Less Than 24 Hours Left for Flash Sale Deals
On Krug, Quilceda Creek,
Delas, and Merkelbach!
Featured New Arrival: Classic Napa Cabernet QPR
Trending Wines
A Perpetually Impressive Barolo
Our Kind of Six Packs, Continued
Collector’s Corner: The Peerless Rousseau
Missed Yesterday’s Flash Sale Email? You can view the full offer here.
“14 years old but still on the rise…” – Stephan Reinhardt, Wine Advocate
“already a joy to drink…, though it will continue age gracefully for many, many decades to come” – John Gilman
Antonio Galloni 97+ points “Krug’s 2004 Vintage is absolutely mesmerizing. Layers of bright, chiseled fruit open up effortlessly as the wine fleshes out with time in the glass. Persistent and beautifully focused, with a translucent sense of energy, the 2004 captures all the best qualities of the year. Moreover, the 2004 is clearly superior to the consistently underwhelming 2002 and the best Krug Vintage since 1996. Readers
who can find it should not hesitate, as it is a magical bottle.”Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 97 points “Combining subtleness with complexity, the coolish Krug 2004 Brut opens with a highly elegant, fascinatingly clear, bright and refreshing bouquet of ripe (apple) fruits. Dense and round, with a delicate mineral soul, the pure but perfectly balanced 2004 reveals great finesse and weightless elegance with a long and round finish. This is a gorgeous Krug vintage that is 14 years old but still on the rise. Tasted from ID 316034 in New York in November 2018.”-SR
Decanter 97 points “This is the current and latest vintage release from Krug, and is a fitting successor to 2002, though it’s very different in style – unusually, the blend contains more Chardonnay than Pinot Noir. Despite this, it is hallmark Krug with its oxidative profile. It has a luminous freshness and good density without heaviness. There’s a controlled power to this poised, vinous, linear 2004, displaying candied fruits, minerals, gingerbread, white chocolate, caramel and marzipan. This has a long, dry autolytic finish, great balance and lovely bead. Disgorged just after the next, and very different, vintage we tasted, the Krug 2003. Drinking Window 2017-2037.”
John Gilman 97 points “The new release of 2004 Krug is absolutely beautiful and is already quite elegant and open on both the nose and palate and is drinking with great finesse. I had expected this wine to be a bit more steely in structure out of the blocks, but the refinement of the blend this year has produced a wine that is already a joy to drink at age thirteen, though it will continue age gracefully for many, many decades to come. The cépages in 2004 is thirty-nine percent Chardonnay, thirty-seven percent Pinot Noir and twenty-four percent Pinot Meunier, with the wine having been disgorged in the winter of 2016. The bouquet jumps from the glass in a refined mix of apple, a touch of walnut, warm bread, lavender, a superb base of soil tones and a topnote of smokiness. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and utterly seamless, with vibrant acids, great focus and grip, a lovely core, refined mousse and a very long, complex, racy and energetic finish. There is marvelous precision here on both the nose and palate, not to mention a sense of harmony and grace that is fairly rare in the 2004 vintage. Chapeau! 2017-2060.”
James Suckling 97 points “This is an extremely fresh edition and remains in a restrained mode with an intense serve of Chardonnay’s lemon citrus dominating the nose alongside lime zest, bright florals, grassy elements, fresh dough, white stones and very subtle background spice. The palate has a svelte and elegant shape. Smoother than the 2002, it shares the same quality of precision but not the raging power of that vintage. The poise is unquestionable, the wine very reserved, with plenty of lemon-infused citrus flavors, hints of fresh cashew and a lot of potential. Acidity holds superbly, the dosage is exactly where it should be. This is a classic release. It’s all about Chardonnay. Best from 2022 and will mature gracefully in linear style in bottle for several decades.”
The average price nationally is $288
Case-6 Delas Freres Saint-Joseph Francois de Tournon, Rhone 2015 750ML ($279.95) Was $199, Now $179 Delas Sale Special (that’s only $29.83/bottle and the lowest listed price in the USA today!)
Wine Advocate 93 points “Inky and concentrated, the 2015 Saint-Joseph Francois de Tournon is no easy-drinking Saint-Joseph. It’s smoky, herbal and ashy all at once, yet it’s buoyed by ample black cherry fruit and vibrant acidity. This medium to full-bodied Syrah has plenty of tannins, but they’re ultimately silky and most apparent on the long, licorice-tinged finish. This is approachable now but should be even better in 3 years and should drink well for at least another 10 after that.”
