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Staff Favorites
| If you’re going to have Robert Parker or Stephen Tanzer over for dinner, selecting a wine they’ve rated highly will be a nice choice. However, when you’re buying wines for yourself, we’d love to see you find wines that match up your unique palate and pocketbook. We have a large staff of friendly and knowledgeable wine professionals that taste hundreds of wines each week. They can put you in touch with bottles that you are likely to love, often at a much lower cost than the highly-rated gems that often see a run-up in price and frequent availability issues. Like any great group of opinionated professionals, our staff has varied tastes themselves. Often our customers will find a particular staff member with a style that corresponds to their own. That concept works extremely well in our retail stores, and this section is our effort to bring you the same online. Don’t get us wrong, we love the highly rated wines from the press and will continue to offer them, but we think you’re missing out if you’re not augmenting those selections with picks from our excellent staff. Here are their favorites. (Click on a name to see their other selections - or to drop them a line.) Cheers! |
Reviews
2021 Castello Banfi Brunello di Montalcino
By: Orazio Campoli | Review Date: 7/16/2026 | Send Email
By: Orazio Campoli | Review Date: 7/16/2026 | Send Email
Castello Banfi is a name that needs no introduction—they are the visionary pioneers who fundamentally helped put Brunello di Montalcino on the global map. But what sometimes gets lost in their fame is the sheer, relentless quality and precision they manage to achieve year after year. Their classic Brunello is a masterclass in consistency, and in a powerhouse, deeply structured vintage like 2021, it absolutely over-delivers.
The 2021 vintage in Montalcino is already being hailed as legendary, marked by ideal conditions that produced wines of incredible depth, tension, and aromatic complexity. Banfi’s 2021 captures that magic perfectly. It pours a deep ruby and opens with generous, inviting aromas of ripe dark cherry, wild plum, baked earth, and a signature hit of savory Tuscan herbs and sweet spice. On the palate, it is full-bodied and beautifully textured, with dense, polished tannins that provide serious architecture without being aggressive.
This is classic, benchmark Brunello. It offers immediate, undeniable pleasure with a good decant, but has the serious stuffing to age effortlessly for another decade. For anyone looking for a guaranteed crowd-pleaser that still delivers true Montalcino typicity and pedigree, Banfi has knocked it out of the park once again.
2021 Altesino Brunello di Montalcino
By: Orazio Campoli | Review Date: 7/16/2026 | Send Email
By: Orazio Campoli | Review Date: 7/16/2026 | Send Email
Altesino is without question one of the benchmark, historic estates of Montalcino, and their classic Brunello is a wine we look forward to every single year. Located in the cooler, northern sector of the appellation, Altesino's hallmark has always been sheer elegance, grace, and aristocratic balance—and in a blockbuster vintage like 2021, that style reaches absolute perfection.
The 2021 vintage in Montalcino is already being hailed as a modern classic, delivering wines with incredible structure, soaring aromatics, and pristine fruit purity. This is a stunning expression of Sangiovese that leaps from the glass with beautifully lifted aromas of wild red cherry, crushed raspberry, dried rose petal, sweet tobacco, and a touch of savory cedar. On the palate, it is remarkably polished and seamless, with fine-grained, silky tannins wrapped around a core of bright, energetic red fruit.
While it has the serious structure, tension, and pedigree to age beautifully in the cellar for the next decade or more, its impeccable balance makes it surprisingly approachable right now with a good decant. This is textbook, elegant Montalcino from one of the region's absolute masters, and an essential addition for any lover of great Tuscan wine.
2024 Fratelli Barale Langhe Nebbiolo
By: Orazio Campoli | Review Date: 7/16/2026 | Send Email
By: Orazio Campoli | Review Date: 7/16/2026 | Send Email
If you want to experience the historic, old-school pedigree of Barale Fratelli without waiting years for their Barolo to soften in the cellar, this is your ticket. Sourced from the family's younger vines, their Langhe Nebbiolo is the ultimate "baby Barolo"—offering the traditional charm and aristocratic aromatics of the estate in a much more immediate, purely joyful package.
The 2024 vintage is all about vibrancy, freshness, and explosive aromatics. It pours a brilliant, translucent ruby and jumps out of the glass with classic Nebbiolo notes of crushed raspberry, wild cherry, fresh rose petals, and a hint of savory white pepper. Because it is built for approachability rather than decades of aging, the bright, primary fruit takes center stage. The palate is energetic and lifted, framed by fine, dusty tannins and a mouth-watering acidity that makes it dangerously easy to drink.
It is exactly what you want from a weeknight Nebbiolo: elegant, terroir-driven, and incredibly versatile at the dinner table. This is a phenomenal value and a beautiful, insider's look into one of Barolo's great old-guard families.
2021 Fratelli Barale Barolo
By: Orazio Campoli | Review Date: 7/16/2026 | Send Email
By: Orazio Campoli | Review Date: 7/16/2026 | Send Email
We are beyond excited to offer the 2021 Barolo del Comune di Barolo from Barale Fratelli—a historic, old-guard estate located right in the heart of the village of Barolo. Founded in 1870, this is a family that has quietly and steadfastly preserved traditional winemaking, continuing to age their wines in large oak casks and letting the terroir speak for itself. The 2021 vintage in Piedmont is an absolute classic, renowned for its structure, precision, and soaring aromatics—and Barale has captured that vintage magic perfectly. This is a wonderfully fragrant, traditional Barolo that opens with classic Nebbiolo scents of wild woodland berry, crushed red cherry, dried rose petals, and a touch of savory cedar and white pepper. On the palate, it is beautifully focused and elegant, with fine-grained tannins and a bright, nervous acidity that gives the wine fantastic energy and lift. For those who love terroir-driven Barolo with an old-school soul, this is a must-have. While it has the structure to rest gracefully in the cellar for years, an hour in the decanter will have it singing right now. It is incredibly rare to find this kind of deep-rooted pedigree and history from the commune of Barolo at such a compelling price.
2011 Bibbiano "Vigna Capannino" Chianti Classico Gran Selezione
By: Orazio Campoli | Review Date: 7/16/2026 | Send Email
By: Orazio Campoli | Review Date: 7/16/2026 | Send Email
Pure Castellina in Chianti alberese translated directly into the glass. . Bibbiano’s staunch refusal to mask their top site with small, toasted oak preserves a profound nervous energy that slices right through the natural density of the fruit.
It delivers a distinctly crunchy profile of dried blood orange, tart wild cherry, and crushed iron. Everything here is anchored by a rigid vertical spine.
