72 Hour Subscriber-Only Special
We’re Mad For Magnums
10% off All In Stock Magnums!
Cannot be combined with other discounts
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We will apply it here before charging
It’s officially holiday party/dinner season. The weather has turned brisk and the festive feeling is back. When we host parties and big-to-do’s, we love to make a magnum (or two) the feature of the evening. Sure, you could just buy a couple 750’s and call it a night, but the site of an oversized bottle of something special being passed around really helps make the night feel memorable in a way that two smaller bottles never will. Large formats just scream generosity—of spirit and of wine.
To make your holiday partying a little bit easier, we’re offering Newsletter Subscribers 10% off on all 1.5L bottles (that’d be magnums) through the end of the weekend. No matter your price range, we’ve got you covered (we’ve got mags from $36 to $1799)—there are over 115 different magnums in stock right now! Please note, that the sale prices won’t display on our website—this deal is for our newsletter subscribers only—but we’ll manually apply it before we finalize your order.
To head straight to our website and see all of the magnums in stock now, just click here. or just search for “1.5L” in the webstore.
From the low to the high end, these are a few of the highlights of our selection of magnums:
Chateau Puech-Haut Saint-Drezery Prestige Rose, Languedoc-Roussillon 2016 1.5L ($49.95) Displayed Price: $39, Your Price: $35.10
Wine Advocate 92 points “Beautiful as always, the 2016 Saint Drezery Prestige Rose offers clean, crisp notes of white peach, strawberries and hints of flowers. It’s a terrific, medium-bodied, elegant beauty to buy by the case.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Petrolo Torrione Valdarno di Sopra, Tuscany 2010 1.5L ($69.95) Displayed Price: $59, Your Price: $53.10
Wine Advocate 93 points “The 2010 Torrione is exception and a very reasonable value. It opens with elegant richness and soft tones of black cherry, licorice, spice and dark leather. The style is opulent and confident for this mostly Sangiovese-based wine. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2024.”
Robert Parker 100 points “Just beginning to come around and strut its enormous potential, this wine at age 15 has been evolving like a glacier. The wine has an inky, opaque, plum/purple color and a stunningly rich nose of mulberries, bramble berries, blackberries, licorice and incense as well as touches of toast and graphite. Fabulously concentrated and full-bodied, with a multidimensional mouthfeel, this profound Pavie is in mid-adolescence. It should evolve and continue to drink well for at least another 30-40 years. This is clearly the first compelling effort made by the Perse family.” 8/2015
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 Night (December 10th) at 11:59PM Pacific
Vietti Castiglione, Barolo DOCG 2013 750ML ($59.95) $44 specialCase-6 Vietti Castiglione, Barolo DOCG 2013 750ML ($299.95) $249 special (that’s only $41.50/bottle and the lowest listed price on the West Coast!)
Antonio Galloni – Vinous 93+ points “The 2013 Barolo Castiglione is rich, powerful and intense, especially for what is the estate’s entry-level Barolo. Dark cherry, plum, spice, new leather and menthol are all used together. Intense and voluptuous, the Castiglione shows the richer, more intense side of the vintage. Time in the glass helps release the aromatics and the brighter side of Nebbiolo. Quite simply, the 2013 is a super Barolo Castiglione that is starting to close the qualitative gap with the single vineyard Barolos.”
Monica Larner – Wine Advocate 93+ points “The 2013 Barolo Castiglione is a terrific success story. This is the estate’s bread and butter Barolo. Fruit is sourced throughout the Castiglione Falletto township. The wine is consistent and steady, offering amazing value and quality with each new release. The nose is generous and full. It imparts fresh fruit and dark cherry aromas with tar, smoke and licorice at the back. Evident structure gives the wine a firm backbone and will carry it through the next decade of cellar aging.”
Domaine Lafage Bastide Miraflors, IGP Cotes Catalanes 2015 750ML ($17.95) $16 special
Jeb Dunnuck – Wine Advocate 94 points “This wine is almost too good to be true. A blend of 70% Syrah and 30% Grenache that was brought up in concrete tanks (Grenache) and demi-muids (Syrah), the 2015 Bastide Miraflors Vieilles Vignes reminded me of a mini Syrah from California’s Manfred Krankl (yes I just compared a $14 Syrah to Sine Qua Non). It’s a ripe, sexy, heady beauty that exhibits a deep, purple color as well as killer notes of smoked meats, chocolate, blackberry and black raspberries. Deep, unctuous, open knit and layered, it continues to change in the glass, has a seamless and silky profile, and not a hard edge to be found. It’s a sensational value that needs to be tasted to be believed. Drink it anytime over the coming 2-4 years.”
