Saturday, November 7th, 2015
Jump Start Sales Triology; G Conterno Barbera; Screaming Eagle Second Flight; Schrader; Donnhoff New Releases; New Reviews for Austrian Wines from David Schildknecht; Brunello Case Deals
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Jump Start Sales Triology
Part One
Arriving November 16th
Chateau Lynch-Bages, Pauillac 2000 1.5L ($849.95) $719 pre-arrival special
Robert Parker 97 points “Beginning to open magnificently, the still dense purple-colored 2000 reveals a blossoming bouquet of blackberries, cassis, graphite and pen ink. Full-bodied with velvety tannins that have resolved themselves beautifully over the last eleven years, this wine is still an adolescent, but it exhibits admirable purity, texture, mouthfeel and power combined with elegance. One of the all-time great examples of Lynch Bages, the 2000 is just beginning to drink well yet promises to last for another 20-25+ years.(8/11)” RP
OWC Available to first buyer of three or more magnums
Part Two
Arriving Early December
Colgin Cellars IX Estate Red, Napa Valley 2012 750ML ($599.95) $499 pre-arrival special
Robert Parker 99 points “The 2012 IX Proprietary Red Estate, which comes from their gorgeous hillside vineyards overlooking Lake Hennessey high on Pritchard Hill, is a blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc and 8% Petit Verdot. Absolutely spectacular aromatics of spring flowers, blueberry, blackberry and blackcurrant fruit intermixed with creosote, graphite and floral notes are followed by a wine of great depth, elegance, richness and purity. Simply loaded, but with pristine harmony and equilibrium, this is a sensational tour de force and a great tribute to this spectacular hillside site on Pritchard Hill. Drink it over the next 25-35 years.” RP
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $525
The average price is $610
Part Three
Available Here Now
Figgins Estate Red, Walla Walla Valley 2012 750ML ($119.95) $99 special, 9 bottles available
Wine Advocate 96+ points “The Figgins 2012 Estate Red Wine is flat-out knockout stuff. Layered, gorgeously concentrated, full-bodied, and balanced, this Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated blend gives up sensational notes of cassis, black raspberry toasted bread and sweet spice on the nose. Ultra-pure, elegant and silky, it has the texture to drink nicely today, yet will age effortlessly for two decades or more. Coming from the higher elevation, eastern edge of Walla Walla (1500-1750 feet above sea level), it spent 22 months in 70% new French oak and 30% in once used barrels. This is one of the top Cabernets coming out of Washington and readers should not miss it.”
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Just a reminder about our current shipping specials during this season:
We offer flat rate shipping on any size single order / single shipment
-to Oregon for $17,
-Washington & Idaho for $20,
-and California for $25
These rates do not apply to orders held in storage here for any reason.
Multiple orders consolidated into one shipment do not qualify for flat rate shipping.
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Featured New Arrival
Giacomo Conterno Cascina Francia Barbera d’Alba 2012 750ML ($59.95) Was $49, Now $39 special
Antonio Galloni 94 points “The 2012 Barbera d’Alba Cascina Francia stands out for its exceptional finesse and delicacy. Sweet rose petals, mint, cinnamon and red berries are all laced together in a soft, polished Barbera long on class and finesse. Perfumed notes continues to open up in the glass, while brighter, more saline-inflected notes give the wine its sense of energy and tension. This is a magnificent showing. Ideally, readers will be able to give the 2012 at least another year or two in bottle.” AG
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $46
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Take Flight
Screaming Eagle ‘Second Flight’, Napa Valley 2012 750ML ($699.96) $519 special, 6 bottles available
Robert Parker 96 points “The 2012 Second Flight may be the highest scoring second wine I have ever reviewed. A blend of 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot and 9% Cabernet Franc, it is completely different from the Screaming Eagle since the latter wine is at least 75% or more Cabernet Sauvignon and the balance Merlot with only a tiny dollop of Cabernet Franc. The 2012 Second Flight offers up floral, blue and black fruit, mocha and white chocolate characteristics. It possesses full-bodied, silky flavors, and a finish that lasts 50+ seconds. It can be drunk now, but should evolve effortlessly for 12-15+ years” RP
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $525
The average price is $648
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Newly Arrived
Schrader
Fred Shrader was bitten by the wine bug in 1988. Formerly an arts and antiques dealer, he decided to make a change in career after attending the Napa Valley Wine Auction. His first foray was Colgin Shrader Cellars alongside his former wife, whose first vintage was in 1992. Come 1998, Shrader began a winery under his own name and hired Thomas Rivers Brown, an apprentice at Turley who’d also worked in a local shop.
Together, Schrader and Brown forged a relationship with the shared belief that great wine can be made without overmanipulation. In using grapes from some of Napa’s finest vineyards, Shrader focuses winemaking on single-clone and single parcel wines, sometimes even bottling fruit from individual blocks. The wines have achieved nearly unrivaled acclaim from critics; known for their big, bold, and rich flavor profiles, they’re hard to come by and even harder to resist.