Price:
$34.99
2011 K&L Discovery Series Italy Montepulciano D'abruzzo (Vintage Release)
By: Orazio Campoli | Review Date: 7/16/2026 | Send Email
By: Orazio Campoli | Review Date: 7/16/2026 | Send Email
Finding a properly aged Montepulciano d'Abruzzo of this pedigree is a rare thrill. While visiting one of the region’s most historic, traditional estates—a family famous for holding their top wines back for a decade or more before release—I was offered a tiny allocation of this magnificent 2011 from their personal library. The 2011 vintage was warm and generous, yielding a wine of immense concentration that has now softened into absolute elegance after years of perfect cellaring. The nose is incredibly complex, offering layers of baked blackberry, dried plum, cured tobacco, leather, and a signature hint of dark cocoa. On the palate, the once-massive tannins have melted into a velvety, seamless texture, carrying savory notes of balsamic and earth through a remarkably long, persistent finish. It is a profound, soul-stirring expression of mature Abruzzo that is fully ready to drink tonight, offering an unforgettable experience of aged Italian wine without the typical premium.
Price:
$22.99
2024 Alpha Estate "Ecosystem - Aghia Kiriaki" Assyrtiko Florina Greece
By: Keith Mabry | Review Date: 7/16/2026 | Send Email
By: Keith Mabry | Review Date: 7/16/2026 | Send Email
Another great example of mainland Assyrtiko comes from another great modern producer – Alpha Estate. Located in the highlands of Amyndeon, they are most famous for their Xinomavro and Malagouzia wines. But they are making great Assyrtiko as well. Here you have the grape planted in high altitude soils but over sandy-clay and limestone. There is a more unctuous character here that recalls the wines of Santorini with its body but the fruit profile leans more into the tropical. Pineapple, lemon curd and note of passion fruit and a lovely wet stone quality that makes this a comfortable pairing with cheeses, poultry and grilled pork.
2025 Skouras "Wild Ferment" Assyrtiko Péloponnèse Greece
By: Keith Mabry | Review Date: 7/16/2026 | Send Email
By: Keith Mabry | Review Date: 7/16/2026 | Send Email
Skouras, one of the great producers in the Peloponnese, began experimenting with the grape nearly two decades ago. Planting it in the region of Nemea, known for its high altitude vineyards and iron-rich red clay soils, their version has really taken off.
The new 2025 Skouras Assyrtiko begins with that crunchy mineral character not dissimilar to the ones you find on Santorini, but there is a lifted brighter quality here. Where the ones from Santorini are more glycerol, this has a vibrancy that makes me lean into green apples, fresh squeezed lemons and light nectarine notes. The sensation of minerality finishes though and a plate of oysters is one of the first things that springs to mind. There is much to love with this aperitif style, great as a starter of course or with any grilled fish or shellfish plucked from the nearby Mediterranean.
2023 Oenos Mittas Xinomavro Naoussa Greece
By: Keith Mabry | Review Date: 7/16/2026 | Send Email
By: Keith Mabry | Review Date: 7/16/2026 | Send Email
I've visited Oenos Mittas a couple of times over the years. Naoussa is famous above all for its limestone soils, but this particular parcel is actually planted on schist — a distinction that sets it apart from much of its neighboring vineyard land, and one that shows in the wine's precision and lift. It's also hard not to love the origin story here: Yianni (Johnny) Mittas converted his family's old bicycle shop into a makeshift winery to get this project off the ground, a scrappy, hands-on beginning for what's become one of the region's most exciting young labels.
The wine itself shows the grape in a youthful, vibrant state — bright red fruit, dried oregano, and that telltale savory, almost balsamic edge that makes Xinomavro so distinctive. The tannins are firm but not aggressive, and there's real energy running through the wine from start to finish, likely no small thanks to that schist soil underneath. A great entry point if you're new to Naoussa Xinomavro, and an excellent pairing for grilled sausages, moussaka, or anything with a good char on it.
Price:
$29.99
2021 Domaine Tatsis "Xiropotamos" Xinomavro Blanc de Noir Macedonia Greece (Natural Wine)
By: Keith Mabry | Review Date: 7/16/2026 | Send Email
By: Keith Mabry | Review Date: 7/16/2026 | Send Email
This one is a bit of an oddity, and that's exactly why it's worth including. Tatsis, one of Macedonia's most respected natural winemakers, takes Xinomavro — the great red grape of the north — and vinifies it as a white, pressing the grapes off their skins immediately to avoid any color extraction.
The result is a fascinating, slightly savory white with red berry undertones, wild herbs, and a chalky, textured finish that hints at its red-grape origins without ever tasting like a red. Made with native yeasts and minimal sulfur, it's a wine for the curious drinker — try it with charcuterie, mushroom dishes, or anything with a bit of umami depth.
Price:
$19.99
2024 Moinoterra Moscato Spinas Archanes Crete Greece
By: Keith Mabry | Review Date: 7/16/2026 | Send Email
By: Keith Mabry | Review Date: 7/16/2026 | Send Email
I visited Moinoterra and met Nikos Stathoglou, whose story is one of the more remarkable ones I've come across in Greek wine. Nikos founded the winery in 2022 at the age of 52, with no meaningful background in the industry — a second career built entirely from passion and conviction. It's the kind of leap that makes you root for a producer before you've even tasted the wine.
Fortunately, the wine backs it up. Moscato Spinas is a genuine rarity — this indigenous Cretan variant of Muscat is planted almost nowhere else. Don't mistake this for the sweet Moscatos you may be picturing: it's bone dry, aromatic, and intensely floral, with notes of orange blossom, ripe apricot, and a touch of candied ginger, finishing crisp and long. A fantastic conversation-starter bottle, and a beautiful match for spiced dishes or anything with a bit of citrus zest.
Price:
$22.99
2024 Douloufakis "Aspros Lagos" Vidiano Crete Greece
By: Keith Mabry | Review Date: 7/16/2026 | Send Email
By: Keith Mabry | Review Date: 7/16/2026 | Send Email
Douloufakis is one of the standard-bearers for quality winemaking on Crete, and Vidiano is a grape I think more people should know. I visited the estate years ago and had the chance to do a vertical tasting of his regular Vidiano bottling — half a dozen vintages side by side — and the evolution of the grape in bottle was astounding. It's another one of my top picks for varieties to watch.
