Vinopolpick Mid-Week 11-23-21

#9 “Really incredible”
Dominus Estate Christian Moueix, Napa Valley 2018 750ML ($449.95) $369 special, 15 bottles in stock now
Dominus Estate Christian Moueix, Napa Valley 2018 375ML ($249.95) $219 special, 6 half-bottles in stock now
James Suckling 100 points “This is incredible on the nose, offering hot stones, blackcurrants, iodine and wet earth. Full-bodied with a tight center palate, then it opens with a tannin structure that is weightless and spreads across the palate. Totally integrated on the palate. This is a magic-carpet wine. Really incredible. One of the reference points for the vintage. Drinkable now and please try a bottle, but it’s one for the cellar.”

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#35 “Long and true… Subtle and energetic.”
RAEN Sea Field Vineyard Pinot Noir, Fort Ross-Seaview 2019 750ML ($119.95) $99 special, 6 bottles in stock now
James Suckling 99 points “This is really refined with black tea, rose petals, orange and blue fruit. It’s medium-bodied with wild-strawberry and forest-floor flavors. Medium-bodied with great vibrancy and beautiful tannins running through the center palate, which is stitched into the wine. Long and true. 100% whole-cluster fermentation. Subtle and energetic. Better after 2025.”

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#55 “Lasts for minutes.”
Opus One Proprietary Red, Napa Valley 2018 750ML ($389.95) $365 pre-arrival special, ETA December 3rd
James Suckling 99 points “Extremely perfumed and floral with lavender, lilacs and violets to the sweet, ripe berries, such as blackberries and blackcurrants. Some slate and graphite, too. It’s full-bodied, yet ever so balanced and refined, with super fine tannins that last for minutes. Fresh herbs, such as bay leaf and lemon grass highlight the dark fruit. The quality of tannin is exquisite with wonderful polish and refinement. Lasts for minutes. So wonderful to taste now, but better after 2026.”

#62 “Transparent energy to this.”
Charles Smith K Vintners ‘M.C.K. Motor City Kitty’ Syrah, Washington 2018 750ML ($41.95) $34.50 special, 6 bottles in stock now
James Suckling 98 points “There’s real purity of fruit to this with blackberry, blueberry and dark chocolate, as well as crushed-stone undertones. It’s full and focused with structure and purity. Transparent energy to this. Needs a couple of years. Better in 2023 onwards.”

#100 “Extremely long. Complex and thought-provoking…”
Royal Tokaji ‘Nyulaszo’ Aszu 6 Puttonyos, Tokaj, Hungary 2017 500ML ($149.95) $105 special, 10 500ml-bottles in stock now
James Suckling 98 points “Spicy and earthy notes of ginseng, dried pineapple, candied citrus, fig and toffee apple. The sweetness is balanced and complemented by earthy, complex layers. Lots of spicy botrytis character. Extremely long. Complex and thought-provoking with so much dried-fruit and spicy flavor at the end. Dense and tight, yet agile. Delicious now, but if you give it another five or six years, you will see even more. 5,541 bottles produced.”

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#32 – James Suckling Top 100 Spanish Wines

Envinate wines are highly sought after as authentic expressions of their terroirs and forerunners of the “New Spanish” wine movement. To quote wine writer Megan Krigbaum of Punch Magazine, “While winemaking driven by these ideals [of old-school and low-intervention management in the vineyard and winery] is commonplace in many parts of Italy and France—where the natural wine movement is manifest—Spain has been slower to adopt a less-is-more aesthetic over the ‘Big Flavor’ (i.e. ripe, excessively oaked) wines that came to define its wine culture. Envínate, for many buyers, is today’s best representation of the alternative. The wines have an undeniable transparency.”

Envinate ‘Lousas’ Vina de Aldea Ribera Sacra, Galicia 2019 750ML ($49.95) $39 special, 11 bottles in stock now
James Suckling 95 points “Subtle aromas of ripe plums, cloves and black pepper with slate and stone, following through to a medium palate with firm, fine tannins and a flavorful finish. Subtle and complex. Drink now or hold.”

 

Wine Enthusiast: 

#4 “. Full-bodied, chewy and tannic, it’s a potent wine with an assortment of herb, citrus and tree fruit elements all in a pleasing tangle”
The Eyrie Vineyards Pinot Gris Dundee Hills 2019 750ML ($24.95) $17.70 special, 14 bottles in stock now
Wine Enthusiast Paul Gregutt 93 points “The tawny gold color belies the youth of this wine, and sure enough it’s moved ahead on the aging curve to where it is already in a prime drinking window. Full-bodied, chewy and tannic, it’s a potent wine with an assortment of herb, citrus and tree fruit elements all in a pleasing tangle. Drink through 2030. “

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#1 ” Very fine-grained, but impressively sturdy in feel, with a long, lingering note of iron piercing the finish.”
Dominus Estate Christian Moueix, Napa Valley 2018 750ML ($449.95) $369 special, 15 bottles in stock now
Dominus Estate Christian Moueix, Napa Valley 2018 375ML ($249.95) $219 special, 6 half-bottles in stock now
Wine Spectator 97 points “This is tightly packed, with sleek, pure, driven notes of cassis, plum reduction and blackberry puree allied to an iron spine, while subtle alder, juniper, sweet bay leaf and tobacco notes peek in throughout. Very fine-grained, but impressively sturdy in feel, with a long, lingering note of iron piercing the finish. For the cellar. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best for 2024 through 2040.

#22 ” Very fine-grained, but impressively sturdy in feel, with a long, lingering note of iron piercing the finish.”
Arterberry Maresh Old Vines Pinot Noir Dundee Hills 2018 750ML ($47.95) $37 special, 4 bottles in stock now
Wine Spectator 93 points ” Very fine-grained, but impressively sturdy in feel, with a long, lingering note of iron piercing the finish., with pretty violet, raspberry and spiced tea accents that build tension and toward polished, medium-grained tannins. Drink now through 2029. —T.F.”

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#43 ” A juicy bomb of fruit, this red is also well-structured”
Carol Shelton ‘Wild Thing’ Old Vine Zinfandel Mendocino County 2018 750ML ($21.95) $18 special, 15 bottles in stock now
Wine Spectator 91 points “Medocino County. A juicy bomb of fruit, this red is also well-structured, with lively raspberry, toasty spice and roasted sage flavors that linger on a snappy finish. Drink now through 2028. 9,085 cases made. — TF”

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#76 ” The finely detailed mousse carries hints of saffron and spring blossom on the lingering finish”
Louis Roederer Collection Brut 242 Champagne NV ($69.95) $55 special, 11 bottles in stock now
Wine Spectator 92 points “A bright, harmonious Champagne, layering well-cut acidity and a chalky underpinning with flavors of white cherry, crunchy pineapple, green almond and beeswax. The finely detailed mousse carries hints of saffron and spring blossom on the lingering finish. Drink now through 2024. 

#87 ” A lovely mineral undertone matches the flavors of tea, peach and smoke on the long finish.”  
Chateau Pradeaux Cotes de Provence Rosé France 2020 750ML ($31.95) $26 special, 36+ bottles in stock now
Wine Spectator 91 points “This is a juicy, broad, orange-hued rose, with blood orange, orange peel and rosewater flavors backed by firm, focused acidity. A lovely mineral undertone matches the flavors of tea, peach and smoke on the long finish. ”  

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This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

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Exceptionally old vines and 5 years of aging on the lees before disgorgement make this a benchmark example of the style.  
Avinyo Seleccio La Ticota Gran Reserva Cava Catalonia 2014 750ML ($49.95) $37 special, 22 bottles in stock now
Importer note “La Ticota, Avinyó’s oldest single vineyard, is a 2ha plot planted in 1940 by their grandfather to 85% xarel-lo and 15% macabeo, in primarily clay-calcareous soil. La Ticota produces one of the most distinctive and complex single-vineyard méthode traditionnelle wines from Spain. Produced in very limited quantities from the best vintages, it is among the great single-vineyard sparkling wines of the world. La Ticota is currently undergoing the certification process in the newly-formed Cava de Paraje designation of the Cava D.O., a new category that recognizes the uniqueness of “a smaller area” of the appellation on the label, similar to Burgundy’s climats or lieux-dits.”

