In This Newsletter:
Arrivals
Vietti, Bernabeleva, Borgogno, Huet, and more!
Featured Close-Out Wine
Exemplary Cabernet Franc from “Master Winemaker of the Year”
Arrivals
Vietti, Bernabeleva, Borgogno, Huet, and more!
Featured Close-Out Wine
Exemplary Cabernet Franc from “Master Winemaker of the Year”
Arriving Friday
Vietti is not just a winery. It’s a cultural institution that is practically synonymous with Barolo itself in the minds of many Wine lovers. We have spilled so much digital ink over the greatness of Vietti’s Barolo bottlings that great offerings like their Arneis and Timorasso don’t get half of the attention they deserve.
After all, Vietti is a major reason we even have these grapes: before Vietti cultivated and popularized them, Arneis and Timorasso were headed towards extinction. Previously relegated to minor blending grapes they are now made into wines recognized for their distinct character, quality, and collectability.
Vietti Roero Arneis DOCG, Piedmont, Italy 2023 750ml $24 special, 12 bottles available
Winery Notes “Straw-yellow color with fresh floral, citrus and melon aromas, and mineral and almond notes. A dry, medium-bodied wine with fresh acidity. Well-balanced, elegant and with good complexity and persistence.”
Vietti Timorasso – Derthona Colli Tortonesi, Piedmont, Italy 2022 750ml $39 special, 12 bottles available
Wine Enthusiast 91 Points “This classic Timorasso showcases a distinctive herbal edge, with layers of aromas and flavors. The nose offers crisp green apple and lemon pith, hinting at the wine’s vibrant character. On the palate, the green-apple notes become more pronounced, with a tart quality that adds to the freshness. The lemon pith brings a bitter, zesty dimension, complementing the wine’s herbal undertones, which evoke sensations of freshly crushed thyme and sage. These flavors intertwine seamlessly, creating a complex and textured experience that highlights the unique attributes of the Timorasso grape. Drink now–2035.”
In Vietti’s ‘Perbacco’ Nebbiolo, we have quite possibly the greatest single varietal bottling of Nebbiolo outside of Barolo and Barbaresco… and for under $30! They could be charging much more for this decadent, enveloping red with serious edges.
Vietti ‘Perbacco’ Langhe Nebbiolo, Piedmont, Italy 2021 750ml $28 special, 24 bottles available
Antonio Galloni-Vinous 90 Points “The 2021 Langhe Nebbiolo Perbacco is an especially nervy edition of the Perbacco, the result of a significant presence of Monforte fruit in the blend. Notes of red fruit, orange peel and white pepper sculpt the 2021, finishing with notable tension. (Drink between 2023-2029)”
Winery Notes “Hints of raspberry, blackcurrant, mint and spices. Round and elegant tannins add to a long and refined finish. Robust, intense, powerful when young; complex and elegant with age.”
After all, Vietti is a major reason we even have these grapes: before Vietti cultivated and popularized them, Arneis and Timorasso were headed towards extinction. Previously relegated to minor blending grapes they are now made into wines recognized for their distinct character, quality, and collectability.
Vietti Roero Arneis DOCG, Piedmont, Italy 2023 750ml $24 special, 12 bottles available
Winery Notes “Straw-yellow color with fresh floral, citrus and melon aromas, and mineral and almond notes. A dry, medium-bodied wine with fresh acidity. Well-balanced, elegant and with good complexity and persistence.”
Vietti Timorasso – Derthona Colli Tortonesi, Piedmont, Italy 2022 750ml $39 special, 12 bottles available
Wine Enthusiast 91 Points “This classic Timorasso showcases a distinctive herbal edge, with layers of aromas and flavors. The nose offers crisp green apple and lemon pith, hinting at the wine’s vibrant character. On the palate, the green-apple notes become more pronounced, with a tart quality that adds to the freshness. The lemon pith brings a bitter, zesty dimension, complementing the wine’s herbal undertones, which evoke sensations of freshly crushed thyme and sage. These flavors intertwine seamlessly, creating a complex and textured experience that highlights the unique attributes of the Timorasso grape. Drink now–2035.”
In Vietti’s ‘Perbacco’ Nebbiolo, we have quite possibly the greatest single varietal bottling of Nebbiolo outside of Barolo and Barbaresco… and for under $30! They could be charging much more for this decadent, enveloping red with serious edges.
