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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
Fallet-Dart "Grande Sélection" Brut Champagne
By: Christina Stanley | Review Date: 6/9/2017 | Send Email
By: Christina Stanley | Review Date: 6/9/2017 | Send Email
A more subtly rounded Champagne than the Grand Reserve, the Grand Selection from Fallet Dart is blended with mostly red fruit, like the Grand Reserve, but the small about of high quality Chardonnay in the blend makes an impression, and an important distinction. There is also an extra two years on the lees, with a total of six years aging, which creates a slightly funky nose with a clean, bright palate with a hint of toast, and an earthy, chalky quality.
Price:
$37.99
Mas Codina Brut Rosé Reserva Cava Penedès
By: Rachel Alcarraz | Review Date: 6/9/2017 | Send Email
By: Rachel Alcarraz | Review Date: 6/9/2017 | Send Email
How many hand picked, hand riddled sparkling wines can you find for $12.99? Not many I think! We have all been lucky enough to enjoy the Mas Codina brut for the past few seasons and now we can enjoy the rose! Being from the hot, dry region of Penedes, the Pinot Noir grapes are picked in early August to keep the sugar levels down and the acidity up to create a dry, fresh rose. The wine is filled with the classic Pinot Noir notes of fresh berries and ripe cherry with a dry, chalky backbone that makes the wine non-stop!
Price:
$14.99
Bollinger "Special Cuvée" Brut Champagne
By: Christina Stanley | Review Date: 6/9/2017 | Send Email
By: Christina Stanley | Review Date: 6/9/2017 | Send Email
The Bollinger Special Cuvee is a Champagne for the connoisseur, as it is created painstakingly from up to forty percent reserve wines, which are stored in Magnums, under half pressure, and hand disgorged before bottling! This is a Champagne of exceptional quality and small production, created from grapes grown on Chalky, south facing soil. Aromas of lightly toasted nuts lead to a broad, very dry palate, with a dominant, chalky minerality and a slightly creamy roundness.
2016 Gloria, St-Julien
By: Steve Bearden | Review Date: 6/8/2017 | Send Email
By: Steve Bearden | Review Date: 6/8/2017 | Send Email
Gloria is filled with possibility and should blossom into a beautiful super value for the appellation. Right now the wine is round, juicy and very fresh but solidly tannic on the finish.
Bollinger "Special Cuvée" Brut Champagne
By: Andrew Stevens | Review Date: 6/8/2017 | Send Email
By: Andrew Stevens | Review Date: 6/8/2017 | Send Email
Bollinger is one of my immediate go to houses for people looking for a known name that delivers stunning wine for the price. The special cuvee from them is the perfect place to start with this all family owned estate. Lovely fruit notes of early plum, red fruit, and green apple with a little wood and spice are all firmly in balance here. The level of complexity is impressive and the finish is soft but does not fall flat in any way. There is also a beautiful tartness to the wine from the acid that serves to enhance the overall experience.
Bollinger "Special Cuvée" Brut Champagne
By: Joe Manekin | Review Date: 6/7/2017 | Send Email
By: Joe Manekin | Review Date: 6/7/2017 | Send Email
Oh man, is this good, soooo good! We have to be careful around here about picking favorites in the Champagne category, because the fact is that we all love Champagne and our current favorite may be bested by yet another delicious bottling before long. That said, for many of us, Bollinger is a long-time favorite amongst the grande marques, a true original and - without going into detail - a process that is ridiculously labor intensive, manual and expensive even for their Special Cuvee. With aromas of loquat, and a slightly savory, Beurre Blanc like note, the current bottling immediately drew me in in. It may be the 1/3 barrel fermented aspect of the base wine, the presence of 10-20 year old reserve wine, or my experience with the other great chalky soil based wine region of Europe, but I detected just a passing resemblance to Manzanilla here! A bright, delicious, complete and complex palate seals the deal and Bollinger continues to be one of my absolute faves.
