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In This Newsletter:
Special Arrival
San Felice Il Grigio
10 Pinot Noirs Under 30 Dollars
…and four over fifty
Close-Out Sales
Discounts on some of our favorite Rieslings
24 Hour Flash Sale ENDS SATURDAY
Save on the amazing wines of Burklin-Wolf
Collector’s Corner
All the best from Burgundy
Special Arrival
Agricola San Felice
“Il Grigio”
Il Grigio Gran Selezione is made from grapes from San Felice’s top vineyards. This 80% Sangiovese is enhanced by ancient indigenous Tuscan varieties including Abrusco, Pugnitello, Malvasia Nera, Ciliegiolo, and Mazzese, all of which contribute to the complexity of the wine while helping maintain its notable elegance and the expression of the terroir of San Felice.
San Felice ‘Il Grigio da San Felice’, Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG, Italy 2019 750ml $39 special, 36 bottles available
CASE-12 ‘Il Grigio da San Felice’, Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG 2019 750ml $419 special, 3 cases available
(That’s under $35 per bottle! Save almost $50 when you buy by the case)
Wine Advocate 95 Points “The San Felice 2019 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Il Grigio (made with 80% Sangiovese and 20% complementary indigenous grapes) stands out due to its velvety richness and expressive flavor profile. The wine delivers measured intensity with bright purple and black fruits, a good sense of energy and drive, and some lingering spiciness on the close. It is rich but not heavy.”
Newly Reviewed
Giulia Negri Serradenari ‘Marassio’, Barolo DOCG, Italy 2019 750ml $149 special, 7 bottles available
Grapelive 98 Points “A truly monumental effort and with incredible structure, the Giulia Negri Marassio Barolo is a highly wound Nebbiolo that is built for aging, though with an inner beauty, depth and grace clearly woven into the fabric here, this wine is one of the best I tried in 2023 and potential perfect. While more taut and austere than the La Tartufaia and the regular Serradenari bottlings, there’s no doubt which wine rules the roost here in the talented Negri’s lineup, you’ll just have to wait a while for your rewards here. The palate takes time to open and its gripping with true Nebbiolo rustic charm, giving macerated cherry, damson plum, red currant and dark mulberry fruits, along with earthy truffle, balsamic strawberry, cedar, stony essences, minty herb and anise notes. Giulia’s graceful textural signature does come trough, even with the firm tannin here and the decanting proved highly successful in coaxing out the aromatics with rose petal and wild flowers coming alive and helping seduce the senses in a profound way, there’s no obvious mark downs and the length and lingering finish is otherworldly, this Marassio is worth every penny. The Marassio comes from, as importer Kermit Lynch explains, a Western exposition sub-parcel at 520 meters (1,706 feet) above sea level, a selection from the Marassio, set on clay, loam and limestone at the very highest part of the Serradenari cru, which sees a cooler influence and exceptional long hang times, that helps build depth and tannin.”
Giulia Negri, who took over her family’s winery at just 24, is a rising star in the Langhe and deserves some healthy respect for what she’s achieved so far, but she’s far from done yet and the potential is off the charts for her label, especially after tasting her latest set of Barolo bottlings. It was great to meet Giulia Negri and taste her wines at the Kermit Lynch 50th Anniversary Portfolio tasting in San Francisco late last year, with her talents really showing in her set of Nebbiolo wines, especially her gorgeous 2019 Barolo offerings, which I have mentioned in my earlier reviews. As noted, the vineyards are practicing organic since 2014, and now certified, with Negri putting a lot attention to her vines, which are mostly at high elevation within La Morra, the highest point in Barolo, and the Serradenari cru with this parcel planted in 2004 and 2006. The Barolo’s grapes saw a long, 40 day maceration and fermentation in large conical wood vats. After fermentation, the wine was pressed off and racked to big Slavonian oak barrels where it was matured for 30 months, after which it was bottled unfiltered and rested in cellar before release. I was incredibly impressed, as mentioned, with the set of new releases from Negri from her Langhe Nebbiolo to her single parcel Marassio Barolo, and I highly recommend this very gifted winegrower to the serious Nebbiolo enthusiasts and I would add there is that something extra here with her wines that give me that same thrill I experience when having a top notch Grand Cru Burgundy, like Rousseau’s Clos de la Roche! Kermit Lynch adds, there’s a devout respect for tradition that already places her wines among the region’s classics, which is high praise indeed, and I agree completely.”
