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New Arrivals
Oregon
Ovum Wines
 “This is exactly the sort of white winemaking the West Coast could use more of.” — PUNCH Drink, Jon Bonné In a region dominated by Pinot Noir, Ovum Winery has the guts to do something different.
Founded by Ksenija and John House in 2011, “in hopes of producing Oregon wines that are honest reflections of time and place,” Ovum focuses on unique expressions of terroir and Ovum Big Salt Orange Rose 2023 750ml $19 special, 12 bottles available staff pick Winery Note “If you love ORANGE wines (white wines fermented on their skins), or wanted to explore what they’re all about – Big Salt ‘Orange Rose’ is a good place to start. It has a sunset cranberry color that comes as a result of Pinot gris skins being blended with the tangerine hues of Big Salt. Its aromas remind me of a carrot orange creamsicle stirred into a cup of hibiscus tea, steeped with autumnal spices. Roasted carrot, ginger, red apple skin are on the palate. THIS WINE IS NOT FRESH LIKE BIG SALT, it’s more like if Big Salt were a red wine. I hope you will find this strange wine as intriguing and pleasurable as we do.” Ovum Big Salt White Blend 2024 750ml $18 special, 12 bottles availableWinery note “Big Salt™ is a white wine that embodies a day at the beach. It’s bright, fresh, dry and a bit salty (although no salt is added of course!) – once it’s done you’re left wanting more. We achieve this experience by letting mother nature create complexity – that is to say we allow all of the grapes to ferment together, with native yeast..rather than making a blend in the laboratory. Finding the right vineyards throughout Oregon that share the same cool climate is what it’s all about.” Ovum Memorista Riesling Eola-Amity Hills 2023 750ml $27 special, 12 bottles available(Not yet reviewed, 2021 review provided for reference) Wine Enthusiast 96 Points “2021 Memorista “Tradition” is a dry, aromatic white wine of Oregon. Predominately Riesling aged in Austrian cask to enhance body and texture – Memorista embodies the Ovum style. Restrained and complex aromatics, subtle fruit tones seemlessly lead to sweet herbs like chamomile, and metallic tones like saffron on the finish. 110 cases produced.” White Walnut Estate
When Chris Mazepink, former winemaker of local favorites Archery Summit, Shea Wine Cellars, and Benton Lane, first encountered the deserted, overgrown Walnut orchard that would soon become his estate, he could feel it was a special place with a unique energy. Carefully clearing it of bracken by hand (but leaving the walnut trees untouched) he dedicated himself to a full biodynamic makeover and becoming a “conduit of the energies present in the vineyard” in his clonal selections and winemaking.
The wines of White Walnut are essential Willamette: pure, eccentric, electric. Try them today… feel the vibrations.White Walnut Estate Dundee Hills Chardonnay 2023 750ml $41.90 special, 24 bottles availableErin Brooks-Wine Advocate 94-96 Points “A barrel sample, the 2023 Chardonnay Dundee Hills is impressively complete even at this early stage. It has pure aromas of poached pears, golden apples, chamomile, beeswax, marshmallow and cashews. The light-bodied palate pairs concentrated, savory flavors with vibrant acidity, and it has a hauntingly long, white blossom and honey-laced finish.” White Walnut Estate Dundee Hills Pinot Noir 2023 750ml $48 special, 12 bottles availableErin Brooks-Wine Advocate 94-96 Points “A barrel sample, the 2023 Chardonnay Dundee Hills is impressively complete even at this early stage. It has pure aromas of poached pears, golden apples, chamomile, beeswax, marshmallow and cashews. The light-bodied palate pairs concentrated, savory flavors with vibrant acidity, and it has a hauntingly long, white blossom and honey-laced finish.”
Champagne
Maison Henriot
Lowest price in the USA!
