Benchmark Trousseau Arrives in the U.S.
2007 Gahier Trousseau Grand Vergers
Perfumed, Nervous, Savage... Just Like We Like It

When you discuss Trousseau with people in Jura, two names always come up: Gahier and Puffeney. The quality of Puffeney's wine is well known in the U.S., but until recently Gahier has been totally off the radar in our parts. Thankfully, this summer, all that changed...

Getting this offer together has not been easy.

I've been trying to get enough wine together for this email since May, when the Gahier was, quite literally, fresh off the boat. To be honest, if I didn't really, really like this wine, I would have done the sensible thing and pursued other interests.

But I wanted to get this into as many of your hands as possible. So, through sheer stubbornness (and, yes, some begging), I've finally got enough wine together for this small offering - this is going out only to those who have purchased wines from the Jura and other byroads of the wine world.

The Mosel Valley, 1896 in 2001
2001 Schmitt-Wagner
Longuicher Maximiner Herrenberg Spätlese
Ancient Mosel Vines in the Glorious 2001 Vintage

The Herrenberg Vineyard has some of the oldest vines in the Mosel (maybe even Europe), dating back to 1896. Today, a small parcel of 2001ers comes out of the cellars to speak.

I'll try and be short here - both because the holiday weekend is almost upon us but also because we have only a few cases of this available, and at this price, well, once again we are reminded of the profound values to be found in German Riesling.

Dear Rosé: Please Don't Go
2009 Copain Rosé "Tous Ensemble"
The Last Hurrah: As Low as $13.75 a Bottle

The sticky, stifling heat can take its leave. But the cool, crisp, thirst-quenching, lip-smacking gulpability of rosé - that we'd like to enjoy a bit longer.

Labor Day is here, and before waking up to the realities of back to school/back to work without summer Fridays/back to sweaters and not-white pants, if you’re anything like us, all you want this weekend is a boat or a big backyard and lots of cold, delicious beverages.

Red, Still Wine... from Champagne?
2002 Paul Bara Bouzy Rouge
Pinot Noir with Shimmering Clarity,
Weightless Complexity... No Other Pricing in the Nation

Yes, it's still, red wine from Champagne from the reference-point producer for this little-known and underappreciated category. More than curiosity, this offers a glimpse at Pinot in a state of singular and utter purity.

If you're at all interested in experiencing Pinot Noir at its most nervy, ethereal, and resolutely mineral form, Bara's is certainly the one to try.

Simply put, Paul Bara rules the category of red Coteaux Champenois, his name looming large in experts' writings on this unique non-sparkler from Champagne. 

Clos to My Heart
2008 Vincent Dauvissat Les Clos
One of the Only Parcels in the Nation

"... an utterly brilliant bottle in the making... deep, brilliantly complex and stunningly transparent... full-bodied, racy and very elegant on the attack... profound focus and grip and a very, very long, transparent and tensile finish..." - John Gilman

He's right: Vincent Dauvissat’s 2008 Les Clos is certainly an utterly brilliant bottle in the making, a grand-scaled tribute to Chablis in top form.

Today we offer one of the only tranches in the nation, at $129.95 a bottle.

Grand Cru Dry Ruwer Riesling
2009 Karthauserhof Grosses Gewächs
First Ever GG from the Monastery in the Mountain
Special "Futures" Pricing Ends Friday!

Karthauserhof's legendary, cultish Auslese Trocken "S" has a new name in 2009.

Though I forgot to ask Marcel Tyrell why the estate decided to change their classification system this year, I can make some pretty good guesses.

First of all, 2009 is a profound vintage for dry wines, especially in the Saar and Ruwer where the deep, pure ripeness of 2009 is countered more forcefully by the vigorous acidity the regions are famous for. Second, the "Grosses Gewächs" name is really beginning to catch on. It translates, literally, to "Great Growth" and in the VDP-inspired system, this moniker can only be given to the greatest dry wine from the region's top sites.

Family Matters
2009 Duhart-Milon
A House at the Tipping Point?
Special Bordeaux Futures Pricing

"The 2009 appears to be the finest Duhart-Milon yet made. The Rothschild family has invested heavily in this estate over the last 20 years in order to upgrade the quality, and their investments have certainly paid off handsomely."
- Robert Parker

People are catching on, quickly: Duhart-Milon offers a fantastic quality to value ratio, the chateau's 2009 an exemplary Medoc for the vintage... and at a miniscule fraction of the price of its supermodel siblings (read: Lafite and that maison's Carruades).

Today we continue our 2009 Bordeaux futures campaign with the vintage's Duhart-Milon at $77.95 a bottle.

Final Day - Crush Summer "Progressive" Sale
30% Monday - 40% Yesterday - 50% Off Today!
Today our Summer Progressive Sale reaches its glorious crescendo: Every selected wine is 50% off!

Speed is of the essence as these wines get snapped up!

A few quick things to remember...

TODAY WE STRONGLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO ORDER OVER THE PHONE:

WE WILL NOT BE CHECKING THE EMAIL BOX!!! We just are not able to answer and return emails quickly enough!

Crush Summer "Progressive" Sale Continues
30% Yesterday - 40% Off Today
... and then, 50% Tomorrow!
Wait, and you might save more... or you could lose out.

Today we go even lower: 40% off!

Many of you are Progressive Sale Pros. You know the game; you know the risks and rewards. To review the rules, please read all the details below.

Crush Summer "Progressive" Sale
Today: 30% Off
40% Tomorrow, and then... 50% Friday!
Wait, and you might save more... or you could lose out.

By now, many of you are Progressive Sale Pros. You know the game; you know the risks and rewards.

That said, we've changed a few things to make the process even smoother, so we ask everyone to please read *all* the details below.

2009 J.J. Prüm
Mosel Icon: German Futures Campaign Continues
Special Futures Pricing Up To 15% Lower than 2008!

J.J. Prüm is without a doubt the most iconic wine estate in Germany... they also produce some of the longest-lived, most captivating expressions of Mosel Riesling.

Today we present the very first, just unveiled batch of monumental 2009 J.J. Prüms at special futures pricing!

Clos Rougeard... Second Generation
2005 Collier Saumur Blanc
Chiseled Chenin of Riesling-esque Purity
Special One-Time Pricing Over 40% Off!

Antoine Foucault, son of Clos Rougeard's Charly Foucault, has gone out on his own and is making wines that are so finely wrought with Rougeard-like elegance that one has to wonder if DNA profiling will someday uncover a winemaking gene.

The Foucaults are Loire royalty - their Clos Rougeard is one of the region's greatest. This is an estate that transcends (in a serious way) the quiet, rural solitude of the fertile Loire. Or, put another way: Clos Rougeard is about as blue-chip and high-profile as it gets, at least in the Loire.

But our story today revolves around the son of Clos Rougeard. Antoine Foucault has started his own estate, Domaine Collier, and is producing Chenin Blancs that are shockingly clear and cut - Riesling lovers, please continue reading!

White Burgundy vs. Riesling vs. ...
Hermitage Blanc?
2005 Guigal Hermitage Ex Voto Blanc
Over 30% Below the Lowest Price in the Nation

"Along with the late Thomas Jefferson, Guigal has always believed that white Hermitage is France's greatest white wine. With his recent acquisitions of superb vineyard sites, he is hell-bent on proving to the world that Jefferson was correct..."
- Robert Parker

Honestly, we very rarely make a fuss over Rhone whites. Usually, they’re completely ignored in our fiery debates over the best white wine in the world (half the staff is adamant it's white Burgundy, the others insist it's German Riesling). This is an almost daily exercise.

But when we tasted Guigal’s Ex Voto Blanc, we all got a little quiet, glancing at each other with conceding looks: “Is this really as good as I think it is??”

Burgundy's "Other" White Grape
2007 Pierre Morey Aligoté
White Burgundy from Region Royalty, Under $20

Would Chardonnay planted here make (much) more money?
Of course. And that's partly what's so beautiful: the recognition that this is worthy of attention, that simple yet honest wine can hold its own in such noble court, that its sense of graciousness, ease and comfort is valuable, is worthwhile.

We're talking about Aligoté, the honest, pure, "other" white from the hallowed Côte d’Or.

Aligoté is, in a way, the antithesis to Chardonnay, at least as it manifests itself in the Côte d'Or. Here, Chardonnay is rich, stylized, curvaceous, finessed, drippingly elegant. This is a grape dressed to the nines with every accessory, every detail, attended to.

Our Window Into 09 Bordeaux
2009 La Chapelle de la Mission Haut Brion
1/10th the Price of the Grands: $89.95
Amongst the Lowest Pricing in the World

"There are approximately 2,000 cases of the 2009 La Chapelle de La Mission, the best one I have ever tasted... To get an idea of just how extraordinary all the wines from the Dillon family are in 2009, just consider how phenomenal the second wines are." - Robert Parker

We’re in strict agreement. This is remarkable Bordeaux and easily one of the greatest values in the raucous 09 Bordeaux market.

Robert Parker makes no bones about it, summing up his rhapsodizing review of the 09 Chapelle de la Mission ("amazing density, extraordinary fruit quality... admirable purity and length") by calling it flat out “the best one I have ever tasted.”

Stockpile. And Savor.
2007 Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Forêts
Classic, Collectible - 10% Below Lowest Price in the Nation

Stock up.

This is superlative Chablis: We have here hands-down one of the best producers (the best?) in the region, the ultra-classic 2007 vintage and pricing well below $100.

Today we offer the 2007 Raveneau 1er Cru Forêts at only $79.95 a bottle.

Beaujolais 2009: Tardive Take Two
09 Clos de la Roilette "Cuvée Tardive" 750 and 3L
One of Beaujolais' Longest Lived & Most Profound

In response to Monday's Tardive magnum offer came an outpouring of requests for regular-sized bottles. Today we offer 750ml bottles and a few rare double-magnums at the lowest prices out there.

Through a bit of persistence and a bit of luck, we were able to secure an additional parcel of Tardive 750mls - today we're happy to answer your requests.

And for you Beaujolais fanatics (and we know you're out there), we've also been able to secure a few rare 3Ls, Beaujolais double-magnums that take a long-haul Beaujolais to the next level.

Middle Mosel Magic
2009 Schloss Lieser Juffer Sonnenuhr Spätlese
The Best of the Mosel in 2009 - SUPER LIMITED!

