Subscriber Secret Sale:
German Trocken, Feinherb and Kabinett Sale
Ends Saturday, August 20th at Midnight
We’ll take 10% off on all in-stock German Trocken, Feinherb and Kabinett Wines
We offer 56 German Trocken, Feinherb and Kabinett Wines in-stock and available here now to choose from (that’s 1,180 bottles!):
visit our web store at www.vinopoliswineshop.com
Sale ends Saturday, August 20th at Midnight
Does not apply to pre-arrival offers or case specials
Discount will not appear in online shopping cart
We will apply it here before charging
Vouette et Sorbee Cuvee Fidele Extra Brut, Champagne NV (2012) 750ML ($89.95) $59 special
Case-12 Vouette et Sorbee Cuvee Fidele Extra Brut, Champagne NV (2012) 750ML ($899.95) $636 special (that’s only $53/bottle!)
Case-6 Vouette et Sorbee Cuvee Fidele Extra Brut, Champagne NV (2012) 750ML ($479.95) $336 special (that’s only $56/bottle!)
Antonio Galloni 95 points “The NV (2012) Extra Brut Fidele is another fabulous wine from Vouette & Sorbée. Here, the richness of Pinot Noir comes through loud and clear in the wine’s depth and overall richness. Creamy and beautifully layered throughout, the 2012 hits all the right notes. Red berry, mint, flowers, sweet spices and candy fill out the wine’s broad frame effortlessly. What a gorgeous wine this is. Simply put, the 2012 is a total knock-out.”
Chateau Henri Bonnaud Cotes de Provence Sainte-Victoire Terre Promise Rose, Provence 2014 750ML ($21.95) Was $18, Now $16
Wine Enthusiast 90 points “This is a pretty wine with its elegant pale color and delicious fruit. Made from organically grown Grenache (85%) and Cinsault (15%), it is crisp, full of fresh red currant fruit and has a nervy, very fresh aftertaste.”
Winery note “The texture is smooth, rich, and silky. The wine has a long finish with notes of red fruits and spices. A structured rosé, as is ideal for a Côtes de Provence Rose. 50% Grenache, 50% Syrah.”
…from Burgundy
Domaine Servin Mont de Milieu, Chablis Premier Cru 2014 750ML ($37.95) $28 special
Burghound 92 points “Notably ripe and mildly exotic yet wonderfully fresh aromas of yellow orchard fruit and white flowers are followed by rich, concentrated and relatively robust flavors that possess good mid-palate extract, all wrapped in a long and sappy finish that is almost painfully intense. This is a big and powerful wine that will require a few years to harmonize and develop depth but the underlying material is certainly present to allow this to happen.”
Stephen Tanzer–Vinous 91 points “(bottled in late 2015): Less expressive on the nose than the Vieilles Vignes Sélection Massale, but still clean and sexy, offering orchard fruit and mint aromas. Dense, pliant and dry, with lemon, orange zest and mineral flavors complicated by subtle soil tones. Nicely integrated lemony acidity carries the citrus and floral flavors through a persistent, gripping finish.”
Domaine de Fenouillet Ventoux Rose, Rhone 2015 750ML ($17.95) $14 special
Importer note “This Ventoux Rosé from the village of Beaumes-de-Venise is pale rose in color, quite fruity, with a brisk mineral finish. As always, the Soard brothers have provided us with one of our finest values. A blend of Cinsault and Grenache, with a touch of Syrah, this favorite quickly disappears. Certified organic.”
Vinopolnote: A complex, headache-free rose? Indeed, look no further! This organic, southern-Rhone gem of mostly Cinsault and Grenache boasts soft fruit, a pleasantly round texture, and a bright, floral finish. An ideal apertivo, though I’d quite like to hold onto a few bottles for autumnal fare, assuming a few bottles can be squirreled away safe from reach. – Tyler
…from Languedoc
Chateau Puech-Haut Coteaux du Languedoc Saint-Drezery Prestige Rouge 2013 750ML ($21.95) $18 special
Case-12 Chateau Puech-Haut Coteaux du Languedoc Saint-Drezery Prestige Rouge 2013 750ML ($249.95) $199 special (that’s only $16.58/bottle!)
Wine Advocate 93 points “The 2013 Coteaux du Languedoc Prestige (which was already in bottle at the time of this tasting) is a blend of 55% Grenache and 45% Syrah aged all in concrete tank. Fresh, elegant and thrillingly pure, with first rate aromas of blackberry, fresh plum, licorice and ground herbs, it is decidedly sexy and forward, yet stays perfectly balanced, with juicy acidity and fine tannin on the finish. Easily one of the top estates in the Languedoc (if not southern France), Chateau Puech Haut lies just outside the village of Saint-Drezery and is owned and run by Gerard Bru, with consulting help from Philippe Cambie. They produce a number of cuvees, with their entry level efforts representing superb values, and their top cuvees being able to stand toe to toe with the greatest wines in the world.”
…from Sicily
Tenuta delle Terre Nere Rosso Etna, Sicily 2014 750ML ($24.95) $19 special
Wine Spectator 90 points “A perfumed, light- to medium-bodied red, with crushed raspberry, mineral and spice flavors. Light tannins show on the supple finish. Elegant and very drinkable. Drink now through 2021.”