"Aspros Lagos" — White Hare — is the bigger, barrel-aged expression, and it shows. Sourced from vineyards in the Dafnes region at elevation, where cooler nights help preserve the grape's natural acidity, this version is succulent and full, with real weight and a lovely waxy texture that never loses its freshness — apricot, honeysuckle, and a faint nuttiness that gives it real complexity for the price. A wine built for the table: think roast pork, creamy risottos, or aged Cretan cheeses.
2024 Sclavos "Vino di Sasso" Robola of Cephalonia Greece
By: Keith Mabry | Review Date: 7/16/2026 | Send Email
By: Keith Mabry | Review Date: 7/16/2026 | Send Email
I visited Sclavos this past year and it was one of the highlights of my trip to Greece. The island of Cephalonia is a monstrous limestone monolith emerging from the Ionian sea. The fractured limestone that makes up the slopes of the vineyards is dramatic, and you always wonder why anyone would go to the trouble to try to grow anything on these treacherous hills. Thankfully they do, and it is this limestone soil that informs all of the wines of the region — but particularly the Vino di Sasso, which translates to "wine from stone."
Made from Robola, it is a vibrant, mineral-driven white. Succulent, racy and dry, this is definitely one of the grapes that will challenge Assyrtiko for top dog once more wine drinkers become aware of it. Sclavos is one of the best producers on the island, so it's nice to drink something so special for such a reasonable price.
Price:
$25.99
2024 Iliana Malihin "Young Vines" Vidiano Rethymno Crete Greece
By: Keith Mabry | Review Date: 7/16/2026 | Send Email
By: Keith Mabry | Review Date: 7/16/2026 | Send Email
Iliana Malihin is a name worth remembering — a young, meticulous producer working in Rethymno who's quickly building a reputation for precision and restraint.
Though these are young vines, there is nothing that is not great about this version of Vidiano. Succulent mineral notes with an oily but lifted texture. Vidiano is highest on my list of grapes to watch.
Sourced from parcels on Crete's rocky, mineral-rich soils, this bottling shows exactly why the grape is drawing so much attention right now — a wine that walks the line between richness and freshness with real precision. Pour it with grilled octopus, a simple plate of fried cheese, or anything off the grill with a squeeze of lemon.
Price:
$34.99
2024 Skouras "Salto" Moscofilero Péloponnèse Greece
By: Keith Mabry | Review Date: 7/16/2026 | Send Email
By: Keith Mabry | Review Date: 7/16/2026 | Send Email
I have long been a fan of the wines of Skouras. One of my most iconic wine pairings was a bottle of Skouras Moscofilero and grilled fish plucked fresh from the Mediterranean. Of course it was on a sandy beach in Greece, with a warm breeze coming in off the harbor and gentle waves splashing at the sand. That was almost a decade ago, and I remember it like it was yesterday.
Since then, Skouras has pushed the Salto forward — also Moscofilero, but fermented entirely with native yeasts and sourced from a darker, more powerful clone called Mavrofilero. The beauty is definitely present, with notes of jasmine, makrut lime leaf, Meyer lemon and peach blossoms. The Salto is aromatically bold but also racy and dry on the palate. You may not need a beach setting to enjoy what this wine has to offer, but some grilled fish with a hearty squeeze of lemon and a glug of olive oil will at least split the difference. This is still one of my most transportive wines.
2021 Marqués de Murrieta Reserva Rioja
By: Kerry Kennell | Review Date: 7/16/2026 | Send Email
By: Kerry Kennell | Review Date: 7/16/2026 | Send Email
The 2021 Marqués de Murrieta Reserva Rioja is composed of 86% Tempranillo, 8% Graciano, 4% Mazuelo, and 2% Garnacha that aged 26 months in 225-liter American oak. Pure elegance and balance. Ripe plum dances with dry red earth, comforting baking spice, black pepper, dried violets, and tobacco. Round, spicy, and sumptuously approachable. Gorgeous and ready to drink now.
2021 Marqués de Murrieta Reserva Rioja
By: Matthew Landau Hassan | Review Date: 7/15/2026 | Send Email
By: Matthew Landau Hassan | Review Date: 7/15/2026 | Send Email
A modern classic from one of Rioja’s most storied houses, making wine since 1852. This Reserva—Tempranillo-led with the traditional supporting cast—splits the difference beautifully between old-school Rioja and a fresher, more polished style. Ripe red and black cherry lead, layered with vanilla, sweet spice, cedar, and a savory hint of leather and dried herb from time in oak. The palate is medium- to full-bodied and smooth, with fine-grained tannins and bright acidity keeping it balanced and lively. Approachable now with a short decant, but with the structure to develop over the next 5 to 10 years. Elegant, food-friendly, and a benchmark Reserva—pour it with lamb, roast pork, or a good jamón.
2018 Launois "Helia" Rosé Champagne
By: Matthew Landau Hassan | Review Date: 7/15/2026 | Send Email
By: Matthew Landau Hassan | Review Date: 7/15/2026 | Send Email
A gorgeous grower rosé with charm and precision in equal measure. Fresh strawberry and red cherry lead, accented by citrus, white flowers, and a touch of brioche. The palate is bright and delicate, with fine bubbles, crisp acidity, and a clean, mineral finish. Elegant and food-friendly—a rosé for sipping and for the table alike.
Price:
$74.99
2017 Launois "Helia" Grand Cru Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne
By: Matthew Landau Hassan | Review Date: 7/15/2026 | Send Email
By: Matthew Landau Hassan | Review Date: 7/15/2026 | Send Email
A single-vintage Grand Cru statement from a strong Chardonnay year. Ripe orchard fruit and citrus mingle with brioche, hazelnut, and deep chalky minerality. The palate is juicy and generous yet chiseled, with vibrant acidity and a long, saline finish. A concentrated, age-worthy Blanc de Blancs that shows just how good Le Mesnil Chardonnay can be.
Price:
$79.99
Launois "Veuve Clemence" Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne
By: Matthew Landau Hassan | Review Date: 7/15/2026 | Send Email
By: Matthew Landau Hassan | Review Date: 7/15/2026 | Send Email
A refined all-Chardonnay cuvée with a touch more richness and depth. Aromas of poached pear, lemon curd, brioche, and toasted almond unfold gracefully. The palate is creamy yet taut, its chalky backbone keeping everything fresh and focused through a long finish. Elegant and vinous—Blanc de Blancs with real presence.
