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Gravner: Through the Decades

A History of Restlessness and Clay Amphora

A relentlessly reflective iconoclast, the style of wine that Josko Gravner has made from his 18-hectare estate has varied greatly over the past three decades. Regardless of style, Gravner has remained not only a benchmark

2007 Becker Estate Pinot Noir

Authentic Winemaking and a Pinot Noir Steal at $16.80
(How Do You Say "Back Up the Truck" in German?)

Consider today's offer a dazzling introduction to the new, more balanced, more sophisticated sensibility of German Pinot Noir, though it's also one

Frank Cornelissen - Bianco del Monjebel 5 / Rosso del Monjebel 5

Warning: Eccentric, Esoteric, Extreme Winemaking
Our 2nd Offering: Going Back to Mt. Etna!

A most esoteric, yet inspired, offer for you this Monday. It was just over a year ago that we sent out our first Frank Cornelissen offering.

These are some of the most

Frank Cornelissen

Frank Cornelissen does not come from a long line of winemakers; in fact, it was only in 2001 that the Belgian bought his first old-vine, ungrafted vineyard on the volcanic flank of Sicily's famed Mt. Etna, after being inspired by a bottle of Etna Rosso at a lunch in Sicily, and presumably, fallin

2006 Desvignes Morgon "Javernieres"

The FINAL Batch of the STUNNING 2006!

"If there were a classification of vineyards in Morgon, Cote du Py would be a Premier Cru and Javernieres a Grand Cru." - Louis/Dressner

Today we present the last of our "Back-Vintage Beaujolais" emails, because with this parcel

2007 Pegau Chateauneuf-du-Pape Reservee

"...like drinking a liquified, rare grilled steak mixed with ground pepper, roasted herbs, and spice." - Wine Advocate

Lowest Price in the Nation!

Today, the flagship wine from Pegau, the 2007 Chateauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée, from what is shapin

2006 Lignier Red Burgundy - Power, Texture, Richness...and VALUE!

While the recent history of the Lignier family has been tragic, there is always a time for rebirth, for renewal.

With this offer we mark the beginning of an exciting new generation of winemaking at this estate, firmly rooted in the Ligniers' top sites across Gevrey-Cha

Wittmann: The Secret of the Rheinhessen

Powerful - Staining - Mineral - Dry Riesling

"Wittmann's uncompromising pursuit of quality...make for some striking vinous characteristics. Who would believe ... his top sites have higher Riesling acidity than those of his wife Eva Clusserath on the Mosel?"

Wittmann

Philipp Wittmann took the helm of his family's estate in 1999 and it is without a doubt one of the most impressive estates in the Rheinhessen. Strangely, while Wittmann has a monster reputation in Germany, they are all

2006 Chalone Cabernet Sauvignon

The $10 Cali Cab Friday Steal!
Something about Chalone

We've written this before, but it's true: Most bottles that cost under $10, taste like bottles that cost under $5. Sure, you're not spending much, but you actually get less than what you

2007 Vatan: Concentration Meets Elegance

2007 Vatan Sancerre "Clos la Neore"
"Clos de la Neore is by any stretch of the imagination
one of the world's greatest white wines." John Gilman

With Stephen away in Germany , I'm filling in as "captain" of the Crush email program this

2006 Nicolas Potel Vosne-Romanee

"Vosne-Romanee is the greatest Pinot Noir village on Earth" - Clive Coates

I've written this before, but it's true: The greatest sin of 2006 Burgundy is that it came after 2005 Burgundy. (Naturally, it didn't help that prices rose due to the deadly combo of growers bumping

2007 Bedrock Wine Company: Time-Capsule Vineyards Speak (Beautifully) of California's History

One of the Most Exciting New Addresses in California

Do you have preconceptions about California winemaking?

Go ahead and forget 'em all because the Bedrock Wine Company is doing things differently. This is easily one of the most exciting new wineries we've come a

Michael Collins Irish Whiskey - The Heroic Spirit

Today is St. Patrick's Day, as any glance up shamrock-splattered Fifth Avenue will tell you and today we present a "spirited" way to observe the feast of the patron saint of Ireland.

Michael Collins Cocktails

We'll be enjoying Michael Collins tomorrow in the following three ways (choose any for yourself, or perhaps all three, depending on the time of day):

Michael Collins Single Malt, Neat
Simply pour the whiskey into an old-fashioned glass and enjoy the pleasing aroma of s

Knebel: Lower Mosel Speaks

Weingut Knebel is situated in what is considered the Lower Mosel's best village, Winningen. It is also happens to be one of the warmest areas in the Mosel and therefore the style at Knebel (especially for the dry wines) is muscular and powerful, while (almost miraculously) elegant.

Knebel

Ulli Stein: Rebel of the Mosel

The steeply terraced and visually stunning vineyards of the Lower Mosel don't offer an easy life to those who tend them. They are laborious and costly to work and their obscurity means the grapes they produce often fetch a low price.

More work, less pay. This cruel formula often results in

Far Too Beautiful: 2004 Bea Sagrantino

"At their best these are finessed expressive wines of the highest level in a style that recalls the Brunellos of Gianfranco Soldera or the Barolos of Giuseppe Rinaldi, to name just two producers with a similar aesthetic.." - Antonio Galloni, Wine Advocate 

Random Germans + Austrians at Seasonal

What can I say, I LOVE Austrian wine. Just such a whacky lineup of really profound, kooky wines, everything showing great. We were hosted by Wolfgang and Eddie at Seasonal, a new Austrian restaurant on 58th Street in Midtown that deserves some serious attention. Sophisticated, pure food with cont

2004 Ferrando Carema Etichetta Bianca

The Barolo-like Ballerina at Less than Half the Price!

"When I am asked which wine would I choose were I to be restricted to a single one, my answer is: Carema." - Neal Rosenthal

Strong words from legend-importer Neal Rosenthal (above), especially

Toni Bodenstein's Prager: High-Altitude Aristocrats

How many winemakers do you know would plant a high-altitude site even when everyone in the region warns against it?

How many winemakers do you know work painstakingly h

Willi Schaefer Steal - 2007 Estate Riesling

After a painful two-year drought, Schaefer's insider's secret, his QbA Estate Riesling, is back in a BIG WAY. This is probably the best Estate bottling that Willi and Christoph Schaefer have ever put together, just another golden coin from the bounty of 2007 in Germany.

Solaris 2006 Chardonnay

Let's propose a wine truism: Most bottles that cost under $10, taste like bottles that cost under $5. Sure, you're not spending much, but you actually get less than what you're paying for.

It's the rare inversion of this truism that makes our offer a "Back Up the Truck" free-for