every wine deserves a love letter, but this absolutely takes first prize. Montepeloso consists of 15 windblown acres perched high above the rest of Suvereto. It is terribly hot on this part of the Tuscan coast, but the hills are constantly caressed by a breeze that regulates the temperatures perfectly. The higher scoring super-Tuscans that hug the floor below are heavily ripe and lush; not the Montepeloso. Balance and elegance are the hallmarks of Fabio’s wines and it shines through. This is 2011 and ripe, to be sure, but with such a shapely backbone of pretty acidity – elegant floral and herbed notes wrapped around cherry, blackberry and worn leather. I was reminded more of Bordeaux than Suvereto. The wine is comforting and invigorating. I’ve rarely had a wine from this region that I wanted more than a second glass – where was my second bottle?! We had this with heirloom pork chops with a light pesto rubbed on and the wine was a stunner. Fabio Chiarelotto shows no signs of changing anything he does, and that is exactly as it should be. For every $200 Bolgheri wine, there is a bottle of Montepeloso that is every bit its equal.
Montepeloso Eneo Toscana IGT, Tuscany 2011 750ML ($49.95) $33 special, 36 bottles available
Wine Spectator 93 points “A fresh red, boasting plum, black cherry, spice and leather flavors. The harmony and intensity make this enjoyable now, but the wine should continue to develop over the next five years. Montepulciano, Sangiovese, Alicante and Marselan. Drink now through 2022. 1,500 cases made.”
Antonio Galloni 92 points “Black cherries, raspberry jam, cloves lavender and violets are some of the many notes that take hold of the senses in the 2011 Eneo. This dark, brooding beauty possesses fabulous depth and intensity all the way through to the voluptuous finish. The Eneo is very ripe – in the style of the year – but all the elements are in the right place. The blend is 45% Sangiovese, 35% Montepulciano, 15% Alicante and 5% Marselan.” AG
Cascina Delle Rose
Classical Barbaresco, Naturally
Cascina delle Rose seems to have a foot in the world of family-oriented, rustic wines, what with the label showing their dog and cat playing with a swallow, but the wines definitely hold onto a more serious side. There’s an elegance to their offerings that belies the simplicity of their image.
The wines are not points darlings, and perhaps this is where there beauty comes from. These are wines that are about elegance and perfume first and foremost. The wines are pressed extremely gently and Davide, the winemaker and son of the owner Giovanna, seems to want to avoid taking these wines past the minimum extraction necessary to make them recognizable as Piedmont classics. Their Tre Stella Barbaresco is the weightiest of all of the offerings, but even so, the wine is translucent and lifting, seemingly ready to knife through some braised lamb shank or fatty coppa.
Cascina delle Rose makes wines that are ready to drink, open and accessible. A touch of age won’t hurt, adding a little note of wild forest floor to the mix. These are the definition of wines that want to be a part of dinner. They’ll dance on their own, but really want to cut a rug with whatever is on the table.
Cascina delle Rose Donna Elena Barbera d’Alba Superiore, Piedmont 2013 750ML ($31.95) $28 special, 21 bottles available
Winery note “The grapes for this wine are sourced from a specific selection of old clones and the wine is aged in large Slavonian oak barrels for approximately 20 months. Intense ruby red with garnet reflections. Complex bouquet, of macerated fruits (cherry, plum, black cherry), slightly spicy (cinnamon, cloves) with a dark chocolate finish. Good tannic balance. Intense, warm, and persistent with particular elegance and deepness. It paired well with red meats, lamb, medium seasoned cheeses.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Cascina delle Rose Barbera d’Alba, Piedmont 2014 750ML ($24.95) $21.90 special, 36+ bottles available
Winery note “Aged in large Slavonian oak barrels for approximately 15 months. Deep ruby red with slight garnet reflections. Show a freshness typical of Barbera with hints of cherry, blackberry, raspberry and cassis. A touch of balsamic gives finesse to the slightly spicy bouquet. Good tannins and persistence. It’s elegant and balanced. It pairs well with red meat, medium cheeses and fish.”
