Burgundy Sale Extended
Guess what–an extra day of Burgundy at 10% off! What’s good for you is good for us. Enjoy 10% off all of our in-stock Burgundy for an extra 24 hours.
View 233 in-stock red Cote de Nuits Burgundies here
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Sale does not apply to case specials or items listed as pre-arrival
New Special Deals on Brunello
Two Icons at the Lowest Prices In the Country
If you’re a lover of Brunello and the wines of Tuscany, stop and don’t pass Go—these are deals you don’t want to miss out on. Frescobaldi is a classic name—one of the reference points for Tuscan wine and Pian dell’Orino is on the way to becoming one of the most sought after estates in the region. We were already among the lowest prices in the country and just had the opportunity to drop our price even more—these are prices that can’t be beat!
Marchesi de Frescobaldi Castelgiocondo, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2011 750ML ($69.95) Was $49, Now $36 special!
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.”
The next best price is $44.23
The average price is $62
Pian dell’Orino ‘Vigneti del Versante’, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2011 750ML ($119.95) Was $89, Now $69 special!Wine Advocate 94 points “This wine is now identified by a single vineyard designation but was once the estate’s annata Brunello. The 2011 Brunello di Montalcino Vigneti del Versante (with vines planted in 1997) shows some signs of the vintage heat, but really only in terms of textural roundness and general softness. The bouquet sings loud and clear with red fruit aromas of cherry and blackberry. The fruit is nicely balanced by those elegant, ethereal notes of blue flower, balsam herb, cola and crushed pine nut that are characteristic of aged Sangiovese.”
The average price is $84
New, Best in the Country Pricing
On K Vintners Wines
Charles Smith knows a thing or two about rock stars, and he ought to—he used to manage them. Then, one day, on a motorcycle trip, he rode through Walla Walla and was struck by the majesty of the terrain and the vineyards. Within a few years, he had returned to open a winery and become his own sort of (wine) rock star.
His first vintage was 1999 and he produced a mere 300 cases of Syrah under his label ‘K Vintners’ and the winery has grown by leaps and bounds since then. By our count, K makes more than 15 wines, most of them single vineyard Syrah, and that doesn’t count the several side projects he’s involved in such as Substance and Sixto.
At this point, Charles Smith is one of the defining wine makers for what might be the modern Washington style. His wines are big, rich, and ripe but polished. They show distinct differences between the vineyards and always have a hint of that savory, bacony quality that Syrah can bring to the table like nothing else.
We’ve managed to get our prices to the lowest in the country (some by a very significant margin) and are excited to present these ever-popular Washington wines at can’t-miss pricing. If you are a fan of these wines, you’re not going to find a better deal on them, so load up now.
Charles Smith K Vintners Klein Syrah, Walla Walla Valley 2014 750ML ($89.95) Was $79, Now $49 special
Wine Advocate 96-99 points “Another candidate for the wine of the vintage will be the 2014 Syrah Klein, which comes from the rocky soils of the Klein Vineyard in Walla Walla. Possessing a liquid rock like character as well as lots of gunpowder, graphite, savory herbs, olives and background meatiness, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a thick, unctuous texture, sweet tannin and terrific length. While it has tons of fruit and texture, it still has a concentrated core of fruit and serious underlying structure. It should benefit from short-term cellaring and keep for 10-15 years.”
The next best price is $53.99
The average price is $65
Wine Advocate 94+ points “The 2014 Syrah Morrison Lane Vineyard from Walla Walla offers a perfumed bouquet of incense, white pepper, plum and hoisin sauce, as well as full-bodied richness, building tannin and a great finish. It needs short term cellaring to integrate those tannin, but is an impressive Syrah.”
Wine Advocate 95 points “Named after a cat owned by Charles when he was living in Walla Walla, the 2014 M C K Syrah sports a deep purple color as well as ripe, decadent notes of black fruits, plums, graphite, crushed rock and licorice. Big, sexy, seamless and pure, with present, yet ripe tannin, drink it through 2024. It’s worth noting that this comes completely from the River Rock vineyard in this vintage. As usual, it’s a crazy value.”
