Stuff the Stocking with Wine
Due to the Commonwealth’s restrictions, we have canceled our planned wine expo. But fear not! We bring you the 25 Bottles of Christmas.
Each wine is vastly marked down. See the enclosed wine order form. Each wine has been handpicked by resident oenophile & Board President, Bruce Kirtley. He has reviewed and scored each wine. Also check out videos of his rankings and descriptions on our website or Facebook page. All wine orders must be placed by 2pm on Wednesday, December 16.
WHITE WINES
Chateau La Nerthe, Chateauneuf du Pape, Blanc 2018
Retail $65.99- 1 bottle $49.99, 6 bottles $47.99, 12 bottles $46.99
La Nerthe’s whites are stunning in 2018. The 2018 Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc features scents of crushed stone, pineapple and tangerine, while being plush and ripe on the palate. It’s full-bodied yet not fat or unbalanced, with vibrant, lime-like acids that prolong the silky-textured finish. Yum!
Wine Advocate 92 pts
Scholss Vollrads Reisling 2017
Retail $24.99- 1 bottle $19.99, 6 bottles $18.99, 12 bottles $17.99
Pristine lemon, lime and grapefruit aromas perfume this semidry Riesling. Light-footed yet boldly concentrated in citrus flavors, it’s an invigorating wine that finishes with reverberating minerality on the finish. This is irresistibly quaffable yet elegant.
Wine Enthusiast 90 pts
Louis Jadot Chablis 2018
Retail $25.99- 1 bottle $20.99, 6 bottles $19.99, 12 bottles $18.99
The 2018 Chablis (Maison Louis Jadot) unfurls in the glass with notes of lemon oil, crisp yellow apple and wet stones. On the palate, its medium to full-bodied, with a delicate core of fruit, lively acids and a long, saline finish that’squintessentially Chablisen. One of Jadot’s largest cuvées, this is very faithful to the appellation.
Wine Advocate 89 pts
Pedroncelli Chardonnay 2019
Retail $12.99- 1 bottle $11.99, 6 bottles $10.99, 12 bottles $9.99
Pineapple, mango and peach aromas lead to juicy fruit flavors of citrus, sweet spices, pineapple and toasty oak notes. Bright acidity, this wine finishes clean and refreshing.
James Suckling 91 pts
Hess Chardonnay 2018
Retail $20.99- 1 bottle $16.99, 6 bottles $15.99, 12 bottles $14.99
Tropical aromas of grilled pineapple with a hint of lemon zest. Nicely balanced, medium-bodied with layers of peach and golden delicious apple. The finish is crisp and clean with well-balanced acid.
Wine Spectator 90 pts
MacRostie Chardonnay 2018, Sonoma Coast
Retail $29.99- 1 bottle $23.99, 6 bottles $22.99, 12 bottles $21.99
This has fresh aromas of pithy lemons and grapefruit with a gently flinty edge, too. The palate rolls out plenty of fresh melon and lemons with toasty oak threaded throughout. Drink now.
James Suckling 92 pts
Oxford Landing Chardonnay 2019
Retail $12.99- 1 bottle $10.99, 6 bottles $9.99, 12 bottles $8.99
This is a solid South Aussie Chard at a bargain price. Peach and pineapple are backed by a salted caramel note. The palate is neatly balanced between a creamy texture and bright acidity, with a crisp, refreshing finish.
Wine Enthusiast 88 pts
Tangent Albarino 2016
Retail $21.99- 1 bottles $17.99, 6 bottles $16.99, 12 bottles $15.99
This stainless expression shows soft and supple aromas of candied honeydew, cotton candy and bubblegum, yet against a crushed chalk minerality. It’s grippy on the palate, offering hints of guava soda and passion fruit, yet with a savory hint of sea salt from the nearby ocean.
Wine Enthusiast 89 pts
Zenato Pinot Grigio 2019
Retail $15.99- 1 bottle $10.99, 6 bottles $9.99, 12 bottles $8.99
Fruity aromas of apple and pear follow over to the light-bodied palate, along with a hint of green melon. Tangy acidity gives it a bright finish.
Wine Enthusiast 87 pts
Dry Creek Fume Blanc 2018
Retail $13.99- 1 bottle $11.99, 6 bottles $10.99, 12 bottles $9.99
This wine was given no time in oak and made entirely from grapes grown in Dry Creek and Russian River Valleys. It is lively, tart and fresh. Balanced flavors of lemon peel, lime and peach mingle around an earthy tease of fresh-cut grass.
