What were you looking for this year?
The Best of Wine Searches in 2009
Let’s put together a great list of wines folks drink, not just read about for the top wines of 2009.
Before we begin let me thank you all for making Wineaux the world’s largest wine sites this year. With your help, and a lot of hard work, 2010 will be even better. It’s going to be a fun year, and I can't wait to see how our lists evolve
2010 Wine Bloggers Conference offers pre & post conference excursions to the Yakima Valley and Red Mountain AVA’s.
Arrive a day early and join a pre-conference excursion to the Yakima Valley, Washington State’s oldest and largest wine growing region. This pre-conference excursion is hosted by Wine Yakima Valley. Stick around on Sunday and visit Washington State’s Red Mountain AVA. One of the state’s smaller AVA’s producing some of the state’s finest wines and grapes. Each excursion costs only $35 and includes education, behind the scenes tours, wine, food, and transportation.
To register for either excursion or both simply let us know when you sign up for the http://www.WineBloggersConference.org by clicking on REGISTER
Food and Wine Pairing Made Simple
Rule I
Perhaps surprisingly, the old saying "red wine with red meat, white wine with white meat," works quite well as a general principle. A powerful, tannic red wine would simply overwhelm delicate white fish, for instance, while a light, ethereal white like a fresh Viognier would seem mighty wimpy alongside a joint of rare roast beef.
Rule II - Don't Sweat the Exceptions
Yes, there are exceptions to the "Red with Red" rule, but they're tasty exceptions. Although roast chicken counts as a "white meat," for instance, it goes very well indeed with a fruity red. So do salmon and fresh tuna, shattering the notion that you should never serve red wine with fish.
Rule III - The Rule of Complements: Match Likes with Likes
Newer in principle than the ancient "red with red," this one makes intuitive sense: Look for a wine with flavor and aroma characteristics that evoke the trademark flavors of your entree. A slightly sweet, rich seafood like lobster or crab makes a wonderful marriage with a slightly sweet, rich white wine like a big California Chardonnay. Add a sprig of rosemary to your pan-grilled steak and watch it wake up with the herbal qualities of a Napa Cabernet Sauvignon or Bordeaux.
Rule IV - The Rule of Contrasts: Opposites Attract
This is a little more tricky, as it takes the intuitive nature of Rule III and turns it on its head. It can lead to some lovely surprises, though, as when you match a tart, lean white like a White Bordeaux or Loire Sauvignon Blanc against a rich, oily fish like bluefish or mackerel. Don't be afraid to experiment!
The Bottom Line - Drink What you Like!
Remember always that all these rules are advisory. There's nothing more impolite than the wine "snob" who insists that only his answers are right. Try the standard rules first, but if you decide that you want a Chardonnay with your steak, it's certainly your privilege, and you shouldn't be ashamed to exercise it.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Thursday, July 23, 2009
954-614-4029954-614-4029 10am – 6pm EST info@thewinedominion.com
Monthly Wine Specials for July 2009
Australia
The Colonial Estate, Émigré, Barossa 2006
92 Points Robert Parker
List $99.99 Sale $24.99
Emigre is a proprietary blend of old vine Grenache, Shiraz, Mourvedre, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Its inky/purple color is accompanied by aromas and flavors of lead pencil shavings, blackberries, blueberries, cassis, and licorice. Although it has a fabulous texture as well as a massive palate, it is neither over the top nor hot (even though it boasts 15.5% natural alcohol). The tannin is melted, but high.This 2006 is impossible to resist at present, it should age well for 10-12 years, possibly longer.
Kudos to proprietor Jonathan Malthus for his work in the Barossa.
The Colonial Estate, Exile, Barossa 2006
93 Points Robert Parker
List $199.99 Sale $38.50
Shiraz / Mouvedre
The single vineyard 2006 Exile is fashioned from a northern Barossa Shiraz vineyard. A stunning, 100% new French oak-aged blend of 85% Shiraz and the rest primarily Mourvedre, it is a wine of extraordinary intensity as well as aromatic purity. Blackberry, espresso roast, scorched earth, and flower characteristics are found in this full-bodied yet elegant, well-defined effort. It should drink beautifully for 10-15 years."
D’Arenberg, Cabernet Sauvignon, Coppermine Road, McLaren Vale 2004
92 Points Robert Parker
List $64.99 Sale $29.99
The grapes for this wine come largely from a near extinct clone of Cabernet Sauvignon. This unnamed clone yields no more than one ton per acre because of its very poor setting ability and the tiny size of its berries. However, its those tiny berries that deliver the superior quality with wonderful violet and blackcurrant aromas, great acidity and long, intense fine-grain tannins. With bottle age, the wine will become more harmonious and gain more complex characters of chocolate, truffle, cigar box and earth.
"The spicy 2003 The Coppermine Road Cabernet Sauvignon (aged in equal parts new French and new American oak) reveals copious quantities of black currants, cedar, vanilla, and white chocolate aromas, followed by spicy, tannic, full-bodied, powerful, dense, well-structured flavors. It should drink well for 10-15+ years."-
Godolphin, Barossa 2005
93 Points Robert Parker
List $59.99 Sale $39.99
Shiraz / Cabernet Sauvignon
80% Dry-grown Barossa Valley 85 year-old Shiraz vines 20% Dry-grown Barossa Valley 60 year-old Cabernet Sauvignon vines 100% Barossa Valley (Northern Ebenezer region) 14 months in 100% new oak of which 20% is American and 80% French (70% Hogsheads & 30% barriques) 14.5% Alcohol The name Godolphin has been linked with excellence in many fields, including politics, education and literature. The same ideals are used in the making of this wine and echoed through the labels Ancient Egyptian Ankh symbol (pronounced onk). Historically the ankh symbolised sunrise, regeneration, regrowth and renewal.
Kaesler, Old Bastard, Shiraz, Barossa 2005
98 Points Robert Parker
List $139.99 Sale $89.99
As good as the preceding wines may be, they pale in the shadow of the 2005 Shiraz "Old Bastard", sourced from a 114-year-old vineyard, and which spent 22 months in new and one-year-old French oak. It presents a superb perfume of cedar, violets, lavender, smoked meat, game, black raspberry, and blueberry. This leads to a voluptuous, velvety-textured, layered, super concentrated Shiraz in perfect balance with well-concealed tannins and a 60-second, pure finish. Give it 6-8 years and drink it through 2035. The Kaesler family, of Silesian origin, emigrated to the Barossa in the 1840s.
The winemaking is in the hands of Reid Bosward and Stephen Dew.
Label by Ralph Steadman, The Grapes of Ralph.
Kalleske, Greenock, Shiraz, Barossa, 2004
94 Points Robert Parker
List $54.99 Sale $ 39.99
Produced from relatively young vines some of whose fruit is sold to Seppelt and Penfolds, the 2004 Shiraz Greenock possesses an opaque purple color in addition to a gorgeously rich nose of toasty, smoky oak interwoven with black raspberry, blackberry, and cassis fruit flavors. Full-bodied, rich, and spicy, with no hard edges, it displays a generous dosage of American oak that is nearly over the top.
