To add ONE or SEVERAL items to your order at once, type the desired number of bottles in the How Many box for each item, then click the Add All Marked Items button at the bottom of the page.
The SUMMER WINE SALE is ready for your perusal just as summer has finally arrived.
The long-lasting evening light is so welcome. BUT you need wine to accompany your porching and refresh yourself after yard work.
That's where the VC Summer Wine Sale comes to into play.
You can download the Acrobat PDF file to make an instant printed copy of your own.
The download button is at the bottom of this page.
Sally can also email an Adobe Acrobat PDF file to you
To request this service, email Sally at winerat@villagecorner.com .
Also check out the ongoing End of Bin Sale in the Specials section of The Shop (click on Specials on the sidebar) for some stellar bargains.
U.S. RED |
| SUM09-102. 06 COLUMBIA CREST H3 HORSE HEAVEN HILLS CABERNET SAUVIGNON list: 16.99 sale: 13.99 each [12/cs] 12.59 w/cs disc Wine & Spirits 91 - 100 TOP VALUES OF THE YEAR: ‘This has satisfying savory aromas of tree bark, tobacco and sun-dried tomato to complement the dark, plummy fruit. There’s enough of a red tinge to that fruit to give the wine freshness and energy. A steal of a cab and a great choice for grilled short ribs.’ |
| sale: 13.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-103. 05 RODNEY STRONG ALEXANDER VALLEY CABERNET SAUVIGNON list: 24.99 sale: 19.99 each [12/cs] 17.99 w/cs disc Yes, the full, warm, spicy oak of a top Strong wine. Toast and caramel. And cassis. Well crafted and appealing./ Wow! Black currant and other black fruits, black pepper. Plenty of oak toast, wood smoke, and baking spices to the palate too. Chewy tannins. Good ALV size, presence, with ALV heat and ripeness nicely moderated. Well presented. Will improve too. 92+/100. |
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| SUM09-104. 06 CRESCENDO BANG IN NAPA VALLEY RED list: 18.99 sale: 14.99 each [12/cs] 13.49 w/cs disc Cabernet and friends. Quite a lush, approachable, fruity, and classy wine for the money. Good oak and fruit in harmony. Generous. Napa class. 91/100. |
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| SUM09-105. 07 MOUNTAIN VIEW LAKE COUNTY MERLOT list: 11.99 sale: 9.99 each [12/cs] 8.99 w/cs disc Considerable oak complications here. They’ve done a good job of it. The fruit has that nice Lake openness, approachability./ Dark for Lake. Quite a bit of tannin. Oak and fruit tannin. Ambitious wine. I don’t see many aging candidates at this price. Well done. 90+/100. |
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| SUM09-106. 07 PAVILION CROSSING SONOMA MERLOT list: 18.99 sale: 14.99 each [12/cs] 13.49 w/cs disc Nice, subtle oak integration. Real craftsmanship here as in the cabernet. Merlot give more softness, plumpness, richness than the cabernet./ Equally fine as the cabernet. Sense of Napa like elegance again. Lots of charm. Nicely made merlot. 91/100. |
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| SUM09-107. 07 MARK WEST CALIFORNIA PINOT NOIR list: 15.99 sale: 12.99 each [12/cs] 11.69 w/cs disc Real pinot cherry and black tea. Very cool and snappy; coastal, even shades of Euro./ Delicious, sweet pinot fruit character. Cherry creme and some oak toast. Really delivers. Best vintage yet for this cuvee. The 07 California reds continue to shine. Very well liked by the group, and considered an excellent value. 90/100. |
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| SUM09-108. 07 SEBASTIANI SONOMA COAST PINOT NOIR list: 21.99 sale: 17.99 each [12/cs] 16.19 w/cs disc Well, if this isn’t a showboat! Wow! Purple, velvety, deep, haunting, and properly cool Sonoma Coast take on pinot. Plenty of oak augmentation adds complexity, interest, entertainment. Sweet spices to season the fruit, which is irrepressible./ Sophisticated French oak aromas of Asian spices, incense. Smells and tastes like the $40 stuff. Sweet, smooth pinot approach. Surprisingly little tannic interference given the degree of oak presence. 92/100. |
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| SUM09-109. 06 WENTE SHORTHORN CANYON LIVERMORE VALLEY SYRAH list: 14.99 sale: 11.99 each [12/cs] 10.79 w/cs disc This is rich and intense. Really coming on strong already. Good oak. And varietal mass. Plus glints of syrah raspberry and peppercorn character./ Generous oak contributions at this price. Vanilla and toast. Syrah density, but stops short of being overbearing like some California syrahs. The fruit is sweet and welcoming. Best Wente syrah I’ve tasted. 91+/100. |
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| SUM09-110. 03 TERRE ROUGE LES COTES DE L’OUEST CLEMENTS HILLS SYRAH list: 16.99 sale: 13.99 each [12/cs] 12.59 w/cs disc The new Clements Hills appellation lies just west of the Amador County line. We enjoyed this wine with Five Onion Soup at our 4/21/09 Tasters Guild Dinner with winemaker Bill Easton who compares it to a Saint Joseph. It gave a splendid showing, softened, broadened, and complexed by five years’ aging. An outright steal at $14! 92/100. |
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| SUM09-111. 07 JOEL GOTT CALIFORNIA ZINFANDEL list: 20.99 sale: 16.99 each [12/cs] 15.29 w/cs disc Oh, a lovely raspberry and briar zin nose. 07 brightness. This is going to be a beauty./ Briary, tangy. Fine fruit quality. Great acidity. Very fine tannin. Good astringency. That’s got it! 91/100. |
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| SUM09-112. 06 RAVENSWOOD TELDESCHI VINEYARD DRY CREEK VALLEY ZINFANDEL list: 39.99 sale: 31.99 each [12/cs] 28.79 w/cs disc Connoisseurs’ Guide 95 - THREE ROSETTES: ‘The mating of Teldeschi fruit with the Ravenswood hand has yielded superb results across the years, and 2006 is not exception. From its first nose of ripe, concentrated blackberries tinged with sweet spices to the background notes of soils, toast and toffee to its varietally compelling flavors firmed by tough yet fruit-buffered tannins, this one never lets up, but it does want time in the cellar to soften its age-demanding astringency.’ |
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| SUM09-113. 05 TERRE ROUGE TETE A TETE SIERRA FOOTHILLS RED list: 16.99 sale: 13.99 each [12/cs] 12.59 w/cs disc 56% syrah, 28% mourvedre, and 16% grenache aged 16 months in Francois Freres barrels. A remarkably fruity and harmonious cuvee that led off our 4/21 Tasters Guild Terre Rouge dinner at Quarter Bistro, accompanied by bruschetta. Boy, this wine really sings. As bright and fresh as if it were an 07. Will prove very useful throughout the summer. 91/100. |
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| SUM09-114. 06 GUENOC LAKE COUNTY PETITE SIRAH list: 18.99 sale: 14.99 each [12/cs] 13.49 w/cs disc Nice, rationally imparted oak seasoning in tandem with that black, peppery character that is petite sirah. Really nicely oaked./ Yes, a balance of sweet oak, black fruit, and a slight citrus peel quality that is typical of this cuvee. One of the best vintages of an always-reliable series. Well liked by the group. 91+/100. |
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| SUM09-115. UVAGGIO ROSSO VECCHIO CALIFORNIA BARBERA list: 14.99 sale: 11.99 each [12/cs] 10.79 w/cs disc Hey! Good, dark, tarry peels aroma of barbera. And mulberry. I could fancy this a Piemonte barbera. Nothing sweet, warm climate, or New World about it. A nice rendition of the varietal. And it’s loaded. And well priced. 91+/100. |
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| SUM09-117. 08 JOEL GOTT CALIFORNIA SAUVIGNON BLANC list: 15.99 sale: 12.99 each [12/cs] 11.69 w/cs disc Lots of gooseberry. I mean gooseberry. There’s some grapefruit too. Good lift. Not too shrill; there’s padding./ Oh, boy! Crisp, mouthwatering, tingly acidity. Suits me to a T. 91/100. |
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| SUM09-118. 07 ROBERT MONDAVI NAPA VALLEY FUME BLANC list: 16.99 sale: 13.99 each [12/cs] 12.59 w/cs disc Wine Enthusiast 91 - EDITORS’ CHOICE: ‘The 2007 is so good it tastes like it has some grape from the famed To Kalon Vineyard. It’s a rich, pure wine, brimming with gooseberry, fig, green melon and white pepper flavors, accented with zesty acidity. Great food wine, and a bargain at this price. $20.’ At Wine Club: More grapefruit than usual. Some gunflint. Good body. The body and flint recall Pouilly Fume all right. Good knockoff–one of the best in this series./ Yes, the grapefruit, the dryness, the body. Fuller than Sancerre; closer to Pouilly Fume, or Graves. Terroir as well as fruit. Great effort. One of the sleepers of the evening; one of the best finds. 92/100. |
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| SUM09-119. 07 BENNETT FAMILY RESERVE RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY CHARDONNAY list: 20.99 sale: 16.99 each [12/cs] 15.29 w/cs disc Very nice and pure and classy RRV chardonnay nose. Fresh apple-citrus chardonnay with a light veneer of oak./ Lightly toasted oak. More oak on the palate, including some oak tannins. Should resolve themselves. I like the overall composition. 91+/100. |
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| SUM09-120. 06 MER SOLEIL SANTA LUCIA HIGHLANDS CHARDONNAY list: 41.99 sale: 33.99 each [12/cs] 30.59 w/cs disc Wine Enthusiast 93: ‘Year in and year out, Mer Soleil’s Chardonnay is one of the biggest, most distinctive ones in California. The ‘06 is almost like a late-harvest wine, rich in apricot jam, pineapple custard and new oak butterscotch flavors, but for all the opulence, it’s entirely dry, and has zesty Monterey acidity. Almost a food group in itself, it will challenge chefs to rise to the occasion.’ |
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| SUM09-121. 07 GREG NORMAN SANTA BARBARA CHARDONNAY list: 16.99 sale: 13.99 each [12/cs] 12.59 w/cs disc A sexy thing. Sweet lemon and apple. Good crisp acidity. Certainly a no-malo component, plus a Santa Barbara style. Sweet oak toastiness too. Vanilla, not caramel. Not too heavy a dressing. Some sweet, malo fruit creaminess too. Has all the right stuff. Reasonably priced and exceptionally well crafted. 91/100. |
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| SUM09-122. 08 SIERRA VISTA UNWOODED EL DORADO CHARDONNAY list: 15.99 sale: 12.99 each [12/cs] 11.69 w/cs disc Brisk, upbeat. Lots of lift, tartness, juiciness./ Juicy, appley quality. Peels. Aromatic apples; several varieties. A complete treat. 91/100. |
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| SUM09-123. 07 PENINSULA CELLARS OLD MISSION PENINSULA PINOT BLANC list: 16.99 sale: 13.99 each [12/cs] 12.59 w/cs disc Michigan Wine Competition - DOUBLE GOLD MEDAL. My notes: Oh! Big and full textured! Fabulous./ Yes, rich, large, full of grip and texture. Great acidity. Well balanced. 92/100. |