We’re happy to have a number of selections from Schrader, all available here now:
Schrader Cellars CCS Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2013 750ML ($699.95) $599 special, 1 bottle available
Robert Parker 100 points “There is something ethereal about the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon CCS, a wine that I tend to give more perfect scores to than of the other Schrader offerings. This is clone 4 from a special block of the Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard in Oakville, and it always seems to have these incredible, explosive aromatics ranging from blueberry to blackberry to cassis to spring flowers and lead pencil shavings. It’s always one of the more seductive wines early on, with sweet, velvety tannins, a plush, succulent mouthfeel, full-bodied splendor and majestic texture. This is a killer effort of great intensity and presence. Drink it over then next 25-30 years.” RP
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Schrader Cellars LPV Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2012 750ML ($399.95) $299 special, 1 bottle available
Robert Parker 96-98 points “There are 600 cases of the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard LPV. The best example I have seen of Cabernet Sauvignon from this vineyard to date, it offers lots of flowery, blueberry and blackberry fruit interwoven with notions of lead pencil shavings, loamy soil, unsmoked cigar tobacco, incense and forest floor. This tremendously complex, intense, full-bodied 2012 flirts with perfection as many of Schrader’s amazing wines do. Bravo!” RP
Schrader Cellars LPV Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2013 750ML ($499.95) $319 special, 4 bottles available
Robert Parker 98-100 points “2013 was characterized by slightly more clusters, but they were smaller with very tiny berries. The vintage itself was another warm, drought year, but like 2012, there were no real spikes of heat. Growing conditions – other than the continued drought in California – were easy. These wines share the same characteristics with the 2012s and I’ll have a greater peg on them once they’re in bottle, but as you can tell, the production ranges from a very small 240 cases of the Georges III in Rutherford to 640 cases of the Las Piedras Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon LPV. Wines, at least from barrel, that have three-digit score potential include the Cabernet Sauvignon RBS from Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard, the Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon T-6 and the Cabernet Sauvignon LPV from the Las Piedras Vineyard.” RP
Schrader Cellars RBS Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2013 750ML ($499.95) $379 special, 6 bottles available
Robert Parker 98-100 points “2013 was characterized by slightly more clusters, but they were smaller with very tiny berries. The vintage itself was another warm, drought year, but like 2012, there were no real spikes of heat. Growing conditions – other than the continued drought in California – were easy. These wines share the same characteristics with the 2012s and I’ll have a greater peg on them once they’re in bottle, but as you can tell, the production ranges from a very small 240 cases of the Georges III in Rutherford to 640 cases of the Las Piedras Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon LPV. Wines, at least from barrel, that have three-digit score potential include the Cabernet Sauvignon RBS from Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard, the Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon T-6 and the Cabernet Sauvignon LPV from the Las Piedras Vineyard.” RP
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Donnhoff New Releases
The Donnhoff family have occupied the Nahe for the past two centuries, slowly growing from a humble farm to a wine estate of world renown. Their terroirs include slate, volcanic rock beds, limestone, and loam; the vineyards remain non-irrigated and have been covered by straw and compost in order to enrich soil and discourage evaporation or erosion.
Harvest is performed by hand, across two or three passes, and the grapes are pressed within three hours of being picked. Large, traditional casks and stainless steel are both employed during elevage, with spontaneous fermentation. Across a wide range of vineyards, the estate produces some of the most brilliant wines to ever come out of the Nahe and out of Germany overall – these wines are contenders on a global scale, deserving of every bit of its unceasing acclaim.
Donnhoff Wines Arriving Next Week
Weingut Donnhoff Oberhauser Leistenberg ‘Tonschiefer’ Riesling Trocken, Nahe 2014 750ML ($27.95) $21.90 pre-arrival special
John Gilman 89+ points “The 2014 Tonschiefer is a lovely wine, with a bit different expression of minerality than the Estate Trocken, as these grapes hail entirely from the Leistenberg and are a on a bed of carbon-slate that is geological outlier of the coal beds in the Saar. The nose offers up a lovely constellation of tangerine, a hint of white cherry, wild yeasts, slate, citrus peel and a gentle topnote of lemongrass. On the palate the wine is medium-full, crisp and quite suave on the attack, with lovely focus and grip, ripe, well-integrated acids and a long, balanced and quite classy finish. Lovely juice and a fine value. 2015-2025+.” JG
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Weingut Donnhoff Kreuznacher Krotenpfuhl Riesling Kabinett, Nahe 2014 750ML ($27.95) $21.90 pre-arrival special
John Gilman 89-90+ points “The 2014 Krötenpfuhl Kabinett had just been bottled as well- this time only a few days before my visit and was a bit out of sorts as a result. The nose is open and juicy at the present time, offering up scents of apple, peach, lovely soil tones, a touch of beeswax and a topnote of citrus blossoms. On the palate the wine is medium-full, accessible and succulent on the attack, with a nice core of fruit, good complexity and a slightly pinched finish at the present time, from the very, very recent bottling. I am sure this will be very tasty, but it was not entirely on form at the time of my visit. 2015-2025.”
Terry Theise notes “Best! Ever! Vintage! Spritzy, brilliant, seeming to show every green thing (lime-zest, verbena, anise hyssop, wintergreen) atop the salumeria savor. Somehow this has fallen in love and is telling everyone in the world.”
