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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
2022 Dominio de Atauta Ribera del Duero
By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 5/26/2026 | Send Email
By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 5/26/2026 | Send Email
The florals on this are going crazy with a few hours open and it's got this really perfumed red fruit thing going on that I am totally vibing with right now. The fruit is pretty and ripe and really plush on the nose, with the perfume giving it this kind of glossy aura. It makes sense in my head. Gosh it is a deep one too, dark and inviting. There's some really good structure with moderate tannins and really nice acidity framing the really pretty and dark fruit, this is really interesting as it's bigger than wines I often like, but I really am just into it right now.
2022 Dominio de Atauta "Parada de Atauta" Ribero del Duero
By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 5/26/2026 | Send Email
By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 5/26/2026 | Send Email
Big and ripe nose at the very outset, but I am not deterred, there's this kind of hibiscus floral note in the very back that has hooked its finger into my nose and keeps me riveted in place. Really plush with cherry, bramble-fruit, plum, and some really pretty purple flowers. The palate is big and just a little bit chewy, there's definitely a firm grip of tannin but nothing that fat can't fix. There's my tip for today, if your wine is too tannic just eat some butter before each sip, it'll be fine. You might get a tummy-ache depending on how much butter you eat, though. There's really nice fruit, but also some good mid-palate umami notes that kind of slip between the fruit, like a savory little ninja. The finish is lingering and full of barrel spice and oak toast with little bits of fruit still hanging around the edges but it's a very barrel-forward finish. I really enjoyed this, all this Atauta wines have been great.
2021 Dominio de Atauta "La Celestina" Crianza Ribera del Duero
By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 5/26/2026 | Send Email
By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 5/26/2026 | Send Email
A really friendly and accessible nose, there's some creamy fruit on the very front, dark and a little seductive there's a nice depth to the nose that pulls me in a little bit further each time. Black cherry, Red Vines, blackberry, purple flowers, and some barrel spice. The palate has a really nice heft to it, allowing you to really dive down into the fruit, there's some oak around the edges of your palate the whole time, but blackberry, black cherry, ripe raspberry, and little touches of cranberry skin around the very outside bleeding into the oak. This doesn't taste like a $20 bottle of wine. It's better, in case that wasn't clear.
2022 Wine & Soul "Manoella" Tinto Douro
By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 5/26/2026 | Send Email
By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 5/26/2026 | Send Email
I really liked this wine at the tasting and now coming back to it, the nose has gone crazy but I'm really into it. There's this intense punch of bright fruit, cherry, strawberry, orange somehow, intense raspberry, oil cured olives, and then perfume-y floral notes come in. The palate is relatively big and dark, there's touches of red fruit around the edges and a strong floral finish, but it's really interesting the whole way through and really compelling in a slightly weird way. I wouldn't say this wine is bonkers weird, but it's definitely got a big personality and isn't afraid to show it. Very fun wine.
2019 Miguel Merino Gran Reserva Rioja
By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 5/26/2026 | Send Email
By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 5/26/2026 | Send Email
I really love the French oak on this, it's one of those things that sounds a bit weird, especially when you're talking about Rioja, but ends up making complete sense. The French comes at it with a bit more subtlety than American oak would, but ultimately has no less presence. Oak and toast on the front of the nose, and then underneath that cherry, bruised strawberry, dried herbs, and then the deep barrel spice. This is just so incredibly pleasant to drink even by itself, I want some food but my mouthbuds aren't demanding it instead they're just drinking in every flavoroid and enjoying the depth and length of this wine that each sip brings. This is absolutely amazing and I'll probably be picking up the single vineyards to try they have to be just outstanding as well.
2014 Caol Ila 10 Year Old "Signatory" K&L Exclusive Refill Hogshead #326090 Cask Strength Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 5/26/2026 | Send Email
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 5/26/2026 | Send Email
If you weren’t aware, I’m a total sucker for Caol Ila. It’s a very large distillery, but only a fraction of its output reaches the market as single malt. I’ve even heard rumors that significant quantities of unpeated malt are produced for blending needs. One thing I love about Caol Ila, much like some of its Islay neighbors, is how remarkably multifaceted it can be. It’s difficult to determine whether these stylistic ranges are intentional, as with Bruichladdich, or seasonal, as with Laphroaig, but this year we have three barrels of different styles and ages, each from classic refill hogsheads. The idea was to capture three faces of Caol Ila and present them at stupendous prices. This first cask is the youngest of the three, but also the most vibrant. The color is a juicy pale gold (0.3). The nose is shiveringly good, offering zesty citrus and salt, briny oiliness, salted capers, tense sea spray, and fresh green peat. With air, it moves further into a pure, taut vibrancy. The palate is intense, with a strong citrus character of lime and salt, followed by more brine and a long, peaty finish. An absolute laser beam for serious lovers of the high-intensity style but it also has plenty of sweet barrel and a deep rich texture to keep it balanced. Signatory is not officially offering top tier malt year after year at prices that outperform the market by larger margins.
Price:
$74.99
2019 Miguel Merino Reserva Rioja
By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 5/26/2026 | Send Email
By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 5/26/2026 | Send Email
The whole nose just is so classic Rioja and it's absolutely delightful. The American oak shines through with little touches of menthol, coconut, and little touches of dried herbs. The fruit is really clean underneath that, dusky and lush with black cherry, blackberry, dried herbs, brambles, and just deep and lush barrel spice as you let yourself mentally fall into the glass, swirling down and down into the depths. The palate is relatively rich, more dark fruits, and then some plum skin and raspberry coming in to join the party. The finish is mostly barrel and spice, but there's little vestiges of fruit and a really decent acidity that pushes through the whole palate. Definitely a step up from the Jovenes and a really compelling bottle of wine. One of my top picks from today's staff tasting.
