In Today’s Newsletter:
Abbatucci
Vinopolis Super Sales
In Stock (Until They Sell Out!)
Super Sales Part Two:
New Offers!
Varnier Fanniere
Richly expressive Champagnes of superb balance
Abbatucci
Arriving November 3rd
“In the colorful, picturesque city of Ajaccio, capital of Corsica, you can’t get very far without seeing the name Abbatucci. There are streets, monuments and plazas that carry the name, which is normal given that General Jean-Charles Abbatucci from Ajaccio was a hero of the French Revolution and comrade in arms of another local hero, Napoléon Bonaparte. Step into a wine bar or a restaurant there, chances are these days they’ll pour you a glass of Domaine Abbatucci. The domaine is run by Jean-Charles Abbatucci, a direct descendant of the General, who has now become a local hero of another kind for providing the local populace with its most sought-after libation.
“Corsicans are proud defenders of their traditions and environment, and with Abbatucci they indulge guilt-free. His wines are certified biodynamic, and he believes in following even the most far-out biodynamic practices to the letter. On his large estate south of Ajaccio he keeps a pristine poly-culture ecosystem in place, complete with herds of sheep foraging through his vines, groves of olive trees on ancient terraces, and large swaths of untouched forests. His vines come from cuttings of indigenous grapes, sourced decades ago high up in the isolated and mountainous interior of the island from elderly peasant farmers, effectively saving several native varieties from extinction. To keep his vines happy, he’s known to drive his tractor out to his vineyards and play traditional Corsican polyphonic songs over loudspeakers for their benefit. After the harvest he’ll treat his cellar to the same music as his grapes ferment and come of age. All part of the terroir, he says. Does all this have an actual effect on the wine? Have a taste for yourself. The proof just might be in the pudding.” –Kermit Lynch Wines
Arriving Friday, November 3rd
Domaine Comte Abbatucci Ajaccio Faustine Blanc, Corsica 2017 750ML ($49.95) $29 pre-arrival special
Case-12 Domaine Comte Abbatucci Ajaccio Faustine Blanc, Corsica 2017 2017 750ML ($599.95) $319 pre-arrival special (that’s only $26.58/bottle!)
Importer Note “Summing up Jean-Charles Abbatucci’s contagious energy in just a few lines is virtually impossible. The best way to experience it is to stand in his vineyards in central Corsica and feel it radiate through your body from the ground up. Luckily, that energy finds its way into every bottle he makes, and this gentle, breezy white from old-vine Vermentinu delivers it without compromise each sip is like a gust of warm Mediterranean air flooding your senses with a perfume of flowers and wild maquis.”
“Corsicans are proud defenders of their traditions and environment, and with Abbatucci they indulge guilt-free. His wines are certified biodynamic, and he believes in following even the most far-out biodynamic practices to the letter. On his large estate south of Ajaccio he keeps a pristine poly-culture ecosystem in place, complete with herds of sheep foraging through his vines, groves of olive trees on ancient terraces, and large swaths of untouched forests. His vines come from cuttings of indigenous grapes, sourced decades ago high up in the isolated and mountainous interior of the island from elderly peasant farmers, effectively saving several native varieties from extinction. To keep his vines happy, he’s known to drive his tractor out to his vineyards and play traditional Corsican polyphonic songs over loudspeakers for their benefit. After the harvest he’ll treat his cellar to the same music as his grapes ferment and come of age. All part of the terroir, he says. Does all this have an actual effect on the wine? Have a taste for yourself. The proof just might be in the pudding.” –Kermit Lynch Wines
Arriving Friday, November 3rd
Domaine Comte Abbatucci Ajaccio Faustine Blanc, Corsica 2017 750ML ($49.95) $29 pre-arrival special
Case-12 Domaine Comte Abbatucci Ajaccio Faustine Blanc, Corsica 2017 2017 750ML ($599.95) $319 pre-arrival special (that’s only $26.58/bottle!)
