In Today’s Newsletter:
Single-Vineyard Prephylloxera Sicilian Red from
Feudo Montoni
Savart’s Stunning Champagne
Featured Pre-Arrivals
Spain Edition
Staff Favorite
Muga is Back!
Trending Champagne
Featured Wine Arriving Tomorrow, October 16th
Single-Vineyard Prephylloxera Sicilian Red from
Feudo Montoni
A fantastically expressive red from Sicily. This punches well above its price point with notes of red and blue fruits, cured meat, and spice wrapped around a food-friendly acidity. It’s drinking beautifully now!
“I have always been awestruck by the purity and true-to-type aromas and flavors that owner Fabio Sireci is able to tease out of Nero d’Avola. Just as importantly, his two single vineyard Nero d’Avolas, Lagnusa and Vrucara, also showcase the characteristics of specific Sicilian terroirs. The two are absolute benchmarks of traditionally made Nero d’Avola wines.” –Ian D’Agata, Vinous Media
Feudo Montoni ‘Vrucara’ Nero d’Avola Sicilia IGT, Sicily 2014 750ml ($5.95) $49 pre-arrival special
Monica Larner-Wine Advocate 96 points “Fabio Sireci farms one of the most beautiful vineyard spots in Italy that overlooks an infinite expanse of vines and shifting waves of grain over softly rolling hills in inland Sicily. On a cloudy day, you can watch the magnificent peek-a-boo of brilliant sunbeams shine over the landscape as if you were in front of a life-sized movie screen. Those beautiful images always come to mind when I drink this wine. Tasted from magnum, the 2014 Sicilia Nero d’Avola Vrucara is maturing beautifully and slowly. The wine is dark and ripe at its core, but it shows a delicate framing of cola, dried rosemary, scorched earth, smoke, wild mushroom and fragrant rose hip. The bouquet is fluid and ever moving—much like that Sicilian landscape I described above—offering new layers of aromas with every swirl of the glass. In the mouth, the wine is fresh and very alive.”
Decanter 95 points “Sourced from 80- to 100-year-old vines, this elegant, high altitude Nero d’Avola is one of the best in Italy. Sweet cherry, wild herb and liquorice aromas combine with exotic spice and cinnamon notes. Full of energy and vivacity. Feudo Montoni’s wines shine like stars. Biodynamic.”
Savart’s Stunning Champagne
Savart offers up some of the most impressive, compelling wines in Champagne every year. There’s a house style to them (vinous, textural, mineral) that’s immediately recognizable as Savart wines, but the bottlings show vivid uniqueness that allows for easy differentiation. We’re pleased to offer a broad selection of the Savart wines, from the (delicious) entry-level L’Overture to the profound single vineyard wines—and all at fantastic pricing. These are some of the most stunning wines we offer every year and they always move quickly (especially the single-parcel offerings).
“This is another stellar set of wines from Fred Savart. There is not much else to say. Minimal handling allows for a very pure expression of the sites Savart works with. As always, these are rich, vinous Champagnes built on textured,multi-dimensional profiles.” – Antonio Galloni
“Fred Savart’s Champagnes from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grown in the villages of Écueil and Villers-aux-Noeuds have rapidly become some of the most sought after—and, thanks to their production, hard to find—wines in the region…His vins clairs ferment in tanks, barrels and demi-muids, spending some ten months sur lies, with or without malolactic fermentation, before triage under natural cork with neither filtration, fining nor sulfites. Dosage is minimal. These are delicate, incisive and quietly intense: contemplative Champagnes that reward attention, though they’re dangerously drinkable, too. While it’s hardly necessary to fan the flames of already insatiable worldwide demand, all these releases come warmly recommended.” – William Kelley
Pre-Arrivals ETA November:
Savart Bulle de Rosé Premier Cru Brut Rosé, Champagne NV 750ML ($69.95) $59 pre-arrival special
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Savart L’Accomplie Premier Cru Brut, Champagne NV 750ML ($69.95) $59 pre-arrival special
Savart L’Ouverture Blanc de Noirs Premier Cru Brut, Champagne NV 750ML ($59.95) $44.50 pre-arrival special
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Pre-Arrivals ETA December:
Savart Le Mont Benoit Premier Cru Extra Brut, Champagne 2015 1.5L ($299.95) $279 pre-arrival special
William Kelley-Wine Advocate 95 points “The 2015 Extra Brut Premier Cru Le Mont Benoit was—like Savart’s Mont de Chrétiens—disgorged with only two grams per liter dosage in lieu of the normal three. It was showing especially well during my spring visit to the domaine, bursting with aromas of orange rind, crisp green apple, white flowers and almond paste, the prelude to a medium to full-bodied, layered and racy palate that’s long, penetrating and saline on the finish.”