Weingut Donnhoff Roxheimer Hollenpfad Riesling Trocken, Nahe 2014 750ML ($47.95) $36 pre-arrival special
Weingut Donnhoff Roxheimer Hollenpfad Riesling Trocken, Nahe 2014 1.5L ($119.95) $89 pre-arrival special
John Gilman 91+ points “I did not take note on the alcohol level of the Kahlenberg this year, but the Höllenpfad Trocken bottling comes in between twelve and 12.5 percent alcohol, and I have to assume it is the same for the Kahlenberg. The 2014 Höllenpfad is really lovely in this vintage and very, very reflective of its unique, red sandstone soils on both the nose and palate. The lovely nose offers up scents of pink grapefruit, tart orange, lemongrass, a dollop of wild yeasts and a very complex base of minerality. On the palate the wine is medium-full, pure and more filigreed, with a lovely core, bright acids and lovely focus and grip on the long, vibrant and really quite elegant finish. This is a touch more feline than the Kahlenberg and gets the slight nod in 2014 as a result. 2018- 2035+.” JG
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Weingut Donnhoff Kreuznacher Kahlenberg Riesling Trocken, Nahe 2014 750ML ($39.95) $31.90 pre-arrival special
John Gilman 91 points “The 2014 Kahlenberg Trocken hails from grapes with Spätlese must weights this year and is a notable step up from the first two, very good wines. The bouquet wafts from the glass in a classy blend of white cherries, apple, spring flowers, a lovely base of soil and a youthful topnote of orange peel. On the palate the wine is medium-full, bright and nicely reserved on the attack, with a fine core, bright acids and superb backend energy and cut on the long finish. This is really high class juice that would age long and happily under cork, though I cannot remember which closure it was destined to receive. 2017-2035.” JG
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $35.34
Weingut Donnhoff ‘Felsenturmchen’ Schlossbockelheimer Felsenberg Riesling Grosses Gewachs, Nahe 2014 750ML ($79.95) $59 pre-arrival special
Weingut Donnhoff ‘Felsenturmchen’ Schlossbockelheimer Felsenberg Riesling Grosses Gewachs, Nahe 2014 1.5L ($149.95) $125 pre-arrival special
John Gilman 93+ points ‘The 2014 Felsenberg Grosses Gewächs bottling form the Türmchen section of the vineyard this year has turned out beautifully, wafting from the glass in a classic constellation of white cherries, pink grapefruit, complex floral tones, a fine base of slate, wild yeasts, lemongrass and orange peel. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and very refined, with a rock solid core, ripe, zesty acids, laser-like focus and a long, youthful and energetic finish. A beautiful bottle of dry Riesling in the making. 2020-2055″ JG
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Weingut Donnhoff Norheimer Dellchen Riesling Grosses Gewachs, Nahe 2014 750ML ($79.95) $59 pre-arrival special
Weingut Donnhoff Norheimer Dellchen Riesling Grosses Gewachs, Nahe 2014 1.5L ($149.95) $125 pre-arrival special
John Gilman 94+ points “The 2014 Dellchen GG is another really stunningly focused young wine, with superb aromatic and flavor precision to go along with excellent structural elements and impeccable balance. The bouquet is a mix of grapefruit, tart orange, wild yeasts, plenty of smokiness, a fine base of slate and again, a distinct topnote of lemongrass. On the palate the wine is pure, fullbodied and rock solid at the core, with lovely focus and balance, racy acids and a long, refined and utterly seamless finish. Outstanding juice this year. 2022-2060+.” JG
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Weingut Donnhoff Niederhauser Hermannshohle Riesling Grosses Gewachs, Nahe 2014 750ML ($79.95) $69 pre-arrival special
Weingut Donnhoff Niederhauser Hermannshohle Riesling Grosses Gewachs, Nahe 2014 1.5L ($179.95) $149 pre-arrival special
John Gilman 94+ points “The Grosses Gewächs from the Hermannshöhle in 2014 is another outstanding wine in the making, offering up a superb and utterly suave aromatic mélange of grapefruit, tart orange, slate, wild yeasts, citrus peel and a lovely, discreet topnote of white flowers. On the palate the wine is deep, pure and full-bodied, with a superb core of fruit, ripe, seamless acids and superb length and grip on the tightly-knit finish. A really superb and suave young Hermannshöhle GG. 2022-2060+” JG
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
More releases to follow!
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David Schildknecht On Austrian Wines
From David Schildknecht: “Despite a growing season marked by a dry summer that was statistically among the five hottest of the last century, Austria’s 2013 Rieslings and Grüner Veltliners display exceptionally bright acidity, clear flavor definition and uncanny complexity…
“This is a fascinating vintage in which to focus on vineyard-borne character. Not only are the wines typically highly nuanced, but often—no doubt in part due to Riesling-like acidity and the prominence of citrus and pit fruits in many Grüner Veltliners—the site in question seems easier to identify than the grape variety. Nearly all of the best wines are approachable, indeed lovable, already, but most will generously replay cellaring, the best among the Grüner Veltliners for two decades.”