2018 Vigneti Repetto 'Evoluta'' Monleale Barbera
By: John Downing | Review Date: 5/26/2026 | Send Email
By: John Downing | Review Date: 5/26/2026 | Send Email
"Evoluta" represents the best of Barbera from this region. It truly reflects the ability of Monleale Barbera to age and evolve. It's matured in oak for one to two years and subsequently in bottle for an additional 18-24 months. Since we were only able to obtain a small allocation of this rare treat, it's sure to sell out quickly.
2022 Miguel Merino "Viñas Jóvenes" Rioja
By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 5/26/2026 | Send Email
By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 5/26/2026 | Send Email
I'll just say it and then we can move past it, this wine smells like being in a really comfortable plush box. I have no clue what that means, but it's the first thought that came to mind as soon as I smelled it so here we are. Also, I asked Mick and he agreed, so it's not just me. There's a real generosity and roundness to the fruit on the nose, it's really opened up delightfully since the tasting this morning. Blackberry, black cherry, and overripe strawberry all pop on the nose with this roundness edging its way through as well, and little touches of barrel spice and fresh peppercorns. The palate is really fantastic, there's some fruit on the front but also a lot of really lovely structure with firm but forgiving tannins and really great acidity pushing through the whole thing. The fruit is higher toned with raspberry, pie and black cherries leading the way, and then the barrel comes back in and it finishes with a combination of tannin and fruit with acidity urging the whole thing forward again into the next sip. This is just phenomenal wine at a super reasonable price.
2021 Vigneti Repetto 'Sfera' Barbera Colli Tortonesi
By: John Downing | Review Date: 5/26/2026 | Send Email
By: John Downing | Review Date: 5/26/2026 | Send Email
The "Sfera" is classic Colli Tortonesi Barbera. It delivers concentrated ripe fruit balanced by fresh acidity. It's lively and vibrant as it's aged entirely in stainless steel and concrete tanks. This incredibly versatile red is outstanding with a wide array of dishes. Pizza, pasta, meats, cheeses and more.
Price:
$19.99
2022 Viña Zorzal Graciano Navarra
By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 5/26/2026 | Send Email
By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 5/26/2026 | Send Email
A really elegant and high toned nose with really bright red fruits. There's cranberry skin, ripe raspberry, red licorice, and a little bit of spice on the finish to round it out. The palate is a little crunchy at the outset but then it deepens with some darker fruit, including a little touch of purple here and there. It begins with cranberry and pomegranate, before it gets this touch of purple fruit and then some underripe cherry. This is a really easy and pleasant little bottle of wine that overdelivers for the price.
2023 Vigneti Repetto "Quadro" Timorasso Derthona DOC
By: John Downing | Review Date: 5/26/2026 | Send Email
By: John Downing | Review Date: 5/26/2026 | Send Email
Timorasso is one of the least known yet one of the most important white grapes in Italy. It hails from the southeastern hills of Piemonte and yields wines with substantial depth, complexity and ageability. This latest direct import reflects the best characteristics of Timorasso with an impressive aromatic display of white flowers, mineral and subtle honey notes along with a fresh and compact palate enhanced by substantial acidity. The finish is bright and crisp with a pleasant salinity. It's certainly wonderful now yet will cellar nicely for several years.
2021 Vigneti Repetto 'Sfera' Barbera Colli Tortonesi
By: Carlo Delgado | Review Date: 5/26/2026 | Send Email
By: Carlo Delgado | Review Date: 5/26/2026 | Send Email
I love a good bottle of Barbera and this one is right up my alley. First whiff, beautiful savory aromas of dried rosemary, laurel, and thyme. Along with flavors of dark cherries, black raspberries, red apple skins, sarsaparilla, and a touch of dark chocolate on the refreshing, juicy finish. Cheers!
Price:
$19.99
2022 Tenute Silvio Nardi Rosso di Montalcino
By: Orazio Campoli | Review Date: 5/26/2026 | Send Email
By: Orazio Campoli | Review Date: 5/26/2026 | Send Email
To understand the modern history of Montalcino, you have to look at Silvio Nardi. In 1950, long before Brunello became a global luxury icon, Nardi—a successful agricultural equipment manufacturer from Umbria—purchased the historic Casale del Bosco estate. He was an outsider with a bold vision, becoming one of the very first to bottle Brunello and a founding member of the local Consorzio. Today, his daughter Emilia leads the estate, pushing the boundaries of precision viticulture.
While Brunello is built for decades in the cellar, the Rosso di Montalcino is designed to capture the immediate, vibrant energy of the Sangiovese Grosso grape. Sourced from the estate’s younger vines across different exposures in Montalcino, this wine benefits from the region's classic galestro (friable shale) and alberese (limestone) soils, which impart an unmistakable chalky tension.
In the glass, it is a masterclass in Tuscan elegance. It trades the heavy, brooding tannins of Brunello for a bright, vertical energy. The nose offers a pure expression of sour cherry, violet, and a hint of dusty earth. It is lively, savory, and incredibly versatile—the perfect "baby Brunello" to pair with a springtime lamb ragù or a simple, rustic Margherita pizza.
