Summer is officially here... and I am looking to move out some exceptional white wines... Please reply to order, as the pricing structure is hard for me to put in the system... "Mix" means you can mix any of these wines in that quantity to get the price... some things are just on sale... others you need to mix a certain quantity overall to get there. That's my way of staying fair to people who already bought the wine. Nothing is worse than a sale on something at a lower price than you just bought it a week ago!

There are 14 wines here... in no particular order... at all price points... happy shopping!

Steininger Riesling Ried 1er Cru Steinhaus 2019

Sale $34.99

Mix Any Six Bottles from This Offer - $29.99

97 pts Wine Enthusiast

Yes, the 2019s are as good as advertised... and this could be the best bang for buck we've offered yet... if you are a fan of dry Rieslings, loaded with flavor and precision, then you cannot let this one slip by!

"A flinty, smoky whiff still speaks of a little yeasty reduction, but deliciously so. A zesty, mouthwatering streak of lemon shines through, creating a tingling sense of freshness. All this is contained in a stony, taut, sleek body. Hold on to your seats, this is freshness supercharged. Drink by 2050." WE

Geil Bechtheimer Scheurebe Kabinett 2019

Sale $16.99 – Save 25%

Mix 6 or more bottles from this offer - Sale $15.49 - Beats best U.S. price!

Super aromatic with peaches and wildflowers. You get a hint of the sweetness on the nose, but it levels out in the mouth with the incredibly racy acidity. This leads into flavors of tropical fruit, green apples and minerality that is so satisfying. I find it reminiscent of a quirky Sauvignon Blanc! Honestly, there’s nothing you can’t enjoy this with… the fresh, seasonal farmer’s market vegetables will be the perfect match for this lively wine, but also perfect for picnics, porches, and poolsides.

“A tangy tropical Scheu, none too sweet and with a good acid tooth; spearmint and ginger and lemon zest; a zingy exotic wine with a surprising amount of tension.” Winemaker

“The bouquet is seductive with notes of grapefruit and cassis. The fruity taste fills the mouth, the harmonious combination of acidity and fruit sweetness give this wine a long finish.” Importer

Oro de Castilla Verdejo 2019

Buy six or more pay just $14.99 per

All Else on Sale $15.99 

94 pts Decanter!

Oro de Castilla (“the Gold of Castille”) is a wine made by Bodegas Hermanos del Villar in the Rueda DO region. This wine's exceptional quality is rooted in two characteristics that make this vineyard unique in the region and impart a distinctive brightness and minerality. The region receives fairly low rainfall – 16 inches over the course of a year (compare with locally, where we receive over 46 on average.) This can produce excessive stress on the average vine, causing it to “shut down” and not fully ripen the fruit. But Oro de Castilla’s vines are among the oldest in the region, with deep root systems that penetrate the limestone and mineral subsoils, which retain moisture for the vines, especially during the dry, active growing season. The vineyard is also located at a high elevation, overlooking the town of Rueda, planted in a bed of river stones.  These stones are excellent at retaining heat, which keeps the vines warm and continues the ripening process through the cool nights. Old vines and river stones… a unique one-two punch to yield grapes with superior aromas and flavor intensity. Nighttime harvesting maintains freshness and minimizes oxidation. Finally, the lees (spent yeast cells) of the wine are stirred while the wine is in tank, a process which results in a rich mouthfeel.

I love this wine’s vibrancy, it’s fresh grassy aromas mixed with tart lemon and tropical tangerine really draw you in. Take a deeper whiff and there’s even more complexity, subtle ginger and chamomile tea notes adding nuance. There’s a Loire Sauvignon Blanc kind of intensity to this wine as well, with a mouth coating palate that’s full of fresh citrus and melon fruits, and that firm minerality that is really reminiscent of the top wines of Sancerre. A stunning white that is sure to please as a patio pounder and as a great food wine too. Sockeye salmon, Mahi Mahi or flounder simply pan fried in a beurre blanc, or plank roasted. Salads with grilled chicken, asparagus or toasted almonds would also pair well, as well as soft, ripe cheeses. 

