2011 Sojourn Rodgers Creek Pinot Noir
$35 per
From the Pinot Report: 94 points. Deep ruby color; big, complex earthy and forest floor aromas; deep, complex, cherry flavors with layers of forest floor and earthy notes; good structure and balance; long finish. Big, complex, earthy Pinot that screams for a dish with mushrooms.
2013 Fess Parker Pinot Noir, Ashley's Vineyard. Santa Barbara
$49 per, 5% 0ff 6, 10% off 12
There's a feral quality to this single-vineyard bottling, with dried rose petals, damp pine needles, dehydrated shiitake mushrooms and touches of violet,
potpourri and dried ginger on the nose. The mouthfeel is velvety, with lilac and lavender decorating a base of cranberry and boysenberry fruit. 92 points Wine Enthusiast
"The 2013 Pinot Noir Ashley's is one of the more overt wines in the Fess Parker range, with generous, resonant fruit and an open-knit personality to match. The style is juicy, opulent and forward, with plenty of character. Sweet red cherries, flowers, spices, mint and French oak are laced into the voluptuous finish. Today the oak is a bit prominent, but that should be less of an issue with time. The 2013 spent 18 months in French oak, 42% new. 91 points Vinous / Antonio Galloni .
Possessing a stunning nose of spring flowers, rose, sappy underbrush and dark cherry nuances, the 2013 Pinot Noir Ashley's Vineyard is medium-bodied, lively and fresh on the palate. A little more edgy and linear than I like, with bright acidity and discrete oak, I suspect it will show better with a year in bottle. 90 points The Wine Advocate
2011 JACK QUINN CABERNET
We received some very rare 2011 Jack Quinn, Agave Rose Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Rutherford. There are only 196 cases produced. This wine is mailing list only and French Laundry gets an allocation. We tried a bottle this weekend. Amazing over the top raspberry and blackberry for days. Spicy
French Oak and endless finish. This wine is quickly moving to cult status and probably price. I realize that you may have alot of wine on hand. Thank You! Regardless I recommend that if it is only one bottle you try this one while you can. Happy Spring! R and M
Michele's take: We got to taste the 2011 Jack Quinn Cabernet on Friday night....we saved a tidbit in the bottle so we could revisit the next day. Michael Byington who is more of a pinot drinker, did several double takes. He gave his highest marks even though a Cabernet. My sister's comment was I could drink this all day (and proceeded to drink the rest without sharing with Marty, her husband), which to me makes a 5-star wine...one that drinks great with or without food. Both red and black fruit, long velvety finish. Gorgeous. Hear it is becoming one of top new CULT wines.
Only 3 bottles available (and counting down...), I was told we may get more, but it is mainly mailing list. The wine retails $109-$119. WAS $99, TODAY PRICE $79 PER
Always a solid, delicious, and consistent Napa Cabernet, we are pleased to offer the 2011 Jack Quinn, Agave Rose Vineyard, Cabernet Sauvignon from Rutherford! The Agave Rose Vineyard, located on the north end of the Rutherford Bench off Zinfandel Lane, is a micro vineyard of just over one acre. The Zinfandel Lane vineyard property, formerly known as Melrose Farm, was originally developed by Jacob Greer, a Norwegian ship-captain and early Napa grape grower. Greer died in a shipwreck in the 1890's in a storm off Alcatraz Island in the San Francisco Bay. Jim and Molly Larkin purchased this vineyard and the old 1883 farmhouse property where they reside today and in 1999, with the help of vineyard manager Jim Barbour, replanted the vineyard to Cabernet Sauvignon.
In 2004, Napa winemakers Andy Erickson and Benoit Touquette used the Cabernet Sauvignon grapes from Agave Rose Vineyard to make the inaugural release of Jack Quinn Cabernet. The wine is named in honor of the Larkin's two young sons, Jack and Quinn. Benoit Touquette, who assisted in developing the 2004 Jack Quinn Cabernet, has taken the reins for the vintages 2005 through 2011 Jack Quinn Cabernet Sauvignon. Benoit is a star in knowledgeable Napa winemaking circles and the Jack Quinn Cabernet out of Agave Rose Vineyard on the Rutherford Bench is one reason why. Touquette's background studying and making wine in Bordeaux combined with modern Napa Valley viticulture and soil has created a wine that is both reminiscent of old world and new work Cabernets.