Price:
$44.99
Launois "Cuvée Réservée" Grand Cru Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne
By: Matthew Landau Hassan | Review Date: 7/15/2026 | Send Email
By: Matthew Landau Hassan | Review Date: 7/15/2026 | Send Email
Grand Cru Chardonnay from an esteemed Le Mesnil grower, and a steal at this price. Lemon, green apple, and white flowers lead into a chalky, saline palate with real Côte des Blancs character. Fine bubbles and crisp acidity carry a clean, mineral finish. Precise, elegant, and a benchmark entry point into grower Blanc de Blancs.
Price:
$39.99
Ariston Aspasie "Cépages d'Antan" Brut Champagne
By: Matthew Landau Hassan | Review Date: 7/15/2026 | Send Email
By: Matthew Landau Hassan | Review Date: 7/15/2026 | Send Email
The prestige bottling, and a fascinating one—a co-planted, co-pressed, co-fermented field blend from a single vineyard. The result is a wine of striking energy: intense citrus, orchard fruit, toasted grain, and a deep, savory minerality. The palate is high-toned and bright, tightly structured, with laser-cut acidity and remarkable length. Ambitious, distinctive grower Champagne for the serious collector.
Price:
$119.99
2014 Ariston Aspasie Brut Champagne
By: Matthew Landau Hassan | Review Date: 7/15/2026 | Send Email
By: Matthew Landau Hassan | Review Date: 7/15/2026 | Send Email
A vintage grower Champagne with an airy, refined style and lovely complexity. An even blend of the three grapes shows baked apple, citrus, toasted brioche, and a deep wet-stone minerality. The palate is elegant and precise, with fine bubbles and a long, chalky finish. Poised and characterful—a beautiful expression of the house style with great mineral drive.
Price:
$49.99
Ariston Aspasie Blanc de Blancs Brut Champagne
By: Matthew Landau Hassan | Review Date: 7/15/2026 | Send Email
By: Matthew Landau Hassan | Review Date: 7/15/2026 | Send Email
All-Chardonnay elegance from a top small grower. Lemon zest, white peach, and white flowers lead into a taut, chalk-driven palate with a creamy mid-palate for balance. Fine bubbles and crisp acidity carry a long, mineral finish. Precise, refreshing, and deeply satisfying—a delicious Blanc de Blancs that keeps you coming back.
Price:
$44.99
Ariston Aspasie "Réserve" Brut Champagne
By: Matthew Landau Hassan | Review Date: 7/15/2026 | Send Email
By: Matthew Landau Hassan | Review Date: 7/15/2026 | Send Email
A grower gem that overdelivers at this price. A Chardonnay-led blend rounded out with Pinot and Meunier gives aromas of pear, lemon, and fresh-baked bread with a nutty undertone. The palate is round and generous, balanced by bright acidity and a clean, dry finish. Charming, versatile, and a genuine value in grower Champagne.
Price:
$37.99
Baron-Fuenté "7" Brut Champagne
By: Matthew Landau Hassan | Review Date: 7/15/2026 | Send Email
By: Matthew Landau Hassan | Review Date: 7/15/2026 | Send Email
The house’s ambitious cuvée, built on a blend of all three grapes and extended lees aging for real depth. Layers of baked apple, toasted brioche, roasted nuts, and candied citrus unfold slowly. The palate is rich and vinous but kept lively by firm acidity, finishing long and savory. A serious Champagne that rewards a proper glass and a little attention.
2018 Baron-Fuenté "Rebelle" Brut Nature Champagne
By: Matthew Landau Hassan | Review Date: 7/15/2026 | Send Email
By: Matthew Landau Hassan | Review Date: 7/15/2026 | Send Email
Zero dosage done right—clean, precise, and nothing to hide behind. An equal Chardonnay-Meunier split gives it both cut and flesh: green apple, white flowers, and citrus zest over a chalky, saline core. The palate is bone-dry and taut, all bright fruit and mineral tension through a crisp finish. A transparent, characterful bottle for drinkers who want purity over polish.
Baron-Fuenté "Quinconce" Brut Champagne (formerly Esprit)
By: Matthew Landau Hassan | Review Date: 7/15/2026 | Send Email
By: Matthew Landau Hassan | Review Date: 7/15/2026 | Send Email
A step up in polish and complexity, this three-grape blend brings real balance to the glass. Orchard fruit and lemon curd mingle with brioche, almond, and a hint of honey from time on the lees. The palate is generous yet fresh, with a creamy texture and a lively, mineral finish. A crowd-pleasing, food-friendly Champagne that’s easy to love.
Price:
$39.99
Baron-Fuenté "Grande Réserve" Brut Champagne
By: Matthew Landau Hassan | Review Date: 7/15/2026 | Send Email
By: Matthew Landau Hassan | Review Date: 7/15/2026 | Send Email
An honest, characterful grower Champagne and a benchmark house-pour value. Fresh apple, pear, and citrus lead into a toasty, bread-dough note that adds depth. The palate is round and approachable with a fine bead and a clean, dry finish. Easygoing and versatile—perfect for a party or an everyday pour that punches above its price.
2023 MAAL "NN" Clarete Malbec Mendoza
By: Rachael Ryan | Review Date: 7/15/2026 | Send Email
By: Rachael Ryan | Review Date: 7/15/2026 | Send Email
The category of "chillable red" is hotter than ever, no pun intended, and the NN Malbec from MAAL fits into this somewhat elusive category perfectly. Pale ruby red in color, with bright juicy fruit notes on the nose – Bing cherry, strawberry, plum – this wine has little in common with the typical oaked style of Malbec that is widely available. In fact, this wine sees no oak at all, just very gentle handling and a brief period of aging in stainless steel to preserve the fruit aromatics. Served with a slight chill, it has all of the fresh aromatics of a rosé wine, but with more body and a subtle texture that make it excellent with food. This wine is so fun and flavorsome – grab a bottle, chill it down in the fridge and enjoy on a warm day!
Price:
$19.99
2021 Marqués de Murrieta Reserva Rioja
By: Rachael Ryan | Review Date: 7/15/2026 | Send Email
By: Rachael Ryan | Review Date: 7/15/2026 | Send Email
Marques de Murrieta produces some of the most elegant wines in Rioja, and the 2021 Reserva might just be one of their finest releases to date. The 2021 vintage in this part of Spain was slightly cooler, and the harvest was later than average, so the resulting wine has a gorgeous sense of restraint and finesse, with an emphasis on dried floral notes and bright red fruit. This is unmistakably Rioja in the glass, with classic aromas of cedar, leather and tobacco leaf, but there’s also a freshness on the palate, and the acidity feels bright and energetic, directing the wine into a long finish. Two years spent aging in American oak, followed by several months in concrete, lend additional savory flavors and well-integrated, supple tannins. After 15 minutes or so in the glass, the wine expands aromatically, adding in violet, faint rose petal, and green herbal notes. This is such a pretty, sophisticated style of Rioja and a wine that firmly contradicts anyone who might think Rioja is too earthy or rustic for their palate. At well under $30, this wine is also a stupendous value compared to most other classic wine regions of the world – you’d be hard pressed to find another wine with this level of pedigree and finesse for such a modest price.
