90 points and one the Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 2009: "Bright plum, dried cherry and flowers on the nose. Full-bodied, with fine tannins and refined berry and cherry flavors. Drink now." (10/09) And from Wine Spectator's James Suckling's Blog: "I came across an incredible value in my office in Tuscany today...the most impressive [wine] for the money was the Monte Antico 2006. Its suggested retail is $11, and it could sell for less. And it's in the market now. Granted, I have not tasted it blind yet. But it's in the very good to outstanding range... Read More » 

Inventory: Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

91 points Wine Spectator: "Shows sweet blueberry notes, with mineral and lilac. Full-bodied, with fine tannins and vanilla and bright fruit flavors. Clean and racy. Best after 2010." (10/09) The Castello di Nipozzano was built in 1000 in the heart of the Chianti Rufina zone as a fortress. Fortunately for us, its defensive intentions are no longer necessary, and today it is used as the cellar where the Nipozzano wines are made and aged. The rich clay and limestone-rich soils, combined with the dry climate, make for full-bodied, structured fruit, which i... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

90 points Wine Spectator: "Very pretty, with perfumed blackberry and mineral aromas. Medium- to full-bodied, with fine tannins and a berry, milk chocolate and cedar aftertaste. A bit lean now, but polished and pretty. Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and Merlot. Best after 2010."-(10/31/2008). 89 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "Tenuta di Castiglioni’s entry-level 2006 Tenuta di Castiglioni is 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Sangiovese and 21% Merlot that spent 12 months in French oak. This plump, juicy wine offers notable harmony in a soft, fruit-driven... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

99 points and #8 on the Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 2009: "Shows excellent color and richness for a Sangiovese, with aromas of sultana, coffee, toasty oak and vanilla bean. Full-bodied, with masses of fruit and chewy tannins. The concentration and depth of fruit and layers of tannins leave me speechless. A blockbuster. Best after 2014." (10/09) 96 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "The 2006 Flaccianello della Pieve (Sangiovese) is just as extraordinary as it was when I tasted it from barrel. This spectacularly ripe and concentrated wine reveals... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City

91 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "The Chianti Classico is typically one of the last Chiantis to be bottled, but the 2006 shows all the qualities I encountered when I tasted various lots earlier this year, prior to final assembly and bottling. It is a big, super-ripe Chianti that captures all of the best qualities of the vintage in its super-ripe fruit and beautifully defined aromatics. This is a serious, structured Chianti that can be enjoyed now, but that also has the stuffing to age gracefully for years. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2016." (01/09... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Redwood City

95 points and #13 on the Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 2009: "Chocolate, blackberry and black cherry aromas lead to a full-bodied palate, with velvety tannins and a deep concentration of fruit. Powerfully rich and polished. Big and structured. Best after 2012." (10/09) 94 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "The 2006 Fontalloro is much more sweet and open than the firmer Rancia. Enticing, expressive aromatics lead to an expansive core of fruit. Round, finessed tannins give the wine an additional level of polish. Today the Fontalloro is fleshier an... Read More » 

Inventory: Special Order

Pasetti's vineyards lie in the heart of Italy's Abruzzo, between the Tirino and Pescara valleys at the foot of Gran Sasso and Maiella. The location's favorable climate, varied terrain and clay chalk and skeleton-rich rocky subsoils result in some of the best wines coming out of Italy today. Made by husband and wife team Franco and Mimma from vineyards at 550 meters above sea level, their Montepulciano d'Abruzzo has a soft, almost sherried nose with subtle chocolate notes. On the palate this wine is powerful, structured and elegant. It is nicely balanced ... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

"2006 was an exceptional year in Piedmont and allowed these grapes to get an extra level of ripeness with a quasi late harvest. Barbera grapes naturally have high acid so the extra ripeness is easily carried with the great structure in this wine. I find that Barbera not unlike Pinot Noir elevates its aromatics when planted in limestone soils and the complexity in this wine is really unique. The wine is fermented in open topped wooden vats with a touch of carbonic maceration and then moved to Tonneaux the 500 liter barrels a bit bigger than 2 barriques fo... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

I tasted the Villa Schinosa Nero di Troia at Vinitaly this year and was duly impressed by the suppleness and roundness of this wine. Don Ferdinando Capece Minutolo dei Duchi di San Valentino (I'm not kidding that's his name - you should see the business card) and his son Corrado (we'll just call him Corrado) with the help of consulting enologist Cristoforo Pastore have really done a great job. Their winery, Villa Schinosa is just a couple dozen kilometers on your way south of Trani, on the picturesque Golfo di Manfredonia on the Puglian coast. Puglian wi... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

