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Top North American Cabs of 2023!
1. HUNDRED ACRE 2018 CABERNET SAUVIGNON NAPA VALLEY “WRAITH” $700.00 [230890] 
Each year, we take great thought in deciding which wine will be our Top Cabernet of the year... however, this year was an easy decision! Jayson Woodbridge is a winemaker with passion; such passion for making the best wine possible that he will quite literally do whatever it takes to achieve perfection. Thinning to one cluster per vine, installing misters as an “air conditioning” system for the vines, and training workers to pick berry-by-berry would be considered madness and fiscally irresponsible by some. But these are just some of the steps taken by Jayson to ensure nothing less than perfection. And he has succeeded, as his Hundred Acre Cabernets have received over 43 perfect 100-point scores from critics. There is a multi-year wait to buy these wines directly from the winery, but since we have supported his endeavors since the very first commercial vintage, we have received an allocation of this perfectly scored 100-point Napa Cabernet!
Jayson Woodbridge has three vineyards in the Napa Valley: Morgan’s Way is in St. Helena near the base of Howell Mountain; Ark is also in St. Helena, but at the base of Glass Mountain; and Few and Far Between is in Calistoga. The Wraith bottling is a fusion of all three single vineyard estates, but it’s not just three wines blended together, as that would be boring. This wine is comprised of barrels that show each vineyard’s unique qualities of the vintage and site, and Wraith is singular to itself. WRAITH is all about the chance to experience the three incredible creatures (the Hundred Acre single vineyards) working together in symphony and perfect harmony to tell you about the vintage in all its glory. Aged for 40 months in the finest French oak barrique, the stave wood is hand-selected for ultra-tight grain, then air dried for three years before being made into barrels. This has earned a perfect 100-point score from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate! "Deep garnet-purple, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Wraith drifts effortlessly out of the glass with compelling scents of Morello cherries, boysenberry preserves and blackcurrant pastilles, plus hints of unsmoked cigars, wild sage, underbrush and pencil shavings. The taut, tightly packed, muscular, full-bodied palate quakes with energy, supported by beautifully ripe, grainy tannins, finishing incredibly long and provocatively perfumed. So lively and layered, this Wraith perfectly captures the captivating vibrancy of this great, great vintage!"
2. KEPLINGER 2018 CABERNET SAUVIGNON OAKVILLE “ORV” $185.00 [234800]
The culture of wine has always been a part of Helen Keplinger’s life. Her dad had a wine cellar, Helen collected rocks (an early indication of her future as a winegrower), and wine accompanied every gourmet dinner her mom prepared nightly. Since attending the MS program in Enology at UC Davis, Helen has been the winemaker at several notable wineries, including Arrow & Branch, Kerr Cellars, and Bryant Family.
In 2014, Keplinger began working with the gorgeous mountain fruit of Oakville Ranch Vineyard, which sits high up on the Vaca range above Dalla Valle, tucked just below the southern edge of Pritchard Hill. Farmed organically with great heart and attention to every leaf and bug by the brilliant Phil Coturri, the soils are comprised of gorgeous red volcanics. The hills, swales, and aspects mean many little microclimates for layers and complexity. Cool air spills and drains through this geomorphic bowl of vine rows daily, retaining acidity and freshness of flavors in the berries. Only 290 cases were produced in the glorious 2018 vintage, and this earned a near-perfect 99 points from Jeb Dunnuck! "The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville Ranch Vineyard, which includes 9% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, is another incredible wine from this winemaker. Revealing a deep purple hue as well as a killer bouquet of cassis, currants, lead pencil, graphite, and violets, it hits the palate with a full-bodied, sumptuous, layered mouthfeel that carries lots of velvety tannins as well as remarkable freshness. It's certainly a large-scaled, voluptuous 2018, yet it still has that vintage's laser-like focus as well as structure. It benefits from a decant if drinking any time today, but it's going to drink nicely for 20 years or more."
3. DAOU 2020 CABERNET SAUVIGNON PASO ROBLES “SOUL OF A LION” $129.99 [215010]
The greatness of Daou Mountain was foretold many decades ago when renowned winemaking authority Andre Tchelistcheff hailed it as "...a jewel of ecological elements." The calcareous clay soil here is comparable to Bordeaux's Right Bank, while the buffered Pacific microclimate is similar to Saint Helena-- a perfect confluence of elements. DAOU Mountain is blessed with extraordinary phenolic output, yielding some of the darkest, most deeply textured wines in the world. The Daou brothers are committed to multifaceted sustainable practices that have earned their vineyard SIP (Sustainability in Practice) certification.
Named for the father of Georges and Daniel Daou, Soul of a Lion is the crown jewel of DAOU, and an emblem of their quest to produce unsurpassed Cabernet Sauvignon from the terroir of this special Mountain. Each bottle of Soul of a Lion represents a nine-year journey of passionate curation. This journey begins with rare bois rosé French oak barrels whose staves are seasoned in the elements for five years prior to coopering. The wine is then aged for nearly two years in these proprietary Daou 5-year barrels, then held for extended bottle maturation prior to allocation - ensuring that each vintage has achieved perfection upon release. "The 2020 Soul of a Lion Estate is a deep, dark, nearly impenetrable ruby color. It has a beguiling bouquet that blends spicy dried flowers, cardamon and red currants. Sweet smoke hints add lift. This flows like pure silk without a single edge in sight. Guided by juicy acidity, textural waves of wild berry fruits soothe the palate. For all of its power and depth, the 2020 finishes remarkably fresh. It’s tannic, yet they are sweet and perfectly formed in a harmonious concentration that tugs at the senses yet never tires them out. The cellaring potential here is off the charts." - Antonio Galloni’s Vinous Media 96 points!
4. SALVESTRIN 2019 CABERNET SAUVIGNON ST. HELENA “DR. CRANE” $94.95 [254720]
There are certain areas and vineyard plots in the Napa Valley where the quality of grapes and resulting wines never come into question. These special parcels have distinctive soils, perfect exposures, and land managers who take great care of these highly-prized vines. The western flank of St. Helena and the Dr. Crane Vineyard is one of these areas that instantly creates a spark in the hearts of those “in the know.” The Salvestrin Family has been stewards of the Napa Valley for nearly a century.
Italian immigrants John and Emma Salvestrin purchased a portion of the historic Crane Ranch in 1932, and with the repeal of prohibition in 1933, they started selling grapes as the wine industry began to grow again. Since then, each generation of the Salvestrin family has taken care of the property, and today the fourth generation of Salvestrin girls are growing up on the family vineyard.
The Dr. Crane Vineyard is sustainably farmed, and nutrient composts and cover crops increase the biodiversity of the soil and improve tilth. Soil cultivation in the spring aids in achieving vine balance and decreases the need for irrigation. The 2018 rendition of this wine made Wine Spectator’s “Top 100” list in 2021, and this 2019 is a great follow-up, earning 95+ points from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate! "Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Dr. Crane Vineyard offers up beguiling scents of Morello cherries, mulberries and blackcurrant pastilles, plus underlying cinnamon stick, chocolate mint and tilled soil hints. Medium to full-bodied, the palate reveals a firm and fine-grained texture, allowing the black and red fruits to shimmer with jaw-dropping energy, finishing on a persistent spicy note."
5. ANAKOTA 2019 CABERNET SAUVIGNON KNIGHTS VALLEY $74.99 [201240]
Located in an ancient volcanic zone in Sonoma County, Knights Valley offers incredibly unique and diverse soils with a climate perfectly suited to Bordeaux varietals. Anakota is one of Knights Valley's stars that produces wines that personify the rustic elegance and spirit of this volcanic area. With Mount St. Helena looking down upon the vineyard, prevailing westerly winds pass over a large cold pond and blow uphill, parallel to the rows of vines. These cooling breezes slow down the ripening of the grapes and result in wines that are packed with elegance, complexity, and finesse. The message of this soil, as expressed by the subtle variations of topography and geology, is conveyed in every bottle of Anakota.
These wines are crafted by Pierre Seillan, whose deft hand has also created 100-point wines at Verite! The Anakota is split into two distinct vineyards, named Montana and Dakota, and these two vineyards have historically been picked, fermented, and bottled separately. However, for 2019 they produced a small bottling that for the first time combined the fruit from these two vineyards, and we truly feel this is the best of both worlds! It is the most accessible of the three Cabernets produced, and it has earned an incredible 95-point score from Jeb Dunnuck! "Sourced from both the Montana and the Dakota estate, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Anakota Knights Valley is focused and pretty in its aromatics, with dusty earth, currant liqueur, and crushed flowers. The palate is layered, with seamless, well-integrated structure, notes of plum candy and violets, and a soft stone mineral finish. Drink it over the next 15 years, but it will be tough not to drink this now."
6. ROUND POND 2021 CABERNET SAUVIGNON NAPA VALLEY ESTATE $68.99 [256330]
For more than a century, Napa Valley’s Rutherford region has been recognized for producing wines of rare depth and complexity, most notably rich and expressive Cabernet Sauvignon. Located near the center of this iconic appellation, Round Pond pays tribute to the personality of their estate vineyards by crafting wines that reflect the charm and sophistication of Rutherford. Made from select blocks of their best estate fruit, the Round Pond wines embody the essence of a terroir-inspired, Californian winemaking philosophy. The MacDonnell Family sustainably farms their Napa Green Certified vineyards. They utilize integrated pest management, beneficial insects and have introduced more efficient equipment to reduce water usage in winemaking.
Estate winemaker Jeff Plant continues to work alongside his two winemaking compatriots, John Wilson and Thomas Rivers Brown, making this trio a powerhouse of a team! To ensure top quality they maintain vine balance and reduce yields by limiting each vine to two clusters per shoot, making certain that no two clusters touch one another. They discard bad berries, or even entire clusters, and when the fruit is finally picked it represents a meticulous selection of only the finest grapes. A true reflection of that signature Rutherford dust, this Cabernet Sauvignon embodies an old world meets new world style. Blended with a touch of fruit from Oakville, this flagship Estate Cabernet Sauvignon opens with enticing aromas of wild strawberry and cocoa nib. With exquisite texture and a velvety mouthfeel, this wine offers concentrated flavors of ripe raspberry and a hint of blue fruit with beautiful warm notes of allspice and black pepper. Carrying notes of strawberry balanced with a touch of coffee, the finish is satisfyingly long and perfectly summarizes the diverse flavors found on their Rutherford Estate and Oakville vineyards. This Cabernet Sauvignon is ready to be enjoyed now and will age gracefully over the next 10-15 years.
7. GAMBLE FAMILY 2018 CABERNET SAUVIGNON NAPA VALLEY $59.95 [226715]
Founded in 2005 by third-generation Napa farmer Tom Gamble, Gamble Family Vineyards farms approximately 175 acres of prime estate vineyards from several of Napa Valley's most respected AVAs: Oakville, Yountville, Mt. Veeder and Rutherford. Set in an isolated nook off Highway 29 in the heart of Napa Valley's Oakville District, the winery has a quiet and pastoral presence. Tom Gamble's mission is to carry on the heritage of quality farming that his ancestors sowed when they came to Napa as farmers and ranchers in 1916. A family farming for over 100 years does so only through constant reinvestment in the environment and the people that support it. Knowledge and abilities evolve over time. Constant improvement means always trying new things and keeping what works. His winery and vineyards are certified Napa Green and certified by Fish Friendly Farming.
There are several Napa Cabs at the $60 price point, but very few of those stand out as being superior from the others. However, Gamble Family's 2018 Cabernet is one of those wines that really sets itself apart from the rest of the crowd! With body, flavor intensity, balance and a lengthy finish, this is a wine that not only drinks well by itself, but it's perfectly at home with a nice cut of beef, Portobello mushrooms or lamb. This year, the wine combines all five of the traditional varieties. "…Gamble's 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley comes across as slightly riper and richer. A blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Petit Verdot, 5% each Cabernet Franc and Merlot, and 3% Malbec, it reveals hints of barrel char and grilled meat on the nose, plus plenty of black cherries. Full-bodied and velvety textured, with a long, lingering finish, give this another year or two in the cellar and drink it over the following decade. When released, it should be a solid value in the rarified world of Napa Valley Cabernet." -Wine Advocate 93 points!
8. DOMAINE EDEN 2018 CABERNET SAUVIGNON SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS $49.95 [216320]
Mount Eden has a long and glorious history. Originally planted by a man named Martin Ray, many of the original Mount Eden Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays are some of the best renditions California has ever produced! Flash-forward to the present, and the wines are just as good as they always were, and in addition to their estate wines, they produce a second wine called Domaine Eden. Sourced from well-maintained vineyards not far from their estate, Domaine Eden utilizes the same exacting methods used for their estate wines: natural indigenous fermentations (both primary and secondary), oak aging, no fining, filtration or any other manipulation. The soils at Domaine Eden are different from the estate’s Franciscan shale, so even though Domaine Eden is a mere mile away “as the crow flies,” the wines express more varietal fruit with expansive mid-palate flavors than the soil-driven minerality of Mount Eden estate wines.
This Cabernet is classic in style, showing similar to Ridge, Chateau Montelena, Jordan and Heitz Cellars. This Cabernet showed remarkably well at a recent Cabernet tasting at our wine bar, and it has garnered a wonderful 94-point score from critic Antonio Galloni! "The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon is the wine to focus on in this range in 2018. Dark and brooding, the 2018 is such a classic Santa Cruz Mountains Cabernet. It offers up copious black fruit, dried herbs, chocolate, lavender and underbrush, all in a super-classic, mid-weight style that is hugely appealing. This might very well be the best value in artisan, high-end California Cabernet."
9. BUENA VISTA 2020 CABERNET SAUVIGNON NAPA VALLEY “CHATEAU BUENA VISTA” $34.98 SOLD OUT
Founded in 1857, Buena Vista Winery is California’s first premium winery. The winery has a rich heritage that is full of color, as founder Agoston Haraszthy, the self-proclaimed “Count of Buena Vista,” was a vivacious and eccentric pioneer with a veritable love of and unending commitment to California wine. Following the forty-niners in search of gold in the hills of Northern California, Haraszthy sought “Purple Gold,” the perfect ‘terroir’ for exceptional wine. He ultimately settled in Sonoma, where he founded Buena Vista Winery in 1857. Spanning from Sonoma and into Napa, Buena Vista has been reborn under the vision of another colorful gentleman, Jean-Charles Boisset. JCB purchased the property in 2011; his family has a true love and respect for Buena Vista, and he is passionately committed to continuing the imaginative vision and unrivaled legacy first created by The Count 150 years ago. Buena Vista wines have been put back on the map under Winemaker Brian Maloney, and he crafts this Chateau Buena Vista bottling using meticulously selected vineyards from Calistoga, St. Helena, Oakville, and Oak Knoll; this exceptional blend exemplifies the diverse terroir of Napa Valley.
The nose on the 2020 Chateau Buena Vista opens up with blackberry, plum and black currants. The mouthfeel begins with blackberries, black currants and turns into blueberries and chocolate with a kiss of savory notes like cedar, tobacco and tea leaf. The wine is full-bodied with smooth tannins and leads to a long and juicy finish that lingers on the palate. This is one of those wines for many occasions. This wine pairs nicely with red meats, salamis, rich cheeses or to just have as "a cocktail wine." The quality of this 2020 Chateau Buena Vista Cabernet Sauvignon wine that is under $40 is a must-try for collectors and wine enthusiasts alike!
10. McPRICE MYERS 2021 CABERNET SAUVIGNON PASO ROBLES “M CAB” $24.98 [242515]
As the saying goes, “when it rains, it pours;” and the good scores keep pouring in for our long-time friend McPrice Myers. He’s received rave reviews in the past for his Syrahs and Zinfandels, and his “Beautiful Earth” red blend even made Wine Spectator’s Top 100 wine list for 2022. However, this time around it’s his newly-released “M Cellars” Cabernet Sauvignon that is creating all the buzz! The big challenge these days is making a great Cabernet for an affordable price. Mac doesn’t work with as many vineyards as other producers; he only works with the best vineyards. By placing long term agreements with the vineyard owners, he’s able to get the price down for some seriously good fruit, and that (along with his skills and phenomenal blending palate) is how he’s able to produce fantastic wines for such reasonable prices!