Laurent-Perrier "La Cuvée" Brut Champagne
By: Joe Manekin | Review Date: 6/7/2017 | Send Email
By: Joe Manekin | Review Date: 6/7/2017 | Send Email
Laurent Perrier will soon be releasing a new bottling of their NV Brut, which will go by the name of "La Cuvee." It is not simply a re-launch with a neat new package (well it's that too, of course), but a wine that sees 5% more chardonnay - reflecting their recent purchase of another house with prime Chardonnay holding - as well as an additional 6 months ageing on the lees for a total of 3.5 years lees ageing. And how is the wine? Well, tasted side by side with a bottle of LP's former cuvee, there is a notable difference. Yellow and white fruits on the nose lead to a nicely rich palate, with great presence and autolytic, yeasty qualities. It's saline, intense, and dry, seemingly with a lower dosage than in the past. I like them both, though for my money this new release is definitely a step up!
Bollinger "Special Cuvée" Brut Champagne
By: Stefanie Juelsgaard | Review Date: 6/7/2017 | Send Email
By: Stefanie Juelsgaard | Review Date: 6/7/2017 | Send Email
I find this to be one of the most interesting Champagnes we have on the shelves right now because of how many different notes and tastes it possesses. While Bollinger is one of the larger houses in Champagne, they are absolutely one of the best. The amount of care and work they put into their Champagne is unreal and the dedication to quality is beyond almost all others. The average age of the wine in this bottle is ten years old and one third of it is barrel fermented, which is far less common in Champagne. Topping wine in this house is kept in magnum bottles, separated by cru and vintage, which means they have to pop every single one when it comes time to add dosage to the bottles. This painstaking work results in an unbelievable wine and one I would be happy to have anytime.
Fallet-Dart "Grande Sélection" Brut Champagne
By: Joe Manekin | Review Date: 6/7/2017 | Send Email
By: Joe Manekin | Review Date: 6/7/2017 | Send Email
The mere fact that this cuvee from Fallet Dart has a whopping seven years on the lees should immediately grab your attention. That said, it's not all about the lees, you need to start with great base wine. This is absolutely the case for this delicious bottle of Pinot Noir based bubbles made an hour west of Epernay. A bright nose loaded with citric fruits leads to a focused, lively, fresh and engaging palate. Compared to their also tasty Grande Reserve, this wine comes across as drier and slightly lower dosage. Fantastic value for money, and a likely selection for house Champagne at our place. If you are inclined to do the same, it will be super affordable at under $35!
Price:
$37.99
Laurent-Perrier "La Cuvée" Brut Champagne
By: Stefanie Juelsgaard | Review Date: 6/7/2017 | Send Email
By: Stefanie Juelsgaard | Review Date: 6/7/2017 | Send Email
The "La Cuvee" is one phenomenal release from well-known and highly regarded Champagne producer Laurent Perrier. Aged three and a half years on the lees, this wine exhibits the dedication LP shows to the quality of their Champagne. They have chosen to hold this wine back until it is perfected, rather than release it before it has had time to fully develop, even if that means potential years of lost income. The bottling exhibits a juiciness and fuller body than their "Brut" sparkler, but is still bright and lively from the acid-driven Chardonnay. While many Champagne houses believe great wine is made in the cellar, not the vineyard, LP shows a dedicated respect to the fruit in their bottlings, with the Chardonnay in "La Cuvee" being of exceptional quality. This is a special bottle that is still incredibly affordable and available for everyone to enjoy.
Fallet-Dart "Grande Sélection" Brut Champagne
By: Stefanie Juelsgaard | Review Date: 6/7/2017 | Send Email
By: Stefanie Juelsgaard | Review Date: 6/7/2017 | Send Email
This Champagne hits all of the elements for me that I expect in a great sparkling and is one of the most well balanced I have ever come across, which is incredibly rare at this price. Fallet-Dart is situated in the far western, slightly lesser-known village of Drachy and this wine benefits from being made from only fruit grown on the estate. With up to seven years aging on the lees, this Champagne exhibits fantastic body and depth and the Pinot Noir heavy blend really showcases that varietal. The Chardonnay brings brightness and acidity and rounds of the palate fantastically. Definitely my favorite Fallet-Dart and at this price can be one approachable for any Champagne lover.
