2021 OLIM BAUDA BARBERA D'ASTI
'LE ROCCHETTE'
$23.99 BTL./$143.94 - SIX PACK

Last week we had the ever-loquacious Gianni Bertolino in for a tasting to show new releases from his family’s top-notch Asti estate. This Barbera, along with the Gavi below, are fantastic expressions.

Le Rocchette is from a single vineyard site of old vines and is a Barbera for the people. 2021 is an epic year in Piedmont and while this wine is very lovable now, it will also age for a long time. Plush, velvety, seamless plum, floral, licorice, cherry pit and earthy underpinnings. Beautifully expansive, ample fruit, crowd-pleasing appeal and very versatile. Enjoy it now with grilled meats, lasagna or sausages…or in five years with risotto with mushrooms, pasta with a meat ragu, slow roasted pork or lamb.

2021 OLIM BAUDA GAVI
'COMUNE DI GAVI'
$19.99 BTL./$119.94 - SIX PACK

After tasting this on Friday and then enjoying a bottle with grilled swordfish with a salmoriglio sauce, it affirmed why we have been over the moon for the release of Olim Bauda’s 2024 Gavi.

Made with 100% Cortese in a classically cool grown in chalky soils with an underlay of clay, this 12.5% alcohol white reveals powdery citrus and blitzing mineral. Zippy, flavorful and a wine that coats and cleanses the entire palate. Open-knit and perfect for an aperitivo, swordfish, shellfish and green vegetables, alone or together.

2023 COUTEAU MORGON
$19.99 BTL./$239.88 CASE

From Jonathan Pey who not only makes a single site Morgon from Belleville but also makes the very tasty Forager Pinot Noirs. Unlike the single vineyard version, this comes from plots throughout the entire Cru of Morgon.

2023, while warm, is not as extreme as 2022, thus better poise. A luminous presence of crème de framboise, smoked violet, anise and undertones of strawberry and cinnamon-stick enliven the glass. Resoundingly vivacious, this gem is a total eruption of flavors that cascade through the mouth. Finishes lengthy and full of spice but fills in beautifully with sultry fruit that coats the palate as it goes down. The classic pairing is roasted chicken with mushrooms, but we also recommend going outside the borders and having it with Indian or Moroccan cuisine as well as grilled fish.

2023 DOMAINE DE LA SOLITUDE
COTES-DU-RHONE
$13.99 BTL./$167.88 CASE

You can obtain this wine from us for $14, or you can go to the Big Z place and grab it for $23. Why pay less? Haha! But I digress. A leading Chateauneuf-du-Pape producer, Domaine de la Solitude makes a very refined Cotes-du-Rhone from 45% Grenache, 45% Syrah & 10% Mourvedre.

This friendly and affordable wine exhibits an elegance that we do not often encounter in wine at this price point. Dark chocolate, white pepper, red and black berries coat the mouth with roasted earth and deceptive structure adding a level of intrigue making this wonderful Cotes-du-Rhone value is hard to beat for the money.

2020 HAUT-RIAN CADILLAC
COTES-DE-BORDEAUX ROUGE
$13.99 BTL./$167.88 CASE

Even though we are in the last stretch of summer, it is never too early to have autumn vibes, albeit without pumpkin spice. Instead of that miscreation, enjoy Chateau Haut-Rian’s classic red Bordeaux that is drinking oh so beautifully at age five.

2020 is classic in aromas and flavors and is prototype French Merlot (90%) with a ten percent addition of Cabernet Sauvignon. Sumptuous blueberry fruit leads the way followed by a mosaic of herbs and spices including tealeaf, dark chocolate and turned earth. A seductive attack with supple texture and brilliant mineral/earth detail, one knows this is Bordeaux. Very red and black cherry on the ringing, fine, deceptively long finish. Drink with chicken dishes, cheeseburgers, lentil soup and more.

2022 IDE CABERNET SAUVIGNON
SONOMA 'LAMPLIGHTER'
$19.99 BTL./$239.88 CASE

94 Points – Decanter Magazine…From Sonoma, the Ide label folks strive to deliver wines from California that connect with people who want to uncork a nice bottle for not much money yet possess quality and can carry over to the table.

