Archive by Author
Killer Barolo from a Legendary Producer at a Great Price!
Posted on Jan, 13. 2012 by Kevin Sidders
Categories: Wine
I’ve had my eye on this wine ever since I tasted it briefly at an Italian restaurant in Richmond several weeks ago. Enotaca Sogno is run by Gary York, a former Charlottesvillian known to many around town who’s also an expert on Italian wines. Over dinner at his place one night (which I highly recommend, BTW), he swung by my table to interrupt the conversation with “you’ve GOT to try this”. He poured me a small taste with his hand over the label, and asked me what I thought it should cost. It was clearly very classy Barolo, complex palate, very impressive, so I guessed it would be north of $100 on his wine list. But when he showed me what it was, and told me its wholesale price, I was blown away…
The wine was the 2007 Vietti Barolo Castiglione. The Vietti estate is run by Luca Currado, generally regarded as one of the top winemakers and consultants in Barolo right now. I have had the pleasure of meeting him a couple of times on my trips there, and have always been impressed by his warmth and charm for a person as highly revered as he is. Just last week, Antonio Galloni of the Wine Advocate featured him in his video series on Barolo, which can be seen here: http://www.erobertparker.com/members/ag/ag184.asp (I believe this works, but you may need to be a subscriber).
Castiglione is their baseline Barolo, a blend of several of the estate’s Cru vineyards, places like Bricco Fiasco, Ravera and Fossati. For my money it’s one of (if not THE) best base-level Barolo made each year. And recall that 2007 was a great vintage in Barolo, with the wines I’ve tasted across the broad showing exceptionally well. Interestingly, this vintage is drinking well right off the bat (unlike most) — while these wines will certainly improve with age, this can be consumed now and deliver great pleasure.
Galloni published a strongly enthusiastic review of the wine last year and gave it a great score:
The 2007 Barolo Castiglione deftly balances the open, radiant personality of the vintage with considerable underlying structure. Warm, dense and full-bodied, the 2007 Barolo Castiglione flows effortlessly across the palate with generous fruit and fabulous overall balance. The wine was even better when I tasted it from bottle a few months later. It is another overachieving wine from Vietti and a bottle that is exceedingly fairly priced. 93 points. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2027.
Whether you are a savvy Barolo connoisseur, got recently introduced to it through the Guild, or are curious to try it for the first time to see what the fuss is all about, this would be a great wine for you. Complexity, class, accessibility, and a very affordable price for the overall quality, this is a great choice all around. Highly recommended!
We’re expecting this wine to arrive by the end of the month.
2007 Vietti Barolo Castiglione, Piedmont, Italy
Member Price: [Login to see member prices.]
Retail Price: $48.0
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A Guild-Favorite Tuscan Superstar, on Closeout!!
Posted on Dec, 15. 2011 by Kevin Sidders
Categories: Wine
We just received our first year-end closeout sale offer, this from one of our top distributors. It seems like these are starting later this year (perhaps the economy is finally coming back a bit), but whatever the case in plowing through it two wines from one of my favorite estates leaped off the page. Fattoria di Felsina is one of the top producers of Chianti, making a variety of wines at multiple price points that are all solid values. In fact, Antonio Galloni from the Wine Advocate said that "Felsina is a reference-point property for readers who want to discover the best Tuscany has to offer. Prices remain exceedingly fair considering the quality of what is in the bottle" and I couldn't agree more. I actually visited the estate earlier this year in my travels to Italy and was thrilled to tour the amazing estate and taste through their entire lineup.