“Henriot Rosé Millésimé stands out for its robust characters that express themselves eloquently. Its nose is expressive and charismatic, revealing notes of blood oranges enhanced with a touch of green curry. On the palate, freshness is accompanied by tension and a perceptible structure leading to a finish with elegant tannins.” -Alice Tétienne – Cellar Master, Maison Henriot Henriot Rose Millesime, Champagne, France 2012 750ml $99 special, 6 bottles availableDecanter 95 Points “After a worrying start to the 2012 growing season, a warm summer resulted in good ripeness come harvest. The blend of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay is all from premier cru and grand cru sites in the southern Montagne de Reims, in Aÿ, Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, Avenay-Val-d’Or and Mutigny. Dosage was at 7g/L, and the finished wine was matured in bottle for at least eight years prior to release. Wine Spectator 93 Points “An elegant rosé Champagne, layering flavors of ripe cherry, blood orange sorbet and orchard blossom on the delicate, finely detailed mousse, with lightly mouthwatering acidity and a zesty underpinning lending focus through to the lightly spiced finish. Drink now through 2027. 400 cases imported.” France Chateau Haut Rian Bordeaux Blanc 2023 750ml $14 special, 24 bottles availableRoger Voss- Wine Enthusiast 90 Points “Old Sémillon vines grown on limestone soil form the background to this wine. With pineapple aromas and a mineral texture, the wine’s fruit is full of grapefruit and kiwi flavors. It is crisp, ripe and ready to drink.” Chateau Haut Rian Bordeaux Rouge 2020 750ml $16 special, 24 bottles available(not yet rated, 2019 review provided for reference)Roger Voss- Wine Enthusiast 91 Points ‘This dense wine relishes its richness and full black fruits. With spice and tannins enveloped by ripeness, the generous wine will be ready to drink from 2023.” Chateau Auney L’hermitage Graves Rouge 2019 750ml $26 special, 36 bottles availableImporter Notes “From a four-hectare parcel of gravel, clay and sand, 60% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc and 5% Malbec. Élevage runs 15 months in a mix of new and old “pieces”, and this is the most important wine of the estate at an average production of 18,000 bottles.” hot deal Thevenet & Fils Le Clos Bourgogne Rouge 2023 750ml $18 special, 36+ bottles availableImporter Notes “The pinot noir for this wine is found in the village of Bussières and is sourced from the lieu-dit Les Clos. The vines are south-facing at 350 feet above sea level on gently sloping hills that are principally composed of clay. The fruit tends to ripen early due to its excellent exposure. Pigeage and remontage are practiced during fermentation. This wine is marked by notes of black, ripe berries, often a touch “sauvage”.” Italy
Azienda Gurrieri
Generations before Sicily became a viticultural hotspot, The Gurrieri family has been tending and harvesting vineyards (and olive trees) in the shadows of the Iblei Mountains, a limestone bed of fertile land called the Val di Noto, in Southern Sicily.
These are the lowest listed prices in the USA:
Gurrieri Frappato Vittoria 2023 750ml $21.90 special, 24 bottles availableVinopolNote: Lighter in profile, Gurrieri’s Frappato is a fantastic red wine to drink in the summer months, especially as a beverage while you grill. You see Siciliy is not just a viticultural hotspot, the Southern end of the island is in the same latitude as North Africa. It’s easy to bake under the Sun there. Chill this wine down to see a Sicilian farmer’s favorite way to beat the heat! Gurrieri Grillo Sicilia 2023 750ml $19.50 special, 24 bottles availableWinery Note “Estate-grown near Mazzarrone, west of Chiaramonte Gulfi, at around 180 meters/600 feet in altitude. Soil is sandy clay; the grapes are picked around mid-September, pressed immediately and fermented at controlled temperature in stainless steel using indigenous yeasts. After about 9 months in tank the wine is bottled.”
Fattoria Le Pupille
Fattoria Le Pupille Morellino di Scansano Rsv 2018 750ml $21.90 special, 36 bottles availableMonica Larner-Wine Advocate 93 Points “The Fattoria le Pupille 2018 Morellino di Scansano Riserva is Sangiovese with an addition of 10% Cabernet Sauvignon (drawn from various vineyard sites, including the historic plot that makes Saffredi, the estate’s top wine). Fermentation occurs in stainless steel, just like with all the other estate reds, and this Riserva goes into oak casks for 15 months. The 2018 and 2019 vintages share similar characteristics in that they are both cooler, certainly compared to 2020. This is a solid, mid-weight red that boasts a very pretty and vibrant bouquet. There are floral notes and wild cherry capped by graphite or pencil shavings. The wine reveals a lovely, dark garnet color in the glass, and some of that oak spice comes out as well.”
Il Marroneto
“Il Marroneto remains at the top of their game and at the head of the pack.” -Ian D’Agata
These wines are very rare and extremely limited!
