Highlight New Arrivals: Cayuse Vineyards; May Sale Special Highlight: Delas Freres; Staff Pick: Matello 2011 and 2012 Souris; New Arrivals from Cayuse Winery; Illustrious Burgundy – Arriving May 17th; Roulot & Quintarelli Arriving May 26th; Muller-Catoir – Arriving Late May; May Sale Recap
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Highlight New Arrivals from Cayuse Vineyards
Cayuse Vineyards Camaspelo, Walla Walla Valley 2012 750ML ($119.95) $89 special, 3 bottles available
Wine Advocate 97 points “A blend of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon and 16% Merlot, the 2012 Camaspelo is more refined and elegant than the Lovers release, showing a seamless, elegant profile to go with lots of dark fruits, savory herbs, graphite and hints of flowers. While the nose is terrific, the palate is where this really shines and it’s full-bodied, concentrated and ultra-pure, with lots of fine tannin that keep the finish going. It should be at its best from 2018-2032+.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $95
The average price is $106
Cayuse Vineyards Flying Pig, Walla Walla Valley 2013 750ML ($149.95) $129 special, 3 bottles available
Wine Advocate 94-96 points “I loved the Merlot dominated 2013 Flying Pig, and it offers full-bodied richness and depth, as well as a stacked mid-palate, to go with classic plum, cassis, wild herbs and dried flower nuances. There’s tons of dry extract here, and the tannin is notable, yet ripe, all of which make me believe it will be long lived. Like the 2012, short-term cellaring will be the name of the game.” JD
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $159
The average price is $164
Cayuse Vineyards Cailloux Vineyard Syrah, Walla Walla Valley 2010 750ML ($149.95) $119 special, 3 bottles available
Wine Advocate 98 points “Coming from a cold, late vintage where the Syrah didn’t ripen until the first part of October, the 2010 Syrah Cailloux Vineyard showed spectacularly in the retrospective. Inky purple in color, it gives up classic floral qualities intermixed with ample olive tapenade, black raspberry, lavender, orange blossom and pepper on the nose. This gives way to a full-bodied, sexy, seamless and yet always elegant Syrah that has juicy acidity and ripe tannin kicking in on the finish. This was the first vintage where they moved part of the élevage to foudre, and this spent 16 months in roughly 15% new French oak.”
Wine Spectator 95 points “Dark and smoky, with bright blackberry and plum lighting up the core, balanced by black olive and stone overtones. This red matches intensity with sleek balance. Drink now through 2020”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $155
Cayuse Vineyards ‘Widowmaker’ En Chamberlin Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla Valley 2011 750ML ($149.95) $119 special, 3 bottles available
Wine Enthusiast 97 points “Cellar Selection. This glorious, evocative wine calls up a rich and sensuous catalog of scents and flavors. Black truffle, sea salt, clean earth, fungus, strawberry, liquid rocks, umami, tar…? the words pour out with each sniff and swallow. It’s detailed, substantial and refined, gathering itself for a long, generous, captivating finish. Drink now through 2030.”
Wine Advocate 95+ points “The 2011 The Widowmaker is a beauty. One of the top Cabernet Sauvignons in the vintage, it offers up classic red and black currant fruit, earth, smoked meats and spice to go with a medium to full-bodied, elegant, seamless texture on the palate that carries masses of beautifully polished tannin. Aged 18 months in 50-60% new French oak, it’s a relatively forward vintage for this cuvee (which is the norm for the vintage) that can be enjoyed anytime over the coming 15 years or more. ”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $135
The average price is $146
See the eleven additional new arrivals from Cayuse below!
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May Sale Special Highlight
Delas-Freres
Delas Freres Hermitage Domaine des Tourettes-Marquise de la Tourette, Rhone 2013 750ML ($119.95) Was $69, Now $59, 13 bottles available
Case-6 Delas Freres Hermitage Domaine des Tourettes-Marquise de la Tourette, Rhone 2013 750ML ($549.95) Was $359, Now $319, 6 six-packs available (that’s only $53.17/bottle!)
