In This Newsletter:
Arrivals
Diebolt-Vallois, Ambar Estates, and Produttori Barbaresco!
Woman Winemakers We love
Queens of Barbaresco and Tuscany
Arrivals
Diebolt-Vallois, Ambar Estates, and Produttori Barbaresco!
Woman Winemakers We love
Queens of Barbaresco and Tuscany
Special Arrivals
Champagne
“Champagne Diebolt-Vallois”
Looking for top-quality, budget-friendly Cote des Blanc options? Meet Diebolt-Vallois!
The Côte des Blancs region in Champagne is home to some of the most sought after and exquisite sparkling wine in the world. In the Cote des Blancs village of Cramant, Diebolt-Vallois is a star player, in part due to the quality of their vineyard holdings in the region and nearby Epernay. The estate has focused on Blanc de Blancs since their founding in 1959. These are very classic representations of Champagne. With a house style characterized by crisp minerality, food friendly acidity and refreshing fruit profile expressing notes of orchard fruits and citrus.
…brand new to the shop:
Diebolt-Vallois Prestige Blanc de Blancs Brut, Champagne, France NV 750ml $54.50 special, 4 bottles available
Decanter 92 Points “A dictionary-definition, crisp and invigorating blend of Côte des Blancs villages that treads a fine line between snappy, juicy pear and grapefruit peel fruitiness and a more serious side that features sea salt minerality and crusty bread, all presented with a measured, approachable concentration and full mousse. A model entry-level cuvée.”
Diebolt-Vallois Brut Rose, Champagne, France NV 750ml $49 special, 12 bottles available
Winery Note “This elegant pink champagne offers abundant red fruit aromas: raspberries, red currants and wood strawberries. Varieties used: 63% Pinot Noir, 27% Chardonnay, 10% Pinot Meunier. Terroir: The grapes come mainly from the fields known as Les Toulettes in Epernay. Vinification: Fermentation in thermostatically controlled vats. Blended rosé: addition of Bouzy Rouge (grand cru). Dosage: 3-5 g/l.”
…brand new to the shop:
Diebolt-Vallois Prestige Blanc de Blancs Brut, Champagne, France NV 750ml $54.50 special, 4 bottles available
Decanter 92 Points “A dictionary-definition, crisp and invigorating blend of Côte des Blancs villages that treads a fine line between snappy, juicy pear and grapefruit peel fruitiness and a more serious side that features sea salt minerality and crusty bread, all presented with a measured, approachable concentration and full mousse. A model entry-level cuvée.”
Diebolt-Vallois Brut Rose, Champagne, France NV 750ml $49 special, 12 bottles available
Winery Note “This elegant pink champagne offers abundant red fruit aromas: raspberries, red currants and wood strawberries. Varieties used: 63% Pinot Noir, 27% Chardonnay, 10% Pinot Meunier. Terroir: The grapes come mainly from the fields known as Les Toulettes in Epernay. Vinification: Fermentation in thermostatically controlled vats. Blended rosé: addition of Bouzy Rouge (grand cru). Dosage: 3-5 g/l.”
These new arrivals are the lowest listed prices in the United States:
Diebolt-Vallois Blanc de Blancs Brut Millesime, Champagne, France 2018 750ml $59 special, 12 bottles available
Decanter 92 Points “All from the northern Côte (Cuis and Chouilly), this is a vintage cuvée that reflects the year’s easy charms and open stance. Creamy with white peach and nougat and bright with grapefruit peel and oyster shell. It’s snappy rather than structured or tense, tuned deliciously for mid-term drinking yet still offering the smooth, age-complexed texture expected at this level.”
Diebolt-Vallois Blanc de Blancs Brut, Champagne, France NV 750ml $49 special, 33 bottles available
Diebolt-Vallois Blanc de Blancs Brut, Champagne, France NV 1.5L $99 special, 6 magnums available
Winery Note “Lively and elegant champagne, perfect as an aperitif or at the beginning of the meal. Varieties used: 100% Chardonnay, Blanc de Blancs. Terroir: Cuis, Chouilly, Epernay and young vines from Cramant. Vinification: Fermentation in thermostatically controlled vats. Blend of wines from two years. Dosage: 3-5 g/l.”
