Vinopolis Newsletter – Friday 11/24/2023

 

Italy

Luigi Baudana Barolo Baudana 2018 750ml WAS 84.50 NOW $69 special, 36+ bottles available
Wine Advocate 94 Points
Monica Larner – Wine Advocate 94 Points “With fruit from Serralunga d’Alba, the 2018 Barolo Baudana is a very different wine when compared to the other single-vineyard expressions from this estate. This has to do with site and soil, and in the case of this celebrated subzone, the wines are always more powerful, more structured and mineral-driven. Dark fruit is followed by rusty notes of iron ore and crushed clay. This wine offers good substance both in terms of finish and texture. Cascina Adelaide does a great job with the Baudana”.

Luigi Baudana Barolo Cerretta 2018 750ml WAS $79 NOW $69 special, 36+ bottles available
Vinous 93 Points “The 2018 Barolo Cerretta is a potent, searing wine, its mid-weight structure notwithstanding. Scorching tannins wrap around a core of dark red/black fruit, gravel, smoke, crushed rocks, menthol, licorice and game. The 2018 is going to need a number of years to come around and for those formidable tannins to soften.”
 
Caiarossa Aria di Caiarossa Toscana 2015 750ml WAS $33 NOW $29, 36 Bottles Available
Wine Advocate 92 Points “The selection of grapes in this blend has changed a bit, with much younger vines of Syrah, older Alicante vines, filled out by Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2015 Aria di Caiarossa goes through 20% new oak and shows a nice richness and velvety mouthfeel. It is immediate and exuberant and a bit sweeter than past vintages.”
 
Musto Carmelitano Aglianico Vulture Maschitano 2017 750ml WAS $19 NOW $16 Special, 16 Bottles Available
Vinous 92+ Points “The 2017 Aglianico del Vulture Maschitano Rosso lifts from the glass with a rich and darkly alluring mix of crushed plums and blackberries complemented by nuances of lavender, violets and a dusting of exotic spice. While silky, almost creamy in feel, there’s a core of saline-minerals and bright acidity that adds riveting tension, as tart wild berries mix with a twang of sour citrus and wild herbal tones. This thrilling, young Aglianico finishes long and lightly structured, keeping the energy high with a sweet-and-sour tug of dark fruits and hints of blood orange that linger impossibly long.”
 
Dal Forno Romano Amarone 2011 750ml WAS $369 NOW $299 6 bottles available
Decanter 99 Points “The strongest wine in my selection, yet this magnificent Amarone’s alcohol is barely visible thanks to its astonishing depth, texture and sumptuousness. Pressed black fruits seep with fruit essences; smoke and cinders; herbal complexities; teasing floral notes, all engraved into a palate that expresses creamy finesse but without a trace of superfluous fat, heat or obviousness. Beautifully crafted, as dignified as any grand Barolo.”
 
San Giusto A Rentennano Percarlo Toscana IGT 2016 750ml WAS $199  NOW $179 Special, 22 bottles available
Vinous 99 Points “The 2016 Percarlo captures all of the beauty it has always shown in the cellar. Pliant, silky and exceptionally polished, the 2016 simply has it all. Freshly cut flowers, rose petal, mint, spice and blood orange add striking aromatic nuance to a core of brilliant Sangiovese fruit. Powerful and ample, with superb aromatic lift, the 2016 Percarlo is exceptionally beautiful and moving from the very first taste. A whole range of floral and mineral notes extend the finish effortless. The tannins need time to soften, so readers should plan on at least a few years of cellaring. In a word: compelling.”
 
Cantina Horus Corda Pazza Rosso 2020 750ml WAS $29 NOW $24 special, 20 bottles available
Importer Notes “Giuseppe used a third each of Nero d’Avola, Frappato, and Syrah and aged the wine only in tank to preserve its freshness and soil character. For those accustomed to bigger, darker, sappier expressions of Nero d’Avola (many in the ’90s and 2000s aimed for Shiraz-level intensity), this will be a revelation: It is medium-bodied, silky, and bright, more Burgundian in scale but resolutely Mediterranean in its flavor profile.”
 
Siro Pacenti Brunello Pelagrilli 2018 750ml WAS $59 NOW $49 Special, 29 Bottles Available
Wine Advocate 94 Points “In an elegantly designed bottle, the Siro Pacenti 2018 Brunello di Montalcino Pelagrilli delivers lots of dark fruit and blackberry, and the quality of the fruit is bold, fresh and still very much alive. The house style prizes concentration and oak spice, but the detailed-minded winemaking is impeccable. The wine is structured and firm and stands apart in a crowd, but alas, it does show an unfortunate 15% alcohol content.”
 
