Diamond Creek Flash Sale!
December Case Sale Spectacular
Trending Wines of the Week
A Vertical of Mugneret-Gibourg Ruchottes
Stylistically, these are powerful Cabernets. Although there are distinct differences between the three vineyards, the wines show a common vein of Diamond Mountain ruggedness—an intensity of flavor and minerality that’s unique to the AVA. Diamond Creek manages to harness it to produce wines that dazzle with their complexity and age worthiness; wines that rival the finest in Bordeaux.
We’re putting two of the single vineyards, Gravelly Meadow and Red Rock Terrace, on an end-of-weekend Flash Sale at the lowest prices in the country (at over $30 a bottle lower than their normal prices). These are some monumental deals on monumental wines—but hurry because the pricing only lasts until we open for business on Monday or the wines sell out.
Flash Sale Prices Limited to Stock on Hand
In Stock Now:
Only fifteen bottles available
Diamond Creek Gravelly Meadow Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2015 750ML ($249.95) Was $219, Now $188 Weekend Flash Sale
James Suckling 96 points “The aromas of mint, blueberries and blackberries are very intense. Full-bodied, layered and softly textured; yet it delivers a firm and lightly chewy finish. Hot stones, too. This is a wine that will improve with three to four years of bottle aging.”
Wine Enthusiast 94 points “Soy, tobacco and dried herb mark this appropriately named wine, which does indeed have a gravelly, chalky aspect to its texture and taste. From a five-acre vineyard block of the estate, it is endlessly complex and nuanced, despite its full-bodied richness and concentration.”
Winery notes “Our second coolest micro-climate is our five-acre Gravelly Meadow vineyard. Originally a pre-historic river bed, this stony, gravelly soil drains rapidly and the vines struggle for moisture. Gravelly Meadow is our lowest yielding vineyard. The wines are described as “earthy, cedary, jammy and ripe blackberry with a spicy expansive finish.”
Only nineteen bottles available
Diamond Creek Red Rock Terrace Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2015 750ML ($249.95) Was $219, Now $188 Weekend Flash Sale
James Suckling 97 points “This has amazing aromas of red licorice, tar, lead pencil, dark berries and blackberries. Full body, a very soft texture and fine-grained tannins. Lovely freshness and brightness. Sweet and sour underneath. A wine that gives such enjoyment already but it will improve nicely in the bottle.”
Connoisseurs Guide 97 points “One of the most consistent producers of collectable Cabernets over the years, Diamond Creek has come up big in 2015 with a brace of truly outstanding wines. At the very top of the list, the Red Rock Terrace bottling is a beautifully composed effort of extraordinary depth and focus. Its incisive, pure cassis qualities merge with perfectly fit elements of loam, stony soils, creamy oak and accents of raspberries, and never once does it trade in flamboyant ripeness. It is, in fact, a wine of remarkable polish and cohesion right down to the fine, seamlessly integrated tannins that afford it the structure to age for two decades if not more, and those fortunate few who manage to hide a few bottles away should not consider drinking even one until another six to ten years have passed”
Winery notes “Red Rock Terrace, a warm microclimate, is 7 acres of north facing vineyard. The red tinted soil is high in iron content. The wine from Red Rock Terrace is the most accessible and earliest drinkable of all our wines. Our winemaker describes Red Rock Terrace as “having velvety tannins, rich and well balanced, medium dark ruby color with cherry, mint and black currant flavors.”
Flash Sale Prices Limited to Stock on Hand
December Case Sale Spectacular
A Collection of Cases Priced for Buying by the Bundle
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*One fun holiday wine tip: buy a case of a wine that you like and keep it by the door. You’re going to get invited to a ton of parties, dinners, etc and every time you need a host/ess present, you just grab a bottle on the way out the door. Problem solved.
Want to cut to the chase and see all the December Case Sales? Just click here and see the full list.
Whites:
Delicious, full bodied Rhone white from an up and coming producer.
Case-12 Domaine Eric et Joel Durand Saint-Peray, Rhone 2016 750ML ($319.95) Was $288, Now $259 December Case Sale Price (that’s only $21.58/bottle!)
Domaine Eric et Joel Durand Saint-Peray, Rhone 2016 750ML ($29.95) $24 special
Jeb Dunnuck 94 points “This team has made a terrific 2016 Saint-Péray, (50/50 Marsanne and Roussanne aged in 15% new oak) from an appellation that continues to produce more and more outstanding wines. Honeysuckle, white flowers, caramelized peach and white currant notes give way to a pure, elegant, layered white that has terrific purity and length. It’s going to drink beautifully for 3-4 years or more.”
