Weekend Magnum Madness
10% off of all in stock magnums!
Discount does not apply to pre-arrival offers
Cannot be combined with other discounts
Discount will not appear in online shopping cart
We will apply it here before charging
Sale ends Sunday, November 26th at 11:59 PT
Stock up for the holidays! Winter brings parties, parties bring lots of people—and the people demand large formats! Nothing’s quite as special as pouring awesome wine out of a big bottle. We offer 124 different options to chose from that are in-stock and on-sale now, such as:
California:
Kapcsandy Family Winery State Lane Vineyard Grand-Vin Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2009 1.5L ($799.95) Displayed Price: $699, Your Price: $629.10
Antonio Galloni 98 points “The 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Grand Vin opens with the most beguiling bouquet imaginable. Freshly cut flowers, mint, cinnamon and licorice all make an appearance as this vivid, beautifully delineated wine opens up in the glass. A model of total finesse and elegance, the 2009 wraps around the palate with what feels like endless layers of aromas and flavors. This totally seamless, polished Cabernet Sauvignon is virtually impossible to resist today, but it will be even better in another few years. The 2009 is 96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc.”
France:
Domaine Bitouzet-Prieur Meursault Charmes, Meursault Premier Cru 2011 1.5L ($199.95) Displayed Price: $149, Your Price: $134.10
Antonio Galloni–Vinous 91 points “The 2011 Meursault Les Charmes wraps around the palate with gorgeous depth and nuance. There is plenty of Charmes richness and depth in the glass. At the same time, the wine’s structural elements are front and center, at least today. The firm, slightly dry finish suggests the fruit may have been brought in a little early.” AG
Antonio Galloni 93-96 points “The 2013 Clos St. Denis is a wine of detail, nuance and precision. All the classic Clos St. Denis signatures are present, but it’s almost as if they are expressive in miniature in the 2013. Feminine and supple throughout, the 2013 Clos St. Denis shows the more finessed side of Morey, and it does so in grand style.” AG
Wine Advocate 93 points “The flinty and herbal-flavored 2015 Schlossböckelheimer Felsenberg Riesling Spätlese is from grapes that were selected a few days before the ones for the Grosses Gewächs to keep the alcohol level moderate at 13%. It is a mouth-filling, yet straight and racy/piquant wine with lush fruit, piquant acidity (ten grams of total acidity!), great elegance and terroir expression. Its finish is stimulatingly salty, and the complexity of the Felsenberg terroir shines through dramatically and untamed. I would keep this wine for 5-10 years because there are other Dönnhoff Rieslings that are able to charm you in the meantime. This one has other talents. Dönnhoff remembers the 1998 as a similar Spätlese. If you so will, this is the antipode of the aristocratic Hermannshöhle.”
John Gilman 94 points “I did not have a chance to taste the 2014 Auslese AP #12 on my trip last March and was very happy to have a chance to visit it prior to launching into the excellent vertical of Grosses Gewächs generously prepared by the estate. This is an absolutely superb bottle of young Auslese, wafting from the glass in a gently glazed blend of pear, white cherry, honeycomb, salty slate, orange zest and a pungent floral topnote redolent of cherry blossoms. On the palate the wine is fullish, racy and very long, with excellent focus and cut, excellent complexity and a long, vibrant and very poised finish. Classy juice. 2018-2050.”
Mosel Fine Wines 92 points “Vineyard selections of botrytis-affected grapes only delivered 500 liters of Auslese harvested with a comparatively low 94° Oechsle. This Auslese starts off with a beautifully complex nose of fresh fruits, with pineapple, star anise and spices providing depth to the experience. The wine is superbly playful on the palate, where mouth-watering acidity adds to the aromatic precision. A riper side comes through in the finish tough, with almond, saffron and honey giving the wine a definitive Auslese GK style. 2024-2044”
Wine Advocate 91 points “Compared to the Tre Stelle, the 2014 Barbaresco Rio Sordo seems to have a slightly riper quality of fruit. The difference is minimal but it makes sense given that the heat during the 2014 vintage all came toward the very end of the growing season. This beautiful wine is bold and slightly more robust with dark cherry and red currant. It is also more marked in terms of tannins and structure. Only 1,500 bottles were made.”
