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French - Loire Valley
2023 Louis Métaireau, Melon De Bourgogne, Petit Mouton Muscadet, Bin 4U
From younger vines planted in the 80’s this is a vibrant and fresh Melon showing off all of the delightful parts of the region's most famous wine. Jean-François Guilbaud and Marie-Luce Métaireau head up the grape growing for their historic estate.The family crafts some ideal representations of the classic style of Muscadet and this Petit is a gateway to the possibilities for their terroir.
$48
2023 Louis Métaireau, Melon De Bourgogne Carte Noir, Muscadet, Bin 8F
12 months sur lie this wine is from 60 year old vines on Amphibolite and Gneiss-derived soils it shows subtle aromas of green melon leaving a refreshing and balanced moth feel and polite finish.
$64
2020 Louis Métaireau, Melon De Bourgogne, Grand Mouton Muscadet, Bin 95J
From the oldest vineyard on the estate this is the most serious wine from the Métaireau Muscadet Sèvre et Maines. The age of the vines and longer lees aging focuses the body and extends for a longer sustained finish.
$72
2022 Domaine de la Pepiere, 'Clos des Briords', Melon de Bourgogne VV, Muscadet, Bin 29 H
From a 3-hectare lieu-dit these vines are the estate's oldest plot, planted from massale selection 60-70 years ago. The sandy clay soils are rich in granite that is higher feldspar and clay content that holds water well and ripens the fruit slowly. The farming is certified-biodynamic and the vineyard work is manual. The fruit is direct-pressed and the juice settled naturally for 12 hours. It is then fermented in stainless steel tanks with natural yeasts and aged on its lees in large, underground, glass-lined cement tanks for 7 to 8 months.
$75
2022 Domaine de la Pépière 'Clisson,' Melon de Bourgogne, Muscadet Sèvre & Maine, Bin 70 B
Marc Ollivier is a titan when it comes to producing an incredibly complete Melon de Bourgogne. While this is his last vintage before retiring to the North Coast, due to some catastrophic vintages, it will be the last we see for a few years. Take full advantage with a big plate of oysters!
$76
2022 Clos des Plantes, Whaka Piri Piri Mai, Chenin Blanc, Montbenault, Coteaux du Layon, Anjou, Bin 99 B
Olivier Lejeune harnesses ripeness into exotic tropical aromas and razor edge acidity in this ultra ageable cuvée. Hand harvested from 30 year old vines in carboniferous rock, schist, sandstone and quartz are whole-bunch pressed in a vertical wooden press, fermentations started spontaneously on wild yeasts and remained in tanks until racking and bottled early May.
$88
2023 Domaine Brendan Stater West, Chenin Blanc, Saumur, Loire, Bin 81H
An absolutely delightful balanced wine with pronounced aromas from exposed warm bedrock hiding layers of meadow grass, quince paste and sliced granny smith apples on a cheese board. The body is a perfect reflection of the thin topsoil in this part of the vineyard which forces the Chenin to struggle into the limestone below. Bravo!
$80
2021 Chateau de Fosse-Séche, Arcane, Chenin Blanc, VDF Saumur, Bin 74 H
Adrien and Guillaume Pire have crafted a wine showing structure from minerality and lightens up with delightful aromas from a bowl of berries, white peaches and cream. Located on the Plateau de Brossay, which is unique to Saumur in that it does not have limestone. The soils here are Flinted and gravely in clay and the vineyards are ancient dating back to the 13th century. The brothers are impassioned by their work, and make no concessions in farming the land with pristine, beyond organic methods.
$120
2021 Julien Pineau ‘Roche Blanche’, VDF Touraine, Loire, Bin 119D
This is a blend of Menu Pineau, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Meslier Saint-François that calls out with savory and nuanced tropical aroma before the Chenin’s structure comes through with a polite but long finish. When Julien found out that Catherine Roussel of Clos Roche Blanche wanted to sell her land, he quickly jumped on the opportunity to invest in the legendary site. 9 years later the inherited greatness of the Clos's terroir remains respected: the land is worked by horse and the soils are permitted to exist in harmony with the hundreds of plants and insects that inhabit them. In the cellar, no addition of sulfur is used at any point and Julien favors long élevages of his cuvées, often releasing them 12 to 24 months after harvest, when they are ready.
$78
2023 Gérard Boulay Comtesse, Sauvignon Blanc, Sancerre AOC, Loire, France, Bin 26E
From 50-75 year old vines located in the sweet spot of the Mont Damnés vineyard (bottom of the slope, near Clos La Neore of Vatan), this is often the most powerful wine from Boulay's lineup.
$120
2023 Gérard Boulay Monts Damme’s, Sauvignon Blanc, Sancerre AOC, Loire, France, Bin 19D
Boulay began farming the steeply sloped Mont Damnés vineyard in 1982. His plot has an average vine age of 45 years. Mont Damnés’ reflective soils and south-facing exposition make it one of Chavignol’s warmest sites.
