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$9.95
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France
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Loire
In stock, 12+ available
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List $14.00
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87 points David Schildknecht (Wine Advocate): "...bright, bracing lemon and lime and borderline grassiness are accompanied by cooling mint, attractively pungent caraway, and a palpable sense of extract and chalky minerality... this gets high marks for sheer tenacity and for its light bulb-like, wake-up personality. (Aug 2008)"
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$13.95
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Austria
In stock,
6
available
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List $30.00
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Producer notes: "This Riesling is a blend of wines sourced from different terraced (=high quality) vineyards. The elevated terraces consist of stonier soils that bring fruit driven wines with mineral nuances and good aging potential. The vines from lower sited terraces grow partly on layered fertile loess and bring earlier maturing wines that are very expressive in their youth. By combining those two characteristics, we obtain a Riesling that shows both finesse and a certain vigor. Tasting note:
Impressive primary fruit in this vintage (classic apricot & peach and also tangerine & citrus), flowery elements some herbs and green tea, still a bit yeasty, yet open at the front, with a hint of minerals and flowery aromas, straightforward and fresh on the palate again with surprising fruit, medium body, mineral nuances, good structure and balance, already accessible showing good potential. Food pairing:
Seafood, cold starters, grilled fish, white meat, fried or roasted chicken and different Asian dishes if not too hot."
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$49.95
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IWC 92
Austria
In stock,
4
available
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List $80.00
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92 points Peter Moser (International Wine Cellar): "[$80 list] Medium green-yellow. Inviting bouquet of peach, greengage plum, honey and dried apricot over a subtle background of smoky flint. Intense and concentrated peach and pineapple are wrapped in a transparent veil of sweetness and elegantly suspended by a firm acid spine. Finishes with lingering hints of papaya and pineapple. Drink 2011 to 2023. (Nov/Dec 2009)"
Bill Mayer (The Age of Riesling): "The 'Lyra' is the most sheerly beautiful of all Willi's Rieslings, a masterpiece of cool minerality combined with sensational fruit. Impossible to have a conversation drinking this wine."
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$17.95
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Italy
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Campania
In stock,
1
available
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List $28.00
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Sandro Lonardo makes a tiny amount of a white wine called Grecomusc', which is made from a variety called Roviello Bianco, or Grecomusc' by the locals. The variety is indigenous to the town of Taurasi and the villages around Taurasi. Made from purchased fruit (some has also been planted at Lonardo's estate in Taurasi); the wine is fermented with the skins for a day or so to extract flavor, then fermented in stainless steel using indigenous yeasts. The wine is aged in used puncheons for four months, then in stainless steel, and bottled unfined and with only a coarse filtration. Lonardo's Grecomusc' is distinctive, excellent white wine, showing striking complexity in aroma and flavor, great length, and excellent fresh acidity; notes include almond, citrus skin and apple, as Sandro says, but also a beeswax note reminiscent of fine Chenin Blanc. Less than 200 cases produced.
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$14.95
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WA 88
France
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Alsace
In stock, 12+ available
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List $20.00
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88 points David Schildknecht (Wine Advocate): "The Dirler-Cade 2005 Pinot Cuvee Vieilles Vignes is true Pinot Blanc (or Klevner, as it is often locally known) with not a drop of Auxerrois. Apple and citrus dominate in the nose and mouth, with a hint of apple seed bitterness balanced by a subtle hint of sweetness, and a creamy, chalky, yet clear-fruited finish. (Jul/Aug 2007)" Organic/biodynamic since 2002 (certified by Biodyvin).
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$15.95
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WA 87
France
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Loire
In stock,
1
available
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List $25.00
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87 points David Schildknecht (Wine Advocate): "The wines are also released at a leisurely pace, so that Domaine Aux Moines’s 2006 Savennieres - Roche Aux Moines represents their current release... offers a fascinating combination of peach, citrus oils, raw mushroom, and alkaline, wet stone suggestions of things mineral. In the mouth, this is richly peachy with prominent citrus oil and peach kernel bitterness. It preserves more than a modicum of fresh fruit juiciness... I would plan to serve this wine over the next couple of years. (Aug 2010)"
Producer notes: "Our Estate offers a single dry vintage wine: the 'Domaine aux Monies'. This is a dry white wine, made from 100% Chenin Blanc grown on a clay shale terroir, with excellent ageability."
