In This Newsletter:
New Arrivals
R. Lopez de Heredia, Gerard Bertrand, and more!
Pre-Sale Mania
Coming soon and leaving fast
Willamette Wineries We Love
Catch the White Walnut Buzz
New Arrivals
Spain
R. Lopez de Heredia
New Arrivals
R. Lopez de Heredia, Gerard Bertrand, and more!
Pre-Sale Mania
Coming soon and leaving fast
Willamette Wineries We Love
Catch the White Walnut Buzz
New Arrivals
Spain
R. Lopez de Heredia
The story of Lopez Heredia starts with a bug.Actually millions of little parasites called “Grape Phylloxera” that ate about 60% of France’s grape vines in the late nineteenth century. Now in survival mode, French estates were presented with two options: ruin or innovation. Many sold or abandoned their land, while others set their eyes on viticultural regions still untouched by the Phylloxera.
It was this opportunity that savvy businessmen like Lopez Heredia’s founder, Rafael López de Heredia y Landet, took advantage of: buying land in Spain to grow grapes, producing and selling wines for French Vignerons, and most importantly, learning all about what it was that made the wines of Bordeaux the most sought after wines on the planet. He introduced barrel aging, extended bottle aging, and careful blending among many other techniques that he learned from the French, helping to create the vinicultural style and traditions which shaped Rioja into one of the world’s most beloved wine regions.
Today, Lopez de Heredia’s wines follow the path started by Rafael, using only estate grown fruit, including the famous Tondonia vineyard, which produces many of the most coveted wines in all of Rioja. These bottles are as classic as they come, representative of the accumulated wisdom of many generations of Spanish and French wine masters.
Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia ‘Vina Bosconia’ Reserva, Rioja DOCa, Spain 2011 750ml $42 special, 12 bottles available
Luis Gutiérrez-Wine Advocate 92+ Points “2011 was a warmer and riper year, but there’s not a huge difference between the 2011 Viña Bosconia Reserva and the 2010; this is perhaps mellower, with more integrated acidity. It’s 13.5% alcohol with a pH of 3.3 and 6.7 grams of acidity measured in tartaric acid per liter, and it fermented in the 144-year-old oak vats and matured in used American oak barrels for five years. 88,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in May 2018.”
Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia ‘Vina Cubillo’ Crianza, Rioja DOCa, Spain 2016 750ml $33 special, 12 bottles available
Luis Gutiérrez-Wine Advocate 94 Points “The 2016 Viña Cubillo Tinto Crianza was surprising, spectacular, elegant, clean and fresh like few vintages before. It was a superb year, with quality, quantity and freshness. It’s quite the opposite from the previous 2015, which was a much warmer and riper year. The 2016s have moderate alcohol and especially the perception of less ripeness (even though the alcohol is very similar). It feels very young, still quite primary. Mercedes explained, “Cubillas, a 24-hectare plot, is a vineyard that could produce Gran Reserva wines. It’s a very good vineyard, but we would miss the Crianza in our range”. In fact, the comment was that this vintage is even a challenge for the Viña Tondonia red “because of its price.” It is indeed a bargain. “But it doesn’t have the finesse of Tondonia,” concluded María José. Anyway, it’s super tasty. 92,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in November 2022.”
Also available from Lopez de Heredia:
Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Reserva, Rioja DOCa, Spain 2011 750ml $56 special, 20 bottles available
Luis Gutiérrez-Wine Advocate 94 Points “The 2011 Viña Tondonia Reserva is darker and shows riper fruit, a rounder palate and some dusty tannins. A year of ripeness, concentration and tannin, the wine is powerful with the finesse of Tondonia. Tasting this next to the textbook 2010 Tondonia revealed how this has more muscle and a wider back and the 2010 epitomizes the finesse and elegance. 270,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in May 2019.”
Neal Martin-Vinous 94 Points “The 2011 Vina Tondonia Reserva Rioja was ordered during a run of disappointing wines. It has a youthful nose, probably still too young to broach, with black plum, clove, hints of star anis and smoke. Lovely definition, though not as powerful as other vintages tasted. The palate is quite firm and structured with grippy tannins that frame the dusky black fruit with veins of blue fruit towards the finish. There is a seriousness about this Tondonia that I appreciate, though frankly, I would cellar for another decade. Tasted at Premnord in Burgundy.”
Do you want to learn more about Spanish wines?
Of course you do! Stop reading about them and start drinking them
Click here to shop for all 139 bottles we have to offer!