$110
2023 Gérard Boulay La Côte, Sauvignon Blanc, Sancerre AOC, Loire, France, Bin 10C
Boulay’s parcel in “La Grande Côte,” which is partially owned and partially rented, is one of three designated Crus of Chavignol and is reputed for producing wines of incredible precision.
$113
2023 Gérard Boulay Clos de Beaujeu, Sauvignon Blanc, Sancerre AOC, Loire, France, Bin 2B
One of Chavignol's most historic vineyards, Boulay's parcel lies within the original Clos of the vineyard, established by the monks of Beaujeu in the Middle Ages. The walls of the Clos are no longer standing as they were originally built from clay and hay, and did not withstand the test of time. Boulay farms a 0.75 hectares plot of 30- to 60-year old vines where the soils are pebbly, lime-rich and strewn with fossils. Along with the 60% gradient for much of the vineyard, the rocky soils make this parcel very difficult to farm. Clos de Beaujeu is the source of some of Boulay's deepest, most structured wines and savory, spicy examples of Chavignol that are built to last.
$110
French - Chablis | Burgundy
2023 Alice et Olivier de Moor 'nuova descriptio', Sauvignon Blanc | Aligoté | Chardonnay VDF, Bin 15C
A new, intense, richly flavored cuvee from the iconic growers who end up with amazing fruit, albeit extra. They blend Sauvignon from Saint Bris, Macerated Aligoté and three barrels of Chardonnay together for this ‘new description’
$91
2023 Alice et Oliver De Moor, Aligoté, Chitry, Bourgogne, Bin 7A
Alice and Olivier de Moor have worked tirelessly to restore this grape variety back to its original nobility. The Aligoté is farmed on the same 2.5 hectare plot of thin topsoil on Kimmeridgian limestone where their Bourgogne, Chitry is sourced. The wine goes through malo and is aged on its lees without bâtonnage or racking in mainly enamel-lined steel tanks for close to a year.
$87
2023 Alice et Olivier De Moor, 'Bourgogne Chitry', Chardonnay, Bin 27 C
From two parcels with thin topsoil on Kimmeridgian limestone. One 2.5 hectare plot, called Champagne, is where the estate's Bourgogne Aligoté is also sourced. The second is a parcel about half the size planted in 1998. Both are in the village of Chitry-le-Fort. Fermentation and aging can occur in different vessels each vintage depending on the global quantities. For this wine, long alcoholic and malolactic fermentation in old oak barrels happens before aging 11 months on the lees without racking or cold stabilization.
$92
2022 Alice et Olivier De Moor 'Rosette', Chardonnay, Chablis, Bin 41.I
Rosette has a more complex soil, and is much harder to work. The plot slopes up to a 40% incline, and the vineyard can roughly be separated in three distinct parts: the very top is eroded materials over hard Portlandian rock; the mid-slope is directly over Kimmeridgian marl, which can quickly suffer from drought. Finally, the bottom part is rich in dense clay with some limestone, resulting in later ripening. They usually do two harvests there, sometimes two weeks apart. They consider it their best plot.
$116
2023 Alice et Olivier De Moor 'l'Humeur du Temps', Chardonnay, Chablis, Bin 58 U
“the mood of the times (or weather)” indicates that it’s the de Moors’ way to capture the nature of the vintage as a whole. It comes from 3-4 estate parcels in and around Courgis that they planted beginning in 1995.
$102
2022 Alice et Olivier de Moor Le Vendangeur Masqué, Chardonnay, Bourgogne, Bin 11E
‘Masked Harvester’ is the label for de Moor wines from sourced fruit; the wines are made in the de Moor cellar in Courgis in the same manner as their estate wines. The Vendangeur Masqué Chablis comes from 2 clay-limestone parcels totaling 1.1 hectares of Chardonnay The fruit is harvested by hand, destemmed, gently pressed and fermented spontaneously with indigenous yeasts in tank. The wine goes through malo and is aged on its lees without bâtonnage or racking in a mix of enameled-lined steel tanks and used barrels for close to a year. Bottling is without fining or filtering and is the only point at which a touch of sulfur is added to the wine.
$93
Domaine Jean Dauvissat Pere et Fils, Héritage, Chardonnay, La Chapelle Vaupelteigne Milly Chablis, Bin 71G
Fabien Dauvissat, son of Jean (no, not that Jean Dauvissat) has made some radical changes in his father’s considerable Chablis domain. His father was first and foremost a grape farmer. On over 50 acres and 53 different parcels ranging from Petit Chablis to Premier Cru over seven different communes, he produced quality grapes for a big negociant house. His son Fabien had different ideas seeking to produce not just good Chablis, but great Chablis. He has taken the domain organic, using only copper and sulfur, no weed killers, no chemical fertilizers, no systemics and vinifies each plot separately in an array of of vessels, including tank, clay jar, and dynamic set of casks based on parcel size, vine age, each with their own purpose and intention. Heritagé is a cuveé of plots planted between 1951 and 1963.