2023 Tua Rita "Rosso dei Notri" Toscana Super Tuscan
By: Orazio Campoli | Review Date: 5/26/2026 | Send Email
By: Orazio Campoli | Review Date: 5/26/2026 | Send Email
The story of Tua Rita reads like a Tuscan fairytale. In 1984, Rita Tua and her husband Virgilio Bisti purchased a small, rustic property in Suvereto, a medieval town in the Maremma on the Tuscan coast. What started as a peaceful retirement project to farm a little land and make wine for friends quickly blossomed into one of Italy’s most iconic cult wineries. They were pioneers in realizing that the Maremma coast was capable of producing world-class Bordeaux-style blends.
The secret to Tua Rita’s magic is the soil of the Colline Metallifere (the metal-bearing hills). This unique coastal terroir is packed with iron, clay, and a rich array of minerals, swept daily by the salty breezes of the Tyrrhenian Sea. "Rosso dei Notri" is their brilliant, energetic introduction to this terroir.
Typically blending Sangiovese with international varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah, this Super Tuscan translates the warmth of the coast into a wine that is generous and plush, yet incredibly fresh. It bursts with dark coastal fruit—blackberry and ripe plum—underscored by a distinctive, iron-like minerality and a hint of Mediterranean scrub. It is a powerful, yet elegant coastal red perfect for welcoming the warmer grilling season.
2021 Masseria Setteporte Etna Rosso
By: Orazio Campoli | Review Date: 5/26/2026 | Send Email
By: Orazio Campoli | Review Date: 5/26/2026 | Send Email
Welcome to the volcano! Mount Etna in Sicily is currently the most thrilling wine region in Italy, offering what many call "the Burgundy of the Mediterranean." The Portale family of Masseria Setteporte has been farming the southwestern slopes of Etna, near the town of Biancavilla, for generations. While most of the famous Etna estates are on the northern face, the southwestern slope offers a distinct terroir: higher sunlight hours balanced by staggering altitudes (up to 700 meters above sea level).
Winemaking here is defined by the earth beneath the vines. The soils are pure volcanic ash, pumice, and ancient lava flows. The native Nerello Mascalese grape (blended with a touch of Nerello Cappuccio) acts as a sponge for this terroir. It has the pale color and aromatic finesse of Pinot Noir, but the wild, smoky heart of Sicily.
2024 Piccolo Goccio Sangiovese
By: Orazio Campoli | Review Date: 5/26/2026 | Send Email
By: Orazio Campoli | Review Date: 5/26/2026 | Send Email
Sometimes, the most compelling wines come from the most humble philosophies. "Piccolo Goccio" translates to "Little Drop," a name that perfectly encapsulates the artisanal, boutique approach behind this wine. In a world where Sangiovese is often blended, heavily oaked, or polished to meet international tastes, this project is a refreshing return to the grape's unadulterated, rustic roots in central Italy.
This wine is a tribute to the rolling, sun-drenched hills of Tuscany, where Sangiovese has thrived for centuries. By sourcing fruit from small, dedicated plots and utilizing a gentle, low-intervention approach in the cellar (often leaning entirely on stainless steel or neutral vessels), the winemaking steps out of the way to let the raw terroir speak.
The result is a wine that captures the nervous, joyful energy of Sangiovese. It pours a brilliant, translucent ruby, offering immediate aromatics of crunchy red cherries, wild strawberry, and a savory hint of wild thyme. It is light on its feet, with that signature mouth-watering acidity and a dusty, earthy finish. It’s an honest, "glou-glou" style of Sangiovese that demands a spot on your picnic blanket alongside hard pecorino cheese and finocchiona salami.
2023 Planeta "Contrada Taccione" Etna Bianco
By: Orazio Campoli | Review Date: 5/26/2026 | Send Email
By: Orazio Campoli | Review Date: 5/26/2026 | Send Email
Planeta built its empire on rich, golden Chardonnay, but their operation on the northern slopes of Mount Etna is an entirely different animal. The 2023 Contrada Taccione is 100% Carricante grown at roughly 700 meters in deep black lava sand, and it is a masterclass in raw, volcanic tension. The nose is wildly evocative of the mountain—a high-toned, cooling wave of white acacia flower, fresh green almond, and crushed pumice, cut with a sharp hit of mountain peach and wild herbs. While a small fraction (about 20%) sees oak, it doesn't translate as vanilla or weight; instead, it provides a very subtle structural framing that lets the volcanic minerality completely dominate the aromatics. On the palate, it vibrates with pure, electric energy. It drives straight down the center with a razor-sharp spine of acidity and a fiercely "crunchy" core of yellow plum and prickly pear. The volcanic soil gives the wine an intensely savory, mouthwatering saline snap on the finish that leaves the palate completely reset. This is bone-dry, highly architectural Etna Bianco that absolutely demands a plate of raw seafood or sea urchin.
2022 Planeta "La Segreta" Sicilia Rosso
By: Orazio Campoli | Review Date: 5/26/2026 | Send Email
By: Orazio Campoli | Review Date: 5/26/2026 | Send Email
The nose is incredibly punchy and alive, delivering a sharp, untamed hit of crushed mulberry, wild caper, and cracked black pepper. It smells like actual, sun-baked Sicilian earth, not a commercial syrup factory.
On the palate, it vibrates with the kind of nervous, "crunchy" energy you almost never find at this price point. It absolutely refuses to be sweet or heavy. It drives forward with a bright, vertical zip of acidity that completely strips away any potential flabbiness. The tannins are light but distinctly dusty and traditional, clamping down just enough to leave a mouthwatering, strictly savory snap on the finish.
