Holiday Catalog 2012

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HOLIDAY WINE SALE Our “Wines of the Year” (Page 1) (A terrific Chardonnay & Pinot Noir at half-price) Our Top Wines Under $15 (Page 3) Great Holiday Wines (Page 8) Three Top Napa Cabernets (Page 12) Collectible & Gift Wines (Page 18) Mollydooker’s Best Shirazes Ever (Page 20) Clearance Sale Wines (Page 26) Join us for our free wine tastings EVERY Saturday from 12-6 WESTGATE WINE 6405 Westgate Road, Suite 115 Raleigh, NC 27617 (919) 787-4290 Like us on Facebook! AN “HISTORIC” $40 PINOT NOIR FOR $19.99 A “BRILLIANT” $30 CHARDONNAY FOR $16.99 (Both Page 1, Sampler Case Page 3)

Transcript of Holiday Catalog 2012

Page 1: Holiday Catalog 2012

HOLIDAY WINE SALE

Our “Wines of the Year” (Page 1) (A terrific Chardonnay & Pinot Noir at half-price)

Our Top Wines Under $15 (Page 3)

Great Holiday Wines (Page 8)

Three Top Napa Cabernets (Page 12)

Collectible & Gift Wines (Page 18)

Mollydooker’s Best Shirazes Ever (Page 20)

Clearance Sale Wines (Page 26)

Join us for our free wine tastings EVERY Saturday from 12-6

WESTGATE WINE 6405 Westgate Road, Suite 115

Raleigh, NC 27617 (919) 787-4290

Like us on Facebook!

AN “HISTORIC” $40 PINOT NOIR FOR $19.99

A “BRILLIANT” $30 CHARDONNAY FOR $16.99

(Both Page 1, Sampler Case Page 3)

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PAYMENT & SHIPPING POLICIES

All wine payments go into our escrow account. We receive these funds only when your wine is shipped or picked up, or when it is

transferred to a legally separate wine storage facility, Westgate Wine Storage, to be held for you.

Westgate Wine Storage will gladly hold your wines, free of charge, until

weather conditions permit shipment.

DELIVERIES

We currently offer monthly deliveries to the Charlotte, Triad and Triangle areas, free for orders of three cases or more.

WHERE WE’RE LOCATED

We are at 6405 Westgate Road, off Highway 70 and 540 in Raleigh (near the Angus Barn – go up Westgate Road and we’re across from the red

Citgo). You can find more detailed directions on our website, www.westgatewinestore.com. Or call us at (919) 787-4290.

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Our “Wines of the Year”

Given that we sold by far our State’s largest chunk of the wine that later

became the Wine Spectator’s “Wine of the Year,” the 2008 Shafer “Relentless” (sorry, it’s sold out now), we feel compelled to name our own pick of the two most exciting wines for the money we’ve possibly EVER

sold. Both are essentially HALF-PRICE; both fantastic wines and values at their normal retail prices – and both are particularly good wines for holiday

meals and entertaining.

2009 SIERRA MADRE ESTATE CHARDONNAY $19.99/$16.99 by the case

(Regularly $29.99)

AND

2009 SIERRA MADRE ESTATE PINOT NOIR $24.99/$19.99 by the case

(Next Best US Retail - $39.99) The historic Sierra Madre Vineyard,

planted in 1971, in the most privileged position in the Santa

Maria Valley (its highest, coolest and most windblown spot) has

produced some of California’s finest Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs for

decades. Indeed, in the early 1980s, three different wineries made wines

that won “America’s Best Pinot Noir” four years in a row – all from

Sierra Madre grapes. But only in 2006 did the vineyard’s new owners offer an estate-bottled selection from the most stringent

selection of this vineyard’s fabulous fruit. And they hired legendary winemaker Steve Rasmussen,

who’d made a string of Parker 95 to 98-point Chardonnays and Pinot

Noirs at Talley, to make it. Steve Rasmussen where he’s happiest: in his Pinot vines.

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In the great 2009 vintage, Rasmussen really hit the jackpot. His Pinot Noir

(next lowest US retail $39) tastes like a Pinot several times our price of only $19.99. And if his Talley wines (and the historic performance of Sierra Madre) are an indication, it will also improve dramatically with age. While we’ve had Cabernet values that approach this, to find a Pinot Noir this good

– and in reasonable quantity – at half of an already more than fair price…well, that just doesn’t happen. Take advantage of it – we sure did!

Rasmussen’s 2009 Chardonnay, meanwhile, manages to combine rich,

satisfying flavor with vibrancy, minerality and real Burgundian style better than any $30 American Chardonnay we’ve had. Only we offer it for only $16.99. How great a value is this? Well, the “Rosemary’s” Chardonnays Rasmussen made for Talley sold (and sold like crazy) for upwards of $50

(and the Pinots for $75). And Sierra Madre is an even better vineyard. Which is, after all, why Rasmussen chose to leave Talley for Sierra Madre

in the first place.

And keep in mind: Rasmussen has his pick of over 65 acres of prime Pinot Noir and 100 acres of Chardonnay to make just a few hundred cases of

these extraordinary wines. There have been many, many great Sierra Madre Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs over the years (from over forty top

wineries)…but none could boast the pedigree, or we believe exceed the quality, of the exceptional pair we have here.

How Did They Do?

In our repeated blind tastings, our customers preferrred the Sierra Madre Pinot Noir to both the Wild Horse “Cheval Sauvage” (reg. $65, our price

$39.99) and next door Belle Glos “Clark & Telephone” (reg. $50, our price $39.99)...by NEARLY 2 TO 1.

The Sierra Madre Chardonnay enjoyed similar results against everything

from a $40 Cakebread to a $65 White Burgundy!

SIERRA MADRE SAMPLER CASE

Six bottles of each, at our full-case discount.

Suggested Retail: $419.88

Special Sampler Price: $221.88

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Top Wines Under $15

Here are some serious bargains for the Holidays. Some are on Sale – so you

get our lowest price (and the lowest anywhere) from the very first bottle. Others discount even further by the case.

2009 FAIRVALLEY SAUVIGNON BLANC

Reg. $15/$7.99 sale

An archetypal South African Sauvignon: “grassy,” pungent and intense – but with an intriguing terroir undertone, too. This sometimes almost peaty

complexity is what separates the best South African Sauvignon Blancs from their New Zealand counterparts.

Natalie Maclean named this one of her top “Wines That Taste Twice as Expensive as They Are”…and that’s at its regular price. At half-price now, this one really is a steal. Especially if you like the intensely varietal South

Africa/New Zealand style of Sauvignon Blanc.

Fairvalley, by the way, is one of South Africa’s first black-owned and Fairtrade wineries, and supports some forty families there. But these wines

sell on their quality – and especially value – more than any other virtue.

NV AMUSE SEMI-SECO CAVA $8.99/$7.99 by the case

This slightly off-dry Cava sparkler is clearly meant to be

a “fun” wine. But it’s a surprisingly serious one, too – and the pedigree couldn’t be finer. The producer,

Perelada, is actually the Cava that King Juan Carlos serves at all state functions (including his coronation).

It’s produced entirely from the native Spanish grapes

Macabeo, Xarel-lo and Parellada. And it would make an excellent aperitif (at only 11.5%), as well as a great

match to spicy Asian food and the like. The distributor says it’s good with popcorn, too.

(Actually, all sparkling wines are good with popcorn.)

And it’s below the normal wholesale price now, too –

which certainly amuses me.

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2010 PASCAL BOUCHARD ALIGOTE

Reg. $15/$8.99 sale

The French Guide Hachette rated this France’s #1 Aligote – mainly because it has the rich, full, almost creamy texture to balance that grape’s

too often shrill acidity. Of course, when Aligote has the “remarkable equilibrium” this one does, it’s both a wonderfully fresh and versatile wine

with food and a delightful aperitif or sipping wine.