Leeuwin, Chardonnay, Artist Series, Margaret River 2004
93 Points Robert Parker
List $64.99 Sale $32.50
I have long considered this wine to consistently be among the top ten Chardonnay in the world.
The palate displays the mouth filling and intense flavors of fresh ripe pears which is full bodied and incredibly rich, intermingling with delicious stone fruit flavors and nectarine. The middle palate shows richness from both the fruit and the lees stirring, with a lingering fresh citrus finish. The new French oak complements the fruit, providing a wonderful balance of warm toasty flavors on the finish.
Rusden, Ripper Creek 2003
Cabernet Sauvignon / Shiraz
92 Points Robert Parker
List $ 44.99 Sale $29.99
A blend of equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz that was aged 18 months in 100% used French oak, the 2004 Cabernet/Shiraz Ripper Creek is a big, harmonious, dense purple-colored red displaying a sweet perfume of black and red fruits intermixed with incense, cedar, pepper, and spice. This weighty yet beautifully balanced, elegant, long stunner can be drunk now or cellared for a decade or more.
California
Anderson’s Conn Valley Reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa 2006
94 Points Robert Parker
List $64.99 Pre-Sale $49.99
Sweet creme de cassis fruit intermixed with incense, charcoal, and hints of asphalt and creosote, along with some subtle smoky barrel smells. The wine has a big, substantial mouthfeel, firm but sweet tannins, and a generous, savory finish with outstanding purity and extract. This wine is more backward, as one might expect in this vintage, but it promises to evolve for 25+ years.
Anderson’s Conn Valley, Right Bank, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa 2005
95 Points Robert Parker
List $59.99 Sale $39.99
Sweet notes of bouquet garni intermixed with roasted coffee, chocolate, black cherry, and black currant. The wine is deep, rich, round, but once the tannins kick in at the back of the palate, this wine clearly begs for bottle age. Give it 4-5 years of cellar age and drink it over the following 25+ years. It's safe to say that Todd Anderson and winemaking assistant Mac Sawyer are flying on all cylinders with their Bordeaux varietals at this winery tucked away in the Conn Valley...There are three red wine cuvees made - the Right Bank, based on the Pomerol concept of a Merlot-dominated wine with some Cabernet Franc in it, the pure Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, which has long been the flagship wine of the estate, and of course, the Eloge, which is more of a Medoc-like blend of two-thirds Cabernet Sauvignon, about 20-25% Cabernet Franc, and the balance Merlot and Petit Verdot. These are all sensational wines, all worth tracking down in the marketplace. There are approximately 1,000 cases of the Right Bank. It is usually a blend of two-thirds Merlot and one-third Cabernet Franc." 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc.
Beringer, Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa 2002 (375ml)
94 Points Robert Parker
List $59.99 Sale $39.99 (half bottle)
Vinifying the fruit from each vineyard separately, Ed and his winemaking partner Laurie Hook used gentle pump-over techniques for optimal extraction, and then aged the wines in hand-selected, custom-toasted barrels of new French Nevers oak. The wines went through 100% malolactic fermentation for added complexity and softness, and were aged just over two years before Ed selected the blend - 48% Steinhauer Ranch, 23% St. Helena Home Ranch, 8% Marston Vineyard, 7% Bancroft Ranch, 6% Rancho del Oso, and 2% Chabot. Also added to the blend is a touch of Cabernet Franc (6%) from Bancroft and Steinhauer Ranches. Aromas of cassis, black cherry, cedar and dark chocolate transition to rich expressions of black fruit, vanilla and brown spices on the palate as ripe supple tannins linger throughout the extracted and long finish
Bond, Vecina, Cabernet Sauvignon, Spring Mountain, Napa 2005
96 Points Robert Parker
Internet pricing was from $380.00 – $450.00 now just $279.00 each
Only 6 bottles remaining
A rich, opulent, fleshy style, brimming with ripe black cherry, wild berry and currant flavors that are supple and well-focused, keeping the fruit well-centered and ending with ripe tannins that have a nice earthy, cedary edge. There`s wonderful length on the finish.
Bond, E Pluribus, Cabernet Sauvignon, Oakville, Napa 2005
96 Points Robert Parker
Internet pricing was from $380.00 – $450.00 now just $279.00 each
Only 6 bottles remaining
Beginning production in 1997, Harlan founded the Bond Estates, in collaboration with winemaker Robert Levy and vineyard manager Mary Hall, with the intent to identify and produce wine from grand crus of Napa Valley. Erroneously described as second wines of Harlan Estate, the Bond winery is located on the western hills of Oakville. From small separate plots there is produced terroir specific Cabernet Sauvignon wines, named Melbury from northeast of Rutherford St. Eden from north of Oakville, Vecina from west of Oakville, Pluribus from west of Calistoga and the blended second wine Matriarch, each wine with the limited production of approximately 700 cases produced
Chappellet, Pritchard Hill, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa 2005
96 Points The Wine Spectator
List $109.99 Sale $99.99
PHEV in the shorthand of the winery, a companion Cabernet Franc-based wine is also produced under the same program, and the wines represent the most severe cuts to include only the best barrels from the best lots. We receive only a thimble full of this world-class wine. Blended with 18% Petite Verdot and 6% Malbec. The nose shows exquisite concentration to the profound cassis, chocolate, licorice and black cherry aromas, with a polished vein of spicy oak. Nothing is lost in the translation to the palate as the wine is seamlessly integrated across all facets. Flavors of blackberry, licorice, allspice, and mocha are well integrated into a marvelous complexity.
Crocker & Star, Stone Place Cuvee, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa 2005
94 Points Robert Parker
List $99.99 Pre-Sale $69.99
Located just south of the town of St. Helena, the 50-acre Crocker Vineyard sits in what Starr refers to as a “nook” off Highway 29, the main artery that runs through the region. Starr is very intimate with that vineyard, calling herself a “soil translator”, which she prefers to the term “terroir denizen.”
Starr once thought she’d be a dentist but, as she is fond of saying, “Thank God I fell off that truck.” Instead, she wound up at Sonoma-Cutrer, which was bullish on Chardonnay, before she landed as the winemaker of mostly Cabernet Sauvignon at the great St. Helena property, Spottswoode from 1992 to ’97.
Etude, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa 2004 (375ml)
94 Points Robert Parker
List $49.99 Sale $29.99 (half bottle)
The classic, deep ruby/purple-tinged 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa offers aromas of tobacco leaf,
cedar, black currants, tar, licorice, and espresso. Full-bodied, powerful, and opulent, it can be drunk
"now or cellared for 15 or more years."
Ferrari Carano, Siena, Sonoma 2006
List $25.99 Sale $16.88
Sangiovese based red blend, 87% Sangiovese, 9% Malbec, 4% Cabernet Sauvignon
Just Arrived!
Lewis, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa 2006
95 Points Robert Parker
List $124.99 Sale $104.90
Extremely allocated, first come first served
Mount Veeder, Cabernet Sauvignon, Reserve, Napa 2004
90 Connoisseurs Guide
53% Cabernet, 44% Merlot, 3% Malbec
List $79.99 Sale $49.88
Mount Veeder was the first winery in California to recognize the unique complexity achieved by blending Cabernet Sauvignon with the four other traditional Bordeaux varieties, all five of which grow on the Mount Veeder estate. The Mount Veeder Reserve is a most elegant statement of this winemaking philosophy. Crafted from small lots of exceptionally concentrated fruit from some of the oldest vines on the property, this distinctive red wine is the essence of power and finesse.