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$295.00
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Germany
In stock,
2
available
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List $400.00
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Wine Spectator: "[$200/375ml list] Deeply colored, this tastes like baked apples, caramel and spice, in a concentrated, lively frame. It's compact and tangy, with a moderate finish. Drink now through 2010. (2003)"
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$19.95
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Italy
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Trentino-Alto Adige
In stock,
9
available
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List $30.00
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Antonio Galloni (Wine Advocate): "[$30 list] The 2008 Weissburgunder Terlaner (Pinot Bianco) is wonderfully fresh and nuanced in its crisp, floral fruit. Medium in body, the mineral-driven Weissburgunder reveals notable elegance and a long, zesty finish. This is a classy effort from Niedrist. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2012. (Oct 2009)"
Some of the best white wines from the Alto Adige have been made from the Weissburgunder (Pinot Bianco) variety, the best examples of which are minerally, earthy wines that repay 3 - 5 years in the cellar. The Terlaner zone seems to produce particularly good examples. This wine is fermented and aged in stainless steel, with no contact with wood and no malolactic fermentation. Estate bottled. Tasting notes: Pale straw color; wet-stone aroma with hints of green apple and herbs; fresh, long and minerally on the palate. Drink now with seafood or vegetable appetizers, or age for up to 5 years.
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$11.95
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France
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Other
In stock,
10
available
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List $19.00
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From the Altesse varietal, Jacquin's Roussette de Savoie Marestel is another delicious, thirst-quenching wine from Savoie, this time with more body than Jacquère or Chasselas, and more subtle aromas than Roussanne. Quince, flowers, apricot and a touch of honey rise from the medium-bodied palate, which finishes with just a hint of mountain tonic. A wonderful match for light to medium-bodied white fish, cold chicken salads, shrimp dim sum, and crab fritters.
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$49.95
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France
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Loire
In stock,
1
available
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List $70.00
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2003 vintage rated 94 points by Wine Spectator, which wrote: "With an auburn color and dark notes of maple, date and sugared walnut, this will be a different paradigm for most. Yet manages to stay fresh and focused, with a mouthwatering finish that lets the green tea and ginger notes linger. A wild wine. Drink now through 2017. 25 cases made."
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$49.95
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Germany
In stock,
8
available
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List $110.00
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Auction bottling.
David Schildknecht (International Wine Cellar): "Peach, ginger spice and high-toned maraschino aromas. Cherries and peaches continue to figure on the palate, which features an imposingly liqueur-like intensity, volatility and texture. For all of its upfront intensity, this leads to an elegant, polished, refined and remarkably long finish layering peach, candied citrus, red fruit, nut oils, honey, slate and spice."
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$94.95
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WS 93
Germany
In stock,
2
available
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List $144.00
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93 points Wine Spectator: "A luscious BA, nectarlike yet well-balanced by tangy acidity, setting the stage for clean, pure flavors of apricot and honey. Lovely finish, too. Drink now through 2009. 40 cases made."
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$17.95
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France
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Loire
In stock, 12+ available
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List $24.00
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Pierre Rovani (Wine Advocate): "...a medium-to-full-bodied wine with super concentration, layers of creamy candied grapefruits, as well as impeccable balance and focus. Older vintages of 'M' de Marionnet have aptly demonstrated that these wines age gracefully, taking on additional complexity, elegance, and richness with cellaring."
