In This Newsletter:ArrivalsShiba Wichern winery, Gaja, Produttori, and more!
3 GemsPinot Noir Edition
Staff Pick
Domaine Vetriccie Rose Corse
Close Out SalesSave on Aldo Conterno’s Barolos3 Day SaleThe Barbarescos of Luigi Giordano
June Sale- Spanish Wines
All your favorites Riojas
Special Collector’s Pre-sale
Kopke Colheita 30, 40, and 50 Year Tawny Ports
New Arrivals
Oregon
“Shiba Wichern”
A project from the German educated enologist Akiko Shiba and her husband Chris Wichern. In addition to her work in Germany, Akiko has accumulated an impressive resume in Oregon, with work in Evesham Wood, St. Innocent, Ayres, and Domaine Serene.Shiba Wichern Willamette Blanc 2019 750ml $21.90 special, 12 bottles availableVinopolnote: “A blend of 72% neutral oaked Auxerrois, 19% stainless steel fermented Pinot Gris, and 9% Pinot Noir rosé. This is a zippy wine with a nicely balanced body, perfect for food pairings.” Shiba Wichern Willamette Cuvee Pinot Noir 2019 750ml $28 special, 24 bottles available
Italy
“Gaja”
Gaja is Piedmont Royalty. These wines feature a structured, muscular style. Their complexity is often compared to the Greatest Crus in Bordeaux.
“Biondi Santi”
Biondi Santi Rosso Di Montalcino 2019 750ml $109 special, 11 bottles availableWine Advocate 95 Points “This is the entry-level wine (although the price point certainly suggests otherwise). It shows very detailed and chiseled aromas of wild cherry, cassis, dried violet, rust and orange skin. The wine carries a strong structural frame; however, the mouthfeel is ethereal and light notwithstanding.”
Champagne
Bereche Brut Reserve NV (2020 base) 750ml $64.50 special, 36+ bottles availableNo reviews available for the 2020. 2019 review provided for reference.Jeb Dunnuck 92 Points “The current release of the NV Champagne Brut Reserve is based on the 2019 vintage. It is roughly equal parts Chardonnay, Meunier, and Pinot Noir, with 35% reserve wine blended in. Fruity, floral, and open, with notes of fresh citrus blossoms, orchard fruits, and fresh bread, the palate is generous and approachable, with apricot, berries, and a lightly savory broth. This is consistently one of the best entry wines that versatile enough to drink alone or to accompany a meal. Drink 2022-2030.”
Arriving Late June
“Produttori Del Barbaresco”
Founded in 1958, the priest of the village of Barbaresco, recognizing that the only way small properties could survive was by joining their efforts, gathered together nineteen small growers and founded the Produttori del Barbaresco. They have been managed for the past twenty years by Aldo Vacca, formerly an assistant to Angelo Gaja, and currently have 51 growers involved in production. Produttori Del Barbaresco Barbaresco 2019 750ml $48.50 special, 36+ bottles availableJeb Dunnick 94-95 Points “There is a more pronounced mineral and delicately spiced character to the 2019 Barbaresco, with notes of wet asphalt and kirsch and vibrant purity. It has elegant concentration, with fine coiled tannins in its hints of tea leaves, bergamot, and ripe wild raspberry, and has a more pronounced structure, This is a fantastic expression. Drink 2024-2040.”
 3 GemsPinot Noir Edition
Nothing esoteric, just three of the finest Pinot Noirs to grace our shelves in the recent past.
Composition Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 2021 750ml $89 special, 5 bottles availableVinopolnote “The Composition Wines are a new project from Bertrand de Villaine. Yes, the Bertrand de Villaine, from the Villaine family of Domaine de Romanee-Conti fame. Bertrand was educated in Oregon and despite his family’s Old World prestige, he never forgot about the Willamette’s amazing terroir. While The first few vintages of Composition were allocated exclusively to Michelin restaurants, but we are now lucky to be receiving a small allocation of this pedigreed wine.”