Newly Reviewed Austrian Wines
Available Here Now
Familie Saahs Nikolaihof im Weingebirge Gruner Veltliner Federspiel, Wachau 2013 750ML ($39.95) $29 special, 8 bottles available
David Schildknecht–Vinous 93 points “Bittersweet floral notes waft from the glass and continue to play across the palate. Roasted root vegetables mingled with dark leafy greens, smoky nut oils, moss, iodine-tinged shellfish reduction and tangy fresh lime make for an expression of Grüner Veltliner that is deep and dark but at the same time refreshingly juicy and stimulatingly crunchy. Finishing lift and utterly intriguing length further encourage the next sip.” DS
Familie Saahs Nikolaihof im Weingebirge Smaragd Gruner Veltliner, Wachau 2012 750ML ($69.95) $59 special, 21 bottles available
David Schildknecht–Vinous 92 points “An intriguing, ethereal nose suggests iris, ginseng, moss, beet root and a hint of blond tobacco. Beet, turnip and kohlrabi inform a plushly textured, expansive yet for Smaragd amazingly buoyant palate. Alkalinity, stoniness and tincture of iodine lend cut and a certain austerity to a finish that flashes back to the complexity of the wine’s bouquet. Those with a predilection for Nikolaihof wines (such as I) are going to appreciate this bottling more than my score might suggest.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Familie Saahs Nikolaihof Riesling Steiner Hund Reserve Riesling, Wachau 2010 750ML ($89.95) $69 special, 11 bottles available
David Schildknecht–Vinous 95 points “The nose here fascinates in a distinctively Nikolaihof manner. Elusive suggestions of moss and lichen on wet stone, mothball and salt spray, along with herbal and floral essences introduce a palate performance that adds to their presence roasted peanut, white asparagus, almond and pear for an effect at once satiny and soothing, juicy and subtly piquant. The combination of mouthwatering salinity and mineral intrigue to the nearly endless finish resembles a mouthful of oyster with its green innards and briny liquor. This remarkable libation was bottled in the spring of 2014.”
Familie Saahs Nikolaihof Riesling vom Stein Federspiel, Wachau 2006 750ML ($49.95) $39 special, 24 bottles available
David Schildknecht–Vinous 93 points “This represents the 2014 bottling of a wine that no doubt had the right stuff for a full-fledged “Vinothek” release some years from now, but there was simply not enough cask capacity in the cellar. It’s being sold from the cellar door at the same price as the current 2013 release because, as Christine Saahs remarked with a wink, “We don’t want to do anything to discourage Austrian customers from trying this ‘old’ wine.” Lichen on wet stone; saline and alkaline sea breeze; mothball and apple jack; hazelnut and almond utterly fascinate in the nose, then ally themselves to youthful primary juiciness of lime and white asparagus on a silky palate. Head-scratching intrigue by no means precludes refreshment value on the long finish.”
Familie Saahs Nikolaihof Vinothek Riesling, Wachau 1997 750ML ($219.95) $199 special, 1 bottle available
David Schildknecht–Vinous 97 points “This successor to the almost supernaturally ethereal and haunting 1995 also has to live up to the reputation of a vintage-of-the-half-century. It manages, though! The bouquet is unearthly in its complex amalgam of bittersweetly floral (iris, gentian, buddleia), pungently nutty, subtly smoky (black tea) and elusively mineral (sea breeze, wet stone, faint fusel oil) components. Considering the secondary development signaled on the nose, a surprising intensity of pure white peach, apple and grapefruit emerges sumptuously on the silky palate. The buoyant finish, more tightly clinging and less ethereal than that of the 1995, represents a long, harmoniously undulating interaction of liquid floral perfume, diverse minerality and succulent fresh fruits. I tasted this shortly before its mid-2014 bottling (a rare exception to the Nikolaihof rule against unveiling wines from cask) and did not review that note before tasting seven months later. My first spontaneous word each time was “unearthly.” And happily, my impressions that followed demonstrated that this wine’s amazing personality, including its aromas and textural allure, had made it to bottle scarcely altered. The source vineyard here, incidentally, is the Im Weingebirge whereas the 1995 was from Vom Stein.”
Weingut Leo Alzinger Durnsteiner Riesling Federspiel, Wachau 2013 750ML ($39.95) $29 special, 24 bottles available
David Schildknecht–Vinous 89 points “The village designation on this wine’s label calls attention to its having originated in diverse vineyards. Green apple and rhubarb tartness along with green herbal pungency render this one of those 2013 instances where you might mistake Riesling for Grüner Veltliner (or vice-versa). Lemony juiciness renders the penetrating finish even brighter and tarter than what came before, but the wine’s herbal aspect makes for considerable, satisfyingly cooling counterpoint. A slight apple skin chewiness invigorates, and a lick of salt activates the salivary glands.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Weingut Leo Alzinger Liebenberg Riesling Smaragd, Wachau 2013 750ML ($59.95) $47 special, 12 bottles available
David Schildknecht–Vinous 92 points “There is a lovely sense of clarity and precision here seldom associated with this site, whose wind exposure often translates into thick skins and slight berry desiccation. And once again, we could all be forgiven if, tasting blind, we guessed this to be a Grüner Veltliner, because its apple and honeydew melon aromas and flavors are shot through with invigoratingly incisive radish and white pepper and at the same time suffused with coolingly green herbal essences. On the lusciously fruity palate, hints of blueberry and huckleberry unexpectedly add allure. But crunch and peppery bite along with alkaline and stony nuances regain prominence in the long and intricately intriguing finish.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $49.98