Newton Chardonnay, Un-filtered, Napa 2006
Always receives 95 Points plus Robert Parker, however this wine is not yet rated.
List $59.99 Sale and Net at $43.90 each
2005 received 96 points from Parker and I can assure you that it’s even tastier!!! Order now before the big new rating is released and we sell out. Trust me, this is a deliciously distinctive thriller guaranteed to thrill serious Chardonnay collectors!
Ridgeline, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa 2002
List $44.99 Sale $19.98
This is a massive wine!
Nestled high in the Alexander Valley, sits Ridgeline vineyards mysteriously serene, a hidden mountainside where warm sun and rocky soil create fruit of intense flavor and balanced acidity. This Cabernet Sauvignon shows berry, tobacco, chocolate and smoky spice with a bold finish. the combined forces of Codorniu of Spain and winemaker Dave Dobson of Artesa. The nose held sweet black fruit notes, The palate was long and silky, with sweet red and black currants, plenty of tannins and body and a long, mouthfilling finish
Signorello, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa 2005
92 Points Robert Parker, Wine Spectator, 91 Points Connoisseurs Guide
List $49.99 Sale $42.90
"14% Merlot; 11% Cabernet Franc. Slightly closed in but nicely concentrated and hinting at layering in its mildly woodsy, forest-floor and currant aromas and again in its extracted flavors, this fully ripened youngster is built for future enjoyment rather than near-term appeal. It is a gutsy, big-bodied wine with more than nominal tannins, but, at every step of its way, it offers up plenty of fruit and the taste of cassis powers its way past considerable closing astringency. A half-dozen years seems the minimal wait here, but it will not reach peak drinkability until another decade has passed." -91 Points - Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine
Stag’s Leap Winery, Artemis, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa 2006
List $59.99 Sale $39.99 (WOW)
A Higher Target, A New Name. The replanting of the estate vineyards now allows Stag’s Leap to designate a larger proportion of their own superb fruit for use in our Napa Valley Cabernet. Previously, the blend had drawn from selected vineyards in many parts of the valley to weave together its varied terrain and represent the Napa Valley as a whole. Now, with the 2001 vintage, they are focusing not only on a representative style, but on a balance of harmony, of power and suppleness, targeting what the winery calls the golden mean principle expressed so beautifully in the estate wines of FAY, SLV and the CASK 23. Artemis reflects a new vision for the Napa Valley Cabernet.
Steele, Merlot, Clear Lake, Lake County 2005
List $19.99 Sale $12.94
Great merlot value by the most successful vintner in California
While most producers of Merlot tend toward the soft and supple wine style, we have opted, because of the quality of the grapes, to make a wine in a rich, generous style. This wine is a mouthful of pleasure: lots of fruit, medium tannins and a long lingering finish. We would recommend some cellar time for this wine if only to allow all of the great aromas and flavors properly meld. We feel that this wine can compete with any Merlot from any growing region anywhere in the world.
St Francis, Sonoma County Red, 2006
List $13.99 Sale $9.88
Great House Wine!
This year's Red blend is 60% Merlot, 29% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cab Franc and 4% Zinfandel, all 100% is Sonoma County grown fruit according to Winemaker Tom Mackey.
Swanson, Merlot, Napa 2004
94 Points Wine & Spirits
List $39.99 Sale $26.88
Swanson has been making terrific Merlot for a long time, but winemaker, Chris Phelps may have outdone himself with this vintage. If you like solid structured Merlot, look no further. "This wine is an intense expression of Merlot. Black cherry, blackberry, smoke and espresso are prominent on the nose and palate. Powerful, satiny tannins provide the stunning texture for which Swanson Merlot is known. Warmly inviting upon release, this wine will continue to evolve for the next eight to ten years and hold for several years after that. Featuring the power of Oakville and refinement of Pomerol, close your eyes as you savor this wine and you may find yourself on Bordeaux’s Right Bank."
Whitehall Lane, Cabernet Sauvignon, Reserve, Napa 2003
List $79.99 Sale $49.99
4 Stars Decanter
The wine begins with a deep ruby color. There are aromas of black fruit and mocha that meld with the lush, viscous, well-concentrated flavors of black cherry, chocolate and oak-vanilla spice. This Reserve offering is round, ripe and deliciously succulent and offers a long, silky smooth finish.
The Closure: The 2003 Reserve Cabernet is the first wine in North America to be distributed with a revolutionary glass closure. The Vino-Seal is an elegant alternative to cork which is easy to open and preserves the natural purity of the wine's flavor and aroma. The Vino-Seal was designed by engineers at Alcoa as an alternative to cork that was more stylish and graceful than a screw cap. The glass closure was developed in Germany and has been gaining popularity with European winemakers and consumers since its introduction in 2003.
France
St Cosme, Cote Rotie, Rhone 2003
93 Points Robert Parker
List $99.99 Sale$59.99
Gorgeous aromas of flowers, bacon fat, and overripe blackberry and cassis fruit soar from the glass of the 2003 Cote Rotie. Fashioned from low yields of 18 hectoliters per hectare, the wine is spicy and ripe with surprisingly good natural acidity as well as full-bodied, powerful flavors. Drink it over the next 12-14 years.
Ch Coufran, Haut Medoc 2005
89 Points Robert Parker, 93 Points Wine Enthusiast, 89 Points Wine Spectator
List $24.99 Sale $16.88
Amazing deal, buy 6 bottles or more for just $14.50 each!
This primarily Merlot based wine represents an excellent effort from Coufran. This plum/ruby/purple tinged hussy boasts plenty of jammy black cherry fruit interwoven with notions of smoke, vanilla and white chocolate.
It is a sexy, up front, fleshy effort with low acidity as well as abundant fruit, glycerin and texture.
(I think Parker’s in love again)
Ch Grand Puy Lacoste, Pauillac 2004
89 Points Robert Parker
Must buy 6 bottles (minimum purchase) List $59.99 Sale $34.12
A truly great Pauillac, produced by Franços-Xavier Borie whose family own the famous Ducru-Beaucaillou. This much sought-after fifth classified cru is often considered one of the Bordeaux region's “super seconds”, with all the structure of the great Pauillac wines.
Ch D’Armailhac, Pauillac 2004
89 Points Robert Parker, 90 Points Wine Spectator, 90 Points Wine & Spirits
Must buy 6 bottles (minimum purchase) List $54.99 Sale $35.30
A dark ruby color is accompanied by crisp acids, sweet cranberry, black cherry, and darker fruit aromas, and a clean, pure, classically built, medium weight Pauillac. Still firm and tannic, this medium-bodied, elegantly wrought wine will benefit from another 2-3 years of cellaring
Ch La Bernadotte, Medoc 2004
88 Points Robert Parker
Must buy 6 bottles (minimum purchase) List $ 39.99 Sale $21.18
Bernadotte's well-made 2004 exhibits a deep ruby/plum/purple color as well as elegant cranberry, black cherry, and currant notes, good acidity, and a spicy, fresh, invigorating finish. Not a big wine, it displays a style completely different from the 2003.