The M Cellars Cabernet is a fruit-forward, crowd pleasing wine that adds a touch of Malbec and Petit Verdot for added structure. But just how good can this wine be for the money? Well, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate recently scored this an incredible 95-points! "I love this easy-to-drink 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon from McPrice Myers that well overdelivers for its price. Deep ruby-purple, it has alluring aromas of cassis, pencil shavings, dried herbs, leather and lavender, plus classy touches of oak spice. The full-bodied palate is concentrated and powerful without going over the top. It has abundant, grainy tannins, flinty streaks and plenty of refreshing acidity to carry the long finish. It's not your average chocolate bomb California Cabernet, despite its modest price tag. It should be easy to find, with 12,000 cases produced."
Top North American Red Wines of 2023!
1. L’AVENTURE 2020 PROPRIETARY RED PASO ROBLES “ESTATE CUVÉE” $114.95 [277790]
L’Aventure has become one of the superstars of Paso Robles wine country. Proprietor and winemaker Stephan Asseo uses a combination of time-tested techniques along with modern knowledge to create some of the best Cabernet and Syrah blends in the state! L’Aventure’s soils are calcareous limestone, which is ideal for growing these premium wine grapes, as evident by its neighbors such as Saxum, Linne Calodo and Turley. Stephan cut his winemaking teeth in Bordeaux, but tired of his hands being tied by the French AOC laws. He searched from South Africa to Lebanon, Argentina to Napa for a place that would be ideal for his needs. His search brought him to Paso Robles; a region with ample rainfall in the winter, deep calcareous soils and maritime influences that can help to make world-class wines. This year, the Estate Cuvée (a Cabernet Sauvignon blend) has received a near perfect 99-point score from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate! The review reads: "A blend of 45% Syrah, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Petit Verdot, the 2020 Estate Cuvee is another outstanding wine from L'Aventure… offering singular concentration and elegance. Deep ruby-purple, it has a pure core of cassis and slowly unfolding accents of licorice, cured meats, tobacco leaves, cedar and truffle. Full-bodied, juicy and alluring, it floods the mouth with layers of blue fruit, floral perfume and spice. It is supported by powdery tannins and boasts a tremendously long, detailed finish."
2. THE HILT 2020 PINOT NOIR STA. RITA HILLS “RADIAN” $94.95 [268320]
Welcome to what is the best Pinot Noir from this producer we have ever tasted! The Hilt is based in the cool, wind-swept Sta. Rita Hills appellation of Santa Barbara County and focuses on top notch Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs. It's also worth mentioning that the property is owned by Stan Kroenke, who also owns Screaming Eagle in Napa Valley. While these two properties share the same owner and the same dedication to world-class wines, they are completely separate entities, with their own winemakers, vineyard managers and winemaking facilities.
Their Radian vineyard is rugged and extreme. The upper portions of the vineyard are exposed to near-constant high winds, resulting in structured tannins. But outcrops of diatomaceous earth and rocky soils offer heat retention, which allows for ripe fruit to bring balance to the finished wines. Critic Jeb Dunnuck called this wine “awesome” and rated it 96 points! "Another awesome wine that will benefit from bottle age is the 2020 Pinot Noir Radian Vineyard. Sporting a vivid, translucent ruby hue as well as notes of black raspberries, subtle cassis and spicy oak, it’s medium-bodied, has a rock star of a midpalate, ripe, building tannins and a great finish. The purity and balance here are spot on, and this warrants 2-3 years of bottle age and will cruise for a decade."
3. BOOKER 2019 SYRAH PASO ROBLES “FRACTURE” $94.95 [205860]
Winemaker Eric Jensen is on a tear the past few years. While it has been his My Favorite Neighbor wines that have been stealing the recent limelight, we just managed to secure some of his most sought-after and elusive wine… the 97-point "Fracture" Syrah! The Booker property is located in the Willow Creek District of Paso Robles, the same growing district as other notable wineries such as Saxum, L'Aventure, Denner and Turley. As of April 2021, the vineyard has now received organic certification.
Often described as a Booker flagship, Fracture is one of the world's great Syrahs. Only the softest, most velvety Syrah in barrel makes the cut for this dense and powerful wine. The namesake pays homage to the calcareous soil in their vineyard, the limestone causes it to 'fracture.' The 2019 is a monumental effort, receiving two 97-point scores from the critics! Jeb Dunnuck calls this "...incredibly classy" and Josh Raynolds thinks it's "...densely packed and impressively energetic in the mouth." An incredible match with tri-tip, roast beef or bbq pork, this is one Syrah you won't want to miss out on! "The 100% Syrah 2019 Fracture comes all from the Booker Estate Vineyard and is another pure, balanced, incredibly classy wine from this estate. Loads of darker fruits, ground black pepper, crushed stone, and scorched earth give way to a medium to full-bodied, powerful, concentrated Syrah that will benefit from 2-4 years of bottle age and cruise for 10-15 years." -Jeb Dunnuck 97 points!
4. PAUL HOBBS 2021 PINOT NOIR WEST SONOMA $74.98 [230610]
Paul Hobbs is one of the true masters in the wine world. It doesn't seem to matter where he makes wine, or with what grape; anything he makes is simply fantastic! With a Masters degree in Viticulture and Enology, Paul started his winemaking career working side-by-side with Robert Mondavi, who handpicked Paul for the inaugural Opus One team. After helping to launch Opus One, Paul served as a winemaker at Simi Winery before consulting at several famed estates, including Peter Michael, Lewis Cellars, and Argentina’s Bodegas Catena. Paul Hobbs produces some of the most highly-praised and consistent Pinot Noirs in Sonoma County. Sought for their complex flavors, seamless textures and long finishes, the Paul Hobbs wines tend to be fairly allocated, as only the better wine shops and restaurants can get their hands on these gems.
The West Sonoma Coast appellation is one of the newest in California and lies along a mountainous, rugged stretch of coastline characterized by a cold maritime climate that pushes the boundaries of traditional viticulture. Bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the West, this challenging climate yields wines beloved for their vibrant acidity, firm structure and pure fruit flavors. One of the newest sub-appellations of Sonoma, this area’s distinctive wines offer a striking contrast to the soft, round wines of warmer inland regions. "The 2021 Pinot Noir (West Sonoma Coast), a new wine in this range, is lights out. Rich, ample and bold, the 2021 races across palate with layers of purplish fruit, lavender, spice, menthol, licorice and spice. A dollop of stems adds nuance, but without dominating the overall balance. There's terrific acidity and structure to play off the natural fruit richness that is such a distinctive attribute of the best sites in the appellation." -Antonio Galloni 96 points!
5. LINGUA FRANCA 2021 PINOT NOIR EOLA-AMITY HILLS “THE PLOW” $64.95 [237610]
“Lingua Franca” is defined as “...a universal language used to connect people of diverse backgrounds,” and there could not be a name more fitting than this! The Lingua Franca label represents a fine tradition of bringing people of different backgrounds to common ground; to produce Pinot Noir that will rival those from anywhere else in the world. Master Sommelier Larry Stone, world-renowned winemaker Dominique Lafond, and winemaking protégé Thomas Savre united their talents upon a property in the Eola-Amity Hills area of Oregon’s Willamette Valley, a location diverse in soils that seems to continually produces grapes of uncommon quality.
The fruit for “The Plow” bottling comes from the three upper blocks of the property with a layer of large gravels that impart extra energy to the vines and create more complex flavors. Wines grown here are the most balanced and intriguing of the Lingua Franca estate. This gem has earned a whopping 98 points from esteemed critic Audrey Frick (of JebDunnuck.com), and her review states: "Refreshing and long on the palate, the 2021 Pinot Noir The Plow pours a medium ruby hue and is expressive but needs time. It has a touch of reduction and would benefit from a decant if opening young. It opens to reveal a beautiful, elegant perfume of rosewater, tangerine, grenadine, and graphite, followed by a pure, medium-bodied red with outstanding energy and a weightless feel while retaining a wonderful tannin structure that will feel angular at first to some. It’s long on the palate and is deceiving, as it’s such a pleasure to taste now. Drink 2024-2040."
6. ELK COVE 2021 PINOT NOIR WILLAMETTE VALLEY “LA BOHÈME” $47.98 [218840]
If you’re on our email offer list, then you know that we have been touting the 2021 vintage from Oregon throughout the entire year. The quality of these wines is among the best that has ever come out of the Beaver State, and these wines have been flying off our shelves! In the winter of 1974, a herd of 40 Roosevelt elk bedded down in the clearing by the Campbell family’s trailer. Their presence, along with the protective bowl shape of the property, inspired Pat and Joe Campbell to name their property Elk Cove Vineyards. They are true stewards of the land and farm with respect, which in turn helps winemaker Adam Campbell to produce fantastic wines. Their vineyards are certified Salmon Safe, utilize cover crops instead of synthetic fertilizers, and they dry farm.
La Bohème Vineyard was planted in 1985 by selecting the very best vines from Elk Cove’s original Estate Pommard plantings. Pat and Joe Campbell named the vineyard after the family who sold them the property – and their favorite Puccini opera. This picturesque vineyard overlooks the winery and the coast range mountains and rises to 800 feet, making it one of the highest elevation vineyard sites in the Willamette Valley. The winery prunes and cluster-thins La Bohème heavily to limit yields and to maximize ripening and flavor concentration. This shows in the finished wine, and this gem earned a fantastic 95 points from the Wine Advocate! "The 2021 Pinot Noir La Bohème has a medium ruby-purple color and deep scents of red and black cherries, forest floor, pipe tobacco and burnt citrus peel. The medium-bodied palate is surprisingly layered and nuanced, with loads of spicy accents and alluring floral perfume. It has a silky texture, energetic acidity and a very long, spicy finish. Offer it another 2-3 years in the bottle."
7. BREWER-CLIFTON 2021 PINOT NOIR STA. RITA HILLS $39.98 [206190]
When it rains, it pours… and the high scores are pouring in for the wines of Brewer-Clifton! For 30 years, winemaker Greg Brewer has been honing his skill of crafting impeccable wines from Santa Barbara County, with a specific focus on the Sta. Rita Hills sub-AVA. In fact, Greg Brewer helped to map and define the Sta. Rita Hills area in 1997, which helped its official approval in 2001. In addition, Greg has been previously named Winemaker of the Year by Wine Enthusiast.
Brewer-Clifton is now using 100% Estate Grown grapes, and they do not purchase grapes from other owners. This ensures that every attention to detail can be covered, and only the highest quality grapes enter through the winery doors, and they use sustainable and/or organic farming methods whenever possible. This bottling comes from their 3D, Machado and Hapgood vineyards; 3 vineyards that helped to produce single-vineyard wine with scores as high as 99 points! The vineyards are planted on a mix of sand and clay. This may decrease vigor and yields, but it intensifies the aromatics and flavors; the vineyards have been planted to a mix of several different clones, which aids in complexity. The wine is aged in neutral oak barrels, so while you will get a hint of oak, the purity of the fruit is what shines. "Leading off the reds, the 2021 Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills offers a pure, complex, intense perfume of ripe raspberries, peppery herbs, exotic flowers, and underbrush. This deep, rich, medium to full-bodied Pinot Noir has a layered mouthfeel, ripe tannins, remarkable purity, and a great, great finish. It will stand up to anything in the vintage and should be snatched up by savvy readers." -Jeb Dunnuck 95 points!
8. SEGHESIO 2021 ZINFANDEL SONOMA COUNTY “OLD VINE” $32.99 [259040]
The Seghesio wines seem to always light up our mouths with a combination of great flavors and freshness that you just don’t get in many other Zinfandels. The consistent track record for high scores on their wines have earned them places on Wine Spectator’s “Top 100” List, and we think they are a shoe-in to make it on that list again!
Seghesio Family Vineyards was established in 1895 when Italian immigrant and winemaker Edoardo Seghesio planted his first Zinfandel vineyard in what is now Sonoma’s Alexander Valley. Seghesio’s Old Vine bottling comes from diverse lots of Zinfandel that span the Sonoma landscape. Each of these lots is produced under the careful eye of winemaker Andy Robinson, and he blends a small amount of Petite Sirah to honor century old traditions, as well as providing color and structure. For Andy, “Old Vine” means that the vines are at least 50 years old, and for this wine, he utilizes grapes from exceptional vineyards that are closer to 75 years old on average. Andy believes in Zinfandel’s capacity to make fascinating wines that are bold, complex, ageworthy and have something to say. This is something you can only get from old vines, and while their yields may be low, the quality elevates the profile of the Seghesio Zinfandels. Earning a lovely 94-point score from Wine Spectator, their review reads: "That rare Zinfandel with finesse and briary fruit, offering wild berry, mocha and black licorice flavors that gather richness and zest toward lively tannins. Drink now through 2031."
9. JAFFURS 2021 SYRAH SANTA BARBARA COUNTY $29.95 [246270]
Syrah continues to be one of the most versatile grapes of the Golden State, brimming with complex and intense flavors from both warm and cool climates, and garnering high scores from critics such as Robert Parker and Wine Spectator! In fact, Wine Spectator, the most widely read wine-related periodical in the world, has stated that Syrah “...now makes more great wine in more regions than any other grape in California.” That’s quite a bold statement, especially considering the high quality of our Cabernets and Chardonnays!
Jaffurs Wine Cellars is dedicated to producing great Rhône varietal wines with a New World independence. Jaffurs works closely with their growers in the Santa Ynez, Ballard Canyon, Santa Rita Hills, Los Alamos, and Santa Maria regions. Jaffurs limits vineyard yields and require that optimal farming practices are observed. Those who have enjoyed these wines in the past know that Jaffurs makes wines that rival those that are twice the price, which makes the Jaffurs wines even more enticing! This gem of a value earned a brilliant 93-point score from esteemed critic Jeb Dunnuck! His review reads: “Readers looking for a brilliant Syrah from the Central Coast that won't break the bank should jump on the 2021 Syrah, a pure, medium to full-bodied, complex, incredibly satisfying Syrah that hits all the right notes. Blackberries, bouquet garni, ground pepper, and hints of game all define the aromatics, and it has a sense of purity and class that makes you think it would sell for twice its going rate. It's terrific today yet should easily have 7-8 years of overall longevity. The blend is 85% Syrah, 9% Petite Sirah, and the rest Grenache, from the Bien Nacido, Thompson, Larner, Kimsey, and Donnachadh vineyards, that saw a splash of stems and 10 months in neutral barrels.”
10. LIEU DIT 2022 CABERNET FRANC SANTA YNEZ VALLEY $29.95 [237100]
Lieu Dit is a partnership of longtime friends Eric Railsback and Justin Willett. The two met in Santa Barbara while Eric was finishing college and Justin was just beginning his career in winemaking. They were among a small group of young winemakers and restaurateurs in Santa Barbara unified by a common interest in wine and all its mysteries. After countless bottles shared together and many trips to France, Railsback and Willett decided to found Lieu Dit in 2011 and focus it solely in the varieties indigenous to the Loire Valley, now grown in Santa Barbara County. The varied micro-climates and marine based soils of Santa Barbara County are ideally suited to this set of grapes. Each vintage, the quest for purity, elegance and balance in every wine is paramount.
Their Cabernet Franc (a parent grape of Cabernet Sauvignon) is sourced from own-rooted vines planted at the Happy Canyon Vineyard in the east side of the Santa Ynez Valley. This region is highly-prized for its warm days and exceptionally cool nights, which gives grapes ripeness, complexity and freshness at the same time. Fermented using native yeasts and aged in neutral oak barrels (to preserve the natural flavors of the grapes), this earned a wonderful 93 points from Antonio Galloni! "The 2022 Cabernet Franc screams with varietal character. Strong floral and savory notes meld into a core of red/purplish fruit in this layered, vibrant red. There's a bit of tannic drive here that needs time to soften, but then again that is Franc. This is a very pretty wine in a hugely challenging year."
Top North American White Wines of 2023!
