In Today’s Newsletter:
2006 Dom Perignon – The Best Price in the Country
A Sequitur Subscriber Special
2015 Produttori Barbaresco
Bonus Offer: 2013 BV George de Latour
Hot Deal!
2006 Dom Perignon
At the Lowest Price in the Country
Arriving Tomorrow:
Case-6 Dom Perignon Brut, Champagne 2006 750ML ($899.95) $779 pre-arrival special (that’s only $129.83/bottle!)
Antonio Galloni 97 points “The 2006 Dom Pérignon is a beautifully balanced, harmonious Dom Pérignon that strikes an incredibly appealing stylistic middle ground. Rich, voluptuous and creamy, the 2006 shows off fabulous intensity in a style that brings together the ripeness of 2002 with the greater sense of verve and overall freshness that is such a signature of the 2004. Bass notes and a feeling of phenolic grip on the finish recall the 2003, as the Pinot Noir is particularly expressive today. After an irregular summer that saw elevated temperatures in July followed by cooler, damp conditions in August, more favorable weather returned in September, pushing maturation ahead and leading to a long, protracted harvest. The 2006 falls into the family of riper, more voluptuous Dom Pérignons, but without veering into the level of opulence seen in vintages such as 2002.”
Wine Advocate 96 points “The 2006 Dom Pérignon comes from a very rich vintage with an early ripeness that brought a lot of aromatic maturity. The white-golden prestige cuvée contains a bit more Chardonnay than Pinot Noir and opens with a deep and seductive, pretty accessible nose with intense yet fresh fruit aromas of pineapples, with peaches and tangerines. Lively and elegant on the palate, this is a full-bodied, unusually aromatic and fruity DP with a long and tension-filled expression.”
The average price is $184
Sequitur Super Subscriber Special
Michael Etzel (founder and iconoclastic winemaker-in-chief of Beaux Freres) planted, farmed and now vinifies this site just up the hill from the Beaux Freres estate vineyard. Like the Beaux Freres wines, it’s big and rich, with abundant Ribbon Ridge character. We’re offering a fantastic price on these beauties, but with a catch—we’re not allowed to post the price on our website (the winery is afraid of hurting their brand). So place an order through the end of the year and we’ll drop the price by $20 a bottle (from $99 to $79) before we finalize the transaction.
We will adjust pricing manually before finalizing your order.
Josh Raynolds – Vinous 95 points “Deep brilliant red. A strikingly complex bouquet evokes ripe, mineral-accented red berries, cherry cola, vanilla, five-spice powder and sandalwood. Alluringly sweet, seamless and expansive on the palate, offering concentrated black raspberry, cherry liqueur, spicecake and lavender pastille flavors that are given spine and lift by a core of juicy acidity. Delivers a compelling blend of power and delicacy and finishes extremely long and smooth; rounded tannins frame the lingering red fruit preserve notes.”
The average price is $100
Wine Advocate 94+ points “Pale to medium ruby-purple in color, the 2016 Sequitur Pinot Noir has a lovely, open nose of black and red cherries and blackberries with notions of wood smoke, turned earth, autumn leaves, cardamom and potpourri. Medium-bodied, it floods the mouth with ripe black and red fruits with wonderful earthy/spicy accents, very fine, grainy tannins and mouthwatering acidity, finishing long with spice and floral layers. 480 cases produced.”
The average price is $100
Josh Raynolds–Vinous 94 points “Limpid ruby-red. Smoky, mineral-accented aromas of black raspberry, cherry cola and incense carry a strong spicecake overtone. Stains the palate with sappy red berry liqueur, spicecake and floral pastille flavors that are lifted and given definition and tension by juicy acidity. At once rich and nervy, with no excess fat but showing excellent depth and intensity of flavor. Finishes with sexy notes of candied violet and smoky Indian spices and superb, gently tannic persistence. This wine’s Beaux Freres bloodline is very clear to see.”
The average price is $100
2015 Produttori Barbaresco
Arrives Next Week
Arriving December 7th:
Produttori del Barbaresco ‘Barbaresco DOCG’, Piedmont 2015 750ML ($49.95) $39 pre-arrival special
Wine Spectator 93 points “Charming aromas of cherry, strawberry and rose are inviting in this red, with flavors to match, showing ripeness and focus. Earth and mineral elements chime in as this firms up, but the harmony is there and this should really sing in about five years. Best from 2022 through 2040. 23,333 cases made.”
Monica Larner-Wine Advocate 93 points “I tasted this wine after bottling but before its commercial release. The 2015 Barbaresco will hit the market on September 1st. It was scheduled to be released in October, but because Produttori del Barbaresco is already out of stock of the 2014 Barbaresco, they decided to move this release up and shorten waiting times. I mention that because you definitely don’t want to pop the cork too early. The 2015 vintage opens to a visibly darker color and thicker concentration compared to recent past vintages. Next to the upcoming 2016 and 2017 editions, we can expect 2015 to be the most fruit-forward of the three. You get dark tones of plum and blackberry with dry tannins at the rear.”
Bonus Offer:
BV George de Latour Private Reserve
A Napa Icon, Back in Form
There was a period of time where BV’s top wine, the George de Latour Cabernet, would have been held up as an example of a great winery resting on its laurels, but recent vintages confirm that it’s returned to its perch at the top of Napa’s food chain. We’re getting the 2013 in at the end of the month and it’s as good a bottle of Cabernet as we’ve seen for at/under $100—the product of a lot of time, money and energy well spent coupled with a tremendous vintage.
In the 70’s and 80’s, any list of the top five Napa Cabs would certainly include BV’s George de Latour, sourced from some of the best vineyards in the valley and spared no expense or care in the production. Unfortunately, by the mid-90’s, the wine was unspectacular at best and lingered that way until the mid 00’s, when BV decided to revive its flagship wine. Money, time and expertise were poured into the project and now it’s clearly one at the top of the class of Napa. For a Cabernet of this caliber, it’s exceptionally reasonably priced, as well—just $91.50 by the six pack.
Arriving November 30th:
“a fabulous wine”
Beaulieu Vineyard BV Georges de Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2013 750ML ($149.95) $99 pre-arrival special
Case-6 Beaulieu Vineyard BV Georges de Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2013 750ML ($899.95) $549 pre-arrival special (that’s only $91.50/bottle and the lowest listed price in the USA today!)
Antonio Galloni 96 points “Ripe, concentrated and intense, with fabulous richness throughout, the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Georges de Latour Private Reserve brilliantly melds together elements of both the classic and modern. The flavors are dark and unctuous, but even with the wine’s considerable mid-palate sweetness, the 2013 needs time for the tannins to soften. There is no shortage of potential, but readers will have to be patient.”
Wine Advocate 95+ points “One of the two flagship cuvées, the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve Georges de Latour is a fabulous wine. Obviously, this is the one wine that received the most meticulous attention from their outside consultant Michel Rolland. A great effort in 2013, as one might expect in this vintage, this wine needs 5-6 years and seems capable of lasting 30-40 or more, given the history of the great BV Private Reserves. Inky purple to the rim, with an extraordinary nose of créme de cassis and kirsch, licorice, cedarwood, and a touch of underbrush, the wine hits the palate with a full-bodied, powerful, concentrated, dense style, has great acidity, moderately sweet tannin, and a long, long finish. This wine is young and still slightly unformed, but loaded with potential and upside. Forget it for 5-6 years and drink it over the following half-century.”