Importer Note “Le Mont Benoit (made a household name by Emmanuel Brochet) is a single parcel in Villers-aux-Noeuds. Fred’s plot is 95% Pinot Noir, and 5% Chardonnay. The dosage is 3g/L.”
Savart Le Mont des Chretiens Premier Cru Extra Brut, Champagne 2015 1.5L ($299.95) $279 pre-arrival special
William Kelley-Wine Advocate 94 points “Produced exclusively from Chardonnay in an Ecueil lieu-dit better-known for Pinot Noir is the 2015 Extra-Brut Premier Cru Le Mont des Chrétiens, a small cuvée that’s vinified in 500-liter barrels, without malolactic, and it was disgorged a few months ago with only two grams per liter dosage—one gram less than Savart’s usual three for this bottling. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of lemon curd, white flowers, fresh melon, pastry cream and mandarin, it’s medium to full-bodied, deep and chalky, with a tensile profile despite the warm vintage, concluding with a mineral finish. Note that this bottling used to be named Dame de Coeur.”
Importer Note “Le Mont des Chrétiens is a lieu dit in the village Ecueil. The parcel is entirely of Chardonnay and Fred ferments and ages it in 500L barrels. The dosage is 3g/L. (Fred used to call this cuvée Dame de Coeur.)”
In Stock Now:
Savart Les Noues Ecueil Premier Cru Extra Brut, Champagne 2016 750ML ($159.95) $135 special, 6 bottles in stock now
Love Champagne? We have over 110 Champagnes currently available.
Shop the entire selection, including famous names like Delamotte, Laurent Perrier, Taittinger and more, on our web store!
Featured Pre-Arrivals
Spain Edition
Pre-Arrival ETA October 23rd:
“Bright intensity…with balance and elegance”
La Cana Albariño, Rias Baixas 2019 750ML ($19.95) $16 pre-arrival special
James Suckling 93 points “A very precise and well made white with cooked apple, spicy pear and some crushed-cement character. Medium to full body with tangy acidity that gives tension to the pretty fruit. Drink or hold.”
Decanter 90 points “Dry-farmed, hand-harvested and with 25% of the blend fermented with wild yeast, this is a showcase of citrus fruit, where grapefruit, lime and lemon zest mingle on a creamy-textured palate thanks to eight months of lees ageing. The bright intensity carries through the finish with balance and elegance.”
Pre-Arrival ETA Early November:
“A great Gran Reserva in the making”
Vinedos de Paganos El Puntido Gran Reserva, Rioja DOCa 2007 750ML ($69.95) $49 pre-arrival special
Luis Gutierrez-Wine Advocate 96 points “[Reviewed June 2019] Putting my nose in the glass of the 2007 El Puntido Gran Reserva transported me to the classical Riojas from yesteryear. The wine has a fully developed nose with all the textbook descriptors of a good aged Rioja—forest floor, cigar ash, cold bonfire, truffle, cherries in liqueur, blonde tobacco, spices and iodine. But this is a classical Gran Reserva that has something that was not that traditional, and it comes from a single vineyard and matured in brand new French oak barrels for 28 months. But time in bottle has polished it (it was bottled in June 2010, almost nine years ago); the tannins are mostly resolved and it’s nicely textured. It has what I love about the best red wine—it’s salty rather than sweet, there is no room for sweetness here, and it’s sapid and tasty and has great balance and freshness. This is developing at a very slow pace and should continue doing so for a very long time. A great Gran Reserva in the making. Only 5,000 bottles were produced from 2007, a very cold vintage, when the grapes were harvested the last three days of October, and it snowed the first of November!”
Jeb Dunnuck 94 points “[Reviewed Sept 2019] A much smaller production that was aged longer (28 months) in new French oak, the 2007 El Puntido Gran Reserva comes from the same vineyard as the El Puntido but is a parcel selection. Blackcurrants, plums, smoked earth, incense, and violet notes all emerge from this elegant, silky, beautifully polished wine that’s full-bodied, has fine tannins, no hard edges, and a great finish. It has power, but this is more about finesse and elegance.”