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$11.95
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IWC 88
France
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Loire
In stock,
10
available
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List $18.00
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88 points Josh Raynolds (International Wine Cellar): "[$18 list] Pale yellow-gold. Subtle aromas of orange, pear and honeysuckle, with a subtle mineral undertone. The fresh, supple palate conveys a restrained sweetness, good intensity, and a light touch, with little in the way of varietal herbacity. A smooth, easy-going rendition of sauvignon blanc, with good finishing breadth and sneaky length. (May/Jun 2010)"
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$14.95
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RP 89
WS 88
Chile
In stock, 12+ available
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List $24.00
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89 points Robert Parker: "The 2008 Alpha Chardonnay is light gold colored with an aromatic array of buttered popcorn, mineral, poached pear, and apple. Smooth-textured and friendly on the palate, this tasty effort can be enjoyed over the next 4 years. (12/23/2010)"
88 points Wine Spectator: "[$24 list] A direct, polished version, with solid apple, fig and piecrust notes that stay focused on the floral-tinged finish. Crowd-pleaser. Drink now. (9/30/10)"
Producer notes: "Vinified with clean must separating three different lots using three different strains of selected yeasts: D', Montrachet and native. Fermented and aged in French oak barrels for 1 year, 40% of the wine undergoes malolactic fermentation. Grapes sourced from Casablanca Valley. The wine remains in its original cask for one year using a monthly batonage to enhance buttery flavors and complexity that emphasizes the union of refined flavors of tropical fruit and aromas. Full bodied and creamy in the mid palate and very complex. One of the few Chilean whites that will improve over the years."
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$7.95
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Argentina
In stock, 12+ available
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List $13.00
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Greenish yellow in color. The nose is complex and combines a blend of citrus fruits (such as pink grapefruit and lime) with white peach and notes of hay. On the palate, a good entry of fresh fruit, well-balanced with a clean finish.
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$7.95
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Italy
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Friuli-Venezia Giulia
In stock, 12+ available
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List $12.00
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Wine Enthusiast: "Light and fresh, floral and peachy; this is textbook Pinot Grigio that delivers all the easy drinkability you require from an informal, affordable wine like this. You can pair it with fresh summer foods and salads. (Nov 2010)"
Palmadina is the second label from the Primosic family of Friuli. The Palmadina style is fresh, fragrant and immediate. This wine is clean, fresh and bright -- classic Pinot Grigio with a very slight coppery hue.
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$8.95
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France
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South of France
In stock, 12+ available
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List $13.00
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Pellehaut, from the Roman "pila haut" (high point), is owned by the Béraut family. Gaston Béraut oversees the domaine, which also includes cattle, wheat and sunflowers. One son, Martin, is the vineyard manager, commonly found between the vines. The other, Mathieu, is the winemaker. Mathieu studied under Yves Grassa at nearby Château de Tariquet, as well as at Château Beycheville in Bordeaux and, during one harvest in the nineties, was Jim Clendenon' right-hand man at Au Bon Climat in Southern California. Ampelomeryx is a blend of Chardonnay and Petit Manseng, fermented and aged in new oak.
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$19.95
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France
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Rhone
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Other
In stock,
2
available
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List $50.00
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André Perret is one of the leading producers of Northern Rhône whites. The 2002 Condrieu Clos Chanson was aged and fermented in 20% new oak barriques and boasts a plethora of fresh peach, pear and nectarine fruits, touches of mineral and wild honey together with a hint of nutty oak.
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$14.95
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New Zealand
In stock, 12+ available
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List $23.00
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Joelle Thomson (Mindfood): "Everything you want in a pinot gris but don't usually get is abundant in this zappy little 13.9% alcohol pinot blanc. Firm acids, full body, an off-dry style that is luscious and flavoursome as well as varietally characteristic. You know the sentiment 'you had to be there'? This is a wine you have to taste. (Sep 2008)"
Michael Cooper's Guide to New Zealand Wines 2010: "Grown in the Waihopai Valley, the 2007 vintage was hand-picked, fermented with indigenous yeasts in old French barrels, and bottled unfined and unfiltered. Pale gold, it is fleshy and smooth, with ripe, peachy, slightly spicy flavours, showing very good depth and complexity, and a dry finish. Ready."