…from Beaujolais
Domaine du Pavillon de Chavannes Cote de Brouilly Cuvee des Ambassades, Beaujolais 2014 750ML ($24.95) $21.90 pre-arrival special, ETA September 2016
Case-12 Domaine du Pavillon de Chavannes Cote de Brouilly Cuvee des Ambassades, Beaujolais 2014 750ML ($279.95) $239 pre-arrival special, ETA September 2016
Josh Raynolds—Vinous Media 92 points “Pale red. A pure, expansive bouquet displays vibrant strawberry, blood orange and floral pastille scents and energetic minerality. Taut, spicy and sharply focused, offering juicy red fruit and floral pastille flavors plus a touch of five-spice powder. The mineral and floral qualities repeat on a long, gently tannic finish that leaves a sweet red berry note behind.”
Super Wine from SuperUco
Newly Arrived
Argentina rarely conjures up the image of limited production, terrior-driven wines. Juan Pablo and Matias Michelini have done just that in their small, two hectare farm with some of the first biodynamic wines to come out of the Uco Valley. The project was started by the brothers in 2008 as a means of sharing the unique expression of the Gualtallary micro-region with the world. The Calcáreo wines below are all single-vineyard bottlings of Malbec with surprising nuance and precision. The wines are raised in clay amphora in their open-air winery to allow the grapes and limestone-rich soils to speak for themselves: no tampering by man or new oak.
Michelini Bros Superuco Calcareo ‘Granito de Tupungato’ Malbec, Tupungato 2013 750ML ($49.95) $39 special
James Suckling 96 points “This is so sexy and polished. Full-bodied, yet refined and long. Seamless and ethereal. Drink or hold.”
Wine Advocate 95 points “The 2013 Calcáreo Granito de Tupungato starts with lactic notes followed by ripe plum and ripe skin aromas from grapes grown at higher altitude, closer to the sun. It is a bit wild. The palate is tremendously mineral, with a chalky texture and incredible length. The tannins are ultra-fine and the wine is compact, very harmonious. This is the more austere and mineral of the three. Awesome value!”
Michelini Bros Superuco Calcareo ‘Coluvio de Altamira’ Malbec, San Carlos 2013 750ML ($49.95) $33 special, 36+ bottles available
Wine Advocate 94 points “The 2013 Calcáreo Coluvio de Altamira is closed and tight, feeling the most austere and chalk-driven of the three reds I tasted form the Calcáreo line. The grapes are selected from a small part of the vineyard where the calcium carbonate is seen in the surface. It’s a serious, balanced and terribly salty and mineral red with the violets of Malbec intermixed with crushed rocks and even a marine feeling to it. Complex, subtle, elegant… terrific! And very affordable too. 3,000 bottles produced, the content of the amphora.”
Wine Advocate 93 points “The 2013 Calcáreo Río de los Chacayes is sourced from the Chacayes zone of Tunuyán on top of Vista Flores towards the mountains. It has a riper, spicier, floral, and aromatic profile with notes of thyme and rosemary. It is the most extroverted of the three, and also feels quite polished. The palate, however, is more serious, with the austerity of the rocks, a very fine thread of subtle acidity and a long, long, long finish with sweeter tannins. It’s a rolling stone covered in chalk and surrounded by thyme. Awesome! 3,000 bottles were produced.”
For the summer season we are offering UPS Three Day Select Service for the price of UPS Ground for shipments normally traveling 4 or more business days.
Free service upgrade only applies on single orders purchased and shipped during the promotional period. Additional fees will apply to orders held for any reason until after the promotional period and shipped by Three Day Select. Offer not valid on pre-arrival items that arrive after the promotional period.
We offer flat rate shipping on any size single order / single shipment
–Washington & Idaho for $20,
-and California for $25
These rates do not apply to orders held in storage here for any reason.
Multiple orders consolidated into one shipment
do not qualify for flat rate shipping.
Ascending Austrian Superstar
Johannes Hirsch is one of the top young winemakers in Austria, producing Grüner Veltliner and Riesling bottlings from his renowned vineyards in the Kamptal. He was recognized as “Winemaker of the Year” by Falstaff Magazine in 2011. His focus is single site, single terroir wines and is dedicated to precise and natural winemaking: using ambient yeast fermentation, slow vinification and long aging before release. His top vineyards are Lamm (which has loess and loam soils with south-facing slopes that produces wines of power, focus and structure), Gaisberg (with fertile brown earth and crystalline soils that produces dense wines of great minerality showing exotic floral notes) and Heiligenstein. Heiligenstein is considered one of the best vineyards in Europe, producing wine of great purity from its soils of desert sandstone, decomposed volcanic rock and carbonized vegetation. It is bowl-shaped with a southern exposure.
Weingut Hirsch Kammerner Grub Gruner Veltliner Erste OTW Lage Reserve, Kamptal 2013 750ML ($59.95) $49 special, 12 bottles available
Weingut Hirsch Kammerner Grub Gruner Veltliner Erste OTW Lage Reserve, Kamptal 2013 1.5L ($119.95) $99 special, 3 magnums available
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.”