Wine Enthusiast 90 pts
Guenoc Sauvignon Blanc 2018
Retail $6.99- 1 bottle $5.99, 6 bottles $5.99, 12 bottles $5.99
This medium-bodied wine combines zesty, grassy aromas with rich fruit flavors for a well-balanced and appetizing character. It shows plenty of citrus, green apple and gooseberry tones.
Wine Enthusiast 89 pts
Hugel Gentil, Alsace 2018
Retail $16.99- 1 bottle $13.99, 6 bottles $12.99, 12 bottles $11.99
Slight notes of ripe yellow pear appear shyly on the nose of this wine. The palate comes in with freshness supported by very slight spritz. Lemony brightness dominates the dry finish of this slender wine.
Wine Enthusiast 89 pts
Kono Sauvignon Blanc 2019
Retail $14.99- 1 bottle $12.99, 6 bottles $11.99, 12 bottles $10.99
The grapefruit flavors stand out, with pops of citrus zest and hints of lemon grass in this steely, crisp, light-bodied white. Drink now.
Wine Spectator 88 pts
Graffetta, Grillo 2019
Retail $13.99- 1 bottle $11.99, 6 bottles $10.99, 12 bottles $9.99
Located at 600m above sea level, these vineyards are more suitable for the production of white grapes, such as the native Grub. The vineyards have high mineral/fossil content, with an east-west aspect of sun exposure. Straw-yellow color, this Grillo reveals delicate yet complex aromas of dried flowers, hay, and straw. On the palate, it displays a warm, fully Mediterranean profile, which at the same time is balanced by its freshness and acidity.
Brunellesco Pinot Grigio 2019
Retail $9.99- 1 bottle $8.99, 6 bottles $7.99, 12 bottles $6.99
Bright straw yellow with a fresh bouquet of fruit and flowers, fragrant, dry, zesty and well orchestrated with persistent, well balanced hints of fruit.
Clos Henri Petit Clos Sauvignon Blanc 2019
Retail $17.99- 1 bottle $14.99, 6 bottles $13.99, 12 bottles $12.99
“Editors’ Choice”
Another stellar wine from this quality-driven producer and an excellent vintage, the bang-for-buck factor delivers extra strong here. Notes of soft gunflint and seashell tuck beneath bright citrus and stone fruit, grass and dried green herbs. The palate strikes a lovely balance between texture and zingy acidity. Flinty, mineral nuances run beside juicy citrus right to the long finish. This may be less age worthy than Henri’s upper tier Sauvignon, but it’s utterly delicious drinking right now.
Wine Enthusiast 94
Henri Bourgeois, Petit Bourgeois, Sauvignon Blanc 2019
Retail $13.99- 1 bottle $11.99, 6 bottles $10.99, 12 bottles $9.99
Remarkably aromatic with pleasant flower and fruit fragrances. On the palate it reveals a freshness and vivacity that is pure and clean. Citrus, apple and gooseberry aromas with hints of passion fruit are found in this lively and bright wine. An incredible value.
RED WINES
Fonseca Bin 47 Porto NV
Retail $20.99- 1 bottle $17.99, 6 bottles $16.99, 12 bottles $15.99
The NV Bin No. 27 Ruby Reserve Port is a blend of typical Douro grapes held for four years in used French oak. It comes in with 97 grams per liter of residual sugar. This was a from a July 2018 bottling (although, unless you can read production stamps, that isn’t so easy to determine). This reliable old friend has reasonable everything—intensity of flavor, concentration and structure. That last one might be the best part, though, as it shows some pop on the finish. Dry and tight, this familiar brand does nicely at a very nice price. If you choose to age it, it can probably hold decently barring cork failures, but aging is not the point here.
Wine Advocate 88 pts
La Pina Tinto 2018 (Vegan)
Retail $11.99- 1 bottle $10.99, 6 bottles $9.99, 12 bottles $8.99
Hyacinth, violets and lavender are among the many floral notes of this redolent wine. The palate has a real sense of purity to it, with the tangy acidity highlighting the bright, dark-fruit notes. Medium-long on the finish. A blend of syrah, garnacha, and monastrell.
