Counting Up to Perfection
This week, in addition to our regular Monday roster of new arrivals, we’ve put together our listings of top rated (97-100 points) wines. You can see every single wine (that’s 119 different top-scoring picks, or 629 in-stock bottles!) in this comprehensive newsletter. Read on explore some of the greatest wines in the market today.
Here’s a sneak preview, examples from each points level, 97 points and up!
Biondi Santi Tenuta Greppo Riserva, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2006 750ML ($699.95) $299 special, 8 bottles available
Wine Spectator 97 points “A mix of sweet cherry, raspberry, floral, tobacco, tea and balsamic flavors mingle in this complex and layered red. The acidity and tannins are present and well-integrated as this remains elegant and harmonious on the lingering finish. There’s a racy aspect, with a tobacco and mineral aftertaste. Best from 2016 through 2035.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $495.95
Isole e Olena Chianti Classico Gran Selezione DOCG, Tuscany 2010 750ML ($219.95) $179 special, 3 bottles available
Isole e Olena Chianti Classico Gran Selezione DOCG, Tuscany 2010 1.5L ($499.95) $369 special, 2 magnums available
Antonio Galloni 98+ points “The 2010 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione is extraordinary. A wine of pedigree and class, the 2010 boasts magnificent intensity and depth yet never comes across as heavy. The flavors are layered, nuanced and beautifully delineated in the glass. Plum, black cherry, spice, menthol and sweet spices are laced into the exquisite finish. The 2010 is a stunner today, but also has plenty of upside for the future. A reduction of time in barrel vis-a-vis the 2006 has paid off handsomely. The 2010 is going to be expensive, but it is worth every penny. Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot round out the blend.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price for the 750ML is $215
M. Chapoutier Ermitage Le Meal Blanc, Rhone 2011 750ML ($219.95) $159 special, 14 bottles available
Wine Advocate 99 points “Surprisingly, I preferred the 2011 Ermitage le Meal Blanc over the 2012 on this occasion and it showed a more flamboyant, sexy style in its caramelized pineapple, tropical, honeyed and floral personality. Big, rich and decadent, with fabulous fruit intensity and length, this rock star flirts with perfection and will keep for another 3-4 decades.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Chateau Pavie, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2000 1.5L ($1,999.95) $1,699 special, 1 magnum available
Robert Parker 100 points “Just beginning to come around and strut its enormous potential, this wine at age 15 has been evolving like a glacier. The wine has an inky, opaque, plum/purple color and a stunningly rich nose of mulberries, bramble berries, blackberries, licorice and incense as well as touches of toast and graphite. Fabulously concentrated and full-bodied, with a multidimensional mouthfeel, this profound Pavie is in mid-adolescence. It should evolve and continue to drink well for at least another 30-40 years. This is clearly the first compelling effort made by the Perse family.” 8/2015
You can explore all of our selections from 97-100 points further below. See our complete lists at the bottom of each section or explore online to read full reviews on our web store!
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New Week – New Arrivals
Washington
Double Canyon Cabernet Sauvignon, Horse Heaven Hills 2014 750ML ($24.95) $18 special
Wine Enthusiast 91 points “Wood spice, herb, tangerine peel and blue- and black-fruit aromas are followed by a fresh, flavorful palate. The grip of the tannins makes the variety unmistakable and the balance is spot on.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
California
Terlato Family Vineyards Angel’s Peak, Napa Valley 2007 750ML ($69.95) $21.90 special
Wine Spectator 88 points “Loaded with toasty oak aromas, this features appealing layers of red currant, dill and mocha coffee flavors, which linger toward ripe tannins. Merlot and Cabernet Franc.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $48
Terlato Family Vineyards Angel’s Peak, Napa Valley 2009 750ML ($69.95) $28 special
Wine Spectator 90 points “Soft and fleshy on entry, showcasing fine depth, focus, purity and a range of flavors, with crushed rock, red berry, spice and mineral notes that turn elegant and silky on the finish. Drink now through 2022.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $39.17
The average price is $46
France – Champagne
Michel Genet Grande Reserve Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Brut, Champagne 2008 750ML ($59.95) $47 special
Josh Raynolds–Vinous 91 points “(made from fruit grown in Chouilly): Pale gold. Vibrant citrus fruit and floral scents are complicated by chalky minerality and hints of ginger and quinine. Lively and precise, with very good depth and punch to its Meyer lemon, orange zest and pear flavors, Puts on weight with air while maintaining a lithe character, finish with resonating mineral and floral notes and building toastiness.”
Wine Spectator 91 points “Harmonious, with a creamy bead and a well-meshed backbone of bright, citrusy acidity that frames the chalky underpinning and notes of white peach, poached quince, pastry and spring blossom.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Ulysse Collin ‘Les Maillons’ Blanc de Noirs Extra Brut, Champagne NV (2012) 750ML ($119.95) $89 special
France – Alsace
Domaine Weinbach Riesling Cuvee Colette, Alsace 2014 750ML ($44.95) $33 special
Wine Enthusiast 94 points “Citrus blossom is evoked on the nose, aromatic mandarin peel and the dark, crushed foliage of citrus, too. On the palate there is a purity that is both mellow and taut, generous and restrained. The body is slender and willowy, while breezes of herbs and citrus come and go. Do not smother this dry, delicate veil of Riesling with big food. Choose light, delicate fare and this will simply sing.”
Wine Spectator 91 points “Minerally and aromatic, this creamy Riesling is mouthwatering and lithe, layering racy acidity with focused flavors of poached peach, grapefruit granita, saline, spring blossom and ground ginger. Drink now through 2025. 435 cases made.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $36.19
Domaine Weinbach Riesling Clos des Capucins Cuvee Theo, Alsace 2014 750ML ($39.95) $28 special
Wine Enthusiast 93 points “Feathery, lifted notes of citrus, lemon zest and leaf announce a lightness of touch. Some topnotes of chamomile tisane swing alongside. The palate is fresh, taut, dry and light-footed. Deeper notions of fruit are still just hinted at, a core of fruit that still takes time before it is unlocked. Purity and elegance mark this one out.”
James Suckling 93 points “This is subtle and refined with grapefruit, mineral and orange peel. Full to medium body, fresh acidity and a long finish. Lovely fruitiness yet tangy and bright. As always, from old vines in the clos. Drink now.”
Wine Spectator 91 points “Aromatic, with slate and mineral accents, this sleek white is light- to medium-bodied, showing precise balance and a finely meshed palate of ripe white peach, lime blossom, fresh ginger and passion fruit flavors. Drink now through 2029.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $32.07
France – Beaujolais
Chateau Thivin Brouilly ‘Reverdon’, Beaujolais 2015 750ML ($27.95) $21.90 special
Wine Advocate 92 points “The 2015 Brouilly Reverdon, which had been bottled about one month prior to my visit, has a powerful but primal bouquet, clearly laden with plenty of fruit. The definition is here though. The palate is fleshy and supple on the entry but then those tannins cloak the mouth, without overwhelming, finishing in quite a sensual style. This has much more to give but it should be given 3-4 years to allow the terroir to really be expressed. What are you waiting for? This is a knockout Brouilly.”
Josh Raynolds 91 points “Bright violet. Powerful, mineral-tinged dark berries, violet and licorice on the perfumed nose. Densely packed bitter cherry and boysenberry flavors are enlivened by a jolt of juicy acidity. Fleshes out on the youthfully tannic finish, which hangs on with strong, floral-driven persistence.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Anne-Sophie Dubois Fleurie Clepsydre, Beaujolais 2015 750ML ($31.95) $28 special
Anne-Sophie Dubois Fleurie Clepsydre, Beaujolais 2015 1.5L ($79.95) $66 special
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Anne-Sophie Dubois Fleurie l’Alchimiste, Beaujolais 2015 750ML ($29.95) $24 special
Anne-Sophie Dubois Fleurie l’Alchimiste, Beaujolais 2015 1.5L ($69.95) $59 special
This is the only listing in the USA today!
