Page 4 - Blog

Warm weather is finally here, and we have the greatest wines for you to enjoy this season and beyond! You may commonly spend sunny days enjoying a glass of California Chardonnay, a crisp Chablis or a lovely, sought-after Rosé - and those are all terrific choices. But today, we’re turning the spotlight to an outstanding, 100 point Bordeaux Blanc - 2020 Pape Clement Banc. While Bordeaux is famous for many of its top pedigree red wines, several of its white wines also deserve attention and a spot in your wine lineup, especially during the summer months.

“I love drinking white Bordeaux in the summer! It’s just so fresh and clean. Every time I pop a bottle of Bordeaux Blanc for friends, it creates a new fan.” - Dave Sokolin

There are only a handful of 100 point white wines in history, and most of them cost thousands of dollars per bottle. 2020 Pape Clement Blanc is only $179/bottle, and it’s pure

It’s the season to drink pink - it’s rosé season! We're excited to bring you one of the most highly sought-after and difficult to find rosés on the market - 2022 Domaine Tempier Bandol Rosé! Scoring 93 points from RP, this pink wine is from an A+ vintage and is a gem that we know you’ll love.

“Domaine de Tempier is the Lafite Rothschild of Rosé. It’s heads above the rest. Sadly, we sell out of this Rosé well before the warmer months every year, leaving people wanting more." - Dave Sokolin

Domaine Tempier is recognized as one of the top rosé producers in the world. Robert Parker even said, "Always one of my favorite estates, Domaine Tempier's Bandol Rosé remains one of the world's reference points for how much flavor and character can be built into a rosé wine."

Founded in 1834, Domaine Tempier was a working farm with vineyards of Mourvèdre, but when Lucien Peyraud

2005 is one of the top ten Bordeaux vintages in history sitting alongside 1961, 1982, 1990 & 2009. We have an amazing 2005 Bordeaux deal that you don’t want to miss - 2005 Branon, a 96+ pointer priced at only $135. Chateau Branon is often considered “cult-ish” due to its limited production, proximity to first growth Chateau Haut Brion and its high scores.

Known as a garagiste for its smaller production, high quality wines, Chateau Branon is a renowned 18th century property in Bordeaux. It’s a “small jewel of a property owned by the Garcin family… with the only problem being its very limited availability.” - Robert Parker

We have pristine, original wood case six-packs of 2005 Chateau Branon priced at only $135. This is a steal for a 19-year-old, back-vintage Bordeaux gem! Only 665 cases were produced, so you can imagine how difficult this is to get your hands on.

“Pure and stunning,

Chablis pairs well with a side of sunshine, and we’re sharing another one of our favorite producers, Patrick Piuze. He’s a rising star when it comes to making Chablis, and his wines are truly something special!

Patrick Piuze has worked in vineyards all over the world, including Australia, South Africa and Israel before he landed in Burgundy in 2000. That year, he joined the Olivier Leflaive team where he gained experience working with Jean-Marc Brocard and Jean-Marie Guffens of Verget. He started his own label in 2008 and has quickly become well-known for his amazing Chablis. A Montreal native, Piuze harvests everything by hand (90% of Chablis is harvested by machine). He sources his grapes from some of the best land in Chablis and produces a very limited selection of boutique, artisanal wines. His wines are a true expression of the Chablis terroir.

"Even

It’s Chablis season! Chablis is one of the most under-priced meet over-delivering white wine regions on the planet. We’re sharing one of Dave Sokolin’s favorite Chablis producers, Jean Paul Droin, whose wines we know you’ll love!

Droin’s wines are produced by father / son team, Jean Paul and Benoit, and their family has cultivated vines in Chablis for almost 400 years. They produce Petit Chablis, Chablis, Premier Cru and Grand Cru wines.

"Jean Paul Droin is the next big thing in Chablis and is Chablis' greatest over achiever. You've got to try his wines. Think a more complex version of Fevre. I enjoy every wine I taste of his, and I keep his wines at my beach house all summer. They have an extra level of richness and intensity that are associated with wines that cost 2-3x more!

