New Arrival: Drouhin Does Beaujolais; New Grapelive Review: Pegau CDP; #Trending Case Deals!; Staff Pick; The Majesty of Real Albarino: Nanclares and Mendez; New Thanksgiving Day Sale Wine: Pian dell’Orino; Sea Smoke by the Water; Last Chance? – Gaja Best Prices! Saint Damien: Arriving Friday
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New Thanksgiving Day Sale Wine!
Piano dell’Orino combines two things that make great wine estates: great land and obsessive ownership. Caroline Pobitzer and Jan Hendrik Erbach, the owners and driving force behind these wines, have a take-no-prisoners approach to ensure that they make the finest wines in Brunello. From careful, biodynamic farming to native yeast fermentions, the wines are traditional in style but made with the utmost care, so they have silky tannin and elegant structures. The estate is also the next ridge over from Biondi-Santi: in good company!
Pian dell’Orino ‘Vigneti del Versante’, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2011 750ML ($119.95) Was $89, Now $69, 36+ bottles in stock now
Wine Advocate 94 points “This wine is now identified by a single vineyard designation but was once the estate’s annata Brunello. The 2011 Brunello di Montalcino Vigneti del Versante (with vines planted in 1997) shows some signs of the vintage heat, but really only in terms of textural roundness and general softness. The bouquet sings loud and clear with red fruit aromas of cherry and blackberry. The fruit is nicely balanced by those elegant, ethereal notes of blue flower, balsam herb, cola and crushed pine nut that are characteristic of aged Sangiovese.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $87
See the complete list of Thanksgiving Day Sale Wines below – great bargains and great pairings for the holiday!
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Just Arrived:
Drouhin Does Beaujolais
With Fantastic Hospice Bottlings
Drouhin is best known in Oregon for DDO, to the point where some people are surprised that there is a Burgundian version of a trusted Oregon Pinot producer (even more that it’s the original). We think very highly of their operation both in Burgundy and here, but also their bottlings that they do for the Hospice de Belleville in Beaujolais.
Like the Hospice de Beaune, these are wines from vineyards owned by a historic hospital, with extremely choice parcels that are some of the best in their region. Unlike in the Cote d’Or, however, the Belleville wines are produced and then sold exclusively by Drouhin, who entered into an arrangement in 2014 to produce all of the wines.
These are classic Beaujolais, made with a decidedly Burgundian hand. Some carbonic is employed, but generally these seem to have more structure and a bit more spine. When paired with the generous fruit of the 2015, the techniques have produced wines that are definite statements—these are wines that lovers of both Burgundy and Beaujolais should pay attention to.
Joseph Drouhin Domaine des Hospices de Belleville Brouilly, Beaujolais 2015 750ML ($27.95) $21.90 special
Case-12 Joseph Drouhin Domaine des Hospices de Belleville Brouilly, Beaujolais 2015 750ML ($299.95) $239 special (that’s only $19.92/bottle!)
James Suckling 93 points “Lots of spices and granite with crushed berries and citrus. Medium to full body, a solid core of black fruit and real intensity. Real Brouilly. Drink now.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Joseph Drouhin Domaine des Hospices de Belleville Fleurie, Beaujolais 2015 750ML ($27.95) $21.90 special
James Suckling 93 points “This is very linear and refined with beautiful tannins and minerality. Medium-bodied, very pretty and focused. Tight and polished. Serious.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Joseph Drouhin Domaine des Hospices de Belleville Morgon, Beaujolais 2015 750ML ($24.95) $18 special
James Suckling 94 points “Lots of dark fruit, smoke and earth. Full-bodied and dense with a gorgeous texture and complex flavors. So crisp and energetic. Fantastic. Drink or hold.”
