New Week – New Arrivals; Arriving This Week: Huet, Matrot, Giacomo Conterno, AJ Adam & more; Oregon Wine Sale; Karthauserhof: Riesling for Finesse-Seekers; Italian Mags; On Trend & Under Budget; Teutonic; Fonseca Port; Egly-Ouriet: Sublime Champagne; Landing Next Month: Screaming Eagle Second Flight; Chateau Thivin: The Standard Bearer of Cote de Brouilly
New Arrivals: OREGON
Wine Spectator 90 points “Supple, spicy, polished and toasty, offering well-formed pear, peach and freshly turned earth flavors. Harmonious on the quiet finish. Drink now through 2018.”
Brick House Vineyards ‘Evelyn’s’ Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2014 750ML ($79.95) $69 special
Wine Advocate 92 points “The 2014 Pinot Noir Evenlyn’s is a best barrel selection that is made in honor of Doug Tunnel’s mother. Matured in 40% new wood, it has quite a dense bouquet, almost sultry with cranberry, raspberry and noticeable estuarine scents – a little seaweed and mudflats. The palate is medium-bodied with supple ripe redcurrant and cranberry fruit, quite structured with very good salinity, leading to an oyster shell tinged finish. This is a delightful, beautifully crafted Pinot Noir surfeit with joie-de-vivre.”
Cristom Eileen Vineyard Pinot Noir, Eola-Amity Hills 2014 750ML ($69.95) $59 special
Winery note “Perched high on a hill, Eileen Vineyard has a commanding view of the Cristom Estate, the Eastern Cascade Mountains, and the Western Coastal Range. The vineyard’s elevation soars from 540 to 705 feet, giving Eileen the highest elevation on the Cristom property. Eileen is also known for having the youngest vines: 16.6 acres of Pinot Noir were planted in 1997; in 2007, 4.52 acres of Wädenswil clone Pinot Noir were added. This gives Eileen the distinction of having the youngest vines on the farm and the largest planting. Named for Paul Gerrie’s wife (and co-owner of Cristom), Eileen Gerrie, the Eileen Single Vineyard Estate Pinot Noir was first released in 2000.”
Winery note “The views from the top of the east-facing Jessie Vineyard are some of Cristom’s most spectacular. On a clear day, the Cascade Mountains (including Mts. Jefferson, Hood, and Adams) sparkle. Named after Paul Gerrie’s paternal grandmother, Jessie Sommers, Jessie Vineyard is the steepest on the Cristom property. It is also the vineyard with the greatest elevation change and most diverse soils. First released in 1998, Jessie is typically deep, rich and floral with multiple layers of flavor.”
Cristom Louise Vineyard Pinot Noir, Eola-Amity Hills 2014 750ML ($69.95) $59 special
Winery note “Paul Gerrie’s maternal grandmother was the namesake of Louise Vineyard, the first Cristom estate vineyard planted. Thanks to a slope that separates the upper and lower parts of the vineyard, Louise is distinctive because it usually has some of the first and last fruit harvested each year. Louise Vineyard Pinot Noir was first released in 1996. It typically has more acid and tannin than other single vineyard estate Pinot Noirs – a result of its lower elevation and warmer site.”
New Arrivals: CALIFORNIA
Antonio Galloni – Vinous 92 points “Domaine Eden’s Cabernet Sauvignon remains one of the real undiscovered gems in California. Plump, juicy and exuberant, the 2012 offers gorgeous breath and intensity throughout. Red-fleshed fruit, sweet spices, mocha and flowers are all pushed forward. The interplay of expressive, pliant fruit and classic structure is compelling. Readers can look forward to another decade or so of fine drinking.”
New Arrivals: FRANCE-CHAMPAGNE
Andre Clouet “Un Jour de 1911…” Brut, Champagne NV 750ML ($99.95) $79 special
Antoni Galloni 93+ points “The NV Grand Cru Cuvee 1911 emerges from the glass with the most haunting of perfumes. Sweet rose petal and jasmine are some of the nuances that emerge over time. Despite recent disgorgement, the purity of the fruit and the extraordinary elegance of the mousse are hard to miss. This is an exceptional, elegant version of the 1911 that should drink beautifully for years to come. The bottle I tasted needed quite a bit of air to open up, so readers should be patient with the wine at this stage.” AG
New Arrivals: FRANCE-BORDEAUX
Winery Notes “The fruit of a plot of vines planted with 85% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon et 1% Carménère, Emilien is matured in oak barrels and casks for 24 months. The robe is garnet red, with hints of ruby in the younger wines and a touch of orange in the older vintages, with a diaphanous onion-skin finesse to the oldest bottles. The nose is fruity, with ripe red fruit aromas dominated by blackcurrant and redcurrant, accented with roasted almond notes and occasional hints of mushrooms and undergrowth. The palate is well-rounded, full-bodied and precise, with velvety tannins paving the way for a finish is long and enjoyably complex. A wine of great finesse, with smooth tannins in its youth but also the potential to age and grow for several decades, revealing the full depth and character of this prestigious terroir.”
New Arrivals: FRANCE-RHONE
VinopolNote: A blend of 50% Syrah with the rest a blend of Grenache and Carignan. Soils are black schist. The wine is rich in body with dark fruit notes.
Case-12 Domaine de Saint-Siffrein Cotes du Rhone Villages 2014 750ML ($299.95) $246 special (that’s only $20.50/bottle!)
Winery note “A blend of 80% Grenache and 20% Syrah from vineyards just outside the boundary of Chateauneuf du Pape. The Cotes du Rhone Villages is an easy-drinking, fruit wine with soft, round tannins. This wine shows a fruity and spicy nose. In the mouth, it is round, long and complex with abundant body and fruit as well as terrific purity and texture.”Domaine de Saint-Siffrein Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2012 750ML ($49.95) $39 special
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.”
