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$21.95
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RP 91
WS 91
France
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Rhone
-
Other
In stock, 12+ available
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91 points Robert Parker: "The outstanding 2009 Cotes du Rhone-Villages Cairanne La Brunote (60% Grenache, 30% Mourvedre and 10% Carignan from white clay soils) was aged 12 months in larger wood demi-muids before being bottled unfiltered. Revealing slightly more concentrated blue, red and black fruits, lavender, incense and white chocolate notes, it offers an opaque ruby/purple color along with full body and a long finish. There is not a hard edge to be found in this voluminous, multilayered red. It should drink nicely for 5-7 years. (Aug 2011)"
91 points Wine Spectator: "Ripe but very fresh, with mouthwatering acidity driving the linzer torte, blackberry and black currant fruit. Lovely spice cake and black licorice notes flash through the finish, with a dusting of cocoa powder. Drink now through 2013. 50 cases imported. (10/15/11)"
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$21.95
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RP 92
RR 91
France
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Rhone
-
Other
In stock, 12+ available
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List $25.00
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92 points Robert Parker: "The 2010 Cotes du Rhone la Brunote (60% Grenache, 30% Mourvedre and 10% Carignan aged 12 months in demi-muids) is another outstanding effort. An opaque ruby/purple color is followed by lots of creme de cassis, kirsch, lavender, spice box and licorice notes. The wine is full-bodied, textured and long. It should drink well for a decade. (Oct 2012)"
91+ points Rhone Report: "The most dense and rich of the lineup, the 2010 Domaine Daniel et Denis Alary Cotes du Rhone Villages Cairanne La Brunote is a blend of 70% Grenache and 30% Mourvedre (there.s a small amount of carignan as well) that is aged all in old foudre. Meaty, dense, and loaded with notions of smoked meats, black fruits, licorice, and crushed rock-like minerality, this classic Cairanne is full-bodied, pure, and tannic on the finish. It will reward 2-3 years of bottle age, and have upwards of a decade or more of prime drinking. (Sep 2012)"
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$25.95
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RP 94
RR 93
France
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Rhone
-
Other
In stock, 12+ available
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94 points Robert Parker: "Alary’s top cuvee, the 2010 Cotes du Rhone-Villages Cairanne Font d’Estevanas is a blend of equal parts old vine Grenache and Syrah, the latter planted in 1961, grown in the clay/limestone hillsides. Aged in older barriques and demi-muids, it is a fabulous unfiltered wine offering abundant notes of licorice, truffles, camphor, black currants, kirsch, raspberries and hints of white chocolate and dusty, loamy, earthy soils. It should drink well for a decade or more. (Oct 2012)"
93 points Rhone Report: "A smoking good Cairanne that's all from the lieu-dit La Font d'Estevenas, the 2010 Domaine Daniel et Denis Alary Cotes du Rhone Villages Cairanne La Font d'Estevenas. An even split of Grenache and Syrah that is aged all in neutral wood, it sports a dense, opaque ruby color to go with fantastic aromatics of blackberry and black raspberry, new leather, licorice, roasted herbs, and hints of flowers on the nose. This flows to a medium to full-bodied, rich, and layered wine that has a silky, polished texture, beautiful mid-palate depth, and impressive underlying tannin structure. It is superb now, yet should easily evolve gracefully for 10-12 years. (Sep 2012)"
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$18.95
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France
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Rhone
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Other
In stock, 12+ available
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Not yet reviewed; 2010 vintage rated 91 points by Wine Spectator: "This offers a lovely creamy feel, as enticing Cavaillon melon, pear and fig flavors are offset by hints of tangerine and bitter almond on the richly layered finish. Drink now through 2013. 50 cases imported."