“Bright intensity…with balance and elegance”
La Cana Albariño, Rias Baixas 2019 750ML ($19.95) $16 pre-arrival special
James Suckling 93 points “A very precise and well made white with cooked apple, spicy pear and some crushed-cement character. Medium to full body with tangy acidity that gives tension to the pretty fruit. Drink or hold.”
Decanter 90 points “Dry-farmed, hand-harvested and with 25% of the blend fermented with wild yeast, this is a showcase of citrus fruit, where grapefruit, lime and lemon zest mingle on a creamy-textured palate thanks to eight months of lees ageing. The bright intensity carries through the finish with balance and elegance.”
Pre-Arrival ETA Early November:
“A great Gran Reserva in the making”
Vinedos de Paganos El Puntido Gran Reserva, Rioja DOCa 2007 750ML ($69.95) $49 pre-arrival special
Luis Gutierrez-Wine Advocate 96 points “[Reviewed June 2019] Putting my nose in the glass of the 2007 El Puntido Gran Reserva transported me to the classical Riojas from yesteryear. The wine has a fully developed nose with all the textbook descriptors of a good aged Rioja—forest floor, cigar ash, cold bonfire, truffle, cherries in liqueur, blonde tobacco, spices and iodine. But this is a classical Gran Reserva that has something that was not that traditional, and it comes from a single vineyard and matured in brand new French oak barrels for 28 months. But time in bottle has polished it (it was bottled in June 2010, almost nine years ago); the tannins are mostly resolved and it’s nicely textured. It has what I love about the best red wine—it’s salty rather than sweet, there is no room for sweetness here, and it’s sapid and tasty and has great balance and freshness. This is developing at a very slow pace and should continue doing so for a very long time. A great Gran Reserva in the making. Only 5,000 bottles were produced from 2007, a very cold vintage, when the grapes were harvested the last three days of October, and it snowed the first of November!”
Jeb Dunnuck 94 points “[Reviewed Sept 2019] A much smaller production that was aged longer (28 months) in new French oak, the 2007 El Puntido Gran Reserva comes from the same vineyard as the El Puntido but is a parcel selection. Blackcurrants, plums, smoked earth, incense, and violet notes all emerge from this elegant, silky, beautifully polished wine that’s full-bodied, has fine tannins, no hard edges, and a great finish. It has power, but this is more about finesse and elegance.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Pre-Arrival ETA Mid-November:
“Rich and powerful”
Triton’ Tinta de Toro, Toro 2017 750ML ($21.95) $16.60 pre-arrival special
Case-12 Triton’ Tinta de Toro, Toro 2017 750ML ($239.95) $179 pre-arrival special (that’s only $14.92/bottle and the lowest listed price in the USA today!)
Jeb Dunnuck 93 points “Made from 100% Tinta de Toro aged a year in used barrels (and some demi-muids), the 2017 Tritón comes from multiple vineyards and is made in decent amounts. It’s a rich, powerful wine loaded with notions of blackcurrants, dark chocolate, licorice, crushed rocks, and crushed violets. It’s full-bodied, has impressive depth of fruit, sweet tannins, and a great finish. It’s a rocking wine that can be drunk today or cellared for 15 years or more.”
James Suckling 91 points “An array of ripe dark-berry and raspberry aromas with biscuity nuances, as well as boysenberries. The palate has a sleek, essence-like feel. Such richness. Open-knit with soft berries. Very long and very ripe. Drink or hold.”
Love Spanish reds? We have over 120 red wines from Spain currently available.
Shop our entire selection, including famous names like Comando G, Raul Perez, Terroir al Limit and more, on our web store!
Staff Favorite
Muga is Back!
Muga is considered one of the finest old producers of Rioja, combining a traditionalist approach with modern cellar techniques. Up and down the line, their wines offer tremendous value—these are wines that will age into dynamic, complex beauties, but are delicious today.
Pre-Arrival ETA Friday, October 16th:
This is always our best-selling Rioja and has a massive fan base at the shop
Bodegas Muga Reserva, Rioja DOCa 2015 750ML ($34.95) $23.50 pre-arrival special
Jeb Dunnuck 94 points “One of the flagship cuvées from this estate that’s produced in every vintage, the 2015 Reserva is a blend of 70% Tempranillo and the rest Garnacha, Mazuelo, and Graciano that spent 24 months in used French and American oak. Blackberries, currants, cigar wrapper, cedar box, and hints of vanilla all flow to a medium-bodied, concentrated, beautiful Rioja that has ripe tannins, beautiful balance, and a great finish. You couldn’t go wrong with a case of this.”