"...many reports are circulating that the Schloss Lieser 2009ers are amongst the greatest wines produced in Germany this year." - John Gilman, View from the Cellar

So writes Mr. John Gilman in his 2009 German report. He continues: "It's a rumor I cannot confirm or deny right now, but which I intend to verify as soon as I can sink my teeth into some of their wines from this vintage."

While we wait, I'm happy to confirm the rumor.

When Simple and Rustic = Perfect
2007 L&A Lignier Burgundy Passetoutgrains
Playful, Delicious, Gulpable

With all that, why even bother with little old Gamay?

To be honest, the question comes across to us a bit like asking "Why bother with mottled heirloom tomatoes?"

Why mess around with the farmers' market, with heritage breeds and vegetable esoterica? The answers to these questions, when framed this way, are obvious.

Coo-Coo for Cocchi
Cocchi Americano
A (Long-Awaited) Revival of the Aperitivo

We first sampled Cocchi way back in 2008, and we practically wrote this email then. But importing delays kept it from arriving on the U.S. retail market until just this summer, so we couldn't break the news to you until now: This is the Crush Spirits Department's favorite beverage of summer.

When Cocchi Americano finally became available, we rejoiced with a toast - er, many toasts. Today, we salute our absolute favorite summertime cold sipper with pricing on single bottles at $17.95.

Frankly, the only problem with Cocchi may be that it’s almost too easy to drink. And yet, that’s exactly what makes us a bit obsessed with it - especially in these dog days of summer when high-alcohol cocktails just make us crave a nap even more.

Power vs. Fineness (Everyone Wins)
1996 Bollinger R.D.
Last Parcel at Lowest Pricing in the Nation

"An endless parade of toasty, decadent fresh and dried fruits defines the finish, with a gentle but insistent mineral undertone providing focus, freshness and lift. This is a must buy for Bollinger fans." - Josh Raynolds, International Wine Cellar

Heed his advice - this is a gorgeous bottle; a flagship cuvée from a serious house and from one of - if not the - most collectible vintages in Champagne history. Antonio Galloni states simply, "It is a great version of one of Champagne’s legendary wines." (Galloni's and Raynolds' full reviews are below.)

The ANTI-Nouveau - Long Haul Beaujolais
2009 Roilette Fleurie "Cuvée Tardive" MAGNUMS
Beaujolais at Its Most Ageable and Profound

The 2009 Roilette "Cuvée Tardive" has the potential to be the most monumental Tardive to date. Roilette's owner/winemaker Alain Coudert himself compares the 09 to the 91, a wine that serves as the estate's benchmark.

I can't think of another producer in Beaujolais outside of Kermit Lynch's "Gang of Four" who has attracted such a cult following.

The $30 Cult Wine from Klaus-Peter Keller
2009 Keller Riesling "Von der Fels"
JUST ARRIVED - One Parcel Only!

This is the one and only parcel we'll be getting.

All this to say act sooner rather than later!

We started fielding calls and emails for Klaus-Peter Keller's wines in March and it's only gotten more intense. We expect this small tranche to disappear quickly.

Wild Child: Deliciously Defying Expectations
2009 Dashe Zinfandel "Les Enfants Terribles" McFadden Farm
California Zinfandel... Though You'd Never Guess It:
Vibrant, Gulpable, Fresh

Think FRESH Zinfandel.

If Zinfandel has come to be viewed as something that exemplifies the power, alcohol and general intensity that comes to mind with many California wines, then Michael and Anne Dashe’s Les Enfants Terribles from McFadden Farm is indeed the rebel child that its name suggests.

Les Enfants Terribles pushes - or perhaps wonderfully redefines? - the boundaries of Zinfandel, delivering lively, perfumed red fruits buoyed along the way with a fresh current of acids carrying spice and mineral notes.

Punching Above Its Weight Class
2007 Fèvre Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre
Sporting Grand Cru Weight and Depth, But Not Price

"...rich, full, concentrated and almost painfully intense flavors that explode like a vinous bomb on the balanced and gorgeously long finish." - Burghound

Meadows is right: Fèvre's 07 MDT is explosive and gorgeous, and it punches way above its weight class.

The price today, though, sits much lower than you'd expect: down to $39.50 a bottle on the four-pack - well below the lowest price in the nation.

Burgundy Collectors Take Notice: Part II
2009 Jean-Paul Brun Moulin-à-Vent
The "King of Beaujolais" in the Grandeur of 2009

My second visit was with Jean-Paul Brun. The understated Brun simply said: "This is the best quality I've ever seen... nearly perfect."

Across the board, Jean-Paul Brun has crafted a simply superb line-up in 2009: The wines are concentrated, structured, pure and precise.

The gem of the collection, however, is without a doubt the majestic Moulin-à-Vent. This is the wine that marries perfectly the greatest attributes of the vintage, the site and Brun's unique winemaking style. Even after a week of tasting the greatest wines from this seriously undervalued region, this bottle stayed with me.

The Real St-Joseph, Please Stand Up
2007 Jean-Louis Chave St-Joseph
The Complement to Hermitage,
Less Than a Third of the Price

Except, of course, in his own case.

No big surprise, really, that Jean-Louis stated it flat-out to Wine Spectator last fall... most will agree that the appellation, sadly, has sprawled too far, hasn't maintained enough specificity.

Not in the case of Chave. Here is the region's benchmark, the beau ideal, the "O.G." if you like.

This is head-turning, terroir-screaming, reference point St-Joseph Syrah from one of the exemplars of the Northern Rhone. Today we offer this super-allocated St-Joseph at $53.40 a bottle.

Silver Anniversary, Gold Standard
1985 Domaine Huet Vouvray
Le Mont & Clos du Bourg Moelleux
Blue-Chip Vouvray, Ready to Drink Today...
$50 Below the Lowest Price in the World

In The New France, Andrew Jefford writes that Chenin at its best is "among the finest white wines on earth, rivaled only for longevity, and for the beauty of its cellar metamorphoses, by Riesling."

Some of you may remember our 02 and 85 Le Mont Demi-Sec offerings this spring - small parcels that sold out in near record time...

Today we turn up the volume with a parcel of Huet's 1985 Le Mont and Clos de Bourg Moelleux - these are wines with a quarter-century of development, perfectly stored in the cellars of the domaine itself.

The Greatest Briords?
2009 Pépière Clos des Briords MAGNUMS
Concentration, Vigor, Complexity

Word on the street is that Marc Ollivier believes that the 09 Clos des Briords may be his best to date. Given this legendary Muscadet's ability to age and the nearly obscene value that it represents, buying these magnums seemed compulsory.

It did to us, at least. This is the benchmark Muscadet, a seriously cult geek wine with a clarity, a mineral-and-lime-zest luminosity that is simply unrivaled in Muscadet. There are certainly bigger Muscadets, there are certainly more elegant Muscadets - there are none as transparent, as brutally, as beautifully, honest.

The Rarest Wine in Germany?
TRUE German Kabinett
Willi Schaefer 2008 Kabinett DEAL

What's truly rare? The delicate, whistling Kabinett.

The misunderstood 2008 German vintage (almost without fail an obsession of wine geeks and terroir fanatics) has very likely given us some of the last of a dying breed: TRUE Kabinett.*

The TRUE Kabinett is NOT about power, or depth, or accolades and hype. These are wines that charm you, wines whose human, intimate proportions are meant for enjoyment, for drinking, for refreshment.

Beyond Premier Cru
2005 Bouchard Les Suchots and Les Cailles
"The 05s are flat out stupendous." - Burghound

Today's offer doesn't need a grand introduction - you already know the vintage, the top-notch sites, that Bouchard has been gaining huge momentum. And since we have just a few cases on offer today, perhaps we'll just whisper...

...we love these wines.

Today we have a 2005 Burgundy opportunity to backfill two Bouchard gems at a serious discount.

Suchots is a site surrounded by some of the grandest of Grand Crus: Romanée-St-Vivant, Richebourg and Echezeaux. Bouchard's 05 fairly starts elsewhere at $120 and only goes up from there - we have a few cases that we can move today at $89.95. 

A Statement. And So Much More...
2000 Dom Pérignon Rosé
Ultra-Limited Edition with
Pink-Gold Metal Shields for Custom Engraving

"[Richard] Geoffroy says his goal was to make a statement with the 2000 Dom Pérignon Rosé; he has done that...

...and so much more." - Antonio Galloni, Wine Advocate

Chablis vs. July
2006 Billaud-Simon Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons
Small One-Time Parcel at 35% Off

Billaud-Simon airily calls their Vaillons a wine of celebration. But they're underrating it. This is Vaillons with classic Chablis raciness, density and finesse - call it "serious" fun... at a serious value.

Today we offer the 2006 Billaud-Simon Premier Cru Vaillons.

To quickly bring this into sharp focus: The only other pricing in the nation for any 06 1er crus from Billaud-Simon is nearly $50... for Mont de Milieu. Today we have the first-class premier cru Vaillons at over 35% off that price.

Montalcino, Without Compromise
2002 Soldera Case Basse
Brunello di Montalcino Riserva
Brunello at Its Most Enlightened, Precise and Transparent

"...a firm, classic Brunello that will thrill those who appreciate traditionally made wines. In 2002 Gianfranco Soldera crafted one of exactly three Italian reds that are profound..."
- Antonio Galloni, Wine Advocate

It's a conventional tenet: The truly great producers claim their status in the most challenging vintages with wines that are profound, nevermind nature's scenario. And so, here's further proof that Gianfranco Soldera ranks, undeniably, among the greats.

Willi Schaefer History: The New Dry Side
2009 Willi Schaefer Graacher Himmelreich GG
The First Ever "Grand Cru" Dry from Willi Schaefer!

We're honored that we've been chosen to introduce it to the U.S.

For those not up to speed with their fuder conversions, this is roughly one thousand liters of wine, about 1,300 bottles - just over 100 cases.

Grand Cellar, Gold Standard
2004 Vilmart et Cie Grand Cellier d'Or
Cult Grower Champagne at
15% Below the Lowest Price in the Nation

Here's an enigmatic Champagne, where the high-yield vintage didn't affect outstanding quality, where oak treatment never overwhelms delicate acidity, where the low price simply doesn't match the class, the cult following...