Josh Raynolds-Vinous 91 points “Pale yellow-gold. Fresh and incisive on the nose, displaying vibrant citrus and orchard fruit scents complemented by hints of honeysuckle and chalky minerals. Shows very good depth of flavor but comes off lithe, offering juicy Meyer lemon and bitter pear skin flavors that pick up a spicy ginger note on the back half. Closes very long and precise, delivering a firm snap of minerality and lingering floral character.”
Case-12 Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Schlossberg Riesling Kabinett, Mosel 2016 750ML ($319.95) Was $288, Now $249 December Case Sale Price (that’s only $20.75/bottle!)
Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Schlossberg Riesling Kabinett, Mosel 2016 750ML ($29.95) $24 special
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 92 points “Opening with nice reduction but precise and ripe fruit as well as crunchy slate aromas on the nose, the 2016 Zeltinger Schlossberg Riesling Kabinett is pure and flinty, well-structured and quite aristocratic (though a frivolous aristocrat), with a firm structure, lush fruit and a lovely lightness and buoyancy. Very stimulating and mouthwatering, but it’s far too young to appreciate the full complexity it will deliver in a couple of years. Salty, grippy and fruity—just a perfect Kabinett.”
Stuart Pigott – Jamessuckling.com 91 points “Super-fresh and vibrant with a cool, mineral-herbal personality and a very clean, long finish. You could drink it any time during the next decade, but why wait?”
Mosel Fine Wines 90+ points “The 2016er Zeltinger Schlossberg Kabinett was harvested at 86-87° Oechsle. It develops a slightly ripe nose of pear puree, herbs and spices. The wine is nicely playful and delicately infused with herbs on the palate and leaves a juicy feel in the direct and elegant finish. This is still reduced and will need some time to develop its full potential. 2026-2041.”
Now it’s even lower!
Case-12 J Weingut Jos. Christoffel Jr. (Christoffel-Prum) Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Spatlese, Mosel 2015 750ML ($499.95) Was $348, Now $299 December Case Sale Price (that’s only $24.92/bottle!)
Weingut Jos. Christoffel Jr. (Christoffel-Prum) Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Spatlese, Mosel 2015 750ML ($34.95) $29 special
Mosel Fine Wines 92+ points “A rather restrained nose hints at more than exhibits some delicate flowers, smoke and a touch of toffee at first. The wine develops more presence and intensity on the juicy palate as juicy yellow peach comes through. The finish proves juicy as grapefruit acidity brings focus and adds depth and freshness in the after-taste. There is plenty of upside potential in this Auslese in disguise. 2025-2045”
Now it’s even lower!
Case-6 Joh. Jos. Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett, Mosel 2016 750ML ($249.95) Was $191.40, Now $168 December Case Sale Price (that’s only $28/bottle!)
Joh. Jos. Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett, Mosel 2016 750ML ($34.99) $31.90 special
Stuart Pigott – Jamessuckling.com 94 points “Still a little funky from the wild ferment, but there are also beautiful notes of floras and ripe white peaches. Very elegant and polished with a super vibrant finish that makes you reach out for the glass again. Drink or hold.”
Mosel Fine Wines 92 points “This delivers a beautiful nose of flowers, whipped cream, herbs, smoke, vineyard peach, and apricot blossom. The wine is delicate, light weighted and has good presence with ripe fruits including peach, pear and a touch of toffee on the palate. It develops quite some Spätlese presence and intensity in the hugely long finish.”
Case-6 Weingut Donnhoff Niederhauser Hermannshohle Riesling Spatlese, Nahe 2016 750ML ($359.99) Was $294, Now $259 December Case Sale Price (that’s only $43.17/bottle!)
Weingut Donnhoff Niederhauser Hermannshohle Riesling Spatlese, Nahe 2016 750ML ($59.95) $49 specialStuart Pigott – Jamessuckling.com 96 points “Another 2016 Spätlese from Dönnhoff that’s still a bit shy on the nose, but on the palate it’s like a huge glittering diamond with more facets flashing many colors. An extremely long super-mineral finish that is impeccably clean in spite of the generous grape sweetness in this masterpiece of elegance. Better from 2018 with decades of ageing potential. Made from organic grapes and Fair’n Green certified.”
