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Inventory updated: Tue, Dec 03, 2024 04:02 PM cst
Over 95pts Under $95
Today at Flickinger Wines we are pleased to offer an array of excellent scoring 95pt wines that are all below $95. Treasures abound, happy hunting!!
The following are the wines remaining from the offer sent on Monday, November 11, 2024. Please enter your desired quantities and click the 'Add' button.
Producer |
Vint. |
Wine |
Price |
Qty |
Order |
| Bordeaux Red |
Ch. Giscours |
2010 |
Margaux (375 ML) |
$55 |
18 |
|
|
JS 95 (11/2013): Aromas of mint and currants with hints of fresh herbs. Then turns to plum jam. Full body, with well-integrated tannins and pretty fruit. Long and caressing. This is really Outstanding. Better in 2017. WS 94 (3/2013): Features a lightly firm, singed alder frame around a core of dark plum, cherry and cassis bush notes. Taut tar and warm paving stone notes fill in on the finish. Shows serious, well-embedded grip, and the core of fruit is spot on. This has the range, length and cut for the cellar. Best from 2014 through 2030. NM 93 (6/2015): Tasted at the Château Giscours vertical, the 2010 Château Giscours is a blend of 71% Cabernet Sauvignon and 29% Merlot picked between September 27 and October 14. I contrasted this directly against the superb 2009, but I still maintain that this has the upper hand, albeit in a different style. The aromatics are very focused with black fruit, violets, fig and mineral scents that are very well defined. But you need patience - this is not as immediate as the previous vintage. The palate delivers, delivers and delivers brilliant delineation and poise, more freshness than it knows what to do with, an intensity that is supremely well focused and length in the mouth. There is even a dab of mint chocolate making a surprise appearance on the aftertaste. This is a very impressive Giscours. VM 90+ (7/2013): Bright ruby-red. Cassis, blackberry and licorice pastille on the nose. Then sweet, juicy and energetic in the mouth, with complex flavors of plum, currant, cedar, tobacco and spices along with a gamey nuance. Firmly built but not hard. Finishes with serious but fine-grained tannins and a note of licorice. Still a bit strict today, this wine has the structure to repay aging. Stephen Tanzer. |
|
Ch. Langoa Barton |
2020 |
St. Julien 2020 en Primeur Release |
$44.95 |
1 |
|
|
JD 95 (3/2023): Tasted on multiple occasions, the 2020 Château Langoa Barton comes from a mix of different sites in Saint-Julien, which makes it a great representation of the vintage and appellation. The blend is 53.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc. It exhibits a deep ruby/purple hue to go with a beautiful bouquet of red and black cherries, currants, leafy tobacco, and cedar pencil, with a touch of damp earth that emerges with time in the glass. Medium to full-bodied, balanced, and elegant on the palate, it has plenty of mid-palate depth and richness, velvety tannins, and a great finish. This plush, up-front, expansive, wonderfully textured Saint-Julien will benefit from just a few years of bottle age and cruise for two decades. It's the finest example from this château I've tasted. Bravo! VM 93 (2/2023): The 2020 Langoa Barton has quite a plush, violet-tinged bouquet, higher-toned than the Léoville Barton, though without the same unerring complexity. This just wants to go out and have fun. The palate has an irresistible rondeur, velvety smooth with black plum, hints of cassis and a sweet and persistent finish. Joyful. Neal Martin. JS 93-94 (4/2021): Very pretty blackberry and blueberry character with blackcurrants and mint. It’s medium-to full-bodied with linear, tight tannins that are polished and fine. |
|
Ch. Lynch Bages |
2017 |
Pauillac (375 ML) |
$65 |
9 |
|
|
JD 95 (2/2020): A blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, brought up in 75% new French oak, the 2017 Chateau Lynch-Bages sports an inky color as well as a powerful, full-bodied style. Rocking blackcurrants, chocolate, smoked tobacco, and obvious minerality all emerge from this beautiful, concentrated wine that has building tannins, the more elegant, silky style of the vintage, a great mid-palate, and a blockbuster finish. It's going to hit the ground running in about 5-7 years and cruise 20 years or more in cool cellars. VM 94 (3/2020): The 2017 Lynch-Bages is such a pretty and engaging wine; as always, it is a wine of pure and total seduction. Lush, open-knit and very pretty with ripe red and purplish fruit. There is a slight bit of edginess in the tannin that needs to be resolved, but cellaring should take care of that. Antonio Galloni. WS 94 (3/2020): This leans toward the austere side of Pauillac, with a slightly bracing iron and chalk frame around a core of red and black currant fruit, liberally laced with savory and cedar notes. Exhibits ample length and cut, showing really pure and beautifully defined currant flavors. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2024 through 2040. JS 95 (12/2019): This is a focused and tight Lynch with beautiful blackcurrants, slate, graphite and lead pencil. Medium to full body. Very fine tannins and brightness. Linear line of tannins that runs nicely through the wine. A blend of 70% cabernet sauvignon, 24% merlot, 4% cabernet franc and 2% petit verdot. |
|
Ch. Malescot St. Exupery |
2016 |
Margaux ETA Q1 2025 Ex-Negociant |
$73 |
5 |
|
|
JS 97 (1/2019): A stunning red with currants, blackberries, roses and violets. Medium to full body, ultra-fine tannins and polish and finesse to the powerful tannins. A real stunner. Better than 2015. Take a serious look at it, beginning 2024. JD 96 (2/2019): The ruby/plum-colored 2016 Château Malescot Saint-Exupéry comes from vines in the heart of the Margaux appellation and is 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. It’s a total rock star of wine and has fabulous notes of crème de cassis, barbecue smoke, graphite, and sandalwood that build beautifully with time in the glass. Medium to full-bodied, concentrated, layered, and seamless, it’s incredibly impressive and I’d wager up with the finest vintages ever from this estate. Give it a few years and enjoy over the following 20-25. Bravo! WA 95 (11/2018): Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Malescot St. Exupery sings of cassis, fragrant earth, tobacco and lilacs with a compelling waft of mocha. Medium to full-bodied and strutting loads of expressive fruit layers at this youthful stage, it's framed by ripe, grainy tannins and oodles of freshness, finishing with great length and depth. VM 95 (1/2019): The 2016 Malescot Saint Exupéry is fabulous. Powerful and explosive on the palate, the 2016 offers serious intensity, but it also appears to be holding back quite a bit of its potential. Moreover, what impresses me most is that in 2016, intensity is delivered more with finesse than with the brutish power that is such a signature of Malescot. Deep and resonant, but also remarkably polished, the 2016 Malescot is a winner. Hints of iron, smoke, cedar, tobacco and scorched earth add nuance, but it is the wine's sense of poise that is most remarkable. I loved it. Tasted three times. Antonio Galloni. WS 93 (3/2019): This opens slowly, showing a slight woodsy bent, with alder and mesquite notes leading off, but as it does the core of red currant, blackberry and plum fruit flavor fleshes out nicely, soaking up the woodsy element while adding in light savory detail and black tea and violet notes. A long mineral echo chimes through the finish. Best from 2022 through 2036. 9,975 cases made. |
|
Ch. Pape-Clement |
2019 |
Pessac Leognan (375 ML) ex-Negociant |
$44.99 |
36 |
|
|
JD 98 (4/2022): As to the Grand Vin 2019 Château Pape Clement, it reveals a dense purple hue to go with stunning aromatics of crème de cassis, graphite, lead pencils shavings, scorched earth, and tobacco. Beautifully balanced, with flawless tannins, this full-bodied Pessac has that rare mix of elegance and power, a great mid-palate, and again, perfect balance. It's one of the gems of the vintage and has some accessibility today given its purity and balance, yet deserves 4-5 years of bottle age and will cruise for 20-25 years or more in cold cellars. The blend is equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, brought up in two-thirds new French oak. VM 97 (2/2022): The 2019 Pape Clément is just as impressive as it was en primeur. It shows all of the textural richness that is so typical of Bernard Magrez's wines, but with an extra kick of freshness that provides energy as well as a sense of proportion. A wine of stature, the 2019 is so classy. Succulent black cherry, plum, mocha, new leather and licorice are all beautifully delineated. But more than anything else, I find the wine's energy really impressive. This is a fabulous vintage for Pape Clément. Tasted two times. Antonio Galloni. WA 94 (4/2022): The 2019 Pape Clément has turned out well in bottle, delivering a rich bouquet of cherries, blackcurrants, plum liqueur and blackberries mingled with notions of burning embers, licorice and a nicely integrated framing of new oak. Full-bodied, deep and concentrated, it's a layered, fleshy wine, with a deep core of ripe but lively fruit, plenty of powdery tannin and a long, expansive, discreetly heady finish. This is a powerful, dramatic Pessac with a transatlantic accent and will drink well with only a few years' bottle age. |
|
Ch. Prieure Lichine |
2016 |
Margaux ETA Q4 2024 |
$57 |
34 |
|
|
VM 96 (1/2019): The 2016 Prieure-Lichine is all class. Floral, silky and nuanced to the core, the 2016 is a wine of pure and total seduction. Freshly cut flowers, vibrant red fruit and creamy tannins all add to the wine's undeniable allure. In 2016, Prieure-Lichine is all class, not to mention one of the sleepers of the vintage. Don't miss it! Tasted two times. Antonio Galloni. JS 93 (1/2019): A very suave, polished Margaux that delivers iodine and dark-stone aromas and a wealth of ripe, plush dark fruit that follows through to the palate in attractive, fleshy and juicy mode. Try from 2022. WS 92 (3/2019): A restrained style, with a beam of cherry, cassis, lilac and sandalwood flavors, revealing a good fleshy feel and solid depth throughout. Light perfume and tobacco hints give the finish some added range. No fireworks here, just balance and focus. Best from 2021 through 2032. 19,167 cases made. WA 92 (3/2019): The 2016 Prieure-Lichine has a medium to deep garnet-purple color and a bold, intensely scented nose of warm blackcurrants, black raspberries and mulberries with hints of cedar chest, tobacco, dried herbs and iron ore. Medium-bodied, the palate has bags of class with lovely, vibrant black berries flavors and earthy sparks framed by ripe grainy tannins, finishing long and refreshing. JD 88 (2/2019): The medium ruby-colored 2016 Château Prieure-Lichine is a touch lean and firm, yet has impressive notes of spring flowers, damp underbrush, and loads of minerality. Possessing both red and black fruit, present tannins, and good balance, it’s a solid, enjoyable effort that would be even better with a touch more flesh. |
|
Ch. Troplong Mondot |
2018 |
St. Emilion ex-Negociant |
$93.99 |
6 |
|
|
WA 93-95+ (4/2019): The 2018 Troplong Mondot is blended of 85% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc, with 14.5% alcohol and a pH of 3.56. Deep garnet-purple in color, it begins slowly with bold, bright black raspberries, ripe black plums, fresh blackberries and Morello cherries notes, giving way to underlying scents of tobacco, wild sage, Sichuan pepper, black olives, truffles and Marmite toast with hints of crushed stones and iron ore. Medium to full-bodied, the palate offers wonderfully fresh, energetic black fruit with a downright racy line of freshness (uncommon for this vintage) and firm, rounded tannins, finishing long with lots of mineral, earth and dried herbs layers giving beautiful electric sparks. WS 95-98 (4/2019): This offers a lovely display of boysenberry, cherry and plum fruit, yet stays refined and focused, relying on purity as this glides through. Has weight but feels silky, with a flinty mineral hint adding cut on the finish. VM 94-97 (5/2019): The 2018 Troplong Mondot is a remarkable wine. All the elements fall into place in a stunning, aromatically intense Troplong Mondot that is full of character. There is a level of precision and vibrancy in the 2018 that is simply breathtaking. Black cherry, raspberry, mocha, flowers, mint and spice all meld together in this captivating, arrestingly beautiful Saint-emilion. New oak is 60%, with lower toast levels than what was common just a few years ago. The blend is 85% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc. Antonio Galloni. JD 94-96 (5/2019): Deeper colored, the 2018 Troplong Mondot is a blend of 85% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 2% Cabernet Franc brought up in 60% new French oak. Its vivid purple color is followed by a beautiful perfume of black raspberries, cassis, crushed flowers, and beautiful earthy minerality. Medium to full-bodied, ultra-pure, balanced on the palate, it has a beautiful chalky minerality on the finish. While the style has changed dramatically with the arrival of Aymeric de Gironde, the quality is nevertheless world-class. JS 97-98 (4/2019): Â The focus to this wine sets a new standard for Troplong Mondot with density and minerality that I have not encountered for decades. Lots of slate and white-pepper character. Tight and very dense. Full body. Balanced. Wild mineral character and freshness here. Precise. |
|
Ch. Trotte Vieille |
2019 |
St. Emilion ex-Negociant |
$78.99 |
6 |
|
|
JS 96-97 (6/2020): Â A really classy, beautiful red with seduction and force at the finish. Aromas and flavors of currants, wet earth and truffles, as well as mushrooms. Full bodied, tight and tannic. Toned and steely. A new, traditional style. 49% cabernet franc, 48% merlot and 3% cabernet sauvignon. |
|
| Bordeaux White |
Ch. Myrat |
2003 |
Sauternes |
$32 |
1 |
|
|
WS 95 (3/2006): Incredible nose of honey, apple pie, toffee and spices. Intense. Layers of fruit. Full-bodied, thick and very sweet. Pure honey. Better than the 2001. Spread over buttered toast ... just joking. Best ever from here. Best after 2010. 3,330 cases made. VM 88 (8/2006): Bright yellow-gold. Exotic aromas of roasted apricot, toffee and smoky oak. Fat and forward, with an almost confectionery sweetness to its exotic flavors of apricot, toffee and marzipan. Just this side of cloying and in need of a bit more life and spine, but will give early pleasure. Very 2003 in style. WA 86-88 (4/2004): It is against my better judgment to taste the sweet wines of Barsac and Sauternes at such an early age, as I find they typically require at least 12 months to reveal the definition/delineation so essential in these creamy, creme brulee, and honeysuckle-flavored offerings. Nevertheless, because this vintage is so highly regarded, I tasted through most of the top estates. The 2003s appear to be somewhat in the style of the 1990s, with high levels of residual sugar (higher than 2001 for the most part) as well as botrytis, low acidity, and fat, full-bodied personalities. This region’s harvest began extremely early (early September), and was completely finished within three weeks. It does not appear that the nobleness and racy richness of the 2001 vintage will be found in the 2003s, but readers who like the big, flamboyant, over the top style of the 1990s will enjoy the 2003s even more than I did. |
|
| Burgundy White |
Louis Jadot |
2002 |
Puligny Montrachet 1er Cru Clos de la Garenne Domaine du Duc de Magenta Lightly Bin-Soiled Label |
$75 |
1 |
|
|