To begin, many of you are familiar with the Felsina Chianti Classico Riserva Rancia -- we've sold cases upon cases of the 2004 and 2006 vintages of this wine, which is literally one of my favorite wines in the world. I'm sure you can find those prior emails in your files or archive if you want to experience again my enthusiasm for this wine, but for our newer members this is (in my mind) the single best bottling of Chianti made anywhere by anyone. It's a hugely extracted, powerful and complex expression of Sangiovese (blowing the traditional notion of lightweight, elegant Chianti out of the water) that can go toe to toe with California Cabernet, Bordeaux or Barolo. The 2007 vintage was a very strong one in Italy, and this wine once again lived up to expectations:
The 2007 Chianti Classico Riserva Rancia bursts onto the palate in a big, brooding expression of Sangiovese from Castelnuovo Berardenga. Muscular and dense to the core, the 2007 powers all the way through to the long finish. Hints of smoke, tar, leather and scorched earth emerge over time, but only with great reluctance. In a vintage where so many wines are open, the Rancia comes across as quite stubborn and in need of at least five more years in bottle. That said, it is a standout, not to mention one of the greatest values in fine, age-worthy wine. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2027. -- 94 points, Antonio Galloni, The Wine Advocate
As an added bonus, we have another spectacular wine in the Felsina portfolio to add to the mix this time -- the 2007 Felsina Fontalloro. The Fontalloro is another of Felsina's top wines, also a 100% Sangiovese, but since this particular vineyard is *just* on the other side of the DOCG that defines Chianti proper, the wine cannot be designated as such and has taken a marketing name instead. When I tasted it earlier this year I thought it was more approachable than the Rancia, and Galloni apparently agrees:
The 2007 Fontalloro is round, sweet and inviting, very much in keeping with the style of the vintage. The fruit tends towards the redder end of the spectrum vis-a-vis the Rancia and the Fontalloro seems to possess a touch more freshness. Floral, spiced notes add lift on the finish.-- 93 points, Antonio Galloni, The Wine Advocate
Now, it's pretty rare when a wine we've offered at regular price in multiple prior vintages shows up in a closeout, but when it happens we're thrilled to pass it along with our highest recommendation. In addition, this time we're also able to offer another spectacular wine from the same estate, at a similarly-discounted price. Please respond quickly if you have an interest, as the distributor has made these close-out prices available to all the shops in town and I expect they'll move very quickly...
2007 Felsina Chianti Classico Riserva Rancia, Italy
Member Price: [Login to see member prices.]
Retail Price: $50.00
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2007 Felsina Fontalloro, Italy
Member Price: [Login to see member prices.]
Retail Price: $52.00
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The BEST California Chardonnay Value of the Year!
Posted on Jul, 14. 2011 by Kevin Sidders
Categories: Wine
We've got a top quality, amazingly priced California Chardonnay today. As it's been a few months since we've offered one out, I made it my quest to search out the best value example I could find. After a bunch of research online reading reviews (Robert Parker, Wine Spectator, CellarTracker), published articles (columnists and bloggers) and bulletin boards, I settled on a handful of wines to sample that are currently available in the market. I tasted a half dozen, then hung on to the three best and shared then with a couple of other Board members (and select hangers on) after last week's tasting (sometimes good things happen if you stay late enough).
While all of the wines were quite good (as the upfront research paid off), we all agreed that one particular wine stood notably above the crowd -- the 2008 MacRostie Chardonnay Sonoma Coast. Now you've probably heard of MacRostie -- they've been around since the 1980s making mostly Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from grape sources first in Carneros, then later adding estate vineyards in Sonoma. They generally make very solid wines year-in and year-out and have established a strong reputation for quality and value over that time. I've had their wines from time to time in my cellar, and they never disappoint in delivering a quality drinking experience and solid value.
The catalyst for trying this particular wine was a rave review from the Wine Spectator:
"A rich, elegant style, with intense concentrated citrus, green apple, spice and fresh-cut flowers. Full-bodied, gaining depth and complexity on the finish, where the minerality shines through. Drink now through 2018. 16,000 cases made - J.L. 92 Points
Our collective tasting notes confirmed that profile -- I found this to be absolutely rock solid, with great concentration and a middle of the fairway California Chardonnay taste profile where intense fruit balances some healthy oak, and the others heartily agreed. This is the kind of wine that celebrates what California can do with this grape, in its own special way, without being clumsy or going over the top -- precisely the kind of wine I love to have in my cellar at all times.
At the full retail price of $25 this would be an excellent choice -- indeed, in terms of score/price using the powerful Wine Spectator review search tool, this is the top value California Chardonnay under $25 currently available. As such, and with the generous production volume, I think this wine is a lock to be included in the 2011 Wine Spectator Top 100 list at year-end. (And remember, the last time we told you that the wine ended up #1!)
Now I'm not promising that, but what's best of all is the outstanding deal we've been able to negotiate for you:
2008 MacRostie Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast, California
Member Price: [Login to see member prices.]