Grapelive 93 points “The Charles Smith K Vintners “M*C*K Syrah is a rock and roll red that proves both powerful and wonderfully textural in feel with sharp detailing and extra length, and while tannic by nature there is a lot to love in this vintage with black raspberry, sweet currant and dark chocolate covered bacon bits! This lush Syrah perfectly illustrates the house style and the terroir. Its bold frame is balance by perfectly reasonable 14% natural alcohol and inner acidity and an electric boost of energy matching its sweet fruited palate. Washington State is home to magical Syrah, with Cayuse, Betz and Gramercy Cellars (one of my personal favorites) being two of the higher profile examples. Many more are filling the scene with great wines like Reynvaan, Horsepower, Dunham Delmas, Waters, Mark Ryan, Trust, Syncline, Gorman, Rotie, Sleight of Hand, Amavi and Efeste all offering amazing quality. Charles Smith’s K Vintners reminds me of either Guigal or Jaboulet with his amazing array of bottlings from entry level wines to top single vineyard Crus, with lots of seriously good stuff in the middle, like this well rounded Motor City Kitty Syrah. [It] was fermented using native yeasts, with a long 43 days on the skins and aged 22 months in French puncheons, 30% new, from a Walla Walla vineyard planted to a Tablas Creek clone. [It is] 100% Syrah and grown on old river bed with large cobbles and well-draining rocky soils. This 2014 maintained its natural acidity allowing a real fresh verve to stay in this alluring and richly flavored wine that shows ripe boysenberry, minty plum, blueberry compote, sweet black cherry and dense creme de cassis as well as subtle vanilla wood notes, hints of acacia flowers, graphite, bitter coco, anise and that candied bacon bits mentioned above. The evolution in the glass is graceful and more refined than I had imagined. There is plenty of life here and I think in many ways it will be even more rewarding in 3 to 5 years in bottle. It’s not exactly what I expected, but thrilling none the less with very impressive detail and a very worthy performance.”
Wine Enthusiast 93 points –Editors’ Choice–“This aromatically brooding wine brings aromas of brown stems, scorched earth, smoked meat, iron, violets, orange peel and blue and black fruit. The flavors coat the palate from end to end with silky soft, unabashedly appealing fruit and savory notes. It hits the delicious gong hard, with an enduring finish.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Charles Smith K Vintners ‘Ovide’ Jack’s Vineyard Cabernet – Syrah, Walla Walla Valley 2014 750ML ($69.95) Was $59, Now $47 specialWine Advocate 95 points “A new Walla Walla release, the 2014 Ovide Jack’s Vineyard is a gorgeous black fruit, black olive, dried herbs and chocolate layered beauty that has ultra-fine tannin, a seamless profile and a great finish. It has more elegance and purity than the Roma release, and is a beauty!”
Wine Advocate 95-97 points “Still in barrel at the time of this tasting, the 2012 Syrah The Hustler is a blockbuster-styled Syrah that’s overflowing with notions of sweet red and black fruits, toasted bread, cured meats and cedar. Only made in special vintages (it was previously made in ’03, ’07 and ’09) and aged 38 months in French oak, it’s full-bodied, decadent and layered, with a weightless, elegant, seamless feel. Coming all from the Morrison Lane Vineyard (it’s actually the Morrison Lane Syrah with extended barrel aging), it should be ready to go on release and dish out tons of pleasure over the following decade or more. The extended elevage has given this a more upfront feel, yet I suspect it will also allow it age more slowly as well.”
Wine Advocate 93 points “The 2013 Super Substance Cabernet Sauvignon Stoneridge has a sexy profile (compared to the Merlot Stoneridge) and has amble black currants, licorice, graphite and spice to go with medium to full-bodied richness, ultra-fine tannin, solid mid-palate concentration and a great finish. Like all of the wines here, the winemaking is impeccable and while this can be enjoyed in its youth, it will have 15+ years of longevity as well.”
Jeb Dunnuck – Wine Advocate 94-96 points “Like with the Syrah, the new 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Powerline is a new cuvee based around a vineyard in the southern part of Walla Walla. Harvested from tiny yields and aged in mostly neutral barrels, this full-bodied, luxuriously textured, seamless beauty gives up lots of classic Cabernet notes of creme de cassis, licorice, toasted spice and graphite. There’s an undeniably sexy style here, and while it will certainly be approachable on release, my money’s on it evolving gracefully for 15-20 years. [Going forward, the K Vintners label will be for the Rhone inspired blends, and all Bordeaux blends will be moved to the Wines of Substance label.]”
