Vinopolis Newsletter – Wednesday 11/29/2023

New Arrivals
 
Champagne
 
“Champagne Suenen”

 
Suenen Oiry Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut, Champagne NV 3L $599 special, just 1 bottle available!
3 liters; Vendages 2009 / 08 / 07; Disgorgement 2/11/2013.
Not reviewed, 2018 disgorgement review provided for reference
William Kelley-Wine Advocate 92 Points “Including 50% reserve wines, Suenen’s NV Extra-Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Oiry (2018 base) offers up inviting aromas of sweet orchard fruits, dried white flowers, baking spices and fresh bread. Medium to full-bodied, racy and vibrant, with a fleshy core of fruit, excellent concentration and a sapid finish, it’s a terrific effort from one of the new stars of Champagne.”
Importer’s Notes “A single Cru bottling from Oiry located next to Cramant, originally the fruit from this site was blended along with what goes into the C+C bottling to produce a straight Blanc de Blancs. The single cru bottlings reflect Aurélien’s terroir driven focus of highlighting the uniqueness between all his plots. Fermented in neutral oak & enamel lined steel vats and aged around 9 months in neutral oak foudre, demi-muids & concrete eggs, and a further 2 years on the lees in bottle under cork.”
 

 
Chartogne-Taillet Cuvee Orizeaux Blanc de Noirs Extra Brut, Champagne 2010 750ml $249 special, 3 bottles available
 
Chartogne-Taillet Cuvee Orizeaux Blanc de Noirs Extra Brut, Champagne 2012 750ml $219 special, 2 bottles available
Vinous 94 points “The NV (2012) Extra-Brut Cuvée Orizeaux is Chartogne’s Pinot Noir Champagne from a parcel originally planted in 1961. The Orizeaux manages to somehow be both translucent and deep. Surprisingly bright and focused, the 2012 offers quite a bit of aromatic lift and intensity throughout. White orchard fruit, white flowers and lemon peel are nicely delineated. The flavor profile is more like Chardonnay, while the structure and phenolic impression are, indeed, those of Pinot. What a gorgeous wine this. Disgorged: February 2016. Dosage is 5 grams per Liter.”
 

 

 
Marc Hebrart Noces de Craie 2012 750ml $125 special, 5 bottles available
Wine Advocate 94 points “Another new cuvée for Hébrart debuts with the 2012 Extra Brut Blanc de Noirs Grand Cru Noces de Craie, a bottling sources from Ay that has only been produced in good years for Pinot Noir: so far, 2012, 2015, 2016 and 2018. Offering up aromas of red berries, minty pear, clear honey and spices, it’f full-bodied, broad and concentrated, with a powerful but reserved profile that prophesies and exciting future, concluding with a chalky, mineral finish.”
 

Lowest listed price on the West Coast today!
 
Burgundy
 

Domaine Faiveley Les Cazetiers, Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru 2011 750ml $179 special, 2 bottles available
Burghound 92 points “An extremely pretty, cool, pure and layered nose features notes of humus, earth, animale, stone and cool red and dark berry fruit aromas. I very much like the mouth feel to the tautly muscled, intense and powerful flavors that possess real drive on the moderately structured and well-balanced finish that delivers exceptionally good length. Despite the relative firmness of the finish this is already relatively accessible and with an hour or so of air could even be enjoyed now though there is ample upside development potential remaining. In short, this is a lovely effort.”
International Wine Cellar 92-94 points “Good bright, full red. Knockout perfume of raspberry and rose petal offers an element of lift that I associate more with Clos Saint-Jacques. Then sappy and vibrant in the mouth, with outstanding purity and salty intensity to the flavors of red fruits and blood orange. Utterly fine-grained premier cru with perfectly harmonious acidity. The very long, rising finish features terrific floral, mineral lift. A great Cazetiers in the making.”
 

 
Domaine Henri Boillot Les Caillerets, Volnay Premier Cru 2011 750ml $119 special, 4 bottles available
Burghound 94 points“Bright, dark red. Ripe, deep, multifaceted nose offers black cherry, raspberry, licorice, earth, gunflint and smoky minerality. Much denser than the Chevrets, showing terrific concentration and balance to its dark fruit, mineral and spice flavors. Finishes spicy, chewy and very long, with serious fine-grained tannins and sexy hints of pepper and herbs. Really perfectly integrated acidity here. This was a knockout from barrel a year ago and has been bottled with its tightly coiled spring intact.”
Vinous 93+ points “Bright, dark red. Ripe, deep, multifaceted nose offers black cherry, raspberry, licorice, earth, gunflint and smoky minerality. Much denser than the Chevrets, showing terrific concentration and balance to its dark fruit, mineral and spice flavors. Finishes spicy, chewy and very long, with serious fine-grained tannins and sexy hints of pepper and herbs. Really perfectly integrated acidity here. This was a knockout from barrel a year ago and has been bottled with its tightly coiled spring intact.”
 