WA 92-95 (2/2004): Poached pear and talcum powder aromas can be discerned in the nose of the 2002 Puligny-Montrachet Clos de La Garenne Duc de Magenta. This gorgeous, medium to full-bodied wine expands on the palate, revealing a deep, intense concentration. It is powerful, crammed with poached pears, spices, and ginger. This fleshy, well-balanced, dense, exceptionally ripe wine possesses an impressively long finish filled with creamy candied apples. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2016. VM 91+ (9/2004): Very closed on the nose; with aeration, this hinted at apple, spring flowers and crushed stone. Bright, minty and tightly wound; extremely unforthcoming today. Best now on the building, minerally, very long finish, which displays excellent backbone. This needs six to eight years of bottle aging and should be superb; enjoy the excellent 2001 example before this vintage. Stephen Tanzer. BH 90-93 (7/2004): This is more restrained than the Folatières with discreet green fruit notes with simply unbelievable amounts of dry extract on the palate and this is almost chewy. The acid/fruit balance is edgy yet with so much extract, it's not difficult to see that this will round into shape with time. In short, this is a real stunner of a wine with minerality to burn. |
|
| Rhone Red |
Clos des Papes |
2021 |
Chateauneuf du Pape |
$77.95 |
36 |
|
|
JD 93-95 (11/2022): While production was down 40% due to the frost, Vincent was able to make a beautiful 2021 Châteauneuf Du Pape that readers will love to have in the cellar. All about finesse and elegance, it reveals a classic Clos des Papes nose of both red and black fruits as well as tons of floral, pepper, and spicy notes. These carry to a medium-bodied 2021 that has good ripeness (the alcohol is 15%), a supple, silky mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and a great finish. It's not far off the style of the 2020, and while it doesn't have the density of a top vintage, it nevertheless has balance, complexity, and elegance, and will have 15+ years of longevity. |
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Dom. Coursodon |
2020 |
St. Joseph Rouge l’Olivaie ex-Domaine |
$48.99 |
1 |
|
|
VM 95 (12/2022): Inky magenta. Heady aromas of fresh black and blue fruits, incense, exotic spices, violet and olive paste. Densely packed and energetic on the palate, offering intense dark berry preserve, cherry-cola, floral pastille and salty olive flavors, plus a hint of minerality and building spiciness. Finishes subtly chewy, focused and impressively long, with well-knit tannins adding grip to echoing dark fruit and floral notes. Roughly 15% new oak here. Josh Raynolds. JD 94+ (12/2022): Brilliant stuff, the 2020 Saint Joseph Olivaie comes from older vines in the southern part of the appellation. Its deep purple/plum color is followed by a great bouquet of cassis and ripe blue fruits as well as spice, leather, and flowery incense. Beautifully balanced, medium to full-bodied, and seamless on the palate, it's already hard to resist yet will evolve gracefully for a solid decade or more. A brilliant Saint-Joseph, it reminds me slightly of a great Le Méal from Hermitage. |
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2020 |
St. Joseph Rouge Paradis St. Pierre ex-Domaine |
$69.99 |
36 |
|
|
VM 96 (12/2022): Vivid purple. Powerful, smoke- and spice-accented blackberry, cherry-cola and violet aromas show excellent delineation and pick up olive and allspice notes with aeration. Sweet and broad in the mouth, offering deeply concentrated dark berry liqueur, vanilla, smoked meat and floral pastille flavors and a suggestion of exotic spices. The impressively long finish features bright mineral and floral notes and velvety, even tannins that sneak in late. Two-thirds whole clusters and about 10% new oak. Josh Raynolds. JS 95 (2/2022): Very pure forest-berry and violet aromas. Beautiful interplay of sweet fruit and generous, fine tannins, plus delicate spice make this a stunning St.-Joseph. Very graceful with a long, refined finish that pulls you back for more of this masterpiece. Sustainable. Drink or hold. JD 93-95+ (2/2022): The flagship from this estate, the 2020 Saint Joseph Le Paradis Saint Pierre comes from a single parcel of old vines and granite soils and will spend 15 months in demi-muids. It's always the most granite-influenced wine in the lineup, and the 2020 has a deep purple hue as well as a tight, focused, mineral-drenched style in its ripe black and blue fruits as well as peppery herbs, violet, and smoked game-like aromas and flavors. I love its overall balance, and it has plenty of structure and a great finish, as well as the focused, elegant style of the vintage. It's going to benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age and keep for 15+. |
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2020 |
St. Joseph Rouge Sensonne ex-Domaine |
$69.99 |
25 |
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VM 96 (12/2022): Saturated ruby. Deeply pitched blackberry, cherry-cola, cassis, vanilla and pungent floral qualities on the intensely perfumed, mineral-accented nose. Sappy and densely packed yet energetic as well, offering kirsch, dark berry preserve, mocha, licorice and candied violet flavors and a hint of salty olive. Shows superb clarity, a repeating vanilla note and an emphatic mineral lift on a youthfully tannic finish that hangs on with strong, dark fruit-driven persistence. Josh Raynolds. JD 95 (12/2022): One of the flagships from this estate, the 2020 Saint Joseph La Sensonne is 100% Syrah from old vines, aged entirely in new barrels. Its deep purple hue is followed by a great nose of smoked meats, violets, ground pepper, and both cassis and blackberry-like fruits. With full-bodied richness, a round, layered mouthfeel, background oak, and a great finish, this tour de force from Saint Joseph is more Hermitage than Saint Joseph. It will keep for 10-15 years in cold cellars. JS 94 (2/2022): Full-on smoked-bacon and dry-earth aromas are married to a slew of forest berries and damson plums. Excellent balance of generous fruit and plush tannins on the full body. The tannins build to a crescendo at the long, complete finish. Sustainable. Drinkable now, but best from 2024. WA 94-96 (1/2022): Jerôme Coursodon was not entirely sure this barrel and its neighbors would be bottled on their own as the 2020 Saint Joseph la Sensonne, but he indicated there was a strong possibility. Sourced from old vines, matured entirely in new oak from Taransaud (in this case) and Chassin, this cuvée features strong overtones of toast and mocha, but there is also plenty of cherry fruit. Full-bodied, rich and velvety, with tremendous length and vibrancy on the finish, it looks to be another hugely successful wine from this family estate in Mauves. |
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Dom. de la Vieille Julienne |
2019 |
Chateauneuf du Pape Les Hauts-lieux |
$79.98 |
36 |
|
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JD 98+ (11/2021): The 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Les Hauts-Lieux includes slightly more Mourvèdre and comes from a cooler parcel in the northern part of the appellation. It has another level of purity and precision compared to the Trois Sources and has extraordinary notes of blueberries, cassis, black licorice, violets, and crushed stone-like minerality. Incredibly concentrated, massive, and yet perfectly balanced, it has no hard edges and is just an incredible tasting experience. Hide bottles for 4-5 years and enjoy over the following 20-25 years. |
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2020 |
Chateauneuf du Pape Les Hauts-lieux |
$79.95 |
1 |
|
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JD 97 (11/2022): The 2020 Châteauneuf du Pape Les Hauts-Lieux comes from a cooler, higher elevation parcel and also includes slightly more Mourvedre, both of which give this cuvée a more firm, structured profile, especially in its youth. Awesome red, blue, and black fruits as well as black licorice, liquid violet, and peppery garrigue define the bouquet, and it's full-bodied, with a great mid-palate, ripe tannins, and a salty, almost bloody character on the finish. It shows the more charming nature of the 2020 vintage yet still deserves 4-5 years of bottle age and will have over two decades of longevity. VM 94 (6/2023): Pungent aromas of blackcurrant, blackberry, red and black plum, raspberry and garrigue introduce the 2020 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Les Hauts-Lieux. It is a deep, full-bodied wine with ample concentration, perfectly balanced by lively acids, concluding with a savory finish. Nicolas Greinacher. |
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2019 |
Chateauneuf du Pape Les Trois Sources |
$66 |
36 |
|
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JD 96+ (11/2021): More cassis, morello cherry, Asian spice, and a beautiful sense of minerality and loamy earth emerge from the 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Les Trois Sources, a full-bodied, concentrated blend of 60% Grenache, 15% each of Cinsault and Syrah, and the balance Mourvèdre. Coming all from the estate’s sandy soils in the northern part of the appellation, this incredibly concentrated, textured wine has perfect balance, building tannins, and a great finish. Give this beauty another 4-5 years in the cellar and drink it over the following two decades or more. |
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2020 |
Chateauneuf du Pape Les Trois Sources |
$64.95 |
8 |
|
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JD 96 (11/2022): Leading off the three Châteauneuf du Pape releases, the 2020 Châteauneuf du Pape Les Trois Source comes from three different terroirs located in the northern part of the appellation, just across the street from the domaine. Roasted Provençal garrigue, black licorice, black raspberries, Asian spices, and a hint of cassis all define the bouquet, and it hits the palate with a layered, medium to full-bodied profile that has silky tannins and no hard edges. It's much more up-front and approachable than the more structured Les Hauts-Lieux and is going to drink fabulously well over the coming 15+ years. |
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Dom. des Bosquets |
2022 |
Gigondas Le Lieu Dit |
$59.99 |
32 |
|
|
JD 94-96 (10/2023): Coming from a cooler terroir of pure sand soils just beside the estate, the 2022 Gigondas Le Lieu-Dit (100% Grenache) offers up loads of ripe strawberry fruit supported by floral, camphor, and loamy soil nuances. With medium to full-bodied richness, ultra-fine tannins, and a seamless mouthfeel, this is a Burgundy lover’s Grenache that will benefit from just a few years in the cellar and evolve for 15+ in cold cellars. VM 93-95 (1/2024): The gorgeous 2022 Gigondas Le Lieu Dit dazzles right away. Pronounced raspberry and strawberry notes mingle with scents of mango, fresh mint and a dash of white pepper. Look out for this single-varietal Grenache—it bursts with personality and complexity. Despite its 15.4% alcohol and full body, this 2022 red feels remarkably light on its feet. This cuvée emerges from 60-year-old vines grown on a parcel with a distinctive cooling influence, derived from its northwestern exposure at the edge of a forest. Fermentation included 30% whole clusters. Nicolas Greinacher. |
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Dom. du Tunnel |
2021 |
Cornas Vin Noir ex-Domaine |
$79.99 |
29 |
|
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JD 93-95 (12/2022): The 2021 Cornas Vin Noir is even better and clearly a candidate for the wine of the appellation. Ripe blackberries, smoked herbs, cured meats, iron, and spice all flow to a medium to full-bodied, beautifully concentrated, balanced Cornas offering ripe, velvety tannins, plenty of mid-palate depth, and a great finish. Bravo. |
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Dom. Duclaux |
2020 |
Cote Rotie Maison Rouge ex-Domaine |
$74.99 |
36 |
|
|
WA 92-95 (1/2022): The 2020 Cote Rotie Maison Rouge comes from 1.5 hectares in the gneiss-laden northern portion of the lieu-dit, and includes no Viognier. Purple raspberries and black olives cavort on the nose, framed by subtle notes of baking spices. It's medium to full-bodied, expansive, rich and silky, with a long, elegant finish. It should be drinkable on release, yet cellar well for at least a decade. JD 91-93 (2/2022): The 2020 Côte Rôtie Maison Rouge is terrific, offering ample black raspberry and darker berry fruits as well as spring flowers and peppery spice nuances. These all carry over to the palate, where the wine is medium-bodied and has a supple, seamless texture, impressive tannins, and a great finish. It's unquestionably an outstanding wine, and I'd be happy to drink a bottle any time over the coming 10-15 years. |
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| Alsace |
Albert Mann |
1998 |
Muscat Altenbourg Le Tri SGN (375 ML) |
$65 |
1 |
|
|
WA 97 (6/2000): The 1998 Tokay-Pinot Gris Altenbourg Selection Grains Nobles "Le Tri" was harvested on October 21. The fermentation and elevage occurred in new Allier barriques. Aromatically, it offers hints of oak spice amidst a yellow fruit-dominated nose. On the palate, crushed raspberries, cherries, and other assorted red berries are found in this magnificent, complex, broad, medium to full-bodied wine. It is deep, intense, elegant, and immensely flavorful. While difficult to resist, it should be at its peak of maturity between 2006 and 2020. VM 94-96 (7/1999): Slightly cloudy color. Extravagant aromas of toffee, banana, fresh apple, peppermint and vanilla, plus a suggestion of game and a slight roasted walnut character bordering on vin jaune Incredibly sweet and thick, and not for the fainthearted; exotic flavors of brown butter, roasted hazelnut and caramel are perked up by a flavor of ripe apple. Lower in alcohol than the other cuvee (11.6%, vs. 13.7%) but considerably sweeter (170 g/l, vs. 117). Not as pure as the "regular" SGN in comparison, this is in a distinctly oxidized style?but a force of nature. Stephen Tanzer. |
|
Bernard Schoffit |
1999 |
Rangen de Thann Clos St. Theobald Pinot Gris SGN (500 ML) |
$39 |
1 |
|
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WA 96 (12/2001): The 1999 Tokay-Pinot Gris Rangen de Thann Clos St.-Theobald Selection de Grains Nobles was harvested at 15 hectoliters per hectare at a natural potential alcohol of 20%. A wine of magnificent purity, balance, and power, it exhibits jammy apricot, peach compote, and spice aromas as well as flavors. It is hugely concentrated, unctuously sweet, yet has outstanding equilibrium. It stuns the taster with its unbridled fruit, yet retains exquisite delineation. Drink this marvelous nectar over the next 35 years. VM 90+ (7/2001): Very light, green-tinged color. Tangy aromas of dried and citrus fruits and honey. Extremely concentrated, dense and young; deceptively easy to taste but really requires bottle aging. Featured a very high percentage of botrytized berries, especially in the context of the year, but doesn't come across as especially unctuous owing to its firm acids. Very long and vibrant on the finish. A freakishly high 12 grams/liter acidity (but then the '95 had 15 grams, Schoffit reminded me). Stephen Tanzer. |
|
Dom. Bott-Geyl |
2000 |
Sonnenglanz Grand Cru Gewurztraminer VT (500 ML) |
$59 |
1 |
|
|
WA 95 (10/2002): The medium-bodied 2000 Gewurztraminer Sonnenglanz Vendanges Tardives displays aromas of spiced peaches and apricots. Broad, intense, and lush, this pure, muscular wine is densely packed with sweet yellow fruits. Drink it over the next 15 years. VM 89-92? (7/2001): Slightly oxidative aroma of mirabelle; currently aging without the protection of SO2 Then intensely flavored and firmly structured, with yellow fruit and spice flavors. Finishes with tangy, spicy botrytis notes and a dusty texture. Stephen Tanzer. |
