Saturday Newsletter 10-8-22

G.B. Burlotto was considered among the absolute greatest winemakers in the world for the seventy plus years he was at the helm. After his passing in 1927, the winery and his hometown of Verduno slipped into obscurity. Now Fabio Alessandria, the great-great-grandson has taken over and Burlotto regained the place it deserves among the top echelon of small producers in the Piedmont.

Arriving Friday, October 14th from G. B. Burlotto:

G. B. Burlotto Barolo DOCG, Piedmont 2018 750ml $69 pre-arrival special, only 2 bottles available 
Kerin O’Keefe-Wine Enthusiast 97 points “Heady aromas of blue flower, perfumed berry, balsamic herb and sandalwood are just some of the aromas that lift out of the glass on this fragrant, stunning red. All about tension and extreme elegance, the delicious palate presents juicy red cherry, raspberry compote, licorice and almost salty mineral notes that impart depth and added flavor. Refined tannins provide the perfect framework while bright acidity imparts incredible energy. Drink 2024–2033.”
Monica Larner-Wine Advocate 94 points “A classic beauty, the 2018 Barolo exhibits delicate aromas of wild cherry, lilac and dried orange peel. There are earthy sensations and licorice root that add to the gentle volume and silkiness of this pretty wine.”

This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!

G. B. Burlotto Barolo ‘Acclivi’, Barolo DOCG 2018 750ml $138 pre-arrival special, only 4 bottles available 
Kerin O’Keefe-Wine Enthusiast 96 points “Rose, new leather, tilled earth and red forest berry aromas emerge from the glass on this fragrant, lovely red. Elegantly structured, the focused, savory palate features cinnamon, star anise and crushed mint that accent a core of juicy red cherry and crushed strawberry. Taut, refined tannins and bright acidity provide great balance and tension. It’s already drinking beautifully and will evolve for years. Drink 2023–2033.”
Monica Larner-Wine Advocate 95 points “The 2018 Barolo Acclivi is savory in character with crushed stone, dark herb and blackcurrant. This wine represents a blend of fruit from Verduno, including old vines in Monvigliero, Neirane, Bocato and Rocche dell’Olmo. There is a special softness and silkiness to the Acclivi that we see in this vintage just as we have seen it in past editions.”
Decanter 94 points “Acclivi is an assemblage from Verduno (Rocche Olmo, Neirane and Monvigliero) between 300 and 370 metres above sea level. The fresher style of the wine is underlined by cinnamon and peachy aromas with pomegranate fruit and a floral bouquet in depth. The interpretation exhibits an easier-drinking palate with elegant if dusty tannins and crisp acidity, balanced by good concentration for the vintage.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $172

G. B. Burlotto Cannubi, Barolo DOCG 2018 750ml $289 pre-arrival special, only 3 bottles available 
Decanter 95 points “The exposure of Cannubi gives this 2018 a special concentration. Dried cherry and pot pourri with vibrant mint leaf and almost peppermint aromas are allied to dried cherry flavour, ripe and velvety tannins, and moderate refreshing acidity. The wine is sustained more by the muscular tannins than the acidity but it’s overall well balanced and delightful to drink now.”
Monica Larner-Wine Advocate 94 points “This vintage is riper and heavier compared to some of the brilliant vintages we have enjoyed in the past. I feel the hot summer winds in the Comm. G.B. Burlotto 2018 Barolo Cannubi. The wine makes a bolder imprint on the senses, which is not totally characteristic with the house style. This is a more accessible and open-knit expression from Cannubi.”
Antonio Galloni 94 points “The 2018 Barolo Cannubi is pliant, layered and super-expressive. Even so, readers will have to be patient, as the 2018 needs time to be at its very best. Dark cherry fruit, plum, lavender and spice add gravitas. Like all of these wines, the 2018 is understated and lighter in body than most years, but all the elements are nicely balanced.”
Kerin O’Keefe-Wine Enthusiast 93 points “This has a delicate nose that eventually reveals new leather, forest floor and dark spice. On the linear palate, notes of licorice and ground clove accent a core of wild cherry while tight tannins and bright acidity provide support. Drink 2026–2033.”

