VinopolPick Mid-Week Newsletter 03-23-2022

There’s a reason that Quilceda Creek is the number one name in Washington Cabernet—the standard by which all others are judged. Simply put, no other winery has been making wines that score as highly as consistently (and for so long). Unlike the bold and brash 2018 vintage, the 2019 season is known for being one of the only cool vintage of the decade. Snow was present throughout the early spring, prolonging dormancy and killing off pest populations with summer more or less ending in September. This created an elegant and acid driven harvest, especially in later ripening varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon. As you find at the crossroads with highly regarded producers and cooler seasons we were only able to secure limited quantities of this vintage. 

Arriving Friday March 25th: 

Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley 2019 750ML ($249.95) $219 pre-arrival special, 12 bottles arriving
Owen Bargreen-Vinous 98 points “Sourced mainly from the Champoux vineyard (90%) with a smaller part from the Mach One vineyard, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley utilizes clones 4, 8, 191, 337 and 685 with mostly clone 8 selections in the blend. Incredibly aromatic right now, it shows gorgeous black rose petals, crème de violette, sagebrush, black walnut, sandalwood and blueberry compote tones, giving a level of aromatic complexity that is unrivaled in the state. The palate is silky and elegant with a downright soft texture. Deeply concentrated and wonderfully structured, with smooth tannins, this gorgeous wine is already beautifully evolved at the two-year mark and will continue to deliver drinking enjoyment for at least another 15 years.”   
 

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

 

As with many of our pre-arrival offers, the majority of the wines are sold before even hitting our shelves. We’ve selected some of our most popular offers with only a few remaining bottles and an unlikely return date. 

Pre Arrival Selections Arriving Friday, March 25th 

Patricia Green La Belle Promenade Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2019 750ML ($41.95) $37 pre-arrival special, 11 bottles remaining 
Josh Raynolds-Vinous 94 points “Shimmering ruby-red. A hugely perfumed bouquet evokes raspberry, cherry and boysenberry preserves, overlain with building floral and baking spice notes. Shows very good depth as well as energy to the sweet red and blue fruit, candied rose and cola flavors, which betray no rough edges. Melds richness and finesse with a sure hand and finishes on a repeating floral note, with wonderful persistence and rounded tannins adding subtle grip. 8% new French oak.”

Patricia Green Cellars Lia’s Pinot Noir Chehalem Mountains 2019 750ML ($34.95) $30.90 pre-arrival special, 5 bottles remaining
Josh Raynolds-Vinous 94 points “Vivid red. Spice-accented raspberry and cherry on the highly fragrant nose, along with hints of incense and baking spices. Silky and focused on the palate, offering vibrant red fruit and floral pastille flavors that deepen as the wine opens up. Fine-grained tannins frame a very long, spicy finish that shows repeating red fruit character and building florality. 15% new French oak.”     
 

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Patricia Green Cellars Volcanic Pinot Noir Dundee Hills 2019 750ML ($41.95) $37 pre-arrival special, 9 bottles remaining 
Josh Raynolds-Vinous 93 points “Bright ruby-red. Assertively perfumed aromas of fresh red fruits, cola, candied flowers and baking spices show fine clarity and minerally lift. Sweet and precise on the palate, offering juicy raspberry, cherry and spicecake flavors that deepen as the wine opens up. Closes long and smooth, with rounded tannins framing a resonating red fruit note. No new oak.” 

Domaine Daniel-Etienne Defaix Cote de Lechet Chablis Premier Cru 2006 750ML ($69.95) $51.90 pre-arrival special, 12 bottles remaining 
William Kelley-Wine Advocate 93+ points “The 2006 Chablis 1er Cru Côte de Léchet is a superb example of the vintage, offering up aromas of citrus oil, beeswax and oyster shell complemented by subtle hints of clear honey. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and incisive, its textural attack segues into a bright, chiseled mid-palate, concluding with a mouthwatering, intensely saline finish. More chiseled and tightly wound than its 2005 counterpart, this is a 2006 with a long future ahead of it, transcending the vintage’s limitations.”
 