France – Rhone
Patrick Jasmin Cote Rotie 2009 1.5L ($149.95) $119 special, 1 magnum available
Wine Spectator 93 points “This has a brambly feel, with bay leaf and chestnut leaf notes studding the core of red currant, damson plum and blackberry fruit. Offers a mix of green and black olive notes, with a flicker of charcoal on the nicely grippy finish. Best from 2014 through 2026”
Josh Raynolds–Vinous 92+ points “Deep ruby. Sexy, floral-accented aromas of red and dark berry preserves, star anise and black pepper. Broad, palate-staining black raspberry and violet flavors are lifted by zesty minerality and show no excess weight. Finishes bright and nervy, with youthful tannic grip, excellent persistence and impressive focus. By all means give this wine some air or more bottle age.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $135
Delas Freres Saint-Joseph Francois de Tournon 2013 750ML ($44.95) $28 special
Wine Advocate 92 points “Similar to the Saint Epine release quality-wise, the 2013 St Joseph Cuvee Francois de Tournon offers more richness, breadth and layer compared to the tighter, more focused, granite-influenced Saint Epine. Plum, black raspberry, licorice, cracked pepper and graphite flows to a medium to full-bodied, concentrated, structured 2013 that needs 3-4 years of cellaring; it will have two decades of longevity. Coming mostly from vineyards around Tournon and Mauves, it spent 12 months in 30% new French oak.”
Josh Raynolds–Vinous 92 points “Vivid ruby. Highly perfumed, exotic scents of black raspberry and blueberry preserves, incense and smoky minerals carry a spicy topnote. At once ripe and lively on the palate, offering palate-staining red and dark berry and cherry cola flavors and subtle floral character. Finishes spicy and very long, displaying harmonious tannins and a lingering violet note.”
Wine Spectator 92 points “Ripe and concentrated without sacrificing cut, this lets a pure beam of raspberry and blackberry coulis rush forth, backed by mouthwatering anise, black tea and iron notes. Latent grip allows the finish to linger. Best from 2016 through 2022.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Henri Bonneau Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2010 750ML ($219.95) $189 special
Wine Advocate 91-94 points “We won’t see his 2010 Reserve des Celestins until at least 2015 and more likely 2016 or 2017, so I asked Bonneau to taste from a few barrels that might go into the 2010 Marie Buerrier just to give me an idea what he had done, then we quickly moved to stuff that will actually be in the marketplace within the next three years – hopefully. Bonneau seems to be a big fan of 2010, but perhaps not to the extent that everyone else is in the village. His 2010 cuvees (he only showed me what he thought were the “weaker” ones, and probably Marie Buerrier) were beautiful, with sweet kirsch, roasted meats, herbs and spice – full-bodied and classic old-style wine with loads of kirsch and meat and mushroomy notes.”
Domaine Auguste Clape Cornas 2012 750ML ($179.95) $149 special
Wine Advocate 98 points “The Cornas of the vintage is Clape’s 2012 Cornas. An incredible effort, its inky purple/black color is followed by spectacular aromas and flavors of black raspberry, graphite, beef blood, iron, cedar and white pepper (among other things). This is Cornas at its finest, with insane aromatics, full-bodied richness and massive concentration, yet at the same time staying elegant, seamless and gorgeously pure. It’s more approachable than the 2010, but should still need 3-4 years of cellaring and have two decades of longevity.”
Domaine la Remejeanne Cotes du Rhone Les Arbousiers 2013 750ML ($21.95) $18 special
Winery note “A red wine with a dark ruby colour. Deep spicy nose with hints of tobacco leaves and red berries. Velvety tannins, freshness and aromas of Morello cherries with a hint of caramel and licorice. It offers harmony and length in the mouth. It can be kept 5 to 8 years. To be paired with poultry, game or roast meat.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $20.99
Domaine la Remejeanne Cotes du Rhone Les Arbousiers Blanc 2015 750ML ($21.95) $18 special
Winery note “A white wine with a pale green hue. The nose expresses intense aromas with flowery notes brought by the Clairette. Well balanced and elegant, its offers a mouth filling sensation along with a pleasant and light acidity.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Domaine la Remejeanne Cotes du Rhone Villages Les Eglantiers 2013 750ML ($39.95) $28 special
Winery note “A red wine with an intense crimson colour. A powerful first nose followed by fresh aromas of pepper and mint, and leather touches. In the mouth, this wine offers elegance through its intense aromas and harmony thanks to its 12 month’s ageing in a barrel. Its exceptional structure will make it worth keeping 10 years and more. To be paired with traditional dishes such as grilled red meat and cheese, or with dark chocolate.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
France – Languedoc-Roussillon
Mas D’Amile Le Petitou, Terrasses du Larzac 2014 750ML ($19.95) $16 special
Winery note “A elegant, fruity and light wine.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Italy – Tuscany
Monteraponi Chianti Classico DOCG 2014 750ML ($27.95) $21.90 special
“Fermented without selected yeasts or temperature control, this bright, savory blend of 95% Sangiovese and 5% Canaiolo opens with classic varietal aromas of red berry, fragrant blue flower and a whiff of new leather. The fresh, easy drinking palate doles out juicy wild cherry, chopped herb and a hint cinnamon offset by vibrant acidity and supple tannins.”–Wine Enthusiast
Germany
Weingut Donnhoff Niederhauser Hermannshohle Riesling Spatlese, Nahe 2015 750ML ($59.95) $47 special
Wine Advocate 95 points “The 2015 Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle Riesling Spätlese opens with an aristocratic bouquet of coolish, flinty slate and citrus perfume along with concentrated Riesling flavors. There is great complexity and expression here! On the palate, this wine is highly elegant and its seamless, silky texture is like that of the Dellchen GG. Very salty, full of finesse and tension on the palate–this is a great, perfectly balanced Spätlese. There is no other Riesling in the Nahe that has such nobly aristocratic attitude. It’s one of the finest Spätlese Rieslings you can buy from this vintage.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $56
Weingut Donnhoff Oberhauser Leistenberg Riesling Kabinett, Nahe 2015 750ML ($27.95) $21.90 special
Wine Advocate 91 points “Coming from argillaceous shale soils, the 2015 Oberhäuser Leistenberg Riesling Kabinett opens with a very clear and coolish, slightly flinty bouquet with white Riesling and some refreshing lemon flavors. Full-flavored and intense on the palate, this is a lovely, light-hearted, piquant and racy Riesling with intensity and persistency. The 40+ grams of residual sugar are almost fully eaten by the minerality and piquancy of this picture book Kabinett.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Weingut Donnhoff Roxheimer Hollenpfad Riesling Trocken, Nahe 2015 750ML ($39.95) $33 special
Wine Advocate 93 points “From a steep, south-facing vineyard on red sandstone soils, the 2015 (Roxheimer) Höllenpfad Riesling Trocken opens with warm and generous yellow apple fruit, but also a coolish and piquant sand stone expression with spicy and even peppery lemon flavors. “The grapes are always smaller here than in the Kahlenberg and the berries [are] very intense in their fine fruit aromas,” says Helmut Dönnhoff. The roots can go through the sandstone, which is not the case in the volcanic soils of Niederhausen and Oberhausen. As a result, drought stress is very rare and that makes the Höllenpfad a perfect origin for dry Rieslings. On the palate, this is a generously fruity, but also pure, piquant and finely racy Riesling with lingering salinity and lemony freshness. The wine is dense and generous, but precise, fresh and rather cool instead of warm. It is a gorgeous Riesling that combines the warmth of the northern Nahe, closer to the Rhine river, with the purity and salinity of the Niederhausen/Oberhausen. The finish is pretty, long and aromatic, and the ripe apples remain on the palate as do the stony flavors.”
