VinopolPick Thursday – March 12th

Mount Eden Vineyards ‘Estate Bottled’ Chardonnay, Santa Cruz Mountains 2010 750ML ($69.95) $49 special, only 24 bottles available
Antonio Galloni 95 points “Mount Eden’s 2010 Chardonnay is stunning. Honeysuckle, tangerine, apricot, and crème brulee literally jump from the glass A vivid, exotic wine, the 2010 is constantly changing in the glass. Stylistically, the 2010 is a little richer than Mount Eden fans are used to, but all the elements are in the right place. The 2010 verges on the edge of tropical aromas and flavors that are quite rare for young Mount Eden Chardonnays. Ideally, the 2010 is best left alone for a few years to allow some of the baby fat to drop off. I imagine it will always be a bit on the exotic side.” AG

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

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Tis’ the (unexpected) season for Rosé in the Pacific NW, and what better way to celebrate such gorgeous weather in the sunshine than with Rosé Champagne?  For you Mid-West and East coasters, take the time to celebrate the wintery season (with this week’s gracious warm front) with Deutz Rosé Champagne- and at the lowest prices in the nation.

Deutz has its roots in Aÿ, one of the most historic locations in the heart of Champagne, near the Eastern Edge of the Vallee de la Marne and now also has plots within Cotes des Blancs.  From their humble beginnings, Deutz has grown and gained incredible recognition throughout the years.   Deutz became one of the founding members of the Syndicat des Grandes Marques, the organization that represents the large Champagne  houses (now renamed to the Club des Grandes Marques),which now  includes a quality standard.

Deutz sources grapes from 275 acres of vineyards, 80% of these grapes are sourced from Grand Cru and Premier Cru sites.  Their growers practice sustainable growing methods that are tailored to each plot, with every plot being treated separately, according to their vigor and specific situation within the vineyard.

Andrè Lallier, a decedent of the founders, modernized their wine-making technologies in the 1980s and 1990s.  Stainless steel fermentation vats replaced wood, allowing them to better control fermentation temperatures and eliminate wood flavors from the base wine.  Improved methods eliminated oxidation to further show more purified aromas and flavors.

The wines are aged beneath Aÿ in chalk cellars, including extended lees aging for rich, round and deep flavors, while maintaining a style full of elegance, balance and finesse.  Their Brut Vintage wines are hand-harvested in the best years and undergo 100% malolactic fermentation.  They spend three years ageing on the lees for extra richness and are hand riddled, true to historic Champagne methods.  Their rosé wines are aged for four years, with the Cuvee William seeing at least five years of aging, and made only during the greatest vintages.

These Rosé Champagnes truly evoke beautiful amounts of fruit, and are some of the greatest values in our Champagne collection here at Vinopolis.  Crushed strawberries, red currants, and pomegranate fruit, with a crisp, dry rounded palate and beautiful mineral components.  Enjoy with barbecued foods, fresh salads, and anything with goat cheese.  Cheers!

Champagne Deutz Available Here Now

Deutz Brut Rose NV 750ML ($59.95) $41.90 special, 24+ bottles available
Deutz Brut Rose NV 1.5L ($99.95) $88 special, 16 magnums available
Deutz Brut Rose NV 375ML ($24.95) $21.90 special, 36+ half-bottles available
Case-12 Deutz Brut Rose NV 375ML ($259.95) $228 special, 2 cases available ($19 / 375ml bottle)
Antonio Galloni 91 Points “The NV Brut Rosé is fabulous. A sweet, open bouquet leads to expressive fruit in this rich, textured wine. The Deutz Rosé is a serious wine that can be enjoyed as an aperitif, but it also has more than enough power in reserve to drink well at the dinner table. Floral notes reappear to round out the finish. The blend is 75% Pinot Noir and 25% Chardonnay. — Antonio Galloni”
Wine Spectator  91 Points “Firm and fresh, this is lightly chalky in texture, displaying a delicate mesh of white cherry, wild strawberry and white peach fruit, with notes of ground ginger, smoke and blanched almond. Elegant, with a lasting finish. Drink now through 2018.”WS

More Duetz Champagnes available here now:

Deutz Blanc de Blancs 2007 750ML ($84.95) $69 special, 6 bottles available
Deutz Blanc de Blancs 2007 1.5L ($159.95) $139 special, 2 magnums available
Stephen Tanzer 91 points “Light, bright straw.  Lemon zest, green apple and chalky minerals on the fragrant nose.  Dry and precise, offering energetic citrus and orchard fruit flavors that pick up anise and honeysuckle nuances with air.  Closes stony and long, with lingering floral and iodine notes.”