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Other Trending Pre-arrivals coming April 2022: 

Ulysses Vineyard Napa Valley 2018 750ML ($179.95) $149 pre-arrival special, 36 bottles arriving
Ulysses Vineyard Napa Valley 2018 375ML ($99.95) $79 pre-arrival special, 24 half bottles arriving  
Ulysses Vineyard Napa Valley 2018 1.5L ($399.95) $319 pre-arrival special, 12 magnums arriving
Ulysses Vineyard Napa Valley 2018 3L ($849.95) $699 pre-arrival special, 6 double-magnums arriving
Ulysses Vineyard Napa Valley 2018 2018 6L ($1999.95) $1599 pre-arrival special, 3 imperial bottles arriving
*Please note that the 6L offering is for in-store pickup only*
James Suckling 98 points “Aromas of terra cotta, chocolate and hazelnut with iron and ink. Dusty. Full-bodied and round. Layered. Flamboyant and juicy. Rather soft and gorgeous. Some walnut and chocolate at the end. Persistent. Always there. Drinkable now, but will age wonderfully.”
Antonio Galloni 97 points ” The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon is the best wine off Christian Moueix’s Oakville ranch so far. Deep, creamy and generous, the 2018 captures the unqiue blend of fruit in a savoriness that is typical of the southern sector of Oakville where cooling winds from the south lend palpable freshness and vivacity to the vines. Black fruit, chocolate, spice, lavender and new leather are some of the many notes that build into the sumptuous finish.”
 

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Castiglion del Bosco Brunello di Montalcino DOCG Tuscany 2016 750ML ($62.95) $54.50 pre-arrival special
Case-6 Castiglion del Bosco Brunello di Montalcino DOCG Tuscany 2016 750ML ($359.95) $309 pre-arrival special, (That’s $51.50 per bottle) 
James Suckling 99 points “The complexity and beauty to this is really something with cherry, walnut, tobacco and cigar-box character. Sweet cherries. It’s full-bodied and deep with super intensity and power. Layered and beautiful. Really refined tannins. Some whole-berry fermentation gives this added character. Goes on for minutes. Try after 2025.”
Decanter 97 points “We were lucky enough to have a splendid entry from Brunello di Montalcino this year, as this zone’s other Gold and Platinum medals testify, drawing on both the superb 2015 (Reserva) and 2016 vintages. Much effort went into scrutinising these wines to find a worthy candidate for our Best In Show collection — and here it is. Translucent black-red in colour, shading to a glowing garnet rim, with refined, artfully composed scents of subdued berry fruits, warm summer forest, dried mushrooms and soft suede. The wine is intense, deep, perfectly pitched in structural terms between lively, well-rounded acidity and brisk, sober tannins: a dignified, grave yet rewarding wine for a fine dinner. It is fully accessible now, yet the quality of its fruit and its balance suggest many years’ ageing potential, too.”
Vinous 95 points ” The 2016 Castiglion del Bosco Brunello di Montalcino really stands out with its vivid display of crushed raspberries, lavender and clove. Further depths are found with each swirl, adding mentholated herbs and flowery undergrowth. It’s dense and dark-fruited, enveloping the palate with notes of black cherry, plum, exotic savory spice and minerals. This is soothing and pliant in spite of the 2016’s youthful state, balancing brisk acids and fine tannins to create a push and pull of structural tension. The symmetry here is spellbinding, and everything is in the right place for a long and fruitful evolution over the next ten to fifteen years. Tasted twice with consistent results.”
 

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
 

Montepeloso A Quo Toscana IGT Tuscany 2018 750ML ($29.95) $20.90 special, 18 bottles in stock now
Monica Larner-Wine Advocate 92 points “A blend of 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Montepulciano, 15% Sangiovese, 15% Marselan and 5% Alicante Bouschet, the Montepeloso 2018 A Quo is the entry-level expression that unfolds to a rich and sultry display of dark fruit, spice and a touch of charred meat. The blend is quite eccentric, but the basic elements are all there, such as the structure from the Cabernet Sauvignon, the wild character of the Montepulciano and the perfumed intensity of the other grapes. This is a 35,000-bottle production and a terrific value buy.”
Antonio Galloni-Vinous 92 points “The 2018 A Quo is rich and explosive in the glass, with superb presence and tons of intensity, but all in the gracious style of the year. Crushed flowers, sweet red berry fruit and spice are front and center. In 2018, A Quo is supremely delicious. Best of all, it remains a tremendous value in artisan wine.”

