Vinopolis Newsletter 6-10-24 PM

 
 

 

Have you caught the Southern Oregon wine buzz yet? Oregon’s Rogue Valley AVA has been quietly building in reputation for years and with wineries like Peter William producing high quality Rhône influenced reds at fantastic prices, it’s primed to explode in popularity.
 
Since 2013, husband and wife team Peter Adesman and Robin Miller have been making their single vineyard focused estate wines in Medford, Oregon. It’s already common knowledge that areas like Milton-Freewater in Eastern Oregon are producing some of the best Rhône varietals outside of the Rhône, now Southern Oregon is finally getting its due, even seeing national recognition in publications like Wine Enthusiast.
 
These wines have kept satisfied Vinopolis customers coming back for more and we are selling them at the lowest prices in the USA!
 
Peter William Vineyard ‘Lot W’ Syrah, Rogue Valley, USA 2018 750ml $19 special, 36 bottles available
Norm Roby-WineReviewonline.Com 94 Points “This small batch Syrah is made from estate grown grapes which are vinified by winemaker Eric Weisinger, who is the “W” referenced on the label. The end result is a compact, powerful expression of Syrah that may be one of the best values around these days. It is pure, ripe Syrah beginning with its dark color and earthy, leathery, black pepper aromatics. It evolves in the glass and is full of black fruits and spices delivered in a compact, medium full bodied style.”
 

$24 elsewhere!

 
Peter William Vineyard Grenache, Rogue Valley, USA 2020 750ml $24 special, 13 bottles available
Michael Alberty-Wine Enthusiast 91 Points “After 10 months in neutral French oak, this Grenache is eager to make friends. Its dark chocolate and meaty aromas will make you crave pork mole. The flavors are a tangy combination of boysenberry and orange zest, with bits of tobacco and ginger. Boisterous acidity intersects with firm tannins.”
 
Peter William Vineyard GSM, Rogue Valley, USA 2019 750ml $24 special, 24 bottles available
Michael Alberty-Wine Enthusiast 91 Points “This GSM, made with fruit from Peter William and Folin Vineyards, spent 20 months in French oak, 50% new and 50% neutral. It is lithe and lean, with aromas of poppies and lavender melding with blackberry tea. Raspberry and tart cherry flavors are flanked by bacon fat and cardamom.”
 
Peter William Vineyard Tempranillo, Rogue Valley, USA 2018 750ml $24 special, 12 bottles available
Wine Enthusiast “A distinctly earthy nose features interesting notes of crushed black-walnut shells, smoked cherries and a touch of mint. The flavors of ripe black cherries, leather and almond extract are encircled by a wall of grippy tannins. Decanting is recommended.”
 
Peter William Vineyard Daisy Creek Vineyard Viognier, Rogue Valley, USA 2022 750ml $24 special, 21 bottles available
Michael Alberty-Wine Enthusiast 93 Points “The Daisy Creek Viognier is consistently one of the best white wine values in Oregon. This year’s model starts off with pear, butterscotch and talc aromas. Blazing acidity shines through as flavors like grilled pineapple, Thai basil and blood orange sorbet sashay across the palate.”

 

 
 
OREGON
 
Always a fantastic value! Bow & Arrow is keeping it real in the Willamette Valley with an eye toward Loire Valley varietal expressions. This is a great wine to bring with you to dinner parties and BBQs.
Bow & Arrow Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, USA 2022 750ml $21.90 special, 24 bottles available
Staff Notes “Farmed and made organically with minimal intervention, this Oregon pinot is bright, light, and juicy with tons of aromatic red berry fruits showing on the nose and palate. There is great acidity showing throughout the palate that resolves into a dry finish.”
 
This is the best value of the vintage so far… And it’s in contention for best Pinot Noir of 2022, period.
Cameron Winery Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills, USA 2022 750ml $34.50 special, 36 bottles available
Winery Note “The ‘22 Dundee Hills blend includes fruit from Abbey Ridge and La Colina vineyards and punches well above its weight. Clean, dark and red fruit aromas and notes of black tea, earth, and allspice pair with subtle tannins and balanced acidity. This wine has a pleasant, round mouthfeel that may be thoughtfully quaffed or heartily slurped depending on the needs of the meal or the consumer.”
 