Jeb Dunnuck 93 points “Both Saint Joseph releases are brilliant in 2015. The 2015 Saint Joseph François De Tournon comes vines around Tournon, Mauves, Saint-Jean-de-Muzols, and Vion, and is always destemmed and aged in 30% new barrels. This full-bodied, rounded, sexy beauty shows the power and fruit of the vintage. With classic notes of black and blue fruits, violets, incense and pepper, drink this textured, expansive, terrific Saint Joseph over the coming 10-15 years.”
Josh Raynolds-Vinous 92 points “Dark ruby. High-pitched red and dark berry and violet aromas show excellent focus and pick up hints of cracked pepper and sandalwood with air. Sappy and seamless in texture, offering fresh black raspberry and bitter cherry flavors and a hint of candied licorice. Turns sweeter on the penetrating, impressively long finish, which features smooth, even tannins and lingering boysenberry and floral qualities.”
Now it’s even lower!
The average price is $50
Palengat has been a backbone vineyard as part of the blend for the main bottling Cabernet, but the single-vineyard iteration is delicious, as well. The vineyard is in the Horse Heaven Hills and shows it, with a distinct Bordeaux-inspired vibe. Married to Quilceda’s big, rich, powerful style, you get a wine that’s absolutely gripping. At the best price in the country, you’re going to want to stock up.
(Plus, we’re getting more of the flagship Quilceda Creek Cabernet in on the 20th and are dropping the price on that wine, as well, if you’re looking to stock up.)
Quilceda Creek Palengat Vineyard Red, Horse Heaven Hills 2016 750ML ($179.95) Quilceda Creek Sale Price: $133 pre-arrival special
Jeb Dunnuck 96 points
The average price is $149
Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley 2016 750ML ($219.95) Was $199, Quilceda Creek Sale Price Now: $165 – more stock arriving Friday, December 20th!
Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley 2016 1.5L ($479.95) $449 special, 1 magnum in stock
Jeb Dunnuck 98+ points “The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Colombia Valley is a beautiful wine and has a more classic profile than the more sexy, massive 2015. Beautiful notes of creme de cassis, lead pencil shavings, graphite, dried herbs, and loamy earth all flow to a full-bodied, incredibly pure and perfectly balanced Cabernet Sauvignon that has no hard edges, a deep, concentrated mid-palate, good acidity, and a great, great finish. It reminds me of the 2002 with its uber classic, balanced yet broad and powerful style.”
Stephen Tanzer – Vinous 97 points “Moderately saturated dark red with ruby tones. Classic, complex Cabernet scents of black fruits, cocoa powder and sexy herbs lifted by a strong mineral component; the high-quality Taransaud and Darnajou barrels come through clearly but not loudly. Wonderfully smooth, tight-grained wine with gloriously ripe but not roasted flavors of wild blackberry, cassis, bitter chocolate and minerals. Harmonious ripe acidity gives this wine outstanding finesse and lifts the fruit. I find this wine more relaxed than the superb 2015 version, perhaps because there was little in the way of vine stress in ’16. Perhaps most impressive in the early going on the extremely long, slowly building back end, which features noble tannins, great suavity and outstanding lift. (3.97 pH; made from Palengat, Champoux and Wallula vineyards, all in Horse Heaven Hills, but the label for this wine has said Columbia Valley for a long time; in an earlier era the label used the even more generic Washington State appellation)”
Buy any 12+ in-stock bottles of Merkelbach, we’ll give you a 15% discount!
Subscriber Special ends Saturday, December 14th at 6 PM
If you order online the discount will not appear in your online shopping cart,
We will apply it manually before processing your order.
We adore the wines that Rolf and Alfred Merkelbach make, irrationally and perhaps more than any other grower in the Mosel. These are wines that are as old-school as you can find for the region (the brothers are in their 80’s and haven’t changed styles since they started) and they capture the delicacy and etherealness of Riesling like few other wines we’ve tried. We’re offering you a nice discount for stocking up on these—all wines that will age beautifully but are drinking like a Vivaldi sonata right now.