2021 Planeta "Maroccoli" Menfi Syrah
By: Orazio Campoli | Review Date: 5/26/2026 | Send Email
By: Orazio Campoli | Review Date: 5/26/2026 | Send Email
Growing Syrah in the deep south of Sicily is usually a recipe for a baked, flabby, jammy disaster. Most of it ends up tasting like alcoholic fruit syrup. But Planeta’s Maroccoli vineyard sits at serious elevation, and the 2021 vintage completely evades the trap. This is Syrah with absolute fangs.
The nose skips the sweet blackberry compote entirely. It comes at you with a wild, feral blast of heavily cracked black pepper, smoked meat, and raw iron, all wrapped in a savory veil of sun-baked Mediterranean scrub. It smells deeply intellectual, cool, and undeniably untamed.
On the palate, it absolutely refuses to be a soft, lazy fruit bomb. It possesses serious density, but it drives straight through the mid-palate with a tense, vertical spine of acidity and pure nervous energy. The fruit is dark but fiercely "crunchy." The tannins are dusty, strict, and highly demanding, creating a rigid architectural grip rather than some plush, velvet cushion. It finishes bone-dry, propelled by a fierce, mouthwatering, and intensely meaty snap. This is an uncompromising, high-tension beast that completely resets the palate and commands a massively charred piece of lamb.
2023 Planeta Etna Rosso
By: Orazio Campoli | Review Date: 5/26/2026 | Send Email
By: Orazio Campoli | Review Date: 5/26/2026 | Send Email
Planeta might be a massive name in Sicily, but their operation on the northern slopes of Mount Etna is entirely focused on raw, volcanic expression. If you want a wine wrapped in commercial luxury or heavy oak, look away. This 2023 Rosso is 100% Nerello Mascalese grown in jet-black ash, and it is built strictly on tension.
The aromatics are feral and distinctly alpine. It leaps from the glass with a sharp, high-toned blast of crushed pumice, wild mountain strawberry, and a smoky, savory veil of ash and dried herbs. There is absolutely zero sweet fruit masking the terroir; it smells incredibly cool and intellectual.
On the palate, it vibrates with pure, nervous energy. It drives completely vertical, snapping tight with a razor-sharp spine of acidity and a fiercely "crunchy" core of tart red fruit. The tannins are ultra-fine but incredibly strict—dusty, volcanic, and demanding. It finishes bone-dry with an electric, saline cut that completely resets the palate. A tense, unapologetic mountain wine with serious architectural grip that demands a plate of roasted wild mushrooms or grilled lamb.
Price:
$29.99
2023 Planeta Chardonnay
By: Orazio Campoli | Review Date: 5/26/2026 | Send Email
By: Orazio Campoli | Review Date: 5/26/2026 | Send Email
Planeta practically put modern Sicilian wine on the map with this exact bottling, and historically, it leaned hard into a rich, golden, heavily-wooded profile. But the 2023 is a completely different beast. It sheds all of that heavy, commercial luxury to deliver something fiercely coastal, wild, and alive.
Sourced from the blindingly white, chalky soils of Menfi, the nose totally bypasses lazy tropical fruit. Instead, it hits you with a sharp, untamed blast of crushed sea shells, wild fennel, green almond, and preserved lemon. There is a framing of wood here, but it reads as toasted hazelnut and crushed stone rather than anything sweet or buttery.
On the palate, it absolutely vibrates. There is undeniable texture and dry extract from the barrel fermentation, but it refuses to be wide, fat, or perfectly polite. It drives straight down the center with a tense, vertical spine of acidity and a massive, mouthwatering saline snap. It has a raw, electric nervous energy that keeps all the island richness perfectly in check. This is bone-dry, highly architectural Chardonnay that completely resets the palate and demands a massive plate of charred swordfish.
2021 Fèlsina Fontalloro Toscana
By: Orazio Campoli | Review Date: 5/26/2026 | Send Email
By: Orazio Campoli | Review Date: 5/26/2026 | Send Email
Fontalloro is the absolute benchmark for 100% Sangiovese straddling the border of Chianti Classico and the Colli Senesi. In a rigidly structured, classic vintage like 2021, Fèlsina has delivered a wine of staggering tension and pure, unmanipulated power. It completely rejects the modern, polished Super Tuscan playbook.
The aromatics are deeply savory and grounded. It leaps from the glass with a high-toned, intellectual mix of crushed alberese rock, dried tobacco leaf, and scorched earth, all tightly coiled around a fiercely "crunchy" core of tart red cherry and dried blood orange peel.
On the palate, it is all vertical drive and nervous energy. Rather than expanding with fleshy, sweet mid-palate weight, it drills down with a razor-sharp spine of acidity and a mouthwatering saline snap. The tannins are monumental—dusty, demanding, and unapologetically traditional—building a strict structural cage that guarantees decades of life in the cellar.
2021 Vecchie Terre di Montefili Chianti Classico
By: Orazio Campoli | Review Date: 5/26/2026 | Send Email
By: Orazio Campoli | Review Date: 5/26/2026 | Send Email
This bottle is a masterclass in high-altitude, unmanipulated Sangiovese. Perched on a high, rocky crest of galestro in Panzano, Montefili completely ignores the modern temptation to soften or fatten up Chianti Classico. There is no Merlot makeup, no heavy oak blanket—just pure, chiseled rock and razor-sharp fruit.
The nose skips the sweet cherry cliches entirely, leading instead with a deeply savory, high-toned blast of crushed iron, wild rosemary, and a remarkably bright, sharp hit of blood orange peel. It smells cool, vertical, and entirely bound to the stone.
