March 31, 2010

Below Mailing List Price: 06 Kistler Vine Hill Chardonnay

Kistler: Below Mailing List Prices
2006 Kistler Chardonnay Vine Hill
Power and Finesse from the Russian River Valley

“Another impressive group of Chardonnays from Steve Kistler, these 2006s are unmistakenly Burgundian in their aromatics, textures, and flavor profiles." - Robert Parker

If you've made contact with the Kistler mailing list you know there are some hoops to jump through. Today we simplify the process for you, giving you prices below the mailing list without any hoops. No jumping necessary!

Today find Kistler's 2006 Vine Hill Chardonnay as low as $64.40 by the 6-pack; that's almost 15% below the mailing list price! Please note this price is good for one parcel only, arriving late April.

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Posted by Ian McFadden at 5:56 PM | TrackBack

March 30, 2010

1996 Pichon-Lalande half-bottles: U.S. Exclusive

"A Profound Success"
1996 Chateau Pichon Lalande Half-Bottles!
Ex-Chateau - Unbeatable Pricing - Rare Format

Two of the most common requests we get are for great half-bottles and aged, well-priced Bordeaux...

Neither are especially easy to come by, but today we kill two birds with one stone: 1996 Pichon Lalande half-bottles at the lowest (only!) price in the nation.

Usually, half-bottles come at a premium due to the cost involved in bottling halves (Bordeaux half-bottles are only available by special order from the Chateau en primeur), but today we offer these without the normal, hefty premium - only $99.95 a half bottle. This pristine, sizable stash was bought directly from the distributor and the bottles are, as you'd expect, in immaculate condition. 

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Posted by Ian McFadden at 10:35 AM | TrackBack

March 29, 2010

2006 Tuscan Gem - Lowest Price in the Nation

Tuscan Pedigree Never Comes at this Price
2006 Fattoria Le Pupille Morellino di Scansano
Back up the Truck for the Lowest Price in the Nation!

2006 in Tuscany was a vintage for the record books, and this is some of its absolute best-drinking Sangiovese...
as low as $12 a bottle.

As soon as we tasted Fattoria Le Pupille's juicy 2006 Morellino di Scansano, I knew it was going to be our new red, go-to value favorite.

This is a wine that screams of sun-soaked wild cherries and a countryside of wild flowers, a juicy red with all the personality and charm that has made Tuscan wines so popular the world over.

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Posted by Bob Schagrin at 10:27 AM | TrackBack

March 25, 2010

A Piece of My Heart: Chave Hermitage, 2007

The Virtuoso of Hermitage
2007 Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage Rouge
"A Model of Controlled Grandeur"

The only suitable comparison to this kind of masterful blending is that of the great chefs de caves of Champagne.

Jean-Louis Chave has a gift for crafting absolutely transcendent Hermitage. Chave is one of the few producers I buy, unflinchingly, year after year. These are cornerstone wines in any serious collection; they are monumental expressions of Syrah.

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Posted by Bob Schagrin at 10:32 AM | TrackBack

March 24, 2010

Vosne Value: 2005 Drouhin Vosne-Romanee

Vosne Value from the Vintage of Vintages
2005 Drouhin Vosne-Romanée
Future, Present: 2005 Comes into Glorious Focus

"There were some real standouts here in 2005: This rich and often quite powerful vintage provided near-perfect raw materials for the delicate, scented Drouhin style."
- Stephen Tanzer

When will the great 1er and Grand Cru Burgundies of 2005 be ready?

This is the million dollar question, and as you count past your fingers and toes, and the conversation veers (once again) to discussions of "future legends," let's bring the future to the present with one of the first 2005s we've come across that is beginning to bloom, unfurling to show the incredible depth and raw material of this famous vintage.

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Posted by Chris Cottrell at 10:39 AM | TrackBack

March 23, 2010

The Rarest Austrian Riesling? FX Pichler Unendlich

The Rarest Austrian Riesling?
F.X. Pichler "Unendlich" - 2006, 2007, 2008
A Mini-Vertical of a Legendary Ghost-of-a-Riesling

"Unendlich" translates to "never-ending" - a reference to the unimaginable length of this wine, and certainly not the quantity available.

Indeed this is among the rarest Austrian Rieslings; so far as I can tell, we are the only retailer in the U.S. with so much as a bottle. More importantly though, the "Unendlich" is, year in and year out, among the absolute greatest dry Rieslings.

