Saturday, March 21st, 2015
Newly Arrived Southern France Wines
First Time Available in the USA
Corbieres is an AOC within the Southern French region of the Languedoc-Roussillon: mostly known for its rich and herbal red wines. The Corbieres region produces only small amounts of white and rose wines. The northern portion, known as Alaric, has plains to the north and south-facing slopes along the Montagne d’Alaric. This is an excellent area for Mourvedre as well as other Southern French varietals such as Grenache and Carignan. In the center of the AOC is the Corbieres-Boutenac AOC, created in 2005. Corbieres-Boutenac is recognized for producing high quality wines from the ten communes that surround a limestone ridge covered in garrigue (a term for the scrubland herbs such as rosemary and lavender that is often used to describe aromas found in the wines). We at Vinopolis are excited to now premier the full breadth of newly-imported selections of two grower / vignerons chosen by the former owner and winemaker of Evesham Wood, Russ Raney. Russ has been a long-time part-time resident in this remarkable region. These wines offer excellent value in a range of genres: some complex yet easy-drinking, some powerful and full-bodied, and others are great cellar candidates.
Chateau de Cabriac
Ch Cabriac Estate Courtesy of Russ Raney
Russ Raney Reports: “Chateau de Cabriac is located in the northwestern section of the rather large Corbières AOC – just downhill from the imposing Mount D’Alaric and facing the foothills of the Cavennes. The micro-climate here is still very much Mediterranean – surrounded by the typical garrigue landscape. They are a medium-sized family owned estate which produces both red & white wines under the Corbières appellation as well as ‘Pays d’Oc’ wines (e.g. 100% Carignan). The congenial proprietors are Jean and his wife, Michèle Cibeins. Jean is a native of the region as a result, understands well what is required to produce typical wines from this terroir (primarily limestone and sandstone). The predominant grape varieties used in their blends are: Carignan, Grenache and Syrah for red and Vermentino (Rolle) for whites. I was very much impressed by the ‘restraint’ and authenticity of their wines, which tend to not be so viscous and alcoholic as some from this warm region. Considering Cabriac’s long tenure, they have kept their pricing very reasonable.”
The domaine is composed of 70 hectares, with 25 hectares in the Corbieres AOC and 45 hectares considered Vin de Pays. The family was one of the first to introduce Syrah and Mourvedre into the AOC. The micro-climate allows for a slower maturation of the grapes, resulting in balance and in intense flavors without over-ripeness.
Chateau de Cabriac Available Here Now
Domaine de Cabriac Vermentino 2013 750ML ($12.95) $9 special, 12 bottles available
Winery note “[Translated] aged for four months in vat. Tasting notes: Notes of honey candy, caramel, dried fruits, and quince. Fresh, with a refined nose of anise, lily and acacia flowers. Bright acidity with good structure for a white. In the mouth it is peppery and spicy, with notes of cumin, honey, quince and lily of the valley.”
Domaine de Cabriac Carignan Vieilles Vignes 2013 750ML ($14.95) $11.90 special, 24 bottles available
Case-12 Domaine de Cabriac Carignan Vieilles Vignes 2011 750ML ($149.95) $119 special, 3 cases available
Winery note: “[Translated] Aged in vats. Tasting notes: A ruby red color with violet hues that reveals aromas of ripe red fruits, currants and cassis accompanied by some spicy notes. The wine is elegant, well-structured with a roundness and ampleness in the mouth. The fruit flavors are followed by soft tannins with good persistence.”
Chateau de Cabriac Tradition, Corbieres 2011 750ML ($14.95) $11.90 special, 24 bottles available
Case-12 Chateau de Cabriac Tradition, Corbieres 2011 750ML ($149.95) $119 special, 3 cases available
Syrah/Mourvedre/Carignan/Grenache
Winery note “[Translated] Traditional winemaking. Separate vinification by grape variety. 18 months aging in vats. Tasting notes: Intense color, exuberant nose of black fruits. The palate is round, full, and fruity, with notes of blackcurrant, blackberry, and roasted coffee. The palate is fleshy, dense and powerful. Nice Balance. Lots of fun.”
