Hansel Estate Chardonnay
$33.79
In the 1970s Walter Hansel enlisted the help of his son Stephen to plant 257 Chardonnay vines. Throughout the 1980's the winery grew, as did the quality of the wine. It's still a relatively small winery but their Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs are now highly regarded and offer a Burgundian esthetic in a Sonoma setting. The Estate Chardonnay from Walter Hansel is one of the best showcases of what this winery can do with the grape. It avoids extreme oak and over-the-top flavour in exchange for balance, elegance and food-friendly compatibility.
Rottensteiner Lagrein Riserva
$33.74
An exploration into the rich winemaking history of South Tyrol, Rottenstiner's Lagrein Riserva has elegance to spare. The sedimentary soils irrigated by the Talfer River passing through the vineyards near Bolzano allow for the native Lagrein grapes to flourish. After fermentation, the wine is matured in large wooden barrels to further develop texture and complexity.
A deep garnet-coloured wine, with arrestingly complex aromas that oscillate between delicate florals of violet and the earthly elegance of chocolate and spice. A distinct tannic edge is perfectly balanced by fresh yet restrained acidity, creating a wine just waiting to be paired with red meats and ripe, intense cheeses.
Carlone Davide Boca Piemonte
$73.99
Boca is both a small D.O.C. zone and a rare red wine made from the Nebbiolo grape (locally named Spanna, 70-90%) along with Vespolina and Uva Rara (Bonarda Novarese), vinified either together or separately. Despite its modest size, its roots can be traced back to Roman times.
The wine is grown in the north of Piedmont, along the Sesia River, on the wooded hills of the Novarra province around the towns of Boca, Maggiora, Cavallirio, Prato Sesia and Grignasco. It delivers notes of wild berries, cherry, and forest floor. Fine but grippy tannins make it a natural fit with beef and lamb.
Durigutti Blanc de Blanc
$17.99
Fresh, buttery, fruity, and friendly, this no filtered Viognier comes from different micro terroirs of Uco Valley. Fermented in concrete eggs and aged on lees, preserve the natural organoleptic characters. Bright yellow color with greenish glints. It has frank, fruity aroma dominated by pineapple, passion fruit and mango, with sweet and floral notes which make this wine much freshness and harmony. In the mouth flows smooth, unctuous, with sweet notes, balanced and with good acidity.
Hansel Cuvee Alyce Pinot Noir
$45.49
From The Winemaker
Alyce was my Mom and she was the life of the party.
There is a section of vineyard right in the middle of the North slope where the soils are very heavy adobe clay resulting in the vines struggling to produce a crop more than 1 ton to the acre. It is a field blend of clone 777 and 115. This minimal crop yield tends to produce wines that are big, rich, "over the top" flavors; perfect for "Alyce". The South Slope begins at the highest elevation and the furthest South of all of the vineyards blocks. Soils are predominantly sandy loam and the vines are all from Burgundy clone 777. Dark cherry, tobacco, cedar, dried autumn leaves and iron lend this wine tons of character and depth.
Hansel North Slope Pinot Noir
$68.99
The North and South Slope vineyards of Hansel face each other, side by side, but show very different characteristics despite their proximity. The North Slope's Pinot Noir plantings are from clone 115. Stephen Hansel states "...115 exhibits the most fruit-driven flavors and appears more "New World" then French." This is might be the most expressive of the Pinot range, a lush, plush wine with notes of cherry, cranberry, spice and forest floor. It's a great example of Burgundy meets California, in other words the best of both worlds. The vibrant acidity will allow it to age gracefully for another decade but it's hard to resist right now.
Samsara Priorat
$40.79
"Samsara, a new project from Priorat produced by the team of enologists Eva Escudé, Coca i Fitó and Trossos del Priorat in Gratallops. Samsara is an approachable, modern wine that brings Priorat to the palates of the world. Samsara is made from Garnacha (50%) and Cariñena (35%), with small amounts of Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon, all of them from the Gratallops and Vilella Alta areas. The vines are 15 to 70 years old! The nose offers aromas of ripe red fruit, tangerine, light balsamic, and delicate spice. The palate is fresh and nervy with ripe supple tannins."
Castello D`Alba Red
$24.64
This red from Douro is a blend of Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca and Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo). The vines are dry-farmed and the grapes hand-picked, with fermentation and aging taking place in stainless-steel tanks before bottling. It's juicy and fresh, full-bodied but with silky tannins. Ideal with grilled meats.
Muller Catoir Burgurgarten Trocken
$71.99
Founded in 1714, the vineyards of Müller-Catoir are located exclusively on the Mittelhaardt within the boundaries of Haardt, Gimmeldingen and Mußbach, districts of Neustadt an der Weinstrasse 70 % of the vineyard area is situated on the hillside, 30 % in the valley. The individual site names are: Bürgergarten, Herrenletten, Herzog, Mandelring, Mandelgarten, Schlössel and Vogelsang. All the estate´s single sites are classified by the VDP. The wines grow on various soils: from colored sandstone and heavy loam to loess and shell limestone, and up to loamy gravel. This winery is among the very best from the Pflaz and all of Germany for that matter.