11/2/15
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Rhone/Languedoc Sale; New Arrivals; Opus One Highlight; Vin Jaune, Sherry, and More; Remi Jobard; ArrivingThis Week
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Monday Funday
Why not have another super sale?
This time around, we head south!
Two Days Only!
Sale ends Midnight Tuesday
All Rhone + All Languedoc /Roussillon/ Province wines
Take 10% off any/all Wines from the Rhone Valley and the Languedoc – Roussillon!
The 10% discount not displayed nor calculated on our website.
Fill your cart at the displayed price and we’ll deduct the 10% further discount before charging.
Does this apply to red wines, white wines, cremants, and roses? Yes.
Can I apply it to a pre-arrival item? Yup!
We offer today 166 selections, backed up by:
791 bottles of Languedoc – Roussillon wines
1,446 bottles of Rhone Valley wines
This includes producers like JL Chave, Vieux Telegraphe, Clos des Papes, Delas Freres, Saint Cosme, Grange des Peres, and Leon Barral… Plus so many more!
You can see the full array online by utilizing the Department – Category search tool on the left side of our shopping pages: Choose France – Languedoc, and/or France – Rhone Red , and/or France- Rhone White. Alternatively you can search online for specific producers or appellations using the search engine field at the top of the shopping pages
Don’t miss out. We offer some of the lowest listed prices in the USA prior to the additional 10% discount, so you’ll have difficulty finding a better deal anywhere else.
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Highlight New Arrival
Opus One, Napa Valley 2012 750ML ($279.95) Was $249, Now $215, 11 bottles available
James Suckling 97 points “Glorious purity of fruit here with blackcurrants, blueberries, dark chocolate, fresh herbs and forest floor. Hints of mint. Full body, seamless tannins and wonderful balance. Tight and compacted tannins with beautiful fruit and great length. Hazelnut and chocolate. Goes on for minutes. One of the best Opus in years. Compacted and beautiful. Hard not to drink now but better in 2018. October 2015 release. This is 79% cabernet sauvignon, 7% cabernet franc, 6% merlot, 6% petit verdot and 2% malbec. (4/21/15)”
Antonio Galloni 96 points “Rich, powerful and seductive, the 2012 Opus One blossoms in the glass with superb textural richness and volume. Dark red and black fruit, smoke, cedar, new leather and tobacco all meld together as the 2012 shows off its personality. Fine, silky tannins support the huge, creamy finish. The 2012 has just been bottled, but it is superb. I expect the 2012 will offer a long and broad drinking window of pure pleasure. Drink: 2018-2032. (Dec 2014)”
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New Week – New Arrivals
OREGON
Belle Pente Yamhill Carlton Pinot Noir 2013 750ML ($27.95) $24 special
VinopolNote: Declassified estate fruit. This bottling was last produced in the 2010 vintage.
This is the only listing in the USA today!
WASHINGTON
Owen Roe ‘Ex Umbris’ Syrah, Yakima Valley 2013 750ML ($27.95) $21.90 special
Case-12 Owen Roe ‘Ex Umbris’ Syrah, Yakima Valley 2013 750ML ($279.95) $219 special (that’s only $18.25/bottle!)
Wine Enthusiast 91 points “This 100% varietal wine offers generous notes of fig, chocolate and smoke. It’s restrained yet rich, supple and layered with boysenberry and chocolate flavors that linger.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
CALIFORNIA
Joseph Swan Vineyards Ziegler Vineyard Zinfandel, Russian River Valley 2011 750ML ($31.95) $28 special
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
FRANCE-CHAMPAGNE
Pierre Gimonnet et Fils Blanc de Blancs Cuis Premier Cru Brut NV 750ML ($59.95) $38 special
Josh Raynolds–Vinous 91 points “Pale green. High-pitched citrus fruit and floral scents, along with intense mineral and spice nuances. Dry and seamless on the palate, offering juicy lemon, tarragon and ginger flavors and a deeper suggestion of buttered toast. Finishes on a zesty minerally note, with lingering spiciness and strong persistence. This bottling is a blend of wines from 2011 (77%), 2010 (6%), 2009 (12%), 2007 (4%) and 2006 (1%).” JR
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $52
- Margaine Le Brut Cuvee Traditionelle NV 750ML ($49.95) $36 special
Importer’s note: “Violet and hyacinth aromas make you think of Riesling (as these wines often do), but the palate is all apples and Rainier cherries with a chalk-powder sprinkle; wonderfully silky and generous, refined and accurate. A virtual Blanc de Blancs; 90% Chardonnay to 10% Pinot Noir.”
FRANCE-LANGUEDOC-ROUSSILLON
Alain Cavailles “Resilience” Cremant de Limoux Brut, Languedoc-Roussillon 2013 750ML ($21.95) $18 special
This is the only listing in the USA today!