On the palate, the wine vibrates with an absolute jolt of nervous energy. It refuses to slouch or spread out across the mid-palate; instead, it drives straight up and down with a piercing, electric line of acidity and a mouthwatering saline snap. The tannins are traditionally gritty and demanding, creating a tight, architectural frame that completely cleanses the palate.
This isn't a soft, comforting red to sip on the couch. It is a tense, bone-dry, highly intellectual wine that commands a piece of charred meat and absolute attention.
2018 Vigneti Repetto 'Evoluta'' Monleale Barbera
By: Orazio Campoli | Review Date: 5/26/2026 | Send Email
By: Orazio Campoli | Review Date: 5/26/2026 | Send Email
"Monleale" is the elite subzone designation for Barbera in the Colli Tortonesi, requiring longer aging and stricter yields. The 2018 "Evoluta" (Evolved) is a serious, brooding titan of a wine. It has shed its primary fruit to reveal savory layers of black plum, worn leather, dark chocolate, and a touch of balsamic. The tannins are fully resolved, leaving a wine of deep, velvety concentration. This is Barbera built for a steakhouse.
2021 Vigneti Repetto 'Sfera' Barbera Colli Tortonesi
By: Orazio Campoli | Review Date: 5/26/2026 | Send Email
By: Orazio Campoli | Review Date: 5/26/2026 | Send Email
The name "Sfera" speaks to the wine's shape—round, pure, and unbroken by heavy oak. This is a wine of incredible, crunchy energy. It is intensely aromatic, bursting with wild blackberry, dark cherry, and a streak of violet. The acidity is bright and motivating, making it an incredibly versatile, vibrant red that you will want to reach for every night of the week.
Price:
$19.99
2023 Vigneti Repetto "Quadro" Timorasso Derthona DOC
By: Orazio Campoli | Review Date: 5/26/2026 | Send Email
By: Orazio Campoli | Review Date: 5/26/2026 | Send Email
This is Timorasso at its most athletic and high-tension. The 2023 is electric, racing out of the glass with aromas of crushed white stone, green apple, and white flowers. On the palate, it is crystalline and savory, finishing with a sharp, lip-smacking salinity that begs for raw seafood or rich, bloomy-rind cheeses.
2025 Palmer, Margaux
By: Ryan Moses | Review Date: 5/26/2026 | Send Email
By: Ryan Moses | Review Date: 5/26/2026 | Send Email
Palmer crafted a masterful wine in 2025, one that delivers complexity, depth, and nuance. Aromatically, it hints at something almost intimidating, yet the palate is generous and suave. It has incredible density, but somehow isn’t heavy or overbearing—a difficult feat to pull off. Hints of violet and stone‑tinged aromas lead to a mouthcoating palate full of black plum and cassis, framed by incredibly fine tannins and a big, acid‑driven, fruit‑filled finish. Long, refined, and lined with a mineral‑driven texture.
It’s a wine that brings a smile to your face—what more could you ask for. This is certainly a Palmer that delivers the kind of joy people keep coming back for at this address. A wonderful 2025.
2025 Malartic-Lagravière, Pessac-Léognan
By: Ryan Moses | Review Date: 5/26/2026 | Send Email
By: Ryan Moses | Review Date: 5/26/2026 | Send Email
Malartic‑Lagravière is one of the most compelling wines in Pessac in 2025, bringing a combination of southern Médoc character with remarkable refinement and poise. Aromas of deep cassis and blackberries lead to a pure, focused, and complex palate that never feels heavy, but instead carries its black‑fruited core with ease, finishing on a subtly mineral‑tinged note. It is unmistakably Pessac, yet the way it delivers that signature character with such finesse and quiet confidence is an impressive feat.
It’s a ton of wine for the price, as is usually the case with Malartic‑Lagravière, but I think that’s even more true with this 2025, which feels especially complete and rewarding. Great work here from the Bonnie family, who continue to elevate this estate in all the right ways.
2025 Branaire-Ducru, St-Julien
By: Ryan Moses | Review Date: 5/26/2026 | Send Email
By: Ryan Moses | Review Date: 5/26/2026 | Send Email
One of the most refreshing visits every year is with François‑Xavier Maroteaux of Branaire‑Ducru, an estate whose wines seem to get better with each vintage. The 2025 is another gem, with beautifully expressive aromas leading into a textured, fresh palate full of fine red fruits and supported by seamlessly integrated tannins. Remarkably harmonious already, the balance is impeccable.
When Branaire‑Ducru is firing at this level, it’s the complete package—beautifully St‑Julien, incredibly refined, deeply flavorful, and complex. Combine this quality and proven pedigree with genuinely rewarding release pricing, and the 2025 Branaire‑Ducru becomes a wine I cannot recommend highly enough.
2017 Launois "Helia" Grand Cru Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne
By: Kerry Kennell | Review Date: 5/25/2026 | Send Email
By: Kerry Kennell | Review Date: 5/25/2026 | Send Email
A fine perlage provides a beautiful lacy texture. Crisp apple is highlighted by rich notes of frangipane, caramel-coated hazelnuts, and buttery pastry. Caramel apple and toasted almonds linger in the ether for what seems like ages. The empty glass smells heavenly, making me yearn for another pour. Let this one sleep in the cellar a while and it will dazzle all the more!