Price:
$37.99
Bollinger "Special Cuvée" Brut Champagne
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 6/6/2017 | Send Email
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 6/6/2017 | Send Email
This Champagne is crazy good! Crazy because its primary fermentation is 1/2 done in barrel and crazy because the 1/2 of the wine is aged in magnum at 1/2 pressure (3 fathoms) and then disgorged and blended in. Two hundred and fifty-thousand magnums hand-disgorged and tested for cork taint as the mags are aged on the cork, not crown cap. Who does this?! The Special Cuvée is bright and lively on the initial taste but, fleshes out and the trademark Bollinger golden fruits and caramel come into play. Super, super long finish! Still a family-owned Champagne house!
Laurent-Perrier "La Cuvée" Brut Champagne
By: Christina Stanley | Review Date: 6/6/2017 | Send Email
By: Christina Stanley | Review Date: 6/6/2017 | Send Email
Laurent Perrier's "La Cuvee" is a more powerful, richer and more focused iteration of their Brut Champagne, with extended aging in the bottle for six months, for a total of three and a half years on the lees. There is a similar clean and citrusy herbaceous quality in the initial aromatics, which speaks to the quality of the Chardonnay that drives the blend. The palate is broader and richer than that of the original Brut, with subtle flavors of white peach and frozen cherry, but a similar, yet more pronounced, chalky minerality comes to the forefront. "La Cuvee" is a beautiful Champagne which will delight lovers of their Brut and new fans alike.
2016 Brane-Cantenac, Margaux
By: Jeff Garneau | Review Date: 6/6/2017 | Send Email
By: Jeff Garneau | Review Date: 6/6/2017 | Send Email
It’s hard for me to be completely objective about the wines of Brane-Cantenac. It’s one of my favorite properties from the appellation and my “go to” wine when I really want to drink Margaux. I have quite a few vintages in my cellar starting with 2000 and it seems to me that the wines just keep getting better and better with each passing year. The 2016 Brane-Cantenac may be one of the best I have ever tasted. Classically floral with generous ripe, sweet fruit. There is good depth here. Layered, complex, with firm, fine tannins. Still a relative bargain for a Deuxième Cru as the improvement in quality continues to outpace any increase in price.
2016 Léoville-Barton, St-Julien
By: Jeff Garneau | Review Date: 6/6/2017 | Send Email
By: Jeff Garneau | Review Date: 6/6/2017 | Send Email
Year on year, Leoville Barton continues to deliver wines that are firm, structured, and uncompromisingly tannic in their youth. The 2016 is very much on point with substantial, though very fine, tannins. What is particularly striking is the sheer intensity of the color, from palate-staining purple to nearly inky black. Loads of black fruit here as well. Superbly ripe with notes of fresh blackberry and hints of richer cassis. Like many of the Left Bank wines in 2016, Cabernet Sauvignon very much takes the lead here. Patience will be required but this ought to age magnificently.
2016 Margaux, Margaux
By: Jeff Garneau | Review Date: 6/6/2017 | Send Email
By: Jeff Garneau | Review Date: 6/6/2017 | Send Email
Commenting on the extreme weather conditions of 2016 – from the heavy spring rains to the late summer drought – the good folks at First Growth Chateau Margaux characterized the year in typically understated fashion as “a singular vintage”. If it was a vintage to test the mettle of vineyard manager and cellar master alike, then Margaux passed with flying colors. This 2016 Margaux, Margaux is very much a wine of the vintage. Notable acidity, very fresh and lively, with a mere 13% alc. Hugely tannic but so very fine it was easy to taste even out of barrel. At 94% of the blend this is a vintage for Cabernet lovers. While yields were slightly up here in 2016, the selection for the Grand Vin was quite strict, a mere 28% of total production, down from 35% the year before. Where 2015 was opulent, the 2016 is precise. This is a sleek greyhound of a wine, a marvel of focused intensity and restrained power, a wine of great finesse and elegance.
Laurent-Perrier "La Cuvée" Brut Champagne
By: Andrew Stevens | Review Date: 6/6/2017 | Send Email
By: Andrew Stevens | Review Date: 6/6/2017 | Send Email
If you are a Champagne House that carries the name recognition and appeal of Laurent Perrier how do you change your signature offering? Easy, you introduce a wine like the new La Cuvee. Taking on new vineyards and changing the basic cepage Laurent Perrier also decided that a longer lees time was also just what this new cuvee needed. The result being a continuation of what they are capable of and I believe a treat for all of their customers. This new champagne features a slightly creamier nose than the Brut and is filled with delectable stone fruit, cream, and plenty of balancing acid. I am fairly confident that those who are already familiar with this house will be delighted with this change and the handful of people who haven't tried them yet here is exactly where you should start.
2016 Margaux, Margaux
By: Jason Marwedel | Review Date: 6/6/2017 | Send Email
By: Jason Marwedel | Review Date: 6/6/2017 | Send Email
Chateaux Margaux is the absolute definition of poise and grace. The 2016 offering is ethereal and complex, even a bit introverted at this early stage. As with all world-class wines, greatness lies below the surface. A bouquet of black fruit, rose, lavender and violet grace the nose, which is accompanied by a palate of uncompromising precision and purity. Faint hints of leather, cedar box, and minerals lend to the intrigue. The 2016 is lower in alcohol than previous vintages, which adds tremendous vibrancy. The 2016 Chateaux Margaux is a collectors dream - nothing but a long and happy life lies ahead.
2016 Mouton Rothschild, Pauillac
By: Steve Bearden | Review Date: 6/6/2017 | Send Email
By: Steve Bearden | Review Date: 6/6/2017 | Send Email
The most opulent of the First Growths in 2016 has an almost flamboyant fruit profile but stays firm, dry, powerful and super fresh on the finish. This has a strong middle of blackberry and raspberry cream, lots of mineral and a long, sweet finish of finely integrated tannin. This was easy to taste and already delicious.
2016 Margaux, Margaux
By: Clyde Beffa Jr. | Review Date: 6/6/2017 | Send Email
By: Clyde Beffa Jr. | Review Date: 6/6/2017 | Send Email
Paul Pontallier is gone, but Margaux continues to make great wines. 94% CS and only 13% Alcohol. Red roses and violets on the nose and red currant flavors. Very lush and very good.
2016 Calon-Ségur, St-Estèphe
By: Steve Bearden | Review Date: 6/2/2017 | Send Email
By: Steve Bearden | Review Date: 6/2/2017 | Send Email
This is very rich and sweet yet focused and powerful. The blackberry fruit just keeps coming but is layered with mint, herb, tobacco, eucalyptus and very sweet tannin. In 2016 Calon is filled with power and tension and the persistence is amazing. Maybe the best ever from this property.
2016 Smith Haut Lafitte, Pessac-Léognan
By: Clyde Beffa Jr. | Review Date: 6/1/2017 | Send Email
By: Clyde Beffa Jr. | Review Date: 6/1/2017 | Send Email
The Cathiards have brought Smith from underperforming to Bordeaux superstar in 25 years. They have learned from their earlier vintages and now make surely a second growth quality wine-maybe super second at a good price. The 2015 sold very well, and this is as good. 65% CS for this sexy, somewhat exotic mouthful of pleasure. Full-bodied and quite rich on the palate. Some red roses and cassis shining through on this modern rendition.
2016 Mouton Rothschild, Pauillac
By: Ralph Sands | Review Date: 6/1/2017 | Send Email
By: Ralph Sands | Review Date: 6/1/2017 | Send Email
Mouton Rothschild reveals an incredible nose that screams greatness! Sweet, pure and persistent old vine fruit with strong structure, a lovely touch of middle fruit richness but still very bold and long finishing. A great tasting wine and a Mouton for the ages! 3 Stars! Ralph Sands
2016 Mouton Rothschild, Pauillac
By: Clyde Beffa Jr. | Review Date: 6/1/2017 | Send Email
By: Clyde Beffa Jr. | Review Date: 6/1/2017 | Send Email
This is the best first growth I tasted from 2016--very much in the vein of the great 86 Mouton with softer fruit, so almost like a combination of 82 and 86. The wine is utter perfection, in my my top three for 2016 overall. Only Lafite and Petrus are as good, in my opinion.
