2001 Drouhin Chambertin
Muscle, with Purity, Clarity and Finesse
At the Lowest Price in the Nation

"Drouhin's wines are lighter in color than some, and may seem, to the uninitiated, at first somewhat lighter on the palate... But this is deceptive. Underneath there is a lot of intensity."
- Clive Coates, Côte d'Or

Clarity. That's the word that comes back, again and again, with a great Drouhin.

It's as if the fresh red fruit was only there for its delicate perfume, for the way it adds complexity to the minerality. Drouhin's great red Burgundies represent Pinot Noir at its most shimmering and complex; Pinot Noir in its most precise, most nimble form.

Even today's Grand Cru red from the chewy, muscle-bound commune of Gevrey-Chambertin remains agile and precise, chiseled even. Clive Coates' quote, above, is perfect: Lighter, yes, but incredibly intense and just so transformative and complex.

Today we offer a few cases of a featherweight Grand Cru blockbuster at the lowest price in the nation: Drouhin's 2001 Chambertin. This bottle is classic Drouhin; those of you who have experienced a Drouhin in top form know exactly what we're talking about. If these wines can be severe in their youth, austere even, with time they reveal an incredible pure and intricate tapestry of fruit, earth and mineral.

*Rare* Schäfer-Fröhlich Gold Capsule Mags
Lightening Strikes Again (in Magnum Format)
Less Than Three Cases for the U.S.!

"Tim Fröhlich's 2008s are near-perfect. This is one of the only estates where I might say the 2008s are even better than the 2007s - and the 2007s were scary-good."

Are the 2008 Schäfer-Fröhlichs better than the 2007s?

They might be. In fact, just last week Tim Fröhlich won the German food & wine journal Gault Millau's "Winemaker of the Year" for his 2008 collection. (A HUGE deal in Germany, if a bit of an obscure mention in the U.S.)

For those of you who thrill to Rieslings of mineral, clarity and ferocious precision, Tim's 2008 collection will absolutely haunt you. In my two weeks in Germany, I don't know that I tasted a more complete, more powerful and chiseled collection. Today we offer one of the top Spätlesen to come out of Germany in 2008 - Tim's Felseneck Spätlese Gold Capsule, in rare magnum format.

1996 Philipponnat "Clos des Goisses"
Cult Single-Vineyard Champagne

"Clos des Goisses is consistently one of the world's
foremost wines." - Richard Juhlin

Today we offer a legend in the making.

In 10 years' time, when the wines of this vintage truly begin to speak, there is little doubt that the 1996 Clos des Goisses will be considered one of the greats of this storied vintage, right there alongside the big names like Krug and Salo.

While this is a bottling that has been sought out by top Champagne collectors for years, devotees of the best growers like Anselme Selosse, Cedric Bouchard, Jerome Prevost and Vouette et Sorbee should seriously consider putting Clos des Goisses in their cellars. There is a similarity in style, a blanketing, dark-fruited richness married to a super-dense core of minerals. All of these wines can show oxidative elements, giving them a distinct personality, complex notes of iron, minerals, walnuts, hazelnuts and oils.

2006 Kongsgaard "Judge"
One-Half Trophy Chard - One-Half Geek Wine
Lowest Price in the World

"One of the most profound Chardonnays made in California."
- Robert Parker

A very short offer today - less than three cases of wine available (though keep in mind only 15 barrels are made in most years).

John Kongsgaard's "Judge" is a ferocious, take-no-prisoner type of Chardonnay. While it has the depth of fruit that can hold its own next to the glossy/sexy likes of Kistler and Aubert, it has more cut, more angles, more minerality (the vineyard was originally bought in the 1920s as a potential quarry site) - more thrust.

Incredibly Rare Scotch
A Must-See List for Any Serious Scotch Collector
*Extremely Limited*

Macallan, Glenmorangie, Springback, Highland Park, Bruichladdich, and more...

We know you've got your hands full today - this is after all the last shopping weekend before Christmas. But this Scotch offer was too good to wait on, and may just be the perfect thing for the passionate collector/drinker who thought he had everything.

Sabon Chateauneuf-du-Pape "Prestige"
Our VALUE Pick from the 2007 Chateauneufs
(Serious Juice from 90-Year-Old Vines)
"Brilliant... the essence of Provence."
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate

2009 could be called "the year of the Rhône"

It was Robert Parker's huge words: "Throughout the southern Rhône, 2007 is the greatest vintage I have tasted in my thirty years working in that region." that began the 2007 Rhône-rage. The only question that remained was would the wines live up to their early promise? What would the final verdict be once the juice was bottled?

Just last month, he penned the grand conclusion: "Tasting the 2007s out of bottle has confirmed my thoughts – this is a truly historic and profoundly great vintage."

1993 Dom Ruinart Blanc de Blancs
Shattering Expectations
*Direct from the Cellars of Dom Ruinart*

"Firing on all cylinders. What a beautiful wine."
- Antonio Galloni, Wine Advocate

Earlier this year, I hosted a Dom Ruinart retrospective with Chef de Caves Frederic Panaïotis at New York's Cru Restaurant.

Today's offer represents the SURPRISE of the night - the 1993 Dom Ruinart Blanc de Blancs. 

As Ian said: "This is a wine that simply shouldn't exist." Like DRC's 72s, Jayer's 83s or Giacosa's 86s, Dom Ruinart took a vintage that offered very little... and made something absolutely exceptional from it.

2006 Opus One
The Iconic California Red, for the Holidays...
Special Pricing on Single Parcel - Ready, Set, Gift!

"Unbridled power, full-bodied richness... part of [the estate's] greatest trilogy of vintages to date." - Wine Advocate

For the rest of the year, we're in the trenches, hunting for new and different wines for you.  Today we take off our "wine geek" hats and unapologetically offer a quick (and perfect) answer to that vexing holiday question: What's an impressive, universally recognized wine gift?

Gaja 2001 Sori San Lorenzo
Seductive, Ferocious, from Barbaresco
Lowest Pricing in the Nation on 2001 Piedmont Trophy

"The deepest and darkest of the single-vineyard wines from Barbaresco...a penetrating nose of tar and minerals along with very rich sweet dark fruit on a massive, structured frame of great thrust and length." - Wine Advocate

Today, we offer a *small* parcel of Gaja's meanest 2001 at the lowest price in the nation (lowest price in the world actually).

This will be short - a targeted offer only for those of you who have supported our "big red" wine program. All 2001 Gaja wine will be sold first come, first served.

For the passionate Italian collector, it doesn't get much better than this - the ultimate gift today comes "gift-wrapped" in wooden 6-packs. Ready for the cellar!

2008 Evesham Wood Pinot Noir
Oregon's Famed Willamette Valley Delivers
Grace, Texture AND VALUE!
The Perfect Pinot Noir for the Holidays

Our favorite domestic Pinot Noir of 2009, Hands Down

Today's offer represents our first venture into Oregon's famed Willamette Valley. If this is a bit shocking given the world-renowned quality of these wines, explaining ourselves is easy enough. Two big issues have always gotten in our way: availability and price.

Today, however, we have found our Willamette Valley gem.

While the price was incredibly fair (especially given the quality of the material - we're talking about a cuvee that uses a healthy dose of fruit from the Temperance Hill Vineyard, made famous by Mark Vlossak at St. Innocent), we had to muscle our way in to get an allocation big enough to offer.

Still, given the quality and price on offer today, we expect a sell-out before the sun sets. (We wish we could source more, but we'll just have to wait till next year.)