James Suckling 94 points “Complex nose with ripe black cherries, deeply integrated cedary oak, baking spices, dried flowers, leather, fresh tobacco and earthy notes. This is silky and mellow with long, laid-back tannins that deliver ripe dark plum flavors into a spicy and earthy finish. Drink or hold.”
Luis Gutierrez-Wine Advocate 92 points “…This was a very long harvest (similar to 2016). They started at the end of August with the Cava, and they finished at the end of October with very healthy grapes, good yields and very good quality. The wine shows very good ripeness but without any excess. It has incipient complexity, still young and undeveloped but with very good balance between power and elegance, with fine-grained tannins and integrated acidity. This has to be one of the best recent vintages of this popular bottling. There are around one million bottles of it.”
Wine Enthusiast 92 points “Earthy black fruit aromas are warm and ripe. Befitting a reserva from a hot year like 2015, this is big-bodied and flush, with flavors of toasty oak, chocolate and mixed berry fruits. Ripeness is not lost on a finish with mild heat. Drink through 2023.”
Pre-Arrival ETA Friday, October 16th:
This is always our best-selling Rioja and has a massive fan base at the shop
Bodegas Muga Reserva, Rioja DOCa 2015 750ML ($34.95) $23.50 pre-arrival special
Jeb Dunnuck 94 points “One of the flagship cuvées from this estate that’s produced in every vintage, the 2015 Reserva is a blend of 70% Tempranillo and the rest Garnacha, Mazuelo, and Graciano that spent 24 months in used French and American oak. Blackberries, currants, cigar wrapper, cedar box, and hints of vanilla all flow to a medium-bodied, concentrated, beautiful Rioja that has ripe tannins, beautiful balance, and a great finish. You couldn’t go wrong with a case of this.”
James Suckling 94 points “Complex nose with ripe black cherries, deeply integrated cedary oak, baking spices, dried flowers, leather, fresh tobacco and earthy notes. This is silky and mellow with long, laid-back tannins that deliver ripe dark plum flavors into a spicy and earthy finish. Drink or hold.”
Luis Gutierrez-Wine Advocate 92 points “…This was a very long harvest (similar to 2016). They started at the end of August with the Cava, and they finished at the end of October with very healthy grapes, good yields and very good quality. The wine shows very good ripeness but without any excess. It has incipient complexity, still young and undeveloped but with very good balance between power and elegance, with fine-grained tannins and integrated acidity. This has to be one of the best recent vintages of this popular bottling. There are around one million bottles of it.”
Wine Enthusiast 92 points “Earthy black fruit aromas are warm and ripe. Befitting a reserva from a hot year like 2015, this is big-bodied and flush, with flavors of toasty oak, chocolate and mixed berry fruits. Ripeness is not lost on a finish with mild heat. Drink through 2023.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The national average price is $27
The national average price is $27
Muga’s top-end “Prado Enea” bottling is a wine that represents the best of Rioja. Produced only in great years and held extensively before release, this is one of the top examples of traditional Rioja and will age and deliver pleasure like a top Bordeaux—only a lot less expensive.
2011 was about as perfect a year as you could hope for in Rioja, with warm but not hot weather and a dry harvest. Muga took advantage of this and has made one of their best ever bottlings of Prada Eneo—structured, big and rich. This is one for the cellar but will repay some time asleep with bountiful complexity and luxurious flavors and aromatics. With proper age, it’s a wine that can be the best bottle on the table in almost any company, which makes it a steal.
Pre-Arrival ETA Friday, October 23rd:
Bodegas Muga ‘Prado Enea’ Gran Reserva, Rioja DOCa 2011 750ML ($89.95) $69 pre-arrival special
#3 – James Suckling’s Top 100 Wines of the Year
James Suckling 99 points “The most structured Prado Enea ever. A reduced center palate that is so compact with dark fruit, dark mushrooms and cedary spice. Full body. Wonderfully polished tannins and a long, long finish. Electric acidity. Muscular and well toned. The is a new classic that reminds me of great Spanish wines from the 1940s and 1950s. Better after 2021, but already so impressive.”