Stephen Tanzer 92 points “Slowly emerging aromas of honeyed peach, lime zest and ripe plum. Harmoniously herbal and subtly austere, with wonderfully integrated acidity lending a particularly refreshing quality to the peach and apricot flavors. This is less a veltliner to drink on its own than a very versatile food wine.” ST
The next best price is $56.99
Weingut Hirsch Kammerner Renner Gruner Veltliner Erste OTW Lage, Kamptal 2013 750ML ($41.95) $36 special, 26 bottles available
Weingut Hirsch Kammerner Renner Gruner Veltliner Erste OTW Lage, Kamptal 2013 1.5L ($99.95) $79 special, 3 magnums available
David Schildknecht–Vinous 93 points “With a diversity of mineral nuances more familiar from Riesling, this Grüner Veltliner projects an infectiously juicy and crunchily invigorating alliance of fresh lime, orange, pea tendrils, corn shoots and ginseng, with beet root earthiness joining wet stone on the bass line. A penetrating, almost severely but downright mouth-shakingly intense finish perpetuates the full range of diversity displayed on the firm palate, accompanied by hints of iodine, black tea smokiness plus saliva-inducing salinity and animality akin to oyster liquor. This weighs in at just 12.7% alcohol, permitting a lovely sense of levity to boot. A new parcel in Renner was added this year and Hirsch’s already owned vines had reached what he judged to be proper maturity for producing a wine dedicated to and worthy of this site. He was certainly right! (For further indications of this vineyard’s potential check out my accompanying review of Schloss Gobelsburg’s 2013 rendition.)”
Terry Theise notes “It’s mineral! Oleander and scree; salty grip focused to a keen point yet also wholly dispersed over the sides of the palate. Earthier and less hi-def than Gobelsburg’s; more rocks-and-twigs but also analog and warm. Gets better month by month.”
Weingut Hirsch Zobinger Gaisberg Riesling, Kamptal 2013 750ML ($149.95) $109 special, 3 magnums available
David Schildknecht–Vinous 92 points “Ocean spray-like alkalinity and salinity are signaled in the nose, along with faint struck flint and intriguingly sweaty, musky hints. Palate stoniness along with citrus pip and peach kernel piquancy make for pithiness and slight austerity to this firmly textured and impressively persistent bottling. An intriguing wafting floral element suggestive of iris and narcissus is also bitterly shaded in comparison with the effusive perfume of the corresponding Heiligenstein. There is a dynamic sense of finishing interaction between the aforementioned elements and a bright citric juiciness, with coiled energy emerging as faintly electric tingling. I hope that bottling in screwcap doesn’t lock in the bit of reduction here.”
Terry Theise notes “This is in the subdued state following its pre-bottling giddiness, but it’s serious and expressive and refined. A blushing bride of iris and white tea with a firm core of menthol and spice and an even firmer core of deep compact mineral.”
The next best price is $54.97
Weingut Hirsch Zobinger Heiligenstein Riesling Erste Lage, Kamptal 2013 750ML ($59.95) $49 special, 16 bottles available
David Schildknecht–Vinous 93 points “Seductive wisteria and gentian perfume wafts from the glass, presaging a sweet sense of inner-mouth florality that perfectly complements this Riesling’s luscious depth of succulent peach, pineapple, orange and lime. A shimmering exchange with stony, saline and alkaline notes plays out on a silky palate, while the finish introduces an invigorating impression of crunched raspberry seeds, subtly integrating their bitterness and that of citrus oils into the floral, fruity, mineral mélange.”
Terry Theise notes “As always compared to Gaisberg this is more Cajun and abandoned and entirely more untamed, but it’s coming on wonderfully, with lavish mineral, salts and fruit-sweetness. I mean, really—2013! Riesling! Heiligenstein! What are you waiting for??”
David Schildknecht–Vinous 89 points “Bittersweet, iris-like perfume wafts all the way through this exuberant performance of pronounced yet bracing phenolic piquancy and infectious, bright juiciness. Lean and long, this cuvée gained a delightful sense of mineral interplay over the course of its first six months in bottle.”
Terry Theise notes “The village-wine, basically young vines from the two Crus. It’s clean, nubby and mineral in ’14; iris-y but less riotously floralsweet than, say, the 13 was; it needs air, and after a few minutes the wisteria scents started appearing, and the minerality clarified.”
Lighter Reds for the Dog Days of Summer
Scarpa ‘RossoScarpa’ Monferrato Rosso, Piedmont 2010 750ML ($19.95) $16 special, 22 bottles available
This 90-10 blend of Dolcetto and Ruche is rendered in stainless steel and left to age in bottle. All comes from Scarpa’s estate vineyard, ‘Poderi Bricchi’ of Castel Rocchero, in the heart of the Monferrato. Upon opening, the wine is bright and fresh, if a little jittery. After decanting, the cranberry and red flower elements fused into a more complex, earthy, almost savory palate. The wine flirts between that hyper-dry, round and lightly-tannic signature with something deeper, layered, and untamed. With six years of age already built it, this wine will continue to grow and please as the seasons change. Such a lovely, dynamic bottle of wine. Really enjoyable.