Importer Note “Summing up Jean-Charles Abbatucci’s contagious energy in just a few lines is virtually impossible. The best way to experience it is to stand in his vineyards in central Corsica and feel it radiate through your body from the ground up. Luckily, that energy finds its way into every bottle he makes, and this gentle, breezy white from old-vine Vermentinu delivers it without compromise each sip is like a gust of warm Mediterranean air flooding your senses with a perfume of flowers and wild maquis.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $39
Domaine Comte Abbatucci Ajaccio Faustine Blanc, Corsica 2016 750ML ($49.95) $29 pre-arrival special
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $42.99
Vinopolis Super Sales
In Stock (Until They Sell Out!)
Domaine Clape is the bluest of blue chips in the Northern Rhone. They are the biggest reason that anyone cares about Cornas these days, carrying the torch as the flagship producer long before anyone other than Kermit Lynch cared about the appellation.
Domaine Auguste Clape Cornas, Rhone 2008 750ML ($219.95) Was $179, Now $149 super special, 11 bottles in stock nowDecanter 93 points “600mm of rain in the summer, ‘never-ending rain’ according to Pierre Clape, leading to mildew in June, rot and dilution at harvest. But like many of the best 2008s, it’s surprisingly enjoyable now mature. It’s ready to drink now, with cigar box, white pepper and raspberry fruit, then sage and thyme on the palate. It lacks weight compared to an average vintage, but has a good sense of freshness. Aromatically a little faint, but it has complexity on the palate and textural interest.”
Josh Raynolds 92 points “Deep ruby. A complex bouquet offers raspberry, cherry pit, violet and spice cake, with an intense mineral quality. Deeper, darker fruits on the palate, along with suggestions of allspice and licorice pastille. Shows fine-grained tannins and tangy mineral spine, with a suave blend of richness and vivacity. The very persistent finish is taut and focused, with lingering licorice and spice nuances.”
This was the lowest listed price in the USA today,
Now it’s even lower!
Karthauserhof is a special and unique winery even in a region known for its historic estates. It combines unique, historical sites, with own-rooted vines and visionary ownership throughout its centuries.
Karthauserhof Eitelsbacher Karthauserhofberg Riesling Grosses Gewachs 2013 750ML ($69.95) Was $47, Now $39 super special, 36+ bottles in stock now
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
John Gilman 93+ points “The 2013 Grosses Gewächs is showing as beautifully this year as it did a year ago, wafting from the glass in a salty constellation of tart pear, pink grapefruit, plenty of smokiness, dried flowers, a touch of lemongrass and lovely slate-driven salinity. On the palate the wine is pure, fullish and absolutely seamless, with fine youthful complexity, a lovely core, bright acids and a very long, refined and racy finish. This is a touch lower in alcohol than the 2014 version (11.5 versus twelve percent), but is just a tad more tightly-knit and complete. A fine bottle in the making. 2020-2050. 93+.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $64.95
Schloss Gobelsburg makes some of the top wines in Austria. They operate in a style that promotes complexity and vivacity for some of the best values in the wine world.
Schloss Gobelsburg Sekt Brut Reserve RD, Niederosterreich 2008 750ML ($119.95) Was $89, Now $69 super special, 20 bottles in stock now
Wine Advocate 90 points “Gobelsburg’s Vintage is only produced in top years and ages on the lees for at least ten years. The 2008 Extra Brut Vintage blends stainless steel-fermented Pinot Noir, Riesling and Grüner Veltliner whose cuvée has been aged in large oak. This 2008 has been disgorged in March 2018 and comes along with a clear, intense and nutty-scented bouquet of ripe white and yellow fruits. Intense and complex in the palate, this zéro dosage, bone-dry Sekt reveals nutty yet somewhat astringent flavors on the palate. The perlage is remarkably fine, though, and the finish is long and complex. However, the wine tastes restrained and firm and still doesn’t sing. Tasted September 2018.”
