Jump Start on June: New Wines in the Clearance Sale
Arriving: A Mother Lode of 2016 German Wine
John Paul (of Cameron) Delivers Again
The Final Days of May (Sales)
Legends: 2016 St. Cosme Arrives Next Week
The 96 & 97 Point Piancornello Brunellos
New to Our June Sale
Weingut Hirsch Kammerner Grub Gruner Veltliner Erste OTW Lage Reserve, Kamptal 2013 750ML ($59.95) Was $49, Now $39 special
Weingut Hirsch Kammerner Grub Gruner Veltliner Erste OTW Lage Reserve, Kamptal 2013 1.5L ($119.95) Was $99, Now $89 special
David Schildknecht–Vinous 91 points “After following this pithy, piquant, tightly coiled and firm yet lees-inflected bottling for a year, it seems to clearly be the Hirsch 2013 that has the farthest to travel before it reveals its full potential. Burly tobacco and black tea convey a smoky aura that intriguingly complements flavors of roasted beet root, apple and kohlrabi. The finish is impressively gripping and stony if as yet slightly undifferentiated.”
Terry Theise notes “This is a heat-trap in the declivity between the Gaisberg and Heiligenstein hills, and it gives a very meaty wine, often too meaty for me. Gobelsburg offers it also, and I show you maybe one in three vintages. This one is a big, dense boulder of minerality, stocky and brooding. It has some of the power of the 2003 Lamm, and is loaded with brown-bread and sorghum. More Wachau than Kamptal, but curiously compelling.”
Wine & Spirits Magazine 91 points “Kirchenstuck is named for the church (kirche) that fronts it, but it could just as well be kirschenstuck (cherry-piece), this is so redolent of pale red berries. It falls toward the lighter end of Auslese, the sugar more rounding than sweetening, with salty mineral and rose petal notes confirming the delicacy. Try it with pork dusted with sumac or other richly spiced dishes.”
Terry Theise note “Savagely fine vineyard fragrance, a city made of cherry blossom. The palate is literally stunning in the ferocity of its terroir, endlessly salty and flowery, already expressive and integrated, and lashing and electric… Every year for the last fifteen or more, this wine has been a masterpiece, and I can think of few if any parallels in the wine world—or in my wine world—of such sustained stellar performance year after year.”
Terry Theise: “Every year for the last fifteen or more, this wine has been a masterpiece, and I can think of few if any parallels in the wine world- or in my wine world- of such sustained stellar performance year after year. 2011 is and remains a masterpiece of the exotic flowery style, “a city made of cherry blossom” as I wrote last year. Bearing in mind that these wines are never very sweet, this one is more typical for the “Auslese” idiom. The 2012, though, is a swollen subterranean wave of mineral. You start at OMG and end with WTF, because even in the context of so many great years this is singular and amazing. Fantastically salty and cherry-blossomy, with obdurate length and deeply embedded mineral.”
VinopolNote on Urziger Wurzgarten: The Urziger Wurzgarten, or ‘spice garden’ is an intensely steep, iron-rich red slate vineyard. Though it’s located right next to the Erdener vineyards, the Ürziger wines are vastly different: the volcanic soils and favorable drainage lead to an earthy, spice-laden, tropical fruit-tinged wine.
Wine Advocate 92 points “The 2014 Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese indicates a higher proportion of botrytis, which delivers a rich and concentrated, yet very clear fruit with coffee bean and ripe pip aromas. Very elegant and finely piquant on the palate, this is a nicely succulent and perfectly balanced Spätlese with a long, salty finish–and a good complexity and structure. I would recommend drinking this excellent Sonnenuhr no earlier than 2021.”
The next best price is $27.99
A Whole Lot of 2016 German Wine
Arriving This Friday
David Schildknecht – Vinous 89 points “This bottling now encompasses some vines in Wehlener Klosterberg (epicenter of Markus Molitor’s memorable Pinot Blancs) as well as those long established by the Selbachs in Zeltinger Himmelreich. It’s raised largely in tank, supplemented by fuder. Apple blossom, corn shoot and smoky hints of toasted nuts combine for a pungent nose, which segues into a palate Pinot Blanc-typical in its delightful combination of textural creaminess and fresh apple juiciness. Due to hail in the parcel of Himmelreich where most of this was grown, the Selbachs ended up picking it in two tranches to compensate for late ripening of secondary buds. The upshot is 12.5% alcohol yet a welcome sense of buoyancy, and a tension of richness and tartness that is pleasantly stimulating on the seriously sustained finish.”Terry Theise note “This is being used by a restaurant group (with impeccable taste!) and for a while Johannes was worried we’d gobble up the supply and leave the group gasping and flopping on the beach. Nah, I’m only a little greedy. The ’16 is a beauty, toasty and mineral, a super vintage for a wine with some qui behind it. It’s steep-slope grown and made in discreet wood, so you get “recognizable” PB flavor but with the mineral energy of slate. There’s a long finish of really clean shrimp-stock, and the salty mid palate suggests just-caught monkfish.”