1. FREESTONE (by JOSEPH PHELPS) 2019 CHARDONNAY SONOMA COAST “PASTORALE” $79.95 [223590]
While the Cabernet Sauvignon-based “Insignia” blend by Joseph Phelps has always garnered much of the limelight (and for good reason), Joe Phelps has had a lifelong love affair with the wines of Burgundy and a desire to craft wines in that style. Delicious Chardonnay was made using fruit from Napa Valley, but Joe continued to search for the ideal spot to grow Chardonnay as well as Pinot Noir, like in Burgundy. His search ended when the perfect combination of climate, soil and location was found in Freestone, located in the Sonoma Coast AVA, a mere six miles from the Pacific Ocean. In 1999, Phelps began developing 100 acres of vineyards just outside of Freestone and today, 80 acres of Pinot Noir and 20 acres of Chardonnay produce remarkable estate-grown wines bearing the Joseph Phelps name!
Due to its high demand from the mailing list, Pastorale is a Chardonnay designation that Freestone rarely sells to retailers and only the more elevated shops receive it. Thankfully, we have been given a small allocation for this vintage! This Chardonnay truly is a thing of beauty and is fashioned in the Burgundian Meursault style. "The 2019 Chardonnay Pastorale Vineyard explodes with perfume: white peaches, dried flowers, spring honey and exotic herbal notes that, combined with a whiff of graphite-like minerality, gives this wine a unique personality. The palate is wonderful, full and satiny and loaded with perfumed fruits, and it finishes with appealing juiciness and loads of flavor. It's incredibly gregarious for its age and can be enjoyed straight from bottle." Wine Advocate 95 points!
2. PEAKE RANCH 2019 CHARDONNAY STA. RITA HILLS “PEAKE RANCH” $54.95 [250040]
Anybody who has been in our store asking for California Chardonnay and Pinot Noir recommendations has surely heard us mention the wines of Peake Ranch. This boutique, family-run winery is owned by John and Gillian Wagner, who (like anybody who has visited Santa Barbara County) fell in love with the beautiful countryside and the friendliness of the people. They are already receiving rave reviews from the critics, and considering this is only the fourth vintage of this wine, this is an impressive feat!
Located on the eastern end of the Sta. Rita Hills AVA on Santa Rosa Road, the Peake Ranch estate is a 105-acre parcel with 50 acres of vines. The plantings are all along a hill that exposes the vines to the cool air that comes off the Pacific and into the Santa Ynez Valley. The combination of north-, south-, east- and west-facing slopes coupled with the exposure to varying degrees of the cool wind give the vineyard a diversity of fruit flavor profiles that is unique for a ranch of their size. This earned an incredible 98 points from Jeb Dunnuck, and he states: "From the home estate in the Sta. Rita Hills, the 2019 Chardonnay Peake Ranch Vineyard is another rock star of a Chardonnay. Stone fruits, crushed stone, white flowers, toasted nuts, and a subtle marine-like salinity all emerge from the glass, and it's medium-bodied, pure and racy on the palate, with a fabulous texture. This ranks with the crème de la crème in the vintage. Hats off to winemaker Wynne Solomon for another incredible wine."
3. ROCHIOLI 2022 SAUVIGNON BLANC RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY ESTATE $45.99 [255010]
There are very few plots of land in California that might be worthy of “Grand Cru” status, but if there was a quality rating on vineyards, Rochioli would most certainly be up there. The Rochioli’s passion for fine wine and high-quality grape growing began in 1968 when Joe Jr. began planting Pinot Noir. Diverse soil coupled with cool coastal influences provide ideal conditions and reflect the singular character of the Russian River Valley. While the family does sell some grapes to notable Sonoma County producers such as Williams Selyem and Gary Farrell, they keep most of these prized grapes for themselves.
The Rochiolis have one of the oldest Sauvignon Blanc vineyards in Sonoma County, and those old vines don’t produce many grapes-- but the quality they give is unrivaled! You don’t often see Rochioli wines on a retailer’s shelves but we managed to score a few cases of this gem! "Pale straw in color, the 2022 Sauvignon Blanc Estate is flinty with wet rock, almost petrol, fresh chive, fresh peach, and delicate white grapefruit as well as a hint of saline. It’s a more Sancerre-inspired style, with fantastic restraint. On the palate, it offers ripe fruit as well as elegant and driving acidity, but it has a beautiful texture, with ripe peach, fresh herbs, and saline. This is a beautiful Sauvignon Blanc to enjoy over the next 5-7 years or more." -Jeb Dunnuck 95 points!
4. WALTER SCOTT 2021 CHARDONNAY WILLAMETTE VALLEY “LE COMBE VERT” $36.95 [277930]
The Chardonnays from Oregon’s Willamette Valley have seen such a rise in quality over the past 5 years that serious collectors have taken notice and taken stock in the wines! These wines are very reminiscent of the Chardonnays from Burgundy, with their clean, bright and chiseled personalities. Ken Pahlow has been making wine in Oregon for over 20 years, working at St Innocent, Patricia Green and Evening Land. Most of the vineyards he works with are in the Eola-Amity Hills, a sub-region known for its cool climate and heavy winds that help to bring enlivening freshness to the finished wines. Ken ferments with 100% ambient yeast and full malolactic conversion in large barrels with very little bâtonnage. But what do the critics think? Well, Wine Advocate just scored this wine at 96 points! "The 2021 Chardonnay La Combe Verte opens from matchstick to intense peach perfume and nuances of beeswax, almonds and acacia. The medium-bodied palate explodes with layer after layer of powerful fruit, delivered in a luxuriously silky texture and tempered by focused acidity. The Combe Verte offers fantastic length, concentration and energy!"
5. LIEU DIT 2021 CHENIN BLANC SANTA YNEZ VALLEY $23.95 [237110]
It’s not often that one winery earns two spots on our “Top Wine” lists, but sometimes when it rains it pours, and the love is pouring in for Lieu Dit! Their Chenin Blanc comes from two vineyards in the Happy Canyon AVA, at the far eastern reaches of the Santa Ynez Valley. Aged in both neutral French oak and stainless steel barrels, this wine is ripping with freshness; a touch of malo adds just the right amount of creaminess and at 13% alcohol this will pair nicely with holiday meals! "The 2021 Chenin Blanc is rich, creamy and super-expressive. Orchard fruit, tangerine peel, white flowers and clean mineral notes abound. The warmer year yielded a wine with an extra kick of richness that works so well here." -Antonio Galloni 92 points!
PLATEAU DES CHÊNES 2017 LIRAC $15.95 [324113]
WINE ADVOCATE 91 POINTS - "A super example of the appellation, the 2017 Lirac is full-bodied, concentrated and velvety on the palate, offering up notes of raspberries, cherries and dark chocolate. Offering plenty of richness, texture, flavor and length, it should drink well for up to decade."
BRUSSET 2016 GIGONDAS LE GRAND MONTMIRAIL $24.99 [334057]
JEB DUNNUCK 92 POINTS-"The base 2016 Gigondas Tradition Le Grand Montmirail offers the house style with a slightly more classical feel. Black raspberries, cassis, garrigue, and cedary spice notes all flow to a medium to full-bodied, fresh, elegant Gigondas that has tons of character and charm. A blend of 70% Grenache and 10% each of Syrah, Mourvèdre, and Cinsault, aged 60% in tank and 40% in used demi-muids, drink it anytime over the coming decade."
CHANRION 2021 COTE DE BROUILLY $24.99 [304504]
JAMES SUCKLING 92 POINTS - "The violet and wild strawberry aromas pour from the glass of this elegant and expertly crafted Cote-de-Brouilly. There is so much charm on the palate that you barely notice how well-structured this wine is. Long stony finish. Drink or hold."
LE PETIT HAUT LAFITTE 2016 PESSAC LEOGNAN ROUGE $36.95 [354651]
VINOUS 94 POINTS - "The 2016 Le Petit Haut Lafitte is a fabulous second wine from Smith Haut Lafitte. Inky blue/purplish berry fruit, lavender, menthol, licorice and cloves give the Petit Haut Lafitte its striking aromatic complexity. Deep, resonant and exquisitely layered, the 2016 is a real joy to taste. I would cellar it for another year or two. The 2016 has enough depth and pedigree to develop beautifully for the next 10-15 years. "
CHÂTEAU DE FERRAND 2018 SAINT-ÉMILION $38.99 [357499]
JAMES SUCKLING 95 POINTS - "Very beautiful purity of fruit on the nose with currant, cherry, blackberry and dried lavender. Full-bodied, yet balanced and refined with beautiful, fine tannins and a fresh, vivid finish. I am impressed with the intensity and balance to this wine. Best ever?"
CELLIER AUX MOINES 2020 GIVRY CLOS CELLIER $56.95 [353324]
JAMES SUCKLING 95 POINTS - "Rippling with cassis, sour-cherry and forest-berry aromas, this is a stunning Givry 1er Cru that marries excellent concentration with very fine, precisely crafted tannins, the lively acidity adding a light touch at the very graceful finish, where the wonderful freshness suggests this has excellent aging potential. From biodynamically grown grapes. Bottled unfiltered. Drink or hold."
CHÂTEAU FONPLEGADE 2016 SAINT EMILION $59.99 [351551]
ROBERT PARKER 96+ POINTS - "Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, the 2016 Fonplegade opens with a very savory nose of smoked meats, tapenade, sautéed herbs and beef drippings over a core of plum preserves, chocolate-covered cherries and cedar chest plus wafts of violets and cigars. Medium to full-bodied, the palate possesses both intensity and elegance, with the black fruit layers superbly framed by firm, fine-grained tannins and wonderful freshness, finishing long and mineral laced."
RAYMOND USSEGLIO 2019 CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE CUVÉE IMPERIALE $64.95 [351565]
JAMES SUCKLING 96 POINTS - "Deep, spicy and fragrant, this is a very concentrated and elegant Chateauneuf-du-Pape with remarkably fine tannins and floral delicacy alongside its earthy primacy. Mainly produced from grenache vines planted in 1901 and 1902. From Demeter-certified biodynamically grown grapes."
TAUPENOT MERME 2019 GEVREY-CHAMBERTIN $99.95 [350895]
WINE SPECTATOR 93 POINTS - "A perfumed red, supple and alluring for the floral, spice, cherry, strawberry and light gamy aromas and flavors. Feels soft, gaining support from refined tannins as this builds to a long, detailed finish."
ALTER EGO 2019 MARGAUX by CHÂTEAU PALMER $99.99 [352963]
JAMES SUCKLING 96 POINTS - "Intense aromas of blackcurrants, cedar and ripe tobacco with hints of violets, following through to a full-bodied palate with extremely refined tannins that are well-integrated into the wine and are long and subtle at the finish. Such precision and harmony with structure. From biodynamically grown grapes."
CHÂTEAU PONTET CANET 2015 PAUILLAC $114.99 [346016]
JAMES SUCKLING 98 POINTS - "So much floral and dark-fruit character with almonds and walnut shell. Full body and ultra-fine tannins. Powerful. Classic style with a harmony and energy. Goes on for minutes. A superb wine with great fruit. Real Bordeaux."
WINE ADVOCATE 97 POINTS - "Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2015 Pontet-Canet comes charging out of the glass with fantastically expressive notes of black cherry preserves, black raspberries and blackcurrant pastilles plus touches of kirsch, wilted roses, tobacco, camphor and cinnamon stick with a waft of fragrant soil. Full bodied, the palate is laden with black and red fruit layers, supported by very firm, very finely grained tannins and provocative freshness, finishing with incredible length and stunningly perfumed."
PAVILLON ROUGE 2018 MARGAUX $209.95 [352467]
JEB DUNNUCK 95 POINTS - "This cuvée has been in the running for the best second wine in the vintage for a number of years now, and I think it just might be there in 2018. The 2018 Château Margaux Pavillon Rouge checks in as 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, and it's no lightweight effort, revealing a dense purple color as well as gorgeous crème de cassis, black cherry, crushed violets, sandalwood, smoke tobacco, and incense. It's loaded with Château Margaux character, has medium to full-bodied richness, ample structure, and a great finish. I followed this bottle for multiple days and it only improved with air. Don't underestimate this second wine – it's incredibly impressive. Hide bottles for 3-5 years and enjoy over the following two decades."
JAMES SUCKLING 95 POINTS - " Blackberry, plum, light earth and undergrowth on the nose. Citrus, too. It’s full-bodied with rich, chewy tannins that turn energetic, fine and tight on the finish. Lively acidity. Second wine of Margaux. A blend of 69% cabernet sauvignon, 19% merlot, 9% petit verdot and 3% cabernet franc. Try after 2024."
CHÂTEAU CANON 2015 SAINT-ÉMILION $239.99 [356679]
JAMES SUCKLING 100 POINTS - "Seductive. The nose draws you in deep: It’s like staring into a well of pristine dark cherries, dark plums, blackberries and mulberries. All the oak is perfectly subsumed. The palate’s flawless with immense depth and power and it’s so balanced as to appear to float. Immaculate fresh dark-berry and plum flavors. Silky and deep, ribbon-like finish. Perfect." *2018 Wine of the Year*
WINE ADVOCATE 100 POINTS - "The 2015 Canon was a benchmark wine that seemed to revitalize this historic estate. I was crossing my fingers that it would not disappoint in bottle and I am glad to say that it delivers the goods. It has a very intense bouquet (just as it showed out of barrel) with laser-like precision offering wild strawberry, raspberry preserve, wet limestone and hints of truffle. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, clean and fresh with pure black and red fruit whose every atom appears infused with minerals. The mouth is tingling long after the wine has exited and your brain is thinking … when is the next sip coming? It is frankly heads and shoulders above almost every Saint Émilion this vintage, to reaffirm, a benchmark for this historic estate that will give pleasure to many over the coming years. Astonishing."
VINOUS 100 POINTS - "From the very beginning, the 2015 Canon has made an eloquent case for itself as one of the wines of the vintage. Multiple tastings from bottle only confirm what several early tastings hinted at: the 2015 Canon is simply extraordinary in every way. Sumptuous and exotic, with no hard edges and exceptional balance, the 2015 grabs hold of all the senses and never lets up. A rush of red fruit intermingled with floral notes, spice and smoke notes effortlessly runs up the wine's vertical structure as the 2015 thrills with every twist and turn. The 2015 Canon is a rare wine that is both hedonistic and intellectual - well, maybe it is a bit more hedonistic-leaning. It doesn't matter. Don't miss it. This 2015 is masterpiece from General Manager Nicolas Auderbert and his team at Canon.”
COS D'ESTOURNEL 2009 SAINT-ESTÈPHE $379.95 [350496]
ROBERT PARKER 100 POINTS - "One of the greatest young wines I have ever tasted, the monumental 2009 Cos d'Estournel has lived up to its pre-bottling potential. A remarkable effort from winemaking guru Jean-Guillaume Prats and owner Michel Reybier, this blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Merlot (33%) and a touch of Cabernet Franc (2%) was cropped at 33 hectoliters per hectare. It boasts an inky/black/purple color along with an extraordinary bouquet of white flowers interwoven with blackberry and blueberry liqueur, incense, charcoal and graphite. The wine hits the palate with extraordinary purity, balance and intensity as well as perfect equilibrium, and a seamless integration of tannin, acidity, wood and alcohol. An iconic wine as well as a remarkable achievement, it is the greatest Cos d'Estournel ever produced. It is approachable enough at present that one could appreciate it with several hours of decanting, but it will not hit its prime for a decade, and should age effortlessly for a half century."
Top French White Wines of 2023!
DOMAINE DES GRANGES 2021 POUILLY VINZELLES $24.95 [357497]
“Well defined citrus and stone fruit aromas, with hints of acacia, honeysuckle, verbena and apple. Combines vivacity, roundness, fruitiness, and aromatic richness.”
DOMAINE DE LA SOLITUDE BLANC 2019 PESSAC LEOGNAN $24.95 [357037]
JAMES SUCKLING 94 POINTS - "So aromatic with banana-cream pie, smoke and lemon curd. Always subtle and complex. Full-bodied and very tight, offering a crushed-stone and cooked-apple finish with an intense dried-lemon undertone. 60% sauvignon blanc and 40% semillon."
PIERRE RIFFAULT 2022 SANCERRE 7 HOMMES $27.99 [353069]
A STAFF FAVORITE AND BEST SELLER
Light yellow with gold tints. An elegant nose that is fruity with aromas of citrus and tropical fruit. Beautifully fresh, intense aromas that come from ripe sauvignon blanc. Good length and minerality. Can be enjoyed as an aperitif, with sea-food, fish dishes or cheese.”