VinopolNote: The 2014 Willamette Valley is all first-press wine comprised mostly of Pommard clone Pinot with some Dijon and the last of the Gehrts Vineyard (now that Jadot has purchased the vineyard). The WV was aged in barrel for over 16 months before bottling. It’s a lighter styled Pinot meant for hot summer days. In the glass, there are notes of cranberries, garrigue and a touch of fresh iris. The entire range of 2014s from Crowley has benefitted from the new entry-level wine, A La Votre, made from 9 barrels of press wine. Consequently, each of the 2014s is a step up in quality.
Cantina del Glicine Sconsolata Barbera d’Alba, Piedmont 2013 750ML ($24.95) $18 special, 36+ bottles available
Winery note “Color: an intense ruby red, tending towards a garnet-red color. Flavor: dry and pleasantly tart, fruity. Following an old local tradition, during fermentation we add 10%-15% of Nebbiolo grapes to the Barbera grapes. This process makes Barbera d’Alba Nebbiolata wine mellower and enhances its bouquet.”
The next-lowest listed price is $24.99
Packed within a square mile, Chenas is the smallest and perhaps most mysterious Cru of Beaujolais. The 2014 bottling from Hirsch presents the hallmark Chenas aromas of wildflowers and roses, with a lean presence on the palate, fine minerals, and an elegant finish. Soft, delicate, and pretty – it’s an ideal summer red but, of course, fellow Bojolovers should note that the wine should age gracefully for some time. –Tyler
Benedicte & Stephane Tissot Arbois Rouge DD, Jura 2014 750ML ($29.95) $21.90 special, 36+ bottles available
Wine Advocate 91 points “The first red was the 2014 Arbois Rouge DD, produced with one third each of the red grapes form Jura, Poulsard, Trousseau and Pinot Noir; it’s his light red wine with no sulfur. It was bottled one month before I tasted it in April 2015, after three months of maceration. It has an organic nose that mixes blood oranges and sour cherries. The palate is sharp and a little edgy, but it is easy to drink. 2010 was the first vintage for this wine.”
Descendientes de J. Palacios Petalos, Bierzo, Spain 2013 750ML ($21.95) $18 special, 11 bottles available
Case-12 Descendientes de J. Palacios Petalos, Bierzo, Spain 2013 750ML ($249.95) $199 special, 5 cases available (that’s only $16.58/bottle!)
#53 Wine Spectator Top 100 in 2015
Wine Advocate 92 points “Always among the best values of Spain, the 2013 Pétalos del Bierzo has an extra degree of freshness in a cool vintage, and some time in bottle always does this wine wonders. It’s aromatic, open and expressive, with floral aromas and bright fruit, wild strawberries and violets. This is always a subtle, medium-bodied wine, with fine tannins, sleek acidity and a fine minerality. Ready now.”
Wine Spectator 91 points “Expressive black cherry, currant, licorice, mineral and smoke flavors mingle in this focused red. The texture is gentle but firm, with well-integrated tannins and racy acidity providing structure. A compact wine that shows good intensity. Drink now through 2023.”TM
Wind Gap ‘Soif’ Red Wine, North Coast, California 2015 750ML ($34.95) $28 special, 23 bottles available
Antonio Galloni 90-92 points “The 2015 Old Vine Red Soif is a bit darker and richer than the 2014 tasted alongside it, but it captures the same energy and vibrancy. Dark red cherry, plum, licorice and spice meld together in a racy, voluptuous wine. There is so much to like here. The 2015 includes all three barrels of the Bedrock Mourvèdr that in the past has been bottled separately, along with dollops of Petite Sirah, Zinfandel and Carignane.”
Zorzal Eggo Franco Cabernet Franc, Tupungato, Argentina 2015 750ML ($34.95) $21.90 special, 36+ bottles available
No reviews yet on the 2015 – here is the Wine Advocate on the 2014: “There is a Cabernet Franc in the Eggo range, and I tasted the 2014 Eggo Franco, produced with grapes from Tupungato Winelands in Gualtallary, a place that defines itself as a wine country club that touts a combination of real estate, vineyards and sport facilities, including golf and polo! The vines were only planted in 2008 (everything in Gualtallary is really new). There are some 300 hectares of vines there, in one of the best parts of Gualtallary. They have three-hectare plots owned by mostly foreign investors and most of the highly sought after grapes are sold. Zorzal has agreements to buy grapes (and control the viticulture) of 20 of these plots. Incredibly perfumed for a Cabernet Franc, as the nose is very floral and made me think of a Malbec rather than a Cabernet Franc. The spiciness of all these Eggo wines comes from the grapes and the fermentation and aging in cement, as none of the wines see any oak. And I tell you one thing, you do not miss the oak or the complexity or anything, it’s all here. This is the first year for this vertical, fresh, tremendous Cabernet Franc. Well done, bravo! 2,200 bottles produced. The Michelini brothers keep producing fresh, elegant and terroir-driven wines from their base in Gualtallary. The range seems to be growing almost infinitely, as their creativity also seem to have no limits”
Why we love it: Freshness! Much lighter on the palate than expected, with a shock of bright red fruit giving way to darker, spicier elements. Nice texture, too.