ITALY-TUSCANY
Agricola Querciabella Mongrana Maremma Toscana 2011 750ML ($27.95) $19 special
James Suckling 90 points “Fresh and clean wine with dried cherries and citrus fruit. Medium body, firm tannins and a medium finish. Needs a little more in the center palate to be outstanding. Made from biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold.” JS
ITALY-PIEDMONT
Cantina del Pino Albesani, Barbaresco DOCG 2011 750ML ($59.95) $49 special
Wine Advocate 94 points “The 2011 Barbaresco Albesani is the wine that surprised me most among Cantina del Pino’s new releases. It shows an exceptional level of focus and clarity with tight tannins at the back that keep it stitched together tightly. It shows an impressive level of unity and precision. The bouquet is slow to start, but once it does it delivers a steady stream of dark fruit, licorice, balsam herb and crushed mineral. The Albesani cru, with its thick clay soils, evidently had enough underground moisture to avoid heat stress on the vines during the hot summer.” ML
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
ARGENTINA
Vina Cobos Felino Malbec, Mendoza 2014 750ML ($19.95) $16 special
James Suckling 91 points “Tangy and fresh with blueberry, blackberry and light spice character. Medium body, fine tannins and a bright finish. Clear and focused. Drink now.” JS
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $19.99
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The Wizard of Ox
(A Study of Oxidation)
Vin Jaune and Sherry and Rancio Sec, Oh My!
Vin Jaune
Brilliance Takes Time
Vin jaune is a paradoxically beautiful wine of its own kind, delivering a broad range of flavors ranging from cider apples and charred toast to ripe bananas and campfire smoke. The wine is made from Savagnin grapes which are aged in barrel for six years and three month, during which time a layer of flor develops on the surface of the liquid, protecting the juice. The barrels are never topped up, which diminishes the overall volume which increasing the wine’s concentration.
These wines pair wonderfully with the cheeses of Jura, though it’s also lovely as a closer for a meal. Vin jaune is typically bottled in 620mL glass because, allegedly, that is the amount of wine which comes from a liter of juice after aging.
We’re proud to offer vins jaune from two of the greatest producers of all, both seen below – in addition to a few other wines which take inspiration from this unique style of wine.
Jacques Puffeney Arbois Vin Jaune 2008 750ML ($89.95) $81.90 special, 6 bottles available
Wine Advocate 94-97 points “The 2007 was sold out so I didn’t get to taste it, but I’ve drunk it and it’s phenomenal and highly recommended. The 2008 Arbois Vin Jaune was still unbottled. What I tasted, it had lots of acidity. For Jacques Puffeney, 2008 was a very good vintage for whites (not as good for reds), and he feels the Vin Jaune is developing very well. The caves for the Vin Jaune are very dry, because the wine needs some evolution, and if it has humidity the development is not as good. The palate is medium to full-bodied with glycerin and volume, but the acidity cuts through the fat and makes the wine intense, full and sharp. 6,000 bottles will be produced.
Sometimes the Vin Jaune is aged for a long time. I tasted a 2003 that was still in barrel and was going to be bottled in one week after almost 12 years aging under flor, but the wine was getting evaporated and the barrel was almost half empty. The 1986 was also aged for a very long time. It has intense aromas of orange peel, tobacco, broth and smoke, with some nuts. The palate is opulent but it feels like the acidity is getting concentrated and the wine is very fresh and does not feel either old nor warm. It’s 15% alcohol and has notes of malt whiskey, with lots of iodine. This is going to be a very legendary Vin Jaune to age for 20-30 years, but there will be no more than 300 bottles of it!”
I visited Jacques Puffeney in his house/winery in Montigny les Arsures (the village that calls itself the world capital of Trousseau), after his official retirement. All of the vineyards are around Montagny and Arbois, where the house is located. 2014 was his last vintage and he officially retired on January 1st 2015, but he will continue raising the wines until the 2014 Vin Jaune is released around 2020. He sold the vineyards to Marquis d’Angerville for his Domaine du Pelican project in the Jura, but Puffeney has kept a small plot and will continue doing a little bit of wine for himself, from red Trousseau grapes.
All Savagnin is aged for longer or shorter under a veil of yeasts, so all wines that have Savagnin in them have the oxidative/biological character of the ‘flor’ — lighter or stronger depending on how long the élevage was. The maximum is the Vin Jaune, which often stays for much longer than required in cask. His first vintage was 1962 and the last one was 2014, after 52 harvests.
It’s sad to see such an influential figure disappear. My guess is that his wines will go up in price as they’ll become more and more scarce. Buy what you can.” LG
Jean Francois Ganevat Chardonnay ‘De Garde” 2009 750ML ($59.95) $49 special, 3 bottles available
Importer note: 50% Chardonnay, 50% Savagnin from vines planted in 1973 and 1977 on blue marl and white marl. Vinified “sous voile” for 5 years in the traditional Jura manner. A true Vin Jaune needs to be “sous voile” for 6 years and 3 months, so here Ganevat goes his own way making a solid expression of this style. 13.5% alcohol.