Domaine de la Pepiere Muscadet Sevre-et-Maine Sur Lie 2015 750ML ($17.95) $14 special
Importer notes “When Marc Ollivier is on, these are the top wines of the AOC – wines that are not only delicious young, but that can also age 10, 20 or 30 years. Ollivier’s Muscadet-sur-Lie is the authentic item — it has lees contact until the time of bottling, generally in late May. This extended contact gives it the crispness that makes Muscadet so refreshing, and the classic wine match for seafood. It is the traditional way to make Muscadet, but has become the exception as growers and shippers rush to bottle “technically correct” wines by early January. Ollivier takes his time. He hand harvests (also a rarity in the region), uses natural yeasts, waits for the wine to finish and bottles with a very light filtration. The vineyards are in old vines (40 years and older) with a particularly good exposition on a plateau overlooking the river Sèvre. All the vineyards are from original stock: Ollivier is the only grower in the Muscadet who does not have a single clonal selection in his vineyards.”Bernard Baudry Chinon Cuvee Domaine 2014 750ML ($24.95) $21.90 special
New Arrivals: FRANCE-PROVENCE
Winery Note “Powerful, complex nose with intense aromas of dark berries and cherry with generous palate of red and black fruits and a long spicy finish.”
La Fortuna Brunello di Montalcino Riserva DOCG 2010 750ML ($99.95) $69 special
James Suckling 97 points “Fascinating aromas of dried flowers, sandalwood, cedar and plums. Full body, ultra-fine tannins and a long, long finish. Gloriously complex and savory. Dusty texture. Just makes you want to drink it.”
Montevertine Toscana IGT 2013 750ML ($59.95) $49 special
Antonio Galloni 92-94 points “The 2013 Montevertine is pliant and expressive, with lovely mid-palate resonance and gorgeous depth. Today, the Montevertine comes across as a bit raw and unpolished, especially next to the sublime Pergole Torte, but it nevertheless shows ample potential as well as pedigree, not to mention multiple dimensions to its personality. This sample was a bit unsettled, which suggests it might have been racked recently. Still, the overall texture is impossible to miss.”
Winery note “90% Sangiovese with Canaiolo and Colorino. Fermentation occurred in cement vats over approximately 25 days. Aged in Slavonian oak barrels for 12 months and in bottle for approximately 3 months.”
VinopolNote: A special bottling of 100% Nebbiolo produced by the winery only in the best years, the Signore di Bayard is a tribute to the 16th Century Knight of Bayard, Peter Terrail, the “Good Knight without fear and without reproach.” It is a block selection of the oldest vines from the estate. These vines are growing in gravel moraine soil at 280-310m (306-340’) in elevation. The grapes are hand-picked and sorted before undergoing a cold soak. Fermentation takes place naturally with the stems. The wine is aged for 18 to 24 months in 100% new French oak barrels before being bottled unfiltered. It is a dense and tannic wine with an excellent aging potential.
Importer note “Hand harvested, many vines on original un-grafted rootstock. Average age of the vines 60-80 years old – some over 100 years old. Light bodied & minerality.”Calabretta ‘Gaio Gaio’ Rosso 2014 750ML ($21.95) $18 special
Winery note “GaioGaio: red wine from young vineyards in contrada Calderara. Origin from a rigorous “massale” (ancient vinyards) selection of the vines with a significant number of ungrafted vines. Fruity & floral, light spicy. Dedicated to my father (Gaio)”
Importer note “Massimiliano Calabretta holds more in common with some of the stalwarts of traditional Barolo production than he does with most of his fellow Etna producers. He ages his wine in large neutral oak botti and holds his wine back for years in bottle before release. There are no recipes but some vintages age for as long as 12 (between cask and bottle) years in the cellar before release. With the 2004 vintage, Massimiliano decided to begin bottling what had formerly been his Etna Rosso as Nerello Mascalese Vigne Vecchie. In the past the DOCG board would sometimes reject one or two of his botti saying they were not “typical Etna Rosso” — in those cases he was forced to declassify that wine even though he felt it was up to his own standards. Rather than take a chance to continue be forced to declassify wine, he decided to bottle everything as IGT so that he could make his own decisions accordingly to his own taste – and not be forced to change his style.”
Weingut Donnhoff Norheimer Dellchen Riesling Grosses Gewachs, Nahe 2011 750ML ($99.95) $79 special
Wine Advocate 93 points “Juicy white peach and its kernel, crabapple and its pit, tartly and piquantly mark the Donnhoff 2011 Norheimer Dellchen Riesling Grosses Gewachs, which displays a shimmering sense of transparency to vibrant crystalline and stony (as well as the aforementioned piquant) nuances. Saliva-inducing saline savor and an invigorating sense of piquancy and tactile mineral impingement render the finish here profound and provocative (above all, of the next sip!). I would look for at least a decade of stimulation.”Weingut Donnhoff Niederhauser Hermannshohle Riesling Grosses Gewachs, Nahe 2011 750ML ($119.95) $99 special
Wine Advocate 94 points “High-toned, bitter-sweetly suggestive herbal and floral essences as well as intimations of musk and crushed stone rise from the glass of Donnhoff 2011 Niederhauser Hermannshohle Riesling Grosses Gewachs, with projects both mid-palate stuffing and inviting primary juiciness, its herbal extracts and inner-mouth floral perfume wafting through a sparely-textured, palpably extract-rich matrix of white peach and lime. Positively green and nutty sprout-like, as well as maritime impingements serve for invigoration in a sustained, saliva-inducing, energy-evoking, rivetingly interactive finish. This model of what Donnhoff dubs his “puristic” ideal for dry Riesling will give you something to wonder at over for at least 12-15 years. (A consensus seems to have developed in certain German quarters that Donnhoff’s dry wines have in recent years been rendered softer and more approachable, while losing an allegedly once uncompromising dryness and acidity. Wherever did good tasters get this idea?!)”