Antoniolo Gattinara DOCG, Piedmont 2010 750ML ($44.95) $33 special, 12 bottles available
Case-12 Antoniolo Gattinara DOCG, Piedmont 2010 750ML ($479.95) $359 special, 1 case available
Antonio Galloni 91 points “The 2010 Gattinara is a lovely wine at this level. Energetic and chiseled, the 2010 offers plenty of brightness in its red fleshed stone fruit character. Mint, pine, crushed rocks and wild flowers all add to an the wine’s aromatic, lifted personality. This is a gorgeous entry-level Gattinara from Antoniolo.”
The average price is $44
Staff Picks
R. Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia ‘Vina Bosconia’ Reserva, Rioja DOCa 2004 750ML ($39.95) $33 special, 36+ bottles available
Uncork a bottle of Viña Bosconia and time stands still. Have a sniff, a sip, and you travel back in time. In this case, to 2004, but as with any Lopez de Heredia wine, to the 19th century origins of modern Rioja winemaking. This winery is as classic as they come in La Rioja, and the Bosconia Reserva represents one of their finest wines. Inspired by French winemaking since its inception in 1877, Bosconia is the Burgundy of Rioja: elegant, subtle, and seductively perfumed. A glance at the label suggests Bosconia’s deep-rooted past. Situated two miles from the winery, the Bosconia vineyard consists of 37 acres, mostly Tempranillo, with an average vine age of 40 years. The 2004 vintage was kind to La Rioja, resulting in concentrated, balanced wines of exceptional aromatic quality. For only $33 a bottle, the 2004 Viña Bosconia offers an incredible vacation in place and time.
Tyler:
R. Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia ‘Vina Gravonia’ Crianza Blanco, Rioja DOCa 2006 750ML ($31.95) $28 special, 25 bottles available
The wide range of flavors on offer from the ‘Gravonia’ conjure up thoughts of an open-air market, where fruit and vegetables elbow up against exotic spices and a million different scents waft through the hustling masses. Delicate impressions of tea, sun-soaked lemons, caramel, and peach play off of hints of hay, spring-time flowers, petrol, and almonds; the descriptors of this wine are rivaled only by the vast amount of dishes it’d match.
‘Gravonia’ comes from 100% Viura; you may otherwise know the grape as Macabeo. The wine is aged for four years in mature oak barrels and racked twice yearly, later resting in bottle before release. The 2006 originates from quite a fine vintage, presenting an incredible freshness on its tenth birthday. Medium body, with fine acidity, good length, and a beautiful evolution displayed as the wine breathes. Serve chilled (but not too cold!) and enjoy with grilled fresh, prepared simply amongst the company of good friends. – Tyler
Arriving Friday
Casa Castillo Las Gravas, Jumilla 2012 750ML ($31.95) $28 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 94 points “A cuvée that has been changing over the years (and getting more focused and Mediterranean, I’d say) the 2012 Las Gravas is a blend of Monastrell with 15% Syrah and 15% Garnacha; the Garnacha vineyards in the state come into production so the winery has more grapes to use. This wine saw a big change with the 2008 vintage, when Cabernet Sauvignon disappeared from the blend and got more focused and true to its birthplace. 2012 could be the finest vintage to date, as there was no 2012 Pie Franco, as quantities were really short and those grapes are in this blend. It starts off with some notes of smoke, toffee, fresh fruit and orange peel in harmony with well-integrated oak and a stony profile that develops more and more notes of esparto grass with time in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied, with some polished, very fine tannins and a good mid-palate that is very balanced and fresh (I saw a note of pomegranate, is it the Garnacha?). It is a serious, very young wine with ripe flavors that make it very tasty. This is clearly riper than the 2013s and shows the character of the vintage quite transparently. The price is a dream come true. Super!”
Suertes del Marques ‘El Ciruelo’ Listan Negro Vinas Viejas, Valle de la Orotava, Canary Islands 2014 750ML ($59.95) $46 pre-arrival special
Luis Gutierrez-Wine Advocate 95 points “My favorite wine is always the one produced from a single 0.9-hectare plot of centenary, ungrafted vineyards that are planted with Listán Negro and some 2% Listán Blanco (Palomino); the vines are situated at 480 to 520 meters’ altitude and pruned in the traditional cordón trenzado style with a northwest orientation. They used 100% full clusters that were foot trodden in raw cement vats without temperature control and some 35 days of maceration, and as with all of their wines, with indigenous yeasts. The élevage lasted 14 months and was in neutral 500-liter French oak barrels. The old vines are planted in the middle of the slope on finer soils and always give very balanced wines. The nose is superb, really complex with aromas of freshly cracked peppercorns, violets and lilies, wet stones and that impossible pumice that cries Tenerife. I see more balance in this vintage, with a medium-bodied palate that shows a velvety texture with ultra-fine tannins. This is subtle, elegant, a much more powerful wine than you might think at first sight. However, it has a mysterious and ethereal quality. Elegant, balanced, precise, fresh and complex. This is awesome! 2,650 bottles were filled in January 2016.”
