Saturday, July 4th, 2015
July Fourth Saleabration!; New Weekend, New Arrivals; Terry Theise German Offerings; Siro Pacente – 100 Point Brunello; New Wine Advocate Reviews for Piedmont
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Happy Fourth of July!
The shop is closed, but this store never is:
www.vinopoliswineshop.com
We will return to our regular store hours tomorrow!
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July 4th Saleabration!
48 Hour Sales
End Monday at 6 am
Orders must be fully completed before the sale ends to receive the sale price
CALIFORNIA
Forman Chardonnay, Napa Valley 2013 750ML ($59.95) Was $49, Now $41.90, 36 bottles available
Antonio Galloni 94 points “Ric Forman’s 2013 Chardonnay is striking. Lemon oil, white flowers, oyster shells and mint all open up in a wine that brings a little more textural depth to the signature Forman style built on tension and energy. The 2013 is impeccable. It’s as simple as that.”
Wine Advocate 94 points “The Forman Chardonnay is 100% barrel-fermented, sees 10% new oak, but is never put through malolactic. The superb 2013 Chardonnay offers lots of minerality along with notions of white peaches, spring flowers, orange blossoms and poached pears. With loads of fruit, great acid and finesse, and only a hint of oak in the flavor profile, this medium to full-bodied, gorgeous Chardonnay can be enjoyed over the next 5-6 years. Ric Forman is one of the most experienced winemakers in Napa Valley with an impressive track record that goes back to the early 1970s! He has been on his own for a number of years and his non-malolactic Chardonnay has become part of the lexicon of wine styles and is known as the ‘Forman style.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Belle Glos ‘Meiomi’ Chardonnay 2013 750ML ($21.95) Was $19. Now $16.60, 36+ bottles available
Wine Spectator 90 points “Showcases rich tropical fruit, with dashes of mango, marmalade and honeyed citrus that coat the palate while remaining elegant and delicate. A noteworthy achievement. Drink now through 2017.” WS
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Belle Glos ‘Meiomi’ Pinot Noir 2013 750ML ($21.95) Was $19, Now $16, 36+ bottles available
Wine Spectator 92 points “Offers an exciting interplay of berry, oak, earth and spice notes. This is rich yet medium-weight, with subtle edges to the blueberry, raspberry, mocha and fresh-turned earth flavors, ending with a tasty melted black licorice aftertaste. Drink now through 2020. 317,592 cases made.” JL
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
FRANCE-CHAMPAGNE
Fleury Pere et Fils ‘Cepages Blancs’ Blanc de Blancs Brut Millesime 2004 750ML ($99.95) Was $89, Now $69, 21 bottles available
Wine Advocate 93 points “Another gorgeous wine, the 2004 Brut Cepages Blancs (Chardonnay) is stunningly beautiful. Rich, deep and layered, the 2004 comes alive in the glass. Lemon, dried flowers and hazelnuts wrap around the palate as this complex, utterly beguiling wine shows off its considerable personality and pedigree. Chalky notes frame the finish. This is without question one of the very best wines I have ever tasted from Fleury.”WA
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $89.99
FRANCE-BURGUNDY
Louis Jadot Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru 2011 75OML ($319.95) Was $249, Now $219, 4 bottles available
Wine Spectator 95 points “Butter, floral and spice aromas and rich peach and melon flavors come together with the creamy texture in this intense and opulent white. Harmonious and expressive, but this will be even better in two to three years. Offers a lingering, complex aftertaste, where a mineral element emerges. Best from 2016 through 2027. F
John Gilman 95 points “The 2011 Bâtard-Montrachet from Louis Jadot is another brilliant wine in the making, soaring from the glass in a deep and very youthful aromatic blend of apple, lime zest, tangerine, complex soil tones, a touch of iodine and a gentle base of new wood. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and very powerfully-built, with a rock solid core, snappy acids and stunning focus and grip on the very young, structured and magical finish. A very pure and racy example of young Bâtard-Montrachet that has been built to last!…” JG
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $265
Domaine Jacques-Frederic Mugnier Clos de la Marechale, Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru 2011 750ML ($119.95) Was $77, Now $69, 36+ bottles available
Burghound 90-92 points “A pure and appealingly fresh nose of relatively elegant red berry fruit is liberally laced with earth and spice hints. There is a lilting mouth feel to the energetic, intense and equally pure medium-bodied flavors that possess plenty of that beguiling sense of underlying tension that makes wines like this so refreshing. There isn’t the class of the Fuées but this is really very good plus I very much like the balance and harmony of the firm and lingering finish.” BH
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $97
Louis Jadot Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru 2011 750ML ($279.95) Was $219, Now $189, 12 bottles available
