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$21.50
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United States
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Chardonnay
In stock,
11
available
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Producer notes: "Layers of forward fruit, complex nuances of yeast and barrel, and a striking minerality that is seldom seen in California Chardonnay. This combines with structure and balanced acidity that promises further development over time."
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$39.50
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Italy
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Umbria
In stock, 12+ available
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From Montefalco in Umbria. Produced from approximately equal parts of Sagrantino, Montepulciano, and Sangiovese. Organic/biodynamic (not certified).
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$9.50
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France
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Alsace
In stock,
1
available
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Stephen Tanzer (International Wine Cellar) on the 2004 vintage: "Pale color. Enticing, vibrant aromas of peach, orange, lime, smoke and gunflint. Fat, full and minerally, with excellent shape and grip. This is almost 14% alcohol but conveys a vivid impression of fruit. Finishes with notes of orange and tropical fruits."
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$19.50
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PG 92
RP 90
IWC 90
Spain
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Red
In stock, 12+ available
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92 points Peñín Guide: "(Monastrell 85%, Cabernet Sauvignon 15%) Deep cherry colour, garnet edge, ripe fruit aroma, varietal, expressive, toasted, creamy oak, earthy, flavourful palate, ripe tannins, balanced. (2008)"
90 points Robert Parker: "...the unfiltered 2003 Las Gravas was aged in 300 liter French barrels for 14 months. It offers lovely floral, creme de cassis, smoke, charcoal, and earthy characteristics in its rich, full-bodied, powerful personality. Enjoy it over the next 7-8 years. (Aug 2006)"
90 points Stephen Tanzer (International Wine Cellar): "Dark red. Inky, smoky aromas of cherry, printer's ink and beef jerky. Powerful and youthful, with tightly wound, slightly bitter cherry and blackcurrant flavors and a firm tannic bite. Focused, spicy and long on the finish. Plenty of depth here. (Sep/Oct 2006)"
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$27.50
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WS 90
United States
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Chardonnay
In stock, 12+ available
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List $40.00
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90 points Wine Spectator: "Pleasantly earthy, with leafy green apple, spice, melon and honeysuckle flavors that are rich, elegant and stylish. Ends with a delicate, complex aftertaste. Drink now through 2011. 426 cases made. (10/31/07)"
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$22.49
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France
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Burgundy
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Cote d'Or White
In stock, 12+ available
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List $30.00
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3 stars La Revue du Vin de France. 75% Chardonnay, 25% Pinot Blanc. An easy drinking white wine from the northern edge of the Cote de Beaune. Beautifully balanced fresh fruit flavors, with fine minerality on the finish. 900 cases produced.
Clive Coates (The Wines of Burgundy): "Claude Chevalier, tall, handsome and in his fifties now, is in charge here; father Georges, who first started bottling in 1959, retired some 10 years ago. Since 2000 there have been a number of changes for the better here. Yields have been reduced, and the wines are altogether more sophisticated. This is one of the best addresses in the village (of Ladoix)."
