Wine World Deals & Hard to Finds

Harper Voit

Drew Voit is the winemaker and owner of Harper Voit.  He draws from over 16 years of experience in the winemaking industry in Oregon’s Willamette Valley.  He has worked at Domaine Serene as an associate and a consulting winemaker and is the winemaker at Shea Wine Cellars.  He also does custom winemaking for small, super premium Willamette Valley wineries.  He began his formal winemaking studies at UC Davis in Berkeley, though his interest in wine began much earlier.  Andrew Bandy-Smith is the assistant winemaker, having met Drew at a Shea Wine Cellars event.

Through the Harper Voit label, Voit creates several single-vineyard blends and a Willamette Valley cuvee of specific sites.  He was impressed by the rich results the 2012 vintage gave, especially after the decidedly cool 2011 growing season.

Voit has a strong relationship with Stephen Hagen, the owner of Antiquum Farms, formerly Old School Vineyard.  This vineyard is dry-farmed and LIVE certified [Low Input Viticulture and Enology].  Hagen uses draft horses to work the fields and sheep to eat weeds as methods of sustainable farming.  The vineyard is at a high elevation for Pinot Noir at 800 feet above sea level on well-draining Bellpine soil.  The Huntington Hill Vineyard is also LIVE certified.

The Bieze Vineyard bottling is the last case available for this vintage.  The vineyard is in the eastern part of the Eola-Amity Hills.  Its soils are a mix of volcanic types.  The vineyard is planted with the Calera clone (a tiny berried variety with thick skins) and Pommard (a heritage clone that imparts bright and fresh aromas).  This bottling is also barrel aged in French oak.

The Strandline bottling is named for the line of hills that run up the Willamette Valley where the some of the best vineyards sit.  Some 13,000-15,000 years ago, these were ancient islands along a giant lake.  The wine is aged in French oak barrels before bottling.

Harper Voit Wines Available Here Now

Harper Voit Antiquum Vineyard Pinot Noir 2012 ($59.95) $49 special, 12 bottles available
Harper Voit BiezeVineyard Pinot Noir 2012 ($59.95) $49 special, 12 bottles available
Harper Voit Huntington Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir 2012 ($59.95) $49 special, 16 bottles available
Harper Voit ‘Strandline’ Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2011 ($37.95) $30.90 special, 5 bottles available
Harper Voit ‘Strandline’ Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2012 ($37.95) $31.90 special, 12 bottles available

~~~~~~~~~~

Antica Terra
Arriving October 10th
Antica Terra ‘Botanica’ Pinot Noir 2012 ($89.95) $75 pre-arrival special
Winery’s note: “Botanica is always sappy and sanguine with a taste of wild rose, sour cherries, and blood orange. It is tempting to define them solely by their compelling texture and lush personality, but there is a structural element that is equally striking. This balance between extraordinarily concentrated fruit and intense levels of extract is the essence of the wine.  630 cases produced.”Antica Terra ‘Ceras’ Pinot Noir 2012 ($89.95) $75 pre-arrival special
Winery’s note: “Ceras is Botanica’s counterpoint. Its color is more purple than red. It is more about minerals and herbs than fruit and flowers. It is a focused and elegant distillation of rock rather than an opulent cascade of fruit. It is an expression of the geology that lays beneath our land, the tart blue fruits of the coast range and the tender herbs that one finds amongst the trees and mushrooms of the Northwest forest.  600 cases produced.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Champagne Super-Specials and Pre-ArrivalsGaston Chiquet Special Club Grand Cru Brut Millesime 2005 ($79.95) $59 special, 21 bottles available
Stephen Tanzer 92 points“(70% chardonnay and 30% pinot noir; aged for more than six years on its lees and disgorged in September, 2012):  Light yellow.  Vibrant cherry pit, blood orange and smoky minerals on the nose.  Dry, tightly wound and focused, offering deeply pitched red fruit and citrus zest flavors that pick up smokiness and energy with air.  Closes with serious power and lift, leaving sexy floral and toasty lees notes behind.” ST

Vilmart & Cie Coeur de Cuvee Premier Cru Brut 2005 ($179.95) $119 special, 24 bottles arriving today
Stephen Tanzer 93 points “(made from a blend of 80% chardonnay and 20% pinot noir; aged on its less for 78 months and disgorged in December 2012):  Bright yellow.  Sexy, smoke-tinged aromas of ripe citrus fruits, poached pear and candied ginger.  Spicy, penetrating and pure, offering intense Meyer lemon and bitter pear skin flavors plus hints of honeysuckle and chamomile.  Shows impressive urgency and focus on the finish, with the floral note echoing.” ST
Wine Advocate 93 points “Named for its being derived solely from the heart of the pressing, Vilmart’s 2005 Brut Coeur de Cuvee – aged in small barrels one-third each new, once- and twice-previously used and only disgorged after 7 years – opens with an expressive bouquet of iris, gentian, and hyacinth, behind which come intimations of the noble mushrooms, oyster liquor, and nut oils that go on to inform an at once satiny and vivacious palate. White pepper and crystalline mineral impingements in the mouthwateringly mineral and umami-rich finish testify to a transparency, clarity and buoyancy seldom found in the often problematically earthy and diffuse Champagnes of this vintage. Feel free to follow this for several more years.” WA

Bereche et Fils Brut Reserve NV ($49.95) $39 pre-arrival special
Arriving September 30th
Wine Spectator 92 points “Firm and sleek, with crisp acidity structuring flavors of Gala apple, raisin bread, quince paste and almond cream. Well-knit, with a fine bead and fresh finish. Disgorged September 2011. Drink now through 2017. 65,000 cases made. -AN”

Bollinger Special Cuvee Brut NV ($69.95) $49 pre-arrival special
Case 6 – Bollinger Special Cuvee Brut NV ($359.95) $282 special, that’s only $47 a bottle
Case 12 – Bollinger Special Cuvee Brut NV ($719.95) $540 special, that’s only $45 a bottle
Arriving October 3rd
Wine Spectator 93 points “This is firm and tightly knit, with a backbone of steely acidity, showing a fine, creamy texture that imparts an overall sense of finesse to the layers of poached apple, mille-feuille, black currant, kumquat and honey, showing hints of ground spice and smoky mineral. Drink now through 2020.” WS