Stuart Pigott – JamesSuckling.com 93-94 points “As delicate as it is concentrated, this is a pretty serious wine with a long, sleek very mineral finish. A couple of decades ahead of it.”
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 92 points “From the terrace below the Schmitt terrace, the 2016 Zeltinger Schlossberg Riesling Trocken “Bömer” (AP 31 17) displays an intensely fruity nose, indicating perfect ripeness and good concentration, intermixed with herbal and mineral notes. Full-bodied, round and elegant, this is a complex and persistent Riesling with a lovely mix of lush, ripe Riesling (and peach/nectarine) fruit and the mineral character of the Bömer vineyard. The acidity is ripe, the tannins are fine, and the finish is intense and well balanced.”
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 90 points “The 2016 Riesling Kabinett (AP 02 17) has a lovely clear, fine and crunchy slate bouquet of bright fruits. The wine is light but charmingly fruity, bright and piquant, a picture-book estate Riesling in the off-dry style. Whenever you are thirsty and water seems too boring for you, try this gorgeous, hedonistic Riesling that is a straightforward, pure drinking pleasure. Love it! Tasted February 2018.”
Stuart Pigott – JamesSuckling.com 90 points “Prototypic Selbach-Oster kabinett with a medium-dry balance and fresh apple and cassis notes. Drink any time during the next five years.”
Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Himmelreich Riesling Kabinett Halbtrocken, Mosel 2016 750ML ($27.95) $21.90 pre-arrival special
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 92 points “The 2016 Zeltinger Himmelreich Riesling Kabinett Halbtrocken (AP 42 17) has a lovely clear and flinty-scented white stone fruit aroma with refreshing slate notes. Clear, lush and intense on the palate, this is a light but pretty complex and remarkably well-defined Kabinett in the off-dry style. Very digestible and with stimulating grip and salinity. 10.5% alcohol.”
Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Schlossberg Riesling Kabinett, Mosel 2016 750ML ($31.95) $26 pre-arrival special
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 92 points “Opening with nice reduction but precise and ripe fruit as well as crunchy slate aromas on the nose, the 2016 Zeltinger Schlossberg Riesling Kabinett is pure and flinty, well-structured and quite aristocratic (though a frivolous aristocrat), with a firm structure, lush fruit and a lovely lightness and buoyancy. Very stimulating and mouthwatering, but it’s far too young to appreciate the full complexity it will deliver in a couple of years. Salty, grippy and fruity—just a perfect Kabinett.”
Selbach-Oster Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Spatlese, Mosel 2016 750ML ($24.95) $29 pre-arrival special
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 92 points “The 2016 Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Spätlese (AP 07 17) offers a bright, fresh and slightly flinty bouquet with nice reduction. Lush, piquant and elegant on the palate, this is a light and mouth-filling Spätlese you’d probably like to take your bath in.”
Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Himmelreich Riesling Eiswein, Mosel 2016 375ML ($119.95) $99 pre-arrival special
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 96 points “Picked on the 5th of December, the 2016 Zeltinger Himmelreich Riesling Eiswein (AP 14 17) has a very clear and concentrated bouquet of pineapples and weathered slate. Sweet yet piquant and elegant on the palate, this is a highly finessed and salty-piquant picture-book ice wine with lingering salinity and grip. This is super precise and perfectly balanced. Tasted February 2018.”