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$24.50
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France
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Burgundy
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Cote d'Or Red
In stock, 12+ available
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Allen Meadows (Burghound): "(from vines planted in 1963). An earthy and distinctly sauvage nose merges into rich, rustic and nicely concentrated flavors that aren't particularly elegant but possess good character though as with many examples from Santenay in 2005, the tannins are slightly drying. 2009+. (Apr 2007)"
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$59.50
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WA 95
WN 95
WS 94
Chile
In stock, 12+ available
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List $80.00
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95 points Jay Miller (Wine Advocate): "The 2006 Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon is a glass-coating opaque purple with an alluring bouquet of toast, tobacco, cedar, leather, mocha, and blackcurrant. Sweet, voluptuous (but not in a fruit bomb kind of way), layered, and complex already, its superb balance will ensure at least a decade of evolution and it should drink well through 2036. Don Melchor is the flagship wine of Concha y Toro, a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon cuvee that was started in 1987, making it Chile’s senior icon. I feel confident about this because the winery kindly sent along a 1993 and a 1995 Don Melchor to provide context. The 1993 (94 points) reveals the nuance of a well-aged wine but with the balance to provide pleasure for another 10-15 years. The 1995 (95 points) is a bit rounder and more elegant, also with another 10-15 years of prime drinking ahead. (Apr 2009)"
95 points Wine News: "[$80 list] Deep, dense purple robe. Pretty bouquet of plum, raisin and cherry. Grainy tannins on entry with loads of tar and jammy black fruit. Concentrated, powerful fruit flavors with well-integrated, maple-tinged tannins. (Mar/Apr/May 2009)"
94 points Wine Spectator: "[$80 list] A dark, muscular style, with black currant, braised fig, maduro tobacco, bittersweet cocoa and loam notes that all roll together through the dense but polished finish. There's impressive power for the vintage, along with precision and balance. Drink now through 2018. (3/31/09)"
94 points Wine Enthusiast: "[$80 list] The price for one of Chile’s flagship wines keeps climbing, but fortunately so does the quality. Winemaker Enrique Tirado has crafted yet another pounding, saturated Cabernet. It’s wonderfully meshed yet potent and fierce. Boysenberry, cassis and kirsch flavors control the extracted palate, while the finish is warm, creamy and fun, sort of like a milkshake. At 14.5%, Melchor is at its max. Hold until 2010 and then drink through 2015. (May 2009)"
92 points Josh Raynolds (International Wine Cellar): "($80 list; includes 3% cabernet franc) Inky ruby. Expansive, intensely perfumed bouquet of dark berries, cherry pit, candied licorice and sexy oak spices. Broad, gently chewy cassis and bitter cherry flavors reach every nook and cranny of the palate, picking up an exotic violet pastille quality on the back end. Gains power on the finish, which features strong anise, tobacco and lead pencil qualities. Serious and in need of cellaring. (Mar/Apr 2009)"
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$19.50
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United States
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Chardonnay
In stock,
7
available
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Wine Spectator: "Full-bodied, creamy and rich, with vanilla, taffy, caramel and ripe pear flavors that hang with you on a long, lingering finish. Drink now. 848 cases made."
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$26.99
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Italy
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Trentino-Alto Adige
In stock,
2
available
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List $37.00
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Iugum (meaning "yoke") is sourced from one of Alto-Adige’s warmest vineyard areas, one in which the soil content is rich in clay. 70% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon--aged separately for 11 months in used and new barrique, respectively, followed by assemblage and aging in stainless steel for a period of six months. It is released after an additional four months’ aging in bottle.
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$19.50
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WA 92
Italy
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Trentino-Alto Adige
In stock, 12+ available
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92 points Antonio Galloni (Wine Advocate): "The 2004 Iugum is perhaps the finest vintage of this wine I have tasted. The oak appears especially well-integrated, which DiPoli attributes to the higher percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon present in the 2004. A quintessential, textbook Alto Adige red, it reveals an abundance of dark cherries, tar, smoke and licorice and coffee beans. Today it comes across as somewhat restrained but make no mistake about it, this full-flavored wine is high-class all the way. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2014. (Oct 2007)"
Producer notes: "70% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon. This vineyard parcel is located on the slope of Magré one of the warmest vineyard areas of Alto Adige. The warm temperature and the soil structure with a high clay content determined the selection of Bordeaux varieties. My objective was to produce a great red wine which could be barrel aged and withstand long bottle ageing. 650 cases produced."
