The Sec Wines Newsletter features wines that we're really excited to offer you. These are wines worthy of a special feature due to their high quality to value ratio and just plain deliciousness. Enjoy!
2021 Cameron, Pinot Noir, White Oak, Ribbon Ridge Willamette Valley, OR $53.99 bottle / $299.94($49.99) six-pack
New Cameron Pinot Noir alert! As is usually the case, wines produced at Cameron from Ribbon Ridge fruit are always their juiciest, richest and most succulent. This inaugural White Oak bottling just ratchets it up a notch. Be the first on your bock to score some! “Introducing our first White Oak Vineyard designated Pinot noir from the Ribbon Ridge AVA. You know it’s Cameron, but it’s definitely also from a completely different appellation than the Dundee Hills. Black pepper, dark cherry, cinnamon, cardamon, dried plum and metallic notes on the nose. In the mouth, tannins, acidity and bit of structure predicts its potential longevity.” - John Paul. Very limited.
Special Price: $53.99 per bottle
2022 Zarate, Albariño, Val Do Salnes, Rias Baixas, Spain $24.89
This is my favorite vintage yet of my favorite Albariño producer. Founded in 1707, seventh generation winemaker Eulogio Pomares has taken Zarate (along with Do Ferreiro) Albariño to new heights. The undulating slopes of Xabre with its weathered granite soil, and cool climate make Val do Salnés the region's greatest terroir and home to its longest-lived wines. Zarate's 2022 Albariño offers a kaleidoscope of aromas and flavors with aromas of peach, nectarine and jasmine and flavors of Meyer lemon, nectarine, and honeysuckle with a lashing of minerals, framed by refreshing acidity. Enjoy this dry, medium-full-bodied white with all manner of seafood now and over the next five years.
Special Price: $24.89 per bottle
2021 Domaine Ogereau, Anjou Blanc, Vent de Spilite, Loire $37.99 bottle / $203.94($33.99) per six-pack
This 100% Chenin Blanc is out of this world good! Chenin Blanc is the darling white wine variety of the wine geek world but you certainly don't need to be a wine geek to appreciate this delicious Loire Valley white. Ultra-classic Savennieres-like aroma of almonds, beeswax, honeysuckle and wet chalky rocks explode from the glass with aeration. The palate is extremely well-balanced with fantastic tension between the perfectly chiseled fruit and acidity with a vein of minerality coursing throughout. As powerful and concentrated as this wine is, remarkable finesse is still on full display with a mineral grip that pulses throughout. Enjoy this thrilling dry white now and over the next 14 years.
Special Price: $37.99 per bottle
2021 Domaine Ogereau, Savennieres, Clos le Grand Beaupréau, Loire $44.99 bottle / $239.94($39.99) six-pack
Located at the top of Epiré hill, Clos le Grand Beaupréau is the highest point in Savennières, just below the Moulin de Beaupréau. The topsoil is composed of windblown aeolian sands, covering a subsoil of brittle schists that allow for deep rooting and a strong soil expression. Here are my notes from tasting it a few weeks ago: “Tighter nose, but explosive palate that just won’t let go! Great - rich, yet linear at the same time. Texturally pleasing with an intense piercing mineral expression and perfect Chenin fruit. Super-concentrated. Buy.” - Quite limited.
Special Price: $44.99 per bottle
2021 Domaine Ogereau, Anjou Rouge, Les Tailles, Loire $32.99 bottle /$179.94($29.99) six-pack
If you're already a fan of great Loire Valley Cabernet Franc, then here you go - great producer, great vintage, great price. If you're unfamiliar with Loire Cab Franc or have had your interest peaked by Washington or California Cab Francs and want to take the step to more complex and food-friendly wines, then here's the ticket! With the 2021 vintage, Ogereau’s Les Tailles has ample cassis, plum and cherry fruit buttressed with notes of tobacco, pepper, firm tannins, good acidity and plenty of stoney minerality. Enjoy now and over the next 12-15 years. Perfect bistro red with streak frites, roast chicken, grilled sausages, etc. This wine is so pure. Come on, you deserve it!
Special Price: $32.99 per bottle
2021 Domaine Faury, Cote-Rotie, Les 3 Brunes, N. Rhone $64.89
For many, the tiny appellation of Cote-Rotie in France's northern Rhone Valley is the source of the world's most exhilarating syrah. Because Cote-Rotie is such a small appellation, its production is naturally limited and finding great traditionally made Cote-Rotie is becoming harder and harder as wine collectors around the world snap them up. Finding great traditionally made Cote-Rotie at a good price is rare but Faury's 2021 Cote-Rotie is just such a wine. Soaring aromatics that are at once both floral and spicy segue to a palate that is both incredibly intense and elegant with beautiful red Syrah fruit, earth, game notes, a strong mineral core and sneaky structure ensuring a long, graceful evolution in your cool cellar. Drink through 2044. “Saturated Ruby. Highly perfumed aromas of cherry, blueberry, incense, exotic spices along with a bright, smokey mineral overtone that builds in the glass. Spice-accented red and blue fruits preserve flavors show very good depth and energy thanks to a core of juicy acidity. Finishes with building floral and spice notes, dusty tannins and resonating minerality.” 93-95 Vinous - Very limited.
Special Price: $64.89 per bottle
2019 Flavien Nowack, Meunier Extra-Brut, La Fontinette, Champagne $74.99 bottle / $419.94($69.99) six-pack
“One of the brightest stars among the newest generation of Champagne’s vignerons is Flavien Nowack…” - Peter Liem Focused on single vintage and single parcel Champagnes, Flavien is committed to showcasing the terrior of the Marne. Hailing from the outstanding 2019 vintage, this is 100% Pinot Meunier from vines planted in 1965 in the tiny La Fontinette vineyard. The 2019 La Fontinette is a very vinous Champagne that while exciting to drink and contemplate on its own, really excels at the table. Powerful, dense and full of energy, this superbly balanced Champagne explodes with a rare degree complexity. Fans of 100% Pinot Meunier Champagnes from Bereche, Georges Laval and Jerome Prévost will love this Champagne. Limited.
Special Price: $74.99 per bottle
2016 Nusserhof, Teroldego “Tyr….go” Alto Adige, Italy $54.89 bottle / $299.64($49.99) six-pack
"Nusserhof is one of the most remarkable estates I have ever visited. Nusserhof remains one of the stars not just of Alto Adige, but of Italy.” - Antonio Galloni, Vinous. Because this wine is declassified to Vino Rosso, it cannot list the variety or vintage outright on the label. For many years the Mayr family got away with intentionally misspelling the grape as Tyroldego, but eventually got caught, hence the “Ty….go” on the current labels. Label - smabel….what’s really important is how good this wine is. In terms of aroma and flavors, I’ll let the Vinous review below speak, but what I love about this Teroldego/Tyroldego is that it’s a red wine for all seasons, and now, with winter upon us, will be amazingly satisfying with hearty lentil and potato dishes, stews, and especially, braised meat dishes. “Crushed rocks, dark florals and musky red currants waft up from the youthfully inward 2016 Vino Rosso Ty….Go. Its textures are like pure silk, ushering in a dense wave of red and black fruits. Energy is maintained by brisk acids, as hints of licorice and rosy inner florals form toward the close. This finishes structured and long with admirable freshness, as a citrusinspired tension lingers, and a flourish of inner sweetness resonates.” - 94 Vinous
Special Price: $54.89 per bottle