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| SUM09-124. 07 KING ESTATE SIGNATURE COLLECTION OREGON PINOT GRIS list: 19.99 sale: 15.99 each [12/cs] 14.39 w/cs disc Wine & Spirits 92: ‘This elegant gris leads with a leesy pear scent, accented by a floral note that recalls lilac. Its flavors fall between pear and pear skin, with a faint bitter almond note that gives it the firmness for pork loin.’ |
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| SUM09-125. 08 GUENOC CALIFORNIA PINOT GRIGIO list: 11.99 sale: 9.99 each [12/cs] 8.99 w/cs disc Very aromatic for pinot gris. Lots of peach, lemon, custard. Nice and fresh./ Yes, fresh, cool, and peachy. Good acidity. Ideal successor to the good 06. Enjoyed by the group. 90/100.. |
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| SUM09-127. 07 MONTPELLIER CALIFORNIA VIOGNIER list: 8.99 sale: 7.49 each [12/cs] 6.74 w/cs disc Nice viognier aroma, genuine, proper./ A lot of viognier astringency as well as fruit. Makes it good with food. Impressive value. 90/100. At Wine Club: Fresh, clean, honeysuckle like. Really uplifting. Beautiful effort for the money./ Dry, good acidity. Not as astringent as the last time. Excellent value. 90/100. |
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| SUM09-128. 07 SHADY LANE ESTATE DRY LEELANAU PENINSULA RIESLING list: 16.99 sale: 13.99 each [12/cs] 12.59 w/cs disc Very dry, with apple and firm peach. Crystalline clarity, transparency. Well etched. Tingles the nostrils./ Apple, talc, lemon custard, citrus zest. Nice and piquant. Superb dry riesling. 92/100. |
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| SUM09-130. 06 PENINSULA CELLARS OLD MISSION PENINSULA GEWURZTRAMINER list: 18.99 sale: 14.99 each [12/cs] 13.49 w/cs disc Good tonic, barbershop gewurz set of aromatics. Rose, pomade, ginger, and orange oil. Peach, tea, white pepper./ Cool and bracing, dry and astringent on entry. The astringency is assuaged by the feel of glycerol. All in all, this is what gewurztraminer is about! Well liked by the group. 91+/100. At Wine Club: Sweet nose. Orange, laurel, rose. Well presented./ Big burst of rose flavor. Dry, with good gerwurz bitter. Classic, lip smacking good, mealworthy. A lot going for it. 91/100. |
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| SUM09-132. 07 PELEE ISLAND ONTARIO CABERNET FRANC list: 11.99 sale: 9.99 each [12/cs] 8.99 w/cs disc Good northern cabernet franc. Compact and cool. Quite fruity in the good and ripe 07 vintage. Raspberry, smoke, tobacco./ Yes, fruity, showing varietal red raspberry qualities. Great acidity. Sleek and well balanced. One of the best they’ve made. Food, please. Well liked by the group. 90/100. |
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| SUM09-134. 08 CRISTOBAL 1492 FINCA LA PINTA MENDOZA MALBEC list: 10.99 sale: 8.49 each [12/cs] 7.64 w/cs disc Good, open textured approach. Sweet black cherry fruit. Very revealing and appealing for its age. Spicy too./ Sweet, spicy, open, available. Good acidity and fine tannin to give structure and balance. Nice now! And will grow. 90+/100. |
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| SUM09-135. 07 ALTOS LAS HORMIGAS COLONIA LAS LIEBRES MENDOZA BONARDA list: 10.99 sale: 8.49 each [12/cs] 7.64 w/cs disc Oh, large and concentrated. And really comin’ right at ya! Cherry, raspberry, musk, and spice. One loaded bonarda; seems even more ample than the already-impressive previous vintages./ Again, a big, concentrated bonarda. Rich, plump, and generous. Really oversized and important. Nothing dainty about this rendition. Dry, with fine tannin. The group was impressed. 91+/100. |
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| SUM09-136. 08 BODEGA LURTON VALLE DE UCO PINOT GRIS list: 11.99 sale: 9.99 each [12/cs] 8.99 w/cs disc Whoa! Really surges forth to swell up the nostrils with cool, penetrating airs of high altitude NE Italy style pinot grigio./ The palate is fatter and richer, moving closer to an Oregon style. Fig, white peach, cream, roasted nuts. Very clear varietal character all through to the long finish. Well liked by the group. 90/100. |
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CHILE |
| SUM09-138. 06 SANTA EMA RESERVE MAIPO VALLEY CABERNET SAUVIGNON list: 15.99 sale: 12.99 each [12/cs] 11.69 w/cs disc Full and expressive, classic Maipo cabernet sauvignon. Blackberry, black currant. Good wood in harmony with the fruit. Sweet fruit, plus some leather, brett./ Lush and full, even heavy (14%). Smooth, full tannins. Long, berry-currant filled finish. Nothing if not generous. One loaded reserve. 91+/100. |
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| SUM09-139. 05 CONCHA Y TORO CASILLERO DEL DIABLO RESERVA PRIVADA VALLE CENTRAL CABERNET SAUVIGNON-SYRAH list: 18.99 sale: 14.99 each [12/cs] 13.49 w/cs disc Jorge: Wow! Classy! Good varietal combo. Plum and red fruits. Elegant. 92+/100. |
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| SUM09-140. 07 ODFJELL ARMADOR VALLE CENTRAL CENTRAL CARMENERE list: 11.99 sale: 9.99 each [12/cs] 8.99 w/cs disc Half Colchagua, half Maipo. Very dark, smoky, peppery. Lots of pomegranate and tobacco. Rich, generous, full of life./ Dark and well framed for carmenere. Fine vintage speaking. Pure berry confiture concentration. Nice woodsiness. All the pluses of carmenere. Full concentration of carmenere goodies. Outstanding value. I’m liking this a lot. 91+/100. |
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| SUM09-141. 07 CONO SUR VISION COLCHAGUA VALLEY CHARDONNAY list: 15.99 sale: 12.99 each [12/cs] 11.69 w/cs disc Restaurant Wine 5 Stars - EXCEPTIONAL: ‘Supple and finely flavored, this is a full bodied, well balanced wine, with delicate apple, honey, lemon peel, and roasted nut aromas/flavors.’ |
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| SUM09-142. 07 SANTA ALICIA LATE HARVEST LIMARI VALLEY MOSCATEL half liter list: 14.99 sale: 11.99 each [12/cs half liter (HL )] 10.79 w/cs disc Spicy, sweet, and right. Lush, silky aromas of peach, apricot, lychee, papaya, mango, and lemon curd. Orange peel overtones suggest muscat alexandria. Very complex and concentrated./ Yes, there’s total flavor confirmation. Plus the palate reveals botrytis tones: honey, pollen, tea, tobacco. Really saturated. Creamy, rich, and sweet, with good acid foil to balance it all out. One of the best values in its genre. 94/100. |
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| SUM09-144. 07 KIM CRAWFORD MARLBOROUGH PINOT NOIR list: 21.99 sale: 17.99 each [12/cs] 16.19 w/cs disc Fresh and varietal cool climate take. Both sweet and tart, red and black, fruits. Tart cherry, strawberry hard candy, blackberry. Floral accents./ Racy, with the right weight and depth. Juicy acidity plus light fruit sweetness to balance. This is absolutely mouthwatering! Here’s a pinot for seafood. 91/100. |
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| SUM09-145. 08 SAUVIGNON REPUBLIC MARLBOROUGH SAUVIGNON BLANC list: 16.99 sale: 13.99 each [12/cs] 12.59 w/cs disc Wine Spectator 91: ‘Lively, generous and appealing for its juicy grapefruit and grapefruit peel flavors, which persist into the finish. Hints at green apple and gravel as this lingers. $19.’ Our notes: This is what it’s all about! Oh, what a beauty! Hallmark NZ sauvignon. Has both ripeness and plushness, and cut and lift. Perfectly balanced presentation. Just a joy right now. 92/100. |
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| SUM09-146. 08 THE CROSSINGS MARLBOROUGH SAUVIGNON BLANC list: 15.99 sale: 12.99 each [12/cs] 11.69 w/cs disc Yes! Lovely, precise, pure, piquant, penetrating. Grapefruit, gooseberry, and ripe, soft tropical fruits./ Sleek, with polished richness. Finely tuned. Nice grassy edge. Classic NZ sauvignons. One of the highlights of Summer 2009 is 2008 New Zealand sauvignon blanc. A great season to enjoy the bounties of a great vintage. 92/100. |
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| SUM09-147. 08 THE CROSSINGS UNWOODED MEDWAY VINEYARD CHARDONNAY MARLBOROUGH list: 19.99 sale: 15.99 each [12/cs] 14.39 w/cs disc Lots of peels quality, which I like. In addition to tart apple./ Body and character. Some sur lie extras. Graininess. Extremely well crafted. Excellent, lingering lees-grainy taste. Wonderful workmanship. 91/100. |
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AUSTRALIA |
| SUM09-149. 07 HENRY’S DRIVE PILLAR BOX PADTHAWAY RED list: 13.99 sale: 10.99 each [12/cs] 9.89 w/cs disc Parker 90: ‘65% Shiraz, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10% Merlot. Exhibits an expressive nose of spice box, earth notes, blueberry, and black currant. Ripe, sweet, and layered, this nicely rendered red has exceptional balance and length for its humble price.’ 65% shiraz, 25% cabernet, 10% merlot. Sweet and black fruit core with spicy wood lacings. Large volume. Assertive. The wood is well fashioned./ Sweet and spicy, full, and long. Blackberry and flowers. Lively acidity. The spice- and perfume-filled finish just won’t quit. Parker got it right. 90/100. |
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| SUM09-150. 08 NINE STONES MCLAREN VALE SHIRAZ list: 15.99 sale: 12.99 each [12/cs] 11.69 w/cs disc Wine Enthusiast 90 - BEST BUY: ‘Starts off slightly gamy and meaty, the adds bright blueberry fruit and hints of peppery spice. It’s creamy-smooth in texture and nicely balanced on the juicy, mouthwatering finish. A good value red to lay in for summer grilling.’ |
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| SUM09-151. 06 GREG NORMAN ESTATES LIMESTONE COAST SHIRAZ list: 18.99 sale: 14.99 each [12/cs] 13.49 w/cs disc Cool black fruit and elegant oak styling give real lift unique to Norman and Limestone Coast. Lovely nose. Quite apart from the lusher Barossa shiraz set./ Fresh, dark, juicy fruit strengths. Intense and eager. Fine textured. Lightly imparted oak. A mouthwatering mealtime red. Well crafted. 91/100. At Wine Club: Very cool Limestone Coast style at opposite ends from Barossa./ Purple berries flavor, full acidity. Race and meal-worthiness. Sensational value. 91/100. |
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| SUM09-152. 08 BANROCK STATION SE AUSTRALIA CHARDONNAY list: 7.99 sale: 6.49 each [12/cs] 5.84 w/cs disc Fresh, clean, and brisk, even tangy.. Real apple and peel chardonnay expression./ Sweet, appley flavor. Delectable balance of sweet (.7 RS?)and tart. No discernable wood. Like the 07, a good value. 89/100. |
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SOUTH AFRICA |