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$34.50
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IWC 93
Italy
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Trentino-Alto Adige
In stock, 12+ available
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93 points Ian D'Agata (International Wine Cellar): "Brilliant straw-green. Aromas of citrus fruits, tomato leaf, sage, and rosemary jump from the glass, all nicely lifted by hints of passion fruit and mint. Bright in acidity and very fresh, it speaks of its cool micro-climate with a laser-like purity to its tangerine, lemon drop, gin and tequila flavors that nonetheless show a surprisingly plump quality. A wine of real complexity that grows and grows in the glass. The pure, minerally finish goes on and on. (Mar/Apr 2008)"
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$20.99
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Italy
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Other
In stock,
3
available
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List $27.99
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2001 vintage rated 90 points by Antonio Galloni (Wine Advocate): "Peter Di Poli is the outspoken vigneron behind one of Italy’s most intriguing Sauvignons. Di Poli’s Voglar is a wine that screams Alto Adige terroir and varietal, with plenty of ripe fruit, wet stone, smoke, mint and tomato leaf notes. This wine does not undergo malolactic fermentation and is aged in cask, giving it a somewhat lean, crisp personality that was perfect with our raw seafood starters."
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$8.50
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W&S 86
France
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South of France
In stock, 12+ available
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Jean-François Fayel's domaine is located southeast of the city of Nîmes and enjoys a warm climate that produces wines noted for their ripe fruit and rich texture. The cailloux-based soils (similar to Châteauneuf-du-Pape's) create a spectacular environment for grape growing. Rosé de Fayel is a new cuvée developed due to the outstanding vineyard work that is being done here. It is a blend of 65% whole-berry crushed Cabernet Franc, 30% Syrah and 5% Grenache which has been bled from the tanks. It displays beautiful high-toned cherry notes and mineral. This wine is very focused and racy with bright acidity. This label was created by Michel Gilles and Michel Tombereau, two prominent artists from Nîmes.
86 points Wine & Spirits: "A blend of cabernet franc, with syrah and grenache, this is an earthy rosé with soft, spiced strawberry notes. For country pâtés. Best Buy. (Aug 2009)"
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$26.50
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WA 92
Spain
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Red
In stock, 12+ available
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List $42.00
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92 points Jay Miller (Wine Advocate): "[$42 list] The entry level 2004 Atauta comes from 60- to 150-year-old, biodynamically farmed, mostly ungrafted Tempranillo bush vines. The wine is aged in 100% French oak of which 20% is new. Dark ruby/purple in color, it has an expressive nose of spice box, coffee, black cherry and blackberry. Made in a racy style, with good acidity, this wine admirably combines ripe, sweet fruit with elegance. Drink it over the next 6-8 years. Kudos to Dominio Atauta! (Feb 2007)"
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$5.50
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IWC 87
WA 86
Spain
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Other
In stock, 12+ available
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87 points Josh Raynolds (International Wine Cellar): "(60% bobal and 40% tempranillo) Orange-tinged pink. Fresh strawberry and tangerine on the nose, with a hint of talc coming up with air. Dry, nervy red berry and citrus flavors are nicely focused and slightly rigid, with a white pepper bite emerging on the back end. A grown-up, dry style of pink wine that represents outstanding bang for the buck. (Sep/Oct 2009)"
86 points Jay Miller (Wine Advocate): "The 2008 Rosado is a blend of 60% Bobal and 40% Tempranillo. Salmon pink in color, the bouquet offers up rose petals and strawberry. Light and tasty and with surprising grip, this easy-going Rose is the perfect picnic wine for drinking over the next year. (Jun 2009)"
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$11.50
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United States
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Sauvignon Blanc & Aromatic Whites
In stock, 12+ available
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List $26.00
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Producer notes: "Voluptuous, full-bodied yet so easy drinking, this hot summer wine taunts with a nose full of pear, peach and star fruit. The bold palate is drenched in pineapple, rich tropical fruit and honeysuckle. We call it white wine for red drinkers. Awesome with fried chicken. Limited production - 360 cases."
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$59.50
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France
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Rhone
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Hermitage/Crozes-Hermitage
In stock,
11
available
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List $85.00
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Stephen Tanzer (International Wine Cellar): "[$85 list] Full, deep red. Aromas of plum, mocha and tobacco, with a strong component of smoky oak. Fatter and denser than the old-vines Saint-Joseph, with dry flavors of pepper, minerals, spices and mint given shape by brisk acidity. The finish shows a bit more sweetness of fruit but also some slightly dry-edged tannins."
