Rockford Rod & Spur Cab/Shiraz
$89.99
Another Rockford knock-out wine! The blend is 55-45 with Shiraz at the forefront, but the Cabernet imparts a dusty, minty note with a lingering finish, buffered by plenty of ripe cherry flavours from the Shiraz. Like all of the Rockford wines, there's a delicacy to the style, with no excessive extraction, alcohol or harsh tannins. Drink: 2021 - 2034
Becker Herrenwingert Pinot Noir
$103.99
The Becker family owns more than 30 hectares and produces over 12,000 cases annually. Positioned on the very border with France in the town of Schweigen, the Beckers have witnessed that border shifting throughout history. Today, they have vineyards on both the French and German sides, at the edge of the Palatinate (Pfalz) forest—with 50 percent of their land situated on the French side in Alsace.
The soils in the area are composed of deep layers of shell limestone, with various topsoils, which in combination with the region’s mild climate, provide the ideal growing conditions for Spätburgunder. Hence, the logical focus is on the variety. As one of the pioneers, Fritz Becker Sr. was also one of the first winemakers in the region to mature his Spätburgunder in barriques.
Their most prestigious vineyard is Kammerberg, a steep single vineyard on deep marl and limestone near Wissembourg, recovered by Fritz Sr. in 1967. The old vines are mostly German clones and some French and grow on deep marl lime soils that produce powerful but also refined, mineral-driven Pinot Noirs (it is all about the dirt here!); St. Paul cultivated here in the 14th century by the Cistercians of Wissembourg, which had since become overgrown but the Beckers uprooted trees and bushes in early 2000 and planted Spätburgunder; and Sonnenberg, with poor limestone soils ideal for growing Riesling.
From KWM: We sourced these wines a year ago after reading the rave reviews from numerous publications, in Germany and beyond. The Pinot Noirs are prized and will give Burgundy fans a solid alternative.
Durigutti Compuertas Victoria
$89.99
It all began in 2007 with the first five hectares of an old Malbec vineyard that the brothers acquired a few steps from the winery, on Callejón de la Reta. Since then, a path of recovery and revaluation of the history and traditions of an emblematic wine region of Lujan de Cuyo begins: Las Compuertas. Over the years, more hectares were added to the project, today 31, and they baptized this place with the name of their mother, as Finca Victoria. This work seeks to accompany the development of producers in the area who maintain their vineyards with pride in the face of the unstoppable advance of urbanization.
Rottensteiner Gewurztraminer
$44.99
Rottensteiner is one of the oldest wine-growing families in South Tyrol. Their winemaking history began many generations ago, here where the vines grow on the red rock, the porphyry, typical of this region. Their surname is also the namesake of the red rock. Today, Toni, the father, and Hannes, the son, jointly conduct the affairs of the winery, supported by the women in the family. Honesty and authenticity are their most important values in private life and in their work.
Philipponnat RR Brut Champagne
$104.99
The Philipponnat family has been growing grapes in Champagne since 1522. The House was founded in 1910 by Pierre Philipponnat. Charles Philipponnat took over as CEO in 1999 and has improved the quality and production vastly by implementing smaller oak barrels, keeping different vineyard plots separate and utilizing only the first press grapes It's made from a blend of 65% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay, 5% Pinot Meunier from first press juice, mainly from Grand and Premier Crus grapes from the heart of the Champagne wine-growing area.
20 to 30% of the reserve wines are aged in wooden barrels using the solera system to incorporate older wines without losing freshness.
It's vinified using traditional methods to avoid premature oxidation. Partial malolactic fermentation and reserve wines are aged in casks to allow the aromas to develop complexity. It has a typical dosage of (8 g/litre) to maintain a balance between freshness, fruitiness and vinosity without masking the wine’s character and purity. It's aged on the lees in the domaine’s cellars at a constant temperature of 12°C for three
years, far longer than the legal minimum requirement of 15 months.
Tedeschi Monte Olmi
$143.99
Tedeschi boasts a deep bond with the Valpolicella region that has kept it on the path of quality and tradition produced exclusively from grapes grown on hillsides. Since 1630, their family has believed in the extraordinary potential of local wine production, enhancing its value in a modern key with innovative production and environmental management methods with the end result of creating wines that are able to evoke emotion and render homage to the magnificent land.
Monte Olmi is the name of the vineyard, located in Pedemonte di Valpolicella, the heart of the Classic Valpolicella zone. Grown on ancient terraces to ensure water removal in case of abundant rainfall, it is one of the crown jewels of the Tedeschi line. Notes of cherry, raspberry and red currant combined with a hint of Slavonia oak. The taste is elegant and robust. Best consumed within 15-20 years of the vintage date.
Quintarelli Primofiore
$159.99
"The late, great Maestro del Veneto, Giuseppe Quintarelli, succeeded in establishing his mythical and legendary estate during an amazing sixty-year career. All of the tradition, love, heart, and soul of crafting one of the world’s finest wines continue at the Quintarelli home and winery in the hills north of Verona," according to Kermit Lynch. Sourced from vines 30 years of age or older, Primafiore is a blend of Corvina, Corvinone, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, with some Amarone providing additional depth and character. This wine will be complex and layered with impressive fruit and spice notes. Pair this rustic-styled red with Italian cuisine, of course.
Emrich Schonleber Mineral Trocken
$54.99
This estate dates back to 1815 and today they farm 20 hectares of vineyards. Riesling currently accounts for 85% of the vines, supplemented by Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris) and Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc). Werner and Frank Schönleber have worked their way to the top of their profession. Germany's leading wine guides unanimously rate Weingut Emrich-Schönleber as a world-class winery. The Mineral is sourced from the younger vines of the Halenberg and Fruhlingsplatschen GG vinyards,and it offers an incredible value to Riesling lovers. Surprisingly saline whilst true to it's name, Mineral hews razor-blade like precision with hammer like slatey minerality buoyed by linear acidity (even in 2022). A wonderful showcase of all the terroirs of the Nahe.
A. Margaine Special Club Champagne
$152.99
This is the regular-sized bottle of A. Margaine Le Spécial Club Champagne. Magnum bottles can be found here.
This is the high end of the high end for Champagne A. Margaine: Only produced in special years, this very limited release Blanc de Blancs is built to last.
- Blanc de Blancs - 100% Chardonnay
- Vintage 2016
- 30% Oak Barrels
- No Malolactic Fermentation
- 6 years ageing
- 1er Cru, Villers-Marmery
- 12.5% ABV
Producer Description
"Our Special Club 2016 is a champagne that represents a fresh and elegantly chiseled year. Its fine bubbles and sharp nose will charm you from the first tasting. On the palate, this champagne reveals a long and dynamic profile, with a beautiful lemony acidity in the finish. Perfect for celebrating special moments and accompanying your finest meals."