Retail Price: $25.00
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This a special occasion quality Chardonnay at an everyday drinking Chardonnay price. Highly Recommended.
As I said, I want wines like this in my cellar at all times, so let my order for 6 bottles get things started...
New Vintage of a Guild Favorite!
Posted on Jun, 23. 2011 by Kevin Sidders
Categories: Wine
Today I'm bringing you a wine we had great success with in a past vintage -- the 2008 Numanthia Toro Termes from Spain. We offered this wine a couple of years ago in the 2006 vintage, and it was a complete blowout (despite the fact that the Guild membership was about half of what it is today). I'll repeat my background comments from that offer here, since I was just about to write essentially the same thing:
There's nothing more fun for me as a Board member of the Guild than putting out offers on wines that excite me (hopefully my passion comes through in email as well as Will's does). I get especially geeked up when a wine I know REALLY well becomes available in reasonable quantities, and has exceptional supporting reviews from major publications. This is just such an occasion, so please pardon my effusiveness:
I've been awaiting the 2006 Numanthia Toro Termes for about six months, the time since I finished my last bottle of the 2005. This wine has been a mainstay in our cellar for a few years, since I first discovered it in about the 2002 vintage. I'd been drinking the regular Numanthia for years before that, as it would get pretty consistent mid-90s ratings at a $35-40 price point. When I finally came across the "little brother" wine at roughly $20, I figured "why not" and was similarly impressed by a consistently great value at that price. Parker got on board early, and has rated the 2002 - 2005 vintages of the Termes 90 / 90 / 94 / 92. The CellarTracker community ratings on this wine over that period are similarly largely in the low 90s. Parker's review of the 2006 has not been published yet, but WineSpectator just came out with theirs, and they raved so strongly they named it a "Highly Recommended" selection -- one of their top 5 wines of the issue!
The 2008 Numanthia Toro Termes continues this wine's long history of consistent execution, with strong scores from Wine Spectator (91) and Tanzer (91) (Parker's reviews of 2008 in Spain will be published in about a week). The Wine Spectator tasting note is very typical for this wine:
This bold red matches ripe blackberry and currant flavors with toast, dark chocolate and oak notes. The tannins are firm and well-integrated, and the smoky mineral note is alluring. Drink now through 2016. 7,000 cases made. –TM
In addition, the CellarTracker scores are consistently in the low-90s. If you enjoy well-made, high quality Spanish wines that are bold and full of flavor, but with class and balance, this is a great choice for you. I can't emphasize enough the consistent quality of this estate and this bottling, and the broad palate appeal. This is an absolutely solid across-the-board wine that everyone will enjoy, at a price that's more than reasonable (at least until Parker's review comes out next week)...
2008 Numanthia Toro Termes, Toro, Spain
Member Price: [Login to see member prices.]
Retail Price: $33.00
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The distributor only recently brought this offer to our attention (after a bunch of it had already been spoken for), but we immediately ordered everything they had in stock. Quantities are limited, however, so please get back to us promptly with your interest and we will allocate if need be.
Shockingly Good Everyday Red from one of our Favorite Producers
Posted on Apr, 28. 2011 by Kevin Sidders
Categories: Wine
I absolutely love it when wineries that we adore, with whom we have done great business over the years, continue to churn out strong wines. The winery in this case is G.D. Vajra, a producer we first worked with about 2 years ago. Back then, they emerged onto the US scene as a small family winery in the Piedmont making their first big splash here via some very strong inaugural reviews in the Wine Advocate and some extremely attractive pricing for the quality. We sold 20+ cases of their 2007 Langhe Nebbiolo in that first offer, and have consistently followed their new releases with great interest since then.
When I visited the Piedmont back in November, their winery was one of my priority visits, and they did not disappoint; I think most of you read or heard my tale of the 4-hour tasting visit with Jeep tour and luxury lunch of fresh truffles included. We featured a couple of their wines at the post-trip Piedmont tasting in December, and another one as a "Best of Show" offering after the Country Vintner trade tasting tasting a couple of months ago.
