2014 JB Becker Riesling Old Vine Kabinett Dry
Wallufer Walkenberg, Rheingau, GR
Regular Price $39.99You my or
Sale price $31.99
We’ve been waiting for this wine excitedly since we ordered it about 6 months ago, and were not sure than it would arrive as late as this week. It’s here! This, my friends, is a dry Riesling, from one of the most well regarded producers of dry Riesling in the world. Hans-Joseph Becker, the grandson of the founder, Jean-Baptiste Becker, took over operations in 1971, and has been producing iconic, profound and singularly styled dry Riesling, despite the lack of awareness of or desire for those wines. Try this wine. You may or may not like it, but it won’t be because its sweet.
2017 Terres Dorees (JP Brun) Roussanne
Beaujolais, FR
Regular Price $24.99
Sale price $19.99
Fasten your seatbelts; here’s another wine that you’ve never heard of…Roussanne from Beaujolais. The renowned Jean-Paul Brun has been making this wine for a number of years now, and its finally legal to do so. The newly recognized Appellation Roussanne Controlee allows him (and others) to plant and grow Roussanne in the south of Beaujolais and not have to call it a ‘table wine’ (Vin de Pays), which was the case in his first few vintages. Its not as strange as it sounds; Roussanne is a mainstay of the Northern Rhone Valley, which is just down the rood. This wine is not Rhone-ish; it’s rather stylish and understated with lovely fruit and floral tones.
2017 Steininger Gruner Veltliner ‘Grand Gru’, Kamptal Reserve
Niederosterreich, AT
Regular Price $26.99
Sale price $20.99
Gruner Veltliner is Austria’s most widely planted grape, and although you can find Gruner from elsewhere, arguably it grows best in Austria. And the pinnacle of Austrian Gruner are those labeled Kamptal Reserve. These wines are from grapes picked later in the season and the subsequent wine often sees time in large barrel to allow for greater concentration. Big, rich, full with typical white pepper and celery notes, this wine also exhibits pronounced nectarine and white grapefruit flavors and a pithy grapefruit finish. It’s also called ‘Grand Gru’…get it?
2016 Domaine le Sang des Cailloux Vacqueyras Blanc
Vacqueyras, FR
Regular Price $57.99
Sale price $47.99
What? White Vacqueyras? Who knew?
Well, obviously we did. And now, you do. Relatively rare (97% of all wines from Vacqueyras are reds), white wines from here have been made since the middle ages. A blend of nearly all the typical white Rhone grapes (20% Clairette, 20% Grenache Blanc, 15% Bourboulenc, 15% Roussanne, 15% Marsanne, 15% Viognier), its full bodied and lush but still crisp, dry and fresh.
2018 Domaine Huet ‘Clos du Bourg’ Vouvray Sec
Vouvray, FR
Regular Price $49.99
Sale price $39.99
Domaine Huet is the most famous name in Vouvray and makes perhaps the finest expressions of Chenin Blanc on the planet. Dry, semi-sweet and sweet alike, the wines show concentration, depth of flavor and ability to age spectacularly well (red wines should only age so well!). This single vineyard wine is bone-dry (sec) but shows classic floral and pear aromas. Delicate and subtle at this point, it will age into a fuller, richer and more complex wine.
2017 Pra ‘Monte Grande’ Soave Classico
Verona, IT
Regular Price $34.99
Sale price $27.99Soave the best known and best selling white wine from Italy throughout the 60s and 70s only to be eclipsed by the far less compelling Pinot Grigio since the 90s. Pinot Grigio fans perhaps won’t find much to like in this wine, but fans of lush and concentrated whites will be thrilled by it. A blend of 70% late harvested Garganega and 30% Trebbiano di Soave, its viscous and full of honeyed melon and pear flavors yet still closes crisply and dry with typical bitter almond finishing notes.