Yes, "painfully intense" is a good thing. A very good thing.

Chablis, more than any other region, can push writers over the edge in search of that perfect phrase to describe the essentially indescribable. It's not by accident that both Alan Meadows and Steve Tanzer use the phrase "painfully intense" to describe the 2007 Forest, and we tip our hats to their efforts. Their tasting notes really grapple with what makes great Chablis so absolutely riveting. (Both are reproduced, in full, below.)

2005 Dom. Perrieres Costieres de Nimes
Marc Kreydenweiss' Southern Exposure
"Chateauneuf's Little Brother" - A Shocking Value

"...beefy flesh and power of better-than-ordinary Chateauneuf."
- Andrew Jefford, The New France

Andrew Jefford, in his quote above, is referring to the wines of Costieres de Nimes, a region in the far south of the Rhône, essentially bordering the Languedoc. You'd be wise to remember this region because, as Jefford’s quote alludes to, this is a terroir with unnoticed potential, and prices to match.

Experience: The World of Fine Wine
An Integral Part of the Connoisseur's Library
*Special* Subscription Rates for Crush Customers

"When your brain grows numb reading endless tasting notes and point-scores...it's more than refreshing to open a copy of The World Of Fine Wine and be reminded why you care in the first place. I don't know how I ever did without it."
Terry Theise, Importer

The World of Fine Wine is not just a "magazine," at least not in any conceivable, casual, everyday sense of the word.

Truly, in every qualitative aspect, from the powerhouse lineup of writers (regulars include Hugh Johnson, Andrew Jefford, Allen Meadows, Jancis Robinson and David Schildknecht) to the stunning production value (beautiful photography, top quality paper), it's more appropriate to think of this journal as a book - a reference book - published four times a year.

2001 Méo-Camuzet Echezeaux
"Sexy and Sappy" - Burghound
A Rare Grand Cru Coming into Perfect Focus...Now
Special Turn-Back-the-Clock Pricing as Low as $149

Is it too heavy handed, too dramatic, to bring up the formidable specter of Henri Jayer and his daunting influence at Méo-Camuzet?

Maybe it is.

After all, Jayer's business relationship with Méo-Camuzet ended in 1987, many years ago. Yet at the same time, a man like Henri Jayer is not soon forgotten, his commitments ran deep. Consider that Jayer's relationship with Méo-Camuzet, after all, began in 1945 as a scant 10-year contract...and ended 42 years later.

Jean-Nicolas Méo, the current winemaker at Méo-Camuzet, studied with Jayer, learned from Jayer. No, today's wine is not "Henri Jayer at 500% Off" - nothing of the sort - but it is a serious tribute to the lineage and bloodlines that make Burgundy what it is.

2001 Prager Riesling Klaus Smaragd
Magical Austrian Combination: Prager & 2001
Rare Back-Vintage Riesling for 20% Less than Original Price...

If I were to script the craziest "Friday Steal" I could think of, it'd probably look something like today's offer.

Seriously. I mean, aside from tripping over a pallet of 1971 Schloss Eltz Rauenthaler Baiken TBA at $75 a bottle, for me, this is about as good as it gets.

Today's "Friday Steal" deserves italics, boldface and ALL CAPS.

Why? Because today we combine two of my all-time favorite things: Prager and the 2001 vintage in Austria. And then, not a bad little extra, consider the fact that we can offer the bottle at about 20% below its initial offering price.

Fall Mixed Case
BIG Savings on our Autumnal Sampler
Favorites for Fall - Every Bottle Discounted 20%!

Fall has arrived!  It seems like almost overnight shorts, t-shirts, and sandals disappeared and out came the jackets, boots and even scarves. These harbingers of changing leaves and plummeting temperatures reminded us that it was time to get a fall case together.

This mixed case, as they always do, represents the BEST DEAL on these wines: A stellar cast of bottles, discounted 20%. Also, as with previous cases, this assortment is perfectly suited to the cooler weather that is now upon us. Following this spirit, we’ve returned to including a red-only case in addition to a red-white mixed case.

2006 Montevertine Le Pergole Torte
The Soul of Sangiovese
in One of Tuscany's Greatest Vintages
*Special Pricing*

"Run, don't walk - this is breathtaking juice no one who loves Italian wine will want to be without."
Antonio Galloni, Wine Advocate

If the line above cuts right to the chase as to what Antonio Galloni, the Italian guru for the Wine Advocate, thinks about Montevertine's 2006 Pergole Torte, the following line speaks volumes for the quality of the Tuscan 2006s. "The best of these wines offer breathtaking richness in a style that marries ripeness with structure to a degree that has seldom, if ever, been seen in Tuscany."

Today we'd like to focus on one of this region's most intriguing heroes in 2006.

Jean et Jean-Louis Trapet
A Small Parcel of Back-Vintage Burgundy
Discounted 20-40%

"Good stuff here built on finesse, not power."
-Burghound

2004 Ferrando Carema Black Label
Black is the New Black
Mountain Nebbiolo, Built for the Long Haul

"When I am asked which wine would I choose were I to be restricted to a single one, my answer is: Carema."
- Neal Rosenthal

The quote above from our February offer for Ferrando’s beautiful 2004 Carema "Etichetta Bianca" ("White Label") received not only an enthusiastic response (and a quick sell-out) but an unprecedented slew of requests for the wine's big brother, Ferrando’s "Etichetta Nera," or "Black Label." At the time, this über-small production wine -- the rarity of this wine cannot be stressed enough -- was unavailable, but we’ve just secured what we've been told is the final parcel of Black Label - it arrives next week.

Huet: Outstanding Chenin at a Sharp Price
The Majestic 2007 Le Mont Demi-Sec
One of Huet's finest efforts over the last 10 years

In the right hands, Chenin Blanc produces one of the most regal, versatile, and ageworthy wines in the world.

But you already know this - you're hearing from us today because you have supported our offers of some of the greatest Chenin estates in the world: Foreau, Joly, Richard Leroy, and today's target: Huet.

The wines of Huet are a long-standing benchmark not only for Vouvray, but also for Chenin Blanc. The best Huets are some of the most captivating and longest lived wines available anywhere in the world.

The formula here is simple: Noel Pinguet + Sustainable Agriculture + Great Vintage + Rigorously selected old vine Chenin from Le Mont = Breathtaking, concentrated, elegant (yet fierce) wines built for the long haul.