Weingut Bernhard Ott ‘Der Ott’ Gruner Veltliner, Wagram 2013 750ML ($49.95) $39 special, 7 bottles available
David Schildknecht–Vinous 91 points “As usual, this bottling is informed largely by younger vines in Ott’s three top sites. A faintly cider-like spicy and tangy expression of apple is already evident in the nose, along with peony-like musky floral perfume and ocean spray. Subtly caramelized parsnip joins apple on the palate for a fascinating and by no means inharmonious interchange of sweet and pungent, fruit and root vegetable flavors. While less nuanced and enticing today than the corresponding Fass 4 bottling, this offers a striking combination of richness with buoyancy (at 12.8% alcohol) and refreshment, finishing with sustained stimulating complexity.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $48.99
Weingut Bernhard Ott Feuersbrunner Spiegel Gruner Veltliner Erste OTW Lage, Wagram 2013 750ML ($59.95) $49 special, 7 bottles available
David Schildknecht–Vinous 93 points “Honey, white peach and quince allied to hints of truffle and kelp put one in mind of certain very rich Chenins. Full yet barely over 13% in alcohol, and boasting lusciously satisfying primary juiciness, this takes on more typical Grüner Veltliner characteristics in the mid-palate in the form of caramelized parsnip, snap pea and blond tobacco, not to mention the white pepper, allied with ginger, that informs its long mouthwateringly savory and buoyant finish. Fruit from these vines, noted Ott, was especially affected by millerandage and consequently concentrated. A mere 600 liters were harvested from the Spiegel’s eight hectares!”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Weingut Bernhard Ott Feuersbrunner Rosenberg Gruner Veltliner Erste OTW Lage, Wagram 2013 750ML ($64.95) $51.90 special, 7 bottles available
David Schildknecht–Vinous 93 points “An alluringly musky and rose petal-like floral perfume mingles with scents of sweet pea, caramelized turnip and parsnip that come to the fore on a mouthwateringly savory, silky, almost creamy palate. It’s a bit as though a Grüner Veltliner had been laced with Gewurztraminer. A tart-edged strawberry-rhubarb note emerges by way of counterpoint. Toasted grain, ginger and mouthwatering salinity of shrimp-shell reduction serve for stimulation in a long, buoyant, soothing finish. Of the three single-vineyard Ott bottlings, this gained the most between its showing immediately before bottling and its showing a year later, which is consistent with its history of slow bottle evolution.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Weingut Bernhard Ott Engabrunner Stein Gruner Veltliner Erste OTW Lage, Wagram 2013 750ML ($59.95) $49 special, 5 bottles available
David Schildknecht–Vinous 94 points “From partly granite terraces in Engabrunn at the eastern edge of the Kamptal, this is as intensely mineral an exemplar of its variety as one is likely to encounter. Piquant lemon peel, blond tobacco, mint, quarry dust and diverse flowers in the striking nose carry over to a firm but polished palate dominated by tart-edged apple, grapefruit and rhubarb but seemingly suffused with crushed stone and laced with billowing liquid floral perfume and mouthwatering crustacean-like salinity. It’s almost a shame to start opening bottles of this handsomely long beauty already. (Almost ;- )”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $61.99
Weingut Emmerich Knoll ‘Vinothekfullung’ Loibner Riesling Smaragd, Wachau 2013 750ML ($99.95) $79 special, 24 bottles available
David Schildknecht–Vinous 93 points “Marine breeze and a slight sweatiness in the nose are joined by high-toned mintiness and nuances of peach and nectarine that then lusciously inform the full, faintly oily palate. Pithy pit piquancy serves for welcome counterpoint and grapefruit for zesty and vivacious juiciness. For all of its almost honeyed richness, this wine’s finishing penetration is downright rapier-like, displaying an alluring interchange with bright citrus, glowingly cyanic fruit pit, and cooling green herbal notes. It originated in a portion of Loibenberg where there was considerable fog and trapping of moisture, explained Knoll Senior, and consequently a higher instance of botrytis. I continue to find it slightly disconcerting that it is precisely the botrytis-influenced wines that get chosen for labeling as Knoll Vinothekfüllungen. That said, the present example is certainly impressive on those terms.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Weinbau Jutta Ambrositsch Wiener Gemischter Satz Sieveringer Ringelspiel, Vienna 2013 750ML ($47.95) $39 special, 4 bottles available
David Schildknecht–Vinous 94 points “This comes from two nearby field blends planted in 1952 and 1948 in Sievering’s Reissern and Mittelbergen sites that between them boast a who’s who of formerly fashionable, still well-known, and utterly obscure varieties. An astonishingly sweet and penetrating freesia-like floral perfume alluringly greets the nose. The influence of Pinot Blanc and Neuburger is evidenced by a natural creaminess of texture, while luscious grapefruit, blueberry, apple and Persian melon, all supported by extremely subtle sweetness, suggest the roles of Riesling and Grüner Veltliner. A billowing sense of inner-mouth perfume follows into a mouthwateringly salt-tinged finish of soothing refreshment and uplifting buoyancy, not to mention phenomenal persistence.”
This is the only listing in the USA today!
