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We have added 219 new wines to our inventory over the last week. Among the highlights are highly-rated wines from France and Italy, and two Riojas you won’t want to miss.

We recently received a diverse selection of the ‘06 Domaine Christophe Perrot-Minot.  These wines exude dark berry fruit, coffee, and smoke combined with a purity that was challenging for many in the ’06 vintage.  Well aware of that fact, Christophe Perrot-Minot explained that “The selection was the key to the purity of the wines in 2006.”

Guaranteed to be the third in a series of phenomenal vintages, the 2005 Sassicaia has arrived with fanfare! Be sure to secure yours before the critics’ reviews and scores rocket it to “extremely limited availability” status.

We saved our most unique find for the end: two Riojas, the 1968 (92 RP) and 1973 (90 RP) Bodegas Viña Valoria, both of which are drinking beautifully right now. Textbook examples of fully mature wines, they would be perfectly impressive gifts for any enthusiast.  It is a rare treat that we get quantities of older gems like these straight from the producer.

Be sure to browse our entire selection of newly available wines. As always, many are available only in limited quantities.

Our collection today focuses on the California wine legends who established the state as one of the best wine regions in the world.  Classic names include Chateau Montelena (est. 1882), Heitz (est. 1961), Stag’s Leap (est. 1972), and Dunn (est. 1979).

Wines from these producers have stood the test of time - in the vineyard, in the marketplace, and in the bottle.  Individual in character, each holds true to the definition of fine wine as something that should develop and improve over time.  We have a range of great vintages by these classic producers, including these highlights: 1973 Montelena Sonoma Cabernet, the same year that Montelena’s Chardonnay won the Paris Tasting; a 3.0 liter of the 1978 Stag’s Leap Cask 23; a case of the 1986 Dunn Howell Mountain; and the 1985 Heitz Martha’s, a lovely expression of a Napa benchmark since 1956.

These impressive names are must-haves for a great California collection. Be sure to browse the entire selection for opportunities to bolster yours.

“Unquestionably a great vintage and one which brought the decade to a resounding close.” Michael Broadbent, Michael Broadbent’s Vintage Wine

1989 was a phenomenal vintage – a fantastic growing season which produced well-structured, classic, and attractive wines from many of the top wine growing regions.

Piedmont “produced some of the best reds of the decade” and Gaja’s Barbaresco (91 WA) is no exception.  It is a more traditional style than the single vineyard bottling, a long-lived wine for the true Barbaresco purist. 

In Bordeaux, the exceptionally hot summer produced opulent and luscious wines, what Parker considers “flamboyant” and the Pétrus (100 WA) is a perfect example.  “The 1989 looks to be another 30-year wine, with extraordinary equilibrium between all of its component parts.”  Robert Parker’s Bordeaux Book, 3rd Edition

One of the most stunning wines of this world class vintage, and another perfect 100-point wine, is the Chapoutier Ermitage Le Pavillon (100 WA/WS).  With magnificent balance, depth and clarity, it a wine to enjoy over the next three to four decades.

These mature gems will not last long, as quantities are extremely limited. Whether you’re looking for cellar-worthy collectibles or showstoppers at the dinner table, these 1989s will more than impress.

“…the wines are indisputably delicious, round, rich and generous with opulent middles and just enough supporting acidity to maintain focus and balance.” –Allen Meadows, Burghound

Our indicators (taste!) show that the 2006 white Burgundies will have no problem maintaining the quality track record begun with the 2004s and 2005s. The 2006 vintage produced a superb selection of attractive, well-fashioned wines at all 3 levels - Villages to Grand Cru. All are delicious depictions of the persistent purity of fruit and soil that mark each unique appellation. This is a vintage to collect and layer amongst your 2004s and 2005s (click through to see our selections) so that you have a fine variety of styles to enjoy.

