*** You’ll find two special mixed case offerings in this missive. One after the first six wines and one at the end. The savings abound!
2022 PASSIONATE WINES “Del Mono” Tinto
$15.95 bottle/ $153.00 case
This is a new-to-me wine that just came into view a month or so ago and I immediately wanted to get it in front of you. A naturally made wine from Argentina’s Tupangato Valley that is comprised of a rarely seen blend of 50/50 syrah and malbec. Here’s a quick description from their website of what’s going on here:
“Passionate Wines is the brainchild of Matias Michelini. He is the winemaker, agronomist, and Grand Poobah of his winery named Passionate Wines. Matias strives to make experimental wines that express terroir. These wines are low production and are drawn from multiple inspirations, regions, and styles. They are unconventional wines, fermented with native yeast.”
What intrigued me about this wine was how interesting it was with all these darkly textured wild berry/bramble/spice notes that drew me in, but also how flat out delicious and gulpable it is as well. Sometimes Argentinean wines can be a little one dimensional, but definitely not so here. This will be great with a steak or chops off the grill. Also, this was the wine I opened with my first dinner when we got back from Italy and was perfect with all American grilled cheeseburgers & tots Monday night!
>> 91 pts- Vinous: “Bright medium red-ruby. Brambly blackberry, dark raspberry, black pepper, mocha and minerals on the nose, plus a touch of reduction. Then rich, broad and almost chocolatey on the palate, offering a fine-grained texture and very good concentration to its sweet, juicy dark berry, pepper and spice flavors. This is a fairly substantial, chocolatey-ripe wine for a Michelini brother (In this case, Matías) but I’m not complaining. Harmonious acidity and salty minerality give this wine early deliciousness but there’s no rush to drink it. Finishes with a broad, fine dusting of tannins and a lingering note of cocoa powder. Malbec and Syrah are hardly a typical blend but I like the results here.“
2019 MARIETTA CELLARS “Christo” Red
$25.95 bottle/ $249.00 case
Marietta has been on a tear the last 10+ years. It seems all their wines go from strength to strength. The Bilbro brothers bought the winery from their parents in 2012 and have gone completely next level. Case in point is this slamming good Rhone style red that is just impossible not to get with. It has so much going on. I’ll let the following say it all, but just know this is a killer Cali red for $25!!
>> 96 pts- Wine Advocate: “A blend of Syrah, Grenache, Petite Sirah and Viognier, the 2019 Christo has a deep ruby-purple color and alluring scents of blueberry jam and cassis with accents of loamy earth, violet, coffee beans and iron. The full-bodied palate is powerful yet silky, with seamless acidity and gobs of pure violet perfume on the long, layered finish. It’s easy to drink now but offers a decade or more of cellaring potential.”
>> 92 pts- Wine Spectator: “Deeply structured and youthful with torque, this red slowly reveals dark cherry, bittersweet chocolate and black olive flavors as it builds toward broad-shouldered tannins. Syrah, Grenache, Petite Sirah and Viognier.”
>> 93 pts- Wine Enthusiast: “This bold and nicely oaked red wine offers deep, dark-fruit flavors and attractive accents of vanilla, cinnamon and dark chocolate on a full-body backed by moderate tannins. It is tasty, rich and mouth filling.”
2020 MAROTTI CAMPI Verdicchio Classico “Albiano”
$11.95 bottle/ $114.00 case
This is an absolute steal on a vivacious, electrically charged Italian white. Marotti Campi makes two other Verdicchios from their 
family estate in the Marche region, but this “entry level” bottle is the deal! Delivering irresistible mouthfuls of citrus zest, crisp apple, florals, and a saline/mineral edge on it laser focused finish, this just keeps me coming back for more every time I open it (full disclosure: I don’t think I’ve ever not finished a bottle after pouring that first glass. But perhaps you have more self control than I do 😆). So refreshingly perfect on a warm summer afternoon or evening and über-food friendly, it’s hard to believe you get so much satisfaction for so little of your discretionary income. Just a 100% over-deliverer of the goods, this should be chilling in your fridge all summer long!!
2020 BADIA A COLTIBUONO Chianti Classico “Cultusboni RS”
$16.95 bottle/ $163.00 case
Named for 5th generation winemaker Roberto Stucchi (“RS”), this is a full flavored, wonderfully textural Tuscan sangiovese that sells for a frankly incredible price considering the quality. Stucchi works with select vineyard owners who grow these sangiovese grapes to his rather exacting specifications, and his meticulous attention to detail clearly shows here. Heady, sensory filling aromas and flavors that are pure and expressive, and speaks clearly of place. The 2019 was a huge hit when we featured it a year or so ago. To my palate this gorgeous 2020 turns up the volume even further! Fabulous juice and brilliantly perfect with dishes featuring summer’s coming tomato harvest!!
>> 92 pts- Vinous: “The 2020 Chianti is a dense, powerful wine. Black cherry, clove, earth, and anise show the darker side of sangiovese. There’s good depth from start to finish. Positively stellar”.
2020 JEAN-MAURICE RAFFAULT Chinon “Les Galuches”
$17.50 bottle/ $172.00 case
Nowhere does the cabernet franc grape give up the levels of flavor, complexity, and character than when made in France’s gloriously beautiful Loire Valley. Taken further, when made by someone as capable as Jean-Maurice Raffault you’re going to really experience something special. His single vineyard “Les Galuches” is loaded in this ’20 vintage. Bursting with generous layers of dark berries, espresso, bittersweet cocoa, sweet-tart cranberry, and an intriguing wild herb edge, this is a pretty special bottle. It finishes full and fresh, making it one of the most versatile food reds you could ask for. Not to mention one of, if not the, best values in French red wine. There’s a lot to get into with this beauty, and you’ll have a blast digging into all it has to offer!