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$14.95
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RP 90
France
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Rhone
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Other
In stock, 12+ available
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90 points Robert Parker: "The 2010 La Grange Daniel Blanc Vin de Pays d'Orange is a tank-aged 100% Roussanne that sells for a remarkable $15 a bottle. It is a challenge to make good Roussanne as the skin has considerable tannin and any skin contact can result in an astringently flavored wine. However, that's not a problem with this Roussanne fruit bomb. Notes of waxy orange marmalade and honeysuckle jump from the glass of this light gold-colored 2010. Alary's oenologist, Olivier Roustang, is also the oenologist for the Chave family in Hermitage, which may help explain the brilliance of this white wine. Drink it over the next 12 months. (Aug 2011)"
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$18.95
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RP 91
RR 91
France
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Rhone
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Other
In stock, 12+ available
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91 points Robert Parker: "Another winner is the 2010 Cotes du Rhone-Villages Cuvee des Galets Plan de Dieu. Fashioned from 45-65 year old vines, this unfiltered blend of 60% Grenache, 20% Syrah and 20% Mourvedre is a killer value. It boasts a dense ruby/purple color as well as stunning aromas of kirsch liqueur, licorice, camphor, tobacco leaf and underbrush. Spicy, peppery and loaded with fruit, this medium to full-bodied red is another crowd-pleasing, classic example of Provencal viticulture that should age nicely for 4-5 years. (Aug 2011)"
91 points Rhone Report: "A rock star value that is both rich and complex, the 2010 Plan de Dieu Cuvée des Galets is a blend of 60% Grenache, and equal parts Syrah and Mourvedre, that comes from tiny yields of only 20-22 hl/ha. It delivers beautifully fresh aromas of black fruits, underbrush, violets, and licorice that flow to medium to full-bodied, rich, and concentrated palate that possesses excellent freshness and a classy, elegant texture. It delivers way more quality than the price suggests, and will shine for 5-7 years. (Sep 2012)"
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$21.95
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RR 93
RP 90
France
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Rhone
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Other
In stock, 12+ available
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93 points Rhone Report: "Even richer, with additional depth and richness, the 2010 Cuvée 3 Cépages is a blend of equal parts Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre, that gets harvested all at the same time in October when the Mourvedre finally gets ripe. This results in ultra ripe Grenache and Syrah, and while it is no lightweight, it stays beautifully fresh and light on the palate. Deep, rich, and layered, with copious blackberry, toasted spice, dusty minerality, and ground pepper, this full-bodied Côtes du Rhône is uncommonly concentrated and possesses a brilliant textured, notable purity, and grippy tannin that gives the wine plenty of edge and cut on the blockbuster, heady finish. It is already reasonably approachable (I followed this bottle for three days), yet will be even better in another year, and drink well through 2017. (Sep 2012)"
90+ points Robert Parker: "Two late released 2010s include the 2010 Cotes du Rhone-Villages Trois Cepages, an equal part blend of Grenache, Mourvedre and Syrah. It is a deep, structured effort revealing an impressively saturated dark ruby/plum/purple color in addition to abundant aromas of black currants, cherries, licorice, truffles and earth. Drink it over the next 5-6 years. (Oct 2012)"
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$16.95
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AM 87
France
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Burgundy
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Chablis
In stock, 12+ available
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87 points Allen Meadows (Burghound): "(from 10 to 15 year old vines). This also displays a classic nose of green fruit, citrus and oyster shell nuances that can be found on the very fresh, crisp and dry flavors that possess enough flesh to be enjoyed now but I would advise cellaring this for 2 to 3 years first. In sum, perfectly good if not distinguished for its level. Drink: 2012+. (Oct 2010)"
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$35.95
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JG 92
WA 90
France
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Champagne
In stock, 12+ available
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List $50.00
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92+ points John Gilman (View From the Cellar): "The Berthelot NV Brut is a beautiful bottle, and the current release is every bit as fine as the wine I reported on last September. To remind readers, the Berthelot family has been growers in the region since the nineteenth century, but only began to bottle some of their production on their own in 1977. Their twenty-two hectares of vines lie in Ay and the nearby town of Dizy, and their vineyards share the heavy chalk of the Cote des Blancs, rather than the more typical clay and alluvial deposits of other villages in the Vallee de la Marne. The Berthelot Brut Reserve bottling is a blend of twenty-five percent chardonnay, forty-five percent pinot meunier and thirty percent pinot noir, and the family keeps a goodly supply of older wine available to blend in and maintain the house style of their non-vintage brut. The bouquet on the current release is again refined and complex, as it offers up a classy melange of pear, grapefruit zest, sourdough, beautiful chalky soil tones and a hint of vanilla custard in the upper register. On the palate the wine is fullbodied, deep and beautifully balanced, with a great core of fruit, refined mousse, and sound acids on the very long, soil-driven and complex finish. Utterly refined and sophisticated Brut NV, this wine is delicious now, but will clearly age brilliantly for the next fifteen to twenty years. A seamless and discreet beauty. 2007-2025. (May/Jun 2007)"
90 points Antonio Galloni (Wine Advocate): "[$50 list] The NV Brut Premier Cru Reserve is a gorgeous wine that offers lovely complexity in its subtle nuttiness and toast. The wine blossoms on the palate with expressive, generous fruit, showing terrific balance as well as poise. A long, creamy finish with suggestions of flowers and citrus rounds out this delicious Champagne. No disgorgement date indicated. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2014. (Dec 2009)"
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$16.95
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W&S 91
Spain
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Red
In stock, 12+ available
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List $24.00
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91 points Wine & Spirits: "[$24 list] Half of the fruit for this juicy blend comes from young vines, half from old-vine Carinena and Garnacha. The fruit is delightfully red, prettier and more accessible than what has become typical in Priorat. There's refinement to the acidity that lends the wine its nerve. For roast partridge. (Oct 2009)"
4 stars, Highly Recommended, Decanter: "Fine, fragrant and sumptuous aroma of strawberry and Grenache. Well balanced with fine mature fruit, firm, brisk acidity and a slatey, grainy finish. Fine mature fruit and good length. Alcohol: 14%. Drink: 2011-2014. (Mar 2011)"
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$9.95
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Italy
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Puglia
In stock, 12+ available
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Three Glasses, Gambero Rosso (2013). In addition to becoming a Three Glasses winner, this wine was awarded the single 'Best Value for the Money' among all Italian wines by Gambero Rosso.