David Schildknecht-Vinous 94 points “A fascinatingly multifaceted nose incorporates wet stone, leather and almond extract with more familiar white peach, quince and lime. A seductive aura of lily-like perfume hangs over this entire performance. The palate is palpably dense despite alcoholic levity, and subtly creamy while retaining animating primary juiciness. In common with its Brücke sibling, this leans more toward quince as it launches into a finish of honeyed richness – a function of nearly overripe but also nearly botrytis-free berries – yet retaining freshness as well as transparency to crystalline stony mineral nuances. “Under the right conditions,” observed Dönnhoff, “Hermannshöhle delivers something extra in the realm of sweetness, and for that you need cool nights that preserve slightly harder acidity” – which 2016 delivered in spades. Look for significantly more from this bottling after it’s had a decade or so in bottle.”
Wine Advocate 94 points “The 2016 Nahe Riesling Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle Spätlese is bright, fresh and coolish-piquant on the nose, with flinty and slightly reductive aromas. Lush and piquant on the palate, this is a generous, mouth-filling Spätlese with a long, piquant and spicy-mineral finish. The Hermannshöhle is more dense and rich on the palate, the Brücke more light, delicate and finessed.”
Terry Theise note “For many people this is a ne plus ultra of Riesling, and they’ll be happy to hear that ’16 is a firm and herbal version of a classic for which the typical descriptors apply. But what you can’t describe is the moment – and there’s always a moment—when the love overcomes your resistance, your doubt or your fear, and you let yourself fall; finally someone sees you, your cells are urging toward her, and hoo boy, this could be bliss; watch out… here goes.”
Reds:
Bright, fresh and savory—for fans of red Burgundy.
Case-12 Matello Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, Oregon 2013 750ML ($249.95) Was $216, Now $189 December Case Sale Price (that’s only $15.75/bottle!)
Matello Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, Oregon 2013 750ML ($24.95) $18 special
VinopolNote: 40%+ whole cluster, bright and fresh. This has Marcus Goodfellow’s signature touch from a cooler, more elegant vintage. If this said “Bourgogne” on the label it’d be twice as expensive.
Case-12 Matello Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, Oregon 2014 750ML ($249.95) Was $216, Now $189 December Case Sale Price (that’s only $15.75/bottle!)
Matello Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, Oregon 2014 750ML ($24.95) $18 specialVinopolNote: Lots of whole cluster to balance out the warmth and richness of the year. 2014 power and fruit marries with spice and structure to produce a beautifully integrated bottle of Pinot Noir.
Strong single vineyard Cabernet at under $45/bottle? Yep.
Case-6 Rodney Strong Brothers Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley 2013 750ML ($299.95) $259 December Case Sale Price (that’s only $43.17/bottle!)
Rodney Strong Brothers Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley 2013 750ML ($79.95) $49 special
Robert Parker 92+ points “The single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon from the highest elevation (400-1000 feet) is the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Brothers Ridge. It displays blacker fruit, loads of plums, blueberry and blackberry, a deep, full-bodied, mouthfeel, rich, concentrated, moderately high tannin, a nice minerality and plenty of black fruits. These are all well-built and potentially very long-lived wines of 25-30 or more years. This wine needs a good 4-5 years of cellaring.”
Case-12 Xavier Vignon Chateauneuf-du-Pape La Reserve VII IX X, Rhone NV 750ML ($899.95) Was $708, Now $599 December Case Sale Price (that’s only $49.92/bottle!)
Xavier Vignon Chateauneuf-du-Pape La Reserve VII IX X, Rhone NV 750ML ($69.95) $59 special
Wine Advocate 96 points “While I reviewed this NV Châteauneuf du Pape La Reserve VII IX X (a blend from the 2007, 2009 and 2010 vintages) last year, I was able to taste it again this go around, and it still blew me away. Fabulously full-bodied and decadent, with loads of lavender, incense, black raspberry and cured-meat nuances, it’s still youthful and vibrant, with notable freshness and purity. Enjoy this brilliant wine through 2028.”
Case-12 La Gerla Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Tuscany 2013 750ML ($649.95) Was $540, Now $489 December Case Sale Price (that’s only $40.75/bottle!)
La Gerla Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Tuscany 2013 750ML ($59.95) $45 special
Monica Larner-Wine Advocate 94 points “The 2013 Brunello di Montalcino is elegant, balanced and bright. The pretty luminosity of the wine’s appearance helps to underline this positive impression. The bouquet is nuanced and layered with dried fruit aromas that segue to spice, tar and balsam herb. You get sassy aromas of licorice, tar and cola on the close.”
Ian D’agata-Vinous 93+ points “Bright red. Pure and very flinty nuances complement aromas and flavors of strawberry-rhubarb and wild berries on the nose and palate. Dense and juicy and boasting a focused, penetrating mouthfeel, this finishes long and clean with a very strong note of licorice. Best classico Brunello from La Gerla in some time.”