Angeleno Amaro (750ml)
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 5/31/2017 | Send Email
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 5/31/2017 | Send Email
Angeleno is the hotness right now. It's not your grandma's amaro though so don't expect the sweet easy richness of Averna or the mellow bitter qualities of Nonino. Instead, the boys at Angeleno have created something distinctly Californian, not in the mold of any Italian Amaro, but with a great respect for those venerable products. The secret recipe includes locally sourced fresh and dried botanicals, many hand picked at a local farm. The base spirit is distilled from Pinot Grigio and a multi-step maceration and blending process before filtration and resting. The unusual concoction has a huge orange element, pointed with powerful herbal aromas, in particular chamomile and gentian. On the palate it starts a bit vinous and zippy sweet before the bitter orange peel and gentian peel pull it back. As you sip the bitterness builds. Very effective as a digestive, but works wonders in aperitif, as Spritz or even can sub-out orange liqueur or Lillet when you want to dry up or spice up a classic recipe. This is a modern classic in every sense of the word and will likely be everywhere before you know it.
Price:
$32.99
Delamain Pale & Dry XO Grande Champagne Cognac (700ml)
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 5/31/2017 | Send Email
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 5/31/2017 | Send Email
Delamain is really one of the most special producers of Cognac. They may not be the most exciting, bold or innovative, but they make DANG good cognac in a style that very few producers are going after. Restrained elegant and very deliberate. the XO is Delamain's "entry level" but it doesn't drink like an entry level. This has some very old brandies in the mix and benefits from an extended marriage period in smaller casks rather than the few weeks in large foudres like most producers. The result is a head nose of dried stone fruits, macerated vanilla bean and subtle exotic wood. Excellent vibrant entry that's lifted and open with tons of complexity. Those stones fruits play of the barrel spice perfectly as the long finish builds. This has always been a favorite circa $100+, but at this price this is easily the finest regularly available XO for your money.
Sazerac Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey (750ml)
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 5/31/2017 | Send Email
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 5/31/2017 | Send Email
Buffalo Trace's flagship Rye named for the famous Coffeehouse in New Orleans which gave its name to both the cocktail and the company that owns the distillery. This whisky has an unconfirmed mashbill but what ever they're doing over there results in a wonderful spicy bold yet balanced rye. Aged for around 6 years and bottled at 90 proof, the Sazerac Rye cleans up at the competitions and is finally available on the regular. Even at 90 proof this bad boy makes a mean cocktail and might be a little more forgiving than something like the WT 101 Rye, plus it's now cheaper than that bench mark. Most serious drinkers should have a bottle open in the bar...
Carpano "Punt E Mes" Vermouth (750ml)
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 5/31/2017 | Send Email
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 5/31/2017 | Send Email
Punt E Mes has been a go to choice for cocktailing at my house for years. When you're a bit tired of the ultra richness of Antica formula, fall back on the lovely and structured Punt E to clear you right up. It does wonders for drying up a bourbon Manhattan, but it also sings in Spritzs and Negronis. The nose is vinous and spicy with herbal sweet earthiness. The palate is somewhat tannic with a strong quinine element. The finish softens up and releases you from its bitter grasp with soft sweet ending. A great change up from the standard red vermouths.
Campari Bitter Liqueur (750ml)
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 5/31/2017 | Send Email
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 5/31/2017 | Send Email
I have a strange and painful affinity to Campari. There's not a moment of any day at any time that I couldn't get down with a bit of that amaroidal crimson concoction. I'm not certain that I'm not physically dependent on it.