SYLVAIN BZIKOT 2021 BOURGOGNE BLANC $34.99 [357498]
This great-value Organic Bourgogne Côte D'Or comes from a single vineyard planted that spans both Chassagne Montrachet and Puligny Montrachet villages. The vines are over 40 years old and grapes are handpicked, and hand sorted. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel vats to retain vibrancy and freshness before going into barrels with 10% new oak to add depth and complexity for 16 months and then returning to stainless steel vats for two months.
Pale golden in color. Bright and lively aromas of peach, apples, spiced pears, white flowers, with hints of citrus fruit, almond and brioche. On the palate, the creamy texture with an intensity to the mid palate that is rarely seen at this level is very well balanced and fresh with a mineral backbone supported by a refreshing acidity and a persistent finish.
WILLIAM FÈVRE 2020 CHABLIS VAILLONS $54.95 [356379]
WINE ADVOCATE 93 POINTS - " Derived from old vines in Les Minots as well as holdings in Roncières and Chatains, the 2020 Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons unwinds in the glass with notes of white flowers, crisp stone fruit and clear honey. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and enveloping, it's a beautifully vibrant, racy wine that concludes with a long, penetrating finish. It's the best young Vaillons I've ever tasted chez Fèvre.
WINE SPECTATOR 93 POINTS - " Ripe and juicy, featuring peach, lemon, floral and mineral aromas and flavors. Vibrant and steely on the long finish, this is harmonious and lingers with elements of fruit, fresh herbs and stone.
HENRI BOILLOT 2021 BOURGOGNE BLANC $39.99 [356523]
DECANTER 93 POINTS 'TOP VALUE' - "A superb white Burgundy value wine this year, as with most years. It featured lovely ripe lemon peel and green apple aromas with delicate nuances of white flowers. The texture is crisp and creamy simultaneously, a perfect balance between richness and freshness.”
ZIND-HUMBRECHT 2018 RIESLING RANGEN $89.95 [354691]
JAMES SUCKLING 97 POINTS - "A unique dry riesling with an astonishing combination of mini banana, mirabelle, baking spice and sea salt. Super concentrated and super elegant, this has a level of poise that’s very rare in the 2018 vintage. I love the way the silky finish caresses the palate. From biodynamically grown grapes."
WINE ENTHUSIAST 97 POINTS - "Initial whiffs of flint, apple and smoke dissipate, leaving this wine with a shy, closed nose. The palate still carries residual carbon dioxide that gives a little spritz but all that is just window dressing for a powerful and concentrated core. Yes, there is concentrated lemon, both peel and pith, but a stony expanse underneath makes this profound, smoky and compelling. The finish is bone dry, bracing and racy. Lemon echoes long, carrying stony heat in its cooling breeze."
GUIGAL 2021 LA DORIANE CONDRIEU $89.99 [333331]
JEB DUNNUCK 96 POINTS - "Coming from five separate lieux-dits and brought up all in new oak, the 2021 Condrieu La Doriane brings another level of depth as well as complexity. Medium-bodied (as are just about all 2021s) and wonderfully balanced, with notable freshness, it has lots of white peach and honeyed stone fruits, a kiss of chalky minerality, nicely integrated acidity, and a touch of classy, perfectly balanced oak. It's a more chiseled, elegant expression of this cuvée that will drink brilliantly over the coming 5-7 years or more."
OLIVIER LEFLAIVE 2020 PULIGNY-MONTRACHET $109.99 [357509]
JAMES SUCKLING 93 POINTS - "Attractive nose of ripe apricots, jasmine, hazelnuts, white grapefruit and some smoky touches. Creamy, ripe and fleshy, with a full body. Excellent concentration. Drink or hold."
CELLIER AUX MOINES 2020 PULIGNY LES PUCELLES $199.99 [356920]
JAMES SUCKLING 94 POINTS - " A rich Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru with the expansiveness and ripeness that we associate with the Grand Cru sites of this commune. Almost lush, but there's healthy acidity and the flinty minerality underlines this very nicely and together they make the finish almost austere. The first vintage made from organically grown grapes. Drink or hold."
The Twleve Champagnes of Christmas!
LOUIS ROEDERER 2014 BRUT “CRISTAL” $349.99 [379404]
Champagne guru Peter Liem has called Louis Roederer Champagne’s greatest house-- and we agree. Liem goes further to point out that Roederer is more of a large grower-producer than a négociant since they market only one wine-- the non-vintage Brut Collection-- that includes purchased grapes. This year’s “best of” roster includes two of the firm’s crown jewels: 2014 Cristal and the 2014 Blanc de Blancs. With both of these Champagnes, chef de cave Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon has avoided malolactic fermentation to better maintain fruity purity and aging ability. We have held both back for an extra year of cork aging so you may better assess their majesty.
WINE SPECTATOR 98 POINTS- “This vivid Champagne shows up front and linear definition, thanks to rapierlike acidity, with finely meshed flavors of ripe black cherry and mandarin orange fruit, raw almond, anise and cardamom spice as well as a touch of honeycomb, which all unfurl and expand on the fine, creamy palate. Sleek acidity continues through to the finish, with additional racy character provided by a streak of minerally saline and chalk, which gains momentum through the midpalate and rings out on the well-cut, lasting finish. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Drink now through 2040.”
LOUIS ROEDERER 2014 BRUT BLANC DE BLANCS $89.98 [375810]
Since 2010 this limited production cuvée has become a mono-cru Champagne made entirely from the firm’s excellent Chardonnay holdings in Avize. Slightly less tightly wound than Cristal, this gem is nonetheless a stellar blanc de blancs and, to our mind, represents the best value in Roederer’s lineup.
WINE ADVOCATE 94 POINTS - “Disgorged with just over seven grams per liter dosage, Roederer's 2014 Brut Blanc de Blancs is showing brilliantly, wafting from the glass with aromas of citrus oil, orchard fruit, freshly baked bread and white flowers, framed by subtly reductive top notes. Medium to full-bodied, ample and fleshy, it's pillowy and enveloping, with lively acids and a pearly, lower-pressure mousse, concluding with a long, chalky finish. Derived entirely from Avize, it's one of the great sleeper cuvées in contemporary Champagne.”
MARC HÉBRART 2014 EXTRA BRUT “CLOS DE LEON” BLANC DE BLANCS $189.95 [377740]
Clos de Leon, which is located in the Premier Cru village of Dizy, is the newest clos in Champagne. Historically, a clos was an enclosed vineyard surrounded by "...a wall or a hedge that a horse could not jump over." Many of these vineyards were created in the Middle Ages by the Cistercian monks. Clos de Leon was divided into three plots after an inheritance and replanted in 2008. Jean-Paul Hébrart's dream as a winemaker had always been to reunite these three plots and reestablish the original Clos and make a single vineyard wine. After 14 years, Jean-Paul has realized his dream and launched this 2014 vintage in October 2022. It is a 100% Chardonnay Champagne vinified in oak barrels, without malolactic fermentation, and rested for seven months on its fine lees and finally aged 72 months in bottle.
WINE SPECTATOR 94 POINTS - "This round, rich Champagne has a plush creaminess, which is well met by a backbone of racy acidity that drives finely meshed flavors of baked nectarine and apricot fruit, candied lemon peel and ginger, pastry cream and toasted hazelnut as they expand on the palate and through to the zesty finish. A lush version, with a sense of restraint. Disgorged April 2021..."
JACQUESSON EXTRA BRUT CUVÉE 745 Sale $69.99 Normally $89.95 [377005]
In his insightful Champagne Guide, author Tyson Stelzer writes: "No Champagne house today is on a trajectory of ascent as steep as Jacquesson’s. While many houses are on the prowl for more fruit to increase production, Jacquesson has drastically slashed its yields and contracts to radically improve quality in spite of lowering quantity… each time I look, this little house in the village of Dizy appears more like a fanatical grower-producer." Naturally the firm’s investments to boost quality while reducing production has made their Champagnes more expensive as well as a lot harder to get. That is why we are especially excited to announce that we have acquired a new parcel of Jacquesson's Cuvée 745 directly from a cellar in France and are able to offer it at the lowest price on the web.
JAMES SUCKLING 93 POINTS - "A little brighter and more vibrant than the 744, with notes of poached pear, baked apple, grapefruit, lemon rind and pistachio. Fine bubbles with crisp acidity and a pure, fruity core. Very drinkable. 0.75g/L dosage."
TAITTINGER 2012 BRUT “COMTES DE CHAMPAGNE” BLANC DE BLANCS $199.95 [372961]
Taittinger’s Comtes de Champagne beautifully showcases the depth and breadth of the firm’s awesome Grand Cru vineyard holdings in the Côte des Blancs. We were wowed, and a bit shocked, at a recent tasting of this 2012 edition as it seemed to show more cut, exuberance and length than it did when we tried it late last year. This development is a sure sign that it has all the “right stuff” to age very well on the cork and become one of the all-time great Comtes de Champagnes.
JAMES SUCKLING 99 POINTS - "This is a fantastic and refined Blanc de Blancs. So layered and complex, with lemon curd, chalk, hazelnuts, pastries, baked apples and almond croissants. Structured and tightly wound, with almost imperceptible bubbles. Delicious salty notes at the end. Beautiful. Drink or hold.”
BOLLINGER 2014 BRUT LA GRANDE ANNÉE $149.98 [376920]
“We have Pinot Noir in our blood,” says Gilles Descótes, Bollinger’s Chef de Cave. Indeed, every Champagne Bollinger makes contains at least 60% Pinot Noir. The firm boasts 450 acres of estate vineyards (which accounts for 68% of their needs) with half of this acreage concentrated in the Pinot Noir-dominated Grand Crus of Aÿ and Verzenay. Without a traditional luxury Champagne bottling, Bollinger’s best grapes are reserved for their vintage Grande Année.Cool, wet spells during the summer made 2014 a tricky growing season in Champagne; but this Bollinger effort is an absolute triumph and ranks as one of the very top wines of the vintage.
WINE SPECTATOR 97 POINTS - "Racy acidity drives this mouthwatering Champagne, enlivening the rich panoply of flavors. Features a fine and creamy mousse that's still a lively springboard for aromas and flavors of crème de cassis, glazed tangerine, roasted hazelnut, ground coffee, pickled ginger and white blossoms. Long and satiny, with minerally salt and chalk notes gaining momentum on the lasting finish. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Drink now through 2037."
BILLECART-SALMON 2010 BRUT ROSÉ 119.98 [321531]
This is the first ever straight vintage rosé from Billecart-Salmon and boy is it a knockout. If you are among the legions of fans of the non-vintage Billecart Salmon brut rosé, you owe it to yourself to give this a bottle a go. As fine as Billecart’s regular rose is, this 2010 is simply in a different league and is more than worth the additional tariff. This is a meticulously curated cuvée composed of 55% Chardonnay from the Grand Crus of Chouilly, Mesnil and Cramant, and 45% Pinot Noir from Verzenay, Mareuil and Ludes. This blend is mixed with red Pinot Noir wine sourced from ancient vines from the Valleofois vineyard which is situated just next to the Clos des Goisses in Mareuil. Aged ten years on the lees, this Champagne sports an amber-pink robe and proffers effusive aromas of raspberries and white cherries mingled with background notes of pie crust and wet stones. The palate is silky with bright cherry and pomegranate fruit that is embellished with fascinating infections of tamarillo and sage. The finish is impressively long with a prominent chalky undercarriage that bespeaks its regal Côte des Blancs lineage.
A.R. LENOBLE 2013 EXTRA BRUT “GENTILHOMME” BLANC DE BLANCS CHOUILLY GRAND CRU $99.95 [321546]
This swanky, impeccably crafted blanc de blancs is just the ticket for those craving a luxury Champagne experience for under a hundred dollars. 2013 was a cool, classically outstanding vintage in the Côtes des Blancs and this classy fizz was hewn from Lenoble’s best plots in Chouilly, which is the warmest cru in the region. The result is a silky, subtlety opulent Champagne that begs to be enjoyed right now with rich seafoods-- or, just good company.
JAMES SUCKLING 96 POINTS - “Lots of salted caramel and wildflower honey on the nose, together with dried lemon peel and some dried apple. Full-bodied and very spicy, with tangy acidity adding vibrancy and life to the full body. Linear and integrated blanc de blancs. Spicy at the end. Dosage 2g/L. Drink now or hold.”
VILMART & CIE BRUT ROSÉ “RUBIS” Sale $59.98 Normally $84.95 [376189]
From one of Champagne’s true cult producers, Vilmart’s Rubis Rosé is simply a joyous Champagne that will appeal as much to the novice as it will to the die-hard Champagne geek. It is a vinous blend of 90% Pinot Noir and 10% Chardonnay from the domaine’s vineyards in the Montagne de Reims village of Rilly-la-Montagne and Villes-Allerand. Proprietor Laurent Champs always avoids malolactic fermentation in order to retain structure and finesse. To add a bit of roundness and spice, Champs “raised” the base wines for this rosé in large oak foudres for ten months before bottling.
VINOUS WINE MEDIA 92 POINTS - “The NV Brut Rosé Cuvée Rubis is powerful, deep and surprisingly structured. The Cuvée Rubis has more than enough sheer density to drink well at the dinner table. Blood orange, crushed raspberry, mint, chalk and dried rose petal all run through this deep, layered Rosé from Laurent Champs and Vilmart. Disgorged: October, 2020.”
GUY LARMANDIER BRUT ZERO CRAMANT BLANC DE BLANCS $54.95 [367999]
Founded in 1977, Guy Larmandier has been a Hi-Time staff favorite for Chardonnay Champagnes since the early 1980s. The operation of the house is now in the capable hands of Francois Larmandier whose watchwords are ‘rigor, accuracy, and precision’. His mission is to create terroir-infused base wines and then employ Champagne method bubbles to augment that expression. This a mono-cru blanc de blancs sourced exclusively from the family’s 8-acre vineyard in the Grand Cru of Cramant which, of course, is ground zero for top-flight Chardonnay in Champagne. With more than three years aging sur lattes, this brut zero is not austere; rather, it’s a Champagne that grabs one’s attention with its stirring play of crunchy lemon, grapefruit and white peach fruit that becomes subsumed in the finish by a salivating salt-tinged minerality. This is a truly fabulous aperitif or sushi bubbly-- at a great below-market price-- that could only have arisen from the heart of the Côtes de Blancs.
GOSSET BRUT “GRANDE RESERVE” $49.95 [330840]
Grande Reserve is the key focus of Gosset and during blending it is given priority for fruit allocation ahead of their vintage cuvées. It is a complex mix of 45% Pinot Noir, 10%Meunier and 45% Chardonnay drawn from no less than fifty villages, all vinified separately, with reserves built both from single years as well as from the full blend from the prior year – a sort of partial solera system. This Gosset always ranks among the very best multi-vintage Champagnes on the market and represents a very savvy value choice.
WINE SPECTATOR 93 POINTS - “A spine of chiseled acidity structures this vivid, creamy Champagne, which has a minerally underpinning of smoke and brine and flavors of Asian pear, baked pineapple, lemon curd, toasted brioche and roasted almond. Should pair well with grilled fish." (AN)
POL ROGER 2015 BRUT $89.95 [378922]
Pol Roger has seen a remarkable quality surge since the turn of the Millenium thanks largely to the efforts of Dominique Petit who served as Chef de Cave from 1999 to 2018. Petit learned his uncompromising winemaking approach at Krug, where he worked for twenty years. The firm’s owners, the Primum family, also deserve credit as they gave Petit a blank check to totally revamp his fermentation hall. He filled the Chai with the latest gear to promote extra-long cold fermentations with the aim of imparting more freshness and finesse to his base wines. On the other hand, costly traditional methods have been retained when they promote fruit quality. For example, to avoid the use of riddling adjuvants, Pol Roger employs four of the nine riddlers still working in Champagne. This attention to detail has resulted in both high critical praise and increased public demand. In fact, in 2019 Pol Roger was named the ‘World’s Most Admired Champagne Brand’ by Drinks International Magazine. We love the entire Pol Roger lineup, but this 2015 brut’s quality-to-price ratio makes it a particular standout.