Of course you do! Stop reading about them and start drinking them
Click here to shop for all 139 bottles we have to offer!
France
Gerard Bertrand
You just can’t go wrong with these wines.It will come as a surprise to many that while Gerard Bertrand, one of the Languedoc’s premier Biodynamic producers, has spent much of his life in fields—planting, toiling, and harvesting—he planned to spend his career in the Rugby fields.
However, when his father passed away he had to step up. Charging into the role of winery owner like an athlete player barreling towards victory, he began expanding and modernizing the operation, becoming one the Southwest’s true power players.
From their top cuvees to their value offerings, Bertrand’s wines are incredibly pure expressions of varietal and terroir and his Cremant de Limoux is a true blue workhorse of a sparkling wine—elegant, with a rich mousse and playful flavor profile.
These are the lowest listed prices in the United States:
Gerard Bertrand ‘Castellum’ Sauvignon Blanc, IGP Cite de Carcassonne, France 2022 750ml $24 special, 12 bottles available
Winemaker’s note “Castellum is a selection of the best parcels from the Domaine de l’Estagnère, situated at the foot of this between the Pyrenees to the south and the Montagne Noire to the to the north. It benefits from a Mediterranean climate tempered by altitude and oceanic influences from the Atlantic.”
Gerard Bertrand Cremant de Limoux Brut Rose, Languedoc-Roussillon, France 2021 750ml $19 special, 12 bottles available
Winery note “Beautiful, salmon-pink colour with glimmering reflections. A complex bouquet with longlasting aromas of red fruit – strawberry and raspberry – backed with hints of toasted bread. Delicate bubbles and an extraordinary vivacity on the palate, with a rich, indulgent texture. The Pinot Noir grapes are not macerated, in order to preserve their colour. The must is transferred to the vats for an alcoholic fermentation, using the same process used for still wine. After the malolactic fermentation in the vats, the wine is blended and then transferred to the barrels to mature for 8 months.”
This is the lowest listed prices on the west coast
Gerard Bertrand ‘Gris Blanc’ Rose, IGP Pays d’Oc, France 2022 750ml $24 special, 12 bottles available
Wine Enthusiast “Lively and crisp, this wine offers subtle notes of citrus and hints of wet stone on the nose. The palate features lemon and orange flavors and a balancing mineral characteristic.”
Oregon
Haden Fig Cancilla Vineyard Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, USA 2023 750ml $38 special, 24 bottles available
Winery Note “The modest temperatures and even growing season post-flowering seems to have resulted in wines that have knit together quickly and show fantastic poise. This balance is likely to result in wines that drink wonderfully young and will mature gracefully.”
Haden Fig Freedom Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, USA 2023 750ml $38 special, 24 bottles available
Winery Note “Freedom Hill is often Haden Fig’s richest and most firmly structured offering. This vintage vibrates intensely between its fruited and savory notes (the shift between Ranier cherries and your uncle’s cherry pipe tobacco) while coupled with oil-cured olives, great balsamic, and fresh-turned earth.”
Italy
Lowest listed price in the USA
Ca’Rome Romano Marengo ‘Sori Rio Sordo’, Barbaresco DOCG, Italy 2019 750ml $59 special, 20 bottles availableWine Enthusiast 93 Points “Deep aromas of black cherry and savory spice work in tandem to lure you into the glass. Notes of pressed wildflowers and drying herbs follow suit. The firm palate sits with gravitas, showing darker-hued fruits, savory spice and a well-defined earthy note. This wine is for the long haul.”
California
#25 TOP 100 Wine Spectator wines
Rutherford Hill Napa Valley Merlot 2021 750ml $31.90 special, 12 bottles available
Wine Spectator 93 Points “Supple and sleek, with elegantly layered red currant, toasty mocha and tarragon flavors that glide on a long finish. Drink now through 2031. 10,489 cases made.”
Coming Soon and Guaranteed To Go Fast:
Arriving May 1st
Value doesn’t mean “cheap.” When we tell you these three wines are a true value, we’re telling you that they represent some of the greatest quality from their respective regardless of price. The great price is just the cherry on top.
Don’t miss out on these great wines:
Schiopetto Friulano Del Pompiere 2021 750ml $19 special, 36+ bottles available
James Suckling 95 Points “White peaches and cooked apples with flint and matchstick undertones. Some iron shavings, too. Full-bodied, yet compacted, tight and fresh. Very minerally, with dried-peach, citrus and mineral undertones and a bright finish. Very solid. Drink or hold.”