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New Grapelive Review
Domaine du Pegau Chateauneuf-du-Pape Cuvee Reservee, Rhone2013 750ML ($69.95) $49 special, 7 bottles in stock now
Grapelive 94 points “Laurence Feraud’s gorgeous traditionally crafted 2013 Reserve Chateauneuf is the real deal with wonderful layers of fruit, spice, earthiness and garrigue as well as a showy hedonistic personality that makes you really pay attention to every sip! This 2013 is getting good right now, well integrated with much less of an oaky feel and presence than in the past. It feels fantastic on the palate with beautiful detail and has impressive force and impact showing ripe boysenberry, plum jam, dusty raspberry, ground pepper, creme de cassis, dried lavender, hints of mission fig, crushed stones and saddle leather. This serious Chateauneuf may not be a hyped year, as the 2015 certainly will be, but damn this is thrilling stuff and looks to be a steal when comparing prices of top Chateauneuf-du-Pape offerings. It’s a lovely bottle that delivers everything you’d want from this region. The Pegau Reserve is a deep garnet/purple with a slight brick note on the edges and with air the nose develops floral, game and kirsch elements while the finish lingers with its weighty Grenache charms, plus a salted licorice and morello cherries. It’s mostly Grenache 80% as you can taste along with small amounts Syrah, Mourvedre and a mix of permitted varietals. Ms. Feraud gets the most out of her old vine plots that are grown on the classic galets as well as sand, clay and chalky limestone. She used carefully sorted whole clusters with stems going for native and natural ferments in cement vats before aging [it] 24 months in large cask (in well-seasoned old neutral oak these days). Usually a sexy wine, this 2013 does not disappoint. Enjoy this Chateauneuf over the next 5 to 10 years. Best to decant and have with robust and rustically simple cuisine for the best experience.”
Need more?
Arriving in February 2018
Domaine du Pegau Chateauneuf-du-Pape Cuvee Reservee, Rhone 2015 750ML ($89.95) $75 pre-arrival special
Jeb Dunnuck – Rhone Report 95-97+ points “A vintage compared to 2010 by Laurence, the 2015 Châteauneuf-du-Pape looks to be one of the big successes in the vintage. Possessing a ripe, rounded, sexy style backed up by solid density and concentration, it offers classic Pegau notes of currants, pepper, and cured meats. Big, rich, concentrated and beautifully textured, it offers a rare depth of fruit and richness in the vintage.”
Wine Advocate 93-95 points “The 2015 Châteauneuf du Pape Cuvée Réservée is beauty, and about as classic an expression of this estate as I can recall. Blackcurrants, peppery herbs, roasted meats and garrigue all emerge from this medium to full-bodied, balanced, nicely concentrated 2015 that has ripe tannin and a great finish. It’s not on par with the 2010, 2009 or 2003, but it should surpass the 2012 and have two decades or more of longevity.”
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#Trending Case Deals!
Drappier Carte d’Or Brut Champagne NV 750ML ($49.95) $36 special
Case-6 Drappier Carte d’Or Brut Champagne NV 750ML ($299.95) $199 special (that’s only $33.17/bottle and the lowest listed price in the USA today!)
Wine Spectator 92 points “This bright and zesty Champagne is lightly juicy and appealing, offering flavors of Honeycrisp apple, ripe white cherry, biscuit and pickled ginger. Balanced and lacy in texture, with a lingering, spiced finish. Drink now through 2022.”
Arlaux Grande Cuvee Premier Cru Brut, Champagne NV 750ML ($39.95) $33 special
Case-6 Arlaux Grande Cuvee Premier Cru Brut, Champagne NV 750ML ($219.95) $189 special (that’s only $31.50/bottle!)
Wine Advocate 92 points “The nose of this wine seduces you straight away with a great balance of autolytic and fruit aromas: toasted hazelnuts, warm apple tart and kaya (coconut and egg) jam. The palate is equally well balanced providing plenty of evolved fruit and toasty / yeasty flavors. Small, fine bubbles, seamless use of dosage and a long nutty finish. This fine if relatively unknown Brut NV takes first place in the derby – a shocker even for me!”
