Big Names, Big Scores Collection
Need a high-impact gift – or a terrific treat for yourself? Here you’ll find a dozen selections featuring famous names and huge ratings from the wine press. Note that these wines are in very limited supply.
30 Items Found
- Guillon Clos Vougeot Grand Cru 2008 Product #23795 (In Stock)
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A classic from the largest and best-known Grand Cru vineyard in the Cote de Nuits, the walled vineyard of Vougeot. Unlike many wines from this famous site, Guillon’s Vougeot is fully Grand Cru in quality – dark, rich, and super, super, long. Cellar for another 5-8 years and drink for 20.
“From 40+ year old vines and whole cluster fermentation, fermented entirely in a small 100% new wood tank. As one would reasonably expect, this is much more defined aromatically by earth tones rather than fruit. Dark berry fruit aromas introduce exceptionally rich and full-bodied flavors blessed with ample dry extract levels and an opulent mouth feel yet the hugely long and slightly woody finish tightens up considerably and is quite youthfully austere despite the sap.” Allen Meadows 91-93 points
- Castello Dei Rampolla d'Alceo 2006 Product #24154 (In Stock)
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Rampolla is one of the best estates in Tuscany you’ve never heard of – and d’Alceo is their top wine. The 2006 released at $275 per bottle; clearly, we’re doing a little better than that.
"Castello dei Rampolla is one of the benchmark properties in Tuscany, and for good reason. At their finest, these are some of the most elegant, luscious wines readers will come across. The 2006 D’Alceo, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, is a much tighter-wound wine than the Sammarco but it also seems to be holding back a lot more sheer density in reserve. Full-bodied, rich and monstrously tannic at this stage, it doesn’t taste too different than it did when I first sampled it from tank in November 2006! The wine possesses dazzling inner perfume, refined tannins that need time to emerge and exceptional overall balance. It is a fabulous effort from Rampolla. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2031."Wine Advocate 96 points
- Fontodi Flaccianello Della Pieve Toscana 2008 Product #25046 (In Stock)
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Back in the 1970s and 1980s, Fontodi was already one of Chianti’s most outstanding producers, but was frustrated by the region’s regulations that required Chianti to contain inferior grapes blended with the estate’s great Sangiovese. The family crated Flaccianello as a “super-Tuscan’ in 1981 to show the world how great a 100% Sangiovese, oak-aged, wine could be. One of the first all-Sangiovese super-Tuscans, and still among the best wines in all of Tuscany.
“The pureness of fruit is so intense here. It’s also so clean and beautiful. The wine shows fabulous aromas of flowers, blueberries, and raspberries. It’s full-bodied, with chocolate, licorice, and plums. The texture is very velvety. This is a wine in near perfect proportions.” James Suckling 97 Points.
- Verite La Muse Red 2007 Product #25051 (In Stock)
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Very Limited
"A perfect wine, this blend of 85% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 5% Malbec emerges from Chalk Hill (48%), Knight’s Valley (21%), Alexander Mountain Estate (21%) and Bennett Valley (10%). Another prodigious effort, its extraordinary sweet notes of caramelized herbs, mocha, coffee, blackberries and cassis are followed by a multilayered, full-bodied wine revealing a seamless integration of acidity, tannin, alcohol and wood, and an opulent, voluptuous finish that goes on and on. It is thrilling to smell, taste and drink. Moreover, it possesses a similar seamlessness also found in the 2002 and 2001. Because of that, it can be drunk now for its primary attractions or cellared for another 30+ years."Wine Advocate 100 points
- Joseph Phelps Insignia Proprietary Red 2008 Product #25155 (In Stock)
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"The 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Insignia is a towering, statuesque wine bursting with blackberry jam, tar, spices, leather and licorice. It shows fabulous depth and richness backed up by serious, imposing tannins that suggest it has a long life. Ideally, the 2008 should be purchased by those who can be patient; it is not a wine for those seeking immediate gratification. The blend is 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Petit Verdot and 4% Malbec. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2038."Wine Advocate 97 points
- Vieux Telegraphe Ch-du-pape La Crau Rouge 2009 Product #25202 (In Stock)
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Always one of the Rhone's best, the 2009 VT is something special. Air it out now or cellar for a decade.
