August 2023
ALL-TIME FAVS.
We’re celebrating our 20 year anniversary this month, and so we’re doing our picks a little differently. The following is a list of Jens & Julie’s all time favorite wines by country!
FRANCE
Reserve du Chevalier Crémant de Bourgogne Brut Burgundy, France // Reg $28.99 | Mixed Case $23.19
White flowers, citrus on the nose. Fine elegant beads with lively lemon notes, fresh apples and a rich body. You’ll think it’s real-deal Champagne.
Domaine Chevallier 2021 Chablis
Burgundy, France // Reg $33.99 | Mixed Case $27.19
Chalk, limestone on the nose followed by ripe golden apples, pears. Flavors of citrus, lime, more tree fruit. Complex. Great acidity. Long, fruity, limestone finish. Wonderful wine. Seafood, chicken or just pour a glass and go to heaven.
Château des Roques 2016 Vacqueyras
Southern Rhône, France // Reg $27.99 | Mixed Case $22.39
Classic blend of 70% Grenache, 15% Mourvèdre, 15% Syrah. Garrigue on the nose. Red & black fruit. Complex. Fuller-bodied. Plummy. Blackberries. Spice. Nice long, peppery finish with good acidity.
Le Plan des Moines 2021 La Borde Côtes du Rhône Rouge
Southern Rhône, France // Reg $21.99 | Mixed Case $17.59
Julie is partial to the Château des Roques if she has to choose, but I’m going with the Plan des Moines: Stony, earthy notes on the nose with black raspberries. Way more fruit on the palate. Blackberries, black cherries, dark raspberries (from the farmers market) and soft herbs & spices. Fuller-bodied. Fun, long, peppery finish.
Domaine des Pères de L'Eglise 2021 Côtes du Rhône Rouge
Southern Rhône, France // Reg $19.99 I Mixed Case $15.99
Grenache 85%, Syrah 5%, Carignan 10%. Aged in concrete vats, so no oak. Aromas of red fruits & berries. Medium in body. Flavors of red plums & red berries with complexity. A little note of tobacco, pepper & earth. Enjoy with grilled and roasted meats, eggplant parmesan, mushroom dishes, burgers & more.
Photo: The Gradassi family, makers of this wine!
Château Franc Grâce-Dieu 2018 Saint-Émilion Grand Cru
Bordeaux, France // Reg $42.99 | Mixed Case $34.39
Spicy plums, dark cherries, black tea, fine earthy notes on the nose. Flavors of blackberries, boysenberries, black cherries. Complex. Well-balanced. Long finish with fine tannins. Wonderful Saint-Emilion. Worth every penny.
Château Martinot 2022 Entre-Deux-Mers
Bordeaux, France // Reg $17.99 | Mixed Case $14.39
80% Sauvignon Blanc, 20% Sémillon. Super delicious, soft Entre-Deux -Mers. Grassy, hay, acacia (white flowers, honey). Lime, lemon, grapefruit, touch of nectarine on the palate. Easy, soft, delicious.
Château des Eyssards 2017 Rouge
Bergerac, France // Reg $21.99 | Mixed Case $17.59
80% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc. Fragrant red berry fruits with deeper notes of plum & black cherry with a hint of cedar & dried herbs. Well-balanced, with firm tannins on its velvety body. Flavors of plum, black currant, raspberry & dark cherry with a touch of black pepper spice last through the long smooth finish.
Jacky Marteau 2021 Touraine Sauvignon
Loire Valley, France // Reg $17.99 | Mixed Case $14.39
Fresh cut grass, white grapefruit on the nose. Citrus, lime, nectarine, grapefruit on the palate. Kind of creamy. But still great acidity. Great wine.
Chateau du Grand Caumont 2019 Cuvée Tradition
Corbières, France // Reg $17.99 | Mixed Case $14.39
We’ve been direct importing this wine since 2011 (our first container), and there’s a reason! Herbs on the nose (rosemary), soil, red plums. Lots of plums on the palate, blackberries, blueberries, lavender, more herbs. Medium-bodied. Smooth. Good acidity. Fresh finish. Lovely wine.
Vignerons Propriétés Associés 2019 Première Réserve Rouge
Languedoc, France // Reg $15.99 | Mixed Case $13.59
Red berries, red & black cherries, garrigue on the nose. Super sexy wine. Truly mouth-watering acidity, but not tart. Delicious with food. Fun to sip. VPA is a co-op that produces a big line of everyday wines that never disappoint!