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Vin Jaune Available as a Pre-Arrival:
Jean Francois Ganevat Cotes du Jura Vin Jaune 2005 375ML ($89.95) $79 pre-arrival special
Importer note: 100% Savagnin; vineyard planted in 1948 and composed of blue marl.
This is the only listing in the USA today!
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Sherry
Hyper Versatile + Delicious
Through many accidents of history, (sieges, revolutions, and phylloxera alike) Sherry has seen several ups and downs in its production and demand. Though Sherry has a long history of serving the likes of Christopher Columbus and Shakespeare, it has been a somewhat ignored wine in history, save a small niche of devotees. Recently, Sherry has been experiencing a renaissance among consumers who realize the high quality wine being imported at great values. The versatile food-pairing options of the wines have been promoted by the producers, in league with intrigued sommeliers, helping Sherry gain new ground in the wine world. The oxidative style, critical in sherry production, makes for a hugely dynamic and gratifying drink. Cheers!
Sherries Currently Available:
Alvear Pedro Ximenez de Anada, Montilla-Moriles 2011 375ML ($79.95) $59 special, 20 half-bottles available
Robert Parker 100 points “Alvear’s 2011 Pedro Ximenez de Anada is the most amazing Pedro Ximenez I have ever tasted. It may also be one of the first to be vintage-dated. The grapes were hand-harvested in September, then allowed to dry in the sunshine until they began fermentation, which is ultimately arrested by the addition of spirits. The wine spent six months in large American oak prior to being bottled. It is an amazing effort that looks like molasses. Notes of macerated figs, chocolate and caramelized tropical fruits emerge from this full-bodied, unctuously-textured wine. While sweet, it has enough acidity to balance out its richness. This astonishing 2011 Pedro Ximenez will last as long as any reader of this newsletter.” RP
Alvear Festival Pale Cream, Montilla-Moriles NV 750ML ($14.95) $7.70 special, 11 bottles available
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Alvear Pedro Ximenez de Anada, Montilla-Moriles 2013 375ML ($27.95) $18 special, 36+ half-bottles available
Wine Advocate 93 points “This 2013 Pedro Ximenez de Anada wine is made from 100% hand-harvested Pedro Ximenez grapes that are dried on mats in the sun, and then fermented in stainless steel, with the fermentation being halted by the addition of liquor. It is then aged six months in 500-liter American oak barrels. A medium amber color is followed by notes of maple syrup, brown sugar, honeysuckle, Chinese black tea and marmalade. This sweet, rich, heady, after-dinner wine should drink well for a decade or more.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Bodegas Tradicion VORS 30 Years Old Amontillado Sherry NV 750ML ($79.95) $69 special, 4 bottles available
Wine Advocate 96 points “The NV Tradición Amontillado VORS, certainly has the more complex and subtle nose of all these VORS and is on average 45 years old. It has a very clean nose, with elegance and complexity, powerful but subtle notes of hazelnuts, honey and even some dates. The medium-bodied palate shows a sharp wine with strong salinity, it has the power and the lightness, in a very difficult combination. Drink 2013-2020.” WA
Bodegas Tradicion Cream VOS 20 Years Sherry NV 750ML ($79.95) $69 special, 9 bottles available
Importer’s Notes: “This is the most recent addition to the portfolio (so new that it has yet to be reviewed) and completely transcends the Cream category. It also represents the only blend bottled by the bodega with 70% coming from 35+ year old Oloroso barrels and 30% from young 5 year old PX barrels. Here the intensity of old Oloroso blends seamlessly with the dried fruit concentration of the Pedro Ximenex, creating a wine that appeals to both dessert wine drinkers and those seeking a pairing for sturdier main dishes. Being a VOS, it is certified by the Consejo Regulador to be greater than 20 years average age at bottling, an extremely rare Cream sherry indeed.”
Bodegas Tradicion Fino Sherry NV 750ML ($49.95) $39 special, 5 bottles available
Wine Advocate 92 points “The NV Fino Viejo Tradición is purchased from suppliers, it averages 12 years old, and is used to feed their Amontillado, but the (limited) market demand for this kind of wine has convinced them of producing 1,500 bottles now, and they will bottle another 1,500 in October. Unfiltered, unfined, this would have been considered a Fino Amontillado in the past. Golden color, pungent and powerful nose, with flower notes, it has a big palate, but it’s still a Fino–a fine wine– it’s old, extremely complex, low in acidity, but keeping the freshness, a little saline with the typical bitter end. This should have an interesting evolution in bottle. Drink 2013-2016.” WA
Bodegas El Maestro Sierra Vinos Viejos Amontillado 1830 VORS Sherry NV 375ML ($99.95) $81.90 special, 2 half-bottles available
Wine Advocate 92 points “Next in sweetness is the light amber colored non-vintage (Vinos Viejos) Amontillado 1830 VORS, which has been aged at least 50 years in the solera system. It is racy and intense and would work well with lobster bisque” WA
Bodegas El Maestro Sierra Vinos Viejos VORS Oloroso 1-14 Sherry NV 375ML ($99.95) $81.90 special, 2 half-bottles available
Wine Advocate 93 points “The (Vinos Viejos) Oloroso 1/14 VORS is medium amber and spicier than its predecessor, with just noticeable sweetness, complex flavors (toffee and caramel come to mind) and outstanding length” WA
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Bodegas El Maestro Sierra Vinos Viejos Palo Cortado Sherry NV 375ML ($99.95) $81.90 special, 5 half-bottles available
Producer note “It takes a skilled capataz, or cellar master, to recognize an unruly sherry; sherry that chooses its own path to aging. These aren’t Amontillados, and they’re not Olorosos. They are something unique and all their own, they are Palo Cortados. 100% Palomino from Albariza or chalk soil. The Solera is over 70 years old.”