Deutz Brut Millesime 2007 1.5L ($129.95) $109 special, 1 magnum available
Wine Spectator 91 points “A sleek, minerally version, creamy in texture, with hints of chalk and smoke underscoring the subtle lemon meringue pie, crushed black currant and graphite notes. Drink now through 2022.”

Deutz Cuvee William Deutz Brut 2000 750ML ($145.95) $99 special, 34 bottles available
Wine Enthusiast 95 points “Deutz’s top cuvée is as good as ever. Bottle aging has helped it to throw off its youthful awakwardness and develop a rounded, ripe style that is now a pleasure to drink. Pear and apricot flavors are still vibrant, along with a hint of toast. Finely structured and elegant, it’s wonderful to drink now, but it will be good at least until 2018. ”

Deutz Cuvee William Deutz Brut 2002 750ML ($149.95) $119 special, 3 bottles available
Wine Spectator  93 points “Sleek and elegant, with a fine, creamy bead supporting flavors of blackberry pie, clover honey, ground cardamom and glazed apricot. A smoke-tinged, minerally underpinning echoes on the finish. Drink now through 2027.”

Deutz Cuvee William Deutz Rose Brut 2000 750ML ($269.95) $219 special, 5 bottles available
Stephen Tanzer 93 points “Bright pink. Pungent, expansive aromas of dried red berries and cherry, with a brighter suggestion of blood orange and a hint of anise. Deeply pitched citrus and red berry flavors are complicated by notes of candied rose and white pepper and gain spiciness with air. Finishes on a refreshingly bitter citrus pith note, with excellent persistence. Seems fully mature but there’s no rush to drink this.”

CALIFORNIA
Provenance Vineyards Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Rutherford 2011 750ML ($49.95) Was $39, Now $29, 27 bottles available

Provenance Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc, Rutherford 2011 750ML ($21.95) Was $18, Now $14, 15 bottles available

FRANCE-BURGUNDY
Claude Dugat Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru 2007 750ML ($179.95) Was $139, Now $119, 4 bottles available
Burghound 89-91 points “This offers a big step up in aromatic elegance with very fresh dark berry fruit and warm earth notes that carry over to the underbrush and mineral suffused medium weight flavors that possess a suave and less obviously structured mouth feel as the buried tannins are relegated to the background on the persistent and intense finish. Lovely.”BH

Claude Dugat Gevrey-Chambertin 2003 750ML ($119.95) Was $99, Now $79, 1 bottle available
Stephen Tanzer 89 points “Good full red. Superripe, slightly porty aromas of black cherry, damp earth and chocolate. Fat, full and compellingly sweet, with just enough freshness to maintain its balance. Finishes with substantial palate-coating tannins and notes of smoke and truffle.” ST

Claude Dugat Lavaux Saint-Jacques, Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru 2007 750ML ($209.95) Was $179, Now $149, 1 bottle available
Burghound 91 points “A deft touch of wood frames cool, refined, elegant and quite pure red berry fruit aromas that carry obvious stony undertones that also characterize the supple, focused and intense flavors that are tautly muscled and feature real precision on the beautifully long finish. This is a classic Lavaut in style as there is a definite coolness and the entire wine is built on a base of firm minerality.”BH

Thibault Liger-Belair Les Saint-Georges, Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru 2011 750ML ($159.95) Was $109, Now $89, 29 bottles available
Burghound 93 points “(from a huge 2.10 ha parcel). The nose is all but inexpressive and only aggressive swirling liberates the reluctant red berry fruit and earth suffused aromas. There is a gorgeously silky mouth feel to the suave and opulent medium-bodied flavors that also brim with an abundance of dry extract before concluding in an intensely earthy finish. This is very, very tight today but the noteworthy upside development potential is more than evident. Strongly worth considering. Drink: 2023+.”  BH