A real non-aged Super Tuscan for not much more than $10! Ample, multilayered, with a very unusual fruit component, and a wine that is generously inviting to taste. The palate is soft and enveloping, full of cherry fruit and an earthy-woodsy component with a long, intriguing aftertaste. Sangiovese (40%), Ciliegiolo (20%), Merlot (20%) and Cabernet (20%). 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City

95 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate "The 2006 Chianti Classico Riserva Vigna del Sorbo is seriously dark, rich and intense. Dark cherries, tobacco, herbs and minerals come together in this brooding, weighty Vigna del Sorbo. Today the wine comes across as completely closed and folded in on itself, but with time it should emerge as a beauty. The elegance of the superb 2004 seems missing, and this looks to be an especially concentrated vintage for this wine. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2026. My visit to Fontodi last year was fascinating, as I spent sever... Read More » 

Inventory: Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

Riccardo Cotarella is one of Italy's most famous winemakers (actually consults for a Bordeaux producer!) and his own winery is named Falesco and it sits at the Lazio-Umbrian border. This wine is a blend of 1/3 each of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese and has been universally acclaimed by wine critics everywhere as a superb bargain. Cotarella is a master winemaker knowing just how much technique is needed for each varietal to add to the blend. The wine has a Cabernet-Merlot dominated nose but the addition of the Sangiovese gives it more balance, ... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

95 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate "The 2006 Chianti Classico Riserva Rancia is a vibrant, focused wine that flows with the essence of dark fruit, minerals and flowers. The wine possesses gorgeous length and proportion, all of which is framed by powerful yet well-integrated tannins. Simply put, this is a superb Chianti that also happens to be one of the best relative values in fine, age worthy wine. The Rancia is made from vines planted on poor soils at 420 meters above sea level. In 2006, the Rancia spent 16 months in French oak, of which 60% was n... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the nebbiolo (the main grape of Barolo and Barbaresco), here is a way to experiment with the varietal at half the price or more. The wine is full of the classic nebbiolo aromas of dried roses, truffle, and smoke with hints of earth. Lots of richness, loads of fruit, and a long finish, tannin but very well integrated! Drink now or age for a few more years, try it with risotto with Porcini, smoked pheasant ravioli, or Stracotto del Barolo 

Inventory: Main Warehouse

This Rosso di Montalcino (100% Sangiovese) is similar in nature and character to Brunello, at a fraction of the price. It possesses a deep ruby red color, and a soft richness that balances its fresh bouquet. It spends its first year maturing in oak, lending it some complexity for further aging. Once bottled it will comfortably mature over the next three to five years, growing still finer and more elegant. Pair with dishes such as pasta al ragu, fowl, truffles, and all meat courses. 

Inventory: Hollywood

Ripe, extracted and full of warmth, this Barbera offers layers of red and black fruit notes such as currant, plum and raisins with spice and chocolate rounding out the mid palate. The finish is long and rich. Serve with lamb or pasta in a rich meat sauce. Aged in oak for one year. 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

97 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "The 2006 Ornellaia flows from the glass in a profound expression of ripe, dark fruit. With time in the glass layers of minerals, cassis, tar, sweet herbs and French oak emerge, adding further complexity. This harmonious Ornellaia combines the richness of the vintage with superb freshness and awesome balance. Today the wine’s sheer density almost manages to hide the tannins, but they are there, and the wine will ultimately benefit from a few years in the cellar. The 2006 Ornellaia is one of the highlights of this ... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse San Francisco

While perhaps most famous for their elegant baroli, Vietti also makes phenomenal, fresh barbera like this 2006 Barbera d'Asti "Tre Vigne." From young vineyards in Agliano d'Asti, averaging about 10 years old, comes this mineral-kissed wine bursting with ripe red cherry notes on the nose and palate. The quintessential Piemontese food wine, the Barbera "Tre Vigne" shows refreshing acidity and well-integrated tannins that will make it an excellent accompaniment to antipasti, grilled vegetables, hearty soups and lighter meat dishes. 

