2019 CAPRILI 'ILEX'
TOSCANA ROSSO
$9.99 BTL./$65.94 - SIX PACK

While more famous for their Brunello and Rosso di Montalcino wines, Caprili also rocks a 100% Sangiovese that drinks well on a Thursday evening while watching television. Many of you all know the wines from Caprili and the quality and value they deliver with their Brunello wines but this wine is insane for 10 bucks. Maintaining the Bartolommei family’s credo, this wine is both full of character and flavor while retaining freshness and balance and will carry over to the table.

100% Sangiovese and 100% yummy with serious chug factor going on here. Beaming with aromas that are direct with plush red cherry, savory earth, cedar-box and smoke revealing true-to-form Tuscan character. Very giving and honest with smooth flavors, sneaky backbone, and an engaging finish that is very raspberry-tinged and lingers more than any offering that is 10 bucks ever should.

2017 MONTES 'ALPHA'
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
$17.99 BTL./$215.88 CASE

Given the quality of the vineyards and top expertise in the vineyard, this beautifully proportioned Cab is way above what Chile is known to produce which is usually akin to listening to a Barry Manilow box set.

90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot from three designated Colchaugua Valley regions, blueberry, underlying cassis, dusty clay tones, pekoe, mint and fine herbs shine on the nose. Dreamy, sultry and all about texture in the mouth, this classy & sassy red is layered with lots of movement and various complex flavor profiles. Drawn-out, lingering and possessing excellent substance on the back end, we simply cannot believe just how stellar it at such an absurdly fair price! Enjoy it over the next 7-8 years, especially with a grilled steak slathered in herbs.

2017 BERTANI VALPOLICELLA RIPASSO
$19.99 BTL./$239.88 CASE

When it comes to Valpolicella/Amarone wines, Bertani could be compared to the likes of the Yankees, Lakers or Juventus with their long history of tradition and winning. 2017 is a warmer vintage but for those who make Ripasso without all of the dried fruit and grandstanding the conditions were perfect. Bertani’s Ripasso follows the original vision of the 1950s and 60s, which featured wines of breed and uniqueness that were the benchmarks of this process and region, not utilizing dried fruit to make outsized and heavy wines that were prevalent in the 90s and 00s.

Deep with pure notes of ripe cherry, raspberry, violet, cocoa powder and roasted earth carry over to a texture with savory red fruits and fine grip lending structure and backbone. Finishing quite long and having ample dimension, this Valpolicella Ripasso will make everything from roasted pork to mushroom risotto or a gorgonzola cheese dance on your palate. If scores move the meter for you, this has 91 points from The Wine Spectator.

2019 BEDROCK ZINFANDEL 'OLD VINES'
$24.99 BTL./$299.88 CASE

92 Points – Vinous… The mind behind Bedrock Wine Company comes from excellent wine bloodlines; Morgan Twain-Peterson is the son of famed, influential Ravenswood Zinfandel maestro Joel Peterson. Morgan is devoted to maintaining California’s heritage vines and grapes and these wines are some of California’s most compelling. The base of this wine is formed around Bedrock’s estate vineyards, with much of it coming from Bedrock Estate (planted in 1888), Nervo (1896), and Sodini (1905) in Sonoma County along with Evangelho (1890s) and Katushas’ (1915), with the remainder coming from Teldeschi, Pagani, Old Hill, and Enz Vineyard.

‘The 2019 Zinfandel Old Vine is gorgeous. Bright acids and floral overtones perk up the red berry fruit in a Zinfandel that delivers the goods, and plenty more. Bright and beautifully layered, the 2019 hits all the right notes. Then again, it is a blend of stellar sites, including Bedrock, Nervo, Sodini, Evangelho, Katushas’, Teldeschi, Pagani Ranch and Old Hill. Because of the COVID pandemic and uncertain short-term economic outlook, the 2019 includes quite a bit of wine that in more normal times would he bottled in the vineyard designates. Stated simply: buy as much as you can. – 92 POINTS – VINOUS.’ Drink through 2029.

2019 DO FERREIRO ALBARINO
$26.99 BTL./$323.88 CASE

The classic Do Ferreiro Albarino rocks ass indeed and is from the estate’s ‘younger’ vines (20+-to-120 years old).

Lightning in a bottle, this pure and intense white offers orange blossom, orange peel, lemongrass, exotic flowers and above all, granitic mineral tones and more granite! Beyond the intensity, this wine shows excellent class and breed in the mouth. Impactful with superb viscosity while maintaining its delicacy and zestiness. Mouth-watering, brisk, complex, layered and seriously long. Get a seafood smorgasbord, especially one loaded with fresh crab and serve it with many bottles of this founding family’s impressive Albarino.

2019 CHATEAU DE LA TERRIERE
BEAUJOLAIS VILLAGES
$13.99 BTL./$167.88 CASE

Undoubtedly, this is one of the steals of Beaujolais, especially given the region’s current popularity and price increases. Year in and year out Chateau de la Terriere delivers the goods and this humble Villages offering is way more than its designation.

Silky and smooth with notes of fresh summer berries, minerals and dried rose petals. This four-chord melody turns into a full-on sonata in the mouth with alluring depth from 70-year-old vines that happen to come from a specific lieu dit vineyard in the Cru of Regnie. 2019 is a vintage that reveals its sites very well. Fresh strawberry and raspberry tones are defined by fine backbone and mineral especially on the long and very laid-back finish. A nice midweek red wine selection to pair with an abundance of varying cuisines.