Fernando de Castilla Antique Fino Sherry NV 500ML ($29.95) $23 special, 12 bottles available
Wine Advocate 93 points “The NV Antique Fino is eight years of average age when bottled; it’s fragrant and perfumed, feminine and subtle, with dry flowers and a rare balance between old and young. The palate shows a much more serious wine, pungent, intense, saline, sharp and at the same time delicate, complex and long, most probably because it’s fortified to 17% at the time of bottling, something that was common in the past, but that almost nobody does anymore. A most unusual old-style Fino. Bravo! 4,000 bottles produced yearly. Drink 2013-2018. Bodegas Rey Fernando de Castilla were created in 1972, but had a history going back to 1837. In 1999 the company was sold to a group of investors lead by Norwegian Jan Pettersen, who had worked previously at Osborne for 16 years. In the end Pettersen took control of the company, enlarging the business and taking the quality of its wines to the very top. This is a small- to medium-sized bodega (1,000 botas, capacity for 200,000 liters and selling 250,000 bottles per year), clearly focused on quality. The Antique range that I have tasted here, sold in half-liter bottles, represents their top of the range, and even if it has no official age certification, the wines are certainly old. All wines, regardless of style or category follow a clear line; they are all on the elegant side, balanced, clean and easy-to-understand wines.”
Gonzalez Byass Tio Pepe Fino en Rama Sherry NV 750ML ($26.95) $21.90 special, 2 bottles available
Bodegas Toro Albala Don PX Convento, Montilla-Moriles 1929 750ML ($459.95) $359 special, 1 bottle available
Wine Advocate 95 points “The extreme 1929 Don PX Convento Selección is a thick, dense and unusual, rare sweet beast. It is very dark with a green border, dense, oily and serious full-bodied palate with the profile of a PX from Jerez. With 500 grams of residual sugar per liter, it is a little monolithic, a little heavy and not so easy to drink. Still it is an impressive, very sweet wine that is really unique”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Bodegas Toro Albala Don PX Convento 1955 750ML ($379.95) $299 special, 6 bottles available
Wine Advocate 98 points “One more single-harvest, old sweet wine, the 1955 Don PX Convento Selección was bottled in September 2014 and it had been aged slowly in very old American oak barrels and getting thick and concentrated through evaporation. It’s 320 grams of sugar are (partially) compensated by 6.5 grams of acidity. It has a nose and palate of chocolate-covered candied orange, spices, molasses. I’d say the dominant aromas in the nose are dark chocolate. It’s very dense, developing notes of very concentrated licorice and balsamic, mint, camphor and evolving notes of petrol with time. Complex, rare and unique.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Bodegas Toro Albala Don PX Reserva Especial 1949 750ML ($249.95) $219 special, 1 bottle available
Wine Advocate 97 points “The 1949 Don PX Reserva Especial differs from the other old wines from the winery as it is less dark, it even has a (very dark) translucent tone compared with the others, maybe because it has 2% more alcohol. It feels incredibly elegant and balanced, fresher in comparison than the beasts from 1962 and 1946, medicinal, full of spicy notes of cinnamon, cloves, a touch of ash, and the smell of an antique shop. The palate is fluid, sweet and fresh. Putting a drinking window to these wines feels a bit silly. You should drink it whenever you have the occasion. Drink 2013-2040.” WA
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
A.R. Valdespino Contrabandista Amontillado Sherry NV 750ML ($24.95) $21.90 special, 5 bottles available
A.R. Valdespino Cardenal Palo Cortado VORS Sherry NV 750ML ($299.95) $279 special, 1 bottle available
A.R. Valdespino Cardenal Palo Cortado VORS Sherry NV 375ML ($169.95) $133 special, 7 half-bottles available
Wine Advocate 99 points “The NV Palo Cortado Cardenal VORS, like the whole VORS collection from Valdespino is outstanding. It is fed from the solera of the Palo Cortado C.P. where the Palomino grapes come from the Macharnudo Alto vineyard, fermented in American oak botas. It’s 22% alcohol and has nine grams of (undetectable) residual sugar which makes it very drinkable. It’s a monumental wine of dark mahogany color with a green edge, a complex, ever-changing, concentrated, clean and delineated nose of spices, dark chocolate, Cuban cigar and balsamic notes of incense, and a sharp, saline palate. It is highly concentrated, powerful and clean, with an eternal, lingering aftertaste. Deciding between Coliseo and Cardenal might be splitting hairs, and as much as I love Coliseo, I felt Cardenal was just one notch above. At the quality helm of Palo Cortado. Drink 2013-2025.” WA
Peter Liem– “Its palo cortado counterpart is the Cardenal, a wine of similar age and equally multi-faceted complexity, although, with its richer girth and more velvety texture on the palate, it comes off as less forbidding. It essentially represents the ultimate conclusion of Valdespino’s expression of the Marcharnudo vineyard.”