Suggestions:  If you are in the mood for mineral and citrus, you’ll be most pleased by the Verget Chablis – Le Clos (IWC 92-94), Les Vaillons Vielles Vignes des Minots 1er (IWC 91-93) and the Maltroye Les Dents de Chien Chassagne-Montrachet (BH 93). Looking for something round and curvy? Then the Latour-Giraud selection of Meursaults – Charmes & Genevrieres (IWC 90-93 & IWC 91-93, respectively) and Puligny-Montrachet Champs Canet (BH 90-93) will fit your palate like the proverbial glove. And for those of you looking to make a big splash you can’t go wrong with the top-scoring Marc Colin Montrachet (BH 95), Bouchard Pere & Fils Corton-Charlemagne (BH 96) or the Frederic Magnien Batard-Montrachet (BH 91-93). Though these need a bit of air time, they will regale your senses (and oenologic cohorts) for hours!

We have added over 150 new wines to our inventory over the last week.

In honor of the Summer Solstice last week, we have been focusing on two types of warm weather wines:  Fantastic roses and whites that will quench your thirst on hot summer days and stunning reds from the warmer wine regions of both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.

To quench your thirst on a hot summer’s day we have the now legendary Tempier Bandol Rosé (92 IWC) – the 2007 vintage is one in a long list of vintages that contributed to the high regard that this region of Provence receives.  For a more elegant and regal white for those sultry summer evenings the 2006 Bouchard Père et Fils Chevalier-Montrachet (93-96 IWC) is an amazing choice – rich, complex, yet with bracing acidity, this is a fantastic compliment to a summer feast. 

If your tastes are more toward reds, the 2006 Pierre Usseglio Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée de mon Aieul (96-98 WA) is a multi-layered, robust, and fruit-driven wine – a great example of Châteauneuf perfect for enjoying now or with a little patience 10-15 years down the road. 

So, whether your tastes lean more towards light and refreshing summer sippers or deep, luscious reds that are perfect now but will only get better with a bit of quiet time in the cellar we have a fabulous selection for you. 

These are just a few of the highlights from a week full of amazing wine purchasing.  Click here to view the complete list of exciting new wines.

Syrah from the Northern Rhone has a perfume that is unmistakable.  A heady combination of spice, blue flowers, glazed fruits, earth and leather, it is a noble wine that has maintained a secure place in the cellars of fine wine collectors. It is not only a delicious wine that remains inviting over its entire lifespan, but also a good financial investment.  The Northern Rhone remains a region of small producers hand-crafting their wines, an insider’s mid-cap stock.  “If you are looking for a French red wine that is worth ageing and for which there is a secondary market that is not crammed with other fine wine investors, you might well consider the northern Rhône.”  If pleasure is your goal and you cellar wine to drink it, you will be equally rewarded.  “With time Côte-Rôtie’s youthful flavors of tar and treacle toffee give way to a more Burgundian cocktail of autumn leaves, mushrooms and spice.” – Jancis Robinson, June 2006.

We offer key names and vintages for the Northern Rhone section of your wine collection.  The region has enjoyed a string of good vintages in recent years.  Standouts are 1988, ‘89, ‘90, ‘91, ‘95, ‘97, ‘98, ‘99 and 2003.  Prior to that, 1978 and 1985 were also great vintages.  Chapoutier, Chave, Guigal, Jaboulet, Rostaing, Tardieu Laurent are families with Syrah running through their veins.  We offer you extremely limited quantities of their best wines, from a single magnum of Jaboulet’s 1978 Hermitage La Chapelle, a legendary wine that will ensure a legendary dinner party; to a half case of Chapoutier’s 1998 Hermitage Monier de la Sizeranne, at $79 per bottle, an affordable guarantee of pleasure now and for many years to come.

Whether you’re looking for age-worthy investments or impressive wines to serve now, or possibly a few of each, you’ll find a full range of irresistible choices here.

The 1990 vintage was one of the finest in recent memory for many wine regions of the world. With top producers turning out stunning examples in all the major wine regions, this vintage produced age-worthy wines that are still going as strong as ever. The 1990 Penfold’s Grange, Wine Spectator’s Wine of the Year in 1995, is mature beauty, a reminder of its well deserved accolades.