 
Joseph Drouhin Gevrey-Chambertin, Cote de Nuits 2011 750ml $69 special, 5 bottles available
Burghound “*Outstanding* Here the nose mixes notes of upper and lower register aromas with cool red currant scents contrasting against plum, earth and humus nuances. There is a relatively sophisticated mouth feel to the lightly mineral-infused medium weight flavors that possess excellent punch on the balanced, complex and impressively persistent finish. This offers excellent quality for its level”
Wine Advocate “The 2011 Gevrey-Chambertin Village, which includes 20-30% Premier Cru fruit, has a lovely, very elegant bouquet with plenty of rounded raspberry and strawberry fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with a soft entry. It is slightly lower in acidity, very approachable and is bestowed a finish that slips down the throat. You’ll finish a bottle faster than you think.”
 

 
JF Mugnier Chambolle-Musigny, Cote de Nuits 2011 750ml $419 special, 3 bottles available
Vinous- Antonio Galloni “Mugnier’s 2011 Chambolle-Musigny boasts marvelous complexity and nuance. Sage, rosemary, dried flowers, graphite and black cherries form a complex mosaic of aromas and flavors in a wine of unusual complexity at this level. The 2011 is beautifully lifted, aromatic and impeccable in its balance.”
 

 

 
Solitude loves company… bring a bottle of this showstopper Rhône wine to your next Holiday gathering and be the most popular person at the party!
 
Domaine de la Solitude Chateauneuf-du-Pape Cuvee Barberini, Rhone 2019 750ml $69 special, 22 bottles available
Decanter 97 Points “The Lançon family’s history at Domaine de la Solitude dates back to the 15th century, with 17th-century links to Tuscany and even Popes (Barberini was the family name of Pope Urban VIII). This cuvée, aged mainly in barrique for 18 months, is made up of old-vine parcels of Grenache, Mourvèdre and Syrah, grown on the high alluvial terraces around the domaine. Matt Walls: The sweet clove oak is quite forthright for now, but should settle into the wine in time, and adds some structured tannins. Long finish. Will be very good in time. Tanguy Martin: Explosive nose, bright and intense with mixed spices, savoury and fruity notes. Firm and crunchy style, with a big hit of sweet spices on the finish. David Round: Beautifully aromatic, refined nose, with raspberry, black pepper and vanilla. Purity and velvety texture, precision and persistence. Elegant.”
James Suckling 96 Points “A seriously exotic nose of pomegranate, coconut and black leaf tea. Very concentrated and polished on the expansive palate, with as much vitality as richness, this currently impresses most at the super-long, silky finish. Still very young with excellent aging potential. Drink or hold.”
Jeb Dunnuck 94 Points “The 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Cuvée Barberini is more dense and modern in style, with beautiful cassis and blackberry fruits as well as peppery herbs, white flowers, and spice. Rich, full-bodied, and concentrated on the palate, with a great texture, it’s another powerful yet fresh, balanced wine from this impeccably run estate. Give it a few years. Despite it’s more modern style, it stays firmly planted in the Southern Rhône.”
Wine Spectator 94 Points “Seductive, with a mix of boysenberry, raspberry and fig preserve flavors laced with hints of anise, red tea and fruitcake. There’s a nice underlying juiciness and a flash of tar through the finish. Rock solid. Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. Best from 2024 through 2036. 600 cases made, 100 cases imported.”
 

Compare to an average listing price of $72!
 
Arriving Friday

 
Felsina Berardenga Vin Santo Chianti Classico, Tuscany 375ml $49 pre-arrival special
Wine Spectator 97 points “An exquisite Vin Santo, with aromas and flavors of brown butter, caramel, molasses, gingerbread and roasted walnut riding the vibrant structure. Impeccably balanced, with fine complexity and a long, resonant aftertaste. Malvasia, Trebbiano and Sangiovese. Drink now through 2040. 1,000 cases made, 600 cases imported.”
 
Paitin di Pasquero-Elia ‘Sori Paitin Serraboella’, Barbaresco DOCG 2020 750ml $57.50 pre-arrival special
Wine Spectator 95 points “Alluring aromas and flavors of cherry, raspberry, leafy underbrush, tar, iron and hay mark this luscious red, which is fresh and firm at once, with a chalky, minerally essence on the long finish. Best from 2026 through 2042. 974 cases made.”
 

 

 
Felsina Berardenga Fontalloro Toscana IGT, Tuscany 2020 750ml $66 pre-arrival special
Wine Spectator 95 points “A vibrant red, with fleeting aromas of lavender and wild rosemary mingling with cherry, orange peel, earth, mineral and tobacco flavors. On the elegant side, despite its youthful power, with excellent harmony, refined tannins and a long, complex aftertaste. Sangiovese. Best from 2026 through 2045. 3,800 cases made, 1,200 cases imported.”
 
Felsina Berardenga Rancia, Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG 2020 750ml $51.90 pre-arrival special
Wine Spectator 95 points “Intense, with complex flavors of cherry, blackberry, violet, mineral and leafy underbrush, this red is silky and verges on racy. Harmonious and persistent, with a long, resonant aftertaste that echoes red fruit, mineral and savory elements. Best from 2025 through 2045. 4,100 cases made, 1,800 cases imported.”
 

 
Weingut Willi Schaefer

Tradition And Refinement in Mosel

 

Weingut Willi Schaefer is one of the most renowned wine producers based in Graach, in the Mosel region of Germany. The Schaefer family has been making wine in this area since the 16th century, and is now considered one of the best producers in the Mosel, consistently receiving high scores from top wine periodicals.
 