Mosel Fine Wines 96 points “The 2016er Zeltinger Himmelreich Eiswein was made from clean frozen grapes harvested at 135° Oechsle on December 5. It proves still rather reduced yet already hints at a vibrant array of fruits including cassis, pear, grapefruit and pineapple. The wine is still on the sweet side on the palate at this early stage but the great cassis infused fruity feel in the finish already shows the true greatness to come. This desperately needs a few years of bottle aging but should then prove a terrific example of fruit-driven Eiswein. 2021-2036+”
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 93 points “The 2016 Riesling Röttgen ‘VDP Grosse Lage’ is pure and flinty on the nose, with bright fruit and mineral aromas on the nose. On the palate, this is a piquant, fresh and well structured as well as intense and persistent Riesling with cacao flavors in the finish. Terribly fresh and piquant., this is a remarkable Riesling. Tasted February 2018.”
Wine Advocate 95-97 points “Tasted from the barrel and still dusty in its ripe golden color, the 2015 Riesling Uhlen R ‘VDP Grosse Lage’ (which is always bottled late) combines super ripe, rich and intense tropical fruit aromas (pineapples) with the spicy flavors of red (iron-rich) slate. The palate, however, is stunningly pure and finessed, highly elegant and almost light whereas the finish is very long, full of salt, grip and tension. A great promise!”
Mosel Fine Wines 94 points “This delivers an stunning nose with great depth, cool aromatics and finesse as notes of spices, mint, dried herbs, white peach, citrus peel and smoke and flowery elements emerge from the glass. The wine starts on the cool and fresh side on the palate, and only gradually develops its structure and intensity as it unfolds. It offers great length and intensity without ever being overpowering. The after-taste is just subtly and delicately tart. This dry Riesling is quite a tour de force and amply confirms our initial high expectations from cask (see Issue No 32 for the initial tasting note). 2022-2035.”
David Schildknecht – Vinous 91 points “Ripe pear and apple dominate on the nose as well as on a silken, buoyant palate, supported by subtle sweetness. Mouthwatering salinity and transparency to crystalline stony nuances give the long, refreshingly juicy finish a fascinating and delightful sense of shimmer.”
Wwe Dr. H. Thanisch Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Spatlese, Mosel 2016 750ML ($39.95) $33 pre-arrival special
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 92+ points “The 2016 Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Spätlese offers a clear, elegant nose with bright fruit, green asparagus and flinty aromas. Racy and lush on the palate, this is a refreshing, elegant but still pretty sweet Spätlese with crystalline, piquant acidity and structure. The finish is long and complex, but the wine needs a decade to integrate all its components into a fine and elegant Spätlese. Tasted March 2018.”
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 93 points “The 2016 Berncasteler Doctor Riesling Kabinett has a lovely clear and aromatic stone fruit bouquet with coolish, flinty slate aromas. Lush, round and highly attractive on the palate, this is a very elegant and charming Doctor with a seriously mineral, stimulatingly salty finish. Tasted March 2018.”
David Schildknecht – Vinous 92 points “Musky, sweaty notes mingle with scents of ripe pear, white peach, decadent freesia and lily. The palate impression is lusciously fruity, subtly sweet, faintly creamy and extremely delicate – perfectly suited to the prominence of inner-mouth perfume. The finish features striking lift along with inhalative flavor retention. (Breathing in and out after spitting – or swallowing – it’s almost as if the wine hadn’t left your mouth.)”
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 93 points “The 2016 Berncasteler Doctor Riesling Spätlese shows a complex, smoky, fresh and elegant bouquet but is still slightly reductive. Piquant and mineral on the palate, with generous fruit, this is an elegant, crystalline and complex Doctor Spätlese with a dense, salty, very expressive and persistent finish. Keep this wine for at least a decade. Tasted March 2018.”
David Schildknecht – Vinous 92 points “A product of picking on three different days, this “regular” Doctor Spätlese bottling (there are two others from Thanisch in 2016) leads with alkaline, saline scents of sea breeze such as I can’t recall before from this site. With that comes a greenhouse-like allusion to flowering and leafing things, as well as intimations of the fresh apple, pear, and honeydew melon that dominate on the glossy palate. This is startlingly cool and northerly-fruited in personality for a Doctor Spätlese, which complements the sense of delicacy delivered on a lingering finish transparent to alkaline and stony nuances. And in enjoying it, I didn’t once think about sweetness, because its presence is modest and entirely supportive.”