If you’re a Barolo fan, you don’t want to miss this value! 2015 Alessandro e Gian Natale Fantino Barolo Riserva Dardi has a 96 point score and a price of only $64.99.

“I am often asked who the up and coming producers are in Barolo. Alessandro and Gian Natale Fantino are among them.” - Antonio Galloni

Aged for 5 years in barrel and 12 months in bottle before release, this Bussia Riserva delivers a traditional Barolo Riserva at a ridiculously affordable price. It’s a Barolo lover’s dream!

To give you a little background, Alessandro Fantino spent twenty years working alongside the master, Bartolo Mascarello, where he made the wines and managed the vineyards. Additionally, the Fantinos own some of the oldest vines in the Barolo zone. Planted in 1946 and 1947, they produce grapes that would be the envy of any Barolista.

To show the value afforded here, consider how

Looking for a great tasting, yet affordable wine that could be your next house wine of the year?!? Dave Sokolin just announced his #1 house wine of the year - 2019 Domaine Arnoux Pere et Fils Beaune 1er Cru En Genet! This 2019 red Burgundy gives the chills, like the big boys, but it’s priced at only $49.99 and has what people are looking for in the expensive red Burgundy bottles.

2019 is one of the most special red Burgundy vintages in history and could be the red Burgundy vintage of the century. It’s a replay of the historic 1985 vintage. Not only is it an A+ rated year, but the wines have been ready to drink since release, an X factor that rarely, if ever, happens. "2019 is a hedonistic vintage... If you love great Burgundy, you should think about securing some 2019s quickly. Given current pricing trends, they will never be cheaper than

For the last 90 years, we’ve been well-known for our inventory of rare, sought-after, back-vintage Bordeaux. One of those special chateaux in Bordeaux whose wines we’re proud to offer is Gruaud Larose. Gruaud Larose was established in 1725 and is located in the St. Julien appellation of France. In the Bordeaux Official Wine Classification of 1855, it was classified as one of fifteen Second Growths.

“Gruaud Larose is one of the most under-priced Bordeaux that in many cases can compete with the region’s best.” - Dave Sokolin

A Super Second Growth, Gruaud Larose has that special quality that allows it to age, evolve and improve for decades.

We have very limited quantities of the historic 2005 vintage in stock, which is the highest scoring vintage since the epic 1982 vintage! Scoring 98 points and priced at only $165 / bottle, this is such a low price for this

Founded in 1934, we are known for our high-end inventory of the world’s rarest and most sought-after wines, including investment grade wines. While most investment grade wines come from Bordeaux and Burgundy, Italy has a few wines that fit into this category, including Sassicaia. Sassicaia is a Super Tuscan that always impresses, and it’s chased by collectors and wine connoisseurs.

“Sassicaia is the single most under-priced investment grade wine on the planet. Good vintages always seem to sell quickly.” – Dave Sokolin

We currently have one of the highest scoring Sassicaias ever produced - 2019 Sassicaia. 2019 Sassicaia is a 3x 100 point wine! Scoring 100 points from wine critics, Decanter, The Wine Independent and The International Wine Report, the 2019 vintage is one of the highest scoring Sassicaias in history at about 1/10th the price of the others! The other 100 pointer is the 1985 vintage that sells for

"For my money, Corton Charlemagne is as good as any Grand Cru white Burgundy (Montrachet, Chevalier Montrachet, etc.) at a fraction of the price. It’s the most serious Grand Cru white Burgundy at the most reasonable price point." - Dave Sokolin

Corton Charlemagne is also the most popular Grand Cru white Burgundy for a reason – almost every bottle is generally great. Louis Latour is an old-school producer and is consistently one of our top-selling producers of Corton Charlemagne, year after year. The Latour family is the largest landowner of the Corton Charlemagne appellation and has been producing wines for over 200 years.

We’re excited to bring you the 98 point 2019 Louis Latour Corton Charlemagne that’s a total stunner! "This is the best Corton Charlemagne Louis Latour has ever produced." - Dave Sokolin

The wine review by wine critic James Suckling