Weekend VinopolPick 7-23-21

Deutz is the sleeper House in Champagne, having quietly made brilliantly rich and concentrated wines their home village of Aÿ since 1838. According to their chef de cave in charge of blending, Michel Davesne, the house style is defined by “Elegance, finesse and vinosity”. This is a Champagne that far over-delivers for the money, especially at our sharp pricing.

Deutz Brut Classic, Champagne NV 750ML ($49.95) $34.50 special
Case-6 Deutz Brut Classic, Champagne NV 750ML ($299.95) $199 special (That’s only $33.17 per bottle—the lowest listed price in the country!) 
Wine Spectator 91 Points “Apple blossom and graphite aromas lace flavors of Asian pear, blanched almond and lemon curd in this sleek Champagne. Fresh and linear, with a fine, creamy mousse. Drink now through 2023. 150,000 cases made, 184 cases imported. — AN”
William Kelley-Wine Advocate 90 Points “Open and expressive, the latest NV Brut Classic from Deutz offers up aromas of green pear, peach, pastry cream and flowers. Medium to full-bodied and fleshy but precise, it’s elegant and charming, with a seamless profile and considerable immediate appeal.”
Wine Enthusiast 90 Points “The elegance of this nonvintage cuvée sums up the style of the house, balancing acidity with a dosage that is just right. The white fruits and tangy edge are refreshing and intense. Drink the bottling now. -Roger Voss”

 

Biodynamic rose from the crown jewel of Austria’s winegrowing regions. 
Schlosskellerei Gobelsburg Cistercien Rose, Niederosterreich 2020 750ML ($21.95) $17 special
Winery note “The valley of the Danube and its side-valleys belong to the ‘Cool climate’ areas of Austria. Some vineyards are even too cold for red wine making. Zweigelt, St. Laurent and Pinot Noir grapes grown in the cooler sites of Gobelsburg and Langenlois are used for this wine.”
Skurnik Wines note “Region: Kamptal. Zweigelt, St. Laurent, Pinot Noir. Appellation: Niederösterreich. Vineyard: Multiple cooler site vineyards. Soil Type Loess. Age of Vines (Average) 20 years. Sustainable. Fermentation and elevage in stainless steel.”


The favorite rose of French Kings, Phillip the 4th and Louis the 14th, it’s royally distinctive and built to age.
Chateau de Manissy ‘La Belle Etoile’ Rose Rhone 2020 750ML ($14.95) $11.90 special
Weygandt-Metzler Import note “Cinsault, Syrah, Grenache. Clay & limestone. Tasting note: Crushed stone, pressed flowers and white cherries. Medium body with a long finish.”

The nuance and power of the best Châteauneuf, now available in “Provencal pink”
Domaine Charvin Cotes du Rhone Rose Rhone 2020 750ML ($21.95) $18 special
Weygandt-Metzler Import note “Grenache, Cinsault. Organic. Clay, galets roules & sand. Tasting note: Crushed strawberry, Bing cherry with hints of grapefruit and crushed stone. Medium body with a long finish.”

Delicate, Delicious, Delightful.
Pierre-Marie Chermette Domaine du Vissoux Les Griottes Rose Beaujolais 2020 750ML ($19.95) $16.60 special
Weygandt-Metzler Import note “Gamay. Sustainable. Quartz & clay. Tasting note: Bright watermelon, strawberry and citrus rind with a touch of rosemary. Medium body with a short finish.”

An ethereal example from the ancestral home of Pinot Noir rose, “The Golden Gate of Côte de Nuits”
Domaine Collotte Marsannay Rose Cote de Nuits 2020 750ML (21.95) $18 special
Weygandt-Metzler Import note “Pinot Noir. Sustainable. Clay & limestone. Tasting note: Ripe pomegranate, strawberries and raspberries. Medium body with a short finish.”