Last week, we offered out Vilmart's non-vintage rosé, and the high demand reinforced the fact that this is a house with a very avid following. It's evident that, as Richard Juhlin says, "Vilmart has quickly established cult status, only topped among growers by J. Selosse."  

Today we offer a step up in the Vilmart collection: 2004 Grand Cellier d'Or at 15% below the lowest price in the nation: $58.55.

Collectible Closeouts: Single Bottles at ~Cost
Bachelet, Chave, Coche-Dury, Dönnhoff, Drouhin, Fourrier, Haag, Lignier, Mascarello, Nikolaihof, Ponsot, Potel, J.J. Prüm, Tempier, Zilliken...
Final Bottle(s) on Deep, Deep Discount!

So come one, come all... but act quick, because in most cases we have only ONE bottle of each wine available at this price!

Outclassing Its Class
NV Vilmart et Cie "Cuvée Rubis" Rosé
Cult Grower Rosé Champagne, Under $50

"...boldly fragrant but also tightly controlled, with all the components falling impeccably into place... a marvelous contrast of silky refinement and brooding vinosity..."
- Peter Liem, Champagne Guide

The tasting note above just doesn't read anything like a $50 sparkler.

The reason for this is logical enough: This isn't really a $50 sparkler. The absolute lowest pricing you're going to see on this rosé Champagne is close to $10 more expensive than our 6-pack pricing. The bottle fairly sells at most places between $60 and $70.

"As It Should Be, But So Rarely Is..."
2007 Chevillon Nuits-St-Georges 1er Crus
Les Cailles and Les Vaucrains
Nuits-St-Georges Benchmark
Lowest Price in the Nation

Matt Kramer in Making Sense of Burgundy says Chevillon is how NSG should be, but so rarely is: "concentrated, tannic, almost painfully intense, but with no apparent winemaking signature."

That's Chevillon: A dead-honest proclamation of terroir.

This is Nuits-St-Georges in all its meaty, rustic, textured glory. These are unmistakable, clear-speaking, reference point Nuits-St-Georges - rich with fruit, animal, mineral and soil in equal parts.

Burgundy Collectors Take Notice
2009 Lapierre Morgon
Superb Ripeness, Density, Extract, Elegance...
Cellar-Special Pricing as Low as $19.50

Last winter there were rumblings that something very special had happened in Beaujolais with the 2009 vintage. We've seen stellar Beaujolais vintages in 99, 02 and 05, but these were not the vintages growers were citing. It was 1947 and 1991.

Yes, something extraordinary happened in Beaujolais in 2009.

The reports focused on perfect weather at harvest, high levels of ripeness and thick-skinned, unusually small grapes dense with extract. The lack of rain in July and
August reduced yields to as low as 30hl/ha, increasing the natural concentrations even more.

Kirchspiel at a Tender Four Years of Age
2006 Keller Westhofener Kirchspiel GG
Small Back-Vintage Tranche - Near-Release Pricing

In a short, short time the "Grand Cru" dry Rieslings of Klaus-Peter Keller have become among the most coveted dry Rieslings in Germany.

It's been absolutely incredible to watch, to experience.

At this point, it's hard to keep these wines in stock for any duration - we are, in fact, already fielding regular inquiries for the not-yet-released 2009s!

So today, amidst our German Futures Campaign, we go the opposite direction, taking a quick glance back over our shoulders into the not-so-distant past with a small parcel of Keller's 2006 Kirchspiel GG.

A Stone's Throw from Richebourg
2007 Drouhin Vosne-Romanée
1er Cru Les Petits Monts
20% Below the Lowest Price in the Nation

This is one of those wines that, frankly, elicits a little bit of geek drool from collectors. Like Les Cras from Roumier, Clos St. Jacques from Rousseau, or Meo's Cros Parantoux...

They're consistently outstanding year in and year out, they aren't all that easy to find, and their prices - typically - are in line with their feverish markets. Not today: 2007 Drouhin Petits Monts for just under $100 a bottle - 20% below the lowest price in the nation.

Every year, this is one of our favorite little gem Vosne-Romanées. A sentimentalist collector friend once told me, "Sometimes, you don't need to be able to explain why you love a wine... it just gets you here," he said, motioning to his core, "and that's enough." Drouhin's Petits Monts does that for me, but I'll still try to explain for you here part of why I love this wine.

Shine, Shine On
1996 Lanson Gold Label Brut
[Awesome] Vintage Champagne, Under $60

"I can't think of a better wine that will simultaneously thrill even the choosiest Champagne connoisseur, delight your drinking buddies and impress your wine geek friends..."

So Bobby said when he emailed about this wine a couple of years ago. Since then, the 1996 Lanson Gold Label Brut has gotten even better.

Today we offer it at $57.95 a bottle - a downright silly value for Champagne from the awesome 96 vintage and one of Champagne's oldest houses. This offer also represents just about the last of this wine on the market in any meaningful quantity.

The Crush 5th Annual
German "Futures" Campaign Continues...
2009 Zilliken - 2009 Fritz Haag
Special "Futures" Pricing Ends Wednesday, July 7th

"The 2009ers from Hanno and Dorothy Zilliken are absolutely monumental and strong candidates for the greatest set of wines to be found in Germany in this vintage."
John Gilman, View from the Cellar

Gilman doesn't have glorious words for Fritz Haag, but only because he didn't visit the estate. I didn't visit the estate either, but I did taste the wines at the Mainzer Weinbörse and then again in NYC and they are very, very good. (More below.)

Yes, 2009 is (another) glorious vintage in Germany... sorry!

The 2009 vintage in Germany is ripe, yet very clear, which for me makes a big difference. The fruit is super pure with really impressive concentrations, extract that coats the palate. The great estates found a ton of minerality as well as wicked-beautiful acidities, stern headmasters that whip everything into shape.

1995 Transformed: This is the Point of Oeno
The 1995 Dom Pérignon Oenothèque
A Monumental Metamorphosis

"This mind-bending, kaleidoscopic Champagne possesses all of the qualities of profoundness... and the potential to acquire even more depth in bottle over the coming years."
- Antonio Galloni, Wine Advocate

This is one of our most sought-after wines of the last year. Today I'm thrilled to bring the 95 "Oeno" to the Crush Crew at the lowest price in the nation: $229.95.

This is a wine that has been very much talked about, but rarely seen here in the U.S.

When it was first released, we simply blew through our first two allocations almost immediately due to pre-orders. Keep in mind, a good part of the second tranche went to repeat customers for reloads - always a very, very good sign. But we are Dom Pérignon loyalists, and our strong relationship with the maison allows us today to bring in a third and final tranche.

Finding the Elite Values in White Burgundy
2007 Drouhin Beaune "Clos des Mouches" Blanc
On the Short List of Top White Burgundy Collectors

...which is sort of the point.

After all, left of center, this is where the values are - especially in today's ultra-competitive Burgundy.

Make no mistake, what we're offering today is not "a Chardonnay value" in the general sense. This is not a wine for simple pool-side refreshment.

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

The third "official" day of summer and already our first scorcher is here... It seemed like the perfect time to get a summer mixed case together.

We wanted you to have an arsenal of our favorite bottles to beat the heat or tackle some charred meat fresh off the grill. As always, we've tasted through the world of wine searching for the most interesting wines and the best values.

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

Super-Rare Métras Magnums
2006 Yvon Métras Fleurie "VV"
The Fifth Member of Kermit Lynch's Gang of Four

Yvon Métras is famous for making absolutely breathtaking Beaujolais and hating paper work. As such, his wines have been absent from the U.S. market for over a decade.

Despite this absence, Métras' wines have achieved a cult-like status in the very geekiest of wine circles. Drop a seasoned wine geek in Paris and he or she is likely to seek out some of the oddities that only Paris accumulates: Foillard Cuvée "3.14," Dagueneau Asteroid and Métras, to name but a few.

Today we present an offer for the love of it. Suffice it to say that $63 Beaujolais magnums are not the easiest of sells. (Though with 24 of these mags available in the world, perhaps this is not the issue.)

The Crush 5th Annual
German "Futures" Campaign Begins Today...
2009 Dönnhoff

"The 2009ers at Weingut Dönnhoff are amongst the most beautiful wines to be found in all of Germany, and there are an embarrassment of riches to choose from in this coming vintage." - John Gilman, View from the Cellar

"An embarrassment of riches" - an apt phrase for Germany at the moment.

2009 is (another) glorious vintage in Germany... sorry. It's ripe, yet very clear, which for me makes a big difference. The fruit is super pure with really impressive concentrations, extract that coats the palate. The great estates found a ton of minerality as well as wicked-beautiful acidities, stern headmasters that whip everything into shape.

Alsatian Air Conditioning
2008 Trimbach Riesling "Reserve"
as low as $19.95 a bottle...
BACK UP THE TRUCK!

Jean Trimbach says that the 2008 vintage is the best since 1990, and possibly in the last 100 years.

This, even after the insane success of 2007. He’s not alone in his praise: Considered word on the wine street is that 2008 in Alsace gets an A++.

This is the first parcel of Trimbach’s 2008 Riesling Reserve in the United States – just in time for summer.

Dom. Robert Arnoux 1972 - 2001
Back-Vintage Snapshots of Vosne-Romanée
1er Crus Les Suchots, Aux Reignots, Les Chaumes
"One of the sexiest wines vintage in and vintage out."
- The Burghound

(Yet priced less than you'd think.)

To be clear: These are distinguished bottles of back-vintage Burgundy.

Would you expect anything less? We are, after all, in Vosne-Romanée, a place Clive Coates calls simply: "The greatest Pinot Noir village on earth."

Serious Sancerre for Summer and Beyond
2008 Labaille Sancerre "Cuvee Buster"
In the Sancerre Pantheon with Vatan and Cotat

For many Sancerre is simply irresistible in the summer.

There's something about its freshness, its zingy citrus flavors, its lip-smacking fruits that make it the summer wine par excellence.

The problem is that prices for the top bottlings have risen - most of the sub-$30 bottlings are nondescript whites that trade more on name than quality.

The Reason God Invented Lobster?
1985 Huet Le Mont Demi-Sec
Under $50; Not Available Anywhere Else in the U.S. -
Make that the Universe

Last week we offered the 2002 Huet Le Mont Demi; today we go deeper into Huet history...

...with the 1985 Le Mont Demi-Sec; a wine 25 years into its long and beautiful journey.