2021 Marqués de Murrieta Reserva Rioja
By: Alex Pross | Review Date: 7/15/2026 | Send Email
By: Alex Pross | Review Date: 7/15/2026 | Send Email
I have always loved the Marqués de Murrieta Reserva Rioja because it consistently ranks among the greatest values in all of Rioja. Vintage after vintage, it delivers the perfect balance of classic Rioja character, impeccable craftsmanship, and exceptional value. The bouquet is beautifully expressive, offering aromas of warm spice, ripe red fruits, earth, and crushed minerals. On the palate, vibrant red and black cherry fruit is layered with subtle sweet oak, savory spice, and finely structured tannins, creating a wine that is both polished and immensely satisfying. Whether you're a longtime Rioja enthusiast or simply searching for an outstanding everyday red, this is a bottle that overdelivers in every way. Lovers of classic Rioja—and a great bargain—will find plenty to love here.
Binder's Stash Distilled By Willett 7 Year Old "Single Barrel #2115" Cask Strength Kentucky Straight Four Grain Bourbon Whiskey (750ml)
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 7/15/2026 | Send Email
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 7/15/2026 | Send Email
Another ridiculously good barrel from our friends at Stoddard Spirits. Bill Binder is one of those guys whom everybody simply loves. His genuine love for this business is infectious, his legitimacy as an arbiter of taste is unquestionable, and his ability to connect with people is unparalleled. While he cut his teeth behind the bar, he is the ultimate front-of-house curator, making everyone who crosses his path feel welcome and special. So it is no surprise that his good name and equally good intentions have brought about one of the most remarkable partnerships this industry has ever seen.
There are brands that have claimed to source whiskey from the famed Willett Distillery, but the mere public mention of that relationship could be enough to bring it to an end. Willett is fiercely protective of its trade name and contractual obligations. They have certainly created collaborative releases before, but never have they allowed their name to be used in association with products sold under another brand. It is therefore a significant coup that Bill and his team have secured access to this incredible source. Even more interesting is that the barrels they are sourcing represent some of Willett’s most prized and unusual experiments.
This wonderful bourbon is proof that some of the experimental mashbills produced at Willett can occasionally outshine even the best Estate stocks. I honestly cannot remember a seven-year-old WFE tasting this good, although this whiskey remains distinctly outside the normal Willett profile. That is likely why it was never adopted as a core expression, rather than because of any issue with its quality or character. I think I’m ready.
The color is a full, shimmering auburn (1.5). The nose, admittedly after the bottle had been open for a week and was already one-quarter gone, is extremely expressive, showing signs of maturity well beyond the age statement. Deep red cherry compote, stunning whipped caramel sauce, gingersnaps, hipster light-roast coffee, sarsaparilla bark, kola nut, sandalwood, and nutmeg all come pouring from the glass. On the palate, the red fruit dominates at first, with a juiciness that completely subdues the tannins. More stone fruit emerges through the midpalate alongside strong baking spice, strawberry candy, and exotic wood notes. The back end dries up beautifully, keeping the whiskey from feeling overly confectionary, while the tiniest hint of earthy, almost Wild Turkey-like funk provides balance. The lengthy finish brings back the clove-driven spice and a seemingly endless wave of candied red fruit.
This barrel is both extremely distinctive and genuinely distinguished. A casual observer who does not understand the extraordinary care that went into crafting this special bourbon might scoff at the price-to-age ratio. For the initiated, who understand just how compelling even these younger barrels can be, the quality and potential here will be impossible to ignore.
Price:
$250.00
Probitas "Green Label" Coffey And Pot Still Blended Rum (750ml)
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 7/15/2026 | Send Email
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 7/15/2026 | Send Email
The Probitas Rum brand is the single most interesting thing coming out of the Caribbean right now. The simple truth about the rum industry is that a huge amount of the apparatus involved in producing rum exists outside its primary region of origin. There are undoubtedly economic reasons for dispersing the production network, especially given the cost of importing raw materials and equipment to islands far from the markets where these products are most popular. Still, there is something deeply unusual about the fact that spirits distilled in the Caribbean, but aged and bottled in Europe, can continue to be considered Caribbean rum. The Scots would certainly never allow something so ridiculous. Yet the decentralized nature of the industry is also a huge part of its success, and there seems to be little hope of changing the broader systemic issues surrounding rum production. The best we can hope for is that great producers, like the wonderful Foursquare Distillery in Barbados, create products that reshape the marketplace and challenge the status quo. Richard Seale, already an iconoclastic force in the industry, seems poised to do just that. I have always said that the rum industry follows the leader, and without a leader willing to challenge accepted norms, we will never see rum break out in the way it should. While the category may still be led in volume and dollars by the large multinational brands, its spiritual and intellectual leader is clearly Mr. Seale. His powerful vision for what rum, and Bajan rum in particular, should be offers a model for every quality producer to follow. It gives us hope that a better industry and better rum can take center stage in a true renaissance for the category. This product represents one huge step in that direction. Challenging the dogmatic anti-additive brigade to do a little soul-searching, Richard has created a blended dark rum using traditional methods that simply outperforms nearly everything in the category at an absolutely stupendous price. By carefully curating every element, they have created the new king of dark rum. From the selection of barrels and the precision of the blending to the coloring performed in-house, every detail feels perfectly proportioned. Here we go! The color is a stunning burnt umber (1.7). The nose begins with a beautiful combination of sweet woody caramel, dense baking spice, and tense rum funk, although at a considerably lower intensity than the Probitas White. Further aeration brings out burnt butter, raisiny dark fruit, and old leather. On the palate, it is powerful and rich, balanced by a lip-smacking juiciness that gives it a profoundly moreish quality. The funk takes a back seat to beautifully developed sweet fruit and honeyed character. Sipping it neat is perfectly enjoyable and makes its obvious quality immediately apparent, but there is no question that this rum was intended to be mixed. It succeeds everywhere the Probitas White occasionally fell slightly flat. I love that product in a funky Daiquiri, but it can sometimes feel muddled in a Mai Tai. This absolutely demolishes the competition as a base for that kind of drink. If you are ever considering mixing a rum-based cocktail and have not already grabbed one of these, you are clearly not maximizing your bar game. It is okay. You still have time!