|
|
2000 |
Sonnenglanz Grand Cru Pinot Gris VT (500 ML) |
$59 |
1 |
|
|
WA 96 (10/2002): Sweet chamomile is interwoven with botrytis in the aromatics of the 2000 Pinot Gris Sonnenglanz Vendanges Tardives. Medium-bodied, complex, and powerful, this raisin, poached pear, and apricot-flavored wine is exceptionally harmonious. Drink it between 2005 and 2020. VM 89-91 (7/2001): Subdued but tangy aroma dominated by peach. Thick and generous, with ripe, well-integrated acidity nicely framing the pit fruit and brown spice flavors. A long, pliant fruit bomb. Stephen Tanzer. |
|
| Loire |
Bernard Baudry |
2018 |
Chinon La Croix Boissee |
$49 |
28 |
|
|
VM 96 (10/2021): The ripeness of the 2018 vintage gives an almost Syrah/Viognier character to the Chinon La Croix Boissee, which offers sweet black fruit and a creamy apricot note. Sumptuous yet never ever opulent, it's almost as if the wine's just done a yoga class. Plentiful tannins give the inside of your cheeks a chalky rub, while there's surprising freshness considering the ripeness, leading to a lengthy finish. This is a baby that will turn out to be a great adult. Rebecca Gibb. |
|
|
2019 |
Chinon Le Clos Guillot |
$39 |
20 |
|
|
VM 95-97 (10/2021): Just outside the village, Clos Guillot sits on a slope on clay over limestone. The 2019 Chinon is a serious barrel sample that melts in your mouth with its silken texture. No crushing, very little remontage and a year in used barrels all lend a very gentle touch. The tannins build gradually, coating the mouth with the finest of chalky textures. Excellent acidity keeps things fresh through the finish. Rebecca Gibb. |
|
| Germany |
Fritz Haag |
2020 |
Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Riesling Grosses Gewachs |
$49 |
4 |
|
|
WA 96 (9/2021): The 2020 Juffer Sonnenuhr GG is excitingly clear, fresh and precise on the nose. Lush and round on the palate, this is an intense and tensioned, finely grippy, long and salty JSU whose energy, precision and freshness is outstanding. Tasted in Wiesbaden in August 2021. |
|
|
2019 |
Juffer Riesling Grosses Gewachs |
$55 |
6 |
|
|
WA 95-97 (4/2020): The 2019 Brauneberg Juffer Sonnenuhr Riesling Trocken GG is very fine, flinty, delicate and charming on the precise and beautifully articulated slatey and herbal nose that also displays highly refined and discreet tropical fruit aromas. However, the nose is remarkably shy at this early stage. On the palate, this is a lithe Juffer Sonnenuhr with great finesse and a pure, mineral, persistently salty and crunchy finish that doesn't show much fruit and power at this stage. This seems to be a rather ascetic yet piquant and salty Riesling, and I am curious how the wine will develop over the next six months. The finish is very long, intense and still dominated by yeasty notes. This will develop to a spectacular JSU with time. |
|
JJ Prum |
2022 |
Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spatlese ETA Q4 2024 |
$54.99 |
32 |
|
|
JS 96 (12/2023): Here’s a very classic Mosel Spatlese with exactly the combination of richness, elegance and delicacy that makes this category unique. Such delicate white peach and sliced pear, rose and honeysuckle aromas. Very long finish that is as succulent as it is refined. You just want to linger there for as long as you can. Drink or hold. |
|
Peter Lauer |
2020 |
Kupp Fass 18 Grosses Gewachs |
$54.99 |
6 |
|
|
JS 95 (7/2021): Complex nose of wet ferns, wild berries and smoke. As cool and still as it is deep in the woods, this concentrated, tightly wound wine is just beginning to open up. Very classic, stony finish with noble austerity. Drinkable now, but best from 2023. Screw cap. WA 92+ (9/2021): Lauer’s 2020 Kupp GG Fass 18 shows a clear and pure yet intense, still a bit yeasty bouquet. The palate is quite rich and powerful but elegant, revealing a Kupp that needs some years to develop more finesse and charm. The wine is quite intense and lush and provided with tannins that still dry the palate a bit. Tasted in Wiesbaden in August 2021. |
|
Schafer-Frohlich |
2020 |
Stromberg Riesling Grosses Gewaches |
$85 |
6 |
|
|
WA 98 (8/2022): The 2020 Stromberg GG is incredibly clear, bright and fresh on the coolish, northern nose, as if this was a young wine from the recent vintage. Full-bodied, refined and lush on the palate, with crystalline, mineral and saline acidity and fascinating tannin grip, this is an outstanding dry Riesling with great terroir expression yet also juicy, finessed and aromatically intense. The finish is long and powerful, very energetic and salivating. Together with the 2021, the 2020 is one of the modern Nahe Riesling legends. |
|
Weingut Emrich-Schonleber |
2022 |
Monzinger Fruhlingspatzchen Riesling Grosses Gewachs ETA Q4 2024 |
$69.99 |
21 |
|
|
VM 93-95 (9/2023): The 2022 Riesling Monzinger Frühlingsplätzchen Grosses Gewächs opens with a sunny, friendly creaminess, and a slight overtone of mango sets an accent. The palate is serene, bright, absolutely focused on lemon and a little lemony pith, but with a luminous, slender creaminess. The textural aspect holds spice, which is not apparent yet but will reveal itself. It also gives structure to this light, bright, filigree wine. Subtle length extends that lovely, gentle pithiness. Anne Krebiehl. |
|
|
2020 |
Monzinger Fruhlingsplatzchen Riesling Grosses Gewachs |
$74.95 |
5 |
|
|
JS 97 (9/2021): A breathtaking wine that has all the mineral depth and concentration you associate with a Grand Cru, but also a wide spectrum of very fine citrus and berry aromas. Then it splash lands in an explosion of fresh-herb aromas. Drink or hold. WS 96 (8/2021): The 2020 Frühlingsplätzchen GG is very pure and fresh on the precise and stony, pretty reductive and herbal nose that needs lots of air to open up. Crystalline and pure on the palate, this is a bone-dry, refined, enormously salty and piquant Riesling from partly red slate, loam and quartzite plots. The finish is pure, fresh and precise, very long and expressive. Tasted from a bottle that was opened three days earlier, it is much more charming and open on the nose, showing an intense and complex bouquet of crushed stones, lemons and white fruits. The palate is round and elegant, much lusher and long, but it still has long-lasting salinity on the finish. A gorgeous Frühlingsplätzchen that today comes from stonier plots than in the beginning of the GG saga. 12.5% alcohol. Tasted at the domain in July 2021. |
|
|
2020 |
Monzinger Halenberg Riesling Grosses Gewachs |
$83 |
6 |
|
|
JS 99 (7/2021): Enormously fine and subtle nose. The ravishing but very delicate apricot aroma pulls you into the profound mineral depths of this dry-riesling masterpiece. The salty minerality at the finish just doesn’t want to stop and gives you a great feeling of how the most dramatic landscapes of this region look. Drink or hold. WA 96 (9/2021): The 2020 Halenberg GG is pure, precise and fresh on the nose that offers flinty notes of crushed stones, herbs and lemons. Crystalline, refined and juicy on the palate, this is a dense and intense, tightly structured and persistently salty Halenberg with fine tannins and great purity. Tasted from a bottle that was opened three days before, the bouquet is deep and intense but pure and salty with ripe lemon and crushed stone aromas. The palate is full, dense and tight, with serious tannin structure and lingering salinity. The combination of both wines is amazing and combines purity and freshness with complexity and elegance. The salty finish is the leitmotiv of all three versions. 12.5% alcohol. Tasted at the domain in July 2021. |
|
Weingut Georg Gustav Huff |
2020 |
Hipping Riesling Alte Reben |
$39.99 |
4 |
|
|
JS 96 (11/2021): So much star fruit, pink grapefruit and white peach on the nose, knocking you back slightly in the first moment. As bright as a rocket leaving the launch-pad in the direction of Mars, this dry riesling from the red soils of one of Nierstein’s top sites is super-straight and focused, the breathtaking, fresh finish intensely citrus and mineral. Drink or hold. |
|
| Italy |
Armilla |
2019 |
Brunello di Montalcino |
$40.99 |
15 |
|
|
WA 95 (12/2023): The Armilla 2019 Brunello di Montalcino shows an understated character that gives this carefully crafted wine an especially elegant approach. It displays dried forest berry, cassis, earthy iris root, pressed violet and toasted spice, thanks to 28 months in large oak barrel. There is a moment of sweetness on the mid-palate, and the wine ends with fine, chalky tannins. Some 11,000 bottles are hitting the market now. |
|
Caparzo |
2019 |
Brunello di Montalcino La Casa ETA Q4 2024 |
$67.99 |
36 |
|
|
JD 95 (2/2024): Ripe and inviting, the 2019 Brunello Di Montalcino Vigna La Casa pours a deep ruby/red color and reveals intertwining notes of kirsch, fresh leather, dried roses, and sweet Mediterranean herbs. It’s elegant and full-bodied, with ripe tannins, a plush texture, and wonderful length that floats away gently. It’s a very attractive wine with a weightless feel and has an open window for enjoyment over the coming 10-12 years. WA 95 (12/2023): The Caparzo 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Vigna La Casa offers a balanced presentation of candied cherry, dried fruit and toasted spice. This is a lovely and joyous wine with velvety soft tannins and good inner energy that adds dimension and depth to the mouthfeel. Vigna La Casa is a contemporary expression from Montalcino with extra fruit concentration and structure, and the results are carefully balanced throughout. Some 14,000 bottles were made. |
|
Casanova di Neri |
2019 |
Brunello di Montalcino ETA Q4 2024 |
$68 |
33 |
|
|
WA 95 (12/2023): The Casanova di Neri 2019 Brunello di Montalcino shows thick fruit fabric with stitchings of underbrush, pressed rose, bright cherry, tobacco and balanced oak spice. This wine definitely has a special groove. It offers a ripe, round texture with good acidity followed by fine, chalky tannins. This is impressive quality for 109,600 bottles produced. In fact, this is one of the best village Brunellos from Giacomo Neri and his family made so far. |
|
Castellare di Castellina |
2019 |
I Sodi di San Niccolo Toscana IGT ETA Q4 2024 |
$94.99 |
34 |
|
|
VM 95 (8/2023): The 2019 I Sodi di San Niccolò is another fabulous wine from Castellare. At this stage, the 2019 is an infant. The purity of the fruit is compelling. Despite its considerable intensity, the 2019 appears to have less forbidding tannins than in many years, which should allow it to drink well with minimal cellaring. Blood orange, sweet spice, leather and cedar linger on the stylish finish. Antonio Galloni. |
|
Castello Dei Rampolla |
2019 |
Sammarco |
$69.98 |
36 |
|
|
WA 96 (9/2023): A blend of (organic and biodynamic) Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sangiovese, the 2019 Sammarco is more austere and even robust compared to the punchier style prized throughout this portfolio. This is a firmly grounded wine, with a bigger baseline of aromas, spanning black fruit, baked plum, spice, tobacco and crushed limestone. You feel the natural concentration of the 2019 vintage and beautifully managed tannins in this wine. This is a release of 25,837 bottles and 292 magnums. VM 94 (8/2023): The 2019 Sammarco is a very pretty, elegant wine with gorgeous aromatic intensity from the Cabernet Sauvignon that makes up the majority of the blend this year. Sweet pipe tobacco, cedar, mint, dried cherry, incense and crushed leaves lend notable aromatic presence to this young, nascent Sammarco. Time in the glass brings out striking inner perfume and sweetness. In 2019, Sammarco is more finesse than power. Antonio Galloni. |
|
Castello del Terriccio |
1999 |
Lupicaia |
$79 |
1 |
|
|
VM 95 (8/2003): 90% cabernet sauvignon with 10% merlot) Dark ruby with a violet core; quite opaque. Incredibly sweet and sensuous aromas of crushed dark berry fruit. Intense blackberry fills the mouth, along with bittersweet chocolate and mint; very concentrated. The big, round tannins are leavened by a layer of refreshing acidity and the very long finish is sustained by a distinct mineral element. A wine of compelling richness. WS 89 (9/2002): Lots of currants and berries, with hints of smoke and minerals. Medium- to full-bodied, with well-integrated tannins and a long, succulent, ripe fruit aftertaste. Refined. Ridiculous price. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Best after 2004. 2,500 cases made. |
|
Castello di Ama |
2019 |
Gran Selezione San Lorenzo Chianti Classico |
$44.99 |
36 |
|
|
WA 95 (9/2023): The 2019 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione San Lorenzo draws its fruit from various sites selected throughout the estate, and for that reason, it is often the most representative wine from Castello di Ama (despite its more approachable price). This vintage is especially interesting, showing a more formal quality of tannins for longer aging potential and softly extracted dark fruit that sets it apart. Vintner Marco Pallanti likens 2019 to 2004 or 2016, some of the best vintages in recent memory. The wine is partially aged in new oak, and the percentage of new barrels used depends on the vintage conditions. This edition sees 20% new oak, medium toast and fine grains. The team is working with lower temperatures during fermentation with more numerous pump-overs for the first couple of weeks, then the wine is left alone. Fresh cherry fruit, blackberry, spice and grilled herb emerge. VM 94 (7/2022): The 2019 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Castello di Ama San Lorenzo is a wild, beautifully layered wine. Touches of Merlot and Malvasia Nera lend striking complexity and dimension to a mid-weight yet fleshy Gran Selezione. Iron, cured meats, spice, leather and dried leaves all take shape in this deceptively mid-weight yet deep, highly expressive Gran Selezione. Antonio Galloni. |
|
|
2019 |
Gran Selezione San Lorenzo Chianti Classico (1.5 L) |
$89.99 |
9 |
|
|
WA 95 (9/2023): The 2019 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione San Lorenzo draws its fruit from various sites selected throughout the estate, and for that reason, it is often the most representative wine from Castello di Ama (despite its more approachable price). This vintage is especially interesting, showing a more formal quality of tannins for longer aging potential and softly extracted dark fruit that sets it apart. Vintner Marco Pallanti likens 2019 to 2004 or 2016, some of the best vintages in recent memory. The wine is partially aged in new oak, and the percentage of new barrels used depends on the vintage conditions. This edition sees 20% new oak, medium toast and fine grains. The team is working with lower temperatures during fermentation with more numerous pump-overs for the first couple of weeks, then the wine is left alone. Fresh cherry fruit, blackberry, spice and grilled herb emerge. VM 94 (7/2022): The 2019 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Castello di Ama San Lorenzo is a wild, beautifully layered wine. Touches of Merlot and Malvasia Nera lend striking complexity and dimension to a mid-weight yet fleshy Gran Selezione. Iron, cured meats, spice, leather and dried leaves all take shape in this deceptively mid-weight yet deep, highly expressive Gran Selezione. Antonio Galloni. |
|
Cavallotto |
2018 |
Barolo Bricco Boschis ex-Domaine |
$68.99 |
28 |
|
|