2009 Monteventrano Colli do Salerno
Was $49 per, Today $39
Tasted the 2009 Montevetrano. The wine is fresh and lively. I would never have guessed it was an 09. Black fruit, plums and cedar mixed with tobacco on the perfumed nose. The mouthfeel is soft and round, very velvety. The Anglianico adds depth reminiscent of a gorgeous Hermitage (something I am partial to). Rex says this is what is bringing out raspberries. We got a great deal which lets us sell at $49. Release price was $80....still sells on the net $56-$75. Reviews are below
"The 2009 Montevetrano is quite possibly the most accessible young vintage of this wine I have ever tasted. I am accustomed to Montevetranos that are tight and austere, but not in 2009. In 2009 Montevetrano is open and radiant, with layers of dark fruit and a polished, well-articulated finish. The 2009 is likely to be an early drinker, but that doesn't necessarily mean the wine will age quickly. A complete vertical tasted last year and published in Issue 190 found the wines in great shape, including all of the earliest vintages. Montevetrano is approximately 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 10% Aglianico that spent 12-14 months in French oak, 50% new. It remains a benchmark in southern Italian oenology. - 92 Points -Antonio Galloni (June 2011)
"Concentrated and polished, with a compact core of fresh crushed black cherry, blackberry and cassis. Silky tannins lead to layers of wild flowers, ash and iron that are slow to unfold on the long, focused finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Aglianico. Best from 2013 through 2023. 2,500 cases made." - NW (Nov 15, 2011) 92 Points - Wine Spectator Magazine
"Montevetrano is an impressive blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (60%), Merlot and Aglianico that shows the enormous potential of red wines from southern Italy. It will age 10 years or more, and it already shows deeply sophisticated flavors of tobacco, dry fruit and spice." - M.L. (2/1/2013) 92 Points - Wine Enthusiast Magazine
2014 GAJA Ca'Marcanda
$57.50 per (low $60, Average $66)
TODAY'S PRICE $50
"The 2014 Bolgheri Rosso Magari opens to a dark garnet color and pretty ruby highlights. I really love the crispness, acidity and linearity of this vintage that stands so far away from the more opulent and robust editions of the past. Angelo Gaja has interpreted the 2014 vintage very nicely in his beautiful property on the Tuscan Coast. Instead of looking for power and thickness, he strives for finesse and crispness. Yes, the vintage was cooler and wetter, but his skill in obtaining these qualities should not go overlooked. This is a different kind of Gaja wine (made with Merlot and Cabernets Sauvignon and Franc), but a very worthwhile expression nonetheless. I will give it a shorter drinking window, however." 92 points Monica Larner - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
"Magari means 'if only it were true!, an expression used often in Italian to express desire, hope, and a vision of a bright future. The soil is made of loam and clay-rich terre brune, brown earth, ideal for the cultivation of wines with pronounced minerality. With its lush Merlot fruit and its spicy Cabernet character, Magari expresses the essence of Bolgheri, rich and well-rounded, with an elegant, silky finish. The 2014 vintage was an overall small crop due to the challenge of a very cool and rainy year. However, the wine is pleasing, expressing intense and mineral flavors." -Importer
The Gaja Winery was founded by Giovanni Gaja in 1859 and has been owned and operated by five generations of the Gaja family. Giovanni Gaja was the great-grandfather of Angelo Gaja, the Winery's current owner. In 1994, GAJA acquired its first wine estate in Tuscany, Pieve Santa Restituta in Montalcino. This estate produces three Brunello di Montalcino wines- including the single vineyard Sugarille- from vineyard holdings totaling sixty five acres. In 1996 Gaja acquired a second property in Tuscany, Ca'Marcanda, located in Castagneto Carducci in Bolgheri. Of the property's 200 acres, 150 have been planted with new vineyards: primarily Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, as well as Cabernet Franc and Syrah. Currently, the Gaja Winery owns 250 acres of vineyards in Piedmont, located in the Barbaresco district (Barbaresco and Treiso) and the Barolo district (Serralunga d'Alba and La Morra). Since its inception, the Gaja Winery has continuously evolved in ways that have always focused on meticulous care of and attention to the quality of its wines.
2014 Burgess Cellars Topography, Napa.
There is a change of vintage deal on 2014 Burgess Cellars Topography, Napa. Topography is an old vine field blend composed of 62 percent Merlot, Malbec 20 percent, Petite Verdot 10 percent and Syrah 8 percent. Vibrant red fruit, cherry and raspberry , are the core flavors of this wine. The style is typical of Burgess, showing character and an obvious European technique in their traditional style of winemaking. The Burgess drinks now and will for five years at least. This is an exceptional open and pour dinner wine which is why it is primarily sold to restaurants. Somms all agree, it drinks twice it value!!
