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ANTONIO GALLONI - VINOUS 91 POINTS "Harvested botrytis-free at 90 Oechsle, this was stopped with a bit higher residual sugar and lower alcohol than its Spätlese counterparts, a decision based on the Merkelbachs’ assessment that it exhibited Auslese tendencies. The nose is effusively and decadently floral, suggesting heliotrope and fading lily. Along with that come scents of overripe kiwi and honeydew melon, all of which presage a luscious, expansive but buoyant palate with impressively persistent layering of inner-mouth floral perfume. A pinch of salinity and a kiss of wet stone add saliva-inducement and interest to a finish that only wants a bit for animation, clarity and juiciness when compared with the most successful wines of the present collection." -- David Schildknecht

MOSEL FINE WINES 91 POINTS The 2016er Urziger Wurzgarten Auslese AP11 was harvested at 90 degrees Oechsle in the prime Class I Pichter (locally called Langpichter) sector of the Urziger Wurzgarten. The wine develops a beautiful nose of melon, pear, grapefruit and fine spices. It proves quite smooth but multi-layered on the palate and leaves a great playful and airy feel in the long finish. This is plain beautiful and has great upside potential if the fresher zesty side comes through.

Charm and value typify these wines. Clean, cultured-yeast wines with lots of primary fruit, yet aging superbly. There's some land on the Gedersdorf plateau that's planted to red varieties. All the wines are made dry, of course. They use cultured yeasts to get slow fermentations and to preserve the utmost CO2. Berger is all stainless steel, of course.
Wine maker notes: This smells just like Zinfandel except more seductive and inviting; indeed it smells like the kind of Zin no one’s making any more since tout le monde started chasing fortified wine levels of alcohol. This is all cloves and blueberries; wonderful length of sweet fruit and ripe soft tannins; elegant poise of power and a sort of luscious solidity.

WINE SPECTATOR 93 POINTS - "Very elegant and refined in texture, with fresh, focused acidity finding fine integration with the layered notes of patisserie apple, black currant, smoky mineral and biscuit, complimented by hints of lemon zest and honey. Lingering finish. Drink now through 2020. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 5,000 cases imported.”

We are excited about this offering because we love nothing more than offering killer deals on great wines. While not as flashy or fashionable as some of its Grandes Marques brethren, Bollinger nevertheless possesses a legion of savvy devotees that is surpassed only by that of Krug’s. As with Krug’s Grand Cuvee, Bollinger’s reputation is anchored by their consistently splendid multi-vintage Brut Special. This is a particularly nice rendition and it is further notable because it is the first release of Special Cuvee packaged in a swanky new bottle patterned after one the company used in the 1840s. Disgorged this past summer, 45% of the blend is from 2008, while 50% is from 2007, with the rest being composed of older vintages aged in magnum.

Jacques Bollinger and Paul-Joseph Renaudin founded Bollinger in 1829. However, it was really the widow (yes, another dynamic Champagne widow) Lilly Bollinger, who guided the firm from 1941 to 1971, that is most responsible for the lofty reputation that the firm enjoys today. By all accounts this grande dame was an indefatigable and astute leader that left no stone unturned in the pursuit of bolstering the excellence of her Champagnes. Ghislain de Montgolfier, a great great grandson of Jacques Bollinger, took charge of the house from 1994 to 2008. Today, Jérôme Philipon is managing director, while Mathieu Kauffmann , who has been with the house since 2001, is Bollinger’s brilliant chef de cave. Bollinger’s 395 acres of vines provide for roughly two-thirds of the house’s needs, which permits greater control over style and quality.

JAMES SUCKLING 94 POINTS A rich style of gruner veltliner with a great combination of exotic fruits and white pepper. Rich and fleshy on the palate with a lot of power at the textural finish. Drink or hold. Stuart Pigott.

Long referred to as "Bayten" by locals, Buitenverwachting (meaning beyond expectations) is located on the east-facing slopes of the Constantiaberg on the Cape of Good Hope. Ocean breezes make this area one of South Africa's coolest winegrowing areas, allowing for slow ripening, resulting in grapes that achieve full ripeness while retaining fresh acidity. This wine was aged on the lees for three months prior to bottling. Bayten offers a melange of citrus and stone fruits with honeysuckle, jasmine and green notes on the nose. The palate reveals peaches, apricots, lemon rind and lemongrass with a nice balance of richness and refreshing crispness on the finish.

