WINE DEALS 2/8/2025
On sale:
Mark Ryan 216 Miles to Go Cabernet Sauvignon 2022, Columbia
The 2022 216 Miles to Go Cabernet Sauvignon blends the opulent, rich, and dark fruit characters of Phinny Hill Vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills AVA, with the intense, dynamic, and expansive qualities of Quintessence vineyard in the Red Mountain AVA. The 2022 vintage was cooler than 2021. The cooler weather allowed the grapes to develop slowly, leading to fantastic balance between sugar, acid, and flavor development. Late summer heat, and one of the warmest Octobers on record, helped produce wines with exceptional balance, depth, and purity.
Regular: $34.99 limited time: $27.99
Online for $38!
1) Rombauer Sauvignon Blanc 2023, Sonoma/Napa: $27.79 Our Sauvignon Blanc is a light, bright, fruit-forward wine with tropical notes and subtle green hints mingling in the most delicious way. It is a blend of fruit grown in sunny Napa and cooler sites in Sonoma, resulting in a wine that is distinctive and delightful. Drink it chilled with fresh oysters (add a bit to the mignonette), pesto chicken pasta, grilled whitefish, and more. Of course, you could always enjoy it our favorite way- simply on its own!
2) Joseph Drouhin Saint-Vèran 2022, Maconnais, Burgundy: $32.99 #48 Top 100 ’24 Wine Spectator 91 pts; Peach and melon fruit is offset by a bitter citrus note in this tense, well-structured white. An intense version, with hints of wild herbs and a stony feel on the finish.
3) Jean-Luc Joillot Cremant de Bourgogne Rose: $37.99 Sparkling wine from Burgundy. Produced only with 100% Pinot Noir — all from Pommard. Also, the traditional method for making Champagne is used for this Cremant. It is aged at least 18 months on the lees, which is more than most entry-level Champagnes. It’s like a true Rose Champagne experience at half the cost!
4) Barolo L’Astemia Pentita 2019, Piedmont: $61.99 On the nose this is a straightforward wine with few frills and a well expressed varietal in keeping with the finest traditions. The picture is completed with a pleasing bouquet with hints of fresh red fruit, notes of sweet spice and dried flowers and a compelling offering of well developed sensations. Enveloping on the palate, aromatic and savory with a dense and wrinkled tannic texture. The complexity of this Barolo determines its future evolution. A gastronomic wine to accompany structured dishes for memorable emotions.
5) Yann Bertrand Saint Amour Les Bambins 2023, Beaujolais: $37.99 From the single vineyard ‘La Côte de Besset,’ 40 and 70 year-old bush-trained vines. The blue stones from mica schist and sandstone scree in this parcel lend this particular bottle a robust and spicy dimension. Semi-carbonic ferment, seven months in old barrel, .5g SO2 added at bottling. A charming wine, more of the huntsman side of Gamay. Notes of wild berries, meaty cherries, raspberry skin, and crushed rose petals lead to a lingering and refreshing finish. The name ‘Bambins’ (kids) references Yann becoming a father for the first time. Serve chilled.
6) Antinori Tignanello 2021, Tuscany: $178.99 Wine Advocate 98 pts. First made in 1971, this legendary Italian wine now celebrates its 50th birthday. Happy Birthday, Tignanello! The Marchesi Antinori 2021 Tignanello (made with 79% Sangiovese, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Cabernet Franc) pulls on all the heartstrings. To be released in May, the wine shows a quintessentially pretty taste profile with tart fruit flavors, redcurrant, tea leaf, heritage rose, crushed white pepper, licorice, nutmeg, clove and chopped mint. It opens slowly to reveal more richness and exuberance with time, becoming downright voluptuous and heady a short while later. The through line, however, remains the bright freshness and minerality of Sangiovese. Compared to the 2018 vintage (which I also loved), this vintage has more overall fruit weight and volume.
7) Senda Verde Albarino 2023, Rias Baixas: $21.99 Bright and aromatically complex, notes of ripe apricot, apple and wild flowers. Fresh and crisp with a persistent lush textures on the palate. The finish is fruity and with mineral nuances. Our Albariño’s fresh acidity makes it a fine contrast to foods that are rich, salty, oily, fatty, or mildly spicy.