The Schaefer family’s vineyards cover about 4 hectares and feature some of the steepest slopes in the region, creating a unique microclimate that allows for the production of exceptional sugar-dense grapes. While the estate has steadily increased its reputation over the centuries, it has not expanded its perimeter or branched out into new regions, allowing the family to obsess over and improve each single row over many generations.
 
Willi Schaefer wines are known for their purity and finesse, as well as their ability to age gracefully. The winemaking philosophy is centered around minimal intervention and allowing the terroir and the grapes to express themselves fully. The grapes are still hand-harvested and sorted, and all fermentation is allowed to occur naturally with the area’s wild yeasts. These wines are characterized by their delicate aromas of white flowers and citrus, vibrant acidity, and long, mineral-driven finishes.

Arriving December 5th
 

Willi Schaefer Graacher Riesling Trocken, Mosel 2022 750ml $34.50 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 93 points “Sourced predominantly in the Himmelreich and racked from the lees until March due to a slow fermentation of the dry and feinherb wines, the 2022 Graacher Riesling trocken opens with a clear, deep and flinty, still nicely reductive bouquet of ripe, aromatic and juicy yellow stone fruits. Bottled in late April, this is a round and elegant, mouth-filling, juicy and well-balanced Graacher with savory acidity and a stimulating, saline and citric finish. This is a gorgeous dry Riesling from Graach that didn’t suffer any heatwaves like in 2018, 2019 or 2020, although it was an extraordinarily warm and dry vintage. 11.5% stated alcohol. Screw-cap closure. Tasted in May 2023. Drink: 2023-2040.”
James Suckling 93 points “Lovely nose of lemon blossom and lemon curd. Lovely balance of restrained creaminess and bright acidity with intense wet stone minerality. Long light-footed finish with excellent balance. Drink or hold.”
 
Willi Schaefer Graacher Riesling Feinherb, Mosel 2022 750ml $34.50 pre-arrival special, just 6 bottles arriving
James Suckling 95 points “The freshness of spring and the fruits of fall. Astonishing finesse and slatey intensity for a village wine. Sleek and silky on the barely medium-bodied palate. Super-long and graceful finish that takes your breath away. Drink or hold. Screw cap. Inner quote mark (8/2023)”
Wine Advocate 92 points “Predominantly from the Himmelreich but from different parcels than its dry counterpart, the 2022 Graacher Riesling feinherb is bright and refined on the fresh and pure nose that reveals white peach aromas intertwined with discreetly flinty slate aromas. Round and lush on the palate, this is a quite intense and textured Graacher with ripe, elegant acidity, yet it (still?) doesn’t have the sharpness and precision of the dry Graacher. The finish is mouth-filling and fruity, though, and delicate in acidity, with good length. 10.5% stated alcohol. Screw-cap closure. Tasted in May 2023.(SR) Inner quote mark (5/2023)”
 
Willi Schaefer Graacher Domprobst Riesling Kabinett, Mosel 2022 750ml $49 pre-arrival special
James Suckling 98 points “The staggering nose of fresh pineapple invites you to a voyage to the tropics with their rich colors and lush vegetation. Then comes the no less amazing palate which is simultaneously extraordinary in concentration yet miraculously feather light. Great citrusy freshness, but it’s impossible to say which citrus fruit it is because it seems to flicker from Amalfi lemon to bergamot and then to pomelo, and on and on. Almost endless finish with the merest hint of unfermented grape sweetness. Drink or hold.”
Decanter 95 points “Balances perfectly the richness of the slate terroir with fresh, zesty fruit. Aromatics show slightly reduced notes of flint, pencil lead and streaks of graphite. The palate matches this intensity with flavours of crushed stone, graphite and spice, and a zesty hint of greengage. There is an overall ethereal character that gives it so much freshness and laser focus.”
Vinous 95 points “The 2022 Riesling Graacher Domprobst Kabinett #01 opens with an initial, enticing whiff of tart but fully ripe passion fruit and a clarity that speaks of whistle-clean fruit. The palate is sweet, clear, bright and vividly rich with rounded but precise fruit. Wonderfully clean, with a slightly richer fruit appeal, there’s utter juiciness and mid-weight on the palate. The finish tones this down with subtle zestiness, but the fruit remains full, rounded and sweet on the long finish.”
Wine Advocate 94 points “The 2022 Graacher Domprobst Riesling Kabinett is pure, cool and flinty on the deep, dark and discreet, more aristocratic nose compared to the Himmelreich. It is utterly complex and with bright shimmers in the darkness of the Domprobst due to the flavors of juicy Sicilian lemons. Round, lush and elegant on the palate, this is a highly refined and saline, beautifully balanced and weightless as well as seamless Kabinett with a savory finish. Perfect balance. 7.5% stated alcohol. Natural cork.”
 
Willi Schaefer Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Kabinett, Mosel 2022 750ml $47.50 pre-arrival special
James Suckling 95 points “Wonderful nose of spring meadows and ferns with delicate stone fruit aromas filling out the complex and very detailed picture. Astonishing silky elegance and a freshness that defies easy description, but makes us swoon. And in spite of the incredible depth this is so transparent and refined right through the very long finish. Drink or hold.”
Decanter 94 points “Great elegance and focus. The aromatics of lime zest and pronounced notes of spiced pear intermingle with notes of freshly cut nectarine. The Himmelreich is all about fruit character for the Schaefer wines. The palate is a blend of cardamom, nectarine flesh and honeyed pear. Its fleshy, textured fruit balances intensity with what Christoph calls ‘a light impression.”
Vinous 94 points “The 2022 Graacher Himmelreich Kabinett is a little subdued on the nose. The palate, however, is a tender veil of fruit: vivid citrus is expressed as tart lemon sorbet, gaining a slightly fuller sweetness and a hint of Mirabelle on the mid-palate. The lightness of the body is sensational, beguiling with lemony zestiness and brightness. This lightness is incredibly seductive.”
 