Luis Gutierrez 96 points “The most classical of the wines from Muga, the 2011 Prado Enea Gran Reserva comes from a warm year that here was cooler than 2012, when they did not produce it. There won’t be a 2013 either. So after this 2011, the following vintage will be 2014 but with fewer bottles and then 2015 and 2016. The wine has a developed nose with some tertiary notes, combined with some notes of ripe black fruit and sweet spices. It fees like an open, expressive and hedonistic year for Prado Enea. The palate reveals polished tannins and some balsamic and developed flavors, truffle, forest floor and hints of cigar ash and incense. Stylistically, this could be close to the 2006, which was also surprisingly fresh for the average ripeness found in Rioja in general. 92,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in early 2015 after almost 40 months in barrel. Time in bottle has polished the wine, and it’s ready to drink on release, but it’s a wine that is going to develop in bottle for a long time.”
Wine Enthusiast 96 points “Earthy plum and berry aromas set up a palate with plush tannins and layers of depth. Befitting a hot year like 2011, dark berry and plum flavors are full, while this exhibits fine shape on the finish and only gets better the longer it sits. This is no doubt a delicious Rioja from one of the top wineries in Spain. Decant if drinking now. Enjoy through 2035.”
Jeb Dunnuck 95+ points “The 2011 Prado Enea checks in as a blend of 80% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha, Mazuelo that spent a full three years in oak, followed by three years in bottle before being released in May of 2019. It reveals a deep ruby/plum color as well as a closed, tight nose of blackcurrants, smoked earth, graphite, and Asian spices. It’s rich, medium to full-bodied, has a layered, balanced texture, integrated tannins, and a great finish. It’s holding things a little close to its vest at the moment, so I suspect 2-4 years of bottle age are warranted.”
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
The national average price nationally is $77
The national average price nationally is $77
Pre-Arrival ETA October 23rd:
Bodegas Muga Seleccion Especial Reserva, Rioja DOCa 2015 750ML ($49.95) $36 pre-arrival special
Case-12 Bodegas Muga Seleccion Especial Reserva, Rioja DOCa 2015 750ML ($549.95) $399 pre-arrival special (that’s only $33.25/bottle and the lowest listed price in the USA today!)
James Suckling 96 points “The balance and purity to this wine is really impressive with blackberries, black truffles and dark fruit. Wet earth. Full body. Tight and compact. Structured, long and powerful. Superb length. Compressed and polished texture. Drink in 2022.”
Jeb Dunnuck 95 points “The 2015 Selección Especial checks in as 70% Tempranillo and the balance Garnacha, Mazuelo, and Graciano that’s an old vine and terroir selection. Aged 6 months in new oak followed by 24 months in 90% French oak and 10% American oak, it has a beautiful bouquet of blueberries, black raspberries, crushed violets, incense, and cedar. This gives way to a full-bodied, rich, powerful wine that has an incredible sense of elegance and finesse on the palate. It’s a brilliant Rioja that can be drunk today or cellared for 10-15 years or more.”
Luis Gutierrez-Wine Advocate 94 points “The very perfumed, expressive and floral 2015 Selección Especial is a lot fresher than the stereotype of the vintage I had before I tasted 2015 widely. It’s a year that has turned out fresher than what the weather during the growing season pointed at. It was a dry and warm year, but the wines have very good freshness, which in this case feels exceptional. My first surprise was how aromatic and open the wine is for such a young age, with aromas of lavender and other Mediterranean herbs jumping from the glass. I expected that from the 2016s, but I thought the 2015 was going to be more closed and reticent. The palate is medium to full-bodied with fine-grained tannins, balanced, fresh and very clean. This combines energy and elegance with classical Rioja character. 220,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in December 2017.”
The national average price is $42
Love Rioja? We have over 20 wines from Rioja currently available.
Shop our entire selection, including famous names like López de Heredia, Marques Murrieta, Sierra Cantabria and more, on our web store!
Vinopolis Wine Shop Curbside Pick Up
Order Online / By Phone / By Email
When you’re ready to pick up, just park in our lot,
give us a call, & we’ll bring your order to your car.
(If another adult is picking up for you,
please let us know their name when placing your order.)
www.vinopoliswineshop.com
info@vinopoliswineshop.com
503-223-6002
When you’re ready to pick up, just park in our lot,
give us a call, & we’ll bring your order to your car.