Cavalli Tenuta degli Dei Toscana IGT Tuscany 2016 750ML ($59.95) $46 special, 32 bottles in stock now
Case-6 Cavalli Tenuta degli Dei Toscana IGT Tuscany 2016 750ML ($359.95) $259 special (That’s only $43.16 per bottle!)
Case-12 Cavalli Tenuta degli Dei Toscana IGT Tuscany 2016 750ML ($719.95) $499 special, (that’s only $41.58/bottle!)
James Suckling 97 points “What an amazing nose with pure herbs coming to the fore, soon to be joined by fresh brambleberries, blueberries, violets, heather, lavender, pine needles and forest floor. Full body, chewy but incredibly fine tannins, and tons of floral undertones. Elegant and resoundingly beautiful. Delicious now, but better in 2023.”
Antonio Galloni-Vinous 96 points “The 2016 Tenuta Degli Dei is gorgeous. Power, structure and finesse come together in a wine that impresses for its superb balance and sheer class. Medium in body, but with tremendous fruit density and persistence, the 2016 has so much to offer. Sweet floral notes develop on the finish, adding perfume, lift and sensuality. I would cellar it for at least a few years to allow its full aromatic presence to emerge.”

Chateau de Saint Cosme Cotes du Rhone France 2020 750ML ($17.95) $14 special, 27 bottles in stock now
Chateau de Saint Cosme Cotes du Rhone France 2020 1.5L ($37.95) $29 special, 18 magnums in stock now 
Grapelive 92 points “The latest Saint Cosme Cotes du Rhone, 100% Syrah, is an all tank aged and partial whole cluster wine with a deep purple color and far more complexity than you’d expect from a bottle in this price range with layers of blackberry, boysenberry, plum and blueberry fruits along with hints of earth, graphite, black licorice, dried herbs and crushed flowers in a beautifully smooth and textured full bodied wine. This vintage, which is Louis Barruol’s 24nd vintage of this juicy Saint Cosme Co^tes du Rho^ne, is very polished and pleasing with just enough savory crunch to keep things interesting. This edition is an easy companion with a variety of foods and was perfect with a chilly rainy night outside, it provided lots of comfort without any pretense. Being all Syrah it feels a bit more rustic and dense than most Grenache based versions, but you can see the family relationship with Barruol’s famous Gigondas and other classic Rhone bottlings with its warm and Mediterranean personality. This is always a great wine and sublime value… The Saint Cosme Cotes du Rhone vines are set on mostly limestone sand, red clay and pebbles on Villafranchian terraces that gives this remarkably expression its stylistic charm, density and class. Barruol [notes that] he thinks Vinsobres is the best area to grow Syrah in this area, which is just to the north of Gigondas and influenced by cool alpine winds that help refresh the vines, giving ripe fruit, but with energy of natural acidity… Every year I get a bunch of Saint Cosme, of course their legendary Gigondas is a must, but I also grab bottles of their Crozes-Hermitage, Saint-Joseph and lots of this Cotes-du-Rhone Rouge!”
Wine Spectator 90 points “A solidly built version, with crushed cherry and plum puree notes that meld with melted red licorice before singed juniper takes over on the finish. This has guts and range. Drink now through 2023. 20,000 cases made, 10,000 cases imported. — JM”
 

This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast today!

Raventos I Blanc ‘Blanc de Blancs’ Espumoso Conca del Riu de Arnoia Catalonia 2018 750ML ($24.95) $21.90 special, 17 bottles in stock now
Josh Raynolds-Vinous 92 points “Pale, green-tinged yellow. Lively, mineral-accented citrus and orchard fruits and succulent flowers on the nose, along with fennel and ginger accents that build as the wine stretches out. Sharply focused and lively on the palate, offering intense Meyer lemon, pear skin and honeysuckle flavors underscored by a smoky mineral quality. Shows impressive energy and minerally thrust on the finish, which hangs on with strong tenacity.”

Ayoub Vineyard Memoirs Pinot Noir Oregon 2016 750ML ($59.95) $49 special, 12 bottles in stock now
Winery notes: “Memoirs is my fond personal tribute to my family.  This year’s label features a picture of myself when I was ~9 years old. The 2016 Memoirs is a blend of Pinot Noir crafted from six select vineyards in the Dundee Hills & McMinnville AVAs.The enticing nose is layered with raspberry, nutmeg, tobacco and graphite.  Dark red fruit on the palate leading into a profound mouth-feel that layer your tongue with fruit, lively acidity, cocoa powder and exotic spices .  The long and complex finish is highlighted by earthy minerality. Don’t let that cute picture of Mo fool you, this is a great wine that will cellar for many years!  Best from 2018 to 2030.”
 

This is the only listing in the USA today!

Cave Mont Blanc de Morgex et de la Salle ‘Blanc de Morgex et de la Salle’ Aosta Valley 2019 750ML ($27.95) $24 special, 11 bottles in stock now
Vinpol Note: Old-Vine Prie Blanc from high elevation vineyards in the Alps. 
 