See all the Merkelbach wines (in stock and pre-arrival) in our webstore!
Buy any 6-11 in-stock bottles of Merkelbach, we’ll give you a 10% discount!
Buy any 12+ in-stock bottles of Merkelbach, we’ll give you a 15% discount!
Subscriber Special ends Saturday, December 14th at 6 PM
If you order online the discount will not appear in your online shopping cart,
We will apply it manually before processing your order.
Featured New Arrival
Classic Napa Cabernet QPR
Snowden is one of the great names in Napa Cabernet, making wines that combine classical power with freshness and intricate fruit. Their two Cabs are both excellent and excellent values—it’s rare to find a bottle under $100 that can compete with the “Brothers” bottling and under $50 wines that are close to the Ranch’s quality are nonexistent.
Both of these bottlings arrived today and would make great additions to a holiday table—or perfect gifts. These are classic bottlings and showcase what’s been beloved about Napa for generations.
In Stock Now:
Snowden Vineyards ‘Brothers Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2016 750ML ($89.95) $79 special
Case-12 Snowden Vineyards ‘Brothers Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2016 750ML ($1049.95) $849 special (that’s only $70.75/bottle!)
Antonio Galloni 96+ points “The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Brothers is the best wine I have tasted from Diana Snowden-Seysses. Rich, explosive and savory, the 2016 dazzles with intensity in all of its dimensions. Graphite, smoke, savory herbs and spice notes wrap around a core of dark fruit in a vertical, towering Cabernet Sauvignon that captures all the vintage has to offer.”
Wine Spectator 94 points “Offers a tasty core of plum and blackberry fruit, backed by lively anise and apple wood notes. Restrained overall, with an alluring freshness and a subtle charcoal hint lingering deftly at the end. Drink now through 2032. 639 cases made.”
Case-12 Snowden Vineyards The Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2016 750ML ($719.95) $519 special (that’s only $43.25/bottle!)
Antonio Galloni 93 points “Snowden’s 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon The Ranch is gorgeous. Dark, powerful and beautifully structured, the 2016 Ranch is a huge overachiever. In 2016, the Ranch is a wine of real power, gravitas and character. Black cherry, plum, lavender and savory herbs all develop in the glass, but it is the wine’s persistence and overall balance that stands out in this deeply flavorful, classically built Cabernet from Snowden. Best of all, the 2016 is a superb wine for the money.”
James Suckling 92 points “Elderberries, blueberries, blackberries and hints of hazelnuts and walnuts. Medium to full body, focused acidity and a medium-chewy finish. Drink in 2022.”
Trending Wines
Bevan Cellars Tench Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Oakville 2016 750ML ($249.95) $199 special
Wine Advocate 97+ points “The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Tench Vineyard is very deep purple-black in color with an earthy, meaty, broody nose with notes of mocha over baked plums and crème de cassis plus wafts of spice box and mincemeat. The palate is full-bodied, concentrated, rich and earthy with great vibrancy on the finish. 839 cases produced.”
Jeb Dunnuck 97 points “From a steep hillside in Oakville, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Tench Vineyard offers a more savory, masculine, layered style as well as a huge nose of red and black fruits, dried herbs, chocolate, and earth. It hits the palate with a full-bodied, mouthfilling style that carries plenty of tannins, a deep, concentrated mid-palate, and a great finish. I like it today, yet it’s going to continue drinking brilliantly for two decades.”
Dolcetto grown in two cru Barolo vineyards shows how good the grape can be.
G.D. Vajra Coste & Fossati Dolcetto d’Alba, Piedmont 2017 750ML ($29.95) $24 special
Antonio Galloni 93 points “The 2017 Dolcetto d’Alba Coste & Fossati is a wine of extraordinary and arresting beauty. Intense and yet also remarkably delineated, the Coste & Fossati is a terrific example of the heights Dolcetto can reach in skilled hands. Readers will find a gorgeous, beautifully layered wine endowed with tremendous energy and focus. Dark plum, graphite, smoke, menthol and licorice all build in this super-expressive and nuanced wine from Vajra. I loved it.”