From Luis Gutierrez – Wine Advocate [not reviewed] “Suertes del Marqués, from the Orotava valley in Tenerife, have together with Envínate revolutioned the Canary Island’s wine scene. After a set of phenomenal, eye-opening 2011s they have continued producing solid wines in both 2012 and 2013. They work with the grapes from 25 hectares of vineyards, nine of them owned and the rest rented and worked by them, mostly old vine Listán Negro and Listán Blanco (palomino), trained in a peculiar way, a long braid or plait which is unique to this zone. They produce a wide range of wines totaling some 80,000 bottles per year. Not all labels are exported to the US; for the quality they deliver they have very good prices.”
Wine Advocate 98 points “Equipo Navazos has recently released a handful of Palos Cortados because they jumped at the chance to buy some extremely old wines from Pedro Romero. This NV La Bota de Palo Cortado 51 Bota GF is a single cask that was bottled in February 2014 averaging some 75 years of age in a solera system. GF are the initials of Gaspar Florido, a grower from Sanlúcar who owned some of the best plots in the Armijo vineyard inside Pago Miraflores in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, where this wine was likely born. At that time the wines were cask fermented and could have had a few years under flor. The Palo Cortados 47, 48 and this one, and even the Amontillado 49 are somehow related and have a common origin, but this one is closer to the 48. Given that it’s not easy to define these wines, other than to compare them with each other, I find this one to have more Palo Cortado character with a little more sweetness and with a hint of Oloroso. Out of these beasts, this is the most approachable and drinkable. Only 1,200 half bottles were filled with the content of one single cask.”
Equipo Navazos La Bota de Manzanilla Pasada No. 59 Sherry, Andalucia 750ML ($69.95) $59 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 96 points “Same as with the editions 39 and 40, 59 and 60 are also devoted to Manzanilla Pasada, both originating from an old solera belonging to La Guita, starting with The NV La Bota de Manzanilla Pasada 59 Capataz Rivas. As number 30, it has been named after Rafael Rivas, capataz for several decades at La Guita’s cellars at Sanlúcar’s Calle Misericordia until his recent retirement, who in 1986 started a small 15 cask solera with old Manzanilla. Both this 59 and 60 are taken from this solera, and while 60 is from a single cask, this 59 blends wines from the other 14. The average age of the wine is estimated to be around 15 years. Some 3,000 500-milliliter bottles were filled in June 2015.”
Wine Advocate 97 points “The so-called NV La Bota de Manzanilla Pasada 60 Bota Punta is sourced from a special cask “Bota Punta” that was already bottled as numbers 20, 40 and 50. This particular cask from the Manzanilla Pasada ‘solera’ from the Calle Misericordia winery from La Guita was isolated, because it has a very marked biological character – a very old Manzanilla that keeps more ‘flor’ than the other butts in the ‘solera’ and shows less oxidative. The other particularity is that this cask is always refilled with wine from the other 14 casks from the ‘solera’, and therefore keeps an average age a couple of years older, around 17 years, while keeping a younger/fresher profile. They all have the iodine and saline character, the seaweed, low tide and the vertical palate. This is the most special -and scarce and expensive – of all the manzanillas pasadas from Navazos. Really world class. This is the one with depth and sharpness beyond belief, a step up in complexity, elegance and balance. It’s funny how the wine seems to overcome oxidation and starts getting sharper and sharper again. This is truly outstanding.”
Wine Advocate 95 points “The relatively old NV La Bota de Amontillado 61 Bota NO was offered in the past as number 31 (bottled in October 2011), aged 35- to 40-years-old. It comes from a ‘solera’ that is marked as “Manzanilla Amontillada Vieja” in the winery, Sanlúcar Viejo, belonging to Rainera P. Marín (La Guita). The wine is thought to be around 40-years-old on average and is an elegant and harmonious Amontillado, quite different from the very old and concentrated Amontillados. The style they aim for here is to age the wines with the barrels fully topped-up, so the wines age slowly and feel comparatively younger than what they are, but at the same time they are more elegant. 2,000 half-liter bottles were filled at the end of 2015.”
Massale selection (again, no clones), ploughed vineyards, severe winter pruning (to avoid leaf pulling and green harvests later on), a vibrating sorting table, pigeage but no pumping over (to preserve the wine’s solid material, not just the liquid), harvests based on phenolics rather than on Brix, young (under 30 years) vine fruit sold instead of included—all of this helps explain why Fourrier wines are today some of the most sought-after Burgundies. They represent some of the best from the Côte de Nuits, the Côte d’Or, France and le monde entier, and of the Pinot Noir variety itself. A chance to taste one of Jean-Marie’s wines means fully comprehending Burgundy’s tradition of supremacy.
