Vinopolpick Tuesday Bonus 12-28-21

 

 

Sanford Winery Chardonnay Sta Rita Hills 2017 750ML ($39.95) $18 special, 22 bottles in stock now
Case-6 Sanford Winery Chardonnay Sta Rita Hills 2017 750ML ($279.95) $99 special, (That’s only $16.50 per bottle!)
Erin Brooks-Wine Advocate 90 points “The 2017 Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills was barrel fermented and aged eight months in about 20% new oak. It has a very toasty nose with gunflint hints over baked yellow apple, white peach, pastry crust, lemon meringue and banana chip. Medium to full-bodied, it has a good core of toasty/savory fruits, with juicy acidity and a long finish. 8,971 cases produced.”
 

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Lanson Le Black Label Brut Champagne  NV 750ML ($49.95) $39 special, 36+ bottles in stock now
Case-6 Lanson Le Black Label Brut Champagne Nv 750ML ($299.95) $219 special, (That’s only $36.50 per bottle!) 
Decanter 92 points “50% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay and 15% Meunier from 100 villages in all, and including 30% reserves from 10 vintages back to 1995; a small proportion now being produced with malolactic. Black Label remains the confident barometer of Lanson, and Hervé Dantan’s first blend is a class act, a resounding statement of his talent in preserving the style and integrity of the house while meticulously polishing the edges. It’s a very important cuvée in the grand scheme of Champagne: one of the best and most consistent of the bargain set.”

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

 

 

Salon Cuvee ‘S’ Le Mesnil Blanc de Blancs Brut, Champagne 2004 750ML ($999.95) $899 special, only 3 bottles available
Wine Enthusiast 98 points “Top 100 Cellar Selection in 2016. Salon’s releases are rare and signify a great vintage—the last release was the 2002. Coming from grand cru vineyards in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, this 2004 is complex and concentrated, capturing the essence of Chardonnay in Champagne. Intense minerality and ripe apple and citrus fruits accompany the purity and crisp texture that are part of its ability to age. The wine can continue for many years, certainly to 2025 and beyond. -Roger Voss”
Antonio Galloni 97 points “The 2004 Salon (Edition 2019) is fabulous. That is hardly a surprise, as the 2004 has always been magnificent. Subtle, nuanced and classy to the core, the 2004 shows the more refined side of Salon. In that sense, it shares a good bit stylistically with both the 2007 and 2008, but much less so than with the 2006. Sweet floral notes add lift to a core of crystalline, mineral-infused Chardonnay fruit in a Salon that is precise, light on its feet and buffered by enough energy to drink well for decades to come. Disgorged: January, 2019.”
William Kelley-Wine Advocate 96 points “The 2004 Blanc de Blancs Le Mesnil Brut is another rather structured, tensile wine from a generally rather open vintage. Wafting from the glass are scents of citrus rind, crisp green apple, preserved citrus, fresh bread and smoke. Medium to full-bodied, tangy and chiseled, with fine depth at the core and a long, chalky finish, it’s complemented by a pillowy pinpoint mousse. Unlike many wines from 2004, this Salon (tasted from a bottle disgorged in January 2019) still has potential to improve with further bottle age.”
Decanter 95 points “Almost deceptively silky and soft for Salon. One expects this blanc de blancs, fermented in tank without malolactic conversion, to show slightly livelier acidity. Here the wine is deliciously drinkable – almost too much so – with ripe apple, citrus and floral notes and a supple, approachable texture that is somewhat lacking in tension, consistent with the conditions of the year: a big crop, swollen slightly with summer rains that needed until the final week of September to ripen fully.”