If you love Cabernet Sauvignon and want a wine that you can afford to drink from California on a regular basis, then this is the perfect wine for you. Notes of tobacco leaf, cassis, and spice on the nose. Packed full of even more cassis / mulberry fruit, dusty tannins, and good length in the mouth, it is impossible to overstate what a terrific value this is. Enjoy this with regular Cabernet fare. Steaks, lamb, burgers, etc.

2023 KELLEY FOX PINOT NOIR
CARTER VINEYARD
$74.99 BTL./$449.94 - SIX PACK

97 Points – Vinous…A new lower price on an old vine Pinot made by one of Oregon’s finest and most elusive producers. The Eola-Amity located Carter Vineyard is owned by Ken Wright and Kelley’s plots are Wadenswil and Pommard clones planted in 1983. Very collectible indeed with a huge accolade from Vinous.

‘The 2023 Pinot Noir Carter Vineyard opens with a sweet basil and lavender, mingling with stone dust and a hint of pine resin before giving way to dried strawberries as it evolves in the glass. Cooling acidity and silken wild berry fruits infused with nuances of Earl Grey glide across the palate, while a wave of tangerine zest invigorates the senses. The finish is gently tannic and incredibly long, leaving the cheeks puckered with tension and a resonance of licorice that slowly fades. Bury the Carter deep in the cellar.’ – 97 POINTS - VINOUS

2023 DO FERREIRO ALBARINO
'CEPAS VELLAS'
$74.99 BTL./$449.94 - SIX PACK

Very Limited...From the Albarino king, Do Ferreiro, Cepas Vellas is the most complex, intense and mind-blowing Albarino you will ever try...period!

From a pre-phylloxera vineyard planted in the 1780s, swear words cannot begin to describe the greatness of this amazing Albarino. Penetrating, detailed, haunting scents of nectarine, seashore, granite, powdery citrus...and more salt and mineral. A palate-staining texture built around tense nervosity, brilliantly focused flavors keep building into a middle and finish that have supreme persistence. The end coats and cleans the palate for days. Drink over the next fifteen years with about any seafood however, this wine really loves crab and lobster. If we're going to hell, please put us on the escalator down with this brilliant Albarino!

2024 JM REVERDY SANCERRE
'DOMAINE DE LA VILLAUDIERE'
$26.99 BTL./$323.88 CASE

Wines from Sancerre’s fine producers for thirty dollars and less are headed towards extinction. The estate of Jean-Marie Reverdy, Domaine de la Villaudiere, has been a Cellar Door mainstay for the last five years and we LOVE the new 2024, made from sixty-eight different plots throughout Sancerre.

2024 is nervy, swervy and may cause one to become sweary after tasting what is the essence of minerality from this famed area. Flinty, mineral, lemon-lime aspects shimmer from the glass. The texture is vivid, zippy, pristine and full of depth and vibrancy. 2024 is a classic cool vintage, and the wine does a great service by clinging to the palate and extending very well indeed. Perfect to pair with sea bass, halibut or other fish as well as a young, tangy goat cheese.

2021 PENLEY CABERNET
SAUVIGNON 'COONAWARRA'
$19.99 BTL./$239.88 CASE

Whenever using their voices about any subject, Australians can be very forward. I am going to use their terms when it comes to this wine, if you love Cabernet Sauvignon and don’t try this best buy offering, you’re a bloody idiot. It is a whole lot of wine for twenty dollars.

Grown in Terra Rossa soils In SE Australia’s Coonawarra, Cabernet is king. Intense cassis, herbs, vanilla and toffee get it started, but after about 20 minutes of aeration, more peppermint, milk chocolate and cigar box permeate through. Penetrating and dense texture, which is ripe and layered. Plenty of backbone and, dare we say, a little Northern Pauillac-like influence with its bold structure. The finish is impressively lengthy, buxom and dry. Grill up a steak or pork chops. Enjoy it over the next decade.