…also currently available from Diebolt-Vallois:
Winery Note “Pure Chardonnay made from our oldest plots located in Cramant Grand Cru terroir. This Blanc de Blancs, 100% 2008 harvest, is vinified in oak barrels without malolactic fermentation nor filtration. This wine is created entirely in barrel, following the major principles of the first wine Jacques Diebolt made together with his grandfather in 1953. Fleur de Passion is a precious and delicate champagne, it is complex, intense and long on the palate. 100% chardonnay.”
Diebolt-Vallois ‘Fleur de Passion’ Blanc de Blancs Brut, Champagne, France 2008 750ml $399 special, 3 bottles available
Diebolt-Vallois ‘Fleur de Passion’ Blanc de Blancs Brut, Champagne, France 2008 1.5L $799 special, 1 magnum available
(2010 review provided for reference)
Decanter 96 Points “Lemon peel and wet chalk notes grow to include ripe apricot, flowers, marzipan and spice. Although the wine never loses its elegance, it shows impressive intensity and concentration and has the substance to linger almost indefinitely. It is from the oldest vines of the domaine, particularly the lieu-dit Les Buzons, fermented in cask without malolactic fermentation, and bottled unfined and unfiltered. One of the greats, this will age for decades to come.”
Lowest listed price on the West Coast
Diebolt-Vallois Tradition Brut, Champagne, France NV 750ml $44.50 special, 36 bottles available
Winery Note “A balanced champagne, perfect as an aperitif or at the beginning of the meal. Varieties used: 40% Chardonnay, 30 – 40% Pinot Noir, 20 – 30% Pinot Meunier. Terroir: The grapes come from various terroirs belonging to the estate. Vinification: Fermentation in thermostatically controlled vats. Dosage: 6-8 g/l.”
New Arrivals
Oregon
Introducing “Ambar Estate”
Kate Payne Brown is one of Oregon’s top young winemakers
As your local wineshop, it is our duty to provide our customers with access to their favorite, established wineries. It is also our delight and privilege to introduce our customers to new, quality wineries, especially from young, talented winemakers who are pushing the industry to new heights. That brings us to Ambar Estate.
Ambar was founded on a belief that great wine comes from a synthesis of the latest scientific advancements with repect and adherence to nature. As the first Regenerative Organic Certified vineyard in the Willamette Valley, Ambar is committed to low intervention, sustainable farming as well as crafting outstanding wines. Tucked away in the famed red hills of Dundee, the Estate’s volcanic clay soil provides excellent drainage and ensures elegant, focused wines.
These are the only listings for these wines in the United States:
Ambar Estate Chardonnay, Dundee Hills, USA 2022 750ml $59 special, 7 bottles available
Decanter 95 Points “With the second vintage of wines from Ambar Estate and the wildly talented winemaker, Kate Payne Brown, the high bar has already been raised. This Chardonnay is a brilliant balance of airy sea breeze minerality and concentrated lemon curd. Payne Brown is a proponent of whole cluster and lees contact which fill this wine out beautifully. A gorgeous texture, with lemon verbena and lemon grass along with a core of sea salt minerality, sprightly yet intense.”
Ambar Estate Lustral Chardonnay, Dundee Hills 2022 750ml $89 special, 7 bottles available
Decanter 97 Points “The Lustral is a barrel selection from the top Chardonnay of the vintage from winemaker Kate Payne Brown, with 2022 being the second vintage of the Dundee Hills estate’s production. It is provocatively aromatic, as elegance is imbued with an intense core of smoky grilled lemon, juicy ripe Meyer lemon pulp and salty oyster shells. Notes of dried chamomile and a freshly chipped flint mineral tone hint at this wine’s intensity. The palate flashes thirst-slaking acidity and the stony mineral spine of crushed granite. Salted lemon pulp flavours play with a note of nectarine flesh, and the seemingly endless finish is evocative of the marine air from the Pacific not far off on the other side of the Coast Range. Payne Brown has crafted one of the vintage’s top wines in the Lustral.”
Italy
“Produttori del Barbaresco”
We, the Barbaresco lovers, owe everything to Produttori.
Produtorri del Barbaresco is a testament to the powers of teamwork and perseverance. After two World Wars, the region of Barbaresco was desiccated. Many farmers in the region had shut down because of the hardships of war. But the village priest helped revive an old wine-making Co-op shuttered during Mussolini’s rule and they are in operation to this day as one of the world’s finest and most loved wineries.