Normal pricing is $45.00
Today's $32.50 per
P.S. We will have an informal gathering at our house the evening of January 23rd ~~Peter Stolpman ( Stolpman Vineyards ) will be in town pouring his new releases which always score in the mid 90 point range. Let us know if you would like to join us! Michele
2006 Marie Copinet Champagne Cuvee Monsieur Leonard
Was $58.00, Today's price $49.50
100% Chardonnay Vintages: 2006
"Bright and citrusy, with aromatic verbena and floral notes wafting through the flavors of white cherry, candied ginger, lemon preserves and pastry dough. This is tightly knit and racy, presenting a long, zesty finish"
2012 Ancien Carneros Chardonnay
We have 5 cases of the 2012 Ancien Carneros Chardonnay. They made a total of 520 cases. This is a full bodied Chard made in the style of white Burgundy. We tasted it at room temperature and found zero flaws. This Chard has extreme complexity due in large to the components used in its creation. The vines are from the original Wente and Robert Young clone plantings. The fruit comes both the Napa and the Sonoma side of Carneros. Though both sides get the cooling breezes which Chardonnay so loves. Mineral components are different with the Napa fruit being richer in volcanic soil and Sonoma fruit polished by kimmeridgean minerality, so when blended in a single bottleing the result is a multi- layered combination of flavors. Both new and old French Oak was used in the finishing, so there is oak but this Chard is in no way over oaked. The flavor profile carries a component of lemon meringue and honey dew from the beginning to the finish but along the way there is peanut and pistachio, orange blossom and zest. The nose is filled with flowers and that floral component is found at mid palate and continues through a big finish of apricot and spice. Oh and there is butter, the kind which develops in Premiere Cru Chassagne, and this Chard will remind one of Chassagne Montrachet. The lowest price we could find on this release is $40.00 and at forty we think it blows away the $60.00 Chards we have tasted.
We are able to offer the 2012 Ancien Carneros Chardonnay at Normal $40.00 - Sale price $35.00 per, 5% off 6, 10% off 12,
5 CASES ONLY
NEW PRICE $27 PER
P.S. Excellent structure, this one will drink an easy 5 years. R
2009 Domaine EARL Roger Belland Meursault Santenot Premiere Cru
Some months back a good friend and White Burgundy collector ( Michael Byington) called and asked if we could get any Roger Belland White Burgundy. He had found a few bottles of the 2009 Belland Santenay Le Commes Blanc somewhere and bought one to try. He called me and asked if I could get any more because the bottle he was drinking" is incredible".
We know, like, and do a lot of business with the Belland importer, so we explained that we would try but doubted we would find any 2009 vintage whites. 2009 is a classic and highly sought after vintage. There was no Santenay available, but there was in fact a listing for 2009 Roger Belland Meursault Santenot 1er , 3 cases at an exceptional price in their New Jersey warehouse. We explained both our sincere interest in the wine and our skepticism in it actually being the 2009 vintage and finally the necessity of tasting and verifying perfect storage. A sample was sent and we did taste.
First, this 2009 tastes young and vibrant. This wine will age for an easy ten years. We tasted the Belland with the importer Blake Maso and restauranteur Charles Bruen. Premiere Cru or not, none of us expected this 2009 to be so absolutely youthful. That having been said, with about 15 minutes of air we began to see the layers of nuances which one only finds in the greatest of wines with the best of cellar time. Butter pops through layers of pineapple and tropical fruit. White flowers, tangerine zest and smoky almond are in the nose and ramble through a long finish. The 2009 Belland Meursault Santenot Premiere Cru is an amazing wine experience. We purchased the three cases that evening. They have now arrived. We have sold Belland on and off for years. The Meursault Santenots 1er has always been $89-109 retail on release and was Michele's favorite bottle. She consumed it every day.
