Category Archives: Wineries We Cherish

Delamotte – Extended Tirage Masterpieces

Delamotte – Extended Tirage Masterpieces

8-20-2020

Delamotte Magnum labelDelamotte is best known as the more affordable arm of Salon—the original luxury-collectible single vineyard Blanc de Blancs from Le Mesnil.  While that’s understandable, it tends to ignore the fact that Delamotte is a Champagne house of not in its own right (it’s much easier for other merchants to shout “Salon for $$” than to sell the Champagne on its own merit).  If one were making a case for Delamotte as a great producer on their own, you could look no further than their “Collection” wines.

These are the peak of the Delamotte range, held on the lees longer and disgorged late to capture the full glory of mature Champagne.  They have the racy brightness of their Cote de Blancs origins balanced against toasty, rich flavors that only come with age.  
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Borgogno & Figli Derthona Timorasso

Borgogno & Figli Derthona Timorasso – 8-18-2020

Arriving Friday, August 21st

Borgogno Derthona Timorosso bottle shot from https://www.borgogno.com

Giacomo Borgogno & Figli Derthona Timorasso Colli Tortonesi, Piedmont 2018 750ML ($69.95) $54.50 pre-arrival special
Grapelive 94 point “A few years ago, Walter Massa of Vigneti Massa almost single handedly brought the rare Timorasso grape back from extinction and now it is one of the hottest white wines made in the Piedmonte region. We are seeing many great producers jumping on the bandwagon, including the famed Vietti and this beautiful expression by the legendary Barolo maker Borgogno. Tasted at Slow Wine earlier this year, the 2018 Borgogno Derthona DOC should be arriving to the United States soon, though you’ll have to really work hard to get your hands on it as it is extremely limited, but you’ll be greatly rewarded for your hard work and search if you get your hands on it.… Read the rest

Snowden: Napa Valley’s Best-Kept Open Secret

Snowden – 8/16/2020

Offering one of Napa Valley’s best quality-to-price ratios, Snowden has earned the respect of both its peers and consumers alike. Today we’re thrilled to offer their 2016 “Brother” bottling, as well as two vintages (2016 and 2017) of “The Ranch” bottling. Both wines punch well above their weight, offering what many consider the region’s best sub-$100 and sub-$50 Cabs respectively.

Located at the confluence of several of Napa Valley’s most acclaimed appellations, including Rutherford and St. Helena, Snowden is snowden bottlesa Beverly Hills estate without the 90210 zip code. This location, on the gentle hillside of the Vaca Mountains, allows the estate’s third generation winemaker Diana Snowden Seysses to produce wines of power and nuance. Having trained in both Napa and Europe, her wines combine prototypical Napa muscle with freshness and intricate fruit.… Read the rest

Sequitur

April 2020

Sequitur Extends Mike Etzel’s

Beaux Freres Legacy

Sequitur wine bottlesMike Etzel, the founder and winemaker of Sequitur, is a living legend in the Willamette Valley.  He co-founded Beaux Freres in the late 80’s and was the winemaker there until recently passing the duties to his son.  Never one to rest on his laurels or stay still, though, he began planting a vineyard adjacent to Beaux Freres in 2010—a project that became what we know as Sequitur.

It’s helpful to think of Sequitur as a distillation of everything Mike Etzel learned while starting and producing Beaux Freres over the decades.  The Sequitur vineyard sits right next to the Beaux Freres “Upper Terrace” but is planted to a wider array of clones at tighter spacing.  
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Jean-Marc Millot – Glorious Burgundies

Jean-Marc Millot – Grand Crus

(and Some That Should Be)

March 16, 2020

At this point, it’s amazing that there are hidden gems left to discover in Burgundy.  No other region in the wine world is as scrutinized, and the market is generally efficient and ruthless in finding quality.  That a producer like Jean-Marc Millot could somehow escape widespread attention until the last few years boggles the mind, especially when given the quality of his holdings.

This is a domaine making excellent wines from very old vines in some of the best vineyards in France.  They own parcels in the Grand Crus of Echezeaux, Grands-Echezeaux and Clos Vougeot—and their only premier cru wine is from Suchots, which is easily Grand Cru in quality (and location).  

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