WINE ADVOCATE 94 POINTS - "[It]… is generous and demonstrative, bursting with aromas of golden orchard fruit, nectarine, warm bread, buttered popcorn and orange oil. Full-bodied, broad and vinous, it's rich and fleshy, with a sweet, layered core of fruit, racy acids and a pretty pinpoint mousse. Stylistically, the 2015 has more in common with the richness and concentration of 2012 than the chiseled raciness of 2013. It's a beautiful bottle in the making."
1. CIACCI PICCOLOMINI D’ARAGONA 2016 “SANTA CATARINA D’ORO” BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO RISERVA $174.99 [306522]
Brunello lovers know the Ciacci Piccolomini name well for flavor-rich complexity, full-body vinosity, and finely textured tannins, all delivered with elegance intact. The "Santa Caterina d'Oro" Riserva bottling comes from a special selection of their prized Pianrosso vineyard, which brings a whole new level of concentration and clarity. What seals the deal for our top spot is the exceptional 2016 vintage, which has delivered some of the most profound expressions of Brunello in recent history!
While the noble Ciacci-Piccolomini d'Aragona family set the stage for making great Brunellos, things really took off when, having no heirs, Countess Elda Ciacci left everything to her estate manager, Giuseppe Bianchini. Having farmed the land himself over the years, he knew the Pianrosso vineyard to be exceptional enough for its own bottlings. This is the culmination of that insight and hard work.
WINE SPECTATOR 98 POINTS - "Both fluid and concentrated at once, this exudes cherry, black currant, violet and mineral aromas and flavors. Saturated with ripe fruit, this has beautifully integrated acidity and tannins, with a racy profile that drives the superlong finish. The tannins flex their muscles at the end yet remain refined."
WINE ADVOCATE 97+ POINTS - "… gorgeous, full stop. It shows an incredible level of Sangiovese purity and sharpness, and you taste the grape as if you were eating berries straight out of the vineyard. On top of that healthy and bright primary material, the wine layers on elegant aromas of spice, ferrous earth, balsam herb and red rose potpourri. The aromas meet with seamless integration and segue to ongoing depth and complexity offered to the palate. This Riserva is rather delicate in terms of mouthfeel; however, it is powerful and long, with high alcohol, polished tannins and a silky texture. A hint of sweet cherry mixed with menthol freshness pulls it together at the end."
2. E. PIRA & FIGLI - CHIARA BOSCHIS 2019 "VIA NUOVA" $109.98 [301538]
When Chiara Boschis took over her family estate, E. Pira & Figli, she became an important player in the modernization of Barolo, a member of the so-called “Barolo Boys” despite being the first female winemaker in the Langhe region of Piedmont. Indeed, her Barolos are the broad-shouldered wines known for ethereal aromas and fluid vinosity that seem to transcend a bracing structure of gripping tannins and vibrant veins of acidity; but she helped to create a style that’s more common today, featuring more elegance and polish, a Barolo that one can enjoy while it still has youthful charm. In this case, a lot of that comes from extracting less intensely from the skins and aging in lightly toasted French oak, some of it new.
The wonderful 2019 vintage, and how openly this Barolo from various sites reflects it, are what launch this to our #2 spot! The growing season was long and slow, allowing the development of a complex array of aromas and fine, sleek tannins, followed by a cooling off near the end that helped preserve those qualities, along with vibrant acidities.
Upon tasting Chiara’s wines, it’s no surprise that she had been drawn to learn from some of the greats in Burgundy, the masters of elegance. In the spirit of both region’s traditions, she considers herself to be a farmer first. Organically Farmed.
WINE ADVOCATE 97 POINTS - “The 2019 Barolo Via Nuova is a blend of fruit from various sites across multiple villages in the appellation. The wine is immediately open and beautiful, showing dark fruit, cherry, spice, blue flower and potting soils...”
3. IL BORRO 2019 IL BORRO SUPER TUSCAN $79.99 [301068]
This is Il Borro’s flagship bottling of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah-- an easy choice for super-Tuscan fans. Keeping with Tuscany’s “bold elegance,” the wine is full-bodied and finely-textured on the palate, with a lifted freshness and delineated flavors. This old estate, in the sunny Arno River valley below Florence, belonged to nobility for centuries until it was sold to Ferruccio Ferragamo, son of the eponymous fashion company’s founder. Throughout the 1990s, he and his son, Salvatore, took up a restoration project to bring the estate back to life, while preserving its history.
Today the winery is the state of the art for producing modern expressions that maintain the fingerprints of this old, wild land. In line with the family’s fashion business, their beautiful property serves as a top-class resort amongst the sustainably farmed vines, olive trees and vegetable gardens, whose produce you’ll find at the restaurants. Organically Farmed.
JAMES SUCKLING 96 POINTS - "Fresh and floral with black cherry and lavender aromas that follow through to a medium body with well-integrated tannins, that spread beautifully across the palate. Turns silky and beautiful. Hints of smoke and spice at the end. Crunchy at the end. 50% merlot, 35% cabernet sauvignon and 15% syrah. Drinkable but even better in three to four years."
4. CASTELLO ROMITORIO 2015 BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO $59.99 [302748]
It’s getting difficult to find shops with Brunellos from the powerhouse 2015 vintage to sell, particularly from a quality producer like Castello Romitorio. Good thing we held some in our climate-controlled warehouse for a few years, because now we can sell them in the beginning of their prime drinking window! Castello Romitorio is located on an isolated hill off to the west of Montalcino, where vineyards are tucked amongst the forests and olive groves. Their Brunellos are sleek, stylish, robust and more open-knit than others. They’re modern artistic expressions for proprietor Sandro Chia, a painter and sculptor whose work adorns the labels. He purchased the property in the 1980s because the wild, natural character of this ancient property seemed destined for rebirth. That potential did not lay fallow, as Sandro's son, Filippo, became lead winemaker, helping to shape that style Romitorio is now known for.
WINE ADVOCATE 95 POINTS - "The Castello Romitorio 2015 Brunello di Montalcino is a suave and supple expression that shows a slightly more opulent texture compared to many of its peers. The Castello Romitorio vineyards tend to be cool, both in terms of exposure and soils, and the estate shows its best results in a warm and sunny vintage exactly like 2015. You taste the natural richness and exuberance of the fruit, with variety-specific elements of wild cherry, blue flowers and soft earth. The house style prizes more width and latitude in terms of mouthfeel. That attractive medium to full-bodied style is achieved thanks to 24 months of oak aging. At the end of the day, the quality of the fruit is really what shines brightest here..."
5. PODERI & CANTINE ODDERO 2019 BAROLO CLASSICO $56.99 [302031]
We think so highly of the 2019 vintage in Barolo that another wine had to be on our top 10 list (see #2)! The historic Poderi & Cantine Oddero winery, whose family members have been making wines in the Barolo region since at least the early 1800s, is remarkable for surviving changing fashions with integrity and humility intact. It’s thanks to Giacomo Oddero through the last century, and now his daughter, Mariacristina, that they continue to excel in their committedly classical style. Their Barolo is an archetype of that, with a thoughtful blending of the lifted, aromatic vibrancy and elegance from their La Morra vineyards, the bold structure and intensity of Monvilgiero (Verduno) and the refined concentration of Bricco Fiasco (Castiglione Falletto). Aging takes place in larger Slavonian and Austrian oak barrels, which enhances the woodsy spice and texture of the wine in a subtle fashion, allowing the fruit character to dominate. Organically Farmed.
WINE ADVOCATE 95 POINTS - "The 2019 Barolo opens to a lean appearance with a very vibrant Nebbiolo color that shines with dark ruby highlights. There is dried cherry and candied fruit aromas on the bouquet. Those fruit layers cede to light spice, lilac and campfire ash. The beauty in this wine is the extreme balance achieved in this classic vintage. It delivers on all levels: intensity, length and joy. The fruit represents a blend of four MGS sites: Bricco Chiesa and Capalot in La Morra, Fiasco in Castiglione Falletto and Monvigliero in Verduno."
6. CASA EMMA 2016 GRAN SELEZIONE CHIANTI CLASSICO $49.98 [301897]
This is a wonderful dark and mineral expression of Sangiovese that shows restraint in an exceptional vintage known for its powerful, tannic wines. Showing the estate’s traditional style of savory fruit purity, mellowed by long aging in old barrels, this Gran Selezione is the top expression of their Chianti Classico lineup. It displays an enviable balance between concentration, structure, and elegance.
The winery was founded in 1969 when Fiorella Lepri purchased the house and land (from a noblewoman named Emma) without first conferring with her family! Fortune and hard work have rewarded them, as today they are a highly-regarded estate amongst the ranks of Chianti Classico producers. It’s a charming estate that’s remained slightly under the radar here in the U.S., but we think that’ll soon change! Practicing Organic and Biodynamic farming.
WINE SPECTATOR 95 POINTS - "Pure flavors of cherry and blackberry highlight this bright, polished red, which combines charm and muscle. There's a solid spine of tannins, yet this is harmonious overall, with a terrific finish that evokes fruit, iron and tobacco notes. Best from 2023 through 2045."
7. TOLAINI 2018 "LEGIT" CABERNET SAUVIGNON $39.98 [306235]
If you love the more generous side to Cabernet Sauvignon, we think you'll find Tolaini's 2018 “Legit” to live up to its name. A long growing season led to a full-bodied and layered wine, with juicy floral-tinged dark fruits (blackberry, black cherry), fresh herbs (mint, rosemary/thyme), a thread of char, along with baking spices from the rich - almost chocolatey - oak. The core of tangy ripe fruit is softly framed by gently grippy tannins, completing the signature qualities that've made Tuscan Cabernet Sauvignon popular around the world. You can enjoy this on its own, but it would be delicious with a rib roast or ribeye!
The Tolaini winery represents a modern expression of an ancient winemaking land. It was a natural fit for proprietor Pierluigi Tolaini, who returned to his Tuscan homeland after building a lucrative transportation business in North America. He found a beautiful property in the warmer part of the Chianti Classico hills around Castelnuovo Berardenga, an area that excels at growing generously-fruited Cabernet Sauvignon that tends to be sleeker and more vibrantly structured compared with the opulence of coastal Tuscany (including Bolgheri). With the help of famous Bordeaux-based consultant, Michel Rolland, they form those grapes into the polished, rich and complex “Legit!” Organically Farmed.
WINE SPECTATOR 94 POINTS- "Well-defined black cherry and blackberry flavors are shaded by notes of rosemary, eucalyptus, iron and tobacco in this firm and complex red, which shows lovely balance and grip on the lingering aftertaste. Best from 2023 through 2036."
8. DAMILANO 2019 LECINQUEVIGNE BAROLO $39.98 [301244]
The time is ripe to pick up your Barolos from the lauded 2019 vintage while they're still available, and we've got the new release of Lecinquevigne ("the five vineyards") from the historic Damilano estate that will please discerning palates (without the overly aggressive tannins)! This estate goes back to 1890 when the great-grandfather of the current owners, Giuseppe Borgogno, started bottling his own wine from around the town of Barolo itself.
DECANTER WORLD WINE, BEST IN SHOW 97 POINTS - "The second of our brace of 2019 Baroli is the darker of the pair, perhaps the result of having spent only 24 rather than 36 months in wood. It, too, is a wine of gentleness and refinement, with bright plum fruits and warm spice both apparent in the aromas, within the context of an aromatic profile both seamless and harmonious. It’s ample in the palate yet round-contoured, with acidity here as important an element of the wine’s structure as is tannin. The tannins, indeed, are unintimidating and supportive – but resonant and flavoury, too, in best Barolo style. The overall impression of an easy-rolling roundness is underscored by the wealth of fruit which sings through the palate. For all that, this is a serious Barolo which could easily take five to ten years’ further ageing: an ideal introduction to the pleasures of the 2019 vintage in this emblematic Piedmontese region."
9. CONTERNO FANTINO 2021 “VIGNOTA” BARBERA D’ALBA $29.98 [302566]
Conterno Fantino is a well-known Barolo producer in the Monforte d’Alba area, making stylish, modern expressions of the region’s traditional reds. The vines for “Vignota” grow on steep, south-facing slopes in calcareous soils, vital to making this a “next level” wine. It shows off the sheer drinkability and food-pairing flexibility that Barbera can have, with its supple fruit texture driven by a spine of bright, mouthwatering acidity, and just a light grip of powdery, fine tannin. It’s stylish in its expression of fruit, oak, and polish, but never pushing outside the lines, with a feeling of sleekness and precision on the palate. Aromas of fresh violet, a soft woodsy quality, and a hint of musk accompany the dark fruit (blackberry) core. On the palate it’s soft and fluid, finishing juicy rather than austere. Here, fresh mint and an inner natural sweetness of oak reverberate amongst a wash of tanginess and an almost saline minerality. A wood-fired pizza or a baked pasta dish would make easy partners! Organically Farmed.
WINE ADVOCATE 93 POINTS – “The Conterno Fantino 2021 Barbera d'Alba Vignota (a certified organic wine) shows a lot of pulp, richness and texture that is woven with generous blackberryand dark fruit flavors. This wine offers a lot of natural intensity thanks to warm growing conditions and marl and limestone soils.”
10. ELENA FUCCI 2021 "SCEG" AGLIANICO DEL VULTURE $24.98 [305418]
We’re excited to share this last, but in no way least, Top Wine of Italy! It’s a wine for explorers, those who look for authentic regional experiences in their glasses. Elena Fucci’s family had been on the path to sell most of the prime vineyards that her grandfather, Generoso, had wisely purchased in the 1960s. Much to their delight, she devoted herself to study winemaking in order to make her own wines from this gift her grandfather had given. Making use of those 50 to 70-year-old vines on high hills of volcanic soils, her “SCEG” Aglianico is a perfect introduction to the revitalization taking place at the base of the extinct Vulture volcano in Basilicata: it displays some of the wild, savory character the variety tends toward, but with a seductive, modern purity in the fruit expression. There's a tension between savory/earthy (incense/pepper, herbs, slightly gamey & ashy) and fruity (dark red berries & plum); and a textural tension between the grippy, coarse-grained tannins and juicy fleshiness of fruit, both of which linger in the umami-rich finish. Give this one time to open up in the glass or even put it away for a couple years! Pair with savory, meaty dishes (like sausages), hearty vegetable dishes like earthy lentils, and moderately aged sheep cheeses like Pecorino. Organically Farmed.
ERIC GUIDO, VINOUS 93 POINTS- "Camphor complicates grilled herb and red plum aromas as the 2021 Aglianico del Vulture SCEG opens in the glass. This is an especially rich and supple rendition of SCEG, with sour citrus enlivening masses of dark red fruits and perfumed inner florals that resonate throughout. Juicy acidity maintains an energetic feel as grippy tannins come forward through the close, as the 2021 finishes long and staining with a youthful tension that puckers the cheeks."
1. MUGA 2015 PRADO ENEA GRAN RESERVA $89.98 [382767]
A family-owned winery that was founded in 1932, Bodegas Muga is one of the "first growths" of Rioja according to Master of Wine Tim Atkins. It's stylistically among the "more modern of the traditionalists," which we find to be a sweet spot for many of our customers. In fact, it comes from the far-flung corner of Rioja, becoming a bit of a hybrid between the wines of Rioja Alta and Rioja Alavesa. The Prado Enea has a modern Alavesa’s fuller body and densely-packed dark, plummy fruit but along with an acidity that sparkles with a “quartz-like minerality,” and enhances the more finessed aspects of classic wines from Rioja Alta. Rioja’s signature oak influence comes off as a welcome woodsy balsam accent that’s more tucked into the fruit, certainly not veering into the realm of the toasty coconut creaminess of the old school. The typical notes of bottle age (tobacco, forest floor, truffle) are slowly developing underneath the power of the 2015 vintage, which will continue to soften and complexify over the next decade if you’re so inclined to hold it. It’s already a pleasure to drink, though, with a velvet quality to the ample tannins. This is a remarkable wine that’s sure to impress many palates, especially accompanied by rich dishes like roasts with truffle and aged sheep cheeses.