Cascina delle Rose Dolcetto d’Alba ‘Elizabeth’ 2015 750ML ($21.95) $18 special, 28 bottles available
Winery note “Bright ruby red with violet hues and crisp on the palate, with a delicate scent of wild rose and violet, cherry, red fruits and gooseberry. Elegant notes cinnamon and cloves. Good structure and acidity with silky tannins and lovely aromatic persistence.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Cascina delle Rose Nebbiolo Langhe, Piedmont 2015 750ML ($29.95) $26 special, 30 bottles available
Winery note “Bright garnet red. Floral and elegant notes of roses and violet (which is classic of the Tre Stelle); a direct, deep, and clear expression of the vineyard. Notes of fruit (maraschino cherries, berries), vanilla, leather, and tobacco. Dry, balanced and enduring, with dense texture of fine and silky tannins, great elegance and persistence. It goes well with salami, cured ham, red and white meat, and medium-aged cheeses.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Cascina delle Rose Tre Stelle, Barbaresco DOCG 2013 750ML ($59.95) $49 special, 36+ bottles available
Cascina delle Rose Tre Stelle, Barbaresco DOCG 2013 1.5L ($149.95) $119 special, 1 magnum available
Antonio Galloni 90 points “The 2013 Barbaresco Tre Stelle is quite a bit deeper and richer than the Rio Sordo, with more freshness and overall structure to match. Sweet red cherry, tobacco, incense and leather flesh out as the wine fills out its frame effortlessly. Ample and generous, the 2013 Tre Stelle is an attractive Barbaresco that should provide a number years of enjoyable drinking. This is very nicely done.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Arriving in Late September:
Cascina delle Rose Barbaresco Rio Sordo, Barbaresco DOCG 2014 750ML ($69.95) $59 pre-arrival special
Cascina delle Rose Barbaresco Rio Sordo, Barbaresco DOCG 2014 1.5L ($149.95) $119 pre-arrival special
Winery note “Barbaresco Rio Sordo was born through a severe selection in a vineyard of Nebbiolo grapes. The immediate characteristics are its complexity and deepness accompanied with elegance and finesse. The colour is garnet red with slight orange flecks. The taste is intense and persistent and its intriguing perfume as slight hint of wild fruit, spicy with sensations of leather and pepper. It combines perfectly with important red meats dishes, roasts, mature cheeses.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Cascina delle Rose Tre Stelle, Barbaresco DOCG 2014 750ML ($59.95) $49 pre-arrival special
Cascina delle Rose Tre Stelle, Barbaresco DOCG 2014 1.5L ($119.95) $99 pre-arrival special
Cascina delle Rose Tre Stelle, Barbaresco DOCG 2014 3L ($279.95) $249 pre-arrival special
“The Barbaresco Tre Stelle is the result of better exposure of this geographical appellation, 100% Nebbiolo grapes. Great character, undoubted delicacy and femininity together for a long-lived wine and amazing pleasure even from young , thanks to the weave of tannins, sleek and silky. Bright garnet red with orange highlights, live and balanced tannins, notes of roses and violets, ripe plum, licorice, tobacco and chocolate. Finally spicy with elegant ethereal notes. Remarkable persistence.”–Winery Notes
This is the only listing in the USA today!
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Summer Shipping Special:
Midwest, East, & South
For the summer season we are offering UPS Three Day Select Service for the price of UPS Ground for shipments normally traveling 4 or more business days by ground.
Free service upgrade only applies on single orders purchased and shipped during the promotional period. Additional fees will apply to orders held for any reason until after the promotional period and shipped by Three Day Select. Offer not valid on items purchased before the promotional period or on pre-arrival items that arrive after the promotional period ends.
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A Vertical of Gulfi’s Reseca
One of Etna’s Landmark Wines
Vito Catania, owner of Azienda Gulfi : “Since 1996, we have been making the wines we love at Gulfi. We never accepted irrigation, we always have considered the best practices of other organic and biodynamic environments. We went our own way like the best wine estates have done in differents parts of the world. Of course we are influenced by the most delicate burgundy wines as well as by the greatest Rhone Valley wines, particularly Chateauneuf du Pape, but our wines have first of all a taste of their true origins, of their deep Sicilian roots.”
Gulfi first came to prominence as a champion of Nero D’Avola—the rich dark grape that they proved could be a transparent expression of terroir. The single vineyards Nero’s that Gulfi made changed perceptions of the grape and so in the early 2000’s they bought vineyards in the next frontier of Sicilian terroir: Etna.
