April 30, 2010

Fevre '08 Vaudesir - Lowest Price in the Nation

Fèvre Fridays
2008 Fèvre Chablis Vaudésir
The Best Grand Cru Value of '08 Chablis
Lowest Price in the Nation

It's no secret that we're obsessed with Fèvre's 2008 Chablis. These are some of the most thrilling Chardonnays around.

We’re not alone in our mania: Fèvre swept the Burghound’s 08 Chablis podium – and then some – winning all of his top seven spots for the vintage. And The World of Fine Wine called Fèvre’s 08s “candidates for perfection at every level.”

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Posted by Ian McFadden at 10:34 AM | TrackBack

April 29, 2010

95 Angerville Ducs: Rare Back-Vintage Gem

Unbridled, Undeniable Class
1995 Marquis d'Angerville 1er Clos des Ducs
Marquee Volnay from the Marquis Himself

Clos des Ducs may be the greatest wine in Volnay, and the 1995 was likely the Volnay of the vintage.

Here, the legendary Jacques d’Angerville crafted a wine that, even with the tricky vintage's signature rich and ripe fruit, maintains remarkable structure, polish and finesse. As Allen Meadows notes, “this is big, rich and concentrated yet the trademark sense of elegance and finesse remains intact.” 

Today we offer the 1995 Clos des Ducs at $144.95 – no compare-at pricing is available anywhere in the nation.

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Posted by Ian McFadden at 10:20 AM | TrackBack

April 28, 2010

Casa Dragones Tequila Joven

Casa Dragones is made from 100% blue agave grown in the Valley of Tequila in Jalisco, Mexico. The soil, rich in potassium and silica, imparts a mouth-watering minerality that's, frankly, a little bit evocative of our favorite dry Riesling or Muscadet. After a long maturity, the agave's massive, ripe piñas yield a sweet nectar that is fermented and distilled into tequila.

This is what truly gives this tequila its unparalleled finesse. Fermented nectar is distilled multiple times to separate the lightest spirit. It is then blended with a discreet amount of extra-añejo tequila, aged for five years in new American oak casks. The mixture is fined one last time to leave a brilliantly clear, lustrous tequila Joven.

The bottle, a work of art in itself, is made in Mexico from lead-free crystal. Its base is engraved by hand with a spectacular starburst, reminiscent of the agave plant's leaves. Each bottle is hand-numbered and labeled, showing how truly small-production this tequila is.

Posted by Daniel Stenson at 2:34 PM | TrackBack

Elegance, Purity, Finesse... in a Tequila?

Enter the Dragones
Casa Dragones Tequila Joven
A Premium Sipping Tequila Leading La Revolución

Elegance, Purity, Finesse...
Could we really be talking about tequila?

We recognize that the word "tequila" may be a bit divisive. Despite this spirit's rich cultural tradition and distinctive sense of place, the mere mention of tequila can quickly conjure up hazy, sticky memories for many of us. 

However, the past decade has seen a revolución in tequila as a growing number of premium products have made their way onto our shelves and into outstanding, artisanal cocktails in the city's most respected mixology dens.

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Posted by Daniel Stenson at 11:21 AM | TrackBack

April 27, 2010

02 Raffault Chinon: France's Benchmark Cab Franc?

Funk-a-delectable Chinon
2002 Olga Raffault Chinon Les Picasses
Loire's Cult Cabernet Franc - Lowest Price in the World

With 60 years of history, the Olga Raffault domaine continues to make unapologetically wild Chinon that could be considered France's benchmark Cabernet Franc.

There are times for listening to Beethoven, and then there are times are for Parliament Funkadelic. Elegance and class are great and noble, but sometimes you just want to get down. The 2002 Olga Raffault Chinon Les Picasses is for those times when you're in a George Clinton mood.

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Posted by Chris Cottrell at 10:34 AM | TrackBack

April 26, 2010

The Dazzling 02 Clos Ste. Hune

Ruthless Mineral, Impeccable Stature
2002 Trimbach Clos Ste. Hune
Special Pricing for OWC Three-Packs

"...minerality as deep, saline, and mysterious as the ocean."
David Schildknecht, Wine Advocate

Notice: To all collectors and fanatics, we'll cut to the chase... 2002 produced one of the most dazzling Clos Ste. Hunes in the famous vineyard's illustrious history.