Giovanni Rosso Comune di Serralunga Barolo 2016 750ml WAS $59 NOW $49 Special, 22 bottles available
Wine Enthusiast 96 Points “Iris, woodland-berry and pine-forest aromas shape the nose. On the focused, vibrant palate, mint and star anise notes accent a core juicy Marasca cherry. Taut polished tannins and bright acidity provide balance and a firm lithe structure.”

GD Vajra Barolo Bricco Delle Viole 2018 750ml WAS $79 NOW $69 Special, 14 bottles available
#9 Top 100 Cellar Selections 2022 – Wine Enthusiast
Wine Enthusiast 95 Points “Cellar Selection. Heady aromas of violet, camphor, leather and tobacco lead the way on this fragrant red. On the palate, tightly knit, fine-grained tannins accompany ripe Marasca cherry, crushed raspberry and licorice. Fresh acidity keeps it balanced. Drink 2025–2035.”
 
Castello di Volpaia Balifico Toscana IGT 2018 750ml WAS $85  NOW $74.50 Special, 25 Bottles Available
Vinous 96 Points “The 2018 Balifico, Volpaia’s Sangiovese/ Cabernet Sauvignon blend, is fabulous. Rich and inky, the 2018 offers up a compelling mélange of dark berry fruit, dark spice, licorice and espresso. I especially admire the wine’s textural richness. I imagine the 2018 will drink well for many, many years to come. In this tasting it is a total knock-out.”
 

 

 
Aldo Conterno Barolo Bussia 2017 750ml WAS $89 NOW $79 special, 4 bottles available
Wine Advocate 92 Points 
 
Aldo Conterno Barolo Cicala 2017 750ml WAS $179 NOW $149, 6 bottles available
Wine Spectator 95 Points
 
Aldo Conterno Barolo Colonnello 2017 750ml WAS $179 NOW $149, 9 bottles available
Wine Advocate 94+ Points
 
Luigi Baudana Barolo Serralunga 2018 750ml WAS $59 NOW $51.50 special, 19 bottles available
Vinous 91 Points
 
Cantina del Pino Barbaresco Albesani 2017 750ml WAS $59 NOW $49 special, 15 bottles available
Wine Advocate 94 Points
 
Cantina del Pino Barbaresco Ovello 2017 750ml WAS $59 NOW $49 special, 9 bottles available
Wine Advocate 94+ Points
 
Gaja Rossj Bass Chardonnay Langhe 2019 750ml WAS $79 NOW $59 27 Bottles Available
Gaja Rossj Bass Chardonnay Langhe 2019 Case of 6 750ml bottles WAS $419 NOW $333 (that’s $55.50 per bottle)
 
Franco Serra Barbaresco 2018 750ml WAS $33 NOW $29 special, 11 bottles available
James Suckling 91 Points
 
Marcarini Barolo Brunate 2015 750ml WAS $69 NOW $59 special, 21 bottles available
Wine Enthusiast 96 Points
 
Paitin Barbaresco Serraboella 2018 750ml WAS $41.90  NOW $38, 31 bottles available
Wine Advocate 94 Points
 
Paitin Barbaresco Sori Paitin 2018 750ml WAS $59 NOW $49 special, 36+ bottles available
Wine Advocate 95 Points
 
Pian Dell’orino Brunello Bassolino Sopra 2010 750ml WAS $599 NOW $499 special, 1 bottle still available
Wine Advocate 100 Points
 
Proprieta Sperino Lessona 2016 750ml WAS $79 NOW $69 special, 2 bottles available

Proprieta Sperino L’franc Bandit 2016 750ml WAS $119 NOW $99 special, 10 bottles available

Rizzi Barbaresco Riserva Boito 2015 750ml WAS $99  NOW $89 special, 12 bottles available
Wine Enthusiast 96 Points
 
Rizzi Barbaresco Nervo 2017 750ml WAS $59  NOW $49 special,6 bottles available
Wine Enthusiast 95 Points 
 
Giovanni Rosso Cerretta Barolo 2016 750ml WAS $89 NOW $79 special, 22 bottles available
Wine Enthusiast 97 Points
 
GD Vajra Barolo Bricco delle Viole 2017 750ml WAS $78 NOW $69 special, 25 bottles available
Jeb Dunnuck 96 Points 
 
GD Vajra Barolo Coste di Rose 2018 750ml WAS $62.50 NOW $57.50 special, 26 bottles available
Vinous 92 Points 
 
Vietti Barolo Cerequio 2018 750ml WAS $219 NOW $199 special, 7 bottles available
Vinous 97 Points 