JD 95 (5/2023): The 2018 Barolo Bricco Boschis pours a deep ruby and has spiced and enveloping aromatics of cigar box, leather, pure red cherry, and turned earth. This medium-bodied red is approachable and graceful, with moderate tannins and good concentration in its notes of Earl Grey tea, blood orange, and raspberry liqueur. Drink 2024-2044. Audrey Frick. WA 94 (6/2022): The Cavallotto 2018 Barolo Bricco Boschis (a certified organic wine) is a lovely expression with fruit from one of the most beautiful sites in Castiglione Falletto, measuring 7.3 hectares. The wine is streamlined and tight with forest berry, blackcurrant and spice. It is taut and silky, showing fruit that has been shaped by cool nights and warm days. Bricco Boschis always delivers a special sense of sharpness and focus. Production is 23,747 bottles and 1,333 magnums. VM 92+ (2/2022): Cavallotto’s 2018 Barolo Bricco Boschis is a powerhouse. A blast of sweet dark cherry, menthol, licorice, gravel and incense hits the palate. Youthful and quite strapping in terms of its presence, the 2018 holds quite a bit of promise. That’s the good news. But readers will have to be patient, as the tannins are quite searing at this stage for a wine that has typically been a bit more forthcoming. This is an especially serious edition of the Bricco Boschis Barolo. Antonio Galloni. WS 92 (9/2022): A firmly structured, dry Barolo, with a core of cherry and plum shaded by earth and tobacco elements. Turns austere, picking up an underlying mineral streak on the finish. Best from 2025 through 2038. |
|
Elio Grasso |
2019 |
Barolo Ginestra Casa Mate |
$88.99 |
1 |
|
|
WA 97+ (8/2023): Very different from the Gavarini Chiniera, the 2019 Barolo Ginestra Casa Maté shows more bite, structure and a bigger tannic impact. Fruit was harvested a bit earlier, but healthy grape skins allowed for 52 days of maceration. This wine shows beautiful intensity and fullness with dark fruit, earth, hazelnut and dark plum. Surrounded by forests, the greenery gives balance to this wine by moderating temperatures. In fact, this site saw up to 10 degrees Celsius drops in diurnal temperatures, leading to thick skins and ideal phenolic ripeness. JD 97 (5/2023): Another remarkable wine from this outstanding and tension-packed vintage, the 2019 Barolo Ginestra Casa Mate takes on a bit more introspective nature, with black cherry, cracked peppercorn, licorice, and wet asphalt. Full-bodied, it offers sweet tannins and notes of balsamic herbs, violets, leather, and black raspberry that move through the palate at a glacial pace without feeling weighted. I would recommend cellaring for a few years, after which it will be perfect for winter weather evenings by the fireside over the coming decades. Drink 2026-2050. Audrey Frick. VM 95 (1/2023): The 2019 Barolo Ginestra Casa Matè is rich, dark and explosive. Dark-fleshed fruit, cloves menthol, licorice, scorched earth, leather and dried flowers are some of the notes that infuse the 2019 with character. Deep and resonant, with tremendous depth, the Ginestra is a wine of unbridled intensity. Swaths of tannin wrap around the huge, substantial finish. This virile, strapping Barolo is quite simply classic Ginestra. Antonio Galloni. |
|
Elvio Cogno |
2017 |
Barolo Cascina Nuova |
$53.99 |
36 |
|
|
JS 95 (3/2021): Attractive dried strawberry with cherry and tar on the nose. Full-bodied with powerful tannins that are dusty and intense. Very flavorful and long. Solid as a rock. Needs at least three or four years to soften and come together. WA 93 (6/2021): This wine is a sure bet from Elvio Cogno and such a steal. The 2017 Barolo Cascina Nuova delivers ample intensity and power. In this regard, it keeps faithfully in line with the expectations of a hot vintage that rendered more concentrated and sweeter fruit. However, the expert winemaking team at this estate has been able to manage any excesses or hints of over-ripeness. These are solid results with 20,000 bottles available. JD 93 (5/2021): The 2017 Barolo Cascina Nuova is perfumed with ripe cherry, licorice, tar, and dried roses. The palate is ripe and refreshing, with a fairly classic build noted by red plum, tobacco leaf, and turned earth. This wine is beautiful and inviting out of the gates or drink 2022-2036. WS 93 (11/2021): This is focused and almost creamy in texture, boasting cherry, strawberry, almond, tar and earth flavors. Multifaceted and just when you think it's accessible, the dense, dusty tannins emerge. Fresh and long. Best from 2025 through 2045. 1,700 cases made, 500 cases imported. |
|
|
2017 |
Barolo Ravera |
$84.99 |
22 |
|
|
JD 97 (5/2021): The 2017 Barolo Ravera makes a statement with its intense aromas of licorice, kirsch, pipe tobacco, and spice. Revealing a balanced and chiseled structure, the palate conveys dried raspberry, blood orange, and dried herbs. A great wine from the 2017 vintage, it feels like it will hold up to the test of time. Drink 2024-2042. WA 94 (6/2021): The Ravera cru is seeing renewed energy and interest, thanks to the hard work of the Elvio Cogno team. They believed in Novello from the very beginning, and today a wine like the 2017 Barolo Ravera shows special confidence and pride. This pretty Barolo made with a blend of Nebbiolo clones (Lampia and Michet) reveals a slow succession of aromas with dark cherry and blackberry. The results are lasting, contoured and beautifully focused, thanks to mineral notes of rusty iron or brick. Nuanced notes of licorice and campfire ash round off the finish. Production is 13,000 bottles. JS 94 (3/2021): Cherry and candied strawberry with flowers and some dried earth. Full-bodied, layered and chewy. Lots of wet earth and mushroom to the red fruit. Tight now. Try after 2023. WS 93 (11/2021): A tightly wound, linear red, this reveals steeped cherry and plum flavors, with shadings of tar, eucalyptus and licorice. The dense matrix of tannins rules the finish, yet this shows nice equilibrium overall. Best from 2025 through 2043. 1,100 cases made, 350 cases imported. |
|
Fontodi |
2016 |
Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigna del Sorbo ETA Q1 2025 |
$94.99 |
4 |
|
|
WA 98 (7/2019): The 2016 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigna del Sorbo is another benchmark wine from Tuscany that shows the incredible potential of this iconic vintage. This beautiful single-vineyard Sangiovese reveals a graceful side with dark fruit intensity, cherry, plum, fresh violets and tilled earth. Tar, tobacco and licorice appear as delicate background tones, giving more volume and texture to the wine's sensorial impact. Vigna del Sorbo shows its own precise identity that is fiercely faithful to Sangiovese, but that also pushes the boundaries to go beyond our highest expectations of the grape in terms of color, concentration, aromatic complexity and staying power. That's the Panzano magic in a nutshell. VM 97+ (8/2019): The 2016 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigna del Sorbo is a wine of tremendous aromatic intensity, freshness and nuance. Sweet floral and spice notes meld into a core of blue/purplish fruit, lavender, licorice and leather, with veins of bright acids that perk things up nicely. Readers need to be patient with the 2016, as it is going to need at least a few years to come into its own. But I have seen this before with Vigna del Sorbo. Sometimes the more reticent vintages turn out the be the most complete and thrilling wines with cellaring. I imagine that will be the case here as well. Antonio Galloni. JS 98 (3/2020): This is always an entrancing Gran Selezione and the 2016 shows dried raspberries, boysenberries, vanilla and brambleberries. Full-bodied and tightly wound with eye-catching minerality. The acidity sharpens out the exuberant red fruit perfectly. Incredible length and drinkability. Is this better even than the great 2015? I think so. From organically grown grapes. Drink in 2023. |
|
Fuligni |
2019 |
Brunello di Montalcino |
$89.99 |
1 |
|
|
VM 96 (12/2023): Dusty and floral, the 2019 Brunello di Montalcino opens with a perfumed blend of dried roses, cherries, mint and lavender candies. It’s elegant and seamlessly silky on the palate, enveloping the senses with ripe red berry fruits contrasted by a bitter clove tinge. A core of brisk acidity maintains a lovely balance as a web of fine tannins saturates the palate, and a pleasantly chewy sensation remains. The 2019 is classic to the core. Eric Guido. |
|
Girolamo Russo |
2020 |
Etna Rosso Feudo di Mezzo |
$62.08 |
12 |
|
|
WA 95 (6/2023): The Girolamo Russo 2020 Etna Rosso Feudo di Mezzo opens to a hint of salinity or minerality that is specific to this site. Those linear aromas tend to frame a tight core of wild fruit, white cherry, apricot and mountain flowers like blue bonnet or Sicilian ginestra, which grows with yellow blooms on the flanks of the volcano. The wine's interesting saltiness cedes directly to the mouthfeel. The tannins are more prominent in this vintage. You should get very good aging potential from this bottle. VM 93.5 (9/2023): The remarkably pretty 2020 Etna Rosso Feudo d'Mezzo opens with a whiff of sweet spice that gives way to dried roses, cinnamon and clove. This is surprisingly juicy and energetic in feel, with crisp red fruits propelled by vibrant acidity as citrus adds cheek-puckering tension toward the close. The 2020 finishes dramatically long with a saturating concentration and edgy tannins that curl the tongue as sour cherry hints fade. This is deceivingly open and giving yet remarkably complex. I suggest checking in on one for its primary fruit but then cellaring the rest to unveil their underlying power. Eric Guido. |
|
|
2021 |
Etna Rosso San Lorenzo |
$66.99 |
6 |
|
|
WA 96+ (6/2023): The Girolamo Russo 2021 Etna Rosso San Lorenzo is a very exciting wine with so much energy and verve. It opens to lean-bodied concentration with a brilliant ruby shine. The wine shows a long array of wild fruit and tiny berry aromas backed by crushed white pepper and crushed stone. San Lorenzo is one of the most impressive interpretations of Etna. I highly recommend you try and cellar this wine. |
|
Livio Sassetti |
2019 |
Brunello di Montalcino Pertimali |
$67.99 |
1 |
|
|
VM 95 (12/2023): The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino is a spice box of a wine, opening with a burst of camphor and dried flowers, giving way to crushed blackberries, sage and cloves. This is surprisingly energetic and racy in style. Vibrant acidity propels depths of dark red fruits and inner floral as salty minerals saturate. The 2019 finishes structured and long yet still lively, leaving violet inner florals and hints of currant to taper off slowly. The combination of power, depth and energy makes this impossible to ignore. Eric Guido. |
|
Luigi Pira |
2017 |
Barolo Marenca |
$59.85 |
12 |
|
|
JS 96 (6/2021): Really gorgeous aromas of dried strawberries with hazelnut and cedar undertones, following through to a full body with real density of fruit and dusty, chewy tannins that finish long and intense. Vivid transparency at the end. Try after 2025. WA 93 (6/2021): The Luigi Pira 2017 Barolo Marenca reveals a bright note of sweet cherry or redcurrant that pops first from the bouquet. That pretty red fruit intensity is quickly followed by spice, earth, toasted hazelnut and candied orange peel. This is a graceful and smooth expression from a site in Serralunga d'Alba that is almost exclusively farmed by the Pira family, mostly replanted in 1990 and is said to be noted for its powerful Barolo. JD 93 (6/2021): Floral and perfumed, the 2017 Barolo Marenca is laced with crushed rose petals, cherry lozenge, and fresh earth. On the palate, this red is inviting and pure, offering notes of raspberry, and black tea before showing its true Serralunga character and noble structure beneath. It’s finesse and elegance up front leads to a deceiving desire to say it would be for youthful drinking, though it will be worth holding out for 2-5 years to enjoy 2024-2042. |
|
M. Marengo |
2017 |
Barolo Brunate |
$68.99 |
26 |
|
|
JS 95 (6/2021): A red with lovely ripe strawberry, spice and some flowers and leather. Dried orange peel, too. Full-bodied with firm, chewy tannins that are slightly mouth-puckering. It’s structured and rather powerful. Needs time to soften. Give it three or four years to soften. Try after 2024. VM 94 (2/2021): The 2017 Barolo Brunate shows why this is such a highly-regarded site. Powerful and deep, the 2017 has enough fruit and pedigree to keep the formidable tannins in check. Blue/purplish fruit, spice, leather, licorice and menthol gain volume as the 2017 opens in the glass. This brooding Barolo needs time in bottle, but it is pretty compelling, even in the early going. Antonio Galloni. WA 94 (6/2021): With fruit from La Morra, the 2017 Barolo Brunate presents a taut and tight bouquet of candied cherry, violets, orange peel and iron ore. The aromas are fluid and agile, yet they are also quite polished and focused. Indeed, this Brunate offers the greatest degree of complexity and sheer depth in this portfolio from the Marengo family of La Morra. Again, we see those extra tight tannins that are such a common feature of Barolo wines from the hot and dry 2017 vintage. This was a release of 4,800 bottles. |
|
Poderi Colla |
2017 |
Barolo Dardi Le Rose Bussia |
$59.99 |
11 |
|
|
VM 94+ (10/2021): The 2017 Barolo Bussia Dardi Le Rose is superb. Classy and poised, the 2017 captures all the personality of Bussia. The Colla Barolos typically need a few years to shine. I imagine that will be the case here as well. As attractive as the 2017 is today, the best is yet to come. Crushed flowers, spice, sweet pipe tobacco and incense lend considerable nuance to a core of sweet Nebbiolo fruit. What a pretty wine this is. Antonio Galloni. |
|
Sottimano |
2020 |
Barbaresco Cotta ex-Domaine |
$67 |
36 |
|
|
VM 96 (10/2023): The 2020 Barbaresco Cottá is another fabulous wine in this range from Sottimano. Dark and super-classic in bearing, the 2020 has tremendous stature along with a darker and more somber personality than usual. The balance here is just mind-blowing. Scorched earth, leather, tobacco and incense infuse the finish with tons of nuance to complement its muscular personality. Antonio Galloni. JD 96 (5/2023): Moving to the 2020 Barbaresco Cotta, fantastic mineral-tinged aromas of crushed stones, pencil shavings, and blackberry are followed by a medium-bodied red with a ripe yet linear feel and crunchy red fruits of red plum, orange rind, and clove. I liked this for its more tension-packed and energetic feel and stony texture. Drink 2025-2040. Audrey Frick. WA 94+ (8/2023): A wine from Sottimano that also draws its fruit from the village of Neive (and Barbaresco, because these 2.8 hectares of vines are on the border), the 2020 Barbaresco Cottá shows an austere character with pronounced rust or iodine aromas that are neatly layered into dark fruit and dried cherry. The wine sports a generous, medium-weight texture that offers a good amount of textural firmness to the palate. Give this pretty wine a little more time to flesh out. 9,000 bottles were produced. |
|
|
2019 |
Barbaresco Curra ex-Domaine |
$84 |
36 |
|
|
WA 96 (8/2023): Released one year later than the other Barbarescos in this portfolio, the Sottimano 2019 Barbaresco Currá brings the intensity up a notch and not just in terms of dark fruit and cassis. The wine's mineral profile is more pronounced and, in careful moderation, so is the oak toast and spice delivery. There are more distinct elements here, all played forward with great intensity, that ultimately reach a place of excellent balance and endurance. Sadly, only 2,000 bottles emerged from this 1.6-hectare vineyard site in Neive. VM 94 (10/2022): The 2019 Barbaresco Currà is another stellar wine in this range from Sottimano. Deep and authoritative, the 2019 possesses tremendous depth and textural intensity. Incisive Currà tannins are present, but they are pretty much buried by the sheer richness of the fruit. Antonio Galloni. |
|
|