Newly Reviewed Nikolaihof Wines Arriving Next Friday
Familie Saahs Nikolaihof im Weingebirge Smaragd Gruner Veltliner, Wachau 2013 750ML ($79.95) $59 pre-arrival special
Familie Saahs Nikolaihof im Weingebirge Smaragd Gruner Veltliner, Wachau 2013 1.5L ($149.95) $125 pre-arrival special
David Schildknecht–Vinous 94 points “Bottled in November of last year, this repeatedly failed the official test for Qualitätswein, a detail that Niki Saahs imparts with seeming relish as well as amusement. High-toned suggestions of floral distillates mingle with hints of moss and intimations of the fruits to come. Rhubarb, apple and lime team up for a palate performance of Riesling-like brightness, sap and clarity. A sense of infused crushed stone, black tea and shrimp-shell reduction makes for a fascinating and almost preternaturally persistent finish.” DS
Familie Saahs Nikolaihof im Weingebirge Gruner Veltliner Federspiel, Wachau 2013 1.5L ($89.95) $79 pre-arrival special
David Schildknecht–Vinous 93 points “Bittersweet floral notes waft from the glass and continue to play across the palate. Roasted root vegetables mingled with dark leafy greens, smoky nut oils, moss, iodine-tinged shellfish reduction and tangy fresh lime make for an expression of Grüner Veltliner that is deep and dark but at the same time refreshingly juicy and stimulatingly crunchy. Finishing lift and utterly intriguing length further encourage the next sip.” DS
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Familie Saahs Nikolaihof Riesling vom Stein Federspiel, Wachau 2013 750ML ($39.95) $33 pre-arrival special
Familie Saahs Nikolaihof Riesling vom Stein Federspiel, Wachau 2013 1.5L ($99.95) $79 pre-arrival special
David Schildknecht–Vinous 92 points “Caraway and celery root, apple and lemon, hedge flowers and roses: this smells as though somebody blended in Gewurztraminer. A sappy, silky palate incorporates corresponding complexity, with faintly bitter hints of huckleberry and a bite of radish adding stimulation and a suggestion of oyster liquor saliva-inducement to a sustained, infectiously juicy and (at 11.9% alcohol) strikingly buoyant finish.” DS
Familie Saahs Nikolaihof Riesling Steiner Hund Reserve Riesling, Wachau 2010 1.5L ($179.95) $149 pre-arrival special
David Schildknecht–Vinous 95 points “The nose here fascinates in a distinctively Nikolaihof manner. Elusive suggestions of moss and lichen on wet stone, mothball and salt spray, along with herbal and floral essences introduce a palate performance that adds to their presence roasted peanut, white asparagus, almond and pear for an effect at once satiny and soothing, juicy and subtly piquant. The combination of mouthwatering salinity and mineral intrigue to the nearly endless finish resembles a mouthful of oyster with its green innards and briny liquor. This remarkable libation was bottled in the spring of 2014.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Case-6 Familie Saahs Nikolaihof Vinothek Riesling, Wachau 1997 750ML ($1,199.95) $999 pre-arrival special (that’s only $166.50/bottle!)
David Schildknecht–Vinous 97 points “This successor to the almost supernaturally ethereal and haunting 1995 also has to live up to the reputation of a vintage-of-the-half-century. It manages, though! The bouquet is unearthly in its complex amalgam of bittersweetly floral (iris, gentian, buddleia), pungently nutty, subtly smoky (black tea) and elusively mineral (sea breeze, wet stone, faint fusel oil) components. Considering the secondary development signaled on the nose, a surprising intensity of pure white peach, apple and grapefruit emerges sumptuously on the silky palate. The buoyant finish, more tightly clinging and less ethereal than that of the 1995, represents a long, harmoniously undulating interaction of liquid floral perfume, diverse minerality and succulent fresh fruits. I tasted this shortly before its mid-2014 bottling (a rare exception to the Nikolaihof rule against unveiling wines from cask) and did not review that note before tasting seven months later. My first spontaneous word each time was “unearthly.” And happily, my impressions that followed demonstrated that this wine’s amazing personality, including its aromas and textural allure, had made it to bottle scarcely altered. The source vineyard here, incidentally, is the Im Weingebirge whereas the 1995 was from Vom Stein.”