| SUM09-154. 07 EXCELSIOR ROBERTSON CABERNET SAUVIGNON list: 10.99 sale: 8.49 each [12/cs] 7.64 w/cs disc Very young, firm, and dark for age and origin. Blackberry and black currant. Not a bit of inland heat, Valley. Compact build. Competes with the good Robertson Vineyards cab. Very fair price. 90+/100. At Wine Club: Raspberry-blackberry seediness, spiciness, as well as berry fruit. Rich. Devoid of horse./ Dark fruited, rich textured. Round. A damn delicious wine. 90/100. |
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| SUM09-155. 05 RUSTENBERG JOHN X. MERRIMAN STELLENBOSCH RED list: 34.99 sale: 27.99 each [12/cs] 25.19 w/cs disc Wine Enthusiast 92; Tanzer 92; Beverage Dynamics 94: ‘A powerful wine, while also being quite complex; finishes with suave tannins and great length; the Merriman has always aged well, so expect it to go at least 10 years with ease (the 2001 is just hitting its stride); best with steaks and chops.’ |
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| SUM09-156. 08 FAIRVIEW ESTATE COASTAL REGION SAUVIGNON BLANC list: 8.99 sale: 6.99 each [12/cs] 6.29 w/cs disc Wine Spectator 87: ‘Fresh and tangy, with good lemon verbena and grapefruit notes that linger on the finish.’ From Darling, Swartland, and Stellenbosch, 40-year-old bush vines provide the basis for Fairview’s sauvignon blanc. A nice, fresh, gooseberry-laden expression of sauvignon with a vein of lime and a light capsicum nip. 5 months’ aging on the fermentation lees adds a doughy-creamy dimension. A hallmark Cape sauvignon, really. 90+/100. |
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| SUM09-157. 08 SEBEKA WESTERN CAPE STEEN CHENIN BLANC list: 11.99 sale: 9.49 each [12/cs] 8.54 w/cs disc At Wine Club: Bright and fresh. Delightful. All it should be. The melons, the yellow fruits. Lots of lift too./ Fantastic combination of crisp acidity and chenin plumpness. Full dry or just at threshold. So well balanced by that great acidity. A great success in Cape chenin. 90/100. |
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| SUM09-158. 08 ROBERTSON VINEYARDS SPECIAL LATE HARVEST ROBERTSON GEWURZTRAMINER list: 11.99 sale: 9.99 each [12/cs] 8.99 w/cs disc As good as always. Fresh, fetching, sweet smelling. Rosewater, cold cream. Nice ginger nip. Good interplay of the smooth and the incisive. Pungent and unrestrained./ Sweet and full of gewurz rosewater and glycerin countered by a really zesty ginger bite. Plus orange peel, chamomile, lychee, apricot, flowers. They’ve done it again! 91/100. |
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| SUM09-161. 04 CHATEAU GREYSAC, CRU BOURGEOIS SUPERIEUR, MEDOC list: 24.99 sale: 19.99 each [12/cs] 17.99 w/cs disc Boy, rich and ripe and dense for 04. Black currant, cedar, wild flowers, tobacco, smoke, and game./ This is as plentiful on the palate as the nose in terms of ripe fruit and animal extras. Pretty and stylish fruit, with floral and oaky accents. Racy acidity of the vintage. Will reward 3-4 years’ aging, but can be enjoyed today. Kudos to the winemaker and winegrower. Well liked by the group. 91+/100. |
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| SUM09-162. 03 CHATEAU GRAND DUROC MILON, PAUILLAC list: 34.99 sale: 27.99 each [12/cs] 25.19 w/cs disc Great price for a Pauillac these days. Pauillac style and build. 03 ripeness. Plentiful for the price. 92/100. |
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| SUM09-163. 05 VIEUX CHATEAU PEREY, GRAND CRU, SAINT EMILION list: 28.99 sale: 22.99 each [12/cs] 20.69 w/cs disc Firm, serious, ambitious. Grand Cru depth, nobility. Fine, firm oak framing./ Big, dense interior. Layered refinement of Grand Cru. A great price! 92+/100. Wow! Generosity, size, and class of Saint Emilion plus nicely understated oak extras. Everything going for it. Dense and polished red cherry and plum fruit. Elegant, floral overtones. A unique, spicy complex of flavors sets it apart from all the others. Deep, elegant, classy. Wonderful. 92+/100. |
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| SUM09-164. 05 CHATEAU GUILLOU, MONTAGNE SAINT EMILION list: 20.99 sale: 16.99 each [12/cs] 15.29 w/cs disc Red cherry, currant, raspberry, flowers. Oak gives cedar and sandalwood airs./ Lots of fruit substance. Sweet, lovely berry-cherry. Ample, fulfilled, beautiful. 92+/100. |
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| SUM09-165. 05 CHATEAU PIERREFITTE, LALANDE DE POMEROL list: 24.99 sale: 19.99 each [12/cs] 17.99 w/cs disc Oh, yes! That deep, purple 05 stuff. Merlot and Pomerol velvet too. Super Pomerol statement./ Lively, lovely fruit display, ripe, sleek, focused, opulent, concentrated. Fine depth, fine tannins, fine craftsmanship. And, again, the price is fine by 05 standards. 92+/100. Substantial amount of new oak influence, very pretty, nicely imparted. And full, expressive, even explosive aromas of plums and flowers too. Delicious oak savors on the palate. Lots of fine oak embellishment at a very reasonable price. And it doesn’t rest heavy on the fruit. 92+/100. |
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| SUM09-166. 05 LES SOURCES DE CHATEAU DE LA RIVIERE, FRONSAC list: 19.99 sale: 15.99 each [12/cs] 14.39 w/cs disc The second wine of Chateau de la Riviere. Shows 05 finesse. Nice sweet fruit and claret peels component too. Plenty of vanilla-frosting-scented oak for a second wine, and it’s nicely applied; doesn’t stick out or dominate. Fine claret./ Both fruit and oak very smooth and generous, while showing 05 refinement in spades. Great acidity. I love the claret demeanor and balance. First class claret. 92+/100. At Wine Club: The greater size and density of Fronsac after the Castillon. Fruit sweetness, good oak. Wonderful second wine./ Spicy oak, time in barrel, plenty of fruit. All in harmony. Excellent. 92+/100. |
| sale: 15.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-167. 05 CHATEAU JOUANIN CUVEE PRESTIGE, COTES DE CASTILLON list: 15.99 sale: 12.99 each [12/cs] 11.69 w/cs disc Race, volume, Castillon class. Great fruit. Ripe fruit./ Full and ripe presentation. Strong and deep. Loaded. This is grand, ripe, lovely merlot. Wonderful richness and purity. Prestige indeed. On the cusp of Super Castillon status. Loved it earlier, as well as the 98, 00, and 02. 91+/100. Dark, deep, sweet cherry-berry with a light, toasted oak aura. 05 elegance./ Deep and dark flavors. Solid build and full, fine tannins for aging. 91+/100. |
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| SUM09-168. 05 CHATEAU LES EYQUEMS, COTES DE BOURG list: 15.99 sale: 12.99 each [12/cs] 11.69 w/cs disc Now here’s a lot of body and ambition. Yes, significant claret. Ripe and lush dark berry fruits and floral accents./ Yes, fruit amplitude, sweetness, ripeness. Bourg generosity. Great acidity. 05 mein, balance, race. 91+/100. |
| sale: 12.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-169. 05 CHATEAU DAME JANE, BORDEAUX SUPERIEUR list: 9.99 sale: 7.99 each [12/cs] 7.19 w/cs disc The mother ship, Chateau Grand Jean, is 55% cabernet sauvignon, 40% merlot, 5% cabernet franc. 15% of the cuvee is barrel aged. The fruit quality and charm of 05. Ripe, but not overly so; just right. Depth and breadth contributed by some barrel aging influence, if not outright oakiness./ Yes, clearly some barrel influence. Great acidity and fine, full tannin. This delivers. Well liked by the group. 90+/100. |
| sale: 7.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-170. 06 COTES DU MARMANDAIS SELECTION, GRAND BOSQUET list: 6.99 sale: 5.99 each [12/cs] 5.39 w/cs disc From east of Bordeaux, south of Bergerac. Abouriou, a traditional player here, was once popular in California, where it was called Early Burgundy. The other local variety, fer, offers color, concentration, and sometimes a hint of rhubarb. This wine is 34% merlot, 7% cabernet sauvignon, 28% abouriou, 9% fer, 2% syrah. Big and black. No 06 slightness. Rangy, spicy, ripe./ Fig, red berries, hint of fennel. And, yes, rhubarb. Has charm. Very friendly, useful. Good value. 89/100. |
| sale: 5.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-171. 06 MADIRAN ARGILE, ALAIN BRUMONT list: 28.99 sale: 22.99 each [12/cs] 20.69 w/cs disc Very dark and beautiful. The fruit is sweet too. Has depth, has clarity. Lovely fruit expression for young tannat./ Dark berries, tobacco, suggestion of oak. Good solidity without going overboard; it’s not mean. Very uplifting for a wine of clay (argile) origins. Expected it to be more ponderous, heavy. Instead, it’s a great beauty with a wonderful future too. 92+/100. |
| sale: 22.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
FRANCE - BORDEAUX WHITE |
| SUM09-173. 07 CHATEAU COUCHEROY, PESSAC-LEOGNAN BLANC list: 20.99 sale: 16.99 each [12/cs] 15.29 w/cs disc All sauvignon blanc. Bordeaux body, fullness, strength, plus the crisp, tingly, grassy sauvignon buoyancy. Fabulous presentation./ Yes, Bordeaux rich take on sauvignon indeed. Plenty of body, and plenty of juice and race besides. Cool, focused, racy, steely, minerally. Well liked by the group. 91/100. |
| sale: 16.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-174. 07 CHATEAU COURONNEAU, BORDEAUX BLANC list: 19.99 sale: 15.99 each [12/cs] 14.39 w/cs disc Half each sauvignon gris, sauvignon blanc. Very popular with the group too–even before I told them that it is half sauvignon gris, a grape that fascinates them. That varietal lends fullness and richness as well as unique aromatic properties. There are cool, green, quince like airs and richer peach and nut-like nuances. Unique./ Yes, this has the lushness of sauvignon gris versus blanc, as pinot gris versus pinot blanc. And the sauvignon blanc provides cut and lift, grass and pepper. Lively and enticing. Rich and texturally large. Well integrated. Wow! Tremendous! 91/100. |
| sale: 15.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-175. 07 CHATEAU DAME JANE, VIEILLES VIGNES, BORDEAUX BLANC list: 9.99 sale: 7.99 each [12/cs] 7.19 w/cs disc The mother ship, Chateau Grand Jean, is 55% cabernet sauvignon, 40% merlot, 5% cabernet franc. 15% of the cuvee is barrel aged. The fruit quality and charm of 05. Ripe, but not overly so; just right. Depth and breadth contributed by some barrel aging influence, if not outright oakiness./ Yes, clearly some barrel influence. Great acidity and fine, full tannin. This delivers. Well liked by the group. 90+/100. |
| sale: 7.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-176. 08 COTES DE GASCOGNE SAUVIGNON-COLOMBARD, DOMAINE DE BALLADE list: 11.99 sale: 9.99 each [12/cs] 8.99 w/cs disc Pretty astonishing. Open-armed, inviting.. Colombard tonic properties–bay, laurel. Sauvignon grapefruit, gooseberry./ Wow, cat, lemon grass, spice. Decisive, demonstrative, delightful. Yow! Very expressive. Action City. Enjoy through the warm months. 91/100. |