Today we offer the 1985 Huet at only $49.98 - yet another example of the inexplicably low pricing of Loire wines, one of the few places in the wine world where the giants are still available to mere mortals.

Your Pick for Rosé of the Year!
2009 Commanderie de Peyrassol
Côtes de Provence Rosé
To the Rosé Victor Go the Discounts: Today 15% Off!
As Low as $13.59 per Bottle on the Case Purchase

We suggest grabbing a whole case, because the number of days you'll spend on the roof at sunset, at a friend's backyard barbecue, or sunbathing seaside in the next few months is definitely at least 12.

For the 5th Annual War of the Rosés last Thursday, 13 proud contenders stepped up to the plate... er... glass, to be sampled by over 300 guests.

And you, the people, have spoken: This year’s winner is the 2009 Commanderie de Peyrassol Côtes de Provence. To honor the win, we’re pleased to offer it today at as low as $13.59 when you buy the case; solid bottles can be had for only $14.49.

Canadian Whisky, Charging Hard
Crown Royal Cask No. 16
Lowest Price in the World

"This version shows a spunky, out of the box, sassy side that adds more panache than the other bottlings of Crown. Love it and consider it as one of North America's Top Ten Whiskeys."
- F. Paul Pacult, Spirit Journal

The bottom line is right up top: This is considered by the big critics to be the best Canadian whisky out there, and today we've got a few cases at the lowest price in the world - over 50% off the original retail price.

But if this was just about a wild deal and great reviews, there'd be no point in us writing this whole email.

Go On, Take the Vouvray and Run
2002 Huet Le Mont Demi-Sec
The Only Stock in the Nation (Ridiculously Only $35!)

2002 was a watershed vintage at Domaine Huet - probably one of the three greatest in the last forty years, along with 1989 and 71...

Today we present a tranche of one of 2002's greatest: the Huet Le Mont Demi-Sec, at practically the same price as it went for on release.

At $34.95 a bottle, this is a great example of how Huet wines still represent some of the most insane and delicious values in the universe of white wine.

Meursault, Stoned
2007 Bouchard Meursault 1er Cru Perrières
Flirting with Grand Cru Quality

Perrières is one of those vineyards; like Clos St. Jacques, Gaudichots, this is one of those sites that is more than a 1er Cru.

It's sort of that simple.

Labels like "Premier Cru" and "Grand Cru" can be comforting; official validations of status, authorized indicators that are plain and simple, emblazoned on the label for all to see.

We don't need to tell you, however, that Burgundy is plenty more complicated than these classifications could ever fathom. (The market, as per normal, figures it out: Consider that Coche-Dury's Perrieres is somewhere in the $900-neighborhood, Lafon's is about $300.)

Sparkling Originality
2006 Ulysse Collin Blanc de Noirs
A Terroir-Driven Blanc de Noir Debut at Over 30% Off
Lowest Price in the Nation

"For readers seeking to discover the outer boundaries of what Champagne is and can be, Collin's Extra Brut Blanc de Noirs is required drinking." - Antonio Galloni, The Wine Advocate

Inspired by his mentor Anselme Selosse, inspired by old-vine Pinot Noir, by extreme ripeness, slow fermentations and natural yeasts, Olivier Collin is pushing the limits of Champagne. The results have been met with remarkable acclaim - Galloni's quote above is a short testament to the impact the wines have already made (complete tasting note below).

Whoa, Sister
2007 Mugneret-Gibourg NSG 1er Cru Chaignots
Nuits-St-George that Drinks Like a Vosne-Romanée
15% Below the Lowest Price in the Nation

We've said this before - though perhaps not frequently enough, as the wines are sadly becoming a needle in the haystack - the Mugneret sisters are producing some of the most honest and compelling red Burgundies.

Elegantly reserved, vibrant and transparent, these wines bring out the droves of wine geeks; but the serious Burgundy collectors have really taken note of this domaine in recent vintages, and for good reason. The clear quality of these wines just continues to climb off the charts.

Today, we have one of our favorite Mugneret-Gibourg wines, a bottle that is the perfect personification of the house’s style: the 2007 Nuits-St-Georges 1er Cru Chaignots.

A simply beautiful wine, Burgundy riddled with class and purity at 15% below the lowest price in the nation - $59.95.

Straight from the Cellar of Trimbach
Back-Vintage Trimbach Frédéric Emile 3-Packs
Freddy Emile Vertical: 1997, 1998, 1999

It's one thing to pull a dusty, back-vintage bottle off a store shelf, provenance unknown. It's quite another to secure a bottle that's just 60 days removed from over a decade of unadulterated rest in the estate's cellars.

There is simply nothing like the experience of opening a bottle that has rested for years, unmoved and unharassed, from the dark, cold cellar of the estate. This email presents exactly that - a collection of back-vintage Cuvée Frédéric Emiles, recently hand-picked from the cellars of Trimbach just for us - and just arrivé.

From Unknown to Celebrity: A.J. Adam
2009 A.J. Adam Hofberg Kabinett
Special Pre-Arrival Pricing until Friday Only...

(He's the young kid that we've been heralding as one of the greatest winemakers in the Mosel for about three years.)

In fact, last summer when Paul Grieco asked me to write a small piece for his "Summer of Riesling" wine list at Terroir, I wrote about A.J. Adam's 2008 Kabinett.

Then, in mid-April of this year Asimov did his New York Times tasting of the 2008 Kabinetts and sure enough Adam's Kabinett came out on top.

Adam's 2005s were good, the 2006s baroque and a bit over-the-top, but exquisite. His 2007s were profound, the 2008s were perhaps the best of the vintage; and with the very, very good (possibly very great) 2009 vintage, A.J. has made another simply awesome collection.

Pépière's Monumental Muscadet
2005 Pépière Muscadet "Trois"
The Muscadet Genius's Most Ambitious Cuvée to Date

His new cuvée, "Trois," will surely cause a stir.

We love Muscadet, and there are a handful of producers that we drink, recommend, and cellar. In recent years, however, Marc Ollivier and his Domaine de la Pépière have undoubtedly begun to pull away from the crowd.

If it hasn't happened already, Ollivier seems destined to occupy that rarefied space where a producer simply transcends his or her respective appellation. Think of Huet in Vouvray, Clos Rougeard in Saumur-Champigny, Ferrando in Carema, Keller in the Rheinhessen, etc.

Back Vintage Bordeaux, Sweet-Spot Pricing
La Mission - Palmer - Ducru - Leoville-Poyferre
Pavillon Rouge - Trotanoy - Troplong Mondot

The overwhelming response to our previous Bordeaux offerings has made it abundantly clear: There's a huge thirst for great, well-priced Bordeaux...

We're right there with you. Collecting big-ticket Bordeaux is thrilling, but drinking an awesome, aged bottle without having to analyze scores and market values and ageability charts can be utterly satisfying - indeed, enjoying a sublime bottle is ultimately what fuels our passion to collect more.

So here you go.

Only Every 375 Years
2001 Trimbach Riesling Cuvée Frédéric Emile 375th Anniversary

Exotic Richness, Aristocratic Poise,
Lowest Price in the Nation

A word to the wise: Heed Schildknecht’s words because this is a bottle of Riesling nipping at the heels of the simply awesome 2001 Clos Ste. Hune – and today it’s priced at $64.95: not only the lowest price in the nation, but also at about a 50% discount compared to its “rock star” big brother.

If there are Alsatian Rieslings as extravagant, as perfumed as the Trimbach 375th Anniversary, absolutely none have the juxtaposing discipline; none flaunt the hammer of acidity, the force and inevitability of a tidal wave.

Bruno at His Best
1989 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Falletto Riserva
"Utterly Divine." - Antonio Galloni, Wine Advocate

Rather than boisterous praise, this wine deserves a moment of contemplative quiet, a pause for gratitude that wines like this exist.

For you serious Piedmont collectors, there's not much introduction necessary here - this is a legendary wine from one of Piedmont's most classic producers. Bruno Giacosa sits in the royal court with fellow traditionalists Giacomo Conterno and the two Mascarellos, crafting some of the most classic, ageworthy Barolos this world has seen.

As for me, I've been obsessively collecting Giacosa's wines for over twenty years, and quite simply, the 89 Falletto Riserva is one of his greatest of all time. Due to the wine's outstanding reputation and today's limited quantities, I'll be concise here.

2 Guys, 1.8 Hectares & an Old Basket Press
2007 Enderle & Moll Pinot Noir "Buntsandstein"
Elegant, Traditional Pinot... for only $31

Volnay (especially Lafarge), Noel Verset and his glorious Cornas, Beaujolais (especially Foillard) and Eric Texier with his sinewy little tough-guy Côtes-du-Rhône Brézème...

These are the comparisons that come to mind, my gut reactions to Sven Enderle's and Florian Moll's beautiful Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) from Germany's Baden.

The first time Joe and I tasted it, we knew almost immediately that we'd buy all that was available to us. 

Full Splendor Now
1996 Raveneau Chablis Valmur
Five-Star Vintage, First-Class Producer, Few Cases Only

"A benchmark for the entire region."

That’s what Andrew Jefford calls "mature bottles" of Raveneau. Problem is, unless you've been collecting it for 20 years, very few are lucky enough to have mature Raveneau in the cellar.

Today we offer a tiny parcel of the epic, haunting 1996 Raveneau Valmur at $279.99.

Wine of the Vintage?
2008 Domaine Ponsot Clos de la Roche VV
...Certainly on the Short List

"...holding off on purchasing the [Ponsot] 2008s in the hopes that the hyped 2009s will be even better is a strategy that will only end up disappointing... as these 2008s are stunning."
- John Gilman, View from the Cellar

The Burghound, while no less enthusiastic, is more succinct with his praise of Ponsot's 08 Clos de la Roche, paring it down to a single word: "terrific."

Whether it's Gilman, Meadows, or our own sources within Burgundy, the verdict has been unanimously clear: Laurent Ponsot made one of the best - if not the absolute best portfolio of 2008. Perhaps only Dujac can compete with Ponsot from top to bottom in 2008 (note, due to price and availability, DRC stands in its own universe).

Chambolle's Unyielding Purity
2007 Ghislaine Barthod Pre-Arrival Offer
Special Pricing for this Parcel Only

"2007 proves beyond any reasonable doubt that Ghislaine Barthod has fully arrived at the top of her game and she is undoubtedly one of the finest vigneronnes in the entire Côte."
- Allen Meadows

HUGE WORDS flow from the Burghound's pen.