New Lower Pricing
On Magnums From
Cult Favorites Von Buhl and FX Pichler
Von Buhl has been one of the top wineries in the Pfalz for a long, long time (the winery was founded in 1849). The last generation has seen a shift towards focusing on dry wines and they’re pretty spectacular. FX Pichler needs no introduction—they’re the biggest name in the Wachau and one of the most collectible wineries in Austria.
We’ve marked down some magnums from both of these fine estates, so if you’re in the market for Gruner Veltliner or dry Riesling, these are must-buys. The pricing is the best in the country and the quantities are limited. These prices are valid until the wines are gone, but we won’t be able to get any more at these prices, so first come, first served!
Reichsrat Von Buhl Forster Riesling, Pfalz 2015 1.5L ($69.95) Was $49, Now $39 special, only 11 magnums left
Wine Advocate 92 points “The citrus/golden-colored 2015 Forster Riesling is dense, clear and aromatic on the nose and shows flinty aromas along with ripe Riesling flavors. Very vital and pure on the palate, the wine reveals a great grip and tension. Its power comes from the depth, not from the alcohol. The finish is long, complex and very salty, revealing a pure, concentrated and firmly-structured baby Riesling. This has great expression and talents. The finish and aftertaste reveal some refreshing white and lemony aromas; it does not have the rich and opulent stone fruit flavor you often find in Pfalz, as well as in Forst Rieslings. The finish is long, pure, salty and enormously vital.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Wine Advocate 91 points “The golden/yellow-colored 2015 Deidesheimer Leinhöhle Riesling (AP 1416) has an intense nose with pretty ripe, but also refreshing and slightly greenish fruit aromas with sur-lie characteristics. Round and elegant on the palate, this is a balanced, fruit-intense and well-structured Riesling with nice concentration and a long, intense finish. Pretty accessible already, but also with tension. This is a very well-made Riesling from a warmer terroir in a warm vintage. The acidity is ripe and well integrated, and the creamy texture and long lees aging make this a pretty Burgundian Riesling, with 13.5% alcohol.”
Wine Advocate 93 points “The 2015 Deidesheimer Mäusehöhle Riesling (AP 2216) opens with a pure and refreshing, rather coolish aroma (compared to the Leinshöhle) of ripe yellow fruits intertwined with stony aromas. Round, fresh and elegant on the palate, this full-bodied and well-balanced Riesling is tightly woven, but fine and very mineral. It displays ripe yellow apple flavors in the finish, as well as nice and stimulating grip. The finish is pure and salty, really vitalizing in its freshness and clarity. According to the label, this is 12.5% alcohol.”
Wine Advocate 92 points “The intensely citrus-yellow 2015 Forster Musenhang Riesling (AP 2416) shows a clear, aromatic, and slightly flinty nose with ripe pip fruit and refreshing lemon; there are even green paprika and apple flavors on the intense and elegant nose. This Musenhang is medium-bodied, clear, fresh and racy on the palate. It is a straight and mineral, edgy and merciless Riesling with no ornaments, no meat and no charm. But it does have a lot of freshness, raciness and character. This is probably not a wine for the U.S. market, whereas Wikings would probably die for it. Great finesse and purity here, this is an old-school Riesling from the pre-global warming area. Some would say it is unripe, while other would say it’s just ripe. I’d say: the ripeness is at maximum, but I like it due to its refreshing and mineral expression. This Riesling is 12.5% alcohol.”
F.X. Pichler Durnsteiner Kellerberg Gruner Veltliner Smaragd, Wachau 2013 1.5L ($219.95) Was $189, Now $149 special, only 5 magnums leftWine Advocate 95 points “The tremendously deep bouquet of Pichler’s 2013 Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Kellerberg is precise, vegetal and flinty/cool. The wine is a noble, rich, highly elegant and terroir-driven Wachauer signature wine, which reveals its overwhelming power and great expression only in its finish and long, persistent aftertaste. This is, again, an icon wine of the Wachau and the 2013 vintage. A must buy, if you can afford it.”