2020 |
Barbaresco Fausoni ex-Domaine |
$67.89 |
6 |
|
|
VM 97 (10/2023): The 2020 Barbaresco Fausoni is one of the most captivating wines I have ever tasted here. Bright, focused and vertical in bearing, the 2020 possesses tremendous intensity in all of its dimensions. Macerated red cherry, mint, white pepper, tobacco and cedar add lift and energy throughout. Moreover, the typically incisive Fausoni tannins are beautifully integrated. . Antonio Galloni. JD 95 (5/2023): The darkest-fruited of all the wines presented by Sottimano, the 2020 Barbaresco Fausoni is from 50-year-old vines grown at the lowest elevation of the estate (220 to 240 meters). The wine is generous with aromas of blackberry, lavender, and candied licorice. Full-bodied and ripe with ample tannins, it is expansive with red and black raspberry, tea leaf, and turned soil. It has wonderful depth without being heavy, with a seamless structure. It will benefit from another year in bottle before drinking over the coming 10-15 years. Audrey Frick. WA 93 (8/2023): The 2020 Barbaresco Fausoni offers a lot of brightness and an especially linear style that can be traced to bright berry flavors and dusty mineral notes of crushed limestone. This wine gives us a good peek at the compelling nuance that can be coaxed forward with Nebbiolo aged in large oak casks, even in a hot and sunny growing season such as this. The wine concludes on a dry note. Some 5,000 bottles were made. |
|
|
2018 |
Barbaresco Pajore ex-Domaine |
$64.99 |
35 |
|
|
VM 95 (2/2022): The 2018 Barbaresco Pajorè is quite closed. It shows all the translucent elegance of all the wines in the range. Spice, mineral, melted road tar, rose petal, leather and lavender bring out the darker, more balsamic inflections of Nebbiolo. This potent, structured Barbaresco is quite backward today. Readers need to be especially patient. Antonio Galloni. WA 94 (6/2021): With fruit from Treiso, the 2018 Barbaresco Pajore shows a lot of shape and depth, all supported by generous but carefully balanced fruit. The bouquet is layered with summer cherry and dried cassis, with earthy tones, camphor ash and powdered licorice. You also get a whiff of crushed flowers or roses. This is an extremely silky and elegant wine with only 6,000 bottles produced. JD 94 (5/2021): Of the 2018s, the 2018 Barbaresco Pajore has the darkest profile, with dried cherry, tobacco, mint, and cedar. Savory with blood orange, red plum skin, and turned earth, more firm tannins build, with more modest acidity. Drink 2024-2035. |
|
|
2019 |
Barbaresco Pajore ex-Domaine |
$66.99 |
31 |
|
|
WA 95 (8/2022): Here's a beautifully elegant and fine expression of Nebbiolo from Treiso. The Sottimano 2019 Barbaresco Pajoré shows an earthy personality with crushed stone and potting soil that frame a pretty core of red and purple fruits. I love the depth and complexity of this wine and the slightly more structured tannins that give this wine power and importance. VM 93+ (10/2022): The 2019 Barbaresco Pajorè is dense and quite closed in on itself. Then again, that is Pajorè. There's terrific depth and density here, but not quite the power of some recent releases. That's not a bad thing, as the more restrained style allows the nuance to come through. This is an especially refined edition of the Pajorè. Today, the Pajorè is quite compact and a bit of a bruiser, but there's terrific fruit intensity that just needs time to blossom. Antonio Galloni. |
|
|
2020 |
Barbaresco Pajore ex-Domaine |
$65.89 |
36 |
|
|
VM 97 (10/2023): The 2020 Barbaresco Pajorè is deep, sensual and mysterious, as wines from this great site tend to be. Black cherry, lavender, new leather and balsamic overtones infuse the Pajorè with tremendous complexity and textural resonance. The 2020 is still an infant, but its potential is evident. Antonio Galloni. JD 96 (5/2023): Pouring a rich garnet, the 2020 Barbaresco Pajore is fleshy and ripe, with a pleasant touch of rustic aromas of saddle leather, black cherry, and balsamic herbs. This medium to full-bodied red is ripe with meaty tannins, rounded black raspberry fruit, potting soil, and mouthwatering salinity on the finish. It is a ripe yet very attractive wine to hold another 6-12 months and drink 2024-2040. Audrey Frick. WA 94 (8/2023): The Sottimano 2020 Barbaresco Pajoré (with 6,000 bottles made) is a tight and elegant wine with mid-weight structure. The bouquet is very expressive with dried cherry, blackcurrant, iron ore and blue flower. Sottimano succeeds in crafting very linear and precise wines, and that is certainly the message delivered by this wine from the Pajoré Vineyard in the village of Treiso. It ends on a dry, chalky note. |
|
Tenuta San Leonardo |
2015 |
Vigneti Dolomiti |
$65 |
7 |
|
|
VM 95 (7/2020): The 2015 San Leonardo is a classic in the making. The bouquet is wonderfully perfumed with peppery florals, mixing tart cherry and blueberry with white smoke, hints of graphite and shaved cedar. Silky textures race across a core of juicy acids and minerals, making for a ripe yet cool-toned and pleasurably tactile expression. Youthful tannins slowly make themselves known toward the close. Long, structured and spicy, the 2015 finishes with a crescendo of tart blue and black fruits, tapering off to notes of subtly sweet spice. As good as this is today, it will only get better over time. That said, it doesn’t appear that this is going to shut down anytime in the immediate future, so it’s certainly worth checking on a bottle or two before forgetting the rest in your cellar. Eric Guido. |
|
| Port |
Delaforce |
1997 |
Quinta da Port Heavily Wine-Stained Label |
$35 |
1 |
|
|
WS 95 (2/2000): A fruit bomb. Superb single-quinta wine. Excellent dark color, with intense currant, berry and claretlike aromas. Full-bodied, with a big, racy backbone of tannins. Lovely, sweet finish. Best after 2007. VM 87 (6/2000): Full ruby. Grapey aromas of black cherry, cassis and menthol. Concentrated but rather hard-edged, with solid structure for aging. A gutsy rather than elegant style of port, in need of patience. Finishes with somewhat coarse tannins. |
|
|
1997 |
Quinta da Port Lightly Wine-Stained Label |
$35 |
1 |
|
|
WS 95 (2/2000): A fruit bomb. Superb single-quinta wine. Excellent dark color, with intense currant, berry and claretlike aromas. Full-bodied, with a big, racy backbone of tannins. Lovely, sweet finish. Best after 2007. VM 87 (6/2000): Full ruby. Grapey aromas of black cherry, cassis and menthol. Concentrated but rather hard-edged, with solid structure for aging. A gutsy rather than elegant style of port, in need of patience. Finishes with somewhat coarse tannins. |
|
Quinta de Roriz |
2000 |
Port |
$55 |
1 |
|
|
WS 95 (5/2003): This is really fantastic. Wonderful aromas of grapes, berries and cherries. Full-bodied, medium sweet, with wonderfully refined tannins and a long, long finish. A gorgeous wine. Best after 2014. 2,000 cases made. |
|
Quinta do Vesuvio |
1995 |
Port Lightly Bin-Soiled Label |
$79 |
3 |
|
|
WS 95 (4/1998): A ripe and rich '95 boasting a remarkable essence of crushed berries, this is classic Port. It's full-bodied and quite sweet, with the velvetiest of tannins and a long, long ripe fruit finish. At its best after 2008. 3,000 cases made. FTLOP 83 (10/2006): (Vertically Speaking FTLOP tasting at Vesuvio, group score = 87.4. Medium ruby in color with spicy cinnamon, spearmint and a kiss of oak. I don't know what happened here as I don't remember any other recent samplings of this wine. It shows a dense, full-body and very big tannins but then gets weird and hard for me to describe. There is an odd tobacco note and red fruits but a very bitter, medicinal finish which is quite short. I need to try another bottle of this to see if it was just an anomaly. |
|
| USA Red |
Arietta |
2002 |
Variation One Proprietary Blend |
$75 |
1 |
|
|
WA 95 (2/2005): The stunning 2002 Variation One (70% Merlot and 30% Syrah) exhibits an exotic, opulent personality with a deep purple color, and sweet aromas of cocoa, new saddle leather, black raspberries, cassis, and acacia flowers. Full-bodied, with beautifully integrated oak (all of these wines are aged in 100% new French wood), wonderful sweetness, tremendous delineation, and laser-like clarity and transparency of character. A beauty, it is ideal for drinking over the next 10-15 years. VM 93+ (5/2005): ((100) Good medium ruby. Brooding, medicinal aromas of inky black fruits. Tougher today than the 2003 from barrel, but offers Outstanding flavor intensity and clarity, with notes of black raspberry, spice, licorice and chocolate emerging with aeration. Less obviously sweet today than the 2003 (I might have picked this blind as a classic Bordeaux blend including petit verdot and cab franc), but finishes with superb breadth of tannins. "The H Block is an homage to more refined Old World wines," notes Kongsgaard, "while this is more California exotic." |
|
|
2002 |
Variation One Proprietary Blend Bin-Soiled Label |
$75 |
1 |
|
|
WA 95 (2/2005): The stunning 2002 Variation One (70% Merlot and 30% Syrah) exhibits an exotic, opulent personality with a deep purple color, and sweet aromas of cocoa, new saddle leather, black raspberries, cassis, and acacia flowers. Full-bodied, with beautifully integrated oak (all of these wines are aged in 100% new French wood), wonderful sweetness, tremendous delineation, and laser-like clarity and transparency of character. A beauty, it is ideal for drinking over the next 10-15 years. VM 93+ (5/2005): ((100) Good medium ruby. Brooding, medicinal aromas of inky black fruits. Tougher today than the 2003 from barrel, but offers Outstanding flavor intensity and clarity, with notes of black raspberry, spice, licorice and chocolate emerging with aeration. Less obviously sweet today than the 2003 (I might have picked this blind as a classic Bordeaux blend including petit verdot and cab franc), but finishes with superb breadth of tannins. "The H Block is an homage to more refined Old World wines," notes Kongsgaard, "while this is more California exotic." |
|
Behrens & Hitchcock |
2003 |
Kenefick Ranch Cuvee |
$59 |
1 |
|
|
WA 93-95 (2/2005): The 2003 Kenefick Ranch Cuvee (a 400-case lot of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Merlot and Petit Verdot) exhibits an inky/ruby/purple color along with a gorgeous perfume of smoke, blueberry liqueur, creme de cassis, white chocolate, and espresso roast. Dense, opulent, and full-bodied, with a terrific texture as well as palate penetration, and a 40-45 second finish, it is capable of lasting a decade or more. VM 91+ (6/2005): Medium ruby. Cool, pure aromas of cassis, licorice and violet. Juicy, dry and lively, with excellent flavor intensity and enticing floral lift. I would have guessed this had some cabernet franc. Quite tightly wound after the bottling, and currently showing its tannic side. But this will almost certainly merit a higher rating with four or five years of additional bottle aging. In this vintage, Les Behrens used a mechanical punchdown tank for the Kenefick Ranch cabernet sauvignon-an approach that was used for more wines in 2004. |
|
|
2003 |
Kenefick Ranch Cuvee Torn Label |
$69 |
1 |
|
|
WA 93-95 (2/2005): The 2003 Kenefick Ranch Cuvee (a 400-case lot of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Merlot and Petit Verdot) exhibits an inky/ruby/purple color along with a gorgeous perfume of smoke, blueberry liqueur, creme de cassis, white chocolate, and espresso roast. Dense, opulent, and full-bodied, with a terrific texture as well as palate penetration, and a 40-45 second finish, it is capable of lasting a decade or more. VM 91+ (6/2005): Medium ruby. Cool, pure aromas of cassis, licorice and violet. Juicy, dry and lively, with excellent flavor intensity and enticing floral lift. I would have guessed this had some cabernet franc. Quite tightly wound after the bottling, and currently showing its tannic side. But this will almost certainly merit a higher rating with four or five years of additional bottle aging. In this vintage, Les Behrens used a mechanical punchdown tank for the Kenefick Ranch cabernet sauvignon-an approach that was used for more wines in 2004. |
|
Donelan |
2013 |
Cuvee Christine Syrah |
$75 |
4 |
|
|
JD 96 (7/2017): There’s just over 900 cases of the 2013 Syrah Cuvee Christine and it’s 100% Syrah made with the idea to highlight the variety from Sonoma County. It has more minerality and savoriness than the Kobler Family as well as a darker, ruby color and incredible notes of gamey meats, black fruits, wood smoke, charcoal and pepper. With full-bodied richness, ripe tannin and a killer finish, this beauty has sensational purity of fruit and continues to gain depth and richness with time in the glass. It’s just another sensational Syrah from this team that rivals anything coming out of France or California today. |
|
|
2015 |
Obsidian Vyd. Syrah |
$95 |
3 |
|
|
JD 95+ (6/2018): The 2015 Syrah Obsidian Vineyard is another structured, tannic, backward 2015 from this estate. Smoked earth, Graves-like cold fireplace, lots of meatiness and ample dark fruit all emerge from this medium to full-bodied effort that has serious tannin, integrated acidity, and a great finish. The cellar is going to be your friend. |
|
Kosta Browne |
2021 |
Giusti Ranch Pinot Noir |
$85 |
2 |
|
|
JD 96 (6/2024): The ripe red-hued 2021 Pinot Noir Giusti Ranch was raised in 34% new French oak for 18 months and has a great nose, with ripe, concentrated aromas of kirsch, rosemary, preserved roses, and dark spices. Medium-bodied, it carries wonderful depth and intensity to the palate, with fantastic structure, ripe tannins, mouthwatering, fresh acidity, and a long, earth-noted finish with incense and black truffle. It’s a phenomenal wine that’s going to have some real longevity over the next 10-15 years. |
|
No Girls |
2014 |
Walla Walla Valley Tempranillo |
$95 |
3 |
|
|
WA 95+ (6/2017): Deeper ruby/purple in color, the 2014 Tempranillo la Paciencia is vinified in concrete tank, then moved to take tank for malolactic fermentation, then into 20% new French demi-muids. Charcoal, beef blood, black currants, roasted herbs and smoked meats all emerge from this rich, full-bodied, concentrated and tannic beauty that has incredibly finesse, elegance and length. It's another wine that builds with time in the glass, has ample fruit authority, and is going to keep for two decades. |
|
Reynvaan Family Vineyards |
2015 |
The Stonessence Syrah |
$75 |
2 |
|
|
JD 96 (4/2018): The most expensive Syrah from Matt is the 2015 Syrah Stonessence and there’s a scant 325 cases made. Its deep ruby/plum color is followed by a salty, bloody Syrah that has loads of complexity, full-bodied richness, sweet tannin, and a big finish. Black raspberries, peppery herbs, dry aged beef, and hints of lavender all emerge from the glass and while it’s already singing, it’s going to evolve gracefully for 10-15 years. |
|
Rhys |
2012 |
Horseshoe Vyd. Syrah |
$65 |
4 |
|
|
VM 95 (7/2015): A more savory style of Syrah (relative to the Skyline) emerges from the 2012 Syrah Horseshoe Vineyard. Grilled herbs, rose petals, iron and a host of ferrous notes make a strong first impression. Here the flavors are rich, broad and expansive, mirroring the wine's large-scaled frame. The 2012 is quite impressive today, but it won't be ready to drink for at least a few years. Antonio Galloni. WA 94 (4/2015): A stunner, the 2012 Syrah Horseshoe Vineyard sports an inky ruby/purple color to go with loads of back raspberry, cassis, licorice, toasted spice and sappy flowers. Deep, rich, full-bodied and textured, with good acidity keeping it honest, this bares more than a passing resemblance to a top-flight Cornas. It needs 2-3 years of cellaring and will keep for over a decade. |
|
Shea Wine Cellars |