~~~~~~~~~~

Case of Vinsanity

Columbia Crest Grand Estates Chardonnay, Columbia Valley 2012 ($11.95) $9.90 special, 60 bottles available
Case 12 – Columbia Crest Grand Estates Chardonnay, Columbia Valley 2012 ($149.95) $99 special, that’s only $8.25 a bottle, 5 cases available
Wine Spectator 90 points “Silky and seductive, with pear and spicy grapefruit flavors on a taut, polished frame, lingering with intensity and brightness on the glowing finish. Impressive for the price. Drink now.” WS

~~~~~~~~~~

Casa Lapostolle – Clos ApaltaFrom Terlato Wines: “Apalta is unique because it has an exceptional semi-arid meso-climate, different from the rest of Colchagua Valley. Coastal Mountains, which partially block the cold influence of the Pacific Ocean, keep the growing season days long and dry, while allowing for the nights to cool down just enough to make temperature a key quality factor for color and tannins in our wines. Slow maturation allows the grapes to reach their ideal maturity with high concentration and character, preserving the fruit and high levels of natural acidity, ensuring long ageing potential. Truly hand-crafted, Clos Apalta is hand-harvested at night, enhancing the fruit used to make wine, while also reducing energy use at the winery, since there is no need for additional cooling in the cellar.”From the winery: “Apalta Vineyard is located in the wine-producing region of Colchagua Valley, 200 km south west of Santiago, 68 km away from the Pacific Ocean, between the Andes mountain range and the coastal cordillera.  Apalta is not an enclosed valley. It is lodged between the Tinguiririca River, a tributary of the Rapel River, and cordons of the Coastal Cordillera that ends in a “horse shoe” shape. Both form on the east and west a barrier that delays the arrival of the sun in the morning and attenuates the exposure to the sunlight in the evening. That position permits a good regulation of the sunshine, escaping the excess heat that is well known in hot climates.  Thanks to the hills that surround the vineyard, the old vines located in the lowest part of the field receive underground water that provides sufficient natural water supply during almost the whole growing season.  Apalta vineyard was planted with Carmenère, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Syrah from 1920 to 2006. Some of the oldest blocks planted in 1920, have vines that were brought from France at the end of the 19th century. Apalta is also 100% under Organic and Biodynamic management.”

Casa Lapostolle Clos Apalta Wines Arriving October 3rd:

Casa Lapostolle Clos Apalta, Colchagua Valley 2009 1.5L (249.95) $189 pre-arrival special
Wine Spectator 96 points “This gorgeous wine deftly balances polished cassis, dark cherry reduction and blueberry notes on a compact frame. Structured, with silky tannins lining the long finish that lingers on with hints of apple wood, spice box and underbrush. Carmenère, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. Best from 2014 through 2020.” WS

Casa Lapostolle Clos Apalta, Colchagua Valley 2010 ($79.95) $59 pre-arrival special
Wine Spectator 94 points “Big and rich, this red is filled with powerful flavors of blackberry, dark currant, black olive and dark chocolate that are built on an ironclad frame. Notes of cocoa powder and cream chime in as well, and the muscular finish lingers with hints of savory herb. Carmenère, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Best from 2014 through 2022.” WS

~~~~~~~~~~

Marchesi di Barolo
Gift Pack Offering
Arriving November 2014This limited-edition gift pack features the great varieties of Piedmont: Barbera, Dolcetto and Nebbiolo.  A taste of Maraia, Servaj and Sbirolo is the ideal introduction to the historic Marchesi di Barolo, whose UNESCO World Heritage vineyards are cared for with over 200 years of viticultural experience.Each three pack gift set includes one bottle of the following:

2013 Maraia Barbera di Monferrato DOC
Fresh and intense with clean scents of wild berries, currants and sour black cherry.  A light hint of vanilla and toasted oak.  The flavor is warm and robust, full-bodied, pleasant and balanced.
This well-crafted wine has received several press honors in the past, such as its inclusion in the 2012 Wine Spectator Top 100 list.

2012 Servaj Dolcetto Langhe DOC
Violet notes and distinctive maraschino cherry aromas.  Ffresh and medium bodied with a velvety feel on the palate.

2012 Sbirolo Nebbiolo Langhe DOC
Combines the fruity aromas of raspberries with ethereal and spicy notes of violet and vanilla.  The taste is dry and balanced with fine and elegant tannins.

Marchesi di Barolo Fit Pack ($49.95) $39 pre-arrival special
Consists of:
1-2013 Maraia Barbera di Monferrato DOC
1-2012 Servaj Dolcetto Langhe DOC
1-2012 Sbirolo Nebbilo Langhe DOC