Case-12 Chateau Quinault L’Enclos, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2009 750ML ($699.95) Was $588, Now $519
December Case Sale Price (that’s only $43.25/bottle!)Chateau Quinault L’Enclos, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2009 750ML ($59.95) $49 special
James Suckling 93 points “A soft and fruity wine, with orange peel and berries and plums. Full body, with super fine tannins and a fruity finish. Refined and very pretty. Structured in the end. Fresh. Succulent. A style away from the over extracted one a few years ago. Try after 2018.” JS
Wine Spectator 92 points “This is very distinctive, with live-wire acidity running through the core of damson plum, linzer torte and blackberry fruit that’s framed by a mouthwatering roasted apple wood note. The long and driven finish has a piercing iron edge and a smoldering tobacco note that adds to the dramatic profile. Best from 2015 through 2025.” WA
Now it’s even lower!
Case-12 Domaine Jean-Claude Lapalu Brouilly Cuvee des Fous, Beaujolais 2015 750ML ($599.95) Was $432, Now $389 December Case Sale Price (that’s only $32.42/bottle!)
Domaine Jean-Claude Lapalu Brouilly Cuvee des Fous, Beaujolais 2015 750ML ($41.95) $36 special
Wine Advocate 92-94 points “The 2015 Brouilly Cuvée des Fous had been racked the day before my visit to the domaine and I tasted this directly from vat. It has an intense dark cherry, cassis and iodine-scented bouquet with gorgeous raspberry ripple scents lurking just underneath. The palate is very well balanced with fine, very lithe tannin. The acidity here is perfectly judged, as it sashays towards a composed and very pure and long finish. Wow – this is going to turn into one sensual and compelling Beaujolais.”
Now it’s even lower!
Just click here and see the full list in our web store.
Trending Wines of the Week
Zorzal Eggo Tinto de Tiza, Tupungato 2015 750ML ($29.95) $24 special
Case-12 Zorzal Eggo Tinto de Tiza, Tupungato 2015 750ML ($319.95) $266 special (that’s only $22.17/bottle!)
Luis Gutierrez-Wine Advocate 94 points “The one blend in the Eggo range is the 2015 Eggo Tinto de Tiza, which mixes Malbec with 10% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon fermented in 2,000-liter egg-shaped cement vats where the wine matured for almost one year. This feels quite complete and balanced, with good ripeness while keeping the balance and poise. The palate is juicy and fresh, with fine-grained tannins and a bittersweet finish akin to sour cherries. Very tasty and long. Super. Incredible for the price. 16,000 bottles were filled in January 2016.”
Beautifully mineral and fresh—a stunning white.
Domaine Jean Masson & Fils Savoie Apremont ‘La Centenaire’ Vieilles Vignes 2016 750ML ($34.95) $26 special
Winery note “[Translated] From a vineyard planted over a century ago, La Centenaire is a powerful wine. It shows with notes of ripe white fruits, fresh almonds and stone fruits. Its beautiful minerality makes it an exception wine for the cellar. The tiny yields produce great concentration, and allow the Jacquère grape to express so many forgotten things.”
This is the only listing in the USA today
Neo-California classic.
Arnot-Roberts Sonoma Coast Syrah, California 2016 750ML ($49.95) $44.90 special
Antonio Galloni 92 points “The 2016 Syrah (Sonoma Coast) is dazzling. Inky and dark in its fruit profile, but also light on its feet, the 2016 is all class. Hints of lavender, black pepper, mint and cloves grace the palate in an exquisite, mid-weight Syrah that emphasizes freshness and nuance. Deceptively medium in body, the 2016 has enough underpinnings of structure to drink well for many years. This is a fabulous appellation-level Syrah.”
Beautiful with Thai and Indian food.
Wwe Dr. H. Thanisch Bernkasteller Badstube Riesling Kabinett, Mosel 2016 750ML ($34.95) $28 special
David Schildknecht – Vinous 91 points “Ripe pear and apple dominate on the nose as well as on a silken, buoyant palate, supported by subtle sweetness. Mouthwatering salinity and transparency to crystalline stony nuances give the long, refreshingly juicy finish a fascinating and delightful sense of shimmer.”
Mosel Fine Wines 90 points “The 2016er Badstube Kabinett was harvested at 88° Oechsle. It offers a delicately ripe nose of pear, earthy spices, slate and smoke. The wine comes to life on the palate as acidity peps up some succulent pear right into the long finish and gives it a gorgeously lively and well-balanced side. The after-taste is elegantly playful. 2026-2041”
You’re allowed to buy yourself a gift or two.