| sale: 9.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
FRANCE - LOIRE |
| SUM09-178. 07 MUSCADET SEVRE ET MAINE SUR LIE VIEILLES VIGNES CUVEE CHOISE, DOMAINE DES DORICES list: 14.99 sale: 11.99 each [12/cs] 10.79 w/cs disc Oh! This just sings! Aromatic apple aroma. So full and intense is swells the nostrils trying to get it all. Big, bombastic Muscadet on steroids./ Yes, body and character–equal presence on the palate. Good acidity, and that classic Muscadet tender spot in the middle. Dry-flower, sachet highlights. A complete Muscadet with old vines concentration. Very popular with the group. 91+/100. |
| sale: 11.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-179. 05 CHINON LA BARONNIE MADELEINE, COULY-DUTHEIL list: 21.99 sale: 17.99 each [12/cs] 16.19 w/cs disc Wine Spectator 92 - SMART BUY: ‘A rock solid red, with ripe, structured layers of plum, black currant and black cherry offset by sweet olive tapenade, mineral and aged tobacco. The long, iron-filled finish shows impressive depth. Should age nicely. Now-2010.’ At Wine Club: Boy, this is rich and ripe! About as intense as Loire cabernet franc gets. Nearly a brandied fruit quality, while retaining northern clarity, brightness./ Saturated, flavorful. Still some astringency. Way up there in intensity, quality. 92+/100. |
| sale: 17.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-180. 07 SANCERRE, DOMAINE DAULNY list: 20.99 sale: 16.99 each [12/cs] 15.29 w/cs disc Fresh, clear, alert, focused. Great 07 fruit expression plus vigor and extract that remind me of the 06. Perfectly crafted; has it all./ 07 freshness, lushness, and tenderness on the approach. Then the acidity kicks in. Racy, silky, seductive finale. The group loved it. 92/100. |
| sale: 16.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
FRANCE - ALSACE |
| SUM09-182. 07 ALSACE ONE, PIERRE SPARR list: 16.99 sale: 13.99 each [12/cs] 12.59 w/cs disc 39% sylvaner, 29% muscat, 16% riesling, 9% pinot blanc, 7% klevner. Full scented. The sylvaner apple, the muscat flowers, the riesling peach. Pinot blanc is mostly to fill it out, as it doesn’t have distinctive perfume in a minor setting. And klevner! Long time, no see. Neat!/ Smooth 07 styling, easy on entry. Then good acidity cuts in at the end to cleanse the finish. Flavors of stone fruits, citrus pulp, tea leaf, honey. One of the best of this series. Popular with the group. 91/100. At Wine Club: Even more exotic than before. An entertaining performance of multi Alsace grape varieties building to a crescendo of aromatics. Just billows forth./ Cut, vigor, full flavor. Dazzling. Incredible. No wonder critics are high on this vintage. 92/100. |
| sale: 13.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-183. 07 PINOT BLANC PORTRAIT, PAUL ZINCK list: 15.99 sale: 12.99 each [12/cs] 11.69 w/cs disc Rich and rightful auxerrois side of pinot blanc (both grapes are permitted); so rich and full of apple, melon, and paraffin that it’s practically dialed up to pinot gris volume. Lovely besides./ Dry and full and crisp. The palate shows the pinot blanc side. Great acidity, juiciness, vigor. This is special! Very well liked by the group. 91+/100. |
| sale: 12.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-184. 07 PINOT GRIS PORTRAIT, PAUL ZINCK list: 18.99 sale: 14.99 each [12/cs] 13.49 w/cs disc Classic apple, melon, and candle wax aromas./ Yes, clear fruit statement and waxy character. Exceptionally good acid relief for Alsace pinot gris. That right and tangy fruit character of the vintage. 91+/100. |
| sale: 14.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-185. 07 RIESLING SCHLOSSBERG GRAND CRU, THE FURST list: 26.99 sale: 21.99 each [12/cs] 19.79 w/cs disc Wow! Full Grand Cru size, depth, majesty, significance. And total Schlossberg elegance. Full mineral savor./ Yes, the Schlossberg and 07 grace notes. The body, savor, extract, balance. Perfect composition, in fact. 92+/100. |
| sale: 21.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-186. 07 GEWURZTRAMINER, HELFRICH list: 18.99 sale: 14.99 each [12/cs] 13.49 w/cs disc At Marlenheim in the north. Thickly pomaded nose–a classic approach. Rose hip, lychee, honey, botanicals, barbershop, tangerine and peel. Both powerful and pretty./ Sleek and scented. This has plenty of gewurz astringency and glycerol in yin-yang fashion. Fairly priced. I like it. 91/100. At Wine Club: Lots of barbershop. Really lays it on thick. But also a fresh, rosy overtone./ So much going on texture and flavor-wise! The complete package. 92/100. |
| sale: 14.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-187. 06 MUSCAT RESERVE, FREY SOHLER list: 20.99 sale: 16.99 each [12/cs] 15.29 w/cs disc Remarkable. Eau de vie like intensity of perfume. Deep citrus peel character. Overtones that strike me as both sweet and mineral-salty. Flowers and botanicals. Cool and melodic. Unique in the annuls of Alsace muscat./ Again, suave citrus oil perfumes and plenty of both spice and tonic overtones. Good acidity for 06, and muscat’s cleansing bitter finale. Much different from the 05, and more than a year younger in freshness. 92+/100. |
| sale: 16.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-189. 05 BOURGOGNE EMOTION DE TERROIRS, VINCENT GIRARDIN list: 28.99 sale: 22.99 each [12/cs] 20.69 w/cs disc Oh, this is deep and dark and northern. Shows its Nuits and Dijonnais background. Violets and Balaton cherries. Dense, intense./ Rich, gripping, chewy. Tight, structured, focused, deep. Broad and mouthfilling. Fabulous fruit concentration. Plus the barrel influences: wood smoke and cigar box. Girardin’s really got something going with this cuvee, a real star in both 03 and 05. 92+/100. |
| sale: 22.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-190. 04 CHASSAGNE MONTRACHET CLOS DE LA BOUDRIOTTE 1ER CRU ROUGE, VINCENT GIRARDIN list: 41.99 sale: 33.99 each [12/cs] 30.59 w/cs disc At Wine Club: Say, this is thorough! Nothing 04 narrow or slight about it. Real Chassagne rouge plumminess, nice oak seasoning well integrated, richness, ripeness, nobility of Premier Cru. Impressive 04. 93+/100. |
| sale: 33.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-191. 05 BOURGOGNE - COTE CHALONNAISE PINOT NOIR FUT DE CHENE, GOUBARD list: 26.99 sale: 21.99 each [12/cs] 19.79 w/cs disc Very expressive of Chalonnaise pinot. Cherry, cranberry, tar, resin. Aging in oak but no woodiness./ Black cherry, with hints of black pepper, tar, and smoke. Vital, pungent, penetrating, spicy. Very successful–one of Goubard’s best ever. 91+/100. |
| sale: 21.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-192. 06 BOURGOGNE PINOT NOIR, MATTHIEU DE BRULLY list: 16.99 sale: 13.99 each [12/cs] 12.59 w/cs disc Sweet and lithe. A floral overtone. Is it peony? Pungent, pretty, forward pinot cherry and tea, with a raspberry note too. A charmer, beauty./ Yes, the fruit is adequately sweet and ripe, and well defined. The wine shows no evidence of chaptalization. Great 06 acidity. Really piquant, mouthwatering. This will be great with food. Well liked by the group. An 06 to support. Hope there’ll be more like it. Fine value. 90+/100. At Wine Club: Wonderfully bright and fresh cherry like 06 take on Burgundy pinot. Delicious fruit pulpiness./ Yes, transparent Burgundy pinot noir with cherry and nut flavors, balance of acid, sweet, fine tannin, and great savor and persistence. 91+/100. |
| sale: 13.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-193. 07 BEAUJOLAIS VILLAGES, LOUIS JADOT list: 15.99 sale: 12.99 each [12/cs] 11.69 w/cs disc At Wine Club: Lush and fruity. As full and forthcoming as a Brouilly./ Good acidity, nice edge of astringency. All you could want in a Beaujolais Villages. Delish. 91/100. |
| sale: 12.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
FRANCE - BURGUNDY WHITE |
| SUM09-195. 07 BOURGOGNE ALIGOTE, GOISOT list: 19.99 sale: 15.99 each [12/cs] 14.39 w/cs disc Man! Is this big, bold, full, forceful, textured!. Pungent, rocky. Wet stone minerality./ Wow! Incredible presence–full bodied, powerful. Grape, wheat, grain bin. The most explicit aligote I’ve tasted, it sure does make an immediate impact. 92+/100. At Wine Club: One large scale aligote. Fills the nostrils./ More than ample body, mass, extract. Larger than life. 92/100. |
| sale: 15.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-196. 07 PETIT CHABLIS, ALAIN PAUTRE list: 21.99 sale: 17.99 each [12/cs] 16.19 w/cs disc Very stony. This is real minerality, real rock; not citrus peel. Ice cold branch water. Struck flint. Firm apple too. With aeration come softer pit and tropical fruit hints./ Yes, stone and apple. Very firm structured for 07. Again, aeration brings more fruit richness and allure. Mouthwatering acidity; more penetrating than the 06. Great for food. Very popular with the group. 92+/100. At Wine Club: The real deal. Calcaire saturated, with 07 freshness and lift and briskness as well as the terroir basis. Writes the book on Petit Chablis. 92+/100. |
| sale: 17.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-197. 06 CHABLIS MONTMAIN 1ER CRU, LOUIS MICHEL list: 24.99 sale: 19.99 each [12/cs] 17.99 w/cs disc From 30-40 year old vines. Daniel Haas: ‘A riper nose than the village Chablis, with more weight on the palate and more mid-palate intensity. The flavors are your typical flinty, stone ones with white pepper and smoke along with lemon/lime. Good balance with a vanilla bean finish. 18/20.’ |
| sale: 19.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-198. 06 MEURSAULT, THIERRY MATROT list: 41.99 sale: 33.99 each [12/cs] 30.59 w/cs disc At Wine Club: Coming along nicely. Really grainy, nutty, oaky, mealy. The Matrot fullness, rusticity, old time form./ Lots of textural variegation. Lots of grain bin. Good oak and toast. And sweetmeal–yes, grain, molasses, and dried orange peel. Unbelievable village Meursault. 94/100. |
| sale: 33.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-199. 07 MACON VILLAGES, DOMAINE CHENE list: 13.99 sale: 10.99 each [12/cs] 9.89 w/cs disc Clean, crisp, greenish Maconnais chardonnay. Classic. Great value./ The milder, more southern approach to Burgundy chardonnay is evident after the Chablis wines. Couldn’t be better. Wonderful value. 91/100. |
| sale: 10.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-200. 07 MACON LA ROCHE VINEUSE, ALAIN NORMAND list: 21.99 sale: 17.99 each [12/cs] 16.19 w/cs disc Great body and texture. Very large. Again, the barrel aged impression./ This is real Villages–larger scaled than basic Maconnais. Rich, ripe fruit of 07. Great, great framing. Incredible. Worth the premium. 92/100. |