Lingua Franca ‘Avni’ Chardonnay Willamette Valley 2019 750ML ($39.95) $31.90 special
Wine Enthusiast 95 Points “#17 Top 100 In 2020. This is a stunning wine and a sensational value. Succulent, tangy and concentrated in ripe fruit, it explodes with flavors of lemon, peach, apricot and papaya lifted by a squeeze of lime. Fermented in a mix of concrete and neutral barrels, it was then aged in new puncheons and neutral barriques. -Paul Gregutt”
Wine & Spirits Magazine 94 Points “Drawn mostly from vineyards in the Eola–Amity Hills, Avni seems to capture the nerve and tension of whites from that AVA. The 2018, fermented with ambient yeasts and aged in mostly used barrels and puncheons, reminded me of a golden slope, not unlike Lingua Franca’s sunny, south-facing home vineyard, which tumbles down toward the winery. Avni is warm and marvelously complex, with notes of chilled pineapple and toffee, of wheat and pear, one moment tense and elegant, another moment considerably richer. Drink some now but cellar a few bottles, too, to see where they will take you.”

Domaine Drouhin Roserock Chardonnay, Eola-Amity Hills 2018 750ML (37.95) $31.90 special
Case-12 Domaine Drouhin Roserock Chardonnay, Eola-Amity Hills 2018 750ML ($419.95) $344 special (That’s only $28.67 a bottle!)
Wine & Spirits 94 Points “Roserock lies on the southern reaches of the Eola–Amity Hills near the outskirts of Salem, Oregon’s state capital. It’s a large vineyard, planted mostly to pinot noir save for about 11 acres of chardonnay planted a little over a decade ago. Those vines grew an opulent wine in 2018, made firm and shapely by the coolness of the site and of the Oregon summer. It leads with scents of honey and peach, and has a hazelnut breadth. It’s built like a Beaune wine (no surprise there); for a chicken fricassee.”
Wine Enthusiast 93 Points “Editor’s Choice. Drouhin Oregon’s Eola-Amity Hills Roserock vineyard is maturing nicely, as this rich, almost unctuous new Chardonnay demonstrates. Rippled with butterscotch around fruit flavors of apples and nectarines, this tasty bottle is buoyed with Meyer lemon acidity, and accented with whiffs of toasted hazelnuts. -Paul Gregutt”
Erin Brooks – Wine Advocate 92 Points “The 2018 Chardonnay offers bright, fresh apple fruit with deeper, more savory bass notes of honeycomb, almonds and spice. The medium-bodied palate is super silky and bursts with tensile, mineral-laced fruits, expanding into a long, juicy and gently honeyed finish.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!

This is the lowest listed price on the West Coast!

Fred Savart L’Accomplie Premier Cru Brut, Champagne NV 750ML ($89.95) $69 special, only 12 bottles available
William Kelley-Wine Advocate 94 points “[Review for prior disgorgement] The latest release of Savart’s NV Extra Brut Premier Cru L’Accomplie is based on the 2015 and 2016 vintages, and it was disgorged in October 2018 with four gams per liter dosage. It’s a blend of 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay that hails from the lower-lying part of Le Mont Benoit. Unfurling in the glass with notes of ripe Meyer lemons, red apples, lime zest, acacia honey and toasted almonds, it’s medium to full-bodied, racy and incisive, with a nicely concentrated and tight-knit core, terrific cut and a long, mouthwateringly chalky finish. Savart’s elegant style—and the partial malolactic that some of the base wines for this cuvée see—has proven the perfect foil for the 2015 vintage base.”

Domaine Lafage Lieu Dit Narassa, Cotes du Roussillon 2018 750ML ($24.95) $19.90 special
Jeb Dunnuck 93 Points “Almost all Grenache yet with 8% Syrah, the deep purple 2018 Narassa gives up a gorgeous bouquet of blueberries, kirsch liqueur, smoked game, violets, and lavender. It’s rich, medium to full-bodied, beautifully concentrated, and has a great finish.”