Inventory: Hollywood San Francisco

92 points and Highly Recommended, Wine Spectator: "This has subtle aromas of blackberry, mineral and lavender. Full-bodied, with soft, silky tannins and a long, flavorful finish. A succulent red. All in the right place. A classy wine. Drink now. 4,420 cases made." (08/08). 100% Nero d'Avola 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

The Scilio wine estate lies on the north eastern side of Mount Etna, in one of Sicily's most beautiful areas. The farmhouse and cellars date back to 1815 and are surrounded by the organically cultivated vineyards, where for centuries the traditions of winemaking have been handed down from generation to generation. The peculiar climatic conditions of the area, the volcanic soil and a low yield per vine are essential for the production of Etna’s famous wines. For the last four generations the Scilio family have continued to cultivate passionately the 28 he... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

This small, seven-hectare family estate is located in the heart of the production area for Barbera d'Asti. This estate makes three "crus" of Barbera. La Marescialla is obtained from the careful selection of the grapes coming from one of the oldest vineyards on the estate and is refined for about a year in barriques. It offers tremendous complexity and excellent length and tannic structure. 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

90 points Wine Spectator: "Delivers ripe blackberry and raspberry, with pronounced floral and mineral notes. Almost meaty in character. Medium- to full-bodied, with a silky texture and lots of flavor. Finishes long, with an almost exotic twist in the end. Lots to enjoy. Drink now." (09/08) 

Inventory: Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

94 points Wine Spectator: "Offers blackberry, toasty oak and milk chocolate aromas. Full-bodied, soft and velvety, with a long, rich finish. Concentrated and pretty. Layered and serious. Best after 2011." (10/08) 91-94 points Robert Parker Wine Advocate: "In 2006 Giorgio Primo is 30% Merlot, 30% Sangiovese, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Petit Verdot. The wine spent between 18-19 months in French oak (90% new) with frequent batonnage (stirring of the fine lees) and micro-oxygenation. It is an authoritative, powerful wine imbued with the essence of plums... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse San Francisco

99 points and #8 on the Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 2009: "Shows excellent color and richness for a Sangiovese, with aromas of sultana, coffee, toasty oak and vanilla bean. Full-bodied, with masses of fruit and chewy tannins. The concentration and depth of fruit and layers of tannins leave me speechless. A blockbuster. Best after 2014." (10/09) 96 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "The 2006 Flaccianello della Pieve (Sangiovese) is just as extraordinary as it was when I tasted it from barrel. This spectacularly ripe and concentrated wine reveals... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse

90 points Wine Spectator: "Displays crushed blueberries, meat and black licorice on the nose. Full-bodied, with round velvety tannins and a juicy finish. The best wine from this producer in a long time. Best after 2009. 1,300 cases made." (09/08) Located in the heart of Chianti, equidistant from Pisa, Florence and Siena, the Villa Pillo is a traditional, historical Tuscan Farm with a gorgeous Villa built by the Marchese Incontri in the 1700s. It was purchased by John and Kathe Dyson in 1989, who have worked hard to restore the site, planting 33 hectares ... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse

Agostino Pavia and his sons Giuseppe ('Pino') and Mauro make two styles of Barbera from two different single vineyards, less than five thousand cases in all. Barbera d'Asti used to have a reputation for having acidity like that of a car battery, apparently due to high yields and an occasional lack of malolactic fermentation. These wines are different, zesty but balanced, with luscious fruit to match the acidity. I drink them with all kinds of food; the very low tannins of barbera make it versatile. Moliss is a Piedmontese word, not Italian, meaning the '... Read More » 

Inventory: Redwood City San Francisco

Montalcino is an intriguing growing zone, the soil, geography, hydrology and elevation all add specifics to an equation that has many answers. The 2006 Ferrero Rosso di Montalcino comes from the southwestern portion of Montalcino where the words hot and dry are front and center. Incredibly this is the opposite of the versante Senese (slope towards Siena) which is rife with springs and water abounds and the sun goes down early behind the ridge the town of Montalcino sits upon. Claudia Ferrero and her husband Pablo Harri, the highly respected winemaker at... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

Since its establishment in 2001, Tenuta Coppadoro has fast become the new benchmark for quality winemaking in the southern Italian province of Puglia. Coppadoro's vineyards are located on the Gargano peninsula, a promontory of land projecting out from the Italian coastline into the Adriatic Sea; it forms the “spur” above the heel formed by Puglia's Salentino peninsula. Home to Italy’s largest national park, the area is characterized by thickly forested ravines and sunlit valleys, likened to bowls, or coppe in Italian; hence the winery name, meaning "Bowl... Read More » 

Inventory: Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

This 100% nebbiolo-based red was aged in French tonneaux and barriques for one year. Fine, intense, red berries and sweet spices characterize the nose on this varietally correct and very elegant red. On the palate the wine is warm, complex, full bodied, fresh and very long. Try it with any pasta dish sauced with game and topped with aged cheese. 