2019 FATTORIA ZERBINA
SANGIOVESE 'TORRE DI CEPARANO'
$26.99 BTL./$161.94 - SIX PACK

Cristina Geminiani, one Italy's finest producers, makes wines that are amongst the country's true unearthed treasures. Located in Emilia-Romagna, specifically Romagna, between Bologna and the coast, on the "opposite" side of the Apennines, the influence of the Adriatic Sea plays more of a role, and hence her expressions of Sangiovese are vastly different from their Tuscan neighbors.

The 2019 Torre di Ceperano Sangiovese planted at high density expresses sophisticated quality with knockout depth. Nicely intertwined with luscious blackberry, sage, cocoa powder, and hints of red earth with a texture that is about as smooth and soulful. Polished, generous and having everything just in its right place, then concluding with long flavors that call you back for another taste! Drink through 2031.

2022 REMPERTS DE BASTOR
LAMONTAGNE SAUTERNES
$16.99 - HALF BOTTLE

Numerous dessert wines produced around the world, but there is always something special about drinking Sauternes from the Bordeaux region. This is a region where there aren’t many values, but this week we have a splendid one that is the second wine of Chateau Bastor-Lamontagne, a fine producer. Let’s face it, this wine is not going to put Chateau Rieussec or Chateau d'Yquem out of business, however, these half-bottles are wonderful expressions of what this hallowed ground has to offer and at a fair price.

Agreeable aromas. Honey, baked orange and gingerbread lead into a creamy, dense, unctuous texture that is full of flavor, low acidity and polite spiciness. Uniting on the finish which has excellent length for a wine at this price point. While it will easily develop 6-8 more years, it is irresistible right now! Have it with a tarte tatin, pear cake or something with walnuts. However, we suggest you use it as your dessert and drink it with its most compatible match - Roquefort cheese.

2015 PAOLO PETRILLI 'FERRAU'
C'ACCE MMITA DI LUCERA ROSSO
[reg. $84.99]
SPECIAL - $55.00 MAG/$165.00 - 3 PK

So, here’s a little story. From 2016 – 2020 we steadily built a following for these wines from Northern Puglia. Known for his wines based around the Nero di Troia grape, Paolo Pterilli became this tale’s hero. 2020 came about and around town the wines were becoming popular, and the local importer responded in kind with great supplies. A pandemic arrived and made the wines into what we call COVID casualties. Places closed, people were quarantined and the wines gathered dust. Slowly they sold but a four-year absence caused separation resulting in good deals. Alas we no longer have access to these wines, however there are still ten three packs of this ten-year old Italian red in magnum bottles at a wondrous price.

Drinking exquisitely now, this mature blend of Nero di Troia, Montepulciano, Sangiovese and Bombino in a large bottle reveals tangy earth, violet, cranberry, smoke, savory herbs all transferring to a mouth feel that has generosity, plush dry fruit, subtle sage and coffee notes. Long, long and popping at the end. A brilliant wine to pair with red sauce, lamb shanks, pork ribs with sauce and mushroom dishes. A real deal for a double sized bottle!

2020 CHATEAU BARBE BLANCHE
LUSSAC SAINT-EMILION
$27.99 BTL./$335.88 CASE

Owned by the Lurton family, Chateau Barbe Blanche is in the village of Lussac, one of four satellite regions of St-Emilion and the one considered to be the most robust of the group.

A generous, lush offering from a tremendous Bordeaux vintage, this wine reveals ripe notes of cherry, deep plum, leather, mineral and subtle cocoa powder. On the palate intense berry notes hook up nicely with red earth, followed by vanilla/espresso notes from the thoughtfully placed French oak. Very satisfying now and will develop and provide pleasure through 2032+.

2024 HADEN FIG PINOT BLANC
WILLAMETTE VALLEY
$19.99 BTL./$239.88 CASE

If you don't know Erin Nuccio's wines then it is time that you familiarize yourself with them, they are stunners. Along with owning Evesham Wood since 2009, Erin has made wine under his own label, Haden Fig, which made its entrance in 2008. If you enjoy refined, classy Oregon wines then will be right up your alley.