This is also beginning to develop a more gentle, almost honied (though still quite dry) richness that makes it especially appealing now…and probably

for another two to three years (or maybe even longer – 2010 is a sensational vintage in Chablis).

The most sophisticated dry white wine under $10 we’ve ever sold…and

one of the most satisfying.

2010 CEDERBERG CHENIN BLANC Reg. $19.99/$10.99 sale

Chenin Blanc (or as they call it, “Steen”) is South

Africa’s leading dry white wine. And Cederberg’s – from the Country’s highest and perhaps most

ruggedly beautiful vineyards – is one of the best. This 2010 combines the freshness and cut of a

good dry Vouvray (Foreau or Huet) with a fuller texture and weight, and almost creamy-rich (yet

still somehow pristinely fresh) finish. And it will age brilliantly, too.

If you’re looking for an alternative to Chardonnay that still has that grape’s palate presence and sheer

savory appeal, this one is perfect. I’ve probably drunk more of this in the last two months than any

other dry white wine.

And the importer says it’s great with barbeque!

[I can’t vouch for that, but it IS great with scallops, ribs, chicken korma, sushi, pasta with clam sauce and pringles...this mist I do know.]

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2008 JORDAN “THE PROSPECTOR” SYRAH

Reg. $19.99/$12.99 sale

Jordan’s 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon just won “South Africa’s Best Cabernet” at the

prestigious Old Mutual wine Trophy Show. But the Jordan red that especially impressed me was their 2008 “Prospector” Syrah. This is quite simply one of the purest and finest

South African Syrahs I’ve tasted – especially from Stellenbosch – and without a trace of the

tarriness that seems to mar (at least for many tasters) so many of this

area’s reds.

Yet as the name implies, this is a deeply soil-inflected, minerally and fascinating wine, too.

In fact, owner Tony Jordan is a qualified geologist – but “The Prospector” celebrates

his victory over South African mining interests, who had sought to exploit his extraordinary, mineral-rich vineyard.

It also earned an outstanding rating from the

Wine Advocate and was one of Decanter Magazine’s “Top Twenty South African

Wines Over Ten Pounds.” (They quote it at 14 pounds, or roughly $22.) It was one of only three Syrahs/Shirazes (and by far the

least expensive) to make the list.

Decanter describes it well:

“Savory notes of white pepper, thyme, rosemary and the local fynbos shrub. [I’m always looking for wines that smell like fynbos.] The tannins are

surprisingly approachable given the wine’s density and the flavours unfold over a prolonged finish. Great value (at $22).”

This isn’t the dark, brooding sort of Syrah Scali is, or the Northern Rhone look-alike of Julien Schaal. But I would describe it as perhaps the purest and most refined example I’ve had of a more classic South African (or

Stellenbosch) Syrah. As the Wine Advocate points out, it also “bides its time, opening gradually and responding to aeration” – always a good sign

to me. And it’s delicious.

The next-lowest US retail, by the way, is $19.99.

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2010 PEIRANO “THE IMMORTAL” ZINFANDEL

$14.99/$11.99 by the case

The only Zinfandel we’ve sold…and one of our most popular wines. In fact, we have a number of customers who buy multiple cases of this really

quite incredible value every time they come in.

The Beverage Tasting Institute called this “Exceptional,” rating it 93 points…by far their highest score for any Zinfandel under $20. They

praised its “silky, juicy fruit, superb vitality and purity” and called it “a classic California Zinfandel.”

But classic may be an understatement here. Giacomo Peirano planted this

vineyard with cuttings he brought back from Italy in the late 1800s. His great grandson, Lance Randolph, farms it and

crafts its wine with the fidelity, even reverence, such a heritage deserves. He still in fact prunes

the vines very low to the ground, just as his great-

grandfather (who was five feet tall) did. And he still makes “a balanced style of Zinfandel – to go with foods we actually eat,

like pasta or steak.” In fact, this older style of Zinfandel is one of the most versatile red wines

for food there is.

Both a lot of wine – and a lot of class – for only $12.

Time Warp Wines: This Zinfandel recalls both the prices and the style of the best 1970s Zins. Want to try a similar bargain in top-

notch, old-style Napa mountain Cabernet? Check our our 2006 Smith-Madrone on Page 9.

A 113-year-old Zinfandel vine, planted by Giacomo Peirano.

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2009 VOLMER “TARIMA HILL”

$14.99/$12.99 by the case

Now a Parker 92-point wine at $17 might seem commonplace these days. But the remarkable 2009 Bodegas Volver “Tarima Hill” is far from

commonplace…and at least here, far below the $17 price Parker quotes.

From high-altitude, dry-farmed, head-pruned Mourvedre (or in Spain, Monastrell) vines, planted in 1935, this is extraordinarily rich and

concentrated yet almost shockingly well-balanced and even quite light on its feet. As so often, the International Wine Cellar (which rates it 91

points – very high for them) describes it best:

“Vivid ruby. Sexy black raspberry and oak spices on the nose, with notes of fresh rose and anise adding complexity. Sweet, sappy and expansive,

offering lively dark berry preserve flavors and a velour-like texture. Graceful and balanced but also packs a punch. Finishes smooth,

spicy and quite long.”

Mourvedre rarely ripens fully in France, even in Bandol – it needs more warmth. But in Spain’s hot, arid Alicante, it ripens perfectly. Importer

Jorge Ordonez and his winemaker Rafael Canizares, both natives of the region, recognize this. Tamira Hill is their luxury bottling: pure, old-vine Mourvedre, cropped at tiny yields and aged in 100% French oak…from Taransaud, Darnajou and even Dominique Laurent – which is to say, the

sort of oak they use for grand cru Burgundies and Petrus!

The results are both stunning and stunningly elegant (and not at all over-oaky). Parker says:

“The 2009 Tarima Hill reveals sumptuous aromas of camphor, sweet,

smoky oak, blackberry and blueberry liqueur, and crushed rocks. Deep and full-bodied with silky tannins and a long finish, this beauty was aged in

100% French oak for 20 months.”

Just how unusual a bargain is this? Well, very few old-vine California reds (at any price) are richer or more concentrated than this…and practically

none are also so graceful. For me, that’s what’s so special here. I’ve had a lot (and I mean a lot) of under-$20, Parker 92 or better wines lately. [In

fact, I seldom quote a 92-point score these days…for fear it might suppress sales.] But this one seems the most real.

It’s the sort of wine I like to drink.

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Great Holiday Wines

For the Holidays, we’ve really loaded up with top Pinot Noirs – as they’re

both the most versatile wines with food and the most delicious and satisfying to drink on their own. [Plus we have some serious bargains here,

especially the fabulous 2009 Sierra Madre Pinot Noir at Half-Price!]

Plus a pair of brilliant Chardonnays – both far more food friendly and refined than the norm. And a shockingly good bargain Champagne.

2009 SIERRA MADRE ESTATE PINOT NOIR $24.99/$19.99 by the case

(Next Best US Retail - $39.99)

I know this is one of our “Wines of the Year,” but any list of “Great Holiday Wines” has to start with this. For nothing works better during the

Holidays – both as the most satisfying “cocktail” wine and the most versatile one for food – than a top Pinot Noir. Not only is the next-best

retail price ANYWHERE (in San Francisco) $39…this would be a top-rank Pinot Noir even at that price. In fact, our customers picked it blind over the

award-winning 2008 Wild Horse “Cheval Sauvage” – which won “America’s Best Pinot Noir Over $50” at the San Francisco Chronicle

International Wine Competition.

But then, everything lines up here:

Great Vineyard: The historic Sierra Madre Vineyard, first planted in 1971,

may be the best in the Santa Maria Valley – one of America’s finest AVAs for top-quality Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. This small-production Pinot Noir (29 barrels made) is from the owner’s pick of its 65

acres of prime Pinot fruit.

