2023 TRE MONTI 'PETRIGNONE'
SANGIOVESE RISERVA
$19.99 BTL./$239.88 CASE

Sangiovese from Emilia-Romagna differs greatly from its Tuscan counterparts. Often heartier and wilder, these wines remain undervalued and underappreciated beyond the region. As many of you know, Zerbina and Cristina Geminiani helped put the area on the map, and producers such as Tre Monti have followed with terrific wines. This Riserva is a steal at twenty bucks.

Luscious blackberry, sage, vanilla-coffee notes, and hints of licorice are nicely woven together in a texture that feels smooth and soulful. Polished and generous, with everything in balance, it finishes long and inviting, especially alongside penne Bolognese.

2025 PEPIERE MUSCADET 'PEPIE'
$19.99 BTL./$239.88 CASE

Growing up in Pittsburgh, Bryan loved to swim. After a dip, his mom would often say, “Your hair’s slick! Yinz jagoffs were swimmin’ dahn in dat damn river again. If ya don’t drahn, next time I’m gonna beat your ass.” Contrary to popular belief, Pittsburgh is no longer the smoky, sooty city it once was; the mighty Monongahela, Allegheny, and Ohio rivers are now very clean. So what do Pittsburgh’s Three Rivers have to do with this wine? Read on.

Rivers often shape wine regions, frequently forming the valley floor beneath surrounding vineyards. The Loire, France’s longest river and often described as Western Europe’s last wild river, is no exception. Among the region's vineyards are those near Nantes, home to Muscadet. This Cellar Door favorite is blazing dry and mineral-driven, with all the flint, steel, oyster shell, and lemongrass Muscadet should deliver. Its focused, surprisingly intense texture is bracing, vibrant, and very dry. Oysters, steamed clams, and this Muscadet make a perfect match—but remember to wait at least an hour before swimming after eating.

2024 DURIN PIGATO
RIVIERA LIGURE DI PONTE
$19.99 BTL./$239.88 CASE

Grown only on Liguria’s steep slopes and thought to be related to Vermentino, Pigato is the prince of Ligurian white grapes.

Persistent oceanic aromas mingle with Italian herbs, white peach, and subtle blood orange. The wine stretches across the palate with natural depth, while clean, crisp acidity adds zest and pleasure. It is a perfect match for seafood, especially pesto-based pastas.

2023 CHATEAU JARONS BORDEAUX
CABERNET FRANC
$11.99 BTL./$143.88 CASE

Raspberry Beret without the secondhand store, this is the twelve-dollar Cabernet Franc Bordeaux of your dreams.

Aged in tank and terracotta amphorae, it bursts with raspberry and plum, trailed by pekoe tea and savory earth. Generous and expansive for the price, it finishes plush, long, and abundant, with wild spice and a strawberries-and-cream flourish. Drink this crowd-pleaser with rib-eye or hanger steak, mushroom soup, lentil soup, gyros, burgers, or soft-ripened Camembert.

2022 BODEGAS ASTER
RIBERA DEL DUERO RISERVA
$23.99 BTL./$287.88 CASE

Aster is the Ribera del Duero estate of Rioja icon La Rioja Alta. While Rioja is cooler and more Atlantic-influenced, Ribera del Duero—southwest of La Rioja, between Rioja and Madrid—leans decidedly Mediterranean.

Made from 100% Tempranillo, the 2022 Reserva radiates Spanish sophistication. Full-bodied and richly flavored, it offers aromas of black plum, raspberry, fresh-cut roses, vanilla, and cedar box. Ripe and velvety, it finishes long and luxurious. Roast pork seasoned with paprika and enjoy. Drink now through 2034.

2025 KUMUSHA CHENIN BLANC
$15.99 BTL./$191.88 CASE

From a go-to South African producer, Kumusha’s Chenin Blanc is completely dry, with notes of gun smoke, lanolin, quince, and red apple. Dense fruit and mineral flavors spread across the palate, while a balanced, focused structure drives a wiry, lingering finish. Try it with halibut in sauce, lighter chicken dishes, or pad Thai.

2022 TURLEY ESTATE CABERNET
SAUVIGNON 'ST. HELENA'
$54.99 BTL./$329.94 - 6 PK

[reg. $74.99]…Best known for Zinfandel, Turley also produces an excellent estate Cabernet from St. Helena. Like the rest of the lineup, this wine favors Napa power over subtlety.

This confidently colossal Cabernet delivers layers of dark, juicy fruit—blackberry, currant, and cherry—alongside roasted herbs, cedar, black pepper, tobacco, and berry depth. Big and powerful, it still offers enough penetrating fruit for early gratification. Enjoy over the next fifteen years with a thick, dry-aged New York steak or an herb-crusted rack of lamb.