| sale: 17.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-202. 06 CROZES HERMITAGE LA MATINIERE, FERRATON PERE list: 24.99 sale: 19.99 each [12/cs] 17.99 w/cs disc Wine Spectator 91 - SMART BUY: ‘A juicy, structured style with iron, lavender and sanguine notes framing the black cherry and currant fruit. An enticing herb note marks the finish. Should flesh out nicely given time. Now-2012.’ |
| sale: 19.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-203. 07 COTES DU RHONE, DOMAINE DU GRAND PRIEUR list: 13.99 sale: 10.99 each [12/cs] 9.89 w/cs disc Ripe and sassy. Black fruits, berry, plum, peppercorn, spiced meat, cigar box. The positive traits of this cuvee exaggerated in this fine 07 vintage. Almost overwhelming!/ Good and traditional Rhone style of this source: whole bunch fermentation with stems extracts drawn out too. Yes, the flavor, the grip, the classicism. Plenty of material. Really sings on the aftertaste. Very, very popular with the group. 90+/100. At Wine Club: I can see why Parker loves the vintage and the Wed group loves this wine. Most intense and pure fruit ever. All the usual attributes plus more sweetness and concentration of fruit./ Remains dry and dignified, with the old time whole bunch ripe stems influence. Lovely glass. 90+/100. |
| sale: 10.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-204. 07 COTES DU RHONE, DOMAINE TOURADE list: 15.99 sale: 12.99 each [12/cs] 11.69 w/cs disc Ooh, Mama! Sweet, exotic, framboise-dominated. Plum, nutmeg, potpourri, peppered meat, and flowers accents. Need I add ‘complex’?/ Sweet black fruits. Blackberry and purple berries. Very dark and concentrated, deep and lasting.. Good tannic support. Tremendous poise. 92+/100. |
| sale: 12.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-205. 06 BEAUMES DE VENISE LES FIGUIERES, VIGNERONS DE CARACTERE list: 14.99 sale: 11.99 each [12/cs] 10.79 w/cs disc Gold Medal - Avignon. 65% grenache, 25% syrah, 10% cinsaut. Plenty of freshness and lift of the vintage, blackness of Beaumes, richness of grenache, plus garrigue extras. Dry and classic. Deep and snappy fruit peel and licorice nuances. And the ever-desirable air of violets./ Yes, grenache richness, plus syrah dark fruit, coolness, acidity. Sweet fruit pastille, tapenade, and even ginger. Grows in texture and variegation as it warms in the mouth. Good dose of tannin for aging Lovely, winning poise. 91+/100. At Wine Club: Yes, yes! A step up in material and intensity. And a Villages degree of beauty and refinement. The flair and elegance of 06./ Dry and tannic still. Progressing, but more to come. Good future. 91+/100. |
| sale: 11.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-206. 06 GIGONDAS, DOMAINE DE FONT SANE list: 26.99 sale: 21.99 each [12/cs] 19.79 w/cs disc Oh, boy! Full set of perfumed fruits, berries, and flowers. What an engaging Gigondas! Wins by allure rather than brute force./ Full range of fruit and garrigue perfumes. Rich red and black fruits, including cassis. Peppercorn, olive, sweetmeats, flowers, fennel, Asian spices. Great power, great texture. Juicy. Well extracted. So much fruit concentration and savor. Extraordinarily well balanced. 93+/100. |
| sale: 21.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-207. 05 CHATEAUNEUF DU PAPE VIGNE DU REGENT, CHATEAU GIGOGNAN list: 46.99 sale: 37.99 each [12/cs] 34.19 w/cs disc Wine Spectator 92/100. Our notes: Organic. From near Sorgues. 2/3 grenache, 1/3 syrah. Well, this looms large after all the preceding appellations. Broad, rich, full, variegated. Chateauneuf superiority, grandeur, complexity./ Yes, full power, richness, extract, material, weight, breadth, and depth. Has it all. Young but not too severe. Well balanced indeed. 93+/100. At Wine Club: Warm, robust, generous grenache body with some dark complexion of syrah and mourvedre. Hearty and classic./ Sweet strawberry and raspberry fruit with some peppercorn, garrigue, and traditional ripe stem extracts. Thoroughly classic. 93+/100. |
| sale: 37.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-208. 07 COTES DU VENTOUX, LA VIEILLE FERME list: 9.99 sale: 7.99 each [12/cs] 7.19 w/cs disc Unique, dark, and deep. Garrigue. Lots of spicy qualities. Warm spices. Nippy spices. Peppercorn and other good things./ Sweet, warm spices. Raspberry pastille. No previous vintage quite like it. 90/100. |
| sale: 7.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
FRANCE - LANGUEDOC-ROUSSILLON |
| SUM09-210. 07 LA CLAPE - COTEAUX DU LANGUEDOC ROUGE DES KARANTES, CHATEAU DE KARANTES list: 11.99 sale: 9.99 each [12/cs] 8.99 w/cs disc At Wine Club: Wow! Not as fruity and easy as last fall, but bigger now. Rich and broad./ Every bit as fruit-juicy flavorful as before. Grenache roundness and black fruit constitution. Syrah and mourvedre fill out the background. And mourvedre astringency. 91+/100. |
| sale: 9.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-211. 08 PICPOUL DE PINET, LES COSTIERES DE POMEROLS list: 11.99 sale: 9.99 each [12/cs] 8.99 w/cs disc Crisp and full. Better in youth than usual. Fresh, cool, fragrant, stony. I just finished telling the group about how I’ve liked this wine better in fall than in spring over the last few vintages, and here this 08 steps up to the plate and gets an instant hit. Citrus and pear. Quince, dried flowers. Nice./ Good brace, minerality. Cool and racy citrus and melon. Nice body. Good, cool year for the Med whites and roses. Enjoyed by the group. 90/100. |
| sale: 9.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-212. 07 CORBIERES, CHATEAU ETANG DES COLOMBES list: 14.99 sale: 11.99 each [12/cs] 10.79 w/cs disc Classic Corbieres with substance and form and style. Freshness, grip, blackness, potential, all./ Yes, all the form and class one could want from Corbieres. Sleek, spicy, fully packed. Great acidity, poise, potential. This takes me back to the 78. Well received by the group. 91+/100. |
| sale: 11.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-213. 07 OC VIOGNIER, CODE INSPIRATION, VIGNERONS DE CERS PORTIRAGNES list: 8.99 sale: 6.99 each [12/cs] 6.29 w/cs disc Good varietal perfume. Honeysuckle. Mock orange./ Very fruity. Nice and sweetly ripe but still cool fruit demeanor. Adequate acidity. No astringency. Certainly a fine value in viognier. Well liked by the group. 90/100. |
| sale: 6.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-215. 03 OCKFENER BOCKSTEIN RIESLING AUSLESE***, DR. FISCHER half bottle list: 14.99 sale: 11.99 each [12/cs half bottle (H )] 10.79 w/cs disc Very luscious, honeyed. Almond, marzipan./ Sweet, intense, edel, and really fern like. Full texture and depth. Nice acid framing. Wow, what a value! 92/100. |
| sale: 11.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-216. 06 PIESPORTER GOLDTROPFCHEN RIESLING AUSLESE GOLDKAP***, BOLLIG-LEHNERT list: 28.99 sale: 22.99 each [12/cs] 20.69 w/cs disc Wine Enthusiast 91 - EDITORS’ CHOICE: ‘A lush and enormously fruity auslese, this offering features layers of appealingly ripe fruit, ranging from honeyed peaches to tropically luscious mangoes. Sheer deliciousness..’ Our notes: Yowsa! Ripe and luscious. Quite a bit of pineapple here. And apricot, and vanilla frosting. Definitely up to the high auslese must range./ Yes, peach, citrus, pineapple. Honey Butter. Full, fleshy, luxuriant, giving. Fine acid foil. A biggie for sure. Totally awesome. 93+/100. |
| sale: 22.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-217. 07 HATTENHEIMER RIESLING SPATLESE, KARL JOHANN MOLITOR list: 18.99 sale: 14.99 each [12/cs] 13.49 w/cs disc Wow! More minerality than the kabinett. Not sweeter at all, just more concentration and extract./ More of both concentration and sweetness on the palate. Unbelievable! 92+/100. |
| sale: 14.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-218. 07 ERBACHER HONIGBERG RIESLING, WINZER VON ERBACH liter list: 15.99 sale: 12.99 each [12/cs liter (L )] 11.69 w/cs disc Wine & Spirits 89 - 100 TOP VALUES OF THE YEAR: ‘The flavors of Asian pear, rhubarb and peach are silky and fragrant, with a subtle complexity. Its juicy, fresh finish invites you back for more.’ |
| sale: 12.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-219. 08 RHEINHESSEN SILVANER OLD VINES TROCKEN, DR. HEYDEN list: 18.99 sale: 14.99 each [12/cs] 13.49 w/cs disc 45 year old vines. Oh, boy! Old vines intense and full of silvaner apple, peel, and nut character./ Still a spritzy feel. Total silvaner. Power and presence of an Alsace silvaner. As full a presence as the Fitz-Ritter Grosses Gewachs. Big and bold. 13.5%–from auslese-ripe fruit. Outstanding. Even better two days later. 91+/100. |
| sale: 14.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-220. 08 NACKENHEIMER CHARDONNAY KABINETT HALBTROCKEN, BINZ list: 15.99 sale: 12.99 each [12/cs] 11.69 w/cs disc Very plump, yet crisp and northern appley. Round and large./ Superb golden delicious apple taste. And more aromatic apple varieties too. Good acidity and really solid form. This is special, like no other chardonnay anywhere. 91+/100. |
| sale: 12.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-221. 07 NIERSTEINER HIPPING RIESLING SPATLESE, G. A. SCHNEIDER list: 19.99 sale: 15.99 each [12/cs] 14.39 w/cs disc Grand. Tangerine, peach, apricot. Apple, quince, flowers. 07 fresh. Very spatlese intense./ Oh, boy! Fruit-juicy good! Intense, saturated. Pushing auslese. Winemaker confirmed it was made from auslese must weight material. Big, honeyed, silky, delicious. One of the stars of the evening. 92+/100. |
| sale: 15.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-222. 07 OPPENHEIMER SACKTRAGER RIESLING SPATLESE, DR. HEYDEN list: 18.99 sale: 14.99 each [12/cs] 13.49 w/cs disc Oh, boy! Beautiful! Flowers. Tangerine. Nectar, honey. Peach, loquat, melon. 07 lift, freshness. Complete./ Wow! Seductive, lush, giving, great. Spatlese sweet. Good acidity. Spiciness of botrytis. Citrus. Total Sacktrager spatlese. Great value. 92+/100. |
| sale: 14.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-223. 07 PFALZ GEWURZTRAMINER SPATLESE, FITZ-RITTER list: 23.99 sale: 18.99 each [12/cs] 17.09 w/cs disc Wow! This is unbelievable! Total tonic, barbershop concentration in both aroma and texture. Huge intensity, penetration, and depth. Botanicals, rose, lemon grass./ Palate adds gardenia, Wildroot Cream Oil, Bay Rum. Total saturation. And so pure! Long aftertaste. Gewurz power compensates for gewurz mild acidity. 95+/100. |
| sale: 18.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-224. 07 KAMPTEL LOIS GRUNER VELTLINER, HIEDLER list: 16.99 sale: 13.99 each [12/cs] 12.59 w/cs disc Wine & Spirits 92 - BEST BUY: ‘Smoky and stony, this wine takes its time to open, eventually acquiring a richly textured depth of quince, grilled peach and pear-skin aromas. It feels broad and soil-driven, demonstrating a seamless harmony and confident, vivid energy. Decant it if you serve it now, or put it in the cellar for another decade to watch it develop. $20.’ |