Today's wine is another discovery from that event, albeit at the other end of the price spectrum. The 2008 Vajra Langhe Rosso is their entry level wine, a blend of the main Piedmontese varietals of Nebbiolo, Barbera and Dolcetto. This is meant as a true table wine, made expressly for every day drinking with a broad range of foods. When I tasted it among the other much higher end Vajra wines in the lineup, I couldn't help but be impressed with the way that it fit right in -- there is a tremendous fruit profile here, with red and black currants, strawberries and blackberries, and very nice spicy notes to complement the fruit. This seemed much more classy than someone's regular entry level wine I thought -- perhaps this was simply a blend of higher quality excess juice?
When I was quoted the price, I literally did a spit-take I was so flabbergasted. Since I was a little concerned that my deep affinity for the winery might be impacting my judgement, I immediately instructed our salesperson to deliver a bottle to the Guild so that other Board members could taste it blind. My evaluation was confirmed, however, when I slipped a glass from the sample bottle to Evan at the end of one of our weekly tastings and asked him for his take. He said he enjoyed it immensely, and when I told him the price, he had precisely the same reaction I did -- simple disbelief.
We both agreed at that moment that we'd offer this wine to the Guild membership with a strong recommendation. Cross referencing CellarTracker tasting notes only heightened our enthusiasm, with quotes like "a perfect wine to sip and enjoy" and "a very good value, especially if you can find it under $15". Under $15??? We can do lots better than that...
2008 G.D. Vajra Langhe Rosso, Piedmont, Italy
Member Price: [Login to see member prices.]
Retail Price: $15.00
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This is an all palate, all occasion wine that should appeal to pretty much everyone. Good quantities are available, so feel free to go long this wine without the risk of getting cut back...
A Super (Value) Tuscan destined for the Spectator Top 100
Posted on Apr, 21. 2011 by Kevin Sidders
Categories: Wine
Today's wine is unlike anything we've offered in more than a year. You're all well aware of our profound love for the Cabernet-based wines of Bordeaux, and we're always on the lookout for the occasional great value Cabernet from the Napa Valley, but today we bring you a wonderful expression of Cabernet from another geography altogether. This time we're in Italy, specifically Tuscany, where some absolutely amazing Bordeaux-varietal wines have been made over the past 20 years (called "Super Tuscans"). About a year ago we brought you a very exciting, very reasonably priced Cabernet-based wine from Bolgheri in the north-western corner of Tuscany, the 2006 Poggio alla Querce. With a price in the teens, I suppose one could call it a "baby Super Tuscan" if that's not too oxymoronic. Well, if you enjoyed that wine (or perhaps regretted missing it), here's another similar example to sink your teeth into...
The 2007 Tenuta Monteti Toscana Caburnio is a Cabernet blend like the Poggio alla Querce, but with a slightly different varietal mix -- here we've got 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Alicante and 20% Merlot. The estate is located near the town of Capalbio, in the extreme south-western corner of Tuscany. The wine shows all of the ripeness of that warm, excellent vintage, and moderate oak treatment means that the fruit flavors are pure and forward. I had been keeping my eyes out for this wine to become available in the US after I saw a stellar review in the Wine Spectator a few months ago:
92 Points. Fresh and focused flavors of black cherry, black currant and herbs that border on jammy, but never cross the line. Supple and smooth, offering ripe tannins and bright acidity for structure, with excellent length. Cabernet Sauvignon, Alicante and Merlot. Best from 2012 through 2024. 10,000 cases made. –BS
When it finally arrived late last week, we insisted on getting the first bottle off the truck and sampling it on Monday morning (the lengths we go to in order to ensure you're taken care of...). I made sure to hide the published review to see how my unbiased notes might compare, and they were very consistent -- pure cherry fruit, with real balance and elegance and enough acidity to keep everything focused. While that sounds pretty typical for a Cabernet, what I like most about the wine is that it tastes authentically Italian -- whether it's the herb/spice on the palate, the terroir, or something else I'm not sure, but it definitely tastes of a place, this place, which is probably the highest compliment you can put on a wine.
Perhaps the second highest compliment is "spectacular value", and this wine certainly qualifies there as well, given the jaw-dropping pricing:
2007 Tenuta Monteti Toscana Caburnio, Italy
Member Price: [Login to see member prices.]