Fedellos do Couto ‘Bastarda’, Ribeira Sacra 2016 750ML ($49.95) $41.90 special
Luis Gutierrez – Wine Advocate 95 points “Produced with a mixture of Bastarda/Merenzao/Trousseau grapes from two different subzones of Ribeira Sacra Riberas do Sil and Bibei, the 2016 Bastarda is better than any previous vintage. It fermented with full clusters and matured in a combination of used French oak barrels and concrete vats for seven months. It was really singing when I tasted it, with ethereal notes of rose water, wild herbs and small berries, aromatic, perfumed, elegant and subtle. The palate is as expressive as the nose, with ultra fine tannins and a stony, dry sensation that gives it seriousness and length. This is a stunning expression of the grape. Bravo! 6,500 bottles were filled in June 2017.”
Charles Heidsieck Brut, Champagne NV 750ML ($59.95) $41.90 special
William Kelley – Wine Advocate 92 points “($69) Based on the 2010 vintage and disgorged in 2018 with 11 grams per liter dosage, the latest release of the NV Brut Réserve incorporates fully 40% of reserve wines that average ten years of age. It’s an excellent Champagne, wafting from the glass with a complex bouquet of brioche, waxy lemon rind, mandarin and dried white flowers. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, rich but precise, with a brisk mousse, a generous core of fruit and a precise, elegantly chalky finish. This cuvée just goes from strength to strength, and for now, it remains a great value, considering its depth and complexity.”
Old school California Cabernet with just enough polish.
Bucklin Old Hill Ranch Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma County 2014 750ML ($39.95) $33 special
Winery note “The six-acre block of Cabernet Sauvignon was planted on Old Hill Ranch in 1983 by our neighbor who leased the vineyard until 2004. The original vines were planted on AXR rootsock, meaning that they are infected with phyloxera and their roots are compromised. The net effect is a very devigorated vine, producing low yields. The wines from this block tend towards austere and lean, harking back to Cabernets of yesteryear…”
Half bottles are fun and Rombauer at this price is a great buy.
Rombauer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2016 375ML ($39.95) $18 special
****Half bottle****
Wine Spectator 90 points “Warm blueberry, açaí berry and blackberry puree flavors form the core. Polished in feel, with melted licorice and sweet tobacco accents hanging on the finish. Drink now through 2024.”
Cordero di Montezemolo Monfalletto, Barolo DOCG 2014 750ML ($49.95) $33 special
James Suckling 93 points “A little lift with woody and floral aromas here. The base line red cherries run from nose to palate seamlessly. There’s also an attractive, compressed density to the tannins here. Good polish. This is promising. Try from 2022.”
Antonio Galloni 92 points “The 2014 Barolo Monfalletto is a powerful, deep wine, especially considering that it was bottled not long before this tasting. A somber, dark Barolo, the 2014 is laced with the essence of black cherry, spice, leather and underbrush. Although not massively tannic, it is inward, closed and also unusually potent. I would give it at least a few years to be at its best. The 2014 is a decidedly serious Monfalletto that speaks in a baritone register.”
Wine Enthusiast 92 points “Intense aromas of raspberry compote, forest floor, eucalyptus and oak-driven spice drive the nose on this fragrant red. On the firm, youthfully austere palate, assertive, fine-grained tannins provide support for Marasca cherry, licorice, mint and a note of French oak. Drink 2021–2026.”
Decanter 92 points “From this long established La Morra estate comes this imposing wine, heralded by its intense and pungent sour cherry nose. It’s rich, broad and fleshy, highly concentrated and spicy, showing admirable force and power without being aggressive. Despite the grip on the long finish, there’s a soft core of fruit at the heart of the wine.”
The next best price is $49.95
Dr. H. Thanisch Erben (VDP) Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Spatlese, Mosel 2016 750ML ($39.95) $33 special
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 92+ points “The 2016 Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Spätlese offers a clear, elegant nose with bright fruit, green asparagus and flinty aromas. Racy and lush on the palate, this is a refreshing, elegant but still pretty sweet Spätlese with crystalline, piquant acidity and structure. The finish is long and complex, but the wine needs a decade to integrate all its components into a fine and elegant Spätlese. Tasted March 2018.”