The 2002 is simply ruthless in its resinous delivery of extract and mineral, even in the uncompromising world of Clos Ste. Hune. This 1.67 hectare sub-parcel of the Grand Cru Rosacker vineyard is famous for fantastically low yields.

Cruel fate, the outstanding 2002 is also the vineyard’s smallest offering ever.

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Posted by Bob Schagrin at 10:53 AM | TrackBack

April 23, 2010

Stephen's Itinerary

So I'm off to Germany tomorrow (today, whatever as appropriate) to preview the 2009 vintage and do a bit of touring, Deutsch-sprechin'... that sort of thing. For you German wine geeks, here's the plan.

Sunday and Monday I'm at the Mainzer Weinbörse: This is basically a VDP-fest with the top producers all present. A good way to blaze through a wide collection of the 2009s and get a good sense of the vintage. Stamina required. Last year they served tarte flambés at the food station and that helped with the basic exhaustion of it all. That said, it's a very well organized event.
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Posted by Stephen Bitterolf at 6:12 PM | TrackBack

08 Chablis #1 Value: Fevre Fourchaume Vaulorent

The Chablis Value of the Vintage
2008 Fèvre Chablis 1er Fourchaume Vaulorent
The Premier of 1er Crus

"A terrific wine that could easily pass for a Grand Cru."
-Burghound

This is the best value of the 2008 vintage in Chablis. To be perfectly blunt, this is the best value by a long shot. 

Consider that the Burghound’s top seven wines of the vintage are Fèvre’s six Grand Crus... and today's Fourchaume Vaulorent. Indeed, in nearly everything but price, this is Grand Cru Chablis. Note: This is not the regular Fourchaume; this is a special bottling sourced from the "Vignoble de Vaulorent" parcel which, in fact, backs right up against the Grand Cru Preuses, see map below.

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Posted by Ian McFadden at 11:21 AM | TrackBack

April 22, 2010

Burgundy's Fresh Prince: Liger-Belair

The Newest Member of Burgundy's Pantheon
2007 Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair
La Romanée - Echézeaux - Aux Reignots
Petits Monts - Clos du Château

For the serious Burgundy collector - those of you who seek DRC, Leroy, Rousseau, Roumier - add this name to your list: Liger-Belair.

Since its creation in 2000, this estate has forced its way into the very top echelon of Burgundy.

This is a domaine with a mere ten-year official track record, and yet whispered rumors have it that the 2007 Liger-Belairs are on the short list of the best in all of Burgundy.

Today we are proud to have available the only tranche of these wines in the nation: Grand crus La Romanée and Echézeaux, 1er crus Aux Reignots and Petits Monts, and village monopole Clos du Château.

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Posted by Bob Schagrin at 11:54 AM | TrackBack

April 21, 2010

Secret Rhone Outpost: Dettori

Southern Rhone's Island Outpost
2004 Tenute Dettori Rosso
Cult Sardinian Grenache: Lowest Price in the World

"Simply put, Dettori's 2004 Rosso rocks."
- Antonio Galloni, Wine Advocate

For Southern Rhône fans, for all those who went long on the 2007 Chateauneufs, today the journey south to the Italian island of Sardinia will be very rewarding.

The common denominators here are Grenache (that most dazzling, meaty and floral grape) and sunshine. A lot of sunshine. Yet the voice, the tone, of this grape on the brushy island of Sardinia is distinct - perhaps a bit wilder, perhaps even more expansive and exotic than its attitude in the Rhône.

This is to say nothing of the old-vine treasure-trove of Grenache vines (called "Cannonau" locally) that Dettori farms; 120-year-old wisemen with deep, deep roots that pull up from the earth a serious concentration.

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Posted by Joe Salamone at 10:53 AM | TrackBack

April 20, 2010

Impressive Tradition and Value: 06 Pousse d'Or

Tradition in Burgundy
30%+ Below the Lowest Price in the Nation
2006 Pousse d'Or
Pommard Jarolieres - Volnay Clos de la Bousse d'Or
Santenay Les Gravières - Santenay Clos des Tavannes

The Burghound makes no bones about it: "This is a domaine to watch."

With fantastic sites and a long, impressive history, Pousse d’Or is one of the most well-known names in Burgundy. Now under the progress-minded Patrick Landanger, the domaine is primed, as Meadows notes, for “rejoining the elite domaines in Volnay.”

