"Gateway" Burgs
2007, 2008 Mugneret-Gibourg Vosne-Romanée
Habit-Forming Burgundy - Priced for Serious Addiction

I find myself wanting to hoard these wines, to not tell anyone how good they really are, because I'd like to have them around for a while, to perhaps line my own cellar with them.

The simple truth is that, top to bottom, I love the wines the Mugneret sisters are producing.

Their Grand Crus Echezeaux, Clos Vougeot and Ruchottes, yes, are phenomenal. Their 1er Crus from NSG and Chambolle Feusselottes are as well. Then there are the villages level wines, particularly the sisters' Vosne-Romanée - the vines of which are literally in their backyard - and which, every vintage, really is off the quality-designation charts.

Kirchspiel vs. Kirchspiel
2009 Keller Riesling Kirchspiel RR
2009 Keller Riesling Kirchspiel GG

Let the fun begin.

It's Friday, so we'll cut to the chase: With the 2009 vintage, I think Klaus-Peter Keller has assembled his greatest collection to date. The wines are both monumental and refined and the whole ironic part of all of this is that Keller is doing everything possible to do less. (See my vintage report for more on this 2009 "less is more" phenomenon at Keller.)

The Greatest Premier in Puligny
2008 Domaine Leflaive
1er Cru Puligny-Montrachet Pucelles
Flirting with Grand Cru Elegance and Longevity

Was it ever.

Quite simply, the combination of vineyards, quality and history at Leflaive is phenomenal.

Anne-Claude Leflaive and her team have, between 07 and 08, crafted two absolutely, mindbendingly good vintages. The 2008s are painfully intense, with tremendous cut and minerality to them, but they also play host to a really deep richness that should make them wildly long-lived wines... the 08 Pucelles, in particular.

...2009 Germany, please meet the newspaper of record.

This morning, Asimov has reviewed some 2009 Spätlesen from the Mosel. You can read the article here - Willi Schaefer did very, very well (and yes, it's all sold out), as did the young Stefan Steinmetz (we have some available).

In any event, we'd just like to take this moment to put the great 2009 Germans back in the spotlight with the strong recommendation to buy now if you're going to buy, because it's a short vintage that is well priced and the more and more I drink them, the better I think they are.

We have 117 2009 German wines available (including both wines that are in-stock and pre-arrivals) which has to be the largest selection just about anywhere.

You'll find AJ Adam, Becker, Clüsserath, Diel, Dönnhoff, Dr. Siemens, Emrich-Schönleber, Haag, Hart, Immich-Batterieberg, Karthauserhof, Keller, Lauer, Leitz, Egon Müller, JJ Prüm, Willi Schaefer, Schäfer-Fröhlich, Schloss Lieser, Spreitzer, Steinmetz, Van Volxem, Von Othegraven and Zilliken.

Whew.

From the top dry wines to Auslesen and beyond.

Click here to read my 2009 German Vintage Report.

"...these new wines will tell you everything that is essential." -David Schildknecht
2009 Immich-Batterieberg Riesling
A Mosel Legend, Reborn...

Turns out those Prussians really knew what they were talking about.

Today we witness the rebirth of one of the Mosel's great estates, the recognition (or is it re-recognition?) of some absolutely Grand Cru terroir.

This is gonna be a long email, but please stick with us here - it will be worth it.

Grand Cru Ambonnay "Without Makeup"
2002 Ledru Brut Nature
A Model Non-Dosage: Purity, Elegance, Clarity

"Marie-Noëlle Ledru's tiny, perfectionist grower-estate is known only to a handful of Champagne connoisseurs, yet today she is making some of the best wines in Ambonnay." - Peter Liem

Ambonnay - name ring a bell? Yes, that Ambonnay.

The same village Krug selected when they decided to offer an all-Pinot Champagne. The same village that's widely considered to be one of the top five Grand Crus in all of Champagne (the others being Aÿ, Verzenay, Cramant and Mesnil). So Liem's statement - "some of the best wines in Ambonnay" - is no small one.

Gevrey, in Silk Sheets
2007 Denis Bachelet Gevrey Chambertin VV
Minute Establishment; Mighty Reputation

Denis Bachelet's estate is tiny. So small that you can't find his wines in quantity. So small that there's very little of this to go around to his legion of fans - the decidedly fanatic, passionate following that hunts down his wines and proselytizes about him in the most astute of wine circles.

If you're getting this offer today, you're probably part of the following, probably already know how fantastic Bachelet's wines are. While we've finally secured a parcel of his outstanding 07 Gevrey VV large enough to email out, there's still not much here, so this is going only to those of you who have supported our Burgundy program.

Neighboring La Tâche
The Undeniable Gaudichots
A Few Rare Bottles of Potel Gaudichots: 07, 06, 05

Today we present a "Saturday Special" - a tiny parcel of wine from the famed Gaudichots Vineyard.

We have SO little wine, and Gaudichots is SO revered, that this offer is only going to a very, very small list. Still, we expect a quick sellout - please respond immediately if you are interested.

Pinot Noir Speaks German
2007 Rebholz Pinot Noir "Tradition"

Pinot Noir is one of the most articulate grapes on earth. We shouldn't be surprised it speaks German... beautifully.

There really are some superb Pinot Noirs being made in Germany... and this is one of the best.

Grand Wine, Grand Larceny
2003 Sandrone Barolo Le Vigne

"This is an especially fresh, vibrant wine for the vintage, with tannins that are particularly refined. Sandrone's 2003 Barolos have developed remarkably, and today are among the most successful Barolos of the vintage..."
- Antonio Galloni, The Wine Advocate

I am confident that this is the only opportunity you will ever have to buy this wine at this price. Looking around the country, the average bottle cost of the 03 Sandrone Le Vigne is well north of $100.