Inventory: Hollywood

97 points Wine Spectator: "Black in color, with superripe and intense aromas of crushed berries, espresso and blackberry. Full-bodied, with velvety tannins and a rich finish. Massive yet balanced. This has everything going for it. Merlot and Sangiovese. Best after 2012. 1,100 cases made." (10/08) 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

Valentino Sciotti and Camillo de Iulis are not unlike some of their young Californian counterparts. Not everyone is blessed with an inheritance of acres of vineyards and a winery that your great-great-grandfather built and is paid for! They are negociants who work closely with growers in several regions looking to produce wines of character, from vineyards that aren’t tied to any one winery. They can offer more for the grapes because they have little overhead, they rent space as they need it, and because they are getting paid more the growers are more wi... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood

90 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "The 2006 Non Confunditur is fat and super-ripe in its expression of dark plums, cherries, smoke, tar, herbs and licorice. It offers notable harmony and best of all, is a terrific value. Drink this fat, silky-textured red over the next few years. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2016." 

Inventory: Main Warehouse

93 points Wine Spectator: "Intense aromas of ripe blackberry and flowers, with rosemary and coffee hints. Full-bodied, with chewy, polished tannins. Excellent fruit concentration and a flavorful aftertaste. Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Best after 2012." (10/09) 92 points Robert Parker: "The 2006 Tignanello is especially opulent in this vintage. Masses of dark red fruit, scorched earth and sweet oak emerge as this richly-textured Tignanello flows from the glass. The wine possesses superb density; all it needs is another few years to... Read More » 

Inventory: Redwood City

Raspberry and plum fruit join with a dry, rich and full palate impression in this hand-picked number. This grape variety is relatively unknown in this country, which is a shame. It is a delicious, forward wine to serve with everything from burgers on the grill to more ambitious fare like leg of lamb. 

Inventory: Redwood City

From 40-year-old nerello mascalese vineyards, this ruby red wine, grown on the lunar-like slopes of Mt. Etna, offers a richly fruited aroma with notes of vanilla and layers of red and black fruits, while on the palate it is long and supple, with firm tannin and amazing persistence. 80% Nerello Mascalese and 20% Nerello Cappuccio. Benanti is one of the best producers of the region and was recently awarded the Winery of the Year title at a Gambero Rosso event in San Francisco! 

Inventory: Hollywood

Supple, aromatic and 100% Nero d'Avola in a really pure expression of Siciliy's most famous varietals. Greg St.Clair K&L's Italian Buyer 

Inventory: Hollywood

95 points and #13 on the Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 2009: "Chocolate, blackberry and black cherry aromas lead to a full-bodied palate, with velvety tannins and a deep concentration of fruit. Powerfully rich and polished. Big and structured. Best after 2012." (10/09) 94 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "The 2006 Fontalloro is much more sweet and open than the firmer Rancia. Enticing, expressive aromatics lead to an expansive core of fruit. Round, finessed tannins give the wine an additional level of polish. Today the Fontalloro is fleshier an... Read More » 

Inventory: Special Order

The grape is called Timorasso, and in case you didn't know, it's a local white grape that had pretty much disappeared off the wine map of the world, and certainly would have if it weren't for the likes of Andrea Mutti and one or two other Piedmontese vintners bent on saving the region's lesser known wine styles. Not to use a much relied upon cliché, but this one really has to be tried to be believed. Complex doesn't even begin to describe the myriad of aromas and flavors: roasted nut, apricot, orange flower blossoms, river bed rock, ginger, vanilla ice c... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood

93 points Wine Spectator: "Coffee, currant and light mint aromas lead to a full body, with lots of chocolate, mineral and eucalyptus character. Gorgeous and polished. Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Best after 2012. 170 cases made." (10/08) 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

Imagine you have just shared a date with George Clooney (or maybe Catherine Zeta Jones). How could you go out with a mere mortal ever again? After trying Marisa Cuomo's Fiorduva, other white wines pale in comparison. Cantine Marisa Cuomo is a small winery located in Furore on the Amalfi Coast, where the vines grow on terraced slopes teeming with lemon and fig trees and peregrine falcons still nest. The Fiorduva, named for the Fjord of Furore, is a blend of three indigenous grapes: 30% fenile, 30% ginestra and 40% ripoli harvested late into the season. Fr... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City