2017 |
Shea Vyd. ’Homer’ Pinot Noir |
$79 |
1 |
|
|
VM 95 (7/2020): Bright ruby-red. Highly expressive red and blue fruit preserve, baking spice, vanilla and incense aromas are complemented by a smoky mineral flourish. Juicy, seamless and expansive on the palate, offering sweet black raspberry, boysenberry, cherry cola and floral pastille flavors energized by an undercurrent of juicy acidity. Shows noteworthy tension and spicy lift on a long, energetic finish that features well-knit tannins and resonating florality. 21% whole clusters and two-thirds new oak. Josh Raynolds. |
|
Stags' Leap Winery |
2012 |
Ne Cede Malis Petite Sirah |
$40 |
1 |
|
|
WA 95+ (3/2016): Stags’ Leap has always had a great reputation for its Petite Sirahs. A prodigious Petite Sirah, their 2012 Petite Sirah Estate Ne Cede Malis is a blend of 85% Petite Sirah and 15% Mixed Blacks aged 12 months in 25% new American oak. There are 900 cases of this massive, blockbuster, full-throttle wine from some of the oldest vines on the estate. (One parcel of Petite Sirah was planted in 1929.) Opaque purple, with notes of pen ink, graphite, blueberry and blackberry liqueur, an amazingly concentrated, full-bodied mouthfeel, and stunning purity and depth, this is a wine for 30-40 years of cellaring. It is a killer effort. |
|
Stonestreet |
2015 |
Monolith Cabernet Sauvignon |
$69 |
1 |
|
|
JD 96+ (6/2018): Crème de cassis, cedarwood, graphite, and crushed violets all define the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Monolith, which is medium-bodied, concentrated, and moderately tannic on the palate. It’s nicely balanced and certainly promising, but I wouldn't open bottles for at least 4-5 years. This cuvée comes from vines planted in 1989 and spent 20 months in just under 50% new French oak. 257 cases. Stonestreet falls under the Jackson Family umbrella and focuses on higher elevation, mountain sites. The wines, made by Lisa Valtenbergs, are rock-solid across the board. VM 92 (7/2018): The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Monolith is powerful, deep and concentrated. There is no shortage of intensity in the 2015, but the chunky, big tannins do convey and impression of wildness and rusticity. Aside from living up to its name, the 2015 is also very young. It will be interesting to see what a bit more bottle age adds. Antonio Galloni. WA 93+ (2/2019): Made of 100% Cabernet aged 20 months in 47% new French oak, the deep garnet-purple colored 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Monolith opens with bold notions of black cherry preserves, black raspberries, blackcurrant cordial and mocha with hints of tar, licorice, wild sage and cedar chest. The palate is full-bodied, concentrated and built like a brick house with firm, grainy tannins and great freshness supporting the generous fruit, finishing long and earthy. |
|
Tensley Wines |
2007 |
Colson Canyon Vyd. Syrah |
$45 |
2 |
|
|
WA 95 (8/2009): The brilliant 2007 Syrah Colson Canyon is Tensley's biggest production single vineyard Syrah. Like the other wines, it is aged in 80% neutral and 20% new French oak barrels, and is bottled with no fining or filtration. This blockbuster effort is as black as a moonless night. It offers up stunning notes of graphite, blackberry liqueur, creme de cassis, licorice, barbecue smoke, and a deep meaty character. The layered palate feel as well as the enormous richness and length result in one of the finest Syrahs being produced in California's Central Coast. It should evolve over the next 10-15 years. JD 94 (11/2009): The largest scaled and most hedonistic of the Tensley wines I was able to taste, the 2007 Tensley Syrah Colson Canyon Vineyard is packed with freshly crushed berries, jam, earth, subtle meat and spice aromatics. Big, sweet and intense, the wine is full bodied on the palate with a silky, light texture and a long, decadent finish where gobs of fine grained tannins come out. The sweetness to the fruit and the upfront, lush texture will make this hard to resist young. WS 94 (2/2009): (Wine Spectator #22 wine of 2009) Firm and musclebound, with rich, chewy tannins. Full-bodied, this is the most complex and potent of the 2007 Tensleys, offering layers of earthy wild berry, sage, mineral, dried currant and floral scents. Drink now through 2016. 1,259 cases made. |
|
Turley Wine Cellars |
2001 |
Hayne Vyd. Petite Sirah Scuffed Label |
$85 |
2 |
|
|
WA 96 (8/2003): The 2001 Petite Syrah Hayne Vineyard’s black/purple color is accompanied by a compelling bouquet of black fruits, graphite, and white flowers reminiscent of a top-flight Hermitage. Tremendously rich, full-bodied, and viscous, with 13.2% alcohol, sweet tannin, and well-integrated wood, this profound Petite Syrah will be at its finest between 2008-2020+. This is truly magnificent stuff with great purity, length, and intensity. |
|
|
2003 |
Hayne Vyd. Petite Sirah |
$79 |
3 |
|
|
WA 93-95 (2/2005): The 2003 Petite Syrah Hayne Vineyard displays the telltale squid ink-like color with some purple hues, and a stupendous nose of pure, black fruits intermixed with minerals, licorice, and incense. Full-bodied, with massively extracted flavors but incredibly well-balanced and vibrant, this wine needs 5-10 years of bottle-age and should age effortlessly for a quarter of a century. |
|
|
2003 |
Hayne Vyd. Petite Sirah Scuffed Label |
$79 |
2 |
|
|
WA 93-95 (2/2005): The 2003 Petite Syrah Hayne Vineyard displays the telltale squid ink-like color with some purple hues, and a stupendous nose of pure, black fruits intermixed with minerals, licorice, and incense. Full-bodied, with massively extracted flavors but incredibly well-balanced and vibrant, this wine needs 5-10 years of bottle-age and should age effortlessly for a quarter of a century. |
|
|
2006 |
Hayne Vyd. Petite Sirah |
$75 |
6 |
|
|
WA 93-96 (12/2007): Never disappointing, and usually one of the finest Petite Syrahs made in California, the 2006 Petite Sirah Hayne Vineyard once again hits on all cylinders. A blockbuster Petite Sirah, inky purple in color with a glorious nose of charcoal, black raspberry, blueberry, creme de cassis, licorice, and crushed rocks, it is very full-bodied, powerful, with sweet tannin, decent acidity, and a 45+-second finish. This is an infantile wine that will benefit from 5-7 years of bottle age and last 25-30+ years. VM 92-93 (6/2008): Saturated ruby. Exotic berries, fruity peppercorn, bitter chocolate, flowers, mocha and wet slate on the nose. Wonderfully sappy and fruity in the mouth, with terrific definition to the flavors of crushed dark berries, pepper and spices, along with a suggestion of exotic apricot. The pepper and spice elements linger impressively on the seriously tannic finish. |
|
|
2007 |
Hayne Vyd. Petite Sirah Nicked Label |
$95 |
1 |
|
|
WA 95-97 (12/2008): A colossal Petite Syrah is the 2007 Hayne Vineyard. Its opaque purple color is followed by an extraordinary perfume of graphite, blackberries, blueberries, licorice, camphor, and crushed rocks. It is enormously endowed and extremely powerful, with teeth-staining extract, and an amazing finish that lasts nearly a minute. This is truly great Petite Syrah, but purchasers should be prepared to cellar it for 8-10 years, and watch it unfold brilliantly over the following 25-30. |
|
|
2012 |
Hayne Vyd. Petite Sirah |
$89 |
1 |
|
|
WA 96-100 (12/2013): Flirting with perfection, the 2012 Petite Syrah Hayne Vineyard and 2012 Petite Syrah Pesenti Vineyard both have off-the-charts richness as well as opaque black/blue colors, enormously concentrated red, blue and black fruits intermixed with camphor and creosote notes. The Pesenti also reveals a chalky minerality that no doubt is from the limestone soils of that region. They can be drunk for their impressive scale, richness, texture and power in their youth, but they will not exhibit much secondary development for at least a decade. They will still be offering provocative and prodigious drinking 30 to 40 years from now. VM 94 (5/2015): (14.3% alcohol; spent more than 45 days on its skins, according to winemaker Tegan Passalacqua): Saturated ruby to the rim. Complex aromas of citrus peel, dark chocolate and eucalyptus, with fruit in the background in the early going. Hugely rich, layered and deep, with dense, sweet, palate-saturating flavors of dark berries, menthol and dark chocolate. At once broad and energetic, this very powerful, lush wine finishes with thoroughly ripe tannins and Outstanding length. This bottle was much fresher than a sample I tasted a year ago shortly after the bottling. |
|
|
2015 |
Hayne Vyd. Petite Sirah Slightly Raised Cork |
$79 |
1 |
|
|
VM 93-96 (12/2016): The 2015 Petite Syrah Hayne Vineyard possesses a gorgeous structural spine to balance the intense, inky fruit. Chocolate, plum, spice and succulent red cherry notes abound in this creamy, super-expressive Petite. In 2015, the Hayne is ample, deep and beautifully rendered. Antonio Galloni. |
|
|
2016 |
Hayne Vyd. Petite Sirah |
$95 |
1 |
|
|
WA 96 (9/2018): The 2016 Petite Syrah Hayne Vineyard is the most perfumed and elegant of Turley's Petite Syrahs (they don't spell it "Sirah") this year, unfurling in the glass with a pure and fragrant bouquet of cassis, dark plums, rose petals and pencil lead. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, layered and multidimensional, with a deep core of vibrant, juicy fruit, satiny but abundant tannins and a long finish. It's an exceptional wine from a singular vineyard. |
|
|
2009 |
Library Vyd. Petite Sirah |
$69 |
1 |
|
|
WA 94-96 (12/2010): It was difficult to chose a favorite although the 2009 Petite Syrah Rattlesnake Ridge, Hayne Vineyard and Library Vineyard are the three greatest in terms of concentration, depth and potential complexity. As I have said so many times, Petite Sirah is by far the most underrated varietal in California, so it is reassuring to see how many producers continue to make remarkable wines with around 13-14% alcohol as well as 20-40+ years of aging potential. |
|
|
2014 |
Library Vyd. Petite Sirah |
$65 |
1 |
|
|
WA 95+ (4/2016): Noticeably floral with blueberries and blackberries is the 2014 Petite Syrah Library Vineyard, from a site adjacent to the Hayne Vineyard on the back streets of St. Helena. Again, this has civilized tannins that are silky and well-integrated, followed by a wine with an enormous wealth of fruit, lavish concentration, and extravagant texture and richness. It is always hard to peg when these will hit full maturity, but this one has a good 5-10 years of development and should keep for three decades as well. |
|
| USA White |
Ceritas |
2018 |
Heintz Vyd. Chardonnay |
$75 |
6 |
|
|
WA 94+ (7/2020): The 2018 Chardonnay Charles Heintz is youthfully shy, hinting at nutty tones, citrus, petrichor and white blossoms. The medium-bodied palate has lovely energy, silky, fresh and with an array of flavor layers—from floral to earth and back to stone—finishing very long and nuanced. This is still painfully young, but with time in bottle, it could be one of Ceritas's most successful Chardonnays in 2018. VM 92 (1/2020): The 2018 Chardonnay Charles Heintz Vineyard marries the tension that is such a Ceritas signature with that extra kick of textural unctuousness that is the single most identifiable attribute of all Heintz Chardonnays. Orchard fruit, lemon confit, white flower, mint and chamomile all grace this super-expressive Chardonnay from Ceritas. Antonio Galloni. |
|
Eisele Vineyard |
2017 |
Sauvignon Blanc (375 ML) |
$50 |
2 |
|
|
WA 94+ (10/2018): Bottled in late July, the 2017 Sauvignon Blanc is a real step up from previous vintages, springing from the glass with vibrant lime cordial, orange blossom and grapefruit notes with touches of allspice, honeysuckle, ripe pears, white peaches and struck flint. Medium-bodied with a suggestion of satin to the texture and a fantastic intensity of exuberant citrus fruits and mineral notes, it delivers a very long, refreshing finish. This should age beautifully! |
|
Hirsch Vineyards |
2021 |
Sonoma Coast Chardonnay |
$59 |
3 |
|
|
WA 95 (2/2024): The 2021 Chardonnay Estate is precise and detailed despite its inherent generosity. The nose offers pure crushed apple, flint, dried hay and jasmine aromas. The medium-bodied palate features highly concentrated, savory and floral fruit. It has a luxuriously satiny texture, refreshing acidity and a long, nuanced finish. VM 94 (8/2023): The 2021 Chardonnay Estate is fabulous. Creamy and yet also phenolic, the 2021 captures all the magic of this site. Dried herbs, orange peel, lemon confit, dried flowers, chamomile and a whole range of mineral notes all grace this super distinctive Chardonnay from the Hirsch family. Antonio Galloni. JD 93 (11/2023): The 2021 Chardonnay pours a medium straw color and jumps from the glass with sea spray, lime blossom, green apple candy, and delicate flinty lift. It’s medium bodied but has a fantastic silky texture, with a hint of pineapple, Meyer lemon, and bread dough. It has a lovely viscosity and has freshness without harsh edges. Drink 2023-2033. |
|
Kistler |
2012 |
Hudson Vyd. Chardonnay |
$95 |
2 |
|
|
VM 93-95 (2/2014): One of the more explosive wines in the range, the 2012 Chardonnay Hudson Vineyard flows with layers of deep, resonant fruit. The Hudson is rich and oily on the palate, with voluptuous texture and fabulous overall balance. It will appeal most to readers who enjoy Chardonnays built on volume. Even with all of its size, the Hudson retains plenty of energy and salinity. WA 92-94 (12/2013): (No tasting note given). |
|
Morlet Family Vineyards |
2012 |
Ma Douce Chardonnay |
$69 |
1 |
|
|
WA 95 (12/2014): The 2012 Chardonnay Ma Douce reminds me of a classic Bâtard-Montrachet produced by Michel Niellon in the mid-1980s. Lots of brioche, honeysuckle, caramelized citrus and buttery pear notes are found in this long, full-bodied, beautiful white. Ripe and full-bodied with terrific acidity as well as freshness, this cuvée comes from a vineyard planted at a 1,300 foot elevation, and was bottled with indigenous yeast fermentation and no fining or filtration. Drink now-2024. |
|
|
2012 |
Ma Princesse Chardonnay |
$89 |
1 |
|
|
WA 96 (12/2014): The 2012 Chardonnay Ma Princesse, which comes from Goldridge soils in the Russian River, is a relatively large cuvée of 550 cases. It exhibits copious notes of orange marmalade, pineapple, white peach and melted caramel in its deep, rich, light gold-colored, full-bodied style. With great acidity, precision and complexity, it should drink well for 10+ years. |
|
Perchance |
2022 |
Beckstoffer Carneros Lake Chardonnay Ex-Domaine |
$95 |
36 |
|
|
JD 95-97 (2/2024): The 2022 Chardonnay Beckstoffer Carneros Lake Vineyard is stunning stuff, and this is one I can't wait to taste from bottle. Reminding me of a great Chardonnay from Aubert with its ripe pineapple, lemon oil, candlewax, and honeyed flower notes, it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a layered, seamless mouthfeel, and that rare mix of richness and freshness. This will spend 15 months in barrels, and there are roughly 150 cases. WA 93 (10/2024): Composed of Clone 96 planted in 1995 and barrel fermented in 100% new French oak, half of the 2022 Chardonnay Beckstoffer Carneros Lake Vineyard underwent malolactic fermentation. It boasts a subtle honeyed element, plus ripe melon and pear notes. Full-bodied, plump and generous, with a long, richly textural finish, it's a beauty to enjoy over the next several years. |
|
Peter Michael Winery |
2012 |
La Carriere Chardonnay |
$89 |
2 |
|
|
WA 97 (12/2014): The sexy 2012 Chardonnay la Carrière reveals notes of honeyed brioche, orange marmalade, tropical fruit blossoms and caramelized citrus. Broad, savory and full-bodied, this stunning Chardonnay should be consumed over the next 5-10 years. |