2016 Calon-Ségur, St-Estèphe
By: Ralph Sands | Review Date: 5/31/2017 | Send Email
By: Ralph Sands | Review Date: 5/31/2017 | Send Email
2016 Ch. Calon Segur 60% CS 20M 18CF and 2PV is full of strong zesty red-black fruit with hints of black licorice and tart bing cherries. Firm, pure, classic claret that will reward time in the cellar. 2 Stars! 2016 is another 2014 in St-Estephe producing outstanding wines. Ralph Sands
Balvenie 12 Year Old "Doublewood" Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml)
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 5/31/2017 | Send Email
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 5/31/2017 | Send Email
Good old Doublewood. Very few entry level offerings from a Scottish distillery provide so much depth for your dollar. For some many people this is the gateway to the world of Scotch and I think it does a lot of things really well. The gorgeous distillery in Dufftown is one of the best reasons to visit Speyside and one of the few that's still using onsite maltings, albeit in small quantities. It's clear that they're going for balance and easy of entry, but not at complete neglect of character. The nose starts with a big honey note framed around subtle driad fruit influence and a big vanilla component. The earthy maltiness builds with air and dominates the palate, but still some darker sherry components poke through. The finish moves away from the sweet honey and raisiny fruit toward darker drier components. Some wisps of fresh oak as it lingers. Certainly I'd love to see this at higher proof, but truly appreciate what this humble bottlings provides for the price.
Waiter's Corkscrew Burgundy K&L Logo
By: Anthony Russo | Review Date: 5/30/2017 | Send Email
By: Anthony Russo | Review Date: 5/30/2017 | Send Email
This is a super-solid corkscrew. Built with metal parts, it'll take a lot of abuse before cracking and falling apart, unlike its plastic competitors. We use it all the time ourselves for tastings and these have yet to let us down! The best feature is the dual pivot point, making the actual cork-pulling process easy, and smooth.
Price:
$6.99
2016 Brane-Cantenac, Margaux
By: Clyde Beffa Jr. | Review Date: 5/30/2017 | Send Email
By: Clyde Beffa Jr. | Review Date: 5/30/2017 | Send Email
One of the top wines of the vintage. Such great texture on the palate. Very sweet mid palate impression. Great balance so it will age very well for 10-20 years.
High West "Bourye - 2025" Limited Release A Blend of Straight Bourbon & Rye Whiskey (750ml)
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 5/24/2017 | Send Email
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 5/24/2017 | Send Email
The excellent Bourye is always a special treat. There are so few opportunities to taste old American whiskey at a reasonable price. The Bourye is always a reminder that High West is really an American blending house. Sure, they distill stuff, but what they're good at is figuring out the precise proportions to maximize the impact of each component of a blend. The new Bourye is no exception. The heady spice of old rye and the rich, woodsy sweetness of well-aged bourbons are mingled perfectly for one of the most obvious and delicious bottles on the shelf today. Has this wonderful old-style feel to it and represents quite a good value considering many aged-stated rye and many bourbons are asking upwards of $100.
Price:
$119.99
Del Maguey Minero Mezcal (750ml)
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 5/24/2017 | Send Email
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 5/24/2017 | Send Email
Del Maguey single-handedly created the high-end mezcal category. And while their Chichicapa might be considered the flagship, it is their Minero that is the true star. Hand-milled agave cultivated at over 5,000 feet and roasted over mesquite, huamuchil, and eucalyptus wood is fermented in open wooden vats for up to 25 days. It's then distilled in traditional clay pots (the only standard release from Del Maguey using this type of still) to create one of the most viscous and powerfully rich mezcals available.
Price:
$74.99
2016 Gloria, St-Julien
By: Clyde Beffa Jr. | Review Date: 5/24/2017 | Send Email
By: Clyde Beffa Jr. | Review Date: 5/24/2017 | Send Email
Wonderful red berry aromas and flavor. Cabernet at 65% shines through here. Quite spicy on the palate. Should be a fine buy for mid term aging. Slight tannic finish, but good balance.
2016 Langoa-Barton, St-Julien
By: Ralph Sands | Review Date: 5/23/2017 | Send Email
By: Ralph Sands | Review Date: 5/23/2017 | Send Email
Ch. Langoa Barton…$49.99 Mags $99.99 Langoa Barton has beautifully fresh, spicy raspberry fruit, nice texture, very pretty with all parts perfectly balanced. 2 Stars! Ralph
Franck Bonville Brut Rosé Champagne
By: Diana Turk | Review Date: 5/23/2017 | Send Email
By: Diana Turk | Review Date: 5/23/2017 | Send Email
Consistently incredible! Bonville’s delicate, visually-stunning brut rosé is delicious and elegant, but also substantial: this feels like important Champagne, with quality that far exceeds its price point. With 8% Pinot Noir from celebrated Grand Cru village of Ambonnay, this crisp rosé features vivid red fruit on the nose but finishes fresh, with the linear snap expected of 92% Chardonnay, mostly from the colder 2011 vintage. There is electric acidity on the palate but also a plusher component thanks to a luxuriously fine bead. Luxurious, dry, and easydrinking – this is rosé I’ve returned to again and again.