The oldest vines under Kruger-Rumpf’s spade that drinks like a Grosses Gewächs at half the price!
Kruger-Rumpf Abtei ‘1937 Reserv’ Riesling Trocken Nahe 2018 750ML ($41.95) $36 special, 36+ bottles in stock now
Grapelive 94-96 points “The 2018 barrel sample of Kruger-Rumpf’s Abtei 1937 was stunningly gorgeous with brilliant details, ripe extract density, vivid mineral tones and vibrant acidity showing a purity and vitality of youth, but with the complexity and length of its old vine material. Georg Rumpf has crafted a Trocken beauty here with layers of delicacy and substance. This juice is on par with almost any GG, making it an incredible value already. Be sure to book your allocation of this ultra-limited bottling from Terry These and importer Skurnik Wines. You will not be disappointed, I know I will be hustling to get some myself. The regular Abtei offering is one of my new favorite Nahe Rieslings and while I love all the latest Kruger-Rumpf wines, especially from the Grosse Lage: Münsterer Dautenpflänzer, Münsterer im Pitterberg and Dorsheimer Burgberg, as well as exotic Rumpf’s Scheurebe plus their off dry Kabinett, Feinherb and wonderfully balanced Spatlese(s) I have become obsessed with the Bingerbrücker Abtei im Ruppertsberg vineyard and wines. This ’18 starts with subtle aromatic charm with orange blossom, rosewater, flinty stones, salt lick and quinces before thrilling the palate with energy and white peach, tangerine, lime intensity, verbena, mint tea and tart green apple. This light/medium dry Riesling is brisk and racy, at first but gains depth and builds with air in the glass adding some leesy texture, it is totally thrilling and will only get better with bottle age. Terry Theise adds that, Kuger-Rumpf’s vineyards are farmed sustainably; bees are kept nearby to facilitate pollination and aid in overall bio-diversity. Periodically sheep are allowed to roam the vines helping to control underbrush. All vineyards are hand harvested to ensure that only optimally ripe grapes are selected. Stefan believed that “you can’t improve wine in the cellar, only make it worse…” and Georg has continued his cellar work with this philosophy in mind, which to me shows in wines like this fantastic Abtei.”
David Schildknecht-Vinous 91 points “This bottling is sourced from the oldest vines, planted in 1937, on an exciting steep, stony site that the Rumpfs are restoring (and about which you can read much more in my reviews of the Rumpfs’ vintage 2016 and inaugural vintage 2015 renditions of Abtei Riesling, both of which originated entirely in this oldest parcel). In electing to segregate the fruit of these old vines for a separate bottling – while fruit from younger parcels 2020 informs the “regular” Abtei bottling (which in 2018 is designated A.P. #30) – the Rumpfs also decided to permit the fruit a bit longer skin contact and to raise the wine in a relatively new 1,200-liter cask. The nose anticipates the deeper sense of peachy fruit on tap here vis-à-vis the A.P. #30. The feel is glossy and silken, and the impressively sustained finish features a stony, alkaline and as such rather hard and austere sense of mineral matter, which serves for suitable counterpart to the fruit. What I miss are the mouthwatering salinity, herbal pungency and brightly juicy abundance of the A.P. #30. Those are not virtues that I anticipate emerging here with time in bottle, and since they were characteristics of previous Abtei bottlings, I tend to believe that skin contact and wood influence have made the unfortunate difference. But would that I might be lucky enough to one day re-taste the two wines side by side and perhaps be contradicted!”

The cult rosé of Provence, and widely considered the best in the world. 
Domaine Tempier Bandol Rose Provence 2020 750ML ($59.95) $49 special, 30 bottles in stock now
Josh Raynolds-Vinous 93 points “Light orange-pink. Expressive, mineral-accented orange zest, red currant, nectarine and succulent floral and herb aromas take on a spicy nuance with air. Lively and sharply focused in the mouth, offering concentrated red berry, pit fruit, tangerine and honeysuckle flavors and a hint of tarragon. The mineral and floral notes drive an impressively long, precise finish that leaves white peach and spice notes behind.”