Jancis Robinson 18/20 points “Very dark purple indeed. Altogether broader and less focused than the Côte Rôties on the nose. Peppery and subtle. Very glossy, layered, complex and magnificent. I would reproach this only very slightly on the finish but it’s a pretty magnificent wine”
Wine Advocate 94 points “One of the gems in the vintage is the 2013 Hermitage Domaine des Tourettes, which comes from both the Bessards and Grandes Vignes lieux-dits on Hermitage Hill. Completely destemmed, then vinified in stainless steel and concrete tanks, the wine is aged 18 months in 30% new French oak; it offers terrific notes of dark fruits, graphite and ample minerality in a full-bodied, layered, ripe profile. It’s more approachable than the Les Bessards, yet will still have three decades of longevity.”
This was the lowest listed price in the USA today,
Now it’s even lower!
The next best price is $84.97
See the complete list of wines on sale through the month of May at the bottom of this newsletter!
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Staff Pick
Suzanne:
With substantial increases in production in the 2014 and 2015 vintage, many Oregon wineries are running out of space to hold back vintages of treasured wines. And to your benefit! With top picks from the 2011 and 2012 vintages slowing dwindling on our shelves, we jumped at the chance to offer more library releases from one of our favorite local Pinot producers – Matello. Until the 2012 vintage, Marcus Goodfellow bottled a barrel selection from his best sites (Whistling Ridge, Durant and Bishop Creek, though it varied from vintage to vintage) under the name Souris.
The 2011 was, not surprisingly given his track record, delightfully young and fresh, when we checked in a few months ago. Richly perfumed aromas of dark red rose and fresh lilac spilled from the glass. The palate gave up black raspberry and black tea aromas mixed with a peppery vanilla note. The wine had very fine yet present tannin, moderate acidity and a spicy oak profile that pairs well with the lush aromatics. The long, cool growing season resulted in concentrated flavors balanced by elegance and crisp acidity. As enjoy able as it was right out of the bottle today, this baby is worth cellaring for at least another five years (the 2005 is showing beautifully now!)
The 2012 offers a similar lengthy potential aging (though I’ll leave the debate on which should and will last longer to the ages).While the 2011 shows the vintage’s leaner body and brighter acidity, the 2012 is a touch lusher and richer, though without the high alcohol of so many of the ‘12s. The spiciness and violet aromas take back stage to freshly crushed blackberry and sappy red fruits. The finish reminds me of the 2011: spice, dried roses and a surprising levity.
No need to regret opening a bottle now and cellaring a few for later. Not many, if any, other Pinots can compete in terms of quality to price at this level.
Matello ‘Souris’ Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2011 750ML ($39.95) $28 special
Josh Raynolds-Vinous 91 points “($45) (from fruit grown in the Whistling Ridge and Durant vineyards; made with 55% whole clusters and raised in 40% new oak): Vivid red. Vibrant red berry and Asian spice aromas are given depth by notes of vanilla and licorice and pick up a minerally nuance with air. Juicy raspberry and cherry-cola flavors tighten up in the mid-palate and show very good clarity. Finishes spicy and long, with silky tannins adding structure.” ST
You won’t find the 2011 Souris listed elsewhere!
This is the only listing in the USA today!
May Sale Wine!
Matello ‘Souris’ Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2012 750ML ($41.95) Was $37, Now $29 super special!
Case-12 Matello ‘Souris’ Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2012 750ML ($449.95) Was $444 by the case, Now $299 special (that’s only $24.92/bottle!)
Case-6 Matello ‘Souris’ Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2012 750ML ($249.95) Was $222 by the six-pack, Now $166 special (that’s only $27.67/bottle!)
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.”
This was the lowest listed price in the USA today,
Now it’s even lower!