Stephen Tanzer 94 points “Light gold. Explosively perfumed nose offers an array of citrus and orchard fruits, with exotic nuances of mace, chamomile and honey. Rich and deeply pitched but almost shockingly vibrant, offering spicy pear, nectarine and lemon pith flavors. Suavely blends richness and vivacity, finishing with excellent clarity and length. This should age at a snail’s pace.”ST
Wine Advocate 93 points “The 1991 Vina Tondonia Blanco Gran Reserva offers shaved almond, lemon rind, honeysuckle and dandelion on the well-defined nose that demands coaxing. The palate is crisp on the entry with dried honey, dried mango and citrus peel on the entry, fanning out towards a complex, resinous finish with a hint of rosewater on the aftertaste. Drink now-2020+ “
R. Lopez de Heredia Vina Bosconia Gran Reserva, Rioja DOCa 1981 750ML ($249.95) $199 special, 3 bottles available
Stephen Tanzer 94 points “Faded red. Gorgeous, multidimensional aromas of dried red fruits, white flowers, spicecake, leather, underbrush, graphite and lavender sachet. Silky and seemingly weightless, with a haunting crystalline purity to the sweet strawberry and redcurrant flavors. Sweetly insinuating on the finish, with lingering mineral and strawberry flavors. A remarkable wine that’s completely out of step with today’s styles: this is the stuff that gets die-hard Rioja traditionalists all weepy.”ST
The average price is $226
Josh Raynolds–Vinous 95 points “(80% tempranillo, 15% garnacha, 3% graciano and 2% mazuelo): Dark red. A kaleidoscopic bouquet evokes candied red fruits, incense, pipe tobacco and potpourri, with hints of woodsmoke, leather and Asian spices gaining strength in the glass. Silky and sweet, with intense raspberry liqueur and bitter cherry flavors that take a darker turn with air. Tangy acidity adds lift and focus to a strikingly long, sappy finish. This wine belies its age with its vivacity.”
Wine Advocate 94 points “The 1995 Vina Bosconia Gran Reserva has an alluring leather, dried orange peel and strawberry leaf scented bouquet that blossoms beautifully in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine, elegant tannins. It is both precise and exquisitely defined with hints of cured meat and leather towards the graceful finish. Drink now-2018+”
Arriving This Week
…from Domaine Huet
Domaine Huet Vouvray Petillant Brut 2012 750ML ($29.95) $24 pre-arrival special
Importer note “Grapes sourced from several estate parcels on Vouvray’s esteemed Premiere Côte in limestone-rich clay soils. All grapes are harvested by hand. Bottled before primary fermentation is finished, resulting in a lower pressure sparkling wine – pétillant – because only a portion of the fermentation occurs inside the bottle. Yeast is added to ensure the fermentation progresses smoothly. Once finished the wine is disgorged. Dosage = 10 g/l and is made up of cane sugar and demi-sec or moelleux wines from a previous vintage.”Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Haut Lieu Sec 2015 750ML ($37.95) $30.90 pre-arrival special
Wine Spectator 93 points “Solidly ripe, with a full-bodied core of ginger, pear and persimmon notes allied to a racy spine that lengthens the finish, letting ginger, quince and green almond accents play out. This should age well in the cellar. Best from 2017 through 2027.”
Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Mont Sec 2015 750ML ($39.95) $33.60 pre-arrival special
Wine Spectator 93 points “A light echo of baked apple leads off, followed by quince, powdered ginger and verbena notes at the core. The long, minerally finish features rippling acidity. Still tight, so let this unwind in the cellar. Best from 2017 through 2027.”
Domaine Huet Vouvray Clos du Bourg Demi-Sec 2015 750ML ($47.95) $39 pre-arrival special
Wine Spectator 94 points “Quite ripe, with tropical mango and papaya notes mixed with peach, apple and quince flavors. Pretty ginger and heather details fill in the background, while the finish shows a well-embedded mineral edge, imparting tension to match the opulence. Best from 2017 through 2030.”
Importer note “This ancient, walled vineyard has the estate’s shallowest, stoniest soils. The wines are rich and intense. Many consider this to be Vouvray’s finest single vineyard site. Size: 6 hectares Orientation: South-facing Soil: Limestone-rich clay soils — the stoniest of the three crus. Viticulture: The vines are farmed using biodynamic methods and harvested by hand. Vinification: Undergoes temperature-controlled fermentation in large, old oak demi-muids as well as stainless steel vats. There is no encouragement of the malolactic fermentation, thus many Huet wines remain rich in malic acid, a character that brings an age-worthiness to the wines. The concentration of residual sugar in demi-sec cuvées is traditionally around 10-20 g/l.”
Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Haut Lieu Demi-Sec 2015 750ML ($41.95) $36 pre-arrival special
Wine Spectator 94 points “Features a wide range of apple, green melon, ginger and green plum notes gliding throughout, with the off-dry edge imparting a flattering feel. Latent minerality lengthens the finish. Best from 2017 through 2030.”
Domaine Huet Vouvray Clos du Bourg Moelleux Premiere Trie 2015 750ML ($79.95) $69 pre-arrival special
Wine Spectator 97 points “Concentrated, with a core of intense Jonagold apple, glazed Bosc pear, ginger cream and dried quince flavors, carried by filigreed acidity and backed by green tea, verbena, chamomile and persimmon notes. The finish is extremely long. Best from 2018 through 2040.”
Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Haut Lieu Moelleux Premiere Trie 2015 750ML ($69.95) $59 pre-arrival special
Wine Spectator 96 points “Gorgeous from the get-go, featuring creamed melon, yellow apple and persimmon notes that glide effortlessly, inlaid with hints of green tea, verbena, heather and quince. The long finish has beautiful flow, with a buried mineral edge imparting freshness while the fruit plays out. Best from 2018 through 2040.”
Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Haut Lieu Moelleux 2015 750ML ($49.95) $41.90 pre-arrival special
Wine Spectator 95 points “Offers a big, broad feel, with layers of glazed pear, apple and peach falling over each other, backed by fresh ginger, honeysuckle and quince notes. Everything pulls together through the finish, with green tea accents and racy minerality providing the foil. Drink now through 2035.”
Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Mont Moelleux 2015 750ML ($51.95) $44 pre-arrival special
Wine Spectator 94 points “Offers ginger- and hibiscus-infused creamed yellow apple, quince and pear notes, gilded with a whiff of piecrust. All the elements meld through the long, rippling finish. Drink now through 2035.”
…from Burgundy
Antonio Galloni 90 points “Tollot-Beaut’s 2012 Chorey-lès-Beaune is intensely perfumed and juicy, with dark red cherry, hard candy and spice notes that are pushed forward. Firm, slightly coarse tannins give the wine its slightly rustic personality, but I say that in the best sense. The 2012 is an ideal wine for the dinner table, where it will offer much pleasure. The style is frank, direct and super-expressive.”
Wine Spectator 90 points “Bright and laced with cherry and berry flavors on a balanced frame. Approachable now, but this should develop over the next five or so years. Drink now through 2020.”Domaine Aurelien Verdet Nuits-Saint-Georges 2009 750ML ($59.95) $44 pre-arrival special
Wine Spectator 90 points “Though well-endowed with cherry and strawberry flavors and sufficient volume, this red comes off as elegant. Tightly grained structure drives the finish, where spice and floral notes reign. Best from 2014 through 2024.”
Burghound 90 points “A more deeply pitched and slightly riper nose reflects intensely earthy and sauvage aromas of underbrush and dark currant. There is good richness to the round yet attractively detailed medium weight flavors that possess plenty of minerality that adds a touch of lift to the more powerful and ever-so-mildly rustic finale. This well-balanced effort should also drink well young if desired.”
The next best price is $59.98
Antonio Galloni 91+ points “The 2011 Chassagne-Montrachet Morgeot is one of the most closed and reticent wines in this range from Bruno Colin. Saline infused mineral notes provide the framework for the 2011 as it opens up in the glass. Today the 2011 doesn’t seem ready to show the full breadth of its potential. The style is a bit burly and muscular. It will be interesting to see how things develop here.”
The next best price is $58.49
Stephen Tanzer–Vinous 93+ points “Pale, bright yellow. Citrus peel, clove and subtle minerality on the nose. Sweet, rich and highly concentrated, with mineral-driven gunflint and iodine notes intensifying the brisk, chewy lemon and pineapple flavors. Still youthfully strict and stony but the underlying pliancy and sweetness of the vintage are clear to see. There’s plenty more ahead for this outstanding Perrieres.”
Montepeloso Eneo Toscana IGT 2011 750ML ($49.95) $39 pre-arrival special
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
The average price is $45
Giacomo Conterno Francia Barolo DOCG, Piedmont 2009 750ML ($179.95) $128 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 96 points “Because Monfortino was not produced this vintage, the 2009 Barolo Cascina Francia benefits from the extra fruit that would have otherwise gone toward the world’s most celebrated Barolo Riserva. I tasted the 2009 Barolo Cascina Francia in barrel two years ago and am delighted by its steady evolution. This is a wine of sophisticated intensity and persuasion. The bouquet peels back to reveal dark fruit, licorice, tar and dried rose. The vintage was warm, resulting in extra plumpness and roundness in terms of mouthfeel. The style is slightly more immediate, but this is a great aging wine nonetheless.”
Antonio Galloni 95 points “Conterno’s 2009 Barolo Cascina Francia wraps around the palate with gorgeous depth. A wine of volume and breadth, the 2009 fleshes out beautifully on the palate with layers of harmonious, silky fruit. Sweet tobacco, mint, flowers, spices and the most beautiful pure fruit all flesh out on the voluptuous, inviting finish. All the elements are in place for the 2009 to develop into a superb Barolo, but readers will have to be patient as the wine was just bottled. I remember what happened the last time Conterno bottled a Cascina Francia, but no Monfortino. The vintage was 2007, and I deeply regretted not having purchased that wine.”
James Suckling 95 points “This has a wonderful long and beautiful style with super fine and persistent tannins. It’s full yet so elegant. The perfumes are of roses and dark fruits while it’s quite savory on the palate. Roberto Conterno made no Monfortino this vintage so declassified the entire production into this wine as he did in 2007. Drink or hold.”
Stephen Tanzer 94 points “Good bright medium red. Deep, expressive nose offers strawberry, camphor, marzipan and earthy minerality. Like liquid silk on entry, then very rich, ripe and sweet in the middle, offering complex notes of red berries, roasted herbs, leather and smoked meat. Finishes sappy and very long, with lush tannins and serious breadth. The tannins are more than supported by the wine’s strong mid-palate material. This wine includes the fruit that would normally go into the Monfortino bottling.”
The average price is $158
A.J. Adam Piesporter Goldtropfchen Riesling GG, Mosel 2014 750ML ($89.95) $69 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 93+ points “From one of the rare ungrafted plots in the grand cru (which was reconstructed in the late 1980s and 1990s) the 2014 Goldtröpfchen Riesling trocken displays a super fine and highly complex bouquet with flinty and herbal aromas intermixed with ripe, elegant Riesling and red cassis flavors; there are also notes of coffee beans, nuts and fruit pips. Full-bodied, highly complex and elegant, this is great and straight terroir Riesling from the Mosel. It is really dry and mineral, nicely piquant and salty, as well as very pure, thanks to the old vines and small but intensely flavored grapes. The finish is enormously long and reveals the great structure, intensity and aging potential of this stunning Goldtröpfchen.”