(If another adult is picking up for you,
please let us know their name when placing your order.)
www.vinopoliswineshop.com
info@vinopoliswineshop.com
503-223-6002
Trending Champagne
A timeless BdB from a Chardonnay specialist
Pierre Peters Cuvee de Reserve Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Brut, Champagne NV 750ML ($69.95) $52.50 pre-arrival special ETA October
Case-6 Pierre Peters Cuvee de Reserve Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Brut, Champagne NV 750ML ($399.95) $299 pre-arrival special ETA November (that’s only $49.83/bottle and the lowest listed price in the USA today!)
William Kelley-Wine Advocate 91 points “Disgorged in June 2019, the latest rendition of Péters’ NV Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Cuvée de Réserve offers up a lovely bouquet of citrus oil, pear, pastry cream, dried white flowers, hazelnuts and crushed chalk. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, fine-boned and elegant, with ripe but racy acids, a delicate pinpoint mousse and a long, saline finish. As usual, this is an immensely refined Champagne that exemplifies the timeless style of this Mesnil-based Chardonnay specialist.”
Antonio Galloni 90 points “The NV Cuvée de Réserve (base 2016) is absolutely delicious and also shows the greater natural harmony of 2016 vis-à-vis 2015. Creamy and open-knit, the 2016 will be easy to drink pretty much upon release, as it is a Champagne of absolutely exquisite balance. White orchard fruit, crushed rocks, flowers and mint all grace this sublime, wonderfully nuanced Champagne from Rodolphe Péters. Dosage is 6 grams per liter.”
Pierre Peters Cuvee de Reserve Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Brut, Champagne NV 750ML ($69.95) $52.50 pre-arrival special ETA October
Case-6 Pierre Peters Cuvee de Reserve Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Brut, Champagne NV 750ML ($399.95) $299 pre-arrival special ETA November (that’s only $49.83/bottle and the lowest listed price in the USA today!)
William Kelley-Wine Advocate 91 points “Disgorged in June 2019, the latest rendition of Péters’ NV Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Cuvée de Réserve offers up a lovely bouquet of citrus oil, pear, pastry cream, dried white flowers, hazelnuts and crushed chalk. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, fine-boned and elegant, with ripe but racy acids, a delicate pinpoint mousse and a long, saline finish. As usual, this is an immensely refined Champagne that exemplifies the timeless style of this Mesnil-based Chardonnay specialist.”
Antonio Galloni 90 points “The NV Cuvée de Réserve (base 2016) is absolutely delicious and also shows the greater natural harmony of 2016 vis-à-vis 2015. Creamy and open-knit, the 2016 will be easy to drink pretty much upon release, as it is a Champagne of absolutely exquisite balance. White orchard fruit, crushed rocks, flowers and mint all grace this sublime, wonderfully nuanced Champagne from Rodolphe Péters. Dosage is 6 grams per liter.”
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast today!
Pre-Arrival ETA November:
Our best-selling Champagne producer for a reason
Andre Clouet Grande Reserve Brut, Champagne NV 750ML ($39.95) $33 special
Case-6 Andre Clouet Grande Reserve Brut, Champagne NV 750ML ($249.95) $189 pre-arrival special ETA Mid-November (that’s only $31.50/bottle and the lowest listed price in the USA today!)
Case-12 Andre Clouet Grande Reserve Brut, Champagne NV 750ML ($479.95) $359 pre-arrival special ETA Mid-November (that’s only $29.92/bottle and the lowest listed price in the USA today!)
William Kelley-Wine Advocate 90 points “The latest release of André Clouet’s NV Brut Grand Réserve Grand Cru is showing well, exhibiting a nicely integrated bouquet of red apple, ripe citrus fruit, honeycomb and blanched almonds, followed by a medium to full-bodied, enveloping palate with a fine mousse, ripe but racy acids and an elegant, understated profile, concluding with a well-defined finish. This is a stylish, harmonious wine that makes for a fine introduction to the Clouet portfolio.” [Reviewed April 2019]
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast today!
Our perennial staff favorite Champagne
Bereche et Fils Brut Reserve, Champagne NV 750ML ($59.95) $45 pre-arrival special
Case-6 Bereche et Fils Brut Reserve, Champagne NV 750ML ($349.95) $256 pre-arrival special (that’s only $42.67/bottle and the lowest listed price in the USA today!)