$99
2020 Domaine Gérard Duplessis ‘Montmains’, Chardonnay, 1er Cru Chablis, Bin 90F
From two parcels with clay over the limestone, is a powerful wine that’s one of the most age worthy of the Domaine, up to 15 years easily. -Selection Massale
$120
2021 Maison En Belles Lies, Aligoté, Saint Aubin, Bin 82E
This is focused, with lively acidity showing off the terroir and making for a delightful profile with aromas from wild blossoms, apple orchard. Direct-pressed Aligoté grapes are fermented with indigenous yeasts, aged in a combination of old oak and stainless steel barrels. The name "Belles Lies" or beautiful lees is derived from a practice developed by 17th-century monks who would dry their barrels and rub them with the lees from the vintage, adding a unique touch to the winemaking process.
$90
2022 Jean-Louis Chavy, Chardonnay, 1er Cru Les Perrières, Puligny-Montrachet Bin 45C
Chavy wines are organically farmed and vinification follows methods traditional all the way to the labels on the bottle, dignified. Setting pedigree aside, this wine stands on its own with ethereal aromas highlighting the terroir’s minerality. The body is balanced with esteem and the finish is long leaving its drinker grateful for the opportunity.
$235
2020 Chapuis Frères 'Rully', Chardonnay, Beaune Bin 22F
Multi-parcel selection, with minimal intervention, kissed with used oak. This is a definitively "modern" white Burgundy laden with tropical fruits and brûléed pineapple.
$100
2020 Chapui Frèrés 'Chorey-Lès-Beaune,' Chardonnay, Beaune, Bin 56D
Single parcel, exhibiting more of the traditional profile one would expect from White Burgundy. Some lemon curd, some nutty, some tropical, equals pure enjoyment.
$105
2022 Château de Pierreclos, Chardonnay, Saint-Véran Au Grand Bussière AOC, Macon, Bin 11F
Layers undulate Mexican spice, rocky minerality, boxwood berries, yellow fruited and floral aromas. The body is wet and fat where that minerality persists in structure. Named for a rocky spur planted with vines since the 6th century, Château de Pierreclos is a historic family wine estate and one of Burgundy’s oldest vineyards. Their wines are produced from 10 hectares of vines, spread over eight villages cultivated by the family in the respect of organic agriculture like a garden, is both a natural and cultural heritage.
$87
French - Jura | Savoie
2018 Domaine de la Touraize, Savagnin sous voile, Arbois, Bin 111C
I hate to be a broken record, but there's just not enough Labet anymore. However, Neil Rosenthal, the legendary importer that introduced the US to another legend, Jacques Puffeney, is incredible at finding the next great winemakers in Jura. The Morin's Savagnin is fermented "sous voile" so expect those brown butter/nutty flavors with intense acid you know and love!
$120
2020 Domaine Benedicte & Stephane Tissot, En Barberton, Chardonnay, Côtes du Jura, Bin 138G
The work at Tissot is all in an effort to deliver you a unique wine and not just from year to year, from bottle to bottle. Industrial production kills an individual bottle’s identity and that is why the domaine is cultivated through biodynamic viticulture producing wines specific to each terroir. En Barberton is a west facing clay soil slope that kindles some stunningly exquisite wine.
$139
2022 Domaine Benedicte & Stephane Tissot, Sursis, Chardonnay, Côtes du Jura, Bin 27J
Fermented with indigenous yeasts and aged 12 months in french oak, (20% new) this is Chardonnay from a clay hillside located below the village of Menetru-le-Vignoble. Tissot purchased this parcel in 2007. "En Sursis" translates to "on borrowed time" as Tissot will continue to produce this wine as long as the vines continue to give him grapes, but when the day comes that the old vines no longer yield fruit, he'll likely replace them because in this particular terroir, Savagnin is king.
$117
2016 Domaine Rolet, Expression du Terroir, Chardonnay | Savagnin, Côtes du Jura, Bin 12 D
Expression is a traditional oxidized jurassic wine but wearing Jordans. The Savagnin is ‘sous voile’, (barrels not topped up, so oxidized), adding nutty characteristics to the wine but acid soars through here allowing for nuanced tropical fruit aromas to dance with layer after layer of minerality. These high notes are likely from the higher percentage of Ouillé Chardonnay, (topped up, so not oxidized). Drink with cheese, Comté if we have it!