Great Winemaker: Steve Rasmussen made a string of great ($75) Pinot Noirs

at Talley, the best vineyard in Arroyo Grande. But the best of Santa

Maria beats the best of Arroyo Grande, so Rasmussen jumped at the chance to be the very first estate winemaker here. And in the superb 2009 vintage, he knocked it

out of the park.

Sierra Madre: The view from the rows.

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Great Wine: How good is this? Well, Rasmussen made a ton of Parker 95 or better Pinots at Talley – and as good as those wines were (and still are), I

don’t think they had quite the quality, complexity or sheer Santa Maria character of this.

Great Price: The next-lowest price in America is $39…and I guarantee you this would beat almost any American Pinot Noir (or Pinot from

anywhere) you can find at that price. [In fact, in our blind tastings, it did.]

2011 BELLE GLOS “MEIOMI” PINOT NOIR Reg. $24.99/$17.99 sale

2011 BELLE GLOS “CLARK & TELEPHONE” PINOT NOIR

Reg. $49.99/$39.99 sale

2011 BELLE GLOS “LAS ALTURAS” PINOT NOIR Reg. $49.99/$39.99 sale

The Sierra Madre may be a hard act for any Pinot to follow – but these incredibly dark, sumptuous and imposing Pinots have their following, too.

And the 2011s – from a cool vintage with “record-shattering” hang time – are easily both the richest

and the finest and most complete Belle Glos Pinots to date.

The entry-level “Meoimi” is almost as rich, full and sumptuous as some of the previous single-

vineyards, and is quite simply the most substantial American Pinot at its price. The “Clark &

Telephone,” from old vines right beside Sierra Madre, is as always the darkest and strongest of the lot, but in 2011 is actually quite polished, too. But

as usual, the smooth, sumptuous and supremely hedonistic “Las Alturas” is our favorite of the lot.

These are Pinots that remind me of the title to Ben and Karen Barker’s cookbook: Not Afraid of

Flavor. Just what you’d expect from the famous Wagner family of Caymus. But in 2011, they’re as

beautiful as they are big.

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2009 SIERRA MADRE ESTATE CHARDONNAY

$19.99/$16.99 by the case (Regularly $29.99)

So here we go again. But the fact is, if you want a top-notch, absolutely

delicious yet still exquisitely balanced, sophisticated and refined Chardonnay for the Holidays (and who doesn’t?), this one takes the prize.

Frankly, it’s one of those “category killers” for us. Every time a distributor

shows up with an American Chardonnay for us to try, we have to say: “Why would we? We already have the 2009 Sierra Madre…and for only

$16.99.” Invariably, they understand.

If you’re blowing it out with lobster this year, this would be a perfect match: with the richness to complement it and the acidity to cut through

that richness (both in the lobster and wine).

2009 FABRE MONTMAYOU “PRETTY” MALBEC Reg. $29.99/$21.99 sale

(Next Best Price Anywhere Over $47)

If you want a big, dark, powerful Cabernet-style wine, but one that’s both a bit more floral and smoother (and an amazing wine for steak!), look no

further. This single-vineyard Malbec, from 101-year-old vines and the man the British Masters of Wine named “Argentina’s Greatest Winemaker,” is beyond rare. In fact, we had to scour the World to find a price to compare

with ours…finally finding it in the UK for over $47.

But frankly, it’s even better than that. Not only does this compare with any of the new $100+ Super-Malbecs…it beat the 2008 Shafer “Relentless” (the Wine Spectator’s “Wine of the Year”) in three separate blind tastings that

we did for our customers. And both the Caymus and Silver Oak Cabernets, too…convincingly.

My favorite endorsement, though, came from one of our best customers,

who memorably said:

“That’s the best damn wine I ever had…it was so good I didn’t want to swallow.” I can’t improve on that.

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NV DUVAL-LEROY BRUT

Reg. $44.99/$34.99 sale

An eye-opening Champagne, at least for us. We actually first put this negociant Champagne in a blind

tasting beside a grower’s example – to show how much better the grower Champagne was. But to our surprise, this Wine Spectator 93-point beauty more

than held its own.

It’s all Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and reminds me a bit of the Pinot-driven Bollinger, but in a finer-grained, less yeasty style. Both powerful and

remarkably refined: the complete Champagne.

And a serious Champagne bargain at only $34.99.

[Ask about our other Champagnes and Sparkling wines, too. Most are too limited

to list here.]

PARTY WINES!

We have tons of reasonably priced wine options (as low as $5.99) that are perfect for big holidays and events. Many of these wines are also at half their

normal retail prices.

But we can’t list everything here...so if you need larger quantites of inexpensive wines for a party or

event, just stop by or give us a call at:

(919) 787-4290

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Three Great Napa Cabernets

Not only are these about as good – and good value – as Napa Cabernets get, they’re about as distinctive and individual in style. The Goldschmidt, from a tiny vineyard beside Opus One, is the most beautiful Cabernet, and one of

the most beautiful wines, we’ve ever sold.

The Smith-Madrone, from some of the oldest (ungrafted) Cabernet vines high atop Spring Mountain, could pass for a great mountain Cabernet from

the 1970s. It’s one of Spring Mountain’s elite Cabernets, yet sells for a fraction the price of Togni, Pride Reserve, Barnett or Robert Craig. And I

(like many Napa insiders) find it both the most traditional (think great 1970s Cabernet) and rewarding of all. As one commentator noted, it’s like a

“great ripe vintage Pauillac…before Pauillac became like Napa.”

Finally, the 2010 Venge “Silencieux” – certainly the strongest and most serious vintage of this wine to date – showcases the more modern “Cult

Cabernet” style at a very high level…but at a far lower price than any Napa Cabernet even remotely like it. Like the Smith-Madrone, we also have the

best price anywhere on this.

2009 GOLDSCHMIDT “HILARY’S” CABERNET SAUVIGNON

Reg. $34.99/$24.99 sale

From one of the oldest dry-farmed Cabernet vineyards in the prime western part of Oakville, beside the main vineyard of Opus One, NOTHING else in this neighborhood sells for even twice the price of this. (Which apparently got Nick Goldschmidt kicked out of the Oakville Growers Association.) And while this is plenty rich, it also (as Forbes Magazine noted) delivers the true satiny texture and sheer supple beauty that made Oakville West Napa’s most expensive real estate in the first place…better than any of its $100+ neighbors

currently do.

Goldschmidt made only 1000 cases of this beauty.

We’ve sold over a hundred of them now, but are

coming to the end of our allocation. We hate to see

it go. The Spencer vineyard; that’s Opus behind.

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2006 SMITH-MADRONE CABERNET SAUVIGNON

$39.99/$35.99 by the case (Average US Retail Price is $51)

This may be even more of a unique and disappearing treasure than the

Goldschmidt. From one of the oldest (planted in 1971, ungrafted and dry farmed still), steepest and most beautiful vineyards high atop Spring

Mountain, this is a real insider’s Cabernet Sauvignon. Matt Kramer calls it a “great Spring Mountain Cabernet, with a blackish fruit plumped with

earthy intensity, a green olive scent and supple tannins.” Gabe Sasso says it’s “one of the very best Cabernets from Napa regardless of price point,

with the depth that is often associated with great Napa mountain Cabernet.” And the Tasting Panel Magazine gave it a 95-point score, comparing it to a “big man on campus: broad shouldered, athletic, rich and pleasantly sweet

and magnanimous.”

Yet the Smith brothers’ extraordinary winery remains – as

both the New York Times and Jay Macinerny have noted – very much under the radar. In part, it’s

because they don’t submit samples to (or care much about) the mainstream wine press. But it’s also because they remain so

true to the classic Spring Mountain style.

This is what the great mountain Cabernets from the 1970s tasted like. (And some of the great Pauillacs, too.) In that sense, it resembles the classic Laurel Glen from Sonoma Mountain – but this may be

even more “old-fashioned.” Indeed, I might even compare it to the long-aging Mayacamas, though it’s a bit less austere. Really, though, it’s the Smiths’ neighbor Philip Togni who probably comes closest – though his vines are much younger than the Smiths’, and of course not on their own

roots. Both wineries aspire to that old-fashioned ripe-vintage Pauillac style – and both often achieve it.