Salon Cuvee ‘S’ Le Mesnil Blanc de Blancs Brut, Champagne 2006 750ML ($999.95) $899 special, only 3 bottles available
Wine Enthusiast 100 points “#11 Cellar Selection in 2017. This new release from a great vintage for Chardonnay in Champagne is a perfect blanc de blancs, showing a wealth of intensity from the crisp, chalky, mineral tones to the perfumed apple notes. The aromas hint at developing toastiness that adds depth and complexity. The wine is still young and it will age for years. Drink from 2020. -Roger Voss”
Antonio Galloni 97 points “The 2006 Salon is a very rich wine, almost uncharacteristically so. Deep and exotic the 2006 exudes richness in all of its dimensions, with myriad inflections of sumptuous fruit that fill out its ample, large-scaled frame. Today, the 2006 is surprisingly accessible for a young Salon, but it needs time to shed some baby fat. At times, the 2006 recalls the 2002, but it appears to have more phenolic intensity and overall structure. Even with all of its flamboyance and pure volume, the 2006 retains quite a bit of energy and freshness. I imagine it will be a fascinating, utterly compelling Champagne to follow over the next several decades.”
William Kelley-Wine Advocate 95 points “The 2006 Blanc de Blancs Le Mesnil Brut is quite tangy and reserved by the standards of this sunny, demonstrative vintage. Offering up aromas of smoke, toasted bread, orange oil, mocha and confit lemon, it’s medium to full-bodied, fleshy and enveloping, with racy acids and a concentrated, surprisingly structured mid-palate. Concluding with a long and gently empyreumatic finish, this is a fine success. This bottle was disgorged in January 2019.”
Wine Spectator 95 points “The creamy mousse of this graceful Champagne caresses the palate like cashmere, carrying a beautiful range of glazed nectarine, chopped almond, pastry and candied ginger flavors framed by vivid acidity. Seamless, with a long, lasting finish accented by minerally chalk and saline notes. Drink now through 2031.  –AN”

Salon Cuvee ‘S’ Le Mesnil Blanc de Blancs Brut, Champagne 2007 750ML ($999.95) $899 special, only 4 bottles available
Wine Enthusiast 99 points “This legendary Champagne, only produced in exceptional years, comes from the village of Le Mesnil in the Côte des Blancs. It is made from 100% Chardonnay and aged for many years before release. Its minerality, concentration and beautiful fruit are still astonishingly young and deserve further aging. Drink from 2020.”
Wine & Spirits 97 points “This latest release of Salon announces itself with energy and leaves with freshness. It comes from a vintage marked by a cool, cloudy August that delayed ripening; after the vines recovered in September, they yielded this delicate chardonnay, completely saturated with flavor. It comes from 20 parcels in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, a selection established by the founder, Aimé Salon, in the early 1900s, including one estate parcel of 2.5 acres. Other than exclaiming on the wine’s delicious flavors, our panel was seduced by its texture, describing it in variations of silk, satin or chalk and velvet whiteness. It has a presence—a remarkable infusion of chalk soil—that sets it apart.”
Antonio Galloni 96 points “The 2007 Salon is gorgeous. Weightless, delicate and understated, the 2007 is all class. Today, the 2007 reminds me of the 2004 in its bright, citrus and floral-infused profile, but with a bit more creaminess, mid-palate depth and softer contours, all of which will make the 2007 easy to drink with minimal cellaring. Next to the 2006, the 2007 is quite a bit fresher and more delineated, with none of exuberance, power of tropically-leaning overtones found in its younger sibling. At this stage, the 2007 is a bit inward and closed in on itself. Then again, it is Salon. This is another terrific showing from Salon and the team headed by President Didier Depond. Dosage is 5 grams per liter.”
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 96 points “…the weightless and delicate 2007 is a coolish, elegant and smoky gentleman dressed in a white tie and silk hat… The performance on the palate is pure yet concentrated, fresh and linear, very elegant and perfectly balanced, but most of all, it is extremely fine and stimulating!…The radiant 2007 Salon is one of the greatest champagnes I have had from this vintage…”

Other Blanc De Blancs in stock now: 