This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
The average price nationally is $358

G. B. Burlotto Castelletto, Barolo DOCG 2018 750ml $399 pre-arrival special, only 3 bottles available 
Decanter 96 points “For the first time, Fabio Alessandria invested in Monforte, where he now manages a vineyard in Castelletto. The MGA was deliberately chosen due to its easterly exposition, in order to preserve as much as possible the freshness of fruit in this Barolo. Perky orange zest shines on the nose, along with watermelon peel, red currants and balsamic whiffs. Savoury and dense with a significant concentration and thickness, it doesn’t come across as overextracted but the tannins are muscular and dusty, allied to a kernel flavour on the ripe finish. It’s all underlined by firm, quite high acidity. Great tension for the 2018 vintage in this Castelletto, more bony than meaty. One to follow.”
Kerin O’Keefe-Wine Enthusiast 96 points “Cellar Selection. A new entry for the estate, this cru-designated Barolo has lovely aromas of violet, camphor, red-skinned berry and forest floor. The tightly-wound palate is focused and savory, offering strawberry compote, crushed raspberry, licorice and baking spice framed in taut, fine-grained tannins. Vibrant acidity keeps it balanced. Drink 2026–2038.”
Monica Larner-Wine Advocate 95+ points “Here’s an exciting new addition to the growing Comm. G.B. Burlotto family of wines. The 2018 Barolo Castelletto opens to a soft and delicate inner core that is framed by wild cherry, licorice and rose. The wine is beautifully tapered and streamlined on the palate, with very polished and silky tannins. It is great taste to this effort by the “King of Verduno,” (a.k.a. proprietor Fabio Alessandria) and the structured fruit from Monforte d’Alba.”
Antonio Galloni 94 points “The 2018 Barolo Castelletto is a new wine in this range from a parcel plant in 1973. It opens with soaring aromatics that then reappear on the palate in the wine’s broad, ample feel. Sage, mint, leather, plum, lavender tobacco and espresso build in a sensual, aromatically beguiling Barolo that captures all of the pedigree of this Monforte site. Fabio Alessandria told me he was intrigued to try his hand making wine from a new site and village, hence the family’s decision to buy this parcel in Monforte rather than bolstering their holdings closer to home. The debut vintage is certainly impressive.”

The Monvigliero is not listed online per winery request. To order, please call or email.
G. B. Burlotto Barolo Monvigliero, Barolo DOCG 2018 750ml $439 pre-arrival special, only 10 bottles available 
Kerin O’Keefe-Wine Enthusiast 98 points “This wine is just stunning, starting with aromas of fragrant blue flower, red berry, camphor, dark spice and underbrush. Reflecting the aromas, the smooth, delicious palate delivers raspberry compote, ripe cherry, and licorice accompanied by polished tannins while fresh acidity offers youthful tension. Drink 2024–2038.”
Monica Larner-Wine Advocate 96+ points “Within the context of this set of new releases from Comm. G.B. Burlotto, this wine stands far apart. The 2018 Barolo Monvigliero is linear and light, but it also shows good fruit weight. This is exactly the classic duality of Monvigliero (a village that traditionally incorporates whole clusters in fermentation). Spice, cola, licorice, grilled herb and dried cherry appear to lift over a fine and delicately tapered mouthfeel.”
Antonio Galloni 96 points “The 2018 Barolo Monvigliero is the most reticent of these 2018 Barolos, but it was also bottled nearly a year later. All the signatures are there, though, starting with the effusive bouquet that makes the Burlotto Monvigliero so alluring. Rose petal, spice, orange peel, kirsch and raspberry unfurl gradually in the glass. The 2018 is understated and mysterious today. I can’t wait to see how it ages.”

This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!