Chateau de Cabriac Prieuré St Martin, Corbieres 2008 750ML ($19.95) $14 special, 12 bottles available
Syrah/Mourvedre/Grenache
Winery note: “[Translated] This is blended after careful tasting to produce a wine of power and intensity. Hand harvested. Long maceration in barrel, aging occurs in oak for 12 months. Tasting notes: A nose first of cherry, blackberry jam, green tomato, smoked and salted caramel, which then progresses to peanut notes, paprika and bay leaf. The mouth is full and ends with cumin, blackberry, nutmeg and woody notes.”
Clos Canos
Bottle shot courtesy of Russ RaneyRuss Raney Reports: “Clos Canos is a small family operation (11,000 cases/year) situated on the edge of the village, Luc-sur-Orbieu – which is within the sub-appellation of Corbières-Boutenac, and more or less in the center of the AOC. The husband-wife owners are Pierre Galinier and Françoise Castel. Pierre is a 5th generation vigneron in Luc, but it wasn’t until the year 2000 that he discountinued selling the estate’s grapes to negociants, and began to produce wine under their own label. The soil type in their location is largely claylimestone, and like Ch. Cabriac their predominant red grapes employed are Carignan, Grenache and Syrah. For the whites they use primarily Sauvignon Blanc and the Rhone variety Roussanne. Clos Canos also makes a lovely, floral and regressing rose… produced mainly from Grenache Gris, Grenache Blanc and Grenache Noir. Canos’ wines are also in the ‘good value’ category, but they produce some excellent ageable wines as well, like their ‘Tradition,’ which is 90% old-vine Carignan with loads of character.”
Clos Canos Available Here Now
Clos Canos Rose, Corbières 2013 750ML ($13.95) $9.90 special, 24 bottles available
From the winery: “Light pink. Nose: very fine and floral; palate: full and fleshy. 25% Grenache Gris, 25% Grenache Blanc, 25% Grenache Noir, 25% Syrah. From clay limestone vineyards.”
Clos Canos Rouge, Corbières 2012 750ML ($14.95) $11.90 special, 24 bottles available
Case-12 Clos Canos Rouge, Corbières 2012 750ML ($149.95) $119 special, 3 cases available
50% Syrah, 30% Grenache, 20% Carignan
Clos Canos Tradition, Corbières 2011 750ML ($14.95) $11.90 special, 12 bottles available
90% Carignan w/ Grenache & Syrah
From the winery “From quartenary period clay limestone. 10 months in barrel. Grenache is destemmed. Nose: Red fruits, palate: ripe fruits and garrigue (scrubland herbs).”
Clos Canos “Les Cocobirous,” Corbières 2011 750ML ($25.95) $21.90 special, 12 bottles available
Carignan/Grenache/Syrah
From the winery “Nose: red fruits and blackcurrant, palate: warm, very supple tannins, fine and well balanced. Age for up to 10 years.”
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Spring Sale – New Feature
Ganevats, a Pair
Jean Francois Ganevat Vieux Macvin du Jura NV 750ML ($69.95) $39 special, 23 bottles available
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $45.99
The average price is $59
Jean Francois Ganevat Cotes du Jura Vin Jaune 2004 375ML ($59.95) $49 special, 15 half-bottles available
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
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Spring Sales Revisit
A Few of our recent Repricements
OREGON
Coelho Winery Paciencia Estate Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2011 750ML ($49.95) Was $33, Now $29, 22 bottles available
Stephen Tanzer 89 points “Bright red. High-pitched aromas of strawberry, blood orange and white pepper, with a musky rhubarb nuance coming up with air. Lively and sharply focused, offering spicy red fruit flavors and a hint of bitter chocolate. Racy and clean on the finish, which shows no obvious tannins and a zesty orange pith quality.” ST
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $46
CALIFORNIA
Scholium Project ‘MSL – Marcher Sur la Lune’ Bokisch Ranches Vineyard Reserve Verdelho 2009 750ML ($29.95) Was $18, Now $14, 11 bottles available
(Verdelho) Barrel and Skin contact. “They crushed the majority of the fruit to press and captured the juice in a wooden fermenter. They reserved about a fifth of the harvest and destemmed but did not press it. Whole berries; no stems, but all of the skin and seeds. When they had finished pressing, they shoveled in the destemmed fruit. As the fermentation progressed, the fruit would float to the surface, and they would perform a pumpover to make sure that it integrated with the juice, and the the developing wine extracted tannins from the skins and seeds. The result is a wine no less pleasurable but in fact more so: more so for its rigor, definition, and subtle power. You do not taste skins or seeds– this is purely a white wine, but you sense their place in the structure of the wine. 285 cases produced”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $25