Case-12 Bereche et Fils Brut Reserve, Champagne NV 750ML ($679.95) $489 pre-arrival special (that’s only $40.75/bottle and the lowest listed price in the USA today!)
Review for L17 provided for reference.
William Kelley-Wine Advocate 92 points “The latest release of the NV Brut Réserve was disgorged in October 2019 with seven grams per liter dosage, and it’s based on the 2017 vintage. Exhibiting a glass bouquet of citrus oil, oyster shell, fresh peach and toasted nuts, it’s medium to full-bodied, racy and tensile, with lovely depth and concentration, fine energy and a long, penetrating finish.”
Peter Liem note “The range begins with the Brut Réserve, a non-vintage brut that usually contains about 25 percent chardonnay, 25 percent meunier and 20 percent pinot noir from the base vintage, along with 30 percent of reserve wines, also from the three varieties.”
“I often find myself reaching for the NV Brut Réserve, which is reliably one of the very finest Champagnes in its peer group” –Antonio Galloni, writing on the previous disgorgement
Base vintage subject to change by the importer without notice.
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
In Stock Now:
A crowd pleaser, at a buyer pleasing price
Diebolt-Vallois Tradition Brut, Champagne NV 750ML ($49.95) $33 special
Wine Spectator 91 points “Bright, with citrusy acidity, this harmonious Champagne offers a creamy mousse and a minerally underpinning layered with flavors of apricot, honeysuckle, salted almond and biscuit. A crowd-pleaser. Drink now through 2020. 125 cases imported.”
The national average price is $40
The best Champagne house you’ve never heard of?
Marguet Pere & Fils ‘Shaman’ Grand Cru Extra Brut, Champagne (2016) 750ML ($59.95) $49 special
Importer note “86% Pinot Noir & 14% Chardonnay.”
A wonderful wine from a Grower superstar
Marie Courtin Efflorescence Blanc de Noirs Extra Brut, Champagne 2014 750ML ($99.95) $59 special
No reviews yet for the 2014 vintage – Reviews for 2013 vintage provided for reference.
Antonio Galloni 94 points “A complete and wonderfully nuanced wine, the 2013 Extra Brut Efflorescence is fabulous. Bright and sculpted to the core, the 2013 exudes energy. Chalk, mint, jasmine and orchard fruit add complexity, but it is the wine’s overall balance that is most impressive. The Efflorescence offers striking translucence and energy from start to finish. The non-dosé style is especially successful here. Disgorged in April 2017 with no dosage.”
“Efflorescence is from an east-facing vineyard with 40-year-old vines (sélection massale) on Kimmeridgian soils. Fermented and aged for one year in pièces and 36 months on the second lees before the disgorgement…” –Stephan Reinhardt, Wine Advocate, writing on the 2013 vintage
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
An old-vine Bouzy beauty
Pierre Paillard ‘La Grande Recolte’ Bouzy Grand Cru Extra Brut, Champagne 2008 750ML ($79.95) $69 special
Case-6 Pierre Paillard ‘La Grande Recolte’ Bouzy Grand Cru Extra Brut, Champagne 2008 750ML ($479.95) $395 pre-arrival special ETA November (that’s only $65.83/bottle and the lowest listed price in the USA today!)
Winery note “La Grande Récolte represents the quintessence of the Paillards vineyards. Crafted by blending only the first press of old vine Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. 55% Pinot Noir, 45% Chardonnay. 1.8 g/L dosage. Hard chalk bedrock with clay topsoil. La Grande Récolte benefits from extended aging “sur lie”: 10 years in our 19th century cellars at a depth of 53 feet/16 meters and at a constant 50°F/10°C temperature.”
Peter Liem note “Paillard’s vintage brut, now called La Grande Récolte, is blended from equal parts pinot noir and chardonnay, which is unusual for a Bouzy champagne, but which also reflects the estate’s commitment to chardonnay. It’s aged for up to ten years on its lees before release.”
A classic cellar vintage from a classic producer
Pommery Cuvee Louise Brut Nature, Champagne 2004 750ML ($199.95) $149 special
James Suckling 97 points “A creamy and refined 2004 with a very reserved and tight palate of ultra fine tannins that lend the wine beautiful creaminess and finesse. Subtly floral, offering lightly cooked apples and lemons. Flavorful, yet always hiding behind the fine bubbles. Drink now.”
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast today!
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