2023 CHAMPAGNE BILLECART
SALMON EXTRA BRUT 'LE RESERVE'
$59.99 BTL./$359.94 - 6 PK

After more than 200 years of Champagne production, change can feel uncomfortable—but here it is exhilarating. In 2019, L’Equipe Billecart set out to improve its flagship Champagne, formerly Brut Réserve. The house shifted from Brut to Extra-Brut for a drier profile and clearer terroir expression, extended aging by 20 months to a total of 50 months for greater depth, incorporated 15 vintages of reserve wine for complexity, and increased the portion of barrel-aged wines for added richness and density.

In the glass, it shows pale straw tones, fine bubbles, and a persistent mousse with a luminous sheen. The nose is airy and precise, offering bright natural fruit that opens into floral nuances and subtle biscuit notes. The palate is delicate yet vinous, with concentrated flavors of apple, crisp pear, citrus, and light roasted accents, finishing long, fresh, and mineral.

2023 CROUS SAINT-MARTIN
GIGONDAS 'LES ESPALIERS'
$34.99 BTL./$419.88 CASE

We just highlighted this Chateauneuf-based producer’s delightful Cotes-du-Rhone and this past Friday, their award-winning Gigondas came across my desk.

80% Grenache, with 10% each Syrah and Mourvèdre. This Gigondas opens with a fragrant mix of herbes de Provence, white pepper, red plum, blackberry, black raspberry, lavender, smoke, and grenadine. Suave and sultry, it remains structured, deep, and detailed, with generosity, persistence, and backbone. The Provençal palate is ample yet buoyant, showing smooth, savory fruit, a touch of white pepper, and a long, polished finish. Pair it with braised dishes such as lamb shanks in tomato sauce, daube de boeuf, pork loin roasted with olive oil, thyme, and rosemary, classic Hungarian goulash, or duck and for something different, try a piece of spicy chocolate.

2023 DOMAINE SAVARY CHABLIS
SPECIAL - $24.99 BTL./$299.88 CASE

[reg. $35.99]…Chablisienne through and through, Olivier Savary founded the domaine in 1990 without inherited vineyards, as his parents were not in the wine business. Over time, he acquired vines, spent time with Jean-Marie Raveneau, and—with friendly influence and a deepening focus on his terroirs—built the estate’s reputation from the ground up.

Pure Chablis in character, this wine opens with aromas of oyster shell, wet stone, gunflint, and a touch of mandarin. Its ultra-vivid texture shows tension, focus, grip, and just enough roundness, leading to a long, stylish finish that clearly speaks of its terroir. Pair it with cod, grilled spot prawns, or soft-ripened cheeses.

2024 CROUS SAINT-MARTIN
COTES-DU-RHONE 'LES ETRIERS'
$13.99 BTL./$167.88 CASE

Crous St-Martin of Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a collaboration between Eric Bonnet, owner and winemaker of Bastide St-Dominique, and Rhône expert and importer Harry Bosmans. We discovered these wines during the pandemic and have championed them from the start; now, we’re excited to offer a remarkably well-priced Côtes-du-Rhône.

Made from 65% Grenache and 35% Syrah grown on sandy soils in Courthézon and just south of Orange, this wine bursts with soulful, sensual aromas of raspberry, strawberry, lavender, smoke, and classic Rhône spice. The palate is sumptuous and balanced, with a hint of wildness carrying through to a finish marked by plum and white pepper. Enjoy it with marinated flank steak, carne asada, lamb, duck, or a juicy cheeseburger.

2024 TALMARD MACON-UCHIZY
$19.99 BTL./$239.88 CASE

Love Chardonnay without invasive oak? Love white Burgundy but not the steep prices? If so, this wine is for yinz.

A favorite value from southern Burgundy’s Mâcon, this consistent overachiever comes from the higher-elevation village of Uchizy, where limestone-rich vineyards give it a clear sense of place. Raised in stainless steel, it shows bright lemon, mandarin, Granny Smith apple, and stony mineral notes. Zippy and crisp, with subtle breadth and intensity, it is excellent with roasted chicken, white fish such as sea bass or sole, and cheeses like chèvre or Brillat-Savarin.

2023 CHATEAU DE LA TERRIERE
BEAUJOLAIS-VILLAGES
SPECIAL - $16.99 BTL./$203.88 CASE

[reg. $23.99]…Swearing is encouraged at Cellar Door, and one taste of this Beaujolais-Villages will have you merrily joining our chorus of colorful metaphors.

Silky-smooth, with fresh summer berries, minerals, and rose petals, this Régnié lieu-dit Beaujolais builds from a simple melody into a full palate sonata. Classic, long, and versatile, it pairs beautifully with rib-eye and chanterelles, jambalaya, Bún Thịt Nướng, Beaufort or sharp Gruyère, white sausage, pot-au-feu, steak tartare, dark-meat fried chicken, and more.