"Lovely Verdejo aromas of nettles, lemon curd and fresh herbs. Bright, full bodied and fleshy with pineapple, a squeeze of lime, banana and mango. Crisp and refreshing." Decanter

Simply put, if you enjoy Sauvignon Blanc, northern Italian whites, and all manner of Spanish and Portuguese goodies then this wine is a must try for you!
 

Les Hauts de Milly Bourgogne Blanc 2019

Sale $19.99 

Mix six or more bottles from this offer and Pay just $15.99

“Bourgogne Blanc” is a broad category, covering every entry-level Chardonnay across the entire region of Burgundy. Typically, the “Bourgogne” appellation refers to those areas just outside of the more famous ones, such as Puligny-Montrachet, Meursault, etc. In any case, the wines are made in a huge range of styles, and there is really no way to know what you are getting simply by the label.

So… what are you getting here?

Les Hauts de Milly is an alternate label of the famed Chablis producer Bernard Defaix. For his Bourgogne Blanc, Defaix uses vineyards located just outside the Chablis appellation in Auxerre.

“So, this is kind of like Chablis?”

Not exactly… you see, Chablis is known for its limestone soil, resulting in high acidity and its famed “minerality”. While located adjacent to Chablis, Auxerre doesn’t have the same level of limestone. Rather it is dominated by clay and chalk. “And?...”

The heavy clay soil produces a richer, more full-bodied style of Chardonnay. And yet… the vineyards are still located far north of the rest of Burgundy. The climate is cooler, resulting in higher acidity and crisp flavors.

That combination – the fullness from clay soil along with the crispness from the cool climate – is what makes this wine so unique and delicious! It offers a balance – a yin and yang – that elevates this “basic” Bourgogne Blanc to another level. Lovely floral and citrus aromas lead into a wine loaded with granny smith apple and crisp pear flavors. There’s a creamy richness to the wine, although it doesn’t see any oak. Crowd-pleaser? Yes, please! Add to that the 2019 vintage - near perfect conditions have resulted in an amazing bottle of wine at a ridiculous price.

Ch. Henri Latour Saint Romain “Le Jarron” 2019
(label for illustration only)

Sale $39.89 - Beats Best US Price Online

Mix six or more bottles from this offer and Pay $34.99

90 pts Wine Enthusiast

Perhaps no appellation has benefited more than St. Romain from the changing climate. Located west of the main slope of the Cote de Beaune, St. Romain is blessed with the same famed limestone soils that make Burgundy so special. But apart from its “Off-Broadway” address, there must be a reason why St. Romain has remained off the radar. Right? Yep. Altitude. Sound familiar? At 400 meters, it is the highest village in Beaune. Meaning 30 years ago, the wines rarely ever were ripe. Today, the wines still offer a vibrant snap of acidity and minerality, but also enough ripe green apple and citrus fruit to bring it all in balance.

Brothers Francois and Sylvan Latour own a lovely 40-year old, 1.3 hectare vineyard in St. Romaine – “Le Jarron.” After hand-harvesting and sorting, the wine is vinified 100% in oak barrels, of which 20% are new, aging for 11 months in barrel.

The nose is exuberant with loads of citrus blossom notes and wet stones; great concentration and depth with classic underlying tension- – a constant balancing act between fruit, acid and minerality. The fruit on the palate leans towards tropical and pink grapefruit intwined with toasty oak. This is one of the most luxurious Saint Romains I can remember tasting; Do not miss this wine.
 

"Remarkably pretty..." Vinous 

Tiberio Trebbiano d’ Abruzzo 2020

Sale $18.89 - Beats Best US Price Online! 

91 pts Vinous

Without question, the wines from Tiberio were our runaway Italian hit from 2020! The latest releases are arriving now and, remarkably, are even better than last year! Sure, I have to say that... I'm selling them... but just take a peek at the Vinous reviews - the Trebbiano was rated 89 pts last year. And it was superb! The 2020? Other-wordly... 