Oregon
Belle Pente Estate Reserve Pinot Noir, Yamhill-Carlton District 2014 750ML ($59.95) $49 specialBelle Pente Estate Reserve Pinot Noir, Yamhill-Carlton District 2014 1.5L ($149.95) $119 special
Winery note “This terrific young wine was a star of the show at the International Pinot Noir Celebration last summer, and is just reaching the beginning of what will surely be a long drinking window. True to its Yamhill-Carlton appellation, the wine shows concentrated, dark fruit flavors and aromas accented with notes of fresh herbs and flowers. It is one of those rare vintages that offers early appeal as well as the potential for 10-20 years in the cellar. So put a case (or two!) away and drink a bottle every year until it’s gone. You’ll be glad you did!”
Wine Advocate 91-93 points “The 2014 Pinot Noir Abbey Ridge Unfiltered has a crisp and minerally bouquet. Apparently they have decided not to use any Pommard clone here, as it was not providing the density that it usually imparts. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, blackberry and boysenberry fruit, good backbone here, a fine bead of acidity with a very focused, elegant finish that lingers in the mouth. Very fine, very classy.”
Wine Advocate 92-94 points “The 2014 Pinot Noir Clos Electrique has the most Burgundian bouquet from barrel with gorgeous, detailed brambly red fruit that blossoms from the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, finely judged acidity, plenty of redcurrant and raspberry fruit with a harmonious and quite effortless finish that leaves a minerally residue in the mouth. Not powerful, but it does not need to be. This is exquisite Pinot Noir.”
#42 Wine Of The Year Wine Spectator Top 100 2017
Wine Spectator 91 points “Firm and focused, with cinnamon notes floating around red berry and floral flavors, finishing with gentle persistence against lively acidity and fine tannins. Best from 2018 through 2022. 3,100 cases made.”
Elevee ‘Elevee Vineyard’ Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills 2014 750ML ($47.95) $39 special
Wine Spectator 92 points “Light and expressive, layering cinnamon accents among the raspberry, rose petal and white pepper flavors on a sleek and polished frame. Lingers with ease and finesse. Drink now through 2022.”
Winery note “This wine reveals cherries, raspberries, sweet tobacco, cedar cigar box, violets, and powdered perfume, with hints of baking spice, around a mineral core. This is a medium body wine, with lively acidity, and borad, fine, velvety tannin. The long finish lingers with a chorus of raspberries, fading violet petals, and Dundee dust. The 2014 wine growing season began very early, with budbreak on April 14th and bloom on June 5th. Warm and dry conditions continued though August. The early, warm year shifted the ripening period to the warmest part of the year. Early action in the vineyard, combined with the density of our site, tempered these conditions allowing us to produce this elegant and graceful wine.”
Jeb Dunnuck – Wine Advocate 94-96 points “Like with the Syrah, the new 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Powerline is a new cuvee based around a vineyard in the southern part of Walla Walla. Harvested from tiny yields and aged in mostly neutral barrels, this full-bodied, luxuriously textured, seamless beauty gives up lots of classic Cabernet notes of creme de cassis, licorice, toasted spice and graphite. There’s an undeniably sexy style here, and while it will certainly be approachable on release, my money’s on it evolving gracefully for 15-20 years. [Going forward, the K Vintners label will be for the Rhone inspired blends, and all Bordeaux blends will be moved to the Wines of Substance label.]”
Wine Enthusiast 92 points – Editor’s Choice “Delicious lemon-meringue aromas make a great start for this medium-bodied Chardonnay-based wine. Flavors are lively, lemony, with baking-spice accents. A buttery, creamy element carries into the lingering, tangy finish.”
Domaine Leflaive Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru, Cote de Beaune 2015 750ML ($799.95) $699 specialWine Spectator 96 points “An appealing mix of lemon cake, peach, citronella, floral and stone flavors, this white is light-footed, yet intense and luminescent. Beautifully integrated acidity drives the long finish, where elements of mineral, citrus and spice linger. Best from 2020 to 2032.”