Newly Reviewed Austrian Wines
Arriving This Month
Weingut Hirsch Kammerner Renner Gruner Veltliner Erste OTW Lage, Kamptal 2013 750ML ($41.95) $36 pre-arrival special
Weingut Hirsch Kammerner Renner Gruner Veltliner Erste OTW Lage, Kamptal 2013 1.5L ($99.95) $79 pre-arrival special
David Schildknecht–Vinous 93 points “With a diversity of mineral nuances more familiar from Riesling, this Grüner Veltliner projects an infectiously juicy and crunchily invigorating alliance of fresh lime, orange, pea tendrils, corn shoots and ginseng, with beet root earthiness joining wet stone on the bass line. A penetrating, almost severely but downright mouth-shakingly intense finish perpetuates the full range of diversity displayed on the firm palate, accompanied by hints of iodine, black tea smokiness plus saliva-inducing salinity and animality akin to oyster liquor. This weighs in at just 12.7% alcohol, permitting a lovely sense of levity to boot. A new parcel in Renner was added this year and Hirsch’s already owned vines had reached what he judged to be proper maturity for producing a wine dedicated to and worthy of this site. He was certainly right! (For further indications of this vineyard’s potential check out my accompanying review of Schloss Gobelsburg’s 2013 rendition.)”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Weingut Hirsch Kammerner Grub Gruner Veltliner Erste OTW Lage Reserve, Kamptal 2013 750ML ($59.95) $49 pre-arrival special
Weingut Hirsch Kammerner Grub Gruner Veltliner Erste OTW Lage Reserve, Kamptal 2013 1.5L ($119.95) $99 pre-arrival special
David Schildknecht–Vinous 91 points “After following this pithy, piquant, tightly coiled and firm yet lees-inflected bottling for a year, it seems to clearly be the Hirsch 2013 that has the farthest to travel before it reveals its full potential. Burly tobacco and black tea convey a smoky aura that intriguingly complements flavors of roasted beet root, apple and kohlrabi. The finish is impressively gripping and stony if as yet slightly undifferentiated.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Weingut Hirsch Zobinger Heiligenstein Riesling Erste Lage, Kamptal 2013 750ML ($59.95) $49 pre-arrival special
David Schildknecht–Vinous 93 points “Seductive wisteria and gentian perfume wafts from the glass, presaging a sweet sense of inner-mouth florality that perfectly complements this Riesling’s luscious depth of succulent peach, pineapple, orange and lime. A shimmering exchange with stony, saline and alkaline notes plays out on a silky palate, while the finish introduces an invigorating impression of crunched raspberry seeds, subtly integrating their bitterness and that of citrus oils into the floral, fruity, mineral mélange.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Weingut Hirsch Zobinger Gaisberg Riesling, Kamptal 2013 750ML ($59.95) $49 pre-arrival special
Weingut Hirsch Zobinger Gaisberg Riesling, Kamptal 2013 1.5L ($149.95) $109 pre-arrival special
David Schildknecht–Vinous 92 points “Ocean spray-like alkalinity and salinity are signaled in the nose, along with faint struck flint and intriguingly sweaty, musky hints. Palate stoniness along with citrus pip and peach kernel piquancy make for pithiness and slight austerity to this firmly textured and impressively persistent bottling. An intriguing wafting floral element suggestive of iris and narcissus is also bitterly shaded in comparison with the effusive perfume of the corresponding Heiligenstein. There is a dynamic sense of finishing interaction between the aforementioned elements and a bright citric juiciness, with coiled energy emerging as faintly electric tingling. I hope that bottling in screwcap doesn’t lock in the bit of reduction here.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Schloss Gobelsburg – New Reviews
Wines Arrive in November
The Schloss Gobelsburg winery is the oldest in the region, and one of the oldest in the world. Cistercian monks from the Zwettl Monastery founded the vineyards in 1171 and performed the winemaking operations throughout eight centuries until 1995, when a winemaking / management contract was awarded to Michael Moosbrugger and his wife Eva. The monks had practiced organic grape-growing techniques since the late 50s, and organic viticulture is still practiced today.
Moosbrugger revolutionized winemaking at Schloss Gobelsburg and has garnered many high awards, including being named Winemaker of the Year by the Austrian magazine Falstaff. His attentive crafting leads to precise and distinct wines that reflect the essence of each site. He sees two styles of winemaking: the first is an interventionist method which uses industrial machinery and standardized techniques to create wines. In his view, the second form of winemaking is to act as the teacher or coach to the grapes: to work with them, encouraging the best expression of their character without forcing adjustments upon them. These wines reflect fully the character and individuality of the vineyard and grape varieties. This concept extends from careful selection of vines all the way to bottle aging where he seeks to find the right moment to capture the highest and purest essence of the wines.
Schloss Gobelsburg Renner Gruner Veltliner Reserve Erste OTW Lage 2013 750ML ($49.95) $39 pre-arrival special
David Schildknecht–Vinous 95 points “From Renner’s geologically complex Urgestein mix characteristically emerges a Grüner Veltliner of comparable complexity that’s indescribable without resorting to mineral vocabulary, and that is certainly true of this 2013. But there is so much more going on that it nearly makes me dizzy. A heady nose of lilac and iris, radish and raw ginger, along with hints of citrus and roasted root vegetables, sets the tone for what follows, an explosively concentrated interaction of grippingly piquant, pungent, incisive and brightly juicy elements. Apple and lime, caramelized parsnip and golden beet are mingled with smoky nut oils and laced with ginger, radish, iris root and white pepper. The reverberating finish adds to a kaleidoscopic whirl of the aforementioned elements an otherwise ineffable ore-like depth and saliva-inducing salinity. I was holding my breath that what I first tasted would be captured in bottle with complete success, and that’s happened.”