Kruger-Rumpf Binger Scharlachberg Riesling Spatlese, Rheinhessen 2006 750ML ($27.95) $21.90 special
Terry Theise notes: “Scharlachberg is a Grand Cru, but in fact a Rheinhessen Grand Cru, as it sits across the (mighty!) Nahe from Münster-Sarmsheim; it’s a serious prow of hillside acting as a kind of warm-up to the Rüdesheimer Berg just to its north over the Rhine – though on a radically different soil; a mélange of rotliegend and various volcanic derivatives (e.g., porphyry). The wines are, or can be, superb, seeming to mingle the succulence of Hipping or Pettenthal with the exotics of Felsenberg or Dautenpflänzer.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $24
Kruger-Rumpf Binger Scharlachberg Riesling Spatlese, Rheinhessen 2015 750ML ($27.95) $21.90 special
Terry Theise Notes: “An entirely typical, which is to say riotously super ripe fruity wine from this vineyard, an old-school “sweet” Spätlese anchored to a big earthy richness.”
Kruger-Rumpf Munsterer Dautenpflanzer Riesling Spatlese, Nahe 2015 750ML ($27.95) $21.90 special
Terry Theise notes: “Shows the loam and lemony face of this spicy exotic vineyard; picked ginger, earthy clove and duck skin; freesia and mint—what a glorious Grand Cru this is. Earthy yet tastes like it was visited by extraterrestrials, who threw down seeds for a phosphorescent moss.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $24
Weingut Alfred Merkelbach Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Spatlese #1, Mosel 2015 750ML ($29.95) $21.90 special
Mosel Fine Wines 91 points “An expressive nose of fresh fruits including pineapple, grapefruit and peach leads to a mouth-coating feel on the palate and a lively and energetic structure in the zesty finish. The grapefruit and citrus driven finish is full of freshness and lightness. This is a superb Spätlese in the making. 2023-2035.”
Terry Theise: “I have to point out: this wine has been a core-list item for us, and we usually blend Fuders in order to give us (relatively speaking) “volume” under one s.k.u. But this year there are just three contributing lots, and they’re so distinct from one another that I’m shipping each separately, though all as core-list. This will be random, as it would be utter chaos for y’all to “pick” the Fuder you preferred. I will note them separately. And this one is pure, pure licorice, classic kiwi and sassafrass; a look into the very bones and capillaries of Uerz-Würz, like an MRI of terroir. A completely amazing Mosel wonder of a very fundamental nature.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Weingut Alfred Merkelbach Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Spatlese #6, Mosel 2015 750ML ($29.95) $26 special
Mosel Fine Wines 92 points “This Spätlese was made fruit with moderate sugar levels (less than 90° Oechsle). It offers a very fine and elegant aromatic profile driven by notes of zest, grapefruit, mint and pineapple. A clean, zesty and zippy structure delivers a dynamic and playful wine on the palate. The fruit driven aromatics lead to a clean and focused long finish. This is quite a superb light yet intense Spätlese. 2025-2040.”
Terry Theise: “A little bottle-sick but all elements in place, especially saltiness and minerality. Has some reduction to shed, but often these turn out to be the best wines, and this one’s potentially superb.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Weingut Alfred Merkelbach Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Spatlese #7, Mosel 2015 750ML ($29.95) $26 special
Terry Theise: “This is complete and entirely striking, for its purism and lack of (nor need for) makeup; it’s the opposite of spiffy, a genius but an autodidact, with savant-like expressiveness; force, dignity and length, it squares the circle and culminates the culture.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $29.99
Merkelbach Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Auslese #8 “Lang Pichter” 2015 750ML ($41.95) $33 special
Mosel Fine Wines 92 points “Harvested at a full 110° Oechsle, this ostentatious and fruit driven Auslese offers complex flavors of pineapple, canned yellow peach, aniseed spices, almond paste as well as some bakery products and honey. A smooth, juicy and round palate with plenty of honeyed flavors is nicely pepped up by some smoky flavors in the long finish. This is a structured and rather powerful Auslese. 2025-2040” Terry Theise: “The greatest wine I’ve tasted from Rolf and Alfred. Incomprehensibly articulate, rich, taut and gorgeous; lysergically vivid and expressive; has more fruit than Urglück, kiwi-lime-strawberry-salt, leading to an ecstatically beautiful implosion of beauty and complexity. Just sit still, pour, inhale, taste and worship joyfully. Soon it will be gone.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Weingut Willi Schaefer Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Spatlese, Mosel 2015 750ML ($41.95) $37 special
Mosel Fine Wines 93 points “Shy on the nose (where it only hints at more than exhibits fresh fruity scents of grapefruit, tangerine and a touch of mango as well as mint) this Spätlese proves surprisingly open on the palate as smooth and ripe flavors of juicy fruits play havoc with one’s senses. The finish has great intensity and presence with more fresh ripe fruits. This is a superb Spätlese in the making. 2025-2040.”
Spain
Sierra Cantabria Crianza, Rioja DOCa 2012 750ML ($19.95) $14 special
Josh Raynolds–Vinous 90 points “Saturated ruby. Perfumed aromas of dark berries, cherry-cola, smoky oak and vanilla, lifted by a floral topnote. Smooth, appealingly sweet blackcurrant and cherry flavors show very good depth and energy, with a spicecake note coming up with aeration. The smoke and floral notes carry through on a long, broad finish that features fine-grained tannins and dark fruit character.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $17
Sierra Cantabria Seleccion, Rioja DOCa 2014 750ML ($14.95) $9.90 special
Josh Raynolds–Vinous 90 points “(fermented and aged for six months in stainless steel tanks and then aged for six more months in 60 percent French and 40 percent American oak barrels, all used) Dark ruby. Ripe dark berries, candied flowers and a suggestion of woodsmoke on the perfumed nose. Pliant and expansive in the mouth, offering bitter cherry, cassis and peppery spice flavors that become sweeter on the back half. Finishes on a juicy dark berry note, showing very good persistence, gentle tannins and lingering spice and floral notes.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $12
Bodegas Nekeas ‘El Chaparral de Vega Sindoa’ Old Vine Garnacha, Navarra 2013 750ML ($17.95) $14 special
Josh Raynolds–Vinous 91 points “(went through malo and five months of aging in new and used French oak barriques): Brilliant ruby. Highly perfumed aromas of cherry compote, smoky Indian spices, vanilla and licorice, with a building floral note. Coats the palate with juicy black raspberry and spicecake flavors enlivened by juicy acidity. Quite rich, especially in the context of the vintage, finishing with seamless berry flavors, smooth tannins and excellent persistence. The vines here were reportedly planted between 1890 and 1930.”