Willi Schaefer Graacher Himmelreich Spatlese 2022 750ml $59 pre-arrival special, only 6 bottles arriving!
James Suckling 96 points “Lovely nose of white peach with just a whisker of caramel. Also a wealth of white flowers. Simultaneously succulent and super-elegant thanks to the thread of slatey minerality that runs through this sensual beauty. The considerable power is so impeccably underplayed that you barely feel it. Very long, pristine finish. Drink or hold.”
Wine Advocate 96 points “Sourced in the same parcel as the legendary 1976 Auslese and picked rather early, the 2022 Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Spätlese opens with a clear, precise and elegant nose of white fruits and flinty notes of coolish crushed slate. Intense and lush on the palate, this is mouth-filling and charming, very long and mineral/saline Spätlese that doesn’t show exceptionally high acidity but a ripe one that is completely interwoven with the mineral/phenolic structure. This is a hedonistically juicy but weightless and finessed, stimulating and saline Spätlese from the Himmelreich, which didn’t produce an Auslese in 2022. All the fully ripe and golden berries went into the Spätlese. 7.5% stated alcohol. Natural cork. Tasted at the domaine in May 2023.”
 
Willi Schaefer Graacher Domprobst Riesling Spatlese #5, Mosel 2022 750ml $69 pre-arrival special, only 6 bottles arriving!
James Suckling 97 points “The astonishing precision of the exotic ripeness and enveloping floral aromas make this extremely concentrated 2022 Mosel Spatlese stand head and shoulders above the majority of the vintage. Then comes the fabulous wet stone freshness that drives the extremely long and totally cool finish. Great aging potential. Drink or hold.”
Wine Advocate 96 points “The 2022 Graacher Domprobst Riesling Spätlese #5 is the only one next to the Domprobst Spätlese reserved for the auction (AP 13), so the more classic AP 10 wasn’t been produced in 2022. The AP 5 Domprobst offers a very bright, clear, flinty and aristocratic nose that is still discreet and quite citric but most of all coolish and stony. On the palate, the wine becomes immediately hedonistic; it is round but refined and elegant, with great balance and a mouth-tickling, saline, crystalline and salivating finish. This is the Spätlese to be cellared, whereas the Himmelreich is already so seductive that it will be hard to forget it for a couple of years. The Domprobst is a classic that will surely improve with more bottle age. 7.5% stated alcohol. Natural cork.”
Vinous 96 points “The 2022 Riesling Graacher Domprobst Spätlese #13 immediately promises exquisite purity on the nose with white pepper and creamy apricot. The palate is wonderfully sweet and gentle but also shows grapefruit tanginess, spice and some white pepper. The lightness is astonishing. The combination of cream and pepper, both bathed in citrus, is vivid, unusual, but utterly beguiling. The finish is so balanced. Only heaven knows where the sweetness goes.”
Mosel Fine Wine 95 points “The 2022er Graacher Domprobst Riesling Spätlese is a sweet wine made from picked mainly in the Gerdsgrub and Nikolauslay. It offers a superb nose but still rather reduced nose made of pear, smoky-reductive elements, a hint of cassis and blackberry, and fresh herbs. The wine proves superbly playful and delicate on the palate and leaves a great feel of spices and ripeness in the long finish. This is a marvelous Spätlese in the making.”

 
Why wait? More Willi Schaefer wines available now:
 

Willi Schaefer Graacher Domprobst Riesling Auslese #11, Mosel 2018 750ml $89 special, 16 bottles available
John Gilman 95 Points “According to Christophe Schaefer, the 2018 Domprobst Auslese AP #11 has just a tiny touch of botrytis in it, as it has almost exclusively been produced from golden berries. The wine is truly stunning on both the nose and palate, with the bouquet soaring from the glass in a blaze of pear, yellow plum, fresh pineapple, a gorgeous base of slate, citrus blossoms, bee pollen and lilacs. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, focused and zesty, with a lovely core, great backend mineral drive and outstanding complexity and grip on the vibrant, snappy and electric finish. This is just beautiful Auslese! 2026-2085+. 95.”
 
Willi Schaefer Graach Domprobst Auslese #14, Mosel 2018 375ml $69 special, 18 bottles available
John Gilman 96 Points “The 2018 Domprobst Auslese AP #14 is also an outstanding wine in the making, with just a touch more fruit-driven personality than the AP #11 version. The bouquet is very expressive out of the blocks, offering up a gorgeous mix of pear, mirabelle, tangerine, slate, gentle notes of honeycomb and a topnote of citrus blossoms. On the palate the wine is pure, fullbodied and absolutely loaded with beautiful fruit on the attack and mid-palate, with a lovely undertow of slate, great focus and grip and a long, zesty and beautifully balanced finish. This is another breathtakingly beautiful Auslese from the estate in 2018! 2026-2085. 96.”
 