"This is crammed with fruit, spice and structure, as braised fig, plum skin, cassis and anise notes wrestle with roasted apple wood, melted red licorice and tar for now. The embedded grip should carry the finish until this assimilates fully. Best from 2014 through 2024."Wine Spectator 94 points
"(65% grenache, 15% each of mourvedre and syrah, and the rest all the other varieties; aged in a combination of foudres and concrete): Bright ruby. Intense red fruit and potpourri aromas show excellent precision and a suave, spicy character. Licorice and lavender nuances add complexity to juicy raspberry and bitter cherry flavors, with the wine putting on weight in the glass. Finishes taut and youthfully tangy, with echoing licorice and spice notes."International Wine Cellar 93 points
- Plumpjack Syrah Napa Valley 2009 Product #25417 (In Stock)
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The 2009 Plumpjack Syrah is at once lush and surprisingly Rhone like. In fact, the winery's tasting notes seem spot on: "The 2009 PlumpJack Syrah is, in our opinion, the most Northern Rhone like Syrah we have yet crafted. In the nose aromas of white pepper, smoked meat, olive tapenade and baked plums. Flavors of five spice, cardamom, star anise, vanilla and boysenberry coat the palate. On the finish it shows more lushness than the 2008 but still boasts the structure to age for over the next 5 to 7 years."
- Ciacci Piccolomini Brunello Di Montalcino 2007 Product #25458 (In Stock)
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#9 Wine Spectator Wine of the Year!
The fourth vintage of Ciacci's "normale" is once again a vibrant, juicy, Brunello from the estate's younger vines. It's a pretty wine at first with generous aromas and bright red fruits, but there's also good tannic support for aging in cellar. Give this a year and then decant to serve with rich meats or let it soften on its own in cellar.
“Brother and sister Paolo and Lucia Bianchini are the team behind this impressive Brunello. The family’s vines are located in the prized southwest-facing vineyards of the region, which at their highest point reach an elevation of nearly 1,200 feet. A traditional style, the wine was fermented in stainless steel and concrete vats and then aged two years in Slavonian oak. Ciacci also makes Brunello from the Pianrosso vineyard, including a riserva in top years, but this label represents the best value.
Though dense and rich, this red is also sleekly proportioned and harmonious. The cherry, raspberry, licorice, earth and tobacco flavors meld with the solid structure. Offers fine length and complexity that increases with aeration. Best from 2014 through 2025."Wine Spectator 94 points
- Dom Ponsot Griotte-Chambertin Grand Cru 2008 Product #25748 (In Stock)
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"The 2008 Griotte-Chambertin is a huge, super ripe wine loaded with dark fruit, earthiness and tobacco. This shows notable intensity but not quite the pedigree or refinement that is the hallmark of Ponsot. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2026."Wine Advocate 91 points
"Reduction blocks the nose but the graceful, detailed and beautifully textured flavors are strikingly rich, generous and full and despite the impressive power, the overall character of this wine is really quite fine, all wrapped in a balanced, mouth coating and classy finish. A classic Griotte."Allen Meadows 91-94 points
- Collosorbo Brunello Di Montalcino 2007 Product #26051 (In Stock)
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Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2012 (#81)
Sweet and sexy with great purity. Very tempting tonight, best in 10 years.
"This rich red shows plenty of bass notes, in the form of sweet plum and wood smoke, as the wine plays out across the palate. Balanced and juicy, with a moderately firm structure. Fine accents of spice, smoke and tea mark the finish. Best from 2014 through 2028."Wine Spectator 93 points
"The 2007 Brunello di Montalcino bursts from the glass with freshly cut flowers, spices, rose petals and sweet red berries. The 2007 impresses for its poise and fabulous overall harmony, especially in the way expressive aromatics and fruit are woven together. I very much admire the wine’s feminine, gracious personality. This is a terrific showing from Collosorbo. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2025."Wine Advocate 94 points
- Ch Latour Pauillac 2004 Product #26094 (In Stock)
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Just entering the drinking window now and ready to last another 20 years.