Scholium Project La Severita di Bruto Farina Vineyards Sonoma County 2009 750ML ($39.95) Was $29, Now $19, 13 bottles available
“LSB is our most conventional wine, if one asks solely about means of production, technique. Most of the juice is whole cluster pressed; some is crushed to press, none is affected by maceration or skin fermentation. The fruit itself is Sauvignon Blanc, a kind of vanilla ice-cream among grape cultivars. The wine ferments in neutral oak barrels of standard size; sometimes up to half of it ferments and ages in stainless steel barrels; but that is hardly unconventional. SO2 is used liberally but not wildly to suppress malo-lactic fermentation and preserve freshness.The wine is bottled after a year, while it is still fresh, not oxidized at all nor affected by post-fermentation microbes.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $39
Opus One Proprietary Red Napa Valley 2009 1.5L ($799.95) Was $579, Now $549, 3 magnums available
Antonio Galloni 94 points “The 2009 Opus One is impeccable. It brings together the silkiness of the 2007 with the power and darkness of the 2008, a combination that is hugely appealing, to say the least. With a little air, the 2009 can be enjoyed young, but it is best cellared for at least a few years, which will allow some of the baby fat to drop off. The blend is 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc, 6% Petit Verdot, 3% Merlot and 1% Malbec.” AG
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $578.99
FRANCE-BURGUNDY
Louis Jadot Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru 2012 750ML ($359.95) Was $279, Now $249, 4 bottles available
Wine Advocate 90-92 points “The 2012 Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru has a richer, more tropical-scented bouquet compared to the Bienvenue. The palate is smooth and rounded, rich and mellifluous in the mouth with a long, seductive finish that needs just a little more tension and poise.” WA
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $309
Thibault Liger-Belair Clos Vougeot Grand Cru 2011 750ML ($199.95) Was $166, Now $149, 4 bottles available
Stephen Tanzer 92-94 points “Bright, dark red-ruby. Vibrant aromas of blackberry, licorice and wild herbs, along with a smoky carbon suggestion. Densely packed and highly concentrated, with a firm tannic spine giving shape and definition to the fresh dark berry flavors. Plenty of stuffing here for balance but this very closed wine will probably need up to a decade of bottle aging to blossom.” ST
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The average price is $179
Domaine Henri Gouges Les Chenes Carteaux, Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru 2010 750ML ($89.95) Was $79, Now $69, 21 bottles available
Burghound 89-92 points “Reduction. This is also quite supple and relatively forward but the middle weight flavors retain good delineation and excellent complexity on the persistent finish. This is presently on the tangy side though I attribute this more to the presence of substantial amounts of gas rather than under ripe phenolics. This should amply reward 10 to 12 years of cellar time.”BH
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Domaine Digioia-Royer Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Charmois, Cote de Nuits 2011 750ML ($59.95) $49 special, 6 bottles available
Domaine Digioia-Royer Chambolle-Musigny, Cote de Nuits 2011 750ML ($69.95) $59 special, 26 bottles available
Vinopolnote: Vineyard planted in 1965; average production of 500 cases/year
Domaine Digioia-Royer Les Groseilles, Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru 2011 750ML ($149.95) Was $119, Now $99, 5 bottles available
Vinopolnote: Vineyard planted in 1935; average production of 40 cases/year
Domaine Digioia-Royer Les Gruenchers, Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru 2011 750ML ($149.95) Was $119, Now $99, 4 bottles available
Vinopolnote: Vineyard planted in 1986; average production of 25 cases/year
All of the Digioia-Royer wines listed are offered at the lowest listed price in the USA today!