Thibault Liger-Belair Vosne-Romanee Aux Reas 2011 750ML ($129.95) Was $88, Now $69, 11 bottles available
Stephen Tanzer 90-92 points “(from vines planted in 1954; Liger-Belair does not normally vinify his parcels planted on calcaire soils with their stems): Good deep red. Reduced nose hints at pepper, squid ink and graphite. A bit darker in fruit character than the Toppe au Vert, offering very good intensity and lift and solid underlying minerality nicely buffered by the wine’s flesh. Creamy-sweet, fine-grained wine with a wild raspberry character. Finishes impressively long, with smooth tannins. A great village wine in the making.” ST

FRANCE-BORDEAUX
Chateau La Conseillante, Pomerol 2005 750ML ($399.95) Was $279, Now $236, 5 bottles available
Wine Spectator 97 points “This is decadent and wild on the nose, with fresh cèpe, raw steak and wild berry. Full-bodied, with loads of velvety tannins, yet refined and caressing in every way. A beautiful, balanced red. The best young wine ever from this producer. Best after 2017.”WS

Chateau Troplong Mondot, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2009 750ML ($249.95) Was $219, Now $179, 12 bottles available
Robert Parker 99 points “It boasts an inky/purple color along with a gorgeous bouquet of mocha, chocolate, blackberry and cassis fruit, an unctuous texture, a full-bodied, viscous mouthfeel and a skyscraper-like, multilayered finish. This spectacular wine is nearly overwhelming in its richness, thickness and intensity. Once all its baby fat falls away, the terroir characteristics and additional nuances will emerge. This blockbuster, fabulous Troplong Mondot will benefit from 10-15 years of cellaring and keep for three decades or more. It is not shy either, bouncing over the palate with 15.5% natural alcohol. The 2009 Troplong Mondot will provide plenty of competition for the 2010, 2005 and 2000. It comes closest in style to the prodigious 1990 that proprietress Christine Valette produced 22 years ago. A phenomenal effort, it unquestionably justifies its relatively new Premier Grand Cru St.-Emilion status. Readers should keep in mind that the 1990, which probably has lower acidity and not the level of concentration found in the 2009, is drinking incredibly well at age 22 and reveals no signs of falling apart.” RP

FRANCE – RHONE
Clos St Jean Chateauneuf du Pape Combe des Fous 2010 ($199.95) Was $169 now $159, 2 bottles available
Robert Parker 98 points “The limited production cuvee of 2010 Chateauneuf du Pape La Combe des Fous (60% Grenache, 20% Syrah, and the rest Muscardin, Vaccarese and Cinsault) is awesome. There have been many great vintages of this wine (2005, 2007, 2009 and 2011), but the 2010 flirts with perfection. One of the most complex aromatic expressions of Chateauneuf du Pape, it offers up notes of Christmas fruitcake, spring flowers, mulberries, blueberries, black raspberries, espresso beans and spice box. Full-bodied, opulent and voluptuously textured, its luxurious, lavish fruit conceals amazing levels of glycerin and alcohol. This wine possesses prodigious intensity, massive layers of fruit and an incredible 45-50-second finish. Forget it for 4-5 years, and drink it over the following 20-25 years.” RP

Clos St Jean Chateauneuf du Pape Combe des Fous 2006 ($279.95) Was $249 now $199, 3 bottles available
Robert Parker 99 points “Shockingly, the 2006 Chateauneuf du Pape Combe des Fous is almost as good. From a vintage that flies under the radar, it boasts a classic Clos Saint Jean profile of kirsch liqueur, ripe black raspberries, ground herbs and sweet garrigue to go with full-bodied richness and depth on the palate. Always slightly more elegant and silky than the more powerful Deus ex Machina, this thrill ride of a Chateauneuf will continue to drink well for another decade.”

Clos St Jean Chateauneuf du Pape Deus ex Machina 2006 ($279.95) Was $249 now $199, 3 bottles available
Robert Parker 99 points “The 2006 Chateauneuf du Pape Deus ex Machina was flirting with perfection on this go around, and was open, layered and sexy. Possessing rock-star kirsch, blackberry liqueur, incense, spice, garrigue and ground pepper, it’s a full-bodied, incredibly textured 2006 that has thrilling concentration, sweet tannin and a finish this just keeps going. If forced to pick one of these bottles for current drinking, it’s showing spectacularly.” RP

ITALY
Cantina del Pino Albesani, Barbaresco DOCG 2009 750ML ($59.95) Was $49, Now $41.90, 17 bottles available
Wine Spectator 93 points “The picture of harmony, this red exudes cherry and floral aromas, with plenty of berry, tobacco and balsamic flavors. Balanced and firm, with a lingering aftertaste of spice and mineral. Accessible now, yet will improve. Best from 2014 through 2025″ WS