For so many of the 1990s, now is the time to pop the corks. Burgundy from this vintage is an especially attractive choice. In top grand cru bottlings, the lovely fruit remains as fresh as the day it was bottled, but with mellowed and well-integrated tannins.  Clamoring for the 2005s? Remember that they have been favorably compared with the 1990s, and as prices for the more recent vintage skyrocket under the pressure of scarcity, now is the perfect time to invest in the more mature counterparts.
 
Speaking of perfect, don’t overlook the 100-point Cailloux Chateauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Centenaire, a wine just hitting its stride today. The near perfect La Conseillante (WA 97) is “about as seductive a wine as readers will ever encounter,” according to Robert Parker.

If you passed up on the 1990 vintage the first time around, the chance to acquire has not passed you by. Take advantage of this fantastic opportunity to revisit one of the all-around top vintages of the last century with these limited quantity rarities. Be sure to browse the entire selection of 1990s, wines you’ll want to have on hand to complement your next dinner party.

“…my instincts suggest that Louis Barroul is going to push Chateau de Saint-Cosme into the five-star echelon of Gigondas producers.” –Robert Parker, Wines of the Rhone Valley

 “Although he is a child of the south and is based at his family's ancient domain in Gigondas, I continue to be struck by Barruol's sure hand with his northern Rhone wines, especially his Cote-Rotie, which is sourced almost exclusively from the Cote Brune.” – Josh Raynolds, International Wine Cellar

High praise indeed… It is this “sure hand” that manages and directs some of the best terroirs of old vines in both the Southern and Northern Rhone. If it is at all possible to bottle the heart and soul of an individual, such would be the case with Louis Barroul – the young Turk of Gigondas - and his Saint Cosme wines. Louis is a man of endless energy who enjoys a profound intimacy with his terroir and vineyards, making it hard to separate the two. He bottles mirror images of what the vines and rocks proffer – intense purity, harnessed power, and layered definition. His array offers superb value at the entry-level with the 2006 Les Deux Albion (WA 90), (a veritable steal!), and on through the top tier 2006 Cote-Rotie (WA 92-94) and 2006 Gigondas Valbelle (WA 92-95). The outstanding potential of these wines is readily apparent; see for yourself with a mixed case for your cellar.

Aged port and 2005 Burgundy are two pillars at opposite, but equally foundational ends of a great wine collection.  The praises of the 2005 vintage in Burgundy have been sung before, and we can only add our personal encouragement to taste and cellar as many of these lovely wines as you can.  If you are just beginning your exploration of Burgundy, your timing couldn’t be better.  Wines by revered names such as Dujac, Jadot, Potel, and Rouget are definitions of a vineyard in a perfect season.  “My in-bottle tastings of the 2005s have served to reinforce my original belief that the vintage is one of the greatest vintages in the history of modern Burgundy…the greatest examples are truly transcendental and should provide for magical drinking experiences over a period of several decades…” –Allen Meadows, Burghound

Where the ‘05 Burgundies need time and space to blossom, we have mature ports that are ready for you to enjoy this evening.  Port offers the perfect excuse for strong cheese and pungent cigars late into summer evenings, in the company of good friends who may become old friends with the luxury of time.  A bottle of old port, like the 1963 Croft or 1983 Fonseca, expands one evening into luxury. 

We added a grand total of 385 new wines to our inventory this week, with benchmark wines in every category.  Click here to view the full list. 

“It is a stunning vintage for the 2006 whites.” –Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate

“The 2006 reds are far better than I expected. The wines are full of charm, elegance, and ripe tannins with good balance. They will be more accessible in their youth than the 2005s, but the purity and freshness suggest they will last longer than expected.” –Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate

Wine nirvana…that doesn’t even begin to explain our feelings for the 2006 Chateauneuf-du-Pape vintage – both reds and whites. This is a red vintage that incorporates all of the purity, saturation, texture, and profound elegance and comportment of the 2005 and 2004 vintages, with a smidgen of the 1989 for good measure. How on earth (or “in” earth, given the terroir!) can you go wrong with those lucky numbers? These wines offer the dexterity and harmony for a more near-term drinking window, but will still amply reward when given a few years in the cellar.