FRANCE-RHONE
Clos St Jean Chateauneuf du Pape Combe des Fous 2010 ($199.95) Was $169, Now $159, 2 bottles available
Robert Parker 98 points “The limited production cuvee of 2010 Chateauneuf du Pape La Combe des Fous (60% Grenache, 20% Syrah, and the rest Muscardin, Vaccarese and Cinsault) is awesome. There have been many great vintages of this wine (2005, 2007, 2009 and 2011), but the 2010 flirts with perfection. One of the most complex aromatic expressions of Chateauneuf du Pape, it offers up notes of Christmas fruitcake, spring flowers, mulberries, blueberries, black raspberries, espresso beans and spice box. Full-bodied, opulent and voluptuously textured, its luxurious, lavish fruit conceals amazing levels of glycerin and alcohol. This wine possesses prodigious intensity, massive layers of fruit and an incredible 45-50-second finish. Forget it for 4-5 years, and drink it over the following 20-25 years.” RP
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $189
Clos St Jean Chateauneuf du Pape Combe des Fous 2006 ($279.95) Was $249, Now $199, 3 bottles available
Robert Parker 99 points “Shockingly, the 2006 Chateauneuf du Pape Combe des Fous is almost as good. From a vintage that flies under the radar, it boasts a classic Clos Saint Jean profile of kirsch liqueur, ripe black raspberries, ground herbs and sweet garrigue to go with full-bodied richness and depth on the palate. Always slightly more elegant and silky than the more powerful Deus ex Machina, this thrill ride of a Chateauneuf will continue to drink well for another decade.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Clos St Jean Chateauneuf du Pape Deus ex Machina 2006 ($279.95) Was $249, Now $199, 3 bottles available
Robert Parker 99 points “The 2006 Chateauneuf du Pape Deus ex Machina was flirting with perfection on this go around, and was open, layered and sexy. Possessing rock-star kirsch, blackberry liqueur, incense, spice, garrigue and ground pepper, it’s a full-bodied, incredibly textured 2006 that has thrilling concentration, sweet tannin and a finish this just keeps going. If forced to pick one of these bottles for current drinking, it’s showing spectacularly.” RP
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
M. Chapoutier Ermitage Le Meal 2010 750ML ($319.95) $299 special, 2 bottles available
Robert Parker 99 points “From the warmest site of these three vineyards, the 2010 Ermitage Le Meal has sweet creme de cassis, blackberry, bacon fat and a meaty, bloody steak component to its richness. It has good acidity, but is clearly the most voluptuous and succulent of this quartet of monumental wines from one of the greatest appellations for wine in the world, Hermitage. This wine needs a good decade of cellaring and should continue to evolve for 40-50+ years.”WA
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
M. Chapoutier Ermitage Le Pavillon 2010 750ML ($399.95) $349 special, 6 bottles available
Robert Parker 100 points “Tasting like the concentrated blood from an aged and grilled strip steak, the 2010 Ermitage Le Pavillon boasts a black/purple color along with creme de cassis, camphor, pen ink, white flower and lead pencil shaving characteristics in its massive, full-bodied personality. It almost defies description because of its ethereal concentration and off-the-charts extract levels. This is not for the faint of heart, or those who lack patience, as it will require 10-15 years of bottle age, and, as previously stated, will keep for 50 or more. There are just over 1,000 cases of the 2010 Le Pavillon, another perfect wine in the constellation of profound wines produced by Michel Chapoutier.” RP
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
M. Chapoutier Hermitage Monier de la Sizeranne 2007 750ML ($129.95) Was $99, Now $89, 20 bottles available
Robert Parker 90-93 points “The 2007 Ermitage La Sizeranne displays a similar deep ruby/purple-tinged color in addition to sweet aromas of raspberries, black currants, smoke, gun flint, and spice. This full-bodied, well-made wine reveals outstanding richness, purity, and overall balance. Consume it over the next 15-20 years.” RP
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $94.99
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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Austria and the Other Great Grape
Gruner Veltliner
Gruner (which translates to ‘green’ in German) Veltliner is mostly recognized for its fresh lime, grapefruit and white pepper notes. What most consumers have not learned yet is it’s range of various styles and complexity, some intended for early consumption and others achieving great ageing capabilities.