Sottimano Curra, Barbaresco DOCG 2009 750ML, ($79.95) Was $59, Now $49, 11 bottles available
Wine Advocate 92+ points “Sottimano’s 2009 Barbaresco Curra is striking in this vintage. The Curra is often hard when it is young, but in 2009 the wine has a little more volume and richness, which serves to cover the tannins. Bright red berries, flowers, mint and sweet spices flesh out in this radiant, textured Barbaresco. High-toned floral notes flow through to the inviting close. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2024.” WA

Sottimano Fausoni, Barbaresco DOCG 2009 750ML ($59.95) Was $49, Now $39, 19 bottles available
Wine Advocate 92 points “A sweet, floral bouquet infused with a note of mint announces the 2009 Barbaresco Fausoni. This mid-weight, gracious Barbaresco is all about finesse, detail and nuance. I very much like the sense of energy here. Firm yet well-balanced tannins frame the long finish. The balance of fruit, acidity and structure is about as harmonious as it gets in 2009. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2024.” WA

GERMANY
Weingut Karthauserhof Eitelsbacher Karthauserhofberg Riesling Spatlese Grosse Lage 2012 750ML ($34.95) $24 special, 36+ bottles available
Mosel Fine Wines 92 points “This Wine is quite open and expressive at this early stage and explodes with juicy flavors of yellow peach, quince and some flowers on the palate. This offers everything one could expect from a juicy Spatlese. The fact that it does deliver the goods without too much richness (it has technically less than 60 g/l of residual sugar) makes it utterly delicious also at this ealrly stage. 2017-2032” MFW

SPAIN
Remelluri Granja Nuestra Senora de Remulleri Gran Reserva, Rioja DOCa 2005 750ML, ($89.95) Was $79, Now $59, 10 bottles available
Wine Advocate 93 points “The 2005 Gran Reserva is the first since 1999 selected from the best casks, where it is aged for 25 months in used French and American oak. It has a wonderful, wild mint-scented bouquet with hints of licorice and white fennel. The palate is medium-bodied with bold tannins that bolster its vaulted structure. It has very good weight with grippy, dry, tertiary tannins towards the long finish. It will need several years in the cellar. Drink 2016-2025.” WA

Charles Smith ‘Sixto’ Moxee Chardonnay 2012 750ML ($79.95) $49 special
Wine Advocate 92-94 points
Charles Smith ‘Sixto’ Roza Hills Chardonnay 2012 750ML ($79.95) $49 special
Wine Advocate 93-95 points

Araujo Estate Eisele Vineyard Syrah 2010 750ML ($249.95) Was $189, now $149
Robert Parker 96 points

Domaine Matrot La Piece Sous Le Bois, Blagny Premier Cru 2010 750ML ($64.95) $41.90 special
Burghound 90 points
Mommessin Clos de Tart Grand Cru Monopole 2007 750ML ($499.95) Was $249, Now $219
Wine Spectator 94 points

Chateau Bellevue-Mondotte, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2003 750ML ($399.95) $199 special
Robert Parker 98 points
Chateau Certan de May de Certan, Pomerol 2005 750ML ($179.95) Was $149, Now $99
Wine Spectator 94 points

Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Saint-Joseph 2011 750ML ($79.95) $59 special
Wine Advocate 93 points

Biondi Santi Tenuta Greppo Annata, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2008 750ML ($189.95) $119 special
Antonio Galloni 92 points
Falletto di Bruno Giacosa Rabaja, Barbaresco DOCG 2005 750ML ($219.95) $133 special
Wine Spectator 95 points

Mascarello Monprivato – 2010 arrival

“Mauro makes some of the most compelling, traditional wines in Piedmont.”
– Antonio Galloni

Mauro Mascarello took over the family estate in the late 1960s from his father, Giuseppe.  He continues making wine in the traditional style using long fermentations and aging in old botti but was the first in his family to produce single-vineyard bottlings from the Monprivato vineyard.  It is one of the great wines from the region – a long-aging masterpiece of aromatic complexity and great richness.  The 15 acre vineyard is located in Castiglione Falletto.  Its soil is white and grey marl, providing excellent conditions for the Nebbiolo grape.  The vineyard recognized for excellence as far back as the 17th century and was classified as one of the eleven greatest Barolo vineyards by Renato Ratti in the 20th.  As of 1980, the entire vineyard is now owned by the estate.  Mauro has since replanted portions using the family’s Nebbiolo clone originally planted in 1921.