Charles Heidsieck is one of the great and historic houses of Champagne. However, because of their relatively small size, they tend to be overlooked when compared to other Grande Marques. Their house style is notable for its richness and texture, incorporating long aging on the lees and significant amounts (20+%) of reserve wines in their NV blends. Best known for their classic Brut Réserve, as well as their Blanc des Millénaires prestige cuvée, Charles Heidsieck was also one of the pioneers of the Blanc de Blancs style in the mid-20th century. And after decades of producing some of Champagne’s finest vintage Blanc de Blancs, the house relaunched their NV version in 2018. After tasting the wine, we’re left wondering what took them so long. In just a few short years the wine is already being regarded as one of the best flagship Blanc de Blancs in the region.

Charles Heidsieck in stock now: 

Charles Heidsieck Blanc de Blancs Champagne  NV 750ML ($99.95) $66 special, 26 bottles in stock now
William Kelley – Wine Advocate 92 points “Based on the 2012 vintage, the latest rendition of Heidsieck’s NV Blanc de Blancs incorporates some 20% reserve wines, derived from younger vintages to emphasize what Cyril Brun described as the “youthful” side of Chardonnay, in contrast to the mature expression of that cépage offered by the house’s Blanc de Millénaires. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of citrus oil, white flowers, green apple and walnut oil, complemented by some of the empyreumatic nuances so typical of the base vintage, it’s a medium to full-bodied, elegantly textural and incisive wine that’s lively and inviting. It was disgorged last year with nine grams per liter dosage.”
Decanter 92 points “One of the pioneers of the blanc de blancs style, Charles Heidsieck only relaunched its 100% Chardonnay NV Champagne in 2018. Round but incisive and fresh, this has lovely balance between its creamy, woody mouthfeel and its fresh, saline acidity. A lovely food wine.”

 

Delamotte is best known as the more affordable arm of Salon—the original luxury-collectible single vineyard Blanc de Blancs from Le Mesnil.  While that’s understandable, it tends to ignore the fact that Delamotte is a Champagne house of note in its own right.  If one were making a case for Delamotte as a great producer on their own, you could look no further than their “Collection” wines.

These are the peak of the Delamotte range, held on the lees longer and disgorged late to capture the full glory of mature Champagne.  They have the racy brightness of their Cote de Blancs origins balanced against toasty, rich flavors that only come with age.  The best comparison for these wines might be Bollinger’s “RD” series, except that Bollinger always works from a place of power and Delamotte from elegance and finesse. 

Delamotte in stock now: 

Delamotte Collection Brut Champagne, 2000 1.5L ($599.95) $499 special, 5 magnums in stock now 
VinopolNote: These are the peak of the Delamotte range, held on the lees longer and disgorged late to capture the full glory of mature Champagne.  They have the racy brightness of their Cote de Blancs origins balanced against toasty, rich flavors that only come with age.  The best comparison for these wines might be Bollinger’s “RD” series, except that Bollinger always works from a place of power and Delamotte from elegance and finesse.

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

Delamotte Blanc de Blancs Vintage Brut Champagne 2007 750ML ($119.95) $99 special, 7 bottles in stock now
Jeb Dunnuck 94 points “The standout in the lineup was the 2007 Brut Blanc De Blancs Le Mesnil-Sur-Oger which is 100% Chardonnay all from grand cru vineyards. It offers a ripe, sexy, full-bodied style as well as classic notes of baked apples, brioche, buttered citrus, and hazelnut. With roughly 70-80% of the blend going through full malolactic fermentation, this powerful, concentrated beauty is drinking terrific today, yet will certainly keep for another 10-15 years.”
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 93 points “Disgorged in May 2015, Delamotte’s white-golden colored 2007 Blanc de Blancs (dosage Brut) opens with a pure, fresh, intense and smoky/chalky bouquet with white fruit aromas, orange/lemon, brioche, nut and toffee flavors. Pure, fresh and elegant on the palate, this is a concentrated, complex and juicy yet finessed and tensioned Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs. It is tight but creamy and harmonious and reveals concentrated lemon juice flavors in the long, mineral finish.”
Antonio Galloni 92 points “Delamotte’s 2007 Blanc de Blancs is an excellent choice for drinking now and over a handful of years because of its immediacy and welcoming, open-knit personality. Yellow orchard fruit, brioche, vanilla and spices flesh out, along with pretty tropical-inflected notes that appear later. The rich, creamy finish only adds to the wine’s considerable allure today. The Delamotte vintage Champagne is a blend of fruit from four villages: Le Mesnil, Oger, Avize and Cramant, as is rendered with full malolactic fermentation, which gives the wine its soft contours and overall resonance.”
[Disgorgement dates may vary from reviews]