The wines of Etna are now well known to us, but when Gulfi bought the vineyard that would become Reseca, it was far from a sure bet. That they are now considered classics is a testament to the power of the terroir and to the modern wine world’s ever expanding thirst for the new, but they’v finally taken their place. We’re pleased to present a small vertical of Reseca today and know that you’ll enjoy it as much as we enjoyed putting it together:
Gulfi Reseca Rosso Sicilia IGT, Sicily 2006 750ML ($49.95) $39 special, 22 bottles available
Antonio Galloni 92 points “The 2006 Reseca is Nerello Mascalese from vineyards on Mount Etna. It is one of the darker, more overtly fruit driven wines I have tasted from the Etna. The finish turns a bit more delicate and ethereal, though. It will be interesting to see the direction Gulfi takes with this bottling in coming years.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Gulfi Reseca Rosso Sicilia IGT, Sicily 2007 750ML ($49.95) $39 special, 20 bottles available
Antonio Galloni 92 points “Gulfi’s 2007 Reseca, from a vineyard on the Etna, is full of Nerello Mascalese personality. Sweet dried cherries, crushed flowers, licorice and spices waft from the glass. The tannins are understated yet beautiful and nicely integrated. The delicate style is pure Etna and therefore totally different from the Nero d’Avolas Gulfi makes in Pachino.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Gulfi Reseca Rosso Sicilia IGT, Sicily 2008 750ML ($49.95) $39 special, 26 bottles available
Wine Spectator “The ripe black cherry puree mixes with soft raisin, cocoa powder and loamy earth accents in this juicy, medium-bodied red. Light grip and a hint of black licorice drop shows on the finish. Nerello Mascalese.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Also In Stock From Gulfi:
Gulfi Nerosanlore Sicilia IGT, Sicily 2010 750ML ($49.95) $39 special, 36+ bottles available
Gulfi Nerosanlore Sicilia IGT, Sicily 2010 1.5L ($119.95) $99 special, 3 magnums available
Ian D’agata–Vinous 95 points “Fully saturated ruby. Pure, very deep aromas of black cherry, red plum, medicinal herbs and minerals. Rich, dense and suave, with complex flavors of saline red berries and dark plum complicated by repeating botanical herb and balsamic nuances. Finishes seamless an long. A wine of noteworthy purity, with an excellent balance of sweetness, acidity and tannins. This is Gulfi’s closest vineyard to the sea and almost always gives the estate’s most elegant, refined wine.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Gulfi Nerosanlore Sicilia IGT, Sicily 2009 750ML ($49.95) $41.90 special, 7 bottles available
Wine Advocate 93 points “Sweet aromas of toasted oak and baking spice emerge from the bouquet of the 2009 Nerosanlorè. This is a very elaborate red wine that shows the craft and the labor of the winemaker. The bouquet is thickly layered with aromas of ripe fruit, blackberry compote, tobacco and loads of spice derived from long oak aging. In addition, the wine offers ample tertiary aromas of licorice, resin and tar. This is a very attractive red that offers the full force and sunshine of Sicily in your glass. There is power and determination here with 14.5% alcohol.”
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Arriving Tomorrow:
A High-Point Mixed Bag of Peninsular Goodies
Spain:
Arrayan Estela, Mentrida 2010 750ML ($39.95) $33 pre-arrival special
James Suckling 95 points “Beautiful, layered wine showing great depth on the nose. Ripe strawberries, cacao, roasted coffee beans, iodine and salt undertones. Full-bodied and round-textured red with soft tannins following through to a mouth-watering and juicy finish. Blend of syrah, merlot, cabernet sauvignon and petit verdot. Drink now.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Bodegas Vina Herminia Rioja Crianza DOCa, Rioja 2013 750ML ($24.95) $18 pre-arrival special
Decanter-95 points -Platinum-Best Red Rioja–“An elegant and intense nose comprising black fruit, blackberry and herbs, with a real medicinal edge is followed deliciously by a well-structured palate of licorice, plums, tobacco and black fruit notes, which also has round meaty tannins, a lovely texture and a beautiful long finish.”
Italy:
Fattoria Le Pupille Elisabetta Geppetti ‘Poggio Valente’, Morellino di Scansano Riserva DOCG 2011 750ML ($31.95) $28 pre-arrival special
James Suckling 94 points “This is a selection of the best sangiovese on the property. The owner says the goal is to make something to compete with the best Brunello. And so it is. Full-bodied, firm and lively. Wonderful texture and length. Ripe and delicious. Superb. Drink or hold.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Punset Campo Quadro, Barbaresco DOCG, 2004 750ML ($69.95) $59 pre-arrival special
Case-6 Punset Campo Quadro, Barbaresco DOCG, 2004 750ML ($399.95) $339 pre-arrival special (that’s only $56.50/bottle!)
Monica Larner – Wine Advocate 95 points “Going back one more year, the 2004 Barbaresco Campo Quadro opens with a lean, garnet color and pretty aromas of old spice and dried berry fruit. The wine is streamlined and thin in texture, but the tannins are still very present at the back. Aging-wise, the wine is on its way. But it’s not quite there yet. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2025. In the 1980s, after graduating from high school, Marina Marcarino bet her father that she could run the family winery in Barbaresco at a profit. He gave her one year to try. If she won, she could take over management. If she lost, she’d enroll in civil engineering classes at the local university. After a grueling 12 months, she closed her accounting books with a profit of less than 100 Euros, or 100,000 Lira at the time. But she won the wager and became the first female vintner in the Langhe. [Tasted Jun 2013]”
Monica Larner – Wine Advocate 93+ points “This is the third or fourth time I have tasted the 2004 Barbaresco Campo Quadro. This is one of my favorite vintages of this single vineyard expression from Punset. The wine is harmonious and balanced with bright fruit flavors of cassis and pressed raspberry. You don’t always get this level of purity with Punset’s biodynamic wines. They tend to show less consistency overall. [Tasted Jan 2017]“