Riccardo Tiberio worked as an export manager for another winery in the region. In his travels through the countryside, he came across a 60 yr-old plot of Trebbiano Abruzzese. Old vines are a treasure trove in their own right, but these were more significant because Trebbiano Abruzzese isn’t really Trebbiano. It’s Bombino Bianco! Ok… I’ve never heard of it either. But the important part is that it isn’t Trebbiano Toscano, the fairly bland, innocuous type found virtually all over Italy.

Riccardo knew he had a goldmine… so he promptly quit his job and made the plunge, adding new plantings of Montepulciano, Pecorino, Aglianico, and more Bombino Bianco!

With is first bottling in 2004, the world was served notice!

In 2008, he handed over the reins to his son and daughter. Antonio handles most of the farming and vineyard management, and Cristiana is responsible for the winemaking. Cristiana learnt form the best too! She travelled across Europe gaining knowledge working with Jacques Selosse in Champagne, Nicolas Joly at Coulee de Serrant, and Egon Muller in the Mosel, before returning to her family’s estate. Structure and minerality are the hallmarks of her style.

Okay, so what do we have? Cristiana only uses the best juice for this wine – the “free-run” juice that flows from the weight of the grapes crushing themselves, as opposed to pressed juice. This free-run juice is simply more flavorful, and not diluted or affected by the bitterness found in the skins and seeds of the grapes.

The result is absolutely stunning.

The scintillating, light yellow wine explodes with aromas of apricot, grapefruit, jasmine and orange blossom. To these we add flavors of Granny Smith apple, almonds and a hint of anise, all finishing super crisp, clean and, dare I say, “zippy”! What to pair with? Well, if you were at the winery and wandered into the only restaurant in town, you might partake of their amazing pizza... check out the pic!

"The 2020 Trebbiano d'Abruzzo lifts up, more savory than sweet and decidedly floral. Dusty dried flowers and incense give way to hints of crushed raw almonds. Its round textures find balance, as a wave of brisk acids and mineral-tinged orchard fruits cascade across the palate. A gentle tug of citrus and hints of peach linger. The 2020 is a remarkably pretty and lifted vintage for Tiberio’s Trebbiano." VM
 

Margerum Sybarite Sauvignon Blanc 2020

Winery Price $24.50

Sale $19.99

93 pts Vinous / 92 pts Wine Enthusiast for 2019

2020 was the Year of Sauvignon Blanc… and 2021 shows no signs of letting up. For us, the challenge, then, is to find new and delicious Sauv Blancs. We haven’t abandoned the tried and true, but there are so many fabulous Sauvignon Blancs being made, we just have to offer them!

Case in point is this gem from Margerum, consistently one of the best coming out of California. It’s from the Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara. I won’t bore you with the details, but Happy Canyon has become the go-to address for world-class Sauvignon Blanc, thanks to its unique west-east orientation that funnels cool Pacific Ocean breezes across the valley. It’s still California, so ripeness is never an issue; the cooling breezes allow for a slow ripening and naturally high acidity. By picking grapes at different levels of ripeness, Margerum is able to craft a remarkably expressive yet balanced Sauvignon Blanc.

And Sybarite? As the winery explains, “The word SYBARITE is derived from Sybaris, an ancient Greek city in southeastern Italy noted for the luxurious, pleasure seeking behavior of many of its inhabitants. SYBARITES are people who have a fondness for sensuous luxury.”

Works for me!

Aromas of white flowers, lemon blossoms and peaches meld with flavors of melon, lime and lemongrass, all backed up by vibrant acidity. There’s a creamy mouthfeel thanks to a small portion of barrel-fermented juice. A little retained CO2 is intentionally kept to keep the wine fresh after opening and balance that creaminess. In short, this is one of the most thoughtful, balanced expressions of Sauvignon Blanc we have tasted all year!