FRANCE

Domaine du Bagnol Cassis Rose, Provence, France 2023 750ml $26.50 special, 12 bottles available
Importer’s Note “No estate expresses the salt-kissed limestone-driven terroir of the idyllic Provençal seaside village of Cassis like Domaine du Bagnol, and the current generation, Sébastien Genovesi, crafts a rosé of scintillating energy, chiseled calcareous musculature, and gleaming red fruits. Comprising 50% Grenache, 30% Cinsault, and 20% Mourvèdre, Bagnol’s Cassis Rosé is pressed directly and rapidly (in under two hours) to extract as little color as possible, and the bottled wine (certified organic) contains only 20 milligrams per liter of total sulfur—a factor which contributes to its gorgeous purity of texture and intense evocation of limestone soil.”
 
Chateau Pradeaux Cotes de Provence Rose, France 2023 750ml $21.90 special, 36 bottles available
Not Reviewed Yet, Previous vintage provided for reference
Wine Spectator 91 Points “A bold and formidable style that leans to the savory side, showing a strapping mix of grilled peach flavors and a lashing of grilled herbs. A serious rosé, with great texture and serious depth. Mourvèdre, Cinsault and Grenache.”
 
Chateau Pradeaux Bandol Rose, Provence, France 2023 750ml $31.90 special, 18 bottles available
Not yet Reviewed, 2021 Vintage provided for reference
Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate 91-93 Points “Not bottled yet at the time of my spring visit to the region, the 2021 Bandol Rose nevertheless showed exceptional promise in my blind tasting. A blend of 80% Mourvèdre and 20% Cinsault, it’s a coppery flamingo-pink in color, with more extraction and tannin than your typical Bandol rosé. It’s round and ripe on the palate, medium to full-bodied, with cherry and lime notes and a long, softly dusty finish.”
 

This is the best price on the West Coast

 
Mas de Valeriole ‘Ve’ Rose, IGP Mediterranee, France 2023 750ml $14.50 special, 36 bottles available
Distributor’s Note “‘Vé’a local Provençal expression meaning “Look at that!”– is a blend of 80% Caladoc (a crossing of Grenache and Malbec) and 20% Merlot and Syrah (2023 marks the first vintage a splash of Syrah is included), from soils of sand and loam, pressed directly without maceration. Clocking in at a modest 12.5% alcohol, it offers bright, salt-tinged flavors of raspberry and ripe citrus fruits, with a sneakily long finish given its modest price.”
 

This is the Lowest listed price in the USA!

 

 
 

 
“Taurasi is potentially one of the world’s, not just Italy’s, greatest red wines, but it hasn’t always been given a chance to showcase all that it can really be. And yet the Aglianico grape variety is truly a noble one, with very little to envy Nebbiolo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Nero and Sangiovese.” – Ian D’Agata, writing for Terroir Sense Wine Review
 

 

 

Featuring long Maceration times and extended again periods, the Aglianico wines of Cantine Lonardo represent a classic style of Taurasi that is made for aging, dissecting, and savoring for decades. Before 1998 the Lonardo family sold their grapes exclusively to the local commune, but Sandro Lonardo decided to take his family’s business in a dramatic new direction. Since then, these estate bottlings have become a major player in the region, attracting collectors and critics alike, winning accolades from the likes of Decanter and Vinous’ Ian D’Agata.

Aglianico, specifically from regions like Taurasi, are consistently among the most underrated of Italy’s wines, and one of the few great opportunities left to purchase aged European reds at good prices. Speaking of which…
 

 
Contrade di Taurasi Cantine Lonardo Taurasi DOCG, Campania, Italy 2016 750ml $41.90 special, 5 bottles available
Vinopolnote “Bold, slightly tannic with mild acidity. Loaded with luscious dark fruit notes; perfect for rich saucy pastas and roasted red meats.”
 
Contrade di Taurasi Cantine Lonardo Coste, Taurasi DOCG, Italy 2011 750ml $69 special, 30 bottles available
Ian D’Agata-Vinous 94+ Points “Deep ruby. Floral nuances complicate the red and dark berry, ink, sweet spice and flinty aromas and flavors. Dense and seamless, showing a multilayered personality and remarkable complexity of flavor. Finishes very long and with repeating, lingering hints of ink and flint.”
 