John Gilman 94+ points “Vineyards such as Bonnes-Mares really have taken advantage of the elegant side of the 2011 vintage, and this is doubly true of this stunning wine from Maison Jadot. The deep, sappy and simply gorgeous nose wafts from the glass in a mélange of black cherries, dark berries, woodsmoke, game, espresso, fresh herbs, stunningly complex soil tones and cedar. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and quite plush on the attack, with great mid-palate depth, laser-like focus, ripe, firm tannins and simply stunning length and grip on the still very young finish. Profound juice….94+”
Stephen Tanzer 93 points “Bright, deep red. Initially explosive aromas and flavors of cherry, menthol, incense and spices subsided in favor of blueberry, crushed stone and peppermint tea: very Bonnes-Mares! Wonderfully silky and scented in the mouth, displaying very good breadth but a light touch. Finishes with a broad, fine dusting of tannins and excellent length and lift. A compellingly perfumed and pure wine: am I greedy for wanting the flesh and sweetness of a warmer year?” ST
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $262
Louis Jadot Chambertin Clos-de-Beze Grand Cru 2011 750ML ($299.95) Was $249, Now $219, 6 bottles available
Stephen Tanzer 94-97 points “Good medium red. Extravagantly complex nose combines raspberry, wild rose, crushed rock, clove, mocha and wild herbs. Wonderfully subtle, spherical and nuanced, communicating an almost 3-D texture to the flavors of red berries, spices, licorice, herbs and flowers. The wine’s firm spine of tannins is utterly covered by lush, fleshy fruit today. The thick, slowly rising finish washes over the palate like a wave.” ST
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $289
FRANCE-LOIRE
Philippe Foreau Domaine du Clos Naudin Vouvray Reserve Moelleux 2003 750ML ($89.95) Was $69, Now $57, 23 bottles available
Wine Spectator 94 points “Jaw-dropping fruit—guava, quince, mango and persimmon—is extremely concentrated and lushly layered. That’s followed by ginger, cream, green almond and smoke notes on a superlong finish, which has a nice bit of earthy grip as well.” WS
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $72
Philippe Foreau Domaine du Clos Naudin Vouvray Reserve Moelleux 2009 750ML ($119.95) Was $89, Now $75, 36+ 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 $94
SPAIN
Bodegas de la Real Divisa Marques de Legarda Reserva de la Familia, Rioja DOCa 1995 750ML ($99.95) Was $79, Now $66, 13 bottles available
Producer Notes “Bodegas de la Real Divisa are some of the oldest wineries in both La Rioja and Europe, belonging to a family legacy, which boasts the noble, family name of Marqués of Legarda. Bodegas de la Real Divisa also produce highly expressive wines, created from the older vines: Draco and Marques de Legarda Reserva de la Familia. These wines are only elaborated during year, when the grapes are of optimum quality, as much so in the plant’s general health as the grapes’ organoleptic characteristics. [The Reserva de la Familia is produced from] grapes originating exclusively from the bodega’s own vineyards. Each variety of native red grape gives different values to wines: Tempranillo brings power, elegance and aromas, Graciano produces wines of great color with spicy aromas [and] Mazuelo produces wines that bring freshness.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Bodegas Muga Reserva, Rioja DOCa 2009 750ML ($26.95) Was $21.90, Now $19, 36+ bottles available
Stephen Tanzer 92 points “(70% tempranillo, 20% garnacha, 7% mazuelo and 3% graciano; aged for 24 months in French and American oak): Brilliant ruby. Black raspberry and smoky oak scents are lifted by enticing mineral and spicecake notes. Dense, supple and deep, with intense flavors of black raspberry, mocha and vanilla. Very full, velvety wine, finishing with smooth, ripe tannins and a vibrant red berry quality.” ST
Wine Advocate 91 points “So we moved on to the reds with the 2009 Reserva, a vintage where they harvested quite late and they compare to 2005, a powerful year. The blend is 70% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacho (they use the masculine form of the name here), 10% Graciano and 5% Mazuelo from old terraced vineyards in the lowest part of the Oja valley where the river meets the Ebro. The grapes are fermented with their natural yeast in old oak wooden vats for 20 days with daily pumping-over and aged for two years in barrels, the first year in new ones, and the second year in used ones. The young nose is dominated by dark fruit aromas intermixed with notes of orange rind, licorice, Chinese ink and smoked peat. The palate shows some grainy tannins denoting a young but tender wine, with good intensity and acidity, ideal to have with food. ..Very Rioja. Drink 2014-2020.” WA
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
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Mid-West, East & South
Summer Shipping Saver
Whisk your wine through warmer weather!
Now for the summer season we are offering UPS Three Day Select Service for the price of UPS Ground for shipments normally travelling 4 or more business days.
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New Weekend New Arrivals
FRANCE-CHAMPAGNE
Paul Dethune Brut Grand Cru, Ambonnay NV 750ML ($49.95) $39 special
Case-12 Paul Dethune Brut Grand Cru, Ambonnay NV 750ML ($499.95) $399 special (that’s only $33.25/bottle!)
VinopolNote: 70% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay. 30-50% reserve wine. Disgorged July 2013.