10 Pinot Noirs Under 30
Oregon
Bow & Arrow Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2022 750ml $21.90 special, 6 bottles available
Vinopolnote “Purple fruits and cherry feature heavily in this wine, with an excellent lift of acidity. Amazing value for this wine!”
Dominio IV Imagination Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2020 750ml $29 special, 27 bottles available
Winery Note “During the summer the Pacific Ocean and the Willamette Valley engage in a daily conversation regarding the weather. Pinot Noir records the dialogue in its berries. In the morning, the clouds of the sea creep into the valley’s forests and vineyards engaging in light chit-chat. The mid-day sun usually dominates the conversation.”
Flaneur Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2022 750ml $28 special, 14 bottles available
Vinopolnote “Light and bright. Delicious!”
Goodfellow Whistling Ridge Pinot Noir, Oregon 2019 375ml $21.90 special, 6 half-bottles available
Winery note “Translucent, with pale red fruits, currants and pie cherry. Stony earth, wood spice, kitchen herb, and amaro. Edgy and tightly wound in the mouth currently, with pale red fruits and juicy acids. As is often the case with Whistling Ridge, this will want some time to evolve, integrate, and add heft. I see an early window in 6-12 months, and then reopening again after 5-7 years and drinking for another decade beyond that. 12.6% abv.”
Lundeen Estate “Mon Pere” Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2021 $26 special, 4 bottles available
Winemaker’s Note “Meaning “My Father” in French, “Mon Pere” is meant to honor my father and fathers everywhere while providing tremendous value in a Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. As such, it is the flagship bottling and largest production wine Lundeen makes to be able to reach far and wide with the message of valuing family, integrity, and stewardship. The creation of the wine always begins with grapes from the Lundeen Estate vineyard on which I am a 3rd generation Lundeen raising a 4th. Beyond this estate, the “Mon Pere” bottling contains wines from various vineyards I farm throughout the northern Willamette Valley. As it is broadly sourced as well as hand-crafted, “Mon Pere” always has complexity beyond what is typical at its price point.”
France
Collotte Rouge Noble Souche, Burgundy 2020 750ml $26 special, 5 bottles available
Only listing in the USA!
Collotte Rouge Noble Souche, Burgundy 2021 750ml $21.90 special, 19 bottles available
Only listing in the USA!
Domaine Camus Bruchon & Fils Bourgogne Pinot Noir, Burgundy 2020 750ml $28 special, 16 bottles available
Lowest Price in the United States!
Joseph Drouhin Pinot Noir, Burgundy 2020 750ml $24 special, 11 bottles available
Lowest Price on the West Coast!
Domaine Michel Juillot Bourgogne Rouge, Burgundy 2020 750ml $28 special, 21 bottles available
Burghound “Decidedly ripe but not roasted aromas include those of both red and dark berries laced with plenty of earth. There is solid richness and density to the vibrant middleweight flavors that display good length on the rustic and unusually robust finale. This is worth checking out if you enjoy frank if not necessarily refined Bourgogne. Outstanding!”
… And Four Over Fifty
Cameron Clos Electrique Rouge Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon 2021 750ml $75 special, 17 bottles available
Winery note “The Clos Electrique Rouge from 2021 is an astounding wine with notes of leather, porcini mushrooms, forest floor and a dose of plums bringing in the finish. Its perfect silky mouth and a nice round finish cry for a café 90’s Duck l’orange, chanterelles sautéed with butter and sherry, a Ribeye cooked to perfection or perhaps even cardboard. I mean really, this wine makes anything taste better.”
