Year in Review
- Our Best Seller Case (15% off*)

Robert Parker called this fantastic Bordeaux a 'sleeper' for the vintage. It is a special value displaying classic Bordeaux flavors and aromas. Robert Parker writes: 'Clarke's 2003 may be a sleeper of the vintage. Aromas of black currants, minerals, smoke, and damp earth emerge from this dark ruby/purple-tinged, medium-bodied, pure effort....Drink it over the next decade.'

The 2002 Napa Valley Cabernet is a stunning wine from the vintage everyone has talked about. Deliciously concentrated and gracefully classic, the flavors continue to unfold and mesmerize on this voluptuous Cabernet. The wonderful balance of smooth, rich, ripe varietal characteristics are so enjoyable...a winner.

Ici/La-Bas has been sourcing fruit from Tom and Mary Elke's vineyard near Boonville since 1997. The Victoria Chardonnay is a full bodied white that combines ripe fruit, exotic mineral complexity, lush texture, and great acidity. This wine come from a mature vineyard (29 years old) with very small yields (around 1/2 ton per acre) of gloriously ripe, golden berries. This is Burgundian in style with peach, slate, golden delicious apple, earth, toasted grain, and hazelnut notes stemming from its integrated Francois Freres new barrel component.

[Burghound, Allen Meadows 91 pts] The nose abounds with fresh fruit aromas with citrus and chalk notes, white pepper and flowers. Intense and long lived fruits, peaches and chalky notes underscored by hints of pear butter and peach butter. This wine is comparable in terms of quality to a premier cru from the Cote d’Or — and at a fraction of the price.

This delicious white Burgundy from Leroy has grace and elegance. Apple and pear notes with bright acidity and smooth, balanced fruit makes this Chardonnay a great wine for Burgundy fans.

Awesome Cortese from the Langhe by an equally regarded producer. This Italian white has great weight, structure and balance. A subtle nutty finish with great acidity makes this wine one of our favorites from this region. Enjoy!

While the 2005 has not yet been rated, we believe it is every bit as fantastic as the 2004 vintage. On the 2004 vintage: “The most....Grand Cru Burgundian-like was the 2004 Tenuta delle Terre Nere Etna Guardiola. Its silky tannins were accompanied by a beautifully sweet bouquet of flowers, red and black fruits, earth, and subtle smoke. Lacy, rich, and light on its feet, it is ideal for drinking over the next 7-8 years.” [91 pts +, Robert Parker, Hedonist’s Gazette, Feb 2006, Wine Advocate]

The Thomas Forgarty Estate Pinot Noir is a blend of two Estate vineyards. The Sky Vineyard component produces wines with gorgeous aromatics; think rose hips, tart cherries and cola. The Rapley Trail Vineyard component provides aromatics that are more centered around black pepper and spice. Intriguing aromatics lead to the well structured but elegant mouthfeel. Fine tannins and bright acidity are framed by flavors of bright fruits flavors of cherries and rhubarb with a hint of earthiness. Drinking well now this wine should age well for another 3-7 years. [240 cases made]

Nittardi's delicious Chianti Riserva drinks like a Brunello! [93 pts Wine Spectator] A dark, well-posed red, with loads of crushed berry and eucalyptus character. Medium to full-bodied, with toasty oak flavors, well-integrated tannins and a long, minerally finish.

Consistent year after year, Torbreck Woodcutter's Shiraz is an outrageous value. A 100% Shiraz from 10-20-year old vines, aged 12 months in old foudres, this fabulous effort may be the finest inexpensive Shiraz David Powell has yet produced. Blackberry, raspberry, cherry, licorice, and peppery aromas soar from the glass of this full-bodied, opulent, voluptuously-textured wine. Boasting superb purity, length, and intensity, this beauty simply over-delivers, radically changing one’s opinion on what can be purchased for a mere $25 a bottle. It should drink well for 7-8 years. [93 pts Robert Parker] Rich and spicey. A plush mouthful of pomegranate, cherry and plum fruit on a polished texture, picking up hints of cardamom and white pepper as the finish lingers. [Wine Spectator]

[94 pts Robert Parker] The 2005 Finca Sandoval is 76% Syrah, 13% Mourvedre, and 11% Bobal fermented with native yeasts followed by malolactic fermentation in barrel with lees stirring, followed by aging from 11-13 months in French and American oak, a mix of new and seasoned 225 and 300-liter barrels. Purple-colored, the wine offers up an alluring nose of toasty oak, mineral, floral notes, blueberry, and blackberry. This leads to a full-bodied, ripe, layered wine with superb integration of oak, tannin, and acidity. There is enough structure to support 3-5 years of evolution in the cellar.

Hayne Vineyard fruit from Chase Family Cellars is the source of fruit for Turley Cellars Hayne Zinfandel. Packed with raspberries, cherries and blackberries, this wine shows layers of bright, ripe fruit and subtle hints of chocolate. With elegance and finesse, this Zin is smooth as silk and balanced with a flavorful finish.