Winery note “This champagne’s intense nose and sparkling colour with tints of ripe wheat will seduce you. On the palate, its aromas of underbrush, honeysuckle and bergamot invite you to the forest and the spice market. Its freshness and liveliness are combined with its creamy flavour. A distinguished wine with a delicate honey finish. This Grand Cru champagne expresses all its complexity and deliciousness with a veal filet, foie gras and apple-apricot chutnet, or a grilled beef.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $49
FRANCE-RHONE
Domaine de la Guicharde Cotes du Rhone Villages Massif d’Uchaux Cuvee Genest 2011 750ML ($17.95) $14 special
Wine Spectator 88 points “Very solid, with a brambly frame supporting blackberry and raspberry coulis flavors. Juicy, with anise and violet notes on the finish. Drink now. 600 cases imported.” WS
ITALY-PIEDMONT
Cappellano Barolo Chinato NV 750ML ($89.95) $79 special
Importer note “Giovanni [grandfather to the current owner]’s brother, Giuseppe, was a pharmacist who created the family formula for their famous (then and again now) Barolo Chinato, the Barolo infused with a variety of “medicines”. The Barolo Chinato is produced by following the family recipe handed down generation to generation. The “medicinal” herbs and spices are ground using a stone mortar and pestle. Both the recipe and the process are family secrets.”
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Siro Pacenti – 2010 Brunello
Arriving Mid-July
Siro Pacenti Vecchie Vigne, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2010 750ML ($119.95) $89 pre-arrival special
James Suckling 100 points “Complex aromas of walnut, dark fruit, stone, oyster shell, chalk and dried fruits. This shows fabulous intensity and balance with layer upon layer of fruit and polished tannins. Builds on the palate. It goes on for minutes. Better in 2019.” JS
Siro Pacenti Pelagrilli, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2010 750ML ($59.95) $41.90 pre-arrival special
James Suckling 96 points “Aromas of dark berry, stone, dried Chinese mushroom and flowers. This is full-bodied, with layers of ripe, intense fruit and a long, long finish. Massive. Needs time to soften. Try in 2018.” JS
Antonio Galloni 95 points “The 2010 Brunello di Montalcino Pelagrilli is one of the more open, resonant wines readers will come across. Dark cherry, plum, smoke, spice and new leather blossom as this rich, textured Brunello shows off its considerable personality. The flavors are dark, bold and voluptuous throughout, but supported by persistent veins of salinity. This is a fabulous wine from Giancarlo Pacenti. Although the 2010 is labeled ‘Pelagrilli’ 20% of the fruit comes from Pacenti’s holdings in the Piancornello district, in the south of Montalcino. Drink: 2015-2027.” AG
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Just a reminder about our current shipping specials during this season:
For the Mid-West, East, and South during the summer season we are offering UPS Three Day Select Service for the price of UPS Ground for shipments that would normally travel four or more business days to their destination.
We offer flat rate shipping on any size single order / single shipment
-to Oregon for $17,
-Washington & Idaho for $20,
-and California for $25
These rates do not apply to orders held in storage here for any reason. Multiple orders consolidated into one shipment do not qualify for flat rate shipping.
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Terry Theise
German Wines
Arriving October 2015
Terry Theise’s Austrian offerings will debut with our Monday newsletter.
Donnhoff – Nahe
With 25 hectares of mostly slate, weathered volcanic rock, and porphyry, on some of the finest terraced slopes and ideal expositions in all of Germany, Dönnhoff is truly one of the greatest representations of classic German Riesling. The Dönnhoff family first arrived in the Nahe region over 250 years ago, and Helmut Dönnhoff has been recognized as a world renowned living legend for German winemaking. Helmut is now slowly passing off most duties to his son Cornelius, who since 2007 has worked alongside in the winery and in their Erste Lage, or grand cru vineyards.
The wines of the Nahe show minerality and elegance, rather than big fruit and opulence. Yes, there are beautiful fruit components in these wines as well, but these wines are deeply rooted (literally) and have continuously shown a sense of place. Dönnhoff does not water their vineyards, in order to encourage deeply rooted vines, leaving the roots with no choice but to dig deep for all the minerals and nutrients needed.
Weingut Donnhoff Roxheimer Hollenpfad Riesling Trocken 2014 750ML ($47.95) $36 pre-arrival special
Weingut Donnhoff Roxheimer Hollenpfad Riesling Trocken 2014 1.5L ($119.95) $89 pre-arrival special
Terry Theise notes “It means, basically, “Highway To Hell.” I kid you not. It’s from the cadaster parcel Mühlberg, which could be a GG, but this is a famously tardy wine—Kahlenberg gives you a chummier greeting. I’m starting to sense this wine needs to attain at least some of its tertiary notes before we see what it is, and why it’s made dry. Helmut and Cornelius counsel patience as I sat kind of lost at the wine’s forbidding exterior.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Weingut Donnhoff Oberhauser Leistenberg Tonschiefer Riesling Trocken 2014 750ML ($27.95) $21.90 pre-arrival special
Terry Theise notes “This is the dry wine from the (Oberhäuser) Leistenberg, on sandy slate. It’s pure mineral in 2014. Crisp almost to the point of brittleness, yet it’s so breathy and silky I know it will shine as it sheds its immaturity.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $27
Weingut Donnhoff Kreuznacher Krotenpfuhl Riesling Kabinett 2014 750ML ($27.95) $21.90 pre-arrival special
Terry Theise notes “Best! Ever! Vintage! Spritzy, brilliant, seeming to show every green thing (lime-zest, verbena, anise hyssop, wintergreen) atop the salumeria savor. Somehow this has fallen in love and is telling everyone in the world.”