David Schildknecht–Vinous 94 points “Smoky Szechuan and Madagascar peppers pungently announce site typicity in the nose, along with high-toned intimations of pit-inflected white peach and Mirabelle that subsequently flood the glycerol-rich, almost plush palate. The richness of fruit here, also incorporating very ripe muskmelon, is contrasted and cut with citrus rind piquancy allied to stony and peppery inflections that follow into a forcefully sustained but in no way rough or warm finish, the alcohol here having ended up at just under 14%”
Wine Advocate 94 points “Like the Liebenberg from weathered granite and gneiss soils, but in a higher and cooler spot, the 2015 Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Dürnsteiner Kellerberg opens with an intense and herbal-flavored, rather spicy and stony bouquet of ripe and concentrated bright fruits. Full-bodied, ripe and piquant on the palate, this is a rich and powerful, well-concentrated and elegant Kellerberg with a rich extract and a long and persistent finish. The 2015 should be cellared for at least another 3-5 years.”
Wine Advocate 94 points “Lucas Pichler’s monumental 2013 Grüner Veltliner Smaragd M opens with an ultra-ripe, concentrated and slightly speck-y yet still precise and even mineral-scented bouquet on the nose. Very rich and intense on the palate, this elegant, full-bodied, densely textured and powerful Veltliner from late-harvested grapes reveals an aromatic and juicy fruit core along with a stunningly vibrant acidity that gives structure, length and a lifting as well as lingering salinity and piquancy. Maracuya and other tropical fruit flavors dominate the aromatic aftertaste. Although I have no experience with matured samples of this Austrian icon Veltliner, I suspect it has an aging potential of 5-10 years and should be cellared at least for another 2 or 3 years.”
David Schildknecht–Vinous 93 points “Made with fruit from Loibenberg (a 50% share), Kellerberg, Liebenberg, with a small bit of Kollmütz, this installment of “M” enjoyed the longest pre-fermentation skin contact of any Pichler 2013, and was raised in a new large oval, then moved to tank shortly before bottling, which is when I last tasted it. Its impressive features include imposing richness of peach, melon and pineapple; an expansive and flatteringly creamy palate; high-toned inner-mouth allusions to almond extract; peach kernel piquancy; and pronounced smokiness and stoniness that suggest a mingling of Szechuan peppercorn, black tea and ash. The bright, Riesling-like juiciness characteristic of so many Grüner Veltliners from this vintage is absent here. But the finish of this static, statuesque wine (recall that “M,” after all, stands here for “monumental”) glows persistently in its evocation of peach kernel and pepper.”
Wine Advocate 94-95 points “The 2015 Grüner Veltliner Smaragd M is a selection of the ripest (overripe) grapes from the Loibenberg, Kellerberg and Liebenberg. Harvested in the last week of November and macerated for 20 to 24 hours, this is a rich and creamy textured yet elegant and vibrantly fresh Veltliner monument with finesse and purity and a long and tension-filled finish. Great salinity and concentration. An elegant and expressive wine for XXL drinkers.”
Falstaff 97 points “Bright green yellow. Fine exotic fruit bruet, delicate according to blood orange, dark mineral, facet rich. Very complex and concentrated, close-knit, finely underpinned acid structure, dark mineral, will remain for a long time, a long-distance runner and great promises of the future. [translated from German]”
David Schildknecht–Vinous 97 points “Succulent white peach and Persian melon are tinged more subtly than usual for this bottling with Madagascar and Szechuan peppercorns, black tea and crushed stone. There is hauntingly bittersweet floral perfume wafting through this entire performance, almost as though some Achleiten or Heiligenstein got loose in the fermenter. A high-toned suggestion of almond extract adds to the sweet impression of fruitiness (despite analytical dryness); and a mandarin orange note adds aromatic as well as brightly juicy allure in perfect harmony with a seductively creamy texture. Piquancy of peach kernel lends stimulating counterpoint and engenders a glowingly persistent finish. The combination of pit fruit, citrus and floral aromatics with complex peppery notes left in the empty glass is head-turning. This is as refined a Kellerberg Riesling as it has been my pleasure to experience. What’s more, it represents the first time I can recall using the word “buoyant” to describe one–and that for a wine picked in the last week of November!”
Wine Advocate 95 points “From the estate’s parade vineyard, the 2013 Riesling Smaragd Dürnsteiner Kellerberg displays a very rich and intense aroma of super-ripe and concentrated Riesling berries. Rich and powerful, but also precise, impressively concentrated and piquant on the palate, this well-balanced and highly elegant Riesling with its lemon and orange aftertaste is another signature wine of both the Wachau and the 2013 vintage. It’s aging potential should be terrific. A serious, tension-filled Riesling of great expression, which I highly recommend.”
Thank you for reading!