Offers

With Valentine's Day just a week away, we've got a terrific offer going on three fabulous Grower Champagnes. What is Grower Champagne, and why should you choose it over bigger-name bubbles? I'll explain WHAT they are first. 

Mike Januik is one of Washington-state's most acclaimed winemakers, and his Royal Slope Red Blend is absolutely rocking this vintage. A blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, and 4% Cabernet Franc, it is one of the best under-$20 red wines coming out of Washington. Equally serious and easy-to-drink, this Bordeaux-inspired blend is incredibly polished, smooth, and forward.

World-class Barbaresco imported by Kermit Lynch for less than 40 bucks? Sign me up, and I can say with 100% certainty that this is the greatest Barbaresco value I've encountered in my 20+ year wine career. Vintage 2019 provided great conditions to produce wonderful wines in the Piedmont, and the proof of that is contained inside this bottle of beautiful, highly aromatic Nebbiolo.

The Domaine Berthenet Bourgogne Aligote is a splendid rendition of this grape. Bursting with bright and tangy citrus and mineral, this will appeal to those who like Sauvignon Blanc, Muscadet, and other clean and crisp whites.

Talk about a wine that over-delivers in a big way. Giampaolo Tabarrini makes some of the top red wines in the Montefalco hills of Umbria, and his 2018 Il Padrone Rosso is a wildly delicious blend of mainly Sangiovese with splashes of Sagrantino and Barbera. 

This is a wine that really surged in sales over the holidays this past year, and there's a good reason for that. IT'S FANTASTIC! The 2021 Fableist Cabernet Sauvignon is also a perfect example of the friendly and plush style of Cab that Paso Robles is gaining a reputation for. Plush and rich yet fresh and zesty, this is wonderfully balanced, and it offers sophisticated Cabernet flavors at a really good price.

The village of Maury in France's Roussillon region is home to some seriously old Grenache vines, and that's what you get with the 2015 Tetu Grenache. Produced from 60- to 80 year-old vines grown in the tough and rocky soils of Maury, this is an absolute joy to drink, and it will appeal to both New and Old World wine lovers!

Let's get the new year off to a good start with a crazy-good deal on a 97 point-rated Malbec. Yep, the 2021 Altosur Malbec, from the fine folks at Finca Sophenia, recently garnered a huge score from Decanter, Britain's top wine magazine. While I think that score is a bit high, I certainly think this wine offers incredible quality-to-price ratio.

Saint Damien makes reference-point Gigondas, but they also make two stunning, value-priced, and gorgeous Cotes du Rhones. Trust me, these aren't your typical, straightforward CDR's. They are substantial wines with more flavor dimension and complexity, and for buyers who don't want to spend $40+ for Saint Damien's Gigondas', these two cuvees are perfect alternatives.

Domaine Perraud is one of the benchmark estates of the Maconnais, and I am so happy their wines are now available in North Carolina. When I tasted their Saint Veran  recently, I really had to keep my poker face on, especially after my sales rep Steve Nelson  of Grapevine Distributors told me the price. This should cost A LOT more!

 

What happens when famed Brunello producer Ciacci decides to "play around" with Bordeaux varieties? Greatness, that's what happens, and it is contained within theirr 2019 Ateo Rosso. A blend of equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot from 30-40+ year-old vines, this is one of the best Super Tuscan values in the world.

After tasting the Auteur's 2019 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay and Pinot Noir last week, I proceeded to buy my distributor out. These micro-production wines are of an impeccable quality, showcasing all of the best attributes that Burgundian varieties can attain along the cooler Sonoma Coast. The Chardonnay is rich yet finely detailed and balanced, and the Pinot Noir is a dazzling wine that will make heads spin. Act fast on these folks, they'll be gone in a flash.

The holidays are upon us, and there's no better way to toast good cheer than with a glass of world-class, small grower and producer Champagne. This is a new and more affordable bottling from our friends at Voirin-Jumel, and it is absolutely fantastic. We still stock their Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs, and it's as good as ever, but the estate's Tradition Brut is not only an insane value, it's incredibly delicious.

For those looking for a lovely Blanc de Blancs styled Champagne to toast the holidays with, look no further than Thierry Triolet's Chardonnay-dominated bubbly. A ton of True Champagne for the money, this stuff will be gone in a flash. Just 10 cases made it to NC this year, and we snagged 7 of them.

For the third year in a row, Trefethen's gorgeous Estate Cabernet Sauvignon has garnered a 97 point score with Decanter, Great Britain's top wine periodical. After tasting this with my sales rep last week, I am inclined to agree with them. This is a grand, finely detailed, and classic Napa Cab with a ton of style and grace.

One of the pioneers of mountain-grown Napa Valley Cab and vineyard development, Robert Craig has crafted a masterpiece of a wine with his 2019 Howell Mountain Cuvee. This blend of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 7% Malbec and 3% Petit Verdot is the cheapest way to get Howell Mountain Cab into your glass, and it's an absolute rock star of a wine.

We sampled this with importer Jay Murrie of Piedmont Wine Imports, and a consistent question arose. How does this wine, from such a legendary producer, sell for less than $20? We didn't come up with any answers, but we all agreed that this was hands down one of the best red wine values in the store.

I can guarantee you Lynn and I will be enjoying a bottle of R.H. Coutiers Rose Champagne this Christmas Eve, and I recommend you do the same! Hailing from the Grand Cru village of Ambonnay, this blend of 80% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Noir is so flipping good, and I'm running it at a really great price. If you want to experience all of the joys that rose Champagne can offer, this is a good place to start.

If you love the flavors of Sancerre but hate paying the price, I've got just fix for that. Fourth generation Sancerre producer Eric Louis had produced a dazzling Sauvignon Blanc from steep vineyards just outside of Sancerre. This will delight your palate, with Sancerre-like brightness, elegance, and minerality, but it will delight your bank account even more.

I am constantly buying Burgundy in large volumes, as it is a very popular category in the store, and it also happens to be my personal favorite and a passion that I will enjoy for the rest of my life. Below, you will find an incredible list of red and white Burgundies at some of the best prices in the country. Supply is limited, and this is an ideal time to stock up, as supplies will be very limited in the frost-plagued 2021 vintage.