A.R. Valdespino Coliseo Amontillado VORS Sherry NV 375ML ($249.95) $179 special, 10 half-bottles available
Wine Advocate 99 points “The NV Amontillado Coliseo VORS, is an extremely old (much older than the 30 years certified by the VORS classification) and concentrated wine. It is unique, as its origin is from Sanlucar de Barrameda, mainly from the Pago Miraflores, which produced very sharp wines. Dark mahogany colored, with a bright green border, is very aromatic, balsamic and complex, with wild herbs, candied orange rind, spices and dates. The palate is extremely concentrated, dry, and intense but it has no edges, with lively acidity and an eternal finish. It’s an extreme wine, some might find it too much, but it’s certainly unique and among the greatest wines in the world, to be sipped slowly and in tiny quantities. One of the greatest Amontillados in existence today. Drink 2013-2025.” WA
Peter Liem–“A complex demanding wine averaging over 60 years of age. This actually originates as a manzanilla, spending 15 to 20 years in Sanlucar before being blended and aged in Jerez. The result is an amontillado of tremendous finesse, balancing its vivid concentration with a stelly, racy structure”
A.R. Valdespino Inocente Single Vineyard Fino Sherry NV 750ML ($21.95) $19 special, 5 bottles available
A.R. Valdespino Inocente Single Vineyard Fino Sherry NV 375ML ($14.95) $11.90 special, 5 half-bottles available
Wine Advocate 94 points “The NV Fino Inocente must be one of the few wines in Jerez that is still fermented in 600-liter American oak botas, which is an incredible amount of work compared with fermenting tens of thousands of kilos of grapes (or even more) in a big stainless steel tank. This method was the norm of yesteryear, but is so labor intense that it was discontinued in most wineries, and gives a big diversity of wines, as each barrel has its own character, which contributes to the complexity of the blend. Furthermore, the bottled wine is on average 8 to 10 years old. One other thing that makes it apart from other Finos is that the grapes are exclusively from the high part of the Macharnudo vineyard, so this is a single-vineyard Fino. The nose is very complex, showing the effect of the long lees contact: chalk, dried hay, aromatic herbs and salty almonds. The palate is full, but at the same time elegant and balanced, powerful and fine, with the texture of a Meursault rather than a Puligny. A very complex wine, that manages to be both powerful and elegant. Inocente is great value for money. Drink 2013-2016.”
Valdespino Manzanilla Deliciosa Sherry NV 750ML ($19.95) $16 special, 3 bottles available
Valdespino Manzanilla Deliciosa Sherry NV 375ML ($13.95) $10.90 special, 6 half-bottles available
The 375Mml bottle is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
A.R. Valdespino Toneles Moscatel Sherry NV 375ML ($299.95) $219 special, 5 half-bottles available Wine Advocate 100 points “The NV Moscatel Toneles has reached a mythical status locally in Spain. It’s an extremely old, concentrated and powerful sweet wine that was long forgotten, because there was no market for it. The color is dark brown, almost opaque with amber-green edges. The ever-changing nose is an explosion of spices (curry and cinnamon) and noble woods, and from the sheer concentration it displays a myriad of roasted coffee, dark chocolate, balsamic herbs and even a note of coconut. After some time in the glass the roasted orange notes of Muscat come back intermixed with very spicy incense notes. Give it more time and it smells of camphor. It’s fascinating to smell it over the course of a few hours? even days. The palate is immensely concentrated, with the alcohol perfectly integrated and the extreme sweetness compensated by a piercing acidity that reminds me of some century-old Madeiras. It ends with an acute coffee note. The aftertaste is eternal. It is exceptional that such an old wine (it could be over 80 years of average age) keeps the freshness and balance, but when this happens, the wine is exceptional. A world-class sweet wine that shows what aged Muscat is able for. With its 430 grams of residual sugar, this wine is indestructible, but only 100 bottles are withdrawn and bottled yearly from a single, large cask. Drink 2013-2034.” WA
A.R. Valdespino Solera De Su Majestad Oloroso VORS Sherry NV 375ML ($219.95) $149 special, 6 half-bottles available
Wine Advocate 93 points “The NV Oloroso Solera de su Majestad VORS produced from Palomino grapes from the Carrascal vineyard, has aged in a solera for over 30 years. It has a bright mahogany color and a subtle nose of noble woods, walnuts, aromatic herbs, and a touch of brandy. The palate is quite gentle for a VORS. Very polished and round, with a pungent, intense feeling, it feels extremely old. One of the best Olorosos around, it’s old enough to have that extra complexity, but not to be too aggressive, as Olorosos can easily get when they’re very old. Drink 2013-2017.” LG
A.R. Valdespino Viejo C.P. Calle Ponche Single Vineyard Palo Cortado Dry Sherry NV 375ML ($41.95) $36 special, 3 half-bottles available
93 points Wine Advocate “The NV Palo Cortado Viejo C.P. produced from Palomino from the Macharnudo Alto is feed with specific casks of Fino Inocente and Amontillado Tio Diego. It was traditionally aged in the Calle Ponce (Ponce Street), and if has kept the C.P. initials since then. It’s not age-certified, but the average age of the bottled wine is 25 years. The color is old gold or light amber, and the nose hints at a relatively old wine, with plenty of lactic notes, sweet vanilla, iodine, bitter oranges and spices. The palate is clean and delineated, subtle and on the elegant side of Palo Cortado, ending very dry.”