What’s especially impressive here is that despite being aged in 100% new American oak, this is not at all oaky – such is the strength of its old-vine mountain fruit. It’s also a very reasonable 13.9% alcohol, and is bottled

unfined and unfiltered. As at Laurel Glen (which we also have for $49.99),

The Smith-Madrone vineyard.

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the 2006 vintage really suited this style of wine. This one is a true classic – enjoyable now (especially with some air), but built very much for the long

haul. I can’t think of another wine I’d rather drink with a really good grilled steak.

A serious value at its normal price of over $50. (The average on Wine-

Searcher is $51.) At the best price anywhere, this one’s a steal.

2010 VENGE “SILENCIEUX” CABERNET SAUVIGNON

$39.99/$35.99 by the case

Also at the best price anywhere. (It’s $48 at the winery, with a 12-bottle limit.) This 2010 is even better than the 2009 was – a bit denser and more serious, and a bit less sweet. In fact, it’s very close in quality to the 2009

Venge Family Reserve (which we have on Sale for $109.99, the best price anywhere, too). And it already enjoys the best ratings of any vintage yet on

CellarTracker.

Made from very low yields of 1.2 to 1.6 tons an acre, mainly from Venge’s superb “Bone Ash” vineyard in Calistoga and the original Venge property in the heart of Oakville, this has the pedigree, quality and certainly style of

many Napa Cabernets three times its price.

We got only two cases last year – and they vaporized. Though we have a bit more this time around, this even better 2010 should go fast, too.

Kirk Venge’s dad Nils made the first Parker 100-point American wine in

the 1985 Groth Cabernet Reserve. But wouldn’t it be fun to taste that wine now at the same stage of its development beside this. I suspect we’d all be

surprised.

TOP CABERNETS SAMPLER CASE

Six bottles each of the 2010 Venge “Silencieux” and 2006 Smith-Madrone Estate.

Average US Retail: $576

Our Regular Price: $479.88 (Already the best anywhere!)

Special Sampler Price: $431.88

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Other Top Cabernets

All are limited. All well priced.

2006 LAUREL GLEN ESTATE

CABERNET SAUVIGNON $49.99 sale

Tanzer’s top-rated Laurel Glen ever, and one of winemaker Patrick Campbell’s favorites, too. Like the Smith-Madrone, both an iconic

Cabernet and nearly the last of its kind. And like the Smith-Madrone, as old-fashioned in its pricing as in its style. In fact, this was the only Cabernet

under $100 to make wine writer Paul Lukac’s list of “America’s Forty Greatest Wines.”

2009 ANDERSON’S CONN VALLEY

CABERNET SAUVIGNON RESERVE $69.99/$64.99 by the case

AND

2008 ANDERSON’S CONN VALLEY “ELOGE”

$89.99/$79.99 by the case

So here’s how a (rare) opportunity arises in top-level and top-rated California Cabernet Sauvignon. In

December of 2009, Parker gave the 2008 Anderson’s Conn Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve one of its top barrel scores ever, 91-94+. Then in December of

2010, he raised its bottle rating (as always) to 98 points. At the same time, he gave the 2009 in barrel

the same score he’d given the 2008, 91-94+.

But that would be the last time he reviewed these wines. His successor, Antonio Galloni, flat-out said

that the 2009 in bottle was even better than the 2008…which is what most other tasters (including the

winery, and those of our customers who’ve tried it) believe, too. It’s a much stronger vintage overall, and the winery even chose to launch its more impressive

new black label this year.

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But of course, it never had the chance to get its own Parker 98-point (or

maybe better?) score. The result is that the average price of the now Parkerized 2008 vintage is $108, while that of the even better (indeed

probably best ever) 2009 is only $76.

And we can now offer this superlative Cabernet Reserve at the lowest price in the State, $69.99 – and by the case, at the lowest in the Country!

Not only did Galloni find this clearly better than the Parker 98-Point 2008

in bottle…he also rated it equal to the Parker 96 to 98-point 2009 Anderson’s Conn Valley “Eloge!” And as Galloni indicated (and I suspect

many Cabernet lovers would agree), the bigger, more powerful but also more backwards Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve will likely overtake the 2009 “Eloge” as well as it becomes better integrated…and shows all that it really

has in store.

No Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon had the history of increasing so dramatically in Parker’s estimation over time…and I suspect none under

$100 has earned such consistently sky-high scores.

Plus of course, we have the 2008 “Eloge” – which did get its Parker 96-98 point score, at the State’s best price (next is $97.50).

2007 SILVER OAK “NAPA” CABERNET Inquire for Pricing

This is clearly the best Silver Oak Cabernet in at least a decade...and

probably even longer. Stephen Tanzer in fact rated it his top Silver Oak

Cabernet EVER! Above the 2004, 2001, 1997, 1994, 1991…even the Justin Meyers wines of the 1980s.

What’s more, Tanzer praised its

“youthfully imploded fruit.” So as good as this wine is now – and it

showed well enough to win our blind tasting of top Cabernets when it was

first released – it will be SO MUCH BETTER!

So Silver Oak fans, stock up on it now, at the best price in the State. You’ll

just have to call us to get our price, as we promised not to tell.

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2008 POWERS “CHAMPOUX” CABERNET BLEND

Reg. $49.99/$35.99 sale

We probably should have led with this – as in many ways, it’s the most extraordinary (and rare, and special) wine in the list. Powers has always

been America’s most reasonable producer of top-level Cabernet Sauvignon, selling their Parker 94-point “Sheridan” Reserve, for instance, for only $25. (While the only other Cabernet made entirely from these old-vine Sheridan “Block 1” grapes sold for over $100.) But despite being recognized as one of “America’s 50 Greatest Producers of Cabernet Sauvignon” for over a

decade now, this is the very first wine Powers has ever sold for $50.

And they only made 200 cases of it. It is in fact, their “tribute” to Washington’s greatest vineyard – which they

actually own, along with Andrew Will, Woodward Canyon and Quilceda Creek. Now interestingly,

these three producers price their regular

Champoux Cabernets at $70, $70 and over

$200.

This wine, though – while less expensive than the others – combines

Powers’ top four barrels of Champoux Cabernet Sauvignon with an equal amount of Cabernet France and Merlot. It’s both sumptuously rich, with the

characteristic dark fruit opulence of Champoux (Paul Lukacs calls it a uniquely “expansive, voluptuous mouthfeel – a consistent generosity, with

a full structure but without either the herbal edge or aggressive tannins” that mark other top Washington vineyards) and a uniquely smooth and elegant

texture. Indeed, this is almost Bordeaux-like in its structure and refinement…which may be why the British admire Powers so.

We are one of only four US stores privileged enough to have this wine –

and we have the best price anywhere. But the real value lies in the fact that NO other American winery would sell a Cabernet blend like this – one so

rare, special and utterly brilliant – for only $50. But that’s the Powers way…and has been for longer than just about any other top Washington

winery.

The Champouxs with one of their old Cabernets.

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Other Collectible & Top Gift Wines

Here we have the super-hot and impossible-to-find 2009 DeBiase Pinot Noirs…at prices well below what they sold out (indeed vaporized ) at

everywhere else. Plus the best-ever 2011 Mollydooker Shirazes, ultra-rare magnums of the International Wine Cellar’s top-rated Chianti Riserva ever, and a 45-case production, old-vine Napa Petite Sirah blend from superstar

winemaker Celia Welch at Buccella.