This modestly priced 100% Negroamaro from Puglia was recently awarded the coveted Three Glasses designation by Gambero Rosso--perhaps the lowest priced Italian wine we have ever known to receive such an award! The wine shows streaks of garnet giving way to intense ruby red color. Its nose is of candied fruits and spices that evolve into clean underbrush, tea, and amber notes. Enhanced by notes of red flowers, the aromas return on the palate transported by confident but not overbearing alcohol. The tannins and fresh acidity work in counterpoint to create a balanced, soft wine. Pair with veal and beef, game, lamb, and ripe aged cheeses.
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$12.95
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RP 90
WS 89
France
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South of France
In stock,
5
available
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90 points Robert Parker: No tasting note given. Previous vintage rated 92-94 points by Robert Parker: "...very high quality and deserve[s] readers’ attention. Hopefully my prose has convinced more than a handful of readers to try these remarkable wines from one of the most fascinating and compelling personalities in the entire wine world, and one dedicated to the highest quality."
89 points Wine Spectator: "Features powerful pear tart and spiced apple flavors, which are joined by notes of dried mango and fig. Hints of shiso leaf and tarragon show on the firm, focused finish. Drink now through 2016. (5/31/13)"
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$14.95
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United States
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Merlot
In stock, 12+ available
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List $25.00
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Producer notes: "[$25 list] Ripe black plum and red cherry aromas deepen in intensity with inviting notes of milk chocolate and warm spice. A palate rich with sweet dark berry fruit notes of black tea and spice balance a lightly creamy texture with soft, plush tannins and fine structure."
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$10.95
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France
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Other
In stock, 12+ available
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50% Gros Manseng, 25% Sauvignon Blanc and 25% Ugni Blanc old vines. The dry white Côtes de Gascogne wine is grown in chalky and white clay soils, which imparts a mineral/fruity/floral flavor profile. Matured over 10 months on fine lees and stirred weekly. Serve as an aperitif, with apetizers, grilled fish, shellfish, lobster, or fish in cream sauce.
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$14.95
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WA 91
W&S 91
IWC 90
Chile
In stock, 12+ available
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List $22.00
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91 points Jay Miller (Wine Advocate): "[$22 list] The 2009 Marques de Casa Concha Carmenere contains 14% Cabernet Sauvignon in its makeup. The fruit was sourced from the superb Peumo Vineyard in Rapel Valley with the wine aged for 18 months in 42% new French oak. It displays a more brooding personality in its promising bouquet of sandalwood, exotic spices, dried herbs, floral notes, plum, and blackberry. In the glass it is full-bodied, rich, plush, and structured. The wine conceals enough fine-grained tannin to evolve for 3-4 years. This lengthy effort, stylistically similar but less expensive than the Terrunyo Carmeneres, is a great value that will be at its best from 2014 to 2024. (Feb 2012)"
91 points Wine & Spirits: "[$22 list] A wine of enormous power, this is dominated by black fruit flavors and a youthfully blunt texture—a carmenère far from its ideal point of consumption. The clean lines and firm acidity will help it develop in bottle for at least three years. If you open it now, decant it for a steak. (Jun 2011)"
90 points Josh Raynolds (International Wine Cellar): "[$22 list] Opaque ruby. Black and blue fruits on the nose and in the mouth, with complicating licorice and floral nuances and a kick of cracked pepper. Smooth and expansive, with subtle tannins adding shape and grip on a long, spicy finish. (May/Jun 2011)"
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$9.25
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Italy
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Tuscany
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Chianti
In stock, 12+ available
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List $16.00
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Producer notes: "The Da Vinci Chianti is deep crimson in color with aromas of cherries and red fruit balanced by soft, round tannins."