Weingut Donnhoff Oberhauser Leistenberg Riesling Kabinett 2014 750ML ($29.95) $24 pre-arrival special
Weingut Donnhoff Oberhauser Leistenberg Riesling Kabinett 2014 1.5L ($79.95) $69 pre-arrival special
Terry Theise notes “God what fragrance! And the palate is so racy, mineral, charming and complex, begging drink-me! A stunning finish, green-silver-herb-citrus-rock-dust—again I don’t recall a better vintage of this.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Weingut Donnhoff Niederhauser Hermannshohle Riesling Spatlese 2014 750ML ($69.95) $59 pre-arrival special
Weingut Donnhoff Niederhauser Hermannshohle Riesling Spatlese 14 1.5L ($149.95) $119 pre-arrival special
Terry Theise notes “A loving beaming grinning-like-a-dope vintage of this perennial masterpiece, transparent and lucid; indeed it’s a dialectical explication of Hermannshöhle; it reminded me of the ’08 but it’s more Eiswein-y, that sorcerous syrup.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Weingut Donnhoff Norheimer Kirschheck Riesling Spatlese 2014 750ML ($44.95) $33 pre-arrival special
Weingut Donnhoff Norheimer Kirschheck Riesling Spatlese 2014 1.5L ($99.95) $79 pre-arrival special
Terry Theise notes “Not so girlish or sweet-natured as usual; this is serious and wants to make a point—how strong and proud this terroir can be. A megalith of mineral here! Its cherry-dimples are discreet. Seems drier than usual, less comely, more complex, and utterly vivid and dazzling.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Weingut Donnhoff Oberhauser Brucke Riesling Spatlese 2014 750ML ($59.95) $49 pre-arrival special
Weingut Donnhoff Oberhauser Brucke Riesling Spatlese 2014 1.5L ($119.95) $99 pre-arrival special
Terry Theise notes “It’s usually their ur-riesling, the one that feels Edenic or primordial, and the one that’s often inscrutable in its youth. Not this year. I’ve never experienced a young Brücke that’s so psychedelic and in-your-face, perhaps because it’s the only wine from Brücke this year (no Auslese nor Eiswein) and so all the best fruit is in here. After four weeks of tasting, hundreds if not thousands of wines, it is this one that haunts me, like the very map of your soul that you put down somewhere and now can’t locate.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Weingut Donnhoff Kreuznacher Kahlenberg Riesling Trocken, er Lage 2014 750ML ($39.95) $31.90 pre-arrival special
Weingut Donnhoff Kreuznacher Kahlenberg Riesling Trocken, er Lage 2014 1.5L ($99.95) $79 pre-arrival special
Terry Theise notes “The Kreuznach site is a gentle slope on gravelly loam, but has long been regarded as an excellent vineyard. I’d been leaving it out of the offering in a fruitless attempt to keep it tidy, but tidiness has no place in either rock & roll or the fine wine business. So: I found this ’14 to be really deft, stern but breathy, wonderfully fragrant, mineral, hint of maize or wet cereal; a determined finish but really, only 70% of this note has any chance of being accurate six months from now.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Weingut Donnhoff Niederhauser Hermannshohle Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel 2014 750ML ($119.95) $79 pre-arrival special
Weingut Donnhoff Niederhauser Hermannshohle Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel 2014 375ML ($59.95) $49 pre-arrival special
Weingut Donnhoff Niederhauser Hermannshohle Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel 2014 1.5L ($249.95) $199 pre-arrival special
Terry Theise notes “This may sport a “goldcapsule” but there’s only this Auslese plus maybe one other small lot destined for the auction—undecided in March when I visited. Vis-à-vis the Spätlese, they seem to run neck-and-neck, but the Auslese will draw ahead in the later laps. For now it concentrates the Spät without layering six coats of botrytis over it. In fact is has all the snap and vigor of the Spät with more overripe plum, more compote, and also verbena and spearmint, yet it’s the green flavors that are (at least now) most expressive, so an improbable Auslese with enormous lift and buoyance, and with a lacy richness.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Donnhoff Grosses Gewachs
Terry Theise notes “All of these had remarkable aspects and potentials but none of them was ready to rock. Felsenberg has tremendous aroma, almost fiercely smoky, with lemon and Indonesian peppers. Dellchen is fleshier but also, as is its wont, more inscrutable. Hermannshöhle was still on its first lees but was already showing depth and fragrance. If my “plusses” matter to you, and if I let myself prognosticate, it’s two for Felsenberg and Hermannshöhle and one for Dellchen. The wines will surely make a fool of me.”