Let’s not make any bones about the pricing, either: This is one of the most compelling deals in traditional Burgundy.

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Posted by Ian McFadden at 11:56 AM | TrackBack

April 19, 2010

Vivid, Elegant, World Class Chenin: Leroy Anjou Monbenault

Vivid, Elegant, World Class Chenin
2006 Leroy Anjou Blanc Monbenault
A New Loire Master for as Low as $23.40

The short list of top Loire Chenin producers has remained pretty stagnant over the years: Huet, Foreau, Joly, etc. That's until Richard Leroy burst onto the scene with wines so compelling that he was suddenly mentioned in the same breath as the greats.

Leroy, a former Paris banker, definitely has that special touch - a care in the vineyard and cellar that renders finely wrought wines with an absolute singularity. He is a self-proclaimed lover of Riesling, and it shows.

Chenin is often marked by rich, earthy flavors; in youth it can carry its weight awkwardly, feeling chunky or even clumsy. Leroy, however, is able to imbue the grape with sunshine and a unique nervousness. Sounds like the Riesling of Chenin Blanc, right? It sort of is.

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Posted by Joe Salamone at 11:04 AM | TrackBack

April 16, 2010

Syrah: And the winner is...

Betts & Scholl (& Jean-Louis Chave)
2005 Betts & Scholl Hermitage Rouge
Perfume and Finesse with the Power to Seduce

Blind tasting is a humbling experience. You're forced to let go of everything - ego, prejudice, pre-conceived notions - and approach the wine in front of you with only your senses.

Today we present the truth that was in the bottle, poured into the glass, against some formidable Syrahs...

...like Jaboulet's Hermitage La Chapelle,

Colgin's Syrah IX,

Copain's Syrah Hawks Butte.

I'll admit I was nothing less than shocked by how good the 2005 Betts & Scholl Hermitage Rouge was. It was my hands down favorite and it also overwhelmed a room full of wine directors from New York City's top restaurants - Blue Hill, Craft, Bar Boulud, and Veritas were all in the house.

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Posted by Ian McFadden at 12:52 PM | TrackBack

April 14, 2010

Spring Mixed Case

Spring Mixed Case
A Fresh Mix of our Favorites for Spring
BIG SAVINGS: Every Bottle Discounted 20%!

Finally, it seems safe to bring your winter coat to the cleaner. It's easier to wake up for the green market now that you know there will be ramps, sorrel and the like to fill your bag instead of just potatoes.

Such happenings reminded us that it was time to assemble a mixed case to commemorate the new season's arrival. As always, today's selections represent our favorite new wines from recent tastings - and as always, we'll delve into the off-the-radar gems of the wine world.

To make it even better, this spring mixed case represents the BEST DEAL on these wines: A stellar cast of bottles, discounted 20%.

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Posted by Joe Salamone at 6:33 PM | TrackBack

New York Times Top Kabinetts of 2008: Adam and Haag

The New York Times Top Kabinetts of 2008
A.J. Adam Hofberg - Fritz Haag Brauneberger
Special Pricing on the #1, #2 Set - FINAL BOTTLES!

Would it be too immature to say, "We told you so!"

It's probably an understatement to say A.J. Adam has been an obsession for us at the store.

When Paul Grieco asked me to write a page on Riesling for the wine list at Terroir (you can write about ANY Riesling you want, he says), I chose A.J. Adam's 2008 Kabinett, writing the following:

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Posted by Stephen Bitterolf at 11:02 AM | TrackBack

A. J. Adam

AJ Adam’s great-great-great-great Grandfather (or maybe just great-great-great?) was a shoemaker, responsible for the combat boots of the mounted soldiers of Wilhelm the Great. Thus we have what has to be one of the most bizarre crests you’ll ever see on a bottle of wine.

A tribute to army boots stamped into the cork and capsule of a bottle of Riesling? Suuuuure! A.J. Adam seems to do whatever the hell he wants, even though he’s young, new to the scene, largely unknown and obsessed with a vineyard even more obscure than he is.

It takes some cojones to yank a site out of anonymity and demand from it greatness. But that’s what he’s doing and greatness is – undeniably - what he’s getting.