Kelley Fox Wines Weber Vineyard Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills, Oregon 2021 750ml $89 special, 6 bottles available
Jeb Dunnuck 96 Points “The jeweled ruby 2021 Pinot Noir Weber Vineyard takes on a riper though equally pristine character, with wild raspberry liqueur, pressed roses, forest herbs, and blood orange. On the palate, it has a rounded mouthfeel with more concentration and delivers ripe tannins as well as a pure, long, earth-toned finish with beetroot spice. Drink 2025-2035.”
Jerome Chezeaux Nuits-Saint-Georges, Cote de Nuits, France 2017 750ml $52.50 special, 23 bottles available
Importer Note “Chezeaux’s holdings of villages-level Nuits-Saint-Georges encompass 3.3 hectares spread throughout the appellation, with a significant proportion from the vineyards of Aux Saint Julien and Chaliots. In keeping with the spirit of the underlying terroir, this is wilder in character than the Vosne-Romanée, marked by notes of iron, and with a rambunctious bent to its tannins. Never deficient in fruit, it offers plenty of earth and sous-bois elements as well, all in a driving fashion.”
Domaine Faiveley Les Porets-Saint-Georges, Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru, France 2013 750ml $99 special, 6 bottles available
Importer Note “Chezeaux’s holdings of villages-level Nuits-Saint-Georges encompass 3.3 hectares spread throughout the appellation, with a significant proportion from the vineyards of Aux Saint Julien and Chaliots. In keeping with the spirit of the underlying terroir, this is wilder in character than the Vosne-Romanée, marked by notes of iron, and with a rambunctious bent to its tannins. Never deficient in fruit, it offers plenty of earth and sous-bois elements as well, all in a driving fashion.”
Close-Out Sales
Emrich-Schonleber Fruhtau Riesling Trocken 2020, Mosel 750ml WAS $41.90 NOW $33 special, 36+ bottles available
Wine Advocate 93 Points “The 2020 Monzingen Riesling trocken Frühtau comes from younger vines in the Frühlingsplätzchen and opens with a clear, fine and reductive bouquet with coolish stony and herbal notes. Crystalline and very elegant on the palate, this is a tight, straight and still challenging, very mineral dry Riesling that will benefit from longer bottle aging. The finish is long and enormously salty. A wine to keep.”
Emrich-Schonleber Halenberg TBA Riesling 2018, Mosel 375ml WAS $299 NOW $249 special, 21 Bottles Available
Wine Advocate 98+ Points “The 2018 Halenberg Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese is incredibly pure and aromatic on the nose where super ripe but clear peach aromas are displayed. Extremely rich and refined on the palate, this is a ripe, terribly sweet but refined, fresh and salty-piquant TBA with a stimulating finish. A fabulous wine.”
Karlsmuhle Kaseler Nies’ Chen Auslese LGC 2017, Mosel 750ml WAS $41.90 NOW $33 special, 22 bottles available
James Suckling 93 Points “Stand back as this riesling fireball arrives! Full of energy with a dynamic interplay of citrusy acidity and aromatic sweetness, which ranges from peaches and blackcurrants to mint. With more length, this would have been rated even higher. Drink or hold.”
Molitor Urziger Wurzgarten Auslese** Trocken, Mosel 2017 750ml WAS $69 NOW $49 special, 36+ bottles available
Wine Advocate 96+ Points “Bottled with moderate 11% alcohol, the 2017 Riesling Ürziger Würzgarten Auslese ** (White Capsule) is crystalline and super precise on the clear and flinty nose that exhibits crunchy, iron-rich stone and lime zest aromas. It is lean and fresh but dense and intense on the palate, with ripe, round and concentrated Riesling fruit, some sweetness and refined acidity. This is an elegant, highly finessed and stimulating Würzgarten with a lingering, salty-piquant finish. This wine pairs its moderate alcohol level with great complexity and mineral tension.”
24 Hour Flash Sale! ENDS SATURDAY
The Wine of Dr. Burklin-Wolf
5% off any 1-11 in-stock Burklin-Wolf wines
10% off any 12 or more in-stock Burklin-Wolf wines
Discount does not apply to any case discounts (case-3, case-6, case-12),
to sparkling wines, nor to pre-arrival wines.
Discount will not display online or in your cart,
We will adjust your invoice before processing your card.
Discount ends Saturday, January 20th at 9 am Pacific
Located in Wachenheim, this estate was one of the “Three Bs of the Pfalz”; historically Basserman-Jordan, von Buhl, and Bürklin-Wolf were the most important estates in the Pfalz. Today, Dr. Bürklin-Wolf is one of the finest estates in all of Germany, a certified organic, biodynamic, and family-owned winery with a 400-year history. Today, Dr. Bürklin-Wolf is owned by Bettina Bürklin-von Guradze, who took over the estate from her father in 1990. Between 1990 and 2005, she took steps to improve every aspect of the estate. In 2005, under Ms. Bürklin-von Guradze’s guidance, the estate became the first producer in Germany to be certified by Biodyvin, the biodynamic certifier for Leflaive, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, and 175 other top growers in France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, and Switzerland. The winery has both a deep history and a reputation for innovation. Today, Bürklin-Wolf produces only handpicked, estate-grown wines on 86 hectares, with 15 different top vineyard sites.
Burklin Wolf Pechstein Riesling Trocken, Pfalz 2020 750ml $179 special, just 1 bottle available!
James Suckling 99 Points “So stony, poised and pristine, in spite of all the concentration, this has staggering elegance and finesse for such a warm region. Mega minerality at the breathtakingly long and radical finish that defies any simple description. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold.”
Also available from Burklin-Wolf:
Burklin Wolf Deidesheimer Riesling, Pfalz 2020 750ml $24 special, 21 bottles available
James Suckling 93 Points “Such a classic Pfalz dry riesling, with all the juiciness of the region, thanks to the ripe white-peach and guava aromas. Yet, there’s nothing loud about it at all. Real finesse and elegance, the animating acidity, subtle minerality and a touch of tannins melding together beautifully in the long, properly dry finish. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold. Screw cap.”
Burklin Wolf Estate Riesling Trocken, Pfalz 2020 750ml $19.50 special, 30 bottles available
James Suckling 92 Points “Open pear and reine-claude plum nose with delicate baking-spice aromas!. Generous and well-structured palate with a long, refreshing finish that’s supported nicely by a touch of chalky tannin. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold.”
Burklin Wolf Gaisbohl Riesling Monopol G.C., Pfalz 2020 750ml $69 special, 12 bottles available
James Suckling 95 Points “Just sit back and let go! So much ripe gooseberry, kiwi and exotic fruit. So much charm and juiciness, too, which adds up to a full, silky package that’s so easy to enjoy right now, because it pulls you into its warmhearted embrace. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold.”
Burklin Wolf Gaisbohl Riesling Monopol G.C., Pfalz 2021 750ml $89 special, 21 bottles available
Stuart Pigott (James Suckling.com) 96 Points “What a fragrant nose this has! Effusive Amalfi lemon and ripe yellow grapefruit aromas. Concentrated and beautifully balanced, this really stands out due to the finesse and polish on the generous palate. Long, silky finish in spite of healthy acidity. From biodynamically grown grapes. Vegan. Drink or hold.”
Burklin Wolf Goldbachel Riesling Trocken PC, Pfalz 2020 750ml $49 special, 6 bottles available
James Suckling 94 Points “An immediately attractive, elegant dry white that’s got a wonderful interplay between juicy stone-fruit character and very bright, refreshing acidity that drives the long, delicately chalky finish. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold.”
Burklin Wolf Hoheburg Riesling Trocken PC, Pfalz 2021 750ml $49 special, 6 bottles available
James Suckling 92 Points “Blood orange and yellow grapefruit aromas are married to a sleek and firmly structured body. Still tightly wound with very racy acidity, this is a wine for riesling acid freaks. Long and pointed finish. From biodynamically grown grapes. Vegan. Drink or hold.”
Burklin Wolf Reiterpfad Riesling G.C. 2020 750ml $89 special, 27 bottles available
James Suckling 96 Points “This powerful dry white has an enormously expressive personality. The fine-grained minerality drives this very concentrated riesling along at a very brisk clip. Very intense and slightly austere finish. Great aging potential! From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold.”
Burklin Wolf Wachenheimer Riesling Trocken, Pfalz 2017 750ml $18 special, 36 bottles available
James Suckling 92 Points “Slightly funky (from wild ferment) but also great citrus, pear and peach aromas. Good concentration for a village wine with quite a linear profile. Very clean finish. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold.”
Burklin Wolf Wachenheim Riesling Trocken, Pfalz 2020 750ml $24 special, 20 bottles available
James Suckling 94 Points “Generous stone-fruit and mandarin character, but there’s nothing demonstrative about this! Likewise, the serious chalky structure sits in the medium to full body in a very relaxed way. Then comes the very long, elegant finish. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold.”
Collector’s Corner
All the Best from Burgundy!
Domaine Arlaud Clos Saint-Denis Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits 2021 750ml $599 special, 1 bottle available
Neal Martin-Vinous 96-98 Points “The 2021 Clos Saint-Denis Grand Cru has what is often termed “transparency” on the entrancing nose, airy yet vigorous with lifted red berry fruit, petrichor and light citrus aromas. There’s just a hint of reduction but minor. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grain tannins, quite deep and intense, elegant and lightly spiced towards the persistent finish that lingers in the mouth. Unerringly symmetrical.”
Olivier Bernstein Les Champeaux, Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru 2016 750ml $319 special, 2 bottles available
Stephen Tanzer-Vinous 92-94 Points “(the crop level here was 35 hectoliters per hectare): Medium red. Complex, alluring scents of raspberry, animal fur and pepper. A step up in finesse of texture from the village Gevrey, but still with terrific nuance and inner-mouth lift to its youthfully tight flavors of raspberry, crushed rock and flowers. The energetic yet edge-free finish is juicy, palate-cleansing and very subtle.”
Domaine Philippe Charlopin-Parizot Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits 2013 750ml $399 special, 5 bottles available
Wine Spectator 94 Points “There’s a lot of oak here, lending char, vanilla and whisky elements to the core of black cherry and black currant flavors. Fresh and firm, though the finish absorbs the oak better than the initial attack. Vibrant and long, this just needs time to integrate. Best from 2020 through 2036.”
Domaine Faiveley Mazis-Chambertin Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits 2019 750ml $419 special, 5 bottles available
William Kelley-Wine Advocate 93-95+ Points “Wild and brooding, Faiveley’s 2019 Mazis-Chambertin Grand Cru wafts from the glass with aromas of smoked meats, spices, wild berries and forest floor. Full-bodied, layered and sapid, it’s broad and muscular, with a deep core of fruit and youthfully chalky tannins. This is a serious Mazis built for the long haul.”
Neal Martin-Vinous 93-95 Points “The 2019 Mazis-Chambertin Grand Cru was reduced on the nose, making it difficult to read at the moment, though the palate is certainly well balanced, featuring crunchy black fruit laced with red currant and a generous sprinkling of cracked black pepper toward the finish. Intuition tells me this is a great Mazis-Chambertin; it will just need time.”
Louis Jadot Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits 2016 750ml $199 special, 33 bottles available
Wine Spectator 97 Points “Rose, cherry and spice aromas introduce this light-bodied, saturated version. The flavors add wild strawberry, incense and kirsch notes, while remaining persistent on the kaleidoscopic finish. Feels tense now, yet should develop nicely over time. A mineral element lingers. Best from 2023 through 2045.”
Louis Latour Romanee-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru Les Quatre Journaux, Cote de Nuits 2016 750ml $599 special, 3 bottles available
James Suckling 100 Points “This is a grand cru that shows its intensity and complexity and greatness from the beginning. Blackberry, licorice and stone aromas. Full body and a center palate that shows ripe fruit and full richness. Then the tannins kick in. Great wine. Drink in 2024.”
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