"Captivating aromas of currant, black licorice and spices, with just a hint of sweet tobacco. Full-bodied, with chewy tannins and a long, long finish. Structured and racy. Best after 2011."Wine Spectator 95 points
"A terrific effort from Administrator Frederic Engerer and owner Francois Pinault, the dark ruby/purple-tinged 2004 Latour exhibits a strong cassis character intermixed with notes of crushed rocks, earth, cedar, and forest floor. Racy, elegant, but powerful with medium to full body, and sweet tannin, it will benefit from 5-7 years of cellaring, and should keep for three decades. It is a very impressive offering."Wine Advocate 95 points
- Dom Louis Michel Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos 2010 Product #26236 (In Stock)
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"Michel’s 2010 Chablis Les Clos comes across as big, rich and powerful. It is rather viscous on the palate, as there was a touch of botrytis in the vineyard. In 2010, it is the vintage that speaks most loudly. I can’t say this is an especially typical Les Clos, but it is a beautiful wine if taken on its own terms. Nectarine, peaches, exotic flowers and anise meld together on the textured finish. Anticipated maturity: 2013+."Wine Advocate 93 points
"Hints of sulfur reduce the present attractiveness of the otherwise complex and well-nuanced nose that displays notes of oyster shell, white pepper and dried flowers. Like the Grenouilles, this is also very tight and backwards with its beautifully detailed and borderline painfully intense flavors that culminate in a serious, linear and palate staining finish. This impeccably well-balanced effort should also amply reward 6 to 10 years of development."Allen Meadows 92-94 points
- Gaja Sori Tildin Langhe 2006 Product #26244 (In Stock)
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In perfect condition and most still in un-opened wood six packs. A very rare deal.
“Angelo Gaja's 2006s from Barbaresco are lovely, although they require a bit of aeration to find their focus. As always Gaja blends in a small percentage of Barbera for his single-vineyard Langhe wines. The 2006 Langhe Sori Tildin opens with a gorgeous, nuanced bouquet that leads to an equally expressive core of ripe, red fruits. This medium-bodied Sori Tildin is the most focused and energetic of these wines. It offers exceptional length and a refined, polished close. As is often the case, the Sori Tildin is also the most delicate and feminine of the single-vineyard wines. This is a very strong effort even if the explosiveness of the finest vintages is missing. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2031.” Wine Advocate 94 points
“Good full, deep red. Sexy aromas of minerals, truffle and ineffable rose petal. Suave and lush, showing a surprisingly open-knit texture that partly masks the wine's serious underpinning of fine tannins. Very long and aromatic on the aftertaste."International Wine Cellar 94 points
- Sandrone Barolo Le Vigne 2008 Product #26382 (In Stock)
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Pre-Arrival; Wine Arrives Late October 2012
"Sandrone’s 2008 Barolo Le Vigne is a wine of breathtaking textural finesse and elegance. Nothing really stands out, so phenomenal is the wine’s balance and sense of harmony. This is the kind of wine that is easy to overlook because it doesn’t ask for attention and isn’t showy. Instead, everything is simply in the right place. The finest, most silky of tannins support a core of sweet red berries, flowers, mint and spices, all of which are woven together with total refinement. The eternal, nuanced finish bodes very well for the future. This is a dazzling effort from Luciano and Luca Sandrone."Wine Advocate 97 points
- Dom Leflaive Puligny Montrachet 2010 Product #26437 (In Stock)
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"The 2010 Puligny-Montrachet caresses the palate with soft, expressive fruit. This beautiful, open Puligny villages will delight readers pretty much upon release. Hints of smoke, slate and crushed rocks are layered into the textured, inviting finish. It is another terrific entry-level offering from Leflaive. Anticipated maturity: 2012+."Wine Advocate 90 points
"A classic Puligny nose is both fresh and ripe with citrus, floral and white-fleshed fruit aromas where there is added nuance in the form of smoke and menthol hints. There is a lovely sense of refinement and energy to the silky and pure middle weight flavors that possess fine precision as well as faultless balance on the lingering finish. Good stuff for a villages level effort."Allen Meadows 89-91 points
- Continuum Proprietary Red 2009 Product #26477 (In Stock)
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Very limited.