The Wachau region in Austria is truly a connection between Northern and Southern climates, involving a rich mosaic of various soils and steep, rocky river banks. Geography plays a major role when talking of the whites coming from this region, and the resulting concentration of flavors due to the
Pannonian climate they experience. The Danube river acts as a natural heat regulator, by retaining heat in the day for sugars and phenolic compounds to build up, while creating currents of moist Northern air, allowing for cool nights to balance and preserve the aromas and acidity. The classification in Wachau is similar to Germany in that they are classified by their ‘must weight’, or sugar content at harvest time, an indication of ripeness and levels of alcohol. Steinfeder is bone dry with a lighter, crisper approach. Federspiel shows a bit more finesse and generous mouthfeel. This style lies between the crisp fresh citrus notes and the white pepper characteristics, with a bit more weight to balance out the richness of the fruit and those beautiful acids. Smaragd with a minimum of 12.5%abv are robust and full-bodied. They demonstrate more age-worthiness (some with 20+ years potential!) and greater complexity.
The region of Kremstal and the historic town of Krems, a neighbor of the Wachau, lie on weathered bedrock soils and produces Gruner Veltliners with elegance, opulent fruit and a creamier texture. In Kamptal, Gruner Veltliner vineyards are mostly located in the lower-lying areas, where the deep clay and loess soils contribute to richer, highly concentrated wines, while still maintaining their vibrant acidity. Extended over the entire region, vines have been cultivated on terraced hillsides of gneiss, sandstone, loess and gravel for over 2000 years, allowing these wines to really show their mineral driven characteristics.
“Top-quality Grüner Veltliner is well capable of ageing and is not just a great wine, but possibly the best-value great wine in the world.” -Jancis Robinson
Stock List – Available Here Now
Weingut Leo Alzinger Loibner Steinertal Gruner Veltliner Smaragd, Wachau 2012 750ML ($69.95) $55 special, 10 bottles available
Joel Payne 91 points “Intense ripe aromas of pineapple, cantaloupe and white pepper. Quite concentrated, warmly rich and powerful, yet cool, austere and focused. Mineral spices and a nearly salty impression linger on the long finish.” JP
Weingut Leo Alzinger Loibner Steinertal Gruner Veltliner Smaragd, Wachau 2011 750ML ($59.95) $49 special, 8 bottles available
Falstaff Report 95 points “(translated) Bright Green Yellow. Fine yellow peach fruit, delicate orange flavor, mineral touch, multi-faceted bouquet, succulent, very elegant texture, fine stone fruit touch, balanced, underlaid with a finesse acid structure remains very good stick, mineral finish, very good from an inspiring transparency, aging potential.” FR
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $74.99
F.X. Pichler Durnsteiner Liebenberg Gruner Veltliner Smaragd, Wachau 2012 750ML ($69.95) $55 special, 21 bottles available
Falstaff 92-94 points “[translated] Medium greenish yellow. Attractive yellow tropical fruit, delicate pineapple and peach, with fresh wild herbs and delicately highlighted with orange zest. Powerful, a fine touch of honey, sweet extracted core, subtle acid structure, mineral reverberation, yellow fruity finish, a hint of opulence.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $59.99
F.X. Pichler Frauenweingarten Gruner Veltliner Federspiel, Wachau 2012 750ML ($39.95) $33 special, 7 bottles available
Falstaff 92 points “[translated] Bright green, silver flecks. Fresh green apple, backed with fine meadow herbs, delicate hint of tobacco. Juicy, shows a nimbleness and good complexity, fine spice, fresh structure, pleasant fruit reverberation, less alcohol, more flavor.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $36.99
F.X. Pichler Durnsteiner Kellerberg Gruner Veltliner Smaragd, Wachau 2012 750ML ($89.95) $79 special, 12 bottles available
Falstaff 96-98 points
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $82.95
F.X. Pichler Loibner Klostersatz Gruner Veltliner Federspiel, Wachau 2012 750ML ($39.95) $26 special, 15 bottles available
Falstaff 91 points “[translated] Bright yellow green. Pleasant yellow apple fruit, a hint of stone fruit and melon. Juicy, tender leafy spice, subtle fruit sweetness, well-integrated acidity, lemony touch in the finish, already good to drink.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $38.99
F.X. Pichler Gruner Veltliner Loibner Steinertal Smaragd, Wachau 2012 750ML ($59.95) $41.90 special, 11 bottles available
Wine Enthusiast 95 points “This is a beautifully structured wine that has ripe apple flavor, as well as delicate acidity and minerality. There is a sprinkle of pepper, crisp citrus and a spicy aftertaste. This is a fine wine with taut texture that promises a good future. Drink from 2015.”
