June 18, 2008

2003 Mascarello Barolo Monprivato

The estate of Guiseppe Mascarello is one of the most underrated in the wine world; Mauro Mascarello, the current head of the estate, is a Piedmont legend standing with the giants of traditional Barolo: Giacomo Conterno, Bruno Giacosa and Bartolo Mascarello. Because of our long-standing support of Mascarello's famed Barolo Monprivato, we were able to secure one parcel of the 2003 at a special pre-arrival price.

At well under $100, this is one of the greatest deals in all of red winedom. Mascarello's Monprivato is, year in and year out, one of the defining Barolos and in the mammoth 03 vintage, Mauro has crafted a Monprivato that handles its stunning ripeness with pitch-perfect elegance.

Posted by Bob Schagrin at 11:28 AM | TrackBack

Gaja and Bartolo 1971s

Exhausted and hungry after a 12 hour retail day, Maslow's hierarchy of needs often moves drinking great wine to the end of my immediate priority list. Last Friday evening, basic human needs caused Stephen to head for home at 8pm and almost convinced me to follow the same path.

Lucky for me (and unlucky for him) Crush Managing Partner Bob Schagrin was ready to throwdown and had stood up two 1971's from Piemonte to enjoy...

Posted by Tom Stephenson at 11:08 AM | TrackBack

February 29, 2008

Giacomelli Vermentino: Complex Winter White from Liguria

Could this be the cruelest time of the year? The holidays have receded well into memory, daylight seems scarce, the chill is here and spring is still much too far away.

The only answer our eccentric minds could cook up was a Mediterranean-inspired meal with a couple of Vermentini that deliver the fresh warm scents of the sun-soaked Ligurian coast of Italy. (Click here for more on the Vermentino-celebrating meal Joe concocted, including a killer recipe for Bourride - a fish stew from Nice - the perfect partner to Giacomelli's rich Vermentini.)

Posted by Stephen Bitterolf at 3:11 PM | TrackBack

December 7, 2007

Mascarello's Monprivato - Discounted!

The continued low prices for Barolos from the estate of Giuseppe Mascarello are inexplicable, especially given the unquestionably elite status of the wines.

Because of one of the best deals we cut all year, we are thrilled to bring the prices of these wines even lower - up to 40% below fair market value! Importantly, at these prices almost any curious wine lover can try at least one bottle of this Piedmont Royal, before the numbers go up to where they should be.

This is also the year's last Italian offering, and such an honor couldn't be bestowed on a more worthy winemaker. Mascarello is one of my personal Piedmont favorites and these are two wines we've been saving for this final celebration: Mascarello's 2000 Monprivato and the inaugural 1993 Monprivato "Ca d'Morissio," both offered at the lowest prices in the nation.

Posted by Stephen Bitterolf at 1:16 PM | TrackBack

September 26, 2007

Cappellano Back-Vintage: Piedmont in Ecstasy

Finding the elite bottlings of Piedmont great Teobaldo Cappellano is hard enough; finding his wines from top vintages like 1996, 97, 98 and 99 is basically impossible. Yet we've found them.

Even more incredibly, we're able to offer these back-vintage gems, with nearly a decade's worth of perfect cellaring, at phenomenally low prices. Consider that we're able to sell the 1997 Barolo "Pie Franco" at $54.78 - nearly 50% lower than the current release.

Other deals include:
1997 Barolo Pie Rupestris for $49.83
1996 Barbaresco for $39.77
1999 Langhe Rosso for $19.98

Suffice it to say that this Cappellano parcel represents one of the most remarkable offerings of the year. Click here to see our entire Cappellano collection and shop online; to order by telephone please the store at (212) 980-9463.

Posted by Stephen Bitterolf at 4:46 PM | TrackBack

December 11, 2006

Stephen's Wine of The Year: Montesecondo Rosso

I knew Silvio Messana痴 2004 Montesecondo would be my "Wine of the Year" the first time I had it.

A Tuscan red with supercharged fruit, fresh acidity and a thrilling vibrancy, it痴 one of the greatest food wines I致e tasted in 2006. It is honest and unpretentious, a wine that doesn稚 overpower a meal, but perfectly complements it.

Posted by Stephen Bitterolf at 12:21 AM

September 26, 2006

Teobaldo Cappellano

When I first asked Teobaldo Cappellano about his winemaking process he shrugged his shoulders and looked at me with a soft sense of disappointment. In this scene, I was clearly Luke Skywalker and he was Yoda the Jedi Master. After a short pause, he said: "Son, when you make love, do you read the Karma Sutra?"

Posted by Stephen Bitterolf at 8:26 AM | TrackBack

June 28, 2006

1998 Eduardo Valentini Trebbiano D'Abbruzzo

Eduardo Valentini took the lowly Trebbiano grape and turned it into a wine that people scour the world for.

In his hands, Italy's most prolific (and usually insipid) grape became a world-class, refined, and ageworthy wine that is truly a cult favorite.

While Valentini produced a red wine from Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, he considered Trebbiano to be the best expression of Abruzzo, the eastern Italian region where he made his wines. Not only has the grape been there since Roman times, but he believed it best conveyed the essence of soil, climate, and culture in Abruzzo.

Posted by Bob Schagrin at 10:56 AM