As for the whites, they are thoroughbreds of precise charm and concentrated elegance. They will provide stylish accoutrements to all the wine drinking event s you can imagine. These are wines that preside with a regal demeanor unlike any other, with an uncanny freshness that belies the breadth and weight in the mouth.

The high quality of both the reds and whites is sure to pique your interest, so make certain you partake of both, preferably in the same sitting. To experience the best of both worlds, pick up both the red and white versions from Beaucastel or Clos du Caillou. None of these will disappoint!

We have added 450 new wines to our inventory over the last week.

This week we highlight groups of wines from the same producers.  Thsee present wonderful opportunities to taste and compare the fruits of a single winemaker’s labor.  Our collection starts off with all three reds from Orin Swift Cellars: The Prisoner, a fascinating blend of Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Petite Sirah, Charbono, and Grenache; Papillon, a new office favorite (93VF); and the new cult classic, Mercury Head. 

From the vast choices of 2006 Burgundies, we have selected the Marquis d’Angerville Volnays, all four Premier Crus, and all receiving the designation “Merits Attention” from Allen Meadows of Burghound.  

Just in time for summer we have acquired some phenomenal whites from Friuli. The 2006 wines of Vie di Romans are the perfect accompaniment to your next outdoor meal.

These are just a few of the highlights from a week chock full of fantastic wine purchasing.  Look for multiple wines by the same producer to explore the styles of some of our favorites. Click here to view the complete list of exciting new wines.  

Three words - “This is it.”- describe Puligny-Montrachet, written by Frank Schoonmaker in Gourmet Magazine in 1949.  Clive Coates is equally concise: “Puligny-Montrachet is the greatest white-wine commune on earth.”  (Cote d’Or 1997).  These wines are a true Chardonnay lover’s holy grail.

Home to four of the six white Grand Cru vineyards in Burgundy, here Chardonnay becomes all that it can be – a magnificent counterpoint of power and finesse, rich fruit and taut structure.  We have gathered wines from three of the Grand Cru vineyards for you, ranging from older vintages that are ready to drink today to recent vintages that still need time to reach their full length and depth.

Each vineyard offers a unique interpretation of Puligny’s greatness.  Le Montrachet is King, “Chardonnay at its most perfect, the slowest to mature, the longest lived … an extra element of power, concentration, intensity and grip …” (Clive Coates, Cote d’Or 1997).  The 1989 Louis Latour Montrachet is an especially rare find, ready to impress you tonight. 

Chevalier-Montrachet is more refined, on stonier soils, “a full, firm wine, but not four-square, with a very good acidity and a masculine reserve.”  (Clive Coates, Cote d’Or 1997)  Niellon is a master of these soils, and his Chevalier is considered a benchmark wine by Allen Meadows of Burghound. 

Batard-Montrachet is the generous one in the family, broader and richer than the others, a mouthful of gorgeous fruit.  “A great Batard-Montrachet really deserves ten years of age.  Then it is like drinking bottled sunbeams.” (Kramer, Making Sense of Burgundy, 1990). 

Explore the fullness of Chardonnay at its best by choosing an older and younger vintage from each vineyard.  In your ideal 6-pack, you’ll have 3 to taste side-by-side now and 3 impressive additions to your cellar.

“Hundred Acre has been a perennial super-performer since the first vintage, the 2000, which I tasted with proprietor Jayson Woodbridge and winemaker Philippe Melka, and am happy to report is drinking beautifully at present.”   Robert Parker

In less than ten years, Ontario native Jayson Woodbridge, with help of winemaker extraordinaire Philippe Melka, has created a truly spectacular wine enterprise.  From the first release of the 2000 Hundred Acre Cabernet Sauvignon Kayli Morgan Vineyard (93 WA), to his groundbreaking Shiraz Ancient Way project in the Barossa Valley, Jayson is conquering the exclusive boutique wine industry in both hemisphere.