8) Peter Michael ‘Ma Danseuse’ Pinot Noir 2017, Fort-Ross-Seaview, Sonoma County: $214.99 ‘Ma Danseuse’ (“My Dancer”) was named for Lady Michael by Sir Peter. As a young man attending judo classes in London, Peter took note of the considerably more charming attendees of the dance school across the lane, and in particular, a certain gold medal-winning ballroom dancer to whom he soon extended an invitation out. The future Lady Michael said that she would love to… as long as he was a medal-level ballroom dancer. “I thought he was a rather pushy individual but I do so love to dance.” –Lady Michael The most feminine of our Pinot Noirs, this wine is made from grapes grown in the coolest, northernmost sections of our Fort Ross-Seaview vineyard, which is oriented towards the marine air moving through the Gualala River canyon.
9) Mark Ryan Viognier 2023, Yakima Valley, Washington State: $43.99 100% Viognier An expressive aromatic profile leaps from the glass with layers of fragrant orange blossom, cantaloupe, and sweet melon notes. Full-bodied and lush, with flavors of citrus, pineapple, and white peach. The vibrant fruit is balanced by mouthwatering acidity that adds poise and freshness.
10) Abeja Merlot 2021, Columbia Valley: $53.99 An enticing nose of blueberry compote and baking spice is woven with intricacies of earth and hibiscus. Generous black and red fruits open with juicy acidity on a structured palate with a moderate body, and supple, fine-grained tannins. Undertones of black olive appear throughout, with subtleties of licorice and Oolong tea as dark plum and cocoa powder linger in the finish.
11) Matthews Sauvignon Blanc 2022, Columbia Valley: $30.99 The 2022 Matthews Columbia Valley Sauvignon Blanc is yellow jasmine in color with flecks of green. Intense aromatics of starfruit, lemony sorrel leaf, juicy green pear and mandarin orange open to honeysuckle and linden flower. Followed by flavors of lemon curd, oyster shell, candied orange peel and flint, this medium bodied, balanced wine has refreshing acidity. It finishes long with briny and stony flavors that are taught and textural. 2022 was a near ideal vintage for Sauvignon Blanc.
12) Mark Ryan 216 Miles to Go Cabernet Sauvignon 2022, Columbia: $27.99 Online for $38! The 2022 216 Miles to Go Cabernet Sauvignon blends the opulent, rich, and dark fruit characters of Phinny Hill Vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills AVA, with the intense, dynamic, and expansive qualities of Quintessence vineyard in the Red Mountain AVA. The 2022 vintage was cooler than 2021. The cooler weather allowed the grapes to develop slowly, leading to fantastic balance between sugar, acid, and flavor development. Late summer heat, and one of the warmest Octobers on record, helped produce wines with exceptional balance, depth, and purity.
13) Castello Banfi Magna Cum Laude 2021, Toscana: $39.99 Wine Spectator 95 pts. Tightly knit and supple, delivering black currant, blackberry, violet and graphite aromas and flavors. This harmonious red shows a well-integrated structure, with terrific energy and length. Though approachable now, this should really hit its stride in a year or two. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sangiovese and Syrah.
14) Promontory by Harlan Estates Red Wine 2020, Napa Valley: $999.99 The Wine Independent 100 pts. Review Date: 04/2023 The 2020 Promontory is deep garnet-purple in color. It soars out of the glass with notes of fresh black cherries, crushed blueberries, and kirsch, followed by hints of wet slate, Indian spices, candied violets, and fragrant earth. The medium to full-bodied palate is tightly knit, with so many mineral and floral nuances intertwined with the red and black fruits, supported by very firm, very fine-grained tannins and bold freshness, finishing long and perfumed. There is so much energy here, it practically vibrates in your mouth! A masterpiece. (LPB) At Harlan and Promontory, the team has managed to pull off a level of quality that no one else has in 2020.
I’m getting some VERY special allocated Champagnes in the next couple of weeks. Here’s what I got yesterday from the icon of Champagne Cedric Bouchard:
Cédric Bouchard had a rapid rise to Champagne stardom. Having only started his own label in 2000 after a stint as a sommelier in Paris, he quickly earned a reputation as one of Champagne’s most talented young wine producers, and was awarded the title of Champagne’s finest winemaker for the year 2008 by the Gault Millau. Bouchard began with only 1.37 hectares of vines in the village of Celles-sur-Ource in the Côte des Bar, Champagne’s southern enclave of kimmeridgian-centric terroirs. His approach in the vineyards seeks to maximize quality at every step. Additionally, he farms organically, dramatically restricts yields (among the lowest in Champagne), and places extra emphasis on picking at the optimum moment.