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Posted by Stephen Bitterolf at 10:30 AM | TrackBack

March 22, 2010

99 Taittinger Comtes: "Irresistibly Alluring"

(Intellectual) Hedonism
1999 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne
Just. Utterly. Delicious.
Taittinger is, without a doubt, in the highest echelon of Champagne. Every time we open a bottle, we're blown away by how "irresistibly alluring" it is.

In the company of the best Champagnes, Taittinger absolutely excels.

I can't count how many times we've opened a bottle of Comtes alongside the biggest names in Champagne (you know them) and Taittinger has emerged an against-the-odds favorite for its pure hedonistic pleasure bolstered by an underlying intellectual thrill - think piles of baking spices heaped over glacial minerals and a tightrope of acidity.

This is incredible Champagne that should not be overlooked.

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Posted by Ian McFadden at 10:01 AM | TrackBack

March 18, 2010

07 Dauvissat: "Cuts like a Knife"

"Cuts Like a Knife"
2007 V. Dauvissat Chablis 1er Cru Séchet
This is linear to the point of austerity and there is a
cuts-like-a-knife quality to the chiseled backend. -Burghound

If 2007 Chablis is as aggressive as it is classic, Vincent Dauvissat's 1er Séchet is as strict as it gets (in a good way).

This is a Chablis for the purists among purists.

Rockhounds, polish your glasses and your palates because if there is an 07 Chablis with a more razor-sharp edge, we'd very much like to know about it. This bottle wails a textbook definition of the region and screams validation of Vincent Dauvissat's place as one of the region's best (if there was any doubt).

Dauvissat's 2007 1er Cru Séchet is absolutely, stunningly, jammed with raw, cut rocks and enough ice-pick acidity to keep you on the edge of your seat. Dancing right in step with all that zip and all those stones is a surprising juicy-ripeness.

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Posted by Ian McFadden at 11:55 AM | TrackBack

March 17, 2010

Pinot Noir Deal with Verve and Crackle: Labaille Sancerre Rouge

Sancerre So Rare... that it's RED!
2008 Labaille Sancerre Rouge l'Authentique
Juicy Loire Pinot Noir with Serious Verve and Crackle

Joe Dressner rightly calls Sancerre Rouge "A curiosity and a rarity in America."

We call it dangerously tasty and impressively affordable.
Back Up the Truck for your summer stock!

Very, very few red Sancerres make it to the American market.

Bright, juicy, yet remarkably light on its toes, this category of spirited Pinot Noir is guzzled down in Parisian bistros by Pinot-haulics (from students to connoisseurs) who recognize the extraordinary value and imminent drinkability inherent in these gems.

A bright, fireworks display of red fruit; the crackling zing you know and love from Sancerre blanc. Lick your lips and go back for more while your carefully stashed Burgundy develops in the cellar.

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Posted by Stephen Bitterolf at 9:57 AM | TrackBack

March 16, 2010

Melville Pinot Noir: Full-Throttle Elegance

Full-Throttle Pinot Noir!
2008 Melville Pinot Noir Terraces and Indigène
Special Pre-Arrival Pricing Ends Friday!

Raw, high-voltage, hands-on, full-contact, full-throttle...
This is Pinot Noir with an intensity born under the California sun.

Yet what is so shocking is the...

...finesse!

Indeed, Melville's Pinot Noirs are somehow able to harness the seemingly perfect combination of cool temperatures and California sunshine of Santa Ynez to display an incredibly saturating flavor with vibrancy.

The fruit is INTENSE; there is an energy that absolutely ripples through these wines. Yet for all their almost blunt force, Melville's top Pinots have elegance - they are nimble. Few Pinot Noirs from California have so much clarity, few are so well-etched with a detailed array of palate-staining red and blue fruit, minerals, earth and flowers.

We taste a lot a New World Pinot Noir, and none have impressed us as much, or as consistently, as those of Melville.

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Posted by Chris Cottrell at 11:42 AM | TrackBack

March 15, 2010

THE German Discovery of the Year: Part II

Rieslings for Advanced Learners
2008 Weingut Peter Lauer Fass 9 "Kern"
THE Germany Discovery, Part II: Crush Exclusive!

The cut-from-stone, unapologetically mineral, bracing and bright Rieslings of Florian Lauer in Germany's Saar were our greatest German discovery of 2009.