 
Caiarossa Toscana Rosso 2016 750ml WAS $66 NOW $59 special, 24 bottles available
Wine Advocate 96 Points
 
Corsini Marsiliana Maremma Toscana 2015 750ml WAS $36 $NOW $33 Special, 36+ Bottles Available
Wine Advocate 95 Points 
 
Isole E Olena Chianti Classico Gran Selezione 2015 WAS $249 NOW $219, 6 bottles
Vinous 96+ Points
 
La Fortuna Brunello Di Montalcino 2017 750ml WAS $59 NOW $49 special, 30 bottles available
Wine Advocate 93 Points 
 
La Gerla Brunello Riserva Gli Angeli 2015 750ml WAS $99 NOW $89 special, 13 bottles available
Wine Spectator 96 Points 
 
Mastrojanni Brunello Vigna Loreto 2015 750ml WAS $125 NOW $115 special, 23 bottles available
Monica Larner-Wine Advocate 96 Points
 
Rocca Di Castagnoli Gran Selezione Stielle 2016 750ml WAS $49  NOW $49 special, 35 bottles available
Antonio Galloni 95 Points
 
Rocca Di Montegrossi Vin Santo 2009 375ml WAS $89  NOW $79 special, 22 bottles available
Vinous 94 Points
 
Tua Rita Toscana Giusto di Notri 2015 750ml WAS $79  NOW $69 special, 18 bottles available
James Suckling 96-97 Points
 

 

 
Ulysses Vineyard Cabernet Oakville Napa 2018 750ml WAS $169 NOW $145 special, 13 bottles available
Jeb Dunnuck 99 Points “Just about pure perfection and the finest wine I’ve tasted from this address, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon is mostly Cabernet Sauvignon yet includes smaller amounts of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, all from a site just north of Dominus. This deep, inky hued beauty offers up a beautiful, full-bodied, richly textured, and incredibly concentrated style that carries ample black and blue fruit as well as notes of crushed stone, scorched earth, graphite, and lead pencil. It has the focused, structured style of the 2018 vintage and is going to benefit from 4-6 years (if not a decade) of bottle age and will be a 30+ year wine.”
James Suckling 98 Points “Aromas of terra cotta, chocolate and hazelnut with iron and ink. Dusty. Full-bodied and round. Layered. Flamboyant and juicy. Rather soft and gorgeous. Some walnut and chocolate at the end. Persistent. Always there. Drinkable now, but will age wonderfully.”
 
Caballus Cellars Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 2014 WAS $79  NOW $59 special, 23 bottles available
Paul Gregutt – Wine Enthusiast 95 Points “Co-winemakers Véronique Drouhin-Boss and Isabelle Dutartre call this “the story of our friendship in a bottle,” and what a fine bottle it is. It’s a full throttle wine, thoroughly expressing the richness and power of the best Oregon Pinot Noirs. Dense and detailed around potent black cherry fruit, it extends itself with lovely threads of toast and coffee, from fermentation with native yeasts, and aging in roughly one-third new French oak”
 
Caladan Cabernet Franc 2017 750ml WAS $219 NOW $199, 12 bottles available
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.”
 
Cayuse Impulsivo Tempranillo 2020 750ml WAS $133 NOW $119 special, 25 bottles available
James Suckling 95+ points; Jeb Dunnuck 94+ points “Tight and closed, with notions of bloody blue fruits, iodine, rose petals, and cedarwood, the 2020 Impulsivo hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a nicely balanced, layered mouthfeel, and ripe tannins that emerge on the finish. I like its concentration, and its tannins are polished and beautifully integrated, but this is in need of a solid 4-5 years of bottle age to show its full potential. It should have 20-25 years of overall longevity when all is said and done.”
 
Screaming Eagle The Flight 2019 750ml WAS $1099 NOW $999 special, 4 bottles available
James Suckling 99 Points “Extremely floral and aromatic with violets and lavender throughout. Black olives, too. It’s medium-to full-bodied with firm, very fine-grained tannins that run the length of the wine. Goes on for minutes. A greenish undertone comes out at the end with some spearmint, green tea and green olive. About two-thirds merlot. Best after 2028, but already stunning.”
 
Snowden Cabernet Brothers Vineyard Napa 2017 750ml WAS $75 NOW $66 special, 13 bottles available
Vinous 93+ Points “The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Brothers Vineyard is gorgeous. In this vintage, the Brothers has a bit more tannin and overall structure than normal, but in 2017 a power outage resulted in the wine staying in tank for an extra ten days. In the end, that looks to have been a help, as the 2017 offers a terrific combination of fruit density and structure, within the mid-weight style of the year at Snowden. This is a beguiling wine that may very well turn out to be a surprise in time. Super classic, old-school, medium-bodied wine with good depth and resonance alongside notes of black cherry, leather, tobacco, licorice and gravel.”
 