John Paul (of Cameron) Delivers Again
A little over a decade ago, John Paul decided to host a young Italian man named Lapo Berti as harvest help at Cameron winery. He worked harvest and became friends with John Paul before he left to seek his fortune in the wine world. The two never lost contact, even as Lapo made his way to Australia and France before returning to Italy. Despite being from Tuscany, Berti had dreamed of making Barolo and so he moved to the Piemonte and scrapped his way to acquire a tiny amount of La Morra fruit to make his first vintage in 2012.
We’re offering his second vintage today—the 2013, which is a classic La Morra Barolo—soft and delicate with a deep resonance that stirs your soul. It’s a Barolo that you certainly could drink young, but it should age for quite some time if you have the willpower. Lapo only made a few hundred cases, so quantities are limited, but we secured as large an allocation as we could. How long it lasts, though, is another matter.
Arriving June 8th:
Lapo Berti del Comune di La Morra, Barolo DOCG 2013 750ML ($49.95) $44 pre-arrival special
VinopolNote: “The first ever ‘John Paul Selection’ from our favorite winemaker at Cameron. This comes from an old friend of his from prime La Morra fruit. The wine is soft and supple for Barolo, true to the La Morra style, but has depth and complexity. We’re excited to see how it ages and suspect it will go the distance if you can keep your hands off of it.”
The next best price is $47.95
Cameron Pinot Noir Dundee Hills 2016 750ML ($29.95) $27 pre-arrival special
VinopolNote “This represents a step up from Cameron’s Willamette Valley bottling and is sourced exclusively from Abbey Ridge and Clos Electrique. It tends to be softer and more accessible than some of the higher end wines, but still shows loads of Dundee Hills character and Cameron personality. Yields were down for 2016, though, so our only complaint is that he didn’t make enough.”
Final Days of the May Sale
M. Chapoutier Ermitage Le Pavillon, Rhone 2013 750ML ($249.95) Was $219, Now $199 Clearance Price
Wine Advocate 98+ points “The star of the show in 2013 is the 2013 Ermitage le Pavillon. Coming from the west and eastern edges of the Bessards lieu-dit and aged in 30% new French oak, its sensational black/blue color is followed by the awesome bouquet of cassis, smoked earth, graphite and caramelized meats that could come from no other terroir in the world. Full-bodied, massive, dense, sexy and with a liquid rock-like character that comes out with time in the glass, it has sweet tannin and a blockbuster finish that keeps you coming back to the glass. It needs 5-6 years of cellaring and will have 30-40 years of more of ultimate longevity.”
The next best price is 10% higher at $209
The average price is over 50% higher at $323!!
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
Zorzal Eggo Filoso Pinot, Tupungato 2014 750ML ($29.95) Was $24, Now $21.90
Wine Advocate 92 points “The 2014 Eggo Filoso Pinot Noir is produced with fruit from Gualtallary. It fermented after carbonic maceration in cement vats and like the whole Eggo line, it matured in cement eggs for some nine months and never saw any oak. Pale-colored, floral and showing a lactic touch, it is earthier than the Gran Terroir. The palate is medium-bodied, with floral flavors, very good acidity and a fine texture.”
Now it’s even lower!
Wine Advocate 99 points “More up-front and open-knit, the 2004 Into the Dark (Grenache) checks in as a blend of 84% Grenache, 8% Mourvedre, 7% Syrah and 1% Viognier that comes mostly from Manfred’s 11 Confessions Vineyard, yet includes small portions from Alban (10%) and Alta Mesa (9%) Vineyard. Reminding me of Clos Saint-Jean’s Sanctus Sanctorum with its incredible bouquet of sweet kirsch, licorice, dried baking spices, graphite and ground pepper, this beauty flows onto the palate with impeccable purity, perfect integration of its fruit, tannin and acidity, and blockbuster length. As is common with this estate’s wine, it’s the purity paired with serious richness that sets it apart. While still youthful and benefiting from a healthy decadence, I think it’s drinking at point and would aim to drink bottles over the coming 4-5 years. It will evolve gracefully for longer, but I see no reason to hold off.”
Now it’s even lower!
The next best price is $1,725
Jeb Dunnuck 97 points “The most opulent and voluptuous of the 2015s, the 2015 Gigondas Les Souteyrades is heavenly juice that, again, drinks well past its humble price point. Just loaded with notions of strawberries, framboise, spring flowers, dried orange peels and spice, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a thick, unctuous texture, sweet tannin and a great, great finish. This cuvee is the normal 80/20 split of Grenache and Mourvèdre, aged all in foudre, and there’s just 750 cases made.”