Today, we present the final tranche of his glorious 2008ers.

We first presented Weingut Peter Lauer to the United States in early fall 2009, and our email began verily: "WE DECLARE, WITHOUT HESITATION, THAT WEINGUT LAUER IS THE MOST EXCITING GERMAN FIND IN MANY YEARS."

Today we present the final tranche of Lauer's shivering 2008s, direct from the estate, exclusive for Crush - thank you Florian!

The 2008 "Kern" (named after a sub-parcel within the Ayler Kupp with ~80-year-old vines) provides for one of the most impressive displays of sweetness and acidity we've come across in a long time.

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Posted by Stephen Bitterolf at 12:05 PM | TrackBack

March 12, 2010

99 Bollinger/Riedel Set: Lowest Price in the Nation

The Wine that Stole the Show
1999 Bollinger Grande Annee Gift Set
Great Champagne with Two Large Riedel Flutes...
at Ludicrous Pricing - $94.95

As veritable Champagne fanatics, we frequently field questions about bubbly. What’s the best we’ve ever tasted? The greatest value? The proper glassware?

Today we offer concise answers with one of our favorite sleeper hits of recent times: the 1999 Bollinger La Grande Annee Gift Set, an utterly delicious Champagne packaged with two beautiful Riedel flutes priced so well you should line the pantry with them.

Consider that today we can offer the whole package for only $94.95. This is a bottle of wine that trades at $100+ and these flutes, with extra-large, exaggerated bowls, can't be nabbed for less than $10 and retail for up to $20 each.

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Posted by Bob Schagrin at 3:08 PM | TrackBack

March 11, 2010

2007 Sine Qua Non: New Release!

"...the elixirs of dreams..."
2007 Sine Qua Non Syrah Labels
The New Release from California's Cult Winemaker

"Tasting here is one of the highlights of my year, and all my expectations were satisfied if not eclipsed by what Krankl has made in 2007 and 2006." - Robert Parker, Wine Advocate

Today we present a California wine coup: The newest release from Sine Qua Non, the Labels Syrah, at a very sharp price.

We have only a few cases to offer, so this email goes out only to those of you who have supported our cult wine program. (Membership has its privileges!)

It is hard to overstate the significance of Sine Qua Non, Manfred Krankl's winemaking-as-art project. Sine Qua Non has reinvigorated, and to a large extent redefined, California winemaking.

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Posted by Ian McFadden at 10:59 AM | TrackBack

March 10, 2010

Dom Perignon Wedding

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Posted by Bob Schagrin at 5:10 PM | TrackBack

1996 Sandrone: "A wine to marvel over."

"A wine to marvel over."
1996 Sandrone Barolo Cannubi Boschis
Profound '96 Barolo at the Lowest Price in the Nation

"An outrageous, well-delineated nose... with exceptional freshness, length, and harmony. This opens beautifully in the glass, taking on an almost Burgundian elegance."
– Antonio Galloni, The Wine Advocate

Luciano Sandrone is a bipartisan artisan: No other Piedmont producer better bridges the gap between modern and traditional styles.

Today's offer, a special tranche of his 1996 Cannubi Boschis, is the ultimate study in this perfect balance.

This is a small parcel from a single owner, purchased on release and cellared professionally since. The provenance is perfect, the price even better - well under the lowest price in the nation.

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Posted by Ian McFadden at 1:11 PM | TrackBack

March 8, 2010

2008 Huet 1er Trie: "Dancing elegance...blazing purity"

"Dancing elegance...blazing purity,
stunning intensity."
2008 Huet Vouvray Moelleux Premiere Trie
The Collectible and Ageworthy Gems of the Vintage

"...stunning intensity of flavor and laser-like presentation... superb, vibrant bouquet roars... nearly endless finish that builds and builds as the wine unfolds in the glass."
- John Gilman, View from the Cellar

Today we offer two of the unquestionable gems of the 2008 Loire vintage, simply glorious Premier Tries from Huets greatest sites: Le Mont and Clos du Bourg.

These are two "must have" bottlings for any serious Loire collector. For everyone else, well, these are simply some of the most magnificent and ageworthy expressions of Chenin Blanc on earth, and today they can be had for a song.

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Posted by Ian McFadden at 11:00 AM | TrackBack

March 5, 2010

2004 Coche-Dury: Epic Meursault

Epic Meursault
2004 Coche-Dury Meursault "Les Rougeots"
Lowest Price in the Nation by 15%!