Robert Parker 89 points “The most expensive wine in the Bodegas Nekeas portfolio is the 2013 Vega Sindoa El Chaparral Old Vine Garnacha. Made from vines planted between 1890 and 1930, with fermentation in French oak, aging on its lees in barrels for five months, it boasts a deep ruby color as well as chalky kirsch liqueur notes intermixed with hints of herbs, licorice and pepper. This dark ruby-hued, medium-bodied, heady, spicy 2013 is a classic Grenache. There are 2,000 cases of this stunning value that, like all of these offerings from Bodegas Nekeas, over delivers. Drink now-2017. This is a terrific value winery in Navarra. (It is also the place where some of the world’s greatest white asparagus is grown.) The wines tend to overdeliver for their meager prices.” RP
Celler Pasanau Ceps Nous, Priorat DOCa 2013 750ML ($24.95) $18 special
Wine Spectator 92 points “Savory and spicy notes of licorice, cigar box and cardamom frame a deep core of plum and kirsch in this expressive red. Firm tannins and balsamic acidity impart a solid structure. Drink now through 2023.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Adega Algueira, Ribeira Sacra 2015 750ML ($19.95) $16 special
VinopolNote: Along the banks of the Sil River, once home to monasteries built by monks in the 12th century, is the Algueira winery. Built in a style in keeping with the regional history, the winery is tucked among old growth chestnut and oak trees. The view from the river is dramatic. Steeply terraced banks line the shores evoking thoughts of the Mosel. Yet much like the menu at the small attached restaurant, this is all Galacian: from indigenous grape varieties to the distinctive terroir in the glass. Despite the winery’s tiny production, it has received glowing international press. The Mencia is from younger vines and is aged in 100% stainless steel.
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Back in Stock
These outstandingly popular wines are back in stock. Act fast, many – like the Cameron WV & Palacios Petalos – will be out of stock soon again… this time for good!
Cameron Winery Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2015 750ML ($24.95) $21.90 special
VinopolNote: Mostly from Briscoe Vineyard with some declassified Abbey Ridge and Clos Electrique fruit.
Meyer Fonne Cremant d’Alsace Brut Extra NV 750ML ($24.95) $16 special
Importer note “60% Pinot Auxerrois, 20% Chardonnay, 15% Pinot Blanc, 5% Pinot Noir. The grapes are harvested at a potential alcohol of around 11% and vinified in the méthode champenoise. Around mid-March, the first fermentation is finished and the wine is bottled for the second fermentation, which lasts two to three months. It is left in bottle for at least twelve months before disgorging, when a minimum of dosage is added.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $24.99
Descendientes de J. Palacios Petalos, Bierzo 2013 750ML ($24.95) $14 special
#53 Wine Spectator Top 100 in 2015
Wine Advocate 92 points “Always among the best values of Spain, the 2013 Pétalos del Bierzo has an extra degree of freshness in a cool vintage, and some time in bottle always does this wine wonders. It’s aromatic, open and expressive, with floral aromas and bright fruit, wild strawberries and violets. This is always a subtle, medium-bodied wine, with fine tannins, sleek acidity and a fine minerality. Ready now.”
Wine Spectator 91 points “Expressive black cherry, currant, licorice, mineral and smoke flavors mingle in this focused red. The texture is gentle but firm, with well-integrated tannins and racy acidity providing structure. A compact wine that shows good intensity. Drink now through 2023.”TM
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $16
The average price is $21
Bodegas Emilio Moro Malleolus, Ribera del Duero 2011 750ML ($49.95) $39 special
Wine Enthusiast 94 points “This pure, bullish, smoky Tinto Fino is full of charred blackberry, cassis and licorice aromas. The palate is massive but superbly balanced. Flavors of mocha, black coffee, bitter chocolate, toast, blackberry and cassis finish with power and precision. Drink 2017–2025.”
Wine Advocate 93 points “2011 was a warm and ripe vintage, and the Moro brothers are very happy with their wines; they consider the vintage their best in the decade. The 2011 Malleolus is sourced from their older vines, and fermented in stainless steel vats with indigenous yeasts and an élevage of 18 months in French oak barriques. It has a very showy, tantalizing nose of smoked bacon, roasted coffee, grains (fried corn?), violets, dark cherries, and raspberries with plenty of spices in a very commercial mixture of oak and fruit. The palate is medium to full-bodied with some crunchy tannins over a core of ripe, juicy fruit, coming through as quite balanced and powerful, with restraint and elegance. This has to be one of the best Malleolus produced, the highlight of this line up.”
Rotllan Torra, Priorat DOCa 2012 750ML ($21.95) $18 special
Vinopolnote: Roughly equal parts Grenache, Mazuelo, and Cabernet Sauvignon from the rocky slopes of Priorat.
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
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Re-Arriving Tuesday, March 14th
Quintessa Red, Rutherford 2013 750ML ($199.95) $128 pre-arrival special
Case-6 Quintessa Red, Rutherford 2013 750ML ($1,199.95) $732 pre-arrival special (that’s only $122/bottle!)
James Suckling 98 points “This is really fantastic on the nose with blackberry, blueberry, lavender, and violets. Even sage. Full body plus extremely integrated tannins that are polished and refined. The balance and harmony is phenomenal. Goes on for minutes. Beautiful now but will satisfy for decades. (5/3/16)”
Robert Parker 96 points “The 2013 Proprietary Red Wine has always been good, but I think they have re-positioned themselves at a much higher pinnacle with the 2013. This is a Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated blend but has important component parts such as Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot from their gorgeous vineyards just off the Silverado Trail in Rutherford. The wine has a dense bluish/purple color and a beautiful nose of black raspberries, blueberries, lead pencil shavings, and touches of oak and spring flowers. The complexity of the fragrance is followed by a wine with terrific body, stunning purity, wonderful balance, and great depth and richness. This is certainly the most profound Quintessa made to date and should evolve gracefully for at least 20-25 years.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $139.95
The average price is $182
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Our Current
Shipping Promos:
Along with Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and California,
we now offer flat rate shipping to Colorado. Here’s the scoop:
Single orders of any quantity of wines qualify for the flat rate;
this does not apply to orders held in storage for any reason
or multiple orders consolidated into one shipment.
The flat reach for each state is, as follows:
-to Oregon for $17,
-Washington & Idaho for $20,
-and California & Colorado for $25
Take Advantage of the Flat Rate!
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Trending Super Deals
Marchesi de Frescobaldi Castelgiocondo, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2011 750ML ($69.95) $39 special
Case-6 Marchesi de Frescobaldi Castelgiocondo, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2011 750ML ($359.95) $219 special (that’s only $36.50/bottle and the lowest listed price in the USA today!)
James Suckling 93 points “A firm, silky red with blueberry, blackberry and mineral aromas. Hints of chocolate. Full body, pretty fruit and a long, flavorful finish. Very refined. A standard-bearer.”
Wine Advocate 91 points “Boasting an elaborate style, the 2011 Brunello di Montalcino is a plump, juicy and opulent red wine from southern Tuscany. The wine is packed tight with the sunshine and the brilliant luminosity of its birthplace. The quality of fruit is quite ripe and soft. The tannins are similarly textured. This is an immediate wine that can be consumed within the next few years. Or, if you have the patience to wait, it promises a steady medium-term evolution. The bouquet is redolent of red fruit, cherry cola and grilled herb.”
Antonio Galloni 91 points “The 2011 Brunello di Montalcino is a very pretty wine. Succulent, open-knit and racy, the 2011 offers lovely purity of fruit in a racy, forward style that is best enjoyed sooner rather than later, while the flavors retain their brightness. Sweet red cherry, flowers and spices reappear on the finish, adding a closing burst of energy.”
Zorzal Eggo Tinto de Tiza, Tupungato, Argentina 2014 750ML ($39.95) $26 special
Decanter 96 points ‘Top 10 Exciting Buys’ “Refreshing, beautiful nose with herbal and minty cool notes but also some chalky, mineral nuances so characteristic of the Gualtallary terroir. Bags of red fruits and lemon on the palate, vibrant, with a sensational invigorating freshness. Austere, precise, Malbec is one of the few grapes able to get such a pure expression. Texture is amazing, tannins are finely grained and oak is superbly managed. This is the treasure of Argentina.”