The next best price is $77.80
The average price is $80
We’ve slashed prices on nine
\Pinots from the Willamette Valley:
A.F. Nichols Pinot Noir Bieze Vineyard 2014 750ML ($39.95) Was $33, Now $29, 8 bottles available
A.F. Nichols Pinot Noir Lillie’s Vineyard 2014 750ML ($39.95) Was $33, Now $29, 10 bottles available
A.F. Nichols Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 2014 750ML ($21.95) Was $18, Now $16, 8 bottles available
Vincent Armstrong Vineyard Pinot Noir, Ribbon Ridge 2014 750ML ($39.95) Was $33, Now $29, 5 bottles available
Winery note “Armstrong vineyard is a new site on Lewis Rogers Lane in the Ribbon Ridge AVA. It is owned by Doug and Michele Ackerman. We source a mix of clones of Pinot noir, including 115, 667, and Pommard. The soils in Ribbon Ridge are Willakenzie series, old seafloor that’s sandy and drains exceptionally well. Armstrong is the base of our Armstrong Vineyard bottling as well as our Ribbon Ridge and Willamette Valley bottlings.”
Vincent Pinot Noir, Eola-Amity Hills 2013 750ML ($27.95) Was $24, Now $19, 7 bottles available
Winery note “As with our Ribbon Ridge AVA bottling in the fall, this blend includes all barrels produced from the Eola-Amity Hills AVA that did not make the cut for our single vineyard bottlings. Thus, this wine blends Crowley Station Vineyard with Zenith and Bjornson, including all the press wine, for a slightly softer, broad flavored wine for drinking over the next several years. This fragrant, medium bodied wine shows all the bright fruit of the 2013 growing season tempered by end of season cool weather that allowed for ripeness at moderate sugar levels in the grapes. Nine barrels.”
The next best price is $19
Winery note “The goal behind the Estate bottling is to make a wine that is representative of the whole farm. We achieve this on a micro scale by selecting small parcels of fruit from every combination of rootstock/scion, slope, soil profile, and vine age on the property. We then vinify, age, and bottle this wine separately from our other lots. This bottling is always the most representative of the growing year as it incorporates fruit from the whole farm. It is the most accurate representation of Johan Vineyards’ terroir.”
Johan Vineyards Nils Reserve Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2008 750ML ($49.95) Was $39, Now $33, 6 bottles available
Josh Raynolds–Vinous 92 points “Bright ruby. Black raspberry, cherry-cola and spicecake aromas show very good clarity and a suave hint of fresh rose. Bright and incisive on the palate, offering tangy red and dark berry flavors and a late note of blood orange. Finishes spicy, energetic and focused. This lithe, sexy pinot clocks in at 12.8% alcohol.” JR
Harper Voit Huntington Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2012 750ML ($59.95) Was $49, Now $39, 5 bottles available
Wine Spectator 91 points “Powdery tannins underlie a sleek pulse of blackberry, cherry and floral flavors, finishing with a hint of licorice. Will benefit from cellaring. Best after 2016. 46 cases made.” WS
The next best price is $48.99
Karthäuserhof
Riesling for Finesse-Seekers
The estate resides along the Ruwer River, a small tributary to the Mosel River. A mere 200 hectares lay under vine, making the Ruwer Valley among the smallest wine regions in all of Germany. The importer of Karthäuserhof for the US describes the area quite poetically: “(the area) feels like a dense, old pine forest. Vineyards seem something of an afterthought. The Ruwer is wild, as much a home to horses and wild boars as it is to vines and vineyards. With so many forests, the valley has a unique shadow-dotted quality to it.”
Soils across the 19 hectares which Karthäuserhof occupy consist of oxidized blue and gray slate. Under head winemaker Christian Vogt, the estate bottles a handful of distinct cuvees of various levels of ripeness; surprisingly enough, almost 70% of the estate’s production is of dry wines. Vogt worked under the incredibly esteemed Ludwig Breiling for many years, and Breiling continues to consult with Vogt.
In thumbing through the tasting notes from recent Karthäuserhof vintages, one thing is clear: these are serious, empirically age-worthy wines. We’re excited to carry ten of the estate’s wines. Below are four dry (trocken) offerings. Browse the full list at www.vinopoliswineshop.com
Weingut Karthauserhof Eitelsbacher Karthauserhofberg Riesling Grosses Gewachs Trocken, Mosel 2013 750ML ($69.95) $49 special
Case-6 Weingut Karthauserhof Eitelsbacher Karthauserhofberg Riesling Grosses Gewachs Trocken, Mosel 2013 750ML ($359.95) $269 special (that’s only $44.83/btl!)
Weingut Karthauserhof Eitelsbacher Karthauserhofberg Riesling Grosses Gewachs Trocken, Mosel 2013 375ML ($39.95) $28 special
Wine Advocate 93 points “Very clear, discreet and refined on the nose – where the 2013 Eitelsbacher Karthauserhofberg Riesling GG displays fine stone and fruit aromas of lemons and green apples. Lean and vital but also intense, rich and juicy on the palate, this is a lovely pure, straightforward, piquant and very salty expression of the Karthäuserhofberg terroir and the 2013 vintage. This long-distance runner has more fruit intensity than the Edition and reveals a very fine raciness and a complex finish with lingering lemon aromas.” WA
The next best bottle price is $64.99!
Wine Advocate 90 points “The 2014 Riesling Trocken Alte Reben (officially Eitelsbacher Karthäuserhofberg Riesling Spätlese trocken, AP #8) offers a deep and ripe, as well as very fine and elegant bouquet. Intense and mineral on the palate, this is a stunningly complex and persistent Riesling with power, structure, finesse and a lingering salinity and complexity. Good aging potential.”
Jean Fisch & David Rayer, Mosel Fine Wines #28: “Harvested with a refreshingly low 85° Oechsle, this deliciously light wine (it only has 11.5% of alcohol) is still on the rough and abrupt side of life but it will reward one with great show of white fruits, cassis and white minerals after a few years. 2019-2027+”
John Gilman, View From The Cellar #56: “The 2014 Alte Reben Riesling Trocken from Weingut Karthäuserhof is an outstanding example of the vintage. This excellent wine delivers a fine bouquet bread fruit, pink grapefruit, wild yeasts, lovely smokiness, a fine base of slate minerality and a topnote of citrus peel. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and rock solid at the core, with outstanding focus and grip, a fairly primary personality and superb length and balance on the young, but very promising finish.”