This was the lowest listed price in the USA today,
Now it’s even lower!
The next best price is $111.99
Bone dry, super-serious and slatey
Heymann-Lowenstein Schieferterrassen, Mosel 2015 750ML ($39.95) Was $27, Now $19 super special, 24 bottles in stock now
David Schildknecht-Vinous 89 points “A penetrating and unusual aromatic mélange features zesty grapefruit, gooseberry, lemon peel, dill and musky floral perfume. Full-bodied and glycerol-rich, this finishes with strongly alkaline and stony undertones as well as fruit pit piquancy and fenugreek pungency, its tart elements contributing slight edginess but also undeniable invigoration. This is serious stuff for an intro-level wine, even if serious also implies a certain lack of charm. I suspect that bottle development will provide further fascination.”
“The 2015er Trocken Schieferterrassen is made from the Estate’s holdings in Winningen (Domgarten, Brückstück and Hamm) and Kobern (Fahrberg and Weissenberg) as well as from declassified fruit from its cru vineyards. It offers a gorgeous nose of marzipan, herbs and spices. The wine is delicately baroque and full of character on the palate as ripe yellow fruits are nicely complemented by spicy herbs and a hint of tartness in the finish. 2018-2025.” -Mosel Fine Wines
VinopolNote: A blend of parcels from various slate soils
This was the lowest listed price in the USA today,
Now it’s even lower!
The next best price is $32.99
Nikolaihof’s wines are bright, precise and mineral drenched with the power and density of the Wachau. They have a sense of restlessness and invention about them—which is remarkable given the estate dates back to the fourteenth century.
Familie Saahs Nikolaihof Baumpresse, Wachau 2011 750ML ($129.95) Was $99, Now $79 super special, 11 bottles in stock now
David Schildknecht–Vinous 93 points “Nicknamed for the 18th-century tree press recently reactivated by Nikki Saahs (the tree in question must have begun growing in the Middle Ages), and now also labeled for its vineyard of origin, this was bottled in 2013 (like the corresponding Smaragd), but only recently released. At 12.5 percent alcohol, this silken-textured Riesling manages, as did other Nikolaihof wines of its vintage, to avoid any sense of heaviness; although there is a rich foundation of succulently ripe white peach and Persian melon, white currant and transparent apple lend tart-edged tang and crunch. A hint of heliotrope hangs over the whole performance, its sweet perfume further pointing to the generous phenolic evolution characteristic of this vintage. There are significant albeit nicely integrated oxidative elements here as well a legacy of the wine’s upbringing in smaller barrels than are otherwise utilized at the Nikolaihof with moss, toasted grains and nuts, wet stone and quinine lending a slightly sinister aspect to the long, multilayered finish. As was the case with this wine’s predecessors, Nikki Saahs maintains that it will retain its current level of freshness for many years. I’m skeptical.”
Terry Theise: “It’s painfully spendy, but have you seen that massive press? Apart from which, truth is truth; the wine is superb. Grain and smoke and jasmine and turkey stock and fingerlings at their little sweet best. This wine is intense, though with all of 12.5% alc.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Super Sales Part Two:
Hot New Offers Arriving November 6th
Hot New Offers Arriving November 6th
Thierry Germain Domaine des Roches Neuves Saumur-Champigny, Loire 2018 750ML ($31.95) $21.90 pre-arrival special
Case-12 Thierry Germain Domaine des Roches Neuves Saumur-Champigny, Loire 2018 750ML ($359.95) $239 pre-arrival special (that’s only $19.92/bottle!)
No reviews available for the 2018. Review for the 2016 provided for reference.