 

 

California

Mt. Brave Malbec, Mount Veeder 2018 750ml $79 special, 5 bottles in stock now
Lisa Perrotti-Brown – Wine Advocate 95 points “Made from 100% Malbec, the 2018 Malbec Mt. Veeder was aged for 22 months in oak, 34% new. Deep garnet-purple colored, the nose is flamboyantly scented of baked plums, blackberry compote and blueberry coulis with wafts of baking spices and dried Provence herbs. Full-bodied, the palate is packed with concentrated black and blue fruits, supported by firm, grainy tannins, going long, lively and with a spicy kick on the finish. 582 cases were made.”
Jeb Dunnuck 95 points “All varietal, the 2018 Malbec is terrific and well worth seeking out. Sporting a dense purple color as well as impressive notes of spiced red and blue fruits, violets, toasted bread, and herbes de Provence-like nuances, it’s medium to full-bodied, has a rounded, mouthfilling texture, and enough velvety tannins to keep it showing well for over a decade.”
Antonio Galloni 94 points “The 2018 Malbec opens with a rush of inky red/purplish fruit, rose petals, lavender and spice. Rich, pliant and super-expressive, the 2018 is a winner in this range from Mt. Brave. All the elements come together beautifully in this sumptuous, structured Malbec. I would cellar the 2018 for at least a few years. It’s a gorgeous wine.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $93

Verite La Muse, Sonoma County 2018 750ml $419 special, 6 bottles in stock now
Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Advocate 100 points “A blend of 90% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 4% Malbec, the 2018 La Muse was matured 16 months in 100% new French oak barrels. Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, the nose delivers a powerful perfume of cherry pie, blackberry preserves and baked plums, followed by suggestions of red roses, cast-iron pan, underbrush and unsmoked cigars, plus wafts of licorice and oolong tea. Medium to full-bodied, the black fruit and exotic spice layers flow so gracefully over the palate, textured by plush tannins and lifted with seamless freshness, finishing epically long and achingly fragrant. The intensity and complexity of aromas and flavors—all waltzing in captivating harmony—cannot fail to make your head spin in the best possible way. Electrifying!”
Jeb Dunnuck 99 points “Checking in as 90% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Malbec that was raised in new French oak, the 2018 La Muse reveals a dense purple hue to go with plenty of black cherry and currant fruits as well as cedar pencil, graphite, dark chocolate, and smoked tobacco. Ripe, full-bodied, and brilliantly balanced on the palate, with both elegance and incredible opulence, it’s a hypothetical mix of Châteaux Canon and Lafite. This masterpiece of a Merlot can be drunk any time over the coming 20-30 years. Give bottles an hour in a decanter if drinking any time soon.”
Decanter 98 points “Such a pretty nose, floral, redolent also of autumn fruits and damsons, which over time in the glass releases the more oak driven mocha notes. The palate is compact, dense, the tannins are remarkably silky despite the youthfulness, the fruit is intensely ripe but not sweet. The overall impression is one of a circular wine, plush, hedonistic in the making, the flavours still in motion, becoming darker as they progress through the palate. There’s a freshness, a ‘tingle’ almost to the acidity mirroring the earlier picking regime, the efforts taken in the vineyard and at harvest to capture the essential freshness of Sonoma. The wine ends on black liquorice and coffee and the finish is seemingly endless – cut short only by the next wine. It’s a baby for sure. Drinking Window 2025 – 2050.”


France – Champagne 

Christophe Mignon ADN de Meunier Brut Nature, Champagne NV 750ml $55 special, 36 bottles in stock now
2017/2018 blend
Antonio Galloni 92 points “[Review for previous release] The NV Brut Nature Blanc de Noirs ADN de Meunier is powerful and deep from the very first impression. There’s real texture and resonance in the glass. The no dosage style yields a stark, minimalist Champagne, but all the elements are so well-balanced. Dried pear, spice, chamomile and ginger linger. This is such an elegant and precise Champagne. This release is a blend of equal parts 2017 and 2016. No dosage.”

