Vinopolpick Mid-Week 2-24-21

Freemark Abbey’s 2018 Chardonnay

Lands Friday

Freemark Abbey’s modern era dates back to 1967, when the winery was purchased and quickly transformed into one of California’s most prestigious properties. Unfortunately, over time, quality slipped and the reputation of the once legendary winery fell into a bit of obscurity. After a few ownership changes, the winery was sold in 2005 to Jackson Family, who have poured money and attention into it in a way that hasn’t been seen since the winery’s original heyday. Winemaker Ted Edwards was brought in and the winery has experienced a renaissance.

The 2018 Freemark Abbey Napa Chardonnay is a prime example of the new era. It’s full-bodied, rich and textural—a hedonist’s Chardonnay. It arrives this week, but you’d do well to secure yours now.

Arriving Friday, February 26th:

Freemark Abbey Chardonnay, Napa Valley 2018 750ML ($39.95) $26 pre-arrival special
Case-12 Freemark Abbey Chardonnay, Napa Valley 2018 750ML ($479.95) $279 pre-arrival special (that’s only $23.25/bottle!)
Antonio Galloni 93 points “The 2018 Chardonnay is a very pretty, nuanced wine that deftly balances textural richness and vibrancy. Lemon peel, orchard fruit, mint and bright floral notes are finely sculpted in this classy, wonderfully polished Chardonnay from Freemark Abbey.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price nationally is $34

Also Arriving this Friday, February 26th:

Siduri Yamhill-Carlton Pinot Noir, Oregon 2016 750ML ($39.95) $19 pre-arrival special
Case-12 Siduri Yamhill-Carlton Pinot Noir, Oregon 2016 750ML ($449.95) $199 pre-arrival special (that’s only $16.58/bottle!)
Jeb Dunnuck 93 points “The 2016 Pinot Noir Yamhill-Carlton Pinot Noir is a beautiful wine. Coming from two sites and fermented with 20% stems and aged 15 months in 30% new oak, it offers a deeper ruby color as well as a classic bouquet of red currants, black cherries, scorched earth, spice, and forest floor. Elegant, medium-bodied, and layered, it’s a gem.”
Erin Brooks-Wine Advocate 91 points “Medium ruby-purple in color, the 2016 Pinot Noir Yamhill-Carlton has a deep, broody, black-fruited nose with ripe blackcurrants and black cherries with hints of crushed blueberries, licorice and grated cinnamon. The medium-bodied palate is flavored of blackberry and boysenberry preserves with nuances of pie spice and touches of black soil with a lovely frame of firm, structuring tannins and plenty of freshness, finishing long. 938 cases produced.”
Wine Spectator 91 points “Vibrant and zesty, with floral black raspberry, orange zest and clove flavors that saunter on a long, snappy finish. Drink now through 2023. 938 cases made. — TF”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $29.98
The average price nationally is $38

Cavallotto is a top-tier, old-school producer of Barolo. They make wines that are impressively age-worthy, rivalling some of the region’s most expensive wines. We notice that customers who buy Cavallotto buy a lot of Piemontese wines— Cavallotto is a favorite of in-the-know drinkers.

These are incredibly expressive wines and are very true to their vineyard terroirs. Antoni Galloni describes them as “made in a style that offers the fruit density of contemporary Barolos with the structural underpinnings that are found in more traditionally made wines.”

We have several Cavallotto wines in stock now, including their 100-point 2013 San Guiseppe Riserva. Combining traditional Barolo structure with a level of elegance that typifies the region’s finest Nebbiolo based wines, this bottling is entering a beautiful drinking window and deserves the attention of anyone who considers themselves a connoisseur of Barolo. 

We’ve also received our allocation of the legend-in-the-making 2016 Bricco Boschis —a stunning wine with a 98-point score from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate and a 99-point score from Kerin O’Keefe at Wine Enthusiast. That’s incredible praise for a wine under $100, much less under $80.