Ch Meyney, St Estephe 2004
Must buy 6 bottles (minimum purchase) List $ 39.99 Sale $29.09
A dense, interesting nose, with rich fruit, with lots of blueberry, bramble and blackberry character, backed up by polished oak. Soft and broad, a rounded palate, with spicy tannins at the core. Lots of structure here in fact, but it is ripe, with nice acidity, and a bright and fresh character to the fruit.
Ch Monbousquet, St Emilion 2004
90 Points Robert Parker
Must buy 6 bottles (minimum purchase) List $59.99 Sale $42.36 Net
An intense ruby-red colour. Delicate woody aromas with notes of toast and ripe fruit. In the mouth the attack is supple and full, the tannins refined and the structure very aromatic. The red fruit comes to the fore - blackberry and cherry. Excellent concentration and a fresh finish with good aromatic return of the fruit.
Ch Pavie, St Emilion 2004
95 Points Robert Parker
$139.99 Net
“Very Limited”
A brilliant effort from proprietors Chantal and Gerard Perse, Pavie’s 2004 (7,050 cases) exhibits an inky/ruby/purple color, a surprisingly soft, forward style for this hallowed terroir, full-bodied, and concentrated creme de cassis flavors intermixed with cherries, truffles, and subtle smoky wood notes. Beautifully-textured as well as expansive, this may be the most developed and forward Pavie made by Perse since his acquisition of the property in 1998.
Jean Grivot, Clos de Vougeot, Grand Cru 2006
List $149.99 Sale $99.00
Good full red. Cherry, currant and licorice on the nose. Sweeter and lusher than the Beaumonts, with more early texture; in fact, this is rather tender for a young Clos Vougeot, giving an impression of lowish acidity. Chewy finish features sweet, tactile tannins.
Jean Grivot, Nuit St Georges, Boudots 2006
91 Points Robert Parker
List $105.00 Sale $68.75
The 2005 Nuits-St.-Georges Les Boudots (from 70-year-old vines) leads with a combination of ripe blackberry and black cherry allied to a marine minerality of salt spray and iodine. Fanning out across the palate with sweet, rich berry fruit and abundant fine tannin, yet remaining invigorating, this finishes impressively long on sedate low-tones of clear, pure black fruit and minerals, yet still with a sappy tang. Considerable incipient subtlety will reward some years of cellaring, or at least a more leisurely contemplation of the glass.
Bonneau du Martray, Le Corton, Grand Cru 2006 "
94 Points The Wine Spectator
List $190.00 Sale $119.90
Elegant nose of white flower, green apple, pear and natural spice and wet stone notes that introduce detailed, fresh and wonderfully intense flavors that are exceptionally clean and bright, culminating in a bone dry finish replete with superb minerality. It's sufficiently structured that it will need the better part of a decade to reach its apogee.
Philippe Colin, Chevalier Montrachet, Grand Cru 2006
93 Points Robert Parker
List $299.99 Sale $199.00
Very refined, elegant and ripe floral, green fruit and spice hints that continue onto the rich, full and delicious flavors that are really quite forward and possess less underlying tension than normal though there is plenty of finishing punch and vibrancy. This is a powerful Chevalier as there is ample dry extract and the class is obvious. In sum, this is a very fine rather than great example and one that will be ready sooner than usual."
Blain Gagnard, Batard Montrachet, Criots, Grand Cru 2006
List $169.99 Sale $124.99
A rich, succulent offering with plenty of fruit concentration, fine balance with great depth and complexity. A 'must buy' wine for the white Burgundy afficionado.
Blain Gagnard, Le Montrachet, Grand Cru 2006
List $525.00 Sale $299.00
Le Montrachet is produced in tiny quantities – so small in fact that Gagnard’s cellars contain remarkable tiny barrels to mature the wine, since barriques are too big. The wine is a hugely concentrated, wonderfully delineated effort with a wonderfully expressive nose and well structured palate. Resistance is difficult, but at least a decade of development in the cellar awaits this wine
Michel Niellon, Chevalier Montrachet, Grand Cru 2006
93 Points Burghound
List $340.00 Sale $199.00
Michel Niellon's wines are lauded as among the Cote de Beaune's best whites, provoking writers as diverse as Andrew Jefford and Robert Parker to reach for the superlatives. Based in Chassagne Montrachet, his village and Premier Cru wines fight above their weight but it is the Grand Crus Chevalier Montrachet and Batard Montrachet that are most sought after. Both are made in tiny quantities from very low yielding old vines.
''Very ripe orchard fruit, particularly peach, along with citrus and floral notes that continue onto the rich, round and notably powerful flavors that possess ample dry extract.''
Antonin & Dominique Guyon, Chambolle Musingny – AOC 2006
89 - 91 Points Burghound
List $59.99 Sale $39.99
Very nice ruby/purple colored wine with lovely aromas reminiscent of violets and perfumed red cherries. Elegant, beautifully concentrated, silk-textured, this wine may be kept for 10 years.
Comes from the non-premier cru part of Les Cras. Fullish body, sumptuous, ripe, classy, balanced fruit. Creamy – rich. Good tannins very fine for what it is.
Italy
Costanti, Brunello di Montalcino 2003
93 Points Robert Parker
List $99.99 Sale $49.99
Costanti’s 2003 Brunello di Montalcino is among the handful number of standouts in this vintage. The wine reveals lovely depth and purity. Fragrant aromatics meld seamlessly onto the palate, where layers of dark cherries, spices and toasted oak come to life in a very pretty expression of Sangiovese from Montalcino. There is plenty of volume and depth here to insure at least another decade of superb drinking. The 2003 Brunello saw malolactic fermentation in steel, after which it spent about 18 months in 350-liter French oak barrels followed by another roughly 18 months in 30-hectoliter Slavonian oak casks. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2018.
La Magia, Brunello di Montalcino 1999
91 Points The Wine Spectator
List $59.99 Sale $39.99
"Wonderful perfumes of berry, flowers and hints of mineral follow through to a medium- to full-bodied palate, with fine tannins and a refined finish. Very silky. Best after 2005. 830 cases made."
Bricco Manzoni, Barolo, Piedmont 2000
2 Glasses Gambrero Rosso
$79.99 Sale $59.99
Only 6 bottles remaining
Valentino Migliorini, an active restaurant owner in Emilia as well as a relative Barolo newcomer, came up with the idea of combining the Nebbiolo grapes with Barbera. It seemed to make sense since Barbera, although high in acid, was low in tannin and Nebbiolo had lots of both. Also, why not age the blend in new French barriques, thereby providing some sweet tannins to the mixture. The formula was a success and so Bricco Manzoni was born. Although the Nebbiolo-Barbera blend was probably surreptitiously used in the past, Valentino was certainly one of the first if not the first to put it on the “modern” Langhe board.