We are proud to offer the wine on which Woodbridge built his reputation, the Kayli Morgan, in vintages from the breakout 2000 to the current 2005, which Robert Parker has hailed “the finest Cabernet Sauvignon Jayson Woodbridge has yet produced.”  This lineup hits mid-90-point scores in nearly every vintage, delivering power and grace to age for years. A second Cabernet, from The Ark Vineyard, only brings more acclaim to the portfolio.  The 2005 Hundred Acre Cabernet Sauvignon The Ark “has all the ingredients for greatness,” according to James Laube of The Wine Spectator, who rated it 95-100 points. From Woodbridge’s Australia project come a pair of Shiraz destined for greatness. The 2004 Ancient Way Vineyard and the Summer’s Block from the same vineyard add an exclamation point to the full range of Hundred Acre wines.

Jayson Woodbridge’s star rises higher with every vintage, scoring near the top every year, and constantly increasing in value. These wines are made for the cellar, so put together a mixed half case for future enjoyment.

DRC, Ponsot, Vogue.  Kistler, Kosta Browne, Rochioli.  These are names synonymous with great Pinot Noir.  If you are looking to start or expand a collection that includes the best of Burgundy and California, you know these producers are among those you must have.  If you are looking to experience the magic of Pinot Noir for yourself, these wines are among those you must taste.

DRC needs none, but the ‘98 Romanee St Vivant offers a brilliant introduction to the world of DRC, and at a comparative bargain. DRC is the desire of all serious collectors, one achieved by only a few.  With only around 1,000 cases or fewer from each vineyard to satisfy the whole world, supply is fixed and demand is infinite.  The same applies to two other great producers of Burgundy.  Only about 900-1,000 cases each are produced of Vogue’s famed Musigny Vieilles Vignes and Ponsot’s rich, luscious Clos de la Roche Vieilles Vignes.

In California, too, great Pinot Noir is only made in tiny amounts.  J. Rochioli Vineyards, near Healdsburg, has been handed down from grandfather to son to grandson since the 1930s.  There is a seven-year wait to get on the mailing list for their estate and single vineyard Pinot Noirs, so chances to acquire these bottlings are few and far between. Kistler is another old name in Californian Pinot Noir.  Stephen Kistler and Mark Bixler have been growing and making Pinot Noir since their first vintage in 1978.  "If the Kistler Winery could be magically transported to the middle of Burgundy's Cote d'Or, it would quickly gain a reputation as glorious as any producer of Burgundy grand crus." - Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate, December 1999.  A newcomer that has rocketed to the top of everyone’s list of top Californian Pinot Noirs is Kosta Browne, which had its first vintage in 1997.  “Their high-octane Pinot Noirs have a reputation for being rich, opulent and concentrated and have consistently received outstanding and classic scores.” Robert Taylor, Wine Spectator, October 11, 2007.

Browse the full range of Pinot Noirs acquired this week below.  These wines are only a selection from our new cellar acquisitions this week.  Click here to see more, including collectible and mature Bordeaux, Rhone, and Californian wines.

“No other region in Italy is as full of contrasts as Montalcino. These gorgeous, rolling hills south of Siena are home to a variety of diverse microclimates capable of yielding expressions of Sangiovese that at their best are among the most unique wines being made anywhere.”-Antonio Galloni, The Wine Advocate

 “You can buy pretty much at will and find an excellent bottle of 2001 Brunello. In fact, finding a bad bottle would be a challenge.” -James Suckling

“2003 looks to be an excellent vintage for drinking over the near-term…the 2003 Brunellos have turned out better than I expected [and] for the most part the wines offer very good balance.” –Antonio Galloni, The Wine Advocate

Take advantage of this rare opportunity to stock on up on the dwindling numbers of 5-star 2001 Brunelli, as well as expand your collection of the eminently drinkable, yet ageable, 2003s. Through sheer determination and adherence to maintaining the highest quality standards, the producers of Brunello are no strangers to well-deserved accolades. Trust in the sturdy, muscular 2001s to gradually and subtly unravel over the next few decades into the gentle giants they are meant to be. However, look to the 2003s - we are offering the best of the vintage – to provide intricate, accessible and silky drinking temptation in the near future.

With either vintage, make certain to slot away a few onto your cellar racks. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket, as the oft-touted adage goes, and grab a mixed case. Otherwise you may be pouting when we no longer have your favorites.