James Suckling 93 pts
Altesino Brunello di Montalcino 2015
Retail $143.99- 1 bottle $119.99, 6 bottles $109.99, 12 bottles $103.99
A very nuanced but powerful Brunello showing hibiscus, raspberry tea, gunpowder, petrichor, dried orange rind and spearmint. The rows of sharp tannins are very defined and agile, and the acidity is tensely strung up in overtures of vivacious red fruit. A beautiful, nimble Brunello 2015.
James Suckling 97 pts
Borsao Garnacha Red 2019
Retail $12.99- 1 bottle $10.99, 6 bottles $9.99, 12 bottles $8.99
SILVER MEDAL 2020 DECANTER WORLD WINE AWARDS “Typically plump and juicy Campo de Borja. Loads of berry fruit and vanilla flavours and a succulent, ripe finish. Crowd-pleaser.”
Wine Spectator 90 pts
Zenato Ripassa 2016
Retail $32.99- 1 bottle $25.99, 6 bottles $24.99, 12 bottles $23.99
Notes of tobacco and dark chocolate accent this wine’s flavors of dried cherry and cherry put. It’s a rich and spicy Ripasso, built for hearted braised meats.
Wine Enthusiast 90 pts
Hacienda Lopez de Haro, Crianza 2017
Retail $12.99- 1 bottle $10.99, 6 bottles $9.99, 12 bottles $8.99
#43 TOP 100 BEST BUY 2020
Plum, cherry and earthy spice notes make up a classic Rioja nose, while this Crianza from a hot, dry year feels fleshy and ripe. Dark berry flavors push toward the limits of raisiny on the warm finish.
Wine Enthusiast 90 pts
Flavium, Seleccion Mencia 2015
Retail $10.99- 1 bottle $9.99, 6 bottles $8.99, 12 bottles $7.99
This plush red delivers a deep well of black cherry and currant flavors, with licorice and cocoa notes that give way to a floral finish. Well-integrated tannins and lively acidity keep this focused. A richer style.
Wine Spectator 91 pts
Bodegas LAN, Rioja Crianza 2017
Retail $31.99- 1 bottle $24.99, 6 bottles $23.99, 12 bottles $22.99
A red with succulent blackberry and walnut undertones that flow to a medium to full body with creamy, chewy tannins and a flavorful finish. More refined and integrated than past vintages.
James Suckling 91 pts
La Lecciaia, Rosso Di Montalcino 2016
Retail $16.99- 1 bottle $13.99, 6 bottles $12.99, 12 bottles $11.99
I like the energy to this Rosso di Montalcino, which displays rose petals and citrus. Light to medium body, fine tannins and a fresh finish.
James Suckling 91 pts
Collina Dei Lecci Brunello di Montalcino 2014
Retail $26.99- 1 bottle $20.99, 6 bottles $19.99, 12 bottles $18.99
This offers bright and vibrant blue flowers and attractive red fruit, leading to a mid-weight palate with fresh and easy, approachable tannins.
James Suckling 90 pts
Barone Ricasoli CeniPrimo Chianti Classico 2015
Retail $79.99- 1 bottle $58.99, 6 bottles $56.99, 12 bottles $55.99
Great purity of sangiovese with cherry; plum and fresh flowers. Hints of orange peel. Ash. Balsamico. Full body, with super velvety and fine-grained tannins. Glorious finish. Transparent and beautiful. Love the finish.
James Suckling 98 pts
Kadabra Malbec 2018
Retail $10.99- 1 bottle $8.99, 6 bottles $8.99, 12 bottles $7.99
This offers a brambly array of raspberry and blackcurrant aromas, leading to a very impressive palate that has rich, tangy and upbeat berry flavors.
James Suckling 91 pts
Chateau Bire 2016
Retail $12.99- 1 bottle $10.99, 6 bottles $9.99, 12 bottles $8.99
Some quite upbeat and attractive, brambly red-berry and cherry aromas here, leading to a palate with fresh, lithe and juicy repose. Smooth tannins abound.
James Suckling 90 pts
Sur de Los Andes Pinot Noir Reserva 2018
Retail $13.99- 1 bottle $11.99, 6 bottles $10.99, 12 bottles $9.99
This has a rich, ripe array of cherries and berries on the nose with quite a dense palate that has a very juicy and fluid, full-ish feel for a pinot noir. Quite bold.