Price:
$32.99
2025 Domaine Sigalas Assyrtiko Santorini Greece
By: Keith Mabry | Review Date: 7/15/2026 | Send Email
By: Keith Mabry | Review Date: 7/15/2026 | Send Email
Like Helen of Troy, Sigalas is the wine that launched a thousand ships — mostly ships headed to Santorini. Sigalas remains one of the benchmark producers on the island, and the quality has always been superb. The 2025 vintage saw devastatingly low yields, but we were fortunate to secure a healthy allocation thanks to our long-standing relationship with the importer.
I recently featured Sigalas at a staff training, and the response was overwhelmingly positive. It's always been a favorite, but the 2025 showed impressively well. One note a colleague shared really resonated with me — the wine's texture was unlike anything he'd tasted before, with nothing quite to reference it against. I kept going back to it myself, and it caught my eye — or should I say palate — too. It has a glycerol texture that's somehow sharp and round all at once. Hard to put into words, but the sensation was incredible - like a distillation of the terroir.
This is a young Sigalas that will only benefit from time in bottle, but right now that gorgeous density is accompanied by flavors of roasted peach, watermelon rind, wet rock, watercress, apple jelly. So much happening already, and so much more still to come from this classic.
2024 Akra Chryssos Santorini Greece
By: Keith Mabry | Review Date: 7/15/2026 | Send Email
By: Keith Mabry | Review Date: 7/15/2026 | Send Email
I had the great fortune to visit Santorini last year, and one of my favorite stops was with Spyros Chryssos. Spyros comes from one of the island's great grower families, supplying fruit for years to top producers including Hatzidakis. Only in the last few years has he begun vinifying his own grapes, and it's a revelation. I tasted a lineup that included one of his first vintages, 2018, and was blown away by how much the wine had gained in bottle — but all of his new releases showed real proof of concept. Spyros is someone to watch, and this is a producer worth seeking out.
His regular Santorini bottling comes only from his privately owned vineyards — many producers on the island rely on long-term contracts with other growers — and everything is farmed organically, with no chemical inputs. Handled entirely in stainless steel and aged on fine lees, this is a wine of real tension and nuance: citrus rind, roasted apple, crushed rock. It's everything I want from a Santorini white. Given its ageability, this is a keeper — stunning now, and it should be a true showstopper in just a few more years.
Price:
$85.00
2023 Akra Chryssos "Nykteri" Assyrtiko Santorini Greece
By: Keith Mabry | Review Date: 7/15/2026 | Send Email
By: Keith Mabry | Review Date: 7/15/2026 | Send Email
Santorini produces a style of white called Nykteri, and its rules are looser than people assume — a minimum alcohol level and a later harvest, which nearly all Santorini wines meet anyway. The one rule with real teeth is a minimum three months in barrel. Traditionally that's led producers to over-age their Nykteris into nutty, oxidative territory.
Akra Chryssos goes the other way. This is as vibrant and lush as the category gets — sourced entirely from 100+ year old vines on one of the island's top sites, it delivers a real symphony: passion fruit, pineapple, dried pear, crème brûlée, lime leaf. Santorini's signature minerality carries the finish and melts seamlessly into toasty oak.
It may not show the typicity people expect from Assyrtiko, but this is next-level work — and worth holding a few more years before drinking with real pleasure.
Price:
$89.99
2023 Antech "Emotion" Extra Brut Rosé Crémant de Limoux
By: Keith Mabry | Review Date: 7/15/2026 | Send Email
By: Keith Mabry | Review Date: 7/15/2026 | Send Email
Antech makes several exceptional cuvées, and while Eugénie remains one of our top sellers, Emotion is personally the one closest to my heart.
The Antech family has always been welcoming. We were working with them even before I took over buying their category, and they were one of the first producers to host me at their winery in Limoux. The region has actually been producing sparkling wine longer than Champagne—though Limoux didn't adopt secondary fermentation until much later. Before that, winemakers there used the Méthode Ancestrale, where fermentation finishes in the bottle, and the region became known for sweeter, brighter styles.
By the time we started working with Antech over twenty years ago, they had honed in on their bubbles and were huge champions of this rosé. For me, it went with everything—food-friendly, great on its own, and always appreciated at every party or event I brought it to for its expressive, classy profile.
This character-driven rosé still transcends its price point, delivering some of the best quality-to-price ratio of any sparkling wine—across all categories, not just rosé. White cherry, Red Delicious apple, and a touch of raspberry unfold on a slightly fuller-bodied frame, carrying through with delicious brioche notes and surprising length and presence on the palate. Since the winery lowered their dosage over the last couple of years, shifting toward Extra Brut styles, the wines have developed better tension while expressing more of the autolytic qualities I love in a great sparkling wine.
Simply put: there is no other non-Champagne rosé that offers this level of character at this price point.
2025 Château Les Valentines "Le Caprice de Clementine" Côtes de Provence Rosé
By: Keith Mabry | Review Date: 7/13/2026 | Send Email
By: Keith Mabry | Review Date: 7/13/2026 | Send Email
I've been fortunate to know Gilles and Pascale Pons, the proprietors of Château les Valentines, for well over a decade. From the very beginning, I was drawn to the purity and restraint of their wines. Their estate lies in La Londe-les-Maures, on the Mediterranean side of the Côtes de Provence, where schist soils produce rosés with remarkable tension and minerality. Just a few miles from the sea, the vineyards benefit from cooling maritime breezes that impart a subtle saline edge, while the family's commitment to certified organic farming allows this exceptional terroir to speak with even greater clarity.
The first wine they ever poured for me was Caprice des Clémentines. Named after their then-young daughter—now in her mid-twenties—it was conceived as an introduction to the estate's style, blending fruit from their own vineyards with carefully selected partner growers' parcels. It was an instant favorite with both our staff and customers. Over the past few vintages, however, the wine has become entirely estate grown, and the added precision and character are unmistakable.
When Gilles and Pascale parted ways with their national importer, I asked if they would consider joining our Direct Import program. Fortunately, they said yes, and for the past several years Château les Valentines has become a new cornerstone of our Provence portfolio. They embody exactly what we look for: a family-owned estate farming responsibly, producing wines that clearly express their place, and delivering exceptional value vintage after vintage.