Mosel Fine Wines 92 points “The 2016er Badstube Spätlese offers a nice nose made of pear, white peach, cassis, minty herbs and a hint of whipped cream. The wine is nicely playful and loaded with white fruits and minerals on the palate. The finish is beautifully playful and complex. While still young, this hints at great potential. 2026-2041”
A Perpetually Impressive Barolo
Just Arrived, In Stock Now:
Mauro Molino Vigna Conca, Barolo DOCG 2015 750ML ($79.95) $59 special
Monica Larner – Wine Advocate 94 points “The Mauro Molino 2015 Barolo Conca is the most impressive and firmly compact of the wines presented this year from this estate in the picturesque, hilltop village of La Morra. Indeed, this wine showcases the textbook La Morra characteristics of fine fruit, elegant tannins and an elongated, streamlined mouthfeel. This Barolo floats forward over the palate with the grace of a snowy egret. It shows a glossy and polished approach that merits pause and consideration. Fermentation is in stainless steel and aging takes place in barrique. A mere 3,068 bottles were released.”
Also available in limited quantities, the 2013 Conca:
Mauro Molino Vigna Conca, Barolo DOCG 2013 750ML ($89.95) $59 special
Monica Larner-Wine Advocate 92 points “The 2013 Barolo Conca offers a powerful and savory approach. The nose is dark and luscious with generous fruit layering and balanced intensity. That fruit is tightly knit together with important acidity and a firm tannic structure that bodes well for the future cellar aging of this Barolo from La Morra.”
Wine Spectator 92 points “A firmly structured red, whose cherry, strawberry, leather and underbrush flavors are shy now. Balanced and elegant, needing time for the fruit to shine. A sun-kissed hay accent graces the finish. Best from 2021 through 2035. 245 cases made.”
We have 94 different Barolos in stock and available for purchase pre-arrival. You can view the entire list on our web store.
Our Kind of Six Packs
A great Rosso di Montalcino from the first name in Tuscan wine.
Case-6 Marchesi Antinori Pian delle Vigne Rosso di Montalcino, Tuscany 2016 750ML ($189.95) $144 special (that’s only $24/bottle!)
Marchesi Antinori Pian delle Vigne Rosso di Montalcino, Tuscany 2016 750ML ($31.95) $26 special
James Suckling 91 points “Shows good intensity on the nose and no shortage of fruitiness in the form of glazed cherries. Dried herbs and some ash, too. Full-bodied and chewy with a streak of refreshing acidity and bright red fruit. Drink now.”
Big, brooding and mystical—this is a wine of its own.
Case-6 Domaine Le Clos des Fees Cotes du Roussillon Villages 2015 750ML ($399.95) $299 special (that’s only $49.83/bottle!)
Domaine Le Clos des Fees Cotes du Roussillon Villages 2015 750ML ($79.95) $54.50 special
Wine Advocate 96 points “Eighteen months in new French oak barrels has given the 2015 Côtes du Roussillon Villages le Clos des Fées a certain tightness and discipline lacking in the Vieilles Vignes bottling. There’s still massive fruit and buried complexity, full body and rich tannins, but there’s also firmness of structure that shows the serious, age-worthy side of Bizeul’s winemaking. Vanilla and baking spices accent deep, dark cherries and plums, ending in a long, velvety finish.”
Case-6 Ferraton Pere & Fils Cornas Les Grands Muriers Rouge, Rhone 2015 750ML ($399.9) $319 special (that’s only $53.17/bottle!)
Ferraton Pere & Fils Cornas Les Grands Muriers Rouge, Rhone 2015 750ML ($69.95) $59 special
Decanter 98 points “Ferraton Père & Fils was established in 1946 by Jean Orëns Ferraton. His son, Michel, continued his work and added further to the range of wines. Today, Ferraton Père & Fils produces a huge range of Rhône wines from Hermitage to St-Péray, with added help from long-time friend Michel Chapoutier who, in 1998, introduced new appellations to the business, as well as creating a plot-selection approach and biodynamic practices. These changes have put Ferraton Père & Fils and winemaker Damien Brisset in the spotlight. Les Grands Mûriers is one of three Cornas wines produced. The vines are grown mainly on decomposed granite soils with the rest on clay and limestone. Gearoid Devaney MS: A classic Cornas that is brimming with ripe fruit and delicious spices. There is a beguiling blood-red meat and iron element here, and great energy and tension from the tannins. It needs time, but the finish is long. Simon Field MW: A traditional wine that is rigorous and magnificently unapproachable at present. It is tannic, firm and long; I am so pleased that this style still persists and flourishes – bravo! Matt Walls: Dense, herbal and oaky aromatics unfold elegantly onto a full-bodied, powerful and lush palate. It is full of plush fruit and muscular, thunderous power in an old-school style. There is a lot to enjoy here all the way to a long finish lengthened by fine tannins and piercing acidity. Drinking Window 2022 – 2034.”