Importer notes: “Arlaux is a small family-run champagne house producing only 5,000 cases a year located in a small village on the Petit Montagne de Reims called Vrigny. Arlaux has been producing champagne since 1826 but the Arlaux-Marchal family have lived in Vrigny since the 13th century. Exclusively 1er Cru Champagne with a minimum of 4 years aging. They only use their own grapes from 20 to 100 year old vines which are hand-picked in order to select only the very best. All Arlaux cuvées are 100% Premier Cru and 100% Tête de Cuvée (meaning that they only use the juice of the 1st press).”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $38
Joseph Faiveley Bourgogne Rouge, Burgundy 2012 750ML ($27.95) $16 special
Case-12 Joseph Faiveley Bourgogne Rouge, Burgundy 2012 750ML ($299.95) $169 special (that’s only $14.08/bottle!)
Importer notes: “A beautiful ruby color. This wine has pleasant, fresh, red-fruit aromas on the nose, which we find again on the palate. It has rich and very ripe substance, with fine round tannins. It’s a very well-structured and pleasing wine.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $19.99
The average price is $23
Matello Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley 2015 750ML ($17.95) $14 special
Case-12 Matello Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley 2015 750ML ($179.95) $138 special (that’s only $11.50/bottle!)
Winery note “Never more than a few hundred cases, this micro-production showcases the beautiful mineral nature of the shallow sedimentary soils of the Whistling Ridge and Bishop creek vineyards. Bright, fresh, pear, lime blossom, hints of hazelnut, and a saline note.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Descendientes de J. Palacios ‘Petalos’, Bierzo 2014 750ML ($24.95) $18 special
Case-12 Descendientes de J. Palacios ‘Petalos’, Bierzo 02014 750ML ($269.95) $199 special (that’s only $16.58/bottle!)
Wine Advocate 93 points “The 2014 Pétalos del Bierzo was already up for tasting as they sell the wine quite quickly even if the volumes are not small, but the wine had only been in bottle for one week and it might have been a little closed, especially when compared with the aromatic 2013. However, the aromas, if subtle, are phenomenal, very complete and balanced, with an extra degree of complexity when compared with the 2013. The harvest was a little healthier without being easy (or dry). There is great volume in the palate, fleshy, juicy and rich without being heavy, medium-bodied, somehow similar to the 2012 even if it still needs to develop further complexity. There’s always a subdued minerality, a texture and mouthfeel difficult to find in wines of this price level. This is approachable now, but it will be better in one year and should develop nicely in bottle. Drink: 2016-2022.”
James Suckling 92 points “A pure mencía with wild strawberries, black pepper and underbrush. Balanced and pretty red showing subtle berry character throughout. Silky tannins. The entry-level red of the famous Bierzo estate. Drink now.”
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast today!
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Staff Pick
2015 Burgundy Edition
Saul:
I recently hosted a Pinot blind tasting that featured a lot of excellent wines from around the world and this stood out as being particularly good (especially for the price). It shows the plush fruit of the 2015 vintage, with really nice complexity and good depth. 2015 was a warm year in Burgundy and is lauded as a great vintage, for good reason. In years like this, I like to focus on villages that are a little outside the conventional radar and this red wine, from Chassagne, fits that bill perfectly. Historically there was more red Chassagne-Montrachet than white, and this wine is sourced from really old vines which provide an excellent backbone to the wine. It should age for a while but is surprisingly delicious now.
Domaine Bernard Moreau et Fils Chassagne-Montrachet Rouge Vieilles Vignes 2015 750ML ($59.95) $49 special, 31 bottles in stock now
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+.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
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The Majesty of Real Albarino
Nanclares and Mendez Show What’s Possible
Most Albarino is industrial wine. Not that it’s bad, but there’s a formula to your basic $10-$20 bottle of Galician white. The wine is picked earlyish, before rain can risk the harvest, and fermented with a selection of commercial yeasts that give the generic white wine a lot of fruitiness (especially on the nose) and a little bit more body. It’s aged very briefly in stainless steel tanks and sent to market as fast as possible to be a delicious, if simple, quaffer.