Producer notes: "Pale gold. Candied orange peel; clove, cinnamon, mace; a pungent honey note, like miel des forets; marmalade, baked apricot; brioche. Powerful on the entry, broad and rich -- orange flan, spice cake -- but crisp acidity and brisk minerality quickly follow, girdling the ample flesh of the wine. 550 cases produced."
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$17.95
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New Zealand
In stock, 12+ available
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List $24.00
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4 stars, Michael Cooper's Guide to New Zealand Wines 2010: "The 2007 vintage was hand-picked at Rapaura, fermented with indigenous yeasts and less-aged for eight months. It's a light (11 per cent alcohol), medium style (34 grams/litre of residual sugar) with strong, ripe, citrusy flavours, finely balanced for current enjoyment."
Producer notes: "Pale white gold. Fresh, and ripe; comice pear, white peach, red delicious apple; lifted and floral - honeysuckle, alyssum, cherry blossom; wet stone. Compact and juicy, flavours of ripe pear, red apple and talc; lightly sweet floral notes play through the phenolic architecture of the wine; apt balance of acid and sugar, so that the sweetness seems to disappear on the long, minerally finish. Production 350 cases."
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$9.95
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WS 88
WA 87
Chile
In stock, 12+ available
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List $14.00
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88 points Wine Spectator: "[$14 list] A ripe, flattering style, with lots of pear, fig and light toasty hazelnut notes that glide through the full-bodied, creamy finish. A crowd-pleasing style. Drink now. (5/31/11)"
87 points Jay Miller(Wine Advocate): "[$14 list] More serious is the 2009 Reserve Chardonnay that saw 90% of the wine aged in French and American oak for 8 months. It offers up a reticent nose with notions of green apple, white peach, and a hint of toast. In the glass it displays a solid core of fruit, savory flavors with moderate depth, and good balance. Drink this very good value over the next 1-2 years. (Feb 2012)"
Producer notes: "This is one of our most traditional and best-known lines and features perfect harmony from delicate aging in French oak barrels plus the additional complexity that comes with bottle aging. These wines evoke a unique experience in each of its three varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot from the Maipo Valley and Chardonnay from Casablanca. Color: Intense, bright golden yellow. Aroma: Intense and complex with delicate notes of honey and ripe tropical fruits that recall banana, pineapple, and passion fruit, along with notes of toast and vanilla. Palate: Crisp and refreshing with good balance and a long and pleasing finish. Pairing Suggestion: Drink with sauced full-bodied fish, shellfish, grilled rabbit, white meats, and ripe cheeses."
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$24.95
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CGV 89
United States
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Chardonnay
In stock,
6
available
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*SPECIAL: Take 10% Off Listed Price!
(We'll reduce item's price when processing your order.)
89 points California Grapevine: "Medium-light golden yellow; attractive, forward, toasty, nutty, ripe tropical fruit aroma with herbal and mineral notes; medium-full body; crisp green apple flavors with firm acidity; lingering aftertaste. Highly recommended. 14.5% alcohol; 467 cases; 100% barrel fermented; 75% malolactic fermentation; released Spring 2011. (Apr 2012)"
Kent Humphrey and Dan Fishman (Winemaker and Assistant Winemaker of Eric Kent Wine Cellars) devote themselves to discovering and purchasing small lots for Sarapo Family and to creating the finished blends. They do not 'make' Sarapo wines from grape to bottle, but rather seek out small lots made by other artisan winemakers in order to carefully blend their own limited-production wines of distinction and personality. Each wine is given a "family name" inspired by relatives from past and present generations.
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$44.95
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FWR 94
Germany
In stock,
8
available
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List $70.00
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94 points Fine Wine Review: "[$70/375ml list] The Bockenauer Felseneck Ausl is bright, mineral and acidity with orange and strawberry aromas and flavors. Give this wine some time to develop, but it is most promising. (Issue #97; 2003)"
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$99.95
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Germany
In stock,
2
available
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List $180.00
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Intense, sweet fruit marries with wonderful acidity and balance. Enormous length.
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