Case-6 Ferruccio Deiana Sileno Cannonau di Sardegna Riserva, Sardinia 2014 750ML ($179.95) $146 special (that’s only $24.33/bottle!)
Ferruccio Deiana Sileno Cannonau di Sardegna Riserva, Sardinia 2014 750ML ($31.95) $27 special
Decanter 97 points “A lovely juicy fresh nose of sour cherry and red plum, the palate has a really plush feel with layers of rich concentrated red and black fruit, with herbal savoury hints and lovely gentle tannin.”
Case-6 Remelluri Gran Reserva, Rioja DOCa 2012 750ML ($599.95) $499 special (that’s only $83.17/bottle!)
Remelluri Gran Reserva, Rioja DOCa 2012 750ML ($99.95) $89 special
James Suckling 96 points “The DNA of Remelluri is here. Wild mountain herb character, structured and firm, these tannins are succulent and deeply expressive. Powerful and assertive red plums, wild cherries and roasting herbs with the oak sitting well. Power and balance. Try from 2021.”
Luis Gutierrez-Wine Advocate 94+ points “A blend of Tempranillo, Garnacha and Graciano, the 2012 Granja Remelluri Gran Reserva represents what they are aiming for with this wine, a classical expression of the place, the quintessence of the vineyards. The select their oldest vineyards and age the wine for a long time, coming back to those early years of a modern Rioja that has now turned into a classic. It has some dusty tannins, with good grip and length. It was bottled in 24,238 bottles after an élevage of 26 months. It has been in bottle since May 2015.”
Collector’s Corner
The Peerless Rousseau
The top wines Rousseau makes are their Clos de Beze, Ruchottes-Chambertin and Clos St. Jacques—all of which we’re featuring today. These are some of the pinnacles of Burgundy, up there with anything made by DRC, Roumier, Leroy or any of the other usual suspects, all with excellent provenance and in good condition. There are only small quantities of each bottling available, so if something strikes your fancy, don’t delay—it’s not often we can get these wines in.
In Stock Now:
Only one bottle available
Domaine Armand Rousseau Chambertin Clos-de-Beze Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits 2002 750ML ($2999.95) $2,699 special
Wine Advocate 94-96 points “The 2002 Chambertin Clos de Beze bursts with spicy red cherry aromas. This medium to full-bodied wine has an exceptionally spicy personality that is crammed with red licorice (Twizzlers), candied raspberries, Asian spices, and blackberries. Wonderfully focused and armed with substantial depth, this medium to full-bodied wine’s exceedingly long finish displays awesomely ripe tannin. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2020.”
Burghound 94 points “(with thanks to Steve Baum and opened from personal storage). While not nearly as reserved as it once was the beautifully spicy and well-layered nose is on the restrained side with a distinctly earthy character to the elegant mix of both red and dark pinot fruit aromas that are just now beginning to display secondary hints. There is fine concentration to the utterly delicious flavors that are exuberant, big, rich, round and seductively sappy before culminating in an explosive and strikingly persistent finish. This remains an exciting wine of exceptional purity and balance. For my taste this is very much still on the way up and while it can certainly be drunk with pleasure it seems quite clear that this is nowhere yet near its apogee and as such, I would recommend allowing this to continue to slumber. Multiple and consistent notes save for one bottle that was initially reduced but quickly opened up.”
Stephen Tanzer 94+ points “Good ruby-red. Black raspberry, licorice and chocolatey oak on the nose. Offers compelling lushness, sweetness and fat for a 2002; wonderfully harmonious from the outset. Very suave, clearly defined flavors of blackberry and blueberry retain their shape through to the very long aftertaste. Tannins are quite fine.”