By contrast, both Gerardo Mendez (of Do Ferreiro) and Alberto Nanclares do things very differently in pursuit of excellent wine. Both winemakers use indigenous yeasts, eschewing the quick and fruity fermentations for ones that last longer and produce distinct mineral notes in the wines. Those mineral notes are what separates the great (or as they’d argue, true) Albarino from the commodity stuff. In the hands of these two, Albarino has more in common with great Chablis or a GG from Keller than it does with something like Torrontes.
Both winemakers use vineyards with very old vines, most notably in the Do Ferreiro Cepas Vellas, which originates from a parcel of 200 year old Albarino trained in the traditional Albarello method. This training (common for many of the vineyards from these two but otherwise rare) is an extremely labor intensive way to farm the vineyard yields excellent wines but has fallen out of favor as it requires almost all the work to be done by hand. Few are willing to work this way anymore and as a result, few make wines like these. If you love deeply soulful, mineral drenched whites, you owe it to yourself to pick some up and see what true Albarino really tastes like.
Bodegas Gerardo Mendez Do Ferreiro Cepas Vellas, Rias Baixas 2015 750ML ($57.95) $44 special, 12 bottles in stock now
Wine Advocate 95 points “They did not produce their flagship Albariño in 2014, so I tasted the 2015 Albariño Do Ferreiro Cepas Vellas instead. This wine is produced with grapes from extremely old vines that grow on granite and sand soils around their house and winery in Meaño. These plants deliver very low yields and concentrated juice—very apt for a vin de garde—and it can often deliver some 15% of grapes with botrytis. 2015 was a very balanced harvest, combining power and elegance while keeping good levels of freshness. The grapes are destemmed, crushed and cooled down to around ten degrees Celsius, and the juice is left to settle for four to five days before it is fermented with indigenous yeasts for 20 to 24 days at 16 to 18 degrees Celsius. The wine is kept in contact with fine lees for 11 to 13 months in stainless steel. It has moderate alcohol (12.5%) and very good acidity (pH 3.05). The wine is serious, sharp, austere, a little shy in aromas and subtle rather than in your face, slowly unfurling its colors with time in the glass, with mineral notes that made me think of a great German Riesling. These vines always have a great natural concentration, while keeping the freshness, which provides aging potential among the best Albariño. Today, it’s still sharp as a razor, with marked acidity and citrus sensations, long and marine, finishing with a tasty, salty marine note. This has to be among the best vintages (if not the best!) ever of Cepas Vellas! Bravo! Get hold of a six-pack and enjoy over the years. 8,000 bottles produced.”
Bodegas Gerardo Mendez Do Ferreiro Albarino, Rias Baixas 2015 750ML ($29.95) $24 special, 24 bottles in stock now
Wine Advocate 92+ points “I also had the chance to revisit the 2015 Albariño so I could complete the trio of 2014-2015-2016 in one sitting. They consider 2015 one of the most balanced vintages of the last decade, to which I can only agree. I had already tasted it very young last time and it had shown among the best 2015s from Galicia. Some time in bottle has done it good, but it’s still a serious and somehow closed vintage, moving toward more complex notes of quince paste and yellow plums. But it’s the palate where the wine is like an electric shock: pungent flavors, some iodine notes developing already, minerality and a salty finish. This should develop nicely without any efforts for 5+ years. 85,000 bottles produced.”