Spain
CVNE, Imperial, Gran Reserva, Rioja, 2000
90 Points Robert Parker
List $44.99 Sale $19.99
Deep red. Expansive bouquet of spicecake, redcurrant, cherry, vanilla and pipe tobacco. Smooth and plush, the red fruit flavors gently accented by spice, leather and coffee and framed by silky tannins. Finishes supple, lush and long.
Classic, old-school Rioja: this should be a superb companion to braised meat dishes now or in the years to come.
Numanthia, Termes, Toro 2006
93 Points Wine Spectator
List $ 32.99 Sale $ 26.79
100% Tinta de Toro
Spicy, oak-inflected aromas of cherry, licorice and roasted coffee. Medium-bodied and firm, the cherry flavor braced by fresh acids and supported by gentle, dusty tannins. Finishes youthfully taut and with impressive persistence, a note of tobacco sneaking in on the back.
El Nido,” Jumilla 2006
List $149.99 Sale $96.95
Now is your chance to secure a bottle of this prized red from Jumilla, the big gun from El Nido. Check these scores from the past four vintages as reviewed by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate... 2005 vintage (98 points), 2004 vintage (99 points), 2003 vintage (97 points), 2002 vintage (96 points). Grab it now because when this year's wine gets reviewed it will be too late. According to Robert Parker: "The winemaking at the El Nido project is overseen by renowned Australian vigneron Chris Ringland. After a meticulous selection process, the grapes are basket pressed and fermented in oak. Malolactic fermentation occurs in new French and American oak where the wine remains for 26 months."
Monthly Wine Specials for July 2009
Australia
The Colonial Estate, Émigré, Barossa 2006
92 Points Robert Parker
List $99.99 Sale $24.99
Emigre is a proprietary blend of old vine Grenache, Shiraz, Mourvedre, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Its inky/purple color is accompanied by aromas and flavors of lead pencil shavings, blackberries, blueberries, cassis, and licorice. Although it has a fabulous texture as well as a massive palate, it is neither over the top nor hot (even though it boasts 15.5% natural alcohol). The tannin is melted, but high.This 2006 is impossible to resist at present, it should age well for 10-12 years, possibly longer.
Kudos to proprietor Jonathan Malthus for his work in the Barossa.
The Colonial Estate, Exile, Barossa 2006
93 Points Robert Parker
List $199.99 Sale $38.50
Shiraz / Mouvedre
The single vineyard 2006 Exile is fashioned from a northern Barossa Shiraz vineyard. A stunning, 100% new French oak-aged blend of 85% Shiraz and the rest primarily Mourvedre, it is a wine of extraordinary intensity as well as aromatic purity. Blackberry, espresso roast, scorched earth, and flower characteristics are found in this full-bodied yet elegant, well-defined effort. It should drink beautifully for 10-15 years."
D’Arenberg, Cabernet Sauvignon, Coppermine Road, McLaren Vale 2004
92 Points Robert Parker
List $64.99 Sale $29.99
The grapes for this wine come largely from a near extinct clone of Cabernet Sauvignon. This unnamed clone yields no more than one ton per acre because of its very poor setting ability and the tiny size of its berries. However, its those tiny berries that deliver the superior quality with wonderful violet and blackcurrant aromas, great acidity and long, intense fine-grain tannins. With bottle age, the wine will become more harmonious and gain more complex characters of chocolate, truffle, cigar box and earth.
"The spicy 2003 The Coppermine Road Cabernet Sauvignon (aged in equal parts new French and new American oak) reveals copious quantities of black currants, cedar, vanilla, and white chocolate aromas, followed by spicy, tannic, full-bodied, powerful, dense, well-structured flavors. It should drink well for 10-15+ years."-
Godolphin, Barossa 2005
93 Points Robert Parker
List $59.99 Sale $39.99
Shiraz / Cabernet Sauvignon
80% Dry-grown Barossa Valley 85 year-old Shiraz vines 20% Dry-grown Barossa Valley 60 year-old Cabernet Sauvignon vines 100% Barossa Valley (Northern Ebenezer region) 14 months in 100% new oak of which 20% is American and 80% French (70% Hogsheads & 30% barriques) 14.5% Alcohol The name Godolphin has been linked with excellence in many fields, including politics, education and literature. The same ideals are used in the making of this wine and echoed through the labels Ancient Egyptian Ankh symbol (pronounced onk). Historically the ankh symbolised sunrise, regeneration, regrowth and renewal.
Kaesler, Old Bastard, Shiraz, Barossa 2005
98 Points Robert Parker
List $139.99 Sale $89.99
As good as the preceding wines may be, they pale in the shadow of the 2005 Shiraz "Old Bastard", sourced from a 114-year-old vineyard, and which spent 22 months in new and one-year-old French oak. It presents a superb perfume of cedar, violets, lavender, smoked meat, game, black raspberry, and blueberry. This leads to a voluptuous, velvety-textured, layered, super concentrated Shiraz in perfect balance with well-concealed tannins and a 60-second, pure finish. Give it 6-8 years and drink it through 2035. The Kaesler family, of Silesian origin, emigrated to the Barossa in the 1840s.
The winemaking is in the hands of Reid Bosward and Stephen Dew.
Label by Ralph Steadman, The Grapes of Ralph.
Kalleske, Greenock, Shiraz, Barossa, 2004
94 Points Robert Parker
List $54.99 Sale $ 39.99
Produced from relatively young vines some of whose fruit is sold to Seppelt and Penfolds, the 2004 Shiraz Greenock possesses an opaque purple color in addition to a gorgeously rich nose of toasty, smoky oak interwoven with black raspberry, blackberry, and cassis fruit flavors. Full-bodied, rich, and spicy, with no hard edges, it displays a generous dosage of American oak that is nearly over the top.
Leeuwin, Chardonnay, Artist Series, Margaret River 2004
93 Points Robert Parker
List $64.99 Sale $32.50
I have long considered this wine to consistently be among the top ten Chardonnay in the world.
The palate displays the mouth filling and intense flavors of fresh ripe pears which is full bodied and incredibly rich, intermingling with delicious stone fruit flavors and nectarine. The middle palate shows richness from both the fruit and the lees stirring, with a lingering fresh citrus finish. The new French oak complements the fruit, providing a wonderful balance of warm toasty flavors on the finish.
Rusden, Ripper Creek 2003
Cabernet Sauvignon / Shiraz
92 Points Robert Parker
List $ 44.99 Sale $29.99
A blend of equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz that was aged 18 months in 100% used French oak, the 2004 Cabernet/Shiraz Ripper Creek is a big, harmonious, dense purple-colored red displaying a sweet perfume of black and red fruits intermixed with incense, cedar, pepper, and spice. This weighty yet beautifully balanced, elegant, long stunner can be drunk now or cellared for a decade or more.
California
Anderson’s Conn Valley Reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa 2006
94 Points Robert Parker
List $64.99 Pre-Sale $49.99
Sweet creme de cassis fruit intermixed with incense, charcoal, and hints of asphalt and creosote, along with some subtle smoky barrel smells. The wine has a big, substantial mouthfeel, firm but sweet tannins, and a generous, savory finish with outstanding purity and extract. This wine is more backward, as one might expect in this vintage, but it promises to evolve for 25+ years.