Jean Fisch & David Rayer, Mosel Fine Wines #28: “This delivers a clean feel of grapefruit, herbs, spices and fresh fruits. The wine is still on the sharp and reduced side on the palate and is best left alone until next year to give it a chance to flesh out and gain in aromatic zest and fruity presence. 2016-2018”
John Gilman, View From The Cellar #56: “The basic estate Riesling Trocken from Karthäuserhof is really an excellent basic bottling from the 2014 vintage, as it offers up impressive focus and cut in its medium-bodied, dry and quite complex format. The lovely nose is still on the young side, but deep and pure, as it wafts from the glass in a mix of grapefruit, wild yeasts, lemongrass, petrol, slate and dried flowers. On the palate the wine is medium-bodied, crisp and still fairly primary in personality, with an impressive core of fruit, excellent cut and grip for the vintage and a long, youthful and beautifully balanced finish. 2015-2035.”Weingut Karthauserhof Eitelsbacher Karthauserhofberg Tyrells Edition Riesling Trocken, Mosel 2014 750ML ($49.95) $39 special
Jean Fisch & David Rayer, Mosel Fine Wines #28: “Already at this early stage, this gorgeously light wine (with only 11.5% of alcohol) delivers beautiful scents of cassis, white flowers and minerals on the nose and a superbly playful feel on the palate. The finish is long and deliciously tart. Despite the hint of fruits, this is still only at the beginning of its life and lovers of racy Riesling will really enjoy this most in a few years’ time. 2019-2029”
our current shipping special:
We offer flat rate shipping on any size single order / single shipment
-Washington & Idaho for $20,
-to Oregon for $17, and California for $25
Multiple orders consolidated into one shipment do not qualify for flat rate shipping.
Italian Magnums
We offer 15 Tuscan wines in magnum (that’s 38 from Italy overall!) Browse a few selections below or see the full list on our web site: www.vinopoliswineshop.com
arriving in September
Petrolo Torrione Valdarno di Sopra, Tuscany 2010 1.5L ($69.95) $59 pre-arrival special, ETA late September
Wine Advocate 93 points “The 2010 Torrione is exception and a very reasonable value. It opens with elegant richness and soft tones of black cherry, licorice, spice and dark leather. The style is opulent and confident for this mostly Sangiovese-based wine. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2024.”
Tenuta Col d’Orcia Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2010 1.5L ($149.95) $99 special, 15 magnums available
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.”
Antonio Galloni 94+ points “A ripe, powerful wine, the 2012 Chianti Classico Riserva Rancia offers a level of finesse that balances some of the more overt intensity of the year. Dark cherry, plum, spice, tobacco, menthol and licorice add shades of nuance as this beautifully delineated Rancia opens up in the glass. Because of its mid-weight structure, I expect the 2012 will give up its charms relatively early by Rancia standards, which means around age 15-20. The 2012 is not an obvious or explosive Rancia, rather is a wine built on compelling overall harmony.”
Il Poggione Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2010 1.5L ($199.95) $179 special, 4 magnums available
#4 Wine Spectator Top 100 Wines of 2015
Wine Advocate 98 points “The 2010 Brunello di Montalcino is a striking wine that shows uncompromising varietal pureness, albeit in a most concentrated and elaborate form. This is what great Sangiovese is all about. There’s so much happening on the nose and the wine brings you to cherry, spice, licorice, cured meat, pressed rose and grilled meat in equal measure. No one element overpowers the next. The mouthfeel is also tight and bright with the kind of fruit intensity that promises long cellar aging. This Brunello is only at the beginning of a long road ahead. The longer the wine stays in the glass, the more it offers in terms of complexity and intensity. This is a true standout that can be enjoyed for up to 20 years ahead.” ML
Wine Spectator 95 points “Rich, with excellent density, ripe cherry and plum fruit, and a well-integrated structure. Licorice, earth and tobacco notes add depth while this cruises to a long, tobacco- and mineral-tinged finish. Shows balance and grip. Best from 2018 through 2033.”
Isole e Olena Chianti Classico Gran Selezione DOCG 2006 1.5L ($499.95) $389 special, 5 magnums available
Wine Advocate 97 points “The 2006 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione is a controversial wine and for good reason. Proprietor Paolo De Marchi was initially opposed to the idea of introducing the Gran Selezione category above the Chianti Classico Riserva. But more than a year ago, the Institute of Masters of Wine held a special dinner in Florence and producers were invited to pour only Gran Selezione wines. Paolo had an amazing barrel of Sangiovese put aside for a commemorative wine to celebrate his 30th anniversary as a winemaker. He hoped to dedicate that wine as a special limited release. Because he also wanted to pour something of his at the Masters of Wine dinner, he declassified the wine and re-registered it as a Gran Selezione. This also explains why it is from an older vintage. Most of his peers inaugurated this new category with the 2010 vintage. Only 1,800 bottles were made (of which 500 are put aside for the family’s personal use) and the blend consists of Sangiovese with 12% Cabernet Franc and 8% Syrah. “I love Chianti Classico and I love super Tuscans,” says Paolo De Marchi. “This wine is a crossover of the two.” The wine shows gorgeous ripeness with brooding dark fruit, depth and extreme balance. This is a wine that makes a statement upfront both in terms of the quality of the aromas and its overall integrity and persistency.”