A.R. Valdespino El Candado Pedro Ximenez Sherry NV 375ML ($17.95) $14 special, 6 half-bottles available
Wine Spectator 93 points “Offers layers of macerated date, ganache, warm caraway, buckwheat honey and chocolate-covered orange peel notes, with a deep, intense finish that lets a wonderfully smoky hint curl through. The power is obvious, the range and definition more subtle. Drink now.” WS
A.R. Valdespino Ninos Pedro Ximenez VORS Sherry NV 375ML ($219.95) $179 special, 5 half-bottles available
Wine Advocate 98 points “The NV Ninos Pedro Ximenez 30 Anos VORS is again a monumental wine, redolent of its sibling, Moscatel Toneles, as often the extremely old wines have so many similarities that even the grape and the origin is diminished. This beast of a wine has 470 grams of sugar. It’s believed to average 50 years of age, and shows a dark mahogany, almost black color. Being extremely concentrated, is not just power, it has finesses and balance. Curry, spices, coconut, balsamic notes (eucalyptus), tar, Cuban cigar, and nutmeg can be identified in its nose. The palate is velvety, dense, thick, long, and intense, with pungent acidity but at the same time it feels smooth. Again, choosing between Ninos and Toneles might be purely academic. Drink 2013-2035.” WA
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $199.99
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Rancio Sec
Deep Catalan Style
Rancio Sec wines are typically made from the same grapes used to make Banyuls, Rivesaltes, and other sweet wines. The difference with Rancio Sec, however, is that all sugars convert to alcohol, creating a dry wine. The wines are aged in open air and within open barrels, encouraging oxidation. Typical flavor profiles include toast, vanilla, walnuts, licorice, and chestnuts. As alcohol levels are higher, Rancio Sec makes for a great replacement of Cognac, to close a meal, or alongside a nice cigar – but also can easily accompany a wide and wild array of cuisines.
Rancio Sec Currently Available:
Domaine des Schistes Rancio Sec, IGP Cotes Catalanes NV 500ML ($34.95) $29 special, 7 bottles available
Importer’s Note: Grenache Blanc with a little Macabeu – Vines around 60 year old, producing small yields, about 20 hl/ha.
Aged in barrels left untopped, in a solera system – the first wine was introduced in 2004. Pair with tapas, aged Gruyère or Parmesan, anchovies. 166 cases produced, 17% Alcohol.
Domaine La Tour Vieille Cap de Creus Rancio Sec, IGP Cote Vermeille NV 750ML ($49.95) $37 special, 2 bottles available
Winemaker’s Note: “A direct legacy of our ancestors, this wine is more like a statement of identity than a product of viticulture and winemaking. In the past, none of the dry wines we know today were made. People would put aside some of the grapes designed for the sweet wines, with usually over 15% natural alcohol potential, and made this “dry” wine for their personal consumption. At long last the wines would complete their fermentation with almost the same high levels of alcohol, and the result would be this amusing –amazing ?- wine we are still making today. It is one of a kind. After several years of aging in old oak barrels, it acquires its distinctive Rancio notes. Although it is often compared to Fino de Jeréz, our Rancio has more rusticity to it. It deserves to survive the current harmonization of regulations on winemaking and viticulture. This Rancio Sec is made from a mixture of Grenaches and Carignan grapes picked at a late stage and then vinified partly by ‘maceration’ and partly by direct pressing. It is gravity fed into bottles without fining or filtration.”
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Remi Jobard
The Jobard family works with some of the finest parcels in all of Meursault. As powerful as they are graceful, the estate’s wines see the longest fermentation in the region – topping out at two months! Remi bottles the wines, unfiltered, sixteen months after vintage after aging in large Austrian barrels. Many of the vines are over 50 years old, and the wines are known for their mineral-laden, opulently concentrated style. It’d be a bit unfair to dub the Jobard estate as “up and coming”, as they’ve enjoyed high praise (and scores!) for some time now. Still, they’re one to look out for. We’re happy to stock some of the finest Jobard bottlings currently, with more arriving later this week.