Domaine Armand Rousseau Clos Saint-Jacques, Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru 2010 750ML ($1599.95) $1,399 special
Antonio Galloni 97 points “Rousseau’s 2010 Gevrey-Chambertin Clos St. Jacques takes things into the stratosphere. A model of extreme purity and grace, the Clos St. Jacques leaves the room speechless, and understandably so. Here the fruit is impossibly sweet, perfumed and resonant. If there is one wine in this tasting that encapsulates what makes Burgundy so compelling, this is it. In a word: magnificent!”
Burghound 95 points “Moderate amounts of wood frames wonderfully fresh, airy, perfumed and beautifully complex aromas of red currant, warm earth, stone, crushed herbs and spice hints. The excellent depth of the nose continues onto the equally cool and brilliantly refined mineral-inflected medium-bodied flavors that possess outstanding depth of material and simply stunning length. We gave this an hour’s worth of air first and it helped enormously as it was quite closed at first. While I wouldn’t suggest opening a bottle now as there is sitll so much unrealized upside development potential remaining, if you do decide to pop one anytime soon, then be sure to decant it first for at least 30 minutes. In sum, this is a strikingly beautiful CSJ that should live for a very long time.”
Neal Martin-Wine Advocate 95-97 points “The 2010 Gevrey-Chambertin Clos St. Jacques flows across the palate with fabulous depth and richness. Dark red fruit, licorice, smoke and exotic spices all come together in the glass, while the intensity of the fruit covers every corner of the palate. This huge, powerful wine will require considerable patience, but it is impeccable, not to mention stunning in its beauty. Anticipated maturity: 2025-2045.”
Domaine Armand Rousseau Clos Saint-Jacques, Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru 2011 750ML ($999.95) $749 special
Stephen Tanzer 93+ points “Good full red. Spicy red berries, cherry, licorice and a hint of horseradish on the nose. Juicy, brisk and taut; not hugely fleshy but energetic and penetrating. Conveys an impression of density without weight in the manner of the best 2011s. Tightly wound and very backward, finishing with terrific spicy persistence. Eric Rousseau bottled his 2011s in April of 2013; his bottles now have the domain name embossed on the bottom of the glass.” ST
Domaine Armand Rousseau Clos Saint-Jacques, Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru 2013 750ML ($999.95) $779 special
Antonio Galloni 94-97 points “Rousseau’s 2013 Gevrey-Chambertin Clos St. Jacques possesses gorgeous aromatic lift and energy. Polished and refined throughout, the 2013 is super-expressive. Winemaker Frédéric Robert adds that the grapes were especially small in 2013, with virtually no juice. Once again, Rousseau’s Clos St. Jacques looks to be one of the wines of the vintage.”
Stephen Tanzer-Vinous 95+ points “Good deep red. Much less reduced on the nose than Ruchottes, offering captivating, high-pitched perfume of raspberry, rose petal, blood orange and crushed stone. On the palate, the tangy raspberry, red cherry and mineral flavors show a penetrating character and superb lift without any weightiness or hardness. Finishes with very fine-grained tannins and mounting floral perfume. This brisk, cool, aristocratic wine is built for a graceful evolution in bottle.”
Only one bottle available
Domaine Armand Rousseau Ruchottes-Chambertin Grand Cru ‘Clos des Ruchottes’ Monopole, Cote de Nuits 2010 750ML ($899.95) $799 special
Neal Martin-Wine Advocate 95-97 points “The 2010 Ruchottes-Chambertin is an intensely cool, reticent wine. The bouquet recalls the Mazis, but then the firm Ruchottes tannins set in. Ultimately the Ruchottes is built on purity, definition and nuance. The chiseled aromas and flavors possess stunning detail, but it will be some time before the 2010 is ready to drink. Still, I very much like the energy and drive. Bright, floral notes add lift and vibrancy on the finish. Anticipated maturity: 2025-2045.”
Only one bottle available
Domaine Armand Rousseau Ruchottes-Chambertin Grand Cru ‘Clos des Ruchottes’ Monopole, Cote de Nuits 2013 750ML ($799.95) $699 special
Burghound 92-95 points “A discreet touch of wood frames notably ripe but fresh aroma of dark currant, plum, truffle, earth and wet stone. There is outstanding delineation and intensity to the refined and pure medium-bodied flavors that are shaped by deceptively pliant tannins on the saline finish that seems to be constructed from liquid stone, all wrapped in a wonderfully long and pure finish. Textbook Ruchottes.”