2021 DOMAINE EUGENE CARREL Vin de Savoie Rosé
$12.95 bottle/ $124.00 case
Coming from the stony soils in the foothills of the Alps in eastern France, this is a super dry and sharply focused pink made from 80% gamay and 20% mondeuse, fruit and mineral laden rosé from the tiny estate run by the Carrel family. With a perfect light ruby color that looks so perfect in the glass, this offers up spiced strawberries, floral spice, hints of thyme and that classic Savoie minerality that comes from these stony hillside vineyards from whence the grapes mature. Drinking better right now than it did on release last summer, that extra year has allowed all the lusciously refreshing elements to come together into a greater whole. It’s in such a sweet drinking spot right now, and perfect aperitif. And if you happen to have a grilled shrimp appetizer/first course in mind, this will elicit raves about your food and wine pairing acumen!!
*** World Wide Wine Case #1: get a most satisfying mixed case of two bottles each of these six vinous delights for just $171.00. At an average of just $14.25 a pop, some terrific summer pleasures await!!
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World Wide Wine Pleasures, part deux:
Quick hits on 6 more wines that have been waiting patiently in the E-Special wings…
2019 TENUTA OLIM BAUDA Barbera d’Asti “Le Rocchette”
$24.95 bottle/ $238.00 case
Apparently I’m never going to be disappointed by the Bauda barberas. Every vintage, every release punches all my pleasure buttons. I love my barbera, and am exceedingly particular about what goes in my glass. I promise you this new reserve release of “Le Rocchette” is a stunner. Not inexpensive, but what a compelling Piedmontese red that more than delivers at this price. Love it!
>> 93 pts- Vinous: “A powerful, driving wine. Dried rose petal, crushed rock, iron, incense and red fruit convey notable mineral and savory intensity. This deceptively mid-weight barbera packs quite the punch with a bright, saline finish. A great example of Asti at its best!”
>> 91 pts- Wine Enthusiast: “Concentrated and dense, this Barbera is full of aromas of black cherry, currant, and allspice. The palate pops with more tart fruit flavors of sour cherry and plums with a subtle note of dried herbs. Though at first the wine seems rich and intense, the acidity brightens up the finish.”
2021 JEAN-MAURICE RAFFAULT Chinon Rosé
$14.95 bottle/ $144.00 case
100% cab franc rosé that satisfies, in its own pink-hued way, just as much as the vin rouge mentioned above! And this:
>> 91 pts- Vinous: “Incisive, mineral-accented strawberry, tangerine, and floral aromas. Vibrant flavors show fine delineation and dusty mineral topnotes. Finishes long and precise, displaying firm tension.”
2021 VIÑA ZORZAL Garnacha
$14.95 bottle/ $144.00 case
One of our best selling Spanish wines last year is back in a new vintage and with the same slurpable deliciousness. Super crowd pleasing, a fabulous bargain, and a perfect wine for the grilling season!
>> 92 pts- Wine Advocate: “Viña Zorzal is one of the most dynamic projects in Navarra. The regular red Garnacha was produced with grapes from the whole region and was bottled unoaked. Contained ripeness, 13.41% alcohol, berry fruit, hints of licorice and a touch of honey and beeswax. It has a medium body and a juicy mouthfeel with good grip and tension, more serious than the nose points at, and without any heaviness or heat. Purity.”
2020 ALCESTI Sicilia Rosso “Isola del Satiro”
$14.95 bottle/ $144.00
I featured this intriguing Sicilian red about 6 months ago and recently retasted and again was knocked out by the molto Italiano aromas and flavors of berries, herbs, earth, and minerals that reflect exactly the place its grown. Loads to explore here, not at all heavy (just 13% abv!), perfect with a chill on it when you want a cool red on a warm summer evening, brilliantly food friendly, and takes me right back to my Sicily vacation. That’s about all I need! And that label, which I love, is so reminiscent of tiles, linens, and ceramics you see all over the island!
2022 IDILICO Albariño “Yakima Valley”
$18.95 bottle/ $182.00 case
This is a relatively new Washington producer who has come across my wine radar the lst few months and I am mightily impressed. The owner/winemaker Javier was born in Spain and he has a mission to bring the flavors of Spain to the northwest wine consumer. I also know his wife has demanded that his wines “Not suck.” His words, not mine. What I also know is this is a terrific expression of this incredibly food friendly and versatile grape, and it was a huge hit a Friday Flight a few weeks ago. Quite possibly the best and most true-to-Spain American albariño I’ve ever had!
2022 FLORENSAC Picpoul de Pinet
$14.95 bottle/ $144.00 case
If you demand your whites be vivaciously crisp and fresh, sllghtly minerally and imbued with laser focus, with not a stave of oak in sight, then this is precisely what your palate desires. From SW France and made from the Picpoul grape. As mentioned in emails over the years, my wife LOVES her all stainless, crisp, dry, screw capped Euro whites and this sits squarely in her wheelhouse. This has always been one of her favorite whites for me to bring home, and domestic harmony in mind, this will likely be in our fridge in the months to come!
*** Best of All Worlds Case
With that delightful array of selections ro ponder, here’s an easy answer: I would be pleased to hand pack a mixed case containing one bottle of each of the 12 wines mentioned in this email. All that future pleasure can be had for just $174.00 for the lot. In other words, fior an average of $14.40 per bottle you have a lot of liquid pleasure ahead of you!!