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Familie Saahs Nikolaihof Vinothek Riesling Wachau 2002 750ML ($219.95) $179 special, 12 bottles in stock now
James Suckling 98 points “At first deep, dark and mysterious. Just like the Nikolaihof cellar, where this dry riesling spent 16 years in barrel. Then, a minty freshness develops that leaps out of the glass at you. By some miracle, it manages to taste ancient and lively at once. The finish is very long with great herbal complexity. From biodynamically grown grapes. Demeter certified. Drink or hold.”
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 94+? points “From the Weingebirge and bottled in July 2018 after 16 years in oak, the 2002 Riesling Vinothek is deep and complex on the elegant and spicy nose that doesn’t reveal any classic Riesling aromas but rather the coolish vintage (“flood vintage”) and the long elevage in a traditional 60-hectoliter foudre. Crystalline and refined on the palate, this is an elegant, highly complex and vital yet still firm and initially even tannic and astringent wine that needs lots of patience. 12.5% alcohol. Tasted at the domaine in June 2021.”

Perrier-Jouet Belle Epoque – Fleur de Champagne Brut Rose Millesime Champagne 2005 750ML ($319.95) $279 special, 2 bottles in stock now
Wine Enthusiast 95 points “The palest of rosés, this crisp, bright and fruity wine is full of tight acidity, freshly picked raspberries and steely acidity. It could age a few more years to bring out a toastier character.”
 

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
 

First planted to grapevines in 1655 by the Dutch East India Company, the country has been a wine exporter since the 18th century. The climate is definitively Mediterranean, with the day’s heat being mitigated by the mixing of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans offshore. The soils are some of the oldest on earth and largely comprised of decomposed granite, shale and mica. The soils’ advanced age also puts grapevines in contact with bedrock due to erosion, imbuing the wines with a distinctive minerality. The Hemel-En-Aarde Valley is one of the coolest growing regions in all of South Africa, being located directly in the path of the ocean’s cool air as it travels to Table Mountain in Cape Town. As a result the area is famous for its elegant expressions of Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinotage. 

Being the country’s flagship grape, Pinotage is famous for its chameleonic expression depending on pruning style, growing conditions and vinification practices. This is no better evidenced by Southern Right’s iteration of Pinotage, grown less than two miles from the Atlantic Ocean. In warmer and drier conditions the varietal takes on a spectrum of blue, black and purple fruits underscored by a tertiary plethora of smoke and earth. In the Hemel-En-Aarde Valley these characteristics are toned down and express a more Pinot Noir-esque showing of strawberry, rosehip, amarena cherry and orange peel. Southern Right’s Pinotage features the varietals classic smoke character, but more along the lines of incense and Cuban tobacco. Pinotage is traditionally paired with braai, South Africa’s flame grilled meats and vegetables but compatible with other foods like tagine, chili adobo fish or kimchi-jjigae. 

In stock and available now: 

Southern Right Pinotage Hemel-en-Aarde Valley 2020 750ML ($49.95) $30.90 special, 5 bottles in stock now
Importer Note: Southern Right is re-defining Pinotage with this intense classically styled, clay-grown wine, packed with complex berry fruit, beautiful tannins, and subtle spice. Full ripeness and the longer hang-time afforded by cooler sites, combined with the complex, more classic fruit aromas and structure resulting from clay-rich soil, make this wine a highly individual expression of South Africa’s unique grape variety   
 

This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast today!

Other South African Gems in stock now: 

Meerlust Rubicon Stellenbosch 2017 750ML ($49.95) $39 special, only 2 bottles in stock now
Neal Martin-Vinous 92 points “The 2017 Rubicon, Meerlust’s flagship Bordeaux blend (68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot) offers attractive blackberry, raspberry coulis and floral scents on the nose, plus just a touch of glycerol. The palate is harmonious and medium-bodied with supple tannins, fine acidity and an almost understated but long finish. Not a show-stealer, but one of the bottles that you will finish quicker than intended.”
 

This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast today!

Mother Rock ‘Force Majeure – Force Celeste’ Cinsault Swartland 2020 750ML ($19.95) $16 special, 30 bottles in stock now
Importer note “A medium-bodied red with ripe tannins, depth and drinkability from whole bunch fermentation. A great addition to the Force Majeure range.”
 