Wine Advocate 94 points “The 2014 Eggo Tinto de Tiza is a blend from three different vineyards in Tupungato Winelands in Gualtallary. It’s a blend of mostly Malbec with some Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. As is the case with the whole Eggo range, the wine didn’t see any oak, and in this case it was matured in egg-shaped cement vats for one year. There are violets, plums, dark cherries and something earthy. This is slightly riper than the 2013. The medium-bodied palate has is fresh with a silky texture, pure flavors and a mineral-driven finish. At this price I’d buy it by the case. Super!”
Tyrus Evan Ciel du Cheval Vineyard Claret, Columbia Valley 2015 750ML ($21.95) $18 special
Case-6 Tyrus Evan Ciel du Cheval Vineyard Claret, Columbia Valley 2015 750ML ($119.95) $99 special (that’s only $16.50/bottle and the lowest listed price in the USA today!)
Winery note “Ken Wright, known for his highly-rated, single-vineyard Pinot Noir, introduced a new label in 2001, Tyrus Evan. The name on the vintage western label came from Ken’s two son’s middle names. The wine, all made in Carlton at Ken Wright Cellars, is from fruit sourced from Ciel du Cheval vineyard in Washington State’s Red Mountain AVA and Seven Hills vineyard which lies on the Oregon side of the Walla Walla AVA. The vineyard Ciel du Cheval lies in the heart of the tiny Red Mountain American Viticultural Area (AVA) in southeast Washington. Initially planted to just three acres in 1975, the vineyard now encompasses 120 acres and provides outstanding fruit to 26 wineries in the northwest. As owner Jim Holmes puts it, ‘This is a hobby that has gone crazy.’ 43% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc, 6% Petit Verdot”
Chateau Puech-Haut Saint-Drezery Prestige Rouge, Languedoc-Roussillon 2013 750ML ($21.95) $18 special
Case-12 Chateau Puech-Haut Saint-Drezery Prestige Rouge, Languedoc-Roussillon 2013 750ML ($249.95) $199 special (that’s only $16.58/bottle!)
Wine Advocate 93 points “The 2013 Coteaux du Languedoc Prestige (which was already in bottle at the time of this tasting) is a blend of 55% Grenache and 45% Syrah aged all in concrete tank. Fresh, elegant and thrillingly pure, with first rate aromas of blackberry, fresh plum, licorice and ground herbs, it is decidedly sexy and forward, yet stays perfectly balanced, with juicy acidity and fine tannin on the finish. Easily one of the top estates in the Languedoc (if not southern France), Chateau Puech Haut lies just outside the village of Saint-Drezery and is owned and run by Gerard Bru, with consulting help from Philippe Cambie. They produce a number of cuvees, with their entry level efforts representing superb values, and their top cuvees being able to stand toe to toe with the greatest wines in the world.”
Peter Lauer ‘Barrel X’ Saar Riesling, Mosel 2015 750ML ($24.95) $19 special
Case-12 Peter Lauer ‘Barrel X’ Saar Riesling, Mosel 2015 750ML ($279.95) $219 special (that’s only $18.25/bottle and the lowest listed price in the USA today!)
Importer note “You all know by now the stratospheric work Florian is doing in the Saar. This has always been the ambassador wine from the winery but this vintage elevates to Senior levels of complexity.”
Vieux Chateau Mazerat, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2010 750ML ($119.95) $89 special
Case-12 Vieux Chateau Mazerat, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2010 750ML ($1,199.95) $999 special (that’s only $83.25/bottle!)
Robert Parker 95+ points “This is one of the tightest, most backward wines in the Jonathan Malthus portfolio. The grapes come from an old-vine parcel near Angelus and Beausejour-Duffau, and the final product is a blend of 65% Merlot and 35% Cabernet Franc. Again displaying plenty of minerality, which seems to be a prevailing theme throughout the 2010s from Malthus, the 2010 Vieux Chateau Mazerat is full-bodied, with an abundance of floral notes as well as black currant and blackberry fruit. Impressively endowed and built like a skyscraper, this full-bodied wine needs a good 7-8 years of cellaring and should keep for 25-30 years. Interestingly, the vines were planted in 1947.”
Domaine de L’Edre Cotes du Roussillon Villages 2013 750ML ($49.95) $41.90 special
Case-6 Domaine de L’Edre Cotes du Roussillon Villages 2013 750ML ($299.95) $239 special (that’s only $/bottle!)
Wine Advocate 95 points “One of the wines of the vintage is the 2013 Cotes du Roussillon Villages Domaine de l’Edre. While this cuvee had a rustic edge in the past, today it’s incredibly polished and pure, with brilliant aromatics of cassis, black raspberries, licorice, crushed flowers and chalky minerality. Medium to full-bodied, ripe, yet elegant and balanced, it’s a classic Roussillon that can be enjoyed today or cellared for a decade.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Buil & Gine 17-XI, Montsant 2014 750ML ($21.95) $18 special
Case-12 Buil & Gine 17-XI, Montsant 2014 750ML ($249.95) $199 special (that’s only $16.58/bottle!)
Josh Raynolds–Vinous 91 points “Brilliant ruby. Highly perfumed, evoking ripe cherry and blackcurrant that are complemented by slowly emerging aromas of cured meat, lavender and minerals. Enlivened by a spicy nuance, the silky, sweet and penetrating palate offers intense dark fruit and floral pastille flavors. Seamless and very nicely concentrated, with smooth tannins lending shape to a very long, fruit-driven finish.” JR
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We’re Counting Up to Perfection
– 97 –
Here’s a special selection of nine of our fifty-nine 97 point wines on offer. See the full list below!
New World 97 pointers:
Sine Qua Non Poker Face Syrah, Santa Barbara County 2004 1.5L ($2,199.95) $1,799 special, 1 magnum available
Wine Advocate 97 points “Starting off the Syrah-based wines, the 2004 Poker Face (Syrah) is aging beautifully. A blend of 96% Syrah, 2.5% Mourvedre and 1.5% Viognier (from the Eleven Confessions, White Hawk, Alban, Bien Nacido, and Alta Mesa vineyards) that was aged in 80% new French oak, it offers up a perfumed, fresh bouquet of sweet blackberry liqueur, creme de cassis, spring flowers and licorice that gives way to a full-bodied, seamless, gorgeously textured feel on the palate. Rich and decadent, it has notable, yet beautifully integrated acidity and stays remarkably fresh, detailed and even elegant. It still needs a lengthy decant to shine, and will continue to thrill over the coming decade or so.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $2,175
Below is the list of all of our New World 97 point wines, in-stock now. You can read full reviews and shop online on our web store!
Old World 97 pointers:
Krug Grande Cuvee Brut, Champagne NV 1.5L ($499.95) $399 special, 2 magnums available
Krug Grande Cuvee Brut, Champagne NV 3L ($1,499.95) $1,199 special, 1 three-liter available
Wine Spectator 97 points “This is all about balance and the integration of power and finesse, with finely honed acidity supporting flavors of quince paste, dried black cherry, spun honey and candied orange zest, while rich notes of roasted walnut, coffee liqueur and toasted cardamom resonate on the finish. Hard to stop sipping. Drink now through 2028.” WS
Philipponnat Clos des Goisses Brut, Champagne 1996 750ML ($399.95) $348 special, 5 bottles available
Antonio Galloni 97 points “One of the all time greats from Philipponnat, the 1996 Clos des Goisses captures the essence of a vintage in which both sugars and acidities were elevated. Tension, energy and salinity are the signatures. Readers who can wait on the 1996 will be rewarded with a stunning bottle of Champagne that will likely still be profound at age fifty.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Salon Cuvee ‘S’ Le Mesnil Blanc de Blancs, Champagne 2004 1.5L ($1,499.95) $989 special, 2 magnums available
Antonio Galloni 97+ points “The 2004 Salon has been superb each time I have tasted it over the last year or so. Bright, tense and crystalline, with all of the energy that is typical of both Salon and the vintage in the Côte des Blancs, the 2004 bristles with superb precision and cool, pulsating minerality. The 2004 spent a dozen years on its lees. Over the last six months or so, it has gradually begun to open up, but it is very much a wine for the cellar. Two thousand four is remembered as a vintage with record high yields. Salon (and Delamotte) did a terrific job in keeping the vines well balanced. Production was just 46,000 bottles, as opposed to the 60,000 or so that is more typical. Chef de Caves Michel Fauconnet opted for a low dosage of just 4 grams per liter. This is a tremendous showing.”