 
Hanna Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley 2020 750ml WAS $39 NOW $33 special, 20 bottles available
Wine Enthusiast 93 Points
 
Melka Estates CJ Napa Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 750ml WAS $79 NOW $69 special, 9 bottles available
Wine Spectator 91 Points
 
Ovum Rare Form For Love Nor Money 2020 750ml WAS $51.90 NOW $45 special, 7 bottles available

Postmark By Duckhorn Paso Robles Cabernet 2019 750ml WAS $18 NOW $16 special, 36+ bottles available
Wine Enthusiast 91 Point

Sine Qua Non The Inaugural Grenache 2003 750ml WAS $3,199 NOW $2,499 special, 1 bottle available
Jeb Dunnuck 100 Points
 
 

 
Bernard Baudry Chinon Le Domaine Rouge 2019 750ml WAS $26  NOW $21.90 special, 21 bottles
Vinous 90 Points “The 2019 Chinon Le Domaine provides excellent concentration of fruit while remaining light on its feet. As well as bright primary fruit, it offers smoky bacon, spice and medicinal characters. There’s lovely sappy texture on the finish, which Baudry puts down to the limestone soils of the Chinon plateau that typically grip the side of the mouth. You can enjoy this in its youth, but it has an additional element of seriousness that means its future will stretch out to the medium term.”
 
Bernard Baudry Chinon Clos Guillot 2020 750ml WAS $39  NOW $33 special, 18 bottles available
Vinous 93 Points “Hailing from the limestone-clay slopes on the outskirts of Chinon town, home to other famous vineyards like Clos de l’Olive and Chêne Vert, Le Clos Guillot 2020 offers a cloud of Cabernet Franc fruit with fine refreshing acidity. Savory, silken and seductive, the wine is flooded with a stream of acidity. It is a calm wine with a mass of chalky tannins that coat the palate reassuringly. The finish is long, quiet and scented with dark raspberries and spice. There is a minor complaint of a touch of dryness at the very end of this wine.”
 
Anne-Sophie Dubois Fleurie Les Labourons 2021 750ml WAS $39  NOW $33 special, 7 bottles available
Neal Martin-Vinous 90 Points “The 2021 Fleurie Les Labourons has a very pure and pretty bouquet that blossoms in the glass: black cherries, wilted iris petals, hints of blood orange -this is wonderful. The palate is medium-bodied with a slightly candied entry. It’s fleshy for a Fleurie, maybe just missing the delineation on the finish that Dubois can achieve in a more benevolent season. Yet this remains a quite delicious proposition.”
 
Domaine Du Tunnel Cornas 2018 750ml WAS $79 NOW $69 special, 31 bottles available
Jeb Dunnuck 95-97 Points “Readers looking for the essence of Cornas would do well to pick up a case of the 2018 Cornas. Deep purple, with a heavenly bouquet of blueberries, raspberries, crushed violets, olives, ground pepper, and gamey meats, this beauty hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a balanced, classy texture, building yet polished tannins, and a great finish. It’s a winner.”
 
Duclaux Cote Rotie Maison Rouge 2018 750ml WAS $79 NOW $69 special, 36+ bottles available
Joe Czerwinski-Wine Advocate 96 Points “From arguably the most famous lieu-dit in the southern portion of the appellation, the Duclaux brothers’ 2018 Cote Rotie Maison Rouge is a showstopper. Scents of violets, stone fruit, anise-like spice and mixed berries combine to create a complex nose, while the medium to full-bodied palate is concentrated yet supremely silky, smooth and charming, ending long and elegant. It’s a superb example of the generally softer, more elegant style found around Tupin et Semons.”
 
Monteillet Condrieu Chanson 2018 750ml WAS $69 NOW $59 special, 12 bottles available
Decanter 96 Points “Fresh, keen and tense, with lime marmalade and touches of bubblegum. There’s delicious richness and real depth to the fruit, delivering great concentration and lovely acidity. From lieu-dit Chanson and aged for 22 months in oak on the lees, Stéphane Montez explains that a long élevage like this helps to decrease alcohol levels, is better for ageing, stimulates complex tertiary flavours and means you can decrease sulfite levels as the wine is protected from oxidation by the lees.”