Christophe Mignon ADN de Meunier Brut Nature, Champagne 2016 750ml $89 special, 9 bottles in stock now

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $99

France – Burgundy

William Fevre Les Clos, Chablis Grand Cru 2020 750ml $179 special, 24 bottles in stock now
Decanter 97 points “Fèvre’s largest grand cru, with 4ha located higher up in Les Clos, meaning this is cooler climate and with much more chalk than Kimmeridgian. 50% of the vines were planted by William Fèvre’s father in the 1940s. Perfect balance between precision, concentration, acidity and ripe fruits, with oak that’s not at all apparent. A fresh, glorious wine.”
William Kelley-Wine Advocate 96 points “The 2020 Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos is another brilliant effort from Fèvre’s immensely able winemaker, Didier Seguier, and his team. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of confit citrus, fresh bread, oyster shell, orange zest and crisp orchard fruit, it’s full-bodied, satiny and muscular, with a concentrated, tensile profile and a long, intensely saline finish. It’s the broadest and most powerful wine in the range, while remaining quintessentially Chablisien.”
Burghound 94-96 points “Don’t Miss! A cool, restrained and airy nose grudgingly divulges its combination of lemon rind, green apple, quinine and acacia blossom scents. There is again excellent volume and concentration to the powerful and muscular flavors that also coat the palate with dry extract on the impressively complex and hugely long finish. This is classic Les Clos in that it manages to be at once big and overtly powerful while remaining refined and classy. This is, in a word, terrific.”

Domaine du Roc des Boutires Pouilly-Fuisse En Bertilionne, Maconnais 2020 750ml $61.90 special, 24 bottles in stock now
Wine Spectator 88 points “Well-marked by toasty oak, this racy white boasts lemon and apple flavors. Rides on the edge of sharp acidity, with fine length. Drink now through 2026. 250 cases made, 65 cases imported.”

This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
The average price nationally is $69

Joseph Drouhin Chambolle-Musigny, Cote de Nuits 2019 750ml $99 special, 3 bottles in stock now
Wine Spectator 93 points “This red is dense, chunky and ripe, packed with plum, blackberry, boysenberry and rose flavors, accented by spice and earth. Rigid finish, with the tannins taking over for now as this winds down, yet the lasting impression is sweet, ripe fruit. Best from 2026 through 2045. 200 cases imported.”
Wine Enthusiast 93 points “Despite a remarkably hot vintage, this red-berried, piercing Pinot Noir conveys plenty of freshness and vitality. Matured 14 to 18 months in just 20% new oak, it highlights crisp, pleasantly tart raspberry and redcurrant flavors accented by silky, integrated tannins. It should approach peak from 2023 and improve through at least 2035. Biodynamic. -Anna Lee C. Iijima”
Burghound 91 points “Outstanding Top Value. Once again there is a liqueur-like aspect to the pretty and fresh aromas of plum, black raspberry and an abundance of spice elements and especially anise. The precise, refined and energetic flavors brim with minerality that adds a sense of lift to the beautifully complex, persistent and balanced finale. This is a terrific villages and very much worth your interest.”
William Kelley-Wine Advocate 90+ points “The 2019 Chambolle-Musigny Village has turned out beautifully, unwinding in the glass with notes of raspberries and cherries mingled with subtle hints of petals and spices. Medium to full-bodied, elegantly fleshy and precise, with a nicely concentrated core of fruit, lively acids and powdery tannins, it’s more classically proportioned than its richer, riper 2018 counterpart.”

Domaine Dujac Aux Combottes, Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru 2020 750ml $499 special, 1 bottle in stock now
Neal Martin-Vinous 93-95 points “The 2020 Gevrey-Chambertin Aux Combottes 1er Cru has a captivating, quite mineral-driven bouquet with vibrant red fruit, just a touch of peony and iris petals. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy tannins. This is quite a solid Gevrey-Chambertin, lightly spiced with a very saline, marine-influenced finish that lingers long in the mouth. This is a gorgeous, expansive Gevrey-Chambertin Combottes.”
William Kelley-Wine Advocate 92-94 points “The 2020 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Aux Combottes is also very charming, mingling aromas of raspberries and plums with hints of blood orange, rose petals and spices, followed by a medium to full-bodied, deep and velvety palate that’s lively and perfumed. As usual, it will offer a broad drinking window.”

