No-Brainers

  • Chateau La Tour Blanche 2001 Sauternes

    Chateau La Tour Blanche 2001 Sauternes

    $89.99

    Bordeaux France
    Wine Advocate 96 Rating
    The La Tour Blanche 2001 has long been the “insiders’ Sauternes” for the vintage. Leave the Yquem ’01 for the millionaires: load up on one of the finest recent vintages from the estate. It has a potent honeyed, frangipane and white flower-scented bouquet with subtle nougat scents in the background lending it an exotic edge. The palate is extremely well balanced with fine acidity effortlessly slicing a swathe through that unctuous, honeyed fruit. There are also understated marmalade notes with a suggestion of crème brûlée furnishing the weighty finish that goes on and on. Just don’t tell anyone how good this La Tour Blanche is…promise? SP60-1

  • Chateau Lagrange 2018 Saint-Julien

    Chateau Lagrange 2018 Saint-Julien

    $79.99

    Bordeaux France
    Jeb Dunnuck 97 Rating
    The flagship 2018 Château Lagrange is a more dense, backward, serious wine, offering an unevolved yet incredibly promising bouquet of cassis, blackcurrants, scorched earth, graphite, and violets. A big, rich, full-bodied Saint-Julien, it delivers thrilling purity of fruit, plenty of background oak, ripe, silky tannins, and a great mid-palate. This is serious stuff, but it's going to require patience. Hide bottles for 7-8 years, count yourself lucky, and enjoy over the following two decades. R38-3 BX-6 SP59-6

  • Chateau La Gaffeliere 2018 Grand Cru Classe Saint-Emilion

    Chateau La Gaffeliere 2018 Grand Cru Classe Saint-Emilion

    $124.99

    Bordeaux
    Vinous 99 Rating
    The 2018 La Gaffelière is hands down one of the wines of the vintage. Towering in its stature and vertical lift, the 2018 dazzles right out of the gate. Inky dark fruit, mocha, spice, licorice and leather all run through this deep, wonderfully pliant Saint-Émilion. The 2018 is rich, deep and beautifully resonant, with tremendous depth and tons of stature that builds, all framed by beams of supporting minerality that confer vibrancy. La Gaffelière is distinctive, alluring and arresting right out of the gate. It is another magnificent showing from this reborn estate. The blend is 63% Merlot and 37% Cabernet Franc. Magnifique! SP55-6

  • Chateau Gruaud Larose 2018 Saint-Julien

    Chateau Gruaud Larose 2018 Saint-Julien

    $129.99

    Bordeaux France
    Jeb Dunnuck 97 Rating
    Based on 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc, the 2018 Château Gruaud Larose sports a dense purple hue as well as a stunning nose of pure crème de cassis, cedar pencil shavings, blackcurrants, smoked tobacco, and a liquid rock-like sense of minerality. This dense, almost broodingly backward, concentrated Saint-Julien has flawless balance, a remarkable sense of purity, masses of tannins, and one hell of a great finish. Seemingly almost from a more austere year (say 2000 or 2010), it's not going to hit maturity for at least a decade and should cruise in cold cellars for 20-30 years. It's a brilliant wine! R7-4 SP55-6

  • Chateau d'Yquem 2010 Sauternes

    Chateau d’Yquem 2010 Sauternes

    $499.99

    Bordeaux France
    Wine Advocate 98 Rating
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    Pale to medium lemon-gold colored, the 2010 d'Yquem is just now starting to strut its stuff with gregarious scents emerging of underripe mangos, fresh pineapples, poached pears and candied peel plus nuances of waxed lemons, fungi, musk perfume and wet clay. Wonderfully poised, the seductively intense fruit is offset by beautiful freshness, supporting layer upon layer of savory nut and baked-bread notions with the tantalizing exotic fruits coming through on the long, long finish. For number crunchers: 13.5% alcohol, 138 grams per liter residual sugar, and total acidity is 3.6 grams per liter H2SO4. Tempting to drink now, I’m sensing there are still a lot of latent nuances to be revealed here. So—to get that full Yquem experience—I’d give it another five years in bottle, at least, and drink it over the next 40+ years. SP60-3

  • Chateau du Tertre 2018 Margaux

    Chateau du Tertre 2018 Margaux

    $69.99

    Bordeaux France
    Wine Enthusiast 95 Rating
    From the partner estate to Chateau Giscours, this wine is as elegant as you would expect. While it is structured, it also has ripe fruits, rich tannins and great potential. The dry and firm core of this wine will propel it forward. Drink from 2027. SP52-5

  • Chateau Du Courlat 2016 Lussac St. Emilion

    Chateau Du Courlat 2016 Lussac St. Emilion

    $24.99

    Bordeaux France
    Wine Advocate 93 Rating
    The 2016 Du Courlat has a rich, slightly jammy bouquet with redcurrant and cranberry fruit. The palate is well balanced with juicy tannins, rich but nicely controlled with a very poised and tensile finish. Now this is a lovely Lussac Saint Emilion in the making. One to watch out for. SP59-5

  • Wolffer Estate Rose

    Wolffer Estate Rose

    Price range: $25.99 through $132.00

    Long Island New York
    Bright shiny copper in color. The aroma is elegant with fine clean fruit notes of pears and apples but with a luxurious ripeness. The mouth-feel is vibrant and has lovely spiciness and a rich texture with fine tannins. It is livened up by nice acidity and a classic minerality and salinity. This dry rosé is very savory and has a long finish with creamy yeast and delicate chalk notes.
    Must be ordered.
    Valid while supplies are available
    Buy this one by the 6pk for $22.00 per bottle

  • Chateau de Marsannay 2017 Marsannay Rouge

    Chateau de Marsannay 2017 Marsannay Rouge

    $49.99

    Burgundy France
    Jeb Dunnuck 91 Rating
    The 2017 Marsannay is a slightly darker, sappier, spicier wine that still has plenty of richness and depth. Black raspberries, smoked herbs, earth, and violets notes all emerge from the glass, and it's medium-bodied, with good acidity, beautiful balance, and a great finish. This is another beautiful wine from this team. SP1-4