$72
2021 Camille & Mathieu Apffel, Avant la Tempête, Jacquère, Savoie, Bin 85 A
A next level expression of the variety, this Jacquère is slightly reductive with lemon grass aromas, wisps of cilantro and jalapeño once on the palete. The body is thirsty with acid rich structure that will have you quenching your thirst with more. Mathieu and wife Camille, work 100% manually on 4.5 hectares of land in the village of Saint-Baldoph below the imposing Massif de Chartreuse. Jacquère vines are 30 to 70 years old planted outside the winery. The prior owner worked conventionally and the couple are converting the estate to organic viticulture and 2021 marked the first vintage when they did soil work between the rows since conversion.
$81
2021 Domaine Labet ‘les varrons’ Côtes du Jura Chardonnay Bin 83 C
Planted in 1932 and 1967 on decalcified clay over Bajocean era limestone. Aged 22 months ‘Ouillé’ style in 350 & 500 liter barrique.
$145
Domaine Labet ‘la pellerine’ Côtes du Jura Chardonnay Bin 87U
Planted in 1977 and 1986 on mixed clay over Bathonian era limestone. Aged 22 months ‘Ouillé’ style in 228 liter barrique.
$145
French - South
2020 Les Deplaude de Tartaras 'Regards Croises', Ravet | Roussanne | Clairette, IGP Collines Rhodaniennes, Bin 10E
Here's a unique blend of grapes that aren't all recognized as wines of the region combined to form a tropical fruit, with straw tannins
$70
2021 René-Jean Dard & François Ribo ‘Blanc’, Rousanne | Marsannne, Crozes-Hermitage, Bin 24 D
Quintessential Rhone white cuvée where terroir shines over winemaking. This Rousanne and Marsannne sits on a mix of glacial alluvial deposits, rolled stones and red clay.
$125
2023 Gilles Robin, Les Marelles, Roussanne | Marsanne, Crozes-Hermitage, Northern Rhône, Bin 25 D
The pronounced aromas of white blossom, jasmine, yellow fruit and green almond are expertly balanced for this classic cuvée highlighting a lower acidity. The body simply yet gracefully moves across the palette for a longer serenade than you may expect.
$86
2020 Domaine des Masques 'Exception,' Chardonnay, Bouches Du Rhône, Provence, Bin 3G
Aix-en-Provence is world renowned for it's production for stunning rosé. Can we now add Chardonnay to its CV? Only when Yves Cuilleron is making the wine.
$75
2020 Clos de la Barthassade, Les Cargadous, Roussanne | Chenin Blanc, Pays d’Hérault, Languedoc-Roussillon, Bin 65 D
Undulating aromas of meadow grass, cantaloupe and hot rocks meet a well rounded pallet in this terroir driven cuvée. Helene Baron and Guillaume, are making delicious and highly drinkable wines in the sandy, stony soils of Terrasses du Larzac. They take an approach unusual for the region by fermenting a large portion of the fruit whole cluster which imparts character to the wines. The results are impressive, with every wine speaking clearly of its origin in a place where the vagueness is the norm.
$80
2022 Clos Marfisi Clair Obscura, VdF Nielluciu, Ravagnola, Patrimonio, Corsica, Bin 41B
In 2022 yields were drastically low and there was demand for at least a little white wine which is why Clair Obscura exists. Nielluciu, a.k.a. Sangiovese, was left under its own weight without pressing and the juice settled cold for 24 hours to grab a Blanc de Noir from the red grapes. The fermentation started naturally and the wine was aged in tank for 10 months before being bottled without filtering.
$80
German | Austrian
2022 Peter Lauer Kupp No. 8 Kabinett, Riesling, Saar, Upper Mosel Germany, Bin 13 C
The final addition from our 2023 visit to the region, this was one of Lauer’s most serious wines from our tasting. Pronounced aromas from white blossoms and a cold stream waterfall are met with rippin’ acidity that balances out a generous amount of sugar leaving you with a balance on the palate that describes the region's relationship with sugar and the style of Lauer. ‘Is this a dry wine or is it a sweet wine?’ is the riddle of Florian’s grandfather’s estate and while that may be forever up for debate one thing that is for certain, Lauer's wines are precise classic elaborations of Riesling from a single vineyard in the Saar.
$84
2022 Peter Lauer No.7 Spatlese, Saar, Upper Mosel, Bin 38D
Tasting with Florian Laurer was a spectacle similar to running a gauntlet. After so many similar wines my notes devolved into mere scratchings of hearted names and circled texts. My choices were completely subjective to the whirlwind moment and I know each of the wines deserve reverence in their own right but I do remember this No. 7 Spatlese standing out. There is an inside joke at Laurer passed down from Florian’s late Grandfather as to what is dry and what is sweet. They love serving the same wines to guests regardless of their preference and wiggle with glee as guests talk about how dry or sweet the same wine is. This Spatlese is no exception racing across the palate with acidity but with sugar weighing in at 74 g/l.