In Stock Now:

Cavallotto Bricco Boschis, Barolo DOCG 2016 750ML ($89.95) $79 special, 36+ bottles in stock now
Kerin O’keefe-Wine Enthusiast 99 points “Aromas of woodland berry, underbrush, hazelnut and camphor form the nose along with a whiff of rose petal on this captivating, delicious wine. The full-bodied structured palate is still young and primary but already shows raspberry compote, ripe Marasca cherry, star anise, tobacco and the barest hint of game. Tightly knit noble tannins and fresh acidity provide the firm frame and impart serious aging potential. Hold for even more complexity. Drink 2026–2056.”
Monica Larner-Wine Advocate 98 points “All of these wines from Cavallotto deliver a very floral and perfumed subtext that gives lift and delicate buoyancy to the overall bouquet. This is the Castiglione Falletto magic that shows so well in this classic vintage. The 2016 Barolo Bricco Boschis offers dried cherry, sandalwood, bramble and forest floor. The wine reveals a slightly wild and untamed character that adds to its interest and personality. Overall, this is an elegant wine with a streamlined and elegant finish. The aromas are focused and bright. I can’t wait to taste the Riserva expression from this site when it is released in three years’ time.”


Cavallotto Bricco Boschis Vigna San Giuseppe, Barolo Riserva DOCG 2013 750ML ($179.95) $149 special, 8 bottles in stock now
Wine Enthusiast 100 points “A dazzling showing that combines Old School structure with finesse, this stunning red offers sublime aromas of rose, camphor, dark-skinned berry and new leather. Full bodied and delicious, the compelling palate delivers fruit purity and complexity, featuring ripe Marasca cherry, raspberry compote, star anise and tobacco. A backbone of noble tannins and vibrant acidity keeps it impeccably balanced.”
Wine Advocate 99 points “The Cavallotto 2013 Barolo Riserva Bricco Boschis Vigna San Giuseppe feels magically cool even as the wine warms in the glass. Eucalyptus, menthol and medicinal herbs rise from the bouquet, with dark fruit and savory spice in tow. When you first open the bottle, it shows a distinct mineral character with crushed aspirin, limestone and graphite. I opened a second bottle a few days before this tasting and had both bottles side by side to compare. Both showed impressive results with a pristine level of focus, sharpness and linearity. With aeration, those dark fruit nuances come to the forefront, showing dried cherry, plum and candied orange peel. A few hours later, you pick up on leather, tobacco and cedar wood. This is a fluid and ever-changing wine that is well worth adding to your cellar selection. What a beauty.”


Cavallotto Bricco Boschis Vignolo, Barolo Riserva DOCG 2012 750ML ($119.95) $99 special, 23 bottles in stock now
Wine Spectator 96 points “Perfumed, revealing rose, strawberry, cherry, hay and eucalyptus aromas and flavors, with a mineral underpinning and a lean, taut frame that keeps this red focused through the long aftertaste. Beginning to open up aromatically, but the tannins indicate there’s no rush to drink this. Drink now through 2036.—B.S.”
Monica Larner-Wine Advocate 94 points “This wine will be released next September. The 2012 Barolo Riserva Vignolo shows a darkened and enriched side of the graceful Nebbiolo grape. This effort delivers a bit more weight and power with firm structure and balanced but also slightly dry tannins. The wine’s acidity plays an important role in giving this expression such a sharp and focused personality. This wine ages in large oak casks for five years, thus prompting deep complexity and aromatic layering. The Vignolo vines are a bit lower in altitude (from 250 to 310 meters above sea level) compared to San Giuseppe (at 310 to 340 meters above sea level). That lower positioning favors the immediate richness and succulence you taste here.”


Love Barolo? We have over 75 different options in stock. Shop the entire selection, including famous names like Brovia, Cappellano, Paolo Scavino and more, on our web store now.

Order Online / By Phone / By Email

When you’re ready to pick up, just park in our lot,
give us a call, & we’ll bring your order to your car.