ITALY
Castelfeder 2021 Pinot Bianco "Vom Stein"
Alto Adige, Italy // Reg $24.99 | Mixed Case $19.99
Aged 6 months on lees in stainless steel tanks prior to bottling. Delicate fruit & floral notes on the nose with flavors of ripe apple, pear & citrus. Round but lively! Delicious wine.
Castelfeder 2021 Schiava Alte Reben
Alto Adige, Italy // Reg $21.99 | Mixed Case $17.59
100% old vine Schiava (Italian) = Vernatsch (German). Wild strawberries, red forest berries on the nose. More cherries, blackberries on the palate. Silky smooth light, flavorful fruit. Soft earthy depth. A note of blood orange rind acidity on the fresh finish.
Pelassa 2019 Mario's Vino Rosso
Piedmont, Italy // Reg $18.99 | Mixed Case $15.99
Barbera blend. Best vintage ever. Absolutely stunning. A little fuller-bodied. Notes of cassis, plums, earth. Well-balanced. Perfect pizza wine!
P.S. We’ve had so many wonderful Pelassa wines through the years — Barbera, Barbera/Nebbiolo blend, Barolo, Arneis, Nebbiolo rosé and more. Their work is stellar!
Virna Borgogno 2018 Langhe Nebbiolo
Piedmont, Italy // Reg $24.99 | Mixed Case $19.99
Aged for one year in used oak barrels and left in the bottle for at least 6 months before release. Bright ruby red color. Delicate fruity scents of raspberry and violet. Dry, harmonious, with a good body.
Santa Clerissa 2021 Pinot Grigio Ramato
Veneto, Italy // Reg $19.99 | Mixed Case $15.99
100% Pinot Grigio. The juice is left in contact with the dark gray skins for 12 hours after crush, imparting a salmon color (= orange wine), fleshy mouthfeel and aromas of exotic fruits.
Nottola 2017 Vino Nobile
Tuscany, Italy // Reg $25.99 | Mixed Case $20.79
Spicy plum on the nose. Soft herbs... oregano, thyme. Flavors of blackberries, dark plums. Really good soft acidity. Herbal. Best Vino Nobile in the market. --Jens
Palazzo Malgara 2020 Primitivo di Manduria
Puglia, Italy // Reg $17.99 | Mixed Case $14.39
Beautiful herbal, earthy notes followed by blackberries, black plums. Dark fruit on the palate. Lots of blackberries, black raspberries. Orange rind acidity. Fun wine. Pizza!
SPAIN
Bodegas Maset 2019 Mas Viló
Priorat, Spain // Reg $29.99 | Mixed Case $23.99
Blend of Garnacha & Mazuelo (Carignan) from vineyards southwest of Barcelona. Fuller-bodied. Ripe berry fruit aromas (raspberry, blackberry) with notes of stones, balsamic. Enjoy with lamb. Estate vineyards pictured.
Quinta Hinojal 2016 Tempranillo
Castilla y León, Spain // Reg $15.99 | Mixed Case $12.79
Intense and complex with spicy aromas and hints of toast, cacao, vanilla & balsamic. Red cherries, dark cherries & a note of fig on the palate. Well-balanced with good acidity and ripe, sweet tannins (from the 12 months in oak).
5 Oros 2016 Crianza
Rioja, Spain // Reg $18.99 I 25% OFF = $14.24
Black fruits, raspberry, dark cherries with earthy notes. Smooth from the oak but not oaky. So lovely.
Condes de Albarei 2021 Albariño
Rías Baixas, Spain // Reg $18.99 | Mixed Case $15.19
"Varietal aromas of tropical fruit (pineapple) and citrus aromas (oranges), with a hint of white flowers (orange blossom). Well-balanced, fresh and pleasant with lingering finish." --importer's notes. We have it in stock year round for a reason!
PORTUGAL
Alves de Sousa 2017 Vale da Raposa Reserva Red
Douro Valley, Portugal // Reg $19.99 | Mixed Case $15.99
Smooth. Dark fruit with coffee and chocolate shining through on the finish. Always yummy.
AUSTRIA
Weingut Prechtl 2018 Reserve Red
Weinviertel, Austria // Reg $23.99 | Mixed Case $19.19
A blend of Zweigelt, Blaufränkisch & St. Laurent. Spice & earth on the nose. Flavors of spiced plums, black currant, black cherries. Complex, multi-layered wine. So delicious!
GERMANY
Dr. Loosen 2020 Riesling Spätlese Wehlener Sonnenuhr
Mosel, Germany // Reg $38.99 | Mixed Case $31.19
Fresh nose of tangerine & orange. Racy acidy. Elegant, well-balanced. Flavors of peach, lemon, note of mango. Long, laser beam (acidulous) finish. Drink now to 2040... 2050... This wine can age forever.