Price:
$79.99
2021 Halcon Estate Yorkville Highlands Syrah
By: Matthew Landau Hassan | Review Date: 5/22/2026 | Send Email
By: Matthew Landau Hassan | Review Date: 5/22/2026 | Send Email
A wildly expressive Syrah that feels more Northern Rhône than California sunshine bomb. The aromatics leap from the glass with cracked pepper, smoked meat, black olive, and dark blue fruit, backed by a lifted floral edge that keeps everything vibrant. On the palate, the wine is intense but beautifully controlled, balancing savory depth with piercing acidity and rocky minerality from the rugged Yorkville Highlands site. There’s a feral, windswept quality here that makes the wine feel alive and constantly evolving in the glass. Serious Syrah with real character and far more complexity than the price suggests.
2023 Ernest Sonoma Coast Chardonnay
By: Jackson Kelly | Review Date: 5/22/2026 | Send Email
By: Jackson Kelly | Review Date: 5/22/2026 | Send Email
While the last few Ernest releases have been spectacular, this Sonoma Coast Chardonnay takes it up a notch. Elegant and racy, this wine has notes of lemon zest, crunchy green apple, orange peel, and honeysuckle on the palate with a long, mineral-driven finish. An exceptional white wine for summer, I believe this Chardonnay is the best of the Ernest wines.
2025 La Gaffelière, St-Émilion
By: Ryan Moses | Review Date: 5/22/2026 | Send Email
By: Ryan Moses | Review Date: 5/22/2026 | Send Email
In 2025, the contrast between the St‑Emilion limestone plateau and the surrounding areas was unmistakable. The best terroirs had both relief from the extreme heat and the ability to handle the late‑season rain thanks to their exposure and soils. La Gaffelière is exactly that kind of site, and it’s easy to see why it stands out as one of the highlights of the vintage.
This was a wine I had a hard time putting down—remarkably seamless and elegant, with effortless concentration. Aromatically complex, with bright florals and Cab Franc lift, the palate follows through with pure deep red fruits, fine minerality, and a long, driven, layered profile that stays refreshing at every turn.
I can’t wait to taste it again on release, and at release pricing it will be all too easy to keep pulling corks over the years. A remarkable wine, and a towering value in the landscape of top‑tier St‑Emilion.
2020 Ferrero Brunello di Montalcino
By: Matthew Landau Hassan | Review Date: 5/21/2026 | Send Email
By: Matthew Landau Hassan | Review Date: 5/21/2026 | Send Email
A Brunello that overdelivers in the best possible way. The nose is classic Montalcino—dried cherry, wild herbs, cedar, and worn leather—but there’s a freshness here that keeps everything lifted and vibrant. On the palate, the wine balances ripe red fruit with savory earth, tobacco leaf, and a subtle balsamic note that adds real complexity. The tannins are firm but polished, giving structure without overwhelming the fruit. For a young Brunello, it already shows impressive harmony, with enough depth and tension to satisfy serious Sangiovese lovers while still being incredibly approachable now.
2025 Palmer, Margaux
By: Thomas Zacharia | Review Date: 5/21/2026 | Send Email
By: Thomas Zacharia | Review Date: 5/21/2026 | Send Email
This is one of the wines people throughout the week of En Primeur couldn't stop talking about, and with good reason. The aromatics are immediately captivating with gorgeous red fruits and bouquets of red florals. I found myself going back for sniff after sniff trying to capture what it was I found so entrancing, but in the end, words fail! You'll just have to buy a bottle and find out for yourself. On the palate, it's lovely and plush with a darker blue fruits creeping in alongside ample structure to tie things together. A superb Palmer that will no doubt age with grace.
2025 Angélus, St-Emilion
By: Thomas Zacharia | Review Date: 5/21/2026 | Send Email
By: Thomas Zacharia | Review Date: 5/21/2026 | Send Email
Angelus recently put their finishing touches on their gorgeous new cellar, which utilizes conical fermenters for gentler extractions. The 2025 has joyful, bright and effusive aromatic. The palate is expansive and precise, with an undertone of spice. It’s sappy and startlingly pretty, with well integrated tannins The 50% Franc shines beautifully in this vintage, adding intrigue and depth to alongside the lushness of the merlot which rounds out the other half of the blend.
2014 Ben Nevis 11 Year Old "Signatory Vintage" K&L Exclusive 2nd Fill Oloroso Sherry Butt No 3 Cask Strength Non Chillfiltered Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 5/21/2026 | Send Email
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 5/21/2026 | Send Email
Year after year, Signatory brings us some of the best casks anywhere in the industry, and over the past two years they have recommitted to putting absolutely insane deals on the table for us. This year it’s a selection of classic Islays alongside this impeccable Ben Nevis. There was a period just a few years ago when similar casks were trading for twice this price, but here we have an absolutely perfect refill sherry butt, still very active, that simply transcends the market. There’s almost nothing anywhere in the world that’s better on the market today in this style, dollar for dollar. Here we go! This is ridiculously dark for a second fill sherry cask, a gorgeous mahogany (1.6). The nose is a huge mélange of waxy, earthy funk, pulverized rock, and sweet roasted nuts. It’s clearly holding so much at bay in its cask strength form, and air opens it into a basket of walnut brittle, loose leaf tobacco, dried cranberry, carnauba wax, old bike parts, semi dark chocolate, and dashi broth. Not at all for the faint of heart. We love an idiosyncratic Ben Nevis, but for the uninitiated we may need to take baby steps. On the palate it’s rich and oily, offering huge savory underbrush and salty nuts balanced by sweet raisin fruit and an underlying oily texture. It’s simply quintessentially, unapologetically original Ben Nevis. With water it softens and sweetens somewhat, though in this rare case I truly prefer it with air and time rather than the softening effect of water. The only complaint might come from those hoping for a Nevis in skimpier clothes, but the sherry is so well integrated and never overwhelms the density of the spirit that even the most staunch anti oak brigadier general might admit the superiority of this style. If you have only $80 to spend on malt this quarter and don’t need something peaty, this is the obvious slam dunk you’ve been looking for. I’m buying three.
