Offers

It's back, and it's another highly successful vintage of the Ioppa Rose of Nebbiolo. This "Team Table Wine" favorite has been on-point the past few vintages, and the 2022 is no exception. It is testament to the fact that Italy is home to some of the best dry roses in the galaxy :)

Wow was all I could say when I stuck my big nose inside the glass of the 2020 Chateau de L'Orangerie Bordeaux Superieur. One of the great red Bordeaux values I've had in a long time, this is a very complete wine at a very attractive price. Coming from an 8th generation, prideful, and family-run estate, this is one of those incredible finds we all dream about.

Triolet's wonderful Brut Rose combines two of my favorite wine categories into one bottle -- dry rose and Champagne! Yep, this small grower produces a fabulous, real-deal Champagne, and you can't beat the price.

Veronique Gunther's Muscadets are all the rage in France and Western Europe, and for good reason. Her Anima Mea Muscadet is all about purity and precision, and this bone-dry white is ideal served next to oysters, mussels, and other creatures of the sea. We were one of the first East Coast retailers to feature this wine, and we're just as happy with the '20 as we were with the '19.

There's a new Rioja in the house, we poured it at last week's Meet the Importer Tasting, and pretty much everyone loved it. El Vino Prodigo is the brainchild of Pedro Pecina Gil who grew up in the vineyards of Rioja. His La Vina de la Merce Rioja Crianza sees extended cask and bottle aging before release, and it is a SERIOUS wine at a great price.

This is the RESERVE bottling from Royal Prince. Their regular Cab is great, but this is a much more substantial and formidable wine. Remember when I introduced you all to Venge Cab? This offer feels a lot like that, but I personally think the 2019 Reserve Cab from Royal Prince drinks more like one of Venge's higher-priced Cabs. I'm talking Bone Ash-type quality folks!

Father and son Riccardo & Massimilliano Lanza are putting the CLASSIC back into Chianti Classico. Their tiny, 3.5 hectare, organic estate is located in Radda, some of the "holiest ground" in all of Tuscany, and their Chianti is noble in every way, shape, and form.

Located just southwest of Sancerre, the commune of Menetou-Salon produces Sauvignon Blancs that have long rivaled those of their more popular neighbor. The version from Domaine Jean Teiller is a prime example of, and this small, certified organic, family-run estate has produced a spectacular bottle of Sauvignon Blanc in the high-quality/low-quantity 2021 vintage.

The Almondo Family estate is one of the reference-point properties of Italy's Piedmont region. While they make a fabulous Nebbiolo, their reputation has been built on the back of the Arneis grape, long considered one of the finest white varieties in all of Italy. This is truly a beautiful bottle of white wine, and it's ideal as we move through spring and get into summer.

There's a new extreme value red in the shop, it's certified organic, and it's 100% DEE-LISH. The 2019 Sierra Norte Pasion de Monastrell is fresh, ripe, and toasty, and it's the perfect red wine to have on hand for whatever and whenever.

If you want to experience the joys of Northern Rhone Syrah, Laurent Combier's Crozes-Hermitage is a great place to start. This is Syrah with wonderful purity of fruit and a delicacy rarely encountered in the grape. It will also immediately help you understand why France's Northern Rhone is famous for Syrah.

A serious contender for the best white wine value produced in the state, the Curran Grenache Blanc is dangerously drinkable. We are building a legion of Grenache Blanc Lovers at the shop. We recently sold through 30+ cases of the Herencia Altes Garntatxa Blanca, and we're coming back at you with another version from Santa Barbara County.

Vintage 2021 is one that Willamette Valley producers are talking about with great glee and joy, and after tasting several 2021 Patricia Green Pinot Noirs last week, and I can understand why. They were all good, but their 2021 Reserve Pinot Noir offered the best quality-to-price ratio, and I am certain it will be judged as one of the top values of this prodigious vintage.

Spring and summer are just around the corner, and we keep looking for delicious and refreshing whites to enjoy on warm and sunny days. Many of you will remember the 2020 La Val Finca Arantei Albarino, as it was one of our top-selling whites of 2022. It's back, and the new vintage is just a good, maybe even better!

Jean Manciat considers his Franclieu vineyard to be his best site, and you won't get any arguments here. An absurd value in high-quality, small grower White Burgundy, I have long considered Manciat to be one of the most underrated superstars of the Maconnais. From the high-quality/low-quantity 2021 vintage, this won't be around for long.

Much like the Garnatxa Negre from Herencia Altes, I was deeply impressed by the Grenache Blanc. 100% varietal and coming from ancient, low-yielding, certified organic vineyards in Terra Alta, just west of Priorat, this Catalan white is unique, delicious, and also a stellar value.

I know you all are craving dry rose, and I've got an absolute stunner to kick things off this year. Cloudline Wines are the "indie label" for importer Dreyfus-Ashby, and since their inception 20 years ago, the wines have been made under the watchful eyes of Veronique Drouhin-Boss.

When I say legitimate, I mean legitimate! The 2020 Andis Painted Fields Old Vine Zin comes from the Sierra Foothills, and contained within this bottle are grapes from the one of the oldest Zinfandel vineyards in our country. Do I have your attention?

I finally found what I've been looking for, and it took me nearly two years to find it! The 93 point-rated, 2019 Krutz Family Cabernet Sauvignon is an epic and decadent Napa Cab that I'd happily "put in the ring" against Venge or Royal Prince. Trust me folks, this stuff is not only good, it's also a superb value. 

I was absolutely floored when I tasted this wine last week. 100% Grenache from certified organic and very old vineyards in Terra Alta, just west of Priorat, this will go down as one of our top finds of 2023! I can't wait for you to get it into your glass, and I rate this one 95 points with full conviction and confidence.

The 2021 Cloudline Pinot Noir is a wine a lot of Willamette Valley Pinot Noir Lovers will be talking about. This join venture between winemaker Veronique Drouhin and importer Dreyfus Ashby is clicking on all cylinders in the fabulous 2021 vintage. At less than $20 per bottle (no volume purchase required), this is classy, complete, and complex Oregon Pinot at an incredible price.