The new Caprice is an even blend of Grenache and Cinsault, bursting with notes of wild strawberry, papaya, nectarine, and wet stone. The balance is what keeps me coming back. Bright acidity, a gentle mineral streak, and an effortless freshness make it a wine that shines at the table. During my recent visit to the estate, I enjoyed it with several meals, but my favorite moment came before dinner at Gilles and Pascale's home. A simple platter of crudités, a few friends gathered on the patio, and a chilled bottle of Caprice were all it took to remind me why this wine has remained one of my perennial Provence favorites.
Price:
$18.99
2025 Domaine la Chapelle Saint Victor Coteaux d'Aix en Provence Rosé
By: Keith Mabry | Review Date: 7/13/2026 | Send Email
By: Keith Mabry | Review Date: 7/13/2026 | Send Email
Colombe and La Chapelle Saint Victor often arrive in tandem and Chapelle has always been the more terroir-driven sibling. Where La Colombe emphasizes fruit, Chapelle leans into precision and minerality. Crisp Red Delicious apple, citrus zest, and subtle wild herbs are framed by a streak of limestone-driven freshness that carries through the finish. There's an understated complexity here that makes it equally enjoyable on its own or alongside food. Pair it with grilled seafood, Niçoise salad, or simply a warm evening outdoors, and it's easy to understand why this has become one of the defining wines of our Provence program.
Price:
$14.99
2025 Domaine la Colombe Coteaux Varois en Provence Rosé
By: Keith Mabry | Review Date: 7/13/2026 | Send Email
By: Keith Mabry | Review Date: 7/13/2026 | Send Email
Rosé season never quite feels official until La Colombe hits our shelves. Bright, expressive, and endlessly drinkable, the 2025 delivers everything we've come to expect from one of our most popular Direct Imports. Juicy white peach, ripe strawberry, and fresh watermelon lead the way, while a burst of citrus keeps everything lively and refreshing. There's a beautiful balance between generous fruit and crisp acidity that makes often makes this the first bottle to disappear from the table a little too quickly. Whether you're headed to the beach, firing up the grill, or simply looking for the perfect porch wine, La Colombe continues to set the standard for everyday Provence rosé.
Price:
$13.99
2023 Domaine Fournier Pére et Fils "Les Belles Vignes" Sancerre
By: Keith Mabry | Review Date: 7/13/2026 | Send Email
By: Keith Mabry | Review Date: 7/13/2026 | Send Email
Domaine Fournier has built its reputation on producing some of Sancerre's finest site-specific, soil-driven wines, with Les Belles Vignes serving as the flagship expression of the appellation. Like all white Sancerre, it is 100% Sauvignon Blanc, but what makes this bottling so compelling is that it blends fruit from Sancerre's three great soil types: Terres Blanches (Kimmeridgian marl), Caillottes (Oxfordian limestone), and Silex (flint). The domaine has earned consistent critical acclaim over the years, and the 2023 vintage was recognized as one of the top Sauvignon Blancs at the Decanter World Wine Awards.
The 2023 is a beautiful introduction to Fournier's style, capturing the character of each terroir in a seamless whole. The Terres Blanches contributes richness, texture, and structure, with flavors of ruby red grapefruit and kumquat. The Caillottes lifts the wine with freshness and vibrant acidity, adding hints of passion fruit and a subtle tropical edge. Finally, the Silex delivers the signature flinty minerality and a delicate smoky note reminiscent of struck flint. Individually, each soil brings something distinctive, but together they create a Sancerre that is wonderfully balanced, layered, and complete.
As the importer prepares to transition to the new vintage, they offered us an exceptional opportunity on the remaining 2023 vintage. Normally retailing around $40, we're able to offer this outstanding Sancerre at a throwback price of just $29.99. Finding this level of quality at under $30 has become increasingly rare, especially in today's Sancerre market. Whether you're already a fan of the appellation or simply looking for one of the best Sauvignon Blanc values of the summer, this is a bottle worth stocking up on before it disappears.
2009 Lilian Ladouys, St-Estèphe
By: Ryan Moses | Review Date: 7/11/2026 | Send Email
By: Ryan Moses | Review Date: 7/11/2026 | Send Email
One of the standout values of the 2009 Bordeaux vintage, I didn’t expect to see any more of this vintage of Lilian Ladouys in meaningful quantity ever again. That’s why I snapped this up the moment I found it earlier this year. For many, 2009 was a benchmark for the estate—an intersection of a brilliant Northern Médoc vintage and an estate hitting its stride, resulting in a scintillating, delicious, and undeniable wine.
I wasn’t patient enough to let the case I bought En Primeur last through the following decade, but every bottle showed tremendous potential, and it’s a joy to revisit it at this stage. The aromatics are bountiful, with deep cassis, blackberry, graphite, and thyme. The palate is pure and expressive, built around a core of red cherry, terrific texture, and well‑judged tannins. Beautifully evolved yet still packed with fruit, it’s a charming wine that will cruise through the next ten years, but is as irresistible now as it has ever been.
I don’t know if these are the last bottles around, but I’ll cherish them as if they are—and I’m thrilled to share this brilliant St‑Estèphe at fifteen years on.
2021 Petrolo "Boggina B" Trebbiano Toscana
By: Orazio Campoli | Review Date: 7/10/2026 | Send Email
By: Orazio Campoli | Review Date: 7/10/2026 | Send Email
The fruit is Trebbiano Toscano in purity, drawn from old material originally selected in the Valdarno and planted in the 1970s in the Poggio parcel, since replanted below the historic Bòggina vineyard using the same clones. Farming is organic, the harvest manual and sorted by hand. What follows is where the wine earns its seriousness: natural fermentation with indigenous yeasts in French oak tonneaux, then better than fifteen months sur lie, with bâtonnage tapering off through the early months and no racking until bottling. It's a Burgundian playbook applied to a grape most people still associate with dilute cooperative whites — and the gap between that reputation and what's in the glass is the whole point. Valentini level at a 1/4 of the price.