Despite the modern advances in winemaking of which Muga makes use, the old-world ways are certainly still a big influence on Prado Enea’s style: the fermentation happens naturally without added yeasts, in large 1000 Liter oak vats at natural temperatures, followed by a long 3-year aging in large American oak vats and smaller French oak barrels. In order to make a more complete wine, and as is typical in Rioja, the dominant Tempranillo is partnered with the classic varieties Garnacha, Mazuelo (aka Carignan), and Graciano.
WINE ADVOCATE 97 POINTS - "The most classical of their wines… This is, year in, year out, my favorite wine from Muga, and in this powerful and ripe year, these late-harvesting vines ripened thoroughly and delivered a full array of aromas and flavors so that the wine has plenty of depth and complexity. It has a very classical profile, with incipient tertiary notes, perfumed, floral and rich, textured and beautifully balanced. They compare this 2015 with 2009 and 2005 in terms of style but with freshness in the style of 2001 and 2010. It's enjoyable but should also develop for a long time in bottle. One of the finest Prado Enea vintages…”
2. CLOS FIGUERES 2018 $79.98 [380342]
Being close to the ancient Roman capital of the Iberian Peninsula, Tarraco (Tarragona), it’s no surprise that vineyards have existed in the Priorat region for more than 2000 years; in fact, it’s believed that many of the old terraces were initially built by the Romans. Here on steep slopes of schist-like soil called “llicorella,” only hearty plants like almond and olive trees thrive along with grapevines. Here, Garnacha and Carignan, backed by Monastrell, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah, create deep, full-bodied wines that – in old vineyards like Clos Figueras – somehow maintain a finessed and elegant edge. Like many vineyards here, it was purchased by foreigners who fell in love with the area and its wines; in this case by Charlotte and Christopher Cannan in 1997. It wasn’t sheer luck, though, as they chose it on the recommendation of Réné Barbier, owner of the famous Clos Mogador estate and founder of the “new wave” movement in Priorat during the late 1980s!
WINE ADVOCATE 95 POINTS – “The 2018 Clos Figueres follows the path of cleanliness and precision of the 2017 in a better vintage… It fermented and matured in new and second use 300- and 500-liter French oak barrels for 14 to 16 months. It's powerful and ripe at 15% alcohol, but with a low pH and good freshness. It's nuanced and complex and has elegance and some floral notes, with a more developed nose compared to the younger 2019 and 2020 tasted next to it. This has to be one of the finest vintages of Clos Figueres ever.”
3. DIEGO MAGANA – ANZA 2020 “ESPECIAL” RIOJA $74.99 [387997]
This is no ordinary Rioja. It’s part of the newer generation of Rioja wines that looks for greater freshness and purity of fruit. The Anza “Especial” is truly special, sleekly textured with fine chalky tannins that coat the edges of the mouth, and a deep core of vibrant floral-tinged dark-red fruits like red & purple plum. The limestone soils and altitude contribute to the juicy acidity that makes the wine feel like it soars into the long, tapered finish. This quickly rising star of the “new Rioja” didn’t come out of the blue. Diego is the son of Juan Magaña of Viña Magaña Estate in nearby Navarra who has spent time around superstar winemaker Raul Perez. He loved the vibrant, pure and concentrated wines of Rioja Alavesa, and was finally able to buy a small vineyard there of 75 to 90-year-old bushvines in the area’s famous white limestone soils. Since the old vineyards are mixed-variety, the Tempranillo-driven wine is accompanied by Garnacha, Mazuelo (aka Carignan), and around 10% white varieties (Viura, Malvasia Riojana). Diego’s winemaking, in line with many in the new generation of winemakers, looks much like the old-school model in Burgundy. If opening this soon, let it sit in the decanter for an hour. Collectors will want to put this away for 5 to 10 more years! Diego named the winery “Anza” for his mother, Esperanza Tejero.
WINE ADVOCATE 96+ POINTS - "There is great finesse and elegance in the 2020 Anza Especial. Even if the wine is still extremely young, the palate already shows a complexity and depth that is breathtaking, with a lively mouthfeel, a spark of freshness and very pure and clean, defined flavors. This is a traditional Rioja in the making with elegance and complexity, nuance and subtleness. 2,900 bottles were filled in February 2022, after 14 months in barrel."
4. EMILIO MORO 2020 “MALLEOLUS”RIBERA DEL DUERO $44.98 [381609]
Spain's Ribera del Duero remains one of the best go-to regions for bold, modern reds, and the Emilio Moro estate's 2020 "Malleolus" nails that style in impressive fashion! Emilio Moro is one of the big names in the region, having helped form this quiet interior Spanish region into a powerhouse on the international stage. These are sleek, modern expressions of the regional type of Tempranillo they call Tinto Fino, with its small clusters of compact berries capable of producing powerful wines, framed and enlivened by velvet, cheek-coating textures and juicy acidity. Combined with the variety's plush fruit character that's countered by a savory, mineral edge, it's easy to see why it wins over wine drinkers from around the world! Bodega Emilio Moro has been making wines here for three generations, before the Ribera del Duero designation existed. The Malleolus represents their historic bottling, sourced from their older vines, or majuelos, and aged in a large proportion of new French oak for a creamy, toasted vanilla accent and enhanced softness in the mouth. You can enjoy this on its own, or pair it with rich braised meat dishes.
WINE ENTHUSIAST 97 POINTS - "Dark ruby violet-colored in the glass, this wine has enticing aromas of orange peel, milk chocolate and black raspberry. Plush tannins and bright acidity wake up your mouth to flavors of ripe cherry, cranberry, anise frond and dried lavender."
5. MUSTIGUILLO 2019 FINCA TERRERAZO 100% BOBAL $39.98 [377304]
This full-bodied red is made in the French model but with Valencia’s local rising star, Bobal. Bodegas Mustiguillo, led by the passionate Toni Sarrion, has put the old variety in the spotlight with this bottling especially, which is sourced from 50 to 75-year-old vineyards inland from, and high above, the Mediterranean Sea. It’s warmly generous but with enough liveliness to balance it, with flavors of ripe blue and black fruits, cake spice and a cedary quality. The rusticity of the variety has been tamed by fermenting in large French oak vats, and letting the wine age in them for 18 months. It’s a marriage of the classic sun-kissed, Mediterranean red and the elegant winemaking of Bordeaux, and welcomes the classic dishes of both, especially a lamb roast. Wine & Spirits Magazine named Mustiguillo as a Top 100 Winery of 2012. Organically Farmed.
WINE ADVOCATE 94+ POINTS - "… transparent and pure, it has symmetry and very fine tannins. This has to be the finest Finca Terrerazo so far. 29,360 bottles produced…”
6. RAUL PEREZ - LA VIZCAINA DE VINOS 2021 "LA DEL VIVO" $39.98 [383252]
One of the many projects led by superstar Raul Perez, La Vizcaina de Vinos focuses on the hills around his hometown in the Bierzo area. “La del Vivo,” meaning “that of the living,” is an appropriate, though bittersweet, name for a wine whose label carries the name of his niece and collaborator, Nerea Perez, who passed away in 2014. It’s also appropriate for a wine that some describe as “alive.” It sources from 80 to 100-year-old vines, farmed with organic practices, add only low amounts of sulfites before bottling, and neither filter nor fine it. It’s made mostly of the noble local white, Godello, which is fermented and aged in older, mid-sized oak vats. As with many old vineyards here, there’s a little of the Dona Blanca variety, which they ferment with its skins in open-top amphora pots. They aren’t topped up, leading to a “veil” of yeast that imbue the wine with nutty, saline, and herbal hints. The core of the wine is driven by ripe fresh pear, struck flint, and crystalline minerality, and a light waxy texture that gives a sense of greater structure. Organically Farmed.
WINE ADVOCATE 95+ POINTS - "The cooler 2021 produced very fresh whites; they started picking grapes with 12.1% to 12.2% alcohol... They don't do malolactic in their whites, and the wines have very good freshness and acidity. It comes from two plots on clay and sand. Part of the wine was fermented and aged in tinaja and developed some flor that gives the wine a very tasty and spicy twist. This is the first year when they only used foudres (no more barrels). The lees are never stirred, and the profile of the wine is not leesy. There is austerity, and it is bone-dry, with the oak neatly folded into the wine."
7. TORRE DE ONA 2015 FINCA MARTELO RIOJA RESERVA $34.98 [380036]
When the owners of the storied La Rioja Alta winery wanted to make wines from the neighboring Rioja Alavesa area, they bought a whole new estate. Here, the Tempranillo and its partners Mazuelo, Garnacha, and white Viura have an extra bit of freshness, concentration and fine bed of tannin, especially in a generous vintage like 2015! Even more than their La Rioja Alta bottlings, the Finca Martelo can therefore take a lot of new American oak in its aging, which leads to the woodsy, spicy and sweet toasted coconut layered in amongst that dense fruit. It stands out as a bold and modern take on the Rioja template. Even at eight years of age, the developing complexity of the wine is still in its early stages. For now, give it some time to open up in the glass and pair with some boldly-flavored, hearty dishes!
WINE ADVOCATE 94+ POINTS - "I found a very complete 2015 Finca Martelo that followed the style and the quality path of the previous vintages. The release of this wine was an important milestone for Torre de Oña, where they look for the typicity of Rioja Alavesa through a blend of old-vine Tempranillo with 6% other varieties (Mazuelo, Garnacha and even white Viura). 2015 was a healthy harvest, and the wine shows a nice combination of power and elegance. It's clean and modern but with a traditional twist, some developed aromas and very fine chalky tannins from the limestone-rich soils."
8. CUNE - VINA REAL 2017 RIOJA RESERVA $29.98 [380629]
This delicious Tempranillo-driven red comes from the high foothills of the Cantabrian mountain range, which separates the Rioja region from the Atlantic coast. Founded in 1920 by the iconic CUNE wine company, the Vina Real winery focuses on the Rioja Alavesa area (CUNE is based in Rioja Alta), a terrain known for wines with concentrated, savory-tinged fruit, heightened aromatic intensity, a mouthwatering, crystalline vibrancy, and chalky tannins that coat the edges of the mouth. That character marries well with Rioja’s tradition of extended aging in small, new oak barrels, which soften the fruit’s rugged intensity, and weaves in complimentary accents of cedar, baking spices, toasty vanilla and creamy cocoa. Tempranillo drives this wine’s character, but 10% of it is the traditional combination of Garnacha (aka Grenache), Mazuelo (aka Carignan) and Graciano for a little extra dimension and that classic Riojan sense of balance. In 2017, the hot, dry vintage broke the record for how quickly the fruit reached full ripeness, and result here is immediate and irresistible with its particularly rich and concentrated expression paired with Alavesa’s crystalline acidity.
JAMES SUCKLING 94 POINTS - "A juicy red with lots of blackberry, chocolate and light oak aromas and flavors. Mushroom and cedar, too. It’s full-bodied, layered and very rich with a flavorful, savory finish..."
9. DESCENDIENTES DE JOSE PALACIOS 2021 “PETALOS” BIERZO $21.98 [380113]
The descendants of Jose Palacios are star Spanish winemaker Alvaro Palacios and his nephew, Ricardo Perez. They were drawn to the Bierzo region for its steep, slate and granite soils and old mixed-planting vineyards. In the northwest of Spain, where the Atlantic influence has more say, the red variety, Mencia,stands tall. You can think of it as having overlapping features of the French classics like Loire Cabernet Franc and Rhône Syrah: mid-weight, vibrant and juicy, with floral, herbal, pepper/incense spice, earthy minerality, and even an occasional olive note. Alvaro and Ricardo own a few exceptional vineyards here, but to make a bottling that more people could enjoy, they supplemented with some rented vineyards. Practicing Organic and Biodynamic Winemaking.
WINE ADVOCATE 93+ POINTS - "2021 is clearly the finest vintage of the trio of 2020, 2021 and 2022, and the bottled 2021 Pétalos delivers what the unbottled samples promised: a wine with lower alcohol than ever (13.5%), lighter, a little narrower but withthe juiciness ofMencía that seems to come back after some time in bottle. It has lots of notes of aromatic herbs, with some similar aromas to the La Faraona. It's quite expressive and showy, very pleasant and easy to drink, very gourmand, with a velvety mouthfeel and very fine tannins… Approachable now, very hedonistic."
10. BUJANDA 2019 CRIANZA $12.98 [383709]
This Spanish red has a lot of character for the price! It’s a quintessentially dry, savory, youthful Rioja, Spain’s version of a daily-drinking Bordeaux. Warm aromas slowly drift from the glass, of dark red fruits like cherry and plum, woven together with light baking spices and the earthy, woodsy accent of “forest floor.” In the mouth, you find classic Crianza drinkability: medium-bodied with a light, vinous warmth, filling the mouth with an intriguing tension between savory and fruity sensations. It comes to a dry, clean finish thanks to the light tongue-coating of fine, powdery tannins, the mouthwatering, tangy acidity, and well-worn oak flavors, which help rein in the lingering echoes of those rich, sunbaked fruits.
While the family-run Viña Bujanda winery was only established in 2009 by brother and sister, Carlos and Pilar Martinez-Bujanda, they have others in the region, and the family has been making wine in Rioja since 1889.
WINE ADVOCATE 90 POINTS - "The textbook 2019 Crianza was produced with Tempranillo from Rioja Alta, trying to showcase the freshness from their La Grajera vineyard with 13% alcohol and a pH of 3.66. It's medium-bodied, with fine, polished tannins and has a gentle mouthfeel with good balance and freshness. It fermented with indigenous yeasts and matured in used oak barrels forone year."
Top Classic German Wines of 2023!
Paying Respects - A Tribute to Rolf Merkelbach 
The wine community and the world lost a wonderful soul this year, with the passing of winemaker Rolf Merkelbach. Rolf Merkelbach died on October 19 at the age of 86, peacefully, at the same home in which he was born, in Germany’s Mosel valley, and where he lived his entire life. Together with his surviving older brother, Alfred, they dedicated their lives to making Riesling. Born into a winemaking family, the brothers dropped out of school in their early teens due to a family hardship and helped with the family winery. They flourished, making their delicate, lively style of Riesling from their tiny parcels in the famous Ürziger Würzgarten vineyard for nearly seventy years. The Merkelbachs have been featured in our holiday newsletter several times, and we happened to be pouring their wines at our last German tasting in October. While we were never lucky enough to meet either of the Merkelbachs, we have an affinity for them, feeling we know them in wine, and offer our condolences to his brother Alfred and those closest to him.
Time in a bottle:
ALFRED MERKELBACH 2000 RIESLING KABINETT KINHEIMER ROSENBERG $39.98 [318007]
This is a special bottle of aged Riesling made by Alfred and Rolf Merkelbach. We recently tasted this at our last German tasting in October this year and it captured the attention of all who tasted it. Subtle notes of baked apple, peach, a hint of marmalade, garden herbs, baking spice, and matured honey, are present in this complex, aged wine. One veteran Wine Staffer (Josh) called out a tasting note of Tzatziki—because of its yogurt and dill notes. Agreed! This is both a playful and serious wine for enjoying now.
OKONOMIERAT REBHOLZ 2022 DRY TROCKEN RIESLING $26.98 [342354]
JAMES SUCKLING 92 POINTS - "This may be an entry-level wine but it has wonderful yellow fruit aromas (think yellow apple and mirabelle as well as peach). On the light-footed palate this is juicy with stacks of citrusy freshness right through the uplifting finish. From young vines on sandstone and stony Rotliegendes soil. From biodynamically grown grapes with Respekt Certification. Drink now. Screw cap."
WEINGUT KELLER 2018 PINOT NOIR SPÄTBURGUNDER "S" $74.98 [372038]
The Keller family is world famous for their Rieslings (they are best known for their G-Max Riesling bottling, which can fetch up to $2k.). Adding to the Keller’s cadre are their Spätburgunders (AKA Pinot Noirs) hailing from the Rheinhessen region, which are always good finds, if you can locate them. This is a wine for both the German wine lover and Burgundy collector.