Bodegas Gerardo Mendez Do Ferreiro Rebisaca, Rias Baixas 2015 750ML ($27.95) $21.90 special, 36+ bottles in stock now
Wine Advocate 93 points “The one non-Albariño wine the Méndez family produce is the Rebisaca, a blend of 70% Albariño, with 25% Treixadura and 5% Loureiro from Condado de Tea (not Salnés), of which I tasted two vintages, the younger of which was the excellent 2015 Rebisaca. This cuvée started in 1998, initially only for the U.S. market, but in 2013 they started selling it in Spain, too. Treixadura and Loureiro are fermented separately and then blended with the Albariño, making sure the strong balsamic aromas of Loureiro do not overpower the blend. This blend is usually quite shy until three years after the vintage, so we probably caught it in a very closed phase when the wine needed to breath in the glass. It’s very different from the pure Albariño, with more herbal and stony aromas and less flowers and perfume. It has great structure from the Treixadura and a touch of complexity given by the Loureiro, and it usually reaches a perfect balance some five years after the harvest. The palate shows some austerity, too, but revealed the inner power, concentration and balance of the year. 8,000 bottles were produced and bottled in one single lot.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Bodegas Alberto Nanclares Dandelion Albarino, Rias Baixas 2016 750ML ($24.95) $21.90 special, 12 bottles in stock now
Case-12 Bodegas Alberto Nanclares Dandelion Albarino, Rias Baixas 2016 750ML ($299.95) $235 special, 2 cases in stock now (that’s only $19.58/bottle!)
Wine Advocate 90 points “Bottled one month before I tasted it, the 2016 Dandelión is now produced with purchased grapes from vineyards in the interior of the Valle del Salnés. It has very good ripeness, with some white and yellow fruit, very clean. It has a soft palate with a sweetness in the finish—as the fermentation was complex, and they didn’t want to use any selected yeasts—and was bottled with some residual sugar. This is now their volume bottling where they have significantly grown the number of bottles produced. It has a more commercial profile in this vintage. 13,067 bottles produced.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Bodegas Alberto Nanclares Albarino, Rias Baixas 2016 750ML ($37.95) $31.90 special, 12 bottles in stock now
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Bodegas Alberto Nanclares ‘Paraje de Mina’ Albarino, Rias Baixas 2016 750ML ($49.95) $39 special, 5 bottles in stock now
This is the only listing in the USA today!
And also a red from Nanclares, made to the same exacting standards:
Bodegas Alberto Nanclares ‘Penapedre’ Tinto, Ribeira Sacra 2015 750ML ($59.95) $49 special, 6 bottles in stock now
Wine Advocate 92 points “There is one more red from the Ribeira Sacra zone in the banks of the Miño, a bottling called 2015 Penapedre, which is a blend of 60% Mencía, 30% Garnacha Tintorera and 10% white grapes (Palomino and Godello) from ancient (believed to be centenary) vines. The wine is fermented with full clusters and foot treading in a new 4,000-liter chestnut vat and matured in a 500-liter oak barrel with lees for 12 months. It has a similar character to the Miñato da Raña; perhaps I found a little more finesse here, maybe because it was polished by a slightly longer élevage. There is lovely rusticity in both, which gives it character. It would be superb if it was a little livelier. There is some lactic/creamy notes, which could be from the chestnut vat or because one of the barrels provided that note that grew in the glass. 2,255 bottles were filled in January 2017. This is a joint venture with some friends. Part of it is bottled by Eulogio Pomares and the rest is here; the wines are the same, only the élevage is different.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
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Sea Smoke by the Water
We’re getting our allocation of Sea Smoke Pinot Noir and sparkling wine in at the end of the week. The winery, made famous by the movie Sideways, is known for making tiny amounts of rich, full-bodied Pinot Noir. We’ve got two of their Pinots coming in Friday, but wanted to highlight their extremely rare sparkling wine “Sea Spray” that arrives at the same time. Coming from their (self-proclaimed) California Grand Cru vineyards, it’s made with the same care and passion that drives their wines. If you’re interested in trying it, act soon—these will likely sell out before they hit the shelf.