Weingut Donnhoff Norheimer Dellchen Riesling Grosses Gewachs 2014 750ML ($79.95) $59 pre-arrival special
Weingut Donnhoff Norheimer Dellchen Riesling Grosses Gewachs 2014 1.5L ($149.95) $125 pre-arrival special
The 750ML is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The 1.5L is the only listing in the USA today!
Weingut Donnhoff ‘Felsenturmchen’ Schlossbockelheimer Felsenberg Riesling Grosses Gewachs 2014 750ML ($79.95) $59 pre-arrival special
Weingut Donnhoff ‘Felsenturmchen’ Schlossbockelheimer Felsenberg Riesling Grosses Gewachs 2014 1.5L ($149.95) $125 pre-arrival special
The 750ML is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The 1.5L is the only listing in the USA today!
Weingut Donnhoff Niederhauser Hermannshohle Riesling Grosses Gewachs 2014 ($79.95) $69 pre-arrival special
Weingut Donnhoff Niederhauser Hermannshohle Riesling Grosses Gewachs 2014 1.5L ($179.95) $149 pre-arrival special
The 750ML is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The 1.5L is the only listing in the USA today!
Weingut Donnhoff Riesling Grosses Gewachs 6-Pack 2014 ($419.95) $379 pre-arrival special
2 bottles each of the three Grosses Gewachs bottlings from 2014:
Norheimer Dellchen, Schlossbockelheimer Felsenberg, Niederhauser Hermannshohle
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Von Winning – Pfalz
Since Von Winning Winery was founded in 1849, they have produced unique wines reflecting the best vineyards in Ruppertsberg, Deidesheim, and Forst. Leopold von Winning, son-in-law of Dr. Andreas Deinhard, dedicated his life to creating top quality wines with respect to the outstanding vineyards in the area. He meticulously raised the quality of the wines to a new level as a founding member of the VDP, an association of Germany’s premium wineries. His decision to work as close to nature as possible remains the ultimate goal of today’s young and ambitious team led by winemaker Stephan Attmann.
Attmann describes his winemaking as “not doing the wrong thing at the wrong time.” The estate’s premium wines are treated with a minimalist approach and with the highest respect in the cellar. Gentle clarification, a natural and spontaneous fermentation and the abandonment of fining agents create wines with a distinctive indigenous and very elegant style. Pumping the juice or wine is never necessary in the gravity flow winery, allowing for minimal, and gentle vinification.
Von Winning – Dr. Deinhard Estate Riesling 2014 750ML ($21.95) $18 pre-arrival special
Terry Theise notes “Riotous clone-90 aromas—this was a popular clone in the Pfalz about 40 years ago, giving almost Scheurebe-like exotics and passion-fruit scents—leading into a juice-bomb dry wine, addictive and just stupid-tasty. I thought it would be a simple palate cleanser, but nothing doing. So fruity the palate reads it “sweet” though it’s analytically very dry!”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Von Winning – Dr. Deinhard Forster Riesling UK Trocken 2014 750ML ($24.95) $21.90 pre-arrival special
Terry Theise notes “There’s some label silliness here, and when there’s label silliness the VDP can’t be far behind. “UK” stands for Ungeheuer Kabinett, but Forster Ungeheuer is a Grosses Gewâchs, see, and the VDP doesn’t want the name used for a “mere” dry Kabinett albeit the wine grew there, and only there. It’s a classic bullshit example of “marketing” logic that has the effect of denying important information to the drinker… The wine itself was the best in its class (“second” wines from classified sites), thicker, with the finest aroma, largest minerality, most balanced finish and most expressive Pfalz spiciness. It’s like getting the noodles with the black truffle sauce but without the shavings of black truffle on top. That would be the “GG.””