Schaefer Graacher Domprobst Spatlese #5, Mosel 2020 750ml $59 special, 9 bottles available
James Suckling 97 Points “Could a modern Mosel Spätlese be more classic than this? Stunningly ripe stone-fruit and floral character, married to considerable richness, with an almost buttery texture on the mid-palate. Long and succulent finish that remains fresh and vivid. Drink or hold.”
 
Willi Schaefer Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Kabinett, Mosel 2020 750ml $31.90 special, 23 bottles available
Mosel Fine Wines 94 Points “The 2020er Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Kabinett was fermented down to fruity-styled levels of residual sugar. It offers a superb nose made of residual scents from the spontaneous fermentation, chalky minerals, wet stone, mirabelle, cassis, melon, pear, and some subtle aniseed elements. The wine is beautifully pure and airy on the palate and leaves a stunningly juicy feel in the long, subtly ripe, and spicy finish. The wine really shines through its incredible silky airiness delivered with the presence and zest of a light Spätlese. This Kabinett is truly remarkable! 2030-2050.”
 
Willi Schaefer Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Spatlese 2019 $45 special, 20 bottles available
James Suckling 95 Points “Play me a love song to the Mosel! Super fresh and super precise, this Spätlese has a ton of floral delight and a wonderful interplay of the most delicate, white and yellow character with vibrant acidity. Such a clean, filigree finish you want to bathe in it. Drink or hold.”
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 94 Points “The 2019 Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Spätlese is precise, fresh and pure on the nose that displays notes grated lemon rind and crushed stones. Round, piquant and juicy on the palate, this is an utterly refined yet sustainable and firmly structured Spätlese with dense and vibrating fresh Riesling fruit whose sweetness is well-compensated by mineral grip, salinity and tension. 7.5% alcohol. Tasted from AP 08 20 in June 2010.”

 
Close-out Sales
 
Focus on Donnhoff

 

Donnhoff is one of the best Riesling producers in the world. Ever.
 
Just one sip of this stuff paired with something spicy like Phad Thai or Szechuan crab and you’ll be doing cartwheels.
 
These are the kinds of wines that can turn even the staunchest critics of Riesling into fans and casual fans into obsessives.

 
Enjoy!
 

Donnhoff Estate Riesling, Nahe 2021 750ml CLOSE-OUT SALE WAS $21.90 NOW $19 special, 12 bottles available
Donnhoff Estate Riesling, Nahe 2021 1.5L CLOSE-OUT SALE WAS $59 NOW $49 special, 4 magnums available
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 88 Points “The 2021 Riesling is pure, clear and refined yet also intense on the nose that is immediately attractive. Lush on the palate, this is a round and charming yet also stimulating, piquant and grippy Riesling. 10% stated alcohol. Screw cap. Tasted in July 2022.”
 
Donnhoff ‘Felsenturmchen’ Schlossbockelheimer Felsenberg Riesling Grosses Gewachs, Nahe 2018 750ml CLOSE-OUT SALE WAS $69 NOW $56, 26 bottles available
John Gilman 94 Points “The 2018 Felsenberg GG is also absolutely outstanding this year. The bouquet is impressively expressive at this early stage, soaring from the glass in a blaze of pear, tart orange, a beautiful base of slate minerality, wild yeasts, a touch of fleur de sel and a potpourri of floral scents in the upper register. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, focused and seamless, with outstanding mid-palate depth, powerful mineral drive and great cut and grip on the long, perfectly balanced and youthful finish. This will be show stopping juice in the fullness of time. 2028-2070. 94.”
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 93+ Points “Bottled in July, just two days before I tasted the 2018 Schlossböckelheimer Felsenberg Riesling trocken –GG– for the first time, the nose was ripe and generous but fine and flinty-mineral. Lush and salty-piquant, this is a full-bodied, rich and powerful yet vital Riesling with lots of body but also tension, purity and grip. Tasted again in August 2019.”
 
Donnhoff ‘Felsenturmchen’ Schlossbockelheimer Felsenberg Riesling Grosses Gewachs, Nahe 2020 750ml CLOSE-OUT SALE WAS $79 NOW $66 special, 35 bottles available
James Suckling 98 Points “If you are a terroir fundamentalist, then this enormous depth of smoky and wild-herb character will light your fire, but otherwise approach with caution. With the second and third sip you feel the attractive, grapefruity side of the wine. Then comes the paradox. There is also a touch of grapefruit-pith bitterness at the radically mineral finish, and this adds to the excitement. From organically grown grapes with Fair’n Green certification. Drink or hold.”
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 95 Points “The 2020 Felsenberg GG is deep, intense and complex on the pure and elegant, well-defined and slightly flinty nose. Pure, intense and juicy on the palate, this is a crystalline, refined and salty Felsenberg with great terroir expression and length, even though the wine is still puristic or even ascetic in the finish. Not as charmingly fruity as Crusius’s interpretation but with the same length and tension. 13% alcohol. Tasted at the domain in July 2021 and again six weeks later in Wiesbaden during the GG tastings.”
 