Domaine de la Pepiere Muscadet Sevre-et-Maine Sur Lie ‘La Pepie’, Loire 2020 750ML ($19.95) $16.50 special
Case-12 Domaine de la Pepiere Muscadet Sevre-et-Maine Sur Lie ‘La Pepie’, Loire 2020 750ML ($219.95) $179 special (that’s only $14.92/bottle and the lowest listed price in the USA today!)
Importer note “The La Pépie cuvée is a blend of estate fruit from all of Pépière’s terroirs, 50% of which fall within the Muscadet Sèvre & Maine appellation and 50% within the crus. Since 2016, the cuvée is is supplemented with purchased fruit from neighboring parcels with similar characteristics. This decision was not made lightly and results from a series of unsustainably low crops.”

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Domaine de la Pepiere Chateau Thebaud Muscadet Sevre-et-Maine Sur Lie, Loire 2015 750ML ($29.95) $24 special
David Schildknecht-Vinous 92-93 points “Last tasted in late July 2016 – more than a year ahead of its anticipated bottling – this delivers an unusually rich, polished palate impression while retaining vivacity and refreshment thanks to juicy ripe pear and fresh lime. The mineral and animal dimensions – anticipated on the nose – suggest sea breeze and urchin roe, yielding a savor that positively milks the salivary glands. This is going to be fascinating to follow and likely to stand among the high points for Muscadet of its vintage. Drink 2018 – 2026.”
Wine Spectator 91 points “Shows development, with hints of wax and salted caramel, but still exhibits plenty of life, offering chamomile, rosemary, salt, lemon pith and wet stone notes. Features a long, lively and inviting finish. Drink now through 2025. 294 cases imported.”

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The average price is $31

Domaine de la Pepiere Muscadet Sevre-et-Maine Sur Lie ‘Les Gras Moutons’, Loire 2019 750ML ($24.95) $20.90 special
Importer note “Gras Moutons is a lieu-dit made up of two parcels totaling 1.8 hectares in the cru of Monnières-Saint Fiacre. The soils consist of sand, limestone and gneiss. The constant winds in the area make for grapes that have to be harvested later than the rest. While released young, this wine always benefits from a few years in bottle.”

This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $25

 

GD Vajra Clare J.C. Langhe Nebbiolo 2020 750ML ($24.95) $19 special
Monica Larner-Wine Advocate 93 points “This was one of my favorite discovery wines from last year, and it sure is a pleasure to circle back to this G.D. Vajra 2020 Langhe Nebbiolo Claré J.C. today. Showing a luminous and bright ruby color, the bouquet shyly reveals wild cherry fruit and cassis. In a second moment, you taste bitter almond, candied lilac and hints of fresh garden herb or rosemary blossom. It’s hard to image such a young wine tasting so good at this unbelievable price. Production is 12,000 bottles.”
Giuseppe Vajra note “Claré J.C. is a Nebbiolo made according to a 1606 note by Gian Battista Croce, the jeweler of the House of Savoia. This wine is a time-capsule into an era when Nebbiolo wines tasted fresher, slightly crisp and smooth. This is a wine for people who are young at heart and curious about the forgotten past of Piemonte.”

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La Gerla Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Tuscany 2016 750ML ($67.95) $56.50 special
James Suckling 96 points “Very pretty ripe and dried fruit with blackberries and sweet cherries. It’s full-bodied with depth of fruit and creamy, polished tannins. Extremely compact and long. Pure fruit at the end. A gorgeous wine. Drinkable now, but better after 2022.”
Eric Guido-Vinous 95 Points “The 2016 Brunello di Montalcino displays depths of rich blackberry and cherry sauce with mentholated herbal tones adding lift, while notes of cedar and clove develop in the glass. Its textures are like pure silk, draped slowly across the palate, showing admirable density and weight, balanced by bright acids and minerals. This is so tightly wound up in its youthful state, yet it’s packed full of potential with a core of dark primary fruit that isn’t quite ready to reveal its charms. A web of fine tannin makes itself known only at the very end, as the 2016 slowly tapers off to hints of tobacco. The 2016 will take some time for this to come fully into focus, but it will be well worth the wait.”