Vietti ‘Perbacco’ Langhe Nebbiolo, Piedmont, Italy 2021 750ml $28 special, 24 bottles available
Antonio Galloni-Vinous 90 Points “The 2021 Langhe Nebbiolo Perbacco is an especially nervy edition of the Perbacco, the result of a significant presence of Monforte fruit in the blend. Notes of red fruit, orange peel and white pepper sculpt the 2021, finishing with notable tension. (Drink between 2023-2029)”
Winery Notes “Hints of raspberry, blackcurrant, mint and spices. Round and elegant tannins add to a long and refined finish. Robust, intense, powerful when young; complex and elegant with age.”
Special Arrival
Bernabeleva will make a Believer out of you
Bernabeleva began in 2006 when owner Juan Diez Bulnes, hired Raul Perez (considered by many to be one of the best winemakers in the world) to develop the vineyards purchased by Juan’s grandfather in the 1920’s. Together they created a winery worthy of his family’s land. Raul Perez is known for his terroir-centric focus and few viticultural areas in the world feature such interesting terroir influences as Sierra de Gredos.
The Sierra de Gredos is a mountain range west of Madrid with a climate equal parts Mediterranean and Alpine, the Sierra de Gredos spans three viticultural regions (Méntrida, Vinos de Madrid, and Castilla y León) but represents a terroir all their own. For this reason, the area has become a hotspot of new activity despite not having a legal appellation of its own.
If you have not had the opportunity to try these wines before, know that they are a far cry from the Grenaches of Southern France. Between the high-altitude and naturally low-yielding old vines these Garnachas are more Burgundian in spirit and character and truly representative of Spanish wine’s new wave.
STAFF PICK Navaherreros Garnacha de Bernabeleva, Madrid, Spain 2022 750ml $16.50 special, 36 bottles available
Luis Gutierrez-Wine Advocate 90 Points “The 2022 Camino de Navaherreros is pale, light and primary. It was produced with Garnacha and 10% Tempranillo that they picked very early in a very warm summer to keep the alcohol to a moderate 13.5%. It’s nicely textured, and even if it’s not terribly complex, it’s approachable, clean and gives a lot of pleasure. 45,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in April 2023.”
Lowest price in the USA
Average price #26
Average price #26
…Also currently available from Bernabeleva:
Bernabeleva Arroyo del Tortolas, Madrid, Spain 2020 750ml $44.50 special, 4 bottles available
Luis Gutierrez-Wine Advocate 94 Points “The 2020 Arroyo del Tórtolas is from a plot they consider wilder than the one for the single-vineyard bottlings. It’s a north-facing slope, and the grapes ripen slowly. In 2020, this fermented with 80% full clusters and had over six weeks of maceration, then matured in three 500-liter barrels. The wine finished at a moderate 14% alcohol, with a pale color and a delicate nose, floral and spicy, with hints of rose hip and hibiscus. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins and integrated acidity.”
Bernabeleva Arroyo del Tortolas, Madrid, Spain 2021 750ml $49 special, 8 bottles available
Luis Gutierrez-Wine Advocate 94+ Points “There is more complete ripeness in the 2021 Arroyo del Tórtolas, which shows a darker hue than the 2020 I tasted next to it. It has more clout, full development of aromas and flavors and 15% alcohol, but it also has more acidity and a livelier palate, with a stony, chalky sensation, fine tannins and a long, dry and clean finish. This is still a little austere and backward. They also produced a little more, with four 500-liter barrels maturing until bottling in April 2023.”
Navaherreros Garnacha de Bernabeleva, Madrid, Spain 2021 750ml $24 special, 16 bottles available
Luis Gutierrez-Wine Advocate 93 Points “The pale, floral and aromatic 2021 Navaherreros Garnacha de Bernabeleva shows really elegantly, with a sophistication and complexity beyond its price point. It has contained ripeness, 14% alcohol and full development of aromas and flavors, with a fine thread in the nicely textured palate and very fine tannins. It’s the best Navaherreros to date and a real bargain. 25,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in April 2023.”
New Arrivals
Italy
Giacomo Borgogno
What’s in a name? Who cares! It’s what’s in the bottle that counts.
Once upon a time, Giacomo Borgogno, one of the greatest vintners in Barolo’s history, presented one of his wines from the cru of Cannubi to the region’s labeling Consortium. Much to his confusion, they said his wine wasn’t stylistically consistent and thus refused to label his wine as Barolo, if he released it it could only be classified as Nebbiolo from Piedmont. His confusion turned to annoyance later when the same wine, presented to the same consortium was approved!
As a result, he decided to release the wine declassified in the spirit of protest against the bureaucracy of the Italian wine industry, cheekily calling it No Name.
Giacomo Borgogno No Name, Piedmont, Italy 2020 750ml $36 special, 12 bottles available
James Suckling 92 Points “This has a spicy and slightly earthy character with dark cherries and plums as well as walnut and dark licorice undertones. Medium- to full-bodied with dense meaty structure and velvety tannins. Succulent and tense with a dark-fruited, long finish. Drink or hold.”