$85
2022 Nik Weis, Bockstein GG, Riesling, Troken, Mosel, Bin 15 J
I had the chance to meet Nik Weis and taste through a line up of his Mosel rieslings. This single vineyard grand cru wine is deeply structured more animated in balance. It is mature, raucous and full bodied, enticing and rich. The best wine from the tasting.
$120
2017 Sybille Kuntz, Kabinett Troken, Riesling, Middle Mosel, Germany, Bin 43J
The Kuntz family has lived in the middle Mosel countless generations and Sybille herself grew up balancing up and down the 70% inclined vineyard slopes. She makes powerful wines with intense aromas. “Riesling is the Mosel and Mosel is Riesling” is Sybille's justification for only growing the single varietal in all of her biodynamically farmed 15 hectares. Some of the oldest vines are over 100 years and dive down 15 meters into the gray Devonian slate for nutrients. That minerality and the long growing season give this wine power and that addictive petrol riesling lovers relish.
$60
2018 Alfred Merkelbach, Kinheimer Rosenberg Riesling Auslese #3, Mosel, Germany, Bin 11E
Alfred and Rolf Merkelbach are two of the most adorable German riesling farmers you could lay your eyes on. They work a miniscule 1 hectare of parcels across famed Mosel vineyard sites like Ürziger Würzgarten, Erdener Treppchen, and Kinheimer Rosenberg. One of the last refuges where Pradikät wines taste like they did ages ago, the vines are even on original rootstock averaging over 45 years in age. Each parcel is vinified separately in 1000 liter fuder each numbered with its different parcel. Sweet like you would expect from Auslese the acid is integrated here and tertiary notes are just now starting to become apparent.
$80
2019 Alfred Merkelbach, Kinheimer Rosenberg Riesling Auslese #10, Mosel, Germany, Bin 22H
$80
2019 Clemens Busch ‘von roten schiefer’ Riesling, Middle Mosel, Germany, Bin 42G
A showy wine from red slate this a great expression of the iron rich terroir. Expect steely and mineral forwardness giving way to elegant fruit aromas and buckle in for long savory finish.
$67
2024 Weiser-Künstler, Enkircher Ellergrub, Riesling Kabinett, Mosel, Bin 39C
Konstantin Weiser and Alexandra Künstler are painstakingly crafting wines from this nearly vertical vineyard and while a vertigo inducing experience our visit was one of the most indelible moments from Mosel in 2023. Ellergrub is made up of sparsely planted old vine riesling on crumbling gray and blue slate. I felt bad taking a piece but the couple gave me permission. We have it behind the bar if you want to lick it. Intense, mineral-driven, complex, with yellow fruited aromas nuanced broken rock and herbs, at 7.5% this more kabi than nett with acid tipping the scale slightly more than residual sugar.
$98
2022 Vollenweider Goldgrube Trocken, Riesling, Traben Trarbach, Middle Mosel, Bin 1U
Bone-dry, assembled from 120+ year old ungrafted vines, it’s refreshing and smart with a little body from sitting on lees for a year. Aromas come clamoring for attention with herbs, spice, rocks, flowers, and fruit so exotic that it could be extraterrestrial. This is the riesling aliens drink after building pyramids.
$101
2022 Vollenweider Goldgrube Kabinett Riesling, Middle Mosel, Germany, Bin 32 E
We are so excited to watch how this elaborates over the coming years. The Goldgrube vineyard is West and South facing with stone outcroppings acting like heat sinks which can push ripening for the 80+ year old vines. R.I.P. Daniel Vollenweider purchased the vineyard in 1999 which is now synonymous with the estate as Moritz and his team maintain 12.85 of the Wolfer Goldgrube’s 18.5 acres. I was astounded to learn that it takes an average of 2000 hours per year to tend an acre of the Goldgrube. You can do the math but the proof is in the bottle.
$75
2022 Vollenweider ‘Trarbacher Burgberg’ Kabinett Riesling, Middle Mosel, Germany, Bin 44 B
Is a semi-sweet wine from early harvested fruit that was fermented down to fruity-styled levels of residual sugar showing way more than the Goldgrube Kabinett. At 8% abv this is where dry meets sweet and go on a date together.
$65
2012 Vollenweider Wolfer Goldgrube Riesling Auslese, Traben-Trarbach, Middle Mosel, Germany, Bin 34A
It’s a fortunate moment to taste a fully sweet wine from the middle mosel. As the climate and trend change so does the wine and while fully sweet rieslings have become a bit old guard there is a reason why they are made, and it's in this bottle.
$118
2024 Stein Blauschiefer, Riesling, Troken, Mosel, Bin 62.I
From his prime holdings in the village of Sankt-Aldegund from average vines of 60 years, ungrafted and on steep slopes. As the label indicates this wine is a calling card for Blue Slate (Blauschiefer), rocks pulverized into liquid form with a brisk and beautiful acidity. Totally dry or “Trocken”.