Remoissenet Chapelle Chambertin 2011 750ml WAS $249 NOW $219 special, 6 bottles available
Antonio Galloni 93+ Points
 
Vieux Telegraphe CDP La Crau Rouge 2018 1.5L WAS $199 NOW $179, 13 bottles available
James Suckling 96 Points “Traditionally dominated by clairette (45%) and grenache blanc (30%), then roussanne and bourboulenc. The vines average 50+ years and there’s a very restrained nose with dialed-back white-pear and chalk aromas with dried flowers, too. The palate has a super fresh, zippy feel and a long, juicy and attractive core of fresh, salty minerals. The balance is innate and very fluid.”
 
Vatan Sancerre Clos Neore 2016 750ml WAS $499 NOW $389 special, 2 bottles available
Vinous 98 Points “Almost Riesling-like in its firm yet fine personality, its unswerving purity and its clear translation of place … It offers exceptional concentration while being light bodied and provides a steely core of acidity, keeping the wine together and powering on.”
 

 
Astruc d’A Malbec 2019 750ml WAS $16  NOW $11.90 special, 17 bottles available
Astruc d’A Malbec 2019 Case of 12 750ml bottles WAS $179  NOW $128 special, 5 bottles available
 
Beau Buisson Bordeaux Rouge 2020 750ml WAS $16  NOW $11.90 special, 12 bottles available
Beau Buisson Bordeaux Rouge 2020 case of 12 750ml bottles WAS $149  NOW $119 special, 5 bottles available
Silver Medal Gilbert & Gaillard International Challenge
 
Bigonneau Reuilly Rouge 2019 750ml WAS $17 NOW $14, 28 bottles available
Bigonneau Reuilly Rouge 2019 Case of 12 bottles available WAS $179 NOW $149 special, 3 bottles available
   
La Chablisienne Chablis L’Homme Mort 1er Cru 2019 750ml WAS $39 NOW $34.50 special, 13 bottles available
 
Philippe Colin St Aubin Les Combes 1er Cru 2017 WAS $59  NOW $49 special, 14 bottles available
Wine Spectator 93 Points
 
Garreliere Le Rouge Des Cornus Touraine 2018 750ml WAS $24 NOW $21.90, 11 bottles available
 
Domaine d’Henri Chablis L’Homme Mort Vielles Vignes 2017 750ml WAS $47.50 NOW $41.90 special, 10 bottles available

Mourat Collection Val De Loire Rose 2021 750ml WAS $18 NOW $14 special, 6 bottles available
 
Mourat Grenouillere Negrette Rouge 2020 750ml WAS $26 NOW $21.90, 24 bottles available
 
Vatan Sancerre Clos Neore 2018 1.5L WAS $799 NOW $699 special, 2 bottles available
Vinous 96 points 

Vatan Sancerre Clos Neore 2010 750ml WAS $499 NOW $399 special, 1 bottles available
Wine Advocate 95 Points
 
Vieux Telegraphe CDP Telegramme 2019 750ml WAS $49 NOW $45 special, 35 bottles available
Vinous 93 Points
 
 

 
Bodegas Maranones 30,000 Maravedies 2016 750ml WAS $24 NOW $20.90 special, 21 bottles available
Wine Advocate 91+ Points “The fully developed, aromatic and open 2016 30.000 Maravedíes, with nice aromatics and a very pleasant palate. It’s fragrant and elegant, with pungent flavors and very good persistence. This is a superb showing for this bottling.”
 
Daniel Landi Las Uvas De La Ira 2018 750ml WAS $39 NOW $31.90 special, 32 bottles available
Wine Advocate 93 Points “This is a little less aromatic and more austere but very focused and bright, from a village where the wines are serious and have a chalky texture, less floral but more citrus, a bit more backward. It has a compact palate, with very fine tannins and a more chalky finish. It’s interesting to taste it next to wines from other villages, as you clearly see the difference.”
 
Bodegas Maranones 30,000 Maravedies 2016 750ml WAS $24  NOW $20.90 special, 21 bottles available
Wine Advocate 91+ Points “The fully developed, aromatic and open 2016 30.000 Maravedíes, with nice aromatics and a very pleasant palate. It’s fragrant and elegant, with pungent flavors and very good persistence. This is a superb showing for this bottling. 39,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in July 2017.” -Luis Gutierrez

Bodegas Muga Seleccion Especial Rioja 2018 750ml WAS $44 NOW $39 special, 16 bottles available
Wine Advocate 94 Points “2018 was a cooler vintage, with a fairly long maturation, which made the wines somewhat fresher and less alcoholic, as showcased by the 2018 Selección Especial, a classical blend of the four red varieties from Rioja, Tempranillo, Garnacha, Mazuelo and Graciano with contained ripeness (14.05% alcohol) and good freshness. It fermented in oak casks with indigenous yeasts and matured in French oak barrels, 40% of them new, for 26 months. They were not very happy with the vintage and had to sort and discard, but as they didn’t produce Prado Enea, Torre Muga or Haro, those grapes went into this wine. They are reluctant about 2018, but I think it was a vintage capable of the best and the worst, and this 2018 is floral, expressive and elegant. It’s medium to full- bodied, with very fine, chalky tannins, combining power and elegance. Amazing! 187,200 bottles produced. It was bottled in January 2021.”
 