2022 Luigi Coppo e Figli "Pomorosso" Barbera d'Asti (Winery Direct)
By: Orazio Campoli | Review Date: 7/10/2026 | Send Email
By: Orazio Campoli | Review Date: 7/10/2026 | Send Email
The 97-point "Best in Show" distinction at the Decanter World Wine Awards is not just another shiny badge; it is a validation of the Nizza DOCG's site potential. For Barbera to capture this honor—the first time a Barbera has ever achieved "Best in Show" status—is a tectonic shift in how the trade views the variety. It proves that the saline snap of the Nizza subzone, helps wine stand toe-to-toe with the most prestigious crus in Piedmont. To be placed in the "Top 6" Italian wines of the year in such a competitive, global tasting isn't an accident of climate; it’s a victory for technical precision. The judges didn't reward it for being "big" or "opulent." They rewarded it for its athleticism—that rare ability to balance concentrated black fruit with a vertical spine of acidity that holds the wine together under pressure. It signals to the market that Pomorosso is no longer just a regional reference point; it is a structural benchmark that proves Nizza’s ability to produce unmanipulated, age-worthy wine even in the face of warming vintages. Maybe one the most interstesting buy of the year. With us directly from the winery.
2025 Craggy Range "Te Muna" Sauvignon Blanc Martinborough
By: Rachael Ryan | Review Date: 7/10/2026 | Send Email
By: Rachael Ryan | Review Date: 7/10/2026 | Send Email
It's rare to find a wine that can claim to be amongst the best in its country while still offering value. The 2025 Craggy Range “Te Muna” Sauvignon Blanc is exactly that: it is one of only two New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs to earn 97 points at this year's Decanter World Wine Awards, yet it remains remarkably affordable. This wine is fresh, crisp and clean, with aromas of white peach, ripe citrus, and juicy passionfruit. The palate follows with notes of mandarin, grapefruit zest, and subtle hints of fresh green herbs over a core of stony minerality. Vibrant acidity provides energy and precision, carrying the wine to a long, bone-dry finish that is both refreshing and focused. There is plenty of fruit here, but it is delivered with restraint and elegance rather than overt exuberance, allowing the wine’s terroir-driven character to shine through. While Marlborough remains the country’s best-known region for the variety, Martinborough, on the North Island, offers a compelling alternative, producing wines with greater mineral intensity and savory complexity. The 2025 Te Muna is a brilliant example of what makes this region so distinctive. Impeccably styled, with exceptional balance, texture, and complexity that stands comfortably alongside New Zealand’s best examples, this is a Sauvignon Blanc that sets the bar for others to follow.
2024 Pencarrow Sauvignon Blanc Martinborough
By: Matthew Landau Hassan | Review Date: 7/10/2026 | Send Email
By: Matthew Landau Hassan | Review Date: 7/10/2026 | Send Email
A dry Sauvignon Blanc from Martinborough at the southern tip of New Zealand’s North Island, the second label of Palliser Estate. Cooler, more maritime than Marlborough, the region gives a slightly more restrained, textural take on the grape. Expect passionfruit, fresh-cut grass, and grapefruit with a green herbal lift, crisp acidity, and a clean, zesty finish. Vibrant, easy-drinking, and a steal at $19.99.
2021 Newton "The Puzzle" Spring Mountain Bordeaux Blend
By: Thomas Zacharia | Review Date: 7/10/2026 | Send Email
By: Thomas Zacharia | Review Date: 7/10/2026 | Send Email
The 2021 Puzzle is Newton's mountain Cabernet blend at its most generous, dense and dark. It pours rich and dark, chocolate and mocha lifting out of the glass, before turning soft and fabulously friendly on the palate. Chalky dark fruit abounds, with a generous, almost decadent finish. Mostly Cabernet Sauvignon from Newton's high volcanic sites, filled out with the a supporting cast of Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot.
Price:
Hidden
2021 La Gerla "La Pieve" Brunello di Montalcino
By: Orazio Campoli | Review Date: 7/9/2026 | Send Email
By: Orazio Campoli | Review Date: 7/9/2026 | Send Email
While most collectors know La Gerla for their elegant "Vigna gli Angeli" from the northern slopes, the "La Pieve" is the insider’s secret weapon—a single-vineyard Cru that showcases the powerful, brooding side of the estate. Sourced exclusively from their holding in Castelnuovo dell’Abate in the warm southern sector of Montalcino, this wine offers a striking counterpoint to the ethereal style of the north. The 2021 vintage is nothing short of majestic here. The vines, planted in 1997, have reached a level of maturity that translates into incredible depth and complexity. The nose is intense and captivating, offering layers of dark wild cherry, black plum, and blood orange, all framed by the signature savory herbs and balsamic notes that define the Castelnuovo terroir.
Willett Family Estate 15 Year Old "K&L - Welcome To Hard Times" Single Barrel #2737 Cask Strength Kentucky Straight Bourbon (750ml)
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 7/9/2026 | Send Email
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 7/9/2026 | Send Email
Picking barrels at Willett is always an incredible experience. Their team has a remarkable talent for creating something that feels both deeply personal and unforgettable.
On our most recent visit, we were honored to be among the very few retailers given access to one of the remaining barrels from the legendary sourced whiskey Willett acquired many years ago. Opportunities like this are exceptionally rare.
The numbers alone are astonishing. A 15-year-old Willett Family Estate sourced bourbon on the secondary market can easily command $3,000 or more. While Willett's mature estate-distilled bourbons are exceptional in their own right, there's something undeniably special about these older sourced barrels. They represent a style and era of bourbon that simply can't be recreated.
Perhaps the best part is Willett's approach to pricing. Rather than chasing today's secondary market, they've priced these bottles in line with the normal progression of their own aged releases. You'll find their 14-year estate-distilled bourbon selling for a similar price, making this release an extraordinary value given its rarity.
But statistics and rarity only go so far. What truly matters is what's in the glass.
The tasting notes below come from the cask sample we evaluated during our selection in the spring of 2026.
The color is an exceptionally deep, dark oak (1.8), immediately signaling its remarkable concentration—a fitting introduction given the tiny yield from this extraordinary barrel.
The nose is absolutely explosive, opening with waves of fresh praline, rich caramel, sticky stone fruit, and toasted pecans. Beneath that is an incredible depth of baking spice, a hallmark of high-rye bourbon, weaving together sweetness, spice, and roasted nuttiness like an extravagant spread of after-dinner indulgences. Roasted espresso, dark chocolate, roasted nuts, dried peach, hints of peanut brittle, and even Cracker Jack all emerge as the whiskey continues to open in the glass.
Maybe it's high-rye Beam. Maybe it's Four Roses. Maybe it's old Brown-Forman. At this point, its exact origins are part of the mystery—and ultimately beside the point.
What matters is that whiskey like this simply doesn't exist anymore. Once these remaining barrels are gone, they're gone forever. This bottle will disappear almost as quickly as it's released, and every pour should be appreciated as one of the truly remarkable bourbon releases of the modern era.
Price:
$799.99
| Limit of 1 per customer |