“Esprit Gassier” is the “Gassier Spirit” that combines the exceptional terroir of the Sainte-Victoire region with Côtes de Provence varietals to produce a wine that expresses the family’s passion, expertise and creativity. The beautiful label, designed by a local artist, is silk-screened on the bottle to create a striking package.

A very clear rosé with shades of peach; floral nose with white and yellow fruit notes (peach, apricot, pear); in the mouth, round and delicate with notes of white peach, mandarin and grapefruit.

67% Grenache, 18% Syrah, 5% Cinsault, 5% Mourvèdre, 5% Rolle. Crystal-clear, pale rose pink. Strawberries and citrus on the nose, with hints of jasmine. Expressive with a full array of summer fruits. Fresh, full-bodied and fruity on the mid-palate, then finishing crisp, elegant and long, with a persistent silky texture. Very moreish. Only 2.7g/L of residual sugar. ORGANIC/BIODYNAMIC

The 2016 Tous Ensemble Pinot Noir (Copain's first offering from Sonoma Coast) presents aromas of rose petals, Santa Rosa Plum skins, and fresh raspberries. Ripe cherries and orange peels also present themselves on the palate with a silky texture and lingering finish.

Prefecture: Yamagata
SMV: +4
Acidity: 1.4
Technically, a Daiginjo, as the rice is milled to 50%. What a beautiful, light sake. Refreshing, crisp and no aftertaste, with vivid notes of green apple.

NEAL MARTIN 96 POINTS-The 2016 Fonseca Vintage Port began to be picked on 21 September at their Panascal vineyard, their Quinta do Cruzeira vineyard not picked until 6 October. It is deep, almost inky in colour. The bouquet is very intense with luscious black fruit laced with embers, clove and hints of bay leaf. There is wonderful purity here and a broodiness that suggests you'd better be patient. The palate is sweet and lively on the entry with some gorgeous ginger and curry leaf notes littered over the compact black fruit. There is wonderful density to this Fonseca. It is like a coiled spring with so much energy towards the finish that you just know this will be a long-term prospect. Superb. Production is 4,900 cases.

WINE ADVOCATE 96-98 POINTS-The 2016 Vintage Port is a field blend that was not quite bottled when seen (set for a week later), but it was the final blend. It was aged for 20 months in wood and comes in with 99 grams of residual sugar. This Fonseca is remarkably expressive, lifted and gloriously fresh. It has good concentration but some years have had more and seemed sexier. However, the most notable feature is the structure. It is very impressive in structure, that classic Port power and firmness coming to the fore and overshadowing the rest at the moment. This is very tight and very unevolved. Don't even think of buying it if you aren't prepared to cellar it. The 2030 start date that I have will not be even close to late enough if you want harmony and complexity. To me, this is the best of the three 2016s from the Fladgate Group this issue (Croft and Taylor being the other two), thanks to its pure intensity, but time will tell if it becomes as sexy as I'm sure Taylor's will be. In the meanwhile, Fonseca looks like one of the greats of this vintage."

Uruguay's wine industry is present in 15 out of the 19 departments in the country and is home to over 9,000 hectares of mainly family-owned vineyards. It seems to have adopted Tannat as its iconic grape, but also produces a wide variety of reds and whites that benefit from the granite, sandy loam soils (called 'balasto') and the crucial influence of the balmy breezes and maritime climate of the Atlantic Ocean (in the Punta del Este region).

At the helm as one of the ambassadors of premium Uruguayan wine is the stunning Bodega Garzon – the first LEEDS-certified (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) winery outside of the United States. Founded in 1999 by Alejandro and Bettina Bulgheroni - a renowned agro-industrial entrepreneur - the winery team also includes enologist Alberto Antonini (of Frescobaldi and Antinori fame), winemaker German Bruzzone and agronomist Eduardo Felix.