| sale: 13.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-225. 08 NIEDEROSTERREICH GRUNER VELTLINER TROCKEN, HOFER liter list: 14.99 sale: 11.99 each [12/cs liter (L )] 10.79 w/cs disc Fresh and bright. Fruitier than most, and than past vintages of this. Pear and melon more than apple and legume./ Yes, flavors confirm aromas. And there’s a bit of apple peel bitterness too. Plus dried flowers and sage. Fresh and perky. Good acidity. Dry but not austere. Seems to have more substance than previous Hofer liters. 90/100. |
| sale: 11.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-228. 03 BAROLO LE CINQUE VIGNE, DAMILANO list: 46.99 sale: 37.99 each [12/cs] 34.19 w/cs disc Big, broad, rich, and ripe...but not too ripe. Darkness, depth, and frame. Mass and largesse. Useful now. A winning 03 and very fairly priced. 92/100. Good level of ripeness; under control. A well crafted 03. The ripeness is flattering to this usually firm cuvee. 92+/100. |
| sale: 37.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-229. 05 BARBARESCO REYNA, MICHELE CHIARLO list: 45.99 sale: 36.99 each [12/cs] 33.29 w/cs disc Wine Spectator 91: ‘Wonderful aromas of sliced plum, with hints of dried flowers. This is full-bodied, with spice, truffle and berry character. Very long and rich, yet soft and beautiful. Best after 2012.’ |
| sale: 36.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-230. 07 BARBERA DEL PIEMONTE OTTONE I, SAN SILVESTRO list: 11.99 sale: 9.99 each [12/cs] 8.99 w/cs disc Oh, my, is this ever a charmer! Right in tune with this series. Fresh, bright, black, and vigorous, with cherry creme frosting bonus. Even some floral overtones. Come hither./ Oh, delicious fruit compote richness and a fine-grained tannin foil. That great barbera acidity; I mean, it really rings. Wonderful, succulent, mealworthy. In tune with the 06 and at least as good, maybe better after a few more months’ aging. 91/100. |
| sale: 9.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-231. 05 BARBERA D’ALBA, DAMILANO list: 18.99 sale: 14.99 each [12/cs] 13.49 w/cs disc Missed this at Wine Club but used it two weeks later at Master of Wine prep blind tasting. Most attendees thought it was nebbiolo! Yeah, it’s that noble, sophisticated, and ambitious! 92+/100. |
| sale: 14.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-232. 07 DOLCETTO DI OVADA ROCCO ROSSO, LA SLINA list: 15.99 sale: 12.99 each [12/cs] 11.69 w/cs disc Oh, sweet and spicy! Spiced cherry. Intense. Young and fresh and lovely./ Sweet and delicious. Just succulent fruit at the core, with good acidity and light, fine tannic grip for framing. Finally, a dolcetto that aims to please now rather than impress for its potential. We see so few of these nowadays. Well liked by the group for the same reason. Good price too. 91/100. |
| sale: 12.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-233. 07 DOLCETTO D’ALBA COLOMBE, RENATO RATTI list: 19.99 sale: 15.99 each [12/cs] 14.39 w/cs disc Good and sweet, dense and plummy. Clear headed, easy, tender. Well sized too. Aeration brings bright cherry varietal joys plus floral accents./ Yes, sweet and cherry toned. Cherry cola. Hint of nutmeg. Fresh and juicy, while displaying real depth and density. A stunning beauty, with good acidity. Stylish, sincere, approachable. I’d say the best vintage I’ve tasted for drinking in youth. It’s got come hither appeal, but it’s not frivolous; it has plenty of material. Well liked by the group. 92+/100. |
| sale: 15.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-234. 07 GAVI DI GAVI, OLIM BAUDA list: 21.99 sale: 17.99 each [12/cs] 16.19 w/cs disc Genuine Gavi aromas. Apple, citrus, peel, sage, flowers. Frisky, minerally./ Deliciously fresh and crisp, round and full. Fully up to snuff. 92/100. Wonderful, soft. Fruit and sage. Classic. Rich./ Luscious texture. Fruit and herbs echo on the palate. Lovely example. 92/100. |
| sale: 17.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-235. 08 MOSCATO D’ASTI, BOSIO list: 15.99 sale: 12.99 each [12/cs] 11.69 w/cs disc Ah! This is much more accomplished at this young age than the San Silvestro. Round, sweet, plush, polished, come hither. Freshness of apple and flowers, richness of peach and mango./ Peach, lime, botanicals. Lush, round, tasty, mouthfilling. A real beauty. Great value. 92/100. |
| sale: 12.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
ITALY - NORTHEAST |
| SUM09-237. 08 DOLOMITI MOSCATO, MEZZA CORONA list: 10.99 sale: 8.99 each [12/cs] 8.09 w/cs disc A real high altitude beauty. Lots of Alpine flowers. Boy, this is one of the coolest, keenest muscats I’ve every smelled. Peach, apricot, and citrus–all ethereal./ Carries a light measure of attractive sweetness countered by high-altitude fruit acidity. Fabulous for the money. Nothing else quite like it. And already accomplished. 91/100. |
| sale: 8.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-238. 07 VALPOLICELLA VALPANTENA, ANIME list: 16.99 sale: 13.99 each [12/cs] 12.59 w/cs disc Very full for Valpolicella–that’s typical of a Valpantena wine. Nothing ripasso about it, just extra rich and full. And alert. Cherry-oriented aromatic set./ Wow! Full but also elegant thanks to floral airs and fresh, cool berry flavors. Juicy fruit acidity. Long and clinging. We have another winning Valpol on our hands. The group was impressed. 92+/100. |
| sale: 13.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-239. 07 VENEZIE PINOT GRIGIO GREGORIS, FATTORI list: 14.99 sale: 11.99 each [12/cs] 10.79 w/cs disc Continues to show deep and luxuriant. Citrus and cream. Precise, crisp, pure./ Touch of peach too. Both rich and racy. Plump, supple, true to the varietal. No signs of letting up. I love it still. 91/100. Crisp and beautiful. The clarity and minerality of spring water. Light citrus and flowers. Really upbeat. Even better than at the trade show. And this has been airing in the sample glass for a long period. 91/100. |
| sale: 11.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-240. 06 FRIULI AQUILEA REFOSCO, MERK list: 16.99 sale: 13.99 each [12/cs] 12.59 w/cs disc One of the best I’ve tasted. Plenty ripe but still has that astringency that’s proper to refosco./ Cherry and orange flavors–textbook example of refosco character. And the price is nice. 92+/100. |
| sale: 13.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-241. 07 COLLI PIACENTINI BARBERA, SANTA GIUSTINA list: 13.99 sale: 10.99 each [12/cs] 9.89 w/cs disc Forward, ripe, rich, open, upbeat./ Sweet black cherry taste. Wonderfully appealing already./ Body, race, edge, acidity. Full flavor and texture. And it lingers. Oh, boy! 92+/100. |
| sale: 10.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
ITALY - CENTER |
| SUM09-243. 07 TOSCANA, VILLA D’, MORLI NERI list: 11.99 sale: 9.99 each [12/cs] 8.99 w/cs disc From a hillside village near Montepulciano. And, indeed, it has Vino Nobile like elegance. Distinctive cherry, clove, rose hip, botanical, and flowers aromas./ Yes! Cool and lifted. Floral. Elegant. Fresh, juicy acidity. Fine tannin. Good now with food; better in 6 months. Well liked by the group. 90+/100. |
| sale: 9.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-244. 03 CHIANTI RISERVA, FONTEROSSO list: 19.99 sale: 15.99 each [12/cs] 14.39 w/cs disc Beautiful riserva. Especially black and cool and vigorous for 03 and time in cooperage. Good riserva qualities. Give and amplitude too./ Dark berries, cigar box, tar, sandalwood. Special. Great success, value. Still on the up and up. 92+/100. At Wine Club: Yeah, once again: oak, time in oak, good fruit basis. Really sophisticated./ Good development. Exceptional acidity for the vintage. Blackness, grip, time to go and grow. 92+/100. |
| sale: 15.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-245. 05 CHIANTI CLASSICO, CASTELLO DI MONASTERO list: 24.99 sale: 19.99 each [12/cs] 17.99 w/cs disc Wine & Spirits 92 - BEST BUY: ‘This integrates its oak after a few hours of air, revealing aromas of tart berries and dried mint. There’s a sanguine aspect to the tannin, bloody and wild, that seems to complement the cool forest spice and high-toned cherry flavors. Match this wine’s appealing rusticity with something equally untamed and Tuscan, like a ragu of wild boar.’ |
| sale: 19.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-246. 07 ROSSO DI MONTEPULCIANO, AVIGNONESI list: 20.99 sale: 16.99 each [12/cs] 15.29 w/cs disc Boy, unique for the DOC. Lots of cherry, coffee, and leather. The fruit is really dense and rich for this DOC. And the wine really ripe without crossing the line. Is this 07 talking? Sense of time in cooperage, if not outright oakiness./ Oh, but there’s definitely oak influence on the palate. Sweet oak as well as sweet fruit. And some oak tannin. Incredibly complex flavor range: blackberry, chamomile, tea, fennel, peppercorn, smoke, nutmeg, cinnamon cake. Intense and focused. Really loaded, even for Avignonesi. Yowsa! Very well liked by the group, which almost finished the bottle before I got to it. 92+/100. |
| sale: 16.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-247. 07 UMBRIA, PERTICAIA list: 23.99 sale: 18.99 each [12/cs] 17.09 w/cs disc Absolutely lovely. Smoky red and dried fruits. Sweet fruits. Beautiful harmony. Very giving./ Red plum, pomegranate, potpourri. Lovely, unique approach quite distinct from Toscana rosso. Delivers in all respects. I’m really taken with this. 92+/100. At Wine Club: Big scaled, upbeat, ambitious. The oak, the fruit, the harmony–all awesome./ Speaks of volume and class. Fine acidity as well as amplitude. A keeper. Great potential. 92+/100. |
| sale: 18.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-248. 08 ESINO BIANCO VERDICCHIO-TREBBIANO, TERRAZO list: 11.99 sale: 9.99 each [12/cs] 8.99 w/cs disc 80/20 ratio. DOC established in 1995. Near Ancona in central Marche. Full for verdicchio, and even for trebbiano for that matter. There’s clarity as well as body though. Firm apple, pear, mineral, straw./ Sleek and bright, with nice, edgy acidity. Hint of fig. Nicely tuned, entirely palatable, even quaffable. Very popular with the group. 90/100. |
| sale: 9.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-249. 06 MONTEPULCIANO D’ABRUZZO ROCCA VENTOSA, CANTINA TOLLO list: 11.99 sale: 9.99 each [12/cs] 8.99 w/cs disc Deep purple hue./ Initially ripe-smelling, especially for 06. However, the fruit is blue-black. Blueberry, black raspberry, violets. Marks the nobility of the varietal./ The palate is very cool. This has plenty of fruit substance, good acidity, fine tannin. Well balanced. One of those rare under-$10 wines with aging potential. Very popular with the group. 90+/100. |