 Bergstrom Estate Pinot Noir 2021 750ml $141.80 special, 6 bottles availableWine Advocate 94 Points “Pale ruby-purple, the 2021 Pinot Noir Bergström Vineyard segues from gentle flinty tones to scents of raspberry, cranberry, lavender, dried herbs and touches of orange peel. The light-bodied palate is delicate and perfumed with a softly chalky texture, fireworks of fresh acidity and a long, ethereal finish with wafts of floral and citrus. Offer it another 2-3 years in bottle.”
Drouhin Clos Des Mouches Rouge 2020 750ml $159 special, 6 bottles availableJames Suckling 97 Points “This is exactly what Burgundy and pinot-noir freaks around Planet Wine are looking for. Enveloping nose of red and black raspberries that’s really hard to resist. So concentrated, suave and sophisticated on the rich but very precisely balanced palate. Extremely long and silky finish. From biodynamically grown grapes.”
Staff Pick
Corse
Domaine Vetriccie Rose Corse 2021 750ml $16 special, 12 bottles availableIs Corsica the most Italian of French places or the most French of Italian places? It all depends on who you ask. This wine, a blend of Sciarello and Nellucio grapes (both Italian in origin) and Grenache suggests that the answer is in fact very complicated. Corsican roses are some of my absolute favorites. They are clean and crisp, with an unmistakably mediterranean salinity that’s all their own. Vetriccie’s wine has lovely aromas of -Tracy
Close Out Sales
Save on Aldo Conterno Barolos
The son of Barolo pioneer Giacomo Conterno, Aldo was known for balancing tradition and innovation. He opted to reduce fermentation times and abandoned submerged cap winemaking in favor of the pump-over method, both serious departures for the region hat helped reduce the Tannins in his wines.
Still, he never bowed to many industry trends of the 80’s and 90’s, resisting French Oak over traditional large Slavonian casks for his Barolos noting that “Vanilla, toast, spice and sweet tannins don’t belong in Barolo.”Aldo Conterno Barolo Bussia 2017 750ml WAS $89 NOW $79 special, 9 bottles available
Wine Advocate 92 Points “The Poderi Aldo Conterno 2017 Barolo Bussia shows a dark but busy quality of fruit that speaks more to the power of this hot vintage than it does the nuanced side of Nebbiolo. In this respect, the wine is quite typical of the 2017 growing season. It takes a while before the wine finds focus in the glass, but it does slowly come together to reveal broad layers of dark cherry, cassis and plum. There is some tannic tightness that leads to sour berry. A bit awkward at this young stage, it needs a few more years of cellar age to flesh out and reach balance.” Aldo Conterno Barolo Cicala 2017 750ml WAS $179 NOW $149, 10 bottles availableWine Spectator 95 Points “A solid, powerful style, this expressive red is well-marked by new oak, with plum, cherry, cigar box, menthol and sun-kissed hay flavors. Balanced and lively, with refined tannins and a long, spice-infused finish. Best from 2025 through 2042.” Aldo Conterno Barolo Colonnello 2017 750ml WAS $179 NOW $149, 11 bottles availableWine Advocate 94+ Points “The Poderi Aldo Conterno 2017 Barolo Bussia Colonnello shows good focus, structure and a sharper character that is often the distinguishing factor in this wine. The bouquet is redolent of dark fruit and plum, but it also shows a solid framing of iron ore and dark stony mineral. These give the wine greater lift and contoured edges. This is not the first time that Colonnello is my favorite wine in this lineup, and I suspect it won’t be the last.” Wine Spectator 94 Points “Offering plum, cherry, iron, eucalyptus and black pepper aromas and flavors, this broad red has absorbed the oak treatment pretty well already, with a dense matrix of tannins and lively acidity. Balanced and long, ending with elements of mineral and spice. Best from 2025 through 2043.”