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Lisini Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Tuscany 2016 750ML ($67.95) $56.50 special
Vinous Eric Guido 95 points “The 2016 Brunello di Montalcino excites the senses with a wonderfully pure and fruity display of wild strawberries, woodland herbs, wet stone and flowery undergrowth. Both savory and sweet, the textures are like silk, with waves of ripe red fruits and spices which give way to salty minerals, licorice, hints of black tea and a coating of fine tannin. While youthfully structured, there’s a juicy freshness to be found throughout, creating harmonious balance and symmetry that makes the 2016 Lisini so easy to like already. That said, the best is yet to come.”

Terrazze dell’Etna Carusu Rosso Etna Sicily 2014 750ML ($29.95) $24 special
Monica Larner-Wine Advocate 93 points “Representing the classic Etna blend of 80% Nerello Mascalese and 20% Nerello Cappuccio, the 2014 Etna Rosso Carusu strikes impressive balance between elegance and power. It achieves careful unity with a bouquet that starts off with tiny footsteps but concludes with resounding strides. Wild berry and black currant segue to spice, licorice and campfire ash. The intensity of those aromas grows with each sip, and the wine builds its muscle power in the mouth with firm tannins and lingering volcanic notes. Some 30,000 bottles were made.”

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Weingut Dönnhoff Estate Riesling, Nahe 2020 750ML 2020 ($26.95) $20.90 special
92 points James Suckling “So effusive thanks to the cornucopia of white peach and yellow apple, but also floral notes. Super fresh and juicy on the medium-bodied palate and the brilliant finish is barely off-dry. From organically grown grapes with Fair’n Green certification. Drink now. Screw cap.”
Importer Note ” The idea here is to make a village wine, basically, though it’s sold and marketed as a Gutswein or Estate bottled basic wine. The Estate wine combines the two major soils that dominate the holdings for the estate, giving the drinker a look into what Dönnhoff is all about. The basic wine is a calling card and thus Cornelius wants to make statement.”

Weingut Dönnhoff Riesling Estate Trocken, Nahe 2020 750ML ($26.95) $20.90 special
92 points James Suckling “Very fresh, sleek and straight with a slew of summer-fruit and citrus aromas and a super-refreshing, crisp finish. Mostly from little-known vineyard sites in Oberhausen. From organically grown grapes with Fair’n Green certification. Drink now. Screw cap.”
Importer Note “Grape: Riesling. Vineyard: Mostly from Oberhauser Felsenberg (volcanic), Kieselberg (slate). Soil:The vines grow in stony, weathered volcanic soils of porphyry and melaphyr in particular, with certain amounts of slate and quartzite.Wine making: Fermentations occur is a combination of stainless & used large oak”

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Weingut Dönnhoff Oberhauser Leistenberg Riesling Kabinett Nahe 2020 750ML ($34.95) $26 special
James Suckling 94 points “Some people think only the Mosel can produce stunning Kabinetts, but this is pristine and pure, so racy and uplifiting. You barely feel the natural grape sweetness, but its a vital element of this wine. Super-clean finish. From organically grown grapes with Fair’n Green certification. Drink or hold. Screw cap.” 
Importer Note “Traditional, precise Kabinett with delicate slate aromatics. Nuanced finesse and spicy acidity. The Leistenberg vineyard lies in a small side valley of the Nahe just outside Oberhausen. The name is a double play on words. “Leisten ” means “achieve ” in German, and the Leistenberg perpetually lives up to its name. “Lei ” is also a regional word for slate, and these warm, decomposed clay slate soils and steep terraced hillsides provide ideal conditions for Riesling to thrive. Th e southeast-facing slope basks in the morning sun, which dries out any excess moisture and promotes healthy fruit. Th e afternoon sun is less powerful, nurturing a long ripening period and moderate alcohol levels. An ideal vineyard for Kabinett wines of high minerality and sophisticated elegance.”