$72
2021 Philip Lardot, Der Hirt, Riesling, Mosel Bin 46 J
“Der Hirt” is Sourced from Valwiger Herrenberg, south-facing, slate-soiled terraces with ungrafted vines up to 90 years old. This is the last vintage as the vines were removed after this harvest. Lardo topped up barrels for 12 months on full lees to achieve this fully reductive wine styled like a reductive Jura Ouille. Then it spends 6 months in stainless steel to help the wine settle.
$93
2020 J.B. Becker, Wallufer Walkenberg, Spätlese Trocken, Riesling, Rheingau, Germany, Bin 58C
"Becker's wines will not taste like the other wines coming out of Rheingau and Hans-Josef Becker just doesn't give a rip."-vom Boden Imports. An incredible display of stone, herb, with uncommon savory, earthy tones. Angular and austere, pondering and contemplative
$60
2021 Saalwæchter, Weisser Burgunder, Rheinhessen, Germany, Bin 31F
My mouth is watering with anticipation writing this. I was struck by Carsten’s wines on our recent trip to Germany. Our allocation from Domaine Labet had just arrived and was fresh in my mind. There was something reminiscent in Saalwæchter’s Pinot Blanc. I mentioned the correlation to the cool and restrained winemaker who immediately blushed and returned a jolly smile admitting ‘Thank You, Labet is my inspiration!’. It is cultivated from older forgotten north facing parcels perfect for slower ripening and a patient elaboration of acidity. This wine has swagger, bundled energy and is an absolute stunner!
$100
2023 Weingut Keller, ‘limestone’, Riesling Kabinett, Rheinhessen, Bin 40A
Arguably Germany’s top estate for dry, off-dry and sweet Rieslings, Keller’s wines have become scarce, and in turn, prohibitively expensive. I was delighted to see this affordable bottling hit the Chicago market. It’s assembled from a selection of vines, mostly Westhofener Morstein, where the soil layer is packed with clay marl soils and limestone inclusions on top of massive limestone bedrock. Minerality from this site has brought fame to the Westhofen winemakers and one of Klaus-Peter’s wines at this price is a rare value. Don't get hooked.
$88
2024 Emrich-Schönleber ‘Mineral’ Riesling Trocken, Nahe, Germany, Bin 28F
Everything we’ve tasted with Frank Schoenleber has been delightful and we want them all on the list! “Mineral” is a blend of younger vines from Grand Cru sites and an elaboration of the estate as a whole without being a lesser wine than the vineyard specific bottlings.
$72
2021 Emrich-Schönleber, Frühtau, Trocken Riesling, Naha, Germany, Bin 3 F
An earlier vintage of this wine may have been the tipping point for Stephen Bitterhof to start Vom Boden Imports which is responsible for much of our German portfolio. Of course that wine was from the 2006 vintage but it is funny how the dominos fall and we can only imagine the current offering is as inspiring. It is an expressive wine, probably from veins of red slate, and built to tilt earlier than wines from the the estate’s other Grand Cru holdings.
$85
2017 Emrich-Schönleber, Halgans, Trocken Riesling, Naha, Germany, Bin 61.I
The Halenberg vineyard is made up of blue to gray slate that showcases the more mineral side of the estate's Grand Cru holdings. We are delighted to add this later vintage release as it is more ageworthy and would be a pity to not experience it fully elaborated.
$100
2024 Lukas Hammelmann “Caesslin” Pinot Noir, Zeiskam, Pfalz, Germany, Bin 60J
“Blanc de Noirs,” or Pinot Noir vinified as a white wine, is pretty common in Germany; it is their “Chardonnay” — a white wine with more texture and a lower acid than Riesling – though of course the young Lukas Hammelmann shapes a Blanc de Noir of extreme lightness and more zing. Lukas is farming on the “wrong side of the tracks” of the eastern Pfalz, sites in Zeiskam that were historically too cold to make great wine — historically this is potato and onion terroir — now is in the zone to make wines of extreme finesse and freshness.
$72
2020 Liepold Gässberg Silvaner Troken, Franken, Germany, Bin 8.I
We hosted Peter Leipold's wines for one our first dinners in 2023 and the Silvaner from this site struck me with a level of complexity I wasn't expecting from Silvaner. It's no wonder Peter and others consider Gässberg as a grand cru vineyard.
$89
2016 Hirsch, Gaisberg 1ÖWR, Riesling, Kamptal, Austria, Bin 16.I
$100
2017 Hirsch, Gaisberg 1ÖWR, Riesling, Kamptal, Austria, Bin 20A
$100
2018 Hirsch, Gaisberg 1ÖWR, Riesling, Kamptal, Austria, Bin 24B
$100
2022 Veyder-Malberg Grüner Veltliner Wösendorfer Ried, Hochrain, Wachau, Austria, Bin 2B
This is a slow drinking thinker not for everyone and certainly not a quaffable and refreshing Grüner. Expect structure, minerals, and salinity holding up an undulating cornucopia of nuance and mystique. Peter Veyder-Malberg is well beyond organic or biodynamic production and surely his time spent cultivating positive working relationships with the insects or conversing with mushrooms and microorganisms that live in the root systems of his vines, contribute to the wonder of his wines.