Winery note “Barbaresco Rio Sordo was born through a severe selection in a vineyard of Nebbiolo grapes. The immediate characteristics are its complexity and deepness accompanied with elegance and finesse. The colour is garnet red with slight orange flecks. The taste is intense and persistent and its intriguing perfume as slight hint of wild fruit, spicy with sensations of leather and pepper. It combines perfectly with important red meats dishes, roasts, mature cheeses.”
Stephen Tanzer 91 points “(90% nebbiolo and 10% barbera; aged for 18 months in new French oak): Good medium red. Perfumed aromas and flavors of plum, redcurrant, tobacco and spices. Intense and vibrant, with lovely inner-mouth aromatic lift. Very classy, delineated wine.” ST
Wine Spectator 96 points “Warm and chewy, this red exhibits cedar, sandalwood, tobacco and leather accents enhancing the core of cherry and raspberry. As this plays out on the palate, the wine turns more supple and vibrant, building to the long, expansive finish. Best from 2016 through 2035.”WS
Wine Advocate 96+ points “The 2007 Barolo Lazzarito is a superb, plush wine loaded with dark fruit, flowers of all sorts, sweet menthol and minerals, all of which flow through to the long, powerful finish. The wine’s inner perfume emerges over time, adding even more nuance and subtlety to this big Barolo. The 2007 Lazzarito is far from an open, easygoing wine, in fact it needs time, and lots of it. Anticipated maturity: 2022-2042.”WA
Wine Advocate 95 points “The tremendously deep bouquet of Pichler’s 2013 Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Kellerberg is precise, vegetal and flinty/cool. The wine is a noble, rich, highly elegant and terroir-driven Wachauer signature wine, which reveals its overwhelming power and great expression only in its finish and long, persistent aftertaste. This is, again, an icon wine of the Wachau and the 2013 vintage. A must buy, if you can afford it.”
David Schildknecht–Vinous 94 points “Smoky Szechuan and Madagascar peppers pungently announce site typicity in the nose, along with high-toned intimations of pit-inflected white peach and Mirabelle that subsequently flood the glycerol-rich, almost plush palate. The richness of fruit here, also incorporating very ripe muskmelon, is contrasted and cut with citrus rind piquancy allied to stony and peppery inflections that follow into a forcefully sustained but in no way rough or warm finish, the alcohol here having ended up at just under 14%.”
David Schildknecht–Vinous 97 points “Succulent white peach and Persian melon are tinged more subtly than usual for this bottling with Madagascar and Szechuan peppercorns, black tea and crushed stone. There is hauntingly bittersweet floral perfume wafting through this entire performance, almost as though some Achleiten or Heiligenstein got loose in the fermenter. A high-toned suggestion of almond extract adds to the sweet impression of fruitiness (despite analytical dryness); and a mandarin orange note adds aromatic as well as brightly juicy allure in perfect harmony with a seductively creamy texture. Piquancy of peach kernel lends stimulating counterpoint and engenders a glowingly persistent finish. The combination of pit fruit, citrus and floral aromatics with complex peppery notes left in the empty glass is head-turning. This is as refined a Kellerberg Riesling as it has been my pleasure to experience. What’s more, it represents the first time I can recall using the word “buoyant” to describe one–and that for a wine picked in the last week of November!”
Wine Advocate 95 points “From the estate’s parade vineyard, the 2013 Riesling Smaragd Dürnsteiner Kellerberg displays a very rich and intense aroma of super-ripe and concentrated Riesling berries. Rich and powerful, but also precise, impressively concentrated and piquant on the palate, this well-balanced and highly elegant Riesling with its lemon and orange aftertaste is another signature wine of both the Wachau and the 2013 vintage. It’s aging potential should be terrific. A serious, tension-filled Riesling of great expression, which I highly recommend.”
This is the only listing for a magnum in the USA today!
Discount does not apply to pre-arrival offers
Cannot be combined with other discounts
Discount will not appear in online shopping cart
We will apply it here before charging
10% Off In-Stock Magnum Sale ends
Sunday, November 26th at 11:59 PT
The Champagnes that Terry Theise imports have become standard bearers for excellent value, high quality bubbly. He’s a market creator—putting small producer, terroir oriented Champagne on the map during a time when most Americans thought that the region started with “Bollinger” and ended with “Veuve.” Through careful selection and tireless evangelism, the Theise portfolio has come to represent the finest in “farmer fizz”—a stark contrast to the corporate, big house Champagne that dominated discourse before he arrived on the scene.
There are a few producers that have moved in and out of the portfolio, but everything Terry puts his name on is of the highest quality (including a few new additions to the club, so to speak). From the lean, mineral driven style of Pierre Peters to the classic bottlings from Gimmonet to the more avant-garde leanings of Chartogne-Taillet, there’s something in the portfolio for everyone—especially at the pricing we’re offering.
Arriving Mid-December
Pierre Gimonnet et Fils Blanc de Blancs Cuvee Oenophile Premier Cru Extra Brut Non Dose, Champagne 2008 750ML ($89.95) $61.90 pre-arrival special
Gilbert & Gaillard 94 points “Light yellow-gold. The nose displays splendid minerality then reveals pastry and almond notes. The palate shows seductive precision. Refined texture and mouth-filling freshness. Well-structured, strict and elegant. A stellar Champagne with a real sense of place.”
Wine Advocate 92 points “The 2008 Oenophile Extra Brut offers an invitingly clear, bright and fresh bouquet of crisp apples, lemons, brazil nuts and grated hazelnuts along with some hints of herbs and flowers. On the palate this is a very elegant, firm, fresh and minerally accentuated Champagne of with a good grip and an animating citric finish. It is a crisp, elegant, refined and a really stimulating aperitif on a really high level. Beautifully structured and mineral, I just can’t get enough!” WA
The average price is $72
Antonio Galloni 93 points “Large scaled, creamy and rich, the 2008 Brut Fleuron (Magnum) is super-expressive today. Chamomile, dried flowers and dried pear notes release from the wine’s intensely aromatic bouquet. But it is the palate feel and overall intensity here that truly stand out. The 2008 spent a whopping six years on the lees, and that extended time in bottle comes through in the wine’s intensity. The 2009 is a blend of fruit from Cramant, Chouilly, Oger (all Grand Crus), plus Cuis and Vertus (both 1er Crus). Dosage is 5 grams per liter.”
The average price is $73
Pierre Gimonnet et Fils Blanc de Blancs Gastronome, Champagne 2012 750ML ($59.95) $49 pre-arrival specialThe average price is $65
Antonio Galloni 92 points “The 2006 Brut Millésime de Collection Vieilles Vignes de Chardonnay (Magnum) is powerful, masculine and also a touch austere, but offers tremendous thrust and overall intensity. This is an especially large-scaled, creamy old-vine Champagne from Gimonnet. From magnum it should drink well for another decade or so. The Vieilles Vignes de Chardonnay emerges from parcels in Cramant and Chouilly (both Grand Cru villages) and Cuis, a 1er Cru village. Dosage is 5 grams per liter.”
The next best price is $44
The average price is $52
Terry Theise note “The assemblage is daunting. 50% CH from Mareuil, vintage 2013. 43.5% PN from Mareuil shared between 2012 and 2011. 6.5% Mareuil PN as still wine vinified in wood, vintage 2012. Deg Oct 2015. This is a tic rounder than last year’s; sports the prettiest fragrance, rose hips and (sweet!) rhubarb; the palate is quite round, more vinous, but with the tiniest scratch of phenolics. As always it’s a wine that seamlessly melds sensuality with cerebrality.”
The average price is $56
Champagne Hebrart Special Club Millesime Brut, Champagne 2012 750ML ($79.95) $69 pre-arrival special
Gaston Chiquet Carte Verte Premier Cru Brut Tradition, Champagne NV 750ML ($49.95) $39 pre-arrival special
Gaston Chiquet Carte Verte Premier Cru Brut Tradition, Champagne NV 1.5L ($119.95) $89 pre-arrival special
Wine Spectator 92 points “Hints of brioche and marzipan accent glazed apple and candied ginger notes in this round and creamy Champagne. Vivacious acidity keeps this fresh and focused, leading to a lingering finish of smoke and spice. Disgorged September 2016. Drink now through 2024. 100 cases imported.”
Antonio Galloni 92 points “The 2009 Brut Cuvée Empreinte emerges from a parcel of 30 year-old vines in Cumières. Vinification and aging in oak gives the wine its sensual contours. Smoke, almond, dried pear and hazelnut lead into an expressive, layered finish. The radiance of the vintage works to flesh out some of the natural austerity of Cumières, while the wine’s balance is absolutely impeccable. Oak influences are felt, but add to the wine’s breadth rather than marking the wine excessively. Dosage is 6 grams per liter. Disgorged: December 2015.”
Wine Advocate 92 points “Disgorged in October 2015 with six grams of dosage, the 2009 Empreinte Brut Premier Cru is an assemblage of 70% Pinot Noir, 20% Chardonnay and 5% Meunier vinified in oak (barrels and foudres). It opens with a clear, intense and complex nose of white fruits along with some hints of hazelnuts, nougat and oak. Full-bodied, this is a mouth-filling Champagne with a creamy and very elegant texture, as well as very good structure. Still young and firm, this is a promising Champagne for the next 5-10 years.”
Wine Spectator 92 points “Flavors of white cherry, pastry and mandarin orange peel are layered with a subtle steak of smoke and spice in this bright and mouthwatering Champagne. Long and creamy. Disgorged September 2016. Drink now through 2027. 120 cases imported.”
The average price is $61
Wine Spectator 93 points “A crisp, minerally version, with floral and chalk accents to the flavors of Honeycrisp apple, slivered almond, crème de cassis and lemon pith. Fresh and lacy. Disgorged September 2016. Drink now through 2028. 100 cases imported.”
Antonio Galloni 92 points “Geoffroy’s 2008 Brut Cuvée Volupté is pointed and tightly wound, with persistent veins of minerality that give the wine its spine. Even so, there is no shortage of breadth and pure power. With time in the glass, the fruit blossoms nicely. There is plenty of vintage 2008 character, even if the Volupté at times tilts towards the burlier side of things.”
The average price is $77
Rene Geoffroy Rose de Saignee Premier Cru Brut, Champagne NV 375ML ($49.95) $36 pre-arrival special
Rene Geoffroy Rose de Saignee Premier Cru Brut, Champagne NV 1.5L ($149.95) $128 pre-arrival special
Wine Spectator 92 points “[Reviewed November 2017] A deeply hued rosé that feels like fine raw silk on the palate, offering flavors of crushed raspberry, blood orange zest, honey and ground ginger, backed by bright, lightly juicy acidity. Chalky finish. Drink now through 2022. 160 cases imported.”
Discount does not include Case-6 or Case-12 SKU’s
Discount will not appear in online shopping cart
Cannot be combined with other discounts
We will apply it here before chargingSale Ends Friday, November 24th at 11:59 PST
Cameron Winery Clos Electrique Blanc, Dundee Hills 2015 750ML ($79.95) Displayed Price: $66, Your Price: $59.40
VinopolNote: The Clos Electrique is Cameron’s estate vineyard, named after the electric deer fence that surrounds it. This is planted to a mix of clones and is vinified traditionally—no racking and all in older barrels. This is crisp and coiled, with distinct minerality and a lot of power in a lithe frame. Like most vintages of the Electrique Blanc, this is pretty good now but will be stellar in a few years.