“this always reliable white wine starts with aromas of pear soda, red apple and slightly tropical white and green flowers. The texture is taut and dry, with brisk flavors of red apple, seashell, lemongrass and a fast-fading flash of guava.” WE on 2019

“The 2019 Sauvignon Blanc Sybarite opens with a rush of citrus, floral and tomato leaf aromatics that lead into beautifully sculpted orchard fruit flavors. Here, too, Doug Margerum balances vivacity with depth. The Sybarite offers plenty of Sauvignon aromatics without veering into the green/grassy end of the spectrum.” VM
 

Famille Thomas Les Creots Sancerre Blanc 2019

Regularly $29.99

Mix six or more pay $17.99 – save 40%

All Else Sale $19.89 – save 33% - Beats Best US Price Online

It's back! The runaway hit of 2020 is back and as good as before. To my taste, it is even better. 2019 had warm days, like 2018, but the nights were cooler, resulting in higher natural acidity and a fresher, more vibrant wine. 

The Thomas family has been making wine in Sancerre since 1670! Under 13th generation winemaker, Julien, the domaine practices biodynamics, putting the emphasis on the vineyard, and allowing each plot’s unique soil type to shine through. Here, the vines are rooted in limestone… yeah, who cares, right? So much else going on… so let’s get right to the wine.

This is delicious and pretty serious Sancerre for the $. The nose is classic Sancerre – delicate notes of white flowers and fresh cut grass lead quickly to brighter aromas of gooseberries and grapefruit. The palate is “rich and broad”, meaning it really coats your tongue and the flavors are not shy, loaded with grapefruit, tangerine zest and green apples. Flinty mineral notes are abundant throughout and add balance to the fruit.

The richness comes from three sources – the soil, the yields and batonnage on the lees. Soil we touched on… the yields are as low as 40 hectoliters / hectare. The appellation allows for as much as 60 hl/ha. The lower yields mean the vines focus more energy on ripening the grapes, resulting in more intense, complex flavors. Anyone who has grown tomatoes knows all about this! And “batonnage on the lees”? The lees are the spent yeast cells leftover from fermentation. Leaving them in contact with the wine for 6-8 months, as the Thomas family does, adds richness and a creamy mouthfeel. “Botonnage” is the stirring of the wine to allow the lees to come into more contact with the juice. Put it all together and you have a wonderfully rich Sancerre!
 

Fedellos do Couto Conasbrancas 2018

Sale $29.99

93+ pts Wine Advocate

I don’t even remember how this bottle ended up in my hands… and I didn’t even know what it was. I just popped it and drank it. Well, that’s not true, because after the first glass, and over my wife’s objections, I just HAD to get to work: What is this? Where is it from? How much does it cost? How much can I get?

It all starts with the “Brats” (Fedellos) of Couto… wait… y’know what? It’s Friday. And I only have 5 cases. I’ll put a link to the backstory, and you can read it while you are drinking!

The wine is just so pure… aged entirely in large used oak barrels that impart no flavor, but add richness to the naturally round Godello (50%) and Dona Blanca (25%). It’s the aromas that hooked me… incredibly floral with notes of pears and apricots that lead into a rounded wine. It’s not fruit-forward, although there is certainly an underlying abundance of fruit… rather, it is a perfectly balanced example of what a true “field blend” can be: a masterpiece greater than the sum of its parts, in this case, at least six different white grapes. There’s vibrant acidity and a somewhat saline finish that screams “fresh” and begs for food. Freshwater fish, eg, NC Trout, would be a perfect match.

Okay… here’s the tasting note… followed by a link to the backstory. Bottom line? Do you enjoy delicious and interesting white wine? And do you trust me? If yes, then grab some!

“The one white here was produced with grapes from different old vineyards in different parishes of the village of Manzaneda (Soutipedre, Seoane, Langullo) within the Val do Bibei and is a blend of approximately 50% Godello, 25% Dona Branca and the remaining 25% a mixture of varieties, including Treixadura, Colgadeira and Palomino, etc. The current release is the 2018 Conasbrancas, from a very cold and rainy vintage, when they fermented 70% of the grapes with full clusters in plastic bins and the rest pressed and fermented in barrique. The wine matured in used 300- and 500-liter oak barrels for seven months with the lees but without bâtonnage. It has a characterful nose, with no oak whatsoever, very floral, with intense notes of pollen. The palate is terribly balanced, with pungent flavors and integrated acidity, effervescent and sharp, with a salty finish. The effect of the skins is quite subtle, and there's no visible color or tannin. Perhaps it has been polished by the time in oak. It has good depth and is quite complete.” WA

for more info, cick here... Fedellos do Couto | European Cellars
 

Gobelsburg Gruner Veltliner Tradition 2017

Sale $48.99 

Beats Best US Price Online!!! 