Delamotte Blanc de Blancs Vintage Brut Champagne 2012 750ML ($119.95) $99 special, 7 bottles in stock now
Jeb Dunnuck 94 points “The standout in the lineup was the 2007 Brut Blanc De Blancs Le Mesnil-Sur-Oger which is 100% Chardonnay all from grand cru vineyards. It offers a ripe, sexy, full-bodied style as well as classic notes of baked apples, brioche, buttered citrus, and hazelnut. With roughly 70-80% of the blend going through full malolactic fermentation, this powerful, concentrated beauty is drinking terrific today, yet will certainly keep for another 10-15 years.”
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 93 points “Disgorged in May 2015, Delamotte’s white-golden colored 2007 Blanc de Blancs (dosage Brut) opens with a pure, fresh, intense and smoky/chalky bouquet with white fruit aromas, orange/lemon, brioche, nut and toffee flavors. Pure, fresh and elegant on the palate, this is a concentrated, complex and juicy yet finessed and tensioned Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs. It is tight but creamy and harmonious and reveals concentrated lemon juice flavors in the long, mineral finish.”
Antonio Galloni 92 points “Delamotte’s 2007 Blanc de Blancs is an excellent choice for drinking now and over a handful of years because of its immediacy and welcoming, open-knit personality. Yellow orchard fruit, brioche, vanilla and spices flesh out, along with pretty tropical-inflected notes that appear later. The rich, creamy finish only adds to the wine’s considerable allure today. The Delamotte vintage Champagne is a blend of fruit from four villages: Le Mesnil, Oger, Avize and Cramant, as is rendered with full malolactic fermentation, which gives the wine its soft contours and overall resonance.”

We stock an incredible array of cult Champagnes including Chartogne-Taillet, Bereche et Fils, Marguet and more!

 

 

 

The Northern Rhône is increasingly selling at higher prices these days that any of her sisters in the region. This is on account of a multitude of factors (Including climate change) but the lynchpin is the farmers themselves revolutionizing their villages. Arguably the best example of this is Alain Graillot, who came home to Crozes-Hermitage in 1985 after working at the legendary Domaine Dujac in Burgundy. 

Alain with his sons Maxime and Antoine make wines using the same techniques that have made Dujac wines iconic like chemical-free farming practices, use of whole clusters during fermentation and long élevage in old oak. As you can expect these are among the most transparent and elegant expressions of Syrah in the world, let alone the Northern Rhône. We just secured our allocation for the 2019 vintage, but we have a small assortment of previous vintages in stock now. If you ever wanted to experience The Northern Rhône through the eyes of Burgundy, here’s your chance! 

Graillot Wines in stock now: 

Domaine Alain Graillot Crozes-Hermitage La Guiraude Rhone 2017 750ML ($69.95) $59 special, 8 bottles in stock now

Domaine Alain Graillot Crozes-Hermitage Rhone 2018 750ML ($49.95) $39 special, 36+ bottles in stock now
Josh Raynolds-Vinous 93 points “Inky ruby. Mineral- and spice-accented aromas of ripe dark berries and candied violet show outstanding clarity and lift. At once rich and energetic in the mouth, offering juicy blackberry, bitter cherry and spicecake flavors that slowly turn sweeter on the back half. Shows outstanding clarity on the long, penetrating finish, which features well-judged tannins and lingering floral and spice notes.”
Wine Advocate 91-93 points “Maxime Graillot was confident that he will bottle a La Guiraude from 2018, but the selection hadn’t yet been made at the time of my visit. This barrel of 2018 Crozes Hermitage shows superb aromatics, with hints of black tea accenting cassis and blueberry fruit. Full-bodied, rich and velvety, it reveals some chocolaty notes yet remains remarkably fresh on the finish.”