Wine Advocate 94 points “Like the La Louisiane, the 2015 Gigondas les Souteyrades spent a year in foudres prior to bottling. It a similar blend of 80% Grenache and 20% Mourvèdre, but grown on north-facing gray clays. There’s more pepper and herb here, still wonderfully ripe raspberries but less chocolate. Full-bodied, it’s still silky and refined, with tremendous length on the finish.”
Case-6 Il Poggione Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Tuscany 2012 750ML ($519.95) Was $336, Now $299 Clearance Price (that’s only $49.83/bottle!)
Wine Advocate 95+ points “Il Poggione is a Brunello superstar and a vintage like this reveals every reason why that affirmation is true. From the second the 2012 Brunello di Montalcino pours into the glass, you know you are in for something special. The wine is darkly saturated and rich in appearance. Absent are those slightly amber or browning hues you often get with Sangiovese in a hot vintage. Nor does the wine show flat or tired characteristics. Instead, the quality of fruit is vibrant and rich. This is a healthy, generous and exuberant Brunello with dark density and succulent fruit flavors that are followed by integrated spice and tobacco. The balance is impressive and one thing you get here is fresh acidity. This is not to be underestimated, because the acidity quota in the 2012 vintage across the appellation is not as high or evident as usual. This is one of the year’s best Brunellos.”
Ian D’Agata – Vinous 93+ points “Good full red. Medicinal red cherry, raspberry, sweet spices and mint on the fresh, precise nose. Bright and sweet, with a penetrating, austere quality to its flavors of red fruits, minerals and medicinal herbs. Harmonious acidity nicely frames the pure, long, youthfully tight finish. Lovely young Brunello that will repay cellaring.”
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Saint Cosme’s Legendary 2016’s
Arrive Next Week
“For the reds, Barruol sees 2016 much as the other vignerons I have visited on this trip—with bold ripeness reminiscent of vintages like 2009 and ’10, but with a level of freshness that sets it apart….The pHs are low here too. But not as obviously different from the normal as in Châteauneuf ’16,’ he says, comparing it to his own Gigondas…The quality and style of the vintage is very consistent all over though. The impression of freshness is in all the wines.” – James Molesworth,
Wine SpectatorSaint Cosme is one of the notable estates of the Southern Rhone. Louis Barroul is a talented winemaker and is the 14th generation of his family to make wines in the domaine that was founded in the 1500’s. The wines he makes are rich and powerful, with undeniable terroir signatures. To highlight these varying terroirs, the estate bottles a handful of single vineyard Gigondas which are the most interesting and coveted wines in the portfolio.
They also bottle a selection of wines from up and down the Rhone from special growers whose grapes or wines would otherwise be sold to giant corporate negociants. These wines, which aren’t bottled under the ‘chateau’ label, are highlights of their appellations and generally incredible value for the quality in the bottle.
2016 looks to be an unqualified success for the estate (as with most in the Rhone). While a touch less dense than the 2015’s, the wines show a freshness and energy that’s unusual for a powerful vintage. It seems to combine nearly everything we’re looking for in Rhone wines, which reminds us of something like 2005 or 2010—a rare feat. We’re releasing our first offering on these wines, which arrive in July, so if there are bottlings that you love, jump on them now—the only downside to 2016 is lower yields and smaller allocations.
Arriving Next Week:
Chateau de Saint Cosme Gigondas, Rhone 2016 750ML ($49.95) $39 pre-arrival special
Case-6 Chateau de Saint Cosme Gigondas, Rhone 2016 750ML ($289.95) $219 pre-arrival special (that’s only $36.50/bottle!)
Case-12 Chateau de Saint Cosme Gigondas, Rhone 2016 750ML ($519.95) $419 pre-arrival special (that’s only $34.92/bottle!)
Wine Advocate 90-92 points “Even Saint Cosme’s 2016 Gigondas looks built to age. It’s full-bodied and firmly tannic but balanced by ripe fruit notes of cherries, peaches and chocolate.”
Jeb Dunnuck 90-92 points “Looking first at the base 2016 Gigondas, it’s certainly going to be another outstanding wine from Barruol. Based on 70% Grenache and the rest close to an even split of Syrah and Mourvèdre, it offers classic St Cosme notes of dark fruits, tapenade, pepper and smoked earth. It has plenty of tannin and will need 2-3 years of cellaring and shine for a decade or more.”