96 pts Wine Enthusiast / 93-95 pts Falstaff
 
This is the last bottling of winemaker Michi Moosbrugger’s "Tradition" wines with a vintage date. Starting this fall, he will introduce multi-vintage, multi-variety wines. If you've been following me for any length of time, you know this is my favorite of all Gruners! It represents Moosbrugger's exploration into a different style of winemaking. An older style of winemaking, before technology and industrialization. This is not a polemic on modern wines, it is simply an attempt to understand what wines used to be like, and to see if there was an alternative to the clean, oxygen-free wines made today.  If you see a parallel with the amphorae wines of Radikon and Gravner, you aren’t far off. But while those explored ancient techniques, Michi is not ignoring the knowledge that has come forth in the past 200 or 2,000 years. He’s not trying to recreate something, but rather explore a different style.

That style is one where the wines are “raised” - think “elevage” in France. Every 3-4 months over the course of two years, the wines are moved from one set of barrels to others, blending and removing from the lees along the way. Rather than treat oxygen as the enemy, Michi looks at it as part of the wine’s “life”. As he explains, “The task of the cellar master was to identify the potential of the wine and according to that, ‘teach’ him up to his potential. This can be seen in contradiction to our today’s modern imagination that great wine is made in the vineyard and not in the cellar. In our todays mind we belief that the big art of making a great wine is to do ‘nothing’.”

"The aromas of fir honey, salty yeast and white pepper combine on the vivid, spicy nose. Those flavors also play on the slender, juicy palate where glorious sprays of white pepper take center stage against a backdrop of salt, honey and pear. " WE

"Delicate underlaid peach and pineapple, a hint of apple and tangerine candles. Good complexity, juicy, elegant, mineral in the finish, multifaceted acid structure, apple nuances in the finish, good development potential." Falstaff
 

Claude Manciat Macon Villages 2019

Sale $14.99

This is actually Macon -Charnay… they use two labels to get extra mileage…

And this is a second label of Manciat-Poncet… lots of labels! The lowest price in the US for the Manciat-Poncet Macon Charnay is $17.99… so $4 savings.

Macon-Charnay lies north of Pouilly-Fuisse and is one of the most highly-regarded villages of the Macon. It is super teeny at just 141 acres - just 1% of the Macon. It is 1/15th the size of Pouilly-Fuisse. Which is why we don’t see much!

The yields are 20-30% lower than what the appellation allows, giving Marie-Pierre Manciat the ability to craft rich and powerful wines, while still emphasizing the minerality of the terroir.

All stainless steel (like the Granges). High-toned aromatics of calcaire, apple and pear skin; in the mouth the wine is vibrant and fresh, good tension & very fruit driven; lemon oil, tangerine, smoke, wet chalky stones and nice fat. The finish here is extra-long and always on the fruit.

Pullus Pinot Grigio 2020

Sale $16.99 

Just look at that color, it’s mesmerizing!  It can’t really be pigeon-holed into just one category.  Is it a dry white wine?  Yes.  Is it a Rosé?  Yes.  Is it an Orange wine?  Kinda!  Does it have characteristics that are vaguely reminiscent of a red wine?  Yeah.  Technically, it’s 100% Pinot Grigio from the oldest winery in Slovenia, Ptujska Klet, in the city of Ptuj, which sits just above Lake Ptuj on the Drava River… You now know more about Slovenia than all your friends combined.  You’re welcome.  