Maxime Graillot Domaine des Lises Equis Crozes-Hermitage Rhone  2018 750ML ($39.95) $33 special, 11 bottles in stock now
Josh Raynolds-Vinous 92 points “Opaque ruby. Smoke- and spice-accented dark berries and a hint of licorice on the lively nose. Subtly sweet blackberry and cherry flavors show very good clarity and energy and pick up a suave floral quality with aeration. Displays fine definition and strong, spicy lift on the persistent, gently tannic finish, which leaves lingering cherry and exotic spice notes behind. 30% whole clusters.”
Grapelive 91 points “Maxime Graillot of Equis, who also now makes the wines at his famous father’s Alain Graillot, has crafted a full bodied charmer of a Syrah from his Domaine des Lises in Crozes-Hermitage that is bursting with ripe black and blue fruits, ultra silky tannins and a mouth filling plush sensation, adding hints of violets, sweet herbs, licorice, cassis and a touch of pepper and cedar. This 2018 is surprisingly luxurious and supple, making it a wine that is ready to drink young, no cellaring required here and it so easy to quaff, you’ll almost think it is a new world wine, though with food and air the true nature and terroir come through with subtle earthy accents. This a more impactful version of Maxime’s Crozes-Hermitage than normal and big step up from the the other Equis Syrahs, which are food friendly quaffers. The Domaine des Lises 2018 Crozes-Hermitage, made from 100% Syrah, comes from an organic 40 year old parcel in the lieu-dit of “Les Picheres” set on the regions classic rocky gravel soils, which is less than 2km from the renown estate vines of Domaine Alain Graillot. Maxime employed a traditional approach here, using about 30% whole-cluster and native yeasts with ripe, late picked grapes and he aged this vintage in well seasoned old French oak barrels for close to a year. “

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

Domaine Alain Graillot Saint-Joseph Rouge Rhone  2018 750ML ($59.95) $49 special, 2 bottles in stock now
Josh Raynolds-Vinous 93 points “Opaque violet color. Displays powerful aromas of spice-accented dark berry and cherry preserves and incense, with a smoky nuance that builds as the wine stretches out. Fleshy and broad in the mouth but surprisingly lithe as well, offering intense blackberry and boysenberry flavors and a hint of candied flowers. Finishes youthfully chewy and impressively long, with repeating florality and building tannins that add shape and firming grip.”
Wine Advocate 92-94 points “The stunning 2018 Saint Joseph boasts fabulous floral aromas, alongside notes of cassis and blueberries. It’s medium to full-bodied, silky and fine, without any suggestion of over-ripeness or jamminess. It should drink well on release and for at least a decade thereafter.”

Grant:

German Riesling is probably the favorite wine category amongst the staff here at Vinopolis, and for good reason! You’d be hard pressed to find so many styles of wine in one place, with sparkling being the latest to make waves in the wine world! Sekt as it’s called in Germany has been around on the market for a while and has seen a quality revolution alongside the rest of the country’s production. Climate change has also been a notable influence as well with Germany experiencing some of the best yields and growing years ever recorded. We carry two examples from world-class producers in house, with more on the way! 

Selbach Oster is known as one of the best Riesling houses in the entire Mosel River Valley. Based in the Mittelmosel they estimate 55% of their grapevines are still ungrafted and entirely planted on mindbending slopes. These factors converge with generations of winemaking talent to make some of the most compelling examples of Riesling in the world, be they sweet, dry or sparkling. Their Sekt is no exception, which undergoes champagne style fermentation in the bottle as opposed to the more standard tank method. This creates a finer bubble, additional complexity and aging potential in the bottle, at half the price of what grower champagne is selling for these days!