What can we say about Coche-Dury that hasn't been said?

He fashions the most epic, forceful and mineral-intense Meursaults on planet earth. There are few wines that make such a forceful impression, few wines are as rare...as collectible.

Today we highlight the chiseled 2004 vintage with a small jewel box of Coche's haunting 2004 Meursault "Les Rougeots."

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Posted by Ian McFadden at 11:52 AM | TrackBack

March 4, 2010

Ponsot Clos de la Roche

An Incredible Study in Power and Elegance
2007 Ponsot Clos de la Roche "Vieilles Vignes"
750mls and Magnums - Lowest Prices in the Nation

When Laurent Ponsot is on, it likely doesn't get much better.

Today we offer a small parcel of Laurent Ponsot's crowning jewel, the Clos de la Roche, at the lowest price in the nation.

For the serious Burgundy collector, this is a hallowed bottle of wine. The 2007 will make purists very, very happy - it flaunts simply explosive aromatics, an expansive panorama of red berry, tea, spice, smoke, mineral and earth.

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Posted by Ian McFadden at 10:11 AM | TrackBack

March 3, 2010

Mountain Musigny: Ferrando Carema

Mountain Musigny
2005 Ferrando Carema "Black Label"
Alpine Nebbiolo of Breathtaking Grace and Ageability

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

With only 16 hectares planted in Carema, today's Black Label represents one of Italy's rarest treasures.

Carema is in the northern haunts of the Piedmont, quite literally in Mont Blanc's shadow. In this high-altitude region, Nebbiolo ripens only on the steepest and most backbreaking terraced vineyards. This is viticulture at its most heroic and least profitable.

However, when the stars align, the region is capable of producing wines of such unique beauty that one feels indebted to the growers. Today we present the region's masterpiece.

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Posted by Joe Salamone at 10:50 AM | TrackBack

March 2, 2010

Nikolaihof Steiner Hund - Followup

"Torrential Force of Nature" - Followup
2005 Nikolaihof Riesling Steiner Hund Reserve
Small Parcel Available - Special Pricing

Terry Theise says: "The tiny [Steiner Hund] site is doubtless one of the 5-10 greatest bits of land on which Riesling grows."

If you're reading this email now you might remember getting a similar offer last June on the 2004 Nikolaihof Riesling Steiner Hund Reserve. This is a wine that David Schildknecht called a "torrential force of nature."

It's also a wine that you bought.

Today we've secured a few cases of the 2005 Steiner Hund Reserve and offer it only to those of you who supported last year's bottling - the price is the lowest in the nation.

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Posted by Stephen Bitterolf at 12:20 PM | TrackBack

Italian Extreme: Morgex Estremi 2008

Mountain Getaway in a Glass
2008 Morgex "Vini Estremi"
Extreme Purity and Tradition from Valle d'Aosta

Clear your mind for a moment and picture yourself on top of a big mountain. Breathe in deeply: Sweet, sharp, pure mountain air...

Delicious, isn't it?

Even more delicious: Today's extreme mountain-wine value, sourced from vineyards planted at 4,000 feet and scattered with pre-phylloxera vines. This is a white wine that showcases all the gorgeous sensations present at altitude: delicate alpine flowers, brushy mountain herbs, flinty rocks and a crisp acidity seemingly etched from mountain boulders.

Skip the ubiquitous Pinot Grigio, push beyond the limits so often defined by Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, and even Grüner, Muscadet, Vouvray... there is value in the esoteric.

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Posted by Joe Salamone at 10:49 AM | TrackBack

March 1, 2010

Cult Selosse Disciple: Vouette et Sorbee

Vouette et Sorbée
Cult Champagnes from a Selosse Disciple
Fidele - Blanc d'Argiles - Saignée de Sorbée
Breathtaking, Burgundy-like Champagne: LIMITED!

Simply put: Bertrand Gautherot and his Vouette et Sorbée Champagnes are some of the most provocative, original and captivating Champagnes we’ve come across.

Today we offer them at the lowest prices in the nation.

We are hardly the first to take serious notice of these unique Champagnes: Richard Juhlin has called Vouette et Sorbée, "The only 4-star property outside Marne." Even since last July, when we first emailed about these wines, the reputation of Vouette et Sorbée has simply exploded.

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Posted by Joe Salamone at 11:37 AM | TrackBack