Garzon's complex grid of vineyards includes over 1,000 different plots which provide the peculiar terroirs that give the individual wines such a singular elegance and character. Grapes are hand- harvested into small bins and then hand-sorted and sent through an optical laser sorting machine to ensure that only the very best fruit reaches your bottle. Fermentation occurs in concrete vats and "tulips" and are aged in untoasted French oak. Yes, untoasted! These "live" containers maintain the natural and individual integrity of the wines. The sustainably farmed grapes undergo minimal handling and enjoy the benefits of fermenting with their native yeasts – all the better to extract the unique qualities of each plot's varietal. You recall those afore-mentioned concrete "tulips"? They are constructed in such a way that the curvature at the bottom allows the grapes to be suspended in a sort of "perpetual motion" element, thus eliminating the need for punch-downs or pump-overs. These are the same concrete tanks that are used by Petrus in Bordeaux. Yet another gesture towards their "hands-off" approach to winemaking and an incredible investment destined to keep their quality constantly trending upward.

Sourced from vineyards favored by the cooling influence of the Atlantic, southerly exposure and soils similar to those in Galicia, Spain, this boutique production is a testament to the immense quality and popularity of this world-class white. This Albarino expresses the maximum typicity of the varietal – a pantheon of stone fruit, citrus and acacia blossom floods the senses. It is boosted by an incredible latticework of minerality and has a beeswax quality that gives it a texturized and layered palate. It is elegant and fresh with a lifted acidity, but has of brisk voluptuousness that creates an impeccable mouthfeel and lends to its bright, lingering finish. If you are a lover of Chablis, Sauvignon Blanc or Chenin Blanc, you need this wine in your life. Only 1,800 cases produced.

Fresh, elegant and full of a wonderful fizz, Gran Campo Viejo Cava Brut Reserva Sparkling White Wine aged for 18 months. Decadent and delicious.

FranceIn the Anjou region of France, the essence of Anjou pears is artistically blended by the Maitre de Chai with the world?s finest vodka to create Grey Goose La Poire Flavored Vodka. Originating from France, the Beurre d?Anjou, or Anjou pear, is prized for its clean sweetness and mellow flavor. Once ripened, the Anjou pear is subtly sweet and notably smooth. Both sophisticated and unique, the taste of Grey Goose La Poire is a fitting compliment for a variety of cuisines and cocktails including the signature Peartini.

FranceGrey Goose Le Citron is distilled from a selection of choice grains blended with a distillate of fresh lemons and water from the Gene Springs that is naturally filtered through champagne limestone. Grey Goose Le Citron is the world's best tasting vodka flavored with a refreshing zest of lemon.

FranceGrey Goose Vodka L'Orange is the best tasting vodka in the world with a whisper of orange. Made in Cognac, France, L'Orange is created in a five-step distillation process that begins in copper-pot stills and ends with an infusion of the essence of succulent oranges. It is light, crisp and delicious.

WINE ADVOCATE 91 POINTS - "As usual, the 2015 Cotes du Rhone features a majority of Syrah, largely sourced from the western side of the Rhône. Spicy, peppery, hickory aromas lead off, adding berries up front and then moving into darker fruit and more savory notes of black olive by the finish. This medium to full-bodied wine finishes long and silky, avoiding any of the vintage's hard tannins, while still boasting the concentration to drink well through at least 2023."

WINE ENTHUSIAST 92 POINTS - "A majority of Pinot Noir in this blend doesn't overshadow the Chardonnay's sentiments of baked apple, hazelnut and creme brulee. Warm and savory, the mousse is also dry, crisp and buoyant, balanced and elegant in the end, making for a complete wine with a lengthy finish."

We had a hunch that a zesty IPA would be the perfect partner for our whiskey, so we loaned barrels to our drinking buddies to make a Jameson-seasoned IPA. The beer-soaked barrels returned to the distillery full of new crisp, hoppy notes. We re-filled them with Jameson, and the wait began. Our signature smoothness is still there, but now thanks to the IPA it’ll be rubbing shoulders light hints of hops, fresh citrus and floral notes.

Nose: Floral, herbal hops, grapefruit citrus notes with subtle orchard fruits, complemented by wood shavings and a little nuttiness.

Taste: Hops and light citrus with sweet herbal notes and delicate spicy tones.

Finish: The lingering fresh fruit and hops give way to grains of barley and a signature smooth finish.