Trending
Budget Friendly Popular Picks
Ruffino Modus Toscana IGT, Tuscany, Italy 2012 750ML ($27.95) $18 special
James Suckling 94 points “A silky and refined red with currant, berry, mineral and dried flower aromas and flavors. Full-bodied, flavorful and delicious. A blend of sangiovese, cabernet sauvignon and merlot. Drinkable now but better in 2017.” JS
Zorzal Eggo Blanc de Cal, Tupungato, Argentina 2014 750ML ($27.95) $20.90 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.” LG
Case-12 Allegrini Palazzo della Torre Veronese IGT, Veneto, Italy 2012 750ML ($249.95) $189 special (that’s only $15.75/bottle!)
James Suckling 92 points “Aromas of dried earth, dried raspberry and blueberry. Full body, chewy tannins and a fresh, bright finish. Lively and delicious. This is always a delicious blend of corvina and rondinella. Drink now.”Chateau Vaillart la Mongie, Bordeaux, France 2010 750ML ($17.95) $14 special
Case-6 Chateau Vaillart la Mongie, Bordeaux, France 2010 750ML ($99.95) $76 special (that’s only $12.67/bottle!)
Vinopolnote: An aromatic and silky Cabernet-Merlot blend geared towards everyday enjoyment.
Bodegas Volver Tarima Hill Monastrell, Alicante, Spain 2013 750ML ($17.95) $11.90 special
Josh Raynolds–Vinous 91 points “(made from vines that were planted between 1935 and 1970): Bright purple. An exotically perfumed bouquet displays scents of fresh black and blue fruits, licorice, vanilla and peppery spices. Juicy and incisive on the palate, offering sweet boysenberry and cassis flavors that flesh out on the back half. Sappy and concentrated, yet quite lively, finishing with smooth, shaping tannins and a strong punch. This sexy wine went through malolactic fermentation and was aged in French oak barrels for 20 months.”
The average price is $14
Josh Raynolds 90 points “Brilliant violet color. Intensely perfumed dark berry and floral pastille scents, along with suggestions of anise, violet and pipe tobacco. Sweet and expansive on the palate, offering sappy black and blue fruit flavors that put on weight with air. Shows very good energy and power on the long, gently tannic finish, leaving behind notes of blueberry and peppery spices.”Casa Ronsil ‘l’Enfant Terrible’ Avana, Val del Susa, Piedmont, Italy 2011 750ML ($17.95) $14 special
100% Avana from the Valsusa DOC. The name translates as “Terrible child” as Avana was a notoriously difficult to pick grape, mainly grown along steep, rocky hillsides. Typically a blending partner of classic Piedmont grapes, this varietal is known for its bright acidity and light peppery notes. This estate has been in the Ronsil family since 1250. Vines are 50 – 90 years old.
Teutonic Wine Company
Lovably Eccentric
Arriving September 26th
Teutonic Wine Company Crow Valley Vineyard Gewurztraminer, Willamette Valley 2015 750ML ($24.95) $21.90 pre-arrival special
Winery note “We are so lucky to get this fruit. It comes from 40 year old vines in the South Valley. In good years, the vines can produce a decent amount of fruit, but in lean years, we’ve made as little as two barrels. Explosive aromatics, but not over the top like some Gerwurztraminers can be. It’s balanced, refreshing and begs for spicy and fatty foods.”Teutonic Wine Company Maresh Vineyard Pinot Gris, Dundee Hills 2015 750ML ($24.95) $21.90 pre-arrival special
Winery note “This Pinot Gris is always a crowd pleaser. No matter what the vintage is like, the nose is always carries distinctive stone-fruit notes, pineapple, kiwi and other tropical goodies. Just slight residual sugar on the front palate then finishing with clean-fresh acidity that lingers for a good long time. This wine can be paired with many light meats and seafood or you can just enjoy a glass or two on its own.”
Winery note “If you haven’t tasted Silvaner (or French spelling “Sylvaner”) is close to the Riesling varietal. We can only find a tiny bit of Silvaner fruit from one of Oregon’s historic vineyards, David Hill Vineyard in the Willamette Valley. The vines are more than 40 years old and dry-farmed. This means the roots grow deep-deep-deep into the ground, penetrating many layers of soil strata, absorbing complex flavors of terrior. This wine is much more focused on minerality than fruit. The flavors are more reminiscent of rich hazel nuts and apple sauce with nutmeg. This wine can definitely lay down to be aged and will develop into a completely different wine that it is today (bottled Feb. 2015). We produced just a little under 100 cases of this wine.”Teutonic Wine Company Crow Valley Vineyard Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley 2015 750ML ($21.95) $18 pre-arrival special
Winery note “We love the fruit that comes from the 35 year-old vines at Crow Valley Vineyard. This Pinot Gris is crisp and refreshing with fine mineral flavors that the vines absorb from the deep established roots. Tastes great now, but stock away a bottled or two and see how it evolves in a year or two.”
Winery note “Wahlstrom Vineyard is located in Wilsonville Oregon, about 30 miles south of Portland in the Willamette Valley. These vines were planted in 2006 on a decommissioned gravel quarry so the soil consists of mostly rocks, basalt and gravel. The minerality from this site expresses itself beautifully in our lighter-style, lower-alcohol Pinot Noir.”
A blend of Pinot Noir and Gamay aged in amphora.
Fonseca Port
“The vintage Ports of Fonseca are perhaps the most consistently great of them all. Not only do they have a striking fleshiness and powerful richness when young, but they retain that youthfulness for decades.” –James Suckling in Vintage Port
Fonseca Vintage Port 2000 750ML ($99.95) $89 pre-arrival special, ETA late September 2016
Wine Advocate 96 points “The 2000 Fonseca continues to exude finesse and focus on the nose, with pure blackberry, juniper berries, licorice and a touch of sloes, perhaps as Adrian Bridge remarked, just beginning to close after ten years in bottle. The palate is underpinned by very fine tannins, a sensual, svelte texture with wonderful acidity. The harmony and symmetry is alluring, the finish precise and demonstrating the persistency to suggest a long future ahead. Drink 2020-2060.”Fonseca Vintage Port 2009 375ML ($49.95) $39 pre-arrival special, ETA October 2016
Wine Spectator 95 points “This is gorgeously vibrant and grapey, with good cut to the luscious dark fruit and cedar flavors that are flanked by zesty acidity and tannins. A touch brooding midpalate, with a minerally rush and a finish of slate and iron. Best from 2016 through 2036.”