Weingut Dönnhoff Kreuznacher Krotenpfuhl Riesling Kabinett Nahe 2020 750ML ($34.95) $25.50 special
James Suckling 93 points “Lovely fruit-salad and fresh-mint nose. Juicy and joyful, this has so much freshness, the hint of green apple at the crisp finish accentuating this. Good length. From organically grown grapes with Fair’n Green certification. Drink now. Screw cap.”
Importer Note “The loess loam soil of the Kro¨tenpfuhl vineyard is notable for its high share of gravelly quarzite. Between the stony ground and its southern aspect, this neighbor to the Kahlenberg is known for warm soils and early flowering of the vines year after year. The loess loam substrate retains water well, ensuring the vines have sufficient moisture even in drought years. Vines growing in this type of pebbly soil tend to produce small berries with delicate aromas, a lively acidity and a long hang time.”

The southern Rhone is famous for powerful red blends, but do you know about the village that’s been famous for rose since the 13th century? The village of Tavel has similar soils and varietals as her sister, Châteauneuf-du-Pape and was the favorite rose of French Kings, Phillip the 4th and Louis the 14th. Biodynamically grown from mostly Grenache with a smattering of Clairette, Cinsault and Syrah, this is an explosion of raspberry and French strawberry interspersed with Seville orange zest and whole nutmeg. 

Chateau de Manissy Tavel Cuvee des Lys Rose, Rhone 2019 750ML ($21.95) $16 special, 27 bottles in stock now
Josh Raynolds-Vinous 91 Points “Brilliant orange color. Mineral-accented red berry and citrus fruit aromas are complemented by a sexy floral nuance. Concentrated and energetic in the mouth, offering juicy redcurrant, cherry and candied rose flavors that slowly turn sweeter on the mid-palate. The mineral and floral notes echo on a penetrating finish that hangs on with very good tenacity. Drink 2020 – 2023.”
Importer note “Grenache, Clairette & Syrah from clay, river rock and sandy soils. Biodynamic. Juicy raspberry, watermelon, crushed minerals and burnt sugar. Full body with a long finish… Entirely hand-harvested. Maceration of 12-24 hours to extract primary aromas. Fermentation with only indigenous yeasts at a very low temperatures over 2 days, then increased in temperature to 25°C for 7 days in order to increase the fruity taste. Aged in concrete tanks and stainless steel. Natural balanced acidity of about 3.6 g/L and PH of 3.5 with less than 1gr/L residual sugar. This cuvée comes from a plot of 10 hectares that is enclosed by a forest.”

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Single Village, dry farmed old-vines, organic and less than $20 a bottle? You’re not dreaming! Traditional Spanish “claret” style of rose made from cofermenting red and white grapes together. Highly aromatic and priced to move. This is a “universal” rose that can pair with just about any type of food, just add sunshine!
Bodegas Muga Rioja Rosado, Spain 2019 750ML ($19.95) $14.50 special, 36+ bottles in stock now
James Suckling 90 Points “Pleasant watermelon, pink-guava and peach character with some citrus. It’s medium-bodied with good fruit and a fresh finish. Macabeo, grenache and tempranillo. Drink now.”

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Bucklin’s wines come from the historic vineyard Old Hill Ranch , originally planted in 1851. This is a field blend that is a snapshot of American wine history. Coming right after the Gold Rush and the beginning of the phylloxera blight this is a field blend selected for resilience above all else. Primarily made from Zinfandel with a smattering of Grenache, Alicante Bouchet, Petite Sirah, Carignan and Mourvèdre this is only a fraction of the 30 varietals planted at the time. Farmed organically since the inception of the farm and dry farmed. 