"Sleek and understated, making its mark with firm, dense, tightly wound espresso, dried berry, crushed rock and black licorice flavors, with a finish that emphasizes the loamy earthiness. The tannins are firm and well-integrated."Wine Spectator 94 points
"I was super-impressed with the two wines I tasted from Continuum Estate, Tim Mondavi’s new venture on Pritchard Hill, not far from Chappellet and Bryant. Mondavi is gradually moving towards 100% estate fruit, but these early vintages include some fruit from vineyards in Oakville and Stags Leap. Continuum is distinguished by a fairly large presence of Cabernet Franc. This is one of the most exciting new properties in Napa Valley. The 2009 Continuum comes across as much more understated next to the 2008. It has plenty of silkiness and finesse, but less of the size and shape of its older sibling. Dark cherries, espresso, exotic spices and licorice are woven together in a fabric of notable elegance and harmony. The 2009 Continuum is 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc, 7% Petit Verdot and 4% Merlot, 82% of which came from estate-grown fruit. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2024. Wine Advocate 94 points
"Medium ruby-red. Deep, brooding aromas of cassis, licorice, dark chocolate and warm spices. Sweet and round on entry, then rather powerful in the middle, showing lovely floral lift to its medicinal black fruit flavors. Plenty of mouthfilling texture here but shapely too. Finishes with substantial ripe tannins. Comes across as a bit less sweet and pliant now than the 2008, but this is in a rather brooding phase today and needs time."International Wine Cellar 93 points
- Brovia Barolo "Garblet Sue" 2008 Product #26531 (In Stock)
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Note: Mixed case prices for this wine and other Brovia Crus will not show on your web receipt. We will adjust your pricing when the wines are pulled and rung in-store!
Garblet Sue is the name of a small slice of the famous Bricco Fiasco vineyard in Castiglione. It always gives classically structured Barolo with firm tannins, but this 2008 adds more roundness and fruit than you normally fine here.
“Brovia’s 2008 Barolo Garblet Sue’ bursts from the glass with a heady array of black fruit, smoke, incense and licorice. The Garblet Sue’, from the Bricco Fiasco vineyard in Castiglione, is usually a much more linear, tense Barolo, but in 2008 the wine has gorgeous inner perfume allied to a level of pure juiciness that rounds out some of the rough edges that are at times present in this bottling. A huge finish laced with iron, asphalt and crushed rocks rounds things out in style. This is a super-classic Barolo from Brovia. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2040.”Wine Advocate 96 points
- Maillard Corton Renardes Grand Cru 1993 Product #26602 (In Stock)
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Just what you'd expect and hope for in a mature Grand Cru red Burgundy from an outstanding site, winemaker, and vintage. Black berries and plum fruit, dusky earth, roasted meat, and earthy mushroom all show on the complex nose and palate. Still weighty and powerful - it is Grand Cru, after all - but with a sense of seamless elegance and grace as well. Hard to describe, easy to drink. Very limited.
- Belle Glos Pinot Noir Clark & Telephone 2011 Product #26685 (In Stock)
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The Clark & Telephone vineyard Pinot Noir has been going from strength to strength in recent vintages, with a 91 point rating from Wine Spectator for the 2008 and then back-to-back 93s for 2009 and 2010. The last vintage clocked in at #77 on Wine Spectator's Top 100 of 2012 for its "impressive mix of dense blackberry, raspberry and huckleberry, holding its focus and maintaining its supple texture." As Joseph explains, the cool 2011 growing season allowed him to "achieve moderate levels of sugar, meaning moderate levels of alcohol, yet full fruit ripeness." Here's his tasting note:
"Deep scarlet red in color, this wine leaves little to the imagination with rich, expansive aromas of blackberry, raspberry, plum and sweet baking spices like cinnamon, clove and nutmeg. The palate is similarly intense with flavors of ripe blackberries, raspberries, warm cherry pie, blueberry and fresh cranberry, perfectly balanced with velvety tannins and a smooth toasty oak finish. Best described as 'Christmas in your mouth!'"