The next best price is $49.99
Jeb Dunnuck 98-100 points “Leading off the special cuvees and from the sandiest parcel of the estate, the 2016 Gigondas Hominis Fides (100% Grenache) has perfection written all over it! Just as fine, elegant and seamless as it gets, yet also with blockbuster depth and richness, it boasts incredible notes of black raspberries, loamy/sandy soils nuances, game, and camphor. Don’t miss it!”
Wine Advocate 94-96 points “Rich and velvety but undeniably tannic, the 2016 Gigondas Hominis Fides is another stunning wine from proprietor Louis Barruol. Stone fruit, cherries and chocolate notes all mingle easily on the full-bodied palate, ending in a supple flurry of tannins.”
The next best price is $149.99
Jeb Dunnuck 99-100 points “The 2016 Gigondas Le Claux has slightly more mid-palate depth compared to the Hominis Fides, yet is also more tannic and structure. Damp clay, forest floor, currants spice and huge minerality all soar from the glass and this full-bodied beauty has an unctuous texture that’s currently hiding serious amounts of tannin. Forget bottles for 4-5 years and enjoy over the following 15+.”
Wine Advocate 95-97 points “More approachable than the blockbuster Le Poste, the 2016 Gigondas le Claux looks to be another Gigondas legend in the making. Apricot and cherry fruit lead the way, backed by masses of creamy, lush tannins and savory notes of dark chocolate and black olive on the long finish.”
The next best price is $149.99
Jeb Dunnuck 97-99 points “Coming from Barruol’s favorite vineyard located on just up the hill from the domaine, the 2016 Gigondas Le Poste is another huge wine, and probably the richness, ripest example of this cuvee I’ve tasted. Possessing almost overflowing amounts of blackberry fruits, graphite, spring flowers and huge minerality, it offers awesome purity, full-bodied richness, and a great, great finish. I can’t wait to taste this from bottle.”
Wine Advocate 96-98 points “Even tasted blind, it’s immediately apparent that the 2016 Gigondas le Poste is something special. It’s a sneaky, seductive kind of special at first, sparked by subtle hints of toast and baking spices, then super ripe Grenache notes of cherries and stone fruit. It’s full-bodied, supple and creamy on the palate, things are cruising right along and then bam! There’s a wall of ripe tannins on the finish, promising so much more in the years and decades ahead. As a singular expression of grape variety, site and vintage, from a vigneron at the top of his game, this is a must for serious collectors.”
The next best price is $149.99
Wine Advocate 93 points “Sourced from three lieux-dits (including La Crau), Saint Cosme’s 2015 Chateauneuf du Pape is a blend of approximately 60% Grenache, 20-25% Mourvèdre and bits and pieces of other varieties. It’s full-bodied, rich and spicy, with hints of cumin, licorice, cinnamon and clove all swirling about on the long finish.”
The next best price is $59.99
The 96 and 97 Point Piancornello Brunellos
Arriving ETA July:
Piancornello Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Tuscany 2013 750ML ($69.95) $48 pre-arrival special
Case-6 Piancornello Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Tuscany 2013 750ML ($399.95) $269 pre-arrival special (that’s only $44.83/bottle!)
Ian D’agata-Vinous 96 points “Deep red-ruby. Highly perfumed, mineral aromas of raspberry, red cherry, violet and iron. Wonderfully sappy but youthfully imploded in the mouth, this remarkably precise and well-delineated Brunello offers an extremely refined set of flinty red and black fruit herbal flavors. Finishes with a firm edge of tannins and very good floral and spicy lift. An outstanding, very pure and deep wine that really needs about a decade of patience. One of the Brunellos of the vintage.”
Ian D’agata-Vinous 97 points “Luminous deep red. Less stony and scented on the nose than Piancornello’s memorable 2013 Brunello, offering hints of gingerbread and exotic fruit elements to the red berry and cherry aromas and flavors. Thick and creamy in the mouth, but lovely acidity and a saline element give the wine a three-dimensional texture and keep it light on its feet despite noteworthy concentration of extract and flavor. This densely packed, rich and ripe Brunello will age splendidly. Not surprisingly, this 2012 Riserva is weightier and fuller than the 2013 Brunello from Piacornello, but still comes across as refined and steely in the typical house style.”
Thank you for reading!