Produttori del Barbaresco ‘Barbaresco DOCG’, Piedmont, Italy 2020 750ml $44.50 special, 24 bottles available
Monica Larner-Wine Advocate 95 Points “The 2020 Barbaresco boasts an ample set of aromas with wild cherry, blue flower, sweet spice and crushed limestone. As always, the wine paints an exciting and authentic portrait of Nebbiolo, albeit with a little more richness and texture in this vintage. This is especially true in terms of the palate, where the wine offers mid-weight intensity with melting tannins. This ambitious release of 300,000 bottles is slated to hit the market in fall 2023.”
Woman Winemakers We Love
“Gaja”
Gaia, pictured on the far right, is the latest shepard of the Gaja legacy.
Some are saying the greatest as well
Some are saying the greatest as well
Gaia Gaja is a key figure in continuing her family’s prestigious winemaking legacy.
As part of the fifth generation, she leads the renowned Gaja winery alongside her siblings, Rossana and Giovanni. Today, Gaia upholds this tradition of excellence, ensuring Gaja wines remain celebrated globally for their quality and complexity.
Deeply rooted in Barbaresco since the 1850’s, Gaja is one of Piedmont’s most celebrated and groundbreaking wineries. Angelo Gaja was among Barbaresco’s earliest adopters of French oak and varietals. In the vineyard, he reduced yields to concentrate flavor and began producing only single estate bottlings to bring a greater focus to the terroir of their sites.
Now producing wines in Barbaresco, Barolo, and even Tuscany, several generations of forward thinking Gajas have transformed the winery from a regional innovator into a winemaking empire— and all without sacrificing quality or integrity.
If you’re just dipping your toes into Gaja’s wines, this Nebbiolo is a great place to start!
Gaja Sito Moresco Rosso Langhe, Piedmont, Italy 2021 750ml $64.50 special, 4 bottles available
Importer Note “A beautiful violet color atypical of Nebbiolo but reflective of the 2021 vintage where fullness and richness are even present to the eye. The wine has bold notes of blackberry, cherry, blood orange, and bergamot with a touch of flintiness. Medium-structured with lots of juiciness and harmony on the palate all lead to well-balanced acidity and tannin structure with a long finish.”
If you’re a true Barolo or Brunello believer… we have these wines for the lowest listed prices on the West Coast!
Gaja Dagromis, Barolo DOCG, Italy 2019 750ml $108 special, 3 bottles available
Winery Note “2019 Dagromis has a garnet color with violet highlights. On the nose, this wine showcases floral and fruity notes of violet, cherry, plum, sweet licorice, ginger, and marzipan. On the palate, delicate showing juicy, cherry-like mouthfeel leads to a savory, yet sweet entry with a subtle tannin structure all characteristics of the vintage. This is a classic Barolo with great aging potential.”
Gaja Pieve Santa Restituta ‘Sugarille’, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Italy 2018 750ml $219 special, 5 bottles available
Wine Spectator 95 Points “A dark, brooding 2018, with accents of smoke, vanilla, iron and tar surrounding a core of cherry and plum flavors. Reveals balsamic elements of eucalyptus and wild herbs on the lingering finish. On the austere side now, with a core of fruit and mineral. Best from 2025 through 2043.”
Gaja Pieve Santa Restituta, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Italy 2018 750ml $99 special, 7 bottles available
Wine & Spirits Magazine 92 Points “This is the most high-toned of Gaja’s three 2018 Brunellos, a portion of the fruit coming from the Torrenieri vineyard in Montalcino’s cooler northeastern corner. Hints of oregano and citrus peel accent the tangy red cherry flavors, with lingering hints of smoke and spice on the finish.”
Gaja Pieve Santa Restituta Rennina, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Italy 2018 750ml $199 special, 5 bottles available
Wine Spectator 94 Points “Harmonious and bordering on creamy in texture, this red features cherry, raspberry, plum, loam, almond and black pepper aromas and flavors. Reveals pleasant bitterness as this winds down on the lingering aftertaste. Best from 2026 through 2045.”