Falstaff 93-95 points “[translated] Medium Green Yellow. With fresh wild herbs highlighted by yellow apple fruit, tender mango, dark mineral hints at fine hint of tobacco. Juicy, pleasantly sweet extract, delicate acidity, powerful but balanced, fine balance in the finish, very good aging potential.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $47.99
F.X. Pichler M Gruner Veltliner Smaragd, Wachau 2012 750ML ($109.95) $89 special, 7 bottles available
F.X. Pichler M Gruner Veltliner Smaragd, Wachau 2012 375ML ($59.95) $39 special, 9 half-bottles available
Stephen Tanzer 93 points “Expressive bouquet fascinates with papaya, nougat, woodsmoke, white chocolate and orange zest. A sweet, leesy core of plum is wrapped in layers of green peppercorn, cardamom and orange. Unctuously rich and almost Burgundian in its creaminess, and carrying considerable alcoholic clout, this has the depth and intensity of flavor to carry the style, but I prefer both the Kellerberg and Liebenberg.”
Weingut Franz Hirtzberger Rotes Tor Gruner Veltliner Smaragd, Wachau 2011 ($59.95) $49 special, 3 bottles available
Stephen Tanzer 91 points “Restrained nose reveals ripe melons, wild herbs, cracked pepper and dark minerals. Sumptuously concentrated, with spicy acidity providing a counterpoint to the sweetly extracted apricot flavors. Long on the finish.”
Weingut Franz Hirtzberger Honivogl Gruner Veltliner Smaragd, Wachau 2011 ($109.95) $89 special, 3 bottles available
Wine Spectator 92 points “Dense and rich flavors of peach cobbler, ruby grapefruit and glazed citrus are supported by a zesty acidity. The accents of marzipan and lemon curd provide balance, accompanied by hints of tarragon cream. A big wine. Drink now through 2020. ”
Stephen Tanzer 91 points “Tobacco, acacia honey and white peach rise on the nose, along with a hint of pepper. Juicy, dry and sharply focused, with a core of ripe apricot extract. Finishing with impressive persistence, this wine will certainly be long-lived.”
Weingut Nigl Herzstuck vom Kirchenberg Gruner Veltliner, Kremstal 2010 750ML ($59.95) $49 special, 1 bottle available
Familie Saahs Nikolaihof im Weingebirge Smaragd Gruner Veltliner, Wachau 2010 750ML ($69.95) $59 special, 1 bottle available
Familie Saahs Nikolaihof im Weingebirge Smaragd Gruner Veltliner, Wachau 2010 1.5L ($149.95) $89 special, 6 magnums available
Familie Saahs Nikolaihof Hefeabzug Gruner Veltliner, Wachau 2013 750ML ($29.95) $24 special, 6 bottles available
Terry Theise notes: “Core-List Wine. It means sur lie. It’s exotic this year, but has the spicy flowery euphoria of ’13 and its usual semolinasweet lees; less starchy than usual but vastly more floral, as if a potion of wisteria were dissolved in it. Very long wintergreeny finish.”