Roccolo Grassi Valpolicella Superiore 2016 750ml $29 special, 36+ bottles available
Eric Guido-Vinous 94+ Points “An enticing mix of incense, black tea, cracked pepper and red wild berries emanate from the 2016 Valpolicella Superiore. This is undeniably elegant, with its silky textures that seem to coat the entire palate in a seductive layer of violet-tinged fruits and suave lavender and chocolate notes. That said, this is not sweet nor overly rich; in fact, the 2016 is truly harmonious and poised, boasting tremendous concentration that’s lifted by saline-infused acids. It leaves the palate completely saturated with cloves and allspice, as it tapers off structured and long. This is next-level Valpolicella Superiore, and it may even one day warrant a higher score. Marco Sartori uses 30% appassimento grapes in his Valpolicella, which are dried for twenty days. This wine is refined in a 50% – 50% mix of large oak cask and barrique, of which only about 20% are new”
Raymond Usseglio Chateauneuf Du Pape Imperiale 2021 750ml $59.50 special, 36+ bottles available
Joe Czerwinski-Wine Advocate 97 Points “The stunning 2021 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Imperiale comes from old vines in two sandy parcels—one in Pied Long and one in la Crau. Exotic aromas of orange zest, Campari-like spice and exquisitely ripe cherries appear on the nose, while the full-bodied palate is silky and creamy in texture yet airy and vibrant, with a long, zesty finish. It’s a definite candidate for wine of the vintage, alongside its Mourvèdre-based stablemate, La Part des Anges.”
Don’t miss out on these great wines:
Schiopetto Friulano Del Pompiere 2021 750ml $19 special, 36+ bottles available
James Suckling 95 Points “White peaches and cooked apples with flint and matchstick undertones. Some iron shavings, too. Full-bodied, yet compacted, tight and fresh. Very minerally, with dried-peach, citrus and mineral undertones and a bright finish. Very solid. Drink or hold.”
Roccolo Grassi Valpolicella Superiore 2016 750ml $29 special, 36+ bottles available
Eric Guido-Vinous 94+ Points “An enticing mix of incense, black tea, cracked pepper and red wild berries emanate from the 2016 Valpolicella Superiore. This is undeniably elegant, with its silky textures that seem to coat the entire palate in a seductive layer of violet-tinged fruits and suave lavender and chocolate notes. That said, this is not sweet nor overly rich; in fact, the 2016 is truly harmonious and poised, boasting tremendous concentration that’s lifted by saline-infused acids. It leaves the palate completely saturated with cloves and allspice, as it tapers off structured and long. This is next-level Valpolicella Superiore, and it may even one day warrant a higher score. Marco Sartori uses 30% appassimento grapes in his Valpolicella, which are dried for twenty days. This wine is refined in a 50% – 50% mix of large oak cask and barrique, of which only about 20% are new”
Raymond Usseglio Chateauneuf Du Pape Imperiale 2021 750ml $59.50 special, 36+ bottles available
Joe Czerwinski-Wine Advocate 97 Points “The stunning 2021 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Imperiale comes from old vines in two sandy parcels—one in Pied Long and one in la Crau. Exotic aromas of orange zest, Campari-like spice and exquisitely ripe cherries appear on the nose, while the full-bodied palate is silky and creamy in texture yet airy and vibrant, with a long, zesty finish. It’s a definite candidate for wine of the vintage, alongside its Mourvèdre-based stablemate, La Part des Anges.”
Willamette Wineries We Love
White Walnut
It’s all about the energy.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… very good vibrations.
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.
That energy translates to the glass, too! There is liveliness in these wines: the harmony of minerality and acidity plus a helping of uniquely savory and umami notes that stand them out in any line-up of Oregon wines.
Feel the buzz:
White Walnut Estate Chardonnay, Dundee Hills, USA 2023 750ml $41.90 special, 18 bottles available
Erin 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 Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills, USA 2023 750ml $48 special, 12 bottles available
Erin 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 North Blocks Chardonnay, Dundee Hills, USA 2021 750ml $49 special, 18 bottles available
Erin Brooks- Wine Advocate 95+ Points “The 2021 Chardonnay Estate North Blocks is dynamic, energetic and built for the cellar. It unwinds slowly from initial matchstick aromas to yellow peaches, ginger, meringue, jasmine and fresh green herbs. The medium-bodied palate features continually unfolding flavors that range from nuts and honey to ripe citrus. Its linear acidity and flinty character give it a shimmery feel, and it has a very long, kaleidoscopic finish. It will be long lived in the cellar.”