Specials

Notes of Muscat, fresh green grapes and Mandarin orange. Appealing glossy texture, juicy and full with a crisp finish. A great pairing for richer cuisine like fried spring rolls, goat cheese or chicken braised in teriyaki. “Nakadori” is sake that just uses the middle press of sake without blending in the brash flavors of the initial “arabashiri” that first comes off the press or the slightly bitter flavors at the end.

Region: Fukushima

Grade: Honjozo Nakadori

Seimaibuai: 70%

Nihonshu-Do: N/A

ABV: 16%

Rice: Yamada Nishiki

A beautifully modern sake, slightly lower in alcohol with subtle sweetness. Juicy, lush texture, medium full bodied sake. Notes of Muscat grape and honeydew melon on the palate, finishes clean with a slight effervescence laced with bright acidity. Pairs well with sashimi, Sushi, Soy based dishes. Burrata with balsamic vinegar. Also beautiful with bold dishes like grilled lamb and pork tenderloin.

Region: Fukushima

Grade: Junmai

Seimaibuai: 60%

Nihonshu-Do: N/A

ABV: 13%

Rice: Yamada Nishiki

94+ Points! Following a challenging harvest for Sangiovese, the Fattoria le Pupille 2020 Poggio Valente generates aromas of wild cherry, pressed violet, balsam herb and grilled rosemary. There is a lot of good freshness (this was the difficulty of the vintage), and the wine has good tannic support for a rich core of fruit. Poggio Valente is not dominated by oak, and that is also what sets it apart. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com

• Practicing organic
• 100% Pinot Noir
• Grapes from all of Mortet’s holdings in Gevrey-Chambertin (village + 1er Cru + Grand Cru)
• Direct press rosé
• Indigenous yeast
• Fermented and aged in stainless steel

From the importer: From three vineyards at the foothills of Chaintré: Les Chambardes, Les Pelouses, Les Jonchayes. The vines were planted between 1968 and 1985. Clay-limestone soils. Hand harvested. Fermented in thermoregulated tanks. The wine continues to age in these tanks for ten months before bottling. No fining.

From the importer: A south-southwest facing parcel located in Clos du Château de Chanzeaux, all from Coteaux du Layon. Thisparcel used to be part of the cuvee for their Cremant d'Loire, but was identified as worth a single-parcel bottling. Vinified dry, so must be classified as Anjou Blanc. The average age of the vines is 50+ years. Ground coverage alternates yearly between grass and herbs every other row for the health of the vines and nutrients. Schist and red clay soils.

All white wines are pressed whole cluster, which helps to protect the grapes from oxygenation and acts as a natural filter. The grapes are macerated for eight hours, after which the must is lightly filtered. Native yeast fermentation for 2.5 months, with malolactic in barrel. Matured in sandstone amphora for 12 months, and then two months in stainless steel before bottling.

96 Points! The 2021 Chardonnay West Sonoma Coast is a bright youthful hue and delivers elegant aromas of fresh flowers, white peaches, sea spray, and soft floral citrus. Medium-bodied, it displays good roundness and delicate spice, with fresh saline minerality, Meyer lemon, and ripe pear. It’s supple and inviting, with a good, refreshing feel, and touch of almond on the finish. Drink it over the next 10 years. This is the first vintage with the appellation printed on the label. - Audrey Frick, jebdunnuck.com

94 Points! The 2021 Chardonnay Vie di Romans is a showstopper, rich and floral in the glass, with dried nectarines and apricots lifted by yellow flowers and candied lime. Its textures are lifted, yet this makes quite an impact, with bright acidity enlivening masses of ripe peach and chamomile. Hints of confectioners’ sugar and lemon custard are left to linger as a burst of gingery spice and sour melon adds verve. A minute goes by, and this continues to resonate with hazelnut notes. - Eric Guido, Vinous Media

From the winery: Planted in the 1940s, the Stampede Vineyard is an own-rooted Zinfandel planting in the toe-hills of the Sierra Nevada mountains within Lodi’s Clements Hills AVA. With soils composed of decomposed granite, the Stampede Vineyard lies on a parcel that overlooks an old riverbed on one side and the Clements Stampede rodeo grounds on the other. Brothers and Lodi-natives Jeff & John Perlegos impeccably farm this vineyard.

On August 19th, we picked our third vintage of rosé from the ancient vines at Stampede Vineyard in Clements Hills. We couldn't be happier with how the wine turned out. Pressed whole-cluster and fermented in stainless steel. A slow, cold fermentation led to a weightier and more textural rosé, but the wine is everything you'd want a California rosé to be. At only 12.5% alcohol, the wine has loads of acidity, but with a density and vivacity you'd expect from old vine Zinfandel.  Drink now and drink often. This wine* is* springtime.

94 Points! Hailing from a warm vintage that was one of the best in what would otherwise have been a fairly ordinary decade, the 1985 Moulin Touchais Coteaux du Layon is starting to take on a deep golden appearance, commencing to amber. It offers a gorgeous, suave texture and a very complex nose that's a touch oxidative but that adds a layer of additional intrigue: it's all nuts, raisins, walnuts, olives, warm pastry, cinnamon, cooked orange peel. It's round and sweet (95g/L) but not unctuous with richness on the mid-palate while retaining enough acidity to refresh the mouth on the long finish. A wine that is very comfortable in its own skin, providing a very relaxing experience.

Moulin Touchais produces sweet Chenin Blanc in the Coteaux du Layon appellation. The wines are most often late harvested, although in some vintages - such as 1997 - a high level of botrytis builds on the fruit. What makes the winery special is its late-release policy: the wines must spend a minimum of 10 years in the underground cellars beneath the village of Doué la Fontaine before release. - Rebecca Gibb MW, Vinous Media, 2021

95 Points! The 2019 Chardonnay Bennett Valley waltzes out with alluring notes of fresh apricots, honeydew melon, and grapefruit, with hints of orange blossom and powdered ginger. The medium-bodied palate is tight-knit and elegant, with a seamless backbone and loads of savory nuances to accent the stone fruit layers, finishing long with a spicy kick. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent

Terroir: From the lieu-dit "Les Cornillaux" in the village of Leynes, on hard limestone and grey Liassic marls. Southwestern exposure, gentle slope.

Viticulture: Organic (not certified)

Vinification: Long, gentle pressing, indigenous yeast fermentation in older barrels with no added SO2, aged 11 months in barrel and 5 months in stainless steel tank, minimal total SO2, no fining, no filtration.

The Saisons Saint-Véran 2020 is a white Burgundy wine known for its bright, fresh, and balanced character. It offers a pale yellow color and a nose that combines delicate fruit aromas like peach and pear with floral notes of acacia and honeysuckle. Some vintages may also exhibit hints of exotic fruits and citrus. On the palate, it's typically dry, well-rounded, and mineral, with a lively acidity that contributes to a harmonious and refreshing experience. The wine often displays notes of fresh almond, hazelnut, and sometimes even a touch of butter or honey. 

Harvested from a sustainable, 31-year-old, .82-hectare plateau vineyard planted on clay-silt soil and with a western exposure. The wine is matured for 11 months on fine lees in neutral oak. Bottled with light bentonite fining and unfiltered.

94 Points! The 2022 Châteauneuf Du Pape Les Safres Blanc is brilliant, with a gorgeous array of ripe citrus, honeyed orange, white flowers, and a kiss of background oak. Medium to full-bodied, it has richness as well as freshness and just about flawless balance. Despite the richer style of the vintage, this stays vibrant and focused, with ample minerality on the finish. - Jeb Dunnuck