Wine: Over $60
Results
Le Ragose Amarone della Valpolicella
This is a classic, beautifully made Amarone. It isn't as thick and cloying as many of these wines can be with a nice backbone of acidity to balance the rich, ripe fruit. That said, it's still a powerful, intense wine with concentrated black cherry fruit and a long, long finish. Winemaking Details: Following harvest the grapes are laid out in single layers in small wooden boxes where they will slowly dry until January or February. Once dry, the raisined grapes are fermented for up to 30 days with indigenous yeasts in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks where they will stay for a period of 12 months followed by 4-5 years in large Slavonian oak casks.
Bea Montefalco Sagrantino Vigneto Pagliaro
We’re not worthy! Paolo Bea’s wines should have been served at the Last Supper. This small estate produces wine, grows olives, fruits, vegetables and raises farm animals. To this day, the Beas produce much of what they consume on a daily basis...no farmer’s market for them. All grapes are harvested manually. Derived from the Italian meaning drink of the gods, the Sagrantino grape explodes with cherry on the nose and gives way to dark chocolate and wet earth on the palate. Drink this now or keep for your tenth anniversary.
Casa de Santa Eufemia 1973 White Port
An anomaly in a region where most producers source their grapes, Casa de Santa Eufemia, a grower port estate, was founded in 1894 by Bemardo Rodrigues de Carvalho.
Jacques Puffeney Vin Jaune
Jacques Puffeney is known as the Pope of Jura. He makes textbook Jura wines with traditional grape varieties. This will have you exclaiming "I'm not worthy," unless you are worthy that is...a singular, earthy, oxidized white wine, only made in special vintages. Enjoy it now with intense cheeses or enjoy it 50 years hence.
Emidio Pepe Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
These are truly handmade wines in the beautiful and remote hills of Abruzzo. Unlike the mediocre, mass-produced Montepulciano wines of the region, this is distinct and singular. Made in a super traditional style. All the wines are released with significant age. Emidio Pepe's wines have gained cult following. Expect to find dried black cherries, licorice and wild herbs on the palate. Winemaking Details: No SO2 Added, Unfiltered, Unfined, Spontaneous Yeast Fermentation, Foot Treading, Aged in Concrete Vats
Dagueneau Blanc Fume de Pouilly
Though no longer with us, Didier was not an advocate of biodynamie, he was not an advocate of natural wine, he used some sulfur, disliked natural yeast fermentations and did not want to sell his wine because it was organic. He wanted to make the very best wine imaginable by guiding the minerality of his sites into the bottle. This wine has a heady aroma of lime with an almost smoky component, with a blast of citrus and peach on the palate wrapped in a silky texture. If you know this wine, you're probably already are on the way to the cash register...
Clos du Moulin aux Moines Pommard 1er Cru
Clos du Moulin aux Moines is the most exciting new Burgundy producers to come along in many years. Jordane Andrieu is making tiny quantities of world-class Burgundy, mostly from vineyards in the Pommard region, and his reputation is growing by the day. This wine is silky and gorgeous, with dark fruits, a bit of truffle and licorice on the nose, with dark cherry and spice on the very long palate. Snap this up before it costs $300 a bottle!
Emidio Pepe Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
These are truly handmade wines in the beautiful and remote hills of Abruzzo. Unlike the mediocre, mass-produced Montepulciano wines of the region, this is distinct and singular. Made in a super traditional style. All the wines are released with significant age. This one can satisfy even the hardest-to-please palates. Rich and intense with black fruits and Amarone, with hints of smoke and tar. Delicate but firm tannins will take you through to long and exciting finish each and every taste. Winemaking Details: No SO2 Added, Unfined, Unfiltered
Emidio Pepe Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
These are truly handmade wines in the beautiful and remote hills of Abruzzo. Unlike the mediocre, mass-produced Montepulciano wines of the region, this is distinct and singular. Made in a super traditional style. All the wines are released with significant age. Emidio Pepe's wines have gained cult following. Expect to find dried black cherries, licorice and wild herbs on the palate. Winemaking Details: No SO2 Added, Unfiltered, Unfined, Spontaneous Yeast Fermentation, Foot Treading, Aged in Concrete Vats