Burghound 93-95 points “Don’t Miss! A pungent and more expressive nose offers up a broad assortment of aromas that include notes of matchstick, white orchard fruit and in particular white peach, exotic tea and plenty of citrus nuances. The mouth feel of the big-bodied flavors is notably more refined than usual yet the underlying power of a fine Bâtard is certainly present and especially so on the hugely long, firm and built-to-age finish. In a word, impressive.”
Domaine Leflaive Bienvenues-Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru, Cote de Beaune 2015 750ML ($699.95) $599 special
Wine Spectator 96 points “A picture of power and restraint, this white evokes peach, melon, lemon cake and stone flavors. Turns more elegant, gliding to a lingering conclusion. Cuts a swath of lemon and mineral notes on the extended aftertaste. Best from 2021 to 2032.”
Burghound 92-95 points “Don’t Miss! As is often the case this evidences a similar aromatic profile to that of the Pucelles and in particular with respect to the honeysuckle character. While there is a bit more size, density and mid-palate volume to the middle weight plus flavors they manage to retain the same heightened sense of refinement and particularly so on the sneaky long and focused finish. This is potentially really fine juice.”
Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin La Grande Dame Brut, Champagne 2006 750ML ($169.95) $99 specialJohn Gilman 94+ points “The final blending of the 2006 La Grande Dame was completed prior to Dominique Demarville joining the team at Veuve Clicquot, so we will have to wait for the release of the 2008 version to see his impact on this bottling. The 2006 Grande Dame is a blend of fifty-three percent pinot noir and forty-seven percent chardonnay and was finished with a dosage of eight grams per liter. The wine is excellent, wafting from the glass in a complex blend of apple, pear, wheat toast, fine minerality, a touch of smokiness and a nice note of caraway seed in the upper register. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, deep and complex, with elegant mousse, fine focus and grip and a very long, vibrant and zesty finish. This is drinking beautifully, but has the balance to age long and gracefully as well. High class juice. 2016-2040.”
Champagne Guide 96 points “(disgorged early 2014; 53% pinot noir, largely from Verzy and Verzenay, with a touch of Bouzy, Ambonnay and Ay; 47% chardonnay, predominantly from Avize, Oger and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger; 8g/L dosage). In response to the generous, rounded, supple 2006 season, Demarville’s predecessor, Jacques Peters, increased the share of chardonnay in his final La Grande Dame. Demarville confessed to some nervousness at launching the 2006 after the caliber of the linear and refined 2004. The two seasons certainly stand in contrast, with the 2006 already much more approachable and immediate. It launches confidently into generous, rich ginger, honey, toast, roast nuts and brioche, well into its phase of secondary evolution, yet in no way broad or developed. Citrus-zest liveliness defines a honed focus, while a fine chalk mineral structure keeps the finish lively and energetic.”
Wine Advocate 94 points “The prestigious 2006 La Grande Dame is made from 47% Chardonnay and 53% Pinot Noir, and assembles the fruit of eight grand cru villages. Very intense and complex on the nose, this is a full-bodied, round, rich and mouth-filling, but also refined prestige cuvée; it reveals a fascinating purity, precision and freshness. The finish is long and complex, and shows a spicy minerality. There are coffee beans, bread and toast aromas in the aftertaste. This comes highly recommended.”
Wine Spectator 94 points “A waft of spring blossom draws you into this elegant Champagne, whose subtle notes of poached quince, toasted brioche and mandarin orange gracefully ride the satiny mousse, supported by a vibrant backbone of acidity. Disgorged February 2016. Drink now through 2029.”
The average price is $155
Josh Raynolds-Vinous 91-93 points “Dark ruby. Aromas and flavors of ripe red and blue fruits pick up floral and peppery spice nuances as the wine opens up. Smooth and expansive on the palate, showing very good depth as well as energy and spicy back-end lift. The gently gripping, very persistent finish leaves behind hints of candied flowers and licorice.”
Ian D’agata – Vinous 95 points “Bright dark golden-yellow with orange tinges. Enticing aromas of very ripe tangerine jelly, orange oil, white flowers, raisins, figs, marzapan and honey. Rich, dense and suave, with a creamy almost unctuous mouthfeel and flavors that are very similar to the aromas. Closes long and extremely dense, with repeating caramel apple, honey and peach flavors. One of the richest, creamiest Ben Ryés in memory, but a touch more acidity might have provided better lift and in that case I would have scored this even higher. Still, this is an absolute knockout, and you’ll never guess it has 14.5% alcohol.”