3 bottles only, $69 per
( this is easily a $125.00 bottle in the public market) All of the very best, Rex and Michele
2009 Viña Vilano Legón Premium, Castilla y Leon~ Ribera del Duero
$45, 5% OFF 6, 10% OFF 12
The history of Bodegas Viña Vilano began in 1957 when the parents and grandparents of the current winemaking team founded the cooperative. Since then, the winery has expanded in size as well as technological abilities. The Viña Vilano Legón Premium flaunts an intense ruby color that captivates the eye. The complex aromas of this wine emphasize a great variety of spices, tons of dry fruits, toast, and coffee on a background of mature fruit and floral tones. This wine presents an abundance of sweet, smooth tannins. Aged for 22 months in French oak, everything about this wine is an example of concentration and elegance.
2007 Ovidio Garcia Reserva, Castilla y Leon~Cigales
Michele and I will be conducting a tasting and discussion of Spanish wines tonight for the members of Canyon Creek Country Club. While researching various inventories for this tasting we came across;
- A 10 year old ( Library Release ) Reserve Tempranillo
- produced from 80 to 100 year old vines
- spends 24 months in French Oak
- we thought showing amazing cherry blueberry flavors today
- scores 92 points Wine Advocate
- AND COSTS $29 , 2007 Bodegas Ovidio Garcia Reservation
- 4 cases available
"The marvellous 2007 Ovidio García Reserva comes from 80-to 100-year-old vines and is raised in 75% French and 25% American new and used oak for 24 months. It offers a fresh, mineral-rich bouquet with tightly wound black cherries and briary - Alpine fresh and beautifully delineated. The palate is very well-balanced, with fine tannins that encase crisp black fruit that is very well-assimilated with the oak." 92 points - Neal Martin, The Wine Advocate
2011 Deux Montille Bourgogne Rouge
Duex Montille is a monopole producer of exceptional Premiere Cru Volnay and Pommard. They are not a negotiante, they do not source fruit. When they produce a Bourgogne it is from their Volnay and Pommard vineyards, consequently the Montille Bourgogne tends to be exceptional Pinot Noir for the money. We found 36 bottles of the 2011 Bourgogne on a distributor close out list and procured the wine. The 2011 vintage is considered classic. This is a vintage which achieved very pure fruit and the wines relay that focus. The Montille is very cherry and very opulent. The acids are polishing. The tannin layer is very rich. The finish is bing cherry with just a hint of smoke. If you like great Pinot and have not put back 2011 red Burgs, they are getting scarce. Normal pricing in this market is listed at $45.00 We have 35 bottle available at $39.00
ONLY 6 BOTTLES LEFT
Drink now for 7 years
2011 Domaine Gilles Robin Crozes Hermitage, Cuvee Alberic Bouvet
We received a distributor close out list last week, did some research and made some purchases. Now we are opening bottles in order to determine if the juice lives up to the hype. This mornings offer, the 2011 Crozes-Hermitage "cuvee Alberic Bouvet", does more than that, it has evolved beyond what we expected from our initial research. Below you will find Johnathon Livingston- Learmonth's initial barrel tasting notes on which we based our purchase . We purchased this Croze due to the overall drinkability of the 2011 vintage, the minimum 60 year old vine age, and the vineyards proximity to Hermitage. We expected good, we received a wine which spectacular. What we did not expect was the flavor profile which has now developed. If you are not familiar with Crozes Hermitage, it is always 100% Syrah. Learmonth writes about dusty black fruit in 2012. There may have been dusty black fruit 5 years ago , but today this Crozes Hermitage is virtually all red, like rich cherry pie red. The Crozes has big legs on the glass, and the wine is rich yet very elegant. Even though it is an extremely powerful wine the Robin is easily elegant enough that it does not require food. The nose is raspberry with flowers and hints of cedar. The mid palate is rich in velvety cherry although Michele likens it to pie, me more cherries Jubilee. The finish is very long with hints of blueberry emerging at the very end. I have not often said "if you like great Pinot Noir you will love this Syrah", but if you like great Pinot Noir you will love this Syrah. The Robin is drinking now and has the structure to cellar another 5 years. Spectator, Tanzer and Vinous all gave it 91 points. 350 cases were produced.