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Von Winning Deidesheimer Paradiesgarten Riesling Trocken 2014 750ML ($31.95) $26 pre-arrival special
Terry Theise notes “The sample was especially reticent and backward and it made no sense to write a note, but I’m banking on the quality of ’12 and ’13 and offering it anyway. If I’m wrong, yell at me and I’ll cower like a beaten poodle.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Von Winning Deidesheimer Grainhübel Riesling Grosses Gewachs 2014 750ML ($49.95) $39 pre-arrival special
Terry Theise notes “The sample assembled from several casks was mute, so Andreas ran to the cellar to bring up a freshly drawn wine, and this was astonishing. (Deidesheimer) Grainhübel tends to be firm, tangy and to tilt towards austerity, but this wine is amazing, completely giving and open, with fabulous aromas of raspberries and plum-blossoms; a vibrant, quivering palate showing a taut richness; absurdly pretty yet diligent and serious.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Von Winning – Dr. Deinhard Deidesheimer Herrgottsacker Riesling “SL” Spatlese Trocken, 1er Lage 2014 750ML ($37.95) $28 pre-arrival special
Terry Theise notes “Guess what “SL” is. Spätlese! The VDP wants to decouple the predicate names from the dry wines. That seems reasonable. You can infer the ripeness from the alcohol, assuming the wine is dry. I liked this best among the 1er Lagen (Spiess, Oelberg and Paradiesgarten) for its peachy aromas and rusky textures and flavors; it’s fluffy and powdery though bone dry.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Von Winning Forster Ungeheuer Riesling Grosses Gewachs 2014 750ML ($69.95) $49 pre-arrival special
Terry Theise notes “The price is lower because it’s the largest production of the GGs, and so it’s a way-in if budget is a constraint. The Forst site is (relatively) large, and the wines often live up to their “monster” name; this one sure is big, fiery, with all kinds of magma and seethe; harder lines than it usually has; almost a basalt twang along with the customary scents of roasted bone broth; tastes like it was fined with gunpowder.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Von Winning Deidesheimer Kalkofen Riesling Grosses Gewachs 2014 750ML ($79.95) $59 pre-arrival special
Terry Theise notes “This as always is convincing, even domineering, and certainly generous and alpha, the “Les Clos” of the GGs. The Deidesheim site is a “chalk-oven” and gives the most overt and in-your-face among the Crus—the easiest to “get” and the most clearly impressive. Yet it is also complex and ages superbly. Perhaps the best “restaurant-wine” as it’s all over you and not at all subtle.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Von Winning Deidesheimer Kieselberg Riesling Grosses Gewachs 2014 750ML ($79.95) $59 pre-arrival special
Terry Theise notes “Deidesheim again, and this wine is completely fantastic! Freesia and cox-orange apple aromas; a slinky mineral-drenched palate, hints of vanilla and lemon-blossom, so much so that the palate reads it “sweet,” and the finish is also savory-buttery rather than stern. We didn’t talk about it, but I wonder if it did malo.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Von Winning Forster Kirchenstuck Riesling Grosses Gewachs 2014 750ML ($149.95) $106 pre-arrival special
Terry Theise notes “Taste it backwards. Note the finish first, its absurd complexity. Then back up to the resinous salts on the palate, and the shootsmoke, and then note how reticent the aromas are. It’s very early days for this, and if past is prologue my appraisal will have been far too conservative.”
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Von Winning Deidesheimer Langenmorgen Riesling Grosses Gewachs 2014 750ML ($79.95) $59 pre-arrival special
Terry Theise notes “My personal subjective favorite among these. It’s the saltiest and most aerial, rectilinear of them; obsidian-dark minerality here; a wine that stands tall, dominates a room and clicks its heels and then winks at a pretty woman as if to say “It’s all silly isn’t it!” As he rocks his black suit and little cerebral horn-rims. Bravo to Von Winning for rescusitating this unheralded Deidesheim Cru, this mathematician of the Officer Class.”
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Von Winning Forster Pechstein Riesling Grosses Gewachs 2014 750ML ($119.95) $86 pre-arrival special
Terry Theise notes “Though it is clear that Kirchenstück is the greater and more profound wine, it’s also apparent that many Pfalz amateurs’ favorite wine is Pechstein. It scratches an itch almost no other wine can reach, that lysergic blend of riotous flowers and primordial salts is close to unique among wines. This has a sublime aroma, all sweet lilacs and wisteria and wintergreen; the palate is an apex of salt and mineral with notes of orchids; what a Cru this is! It makes a compelling case that Riesling is—vastly—in its own class.”
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Merkelbach – Mosel
The estate is owned by two brothers, Alfred (81) and Rolf (78). With no descendents to hand off the estate to, they quietly continue their work following decades of experience, practice and dedication to traditional methods of winemaking. They are of the dying breed in the Mosel, producing wines of a different era. From their 1.9 hectare of steep vineyards planted with ancient (and some ungrafted) vines are some of the most haunting expressions of the Mosel for a pittance.
“Vivid, toe-curling clarity of fruit and terroir make this my most beloved Mosel agency. These are just some of the keenest, spiciest, most helplessly beautiful wines you can ever drink. The iciest blade of electric, splashing acidity supports a fruit so clear, so sharply rendered that the entire experience is so vivid it makes your toenails laugh! How many wines have ever just made you LAUGH OUT LOUD, they were so happy and irrepressibly gorgeous?
“This is the estate, and these are the people, by whom I am most moved, who touch me most deeply, and whom I am proudest to represent. They live deep inside my heart.” –Terry Theise
Weingut Alfred Merkelbach Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Auslese #5 2003 750ML ($29.95) $21.90 pre-arrival special
Terry Theise notes “It’s a wonderful euphoric ’03; cox orange, waxy, pollen and chamomile; a tic sweeter than their norm but it has that lovely flavor of slightly shriveled clean grapes.”
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Weingut Alfred Merkelbach Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Auslese #6 2004 750ML ($29.95) $21.90 pre-arrival special
Terry Theise notes “The single Fuder of 2002 Spätlese I offered last year generated orders THREE TIMES HIGHER than what we had to sell. So don’t delay to lock this up, and don’t be surprised if we can’t fill your entire order, though of course we’ll try. Also remember, Merkelbach’s Ausleses are like other growers’ Spätleses, so you needn’t worry they’ll be too “sweet” because these wines are always crisp. This ’04 is so frisky, light and dryish; a classic ’04, lime, verbena, aloe-vera and wisteria; the palate is jumpy and lively despite low-ish (7.3g/l) acidity—it was the ripest cask of the vintage here—but the salty brilliance and squeaky-clean flavors are like a balm. Still very youthful and fantastically pretty.”
