1 x Fritz Haag Braunberger Juffer Kabinett 2005
1 x Fritz Haag Braunberger Juffer Auslese 2001
1 x Christoffel Urz Wurz Auslese * 2005

Three lonely bottles that had been hanging around the 'end-of-bin' section for months, begging me to grab them. I finally gave into their pleas.

2 x Keller GG Hubacker 2004
One of the best dry German whites I've tasted in the last two years. It has layers upon layers of concentration on the mid-palate.

1 x Boxler Sommerberg 2001
If you can find any back vintage Boxler Sommerberg Riesling, I highly recommend indulging. Well worth the freight. It's also important to note that there are some great restaurants in NYC with this on their lists. Don't be shy!

1 x Kunstler Hochheimer Domdechenay 1997
Incredibly youthful at age 10, with plenty of fruit and acidity to keep it going for another 5 years for sure, and maybe even 10 years. An excellent example of a powerful German white.

1 x Selbach-Oster Graacher Domprobst 2001
An impulse purchase.

2 x Robert Weil Kiedrich Grafenberg Spatlese 1997
I had this wine on my birthday and it reconfirmed for me how great 1997s are for lovers of the big and rich. Weil reminds you that even in a fat vintage elegance is still possible -- to my mind, this finesse should increase with 5 or so years of cellaring. I'd love to find some Estate Spatlese as well, which is nearing sweet-spot drinkability right now.

1 x Robert Weil 'Estate' Spatlese 2001
One more wine needed to fill out the case. I have great memories of this wine a few years ago ... and a few more bottles that I haven't tasted since purchasing, so it's time to pop one and find out how the wine is progressing.

Fresh from a trip to Germany, David Schildknecht of the Wine Advocate recently noted: "Apropos 2006, I don't think word has really gotten out in sufficient detail and with appropriate perspective as to the qualitative nature of this remarkable year... the list of distinguished Nahe and Middle Mosel growers who consider their 2006 collections the best of their lifetime's alone demonstrates that this is a remarkable vintage with many truly mind-boggling wines."

These comments square exactly with the impressions that Joe and I had, when first tasting Helmut Donnhoff's 2006 line-up this Spring. Almost across the board Donnhoff's 2006s reveal pure, amazingly concentrated fruit with a fighter-jet sleekness that is simply thrilling.

Special "pre-arrival" pricing on the entire 2006 lineup expires September 1!

First off, I want to thank all of the Crush Crew for your support of the Gazela "Back Up the Truck" email. Keep in mind we have a few more cases available if you missed out on your $3.99 bottle of air conditioning or just need to reload.

Today's offer is in response to a number of requests we received for a similar summer steal whose style is more on the "serious side." Enter 2004 Sancerre 'Les Romains' from Alphonse Mellot, by far the best Sauvignon Blanc I've tasted this summer.

Mellot achieved absolute greatness in 2004, and due to the vagaries of the New York wholesale wine market, I am happy to offer this incredible bottling at 20-30% off its shelf price elsewhere, at a rate that is in-line with Sancerre prices of years past!

This wine isn't about complexity, mouthfeel or minerality.

It's about an icy and refreshing glass of wine to fend off the overbearing heat and humidity of August. With temperatures peaking in the 90s for the inaugural weekend of August, this month promises heat with high humidity to boot. Yes, August is here.

Gazela is light in body and light in alcohol with bright citrus flavors - lime zest, floral notes and a bit of spritz to liven it up even more. Mix this wine with fresh fruits and spirits to create one of our obsessions when the weather kick's up - Sangria! (See Joe's great Sangria recipe below.)

At $60 a case - delivered anywhere in Manhattan - this is the best way we've found to beat the August NYC heat!