The next best price is $41.95
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More New Arrivals from Cayuse
Cayuse Vineyards Camaspelo, Walla Walla Valley 2010 750ML ($119.95) $89 special, 3 bottles available
Wine Advocate 96 points “More edgy and fresh than the Widowmaker, with more up-front acidity, the 2010 Camaspelo offers a classic Bordeaux-styled bouquet of deep back currant and black cherry fruit intermixed with tobacco leaf, lead pencil shavings and hints of fresh herbs. Perfumed, complex and elegant, with a full-bodied, detailed and energetic profile on the palate, it is a beautifully balanced 2010 that will benefit from short-term cellaring and have 15-20 years of ultimate longevity. Drink 2017-2030.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $106
Cayuse Vineyards Camaspelo, Walla Walla Valley 2011 750ML ($119.95) $89 special, 3 bottles available
Wine Advocate 95 points “More Cabernet Sauvignon dominated, the 2011 Camaspelo incorporates 20% Merlot and was aged in 50-60% new French oak. One of the few 2011s that has some upside, it offers up a smoke-laced array of black currants, singed herbs, graphite and hints of spring flowers to go with a medium to full-bodied, elegant and seamless character on the palate. Inky purple in color, with fine tannin and a big finish, it’s a smoking Cabernet that will evolve nicely for 15 to 20 years.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $108
Cayuse Vineyards Cailloux Vineyard Syrah, Walla Walla Valley 2009 750ML ($149.95) $119 special, 3 bottles available
Wine Spectator 96 points “Polished, effortless and juicy, with blackberry, currant, black olive and tar flavors, beautifully balanced to rotate all its facets as the finish keeps spinning. Harmonious and expressive. Drink now through 2019.”
Wine Advocate 96+ points “A hot vintage that has the grapes harvested mid-September, the 2009 Syrah Cailloux Vineyard offers lots of pepper, dried herbs, white flowers and black and red raspberry fruit to go with a gorgeously ripe, layered, full-bodied style on the palate. Slightly closed at the moment, with lots of structure, give it a few years and enjoy bottles through 2029.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $125
The average price is $138
Cayuse Vineyards Cailloux Vineyard Syrah, Walla Walla Valley 2011 750ML ($149.95) $119 special, 3 bottles available
Wine Advocate 97 points “The 2011 Syrah Cailloux Vineyard is the only Syrah to incorporate a splash of cofermented Viognier, which in some vintages, can be as much as 10% of the blend. Including 5% in 2011, it has a fabulous perfume of crunchy black fruit, crushed rocks, smoked earth and layers of violets and crushed flowers. Straight-up awesome on the palate, with full-bodied richness and a seamless texture, it opens up in the glass, has superb concentration and blockbuster length. Give it another 2-3 years and enjoy bottles through 2026, although it will certainly evolve longer as well.”
Cayuse Vineyards Cailloux Vineyard Syrah, Walla Walla Valley 2012 750ML ($149.95) $119 special, 3 bottles available
Wine Advocate 96+ points “The only Syrah to be cofermented with Viognier, the 2012 Syrah Cailloux Vineyard (which sees mostly second-fill barrels) is one of the more serious, age-worthy examples of this cuvee I’ve tasted. Offering up lots of black raspberry, orange blossom, peach pit (these are no doubt due to the Viognier) and violet notes to go with almost searing minerality, this fabulous Syrah hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a layered, concentrated, tannic mouth feel and a great finish. Give it 2-3 years and enjoy over the following decade or so.”
Wine Spectator 95 points “Firm, focused, supple and expansive, but not heavy, splaying out the currant, plum and chalky flavors on a silky frame, lingering easily on the long, expressive finish. Drink now through 2025.”
Cayuse Vineyards Cailloux Vineyard Syrah, Walla Walla Valley 2014 750ML ($119.95) $99 special, 3 bottles available
Wine Advocate 95-97 points “The only Syrah to incorporate Viognier, the 2014 Syrah Cailloux Vineyard is co-fermented with 7% Viognier and brought up all in puncheons. The Viognier shows on the nose and it has a floral, perfumed bouquet of ripe berry fruits, plums, orange blossom, fruit cake and mulled spices. Picking up a touch of green olive with time in the glass, this full-bodied, ripe, downright sexy beauty will have two decades of longevity.”