The new 2024 offers forward, vibrant aromas of lime blossom, mandarin and minerals which plow from the glass. On the palate this intense, yet elegant, unoaked white is completely dry with mouth tickling acidity and great freshness. Fleshy citrus is joined by white peach for a long and uplifting finish. A perfect white for grilled salmon, grilled marinated whole trout, and will hold its own with Asian food.

2022 MOULIN DE GASSAC
PAYS D'HERAULT ROUGE
$13.99 BTL./$167.88 CASE

Mas de Daumas Gassac is one of the most important and influential in not only Languedoc but in all of France. Aime Guibert started this estate in 1974 which helped to bring Languedoc out of the stone age and became known for their top red known as ‘the Lafite of Languedoc’.

In the late 2000s, the Guibert family expanded their operation and began working with the co-op in Sete to make thrilling everyday wines called Moulin de Gassac. A blend of Grenache, Syrah, Carignan and Cinsault. Easygoing plum, cinnamon, licorice and wind-swept garrigue, but never fear, the distinct dance of minerality never strays far in both aroma and taste. Speaking of taste, the wild, yet crunchy texture reveals presence of black licorice spice along with the aromatic herbs and never veers into heaviness or thickness. At 12.5% alcohol, this red is perfect for a weeknight tipple during winter, spring, summer or fall!

2022 K VINTNERS SYRAH
'MOTOR CITY KITTY'
$39.99 BTL./$479.88 CASE

A longtime presence in Walla Walla, Charles Smith always produces award-winning wines. These wines are never oaked to high heaven but maintain full-bodied, deep personalities that reflect their sites very well.

MCK comes from the renowned Boushey Vineyard in Yakima Valley. When the wine in initially poured, one can attest that this is top-drawer Syrah. Generous, velvety black cherry, plum, coffee bean and licorice come out quickly and more complex scents of white pepper and tea-smoke arrive as the wine is swirled. Sultry, fine, layered and mouth-filling good with round tones. Kisses of Washington dustiness and Asian spice come on the expansive finish that stains the entire palate. Irresistible now, it will prove to be at its finest end 2026 – 2038.

2022 RAUL PEREZ BIERZO
ULTRIEA ST-JACQUES
$19.99 BTL./$239.88 CASE

93 Points – The Wine Advocate…One of the most electrifying twenty-dollar wine values..not just Spain but the entire world! Raul Perez has been a force since the initial explosion of Bierzo nearly 20 years ago. He is not only a generous soul; he is also one of the leaders for change in the area, leading to better focus on terroir with the Mencia grape.

Mostly Mencia and teeming with violet, plum, cinnamon, sandalwood and mineral, this wine changes like an obstacle course as it unfolds in the glass. Pure and satisfying with smoothed-over edges, this wine has fine expansion on the palate and follows over to a brisk, lively finish that soars. Do not be fooled; underneath there is ample teeth and structure which will allow it to pair well with pork, sausages and even a burger. Drink over the next 3-5 years.

2022 CASTELLO DI BANFI
TOSCANA ROSSO 'BELNERO'
$26.99 BTL./$161.94 - SIX PACK

Bordeaux Blend from a Brunello di Montalcino producer. Almost equal portions of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot from sites in Montalcino, this hearty red seemingly has a foot there but a foot in Sonoma.

Fruit-dominated with savory black raspberry, briar and lurking violet and spiced earth in the background, just to let you know that it is Italian. Juicy with classy, mouth-filling flavors that fill the mouth nicely from start to finish. At this price, we encourage you to buy a bunch, grill a T-bone steak and liberally toss it back!

2024 DOG POINT SAUVIGNON BLANC
MARLBOROUGH
$24.99 BTL./$299.88 CASE

95 Points – The Wine Advocate…When it comes to New Zealand Sauvignon, Dog Point does not mess around. Located in the northern corner of the South Island, this Marlborough luminary makes mighty Sauvignon yet denounce the stereotypical explosion pineapple princess attributes that the majority possess.