Remi Jobard Wines Available Here Now:
Domaine Remi Jobard Le Poruzot Dessus, Meursault Premier Cru 2011 750ML ($99.95) $79 special, 36+ bottles available
Antonio Galloni 92+ points “A deep, earthy wine, the 2011 Meursault 1er Cru Poruzots-Dessus hits the palate with tons of muscle and power. The style is bold and direct. There isn’t a whole lot of complexity here, but there is plenty of pure stuffing. It will be interesting to see where the 2011 goes over the coming year. Today structural elements dominate over fruit.” AG
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
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Domaine Remi Jobard Les Genevrieres, Meursault Premier Cru 2011 750ML ($99.95) $79 special, 4 bottles available
Antonio Galloni 94 points “In 2011 the Meursault 1er Cru Genevrières is ethereal, gracious and impeccably refined. Here, too, the aromas and flavors haven’t really developed, instead what impresses most is the wine’s pure minerality and intensity. Lemon, crushed rocks, white flowers and savory herbs all inform the pointed, chiseled finish. The 2011 needs at least a few years in the cellar. If opened today the 2011 needs a lot of air.” AG
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Domaine Remi Jobard Saint-Romain Blanc 2011 750ML ($41.95) $29 special, 4 bottles available
Antonio Galloni 89 points “The 2011 Saint Romain, from Jobard’s negoce label, is very pretty. Energetic and wiry, it shows lovely tension in its expressive white stone fruits, flowers and bright, saline notes. This gracious, medium-bodied white will be at its best over the next few years.” AG
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Remi Jobard Wines Arriving This Week:
Domaine Remi Jobard Bourgogne Blanc 2012 750ML ($37.95) $28 pre-arrival special
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Domaine Remi Jobard Meursault Les Chevalieres 2012 750ML ($89.95) $69 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 90-92 points “The 2012 Meursault Les Chevaliers has a very vibrant, shimmering bouquet with citrus peel, orange blossom, hints of tropical fruit and minerals. The palate is well balanced with finely judged acidity, excellent tension and a cheeky, oyster shell finish. This surpasses everything you could ask from Meursault village cru.”
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Domaine Remi Jobard Les Genevrieres, Meursault Premier Cru 2012 750ML ($99.95) $79 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 92-94 points “The 2012 Meursault 1er Cru Les Genevrieres is blessed with another compelling bouquet with a surfeit of mineralite spilling over from the glass. The palate is very harmonious with citrus lemon, orange rind, dovetailing into a tense, bitter lemon finish that is vigorous and persistent. This is a great Genevrieres that should age gracefully over 10 to 15 years.”
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Domaine Remi Jobard Meursault Les Narvaux 2012 750ML ($79.95) $66 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 90-92 points “The 2012 Meursault Les Narvaux comes from 40 and 50-year old vines in the lieu-dit “Narvaux-Dessus” that was purchased in 2008. It has more potency on the nose compared to the En Luraule and the Sous la Velle, whilst the palate is crisp and taut with good focus and impressive tension on the vibrant finish. This is another great Narvaux – premier cru in all but name as far as I am concerned.” WA
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Domaine Remi Jobard Le Poruzot Dessus, Meursault Premier Cru 2012 750ML ($99.95) $79 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 92-94 points “The 2012 Meursault 1er Cru Le Poruzot-Dessus comes from a 0.57-hectare parcel of vines planted in 1944 and 1985. It has a lovely bouquet bursting with mineralite and tension. It actually reminds me of one of Jean-Marc Roulot’s gems. The palate is very well balanced with a crisp, very focused, citric entry. There is lovely poise and freshness here – a wine leaves you craving to taste it out of bottle tout de suite.”
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Arriving This Week
WASHINGTON
Gramercy Cellars Southern Blend Lower East 2012 750ML ($34.95) $26 pre-arrival special
Case-12 Gramercy Cellars Southern Blend Lower East 2012 750ML ($359.95) $279 pre-arrival special
The bottle and case prices are both the lowest listed prices in the USA today!
ITALY
Giuseppe Quintarelli Primofiore Veneto IGT ($59.95) $49 pre-arrival special
Case-12 Giuseppe Quintarelli Primofiore Veneto IGT ($599.95) $519 pre-arrival special
The bottle and case prices are both the lowest listed prices in the USA today!