Nin-Ortiz Planetes De Nin Priorat 2017 750ml WAS $49 NOW $44.50 special, 36+ bottles available
Wine Advocate 95 Points “The 2017 Planetes de Nin comes from the four hectares of 20-year-old Garnacha and 11-year-old Cariñena in the Planetes vineyard in Porrera at 450 meters in altitude. It’s 60% Garnacha (some of it Peluda) and the rest Cariñena, harvested early. It fermented with indigenous yeasts and matured in 3,200-liter oak vats and one 1,000-liter amphora for 17 months. It has depth and harmony, and the vines are getting older and seem to be better and better balanced. This is not that different from the 2016; it feels quite stable and has its style and character, especially since the 2015 vintage. 9,704 bottles were filled in April 2019.”
 
Nit De Nin Mas D’en Cacador Priorat 2017 750ml WAS $99 NOW $89 special, 36+ bottles available
Wine Advocate 97+ Points “The 2017 Nit de Nin Mas d’en Caçador is a vintage they talk about like this: “We will remember this vintage as one of the most extreme of the decade, along with that of 2012. It is in years like these that the work we do in the field is rewarded. In spite of the climatic exceptionality, we have acidity and pH that seem like a miracle to us. Our vines did not suffer the severe frosts of this 2017.” The wine has lower alcohol than the 2016 but the same pH of 3.3; insultingly young and tender, it doesn’t feel like the wine had a long élevage in oak. It has kept very good freshness and great balance. It’s tasty, pungent and long, with power and elegance and all the components to develop nicely in bottle.”
 
Pingus Dominio De Pingus 2019 750ml WAS $1,199 NOW $1,049 special, 3 bottles available
Wine Advocate 99 Points “I tasted the bottled 2019 Pingus two weeks after bottling. Even at this early stage and after the operation, the wine is super harmonious and elegant. They really outdid themselves here and produced an amazingly fresh, aromatic and harmonious wine in a warm vintage. It’s incredibly textured, with refined, very fine-grained and chalky tannins. It’s very balanced, and there’s no excess of anything; it has 14% alcohol, perfect ripeness and a velvety mouthfeel. It gets more floral with time in the glass, getting nuanced and really interesting. It delivers what the barrel sample promised one year ago, when the wine already surprised me. I think the word that best describes this wine is precision—it’s clean, focused, balanced and delineated. Bravo!”
 
Benjamin Romeo La Vina Andres Romeo 2004 750ml WAS $199 NOW $179 special, 6 bottles available
Wine Advocate 98 Points “There are a mere 200 bottles of the 2004 La Vina de Andres Romeo. This wine is tightly wound and remains an infant developmentally. Nevertheless, all the ingredients for greatness are present but it will take a decade of cellaring for them to be full expressed. This sensational effort should easily drink well for 40-50 years like a great first growth Bordeaux.”
 

 
Avancia Mencia Vielle Vignes 2019 750ml WAS $31.90  NOW $29 special, 14 bottles available
 
Palacio Quemado La Zarcita Extremadura 2018 WAS $19 NOW $16 special, 13 bottles available
Vinous 91 Points
 
 

 
Emrich-Schonleber Fruhtau Riesling Trocken 2020 750ml WAS $41.90 NOW $33 special, 36+ bottles available
Wine Advocate 93 Points “The 2020 Monzingen Riesling trocken Frühtau comes from younger vines in the Frühlingsplätzchen and opens with a clear, fine and reductive bouquet with coolish stony and herbal notes. Crystalline and very elegant on the palate, this is a tight, straight and still challenging, very mineral dry Riesling that will benefit from longer bottle aging. The finish is long and enormously salty. A wine to keep.”

Emrich-Schonleber Halenberg TBA Riesling 2018 375ml WAS $299 NOW $249 special, 21 Bottles Available
Wine Advocate 98+ Points “The 2018 Halenberg Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese is incredibly pure and aromatic on the nose where super ripe but clear peach aromas are displayed. Extremely rich and refined on the palate, this is a ripe, terribly sweet but refined, fresh and salty-piquant TBA with a stimulating finish. A fabulous wine.”