Goodfellow Family Cellars Bishop Creek Vineyard Pinot Noir, Oregon 2014 750ML ($41.95) Displayed Price: $29, Your Price: $26.10Grapelive 91 points “Delicately layered and spicy, the 2014 Bishop Creek is a pretty effort, especially for a richer vintage in Oregon. Made by Marcus Goodfellow, the ex-Evesham Wood and Westerly man, [he] is coming into his own as a talent, inspired by Doerner of Cristom and John Paul of Cameron. You can see the style showing through here. Bishop Creek, planted to Pommard and Wadenswil (old Swiss clone), [is] now owned by Nicolas Meo of the famed Burgundy Domaine Meo-Camuzet. [The vineyard] ([which is] not far from Shea Vineyards) formed this wine with its distinct strawberry and racy red cherry core along with the mixed spice, mineral tones and light wood influence. Its southern exposure and Willakenzie soils (dark rocky marine sediment) give warmth and grace. Planted in 1988, the vines ripen without flamboyant extraction, allowing more finesse to show through. At 13.9% this medium weight wine offers fine detail, opulence and restrained, almost earthy, soulfulness. Hints of bitter herb, cedar and candied citrus rind add a tangy note to the whole and the finish echoes the red fruits in subtle fashion with a touch of wilted roses lingering on. It shines right now, though best to enjoy it with cuisine to match as it is a tad shier than other 2014 Oregon Pinots (I’ve tried) and needs time and coaxing to reach its beautiful peak. Best from 2018 to 2022.”
Winery note “Twenty five year old un-grafted Wadensville vines, dry farmed in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA are handpicked for this wine. From 3 acres, each clone is fermented separately with native yeasts in small lots, typically with 50-60% whole-clusters. The wine is aged in 0%-40% new French oak barrels for 18-21 months and bottled unfined and unfiltered. There is intensity at Bishop Creek, with deep, dark toned fruit, a spicy floral edge and savory tones with acidity and length.”
Wine Advocate 94 points “Pale to medium ruby-purple, the 2015 Pinot Noir Jessie Vineyard is scented of kirsch, mulberries and raspberry tart with underlying Chinese five spice, hoisin and mossy bark hints. Medium-bodied, there’s a very seductive mid-palate of red berry and exotic spice flavors, supported by velvety tannins and just enough freshness, finishing with spicy layers.”
Wine Advocate 95 points “Named after a cat owned by Charles when he was living in Walla Walla, the 2014 M C K Syrah sports a deep purple color as well as ripe, decadent notes of black fruits, plums, graphite, crushed rock and licorice. Big, sexy, seamless and pure, with present, yet ripe tannin, drink it through 2024. It’s worth noting that this comes completely from the River Rock vineyard in this vintage. As usual, it’s a crazy value.”
Wine Enthusiast 93 points –Editors’ Choice–“This aromatically brooding wine brings aromas of brown stems, scorched earth, smoked meat, iron, violets, orange peel and blue and black fruit. The flavors coat the palate from end to end with silky soft, unabashedly appealing fruit and savory notes. It hits the delicious gong hard, with an enduring finish.”
Betz Family Winery La Serenne Syrah, Yakima Valley 2015 750ML ($69.95) Displayed Price: $59, Your Price: $53.10Wine Advocate 94 points “All from Dick Boushey’s vineyard in Yakima Valley, the 2015 Syrah La Serenne was also all destemmed and brought up in barrel. It’s a more elegant, complex and nuanced Syrah compared to the Cote Rousse and offers classic notes of blackberries, peppery herbs, lavender and spring flowers. Full-bodied, fresh and lively, drink it anytime over the coming 10-15 years.”
Wine Advocate 96-99 points “Another candidate for the wine of the vintage will be the 2014 Syrah Klein, which comes from the rocky soils of the Klein Vineyard in Walla Walla. Possessing a liquid rock like character as well as lots of gunpowder, graphite, savory herbs, olives and background meatiness, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a thick, unctuous texture, sweet tannin and terrific length. While it has tons of fruit and texture, it still has a concentrated core of fruit and serious underlying structure. It should benefit from short-term cellaring and keep for 10-15 years.”California:
Diamond Creek Gravelly Meadow Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2015 750ML ($249.95) Displayed Price: $225, Your Price: $202.50
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.”
