SERIOUS 375ml
Dönnhoff, Faiveley, Leflaive, Egon Müller, Rieussec, Sine Qua Non, Trimbach...
Special Pricing Today Only!
The half-bottle gets its due.
Today's collection represents some serious 375mls - they also represent some of our favorite wines.
Today, every single bottle has been discounted, putting this format in the spotlight it deserves.
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As a format, the half-bottle has some obvious benefits the most obvious of which is implied in the format's name: HALF-bottle. For casual evenings, for white-wine introductions when the dinner's focus will be red (or vice-versa), for the solo diner, this is a perfect format.
Half-bottles also bring wines that one might not consider buying or casually opening into a more comfortable zone.
In the case of today's offer, these half-bottles represent a chance to experience some of the world's great wines without ponying up for the full 750ml.
Less obvious, perhaps, is the fact that the greater oxygen-to-wine ratio within the half-bottle means that this format develops more quickly. Wines that will be tannic monsters in regular bottles (and incomprehensible in magnum) will be gentler and more approachable in half-bottle. In some ways, the half-bottle gives you a glimpse into the future, now. They offer a picture of what the regular- and large-format bottles will become.
Notes for all the wines are below and quantities are limited. Give us your maximum order and we'll do our best!
To order, reply to this email or call the store at (212) 980-9463.
Have a great weekend.
Ian McFadden
Director, Fine and Rare Wine
Crush Wine & Spirits
2007 Dönnhoff Riesling Brücke Eiswein 375ml
Dönnhoff Eiswein from a great vintage. Mmmmmm. That's all.
2001 Faiveley Grand Cru Clos des Cortons 375ml
Burghound: "Extremely ripe with mocha, earth and roasted coffee aromas and sappy, robust, tannic yet elegant and classy flavors coupled with stupendous length and intensity. Ironically for a vigorous, forceful Corton, this manages to retain a refined, harmonious personality. Splendid quality here and this should age for at least two decades."
2002 Faiveley Gevrey 1er Combe Aux Moines 375ml
Burghound: "Wonderfully pure and elegant aromas of earth, leather, smoked meat and that complex vegetal component the terroir of Gevrey sometimes imparts. The full-bodied flavors are supple yet precise with a finish that is both harmonious and wonderfully intense. This should come around a bit quicker."
1996 Leflaive Puligny 1er Pucelles 375ml
Burghound: "A fine, relatively airy nose of honeysuckle, pear and a deft touch of pain grillé introduces medium weight, crisp, even racy flavors of moderate complexity underpinned by plenty of acidity and punctuated by good if not sensational length. This is indeed a lovely wine but not to the standard that one expects with this wine as it lacks the overall complexity and breed that it often possesses. This is all the more curious as when taken as a group, the Leflaive '96s are knockouts. Tasted three times with consistent notes."
2007 E. Müller Riesling Scharzhofberger Auslese #7 375ml
Schildknecht, Wine Advocate: "A heady perfume of lily and peach preserves in the 2007 Scharzhofberger Riesling Auslese A.P. #7 leads to another creamy, delicate, refined 2007 expression of this great site and estate. The floral notes waft all the way through while browned butter and savory salinity compliment an intense concentration of pit fruit essences. Subtle oiliness of texture and the tart chew of fruit skin offer further counterpoint in a finish of formidable penetration and purity that only just misses the mystery and interplay of the auction Spatlese. This too should be worth cellaring 30 if not more years."
2009 E. Müller Riesling Scharzhofberger Auslese #5 375ml
The Muller 2008 Scharzhofberger Riesling Auslese - their sole bottling of -non-gold capsule- Auslese (so reference to its A.P.# - 5 - is superfluous), and representing only one small lot - offers an amazing alliance of richness and energy. -Grilled peach and apricot laced with vanilla cream and caramel- may sound like a recipe for a decadent, soothing desert. It is, and this wine is. But at the same time, there are complex accents of blond tobacco, brown spices, and peat, along with a surprisingly firm texture, and a lively sense of refreshment that seems to come out of nowhere, levitating the flavors and driving them into a prodigious finish in which notes of peach kernel, singed fruit skin, and wet stone provide dynamic counterpoint. This too should be worth cellaring for three or more decades."
2009 F.X. Pichler Grüner Loibenberg Smaragd 375ml
These are rare as hen's teeth and the 2009 Pichler's marry that sexy, full-throttle style with great, snappy acids.
2005 Rieussec375ml
For some reason Parker does not give a tasting note for this wine, although the 2005 Rieussec is clearly one of the best of the decade - nipping at the heels of the 2001.
2007 Schloss Lieser Riesling Helden BA 375ml
Thomas Haag at Schloss Lieser is one of our heroes - he has basically single-handedly brought the great Niederberg Helden back on to the world's stage. The vineyard produces rich, heady, almost purple-fruited wines, though Haag always manages these riches with such style.
2006 Sine Qua Non "Mr. K, The Nobleman" 375ml
Wine Advocate: "The 2006 Mr. K. The Nobleman Chardonnay (200 grams of residual sugar per liter) reveals phenomenal fresh, lively acidity as well as wonderful honeyed peach, marmalade, tropical fruit, and creme brulee characteristics. It is a Trockenbeerenauslese-styled wine that is a fitting tribute to the effusive and much revered Alois Kracher."
2008 Sine Qua Non "Jinete Bajo, Vin de Paille" 375ml
Wine Advocate: "The days of the Mr. K wines are gone forever with the tragically premature death of Austrian Alois Kracher, who had partnered with Manfred Krankl in this intriguing homage to sweet nectars. Krankl continues on his own, and in Spring, 2011, he will release the 2008 Jinete Bajo Roussanne Vin de Paille, which is named after his wife's favorite horse. Made from 100% estate fruit, with a finished alcohol level of 11.8%, a whopping 240 grams per liter of residual sugar, and 8.7 grams of acidity, this is a pure nectar of honeyed marmalade, waxy, syrupy honeysuckle, exotic creme brulee, and citrus. The remarkable acidity cuts through the extraordinary sweetness, so the impression is fresh and vibrant. Krankl has pulled off a marvelous balancing act with this cuvee. How long will it last? I have no idea - maybe 50-100 years, but given the fact there are only 235 cases of half bottles, most of it will be consumed before 2020."
2000 Trimbach Riesling Clos Ste. Hune 375ml
Wine Advocate: "The 2000 Clos Ste.-Hune has intense mineral and herbal tea aromas that give way to a powerful, yet backward flavor profile, densely packed with liquid minerals, spices, smoke, quinine, and candied lime. For those willing to wait, this medium to full-bodied Riesling should rival some of the greatest Clos Ste.-Hunes produced."
2001 Trimbach Riesling Clos Ste. Hune 375ml
This is one of our favorite Hunes - it is ruthless, even in the half-bottle. But wow, for mineral heads, this is a profound bottle. Mini-avalanche in 375 format.
1976 Von Simmern Erbacher Marcobrunn TBA 375ml
Not much to say here - the labels all ripped up but the bottle is in perfect shape - great color, fill, no signs of seepage. Should be an epic homage to the era of GREAT Rheingau Riesling.