Anderson’s Conn Valley, Right Bank, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa 2005
95 Points Robert Parker
List $59.99 Sale $39.99
Sweet notes of bouquet garni intermixed with roasted coffee, chocolate, black cherry, and black currant. The wine is deep, rich, round, but once the tannins kick in at the back of the palate, this wine clearly begs for bottle age. Give it 4-5 years of cellar age and drink it over the following 25+ years. It's safe to say that Todd Anderson and winemaking assistant Mac Sawyer are flying on all cylinders with their Bordeaux varietals at this winery tucked away in the Conn Valley...There are three red wine cuvees made - the Right Bank, based on the Pomerol concept of a Merlot-dominated wine with some Cabernet Franc in it, the pure Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, which has long been the flagship wine of the estate, and of course, the Eloge, which is more of a Medoc-like blend of two-thirds Cabernet Sauvignon, about 20-25% Cabernet Franc, and the balance Merlot and Petit Verdot. These are all sensational wines, all worth tracking down in the marketplace. There are approximately 1,000 cases of the Right Bank. It is usually a blend of two-thirds Merlot and one-third Cabernet Franc." 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc.
Beringer, Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa 2002 (375ml)
94 Points Robert Parker
List $59.99 Sale $39.99 (half bottle)
Vinifying the fruit from each vineyard separately, Ed and his winemaking partner Laurie Hook used gentle pump-over techniques for optimal extraction, and then aged the wines in hand-selected, custom-toasted barrels of new French Nevers oak. The wines went through 100% malolactic fermentation for added complexity and softness, and were aged just over two years before Ed selected the blend - 48% Steinhauer Ranch, 23% St. Helena Home Ranch, 8% Marston Vineyard, 7% Bancroft Ranch, 6% Rancho del Oso, and 2% Chabot. Also added to the blend is a touch of Cabernet Franc (6%) from Bancroft and Steinhauer Ranches. Aromas of cassis, black cherry, cedar and dark chocolate transition to rich expressions of black fruit, vanilla and brown spices on the palate as ripe supple tannins linger throughout the extracted and long finish
Bond, Vecina, Cabernet Sauvignon, Spring Mountain, Napa 2005
96 Points Robert Parker
Internet pricing was from $380.00 – $450.00 now just $279.00 each
Only 6 bottles remaining
A rich, opulent, fleshy style, brimming with ripe black cherry, wild berry and currant flavors that are supple and well-focused, keeping the fruit well-centered and ending with ripe tannins that have a nice earthy, cedary edge. There`s wonderful length on the finish.
Bond, E Pluribus, Cabernet Sauvignon, Oakville, Napa 2005
96 Points Robert Parker
Internet pricing was from $380.00 – $450.00 now just $279.00 each
Only 6 bottles remaining
Beginning production in 1997, Harlan founded the Bond Estates, in collaboration with winemaker Robert Levy and vineyard manager Mary Hall, with the intent to identify and produce wine from grand crus of Napa Valley. Erroneously described as second wines of Harlan Estate, the Bond winery is located on the western hills of Oakville. From small separate plots there is produced terroir specific Cabernet Sauvignon wines, named Melbury from northeast of Rutherford St. Eden from north of Oakville, Vecina from west of Oakville, Pluribus from west of Calistoga and the blended second wine Matriarch, each wine with the limited production of approximately 700 cases produced
Chappellet, Pritchard Hill, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa 2005
96 Points The Wine Spectator
List $109.99 Sale $99.99
PHEV in the shorthand of the winery, a companion Cabernet Franc-based wine is also produced under the same program, and the wines represent the most severe cuts to include only the best barrels from the best lots. We receive only a thimble full of this world-class wine. Blended with 18% Petite Verdot and 6% Malbec. The nose shows exquisite concentration to the profound cassis, chocolate, licorice and black cherry aromas, with a polished vein of spicy oak. Nothing is lost in the translation to the palate as the wine is seamlessly integrated across all facets. Flavors of blackberry, licorice, allspice, and mocha are well integrated into a marvelous complexity.
Crocker & Star, Stone Place Cuvee, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa 2005
94 Points Robert Parker
List $99.99 Pre-Sale $69.99
Located just south of the town of St. Helena, the 50-acre Crocker Vineyard sits in what Starr refers to as a “nook” off Highway 29, the main artery that runs through the region. Starr is very intimate with that vineyard, calling herself a “soil translator”, which she prefers to the term “terroir denizen.”
Starr once thought she’d be a dentist but, as she is fond of saying, “Thank God I fell off that truck.” Instead, she wound up at Sonoma-Cutrer, which was bullish on Chardonnay, before she landed as the winemaker of mostly Cabernet Sauvignon at the great St. Helena property, Spottswoode from 1992 to ’97.
Etude, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa 2004 (375ml)
94 Points Robert Parker
List $49.99 Sale $29.99 (half bottle)
The classic, deep ruby/purple-tinged 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa offers aromas of tobacco leaf,
cedar, black currants, tar, licorice, and espresso. Full-bodied, powerful, and opulent, it can be drunk
"now or cellared for 15 or more years."
Ferrari Carano, Siena, Sonoma 2006
List $25.99 Sale $16.88
Sangiovese based red blend, 87% Sangiovese, 9% Malbec, 4% Cabernet Sauvignon
Just Arrived!
Lewis, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa 2006
95 Points Robert Parker
List $124.99 Sale $104.90
Extremely allocated, first come first served
Mount Veeder, Cabernet Sauvignon, Reserve, Napa 2004
90 Connoisseurs Guide
53% Cabernet, 44% Merlot, 3% Malbec
List $79.99 Sale $49.88
Mount Veeder was the first winery in California to recognize the unique complexity achieved by blending Cabernet Sauvignon with the four other traditional Bordeaux varieties, all five of which grow on the Mount Veeder estate. The Mount Veeder Reserve is a most elegant statement of this winemaking philosophy. Crafted from small lots of exceptionally concentrated fruit from some of the oldest vines on the property, this distinctive red wine is the essence of power and finesse.
Newton Chardonnay, Un-filtered, Napa 2006
Always receives 95 Points plus Robert Parker, however this wine is not yet rated.
List $59.99 Sale and Net at $43.90 each
2005 received 96 points from Parker and I can assure you that it’s even tastier!!! Order now before the big new rating is released and we sell out. Trust me, this is a deliciously distinctive thriller guaranteed to thrill serious Chardonnay collectors!
Ridgeline, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa 2002
List $44.99 Sale $19.98
This is a massive wine!