An endlessly nuanced Riesling that can convert anyone into an Austrian Riesling aficionado. 
Weingut Leo Alzinger Ried Hohereck Riesling Smaragd Wachau 2018 750ML ($64.95) $49 special, 6 bottles in stock now
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 91+ points “From a very small cru between Hollerin and Loibenberg and cultivated in pretty shallow soils, the 2018 Riesling Smaragd Ried Höhereck is concentrated and warm on the nose, with dried white fruit aromas intermixed with lovely herbal and stony aromas. Rich and concentrated on the lush and fleshy palate, this is a full-bodied, dense and firmly structured Riesling that combines warmth and ripeness with the coolish mineral drive of the terroir. The acidity is remarkably fresh, and the wine develops a long, tensioned finish that is still a bit drying. Keep for three or so years before drinking.”
Terry Theise note “How inconvenient that my usual-favorite of Alzinger’s Rieslings is the one they barely make. It’s a tiny plot and they get “around 800 bottles” in a good year. Yes—bottles. All I can say, after all these years, is—from this tiny place comes one of the earth’s great wines, the terminus of every great facet of Wachau Riesling, the herbs from this, the peaches and plums from that, the mangoes from another, the smoke from yet another—all there. This `18 has its spells and angles and salts and roasts and smokes and incenses. But my shaman-riesling is still waking up from his psilocybin dream. Patience….”

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A premier cru vineyard divided by an Ancient Roman road from the Grand Cru Blanchot.
Domaine Louis Michel & Fils Montee de Tonnerre Chablis Premier Cru 2019 750ML ($49.95) $41.90 special, 31 bottles in stock now
William Kelley-Wine Advocate 92+ points “The 2019 Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre opens in the glass with notes of pear, green apple, wet stones, iodine and fresh pastry. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and layered, it’s taut and concentrated, with bright acids and a long, saline finish. It’s derived from holdings in Chapelot.”
Burghound 90-93 points “Outstanding. An airy, expressive and beautifully layered nose speaks of smoky citrus, white flowers, iodine and shellfish. The round, seductive and vibrant medium-bodied flavors possess a succulent yet sophisticated mid-palate texture while delivering fine length on the clean, moderately dry and sneaky long finish. This too will need to add depth over time, but it has the underlying material with which to do so if allowed the chance.”

James Suckling #1 producer of 2021.
Kumeu River Coddington Chardonnay Kumeu 2020 750ML ($49.95) $45 special, 15 bottles in stock now
James Suckling 97 points “This is a wine of real purity and elegance with fresh sliced peaches and lemons, as well as some light pastry notes. The palate is fine, unwaveringly long and pure with enlivening acidity through the finish. Stunning. Drink or hold. Screw cap.”
Rebecca Gibb Mw-Vinous 93 points “Another typically weighty expression from Kumeu’s Coddington vineyard, the 2020 Chardonnay Coddington fills the midpalate with its density and breadth. It is a wine of clarity, the oak-derived smoky, nutty notes providing a savory layer over nectarine and lemon meringue. However, this is not a wine that needs multiple flavor descriptors; it’s a wine of texture. Expect the smooth, mellow mouthfeel to be followed up with lovely precision and sinew on the lengthy, smoky finish.”

“Liquid Slate” Riesling coming from one of the steepest vineyards in the world. 
Heymann-Lowenstein ‘B’ Uhlen Blaufusser Lay Mosel 2016 750M ($69.95) $49 special, 8 bottles in stock now
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 93+ points “The 2016 Riesling Uhlen B ‘VDP Grosse Lage’ is pure, fresh and rich at the same time, with flinty aromas on the nose. Full-bodied, precise and piquant on the palate, this is an elegant, fresh and salty Riesling with a lot of tension and length. Powerful. Long.”
Mosel Fine Wines 92 points “This offers a gorgeous nose of candied grapefruit zest, some star fruit, ripe pear and apple, all wrapped into the telltale classy touch of fine spices and herbs so typical of the Estate. The wine is medium-bodied on the palate and leaves a beautifully pure, spicy and mineral-loaded feel in the long and delicately powerful finish. This is a gorgeous wine in the making with a hint of power and nice saltiness in the after-taste.”

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Made from some of the oldest planted Cabernet and Merlot in the entire country, Rubicon has consistently won “best in category” from publications as far away as London and New York. 
Meerlust Rubicon Stellenbosch 2017 750ML ($49.95) $39 special, 6 bottles in stock now
*No Reviews available for 2017. 2016 review provided for reference* 
Decanter 93 points “Cedar wood, spice, a touch of fynbos on nose and palate. Good acidity and layers of flavour that balance the ripe fruit, with a deft touch. Drinking Window 2021 – 2028.”

Evocative of Santa Cruz Mountains Cabernet, with a pervasive basaltic character. 
Bucklin Old Hill Ranch Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County 2018 750ML ($59.95) $49 special, 12 bottles in stock now
VinpolNote: Old Hill Ranch planted a block of Cabernet in 1983 on a rootstock known as “AXR”. Fast forward 20 years and the block was infected by phylloxera due to an undiagnosed susceptibility in AXR. This means that the block is in the process of dying, with the resulting wine being every bit of a “Swan song” you’d expect.      