Familie Saahs Nikolaihof im Weingebirge Gruner Veltliner Federspiel, Wachau 2012 750ML ($34.95) $27 special, 2 bottles available
Terry Theise notes: “Markedly lissome and chiseled, slate-blue eyes and high cheekbones; even a little phenolic and certainly mineral, especially for this estate. The finish is clipped but the alc is below 12%, and the clarity and oyster grip is almost more typical for Hefeabzug.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $32
Familie Saahs Nikolaihof im Weingebirge Gruner Veltliner Federspiel, Wachau 2013 750M ($39.95) $29 special, 27 bottles available
Terry Theise notes: “Well this is a miracle-wine. Sparrowy energy; perfumed so pungently it’s like smelling your irises and lilacs from inside the house; a delicate minerality, but this wreaks an utter havoc of charm and deliciousness, all with that delicate woodsy breath of the cellar. Numinously gentle, unforgettable wine.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $31.99
Familie Saahs Nikolaihof im Weingebirge Smaragd Gruner Veltliner, Wachau 2011 750ML ($64.95) $55 special, 4 bottles available
Terry Theise notes: “Delicate and soulful. Not a flashy first impression. 12.6% alc. Pea shoot and vetiver and a curious tickle of tannin; a careful beautiful wine with nothing to prove. Again a stirringly mineral finish.I should emphasize, I don’t need to or want to summon any kind of spell when I’m tasting here. I try instead to erase my screen and then transcribe whatever takes place. I mean, the wines are how they are, and I seem to feel my only authentic response is directly into image and metaphor. And the tasting itself is quite workmanlike; 4-5 glasses are lined up and the wines poured into flights, just like anywhere else. And then they start to peal, and the usual deconstruction of flavors just isn’t called for. Better to fall into the aura of the pealing, to hear the complicated overtones, to feel the air between the wine and me. That’s what seems to work.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
Weingut Bernhard Ott Fass 4 Gruner Veltliner, Wagram 2013 750ML ($34.95) $27 special, 7 bottles available
Terry Theise notes: “Salty and herbal pork crackling or the skin of the roast; rose hips and rhubarb; the plus is for sheer torque and force, and the wine has the absurd happiness of a great rock song.”
Weingut Bernhard Ott Engabrunner Stein Gruner Veltliner Erste OTW Lage, Wagram 2013 750ML ($59.95) $49 special, 4 bottles available
Wine Advocate 91 points “The Engabrunner 2013 Grüner Veltliner Stein is Ott’s one and only Veltliner from the adjacent Kamptal. It comes from terraces on gravel and gneiss soils which are covered by a big loess layer and bewitches with very ripe aromas of apples and stone fruits highlighted by fresh and delicately mineral and herbal flavors. The palate is intense and elegant, very juicy and stimulatingly salty what makes this full-bodied ad powerful Stein a harmonious and well balanced Veltliner which is already accessible but can be drunk for the eight years.”
Gruner Veltliner Wines Arriving Before the End of March
Weingut Willi Brundlmayer Gruner Veltliner Alte Reben, Kamptal 2008 750ML ($49.95) $41.90 pre-arrival special
Terry Theise notes: “You get to make a stylistic choice; the ’08 is out of diapers, and it’s all green beans and twigs, with the cool angularity of the vintage, and with a kind of power having little to do with strength but rather with a precise expressiveness.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $50.99
Weingut Hirsch Ried Lamm Gruner Veltliner, Kamptal 2011 750ML ($59.95) $49 pre-arrival special
Terry Theise notes “The ‘11 is back-lit by its extreme youth, but there’s a shimmery brilliance that’s really compelling; it’s back-palate now, but silvery rather than meaty withal it’s as massive as Lamm always is; it’s salty not stocky, like a slice of cucumber between two arugula leaves with a few grains of selgris. Again singular in the context of 2011.”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
The next best price is $56.99
Familie Saahs Nikolaihof im Weingebirge Smaragd Gruner Veltliner, Wachau 2012 750ML ($69.95) $59 pre-arrival special
Terry Theise notes: “Spices and tobacco; an old dialect not only of GV but of wine; a kind of melting exhalation of relaxing, nothing to prove, no point to make, just delicately forceful; at the edge of oxidation, but feels mysterious, not decadent. Banish the noise!”
This is the lowest listed price in the USA today!
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Weingut Bernhard Ott ‘Der Ott’ Gruner Veltliner, Wagram 2013 750ML ($49.95) $39 pre-arrival special
Importer note: “Ott’s premiere line of Grüner Veltliner’s begins with “Der Ott,” made from the younger, 10-12 year old, vines of the top three Erste Lage sites – Spiegel, Stein and Rosenberg.”