Il Marroneto Brunello Di Montalcino 2020 750ml $129 special, 18 bottles arrivingJames Suckling 97 Points “A restrained wine that’s complex and deep, with aromas of cherry stones, butter, fresh violets, orange peel and prunes. Firm tannins with a grainy texture, yet it has a sweet finish, super-energetic acidity and a full body. Flavors of blood oranges and violets. Perfect balance and incredible aging potential. A super classic. Drink or hold.” Il Marroneto Brunello Madonna Delle Grazie 2020 750ml $449 special, 3 bottles arrivingJames Suckling 99 Points “An exquisite mix of elegant aromas dominates the nose, with notes of Parma violets, orange peel, Earl Grey tea, dried cherries, smoky woodland and earthy minerality. Full-bodied, it shows significant tannins, but it’s velvety, sweet and full of aging potential. The flavors are enhanced by energetic, slightly lifted acidity and a super-long, austere finish. It will last for decades. Try after 2025.” …also available from Marroneto: Il Marroneto Brunello di Montalcino 2019 750ml $119 special, 5 bottles availableMonica Larner-Wine Advocate 97 Points “Alessandro Mori’s wines are easy to spot in a blind tasting thanks to the soaring intensity and vibrant Sangiovese aromas they display. They are truly one of a kind. A wine that sees a relatively short and hot fermentation, the Il Marroneto 2019 Brunello di Montalcino respects local winemaking tradition and remains true in spirit. The steep verticality of the bouquet evokes almost-carbonic or lifted aromas of bright cherry, strawberry shortcake, lilac and heritage rose. You get straight to the heart of Sangiovese. The tannins are extremely fine and powdery and the freshness of the fruit is beautifully intact. This wine really pops in 2019. Drink: 2025-2048.”
 Wines with Altitude
Getting High in Argentina
Bodega Cuvelier Los Andes, Vista Flores
The family behind Bordeaux’s Grand Cru Classe winery Leoville-Poyferre and Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnal Château Le Crock travelled to the top of the world to produce this bio-dynamic red blend. Harvested from Vista Flores in the Uco Valley, the estate’s vineyards grow at 3,300 feet above sea-level, near the Chilean Border. Bodega Cuvelier Los Andes Grand Vin 2016 750ml $36 special, 36+ bottles availableSteven Tanzer-Vinous Points 91+ “Bright medium ruby Blackberry, cassis, licorice, herbs and complementary oak spices on the nose, plus a violet high note. Densely packed and smooth, with its brooding flavors of crushed dark berries currently carrying strong oak notes of licorice and bitter chocolate, not to mention the firm herbal edge of the vintage. Quite pungent–even peppery–after the 2015 Colección, finishing with dusty tannins and a penetrating quality that augurs well for improvement in bottle. This blend will need at least a couple years to reveal its full personality.” Winery Notes “Grand Vin is our “First Label”. We like to introduce our Grand Vin as the Argentinean cousin of Château Léoville-Poyferré, 2nd Grand Cru Classé from Saint-Julien, our family’s most renowned Estate in Bordeaux, France. Grand Vin is an exceptional Bordeaux-style blend, with an impressive tannic structure from our best Malbec, rounded, balanced and completed with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and Petit Verdot.”
Lowest Price in the United States
Zorzal, Tupungato
Tupungato, one of the tallest mountains in South America, is home to the highest elevation winery in the Mendoza region of Argentina (at 4,500 feet). Although situated at a proximity to the equator that would normally prohibit fine wine grape production due to excessive heat, the Mendoza region lies at such an extreme elevation that it remains cool enough to do so. Zorzal Eggo Blanc de Cal 2019 750ml $24 special, 6 bottles availableLuis Gutierrez-Wine Advocate 94 Points “This wine is never about the grape variety, and it’s like liquid chalk, even more so in 2019. It matured in concrete eggs for 10 months. This is always produced from a limestone-rich plot in the Tupungato Winelands. Half of the wine fermented with the skins, but it doesn’t have any “orange” characteristics. It’s sharp and super tasty. Amazing value.“ Zorzal Eggo Tinto de Tiza 2017 750ml $24 special, 15 bottles availableLuis Gutierrez-Wine Advocate 94 Points “The mouthfeel of the 2017 Eggo Tinto de Tiza was like biting into a piece of chalk (“tiza” is the Spanish word for chalk), the texture provided by the limestone-rich soils from Gualtallary, especially in the higher part of this large region. This wine is not about the varieties (it’s a blend to start with) but about the place, the soils, the local vegetation, the austerity and the wilderness.”
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