 
Donnhoff ‘Felsenturmchen’ Schlossbockelheimer Felsenberg Riesling Grosses Gewachs, Nahe 2021 750ml CLOSE-OUT SALE WAS $70 NOW $69 special, 14 bottles available
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 96 Points “Dönnhoff’s 2021 Felsenberg GG is pure, bright and flinty on the deep, intense and iodine nose that also reveals phenolic complexity. Full-bodied but refined and elegant on the plate, this is a balanced and light-footed, rich and dense Felsenberg with juicy fruit and crystalline acidity, whereas the tannins step back compared to the Höllenpfad im Mühlenberg. The finish is rich yet refined and saline, with delicate lemon bitters and lush fruit. Although the 2021 is already charming, the wine needs some years on the bottle to show all its complexity and finesse without its youthful charm. This is not an austere wine that needs to soften its edges; it’s already dangerously good or even too good to cause patience. But the wine will reward those who can wait. 13% stated alcohol. Natural cork. Tasted at the domaine in July 2022.”
 
Donnhoff Hollenpfad Im Muhlenberg Riesling Grosses Gewachs, Nahe 2018 750ml CLOSE-OUT SALE WAS $59 NOW $49 special, 14 bottles available
John Gilman 93+ points “The Grosses Gewächs bottling from the filet section of the Höllenpfad im Mühlenberg is also very promising and again, shows the beautifully elegant refinement of all the dry Rieslings from the Dönnhoff family this year. Helmut estimates that this is thirteen percent octane or just under in this vintage. The bouquet wafts from the glass in a very refined and expressive blend of tangerine, blood orange, salty minerality, citrus peel, smoky overtones and a topnote of dried flowers. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and really packed at the core, with racy acids, great soil signature, laser-like focus and a very long, youthfully complex and very promising finish. 2028-2060+. 93+.”
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 93 points “The 2018 Roxheimer Höllenpfad Im Mühlenberg Riesling trocken –GG– is super clear and flinty on the crystalline and herbal nose. On the palate, this is a medium-bodied, round and piquant dry Riesling that has been bottled with less than two grams of residual sugar, which underlines the crystalline purity and refreshing mineral character. The wine reveals a long and intense, quite powerful and textured as well as salty and piquant finish. This is the first release of the Im Mühlenberg, and it is an impressive wine that has been aged on the lees until the end of June. Tasted in July 2019.”

 
This is the only listing in the United States today!
 

Donnhoff Kreuznacher Krotenpfuhl Riesling Grosses Gewachs, Nahe 2017 750ml CLOSE-OUT SALE WAS $49 NOW $41.90 special, 8 bottles available
Stuart Pigott-Jamessuckling 95 points “This might have happened by accident, due to the high level of ripeness that resulted from the frost damage and very low yield, but it works really well. Ripe citrus and peach aromas, but there’s great freshness and very lively acidity that animates the medium-full body and lifts the long finish. From organically grown grapes. Fair’n Green certification. Drink or hold.”
Wine Spectator 93 points “Multilayered, featuring well-sculpted and concentrated flavors of baked apple, gooseberry, roasted pineapple and vanilla bean. Acidity cuts through, delivering freshness midpalate and presenting ripe melon and quinine notes on the finish. Best from 2022 through 2030.”

 
This is the only listing in the United States today!
 

Donnhoff Kreuznacher Krotenpfuhl Riesling Grosses Gewachs, Nahe 2018 750ml CLOSE-OUT SALE WAS $59 NOW $49 special, 16 bottles available
John Gilman 93 Points “The 2018 Krötenpfuhl GG is absolutely superb this year. The wine is very pure on the both the nose and palate, with the bouquet delivering a lovely mix of pink grapefruit, tart orange, salty minerality, a touch of wild yeasts and a topnote of citrus blossoms. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and very well-balanced, with a lovely core, ripe, vibrant acids and great focus and grip on the long, nascently complex and very elegant finish. Superb juice. 2026-2060. 93.”

 
This is the only listing in the United States today!
 

Donnhoff Kreuznacher Krotenpfuhl Riesling Grosses Gewachs, Nahe 2020 750ml CLOSE-OUT SALE WAS $28 NOW $21.90 special, 22 bottles available
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 93 points “The 2020 Kreuznacher Krötenpfuhl Riesling Kabinett is bright and finely stony on the clear and elegant nose with its ripe, almost tropical fruit notes. Lush and round on the palate, this is a mouth-filling Kabinett with delicate acidity and a stimulatingly salty finish and very good length. A wine to keep. 9% alcohol. Tasted at the domain in July 2021.”
Importer Note “The loess loam soil of the Kro¨tenpfuhl vineyard is notable for its high share of gravelly quarzite. Between the stony ground and its southern aspect, this neighbor to the Kahlenberg is known for warm soils and early flowering of the vines year after year. The loess loam substrate retains water well, ensuring the vines have sufficient moisture even in drought years. Vines growing in this type of pebbly soil tend to produce small berries with delicate aromas, a lively acidity and a long hang time.”
 