FRANCE
Pierre-Marie Chermette Domaine du Vissoux Fleurie les Garants 2013 750ML ($27.95) $24 pre-arrival special
Josh Raynolds–Vinous 92 points “Bright violet color. Dark berries, potpourri and Asian spices on the highly perfumed nose. Silky, seamless and sweet, offering intense black raspberry and lavender flavors plus a deeper suggestion of bitter cherry. A mineral quality sharpens the long, sweet finish, which features gentle tannins and a sexy floral pastille flourish.” JR
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Pierre-Marie Chermette Domaine du Vissoux Fleurie Poncie 2013 750ML ($27.95) $24 pre-arrival special
Case-12 Pierre-Marie Chermette Domaine du Vissoux Fleurie Poncie 2013 750ML ($299.95) $249 pre-arrival special
Josh Raynolds–Vinous 91 points “Bright violet. Heady, mineral-tinged black raspberry and violet aromas show very good clarity and a hint of star anise. In the mouth, juicy, palate-staining dark berry flavors take a brighter turn to raspberry with aeration. Delivers a suave blend of power and finesse, finishing sappy, gently sweet and long, with just a hint of dusty tannins.”
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Pierre-Marie Chermette Domaine du Vissoux Moulin-a-Vent Les Trois Roches 2013 750ML ($27.95) $24 pre-arrival special
Josh Raynolds–Vinous 92 points “Brilliant violet color. Displays powerful cherry and cassis scents, along with hints of dried flowers and black tea. Chewy, deeply concentrated black and blue fruit flavors brighten up with air and show excellent clarity, depth and energy. Powerful yet lithe Beaujolais with firm finishing punch and grip and dusty, slow-building tannins.” JR
Arriving Mid-November
ITALY
Il Marroneto Madonna delle Grazie, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2010 750ML ($249.95) $199 pre-arrival special
Wine Enthusiast 99 points “Beautiful aromas of violet, rose, pressed powder, perfumed berry and refreshing mint mingle in the glass. The focused palate boasts power and finesse, and delivers a great depth of flavors including ripe black cherry, licorice, tobacco and mineral. It’s still young, with youthfully austere tannins and bright acidity, but this has the fruit richness and structure for lengthy aging. Hold for complexity; drink 2020–2040.” WE
Antonio Galloni 97 points “Il Marroneto’s 2010 Brunello di Montalcino Madonna delle Grazie hits the palate with dark red cherries, kirsch, mint, lavender, hard candy, flowers and cinnamon. The flavors are exotic, perfumed and juicy in a head-turning, structured Brunello that is shaping up to be one of the wines of the year. Constantly changing in the glass, the 2010 will thrill readers for the next two decades-plus.” AG
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Il Marroneto Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2010 750ML ($79.95) $69 pre-arrival special
Wine Enthusiast 97 points “Multifaceted fragrances suggest violet, rose, red berry, baking spice, savory herb and a balsamic note. Elegant with great intensity, the radiant palate delivers juicy wild cherry, crushed berry, cinnamon and a note of star anise alongside a backbone of assertive, fine-grained tannins and bright acidity. It’s a gorgeous wine with breeding and class that needs time to bloom fully. Drink 2020–2035.” WE
Antonio Galloni 95 points “Dark red cherries, mint, sage, tobacco, licorice and new leather blossom in Il Marroneto’s 2010 Brunello di Montalcino. Savory and lifted in the glass, the 2010 possesses stunning overall balance and tons of nuance. The tannins are firm and incisive, yet also remarkably polished. Ideally, readers should cellar the 2010 for at least a few years, but it is going to be very hard to resist the temptation of drinking the 2010 young.” AG
Poderi Colla Dardi Le Rose Bussia, Barolo DOCG 2010 750ML ($99.95) $89 pre-arrival special
Antonio Galloni 92+ points “The 2010 Barolo Bussia Dardi/Le Rose from Poderi Colla emerges from the glass with dried rose petals, licorice, tobacco, mint, dried cherries, plums and coffee beans, all super-classic Nebbiolo scents. Beguiling and layered in the glass, the 2010 continues to open up beautifully over time, I can’t wait to see how it ages. At the same time, the 2010 is medium in body and surprisingly supple. Will it put on weight in bottle? Only time will tell. Today, the 2010 is young, young, young.” AG
FRANCE
Domaine Jean Collet Valmur, Chablis Grand Cru 2012 750ML ($69.95) $59 pre-arrival special
Stephen Tanzer–Vinous 93 points “(began in 100% one-, two- and three-year-old barrels, then finished in cuve): Classic aromas of underripe pineapple, mint and wet stone. At once large-scaled and fine-grained, showing terrific intensity to its crunchy citrus and saline flavors. Conveys an impression of density without weight, thanks to its energy. (These vines face full west and ripen late.) At once pliant and filled in, finishing elegant, seamless and long, with a vibrating crushed-stone character.” ST
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Clos du Clocher, Pomerol 2010 750ML ($99.95) $79 pre-arrival special
James Suckling 93 points “Attractive nose with dark cherries, blueberries and chocolate. Some cool stony mineral notes and raw licorice when opening. Full with intensely juicy fruit on the palate with a layered texture. Polished fine tannins and a long finish with a ripe juicy acidity and outstanding complexity. Drink from 2016.” JS
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