Diamond Creek Red Rock Terrace Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2015 750ML ($249.95) Displayed Price: $225, Your Price: $202.50
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.”
Beringer Vineyards Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2009 750ML ($149.95) Displayed Price: $99, Your Price: $89.10
Antonio Galloni 93 points “The 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve is a beautifully balanced wine. Firm yet well-integrated tannins frame a core of dark red berries, flowers, mint, spices and licorice. The Reserve shows lovely inner perfume and mid-palate juiciness. It should drink well with a minimum of cellaring. The main vineyards in the 2009 are Home (37%), Lampyridae (23%), Vogt (14%), Chabot (11%) and Rancho del Oso (9%). Each lot was aged separately for about two years before the final blend was assembled.”
Wine Advocate 97 points “Starting off the Syrah-based wines, the 2004 Poker Face (Syrah) is aging beautifully. A blend of 96% Syrah, 2.5% Mourvedre and 1.5% Viognier (from the Eleven Confessions, White Hawk, Alban, Bien Nacido, and Alta Mesa vineyards) that was aged in 80% new French oak, it offers up a perfumed, fresh bouquet of sweet blackberry liqueur, creme de cassis, spring flowers and licorice that gives way to a full-bodied, seamless, gorgeously textured feel on the palate. Rich and decadent, it has notable, yet beautifully integrated acidity and stays remarkably fresh, detailed and even elegant. It still needs a lengthy decant to shine, and will continue to thrill over the coming decade or so.”
Great budget- and crowd-friendly wines to have on hand during this festive time of year!
Case-6 Arlaux Grande Cuvee Premier Cru Brut, Champagne NV 750ML ($239.95) $189 special (that’s only $31.50/bottle!)
Arlaux Grande Cuvee Premier Cru Brut, Champagne NV 750ML ($39.95) $33 special
Wine Advocate 92 points “The nose of this wine seduces you straight away with a great balance of autolytic and fruit aromas: toasted hazelnuts, warm apple tart and kaya (coconut and egg) jam. The palate is equally well balanced providing plenty of evolved fruit and toasty / yeasty flavors. Small, fine bubbles, seamless use of dosage and a long nutty finish. This fine if relatively unknown Brut NV takes first place in the derby – a shocker even for me!”
Importer notes: “Arlaux is a small family-run champagne house producing only 5,000 cases a year located in a small village on the Petit Montagne de Reims called Vrigny. Arlaux has been producing champagne since 1826 but the Arlaux-Marchal family have lived in Vrigny since the 13th century. Exclusively 1er Cru Champagne with a minimum of 4 years aging. They only use their own grapes from 20 to 100 year old vines which are hand-picked in order to select only the very best. All Arlaux cuvées are 100% Premier Cru and 100% Tête de Cuvée (meaning that they only use the juice of the 1st press).”
Case-6 Drappier Carte d’Or Brut, Champagne NV 750ML ($299.95) $199 special (that’s only $33.17/bottle!)
Drappier Carte d’Or Brut, Champagne NV 750ML ($49.95) $36 special
Wine Spectator 92 points “This bright and zesty Champagne is lightly juicy and appealing, offering flavors of Honeycrisp apple, ripe white cherry, biscuit and pickled ginger. Balanced and lacy in texture, with a lingering, spiced finish. Drink now through 2022.”
Case-12 Goodfellow Family Cellars Bishop Creek Vineyard Pinot Noir, Oregon 2014 750ML ($419.95) $299 special (that’s only $24.92/bottle!)