This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!

France – Loire

Famille Joly Vignobles de la Coulee de Serrant Savennieres Les Vieux Clos, Loire 2020 750ml $69 special, 30 bottles in stock now
Wilson Daniels importer note “Les Vieux Clos provides an inviting taste into the Famille Joly style. The 5.5 hectares vineyard is planted on light slopes facing east in the mountainous AOC Savennières appellation. The soil is different here, with more sand in the first 2 feet. Yields are kept at 25 hectoliters per hectare (well below the 50 hl/ha requirement of the appellation). Unique to this wine in the portfolio, fermentation can be completed partly in tank. The resulting wine provides expressive exotic notes of ginger and coriander balanced with candied pear and an accent of salinity. Les Vieux Clos is often considered the most aromatic of the three wines.”

This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
The average price nationally is $78

France – Bordeaux

Chateau Malescot-St-Exupery, Margaux 2016 750ml $99 special, 12 bottles in stock now
Jeb Dunnuck 96 points “The ruby/plum-colored 2016 Château Malescot Saint-Exupéry comes from vines in the heart of the Margaux appellation and is 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. It’s a total rock star of wine and has fabulous notes of crème de cassis, barbecue smoke, graphite, and sandalwood that build beautifully with time in the glass. Medium to full-bodied, concentrated, layered, and seamless, it’s incredibly impressive and I’d wager up with the finest vintages ever from this estate. Give it a few years and enjoy over the following 20-25. Bravo!”
Antonio Galloni 95 points “The 2016 Malescot Saint Exupéry has a well-defined bouquet of ample red currant, cranberry and strawberry fruit laced with rose petal and hints of graphite. There is something almost Saint Julien–like about the aromatics. The palate is medium-bodied with supple, graphite-infused black fruit, and quite linear and poised, but it conveys a genuine sense of energy and tension toward the classic finish. A magnificent Margaux.”
Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Advocate 95 points “Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Malescot St. Exupery sings of cassis, fragrant earth, tobacco and lilacs with a compelling waft of mocha. Medium to full-bodied and strutting loads of expressive fruit layers at this youthful stage, it’s framed by ripe, grainy tannins and oodles of freshness, finishing with great length and depth.”


France – Rhône

Domaine de la Solitude Côtes du Rhône Rouge 2020 750ml $16 special, 36+ bottles in stock now
Case-12 Domaine de la Solitude Côtes du Rhône Rouge 2020 750ml $179 special (that’s only $14.92/bottle!)
James Suckling 92 points “Tons of black-cherry and ripe-blackberry fruit, but not a jot overripe. This is a bold and substantial wine for the appellation, thanks to the healthy dose of soft tannin. Plenty of licorice and spice, plus a hint of tar at the long finish. Carries 14% alcohol effortlessly! A GSM blend of 50% grenache, 40% syrah and 10% Mourvèdre. Drink now.”


Italy – Piedmont

Staff pick!
Monlia ‘Derthona’ Timorasso Colli Tortonesi, Piedmont 2019 750ml $36 special, 24 bottles in stock now
VinopolNote: The opening is a touch reductive, but the wine blossoms in the glass with ripe, tropical notes and a refined, Burgundy-esque finish. Walter Massa of Vigneti Massa advised cousins Isabella and Pietro Oddero (of the famous Piedmont family) on working with the rare grape that Massa rescued from obscurity. The winery project was created with friends in the restaurant business (at More e Macine in La Morra, for those in the know), so it’s no surprise that the wines are stunning at table.
Importer note: 100% Timorasso from Colli Tortonesi. The clay soils contain large maounts of limestone as well as clay and marl. Organically farmed. Vinified and aged in stainless steel for one year.