Adam’s 2005s were good; the 2006s a bit too gooey for me but undeniably Baroque and beautiful. The 2007s made my head explode and it took all the Crush staff and all the King’s men to put it back together again. I knew I had to meet this guy.

And so it was that I found myself in April on A.J.’s back porch in Dhron, slowly going through his 2008 lineup. While the 08 vintage in Germany is a purist’s delight, the wines (especially from the Mosel) can be bracing – a bit brutal even. A.J. somehow spun this tricky vintage into a wicked, nasty-awesome masterpiece. His 2008s have a maniacal electricity to them, a live-wire of lime and citrus that just rips through their core. They are ruthless, forceful, stern as a Catholic school nun and, for lack of anything smarter to say, just exquisitely beautiful.

While the Spätlese and even the Auslese are superb in 08, I’m a Kabinett kind of guy. I buy the whole “less is more” way of interacting with the world. The botrytis-inflected, fleshy opera singer BAs and TBAs (even their rot is called “noble”) get all the attention – and the 100-point accolades. For me, though, perfection shouldn’t overwhelm the senses, it should bring us to our senses. For me, the 2008 Adam Kabinett is about as close to this idea of perfection as it gets. It smells like spring water and rocks with an extra helping of rocks - a microscopic lightning storm of fruit, mineral and acidity.

Someone go tell Robert Parker: I hereby nominate Adam’s 2008 Dhroner Hofberg Kabinett as the first 100-point Kabinett.

Posted by Stephen Bitterolf at 10:19 AM | TrackBack

April 13, 2010

07 Gaillard Condrieu - 50% Off

Rich, Exotic, Heady, Perfumed... 50% Off
2007 Gaillard Condrieu
Big-Ticket Viognier, Small-Ticket Pricing

"Gaillard has a masterly hand for Viognier... His is one of the examples of Condrieu in which a mineral grittiness underlies the scented exoticism of the surface." - Andrew Jefford

If there is one word that best defines Viognier, it may be the word "exotic." Perhaps no other grape drips as much ripe fruit and floral perfume with a correlating rich creaminess on the palate.

Yet such extroversion can be tiring without a backbone, a story, and some notion of terroir behind it. This is where Pierre Gaillard steps in and delivers, as Jefford notes in The New France "a mineral grittiness" in his Viognier that is capable of intriguing, sip after sip.

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Posted by Joe Salamone at 10:38 AM | TrackBack

April 12, 2010

Ledru Extra Brut: Grower Champagne Value

"Some of the best wines in Ambonnay." -Peter Liem
Marie-Noëlle Ledru Extra Brut
Thrilling Grower Champagne as Low as $39.90

Andrew Jefford begins the Champagne chapter of The New France with this oft-quoted sentence, "Champagne is on the verge of profound change."

In recent years, this change has been most apparent with the rise of the grower Champagnes. If you've been reading our emails, you know the biggest names: Anselme Selosse, Vouette et Sorbée, Cedric Bouchard, Prevost, Vilmart and Lassaigne.

Today, we offer one of our most exciting discoveries of 2009: Marie-Noëlle Ledru and her Extra Brut. We're elated to have finally secured enough of this limited wine to do an email offer.

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Posted by Joe Salamone at 11:39 AM | TrackBack

April 9, 2010

The Ultimate $87 Case?

The Ultimate $87 Case?
2006 St. Francis RED Sonoma County
Satisfying a Store Full of Snobs at Under $9 a Bottle

Well, maybe not snobs. Instead, let's call ourselves: "considered wine folk who take our beverages very seriously."

Frankly, if you’ve been reading our emails over the last few years, you’re likely in our camp as well (for better or worse).

You may be used to the annoyed looks from dinner companions wondering how exactly one spends 20 minutes with a wine list, the hors d’oeuvres having come and gone before you’ve even gotten through “Burgundy – White.”

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Posted by email offers at 10:36 AM | TrackBack

April 8, 2010

98 Quintarelli Amarone Deal

Benchmark of the Veneto
1998 Quintarelli Amarone
Special Pricing - Lowest in the Nation

"It's rare to find a red wine from anywhere in the world that combines power and complexity the way a Quintarelli Amarone does." -David Lynch & Joe Bastianich, Vino Italiano

"It's a wine that keeps you guessing, grasping for descriptors, wondering how all those seemingly divergent flavors found their way into one bottle," they gush on.