Grapelive 91 points “I love [Thierry Germain’s] wines, especially the Cabernet Franc bottlings, like this Cuvee Domaine, they always show fresh, clean lines, energy and pretty aromatics with the older vine parcels and crus showing deeper concentration and power. Germain’s goal, as [importer Kermit] Lynch puts it, is to produce Cabernet (Franc) with purity, finesse, and drinkability, while avoiding rusticity, vegetal character, and hard tannins, which in my experience he does often and well… The Cuvee Domaine comes from a mix of parcels ranging from 5 to 70 years old set on classic sand, clay and Tuffeau Limestone, which drives the vibrancy and lifts the floral bouquet, with 100% de-stemmed grapes fermented in all stainless steel tanks with a minimum of lees contact and just under six months total of elevage in a combination of tank and large neutral wood casks. Like the Les Roches (blue label) the Cuvee Domaine is meant to be a quaffer, but still serious in character and surprisingly with enough structure to age for a decade or more, especially in a vintage like this 2016, with its concentration of fruit and natural acidity, since Thierry picks on the earlier side. The Cuvee Domaine…is only native yeast fermented and the vines are…in the heart of AOC, which are, as mentioned, all biodynamic, making for a very natural expression with a dark and earthy personality. Uplifting layers of black cherry, plum and mulberry fruits lead the way with a touch of crushed raspberry, minty herb, a classic pyrasine green bell pepper note, crushed chalk, a faint hint of cedar and loamy earthy wrapped in a ripe form and soft tannins, this is an impressive medium bodied Cab Franc to enjoy sooner versus later, be sure to look for this fine effort.”
Case-12 Thierry Germain Domaine des Roches Neuves Saumur-Champigny, Loire 2018 750ML ($359.95) $239 pre-arrival special (that’s only $19.92/bottle!)
No reviews available for the 2018. Review for the 2016 provided for reference.
Grapelive 91 points “I love [Thierry Germain’s] wines, especially the Cabernet Franc bottlings, like this Cuvee Domaine, they always show fresh, clean lines, energy and pretty aromatics with the older vine parcels and crus showing deeper concentration and power. Germain’s goal, as [importer Kermit] Lynch puts it, is to produce Cabernet (Franc) with purity, finesse, and drinkability, while avoiding rusticity, vegetal character, and hard tannins, which in my experience he does often and well… The Cuvee Domaine comes from a mix of parcels ranging from 5 to 70 years old set on classic sand, clay and Tuffeau Limestone, which drives the vibrancy and lifts the floral bouquet, with 100% de-stemmed grapes fermented in all stainless steel tanks with a minimum of lees contact and just under six months total of elevage in a combination of tank and large neutral wood casks. Like the Les Roches (blue label) the Cuvee Domaine is meant to be a quaffer, but still serious in character and surprisingly with enough structure to age for a decade or more, especially in a vintage like this 2016, with its concentration of fruit and natural acidity, since Thierry picks on the earlier side. The Cuvee Domaine…is only native yeast fermented and the vines are…in the heart of AOC, which are, as mentioned, all biodynamic, making for a very natural expression with a dark and earthy personality. Uplifting layers of black cherry, plum and mulberry fruits lead the way with a touch of crushed raspberry, minty herb, a classic pyrasine green bell pepper note, crushed chalk, a faint hint of cedar and loamy earthy wrapped in a ripe form and soft tannins, this is an impressive medium bodied Cab Franc to enjoy sooner versus later, be sure to look for this fine effort.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $27
La Rioja Alta S.A. Vina Alberdi Reserva, Rioja DOCa 2015 750ML ($27.95) $21.90 pre-arrival special
Case-6 La Rioja Alta S.A. Vina Alberdi Reserva, Rioja DOCa 2015 750ML ($159.95) $125 pre-arrival special (that’s only $20.83/bottle!)
Case-12 La Rioja Alta S.A. Vina Alberdi Reserva, Rioja DOCa 2015 750ML ($299.95) $236 pre-arrival special (that’s only $19.67/bottle!)