Donnhoff Niederhauser Hermannshohle Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel, Nahe 2018 375ml CLOSE-OUT SALE WAS $49 NOW $39 special, 5 half bottles available
John Gilman 98 points “The purity and precision of the 2018 Hermannshöhle Auslese is the stuff that legends used to be made from. The bouquet is complex and utterly refined, offering up scents of pear, white cherries, bee pollen, a touch of orange zest, lovely salinity and a mineral bath of slate. On the palate the wine is fullish, racy and utterly seamless in its balance, with great intensity of flavor, laser-like focus and truly stunning mineral drive on the backend (particularly for Auslese), with an endless and magical finish. 2032-2090+.”
David Schildknecht-Vinous 95 points “Like its Brücke counterpart, this Auslese reflects genuinely botrytis-free grapes, said Dönnhoff, but ones that were too numerous and too high in sugar to use elsewhere, “and certainly not in the Grosses Gewächs, which would then have ended up with 14% alcohol.” Sea breeze on the nose intimates the sweet-saline savor of raw scallop that emerges on this wine’s lusciously lingering, mouthwateringly umami-rich finish. White peach and quince preserves feature throughout, reinforced on the soothingly creamy palate by nougat-like nut essences. There is an animating, juicy fresh-fruit aspect as well, and a wonderful sense of both focus and transparency to stony and ore-like nuances.”

 
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Donnhoff Niederhauser Hermannshohle Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel, Nahe 2021 375ml CLOSE-OUT SALE WAS $59 NOW $49 special, 9 half bottles available
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 98 points “Picked a few days before the GG, the 2021 Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle Riesling Auslese is based on highly ripe Riesling berries and opens with a clear, lemony, pure, fresh and finely concentrated bouquet with grapefruit, lime and slate aromas. Basket pressed, this is a lush and generous, pure, saline and piquant Auslese with a long, intense and highly stimulating finish with very fine bitters. The Hermannshöhle was picked with the highest must weight and acidity level and represents the most complex and generous yet also precise Auslese of the vintage. 8% stated alcohol. Natural cork. Tasted at the domaine in July 2022.”
 
Weingut Donnhoff Niederhauser Hermannshohle Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel, Nahe 2018 750ml CLOSE-OUT SALE WAS $70 NOW $69 special, 8 bottles available
Weingut Donnhoff Niederhauser Hermannshohle Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel, Nahe 2018 375ml $39 special, CLOSE-OUT SALE WAS $49 NOW $39 special, 5 half bottles available
John Gilman 98 points “The purity and precision of the 2018 Hermannshöhle Auslese is the stuff that legends used to be made from. The bouquet is complex and utterly refined, offering up scents of pear, white cherries, bee pollen, a touch of orange zest, lovely salinity and a mineral bath of slate. On the palate the wine is fullish, racy and utterly seamless in its balance, with great intensity of flavor, laser-like focus and truly stunning mineral drive on the backend (particularly for Auslese), with an endless and magical finish. 2032-2090+.”
David Schildknecht-Vinous 95 Points “Like its Brücke counterpart, this Auslese reflects genuinely botrytis-free grapes, said Dönnhoff, but ones that were too numerous and too high in sugar to use elsewhere, “and certainly not in the Grosses Gewächs, which would then have ended up with 14% alcohol.” Sea breeze on the nose intimates the sweet-saline savor of raw scallop that emerges on this wine’s lusciously lingering, mouthwateringly umami-rich finish. White peach and quince preserves feature throughout, reinforced on the soothingly creamy palate by nougat-like nut essences. There is an animating, juicy fresh-fruit aspect as well, and a wonderful sense of both focus and transparency to stony and ore-like nuances.”
Wine Advocate 95 Points “The 2018 Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle Riesling Auslese is deep and noble in its finesse and purity that is paired with notes of crushed stones but also perfectly ripe and healthy fruits. Lush and piquant on the palate, with lingering salinity and finesse, this is the more graceful Auslese, which is less challenging than the Brücke but very delicate and finessed. The acidity is finer and the sweetness smoother and more charming yet less dramatic right now. Tasted in July 2019.”
 
Donnhoff Niederhauser Hermannshohle Riesling Beerenauslese, Nahe 2015 375ml CLOSE-OUT SALE WAS $138 NOW $125 special, 11 half bottles available
John Gilman 95 Points “The 2015 Hermannshöhle BA is still a baby and was in its primary stage of development, but this will clearly be a great wine as well. The bouquet offers up scents of baked apple, tangerine, a touch of papaya, gentle smokiness, orange oil and honey. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, bright and very, very deep, with great focus and grip, a very long, perfectly balanced and nascently complex finish. This will of course be approachable from the moment that it is released, but I would strongly suggest giving it at least four or five years in the cellar to allow it to start to really blossom and show some of the secondary layers of complexity that will come with bottle age. 2016-2075+.”
 

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Donnhoff Norheimer Kirschheck Riesling Spatlese, Nahe 2017 750ml CLOSE-OUT SALE WAS $39 NOW $33 special, 6 bottles available
Stuart Pigott-Jamessuckling.com 93 points “A juicy and elegant wine that turns really dry, thanks to the serious minerality that powers the long, delicate finish. From organically grown grapes. Fair’n Green certification. Drink or hold.”
 

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Donnhoff Norheimer Kirschheck Riesling Spatlese, Nahe 2018 750ml CLOSE-OUT SALE WAS $39 NOW $33 special, 8 bottles available
John Gilman 92+ points “The 2018 Kirschheck Spätlese from Weingut Dönnhoff is another excellent example of the vintage. The wine is pure, very floral in personality and quite expressive out of the blocks, offering up scents of white cherries, pears, bee pollen, slate and a topnote of spring flowers. On the palate the wine is pure, fullish, vibrant and beautifully detailed, with racy acids, good mineral undertow and a long, refined and complex finish. 2019-2050+. 92+.”
 