The 2006 Selvagrossa Trimpilin is 100% sangiovese and is vinified in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks where it remains until after the malolactic fermentation. The wine is then aged in barrique for 16 months. Selvagrossa’s first production for the Trimpilin was in 2002 and in this 2006 vintage, 250 cases were produced. The wine is really beginning to blossom now; the sangiovese’s tight core of cherrylaced flavors is gradually uncoiling to show this wine’s strident purity. In the mouth the wine is spicy, full of complex fruit and hints of vani... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

96 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "Geppetti has produced another gem in her 2006 Saffredi, a French-oak aged blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Alicante. This textured, explosive wine boasts considerable depth and richness in its dark fruit, flowers, minerals and graphite. The wine remains extremely primary and in need of considerable bottle age in order to offer its best drinking but it is unquestionably formidable. The style combines elements of power and elegance, achieving a level rarely seen in these parts. Simply put, this is stunning j... Read More » 

Inventory: Main Warehouse

95 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate "The 2006 Chianti Classico Riserva Vigna del Sorbo is seriously dark, rich and intense. Dark cherries, tobacco, herbs and minerals come together in this brooding, weighty Vigna del Sorbo. Today the wine comes across as completely closed and folded in on itself, but with time it should emerge as a beauty. The elegance of the superb 2004 seems missing, and this looks to be an especially concentrated vintage for this wine. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2026. My visit to Fontodi last year was fascinating, as I spent sever... Read More » 

Inventory: Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

The I Favati winery is located in Cesinale, a town and surrounding hilly area in the heart of Irpinia (east of Naples, in the region of Campania), a land with a profound calling to the creation of quality wines. Irpinia's unique, indigenous grape varieties make up all of I Favati's vineyards, which benefit from a perfect exposition to the sun. Each year, the harvest is carefully supervised by brothers Piersabino and Giancarlo Favati, founders of the winery. The region of Irpinia contains the DOCG of Taurasi, which is considered by many to produce the gre... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood

From a frequent three glass award winner in the far flung locale of Emilia Romagna, the vineyards of Zerbina are perfectly situated to benefit from the constant cooling breezes off the Adriatic Sea. They produced wines of breed, elegance, charm, depth of flavor and a personality able to rival their cousins in Tuscany on the other side of the Apennines. The charming, great-value Ceregio Sangiovese, aged entirely in stainless steel, is an addictive wine for young drinking. On the nose, it shows blackberry, cherry, peppery and spicy flavours. On the palate,... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City

Clove, nutmeg and black pepper with hints of walnuts and paprika and loads of blackberry. Dalla Pancia means 'of the belly,' and you will want to put this one in yous. The palate is light bodied, featuring dusty tannins, black pepper notes, and a strong acid element. 2006 was a classic vintage in Chianti. The finish offers an extension of the tannins along with refreshing sour cherry notes. 

Inventory: Hollywood

89 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "The 2006 Langhe Nebbiolo reveals high-toned aromatics along with bright, clean red fruits in a focused style. Medium in body, the wine possesses excellent length and fine balance, although ideally it might offer a little more fleshiness to balance its structural components. That said, this is a very representative wine from this cool part of the Barbaresco zone. This bottle is closed with a glass stopper and my drinking window reflects some caution as to how the wine might age under this closure. Anticipated matu... Read More » 

Inventory: Main Warehouse Redwood City

92 points Steve Tanzer " Bright medium red. Intense red rose, red cherry, dried redcurrant and rock candy aromas soar from the glass. Enters the mouth suave and sweet, showing a seamless quality to the ripe red cherry and raspberry flavors complicated by woodsy elements of truffle, moss and mushrooms. Finishes creamy, long and sweet, with firmer acidity than the '07. This brilliant example of sangiovese clearly demonstrates that this grape does not need to be helped along by any other variety when grown in the right site. Many in Italy feel that owner Pi... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse

90 points Wine Spectator: "Blackberry, meat and spice aromas. Full-bodied, with velvety tannins and a long, caressing finish. Balanced and pretty. Syrah, Sangiovese and Merlot. Best after 2009." (10/08) 

Inventory: Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

90 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "The 2006 Vitovska is incredibly dense and rich in this vintage. This textured white reveals generous fruit in an expansive yet intensely mineral style, with excellent depth and persistence on the palate. There is a lovely baritone register to the fruit, but the wine needs considerable air to be fully appreciated. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2014." (10/09) This is a varietal that most of you are not familiar with. With Kante's delicate hand the structure, distinctive earthy character, power and depth really shine.... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco