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2010 Alzinger: Riesling and Grüner Veltliner

Austria in Perfect Clarity
2010 Alzinger: Riesling and Grüner Veltliner
"Wachau 2010 is a candidate for greatness."

Let me begin with a simple sentence: These are perhaps my favorite Austrian wines, scarcity be damned.

Leo Alzinger and his son, Leo A

1982 GAJA Barbaresco

Sorì Tildìn, Costa Russi, Costa Russi MAGS
Single-Cellar Owner, in OWC

To me, the 78, 82 and 85 Gajas represent the golden era for this legendary winery, and I consider the 82s to be amongst my favorite Piemonte wines of all time.

There are few Italian wines t

2009 Burgundy Middle-Weights: Simon Bize

Detour from Route 74
2009 Bize Savigny-les-Beaune
1er Cru Aux Vergelesses
"The Bize '09s are simply fantastic wines. Don't miss them." - Burghound

I maintain that Patrick Bize makes some of the most honest, classical red Burgund

2004 Michel Bregeon Gorges: "Cru" Muscadet for the Ages

The Ocean - Distilled.
2004 Michel Brégeon
Muscadet Sèvre et Maine "Gorges"
Powerful, Ageworthy Muscadet (Cellarable for 20 Years)

Sixty-four months on the lees, seven years post-vintage and only now does the story begin.

A.J. Adam Gone Baroque: Masterpieces of 2010

The young A.J. Adam has quickly become one of Germany's most important growers. Beginning with less than a hectare of land about a decade ago in the off-the-beaten-track village of Dhron, his rise has been simply meteoric.

GRAND CRU Red Burg at $70 - 08 Tollot-Beaut Corton-Bressandes

Corton Climbing
2008 Tollot-Beaut Corton-Bressandes
Outrageous Grand Cru Value - DRC's New Neighbors

If Corton hasn't gotten due credit lately, that will be changing soon thanks to the new kids on the block: DRC. The question is, how much lon

2010 Clos de la Roilette Cuvee Christal: The Unknown Roilette (under $20!)

Alain Coudert,
in Touch with Fleurie's Feminine Side
2010 Roilette Fleurie Cuvée Christal
The Little-Known Coudert Rarity (Well Under $20)

Alain Coudert's Domaine de la Roilette is one of Beaujolais' cult producers, most well-know

Donnhoff MAGNUMS - Limited

2010 Dönnhoff MAGNUMS
Spätlese and Grosses Gewächs
SPECIAL OFFER ONLY FOR DÖNNHOFF BUYERS

Dönnhoff is great, we all know it - so today let's just focus on the fact that Riesling magnums are perhaps the cooles

2000 Meo-Camuzet Echezeaux: The Only Bottles in the Nation

Grand Cru, Back-Vintage, Perfect Provenance
2000 Méo-Camuzet Echézeaux
The Only Bottles in the Nation
(at $250 Less than Anywhere Else in the World)

Is it wrong to start an email about Méo-Camuzet by talking

Billecart-Salmon Brut Rose: Sheer, Summery, Sexy

Classic (Rosé) Champagne
NV Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé
With Poise and Deliciousness

"Billecart-Salmon's NV Brut rosé is one of the most consistently delicious rosés readers are likely to find."
- Antonio Galloni, The Wine Advocate

2010 Lauer: The Incredible Lightness of (Saar) Riesling

The Incredible Lightness of Riesling
2010 Weingut Peter Lauer

We introduced the Rieslings of Weingut Peter Lauer to the United States nearly two years ago with the following (subtle) headline:
THE German Discovery of the Year!

The

Lauer

Blick auf alten Ayler Neuen

Schonfels

Bachelet, at $30 - Burgundy Without Compromise

Denis Bachelet's Authenticity
2008 Bachelet Bourgogne Rouge -
Côte de Nuits-Villages - Gevrey-Chambertin VV
SERIOUS Pinot Noir Starting at $30

"...this is essentially a one-man band. Happily it is a perfectionist and excel

2009 Bouchard Clos de Beze: Lowest Price in the Nation

Long-Haul Bèze (Just for the Loyalists)
2009 Bouchard Chambertin-Clos de Bèze
Grand Cru Deal - Lowest Price in the Nation

Bouchard's Clos de Bèze has reemerged as a benchmark for the famous site.

Bouch

08 Trimbach: Back Up the Truck!

Required Summer Drinking
2008 Trimbach Riesling Réserve
Back Up the Truck!!!

It's hard to overemphasize how versatile and perfect for summer this is.

Riesling is one of the most cooling, most quenching, most versatile wines in existence

SELOSSE: an introduction

An Introduction
NV Selosse Cuvée Initial
The Most Influential Producer in All of Champagne?

Anselme Selosse is THE cult Champagne producer.

He remains the most original, most game-changing producer in the entire region, with wines that ar

2009 Bouchard Le Corton: Grand Cru Under $85

Structured, Intense... and Sumptuous
2009 Bouchard Le Corton
2009 Grand Cru for Under $85?

"Excellent verve to the intense, pure, robust and beautifully well-detailed flavors..." - Burghound

What surprised me when I was ta

Horiot Rose des Riceys: France's Best, Most Ageworthy Rose?

France's Best, Most Ageworthy Rosé?
2005 Horiot Rosé des Riceys "En Valingrain"
Classy, Sophisticated and Without Artifice

Yes, we're dealing with one of the most obscure corners of the wine world. But beyond the pure "geek" fac

2009 Dauvissat: "Superb Premier Cru in the Making"

"Knockout Chablis"
2009 Dauvissat Chablis 1er Cru La Forest
THIS VINTAGE IS NOT TO BE DENIED CHEZ DAUVISSAT

Dauvissat's 2009s are unbelievably, almost inexplicably good.

One of the more entertaining moments interviewing R

Niellon: At the Pinnacle of Chassagne - 2008 1er Vergers

"Small is Beautiful"
2008 Niellon Chassagne-Montrachet
1er Cru Les Vergers
Small Estate, Small Parcel, Small Price Tag... GREAT Wine

This is the sweet spot of white Burgundy for us - seductive and authoritative. This is the stuff that has

2010 Dönnhoff: Kabinett to Spatlesen and Beyond

2010 Dönnhoff
Kabinett to Spätlesen and Beyond...
Special "German Futures" Pricing

"This is a very, very strong vintage for this consistently excellent estate." - John Gilman, View from the Cellar

While there is

2010 Germany: Extremely Something

Germany’s 2010ers are extreme.

At the Rudi Wiest tasting in New York I was poured an Auslese from the Pfalz harvested at a simply ludicrous ripeness level. The wine felt like molasses on speed frazzled by battery acid. I stepped back and stumbled to catch my balance. I felt like someo

Egon Muller Spatlese Auction

Egon Müller Auction
2000 Egon Müller Scharzhofberger Spatlese
Auction Bottling #6

This is a sort of ridiculous price for an Auction bottling by Egon Müller.

And really, there's one reason for this price - the vintage.

FX Pichler: Mineral, Delicacy, Fine-ness (Under $60)

My Favorite 2009 FX Pichler Riesling
2009 FX Pichler Riesling Steinertal Smaragd

I have always loved Pichler's Steinertal (for that matter, I've always loved Alzinger's Steinertal). I love the delicacy, the fine-ness, the minerality that is somehow both a