Jacques Selosse Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Millesime, Champagne 2003 750ML ($519.95) $399 special, 13 bottles available
James Suckling 97 points “A wine that has an absolutely unique character, Selosse has interpreted a truly extraordinary vintage with poetic insight. He describes the double stresses of an April frost that claimed 75% of the yield in Avize, coupled with a very hot and dry June and August. He speaks of the evapotranspiration and the effect of depositing an immense amount of mineral residue into the plant, which has manifested in this striking wine, and compares it to a chef reducing and concentrating a sauce. The smoky, toasty notes are more than autolysis; you can smell the heat of the vintage here. It has profound stony and chalky aromas, gentle spices, grilled hazelnuts and dehydrated stone fruits. The minerals explode onto the palate. It’s electric, hitting like an ionic blast before rolling out dark nutty flavors ahead of plush orange and ripe nectarine, peach and big, rich phenolics. It has many layers through the finish. Extremely long, balanced and resolved. Drink now or age confidently for a fascinating savory journey – this has a sturdy nature.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $445
The average price is $528
Domaine Dujac Clos Saint-Denis Grand Cru, Burgundy 2014 750ML ($599.95) $479 special, 1 bottle available
John Gilman 97 points “The style of the 2014 vintage perfectly dovetails with the great elegance inherent in this terroir, so it is not surprising that the Domaine Dujac version is utterly stunning this year. The wine soars from the glass in a blaze of cherries, red plums, cocoa powder, fresh nutmeg, a fabulous base of soil tones, woodsmoke, lovely spice tones and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and utterly seamless, with a velvety attack, a sappy core of red fruit, stunning transparency and a supremely elegant, fine-grained and tangy finish. Hauntingly beautiful Clos St. Denis in 2014!”
Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage Blanc, Rhone 2011 1.5L ($549.95) $419 special, 1 magnum available
Wine Spectator 97 points “Still a bit reserved aromatically, with hints of orange blossom and crème anglaise peeking out, this features a captivating display of racy quinine, honeysuckle and white peach flavors inlaid into a rich core of brioche, Cavaillon melon, white truffle, smoked almond and heather honey. Incredibly long. Hard to resist now, but ideal for when your toddler graduates college. Best from 2019 through 2030.” WS
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $456.99
Philippe Foreau Domaine du Clos Naudin Vouvray Moelleux Reserve, Loire 2009 750ML ($119.95) $79 special, 34 bottles available
Wine Advocate 97 points “What there was in this vintage of botrytis, Foreau reports, essentially went into his 2009 Vouvray Moelleux Reserve. Brown-spiced pear liqueur and quince preserves dominate the proceedings – wreathed in perfume of freesia and lily – and there are buoyancy and elegance, despite viscosity, enormous richness of texture and residual sweetness, that indeed point to the magic nobility rot can convey. Its sense of lift – when combined with luscious, still juicy suggestions of grapefruit and blood orange familiar from the corresponding demi-sec – wards off any risk of palate fatigue. Mysterious botrytis manifestations of stale bread, truffle, and white raisin emerge from the empty glass. This extraordinary achievement will stand with such past great Foreau moelleux reserves as 2005, 2003, and 1989-90 and is likely to merit 30 or more years of consideration. In direct comparison, what strikes one about the 2005 today is its more obvious sense of botrytis and its slightly diminished sense of acidity and lift. But it maintains the edge in sheer complexity.” WA
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $92
Pian dell’Orino ‘Vigneti del Versante’, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2010 750ML ($119.95) $99 special, 8 bottles available
Pian dell’Orino ‘Vigneti del Versante’, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2010 1.5L ($249.95) $219 special, 1 magnum available
Wine Advocate 97 points “The 2010 Brunello di Montalcino Vigenti del Versante takes us back to a classic profile for Brunello (the local name for Sangiovese). The wine is forthcoming and confident with power and heft at the back. The bouquet shows enormous complexity that starts off with bright red fruit and opens slowly to reveal more detailing with etched mineral, crushed oyster shell, balsam herb, cola, licorice and red rose petal. There’s a tight firmness of the tannins that should be very important to the future aging of this wine. The acidity is bright and balanced as well. It contributes to a very long and polished finish. This is a gorgeous Brunello.”
Antonio Galloni 97 points “The 2010 Brunello di Montalcino Vigne del Versante from Pian dell’Orino is one of the most powerful wines of the night. Rich, dense and explosive, the Vigne del Versante Amiata is a wine for the patient. Although most 2010 Brunellos have not begun to shut down, this is one wine that is a bit less expressive than it was the last time I tasted it. Still, the potential here is both significant and evident.” AG
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Isole e Olena Chianti Classico Gran Selezione DOCG, Tuscany 2006 750ML ($249.95) $189 special, 9 bottles available
Isole e Olena Chianti Classico Gran Selezione DOCG, Tuscany 2006 1.5L ($499.95) $389 special, 5 magnums available
Wine Advocate 97 points “The 2006 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione is a controversial wine and for good reason. Proprietor Paolo De Marchi was initially opposed to the idea of introducing the Gran Selezione category above the Chianti Classico Riserva. But more than a year ago, the Institute of Masters of Wine held a special dinner in Florence and producers were invited to pour only Gran Selezione wines. Paolo had an amazing barrel of Sangiovese put aside for a commemorative wine to celebrate his 30th anniversary as a winemaker. He hoped to dedicate that wine as a special limited release. Because he also wanted to pour something of his at the Masters of Wine dinner, he declassified the wine and re-registered it as a Gran Selezione. This also explains why it is from an older vintage. Most of his peers inaugurated this new category with the 2010 vintage. Only 1,800 bottles were made (of which 500 are put aside for the family’s personal use) and the blend consists of Sangiovese with 12% Cabernet Franc and 8% Syrah. “I love Chianti Classico and I love super Tuscans,” says Paolo De Marchi. “This wine is a crossover of the two.” The wine shows gorgeous ripeness with brooding dark fruit, depth and extreme balance. This is a wine that makes a statement upfront both in terms of the quality of the aromas and its overall integrity and persistency.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Familia Nin-Ortiz ‘Nit de Nin’, Priorat DOCa 2012 1.5L ($199.95) $169 special, 8 magnums available
Wine Advocate 97 points “If the Planetes was impressive, wait for the 2012 Nit de Nin, which is a similar wine but at two levels of intensity, depth and elegance above. It’s also a single-vineyard wine from a very old plot in Porrera in the Mas d’en Caçador vineyard at some 500 meters altitude on an impressive slope planted with very old vines on slate soils. It’s approximately 60% Garnacha Peluda (which is a different strain producing lighter-colored wines with higher acidity than the regular Garnacha) and the rest Cariñena. The wine is pure, perfumed, intoxicating even, floral and spicy, intense and captivating. The palate is highly refined, with pure flavors, great freshness, completely focused, nothing blurry at all in there, generous but fine at the same time. It ends very tasty, with a saline minerality. I had the chance to visit the vineyard on my last night in Priorat, and when you see it you understand that it HAS to produce great wine. Simply superb. Drink or keep. 4,000 bottles were filled in March 2014.”