As part of the fifth generation, she leads the renowned Gaja winery alongside her siblings, Rossana and Giovanni. Today, Gaia upholds this tradition of excellence, ensuring Gaja wines remain celebrated globally for their quality and complexity.
Deeply rooted in Barbaresco since the 1850’s, Gaja is one of Piedmont’s most celebrated and groundbreaking wineries. Angelo Gaja was among Barbaresco’s earliest adopters of French oak and varietals. In the vineyard, he reduced yields to concentrate flavor and began producing only single estate bottlings to bring a greater focus to the terroir of their sites.
Now producing wines in Barbaresco, Barolo, and even Tuscany, several generations of forward thinking Gajas have transformed the winery from a regional innovator into a winemaking empire— and all without sacrificing quality or integrity.
If you’re just dipping your toes into Gaja’s wines, this Nebbiolo is a great place to start!
Gaja Sito Moresco Rosso Langhe, Piedmont, Italy 2021 750ml $64.50 special, 4 bottles available
Importer Note “A beautiful violet color atypical of Nebbiolo but reflective of the 2021 vintage where fullness and richness are even present to the eye. The wine has bold notes of blackberry, cherry, blood orange, and bergamot with a touch of flintiness. Medium-structured with lots of juiciness and harmony on the palate all lead to well-balanced acidity and tannin structure with a long finish.”
If you’re a true Barolo or Brunello believer… we have these wines for the lowest listed prices on the West Coast!
Gaja Dagromis, Barolo DOCG, Italy 2019 750ml $108 special, 3 bottles available
Winery Note “2019 Dagromis has a garnet color with violet highlights. On the nose, this wine showcases floral and fruity notes of violet, cherry, plum, sweet licorice, ginger, and marzipan. On the palate, delicate showing juicy, cherry-like mouthfeel leads to a savory, yet sweet entry with a subtle tannin structure all characteristics of the vintage. This is a classic Barolo with great aging potential.”
Gaja Pieve Santa Restituta ‘Sugarille’, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Italy 2018 750ml $219 special, 5 bottles available
Wine Spectator 95 Points “A dark, brooding 2018, with accents of smoke, vanilla, iron and tar surrounding a core of cherry and plum flavors. Reveals balsamic elements of eucalyptus and wild herbs on the lingering finish. On the austere side now, with a core of fruit and mineral. Best from 2025 through 2043.”
Gaja Pieve Santa Restituta, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Italy 2018 750ml $99 special, 7 bottles available
Wine & Spirits Magazine 92 Points “This is the most high-toned of Gaja’s three 2018 Brunellos, a portion of the fruit coming from the Torrenieri vineyard in Montalcino’s cooler northeastern corner. Hints of oregano and citrus peel accent the tangy red cherry flavors, with lingering hints of smoke and spice on the finish.”
Gaja Pieve Santa Restituta Rennina, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Italy 2018 750ml $199 special, 5 bottles available
Wine Spectator 94 Points “Harmonious and bordering on creamy in texture, this red features cherry, raspberry, plum, loam, almond and black pepper aromas and flavors. Reveals pleasant bitterness as this winds down on the lingering aftertaste. Best from 2026 through 2045.”
“Podere Le Boncie”
Giovanna Morganti always wanted to make wine, but she wanted to make it on her own terms.
As a student she participated in a project to preserve and plant nearly hundreds of distinct indigenous Tuscan grape varieties throughout the region… that was when her future winery began to take shape in her mind. When Giovanna inherited a small olive farm (Le Boncie) she began her vineyard planted with the likes of Ciliegiolo, Colorino, Foglia tonda, Mammolo, Prugnolo, and many more rare and historic grapes. It is this melange of heritage varietals along with Sangiovese that make her wines such inimitable classics.
As part of our commitment to bringing you the very best wines from every region, we are excited to present this stunning Tuscan red. These are great wines for any occasion and they will age beautifully.
Podere Le Boncie Chiesamonti Toscana IGT, Tuscany, Italy 2021 750ml $74.50 special, 9 bottles available
Antonio Galloni-Vinous 95 Points “The 2021 Chiesamonti is a potent, full-bodied wine that is going to need time to unwind. Herbs, wildflowers, spice, leather and menthol build in this backward, potent red from Le Boncie. There’s plenty of stuffing and textural intensity in this deep, resonant wine. I can’t wait to see how it ages.”