| sale: 9.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
ITALY - SOUTH |
| SUM09-251. 07 LACRYMA CHRISTI BIANCO, SORRENTINO list: 20.99 sale: 16.99 each [12/cs] 15.29 w/cs disc Fresh and uplifting. Nutty as well as fruity./ Has the texture too. Talks the talk. Spot on for the DOC. 91/100. |
| sale: 16.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-252. 04 SALICE SALENTINO RISERVA, DR. COSMO TAURINO list: 16.99 sale: 13.99 each [12/cs] 12.59 w/cs disc At Wine Club: Classic. Everything you could want in a mature rosso. How do they do it? Low price, consistent quality year after year./ An extra abundance of fruit and freshness in 04. And all the other riserva attributes of age. 92+/100. |
| sale: 13.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-253. 06 SICILIA NERO D’AVOLA GURGO, PAOLINI list: 14.99 sale: 11.99 each [12/cs] 10.79 w/cs disc Bright, fresh, modern, scented. Very successful. Looks like a good source./ Suave, mellow. Easy to drink now. Very enticing bottle. 92+/100. |
| sale: 11.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-254. 06 MAMERTINO DI MILAZZO, VASSARI list: 28.99 sale: 22.99 each [12/cs] 20.69 w/cs disc 90% nero d’avola, 10% nocera. Nocera is described as a sharp, high tannin red with good acidity and a warm, intense aroma. Wow! Lovely, deep, and plummy. Yes, plum and peel. Full of berries too. Very sweet, plump fruit expression, dark but not surly. Rather, cushioned and inviting./ Racy cedar, spice, and incense highlights. From oak? Doesn’t really seem woody. Great savor and texture. Fine tannin. Well poised. Demands attention. Really something special in nero d’avola, with nocera kicking in extra nuances. 94+/100. |
| sale: 22.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-256. 07 RIAS BAIXAS ALBARINO, BURGANS list: 14.99 sale: 11.99 each [12/cs] 10.79 w/cs disc Parker 90 - World’s Greatest Wine Values: ‘In terms of bang for the buck, this Albarino has no challenger. The 2007 has a sprightly nose of mineral, spring flowers, and lemon peel. Ripe, balanced, and concentrated, this is an ideal match for flaky fish courses. Drink it over the next 1-2 years.’ |
| sale: 11.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-257. 05 BIERZO MENCIA, ORELLAN list: 10.99 sale: 8.99 each [12/cs] 8.09 w/cs disc There’s still some of the purple reductive aromas of mencia. The early astringency. Purple fruits, cassis. Elegant, refined, and generous./ Solid structure. Claret directed. Fine tannin and extract. Serious stuff for the price. Would match up well against Bierzos costing twice as much. Great elegance. Air and/or age for full appreciation. 91+/100. |
| sale: 8.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-258. 06 TORO, TR1 list: 8.99 sale: 7.49 each [12/cs] 6.74 w/cs disc Powerful (14%), ripe, and intense. Some oak influence. Ripe to the max–roasted ripe in the Toro manner, not rancio, jammy./ Warmth, heft, and spiciness of a Toro with nothing to fear. A very large, winter oriented table wine. Lots of tannin, countered by the right measure of sweet, ripe fruit, dried fruit, brandied fruit. I guess you could use it with BBQ in summer, but I’d prefer to leave it for the cold months. Will have softened some by then too. A textbook, full-blooded Toro at an incredibly reasonable price. 90++/100. |
| sale: 7.49 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-259. 06 RIOJA GRAN FAMILIA, CASTILLO DE FUENMAYOR list: 13.99 sale: 10.99 each [12/cs] 9.89 w/cs disc On 2/15: More suavity of age than found in the 07s. Mellowness. Some oak involvement. Moving toward crianza oakiness but showing less time in barrel than a crianza./ Delicious oak involvement, savory and distinct. Tasty, toasty, discreet. Great value. 91+/100. Same open bottle on 2/18: I love this. Berries and even flowers now. Fine oak. Hint of glove leather./ The right weight and harmony. Textbook Rioja. 91+/100. |
| sale: 10.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-260. 07 CAMPO DE BORJA MONTE OTON, BODEGAS BORSAO list: 8.99 sale: 6.99 each [12/cs] 6.29 w/cs disc Wall Street Journal - RECOMMENDED INEXPENSIVE WINE: ‘The nose delivers aromas of dark cherry and spice. With good depth of flavors, this is one of the outstanding values available today.’ Our notes on 2/15: Rounder and riper, fuller than the Borsao Borgia. Not as blue and bright. Rich and large./ Definitely more backward. Cherry-berry. Tannic yet. Needs some time. Well poised. 89+/100. On 2/18: Indeed, larger, riper, more powerful. Reminds me of a Cotes du Rhone, maybe even a Villages./ Yes, sweet strawberry, fresh and dark. The tannins are not at all bothersome today. Delicious flavor and texture. 90+/100. |
| sale: 6.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-261. 06 CAMPO DE BORJA CRIANZA SELECCION, BODEGAS BORSAO list: 16.99 sale: 13.99 each [12/cs] 12.59 w/cs disc Tanzer 90: ‘Blackberry and blueberry aromas are complicated by incense and dried flowers. Juicy dark berry flavors are liqueur-like in richness, with nervy minerality adding energy. Becomes fleshier and sweeter on the finish, which echoes the floral note. Pretty sexy stuff.’ Our notes: 50% grenache, 25% each tempranillo, cabernet sauvignon. Oh, boy! Black and deep and spicy-peppery fruit with fine oak border. Everything’s in harmony, in synch. Grenache sweetness, crianza oak and barrel development. Fabulous crianza./ Yes, oak, sweet fruit, vanilla–in balance. Well tuned. Plenty of spice and flair. Large in all respects. Powerful, generous. Has a fine future too. 92+/100. |
| sale: 13.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-262. 06 CALATAYUD GARNACHA OLD VINES, FLOR DEL MONTGO list: 13.99 sale: 10.99 each [12/cs] 9.89 w/cs disc 85% grenache, 15% syrah. More compact, needs more time than the Montgo Monastrell below. Shows great old vines depth and concentration./ Yes, has class and panache. Dark fruited, young. 91+/100. |
| sale: 10.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-263. 07 PENEDES BLANCO SELECCIO, CAN FEIXAS list: 16.99 sale: 13.99 each [12/cs] 12.59 w/cs disc At Wine Club: Oh, my! Such uplift! Soars on citrus and flowers airs./ Richly textured, mouthfilling, tingly, juicy, vigorous. Great acidity and cling. Wow! 92/100. On another occasion: Oh, boy! Fresh and full. Flowery, powdery aura; fine lime zest core. Right./ Juicy citricity, plenty of flavor of apple and citrus. Full textured. Delivers. 91/100. |
| sale: 13.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-264. 05 PRIORAT, SANGENIS I VAQUE list: 18.99 sale: 14.99 each [12/cs] 13.49 w/cs disc Grenache, carinena, syrah. Young and tight nose but the palate is very nice–more revealing. Good freshness and acid vigor. Still needs time to gain depth, like many an 05. Continues to perform well. 91+/100. |
| sale: 14.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-265. 07 MONTSANT, CAN BLAU, CELLER CAN BLAU list: 18.99 sale: 14.99 each [12/cs] 13.49 w/cs disc 40% mazuelo, 40% syrah, 20% grenache. Bright, fresh, black, creamy fruit. Intense black currant. Violets. Has no use for wood./ Rich, packed in fruit and peels. Good acidity. Well concentrated. Lush and ripe, full and supple, structured and promising. The tannins are still a little harsh. This has potential for brilliance. Well liked by the group. 92+/100. |
| sale: 14.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-266. 08 LA MANCHA SHIRAZ, OPERA PRIMA list: 5.99 sale: 4.49 each [12/cs] 4.04 w/cs disc La Mancha sweet but very cool and berry like. Maybe the relatively cool vintage has supported this. Very pure raspberry expression of syrah. I think we’re looking at a winner here./ Yes, many Rhone syrah attributes: raspberry, smoked, peppered meat, garrigue. A bargain in real Euro syrah. 90/100. |
| sale: 4.49 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-267. 07 YECLA MONASTRELL, FLOR DEL MONTGO list: 13.99 sale: 10.99 each [12/cs] 9.89 w/cs disc 85% monastrell, 15% syrah. I guess the EU doesn’t require 100% varietals any longer. Oh! Volume, depth! Alluring plum, wine, and flowers aromas./ Again, just seductive! Plumpness and grip and range. This really shows its all. Very popular with the group. 91/100. |
| sale: 10.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
PORTUGAL |
| SUM09-269. (08) VINHO VERDE, BROADBENT list: 11.99 sale: 9.99 each [12/cs] 8.99 w/cs disc No vintage listed on the label, but most assuredly 08 from its character and its regional seal bestowed in 2009. Fresh and brisk. Appropriate light fizz and tingle. Green apple and pear. And floral highlights./ Soft, tingly, easy drinking. Only 9% alcohol. Enough acidity for freshness. Nicely textured. A summer quaffer all the way. Well liked by the group. 90/100. |
| sale: 9.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-270. 06 DOURO BARCO NEGRO, LURTON list: 14.99 sale: 11.99 each [12/cs] 10.79 w/cs disc Good, deep, black, solid, schistic. Cool; no roast. Big and fabulous black fruits and berries. Plus violets./ Delicious flavor intensity. The dark side of Iberia; Portuguese red wine style versus Spanish. Firmer, drier, blacker, more minerally style. Juicy. Fine tannins. A winner. 91+/100. At Wine Club: Dark and sullen. Inky, black, floral./ Richly textured. Loaded. Lots of extract, material, ripe tannin. Remarkable. 91+/100. |
| sale: 11.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-271. 06 RIBATEJO, QUINTA DA ALORNA list: 14.99 sale: 11.99 each [12/cs] 10.79 w/cs disc Ribatejo and Ribatejano wines come from the valley of the Tejo (Tagus), which empties into the Atlantic at Lisbon. Roriz, castelao, syrah, and alicante bouschet. Oh, boy! Deep and rich in purple and black fruits. Some wood extras too? Fabulous intensity and clarity./ Purple flowers and black currants. A dark-complexioned beauty. Fine extract, fine tannin. 91+/100. At Wine Club: Race, succulence, vibrance. Special./ Round and sweet as well and dark, succulent, firm framed. Good acidity. Delicious. 91+/100. |
| sale: 11.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
INTERNATIONAL |
| SUM09-273. SAMOS MUSCAT, KOURTAKI list: 14.99 sale: 11.99 each [12/cs] 10.79 w/cs disc Golden color./ The proper orange marmalade-apricot confit-spiced tea exotica of muscat alexandria. Fresh, pure, clean and clear, lovely./ Honey, orange peel, quince, tea. Rich, but with a delicate and ventilating side too. A must buy. From France, Italy, or Iberia, this would carry a much fancier price tag. 92/100. |