Price:
$79.99
2025 Angélus, St-Emilion
By: Ryan Moses | Review Date: 5/21/2026 | Send Email
By: Ryan Moses | Review Date: 5/21/2026 | Send Email
I feel like Angélus has been chasing a style that speaks more clearly and transparently to their terroir, and in 2025 they’ve nailed it. You still get the layered black fruit and fine tannins, but it’s the balance that really grabs me—bright, focused, fully integrated. The wine builds on the palate with remarkable detail, bringing in floral notes, limestone salinity, and nuance after nuance, all carried by nearly invisible tannins.
Flavorful and complex, open and bright, it’s a wine you could all too easily enjoy right now, yet it’s poised to evolve gracefully in the cellar for years. Congratulations to the team at Angélus for what they’ve crafted in 2025.
2025 Lynch-Bages, Pauillac
By: Ryan Moses | Review Date: 5/21/2026 | Send Email
By: Ryan Moses | Review Date: 5/21/2026 | Send Email
The 2025 at Lynch‑Bages is exactly what people hope for from this address—complex, delicious, full of Pauillac character, ageworthy, and one of the sharper buys in the world of collectible wine. It strikes me as a bit more structured and aromatically complex than many 2025s, layering deep black fruits, graphite, and cassis, then finishing with savoury red fruits on a long, mouthcoating close. A touch of spice rounds it out, and there’s a quiet density here that hints at a long, graceful evolution.
For all the joyfulness of a visit to Lynch‑Bages, the wines themselves feel very serious in 2025. I’m excited to watch this evolve, and I can’t imagine anyone securing it at release pricing coming away disappointed.
Fallet-Dart "Heres" Brut Champagne
By: Philip Roufail | Review Date: 5/20/2026 | Send Email
By: Philip Roufail | Review Date: 5/20/2026 | Send Email
The Fallet family has been growing grapes in the far west of the Valle de la Marne since 1610 and everything in the vineyard and cellar are done in the most traditional way - by hand! The Fallet-Dart "Heres" Brut Champagne is 70% Pinot Noir, 15% Chardonnay, and 15% Meunier. Vinified in stainless steel tanks and French oak barrels, you will see "Tirage 2019" on the front label, which means it was bottled in 2019 and the base vintage is 2018, which is an EXCELLENT VINTAGE! It was hot, so the fruit is ripe but lush and balanced. Aged for 5 years on the lees, dosed at 6g/l, and was disgorged in November 2024 (which means it's ready to drink - if you know, you know!). Straw colored with a fine steady bead, this medium-bodied sparkler has aromas of ripe yellow fruits, grapefruit, peach, olive oil, lemon-lime, and brioche. On the palate, there are notes of pear, fig, Mirabelle plum, and ripe green apple with a subtle backbone of toast and vanilla.
2023 Ridge Vineyards "Pagani Ranch" Sonoma Valley Zinfandel
By: Ryan Woodhouse | Review Date: 5/20/2026 | Send Email
By: Ryan Woodhouse | Review Date: 5/20/2026 | Send Email
Pagani Ranch is one of the most historic vineyards in all of California. Planted between 1890 and 1914, these ancient vines stand alongside Highway 12 in Sonoma valley, just outside the town of Kenwood. As with many vineyards planted during that era, the blocks are field blends, with multiple varietals interplanted together. The vines are predominantly Zinfandel, but speckled with Petite Sirah, Mataro (Mourvèdre), and Alicante Bouschet. Ridge has been sourcing fruit from Pagani Ranch since the 1991 vintage and has become synonymous with this famed old-vine site.
The 2023 vintage was close to perfection for heritage vineyards like Pagani. Healthy winter rainfall set the stage for an exceptional growing season that stretched well into the fall, with remarkably moderate temperatures and an absence of dramatic heat spikes or untimely rain events. The team at Ridge was able to harvest the fruit at ideal ripeness, preserving both vibrant acidity and remarkable flavor complexity.
The wine was aged almost entirely in neutral oak, allowing the character and purity of the ancient-vine fruit to take center stage. As the staggering critical acclaim suggests, Ridge absolutely knocked it out of the park with this bottling. It’s a benchmark wine for the vintage and a vivid reminder of just how special California’s old-vine vineyards truly are. These historic sites are vinous treasures that deserve to be championed and preserved as an essential part of California’s wine story.
Despite the historical significance of the vineyard, Ridge’s impeccable winemaking, and the enormous scores and acclaim surrounding this release, the wine remains a tremendous value. Our decades-long relationship with Ridge allows us consistent allocations at highly competitive pricing. This is a very special bottle from a truly great vintage - don’t miss it.
2025 Lafite Rothschild, Pauillac
By: Andrew Shaheen | Review Date: 5/19/2026 | Send Email
By: Andrew Shaheen | Review Date: 5/19/2026 | Send Email
Lafite produced a phenomenal wine in 2025. Pure balance and finesse, with an absolutely seamless texture. Floral and red fruit notes on the nose carry over to cassis, violet, and mineral notes on the palate. This is a wine of exceptional purity, refined and precise, with fine-grained tannins and a long, velvety finish. Nicely concentrated but at 12.5% alcohol, the wine is remarkably fresh and light on its feet. A stunning Lafite and highly recommended.