He continues: "If classically styled ultra-pure and understated Chambolle floats your Burgundy boat, then the Barthod-Noëllat wines should be on your very short list along with the likes of Roumier, Mugnier and de Vogüé as they really are that good."

An Epiphany, in Magnum Format
1990 Dom Ruinart Rosé Magnum
Lowest Price in the Nation

"...brilliant vitality and Burgundy-like authority."
-Richard Juhlin

True wine epiphanies are a rare thing.

With each passing vintage fewer wine experiences seem truly revelatory; there is greatness, for sure, but it has a consistent rhythm to it, a predictability that is both soothing and, sometimes, a bit numbing.

It's the moments that you get side-swiped by greatness that you never forget. It's experiences of unpredictable genius that somehow re-wire the synapses and forge a completely revised world order. This is what we're all looking for, one way or another.

Monumental Austria
2007 FX Pichler Grüner Veltliner "M"
Special Pre-Arrival Pricing on One of Austria's Greatest

No, we don't know what "maracuja" is.

Or at least we didn't know what "maracuja" was, one of the stranger references we've ever come across in a tasting note by David Schildknecht, until we accessed the Tropical Plant Database and discovered that it's another term for "passionflower."

Single-Owner Bordeaux Cellar
Cheval Blanc, Cos d'Estournel, Haut Brion, Latour, Lynch Bages, Pétrus, Pichon-Lalande and more...
1982 - 1985 - 1986 - 1989 - 1990 - 1996 - 2002

There's a difference between loose bottles that have been floating through retail shops for the last 20 years and bottles that were bought close to release and kept in a single cellar, left to slumber...

As we all know, legions of classic Bordeaux churn relentlessly through the U.S. (not to mention Europe and Asia), traded from hand to hand to hand to hand until the original owner, the provenance and the transportation can't be verified - or even accessed.

The Cult Cab of Washington
2007 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon
"Perfection" for the 4th Time in Just Six Years?

It seems impossible that Quilceda Creek could surpass its own sky-high standards - yet here we are, staring down the (wine) barrel at what many speculate could well be its best wine yet.

Here's a staggering bit of trivia: Since 2002, Quilceda Creek’s Cabernet Sauvignon has averaged 99.6 points from Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate. As you well know, we are not a fan of point scores, but still...  this howling streak of near-perfection is pretty mind-blowing.

And we're not the only ones to think so: Over the last few decades Quilceda Creek has become a true blue chip estate, with consistently rising demand (and prices) that humble the rather rapid life cycles of countless glossy Napa estates. And with the pre-review gossip calling the 2007 one of the estate's best ("exceptional" is the word the rather modest Golitzins use), things are unlikely to cool down.

Fèvre Fridays Finale
2008 Fèvre Grand Cru Les Clos
Top Chablis of the Vintage - Lowest Price in the Nation

"...simply stunning... oozes Chablis character... impressively concentrated... palate-staining flavors... striking precision... explosively long finish." - Burghound

Finishing up his review, the Burghound writes simply: "This is a great Les Clos that will make old bones."

Indeed.

This is monumental Chablis, an epic, jaw-dropping articulation of fruit, mineral and soil. Fèvre's 2008 Clos is a tower of crisp, green, yellow and white fruit sliced razor-thin and layered over slabs of limey rock. It is huge yet nuanced, perfectly proportioned with all the promise of a child prodigy. (Burghound's full note below.)

Tête de Cuvée Mags - Sub-$300
1996 Dom Ruinart 1.5L
Make Room in the Cellar

This is, very simply, incredible Blanc de Blancs from one of the most collectible producers, vintages, and formats in the world.

As you've no doubt heard (again and again), 1996 was one of those rare years in Champagne that brought even the best to new heights.

Like 2005 in Burgundy, this was simply a vintage with everything: Deep, off-the-charts concentration matched to just massive structures and enlivening acidity. This is a vintage people will talk about, for a long time.

With the wines beginning to dry up in the marketplace, today we offer a small parcel of MAGNUMS from one of the top Champagne houses at a price point that feels more "750ml" than "1.5L": The 1996 Dom Ruinart at $299.95 a magnum.

Full-Throttle Majesty in the Veneto
2004 Dal Forno Valpolicella Superiore
EXTREME pricing on EXTREME wine
Dal Forno, 20% off.

"Dal Forno" and "20% off" are not words you will often see together.

As it is, the unctuous, hyper-saturating reds of Romano Dal Forno are among the most sought out wines from the Veneto. Really, at the pinnacle of this region, there are only two: Dal Forno as the young, innovative genius and Giuseppe Quintarelli, who holds court as the storied legend.

Sourced Directly from the Estate's Cellars
1994 Karthauserhof Spätlese Trocken 1.5L
Mineral-Drenched Magnums from the Ruwer Valley

This sort of offer doesn't come around often...

36 magnums, only recently pulled from the cold, stony cellars of Karthauserhof, from one of the top vintages of the 1990s.

This is an offer going out only to those of you who have supported our fine and rare Riesling program because... well... these are very fine and super rare.

Karthauserhof is one of the grand old estates of Germany's Ruwer Valley, and the wines in this pine-forested valley display a truly unique play of minerality and acidity.

Champagne Method, Jura Personality
Ganevat "Oh!!"
Our Yearly Parcel has Just Arrived
(And will likely soon disappear!)

This is the best damn $25 sparkler we've tasted, hands down.

And as you may know, we're Champagne people... big Champagne people.

Escalating prices in this classic region, however, mean that it's become very hard to find any serious Champagne under $40. The great majority of sub-$30 sparklers have about as much personality as cardboard... sometimes less.

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.”

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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%.

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:

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.

"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.

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.”

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.)

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.

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.

"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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

(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.

"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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

"...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.

"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.

"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.

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."

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.

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.

"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.

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.

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

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.

Structure, Concentration, Energy, Value
2007 Bouchard Le Corton
Secret Gem of the Vintage - Lowest Price in the Nation

"A truly magnificently complex nose that is layered, dense and broad... rich, full and powerful big-bodied flavors... the length seems to go on and on. Impressive and built like it."
- Burghound

No region in the world is more confounding than Burgundy. Vintages like 2005, where you can throw a dart and hit a masterful wine, are very rare.

In nearly every other year, to find the great wines, the wild values, some sleuthing is necessary. You have to talk to your neighbor about that hail in Vosne. You have to ask about that new upstart in Gevrey - what exactly was that gleaming stainless steal machine they brought down into the cellar?

2008 Huet: New Releases from the Legend
Clos du Bourg Sec and Le Mont Demi-Sec
Special Pre-Arrival Pricing

"The 2008 Domaine Huet wines deserve to be singled out for their beautiful quality this year, as they have really turned out special and will make cellar treasures."
John Gilman, View from the Cellar

Huet is one of the special, soulful, collectible and still (gulp!) affordable treasures of the wine world.

The Vouvrays of Huet are simply adored, they are lovingly sought out by collectors, wine geeks, everyday drinkers and just about everyone else with a taste for purity and elegance.

Masterful Pinot Noir Value
2007 Copain Pinot Noir "Tous Ensemble"
Our First Ever "California does Burgundy"
BACK UP THE TRUCK!

"It's clear from the superb quality of several of these wines that Guthrie is a first-rate talent and will be heard from in the future." Allen Meadows, Burghound

First of all, let's correct the Burghound's words: Wells Guthrie is already being heard from!

Wells has certainly established a cult-ish reputation for his authentic, old-school Syrahs and Pinot Noirs. Yet the Burghound's comments are noteworthy as they come from a man who has spent his life completely immersed in Burgundy... yet he has to give Wells serious praise for the Pinots he produces in California.

Fruit, Spice and Everything Nice: The Sequel
A Selection of Pierre Gaillard's 2006 St Josephs
More 50% Off Stunners from the Northern Rhône

As you may remember, our Gaillard Côte Rôtie email sold out in a few hours. Today we present you with the chance to snatch up his St. Josephs at up 50% off - but act quickly!

Because we don't have much of this wine!

This is the "Syrah Sequel" to the other week's Gaillard Côte Rôtie offer. Today we feature an exploration of St. Joseph, one of the Northern Rhône's most misunderstood appellations, once again at simply ridiculous prices.

Brilliance, Clarity, Precision: 2007 Fourrier
Special Pre-Arrival Pricing
Gevrey-Chambertin VV - Aux Echezeaux - Cherbaudes
Clos St. Jacques - Griottes and more...

"The 2007s here are pure magic, and amongst the very finest wines to be found up and down the Côte in this lovely vintage... I cannot recommend them highly enough."
-John Gilman, The View from the Cellar

This time of year, thoughts of Fourrier loom large for just about every Burgundy fanatic. This is the season when importer Neal Rosenthal receives his allocation of Fourrier and the feeding frenzy begins.

For 2007, the frenzy is likely to be considerable. Those who have tasted Fourrier's 2007s speak of an incredible marriage of producer and vintage: John Gilman's comments, above, are but one example. 2007 offered everything Jean-Marie needed and the collection has just incredible grace, clarity and such a tremendous nuance of expression.

"So maybe this is a 38-year wine?"
2007 Keller Riesling Kirchspiel Spatlese "R"
Lavish, Exotic Rheinhessen Riesling from the Master

This is what happens when Klaus-Peter Keller lets an 1,800 liter barrel of Riesling from the awesome 2007 vintage ferment spontaneously and find its own "balance."

What you end up with is a Spätlese of nearly overwhelming concentration - this is, after all, an expression of the already legendary 2007 vintage (the bottle was simply released later by Keller).

This 2007er flaunts exotic fruit that seduces the palate, a textural play that is spellbinding and a style and length that is very impressive. There is not a rough angle to be found in this wine - not a gracious curve out of place - this is supremely elegant, a flowing gown of a Riesling with layer after layer of texture.

Ruthless Mineral
2007 Bouchard Corton-Charlemagne
The Greatest Grand Cru Burg Buy Out There?

Go to the Burghound database and do a search *only* for the words "Corton-Charlemagne."

What you'll find is a string of legendary Coche-Dury - this is not the surprising part. The 1989 Coche Corton tops the list (estimated price $2,000+ per bottle). Then the 1996 and 1999 (expect to drop over $2,000 a bottle here too) followed by the 1990 - which, if you can find it, will set you back about $4,000.