James Suckling 92 pts
Chateau Lestage, Red Blend, 2016
Retail $22.99- 1 bottle $19.99, 6 bottles $17.99, 12 bottles $16.99
From one of several properties owned by the Chanfreau family in Listrac, this wine is firm, structured and has a core of dry, dark tannins. Its black fruits are also right there, waiting to burst through as the tannins soften. It will be a rich, perfumed wine with a good future.
James Suckling 92 pts
Chateau Croix-Mouton Bordeaux Superior 2015
Retail $20.99- 1 bottle $16.99, 6 bottles $15.99, 12 bottles $14.99
A fruity and juicy red with currant, cherry and plum character and a hint of cedar and rust. Full to medium body, ripe tannins and a flavorful finish.
James Suckling 90 pts
Chateau Cap de Faugeres, Cotes-de-Castillon 2015
Retail $25.99- 1 bottle $20.99, 6 bottles $19.99, 12 bottles $18.99
Refined and very pretty with blue fruit and dried berry. Full and tight. Cool fruit.
James Suckling 92-93 pts
Château de Ribebon, Bordeaux Superieur 2016
Retail $14.99- 1 bottle $12.99, 6 bottles $11.99, 12 bottles $10.99
This has an array of juicy, rich red-plum and berry aromas and flavors that make for a very impressively balanced wine that has good, persistent red-fruit flavor through the finish.
James Suckling 91 pts
Pere Caboche, Chateauneuf Du Pape 2018
Retail $34.99- 1 bottle $26.99, 6 bottles $25.99, 12 bottles $24.99
The color is ruby red with blue highlights. A very intense nose of ripe fruits, cherry, and blueberry jam, delicately spiced(sweet pepper), generous and harmonious. The mouth is full and rich with nice freshness. Very nice persistence, the tannins have great finesse all the while being remarkably well structured. A great and generous Chateauneuf du Pape, elegant and complex.
SPARKLING WINES
Bollinger Special Cuvee NV
Retail $69.99- 1 bottle $50.99, 6 bottles $50.99, 12 bottles $49.99
A beautiful Champagne. Complex and elegant, evoking ginger, jasmine, citrus and honey aromas and flavors, accented by a biscuit and grain component coming as much from barrel fermentation as yeast aging. Very firmly structured and long.
Wine Spectator 93 pts
Tattinger, Brut La Francaise NV
Retail $55.99- 1 bottle $42.99, 6 bottles $40.99, 12 bottles $39.99
A bright Champagne in an aperitif style, with the lively mousse carrying an appealing, easy-drinking mix of poached white cherry, pastry cream and candied ginger notes. Drink now.
Wine Spectator 89 pts
Villa Jolanda Brut, Silver Label NV
Retail $10.99- 1 bottle $8.99, 6 bottles $8.99, 12 bottles $7.99
Light straw yellow color with greenish hints. Fine and persistent. Intense and aromatic. Fresh, pleasant and well-balanced.
Champagne Ayala Brut Majeur
Retail $60.99- 1 bottle $46.99, 6 bottles $43.99, 12 bottles $44.99
There’s a firm, chalky edge to this minerally Champagne, and mouthwatering flavors of candied lemon peel, green apple, crystallized honey and biscuit. This has an elegant texture and an overall sense of style. Drink now through 2020.
Wine Spectator 92 pts
Louis Pommery Brut NV
Retail $23.99- 1 bottle $18.99, 6 bottles $17.99, 12 bottles $16.99
“Editors’ Choice”
This well-balanced and smooth wine is the debut California offering from French producer Pommery. Made from 96% Chardonnay and a dab of Pinot Noir, it carries aromas of toasted baguette and flowers, with crisp apple and White peach flavors on fine-beaded bubbles. The concentrated fruit amplifies on the palate and lingers on the finish.
Wine Enthusiast 90 pts
Cipriani Prosecco Brut
Retail $16.99- 1 bottle $13.99, 6 bottles $12.99, 12 bottles $11.99
Light yellow with greenish reflections. Delicate hints of apple accompanied by citrus notes. Fresh taste, it presents a good balance between acidity and flavors, lovely fruity overtones.
Veuve Monforte, Brut Blanc de Blancs NV
Retail $8.99- 1 bottle $7.99, 6 bottles $7.99, 12 bottles $6.99
Creamy texture, while being very fresh and light. It displays notes of honeysuckle and pears on the palate, with a pleasant floral nose. It is a dry style, and it pairs superbly with food. Serve at a temperature of 8-10 °C.