Contrade di Taurasi Cantine Lonardo Vigne d’Alto, Taurasi DOCG, Italy 2011 750ml $69 special, 8 bottles available
Ian D’Agata-Vinous 94+ Points “Deep ruby with a purple tinge. Reticent nose at first, only hinting at dark cherry, sassafras and sandalwood. Then very concentrated and dense, displaying almost opulent, sweet nuances of oaky torrefaction to the coffee, cocoa and dark cherry flavors. This outstanding Taurasi finishes extremely long, rich and seamless. It’s virtually impossible to pick between Lonardo’s two crus in 2011, and both will have many admirers.”
 
Contrade di Taurasi Cantine Lonardo Vigne d’Alto, Taurasi DOCG, Italy 2012 750ml $59 special, 6 bottles available
Kerin O’Keefe-Wine Enthusiast 95 Points “Perfumed and loaded with finesse, this single-vineyard wine opens with enticing scents of violet, ripe black-skinned fruit, new leather and baking spice. Made with 60- to 100-year-old plants, the smooth, delicious palate delivers succulent Marasca cherry, plum, licorice and nutmeg framed in velvety tannins, making it one of the more elegant expressions of Taurasi out there. A mineral note energizes the lingering finish. Drink through 2032.”
 
Contrade di Taurasi Cantine Lonardo Taurasi Riserva DOCG, Campania, Italy 2011 750ml $119 special, 22 bottles available
Eric Guido-Vinous 96 Points “The 2011 Taurasi Riserva pulls you close and holds your attention firm with its deeply alluring bouquet of crushed black cherries, plum sauce, autumnal spices, woodland herbs and hints of animal musk. This fills the palate with rich, pliant textures and ripe red and blue berries, as nervous acidity maintains wonderful freshness, and sweet notes of cinnamon, clove and tobacco form toward the close … Make no mistake, this is a full-throttle expression of Taurasi, but it will win the hearts of collectors who enjoy a bigger and old-school style.”
 
Contrade di Taurasi Cantine Lonardo Taurasi DOCG, Campania, Italy 2012 750ml $119 special, 12 bottles available
Importer Note “The new T31 is from 100+ year old ungrafted vines on a mix of limestone and volcanic soils, elevage 3 years in tonneau with another 5 years aging in bottle.”

 

 

Coquina Trousseau, Eola-Amity Hills, USA 2022 750ml $21.90 special, 16 bottles available
Beth “Coquina has been making a shop-favorite favorite Pinot Gris for a while now, so we were beyond excited when this Trousseau landed—the label’s first ever red wine. Winemakers Dana and Nicole nailed it with this playful and refreshing red. It’s lighter in body, yet layered, with a silky mouthfeel and an elegant, dry finish. Bright red cherry and cranberry fruit notes are balanced with a soft acidic pang and a little dance of peppery earthiness. We like this light red served chilled, and would pair great with a lush charcuterie spread. If you aren’t already certain that easy-drinking wines can also be complex and delicate, this will convince you.”
 

This is the lowest price in the USA!
Average Price is $34

 
Chateau de Manissy Tavel Cuvee des Lys Rose, Rhone, France 2023 750ml $18 special, 34 bottles available
Tracy “When we think about French Rosé wines, most people think of the light and crisp style from Provence, but Tavel is a different beast altogether. Whereas most French rosés are made in the vin gris or saignee method, Tavels are vinified in part with the crushed grape skins, imparting more structure, spice, and a darker hue. The Manissy Tavel is a red lover’s rosé, deeply hued with a greater focus on savory Garrigue notes than fruit. It is also grippier than most pink wines and makes a perfect accompaniment to grilled meats.”

 
This is the lowest price on the West Coast!
 

Le Galantin Bandol Rose, Provence, France 2023 750ml $20.50 special, 20 bottles available
Beth “Like its label suggests, this wine feels like basking in the sun raining down on rolling Provencal hills. Made with a classic French blend of 50% Mourvèdre, 25% Cinsault and 25% Grenache, this wine is bursting with the fresh, crisp citrus notes we expect from Provence style roses, plus a little extra heft. The acidity is bolstered with weightier notes of dark berries and stone fruits like nectarines. It has a light, slightly bitter finish that reminds me of a squeeze of a grapefruit rind. It’s an approachable, happy medium between a crisp Provence rose and a weightier Bandol.”
 

This is the lowest price on the West Coast!
Average Price is $23