Larkmead Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2014 750ML ($149.95) $119 special
Robert Parker 93 points “The 2014 “White Label” red wines include the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa, which is a beauty. An elegant, Pauillac-style wine with notes of chocolate, cedar wood, fruitcake, unsmoked cigar tobacco and underbrush, it is dense, full-bodied and rich. It is a blend of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Petit Verdot aged 19 months in 75% new French oak. There are 2,705 cases of this wine, which finished at 14.7% natural alcohol. It should drink well for 20-25 years, but there’s no reason to defer your gratification.”
Ruchottes-Chambertin
One of the highlights of the collection is their Ruchottes-Chambertin (Grand Cru), which competes each year with their Echezeaux for the honor of top wine in their cellar. Ruchottes is one of the best two Chambertin satellites, vying with Clos de Beze for the honor (depending on who you ask). In the hands of Mugneret-Gibourg, the vineyard yields a stunning wine, rich and decadent with an intense minerality and acres of soul. We were pleased to source a vertical of this legend of Burgundy (as well as 13 other bottlings from the esteemed estate, viewable here on our webstore) and are pleased to offer them to you, arriving this month.
Arriving This Month:
Only one bottle available
Domaine Georges Mugneret-Gibourg Ruchottes-Chambertin Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits 2002 750ML ($799.95) $699 pre-arrival special
Stephen Tanzer 93 points “This was made solely from the estate’s old vines; the recently replanted portion of the Mugnerets’ holding will not go into this cuvee for at least a few more years): Medium red. Knockout nose combines red berries, smoke, game and red licorice. Silky-sweet and seductive, with lovely subtle intensity of flavor. Velvety but not at all weighty, in the manner of the best Burgundies. Finishes with superb building sweetness and wonderfully subtle, persistent soil tones.”
The next best price is $749
Domaine Georges Mugneret-Gibourg Ruchottes-Chambertin Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits 2005 750ML ($999.95) $889 pre-arrival special
Stephen Tanzer 93+ points “Good medium red; seemed to deepen in color with air. Claret-like aromas of smoky redcurrant, graphite and flowers. Silky on entry, then sweet, spicy and floral in the middle, with lovely lift for the vintage. Finishes with substantial tannins and a lingering perfume of rose petal. The Mugneret ’05s, not surprisingly, manage to avoid the superripe, almost southern Rhone-like aromas of some wines from this vintage.”
Domaine Georges Mugneret-Gibourg Ruchottes-Chambertin Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits 2006 750ML ($699.95) $599 pre-arrival special
Stephen Tanzer 93 points “Medium red. Subdued aromas of redcurrant, smoke and crushed almond took on a mineral tone with aeration. Silky and plush but firm, with red berry and tobacco flavors coating the mouth and rising impressively on the very long, gripping finish. The tannins are quite fine. This boasts terrific fat for the vintage and has turned out very well.”
Domaine Georges Mugneret-Gibourg Ruchottes-Chambertin Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits 2009 750ML ($799.95) $679 pre-arrival special
Stephen Tanzer 94+ points “(from vines at least 55 years old): Medium bright red. Reticent but already compelling perfume of red cherry, licorice, spices and wild herbs. Similarly closed on the palate, with sweet, floral red fruit flavors building slowly and mounting impressively through the whiplash of a finish. The wine’s bracing finishing flavors glitter on the aftertaste. Smoky, rather brooding tannins call for a good decade of patience.”
Only one bottle available
Domaine Georges Mugneret-Gibourg Ruchottes-Chambertin Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits 2013 750ML ($619.95) $549 pre-arrival special
Stephen Tanzer 93 points “Deep medium red. Very reticent nose hints at red berries, truffley underbrush and nutty oak. Fatter, sweeter and richer than the Echézeaux, displaying superb volume for the year. Ripe redcurrant and graphite flavors are enlivened by minty mineral lift. Finishes with fine tannins and plenty of lightly peppery acidity to support a graceful evolution in bottle. Perhaps a bit less harmonious in the early going than the wonderfully silky Echézeaux.”
The next best price is $699.99
Domaine Georges Mugneret-Gibourg Ruchottes-Chambertin Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits 2014 750ML ($599.95) $549 pre-arrival special
Stephen Tanzer 94 points “Bright, dark red: lovely Pinot color. Deep, highly nuanced nose combines raspberry, mocha, flinty minerality and complex soil tones. Plush, sexy and sweet but with a serious edge of acidity framing its intense strawberry, red raspberry, mineral and spice flavors. This compellingly chewy, full yet juicy wine finishes rich and very long, with serious late-arriving tannins and lingering perfume.”
The next best price is $699