Arriving ETA Friday, November 17th:
Sea Smoke Sea Spray, Sta Rita Hills 2013 750ML ($119.95) $99 pre-arrival special
Winery note “The Pinot Noir for this méthode champenoise sparkling wine comes from specific blocks on our estate vineyard, which are picked early – before our regular pinot noir harvest begins. Sur lie aging in barrel and extended bottle aging en tirage add to the wine’s complexity. Sea Spray is fresh and alive on the palate and finishes with impressive length.”
Sea Smoke Southing Pinot Noir, Sta Rita Hills 2015 750ML ($79.95) $69 pre-arrival special
Winery note “Southing refers to the south-facing hillside bluffs found on our estate vineyard. Each year, our goal for this wine is to create the ideal marriage of complexity and elegance. Southing is a true expression of the terroir of Sea Smoke Vineyard: seductive flavors and fine tannins complimented by cool climate acidity.”
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast today!
Sea Smoke Ten Pinot Noir, Sta Rita Hills 2015 750ML ($119.95) $99 pre-arrival special
Winery note “Ten is named for the ten Pinot Noir clones found on our estate vineyard. Our most masculine wine, it is brooding and intense, with firm, mature tannins and a long, velvety finish. Ten is not for the faint-of-heart and has been known, on occasion, to convert even the most fanatic Cabernet lover. 100% Pinot Noir (Ten Clones, from which the wine takes its name).”
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Last Chance?
Gaja
Act fast – these incredible values are almost gone!
Angelo Gaja is one of the primary reasons we care about Barbaresco today and the iconic wines bearing his name remain the most treasured and collectible of the region. Furthermore, the top wines from his Brunello estate, Ca’ Marcanda, have quickly become among the top two or three most sought after wines in Tuscany.
We got lucky (or worked hard, your choice) and snagged a really amazing lineup of some of the top wines in the lineup for some really incredible prices, though (almost $100/bottle less expensive than the next offering on the single vineyard Langhe wines). If you’re a collector (or if you’re looking to try some of these wines for the first time) you should really pay attention to this offer. Also of note: these wines are directly from the winery through a local distributor—not purchased from a private collection.
Arriving November 17th:
Tuscan Wines:
Gaja Pieve Santa Restituta Rennina, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2008 750ML ($179.95) $99 pre-arrival special
Antonio Galloni 93 points “In a vintage where so many wines already appear tired, Gaja’s 2008 Brunello di Montalcino Rennina jumps from the glass with vibrant aromas and flavors. Violets, black cherries, tobacco, licorice and menthol all appear later, adding further shades of complexity. The tannins are firm yet beautifully integrated. Pieve Santa Restituta fans know than Rennina can be deceptively medium in body, yet it has a great track record for aging. Today, the wine is simply gorgeous. This is one of the few 2008s I would buy to cellar. There is little doubt the Rennina is one of the standouts in 2008.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $114.99
The average price is $156
Gaja Pieve Santa Restituta Rennina, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2011 750ML ($149.95) $99 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 94 points “The 2011 Brunello di Montalcino Rennina is made from a blend of fruit from three different vineyard parcels. The sites total 25 hectares, with 15 located next to the church, or the Pieve, after which this estate is named. The sites have southwest exposures and different soil types. That flexibility explains the smooth and seamless bouquet offered by this wine. Compared to the single vineyard Sugarille expression, Rennina is more open and immediate. The wine presents fleshy and beautifully plump aromas of red cherry, dried blackberry and exotic spice with tobacco and chocolate at the back.”
Antonio Galloni – Vinous 93 points “The 2011 Brunello di Montalcino Rennina is strikingly beautiful. Rich, open-knit and alluring, the Rennina captures all the best qualities of the year. Sweet red cherry, plum, tobacco and spice notes are all supported by ripe, silky tannins that give the wine much of its sensual personality. The intensity of the year is very much in evidence, yet the Rennina also retains striking freshness. Historically, the Rennina has aged quite well, but it will be hard to resist, as it is already quite delicious.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $119.95
The average price is $150
Gaja Ca’Marcanda ‘Camarcanda’ Bolgheri, Tuscany 2011 750ML ($179.95) $79 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 94 points “The 2011 Bolgheri Camarcanda opens to plump berry notes with apparent ripeness in the form of sun-drenched blackberry and plum. The fruit element in this Merlot-Cabernet Sauvignon-Cabernet Franc blend is dark and compelling, and the mouthfeel follows suit with soft tannins and dark concentration. The 2011 vintage is also characterized by a more evident tannic bite that should soften with time.”