Domaine Fourrier Bourgogne Rouge 2014 750ML ($69.95)
$59 pre-arrival special, 12 bottles availableDomaine Fourrier Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes 2014 750ML ($99.95)
$89 pre-arrival special, 7 bottles availableDomaine Fourrier Morey-Saint-Denis Clos Solon Vieilles Vignes 2014 750ML ($99.95)
$89 pre-arrival special, 6 bottles availableWine Advocate 89-91 points “The 2014 Morey St Denis Clos Solon was showing a little reduction on the nose when I tasted it. The palate is much more indicative with a very pure, fleshy and expressive entry — vibrant redcurrant and strawberry, quite linear and structured with a saline tang on the finish. This has great potential.”
Domaine Fourrier La Combe Aux Moines Vieilles Vignes, Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru 2014 750ML ($219.95) $189 pre-arrival special, 2 bottles available
Wine Advocate 92-94 points “The 2014 Gevrey Chambertin 1Er Cru Combe Aux Moines was another barrel sample that was showing a little reduction, although it soon brushes that away with fleshy red cherry, strawberry and tinned apricot aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannin, a killer line of acidity, fresh and vibrant with superb mineralité towards the energetic finish. This has great potential.”
Domaine Fourrier Les Petits Vougeots Vieilles Vignes, Vougeot Premier Cru 2014 750ML ($179.95) $159 pre-arrival special, 3 bottles available
Wine Advocate 90-92 points “The 2014 Vougeot 1er Cru les Petit Vougeot (which unlike the Clos Vougeot is “domaine”) offers kirsch, orange zest and apricot blossom on the nose, generous from the start and no coaxing necessary. The palate is medium-bodied with succulent ripe tannin, rounded in the mouth, no smooth edges with pure strawberry and raspberry coulis infused with white pepper and sage. This is a lovely Vougeot from Jean-Marie Fourrier.”
Domaine Fourrier Clos Saint-Jacques, Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru 2014 750ML ($549.95) $499 pre-arrival special, 1 bottle available
Wine Advocate 94-96 points “The 2014 Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru Clos St Jacques has a very succinct bouquet, very pure with blood orange-infused, mineral-rich red berry fruit that just shimmers with energy. The palate is very well balanced with filigree tannin, extremely detailed, precise and focused, fanning out wonderfully with fabulous intensity and sophistication. Oh yes! This hits the spot and is surely one of the best articulations of this fantabulous vineyard in 2014.”
The next best price is $569.99
Wine Advocate 94-96 points “The 2014 Griottes Chambertin Grand Cru has a very intense bouquet with maraschino, blueberry and violets blossoming in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with succulent ripe black fruit, blueberry and a hint of balsamic, leading to a quite a structured and dense finish that just needs a touch more finesse. I think that will develop with time. Superb.”
The next best price is $1,099.99
Dom Perignon P2 Plenitude Brut 1998 750ML ($399.95) $289 pre-arrival special, ETA Mid-September
Wine Spectator 98 points “Offers precision and finely detailed form, powered by an expansive palate of flavor. The layers of ripe crushed blackberry and glazed apricot fruit complement the saline-tinged minerality and oyster shell notes, graced by hints of pastry, honeycomb and exotic spice. Mouthwatering and persistent on the zesty finish. Drink now through 2030.” WS
James Suckling 97 points “A P2 release indicating it has been matured to the 2nd Plenitude, the middle stage of Dom Perignon’s three-phase life as defined by Richard Geoffroy. This is a wine with some real tension between complexity and freshness that makes for incredibly engaging drinking. The nose offers up a little white peppery edge from the pinot; oyster shell saline freshness, red florals, sweet smelling woody spices and brioche, spiced biscuits and subtle roasted coffee notes – impressively complex. The phenolics register on the palate as a discreetly mineral, saline character, there’s sorbet-like texture through the middle before finishing with comet-like line and length.” JS
Wine & Spirits 96 points “From a late harvest saved by fine fall weather, this 1998 is part of a new program at Dom Pérignon, released after extended aging on the lees, disgorged when Richard Geoffroy considers the wine to be reaching its second peak of development—at least 12 years on the lees, or, in the case of this wine, 13. This has aged into a dynamic and sexy wine, layering floral intensity, silken textures and bass notes of fresh, nutty, loquat-like flavors into a finish with tremendous drive. It’s open and packed with energy.”
Antonio Galloni 95 points “The 1998 Dom Pérignon P2 is open and beautifully expressive today. Unusually open for a young P2, the 1998 drinks well upon release, especially compared to the 1996, which was virtually unapproachable for the first few years after release. That is not at all the case with the 1998, which is quite open at this stage. Hints of apricot, almond, white flowers and chamomile add texture on the fleshy, resonant finish. The added time on the lees has given the P2 an added dimension of texture.”
Josh Raynolds 95 points “Pale gold. Intense, mineral-tinged citrus and orchard fruit aromas, with a suave jasmine nuance adding complexity. Smoky and penetrating on the palate, offering vibrant orange, anise and toasted brioche flavors and a touch of poached pear. Shows outstanding clarity and power on the mineral-driven finish, which clings with remarkable tenacity and resonating florality. This late-release bottling was formerly called Oenotheque; P2 stands for Plenitude Two.”