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

 

Von Winning Ruppertsberger Reiterpfad Riesling, Pfalz 2018 750ml $31.90 special, 4 bottles in stock now
Grapelive 94 points “Von Winning’s (Ruppertsberger) Reiterpfad Trocken [is]one of my favorite dry Rieslings. This 2018 is very consistent with prior releases, with wonderful steely mineral tones, crisp details and stylish length with fresh vibrant fruits. This premier cru could easily be mistaken for a GG and it is a fabulous value for what you get in the bottle and the glass. It is crystalline, vivid, surprisingly rich, but very sharply focused. Fermented with native yeast in wood casks, the Reiterpfad feels, as it usually does, like a Premier Cru Chablis, but with pure Riesling varietal character, delivering lime blossom, tangerine, green apple, quince, lemony marmalade, stone fruits, leaning on tangy apricot, along with lip smacking saline, white tea, faint briny notes, wet stones and tangy verbena. There’s subtle exotic tropical essence in the background there and distinctive terroir chalkiness from the Pfalz soils, as well as a delicate floral perfume, making for a gorgeous Riesling that is just coming into its own and should age wonderfully for another decade at least… The Ruppertsberg Reiterpfad Vineyard is a VDP Grosse Lage (Grand Cru) site, but this Reiterpfad is labelled as Erste Lage, and it is set on sandy loam, red sandstone, limestone soils, making it a gateway wine to the mighty Grosses Gewachs in the Weingut Von Winning collection and it is an exceptional value. Winemaker Stephan Attmann, who was very influenced by Burgundy, treats his Riesling in rather the same way and uses a minimalist approach in the cellar and gentle vinifications, employing stainless steel for the village bottlings, while the Premier and Grand Crus see natural fermentation and lees aging in oak, with the top wines seeing 500L French barrels, as this Reiterpfad saw. Von Winning’s lineup, all of which I recommend, has thrills from top to bottom, but the two wines that bargain hunters and Riesling enthusiasts should chase down are this one and the Paradiesgarten Trocken.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $43.40

Highlights In Stock Now from Von Winning:

Von Winning Spatburgunder Rosé, Deidesheim, Pfalz 2021 750ml $18.50 special, 26 bottles in stock now
Skurnik Wines note “Region: Pfalz. Grape Variety: [Pinot Noir] Vineyards: Mix of sites in Diedesheim and Rupertsberg. Soil Types: Red sandstone, limestone, loess and clay. Age of Vines: 25 years. Farming Technique: Sustainable. Fermentation & Elevage: respectful cooperation with nature in the vineyard and minimal interference with the wine’s inner structure in the cellar.”

This is the only listing in the USA today!

Von Winning Deidesheimer Paradiesgarten Riesling Trocken, Pfalz 2020 750ml $33 special, 20 bottles in stock now
Winery note “Paradiesgarten is located on top of the slope right underneath the forest, growth on sandstone and is our coolest, nest and most elegant site. Completely barrel fermented and aged on the lees for one year, it has a silky texture but a firm structure and great length.”

Von Winning Sauvignon Blanc II, Pfalz 2020 750ml $19.90 special, 35 bottles in stock now
Importer note “Multiple vineyards in Deidesheim, mostly Paradiesgarten, but there is also fruit from Deidesheimer Herrgottsacker and Kallstadter Steinacker. Soil: sandy loam, red sandstone, basalt, & löss. Fermentation & Elevage: Fermented entirely in stainless steel.”

Von Winning Ungeheuer Riesling Grosses Gewachs, Pfalz 2019 750ml $68 special, 2 bottles in stock now
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 95-96 points “The 2019 Ungeheuer GG is deep, intense and flinty-mineral on the refined and elegant nose. Full-bodied and creamy on the still yeasty palate, this is a powerful, elegant and refined, complex and sustainable Riesling with iodine flavors on the salty and lemon-fresh finish. This is a great Ungeheuer, and it will age for more than 10 years. Tasted as a sample in May 2020.”

Shop our complete selection of German Rieslings on our webstore now!