Retail Price: $18.00
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Given the very high score and very low price, this wine is almost certain to be on the year-end Wine Spectator Top 100 Wines of the Year list come December. Get yours now while quantities are good, as this is sure to sell out fast once our competitors who get forwarded our emails try to corner the market (you know who you are)...
One of the Greatest VALUES!
Posted on Apr, 04. 2011 by Kevin Sidders
Categories: Wine
I stole the subject line of today's email offer directly from the title of a bulletin board post made by the world's foremost wine critic (Robert Parker) back in July 2010. Now Parker doesn't write on his own boards very often, usually just to chip-in a comment here or there on topics that tweak his interest, leaving the formal wine reviews almost exclusively to his Wine Advocate published bi-monthly. But every once in awhile he gets so excited about a wine that he simply can't wait to share his enthusiasm with his subscribers, and July of last summer was one such rare time time. I recall reading this post and almost coming out of my seat with excitement:
Had this yesterday at a tasting of value wines from the south of France-being released 9/1/10 - 2009 Chateau Puech Haut Prestige-Coteaux du Languedoc - have been familiar with this estate for a number of years and always liked the wines....Michel Rolland was their first consultant and then Claude Gros....as of 2009, it is Philippe Cambie..so three of the most talented oenologists in France have worked here...this new cuvee is an astonishing wine for $18...a blend of 55% grenache from 60-75 year old vines and 45% syrah from 40 year old vines(all planted on limestone soils), the wine is fermented and aged in cement-so a naked wine with no cosmetic make-up...I rated it 94...and that is from bottle ....oodles of forest floor flora ,raspberry, kirsch,and plum are present in both aromatics and flavors...medium to full-bodied, silky tannins, and already very complex and drinkable..in fact I would recommend consuming it over the next 2-4 years...from European Cellars-Eric Solomon....the dreadful economy..the strong dollar, and a producer trying to make inroads in our market has resulted in this low price....one caveat-this is a custom cuvee only available in the USA...fashioned by Cambie and Solomon....I intend to buy several cases....just amazing what is available from this region....and of course thety have had two superlative vintages of late...2007 and 2009....
Well, the minute I read that I contacted the local distributor for Eric Solomon's wines, and they said that they *might* be getting some of that wine at some point well into the future but it would take awhile. Luckily for us, that time has finally arrived, and because of our early interest (apparently other wine shops don't follow the Parker boards?!) and willingness to commit to a significant quantity, we were able to secure a bunch of this wine for the Guild membership.
Now, when the world's foremost wine critic proclaims a wine as one of the world's "Greatest VALUES" and commits in writing to purchasing several cases, that's usually good enough for me. But after the wine arrived late last week Evan got his hands on a sample bottle to test drive, and he couldn't stop raving about it as he put in his Board member pre-order.
So if you have any interest you ought to be all over this wine -- in terms of price/value equation (or Quality Price Ratio -- QPR), this is as good a deal as you may ever see with a 94-point score and a price in the low teens. Wait -- what? The LOW TEENS??? You heard me...
2009 Chateau Puech Haut Prestige-Coteaux du Languedoc, France
Member Price: [Login to see member prices.]
Retail Price: $20.00
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We've got good quantities, but I'm sure demand will be very high so get your orders in promptly so that we can allocate. As the wine is already in stock, feel free to come by starting Wednesday to pick up whatever we're able to give you...
Cellar Pick: 92 Point Oregon Pinot Noir
Posted on Mar, 30. 2011 by Kevin Sidders
Categories: Wine
Here is today's Cellar Pick. We have not tasted this wine but have selected it for its history of performance, current standing and suitability to this time of year. Enjoy.
92 points Wine Spectator
Light in texture, with a minerally edge to the black berry and cassis flavors, lingering easily against refined tannins on the elegant finish. Drink now through 2018. 800 cases made. –HS 92 points
Best of Show — Country Vintner 2011
Posted on Mar, 23. 2011 by Kevin Sidders
Categories: Wine
I went to the annual Country Vintner trade tasting yesterday -- they're one of largest wine distributors in the state of Virginia and their selection is a fantastic fit for our customer base. They offer special pricing in concert with the show -- incremental discounts of 20% or more for purchases made within the next 24 hours. After tasting through nearly a hundred wines, I wanted to act quickly to pass along a few of the high-end wines that really stood out for me where the additional discounts can really add up: Continue reading...