James Suckling 93 points “Aromas of subtle red fruit with plums, spice and cedar. Some dried flowers and dried spices, such as paprika. It’s medium-bodied with some pretty, ripe fruit in the center palate, fine tannins and a citrus and cedar undertone to the finish. Drink or hold.”
Eric Chevalier Domaine de l’Aujardiere Chardonnay, Loire 2017 750ML ($17.95) $11.90 pre-arrival special
Case-12 Eric Chevalier Domaine de l’Aujardiere Chardonnay, Loire 2017 750ML ($199.95) $128 pre-arrival special (that’s only $10.67/bottle!)
Kermit Lynch Note “Éric Chevalier is a rising star in the Nantais of the Loire Valley. For ten years, he sourced fruit for a large négociant in the Touraine. In 2005, he decided to return to his hometown of Saint-Philbert de Grandlieu, just southwest of Nantes, and ended up taking over the family domaine, Domaine de l’Aujardière, the next year. His father, a talented vigneron who did not bottle much of his wines and was well-known as a high-quality source of bulk wine, had stopped working the vineyards and the vines were either going to have to be pulled up and replanted, or sold. Éric was anything but enthusiastic. Little by little his passion grew, and today he is proud to be the fourth generation to farm the domaine. He is also proud to be bottling more and more of the family’s production himself. Éric sustainably farms twenty-five hectares of vines, producing wines of great character and finesse. He found his future in his family’s past.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $15.99
Domaine A. & P. de Villaine Bouzeron (Aligote), Cote Chalonnaise 2018 750ML ($49.95) $39 pre-arrival specialWilliam Kelley-Wine Advocate 90 points “Aromas of green apple, pear, white flowers and beeswax introduce the 2018 Bouzeron, a medium-bodied, racy wine with an elegantly satiny attack, bright acids and a long, precise finish. This is a touch more demonstrative out of the gates than the 2017 rendition, but it retains plenty of cut in this warm year and should age well.”
Domaine Chignard Fleurie Les Moriers, Beaujolais 2018 750ML ($29.95) $24 pre-arrival special
Josh Raynolds-Vinous 93 points “Brilliant violet color. A suave, mineral-accented bouquet evokes ripe red/blue fruits and candied flowers and a spicy nuance builds in the glass. Bright, seamless and appealingly sweet, offering concentrated yet lively raspberry and boysenberry flavors that firm up slowly with aeration. Ripe but graceful in style, finishing gently tannic and impressively long, leaving a sexy lavender pastille note behind.”
James Suckling 92 points “There are some beautifully defined, ripe red and dark berries on offer here, as well as a fine, juicy array of fresh, lively tannins that carry plenty of nicely articulated flavor. Drink or hold.”
Raul Perez ‘La Vitoriana’ Lomas de Valtuille, Bierzo 2017 750ML ($39.95) $33 pre-arrival special
Luis Gutierrez-Wine Advocate 94 points “The 2017 La Vizcaína La Vitoriana has depth and power, inherent to the vineyard, a cool site that behaves well in a warm year like 2017, but in 2017 I still prefer El Rapolao. The fruit is a little darker and riper without excess (it’s all relative when you compare, and sometimes comparisons are tedious…), as the cooler exposition takes the warmer weather better. It’s textured and serious. 6,300 bottles were filled, as the north-facing exposures like this escaped the frost of the 2017 spring. It as bottled in May 2019.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $42
Royal Tokaji ‘The Oddity’ Furmint, Tokaj-Hegyalja , Hungary 2016 750ML ($19.95) $14 pre-arrival special
Wine Enthusiast 89 points “This 100% Hungarian dry Furmint has aromas of white flowers, peach and ripe apricot. In the mouth, it is well balanced with flavors of peach, lemon zest and fresh apricot, and it has a crisp, pleasantly tart finish.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $18
Varnier Fanniere
Richly expressive Champagnes of superb balance
Arriving Friday, October 30th