Wine Spectator 95 points “Impressively expressive and well-built, with evocative raspberry and smoky bacon aromas and sleek, dynamic black cherry, crushed rock and green olive flavors that build momentum toward refined tannins. Drink now through 2025.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $124
Cayuse Vineyards Impulsivo Tempranillo, Walla Walla Valley 2012 750ML ($179.95) $149 special, 3 bottles available
Wine Advocate 99 points “Another wine that flirts with perfection is the 2012 Impulsivo. Showing the heights Tempranillo can hit in Washington State, this blockbuster offers tons of purple fruits, crushed rocks, exotic spice and spring flower characteristics to go with a full-bodied, fabulously concentrated, structured feel on the palate. What really sets this apart is the purity of fruit. In addition, this cuvee ages brilliantly, and doesn’t start to really hit maturity until around age 8-10. This beauty will have 20-25 of overall longevity and is one thrilling drink!”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Cayuse Vineyards Impulsivo Tempranillo, Walla Walla Valley 2013 750ML ($149.95) $119 special, 3 bottles available
Wine Advocate 97+ points “One of the wines of the vintage is the 2013 Impulsivo. Made from 100% Tempranillo and with only 214 cases made, it has incredible notes of bloody meats, cold fireplace, black cherries, currants and cedar. This gives way to a full-bodied, concentrated, structured 2013 that will benefit from 4-5 years of cellaring and drink well for a decade or more past that.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Cayuse Vineyards ‘Widowmaker’ En Chamberlin Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla Valley 2012 750ML ($149.95) $129 special, 3 bottles available
Wine Advocate 96+ points “Coming all from the En Chamberlin vineyard and made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2012 The Widowmaker is backward and tight, with bright acidity giving lift to notes of cassis, graphite, smoked earth and lots of crushed-rock minerality. Full-bodied and concentrated on the palate, yet still showing a more elegant, focused and pure style, it won’t hit maturity for another 7-8 years, and will keep for 25+.” JD
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $159
Cayuse Vineyards ‘Widowmaker’ En Chamberlin Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla Valley 2013 750ML ($149.95) $119 special, 3 bottles available
Wine Advocate 95-97 points “In the same ballpark as the Camaspelo, the 2013 The Widowmaker sports an inky purple color to go with classic Cabernet aromatics (graphite, cassis, smoked earth) on the nose. Full-bodied, powerful, structured and even edgy on the palate, with building tannin and bright acidity, this will be one to hide in the cellar, and I wouldn’t expect it to shows signs of maturity before its 10th birthday.” JD
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $150
Cayuse Vineyards ‘Widowmaker’ En Chamberlin Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla Valley 2014 750ML ($149.95) $119 special, 3 bottles available
Wine Advocate 96-98 points “I loved the 2014 Widowmaker, which is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon brought up in puncheon. It’s always a full-bodied, opaque, structured wine and it’s no exception in this vintage. Notes of crème de cassis, graphite and lead pencil all emerge from this pure, tannic, layered beauty that will need 4-5 years of cellaring.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $135
Also In Stock Now from Cayuse & Co
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Arriving May 17th
Illustrious Burgundy
Domaine Fourrier Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes 2009 750ML ($199.95) $179 pre-arrival special
Antonio Galloni 92 points “The 2009 Gevrey-Chambertin floats on the palate in its finessed, well-articulated fruit. Subtle and ethereal through to the finish, the wine captures the essence and nobility of Gevrey. With time in the glass the fruit turns darker and the wine puts on weight, showing tons of pedigree and dazzling overall harmony.”
Stephen Tanzer–Vinous 91 points “Good deep red. Musky aroma of raspberry, blueberry, smoke, crushed rock and game. At once sweet and taut, with an impression of lift and energy rare for the vintage. Really lovely fruit here. Fourrier told me he liked the effect of elevage in mostly older casks in 2009. “More new oak would have speeded up the evolution of the wines,” he explained. “That would have required using more sulfur dioxide but we still would have lost fruit.”
Domaine Fourrier Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes 2010 750ML ($219.95) $199 pre-arrival special
Stephen Tanzer–Vinous 91 points “Good bright, full red. High-pitched aromas of tangy red and darker berries and rose petal, complemented by lower-toned earth and smoke notes. Boasts terrific volume for village wine: dense, salty and soil-driven, with raspberry fruit complicated by earth and minerals. Really stimulates the taste buds on the smooth, long, lightly saline finish. Terrific village wine.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Domaine Perrot-Minot Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes 2009 750ML ($119.95) $99 pre-arrival special
Wine Spectator 91 points “An enticing red, packed with black cherry and blackberry flavors tinged by spice. Though solidly structured, with dense tannins, this is also smooth and harmonious. The lingering aftertaste evokes sweet fruit and more spice.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Arriving May 26th
Domaine Roulot Bourgogne Blanc 2010 750ML ($119.95) $99 pre-arrival special
Antonio Galloni 90 points “Roulot’s 2010 Bourgogne is another gorgeous entry-level wine. Smoke, slate, citrus and yellow stone fruits burst from the glass in this deep, fleshy Bourgogne. In 2010, the Bourgogne is rich and enveloping from the very first taste.”