Killer Crowd-Sourced California Cabernet
Posted on Mar, 17. 2011 by Kevin Sidders
Categories: Wine
Today's offer comes to you courtesy of your fellow Guild members. We at the Guild are always trying to come up with new wines to offer, and so we use literally dozens of different methods to create idea flow -- monitoring a variety of written and online reviews, going to trade tastings, eating (and drinking) out often, reading prominent wine blogs, etc. etc. The wine we're offering today was requested by one of our Guild members back in December, who had came across it somehow and wanted a bunch. We sourced a case for them and didn't think too much about it, as that's a service we're happy to provide all our members (i.e., tracking things down you're interested in them). Then just last week we received another request for the same wine from a different member who had heard about it a different way, and the alarm bells went off. We then did some independent research and the wine checked out quite well, so today we are offering it to the entire Guild membership. Continue reading...
90 Points…Under $10!
Posted on Feb, 03. 2011 by Kevin Sidders
Categories: Wine
This offer has everything you need -- great wine, great review, great price, and an interrobang!
Oftentimes distributors use published ratings as a means to try to get us excited about a wine -- they'll pack a bag of things that recently got reviewed well and wait with bated breath for us to gush about them as we taste them (figuring we'll want to look as smart as Parker, Laube, Tanzer or whomever else). Many times it fails, as it sets expectations that don't get lived up to by what's in the bottle. Continue reading...
Piedmont Bliss – A Wine Spectator top 100?
Posted on Jan, 20. 2011 by Kevin Sidders
Categories: Wine
In our never-ending quest to bring you the best wines we can at the best prices anywhere, we pursue any number of different means to source new ideas for potential offerings. This one comes from Wine Spectator Advance, a publication they issue to subscribers that highlights wines that will be highly rated in their upcoming issue so that folks can get a jump on them. They don't proactively send it around; it must be accessed from their website, and therefore oftentimes we can find nuggets in there before even the distributors know what they've got on their hands. This is one such occasion... Continue reading...
A Top Rated CA Sparkler Just in Time for New Year’s Eve
Posted on Dec, 28. 2010 by Kevin Sidders
Categories: Wine
We hope everyone is having a joyous holiday season. This offer will be brief and to-the-point, as we all have plenty of distractions this time of year.
Domaine Carneros is one of the leading sparking wine houses in California. Located in Carneros at the south end of the Napa Valley, many of you may have been to or driven past the massive Chateau and estate on your way to/from a day of tasting. The estate is also the US outpost of the famed Taittinger empire in Champagne, and their wines show a distinctly French influence. Continue reading...
Piedmont Tasting Event Notes
Posted on Dec, 17. 2010 by Kevin Sidders
Categories: Wine
It was great to see so many of you out on Wednesday evening at l'Etoile -- at more than 75 people, that was without question the largest tasting event we've had since the Guild's coming out party long ago. It seemed like everyone was having a good time -- the holiday spirit, some wonderful food and five outstanding wines combined to deliver an evening full of joy for all who attended. Continue reading...
Fall’s Perfect Pinot Noir
Posted on Oct, 18. 2010 by Kevin Sidders
Categories: Wine
Winter's Hill is a family owned and operated vineyard and winery in the famous Dundee Hills region where Oregon's modern wine industry got its start in the late 1960s. The family has farmed the land since 1961, growing grapes since 1990 and bottling their own wines since the late 1990s.
I came across the 2004 Winter's Hill Pinot Noir in the midst of a tasting lineup of more than 50 bottles in the warehouse of the distributor 10 days ago. I was vaguely familiar with the name of the winery as I pulled the cork, but didn't know quite what to expect from this mid-$20s retail wine. And to be perfectly frank, I was anxious to get through this sample quickly and move on to a couple of $40 retail Oregon pinots that looked quite exciting. Upon pulling the cork, however, I was quite impressed -- this tasted (to me) just like what real pinot noir ought to, with great fruit, balance and complexity and none of the reaching for crazy extraction so often done on the West Coast these days. In fact, when compared against the two $40 bottles that followed, the Winter's Hill was clearly my preference for just those reasons. Continue reading...
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