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Weingut Bernhard Ott Feuersbrunner Rosenberg Gruner Veltliner Erste OTW Lage, Wagram 2013 750ML ($64.95) $51.90 pre-arrival special
“According to Bernhard Ott, the 2013 Grüner Veltliner Rosenberg Erste Lage comes from “the very best loess cru of the Wagram.” The vineyard (in 280 and 320 meters above sea level) is located in a topographic basin that is open to the south but provides a high level of protection from the wind and has an excellent heat-conserving capacity. The vineyard is bordered to the north by a mixed forest on Tertiary gravels from a former watercourse of the Danube River whereas the calcareous, silty soils of the vineyards developed from a thick blanket of loess which can be up to 20 meters thick. Ott’s vines are more than 50 old and give a remarkable elegant and well balanced Veltliner with an intense citrus color and a lovely purity of ripe, juicy peaches and mangoes intermixed with fresh, clear mineral flavors on the nose. Gentle and remarkably elegant on the palate, the full-bodied wine matches its natural richness and fruit intensity with freshness and a nice piquancy in a very delicious way. Its elegance and balance is really beautiful.”
Terry Theise notes: “The exegesis of loess here. Wet cereal, polenta and honey and buttery scrambled eggs; it has an imposing salty force, pure power, not just the alcohol-facsimile of power; eucalyptus and ginger; a vibrating mass of ur-salt, magma; a singular vintage of this GV icon.”
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Weingut Bernhard Ott Feuersbrunner Spiegel Gruner Veltliner Erste OTW Lage, Wagram 2013 750ML ($59.95) $49 pre-arrival special
Wine Advocate 92 points “The 2013 Grüner Veltliner Spiegel Erste Lage is Ott’s third vintage of this Feuersbrunn cru which carries a mix of very old and very young vines which are cultivated on south-facing terraces in 280 to more than 300 meters above sea level and well protected to the northwest by the Hengstberg gravel ridge. The soils, derived from a massive blanket of loess that is draped over the Gföhler gneiss bedrock, marine sediments, and ancient gravels of the Danube River, are calcareous and silty and, in 2013, bore a light golden colored, tropical flavored, rich, sweet and harmonious Veltliner of great intensity and elegance. It intermixes ripe peach and mango aromas with tobacco and mineral flavors and develops a great length which makes the Spiegel on a par with the Rosenberg., the former more sweet, the latter more subtle perhaps.”
Terry Theise notes: “The highest elevation among Ott’s three Grand Crus, thus the coolest and breeziest. The soil is gravel over conglomerates. This ’13 is salty and pheasant-y like a sous-vide breast with burgundy truffle; esoteric spices and tropical fruit and parsnip chips; markedly ripe and concentrated.”
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Time to Say Goodbye
Georges DuBoeuf SuperSale
Georges Duboeuf Domaine Jean-Ernest Descombes Morgon, Beaujolais 2011 750ML ($17.95) $9.90 special
Case-12 Georges Duboeuf Domaine Jean-Ernest Descombes Morgon, Beaujolais 2011 750ML ($179.95) $99 special (that’s only $8.25/bottle!)
Wine Spectator 91 points “Like berries freshly picked on a summer day, the raspberry and strawberry notes here are ripe and pure, mixing with hints of pekoe tea leaf, mineral, ground anise and damson preserves. An elegant and balanced version. Drink now through 2018.” WS
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The average price is $15/bottle
Georges Duboeuf Domaine des Versauds Morgon, Beaujolais 2011 750ML ($17.95) $11.90 special
Wine Advocate 91 points “Reflecting more than 40 years’ collaboration spanning three generations of the Poulard family, Duboeuf’s 2011 Morgon Domaine des Versauds combines ripe black raspberry with beet root for a sweet and earthy palate presence tinged with a bite of black pepper and hints of peat, black tea and smoked meat that contribute to a mouthwateringly savory and invigorating finish. There is a positive sense of extract or density here yet infectious juiciness and buoyancy, too. Hints of iris and wet stone in the empty glass add to the imposing complexity offered by this extraordinary value. Enjoy it through at least 2015.” WA