|
Rhys |
2013 |
Alpine Vyd. Chardonnay Signs of Old Seepage |
$94 |
1 |
|
|
WA 96 (10/2015): The star of the whites was the 2013 Chardonnay Alpine Vineyard. Tasting like a Grand Cru Chablis with its incredibly pure lemon curd, flinty minerality, brioche and white flowers, it's medium to full-bodied, laser focused, crisp and crystalline on the palate. It's a stunning Chardonnay that will compete with the creme de la creme of Chardonnays. VM 93 (7/2015): The 2013 Chardonnay Alpine Vineyard is gorgeous from the very first taste. Chiseled and finely cut, the 2013 boasts considerable energy, tension and focus. Lemon oil, white flowers, mint and white pepper are all given an extra kick of brightness. Antonio Galloni. |
|
| Australia |
Clarendon Hills |
2005 |
Roma’s Vyd. Old Vines Grenache |
$59 |
2 |
|
|
WA 95 (10/2007): The 2005 Grenache Romas Vineyard delivers more complexity than the Onkaparinga, both aromatically and on the palate. An enticing perfume of damp earth, truffle, clove, black cherry, and blackberry is followed by a full-bodied, powerful, structured wine which will need a decade to reveal its full potential. Although it oozes with fruit and can be enjoyed now, it merits extended cellaring. |
|
Poonawatta Estate |
2002 |
Shiraz |
$59 |
1 |
|
|
WA 92-95 (8/2003): A serious discovery by importer Ben Hammerschlag, this is the debut release from this estate. From a vineyard planted in the late 1880s, this beautiful Shiraz was aged completely in French oak. Reminiscent of a French Hermitage, it exhibits an opaque purple color along with a perfume of lilacs, minerals, and measured creme de cassis. Pure and elegant, with austere tannin, great persistence, and a tremendous finish, this striking Shiraz is similar to a single vineyard Chapoutier Hermitage such as Le Pavillon. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2018. |
|
| Argentina |
Cheval des Andes |
2020 |
Mendoza Red Wine ETA Q4 2024 |
$83 |
36 |
|
|
WA 98 (8/2023): The 2020 Cheval des Andes was harvested from the last of February for the first time ever. They now harvest using cold trucks (for the first time), and they also started earlier in the morning, which he reckons was very good for the precision of the wine. The final blend was 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 49% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot, which makes a comeback as it was not used since 2016. This is slightly riper than 2019, with a little more alcohol (14.5%) and with very good structural tannins but saving the freshness, and it has the spicy side from the Petit Verdot (Gabillet talks about white pepper). The wine has the ultra sleek and polished texture and the elegance and the balance that is the signature here; the wine is very clean and precise. I see very good regularity across the three vintages I tasted next to each other—this 2020 and the 2018 and 2019. Overall, this is a triumph over the adverse conditions of the vintage. JS 97 (7/2023): Ripe, baked dark cherries with spices and some violets. Hints of graphite, cocoa powder, incense and black pepper. Dried rose petals. A slightly fuller Cheval des Andes with tense, silky tannins and a lingering, generous finish. Ripe, but still has lots of restraint and precision. 49% malbec, 49% cabernet sauvignon with a 2% petit verdot. 24% of the malbec comes from Altamira and all the rest of the fruit come from Las Compuertas. Drink or hold. VM 96 (9/2023): The 2020 Cheval des Andes is a blend of 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 49% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot from Paraje Altamira in the Uco Valley and Las Compuertas in Luján de Cuyo. Aged in French oak barrels, it’s purple in the glass with a garnet sheen. The nose reveals a well-judged approach to the warmth of 2020, featuring ripe plum, redcurrant, mint and hints of white pepper over a bed of bay leaf and cedar. It’s dry and velvety on the palate, with rich, polished tannins that deliver a juicy, balanced mouthfeel. The balsamic notes and rich palate reflect the year’s character, while the finish is dynamic and long-lasting. Joaquin Hidalgo |
|
|
2021 |
Mendoza Red Wine ETA Q1 2025 2024 Ex-Domaine |
$90 |
4 |
|
|
JD 98 (8/2024): The finest vintage of this wine I've tasted, the 2021 Cheval Des Andes is based on 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 48% Malbec, and the balance Petit Verdot. It has a decidedly Bordeaux-like nose of ripe currants, leafy tobacco, cedarwood, and a kiss of flowers, with perfectly integrated background oak. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it has a layered, seamless mouthfeel, ripe, polished tannins, and a great finish. It has this remarkable sense of purity and class, and while it's incredible today (especially with a decant), I wouldn't be surprised to see it evolve gracefully for two decades. WA 97 (8/2024): The 2021 Cheval des Andes is seductive and savory on the nose, leading with pure, earth-tinged aromas of pipe tobacco, turned soil, dried herbs and rich yet composed dark fruits. Exotic, dark spice notes and a pleasantly integrated framing of new oak accents appear with further aeration. The palate is deliciously supple and impressively layered, with a harmonious, long and ever-expanding finish that highlights extreme delicacy. The tannins are persistent yet composed, gently yet persistently lengthening the finish and melding nicely with the vibrant acidity underneath—a beautiful combination of savory charm, serious depth and focused intensity. It's a blend of 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 48% Malbec and 3% Petite Verdot that spent an average of 12-13 months in 50% barrique, 30% demi-muid and 20% foudre. VM 97 (5/2024): Light and elegant, the 2021 Cheval des Andes is 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 48% Malbec, 3% Petit Verdot. It achieves a feat that only cool years can provide: smooth texture, agile palate and just the right amount of freshness for a nuanced build. As it breathes, it begins to reveal notes of fresh cherry and plum, with a hint of menthol, maraschino cherries and a touch of pepper. It opens further with aromas of sandalwood and oak that complete the framework. This is a somewhat leaner, more ethereal Cheval than other years, but it has a higher level of precision. It's a wine inspired by Bordeaux, executed in a Bordeaux style, with Mendoza terroir. A wine without edges, it’s a polished red in the early stages of a long, balanced life. (Drink between 2026-2040). Joaquin Hidalgo. |
|
| Other White |
Franz Hirtzberger |
2006 |
Hochrain Smaragd Riesling |
$75 |
1 |
|
|
WA 95 (6/2008): The 2006 Riesling Smaragd Hochrain smells beautifully of fresh lemon and lime, pungent hedge flowers and herbs. As so often, this wine has a clarity and class all its own. Citrus, yellow plum, distilled red fruits, almond extract, flowers and herbs billow across the palate, and an expansive, juicy finish offers both more sheer refreshment and more intriguing interplay than possessed by any other wine in this collection. Enjoy this beauty anytime over the coming decade. |
|
Kracher |
1998 |
TBA #10 Nouvelle Vague Grande Cuvee (375 ML) |
$95 |
1 |
|
|
WS 98 (6/2001): Complex and ethereal. Concentrated and thick, yet lighter than air, this sweetie combines apricot, caramel and vanilla flavors with a velvety texture and vibrant acidity. Picks up a smoky note on the finish. Beautifully done. Drink now through 2010. 330 cases made. |
|
|
1999 |
TBA #6 Nouvelle Vague Grande Cuvee (375 ML) Bin-Soiled Label; Signs of Seepage |
$85 |
1 |
|
|
WA 96 (6/2002): The aromatically demure 1999 #6 Grande Cuvee Nouvelle Vague Trockenbeerenauslese has the texture of 10-W-40 motor oil, yet has exquisite balance. Tangy peaches, apricots, butter, and tropical fruits can be found in this prodigious wine's personality. Projected maturity: 2005-2030+. WS 90 (9/2002): A well-integrated sweetie, combining rich, caramel and citrus flavors and a vibrant structure. Although intense, it shows more grace than power. Drink now through 2008. 1,400 cases made. |
|
|
1999 |
TBA #6 Nouvelle Vague Grande Cuvee (375 ML) Lightly Bin-Soiled Label |
$85 |
3 |
|
|
WA 96 (6/2002): The aromatically demure 1999 #6 Grande Cuvee Nouvelle Vague Trockenbeerenauslese has the texture of 10-W-40 motor oil, yet has exquisite balance. Tangy peaches, apricots, butter, and tropical fruits can be found in this prodigious wine's personality. Projected maturity: 2005-2030+. WS 90 (9/2002): A well-integrated sweetie, combining rich, caramel and citrus flavors and a vibrant structure. Although intense, it shows more grace than power. Drink now through 2008. 1,400 cases made. |
|
|
2000 |
TBA #6 Nouvelle Vague Grande Cuvee (375 ML) Bin-Soiled Label |
$75 |
1 |
|
|
WA 96 (10/2003): Spices, new French oak, and super-ripe pears can be discerned in the aromatics of the magnificent 2000 #6 Grande Cuvee Trockenbeerenauslese Nouvelle Vague (9.5% alcohol, 233 grams residual sugar/liter, and 7.8 grams/liter total acidity). Aged for 24 months in new oak barrels, this tangy, lively, medium- to full-bodied effort has superb balance. Candied apples, jammy apricots, red currants, and hints of citrus zests are found throughout its flavor profile and extensive finish. Drink it over the next 25-30 years. |
|
|
2005 |
TBA #7 Nouvelle Vague Grande Cuvee (375 ML) |
$65 |
1 |
|
|
VM 95-97 (12/2007): Medium golden yellow. Aromas of ripe yellow apple, dried fruits, discreet blossom honey, wild raspberry, subtle roasted oak and cinnamon spice. Orange, apricot, apple and chocolate flavors saturate the entire mouth, and strong minerality extends the finish. An elegant acid structure gives this wine sharp definition. Offers tremendous potential for further development. Drink from 2010 to 2030. WA 94 (6/2008): The Chardonnay-Welschriesling blend 2005 #7 Grande Cuvee Trockenbeerenauslese Nouvelle Vague offers impressive aromatic complexity, suggesting brown-spiced apple and quince jellies, glazed pineapple, dried apricots, honey, musk, and truffle. Tactile spice and surprising fresh fruit character derive contrast in the mouth from creamy, oily textural richness and suggestions of nut brittle and chocolate. This finishes with uncanny freshness and lift for a wine so rich and nobly rotten. Look for a good two decades of interesting evolution here. WS 93 (6/2008): Rich glazed apricot and pineapple flavors fill this fruity dessert white. Concentrated spice and glazed mango notes carry through to the creamy finish. Drink now through 2018. 312 cases made. |
|
|
2000 |
Zwischen Den Seen TBA #4 Welschriesling (375 ML) |
$59 |
2 |
|
|
WA 95 (10/2003): The 2000 #4 Welschriesling Trockenbeerenauslese Zwischen den Seen (11% alcohol, 212.4 grams residual sugar/liter, and 7.3 grams/liter total acidity) reveals smoky, botrytised peaches and spices in its aromatic profile. A syrupy, mango and passion fruit-flavored effort, it is an assertive, medium to full-bodied wine with a lively acid streak to give an appealingly zesty character. Anticipated maturity: now-2030. |
|
|
2000 |
Zwischen Den Seen TBA #5 Scheurebe (375 ML) Lightly Bin-Soiled Label |
$75 |
1 |
|
|
WA 96 (10/2003): The massive, full-bodied 2000 #5 Scheurebe Trockenbeerenauslese Zwischen den Seen (11.5% alcohol, 212.8 grams residual sugar/liter, and 6.5 grams/liter total acidity) bursts from the glass with peppery yellow fruit, spicy, and botrytis aromas. Armed with the density and depth of 10W40 motor oil, it is a syrupy, jammy, viscous effort. Loads of jammy apricots, cherries, and peaches can be discerned in its spice-laden personality. Projected maturity: now-2030. |
|
|
2002 |
Zwischen Den Seen TBA #5 Scheurebe (375 ML) |
$65 |
1 |
|
|
WA 97 (8/2005): #5 Scheurebe Trockenbeerenauslese Zwischen den Seen displays vividly Scheurebe-typical aromas of sage, peppermint, grapefruit and honey. Startlingly bright and juicy on entry, this builds strength and powers to intense, scintillating flavors of grapefruit, candied citrus rinds, honey and high-toned sweet herbal distillates joined less by the typical cassis than by a lovely note of Maine blueberries. The feel is creamy yet at the same time the wine remains invigoratingly sharp. The endlessly reverberating finish pulls out all the stops from a rich, nut oil-flavored, malty low register through the range of vivid citrus and blue fruit to high-toned distilled berry and herb notes. #5, Kracher explains, was racked early and then rushed, reductively, into bottle. You might say it’s Scheurebe with a look over his shoulder at (long-time Muller-Catoir winemaker) Hans-Gunter Schwarz. WS 93 (5/2006): This is a moderately thick sweetie, with plenty of pure grapefruit, fig, almond and spice flavors all wrapped inside an inviting texture. There's also a freshness that extends onto the finish. Fig and vanilla cream linger on the long aftertaste. Drink now through 2015. 37 cases imported. VM 91 (12/2005): Medium yellow-gold. Expressive aromas and flavors of grapefruit zest, mandarin orange and flint. Quite silky on the palate, with sweetness wonderfully countered by soft vegetal spiciness and a lemony underpinning. This uncomplicated, very approachable, precise sweet wine will gain complexity with extended bottle aging. Drink now to 2020. |
|
|
2002 |
Zwischen Den Seen TBA #6 Scheurebe (375 ML) Lightly Bin-Soiled Label |
$65 |
3 |
|
|
WA 95 (8/2005): #6 Scheurebe Trockenbeerenauslese Zwischen den Seen offers quite a contrast to the #5, sublimating the obvious Scheurebe varietal character. Peach jam, lemon, honey, pure botrytis and mysteriously high-toned esters shimmer from the glass. The palate is bright and clear, impressively polished, creamy and viscous. There is an almost statuesque character to the wine, yet it is upliftingly bright and elegant. (We have descended from around 9.5% alcohol in the four previous wines to 8.5% here.) The peach jam obtains counterpoint from bitter suggestions of peach kernel. Layering of lemon flavors – candied, fresh, zesty pip – also offer complex counterpoint. Still, the overall effect here is not so blazingly bright and dynamic as in #5, yet there is a sedate underlying richness and peachy, nutty depth that leads to enormous length and intriguing hints as to where this will go in the future. #6, Kracher explains, was allowed the sort of leisurely evolution in tank and exposure to skin, lees and oxygen that typified winemaking in his grandfather’s day. |
|
|
2004 |
Zwischen Den Seen TBA #7 Welschriesling (375 ML) Lightly Bin-Soiled Label |
$75 |
1 |
|
|
VM 96 (11/2006): Deep golden yellow. Juicy stone fruits, honey, tobacco and a piquant hint of grapefruit on the nose. Powerful but juicy palate-coating flavors of apricot, hazelnut paste, white pepper, white tea and marshmallow. This opulent wine should go on for decades. Drink from 2010 to 2040. Peter Moser. |
|
|
2007 |
Zwischen Den Seen TBA #7 Welschriesling (375 ML) |
$55 |
1 |
|
|
VM 95 (11/2009): Medium golden yellow. Sharply defined aromas and flavors of apple and pear. Unctuous in its texture, with flavors of lemon verbena and prune and a subtle note of sponge cake. In spite of its extreme sweetness, this round wine is quite juicy thanks to a solid core of acidity and plenty of chalky minerals. Has a long and very promising life ahead of it. Peter Moser. |
|
|
2000 |
Zwischen Den Seen TBA #8 Welschriesling (375 ML) Lightly Bin-Soiled Label |
$65 |
2 |
|
|
WS 95 (7/2003): Not as showy today as some of its peers, yet this promises plenty in the future. Thick and full of apricot, coconut and citrus notes, intensely sweet and offset by a lively structure, it's balanced and complex with a wonderful sense of harmony. The finish just melts away. Best from 2004 through 2012. 130 cases made. |
|
|
1999 |
Zwischen Den Seen TBA #9 Scheurebe (375 ML) |