The “Cabernet of Campania” made from old vines. Botanicals and spices are accentuated by black and blue fruits with a volcanic finish. 
Contrade di Taurasi Cantine Lonardo Taurasi DOCG Campania 2013 750ML ($49.95) $41.90 special, 8 bottles in stock now
Eric Guido-Vinous 93 points “This 2013 is a classic Taurasi, showing a mix of red and black fruits, offset by rosy florals, savory herbs, minerals, leather tones, and a hint of balsamic spice. On the palate, silky textures give way to spicy red fruits, energized by zesty acids with cool-toned sweet herbs and saturating minerality. The 2013 Contrade di Taurasi finishes long, with a twang of acid making the mouth water, as grippy tannins settle in and echoes of black berries linger on.”
Kerin O’keefe-Wine Enthusiast 93 points “Aromas of black cooking spice, dark-skinned berry and blue flower swirl around in the glass. On the palate, firm, fine-grained tannins and fresh acidity balance dried black cherry, clove and freshly ground pepper. Drink 2021–2030.”

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Sourced from the Rocks district of Milton-Freewater, promising dense structure and minerality. 
Walls Vineyards ‘Wonderful Nightmare’ Tempranillo Walla Walla Valley  2018 750ML ($ 54.95) $44 special, 7 bottles in stock now
Jeb Dunnuck 96 points “The 2018 Tempranillo Wonderful Nightmare comes from the Stoney Vine Vineyard and is a complex, exotic example of the variety, offering loads of herbes de Provence, peppered meats, charcoal, and violets, all supported by a wonderful core of ripe red, blue, and black fruits. With medium to full-bodied richness, a seamless texture, and ripe tannins, it’s another remarkable, pure, balanced wine from The Walls that can be drunk any time over the coming 10-15 years, if not longer.”

A barrel selection meant to highlight the vineyard sources and represent the house style of Crowley.
Crowley Entre Nous Pinot Noir Dundee Hills 2019 750ML ($49.95) $37 special, 22 bottles in stock now
Winery note “The first wine Crowley ever created. Over time, Entre Nous has morphed into a blend of our favorite barrels in the cellar, and represents our La Colina and Four Winds Vineyards. This wine is consistently intriguing – notes of mushroom, cedar, citrus melt into bright cherry, strawberry and light chocolate.”

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These are the oldest of her vines, averaging 60 years, and all are pergola-trained, growing in clay-rich soils. Also, due to the thicker skins and need for oxygen during vinification, 30% of the wine is matured for twelve months in new barrique.
Azienda Vitivinicola Tiberio Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Italy 2017 750ML ($54.95) $44.50 special, 14 bottles in stock now
Eric Guido-Vinous 95+ points “Garnering an official “wow” from the very first tilt of the glass, the 2017 Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Archivio is breathtaking. Roses, violets, stone dust and sour citrus set the stage, deepening with notes of ripe blackberries, cherries and hints of brown spice. It’s profoundly textural, as a silky wave ushers in ripe red and hints of blue fruit, spice, licorice and sweet lavender. This dances across the palate, pliant and soothing at times but then angular and boisterous at others, leaving a fine coating of saturating tannin behind. I love the harmony here, already so likable yet also youthfully reserved. My best advice is to check in on at least one bottle now, but to lose the rest in your cellar for a number of years. The Archivio is produced from four separate biotypes in Cristiana Tiberio’s vineyard. These are the oldest of her vines, averaging 60 years, and all are pergola-trained, growing in clay-rich soils. Also, due to the thicker skins and need for oxygen during vinification, 30% of the wine is matured for twelve months in new barrique. This is a whole new level for Tiberio Montepulciano.”

Floral and spice notes give the 2017 lovely aromatics to play off a core of sweet red berry fruit.
Snowden Vineyards The Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2017 750ML ($54.95) $41.90 special, 35 bottles in stock now
Antonio Galloni 90 points “The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon The Ranch is an attractive, mid-weight wine that shows the more gracious, understated side of the year. Floral and spice notes give the 2017 lovely aromatics to play off a core of sweet red berry fruit. This is a very pretty wine.”

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