$105
2012 Sonntag Geschlossen, Trocken, Gruner Veltliner, Weinviertel, Austria, Bin 53.I
Markus has quite the collection of barrels in the cellar, some over 100 years old, and each so full that one may suspect the entire operation is a front for barrel preservation rather than a winery. After nearly a decade in 1900L barrique this wine has metamorphosed into quite the butterfly evoking a yellow gold liquid more akin to burgundy than ‘Gruner-land’.
$70
Italian | Spanish | Portuguese
2021 Daniele Piccinin ‘Montemagro’, Durella Veneto IGT, San Giovanni Ilarione, Lessinia, Verona Bin 45A
Durrella is an indigenous variety for the Muni area where Piccinin’s ancestors originated. He chose this area because of that lineage and, being a natural winegrower, the knowledge that commercial farming has always been rejected in the area. It is a thick skinned white variety named for its durability. Daniele and family farm their grapes biodynamically and vinify an elegant lifted wine with nuanced aromas of warm apple skin and preserves reducing on a stove top.
$87
2022 Cantina Cenci ‘Giole’ Trebbiano Umbria, Italy, Bin 28 F
100% Trebbiano Dorata (a dialect of Toscana, propagated on the farm for generations). A neutral grape in so many ways, Giovanni always does a very slow press and no filtration to yield a wine of racy acidity, savory texture, and a lot of character in a low-alcohol package (11.5%).This wine sees between 8 hours and 3 days of maceration on the skins, and is then fermented in 80% stainless steel and 20% in barriques. -Molly
$60
2022 Le Coste Bianco, Procanico, Lazio Bin 76B
Gianmarco Antonuzzi and Clémentine Bouveron tend around fourteen hectares of vines, around Lago di Bolsena near Gianmarco’s childhood town of Gradoli in Lazio’s north. They worked for many years for some of France’s great vignerons and their time spent with the likes of Bruno Schueller and Dard et Ribo has been influential on their work. Their picturesque vineyards sit amongst chestnut trees, shrubs, oaks and the olive trees from which they produce their excellent olio. The soils are of volcanic origin and are rich in iron and minerals. Bianco 2022 is Procanico with the balance being made up of Malvasia, Roscetto, Pedino, Vermentino, Romanesco and Ansonica.
$87
2023 Occhipinti Vino di Contrada, Grillo, Santa Margarita Vineyard, Vendemmia, Sicily, Bin 6F
Reductive and a textured rich bodied wine this Grillo exhibits minerality reminiscent of a gigantic archaeological dig. Arianna sought out this limestone rich terroir in Vendemmia to make such a wine and the result is an unforgettable elaboration of the variety that often falls to simplicity.
$107
2024 Can Sumoi Garnatxa Blanca Serra De L’Home, Penedes, Spain, Bin 34H
Prepare for aromas to abound of citrus tree, jasmine blossoms and sea salted drift woods the body of this wine ramps up from lushness to structure and lingers with wisps from the initial aromas. Long over due for Webster’s list this estate is a project brought about by Pepe Raventos and his childhood friend and business shadow Francesc Escala. They discovered a gigantic forested estate with vineyards at the nucleus, forgotten and after a huge undertaking of reclaiming the farm were awarded with a delightful array of wines.
$68
2023 Envinate ‘Linit’, Pardillo Blanco, Almansa, La Mancha, Spain Bin 47 C
From a 100+ year old vineyard at 700 meters elevation in clay soils with an abundance of pebbles over limestone bedrock. The grapes were directly pressed and fermented in concrete tanks for 10-15 days without temperature control. After alcoholic fermentation, a part of the wine was moved to neutral 350l barrels where it went through malolactic fermentation and rested for 8 months before bottling.
$75
2023 Envinate, Benje Blanco, Listan Blanco, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain, Bin 33 I
This wine is from wild and untrained, ungrafted 70-105 year old vineyards just outside Santiago del Teide, high on the volcanic mountainside. Each parcel is vinified separately to fully express itself before being assembled into the finished wine. The result is an exceptional portrayal of high elevation, blasting ocean gales into rich volcanic mass.
$75
Greece
2023 Nerantzi, Assyrtiko, Serres, Macedonia, Greece, Bin 79.I
Coming in with flashy yellow gold color this is a bodied and mineral driven white with rippin’ acid. Medium pronounced notes of citrus, ripening orchard fruit, white blossoms and wet fossils lead to a rich palette where acid and minerality perform a balancing act on the tight rope. From the foot hills of Mount Menoikio near the border with Bulgaria from sandy calcareous soil the vineyards here have layers of ancient pottery adding an interesting but probably unnoticeable aspect to terroir.