WillaKenzie Estate ‘Triple Black Slopes’ Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2014 750ML ($69.95) $59 pre-arrival special
The average price is $68
La Jota Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Howell Mountain 2014 750ML ($99.95) $79 pre-arrival specialRobert Parker 95 points “The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon is 75.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc and the rest Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec, aged in 89% new French oak. The wine displays the great fruit that is possible from these two sites owned by the Jacksons. It has an opaque purple color, a big, sweet kiss of crème de cassis and blackberry with a touch of lead pencil shavings, vanilla and incense. It is full-bodied and dense, with moderately high tannins but beautiful sweetness and fruit. Drink it over the next 25-30 years.”
The average price nationally is $98
Robert Parker 95+ points “From a nearby Rutherford Vineyard, the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Sycamore Vineyard (located at the very end of Bella Oaks Lane in the foothills of the Mayacamas Mountains) is a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5.7% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Merlot and Petit Verdot, but also aged 28 months in French oak. Notes of Christmas fruitcake, graphite, blackcurrant and black cherry are present in this wine, which is full-bodied and powerful, with high levels of tannin, amazing structure, but profound depth and richness. This baby needs to be cellared for a good 8-10 years and drunk over the following 35-50.”
The next best price is $150
96% Syrah, 4 % Petit Sirah
100% Sara Lee’s Vineyard – Sonoma County
Domaine Marc Colin et Fils Chassagne-Montrachet Les Encegnieres 2015 750ML ($69.95) $59 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 90-92 points “The 2015 Chassagne Montrachet les Encegnieres was matured in 20% new oak with 30% aged in foudres. It offers quite a complex array of scents: citrus peel, oyster shell, wet granite and a subtle fumé-like aroma. It seemed relatively mercurial in the glass compared to its peers. The palate is very well balanced with fine acidity, good body and depth here with fine tension and energy displayed on the finish. This should become a very satisfying Chassagne-Montrachet punching at premier cru quality.”
Domaine Marc Colin et Fils Les Castets, Saint-Aubin Premier Cru 2015 750ML ($59.95) $49 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 89-91 points “The 2015 Saint Aubin 1e Cru Les Castets, matured for ten months in barrel with 20% new oak, has a very generous and controlled bouquet with hints of brioche and grass clippings infusing the citrus fruit that contains great energy. The palate is very well balanced with a more peachy opening than the Clos des Meix, gently unrolling with a slightly honeyed second half that betrays the warmth of the growing season. Very fine, indeed.”
Neal Martin – Wine Advocate 97 points “[Reviewed July 2016] Tasted at the Pontet-Canet vertical in London, the 2005 Château Pontet-Canet has long been one of the stars of the vintage and this might well be the best of over a dozen showings of this wine. However, do not expect ostentation on the nose. This is 2005 and like many wines of this vintage, even with considerable decanting, it remained broody and introspective on the nose, as if it is checking you out and seeing if you are worthy. Once you have been accepted, then it swings the doors open to reveal gorgeous scents of blackberry, briary and cassis fruit, perhaps a little more sous-bois than I have noticed compared to previous bottles. The palate is medium-bodied, but dense and structured—certainly a more masculine Pontet-Canet built for long-term ageing. Yet it retains marvelous freshness and vitality all the way through to the pencil-lead, quite saline finish. I suspect that the 2009 Pontet-Canet is more approachable than the 2005, so heeding Robert Parker’s sage advice, afford this up to ten years in your cellar and then reap the rewards of patience.”
Wine Spectator 96 points – #7 Wine of the Year in 2008 – “Black in color, with aromas of blackberry, black licorice, tar, mineral and fresh flowers. Full-bodied and powerful, with ultrafine tannins that last for minutes on the palate. A polished, thought-provoking wine. Shows wonderful purity of Cabernet Sauvignon. Best after 2014. 20,830 cases made.”
Brovia Barolo
Fairly often, I stop and look at a wine on the shelf that’s not selling well and I think, “you know, if you gave it one, maybe two extra points, which really is within the margin of error, it’d be gone by now.” Brovia’s 2012 Barolo goes a step beyond that—if you look at the text of the Galloni review (which, you know, is what every wine reviewer “wants” you to do) it’s a pretty clear winner. The review reads like a 92+ point wine and, having had my share of Brovia Barolo, there’s no doubt in my mind that this is one of the better values in the Barolo category. But AG tagged the wine with a barely sub-90 score, and so even though a lot of Barolo customers claim that they don’t care too much about the points, we’ve still got nearly three cases of it. So here’s the deal—if you’re in the market for sub $50 Barolo, for yourself or a gift, grab a bottle (or a case) of the Brovia Normale. Take my word for it, or just ignore the number in the front and read the rest of the review—this is a delicious, traditionally made wine from one of the best regarded producers in Falletto/Serralunga.
