Collection: November

Along with La Rioja Alta, Lopez de Heredia is the greatest source of age-worthy traditional Rioja. Viña Cubillo is comprised mainly of 40+ year old Tempranillo with a little Garnacha, and a touch each of Mazuelo and Graciano. Even though it is released as a Crianza, it meets the requirements of a Reserva and almost Gran Reserva. This red is highly aromatic with notes of baking spices, leather, orange peel and dried cherries. Super delicious now, it will age beautifully for many years.  “The super bargain of the portfolio has to be the red 2017 Viña Cubillo Tinto Crianza, which this year shows more development and faster aging, with more tertiary notes than the other reds from 2013 and 2014 that I tasted next to it. It has notes of damp earth, mushrooms, truffles and forest floor, dry leaves and decayed flowers and herbs. It has a polished palate and is medium-bodied, with mostly resolved tannins, and it feels a little lighter. But it's still worth it. It was produced with a blend of 70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha and 5% each Graciano and Mazuelo from vines averaging 53 years of age.” - 93 Wine Advocate & 92 Vinous 

This is our favorite Cotes-du-Rhone in a long time and even longer time if only count sub $20 wines.  A blend of Grenache and Syrah, the 2023 vintage presents in a beautifully deep red color, inviting you to explore its complex flavor profile. The wine boasts a full-bodied structure that is perfectly complemented by vibrant acidity, adding a refreshing lift to each sip. With prominent fruit intensity, expect accompanying notes of dark berries and ripe cherries, harmoniously intertwined with subtle hints of spice and earthiness. The tannins are firm yet balanced, providing an elegant backbone that supports the wine’s velvety texture.  Super food-friendly, especially with winter cuisine. 

$35.99 bottle / $197.94($32.99) six-pack  Whoah, this Gigondas is incredible. Call it old school or classic it's lighter in style than many of its peers, due perhaps to the grapes never being destemmed. Intense aromatics of tart red currants, earth, iron, dried rose petals, tobacco, and game - wildly complex. The palate is earthy with lively acidity, flashing with deep and brooding red fruits wrapped in structured tannins. Finessed and serious this wine has striking balance. Fall in a bottle. Limited -Lance's pick

The 2023 Thevenet Les Clos really surprised us!  This is an incredibly undervalued Pinot Noir from Burgundy - not just Pinot Noir but Pinot Noir with real Burgundian gout de terroir.  Precise aromas of damp earth, red raspberry, black cherry, red currant fruits, spice, and violets are beguiling.  The palate offers crunchy red fruit, spice and soil notes. Enjoy now and often over the next two years with salmon, pork, burgers, chicken and game birds.   

$39.99 bottle / $227.94($37.99) six-pack Yep, we’re pimping a CA Zinfandel.  For those of you familiar with Sky Zin, you understand why -it’s unlike 99% of other Zinfandels made in the modern era (last 25 years).  Located high up on Napa's Mt. Veeder, Sky's vineyard has been the source of great Zin for decades.  Back in the 1980s and '90s, there were a good number of wineries in Sonoma and Napa making well-balanced, multi-demential Zinfandel that actually aged well. Those were the days before celebrity winemakers started churning out over-ripe zins with no acidity and 15%-17% alcohol that tasted like alcoholic blackberry syrup from the local IHOP.  The 2016 (current release) Sky Zinfandel is quite the opposite with delicious restrained brambly fruit, excellent balance, modest alcohol (13.1.%), and the structure to age.  It’s so pure and so balanced and packed with tangy red fruit and bright acidity. While this Zin will continue to develop in the cellar, it's already lip-smackin' good and a perfect partner for just about any meaty delight you might throw on your BBQ.  I just tasted the 2000 version of this wine and was floored by how well it had aged and great it was tasting. 

$44.99 bottle / $251.94($41.99) six-pack Follow cooling winds down the dramatic Alps mountainside through the Clivi (slopes) near the Italian/Slovenian border and you might just happen upon the 80+ year old Brazan Vineyard. While you're there, soak up the sun and breathe in the warming, salty air drifting in from the Adriatic. Here, like I have, you might begin to contemplate how a wine from this unique site can be both dense and airy simultaneously. Unctuous flavors of white peach and dried tangerine mix with ginger like salinity leading to a long, fresh, and savory finish. Can't wait to witness the evolution over the next decade.  -Lance's pick

$29.99 bottle / $167.94($27.99) six-pack Let’s face it, while Piedmont is home to some of the greatest red wines on earth, the vast majority of the whites are…well…pretty boring. Sure, there are some pretty cool Timorasso wines from the outskirts of Piedmont, but here we finally have an exciting white wine from the heart of the Langhe. There are tiny plantings of Nascetta scattered around the Langhe, but the commune of Novello is where it reaches its apogee. Elvio Cogno is rightfully known for their outstanding Barolo bottlings, but here we have an excellent example of the rare Nascetta varietal. This aromatic, medium-bodied dry white is crisp and refreshing with very good complexity. Enjoy with light antipasti, white fleshed fish, crustaceans, vegetarian fare or just by itself now and over the next five to seven years.

$59.99 bottle / $335.94($55.99) six-pack Truly, 2021 is an incredible vintage for Barolo and Barbaresco. While no Barolo is cheap, this is a real value in outstanding Barolo from an iconic vintage.  Like the best 2021 Baroli, this wine can be enjoyed in its youth or better yet, cellared for 10 to 20 years for further complexity and tannin refinement. "Nicola and Stefania Oberto are slowly putting Berri on the map. Silky, aromatic and creamy on the palate, the 2021 Barolo Berri is striking in its beauty. Crushed flowers, sweet red-toned fruit, chalk, mint and white pepper all meld together effortlessly. Silky, polished tannins frame the finish. It is a superb young Barolo—that much is clear. Drink: 2027-2041” - 95+ Antonio Galloni, Vinous     

$58.99 bottle / $335.94($55.99) six-pack ~ pre-arrival, due mid November  Grand Cru vineyard + some of the oldest vines in the state (53 years old) + superior clones (Pommard and Wädenswil) + outstanding winemaker + warm, but gentle growing season = insanely great Oregon Pinot Noir.  The Arterberry Maresh - Maresh vineyard regularly competes against the very best Pinots not only in Oregon, but in Burgundy too. ~   "Tense and savory, with layers of spicy herbs and black pepper, together with pure, elegant fruit wrapped in blood-orange zest. The structure is tightly wound, with firm, deeply rooted tannins and almost endless length. The mid-palate unfolds with bitter oranges, seashells, iron and crushed bricks, adding complexity. This is built for the cellar and needs some time. Better from 2029.” - 98 James Suckling  & #2 American wine for 2025 +  “The 2023 Pinot Noir Maresh Vineyard is impossible to ignore, offering an array of crushed cherries and minty herbs, along with a hint of clove and stone dust that tempt the senses. Elegance defines the feel, as velvety textures are supported by cool-toned acidity while red and blue fruits swirl across the palate, leaving a crunchy mineral tinge toward the close. A web of fine-grained tannins adds structure and poise as the 2023 finishes with outstanding length and energy, leaving inner rose tones and a pleasantly bitter twang to linger. Fabulous. Drink 2026 - 2034” - 96 Vinous