Nestled high in the Alexander Valley, sits Ridgeline vineyards mysteriously serene, a hidden mountainside where warm sun and rocky soil create fruit of intense flavor and balanced acidity. This Cabernet Sauvignon shows berry, tobacco, chocolate and smoky spice with a bold finish. the combined forces of Codorniu of Spain and winemaker Dave Dobson of Artesa. The nose held sweet black fruit notes, The palate was long and silky, with sweet red and black currants, plenty of tannins and body and a long, mouthfilling finish
Signorello, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa 2005
92 Points Robert Parker, Wine Spectator, 91 Points Connoisseurs Guide
List $49.99 Sale $42.90
"14% Merlot; 11% Cabernet Franc. Slightly closed in but nicely concentrated and hinting at layering in its mildly woodsy, forest-floor and currant aromas and again in its extracted flavors, this fully ripened youngster is built for future enjoyment rather than near-term appeal. It is a gutsy, big-bodied wine with more than nominal tannins, but, at every step of its way, it offers up plenty of fruit and the taste of cassis powers its way past considerable closing astringency. A half-dozen years seems the minimal wait here, but it will not reach peak drinkability until another decade has passed." -91 Points - Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine
Stag’s Leap Winery, Artemis, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa 2006
List $59.99 Sale $39.99 (WOW)
A Higher Target, A New Name. The replanting of the estate vineyards now allows Stag’s Leap to designate a larger proportion of their own superb fruit for use in our Napa Valley Cabernet. Previously, the blend had drawn from selected vineyards in many parts of the valley to weave together its varied terrain and represent the Napa Valley as a whole. Now, with the 2001 vintage, they are focusing not only on a representative style, but on a balance of harmony, of power and suppleness, targeting what the winery calls the golden mean principle expressed so beautifully in the estate wines of FAY, SLV and the CASK 23. Artemis reflects a new vision for the Napa Valley Cabernet.
Steele, Merlot, Clear Lake, Lake County 2005
List $19.99 Sale $12.94
Great merlot value by the most successful vintner in California
While most producers of Merlot tend toward the soft and supple wine style, we have opted, because of the quality of the grapes, to make a wine in a rich, generous style. This wine is a mouthful of pleasure: lots of fruit, medium tannins and a long lingering finish. We would recommend some cellar time for this wine if only to allow all of the great aromas and flavors properly meld. We feel that this wine can compete with any Merlot from any growing region anywhere in the world.
St Francis, Sonoma County Red, 2006
List $13.99 Sale $9.88
Great House Wine!
This year's Red blend is 60% Merlot, 29% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cab Franc and 4% Zinfandel, all 100% is Sonoma County grown fruit according to Winemaker Tom Mackey.
Swanson, Merlot, Napa 2004
94 Points Wine & Spirits
List $39.99 Sale $26.88
Swanson has been making terrific Merlot for a long time, but winemaker, Chris Phelps may have outdone himself with this vintage. If you like solid structured Merlot, look no further. "This wine is an intense expression of Merlot. Black cherry, blackberry, smoke and espresso are prominent on the nose and palate. Powerful, satiny tannins provide the stunning texture for which Swanson Merlot is known. Warmly inviting upon release, this wine will continue to evolve for the next eight to ten years and hold for several years after that. Featuring the power of Oakville and refinement of Pomerol, close your eyes as you savor this wine and you may find yourself on Bordeaux’s Right Bank."
Whitehall Lane, Cabernet Sauvignon, Reserve, Napa 2003
List $79.99 Sale $49.99
4 Stars Decanter
The wine begins with a deep ruby color. There are aromas of black fruit and mocha that meld with the lush, viscous, well-concentrated flavors of black cherry, chocolate and oak-vanilla spice. This Reserve offering is round, ripe and deliciously succulent and offers a long, silky smooth finish.
The Closure: The 2003 Reserve Cabernet is the first wine in North America to be distributed with a revolutionary glass closure. The Vino-Seal is an elegant alternative to cork which is easy to open and preserves the natural purity of the wine's flavor and aroma. The Vino-Seal was designed by engineers at Alcoa as an alternative to cork that was more stylish and graceful than a screw cap. The glass closure was developed in Germany and has been gaining popularity with European winemakers and consumers since its introduction in 2003.
France
St Cosme, Cote Rotie, Rhone 2003
93 Points Robert Parker
List $99.99 Sale$59.99
Gorgeous aromas of flowers, bacon fat, and overripe blackberry and cassis fruit soar from the glass of the 2003 Cote Rotie. Fashioned from low yields of 18 hectoliters per hectare, the wine is spicy and ripe with surprisingly good natural acidity as well as full-bodied, powerful flavors. Drink it over the next 12-14 years.
Ch Coufran, Haut Medoc 2005
89 Points Robert Parker, 93 Points Wine Enthusiast, 89 Points Wine Spectator
List $24.99 Sale $16.88
Amazing deal, buy 6 bottles or more for just $14.50 each!
This primarily Merlot based wine represents an excellent effort from Coufran. This plum/ruby/purple tinged hussy boasts plenty of jammy black cherry fruit interwoven with notions of smoke, vanilla and white chocolate.
It is a sexy, up front, fleshy effort with low acidity as well as abundant fruit, glycerin and texture.
(I think Parker’s in love again)
Ch Grand Puy Lacoste, Pauillac 2004
89 Points Robert Parker
Must buy 6 bottles (minimum purchase) List $59.99 Sale $34.12
A truly great Pauillac, produced by Franços-Xavier Borie whose family own the famous Ducru-Beaucaillou. This much sought-after fifth classified cru is often considered one of the Bordeaux region's “super seconds”, with all the structure of the great Pauillac wines.
Ch D’Armailhac, Pauillac 2004
89 Points Robert Parker, 90 Points Wine Spectator, 90 Points Wine & Spirits
Must buy 6 bottles (minimum purchase) List $54.99 Sale $35.30
A dark ruby color is accompanied by crisp acids, sweet cranberry, black cherry, and darker fruit aromas, and a clean, pure, classically built, medium weight Pauillac. Still firm and tannic, this medium-bodied, elegantly wrought wine will benefit from another 2-3 years of cellaring
Ch La Bernadotte, Medoc 2004
88 Points Robert Parker
Must buy 6 bottles (minimum purchase) List $ 39.99 Sale $21.18
Bernadotte's well-made 2004 exhibits a deep ruby/plum/purple color as well as elegant cranberry, black cherry, and currant notes, good acidity, and a spicy, fresh, invigorating finish. Not a big wine, it displays a style completely different from the 2003.
Ch Meyney, St Estephe 2004
Must buy 6 bottles (minimum purchase) List $ 39.99 Sale $29.09
A dense, interesting nose, with rich fruit, with lots of blueberry, bramble and blackberry character, backed up by polished oak. Soft and broad, a rounded palate, with spicy tannins at the core. Lots of structure here in fact, but it is ripe, with nice acidity, and a bright and fresh character to the fruit.
Ch Monbousquet, St Emilion 2004
90 Points Robert Parker
Must buy 6 bottles (minimum purchase) List $59.99 Sale $42.36 Net
An intense ruby-red colour. Delicate woody aromas with notes of toast and ripe fruit. In the mouth the attack is supple and full, the tannins refined and the structure very aromatic. The red fruit comes to the fore - blackberry and cherry. Excellent concentration and a fresh finish with good aromatic return of the fruit.
Ch Pavie, St Emilion 2004
95 Points Robert Parker
$139.99 Net
“Very Limited”
A brilliant effort from proprietors Chantal and Gerard Perse, Pavie’s 2004 (7,050 cases) exhibits an inky/ruby/purple color, a surprisingly soft, forward style for this hallowed terroir, full-bodied, and concentrated creme de cassis flavors intermixed with cherries, truffles, and subtle smoky wood notes. Beautifully-textured as well as expansive, this may be the most developed and forward Pavie made by Perse since his acquisition of the property in 1998.