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Kruger-Rumpf – Nahe
Stefan Rumpf took over this over 200 year-old winery in 1984. Rather than continuing the tradition of selling the wines in bulk, he began estate bottling. His two Grosses Gewächs sites are from the Pittersberg (slate) and the Dautenpflänzer (quartzite and loess-clay) vineyards. All of the estates vineyards are sustainably farmed and hand harvested to ensure optimal ripeness and no botrytis. The wines undergo short fermentations as Stefan believes it strips fruit and freshness. The wines are aged on the gross lees for lengthy times, often into the spring. The wines show excellent concentration, extract and distinctiveness.
Kruger-Rumpf Münsterer Rheinberg Riesling Spätlese 1998 750ML ($49.95) $39 pre-arrival special
Terry Theise notes “(Old-school!) Just 30 g/l rs, gnarly and chewy. “Petrol.” Zingy dry finish. My colleague Sunny Brown said “crushed pretzels.””
Kruger-Rumpf Münsterer Pittersberg Riesling Spätlese 2004 750ML ($49.95) $39 pre-arrival special
Terry Theise notes “(If you’re curious—29.5 g/l dry-extract, 101º Oechsle, 8.7 g/l acidity and 80 g/l rs. Sweet-salty and full of verbena, in perfect condition).”
Kruger-Rumpf Münsterer Dautenpflänzer Riesling Spätlese 2004 750ML ($49.95) $39 pre-arrival special
Terry Theise notes “Dautenpflänzer is one the leading Grand Crus of the lower Nahe, with a typical mélange of soil types within its borders. Rumpf claims some of it is slatey and some of it is “sandy loam,” which agrees more with the standard references. It is in any case singular and immediately significant, giving a sometimes damnably complex set of aromas and flavors including coconut, violet, soursop, leaf-smoke—it is a very long list even if you’re sober. In any case it belongs with the vamping exotics of the Nahe.”
Künstler – Rheingau
“There’s a palpable intelligence across the range, and the craftsmanship that results from that intelligence, plus vision, perspective and know-how. In the next life when I’m king, I’ll give this guy a bunch of vineyards from across the Rheingau—most of which are in underperforming hands—and let him show what this region can do.” –Terry Theise
Künstler Hochheimer Hölle Riesling Spätlese Trocken 2002 750ML ($69.95) $59 pre-arrival special
“Pear, flowers and chalk dust in the nose. Brothy and rich in a Chablis-like expression of chalky terroir, laden with herbs and flowers. The palate feel is so soft and creamy one could almost believe part of the wine had gone through malolactic fermentation. Subtly herbal, milky, pearsy finish. The grapes for this were picked in late October.” –Vinous Media
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New Wine Advocate Reviews for Piedmont
Brovia Barolo DOCG 2010 750ML ($59.95) $49 special, 19 bottles available
Wine Advocate 92 points “The 2010 Barolo exhibits a controlled and steady aromatic delivery that builds in intensity and purity the longer the wine stays in the glass. In terms of Barolo, this is a grand and bold expression. Some 70% of the fruit is sourced from Serralunga d’Alba and the vines are 25 years old on average. The bouquet delivers rose, balsam herb, dried fruit and plum. The fruit is well delineated and the tannins are firm but polished.” ML
Produttori del Barbaresco Rabaja, Barbaresco Riserva DOCG 2009 750ML ($69.95) $59 special, 23 bottles available
Wine Advocate 95 points “The 2009 Barbaresco Riserva Rabajà is an impeccable wine that shows the strength, generosity and elegance that this important vineyard site is known for. Most significant is the wine’s structure that is endearing and firm but also supple. It shows power and a silken touch. Dark fruit, spice, licorice and herb make for a perfect fusion of aromas. The mouthfeel shows balanced power and vigor. This wine will improve with time. It is at the mere beginning of a long evolution.” ML
Produttori del Barbaresco ‘Barbaresco DOCG’ 2010 750ML ($39.95) $33 special, 36+ bottles available
Wine Advocate 93+ points “The 2010 Barabresco opens to beautiful aromas of forest floor, white truffle and cola. All the fruit from Produttori del Barbaresco’s single-vineyard wines are packed into this one base Barbaresco. The wine is sharp and focused and, although it does not have the soft generosity of 2009 or 2011, this is a wine of enormous elegance. I did not find the mouthfeel to be exceedingly thin. In fact, I noted the persistence, freshness and liveliness of the finish.” ML
James Suckling 92 points “Beautiful aromas of white truffles, plums and berries. Hints of spices. Full to medium body with fine tannins and beautiful licorice, berry and fennel seed. Very pretty length. Drinkable now but better in 2015.” JS
Produttori del Barbaresco ‘Barbaresco DOCG’ 2011 750ML ($37.95) $29 special, 36+ bottles available
Wine Advocate 92 points “The delicious 2011 Barbaresco is a very well-integrated and balanced wine that shows an impressive level of elegance. Soft oak spice is fused with red berry fruit and balsam herb. You feel some of the heat of the vintage in the ripeness of the fruit, but those qualities never subtract from the wine’s overall harmony. Soft fruit flavors are woven between tight tannins and long persistence.” Wine Spectator 93 points “Marked by ripe cherry, strawberry, floral and tar flavors, this red is graceful and detailed, with the fruit intensity persisting on the finish. This is well-integrated, and just needs time for the tannins to soften. Excellent length. Best from 2018 through 2030.” WS
Sottimano Fausoni, Barbaresco DOCG 2011 750ML ($69.95) $49 special, 24 bottles available
Wine Advocate 91 points “The 2011 Barbaresco Fausoni is initially slow to show its aromatic potential. As it evolves in the glass, it begins to reveal dark cherry, blackberry, cinnamon spice and dark cola. The style here is bold and thick. This wine also shows noticeable power with tight tannins and some astringency. It still needs time to unwind.”