Wine Spectator: "A rich red, backed by good acidity, leaving space for its cocoa dust, blackberry and spice notes. Just a bit burly on the finish. Drink now through 2012. (2/28/11)"
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$8.95
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Italy
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Campania
In stock, 12+ available
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List $14.00
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This vibrant Lacryma Christi 2009 Rosso hails from the lava-caked foothills of Mount Vesuvius, just east of the spirited bayside city of Naples. Lovers of Campanese wines already know that the region's mild year-round climate and cool Mediterranean breezes provide ideal growing conditions for its indigenous varietals. This deliciously inexpensive blend is crafted with fruit sourced from Caputo's Enodelta, twenty-five hectares of sun-baked volcanic soil at altitudes of 300-500 meters. Campania's local varietals include the smoky, licorice and berry infused Piedirosso and Aglianico, varietals that are uniquely suited to the volcanic soils of the region. This delightful wine is aged entirely in stainless steel, which allows the subtleties and nuances of the smoky, mineral-driven terroir to come out naturally. The 2009 vintage in southern Italy has been highly lauded by critics and oenophiles alike. This is easily one of the most interesting, well-balanced red quaffers we've come across at this price.
Aromas of red current, cherry, cocoa, tar, licorice, and dusty earth on the nose give way to tobacco leaf and smoky black minerals on the palate. A rustic yet smooth, well-balanced, medium-bodied red with bright acidity. In the glass over time evolve pretty scents of mint, flowers and dried herbs that add complexity and elegance. Perfect with pizza, spicy seafood pasta, or on its own with salumi, antipasti, and hard sheep's milk cheeses. The blend is 65% Piedirosso, 35% Aglianico, all grown in the black lava caked soils of region.
Not reviewed; 2010 vintage rated 87 points by Robert Parker: "The wild strawberry, sweet cherry and damp earth-scented and flavored, fresh, light-bodied 2010 Lacryma di Christi can be drunk slightly chilled (as you would a Beaujolais). Enodelta has fashioned three very good values."
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$6.89
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South Africa
In stock, 12+ available
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List $10.00
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'Best Buy,' Wine & Spirits: "[$10 list] This leads with Meyer lemon and honeydew flavors'tart but creamy, with a faint almond bitterness. A simple chardonnay for summer sipping. (Feb 2013)"
Producer notes: "Bright lime green hue. Hints of peach, marmalade and orange blossom on the nose. Green apple fruit flavours on a full creamy palate. Only very lightly oaked for everyday drinking. Food Suggestions This wine is perfect with grilled seafood, or lightly spiced Thai chicken. Alcohol 14.0%."
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$13.95
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WS 90
France
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Bordeaux
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Red
In stock, 12+ available
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List $25.00
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90 points Wine Spectator: "[$25 list] This is ripe and polished, with sleek cassis and blackberry fruit framed with toasty mocha and espresso hints, but also nicely grounded in terroir, with a tug of roasted earth and tobacco on the finish. Drink now through 2015. (3/31/12)"
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$10.95
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Italy
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Piedmont
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Barbera
In stock, 12+ available
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88 points Wine Spectator: "There's good depth to this red, whose black cherry and blackberry flavors are intense and fresh. This is bright, with a hint of tannins on the finish. Drink now. (2/29/12)"
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$21.95
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JS 92
RP 90
France
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Bordeaux
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Red
In stock, 12+ available
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92 points James Suckling: "A soft and fruity wine, with lovely fruit and a lively tangy acidity. Lasts for a long time. Why wait? But will improve with age as well. (2/14/12)"
90 points Robert Parker: "Another major sleeper of the vintage, this consistently well-made wine (another consulting job by Stephane Derenoncourt) has hit pay dirt. It came in at 14% natural alcohol, with a final blend of 99% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon. Vivid, explosive black cherry and blackberry fruit intermixed with some subtle charcoal as well as loamy soil and tobacco leaf notes are all present in the complex aromatics. Full-bodied, fleshy, without a hard edge to be found, this velvety-textured wine is ideal for drinking over the next 2-4 years. Who said Bordeaux doesn’t produce terrific wines at low price points? (Feb 2012)"