Wine Advocate 94 points “The Fonseca 2009 has a very sweet, typically opulent bouquet of black plum, blackberry, chimney soot and a touch of pencil shavings that is very complex and alluring. The palate is full-bodied with powerful ripe blackberry, allspice, clove and balsamic notes, a roiling, powerful, assertive Fonseca with a sweet, dark chocolate-tinged finish that grips the mouth, but it needs two decades to mellow and demonstrate the finesse to balance the intensity.”
Egly-Ouriet
Sublime Champagne
Arriving Late September
Egly-Ouriet Grand Cru Brut, Champagne 2006 750ML ($179.95) $149 pre-arrival special
Wine Spectator 94 points “Ripe fruit and floral notes herald this mouthwatering Champagne, with nectarine, gingersnap biscuit, orchard blossom and anise notes carried through the fine, chalky mousse. Disgorged July 2015. Drink now through 2029.”
Egly-Ouriet V.P. (Vieillissement Prolongé) Grand Cru Extra Brut, Champagne NV 750ML ($119.95) $99 pre-arrival special
Antonio Galloni 95 points “The NV Extra Brut Grand Cru V.P. (Vieillissement Prolongé), Egly-Ouriet’s from Ambonnay, Bouzy and Verzenay, is stellar. A towering, deeply expressive wine, the V.P. possesses stunning depth to match its spherical, textured personality. As is the custom here, the V.P. spent 76 months on its lees, yet it remains vibrant, poised and deeply refreshing. A host of chalk, white pepper, dried rose petal and red stone fruits wrap around the intense finish. Aging in oak shapes the wine beautifully here. What a gorgeous Champagne this is. The blend is 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay.”
Landing in October
James Suckling 97 points “Very bright and aromatic with dark purple fruits on the nose. Mint, floral and vine bark. Spearmint. Full body, very firm tannins, wonderful savoriness. Flavorful finish. A fabulous mouthfeel. Very, very long. Mostly merlot with cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc. Drink or hold.”
Chateau Thivin
The Standard Bearer of Cote de Brouilly
Arriving in November
Chateau Thivin Brouilly ‘Reverdon’, Beaujolais 2015 750ML ($27.95) $21.90 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 92 points “The 2015 Brouilly Reverdon, which had been bottled about one month prior to my visit, has a powerful but primal bouquet, clearly laden with plenty of fruit. The definition is here though. The palate is fleshy and supple on the entry but then those tannins cloak the mouth, without overwhelming, finishing in quite a sensual style. This has much more to give but it should be given 3-4 years to allow the terroir to really be expressed. What are you waiting for? This is a knockout Brouilly.“
Wine Advocate 94 points “Bottled 3 weeks prior to my visit, the 2015 Côte de Brouilly was very closed on the nose though you can tell that it is packed to the rafters with fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with intense red and black fruit, superb mineralité and harmony, gradually building in the mouth with a compelling, tensile finish. What a fantastic Beaujolais in the making – about as good as it gets to be quite honest. If I taste a better QPR wine this year…no, just impossible.”
September Sales
Ending 9/30
Casanova di Neri Cerretalto, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2010 750ML ($379.95) [$319] sale $296James Suckling 100 points “This is very tannic and powerful with loads of currants, spices and hints of wood. So much stone and mineral character to this. Violets, too. Full-bodied, tight and structured. Massively dense yet agile and bright. It goes on for minutes. Needs at least three or four years to soften. Try in 2020.”
Monica Larner – Wine Advocate 99+ points “This is a towering achievement. It is delightful on every level. The 2010 Brunello di Montalcino Cerretalto is an expressive, exuberant and stunning wine that opens to a dark ruby color and rich consistency. The bouquet is never-ending with immediate intensity that is followed closely by finely-tuned aromas of black cherry, spice, grilled herb, clove, tobacco, wet earth and white truffle. A gorgeous display of elegant mineral tones rises from the bouquet with time. Later, those aromas turn to cola, licorice and tar. This wine showed an impressive evolution over the 24 hours I tasted it and delivered solid improvements each time. The mouthfeel is silky and smooth, and there’s enough power here to move the wine over the palate in seamless fashion. This is a bottle for the back of your cellar.”
The average price is $329
Antonio Galloni 95 points “Faiveley’s 2011 Corton Clos des Corton is a fitting conclusion to this great night of wine and food. Intensely saline and pointed, the 2011 impresses for its pure energy and tension. The flavors are vibrant and impeccably delineated in a Burgundy that is all about finesse. This is a great showing from the Clos des Corton.” AG
Stephen Tanzer 94 points “Medium red. Ineffable nose and palate offer red fruits, minerals, spices and flowers, complicated by game, earth and leather. Sweet, concentrated and very intense, boasting outstanding density and a fine-grained texture, with salty minerality giving the wine a weightless impression that’s remarkable considering its density. A strong tannic spine and brisk acidity energize and draw out the finish of this sharply delineated, pristine grand cru.” ST
The next best price is $125
The average price is $181
Domaine Faiveley Chambertin Clos de Beze Grand Cru 2011 750ML ($349.95) [$279] sale $219Stephen Tanzer 94 (+?) points “Medium red. Highly nuanced yet quite primary on the nose, offering scents of raspberry, underbrush, dried rose, ginger and smoky oak. Juicy, saline and quite dry, with dark berry and strawberry flavors complicated by an earthy perfume. Finishes with substantial dusty tannins and excellent length. With 24 hours in the recorked bottle, this beauty showed a silkier texture and chewy, deep flavors of raspberry and spices that saturate the palate without leaving any impression of weight. A great effort for the vintage.” ST
The average price is $319