Though pensive and reserved in nature, Bouchard embraces a revolutionary philosophy: single-vineyard, single-variety (Pinot Noir, Chardonnay or Pinot Blanc), single-vintage, zero-dosage Champagnes. Rather than blending different vineyards and vintages to make a single cuvée, as is the long-standing norm in Champagne, Bouchard prefers to make a wine that is representative of the vintage and place of origin. He seeks to create individual wines of great character every year from his single vineyard bottlings. Each wine is made only from juice from the first pressing, fermented only with indigenous yeast, and handled meticulously in the cellar to guarantee the finest wines possible. He believes in a long, slow and cool second fermentation which creates smaller, finer bubbles, and helps to enhance the vinosity of the underlying wine. The wines — all incredibly limited — are produced with no dosage and with the goal of allowing the unique terroir of each wine to take center stage.
15) Roses de Jeanne Champagne ‘Les Ursules’ UR/R20 Disgorgement 2024: $399.99 VARIETALS: 100% Pinot Noir. FARMING: Organic practicing. VINEYARD: This is the first Roses de Jeanne vineyard. From a 0.9721 hectare parcel of Pinot Noir planted in 1974 in lieu-dit “Les Ursules”. SOIL: Argilo-calcaire (clay and chalk mixture), limestone. VITICULTURE: All of Cedric’s parcels are farmed organically where he dramatically restricts yields (among the lowest in Champagne) with extra emphasis placed on picking at the optimum moment. Cordon de Royat pruning is employed. Vines are planted at a density of 8000 vines per hectare. Yields are extremely small at 26 hectoliters per hectare. VINIFICATION: 1st press juice only, hand harvested and crushed using a 4,000 kg Coquard wooden basket press. Fermentation using indigenous yeast, Cédric explains, “To have the maximum amount of “traceability” in the wine. The yeasts come from the same place as the grapes.” Primary fermentation occurs in stainless steel tank and usually lasts around 3 to 4 weeks but is not rushed and can take up to 2-3 months. Primary occurs at a temperature of 12 to 14 degrees Celsius in order for yeasts to multiply slowly. Malolactic fermentations always occurs naturally. Cédric explains, “I will wait as long as necessary for it to take place. It is a natural process and it means I can use less SO2 and no filtration.” The wine rests for 6 to 7 months in tank before being bottled for sur lattes aging. AGING: The wine rest sur lattes for at least 36 months and bottled with no dosage. PRODUCTION: 2,800 bottles, 400 magnums. NOTES: Cedric employees 40 workers during harvest! He explained to us that no detail is too small and when it is time to harvest each lieu-dit, it needs to happen as quickly and meticulously as possible.
16) Roses de Jeanne Champagne ‘RDJ#3’: $975 The 2020 Blanc RDJ.N.03 is the latest in the series of experimental Champagnes from Cédric Bouchard. As always, Bouchard intentionally does not divulge any information on this wine, as he wants tasters to approach it without any preconceived notions. In the glass, the RDJ.N.03 is floral, airy and lifted. White flowers, mint and white pepper lend notable aromatic presence. If I had to guess, I would say this is a Blanc de Noirs from Creux d’Enfer as the two wines bear some similarities, especially texturally. Disgorged: April 2024.
17) Roses de Jeanne Champagne ‘Presle’ PR/R20 Blanc de Noirs Disgorgement 2024: $449.99 VARIETALS: Pinot Noir FARMING: Organic VINEYARD: 15 rows (0.25 hectare) of 10 different Burgundian Pinot clones co-planted in 2007, all of which are massale selection. SOIL: Clay and limestone with bands of Kimmeridgian (terre blanche) common to Chablis and Chavignol. VITICULTURE: Vines are farmed using organic methods. VINIFICATION: 1st press juice only, hand harvested and crushed by foot and fermented with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel. Bottled unfined and unfiltered. AGING: Aged 36 months sur lie, zero dosage. NOTES: Presle is an exploration in assorted, co-planted Burgundian Pinot clones and offers a rich and aromatically expressive Blanc de Noirs.