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Mother Rock ‘Holocene’ Swartland 2018 750ML ($37.95) $31.90 special, 9 bottles in stock now
Wine Spectator 91 points “Fragrant and distinctive, this tangy red is light- to medium-bodied and racy, offering an expressive profile of steeped raspberry and peach fruit flavors meshed with notes of dried flowers, blood orange zest and medicinal herbs. Lingering, zesty finish. Carignan, Mourvèdre and Cinsault. Drink now through 2025. 222 cases made, 56 cases imported. — AN”
 

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De Wetshof Limestone Hill Chardonnay Robertson 2021 750ML ($19.95) $17.70 special, 2 bottles in stock now
Winery Note: “De Wetshof is a third generation wine estate in South Africa’s Robertson Valley, where wine has been made for over 150 years. This family owned estate is a pioneer of noble white wines in South Africa, and has also introduced superior red cultivars to the Robertson Wine Valley. Millennia ago the Robertson Valley teamed with termite colonies who built magnificent nests from the soil. Over time these structures and their contents were calcified leading to the region having an exceptionally high limestone content. One of De Wetshof’s vineyards is planted on a hill where the limestone is so abundant it shimmers in low light, and this is where the grapes of the Limestone Hill originate from. Heavy clay soils rich in limestone allow this Chardonnay to emit optimum varietal expression in a cloak of rich complexity. “
 

This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast today!

 

 

“This Vertus domaine numbers among my favorite addresses on the Côte de Blancs, and the Doyard family’s vinous, incisive Champagnes deserve a place in any well-stocked cellar. Deep, concentrated and characterful, everything that bears the Doyard label is well worth serious attention.” -William Kelley, Wine Advocate

It goes without saying that fruit from the Côte des Blancs is among the most in demand in all of Champagne. Krug, Bollinger, Roederer, Piper-Heidsieck and Moët & Chandon all have holdings in the region, and often use it for their top offerings. With this much corporate influence from the Grand Marquises you’d be hard pressed to find grower-producers, and yet Doyard has been one since 1677! 

With family holdings in Vertus, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Cramant, Oger, Avize and Aÿ you’d be hard pressed to find a better expression of Chardonnay anywhere in the world, let alone Champagne. This exceptional quality is a result of meticulous farming practices and exacting cellarwork. Organic standards, 45 year old average vine age, horse plowing and four years minimum on lees aging are only a few examples of these practices in action.

Doyard Wines in stock now: 

Doyard Cuvee Vendemiaire Blanc de Blancs Premier Cru Brut Champagne NV 750ML ($69.95) $54.50 special, 15 bottles in stock now
William Kelley-Wine Advocate 92 points “The NV Brut Blanc de Blancs Cuvée Vendémiaire (2014 base) Doyard’s latest release. It was disgorged in February 2020 with four grams per liter dosage after 89 months on the lees. Wafting from the glass with aromas of honeycomb, yellow orchard fruit, dried citrus peel, warm bread and toasted almonds. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy but incisive, it’s elegantly layered and racy, with a pinpoint mousse and a long, sapid finish.” [Base year may vary from review]
2016-base, disgorged 02/06/2021

Doyard Clos de l’Abbaye Premier Cru Extra Brut Champagne 2016 750ML ($149.95) $119 special, 3 bottles in stock now
William Kelley-Wine Advocate 96+ points “Disgorged in January 2021 with two grams per liter dosage, the 2015 Extra-Brut Premier Cru Clos de l’Abbaye has turned out brilliantly. Wafting from the glass with aromas of citrus oil, warm bread and honeycomb that are still a little reserved after its recent disgorgement, this is a full-bodied, layered and concentrated Champagne that’s vinous and textural, displaying notable depth and mid-palate amplitude that’s framed by lively acids and an enlivening pinpoint mousse, concluding with a long resonant finish. As I’ve written before, this cuvée derives from a walled 0.4-hectare plot of 60-year-old cordon-pruned vines just behind the winery in Vertus, and only the first and second “serres” of the press are used.”

Doyard Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut Champagne 2013 750ML ($149.95) $119 special
William Kelley-Wine Advocate 95+ points “The 2013 Extra-Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru has also turned out beautifully, unwinding in the glass with notes of citrus oil, peach, white flowers and freshly baked bread. Medium to full-bodied, seamless and complete, it’s taut and chiseled, with serious reserves of concentration and a long, mineral finish. Disgorged in spring 2021, while its quality is apparent, this is predictably a little introverted out of the gates, so I look forward to revisiting it later this year.”