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$22.50
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New Zealand
In stock,
4
available
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Producer notes: "Color of pale straw. A nose of stonefruits, with lemon and a distinct mineral edge. The palate leads with nutty stonefruit, following with crisp acid and cleansing minerality. Very rich and mouth-coating, yet with a bracing clean finish and plenty of grip. The tension is evident despite the riper flavours than we normally see in this wine; certainly no sign of New World fatness. A wine with considerable ageing potential." Organic/biodynamic (not certified).
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$14.50
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IWC 90
Spain
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Red
In stock, 12+ available
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List $20.00
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90 points Josh Raynolds (International Wine Cellar): "[$40 list] Deep ruby. Strongly perfumed nose exhibits vivid raspberry and cassis, plus a seductive range of fresh and dried floral qualities. Fleshy red berry flavors are accented by suave oak spice and gently lifted by slow-mounting acidity. Candied licorice and mocha impressions build through the sweet, long finish, which leaves a lingering impression of vanillin spice. I'd drink this on the young side for its youthful energy and sweetness. (Jul/Aug 2007)"
Peñín Guide: "(Garnacha Tinta, Cariñena, Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo) Deep cherry colour, powerful aroma, expressive, complex, spicy, toasted, creamy oak, ripe fruit, powerful palate, meaty, varietal, flavourful, fruity, mineral, persistent, toasted. (2008)"
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$19.50
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United States
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Sauvignon Blanc & Aromatic Whites
In stock,
7
available
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From a the DeWitt Vineyard in Amador County, this Verdelho is one of several lesser-known varietals being offered by Matthew Rorick Wines under the Forlorn Hope label (taken from the Dutch 'verloren hoop, meaning 'lost troop'). Effusive aromatics, rich ripe fruit flavors and vibrant acidity, combined with bracing minerality. 100 cases produced.
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$36.50
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WA 94
Australia
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White
In stock, 12+ available
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List $60.00
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94 points Jay Miller (Wine Advocate): "[$60 list] The 2005 Chardonnay 'Nantua' contains 7% Roussanne. It was fermented in barrel with native yeasts using French oak, 25% new where it remained for 10 months before being bottled unfiltered. Light gold-colored, it offers an alluring bouquet of toast, butter, floral notes, baked apple, and tropical fruits. This is followed by a round, viscous, layered wine with gobs of flavor, excellent balance, and a lengthy finish. It has several years of aging potential and can be enjoyed through 2017. Giaconda, founded by Rick Kinzbrunner, released its first wines in 1987. The winery and vineyards are located in Beechworth in northeastern Victoria. (Oct 2007)"
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$9.50
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France
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Other
In stock, 12+ available
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Guilhem Durand has trod a rough road with this property, losing it once in the early '90s, only to get it back in 1993. His '07 is largely Syrah (50%) with the remainder divided equally between Mourvèdre and Grenache. Cherry color. Intense nose of flowers, red fruits, raspberries, and jasmine. Great balance and acid.
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$19.50
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RP 90
France
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Bordeaux
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Red
In stock, 12+ available
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90 points Robert Parker: "A serious sleeper of the vintage, this wine has a deep ruby/purple color, a big, sweet nose of melted chocolate, espresso roast, cassis, and smoke. Powerful, rich, concentrated, but with silky tannins, superb concentration, and a pedigree and complexity that far exceed its modest appellation, this is a knock-out wine to drink over the next 10+ years. (Aug 2008)"
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$15.50
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Spain
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Other
In stock, 12+ available
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List $22.00
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From sustainably farmed 100% Hondarribi Beltza grapes. Melon, red berry, and maritime scents combine to form and intoxicating aroma. Deliciously fruity hints of strawberries are framed by crisp acids... so crisp and mineral, in fact, that some of our staff have called this "like drinking rocks"... and we mean that in the best possible way.
San Francisco Chronicle: "Aggressive mineral notes amid a berry shaved-ice freshness and subtle spritz. More guts from the red Hondarribi Beltza grapes than you might expect. Afternoon porch wine. (8/16/09)'
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