Donnhoff Norheimer Kirschheck Riesling Spatlese, Nahe 2020 750ml CLOSE-OUT SALE WAS $39 NOW $33 special, 12 bottles available
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 95 points “The 2020 Norheimer Kirschheck Riesling Spätlese is clear, pure and intense on the nose like a fine Italian perfume on wet, crushed stones. Lush and round on the palate, this is a dense yet very delicate and dangerously juicy and stimulating mineral Spätlese that is irresistible. Impossible to spit out. This long and salty Spätlese is singing. 8.5% alcohol. Tasted at the domain in July 2021.”
 
Donnhoff Norheimer Kirschheck Riesling Spatlese, Nahe 2021 750ml CLOSE-OUT SALE WAS $39 NOW $33, 16 bottles available
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 93+ Points “From very old vines, the 2021 Norheimer Kirschheck Riesling Spätlese is clear, precise and elegant yet also complex on the nose that offers bright cherry and fruit aromas. On the palate, this is a light, refined and elegant, very delicate and light-footed Spätlese with remarkable finesse and fine phenolic grip. It’s stimulatingly saline and grippy on the finish. 8% stated alcohol. Natural cork. Tasted at the domaine in July 2022.”

 
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Collector’s Corner

Just in time for the Holidays: Recent Arrivals from Kopke

 

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Kopke 50 Year Tawny, Portugal 750ml $219 special, 4 bottles available
Wine Advocate 98 Points “The NV 50 Year Old Tawny Port was bottled in May 2022 with 134 grams of residual sugar and a bar-top cork. This is an entrant in the new age-indicated category of 50; it no longer stops at 40. I thought the 50 Year white was fabulous. Its Tawny brother is as good or better. It doesn’t have the brightness of the white in terms of acidity (the fruit doesn’t taste old in terms of decay, so don’t misunderstand), but it is richer, lusher and more flavorful. There’s a touch of nuts, caramel and spice. It also has a long, long finish, which is what I would expect from an old Tawny in top form. Kopke did a great job with the blend here. This is completely delicious, smooth and balanced, juicy on the finish. Which is better? Depends on what you like, and it is worth getting some of each. For wines this old, the prices are reasonable. They are both great experiences.”
 
Kopke Colheita Tawny, Portugal 1999 750ml $59 special, 6 bottles available
Jamie Goode-Wine Anorak 94 Points “Complex, spicy and raising with an appealing saline edge. Some lovely savoury notes developing here. Has warmth and complexity.”
Wine Spectator 92 Points “Quite lively, with energetic acidity rippling from start to finish, allowing the raisin, dried plum, green tea, ginger and roasted almond notes to race along in lockstep. The tightly focused finish has excellent length. Drink now.”
 
Kopke Colheita Tawny 1985, Portugal 750ml $99 special, 6 bottles available
Wine Spectator 91 Points “Plum and blackberry aromas, with hints of chocolate and nut follow through to a full body, medium sweetness and a long caressing finish. Youthful, round and rich”
 
Kopke Colheita Tawny 1978, Portugal 750ml $119 special, 5 bottles available
Nick Room-Iwsc 97 Points “Excellent in all aspects. Caramel and molasses on the nose, palate abundant with deeper toffee, vanilla and ripe prune. Cedar spices combine with fine citrus fruit around a red fruit core. Balanced and with further evolution still to come. Seriously good.”
Mark Squires-Wine Advocate 94 Points “The 1978 Colheita Tawny Port was bottled in 2015 with 119 grams per liter of residual sugar and a bar top cork (typical for the house). It is very graceful for its age, finishing with a wave of sweetness, fruit and sugar. Emphasizing the caramel more than the molasses, this is irresistibly delicious, but it becomes more complex and puts on weight as it airs and warms. The wine shows off its power and hints of Brandy on the rather tense finish, too. Overall, this is a beauty that becomes more impressive the longer you sit with it. Then, you realize that its balance is simply perfect, yet it stands out in most every category. This is very fine and the price is pretty nice for the age and the quality.”
Roger Voss-Wine Enthusiast 94 Points “Not one of the generally declared vintages for Port, this year produced some ripe, sweet single quinta vintages. It also was a good year for rich, sweet tawnies. This is ripe, toffee-like in character packed with ripe raisin and sultana flavors. It is a luxurious wine, of course ready to drink.”
 
Kopke Colheita Tawny 2007, Portugal 750ml $41.90 special, 5 bottles available
Wine Spectator 91 Points “Warm toffee, cinnamon and ginger notes glide through, enhanced by a light streak of juniper. Ends with accents of dark tea and a flash of bitter almond. Drink now.”
Mark Squires-Wine Advocate 90 Points “The 2007 Colheita Tawny Port comes in with 112 grams per liter of residual sugar. This is a friendly and easy ten-year Tawny, with a bright feel and an elegant mid-palate. It finishes well, tasty and fresh. There’s nothing overly complicated here, but it is impossible to dislike.”
 
Kopke Colheita Tawny 2005, Portugal 750ml $49 special, 5 bottles available
Wine & Spirits 93 Points “Cool and refined upfront, this is polished and posh with sweet plum and vanilla scents in the middle. Then it gets a sunny lift in the end, lasting on honeycomb and notes of dried apricots. A gracious and refined way to end a holiday meal.”