The estate summarizes best how the terroir uniquely combines to produce such a profound wine: “The Monprivato vineyard lies on soil originating from the Helvetian era of the Miocene epoch in the Tertiary period. It is composed of clayey-silty marl, with good structure, a high content of active limestone, and a well-proportioned supply of micro-elements. Together with the vineyard’s south-westerly exposure at midday, these elements provide the Barolo wine with excellent body, a subtle bouquet, delicate tar, a lingering aftertaste, an unmistakable clear elegance, and the ability to evolve in a very positive way over time whilst maintaining extraordinary youth and freshness.”

We are pleased to offer three vintages of the wine, including the newest release from the 2010 vintage arriving today.

Arriving Today – Thursday, March 12th

Giuseppe Mascarello e Figlio Monprivato, Barolo DOCG 2010 750ML ($179.95) $149 pre-arrival special
Wine Spectator 96 points “Starts out elegant and perfumed, sporting cherry and berry flavors, picking up earth, licorice, leather and spice notes. This is all about the silky texture and civilized tannins that should come together in the next few years. Spice and earth accents line the finish. Best from 2017 through 2033.” WS
Stephen Tanzer 93-96 points “(this was a treat Mascarello pulled from cask at the end of my tasting): Medium red. Knockout nose showcases tangy red fruits, minerals and porcini. Conveys an impression of superb concentration and dusty extract, with the tactile solidity of the best young 2010s already coming through in spades. A wine of great length and potential. I’ll play the interventionist wine writer and wonder out loud why this won’t be bottled for another year. But as devil’s advocate to my devil’s advocate, 2010 is one vintage that generally has the extract and energy to benefit from an extended elevage.” ST

Mascarello Monprivato Available Here Now

Giuseppe Mascarello e Figlio Monprivato, Barolo DOCG 2008 750ML ($179.95) $149 special, 13 bottles available
#6 Wine on 2013 Wine Spectator Top 100
Wine Spectator 95 points “Detailed and fragrant, offering floral, strawberry, cherry, licorice and spice flavors, this is elegant and underlined by a strong mineral streak. Well-proportioned, picking up intensity and complexity on the long, savory finish. Extremely fresh and classy”

Giuseppe Mascarello e Figlio Monprivato, Barolo DOCG 2009 750ML ($119.95) $89 special, 6 bottles available
Antonio Galloni 93-95 points “The 2009 Barolo Monprivato impresses for its sheer balance. Nothing really stands out, instead it is the wine’s overall harmony that speaks most clearly. This is going to be a fascinating vintage of Monprivato to follow. What will emerge over time? Will it be the personality of the year, or the pedigree of these poor, white soils? Time will tell.” AG

Chateau Pontet Canet Paulliac 2008 ($149.95) $99 special
Robert Parker 96 points  “A candidate for the “wine of the vintage,” Pontet Canet’s 2008 boasts an opaque purple color as well as copious aromas of sweet blueberries, blackberries and black currant fruit intertwined with lead pencil shavings, subtle barbecue smoke and a hint of forest floor. Full-bodied, with fabulous richness, texture and tremendous freshness, this first-growth-like effort is more developed than the uber-powerful 2010. Give it 5-8 years of cellaring and drink it over the following three decades. Bravo!”
Vinopolnote- OWCs available for 12 bottle orders

Produttori del Barbaresco ‘Barbaresco DOCG’ 2010 750ML ($34.95) $26 pre-arrival special
Case-12 Produttori del Barbaresco ‘Barbaresco DOCG’ 2010 750ML ($349.95) $289 pre-arrival special (that’s only $24.08/bottle!)
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
Stephen Tanzer 91 points “(as the Produttori has declassified its crus in 2010, there will be 28,000 cases of this blend): Tangy cherry and raspberry aromas are lifted by flowers and mint on the cool, inviting nose. Silky-sweet and floral, with lovely inner-mouth juiciness to its red berry flavors. Owing to the wine’s moderate body and flesh, the tannins show a slightly dryness but the long, juicy finish offers enticing floral perfume. A lovely, sharply delineated Barbaresco at a very reasonable price.” ST

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!