(If another adult is picking up for you,
please let us know their name when placing your order.)

www.vinopoliswineshop.com

info@vinopoliswineshop.com

503-223-6002

California

Bedrock Wine Co. Evangelho Vineyard Heritage Red, Contra Costa County 2018 750ML ($41.95) Was $34.90, Now $33 Super Subscriber Special, 6 bottles in stock now
Antonio Galloni 94 points “The 2018 Evangelho Heritage Wine is so alluring. Sweet cherry, pomegranate, blood orange and perfumed red roses all grace this silky, captivating wine from Bedrock. Dollops of Mataro and Carignan round out this field blend, but it is the high percentage of Zinfandel, and its bright acid profile, that carries the day. This is such a gorgeous and expressive wine.”
Winery Note “2018 was our second vintage with full control of farming at our nearly 130-year-old estate site (still gives me chills to say that), and we enjoyed a mild and even vintage leading to a relatively late harvest at this amazing Delta site. This is a classic Evangelho, showing the bright and composed fruit we expect along with the savory bite inflected by the Mataro and Carignan, and one that should provide plenty of pleasure throughout the years.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Ridge Vineyards Pagani Ranch Zinfandel, Sonoma Valley 2018 750ML ($44.95) $36 special, 7 bottles in stock now
Antonio Galloni 95 points “The 2018 Zinfandel Pagani Ranch is superb. A burst of sweet red/purplish fruit, exotic spice, flowers and blood orange fleshes out in a Zinfandel of tremendous class. The Pagani has a level of textural breadth and resonance that separates it from most wines in this range. It also has a bit more new oak than the other wines here, but that should not be an issue in time. Bold, creamy and sensual, the Pagani just hits all the right notes. I wouldn’t touch a bottle anytime soon. Readers who can find it will own a small piece of history, as Pagani is one of the most pedigreed vineyard sites in the United States. The blend is 84% Zinfandel, 9% Alicante Bouschet and 7% Petite Sirah.”


#3 Wine of the Year 2020, Jeb Dunnuck
Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello, Santa Cruz Mountains 2017 375ML ($149.95) $119 special, 16 half bottles in stock now
Jeb Dunnuck 100 points “Pure perfection, the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Bello is a sensational effort from this estate that should be snatched up by drinkers and collectors. Based on 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot, and the rest Cabernet Franc that was brought up mostly in new American oak, this saturated purple-hued beauty is legendary Monte Bello in the making and has a stunning yet primordial bouquet of crème de cassis, lead pencil shavings, graphite, chocolate, and chalky minerality. Full-bodied, incredibly powerful, and one of the most concentrated versions of this cuvée ever made (I’ve had most of them), it needs a solid decade of bottle age and will have 50-60 years of overall longevity. Despite the long drinking window, it offers plenty of pleasure even today. I followed this bottle for two days and it showed best right out of the gate, closing down and becoming more brooding and backward with air. It’s an incredible wine that I promise you won’t regret having in your cellar.”
William Kelley-Wine Advocate 98-100 points “Destined to rank as one of the all-time greats from Ridge, the 2017 Monte Bello opens in the glass with youthfully complex notes of ripe plums, cassis, espresso roast and black truffles, with little apparent trace of its time in 100% new oak. On the palate, it’s full-bodied and incredibly concentrated, with a rich, layered mid-palate and immense substance that marks it out as the most richly tannic Monte Bello since 2013. As ever, the acids are vibrant, with a classic pH of around 3.5—notably lower than most Cabernet Sauvignons from contemporary Bordeaux or Napa Valley, thanks to this site’s limestone soils and high altitude. At the time of writing, the blend is 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Petit Verdot, 6% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc, though that may change by the time it’s bottled. Eric Baugher observes that fermentations were slow in 2017, which protracted the period of extraction, partially accounting for this vintage’s power. It’s still a baby, but this is a strong contender for a perfect score when it’s bottled in over a year’s time—and it should see out its 50th birthday in style.”


France – Burgundy

Jérémy Arnaud Vau de Vey, Chablis Premier Cru 2017 750ML ($59.95) $49 special, 17 bottles in stock now
Winery note “[Translated and edited for clarity] The wines sit on shallow, stony soil and a subsoil dating from the Upper Jurassic, Kimmeridgian. In some places, it is not unusual to see the Marne outcrop. The exposed south-east slope of the vineyard can reach up to 50%, which makes mechanization very difficult. The vines were planted between 1980 and 1985. They are now almost 40 years old, thus considered old vine. To limit erosion, we no longer use a tractor on this plot and leave a permanent grass cover. Harvest is manual. This allows us to sort directly on the plot. In the cellar, the grapes are pressed whole bunch using a pneumatic press with low pressure. The vinification and aging of our wines are carried out in a natural way, i.e. no addition of enzymes, yeasts or bacteria is made. Long aging occurs in stainless steel tanks and barrels (50% of which only 10% is new).”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $55