2025 Big Salt "PNK Salt" Oregon Rosé
By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 5/19/2026 | Send Email
By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 5/19/2026 | Send Email
Year to year this has been one of my favorite wineries, both Big Salt and Ovum behind them just make killer wines in Oregon. This is just really lovely bright cherry, freshly cut strawberries that you shouldn't have cut just yet, rhubarb, and some flowers. The palate is really deep and a little punchy with moderate acidity but this really juicy fruit is almost heavy on the palate for a rosé. It's both surprising and really enjoyable, giving this a really fun gravitas but making it super crushable since it could take some food but each sip is super fun just by itself, there's a little bit of hyacinth and green there but it's really integrated and gives it a little bit more complexity. I remain a big fan, which is a huge relief for me, kind of awkward otherwise.
Price:
$17.95
2025 Stoller Willamette Valley Rosé of Pinot Noir
By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 5/19/2026 | Send Email
By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 5/19/2026 | Send Email
Yummy yum, this just smells so good. It's got this amazing watermelon and green apple jolly rancher kind of nose, with little wisps of tropicality sneaking in around the sides. Then you take a sip, and the acidity rushes in, cleaning the palate and bringing with it a very dry sort of watermelon, crisp apple, lemon juice, and little touches of salinity. This is just an absolutely banging bottle of rose for the price, a crushable bottle of don't worry about it. This is the answer to a question you didn't ask yet, but you're gonna ask it soon as the season keeps warming up.
Price:
$14.95
2025 Marine Layer "Carina" Sonoma Coast Rose
By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 5/19/2026 | Send Email
By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 5/19/2026 | Send Email
This is such a really lovely kind of princess pink in the glass, it's just visually striking and like they say, we drink with our eyes first. The nose is really plush with this really bright raspberry note shining through the top, then some white strawberry, and underripe white peach. It's really lovely and makes me think of spring for some reason, even though we're really much closer to summer as of the writing of this. The palate has this really outstanding weight, with this really fresh and bright cherry on the front, turning into raspberry, and then into the underripe strawberry as the acidity pushes the fruit through your palate. Lovely, just top tier and something I could see having with some finger foods, there's too much going on here to just crush it by the pool, but you know what? Please just live your best life and do what makes you happy, how and when you crush a rosé just be joyous while doing it.
Price:
$32.95
2024 STiRM "Gimelli Vineyard" Cienega Valley Chardonnay
By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 5/19/2026 | Send Email
By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 5/19/2026 | Send Email
I cannot even tell you how excited I was when I saw there was a new vintage of the Stirm Gimelli Vineyard Chardonnay. My heart leapt and I heard the horns of Righteousness and Goodness echo in my ears and I knew that it was true, there was justice and wonder left to be found in this world. We will be okay. The nose is a little more subtle, but there's this whisp of jasmine swirling around the fruit, super appealing and just a little touch of the exotic. The fruit is this really ripe and perfect apple, soft pear, lemon candy, and lemon zest, with just this little touch of pith in the far back. The fruit pops on the palate with this really juicy brightness, really ripe apple drenched in lemon curd, and a little bit of white flowers and pear blossom on the finish. It's just so delicious, and it's happened again. Aaron loves it, still loves it, is going to continue to love it. I would help Ryan Stirm hide a body I like this wine so much.
Price:
$19.95
Fallet-Dart "Heres" Brut Champagne
By: Gary Westby | Review Date: 5/19/2026 | Send Email
By: Gary Westby | Review Date: 5/19/2026 | Send Email
The Fallet family has been growing grapes in Drachy since at least 1611, and this long history has given them the luxury of incredible patience. This bottle has been aged for a full seven years on the lees, longer than most of the vintage releases we sell, and has the pin point bubbles, fine brioche and silky texture that only long cellaring on the lees can deliver. The style of the wine is refined, but also quite precise and dry. For the price, this wine is unbeatable. If you like fine toast, tight streamers, and great refreshment, this is one to case up on!
2025 Flowers Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir Rosé
By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 5/19/2026 | Send Email
By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 5/19/2026 | Send Email
When I first stuck my nose in the glass it was like I had somehow pushed my nose inside of a freshly picked strawberry, still cool from the morning. I really liked that. As I kept going, out came some of the watermelon candy, also just a little bit of lemon curd and wet stone. The palate is really exceptional, bright underripe raspberry, pie cherry, grated cranberry, and more of those kind of wet stone notes with a little hint of salinity on the lingering finish. Another rosé with really good acid, seems like a pretty good year for it overall, and it's overall got a nice depth as well, this is top tier rosé from a top tier California producer and it delivers exactly how you would hope and expect. Yum.
Price:
$34.95
2025 Anonymous Wine Collective Contra Costa County Rosé of Mourvedre
By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 5/19/2026 | Send Email
By: Aaron Hughes | Review Date: 5/19/2026 | Send Email
Good lord the nose on this is gorgeous, there's this bright red raspberry, but also really luscious and juicy white peach, some alpine strawberry, and maybe hyacinths, just this kind of light pink floral note. I love Mourvèdre so please understand this review will be very biased and subjective, just like all of the other reviews that I do. The palate is a little juicy, with watermelon rind, underripe raspberry, cherry water, and really great acidity, pushing the fruit through towards the end, with a mid-weight for a rosé. This is a quintessential porch wine, something that I want to have some nibbles with, especially some kind of goat cheese crostini with like some kind of something savory/sweet on top of the goat cheese. Yeah, I want that. Anyhow, this is a really well priced and well placed rosé that has everything you're looking for, at least that I'm looking for, I'm assuming you're just also a person of quality and taste.
Price:
$14.95