$56
North American
2023 Johan Vineyards, Savagnin, Van Duzer Corridor AVA, Willamette Valley, Oregon, Bin 80G
Reminiscent of the Chardonnay on the property, but with more minerality and a very long finish, Savagnin is a grape that is native to Jura. It is known to produce dry white wines, full of mineral-driven aromatics and loads of bright acidity. In 2017 Morgan was asked to 'Care for' 200 Baby Savagnin vines coming straight from the foundation of plant sciences at UC Davis. She not only cared for them, but grew them up in small pots until she could eventually harvest the budwood and graft the variety into the vineyard. After years of careful tending and growth, Johan Vineyards made their first Savagnin and we love it!
$86
2022 Colston Biblio “G.G.”, Grüner Veltliner, Soluna Vineyard, Columbia Gorge AVA, Bin 16 G
Fresh aloe, torn off the plant and rubbed into ripe pear skin. Rejuvenating, misty forest in the morning vibes. Leesy, musical waves of texture and movement, glints of chamomile, fennel pollen, sugar snap pea. These are Matty’s notes on this wine that was foot tread and cold-soaked for two days on the skins to encourage Grüner’s varietal characteristics to shine through before fermentation.
$79
2021 Domaine Anderson, Chardonnay, Anderson Valley, Mendocino, California, BIN 12 E
Coming in with aromas of creamed lemon and buttered popcorn, (in the best way), this is one of the most well made but attainable domestic Chardonnays we have ever tasted. While being quintessentially Californian, this wine describes the best parts of what the state’s winemakers often strive for. The structure is persistent but balanced and the wine elaborates for days once introduced to Oxygen.
$72
2021 Cruse Wine Co. Rorick Vineyard Chardonnay Sierra Foothills Bin 19J
At 2000ft elevation Rorick vineyard was planted with own-rooted Wente Chardonnay clones from 1974-76. They are a direct link to Barden Stevenot who purchased the property in the 60’s and recognized the potential of this site's soil and climate for wine grape cultivation. Michael Cruse has crafted a chardonnay that exemplifies what Stevenot I can only imagine had in mind. It is Lifted and alpine like Jura with polite tropical aromas of lychee, guava, stuck flint and warm limestone. Dare i say the best California Chardonnay I have tasted, but that just like, my opinion, man.
$88
2023 Emme Wines, The Sun Egg, Muscat Vert, Kakai Vineyard, Russian River Valley, California, Bin 26C
This is Rosalind’s first time making a wine solely from what the vineyard owner, Aki, calls Muscat Vert. The grapes are more aromatic than the Colombard, Chardonnay or Chenin she works with but less audacious than the almost unmistakable Muscats out there. The first aromas are reminiscent somewhere eastern like Alsace and after a long finish turned west to Loire and Muscadet. It is gentle in aroma and delightful on the palette with a nice long finish.
$75
2020 Frenchtown Farms 'Pearl Thief,' Sauvignon/Roussanne/Semillon, North Yuba, California, Bin 21E
Aaron and Cara Mockrish are attempting to accomplish what Gideon Beinstock (Clos Saron) has for the last 20+ years, utilize what the Earth and weather provide them to make highly sought after wines. The North Yuba AVA of the Sierra Foothills, is as fascinating a terroir as the people that live there. These three expressions provide a comprehensive view of this thought.
$70
2022 Clair Hill Chardonnay Lolonis Vineyard, Redwood Valley AVA Mendocino, California, Bin 9.I
Hill takes this fruit very seriously; it's from the second oldest Chardonnay vines in California planted by the Lolonis family four generations ago in 1945. When she visited Webster’s, Clair shared some of her winemaking technique of browning the wine, almost inoculating it with oxygen, to protect it from premature oxidation a.k.a. ‘premox’. The result is medium+ bodied with aromas of creamed corn, hard herbs and the best ambrosia lighted up with delightful acidity and a round long finish.
$82
2023 The Austin Wine Company Ocho Blanco, Viognier | Roussanne | Marsanne, Salt Lick Vineyard, Texas Hills AVA, Bin 84 H
Organically farmed with some biodynamic treatment the Salt Lick Vineyard lies South West of the city on limestone rich calcareous soils. The land here is distinctly Texas but the wine is its own unique anomaly with pronounced yellow fruited aromas with creamy and savory notes that finish on the palate with refreshing wet citrusy finish.
$81
Southern Hemisphere
2024 Babylonstoren, Viognier, Simonsberg-Paarl, South Africa, Bin 26 J
This medium bodied wine is layered with aromas of fruit tree blossoms, stone fruits, liquorice and spice. The nose complements the palette where the wine is textured but glides. The region is full of mountainous granitic outcroppings that must have eroded into the vineyards below providing a rich and mineral soil
$56
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