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Vietti Brunate, Barolo DOCG 2011 750ML ($149.95) $125 special, 8 bottles available
Wine Advocate 94 points “The 2011 Barolo Brunate is a wine of enormous pedigree, although it does not fully reach the aspiring heights of the 2010 and 2009 vintages immediately before it. Those wines set the bar so high, you need to settle for this wine that is a masterpiece in its own right. It offers deep, dark intensity with generous tones of ripe fruit, blackberry and red currant. Background notes of rosemary, cherry cola and licorice add vitality and focus. There is a subtle touch of softness in the mouth that is followed by firm tannins.” ML
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The average price is $154
Vietti Castiglione, Barolo DOCG 2011 750ML ($59.95) $49 special, 10 bottles available
Wine Advocate 92 points “The 2011 Barolo Castiglione is Vietti’s proverbial bread-and-butter wine. It is made in larger volumes (the 2011 vintage saw 56,000 bottles produced) and it shows consistent quality that consumers have come to count on. Fruit is sourced from the greater Castiglione area. The nose is compact and impeccable with dark cherry and plum, backed by spice, licorice and anise seed. There’s even a playful touch of bitter chocolate on the close.” ML
Vietti Lazzarito, Barolo DOCG 2011 750ML ($149.95) $125 special, 24 bottles available
Wine Advocate 96 points “The 2011 Barolo Lazzarito is a landmark wine and one of the best expressions made region-wide in this challenging vintage. The bouquet is gorgeous thanks to the never-ending aromas of dark fruit, licorice and balsam herb that peel off the top. The Lazzarito vineyard in Serralunga d’Alba is characterized by thick soils and deep shifts between daytime and nighttime temperatures. These are important factors that lead to quality fruit despite the summer heat.” ML
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Vietti Ravera, Barolo DOCG 2011 750ML ($149.95) $129 special, 17 bottles available
Wine Advocate 95 points “The 2011 Barolo Ravera opens to a pretty garnet color and dark ruby luminosity. The wine delivers tight concentration and a fine texture that adheres closely to the palate. Blackberry, cassis, spice, leather and tobacco emerge from the glass. Barolo Ravera also offers an earthy tone of white truffle or porcino mushroom. Soft oak density and thick fruit extract give the wine beautiful, full-bodied appeal. Give it ten more years of cellar aging to lose the baby fat.” WA
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Vietti Rocche di Castiglione, Barolo DOCG 2011 750ML ($149.95) $129 special, 12 bottles available
Wine Advocate 94 points “Previously known as Barolo Rocche, the 2011 Barolo Rocche di Castiglione now boasts the full name of its vineyard designate. It shows profound fruit intensity with dark layers of blackcurrant and exotic spice. The overall effect is enriched, opulent and velvety. A firm tannic backbone is paired to bright acidity to fuel the wine’s considerable persistence and its rich structured texture. The beauty of the wine will only improve in time.”
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Vietti Villero, Barolo Riserva DOCG 2007 750ML ($379.95) $349 special, 2 bottles available
Wine Advocate 100 points “The 2007 Barolo Riserva Villero is a wine of staggering beauty and downright flawlessness. Its perfection is measured by the experience it awards those lucky enough to drink it. Only 3,726 bottles were produced and I tested two of those. From the moment your nose descends into the glass, you are made instantly aware of the enormity before you. I felt a profound sense of exhilaration and emotion. The wine is arousing in a way that only Nebbiolo can be. The bouquet is fluid and ever-changing with pressed rose, dried ginger, balsam herb, menthol freshness, licorice and wild berry. The presentation is multifaceted and infinite. The quality of the mouthfeel is pristine and intense with softly yielding tannins that maintain an important structural role. Laced delicately throughout its velvety texture is a fine vein of crisp acidity that adds vibrant life and buoyancy to the long finish. In almost inexplicable fashion, the wine manages to feel weightless, but is potent and commanding at the same time.” ML