Schloss Gobelsburg Lamm Gruner Veltliner Reserve Erste OTW Lage 2013 750ML ($79.95) $59 pre-arrival special
Schloss Gobelsburg Lamm Gruner Veltliner Reserve Erste OTW Lage 2013 375ML ($37.95) $29 pre-arrival special
Schloss Gobelsburg Lamm Gruner Veltliner Reserve Erste OTW Lage 2013 1.5L ($119.95) $99 pre-arrival special
David Schildknecht–Vinous 94 points “The Kamptal’s iconic Grüner Veltliner vineyard has seldom if ever had to rise to a challenge like that of the other Gobelsburg 2013s from this variety. It succeeds in part by offering scents and flavors such as make one wonder how this could come from grapes. Hyacinth and freesia in the nose are mingled with nuances of alkaline and wet stone that then, along with toasted grain and mouthwatering veal stock, dominate the palate proceedings. That’s not to suggest that this wine lacks fruit. Apple, quince and honeydew offer a luscious presence, with complete transparency to mossy forest floor and mineral intrigue. Bittersweet floral perfume adds to the wine’s creamy, glossy inner-mouth allure. Rather than the energy and dynamic so memorable in the comparable Renner, this delivers an enveloping, buoyant wave of finishing flavor.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Schloss Gobelsburg Gaisberg Riesling Reserve Erste OTW Lage 2013 750ML ($39.95) $33 pre-arrival special
David Schildknecht–Vinous 93 points “An alluring freesia-like perfume and cooling scents of green herbs would have had me guessing that this was Heiligenstein. Intimations of black tea, ginger and pepper translate, on a glossy, glycerol-rich, lusciously citric and peachy palate, into an invigorating picture of piquancy, cut and clarity. A similarly stimulating hint of caramelized parsnip puts one in mind of Grüner Veltliner. This finishes with memorable vibrancy and verve not to mention sheer persistence. As with some other vintage exemplars, it is an unusually forward Gaisberg, and happily the perfume and dynamic complexity it exhibited from cask in the weeks before bottling hasn’t dimmed.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Schloss Gobelsburg Zobinger Heiligenstein Riesling Reserve Erste OTW Lage 2013 750ML ($69.95) $59 pre-arrival special
David Schildknecht–Vinous 92 points “Scents of iris and jasmine, apple and apricot set the stage for a generously juicy, subtly interactive performance on a silken palate. Cooler in personality and in its floral/herbal shadings and more aloof than the corresponding Gaisberg, this nonetheless introduces considerable piquancy and chew of fruit pit, pip and skin in its sustained, mouthwateringly saline finish.”
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Case Deals on Brunello
Arriving in November
Case-12 Fattoria dei Barbi Cinelli Colombini Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2010 750ML ($599.95) $479 pre-arrival special (that’s only $39.92/bottle!)
Fattoria dei Barbi Cinelli Colombini Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2010 750ML ($59.95) $44.50 pre-arrival special
James Suckling 96 points “Aromas of burnt orange peel and cherry with hints of dried bark and mahogany. Full-bodied and very tight and dense, with a beautiful fruit, tannin and acid balance. Finesse and strength. Best wine from here for ages. Needs until 2018 to show its true quality.” JS
Wine Advocate 94 points “Fattoria dei Barbi’s 2010 Brunello di Montalcino starts with a tightly wound personality that begins to unravel slowly, one delicate layer at a time. As it does, you become aware of dried fruit, cigar box, crushed mineral, plum, tar and cola. The wine puts on a beautiful display. I also loved the mouthfeel of this beautiful wine: It is tonic, tight and brimming with energy. Well-integrated oak notes give the wine a spot of softness and velvety spice. This is one beautiful Sangiovese.” ML
Brunello di Montalcino Case Deals Available Here Now
Case-12 Caprili Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2010 750ML ($549.95) $419 special, 2 cases available (that’s only $34.91/bottle and the lowest listed price in the USA today!)
Caprili Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2010 750ML ($49.95) $39 special, 36+ bottles available
Wine Advocate 93 points “Caprili’s 2010 Brunello di Montalcino shows unique aromas with undertones of forest floor and wet earth with grilled herbs and dark fruit. You also get a heavier tone of dried fig and Graham cracker that distinguishes this particular expression of Sangiovese. The wine is smooth and polished with a nice sense of inner elegance. Silky tannins give Giacomo Bartolommei’s Brunello more immediacy and a more approachable drinking window. I very much appreciated the wine’s overall elegance.” ML
Case-6 Franco Pacenti Canalicchio Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2009 750ML ($259.95) $169 special, 7 six-packs available (that’s only $28.17/bottle!)
Franco Pacenti Canalicchio Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2009 750ML ($49.95) $31.90 special, 36+ bottles available
Ian D’Agata–Vinous 93 points “Bright red. Captivating aromas of ripe red berries, red cherry, marzipan and strawberry jelly, nicely complicated by a fresh violet note. Bright and vibrant on the palate, with suave red fruit flavors lifted by harmonious acidity, which provides wonderful clarity and cut and extends the flavors at the back. The extremely long finish features noteworthy minerality and precision. Outstanding pure Brunello: one of the year’s ten best.” ID
Case-6 La Fortuna Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2010 750ML ($319.95) $249 special, 3 six-packs available (that’s only $41.50/btl and the lowest listed price in the USA today!)
La Fortuna Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2010 750ML ($59.95) $46 special, 8 bottles available
La Fortuna Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2010 1.5L ($149.95) $119 special, 2 magnums available
La Fortuna Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2010 3L ($299.95) $249 special, 2 jerobaums available
James Suckling 96 points “Aromas of wet earth, meat and dried fruits. Some nuts and spices. Complex. Full body, with super fine tannins and fabulous intensity and richness. Dried cherry and candied citrus fruit. Fabulous finish. You want to drink this now. But shows superb finesse and intensity. Why wait?(1/15)” JS
Wine Spectator 95 points “Saturated with cherry, raspberry, spice and tobacco aromas and flavors, this strikes a balanced between the supple texture, succulent acidity and refined yet gripping tannins. Really sings on the lingering finish. Best from 2019 through 2035.” WS
We offer 28 additional Brunello wines available through our website or in the store!
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Have a nice weekend!