Their Ancient is gorgeously saturated in color and leaves a spectrum of purple and red in the Marangoni flow, throwing out aromas of lavender, 5 spice, dried cherries and terra cotta in a multilayered spectacle. On the palate the old vine influence is evident, with a full body serving spiced marionberries, Italian plum, and blueberry compote by the bucketful interspersed with juniper berries, bay leaf, and sage. There’s a beautiful minerality that is reminiscent of hot sandy loam and granite. The acid and tannins are stratospheric on this wine, which speaks to a long life in the bottle but also temper the alcohol level to the point you’d expect it to be 13-14% ABV.  Get one if you can resist opening it, and a few if you can’t.

Also offered by Bucklin, the stewards of Old Hill Ranch for over 3 generations are wines made from their younger parcels of vines. Otto’s Grenache is composed of a hillside planting done in 2010 over decomposed volcanic tuff and basalt. Incredibly structured and burly on first pour, Otto throws out strawberry jam, kirsch cherry and fresh raspberry, but with a subtle note of dried hibiscus, daffodil and honeysuckle. There’s a tremendous minerality throughout the wine, exhibited by hot pumice in the aromas and a savory basaltic note on the finish. Otto’s Grenache is something to cellar for at least 5 years after the vintage, or to be had by the glass over the course of a week.

The Bambino was planted in 1998 and is generally around 75% Zinfandel co-fermented with Alicante Bouchet and Petite Sirah. The exact blend is vintage dependent as a result of Bucklin’s commitment to entirely estate grown fruit. Bambino exhibits an old world character that would have me thinking this was imported from Puglia. There’s a fruit character that sets it aside from its centarian counterparts on the ranch, but sharing in the layers of purity, spice, minerality and old world rusticity.

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Bucklin Old Hill Ranch Ancient Field Blend Sonoma Valley 2018 750ML ($49.95) $37.70 special, only 7 bottles in stock now
Distributor Note “60% Zinfandel,15% Grenache, 10% Alicante Bouschet, 5% Petite Sirah and 10% “other” (20+ other varieties, in fact) from a twelve-acre block of vines that were planted in 1885. The vineyard is a mosaic of over two dozen grape varieties; the grapes are fermented together. Fermented with native yeast and aged 22 months in French oak, 40% of which is new. Bottled unfiltered.”
Winery Note “Our “Ancient Field Blend” comes from the original vines that were planted on Old Hill Ranch in the 1880’s.  Approximately 65% Zinfandel with the remaining varieties co harvested and fermented together.  Includes Grenache, Alicante Bouschet, Petite Sirah, Grand Noir, Syrah, Carignan, and Mourvedre to name a few. 12 Acres, 30 grape varieties, 1 wine.”

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Bucklin Bambino Old Hill Ranch Zinfandel 2017 750ML ($29.95) $24 special, only 14 bottles in stock now
Wine Spectator 91 Points “Lively and briary, with expressive raspberry, smoky tarragon and cracked pepper flavors that pick up speed toward well-groomed tannins. Drink now through 2028. 569 cases made.”

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Bucklin Old Hill Ranch Otto’s Grenache Sonoma Valley 2019 750ML ($49.95) $37.70 special, 31 bottles in stock now
Winery Note “Otto’s Grenache was planted to honor our Step Father Otto Teller.  Opinionated and cantankerous, Otto believed grapevines were too coddled and needed great stress to produce the best wines.  This field blend was planted in 2010 on a modestly steep hillside that faces the hot setting sun. The soils are shallow, between two to three feet deep, and they are underlain with a thick impermeable volcanic tuff made from ejected rock and ash that is compacted and cemented into rock.  If these growing conditions aren’t challenging enough, the vines are also dry farmed.  Average yields are low primarily because the berries are so small and these grapes produce very intense and colorful wine.”

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