James Suckling 94 points “Very attractive raspberry, currant and chocolate character with hints of nuts. Full body, silky tannins and a juicy finish. This needs time to soften. So gorgeous now, but better in 2016.”
Falstaff Magazine 95 points “Rich, deep dark ruby with a lot of purple. Exciting and dark nose with lots of ripe plums, cassis, blackberry leading into licorice and spice in the background. Wonderfully juicy fruit (blackberry and blackcurrant) on the compact palate that opens with a powerful, velvety core of tannins. Very long, reverberating finish.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $102.74
The average price is $148
Piedmont Wines:
Gaja Sori San Lorenzo Langhe-Barbaresco, Piedmont 2009 750ML ($449.95) $249 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 96 points “Gaja’s 2009 Sori San Lorenzo, on the other hand, is much more typical in its expression. Layers of juicy dark cherries, menthol, spices, tar, licorice and graphite flow across the palate as this powerful, masculine wine opens up in the glass. Balsamic infused aromas and flavors develop in the glass, adding considerable complexity and the signature of this great terroir, indisputably one of Piemonte’s very finest. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2039.”
Antonio Galloni – Vinous 95 points “Silky and gracious on the palate, the 2009 Sorì San Lorenzo looks to be a wine that will drink well with just a few years of cellaring. This is a decidedly floral, lifted yet radiant wine with terrific balance and plenty of the sexiness that defines the very best wines of the year.”
Stephen Tanzer – Vinous 95 points “Good full red. Pungent aromas of maraschino cherry, minerals, smoke and camphor; the most Barolo-like of Gaja’s 2009s from the Barbaresco zone. The thickest and most concentrated too, sweet and mouthfilling but very backward. The combination of sheer stuffing and medicinal reserve along with fine-grained, dusty tannins and outstanding persistence suggests that this plump but youthful wine will age slowly and well.”
Falstaff Magazine 97 points “[Translated] Deeply colored, sparkling ruby with a light garnet border. Precise and tight nose showing adundant ripe wild black raspberries, some plum, truffles and spice in the background. Earth and substantial tannin unfolds.”
Wine Enthusiast 96 points “There’s always something magical about Gaja’s Sorì San Lorenzo. It’s the intensity and fullness of the wine that penetrates to the back of the palate and offers many long minutes of persistency on the finish. The bouquet is redolent of black fruit, leather, spice, tar, licorice and dried herb.”
VinopolNote: Depending upon the vintage, this wine is classified either as a Langhe Rosso or as a Barbaresco. From 1996-2012, Gaja decided to blend in a small portion of Barbera into the wines, deliberately eschewing the Barbaresco DOCG. Beginning in 2013, however, the winery is returning to producing the wine from 100% Nebbiolo.
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $349
The average price is $424
Gaja Sori Tildin Langhe-Barbaresco, Piedmont 2008 750ML ($499.95) $249 pre-arrival special
Antonio Galloni 96 points “The 2008 Sori Tildin is impressive. I confess I wasn’t quite prepared for the assault of fruit and tannins here. Sori Tildin is so often a graceful, elegant wine, but that is not the case in 2008. That’s not to say elegance is missing, but this is a big, big wine with tons of intensity and richness, all woven together beautifully. It’s tough to find a comparison with a previous vintage, as this is a singular Tildin. The flavors are familiar if a touch on the dark side, but the structure is closer than that of Sori San Lorenzo. Flowers, tar, leather and licorice wrap around the palate. This is a fabulous showing and a great wine in the making. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2033.”