2009 DeBIASE “RUSSIAN RIVER” PINOT NOIR Reg. $39.99/$35.99 sale

AND

2009 DeBIASE “FRITSCHEN” PINOT NOIR

Reg. $54.99/$41.99 sale

One of our customers told me recently that Thomas DeBiase had recently released his 2010 Pinot Noirs…and they’d sold out in three hours. He’s that

hot. DeBiase was singled out as one of “Seven Winemakers to Watch in 2012” – and clearly, Pinot Noir lovers at least are watching!

We are now the only store anywhere to have DeBiase’s beautiful – yet also

extremely rich and full – 2009 “Russian River” bottling…and at a better price than it sold out for everywhere else. This wine frankly blows away

almost all of the big name Russian River Pinots at twice or more its price. In fact, both DeBiase Pinots outscored the (superb) 2009s from Williams

Selyem (among many other famous names) on CellarTracker. And indeed, I think they’re better.

Nobody else makes a mere “Russian River” Pinot from fruit like this…or prices one this incredible as DeBiase

has. (At least for now…given the huge splash his debut 2009s have made, I’d expect to see his prices

really rise soon.) It’s from three great vineyards: the famed “Rochioli” and two steeper and perhaps even better vineyards above Williams-Selyem,

“Fritschen” and “Hummingbird Hill.”

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DeBiase intentionally makes this to be

a more approachable wine than his single-vineyard “Fritschen,” but it’s

still stunningly deep, rich and impressive. There’s even that rare “palate staining” quality here that

Tanzer likes to cite. It’s not only rich and full and deep, but the flavor just

seems to grab on to all one’s taste buds and refuse to let go in a way very few

wines (especially Pinot Noirs) do.

In one of our recent tastings, this battled an $80, Parker 95-point Russian

River Pinot (and a great one) to a standstill. (I gave the other one a slight edge in aromatics – but this just blew it

away in terms of rich, deep, long-lasting yet still almost impossibly

elegant Pinot Noir flavor.)

I know the “Fritschen” will ultimately prove the superior wine, but for now – and maybe the next three years – this will be VERY hard to beat!

And once again, Dean & DeLuca, who got most of the retail allocation of this, blew through theirs at $45. As did the winery. We’re the last place to

have any…and at the best price it has ever sold.

The single-vineyard “Fritschen,” though – from a site so steep that in places DeBiase can’t even walk in it, is the clear grand cru here. Only two stores in California have any – and then only 3 and 8 bottles (at a higher price). Dean & DeLuca in Napa blew through theirs at $55, and the only other

store outside California to get any sold out at $59.99.

This is also the one that’s drawn the Marcassin comparisons… though I find the Williams-Selyem Estate Pinot, from a vineyard below “Fritschen,”

a more apt comparison. This has the same combination of rich, almost sappy Pinot Noir fruit (with that grand cru palate presence) with perfectly

judged structure and intensely mineral complexity.

Both reviews on CellarTracker are worth quoting - not just as endorsements, but as indications of just how special this wine is:

“A stunning offering from Thomas DeBiase. Beautiful and silky. An interesting balance of delicate Burgundian with enough richness to satisfy

Thomas DeBiase

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that prefer a California style. This one has the stuffing to enjoy on its own

or pair with just about any type of food. A winner!”

“ A serious, romantic turn on RRV Pinot. A floral dusty nose of red berries and a palate to match with a brief nod to everything classic in Pinot before

the flavors soon shift to something pleasingly dry and different. Nice complexity in a velvet cocoa river with a beautifully structured tail.”

We’ve found that this only begins to show how great it is after it’s been

open two or three days.

Of course, you might wonder why – if this wine is so rare and great (and it is both) – we now have it on Sale. Well, as my Mom used to say, my eyes

are sometimes bigger than my stomach. That is, when I have the opportunity to buy a wine like this, I seize it…ALL. But we’re still a small (though rapidly growing) store, so it can take a while to sell a wine like this – one that so few people know. (At least locally; we’ve shipped a ton of this

back to California!) know.

So we put it on Sale to nudge it along.

Just how special is this wine? Well, we sold tons of the Wine Spectator 96-point 2008 Shafer “Relentless” (now their “Wine of the Year”) at a crazy-low price, too. For us, that was indeed a very special wine. But this one is

more so…WAY more.

A Historic Vintage for Mollydooker

After truly sensational 2010s – perhaps their best wines to date, Mollydooker has produced epic (and historic) 2011s. Not only was 2011 the first Mollydooker vintage made entirely from their finest vineyards in the McLaren Vale (no Padthaway or Langhorne Creek this year)…it also

boasts the highest measurements of Marquis Fruit Weight (basically, Sparky and his team’s assessment of how rich and mouth-filling each wine is) EVER. In fact, every single one of these Shirazes scored above the top

end of Sparky’s selection range!

Even by Mollydooker standards, these are incredibly rich, powerful and sumptuous wines. But they’re also, I believe (as does Sparky) a bit finer

than usual – a bit more beautiful…largely because of his incredibly stringent selection this year.

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2011 “THE BOXER” SHIRAZ

Reg. $24.99/$21.99 sale

Last year, this was mainly from Padthaway and Langhorne Creek, and had a Marquis Fruit Weight of 70%. This year, it’s all McLaren Vale and clocks in at a whopping 73% - just 2% below the standard for Blue Eyed Boy. As

Sparky’s assistant winemaker says, “it is almost at Party wine level!”

Sparky says: “Sweet, multi-layered fruit, chocolate, fresh plum – a complete flavor spectrum. Excited to hold it in my mouth.”

The 2005 “Boxer” was a Parker 95 (and now sells for $50). But is this even

richer and fuller 2011 the best Boxer yet? Emphatically.

2011 “BLUE EYED BOY” SHIRAZ Reg. $49.99/$39.99 sale

Always the sweet spot in the Shiraz line-up for rapport qualité prix. This

year - with most of the fruit from the great Gateway Vineyard, the source of both the Carnival of Love and Velvet Glove – it’s especially impressive.

The fruit weight, at 82% is not only the highest ever, but almost at the Carnival of Love standard.

Sparky says: “Wow! A flavor explosion in the mouth. Cream, spice, multi-

layered, really rich. Fresh aromatic fruit.”

His Mom says: “Gorgeous! Oh my golly, it is so smooth and rich and

satiny. Extra delicious this year. Just incredible.” (It’s always nice when your Mom is proud of what you do.)

Keep in mind, the inaugural Blue Eyed Boy, the 2006, was mainly

Padthaway fruit and was a Parker 96. This pure McLaren Vale (and mainly

Gateway!) 2011 - with the highest numbers ever for this wine - just

completely blows it away! As I write this, the prices on Wine-Searcher range from $44.99 to $59.99.

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2011 “CARNIVAL OF LOVE” SHIRAZ

Reg. $89.99/$69.99 sale

The 2010, at 90% fruit weight, was a behemoth. But this 2011 came in at 92%. Both were, in Sparky’s estimation, even better than his Parker 99-point (and now $200-plus) 2005. He gives this one a slight edge – but at

this level, it’s hard to discriminate!

This one is, like the Velvet Glove, entirely from the Gateway Vineyard.

2011 “VELVET GLOVE” SHIRAZ Inquire for Pricing

With a fruit weight of 96, the biggest – and likely best –

Velvet Glove ever. Makes up for the forklift accident that destroyed most of the 2010!

This one is strictly allocated (to us) and subject to

confirmation. If you want any, it will only set you back $159.99. Not so bad, considering the average US retail is

$180 – and the low NC price for 2010 is $229.99.

2009 SELVAPIANA CHIANTI

“BUCERCHIALE” RISERVA MAGNUMS Reg. $99.99/$69.99 sale

(Only other price in the World is over $100.)

Italian wine insiders know how extraordinary the single-vineyard Chianti Rufina “Bucerchiale” Riserva from Selvapiana can be. In fact, in his

seminal Guide to the Best Wines of Italy, Ian D’Agata says it’s “one of Italy’s very best wines, one of the three greatest Chiantis of all,” and that

“bottles from the 1950s are still in fabulous shape.”