WINE ADVOCATE 92 POINTS - "Keller's 2018 Spätburgunder S is a blend of the fruit from vines less than 30 years old that are cultivated in the top sites of Bürgel, Morstein and Frauenberg. The purple-colored wine opens with a pretty deep, elegant and spicy bouquet with cherry aromas. Silky, round and intense on the palate, with red berry and cherry flavors, firm yet fine tannins and a refreshing character, this is a lean and pure yet also intense and sustainable Pinot with a refreshing tangy finish due to the 25% whole clusters used during the cuvaison. Bottled without fining or filtration in July 2019. …There are numerous reasons and even more secrets why Keller's Pinots are shooting through the roof: top sites, cuttings from some of the best vineyards in the Côte d'Or, old vines, the best barrel qualities, the arrival of son Felix Keller to the team, great know-how of two generations and tiny but steady improvements every year.” Stephan Reinhardt.
JOH. JOS. PRÜM 2021 RIESLING KABINETT WEHLENER SONNENUHR $59.98 [320483]
WINE ADVOCATE 94 POINTS - "The 2021 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Kabinett is deep and flinty but bright and clear on the refined and elegant nose with beautiful crushed slate aromas. On the palate, this is a rich, round and generous, incredibly lush and supple but crystalline and even pure Sonnenuhr with a highly stimulating, mouth-watering finish. This 2021 shows the great terroir of the cru, in particular in cool vintages due to its exposition that collects the sun's rays in the morning. 7.5% stated alcohol. Natural cork. Tasted at the domaine in May 2023.”
ANTONIO GALLONI - VINOUS - 94 POINTS
MOSEL FINE WINES - 94 POINTS
JOH. JOS. PRÜM 2021 RIESLING GRAACHER HIMMERLREICH KABINETT $54.98 [331141]
ANTONIO GALLONI VINOUS 93 POINTS - “The nose of the 2021 Riesling Graacher Himmelreich Spätlese shows a touch of smoke, followed by vividly fruity ripeness, redolent of melon, juicy pear, and flinty peach. The palate is full and sinuous, the sweetness absolutely channeled into juicy, energetic and mouth-watering flow. A yeasty undertow lends texture and an additional dimension. Freshness defines this wine and lends it untold elegance and balance. (Sweet)
MOSEL FINE WINES - 93 POINTS
JOH. JOS. PRÜM 2021 RIESLING SPÄTLESE WEHLENER SONNENUHR $65.98 [320492]
WINE ADVOCATE 95 POINTS - “The 2021 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Spätlese is pure, bright and fresh on the flinty and slightly reductive nose that reveals intense lemon as well as some coolish vegetal aromas. Crystalline and refined on the palate, this is an intense, complex and mouth-tickling Sonnenuhr Spätlese with remarkable purity, savoriness and lemon freshness on the finish. This is a light but substantial, dense and structured WSU that will benefit from further bottle aging, The phenols are still quite prominent here, but aeration will help to oxidize and integrate them. 7% stated alcohol. Natural cork. Tasted at the domaine in May 2023.”
ANTONIO GALLONI - VINOUS - 95 POINTS
MOSEL FINE WINES - 95 POINTS
Top German & Austrian Natural/Biodynamic and Lower-alcohol Wine of 2023!
AUSTRIA
MORIC 2021 BLAUFRÄNKISCH BURGENLAND BIODYNAMIC, VEGAN $26.98 [303964]
Moric’s 2021 Blaufränkisch is back and better than ever! It pours ruby red with notes of violets, fresh crunchy cherry, and the mildest hint of baking spice. The texture is silky with subtle tannins on the finish. 13% Abv.
JAMES SUCKLING - 93 POINTS - “Expressive nose of red fruit with a lot of earthy depth! Excellent concentration for this humble category, with fine, powdery tannins and lively but ripe acidity. Complex finish with notes of clove, black pepper, cardamon and wild herbs. Salty touch, too. Drink or hold.” Stuart Pigott.
WENZEL 2022 "VOODOO CHILD" WILD + FREE PINOT GRIS ORANGE WINE, SKIN CONTACT, NATURAL WINE $29.98 [342394]
Years back when Wenzel’s “VooDoo Child” wine first made its debut in our wine cellar, it was an instant hit, and was voted the Customer Favorite during our Natural Wine tasting. This vibrant and invigorating wine is a vivid coral pink in color, with a nose full of cherries and passionfruit. As the name suggests, it is WILD on the palate (but still clean) with good acidity and fresh tropical fruit… think more passionfruit and papaya. Fruity yet crisp and dry, this dissipates on the palate with a zing, beckoning you back for more. The “skin contact” gives the wine (aside from its color) mild tannins and great structure. Serve chilled. This comes from organically farmed grapes, made with minimal sulfur (15mg) and native yeasts. Unfined, unfiltered, and Vegan. 12% Abv.
WENZEL LOCKVOGEL WILD + FREE 2022 BLAUFRANKISCH & PINOT NOIR “FRANKY” NATURAL WINE $24.98 [342391]
Michael Wenzel makes a wonderful red made of 70% Blaufrankisch and 30% Pinot Noir from the family's estate which has been around since 1647. This enticingly bright red blend has that "just picked" ripeness and good acid to get your “natural wine” freak on, while remaining clean. This style of winemaking for Franky is a throwback to when Michael's grandfather would make red wine that was not overtly fruity nor over extracted-- just fun, fresh, and pure. A third of the grapes in this Pinot Noir and Blaufrankisch cuvée undergoes carbonic maceration. The rest is naturally fermented in open vats. After five days the wine was pressed and finished in sandstone amphora and steel tank. The wine received a minimal amount of SO2 (4mg) at bottling, but no free SO2 can be detected. Serve chilled and serve often. 12.5% ABV.
KOLFOK 2022 INTRA! THE WILD ROSÉ, BLAUFRANKISCH, NATURAL WINE $21.98 [304161]
This intense Rosé made of 100% Blaufrankisch is DRY DRY DRY! The color is a wild, strawberry-cranberry-hued rosé, perfect for lunch-time or picnicking. Tangy, juicy, untamed, and total fun. It is very much Pinot Noir-like in style. On the palate, light notes of cherry, herbs, watermelon, and forest. Grapes were partly destemmed before being put in a semi-closed container for a slow and cool native yeast fermentation that lasted into November. The juice was moved by gravity into 1200 liter used Austrian barrels and allowed to age without intervention, stirring or additives. Unfined and unfiltered. 12% Abv.
MEINKLANG 2022 PROSA NATURAL FRIZZANTE ROSÉ $16.98 [333302]
Slightly frizzante, totally delicious and a little sweet… Meinklang Prosa is a lightly sparkling Pinot Noir Rosé made with a summer picnic in mind! Bright fruit, ripe acidity and a little spritz work perfectly together. It shows alpine strawberry, raspberry, and bramble leaf. Spontaneously fermented and charmat method utilized for purity and freshness. Just so quaffable... as dangerous as it is delicious, you’ll want to buy two bottles because the first will disappear a little too quickly. Yes, it’s that good. 100% Pinot Noir. Bright red fruit, and a slight herbaceous quality buoyed by a fresh mousse. This would be lovely to start an evening, or could be enjoyed at the end with a cheese plate. Natural Wine, Demeter Certified Biodynamic. 10.5% ABV.
MEINKLANG 2022 BURGENLAND RED NATURAL WINE $13.98 [323102]
This delightful red is a natural wine composed of 60% Zweigelt, 30% Blaufrankisch, and 10% St. Laurent using carbonic maceration to preserve all the fresh juiciness and bright red fruit flavors. A perfect medium-to-light-bodied quaffing red. The color is ruby red with blue glints, and the aromas mingle brambly berries, black currant, and cranberry with anise seed and leafy tomato vine. The finish crackles with herbal and basil notes. Similar in taste and style to a Pinot Noir with crunchy red fruit. It’s a young wine, simple and uncomplicated, making it a good choice for red-sauced pastas, grilled meats, and aged cheeses. Unfined, unfiltered, low in sulfites. Serve chilled. Meinklang is one of Austria's most interesting organic producers. Demeter Certified Biodynamic, they are crafting inviting, naturally-styled and fresh wines from Burgenland, Austria. 12% Abv.
BIOKULT 2021 PINOT GRIGIO “NAKEN” ORANGE WINE, NATUAL WINE $17.98 [306866]
A skin contact wine on the subtle side, made of 90% Pinot Grigio, 10% Muskateller. This skin-contact orange wine is funky and pink gold in color. Its scent is full of notes of orange peel and clementine, with an overtone of honeysuckle. The bone-dry quality brings out the clementine and white pepper notes, while the delicate palate tingles with freshness and has the texture of citrus pith. It is captivating and incredibly light. Demeter Certified Biodynamic. 11% Abv.
GERMANY
KATLA 2022 BLANC "SASSY" SPARKLING PET-NAT NATURAL WINE $24.98 [342414]
Forget about Mimosas, this is what you want for Sunday morning! We are so excited to find you this new Pet-Nat sparkler called "Sassy," and sassy it IS! This natural sparkling wine (AKA Pet-Nat) by female winemaker Jas Swan, is a bouncy blend of 40% Gruner Veltliner, 30% Kerner, 20% Pinot Blanc, and 10% Riesling. This is bright, fun and lively on the palate, with notes of fresh pear, juicy orange, light ginger, apple and citrus. The Grüner Veltliner underwent a 5-day semi-carbonic maceration, the Kerner grapes also underwent a semi-carbonic process, the Pinot Blanc grapes were directly pressed, and the Riesling grapes were macerated for 3 days. All maceration took place separately, and all processes were carried out in stainless steel tanks. The wine was bottled with 7g residual sugar. 11% ABV.
KATLA 2022 RED "QUEENDOM" SPARKLING PET-NAT NATURAL WINE $24.98 [342415]
Queendom 2022 is an exciting and enticing sparkling red with hints of red cherries, garden herbs, cranberries, and lingonberries. This is a blend of 50% Pinot Grigio, 10% Riesling, and 40% Dornfelder. All varieties are processed independently. Riesling and Dornfelder are both direct-pressed. For three weeks, every bunch of Pinot Gris is subjected to a semi-carbonic maceration. Based in the Mosel area of Germany, Katla Wines is the brainchild of winemaker Jas Swan. Jas has been in the wine industry for a while, having gained experience by working with other producers including Staffelter Hof. Jas is essentially harvesting all by herself as a one-woman crew. 10.5% ABV.
Top Non-Alcoholic Wines of 2023!
LEITZ "EINS ZWEI ZERO" SPARKLING RIESLING NON-ALCOHOLIC BRUT 750ML $19.99 [342344]
The answer to celebrating without alcohol, while still feeling festive! The alcohol-free EINS ZWEI ZERO Sparkling Riesling pleases the palate with soft bubbles that taste fresh and fruity. This sparkling wine is made of 100% Riesling and tastes of crisp apples and light citrus combined with well-integrated acidity, and long-lasting freshness. Pair with just about anything, or enjoy on its own. It is great as an aperitif and makes a great, year-round, non-alcoholic drink for any occasion. 0% ABV.
LEITZ EINS ZWEI ZERO SPARKLING ROSÉ NON-ALCOHOLIC 750ML $19.98 [342341]
Consistently ranked at or near the top of every list of the best tasting non-alcoholic wines, (including The Wall Street Journal) Leitz produces this exceptionally well-made sparkling rosé that is alcohol-free without compromising quality. This sparkler is made of 100% Pinot Noir. On the palate are notes of freshly-picked raspberry, strawberry, rose hips and light citrus, all transported by refreshingly fine bubbles. In addition to the berry notes, often present in rosé, there is a remarkable freshness giving it great versatility - making it a pleasant aperitif, as a spritz mixer, or simply as a constant companion to enjoy relaxing evenings. Calories: 41 per glass. 0% ABV
Top Other Imported Wines of 2023!
DOMAINE DE BAAL 2019 LE PETIT BAAL, BEKKA VALLEY, LEBANON $24.95 [372810]
Domaine de Baal was founded in 2006 by Sebastien Koury after he had returned to Lebanon from France where he had spent several years in Saint-Émilion as a winemaker. His goal is to produce high quality natural and organic wines.
We were impressed by his Le Petit Baal 2019 which is a blend of organically farmed Syrah (80%) and Merlot (20%) grown in the Bekaa Valley on calcareous soil. The grapes were fermented (mostly whole clusters) in stainless steel by their indigenous wild yeast and aged in lightly toasted three and four-year old French barrels. This delicious red has aromas and flavors of blackberries, blueberries, black cherries and a hint of fine herbs.
Top Central and Eastern European Wines of 2023!
KOZLOVIC 2021 MALVAZIJA, ISTRIA, CROATIA $24.95 [303970]
A lot of white wines are called Malvasia but this delightful dry white is made from the Malvazija Istriana grape variety native to the Istrian peninsula of Croatia. This crisp, unoaked white displays a slightly golden color. On the nose you find aromas of lemons and apples along with hints of apricots and peaches. There is some delicate spiciness. On the palate it is dry and medium-bodied with citrus, pear and apple flavors balanced by a refreshing minerality. The finish is long, citrus-y and slightly saline. Perfect with seafood, chicken breast or pasta with a creamy sauce.
PULLUS 2022 SAUVIGNON BLANC, STAJERSKA, SLOVENIA $17.95 [372923]
DECANTER GOLD MEDAL 95 POINTS - "A superb wine with fine tropical aromas of kiwi and mango, plus green pea and herbal highlights in the mouth. A real bargain with a long, crisp finish." 100% Sauvignon Blanc.
The Pullus line of wines is made by the Ptujska Klet winery which is the oldest winery in Slovenia. Its cellars date back to 1239! Wine has been made in the Stajerska region of Slovenia since before the Roman era.
GAI’A 2021 THALASSITIS (ASSYRTIKO) SANTORINI, GREECE $39.95 [372436]
WINE ADVOCATE 94+ POINTS - "The 2021 Thalassitis is an unoaked Assyrtiko, dry and coming in at 13.8% alcohol. … Bright, pure and a little tense, this shows off some power and adds a long and mouthwatering finish. It's elegant, precise and balanced too, not an overripe fruit bomb. … Considering how top labels on Santorini have spiked in price, this is also a pretty reasonable price point.” Very limited supply.
KARAMOLEGOS 2017 ASSYRTIKO #34 ANCESTRAL VINES, SANTORINI, GREECE $39.95 [372385]
DECANTER 96 POINTS - "100% Assyrtiko from very old vines. On the nose it’s a volcano in a glass: crushed stones and a chalky-spicy nature reminiscent of a great Chablis, with wild flowers and citrus fruit in the background. On the palate there’s grapefruit and tangerine too, with salinity and oyster shell complexity. Phenomenal wine, truly world class: wonderful to drink now or keep."
MONASTERY TVRDOS 2018 VRANAC, BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA $21.95 [372486]
This lovely red is a staff favorite. The wine is made by Serbian Orthodox monks at the Monastery Tvrdos located 2.5 miles west of Trebinje and less than 20 miles from the Adriatic Sea. The monastery was built in the 13th century on the foundation of a 4th century Roman church. They have been known for winemaking since the Middle Ages.
The 2018 is composed of 100% Vranac which is a close relative of Zinfandel. It is aged in 100+ year old Monastic barrels. This is a rich, flavorful medium bodied red with flavors of blue and black fruits nicely balanced by soft tannins and acidity. The finish is long and makes you want to take your next sip. Serve with beef or lamb of course but also with chicken.
KUHEIJI 2021 JUNMAI DAIGINJO "BETSU ATSURAE" “TAILOR MADE” 750ML $82.98 [365636]
Prefecture: Hyogo/Aichi
Rice Variety: Yamada Nishiki
Seimaibuai (Rice polishing ratio): 35%
ABV: 16%
Elevating Sake to new frontiers leads us to the Hi-Time Wine Cellars’ #1 Sake of the Year, with Kuheiji’s 2021 Betsu Atsurae Junmai Daiginjo. This is an elegant, light-bodied yet complex sake we immediately fell in love with at first taste.
The sake rice used for Kuheiji Betsu Atsurae is 100% Yamada Nishiki harvested in the Kurodasho area in Hyogo prefecture. The rice is polished down to 35% of the rice grain remaining. Putting your nose in the glass (we used a white wine glass), one notices fragrant white flowers, shaved fennel, a dollop of peach, and light pineapple. The sake mildly coats your palate with good acidity present and lifted structure. It is neutral like rainwater in terms of sweetness and ends with a glimmering finish.