Price:
$59.99
2016 Margaux, Margaux
By: Steve Bearden | Review Date: 5/19/2017 | Send Email
By: Steve Bearden | Review Date: 5/19/2017 | Send Email
This is tight, clean, classy and weightless with a glassy, polished texture. There is obvious strength to the intense and steely middle but the seamless integration of elements allows this to glide effortlessly from beginning to end. This is pitch-perfect and will only blossom with age.
2016 Langoa-Barton, St-Julien
By: Steve Bearden | Review Date: 5/19/2017 | Send Email
By: Steve Bearden | Review Date: 5/19/2017 | Send Email
This is surprisingly bright and balanced with crisp and effortless texture to the substantial body. Black cherry, dark plum, cola and damp clay are present in this structured, clean and fresh wine.
2016 Léoville-Barton, St-Julien
By: Steve Bearden | Review Date: 5/19/2017 | Send Email
By: Steve Bearden | Review Date: 5/19/2017 | Send Email
All the brooding potential and massive power you expect from this wine but tempered by a roundness of the edges and a fresh lift to the middle. This is dark and dense looking with a chewy blackberry middle of surprising finesse and a super sweet finish of grainy tannin showing ample tug. This will need time but it screams potential.
2016 Branaire-Ducru, St-Julien
By: Steve Bearden | Review Date: 5/10/2017 | Send Email
By: Steve Bearden | Review Date: 5/10/2017 | Send Email
This powerful yet polished and beguiling wine is the best from this property in a long time. Raspberry, cherry and currant fruit form a creamy texture that glides across the gentle, rounded tannins in this sleek dark and packed wine. Hints of tobacco, spice and cocoa poke through the middle of effortless balance. Here the muscle is wearing cashmere.
2016 Branaire-Ducru, St-Julien
By: Jeff Garneau | Review Date: 5/9/2017 | Send Email
By: Jeff Garneau | Review Date: 5/9/2017 | Send Email
Chateau Branaire-Ducru is consistently one of the best values in Saint Julien. I love it for its elegance and for its classic appeal. I confess I have quite a few bottles in my cellar from various vintages. I plan to add a few more from this remarkable 2016 vintage. Patrick Maroteaux and his team really outdid themselves, producing one of the best wines from this appellation. Wildly aromatic and deeply colored. Bright, fresh, and very lively with fine tannins. Perfectly ripe, sweet fruit. Balanced. Precise. Complete.
2016 Branaire-Ducru, St-Julien
By: Clyde Beffa Jr. | Review Date: 5/9/2017 | Send Email
By: Clyde Beffa Jr. | Review Date: 5/9/2017 | Send Email
64% Cabernet and it shows it with vivid red color and bright red berry aromas. Tons of fruit attacks the palate and great mid palate sweetnes. My notes say-Fruit-freshness-elegance. Round plush tannins and lovely texture and only 6% increase in price from the 2015 vintage. I much prefer 2016.
Hakushu 12 Year Old Peated Japanese Single Malt Whisky
By: David Driscoll | Review Date: 5/8/2017 | Send Email
By: David Driscoll | Review Date: 5/8/2017 | Send Email
Personally, I’ve always been surprised how much more popular the Yamazaki 12 is compared to its sibling the Hakushu 12. To me, the Yamazaki has always been a fine whiskey, but the more dynamic malt is easily the Hakushu, which as pretty much the same delicate and light-drinking flavor profile as the Yamazaki, but with just the faintest touch of smoke. It's so ethereal straight out of the glass, but I feel like it tastes even better with ice (I know that's tough for some people to handle). The subtle peat is like a ghost that moves slowly around every part of my palate, brushing it with hints of earth and phenolic goodness after coating it with sweet grains. With our new pricing, this is a can't miss deal. It's nice to have some real quantity again!