In position #5, however, after this $10,000 parade of Coche-Dury, is the glorious 2007 Bouchard Corton-Charlemagne. Today we offer this stunning Grand Cru white Burgundy at the lowest price in the nation at as low as $123.46.

"A truly majestic Barolo"
2004 Giuseppe Rinaldi Barolo Brunate-Le Coste
A Rare Cache of 750ml Bottles and Magnums

"Profoundly expressive... readers will not want to miss this exceptional wine." Antonio Galloni, Wine Advocate

Only 41 bottles and a handful of magnums are available, though honestly, we're very proud of this parcel.

The iconic Brunate-Le Coste Barolo of Giuseppe "Beppe" Rinaldi is impossible to find in any real quantity - he's been selling the lion's share of his tiny production privately from the cellar for decades, quietly becoming one of those producers everyone is talking about.

Winter Mixed Case
The Eclectic, Artisanal Antidote to Winters Chill
BIG SAVINGS: Every Bottle Discounted 20%!

Last week's blanket of snow reminded us that it was time to get a "Winter Mixed Case" together to provide you with fortification against this final stretch before spring.

So we've put together a case of our favorite winter wines, which, inevitably resulted in an eclectic group of stars from the peripheries of the wine world. This is where a fascination of culture and taste reside - it's also where the value is extreme.

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

Fruit, Spice, and Everything Nice
2006 Pierre Gaillard Côte Rôtie
Côte Rôtie at 60% Off: Pair with Lamb or Blizzards

Guigal, Vidal Fleury, Yves Cuilleron, Pierre-Jean Villa, Françoise Villard...

For someone relatively unknown outside of the Rhône Valley itself, Pierre Gaillard has an impressive resumé.

He's worked with everyone in the list above and continues a negociant project with the last three guys - James Molesworth of the Wine Spectator calls them the "four musketeers" of the Northern Rhône.

But today's offer is most decidedly not about any negociant project; it's about a robust, floral, and vivid expression of Syrah from Gaillard's own 3.3 hectares of steep-slope vines.

Grand Cru Burgundy: 1987-2002
Incredible Values for Drinking Grand Cru Burg
Geantet-Pansiot, Bourée, Jayer-Gilles, Remoissenet, Girardin
Single-Owner Cellar from the North East

If you have to be somewhat careful in using the words "Grand Cru" and "value" in the same sentence, today's email is about as close as the two get.

Today we have a very small, very fun collection. Every bottle in this offer has been culled from the cellar of a collector in the northeast, every bottle was bought close to release and carefully cellared.

Grand Cru Burgundy from 8 to 23 years old and from $55 dollars to just over $200.

The Friendly Side of Dagueneau
2007 Dagueneau Pouilly Fumé "Buisson Renard"
Sharp Pricing for a Microscopic 48-Bottle Parcel!

This wine involves a top single-vineyard,
Didier Dagueneau,
France's leading wine critic Michel Bettane
and a spelling mistake.

The Buisson Menard is a top vineyard site in Pouilly Fumé it is also the source of Dagueneau's most friendly, most forward, most luscious Pouilly Fumé.

In a review, France's leading critic Michel Bettane incorrectly called the wine the "Buisson Renard." This amused Dagueneau greatly as the phrase could be, well, suggestive. He immediately changed the name of the bottling to the "Buisson Renard" and gave the wine the rather bizarre label, pictured below.

Today we focus on the wine itself, because Didier Dagueneau needs no introduction.

The Wiseman of the Jura
2006 Macle Côtes du Jura
Avoiding the Whims of Wine Fashion, Beautifully

"[Macle's wines] seem to rifle through a repertoire of the natural world as you sniff and sip."
- Andrew Jefford, The New France

Today we present one of the Jura's true greats.

In our opinion, Macle should be included with the traditional wines of Vatan, Verset, and Trollat; benchmark producers who intuitively produce soulful, subtle, and long lasting wines that seem nearly impossible to replicate.

This is our fourth Macle offering - a past Macle bottling (the 2004 Côtes du Jura) was a "Crush Wine of the Year." That's how strongly we believe in these wines. For those who have never experienced traditional winemaking in the Jura, there is nothing else like it. Today we offer thanks. Thanks that there are wines as challenging and inspiring as Macle's lovely creations. Thankful there is still a strong audience for these wines.

Côte-Rôtie: Unplugged
2005 Éric Texier Côte-Rôtie "Vieilles Vignes"
Rare Buying Opportunity - 15% Below Lowest Price

Côte-Rôtie is challenging.

The slopes are steep and treacherous (the parcels Éric Texier farms have inclines up to 55 degrees). This is unforgiving land; everything must be done by hand.

Some of this severity translates into the wines themselves, which can be impartial, unrevealing, even temperamental. Yet when they choose to show themselves, Côte-Rôtie can be absolutely haunting.

In Éric Texier's hands, Côte-Rôtie is elegant. (John Gilman uses the word "classy," see his very enthusiastic note below.)

Juicy, Juicy, Juicy, Juicy, Juicy, Juicy Juice!
2008 Schloss Lieser
Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr Spätlese
Serious, Mouth-Watering Fun in a Bottle

I do NOT like to include cheeky photographs of myself with winemakers in emails.

But there's a story to tell today.

A story that involves today's wine and a cheeky photograph, below, of myself and Thomas Haag, the winemaker/owner of Schloss Lieser.

As we all know, the Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr is one of  the Mosel's great sites. The Fritz Haag estate, with its relentless focus on the Juffer Sonnenuhr, has basically guaranteed the vineyard's stature. When Thomas Haag left the family circle and went out on this own, revamping the old Schloss Lieser estate, he was given some of his father's plots in the Juffer Sonnenuhr.

"Great Scotch!" - Collectible Rarities
A Must-See List for the Serious Scotch Collector
Bowmore - Caol Ila - Balvenie - Glenrothes - and more

Today, we take an unprecedented look at some seriously *cult* bottles of Scotch.

Ardent followers of Crush's spirits program will remember an offer during the peak of the holiday season - a collection of rare Scotchs from some of the biggest and best-known distilleries in Scotland.

That offer sold out before that snowy Saturday was spent.

J.L. Chave Hermitage Blanc: 1995-2000
Ideal Provenance - Unreal Prices - Surreal Wines

Luxurious, dizzying, quixotic, kaleidoscopic, even mysterious. Chave's great Hermitage Blancs need so much more time than you think, but when they finally reveal themselves...

...whoa.

We've confirmed this once again this week, popping corks on a pristine collection of back-vintage Chave as if it were the Fourth of July, corks from half-bottles, full bottles and magnums flying through the air instead of fireworks.

This email goes out today because if it didn't the parcel would disappear, through our own indulgence. (Seriously.)

Everyone who thinks they understand Rhône whites, think again. And think again seriously, because these are not just any Rhône Blancs; these are the flower-inspired monuments of the appellation, masterpieces from none other than Jean-Louis Chave.

"Wines in a style you will not encounter anywhere else in Austria: Blaufränkisch vinified as if it were Grand Cru Burgundy."
- David Schildknecht, Wine Advocate

Heed Schildknecht's words above: This is an offer for the Burgundy lover, for those who appreciate a seductive, balanced expression of fruit, mineral, flower, earth.

This is elegant Blaufränkisch. In most cases, that's a rather jarring phrase; if Blaufränkisch has a reputation at all for the American consumer, it'd likely be reduced to "juicy, rustic and rugged."

Roland Velich and his Moric project, however, are leading something like a revolution in Austria's Burgenland - going back to the fundamentals and in the process finding a pure, authentic expression of Blaufränkisch.

Burgundy 1989-2002
Angerville, de Montille, Drouhin, Gouges, Lafarge, Mommesin, Ponsot, Potel, Roumier and more...
Special Pricing on Sweet Spot Burgundy

This is the holy grail and we all know it.

Burgundy, approaching its apogee and well beyond inexpressive, precocious youth.

This is what we like to call the "sweet spot" and it's a fine place to be with great Burgundy.

Back Up the Truck: 2007 Numanthia Termes
Bask in the Spanish Sun at the
LOWEST PRICE IN THE WORLD
Special Case-Pricing as Low as $18.99!

Straight from the mouth of an unrepentant Burgundy fanatic: THIS IS GOOD!

I'm talking about the 2007 Numanthia Termes, a wine with enough warm, blanketing richness to comfort you all winter long, yet with enough glide to charm even the Burgundy lover.

I have to say, this wine genuinely shocked me.

Numanthia is most famous for their flagship Termanthia bottling, an epic wine with a "200% new oak treatment" that renders it larger than life and darker than night. The Termanthia soars in the $150+ range with the "perfect" 2004 checking in well above the $300 mark.

2005 G. Mascarello Barolo Monprivato 1.5L
A Rich Monprivato Echoing the Powerful 1999
Special Pricing on Rare Magnums!

Today a targeted offering featuring just about the coolest thing for a Monprivato fan: MAGNUMS

Giuseppe Mascarello's Barolo Monprivato is consistently one of our favorite traditional Barolos.

It is without a doubt one of the greatest expressions of Piedmont red; few achieve the Burgundy-like finesse that Mauro Mascarello coaxes from this prime real estate.

We offered regular 750ml bottles of the 2005 Monprivato in early December, writing: "While the 2005 is a powerful Monprivato, a wine that reminds Antonio Galloni of the 1999, it is also one of the greatest 'new release' deals to come around in a long time."

2008 Van Volxem: Ambition in the Saar
Special Pre-Arrival Pricing on the 2008 Collection
See Below for Details on "2008 Van Volxem Primer"

There is no denying that Van Volxem is one of the most important estates in Germany's historic Saar Valley

The fact is, Roman Niewodniczanski, the heir to the Bitburger Beer fortune, has been on a buying spree the last 10 years or so, securing some of the grandest, oldest-vine sites in the Saar.

For example, Roman's parcel in the famed Gottesfuss includes ungrafted, pre-phylloxera vines that are between 100 and 150 years old, though he also owns top parcels in the legendary Scharzhofberger (think Egon Müller), Altenberg and Braunfels, among others.