The Barbarescos of Luigi Giordano
3 Day Sale
A stone’s throw from the village center of Barbaresco, the winery was established by Giovanni Giordano in the 1930s during a time of profound crisis in the Italian wine world. After a period of growing and selling grapes, Giovanni’s son, Luigi, made the bold decision to vinify his own fruit, bottling the first wine under his own label in 1958.
Today’s winery remains a spirited family effort, driven by the shared vision of Luigi himself, his daughter Laura, and his grandson Matteo.
Luigi Giordano Barbaresco Cavanna 2017 750ml $33 special, 21 bottles availableJeb Dunnuck 92 Points “The 2017 Barbaresco Cavanna is lifted with a delicate amount of rusticity, with dried sour cherry, rhubarb, and leather. The palate is fresh and ripe, with fine tannins and notes of cranberry cocktail, fresh orange, and dusty earth. Open and inviting, the Cavanna is easy-drinking and medium-bodied. Drink 2021-2031.” Luigi Giordano Barbaresco Montestefano 2016 750ml $49 special, 36+ bottlesWine Spectator 93 Points “A beam of cherry, strawberry and rose aromas and flavors permeates this vibrant red. Hints of thyme, menthol and tar add depth as this builds to a long, resonant finish. Shows fine energy and intensity on a slim frame. Best from 2023 through 2042. 500 cases made, 150 cases imported.” Luigi Giordano Barbaresco Asili 2015 750ml $59 special, 17 bottles availableDecanter 92 Points “From vines planted in 2000, this has a red fruit nose that’s not very expressive presently, but the palate is fresh and limpid with very ripe fruits but with no sweetness showing, thanks to the lively acidity. It has some tension, persistence and style, with a long finish.” Importer Note “Definite garnet red colour enriched with delicate orange highlights on ageing; ample and intense perfume with good floral and fruit jammy notes plus ethereal hints ofspices. The flavour is dry, full, elegant and aristocratic. Traditional red wine maceration for 12-15 days with ferment-ation in temperature controlled stainless steel vats using frequent pumping-over. The wine is aged for at least 18-24 months in large (30-50 hectolitre) barrels of Slavonian oak, then refined in horizontally-placed bottles for another 6 months.” Luigi Giordano Barbaresco Asili 2016 750ml $59 special, 28 bottles availableWine Spectator 95 Points “This red finds a nice equilibrium between sappy berry, cherry and licorice flavors and balsamic notes of eucalyptus, juniper and wild rosemary. It’s harmonious, with a ripe core and long, gripping finish. Best from 2023 through 2040. 400 cases made, 100 cases imported.”
These are the lowest prices anywhere in the USA for these wines!
June Sale- All Spanish Wines
All of your favorite Riojas
Buy 6-11 bottles for a 5% discount
Buy 12+ bottles for a 10% discount
Ends June 30th at 6pm… the best selection is NOW!
This is first come / first served and limited to stock on hand.Discount does not apply to pre-arrival wines or case discounts.
Discount will not display online, we will adjust your invoice before charging your card.Vinedos Paganos El Puntido Rioja Gran Reserva 2008 750ml $69 special, 19 bottles availableWine Advocate 97 Points “I was greatly impressed by the 2008 El Puntido Gran Reserva, a wine with a more traditional profile than the majority of wines from the Eguren family. At age 14, the wine is glorious, still young and with a mixture of primary and more developed notes. It goes more in the direction of the old wines, with balsamic notes of incense and cedarwood, mushrooms and some berries and herbs. It’s complex and elegant, with fully resolved tannins. This was bottled back in May 2011, so it’s been in bottle for over a decade, and the texture shows it. It has 14% alcohol and a pH of 3.55. This matured in brand-new French oak barrels for 28 months, and the wine has absorbed the oak completely.” Sierra Cantabria Finca El Bosque Rioja 2019 750ml $139 special, 12 bottles availableJeb Dunnuck 98 Points “The 2019 Finca el Bosque is another single vineyard and comes from a site on a deep, gravelly escarpment overlooking the Ebro River. It offers more ripe blue fruits and cassis as well as sappy herbs, flowers, violets, graphite, and chalky minerality. It shows a more elegant, flawlessly balanced, incredibly pure style on the palate, with ultra-fine tannins, wonderful overall balance, and no hard edges. This is pure class. Give bottles 3-4 years in the cellar and enjoy over the following two decades of more. Bodegas Muga Aro 2019 750ml $349 special, 4 bottles availableJeb Dunnuck 100 points “Pure magic, the 2019 Aro is 70% Tempranillo and 30% Graciano from a plant by plant selection of the Muga family’s oldest vines of Tempranillo, blended with a substantial portion of Graciano. This dense purple behemoth has a primordial bouquet of pure cassis, graphite, crushed stone, lead pencil, new leather, and hints of spring flowers. Building incrementally on the palate, with full-bodied richness, a huge mid-palate, and ripe, velvety tannins, this is one heavenly Rioja that deserves 7-8 years of bottle age and will age like a First Growth from Bordeaux. Hats off to the team at Muga for another incredible wine.”