Wine has been made in this area since Roman times.  They still have some of the oldest vines on Earth (some 400 years old) that even survived the long Communist rule that lasted until the early 1990’s.  Under such rule, the vineyards were all government controlled and lacked a focus on quality.  They made the most basic of wines not intended for export and the art of true winemaking was almost lost completely during these times.  Most (not all) vineyards have been re-planted since the fall of communism and Slovenia is now the home of some very technologically-advanced wineries that are on the cutting edge when it comes to new ideas and techniques in winemaking. 

Back to the wine… When fully ripe, the skin of Pinot Grigio is a dark pink, almost purple color.  With this wine, the skins have been left to macerate in the pressed juice for 72 hours, giving it the copper hued, rosé-like color that is it’s defining characteristic.  All stainless-steel, naturally-fermented with very few sulfites used in a quite natural winemaking fashion.  Make no mistake, this is a dry white wine first.  Notes of fresh lime and pear are complimented by a textured mouthfeel and minerality that comes from the extended skin contact.  It’s clean, crisp, refreshing, but complex at the same time. I recommend serving it with just a medium chill on it. Not too cold, or you’ll lose some of those characteristics the wine-maker is going for. For food? Well, in northwest Slovenia, polenta is a traditional dish, often being used as a substitute for bread. And what's polenta after all? Cornmeal cooked in water or broth... kind of like... grits! So how 'bout we mash up Slovenian food and wine with a Carolina classic - Shrimp and Grits! I'm sure most of you have your own recipe, but if not, click on the pic for one...

This wine has a cult following around here for a reason.  If you haven’t jumped on the Pullus bandwagon yet, what are you waiting for???

Forjas del Salnes Albarino Finca Genevova 2019

Sale $39.99 - Average Price Online is $49!

Last Five Vintages have all been 95-96+ pts Wine Advocate!!!

Forjas del Salnes is the project of Rodrigo "Rodri" Mendez, a close friend and collaborator with the world-famous winemaker Raul Perez. The winery was started in 1912 by Rodri’s uncle and currently consists of a mere 3 hectares of vineyards spread over 6 different fields. Some vines were already old when the family purchased them, with the oldest estimated to be from the 1830s! Yes, 180 years ago! The wines are all within view of the Atlantic Ocean and reflect the maritime influence with a certain salinity and briskness that makes them especially food-friendly.

In stark contrast to the plethora of Albarino winemakers out there, Rodri combines modern education with old techniques. It starts with the grapes, grown in the prime Val do Salnes region; Rodri patiently waits for the grapes to achieve good ripeness, where the malic acid starts to lessen. That malic acid is the tart, sour acidity found in unripe or less ripe fruits. The result is plenty of bright acidity, but in a more pleasing fashion. Next Rodri uses the free-run juice; the juice that results from simply letting the weight of the grapes crush themselves to release juice. SO what? Simply, when you press the juice, the bitterness from the skins and seeds is also released. Look, that's not "bad", but it isn't as delicious as this! Lastly, Rodri uses large, 2,500 Liter used oak barrels and natural yeast fermentation, as opposed to small, temperature-controlled steel tanks and cultured yeasts designed to extract certain flavors. The result is a wine that reflects the age and location of the vines, the ripeness of the grapes, and Rodri's careful attention to detail. It is nothing short of the best Albarino you will ever taste. Heck, I'd wager it is one of the best white wines you will ever taste!

The elegant, subtle and fine 2017 Leirana Finca Genoveva has to be one of the finest Albariño whites produced. This is vinified and aged in oak foudre, but there's no oak character whatsoever to be found here. It's clean, crystalline, pure and precise and especially subtle with elegant notes of flowers, great freshness and very integrated acidity that makes you salivate." Wine Advocate on the 2017

Raul Perez Ultreia Godello 2019

Sale $24.99 - Beats Best US Price online

92 pts Vinous 

"Light, shimmering yellow-gold. Pungent, mineral-accented orchard and pit fruit aromas; floral and herb nuances add complexity. Chewy and broad on the palate, offering bitter citrus pith, pear nectar, dried peach and honeysuckle flavors that are sharpened by a gingery nuance. Closes with firm grip and very good persistence, leaving a dusty mineral note behind."