$75 |
1 |
|
|
WA 98 (6/2002): Flowers, spices and apricots are found in the nose of the 1999 #9 Scheurebe Zwischen Den Seen Trockenbeerenauslese. Lovers of apricot jam will adore this hyper-concentrated, jellied offering. Its immense size and depth is gorgeously buttressed by zesty acidity. This wine is as thick as the United States Government's annual budget proposal. Drink it over the next 40+ years. |
|
|
2005 |
Zwischen Den Seen TBA #9 Scheurebe (375 ML) |
$69 |
1 |
|
|
VM 97 (11/2007): Medium golden yellow. The nose is complex, sweet and inviting, offering notes of grapefruit zest, spiced pear, honey, flint and lichee. Juicy gooseberry, lichee and passion fruit flavors are given definition and brilliant vibrancy by brisk lemony acidity. An impeccably balanced and bracing wine that finishes extremely long, with a powerful impression of extract. Offers tremendous potential for aging. Peter Moser. |
|
|
2005 |
Zwischen Den Seen TBA #9 Scheurebe (375 ML) Lightly Bin-Soiled Label |
$79 |
1 |
|
|
VM 97 (11/2007): Medium golden yellow. The nose is complex, sweet and inviting, offering notes of grapefruit zest, spiced pear, honey, flint and lichee. Juicy gooseberry, lichee and passion fruit flavors are given definition and brilliant vibrancy by brisk lemony acidity. An impeccably balanced and bracing wine that finishes extremely long, with a powerful impression of extract. Offers tremendous potential for aging. Peter Moser. |
|
Prager |
2007 |
Achleiten Riesling Smaragd |
$69 |
1 |
|
|
WA 95 (2/2009): A site-typical concentration of fresh white peach, buddleia, iris, lime, and pungent mineral suggestions greets you from the glass of Bodenstein’s 2007 Riesling Smaragd Achleiten. This also displays the amazing, Achleiten-typical interplay of pit fruit, citrus, nut oils, and stony, savory, mysteriously pungent elements that taste as though they must have been mined from the earth. A certain cool restraint, yet amazing subtle length puts me in mind of the supernal 1997, once that wine hit its stride. I would expect 8-10 years of wonder. VM 94 (12/2008): Medium green-yellow. The typical smoky flint of the Achleiten is displayed in the bouquet along with yellow peach and delicate blossom honey. Very elegant and yellow-peachy in the mouth, with a veritable peacock's tail of finishing fruit harmoniously supported by vibrant acidity. Rich extract lends texture and finesse. Already quite attractive but has the potential for further development in bottle. This paired wonderfully with sole in a crayfish and Pernod sauce with fennel and red beetroot. Drink now to 2022. WS 91 (12/2009): Rich and zesty, with an enticing array of peach, apple and tropical fruit flavors that are powered by lip-smacking spice and cream notes. Very lush and plush. Drink now through 2012. 75 cases imported. |
|
| Bordeaux Red |
Ch. Monbousquet |
2018 |
St. Emilion |
$59 |
|
Sold Out
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Clos de Sarpe |
2016 |
St. Emilion |
$84.99 |
|
Sold Out
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Le Petit Lion du Marquis de Las Cases |
2019 |
St. Julien |
$53.95 |
|
Sold Out
|
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| Bordeaux White |
Ch. d' Arche |
2001 |
Sauternes |
$30 |
|
Sold Out
|
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|
Ch. de Fargues |
2005 |
Sauternes |
$79 |
|
Sold Out
|
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Ch. Rabaud Promis |
2001 |
Sauternes |
$49 |
|
Sold Out
|
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| Rhone Red |
Bois de Boursan |
2001 |
Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Felix |
$79 |
|
Sold Out
|
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Clos du Mont Olivet |
2005 |
Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee des Papet |
$69 |
|
Sold Out
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Dom. Charvin |
2003 |
Chateauneuf du Pape |
$69 |
|
Sold Out
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Dom. des Remizieres |
1999 |
Hermitage Cuvee Emilie Rouge |
$85 |
|
Sold Out
|
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Dom. du Caillou |
2001 |
Chateauneuf du Pape Les Quartz |
$85 |
|
Sold Out
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2001 |
Chateauneuf du Pape Les Quartz |
$85 |
|
Sold Out
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Dom. Font de Michelle |
2001 |
Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Etienne Gonnet |
$79 |
|
Sold Out
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| Alsace |
Dom. Bott-Geyl |
2000 |
Furstentum Grand Cru Gewurztraminer VT (500 ML) |
$59 |
|
Sold Out
|
|
WA 95 (10/2002): Loads of spiced apricots are found in the aromatics of the 2000 Gewurztraminer Furstentum Vendanges Tardives. Light to medium-bodied and juicy, this intense wine is jam-packed with roses, juniper berries, cloves, mangoes, cherries, and lychee nuts. Powerful, balanced, and boisterous, it is a superb wine to serve with foie gras. Projected maturity: 2004-2018. VM 90-92 (7/2001): Heavily botrytized aromas of pineapple and honey. Juicy, intense flavor of tangy pineapple; as ripe as this is, it also shows accurate varietal character. Terrific fruit and persistence on the back end. Stephen Tnazer. |
|
|
2000 |
Sonnenglanz Grand Cru Gewurztraminer SGN (500 ML) |
$65 |
|
Sold Out
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2000 |
Sonnenglanz Grand Cru Pinot Gris SGN (500 ML) |
$65 |
|
Sold Out
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Dom. Marcel Deiss |
2000 |
Altenberg de Bergheim Grand Vin |
$89 |
|
Sold Out
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2011 |
Mambourg Grand Cru |
$89 |
|
Sold Out
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Dom. Weinbach |
2020 |
Pinot Noir Altenbourg |
$93.99 |
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2004 |
Riesling Clos des Capucines Cuvee Ste. Catherine |
$59 |
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Zind Humbrecht |
2000 |
Pinot Gris Heimbourg SGN (375 ML) |
$69 |
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2000 |
Pinot Gris Rotenberg SGN (375 ML) |
$55 |
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1999 |
Riesling Clos Saint Urbain Rangen de Thann |
$79 |
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| Loire |
Domaine des Baumard |
2003 |
Quarts de Chaume (375 ML) |
$29 |
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WS 96 (9/2005): This has a very powerful, concentrated core of almond, white peach, honeysuckle, mineral and candied lemon peel, but all is meshed perfectly together on a creamy, porcelain texture and glides effortlessly through the finish. Extremely long and finely detailed. A worthy rival to the slightly purer '02. Best from 2007 through 2030. 1,250 cases made. |
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2005 |
Quarts de Chaume |
$89 |
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| Spain |
Alvear |
2004 |
PX Anada (375 ML) |
$24 |
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NV |
Solera Cream PX (500 ML) |
$19 |
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NV |
Solera Cream PX (500 ML) |
$19 |
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Domini de la Cartoixa |
2004 |
Priorat Clos Galena |
$25 |
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| Germany |
Peter Lauer |
2021 |
Schonfels Riesling Fass 11 |
$49 |
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Robert Weil |
2002 |
Kiedrich Grafenberg Riesling Auslese (375 ML) |
$55 |
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WA 95 (2/2004): The 2002 Riesling Auslese Kiedrich Grafenberg bursts forth with highly expressive smoky botrytis aromas. On the palate, this broad, medium-bodied, satin-textured beauty is densely packed with mangoes, passion fruit, apricots, and a myriad of spices. Rich, immensely concentrated, and impeccably balanced, it also possesses an extensive finish. Projected maturity: 2015-2030. |
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Selbach-Oster |
2005 |
Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese 3-* (375 ML) |
$19 |
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Weingut Hermann Donnhoff |
2007 |
Niederhauser Hermannshohle Riesling Spatlese |
$89 |
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2005 |
Oberhauser Brucke Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel (375 ML) |
$49 |
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2004 |
Oberhauser Brucke Riesling Spatlese |
$69 |
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2011 |
Oberhauser Brucke Riesling Spatlese |
$75 |
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| Italy |
Allegrini |
1997 |
Amarone della Valpolicella Classico |
$95 |
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Sold Out
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Bussola |
2004 |
Recioto della Valpolicella Classico |
$79 |
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Caprili |
2019 |
Brunello di Montalcino |
$44.99 |
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Sold Out
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Elio Grasso |
2019 |
Barolo Gavarini Chiniera |
$88.99 |
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Fratelli Revello |
2000 |
Barolo Vigna Gattera |
$55 |
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WS 95 (7/2004): This shows beautiful perfumes of raspberries and strawberries, with just a hint of roses. Full-bodied, with extremely refined, silky tannins and a long finish of sweet, ripe fruit. Balanced and elegant. A joy to taste. The Gattera vineyard covers about 50 acres near La Morra and Revello owns a tiny piece of it. Best after 2009. 450 cases made. VM 90 (6/2011): The 2000 Barolo Gattera finds its balance with time in the glass. It is a gorgeous wine, still quite fresh in its red fruit, flowers and spices. The oak is ever-present, both in the flavor profile and the firm, unyielding tannins. Still, the Gattera has aged nicely and will continue to drink well for some time. VM 89 (11/2004): (aged in 50% new barriques, vs. 20% for the normale Good deep red. Fruitier aromas of raspberry and spiced meats. Juicy, bright red berry flavors complicated by minty and saline nuances. More primary and a bit denser than the regular Barolo. Here the tannins are also a tad dry, but hit the palate later. |
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2000 |
Barolo Vigna Gattera Lightly Bin-Soiled Label |
$55 |
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WS 95 (7/2004): This shows beautiful perfumes of raspberries and strawberries, with just a hint of roses. Full-bodied, with extremely refined, silky tannins and a long finish of sweet, ripe fruit. Balanced and elegant. A joy to taste. The Gattera vineyard covers about 50 acres near La Morra and Revello owns a tiny piece of it. Best after 2009. 450 cases made. VM 90 (6/2011): The 2000 Barolo Gattera finds its balance with time in the glass. It is a gorgeous wine, still quite fresh in its red fruit, flowers and spices. The oak is ever-present, both in the flavor profile and the firm, unyielding tannins. Still, the Gattera has aged nicely and will continue to drink well for some time. VM 89 (11/2004): (aged in 50% new barriques, vs. 20% for the normale Good deep red. Fruitier aromas of raspberry and spiced meats. Juicy, bright red berry flavors complicated by minty and saline nuances. More primary and a bit denser than the regular Barolo. Here the tannins are also a tad dry, but hit the palate later. |
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2001 |
Barolo Vigna Gattera |
$60 |
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Sold Out
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La Poderina |
1999 |
Brunello di Montalcino |
$79 |
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Luigi Pira |
1998 |
Barolo Vigna Rionda |
$95 |
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Moccagatta |
2000 |
Barbaresco Basarin |
$65 |
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Sette Ponti |
2008 |
Oreno |
$79 |
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Sportoletti |
2001 |
Villa Fidelia Rosso |
$55 |
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| Port |
Croft |
2003 |
Port |
$49 |
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Niepoort |
1997 |
Port |
$75 |
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| USA Red |
Amapola Creek |
2013 |
Estate Sonoma Valley Cabernet Sauvignon |
$65 |
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Arietta |
2003 |
Variation One Proprietary Blend |
$59 |
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Betz Family Winery |
2015 |
Pere de Famille Cabernet Sauvignon |
$65 |
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Sold Out
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Horsepower Vineyards |
2014 |
The Tribe Vyd. Syrah |
$95 |
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Kistler |
2012 |
Cuvee Natalie Silver Belt Pinot Noir |
$85 |
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Merry Edwards |
2015 |
Olivet Lane Pinot Noir |
$45 |
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No Girls |
2012 |
Walla Walla Valley La Paciencia Vyd. Tempranillo |
$89 |
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Sold Out
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Turley Wine Cellars |
2000 |
Hayne Vyd. Petite Sirah |
$89 |
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Sold Out
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2000 |
Hayne Vyd. Petite Sirah |
$89 |
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Sold Out
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2001 |
Hayne Vyd. Petite Sirah |
$85 |
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| Australia |
Colonial Estate |
2004 |
Exile Shiraz |
$69 |
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De Lisio |
2004 |
The Catalyst Grenache |
$59 |
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Mollydooker |
2007 |
Blue Eyed Boy Shiraz |
$49 |
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2007 |
Enchanted Path Shiraz/Cabernet |
$75 |
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| New Zealand |
Vinoptima |
2004 |
Noble Late Harvest Gewurztraminer (375 ML) |
$59 |
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| Chile |
Concha y Toro |
2003 |
Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon |
$79 |
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Sold Out
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| Other White |
Kracher |
2000 |
TBA #3 Nouvelle Vague Chardonnay (375 ML) |
$50 |
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Sold Out
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2002 |
TBA #7 Nouvelle Vague Grande Cuvee (375 ML) |
$49 |
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Sold Out
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1998 |
TBA #9 Nouvelle Vague Chardonnay (375 ML) |
$65 |
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Sold Out
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2002 |
Zwischen Den Seen TBA #10 Scheurebe (375 ML) |
$59 |
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Sold Out
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2000 |
Zwischen Den Seen TBA #10 Welschriesling (375 ML) |
$65 |
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Sold Out
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1998 |
Zwischen Den Seen TBA #11 Welschriesling (375 ML) |
$39 |
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Sold Out
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1998 |
Zwischen Den Seen TBA #12 Scheurebe (375 ML) |
$49 |
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Sold Out
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