Magnums of this great wine are exceedingly rare – and usually quite expensive. (Like many top Italian producers, Selvapiana bottles only a tiny amount of its very best wine in magnum. This is very special stuff.) There are only two US listings for the great 2007 vintage, at $83.99 and $89.99.

(We may still have a few of these magnums for only $59.99.)

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There are no US listings for the even greater 2009 – Tanzer’s top Chianti

EVER, and better than almost every 2006 Brunello – but the best (and only) price in the World (in Norway) is over $100. We have these for only

$69.99. Plus (maybe still when you read this) a few incredibly rare double-magnums (no listings anywhere) for only $149.99.

I can’t describe this much better than the International Wine Cellar, which at 95 points rates it not only their best young Chianti ever, but better than

all but three of the great 2006 Brunellos – and all of the 2007s:

“Medium saturated red. Red plum, redcurrant, tobacco, forest floor and potpourri spices on the sexy, very complex nose. Dense, sweet, suave and

deep, with insidious intensity to the multilayered flavors of blueberry, tobacco leaf and loam. Wonderfully silky and sweet Chianti, finishing with fine-grained tannins and lingering ripe red cherry and spice flavors. The 2009 vintage doesn't get any better than this. An outstanding wine, and

everything a Chianti ought to be.”

Indeed, as the IWC indicated, this is almost everything a great Brunello can be.

An extraordinary, but still very

young wine. (Especially in magnum, where such a tiny part

of Selvapiana’s best wine is bottled.) This will improve for decades. But unlike many great vintages of “Bucerchiale,” it’s

rich, ripe and yes “sexy” enough to enjoy already.

Incidentally – and ironically, the ultra-traditional and aristocratic Selvapiana Estate (long home to the Florentine bishops) is where Snooki, Pauly D and the rest of the Jersey Shore cast chose to film when they visited Italy. Maybe if we sell enough, we can get some bottles signed…

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Celia Welch’s Stunning Old-Vine Reds

Of all the so-called “cult” winemakers in California, Celia Welch may be my favorite. Somehow, she manages to deliver all the sumptuous richness one expects of such big California wines

with just a bit more definition, authenticity and grace. And these may be the most fascinating pair of wines

she’s yet made…at least that I’ve tasted. They’re certainly the best values.

Now you can buy her single-vineyard Scarecrow Cabernet for around $500 a bottle. Or the Buccella Cabernet she

makes from vineyards scattered around Napa for $150. And it’s worth it!

But in the 2010 vintage, Buccella also made two barrels of an utterly amazing Petite Sirah blend from one of the only pre-WWII vineyards still

left in Napa. And five barrels of “mixed blacks” from an even older vineyard in Mendocino.

We now have a bit of these remarkable wines at the best (and likely only) prices anywhere. You can compare these enormously rich but perfectly proportioned wines to Turley, Orin Swift…whoever. They’re simply

better…that is, every bit as rich but somehow much finer, more supple and sophisticated, too. And they may even be better than Welch’s amazing

Cabernets.

2010 INNOVATION Reg. $39.99/$35.99 sale

This one is the knockout. It’s 58% Petite Sirah, 33% Zinfandel and 9%

Grenache – all from the great Tofanelli Vineyard in Calistoga. This singular vineyard, one of the few remaining dry-farmed, head-pruned, old-vine

vineyards left in Napa, has supplied Turley, Schrader, Spottswoode, Orin Swift, Duckhorn and many of California’s other premier wineries. But none

of them have made such a tiny (50 cases), truly exquisite selection as Welch has here.

Celia Welch: our favorite California winemaker.

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Buccella means “mouthful” in Latin – and this enormously rich and powerful Petite Sirah blend is even more of a mouthful than Buccella’s

$150 Cabernet. But it’s also surprisingly polished and fine. The Petite Sirah (Tofanelli’s most limited and certainly dramatic grape) gives it profoundly dark flavor, power and depth. But the Zinfandel adds zesty high-toned fruit,

and the splash of Grenache just a touch of smoother, softer sweetness.

Very few wines this chewy-rich, dense and powerful are also long, elegant and even

fine. As the winery says, it’s: “An intriguing blend both dark and delicate, with mouth-

coating dark fruit, allspice, sandalwood, and a long finish.”

This one takes both the old-vine California field blend - and the historic Tofanelli

Vineyard - to another level. And is yet more evidence of Celia Welch’s brilliance.

2010 REMNANT Reg. $34.99/$27.99 sale

A very different expression of the “Mixed Blacks” old-vine field blend heritage, from an even older Mendocino vineyard. This is mainly Carignan (here spelled “Carignane”), with Petite Sirah and Grenache – and is an even brighter, more vibrant wine…if not so hugely dense, rich and loaded. (It’s

13.9% alcohol vs. 15.4% for the “Innovation.”) Like Tofanelli, this vineyard, Testa, is organically farmed and always has been.

Here the winery says: “The nose shows fresh strawberry and blueberry pie. The wine has an exceptionally juicy mouth, with a soft entry and tannin.”

I suspect this one will appeal to those who love red Burgundies – while the “Innovation” is more of a Rhone lover’s wine. But why choose?

“MIXED BLACKS” SAMPLER CASE

Six bottles of each, at our full-case discount.

Suggested Retail: $449.88Special Sampler Price: $383.88

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Clearance Sale Wine Highlights

These are mainly wines that we have too little of to include in our regular list. Many are the last remnants of some of our best and most successful wines ever. Snap them up while you can…and check our website for our

full Clearance List.

2001 LE GODE BRUNELLO RISERVA Reg. $99.99/$39.99 sale

We have to lead off with this. The regular 1997 Le Gode Brunello earned

97 points in the International Wine Cellar. But this fantastic Riserva is both Tanzer’s favorite

wine ever from Le Gode and the best

wine Le Gode feels they’ve ever made. In

fact, Tanzer rates it above both of the

Wine Spectator’s 100 point Brunellos!

Of course, part of this

may be due to its

extremely traditional style, which

particularly appeals to critics like Tanzer. Or Kerin O’Keefe, who in her outstanding new book on Brunello, calls Le Gode “an unsung jewel of

Montalcino.” Though extremely hard to find (and mainly snapped up by knowledgeable Italians), “this small estate consistently turns out

quintessential Brunellos that boast gorgeous aromas, great structure and succulent, concentrated fruit flavors.”

And as Tanzer indicates, this 2001 Riserva is Le Gode’s supreme

achievement:

“Captivating aromas of ripe red cherry, meat, spices and bonfire. [About as “noble” and complex as wine gets.] Sweet, ripe and expansive on the

palate, at once supple and penetrating, with a delicately saline quality to the red cherry, milk chocolate and tarry flavors. The long finish features a

soft texture that only adds to the ‘yum’ factor of this very well made Brunello.”

The Montosoli vineyard: Montalcino’s grand cru.

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(One customer actually found this almost like a Giacomo Conterno Barolo

in its uncompromisingly traditional intensity.) This is as traditional as Brunello still gets, with long aging in large Slovenian oak botti, and

bottling with neither fining nor filtration. While some might find find this style “rustic” (especially compared to all the new-oaky “international”

Brunellos today)…others find it absolutely essential.

The only other place anywhere to buy this now is in Montalcino itself, for $96. But you can buy the 2001 Sopra Brunello Le Gode di Montisoli

(another traditional Brunello from the same prime parcel of Montalcino’s greatest vineyard) in New York now for $100.

A very great, very rare and now VERY under-priced traditional Brunello Riserva. If ultra-traditional Brunello of the highest order is something you

crave, you’ll find this one essential, too.

2007 MOFFETT CABERNET RESERVE Reg. $65/$34.99 sale

Show me another 95-point, classic Napa Cabernet Sauvignon from the

great 2007 vintage for only $35. There aren’t any. And there are just a few more cases of this one here.