2025 EL COTO RIOJA BLANCO
$11.99 BTL./$143.88 CASE

El Coto’s white Rioja makes a strong case for the region’s Viura grape.

This vibrant white offers vivid lemongrass and lemon-drop aromas, followed by a cool, crisp palate with generous fruit and a food-friendly mineral finish. Open a few bottles with grilled prawns or razor clams.

2024 LUZON JUMILLA TINTO
'COLLECION ROBLE'
$9.99 BTL./$119.88 CASE

El Coto’s white Rioja makes a strong case for the region’s Viura grape.

This vibrant white offers vivid lemongrass and lemon-drop aromas, followed by a cool, crisp palate with generous fruit and a food-friendly mineral finish. Open a few bottles with grilled prawns or razor clams.

2024 ZORZAL MALBEC
'GRAN TERROIR'
$19.99 BTL./$239.88 CASE

Zorzal sits at 4,500 feet in Gualtallary, a subregion of the Uco Valley just outside Tupungato, making it Mendoza’s highest winery. Chalk-rich soils and high elevation give this standout Malbec remarkable energy. Aged 12–18 months in two- to three-year-old French barrels, it stays firmly rooted in its origins.

Raspberry, pekoe, chocolate, fig, and red-earth aromas continue to unfold in the glass. On the palate, lushness is balanced by cool, zesty tones, a firm vertical backbone, and a broad, seductive finish that soars. Drink this authentic Malbec over the next 8–10 years.

2025 MUSSIO PINOT GRIGIO
$19.99 BTL./$239.88 CASE

From Friuli’s corner of Delle Venezie, this Pinot Grigio offers genuine character and class.

Packed with cool alpine aromas, bright minerality, citrus, and white peach, its freshness carries seamlessly onto a clean, lively palate with a luscious citrus core. This charming white is ideal for a quick pre-dinner glass, delicate seafood, or a goat cheese salad with lemon vinaigrette.

2017 ZERBINA SANGIOVESE
DI ROMAGNA 'PIETRAMORA'
$39.99 BTL./$239.94 - SIX PACK

By happy accident, top Romagna wines like Zerbina remain largely overlooked by American media. Pound for pound, they are among the world’s great values; if this grew as a Super Tuscan or Brunello di Montalcino, it could easily cost twice as much.

Zerbina’s top Sangiovese, Pietramora, appears only in the best vintages. Broader than its Tuscan cousins, the 2017 is drinking beautifully at age nine, with layered black cherry compote, sage, vanilla, pepper, licorice root, saddle leather, smoky cedar, and tobacco. Generous, structured, and balanced, it carries tangy earth, red fruit, and lush Mexican hot chocolate through a finish that seems to linger for days. Enjoy through 2032+.

2023 RIDGE SANTA CRUZ
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
SPECIAL - $46.99 BTL./$281.94 - 6 PK

[reg. $69.99]…Ridge produced a Santa Cruz Mountains Cabernet Sauvignon from 1978 to 2007. In 2008, the wine became the Estate Cabernet, sourced from Monte Bello. For the 2023 vintage, Ridge has revived the Santa Cruz Mountains Cabernet, using contracted fruit from three Santa Cruz sites and enhancing it with additions from Monte Bello. It is a superb expression of both Ridge and the Santa Cruz Mountains.

Highly expressive aromas of herbs, tobacco and potpourri frame layers of blackberry, cassis, vanilla and espresso. Rich, juicy Cabernet fruit unfolds with classic blackberry and cherry notes, accented by herbs, cedar, spearmint and pepper over a polished, toasty core. Luscious and expansive, yet supported by a clear structure, it finishes with remarkable length. Although irresistible now, my experience with Ridge wines suggests it will gain complexity with time. Enjoy over the next 10–12+ years.

2022 MOURRE DU TENDRE
CHATEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE
'TRES VIEILLES VIGNES'
$65.99 BTL./$395.94 - 6 PK

Though only in his early thirties, Paul Vérité brings an old-soul sensibility to winemaking. One of the few in the appellation to rely entirely on whole-cluster fermentation, he crafts wines that echo great names such as Charvin, Galet des Papes, and Pegau. This tiny-production, smooth, stylish Châteauneuf-du-Pape comes from 70–100-year-old Grenache (90%) and Mourvèdre (10%) vines.

Lavender, thyme, red raspberry, and smoked-meat notes evoke Provence and give a strong sense of place. Full-bodied yet refined, it offers compact, rich flavors, Asian spice, and a haunting, expansive finish. Approachable now with hearty fare, it should peak from end 2027–2035+.