Chateauneuf in Top Form
2001 Solitude Chateauneuf-du-Pape "Barberini"
Luscious, Back-Vintage CDP Score
30% Below the Lowest Price in the World

"Over the last ten years, these wines have gone from strength to strength, and are now some of the finest of the appellation." - Robert Parker, Wine Advocate

With the young 2007 Chateauneufs falling deep into sleep, today we offer a luscious 2001 Chateauneuf in its prime, exuding all the sweet-cassis, smoke and flower-riddled perfumes of the sun-bathed Rhône.

Given the arctic temperatures we've been having and the daunting stretch of winter months ahead, we thought that something hedonistic, with a little belly-warming depth might be appropriate.

This is a targeted offering *only* for those of you who have supported our Rhône program. Still, with a mere 10 cases and a price 30% below the lowest price in the world, this will be gone quickly. (48 hours max!)

"A True Austrian Classic"
2008 F.X. Pichler Riesling Kellerberg Smaragd
"Few vintages are able to showcase the unique terroir of the Wachau with such impressive precision as 2008."
- Stephen Tanzer's IWC

This, we think, is the dry Riesling lover's holy trilogy:
- Trimbach's Clos St. Hune
- Keller's Abtserde GG
- F.X. Pichler's Kellerberg Smaragd

These are the flagship bottlings, the collectible "Grand Crus" that are as noble, as sophisticated and as ageworthy as dry Riesling ever gets.

In Austria, there is certainly no more dazzling, flashy, glossy, sleek (and slick) dry Rieslings than those fashioned at the estate of F.X. Pichler. No single producer in Austria has quite captured the attention of the American public as F.X Pichler has.

Yet for all this celebrity, this style, they also speak honestly of their terroir and THIS is what brings the collectors, wine geeks and scholars back year after year after year.

Genius Loire Valley Esoterica
Rocking "Romo" from the Master
A Mini-Vertical of Top Vintages: 2007, 2002, 1996
Francois Cazin Cour-Cheverny

The "secret" of a GREAT quality-to-price ratio is simple, really.

You have to take a chance.

Find a grape variety that's not well known, a region that remains out of the spotlight - the more obscure, the better. Add a largely unknown producer and a wine that is, frankly, off the wall and you have yourself a pretty solid recipe for a memorable (unforgettable!?) experience.

Today we capitalize on all of the above, in a big way. This email presents a mini-vertical of a past "Wine of the Year" winner from three exceptional vintages: 1996, 2002 and 2007.

2007 J.F. Coche-Dury
The Standard by Which All Others are Measured
From the Classic 2007 Vintage

Jean-Françoise Coche sometimes seems more like a cult figure than a real-life winemaker.

He is a legend in Burgundy and arguably one of the greatest producers of Chardonnay on planet earth. Coche-Dury is to Chardonnay what DRC is to Pinot Noir; his wines command a respect, and a price, that dwarf nearly all others.

Burgundy is rarely available in large quantity; rarity, in other words, is the norm. Still, the wines of Coche-Dury are ghosts - talked about all the time, but rarely seen.

Barolo's Rebel Yell!
2004 Bartolo Mascarello Barolo
The Greatest Bartolo Barolo since (gulp!) the 1978?
Lowest Price in the Nation

"This is the best young Barolo I have tasted here in many years. Fans of traditional Barolo won’t want to miss this superb effort." - Antonio Galloni, Wine Advocate

The short story is that in this glorious, powerful vintage, Mascarello has come up with something special.

The 2004 Bartolo Mascarello Barolo is, in turns, explosive, concentrated and provocatively mouth-watering with juicy cherry and raspberry, shrieking flowers and spices dashed with minerals, yet for all this muscle, the wine is also nimble, agile...even soaring.

2008 Boulay Sancerre La Comtesse
A Hedonist's Vatan or Cotat?
The 4th Vintage of this Sancerre Super-Cuvée

Limited - Special Offer for Loire Supporters Only!

Boulay's Sancerre super-cuvée "Comtesse" is a simply outrageous expression of Sauvignon Blanc.

This bottle is a Loire legend in the making - based on the fact that we've sold out of this wine in less than 24 hours for each of the last three vintages we've offered, many of you seem to agree.

2007 Raveneau Chablis 1er Butteaux
Old-Vine Elegance from Raveneau
Special offer *only* for MdT Supporters

Just not enough Raveneau to go around.

With only a few cases en route, there's just not enough of today's "ultra elegant" Raveneau to send to the full list.

So today we say thank you to those of you who supported Raveneau's 2007 Montée de Tonnerre, with a follow-up offer on Raveneau's 1er Cru Butteaux at only $109.95.

Nebbiolo on the Mountain Top
1999 Ar Pe Pe Sasella Riserva Vigna Regina
One of Italy's Great Traditional Estates

What a shame.

After all, Nebbiolo (like all noble grapes) is incredibly sensitive to where it’s planted and can display an enormous range of flavors.

Today we take Nebbiolo up the mountain, to 1,200-1,800 feet above sea level. Here, in Valtellina, an alpine region bordering Switzerland, Nebbiolo shows its lighter, more nervous, delicate and finessed side (you might even say Burgundian).

For us, this expression of Nebbiolo reaches its greatest heights in the resolutely traditional wines of Ar Pe Pe. Have no doubt, the late Arturo Pelizzatti Perego (who sadly passed away in 2004) deserves to be held among the ranks of Italy’s great traditional winemakers, right there with Bartolo Mascarello, Paolo Bea, Edoardo Valentini and others.

Grand Cru in Spirit, Size and Severity
2007 Raveneau Chablis 1er Montée de Tonnerre
Do you enjoy aggressively classic, old school Chablis?

The word "epic" comes to mind.

"Profound" works too.

Raveneau's 2007s are ruthless, chiseled, unapologetic, thundering Chablis.

This is simply a superb vintage - the best 2007 Chablis uniquely combine the dramatic cut and precision of the 2004s with the concentration and power of the 2005s.

Huët Moelleux 1989 and 1976
Majestic Chenin Blanc
with Impeccable Provenance
A short (and sweet) offer to ring in the New Year

Huët is a name that resides on the shortlist of the great winemaking families of the world. Though Vouvray has been famously under-appreciated in the U.S., Huët’s Vouvrays have always been recognized as some of the greatest, most complex and ageable white wines in the world.

While new vintages are sought after; older vintages are exceedingly rare, and prices continue to rise, especially recently, when the Domaine increased "cellar door" prices on all back vintages considerably.

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
Special Pricing on the Greatest Goisses of the Last 20 Years

"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 Salon (but that can be had today for about a 30% discount!).

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.)

00 Chezeaux (Ponsot) Griotte-Chambertin
"Produced, Aged and Bottled by Dom. Ponsot"
The Secrets, the Seduction, of Grand Cru Burgundy

My homage to Burgundy's most talked about winemaker.

My "Wine of the Year" is not what it appears to be.

It's better.

While the label declares "Domaine des Chezeaux" with a staid calm, "the truth in the bottle" is none other than Ponsot's 2000 Griotte-Chambertin.

The only difference between this bottling and Ponsot's is the label.

Oh... that and the fact that the Chezeaux bottling trades at about a 20% discount.

Ian's Wine of the Year
2005 Joly Savennieres Coulee de Serrant
As low as $29.95 when you buy a case
(Yes, you read correctly: $29.95)

If only there was some dramatic story behind the pricing,
a forgotten cellar or some murder mystery.

No such drama.

The wine just switched importers and we were faster than anyone else on pulling the trigger on a parcel at a special price. Today we are happy to pass along this serious discount on one of the world's noble white wines.

The old importer obviously had no desire to hold any stock - yet the reality here is this is stock well worth holding, especially for the informed collector, especially at this price. Consider the 2006 begins at $74; when the 2007 hits expect prices of at least $80/btl.

Tom's Wine Of The Year
The Best Damn Pinot Noir That Isn't
Thierry Puzelat's Personality Filled Knockout:
"KO - Clos de la Roche"

I didn't go to the Loire Valley looking for a "Wine of the Year."  The truth is, in a way I was hoping *not* to find anything. It'd be too predictable, really. The fulfillment of a wine business cliché - taking a trip and buying everything that you taste. "Not me," I said to myself. In fact, I think that I compensated in the other direction ... with an overly critical palate.

Stephen & Joe's Wine of the Year!
2008 Stein Palmberg-Terrassen Spätlese Trocken
Forgotten Terraces - 100-Year-Old Ungrafted Vines

If a picture is worth 1,000 words, how much is a video worth?

The 2008 Stein Palmberg-Terrassen is likely the greatest Riesling value on earth. (A wine made from 100-year-old ungrafted vines on steep, slate-riddled slopes for ~$25?!)

Extraordinarily, this is a bottle that overwhelms the stereotypes of the vintage.

2007 Dom. François Mikulski Aligoté
Way Too Good for the Holiday Party
(Yet priced this low, why not impress?)

A Holiday FRIDAY STEAL at as low as $16!
Special Email *Only* Pricing - You MUST order by email!

This is a strategic Friday Steal: With the holidays around the corner, you need some sipping wines!

THAT'S WHY WE'RE PULLING OUT THE BIG (VALUE) GUNS TODAY!

This is crisp Aligoté with a serious pedigree - old vines celebrating their 80th birthday this year, as the label, pictured right, proudly declares. The seriousness is reflected by the fact that the only other price for this wine in the U.S. is $35. (We bought the entire north east allocation and cut a serious deal, which we pass on to you.)

IMMEASURABLE POTENTIAL
2005 Chandon de Briailles
Pernand-Vergelesses 1er Cru "Ile des Vergelesses"
Yes Virginia, there is GREAT Burgundy for Under $50

"A classy, pure, refined and ultra-elegant nose...flavors blessed with laser-like precision...an exercise in understatement and harmony." - Burghound

For those of you looking for a steal on ageworthy red Burgundy from the greatest vintage of this young century - this is an offer NOT TO MISS.

Clive Coates calls this wine one of the gems of Chandon, further insisting that the estate's parcels in the Ile des Vergelesses merit Grand Cru status - we're talking old vines going back to 1938.

Burgundy: Radically Ripe, Curiously Mineral
2002 Bongran Vire Clesse 'Cuvee Tradition'
Chardonnay Dichotomy from the Edge - Only $20!

I fell in love with Bongran at a birthday dinner years ago. I wasn't expecting to, but it was a magnum of the 1996 that absolutely blew me away. This is one of the most beautifully twisted expressions of Chardonnay out there.