With this wine, Trent Moffett has eclipsed any of his family’s old

Livingston-Moffett Cabernets (and there were some good ones). This was also rated one of the top seven 2007s at the big Bassins barrel tasting.

As the Wine Insiders said, it’s “a full-throttled, rich wine experience” that

is nevertheless “seamless from start to finish.”

The very definition of a top Napa Cab.

And one that our customers picked over Caymus, Silver Oak and Cakebread in our blind tastings!

Don’t forget to check our website at www.westgatewinestore.com for the complete (and

always changing) list of Clearance Sale Wines!

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2010 TURK GRUNER VELTLINER “WEINBERGE”

Reg. $19.99/$12.99 sale

Okay, so the 2009 vintage of this won “Best Dry White Wine in the World” over 4000 entries from 29 Countries at the San Francisco International

Wine Competition. Which is of course preposterous. This is not the best dry white wine in the World. Not even the best dry white wine in the store.

But it IS probably the most versatile, fascinating and certainly food-friendly

dry white wine in our market for anywhere near $12.99. And it IS even better – brighter, more complex and intense – than that celebrated 2009. And it IS a tremendously satisfying mouthful of dry white wine for only

12% alcohol.

A pretty perfect Holiday wine, too.

2009 TURK RIESLING “WEINEIRLBERG” Reg. $24.99/$14.99 sale

From Turk’s top single vineyard and oldest vines, this is an even more

serious wine…combining the richness of the vintage with utterly brilliant definition and cut. This wine spends a very long time on its lees, and even

at only 12.6% alcohol, could compete with all but the grandest

Wachau Rieslings several times its price.

There are no US listings on Wine-

Searcher, but the World’s best price (in the Czech Republic) is $21.31. And I suspect their shipping cost

would be prohibitive.

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2008 PASCAL BOUCHARD CHABLIS

“GRAND RESERVE DU DOMAINE” VV Reg. $25/$12.99 sale

If you’re a white Burgundy drinker, this is one you should be buying

multiple cases of. After all, when’s the last time you saw a classic old-vine Chablis, from a top vintage and producer, with top ratings, too…for half-

price? Or even below $20?

It’s Bouchard’s top village cuvee – from his best sites and oldest vines, hand-picked and aged partly in old oak. And it’s even richer (in fact a great

deal richer) and more mineral-laden than his excellent 2010 Chablis “Le Classique.” (Which we sold out of at $16.99.)

The Wine Advocate, which rates it equal to Bouchard’s

only old-vines premier cru in 2008, says it “represents a

considerable qualitative jump from their other 2008 vintage cuvees of generic appellation,

with musky, fusil notes providing bookends to a

subtly creamy yet at the same time vivacious, subtly

mirabelle-skin chewy and subtly saline mid-palate.”

They price it at $25 – a relative bargain for this level of quality. After all,

when’s the last time you read a Chardonnay review that used the word “subtly” three times.

Decanter Magazine also rates it a very solid 17/20 – over almost every 2008 premier cru and many of the grand crus - calling it “juicy, full-bodied

and concentrated, with ample fruit and a mineral tang on the finish.”

And Revue du Vin de France called this “the single best representation of this vast village appellation in 2008.”

We’ve had some pretty amazing white Burgundy bargains lately – especially from Guffens and Verget (we still have a bit of these – including an amazing $65 Guffens Pouilly-Fuisse for only $27.99!)…but this one has

to take the prize.

I can’t think of another Chardonnay from anywhere this serious – or this satisfying – for only $12.99.

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2009 MONTETI “CABURNIO”

Reg. $24.99/$16.99 sale

File this one under “silver lining.”

A few months ago, when we ordered (and had confirmed) the 2008 Monteti flagship wine, we thought it a coup – as nobody else in the World was

selling it. But as we waited (and waited) for it to arrive, and still nobody had it, we began to get nervous. Sure enough, when it finally did come, it

was both a different vintage, 2009, and different wine, the Monteti “Caburnio.”

But we remembered that the Wine

Advocate had rated the 2008 “Caburnio” 92 points, calling it “one of the very best

wines of Tuscany in its price range.” Monteti, they said, “remains arguably the single-finest source for reasonably priced

wines in the Maremma.” Plus we remembered they had raised their score for this wine by a point in each vintage since 2005…and we knew that 2009 on

the Tuscan Coast offered some fabulously rich and impressive wines. (Such as the

best Sassicaia since the legendary 1985.)

So we tried it. And sure enough, as both the winery and its (brilliant) British importer, the late Patrick Sandeman said, it’s both “riper and fresher

than the 2008…offering fabulous value for the money with all its dark berry and currant fruit.”

Plus, because the importer sent the wrong wine, we got a better deal on

it…which of course we’re passing on to you.

2008 WILD HORSE “CHEVAL SAUVAGE” PINOT NOIR

Reg. $64.99/$39.99 sale

This may not be quite the phenomenal bargain that the 2009 Sierra Madre Pinot Noir is. But it’s still by far the best price anywhere on the best vintage ever of “Cheval Sauvage.” In fact, this 2008 recently won “Best American

Pinot Noir Over $50” at the prestigious San Francisco Chronicle International Wine Competition – over such top Pinots as the $85 Archery Summit “Arcus Estate.” And both the winery and critics feel it’s the richest

and most dramatic (though still very fine) “Cheval Sauvage” ever.

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Interestingly, Sierra Madre is one of the component vineyards here – and in

2009, was the only vineyard in “Cheval Sauvage”…which indicates how strong the 2009 vintage is for Sierra Madre. Indeed, in our blind tasting comparing the two wines, the 2009 Sierra Madre Pinot was richer, fuller

and spicier, while the “Cheval Sauvage” was a bit finer, and at this stage at least, more refined. (Ironically, the Sierra Madre was exactly the kind of Pinot the French might describe as “sauvage” – and in that sense, very

much like a red Burgundy, say Corton.)

2009 GRAN VINUM ALBARINO Reg. $29.99/$19.99 sale

The IWC calls this extraordinary single-vineyard Albarino “very young still

but already delicious.” They go on to say:

“Bright yellow. More pungent and extroverted than the Esencia Divina, offering scents and flavors of ripe pit fruits, orange and herbs. Begins

clenched but becomes fresher with air, finishing with resonating citrus and mineral qualities and excellent persistence. This will work with rich foods.”

The Wine Spectator rated it outstanding, too – and one of their all-time

favorite Albarinos, saying:

“This distinctive white shows a good balance of lively stone and

brine notes with mature spicy flavors, backed by racy acidity that gives way to a gingery finish. Good

depth and intensity.”

And Spanish wine writer John Radford, in Decanter, recently gave

the 2010 vintage (also excellent, but not as rich as this) a whopping

96 points, praising its “creamy leesiness” and “fresh, structured, complex and mineral character.”

The next-best US retail price is $29.99 in DC. But the real value here is that this is on the level of the $60 Pazo Senorans “Seleccion de Anada” and $50 Do Ferreira “Cepas Vellas”… i.e. the very best Albarinos there are, but at

less than half the price, at least here.

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2006 GUFFENS POUILLY-FUISSE

“SAUVE DES EAUX” Reg. $69.99/$27.99 sale

As those of you who tried the stunning Guffens Macon “Premier Jus” know, he really nailed it in 2006 – producing wines of a clarity and

intensity rarely seen in white Burgundies at any level. And this wine, from his top vineyards in Les Crays and La Roche, is a summit of his 2006

vintage. In fact, both Burghound and the French press rate it the best of his 2006 Pouilly-Fuisses…over even the $105 “Premier Jus des Hauts de

Vignes”…though we have a few bottles of that one left, at $35.99, if you want to compare them.

Burghound calls it “almost painfully intense…the crisp, clean and beautifully delineated flavors are gorgeously intense and strikingly

persistent, underpinned by a firm but not aggressive core of acidity and plenty of minerality.” It was one of his “Sweet Spot Outstanding”

selections of the 2006 vintage.