ARGENTINA
Valle Las Nencias 2019 Malbec Reserve
Mendoza, Argentina // Reg $14.99 | Wine Club $13.99 | Mixed Case $11.19
Inviting note of violets on the nose. Dark plums. Herbs. Palate is medium-bodied. Elegant. Full of plums, black cherries & blackberries. Super soft tannins on the earthy, minerally, long finish. Killer wine!
SOUTH AFRICA
Secateurs 2020 Chenin Blanc
Swartland, South Africa // Reg $21.99 | Mixed Case $17.59
Orange blossom, manderines, crushed rock. Very complex. Superb acidity. Flavors of citrus, unripe peach & mango. Wonderful, fresh, mouthwatering finish.
Note: Love their red blend equally as much!
NEW ZEALAND
Misty Cove 2020 Grüner Veltliner
Marlborough, New Zealand // Reg $19.99 | Mixed Case $15.99
100% Grüner Veltliner. Minerally stone fruit on the nose. Flavors are more exotic: pineapple, white peach, citrus, minerals.
AUSTRALIA
Paxton 2020 AAA Shiraz/Grenache
McLaren Vale, Australia // Reg $24.99 | Mixed Case $19.99
On the nose you can already smell eucalyptus, red & black fruit. Taste = black cherries, blackberries, black raspberries with an herbal undertone. Great acidity. Elegant. Complex. Just delicious.
UNITED STATES
Dunham Cellars 2021 Sauvignon Blanc
Columbia Valley, Washington // Reg $23.99 | Mixed Case $19.19
Aromas of white peach, gooseberry and fresh cut grass. Crisp, fresh acidity with some minerality & hint of fresh stone. Flavors of ripe grapefruit, citrus, lime peel. Fresh, long finish.
Tranche 2019 Pape Blanc
Walla Walla Valley, Washington // Reg $33.99 | Mixed Case $27.19
Blend of estate grown Roussanne, Viognier, Clairette Blanche, Picpoul, Marsanne, Grenache Blanc. Super fun wine — classic white Rhône blend… from Walla Walla. The winery says: “Vibrant melon and stone fruit aromas are complimented by notes of honeysuckle, citrus, white tea and baking spice. …” Amazingly reminiscent of a white Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
Kind Stranger 2020 Alter Red Blend
Columbia Valley, Washington // Reg $18.99 | Mixed Case $15.19
Crazy blend of Cab, Malbec & Syrah. Spicy plum & blackberry, blueberry. Herbal notes. Smooth! Medium-bodied with a good, long, spicy finish. Really delicious. Great value from WA State.
Winemaker Andrew Latta pictured.
Abeja 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon
Columbia Valley, Washington // Reg $79.99 | Mixed Case $63.99
“Sophisticated layers of wild blackberry, forest and baking spice mingle on the nose with violets, leather and vanilla. A well structured palate is artfully balanced by a fullness in fruit, fine-grain tannins and well suited acidity. Morello cherries appear with black pepper, lavender, cocoa powder on the palate. Towards the close, darker notes of walnut and dark plum emerge and continue throughout a lengthy finish.” —winemakers Daniel Wampfler & Amy Alvarez-Wampfler (pictured)
Solena 2022 Pinot Gris
Willamette Valley, Oregon // Reg $19.99 | Mixed Case $15.99
Aromas of fresh pears, lemons & fennel. Followed by flavors of Asian pears, honeydew and citrus. Well-balanced. Medium-bodied with crisp acidity. Crisp, juicy finish. Fantastic, refreshing wine.
Ken Wright 2021 Pinot Noir
Willamette Valley, Oregon // Reg $32.99 | Mixed Case $26.39
Classic Oregon Pinot! Aromatic. Medium- to fuller-bodied. Raspberry, cherry & spicy plum fruit. Good vintage after vintage.
Daou 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon
Paso Robles, California // Reg $41.99 | Mixed Case $33.59
Not a classic nose. Red fruits. Herbs. Minerals. Super inviting. Flavors are way bigger. Blackberries. Black currants. Earth. Great acidity. Spicy finish. Could age. Great now.
Nielson 2020 Pinot Noir
Santa Barbara, California // Reg $22.99 | Mixed Case $18.39
“Brambly red fruit and cherry, …hints of rose petals …elegant bouquet of black cherry, tea leaf, a slight caramel note, …. On the palate the wine has a delicate touch, with more flavors of red fruit, earth, and a …savory quality.” —winemaker’s notes.
AND SO MANY MORE….
Stop by! Our All Time Favs are tagged throughout the shop.