Giuseppe Quintarelli Valpolicella Classico Superiore, Veneto 2009 750ML ($99.95) $79 pre-arrival special
VinopolNote: Giuseppe Quintarelli, the “Master of the Veneto,” established a fantastic reputation as the benchmark producer in the Veneto in the northeast of Italy and the inspiration for and instructor of many well-known producers in the region, including Romano Dal Forno. When he passed away at the age of 84 in 2012, he left behind a sixty-year legacy as the stalwart supporter of a traditional and conscientious approach to winemaking. His family now follows in his footsteps as the managers of the estate. Giuseppe’s attention to detail and quality in the vineyard and during the long process of winemaking are what set him apart. He encouraged drastically small yields and trained the vines in the traditional Pergola Veronese system. The Valpolicellas are intense with structure, finesse and great aging potential. Due to the limited production levels, the exacting production methods requiring almost a decade before release, and the high demand for these wines, they are often difficult to find.
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Muller-Catoir
Arriving Late May
Every wine region in the world has one or two estates that immediately come to mind when you hear the name of the region. Chateau Margaux in Margaux, Romanee-Conti in Vosne-Romanee, and Donnhoff in the Nahe and Muller-Catoir occupies that space in the Pfalz in Germany. A historic name that continues to make excellent wines, these are some of the finest in Germany and from a vintage that’s one of the best in years.
The Pfalz is a unique region in Germany in that wineries there focused on powerful dry wines long before it was fashionable to do so in the rest of the country. Most of the wines we’re highlighting today are dry and are some of the best values in the world for breathtakingly mineral wines. Muller-Catoir owns some of the best vineyards in the region and has a special touch with them.
Below is a special selection of Muller-Catoir wines arriving late May:
Muller-Catoir Haardter Burgergarten ‘Breumel in den Mauern’ Riesling Auslese, Pfalz 2015 375ML ($49.95) $39 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 96 points “The 2015 Riesling Auslese Haardter Bürgergarten Im Breumel is very clear and concentrated on the nose, but also shows the brown seed aromas of ripe Riesling. Great class and precision here, with some minty flavors. The wine is very concentrated, lush and round on the palate; it reveals a super sweet raisin flavor, as well as great finesse and vitality. This is a gorgeous Auslese with salinity and grip.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Muller-Catoir Haardter Burgergarten ‘Breumel in den Mauern’ Riesling Grosses Gewachs, Pfalz 2015 750ML ($49.95) $39 pre-arrival special
Muller-Catoir Haardter Burgergarten ‘Breumel in den Mauern’ Riesling Grosses Gewachs, Pfalz 2015 3L ($219.95) $189 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 95 points “The 2015 Riesling Trocken Haardter Bürgergarten Im Breumel VDP Grosse Lage offers a beautifully pure and stony bouquet of bright yellow fruits and lemon aromas, and comes along almost like a perfume. On the palate, this is a highly elegant and well-balanced Riesling cru with a compact and mineral structure, great finesse and a very persistent salinity in the finish. The wine reveals a well-dosed power and concentration, as well as a great elegance and harmony. It should be aged for at least five years.”
James Suckling 95 points “The diamond-bright nose of enormous freshness announces a seriously elegant wine of understated sophistication. The delicate citrus and herbal flavors will expand considerably with a year or two’s more ageing, but this already has a finesse that makes it stand out in the strong field of the 2015 riesling GGs from the Pfalz. The very long and subtle finish only confirms that.”
This is the only double-magnum in the USA today!
Browse the entire list of Muller-Catoir wines below.
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May Sale Recap
These great deals expire on June 1st! 
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Thank you for reading!