Lowest Price in the USA
Average price $50
Adami Prosecco
Average price $50
Adami Prosecco
Adriano Adami Garbel Prosecco Treviso Brut, Veneto, Italy NV 750ml $16 special, 36+ bottles available
Eric Guido-Vinous 90 Points “The NV Brut Prosecco Garbel mixes savory and sweet with a bouquet of crushed rocks and dusty dried flowers complementing hints of green melon. This is silky in feel without a hard edge in sight, as juicy acidity enlivens its candied citrus fruits. The Garbel takes on a tropical flair through the finale, mixing hints of kiwi with vivid young mango. The final takeaway is how remarkably fresh and clean it leaves the palate. This is a total pleasure to taste.”
Average price $18
France
Domaine Huet Vouvray Petillant Brut, Loire, France 2019 750ml $36 special, 11 bottles available
Rebecca Gibb Mw-Vinous 90 Points “The 2019 Brut Vouvray Pétillant is a finely tuned, subtly sparkling wine with a supple, rounded, airy expression. It’s light on its feet with a fine fresh fruit character and delicate, lees-derived almond flavor. A refined tow of acidity flows through on the finish. (Drink between 2024-2035).”
Featured Close-out
Caladan: A Master Winemaker Rides Again
Drink’s Business Wine Master of 2024 Christopher Carpenter
Earlier this year Masters of Wine from around the world convened at VinExpo Paris to judge the best winemakers on the globe. With talent from every wine producing region in the world gathered in one spot, who would have guessed that a Napa winemaker would take the top honor? Well, when that winemaker is Christopher Carpenter of Cardinale, La Jota, Lokoya, and Mt Brave fame it should be no surprise at all!
Chris is a very busy man, yet he never sacrifices quality. How does he do it? Each of his wineries begins with fruit from the very best vineyards in Napa and a unique purpose. With Caladan, his most recent wine project, he is bringing a previously unseen level of excellence to Cabernet Franc, pulling grapes from Diamond Mountain, Howell Mountain, Mount Veeder, and Spring Mountain. These four mountainous appellations help to create a level of purity and focus previously unseen in Napa Cabernet Franc.
We are proud to present this wine to you for the lowest price in the United States! Elsewhere this wine could cost you up to $225!
WAS $219
Caladan Cabernet Franc, Napa Valley, USA 2017 750ml $199 special, 12 bottles available
Lisa Perotti Brown-Wine Advocate 97 Points “Very deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Cabernet Franc is a little closed to begin, slowly revealing redcurrant jelly, blackberry pie, boysenberries and mulberries with nuances of Ceylon tea, raspberry leaves, tilled soil, pencil shavings and underbrush. The palate is wonderfully elegant with a medium to full body and very fine-grained tannins supporting perfumed cherries and black berries layers, finishing long and energetic.”
Wine Enthusiast 96 Points “A top bottling of the variety, this small-production wine is structured and strong, opening reductively, with elements of tobacco leaf, oak and sage. The savory character persists in the form of leather and black pepper, allowing just a touch of sharp red fruit to enter and complement. This wine has further secrets to be revealed; enjoy best from 2027–2032.”
Chris is a very busy man, yet he never sacrifices quality. How does he do it? Each of his wineries begins with fruit from the very best vineyards in Napa and a unique purpose. With Caladan, his most recent wine project, he is bringing a previously unseen level of excellence to Cabernet Franc, pulling grapes from Diamond Mountain, Howell Mountain, Mount Veeder, and Spring Mountain. These four mountainous appellations help to create a level of purity and focus previously unseen in Napa Cabernet Franc.
We are proud to present this wine to you for the lowest price in the United States! Elsewhere this wine could cost you up to $225!
WAS $219
Caladan Cabernet Franc, Napa Valley, USA 2017 750ml $199 special, 12 bottles available
Lisa Perotti Brown-Wine Advocate 97 Points “Very deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Cabernet Franc is a little closed to begin, slowly revealing redcurrant jelly, blackberry pie, boysenberries and mulberries with nuances of Ceylon tea, raspberry leaves, tilled soil, pencil shavings and underbrush. The palate is wonderfully elegant with a medium to full body and very fine-grained tannins supporting perfumed cherries and black berries layers, finishing long and energetic.”
Wine Enthusiast 96 Points “A top bottling of the variety, this small-production wine is structured and strong, opening reductively, with elements of tobacco leaf, oak and sage. The savory character persists in the form of leather and black pepper, allowing just a touch of sharp red fruit to enter and complement. This wine has further secrets to be revealed; enjoy best from 2027–2032.”