Falstaff Magazine 97 points “[Translated] Bright, intense ruby-garnet. A playful and multi-layered nose shows notes of ripe cherries, some orange peel, cardamom and fresh plums. Presents on the palate as a unified whole showing lots of tightly packed tannins and a rich depth. Builds in many layers. Has plenty of elegance and suppleness on the finish.”
VinopolNote: Depending upon the vintage, this wine is classified either as a Langhe Rosso or as a Barbaresco. From 1996-2012, Gaja decided to blend in a small portion of Barbera into the wines, deliberately eschewing the Barbaresco DOCG. Beginning in 2013, however, the winery is returning to producing the wine from 100% Nebbiolo.
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $345
The average price is $396
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Arriving Friday
Saint Damien:
Shooting Star Gigondas
“At Domaine Saint Damien, there are four Gigondas cuvées, although the Clovis Saurel isn’t bottled every year. It’s a small, family domaine with the magnificently mustachioed Joël Saurel at the helm, although son Romain is increasingly confident in the winery. This is a reference point for traditional Gigondas, but the family also owns a small portion of Côtes du Rhône Villages Plan de Dieu. We finished up with a handful of older wines, which I noted for readers who may have cellared them.” –Joe Czerwinski, Wine Advocate
Gigondas has become the shooting star of the Southern Rhone—occupying the space that Chateauneuf du-Pape did during the 90’s and early 00’s. This is a region that’s producing electric, thrilling wines at prices that despite recent increases are some of the best deals in the world of the highest quality wines. Saint Damien has emerged as one of the best producers and the recent scores from the Wine Advocate only highlight the quality emerging from their cellar. These are some of the top wines coming out of the Rhone and at prices that make other top producers blush.
Arriving November 17th:
Domaine Saint Damien Gigondas La Louisiane Vieilles Vignes, Rhone 2015 750ML ($41.95) $36 pre-arrival special
Joe Czerwinski – Wine Advocate 95 points “My pick of the cuvées in 2015 is the 2015 Gigondas La Louisiane, a blend of 80% Grenache, 15% Mourvèdre and the rest Cinsault and Syrah. From south-facing slopes of red clay and sand, this shows incredible detail in its aromas of garrigue and raspberries, then folds in richer notes of dark chocolate. This is full-bodied and velvety in feel, with just a hint of warmth on the finish. It should drink well for a decade, possibly longer.”
Domaine Saint Damien Gigondas ‘Les Souteyrades Vieilles Vignes’, Rhone 2015 750ML ($41.95) $33 pre-arrival special
Joe Czerwinski – Wine Advocate 94 points “Like the La Louisiane, the 2015 Gigondas les Souteyrades spent a year in foudres prior to bottling. It a similar blend of 80% Grenache and 20% Mourvèdre, but grown on north-facing gray clays. There’s more pepper and herb here, still wonderfully ripe raspberries but less chocolate. Full-bodied, it’s still silky and refined, with tremendous length on the finish.”
Josh Raynolds-Vinous 92-94 points “Full ruby. Ripe black raspberry, violet, incense and peppery spices on the highly fragrant nose. Palate-staining red and blue fruit and floral pastille flavors show impressive energy, and a minerally topnote gains intensity as the wine opens up. Rich yet energetic in style, showing serious closing thrust, harmonious tannins and a suave, lingering floral quality.”
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast today!
Domaine Saint Damien Gigondas Vieilles Vignes, Rhone 2015 750ML ($37.95) $28 pre-arrival special
Josh Raynolds-Vinous 91-93 points “Dark ruby. Aromas and flavors of ripe red and blue fruits pick up floral and peppery spice nuances as the wine opens up. Smooth and expansive on the palate, showing very good depth as well as energy and spicy back-end lift. The gently gripping, very persistent finish leaves behind hints of candied flowers and licorice.”
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Thank you for reading!