This is the only listing in the USA today for the magnum!
Below is the list of all of our Old World 97 point wines, in-stock now or arriving to our shop soon. You can read full reviews and shop online on our web store!
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– 98 –
With such glorious and cult-favorite names as Sine Qua Non and Auguste Clape that are ‘flirting with perfection,’ you’re certain to find a winner below!
Pro tip: Don’t miss the Dr. Crusius. This Nahe auction wine was hand-selected by our German wine insider and is unique to our shop in the USA!
Quilceda Creek Galitzine Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Mountain 2013 750ML ($219.95) $179 special, 15 bottles available
Wine Advocate 98 points “An utterly prodigious effort that would most likely be the wine of the vintage if not for its big brother, the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Galitzine Vineyard comes all from Red Mountain and was raised in 100% new French oak. Revealing a healthy ruby/purple color and classic notes of sage brush, graphite, black cherries, currants and chocolate, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness; building, present, yet ripe and polished tannin; perfect integration of its fruit, alcohol and oak; and awesome length. This is a powerhouse Cabernet Sauvignon that still holds onto a sense of elegance and finesse. Forget it for 4-5 years and drink bottles over the following two decades.”
Kapcsandy Family Winery State Lane Vineyard Roberta’s Reserve, Napa Valley 2012 1.5L ($799.95) $699 special, 2 magnums available
Robert Parker 98 points “The 100% Merlot cuvée, the 2012 Roberta’s Reserve State Lane Vineyard is, once again, flirting with perfection. A stunning nose of chocolate fudge intermixed with coffee bean, black cherry and blackcurrant fruit is intense, and followed by a full-bodied, gorgeously textured, opulent style of wine with stunning richness and purity. This is a brilliant wine and only represents 12% of the production, as only 300 cases were produced. It should drink well for 20-25 years.”
Antonio Galloni 98 points “The 2012 Roberta’s Reserve (Merlot) is another drop-dead gorgeous wine from Kapcsándy. Mocha, black cherries, plums, licorice and menthol meld together in an effortless, seamless wine endowed with sublime grace and class. Lovely savory and mineral notes support the pliant finish. What a gorgeous wine this is.”
Sine Qua Non Raven Series Grenache #8, Santa Barbara County #8 2006 1.5L ($1,199.95) $999 special, 1 magnum available
Robert Parker 98 points “2006 Ravens Series (# 6 and 7 Grenache): This blend of 90% Grenache and 10% Syrah, largely from the 11 Confessions Vineyard, with a small amount from Bien Nacido, spent 21 months in barrel. It is really strutting its stuff now, and showing even better than my original note predicted in August of 2009. The wine has loads of meat, licorice, smoke, charcoal and graphite, as well as huge peppery, blackberry and black cherry notes. Full-bodied, with great acidity, nicely integrated tannin, an admirable mouthfeel and tremendous length, this killer Grenache is still young and probably 3-5 years away from prime time drinking.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Delas Freres Cote-Rotie La Landonne, Rhone 2010 750ML ($269.95) $219 special, 1 bottle available
Robert Parker 98+ points “Flirting with perfection, the 2010 Cote Rotie La Landonne offers up scents of black truffles, incense, smoked game, creosote, spring flowers and black fruits. Full-bodied with mouth-staining tannin as well as mouth-saturating extract and richness, this powerful, strikingly intense 2010 is young and unevolved, but it is filled with potential. Interestingly, Jacques Grange told me this cuvee was made from 100% destemmed fruit. Forget this wine for 4-5 years, and drink it over the following three decades.” RP
Roberto Voerzio Riserva Vecchie Viti dei Capalot e Brunate, Barolo DOCG 2004 1.5L ($699.95) $569 special, 12 magnums available
Antonio Galloni 98 points “Voerzio no longer makes his Barolo Riserva Vecchie Viti dei Capalot e delle Brunate. The 2004 is a great reminder of just how fabulous this wine was. A huge, vertical wine, the 2004 boasts magnificent depth and overall intensity. The flavors are boldly sketched in a dramatic Barolo built on pure muscle. A host of black cherry, cloves, smoke, menthol, tar and blackberry jam flow through to the intense finish. Beguiling and powerful, the 2004 will provide fascinating drinking for the next 10-15 years, perhaps longer. Of all the 2004s here, this is the wine that has had the most positive evolution in bottle.” (05/2015)
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Il Poggione Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Tuscany 2010 1.5L ($199.95) $179 special, 8 magnums available
#4 Wine Spectator Top 100 Wines of 2015
Wine Advocate 98 points “The 2010 Brunello di Montalcino is a striking wine that shows uncompromising varietal pureness, albeit in a most concentrated and elaborate form. This is what great Sangiovese is all about. There’s so much happening on the nose and the wine brings you to cherry, spice, licorice, cured meat, pressed rose and grilled meat in equal measure. No one element overpowers the next. The mouthfeel is also tight and bright with the kind of fruit intensity that promises long cellar aging. This Brunello is only at the beginning of a long road ahead. The longer the wine stays in the glass, the more it offers in terms of complexity and intensity. This is a true standout that can be enjoyed for up to 20 years ahead.” ML
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Montevertine Le Pergole Torte Toscana IGT, Tuscany 2013 750ML ($149.95) $119 special, 22 bottles available
Wine Advocate 98 points “Perhaps no Tuscan wine is a better vintage ambassador than the Montevertine 2013 Le Pergole Torte. This gorgeous wine seems to have captured the energy, the freshness, the spirt and the edginess of this classic vintage. It really speaks to my palate thanks to its silky consistency, its steady aromatic momentum and its understated elegance. The wine shows an uncanny level of the proverbial Tuscan nobility. The bouquet offers a delicate embroidery of wild berry and underbrush, with lingering tones of dark fruit and spice that appear on second nose. The mouthfeel is ethereal and polished with tannins that already show a superior level of integration despite the wine’s young age. The aging future looks very bright for the 2013 Le Pergole Torte.”
R. Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia Gran Reserva, Rioja DOCa 1964 750ML ($1,199.95) $899 special, 3 bottles available
Winery-direct cellar released bottles
Decanter Magazine 98 points
Dr. Crusius Schlossbockelheimer Felsenberg Riesling Beerenauslese Goldkapsel, Nahe 2015 375ML ($179.95) $159 special, 12 half-bottles available
Auction Wine 2016
Mosel Fine Wines 98 points “Harvested at a full-on 153° Oechsle (i.e. sugar levels technically qualifying for TBA), this auction BA starts off on the primary and discreet side at first before rapidly exhibiting huge finesse, complexity and depth with honeyed notes of apricot, pineapple, mango, vanilla cream and other exotic fruits. The botrytis gives the wine a great exotic, luscious and unctuous texture with plenty of juice, creamy viscosity and smoothness on the palate. The wine is, of course, still very sweet at this stage (it has no less than 229 g/l of residual sugar), but the interplay with some gorgeously playful acidity makes for a superbly clean and focused feel in the long finish. The only drawback of this little masterpiece of a BA is that it is still a good decade away from maturity. Patience is required! 2030-2085.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Below is the list of all of our 98 point wines, in-stock now or arriving to our shop soon. You can read full reviews and shop online on our web store!
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I Got 99 Problems & Points Ain’t One of Them
– 99 –
We’re almost to 100… one short hop away. Explore the profound wines such as D’Yquem and Chapoutier below!