Varnier Fanniere Cuvee Jean Fanniere Origine Grand Cru Extra Brut, Champagne NV 750ML ($89.95) Was $71.90, Now $59 pre-arrival special, only 12 bottles available
William Kelley-Wine Advocate 94 points “(Reviewed Apr 2019) Aromas of warm biscuits, crisp peach, yellow citrus fruits and hazelnuts introduce the latest release of Varnier-Fannière’s NV Extra Brut Cuvée Jean Fannière Origine… On the palate, it’s full-bodied, broad-shouldered and vinous, with ripe but racy acids, considerable depth and concentration, an elegant, pinpoint mousse and a lingering, expansive finish. This is a layered, powerful Champagne with the lowest dosage in the range.” [Review is for July 2017 disgorgement]
Varnier Fanniere Grand Cru Rose Brut, Champagne NV 750ML ($79.95) Was $61.90, Now $56 pre-arrival special, only 9 bottles available
William Kelley-Wine Advocate 93 points “(Reviewed Apr 2019)…the NV Brut Grand Cru Rosé wafts from the glass with aromas of warm bread, waxy citrus rind and crisp green apple, with the wine’s 90% Chardonnay from Avize and Cramant seemingly gaining the upper hand over its 10% Ambonnay Pinot Noir as the wine matures on cork. On the palate, it’s full-bodied, broad and vinous, with a delicate, pinpoint mousse, a fleshy core of fruit and a nicely defined, saline finish. This is the broadest-shouldered of Varnier-Fannière’s rosé releases reviewed in this report, but in its more powerful register, it shares the elegance that distinguishes them.” [Review is for April 2016 disgorgement]
William Kelley-Wine Advocate 94 points “(Reviewed Apr 2019) Aromas of warm biscuits, crisp peach, yellow citrus fruits and hazelnuts introduce the latest release of Varnier-Fannière’s NV Extra Brut Cuvée Jean Fannière Origine… On the palate, it’s full-bodied, broad-shouldered and vinous, with ripe but racy acids, considerable depth and concentration, an elegant, pinpoint mousse and a lingering, expansive finish. This is a layered, powerful Champagne with the lowest dosage in the range.” [Review is for July 2017 disgorgement]
Varnier Fanniere Grand Cru Rose Brut, Champagne NV 750ML ($79.95) Was $61.90, Now $56 pre-arrival special, only 9 bottles available
William Kelley-Wine Advocate 93 points “(Reviewed Apr 2019)…the NV Brut Grand Cru Rosé wafts from the glass with aromas of warm bread, waxy citrus rind and crisp green apple, with the wine’s 90% Chardonnay from Avize and Cramant seemingly gaining the upper hand over its 10% Ambonnay Pinot Noir as the wine matures on cork. On the palate, it’s full-bodied, broad and vinous, with a delicate, pinpoint mousse, a fleshy core of fruit and a nicely defined, saline finish. This is the broadest-shouldered of Varnier-Fannière’s rosé releases reviewed in this report, but in its more powerful register, it shares the elegance that distinguishes them.” [Review is for April 2016 disgorgement]
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $69
Varnier Fanniere Cuvee Saint Denis Grand Cru Brut, Champagne NV 750ML ($89.95) Was $71.90, Now $59 pre-arrival special, only 12 bottles available
William Kelley-Wine Advocate 94 points “(Reviewed April 2019)…derived from a parcel of old Chardonnay vines in Avize, the latest rendition of Varnier-Fannière’s NV Brut Grand Cru Cuvée St-Denis opens in the glass with notions of waxy lemon rind, confit citrus, fresh peach, white flowers and warm biscuits. On the palate, it’s full-bodied, broad and concentrated, with chewy extract, a tight-knit core and brisk acids, revealing a youthfully frothy mousse and a long, chalky finish. This has a very promising future ahead of it.” [Review is for June 2017 disgorgment]
This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!
The average price nationally is $72
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When you’re ready to pick up, just park in our lot,
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www.vinopoliswineshop.com
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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
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