17.75/20 points Decanter: "Richly oaky nose, with just a hint of stewed fruit but not over the top. Fresh attack. Certain minerality. Firm tannic structure. It has line and length. Definitely a more serious wine. Should age. Drink: 2013-2022. Alcohol 13%. (Dec 2012)"
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$15.95
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RR 90
France
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Rhone
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Other
In stock, 12+ available
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90 points Rhone Report: "A smoking Côtes du Rhône, the 2010 Domaine Grand Nicolet (70% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 10% Carignan, and 5% Mourvedre) is aged all in concrete tank and is a gorgeous example of Provencal viticulture. It delivers loads of black cherries, mineral, smoked earth, and dark chocolate-like qualities (very Rasteau-like actually) that flow to a full-bodied, rich, powerful 2010 that has layers of fruit, yet also a fair kick of tannin as well. Buy this beauty by the case, give it a year or two, and drink bottles over the following 4-6 years. (Sep 2012)"
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$18.95
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RR 92
WS 91
RP 90
France
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Rhone
-
Other
In stock, 12+ available
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List $28.00
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92+ points Rhone Report: "Even more serious and structured, the 2010 Domaine Grand Nicolet Rasteau Vieilles Vignes is a blend of 70% Grenache (from 60-year-old vines) and 30% Syrah (from 30-year-old vines) that has the Grenache aged in tank and the Syrah in 10% 1 and 2-year-old barrels. Big, mineral-driven and firm, with black cherry liqueur, spice-box, and new leather aromas and flavors all showing, this full-bodied, concentrated Rasteau needs a solid 2-3 years in the cellar. It will drink well for upwards of a decade. (Sep 2012)"
91 points Wine Spectator: "A broad, fleshy style, with lots of layered dark fig, hoisin sauce, roasted tobacco and melted licorice snap notes. Features a nice gutsy feel through the finish, with a flash of juniper. Solid. Drink now through 2015. 500 cases imported. (10/15/12)"
90 points Robert Parker: "[$28 list] Much better, the dense purple-colored 2010 Cotes du Rhone-Villages Rasteau exhibits attractive black cherry, earthy, herbal notes intermixed with sweet plum, fig and prune characteristics. Full-bodied and chewy, it is ideal for drinking over the next decade. (Oct 2011)"
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$15.95
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RR 93
RP 90
France
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Rhone
-
Other
In stock, 12+ available
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List $20.00
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93 points Rhone Report: "A stunning blend of 65% Grenache, 30% Syrah, and 5% Carignan that is aged in barrique for 11 months, the 2010 Domaine les Grands Bois Cuvée Gabrielle possesses a deep purple color as well as fantastic aromatics of sweet blackberries, licorice, crushed flowers, coffee grinds, and plenty of loamy earth and sappy underbrush on the nose. Full-bodied and voluptuous on the palate, with a seamless, polished texture, fantastic concentration, and a ridiculous amount of persistence and length on the finish given the price tag, this knockout Côtes du Rhône Villages should be purchased by the case. Bottled unfined and unfiltered, it will drink well for 5-8 years. (Sep 2012)"
90 points Robert Parker: "The 2010 Cotes du Rhone-Villages Cuvee Gabrielle is a blend of 65% Grenache, 30% Syrah and 5% Carignan from 10- to 80-year-old vines, aged in barrique and neutral foudres. Bottled unfiltered, this deep, plum/purple-colored 2010 offers up black cherry, fig, roast beef, bouquet garni, licorice and soil notes. Deep, medium to full-bodied, rich and well-textured, it should drink well for 4-5 years. (Oct 2012)"
Producer notes: "Grenache 55%, Syrah 35%, and Carignan 10%. Beautiful garnet with slight bluish reflections. Subtle bouquet of strawberry, blackberry and violets. On the palate, initial impressions of fruit brandy, then a velvety texture with hints of green pepper, with closing notes of spice. A wine that is enjoyable today but with the stuffing to age well, too. Food pairing: Perfect with a fillet of beef with mushrooms or duck with spices."
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$8.95
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PG 88
Spain
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Red
In stock, 12+ available
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88 points Peñín Guide: "(100% tempranillo) Colour: cherry, purple rim. Nose: expressive, red berry notes, floral, wild herbs, mineral. Palate: flavourful, fruity, good acidity, round tannins, powerful. (2012)"
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