Kuheiji is the most innovative Sake brewery we have come across so far. They are incorporating Wines’ sensibilities, like caring about terroir and paying attention to different soil types in the rice fields, making sakes with higher acid, using estate-grown rice and vintage-dating their sakes-- something no other sake brewery, that we know of, is presently doing. These practices express themselves when you drink their sake.
Earlier in October, we attended a seminar with Brewery President Kuno Kuheiji (representing the 15th generation of his family making sake, going back to 1647) as we tasted their entire lineup available in the US, (including another one of their Sakes with a much higher price point, tasting them side-by-side), and we were left extremely happy with the quality of Betsu Atsurae. But we urge you to taste all of the sakes Kuheiji makes, which are glorious expressions in and of themselves.
TATENOKAWA SEIRYU "STREAM" JUNMAI DAIGINJO SAKE 720ML $22.95 [310040]
Prefecture: Yamagata
Rice Variety: Dewasansan
Seimaibuai (Rice polishing ratio): 50%
ABV: 14%
Acidity: +1
SMV (Sake Meter Value): -2
Our Sake of the Year #2 is a killer Daiginjo at an excellent price from Tatenokawa brewery. Typically one must spend $40 to get a good Daiginjo so this is a screaming deal to sell well under $30; and the fact that this comes from Tatenokawa makes things all the better. Their team has brewed a remarkably light and easy-drinking Sake named "Seiryu" Junmai Daiginjo. "Seiryu" translated from Japanese means "Clear Stream," and, after having imbibed on it, we can verify this is an accurate description. This light-bodied sake is super-sleek on the palate with a soft bouquet of fresh cantaloupe, pear and honeydew. One veteran Wine Staffer who tasted it (Cyrille) said she liked the meadowy freshness of it, and described it as "fine, crisp linen on a sunny day." Indeed! This sake is made from Dewasanan rice, polished down to 50% of the rice grain, giving it Daiginjo-level status. On the palate, more of that green melon emerges along with slight fennel and a hint of cantaloupe. The finish is very dry, clean and swift. The alcohol percentage is a mild 14%. Enjoy this with scallops, amberjack, and more delicate fare. Serve chilled, or can also be enjoyed heated.
QUINTA DO NOVAL 2018 VINTAGE PORT $89.98 [376418]
#45 ON THE WINE SPECTATOR 2021 TOP 100!
WINE SPECTATOR 97 POINTS - "Juicy and muscular, with a ball of plum paste, warmed fig compote and black currant reduction flavors that need time to unwind. Ample graphite- and bramble-accented grip underscores the fruit on the finish, while a ganache note finds room to strut its stuff in the end. Should be one of the longer-lived wines of the vintage. Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Cão, Sousão and Tinta Roriz. 1,600 cases made, 490 cases imported.” Drink: 2027 – 2070.
GRAHAM'S 1985 VINTAGE PORT $139.98 [331360]
JAMES SUCKLING 94 POINTS - “Aromas of violets, dried fruits and figs. Full body, medium sweet, beautiful tannins and length. Seems to be growing in depth and intensity. Beautiful now. I love the tannin tension to this. Drink and enjoy. Tasted: March 2018.”
TAYLOR FLADGATE 50-YEAR "GOLDEN AGE" TAWNY PORT $285.98 [364573]
WINE ADVOCATE 97 POINTS - “The NV 50 Year Old Tawny Port is a field blend bottled with a bar-top cork in 2022 and with 158 grams of residual sugar. Mature, with dark chocolate nuances, this is rich, deep and sensationally delicious. The concentration is exceptional too. Then, there's the long, long finish, filled with fruit and sugar. It is irresistible, in addition to being nuanced and complex. It's young enough so that it is never just a curiosity. The fruit is certainly not cracking. Drink from 2022 – 2060.”
DOW'S 1977 VINTAGE PORT “SILVER JUBILEE LABEL” $185.98 [325490]
This Port was especially bottled to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.
JAMES SUCKLING 97 POINTS - “This is really glorious and refined, offering a polished and creamy texture. Complex aromas and flavors with cream, dried fruit and nuts. Medium body. Very beautiful. A refined and glorious 1977 now. Real deal. Tasted: Jan 2017.”
KOPKE 1967 COLHEITA TAWNY PORT $214.98 [375973]
WINE ADVOCATE 95 POINTS - “The 1967 Colheita Tawny Port comes in with 142 grams per liter of residual sugar. This is a nice step up compared to the younger parts of the lineup, elegant and focused, with a precise finish, a fresh feel, little discernible brandy and a long, long finish. The classic old tawny flavors of molasses and caramel wash over the palate. This isn't big and thick, but some may very well prefer its elegant and brighter feel. In many ways, it is fresher than the 1981 or 1999 reviewed this issue, and it is better balanced than the 1937. It is very pretty. Drink from: 2017 – 2060.”
KOPKE 1978 COLHEITA TAWNY PORT $128.98 [375872]
WINE ADVOCATE 94 POINTS - "The 1978 Colheita Tawny Port was bottled in 2015 with 119 grams per liter of residual sugar and a bar top cork (typical for the house). It is very graceful for its age, finishing with a wave of sweetness, fruit and sugar. Emphasizing the caramel more than the molasses, this is irresistibly delicious, but it becomes more complex and puts on weight as it airs and warms. The wine shows off its power and hints of Brandy on the rather tense finish, too. Overall, this is a beauty that becomes more impressive the longer you sit with it. Then, you realize that its balance is simply perfect, yet it stands out in most every category. This is very fine and the price is pretty nice for the age and the quality. Drink from: 2016 – 2060.”
WHAT’S WHITE HOT??? WHITE PORT!
Many of our customers who recently vacationed in Portugal, also came back with love for White Port. Indeed! You can enjoy this on its own; however, more in fashion is making it into a cocktail. It's easy to make. The locals add Tonic Water to their White Port and drink over ice. It is refreshingly delicious. We have since increased our selection of white ports in the store. Here is one we recommend:
TAYLOR FLADGATE "CHIP DRY" WHITE PORT (NV) $16.98 [377867]
Taylor Fladgate was the first to pioneer dry white aperitif port. Chip Dry is made from selected dry white ports produced from grapes grown in the Douro Superior (the eastern area of the Douro Valley). Although several white grape varieties are used, the Malvasia Fina grape predominates. Flavors include: notes of stone fruit, marzipan, and slight oak. Adding Tonic Water to the white port gives it different dimensions.
Recipe for PORT & TONIC
Ingredients:
1/3 Dry White Port
2/3 Tonic Water
Mint leaves
Lime
Preparation: Pour the white port into a glass filled with ice. Add the Tonic Water. Stir gently. Garnish with mint and lime zest.
FOR THE PERSON WITH EVERYTHING:
TAYLOR FLADGATE KINGSMAN EDITION VERY OLD TAWNY PORT 500ML $3,533.98 [377870]
A Tawny Port with an average age of 90 years, limited to 100 bottles.
WINE ADVOCATE 95 POINTS - “The NV Very Old Tawny Port Kingsman Edition is a field blend bottled in 2020 with an average time in barrel of 90 years. It has 206 grams of residual sugar and a bar-top cork. As always, old Tawnies are simply a joy to just smell, but that's nowhere near the best part here. Unctuous in texture and very concentrated, this still manages to be rather elegant, with some brightness and lift to the fruit to go with the power on the finish. It does show its age a bit on opening, but it held perfectly for the relatively short time I had with it. The finish is more dark molasses than caramel, as befits a very old and aging Tawny. The key here, though, is the combination of brightness with the unctuous and almost creamy texture. The two make an enchanting combination that leads to a long, lively and tasty finish. This is pretty fine and you would expect nothing less from a special presentation by Taylor's. The winery's website mentions a touch of British humor regarding this bottling (and its connection to the Kingsman film series), but there's nothing funny about this. It's pretty serious stuff. Drink from: 2021 – 2050.
PEREZ BARQUERO 1905 PEDRO XIMENEZ PX SOLERA FUNDACIONAL LOT B (LIMITED) $429.98 [121752]
WINE ADVOCATE 99 POINTS - “The brown/black 1905 Pedro Ximenez has the viscosity of motor oil. Glass-coating with a mind-boggling perfume of English toffee, caramel, dates, figs, and milk chocolate, it has extraordinary depth, concentration, and length. It is a true tour de force. These splendid wines are very limited with only 200 bottles of each available to the USA market. Drink from: 2016 – 2034.”
PRAEDICTUM 15 YEAR LIMITED EDITION $599.99 750ml [124578]
"Praedictum symbolizes the payoff of patience and talent. This bourbon is a reward worth waiting for." - Bill Foley in 2023
When first-time NHL owner Bill Foley launched the Vegas Golden Knights in 2017, he made a bold prediction:
"PLAYOFFS IN THREE, CUP IN SIX."
Together with a band of “Golden Misfits” from around the league, the Knights went on to shock the sports world by reaching the Stanley Cup Final in their very first year and winning the coveted Stanley Cup Trophy in year six — just as Bill Foley had envisioned.
Praedictum Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey celebrates this achievement foretold and symbolizes the payoff of patience and talent.
- Rare, 15 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
- 112 Proof, Barrel Strength. Hand-selected Barrels
- Only 600 cases produced
- Selected and blended by Master Distiller Joseph O’Sullivan, based at the Foley Family Minden Mill Distillery in Nevada
Nose: An opening cherry note gives way to light molasses, orange zest and green apple deeper in the glass. Water addition brings oak and soft leather to the forefront.
Palate: Velvet viscosity, cinnamon spice with a cashew nuttiness, slight elements of spearmint and clove, comparatively muted oak and char, fruit forward balance that slides into maple syrup and honey with each sip.
Finish: Sarsaparilla, root beer and an agreeable lingering mint drift into vanilla and stewed apple well after you’re done.
MEILI VODKA $21.98 750ml [122675]
Jason Momoa & Blaine Halvorson!
Meili's founders, Jason Momoa and Blaine Halvorson, are two brothers cut from the same cloth. "We've always shared an obsession with the process, the craft - the ethos behind it all. How something is constructed and what makes it unique. A creation that possessed the best elements of each of us. Seven years ago, we embarked on the journey to create Meili together. To not only tell our story but to bring others along with us; to craft the best vodka on the planet."
Water: The essence of life and coincidentally Vodka is 60% water. Meili begins with an ancient 300 million-year-old aquifer formation, delivering alpine snow and rainfall through miles of caverns, where it finally is collected through natural springs in Montana. Their water is one of the purest water sources found on earth according to EPA standards and requires no form of filtration and is the keystone to the Meili recipe.
Estate Grown: The Meili Distillery is located in Bozeman, Montana, ensuring that their ingredients are always fresh and remain untainted through long travel times or other variables that may compromise the integrity of their spirits. The overall quality of their ingredients allows their distillers to simplify their own processes as well, for a flavor profile that is refreshing, unpolluted and utterly unique. Due to the relative locations of their ingredients, they retain the absolute smallest carbon footprint possible. To honor the Earth, they ensure that Meili is sourced and produced as ethically, environmentally friendly and humanely as possible.
Our Tasting Notes
Nose: Slight hint of white flowers, morning dew, river water, minerality, coconut husk.
Palate: hint of sweet cereal grains, medium viscosity, a breath of citrus, salinity, sushi rice. Clean, lovely.
However you like your vodka (room temperature, freezer-cold, in a cocktail), Meili will make an immediate impression and work perfectly in literally every imbibing situation. Jason and Blaine visited Hi-Time to check out our operation and were down-to-earth, good dudes.
DON PILAR AÑEJO $39.99 750ml [167294]
SUBLIME SIPPING
Don Pilar Añejo—aged for 20 months in new American White Oak barrels. An outstanding sipping experience.
Color: A bright, shimmering, golden hue.
Nose: Notes of toasty oak, fruit and butterscotch.
Palate: A round, lush palate. Layered with pineapple, chocolate and baked agave.
Finish: A decadently slow finish and warm reprise of sweet oak.
DON PILAR EXTRA ANEJO $149.99 750ml [101963]
EXTRA-AGED. EXTRA-AMAZING.
Don Pilar Extra Añejo is a most extraordinary tequila. Intense, with velvet richness, sweet oak aroma, and a deep, amber-crimson color.
Color: A bright, shimmering, golden hue.
Nose: Notes of toasty oak, fruit and butterscotch.
Palate: A round, lush palate. Layered with pineapple, chocolate and baked agave.
Finish: A decadently slow finish and warm reprise of sweet oak.
THE GLENTURRET 12 YEAR $79.99 750ml [121232]
The true heart and soul of our range of whiskies. Crafted with utmost care and expertise, this remarkable spirit embodies the essence of tradition and refinement. Fewer than sixty carefully selected casks come together to create The Glenturret 12 Years Old - crafted by hand and forming the heart of our range. American oak casks drive the salted caramel sweetness whilst European oak layers the dried fruits and spices leading to a full rich single malt at 46.4% ABV.
Tasting Notes: RICH RAISINS and SULTANAS open, VANILLA and CINNAMON follow. GINGER and hints of NUTMEG are warming. HEDGEROW FRUITS and MATURING OAK closes.
KAIYO JAPANESE WHISKY “THE RAMU” 8 YEAR 46% $69.99 700ml [124311]
JAPANESE MIZUNARA OAK - RUM BARREL FINISH
WOOD LIBRARY SERIES - LIMITED EDITION
We are big fans of the Kaiyo whiskies-- these are full-flavored, lush, balanced whiskies that are a joy to taste. The Ramu comes to fruition after a long journey in four different barrels. It first spends three years in new Mizunara Oak (see next paragraph about Mizunara!) then sees three months at sea in Mizunara. The third step involves three more years in new Mizunara while the final step brings two years aging in rum barrels.
Tasting notes: Crisp malt and golden raisins with ripe tropical fruits. A touch of ocean salt and mineral in the finish which is finished in more fruit.
KAIYO JAPANESE WHISKY “THE UNICORN” 10 YEAR 46% $99.99 700ml [124310]
JAPANESE MIZUNARA OAK WHISKY; FINISHED IN VERY RARE BOURBON BARRELS
Kaiyo Whisky The Unicorn 10yr is a limited edition item from the Kaiyo Whisky Wood Library Series. It’s a maturation of extremely rare Japanese Mizunara oak and extremely rare ex-bourbon barrels from one of the world’s most recognized and sought after bourbon brands; aged for 10 years.
WHY IS MIZUNARA OAK DIFFERENT
What makes mizunara oak distinct from European oak and White oak? For one, it enjoys a unique sweet and spicy flavor profile which can be attributed to the oak lactones ratio and high level of vanilla. Aromas evoked from the mizunara oak are kara, a type of oriental incense, sandalwood, and coconut.
Research studies have shown that mizunara matured whisky contain more lactones (parts per million) than whiskies matured in either European oak or White oak. An even more riveting discovery was the prevalence of “trans-oak” lactones in Mizunara whisky. This was a remarkable find as it was thought that “cis-oak” lactones can possess a smell up to ten times stronger than “trans-oak” lactones.
Time was a crucial ingredient previously omitted in mizunara oak matured whiskies making another distinction from European and White oak. Many suggest that a whisky needs to mature in order to truly experience the infusion of mizunara oak’s distinct flavors and aromas. It is perhaps a bit of Mother Nature’s work and serendipity that the mysterious spirit and character of mizunara oak was exposed. Today it is not only appreciated but revered and valued for its rarity and luxuriousness.
BARR HILL GIN $31.99 after instant coupon 750ml [104894]
Barr Hill Gin is the distillery’s ode to the hardworking bees of the Northeast. The juniper-forward botanicals are brought to a perfect balance by the floral depth of the raw honey. The results are distinctive and unparalleled.
Barr Hill Gin is distilled once in their custom-built botanical extraction still with hand-crushed, organic juniper, and then finished with raw honey from their region. The raw honey contributes botanical depth from the countless wildflowers foraged by the bees. How do they extract such complexity from simple raw materials? Their secrets, seemingly, are kept in the hive. In any case, we are big fans of their gin and their work to preserve these precious pollinators: bees!
During the month of November and December buy any Barr Hill 750ml and instantly receive $3 off per bottle.
This coupon in available in-store, by phone or online.
This is coupon will be applied when you add the product to you shopping cart.
Download our Holiday Newsletter PDF to a full list of spirits, cigars, beer and more.