| sale: 11.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-274. 06 CHATEAU KSARA RESERVE DU COUVENT BEKAA VALLEY RED list: 15.99 sale: 12.99 each [12/cs] 11.69 w/cs disc From Lebanon. Markedly different from past vintages and from the 06 Chateau Kafraya. Wow! Great, sweet, dark fruit. Flowers, berries, freshness, joy. This is not Med-like as are the others, which show their cinsaut component. This is darker, more northern, fruitier, more modern./ Again, the fruit plushness complemented by soft and engaging acidity. Peels extract gives structure. Complexing hints of gaminess and Cavendish tobacco. Good show. Liked by the group. 91+/100.. At Wine Club: Modern and delicious. Fruit juicy. Cherry. Berry creme./ Racy, with warm spices from oak. Just the right fruit ripeness. 91+/100. |
| sale: 12.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
ROSE |
| SUM09-276. 08 WILLIAM FEVRE LA MISION PIRQUE-MAIPO ROSE list: 10.99 sale: 8.49 each [12/cs] 7.64 w/cs disc Good and pretty fruit. Delicate strawberry-raspberry aroma. Seems dry and very refreshing. Very useful and versatile this summer./ Full. Plentiful peels extract flavors of Bordeaux varieties. Sweet cherry in particular. Yes, a wonderful cherry taste. Merlot? Malbec? Good acidity and light tannin. For the table. Better than most Bordeaux roses–heftier, riper fruit. 90/100. |
| sale: 8.49 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-277. 08 COTES DE PROVENCE ROSE RESERVEE TRADITION, CHATEAU DE ROUET list: 18.99 sale: 14.99 each [12/cs] 13.49 w/cs disc Jorge: Ahh! Soft, seductive strawberry and raspberry. So balanced and elegant. What a treat...totally. 90+/100. |
| sale: 14.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-278. 08 COTEAUX DU LANGUEDOC ROSE, CHATEAU KARANTES list: 11.99 sale: 9.99 each [12/cs] 8.99 w/cs disc Good full red orange color./ Good, healthy, full blooded aroma–almost a red wine smell. Candied cherry and strawberry./ Good, firm strength. Peel tones, peppercorn, berries. Good grip. Lots of material. Really stands on its own; would replace a red wine at the table. Will develop through summer and beyond. 90+/100. |
| sale: 9.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-280. LILLET L’APERITIF DE BORDEAUX BLANC list: 21.99 sale: 17.99 each [12/cs] 16.19 w/cs disc Gorgeous orange peel and botanicals formula, so freshly presented here./ The fine orange peel and tonic bitterness foiled by light sweetness and good strength. Hallmark Lillet blanc. 92/100. |
| sale: 17.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-281. 90 RIVESALTES AMBRE, DOMAINE DE RANCY bottled 2002 list: 35.99 sale: 28.99 each [12/cs] 26.09 w/cs disc Eleve en futs de chene. 100% macabeau (viura); 75 year old vines. Very few Ambre Rivesaltes wines are made any longer. Heady. Full of toffee and coffee au lait aromas./ Yes, more toffee, and mocha. Also date, dried apricot, white chocolate, walnut. The sweetness, the acidity, and the alcohol form an equilateral triangle filled with goodness. 97/100. |
| sale: 28.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-282. LUSTAU SOLERA RESERVA PAPIRUSA MANZANILLA SHERRY list: 19.99 sale: 15.99 each [12/cs] 14.39 w/cs disc Wine & Spirits 92: ‘Give this Manzanilla a bit of air to reveal its scents of brine and salted almonds. Its rich flavors and textures combine into a creamy, nutty bisque. Then the finish cuts that richness with freshness. For manchego.’ Wine Enthusiast 90: ‘Textbook Manzanilla! A clean, mildly salinic offering with green banana and toast aromas. The palate is just salty enough, but the wine’s more about almond, apple and lemon peel than saline. And the feel and finish are nutty and warm. A full-bodied but refreshing style as only Lustau can do.’ |
| sale: 15.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-283. 03 DOW’S LATE BOTTLED VINTAGE PORTO bottled 2008 list: 24.99 sale: 19.99 each [12/cs] 17.99 w/cs disc Oh, yes! The Dow purple berries. The pitchy concentration. The wood spices. Here, the power is under control, and the quality of the spirit is fine./ Wow! Sweet, black, strong, fruity, balanced, long. Another winner in this series. 93+/100. |
| sale: 19.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-284. 04 QUINTA DO VESUVIO VINTAGE PORT list: 49.99 sale: 39.99 each [6/cs] 35.99 w/cs disc Wine Enthusiast 94 - EDITORS’ CHOICE: ‘A powerhouse of a wine that goes from densely rich to massive without a pause. The ripe fruit, the dark, heavy tannins, the black plum and fig flavors, all come from the terroir of this great vineyard. $62.’ Our notes: Remarkable, accomplished. Mulberry and other purple berries. Spices./ Oak, class, no heat. Has it all. 95+/100. Beautiful presentation: branded, lacquered box of six with brass handle, latches, and hinges, and a porcelain cellar plate included. List price: $63. |
| sale: 44.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
SPARKLING |
| SUM09-286. GRUET NEW MEXICO BRUT list: 18.99 sale: 14.99 each [12/cs] 13.49 w/cs disc Wall Street Journal - Best Value - American Bubbly: ‘Notable for its Champagne-like dry austerity and intensity, good tartness and bracing tastes. A confident wine. Awesome with oysters.’ Our notes: Good, doughy bottle bouquet. Finesse here. Good fruit too./ Moussy, classy, good acidity. Could surely fool me in terms of its provenance. 91/100. At Tasters Guild: Plenty of mousse and bottle bouquet here. Better acidity than most of the comparably priced California sparklers. 91/100. |
| sale: 14.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-287. SCHARFFENBERGER ANDERSON VALLEY BRUT list: 23.99 sale: 18.99 each [12/cs] 17.09 w/cs disc Wine News 92 - TASTERS’ CHOICE: ‘Fresh aromas of butterscotch and croissant with yeasty, bakery notes. Bright peach and apricot flavors with a green apple tartness. Fresh, steely close with a mix of lemon drop and minerals.’ Our notes: Rich and seductive as at the trade tasting. Lots of plushness, lots of brioche. This used to be dry and austere years back. I applaud the change to a come-hither style./ Fruit dominates but doesn’t obscure the moussy, creamy bottle bouquet. Wholly enticing. 92/100. Wall Street Journal - Best of Tasting - American Bubbly: ‘Classy, with true, clean tastes of minerals, toast and ripe grapefruit. Nutty, with a slightly buttery finish that’s quite luscious and lasts.’ |
| sale: 18.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-288. LAETITIA ARROYO GRANDE VALLEY ROSE BRUT list: 29.99 sale: 23.99 each [12/cs] 21.59 w/cs disc Beverage Dynamics 95: ‘Hand-harvested pinot noir, pressed in wooden basket presses; subtle floral and Maraschino aromas lead to crisp, delicate berry flavors that intensity on the lengthy finish.’ Wine News 93: ‘Attractive tangerine hue. Sweet nose of cherry and light yeast. Soft, very foamy palate with strawberry and light caramel flavorings. Drying on the close with tart cherry- and grapefruit-inspired acidity.’ Our notes: Remarkable. Full of both fruit and bottle bouquet./ Soft, sweet and fruity flavor and lots of bottle bouquet besides. Everything it should be. Well crafted, thorough rose. 92/100. |
| sale: 23.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-289. EMERI SE AUSTRALIA PINK MOSCATO list: 15.99 sale: 12.99 each [12/cs] 11.69 w/cs disc Yes, some pink stuff here–strawberry–along with moscato peach-apricot and flowers. / Lots of perfume. Not as sweet as the Italian moscatos. Good vinosity too. Thoroughly delightful. 91/100. |
| sale: 12.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-290. LOUIS DE SACY VERZY GRAND CRU BRUT CHAMPAGNE list: 40.99 sale: 32.99 each [12/cs] 29.69 w/cs disc From Verzy, on the Montagne de Reims. 60% pinot noir, 35% chardonnay, 5% meunier. Forward and generous, plump and lush. Big pinot cherry fruit and bottle bouquet elements of toast and dough. Tremendous nose, really–elegant, deep, and sweetly fruity./ Youthful and bright on the palate. Pinot cherry and chardonnay grace. Biscuit bouquet. Lemon-drop fruit acidity. 94/100. |
| sale: 32.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-291. CREMANT DE BORDEAUX CUVEE DE L’ABBAYE, JAILLANCE list: 19.99 sale: 15.99 each [12/cs] 14.39 w/cs disc Gold Medal - Paris. All semillon. Oh, fine apple, honey, nut, and pie crust. Blanc de blancs and bottle bouquet./ Lively mousse and lovely yeasty autolysis flavor range as well as faithfulness to its semillon foundation. More sophisticated than the cuvee I tasted a couple of years back. Bravo! 91/100. |
| sale: 15.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-292. CABOURG VIN MOUSSEUX FRANCAIS BRUT, CAVE DE WISSEMBOURG (ALSACE) list: 10.99 sale: 8.99 each [12/cs] 8.09 w/cs disc This reminds me of Simonet. Probably is Simonet under a different brand. Same source. Fresh, fluffy, lightly applied powderpuff aromas. Also green apple, yellow delicious apple, lemon drop. Speaks for both the fruit foundation and the sparkling-wine fermentation process. Nice./ Fresh, soft approach. Then some apple peel press extracts that add form, dryness, crispness. Genuine brut dryness. Well liked by the group. Good replacement for long-lost Simonet. 89/100. |
| sale: 8.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-293. 07 CASORZO MALVASIA FRIZZANTE, LA SERA list: 19.99 sale: 15.99 each [12/cs] 14.39 w/cs disc Alluring maraschino and cherry-berry candy aromas. Turkish delight too./ Both sweet and racy. This is right and is surely needed. Much cheaper than the brachetto alternatives. Fabulous for the price. 92/100. |
| sale: 15.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-294. 03 TRENTO RISERVA TALENTO, ROTARI list: 19.99 sale: 15.99 each [12/cs] 14.39 w/cs disc Wine Enthusiast 91 - EDITORS’ CHOICE: ‘This Riserva (from 90% Chardonnay and 10% Pinot Nero) demonstrates great intensity and round, toasty flavors of fresh baguette, baked apple, honey and fruit. The wine rests on the lees for 48 months for extra creaminess..’ |
| sale: 15.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-295. PROSECCO GARBEL, ADAMI list: 18.99 sale: 14.99 each [12/cs] 13.49 w/cs disc Fresh and attractive and authentic. Sweet, racy, peachy, vibrant fruit. Good value. 90/100. |
| sale: 14.99 each How Many bottles/singles: |
| SUM09-296. SEGURA VIUDAS ROSE BRUT CAVA list: 10.99 sale: 8.49 each [12/cs] 7.64 w/cs disc Wine Enthusiast 88 - #73 BEST BUY: ‘A lively number with kick and effervescence. The nose is kind, with light fruits and a whiff of chocolate. Plum and raspberry flavors are nice and accented by earthy spice, while the wine’s texture and structure seem more than solid, given its everyday price..’ Our notes: Plenty of red fruit aroma–strawberry, watermelon, maraschino./ Soft and flavorful, with light tannin, extract, and astringency of red peels. Lovely. 90/100. |
| sale: 8.49 each How Many bottles/singles: |