Here is a wine that goes down easier than a soccer player who takes a fake dive looking for a foul. Full of energy and attitude, grapefruit, fig, savory herbs, guava and fresh-cut flowers flow nicely into a clean texture that reveals nice movement, subtle power and complexity then concluding by turning on the bright lights at the finish. Long and lingering, pair with grilled prawns with chimichurri sauce, swordfish and more.

2022 HERENCIA ALTES TERRA ALTA
TINTO 'LA PILOSA'
$26.99 BTL./$323.88 CASE

I have been enthralled with Herencia Altes wines from Catalonia’s Terre Alta region for a while. Nuria Altes took over from her father in 2010 converting to organics and adding more land including plantations of the rare Garnacha Peluda grape.

A member of the Grenache family, the Peluda (hairy) possesses a fuzzy tone, protecting it from sunburn and extreme heat. Deeply colored, yet natural red acidity from both the grape and elevation brings it into balance. Fifty percent whole cluster brings forth clove spice and everything nice. Think of this like something Domaine Santa Duc in Gigondas would make. Broad yet brilliant, outstanding complexity, superb length and persistence. A real Catalonian wine for lamb. If you love things like Rhone, Languedoc or Priorat then this is a must have.

2024 CHATEAU MAYLANDIE
CORBIERES BLANC 'CABANON'
$17.99 BTL./$215.88 CASE

A captivating and delicious white wine from one of our preferred Corbieres producers that oozes the South of France.

Grenache Blanc, Bourboulenc & Rolle (Vermentino), aromas of red pear, blood orange, Mediterranean herbs and mandarin shine. Building up on the initial attack, crunchy citrus flavors arrive with kisses of spice extending pleasantly. Have this as a gathering wine with a charcuterie board, grilled vegetables (particularly asparagus), or lighter fish like steamed cod.

2023 LIOCO PINOT NOIR
MENDOCINO
$26.99 BTL./$323.88 CASE

We have highlighted Lioco’s Chardonnays in the past, but this is the premier offering of their cool climate Pinot Noir from Mendocino County.

Very engaging from the jump, the remoteness of this site is indicative in this Pinot Noir. Aromatically expressive with botanical aspects like forest floor, jasmine, anise and pepper riding alongside red plum, raspberry and cinnamon. Classic, sultry flavors, gorgeous movement, nice spice tones and extension. More dark blackberry compote qualities arrive on the second sip. A wine where class meets country, drink this Pinot with pulled pork and more. Drink over the next decade.

2024 LA VALENTINA
CERASUOLO D'ABRUZZO ROSE
$13.99 BTL./$167.88 CASE

Hailing from Italy's Adriatic Coast in the Abruzzo area is this delightful regional specialty.

A pink torpedo that is primed to sink you, this rosé from 100% of the Montepulciano grape is all about vivid pleasure. Alluring strawberry licorice surrounds subtle mineral and freshly cut herbs; the cool, ethereal texture that takes on all the nuances that the nose gives. The finish bursts and grabs the tongue before heading down….Beautifully dry and Caprese salad friendly. Slurp, slurp, slurp!

2017 BASTIDE BLANCHE BANDOL
ROUGE 'FONTANEOU'
$34.99 BTL./$419.88 CASE

Who says you cannot get an ageworthy wine for an attractive price??!! One of the supreme producers of this famous Mediterranean region, Bastide Blanche's Cuvee Fontaneou can best be described as "Mighty Mourvedre". This bottling is 92% Mourvedre, 8% Grenache from a same-named parcel that is a stone's throw from the Mediterranean Sea and is from red clay soils over an abundance of limestone. Very much a wine for the cellar, this is not just a can of whoop-ass, it is a whole case of whoop-ass!!!

Resolute scents of asphalt, game, rose, blueberry and sea salt with an undercurrent of cranberry and coffee from earth rather than from the use of new oak. Wiry with resounding structure, fine fruit notes are underneath and will come out with time. Expect this to be very ripe, layered and profound with complex notes of Provençal herbs, truffle and floral tones as it ages. Firm and packed in the back, this should be held until 2027, and it will then drink exquisitely through 2037.