Karlsmuhle Kaseler Nies’ Chen Auslese LGC 17 750ml WAS $41.90 NOW $33 special, 22 bottles available
James Suckling 93 Points “Stand back as this riesling fireball arrives! Full of energy with a dynamic interplay of citrusy acidity and aromatic sweetness, which ranges from peaches and blackcurrants to mint. With more length, this would have been rated even higher. Drink or hold.”

Molitor Ockfener Bockstein Spatlese WK 2018 750ml WAS $31.90 NOW $28 special, 32 bottles available
93 Points Decanter “Here we jump to an iconic Saar site, defined by Devonian slate, greywacke, some quartzitic sandstone and steepness. Wet stone, white currant, yellow apple and some lemon combine in a lovely vision of freshness. This is bright but even in this iconic Saar vineyard the warmth of 2018 is apparent. Yet the stoniness cuts through and leaves us with that lovely, racy zestiness we all crave from Riesling. These citrus notions linger and will you to take another sip. Wonderful.”
 
Molitor Urziger Wurzgarten  Auslese**  Trocken 2017 750ml WAS $69 NOW $49 special, 36+ bottles available
Wine Advocate 96+ Points “Bottled with moderate 11% alcohol, the 2017 Riesling Ürziger Würzgarten Auslese ** (White Capsule) is crystalline and super precise on the clear and flinty nose that exhibits crunchy, iron-rich stone and lime zest aromas. It is lean and fresh but dense and intense on the palate, with ripe, round and concentrated Riesling fruit, some sweetness and refined acidity. This is an elegant, highly finessed and stimulating Würzgarten with a lingering, salty-piquant finish. This wine pairs its moderate alcohol level with great complexity and mineral tension.”
 
Max Ferd. Richter Juffer Sonnenuhr Auslese 2018 750ml WAS $49 NOW $39 special, 34 bottles available
Wine Advocate 96-97 Points “The 2018 Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese is very fine, concentrated and beautifully clear, with blossom honey and very fine berry aromas on the nose. (The 20% to 25% of botrytis is very clear and precise, almost imperceptible.) Lush and piquant on the palate, this is a generous but highly digestible Auslese with orange, raisin and (pink) grapefruit flavors. The finish is incredibly racy-piquant, salty and highly digestible. This is still a baby, but it is highly promising.”
 
Selbach-Oster Estate Riesling Feinherb 2019 750ml WAS $21.90  NOW $17.50 special, 31 bottles available
Winery Note “Selbach-Oster Rieslings are not ‘Zeitgeist’-trendy wines that change according to the whims of fashion. Nor are they ‘made’ according to a recipe. Though they are deeply delicious, they do not seek to ‘seduce’ with short-term exotic aromas from specially cultured yeasts, aromatic enzymes or ice-cold fermentations.”
 
Stein Cabernet Sauvignon Vom Berg 2018 750ml WAS $49 NOW $39 special, 14 bottles available
Importer note “Steep slate soils; sourced from multiple vineyards throughout the village; 25 yo vines; élevage in old barriques.”

 
Emrich-Schonleber Halenberg Spatlese Riesling 2018 750ml WAS $41.90 NOW $33 special, 18 bottles available
Vinous 93 Points
 
Emrich-Schonleber Monzinger Kabinett Riesling 2018 750ml WAS $28  NOW $21.90 special, 17 Bottles available
Vinous 90 Points 
 
Emrich Schonleber Riesling Lenz 2020 750ml WAS $28  NOW $21.90 special, 15 bottles available
Stuart Pigott 93 points 

Karlsmuhle Kaseler Nies’chen Kabinett 2019 750ml WAS $19 NOW $16 special, 30 bottles available
 
Karlsmuhle Lorenzhofer TBA 2007 375ml WAS $119 NOW $99, 22 bottles available
93+ Points Wine Advocate
 
Kruger-Rumpf Abtei “1937” Riesling (Reserv) 2018 750ml WAS $39 NOW $33 special, 36+ bottles available
Grapelive 94-96 Points
 
J.H. Selbach Zelt Himmelreich Riesling Kabinett 2019 750ml WAS $18  NOW $14 special, 36+ bottles
 
Max Ferd. Richter Veld Elisenberg Spatlese 2018 750ml WAS $29 NOW $24 special, 30 bottles available
Wine Advocate 94-96 Points 
 
Max Ferd. Richter Juffer Sonnenuhr GG 2018 750ml WAS $45 NOW $36 special, 26 bottles available
James Suckling 94 Points