The average price is $362
Clos Erasmus
Arriving in October
Josh Raynolds-Vinous 95 points “(aged in French oak barriques, 70% of them new, for 20 months.): Opaque ruby. A complex, expansive bouquet displays scents of red and dark berry preserves, potpourri and Asian spices, with a building mineral nuance. Sappy, palate-staining black raspberry and lavender pastille flavors show outstanding depth and energy, complicated by five-spice powder and vanilla nuances on the back half. The strikingly persistent, gently tannic finish strongly echoes the floral quality, resolving with a zesty berry skin note.”
The average price is $204
Wines Arriving in October
Michel Delhommeau Muscadet Sevre-et-Maine Clos Armand Vieille Vigne 2000 750ML ($31.95) $27 pre-arrival special
100% old vine Melon de Bourgogne grown in gabbro and gneiss soil. Some of the plantings date back to before WW2.
Wine Advocate 90 points “The 2010 Clos Armand Muscadet de Sévre et Maine Sur Lie demonstrates how complex a Melon de Bourgogne can become after some years of bottle age. It is still lime green but more intense than the 2013 successor, offering dried apples and pears with herbal flavors on the nose whereas it is rich and intense on the palate giving an impression of a baked gooseberry tart. The salty-mineral and intense finish reveals aromas of a matured Riesling and make this wine a delicious and real serious food partner.”
Subscriber-Only Sale: Grand Cru Red Burgundy
Ends Tonight at Midnight
We’ll take 10% off on all in-stock Grand Cru Red Burgundies
“Great Burgundy can inspire like a great orator, satisfy like the most subtle of three-star meals, and leave you at peace at the end of the slow movement of a Mozart piano concerto. At its best the wine is complex but not puzzling, profound but not didactic, perfect but not intimidating, and magnificent but never anything less than friendly.” –Clive Coats, wine writer and author of The Wines of BurgundyWe offer 64 Grand Cru Burgundies in-stock and available here now to choose from (that’s 404 bottles!) including:
Domaine Rene Leclerc Griotte-Chambertin Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits 2010 750ML ($199.95) Displayed price: $159, Your price: $143.10; 24+ bottles available
VinopolNote: Domaine Rene Leclerc was founded in 1962 and is owned and run by Rene and his son, Francois. Their passion is for wine of purity and balance, a hands-off style that allows the fruit to fully express the magnificent terroir of the region. The wines undergo cold soaks before a light and short pressing to extract only the best juice. What follows is a long, traditional fermentation in stainless steel tanks with natural yeasts. The Griotte Chambertin, their only Grand Cru bottling, is aged in vat for six months and then for 1 year in 50% new French oak. It is an excellent candidate for long term cellaring, a serious wine that expresses notes of red and black berries, chocolate, game and spice as it opens in the glass. The Domaine owns 9.5 hectares of vines and works the Griottes vineyard portion (the portion being owned by Domaine des Chezeaux) and leased to R. Leclerc long term or ‘en fermage’).
Stephen Tanzer 94 (+?) points “Medium red. Highly nuanced yet quite primary on the nose, offering scents of raspberry, underbrush, dried rose, ginger and smoky oak. Juicy, saline and quite dry, with dark berry and strawberry flavors complicated by an earthy perfume. Finishes with substantial dusty tannins and excellent length. With 24 hours in the recorked bottle, this beauty showed a silkier texture and chewy, deep flavors of raspberry and spices that saturate the palate without leaving any impression of weight. A great effort for the vintage.” ST
Domaine Mongeard-Mugneret Grands Echezeaux Grand Cru 2012 750ML ($219.95) Displayed price: $189, Your price: $170.10, 18 bottles available
John Gilman 96+ points “The 2012 Grands Echézeaux from Domaine Mongeard-Mugneret is a great young wine and a very impressive example of just how special this vintage is in the Côte de Nuits. The exceptional and quite classic bouquet offers up scents of red and black plums, cocoa, duck, woodsmoke, a beautifully complex base of soil tones and a very suave base of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and quite plush and refined on the attack, with a sappy core of fruit, great soil signature, fine-grained tannins and a very long, tangy and utterly seamless finish. A great wine. 2025-2075.” JG
John Gilman 94+ points “Vineyards such as Bonnes-Mares really have taken advantage of the elegant side of the 2011 vintage, and this is doubly true of this stunning wine from Maison Jadot. The deep, sappy and simply gorgeous nose wafts from the glass in a mélange of black cherries, dark berries, woodsmoke, game, espresso, fresh herbs, stunningly complex soil tones and cedar. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and quite plush on the attack, with great mid-palate depth, laser-like focus, ripe, firm tannins and simply stunning length and grip on the still very young finish. Profound juice….94+”
Stephen Tanzer 93 points “Bright, deep red. Initially explosive aromas and flavors of cherry, menthol, incense and spices subsided in favor of blueberry, crushed stone and peppermint tea: very Bonnes-Mares! Wonderfully silky and scented in the mouth, displaying very good breadth but a light touch. Finishes with a broad, fine dusting of tannins and excellent length and lift. A compellingly perfumed and pure wine: am I greedy for wanting the flesh and sweetness of a warmer year?” ST
Sale ends tonight, Wednesday, August 17th at midnight
Does not apply to white wines, pre-arrival offers or case specials
Discount will not appear in online shopping cart
We will apply it here before charging