Jean Grivot, Clos de Vougeot, Grand Cru 2006
List $149.99 Sale $99.00
Good full red. Cherry, currant and licorice on the nose. Sweeter and lusher than the Beaumonts, with more early texture; in fact, this is rather tender for a young Clos Vougeot, giving an impression of lowish acidity. Chewy finish features sweet, tactile tannins.
Jean Grivot, Nuit St Georges, Boudots 2006
91 Points Robert Parker
List $105.00 Sale $68.75
The 2005 Nuits-St.-Georges Les Boudots (from 70-year-old vines) leads with a combination of ripe blackberry and black cherry allied to a marine minerality of salt spray and iodine. Fanning out across the palate with sweet, rich berry fruit and abundant fine tannin, yet remaining invigorating, this finishes impressively long on sedate low-tones of clear, pure black fruit and minerals, yet still with a sappy tang. Considerable incipient subtlety will reward some years of cellaring, or at least a more leisurely contemplation of the glass.
Bonneau du Martray, Le Corton, Grand Cru 2006 "
94 Points The Wine Spectator
List $190.00 Sale $119.90
Elegant nose of white flower, green apple, pear and natural spice and wet stone notes that introduce detailed, fresh and wonderfully intense flavors that are exceptionally clean and bright, culminating in a bone dry finish replete with superb minerality. It's sufficiently structured that it will need the better part of a decade to reach its apogee.
Philippe Colin, Chevalier Montrachet, Grand Cru 2006
93 Points Robert Parker
List $299.99 Sale $199.00
Very refined, elegant and ripe floral, green fruit and spice hints that continue onto the rich, full and delicious flavors that are really quite forward and possess less underlying tension than normal though there is plenty of finishing punch and vibrancy. This is a powerful Chevalier as there is ample dry extract and the class is obvious. In sum, this is a very fine rather than great example and one that will be ready sooner than usual."
Blain Gagnard, Batard Montrachet, Criots, Grand Cru 2006
List $169.99 Sale $124.99
A rich, succulent offering with plenty of fruit concentration, fine balance with great depth and complexity. A 'must buy' wine for the white Burgundy afficionado.
Blain Gagnard, Le Montrachet, Grand Cru 2006
List $525.00 Sale $299.00
Le Montrachet is produced in tiny quantities – so small in fact that Gagnard’s cellars contain remarkable tiny barrels to mature the wine, since barriques are too big. The wine is a hugely concentrated, wonderfully delineated effort with a wonderfully expressive nose and well structured palate. Resistance is difficult, but at least a decade of development in the cellar awaits this wine
Michel Niellon, Chevalier Montrachet, Grand Cru 2006
93 Points Burghound
List $340.00 Sale $199.00
Michel Niellon's wines are lauded as among the Cote de Beaune's best whites, provoking writers as diverse as Andrew Jefford and Robert Parker to reach for the superlatives. Based in Chassagne Montrachet, his village and Premier Cru wines fight above their weight but it is the Grand Crus Chevalier Montrachet and Batard Montrachet that are most sought after. Both are made in tiny quantities from very low yielding old vines.
''Very ripe orchard fruit, particularly peach, along with citrus and floral notes that continue onto the rich, round and notably powerful flavors that possess ample dry extract.''
Antonin & Dominique Guyon, Chambolle Musingny – AOC 2006
89 - 91 Points Burghound
List $59.99 Sale $39.99
Very nice ruby/purple colored wine with lovely aromas reminiscent of violets and perfumed red cherries. Elegant, beautifully concentrated, silk-textured, this wine may be kept for 10 years.
Comes from the non-premier cru part of Les Cras. Fullish body, sumptuous, ripe, classy, balanced fruit. Creamy – rich. Good tannins very fine for what it is.
Italy
Costanti, Brunello di Montalcino 2003
93 Points Robert Parker
List $99.99 Sale $49.99
Costanti’s 2003 Brunello di Montalcino is among the handful number of standouts in this vintage. The wine reveals lovely depth and purity. Fragrant aromatics meld seamlessly onto the palate, where layers of dark cherries, spices and toasted oak come to life in a very pretty expression of Sangiovese from Montalcino. There is plenty of volume and depth here to insure at least another decade of superb drinking. The 2003 Brunello saw malolactic fermentation in steel, after which it spent about 18 months in 350-liter French oak barrels followed by another roughly 18 months in 30-hectoliter Slavonian oak casks. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2018.
La Magia, Brunello di Montalcino 1999
91 Points The Wine Spectator
List $59.99 Sale $39.99
"Wonderful perfumes of berry, flowers and hints of mineral follow through to a medium- to full-bodied palate, with fine tannins and a refined finish. Very silky. Best after 2005. 830 cases made."
Bricco Manzoni, Barolo, Piedmont 2000
2 Glasses Gambrero Rosso
$79.99 Sale $59.99
Only 6 bottles remaining
Valentino Migliorini, an active restaurant owner in Emilia as well as a relative Barolo newcomer, came up with the idea of combining the Nebbiolo grapes with Barbera. It seemed to make sense since Barbera, although high in acid, was low in tannin and Nebbiolo had lots of both. Also, why not age the blend in new French barriques, thereby providing some sweet tannins to the mixture. The formula was a success and so Bricco Manzoni was born. Although the Nebbiolo-Barbera blend was probably surreptitiously used in the past, Valentino was certainly one of the first if not the first to put it on the “modern” Langhe board.
Spain
CVNE, Imperial, Gran Reserva, Rioja, 2000
90 Points Robert Parker
List $44.99 Sale $19.99
Deep red. Expansive bouquet of spicecake, redcurrant, cherry, vanilla and pipe tobacco. Smooth and plush, the red fruit flavors gently accented by spice, leather and coffee and framed by silky tannins. Finishes supple, lush and long.
Classic, old-school Rioja: this should be a superb companion to braised meat dishes now or in the years to come.
Numanthia, Termes, Toro 2006
93 Points Wine Spectator
List $ 32.99 Sale $ 26.79
100% Tinta de Toro
Spicy, oak-inflected aromas of cherry, licorice and roasted coffee. Medium-bodied and firm, the cherry flavor braced by fresh acids and supported by gentle, dusty tannins. Finishes youthfully taut and with impressive persistence, a note of tobacco sneaking in on the back.
El Nido,” Jumilla 2006
List $149.99 Sale $96.95
Now is your chance to secure a bottle of this prized red from Jumilla, the big gun from El Nido. Check these scores from the past four vintages as reviewed by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate... 2005 vintage (98 points), 2004 vintage (99 points), 2003 vintage (97 points), 2002 vintage (96 points). Grab it now because when this year's wine gets reviewed it will be too late. According to Robert Parker: "The winemaking at the El Nido project is overseen by renowned Australian vigneron Chris Ringland. After a meticulous selection process, the grapes are basket pressed and fermented in oak. Malolactic fermentation occurs in new French and American oak where the wine remains for 26 months."
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