Brovia Barolo DOCG, Piedmont 2012 750ML ($51.95) $46 special, 32 bottles in stock now
Antonio Galloni “Brovia’s 2012 Barolo is classy, polished and absolutely delicious. With a little bit of air, the 2012 can be enjoyed now, but it also has enough freshness and balance to drink well for at least a handful of years. I have seen Brovia’s straight Barolo age well, so I won’t be surprised if that turns out to be the case here as well. Floral and red stone fruit notes give the 2012 much of its freshness and mid-weight feel. This is an especially lifted, gracious Barolo for the vintage.”
Star of Marsannay
(Bringing the Heat in 2015)
We’ve carried the wines from Phillipe Collotte for a few years now and each release reminds us of both what a star he is and how good the wines from Marsannay and Fixin can be. These are stunning values from Burgundy, made from “humble” terroir, but old vines, and with a steadied hand. Additionally, the newly released 2015’s show why this is the exact sort of vintage to buy.
Capital “G” Great Vintages, like 2015, are wonderful times to go exploring the less famous villages of Burgundy. Historically, the vineyard (and village) classificiations have been based on consistent ripeness and power, as well as complexity, so in a warm year the “lesser” sites often show much more dramatic improvement over their baseline quality than a “great” vineyard will. The wines that arrive tomorrow are perfect examples of this—much better than you’d expect any from the cru’s involved.
We don’t mean to suggest that Phillippe Collotte is some hack winemaker who got lucky in 2015, either. He’s a serious talent with old vines and a very attentive touch in the cellar. These are wines that over deliver in every vintage (witness his string of 92 point scores for the 2014’s…) but are on another plane this year. We’ve got a bit (ok, more than a bit) of everything coming in and while these wines have yet to be reviewed, we expect stocks to be quite low by the time they’re scored—the wines are delicious and won’t be a secret for long.
Just Arrived!
Domaine Collotte Fixin, Cote de Nuits 2015 750ML ($34.95) $28 special
Importer Note “The Fixin is from two parcels of Village Fixin both both with eastern exposition on calcareous clay soil. Aged in oak, 25% new, to round the tannins.”
Domaine Collotte Fixin Les Crais de Chene, Cote de Nuits 2015 750ML ($44.95) $36 special
Importer Note “The [Fixin] Crais de Chene is from 40+ year old vines on clay-limestone soil. The vines face east to gather the sweet morning sun. Due to the old age of the vines, the grapes are very small and concentrated with flavor. Completely destemmed, the wine is aged in barrel, 30% new, for 12 months.”
Domaine Collotte Marsannay Cuvee Vieilles Vignes, Cote de Nuits 2015 750ML ($29.95) $24 special
Importer Note “The Marsannay Cuvée Vieilles Vignes is assembled from five different terroirs of the appellation: “Combereau”, “Favières”, ” Grasses Têtes “, ” Boivin “and “Récilles” on vines of about 50 years old. Completely destemmed, the wine is fermented and aged in tank.”
Domaine Collotte Marsannay En Combereau, Cote de Nuits 2015 750ML ($34.95) $28 special
Importer Note “The Marsannay Combereau is from the village of Couchey. The 50+ year old vines and shallow soil of crinoidal limestone on bedrock produces very ripe and healthy grapes. Aged in oak, 25% new, to round the tannins. The Combereau Marsannay is a wine with strong and complex aromatics with well-balanced tannin potential.”
Domaine Collotte Marsannay Les Champsalomon, Cote de Nuits 2015 750ML ($34.95) $28 special
Importer Note “The Marsannay Champsalomon is from the village of Couchey. The 40+ year old vines are on the marl soil of the Ostrea Acuminata.”
Domaine Collotte Marsannay Les Boivins, Cote de Nuits 2015 750ML ($34.95) $28 special
Importer Note “The Marsannay Boivins is lieu-dit in Marsannay Villages, on vines over 40 years and varying limestone soil. Aged in oak, 25% new, to round the tannins.”
Thanks for reading!