Loewen Thornicher Ritsch Riesling Auslese 2018 750ml WAS $44 NOW $36, 13 bottles available
Mosel Fine Wines 94 Points
 
Molitor Graacher Himmelreich Auslese** GK 2019 750ml WAS $59 NOW $49 special, 22 bottles available
Wine Advocate 96+ Points
 
Molitor Graach Himmelreich Auslese*** Green 2018 750ml WAS $125 NOW $99 special, 24 bottles available
Wine Advocate 97 Points
 
Muller-Catoir Burgergarten Breumel Auslese 2015 375ml WAS $49 NOW $39, 36+ bottles available
Wine Advocate 96 Points

Muller-Catoir Burgergarten Riesling Spatlese 2017 750ml WAS $31.90 NOW $28 special, 25 bottles available
James suckling 95 Points

Muller-Catoir Haardt Riesling Trocken 2018 750ml WAS $26 NOW $21.90 special, 36+ bottles available
Stuart Pigott 93 Points
 
Selbach-Oster Zelt Schlossberg Riesling GG 2019 750ml WAS $44.50  NOW $37.50 special, 31 bottles available
James Suckling 94 Points 

Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Schlossberg Riesling Kabinett 2019 750ml $22.50 special, WAS $29  NOW $22.50, 36+ bottles available
Wine Advocate 93 Points
 
Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Sonnenhuhr Riesling Beerenauslese 2018 375ml WAS $79  NOW $69
special, 22 bottles available
Wine Advocate 97 Points
 
Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese** 2017 750ml WAS $59  NOW $49 special, 33 bottles available
Wine Advocate 96 Points
 
Selbach-Oster Bern Badstube Riesling Spatlese 2019 750ml WAS $33  NOW $28 special, 36+ bottles
Wine Advocate 93 Points
 
Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Schlossberg Schmitt Auslese 2021 750ml WAS $69  NOW $59 special, 16 bottles available
Wine Advocate 95-96 Points
 
Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Riesling Kabinett Trocken 2019 750ml WAS $28  NOW $21.90 special, 36+ bottles available
Mosel Fine Wines 90 Points 
 
Spreitzer Winkeler Jesuitgarten Spatlese 2018 750ml WAS $28   NOW $24 special 15 bottles available
Wine Spectator 90 Points 

Spreitzer Oestricher Lenchen “303” Riesling Spatlese 2018 750ml WAS $49   NOW $39 special, 7 bottles available
Wine Spectator 92 Points 

Spreitzer Wisselbrunnen Riesling GG 2018 750ml WAS $49   NOW $39 special, 2 bottles available
Wine Advocate 92+ Points 
 
 

 
Barr-Eden Estate Dreams Of Gold Shiraz 2020 750ml WAS $39  NOW $33 special, 36+ bottles available
Joe Czerwinski-Wine Advocate 90 Points “A new addition to the lineup, the 2020 Dreams of Gold Shiraz comes from relatively young vines, planted in 1997 and 2013. Aged in older French oak, it boasts scents of “Eden Valley garrigue”—notes that suggest eucalyptus, bay leaf and wild thyme—set against a backdrop of blueberries. Less intense and concentrated than the other bottlings, it’s still medium to full-bodied, suave and silky in feel, with a clean, mouthwater
 
Vaglio Blanco Tupungato 2020 750ml WAS $16  NOW $14 special, 36+ bottles available
Vaglio Blanco Tupungato 2020 Case of 12 750ml  WAS $169  NOW $149 special, 4 cases available
Brazos Wine Importer Note “This is a blend of 90% Chardonnay and 10% Semillon from El Peral in the Uco Valley, Mendoza. The nose is lively and bright with notes of green apple, pear, whites flowers, and a little green pea. The palate is well balanced with dense fruit and crisp acid.”
 
Vaglio Chacra Malbec 2018 750ml WAS $16 NOW $14 special, 36+ bottles available
Vaglio Chacra Malbec 2018 Case of 12 750ml bottles WAS $169 NOW $149 special, 4 cases available
James Suckling 93 Points “A dense, compact malbec with intense, blackberry and wet-earth character. Full body. Creamy texture. Tangy and delicious on the finish. Ends with green tobacco and tar. Excellent.”
 
Vaglio Temple Malbec 2018 750ml WAS $16 NOW $14 special, 36+ bottles available
Vaglio Temple Malbec 2018 Case of 12 750ml WAS $169 NOW $149 special,3 cases bottles available
James Suckling 93 Points “This is always a delicious red with lots of crushed-berry and walnut character. Full-bodied, dense and juicy. Lots of old-vine character. Succulent.”

 

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!