In stock now: 

Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Himmelreich Riesling Sekt Extra Trocken Mosel 2018 750ML ($34.95) $28 special, 32 bottles in stock now

This is the only listing in the USA today!

Never one to settle for a standard portfolio, Von Winning makes a dizzying assortment of wines ranging from the more typical Riesling and Pinot Noir to Sauvignon Blanc and a sparkling Riesling. Fermented in tank to preserve the fruitiness, with secondary fermentation in bottle this is a sparkling wine with endless potential. In addition to a fruit salad of red apples, white peach and Meyer lemon there’s a beautiful minerality that is reminiscent of slate and baking spice. The minimal sugar input is noticeable as the acid provides a clean and persistent finish, making this food friendly but can still be enjoyed by itself. Built for any occasion, budget or activity!

In stock now: 

Von Winning – Dr. Deinhard Riesling Sekt Extra Brut Pfalz, Deidesheim NV 750ML ($29.95) $24 special, 3 bottles in stock now
Grapelive 92 Points “I’m lucky to have enjoyed this exciting Riesling Sparkler on a few occasions now. I love its intensity, crisp detail and briskly dry profile that make it celebratory but sublime with meals especially first courses or as an aperitif to whet the palate. German bubbles are incredible and this one is a classy example at a reasonable price, not to be outdone by Prosecco, the Cremants of Alsace, the Loire and Burgundy, and Champagne even, these modern Sekt(s) are stylish, elegant and full of personality. This one [is] in the mold of one of my favorite small Champagne house, Agrapart, with its cool invigorating mineral tones and extreme dry flavors. Von Winning is one of Germany’s top wineries, based in the chalky sandstone soiled Pfalz region, with an exceptional range of wines, especially their absolutely awesome series of Grosses Gewachs (Grand Cru) Rieslings, though there is excellence throughout the collection here and as I have noted in my prior reviews, Von Winning does one of the finest Sauvignon Blanc(s) in the world, too. The Extra Brut Riesling Sekt is vibrant and steely from the start with a mix of zesty citrus and peachy fruits, a hint of wet stones, leesy/yeasty notes and a faint floral element all of which folds together nicely and vigorously on the energy driven light to medium bodied palate that gains texture with air, but stays firmly taut with an expressive, subtly luxurious small bubbled mousse…”

Arriving January, 2022: 

Weingut Donnhoff Pinot Brut Nahe 2016 750ML ($79.95) $66 pre-arrival special, only 4 bottles available 
No reviews for the 2016. 2014 review provided for reference.
David Schildknecht-Vinous 92 points “Hiding behind this wine’s two-word name is a fabulously fascinating méthode champenoise from Pinot Noir in the Roxheimer Höllenpfad, a wine about whose very existence I was only recently made aware (though there were vintage 2012 and 2013 predecessors) – and then not in the course of my annual tasting with Helmut Dönnhoff! When the estate acquired their Höllenpfad in 2010, there was Gewürztraminer, which after vinifying several vintages they ripped out; Chardonnay, which for a while, anyway, got blended into their Pinot Blanc; and Pinot Noir, which was the subject of at least two promising, albeit noncommercial reds. Now, that Pinot appears to have found its ideal format. Like a Höllenpfad Riesling, this is smoky, stony and pithy stuff, but with juicy fresh apple and grapefruit, the buffering effects of some five years on the lees taking the edge off any austerity. It finishes with sappy, tangy fruit concentration, smoky and stony inflections and a faintly sweaty salinity.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

Decanter Top Wines of 2021: 

Please note:

We will close at 5 pm sharp on New Year’s Eve,
be closed New Year’s Day,
& reopen on Sunday the 2nd for our regular hours
10 am – 6 pm