Domaine Louis Michel & Fils Montée de Tonnerre, Chablis Premier Cru 2018 750ML ($44.95) $39 special, 5 bottles in stock now
Neal Martin-Vinous 93 points “The 2018 Chablis Montée de Tonnerre is clean and precise on the nose, perhaps more in the vein of a traditional Chablis than, say, the Butteaux. The palate is fresh and lively with crisp acidity, impressive tension and a twist of sour lemon toward the finish that keeps this Chablis alert and alive. Excellent.”
William Kelley-Wine Advocate 92+ points “The 2018 Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre is another success this year, delivering inviting aromas of citrus zest, crisp green apple, white flowers and oyster shell. Medium to full-bodied, with good depth and tension, it’s one of the more tightly wound, structured wines in the cellar.”


Domaine Frantz Chagnoleau Macon-Villages Clos Saint-Pancras, Mâconnais 2018 750ML ($24.95) $19 special, 34 bottles in stock now
“Offering up aromas of pear, orange oil, toasted nuts and freshly baked bread, the 2018 Mâcon-Villages Clos Saint-Pancras is medium to full-bodied, round and succulent, with a lively but open-knit core and a nicely defined finish.”-William Kelley, Wine Advocate

This is the only listing in the USA today!

Italy – Piedmont

Giacomo Borgogno & Figli Dolcetto d’Alba, Piedmont 2018 750ML ($27.95) $21.90 special, 4 bottles in stock now
Importer note “Intense ruby red tending to purplish. Vinous, fresh, fruity bouquet of red fruits such as cherry, strawberry. Very pleasant.”

This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!

Giacomo Borgogno & Figli Freisa Langhe, Piedmont 2015 750ML ($33.95) $29 special, 12 bottles in stock now
Importer note “Light cherry red color, a delicate aroma recalling raspberries and roses and dry flavor that becomes delicately soft after a short ageing. Bitter tannins.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Italy – Tuscany

Tenuta di Arceno ‘Valadorna’ Toscana IGT, Tuscany 2015 750ML ($79.95) $49 special, 16 bottles in stock now
Monica Larner-Wine Advocate 95+ points “The 2015 Valadorna (65% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc, 19% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot) is a dark and thickly endowed red wine that boasts a rich and lasting grip on the palate. The bouquet offers depth and complexity with dark fruit, leather, cured tobacco and spice. There are also softer notes of chocolate and ground espresso beans. The wine’s seamless integration of flavors leads to increased momentum and intensity as the wine continues to open in the glass.”


New Zealand

Dog Point Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough 2019 750ML ($24.95) $21.90 special, 35 bottles in stock now
Decanter 93 points “Herbaceous on the nose with bell pepper and pea shoots along with lime, guava and passion fruit. Some spice and exotic fruits on the palate and a smokey character that adds roundness. Elegant and balanced with a long finish.”
James Suckling 93 points “Very vivid, fresh passion fruit, lemon, yellow grapefruit and lime here with well cut, flinty elements in play. Some herb and lime-leaf notes, too. The palate has fresh, lively and assertively zesty lime and passion-fruit flavors with a succulent, fleshy feel and big impact. Drink now. Screw cap.”
Rebecca Gibb MW-Vinous 92 points “Lovely weight on the midpalate, providing a feeling of sumptuousness. This was whole-bunch-pressed and hand-harvested, and neutral yeast was used (20% wild), which has created an air of restraint. Yes, there are classic passion fruit and gooseberry flavors, but the volume is turned down, and a citrus backbone offers a fresh, composed conclusion.”
Joe Czerwinski-Wine Advocate 92 points “Perhaps the most complex regular Savvy I can recall from Dog Point, the 2019 Sauvignon Blanc offers up aromas that range from subtle notions of garden peas to melon, nectarine and pink grapefruit. It’s medium-bodied and silky in texture, generous yet crisp, with a focused, slightly chalky and deliciously lingering finish.”