30 bottles available $29.50 ( release price was $40-45)
Produced from vines averaging more than 60 years old which are located on the best red clay soils close to the Hermitage hill. "Shiny, quite dark red; the nose bears toasted-roasted black berry fruit, has an air of sweet nut, is good and direct. The palate offers supple, ripe black fruit with a fleshy middle, and a gentle spread of tannin and dust after half way. It ends on that grainy note, the black fruit still there. This is shaping up well, has class, balance." Johnathon Livingstone-Learmonth drinkrhone.com Nov 2012 Jancis Robinson
When to drink: 2015 to 2021
Old vines (60+ years), a year in barrique but only 10% new. Peppery, darker fruited and more self-contained and reserved than the Papillon à Léonie & Lucie 2013. Gentle floral note too and a hint of graphite/mineral. Dry, very fine tannins. Great elegance and it's impressively persistent. GV Julia Harding MW
91 Antonio Galloni
91 Wine Spectator
91 Stephen Tanzer
2012 Firriato Santagostino Baglio Soria (IGT)
We were asked to provide local support for the Sicilian wine maker Firriato, whose wine dinner was Saturday at Apollonia Italian. We have been impressed with Sicilian wines in general. They do not allow herbicides or pesticides, period. The soil composition of blue clay combined with the remnants of ancient sea beds lends itself to very expressive reds. The wine which caught our eye on Saturday ( in a complexity versus dollars equation) is the 2012 Firriato Santagostino Baglio Soria (IGT). The 2012 is 63% Nero di Avola , 37% Syrah. The tannins have softened for current drinking. The flavor profile is one which combines black cherry with dried red cherry. The spice is rustic with coffee, hints of leather and indian spice. We found it intriguing and thought it tasted very expensive in an old world style. We can sell it at $29.50. If you have room for reds, we think you will find this one very interesting. The winery has it slotted as a $40.00 Retail. We tasted with the lamb chops (pictured below) . The pairing was excellent though I think the big red and black fruit approach to this wine may even better lend itself to a nicely charred steak.
This wine is highly structured, it will cellar another 10 years. There are around 4 cases still available
2010 Brotte Gigondas
Southern Rhone, Rouge ( a wine for red meat)
"The 2010 Southern Rhone vintage is one of the greatest of all time. " -Robert Parker
"A very successful vintage, with precision and freshness allowing great expression of terroir. Equally outstanding for whites and reds. Excellent. " Jancis Robison
Decanter: " Rhône 2010 is one of the finest vintages for 40 years, Decanter's expert John Livingstone-Learmonth
98 points Wine Spectator: Cool, windy spring led to a drastically reducedcrop; growing season marked by warm days and cool nights, with a late harvest stretching into October, resulting in beautifully ripe, racy, terroir-driven wines for aging. The spine of '05 with extra flesh.
While searching out library vintages for an elite Dallas Country Club we came across an importer who asked if we might be interested in tasting 2010 Gigondas. We most certainly were and always will be. As a matter of fact, while I write I am tasting a bottle of the 2010 Brotte Gigondas which he was kind enough to provide. I have been uncorking and monitoring for three days. When first opened it was big with racy raspberry and blackberry finishing with rich red plum.White pepper was and still is sprinkled through the finish. After 3 days of uncorking and recorking the fruit is still bright and the wine has become bigger and richer. Chocolate and coffee flavors have emerged from the middle and through the finish. The 2010 Brotte Gigondas was wonderful and complex the moment we opened it on Day 1. The fact that it has held its structure while growing in complexity for three days now leads me to believe it will be a cellar treasure for 15 or more years IF YOU CAN KEEP FROM DRINKING IT ALL AFTER TRYING YOUR FIRST BOTTLE. R
This is a wine everyone should try. If you have not had a Gigondas before, why not start with an excellent one like this one. So beautiful and easy to drink. Just like the 2009 Burgundies....I converted a lot of non-French drinkers to Pinot. But, it is not just the varietal that is great, it is a near perfect example of what the varietal should be!! And, if you have followed Rex and me for a while, you have not seen many Gigondas offers....why? Believe me, we have tried a few here and there over the years, and not been pleased, which was always a bummer. This time....a case is definitely worth every penny!!! M
$39.50 TODAY'S pricing
NV
Charles de Cazanove Brut Rose
I am not for sure if you ever bought Albert LeBrun from us back at the Wine Broker days....this is the exact shape of bottle and label....strangely enough, it is not Albert LeBrurn, that house no longer exists.
Rex wrote the review below. Let me know if you would like some..Packed in sixes...
We tried the Champagne Rose below yesterday. The producer is not Albert Lebrun. The producer is Charles de Cazanove. The Champagne is quite nice, particularly considering the price. We can do $36.50. We show the lowest net price at $35 at K and L where it docks.
Excellent effervesce. Strawberry and cherry with nice rose petals on the nose. There is a 92 point Suckling rating which we have not accessed yet. R
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