They weren't kidding. To put it succinctly, Quintarelli Amarone is on the shortlist of the greatest, most sought-after wines on this planet.

Today we offer you the excellent 1998, a wine packed with abundant ripe, ultra-concentrated fruit - at the lowest price in the nation: as low as $259.95.

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Posted by Bob Schagrin at 12:14 PM | TrackBack

April 7, 2010

Diamond in the Rough: 07 Sauzet Puligny 1er Referts

Diamond in the Rough
2007 Sauzet Puligny-Montrachet 1er Referts
Maximum Finesse; an individual expression of climat

"Les Referts is fatter, spicier, a little coarser," he says...

Mr. Clive Coates, in this case, we must strongly disagree.

Clive Coates' claim for the terroir of Referts is a fair enough generality, but not when it comes from Sauzet, not in the classic 2007 vintage.

Under Gérard Boudot, the unheralded Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Referts comes with cut, focus, and a definitive sense of authority that stems from the tremendous balance of ripe fruit and powerful acidity.

For the lover of disciplined white Burgundy, this is an underrated Puligny that will outclass many a white Burgundy twice the price.

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Posted by Ian McFadden at 11:56 AM | TrackBack

April 6, 2010

Collectible Tuscan 3.0L - Over 50% Off

Tuscany: 3.0
2004 Le Pupille "Saffredi" Double-Magnum
Priced 50% Below the Lowest in the Nation

"Le Pupille's 2004 Saffredi is a remarkable wine, in fact the aromatics alone are worth the price of admission."
- Antonio Galloni, Wine Advocate

Today we get you the aromatics and the palate, all at a price that has more to do with two 750ml bottles than four of them.

The lowest single bottle price in the nation exceeds $90... the only pricing in the U.S. on magnums is at $300... And the only double-mags are at a jaw-dropping $600.

Today's double-mags go out at $288.44.

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Posted by Bob Schagrin at 12:28 PM | TrackBack

April 5, 2010

AJ Adam 2002: Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
2002 A.J. Adam Riesling Dhronhofberger "Tholey"
A Tiny, Back-Vintage Four-Case Parcel

A.J. Adam is quickly becoming one of the most celebrated winemakers in the Mosel. Then again, if you're getting this email, you likely already know this.

Who knows, maybe you're already a card-carrying member of the A.J. Adam cult.

Lord knows we are.

More than any other producer, youngster A.J. Adam seems to have grabbed the attention of the German wine drinking public, and for good reason. The wines are simply awesome. They are forceful and meaty, extremely complex with ample fruit, yet they flaunt an expression of terroir that can match any wine on the Mosel - or the Saar or Ruwer for that matter.

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Posted by Stephen Bitterolf at 11:18 AM | TrackBack

April 2, 2010

J.J. Prum: Middle Mosel Icon for under $30

As low as $26.50 for the Mosel Icon? (Yes)
J.J. Prüm Auslesen: Himmelreich and Sonnenuhr
Single Parcel Only: Over 40% Off Release Prices!

This is without a doubt the most significant German deal of the year. (And that will likely be true in November as well.)

For German wine fanatics and just about everyone else, today we present the most outrageous pricing we have ever seen for the legendary wines of J.J. Prüm.

Stunning, magical, incredible, edible Auslesen, as low as $26.50 a bottle. (Note: This price is good for this single parcel only, when the wine is gone, so is the price.)

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Posted by Stephen Bitterolf at 10:34 AM | TrackBack

April 1, 2010

Killing it Softly: 2001 Drouhin Grand Cru

Grand Cru at its Most Charmes-ing
2001 Drouhin Charmes-Chambertin
The Delicacy, the Grace of Gevrey-Chambertin

Grand Cru red Burgundy in its prime from a producer we love
at a serious value... Could this be the holy grail of Burgundy?

Yes, it is.

The grail, however, can't hold that much juice, so today we offer but a few cases of Drouhin's delicate 2001 Grand Cru Charmes-Chambertin at as low as $75... a price you'd typically find only in a 1er Cru.

Today's email is also the tale of the glorious underdog, Gevrey's quiet Charmes matched to the oft-overlooked 2001 vintage, a year that offered purity over amplitude.

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Posted by Ian McFadden at 7:16 PM | TrackBack