Cayuse Vineyards Bionic Frog Syrah, Walla Walla Valley 2012 750ML ($319.95) $299 special, 3 bottles available
Wine Advocate 99 points “While a lot of the 2012s came in near the bottom of the barrel score, that wasn’t the case with the 2012 Syrah Bionic Frog and this beauty flirts with perfection. Inky colored and purple to the rim, it offers extraordinary notes of black fruits, wild mushrooms, smoked earth and salty minerality. These all flow to a full-bodied, thrillingly concentrated, focused, structured and lengthy 2012 that needs 4-5 years of cellaring, and will knock your socks off over the following 15 years or more.” JD
Sine Qua Non Into The Dark Grenache, Sta Rita Hills 2004 1.5L ($2,199.95) $1,599 special, 1 magnum available
Wine Advocate 99 points “More up-front and open-knit, the 2004 Into the Dark (Grenache) checks in as a blend of 84% Grenache, 8% Mourvedre, 7% Syrah and 1% Viognier that comes mostly from Manfred’s 11 Confessions Vineyard, yet includes small portions from Alban (10%) and Alta Mesa (9%) Vineyard. Reminding me of Clos Saint-Jean’s Sanctus Sanctorum with its incredible bouquet of sweet kirsch, licorice, dried baking spices, graphite and ground pepper, this beauty flows onto the palate with impeccable purity, perfect integration of its fruit, tannin and acidity, and blockbuster length. As is common with this estate’s wine, it’s the purity paired with serious richness that sets it apart. While still youthful and benefiting from a healthy decadence, I think it’s drinking at point and would aim to drink bottles over the coming 4-5 years. It will evolve gracefully for longer, but I see no reason to hold off.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $2,328.99
Chateau d’Yquem, Sauternes 2011 375ML ($319.95) $289 special, 1 half-bottle available
Wine Spectator 99 points “A lovely, creamy, tropical style, with mango, papaya and guava notes lending a caressing feel, while singed almond and warm piecrust accents blossom through the lush finish. Just when you think that’s all there is, toasted coconut, fig, orange blossom and persimmon details kick in, lending length and dimension. The finish is ridiculously long. Best from 2020 through 2060.”
Valdespino Cardenal Palo Cortado VORS Sherry, Andalucia NV 750ML ($299.95) $279 special, 1 bottle available
Valdespino Cardenal Palo Cortado VORS Sherry, Andalucia 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
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today for the 750ML!
Valdespino Coliseo Amontillado VORS Sherry, Andalucia 375ML ($249.95) $179 special
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
Below is the list of all of our 99 point wines, in-stock now or arriving to our shop soon. You can read full reviews and shop online on our web store!
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The Pinnacle
– 100 –
We’ve reached the peak of perfect. Browse below for all our in-store picks and check out the complete list of 100-point wines below!
M. Chapoutier Ermitage Le Pavillon, Rhone 2011 750ML ($349.95) $289 special, 2 bottles available
Wine Advocate 100 points “Even better and a prodigious effort that hits all my sweet spots, the 2011 Ermitage Le Pavillon comes from one of the top terroirs on Hermitage hill, the granite soils of the Les Bessards lieu-dit. Spectacularly perfumed, with raspberry, blackberry, licorice, toasted spices and assorted floral nuances, this full-bodied effort has massive depth and richness, no hard edges and masses of finely polished tannin that emerge on and frame the finish. It will be approachable at an earlier age than either the 2009 or 2010, yet should nevertheless have 2-3 decades of ultimate longevity.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $329
M. Chapoutier Ermitage de l’Oree Blanc, Rhone 2010 750ML ($299.95) $249 special, 6 bottles available
Robert Parker 100 points “There are 716 cases of the 2010 Ermitage de l’Oree. I have been following this cuvee since its debut vintage and this 100% Marsanne possesses more richness than most Burgundy Montrachets. Although aged in 100% new, 500-liter demi-muids, the wine reveals no evidence of oak. Honeysuckle, caramelized citrus, white peach, quince and white currant characteristics are viscous and full-bodied, yet the wine possesses striking precision and laser-like focus. This monumental effort is the most opulent and richest of all Chapoutier’s dry whites in 2010.”RP
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $299.99
M. Chapoutier Ermitage de l’Oree Blanc, Rhone 2011 750ML ($249.95) $199 special, 1 bottle available
Robert Parker 100 points “The 2011 Ermitage Cuvee de l’Oree comes from a lieu-dit known as Les Murets planted with 80- to 90-year-old Marsanne vines. The bouquet offers up scents of Asian spices, lychee nuts, white currant liqueur and peach and apricot marmalade. This stunning, honeyed, flamboyant white is perfection in a glass. Drink it over the next half century.” RP
Eisele Vineyard (formerly Araujo Estate) Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2013 375ML ($299.95) $259 special, 3 half-bottles available
Robert Parker 100 points “Both 2013s are clearly the finest Eisele wines made under the administration of François Pinault and his top lieutenant, Frédéric Engerer, who also runs the show at Château Latour. The utterly compelling 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon in this vintage and 1,800 cases were made. The wine is off-the-charts great, with an opaque bluish/purple color to the rim, an aroma of pen ink, graphite, blackberry and blueberry fruit, a hint of licorice, camphor and incense. The wine is full-bodied, with extraordinary concentration, remarkable equilibrium and noticeable, but sweet, well-integrated tannin. This is a large-scaled Eisele Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, but flawless and with no edges. It is an amazing effort and a great achievement from this incredible terroir. Drink it over the next 30-40 years…Readers should note that the relatively new owners of what was formerly known as the Araujo Estate have finally changed the name to the Eisele Vineyard.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $295
E. Guigal Cote Rotie La Landonne, Rhone 2009 750ML ($599.95) $499 special, 6 bottles available
Robert Parker 100 points “The 2009 Cote Rotie La Landonne is a killer wine. An extravagant bouquet of black truffles, roasted meats, licorice, ground pepper, blackberries, scorched earth and camphor soars from this muscular, dense, over-the-top, serious, masculine La Landonne. Built like Arnold Schwarzenegger was two decades ago, this enormously concentrated bodybuilder of a wine should hit its prime in a decade, and last 40-50 years. This is no trivial boast as the debut vintage of La Landonne, the 1978, is just reaching full maturity at age 34.” RP
Hundred Acre Kayli Morgan Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2013 750ML ($519.95) $449 special, 2 bottles available
Robert Parker 100 points “The perfect 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Kayli Morgan spent 32 months in French oak prior to being bottled unfiltered. Like all of the Woodbridge wines, it can be noted for its inky/bluish purple color, extraordinary fragrance of white flowers, crème de cassis, blackberry and graphite. Totally opulent, I always thought the wine tasted more like the great Pomerols, which are made mostly from Merlot, versus Woodbridge’s 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. But this vineyard has a lot of clay in it that seems to provide a silkiness to the tannins. This is a beautifully balanced, full-throttle and highly extracted wine with no hard edges and a finish of a good 45-50 seconds. The fruit character is still vibrant and intense, despite the 32 months of oak age. Drink it over the next 30 years.”
Sine Qua Non Rattrapante Grenache, California 2012 750ML ($899.95) $599 special, 1 bottle available
Robert Parker 100 points “A perfect wine any way you look at it, the 2012 Grenache Rattrapante comes all from the Eleven Confessions Vineyard in the Sta. Rita Hills and spent 33 months in 27% new French oak. My notes start – and end – with “Wow.” Giving up tons of black raspberries, peppery herbs, licorice, dried flowers and cured meats, it’s a massively concentrated, rich and layered Grenache that somehow manages to stay graceful, lively and fresh on the palate. There are roughly 800 cases of this elixir and any Grenache lover should do their best to latch onto a bottle (or two). It’s also worth noting that this cuvee saw 26% whole clusters, which is a small change from past vintages.”
Below is the list of all of our 100 point wines, in-stock now or arriving to our shop soon. You can read full reviews and shop online on our web store!
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Thank you for reading!