Bettane and Desseauve agree, calling it “a gastronomic wine, all about delicacy and richness.” (A hard combination to achieve.) They also call it a

“masterpiece of finesse,” with “crystalline purity…as limpid and pure as spring water, with a silky attack and well-balanced, refined and luscious on

the palate.”

Tanzer, who priced this at $75, said:

“Green-gold. Smoky lees,

pear and anise on the nose, with an undertone of wet stone. Sharply focused

quince and lime flavors are given depth and roundness by sweet butter and finish with firm citric bite. The

anise quality reappears and lingers seductively.”

Only ten cases left.

Jean-Marie Guffens: a real badass.

Page 35: Holiday Catalog 2012

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2007 VERGET SAINT-VERAN “VIGNE DE SAINT-CLAUDE”

Reg. $39.99/$19.99 sale

Not only the finest of the Verget Saint-Verans this year, but according to Guffens, “one of the finest wines from Verget in 2007.” Tanzer agreed,

rating this equal to the 2007 Verget Pouilly-Fuisses and above the Meursaults and $90 Puligny “Sous le Puits.” He said:

“Light gold. Smoky aromas of poached pear, floral honey and lees, with a

suave undercurrent of anise and yellow rose. Chewy, tightly focused orchard fruit flavors are braced by a tangy lime zest quality and become

more minerally with air. Reminds me of a Puligny-Montrachet, and finishes with excellent clarity and lingering spiciness.”

This is from extremely old vines, planted on a clay and limestone slope just

outside of Pouilly-Fuisse “la Roche.” As Guffens says: “This wine has a great natural richness…in 2007 our goal was to retain its freshness and

great minerality.”

Clearly he succeeded. This is, as Tanzer said, the one 2007 Verget Maconnais wine that could easily pass for a top Puligny-Montrachet.

Indeed, Tanzer rates it over most of the best Puligny Premier Crus (including Verget’s) in 2007. It’s that good – and at half price, better not

only than any $20 (or $30) white Burgundy out there…but better than any $20 (or $30) Chardonnay, too.

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or give us a call at (919) 787-4290

Page 36: Holiday Catalog 2012

34

Serious Bordeaux Bargains

We’ve sold very few Bordeaux recently – ironically, for the same reason

we sell very few North Carolina wines. Sure, there are plenty of great Bordeaux out there. (Maybe even more than great NC wines.) But they’re

seldom the best wines out there for the money (and I’m not just talking Lafite at $3000 here)…and that’s what we – and our customers – insist

upon.

Here, though, are three Bordeaux that do meet our standards – and I believe yours: a dense, rich, classic British-style “Claret” for only $9.99; a superb (and archetypal); and best of all, a really dynamite, knockout Pomerol for

only $24.99. All from the sumptuous 2009 vintage – Parker’s “best Bordeaux vintage ever.”

[These have been selling like crazy – so if we run out, please keep in mind

that we’ll get more in February.]

2009 CHATEAU VIEUX MANOIR $12.99/$9.99 by the case

Now here’s the sort of wine the British drink like crazy, but we almost

never do. (When’s the last time you drank a generic Bordeaux?) In fact, the Guardian newspaper singled out this “smooth, plummy Claret” as the

perfect, quintessentially British wine to drink while watching the Olympics (while snipping that “the Chinese might turn up their nose at its incredibly

reasonable price”).

But very seldom are mere Bordeaux anywhere near as good (or as serious) as this. Partly, it’s the vineyard – located on clay/gravel/limestone

soil…and remarkably like the best vineyards of nearby Pomerol and St. Emilion. (It has always been a leading Chateau of its region – belonging to

the Dukes of Epernon since the 12th Century.) The vines are also mature and the yields extremely low for this area. But it’s largely the exceptional

2009 vintage that must be responsible for the rare amplitude here.

What I especially like about this, though, is that while it is quite rich and ripe (“smooth and plummy” even) for Bordeaux, it’s still drier, more

serious and reserved than just about anything else at this price. Classicism with class (and just enough sensual appeal)…now that’s a winning

combination.

Page 37: Holiday Catalog 2012

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2009 CHATEAU GRAVES DE RABION

SAINT-EMILION $19.99/$16.99 by the case

As the name implies, this tiny property is located in the Graves sector of

Saint-Emilion, where the soil has more clay and where Merlot particularly thrives. The vines are mature and the wine is 90% Merlot, with only 10% Cabernet Franc. It’s always a rich, smooth, very silky and delicious Saint-Emilion, but in 2009 it’s especially so. In fact, it would be easy to mistake this for a good Pomerol – except it’s a bit softer and rounder, and maybe a

bit classier.

There are no US listings, but the next-best price in the World (at a store called Bubble Brothers, in Ireland) is $21. I also like that they say it

“matches beautifully with duck confit and Beef Wellington.” If you’re like me, you’ve probably been looking for the right wine for your Beef Wellington – and

here it is!

[Actually, I did used to make a lot of duck confit – and this would be wonderful with it. Unfortunately, though, duck confit is a small

portions sort of food, and I’m not a small portions sort of guy.]

To find a 2009 Saint-Emilion this good, I

would expect to pay at least $30, and probably more. At only $16.99 by the case, this is a shockingly good value. And a wine

you could enjoy now or five to ten years from now.

2009 CLOS SAINTE ANNE POMEROL $29.99/$24.99 by the case

From Nathalie Moueix (a cousin of Petrus owner Christian Moueix) and superstar winemaker Stephane Derenoncourt (who the Wine Spectator

recently named “the World’s hottest winemaker), this is a sensational 2009 Pomerol at just a ridiculously low price.

I think the one review on CellarTracker really nailed it:

Page 38: Holiday Catalog 2012

36

Very rich flavor, smooth tannin, great nose. Pleasant finish. Young wine,

wanted to try it. Will stock up and hold.”

The reviewer, a big “fan of top Pomerols,” actually rated it above a Pensees de Lafleur whose best US price is $750!

Another excellent vineyard with a 12 Century heritage, older vines and very

low yields, Clos Sainte Anne was an excellent Pomerol even before Derenoncourt took over the winemaking in 2009. But he has clearly taken it to another level. (As has Nathalie Moueix, who has invested heavily in the vineyard in the last few years.) And I suspect the prices will start to catch

up to both the quality and enormous investment here soon. In fact, there are a lot of Pomerols three times this price (or more) that are neither this

satisfying nor this good.

It’s unfined and unfiltered, by the way. And though this is quite wonderful already, it would be nice to still have a few (surely glorious then) cases in a decade or so. Which at the lowest price in the World (next best is $29.99),

you can afford to do.

This is the best bargain in serious, ageworthy, both high quality and pedigreed Bordeaux I’ve seen since that 2000 Terre du Lion I sold over a

thousand cases of years ago.

BORDEAUX SAMPLER CASE

Four bottles of each, at our full-case discount.

Our Regular Price: $251.88 Special Sampler Price: $207.88

Page 39: Holiday Catalog 2012

GIFT CERTIFICATES

These make the perfect gift, and you can order them online or just give us a

call. We can also email them to the recipients if you’d like.

CUSTOMIZED WINE CLUB

You just tell us what kind of wines you want, how often you want them and what you want to spend...and we’ll do the rest!

These also make great gifts.

PRIVATE TASTINGS

Our private tasting schedule for the holidays is filling up fast!

So if you would like to schedule a private tasting – either in the store or at your home or office – please call us ASAP.

These tastings are also a wonderful and entertaining way to select

your holiday wines.

HOLIDAY PARTIES & CORPORATE GIFTS

It’s time now to line up your holiday party and gift wines!

We have outstanding wines for both parties and gifts, plus other gift options, too...from as low as $5.99 (for a really good wine) to as high

as you want to go.

Just give us a call:

(919) 787-4290

Page 40: Holiday Catalog 2012

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