Special Collector’s Pre-saleKopke Colheita
Arriving Late October… supplies are limited, reserve yours today!
Kopke 30 Year Tawny 750ml $119 special, 12 bottles availableWine Spectator 94 Points “A very inviting, open style, with butterscotch and caramel notes framing the core of glazed pear, caramelized peach, golden raisin and warm fig flavors. The lush finish lets crème brûlée and ginger cream details hang, showing a flash of honeysuckle for lift. Drink now. 200 cases imported.” Wine Advocate 93 Points “The NV 30 Year Old Tawny Port was bottled in 2017 with a bar-top cork and 130 grams per liter of residual sugar. The last release I saw of this was pretty fine. So, too, here. This adds a layer of depth and more complexity to the Burmester, although it lacks the Burmester’s elegance and sex appeal. While the finish here is bigger and more gripping, it is no more flavorful (actually, less so). Still, as this rolls around the mouth, it is impressive, not necessarily more exciting than the Burmester, but definitely different stylistically. They are good examples of the diversity you can get in one portfolio. As always, these last indefinitely, barring cork failures, but they are not really meant to be held.” Kopke 40 Year Tawny 750ml $199 special, 6 bottles availableWine Spectator 95 Points “This offers a dreamy mix of caramelized pear, fig and peach flavors at the core, while caramel, sesame oil and date notes fill in through the expansive finish. At first glance this is quite lush, but the finish lingers with cut and drive. Drink now. 200 cases imported.” Wine Advocate 93 Points “The NV 40 Year Old Tawny Port was bottled in 2016 with a bar top cork and 145 grams per liter of residual sugar. This adds a bit more brandy as a nuance on the finish to the 30, reviewed this issue, but it still seems much like the 30 Year Old, surprisingly fresh and easy, beautifully balanced and on the lighter side in terms of mid-palate concentration. It is a lovely tawny on its own terms–I’m just not sure it delivers enough of an uptick to justify the price spike from the 30 (or, perhaps even the 20). On its own, though, it won’t disappoint. The price references a 750 milliliter bottle.” Kopke 50 Year Tawny 750ml $219 special, 6 bottles availableWine Advocate 98 Points “The NV 50 Year Old Tawny Port was bottled in May 2022 with 134 grams of residual sugar and a bar-top cork. This is an entrant in the new age-indicated category of 50; it no longer stops at 40. I thought the 50 Year white was fabulous. Its Tawny brother is as good or better. It doesn’t have the brightness of the white in terms of acidity (the fruit doesn’t taste old in terms of decay, so don’t misunderstand), but it is richer, lusher and more flavorful. There’s a touch of nuts, caramel and spice. It also has a long, long finish, which is what I would expect from an old Tawny in top form. Kopke did a great job with the blend here. This is completely delicious, smooth and balanced, juicy on the finish. Which is better? Depends on what you like, and it is worth getting some of each. For wines this old, the prices are reasonable. They are both great experiences.”
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