2019 LOUIS METAIREAU MUSCADET
'CARTE NOIRE'
$19.99 BTL./$239.88 CASE

An outspoken proponent of the appellation, Louis Metaireau’s effusive energy led to the formation of the "Arts et Vignerons" group that strives for quality rather than quantity. Over time his Domaine has grown and now it is his daughter Marie-Luce who runs the show and continues to put forth some of the most stately white wines of France that happen to come from one of its workhorse and humble areas just outside the city of Nantes.

Gorgeously pure aromas of oyster jus, lemon zest, peaty earth and a kiss of Meyer lemon. Shows excellent intensity, but maintains brilliant clarity and fierceness as well. In the mouth, it is cut like a diamond, very refined and multi-dimensional with stellar depth of flavor. Bright and linear acidity balances everything out and the finish is non-stop. Grand Cru Muscadet indeed, this cries out for fresh crab or oysters, but will also go well with chicken in a light sauce or just about any fish done in a beurre blanc sauce.

2018 HERENCIA ALTES
TERRA ALTA TINTO
$11.99 BTL./$143.88 CASE

This sturdy red wine from Spain's Catalonia region always makes so many people so very happy. Well, maybe it is because they drink too much of it because even though it packs good fullness, it goes down quite easily.

100% Grenache. Chewy, lots of black licorice and plum tones riding on top of herbs and spices. Drawn-out and calling one back for another glass, this is perfect with a grilled burger amongst many other options.

2018 VIETTI BARBERA D'ALBA
'VIGNA SCARRONE'
$44.99 BTL./$269.94 - SIX PACK

Rare is the opportunity for us highlight these two apex, top tier Barbera wines from Vietti at the same time. Usually one or the other is available at any given time but for some reason we have access to both. There is Barbera for everyday consumption and then there are Barbera wines for special occasions. Scarrone is magical and Barolo mega-maestro Luca Currado Vietti is undoubtedly one of the top two or three Barbera specialists in Italy. If you believe that Barbera doesn't age, put a few bottles of this one away and just find out.

No need to go into the much-told story about Luca and Vietti, just about all of our friends know Luca Currado's prowess with both his single vineyard Barbera and Barolo wines - profundity best describes them year in and year out. From a single vineyard within the village of Castiglione Falletto, Vietti's Scarrone Barbera is one of Piedmont's real prizes. From prime Barolo land, this particular Barbera is always rich and always seductive and discreet and the 2018 is Barbera sensuality at its finest. Exquisitely detailed and stylish with alluring, cool aromas of red plums, nutmeg, mineral, vanilla and pepper. Mouthfilling juice whose polished and refined flavors cut through the deep layers of intense fruit then saddle up to carry on to a finish that is handsome and mysterious. Really fantastic as usual, enjoy the latest Scarrone through 2030+.

2018 VIETTI BARBERA D'ALBA
'LA CRENA'
$44.99 BTL./$269.94 - SIX PACK

Completely different from Scarrone, La Crena is another prolific site but from Asti. Barbera, not Nebbiolo rules the realm in this area and the wines at this level carry more power and structure than their Alba brethren, which have silkiness to them. Planted in 1932 and 1936, the La Crena is made from some of the oldest Barbera vines in Piedmont, and the final product has been nothing less than spectacular since day one when Vietti purchased the land in the early 90s.

Luca's 2018 La Crena is pure decadence in a 750 ML bottle! Deep, alluring and robust that shows typical Asti traits, but also shows the intensity of fruit from these old vines. Vinous, energetic, magnetic and symphonic, the La Crena runs the gamut of complexity from blackberry and chocolate to coffee and allspice tones. The finish is saturated and very substantial. Ultra-delicious now and will continue to develop and drink well through 2033 and probably beyond.

DOMAINE DU MAS BLANC BANYULS
'HORS D'AGE 'VIEILLI EN SOLSTRERA'
$23.99 - HALF BTL.

One of the ultimate selections for chocolate and chocolate desserts are the fortified Grenache wines of French Catalonia’s Banyuls region that have been produced since the 13th century. The name Parcé is synonymous and hugely linked to the area as this family has been a driving force within both Banyuls and Colloure since 1910. The current generation is Laura Parcé who is carrying on the family legacy.

Sostrera is the word for solera in local Catalan dialect. Dr. Gaston Parce (Laura’s great grandfather) started this particular solera in 1925 with the first bottling in 1946. Every few months, barrels are topped with older wines, creating a sort of ‘semi-oxidation.’ A blending for bottling only happens every 5-10 years, where the second layer of 600-liter barrels adds older wines into the first layer of barrels. This measured approach means that these hallowed old barrels seemingly capture the entire history of the Domaine.

A fine amber color with aromas of toffee, dried oranges, roses, smoked nuts, honey and caramel really entice. Full of flavor, richness, finely grained acids to buffer the sweetness and a lengthy nutty finish, this is the fortified match with chocolate will please beyond belief. It will also pair beautifully with a strong blue cheese like Cabrales or stilton. A 375 ML bottle will serve four to six people easily and the good thing is that one does not have to consume it all in one sitting.