You’re receiving this offer because your palate is as twisted as mine!

While you like the refined, it’s wines that are simultaneously hedonistic and challenging that really make you happy.

Today's reward is that you’re getting a wine that will satisfy the wine nerds who want to get cerebral while also delighting the holiday party crowd - the 2002 Bongran Vire Clesse 'Cuvee Tradition' at as low as $17.99. We have less than 10 cases available, so first come, first served.

2000 Dom Pérignon Gift Set
1 x 2000 Dom Pérignon | 2 x Champagne Flutes
NEW: Engrave your Dom Pérignon for the Holidays!

"Elegance personified" - Wine Advocate

With the holidays around the corner, Dom Pérignon has stepped up to the plate and delivered the perfect gift.

For the Champagne lover, for the connoisseur, for anyone obsessed with the best, today we offer a 2000 Dom Pérignon gift set for the holidays at $169.95. Customize your Dom Pérignon for $35.00.

Germany 1963 - 2002
Masterpieces in Riesling from J.J. Prum, Weil,
Karthauserhof, Von Schubert, Dr. Thanisch...
A Library of German Rarities - Special Holiday Pricing

It's an experience not to be missed.

Older German Rieslings are some of the hardest bottles to find - the collectors who buy these wines tend to obsess about them as much as we do, and for good reason. There are few things as nuanced and mysterious as Riesling with 20+ years of age. The sweetness, slowly, disappears; the texture and frame of the wine gains in delicacy; the fruit and mineral integrate. They can be absolutely magical.

Suffice it to say that today's small library of wines from the top producers in Germany has taken well over 6 months to assemble.

Glorious, Evocative Old-School Pommard
1993 M. Gaunoux Pommard 1er Grands Epenots
Burgundy STEAL from Top Vintage, Drinking Now...

This is worth the quick read before you take off for your Thanksgiving feast. (You'll thank us later!)

Today, a quick indulgence into a small parcel of beautifully savage, old-school Pommard with all the fruit, game and muscle-bound grace you'd expect from one of Pommard's best producers and top sites...

...at a price that puts gorgeous, mature, glorious Burgundy within everyone's reach. (The pricing today is about as sharp as it will ever be.)

2004 Cerbaie Brunello di Montalcino
"Burgundian" Brunello with Finesse and Purity
THE Value of the Monumental 2004 Vintage
Stunning Brunello at as Low as $38.95

Think Brunello is only about muscle, weight and heft?
Think again.

Brunello in its purest form has a shocking clarity to it, an aromatic fineness that can be incredibly evocative - smoke, fresh black cherry, bramble, fields of wild grass and perfumed flowers.

With Thanksgiving but hours away and a parcel of our favorite Brunello from the great 2004 vintage en route to the store for as low as $38.95 a bottle - it's time to "Back Up the Truck" under the Tuscan sun! (Wine should arrive today!)

Willi Schaefer, DANCING
on Your Thanksgiving Table
A Magical Kabinett from a Magical Vintage,
Special Monday Back Up the Truck!
The Top 2007 Willi Schaefer Kabinett as low as $17!

"...left me salivating uncontrollably... I'm not sure I'll outlive it, but those who can ought to contemplate saving some for 25 years from now. Just make sure you have lots for in-between too!" -David Schildknecht, Wine Advocate

We'll cut to the chase here, because today we present one of the top Kabinetts from the utterly superb 2007 vintage at as low as $17 a bottle.

This is a mighty Monday "Back Up the Truck" with special Thanksgiving pricing available only on this single parcel of 2007 Schaefer Kabinett, received directly from the cellar of Willi Schaefer himself.

As Schildknecht suggests (above), this wine is stunning now - our white wine pick for the Thanksgiving table - but it will also develop in the cellar to join you for Thanksgiving 2034, should you have the patience.

Loire Royalty, for a Song
A Library of Baumard's Epic Chenin Blancs
Savennières - Coteaux du Layon - Quarts de Chaume
1992 - 1995 - 1999 - 2001 - 2002

The legendary sweet and dry Chenin Blancs of Baumard cast a long shadow across the Loire.

The Baumard family is Loire royalty - they own some of the choicest real estate for producing monumental, long-lived Savennières and the famous sweets from the Coteaux du Layon and Quarts de Chaume. The wine journals are littered with tales of how these wines, both young and old, have served as mind-blowing benchmarks.

2004 F. Gaunoux Pommard 'Les Tavannes'
1er Cru Quality at a Bourgogne Rouge Price!
A Special Thanksgiving "Back Up The Truck!"

Admit it. With a week to go, you still haven't decided what to pour for Thanksgiving.

It's a difficult situation to navigate. You’d like something bold, a juicy red that will stand out and impress, yet also pair well with the Thanksgiving meal. You'd like something special without breaking the bank but you've got 10 people (more?) coming over and aunt Mildred, let's be honest, will drink anything.

For us, the hunt for the perfect Thanksgiving wine began in late August and it wasn't until early October that we found the bottle.

It was worth the effort, because today we can offer a beautiful, traditional Burgundy at an incredible price, over 30% off its regular price: Francois Gaunoux’s Pommard "Les Tavannes" at as low as $33. (The last retail price we can find for this wine was $49 a bottle.)

2005 Rayas Chateauneuf-du-Pape
The Greatest, Most Collectible Chateauneuf?
The Mystique, the Magic of Rayas is Back

"The 2005 is clearly the greatest wine made at this estate since the 1995...utterly profound Chateauneuf du Pape."
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate

Just to set the record straight: Rayas is back, with a vengeance.

The 2005 is perhaps the first truly spectacular Chateauneuf produced by the estate since the passing of Jacques Reynard. It is a simply explosive Chateauneuf - the 2005 Rayas is expansive, saturated with sweet dark fruits, an elegant and seemingly endless mid-palate awash with concentration and aromatics that can fill any room. Parker's notes, reproduced below, are worth reading.

2003 Bert Simon Serrig Herrenberg BA
The Noble Art of the BA at an Extraordinary Price
Full 750ml Bottles for as Low as $38.50!

...but not for today's sweet Friday Steal!

The BA is one of the highest art forms in German winemaking.

These are the rare German dessert wines, every bit the equal of the great Sauternes. Most German wine aficionados (unsurprisingly!) will tell you that the best German "stickies" present more than what a Sauternes can offer, with more elegance, finesse, minerality and acidity along with that magical, noble rot-inflected array of mango, apricot and honey. (See sidebar for more on the BA and noble rot.)

1998 Dom Ruinart Blanc de Blancs
The Most Seductive Side of Chardonnay...
at least north of Montrachet
As low as $99.99

"The 1998 Dom Ruinart is simply gorgeous."
- Wine Advocate

Dom Ruinart has a serious reputation for their Chardonnay - their Blanc de Blancs present one of the most suave and graceful expressions of the grape, at least north of Montrachet.

This is a bottling that is held in the highest esteem in Europe; it resides in force on the great wine lists of the continent, alongside elites such as Dom Pérignon, Krug, Cristal and Salon. Dom Ruinart has a reputation for aging that hangs with the big boys.

2005 G. Mascarello Barolo Monprivato
Rich Monprivato Echoes the Powerful 1999
Special Pre-Arrival Pricing...

"The best 2005s are exceptional and aren't too far off the levels top producers achieved in 2004."
- Antonio Galloni, Wine Advocate

Mascarello's Monprivato is one of the greatest expressions of Barolo; it is also perhaps our favorite. Few achieve the Burgundy-like finesse that Mauro Mascarello coaxes from this top site.

Though long considered one of the great traditional Piedmont reds by insiders, it is really only in the last five years that this bottling's reputation has exploded. Make no mistake about it, Mascarello's Monprivato is now one of the most collectible Barolos, right up there with the top wines of Giacomo Conterno, Bruno Giacosa and Bartolo Mascarello, though at a fraction of the price.

2007 Hajszan "Gemischter Satz" Weissleiten
"Gemischter Satz" hits the New York Times!
Vienna's Traditional Field Blends on the World Stage

"My favorite gemischter satz is the 2007 Weissleiten from Stefan Hajszan, a gorgeous wine that is both delicate and intense." - Eric Asimov, New York Times, November 2nd, 2009

You have to give credit to the New York Times chief wine writer, Eric Asimov, for taking the wine drinking collective consciousness to new and fascinating places. Last week's article, about the traditional field blends of Vienna, is well worth reading - click here for article.

Burgundy 1990-2003
Bachelet, Barthod, Chevillon, Drouhin, Faiveley, Jadot, Rousseau and more...
Special Pricing on Back-Vintage Burgundy

FRIDAY STEALS!

Today we present a special collection that we've spent some time putting together - beautiful red Burgundies from 1990 to 2003, from Grand Crus to village wines, every one specially priced for this Burgundian "Friday Steal."

This is a category of wine we are constantly on the hunt for, and we have to say, these bottles can be very elusive. Young Burgundy is easy to find, but as these wines slowly take advantage of time to open up, to develop, to come into focus, into balance...well, collectors are less inclined to give them up.

2007 Vieille Julienne Chateauneuf-du-Pape
Tradition and Soul in Chateauneuf
Sharp Pricing on a Star from this Top Vintage

"Always one of my favorite Chateauneuf-du-Pape estates to visit, proprietor Jean-Paul Dauman has made Domaine de la Vieille Julienne a brilliant reference point for this appellation."
- Robert Parker

It's amazing the genius that can be produced when wines are not manipulated, when very old vines (100 years plus) are tended to thoughtfully.

Perhaps we shouldn't expect anything less, especially in "the greatest vintage" Robert Parker has experienced in his thirty years working the Southern Rhône, yet still, even with all the hype, the purity and soul of the 2007 Vieille Julienne is impossible to deny.

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.

Cedric Bouchard
The Champagne Shock Waves Continue...
New Releases including *Rare* Magnums and
100% Pinot Blanc Cuvee "Boloree"

"The explosive, kaleidoscopic Champagnes of Cedric Bouchard are some of the most compelling wines coming out of the region today... Readers should do whatever they can to experience these magnificent wines."
- Antonio Galloni, Wine Advocate

We first introduced the rising Champagne star Cedric Bouchard in April of this year, in the wake of Antonio Galloni's stunning reviews. Antonio lavished Bouchard