Price:
$159.99
Suntory Toki Japanese Whisky (750ml)
By: David Driscoll | Review Date: 5/8/2017 | Send Email
By: David Driscoll | Review Date: 5/8/2017 | Send Email
When the Suntory Toki first launched at $45, it was a bit of a stretch because of how hot the market was for Japanese whisky. I'm much more comfortable selling this in the mid-thirties, however, and with our new pricing we can do that. While you sip on your bottle of Yamazaki or Hakushu, you pour this one on the rocks, add some soda water, and make yourself a real mizuwari--the great whisky soda that dominates Japan's drinking culture. The fruitiness on the nose really blossoms with the addition of bubbles, so don't be shy here. Do Japanese whisky right and drink it how it's intended!
Price:
$29.99
Cappelletti "Sfumato Rabarbaro" Amaro (750ml)
By: Jeff Garneau | Review Date: 5/3/2017 | Send Email
By: Jeff Garneau | Review Date: 5/3/2017 | Send Email
This wonderful Amaro from Cappelletti is smoky and earthy, sweet and classically bitter. Try it on its own as a digestivo to end a hearty meal or get creative with some of your favorite cocktails. Personally, I am a huge Negroni fan. I have been looking for some time for an Amaro I could pair with Mezcal. As soon as I tasted the Sfumato Rabarbaro Amaro I knew I had found the secret ingredient for my Negroni Sfumato (I thought “Smoke & Mirrors” would be a fun title as well but the rest of the staff seem set on "Smoky Negron"). Try equal parts Sfumato Rabarbaro Amaro from Cappelletti, Cocchi Vermouth di Torino, and your favorite mezcal. I used the Mezcalero "Los Nahuales" Special Edition Sierrudo-Cuishe Mezcal from Los Danzantes. Amazing!
Price:
$21.99
Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750ml)
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 5/3/2017 | Send Email
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 5/3/2017 | Send Email
I never quite understood how Buffalo Trace was able to make so much great bourbon at such a low price. Even after visiting the distillery several times the numbers just seem silly. What you learn from being there is that Buffalo Trace and Eagle Rare are essentially the same exact whiskey. Both are distilled from the same mashbill and aged in the same brick patent heated warehouse. Both are 10 years old when being dumped. The only difference is the way the taste. Literately, they taste each barrel and decide how to bottle it - either as a single cask or in the small batch blend. One is 30% cheaper than the other. Both are delicious. Incredible that this stuff isn't in EVERY well in every bar. Should always be a contender for your current HOUSE BOURBON.
2016 Pontet-Canet, Pauillac
By: Steve Bearden | Review Date: 4/26/2017 | Send Email
By: Steve Bearden | Review Date: 4/26/2017 | Send Email
Pontet Canet, Mouton and Pichon-Lalande were the 3 most voluptuous Pauillacs we tasted the first week of April and the Pontet comes in as #1. This is ripe, dark and concentrated with huckleberry jam, raspberry fruit, vanilla, spice oak and more on a powerful and creamy yet classy frame. The tannins are sweet, ripe and rounded on this ultra rich wine of almost exotic proportion that still manages to come off as bone dry. I suspect someone will score this 100 points.
Lot 40 Copper Pot Still Canadian Rye Whisky (750ml)
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 4/18/2017 | Send Email
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 4/18/2017 | Send Email
Lot 40 Rye has gone from being impossible to get and expensive to be our go to affordable sipping rye! The spectacular quality you get on this one for the price is UNMATCHED elsewhere in the rye world. That said it's nothing like the grainy rye coming out of all the craft distilleries in the states or the punchy cocktail friendly bravado of a Rittenhouse. This is zippy herbaceous 100% pot still 100% Canadian is well matured rye unlike any other. Delicious nose of caraway, licorice, candied cherries, citrus peel and baking spices. The palate is cinnamon and spice and everything nice! It's almost Christmas-y! Sweet Muscovado finish to balance all the spice. The whole thing builds to a nice long satisfying finish. This isn't a powerhouse that's going to knock you out, but instead there's something more intricate and oblique about it. Perhaps it's the pot stills or something else going on, but this is one serious little drink for $30.