Goodfellow Family Cellars Bishop Creek Vineyard Pinot Noir, Oregon 2014 750ML ($41.95) $29 special
Grapelive 91 points “Delicately layered and spicy, the 2014 Bishop Creek is a pretty effort, especially for a richer vintage in Oregon. Made by Marcus Goodfellow, the ex-Evesham Wood and Westerly man, [he] is coming into his own as a talent, inspired by Doerner of Cristom and John Paul of Cameron. You can see the style showing through here. Bishop Creek, planted to Pommard and Wadenswil (old Swiss clone), [is] now owned by Nicolas Meo of the famed Burgundy Domaine Meo-Camuzet. [The vineyard] ([which is] not far from Shea Vineyards) formed this wine with its distinct strawberry and racy red cherry core along with the mixed spice, mineral tones and light wood influence. Its southern exposure and Willakenzie soils (dark rocky marine sediment) give warmth and grace. Planted in 1988, the vines ripen without flamboyant extraction, allowing more finesse to show through. At 13.9% this medium weight wine offers fine detail, opulence and restrained, almost earthy, soulfulness. Hints of bitter herb, cedar and candied citrus rind add a tangy note to the whole and the finish echoes the red fruits in subtle fashion with a touch of wilted roses lingering on. It shines right now, though best to enjoy it with cuisine to match as it is a tad shier than other 2014 Oregon Pinots (I’ve tried) and needs time and coaxing to reach its beautiful peak. Best from 2018 to 2022.”
Winery note “Twenty five year old un-grafted Wadensville vines, dry farmed in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA are handpicked for this wine. From 3 acres, each clone is fermented separately with native yeasts in small lots, typically with 50-60% whole-clusters. The wine is aged in 0%-40% new French oak barrels for 18-21 months and bottled unfined and unfiltered. There is intensity at Bishop Creek, with deep, dark toned fruit, a spicy floral edge and savory tones with acidity and length.”
Case-6 Matello ‘Souris’ Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2012 750ML ($249.95) $166 special (that’s only $27.67/bottle!)Case-12 Matello ‘Souris’ Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2012 750ML ($449.95) $299 special (that’s only $24.92/bottle!)
Matello ‘Souris’ Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2012 750ML ($41.95) $29 special
Josh Raynolds–Vinous 93 points “Vivid ruby-red. Heady, complex scents of fresh red and dark berries, incense and Asian spices, with a bright mineral overtone. Intense black raspberry and spicecake flavors convey a shapely, seamless quality. Fleshes out and deepens with aeration and finishes sweet and extremely long, with lingering smokiness and harmonious tannins.”
Stonestreet Alexander Mountain Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley 2014 750ML ($44.95) $24 special
Sonoma Magazine / Press Democrat Four Stars “($40) A bottle of Screaming Eagle will set you back $850. With this in mind, you may be in the market for a cult-cab substitute, a knockout that’s a steal for the quality. We had an impressive line-up of bottlings that over-delivered, and the best deal in the flight is our wine of the week winner — the Stonestreet Estate Vineyards, 2014 Alexander Valley, Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon, at $40. The Stonestreet is an impressive cab with layered flavors of black cherry, tobacco and cocoa. It has a round texture, and a nice length.”
Domaine de L’Edre Cotes du Roussillon Villages 2013 750ML ($49.95) $41.90 special
Wine Advocate 95 points “One of the wines of the vintage is the 2013 Cotes du Roussillon Villages Domaine de l’Edre. While this cuvee had a rustic edge in the past, today it’s incredibly polished and pure, with brilliant aromatics of cassis, black raspberries, licorice, crushed flowers and chalky minerality. Medium to full-bodied, ripe, yet elegant and balanced, it’s a classic Roussillon that can be enjoyed today or cellared for a decade.”
Masi Brolo di Campofiorin Oro Rosso Veronese IGT, Veneto 2013 750ML ($29.95) $19 special
Wine Advocate 91 points “A good value wine, the 2013 Brolo Campofiorin Oro opens to a velvety dark appearance and shows thick layers of dried fruit, prune, spice and leather. The intensity is strong, yet it remains a clear step below Amarone in terms of power and muscle. This vintage offers good structure at the back with light touches of sweet and sun-dried fruit. This is a great wine to pair with barbecued meat.”
Thanks for reading!